Now, gentle herdfman, afke no more,

But keepe my fecretts I thee pray;
Unto the towne of Walfingham

Show me the right and readye way.

55

"Now goe thy wayes, and God before!
"For he must ever guide thee ftill:
"Turne downe that dale, the right hand path,
"And foe, faire pilgrim, fare thee well!" 60

XV.

K. EDWARD IV. AND TANNER OF TAMWORTH

Was a story of great fame among our ancestors. The auther of the ART OF ENGLISH POESIE, 1589, 4to, Seems to speak of it, as a real fact.-Defcribing that vicious mode of Speech, which the Greeks called ACYRON, i. e. “When we ufe a dark and obfcure word, utterly repugnant to that we should exprefs;" he adds, "Such manner of un"couth Speech did the Tanner of Tamworth ufe to king Ed"ward the fourth; which Tanner, having a great while miftaken him, and used very broad talke with him, at length perceiving by his traine that it was the king, was afraide he should be punished for it, [and] jaid thus, "with a certaine rude repentance,

"I hope I shall be hanged to-morrow,

for [I feare me] I shall be hanged; whereat the king laughed a good, not only to jee the Tanner's vaine feare, but also to heare his illapen terme; and gave

VOL. II.

* Vid. Glofs.

G

"bim

"him for recompence of his good Sport, the inheritance of Plumpton-parke. I AM AFRAID," concludes this fagacious writer,

66

66

-The

THE POETS OF OUR TIME, THAT SPEAKE "MORE FINELY AND CORRECTEDLY, WILL COME TOO SHORT OF SUCH A REWARD," p. 214.phrafe, here referred to, is not found in this ballad at prefent, but occurs with Jome variation in an older poem, intitled JOHN THE REEVE, defcribed in the following volume, (fee the Preface to THE KING AND THE MILLER),

viz.

"Nay, fayd John, by Gods grace,
"And Edward wer in this place,
"Hee fhold not touch this tonne :
"He wold be wrath with John I HOPE,
"Therefore I bebrew the foupe,
"That in his mouth fhold come."

" Pt. 2.

ft. 24.

"A mex

The following text is felected from two copies in black letter. The one in the Bodleyan library, intitled, "rie, pleasant, and delectable historie betweene K. Edward "the Fourth, and a Tanner of Tamworth, &c. printed

at London, by John Danter, 1596.” This copy, ancient as it now is, appears to have been modernized and altered at the time it was published; but many veftiges of the more ancient readings were recovered from another copy, (though more recently printed,) in one sheet falio, without date, in the Pepys collection.

I

N fummer time, when leaves grow greene,
And bloffoms bedecke the tree,

King Edward wolde a hunting ryde,
Some paftime for to fee.

With

With hawke and hounde he made him bowne, 5

With horne, and eke with bowe;

To Drayton Baffet he tooke his waye,
With all his lordes a rowe.

1

And he had ridden ore dale and downe

By eight of clocke in the day, When he was ware of a bold tannèr Come ryding along the waye.

A fayre ruffet coat the tanner had on
Faft buttoned under his chin,
And under him a good cow-hide,

And a mare of four shilling *.

Nowe stand you ftill, my good lordes all,
Under the grene wood spraye;

And I will wend to yonder fellowe,

To weet what he will faye.

66.

In the reign of Edward IV. Dame Cecill, lady of Torboke, in her will dated March 7. A. D. 1466; among many other bequests has this, Alfo I will that my sonne "Thomas of Torboke have 13s. 4 d. to buy him an "horfe." Vid. Harleian Catalog. 2176. 27. Now if 13s. 4d. would purchase a feed fit for a perfon of quality, a tanner's horse might reasonably be valued at four or five fhillings.

God

God fpeede, God speede thee, faid our king.
Thou art welcome, fir, fayd hee.

"The readyeft waye to Drayton Baffet
I praye thee to shewe to mee."

"To Drayton Baffet woldft thou goe,
Fro the place where thou dost stand ?

The next payre of gallowes thou comest unto,
Turne in upon thy right hand."

That is an unreadye waye, fayd our king,

Thou doeft but jeft I fee:

Nowe fhewe me out the nearest waye,

And I pray thee wend with mee.

Awaye with a vengeance! quoth the tanner:
I hold thee out of thy witt:

All daye have I rydden on Brocke my mare,
And I am fafting yett.

"Go with me downe to Drayton Basset,

No daynties we will spare;

All daye fhalt thou eate and drinke of the beft,
And I will paye thy fare."

Gramercye for nothing, the tanner replyde,

Thou payeft no fare of mine:

I trowe I've more nobles in my purse,

Than thou haft pence in thine.

25

30

35

God

God give thee joy of them, fayd the king,
And fend them well to priefe.
The tanner wolde faine have beene away,

For he weende he had beene a thiefe.

What art thou, hee fayde, thou fine fellòwe,

Of thee I am in great feare,

For the cloathes, thou weareft upon thy backe,
Might befeeme a lord to weare.

I never stole them, quoth our king,

I tell you, fir, by the roode.

.45

50

"Then thou playeft, as many an unthrift doth, 55 And standest in midds of thy goode."

What tydinges heare you, fayd the kynge,

As you ryde farre and neare ?

"I heare no tydinges, fir, by the maffe,

But that cowe-hides are deare."

>

60

"Cowe-hides! cowe-hides! what things are thofe ?

I marvell what they bee ?"

What art thou a foole? the tanner reply'd;

I carry one under mee.”

What craftíman art thou, faid the king,

I praye thee tell me trowe.

"I am a barker, fir, by my trade;

Nowe tell me what art thou?"

G 3

65

I am