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diff --git a/17400-8.txt b/17400-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..7505c28 --- /dev/null +++ b/17400-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,1667 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Wright's Chaste Wife, by Adam of Cobsam + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Wright's Chaste Wife + A Merry Tale (about 1462) + +Author: Adam of Cobsam + +Editor: Frederick J. Furnivall + +Release Date: December 26, 2005 [EBook #17400] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WRIGHT'S CHASTE WIFE *** + + + + +Produced by David Starner, Taavi Kalju and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +[Transcriber's note: + +Letters that could not be fully displayed are "unpacked" and shown +top-to-bottom within braces: + +{GH}, {gh} for small and capital yogh. +{l~l} for double l with a tilde through. +{=u} for u with a macron. +{h-} for h with a line through the top. +{rh} for r with a upwards hook attached to the horizontal stem. +{m~} for a m with a loop back over the character. +{n)} for a n with a ) attached to the right side. +{d+} for the d with a little crook attached to the top right of the d. +{/ĉ} for an ae ligature with an acute accent. + +There is also one instance of (on line 391 of the poem) a m with a ) +attached to the right side (rendered as {m)} and looks like), but this +is probably a typo for {m~}. I have left this as is. + +Text and letters in brackets [ ] is original. + +Obvious typos are corrected in this e-text.] + + + + +The Wright's Chaste Wife. + + +Early English Text Society + +Original Series, No. 12 + + +1865 + +Reprinted 1891, 1905, 1965 + + +Price 7_s._ 6_d._ + + + + +The + +Wright's Chaste Wife, + +OR + +"A Fable of a wryg{h-}t that was maryde to a pore + wydows dowt_re_ / the whiche wydow havyng + noo good to geve w_i_t_h_ her / gave as for + a p_re_cyous Johe{l~l} to hy_m_ a Rose + garlond / the whyche sche affermyd + wold nev_er_ fade while sche + kept truly her wedlok." + + +A Merry Tale, by Adam of Cobsam. + + +_From a MS. in the Library of the Archbishop of Canterbury, at Lambeth, +about 1462 A.D._ + + +COPIED AND EDITED BY +FREDERICK J. FURNIVALL. + + + _Published for_ +THE EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY + _by the_ +OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS +LONDON · NEW YORK · TORONTO + + +FIRST PUBLISHED 1865 + +REPRINTED 1891, 1905, 1965. + + +Original Series No. 12 + + +REPRINTED IN GREAT BRITAIN BY RICHARD CLAY +(THE CHAUCER PRESS) LTD., BUNGAY, SUFFOLK + + + + +PREFACE. + + +Good wine needs no bush, and this tale needs no Preface. I shall not +tell the story of it--let readers go to the verse itself for that; nor +shall I repeat to those who begin it the exhortation of the englisher of +_Sir Generides_, + + "for goddes sake, or ye hens wende, + Here this tale unto the ende."--(ll. 3769-70.) + +If any one having taken it up is absurd enough to lay it down without +finishing it, let him lose the fun, and let all true men pity him. +Though the state of morals disclosed by the story is not altogether +satisfactory, yet it is a decided improvement on that existing in Roberd +of Brunne's time in 1303, for he had to complain of the lords of his +day: + + Also do ŝese lordynges, + Ŝe[y] trespas moche yn twey ŝynges; + Ŝey rauys a mayden a{gh}ens here wyl, + And mennys wyuys ŝey lede awey ŝertyl. + A grete vylanye ŝarte he dous + {GH}yf he make therof hys rouse [boste]: + Ŝe dede ys confusyun, + And more ys ŝe dyffamacyun. + +The volume containing the poem was shown to me by Mr Stubbs, the +Librarian at Lambeth, in order that I might see the version of Sir +Gyngelayne, son of Sir Gawain, which Mr Morris is some day, I trust, to +edit for the Society in one of his Gawain volumes.[1] Finding the +present poem also on the paper leaves, I copied it out the same +afternoon, and here it is for a half-hour's amusement to any reader who +chooses to take it up. + +The handwriting of the MS. must be of a date soon after 1460, and this +agrees well with the allusion to Edward the Fourth's accession, and the +triumph of the White Rose o'er the Red alluded to in the last lines of +the poem. The Garlond, + + It was made ... + Of flourys most of honoure, + Of roses whyte ŝat wy{l~l} nott fade, + Whych floure a{l~l} ynglond doth glade.... + Vn-to the whych floure I-wys + The loue of God and of the comonys + Subdued bene of ryght. + +For, that the Commons of England were glad of their Yorkist king, and +loved Duke Richard's son, let Holinshed's record prove. He testifies: + + "Wherevpon it was againe demanded of the commons, if they would + admit and take the said erle as their prince and souereigne lord; + which all with one voice cried: Yea, yea.... + + "Out of the ded stocke sprang a branch more mightie than the stem; + this Edward the Fourth, a prince so highlie fauoured of the peple, + for his great liberalite, clemencie, vpright dealing, and courage, + that aboue all other, he with them stood in grace alone: by reason + whereof, men of all ages and degrees to him dailie repaired, some + offering themselues and their men to ioepard their liues with him, + and other plentiouslie gaue monie to support his charges, and to + mainteine his right." + +Would that we knew as much of Adam of Cobsam as of our White-Rose king. +He must have been one of the Chaucer breed,[2] but more than this poem +tells of him I cannot learn. + +_3, St George's Square, N.W., +23 November, 1865._ + +P.S.--There are other Poems about Edward IV. in the volume, which will +be printed separately.[3] One on Women is given at the end of the +present text. + + * * * * * + +PP.S. 1869.--Mr C.H. Pearson, the historian of the Early and Middle Ages +of England, has supplied me with the immediate original of this story. +He says: + + "The Wright's Chaste Wife is a reproduction of one of the _Gesta + Romanorum_, cap. 69, de Castitate, ed. Keller. The Latin story + begins 'Gallus regnavit prudens valde.' The Carpenter gets a shirt + with his wife, which is never to want washing unless one of them is + unfaithful. The lovers are three Knights (_milites_), and they are + merely kept on bread and water, not made to work; nor is any wife + introduced to see her lord's discomfiture. The English version, + therefore, is much quainter and fuller of incident than its + original. But the 'morality' of the Latin story is rich beyond + description. 'The wife is holy Mother Church,' 'the Carpenter is + the good Christian,' 'the shirt is our Faith, because, as the + apostle says, it is impossible to please God without faith.' The + Wright's work typifies 'the building up the pure heart by the works + of mercy.' The three Knights are 'the pride of life, the lust of + the eyes, and the lust of the flesh.' 'These you must shut up in + the chamber of penance till you get an eternal reward from the + eternal King.' 'Let us therefore pray God,' &c." + +With the Wright's Chaste Wife may also be compared the stories mentioned +in the Notes, p. 20, and the Ballad "The Fryer well fitted; or + + A Pretty jest that once befel, + How a maid put a Fryer to cool in the well" + +printed "in the Bagford Collection; in the Roxburghe (ii. 172); the +Pepys (iii. 145); the Douce (p. 85); and in _Wit and Mirth, an Antidote +to Melancholy_, 8vo. 1682; also, in an altered form, in Pills to purge +Melancholy, 1707, i. 340; or 1719, iii. 325"; and the tune of which, +with an abstract of the story, is given in Chappell's _Popular Music_, +i. 273-5. The Friar makes love to the Maid; she refuses him for fear of +hell-fire. + + Tush, quoth the Friar, thou needst not doubt; + If thou wert in Hell, I could sing thee out. + +So she consents if he'll bring her an angel of money. He goes home to +fetch it, and she covers the well over with a cloth. When he comes back, +and has given her the money, she pretends that her father is coming, +tells the Friar to run behind the cloth, and down he flops into the +well. She won't help him at first, because if he could sing her out of +hell, he can clearly sing himself out of the well: but at last she does +help him out, keeps his money because he's dirtied the water, and sends +him home dripping along the street like a new-washed sheep. + +[Footnote 1: The since printing of the Romance in the Percy Folio MS. +Ballads and Romances, (_Lybius Disconius_, ii. 404,) will probably +render this unnecessary. (1869.)] + +[Footnote 2: Chaucer brings off his Carpenter, though, triumphant, and +not with the swived wife and broken arm that he gives his befooled +Oxford craftsman in _The Milleres Tale_. (1869.)] + +[Footnote 3: In _Political, Religious, and Love Poems_, E.E. Text Soc., +1867.] + + + + + THE WRIGHT'S CHASTE WIFE. + + [_MS. Lambeth 306, leaves 178-187._] + + + A{l~l}myghty god, maker of all_e_, +My sovereigns, Saue you my sou_er_eyns in towre & hall_e_, + And send yo{=u} good grace! 3 + If ye wy{l~l} a stounde blynne, +I will tell you Of a story I wy{l~l} begynne, +a tale And telle you a{l~l} the cas, 6 + Meny farleyes ŝat I haue herd_e_, + Ye would haue wondyr how yt ferde; + Lystyn, and ye scha{l~l} here; 9 +of a wright Of a wryght I wy{l~l} you telle, +of this land, That some tyme in thys land gan dwelle, + And lyued by hys myster. 12 +who, at work, was Whether that he were yn or owte, +afraid of no Of erthely man hadde he no dowte, +earthly man. To werke hows, harowe, nor plowgh, 15 + Or other werkes, what so they were, + Thous wrought he hem farre and nere, + And dyd tham wele I-nough. 18 +At first he would Thys wryght would wedde no wyfe, +wed no wife, Butt yn yougeth to lede hys lyfe +[leaf 178, back] In myrthe and oŝer melody; 21 +for wherever he Ou_er_ a{l~l} where he gan wende, +went he was A{l~l} they seyd "welcome, frende, +welcome; Sytt downe, and do gla[d]ly." 24 +but at last he Ty{l~l} on a tyme he was wyllyng, THE WRIGHT FALLS +wished As tyme comyth of all_e_ thyng, IN LOVE, AND + (So seyth the p_ro_fesye,) PROPOSES. 27 +to have a spouse A wyfe for to wedde & haue +to look after his That myght hys goodes kepe and saue, +goods. And for to leue a{l~l} foly. 30 +A widow near had a Ther dwellyd a wydowe in ŝat contre +fair daughter That hadde a doughter feyre & fre; + Of her, word sprang wyde, 33 +true and meek. For sche was bothe staby{l~l} & trewe, + Meke of maners, and fey{rh} of hewe; + So seyd men in that tyde. 36 + The wryght seyde, "so god me saue, +Her the wright Such a wyfe would I haue +would like to lie To lye nyghtly by my syde." 39 +by him, He ŝought to speke wyth ŝat may, +and therefore went And rose erly on a daye +to her mother And ŝyder gan he to ryde. 42 + The wryght was welcome to ŝe wyfe, + And her saluyd a{l~l} so blyve, + And so he dyd her doughter fre: 45 +and proposed for For the erand that he for ca{m~} +the maiden. Tho he spake, ŝat good yema{n)}; + Than to hym seyd sche: 48 +The mother says The wydowe seyd, "by heuen kyng, +she can only give I may geue wyth her no ŝing, +him as a portion (And ŝat forthynketh me;) 51 +a garland Saue a garlond I wy{l~l} the geue, + Ye scha{l~l} neu_er_ see, whyle ye lyve, + None such in thys contre: 54 +of roses Haue here thys garlond of roses ryche, + In a{l~l} thys lond ys none yt lyche, +that will keep its For ytt wy{l~l} eu_er_ be newe, 57 +colour [leaf 179] Wete ŝou wele w_i_t_h_owtyn fable, +while his wife is A{l~l} the whyle thy wyfe ys stable +true, The chaplett wolle hold hewe; 60 +but change when And yf thy wyfe vse putry, HE RECEIVES A +she is faithless. Or tolle eny man to lye her by, ROSE GARLAND + Than wolle yt change hewe, WITH HIS WIFE. 63 + And by the garlond ŝou may see, + Feky{l~l} or fals yf ŝat sche be, + Or ellys yf sche be trewe." 66 +The wright is Of thys chaplett hym was fu{l~l} fayne, +delighted with his And of hys wyfe, was nott to layne; +garland and wife, He weddyd her fu{l~l} sone, 69 +marries her and And ladde her home wyth solempnite, +takes her home; And hyld her bryda{l~l} dayes thre. + Whan they home come, 72 +and then begins to Thys wryght in hys hart cast, +think that when he If that he walkyd est or west +is out at work As he was wonte to done, 75 +men will try to "My wyfe ŝat ys so bryght of ble, +corrupt his wife. Men wolle desyre he{rh} fro me, + And ŝat hastly and sone;" 78 +So he plans a Butt sone he hym byŝought +crafty room and That a chambyr schuld be wrought +tower, Bothe of lyme and stone, 81 + Wyth wallys strong as eny stele, + And dorres sotylly made and wele, + He owte framyd yt sone; 84 +and builds it soon The chambyr he lett make fast, +with plaster of Wyth plast_er_ of parys ŝ_a_t wy{l~l} last, +Paris, Such ous know I neu_er_ none; 87 +which no one could Ther ys [ne] kyng ne emp_er_oure, +ever get out of if And he were lockyn in ŝat towre, +he once got into That cowde gete owte of ŝat wonne. 90 +it, Nowe hath he done as he ŝought, + And in the myddes of the flore wrought +for there was a A wondyr strange gyle, 93 +trapdoor in the A trapdoure rounde abowte +[leaf 179, back] That no man myght come yn nor owte; +middle, It was made wyth a wyle, 96 +and if any one That who-so touchyd yt eny thyng, THE WRIGHT +only touched it, In to ŝe pytt he schuld flyng GOES TO +down he'd go into Wythyn a lyty{l~l} whyle. WORK, AND 99 +a pit. For hys wyfe he made that place, LEAVES HIS +This was to stop That no man schuld beseke her of grace, WIFE AT +any tricks with Nor her to begyle. HOME. 102 +his wife. +Just then the town By ŝat tyme ŝe lord of the towne +Lord Hadde ordeynyd tymbyr redy bowne, + An halle to make of tre. 105 +sends for him to Aft_er_ the wryght the lord lett sende, +build a Hall, For ŝat he schuld wyth hym lende +(a job for two or Monythys two or thre. 108 +three months,) The lord seyd, "woult ŝou haue ŝi wyfe? +and offers to I wy{l~l} send aft_er_ her blyve +fetch his wife That sche may com to the." 111 +too. The wryght hys garlond hadde take w_y_t_h_ hy{m~}, + That was bryght and no ŝing dymme, + Yt wes feyre on to see. 114 +He sees the The lord axyd hym as he satt, +wright's garland, "Felowe, where hadyst ŝou ŝis hatte +and asks what it That ys so feyre and newe?" 117 +means. The wryght answerd a{l~l} so blyue, +"Sir, it will And seyd, "syr, I hadde yt wyth my wyfe, + And ŝat dare me neue{rh} rewe; 120 +tell me whether my Syr, by my garlond I may see +wife is false or Feky{l~l} or fals yf ŝat sche be, +true; Or[1] yf ŝat sche be trewe; 123 +and will change And yf my wyfe loue a p_ar_amoure, +its colour if she Than wy{l~l} my garlond vade coloure, +go wrong." And change wy{l~l} yt the hewe." 126 + The lord ŝought "by godys myght, +"I'll try that," That wy{l~l} I wete thys same nyght +thinks the Lord, Whether thys tale be trewe." 129 +and goes to the To the wryghtys howse anon he went, +wright's wife. He fonde the wyfe ther-in p_re_sente +[leaf 180] That was so bryght and schene; THE LORD 132 + Sone he hayled her trewly, BRIBES THE + And so dyd sche the lord curtesly: WRIGHT'S WIFE + Sche seyd, "welcome ye be;" TO LIE WITH 135 + Thus seyd the wyfe of the hows, HIM. +She asks after her "Syr, howe faryth my swete spouse +husband That hewyth vppon you{rh} tre?" 138 +but the Lord "Sertes, dame," he seyd, "wele, + And I am come, so haue I hele, + To wete the wylle of the; 141 +declares his own My loue ys so vppon the cast +love for her, That me thynketh my hert wolle brest, + It wolle none otherwyse be; 144 +and prays her to Good dame, graunt me thy grace +grant him his To pley with the in some preuy place +will. For gold and eke for fee." 147 +She entreats him "Good syr, lett be youre fare, +to let that be, And of such wordes speke no mare + For hys loue ŝat dyed on tre; 150 + Hadde we onys begonne ŝat gle, + My husbond by his garlond myght see; + For sorowe he would wexe woode." 153 +but he presses "Certes, dame," he seyd, "naye; +her, Loue me, I pray you, in ŝat ye maye: + For godys loue change thy mode, 156 +and offers her 40 Forty marke scha{l~l} be youre mede +marks. Of sylu_er_ and of gold[_e_] rede, + And that scha{l~l} do the good." 159 +On this she "Syr, that deede scha{l~l} be done; +consents if he'll Take me that mony here anon_e_." +put down the "I swere by the holy rode 162 +money. I thought when I cam hydde{rh} + For to bryng[2] yt a{l~l} to-gydde{rh}, + As I mott broke my heele." 165 +The 40 marks she Ther sche toke xl marke +takes Of syluer and gold styff and sterke: + Sche toke yt feyre and welle; THE 168 +and tells him to Sche seyd, "in to the chambyr wy{l~l} we, LORD IS +go [leaf 180, back] Ther no man scha{l~l} vs see; DROPPED +into the secret No lenger wy{l~l} we spare." 171 +chamber. Vp the steyer they gan[3] hye: THROUGH +Upstairs he goes, The stepes were made so queyntly A TRAPDOOR, + That farther myght he nott fare. 174 +stumbles, The lord stumbyllyd as he went in hast, +and pops down 40 He fe{l~l} doune in to ŝat chaste +feet through the Forty fote and somedele more. 177 +wright's trapdoor. The lord began to crye; + The wyfe seyd to hym in hye, + "Syr, what do ye there?" 180 +He prays the "Dame, I can nott seye howe + That I am come hydder nowe + To thys hows ŝat ys so newe; 183 + I am so depe in thys sure flore + That I ne can come owte att no dore; +good dame to have Good dame, on me ŝou rewe!" 186 +pity on him. "Nay," sche seyd, "so mut y the, +"Nay," says she, Ty{l~l} myne husbond come and se, +"not till my I schrewe hym ŝat yt ŝought." 189 +husband sees you." The lord arose and lokyd abowte +The Lord tries to If he myght eny where gete owte, +get out, but Butt yt holpe hy{m~} ryght nog{h-}t, 192 +can't, The wallys were so thycke w_y_t_h_y{n)}, + That he no where myght owte wynne + But helpe to hy{m~} were brought; 195 +and then threatens And eu_er_ the lord made euy{l~l} chere, +the wife, And seyd, "dame, ŝou schalt by thys dere." + Sche seyd that sche ne roug{h-}t; 198 +but she doesn't Sche seyd "I recke nere +care for that, Whyle I am here and ŝou art there, + I schrewe herre ŝat ŝe doth drede." 201 + The lord was sone owte of her ŝought, +and goes away to The wyfe went in to her lofte, +her work. Sche satte and dyd her dede. AND HAS 204 +Next day the Lord Than yt fe{l~l} on ŝat oŝer daye, TO BEAT FLAX +begs for food. Of mete and drynke he gan her p_ra_y, TO EARN HIS + There of he hadde gret nede. DINNER. 207 +[leaf 181] He seyd, "dame, for seynt charyte, + Wyth some mete ŝou comfort me." +"You'll get none Sche seyd, "nay, so god me spede, 210 +from me For I swere by swete seynt Iohn_e_, + Mete ne drynke ne getyst ŝou none +unless you sweat Butt ŝou wylt swete or swynke; 213 +for it," says she; For I haue both hempe and lyne, +"spin me some And a betyngstocke fu{l~l} fyne, +flax." And a swyngy{l~l} good and grete; 216 + If ŝou wylt worke, tell me sone." +He says he will: "Dame, bryng yt forthe, yt scha{l~l} be done, + Fu{l~l} gladly would I ete." 219 +she throws him the Sche toke the stocke in her honde, +tools, And in to the pytt sche yt sclang + With a grete hete: 222 +the flax and hemp, Sche brought the lyne and hempe on her backe, +and says, "Work "Syr lord," sche seyd, "haue ŝou ŝat, +away." And lerne for to swete." 225 + Ther sche toke hym a bonde + For to occupy hys honde, + And bade hym fast on to bete. 228 +He does, He leyd yt downe on the[4] stone, +lays on well, And leyd on strockes we{l~l} good wone, + And sparyd nott on to leyne. 231 + Whan ŝat he hadde wrought a thraue, +and then asks for Mete and drynke he gan to craue, +his food, And would haue hadde yt fayne; 234 + "That I hadde somewhat for to ete + Now aft_er_ my gret swete; + Me thynketh yt were ryg{h-}t, 237 +for he's toiled For I haue labouryd nyght and daye +night and day. The for to plese, dame, I saye, + And therto putt my myght." 240 +The wife The wyfe seyd "so mutt I haue hele, THE STEWARD + And yf ŝi worke be wrought wele RESOLVES TO + Thou schalt haue to dyne." TEMPT THE 243 +gives him meat Mete and drynke sche hym bare, WRIGHT'S +[leaf 181, back] Wyth a thrafe of flex mare WIFE. +and drink Of fu{l~l} long boundyn lyne. 246 +and more flax, So feyre the wyfe the lord gan praye +and keeps him up That he schuld be werkyng aye, +to his work. And nought ŝat he schuld blynne; 249 + The lord was fayne to werke tho, + Butt hys men knewe nott of hys woo + Nor of ŝer lordes pyne. 252 + +The Steward asks The stuard to ŝe wryght gan saye, +the wright after "Sawe ŝou owte of my lord to-daye, +his Lord, Whether that he ys wende?" 255 + The wryght answerde and seyd "naye; + I sawe hym nott syth yesterdaye; + I trowe ŝat he be schent." 258 +then notices the The stuard stode ŝe wryght by, +garland, And of hys garlond hadde ferly + What ŝat yt be-mente. 261 +and asks who gave The stuard seyd, "so god me saue, +it him. Of thy garlond wondyr I haue, + And who yt hath the sent." 264 +"Sir, it will tell "Syr," he seyd, "be the same hatte +me whether my wife I can knowe yf my wyfe be badde +goes bad." To me by eny other ma{n)}; 267 + If my floures ouŝer fade or falle, + Then doth my wyfe me wrong wyth-all_e_, + As many a woman ca{n)}." 270 +"I'll prove that The stuard ŝought "by godes myg{h-}t, +this very night," That scha{l~l} I preue thys same nyg{h-}t +says the steward, Whether ŝou blys or banne," 273 +gets plenty of And in to hys chambyr he gan gone, +money, and goes And toke tresure fu{l~l} good wone, +off And forth he spedde hem tha{n)}. AND 276 + Butt he ne stynt att no stone THINKS +to the wright's Ty{l~l} he vn-to ŝe wryghtes hows come HE HAS +house, That ylke same nyg{h-}t. SUCCEEDED 279 + He mett the wyfe amydde the gate, SO WELL. +takes her round Abowte ŝe necke he gan her take, +the neck, And seyd "my dere wyght, 282 +[leaf 182] A{l~l} the good ŝat ys myne +and offers her all I wy{l~l} the geue to be thyne +he has, to lie by To lye by the a{l~l} nyght." 285 +her that night. Sche seyd, "syr, lett be thy fare, +She refuses, My husbond wolle wete wyth-owty{n)} mare + And I hym dyd that vnryg{h-}t; 288 + I would nott he myght yt wete + For a{l~l} the good that I myght gete, + So Ih_esus_[5] mutt me spede 291 +as her husband For, and eny man lay me by, +would be sure to My husbond would yt wete truly, +know of it. It ys wythowtyn eny drede." 294 +The steward urges The stuard seyd "for hym ŝat ys wrought, +her again, There-of, dame, drede the nog{h-}t + Wyth me to do that dede; 297 +and offers her 20 Haue here of me xx marke +marks. Of gold and syluer styf and starke, + Thys tresoure scha{l~l} be thy mede." 300 +She says, "Then "Syr, and I graunt ŝat to yo{=u}, +don't tell any Lett no man wete butt we two nowe." +one," He seyd, "nay, wythowtyn drede." 303 + The stuard ŝought, 'sykerly + Women beth both queynte & slye.' +takes his money, The mony he gan her bede; 306 + He ŝought wele to haue be spedde, + And of his erand he was onredde + Or he were fro he{m~} I-gone. 309 +sends him up the Vp the sterys sche hym leyde +quaint stairs, Ty{l~l} he saw the wryghtes bedde: THE STEWARD IS + Of tresoure ŝought he none; SHOT THROUGH 312 +and lets him He went and stumblyd att a stone; THE TRAPDOOR, +tumble through In to ŝe selle{rh} he fylle sone, +the trapdoor. Downe to the bare flore. 315 +"What the devil The lord seyd "what deuy{l~l} art ŝo{=u}? +are you?" says And ŝou hadest falle on me nowe, +the Lord. Thowe hadest hurt me fu{l~l} sore." 318 +[leaf 182, back] The stuard stert and staryd abowte +The steward finds If he myg{h-}t ower gete owte +he can't get out; Att hole lesse or mare. 321 + The lord seyd, "welcome, and sytt be tyme, + For ŝou schalt helpe to dyght thys lyne + For a{l~l} thy fers[e] fare." 324 + The stuard lokyd on the knyg{h-}t, +and wonders why He seyd, "syr, for godes myght, +his Lord is My lord, what do you here?" 327 +there. He seyd "felowe, wyth-owtyn oth, +"We both came on For o erand we come bothe, +one errand, man." The sothe wolle I nott lete." 330 +The wife asks what Tho cam the wyfe them vn-to, +they're doing; And seyd, "syres, what do you to, + Wy{l~l} ye nott lerne to swete?" 333 +the Lord says, Than seyd ŝe lord her vn-to, +"Your flax is 'Dame, you{rh} lyne ys I-doo, +done, and I want Nowe would I fayne ete: 336 +my dinner." And I haue made yt a{l~l} I-lyke, + Fu{l~l} clere, and no ŝing thycke, + Me thynketh yt gret payne." 339 +The steward says The stuard seyd "wyth-owtyn dowte, +if he ever gets And eu_er_ I may wynne owte, +out he'll crack I wy{l~l} breke her brayne." 342 +her skull. "Felowe, lett be, and sey nott so, +But the wife For ŝou schalt worke or eu_er_ ŝou goo, +chaffs him, Thy wordes ŝou torne agayne, 345 +says he'll soon be Fayne ŝou schalt be so to doo, +glad to eat his And thy good wylle put ŝerto; +words, As a man buxome and bayne BUT IS 348 +and unless he rubs Thowe schalt rubbe, rele, and spynne, PROUD, AND +and reels, he'll And ŝou wolt eny mete wynne, WILL NOT +get no meat. That I geue to god a gyfte." WORK FOR 351 +"I'll die for The stuard seyd, "then haue I wondyr; HIS DINNER. +hunger first, Rather would I dy for hungyr +unhouseled," Wyth-owte hosy{l~l} or shryfte." 354 +answers he. The lord seyd, "so haue I hele, +[leaf 183] Thowe wylt worke, yf ŝou hungyr welle, + What worke ŝat the be brought." 357 +The Lord works The lord satt and dyd hys werke, +away, The stuard drewe in to the derke, + Gret sorowe was in hys ŝought. 360 + The lord seyd, "dame, here ys youre lyne, + Haue yt in godes blessyng and myne, + I hold yt welle I-wrought." 363 +and gets his food Mete and drynke sche gaue hym y{n)}, +and drink. "The stuard," sche seyd, "wolle he nott spynne, + Wy{l~l} he do ryght nog{h-}t?" 366 + The lord seyd, "by swete sen Ione, +None of it will he Of thys mete scha{l~l} he haue none +give to the That ye haue me hydder brought." 369 +steward, The lord ete and dranke fast, +but eats it all The stuard hungeryd att ŝe last, +up, For he gaue hym nought. 372 + The stuard satt a{l~l} in a stody, + Hys lord hadde forgote curtesy: + Tho[6] seyd ŝe stuard, "geue me some." 375 +and won't give him The lord seyd, "sorowe haue ŝe morse{l~l} or sope +one crumb: That scha{l~l} come in thy throte! + Nott so much as o crome! 378 +let him work and Butt ŝou wylt helpe to dyght ŝis lyne, +earn some for Much hungyr yt scha{l~l} be thyne +himself. Though ŝou make much mone." 381 +The steward gives Vp he rose, and went therto, +in, "Bett_er_ ys me ŝus to doo + Whyle yt must nedys be do." 384 +asks for work; the The stuard began fast to knocke, THE STEWARD +wife throws it The wyfe ŝrew hym a swyngelyng stocke, IS OBLIGED +him, Hys mete ŝerwyth to wy{n)}; TO WORK 387 + Sche brought a swyngy{l~l} att ŝe last, AFTER ALL. + "Good syres," sche seyd, "swyngyll_e_ on fast; + For no ŝing that ye blynne." 390 + Sche gaue hy{m)} a stocke to sytt vppo{n)}, + And seyd "syres, ŝis werke must nedys be done, + A{l~l} that that ys here y{n)}." 393 +[leaf 183, back] The stuard toke vp a stycke to saye, +and steward and "Sey, seye, swyngy{l~l} bett_er_ yf ye may, +Lord are both Hytt wy{l~l} be the bett_er_ to spynne." 396 +spinning away Were ŝe lord neu_er_ so gret, +to earn their Yet was he fayne to werke for hys mete +dinner, Though he were neu_er_ so sadde; 399 + Butt ŝe stuard ŝat was so stowde, + Was fayne to swyngell_e_ ŝe scales owte, + Ther-of he was nott glad. 402 +while the Lord's The lordys meyne ŝat were att home +people cannot make Wyst nott where he was bycome, +out what has They were fu{l~l} sore adrad. 405 +become of him. +Then the Proctor The proctoure of ŝe parysche chyrche ryg{h-}t +sees the wright Came and lokyd on ŝe wryght, + He lokyd as he ware madde; 408 + Fast ŝe proctoure gan hym frayne, +and asks where he "Where hadest ŝou ŝis garlond gayne? +got his garland It ys eu_er_ lyke newe." 411 +from. The wryght gan say "felowe, +"With my wife; Wyth my wyfe, yf ŝou wylt knowe; + That dare me nott rewe; 414 +and while she is For a{l~l} the whyle my wyfe trew ys, +true it will never My garlond wolle hold hewe I-wys, +fade, And neu_er_ falle nor fade; 417 +but if she's false And yf my wyfe take a p_ar_amoure, +it will." Than wolle my garlond vade ŝe floure, + That dare I ley myne hede." 420 +The proctor thinks The proctoure ŝought, "in good faye THE PROCTOR +he'll test this, That scha{l~l} I wete thys same daye TEMPTS THE + Whether yt may so be." WIFE, AND 423 +goes to the To the wryghtes hows he went, IS TRAPDOORED. +wright's wife He grete ŝe wyfe wyth feyre entente, + Sche seyd "syr, welcome be ye." 426 +and declares his "A! dame, my loue ys on you fast +love for her; Syth the tyme I sawe you last; + I pray you yt may so be 429 + That ye would graunt me of you{rh} grace +he must have her To play w_y_t_h_ you in some p_ri_uy place, +[leaf 184] Or ellys to deth mutt me." 432 +or die. Fast ŝe proctoure gan to pray, +She says nay, And eu_er_ to hy{m~} sche seyd "naye, + That wolle I nott doo. 435 +as her husband Hadest ŝou done ŝat dede w_y_t_h_ me, +will know of it by My spouse by hys garlond myght see, +his garland. That schuld torne me to woo." 438 +The proctor The proctoure seyd, "by heuen kyng, + If he sey to the any ŝing + He scha{l~l} haue sorowe vn-sowte; 441 +offers her 20 Twenty marke I wolle ŝe geue, +marks. It wolle ŝe helpe welle to lyue, + The mony here haue I brought." 444 +These she takes; Nowe hath sche the tresure tane, +they go upstairs, And vp ŝe steyre be they gane, + (What helpyth yt to lye?) 447 + The wyfe went the steyre be-syde, +and the proctor The proctoure went a lyty{l~l} to wyde +tumbles into the He fe{l~l} downe by and by. 450 +cellar, Whan he in to ŝe seller felle, +and thinks he is He wente to haue sonke in to helle, +going to hell. He was in hart fu{l~l} sory. 453 + The stuard lokyd on the knyght, +The steward asks And seyd "proctoure, for godes myght, +him to sit down; Come and sytt vs by." 456 + The proctoure began to stare, +he doesn't know For he was he wyst neu_er_ whare, THE PROCTOR +where he is, Butt wele he knewe ŝe knyght CAN'T 459 + And the stuard ŝat swyngelyd ŝe lyne. MAKE OUT +but asks what the He seyd "syres, for godes pyne, WHERE HE +Lord and steward What do ye here thys nyg{h-}t?" HAS GOT 462 +are after there, The stuard seyd, "god geue the care, TO. + Thowe camyst to loke howe we fare, + Nowe helpe ŝis lyne were dyght." 465 + He stode sty{l~l} in a gret ŝought, + What to answer he wyst noght: + "By mary fu{l~l} of myght," 468 +working the wife's The proctoure seyd, "what do ye in ŝis yn_e_ +flax; For to bete thys wyfees lyne? +[leaf 184, back] For Ih_esus_ loue, ffu{l~l} of myght," 471 + The proctoure seyd ryght as he ŝoug{h-}t, +he, the proctor, "For me yt scha{l~l} be euy{l~l} wroug{h-}t +will never do the And I may see aryg{h-}t, 474 +like, For I lernyd neu_er_ in lon{d+} +it's not his For to haue a swynge{l~l} in hond +trade. By day nor be nyght." 477 +The steward says, The stuard seyd, "as good as ŝo{=u}. +"We're as good as We hold vs that be here nowe, +you, and yet And lett preue yt be syg{h-}t; 480 +have to work for Yet must vs worke for owre mete, +our food." Or ellys scha{l~l} we none gete, + Mete nor drynke to owre honde." 483 +The Lord says, The lord seyd, "why flyte ye two? +"And you'll have I trowe ye wy{l~l} werke or ye goo, +to work ere you Yf yt be as I vndyrstond." 486 +go." Abowte he goys twyes or thryes; +They eat and They ete & drunke in such wyse +drink, and give That ŝey geue hym ryght noght. 489 +the proctor The proctoure seyd, "thynke ye no schame, +nothing, Yheue me some mete, (ye be to blame,) +to his great Of that the wyfe ye broug{h-}t." 492 +disgust, The stuard seyd "euy{l~l} spede the soppe + If eny morce{l~l} come in thy throte + Butt ŝou w_y_t_h_ vs hadest wrought." HE HAS 495 +till at last The proctoure stode in a stody TO WIND + Whether he myg{h-}t worke hem by; AND SPIN + And so to torne hys ŝoug{h-}t, FOR HIS 498 + To the lord he drewe nere, DINNER. + And to hym seyd w_y_t_h_ myld[_e_] chere, + "That mary mott the spede!" 501 +he too knocks for The proctoure began to knocke, +work, The good wyfe rawte hym a rocke, + For therto hadde sche nede; 504 + Sche seyd "whan I was mayde att home, + Other werke cowde I do none + My lyfe ther-wyth to lede." 507 +gets a distaff and Sche gaue hym in hande a rocke hynde, +some winding to And bade hem fast for to wynde +[leaf 185] Or ellys to lett be hys dede. 510 +do, "Yes, dame," he seyd, "so haue I hele, + I scha{l~l} yt worke both feyre & welle + As ye haue taute me." 513 + He wauyd vp a strycke of lyne, +and spins away And he span wele and fyne +well. By-fore the swynge{l~l} tre. 516 + The lord seyd "ŝou spynnest to grete, + Therfor ŝou schalt haue no mete, + That ŝou schalt we{l~l} see." 519 +Thus they all sit Thus ŝey satt and wrought fast +and work till the Ty{l~l} ŝe wekedayes were past; +wright comes home. Then the wryght, home came he, 522 +As he approaches And as he cam by hys hows syde +he hears a noise, He herd[7] noyse that was nott ryde + Of p_er_sons two or thre; 525 + One of hem knockyd lyne, + A-nothyr swyngelyd good and fyne + By-fore the swyngy{l~l} tre, 528 + The thyrde did rele and spynne, + Mete and drynke ther-wyth to wynne, + Gret nede ther-of hadde he. 531 + Thus ŝe wryght stode herkenyng; THE WRIGHT +his wife comes to Hys wyfe was ware of hys comyng, COMES HOME +meet him, And ageynst hym went sche. AND FINDS 534 + "Dame," he seyd, "what ys ŝis dynne? THE THREE +and he asks what I here gret noyse here wythynne; CULPRITS. +all that noise is Te{l~l} me, so god the spede." 537 +about. "Syr," sche seyd, "workemen thre +"Why, three Be come to helpe you and me, +workmen have come Ther-of we haue gret nede; 540 +to help us, dear. Fayne would I wete what they were." +Who are they?" Butt when he sawe hys lord there, +The wright sees Hys hert bygan to drede: 543 +his Lord in the To see hys lord in ŝat place, +pit, He ŝought yt was a strange cas, +and asks how And seyd, "so god hym spede, 546 +[leaf 185, back] What do ye here, my lord and knyg{h-}t? + Te{l~l} me nowe for godes myg{h-}t +he came there. Howe cam thys vn-to?" 549 + The knyght seyd "What ys best rede? +The Lord asks M_er_cy I aske for my mysdede, +mercy: he is very My hert ys wondyr wo." 552 +sorry. "So ys myne, verame_n_t, +"So am I," says To se you among thys flex and hempe, +the wright, "to Fu{l~l} sore yt ruyt{h-} me; 555 +see you among the To se you in such hevynes, +flax and hemp," Fu{l~l} sore myne hert yt doth oppresse, + By god in trinite." 558 +and orders his The wryght bade hys wyfe lett hy{m~} owte, +wife to let the "Nay, ŝen sorowe come on my snowte +Lord out. If they passe hens to-daye 561 +"No, bother my Ty{l~l} that my lady come and see +snout if I do," Howe ŝey would haue done w_y_t_h_ me, +says the wife, Butt nowe late me saye." 564 +"before his lady Anon sche sent aft_er_ the lady bryg{h-}t +sees what he For to fett home her lord and knyght, +wanted to do with Therto sche seyd nog{h-}t; 567 +me." Sche told her what they hadde ment, +So she sends for And of ther purpos & ther intente THE LORD'S WIFE +the dame to fetch That they would haue wrought. SEES HIM IN 570 +her lord home, Glad was ŝat lady of that tydyng; THE CELLAR. +and tells her what When sche wyst her lord was lyuyng, +he and his Ther-of sche was fu{l~l} fayne: 573 +companions came Whan sche came vn-to ŝe steyre aboue{n)}, +there for. Sche lokyd vn-to ŝe seller downe, +The lady And seyd,--ŝis ys nott to leyne,-- 576 +looks down into "Good syres, what doo you here?" +the cellar, "Dame, we by owre mete fu{l~l} dere, +and says, "Good Wyth gret trauayle and peyne; 579 +sirs, what are you I pray you helpe ŝat we were owte, +doing?" And I wy{l~l} swere w_y_t_h_-owtyn dowte +"Earning our meat Neu_er_ to come here agayne." 582 +full dear: The lady spake the wyfe vn-tyll_e_, +[leaf 186] And seyd "dame, yf yt be youre wylle, +help us out, and What doo thes meyny here?" 585 +I'll never come The carpentarys wyfe her answerd sykerly, +here again." "A{l~l} they would haue leyne me by; +The lady asks the Eu_er_ych, in ther maner_e_, 588 +wife why Gold and syluer they me brought, +the men are there And forsoke yt, and would yt noght, +The wife says they The ryche gyftes so clere. 591 +wanted to lie with Wyllyng ŝey were to do me schame, +her, and offered I toke ther gyftes wyth-owtyn blame, +her gold and _And_ ther they be a{l~l} thre." 594 +silver; The lady answerd her ano{n)}, +she took their "I haue thynges to do att home +gifts, and there Mo than two or thre; 597 +they are. I wyst my lord neu_er_ do ryght noght +The lady says she Of no ŝing ŝat schuld be wrought, +really wants her Such as fallyth to me." 600 +lord for herself, The lady lawghed and made good game +and laughs Whan they came owte a{l~l} in-same +heartily when the From the swyngy{l~l} tre. 603 +three culprits The knyght seyd "felowys in fere, +come out. I am glad ŝat we be here, +The Lord says, By godes dere pyte; THE 606 +"Ah, you'd have Dame, and ye hadde bene wyth vs, WRIGHT'S +worked too if Ye would haue wrought, by swete Ih_es_us, WIFE SETS +you'd been with As welle as dyd we." THE 609 +us, And when they cam vp aboue{n)} CULPRITS + They turnyd abowte and lokyd downe, FREE. + The lord seyd, "so god saue me, 612 +I never had such a Yet hadde I neu_er_ such a fytte +turn in my life As I haue hadde in ŝat lowe pytte; +before, I can tell So mary so mutt me spede." 615 +you." The knyght and thys lady bryght, +Then the Lord and Howe they would home that nyg{h-}t, +lady go home, For no thyng they would abyde; 618 + And so they went home; +as ADAM of COBSAM Thys seyd Adam of Cobsa{m~}.[8] +[leaf 186, back] By the weye as they rode 621 +says. Throwe a wode in ther playeng, +On their way home For to here the fowlys syng +they halt, They hovyd stylle and bode. 624 +and the steward The stuard sware by godes ore, +and proctor swear And so dyd the proctoure much more, +they'll never go That neu_er_ in ther lyfe 627 +back for five and Would they no more come in ŝ_a_t wonne +forty years. Whan they were onys thens come, + Thys forty yere and fyve. 630 +The lady gives all Of the tresure that they brought, +their money to the The lady would geue hem ryght noght, +wright's wife. Butt gaue yt to the wryghtes wyfe. 633 +The garland is Thus the wryghtes garlond was feyre of hewe, +fresh as ever. And hys wyfe bothe good and trewe: + There-of was he fu{l~l} blythe; 636 + I take wytnes att gret and sma{l~l}, +Thus true are all Thus trewe bene good women a{l~l} +good women now That nowe bene on lyve, 639 +alive! So come thryste on ther hedys + Whan they momby{l~l} on ther bedys MAY ALL GOOD + Ther pat_er_ n_oste_r ryue. WIVES GO 642 + TO HEAVEN! +Here then is Here ys wretyn a geste of the wryght +written a tale of That hadde a garlond we{l~l} I-dyght, +the Wright and his The coloure wy{l~l} neuer fade. 645 +Garland. Now god, ŝat ys heuyn kyng, +God grant us all Graunt vs a{l~l} hys dere blessyng +his blessing, Owre hertes for to glade; 648 +and may all true And a{l~l} tho that doo her husbondys ryg{h-}t, +faithful wives Pray we to Ih_es_u fu{l~l} of myght, + That feyre mott hem byfalle, 651 +come to heaven's And that they may come to heuen blys, +bliss, For thy dere moderys loue ther-of nott to mys, + All_e_ good wyues all_e_. 654 +and be such Now all_e_ tho that thys tretys hath hard, + Ih_es_u graunt hem, for her reward, +true lovers as the As trew louers to be 657 +[leaf 187] As was the wryght vn-to hys wyfe +wright and his And sche to hym duryng her lyfe. +wife were. Amen, for charyte. 660 +Amen! +Here ends our tale Here endyth the wryghtes p_ro_cesse trewe +of the Garland Wyth hys garlond feyre of hewe + That neu_er_ dyd fade the coloure. 663 + It was made, by the avyse + Of hys wywes moder wytty and wyse, + Of flourys most of honoure, 666 +which was made of Of roses whyte ŝat wy{l~l} nott fade, +White Roses, Whych floure a{l~l} ynglond doth glade, +the flowers that Wyth trewloues medelyd in syg{h-}t; 669 +gladden all Vn-to the whych floure I-wys +England, The loue of god and of the comenys +and receive the Subdued[9] bene of ryg{h-}t. +love of God, and +of the Commons Explicit. +too. + +[Footnote 1: MS. _of_] + +[Footnote 2: _or_ hyng. ? _MS._] + +[Footnote 3: MS. _gar_] + +[Footnote 4: ? MS. this.] + +[Footnote 5: MS. _I{h-}c_] + +[Footnote 6: MS. _The_] + +[Footnote 7: ? MS. _hard_] + +[Footnote 8: The letter between the _b_ and _a_ has had the lower part +marked over. But it must mean a long _s_.] + +[Footnote 9: May be _subdied_; the word has been corrected.] + + + + +NOTES. + + +The two first of the three operations of flax-dressing described in +lines 526-529, p. 15, + + One of hem knocked lyne, + A-nothyr swyngelyd good and fyne + By-fore the swyngy{l~l}-tre, + The thyrde did rele and spynne, + +must correspond to the preliminary breaking of the plant, and then the +scutching or beating to separate the coarse tow or hards from the tare +or fine hemp. Except so far as the _swingle_ served as a heckle, the +further _heckling_ of the flax, to render the fibre finer and cleaner, +was dispensed with, though heckles (iron combs) must have been in use +when the poem was written--inasmuch as _hekele_, _hekelare_, _hekelyn_, +and _hekelynge_, are in the Promptorium, ab. 1440 A.D. Under _Hatchell_, +Randle Holme gives a drawing of a heckle. + +The lines through the _h_'s in the MS. are not, I believe, marks of +contraction. There are no insettings of the third lines, or spaces on +changes of subject, in the MS. + +For reference to two analogous stories to that of the Poem, I am +indebted to Mr Thomas Wright. The first is that of _Constant Duhamel_ in +the third volume of Barbazan, and the second that of the Prioress and +her three Suitors in the Minor Poems of Dan John Lydgate, published by +the Percy Society, ed. Halliwell. + +In the Barbazan tale "the wife is violently solicited by three suitors, +the priest, the provost, and the forester, who on her refusal persecute +her husband. To stop their attacks she gives them appointments at her +house immediately after one another, so that when one is there and +stripped for the bath, another comes, and, pretending it is her husband, +she conceals them one after another in a large tub full of feathers, out +of which they can see all that is going on in the room. She then sends +successively for their three wives to come and bathe with her, the bath +being still in the same room, and as each is stripped naked in the bath, +she introduces her own husband, who dishonours them one after another, +one _à l'enverse_, with rather aggravating circumstances, and all in +view of their three husbands. Finally the latter are turned out of the +house naked, or rather well feathered, then hunted by the whole town and +their dogs, well bitten and beaten." + +(If any one wants to see a justification of the former half of the +proverb quoted by Roberd of Brunne, + + Frenche men synne yn lecherye + And Englys men yn enuye, + +let him read the astounding revelation made of the state of the early +French mind by the tales in the 3rd and 4th vols. of Barbazan's +Fabliaux, ed. 1808.) + +The second story, told by Lydgate, is as follows:--A prioress is wooed +by "a yonng knyght, a parson of a paryche, and a burges of a borrow." +She promises herself to the first if he will lie for a night in a chapel +sewn up in a sheet like a corpse; to the second, if he will perform the +funeral service over the knight, and bury him; to the third, if he will +dress up like a devil, and frighten both parson and knight. This the +burges Sir John does well, but is himself terrified at the corpse +getting up: all three run away from one another: the knight falls on a +stake, and into a snare set for bucks, and breaks his fore top in +falling from the tree; the merchant gets tossed by a bull; the parson +breaks his head and jumps into a bramble bush; and the prioress gets rid +of them all, but not before she has made the "burges" or "marchaunt" pay +her twenty marks not to tell his wife and the country generally of his +tricks.--_Minor Poems_, p. 107-117, ed. 1840. + + + + +GLOSSARY. + + +And, 89, 292, if. + +Bayne, 348, ready. + +Blynne, 4, cease, stop; AS. _blinnan_. + +Blyue, 44, 110, 118, speedily. + +Bonde, 226, a bund-le; Du. _bondt_, a bavin, a bush of thornes. + +Brayne, 342, scull. + +Broke, 165, enjoy. AS. _brúcan_, Germ. _brauchen_. H. Coleridge. + +Brydalle, 71, AS. _brŭd-ál_, bride ale, marriage feast. + +By, 197, buy. + +Chaste, 176, chest, box, pit. + +Dowte, 14, fear. + +Dyght, 323, 379, prepare, dress. + +Fare, 148, 324, going on, wish, project. + +Fere, 604, company. + +Flyte, 484, wrangle, quarrel; AS._ flít_, strife, wrangling. + +Forthynketh, 51, repents, makes sorry; AS. _forŝencan_, to despair. + +Frayne, 409, ask; AS. _fregnan_, Goth. _fraihnan_. + +Gan, 22, did. + +Geue to God a gyfte, 351, I make a vow, I promise you, I'll take my + oath. + +Hele, 140, salvation. + +Hovyd, 624, halted, stopt. + +Hynde, 508 ? natty; _hende_, gentle. + +I-doo, 335, done, finished. + +I-dyght, 644, prepared. + +In-same, 602, together. + +Layne, 68, hide, conceal. + +Lende, 107, stay; ? AS. _landian_, to land, or _lengian_, to prolong. + +Leyne, 231, lay, beat. + +Lyne, 214, AS. _lín_, flax; ? rope, 246. + +Meyne, 403, household. + +Myster, 12, trade; Fr. _mestier_. + +O, 329, one. + +Onredde, 308; AS. _unrét_, _unrót_, uncheerful, sorrowful, or _unr{/ĉ}d_, + imprudent. + +Oŝre, 205, second. + +Putry, 61, adultery; O. Fr. _puterie_, whoring. + +Rawte, 503, reached, gave. + +Rewe, 186, have pity. + +Rocke, 503, 508; Du. _een Rocke_, _Spinrock_, A Distaffe, or a + Spin-rock; _Rocken_, To Winde Flaxe or Wool upon a Rock (Hexham). + Dan. _rok_, O.N. _rokkr_, G. _rocken_: "a distaff held in the hand + from which the thread was spun by twirling a ball below. 'What, + shall a woman with a _rokke_ drive thee away?'" Digby Mysteries, p. + 11 (Halliwell). "An Instrument us'd in some Parts for the spinning + of Flax and Hemp." Phillips; for reeling and spinning (l. 529). + +Rought, 198, AS. _róhte_, p. of _récan_, to reck, care for. + +Ryde, 524, light, small, AS. _geryd_, levis, ĉquus, Lye. + +Ryue, 642, Du. _rijf_, rife, or abundant. + +Scales, 401; ? husks, bark, or rind, see _shoves_*, in _Swyngylle_, + below. + +Schent, 258, destroyed; AS. _scendan_. + +Stounde, 4, short time. + +Strycke, 514, "_Strike of Flax_, is as much as is heckled at one + Handful." Phillips. + +Swyngylle, 216, "Swingle-Staff, a Stick to beat Flax with," Phil.; AS. + _swingele_, a whip, lash. "To _swingle_, to beat; a Term among + Flax-dressers." Phillips. Though Randle Holme, Bk. III., ch. viii. + No. xxxiii., gives the _Swingle-Tree_ of a Coach-Pole (these are + made of wood, and are fastened by Iron hooks, stables (_sic_) chains + and pinns to the Coach-pole, to the which Horses are fastened by + their Harnish when there is more then two to draw the Coach), yet at + Chap, vi., § iv., p. 285, col. 1, he says, "He beareth Sable, a + _Swingle_ Hand erected, Surmounting of a _Swingle_ Foot, Or. This is + a Wooden Instrument made like a Fauchion, with an hole cut in the + top of it, to hold it by: It is used for the clearing of Hemp and + Flax from the large broken Stalks or *Shoves, by the help of the + said _Swingle_ Foot, which it is hung upon, which said Stalks being + first broken, bruised, and cut into shivers by a Brake. + S. 3, such erected in Fesse O. born by _Flaxlowe_. + S. 3, such in Pale A., born by _Swingler_." + (A drawing is given by Holme, No. 4, on the plate opposite p. 285.) + "_Swingowing_ is the beating off the bruised inward stalk of the Hemp + or Flax, from the outward pill, which as (_sic_) the Hemp or Flax, + p. 106, col. 2. + _Spinning_ is to twist the Flax hairs into Yarn or Thrid. _Reeling_ + is to wind the Yarn of the Wheel Spool on a Reel," p. 107, Col. 2. + +Take, 161, deliver. + +The, 187, thrive. + +Tolle, 62, entice (H.H. Gibbs). + +Tre, 105, wood, timber. + +Trewloves, 669, either figures like true-lovers' knots, or the + imitations of the berb or flower _Truelove_, which is given by Coles + as _Herb Paris_ (a quatrefoil whose leaves bear a sort of likeness + to a true-lovers' knot), and in Halliwell as _one-berry:_ but I + cannot find that Edward IV. had any such plants on his arms or + badge. Knots were often worn as badges, see Edmonston's Heraldry, + Appendix, Knots. On the other hand, Willement (Regal Heraldry) + notices that the angels attending Richard II. in the picture at + Wilton, had collars worked with white roses and broom-buds; and + trueloves, if a plant be meant by it, may have been Edward's + substitute for the broom (_planta genisla_). The Trewloves bear, + one, Ar. on a chev. sa., three cinquefoils, or; the other, Ar. on a + chev. sa., a quatrefoil of the field. + +Vade,[1] 125, 419, fade; Du. _vadden_ (Hexham). + +Wone, 275, store, quantity. + +Wonne, 90, 628, dwelling. + +Woode, 153, wild, mad. + +Yheue, 491, give. + +Yougeth, 20, youth, bachelor's freedom. + +[Footnote 1: The use of the flat _v_ade (l. 419, p. 12) within 2 lines +of the sharp _f_ade (l. 417), corresponds with the flat 'stow_d_e,' l. +400, p. 12, riming with 'owte,' l. 401, _badde_ with _hatte_, l. 265-6. +_Cost_, _brest_, l. 142-3, are careless rimes too.] + + + + + WOMEN. + + [_Lambeth MS_. 306, _leaf_ 135.] + + + Wome{n)}, wome{n)}, loue of wome{n)}, + make bare purs w_i_t_h_ some me{n)}, + Some be nyse as a nonne hene,[1] + {GH}it al thei be nat soo. 4 + some be lewde, + some all be schrewde; + Go schrewes wher thei goo. + + Su{m~} be nyse, and some be fonde, 8 + And some be tame, y vndirstond_e_, + And some cane take brede of a manes hande,[2] + Yit all thei be nat soo. + [Some be lewde, &c.] 12 + +[leaf 135, back] Some cane part with-outen hire, + And some make bate in eueri chire, + And some cheke mate with oure Sir_e_, + Yit all they be nat so. 16 + Some be lewde, + and sume be schreued_e_, + go wher they goo. + + Som be browne, and some be whit, 20 + And some be tender as a ttripe, + And some of theym be chiry ripe, + Yit all thei be not soo. + Sume be lewde, 24 + and some be schrewed_e_, + go wher they goo. + + Some of the{m~} be treue of love + Benet{h-} ŝe gerde{l~l}, but nat above, 28 + And in a hode aboue cane chove, + Yit all thei do nat soo. + Some be lewde, + and some be schreud_e_, 32 + go where they goo. + + Some cane whister, & some cane crie, + Some cane flater, and some can lye, + And some cane sette ŝe moke awrie, 36 + Yit all thei do nat soo. + Sume be lewde, + and sume be schreued_e_, + go where thei goo. 40 + + He that made this songe full good, + Came of ŝe nort{h-} and of ŝe sother{n)} blode, + And some-what kyne to Roby{n)} Hode, + Yit all we be nat soo. 44 + Some be lewde, + and some be schrewed_e_, + go where they goo. + + Some be lewde, some be [s]chrwde, 48 + Go where they goo. + + Explicit. + +P.S.--This Poem was printed by Mr Halliwell in _Reliquiĉ Antiquĉ_, vol. +i., p. 248, and reprinted by Mr Thomas Wright, at p. 103 of his edition +of _Songs and Carols_ for the Percy Society, 1847. As, besides minor +differences, the reprint has _manne_, and the original _nanne_, for what +I read as _nonne_, l. 3, while both have _withowte_ for _with oure_, l. +15, and _accripe_ for _a ttripe_, l. 21 (see Halliwell's Dictionary, +"_accripe_, a herb?"), I have not cancelled this impression. The other +version of the song, from Mr Wright's MS. in his text, pp. 89-91, +differs a good deal from that given above. + +[Footnote 1: The Rev. J.R. Lumby first told me of the proverb 'As white +as a nun's hen,' the nuns being famous, no doubt, for delicate poultry. +John Heywood has in his _Proverbes_, 1562 (first printed, 1546), p. 43 +of the Spencer Society's reprint, 1867, + + She tooke thenterteinment of the yong men + All in daliaunce, _as nice as a Nun's hen_. + +The proverb is quoted by Wilson in his _Arte of Rhetorique_, 1553 +(Hazlitt's _Proverbs_, p. 69).] + +[Footnote 2: For _honde_.] + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Wright's Chaste Wife, by Adam of Cobsam + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WRIGHT'S CHASTE WIFE *** + +***** This file should be named 17400-8.txt or 17400-8.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/4/0/17400/ + +Produced by David Starner, Taavi Kalju and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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