sig: A1 | |
ref.ed: [95] | |
![]() |
|
Londini. AN. M.D.XLVI. | |
T_B. | |
sig: [A1v] | |
ref.ed: 97 | |
The preface. |
|
AMong other thyngs profityng in our tong | |
Those whiche much may profit both old and yong | |
Suche as on their fruite will feede or take holde | |
Are our common playne pithy prouerbes olde. | |
5 | Some sence of some of whiche beyng bare and rude |
Yet to fyne and fruitefull effect they allude. | |
And theyr sentences include so large a reache | |
That almost in all thinges good lessons they teache. | |
This write I not to teache, but to touche. for-why, | |
10 | Men knowe this as well or better than I. |
But this and this rest, I write for this. | |
Remembryng and consyderyng what the pith is | |
That by remembrance of these prouerbes may grow | |
In this tale, erst talked with a frende, I showe | |
15 | As many of theim as we coulde fytly fynde, |
Fallyng to purpose, that might fall in mynde. | |
To th'entent the reader redyly may | |
Fynde theim and mynde theim, when he will alway. | |
sig: A2 | |
ref.ed: 98 | |
The fyrste parte. |
|
¶The fyrst chapiter. |
|
OF myne acquayntaunce a certayne yong man | |
(Beyng a resorter to me nowe and than) | |
Resorted lately, showyng hym-selfe to be | |
Desyrous, to talke at length alone with me. | |
5 | And as we for this a mete place had woon, |
With this olde prouerbe, this yong man begoon. | |
Who-so that knewe, what wolde be dere, | |
Shulde nede be marchaunt but one yere. | |
Though it (quoth he) thyng impossible be | |
10 | The full sequele of present thynges to fore-se: |
Yet doth this prouerbe prouoke euery man | |
Politikely (as man possibly can) | |
In thyngs to come after, to cast iye before | |
To cast out or kepe in, thyngs for fore-store. | |
15 | As the prouision maie seme most profitable, |
And the commoditee moste commendable. | |
Into this consideracion I am wrought | |
By two thyngs, which fortune to hands hath brought. | |
Two women I know, of which twayne the tone | |
20 | Is a mayde of flowryng age, a goodly one. |
Th'other a wydowe, who so many yeres beares, | |
That all her whitenesse lythe in her white heares. | |
This mayde hath frends riche, but riches hath she non | |
Nor none can hir hands get to lyue vpon. | |
25 | This wydow is very riche, and hir frends bare. |
And both these, for loue to wed with me fonde are. | |
And both wolde I wed, the better and the wurs. | |
The tone for her person, the tother for her purs. | |
sig: [A2v] | |
They woo not my substance, but my-selfe they wooe. | |
30 | Goodes haue I none, and small good can I dooe. |
On this poore mayd hir riche frends I clerely know | |
(So she wed where thei will) great gifts will bestow. | |
But with theim all I am so farre from fauer, | |
ref.ed: 99 | |
That she shall sure haue no grote, if I haue her. | |
35 | And I shall haue as littell, all my frends swere, |
Except I folowe theim, to wedde els-where. | |
The poore frends of this riche widow bere no sway, | |
But wed hir and wyn welth, whan I will I may. | |
Now whiche of these twayne is like to be derest | |
40 | In peyne or pleasure to stycke to me nerest, |
The depth of all doubts with you to consyder, | |
The sence of the saied prouerbe sendth me hither. | |
The best bargain of both quickely to haue skande: | |
For one of them thynke I to make out of hande. | |
¶The seconde chapiter. |
|
45 | FRende (quoth I) welcome, and with right good will, |
I will as I can your will herein fulfyll. | |
And two thyngs I see in you, that shewe you wise. | |
Fyrst in weddyng or ye wed, to aske aduise. | |
The seconde, your yeres beyng yong it apperes, | |
50 | Ye regarde yet good prouerbs of olde ferne yeres. |
And as ye grounde your tale vpon one of theim | |
Furnishe we this tale with euerychone of theim. | |
Suche as may fitly fall in mynde to dispose, | |
Agreed (quoth he.) Then (quoth I) first this disclose. | |
55 | Haue you to this olde wydowe, or this yong mayde, |
Any wordes of assurance or this tyme sayde? | |
sig: A3 | |
Nay in good faithe sayd he. Well than (sayd I) | |
I will be playne with you, and may honestly. | |
And plainly to speake, I lyke you (as I sayde) | |
60 | In two fore-tolde things, but a thyrd haue I wayde, |
Not so muche to be lyked, as I can deme, | |
Whiche is in your weddyng your haste so extreme. | |
The best or wurst thyng to man for this lyfe | |
Is good or yll choosyng his good or yll wyfe. | |
65 | I meane not onely of body good or bad, |
But of all thyngs meete or vnmeete to be had | |
ref.ed: 100 | |
Suche as at any-tyme by any meane maie | |
Betwene man and wyfe, loue encrease or decaie. | |
Where this grounde in any hed, grauely grateth | |
70 | All fyry haste to wed, it soone rebateth. |
Som thyngs that prouoke yong men to wed in haste | |
Show after weddyng that haste maketh waste. | |
Whan tyme hath tourned white suger to white salte, | |
Than suche folke se, softe fyre maketh swete malte. | |
75 | And that deliberacion dothe men assyst |
Before they wed, to beware of had I wyst. | |
And than theyr tymely weddyng doth clere appere, | |
That they were early vp, and neuer the nere. | |
And ones theyr hasty heate a lyttell controlde, | |
80 | Than perceyue they well, hotte loue sone colde. |
And whan hasty witlesse myrth is mated weele, | |
Good to be mery and wyse, they thynke and feele. | |
Haste in weddyng som man thynkth his owne auaile | |
Whan haste proueth a rod made for his owne taile. | |
85 | And whan he is well beaten with his owne rodde, |
Than seeth he haste and wisedom, thyngs far odde. | |
sig: [A3v] | |
And that in all, or moste thyngs, wisht at nede, | |
Moste tymes he seeth, the more haste the lesse spede. | |
In less things then wedding, haste showth mans fo, haste showth] haste showth haste 1546 | |
90 | So that the hasty man neuer wanteth wo. |
These sage-sayd sawes yf ye take so profounde, | |
As ye take that, by whiche ye toke your grounde, | |
Than fynd ye grounded cause by these now here tolde, | |
In haste to weddyng your haste to withholde. | |
95 | And though they seme wyues for you neuer so fyt, |
Yet let not harmfull haste so far out-ren your wyt, | |
But that ye harke to here all the holle some, | |
That maie please or displease you in tyme to come. | |
Thus by these lessons ye may learne good cheape | |
100 | In weddyng and all-thyng, to loke or ye leape. |
ref.ed: 101 | |
Ye haue euen nowe well ouerlookt me (quoth he) | |
And lepte very nye me to. For I agree. | |
That these sage sayinges dooe weightily waie | |
Agaynst haste in all-thyng: but I am at baye. | |
105 | By other parables of lyke weighty weyght, |
Which haste me to weddyng as ye shal here streyght. | |
¶The thyrde chapiter. |
|
HE that will not whan he maie, | |
Whan he woulde, he shall haue naie. | |
Beautie or ryches the tone of the tweyne | |
110 | Nowe maie I chose, and whiche me lyst obteyne. |
And if we determyne me, this mayde to take, | |
And than tract of tyme trayne her me to forsa[ke]: forsake] forsaek 1546 | |
Than my beautyfull mariage lythe in the dyke, | |
And neuer for beautie, shall I wedde the lyke. | |
sig: [A4] | |
115 | Nowe if we awarde me this wydowe to wedde, |
And that I dryue of tyme, tyll tyme she be dedde: | |
Than farewell ryches, the fat is in the fyre. | |
And neuer shall I to lyke riches aspire. | |
And a thousande-folde wolde it greue me more, | |
120 | That she in my faute shulde dye one houre before, |
Than one minute after. Than haste must prouoke, | |
Whan the pygge is proferd to holde vp the poke. | |
Whan the sonne shynth make hey. whiche is to saie, | |
Take tyme whan tyme commth, lest tyme stele awaie. | |
125 | And one good lesson to this purpose I pyke |
From the smiths forge, whan th'yron is hote stryke. | |
The sure sea-man seeth, the tyde tarieth no man. | |
And longe delaies or absence somewhat to skan. | |
Sens that that one wyll not an-other wyll, | |
130 | Delays in wooers must nedes theyr spede spyll. |
And touchyng absence, the full accompt who somthe | |
Shall se, as faste as one gothe an nother comthe. | |
Tyme is tyckell. and out of syght out of mynde. tyckell: uncertain; perhaps emend to fyckell ='fickle' | |
ref.ed: 102 | |
Than catch and hold while I may. fast bind fast fynde. | |
135 | Blame me not to haste, for feare myne eie be blerde. |
And therby the fat cleane flyt fro my berde. | |
Where wooers hoppe in and out, long-tyme may bryng | |
Hym that hoppeth best, at last to haue the ryng. | |
I hoppyng without, for a ryng of a rushe. | |
140 | And whyle I at length debate and beate the bushe, |
There shall steppe in other men, and catche the burdes. | |
And by longe-tyme lost in many vayne wurdes | |
Betwene these two wiuis, make slouth spede confound | |
While betwene two stoles, my taile go to grounde. | |
sig: [A4v] | |
145 | By this, sens we se slouth muste brede a skab, |
Best sticke to the tone out of hande, hab or nab. | |
Thus all your prouerbs inuehyng agaynst haste, | |
Be answerd with prouerbs plaine and promptly plaste. | |
Wherby, to purpose all this no further fits, | |
150 | But to shew, so many hedds so many wits. |
Whiche shewe as surely in all that they all tell, | |
That in my weddyng I may euen as well | |
Tary to longe, and therby come to late, | |
As come to soone by haste in any rate. | |
155 | And proue this prouerbe, as the words thereof go, |
Haste or slouth herein worke nother welth nor wo. | |
Be it far or ny, weddyng is desteny, | |
And hangyng lykewise, sayth that prouerbe, sayd I. | |
Than wed or hang (quoth he) what helpth in the whole | |
160 | To haste or hang a_loofe, happy man, happy dole. |
Ye deale this dole (quoth I) out at a wrong dur: | |
For desteny in this case doth not so stur | |
Agaynst mans indeuour, but man may direct | |
His will, fore-prouision to worke or neglect. | |
165 | But to shew that quick wedding may bryng good spede |
Somwhat to purpose, your prouerbs proue in-dede. | |
Howbeit, whether they counterpayse or out-way | |
The prouerbes, whiche I before them dyd lay, | |
ref.ed: 103 | |
The triall therof we wyll lay a_water, lay a-water: 'make of no effect or value; dissipate'. See OED s.v. water n. 11.c | |
170 | Tyll we trie more. For trying of whiche mater |
Declare all commoditees ye can deuyse, | |
That by those two weddyngs to you can ryse. | |
sig: B[1] | |
¶The fourth chapiter. |
|
I will (quoth he) in bothe these cases streight show, | |
What things as (I think) to me by them wil grow. | |
175 | And where my loue began there begyn will I. |
With this mayde, the peece peerelesse in myn eie. | |
Whom I so fauour, and she so fauourth me, | |
That halfe a death to vs a_sonder to be. | |
Affection eche to other dothe vs so moue, | |
180 | That well-ny without foode we coulde liue by loue. |
For be I right sad, or right sicke, from her syght, | |
Her presence absenteth all maladies quyght. | |
Whiche seen, and that the great ground in mariage | |
Standth vpon lykyng the parties personage, | |
185 | And than of olde prouerbs in openyng the packe, |
One shewth me openly in loue is no lacke. | |
No lacke of lykyng, but lacke of lyuyng, | |
Maie lacke in loue (quoth I) and brede yll cheuyng. | |
Well as to that (saied he) harke this o thyng, | |
190 | What tyme I lacke not her, I lacke nothyng. |
But though we haue nought, not nought we can geat | |
God neuer sendeth mouthe, but he sendeth meat. | |
And a harde begynnyng maketh a good endyng. | |
In space comth grace, and this further amendyng. | |
195 | Seldom comth the better, and lyke will to like. |
God sendth colde after clothes. And this I pike. | |
She, by lacke of substance semyng but a sparke, | |
Steynth yet the stoutest. For a leg of a larke | |
Is better than is the body of a kyght. | |
200 | And home is homely, though it be poore in syght. |
These prouerbs for this parte shew such a flourishe, | |
ref.ed: 104 | |
And then this partie dothe delite so nourishe, | |
sig: [B1v] | |
That much is my bow bent to shoote at these marks, | |
And kyl feare. when the sky falth we shal haue larks. | |
205 | All perils that fall may, who feareth they fall shall, |
Shall so feare all-thyng, that he shall let fall all, | |
And be more frayd than hurt, if the thyngs wer doone. | |
Feare may force a man to cast beyonde the moone. | |
Who hopeth in gods helpe, his helpe can not sterte. | |
210 | Nothyng is impossible to a willyng herte. |
And will may wyn my herte, herein to consent, | |
To take all-thyng as it comthe, and be content. | |
And here is (quoth he) in mariyng of this mayde, | |
For courage and commoditee all myne ayde. | |
215 | Well saied (saied I) but a while kepe we in quenche |
All this case, as touchyng this poore yong wenche. | |
And nowe declare your whole consideracion, | |
What maner thyngs draw your imaginacion, | |
Toward your weddyng of this widow ryche and olde. | |
220 | That shall ye (quoth he) out of hande haue tolde. |
¶The fyfte chapiter. |
|
THis wydowe beyng foule, and of fauour yll, | |
In good behauour can veraie good skyll. | |
Pleasauntly spoken, and a veraie good wyt, | |
And at her table, whan we togither syt, | |
225 | I am well serued, we fare of the best. |
The meate good and holsome, and holsomly drest. | |
Swete and softe lodgyng, and thereof great shyft. | |
This felte and sene, with all implementes of thrift, | |
Of plate and money suche cupbordes and cofers, | |
230 | And that without peyne I may wyn these profers, |
sig: B2 | |
Than couetyse bearyng Venus bargayn backe, | |
Praisyng this bargain, saith, better leaue than lacke. | |
And gredynesse, to drawe desire to this lore, | |
Saieth, that the wise man saieth, store is no sore. | |
ref.ed: 105 | |
235 | Who hath many pease maie put the mo in the pot. |
Of two yls, chose the least while choyse lyth in lot. | |
Sens lacke is an yll, as yll as man may haue, | |
To prouide for the worst, while the best it-selfe saue. | |
Resty welth wylth me this wydow to wyn, | |
240 | To let the worlde wag, and take myne ease in myne yn. |
He must nedes swym, that is holde vp by the chyn. | |
He laug[h]th that wynth. And this threde finer to spyn, laughth] laugth 1546 | |
Maister promocion saieth, make this substance sure, | |
If ryches bryng ones portly countenaunce in vre, | |
245 | Than shalt thou rule the rost all rounde about. |
And better to rule, than be ruled by the rout. | |
It is saied: be it better be it wurs, | |
Doo ye after hym that beareth the purs. | |
Thus be I by this, ones le senior de graunde, | |
250 | Many that commaunded me, I shall commaunde. |
And also I shall to reuenge former hurts, | |
Hold their noses to grinstone, and sit on their skurts, | |
That erst sat on myne. And ryches may make | |
Frends many ways. Thus better to gyue than take. | |
255 | And to make carnall appetite content |
Reason laboreth wyll to wyn wyls consent, | |
To take lacke of beautie but as an eye-sore. | |
The faire and the foule, by darke are lyke store. | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
As this prouerbe saieth, for quenchyng hot desyre, As] And 1549 | |
260 | Foule water as soone as fayre, wyl quenche hot fire. |
sig: [B2v] | |
Where gyfts be gyuen freely, est west north or south, | |
No man ought to loke a geuen hors in the mouth. | |
And though hir mouth be foule, she hath a faire taile, | |
I constre this text, as is moste myne auaile. | |
265 | In want of white teeth and yelow heares to behold, |
She flourisheth in white syluer and yelow gold. | |
ref.ed: 106 | |
What though she be toothlesse and balde as a coote? | |
Hir substance is shootanker, wherat I shoote. | |
Take a peyne for a pleasure all wise men can. | |
270 | What, hungry doggs will eat durty puddyngs man. |
And here I conclude (quoth he) all that I knowe | |
By this olde wydow, what good to me may grow. | |
¶The sixt chapiter. |
|
YE haue (quoth I) in these conclusions founde | |
Sundry thyngs, that veraie sauerly sounde. | |
275 | And bothe these long cases, being well vewde |
In one short question, we maie well inclewde | |
Whiche is, whether best or wurst be to be ledde | |
With ryches, without loue or beautie, to wedde: | |
Or with beautee without rychesse for loue. | |
280 | This question (quoth he) inquerth all that I moue. |
It doth so (sayd I) and is nerely couched. | |
But th'answere wil not so breuely be touched. | |
And your-selfe, to length it, taketh direct trade. | |
For to all reasons, that I haue yet made, | |
285 | Ye seme more to seke reasons howe to contende, |
Than to the counsell of myne to condiscende. | |
And to be playne, as I must with my freende, | |
I perfitly feele euen at my fyngers eende. | |
sig: B3 | |
So hard is your hand set on your halpeny: | |
290 | That my reasonyng your reason setteth nought by. |
But reason for reason, ye so styffely ley | |
By prouerbe for prouerbe, that with you do wey, | |
That reason onely shall herein nought moue you | |
To here more than speake. wherfore I wil proue you | |
295 | With reason, assisted by experience. |
Whiche my-selfe sawe, not long sens nor far hence. | |
In a matter so like this fashond in frame, | |
That none can be liker, it semthe euen the same. | |
And in the same, as your-selfe shall espy | |
ref.ed: 107 | |
300 | Eche sentence soothed with a prouerbe. welny, |
And at ende of the same, ye shall cleerely see | |
Howe this short question shortly answerd maie bee. | |
Ye mary (quoth he) now ye shoote ny the pricke. | |
Practise in all, aboue all toucheth the quicke. | |
305 | Profe vpon practise, must take holde more sure, |
Than any reasonyng by gesse can procure. | |
If ye bryng practise in place, without fablyng, | |
I will banishe bothe haste and busy bablyng. | |
And yet that promise to performe is mickell. | |
310 | For in this case my tong must oft tickell. |
Ye knowe well it is, as telth vs this olde tale, | |
Meete, that a man be at his owne bridale. | |
If he wyue well (quoth I) meete and good it were. | |
Or els as good for hym an-other were there. | |
315 | But for this your bridale I meane not in it, |
That silence shall suspend your speche euery whit, | |
But in these mariages, whiche ye here meue, | |
Sens this tale conteinth the counsell I can geue, | |
sig: [B3v] | |
I wold se your eares attende with your tong, | |
320 | For aduise in bothe these weddyngs olde and yong. |
In whiche heryng, tyme seene when and what to talke, | |
When your tong tyckleth, at will let it walke. | |
And in these brydales, to the reasons of ours, | |
Marke myne experyence in this case of yours. | |
¶The .vii. chapiter. |
|
325 | [W]ithin few yeres past, from London no far waie, 'W' of 'Within'=VV |
Where I and my wife, with our poore houshold laie, | |
Two yong men were abydyng, whom to discriue | |
Were I, in portraying persons dead or aliue, | |
As counnyng and as quicke, to touche theim at full, | |
330 | As in that feate I am ignorant and dull, |
Neuer coulde I paynte, their pictures to allow, | |
More lyuely, than to paynt the picture of yow. | |
ref.ed: 108 | |
And as your thre persons shew one similitewd, | |
So shew you thre one, in all thyngs to be vewd. | |
335 | Lyke-wise a widowe and a mayd there did dwell, |
A_lyke lyke the wydow and mayde ye of tell. | |
The frends of theim foure in euery degree, | |
Standyng in state as the frendes of you three. | |
Those two men, eche other so hasted or taried, | |
340 | That those two women on one daie they maried. |
Into two houses, whiche next my house dyd stande, | |
The one on the right, th'other on the left hande. | |
Both brydegromes bad me, I coulde do none other, | |
But dyne with the tone, and sup with the tother. | |
345 | He that wedded this widow riche and olde, |
And also she, fauourd me so, that they wolde | |
sig: [B4] | |
Make me dine or sup ones or twise in a weke. | |
This poore yong man and his make beyng to seke | |
As oft, where they might eate or drinke, I them bad, | |
350 | Were I at home, to suche pittaunce as I had. |
Whiche commen conference suche confidence wrought | |
In theim to me, that dede, worde, ne welny thought | |
Chaunced among theim, what-euer it weare, | |
But one of the foure brought it streight to myn eare. | |
355 | Wherby betwene these twayne, and their two wiues, |
Bothe for welthe and wo, I knew al theyr four liues. | |
And sens the matter is muche intricate, | |
Betwene syde and syde, I shall here separate | |
All matters on bothe sydes, and than sequestrate, | |
360 | Th'one syde, while th'other be full reherste, in rate, |
As for your vnderstandyng maie best stande. | |
And this yong poore couple shal come fyrst in hande. | |
Who, the daie of weddyng and after, a while, | |
Could not loke eche on other, but they must smile. | |
365 | As a whelpe for wantonnes in and out whipps, |
So plaied these tweyne, as mery as thre chipps. | |
Ye there was god (quoth he) whan all is doone. | |
ref.ed: 109 | |
Abyde (quoth I) it was yet but hony-moone. | |
The blacke oxe had not trode on his nor her foote. | |
370 | But er this branche of blys coulde reache any roote, |
The floures so faded, that in fiftene weekes, | |
A man myght espie the chaunge in the cheekes, | |
Both of this pore wretch, and his wife this pore wenche. | |
Their faces told toies, that Totnam was turnd frenche | |
375 | And all their light laughyng turnd and translated |
Into sad syghyng, all myrth was amated. amated: ='cast down'; see OED s.v. amate, amated | |
sig: [B4v] | |
And one mornyng tymely he tooke in hande, | |
To make to my house, a [s]leeuelesse errande. sleeuelesse] fleeuelesse 1546sleeuelesse: =fruitless; see OED s.v. sleeveless a., 2 (answer, message, etc.). | |
Haukyng vpon me, his mynde herein to breake. | |
380 | Whiche I would not see, tyll he began to speake. |
Praying me to here hym. And I saied, I wolde. | |
Wherwith this that foloweth forthwith he tolde. | |
The .viii. chapter. |
|
I Am now driuen (quoth he) for ease of my herte, | |
To you, to vtter part of myne inward smerte. | |
385 | And the matter concerneth my wife and me. |
Whose fathers and mothers long sens dead be. | |
But vncles, with auntes and cosyns, haue wee | |
Diuers riche on bothe sides, so that we dyd see, | |
If we had wedded, eche, where eche kynred wolde, | |
390 | Neither of vs had lackt, either siluer or golde. |
But neuer coulde suite, on either syde obtayne | |
One peny, to the one weddyng of vs twayne. | |
And sens our one mariyng or marryng-daie, | |
Where any of theim se vs, they shrinke awaie, | |
395 | Solemnly swearyng, suche as maie geue ought, |
While they and we lyue, of theim we get right nought. | |
Nor nought haue we, nor no-waie ought can we get, | |
Sauyng by borowyng, tyll we be in det | |
So far, that no man any more will vs lende. | |
400 | Wherby, for lacke we bothe be at our witts ende. |
ref.ed: 110 | |
Wherof no wonder, sens the ende of our good, | |
And begynnyng of our charge, to_gither stood. | |
But wyt is neuer good tyll it be bought. | |
Howbeit whan bought wits to best price be brought: | |
sig: C[1] | |
405 | Yet is one good forewyt worth two after-wits. |
This payth me home lo, and full my foly hyts. | |
For had I lookt afore, with indifferent eye, | |
Though haste had made my thurst neuer so drye: | |
Yet to drown this drought, this must I nedes thynk, | |
410 | As I wolde nedes brewe, so must I nedes drynk. |
The drynke of my bride-cup I shulde haue forborne, | |
Tyll temperance had tempred the taste beforne. | |
I se nowe, and shall see whyle I am alyue, | |
Who wedth or he be wise, shall dye er he thryue. | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
I syng in this facte, factus est repente, | |
Now my eies be open I do repente me. | |
415 | He that will selle lawne, er he can folde it, |
He shall repent hym er he haue solde it. | |
next six lines added in 1549 | |
Som bargains dere bought, good chepe wold be sold | |
No man loueth his fetters, be they made of gold. | |
Were I loose from the louely lynkes of my chayne, | |
I wolde not daunce in suche faire fetters agayne, | |
In house to kepe household, whan folks wyll wed, | |
Mo thyngs belong, than foure bare legs in a bed. | |
I reckned my weddyng a suger-sweete spice, | |
But reckners without their host must recken twice. | |
And all-though it were sweete for a weeke or twayne, | |
420 | Swete meate wil haue sowre sauce, I se now playne. |
Continuall penurie, whyche I must take, | |
Telth me, better eye out than alwaie ake. | |
Boldly and blyndly I ventred on this, | |
How-be-it, who so bolde as blynde bayard is? | |
425 | And herein to blame any man, than shulde I raue. |
For I dyd it my-selfe: and selfe do, selfe haue. | |
But a daie after the fayre, comth this remors, | |
ref.ed: 111 | |
For relefe: for though it be a good hors | |
That neuer stumbleth, what praise can that auouche | |
430 | To iades, that breke their necks at first tryp or touche. |
And before this my first foile or breakneck fall, | |
Subtilly lyke a shepe thought I, I shall | |
Cut my cote after my cloth. Whan I haue her. | |
But now I can smell, nothyng hath no sauer. | |
sig: [C1v] | |
435 | I am taught to know, in more haste than good speede, |
How iudicare came into the Creede. | |
My carefull wife in one corner wepeth in care, | |
And I in an-other, the purse is threde-bare. | |
This corner of our care (quoth he) I you tell, | |
440 | To craue therin your comfortable counsell. |
¶The nynthe chapiter. |
|
I Am sory (quoth I) of your pouertee, | |
And more sory that I can nat succour ye. | |
If ye stur your nede myne almesse to stur, | |
Than of trouth ye beg at a wrong mans dur. | |
445 | There is nothyng more vayne, as your-selfe tell can, |
Than to beg a breeche of a bare-arst man. | |
I come to beg nothyng of you, quoth he, | |
Saue your aduise, whiche maie my best waie be. | |
How to wyn present salue, for this present sore. | |
450 | I am like th'yll surgeon (saied I) without store |
Of good plasters. Howbeit suche as they are, | |
Ye shall haue the best I haue. But fyrst declare, | |
Where your and your wiues riche kynsfolke do dwell. | |
Enuyrouned about vs (quoth he) which shewth well, | |
455 | The nere to the churche, the ferther from god. |
Most parte of theim dwell within a thousand rod. | |
And yet shall we catche a hare with a taber, | |
As soone as catche ought of them, and rather. | |
Ye plaie coleprophet (quoth I) who takth in hande, | |
460 | To knowe his answere before he doo his errande. |
ref.ed: 112 | |
What shulde I to them (quoth he) flyng or flyt, | |
An vnbidden geast knoweth not where to syt. | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
I am cast at carts ars, some folke in lacke | |
Can not prease, A broken sleue holdth th'arme backe. | |
sig: C2 | |
Shame drawth me backe, beyng thus forsaken. Shame] And shame 1549 | |
Tushe man (quoth I) shame is as it is taken. | |
465 | And shame take him that shame thinkth, ye thinke none. |
Vnmynded, vnmoned, go make your mone. | |
next four lines added in 1549 | |
Tyll meate fall in your mouth, will ye lye in bed, | |
Or sitte styll? nay. he that gapeth tyll he be fed, | |
Maie fortune to fast, and famishe for hunger. | |
Set forward, ye shall neuer labour yonger. | |
Well (quoth he) if I shall nede this viage make, | |
With as good will as a beare goth to the stake, | |
I will streight waie anker and hoise vp saile. hoise: =hoist | |
470 | And thitherward hie me in haste like a snaile. |
And home agayne hitherward quicke as a bee. | |
Nowe for good lucke, cast an olde shoe after mee. | |
And fyrst to myne vncle, brother to my father. | |
By suite, I will assaie to wyn some fauer. | |
475 | Who brought me vp, and tyll my weddyng was don |
Loued me, not as his nephew, but as his son. | |
And his heyre had I been, had not this chaunced, | |
Of landes and gooddes, which shuld [haue] me much auanced. haue] 1546 omits | |
Trudge (quoth I) to hym, and on your marybones, | |
480 | Crouche to the grounde, a[n]d not so ofte as ones, |
Speake any one worde hym to contrary. | |
I can not tell that (quoth he) by seynt Mary. | |
I knowe not howe I shall be pryckt to speake. I knowe not howe I shall be pryckt to speake] One yll worde axeth an-other, as folks speake 1549 | |
Well (quoth I) better is to bowe than breake. | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
It hurteth not the tongue to geue fayre wurds. | |
The rough net is not the best catcher of burds. | |
485 | Sens ye can nought wyn, yf ye can not please, |
Best is to suffer. For of suffrance comth ease. | |
ref.ed: 113 | |
Cause causeth (quoth he) and as cause causeth me, | |
So will I doo. And with this awaie went he. | |
Yet whether his wyfe should go with hym or no, | |
490 | He sent hir to me to knowe er he wolde go. |
Wherto I saied, I thought best he went alone. | |
And you (quoth I) to go streight as he is gone, | |
sig: [C2v] | |
Among your kynsfolke likewise, if they dwell ny. | |
Yes (quoth she) all round about euen here-by. | |
495 | Namely an aunte, my mothers syster, who well |
(Sens my mother died) brought me vp from the shell. | |
And much wold haue giuen me, had mi wedding grown | |
Vpon hir fansy, as it grewe vpon myne own. | |
And in likewise myne vncle her husband, was | |
500 | A father to me. Well (quoth I) let pas. |
And if your husband will his assent graunte, | |
Go, he to his vncle, and you to your aunte. | |
Yes this assent he graunteth before (quoth she) | |
For he or this thought this the best waie to be. | |
505 | But of these two thynges he wolde determyne none |
Without aide. For two hedds are better than one. | |
With this we departed, she to her husband, | |
And I to dyner to theim on th'other hande. | |
¶The tenth chapiter. |
|
[W]han dyner was doon, I cam home agayne, 'W' of 'Whan'=VV | |
510 | To attende on the returne of these twayne. |
And er three houres to ende were fully tryde, | |
Home came she fyrst, welcom (quoth I) and wel hyde. | |
Ye a shorte horse is soone corryd (quoth shee) corryd: =curried | |
But the weaker hath the worse we all daie see. | |
515 | After our last partyng, my husband and I |
Departed, eche to place agreed formerly. | |
Myne vncle and aunte on me dyd loure and glome. | |
Bothe bad me god-spede, but none bad me welcome. | |
Their folkes glomd on me to, by whiche it appereth, | |
ref.ed: 114 | |
520 | The yong cocke croweth, as he the olde hereth. |
sig: C3 | |
At dyner they were, and made (for maners sake) | |
A kynswoman of ours, me to table take. | |
A false flattryng fylth, and if that be good, | |
None better to beare two faces in a hood. | |
525 | She speaketh as she wolde crepe into your bosome. |
And whan the meale-mouth hath won the bottome | |
Of your stomake, than will the pikthanke it tell | |
To your moste enmies, you to bie and sell. | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
To tell tales out of schoole, that is her great lust. | |
Loke what she knowth, blab it wist, and out it must. | |
There is no mo suche tytifils in Englands grounde, | |
530 | To holde with the hare, and run with the hounde. |
Fyre in the tone hande, and water in the tother, | |
The makebate bereth betwene brother and brother. | |
She can wynk on the yew, and wery the lam, | |
She maketh ernest matters of euery flymflam. | |
535 | She must haue an ore in euery mans barge. |
And no man [may] chat ought in ought of her charge. may] 1546 omits, may 1546 (Westminster copy), may 1549 | |
Colle vnder canstyk she can plaie on both hands, canstyk: =contracted form of candlestick | |
Dissimulacion well she vnderstands. | |
She is lost with an appull, and woon with a nut. | |
540 | Her tong is no edge-toole, but yet it will cut. |
Hir chekes are purple-ruddy like a horse-plumme. | |
And the bygge part of hir body is hir bumme. | |
But littell tit all tayle, I haue herde er this, | |
As high as two horseloues hir persone is. | |
545 | For priuy nyps or casts ouerthwart the shyns, |
He shall lese the maystry that with her begyns, | |
She is, to turne loue to hate, or ioye to grefe | |
A paterne, as mete as a rope for a thefe. | |
Hir promise of frendshyp, for any auayle, | |
550 | Is as sure to holde, as an eele by the tayle. |
sig: [C3v] | |
She is nother fishe nor fleshe nor good red hearyng. | |
She maie doo muche there, and I therby fearyng She maie doo muche there, and I therby fearyng] She is a ryngleader there, and I fearyng 1549 | |
ref.ed: 115 | |
She wolde spit her venym, thought it not euyll | |
To set vp a candell before the deuyll. | |
555 | I clawd her by the backe in waie of a charme, |
To do me, not the more good, but the lesse harme. | |
All that dyner-tyme we syttyng to_gether, | |
Aboue all, with her I made fayre wether.This and the previous line found in 1546 only | |
Praying her in her eare, on my syde to holde, | |
560 | She therto swearyng by her false faith, she wolde. |
Streight after dyner myne aunte had no choyce, | |
But other burst, or burst out in pylats voyce. | |
Ye huswife, what wind blowth ye hyther thus right? | |
Ye might haue knokt or ye came in, leaue is lyght. | |
565 | Better vnborne than vntaught, I haue herde saie, |
But ye be better fed then taught far awaie. | |
Not veraie fat fed, saied this flebergebet, | |
But nede hath no lawe, nede maketh her hither iet. | |
She comth nece Ales (quoth she) for that is her name | |
570 | More for nede, then for kyndnes, payne of shame. |
Howbeit she can not lacke, for he fyndth that seekes, | |
Louers lyue by loue, ye as larks lyue by leekes. | |
Saied this Ales, muche more than half in mockage. | |
Tushe (quoth myne aunte) these louers in dotage | |
575 | Think the ground beares them not, but wed of corage |
They must in all haste, though a leafe of borage | |
Myght bye all the substaunce that they can sell. | |
Well aunt (quoth Ales) all is well that ends well. | |
Ye Ales, of a good begynnyng comth a good ende. | |
580 | Not so good to borow, as be able to lende. |
sig: [C4] | |
Nay in-dede aunt (quoth she) it is sure so, | |
She must nedes grant, she hath wrought hir own wo. | |
She thought Ales, she had sene far in a mylstone, | |
Whan she gat a husband, and namely such one, | |
585 | As they by weddyng coulde not onely nought wyn, |
ref.ed: 116 | |
But lose both lyuyng and loue of all theyr kyn. | |
Good aunt (quoth I) humbly I beseche ye, | |
My trespase done to you forgyue it me. | |
I know and knowlage, I haue wrought myn own pein | |
590 | But things past my hands, I can not call agein. |
True (quoth Ales) things done, can not be vndoone, | |
Be they done in due tyme, to late, or to soone. | |
But better late then neuer to repent this. | |
To late (quoth myne aunt) this repentance shewd is. | |
595 | Whan the stede is stolne, shut the stable-durre. |
I tooke her for a rose, but she bredeth a burre. | |
She comth to stycke to me now in her lacke, | |
Rather to rent of my clothes fro my backe, | |
Then to doo me one ferthyng-wurth of good. | |
600 | I see daie at this little hole. For this bood |
Shewth what fruit wil folow. In good faith I saide | |
In waie of peticion I sue for your aide. | |
A well (quoth she) nowe I well vnderstande | |
The walking-staffe hath caught warmth in your hand | |
605 | A cleane-fyngerd huswyfe and an ydel, folke saie, |
And will be lyme-fyngerd I feare by my faie. | |
It is as tender as a persons lemman. | |
Nought can she doo, and what can she haue than? | |
next four lines added in 1549 | |
As sober as she seemth, fewe dayes come about | |
But she will ones washe her face in an ale-clout. | |
And than betwene her, and the rest of the rout, | |
I proud, and thou proud, who shall beare th'asshes out. | |
She maie not beare a fether, but she must brethe, | |
610 | She maketh so muche of her paynted shethe. |
sig: [C4v] | |
She thynkth her ferthyng good siluer I tell you. | |
But for a ferthyng who-euer dyd sell you | |
Myght bost you to be better solde than bought. | |
And yet thogh she be worth nought, nor haue nought | |
615 | Her gowne is gaier and better than myne. |
At her gaie gowne (quoth Ales) ye maie repyne. | |
ref.ed: 117 | |
Howe-be-it as we maie we loue to go gaie all. | |
Well well (quoth myne aunte) pride will haue a fall. | |
For pride goeth before, and shame cometh after. | |
620 | Sure (saied Ales) in maner of mockyng laughter, |
There is nothyng in this worlde that agreeth wurs, | |
Than dothe a ladies hert, and a beggers purs. | |
But pride she shewth none, her looke reason alowth, | |
She lookth as butter wolde not melt in her mouth. | |
625 | Well the styll sow eats vp all the draffe Ales. |
All is not golde that glistreth by olde-tolde tales. | |
In youth she was towarde and without euyll, | |
But soone ripe sone rotten, yong seynt olde deuill. | |
How-be-it lo god sendth the shrewd cow short hornes. | |
630 | While she was in this house she sat vpon thornes. |
Eche one daie was three, tyll libertee was borow | |
For one months ioy to bryng her holle lyues sorow. | |
It were pitee (quoth Ales) she shulde myscary. she shulde myscary] but she should do well 1549 | |
For she is growne a goodly damsell mary. For she is growne a goodly damsell mary] For beautie and stature she beareth the bell 1549 | |
635 | Ill weed growth fast Ales. wherby the corne is lorne. |
For surely the weed ouergroweth the corne. | |
next four lines added in 1549 | |
Ye praise the vine, before ye taste of the grape. | |
But she can no more harme than can a shee-ape. | |
It is a good body, her propertee preues. | |
She lacketh but euen a newe payre of sleues. | |
If I maie (as they saie) tell trouth without syn, | |
Of trouthe she is a wolfe in a lambes-skyn. | |
Her herte is full hye, whan her eie is full lowe. | |
640 | A geast as good lost as founde, for all this showe. |
sig: D[1] | |
But many a good cowe hath an euyll calfe. | |
I speake this doughter in thy mothers behalfe. | |
My syster (god rest her soule) whom though I bost, | |
Was cald the floure of honestee in this coste. | |
645 | Aunt (quoth I) I take for father and mother |
Myne vncle and you aboue all other. | |
ref.ed: 118 | |
When we wold, ye wold not be our chyld (quoth she.) | |
Wherfore now whan ye wold, now will not we. | |
Sens thou woldst nedes cast awaie thy-selfe thus, | |
650 | Thou shalte sure synke in thyne owne syn for vs. |
next six lines added in 1549 | |
Aunt (quoth I) after a dotyng or dronken deede, | |
Let submission obteine some mercie or meede. | |
He that kylth a man, whan he is dronke (quoth she) | |
Shalbe hangd whan he is sobre. And he, | |
Whom in ytchyng no scratchyng will forbeare, | |
He must beare the smartyng that shall folowe there. | |
Thou arte in-dede borne veraie ny of my stocke, Thou arte in-dede] And thou beyng 1549 | |
And ny is my kyrtell, but nere is my smocke. And ny is] Though ny be 1549; but] yet 1549nere: =nearer | |
I haue one of myne owne, whom I must loke to. | |
Ye aunte (quoth Ales) that thyng must ye nedes do. | |
655 | Nature compellth you to set your owne fyrst vp. |
For I haue heard saie, it is a deere colup, | |
That is cut out of th'owne fleshe. But yet aunte, | |
So smal maie hir request be, that ye maie graunt | |
To satisfie the same, whiche maie doo her good, | |
660 | And you no harme in th'auancyng your owne blood. |
And cosyn (quoth she to me) what ye wold craue, | |
Declare, that our aunt may know what ye wold haue. | |
Nay (quoth I) be they wynners or loosers, | |
Folke say alwaie, beggers shulde be no choosers. | |
665 | With thanks I shal take what-euer myn aunt please, |
Where nothyng is, a little thyng doth ease. | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
Hunger makth hard beanes swete. where saddels lack | |
Better ride on a pad, than on the hors bare-backe. | |
And by this prouerbe appereth this o thyng, | |
That alwaie somewhat is better than nothyng. | |
Hold fast whan ye haue it (quoth she) by my lyfe. | |
670 | The boy thy husbande, and thou the gyrle his wyfe, |
sig: [D1v] | |
Shall not consume that I haue laboured fore. | |
Thou art yong inough, and I can worke no more. | |
ref.ed: 119 | |
Kyt_calot my cosyn sawe this thus far on | |
And in myne aunts eare she whispreth anon | |
675 | Roundly these words, to make this matter whole. |
Aunt, leat theim that be a_colde blowe at the cole. | |
They shall for me Ales (quoth she) by gods blyst. | |
She and I haue shaken handes. farewell vnkyst. | |
And thus with a becke as good as a dieu-gard, | |
680 | She flang fro me, and I from her hitherward. |
Beggyng of her booteth not the worth of a beane, | |
Litle knoweth the fat sow, what the lean doth meane. | |
Forsoth (quoth I) ye haue bestyrd ye well. | |
But where was your vncle while all this fray fell? | |
685 | A_sleepe by (quoth she) routyng like a hog. |
And it is euill wakyng of a slepyng dog. | |
The bitche and her whelp might haue been a_sleep to. | |
For ought they in wakyng to me would do. | |
Fare ye well (quoth she) I will now home streyte. | |
690 | And at my husbands hands for better news weyte. |
¶The leuenth chapiter. |
|
HE came home to me the next daie before noone. | |
What tidings now (quoth I) how haue ye doone? | |
Vpon our departyng (quoth he) yesterdaie | |
Toward myn vncles, somwhat more than mydway, | |
695 | I ouertoke a man, a seruaunt of his, |
And a frende of myne. who gessed streight with this, | |
What myne errand was, offeryng in the same, | |
To do his best for me, and so in gods name. | |
sig: D2 | |
Thyther we went, no-body beyng within, | |
700 | But myne vncle, myne aunte, and one of our kyn. |
A madde knaue, as it were a raylyng gester, | |
Not a more gagglyng gander hense to Chester. | |
At syght of me he asked, who haue we there? | |
I haue seen this gentylma[n], yf I wyst where. | |
705 | Howe-be-it lo, seldome sene, soone forgotten. |
ref.ed: 120 | |
He was (as he will be) somwhat cupshotten. | |
Sixe daies in a weeke, beside the market-daie, | |
Malt is aboue wheate with hym, market-men saie. | |
But for-as-muche as I sawe, the same taunt | |
710 | Contented well myne vncle and myne aunt, |
And that I came to fall in, and not fall out, | |
I forbare. or els his dronken red snout | |
I wold haue made as oft chaunge from hew to hew, | |
As doth the cocks of Inde. For this is trew. | |
715 | It is a small hop on my thomb. And Christ wot, |
It is wood at a woorde. little pot soone whot. | |
Now mery as a cricket, and by and by, | |
Angry as a waspe, though in bothe no cause why. | |
But he was at home there, he myght speake his will. | |
720 | Euery cocke is proude on his owne dunghill. |
I shall be euen with hym herein whan I can. | |
But he hauyng done, thus myne vncle began. | |
Ye marchant, what attempth you, to attempt vs, | |
To come on vs before the messanger thus. | |
725 | Romyng in and out, I here tell how ye tosse. |
But sonne, the rollyng stone neuer gatherth mosse. | |
Lyke a pickpurs pilgrym, ye prie and ye proule | |
At rouers, to robbe Peter and paie Poule. | |
sig: [D2v] | |
Iwys I knowe, er any more be tolde, | |
730 | That draff is your errand, but drynke ye wolde. |
Vncle (quoth I) of the cause, for whiche I com, | |
I pray you paciently here the hole som. | |
In feyth (quoth he) without any more summyng | |
I know to beg of me is thy cummyng. | |
735 | For-sooth (quoth his man) it is so in-deede. |
And I dare boldly bost, yf ye knew his neede, | |
Ye wold of pytee yet set hym in some stey. | |
Sonne, better be enuied then pitied, folke sey. | |
And for his cause of pitee (had he had grace) | |
740 | He myght this daie haue been clere out of the case. |
ref.ed: 121 | |
But now he hath well fisht and caught a frog. | |
Where nought is to wed with, wise men flee the clog. | |
Where I (quoth I) dyd not as ye wyld or bad, | |
That repent I oft, and as oft wyshe I had. | |
745 | Sonne (quoth he) as I haue herde of myn olders, |
Wishers and wolders be no good householders. | |
This prouerbe for a lesson, with suche other, | |
Not lyke (as who seyth) the sonne of my brother, | |
But lyke myne owne sonne, I ofte before shewd the, | |
750 | To cast her quyte of, but it wolde not be. |
Whan I wyld the any other-where to go, | |
Tushe, there were no mo maydens but malkyn tho. | |
Ye had been lost to lacke your lust, whan ye lyst, | |
By two miles trudgyng twise a weke to be kyst. | |
755 | I would ye had kyst, well I will no more sturre, |
It is good to haue a hatche before the durre. | |
next four lines added in 1549 | |
But who will in tyme present pleasure refrayne, | |
Shall in tyme to come, the more pleasure obtayne. | |
Folowe pleasure, and than will pleasure flee. | |
Flee pleasure, and pleasure will folow thee. | |
But how is my saying come to passe now? But] And 1549 | |
How oft dyd I prophecie this betwene you, | |
sig: D3 | |
And your gynyfinee nycebycetur, | |
760 | Whan swete sugar shulde turne to soure salt-petur? |
Wherby ye shulde in seyng, that ye neuer sawe. | |
Thynke that you neuer thought. your-selfe a dawe. | |
But that tyme ye thought me a dawe. so that I | |
Dyd no good in all my wordes than, saue onely | |
765 | Approued this prouerbe playn and true mater, |
A man may well bryng a horse to the water. | |
But he can not make hym drynke without he will. | |
Colts (quoth his man) may proue wel, with tatchis yl | |
For of a ragged colt there comthe a good horse. | |
770 | If he be good now, of his yll past no forse. |
ref.ed: 122 | |
Well he that hangth hym-selfe a sondaie (saied he) | |
Shall hang styll vncut downe a mondaie for me. | |
I haue hangd vp my hatchet, god spede hym well. | |
A wonder thyng what thyngs these old thyngs tell. | |
775 | Cat after kynd good mouse hunt. And also |
Men sey, kynde wyll crepe where it can not go. | |
next three lines added in 1549 | |
Commonly all-thyng shewth from whens it camme. | |
The litter is lyke to the syre and the damme. | |
Howe can the fole amble, yf the hors and mare trot? | |
These sentences to the I maie assyne to the I maie assyne] are assigned vnto thy lot 1549 | |
By thy father, the said brother of myne. By thy father, the said brother of myne] By condicions of thy father and mother 1549 | |
next line added in 1549 | |
My syster in lawe, and mine owne said brother. | |
Thou folowist his stepps as ryght as a lyne. his] their 1549; ryght] tight 1549 | |
780 | For when prouander pryckt him a lytle tyne, him] them 1549 |
He dyd as thou didst. One, on whom he dyd dote, He dyd as thou didst. One, on whom he dyd dote,] They did as thy wife and thou dyd. bothe dote 1549 | |
He wedded in haste, with whome he had no grote. He wedded in haste, with whome he had no grote] Eche on other, and beyng not worth one grote 1549 | |
And she as lytle with hym. wherby at last And she as lytle with hym] They went (witlesse) to weddyng 1549 | |
They bothe went a_beggyng. And euen the like caste | |
785 | Haste thou. thou wilte beg or steale, or thou die, |
Take hede frende, I haue sene as far come as nie. | |
If ye seke to fynde thynges er they be lost, | |
Ye shall fynde one daie you come to your cost. | |
sig: [D3v] | |
This doo I but repete, for this I tolde the, | |
790 | And more I say. but I coulde not than holde the. |
Nor wyll not holde the now: nor suche foly feele, | |
To set at my herte, that thou settest at thy heele. | |
And as of my good, er I one grote gyue, | |
I wyll se how my wyfe, and my-selfe shall lyue. | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
Thou goest a_gleinyng er the cart haue caried. | |
ref.ed: 123 | |
But er thou gleind ought, sens thou woldst be maried | |
795 | Shall I make the laugh now, and my-selfe wepe then? |
Nay good childe, better childern wepe than old men. | |
next twelve lines added in 1549 | |
Men shuld not prese muche, to spend muche vpon fooles | |
Fisshe is caste awaie that is caste in drye pooles. | |
To flee charge, and fynde ease, ye wold now here oste, | |
It is easy to crye vle at other mens coste. | |
But a bowe long bent, at length must waxe weake. | |
Long bent I toward you, but that bent I wil breake. | |
Fare well and fede full, that loue you well to do. | |
But you lust not to do, that longeth therto. | |
The cat would eate fysshe, and wold not wet her feete | |
They must hongre in frost, that wil not work in heete. | |
And he that will thryue, must aske leaue of his wyfe. | |
But your wyfe wyll geue none, by your and her lyfe. | |
It is harde to wiue and thriue both in a yere. | |
But by thy wyuyng, thryuyng doth so appere, But] Thus 1549 | |
That thou art past thryft, before thrifte begyn. | |
800 | But lo, will will haue will, though will wo wyn. |
Will is a good sonne, and will is a shrewde boy. | |
And wilfull shrewde will hath wrought the this toy. | |
A gentill white spurre, and at nede a sure speare. | |
He standth now as he had a flea in his eare. | |
805 | How-be-it for any great courtesy he doth make, |
It semth the gentyll-man hath eaten a stake. | |
He beareth a dagger in his sleue, truste me, | |
To kyll all that he meteth, prouder than he. | |
next four lines added in 1549 | |
He wyll perke, I here saie, he must haue the benche. | |
Iacke wold be a gentilman, yf he could speke frenche. | |
He thinkth his fete be, where his hed shal neuer come | |
He would fayne flee, but he wanteth fethers, some. | |
Sir (quoth his man) he will no faute defende, | |
810 | But harde is for any man all fautes to mende. |
He is lyueles, that is fautles, olde folkes thought, | |
ref.ed: 124 | |
He hath (quoth he) but one faute, he is nought. | |
next four lines added in 1549 | |
Well (quoth his man) the best cart maie ouerthrowe. | |
Carts well driuen (quoth he) go longe vpright thowe. | |
But for my rewarde, let hym be no longer taryer. | |
I will send it hym, by Iohn_Long the caryer. | |
Helpe hym syr (quoth his man) sens ye easily maie. Helpe] O helpe 1549; (quoth his man)] saied he 1549 | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
Shamfull crauyng (quoth he) must haue shamfull naie. | |
Ye maie syr (quoth he) mende thre naies with one ye. | |
Two fals knaues nede no broker (quoth he) men saie, (quoth he) men saie] men saie (saied he) 1549 | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
Some saie also: It is mery whan knaues mete. | |
But the mo knaues the worse company to grete. | |
815 | The one knaue now crouchith, while th'other crauith |
But to shewe what shall be his releuauith, releuauith: see OED s.v. releavavith (=relief) | |
Either after my deathe, yf my will be kept, | |
Or duryng my lyfe, had I this halle hept | |
sig: [D4] | |
With golde, he maie his parte on good-fryday eate, | |
820 | And fast neuer the wurs, for ought he shall geate. |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
These former lessons conde, take forth this, sonne. | |
Tell thy cardes, and than tel me what thou hast wonne. | |
Nowe here is the doore, and there is the wey. | |
And so (quoth he) farewell gentill Geffrey. | |
Thus parted I from hym, beyng muche dismaied, | |
Whiche his man saw, and (to comfort me) saied. | |
825 | What man, plucke vp your herte, be of good chere. |
After clouds blacke, we shall haue wether clere. | |
What shuld your face thus agayn the woll be shorne | |
For one fall? What man al this wynd shakes no corne. | |
Let this wynde ouerblow. a tyme I will spy, | |
830 | To take wynde and tyde with me, and spede therby. |
I thanke you (quoth I) but great boste and small roste, | |
Maketh vnsauery mouthes, where-euer men oste. | |
And this boste veraie vnsauourly serueth. | |
For while the grasse groweth, the horse sterueth. | |
835 | Better one byrd in hande than ten in the wood. |
ref.ed: 125 | |
Rome was not bylt on a daie (quoth he) and yet stood | |
Tyll it was fynysht, as some saie, full fayre. | |
Your hert is in your hose all in dispayre. | |
But as euery man saieth, a dog hath a daie. | |
840 | Shuld you a man, dispayre than any daie? nay. |
Ye haue many stryngs to the bowe. for ye know, | |
Though I, hauyng the bent of your vncles bow, | |
Can no-waie bryng your bolt in the butte to stande, | |
Yet haue ye other marks to roue at, at hande. | |
845 | The kays hang not all by one mans girdill man. |
Though nought wilbe woon here, I sey, yet ye can | |
Taste other kynsmen, of whom ye maie geat, | |
Here some and there some, many small make a great. | |
sig: [D4v] | |
For come lyght wynnyngs with blessyngs or curses, | |
850 | Euermore light gaynes make heuy purses. |
Children lerne to crepe er they can lerne to go. | |
And little and little, ye must lerne euen so. | |
Throwe no gyft agayne at the giuers head, | |
For better is halfe a lofe then no bread. | |
855 | I maie beg my bread (quoth I) for my kyn all, |
That dwelth ny. Well, yet (quoth he) and the worst fall, | |
Ye maie to your kynsman, hens nine or ten mile, | |
Rich without charge, whom ye saw not of long while | |
That benchwhistler (quoth I) is a pinchepeny. | |
860 | As fre of gyft, as a poore man of his eye. |
I shall get a fart of a dead man as soone, | |
As a farthyng of hym, his dole is soone doone. | |
He is so hye in th'ynstep, and so streight-laste, | |
That pryde and couetise withdrawth al repaste. | |
865 | Ye knowe what he hath been (quoth he) but ywis, |
Absence saieth playnely, ye knowe not what he is. | |
Men know (quoth I) I haue herde nowe and then, | |
Howe the market gothe by the market-men. | |
Further it is saied, who that saying weyth, | |
870 | It must nedes be true, that euery man seyth. |
Men saie also, childerne and fooles can not ly. | |
And both man and chylde saieth, he is a heynsby. heynsby: =niggard; see OED s.v. heinsby, for which this is sole ex. | |
And my-selfe knowth hym, I dare boldly brag, | |
Euen as well as the begger knowth his bag. | |
875 | And I knew hym, not worth a good grey grote. |
He was at an ebbe. though he be nowe a_flote, | |
Poore as the poorest. And now nought he setteth | |
By poore folke. For the paryshe prieste forgetteth, | |
sig: E[1] | |
That euer he hath been holy-water-clerke. | |
880 | By ought I can now here, or euer coulde marke, |
Of no man hath he pitee, or compassion. | |
Well (quoth he) euery man after his fassion. | |
He maie yet pitee you, for ought doth appere. | |
It hapth in one houre, that hapth not in .vii. yere. | |
885 | Forspeake not your fortune, nor hyde not your nede. |
Noght venter noght haue spare to speke spare to spede | |
Vnknowne vnkyst. it is lost that is vnsought. | |
As good seke nought (quoth I) as seke and find nought | |
It is (quoth he) yll fyshyng before the net. | |
890 | But though we get litle, dere bought and far fet |
Are deinties for ladies. Go we both too | |
I haue for my maister therby to doo. | |
I maie breake a dishe there, and sure I shall | |
Set all at sixe and seuen, to wyn some wyndfall. | |
895 | And I will hang the bell about the cats necke. |
For I will fyrst breake, and ieobard the fyrst checke. | |
And for to wyn this praie, though the cost be myne, | |
Leat vs present hym with a bottell of wyne. | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
What should we (quoth I) grease the fat sow in th'ars, | |
We maie do muche yll, er we do muche wars. | |
That were (quoth I) as muche almes or nede, That were (quoth I)] It is, to geue hym, 1549 | |
900 | As caste water in Thems. or as good a dede, |
As it is to helpe a dogge ouer a style. | |
Than go we (quoth he) we lese tyme all this while. | |
ref.ed: 127 | |
To folowe his fansy, we went togither. | |
And toward nyght yesternight when we cam thither, | |
905 | She was within, but he was yet abrode. |
And streight as she sawe me, she swelde like a tode. | |
Pattryng the diuels pater-noster to her-selfe. | |
God neuer made a more croked crabbed elfe. | |
sig: [E1v] | |
She bad hym welcome, but the wors for me. | |
910 | This knaue comth a_beggyng, by me thought she. |
I smelde hir out, and had her streight in the wynde. | |
She maie abyde no beggers of any kynde. | |
They be bothe gredy-gutts. all gyuen to get, | |
They care not how. all is fyshe that comth to net. | |
915 | They know no ende of theyr good, nor begynnyng |
Of any goodnesse. suche is wretched wynnyng. | |
Hunger droppeth euen out of bothe theyr noses. | |
She gothe with broken shone and torne hoses. | |
But who is wurs shod, than the shoemakers wyfe, | |
920 | With shops full of newe-shapen shoes all her lyfe. |
Or who will doo lesse, than they that may doo moste. | |
And namely of hir I can no-waie make boste. | |
She is one of theim, to whom god bad who. | |
She will all haue, and will right nought forgo. | |
925 | She will not part with the paryng of hir nayles. |
She toyleth continually for auayles. | |
Whiche lyfe she hath so long now kept in vre, | |
That for no lyfe she wolde make chaunge, be sure. | |
But this lesson lernde I, er I was yeres seuen, | |
930 | They that be in hell, wene there is none other heuen. |
She is nothyng fayre, but she is yll-fauourd. | |
And no more vnklenly, than vnswete sauourd. | |
But hakney-men saie, at mangy hakneys hyer | |
A scalde hors is good ynough for a scabde squier. | |
935 | He is a knuckylbonyard veraie meete |
To matche a mynion nother fayre nor sweete. | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
He winkth with the tone eie, and lokth with the tother | |
ref.ed: 128 | |
I will not trust hym though he were my brother. | |
But a vengeable wyt, and all his delyte. But a vengeable] He hath a poyson 1549 | |
To geue tauntes and checkes of most spitefull spite. | |
sig: E2 | |
In that house commonly suche is the cast, | |
940 | A man shall as soone breake his neck as his fast. |
And yet nowe suche a gyd dyd her head take, | |
That more for my mates than for maner sake, | |
We had bread and drynke, and a chese very greate. | |
But the greattest crabs be not all the best meate, | |
945 | For her crabbed chese, with all the gretnesse, |
Myght well abyde the fynenesse or swetnesse. | |
Anon he cam in. and whan he vs saw, | |
To my companyon kyndly he dyd draw. | |
And a welfauourd welcom to hym he yeelds, | |
950 | Byddyng me welcom straungely ouer the feelds. |
With these wordes. ah yong man I know your mater, | |
By my faith you come to loke in my water. | |
And for my comfort to your consolacion, | |
Ye would, by my purs, gyue me a purgacion. | |
955 | But I am laxatiue ynough there otherwyse. |
This case (quoth this yonge man) contrary doth rise. | |
For he is purs-sycke. and lackth a phisicion. | |
And hopeth vpon you in some condicion. | |
Not by purgacion, but by restoratiue. | |
960 | To strength his weakenesse to kepe hym alyue. |
I can not (quoth he) for though it be my lot | |
To haue speculacion, yet I practise not. | |
I see muche, but I saie littell, and doo lesse. | |
In this kynd of phisike. and what wolde ye gesse. | |
965 | Shall I consume my-selfe, to restore hym now? |
Nay, backare (quoth Mortymer to his sow) | |
He can before this tyme, no tyme assyne, | |
In whiche he hath laied downe one peny by myne. | |
sig: [E2v] | |
That euer might either make me bite or sup. | |
ref.ed: 129 | |
970 | And byr lady frend. nought ley down nought take vp. byr =by our |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
Ka me, ka the, one good tourne askth an-other. | |
Nought won by the tone, nought won by the tother. | |
To put me to coste, thou canst halfe a score myles. | |
Out of thyne owne nest, seke me in these out-yles. | |
Where thou wilt not step ouer a strawe, I thynke, | |
To wyn me the worth of one draught of drynke. | |
975 | No more than I haue wonne of all thy holle stocke. |
I haue been common Iacke to all that hole flocke. | |
Whan ought was to do, I was common hackney. | |
Folke call on the hors that will cary alwey. | |
But euermore the common hors is worste shod. | |
980 | Desert and reward be oft-tymes thyngs far od. |
At ende I myght put my wynnyng in myne iye, | |
And see neuer the wors. for ought I wan theim by. | |
And now without theim, I lyue here at staues ende. | |
Where I nede not borow, nor I will not lende. | |
next four lines added in 1549 | |
It is good to beware by other mens harmes. | |
But thy takyng of thine aulter in thyne armes. | |
Teachth other to beware of their harmes by thine. | |
Thou hast striken the ball, vnder the line. | |
985 | I praie you (quoth he) pitee me a poore man he] I 1549 |
With somwhat, tyll I maie worke as I can. | |
Toward your work (quoth he) ye make such tastings | |
As approue you to be none of the hastyngs, | |
Ye ren to worke in haste as nyne men helde ye. | |
990 | But whan-so-euer ye to worke must yelde ye. |
If your meete mate and you meete together. | |
Than shall we see two men beare a fether. | |
Recompensyng former loytryng lyfe loose, | |
As did the pure penitent that stale a goose, | |
995 | And stak downe a fether. And where olde folke tell. |
That euill-gotten good neuer proueth well, | |
Ye will truely get. and true gettyng well kepe, | |
Tyll tyme ye be as riche as a newe-shorne shepe. | |
ref.ed: 130 | |
sig: E3 | |
Howe-be-it whan thrift and you fell fyrst at a_fray, | |
1000 | You plaied the man, for ye made thrift ren away. |
So helpe me god, in my poore opynion, | |
A man might make a plaie of this minyon. | |
And fayn no ground, but take tales of his own frends, | |
I suck not this out of myne owne fyngers ends. | |
1005 | And sens ye wer wed, although I nought gaue you, |
Yet praie I for you, god and saint Luke saue you. | |
And here is all. For what shulde I further wade? | |
I was nother of court nor of counsaile made. | |
And it is as I haue lerned in lystnyng, | |
1010 | A poore dogge. that is not worth the whistlyng. |
A daie er I was wedde, I badde you (quoth I) | |
Scarbrough warnyng I had (quoth he) wherby, | |
I kept me thens, to serue the accordyng. | |
And nowe, if this nyghtes lodgyng and bordyng | |
1015 | Maie ease the, and ryd me from any more charge, |
Than welcome. or els get the streyght at large. | |
For of further rewarde, marke how I bost me. | |
In case as ye shall yelde me as ye cost me, | |
So shall ye cost me as ye yelde me lykewyse. | |
1020 | Whiche is, a thyng of nought rightly to surmyse. |
Here-withall his wyfe to make vp my mouthe, | |
Not onely her husbands tauntyng tale auouthe, | |
But therto deuiseth to cast in my teeth, | |
Checks and chokyng oysters. And whan she seeth | |
1025 | Hir tyme to take vp, to shew my fare at best, |
Ye se your fare (saied she) set your hert at rest. | |
Fare ye well (quoth I) how-euer I fare now. | |
And wel mote ye fare bothe whan I dyne with yow. | |
sig: [E3v] | |
Come, go we hens frend (quoth I to my mate) | |
1030 | And now will I make a crosse on this gate. |
For comyng here agayn. Haue we not well wrought? | |
ref.ed: 131 | |
Men say, as good plai for nought as work for nought This and the previous line found in 1546 only | |
next eight lines added in 1549 | |
And I (quoth he) crosse the quite out of my booke. | |
Sens thou art crosse-saylde, auale vnhappy hooke. | |
By hoke or croke nought could I wyn there, men saie, | |
He that comth euery daie, shall haue a cocknaie. | |
He that comth now and then, shall haue a fat hen. | |
But I gat not so muche in comyng seelde when, | |
As a good hens fether, or a poore egshell. | |
As good play for nought as work for nought, folk tel. | |
Well well (quoth he) we be but where we were. | |
Come what come wold, I thought er we came there. | |
1035 | That yf the worst fell. we coulde haue but a naie, |
There is no harme doone man in all this fray. | |
Neither pot broken, nor yet water spylt. | |
Farewell he (quoth I) I wyll as sone be hylt, | |
As wayte agayne for the moneshyne in the water. | |
1040 | But is not this a praty pyked mater? |
To disdeigne me, who muck of the world hordth not. | |
As he doth, it may ryme but it accordth not. | |
She fometh lyke a bore, the beast shuld seme bolde. | |
For she is as fiers, as a lyon of cotsolde. | |
1045 | She fryeth in her owne grease, but as for my parte, |
If she be angry, beshrew her angry harte. | |
next eight lines added in 1549 | |
Frend (quoth he) he maie shew wisdome at wyll, | |
That with an angry hert can holde his tongue styll. | |
Let pacience growe in your gardein alwaie. | |
Some loose or od ende will come man, some one daie, | |
From some frende, eyther in lyfe, or at his death. | |
Death (quoth I) take we that tyme, to take a breath? | |
Than graffe we a grene graffe on a rotten roote, | |
Who waitth for dead men shoen, shal go long barfote | |
Let passe (quoth he) and let vs be trudgyng. | |
Where some noppy ale is, and softe swete ludgyng. | |
Be it (quoth I) but I wolde very fayne eate. | |
1050 | At breakefast and dyner I eete lyttle meate. |
ref.ed: 132 | |
And two hungry meales make the thyrde a glutton. | |
We went where we had boylde beefe and bake mutton. | |
Wherof I fed me as full as a tunne. | |
And a_bed were we er the clocke had nyne runne. | |
1055 | Early we rose, in haste to get awaie. |
And to the hostler this mornyng by daie | |
This felow calde, what how felow, thou knaue, | |
I praie the leat me and my felowe haue | |
sig: [E4] | |
A heare of the dog that bote vs last nyght. | |
1060 | And bytten were we both to the brayne aryght, |
We sawe eche other drunke in the good ale-glas, | |
And so dyd eche one eche other, that there was. | |
Saue one, but olde men saie that are skyld, | |
A hard-foughten feeld, where no man scapeth vnkyld. | |
1065 | The recknyng reckned, he needs wold pay the shot, |
And needs he must for me, for I had it not. | |
This doone we shoke hands. and parted in fyne, | |
He into his waie, and I into myne. | |
But this iorney was quite out of my waie. | |
1070 | Many kynsfolke and fewe frends, some folke saie. |
But I fynde many kynsfolke, and frende not one. | |
Folke saie, it hath been saied many yeres sens gone. | |
Proue thy frend er thou haue nede. but in-dede, | |
A freende is neuer knowne tyll a man haue nede. | |
1075 | Before I had nede, my most present foes |
Semed my most frends. but thus the worlde goes, | |
Euery man basteth the fat hog we see, | |
But the leane shall burne er he basted be. | |
As seyth this sentence, ofte and long saied before. | |
1080 | He that hath plenty of goodes shall haue more. |
He that hath but a lytle, he shall haue lesse. | |
He that hath ryght nought, ryght nought shall possesse. | |
Thus hauing right nought. and wold somwhat obtayn, | |
With ryght nought (quoth he) I am retornd agayne. | |
ref.ed: 133 | |
¶The .xii. Chapiter. |
|
next two lines added in 1549 | |
Surely (quoth I) ye haue in this tyme thus worne | |
Made a long haruest for a little corne. | |
1085 | [W]el (quoth I) comfort yout-selfe with this old text. 'W' of 'Wel'=VVWel (quoth I)] Howe-be-it 1549 |
That telth vs, when bale is hekst, boote is next. | |
sig: [E4v] | |
Though euery man maie not syt in the chayre. | |
Yet alway the grace of god is woorth a fayre. | |
Take no thought in no case, god is where he was. | |
1090 | But put case in pouertee all your lyfe pas. |
Yet pouertee and poore degree, taken well, | |
Feedth on this. he that neuer clymbde, neuer fell. | |
And som case at some tyme shewth preefe somwheare, | |
That riches bryngth ofte harme. and euer feare, | |
1095 | Where pouertee passeth without grudge of greefe, |
What, man the begger may syng before the theefe. | |
And who can syng so mery a note, | |
As maie he, that can not chaunge a grote. | |
Ye (quoth he) beggers may syng before theeues, | |
1100 | And wepe before true men, lamentyng their greeues. |
Some saie, and I feele hungre perseth stone wall. | |
Meate nor yet money, to bye meate withall, | |
Haue I not so muche as maie hungar defende | |
Fro my wyfe and me. Well (quoth I) god will sende | |
1105 | Tyme to prouide for tyme, right well ye shall se |
God sende that prouision in tyme, saied he. | |
And thus semyng welny wery of his lyfe, | |
The pore wretche went to his like pore wretchid wife. | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
From wantonnes to wretchednes, broght on their knees, | |
Their hertes full heauy, their heddes be full of bees. | |
And after this a monthe, or somwhat lesse, | |
1110 | Theyr landlorde came to theyr howse to take a stresse |
For rent. to haue kept bayard in the stable. | |
But that to wyn any power was vnable. | |
ref.ed: 134 | |
For though it be yll playing with short daggers, | |
Which meaneth, that euery wise man staggers, | |
1115 | In earnest or boorde to be busy or bolde |
With his biggers or betters. yet this is tolde. | |
sig: F[1] | |
Where-as nothyng is, the kyng must lose his ryght. | |
And thys, kyng or keyser must haue set them quyght. | |
But warnyng to departe thens they nedyd none. | |
1120 | For er the next day the byrds were flowne eche one, |
To seke seruyce. of which where the man was sped, | |
The wyfe could not spede, but maugre her hed, | |
She must seke els-where. for either there, or ny | |
Seruice for any suite she none could espy. | |
1125 | All folk thought them not onely to lyther, |
To lynger both in one house to_gyther, | |
But also dwellyng ny vnder theyr wyngs, | |
Vnder theyr noses, they myght conuey thyngs. | |
Suche as were nother to heuy nor to whot, | |
1130 | More in a month then they theyr master got |
In a whole yere. Wherto folke further weying, | |
Receite eche of other in their conueying, | |
Myght be worst of all. For this prouerbe preeues, | |
Where be no receyuers, ther be no theeues. | |
1135 | Such hap here hapt, that common drede of such gyles, |
Droue them and kepeth them asonder many myles. | |
Thus though loue decree, departure death to be, | |
Yet pouertee parteth felowshyp we see. | |
And dothe those two trewe louers so disseuer, | |
1140 | That meete shall they seldwhan, or haply neuer. |
And thus by loue, without regarde of lyuyng, | |
These twayn haue wrought eche others yll cheuyng. | |
And loue hath so lost them the loue of theyr freends, | |
That I thinke theim lost, and thus this tale eends. | |
ref.ed: 135 | |
sig: [F1v] | |
The .xiii. chapiter. |
|
1145 | AH sir (said my frend) whan men will needs mary, |
I see nowe, howe wisedom and haste may vary. | |
Namely where they wed for loue all-togyther, | |
I wold for no good, but I had come hyther. | |
Swete beautee with soure beggery, naye I am gon, | |
1150 | To the welthy wythred wydow, by seynt Iohn. |
What yet in all haste (quoth I) ye (quoth he) | |
For she hath substaunce ynough. an ye se, | |
That lack is the losse of these two yong fooles. | |
Knowe ye not (quoth I) that after wyse mens schooles, | |
1155 | A man shold here all parts, er he iudge any, |
Why axe ye that (quoth he) for this (quoth I.) | |
I tolde you, when I this began, that I wolde, | |
Tell you of two couples. and I hauyng tolde | |
But of the tone, ye be streyght startyng awey, | |
1160 | As I of the tother had ryght nought to sey. |
Or as your-selfe of them ryght nought wold here, | |
Nay not all so (quoth he) but syns I thynk clere, | |
There can no-way appere so paynfull a lyfe, | |
Betwene your yong neybour and his olde ryche wyfe, | |
1165 | As this tale in this yong poore couple doth showe, |
And that the moste good or leste yll ye knowe. | |
To take at end, I was at begynnyng bent, | |
With thanks for this, and your more payne to preuent, | |
Without any more matter now reuolued, | |
1170 | I take this matter here clerely resolued. |
And that ye herein awarde me to forsake, | |
Beggerly beautee, and riuyld ryches take. | |
sig: F2 | |
Thats iust. if the half shall iudge the whole (quoth I) | |
But yet here the whole, the whole wholly to try. | |
1175 | To it (quoth he) than I praie you by and by. |
We will dine fyrst (quoth I) for it is noone hy. | |
We maie as wel (quoth he) dine whan this is doone. | |
ref.ed: 136 | |
The longer forenoone the shorter after-noone. | |
All comth to one, and therby men haue gest, | |
1180 | Alwaie the longer east the shorter west. |
We haue had (quoth I) before ye cam, and syn, | |
Weather, meete to sette paddocks abroode in. | |
Rayn, more than enough. and whan al shrews haue dynd, | |
Chaunge from foule wether to faire is oft inclind. | |
1185 | And all the shrews in this parte, sauyng one wife, |
That must dine with vs, haue dind peyn of my life. | |
Now if good chaunge of yll wether be dependyng, | |
Vpon her diet, what wer myne offendyng. | |
To kepe the woman any longer fastyng. | |
1190 | If ye (quoth he) fet all this farre-castyng. |
For common-wealth, as it appereth a clere case, | |
Reason wold your will shuld, and shall take place. | |
¶Thus endeth the fyrst parte. |
|
The seconde parte. |
|
The fyrst chapiter. |
|
DIners can not be long, where deyntees want, | |
Where coin is not common, commons must be scant. | |
1195 | In poste-pace we past from potage to cheese, postepace: =postpast |
And yet this man cryde, alas what tyme we leese. | |
sig: [F2v] | |
He wolde not leat vs pause after our repaste, | |
But aparte he pluckt me streight, and in all haste, | |
As I of this poore yong man, and poore yong mayd, | |
1200 | Or more poore yong wife, the forsaid words had said, |
So praieth he me now the processe maie be tolde, | |
Betwene the other yong man, and riche widow olde. | |
If ye lacke that (quoth I) awaie ye must wynde, | |
With your holle errand, and half th'answer behynde. | |
1205 | Which thing to do, sens haste therto shewth you loth, |
And to haste your goyng, the daie awaie goth, | |
And that tyme loste, agayne we can not wyn, | |
Without more losse of tyme this tale I begyn. | |
In this late old wydow, and than old new wyfe, | |
1210 | Age and appetite fell at a strong stryfe. |
Hir lust was as yong, as hir lyms were olde. | |
The daie of hir weddyng, lyke one to be solde. | |
She set out her-selfe in fine aparell. | |
She was made like a beere-pot, or a barell. | |
1215 | A croked hoked nose, beetyll-browde, bleare-eyde. |
Many men wishte, for beautifying that bryde, | |
Hir waste to be gyrd in, and for a boone grace, | |
Some well-fauourd visor, on hir yll-fauourd face. | |
But with visorlike visage, suche as it was, | |
1220 | She smyrkd, and she smylde, but so lisped this las, |
That folke might haue thought it done onely alone, | |
Of wantonnesse, had not her teeth been gone. | |
Vpryght as a candell standeth in a soket, | |
Stoode she that daie, so sympre-de-coket, | |
ref.ed: 138 | |
1225 | Of auncient fathers she toke no cure nor care. |
She was to theim, as koy as a crokers mare. | |
sig: F3 | |
She toke th'entertaynment of the yong men | |
All in dalyance, as nyce as a nuns hen. | |
I suppose that daie hir eares might well glow. | |
1230 | For all the towne talkt of hir, hye and low. |
One sayde, a well-fauourd olde woman she is. | |
The deuyll she is, said an-other, and to this, | |
In came the thyrde, with his .v. egges, and sayde, | |
Fyfty yere ago I knewe hir a trym mayde. | |
1235 | What-euer she were than (sayd one) she is now, |
To become a bryde, as meete as a sow | |
To beare a saddle. She is in this mariage | |
As comely as is a cowe in a cage. | |
Gup with a galde backe gill, come vp to souper. | |
1240 | What myne olde mare wolde haue a newe crouper. |
And nowe myne olde hat must haue a new band. | |
Well (quoth one) glad is he that hath hir in hand. | |
A goodly mariage she is, I here saie. | |
She is so (quoth one) were the woman away. | |
1245 | Well (quoth an-other) fortune this moueth. |
And in this case euery man as he loueth, | |
Quoth the good-man, whan that he kyst his cowe. | |
That kys (quoth one) doth wel here, by god a_vowe. | |
But how can she gyue a kysse sowre or sweete? | |
1250 | Hir chyn and hir nose, within halfe an ynche meete. |
God is no botcher syr, saied an-other. | |
He shapeth all partes, as eche parte maie fitte other. | |
Well (quoth one) wysely, let vs leaue this skannyng. | |
God spede theim. be as be maie is no bannyng. | |
1255 | That shalbe, shalbe. and with gods grace they shall |
Doo well. And that they so maie, wyshe we all. | |
sig: [F3v] | |
This wonder (as wonders last) lasted nine daies. | |
Which done, and all gests of this feast gone theyr waies, | |
Ordinary householde this man began began] streight began 1549 | |
ref.ed: 139 | |
1260 | Very sumptuousely, whiche he might well doo than, |
What he wold haue, he might haue. his wife was set, | |
In suche dotage of hym, that fayre wordes dyd fet, | |
Gromelsede plentee. and pleasure to prefer, | |
She made muche of hym, and he mockt muche of her. | |
1265 | I was as (I saied) muche there, and moste of all |
The fyrst month. in which time such kindnes did fall, | |
Betwene these .ii. counterfaite turtle-burds. | |
To see his sweete looks, and here her swete wurds, | |
And to thynke wherfore they bothe, put bothe in vre, | |
1270 | It wolde haue made a hors breake his halter sure. |
Al the fyrst fortnight theyr ticking might haue tought, | |
Any yong couple, their loue-ticks to haue wrought. | |
Some laught. and seyd, al-thyng is gay that is greene. | |
Som therto said, the grene new brome swepith cleene | |
1275 | But sens al-thyng is the wors for the wearyng, |
Decay of clene sweepyng folke had in fearyng. | |
And in-dede, er .ii. monthes awaie were crept, | |
And her byggest baggs into his bosome swept, | |
Where loue had appeerd in hym to her alwaie | |
1280 | Hotte as a toste, it grew cold as a kaie. |
He, at meate caruyng hir, and none els before, | |
Now carued he to all but hir, and hir no more. | |
Where hir words seemd hony, by his smylyng chere, | |
Now are they mustard. he frowneth them to here. | |
1285 | And whan she sawe swete sauce begyn to waxe sowre, |
She waxt as sowre as he, and as well coulde lowre. | |
sig: [F4] | |
So turned they theyr tippets by waie of exchaunge, | |
From laughyng to louryng, and taunts did so raunge, | |
That in playne terms, playne truth to you to vtter, | |
1290 | They two agreed, lyke two catts in a gutter. |
Mary sir (quoth he) by scratchyng and bytyng | |
Catts and dogs come togither. by folks recityng, | |
Togyther by the eares they come (quoth I) cherely. | |
How-be-it those words are not voyde here clerely, | |
ref.ed: 140 | |
1295 | For in one state they twayne could not yet settyll. |
But waueryng as the wynde. in docke out nettyll. | |
Now in now out, now here now there, now sad, | |
Now mery, now hye now lowe, nowe good now bad. | |
In which vnstedy sturdy stormes streynable. | |
1300 | To know how they bothe were irrefreynable, |
Marke how they fell out, and how they fell in. | |
At th'ende of a supper she dyd thus begyn. | |
The seconde chapiter. |
|
HUsband (quoth she) I wold we were in our nest. | |
Whan the bely is full, the bones wold be at rest. | |
1305 | So soone vpon supper (sayd he) no question, |
Slepe maketh yll and vnholsome digestion. | |
By that diete a great disease ons I gat. | |
And burnt chylde fyre dredth. I will beware of that. | |
What a post of physyk (seyd she) ye a post. | |
1310 | And from post to piller wyfe, I haue been tost |
By that surfet. And I feele a litle fit, | |
Euen nowe. by former attemptyng of it. | |
Wherby, except I shall seeme to leaue my wyt, | |
Before it leaue me, I must nowe leaue it. | |
sig: [F4v] | |
1315 | I thanke god (quoth she) I neuer yet felte payne, |
To go to bed tymely. but rysyng agayne | |
To soone in the mornyng, hath me displeased. | |
And I (quoth he) haue been more diseased, | |
By early lying downe, than by early rysyng. | |
1320 | But thus differ folke lo, in exercysyng. |
That that one maie not, an-other maie. | |
Vse maketh mastry. and men many tymes saie, | |
That one loueth not, an-other doth, which hath sped, | |
All meates to be eaten, and all maydes to be wed. | |
1325 | Haste ye to bed now, and ryse ye as ye rate. |
Whyle I ryse early, and come to bedde late. | |
Long lying warme in bed is holsome (quoth she) | |
ref.ed: 141 | |
While the leg warmeth, the boote harmeth (quoth he) | |
Well (quoth she) he that dooth as moste men doo, | |
1330 | Shalbe lefte wondred on. and take any twoo, |
That be man and wyfe in all this holle towne, | |
And moste parte togyther, they ryse and lye downe. | |
Whan byrds shall roust (quoth he) at .viii. .ix. or ten, | |
Who shall appoynt their houre. the cock, or the hen. | |
1335 | The hen (quoth she) the cock [(]quoth he) iust (quoth she) (quoth] quoth 1546 |
As Iermans lips. It shal proue, more iust (quoth he) | |
Than proue I (quoth she) tha more foole far awaie. | |
But there is no foole to the olde foole, folke saie. | |
Ye are wise enough (quoth he) yf ye kepe ye warme, | |
1340 | To be kepte warme, and for none other harme. |
Nor for muche more good, I tooke you to wedde. | |
I toke not you (quoth he) nyght and daie to bedde. | |
Hir carreyne carkas (saied he) is so colde, | |
Bycause she is aged, and somwhat to olde, | |
sig: G[1] | |
1345 | That she kylth me. I do but rost a stone. |
In warmyng hir. And shall not I saue one, | |
As she wold saue an-other? yes by seynt Iohne. | |
A syr (quoth she) mary this geare is alone. | |
Who that worst may shal holde the candyll, I se. | |
1350 | I must warme bed for hym shuld warme it for me. |
This medicine, thus ministred is sharpe and colde. | |
But al-thyng that is sharpe is short. folk haue tolde, | |
This trade is nowe begun, but yf it holde on, | |
Then farewell my good days. they will be sone gone. | |
1355 | Gospell in thy mouth (quoth he) this strife to breake. |
How-be-it, all is not gospell that thou dooest speake, | |
But what nede we lumpe out loue at ones lashyng,ones: perhaps emend to one | |
As we shuld now shake hands. what soft for dashyng. | |
The fayre lasteth all the yere. we be new kneet. | |
1360 | And so late met, that I feare, we parte not yeet, |
Quoth the baker to the pillory. Whiche thyng | |
From distemperate fonding temperance maie bryng. | |
ref.ed: 142 | |
And this reason to ayde, and make it more strong, | |
Olde wise folke saie, loue me lyttle loue me long. | |
1365 | I saie little (saied she) but I thynke more. |
Thought is fre. Ye lean (quoth he) to the wrong shore. | |
Braulyng booted not, he was not that night bent. | |
To plaie the bridegrome, Alone to bed she went. | |
This was their begynnyng of iar. How-be-it, iar: =jar; see OED s.v. jar n., 6. | |
1370 | For a begynnyng, this was a feate fyt, |
And but a fleabytyng to that dyd ensew. | |
The worst is behynde. we com not where it grew. | |
Howe saie you (saied he to me) by my wyfe. | |
The diuell hath caste a bone (sayd I) to set strife | |
sig: [G1v] | |
1375 | Betwene you. but it were a foly for me, |
To put my hande betweene the barke and the tre. | |
Or to put my fynger to far in the fyre. | |
Betwene you, and lay my credence in the myre. | |
To medyll lytle for me it is best. | |
1380 | For of lytle medlyng there comth great rest. there] 1549 omits |
Yes ye may medyll (quoth he) to make hir wise, | |
Wythout takyng harme, in gyuyng your aduise. | |
She knowth me not yet, but yf she wax to wylde, | |
I shall make her know, an olde knaue is no chylde. | |
1385 | Sluggyng in bed with hir is wors then watchyng, |
I promyse you, an old sack asketh muche patchyng. | |
Well (quoth I) to_morow I will to my beades, | |
To pray, that as ye both wyll, so ake your heades. | |
And in meane-tyme my akyng hed to ease, | |
1390 | I wyll couch a hogs-hed. Quoth he when ye please. |
We parted, and this within a daie or twayne, | |
Was raakt vp in th'ashes, and couerd agayne. | |
¶The thyrde chapiter. |
|
THese .ii. daies past, he sayd to me, whan ye will | |
Com chat at home. al is wel. Iak shal haue gill. | |
1395 | Who had the wors ende of the staffe (quoth I now?) |
ref.ed: 143 | |
Shall the maister weare a breeche, or none. sey you. | |
I truste the sow will no more so deepe wroote. | |
But if she do (quoth he) you must set in foote. | |
And whome ye see out of the waie, or shoote wyde, | |
1400 | Ouershoote not your-selfe any syde to hyde. |
But shoote out some wordes, yf she be to whot. | |
She maie saie (quoth I) a fooles bolte is soone shot. | |
sig: G2 | |
Ye will me to a thanklesse office here. | |
And a busy officer I maie appere. | |
1405 | And Iak out of office she maie byd me walke. |
And thynke me as wise as Waltams calfe, to talke, | |
Or chat of hir charge, hauyng therin nought to doo. | |
How-be-it, if I se nede, as my parte comth to, | |
Gladly betwene you I will doo my beste. | |
1410 | I byd you to dyner (quoth he) as no geste, |
And bryng your pore neighbors on your other syde. | |
I dyd so. And streight as th'olde wife vs espide, | |
She bad vs welcome. and merily toward me, | |
Grene rushes for this stranger, strewe her (quoth she) | |
1415 | With this a_parte she pulde me by the sleue. |
Saying in few words, my mynde to you to meue, | |
So it is, that all our great fraie the last nyght, | |
Is forgeuen and forgotten betwene vs quight. | |
And all fraies by this I trust haue taken ende. | |
1420 | For I fully hope my husbande will amende. |
Well amended (thought I) whan ye bothe relent, | |
Not to your owne, but eche to others mendment. | |
Nowe if hope faile (quoth she) and chance bryng about | |
Any suche breache, wherby we fall agayne out, | |
1425 | I praie you tell hym his pars vers now and than. |
And wynke on me also hardly, if ye can | |
Take me in any tryp. Quoth I, I am lothe, | |
To meddle commonly. For as this tale gothe, | |
Who medleth in all-thyng, maie shoe the goslyng. | |
1430 | Well (quoth she) your medlyng herein maie bryng |
ref.ed: 144 | |
The wynd calme betwene vs, whan it els might rage. | |
I will with good-will (quoth I) yll wynds to swage, | |
sig: [G2v] | |
Spend som wind at nede, though I wast wind in vayn. | |
To table we sat, where fyne fare dyd remayn. | |
1435 | Mery we were as cup and can coulde holde, |
Eche one with eche other homely and bolde. | |
And she for hir parte, made vs chere heauen-hye. | |
The fyrst parte of diner mery as a pie. | |
But a scalde head is soone broken. and so they, | |
1440 | As ye shall streight here, fell at a newe fraie. |
¶The fourthe chapiter. |
|
HUsband (quoth she) ye study. be mery now. | |
And euen as ye thynke now, so come to you. | |
Nay not so (quoth he) for my thought to tell ryght, | |
I thynke how ye lay gronyng wyfe, all last nyght. | |
1445 | Husbande, a gronyng hors, and a gronyng wyfe, |
Neuer fayle theyr maister (quoth she) for my lyfe. | |
No wyfe. a woman hath nyne lyues lyke a cat. | |
Well my lambe (quoth she) ye may picke out of that, | |
As soone gothe the yong lambskyn to the market, | |
1450 | As th'olde yews. God forbyd wyfe, ye shall fyrst iet. |
I will not iet yet (quoth she) put no doubtyng. | |
It is a bad sacke that will abide no cloutyng. | |
And as we ofte see, the lothe stake standeth longe, | |
So is it an yll stake (I haue herde amonge) | |
1455 | That can not stande one yere in a hedge. |
I drynke (quoth she) Quoth he, I will not pledge. | |
What nede all this. a man may loue his house well, | |
Though he ryde not on the ridge, I haue herde tell. | |
What, I wene (quoth she) proferd seruice stynkth. | |
1460 | But somwhat it is, I se, whan the cat wynkth, |
sig: G3 | |
And bothe her eyen out, but further stryfe to shonne, | |
Let the cat wynke, and leat the mous ronne. | |
This past, and he chered vs all. but moste chere, | |
ref.ed: 145 | |
On his part, to this fayre yong wyfe dyd appere. | |
1465 | And as he to her caste ofte a louyng iye, |
So caste hir husbande lyke iye, to his plate by. | |
Wherwith in a great musyng he was brought. | |
Frend (quoth the good-man) a peny for your thought. | |
For my thought (quoth he) that is a goodly dishe. | |
1470 | But of trouth I thought, better to haue than wishe. |
What. a goodly yong wyfe, as you haue (quoth he) | |
Nay (quoth he) goodly gylt gobblets, as here be. | |
Byr lady freends (quoth I) this maketh a show, | |
To shewe you more vnnaturall than the crow. | |
1475 | The crow thynkth her own byrds fairest in the wood. |
But by your woords (except I wrong vnderstood) | |
Eche others byrds or iewels, ye doo weie | |
Aboue your owne. True (quoth the old wyfe) ye sey. | |
But my neighbours desyre rightly to measure, | |
1480 | Comth of neede. and not of corrupte pleasure, |
And my husbands more of pleasure, than of nede. | |
Olde fishe and yong flesh (quoth he) doth men best fede. | |
And some sey, chaunge of pasture makth fat calues. | |
As for that reason (quoth she) ronth to halues. | |
1485 | As well for the cowe-calfe as for the bull. |
And though your pasture looke bareynly and dull, | |
Yet loke not on the meate, but loke on the man. | |
And who-so looketh on you, shall shortly skan, | |
Ye may write to your frends, that ye are in helth. | |
1490 | But all-thyng maie be suffred sauyng welthe. |
sig: [G3v] | |
An olde-saied sawe, itche and ease, can no man please. | |
Plentie is no deyntie. ye see not your owne ease. | |
I see, ye can not see the wood for trees. | |
Your lyps hang in your light. but this poore man sees | |
1495 | Bothe howe blyndly ye stande in your owne lyght, |
And that you rose on your right syde here ryght. | |
And might haue gon further, and haue faren wurs. | |
I wote well I might (quoth he) for the purs, | |
ref.ed: 146 | |
But ye be a baby of Belsabubs bowre. | |
1500 | Content ye (quoth she) take the swete with the sowre. |
Fancy may boult bran, and make ye take it flowre. | |
It will not be (quoth he) shulde I dy this houre, | |
While this fayre flowre flourisheth thus in myne iye. | |
Yes, it might (quoth she[)], and here this reason why. she)] she 1546 | |
The next eight lines are arranged so that the rhyming portions of each pair are bracketed together and the final portion is printed to the right of each bracket | |
1505 | Snowe is white |
And lieth in the dike and euery man lets it lye. | |
Pepper is blacke | |
And hath a good smacke And euery man doth it bye. | |
Mylke (quoth he) is white | |
1510 | And lyeth not in the dyke but all men know it good meate. |
Inke is all blacke | |
And hath an yll smacke No man will it drynke nor eate. | |
Thy ryme (quoth he) is muche elder than myne, | |
But myne beyng newer, is trewer than thyne. | |
1515 | Thou likenest now, for a vayne auauntage, |
White snow to fayre youth, black pepper to foule age | |
Whiche are placed out of place here by rood. | |
Black ynke is as yl meate, as black pepper is good. | |
And white mylke as good meat, as white snow is yll. | |
1520 | But a milk snow-whit smoth yong skin, who change wil |
sig: [G4] | |
For a pepper ynke-blacke rough olde riueld face? | |
Though chaunge be no robbry for the changed case, | |
Yet shall that chaunge rob the changer of his wyt, | |
For who this case sercheth, shall soone see in yt, | |
1525 | That as well agreeth thy comparison in these, |
As a_lyke to compare in taste, chalke and chese. | |
Or a_like in colour to deme ynke and chalke. | |
Walk drab walke. Nay (quoth she) walk knaue walk | |
Saieth that terme, How-be-it syr, I, saie not so. | |
1530 | And best we laie a strawe here, and euen there who. |
Or els this geare wyll brede a pad in the strawe. | |
If ye hale this waie, I will an-other waie drawe. | |
Here is god in th'ambry (quoth I) Quoth he, naie, | |
ref.ed: 147 | |
Here is the deuill in th'orologe, ye maie saie. | |
1535 | Sens this (quoth I) rather bringeth bale than boote, |
Wrap it in the clothe, and treade it vnder foote. | |
Ye harpe on the stryng, that giueth no melody. | |
Your tongs ron before your wits, by seynt Antony. | |
Mark ye, how she hitteth me on the thumbs (quoth he) | |
1540 | And ye taunt me tyt ouer thumb (quoth she) |
Sens tyt for tat (quoth I) on euen hand is set, | |
Set the hares head agaynst the goose ieblet. | |
She is (quoth he) bent to fors you perfors | |
To know, that the grey mare is the better hors. | |
1545 | She chopth logyk. to put me to my clargy. |
She hath one poynte of a good hauke, she is hardy. | |
But wyfe, the first poynte of hawkyng is holde fast. | |
And holde ye fast, I red you, lest ye be cast, | |
In your own tourne. Nay she will tourne the leafe. | |
1550 | And rather (quoth I) take as falth in the sheafe, |
sig: [G4v] | |
At your hands. and let fall her hold. than be to bold, | |
Nay, I will spit in my hands, and take better hold. | |
He (quoth she) that will be angry without cause, | |
Muste be at one, without amends. by sage sawes. | |
1555 | Treade a worme on the tayle, and it must turne agayne. |
He taketh pepper in the nose, that I complayne | |
Vpon his fautes, my-selfe beyng fautlesse. | |
But that shall not stop my mouth, ye maie well gesse. | |
Well (quoth I) to muche of one thyng is not good. | |
1560 | Leaue of this. Be it (quoth he) falle we to our food. |
But suffrance is no quittance in this dayment. | |
No (quoth she) nor mysrecknyng is no paiement. | |
But euen recknyng maketh long freends. my freend. | |
For alwaie owne is owne, at the recknyngs eend. | |
1565 | This recknyng thus reckned. and dyner ons doone, |
We three from theim twayn, departed very soone. | |
ref.ed: 148 | |
¶The fyfte chapiter. |
|
THis olde woman, the next daie after this nyght, | |
Stale home to me secretely as she myght. | |
To talke with me, in secret counsell (she sayed) | |
1570 | Of thyngs, whiche in no wyse myght be bewrayed. |
We twayne are one to many (quoth I) for men saie, | |
Three maie keepe a counsell, if two be awaie. | |
But all that ye speake, vnmete agayne to tell, | |
I will saie nought but mum, and mum is counsell. | |
1575 | Well than (quoth she) herein auoydyng all feares, |
Auoyd your children. smal pitchers haue wide eares. | |
Whiche done (she saied) I haue a husband, ye know, | |
Whom I made of nought, as the thing self doth show | |
sig: H[1] | |
And for these two causes onely hym I tooke. | |
1580 | Fyrst, that he for my loue, shulde louyngly looke, he] 1549 omits |
In all kyndes of cause, that loue ingender myght, | |
To loue and cheryshe me by daie and by nyght. | |
Secondly, the substance, whiche I to hym brought, | |
He rather should augment than bryng to nought. | |
1585 | But now my good shall bothe be spent, ye shall see, |
And it in spendyng soole instrument shall bee | |
Of my distruction. by spendyng it on suche | |
As shall make hym distroie me. I feare this muche. | |
He maketh hauok. and setteth cocke on the hoope. | |
1590 | He is so laueis, the stocke begynneth to droope. laueis: =lavish |
And as for gayne is deade, and laied in tumbe. | |
Whan he should get ought, eche fynger is a thumbe. | |
Eche of his ioyntes agaynst other iustles, | |
As handsomly as a beare picketh muscles. | |
1595 | He maketh his martes with marchantes lykely, |
To bryng a shillyng to nyne-pence quickely. This and the previous line found in 1546 only | |
Flattryng knaues and queans a sort, beyond the mark. queans a sort] fleryng queans 1549 | |
ref.ed: 149 | |
Hang on his sleue, and many hands make light wark. and] 1549 omits | |
next eight lines added in 1549 | |
He hath his haukes in the mew. but make ye sure, | |
With empty hands men maie no haukes allure. | |
There is a nest of chickens, whiche he doth brood, | |
That will sure make his hear grow through his hood | |
They can curri fauell, and make fayre wether, | |
Whyle they cut large thongs of other mens lether. | |
He maketh his marts with marchaunts likely, | |
To bryng a shillyng to .ix.-pens quickely. | |
If he holde on a whyle, as he begyns, | |
1600 | We shall se hym proue a marchant of eele-skyns. |
A marchaunt, without either money or ware. | |
But all be bugs words, that I speake to spare. | |
Better spare at brym than at bottom, saie I, | |
Euer spare and euer bare, saieth he, by and by. | |
1605 | Spend, and god shall sende (saith he) saith th'old balet. |
What sendth he (saith I) a staffe and a wallet. | |
Than vp goth his staffe, to sende me a loufe. | |
He is at thre words vp in the house-roufe. | |
sig: [H1v] | |
He hath a nest of chekyns, whiche he dothe brood, | |
1610 | That wil sure make his heare grow thorow his hood. This and the previous line found in 1546 only |
And herein to grow (quoth she) to conclusyon, | |
I pray your ayde, to auoyd this confusion. | |
And for counsell herein, I thought to haue gon, | |
To that cunnyng man, our curate sir Iohnn . | |
1615 | But this kept me back. I haue herd now and then, |
The greattest clerks be not all the wisest men. | |
I thynk (quoth I) who-euer that terme began, | |
Was neither great clerke, nor the greatest wise man. | |
In your rennyng from hym to me, ye roon | |
1620 | Out of gods blissyng, in-to the warme soon. |
Where the blind ledth the blinde, both fall in the dike. | |
And blinde be we both, if we thynke vs his lyke. be we] we be 1549 | |
ref.ed: 150 | |
Folke show muche foly, whan thyngs shuld be sped. | |
To ren to the foote, that may go to the hed, | |
1625 | Syns he best can, and most ought to do it, |
I feare not, but he will, if ye will woo it. | |
There is one let (quoth she) mo then I spake on, | |
My husband and he be so great, that the ton | |
Can not pisse, but the tother must let a fart. | |
1630 | Choose we hym a party, then farwell my part. |
We shall so parte stake, that I shall lese the hole. | |
Folk say of olde, the shooe wyll holde with the sole. | |
Shall I trust hym then? nay in trust is treason. | |
But I trust you, and come to you this season, | |
1635 | To here me, and tell me, what way ye thynk best, |
To hem in my husband, and set me in rest. | |
If ye mynde (quoth I) a conquest to make | |
Ouer your husband, no man maie vndertake | |
sig: H2 | |
To bryng you to ease, nor the matter amende. | |
1640 | Except ye bryng him to weare a cocks-combe at ende. |
For take that your husband were, as ye take hym. | |
As I take hym not, as your tale wolde make hym, | |
Yet were contencion lyke to doo nought in this, | |
But kepe hym nought, and make hym wors than he is. | |
1645 | But in this complaynt, for counsel quicke and clere, this] his 1549 |
A few prouerbs for principuls, leat vs here. | |
Who that maie not as they wolde, will as they maie. | |
And this to this, they that are bounde must obaie. | |
Foly it is to spurne against a pricke, | |
1650 | To striue agaynst the streme, to winche or kicke |
Agaynst the hard wall. By this ye maie see, | |
Being bounde to obedience, as ye bee, | |
And also ouermatcht, suffraunce is your daunce. | |
He maie ouermatche me (quoth she) perchaunce | |
1655 | In strength of bodie, but my tung is a lym, |
To matche and to vexe euery veine of hym. | |
ref.ed: 151 | |
Tong breaketh bone, it-selfe hauyng none (quoth I) | |
If the wynde stande in that doore, it standth a_wry, | |
The perill of pratyng out of tune by note, | |
1660 | Telth vs, that a good be still is woorth a grote. be: =bee? pace Habenicht's note, p. 218 |
In beyng your owne foe, you spyn a fayre threede. | |
Aduise ye well, for here doeth all lye and bleede. | |
Flee th'attemptyng of extremitees all. | |
Folke saie, better syt still, than rise and fall. | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
For littell more or lesse no debate make, | |
At euery dogs barke, seeme not to awake. | |
1665 | And where the smalle with the great, can not agree, |
The weaker goth to the potte, we all daie see. | |
So that alwaie the bygger eateth the beane. | |
Ye can nought wyn, by any wayward meane. | |
sig: [H2v] | |
Where the hedge is lowest, men maie soonest ouer. | |
1670 | Be silent. Leat not your tong ron at rouer. |
Sens by stryfe, ye maie lose, and can not wyn, | |
Suffer. It is good slepyng in a whole skyn. | |
If he chide, kepe you bill vnder wyng muet. | |
Chattyng to chydyng is not worth a chuet. | |
1675 | We se many tymes myght ouercomth ryght. |
Were not you as good than to say, the crow is whight. | |
And so rather let fayre woords make fooles fayn. | |
Than be plain without plites, and plant your own payn, | |
For were ye as playne as Dunstable hye-waie. | |
1680 | Yet shulde ye that waie rather breake a loue-daie, |
Than make one. thus though ye perfitly knew, | |
All that ye coniecture to be proued trew. | |
Yet better dissemble it, and shake it of. | |
Than to broyd hym with it in earnest or scof. | |
1685 | If he plaie falsehed in felowshyp, plaie ye, |
Se me, and se me not. the worst part to fle. | |
Why thynke ye me so white-lyuerd (quoth she?) | |
That I will be tong-tied? Nay I warrant ye. | |
They that will be afrayde of euery farte, | |
ref.ed: 152 | |
1690 | Must go farre to pisse. Well quoth I, your parte |
Is to suffre (I saie.) For ye shall preeue, | |
Taunts appease not thyngs, they rather agreeue. | |
But for yll company, or expence extreeme, | |
I here no man doubte, so far as ye deeme. | |
1695 | And there is no fyre without some smoke, we see. |
Well well, make no fyre, reyse no smoke (said shee) | |
What cloke for the rayne so-euer ye bryng me, | |
My-selfe can tell best, where my shoe doth wryng me, | |
sig: H3 | |
But as ye saie, where fyre is, smoke will appere. | |
1700 | And so hath it doone. For I dyd lately here, |
How flek and his make, vse theyr secrete hauntyng, | |
By one byrd, that in myne eare was late chauntyng. | |
One swalow maketh not sommer (saied I) men saie, | |
I haue (quoth she) mo blocks in his waie to laie. | |
1705 | For further encrease of suspicion of yls, |
Besyde his iettyng in-to the towne, to his gils. | |
With caletts he consumeth hym-selfe and my goods, | |
Somtyme in the feelds, sometyme in the woods. | |
Some here and se him, whom he hereth nor seeth not. | |
1710 | But feelds haue eies, and woods haue eares. ye wot. |
And also on my maydes he is euer tootyng. | |
Can ye iudge a man (quoth I) by his lookyng? | |
What, a cat maie looke on a kyng. ye know, | |
My cats leeryng loke (quoth she) at fyrst show, | |
1715 | Shewth me, that my cat gothe a_catterwawyng. |
And specially by his maner of drawyng, | |
To Madge my fayre mayde. for maie he come ny hir, | |
He must nedes basse hir, as he comth by hir. | |
He loueth wel sheeps flesh, that wets his bred in wul. in wul] in the wul 1549 | |
1720 | If he leaue it not, we haue a crow to pull. |
He loueth hir better at the sole of the foote, | |
Than euer he loued me at the herte-roote. | |
It is a foule byrd, that fyleth his owne nest. | |
I wolde haue hym lyue as gods lawe hath exprest. | |
ref.ed: 153 | |
1725 | And leaue leude tyckyng. he that will none yll do, |
Must do nothyng, that belongeth therto. | |
To ticke and laugh with me, he hath laufull leeue. | |
To that I saied nought, but laught in my sleeue. | |
sig: [H3v] | |
But whan she semed to me fixed in mynde, me] be 1549 | |
1730 | Rather to seke for that she was lothe to fynde, |
Then leue that sekyng, by which she might fynd ease. | |
I fainde this fancy to feele how it wolde please. | |
Wyll ye do well (quoth I) take peyne to watche hym. | |
And if ye chance in aduoutry to catche hym, | |
1735 | Then haue ye hym on the hyp, or on the hyrdell. |
Then haue ye his head fast vnder your gyrdell. | |
Where your words now do but rub hym on the gall. | |
That dede without words shal dryue him to the wal. | |
And further than the wall, he can not go. | |
1740 | But must submyt hym-selfe. and if it hap so, |
That at ende of your watche, he gyltles appere, | |
Than al grudge, growne by ielousy, taketh end clere. | |
Of all folks I maie worst watche hym (saieth she) | |
For of all folks him-selfe most watcheth me. | |
1745 | I shall as soone trie hym or take hym this waie, |
As dryue a top ouer a tyeld house, no naie. | |
I maie kepe corners or holow trees with th'owle, | |
This seuen yeres, daie and night to watche a bowle, | |
Before I shall catche hym with vndoubted euyll. | |
1750 | He must haue a long spoone, shal eate with the deuyl. |
And the deuyll is no falser then is he. | |
I haue ofte herde tell, it had nede to be | |
A wyly mouse, that shuld breede in the cats eare. | |
Shall I get within hym than? naie ware that geare. | |
1755 | It is harde haltyng before a cripple, ye wot. |
A falser water-drynker there lyueth not. | |
Whan he hunteth a doe, that he can not auow, | |
All dogs barke not at hym, I warrant you. | |
ref.ed: 154 | |
sig: [H4] | |
Namely not I, I saie, though, as I sayed, | |
1760 | He somtyme, though seldome, by some be bewrayed. |
Close huntyng (quoth I) the good hunter alowth. | |
But be your husband neuer so still of mowth, | |
If ye can hunte, and will stande at receyte, | |
Your mayde examinde, maketh hym open streyte. | |
1765 | That wer (quoth she) as of my truth to make preefe, |
To axe my fellow, whether I be a theefe. | |
They cleaue togither like burs. that waie I shall | |
Pike out no more, than out of the stone wall. | |
Then lyke ye not to watche hym for wyfe nor mayde. | |
1770 | No (quoth she.) Nor I (quoth I) what-euer I sayde. |
And I myslyke not onely your watche in vayne, | |
But also yf ye tooke hym. what coulde ye gayne? | |
From suspicion to knowlege of yll. for-sothe | |
Coulde make ye do, but as the flounder dothe, | |
1775 | Leape out of the frying-pan into the fyre. |
And change from yl pein to wurs is worth smal hyre. | |
Let tyme trie. tyme trieth trouth in euery dout. | |
And deme the best, til tyme hath tried the trouth out. | |
And reason saieth, make not two sorows of one. | |
1780 | But ye make ten sorows, where reason maketh none. |
For where reason (as I saied) wylth you to wynke, | |
(Although all were proued, as yll as ye thynke) | |
Contrary to reason ye stampe and ye stare. | |
Ye frete and ye fume, as mad as a marche-hare. | |
1785 | Without profe to his reprofe present or paste. |
But by suche reporte, as moste proue lies at laste. | |
And here goth the hare awaie, for ye iudge all, | |
And iudge the worst in all, or profe in ought fall. | |
sig: [H4v] | |
But blind men shold iudge no colours. by old sawes, | |
1790 | And folk ofttimes are most blind in their own cause. |
The blynde eate many flyes. how-be-it the fansy, | |
Of your blyndnesse comth not of ignorancy, | |
Ye could tell a nother herein, the best way. | |
ref.ed: 155 | |
But it is as folke dooe. and not as folke say, | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
For they saie, saiyng and dooyng are two thyngs, | |
To defende daunger, that double-dealyng bryngs. | |
1795 | As ye can seeme wise in words, be wise in dede. |
That is (quoth she) sooner sayd than done, I drede. | |
But me-thynkth your councell weyth in the whole, | |
To make me put my fynger in a hole. | |
And so by sufferaunce to be so lyther, | |
1800 | In my howse, to ley fyre and tow togyther. |
But if they fyre me, some of them shall wyn | |
More tow on their distaues, then they can well spyn. | |
And the best of them shall haue both their hands full, | |
Bolster or pyllow for me, be whose wull. | |
1805 | I wyll not beare the deuyls sack, by saint Audry. |
For concelyng suspycyon of their bawdry. | |
I feare false measures, or els I were a childe. | |
For they that thynk none yll, ar sonest begylde. | |
And thus though much water go by the myll, | |
1810 | That the myller knoweth not of, yet I wyll |
Cast what maie scape. and as though I dyd fynde it, | |
With the clak of my myll, to fyne meale grynd it. | |
And sure or I take any rest in effect, | |
I must banysh my maydes, such as I suspect. | |
1815 | Better it be done than wysh it had bene doone. |
As good vndone (quoth I) as dooe it to soone. | |
Well (quoth she) tyll sone, fare ye well, and this | |
Kepe now as secret, as ye thynk meete is. | |
sig: I[1] | |
Out at doors went she herewith. and herevpon | |
1820 | In at dors cam he forthwith as she was gon. |
And, without any temprate protestacyon, | |
Thus he began, in way of exclamacion. | |
The .vi. chapiter. |
|
OH what choyse may compare, to the deuyls lyfe, | |
Lyke his, that hath chosen a deuyll to his wife. | |
ref.ed: 156 | |
1825 | Namely suche an olde wytche, suche a mackabroyne, |
As euermore lyke a hog hangeth the groyne, | |
On her husband. except he be hir slaue, | |
And folow all fancyes, that she wold haue. | |
This prouerbe proueth, there is no good accorde, | |
1830 | Where euery man woulde be a lorde. |
Wherfore my wyfe wilbe no lord, but lady. | |
To make me, that shulde be hir lorde, a baby. | |
Before I was wedded, and sens. I made recknyng, | |
To make my wyfe boow at euery becknyng. | |
1835 | Bachelers bost, how they wil teche their wiues good, |
But many a man speaketh of Robyn_hood, | |
That neuer shotte in his bowe. Whan all is sought, | |
Bachelers wiues, and maides children be well tought. | |
And this with this, I also begyn to gather, | |
1840 | Euery man can rule a shrewe saue he that hath her. |
At my wil I wend she wolde haue wrought, like wax. | |
But I fynde and feele, she hath founde suche knakx. | |
In hir bouget, and suche toies in hir hed, | |
That to daunce after her pipe I am ny led. | |
1845 | It is saied of olde, an olde dog byteth sore. |
But by god, th'olde bitche byteth sorer and more. | |
sig: [I1v] | |
And not with teeth (she hath none) but with hir tong. | |
If all tales be true (quoth I) though she be stong, | |
And therby styng you, she is not muche to blame. | |
1850 | For what-euer you saie, thus goeth the fame, |
Whan folke fyrst saw your substance layd in your lap, | |
Without your pein, with your wife broght by good hap | |
Oft in remembrance of haps happy deuise, | |
They wold saie, better to be happy than wyse. | |
1855 | Not myndyng therby than, to depraue your wyt, |
For they had good hope, to see good profe of yt. | |
But sens their good opinion therin so cooles, | |
That they saie as ofte, god sendeth fortune to fooles. | |
In that as fortune without your wyt gaue it, | |
ref.ed: 157 | |
1860 | So can your wyt not kepe it whan ye haue it. |
Saieth one, this geare was gotten on a holy-daie. | |
Saieth an-other, who maie holde that will awaie. | |
This game from beginning, shewth what end is ment. | |
Soone gotten soone spent, yll gotten yll spent. | |
1865 | Ye are calde not onely to great a spender, |
To franke a gyuer, and as free a lender, | |
But also ye spende gyue and lende, among suche, | |
Whose lightnesse minisheth your honestee as muche, | |
As your money, and muche they disalow, | |
1870 | That ye bribe all from hir, that brought all to yow. |
And spende it out at doors, in spite of hir, | |
Bycause ye wolde kill hir, to be quite of hir. | |
For all kyndnesse of hir parte, that maie ryse, | |
Ye shewe all th'unkyndnesse ye can deuyse. | |
1875 | And where reason and custome (they saie) afoords |
Alwaie to let the loosers haue theyr woords, | |
sig: I2 | |
You make hir a cookqueyn, and consume hir good. | |
And she must syt lyke a beane in a monks hood. | |
Bearyng no more rule, than a goose-turd in tems. | |
1880 | But at hir owne maydens becks, wynks, or hems. |
She must obeie those lambs, or els a lambs-skyn, | |
Ye will prouide for hir, to lap her in. | |
This byteth the mare by the thumbe, as they sey. | |
For were ye, touchyng condicion (saie they) | |
1885 | The castell of honestee in all thyngs els. |
Yet shoulde this one thyng, as their holle tale tels, | |
Defoyle and deface that castell to a cotage. | |
One crop of a tourde marrth a pot of potage. crop: emend to crap (i.e. scrap)? See OED s.v. crap n.1, 6. | |
And some to this, crye, let hym pas, for we thynke, | |
1890 | The more we stur a tourde, the wours it will stynke. |
With many condicions good, one that is yll, | |
Defaceth the floure of all, and dothe all spyll. | |
Nowe (quoth I) if you thynke they truely clatter, | |
Let your amendement amende the matter. | |
ref.ed: 158 | |
1895 | Half-warnd half-armd. this warning for this I show, |
He that hath an yll name, is halfe-hangd. ye know. | |
¶The .vii. chapiter. |
|
[W]ell saied (saied he) mary syr here is a tale, 'W' of 'Well'=VV | |
For honestee, meete to set the dyuell on sale. | |
But nowe am I forst, a bead-roll to vnfolde, | |
1900 | To tell somwhat more to the tale I erst tolde. |
Grow this, as most part doth, I durst holde my lyfe, | |
Of the ielousy of dame Iulok my wyfe, | |
Than shall ye wonder, whan truth dothe define, | |
Howe she can, and dothe here, bothe bite and whine. | |
sig: [I2v] | |
1905 | Fransy, heresy, and ielousy are three, |
That men saie hardly or neuer cured be. | |
And all-though ielousy nede not or boote not, | |
What helpeth that counsell, if reason roote not. | |
And in madde ielousy she is so farre gon, | |
1910 | She thynkth I roon ouer-all, that I looke on. |
Take good hede of that (quoth I) for at a worde, | |
The prouerbe saieth, he that striketh with the sworde, | |
Shalbe striken with the scaberde. Tushe (quoth he) | |
The diuell with my scaberde will not strike me, | |
1915 | But my dame takyng suspicion for full preefe, |
Reporteth it for trouth, to the moste mischeefe. | |
In words gold and hole, as men by wyt could wishe. | |
She will lye as fast as a dogge will lycke a dishe. | |
She is of trouth as fals, as god is trew. | |
1920 | And if she chaunce to see me at a vew |
Kysse any of my maides alone, but in sporte, | |
That taketh she in ernest, after Bedleem sorte. | |
The cow is wood. Hir tong ronth on patens. | |
If it be morne, we haue a payre of matens. | |
1925 | If it be euen, euensong. not latyn nor greeke, |
But englyshe, and lyke th'utas in easter-weeke. utas: =utaves, 'octaves' | |
She beginneth, fyrst with a cry_a_leysone. cry_a_leysone: =kyrie eleison | |
ref.ed: 159 | |
To whiche she ringth a peale, a larom. suche one, | |
As folk ring bees with basons, the world ronth on wheles. | |
1930 | But except her mayde shewe a fayre payre of heles, |
She haleth hir by the booy-rope, tyll her brayns ake. | |
And bring I home a good dishe, good chere to make, | |
What is this (saith she) Good meat (saie I) for yow. | |
God- a-mercy hors, a pyg of myne owne sowe. God a mercy hors: proverbial expression; see OED s.v. God-a-'mercy, int. | |
sig: I3 | |
1935 | Thus whan I se, by kyndnesse ease renewth not, |
And than, that the eie seeth not, the herte rewth not, | |
And that he must nedes go, whom the diuel doth driue, | |
Hir fors forsyng me, for myne ease to contriue, | |
To leat her faste and freate alone for me, | |
1940 | I go where mery chat, and good chere maie be. |
Much spend I abrode, which at home shuld be spent, | |
If she wolde leaue controllyng, and be content. | |
There lepte a whityng (quoth she) and lept in streite. | |
Ye shall streight here (quoth she) a prety conceite. Ye shall streight here (quoth she) a prety conceite.] Take a heare from his berde, and marke this con[ce]iteconceite] conecite 1549 1549conceite] conecite 1549 | |
1945 | He maketh you beleue, by lyes leyde on by lode, |
My braulyng at home, maketh hym banket abrode. | |
Where his bankets abrode, make me braule at home, | |
For as in a frost, a mud-wall made of lome | |
Cracketh and crummeth in peeces a_sonder, | |
1950 | So melteth his money, to the worldes wonder. |
Thus maie ye se, to tourne the cat in the pan, | |
Or set the cart before the hors, well he can. | |
He is but little at home, the trewth is so. | |
And forth with hym he will not let me go. | |
1955 | And if I come to be mery where he is, |
Than is he mad. as ye shall here by this. | |
Where he with gosseps at a banket late was, | |
At whiche as vse is, he payde all. but let pas. | |
I came to be mery. wherwith meryly, | |
1960 | Proface. Haue among you blynde harpers (sayd I.) |
The mo the merier, we all daie here and se. | |
ref.ed: 160 | |
Ye but the fewer the better fare (saied he) | |
Then here were, er I cam (quoth I) to many. | |
Here is littell meate lefte, if there be any. | |
sig: [I3v] | |
1965 | And it is yll commyng, I haue harde say, |
To th'end of a shot, and begynnyng of a fray. | |
Put vp thy purs (quoth he) thou shalt none pay. | |
And fray here shuld be none, were thou gon thy way. | |
Here is, syns thou camst, to many feet a_bed. | |
1970 | Welcom when thou goest. thus is thyne errand sped. |
I come (quoth I) to be one here, if I shall, | |
It is mery in halle, when berds wag all. | |
What byd me welcom pyg. I pray the kys me. | |
Nay farewell sow (quoth he) our lorde blys me | |
1975 | From bassyng of beasts of beare-bynder-lane, |
I haue (quoth I) for fyne suger, fayre rats-bane. | |
Many yeres sens, my mother seyd to me, | |
Hyr elders wold saie, it ys better to be | |
An olde mans derlyng, then a yong mans werlyng. werlyng: =warling, 'one who is despised or disliked' | |
1980 | And god knowth, I knew none of this snerlyng. |
In my olde husbands days. for as tenderly, | |
He loued me, as ye loue me slenderly. | |
We drew both by one line. Quoth he, wold to our lord | |
Ye had in that drawyng, hangd both in one corde. | |
1985 | For I neuer meete the at fleshe nor at fyshe, |
But I haue sure a dead mans head in my dyshe. | |
Whose best and my worst day, that wisht myght be, | |
Was when thou dydst bury him, and mary me. | |
If you (quoth I) long for chaunge in those cases, | |
1990 | Wold to god he and you had chaunged places. |
But best I chaunge place. for here I may be sparde. | |
And for my kynde comyng, this is my rewarde. | |
Claw a chorle by th'ars, and he shiteth in my hande. | |
Knak me that nut. much good doyt you al this band. | |
sig: [I4] | |
1995 | Muste she not (quoth he) be welcome to vs all, |
Amonge vs all, lettyng suche a farewell fall? | |
ref.ed: 161 | |
But such carpenters, such chips. Quoth she folke tell. | |
Suche lips, such letise. suche welcom, suche farwell. | |
Thine own words (quoth he) thyn own welcom mard | |
2000 | Well (saied she) whan-so-euer we twayn haue iard, |
My woords be pryed at narowly, I espye. | |
Ye can see a mote in an-other mans iye, | |
But ye can not see a balke in your owne. | |
Ye marke my woords, but not that they be growne. | |
2005 | By reuellous rydyng on euery royle. |
Well-ny euery daie a newe mare or a moyle. | |
As muche vnhonest. as vnprofitable, | |
Whiche shall bryng vs shortly to be vnable, | |
To gyue a dog a lofe. as I haue oft sayde. | |
2010 | Howe-be-it your pleasure maie no tyme bee denayde. |
But styll you must haue, both the fynest meate, | |
Apparell, and all-thyng that money maie geate, | |
Lyke one of fonde fancy so fyne and so neate, | |
That wold haue better bread than is made of wheate. | |
2015 | The best is best cheape (quoth he) men saie clere. |
Well (quoth she) a man maie bie golde to dere, | |
Ye nother care, not welny caste what ye paie, | |
To bye the derest for the best alwaie. | |
But wyse men can saie, agaynst hewyng to hye, | |
2020 | Hewe not to hye, lest the chyps fall in thyne iye. This and the previous line found in 1546 only |
next twelve lines added in 1549 | |
Than for your diet who vseth feedying suche, | |
Eate more than enough, and drink muche more to muche. | |
But temprance teacheth this, where he kepeth scoole, | |
He that knoweth whan he hath enough, is no foole. | |
Fede by measure, and defye the phisicion. | |
And in the contrary, marke the condicion, | |
A swyne ouer-fat, is cause of her owne bane. | |
Who seeth nought herein, his wit is in the wane. | |
But pompous prouision, comth not all, alway | |
Of gluttony, but of pride somtyme, some say. | |
ref.ed: 162 | |
But this prouerbe preacheth to men haute or hye, | |
Hewe not to hye, lest the chips fall in thine iye. | |
Measure is a mery meane, as this dothe show. | |
Not to hy for the pye, nor to lowe for the crow. | |
The difference betweene staryng, and starke blynde, | |
The wyse man at all tymes to folowe can fynde. | |
sig: [I4v] | |
2025 | And ywis an auditour of a meane wyt, |
Maie soone accompt, though hereafter come not yet. | |
Yet is he sure be the daie neuer so longe, | |
Euermore at laste they ryng to euensonge. | |
And where ye spend much, though ye spent but lickell, | |
2030 | Yet littell and littell the cat eateth the flickell. |
Littell losse by length maie growe importable. | |
A mouse in tyme, maie bite a_two, a gable. | |
Thus to ende of all thyngs, be we leefe or lothe, | |
Yet lo the pot so longe to the water gothe, | |
2035 | Tyll at the laste it comth home broken. |
Fewe woords to the wise suffise to be spoken. | |
If ye were wise, here were ynough (quoth she) | |
Here is ynough, and to muche, dame (quoth he) | |
For though this appere a propre pulpet-peese, | |
2040 | Yet whan the foxe preacheth, than beware our geese. |
next fourteen lines added in 1549 | |
A good tale yll tolde, in the tellyng is marde. | |
So are (quoth she) good tales well tolde, and yll hearde. | |
Thy tales (quoth he) shew long heare, and short wit, wife. | |
But long be thy legs, and short be thy life. | |
Praie for your-selfe, I am not sicke (quoth she) | |
Well lets see, what thy last tale comth to (quoth he) | |
Thou saiest I spend all, to this, thy woords wander. | |
But as deepe drynketh the goose, as the gander. | |
Thou canst cough in the ambry, yf nede be, | |
Whan I shall cough without breade or broth for the. | |
Wherby while thou sendst me abrode to spende, | |
Thou gossepst at home, to mete me at lands_ende. | |
Ah, than I begyle you (quoth she) this ye meane. | |
But syr, my pot is whole, and my water cleane. | |
ref.ed: 163 | |
Thou woldest haue me hynch and pynch, like a snudge, Thou] Well, thou 1549; hynch and] quoth he 1549 | |
Euery daie to be thy driuell, or thy drudge. | |
Not so (quoth she) but I wold haue ye stur | |
Honestly, to kepe the wulfe from the dur. | |
next eighteen lines added in 1549 | |
I wold driue the wulfe out at doore fyrst (quoth he) | |
And that can I not doo, tyll I driue out the. | |
A man were better be drownde in Venyce_gulfe, | |
Than haue suche a bearded beare, or suche a wulfe. | |
But had I not been witcht, my weddyng to flee, | |
The termes that long to weddyng had warnde me. | |
First wooyng for woyng, banna for bannyng. | |
The banes for my bane, and than this thus scannyng, | |
Mariyng, marryng. And what maried I than? | |
A woman. As who saieth, wo to the man. | |
Thus wed I with wo, wed I Gill, wed I Iane. | |
I praie God the diuell go with the, downe the lane. | |
I graunt (quoth she) this doth sound (as ye agreed) | |
On your side in woords, but on my syde in deed. | |
Thou grantst this grant (quoth he) without any grace, | |
Vngraciousely, to thy side, to tourne this case. | |
Leaue this (quoth she) and learne liberalitie, | |
To stynt strife, growne by your prodigalitie | |
2045 | Ofte saied the wise man, whom I erst dyd bery, |
Better are meales many, than one to mery. | |
Well (quoth he) that is answered with this. wyfe. | |
Better is one monthes chere, than a churles hole life. | |
I thynke it learnyng of a wyser lectour, | |
2050 | To lerne to make my-selfe myne owne exectour. |
Than spare for an-other, that might wed the, | |
As the foole, thy fyrst husbande. spared for me, | |
And as for yll places, thou sekest me in mo, | |
And in wors to. than I into any go. | |
sig: K[1] | |
2055 | Wherby this prouerbe shewth the in by the weeke. |
No man wyll an-other in the ouen seeke, | |
ref.ed: 164 | |
Except that hym-selfe haue been there before, | |
God gyue grace thou hast been good. I saie no more. | |
And wold haue the sai lesse. except thou couldst proue | |
2060 | Suche processe, as thou slaunderously doest moue. |
For sclaunder perchaunce (quoth she) I not denye. | |
It maie be a sclaunder, but it is no lye. | |
It is a lye (quoth he) and thou a lyer. | |
Wyll ye (quoth she) dryue me to touche ye nyer? | |
2065 | I rub the gald hors back till he winche, and yit. |
He wold make it seme, that I touche hym no whit. | |
But I wot what I wot, though I few words make, | |
Many kysse the childe for the nurces sake. | |
Ye haue many godchyldren to looke vpone, | |
2070 | And ye blesse theim all, but ye basse but one. |
This half shewth, what the holle meanth, that I meeue. | |
Ye fet circumquaques to make me beleeue circumquaques: i.e. circumlocutions; see OED s.v. circumquaque | |
Or thynke, that the moone is made of a grene chese. | |
And whan ye haue made me a loute in all these, | |
2075 | It semeth ye wolde make me go to bed at noone. |
Naie (quoth he) the daie of dome shall be doone | |
Er thou go to bed at noone, or nyght, for me, | |
Thou art, to be playn and not to flatter the, | |
As holsome a morsell for my comly cors, | |
2080 | As a shoulder of mutton for a sycke hors. |
next twelve lines added in 1549 | |
The diuell with his dam, hath more rest in hell, | |
Than I haue here with the. but well wyfe well. | |
Well well (quoth she) many wels, many buckets. | |
Ye (quoth he) and many woords, many buffets. | |
Had you some husband, and snapt at hym thus, | |
I wys he would geue you a recumbentibus. | |
A dog will barke er he bite, and so thow, | |
After thy barkyng wilt bite me, I trowe now. | |
But it is harde to make an olde dog stoupe, lo. | |
Sir (quoth she) a man maie handle his dog so, | |
That he may make him bite him, though he would not, | |
Husbands ar in heauen (quoth he) whose wiues scold not. | |
ref.ed: 165 | |
Thou makest me claw where it itcheth not. I wold | |
Thy toung were coolde to make thy tales more cold. | |
That aspine-leafe, such spitefull clappyng hath bred, | |
That my cap is better at ease than my hed. | |
sig: [K1v] | |
2085 | God sende that hed (saied she) a better nurs. |
For whan the hed aketh, all the body is the wurs. | |
God graunt (quoth I) the hed and body bothe too, | |
To nurs eche other, better than they doo, | |
Or euer haue doone for the moste tymes paste, | |
2090 | I brought to nurs both (quoth she) had not ben waste, |
Margery_good_cowe (quoth he) gaue a good meele, | |
But than she cast it downe agayne with hir heele. | |
Howe can her purs for profyte bee delitefull? | |
Whose persone and propretees be so spitefull so] thus 1549 | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
A peece of a kyd is woorth two of a cat. | |
Who the diuell will chaunge a rabet for a rat? | |
2095 | As are thyne. Sure a man were better begge, As are thyne. Sure a man were better begge] If I myght chaunge, I wolde rather chuse to begge 1549 |
Or syt with a rosted appull, or an egge, | |
Where his appetite serueth hym to bee, his] mine 1549; hym] me 1549 | |
Than euery daie to fare lyke a duke with the. | |
Lyke a duke, lyke a duck (quoth she) thou shalt fare, | |
2100 | Except thou wilt spare, more than thou dost yet spare. |
Thou farest to well (quoth he) but thou art so wood, | |
Thou knowst not who doth the harm, who doth the good | |
Yes yes (quoth she) for all those wyse words vttred, | |
I knowe on whiche syde my breade is buttred, | |
2105 | But there will no butter cleaue on my breade. |
And on my breade any butter to be spreade, | |
Euery promyse that thou therin doest vtter, | |
Is as sure, as it were sealed with butter. | |
Or a mouse tyed with a threede. Euery good thyng, | |
2110 | Thou lettest euen slyp, like a wag-halter slypstryng. |
ref.ed: 166 | |
But take vp in tyme, or els I protest, | |
All be not abedde, that shall haue yll rest. | |
Nowe go to thy derlyngs, and declare thy greefe, | |
Where all thy plesure is. hop hoore, pype theefe. | |
sig: K2 | |
¶The eyght chapiter. |
|
2115 | [W]ith this thens hopt she, wherwith o lord he cride 'W' of 'With'=VV |
What wretch but I, this wretchednes coud bide | |
Howe-be-it in all this wo, I haue no wronge, | |
For it onely is all on my-selfe alonge. | |
Where I shuld haue bridled hir fyrst with rough byt, | |
2120 | To haue made hir chowe on the brydell one fyt, |
For likorous lucre of a little winnyng, | |
I gaue hir the bridell at begynnyng. | |
And nowe she taketh the brydle in the teeth, | |
And runth awaie with it, wherby eche man seeth, | |
2125 | It is (as olde men right well vnderstande) |
Ill puttyng a naakt sworde in a mad-mans hande. | |
She taketh such hert of gras, that though I maym hir, | |
Or kill hir, yet shall I neuer reclaym hir, | |
She hath (they say) been styffe-necked euermore. | |
2130 | And it is yll healyng of an olde sore. |
This prouerbe prophecied many yeres agone, | |
It will not out of the fleshe, thats bred in the bone. | |
What chaunce haue I, to haue a wyfe of suche sorte, | |
That will no faute amende, in earnest nor sporte, | |
2135 | A small thyng amysse late I dyd espy. |
Whiche to make her mende, by a ieste meryly, | |
I sayde but this, taunt-tyuet wyfe, your nose drops. taunt-tyuet: see Habenicht, p. 232 | |
So it maie fall, I wil eate no browesse-sops browesse: 'broth'; see OED s.v. brewis, browis. | |
This daie. But two daies after this came in vre, | |
2140 | I had sorowe to my sops ynough be sure. |
Well (quoth I) it is yll iestyng on the soothe. | |
Soth bourd is no bourd, in ought that myrth dooth. | |
sig: [K2v] | |
Suche iests could not iuggle hir, were ought amys. | |
ref.ed: 167 | |
Nor turne melancoly to myrth. for it is | |
2145 | No playing with a strawe before an olde cat, |
Euery tryflyng toie age can not laugh at. | |
Ye maie walke this waie, but sure ye shall fynde, | |
The further ye go, the further behynde. | |
Ye shoulde consyder, the woman is olde. | |
2150 | And what for a whot worde. Sone whot, sone colde. |
Beare with them, that beare with you. and she is scand, | |
Not onely the fayrest floure of your garlande, | |
But also she is all the fayre floures therof. | |
Will ye requite hir than with a tauntyng scof? | |
2155 | Or with any other kynde of vnkyndnesse? |
Take hede is a fayre thyng. Beware this blyndnesse. | |
Why will ye (quoth he) I shall folowe hir will? | |
To make me Iohnn_drawlache, or suche a snekebill. | |
To bryng her solas, that bryngth me sorowe, | |
2160 | Byr lady, than we shall catche bryds to_morow. |
A good wife makth a good husbande (they saie) | |
That (quoth I) ye maie tourne an-other waie. | |
To make a good husbande, make a good wyfe. | |
I can no more herein, but god stynt all stryfe. | |
2165 | Amen (quoth he) and god a_mercy brother, |
I will nowe mende this house, and payre an-other. | |
And that he ment of lykelyhod by his owne. | |
For so apairde he that, er three yeres were growne, | |
That little and little he decayde so long, | |
2170 | Tyll he at length came to buckle and bare thong. |
To discharge charge, that necessarily grewe, | |
There was no more water than the shyp drew. | |
sig: K3 | |
Suche dryfts draue he, from yll to wars and wars, | |
Tyll he was as bare as a byrds ars. | |
2175 | Money, and money worth, dyd so mysse hym, |
That he had not nowe, one peny to blysse hym. | |
Whiche foreseene in this woman wisely waying, | |
That meete was to staie somewhat for hir staying, | |
ref.ed: 168 | |
To kepe yet one messe for Alyson in store. | |
2180 | She kepte one bag, that he had not sene before. |
A poore cooke that maie not licke his owne fyngers. | |
But about hir at home now still he lyngers. | |
Not checker a_boord, all was not clere in the coste, | |
He lookt lyke one, that had beshyt the roste. | |
2185 | But whether any secrete tales were sprynklyng, |
Or that he by gesse had got an ynklyng | |
Of hir hoord, or that he thought to amende, | |
And tourne his yll begynnyng to a good ende. | |
In shewyng hym-selfe a newe man, as was feet, | |
2190 | That appered shortly after, but not yeet. |
¶The nynthe chapiter. |
|
ONe daie in their arbour, which stode so to myne, | |
That I might, and did closely myn eare inclyne, | |
And likewise cast myne eie to here and see, | |
What they saied and dyd, where they could not se me. | |
2195 | He vnto hir a goodly tale began, |
More lyke a wooer, than a weddyd man, | |
As farre as matter therof therin serued, | |
But the fyrst part from wordes of wooyng swerued. | |
And stode vpon repentance, with submission, | |
2200 | Of his former croked vnkynde condicion. |
sig: [K3v] | |
Praying hir, to forgeue and forget all free, | |
And he forgaue hir, as he forgeuen wold bee. | |
Louyng hir now, as he full depely swore, | |
As whotly, as euer he loued hir before. | |
2205 | Well well (quoth she) what-euer ye now saie, |
It is to late to call agayne yesterdaie. | |
Wyfe (quoth he) suche maie my diligence seeme, | |
That th'offence of yesterdaie I mai redeeme. | |
God taketh me as I am, and not as I was. | |
2210 | Take you me so to, and let all thyngs past pas. |
I praie the good wife, thynk I speke and thynk playne. | |
ref.ed: 169 | |
What, he ronth far, that neuer turnth agayne. | |
Ye be yong ynough to mende, I agree it, | |
But I am (quoth she) to olde to see it. | |
2215 | And mende ye or not, I am to olde a yeere. |
What is lyfe? where lyuyng is extincte cleere. | |
Namely at olde yeres of least helpe and moste nede. | |
But no tale coulde tune you, in tyme to take hede. | |
If I tune my-selfe now (quoth he) it is fayre. | |
2220 | And hope of true tune, shall tune me from dispaire. |
Beleue well and haue well. men saie. Ye, saied shee, | |
Doo well and haue well. men saie also, we see. | |
But what man can beleue, that man can doo well. | |
Who of no man will counsell take or here tell. | |
2225 | Whiche to you, whan any man any-waie tryde, |
Than were ye deafe. ye coulde not here on that syde. | |
Who-euer with you any-tyme therin weares, | |
He must bothe tell you a tale and fynde you eares. | |
You had on your haruest-eares, thycke of heryng. | |
2230 | But this is a question of olde enqueryng, |
sig: [K4] | |
Who is so deafe, or so blynde, as is hee, | |
That wilfully will nother here nor see. | |
Whan ye sawe your maner, my harte for wo, molte, ye] I 1549 | |
Than wold ye mende, as the fletcher mends his bolt, | |
2235 | Or as sowre ale mendthe in sommer, I know, |
And knew, whiche waie the wynde blew, and will blow. | |
Though not to my profite, a prophete was I. | |
I prophecied this, to true a prophecy. | |
Whan I was right yll beleued, and worse harde. | |
2240 | By flynging from your folkes at home, which al mard. |
Whan I saied in semblaunce either colde or warme, | |
A man far from his good, is nye his harme. | |
Or wylde ye to looke, that ye loste no more, | |
On suche as shew, that hungry flyes byte sore, | |
2245 | Than wold ye loke ouer me, with stomake swolne, |
ref.ed: 170 | |
Lyke as the deuill lookt ouer Lyncolne. | |
The deuill is deade wife (quoth he) for ye see. | |
I loke lyke a lambe, in all your words to mee. | |
Looke as ye lyst now (quoth she) thus lookt ye than, | |
2250 | And for those lookes I shewe this, to shewe ech man, |
Suche profe of this prouerbe, as none is gretter, | |
Which saith, that some man maie steale a hors better, | |
Than some other maie stande and loke vpone. | |
Leude huswiues might haue words. but I not one | |
2255 | That might be alowde. But nowe if ye looke, |
In mystakyng me, ye maie see, ye tooke | |
The wrong waie to wood, and the wrong sow by th'eare | |
And therby in the wronge boxe to thriue ye weare. | |
I haue herde some, to some tell this tale not seelde, | |
2260 | Whan thrift is in the towne, ye be in the feelde. |
But contrary, you made that sence to sowne, | |
Whan thryfte was in the feelde, ye were in the towne. | |
sig: [K4v] | |
Feelde-ware might synke or swym, while ye had eny, | |
Towne-ware was your ware, to tourne the peny. | |
2265 | But towne or feelde, where most thryfte dyd appere. |
What ye wan in th'undred, ye lost in the shere. | |
In all your good husbandry, thus ryd the rocke, | |
Ye stumbled at a strawe, and lept ouer a blocke. | |
So many kynds of encrease you had in choyce, | |
2270 | And nought increase nor kepe, howe can I reioyce? |
next four lines added in 1549 | |
Good ridyng at two ancres men haue tolde. | |
For if the tone faile, the tother maie holde. | |
But you leaue all anker-holde, on seas or lands. | |
And so set vp shop, vpon Goodwyns_sands. | |
For as folke haue a saying, both olde and trew, For] But 1549 | |
In that they saie, blacke will take none other hew, | |
So maie I saie here, to my deepe dolour, | |
It is a bad cloth, that will take no colour. | |
2275 | This case is yours. For ye were neuer so wise, |
ref.ed: 171 | |
To take specke of colour, of good aduise. | |
Th'aduise of all frends I saie, one and other | |
Went in at the tone eare, and out at the tother. | |
And as those words went out, this prouerbe in came. | |
2280 | He that will not be ruled by his owne dame, |
Shall be ruled by his stepdame, and so yow, | |
Hauyng lost our owne good, and owne frends now, our] your 1549 | |
Maie seke your foreyn frends. if you haue any, | |
And sure one of my great greefes, amonge many, | |
2285 | Is, that ye haue been so veraie a hog, |
To my frends. What man, loue me, loue my dog. | |
But you, to cast precious stones before hogs, | |
Cast my good before a sorte of curre-dogs. | |
And sawte bitches. Whiche by whom now deuoured, | |
2290 | And your honestee amonge theim defloured, |
And that ye maie no more expence afoorde, | |
Nowe can they not afoorde you one good worde. | |
sig: L[1] | |
And you theim as fewe. And olde folke vnderstood, | |
Whan theues fall out, true men come to their good. | |
2295 | Whiche is not alwaie true. For in all that bretche, |
I can no ferthyng of my good the more fetche. | |
Nor I trow theim-selfes neither. if they were sworne. | |
Lyght come lyght go. And sure sens we were borne, | |
Ruine of one rauyn, was there none gretter. | |
2300 | For by your gyfts, they be as little the better, |
As you be muche the worse. and I cast a_waie. | |
An yll wynde, that blowth no man to good, men saie. | |
Wel (quoth he) euery wind blowth not down the corn | |
I hope (I saie) good hap be not all out-worn. | |
2305 | I will nowe begyn thryft, whan thrifte semeth gone. |
What wyfe, there be mo waies to the wood than one. | |
And I will assaie all the waies to the wood, | |
Tyll I fynde one waie, to get agayne this good. | |
Ye will get it agayne (quoth she) I feare, | |
ref.ed: 172 | |
2310 | As shortely as a hors will lycke his eare. |
The douche-man saieth, that seggyng is good cope. | |
Good words bring not euer of good dedes good hope | |
And these words shew your words spoken in scorne. | |
It pricketh betymes that will be a good thorne. | |
2315 | Tymely crookth the tree, that wil a good camok bee. camok: =cammock, 'crooked stick' |
And suche begynnyng suche ende. we all daie see. | |
Now you by me at begynnyng beyng thriuen, | |
And than to kepe thrift could not be prickt nor driuen | |
Howe can ye now get thrifte, the stocke beyng gon? | |
2320 | Whiche is th'onely thyng to reyse thryft vpon. |
Men saie, he maie yll renne, that can not go, | |
And your gayn, without your stocke, renneth euen so. | |
sig: [L1v] | |
For what is a workeman, without his tooles. | |
Tales of Robyn_hoode are good among fooles. | |
2325 | He can yll pype, that lackth his ouer-lyp. |
Who lackth a stocke, his gayne is not woorth a chyp. | |
A tale of a tub, your tale no truthe auowth, | |
Ye speake nowe, as ye wolde creepe into my mowth. | |
In pure peynted processe, as false as fayre, | |
2330 | Howe ye will amende, whan ye can not appayre. |
But agaynst gaie glosers this rude text recites, | |
It is not all butter, that the cowe shites. | |
next twelve lines added in 1549 | |
I herd ones a wise man saie to his daughter, | |
Better is the laste smile, than the first laughter, | |
We shall I trust (quoth he) laugh again at last. | |
Although I be ones out of the sadle cast. | |
Yet sens I am bent to syt, this will I doo. | |
Recouer the hors or lese the saddle too. | |
Ye neuer could yet (quoth she) recouer any hap, | |
To wyn or saue ought, to stop any one gap. | |
For stoppyng of gaps (quoth he) care not a rushe. | |
I will learne to stop two gaps with one bushe. | |
Ye will (quoth she) as soone stop gaps with russhes, | |
As with any husbandly handsome busshes, | |
ref.ed: 173 | |
Your tale hath lyke taste, where temprance is taster, tale hath] tales haue 1549 | |
To breake my head, and than gyue me a plaster. | |
2335 | Now thrifte is gone, now wold ye thryue in all haste. |
And whan ye had thryfte, ye had lyke haste to waste. | |
Ye lyked than better an ynche of your wyll, | |
Than an ell of your thrifte. Wyfe (quoth he) be styll. | |
Maie I be holpe foorth one ynche at this pynche, | |
2340 | I will yet thriue (I saie) As good in an ynche |
As an ell. Ye can (quoth she) make it so, well. | |
For whan I gaue you an ynche, ye tooke an ell. | |
Tyll both ell and ynche be gone, and we in det. | |
Nay (quoth he) with a wet fynger ye can fet, | |
2345 | As muche as maie easily all this matter ease, |
And this debate also pleasauntly appease. | |
I coulde doo as muche with an hundred pounde now, | |
As with a thousande afore, I assure yow. | |
Ye (quoth she) who had that he hath not, wolde | |
2350 | Doo that he dooth not, as olde men haue tolde. |
Had I, as ye haue, I wolde doo more (quoth hee) | |
Than the preest spake of on sondaie, ye shulde see. | |
sig: L2 | |
Ye doo, as I haue (quoth she) for nought I haue, | |
And nought ye do. What man, I trowe ye raue. | |
2355 | Wolde ye bothe eate your cake, and haue your cake? |
Ye haue had of me all that I might make. | |
And bee a man neuer so greedy to wyn, | |
He can haue no more of the foxe but the skyn. | |
Well (quoth he) if ye lyst to bryng it out, | |
2360 | Ye can geue me your blessyng in a clout. |
That were for my childe, (quoth she) had I ony, | |
But husbande, I haue neither childe, nor mony. | |
Ye cast and coniecture this muche lyke in show. | |
As the blind man casts his staffe, or shootes the crow. | |
2365 | Howbeit had I money right muche, and ye none, |
Yet to be playne, ye shulde haue none, for Ione. | |
ref.ed: 174 | |
Naie, he that firste flattereth me, as ye haue doone. | |
And dooeth as ye dyd to me after, so soone, | |
He maie be in my Pater-noster in-dede. | |
2370 | But be sure, he shall neuer come in my Crede. |
Aue Maria (quoth he) how muche mocion | |
Here is to praiers, with howe little deuocion. | |
But some men saie, no peny no Pater-noster. | |
I saie to suche (saied she) no longer foster | |
2375 | No longer lemman. But fayre and well than, |
Praie and shifte eche one for hym-selfe, as he can. | |
Euery man for hym-selfe, and god for vs all. | |
To those words he said nought, but forth-with dyd fall, | |
From harping on that stryng, to fayre flattring spech. | |
2380 | And as I erst saied, he dyd her so besech, |
That thyngs erst so far of, were nowe so far on, | |
That as she maie walow, awaie she is gon, | |
sig: [L2v] | |
Where all that was lefte laie with a trusty frende, | |
Dwellyng a good walke from hir at the towns ende. | |
2385 | And backe agayn streight a haltyng pace she hobles. |
Bryngyng a bag of royals and nobles. | |
All that she had, without restraynt of one iote. | |
She brought bullocks noble. for noble or grote, | |
Had she not one mo. Whiche I after well knew. | |
2390 | And anon smylyng, towarde hym as she drew, |
A syr, lyght burdeyn far heuy (quoth she) | |
This lyght burdeyn in long walke welny ti[re]th me. tireth] tierth 1546, tireth 1550 | |
God gyue grace, I playe not the foole this daie. | |
For here I sende th'axe after the helue awaie. | |
2395 | But yf ye will stynt, and auoyde all stryfe, |
Loue and cheryshe this as ye wolde my lyfe. | |
I wyll (quoth he) wyfe, by god almyghty. | |
This geare comth euen in puddyng-tyme ryghtly. | |
He snatcht at the bag. No hast but good (quoth shee) | |
2400 | Short shootyng leeseth your game, ye maie see. |
Ye myst the cushyn, for all your haste to it. | |
ref.ed: 175 | |
And I maie set you besyde the cushyn yit, | |
And make ye wype your nose vpon your sleeue, | |
For ought ye shall wyn without ye axe me leeue. | |
2405 | Haue ye not herde tell, all couet all leese? |
Ah syr, I se, ye maie see no greene chese, | |
But your teeth muste water. A good coknay coke. | |
Though ye loue not to bye the pyg in the poke, | |
Yet snatche ye at the poke, that the pyg is in, | |
2410 | Not for the poke, but the pyg good chepe to wyn. |
Lyke one halfe lost, tyll gredy graspyng gat it, | |
Ye wolde be ouer the style, or ye come at it. | |
sig: L3 | |
But abyde frend, your mother byd tyll ye wer borne. | |
Snatchyng wynth it not. if ye snatche tyll to_morne. | |
2415 | Men saie (saied he) long standyng and small offryng |
Maketh poore parsons. and in such signes and proffryng | |
Many praty tales, and mery toys had they, | |
Before this bag came fully from hir awey. | |
next two lines added in 1549 | |
Kyndly he kyst her, with words not tart nor tough. | |
But the cat knowth whose lips she lickth wel enough. | |
Howbeit, at laste she tooke it hym, and sayde, Howbeit, at laste she tooke it hym] Anone, the bag she delyuered hym 1549 | |
2420 | He shulde beare it, for that it nowe heuy wayde. |
With good will wyfe. for it is (sayde he to her) | |
A proude hors that wil not beare his own prouander. | |
And ofte before seemed she neuer so wyse, | |
Yet was she nowe, sodeynly waxen as nyse | |
2425 | As it had been a halporth of syluer spoones. |
Thus cloudy mornyngs turne to clere after-noones. | |
But so nye noone it was, that by and by, | |
They rose, and went to dyner louyngly. | |
¶The tenthe chapiter. |
|
THis diner thought he long. and streight after that, | |
2430 | To his accustomed customers he gat. |
With whome in what tyme he spent one grote before, | |
ref.ed: 176 | |
In lesse tyme he spendth now, ten grotes or more. | |
And in small tyme he brought the worlde so about, | |
That he brought the bottom of the bag cleane out. | |
2435 | His gaddyng thus agayne made hir yll content, |
But she not so muche as dreamd that all was spent. | |
Howe-be-it sodeynly she mynded on a daie, | |
To picke the chest-locke, wherin this bag laie. | |
Determynyng this. if it laie whole styll, | |
2440 | So shall it lye, no myte she minyshe will. |
sig: [L3v] | |
And if the bag began to shrynke, she thought best, | |
To take for hir part, some parte of the rest. | |
But streight as she had forthwith opened the locke, | |
And lookt in the bag, what it was a clocke, | |
2445 | Than was it proued true, as this prouerbe gothe, |
He that cometh last to the pot, is soonest wrothe. | |
By hir comyng laste, and to late to the pot. | |
Wherby she was potted, thus lyke a sot, | |
To see the pot bothe skymd for rennyng ouer, | |
2450 | And also all the lykour renne at rouer. |
At hir good husbands and hir next meetyng, | |
The diuels good grace might haue geuen a greetyng. | |
Eyther for honour or honestee as good | |
As she gaue him: She was (as they sai) horne-wood. | |
2455 | In no place coulde she sitte, hir-selfe to settyll. |
It seemd to hym, she had pyst on a nettyll. | |
She nettlyd hym, and he rattled hir so, | |
That at ende of that fraie, a_sunder they go. | |
And neuer after came togyther agayne. | |
2460 | He turnde hir out at durs, to grase on the playne. |
And hym-self went after. For within fortnyght, | |
All that was lefte, was launched out quight. | |
And thus had he brought haddock to paddock, | |
Tyll they bothe were not now worth a haddock. | |
2465 | It hath been sayde, nede maketh the olde wyfe trot. |
Other folke sayde it, but she dyd it. god wot. | |
ref.ed: 177 | |
Fyrst from frende to frende, and than from dur to dur, | |
A_beggyng to some that had begged of hur. | |
But as men saie, misery maie be mother, | |
2470 | Where one begger is dryuen to beg of an-other. |
sig: [L4] | |
And thus ware, and wasted this most woful wretche. | |
Tyll death from this lyfe, dyd her wretchedly fetche. | |
Her late husband, and now wydower, here and there | |
Wandryng about few knowe, and fewer care where. | |
2475 | Cast out as an abiect, he leadeth his lyfe, |
Tyll famyne by_lyke, fet hym after his wyfe. | |
Nowe let vs note here. Fyrst of the first twayne, | |
Where they bothe wedded togyther, to remayne, | |
Hopyng ioyfull presence shulde weare out all wo. | |
2480 | Yet pouertee brought that ioye to ieofayle, lo. ieofayle: =jeofail, 'error, mistake' |
But notably note these last twayne where as hee | |
Tooke hir onely, for that he ryche would bee. | |
And she hym onely in hope of good happe, | |
In hir dotyng-daies to be daunst on the lappe, | |
2485 | In condicion they differd so many waies, |
That lyghtly he layde hir vp for holy-daies. | |
Hir good he layde vp so, lest theues myght spie it, | |
That nother she coulde, nor he can come by it. | |
Thus failed all foure of all thyngs lesse and more, | |
2490 | Whyche they all, or any of all, maryed fore. |
The leuenthe chapiter. |
|
FOrsothe (sayd my frend) this matter maketh bost, | |
Of diminucion. For here is a myll-poste | |
Thwitten to a puddyng-pricke so neerely, | |
That I confesse me discouraged cleerely, | |
2495 | In bothe my weddyngs, in all thyngs excepte one. |
This sparke of hope haue I, to procede vpone. | |
Though these, and some other sped yll as ye tell, | |
Yet other haue lyued and loued full well. | |
sig: [L4v] | |
If I shuld deny that (quoth I) I shulde raue. | |
ref.ed: 178 | |
2500 | For of bothe these sorts, I grant, that my-selfe haue |
Sene of the tone sorte, and herde of the tother. | |
That lyked and lyued right well, eche with other. | |
But whether fortune will you, that man declare, | |
That shall choose in this choice, your comfort or care | |
2505 | Sens, before ye haue chosen, we can not know, |
I thought to laie the worst, as ye the best show. | |
That ye myght, beyng yet at libertee, | |
With all your ioye, ioyne all your ieoperdee. | |
And nowe this herde, in these cases on eche parte, | |
2510 | I saie no more, but laie your hande on your harte. |
I hertily thanke you (quoth he) I am sped | |
Of myne errande. This hitteth the nayle on the hed. | |
Who that leaueth suretee, and leaneth to chaunce, | |
Whan fooles pipe, by auctoritee he maie daunce. | |
2515 | And sure am I, of those twayne, if I none choose, |
Although I nought wyn, yet shall I nought loose. | |
And to wyn a woman here, and lose a man, | |
In all this great wynnyng, what gayn wyn I than? | |
But marke how folly hath me awaie caried. | |
2520 | Howe lyke a wethercock haue I here varied. |
Fyrst these two women to loose I was so lothe, | |
That yf I myght, I wolde haue wedded them bothe. | |
Than thought I sens, to haue wedded one of theim. | |
Now nowe knowe I clere, I wyll wed none of theim. | |
2525 | They bothe shall haue this one answere by letter, |
As good neuer a whit as neuer the better. | |
Now let me axe (quoth I) and your-self answere | |
The shorte question, that I asked whyle ere. | |
sig: [M1] | |
A foule olde riche widowe, whether wed wold ye, | |
2530 | Or a yonge fayre mayde, beyng poore as ye be. |
In neither barrell better hearryng (quoth hee) | |
I_lyke thus, ryches as yll as pouertee. | |
Who that hath either of these pygs in vre, | |
He hath a pygge of the worse panier sure. | |
ref.ed: 179 | |
2535 | I was wedded vnto my will. howe-be-it, |
I will be deuorst, and be wedde to my wit. | |
Wherby with these examples paste, I maie see, | |
Fonde weddyng, for loue, or good onely, to flee. | |
Onely for loue, or onely for good, | |
2540 | Or onely for bothe. I wedde not, by my hood. |
Thus no one thyng onely, though one thyng chiefly | |
Shall woo me to wed now, for now I espy, | |
Although the chiefe one thyng in weddyng bee loue, | |
Yet must mo thyngs ioyne, as all in one maie moue | |
2545 | Suche kynde of lyuyng, for suche kynde of lyfe, |
As, lackyng the same, no lacke to lacke a wyfe. | |
Here is enough, I am satisfied (sayde he.) | |
Sens enough is enough (sayd I) here maie we, | |
With that one word take end good, as maie be geast. | |
2550 | For folke say, enough is as good as a feast. |
FINIS. |
|
¶IMPRINTED at London in Fletestrete by Thomas_Berthelet prynter to the kynges hyghnesse. | |
Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum. ANNO .M.D.XLVI. |