A Pleasant Ballad of King Henry the second, and the Miller of Mansfield, and how he was Entertained and Lodged at the Miller's House, and of their pleasant Communication.  
To the tune of the French Levalto, etc.  
HEnry, our Royal King, would ride a Hunting.  
to the green Forest, to pleasant and fair,  
To have the Hart chased, and dainty Does tripping,  
unto merry Sherwood his Nobles repair;  
Hawk and 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, and Hind, & the Buck gallantly,  
till the dark Evening forced Him to turn home.  
Than, at last, riding fast, he had lost quite  
All his Lords in the Wood; late, in dark Night,  
Wandering thus, warily, all alone, 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, truth for to say,  
You do not likely ride out of your way.  
Why? what dost thou think of me? qd.. our K. merrily,  
passing thy judgement upon me so brief.  
Good faith, (said the Miller) I mean not to flatter thee,  
I guests thee to be but some Gentleman-Thief:  
Stand thee back in the dark, light thee not down,  
Lest that I presently crack thy Kaves crown.  
Thou hast abused me much, (qd. the King, saying thus)  
I am a Gentleman, and Lodging I lack.  
Than 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 Trueman, (than quoth the Miller)  
I swear by my tole-dish, I'll lodge thee all night.  
Here's my hand, (quoth the King) that was I ever.  
Nay, soft, (qd. the Miller) thou may'st be a Spirit,  
Better I'll know thee e'er hands I will take,  
With none but honest men hands will I shake.  
Thus they went all along unto the Miller's house,  
where they were seething of Puddings and sauce;  
The Miller first entered in, than after him the King,  
never 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.  
I like thy countenance, thou hast an honest face,  
with my Son Richard this night thou shalt lie,  
Quoth his wife, By my troth it is a handsome Youth,  
yet it is best (husband) for to deal warily:  
Art thou not a Runaway, prithee Youth tell?  
Show me thy Passport and all shall he well.  
Than our King presently making 〈◊〉 courtesy,  
with his Hat in his hand, thus he did say,  
I have no pas 〈…〉, nor never was Servitor,  
but a poor Courtier road but of my way:  
And for your kindness here offered me,  
I will requited it in every degree.  
Than to the Miller his wife whispered secretly,  
saying it seems this Youth's of good ●in.  
Both by his apparel and eke by his manners,  
to turn him out certainly 'twere a great sin.  
〈…〉 (quoth he) you may see he hath some grace,  
〈◊〉 en he doth speak to his betters in place.  
Well, qd the Miller's wife, young man welcome here,  
and tho' I say it well lodged thou shalt be,  
Fresh straw I will have laid on thy bed so made,  
good brown hempen-sheets likewise, quoth she.  
Aye, quoth the good man, and when that is done  
You shall lie with no worse than my own Son.  
Nay first (quoth Richard) Good fellow tell me true,  
hast thou no Creepers within thy gay Hose?  
Or art thou not troubled with the Scabbado?  
I pray quoth our King what things are those?  
art thou not lowsse nor scabby? quoth he,  
If thou be'st, surely thou liest not with me.  
This caused the King suddenly to laugh most hearty  
till the tears trickled down from his eyes;  
Than to their supper were they set orderly,  
with a hot bag-pudding and good applepies;  
Nappy ale good and stalé in a brown bowl,  
Which did about the board merrily trowel.  
Here qd the miller good fellow I'll drink to thee,  
and to all Courtnals wherever they be.  
I'll pledge you quoth our King, and thank you heart'ly  
for your good welcome in every degree;  
And here in like manner I'll 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 sweetness a little may taste;  
A fair venision-pasty than brought she forth presently▪  
Eat, quoth the miller, but Sir make no waste:  
Here's dainty Lightfoot, in faith, said our King,  
I never before did Eat so dainty a thing.  
I wis, faid Richard, no dainty at all it is,  
for we do eat of it every day;  
In what place, said the K. may he bought like to this  
We never pay penny for it by faith.  
From merry Sherwood we fetch it home here,  
Now and than we make bold with our King's dear:  
Than I think, said our King, thus it is venision.  
Each fool quoth Richard, full well may see that;  
Never are we without two or three under the roof,  
very well fleshed and excellent fat:  
But prithee say nothing where ever thou go,  
We would not for twopences the King should it know  
Doubt not, than said the King, my promised secrecy,  
the King shall never know more on't for me.  
A cu● of lambs-wool they drank unto him than,  
and 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 the miller's 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 perceiving 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 of his head;  
But his kind Courtesy for to requited,  
Gave him a living, and made him a knight.   

The Second Part of the King and Miller, showing how he came to Court with his wife and son, and what merry Conceits passed between the King and them.  
When as our Royal k. came home from Nottingham  
and 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 he did 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 a sumptuous feast,  
That this old miller our last confirmed knight  
with his son Richard shall both be my Guests,  
For in this merriment 'tis my desire,  
To talk with the jolly knight and the young Squire.  
When as the Lords saw the king's pleasantness,  
they were right joyful and glad in their hearts.  
A Pursuivant there was sent straight on the business,  
the which had oftentimes been in those parts:  
When he came to the place where he did devil,  
His message orderly than he did tell:  
God save your worship than said the messenger,  
and grant your Lady her hearts desire;  
And to your Son Richard good fortune & happiness  
that sweet young Gentleman & gallant youngs squire,  
Our king greets you all, and thus 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 quoth Richard be hanged at the lest,  
Nay quoth the messenger you do mistake,  
Our king he provides a great feast for your sake.  
Than said the miller now by my troth messenger,  
thou hast contented my worship full well;  
Hold here's & farthings to quit thy great gentleness,  
for these happy tidings which thou dost me tell;  
Let me see here's to thee, tell to our king  
we'll wait on his mastership in every thing.  
The Pursuivant smiled at their simplicity,  
and making many legs took their Reward:  
And taking than his leave with great humility  
to the king's Court again he repaired:  
showing unto his Grace in each degree  
The knights most liberal gift and bounty.  
When he was gone away thus did the miller say,  
●he●e comes expenses and charges indeed  
●●om we must needs be brave though we spend all wehave;  
for of new Garments we have great need:  
Of horses and serving men 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 pillows and panels as we shall provide.  
In this most stately sort Road they unto the Court,  
their jolly Son Richard foremost of all,  
Who set up by good hap a Cock's 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 B 〈…〉 to mince at that tide.  
The king and his nobles that heard of his coming,  
meeting this gallant knight with his brave train,  
Welcome Sir knight qd he with this your gay Lady.  
good Sir John Cockle once welcome again;  
And so is this squire of courage so free.  
Quoth Dick, 〈…〉 on you do yo● know me?  
Quoth our king gently, How should I forget thee:  
thou wast my own Bedfellow well that I wots.  
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 quoth the knight,  
speak cleanly to our king, or else go shit.  
The king and his Courtiers hearty 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 than they fell,  
taking a bowl of wine drank to the knight:  
Here's to you both he said in wine ale and beer,  
Thanking you all for your Country Cheer.  
Quoth Sir John Cockle I'll pledge you a bottle,  
were it the best ale in Nottinghamshire.  
But than said the king I do think of a thing,  
some of your Light foot I would we had here;  
Not ●o quoth Richard full well I may say it,  
'tis knavery to eat it and than 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 and wine hearty  
You're like to stay quoth Dick till I have dined,  
You feed us with twailing dishes so small,  
Zounds a black Pudding is better than all.  
aye marry quoth our king that were a dainty thing,  
if a man could get one here for to eat.  
with that Dick arose and plucked one out of his hose,  
which with heat of his breech began for to sweated:  
The king made a proffer to snatch it away,  
'tis meat for your Master good Sir you must stay.  
thus in great merriment was the time wholly spent,  
and than the Ladies prepared to dance,  
Did Sir John Cockle and Richard incontinent,  
unto this practice the king did advance;  
Here with the Ladies such sport they did make,  
the Nobles with laughing did make their hearts ache,  
Many thanks for their pains did the king give them,  
ask young Richard if he would wed,  
among these Lady's free tell me which liketh thee:  
Duoth he Ju● Grumbol with the Read head;  
She's my love she's my life she will I wed,  
She hath sworn I shall have her maiden head,  
than Sir John Cockle the king called unto him,  
and of merry Sherwood made him Overseer.  
and gave him out of hand three hundred pound yearly.  
and now take heed you steel not more of my Deer:  
and once a quarter let's here have your view  
and thus Sir John Cockle I bid you adieu.    

Prin 〈…〉 for A Milbourn in Green-Arbor-Court in the Little Old-Baily.