Page:History of the king and the cobler (1).pdf/21

Rh he came by it. Wherefore he presently calls for pen ink and paper, and writes the letter, wherein he incloses the signet aforsaid; and having directed the letter, he desired the cobler to carry it, who was ready to serve him. Now Joan was resolved to go with him, and did so because she would keep him from being drunk.

They had no sooner gone out, but the king called for the reckoning and having paid it: he and his queen went privately by water to their palace, where they pulled of their disguise, and appeared in their royal apparel; the king with his nobles, and the queen with her maids of honour. By this time the cobler and his wife delivered the letter to the secretary, who opened the same seemed to startle and with a frowning countenance, said 'Behold here is the king's signet; how came you by it!'

'Why,' say the cobler, 'I had the letter, and whatever was in it I know not, only I had the letter from a tanner.' The secretary replied, 'if you do not bring the tanner to me, take my word for it, we shall make an example of you.' 'Why,' quoth Jo nJoan [sic], 'you will not hang my husband will ye?' quoth the secretary, 'it will go hard with him if he do not find the tanner.' 'I'll fetch him presently quoth Joan. But coming to the inn, and finding they were gone, poor Joan fell into a violent fit of the tanterians, tearing her hair and wringing her hands, crying, 'What will become of my poor cobler, he will be hanged.' 'For what? said the inn keeper; but Joan had not the patience to tell him her lamentation, crying, 'O the tanner O the tanner, 'O the tanner is gone! 'and in this condition raving like a fury, or like a lunatic person broken out of bedlam; she ran back again to Westminster with a multitude of men, women and children after