King Henry

Let never a man a wooing turn
That lacketh things three
A store of gold an open heart
And full of charity
And this was seen by King Henry
Though he lay quite alone
For he's taken him to a haunted hall
Seven miles from the town

He's chased the deer now him before
And the doe down by the den
Till the fattest buck in all the flock
King Henry he has slain
His huntsmen followed him to the hall
To make them burly cheer
When loud the wind was heard to sound
And an earthquake rocked the floor

And darkness covered all the hall
Where they sat at their meat
The gray dogs, yowling, left their food
And crept to Henry's feet. '
And louder howled the rising wind
And burst the fastened door
And in there came a grim ghost
Stamping on the floor

Her head hit the roof-tree of the house
Her middle you could not span
Each frightened huntsman fled the hall
And left the King alone
Her teeth were like the tether stakes
Her nose like club or mell
And nothing less she seemed to be
Than a fiend that comes from hell

Some meat, you King Henry
Some meat you give to me
Go kill your horse you King Henry
And bring him here to me
He's gone and slain his berry brown steed
Though it made his heart full sore
For she's eaten up both skin and bone
Left nothing but hide and hair

More meat, you King Henry
More meat you give to me
Go kill your greyhounds King Henry
And bring them here to me
And when he's slain his good greyhounds
It made his heart full sore
For she's eaten up both skin and bone
Left nothing but hide and hair

More meat, you King Henry
More meat you give to me
Go fell your goshawks King Henry
And bring them here to me
And when he's slain his gay goshawks
It made his heart full sore
For she's eaten them up both skin and bone
Left nothing but feathers bare

Some drink, now King Henry
Some drink you give to me
Oh sew up your horse's hide
And bring in a drink for me
And he's sewn up the bloody hide
And a pipe of wine put in
And she's drunk it up all in one draft
Left never a drop therein

A bed, a bed now King Henry
A bed you'll make for me
Oh you must pull the heather green
And make it soft for me
And he has pulled the heather green
And made for her a bed
And he has taken his gay mantle
An o'er it he has spread

Take off your clothes now King Henry
And lay down by my side
Now swear, now swear you King Henry
To take me for your bride
Oh God forbid, says King Henry
That ever the like betide
That ever a fiend that comes from hell
Should stretch down by my side

When the night was gone and the day was come
And the sun shone through the hall
The fairest lady that ever was seen
Lay between him and the wall
I've met with many a gentle knight
That gave me such a fill
But never before with a courteous knight
That gave me all my will