A Tale of Henry III and the Archbishop of Canterbury (A Tale of King John and the Archbishop of Canterbury) c.1550
The ballad was discovered c. 1920s by Professor Carleton Brown in the library of Corpus Christi College, Oxford (MS. 255). It was mistitled by another hand as a A Tale of Henry III instead of A Tale of "King John."
The text for this ballad is from A New Text of an Old Ballad by Roberta D. Cornelius from PMLA, Vol. 46, No. 4 (Dec., 1931), pp. 1025-1033. Cornelius dates the ballad as follows:
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.
A Tale of King John and the Archbishop of Canterbury- Corpus Christi College, Oxford (MS. 255) c. 1550
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