133. John Dory

AS it fell on a holy-day,

And upon a holy-tide-a,

John Dory bought him an ambling nag,

To Paris for to ride-a.

And when John Dory to Paris was come,

A little before the gate-a,

John Dory was fitted, the porter was witted

To let him in thereat-a.

III

The first man that John Dory did meet

Was good King John of France-a;

John Dory could well of his courtesie,

But fell downe in a trance-a.

‘A pardon, a pardon, my liege and my king,

For my merry men and for me-a,

And all the churls in merry England,

I’le bring them all bound to thee-a.’

And Nichol was then a Cornish man,

A little beside Bohyde-a,

He mann’d him forth a good black barke,

With fifty good oars of a side-a.

‘Run up, my boy, unto the maine top,

And look what thou canst spy-a:’

‘Who ho! who ho! a good ship I do see,

I trow it be John Dory-a.’

VII

They hoist their sailes both top and top,

The mizzen and all was tride-a,

And every man stood to his lot,

Whatever should betide-a.

VIII

The roring cannons then were plied,

And dub-a-dub went the drum-a;

The braying trumpets loud they cried

To courage both all and some-a.

The grappling-hooks were brought at length,

The brown bill and the sword-a,

John Dory at length, for all his strength,

Was clapt fast under board-a.