Page:History of the king and the cobler (1).pdf/12

 12 THE HISTORY OF THE of his princel, grace in favour, to allow him liberal annuity of forty merks a year for better ſupport of his jolly humour, and the matainance of his wife Joan, and that he ſhould be admitted one of his courtiers, and might have freedom of his cellor whenever he pleaſed: which being ſo much beyond expectation, aid high'y exalt the cobler'ſ humour, much to the ſatisfaction of the king. PART IT. CH A P. I. of the Cobler'ſ return from court, to hiſ wife Joan, and the comical diſcourſe that paſt between them.

Chriſtopher Criſpin, For ſo was the cobler named, with whom King Henry the Light had made himſelf ſo exceeding familiar: this cobler, I ſay, hav- ing been at conrt where he made much mirth, and was much made of on account of that mirth, re. turned home in the afternoon full fraughted with wine, and wonderful expectations; hiſ heart and lead being light, he went capering along, Minging up his cap, crying. Long live Harry Tudor long live Harry Tudor, with a hundred toys at his heels, hoping and hallowing; his wife ſtanding at the door, and fucing him prancin along in ſuch a poltore, immediately pont on one of her nocuſtom- ed crabbed looks, crying. High, tittie, What's come to you new? I'll Harry Tudor you with a Vengeance? Was it for this that dreſt you up in ' pimlico, in all your beſt apparel, to have you ' come home like one juſt out of Bedlam ?. Peace, ' wife, quoth the cobler, for I am upon perfer. meat, I am promised to be made a courtier, that . I am courtier, quoth Joan, ds-foot, more likely a cu.kuld, you drunken ſeoundril.'