charged with all maner game Smale is our profyte and greate is our blame Alas for our wages what be we the nere What is fourty shyllynges or fyue marke a yere Many tymes and ofte where we be flettynge We spende fourty pens a pece at a syttynge Nowe for our vauntage whiche chefely is wyndefale That is ryght nought there bloweth no wynde at all Whiche is the thynge wherin we fynde moste grefe And cause of my commynge to sewe for relefe That the god of pyty all this thynge knownuge May sende vs good rage of blusterynge and blowynge And yf we can not get god to do some good I wolde hyer the deuyil to runne thorowe the wood The rootes to turne vp the toppes to brynge vnder A myschyefe vpon them and a wylde thunder ☜ Mery reporte ⧠Very well sayde I set by your charytie As muche in a maner as by your honestie I shall set you som what in ease anone Ye shall put on your cap when I am gone For I se well ye care nat who wynne or lese So ye may fynde meanes to wynne yÌ„our fees ¶ Ranger ¶ Syr as in that ye speke as it please ye But let me speke with the god yf it maye be I pray you let me passe ye ¶ Mery reporte ¶ Why nay syr by the masse ye ☜ Ranger ¶ Then wyll I leue you euen as I founde ye ¶ Mery reporte ¶ Go when ye wyll no man here hath bounde ye ⧠Here entreth the water myller and the Ranger goeth out ¶ Water myller ⧠What y e deuyll shulde skil though al y e world were dâ—Ì„ Syns in all our spekynge we neuer be harde We crye our for rayne the deuyll sped drop wyll cumme We water myllers be nothynge in regarde No water haue we to grynde at any stynt The wynde is so stronge the rayne can nat fall Whiche kepeth our myldams as drye as a flynâ— We are vndone we grynde nothynge at all The greatter is the pyte as thynketh me For what auayleth to eche man his corne Tyll it be grounde by suche men as we be There is the losse yf we be forbonre For tourhynge our selues we are but drudges And very beggers saue onely our tole Whiche is ryght small and yet many grudges For grynden of a busshell to gyue a quarte bole Yet were nat reparacyons we myght do wele Our mylstons our whele with her kogges our tryndyl Our floodgate our mylpole our water whele Our hopper our extre our yren spyndell In this and muche more so great is our charge That we wolde not recke though no water ware Saue onely it toucheth eche man so large And eche for our neyghbour Chryst byddeth vs care Wherfore my conscience hath prycked me hyther In this to sewe accordynge to the cry For plente of rayne to the god Iupyter To whose presence I wyll go euen boldely ☜ Mery reporte ¶ Syr Idoute nothynge your audacite But I fere me ye lacke capacite For yf ye were wyse ye myght well espye Howe rudely ye erre frome rules of curtesye What ye come in reuelynge and reheytynge Euen as a knaue myght go to a beare beytynge ¶ Water myller ¶ All you bere recorde what fauoure I haue Herke howe familearly he calleth me knaue Doutles the gentylman is vniuersall But marke this lesson syr you shulde neuer call Your felowe knaue nor your brother horeson For nought can ye get by it when ye haue don Mery reporte ¶ Thou arte nother brother nor felowe to me For I am goddes seruaunte mayst thou nat se Wolde ye presume to speke with the great god Nay discrecyon and you be to farre od By r lady these knaues must be tyed shorter Syr who let you in spake ye with the porter ¶ Water myller ¶ Nay by my trouth nor with none other man Yet I sawe you well when I fyrst began Howe be it so helpe me god and holydam I toke you but for a knaue as I am But mary nowe syus I knowe what ye be I must and wyll obey your authorytie And yf I may nat speke with Iupyter I beseche you be my solyciter ☜ Mery reporte ¶ As in that I wyll be your well wyller I perceyue you be a water myller And your hole desyre as I take the mater Is plente of rayne for encres of water The let where of ye affyrme determynately As onely the wynde your mortall enemy ☜ Water myller ¶ Trouth it is for it bloweth so alofte We neuer haue rayne or at the moste nat ofte Wherfore I pray you put the god in mynde Clerely for euer to banyshe the wynde ⧠Entreth the wynde myller ¶ Wynde myller ¶ Howe is all the wether gone or I come For the passyon af god helpe me to some I am a wynde myller as many mo be No wretche is wretchydnes so wretchyd as we The holde sorte of my crafte be all marde at ones The wynde is so weyke it sturrerh nat our stones Nor skantly can shatter the shytren sayle That hangeth shaterynge at a womans tayle The rayne neuer resteth so longe be the showres Frome tyme of begynnynge tyll foure and twenty houres And ende whan it shall at nyght or at none Another begynneth as sone as that is done Suche reuell of rayne ye knowe well ynough Destroyeth the wynde be it neuer so rough Wherby syns our mylles be come to styll standdynge Nowe may we wynde myllers go euyn to hangynge A myller with a moryn and a myschyefe Who woulde be a myller as good be a thefe Yet in tyme past when gryndynge was plente Who were so lyke goddes felowes as we As faste as god made corne we myllers made meale Whiche myght be beste forborne for comone weale But let that gere passe for I feare our pryde Is cause of the care whiche god dothe vs prouyde Wherfore I submyt me entendynge to se What comforte may come by humylitie And nowe at this tyme they sayde in the crye The god is come downe to shape remedy Mery reporte No doute he is here euen in yonder trone But in your mater he trusteth me alone Wherin I do perceyue by your complaynte Oppression of rayne doth make the wynde so faynte That ye wynde myllers be elene caste awaye ¶ Wynde myller ¶ Yf Iupyter helpe nat it is as ye saye But in fewe wordes to tell you my mynde rounde Vpon this condicion I wolde be bounde Day by day to say our ladyes sauter That in this worlde were no drope of water Nor neuer rayne but wynde continuall Then shulde we wynde myllers be lordes ouer all ¶ Mery reporte ¶ Come on and assay howe you twayne can agre A brother of yours a myller as ye be †Water myller ¶ By meane of your crafte we may be brothers But whyles we lyue shall we neuer be louers We be of one crafte but nat of one kynde I lyue by water and ye by the wynde ¶ Here Mery reporte goeth out And syr as ye desyre wynde continuall So
good louer and she his owne swettynge To whome at my commynge I caste suche a fygure Mynglynge the mater accordynge to my nature That whan we departyd aboue all other thynges She thanked me hertely for my mery tydynges And yf I had nat handled it merely Perchaunche she myght haue take it heuely But in suche facyon I coniured and bounde her That I lefte her meryer then I founde her What man may compare to shewe the lyke comforte That dayly is shewed by me Mery reporte And for your purpose at this tyme ment For all wethers I am so indyfferent Without affeccyon standynge so vp ryght Son lyght mone lyght ster lyght twy lyght torche lyght Colde hete most drye hayle rayn frost snow lightnīg thūd Cloudy mysty wyndy fayre foule aboue heed or vnder Temperate or distemperate what euer it be I promyse your lordshyp all is one to me ☞ Iupiter ⧠Well son consyderynge thyne indyfferency And partely the rest of thy declaracyon We make the our seruaunt and immedyatly Well wolde thou departe and cause proclamacyon Publyshynge our pleasure to euery nacyon Whiche thynge ones done with all deligens Make thy returns agayne to this presens †Here to receyue all sewters of eche degre And suche as to the may seme moste metely We wyll thou brynge them before our maieste And for the reste that be nat so worthy Make thou reporte to vs effectually So that we may here eche maner sewte at large Thus se thou departe and loke vpon thy charge ¶ Mery reporte ¶ Nowe good my lorde god our lady be with ye Frendes a felyshype let me goo by ye Thynke ye I maye stande thrustynge amonge you there Nay by god I muste thruste aboute other gere ☞ Mery reporte goeth out ¶ At th ende of this staf the god hath a songe played in his torne or Mery reporte come in ☞ Iupyter ¶ Nowe syns we haue thus farre set forthe our purpose A whyle we woll withdrawe our godly presens To enbolde all suche more playnely to disclose As here wyll attende in our foresayde pretens And nowe accordynge to your obediens Reioyce ye in vs with ioye moste ioyfully And we our selfe shall ioye in our owne glory ☞ Mery reporte cometh in ☜ Mery reporte ¶ Nowe syrs take hede for here cometh goddes seruaūt Auaunte cartely keytyfs auaunt Why ye dronken horesons wyll it nat be By your feaythe haue ye nother cap nor knee Nat one of you that wyll make curtesy To me that am squyre for goddes body Regarde ye nothynge myne authoritie No welcome home nor where haue ye be Howe be it yf ye axyd I coulde nat well tell But sure I thynke a thousande myle from hell And on my faythe I thynke on my conscience I haue ben from heuen as farre as heuen is hens At Louyn at London and in Lumbardy At Baloocke at Barforde and in Barbary At Canturbery at Couentre at Colchester At Wansworth and at Welbecke at Westchester At Fullam at Faleborne and at Fenlowe At wallyngeforth at wakefelde and at waltanstowe At Tawcon at Typtre and at Totnam At Glouceter at Gylforde and at Gotham At Hartforde at Harwyche at Harcowe on the hyll At Sutbere at Suthampton at shoters hyll At Wallyngham at wittam and at werwycke At Boston at Brystowe and at Berwycke At Grauelyn at Grauesende and at Glastenbery Ynge Gyngyange Iabyerde the paryshe of Butlbery The deuyll him selfe without more leasure Coulde nat haue gone halfe thus muche I am sure But nowe I hane warned them let them euen chose For in faythe I care nat who wynne or lose ⧠Here the Gentylman before he cometh in bloweth his horne ¶ Mery reporte ☞ Nowe by my trouth this was a goodly herynge I wonte it had ben the gentylwomens blowynge But it is nat so as I nowe suppose For womens hornes soundes more in a mannes nose ¶ Gentylman ¶ Stande ye mery my frendes euerychone ☞ Mery reporte †Say that to me and let the reste alone Syrye he welcome and all your meyny ¶ Gentylman ¶ Nowe in good sothe my frende god a mercy And syns that I mete the here thus by chaunce I shall requyre the of further acqueyntaunce And preuely to shewe the thys is the mater I come to sewe to the great god Iupiter For helpe of thynges concernynge my recreacyon Accordynge to his late proclamacyon ☞ Mery reporte ☞ Mary I am he that this must spede But fyrste tell me what be ye in dede ¶ Gentylman ¶ Forsothe good frende I am a gentylman ¶ Mery reporte ¶ A goodly occupacyon by saynte Anne On my fathe your mashype hath a mery lyfe But who maketh all these hornes your selfe or your wyfe Nay euen in erneste I aske you this question ¶ Gentylman ¶ Nowe by my truth thou arte a mery one ¶ Mery reporte ☞ In fatyhe or vs bothe I thynke neuer one sad For I am nat so mery but ye seme as mad But stande ye stylt and take a lytell payne I wyll come to you by and by agayne Nowe gracious god yf your wyll so be I praye ye let me speke a worde with ye ¶ Iupyter ¶ My sonne say on let vs here thy mynde ¶ Mery reporte ¶ My lorde there standethe a suter euen here behynde A gentylman in yonder corner And as I thynke his name is mayster horner A hunter he is and cometh to make you sporte He wolde hunte a sow or twayne out of this sorte ¶ Here he pointeth to the women ⧠Iupyter ☞ What so euer his mynde be let him appere ☞ Mery reporte ¶ Nowe good mayster horner I praye you come nere ¶ Gentylman ⧠I am no horner knaue I wyll you knowe it ¶ Mery reporte ¶ I thought ye had for when ye dyd blowe it Harde I neuer horeson make horne so go As lefe ye kyst myne ars as blowe my hole so Come on your way before the god Iupyter And there for your selfe ye shal be sewter ☜ Gentylman ¶ Moste myghty prynce and god of euery nacyon Pleaseth your hyghnes to vouchsaue the herynge Of me whiche accordynge to your proclamacyon Dothe make apparaunce in way of besechynge Nat sole for my selfe but generally For all came of noble and auncient stocke Whiche forte aboue all doth moste thankefully Dayly take payne for welth of the comen flocke With delygent study alway deuysynge To kepe them in order and vnyte In peace to laboure the encres of theyr lyuynge Wherby eche man may prosper in plente Wherfore good god this is our hole desyrynge That for ease of our paynes at tymes vacant In our recreacion whiche chefly is huntynge It may please you to sende vs wether pleasaunte Drye and nat mysty the wynde calme and sryll That after our houndes yournynge so merely Chasynge the dere ouer pale and hyll In herynge we may folowe and to comforte the cry ¶ Iupyter ¶ Ryght well we do perceyue your hole request Whiche shall not fayle to reste in memory Wherfore we wyll ye set
more ye byb the more ye babyll The more ye babyl the more ye fabyl The more ye fabyl the more vnstabyl The more vnstable the more vnabyll In any maner thynge to do any good No hurte though ye were hanged by the holy rood †Launder ⧠The lesse your scilence the lesse your credence The lesse your credence the lesse your honestie The lesse your honestie the lesse your assistence The lesse your assistence the lesse abylyte In you to do ought wherefore so god me saue No hurte in hangyng such a raylynge knaue ⧠Mery report ¶ What monster is this I neuer harde none suche For loke howe muche more I haue made her to muche And so farre at laste she hath made me to lyttell Where be ye Launder I thynke in some spyttell Ye shall washe me no gere for fere of fretynge I loue no launders that shrynke my gere in wettynge I praye the go hens and let me be in rest I wyll do thyne errande as I thynke beft ¶ Launder ¶ Nowe wolde I take my leue yf I wyste howe The lenger I lyue the more knaue you ⧠Mery reporte ¶ The lenger thou lyuest the pyte the gretter The soner thou be ryd the tydynges the better Is nat this a swete offyce that I haue When euery drab shall call me knaue Euery man knoweth not what goddes seruyce is Nor I my selfe knewe it not before this I thynke goddes seruauntes may lyue holyly But the deuyll seruauntes lyue more merely I knowe not what god gyueth in standynge fees But the deuyll seruauntes hane casweltees A hundreth tymes mo then goddes seruauntes haue For thoughe ye be neuer so starke a knaue Yt ye lacke money the deuyll wyll do wurse But brynge you streyght to another mans purse Then wyll the deuyll promote you here in this worlde As vnto suche tyche it doth moste accorde Fyrst Pater noster quies in celis And then ye shall sens the stryfe with your helys The greatest frende ye haue in felde or towne Sandynge a typ to shal nat reche your crowne ⧠The boy cometh in the leste that can play ¶ This same is euen he by allycklyhod Syr I pray you be not you master god ⧠Mery reporte ¶ No in good fayth sonne but I may say to the I am suche a man that god may nat mysse me Wherfore with y e god yf thou woldest haue ought done Tell me thy mynde and I shall shewe it sone ¶ Boy ¶ Forsothe syr my mynde is this at fewe wordes All my pleasure is in catsynge of vyrdes And makynge of snow bailes and throwynge the same For the whiche purpose to haue set in frame With my god father god I wolde fayne haue spoken Desyrynge him to haue sente me by some token Where I myght haue had greate frost for my pytfalles And plente of suowe to make my snowe balles This ones had boys lyues be suche as no man leddes O to se my snowe balles lyght on my felowes hedes And to here the byrdes howe they slyckere there wynges In the pytfale I saye it passeth all thynges Syr yf ye be goddes seruaunte or his kynsman I pray you helpe me in this yt ye can ¶ Mery reporte ¶ Alas poore boy who sente the hether ¶ Boy ¶ A hundred boyes that stode togyther Where they herde one say in a cry That my god father god almyghty Was come frome heuen by his owne accorde This nyght to suppe here with my lorde And farther he sayde come whose wull They shall sure haue theyr bylles full I fall wethers who lyste to craue Eche sorte suche wether as they lyste to haue And when my felowes thought this wolde be had And sawe me so prety a pratelynge lad Vpon agrement with a great noys Sende lytell Dycke cryed all the boys By whose assent I am purueyd To sewe for the wether a foresayde Wherin I pray you to be good as thus To helpe that god may gyue it vs. ¶ Mery report Gyue boys wether quoth a nonny nonny ☜ Boy ¶ If god of his wether wyll gyue nonny I pray you wyll ye sell ony Or sende vs a bushel of snowe or twayne And poynt vs a day to pay hym agayne ⧠Mery report ¶ I can not tell for by this lyght I chepte nor barowed none of hym this nyght But by suche shyfte as I wyll make Thou shalt se soone what way he wyll take ☜ Boy ⧠Syr I thanke you then I may departe †The boye goeth out ¶ Mery reporte †Ye farewell good sonne with all my harte Nowe such an other sorte as here hath bene In al the dayes of my lyfe I haue not sene No suters nowe but women knaues and boys And all theyr sutes are in fansyes and toys If that there come no wyser after this crye I wyll to the god and make an ende quickely Oyes yf that any knaue here Be wyllynge to appeare For whether foule or clere Come in before this flocke And be he hole or syckly Come shewe his mynde quickly And yf his tayle be nat lyckly Ye shall lycke my tayle in the nocke All his tyme I perceyue is spente in wast To wayte for mo suters I se none make hast Wherefore I wyll shewe the god all this proces And be delyuered of my symple offes Nowe lorde accordynge to your commaundement Attendynge suters I haue ben diligent And at begynnynge as your wyll was I shulde I come nowe at ende to shewe what eche man wolde The fyrst suter before your selfe dyd appere A gentylman desyrynge wether clere Cloudy nor mysty nor no wynde to blowe For hurt in his huntynge and then as ye knowe The Marchaunte sude for as of that kynde For wether clere and measurable wynde As they maye beste bere theyr sayles to make spede And streyght after there came to me in dede Another man who named hym selfe a ranger And sayde all of his crafte be farre brought in daunger For lacke of lyuynge whiche chefely is wynde fall But he playnely saythe there bloweth no wynde at all Wherfore he desyreth for encrease of theyr fleeses Extreme rage of wynde trees to tere in peces Then came a water myller and he cryed out For water and sayde the wynde was so stout The rayne coulde not fall wherfore he made requeste For plenty of rayne to set the wynde at reste And then syr there came a wynde myller in Who sayde for the rayne he coulde no wynde wyn The water he wysht to be banyshe all Besechynge yout grace of wynde continuall Then came there another that wolde banyshe all this A goodly dame an ydyll thynge ywys Wynde rayne nor frost nor son shyne wolde she haue But fayre close wether her beaute to saue Then came there another that lyueth by laundry Who must haue wether hote and clere here clothes to dry Then come there a boy for trost and snowe continuall Snow to make snow balles and frost for his pytfall For whiche god wote he sueth full gredely Your