17. The Boy and the Mantle. A Ballad of King Arthur's Court. Quiller-Couch, Arthur, ed. 1910. The Oxford Book of Ballads

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Arthur Quiller-Couch, ed. (1863–1944). The Oxford Book of Ballads. 1910.

17. The Boy and the Mantle

A Ballad of King Arthur’s Court

IN the third day of May

To Carleile did come

A kind curteous child

That co’ld much of wisdome.

A kirtle and a mantle

This child had uppon,

With brauches and ringes

Full richelye bedone.

III

He had a sute of silke

About his middle drawne;

Without he co’ld of curtesye

He thought it much shame.

‘God speed thee, King Arthur,

Sitting at thy meate;

And the goodly Queene Guenever!

I cannot her forget.

‘I tell you, lords in this hall,

I hett you all heed,

Except you be the more surer

‘Is for you to dread.’

He pluck’d out of his potener,

And longer wo’ld not dwell,

He pull’d forth a pretty mantle

Betweene two nut-shells.

VII

‘Have thou here, King Arthur,

Have thou here of mee:

Give itt to thy comely queene

Shapen as itt is alreadye.

VIII

‘Itt shall never become that wiffe

That hath once done amisse.’

Then every knight in the king’s court

Began to care for his.

Forth came dame Guenever,

To the mantle she her bed;

The ladye shee was new fangle

But yett she was affrayd.

When shee had taken the mantle,

She stoode as shee had beene madd;

It was from the top to the toe

As sheeres had it shread.

One while was it gaule,

Another while was itt greene,

Another while was it wadded;

Ill itt did her beseeme.

XII

Another while it was blacke,

And bore the worst hue:

‘By my troth,’ quoth King Arthur,

‘I thinke thou be not true.’

XIII

Shee threw downe the mantle,

That bright was of blee;

Fast with a rudd red

To her chamber can she flee.

XIV

She cursed the weaver and the walker

That cloth that had wrought,

And bade a vengeance on his crowne

That hither hath itt brought.

‘I had rather be in a wood,

Under a greenè tree,

Than in King Arthur’s court

Shamèd for to bee.’

XVI

Kay call’d forth his ladye

And bade her come neere;

Saies, ‘Madam, and thou be guiltye

I pray thee hold thee here.’

XVII

Forth came his ladye

Shortlye and anon;

Boldlye to the mantle

Then is she gone.

XVIII

When she had tane the mantle,

And her about it cast

Then was she bare

All unto the waist.

XIX

Then every knight

That was in the King’s court

Talk’d, laugh’d and showted

Full oft att that sport.

She threw down the mantle

That bright was of blee,

Fast with a red rudd

To her chamber can she flee.

XXI

Forth came an old Knight

Pattering ore a creede,

And he proferr’d to this little Boy

Twenty markes to his meede;

XXII

And all the time of Christmasse

Willingly to ffeede;

For why this mantle might

Doe his wiffe some need.

XXIII

When shee had tane the mantle

Of cloth that was made,

Shee had no more left on her

But a tassell and a threed:

That every knight in the King’s court

Bade evill might shee speed.

XXIV

She threw downe the mantle,

That bright was of blee,

Fast with a red rudd

To her chamber can she flee.

XXV

Craddocke call’d forth his ladye

And bade her come in;

100

Saith, ‘Winne this mantle, ladye,

With a little dinne.

XXVI

‘Winne this mantle, ladye,

And it shal be thine

If thou never did amisse

105

Since thou wast mine.

XXVII

Forth came Craddocke’s ladye

Shortlye and anon,

But boldlye to the mantle

Then is shee gone.

110

XXVIII

When she had tane the mantle

And cast it her about,

Up at her great toe

It began to crinkle and crowt:

Shee said, ‘Bowe downe, mantle,

115

And shame me not for nought.

XXIX

‘Once I did amisse,

I tell you certainlye,

When Craddocke’s mouth I kist

Under a greenè tree;

120

When I kist Craddocke’s mouth

Before he marryed mee.’

XXX

When shee had her shreeven

And her sinnes shee had tolde,

The mantle stood about her

125

Right as she wo’ld;

XXXI

Seemelye of coulour,

Glittering like gold

Then every knight in Arthur’s court

Did her behold.

130

XXXII

The little Boy stoode

Looking over a dore;

[There as he look’d

He was ware of a wyld bore.]

XXXIII

He was ware of a wyld bore

135

Wo’ld have werryed a man:

He pull’d forth a wood-kniffe

Fast thither that he ran:

He brought in the bore’s head

And quitted him like a man.

140

XXXIV

He brought in the bore’s head,

And was wonderous bold;

He said there was never a cuckold’s kniffe

Carve itt that co’ld.

XXXV

Some rubb’d their knives

145

Uppon a whetstone;

Some threw them under the table,

And said they had none.

XXXVI

King Arthur and the child

Stood looking them upon;

150

All their knives’ edges

Turnèd backe againe.

XXXVII

Craddocke had a litle kniffe

Of iron and of steele;

He birtled the bore’s head

155

Wonderous weale,

That every knight in the King’s court

Had a morssell.

XXXVIII

The litle Boy had a horne,

Of red gold that ronge;

160

He said, ‘There was noe cuckolde

Shall drinke of my horne,

But he sho’ld itt sheede

Either behind or beforne.’

XXXIX

Some shedd it on their shoulder

165

And some on their knee;

He that co’ld not hitt his mouth

Put it in his e’e;

And he that was a cuckold

Every man might him see.

170

Craddocke wan the horne

And the bore’s head;

His ladye wan the mantle

Unto her meede;

Everye such a lovely ladye

175

God send her well to speede!

GLOSS: co’ld] could, knew. bedone] adorned. hett] bid. potener] pouch. purse. care] bethink him. bed] bid, offered. new fangle] capricious. gaule] gules, red. wadded] of woad colour, blue. blee] hue. can] did. walker] fuller. rudd] complexion. For why] because. dinne] noise, i.e. ado. crowt] pucker. shreeven] shriven, confessed. werryed] worried birtled] brittled, cut up. ronge] rung, resounded. sheede] shed, spill.

CONTENTS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

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