A New Text of an Old Ballad- Cornelius 1931
A New Text of an Old Ballad
by Roberta D. Cornelius
PMLA, Vol. 46, No. 4 (Dec., 1931), pp. 1025-1033
A NEW TEXT OF AN OLD BALLAD
THE present paper offers the text of a hitherto unknown manuscript version of the ballad, "King John and the Abbot of Canterbury,"[1] which was discovered a number of years ago by Professor Carleton Brown in the library of Corpus Christi College, Oxford. MS. 255, in which the ballad is preserved, forms the second of the four volumes of Collectanea gathered by Brian Twyne, fellow of Corpus Christi College, who died in 1644. In the printed Catalogue of Manuscripts MS. 255 is described as "ssec. xvi exeuntis et xvii."[2] The date could hardly be given in more definite terms since the compiler has bound up in this volume separate articles and even single leaves from many MSS. Thus the leaf on which the text of the ballad is found, numbered fol. 105 in MS. 255, still bears the numbers 416 and 417 representing the pagination of the volume to which it originally belonged.
In dating material in MS. 255, therefore, one must consider separately the different articles. In the opinion of Mr. H. H. E. Craster of the Bodleian Library the leaf containing the ballad was probably written as early as 1550-1570. The earliest text of this ballad hitherto known is that in the Percy Folio[3] and this MS., as Dr. Furnivall shows in his Forewords (pp. xii-xiii), is certainly later than 1642. The Corpus MS., therefore, offers us a text probably written at least three quarters of a century before the Percy Folio. The erroneous description of the ballad in Coxe's Catalogue.
Art. 24. A Tale of Henry III and the Archbishop of Canterbury
was evidently copied from the heading which stands in the manuscript itself-though in a different hand from the text of the ballad. Through a piece of extraordinary carelessness Henry III appears in the title instead of King John. One must suppose that the author of this blunder failed to note King John's name in the second line but glanced instead at vv. 5-8:
K. rycherd the fyrst was brother indead
and henry the therd dyd hym succead
This K. as the story sayth for certayntye
was greeued wth the byshepe of canterburye.
Doubtless it is due to this error in the title, continued by Coxe in his Catalogue, that the existence of the earliest version of this well-known ballad (No. 45 in Child's Collection) has so long escaped the notice of scholars.
Fol. 105 of the Corpus MS. is written in double columns. On the recto stands the text of vv. 1-129 (with the omission of vv. 36-41, mentioned below) written by a single hand. On the verso another hand begins, completing the text at the bottom of column 1. At the top of column 2, however, the same scribe adds vv. 36-41-evidently having noted their omission on the preceding page. Turning back to the place where these six lines properly belonged, he drew a horizontal line nearly half way across the column and placed a prominent + at the end of the line to mark the spot. On column 2, immediately below these six lines, a third, and finer, hand has copied the Latin text of the apocryphal Life of Judas, verbally based upon the Legenda Aurea (ed. Graesse pp. 184-5) though with much abridgement.
In presenting the text of this ballad I wish to acknowledge my obligations to Mr. Robert A. Kissack, who, at the suggestion of Professor Brown, secured rotographs of the MS. and himself transcribed the text of the ballad, though circumstances prevented him from editing it for publication. I have collated the text independently from the rotographs, though there are very few cases in which my readings differ materially from his.
In my transcription I have followed the manuscript in the matter of capitalization and punctuation, and have italicized letters which represent the expansion of abbreviations, although there are very few of these. For the convenience of the reader, I have transferred to their proper position in the text, the six lines which the second scribe added in column 2 of fol. 105V with a mark to indicate where they belonged. The cancellations following vv. 45 and 100 would suggest that the scribe instead of having a text of the ballad before him may have been writing from dictation or more probably from memory. After v. 45 the scribe mistakenly continued with what is properly v. 114; and after v. 100 he wrote what is properly v. 33. But it will be observed that v. 45 is identical with v. 113 and v. 100 with v. 32, so that in both cases the mistake, which clearly is not a visual error, may be accounted for as a slip of memory.
[fol. 105r]
A Tale of Henr. ye 3. and ye Archbish. of Canterb.
I read in a story I can shew you anone
Of a noble prince they called K. Jhon
was borne in England a princ of great myght
for he put downe wroynge & held vp ryght 4
King rycherd ye fyrste was brother indead
and henry the therd dyd hym succead
This K. (as the story sayth for certayntye)
was greeued with the byshipe of canterburye 8
for his houskeepinge, & for his good cheare
& sent post for him as you shall heare
when the purseuant came to canterburye
he found the b. making full merye 12
the purseuant sayd sire god you saue
& to the byshipe a letter he gaue
conteaninge this tenoure without leasing
that he wos accuseid vnto the King 16
the byshipe red therein awhille
& unto himself sumthing he dyd smille
& sayd I perceaue without leasing
that I ame accused vnto the King 20
for my housekepinge & for my good cheare
but I trust his grace, wyll do me no deare
for to his grace I wysh it wear knowne
I spend nothing but godes & mine owne 24
Then to the purseuaunt dyd he saye
before his grace I wyll keepe my day
Take ye the purseuant make him good cheare
as Loynge as it pleaseth it him to tary heare 28
the b. when his day drew one
with a hundreth mene to the court is gone
when he came before the Kinges magestye
he Kneeled low downe vpon his knee 32
The Kynge sayd Byshope welcom to me
thou shalt be tryed by questions thre
of treason agayinst my magestye +
[fol. 105V col. 2]
[the b. sayd I wishe it were knowne 36
I spend nothinge but godes and myne ow[ne]
the K. sayd yu dost answer stoutlye
Vnless yu canst soyle me questions thre
thy land & thy lyvinge shall Remayne vnto me 40
& thy head shalbe taken from thy body.]
the fyrst question is as I sit on my seate
with a croune of gould vpon my head
amoynge my nobylyty in ioy and mirth 44
tell me within one penny what I am worth
the second is withoutten doubt
how sowne I may goe the woruld round aboute
& thou shall shew me for most ceartayne 48
how I may come to this same plac agayne
the third question is before thou stinck
thou shalt tell me what thing it is what I do thinck
& fourty dayes of Lybertye 52
to awnswere before my magestye
The b. went not home streght forth
but fyrst to cambridge and oxenforth
of all the docters he craued ayd 56
thes questions had him soe much dismayd
but none ther in the vnyuersytye
was able to absolue thes questions thre
then was he nether mery nor glad 60
but homuard he went both pensive & sayd
when he came home to his owne place
a sorrowfull mane god wot he was
his men cam fast about him than 64
when he sawe he was so heuy a man
fyrst came in the sheppard the matter to know
for he was the bishopes brother in lawe
[Col. 2]
And to the B. fyrst he sayd 68
what makes your lorshipe so much dismaid
we maruell all to se you so sad
that was wonte be among vs so mery and glad
my Lord he sayd shew me your gref 72
& I trust in god to find some relef
the byshope sayd it wyl not preuayle
to shew one vnlearned what I do ayle
my lord (quod he) you haue red it 76
that a foule may teach a wysman wyt
show me yore grife my lord yf you wyl
yf I doe you no good I shall doe you no ill
The byship sayd than without leasinge 80
I ame accused vnto the Kinge
for my houskeeping certaynlye
& vnlese I cane soyll him questions thre
my head must be taken from my body 84
what be tho questions the shepperd dyd saye
the byship shewed him without deleay
when he had shewd him the questions thre
the shepperd laughed ful hartelye 88
Lend me youre apparell and men with me
& I wyll answer your questions thre
the bishepe to him then dyd saye
thou wylt thus cast vs both awaye 92
nay sayd the sheppard take ye no care
I trust by my menes better shall we fare
well sayd the bishope goe take thy chance
& I myself wyll fle into france 96
The sheppard when his day drewe one
with a hundred men to the court is gone
when he came before the K[ing]es magestye
he kneeled lowe doune vpon his kne 100
the king unto hym fyrst did saye
thou hast done well to keep thy daye
nowe yf thou canst soyll my questions thre
thy lyuinge shall remayn vnto the 104
and all so thy head shall pardened be
The sheppard sayd I wysh it were knowene
I spend nothing but godes end my owne
but yet my ledg yf it like your grac 108
you must showe me what your first question was
the fyrst question is as I sit on my seat
with a crowne of gould vpon my head
amoyng my nobylyty in ioy and mirthe 112
tell me within on penny what I am worth
that can I doe without any offenc
I think yow are worth nine and xx pence
for christ was sould for thirtye truly 116
& I think him a penny better than ye
the second is withouten doubt
how sowne I maye goe the world round about
end thou shall shewe me in wordes playne 120
howe I may come to this same place agayne
when the sonne doth ryse my ledg I saye
You must keep him companye all the day
and when he doth sett you must lykwyse 124
follow his course vntyll he doe ryse
soe shall you preue withouten doubt
that you haue gone the world round about
and lykwyse know for most certayne 128
that you are come to this sam place agayne
[fol. 105v]
The third question is before thou stint
thou shalt tell me what thing it ys I do think
that can I do I sweare by saynte mary 132
you think I am b. of canterburye
yet are you deceyved I swear by saynt John
I am but his shepard he is busheppe at home
If yt be try sayd ye k. that yu telles me 136
thou shalt be ye b. he shepard to the
O my lyge he sayd wish me none ill
I will never be b. but agaynst my will
& to make me a b. it were a fond deed 140
for I can neyther wryte nor Reede
Well sayd ye k. thou needes not to feare
I geve ye one hundreth poundes by yeare
and pardon for thy brother & the 144
the shepard thanked him low on his kne
& hied him home into his contrye
When he came home to his brothers place
a verie gladd man ye bysheope was 148
and sayd brother Welcome home hertelye
how haue you spedd I pray you tell me
I sped with ye K. as you shall heare
he hath geven me one hundreth poundes by yeare 152
& pardon here hath sent unto the
and I thanked his grace full lowe on my kne
and nowe I will neyther crouch nor creepe
nor longer meane I to kepe your sheepe 156
the bysheope sayd thou hast wonne my hart
from this my house thou shalt not depart
and fiftye poundes by yeare I geue to the
& my cheifest gentleman shalt thu be 160
not many shepardesi n this contrye
could thus have answerd these questions thre
in many good workes theyr lyves they did passe
& served god as theyr duty was 164
I end besechinge god of his grace
to grant hus in heaven a Resting place. 166
Comparing the Corpus text (C) with that in the Percy Folio (P), one meets a surprising point of difference in the character given to King John.
Corpus Percy
I read in a story I can shew yu anone Off an ancient story Ile tell you anon
Of a noble prince they called K. Jhon of a notable prince yt was called K. John
was borne in England a princ of great myght in England was borne wth maine & wth might
for he put downe wroynge & held vp ryght hee did much wrong & mainteined litle right.
This appears to present a case of willful perversion of the text by either C or P. In line 2 "notable" in P looks like an alteration of "noble" (C); it will be observed that "Noble" still stands in P (line 5) applied to King John. For P's estimate of King John's character it would be easy to find corroboration by mediaeval chroniclers and modern historians. But there was also authority for the contrary opinion expressed in C. Protestant controversialists in the sixteenth century represented King John as defending the rights of England against the Pope and his death as due to assassination. Thus in Bale's play King John announces his program
(vv.18-21):
I have worne the crowne and wrowght vyctoryouslye
And now do purpose by practyse and by stodye
To reforme the lawes and sett men in good order
That trew justyce may be had in every border.
Cf. also the Interpretour's laudation of "noble Kynge Johan" (vv. 1106- 1108) and the testimony of Veryte in the same play (vv. 2159 ff.). In close agreement with Bale also is the view of King John set forth in Thomas Deloney's Lamentable Death of King John, etc.[4] Deloney likewise refers to him as the "noble King." The statement concerning King John in the C-text of our ballad, then, seems to voice the sentiments of the Protestant, or rather of the Puritan, party in the second half of the sixteenth century.
P supplies fuller details than C of the state which the Bishop keeps:
the King sayd the bishopp kept a better house then hee
a 100 men even, as I say,
the Bishopp kept in his house euerye day,
& 50 gold chaines, without any doubt,
in veluett coates waited the Bishopp about.
In both versions the king sends a messenger "post" to the bishop, but only in C are we told of the "pursevant's" arrival in Canterbury, of his delivery to the bishop of the king's letter, and of the bishop's instructions for his entertainment. In P the shepherd's deception of the king is made the more credible by the remark (vv. 91-92) that the shepherd and his brother were so much alike that the king could not know them apart. Here the shepherd is the bishop's half-brother, but in C he is only a brother-in-law. In C the bishop is allowed forty days in which to find answers to the three questions; in P, only twenty; in C, the shepherd gets one hundred pounds a year from the king and fifty from the bishop; in P he gets three hundred from the king and fifty from the bishop. The ending in C is more logical and considerably more pleasing than in P. According to P the bishop's heart is rejoiced at the news of the shepherd's success and he offers him a handsome reward:
brother, thy paines Ile quitt them cleare,
for I will giue thee a patent to thee & to thine
of 50; a yeere land good & fine.
Thereupon the shepherd replies defiantly:
I will to thee noe longer croche nor creepe,
Nor Ile serue thee noe more to keepe thy sheepe.
This comes in strangely immediately after the bishop's generous offer. In C, on the other hand, the shepherd's statement that he will "neyther crouch nor creepe" precedes the bishop's offer. Moreover, in C the bishop shows a finer spirit of appreciation for the service rendered by the shepherd:
the bysheope sayd thou hast wonne my hart
from this my house thou shalt not depart
and fiftye poundes by yeare I geue to the
& my cheifest gentleman shalt thu be
And it is pleasant to think of the bishop and the shepherd as living together in friendship and devoting themselves to good works. On the other hand, from P one is led to infer that the shepherd forsook the bishop as soon as he was assured of his financial independence. Finally, the Corpus MS. offers a text of the ballad which is metrically much smoother than that in the Percy Folio.
ROBERTA D. CORNELIUS
Randolph-Macon Woman's College
_________________
Footnotes and Text Corrections:
1. In Child's English and Scottish Pop. Ballads, No. 45, "King John and the Bishop."
2. Catalogus Codicum M SS. qui in collegiis aulisque Oxoniensibus hodie adservantur. Confecit Henricus. O Coxe ... Oxonii. E Typographeo Academico, 1852, I , 105 and 107.
3. Bishop Percy's Folio MS., ed. Hales and Furnivall, I, 508 ff.
18. sumthing] This appears to be the reading, although a dot clearly stands above the second letter.
22. The line as first written read: but I trust his grace his grace. This w as corrected by drawing lines through the second his grace and writing just below, wyll do me no deare.
36. were] MS. wre.
37. MS. defective at edge.
41, 42. Between these lines a horizontal line has been drawn, and at the end is a conspicuous
+ to mark the place where the six omitted lines belong.
45. Following t his line the scribef irst wrote:t hat shall I doe withouteo ffence( cf. v. 114).
Thend iscoverinhg is mistakeh e erasedt hel ine.
50. stinck] so here clearly ( and c onfirmed b y ther ime). But at v. 130 it is just as clearlys tint.
In thel atterc ase, howeverw, e ared ealingw itht hes econds cribe.
57. had] interlineda bove;t hes cribef irst wrotem ayd.
76. quod] MS. q'.
80. The byship]I nterlineda bovea n erasure.
85. tho] the last letter (which is not certain) is the work of a corrector.
97. drewe] MS. drwe.
100. Followingt his line thes cribef irst wrote*T he King sayd byshopew elcomt o me (cf. v.
33). This line has been cancelled.
106. were] MS. we
107. owne] the w interlineda bovet o replacet wol ettersn ot whollyc lear.
109. what youre]i nterlineda bove;s cribef irst wrotew erefore.
question] MS. quetion.
118. is] interlined above question erased.
126. After preue the words for most certayne have been cancelled.
130. The] altered from Thre.
131. Thou written over some other word.
142. K] MS. b.
154. and] s ome o ther w ord, of which traces are s till v isible, was f irst w ritten a t the b eginning
of this line.
4. Printed London 1607: reprinted by the Percy Society. For the references to Bale and to Deloney I am indebted to the kindness of Professor Carleton Brown.