Peter Robins, his website

In summer time, when leaves grew green,
and birds were singing on every tree,
King Edward would a hunting ride,
some pastime for to see.

Our king he would a hunting ride,
by eight a clock of the day,
And well was he ware of a bold tanner,
came riding on the way.

A good russet coat the tanner had on,
fast buttoned under his chin,
And under him a good cow-hide,
and a mare of four shilling.

`Now stand you here, my good lords all,
under this trusty tree,
And I will wend to yonder fellow,
to know from whence came he.

`God speed, God speed,' then said our king;
'Thou art welcome, good fellow,' quoth he;
`Which is the way to Drayton Basset
I pray thee shew to me.'

`The ready way to Drayton Basset,
from this place as thou dost stand,
The next pair of gallows thou comst to
thou must turn up [on] thy right hand.'

`That is not the way,' then said our king,
'The ready way I pray thee shew me;'
`Whether thou be thief or true man,' quoth the tanner,
`I'm weary of thy company.

`Away, with a vengeance,' qoth the tanner,
`I hold thee out of thy wit,
For all this day have I ridden and gone,
And I am fasting yet.'

`Go with me to Drayton Basset,' said our king,
'No daintyes we will lack;
We'l have meat and drink of the best,
And I will pay the shot.'

`Godamercy for nothing,' said the tanner,
'Thou shalt pay for no dinner of mine;
I have more groats and nobles in my purse
then thou hast pence in thine.'

`God save your goods,' then said the king,
aend send them well to thee!'
`Be thou thief or true man,' quoth the tanner,
`I am weary of thy company.

`Away, with a vengeance,' quoth the tanner,
'of thee I stand in fear;
The aparrell thou wearst on thy back
May seem a good lord to wear.'

`I never stole them' said our king,
`I swear to thee by the rood;'
`Thou art some ruffian of the country,
thou rid'st in the midst of thy good.'

`What news dost thou hear?' then said our king,
`I pray what news do you hear?'
`I hear no news,' answered the tanner,
'But that cow-hides be dear.'

`Cow-hides? cow-hides?' then said our king,
`I marvell what they be;'
`Why, art thou a fool?' quoth the tanner,
'look, I have one under me.'

`Yet one thing now I would thee pray,
so that thou wouldst not be strange;
If thy mare be better then my steed,
I pray thee let us change.'

`But if you needs with me will change,
As change full well may ye,
By the faith of my body,' quoth the tanner,
`I look to have boot of thee.'

`What boot wilt thou ask?' then said our king,
'what boot dost thou ask on this ground?'
`No pence nor half-pence,' said the tanner,
'But a noble in gold so round.'

`Here's twenty good groats,' then said the king,
'So well paid see you be;'
`I love thee better then I did before,
I thought thou hadst nere a peny.

`But if so be we needs must change,
as change thou must abide,
Though thou hast gotten Brock my mare,
thou shalt not have my cow-hide.'

The tanner took the good cow-hide,
that of the cow was hilt,
And threw it upon the king's saddle,
That was so fairly guilt.

`Now help me, help me,' quoth the tanner,
`Full quickly that I were gone,
For when I come home to Gillian my wife
she'l say I'm a gentleman.'

The king took the tanner by the leg,
he girded a fart so round;
`You'r very homely,' said the king,
'were I aware, I'd laid you o th' ground.'

But when the tanner was in the king's saddle
astone:d then he was;
He knew not the stirrops that he did wear,
whether they were gold or brass.

But when the steed saw the black cow-tale wag,
for and the black cow-horn,
The steed began to run away,
as the divel the tanner had born.

Untill he came unto a nook,
a little beside an ash;
The steed gave the tanner such a fall
his neck was almost brast.

`Take thy horse again, with a vengeance,' he said,
'with me he shall not abide;'
`It is no marvell,' said the king, and laught,
'He knew not your cow-hide.

`But if that we needs now must change,
as change that well we mought,
I'le swear to you plain, if you have your mare,
I look to have some boot.'

`What boot will you ask?' quoth the tanner,
`What boot will you ask on this ground?'
`No pence nor half-pence,' said our king,
'But a noble in gold so round.'

`Here's twenty [good] groats,' said the tanner,
aend twenty more I have of thine;
I have ten groats more in my purse,
we'l drink five of them at the wine.'

The king set a bugle-horne to his mouth,
that blew both loud and shrill,
And five hundred lords and knights
came riding over a hill.

`Away, with a vengeance,' quoth the tanner,
'with thee I'le no longer abide;
Thou art a strong thief, yonder be thy fellows,
they will steal away my cow-hide.'

`No I protest,' then said our king,
'For so it may not be;
They be the lords of Drayton Basset,
come out of the North Country.'

But when they came before the king
full low they fell on their knee;
The tanner had rather then a thousand pound
he had been out of his company.

`A coller! a coller!' then said the king,
ae coller!' then did he cry;
Then would he have given a thousand pound
he had not been so nigh.

`A coller? a coller?' then quoth the tanner,
'it is a thing which will breed sorrow;
For after a coller commeth a halter,
and I shall be hanged tomorrow.'

`No, do not fear,' the king did say;
'For pastime thou hast shown me,
No coller nor halter thou shalt have,
but I will give thee a fee.

`For Plompton Park I will give thee,
with tenements three beside,
Which is worth three hundred pound a year,
to maintain thy good cow-hide.'

`Godamercy, Godamercy,' quoth the tanner;
'For this good deed thou hast done,
If ever thou comest to merry Tamworth
thou shalt have clouting-leather for thy shone.'