"What boote wilt thou have?" the tanner replyd,
"Nowe tell me in this stounde.
"Noe pence nor halfpence, Sir, by my faye,
But I will have twentye pound."
"Here's twentye groates out of my purse;
And twentye I have of thine:
And I have one more, which we will spend
Together at the wine."
The king set a bugle horne to his mouthe,
And blewe both loude and shrille:
And soone came lords, and soone came knights,
Fast ryding over the hille.
"Nowe, out alas!" the tanner he cryde,
"That ever I sawe this daye
Thou art a strong thiefe, yon come thy fellowes
Will beare my cowe-hide away."
"They are no thieves," the king replyde,
"I sweare, soe mote I thee:
But they are the lords of the north countrèy,
Here come to hunt with mee."
And soone before our king they came,
And knelt downe on the grounde:
Then might the tanner have beene awaye,
He had lever than twentye pounde.
"A coller, a coller, here:" sayd the king,
"A coller," he loud gan crye:
Then woulde he lever than twentye pound,
He had not beene so nighe.
"A coller, a coller," the tanner he sayd,
"I trowe it will breed sorrowe:
After a coller cometh a halter,
I trow I shall be hang'd to-morrowe."
"Be not afraid, tanner," said our king
"I tell thee, so mought I thee,
Lo here I make thee the best esquire
That is in the North countrie.[6]
"For Plumpton-parke I will give thee,
With tenements faire beside
'Tis worth three hundred markes by the yeare,
To maintaine thy good cowe-hide."
"Gramercye, my liege," the tanner replyd,
"For the favour thou hast me showne;
If ever thou comest to merry Tamworth,
Neates leather shall clout thy shoen."