XV.

K. EDWARD IV. AND TANNER OF TAMWORTH

Was a story of great fame among our ancestors. The author of the _Art of English poesie_, 1589, 4to, seems to speak of it as a real fact.--Describing that vicious mode of speech, which the Greeks called _Acyron_, _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 be hanged to-morrow_,'

for [_I feare me_] _I shall be hanged_; whereat the king laughed a good,[447] 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,[448] but occurs with some variation in another old poem, intitled _John the Reeve_, described in the following volume (see the Preface to _the King and the Miller_),[449] viz.

"Nay, sayd John, by Gods grace, And Edward wer 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." Pt. ii. st. 24.

The following text is selected (with such other corrections as occurred) from two copies in black-letter. The one in the Bodleyan library, intitled, "A merrie, pleasant, and delectable historie betweene K. 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 of _The 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.

* * * * *

[This ballad was a great favourite with our ancestors and is probably of considerable antiquity.

The earliest entry of it upon the Registers of the Stationers' Company is to William Griffith in 1564, but no such edition is known to bibliographers. It is possible, however, that Puttenham may have found the line quoted above--

"I hope I shall be hanged to-morrow"

in that edition.

It belongs to the large class of tales in which the sovereign is made to converse on terms of good fellowship with a humble subject.

The interesting ballad of _John the Reeve_ referred to by Percy is printed for the first time in Hales and Furnivall's edition of the Folio Manuscript (vol. ii. p. 550.)

The Tanner of Tamworth is introduced into the first part of Heywood's _Edward IV._ The ballad _Under the greenwood tree_, among the Ashmole MSS. at Oxford, _Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar_, and _Robin Hood and the Monk_, all begin with the same words as this ballad--

"In summer time when leaves grow green."

The present version is an eclectic copy, polished and reversified by Percy.]

* * * * *

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,[450] 5 With horne, and eke with bowe; To Drayton Basset he tooke his waye, With all his lordes a rowe.

And he had ridden ore dale and downe By eight of clocke in the day, 10 When he was ware of a bold tannèr, Come ryding along the waye.

A fayre russet coat the tanner had on Fast buttoned under his chin, And under him a good cow-hide, 15 And a mare of four shilling.[451]

Nowe stand you still, my good lordes all, Under the grene wood spraye; And I will wend to yonder fellowe, To weet[452] what he will saye. 20

God speede, God speede thee, said our king, Thou art welcome, sir, sayd hee. "The readyest waye to Drayton Basset I praye thee to shewe to mee."

"To Drayton Basset woldst thou goe, 25 Fro the place where thou dost stand? The next payre of gallowes thou comest unto, Turne in upon thy right hand."

That is an unreadye waye, sayd our king, Thou doest but jest I see: 30 Nowe shewe me out the nearest waye, And I pray thee wend with mee.

Awaye with a vengeance! quoth the tanner: I hold thee out of thy witt: All daye have I rydden on Brocke my mare, 35 And I am fasting yett.

"Go with me downe to Drayton Basset, No daynties we will spare; All daye shalt thou eate and drinke of the best, And I will paye thy fare." 40

Gramercye[453] for nothing, the tanner replyde, Thou payest no fare of mine: I trowe I've more nobles in my purse, Than thou hast pence in thine.

God give thee joy of them, sayd the king, 45 And send them well to priefe.[454] The tanner wolde faine have beene away, For he weende he had beene a thiefe.

What art thou, hee sayde, thou fine fellòwe, Of thee I am in great feare, 50 For the cloathes, thou wearest upon thy backe, Might beseeme a lord to weare.

I never stole them, quoth our king, I tell you, sir, by the roode. "Then thou playest, as many an unthrift doth, 55 And standest in midds of thy goode."[455]

What tydinges heare you, sayd the kynge, As you ryde farre and neare? "I heare no tydinges, sir, by the masse, But that cowe-hides are deare." 60

"Cowe-hides! cowe-hides! what things are those? I marvell what they bee?" What art thou a foole? the tanner reply'd; I carry one under mee.

What craftsman art thou, said the king, 65 I praye thee tell me trowe. "I am a barker,[456] sir, by my trade; Nowe tell me what art thou?"

I am a poore courtier, sir, quoth he, That am forth of service worne; 70 And faine I wolde thy prentise bee, Thy cunninge for to learne.

Marrye heaven forfend,[457] the tanner replyde, That thou my prentise were: Thou woldst spend more good than I shold winne 75 By fortye shilling a yere.

Yet one thinge wolde I, sayd our king, If thou wilt not seeme strange: Thoughe my horse be better than thy mare, Yet with thee I faine wold change. 80

"Why if with me thou faine wilt change, As change full well maye wee, By the faith of my bodye, thou proude fellòwe, I will have some boot[458] of thee."

That were against reason, sayd the king, 85 I sweare, so mote I thee:[459] My horse is better than thy mare, And that thou well mayst see.

"Yea, sir, but Brocke is gentle and mild, And softly she will fare: 90 Thy horse is unrulye and wild, I wiss; Aye skipping here and theare."

What boote wilt thou have? our king reply'd; Now tell me in this stound.[460] "Noe pence, nor half pence, by my faye, 95 But a noble in gold so round."

"Here's twentye groates of white moneyè, Sith thou will have it of mee." I would have sworne now, quoth the tanner, Thou hadst not had one penniè. 100

But since we two have made a change, A change we must abide, Although thou hast gotten Brocke my mare, Thou gettest not my cowe-hide.

I will not have it, sayd the kynge, 105 I sweare, so mought I thee; Thy foule cowe-hide I wolde not beare, If thou woldst give it to mee.

The tanner hee tooke his good cowe-hide, That of the cow was hilt; 110 And threwe it upon the king's sadèlle, That was soe fayrelye gilte.

"Now help me up, thou fine fellòwe, 'Tis time that I were gone: When I come home to Gyllian my wife, 115 Sheel say I am a gentilmon."

The king he tooke him up by the legge; The tanner a f ** lett fall. Nowe marrye, good fellowe, sayd the kyng, Thy courtesye is but small. 120

When the tanner he was in the kinges sadèlle, And his foote in the stirrup was; He marvelled greatlye in his minde, Whether it were golde or brass.

But when his steede saw the cows taile wagge, 125 And eke the blacke cowe-horne; He stamped, and stared, and awaye he ranne, As the devill had him borne.

The tanner he pulld, the tanner he sweat, And held by the pummil fast: 130 At length the tanner came tumbling downe; His necke he had well-nye brast.[461]

Take thy horse again with a vengeance, he sayd, With mee he shall not byde. "My horse wolde have borne thee well enoughe, 135 But he knewe not of thy cowe-hide.

Yet if againe thou faine woldst change, As change full well may wee, By the faith of my bodye, thou jolly tannèr, I will have some boote of thee." 140

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; 145 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: 150 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 155 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. 160

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, 165 A coller he loud gan crye; Then woulde he lever then twentye pound, He had not beene so nighe.

A coller, a coller, the tanner he sayd, I trowe it will breed sorrowe: 170 After a coller commeth 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 175 That is in the North countrie.[462]

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. 180

Gramercye, my liege, the tanner replyde, For the favour thou hast me showne; If ever thou comest to merry Tamwòrth, Neates leather shall clout thy shoen.[463]

[***]

FOOTNOTES:

[447] [for good deal.]

[448] Nor in that of the _Barker_ mentioned below.

[449] [Vol. iii. Book 2, No. 20.]

[450] [ready.]

[451] In the reign of Edward IV. Dame Cecill, lady of Torboke, in her will dated March 7, A.D. 1466; among many other bequests has this, "Also I will that my sonne Thomas of Torboke have 13_s._ 4_d._ to buy him an horse." Vid. Harleian Catalog. 2176. 27.--Now if 13_s._ 4_d._ would purchase a steed fit for a person of quality, a tanner's horse might reasonably be valued at four or five shillings.

[452] [know.]

[453] [thank you.]

[454] [prove.]

[455] _i.e._ hast no other wealth, but what thou carriest about thee.

[456] _i.e._ a dealer in bark.

[457] [avert it.]

[458] [profit.]

[459] [so may I thrive.]

[460] [moment.]

[461] [broken.]

[462] This stanza is restored from a quotation of this ballad in Selden's _Titles of Honour_, who produces it as a good authority to prove, that one mode of creating _Esquires_ at that time, was by the imposition of a _Collar_. His words are, "Nor is that old pamphlet of the Tanner of Tamworth and King Edward the Fourth so contemptible, but that wee may thence note also an observable passage, wherein the use of making Esquires, by giving Collars, is expressed." (Sub Tit. Esquire; & vide in Spelmanni Glossar. Armiger.) This form of creating Esquires actually exists at this day among the Serjeants at Arms, who are invested with a Collar (which they wear on Collar Days) by the King himself.

This information I owe to Samuel Pegge, Esq. to whom the publick is indebted for that curious work the _Curialia_, 4to.

[463] [cow hide shall mend thy shoes.]