They are no thieves, the king replied I swear, so mote I thee: But they are the lords of the north country, Here come to hunt with me. And soon before our king they came, Then might the tanner have been away, A collar, a collar, here: said the king, Then would he lever than twenty pound, A collar, a collar, the tanner he said, I trow it will breed sorrow : After a collar cometh a halter, I trow I shall be hang'd to-morrow. Be not afraid, tanner, said our king; Lo here I make thee the best esquire That is in the north country. * Rather. 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. Gramercy, my liege, the tanner replied, If ever thou comest to merry Tamwòrth, * Cow's. Mend thy shoes. ITHE* and listen, gentlemen, To sing a song I will begin : Which was the unthrifty heir of Linne. His father was a right good lord, His mother a lady of high degree; But they, alas! were dead, him fro', To spend the day with merry cheer, It was, I ween, his heart's delight. Attend. To ride, to run, to rant, to roar, To alway spend and never spare, Of gold and fee he might be bare. So fares the unthrifty lord of Linne His father had a keen steward, And John o' the Scales was called he: But John is become a gentleman, And John has got both gold and fee. Says, Welcome, welcome, lord of Linne, Good store of gold I'll give thee here. My gold is gone, my money is spent ; Give me the gold, good John o' the Scales, H Then John he did him to record draw, The land, I wis, was well worth three. He told him the gold upon the board, And now I'll be the lord of Linne. Thus he hath sold his land so broad, All but a poor and lonesome lodge, For so he to his father hight,‡ My son, when I am gone, said he, Then thou wilt spend thy land so broad, And thou wilt spend thy gold so free: But swear me now upon the cross, That lonesome lodge thou'lt never spend; For when all the world doth frown on thee, Thou there shalt find a faithful friend. * Earnest-money. + Wood. Promised. |