{"collection":"Northern European Mythology","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/neu/eng/child/ch045.htm","path":"neu/eng/child/ch045.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch045.htm","text":"Sacred Texts\u00a0\n Legends & Sagas\u00a0\n England\u00a0\n Index\u00a0\n Previous\u00a0\n Next\u00a0\n \n \n \n 45A: King John and the Bishop\n \n \n 45A.1\tOFF an ancient story Ile tell you anon,\n Of a notable prince that was called King Iohn,\n In England was borne, with maine and with might;\n Hee did much wrong and mainteined litle right.\n 45A.2\tThis noble prince was vexed in veretye,\n For he was angry with the Bishopp of Canterbury;\n Ffor his house-keeping and his good cheere,\n Th rode post for him, as you shall heare.\n 45A.3\tThey rode post for him verry hastilye;\n The king sayd the bishopp kept a better house then hee:\n A hundred men euen, as I [have heard] say,\n The bishopp kept in his house euerye day,\n And fifty gold chaines, without any doubt,\n In veluett coates waited the bishopp about.\n 45A.4\tThe bishopp, he came to the court anon,\n Before his prince that was called King Iohn.\n As soone as the bishopp the king did see,\n \u2018O,\u2019 quoth the king, \u2019Bishopp, thow art welcome to mee.\n There is noe man soe welcome to towne\n As thou that workes treason against my crowne\u2019\n 45A.5\t\u2018My leege,\u2019 quoth the bishopp, \u2018I wold it were knowne\n I spend, your grace, nothing but that that\u2019s my owne;\n I trust your grace will doe me noe deare\n For spending my owne trew gotten geere.\u2019\n 45A.6\t\u2018Yes,\u2019 quoth the king, \u2019Bishopp, thou must needs dye,\n Eccept thou can answere mee questions three;\n Thy head shalbe smitten quite from thy bodye,\n And all thy liuing remayne vnto mee.\n 45A.7\t\u2018First,\u2019 quoth the king, \u2019Tell me in this steade,\n With this crowne of gold heere vpon my head,\n Amongst my nobilitye, with ioy and much mirth,\n Lett me know within one pennye what I am worth.\n 45A.8\t\u2018Secondlye, tell me without any dowbt\n How soone I may goe the whole world about;\n And thirdly, tell mee or euer I stinte,\n What is the thing, bishopp, that I doe thinke.\n Twenty dayes pardon thoust haue trulye,\n And come againe and answere mee.\u2019\n 45A.9\tThe bishopp bade the king god night att a word;\n He rode betwixt Cambridge and Oxenford,\n But neuer a doctor there was soe wise\n Cold shew him these questions or enterprise.\n 45A.10\tWherewith the bishopp was nothing gladd,\n But in his hart was heauy and sadd,\n And hyed him home to a house in the countrye,\n To ease some part of his melanchollye.\n 45A.11\tHis halfe-brother dwelt there, was feirce and fell,\n Noe better but a shepard to the bishoppe himsell;\n The shepard came to the bishopp anon,\n Saying, My Lord, you are welcome home!\n 45A.12\t\u2018What ayles you,\u2019 quoth the shepard, \u2019that you are soe sadd,\n And had wonte to haue beene soe merry and gladd?\u2019\n \u2018Nothing,\u2019 quoth the bishopp, \u2018I ayle att this time;\n Will not thee availe to know, brother mine.\u2019\n 45A.13\t\u2018Brother,\u2019 quoth the shepeard, \u2019you haue heard itt,\n That\ta foole may teach a wisemane witt;\n Say me therfore whatsoeuer you will,\n And if I doe you noe good, Ile doe you noe ill.\u2019\n 45A.14\tQuoth the bishop: I haue beene att the court anon,\n Before my prince is called King Iohn,\n And there he hath charged mee\n Against his crowne with traitorye.\n 45A.15\tIf I cannott answer his misterye,\n Three questions hee hath propounded to mee,\n He will haue my land soe faire and free,\n And alsoe the head from my bodye.\n 45A.16\tThe first question was, to tell him in that stead,\n With the crowne of gold vpon his head,\n Amongst his nobilitye, with ioy and much mirth,\n To lett him know within one penye what hee is worth.\n 45A.17\tAnd secondlye, to tell him with-out any doubt\n How soone he may goe the whole world about;\n And thirdlye, to tell him, or ere I stint,\n What is the thinge that he does thinke.\n 45A.18\t\u2018Brother,\u2019 quoth the shepard, \u2019you are a man of learninge;\n What neede you stand in doubt of soe small a thinge?\n Lend me,\u2019 quoth the shepard, \u2019your ministers apparrell,\n Ile ryde to the court and answere your quarrell.\n 45A.19\t\u2018Lend me your serving men, say me not nay,\n With all your best horsses that ryd on the way;\n Ile to the court, this matter to stay;\n Ile speake with King Iohn and heare what heele say.\u2019\n 45A.20\tThe bishopp with speed prepared then\n To sett forth the shepard with horsse and man;\n The shepard was liuely without any doubt;\n I wott a royall companye came to the court.\n 45A.21\tThe shepard hee came to the court anon\n Before [his] prince that was called King Iohn.\n As soone as the king the shepard did see,\n \u2018O,\u2019 quoth the king, \u2019Bishopp thou art welcome to me.\u2019\n The shepard was soe like the bishopp his brother,\n The king cold not know the one from the other.\n 45A.22\tQuoth the king, Bishopp, thou art welcome to me\n If thou can answer me my questions three.\n Said the shepeard, If it please your grace,\n Show mee what the first quest[i]on was.\n 45A.23\t\u2018First,\u2019 quoth the king, \u2019Tell mee in this stead,\n With the crowne of gold vpon my head,\n Amongst my nobilitye, with ioy and much mirth,\n Within one pennye what I am worth.\u2019\n 45A.24\tQuoth the shepard, To make your grace noe offence,\n I thinke you are worth nine and twenty pence;\n For our Lord Iesus, that bought vs all,\n For thirty pence was sold into thrall\n Amongst the cursed Iewes, as I to you doe showe;\n But I know Christ was one penye better then you.\n 45A.25\tThen the king laught, and swore by St Andrew\n He was not thought to bee of such a small value.\n \u2018Secondlye, tell mee with-out any doubt\n How soone I may goe the world round about.\u2019\n 45A.26\tSaies the shepard, It is noe time with your grace to scorne,\n But rise betime with the sun in the morne,\n And follow his course till his vprising,\n And then you may know without any leasing.\n 45A.27\tAnd this [to] your grace shall proue the same,\n You are come to the same place from whence you came;\n [In] twenty-four houres, with-out any doubt,\n Your grace may the world goe round about;\n The world round about, euen as I doe say,\n If with the sun you can goe the next way.\n 45A.28\t\u2018And thirdlye tell me or euer I stint,\n What is the thing, bishoppe, that I doe thinke.\u2019\n \u2018That shall I doe,\u2019 quoth the shepeard; \u2019For veretye,\n You thinke I am the bishopp of Canterburye.\u2019\n 45A.29\t\u2018Why, art not thou? the truth tell to me;\n For I doe thinke soe,\u2019 quoth the king, \u2019By St Marye.\u2019\n \u2018Not soe,\u2019 quoth the shepeard; \u2019The truth shalbe knowne,\n I am his poore shepeard; my brother is att home.\u2019\n 45A.30\t\u2018Why,\u2019 quoth the king, \u2019if itt soe bee,\n Ile make thee bishopp here to mee.\u2019\n \u2018Noe, Sir,\u2019 quoth the shepard, \u2018I pray you be still,\n For Ile not bee bishop but against my will;\n For I am not fitt for any such deede,\n For I can neither write nor reede.\u2019\n 45A.31\t\u2018Why then,\u2019 quoth the king, \u2018Ile giue thee cleere\n A pattent of three hundred pound a yeere;\n That\tI will giue thee franke and free;\n Take thee that, shepard, for coming to me.\n 45A.32\t\u2018Free pardon Ile giue,\u2019 the kings grace said,\n \u2018To saue the bishopp, his land and his head;\n With him nor thee Ile be nothing wrath;\n Here is the pardon for him and thee both.\u2019\n 45A.33\tThen the shepard he had noe more to say,\n But tooke the pardon and rode his way:\n When he came to the bishopps place,\n The bishopp asket anon how all things was.\n 45A.34\t\u2018Brother,\u2019 quoth the shepard, \u2018I haue well sped,\n For I haue saued both your land and your head;\n The king with you is nothing wrath,\n For heere is the pardon for you and mee both.\u2019\n 45A.35\tThen the bishopes hart was of a merry cheere:\n \u2018Brother, thy paines Ile quitt them cleare;\n For I will giue thee a patent to thee and to thine\n Of fifty pound a yeere, land good and fine.\u2019\n 45A.36\t. . . . . .\n . . . .\n \u2018I will to thee noe longer croche nor creepe,\n Nor Ile serue thee noe more to keepe thy sheepe.\u2019\n 45A.37\tWhereeuer wist you shepard before,\n That\thad in his head witt such store\n To pleasure a bishopp in such a like case,\n To answer three questions to the kings grace?\n Whereeuer wist you shepard gett cleare\n Three hundred and fifty pound a yeere?\n 45A.38\tI neuer hard of his fellow before.\n Nor I neuer shall: now I need to say noe more.\n I neuer knew shepeard that gott such a liuinge\n But David, the shepeard, that was a king.\n \n \n \n 45B: King John and the Bishop\n \n \n 45B.1\tIRR\u2019rrLL tell you a story, a story anon,\n Of a noble prince, and his name was King John;\n For he was a prince, and a prince of great might,\n He held up great wrongs, he put down great right.\n Refrain:\tDerry down, down hey, derry down\n 45B.2\tI\u2019ll tell you a story, a story so merry,\n Concerning the Abbot of Canterbury,\n And of his house-keeping and high renown,\n Which made him resort to fair London town.\n 45B.3\t\u2018How now, father abbot? \u2019Tis told unto me\n That thou keepest a far better house than I;\n And for [thy] house-keeping and high renown,\n I fear thou has treason against my crown.\u2019\n 45B.4\t\u2018I hope, my liege, that you owe me no grudge\n For spending of my true-gotten goods:\u2019\n \u2018If thou dost not answer me questions three,\n Thy head shall be taken from thy body.\n 45B.5\t\u2018When I am set so high on my steed,\n With my crown of gold upon my head,\n Amongst all my nobility, with joy and much mirth,\n Thou must tell me to one penny what I am worth.\n 45B.6\t\u2018And the next question you must not flout,\n How long I shall be riding the world about;\n And the third question thou must not shrink,\n But tell to me truly what I do think.\u2019\n 45B.7\t\u2018O these are hard questions for my shallow wit,\n For I cannot answer your grace as yet;\n But if you will give me but three days space,\n I\u2019ll do my endeavor to answer your grace.\u2019\n 45B.8\t\u2018O three days space I will thee give,\n For that is the longest day thou hast to live.\n And if thou dost not answer these questions right,\n Thy head shall be taken from thy body quite.\u2019\n 45B.9\tAnd as the shepherd was going to his fold,\n He spy\u2019d the old abbot come riding along:\n \u2018How now, master abbot? You\u2019r welcome home;\n What news have you brought from good King John?\u2019\n 45B.10\t\u2018Sad news, sad news I have thee to give,\n For I have but three days space for to live;\n If I do not answer him questions three,\n My head will be taken from my body.\n 45B.11\t\u2018When he is set so high on his steed,\n With his crown of gold upon his head,\n Amongst all his nobility, with joy and much mirth,\n I must tell him to one penny what he is worth.\n 45B.12\t\u2018And the next question I must not flout,\n How long he shall be riding the world about;\n And the third question I must not shrink,\n But tell him truly what he does think.\u2019\n 45B.13\t\u2018O master, did you never hear it yet,\n That a fool may learn a wiseman wit?\n Lend me but your horse and your apparel,\n I\u2019ll ride to fair London and answer the quarrel.\u2019\n 45B.14\t\u2018Now I am set so high on my steed,\n With my crown of gold upon my head,\n Amongst all my nobility, with joy and much mirth,\n Now tell me to one penny what I am worth.\u2019\n 45B.15\t\u2018For thirty pence our Saviour was sold,\n Amongst the false Jews, as you have been told,\n And nine and twenty\u2019s the worth of thee,\n For I think thou are one penny worser than he.\u2019\n 45B.16\t\u2018And the next question thou mayst not flout;\n How long I shall be riding the world about.\u2019\n \u2018You must rise with the sun, and ride with the same,\n Until the next morning he rises again,\n And then I am sure you will make no doubt\n But in twenty-four hours you\u2019l ride it about.\u2019\n 45B.17\t\u2018And the third question you must not shrink,\n But tell me truly what I do think.\u2019\n \u2018All that I can do, and \u2019twill make you merry;\n For you think I\u2019m the Abbot of Canterbury,\n But I\u2019m his poor shepherd, as you may see,\n And am come to beg pardon for he and for me.\u2019\n 45B.18\tThe king he turned him about and did smile,\n Saying, Thou shalt be the abbot the other while:\n \u2018O no, my grace, there is no such need,\n For I can neither write nor read.\u2019\n 45B.19\t\u2018Then four pounds a week will I give unto thee\n For this merry jest thou hast told unto me;\n And tell the old abbot, when thou comest home,\n Thou hast brought him a pardon from good King John.\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Next: 46. Captain Wedderburn's Courtship","title":"The Child Ballads: 45. King John and the Bishop","type":"page"}