“ Now'Joan was resolved to go with him, and did, because the would keep him from being drunk. Now they were no sooner gone, but the King called for the reckoning and paid for it. He and his Queen went privately by water to their palace, where they pulled off their disguise, and appeared in their royal apparel; the King with his nobles and the Queen with her maids of honour. Now, by this time, the cobler and this wife deserve the letter, to the secretary, who upon opening the same, seeming to startle, and with a frowning countenance fold, behold here is the King's signet. ”

“ This being accordingly done, the King, in the habit of complain countryman, came to the inn with the Queen, who the dress of an innocent country maiden, passed for his swoman: he passed for the tanner that had come to receive and sell the leather. The King having paid the carrier for bringing the parcel, calls for a room and some the best liquor the house afforded which being brought, asked the keeper, whether or no he could help him a chapman for his leather: who answered, here an honest fellow, a cobler over the way, I'll send for him; he'll either buy it; or help you to a customer for it. ”

“ Now the King considering the pleasant humour of the cobler, how innocently marry he was, and free from any designs that he was person who laboured very hard, and took great deal of pains for a small livelihood, was pleased, out of his princely grace and favour to allow him liberal annuity of forty marks a year, for the better support of his jolly humour, and the maintenance of his wife Joan ”

“ Thou sayest well, quoth the King, and if thou dost a kindness, I do not matter if I give thee the leather a reward for thy goodness; and so here's to thee.
I thank thee, quoth the cobler; and by the time had drank three or four carouses his heart grew light he told the King he would sing him a song of his ca making at which the Queen, when she heard it, laughe heartily's for he had many jokes and pleasant songs: delighted the Queen more than any thing he had see or met with in her life. ”

“ But Joan had not patience to tell him her lamentation, crying. O the tannar! O the tanner is gone, and in this condition, raving like a fury, or like a lunatic person broken out of bedlam, the ran back to Westminster, with a multitude of men, women, and children, after her, who wanted to know the cause: but Joan continued crying, O the tanner is gone! und my poor Crispin, what will become of thee
Which words her husband hapened to hear, just as she entered the door, and cried, dear Joan, save you brought them with you? ”

“ He commanded him therefore to rise up, and be as merry as he was before and though he knew him in be the King, yet be should use the same freedom with him as he had done before, when he mended the heel of his hoe.
This kind speech of the King's, and three or four glasses of wine, made the cobler to be in as good humour is he was before, telling the King several of his pretty lories, and singing some of his best songs, very much to he satisfaction of the King and all his nobles.
THE COBLER's SONG IN THE KING's CELLAR.
Come let us drink the other pot,
Our sorrows to confound ”

“ Alas! said the cobler, my friend was so far from letting me spend any thing, that he has given me what may be the making of you and I.
Why, Husband, quoth Joan, what has he given you? Why, to tell you the truth, my sweet wife, he has settled forty merks a-year upon me; and, as a sure token of his goodness, he has given me thefe two broad pieces of gold.
Oh meǃ quoth joan, did your friend give you all this? Well, God's blessing on his loving heart, he is an honest fellow, warrant him.
Who do you call fellow? ”

“ He thought within himself that the yeoman was mistaken in the person whom he enquired for; for, said he, he whom I look for is a plain merry fellow low; his name is Marty Tudor, we drank two pots together not long since; I suppose he may belong to some Lord or another about the court.
I tell you friend, said the yeoman, I know him very well, do you but follow me, and I shall bring you to him straight. ”

“ The King sends man and horse down into the country, there to buy leather fit for shoe makers, and to send it to London with the carrier, who came to the same town that was over against the aforesaid cobler. ”

“ With that the cobler opened the stall door, and the King asked him if he could set on the heel on one of his shoes.
Yes, that I can says the cobler. Come in, honest fellow, and set thee down by me, and I will do it for free straight; the cobler scraping his awls aud old shoes to one side, to make room for the king to sit down by him. ”