sig: A1 | |
¶Here begynneth a mery geste of the frere and the boye. |
|
GOd that dyed for vs all | |
And dranke bothe eysell and gall | |
Brynge vs out of bale | |
And gyue them good lyfe & longe | |
5 | That lysteneth to my songe |
Or tendeth to my tale | |
There dwelled an husbonde in my countre | |
That had wyues thre | |
By processe of tyme | |
10 | By the fyrst wyfe a sone he had |
That was a good sturdy ladde | |
And an happy hyne | |
His fader loued hym wele | |
So dyde his moder neuer-a_dele | |
15 | I tell you as I thynke |
All she thought was lost by the rode | |
That dyde the lytell boye ony good | |
Other mete or drynke | |
sig: [A1v] | |
And yet ywys it was but badde | |
20 | And therof not halfe ynough he had |
But euermore of the worste | |
Therfore euyll mote she fare | |
For euer she dyde the lytell boye care | |
As ferforth as she dorste | |
25 | The good-wyfe to her husbonde gan saye |
I wolde ye wolde put this boye awaye | |
And that ryght soone in haste | |
Truly he is a cursed ladde | |
I wolde some other man hym hadde | |
30 | That wolde hym better chaste |
Than sayd the good-man agayne | |
Dame I shall to the sayne | |
He is but tender of aege | |
He shall abyde with me this yere | |
35 | Tyll he be more strongere |
For to wynne better wage | |
We haue a man a stoute freke | |
That in the felde kepeth our nete | |
Slepynge all the daye | |
40 | He shall come home so god me shelde |
And the boye shall in-to the felde | |
To kepe our beestes yf he may | |
Than sayd the wyfe verament | |
Therto soone I assent | |
45 | For that me-thynketh moost nedy |
On the morowe whan it was daye | |
The lytell boye wente on his waye | |
To the felde full redy | |
Of no man he had no care | |
50 | But sange hey howe awaye the mare mare ='incubus, melancholy'; see OED s.v. mare n2, 1b |
sig: A2 | |
And made Ioye ynough | |
Forth he wente truly to sayne | |
Tyll he came to the playne | |
His dyner forth he drough | |
55 | Whan he sawe it was but bad |
Full lytell lust therto he had | |
But put it vp agayne | |
Therfore he was not to wyte | |
He sayd he wolde ete but lyte | |
60 | Tyll nyght that he came home |
And as the boye sate on a hyll | |
An olde man came hym tyll | |
Walkynge by the waye | |
Sone he sayd god the se se: =see, 'watch over, protect'; see OED s.v. see v, 7a | |
65 | Syr welcome mote ye be |
The lytell boye gan saye | |
The olde man sayd I am an_hongred sore | |
Hast thou ony mete in store | |
That thou mayst gyue me | |
70 | The chylde sayd so god me saue |
To suche vytayle as I haue | |
Welcome shall ye be | |
Therof the olde man was gladde | |
The boye drewe forth suche as he had | |
75 | And sayd do gladly |
The olde man was easy to please | |
He ete and made hym well at ease | |
And sayd sone gramercy | |
S[y]ne thou hast gyuen mete to me Syne] Sone 1510-13Syne: the copytext reading 'Sone' is probably the result of eyeskip from the previous line. | |
80 | I shall the gyue thynges thre |
Thou shalte them neuer forgete | |
Than sayd the boye as I trowe | |
sig: [A2v] | |
It is best that I haue a bowe | |
Byrdes for to sh[e]te shete] shote 1510-13 | |
85 | A bowe sone I shall the gyue |
That shall last the all thy lyue | |
And euer a_lyke mete | |
Shote therin whan thou good thynke | |
For yf thou shote and wynke | |
90 | The prycke thou shalte [not] hytte not] 1510-13 omits; prycke: =prick, 'bull's-eye, target' |
Whan he the bowe in honde felte | |
And the boltes vnder his belte | |
Lowde than he lough | |
He sayd now had I a pype | |
95 | Though it were neuer so lyte |
Than were I gladde ynough | |
A pype sone thou shalte haue also | |
In true musyke it shall go | |
I do the well to wyte | |
100 | All that may the pype here |
Shall not themselfe stere | |
But laugh and lepe aboute | |
What shall the thyrde be | |
For I wyll gyue the gyftes thre | |
105 | As I haue sayd to the before |
The lytell boye on hym lough | |
And sayd syr I haue ynough | |
I wyll desyre no more | |
The olde man sayd my trouth I plyght | |
110 | Thou shalte haue that I the hyght |
Saye on now and let me se | |
Than sayd the boye anone | |
I haue a stepdame at home | |
She is a shrewe to me | |
sig: A3 | |
115 | Whan my fader gyueth me mete |
She wolde theron that I were cheke | |
And stareth me in the face | |
Whan she loketh on me so | |
I wolde she sholde let a rappe go | |
120 | That it myght rynge ouer all the place |
Than sayd the olde man tho | |
Whan she loketh on the so | |
She shall begyn to blowe | |
All that euer it may here | |
125 | Shall not themselfe stere |
But laugh on a rowe | |
Fare-well quod the olde man | |
God kepe the sayd the chylde than | |
I take my leue at the | |
130 | God that moost best may |
Kepe the bothe nyght and day | |
Gramercy sone sayd he | |
Than drewe it towarde the nyght | |
Iacke hym hyed home full ryght | |
135 | It was his ordynaunce |
He toke his pype and began to blowe | |
All his beestes on a rowe | |
Aboute hym they daunce | |
Thus wente he pypynge thrugh the towne | |
140 | His beestes hym folowed by the sowne |
In-to his faders close | |
He wente and put them vp echone | |
Homewarde he wente anone | |
In-to his faders hall he gose | |
145 | His fader at his souper sat |
Lytell Iacke espyed well that | |
sig: [A3v] | |
And sayd to hym anone | |
Fader I haue kepte your nete | |
I praye you gyue me some mete | |
150 | I am an_hongred by saynt Ihone |
I haue sytten metelesse | |
All this daye kepynge your beestes | |
My dyner feble it was | |
His fader toke a capons wynge | |
155 | And at the boye he gan it flynge |
And badde hym ete a_pace | |
That greued his stepmoders herte sore | |
As I tolde you before | |
She stared hym in the face | |
160 | With that she let go a blaste |
That they in the hall were agaste | |
It range ouer all the place | |
All they laughed and had good game | |
The wyfe waxed reed for shame | |
165 | She wolde that she had ben gone |
Quod the boye well I wote | |
That gonne was well shote | |
As it had ben a stone | |
Cursedly she loked on hym tho | |
170 | An-other blaste she let go |
She was almoost rente | |
Quod the boye wyll ye se | |
How my dame letteth pellettes fle | |
In fayth or euer she stynte | |
175 | The boye sayd vnto his dame |
Tempre thy bombe he sayd for shame bombe: =boom ('resonant sound'), with a play on bum | |
She was full of sorowe | |
Dame sayd the good-man go thy waye | |
sig: [A4] | |
For I swere to the by my faye | |
180 | Thy gere is not to borowe |
Afterwarde as ye shall here | |
To the hous there came a frere | |
To lye there all nyght | |
The wyfe loued hym as a saynt | |
185 | And to hym made her complaynt |
And tolde hym aryght | |
We haue a boye within ywys | |
A shrewe for the nones he is | |
He dooth me moche care | |
190 | I dare not loke hym vpon |
I am ashamed by saynt Iohnn | |
To tell you how I fare | |
I praye you mete the boye to_morowe | |
Bete hym well and gyue hym sorowe | |
195 | And make the boye lame |
Quod the frere I shall hym bete | |
Quod the wyfe do not forgete | |
He dooth me moche shame | |
I trowe the boye be some wytche | |
200 | Quod the frere I shall hym teche |
Haue thou no care | |
I shall hym teche yf I may | |
Quod the wyfe I the praye | |
Do hym not spare | |
205 | On the morowe the boye arose |
In-to the felde soone he gose | |
His beestes for to dryue | |
The frere ranne out at the gate | |
He was aferde leest he came to late | |
210 | He ranne fast and blyue |
sig: [A4v] | |
Whan he came vpon a londe | |
Lytell Iacke there he fonde | |
Dryuynge his beestes all alone | |
Boye he sayd god gyue the shame | |
215 | What hast thou done to thy dame |
Tell thou me anone | |
But yf thou canst excuse the well | |
By my trouth bete I the wyll | |
I wyll no lenger abyde | |
220 | Quod the boye what eyleth the |
My dame fareth as well as ye | |
What nedeth the to chyde | |
Quod the boye wyll ye wete | |
How I can a byrde shete | |
225 | And other thynge withall |
Syr he sayd though I be lyte | |
Yonder byrde wyll I smyte | |
And gyue her the I shall | |
There sate a byrde vpon a brere | |
230 | Shote on boye quod the frere |
For that me lysteth to se | |
He hytte the byrde on the heed | |
That she fell downe deed | |
No ferder myght she flee | |
235 | The frere to the busshe wente |
Up the byrde for to hente | |
He thought it best for to done | |
Iacke toke his pype and began to blowe | |
Than the frere as I trowe | |
240 | Began to daunce soone |
As soone as he the pype herde | |
Lyke a wood man he fared | |
sig: [A5] | |
He lepte and daunced aboute | |
The breres scratched hym in the face | |
245 | And in many an-other place |
That the blode brast out | |
And tare his clothes by and by | |
His cope and his scapelary | |
And all his other wede | |
250 | He daunced amonge thornes thycke |
In many places they dyde hym prycke | |
That fast gan he blede | |
Iacke pyped and laughed amonge | |
The frere amonge the thornes was thronge | |
255 | He hopped wonders hye |
At the last he helde vp his honde | |
And sayd I haue daunced to longe | |
That I am lyke to dye | |
Gentyll Iacke holde thy pype styll | |
260 | And my trouth I plyght the tyll |
I wyll do the no woo | |
Iacke sayd in that tyde | |
Frere skyppe out on the ferder syde | |
Lyghtly that thou were goo | |
265 | The frere out of the busshe wente |
All to_ragged and to_rente | |
And torne on euery syde | |
Unnethes on hym had one cloute | |
His bely for to wrappe aboute | |
270 | His harneys for to hyde harneys: =harness, 'tackle, genitals' |
The breres had hym scratched so in the face | |
And many an-other place | |
He was all to_bledde with blode | |
All that myght the frere se | |
sig: [A5v] | |
275 | Were fayne awaye to flee |
They wende he had ben wode | |
Whan he came to his hoost | |
Of his Iourney he made no boost | |
His clothes were rente all | |
280 | Moche sorowe in his herte he had |
And euery man hym dradde | |
Whan he came in-to the hall | |
The wyfe sayd where hast thou bene | |
In an euyll place I wene | |
285 | Me-thynketh by thyn araye |
Dame I haue ben with thy sone | |
The deuyll of hell hym ouercome | |
For no man elles may | |
With that came in the good-man | |
290 | The wyfe sayd to hym than |
Here is a foule araye | |
Thy sone that is the lefe and dere | |
Hath almoost slayne this holy frere | |
Alas and welawaye | |
295 | The good-man sayd benedicite |
What hath the boye done frere to the | |
Tell me without lette | |
The frere sayd the deuyll hym spede | |
He hath made me daunce maugre my hede | |
300 | Amonge the thornes hey go bette hey go bette: the name of a song and dance; see OED s.v. hey int., 3a |
The good-man sayd to hym tho | |
Haddest thou lost thy lyfe so | |
It had ben grete synne | |
The frere sayd by our lady | |
305 | The pype wente so meryly |
That I coude neuer blynne | |
sig: [A6] | |
Whan it drewe towarde the nyght | |
The boye came home full ryght | |
As he was wonte to do | |
310 | Whan he came in-to the hall |
His fader dyde hym soone call | |
And badde hym to come hym to | |
Boye he sayd tell me here | |
What hast thou done to the frere | |
315 | Tell me without lesynge |
Fader he sayd by my faye | |
I dyde nought elles as I you saye | |
But pyped hym a sprynge sprynge ='dance-tune'; see OED s.v. spring n2 | |
That sayd his fader wolde I here | |
320 | Mary god forbede sayd the frere |
His handes he dyde wrynge | |
Yes sayd the good-man by goddes grace | |
Than sayd the frere out alas | |
And made grete mournynge | |
325 | For the loue of god quod the frere |
If ye wyll that he pype here | |
Bynde me to a post | |
For I knowe none other rede | |
And I daunce I am but deed | |
330 | Well I wote my lyfe is lost |
Strong ropes they toke in honde | |
The frere to the post they bonde | |
In the myddle of the hall | |
All that at the souper sat | |
335 | Laughed and had good game therat |
And sayd the frere wolde not fall | |
Than sayd the good-man | |
Pype on good sone | |
sig: [A6v] | |
Hardely whan thou wylte | |
340 | Fader he sayd so mote I the |
Haue ye shall ynough of gle | |
Tyll ye bydde me be styll | |
As soone as Iacke the pype hent | |
All that there were verament | |
345 | Began to daunce and lepe |
Whan they gan the pype here | |
They myght not themselfe stere | |
But hurled on an hepe | |
The good-man was in no dyspayre | |
350 | But lyghtly lepte out of his chayre |
With a good chere | |
Some lepte ouer the stocke | |
Some stombled at the blocke | |
And some fell flatte in the fyre | |
355 | The good-man had grete game |
How they daunced all in same | |
The wyfe after gan steppe | |
Euermore she kest her eye at Iacke | |
And fast her tayle began to cracke cracke: =crack, 'to make a sharp or explosive noise' | |
360 | Lowde than [coude it] speke coude it] they coude 1510-13Lowde than coude it speke: cf. line 432 below, Lowde coude she blowe |
The frere hymselfe was almoost lost | |
For knockynge his heed ayenst the post | |
He had none other grace | |
The rope rubbed hym vnder the chynne | |
365 | That the blode downe dyde rynne |
In many a dyuers place | |
Iacke ranne in-to the strete | |
After hym fast dyde they lepe | |
Truly they coude not stynte | |
370 | They wente out at the dore so thycke |
sig: [A7] | |
That eche man fell on others necke | |
So pretely out they wente | |
Neyghbours that were fast by | |
Herde the pype go so meryly | |
375 | They ranne in-to the gate |
Some lepte ouer the hatche | |
They had no tyme to drawe the latche | |
They wende they had come to late | |
Some laye in theyr bedde | |
380 | And helde vp theyr hede |
Anone they were waked | |
Some sterte in the waye | |
Truly as I you saye | |
Starke bely-naked | |
385 | By that they were gadred aboute |
Iwys there was a grete route | |
Dauncynge in the strete | |
Some were lame and myght not go | |
But yet ywys they daunced to | |
390 | On handes and on fete |
[The] boye sayd now wyll I rest The] They 1510-13 | |
Quod the good-man I holde it best | |
With a mery chere | |
Sease sone whan thou wylte | |
395 | In fayth this is the meryest fytte |
That I herde this seuen yere | |
They daunced all in same | |
Some laughed and had good game | |
And some had many a fall | |
400 | Thou cursed boye quod the frere |
Here I somon the that thou appere | |
Before the offycyall | |
sig: [A7v] | |
Loke thou be there on frydaye | |
I wyll the mete and I may | |
405 | For to ordeyne the sorowe |
The boye sayd by god auowe | |
Frere I am as redy as thou | |
And frydaye were to_morowe | |
Frydaye came as ye may here | |
410 | Iackes stepdame and the frere |
Togyder there they mette | |
Folke gadered a grete pase | |
To here euery mannes case | |
The offycyall was sette | |
415 | Ther was moche to do |
Maters more than one or two | |
Bothe with preest and clerke | |
Some had testamentes for to preue | |
And fayre women by your leue | |
420 | That had strokes in the derke |
Euery man put forth his case | |
Than came forth frere Topyas | |
And Iackes stepdame also | |
Syr offycyall sayd he | |
425 | I haue brought a boye to the |
Whiche hath wrought me moche wo | |
He is a grete nygromancere | |
In all orlyaunce is not his pere | |
As by my trouth I trowe | |
430 | He is a wytche quod the wyfe |
Than as I shall tell you blythe | |
Lowde coude she blowe | |
Some laughed without fayle | |
Some sayd dame tempre thy tayle | |
sig: [A8] | |
435 | Ye wreste it all amysse |
Dame quod the offycyall | |
Tell forth on thy tale | |
Lette not for this | |
The wyfe was afrayed of an-other cracke | |
440 | That no worde more she spacke |
She durst not for drede | |
The frere sayd so mote I the | |
Knaue this is longe of the | |
That euyll mote thou spede | |
445 | The frere sayd syr offycyall |
The boye wyll combre vs all | |
But yf ye may hym chaste | |
Syr he hath a pype truly | |
Wyll make you daunce and lepe on hye | |
450 | Tyll your herte braste |
The offycyall sayd so mote I the | |
That pype wolde I fayne se | |
And knowe what myrth that he can make | |
Mary god forbede than sayd the frere | |
455 | That he sholde pype here |
Afore that I hens the waye take | |
Pype on Iacke sayd the offycyall | |
I wyll here now how thou canst playe | |
Iacke blewe vp the sothe to saye | |
460 | And made them soone to daunce all |
The offycyall lept ouer the deske | |
And daunced aboute wonder faste The rhyme-scheme fails in this stanza. | |
Tyll bothe his shynnes he all to_brest | |
Hym thought it was not of the best | |
465 | Than cryed he vnto the chylde |
To pype no more within this place | |
sig: [A8v] | |
But to holde styll for goddes grace | |
And for the loue of mary mylde | |
Than sayd Iacke to them echone | |
470 | If ye wolde me graunte with herte fre |
That he shall do me no vylany | |
But hens to departe euen as [he] come he] I 1510-13 | |
Therto they answered all anone | |
And promysed hym anone-ryght | |
475 | In his quarell for to fyght |
And defende hym from his fone | |
Thus they departed in that tyde | |
The offycyall and the sompnere | |
His stepdame and the frere | |
480 | With grete Ioye and moche pryde |
¶Thus endeth the frere and the boye. Enprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the sonne / by Wynkyn_de_Worde. |