What boote wilt thou have? our king reply'd;

Now tell me in this ftound. "Noe pence, nor half pence, by my faye, But a noble in gold fo round."

95

"Here's twentye groates of white moneyè, Sith thou will have it of mee."

I would have fworne now, quoth the tanner,
Thou hadst not had one penniè.

But fince we two have made a change,

A change we must abide,

Although thou hast gotten Brocke my mare,

Thou getteft not my cowe-hide.

I will not have it, fayd the kynge,

I sweare, fo mought I thee;

Thy foule cowe-hide I wolde not beare,

If thou woldt give it to mee.

The tanner hee tooke his good cowe-hide,

That of the cow was hilt;

And threwe it upon the king's fadèle,

That was foe fayrelye gilte.

"Now help me up, thou fine fellòwe,

'Tis time that I were gone :

When I come home to Gyllian my wife,

115

Sheel fay I am a gentilmon."

The

The king he tooke him up by the legge;
The tanner a f** lett fall.

Nowe marrye, good fellowe, fayd the kyng,
Thy courtesye is but small,

When the tanner he was in the kinges fadèlle,
And his foote in the stirrup was ;

He marvelled greatlye in his minde,
Whether it were golde or brass.

120

But when his steede faw the cows taile wagge, 125

And eke the blacke cowe-horne ;

He ftamped, and ftared, and awaye he ranne,
As the devill had him borne.

The tanner he pulld, the tanner he sweat,

And held by the pummil faft:

At length the tanner came tumbling downe;
His necke he had well-nye braft.

Take thy horse again with a vengeance, he sayd, With mee he fhall not byde.

66

130

"My horfe wolde have borne thee well enoughe, 135 But he knewe not of thy cowe-hide.

Yet if againe thou faine woldft change,

As change full well may wee,

By the faith of my bodye, thou jolly tannèr,

I will have fome boote of thee."

140

What

What boote wilt thou have, the tanner replyd,
Nowe tell me in this stounde?
"Noe pence nor halfpence, fir, by my faye,
But I will have twentye pound."

"Here's twentye groates out of my purse; And twentye I have of thine:

And I have one more, which we will spend
Together at the wine."

The king fet a bugle horne to his mouthe,

And blewe both loude and fhrille:

145

150

And foone came lords, and foone came knights, Faft ryding over the hille.

Nowe, out alas! the tanner he cryde,

That ever I fawe this daye!

Thou art a strong thiefe, yon come thy fellowes 155 Will beare my cowe-hide away.

They are no thieves, the king replyde,

I sweare, foe mote I thee:

But they are the lords of the north countrèy,

Here come to hunt with mee.

And foone before our king they came,

And knelt downe on the grounde:

Then might the tanner have beene awaye,

He had lever than twentye pounde.

160

A coller,

A coller, a coller, here: fayd the king,
A coller he loud gan crye:

Then woulde he lever then twentye pound,

He had not beene fo nighe.

A coller, a coller, the tanner he fayd,
I trowe it will breed forrowe :
After a coller commeth a halter,

I trow I fhall be hang'd to-morrowe.

Be not afraid Tanner, faid our king;
I tell thee, fo mought I thee,
Lo here I make thee the best efquire
That is in the North countrie*.

165

170

175

For Plumpton-parke I will give thee,

With tenements faire befide:

'Tis worth three hundred markes by the
To maintaine thy good cowe-hide.

yeare,

180

Gramercye, my liege, the tanner replyde,
For the favour thou haft me showne;
If ever thou comeft to merry Tamworth,

Neates leather fhall clout thy fhoen.

**

*

This fianza is reftored from a quotation of this Ballad in Selden's "Titles of Honour," who produces it as a good authority to prove, that one mode of creating ESQUIRES at that time, was by the impofition of a COLLAR. His words are, "Nor is that old pamphlet of the Tanner of "Tamworth and King Edward the Fourth fo contemptible, but that wee Es may thence note also an obfervable paffage, wherein the use of making Efquires, by giving Collars, is expreffed." (Sub Tit. Efquire; & vide in Spelmanni Gloffar. Armiger.) This form of creating Efquires. tually exifts at this day among the Serjeants at Arms, who are invefied with a Collar (which they wear on Collar Days) by the King himself. This information I owe to Samuel Pegge, Efq. to whom the Publick is indebted for that curious work the CURIALIA, 470. XVI. AS

ac

XVI.

AS YE CAME FROM THE HOLY LAND. DIALOGUE BETWEEN A PILGRIM AND TRAVELLER.

The Scene of this fong is the fame as in Num. XIV. The pilgrimage to Walfingham fuggefted the plan of many popular pieces. In the Pepys collection, Vol. I. p. 226, is a kind of Interlude in the old ballad ftyle, of which the firft ftanza alone is worth reprinting.

As I went to Walfingham,

To the shrine with speede,
Met I with a jolly palmer
In a pilgrimes weede.

Now God you fave, you jolly palmer!
"Welcome, lady gay,

"Oft have I fued to thee for love."
-Oft have I faid you nay.

The pilgrimages undertaken on pretence of religion, were often productive of affairs of gallantry, and led the votaries to no other forine than that of Venus *.

The following ballad was once very popular; it is quoted in Fletcher's" Knt. of the burning pestle," A& II. fc. alt. and in another old play, called, "Hans Beer-pot, his invifible Comedy, &c." 4to. 1618; Act I.-The copy below was communicated to the Editor by the late Mr. Shenftone as corrected by him from an ancient copy, and supplied with a concluding ftanza.

Even in the time of Langland, pilgrimages to Walfingham were not unfavourable to the rites of Venus. Thus in his Vifions of Pierce Plaman, fo. 1.

Hermets on a heape, with hoked staves,

lenten to

alfingham, and her + wenches after.

ti.e. their.