John Dory

As it fell on a holy-day,
And upon a holy-tide-a,
John Dory bought him an ambling nag,
To Paris for to ride-a.

And when John Dory to Paris was come,
A little before the gate-a,
John Dory was fitted, the porter was witted
To let him in thereat-a.

The first man that John Dory did meet
Was good King John of France-a;
John Dory could well of his courtesie,
But fell downe in a trance-a.

‘A pardon, a pardon, my liege and my king,
For my merry men and for me-a,
And all the churls in merry England,
I’le bring them all bound to thee-a.’

And Nichol was then a Cornish man,
A little beside Bohyde-a,
He mann’d him forth a good black barke,
With fifty good oars of a side-a.

‘Run up, my boy, unto the maine top,
And look what thou canst spy-a:’
‘Who ho! who ho! a good ship I do see,
I trow it be John Dory-a.’

They hoist their sailes, both top and top,
The mizzen and all was tride-a,
And every man stood to his lot,
Whatever should betide-a.

The roring cannons then were plied,
And dub-a-dub went the drum-a;
The braying trumpets loud they cried
To courage both all and some-a.

The grappling-hooks were brought at length,
The brown bill and the sword-a,
John Dory at length, for all his strength,
Was clapt fast under board-a.