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17. The Boy and the Mantle

A Ballad of King Arthur’s Court.

Table of Contents

I

In the third day of May

To Carleile did come

A kind curteous child

That co’ld156 much of wisdome.

II

A kirtle and a mantle

This child had uppon,

With brauches and ringes

Full richelye bedone157.

III

He had a sute of silke

About his middle drawne;

Without he co’ld of curtesye

He thought it much shame.

IV

‘God speed thee, King Arthur,

Sitting at thy meate;

And the goodly Queene Guenever!

I cannot her forget.

V

‘I tell you, lords in this hall,

I hett158 you all heed, Except you be the more surer Is for you to dread.’

VI

He pluck’d out of his potener159, And longer wo’ld not dwell, He pull’d forth a pretty mantle Betweene two nut-shells.

VII

‘Have thou here, King Arthur,

Have thou here of mee:

Give itt to thy comely queene

Shapen as itt is alreadye.

VIII

‘Itt shall never become that wiffe

That hath once done amisse.’

Then every knight in the king’s court

Began to care160 for his.

IX

Forth came dame Guenever,

To the mantle she her bed161; The ladye shee was new fangle162 But yett she was affrayd.

X

When shee had taken the mantle,

She stoode as shee had beene madd;

It was from the top to the toe

As sheeres had it shread.

XI

One while was it gaule163, Another while was itt greene, Another while was it wadded164; Ill itt did her beseeme.

XII

Another while it was blacke,

And bore the worst hue:

‘By my troth,’ quoth King Arthur,

‘I thinke thou be not true.’

XIII

Shee threw downe the mantle,

That bright was of blee165; Fast with a rudd red To her chamber can166 she flee.

XIV

She cursed the weaver and the walker167 That cloth that had wrought, And bade a vengeance on his crowne That hither hath itt brought.

XV

‘I had rather be in a wood,

Under a greenè tree,

Than in King Arthur’s court

Shamèd for to bee.’

XVI

Kay call’d forth his ladye

And bade her come neere;

Saies, ‘Madam, and thou be guiltye

I pray thee hold thee here.’

XVII

Forth came his ladye

Shortlye and anon;

Boldlye to the mantle

Then is she gone.

XVIII

When she had tane the mantle,

And her about it cast

Then was she bare

All unto the waist.

XIX

Then every knight

That was in the King’s court

Talk’d, laugh’d and showted

Full oft att that sport.

XX

She threw down the mantle

That bright was of blee,

Fast with a red rudd168 To her chamber can she flee.

XXI

Forth came an old Knight

Pattering ore a creede,

And he proferr’d to this little Boy

Twenty markes to his meede;

XXII

And all the time of Christmasse

Willingly to ffeede;

For why169 this mantle might Doe his wiffe some need.

XXIII

When shee had tane the mantle

Of cloth that was made,

Shee had no more left on her

But a tassell and a threed:

That every knight in the King’s court

Bade evill might shee speed.

XXIV

She threw downe the mantle,

That bright was of blee,

Fast with a red rudd

To her chamber can she flee.

XXV

Craddocke call’d forth his ladye

And bade her come in;

Saith, ‘Winne this mantle, ladye,

With a little dinne170.

XXVI

‘Winne this mantle, ladye,

And it shal be thine

If thou never did amisse

Since thou wast mine.’

XXVII

Forth came Craddocke’s ladye

Shortlye and anon,

But boldlye to the mantle

Then is shee gone.

XXVIII

When she had tane the mantle

And cast it her about,

Up at her great toe

It began to crinkle and crowt171: Shee said, ‘Bowe downe, mantle, And shame me not for nought.

XXIX

‘Once I did amisse,

I tell you certainlye,

When Craddocke’s mouth I kist

Under a greenè tree;

When I kist Craddocke’s mouth

Before he marryed mee.’

XXX

When shee had her shreeven172 And her sinnes shee had tolde, The mantle stood about her Right as she wo’ld;

XXXI

Seemelye of coulour,

Glittering like gold

Then every knight in Arthur’s court

Did her behold.

XXXII

The little Boy stoode

Looking over a dore;

There as he look’d

He was ware of a wyld bore.]

XXXIII

He was ware of a wyld bore

Wo’ld have werryed173 a man: He pull’d forth a wood-kniffe Fast thither that he ran: He brought in the bore’s head And quitted him like a man.

XXXIV

He brought in the bore’s head,

And was wonderous bold;

He said there was never a cuckold’s kniffe

Carve itt that co’ld.

XXXV

Some rubb’d their knives

Uppon a whetstone;

Some threw them under the table,

And said they had none.

XXXVI

King Arthur and the child

Stood looking them upon;

All their knives’ edges

Turnèd backe againe.

XXXVII

Craddocke had a litle kniffe

Of iron and of steele;

He birtled174 the bore’s head Wonderous weale, That every knight in the King’s court Had a morssell.

XXXVIII

The litle Boy had a horne,

Of red gold that ronge175; He said, ‘There was noe cuckolde Shall drinke of my horne, But he sho’ld itt sheede176 Either behind or beforne.’

XXXIX

Some shedd it on their shoulder

And some on their knee;

He that co’ld not hitt his mouth

Put it in his e’e;

And he that was a cuckold

Every man might him see.

XL

Craddocke wan the horne

And the bore’s head;

His ladye wan the mantle

Unto her meede;

Everye such a lovely ladye

God send her well to speede!

FOOTNOTES:

156. co’ld = could, knew.

157. bedone = adorned.

158. hett = bid.

159. potener = pouch, purse.

160. care = bethink him.

161. bed = bid, offered.

162. new fangle = capricious.

163. gaule = gules, red.

164. wadded = of woad colour, blue.

165. blee = hue.

166. can = did.

167. walker = fuller.

168. rudd = complexion.

169. For why = because.

170. dinne = noise, i. e. ado.

171. crowt = pucker.

172. shreeven = shriven, confessed.

173. werryed = worried.

174. birtled = brittled, cut up.

175. ronge = rung, resounded.

176. sheede = shed, spill.

The Oxford Book of Ballads

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