| |
I
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. | |
| |
II
And when John Dory to Paris was come, | 5 |
| 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; | 10 |
| John Dory could well of his courtesie, | |
| But fell downe in a trance-a. | |
| |
IV
‘A pardon, a pardon, my liege and my king, | |
| For my merry men and for me-a, | |
| And all the churls in merry England, | 15 |
| I’le bring them all bound to thee-a.’ | |
| |
V
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. | 20 |
| |
VI
‘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, | 25 |
| 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; | 30 |
| The braying trumpets loud they cried | |
| To courage both all and some-a. | |
| |
IX
The grappling-hooks were brought at length, | |
| The brown bill and the sword-a, | |
| John Dory at length, for all his strength, | 35 |
| Was clapt fast under board-a. | |
| |
