Classic Poem

[The Second Part]

  Iohn sayd, “for want of a marshall, I will take th e wand:
  Peeres ffauconer before shall gange;
   begin the dish shall hee.
  goe to the bench, thou proud chaplaine,
  my wiffe shall sitt thee againe;
   thy meate-fellow shall shee bee”
  he sett the Erle against the King;
  they were ffaine att his bidding.
   thus Iohn marshalled his meanye.

Then Iohn sperred where his daughters were:
“the ffairer shall sitt by the ffawconere;
 he is the best ffarrand man:
the other shall the Sompter man haue.”
the Erle sayd, “soe god me saue!
 of curtesye, Iohn, thou can.”

“If my selfe,” q uo th Iohn, “be bound,
yett my daughters beene well ffarrand,
 I tell you sickerlye.
Peeres, & thou had wedded Iohn daughter reeue,
there were no man tha t durst thee greeue
 neither ffor gold nor ffee.

“Sompter man, & thou the other had,
in good ffaith then thou were made
 ffor euer in this cuntrye;
then, Peeres, thou might beare the prize.
yett I wold this chaplaine had a benefize,
 as mote I thariue or three!

“in this towne a kirke there is;
& I were king, itt shold be his,
 he shold haue itt of mee;
yett will I helpe as well as I may.”
the K ing , the Erle, the Bishopp, can say,
 “Iohn, & wee liue wee shall quitte thee.”

when his daughters were come to dease,
“sitt ffarther,” q uo th Iohn w i thouten Leaze,
 “ffor there shalbe no more
these strange ffellowes I doe not ken;
p er aduenture they may be some gentlemen;
 therfore I and my neighbors towe,

“att side end bord wee will bee,
out of the gentles companye:
 thinke yee not best soe?
ffor itt was neuer the Law of England
to sett gentles blood w i th bound;
 therfore to supp er will wee goe.”

by then came in beane bread,
salt Bacon rusted and redd,
 & brewice in a blacke dish,
leane salt beefe of a yeere old,
ale tha t was both sower & cold:
 this was the ffirst service:

eche one had of that ylke a messe.
 the king sayd, “soe haue I blisse,
such service nerest I see.”
q uo th Iohn, “thou gettest noe other of mee
 att this time but this.”

“yes, good fellow,” the K ing gan say,
“take this service here away,
 & better bread vs bringe;
& gett vs some better drinke;
we shall thee requite, as wee thinke,
 w i thout any letting.”

q uo th Iohn, “beshrew the morsell of bread
this night tha t shall come in yo u r head
 but thou sweare me one thinge!
swere to me by booke and bell
tha t thou shalt neuer Iohn Reeue bettell
 vnto Edward our kinge.”

q uo th the king, “to thee my truth I plight,
he shall nott witt our service
 no more then he doth nowe,
neuer while wee 3 liue in land.”
“therto,” q uo th Iohn, “hold vp thy hand,
 & then I will thee troe.”

“loe,” q uo th the king, “my hand is heere!”
“soe is mine!” q uo th the Erle w i th a merry cheere,
 “thereto I giue god a vowe.”
“haue heere my hand!” the Bishopp sayd.
“marry,” q uo th Iohn, “thou may hold thee well apayd,
 ffor itt is ffor thy power.

“take this away, thou hobkin long,
& let vs sitt out of the throng
 att a side bords end;
these strange ffellowes thinke vncouthlye
this night att our Cookerye,
 such as god hath vs sent.”

by them came in the payment bread,
wine tha t was both white and redd
 in siluer cupp[e]s cleare
“a ha!” q uo th Iohn, “our supp er begins with drinke!
tasste itt, ladds! & looke how yee thinke,
 ffor my loue, and make good cheere!

“of meate & drinke you shall haue good ffare;
& as ffor good wine, wee will not spare,
 I goe you to vnderstand.
ffor euerye yeere, I tell thee thoe,
I will haue a tunn or towe
 of the best tha t may be ffound.

“yee shall see 3 Churles heere
drinke the wine w i th a merry cheere;
 I pray you doe you soe;
& when our supp er is all doone,
you and wee will dance soone;
 letts see who best can doe.”

the Erle sayd, “by Marry bright,
wheresoeuer the K ing lyeth this night,
 he drinketh no better wine
then thou selfe does att this tyde”
“infaith,” q uo th Iohn, “soe had leeuer I did
 then liue ay in woe & payne.

“If I be come of Carles kinne,
p ar t of the good tha t I may winne,
 some therof shall be mine
he tha t neu er spendeth but alway spareth,
comonlye oft the worsse he ffareth;
 others will broake itt ffine.”

by then came in red wine & ale,
the bores head into the hall,
 then sheild w i th sauces seere;
Capons both baked & rosted,
woodcockes, venison, w i thout bost,
 & dish meeate dight ffull deere.

swannes they had piping hott,
Coneys, curleys, well I wott,
 the crane, the hearne in ffere,
pigeons, partrid[g]es, w i th spicerye,
Elkes, fflomes, w i th ffroterye.
 Iohn bade them make good cheere.

the Erle sayd, “soe mote I thee,
Iohn, you serue vs royallye!
 if yee had dwelled att London,
if king Edward where here,
he might be a-payd w i th this supp er ,
 such ffreindshipp wee haue ffound.”

“Nay,” sayd Iohn, “by gods grace,
& Edward wher in this place,
 hee shold not touch this tonne.
hee wold be wrath w i th Iohn, I hope;
thereffore I beshrew the soupe
  tha t shall come in his mouth!”

theratt the K ing laughed & made good cheere
the Bishopp sayd, “wee fare well heere!”
 the Erle sayd as him thought.
they spake lattine amongst them there;
“infayth,” q uo th Iohn, “and yee greeue mee,
 ffull deere itt shalbe bought.

“speake English euerye-eche one,
or else sitt still, in the devills name!
 such talke loue I naught.
Lattine spoken amongst Lewd men,
therin noe reason ffind I can;
 ffor ffalshood itt is wrought.

“row[n]ing, I loue itt neither young nor old;
therefore yee ought not to bee to bold,
 neither att Meate nor meale.
hee was ffalse tha t rowning began;
theerfore I say to you certaine
 I loue itt neuer a deale:

“that man can [nought] of curtesye
tha t lets att his meate rowning bee,
 I say, soe haue I seile.”
the Erle sayd right againe,
“att yo u r bidding wee will be baine,
 wee thinke you say right weele.”

by this came vp ffrom the kitchin
sirrupps on plates good and ffine,
 wrought in a ffayre array.
“Sirrah,” sayth Iohn, “sithe wee are mett,
& as good ffellowes together sett,
 lett vs be blythe to-day.

“Hodgkin long, & hob of the Lath,
you are counted good ffellowes both,
 now is no time to thrine;
this wine is new come out of ffrance;
be god! me list well to dance,
 therfore take my hand in thine;

“ffor wee will ffor our guests sake
hop and dance, & Reuell make”
 the truth ffor to know,
vp he rose, & dranke the wine:
“wee must haue powder of ginger therein,”
 Iohn sayd, as I troe.

Iohn bade them stand vp all about,
“& yee shall see the carles stout
 dance about the bowle
Hob of the lathe & Hodgkin long,
in ffayth you dance yo u r mesures wrong!
 methinkes tha t I shold know.

“yee dance neither Gallyard nor hawe,
Trace nor true mesure, as I trowe,
 but hopp as yee were woode”
when they began of ffoote to ffayle,
thé tumbled top ouer tayle,
 & M aster and M aster they yode.

fforth they stepped on stones store;
Hob of the lathe lay on the fflore,
 his brow brast out of blood
“ah, ha!” Q uo th Iohn, “thou makes good game!
had thou not ffalled, wee had not laught;
 thou gladds vs all, by the rood.”

Iohn hent vp hobb by the hand,
sayes, “methinkes wee dance our measures wronge,
 by him tha t sitteth in throne.”
then they began to kicke & wince,
Iohn hitt the king ouer the shinnes
 w i th a payre of new clowted shoone.

sith K ing Edward was mad a knight,
had he neuer soe merry a night
 as he had w i th Iohn de Reeue
to bed thé busked them anon,
their liueryes were serued them vp soone
 w i th a merry cheere;

& thus they sleeped till morning att prine
in ffull good sheetes of Line.
 a masse he garred them to haue,
& after they dight them to dine
w i th boyled capons good & ffine.
 the Duke sayd, “soe god me saue,
if euer wee come to our abone,
we shall thee quitt our Barrison;
 thou shalt not need itt to craue.”