XIX.

A LOVER OF LATE.

Printed, with a few flight corrections, from the Editor's

A

folio MS.

Lover of late was I,

For Cupid would have it foe,
The boy that hath never an eye,

As every man doth know:

I fighed and fobbed, and cryed, alas!

5

For her that laught, and called me afs.

Then knew not I what to doe,

When I faw itt was in vaine

A lady foe coy to wooe,

Who gave me the affe foe plaine:

Yet would I her affe freelye bee,

Soe fhee would helpe, and beare with mee.

An' I were as faire as shee,

Or fhee were as kind as I,

10

Paire with her that will for mee,
With her I will never paire ;
That cunningly can be coy,

For being a little faire.

The affe Ile leave to her difdaine;
And now I am myselfe againe.

20

XX.

THE KING AND MILLER OF MANSFIELD.

It has been a favourite subject with our English balladmakers to reprefent our kings converfing, either by accident or defign, with the meaneft of their fubjects. Of the former kind, befides this fong of the King and the Miller; we have K. Henry and the Soldier: K James I. and the Tinker; K. William III. and the Forrefter, &c. Of the latter fort, are K. Alfred and the Shepherd; K. Edward IV. and the Tanner; K. Henry VIII and the Cobier, &c.

A few of the best of these are admitted into this collection. Both the author of the following ballad, and others who have written on the fame plan, feem to have copied a very ancient poem, intitled JOHN THE REEVE, which is built on an adventure of the fame kind, that happened between K. Edward Longshanks, and one of his Reeves or Bailiffs. This is a piece of great antiquity, being written before the time of Edward IV. and for its genuine bumour, diverting incidents, and faithful picture of ruftic manners, is infinitely fuperior to all that have been fince written in imitation of it. The Editor has a copy in his ancient folio MS. but its length rendered it improper for this volume, it confifting of more than 90 lines It contains alfo fome corruptions, and the Editor chufes to defer its publication in hopes that fome time or other he shall be able to remove them.

N &

The

The following is printed, with corrections, from the Editor's folio MS. collated with an old black-letter copy in the Pepys collection, intitled "A pleasant ballad of K. Henry II. "and the Miller of Mansfield, &c."

PART THE FIRST.

ENRY, our royall king, would ride a hunting To the greene forest so pleasant and faire; To see the harts skipping, and dainty does tripping: Unto merry Sherwood his nobles repaire:

Hawke and hound were unbound, all things prepar❜d 5 For the game, in the fame, with good regard.

All a long fummers day rode the king pleasantlye,
With all his princes and nobles eche one;
Chafing the hart and hind, and the bucke gallantlye,
`Till the dark evening forc'd all to turne home.
Then at last, riding fast, he had loft quite
All his lords in the wood, late in the night.

Wandering thus wearilye, all alone, up and downe,
With a rude miller he mett at the laft:
Afking the ready way unto faire Nottingham;

Sir, quoth the miller, I meane not to jeft,
Yet I thinke, what I thinke, footh for to say,
You doe not lightlye ride out of your way.

Why, what doft thou think of me, quoth our king merrily, Paffing thy judgment upon me fo briefe ?

2

20

Good

Good faith, fayd the miller, I meane not to flatter thee;

I guess thee to bee but some gentleman thiefe; Stand thee backe, in the darke; light not adowne, Left that I presentlye cracke thy knaves crowne.

Thou dost abuse me much, quoth the king, faying thus; I am a gentleman; lodging I lacke.

26

Thou haft not, quoth th' miller, one groat in thy purse;

All thy inheritance hanges on thy backe.

* I have gold to discharge all that I call; If it be forty pence, I will pay all.

If thou beeft a true man, then quoth the miller,

I sweare by my toll-dish, I'll lodge thee all night. Here's my hand, quoth the kiug, that was I ever.

Nay, foft, quoth the miller, thou may'st be a sprite.

Better I'll know thee, ere hands we will shake;
With none but honest men hands will I take.

Thus they went all along unto the millers house;
Where they were feething of puddings and fouse:
The miller first enter'd in, after him went the king;
Never came hee in foe fmoakye a house.
Now, quoth hee, let me fee here what you are.
Quoth our king, looke your fill, and doe not spare.

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35

40

I like well thy countenance, thou haft an honest face;
With my fon Richård this night thou shalt lye.
Quoth his wife, by my troth, it is a handsome youth, 45
*The king fays this.