"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."