The Text here printed is taken from Percy’s Reliques (1765), vol. ii. p. 302, etc. He compiled his ballad from a broadside and another copy, Kinge John and Bishoppe, that he found in his Folio MS.; and since he made it a much more readable ballad than either of his originals, it is reproduced here.
The Story .—Riddles asked by a monarch of one of his dependants, and answered by a third person assuming the guise of the person questioned, form the subject of many ancient tales. In Sacchetti’s Novelle we find both the abbot and his representative, a miller, who answers Bernabò Visconti the four questions, How far is it to heaven? How much water is there in the sea? What is going on in hell? What is the value of my person? The answers to the first two of these are given simply in large numbers and Bernabò told to measure for himself if he does not believe them. The value of Bernabò’s person is estimated, as in our ballad, at one piece less than our Lord.
Another favourite question in these ballads is, Where is the centre of the earth? The answer is given by the man planting his staff and saying, ‘Here: prove it wrong if you can.’
In the Percy Folio version, the shepherd is the half-brother of the abbot.
KING JOHN AND THE ABBOT OF CANTERBURY
1.
An ancient story Ile tell you anon
Of a notable prince, that was called King John;
And he ruled England with maine and with might,