VI.

K. JOHN AND THE ABBOT OF CANTERBURY.

The common popular ballad of KING JOHN AND THE ABBOT Jeem to have been abridged and modernized about the time of James I. from one much older, intitled KING "JOHN AND THE BISHOP OF CANTERBURY." The Editor's folio MS. contains a copy of this laft, but in too corrupt a fate to be reprinted; it however afforded many lines worth reviving, which will be found inserted in the enfuing ftanzas.

The archness of the following questions and answers hath been much admired by our old ballad-makers; for befides the two copies above mentioned, there is extant another ballad on the fame fubject, (but of no great antiquity or merit) intitled, "KING OLFREY AND THE ABBOT *." Lafily, about the time of the civil wars, when the cry ran against the bishops, fome Puritan worked up the fame fory into a very doleful ditty, to a folemn tune, concerning "KING HENRY AND A BISHOP," with this ftinging moral,

"Unlearned men hard matters out can find,
"When learned bishops princes eyes do blind.”

The

* See the collection of Hift. Ballads, 3 vol. 1727. Mr. Wife supposes IFREY to be a corruption of ALFRED, in his pamphlet conning the WHITE HORSE in Berkshire, p. 15.

The following is chiefly printed from an ancient black letter copy, to "The tune of Derry down."

A

N ancient story Ile tell you anon

Of a notable prince, that was called king John; And he ruled England with maine and with might, For he did great wrong, and maintein'd little right.

And Ile tell you a story, a story so merrye,
Concerning the Abbot of Canterbùrye;
How for his house-keeping, and high renowne,
They rode pofte for him to fair London towne.

An hundred men, the king did heare fay,
The abbot kept in his house every day ;
And fifty golde chaynes, without any doubt,
In velvet coates waited the abbot about.

How now, father abbot, I heare it of thee,
Thou keepest a farre better house than mee,
And for thy houfe-keeping and high renowne,
I feare thou work'ft treafon against my crown.

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 fpending of my owne true-gotten geere.

X 2

Yes,

Yes, yes, father abbot, thy fault it is highe,
And now for the fame thou needest must dye;
For except thou canft anfwer me questions three,
Thy head fhall be fmitten from thy bodìe.

And firft, quo' the king, when I'm in this stead,
With my crowne of golde so faire on my head,
Among all my liege-men fo noble of birthe
Thou must tell me to one penny what I am worthe.

Secondlye, tell me, without any doubt,

25

How foone I may ride the whole world about;
And at the third question thou must not shrink,
But tell me here truly what I do think.

30

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,
Ile do my endeavour to answer your grace.

35

Now three weeks fpace to thee will I give,
And that is the longest time thou hast to live;
For if thou doft not answer my questions three,
Thy lands and thy livings are forfeit to mee.

40

Away rode the abbot all fad at that word,
And he rode to Cambridge, and Oxenford;

But never a doctor there was so wife,

That could with his learning an answer devife.

Then

Then home rode the abbot of comfort fo cold,
And he mett his fhepheard a going to fold:
How now, my lord abbot, you are welcome home;
What newes do you bring us from good king John?

"Sad newes, fad newes, shepheard, I must give;
That I have but three days more to live :
For if I do not anfwer him questions three,
My head will be fmitten from my bodìe.

45

50

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 fo noble of birth,

55

To within one penny of what he is worth.

The feconde, to tell him, without any doubt,
How foone he may ride this whole world about:
And at the third queftion I must not shrinke,
But tell him there truly what he does thinke.”

Now cheare up, fire abbot, did you never hear yet,
That a fool he may learn a wife man witt?
Lend me horse, and ferving men, and your apparel,
And I'll ride to London to answere your quarrel.

60

Nay frowne not, if it hath bin told unto mee,
I am like your lordship, as ever may bee:
And if you will but lend me your gowne,
There is none fhall knowe us at fair Londen towne.

65

"Now horfes, and ferving-men thou shalt have,
With fumptuous array moft gallant and brave;
With crozier, and miter, and rochet, and cope,
Fit to appeare 'fore our fader the pope."

Now welcome, fire abbot, the king he did fay,
Tis well thou'rt come back to keepe thy day;
For an if thou canft anfwer my queftions three,
Thy life and thy living both faved fhall bee.

And first, when thou feeft me here in this stead,
With my crown of golde fo fair on my head,
Among all my liege- men fo noble of birthe,
Tell me to one penny what I am worth.

"For thirty pence our Saviour was fold Amonge the falfe Jewes, as I have bin told ; And twenty nine is the worth of thee,

For I thinke, thou art one penny worfer than hee."

The king he laughed, and fwore by St. Bittel,
I did not think I had been worth fo littel!
-Now fecondly tell me, without any doubt,
How foone I may ride this whole world about.

70

75

80

85

"You must rife with the fun, and ride with the fame, Until the next morning he rifeth againe ;

Meaning probably St. Botolph.

And