A pleasant new Ballad of the Miller of Mansfield in Sherwood, and how he was lodged at a Miller's house, and of their pleasant Communication.  
To the Tune of, The French Lavalto.  
HEnry our Royal King would ride a hunting  
to the green Forest most pleasant and fair,  
To have the Hart chased, the dainty Does tripping, unto merry Sherwood his Nobles repair;  
Hawk & hound was unbound, all things prepared,  
For the same to the game with good regard.  
All a long Summer's day, road the King pleasantly,  
with all his Princes and Nobles each one,  
Chase the Hart & Hound, & the Buck gallantly,  
till the dark Evening enforced them turn home:  
Then at last, riding fast, he had lost quite,  
All his Lords in the Wood, late in dark night.  
Wand'ring thus warily all along up and down,  
with a rude Miller he met at the last,  
Ask the ready way unto fair Nottingham,  
sir, quoth the Miller your way you have lost,  
Yet I think, what I think, troth for to say,  
You do not likely ride out of your way.  
Why, what dost thou think on me, qd. the K. merrily  
passing thy judgement on me so brief?  
Good faith, said the Miller, I mean not to flatter thee,  
I guess thee to be some Gentleman thief:  
Stand the back, in the dark, light thee not down,  
Lest that I presently crack thy Knave's Crown.  
Thou hast abused me much, qd. the King, saying thus  
I am a Gentleman and lodging I lack,  
Thou hast not, qd. the Miller, one groat in thy purse  
all thy Inheritance hangs on thy back,  
I have Gold to discharge all that I call,  
If it be forty pence, I will pay all.  
If thou be'st a true man, then, quoth the Miller,  
than I swear by my Tole-dish I'll lodge thee all night,  
Here's my hand, qd. the K. that I was ever,  
nay soft, qd, the Miller, thou may'st be a spirit:  
Better I will know thee, ere hand I will take,  
With none but honest men, hands will I shake.  
Thus they went along unto the Miller's house,  
where they were séething of Pudding and souse,  
The Miller first entered in, then after him the King  
never came he in so smoky a house:  
Now, qd. he, let me see here what you are,  
Quoth our King, look your fill, and do not spare.  
I like thy countenance, thou hast an honest face,  
with my Son Richard this night shalt thou lie,  
Qd. his wife, by my troth, it is a handsome youth,  
yet 'tis best, qd. his wife, for to deal warily:  
Art not a runaway? prithee me tell,  
Show me thy Passport, and all shall be well.  
Then the King presently, making low courtesy,  
with his hat in his hand, thus he did say,  
I have no Passport, nor never was Servitor,  
but a poor Courtier road out of my way;  
And for your kindness here offered me,  
I will requite it in every degree.  
Then to the Miller his wife whispered secretly,  
saying, it seems this youths of good kin,  
Both by his Apparel, and eke by his manners,  
to turn him out certainly it were a great sin:  
Yea, quoth he, you may see, he hath some grace,  
When he doth speak to his betters in place,  
Well, qd. the Miller's wife, young man welcome here,  
and though I say it, well lodged thou shalt be,  
Fresh straw I will have laid, on your Bed so brave,  
good brown hempen Sheets, likewise, quoth she:  
I, quoth the good man, and when that is done,  
You shall lie with no worse than our own Son.  
Nay first, quoth Richard, good fellow tell me true,  
hast any Creepers within thy gay hose?  
Or art thou troubled with the Scabbado?  
I pray, quoth our King, what things are those?  
Art thou not lousy or scabby? quoth he,  
If thou beest surely thou liest not with me.  
This caused the K. suddenly to laugh most heartily,  
till the tears trickled down from his eyes;  
Then to their supper they set orderly,  
with a hot Bag-pudding, and good Apple-pyes:  
Nappy Ale, good and stale, in a brown bowl,  
Which did about the Board merrily trowel.  
Here quoth the Miller, good ●ellow I'll drink to th●●  
and to all Courteours that courteous be,  
I'll pledge you, quoth our K. and thank you heartily  
for your good welcome in every degree:  
And here in like manner I drink to your son,  
Do so, quoth Richard, but quick let it come.  
Wife, quoth the Miller; fetch me forth Lightfoot,  
that we of his swéetness a little may taste:  
A fair Venison-pasty than brought she forth presently  
eat, qd. the Miller, but sir make no waste:  
Here's Light-fort indeed, said our King,  
I ne'er before eat so dainty a thing.  
I wis 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 to this?  
we never pay money for it by my faith:  
From Merry Sherwood we fetch it home here;  
Now and then we make bold with our King's Dear.  
Then I think said our King, that it is Venison;  
each fool quoth Richard full well may see that:  
Never are we without two or three in the roof,  
very well fleshed and excellent fat:  
But prithee say nothing where ever thou go,  
We would not for two pence the K. should it know.  
Doubt not said the King, my promised secrecy,  
the King shall never know more on't for me:  
A Cup of Lambs-wool they drank unto him then,  
and then to bed they post presently:  
The Nobles next morning went all up and down,  
For to seek the King in every Town.  
At last at the Mill. house soon they espied him plain,  
as he was mounting upon his fair steed:  
To whom they came presently, falling upon their knee,  
which made the Miller's heart woefully bleed:  
Shaking and quaking before them he stood;  
Thinking he should have been hanged by the rood.  
The King perceived him fearful and trembling,  
drew forth his Sword, and nothing he said;  
The Miller down did fall, crying before them all,  
doubting the King would have cut off his head:  
But his kind courtesy there to requite,  
Gave him a Living, and made him a Knight.  

The Second Part of the Miller and the King, showing how he came to the Court with his wife & son, and what merry conceits passed between the King and him.  
WHen as our noble K. came home from Nottingham,  
& with his Nobles at Westminster lay,  
Recounting the sports and pastimes they had ta'en,  
in this late progress along by the way:  
Of them all, great and small, this did he protest,  
The Miller of mansfield's sport liked him best.  
And now my Lords, qd. the King, I am determined  
against St. George's next sumptuous Feast,  
That this old Miller our last confirmed Knight,  
with his Son Richard shall both be my guest:  
For in this merriment 'tis my desire,  
To talk with the jolly Knight, & the young Squire.  
When as the Nobles saw the King's pleasantness,  
they were right joyful and glad in their hearts:  
A Pursuivant there were sent about the business,  
the which had many times been in those parts:  
When he came to the place where he did dwell,  
His Message orderly then he did tell.  
God save your Lordship, than said the Messenger,  
and grant your Lady her heart's desire,  
And to your Son Richard good fortune & happiness,  
that sweet young Gentleman & gallant young squire  
Our King greets you well, and thus he doth say,  
You must come to the Court on St. George's day.  
Therefore in any case, fail not to be in place:  
I wis quoth the Miller this is an odd jest:  
What should we do there? he said, faith I am half afraid  
I doubt, qd. Richard, be hanged at the least.  
Nay, quoth the Messenger, you do mistake,  
Our King he provides a great Feast for your 〈◊〉  
Then said the Miller, now by my troth Messenger:  
thou hast contented my Worship full well:  
hold, here's 3. farthings to quit thy great gentleness  
for these happy tidings which thou dost me tell:  
Let me see, hearest thou me, tell to our King;  
We'll wait on his Mastership in every thing.  
The Pursuivant smiling at their simplicity,  
and making many Legs took their reward:  
And taking then his leave with great humility,  
to the King's Court than he repaired:  
Showing to his Grace in each degree,  
The Knights most liberal gifts and bounty.  
When he was gone away, thus did the Miller say  
here comes expenses and charges indeed:  
Now we must be brave, if we spend all we have,  
for of new Garments we have great need:  
Of Horses and Servingmen we must have store,  
With bridles, and saddles, and twenty things more  
Tush sir John, qd. his wife, never fret nor frown,  
you shall be at no more charges for me,  
For I will turn and trim up my old Russet Gown,  
with every thing as fine as may be:  
And on our Mill-horses full swift we will ride,  
With Pillow and Panels as we shall provide.  
In this most stately sort came they unto the Court,  
their jolly Son Richard the foremost of all:  
Who set up by good hap a Cocks-feather in his cap  
and so they jetted down towards the King's Hall:  
The merry old Miller with his hands on his side,  
His wife like Maid Marrian did mince at that tide  
The King & the Nobles that heard of their coming  
meeting this gallant Knight with his brave train  
Welcome Sir Kt. qd. he, with this your gay Lady,  
good Sir John Cockle, once welcome again:  
And so is the Squire of courage most free:  
Quoth Dick, a bots on you, do you know me.  
Quoth the King gently, how should I forget thee?  
thou wast my Bed-fellow, well that I wot,  
But I think of a trick, tell me that prithee Dick,  
how thou with Farting didst make the bed hot:  
Thou whoreson happy knave, than qd. the Knight,  
Speak cleanly to our King, or else go shit.  
The King & his Courtiers heartily laughed at this,  
while the King took them both by the hand,  
With Ladies and their Maids, like to the Queen of spades  
the Miller's wife did so orderly stand:  
A Milkmaids courtesy at every word,  
And down the folks were set at the side board.  
Where the King Royally, in Princely Majesty,  
sat at his dinner with joy and delight:  
When they had eaten well, to jesting then they fell  
taking a Bowl of Wine drank to the Knight:  
Here's to you, qd. the King, in Wine, Ale, and Béer,  
Thanking you for all your Country fare.  
Quoth, Sir John Cockle, I'll pledge you a Pottle,  
were it the best Ale in Nottinghamshire:  
Then said our King, now I think on a thing,  
some of your Lightfoot I would we had here;  
Ho, ho, quoth Richard, full well I may say it,  
'tis knavery to eat of it, and then to betray it.  
Why art thou angry, quoth our King merrily,  
in faith I take it very unkind,  
I thought thou wouldst pledge me in Ale & Wine heartily,  
you're like to stay, quoth Dick, till I have dined:  
You feed us with twattling dishes so small,  
Zounds a black puding is better than all.  
I marry, quoth our King, that were a dainty thing,  
if a man could get one for to eat;  
With that Dick arose, and pulled one out of his hose,  
which with heat of his breech began for to sweat:  
The King made a proffer to snatch it away;  
'Tis meat for your Master, good sir you must stay.  
Thus in merriment was the time wholly spent,  
and then the Ladies prepared to dance,  
Old Sir John Cockle, and Richard incontinent,  
unto this practice the King did advance;  
Here with the Ladies such sport they did make,  
the Nob. with laughing did make their hearts ache.  
Many thanks for their pains did the K. give them,  
ask young Richard if he would be wed:  
Among those Lady's free, tell me which liketh thee,  
Quoth he, Jug Grumbal with the red head:  
She's my love, she's my life, she will I wed,  
She hath sworn I shall have her Maidenhead.  
Then Sir John Cockle the King called unto him  
and of merry Sherwood made him overséer,  
And gave him out of hand 3 hundred pound a year,  
and now take heed you steal no more of my Dear:  
And once a year le's have your view,  
And so Sir John Cockle I bid you adieu.    

Printed for F. Coles, T. Vere, and J. Wright.