The popular ancient ballad wastes no time on preliminaries[7]:—
‘The Persé owt off Northombarlonde
And avowe to God mayd he,
That he wold hunte in the mowntayns
Off Chyviat within days thre,
In the magger of doughté Dogles;
And all that ever with him be.’
Now for the milk-and-water:—
‘Whenas King Henry rulde this land,
The second of that name,