XV. King Edward IV. and the Tanner of Tamworth. ................................................
This was a story of great fame among our ancestors. The author of theArt of
English Poesie, 1589, 4to. seems to speak of it as a real fact. Describing that vicious
mode of speech, which the Greeks calledAcyron, i.e."When we use a dark and
obscure word, utterly repugnant to that we should express;" he adds, "Such manner of
uncouth speech did the Tanner of Tamworth use to King Edward the Fourth; which
Tanner, having a great while mistaken him, and used very broad talke with him, at
length perceiving by his traine that it was the king, was afraide he should be punished
for it, [and] said thus, with a certain rude repentance,
I hope I shall he hanged to-morrow,for [I feare me]I shall be hanged; whereat the king laughed a good,[1] not only to see
the Tanner's vaine feare, but also to heare his illshapen terme: and gave him for
recompence of his good sport, the inheritance of Plumpton-parke.I am afraid,"
concludes this sagacious writer,"the poets of our times that speake more finely and
correctedly, will come too short of such a reward,"-- p. 214. The phrase here referred
to, is not found in this ballad at present,[2] but occurs with some variation in another
old poem, intitledJohn the Reeve, described in the following volume.-- see the
Preface toThe King and the Miller, viz.
"Nay, sayd John, by Gods grace,
And Edward war in this place,
Hee shold not touch this tonne:
He wold be wroth with John I HOPE,
Thereffore I beshrew the soupe,
That in his mouth shold come."
-- Part ii. st. 24.
The following text is selected (with such other corrections as occurred) from
two copies in black-letter. The one in the Bodleian Library, intitled, "A merrie,
pleasant, and delectable historie betweene King Edward the Fourth, and a Tanner of
Tamworth, &c. printed at London, by John Danter, 1596." This copy, ancient as it
now is, appears to have been modernized and altered at the time it was published; and
many vestiges of the more ancient readings were recovered from another copy
(though more recently printed), in one sheet folio, without date, in the Pepys
Collection.
But these are both very inferior in point of antiquity to the old ballad ofThe
King and the Barker, reprinted with other "Pieces of ancient popular Poetry from
authentic Manuscripts, and old Printed Copies, &c." Lond. 1791, 8vo. As that very
antique poem had never occurred to the editor of the Reliques, till he saw it in the
above collection, he now refers the curious reader to it, as an imperfect and incorrect
copy of the old original ballad.
IN summer time, when leaves grow greene,
And blossoms bedecke the tree,
King Edward wolde a hunting ryde,
Some pastime for to see.
With hawke and hounde he made him bowne,
With horne, and eke with bowe;
To Drayton Basset he tooke his waye,
With all his lordes a rowe.