Selected quad for the lemma: england_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A47455
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The King and the Bishop, or, Unlearned men hard matters out can find when learned Bishops Princes eyes do blind to the tune of Chevy-Chase.
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1672
(1672)
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Wing K550; ESTC R179274
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2,157
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1
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The KING and the BISHOP OR Unlearned Men hard matters out can find When Learned Bishops Princes eyes do blind To the Tune of Chevy-Chase IN Popish time when Bishops proud in England did bear sway Their Lordships did like Princes Live and kept all at obey Their Palaces with Arrace hang'd their houses shin'd with gold Their train of gallant Gentlemen most stately to behold A King then in this Land did Raign some say 't was old Henry One day he for a Bishop sent his Scholar-ship to try Then straightway to the Court he went in all his Pomp and state And took it for a favour great upon the King to wait And when he came unto the King he did both bow and bend His Graces pleasure he did crave why he for him did send Bishop quoth he I sent for thee to put thee to a task And I Resolved true will be of three things I will ask And thrée wéeks time I will thee give on it to meditate And then if you not tell me true I vow to have thy pate If that it like your Majesty the Bishop then did say I le try the utmost of my skill your will for to obey The first thing now then said the King is this that I would know Vnto a very hour the time a traveller may go About the vast and spacious world and then Return again Vnto the place he did set forth and this I know would fain The second thing that tell you must even to one poor half-crown What I am worth that am a King this made the Bishop frown The third thing it is this he said the which you must explain To tell to me what I do think when you come here again And so good Bishop you do know what things I do desire And for to be resolv'd therefore of you I do require Tell me the truth and keep your time or else your head shall flye From off your shoulders when you come your wits you now must try These are hard things to be Resolv'd unto the King he said No man on earth can tell the same I greatly am afraid Yet I will try the greatest skill and so he took his leade The task and sentence both were hard which made his Lordship grieve The second Part to the same Tune WHen he came home to study hard the Bishop then did go His brains did hammer in his head his heart was fil'd with woe But yet for all his Learning great these things he could not find The time began for to expire which did torment his mind The heavy sentence of the King did touch him to the quick With Grief and overstudying he presently fell sick The Bishop he a brother had a man that hard did fare A Shepherd by profession for whom he did not care This Shepherd when that he did hear his brother sick did lye To visit him he did think best before that he should dye With much ado at length he got admitance him to see It Griev'd the poor man to the heart at this his misery Saluting his Lord brother then ask'd him how he did do He answered him with heavy heart O full of Grief and Woe You cannot help my misery no man my Life can save The task 's too hard for me to do the King my head will have Dear brother then the Shepherd said to me your Grief explain And if that I can save your life I 'le venture to be slain The Bishop told him every thing cause he ado did make If this be all the Shepherd said the same I 'le undertake You know that we are very like in person speech and face Let me put on your Robes of State I 'le execute the place Your trains of gallants to the Court must bear me company And if I do not tell these things instead of you I 'le dye The time being come next day he went to see his Majesty Who presently was entertain'd with courtlike courtesie Now welcome Bishop quoth the King can you resolve me true And if you cannot he did say I know what I must do Vnto your Graces question the first I answer make Let any man ascend the Sky and the Suns Chariot take In twenty and four hours time about the World may ride The which is but one day and night this journey to abide Thou sayest true then said the King unto the second then Now unto that the Shepherd said I answer thus agen The King of Kings our Saviour Christ for thirty peace was sold I undervalue you by far for all your Crown of Gold Then said the King Bishop 't is right what thou hast said before Now tell me truly what I think and I will ask no more You think that I the Bishop am the Shepherd then did say Why so I think then quoth the King in spight of all says nay You have confest I told your thought an 't like your Majesty Although I ware the Bishops Robe a Shepherd poor am I One Father and one Mother both we had and brethren are And for to please your Royal Grace my brother had a care He now lies sick néer unto death and hither did me send Who bid me tell you all these things for fear he should offend Commend me to him quoth the King and thank him heartily He now hath-satisfiâ—d my mind and pleased well am I. A hundred pound the King bestowed upon the Shepherd then And taking leave away he went with all his Gentlemen When to the Bishop he did come all things he did relate He thank'd his brother and was glad of this his happy fate Vpon him he bestow'd a Farm of forty pounds a year As well he might for he did find of him a brother dear And thus unlearned men sometimes hard matters out can find When learned Bishops miss the mark and Princes eyes do blind London Printed for F. Coles T. Vere and J. Wright