“King John and the Bishop”

Description

King John tells the (bishop of Canterbury) he must answer the King's questions or die. The bishop, unable to answer, turns to a shepherd (his brother?). The answers are so clever the king rewards the shepherd and pardons both (makes the shepherd bishop)

Notes

King John did not have a good relationship with the Catholic Church; he refused to accept Stephen Langton, the Pope's choice for Archbishop of Canterbury. From 1208 to 1213 England was placed under Interdict by the Pope. John responded by removing bishops from their offices -- and taking away their mistresses (though he allowed them pensions). The historical story bears only the slightest similarity to the tale in the ballad, however, which may also have been influenced by the war of wills between John's father Henry II and Thomas Becket.

Bronson notes that the song has been in constant contact with broadside prints, and doubts that any of the versions arose entirely from traditional stock. Several of the broadsides list the tune as "The Shaking of the Sheets"; see the "Same Tune" reference. - RBW

Historical references

• 1199-1216 - Reign of King John

Same tune

• The Shaking of the Sheets (Chappell/Wooldridge II, pp. 228-229; British Library Add. MS. 15225; entered in the Stationer's Register for John Awdelay 1568/9; Playford, The Dancing Master, 1651; rec. by The Baltimore Consort on The Ladye's Delight)

Recordings

• Warde Ford, "The Bishop of Canterbury" (AFS 4196A, 1938; tr.; on LC57, in AMMEM/Cowell) {Bronson's #4}

References

1. Child 45, "King John and the Bishop" (2 texts)
2. Bronson 45, "King John and the Bishop" (15 versions plus1 in addenda)
3. Percy/Wheatley II, pp. 303-312, "King John and the Abbot of Canterbury" (2 texts, one from the Percy folio and one as printed in the _Reliques_)
4. BarryEckstormSmyth p. 445, "King John and the Bishop" (brief notes only)
5. Flanders/Olney, pp. 111-112, "The King's Three Questions" (1 text)
6. Flanders/Brown, pp. 200-203, "The King's Three Questions" (1 text, 1 tune) {Bronson's #11; note that Bronson has the wrong date in his headnotes}
7. Flanders-Ancient1, pp. 280-298, "King John and the Bishop" (5 texts plus 2 fragments, 3 tunes; the texts are listed A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, C, D, because A1 and A2 were both ultimately derived from the same singer through different informants and B1, B2, B3 are from the same informant at different times) {A1=Bronson's #11}
8. Gardner/Chickering 155, "King John and the Bishop" (1 fragment, 1 tune) {Bronson's #5}
9. Leach, pp. 154-158, "King John and the Bishop" (1 text)
10. Leach-Labrador 2, "King John and the Bishop" (1 text: Newfoundland story related by theme to the ballad)
11. OBB 172, "King John and the Abbot of Canterbury" (1 text)
12. Niles 19, "King John and the Bishop" (1 text, 1 tune)
13. BBI, ZN1364, "I'le tell you a story, a story anon"
14. DT 45, KJONCANT*
15. Roud #302
16. BI, C045