Читать книгу The Oxford Book of Ballads - Various Authors - Страница 23
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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.
