large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb_5
large/6138/signsofchange_1209_librivox_64kb_mp3/signsofchange_04_morris_64kb
English
6138
Says the tale: So the king went to meat in the hall, and before him was a loaf; and he looked grimly on it and said, 'For how much is such a loaf sold in this realm?' 'Sir, for one penny,' said they. SAYS THE TALE SO THE KING WENT TO MEET IN THE HALL AND BEFORE HIM WAS A LOAF AND HE LOOKED GRIMLY ON IT AND SAID FOR HOW MUCH IS SUCH A LOAF SOLD IN THIS REALM SIR FOR ONE PENNY SAID THEY
in existence, which tell the tale of this strange monster as the English people imagined it. As they belong to the literature of the fourteenth century, the period I have undertaken to tell you about specially, I will give you one of the latter of these concerning the death of King John, for whom the people imagined a more dramatic cause of death than mere indigestion, of which in all probability he really died; and you may take it for a specimen of popular literature of the fourteenth century. I can here make bold to quote from memory, without departing very widely from the old text, since the quaint wording of the original, and the spirit of bold and blunt heroism which it breathes, have fixed it in my mind for ever. The king, you must remember, had halted at Swinestead Abbey, in Lincolnshire, in his retreat from the hostile barons and their French allies, and had lost all his baggage by the surprise of the advancing tide in the Wash; so that he might well be in a somewhat sour mood. M THOSE BALLADS IN EXISTENCE WHICH TELL THE TALE OF THIS STRANGE MONSTER AS THE ENGLISH PEOPLE IMAGINED IT AS THEY BELONGED TO THE LITERATURE OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY THE PERIOD I HAVE UNDERTAKEN TO TELL YOU ABOUT SPECIALLY I WILL GIVE YOU ONE OF THE LATTER OF THESE CONCERNING THE DEATH OF KING JOHN FOR WHOM THE PEOPLE IMAGINED A MORE DRAMATIC CAUSE OF DEATH THAN MERE INDIGESTION OF WHICH IN ALL PROBABILITY HE REALLY DIED AND YOU MAY TAKE IT FOR A SPECIMEN OF POPULAR LITERATURE OF THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY I CAN HERE MAKE BOLD TO QUOTE FROM MEMORY WITHOUT DEPARTING VERY WIDELY FROM THE OLD TEXT SINCE THE QUAINT WORDING OF THE ORIGINAL AND THE SPIRIT OF BOLD AND BLUNT HEROISM WHICH IT BREATHES HAVE FIXED IT IN MY MIND FOR EVER THE KING YOU MUST REMEMBER HAD HALTED AT SWINE'S HEAD ABBEY IN LINCOLNSHIRE IN HIS RETREAT FROM THE HOSTILE BARONS AND THEIR FRENCH ALLIES AND HAD LOST ALL HIS BAGGAGE BY THE SURPRISE OF THE ADVANCING TIDE IN THE WASH SO THAT HE MIGHT WELL BE IN A SOMEWHAT SOUR MOOD
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