{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/boeb/boeb04.htm","path":"neu/eng/boeb/boeb04.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/boeb/boeb04.htm","text":"I READ that once in Affrica\n \u00a0\u00a0A princely wight did raine,\n Who had to name Cophetua,\n \u00a0\u00a0As poets they did faine.\n From natures lawes he did decline,\n For sure he was not of my minde,\n He cared not for women-kind\n \u00a0\u00a0But did them all disdaine.\n But marke what hapned on a day;\n As he out of his window lay,\n He saw a beggar all in gray.\n \u00a0\u00a0The which did cause his paine.\nThe blinded boy that shootes so trim\n \u00a0\u00a0From heaven downe did hie,\n He drew a dart and shot at him,\n \u00a0\u00a0In place where he did lye:\n Which soone did pierse him to the quicke,\n And when he felt the arrow pricke,\n Which in his tender heart did sticke,\n \u00a0\u00a0He looketh as he would dye.\n What sudden chance is this,\" quoth he,\n \"That I to love must subject be,\n Which never thereto would agree,\n \u00a0\u00a0But still did it defie?\"\nThen from the window he did come,\n \u00a0\u00a0And laid him on his bed;\n A thousand heapes of care did runne\n \u00a0\u00a0Within his troubled head.\n For now he meanes to crave her love,\n And now he seekes which way to proove\n How he his fancie might remoove,\n \u00a0\u00a0And not this beggar wed.\n But Cupid had him so in snare,\n That this poor begger must prepare p. 45\n A salve to cure him of his care,\n \u00a0\u00a0Or els he would be dead.\nAnd as he musing thus did lye,\n \u00a0\u00a0He thought for to devise\n How he might have her companye,\n \u00a0\u00a0That so did 'maze his eyes.\n \"In thee,\" quoth he, \"doth rest my life;\n For surely thou shalt be my wife,\n Or else this hand with bloody knife,\n \u00a0\u00a0The Gods shall sure suffice.\"\n Then from his bed he soon arose,\n And to his pallace gate he goes;\n Full little then this begger knowes\n \u00a0\u00a0When she the king espies.\n\"The gods preserve your majesty,\"\n \u00a0\u00a0The beggers all gan cry;\n \"Vouchsafe to give your charity,\n \u00a0\u00a0Our childrens food to buy.\"\n The king to them his purse did cast,\n And they to part it made great haste;\nThis silly woman was the last\n \u00a0\u00a0That after them did hye.\n The king he cal'd her back againe,\n And unto her he gave his chaine;\n And said, \"With us you shal remaine\n \u00a0\u00a0Till such time as we dye.\n\"For thou,\" quoth he, \"shalt be my wife,\n \u00a0\u00a0And honoured for my queene;\n With thee I meane to lead my life,\n \u00a0\u00a0As shortly shall be seene:\n Our wedding shall appointed be,\n And every thing in its degree;\n \"Come on,\" quoth he, \"and follow me,\n \u00a0\u00a0Thou shalt go shift thee cleane.\n What is thy name, faire maid?\" quoth he.\n \"Penelophon, O King,\" quoth she;\n With that she made a lowe courts\u00e8y;\n \u00a0\u00a0A trim one as I weene.\nThus hand in hand along they walke\n \u00a0\u00a0Unto the king's pall\u00e0ce:\n The king with courteous, comly talke\n \u00a0\u00a0This begger doth embrace.\nThe begger blusheth scarlet red,\n And straight againe as pale as lead,\n But not a word at all she said,\n \u00a0\u00a0She was in such amaze.\n At last she spake with trembling voyce,\n And said, \"O King, I doe rejoyce\n That you wil take me for your choyce,\n \u00a0\u00a0And my degree so base.\"\nAnd when the wedding day was come,\n \u00a0\u00a0The king commanded strait\n The noblemen, both all and some,\n \u00a0\u00a0Upon the queene to wait.\n And she behaved herself that day\n As if she had never walkt the way;\n She had forgot her gowne of gray,\n \u00a0\u00a0Which she did weare of late.\n The proverbe old is come to passe,\n The priest, when he begins his masse,\n Forgets that ever clerke he was\n \u00a0\u00a0He knowth not his estate.\nHere you may read Cophetua,\n \u00a0\u00a0Through long time fancie-fed, p. 48\n Compelled by the blinded boy\n \u00a0\u00a0The begger for to wed:\n He that did lovers lookes disdaine,\n To do the same was glad and faine,\n Or else he would himselfe have slaine,\n \u00a0\u00a0In storie, as we read.\n Disdaine no whit, O lady deere,\n But pitty now thy servant heere,\n Least that it hap to thee this yeare,\n \u00a0\u00a0As to that king it did.\nAnd thus they led a quiet life\n \u00a0\u00a0During their princely raine,\n And in a tombe were buried both,\n \u00a0\u00a0As writers sheweth plaine.\n The lords they tooke it grievously,\n The ladies tooke it heavily,\n The commons cryed pitiously,\n \u00a0\u00a0Their death to them was paine.\n Their fame did sound so passingly,\n That it did pierce the starry sky,\n And throughout all the world did flye\n \u00a0\u00a0To every princes realme.","title":"A Book of Old English Ballads: King Cophetua and the Begg...","type":"page"}