  * * * * * * * She had a desyre ofte to be weddeBia. And also to lye in an other mannes bedde Lytell rought she therfore She is as softe as a lamme yf one do her meue And lyke to y? deuyll wan a m? dothe her greue So well is she sette O good condycyon to her housbonde Yf he call her calat she calleth h? knaue agayne She shyll not dye in his dette By Saynt Jone sayd Cocke than These be fayre vertues in a woman Thou shalte be my launder To wasshe and kepe clene all my gere Our two beddes togyder shall be sette Without ony lette And a cobeler his brother As ryche as a newe shorne shepe They offred Cocke a blechynge pot Other Jewelles they had not Scant shoes to theyr fete The coryer dresseth so well his lether That it wolde drynke water in fayre weder Therfore he hath many a crystes curse And tho cobeler for his cloutynge The people blesseth hym with euyll cheuynge To knytte faste in his purse A shomaker came to these other two Bytwene them two was moche a do For a pyese of lether They togged with theyr teth and gnewe it thereBib. And pulde as it had been grehondes at a hare It was a shepes skyne of a wether And than they tanned it whan they had done To make lether to hym with mennes shone And all for theyr auayle For as sone as the hemme is tore The sho is lost for euer more And it is lytell meruayle They foure with sorowe Cocke dyde set togyder And neuer a good without fayle Than came one w? two bolddogges at his tayle And that was a bocher without fayle All be gored in reed blode In his hande he bare a flap for flyes His hosen gresy vpon his thyes That place for magottes was very good On his necke he bare a cole tre logge He had as moche pyte as a dogge And he were ones wrothe He loked perysshe and also rowe A man wolde take hym for a shrewe I trowe And of his company be lothe Than came a gonge fermourer Other wyse called a masser scourer With hym a canyell raker Theyr presence made Cocke and his m? to spewe For as swete was theyr brethe as henk? or rewe To wasshe them they laked water On these Irysshe copel I wyll not tareBiia. Cocke dyde set th? there as knaues sholde be Amonge the slouenly sorte He set them by pykers of the best For there sholde they abyde But before y? they were plonged in the ryuer To searche theyr bodyes fayre and clere Therof they had good sporte A myller dustypoll than dyde come A Ioly felowe with a golden thome On his necke a sacke was Many sayd that he with reprefe Of all craftes was nexte a thefeBiib. In that Cocke founde no lacke He sayd that he touled twys for forgetynge And stele floure and put chauke therin Be sherewe hym that taught hym that Cocke bad hym grynde cherystones and peson To make his men brede for a season By cause whete was very dere Than came a pardoner with his boke His quaterage of euery man he toke But Cocke wolde theyr names here The pardoner sayd I will rede my roll And ye shall here the names poll by poll There of ye nede not fere And symkyn emery mayntena?ce agayne ryght With slyngethryfte fleshemonger Also fabyane flaterer And fesly claterer With adam auerus flayle swenger And fra?ces flaperoche of stewys captayne late With gylys vnyeste mayer of newgate And lewes vnlusty the lesynge monger Here also baude baudyn boller And his brother copyn coler With mathew marchaunte of shoters hyll Crystofer catchepoll a crystes course gaderer And wat welbelyne of ludgate Iayler With laurence lorell of clerken well Here is gylys Iogeler of ayebery And hym sougelder of lothe beryBiiia. With wallys the wrangler Pers potter of brydge water Saunder fely the mustarde maker With Ielyan Iangeler Here is Ienkyne berwarde of Barwycke And tom tombler of warwyke With Phyllyp fletcher of fernam And patrycke peuysshe heerbeter With lusty hary hange man Also mathewe tothe drawer of London And sybly sole mylke wyfe of Islyngton With davy drawelache of rokyngame Here is maryone marchauntes at all gateBiiib. Her husb?de dwelleth at y? sygne of y? cokeldes pate Nexte house to Robyn renawaye Also hycke crokenec the rope maker And steuen mesyll mouthe muskyll taker With Iacke basket seler of alwelay Here is george of podynge lane carpenter And patrycke peuysshe a conynge dyrte dauber Worshypfull wardayn of slouens In There is maryn peke small fremason And pers peuterer that knocketh a basyn With gogle eyed tomson shepster of lyn Here is glyed wolby of gylforde squyere Andrewe of habyngedon apell byer With alys Here endeth Cocke Lorelles bote. Imprynted at London in the Flete strete at the sygne of the sonne by Wynkyn de Worde. Reprinted at Aberdeen by Milne & Hutchison. FOOTNOTES: |
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