¶ Hear beginneth a merry I est of Dan● Hue Munk of Leicestre, and how he was four times slain and once hanged. IN old time there was in Leicester town An Abbay of Munks of great renown As ye shall now after here But amongst them all was one there That passed all his brethren iwis His name was Dane Hue so have I bliss This Munk was young and lusty And to fair women he had a fancy And for them he laid great wait in deed In Leicester dwelled a Tailor I read Which wedded a woman fair and good they loved each other by my hood Seven year and somewhat more Dane Hue loved this tailors Wife sore, And thought always in his mind When he might her alone find And how he might her assay And if she would not to say him nay Upon a day he said fair woman free without I have my pleasure of thee I am like to go from my wit Sir she said I have many a shrewd fit Of my husband every day, Dame he said/ say not nay My pleasure I must have of thee what so ever that it cost me She answered and said if it must needs be Come to morrow unto me For then my husband rideth out of the town and then to your will I will be bown And then we may make good game and if ye come not ye be to blame But Dane Hue first tell thou me What that my reward shallbe Dame he said by my fay twenty nobles of good money For we will make good cheer this day: And so they kissed and went their way The tailor came home at even though Like as he was wont to do And his wife told him all and some How Dane Hue in the morning would come and what her meed of him should be What? dame thou art mad so mote I thee Wilt thou me a Cuckold's hood give? That should me shrewdly grieve, Nay Sir she said, by sweet saint john I will keep myself a good woman And get thee money also iwis For he hath made thereof a promiss To morrow early here to be I know well he will not fail me And I shall lock you in the chest that ye out of the way may be milt And when dane Hue cometh hither early About five of the clock truly For at that time his hour is set to come hither then without any let Then I shall you call full lightly Look that ye come unto me quickly And when the day began to appear in the morning Dane Hue came thither ward fast running He thought that he had past his hour then softly he knocked at the tailors door She rose up and bade him come near And said Sir welcome be ye here Good morrow (he said) gentle mistress Now tell me where your husband is That we may be sure indeed Sir she said so God me speed He is forth of the town And will not come home till after noon With that Dane Hue was well content And lightly in arms he did her hent And thought to have had good game Sir she said let be for shame For I will know first what I shall have For when I have it I will it not crave Give me twenty Nobles first And do with me then what ye list By my priesthood quoth he than thou shalt have in Gold and silver anon Thou shalt no longer crave it of me Lo my mistress where they be And in her lap he it threw Gramercy she said unto Dane Hue Dane Hue thought this wife to assay abide sir she said till I have laid it away For so she thought it should be best With that she opened then a Chest than Dane Hue thought to have had her alone But the tailor out of the chest anon And said sir Munk if thou wilt stand I shall give thee a stroke with my brand that thou shalt have but little lust unto my wife And lightly without any more strife He hit Dane Hue upon the head That he fell down stark dead Thus was he first slain in deed Alas than said his wife with an evil speed Have ye slain this monk so soon? Whither now shall we run or gone? There is no remedy than said he without thou give good counsel to me To convey this false priest out of the way That no man speak of it ne say That I have killed him or slain Or else that we have done it in vain Yea sit (she said) let him abide Till it be soon in the even tide Then shall we him well convey For ye shall bear him into the Abbay And set him strait up by the wall and come your way forth withal The Abbot sought him all about For he heard say that he was out And was very angry with him in deed and would never rest so God me speed Until Dane Hue that he had found and bade his man to seek him round About the place, and to him say That he come speak with me strait way forth went his man till at the last Being abroad his eye he cast Aside: where he Dane Hue did see and unto him then strait went he And thinking him to be alive He said, Dane Hue so mut I thrive I have sought you and marvel how that I could not find you till now Dane Hue stood as still as he that could not tell what he should say, no more he did good nor ill With that the Abbot's man said with good intent Sir ye must come to my Lord, or else you be shent When Dane Hue answered never a deal. He thought he would ask some counsel Then to the Abbot he 'gan him high I pray you my Lord come by and by And see where Dane Hue stands strait by the wall and will not answer what so ever I call And he stareth and looketh upon one place Like a man that is out of grace And one word he will not speak for me Get me a staff (quoth the Abbot) and I shall see And if he shall not unto me answer. Then when the Abbot came there And saw him stand up right by the wall He then to him began to call And said thou false Bribour thou shalt abye Why keepest thou not thy service truly Come hither he said with an evil speed But no word that Dane Hue answered in deed what whorson (ꝙ the Abbot) why speakest not thou? Speak or else I make God avow I will give thee such a stroke upon thy head That I shall he gave him such a rap That he fell down at that clap Thus was he the second time slain and yet he wrought them much more pain As ye shall afterward here full well Sir quoth the abbots an ye have done ill For ye have slain Dane Hue now And suspended this place I make God a vow What remedy (quoth the Abbot than?) Yes quoth his man by sweet Saint john If ye would me a good reward give That I may be the better while that I live Yes (ꝙ the Abbot) xl. shillings thou shalt have And if thou can mine honour save My Lord I tell you so mote I thee Unto such a tailors house haunted he To woe his pretty wife certain and thither I shall him bring again And there upright I shall him set that no man shall it know or wit And then every man will said That the Tailor hath him slain For he was very angry with him That he came to his wife so oft time Of his counsel he was well apaid and his man took up dane Hue that braid And set him at the tailors door anon and ran home as fast as he might gone The Tailor and his wife were in bed And of Dane Hue were sore afraid Lest that he would them bewray and to his wife began to say All this night I have dreamt of this false caitiff that he came to our door (quoth he to his wife) jesus (quoth his wife) what man be ye That of a dead man so sore afraid ye be? For me thought that you did him slow With that the Tailor to the door 'gan go And a Pole-axe in his hand and saw the Munk by the door stand Whereof he was sore afraid And still he stood and no word said Till he spoke unto his wife Dame now have I lost my life Without I kill him first of all Forth he took his Pole-axe or mall And hit Dane Hue upon the head that he fell down stark dead And thus was Dane Hue three times slain And yet he wrought him a train Alas quoth the tailors wife This caitiff doth us much strife Dame he said what shall we now do? Sir she said so moat go The Munk in a corner ye shall lay till to morrow before the day Then in a Sack ye shall him thrust and in the Mil damn ye shall him cast I counsel it you for the best surely So the Tailor thought to do truly In the morning he took Dane Hue in a Sack And laid him lightly upon his back Unto the Mil Damn he 'gan him high and there two thieves he did espy That fro the Mil came as fast as they might But when of the Tailor they had a sight They were abashed very sore For they had thought the miller had come thore For of him they were sore afraid that the Sack there down they laid And went a little aside I cannot tell where And with that the Tailor saw the sack lie there Then he looked therein anon And he saw it was full of Baron Dane Hue than he laid down there And so the bacon away did bear Till he came home and that was true the thieves took up the sack with dane Hue And went their way till they came home One of the thieves said to his wife anon Dame look what is in that sack I thee pray For there is good bacon by my faith Therefore make us good cheer lightly the wife ran to the Sack quickly And when she had the Sack unbound the dead Monk therein she found Then she cried out and said alas I see here a marvelous case That ye have slain Dane Hue so soon Hanged shall ye be if it be known Nay good dame said they again to her For it hath been the false miller Than they took Dane Hue again and brought him to the mil certain Where they did steal the Bacon before And there they hanged Dane Hue for store Thus was he once hanged in deed and the thieves ran home as fast as they could speed The Miller's wife rose on the morning early And lightly made herself ready To fetch some Bacon at the last But when she looked up she was aghast That she saw the Munk hang there She cried out and put them all in fere And said here is a chance for the nonce for here hangeth the false Munk by cock's bones That hath been so Lecherous many a day And with men's wives used to play Now some body hath quit his meed full well I trow it was the Devil of Hell And our Bacon is stolen away this I call a shrewd play I wots not what we shall this winter eat What wife (quoth the Miller) ye must all this forget And give me some good counsel I pray How we shall this Munk convey And privily of him we may be quit Sir she said that shall you lightly wit Lay him in a corner till it be night and we shall convey him or it be day light The Abbot hath a close here beside therein he hath a good horse untied Go and fetch him home at night and bring him unto me strait And we shall set him there upon in deed and bind him fast so God me speed And give him a long pole in his hand Like as he would his enemies withstand And under his-arme we will it thrust Like as he would fiercely just Foyes (she said) as ye well know the Abbot hath a Mare gentle and low Which ambleth well and trotteth in no wise But in the morning when the Abbot doth rise He commandeth his mare to him to be brought For to see his workmen if they lack aught And upon the mare he rideth as I you tell For to see and all things be well And when this Horse seeth this mare anon Unto her he will lightly run or gone When the Miller this understood He thought his wives counsel was good And held him well therewith content and ran for the horse verament And when he the horse had fet at the last Dane Hue upon his back he cast And bound him to the horse full sure that he might the better endure To ride as fast as they might ren Now shall ye know how the Miller did then He took the horse by the bridle anon and Dane Hue sitting therdn And brought him that of the mare he had a sight Then the horse ran full right The Abbot looked a little him beside and saw that Dane Hue toward him 'gan ride And was almost out of his mind for fear When he saw Dane Hue come so near He cried help/ for the love of the trinity For I see well that Dane Hue avenged will be Alas I am but a dead man and with that from his Mare he ran The abbots men ran on Dane Hue quickly and gave him many strokes lightly With Clubs and staves many one They cast him to the earth anon So they killed him once again thus was he once hanged and four times slain And buried at the last as it was best I pray God send us all good rest. Amen. ¶ Imprinted at London at the long Shop adjoining unto Saint Mildred's Church in the Pultrie, by john Allde.