Ralph Waldo Emerson, comp. (1803–1882). Parnassus: An Anthology of Poetry. 1880.
King John and the Abbot of CanterburyPercys Reliques
A
Of a notable prince that was called King John;
And he ruled England with main and with might,
For he did great wrong, and maintained little right.
Concerning the Abbot of Canterbúry;
How for his house-keeping and high renown,
They rode poste for him to fair London towne.
The abbot kept in his house every day;
And fifty golde chaynes without any doubt,
In velvet coates waited the abbot about.
Thou keepest a farre better house than mee;
And for thy house-keeping and high renowne,
I feare thou work’st treason against my crown.”
I never spend nothing, but what is my owne;
And I trust your grace will doe me no deere,
For spending of my owne true-gotten geere.”
And now for the same thou needest must dye;
For except thou canst answer me questions three,
Thy head shall be smitten from thy bodie.
With my crowne of golde so faire on my head,
Among all my liege-men so noble of birthe,
Thou must tell me to one penny what I am worthe.
How soone I may ride the whole world about;
And at the third question thou must not shrink,
But tell me here truly what I do think.”
Nor I cannot answer your grace as yet:
But if you will give me but three weeks space,
He do my endeavour to answer your grace.”
And that is the longest time thou hast to live;
For if thou dost not answer my questions three,
Thy lands and thy livings are forfeit to mee.”
And he rode to Cambridge, and Oxenford;
But never a doctor there was so wise,
That could with his learning an answer devise.
And he met his shepheard a-going to fold:
“How now, my lord abbot, you are welcome home;
What newes do you bring us from good King John?”
That I have but three days more to live;
For if I do not answer him questions three,
My head will be smitten from my body.
With his crowne of golde so fair on his head,
Among all his liege-men so noble of birth,
To within one penny of what he is worth.
How soone he may ride this whole world about;
And at the third question I must not shrinke,
But tell him there truly what he does thinke.”
That a fool he may learne a wise man witt?
Lend me horse, and serving men, and your apparel,
And Ile ride to London to answere your quarrel.
I am like your lordship, as ever may be;
And if you will but lend me your gowne,
There is none shall know us at fair London towne.”
With sumptuous array most gallant and brave,
With crozier, and miter, and rochet, and cope,
Fit to appear ’fore our fader the pope.”
“’Tis well thou’rt come back to keepe thy day:
For and if thou canst answer my questions three,
Thy life and thy living both savèd shall be.
With my crowne of golde so fair on my head,
Among all my liege-men so noble of birthe,
Tell me to one penny what I am worth.”
Among the false Jewes, as I have bin told:
And twenty-nine is the worth of thee,
For I thinke thou art one penny worser than he.”
“I did not think I had been worth so littel!
—Now secondly tell me, without any doubt,
How soone I may ride this whole world about.”
Until the next morning he riseth againe;
And then your grace need not make any doubt
But in twenty-four hours you’ll ride it about.”
“I did not think it could be gone so soone!
—Now from the third question thou must not shrinke,
But tell me here truly what I do thinke.”
You thinke I’m the abbot of Canterbury;
But I’m his poor shepheard, as plain you may see,
That am come to beg pardon for him and for me.”
“Ile make thee lord abbot this day in his place!”
“Now naye, my liege, be not in such speede,
For alacke I can neither write ne reade.”
For this merry jest thou hast showne unto me;
And tell the old abbot when thou comest home,
Thou hast brought him a pardon from good King John.”