h her selfe soe cleane?
I haue seene tane out of her bedd
of men fiueteene;

34.
'Preists, clarkes, & wedded men,
from her by-deene;
Yett shee taketh the mantle,
& maketh her selfe cleane!'

35.
Then spake the litle boy
that kept the mantle in hold;
Sayes, 'King, chasten thy wiffe;
of her words shee is to bold.

36.
'Shee is a bitch & a witch,
& a whore bold;
King, in thine owne hall
thou art a cuchold.'

37.
A litle boy stoode
looking ouer a dore;
He was ware of a wyld bore,
wold haue werryed a man.

38.
He pulld forth a wood kniffe,
fast thither that he ran;
He brought in the bores head,
& quitted him like a man.

39.
He brought in the bores head,
and was wonderous bold;
He said there was neuer a cucholds kniffe
carue itt that cold.

40.
Some rubbed their k[n]iues
vppon a whetstone;
Some threw them vnder the table,
& said they had none.

41.
King Arthur & the child
stood looking them vpon;
All their k[n]iues edges
turned backe againe.

42.
Craddoccke had a litle kniue
of iron & of steele;
He birtled the bores head
wonderous weele,
That euery knight in the Kings court
had a morssell.

43.
The litle boy had a horne,
of red gold that ronge;
He said, 'There was noe cuckolde
shall drinke of my horne,
But he shold itt sheede,
either behind or beforne.'

44.
Some shedd on their shoulder,
& some on their knee;
He that cold not hitt his mouth
put it in his eye;
& he that was a cuckold,
euery man might him see.

45.
Craddoccke wan the horne
& the bores head;
His ladye wan the mantle
vnto her meede;
Euerye such a louely ladye,
God send her well to speede!

[Annotations:
2.3: 'brauches,' brooches.
5.2: 'hett,' bid; 'heede,' MS. heate.
6.1: 'potewer.' Child says:-- Read potener, French _pautonniere_,
pouch, purse.
8.4: Perhaps the line should end with 'his,' but 'wiffe' is the last
word in the manuscript.
9.3: 'new-fangle,' desirous of novelties.
11.1: 'gaule,' perhaps = gules, _i.e._ red.
11.3: 'wadded,' woad-coloured, _i.e._ blue.
13.2: 'blee,' colour.
13.3: 'rudd,' complexion.
14.1: 'walker,' fuller.
25.4: 'dinne,' trouble.
28.4: 'crowt,' pucker.
34.2: 'by-deene,' one after another.
37 and 38: Evidently some lines have been lost her