THE HISTORY OF THE 23 ' to the law, and if you are hanged according to ' law.you muſt take it for your pains. Joan, hearing ahe talk of hanging fell upon her knees, crying, ' Good Sir King, pray Sir King, ' don't hang my poor Criſpin, I beſeech you, he is ' an honeſt man, and has but one fault What ' fault is that? quoth the king' May it please ' your grace,' quoth Joan, he will got be ruled by ' his wife, but is always ready to run away like a ' monkey often any man who will give him drink. ' That's neither here nor there, ſaid the king, he ' muſt sie; nevetheleſs, as you have begged that ' he may not be hanged, upon the word of a king ' he ſhall me, but I will allow him the favour to chuſe his own death. ' ' Why them, quoth the cobler, let me die the ' death of my father and great grandfather. How ' was that? quoth the king. It was on a death- ' bed, and in a good old ape. At which choice of ' the cobler's the king, queen, and the Nobles laughed very heartily, and Crispin and his wife, bythe king's command, were looked up in a room half an hour, there to attend the king's further pleaſure. No ſooner were they again confined, but the cob- ler, with a trembling voice, ſaid, Sweet wife, I ' wonder hat the king intends to do with us now.' Quoth Joan, pray thee be of comfort, I am per ' loaded that the king is the Tanner, and the ' queen is the Winswoman. ' Adsſoot have a care ' of what you ſay, I ſhall, have you ſpeak treaſon. ' and then we ſhall both be hanged l'faith after all. ' For not huſband, I can ſee as far into a milſtone ' as he that picks it, I am fore tho they changed ' their appa el, they would not change their com- ' plexion. Whilit theb were in this diſpute, the ' King and queen dreſſed in their former diſguiſe, entered the room, attended b. nobles and maids of honour; at which the king, Said Criſpin, ſince yon
