Part 23

"I am a poor courtier, sir," quoth he, "That am forth of service worn; And fain I would thy 'prentice be, Thy cunning for to learn."--

"Marry, heaven forfend," the tanner replied, "That thou my 'prentice were! Thou'dst spend more good than I should win, By forty shilling a year."--

"Yet one thing would I," said our king, "If thou wilt not seem strange: Though my horse be better than thy mare, Yet with thee I fain would change."--

"Why, if with me thou fain wilt change, As change full well may we, By the faith of my body, thou proud fell-ow I will have some boot of thee."--

"That were against reason," said the king, "I swear, so mote I thee: My horse is better than thy mare, And that thou well may'st see."--

"Yea, sir, but Brock is gentle and mild, And softly she will fare; Thy horse is unruly and wild, i-wis; Aye skipping here and there."--

"What boot wilt thou have?" our king replied; "Now tell me in this stound."-- "No pence, nor halfpence, by my fay, But a noble in gold so round."--

"Here's twenty groats of white mon-ey, Sith thou wilt have it of me."-- "I would have sworn now," quoth the tanner, "Thou hadst not had one penni-e.

"But since we two have made a change, A change we must abide; Although thou hast gotten Brock my mare, Thou gettest not my cow-hide."--

"I will not have it," said the king, "I swear, so mote I thee; Thy foul cow-hide I would not bear, If thou wouldst give it to me."

The tanner he took his good cow-hide That of the cow was hilt; And threw it upon the king's sad-elle, That was so fairly gilt.

"Now help me up, thou fine fell-ow, 'Tis time that I were gone: When I come home to Gyllian my wife, She'll say I am a gentilmon."

When the tanner he was in the king's sad-elle, And his foot in the stirrup was; He marvelled greatly in his mind, Whether it were gold or brass.

But when his steed saw the cow's tail wag, And eke the black cow-horn; He stamped, and stared, and away he ran, As the devil had him borne.

The tanner he pulled, the tanner he sweat, And held by the pummel fast: At length the tanner came tumbling down; His neck he had well-nigh brast.

"Take thy horse again with a vengeance!" he said, "With me he shall not bide!"-- "My horse would have borne thee well enough, But he knew not of thy cow-hide.

"Yet if again thou fain wouldst change, As change full well may we, By the faith of my body, thou jolly tann-er, I will have some boot of thee."--

"What boot wilt thou have?" the tanner replied, "Now tell me in this stound."-- "No pence nor halfpence, sir, by my fay, But I will have twenty pound."--

"Here's twenty groats out of my purse; And twenty I have of thine: And I have one more, which we will spend Together at the wine."

The king set a bugle horn to his mouth, And blew both loud and shrill: And soon came lords, and soon came knights, Fast riding over the hill.

"Now, out alas!" the tanner he cried, "That ever I saw this day! Thou art a strong thief, yon come thy fell-ows Will bear my cow-hide away!"--

"They are no thieves," the king replied, "I swear, so mote I thee: But they are the lords of the north countr-y, Here come to hunt with me."

And soon before our king they came, And knelt down on the ground: Then might the tanner have been away, He had liever than twenty pound.

"A collar, a collar, here!" said the king, "A collar!" he loud gan cry; Then would he liever than twenty pound, He had not been so nigh.

"A collar, a collar," the tanner he said, "I trow it will breed sorrow; After a collar cometh a halter, I trow I'll be hanged to-morrow."--

"Be not afraid, tanner," said our king; "I tell thee, so mote I thee, Lo here I make thee the best esquire That is in the north countrie.

"For Plumpton Park I will give thee, With tenements fair beside: 'Tis worth three hundred marks by the year, To maintain thy good cow-hide."--

"Gram-ercy, my liege," the tanner replied "For the favour thou hast me shown; If ever thou comest to merry Tam-worth, Neat's leather shall clout thy shoon."