All day shalt thou eat and drink of the best,
And I will pay thy fare."--

"Gram-ercy for nothing," the tanner replied,
"Thou payest no fare of mine:
I trow I've more nobles in my purse,
Than thou hast pence in thine."--

"God give thee joy of them," said the king,
"And send them well to prief."--
The tanner would fain have been away,
For he weened he had been a thief.

"What art thou," he said, "thou fine fell-ow?
Of thee I am in great fear,
For the clothes thou wearest upon thy back
Might beseem a lord to wear."--

"I never stole them," quoth our king,
"I tell you, sir, by the rood."--
"Then thou playest, as many an unthrift doth,
And standest in midst of thy good."--

"What tidings hear you," said the king.
"As you ride far and near?"--
"I hear no tidings, sir, by the mass,
But that cow-hides are dear."--

"Cow-hides! cow-hides! what things are those?
I marvel what they be!"--
"What, art thou a fool?" the tanner replied;
"I carry one under me."--

"What craftsman art thou?" said the king,
"I pray thee tell me trow."--
"I am a barker, sir, by my trade.
Now tell me what art thou?"--

"I am a poor courtier, sir," quoth he,
"That am forth of service worn;
And fain I would thy 'prentice be,
Thy cunning for to learn."--

"Marry, heaven forfend," the tanner replied,
"That thou my 'prentice were!
Thou'dst spend more good than I should win,
By forty shilling a year."--

"Yet one thing would I," said our king,
"If thou wilt not seem strange:
Though my horse be better than thy mare,
Yet with thee I fain would change."--

"Why, if with me thou fain wilt change,
As change full well may we,
By the faith of my body, thou proud fell-ow
I will have some boot of thee."--

"That were against reason," said the king,
"I swear, so mote I thee:
My horse is better than thy mare,
And that thou well may'st see."--

"Yea, sir, but Brock is gentle and mild,
And softly she will fare;
Thy horse is unruly and wild, i-wis;
Aye skipping here and there."--

"What boot wilt thou have?" our king replied;
"Now tell me in this stound."--
"No pence, nor halfpence, by my fay,
But a