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An Arthurian Miscellany
In the third day of May,

To Carleile did come

A kind curteous child,

That cold much of wisdome.

A kirtle and a mantle

This child had uppon,

With brouches and ringes

Full richelye bedone.

He had a sute of silke

About his middle drawne;

Without he cold of curtesye,

He thought itt much shame.

"God speed thee, King Arthur,

Sitting at thy meate:

And the goodly Queene Gunever

I cannott her forgett.

"I tell you, lords, in this hall,

I hett you all to heede,

Except you be the more surer,

Is you for to dread."

He plucked out of his poterner,

And longer wold not dwell;

He pulled forth a pretty mantle,

Betweene two nut-shells.

"Have thou here, King Arthur,

Have thou heere of mee;

Give itt to thy comely queene,

Shapen as itt is alreadye.

"Itt shall never become that wiffe,

That hath once done amisse:-"

Then every knight in the kings court

Began to care for his.

Forth came dame Gunever;

To the mantle shee her hied;

The ladye shee was newfangle,

But yett shee was affrayd.

When shee had taken the mantle,

She stoode as shee had beene madd:

It was from the top to the toe

As sheeres had itt shread.

One while was it gule,

Another while was itt greene;

Another while was it wadded;

Ill itt did her beseeme.

Another while was it blacke,

And bore the worst hue:

"By my troth," quoth King Arthur,

"I thinke thou be not true."

Shee threw downe the mantle,

That bright was of blee;

Fast, with a rudd redd,

To her chamber can shee flee.

She curst the weaver and the walker

That clothe that had wrought,

And bade a vengeance on his crowne

That hither hath itt brought.

"I had rather be in a wood,

Under a greene tree,

Then in King Arthurs court

Shamed for to bee."

Kay called forth his ladye,

And bade her come neere;

Saies, "Madam, and thou be guiltye,

I pray thee hold thee there."

Forth came his ladye,

Shortlye and anon;

Boldlye to the mantle

Then is shee gone.

When she had tane the mantle,

And cast it her about,

Then was shee bare

Before all the rout.

Then every knight,

That was in the kings court,

Talked, laughed, and showted

Full oft att that sport.

She threw downe the mantle,

That bright was of blee;

Fast, with a red rudd,

To her chamber can shee flee.

Forth came an old knight

Pattering ore a creede,

And he proferred to this little boy

Twenty markes to his meede,

And all the time of the Christmasse,

Willinglye to ffeede;

For why this mantle might

Doe his wiffe some need.

When she had tane the mantle,

Of cloth that was made,

Shee had no more left on her,

But a tassell and a threed:

Then every knight in the kings court

Bade evill might shee speed.

Shee threw downe the mantle,

That bright was of blee;

And fast, with a redd rudd,

To her chamber can shee flee.

Craddocke called forth his ladye,

And bade her come in;

Saith, "Winne this mantle, ladye,

With a litle dinne.

"Winne this mantle, ladye,

And it shal be thine,

If thou never did amisse

Since thou wast mine."

Forth came Craddockes ladye,

Shortlye and anon;

But boldlye to the mantle

Then is shee gone.

When she had tane the mantle,

And cast it her about,

Upp att her great toe

It began to crinkle and crowt:

Shee said, "Bowe downe, mantle,

And shame me not for nought.

"Once I did amisse,

I tell you certainlye,

When I kist Craddockes mouth

Under a greene tree;

When I kist Craddockes mouth

Before he marryed mee."

When shee had her shreeven,

And her sines shee had tolde,

The mantle stoode about her

Right as shee wold,

Seemelye of coulour,

Glittering like gold:

Then every knight in Arthurs court

Did her behold.

Then spake dame Gunever

To Arthur our king;

"She hath tane yonder mantle

Not with right, but with wronge.

"See you not yonder woman,

That maketh her self soe cleane?

I have seene tane out of her bedd

Of men fiveteene;

"Priests, clarkes, and wedded men

From her, bedeene:

Yett shee taketh the mantle,

And maketh her self cleane."

Then spake the little boy,

That kept the mantle in hold;

Sayes, "King, chasten thy wiffe,

Of her words shee is to bold:

"Shee is a bitch and a witch,

And a whore bold:

King, in thine owne hall

Thou art a cuckold."

The little boy stoode

Looking out a dore;

And there as he was lookinge

He was ware of a wyld bore.

He was ware of a wyld bore,

Wold have werryed a man:

He pulld forth a wood kniffe,

Fast thither that he ran:

He brought in the bores head,

And quitted him like a man.

He brought in the bores head,

And was wonderous bold:

He said there was never a cuckolds kniffe

Carve itt that cold.

Some rubbed their knives

Uppon a whetstone:

Some threw them under the table,

And said they had none.

King Arthur and the child

Stood looking upon them;

All their knives edges

Turned backe againe.

Craddocke had a little knive

Of iron and of steele;

He britled the bores head

Wonderous weele,

That every knight in the kings court

Had a morssell.

The little boy had a horne,

Of red gold that ronge:

He said there was "noe cuckolde

Shall drinke of my horne,

But he shold it sheede,

Either behind or beforne."

Some shedd on their shoulder,

And some on their knee;

He that cold not hitt his mouthe,

Put it in his eye:

And he that was a cuckold

Every man might him see.

Craddocke wan the horne,

And the bores head:

His ladie wan the mantle

Unto her meede.

Everye such a lovely ladye

God send her well to speede.

The Boy And The Mantle