the king tooke leaue att man & mayde;
Iohn sett him in the rode way;
 to windsor can hee ryde.
Then all the court was ffull faine
tha t the king was comen againe,
 & thanked chr[i]st tha t tyde.

the Ierfawcons were taken againe
in the fforrest of windsor without laine,
 the Lords did soe p ro vyde,
they thanked god & St Iollye
to tell the Queene of their harbor
 the lords had ffull great pryde.

The Queene sayd, “S i r, by yo u r leaue,
I pray you send ffor tha t Noble Reeue,
  tha t I may see him w i th sight.”
the Messenger was made to wend,
& bidd Iohn Reeue goe to the King
 hastilye w i th all his might.

Iohn waxed vnfaine in bone & blood,
saith, “dame, to me this is noe good,
 my truth to you I plight.”
“you must come in yo u r best array.”
“what too,” sayd Iohn, “S i r, I thee pray?”
 “thou must be made a Knight.”

“a knight,” sayd Iohn, “by Marry myld,
I know right well I am beguiled
 w i th the guests I harbord late.
to debate they will me bring;
yett cast I mee ffor nothinge
 noe sorrow ffor to take;

“Allice, ffeitch mee downe my side Acton,
my round pallett to my crowne,
 is made of Millayne plate,
a pitch-fforke and a sword.”
shee sayd shee was affrayd
 this deede wold make debate.

Allice ffeitched downe his Acton syde;
hee tooke itt ffor no litle pryde,
 yett must hee itt weare.
the Scaberd was rent w i thouten doubt,
a large handfull the bleade hanged out:
 Iohn the R EEUE sayd there,

“gett lether & a nayle,” Iohn can say,
“lett me sow itt a chape to-day,
 Lest men scorne my geere.
Now,” sayd Iohn, “will I see
[w]hether itt will out lightlye
 or I meane itt to weare.”

Iohn pulled ffast att the blade:
(I wold hee had kist my arse tha t itt made!)
 he cold not gett itt out
Allice held, & Iohn draughe,
either att other ffast loughe,
 I doe yee out of doubt.

Iohn pulled att the scaberd soe hard,
againe a post he ran backward
 & gaue his head a rowte.
his wiffe did laughe when he did ffall,
& soe did his meanye all
  tha t were there neere about.

Iohn sent after his neighbors both,
Hodgkine long & hobb of the lath.
 they were beene att his biddinge.
3 pottles of wine in a dishe
they supped itt all off, as I wis,
 all there att their p ar tinge.

Iohn sayd, “& I had my buckler,
theres nothing tha t shold me dare,
 I tell you all in ffere.
ffeitch me downe,” q uo th he, “my gloues;
they came but on my hands but once
 this 22 yeere.

“ffeitch mee my Capull,” sayd hee there.
his saddle was of a new manner,
 his stirropps were of a tree.
“dame,” he sayd, “ffeitch me wine;
I will drinke to thee once againe,
 I troe I shall neuer thee see.

“Hodgkin long, & hob of the lathe,
tarry & drinke w i th me bothe,
 ffor my cares are ffast commaunde.”
they dranke 5 gallons verament:
“ffarwell ffellowes all p re sent,
 ffor I am readye to gange!”

Iohn was soe combred in his geere
hee cold not gett vpon his mare
 till hodgkinn heaue vp behind.

“Now ffarwell, S i r, by the roode!”
to neither K nigh t nor Barron good
 his hatt he wold not vayle
till he came to the K ing s gate:
the Porter wold not lett him in theratt,
 nor come w i thin the walle,

till a K nigh t came walking out
they sayd, “yonder standeth a carle stout
 in a rusticall arraye.”
on him they all wondred wright,
& said he was an vnseemelye wight,
 & thus to him they gan say:

“hayle, ffellow! where wast thou borne?
thee beseemeth ffull well to weare a horne!
 where had thou tha t ffaire geere?
I troe a man might seeke ffull long,
one like to thee ar tha t hee ffound,
 tho he sought all this yeere.”

Iohn bade them kisse the devills arse:
“ffor you my geare is much the worsse!
 you will itt not amend,
by my ffaith, tha t can I lead!
vpon the head I shall you shread
 but if you hence wende!

“the devill him speede vpon his crowne
tha t causeth me to come to this towne,
 whether he weare Iacke or Iill!
what shold such men as I doe heere
att the kings Manner?
 I might haue beene att home still.”

as Iohn stoode fflyting ffast,
he saw one of his guests come at the last;
 to him he spake ffull bold,
to him he ffast ffull rode,
he vayled neither hatt nor hood;
 sayth, “thou hast me betold!

“full well I wott by this light
tha t thou hast disdainde mee right;
 ffor wrat[h] I waxe neere wood!”
The Erle sayd, “by Marry bright,
Iohn, thou made vs a merry night;
 thou shalt haue nothing but good.”

the Erle tooke leaue att Iohn Reue,
sayd, “thou shalt come in w i thout greefe;
 I pray thee tarry a wh i le”

the Erle into the hall went,
& told the K ing verament
  tha t Iohn Reeue was att the gate;
“to no man list hee lout.
a rusty sword gird him about,
 & a long ffawchyon, I wott.”

the K ing said, “goe wee to meate,
& bringe him when wee are sett;
 our dame shall haue a play.”
“he hath 10 arrowes in a thonge,
some are short & some are long,
 the sooth as I shold say;

“a rusty sallett vpon his crowne,
his hood were made home browne;
 there may nothing him dare;
a thytill hee hath ffast in his hand
tha t hangeth in a peake band,
 & sharplye itt will share.

“he hath a pouch hanging ffull wyde,
a rusty Buckeler on the other syde,
 his mittons are of blacke clothe.
who-soe to him sayth ought but good,
[I swear it to you by the rood,]
 ffull soone hee wilbe wrothe.”

then Iohn sayd, “Porter, lett mee in!
some of my goods thou shalt win;
 I loue not ffor to pray.”
the Porter sayd, “stand abacke!
& thou come neere I shall thee rappe,
 thou carle, by my ffay!”

Iohn tooke his fforke in his hand,
he bare his fforke on an End,
 he thought to make a ffray;
his Capull was wight, & corne ffedd;
vpon the Porter hee him spedd,
 and him had welnye slaine.

he hitt the Porter vpon the crowne,
w i th tha t stroke hee ffell downe,
 fforsooth as I you tell;
& then hee rode into the hall,
& all the doggs both great & small
 on Iohn ffast can thé yell.

Iohn layd about as hee were wood,
& 4 hee killed as hee stood;
 the rest will now be ware.
then came fforth a squier hend,
& sayd, “Iohn, I am thy ffreind,
 I pray you light downe heere.”

another sayd, “giue me thy fforke,”
& Iohn sayd, “nay, by S t W illia m of Yorke,
 ffirst I will cracke thy crowne!”
another sayd, “lay downe thy sword;
sett vp thy horsse; be not affeard;
 thy bow, good Iohn, lay downe;

“I shall hold yo u r stirroppe;
doe of yo u r pallett & yo u r hoode
 ere thé ffall, as I troe.
yee see not who sitteth att the meate;
yee are a wonderous silly ffreake,
 & alsoe passing sloe!”

“what devill,” sayd Iohn, “is tha t ffor thee?
itt is my owne, soe mote I thee!
 therfore I will itt weare.”

the Queene beheld him in hast:
“my lord,” shee sayd, “ffor gods ffast,
 who is yonder tha t doth ryde?
such a ffellow saw I neuer yore!
shee saith, “hee hath the quaintest geere,
 he is but simple of pryde.”

right soe came Iohn as hee were wood;
he vayled neither hatt nor hood,
 he was a ffaley ffreake;
he tooke his fforke as hee wold Iust;
vp to the dease ffast he itt thrust.
 the Queene ffor ffeare did speake,

& sayd, “lords, beware, ffor gods grace!
ffor hee will ffrowte some in the fface
 if yee take not good heede!”
thé laughed w i thout doubt,
& soe did all tha t were about,
 to see Iohn on his steede.

then sayd Iohn to our Queene,
“thou mayst be proud, dame, as I weene,
 to haue such a ffawconer!
ffor he is a well ffarrand man,
& much good manner hee can,
 I tell you sooth in ffere.
[. . . . .]
“but, lord,” hee sayd, “my good, its thine;
my body alsoe, ffor to pine,
 ffor thou art king w i th crowne.
but, lord, thy word is hono rable ,
both stedffast, sure, and stable,
 & alsoe great of renowne!

“therfore haue mind what thou me hight
when thou w i th me [harbord] a night,
 a warryson tha t I shold haue.”
Iohn spoke to him w i th sturdye mood,
hee vayled neither hatt nor hood,
 but stood w i th him checkmate.

the King sayd, “fellow mine,
ffor thy capons hott, & good red wine,
 much thankes I doe giue thee.”
the Queene sayd, “by Mary bright,
award him as his right;
 well aduanced lett him bee!”

the K ing sayd vntill him then,
“Iohn, I make thee a gentleman;
 thy manner place I thee giue,
& a 100 to thee and thine,
& euery yeere a tunn of red wine
 soe long as thou dost liue.”

but then Iohn began to kneele:
“I thanke you, my Lord, as I haue soule,
 therof I am well payd.”
thee K ing tooke a coller bright,
& sayd, “Iohn, heere I make thee a knight
 w i th worshippe.” when hee sayd,

then was Iohn euill apayd,
& amongst them all thus hee sayd,
 “ffull oft I haue heard tell
tha t after a coller comes a rope;
I shall be hanged by the throate;
 methinkes itt doth not well.”

“sith thou hast taken this estate,
tha t euery man may itt wott,
 thou must begin the bord.”
then Iohn therof was nothing ffaine—
I tell you truth w i th-outen laine,—
 he spake neuer a word,

but att the bords end he sate him downe;
ffor hee had leeuer beene att home
 then att all their ffrankish ffare;
ffor there was wine, well I wott;
royall meates of the best sortes
 were sett before him there.

a gallon of wine was put in a dishe;
Iohn supped itt of, both more & lesse.
 “ffeitch,” Q uo th the K ing , “such more.”
“by my Lady,” Q uo th Iohn, “this is good wine!
lett vs make merry, ffor now itt is time;
 Christs curse on him tha t doth itt spare!”

w i th tha t came in the Porter hend
& kneeled downe before the King,
 was all berunnen w i th blood
then the K ing in hart was woe,
sayes, “Porter, who hath dight thee soe?
 tell on; I wax neere wood.”

“Now infaith,” sayd Iohn, “ tha t same was I,
for to teach him some curtesye,
 ffor thou hast taught him noe good.
for when thou came to my pore place,
w i th mee thou found soe great a grace,
 noe man did bidd thee stand w i thout;

“ffor if any man had against thee spoken,
his head ffull soone I shold haue broken,”
 Iohn sayd, “w i th-outen doubt.
therfore I warne thy porters ffree,
when any man [comes] out of my Countrye,
 another [time] lett them not be soe stout.

“if both thy porters goe walling wood,
begod I shall reaue their hood,
 or goe on ffoote boote.
but thou, Lord, hast after me sent,
& I am come att thy com m andement
 hastilye w i thouten doubt.”

the King sayd, “by St. Iame!
Iohn, my porters were to blame;
 yee did nothing but right.”
he tooke the case into his hand;
then to kisse hee made them gange;
 then laughed both K ing and Knight.
“I pray you,” q uo th the K ing , “good ffellows bee.”
“yes,” q uo th Iohn, “soe mote I thee,
 we were not wrathe ore night.”

then they Bishopp sayd to him thoe,
“Iohn, send hither thy sonnes 2;
 to the schoole I shall them ffind,
& soe god may for them werke,
tha t either of them haue a kirke
 if ffortune be their ffreind.

“also send hither thye daughters both;
2 marryages the K ing will garr them to haue,
 & wedd them w i th a ringe.
went fforth, Iohn, on thy way,
looke thou be kind & curteous aye,
 of meate & drinke be neu[e]r nithing.”

then Iohn tooke leaue of K ing & Queene,
& after att all the court by-deene,
 & went fforth on his way.
he sent his daughters to the K ing ,
& they were weded w i th a ringe
 vnto 2 squiers gay.

his sonnes both hardye & wight,
the one of them was made a K nigh t,
 & fresh in euery ffray;
the other a p ar son of a kirke,
gods seruice ffor to worke,
 to god serue night & day.

thus Iohn Reeue and his wiffe
w i th mirth & Iolty ledden their liffe;
 to god they made Laudinge.
Hodgikin long & hobb of the lathe,
they were made ffreemen bothe
 through the grace of the K ing hend.

then thought [John] on the Bishopps word,
& euer after kept open bord
 ffor guests tha t god him send;
till death ffeitcht him away
to the blisse tha t lasteth aye:
 & thus Iohn Reeue made an end.

thus endeth the tale of Reeue soe wight
god tha t is soe ffull of might,
 to heauen their soules bring
tha t haue heard this litle story,
tha t liued sometimes in the south-west countrye
 in long Edwards dayes our K ing .