Page:Three excellent old songs.pdf/3

 There’s nothing of news the which I do hear,

But the King is a chaſing his fair fallow deer.

And truly I wiſh. I ſo happy might be,

That while he is hunting, the King I might ſee;

Altho’ I have travell’d the land many ways,

I never did ſee the King all my whole days.

The King in a hearty briſk laughter reply’d,

I tell thee good fellow. if thou can’ſt but ride,

Thou ſhalt get up behind me & thee I will bring

Into the royal preſence of James our King.

Perhaps,quoth the Tinker,his lords will be dreſt

So fine, that I cannot tell him from the reſt.

They will, but I tell you, when once you come there,

The King will be cover’d, his nobles all bare.

Then up got the tinker, and hoiſted the black

Budget of leather, and tools on his back:

And when they came to the merry green wood,

His nobles came round him & bare-headed ſtood.

The Tinker then ſeeing ſo many appear,

Immediately whiſper’d the King in the ear,

Saying Since they’re all cloth’d ſo gallant & gay,

Sir, which is the King, now tell me I pray?

The King to the Tinker then made this reply,

By my foul, man, it muſt be either you or I;

The reſt are bare-headed, & uncover'd around.

This ſaid, with his budget he fell to the ground,

Like one that was frighted quite out of his wits,

And then on his knees he immediately gets,