GAMMER

ALas h ge, alas. I may well curse and ban This day that ever I saw it, with gyb and the milk pan For these and ill luck to gather, as knoweth Cock my boy Have stack away my deer needle, and robbed me of my io e My fair long Straight ne le that was mine only treasure The First day of my sorrow is, and last end of my pleasure. ¶ Go High thee tib, and run thou hoore, to th'end here of the town Didst carry out dust in thy lap seek where thou po st it down And as thou sawest me roking, in the ashes where I morned So see in all the heap of dust, thou leave no straw unturned. ¶ Tib stoop & look down to y e ground to it, & take some pain. ¶ Ah hodg, hodg, if that ich cold find my needle by the reed Chould sow thy brechee ich promise y , w to full good double thread And set a patch on either knee, should last this months twain Now God & good Saint Sith I pray, to send it home again. ¶My needle alas ich lost it hodge, what ich m up h to To save the milk set up for the, which g b our c to hath wasted ¶ Within the house, and at the door, sitting by this same post Where I was looking a long hour, before hese folks came h re, But wellaway, all was in vain, my neel is n ver that n r . ¶ Come hither Cock, what Cock I say. ¶ oe hie thee soon, and grope behind the old brass pan, Which thing when thou hast done There shalt thou find and old shoe, where in if thou look well Thou shalt find lying and inch of a White tallow candle, Light it, and bring it tite away. ¶ Nay tarry hodg till thou hast light, and then weel seek each one. ¶ Beat him not Hodge but help the boy and come you two to gether. HOw now Tyb, quick lets here, what news thou hast brought hither. ¶ Alas my needle we shall never meet, adue, adue for aye. ¶ See here is all the thought that the foolish Urchy takes, And Lyb me think at his elbow almost as merry makes This is all the wit you have when others make their more e, Come down Hodge, where art thou and let the Cat alone. ¶ It is the cats eyes fool that shines in the dark. ¶ Cum down & help to seek here our needle that it were found Worser wne yb on to oh knees I say, down C ck to the ground. oh God I make a vow, and so to good Saint Anne A can e hall they have a piece, get it where I can, It I may my needle find in one place or in other. ¶ This matter amendeth not my ne le is where it wasse Our candle is at anende let us all in u ght and come another time, wh we ave more light ¶ Good lord, shall never be my luck my needle again to spy Alas the while tys passed my help, where 'tis still it must lie. ¶ Who is that, what Diccon, cham lost man: fie fie. ¶Alas the more ich think on it, my sorrow it waxes double My goodly tossing sporyars needle, chaue lost ich wot not where. ¶My needle (alas) ich might full ill it spare, As God him self he knoweth never one bes de chaue. ¶ Why know you any tidings which way my needle is gone? ¶ It was my needle diccon ich wot, for here even by p ste Ich sat, what time as ich up start, and so my needle it lost: Who was it le e son? speak ich pray the, & quickly tell me that? ¶ Dame chat diccon let me be gone, chil thither in post h ste. ¶Gogs bred, and thinks y to callet thus to keep my needle me from? ¶By the mass chil rather spend the coat that is on my back. Thinks the false quean by such a slygh, that chill my needle lack ¶ Chil in Diccon a clean aperne to take, and set before me, And ich may my needle once see, chil sure remember the HOw Hodge, mayest now be glade, cham news to tell thee Ich know who ais my needle, ich trust soon shalt it see ¶ Tys as true as steel Hodge. ¶ Ich know who found it, and took it up shalt see or it be long. ¶ That false fixen, that same dame Chat, that counts her self so honest. ¶ That same did Diccon the bedlam, which saw it done. ¶ Was not thou afraid Hodge to see him in this place: ¶ But Hodge, had he no horns to push: ¶ New Jesus mercy hodg. did diccon in him bring: SAme Chat cholde pray the fair, let me have y is mine Chil not this twenty years take one fart that is thine Therefore give me mine own & let me live beside the ¶ Tush gape not so no me woman shalt not yet eat me, Nor all the friends thou hast, in this shall not entreat me: Mine own goods I will have, and ask the on believe, What woman: poor folks must have right, though the thing you agree S. ¶ Chil say nothing (ich warra ̄ to thee, but that ich Can ̄ prove it well Thou set my good even from my door, cham able this to tell, ¶ Ich can not tell, but up thou tookest it as though it had been thine own, ¶ Nay fie on thee y u ramp, thou ryg, with all that take thy part. ¶ A vengeance on those callats hips, whose conscie ̄ ce is so large ¶ Come out hog, and let have me right. ¶ Thou bawdy bitch, chil make thee curse this night. ¶ A cart for a callet. ¶ Thou wart as good kiss my tail: Thou siut y u kut, y u rokes y jakes: will not shau e make y idem ¶ Wilt thou drunken b ste. ¶ Now beware thy throat losel, thouse pray for all ¶ A hodg, hodg, where was thy help, when fixen had me down. ¶ No Hodge chwarde loath do So. Thinkest thou chill take that at her hand, no hodg ich tell the no ¶ We have a parson, (hodge thou knoes) a man esteemed wise Mast doctor Rat, chil for him lend, and let me here his advise, He will her shrive for all this gere, & give her penance strait Wese have our needle, else dame that comes never w to in heave ̄ gate ¶ Chil would him strait, call out y e boy, wele make him take the pain ¶ How now hodg? how does gammer, is yet the weather cl re What would chaue me to do? ¶ Come either C cke anon: Hence swythe to Doctor Rat, hie the that thou were gone, And pray him come speak with me, cham not well at ease, Shalt have him at his chamber, of else at mother Bees, E S seek him at Hobfytchers shop for as charde it reported And shall ich bring him with me gammer? Yet there you breast the drunk ̄ owe, what time you cam behind her ¶ Nay, nay cham sure she lost not all, for let them to y e beginni ̄ g And ich doubt not, but she will make small boast of her winning. ¶ Ich can feel nothing. ¶ Alas ich fear it he some crooked pin, And then farewell gyb, she is undone, and lost all save the skin. ¶ What nay hodg, fie kill not our cat, 'tis all the cats we would now. ¶ Rake a Cat Hodge, what wouldst thou do? ¶ Soft be content, le S here what news (Cock brings from mayest Rat. ¶ Where didst thou find him boy was he not where I told thena? ¶ A good M. Doctor cham troubled, cham troubled you, chwot well hat ¶ By gys master cham not , but yet chaue a disease. Chad a foul turn now of late, chill tell it you by gigs. ¶ No, but chad been as good they had, as this ich wot weel. ¶ Alas, alas, cham lost my good needle, My necle I say, and wot you wh to: a drab came by and spied it And when I asked his sor the same, the S that flatly deemed it. ¶ A dame ich warrant you she began to scold and brawl Alas, ala , come hither Hodge: this wriche can tell you all. ¶ This is even the whole matter, as Hodge has plainly told And chould feign be quiet for my partly that chould But help us good master, beseech you that you do Else shall we both be beaten and loose our needle too. ¶ Here comes the man that see his take it up oh the ground, Ask him your self master Rat if you believe not me. And help me to my needle, for gods sake and saint charity. ¶ Why did deny it ¶ Now gentle Diccon do so, and good sir let us trudge. ¶ God ylde you master mine. ¶ By go such ameued, to bear any such report: Hodge was not woe changed trow, to have him in that sort. ¶ Sir reverence of your masterdom, and you were out adoore, Chold be so bold for all his brags, to call his arrant whore, And ich knew Hodge so bade as tow, ich with me endless sorrow And chould not take the pains, to hang him up before to morrow? ¶ A great deal more (by Gods blessed,) then cheuer by the God, That thou knowest well I neade not say it. ¶ Alas sir, heel be here anon, h be handled to and. ¶ Changed l show you his face, ich warrant the, lo now where he is. ¶ Yea master baily there is a thing, you know not on may hay This drab she keeps away my good, y e devil he might her snare Ich pray you that ich might have, a right Actium on her. ¶ Many a truer hath be ̄ hanged, though you escape the danger ¶ Marry a we ̄ geance to his heart, y whore hase stolen my needle. ¶Give me my needle, as for my cock, chould be very loath That chuld here tell he should h g, on thy false faith and tro h. ¶Y to shall you and no other wight, save e, by bred & salt ¶ To name you sir the party, chould not be very glad. ¶ Such one as told the tale, full soberly and coldly, Even he that looked on, will swear on a book: What time this drunken go ip, my fair ng needle up took Diccon (master) the Bedlam, cham very sure you know him. ¶ No master no indeed, for then he should have lied, My cock is I thank Christ, safe and well a fine. ¶ No me y sir that chil not, ¶ Soft I er by the way, You know she could do li le, and she c ld not say nay. ¶ Fie on him knave, with all my heart, now fie, and fie again. ¶ It is a shame ich tell you plain, for such false knaves entreat He has almost undone us all, that is as tr e as steel And yet for all this great a do'cham never the never my needle. ¶ How now Hodge, how now: ¶ Thou art mad ich trow. ¶ The devil son, God bless us. ¶ Marry see you might dress us. ¶ What not my needle Hodge? ¶ No fie, dost but dodge. ¶ For all the loves on earth Hodge, let me see it. ¶ Good Hodge. ¶ Nay swee e Hodge say truth, and do not me beguile. ¶ Hodge when I speak so fair: wilt still say me nam : ¶ 'Tis min own deer needle Hodge, sickerly I wot ¶ Christ's blessing light on thee, hast made me for ever ¶ Gramercy Diccon twenty times, how glad cham, If that chould do so much, your masterdom to come hither, Master Rat, good wife Chat, and Diccon together: Cham but one half penny, as far as iche know it, And chil not rest this night, till ich bestow it. If ever you love me, let us go in and drink. ¶ They let us go, and ask her wherefore she minds to keep it, Sing know so much, tware a madness now to sleep it. Cham glad to hear so much Cock, then trust he will not let, To help us herein best he can therefore Till time he come 1 line