MARK MORE,1 FOOL. To pass the time thereas I went, He did many a worthy deed, And many statutes he caused to be made : It was felony to any one that found aught was lost, So then there was a rich merchant : As he rode to a market-town, It was his chance to lose his purse : He said there was in it a hundred pound. Should give it him again without all doubt, So then there was a silly poor man Had two sheep's pells upon his back to sell, He found the purse, and liked it well. He took it up into his hand, And needs see what was in it he wold: The rich man he pursued him soon. "Thou whoreson villain!" quoth he then, "Let me see what's in the purse," said the merchant. It's best my purse to me thou restore, Or before the king thou shalt be brought." "I warrant," quoth he, "when I come the king before, He'll not reward me again with nought." Then they led him towards the king : And, as they led him on the way, 1 Mr. Furnivall, who edited this piece from the Percy MS., supposes "More" to represent Morio, or μwpós, a blockhead. And there met him a gallant knight, Then to the earth she got a thwack (No hurt in the world the poor man did mean), To the ground he cast the lady there; On a stub she dang out one of her een. He shall be brought to the king, and hanged this day.” Then they led him towards the king; But the poor man liked not their leading well, And, coming near to the seaside, He thought to be drowned or save himself. And, as he lope into the sea, No harm to no man he did wot; But there he light upon two fishermen : With the leap he broke one of their necks in a boat. The other would needs upon him have been. "Nay," said the merchant, "I pray thee now stay: We have two actions against him already : He shall be carried to the king, and hanged this day." Then they led him bound before the king, Where he sate in a gallery gay. "My liege," said the merchant, ". we have brought such a villain As came not before you this many a day. "For it was my chance to lose my purse, And now the villain will not give it me again, "I cut I have a worse match than that," said the knight, "For I know not what the villain did mean : He caused my gelding to cast my lady; On a stub she hath dang out one of her een. "But I have the worst match of all," said the fisher, For I may sigh and say God wot! He lope at me and my brother upon the seas: With the leap he hath broken my brother's neck in a boat." 1 Say. The king he turned him round-about, 66 How now, brother Salomon?" then quoth he. Gif you will not give judgment of these three matters, I pray you, return them o'er to me." "With all my heart," quoth Salomon to him "Take you the judgment of them as yet; For never came matters me before That fainer of I would be quit." ; "Well," quoth Mark, "we have these three men here, And every one hath put up a bill. But, poor man, come nither to me : Let's hear what tale thou canst tell for thyself." "Why, my lord," quoth he, "as touching this merchant,→ As he rode to a market-town, It was his chance to lose his purse: He said there was in it a hundred pound. "A proclamation he caused to be made, And gladly to him I would it restore : But now he would reward me with nothing, But challengeth in his purse twenty pound more." "Hast thou any witness of that?" said my lord Mark: "I pray thee, fellow, tell me round.” "Yes, my lord, here's his owne man That carried the message from town to town." The man was called before them all ; 'And said it was a hundred pound plain, And that his master would give twenty pound To any would give him his purse again. "I had forgotten twenty pound," said the merchant, "Give me leave for myself to say." "Nay," said Mark, "thou challengeth more than thine own Therefore with the poor fellow the purse shall stay. And this shall be my judgment straight : Thou shalt follow each day by the heeles plain Till thou have found such another purse with him, And then keep it thyself, and ne'er give it him again." "Marry! our gods forbot," said the merchant, "That ever so bad should be my share! How should I find a hundred pound of him "Fellow, how hinderedst thou the knight? His lady she hath lost one of her een." "Why, my lord, as they led me towards the king, With tugging and lugging, began to rattle. "The gelding was wanton the lady rode upon : No hurt in the world, my lord, I did mean : To the ground he cast that lady there, And on a stub she dang out one of her een." "Fellow," quoth Mark, "hath thy wife two eyes? I pray thee," quoth he, "tell me then." "Yes, my lord-a good honest poor woman, That for her living takes great pain." "Why, then, this shall be my judgment straight, Though thou perhaps may think it strange : Thy wife with two eyes, his lady hath but one, Ás thou hast dressed her, with him thou'st change." Marry, our gods forbot," then said the knight, "That ever so bad should be my shame! I had rather give him a hundred pound Than to be troubled with his dunnish dame!" "Marry! tender us down the money," said Mark, "I pray you, call him again," quoth Mark, Gif he be within sight; For never came matter me before But every man should have his right." They called the fisher back again. "How now, fellow? why didst not stay?" "My lord," quoth he, "I have a great way home, And fain I would be gone my way." But, fellow, how hinderedst thou this fisher? I pray thee," quoth Mark, "to us tell." "My lord, as I came near the easide, I thought either to be drowned or save myself. "And as I lope into the sea No harm to no man I did wot There I light upon this fisher's brother : With a leap I broke his neck in a boat." "Fisher," quoth Mark, "knowest thou where the boat Thou'st set her again in the selfsame stead, "Marry, gods forbot," then said the fisher, An I would, my lord, I had ne'er come hither." The poor man he was well content, And very well pleased of everything: And said they would ne'er come more to the king THE POOR MAN AND THE KING,1 It was a poor man, he dwelled in Kent; And there is a lawyer dwelt him by; A fault in his lease, God wot, he hath found: "And all was for falling of five ash-trees To build me a house of my own good ground. "I bid him let me and my ground alone; To cease his self, if he was willing, And pick no vantages out of my lease: And he seemed a good fellow, I would give him forty shilling. 1 "This," says Mr. Furnivall, "is a Kent version of the ballad which Martin Parker issued as a Northumberland one in 1640, with the title The King and a Poor Northern Man." In this latter much altered form, the poem has passed as Parker's own composition, but perhaps not correctly so: it is to be found in Mr. W. C. Hazlitt's Early Popular Poetry |