〈…〉 was lodged in the Miller's house, and of their pleasant communication. To the tune of the French Lau●●  

HEnry our royal King would go on hunting,  
To the green forest most pleasant and fair:  
〈◊〉 gave the ●art chased, the dainty Does tripping,  
〈◊〉 merry Sherwood his nobles repair.  
〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉, was unbound, all things prepared,  
〈◊〉 the same, to the game with good regard.   

〈◊〉 a long Summer's day, road the King pleasantly,  
with all his princes and nobles each one:  
●hasing the Hart and Hind, and the Buck gallantly,  
〈◊〉 the dark evening enforced them turn home.  
then at last riding fast he had lost quite,  
all his Lords in the woods, late in dark night.   

wandering thus wearily, all alone up and down,  
With a rude Miller he met at the last:  
ask the ready way unto fair Nottingham.  
〈◊〉 quoth the Miller your way you have lost.  
yet I think what I think truth for to say,  
you do not lightly go but of your way.   

〈◊〉 what do thou think of me quoth our king merrily  
〈◊〉 thy judgement upon m● so bree●e:  
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to quoth the Miller I mean not to flatter,  
guess thee to be but a gentleman thief.  
〈◊〉 thee back in the dark ●ight not a down,  
〈◊〉 cast to it I presently crack thy knaves crown.   

Thou dost abuse me m●ch (quoth our king) saying thus,  
〈◊〉 a gentleman, lodging I lack:  
〈◊〉 haste quoth the miller not a groat in thy purse,  
〈◊〉 thy inheritaince hangs on thy back.  
I have gold codischarge all that I call,  
If it be forty pence I will pay all.   

〈◊〉 thou be'st a true man than answered the miller,  
〈◊〉 wear by my toll dishile lodge thee all night.  
●●eres m● hand quoth our King that I was ever:  
Say so●t quoth the miller thou mayst be a spirit.  
●etter i'll know thee ere hands I will shake,  
〈◊〉 none but with honest men hands I will take.   

Thus they went all a long unto the miller's house:  
Where they were ●●●●●ing of ●●●dings and sauce:  
〈◊〉 miller first entered in after him went the king:  
●euer came he in so smoky a house.  
now quoth he let me see here what you are,  
quoth our king look your fill, and do not spare.   

like well thy countenance thou hast an honest face,  
With my son Richard this night thou shalt lie:  
Quoth his wife by my troth 'tis a good handsome youth  
〈◊〉 is it best husband to deal warily  
art thou not run away, pray thee youth tell,  
show us thy passport and all shall be well.   

Then our king presently making low courtesy,  
With his hat in his hand, thus he did say:  
〈◊〉 have no passport nor never was servitor,  
●●nt a poor courtier rove out of my way.  
and for your kindness now proffered to me,  
I will requite it in every degree.   

Then to the miller his wife whispered secretly,  
Saying it seemeth this youths of good kin:  
Both by his apparel and eke by his manners,  
〈◊〉 turn him out certainly were a great sin.  
〈◊〉 quoth he, you may see, he hath some grace,  
〈◊〉 he speaks unto his betters in place.   

Well quoth the miller's wife, young man welcome h●●  
And though I say it, well lodged shalt thou be:  
Fresh straw I will have, laid in your bed so brau●●  
Good brown hempen ●●●ts likewise quoth she.  
〈◊〉 quoth the goodman and when that is done.  
you shall lie with no worse than with mine own●   

Nay first quoth Richard, good fellow tell me true,  
Hast thou no creepers in thy gay hose,  
Or art thou not troubled with the scrubado?  
I pray you quoth our King what things be those?  
Art thou not lousy, or scabbed quoth he?  
If thou be'st, surely thou liest not with me.   

This caused our King suddenly laugh out most h●●  
till the tears trickled down from his face:  
then unto supper were they set orderly,  
With hot bagpudding, and good applepies.  
Nappy ale good and stolen in a black bowl,  
which did about all the board merrily troll.   

Here quoth the Miller good fellow I drink to't  
and to all courtnolls that courteous be,  
I pledge thee quoth our King, and thank thee har●●  
For m● good welcome in every degree.  
and here in like manner I drink to thy son,  
do so quoth Richard and quick let it come.   

Wife quoth the miller now fetch me forth light●●  
that we of his sweetness a little may taste:  
A fair Venison petty th●n brought the forth pres  
Cate quoth the miller, but sir make no waste.  
Here is good lightfoot, in faith quoth our King,  
I never eat so dainty a thing.   

Iwis said Richard no dainty at all it is.  
For we do eat of it every day,  
In what place said our king may be bought like 〈◊〉  
We never pay ●ennie for it by my fare:  
from merry Sherwood we fetch it home here,  
now and then we make bold with the King's d●●   

Then I think quoth our King that it is venison,  
Each fool quoth Richard full well may see that  
Never are we without two or thr●●●● the ruff,  
Very well fleshed and excellent fat.  
but pray thee say nothing where ever thou go,  
we would not for two pence the King should it 〈◊〉   

Doubt not quoth our King my promised secrecies  
the King shall never know more on't for me,  
a cup then of lamps wool they drunk straight vnt●  
and so to their beds they passed presently:  
the nobles next morning went all up and down  
for to seek out the King in every town.   

at last at this miller's house some did espy him p●●●  
as he was mounting upon his fair steed:  
to whom they ran presently falling down on th●●●  
Which made the miller's heart woefully bleed,  
shaking and quaking before him be stood,  
thinking he should have been hanged by the roo●   

The King perceiving him fearful and trembling  
Drew out his sword, but nothing he sed●  
The miller down did fall crying before them all  
Doubting the King would have cut of his head.  
but he his kind courtesy straight to requite,  
gave him great living, and dubbd him a Knight