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The Shepherd and the King, and of Gillian the Shepherds Wife, with her churlish Answer. Being full of Mirth and Pastime.
To the Tune of Flying Fame.
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IN Elder time there as of Yore,
when guides of churlish glee,
Were us'd among our Country Carls,
though no such thing now be;
The which King Alfred liking well,
forsook his stately Court,
And in disguise unknown went forth,
to see that jovial sport,
Now Dick and Tom in clouted shoon,
and Coats of Russet gray,
Esteem'd themselves more b••ave than them
that went in Golden Ray;
In garments fit for such a life,
the good King Alfred went,
All raggd and torn as from his back
the begger his Coaths had wrent.
the Sword and Buckler good and strong,
to give Iack Sauce a wrap,
And on his head instead of a Crown,
he wore a Monmouth Cap,
Thus coasting thorow Somersetshire,
near Newton Court he met,
A Shepherd Swain of lusty limb.
that up and down did jet:
He wore Bonnet of good gray,
close button'd to his chin,
And at his back a leather Scrip,
with much good Meat therein.
God speed good to Shepherd, quoth the King
I come to be thy Guest,
To taste of thy good Victuals here,
And drink that's of the best:
Thy Scrip I know hath cheer good store.
what then the Shepherd said?
Thou seemest to be some sturdy thief,
and mak'st me sore afraid.
Yet if thou wilt thy Dinner win
the Sword and Buckler take,
And if thou canst into my Scrip
therewith an entrance make,
I tell thee Roister it hath store
of Beef and Bacon fat,
With shieves of barly bread to make
thy Chaps to water at:
Here stands my bottle, here my bag,
if thou canst win them Roister,
Against the Sword and Buckler here
my Sheephook is my master.
Benedicite now quoth our good King,
it never shall be said,
That Alfred of the Shephereds hook
will stand a whit afraid:
So soundly thus they both fell to't,
and giving bang for bang,
At every blow the Shepherd gave
King Alfreds Sword cry'd twang.
His Buckler prov'd his chiefest fence
for still the Shepherds hook,
Was that the which King Alfred could
in no good manner brook:
At last when they had fought four hours,
and it grew just mid-day,
And wearied, both with right good will
desired each others stay.
King, truce I cry, quoth Alfred then,
good Shepherd hold thy hand,
A sturdier fellow than thy self
lives not within the land.
Nor a lustier Roister than thou art,
the churlish Shepherd said,
To tell thee plain thy thievish looks,
now makes my heart afraid;
Else sure thou art some Prodigal
which hast consum'd thy store,
And now comest wandring in this place
to Rob and Steal for more:
Deem not of me then quoth our King
good Shepherd in this sort,
A Gentleman well known I am
in good King Alfreds Court,
The Devil thou art, the Shepherd said,
thou goest in Rags all torn,
Thou rather seemst I think to be
some beggar basely born;
But if thou wilt mend thy estate,
and here a Shepherd be,
At night to Gillian my sweet wife
thou shalt go home with me.
For she's as good a toothless dame
as mumbleth on brown bread,
Where thou shalt lie in hurden sheets,
upon a fresh straw bed.
Of whig and whey we have good store
and keep good Pease-straw fires,
And now and then good Barly Cakes
as better Days requires.
But for my master which is chief,
and Lord of Newton Court,
He keeps I say, his Shepherd Swains
in far more braver sort;
We there have curds & clouted cream
of red Cows morning milk,
And now and then fine butter••d cakes
as soft as any Silk.
Of Beef and reised Bacon store
that is most fat and greasie,
We have likewise to feed our chaps,
and make them glib and easie.
Thus if thou will my man become,
this usage thou shalt have,
If not adieu go hang thy self,
and so farewel Sir Knave.
King Alfred hearing of this glee,
the churlish Shepherd said,
Was well content to be his man,
so they a bargain made.
A Penny round the shepherd gave,
in earnest of this match,
To keep his Sheep in field and fold
as Shepherds use to watch.
His wages shall be full ten groats
for service of a Year,
Yet was it not his use old Lad
to hire a man so dear.
For did the King himself, quoth he,
unto my Cottage come,
He should not for a 12 months pay
receive a greater sum.
Hereat the bonny King grew blith
to hear the Clownish jest,
How silly Sots, as Custom is,
do discant at the best.
but not to spoil the foolish sport
he was content good King,
To fit the Shepherds humour right
in every kind of thing,
A Sheep hook then, with Patch his dog,
and Tar-box by his side.
HE with his Master jig by jowl,
unto old Gillian hy'd,
into whose sight no sooner came,
whom have you here, quoth she,
A fellow I doubt will cut our throats,
so like Knave looks he.
Not so, old dame, qd Alfred straight,
of me you need not fear,
My Master hired me for ten groats
to serve you one whole Year:
So good dame Gillian grant me leave
within your house to stay,
For by St: Anne do what you can,
I will not yet away.
Her churlish usage pleas'd him still,
put him to such proof,
That he at night was almost choakt,
within that smoaky Roof:
But as he sat with smiling cheer,
the event of all to see,
His Dame brought forthe piece of dow
which in the Fire throws she;
Where lying on the Harth to bake,
by chance the Cake did burn,
What canst thon not, thou lout, (qd. she)
take pains the same to turn:
Thou art more quick to take it out,
and eat it up half dow,
Than thus to stay till 't be enough,
and so thy manners show.
But serve me such another trick,
i'll thwack thee on the snout,
Which made the patient King, good man
of her to stand in doubt.
But to be brief to bed they went,
the good old man and his wife,
But never such a Lodging had
King Alfred in his life:
For he was laid in white Sheeps wool,
new pull'd from tanned fells,
And o'er his head hang'd spiders webs
as if they had been bells,
Is this the Country guise, thought he,
then here I will not stay,
But hence be gone, as soon as breaks
the peeping of next day.
The cackling Hens & Geese kept roost,
and pearched at his side,
where at the last the watchful Cock,
made known the morning tide;
Then up got Alfred with his horn,
and blew so long a blast,
That made Gillian and her Groom
in bed full sore aghast.
Arise, qd. she, we are undone,
this night we lodged have;
At unawares within our house,
a false dissembling Knave;
Rise Husband, rise, he'll cut our throats
he calleth for his Mates,
I'd give, old will, our good Cade Lamb,
he would depart our gates.
but still King Alfred blew his born
before t••em more and more,
Till that a hundred Lords and Knights,
all lighted at the door:
who cry'd, all hail, all hail, good King,
long have we sought your Grace.
And here you find (my merry men all)
your Soveraign in this place.
We surely in this place.
old Gillian I much fear,
The Shepherd said for using thus
our good King Alfred here
O pardon, my Liege, qd. Gillian then,
for my Husband and for me,
by these ten bones I never thought
the same that now I see;
And by my hook, the Shepherd said,
an Oath both good and true,
before this time, O noble King,
I never your Highness knew.
Then pardon me, and my old wife,
that we may after say,
VVhen first you came into our house,
it was a happy day.
it shall be done, said Alfred straight.
and Gillian my Old Dame,
For this thy churlish using me,
deserveth not much blame;
For this thy Country guise I see
to be thus bluntish still,
And where the plainest meaning is,
remains the smallest ill.
And Master loe I tell thee now,
for thy low manhood shown,
A thousand wethers ile bestow
upon thee for thy own.
And pasture ground as much as will
suffice to feed them all.
And this thy Cottage I will change
into a stately Hall.
As for the same as duty binds,
the Shepherd said, good King,
A milk white Lamb once every year
ile to your Highness bring:
And Gillian my wife likewise,
of wool to make you Coats,
will give you as much at New-years-tide,
as shall be worth ten groats,
And in your praise my bagpipes shall
sound sweetly once a year,
Now Alfred our renowned King
most kindly hath been here.
Thanks shepherd, thanks, qd. he again,
the next time I come hither,
My Lords with me here in this house
will all be merry together.