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I
AN ancient story I’ll tell you anon | |
| Of a notable prince, that was callèd King John; | |
| And he rulèd England with maine and with might, | |
| For he did great wrong, and maintein’d little right. | |
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II
And I’ll tell you a story, a story so merrye, | 5 |
| Concerning the Abbot of Canterbùrye; | |
| How, for his house-keeping and high renowne, | |
| They rode poste for him to fair London towne. | |
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III
An hundred men, the King did heare say, | |
| The Abbot kept in his house every day; | 10 |
| And fifty golde chaynes, without any doubt, | |
| In velvet coates waited the Abbot about. | |
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IV
‘How now, Father Abbot, I heare it of thee | |
| Thou keepest a farre better house than mee, | |
| And for thy house-keeping and high renowne, | 15 |
| I feare thou work’st treason against my crown.’— | |
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V
‘My liege,’ quo’ the Abbot, ‘I would it were knowne, | |
| I never spend nothing, but what is my owne; | |
| And I trust your Grace will doe me no deere | |
| For spending of my owne true-gotten geere.’ | 20 |
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VI
‘Yes, yes, Father Abbot, thy fault it is highe, | |
| And now for the same thou needest must dye; | |
| For except thou canst answer me questions three, | |
| Thy head shall be smitten from thy bodìe. | |
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VII
‘And first,’ quo’ the King, ‘when I’m in this stead, | 25 |
| With my crowne of golde so faire on my head, | |
| Among all my liege-men so noble of birthe, | |
| Thou must tell me to one penny what I am worthe. | |
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VIII
‘Secondlye, tell me, without any doubt, | |
| How soone I may ride the whole worlde about. | 30 |
| And at the third question thou must not shrinke, | |
| But tell me here truly what I do thinke.’— | |
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IX
‘O, these are hard questions for my shallow witt, | |
| Nor I cannot answer your Grace as yet: | |
| But if you will give me but three weekes space, | 35 |
| I’ll do my endeavour to answer your Grace. | |
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X
‘Now three weekes space to thee will I give, | |
| And that is the longest time thou hast to live; | |
| For if thou dost not answer my questions three, | |
| Thy lands and thy livings are forfeit to mee.’ | 40 |
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XI
Away rode the Abbot all sad at that word, | |
| And he rode to Cambridge, and Oxenford; | |
| But never a doctor there was so wise, | |
| That could with his learning an answer devise. | |
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XII
Then home rode the Abbot of comfort so cold, | 45 |
| And he mett with his shepheard a-going to fold: | |
| ‘How now, my lord Abbot, you are welcome home; | |
| What newes do you bring us from good King John?’— | |
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XIII
‘Sad newes, sad newes, shepheard, I must give; | |
| That I have but three days more to live: | 50 |
| For if I do not answer him questions three, | |
| My head will be smitten from my bodìe. | |
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XIV
‘The first is to tell him there in that stead, | |
| With his crowne of golde so fair on his head, | |
| Among all his liege-men so noble of birthe, | 55 |
| To within one penny of what he is worthe. | |
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XV
‘The seconde, to tell him, without any doubt, | |
| How soone he may ride this whole worlde about: | |
| And at the third question I must not shrinke, | |
| But tell him there truly what he does thinke.’— | 60 |
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XVI
‘Now cheare up, sire Abbot, did you never hear yet, | |
| That a fool he may learn a wise man witt? | |
| Lend me horse, and serving-men, and your apparel, | |
| And I’ll ride to London to answere your quarrel. | |
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XVII
‘Nay frowne not, if it hath bin told unto mee, | 65 |
| I am like your lordship, as ever may bee: | |
| And if you will but lend me your gowne, | |
| There is none shall knowe us at fair London towne.’— | |
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XVIII
‘Now horses and serving-men thou shalt have, | |
| With sumptuous array most gallant and brave, | 70 |
| With crozier, and miter, and rochet, and cope, | |
| Fit to appeare ’fore our Father the Pope.’— | |
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XIX
‘Now welcome, sire Abbot,’ the King he did say, | |
| ‘’Tis well thou’rt come back to keepe thy day; | |
| For and if thou canst answer my questions three, | 75 |
| Thy life and thy living both savèd shall bee. | |
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XX
‘And first, when thou seest me here in this stead, | |
| With my crown of golde so fair on my head, | |
| Among all my liege-men so noble of birthe, | |
| Tell me to one penny what I am worthe.’— | 80 |
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XXI
‘For thirty pence our Saviour was sold | |
| Amonge the false Jewes, as I have bin told; | |
| And twenty-nine is the worthe of thee, | |
| For I thinke thou art one penny worser than hee.’ | |
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XXII
The King he laughed, and swore by St. Bittel, | 85 |
| ‘I did not thinke I had been worthe so littel! | |
| —Now secondly tell me, without any doubt, | |
| How soone I may ride this whole world about.’— | |
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XXIII
‘You must rise with the sun, and ride with the same, | |
| Until the next morning he riseth againe; | 90 |
| And then your Grace need not make any doubt, | |
| But in twenty-four hours you’ll ride it about.’ | |
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XXIV
The King he laughed, and swore by St. Jone, | |
| ‘I did not think it could be gone so soone! | |
| —Now from the third question thou must not shrinke, | 95 |
| But tell me here truly what I do thinke.’— | |
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XXV
‘Yea, that shall I do, and make your Grace merry: | |
| You thinke I’m the Abbot of Canterbùrye; | |
| But I’m his poor shepheard, as plain you may see, | |
| That am come to beg pardon for him and for mee.’ | 100 |
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XXVI
The King he laughed, and swore by the Masse, | |
| ‘I’ll make thee Lord Abbot this day in his place!’— | |
| ‘Now naye, my liege, be not in such speede, | |
| For alacke I can neither write, ne reade.’— | |
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XXVII
‘Four nobles a weeke, then, I will give thee | 105 |
| For this merry jest thou hast showne unto mee; | |
| And tell the old Abbot when thou comest home, | |
| Thou hast brought him a pardon from good King John. | |
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