What boot wilt thou have, the tanner replied, Now tell me in this stound?[94] No pence, nor half-pence, sir, by my faith, But I will have twenty pound. [Illustration: KING EDWARD IV. AND THE TANNER OF TAMWORTH.] Here's twenty groats out of my purse; And twenty I have of thine: And I have one more, which we will spend Together at the wine. The king set a bugle horn to his mouth, And blew both loud and shrill: And soon came lords, and soon came knights, Fast riding over the hill. Now, out alas! the tanner he cried, That ever I saw this day! Thou art a strong thief, yon come thy fellows Will bear my cow-hide away. 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, And knelt down on the ground: Then might the tanner have been away, He had lever[95] than twenty pound. A collar, a collar, here: said the king, A collar he loud 'gan cry: Then would he lever than twenty pound, He had not been so nigh. 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; I tell thee, so mote I thee, Lo here I make thee the best esquire That is in the north country. 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, For the favour thou hast me shown: If ever thou comest to merry Tamworth, Neat's[96] leather shall clout thy shoen.[97] FOOTNOTES: [85] Ready. [86] A shilling was a large sum in those days. [87] Know. [88] Prove. [89] _i.e._ Hast no other wealth but what thou carriest about thee. [90] A dealer in bark. [91] May I thrive. [92] Flayed. [93] Broken. [94] Time. [95] Rather. [96] Cow's. [97] Mend thy shoes. THE HEIR OF LINNE. PART THE FIRST. Lithe[98] and listen, gentlemen, To sing a song I will begin: It is of a lord of fair Scotland, 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', And he lov'd keeping company. To spend the day with merry cheer, To drink and revel every night, To card and dice from eve to morn, It was, I ween, his heart's delight. To ride, to run, to rant, to roar, To alway spend and never spare, I know, an' it were the king himself, Of gold and fee he might be bare. So fares the unthrifty lord of Linne Till all his gold is gone and spent; And he maun sell his lands so broad, His house, and lands, and all his rent.