1.
In the third day of May
to Carleile did come
A kind curteous child
that cold much of wisdome.
2.
A kirtle & a mantle
this child had vppon,
With brauches and ringes
full richelye bedone.
3.
He had a sute of silke,
about his middle drawne;
Without he cold of curtesye,
he thought itt much shame.
4.
'God speed thee, King Arthur,
sitting at thy meate!
& the goodly Queene Gueneuer!
I canott her fforgett.
5.
'I tell you lords in this hall,
I hett you all heede,
Except you be the more surer,
is you for to dread.'
6.
He plucked out of his potewer,
& longer wold not dwell,
He pulled forth a pretty mantle,
betweene two nut-shells.
7.
'Haue thou here, King Arthure,
haue thou heere of mee;
Give itt to thy comely queene,
shapen as itt is alreadye.
8.
'Itt shall neuer become that wiffe
that hath once done amisse':
Then euery knight in the King's court
began to care for his wiffe.
9.
Forth came dame Gueneuer,
to the mantle shee her bid;
The ladye shee was new-fangle,
but yett shee was affrayd.
10.
When shee had taken the mantle,
shee stoode as she had beene madd;
It was ffrom the top to the toe
as sheeres had itt shread.
11.
One while was itt gaule,
another while was itt greene;
Another while was itt wadded;
ill itt did her beseeme.
12.
Another while was it blacke,
& bore the worst hue;
'By my troth,' quoth King Arthur,
'I thinke thou be not true.'
13.
Shee threw downe the mantle,
that bright was of blee,
Fast with a rudd redd
to her chamber can shee flee.
14.
Shee curst the weauer and the walker
that clothe that had wrought,
& bade a vengeance on his crowne
that hither hath itt brought.
15.
'I had rather be in a wood,
vnder a greene tree,
Then in King Arthurs court,
shamed for to bee.'
16.
Kay called forth his ladye,
& bade her come neere;
Saies, 'Madam, & thou be guiltye,
I pray thee hold thee there.'
17.
Forth came his ladye
shortlye and anon,
Boldlye to the mantle
then is shee gone.
18.
When shee had tane the mantle,
& cast it her about,
Then was shee bare
all aboue the buttocckes.
19.
Then euery knight
that was in the Kings court
Talked, laug[h]ed, & showted,
full oft att that sport.
20.
Shee threw downe the mantle,
that bright was of blee,
Ffast with a red rudd
to her chamber can shee flee.
21.
Forth came an old knight,
pattering ore a creede,
& he proferred to this litle boy
20 markes to his meede,
22.
& all the time of the Christmasse
willinglye to ffeede;
For why this mantle might
doe his wiffe some need.
23.
When shee had tane the mantle,
of cloth that was made,
Shee had no more left on her
but a tassell and a threed:
Then euery knight in the Kings court
bade euill might shee speed.
24.
She threw downe the mantle,
that bright was of blee,
& fast with a redd rudd
to her chamber can shee flee.
25.
Craddocke called forth his ladye,
& bade her come in;
Saith, 'Winne this mantle, ladye,
with a litle dinne.
26.
'Winne this mantle, ladye,
& it shalbe thine
If thou neuer did amisse
since thou wast mine.'
27.
Forth came Craddockes ladye
shortlye & anon,
But boldlye to the mantle
then is shee gone.
28.
When shee had tane the mantle,
& cast itt her about,
Vpp att her great toe
itt began to crinkle & crowt;
Shee said, 'Bowe downe, mantle,
& shame me not for nought.
29.
'Once I did amisse,
I tell you certainlye,
When I kist Craddockes mouth
vnder a greene tree,
When I kist Craddockes mouth
before he marryed mee.'
30.
When shee had her shreeuen,
& her sines shee had tolde,
The mantle stoode about her
right as shee wold,
31.
Seemelye of coulour,
glittering like gold;
Then euery knight in Arthurs court
did her behold.
32.
Then spake dame Gueneuer
to Arthur our king:
'She hath tane yonder mantle,
not with wright but with wronge.
33.
'See you not yonder woman
that maketh her selfe soe cleane?
I haue seene tane out of her bedd
of men fiueteene;
34.
'Preists, clarkes, & wedded men,
from her by-deene;
Yett shee taketh the mantle,
& maketh her selfe cleane!'
35.
Then spake the litle boy
that kept the mantle in hold;
Sayes, 'King, chasten thy wiffe;
of her words shee is to bold.
36.
'Shee is a bitch & a witch,
& a whore bold;
King, in thine owne hall
thou art a cuchold.'
37.
A litle boy stoode
looking ouer a dore;
He was ware of a wyld bore,
wold haue werryed a man.
38.
He pulld forth a wood kniffe,
fast thither that he ran;
He brought in the bores head,
& quitted him like a man.
39.
He brought in the bores head,
and was wonderous bold;
He said there was neuer a cucholds kniffe
carue itt that cold.
40.
Some rubbed their k[n]iues
vppon a whetstone;
Some threw them vnder the table,
& said they had none.
41.
King Arthur & the child
stood looking them vpon;
All their k[n]iues edges
turned backe againe.
42.
Craddoccke had a litle kniue
of iron & of steele;
He birtled the bores head
wonderous weele,
That euery knight in the Kings court
had a morssell.
43.
The litle boy had a horne,
of red gold that ronge;
He said, 'There was noe cuckolde
shall drinke of my horne,
But he shold itt sheede,
either behind or beforne.'
44.
Some shedd on their shoulder,
& some on their knee;
He that cold not hitt his mouth
put it in his eye;
& he that was a cuckold,
euery man might him see.
45.
Craddoccke wan the horne
& the bores head;
His ladye wan the mantle
vnto her meede;
Euerye such a louely ladye,
God send her well to speede!
[Annotations:
2.3: 'brauches,' brooches.
5.2: 'hett,' bid; 'heede,' MS. heate.
6.1: 'potewer.' Child says:-- Read potener, French _pautonniere_,
pouch, purse.
8.4: Perhaps the line should end with 'his,' but 'wiffe' is the last
word in the manuscript.
9.3: 'new-fangle,' desirous of novelties.
11.1: 'gaule,' perhaps = gules, _i.e._ red.
11.3: 'wadded,' woad-coloured, _i.e._ blue.
13.2: 'blee,' colour.
13.3: 'rudd,' complexion.
14.1: 'walker,' fuller.
25.4: 'dinne,' trouble.
28.4: 'crowt,' pucker.
34.2: 'by-deene,' one after another.
37 and 38: Evidently some lines have been lost here, and the rhymes
are thereby confused.
42.3: 'birtled,' cut up.
43.2: 'ronge,' rang.]