Page:History of the king and the cobbler.pdf/6



OW as ſoon as the king came home, he ſent orders out about the court, that if any one enquired for him by the name of Harry Tudor, they ſhould immediately bring the perſon before him, whatever he was, without any further examination of him. Now the cobbler thought everyday a month till he had been at court to ſee his new acquaintance, and was much troubled how he ſhould get leave of his wife Joan, for he could not go without her knowledge, becauſe he reſolved to make himſelf as fine as he could, and the wife always kept the key of his holiday clothes.

Whereupon, one evening as they ſat at ſupper, finding her in a very good humour, he began to open his mind to her, telling her the whole ſtory of their acquaintance, and repeating over and over again that 'He was the honeſteſt fellow that ever I met with.' 'Husband, quoth ſhe, becauſe you have been ſo ingenious as to tell me the whole truth, I will give you leave to make a holiday for this once; you ſhall go to court, and I will make you as fine as I can.'

So it was agreed that he ſhould go the next day, whereupon Joan roſe betimes the next morning to bruſh up her husband's holiday clothes, and to make him as ſnug as ſhe could, waſhed and ironed the laced band, and made his ſhoes ſhine that he might ſee his face in them; having done this ſhe made her huſband riſe and put off his ſhirt; then ſhe waſhed him with warm water from head to foot, putting on him a clean ſhirt, afterwards ſhe dreſſed him in his holiday clothes, putting his laced band on prime.