Page:Merry and entertaining history of the king and the cobler.pdf/17

 Be ſure, quoth he, to keep your promise, and I had aſſure you that all ſhall be well.

ING HENRY, as you have heard, having promiſed the Queen that ſhe ſhould be accommodated with ſome of the cobler's segaries, now his care was how to perform and make good his promiſe; that is to ſay, how he might sing himfelf into the cobler's company without the cobler knowing who he was. Many thoughts came into his band, but among the reſt, one he reſolves upon, which this: The King ſends man and horſe down into the country, there to buy leather fit for ſhoe makers, and to send it to London with the carrier, who came to the ſame town that was over against the aforeſaid cobler.

This being accordingly done, the King, in the habit of complain countryman, came to the inn with the Queen, who the dreſs of an innocent country maiden, paſſed for his swoman: he paſſed for the tanner that had come to receive and ſell the leather. The King having paid the carrier for bringing the parcel, calls for a room and ſome the beſt liquor the houſe afforded which being brought, aſked the keeper, whether or no he could help him a chapman for his leather: who answered, here an honest fellow, a cobler over the way, I'll ſend for him; he'll either buy it; or help you to a cuſtomer for it.

Prithee ſend for him, ſaid the King.

Whereupon the cobler was called, who came capering as a Morice dancer, ſaying who wants me.

A gentleman ſaid the inn keeper, has a parcel of leather for sell.

I'll buy it, quoth the cobler, if it be for my turn. Now bring looked over it, he aſked the price, the King, not knowing what it was worth, aſked him forty ſhillings.