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
your mylles grynde farre faster What helpe to those frome whome ye be muche farther And of two sortes yf the tone shulde be conserued I thynke ye mete the most nomber be serued In vales and weldes where moste commodytie is There is moste people ye muste graunt me this On hylles and downes whiche partes are most varain There must be fewyt can no mo sustayne I darre well saye yf it were tryed euen nowe That there is ten of vs to one of you And where shulde chefely and necessaries be But there as people are moste in plente More reason that you com vii myle to myll Then all we of the vale shode clyme the hyll Yf rayne came rasonable as I requyre it We shulde of your wynde mylles haue nede no whyt ¶ Entreth Mery reporte ☜ Mery reporte ¶ Stop folyshe knaue for your reasonynge is suche That ye haue reasoned euen ynonght and to muche I harde all the wordes that ye bothe haue hadde So helpe me god the knaues be more then madde Nother of them bothe that hath wit nor grace To perceyue that bothe mylles may serue in place Betwene water and wynde there is no suche set But eche myll may haue tyme to vse his fet Whiche thynge I can tell by experiens For I haue of myne owne not farre from hens In corner togyther a couple of mylles Standynge in a marres betwene two hylles Nat of wherytaunce but by my wyfe She is feofed in the tayle for terme of her lyfe The one for wynde the other for water And of them bothe I thanke god there standeth nother For in a good houre be it spoken The water gate is no soner open But clap sathe the wyndemyll euyn streight behynde There is good spedde the deuyll and all they grynde But whether that the hopper be dusty Or that the mylstones be somwhat rusty By the mas the meale is myscheuous musty And yf ye thynke my tale be nat trusty I make ye true prompse come when ye lyste We shall fynde meane ye shall taste of the gryste ¶ Water myller ¶ The corne at receyt happely is nat good ¶ Mery reporte ¶ There can be no sweter by the swete rood Another thynge yet whiche shall nat be cloked My water myll many tymes is choked ¶ Water myller ☜ So wyll she be thought ye shulde bruste your bones Excepte ye be perfyte in settynge of stones Fere nat the lydger beware your conner Yet this for the lydger or ye haue wonne her Perchaunce your lydger dothe lacke good peckynge ¶ Mery reporte ¶ So sayth my wyfe and that maketh all our checkynge She wolde haue the myll peckt peckt peckt euery daye But by god myllers must pecke when they maye So ofte haue we peckt that our stones wax ryght thynne And all our other gere nat worth a pynne For with peckynge and peckynge I haue so wrought That I haue pecke a good peckynge yron to nought Howe be it yf I stycke no better tyll her My wyfe saythe she wyll haue a newe myller But let it passe and nowe to our mater I saye my mylles lacke nother wynde nor water No more do yours as farre as nede dothe requyre But syns ye can nat agree I wyll desyre Iupyter to set you bothe in suche reste As to your welthe and his honour maye stande beste ¶ Water myller ¶ I pray you hartely remember me ☜ Wynde myller ⧠Let nat me be for gotten I besecheye ¶ Bothe myllers goeth forth ¶ Mery reporte ¶ If I remember you nat bothe a lyke I wolde ye were ouer the eares in the dyke Nowe be we ryd of two knaues at one chaunce By saynte Thomas it is a knauish ryddaunce ¶ The gentylwoman entreth ¶ Gentylwoman ⧠Nowe good god what a foly is this What shulde I do were so muche people is I knowe not howe to passe into the god nowe ¶ Mery report ¶ No but ye knowe howe he maye passe into you ¶ Gentylwoman ¶ I praye you let me in at the backe syde ⧠Mery report ¶ Ye shall I so and your forsyde so wyde Naye nat yet but syns ye loue to be alone We twayne wyll into a corner anone But fyrst I praye you come your waye hyther And let vs twayne chat a whyle togyther ¶ Gentlwoman ☜ Syr as to you I haue lyttell mater My commynge is to speke with Iupyter ⧠Mery report ¶ Stande ye styll a whyle and I wyll go proue Whether that the god wyll be brought in loue My lorde howe nowe loke vp lustely Here his a derlynge come by saynt Antony And yf it be your pleasure to mary Speke quyckely for she maye nat tary In fayth I thynke ye may wynne her anone For she wolde speke with your lordshypen alone ☜ Iupiter ☜ Sonne that is nat the thynge at this tyme ment Yf her sute concerne no cause of our hyther resorte Sende her out of place but yf she ve bent To that purpose he are her and make vs reporte ☜ Mery report ☜ I counte women lost yf we loue them not well For ye se god loueth them neuer a dele Maystres ye can not speke with the god ¶ Gentylwoman ⧠No why ⧠Mery report ¶ By my fayth for his lordshyp is ryght besy With a peece of worke that nedes must be doone Euen nowe is he makynge of a newe moone He sayth your olde moones be so farre tasted That all the goodnes of them is wasted Which of the greate wete hath ben moste matter For olde moones be lyke they holde no water But for this newe moone I durst lay my gowne Excepte a fewe droppes at her goynge downe Ye get no rayne tyll her arysynge Without it nede and then no mans deuysynge Coulde wyshe the fashyon of rayne to be so good Not gushinge out lyke gutters of Noyes fludde But small droppes sprynklynge sortely on the grounde Though they fel on a sponge they wolde gyue no sounde This new moone shal make a thynge sprynge more in this whyle Thē a old moae shall whyle a man may go a myle By that tyme the god hath all made an ende Ye shall se howe the wether wyll amende By saynt Anne he goeth to worke euen boldely I thynke hym wyse ynough for he loketh holdely Wherfore maystres be ye nowe of good chere For though in his presence ye can not appeare Tell me your matter and let me alone May happe I wyll thynke on you when you be go en ¶ Gentylwoman ¶ Forfoth the cause of my comynge is this I am a woman ryght tayre as ye se In no creature more beaute then in me is And syns I am fayre fayre wolde I kepe me But the sonne in somer so sore doth burne me In wynter the winde on euery syde me No parte of the yere wote I where to turne me But euen in my house am I sayne to hyde me And so do all other that beuty haue In whose name at this tyme this sute I make Bescchynge Iupyter to
⧠The play of the wether ¶ A newe and very mery enterlude of all maner wethers made by Iohn Heywood ¶ The players names ☞ Iupiter a god ☞ Mery reporte the vyce ⧠The gentylman ☞ The marchant ⧠The ranger ¶ The water myller ☞ The wynde myller ¶ The gentylwoman ☞ The launder ☞ A boy the lest that can play ¶ Iupyter RYght farre to longe as nowe were to recyte The anciēt estat wherin our selfe hath reyned What honoure what laude gyuen vs of very ryght What glory we haue had duty vnfaīd Of eche creature which duty hath cōstrayned For aboue all goodes syns our fathers tale We Iupyter were euer princypale ☞ Yf we so haue ben as truth it is in dede Beyonde the compas of all comparyson Who coulde presume to shewe for any mede So that it myght appere to humayne reason The hye renoume we stande in at thys season For syns that heuen and erthe were fyrst create Stode we neuer in suche tryumphant estate ⧠As we nowe do where of we wolde reporte Suche parte as we se mete for tyme present Chefely concernynge your perpetuall conforte As the thynge selfe shall proue in experymente Whiche hyely shall bynde you on knees lowly beute Soolly to honour our hyenes day by day And nowe to the mater gyue eare and we shall say ☞ Before our presens in our hye parlyament Bothe goddes and goodesses of all degrees Hath late assembled by comen assente For the redres of certayne enormytees Bred amonge them thorowe extremytees Abusede in eche to other of them all Namely to purpose in these moste specyall ¶ Our foresayde fathers Saturny and Phebus Eolus and Phebe these foure by name Whose natures nat onely so farre contraryous But also of malyce eche other to defame Haue longe tyme abused ryght farre out of frame The dewe course of all theyr constellacyons To the great damage of all yerthly nacyons ¶ Whiche was debated in place sayde before And fyrst as became our fether moste aunciente With berd e whyte as snowe his lockes both cold hote Hath entred suche mater as serued is intent Laudynge his frosty mansyon in the fyrmament To ayre and yerth as thynge moste precyous Pourgynge all humours that are contagyous ¶ Howe be yf he alledgeth that of longe tyme paste Lyttell hath preuayled his great dilygens Full oft vpon erthe his fayre frost he hath cast All thynges hurtfull to banyshe out of presens But Phebus entendynge to kepe him in sylens When he hath labored all nyght in his powers His glarynge beames maryth all in two houres ☞ Phebus to this made no manere answerynge Where vpon they bothe then Phebe defyed Eche for his parte leyd in her reprouynge That by her showres superfluous they haue tryed In all that she may theyr powers be denyed Where vnto Phebe made answere no more Then Phebus to Saturne had made before ☞ Anone vpon Eolus all these dyd fle Complaynynge theyr causes eche one a rowe And sayde to compare none was so euyn as he For when he is dysposed his blastes to blowe He suffreth neyther sonne shyne rayne nor snowe They eche agaynste other and he agaynst all thre Thus can these foure in no maner agre ¶ Whiche sene in them selfe and further consyderynge The same to the redres was cause of theyr assemble And also that we euermore beynge Besyde one puysant power of deite Of wysedome and nature so noble and fre From all extremytees the meane deuydynge To peale and plente eche thynge attemperynge ☞ They haue in conclusyon holly sundryd Into our handes as muche concernynge All maner of wethers by them engendryd The full of theyr powers for terme euerlastynge To set suche order as standeth with our pleasynge Whiche thynges of our parte no parte requyred But of all theyr partes ryght humble desyred ☞ To take vpon vs whereto we dyd assente And so in all thynges with one voyce agreable We haue clerely fynyshed our foresayde parleamente To your great welthe whiche shal be fyrme and stable And to our honour farre inestimable For syng theyr powers as ours addyd to our owne Who can we saye knowe vs as we shulde be knowne ☞ But nowe for fyne the rest of our entente Wherfore as nowe we hyther are descended Is onely to satysfye and content All maner people whiche haue ben offendyd By any wether mete to be amendyd Vpon whose complayntes declarynge theyr grefe We shall shape remedy for theyr relefe ¶ And to gyue knowledge for theyr hyther resorte We wolde this afore proclaymed to be To all our people by some one of this sorte Whome we lyste to chose here amongest allye Wherfore eche man auaunce and we shall se Whiche of you is most mete to be our eryer ☞ Here entreth Mery reporte ☞ Mery reporte ⧠Brother holde vp your torche a lytell hyer Nowe I beseche you my lorde loke on me furste I trust your lordshype shall not fynde me the wurste ☞ Iupyter ☞ Why what arte thou that approchest so nye ¶ Mery reporte ¶ Forsothe and please your lordshype it is I. ¶ Iupyter ¶ All that we knowe very well but what I. ☞ Mery reporte ☞ What I some laye I am I perse I But what maner I so euer be I I assure your good lordshype I am I. ¶ Iupyter ¶ What maner man arte thou shewe quyckely ☞ Mery reporte ☞ By god a poore gentylman dwelleth her by ☞ Iupyter ☞ A gentylman thy selfe bryngeth witnes naye Bothe in thy lyght behauour and araye But what art thou called where thou dost resorte ☞ Mery reporte ⧠Forsothe my lorde mayster Mery reporte ¶ Iupyter ¶ Thou arte no mete man in our besynes For thyne apparence is of to muche lyghtnes ¶ Mery reporte ☞ Why can not your lordshype lyke my name Myne apparell nor my name nother ¶ Iupyter †To none of all we haue deuotion ¶ Mery reporte ¶ A proper lycklyhod of promocyon Well than as wyse as ye seme to be Yet can ye se no wysdome in me But syns ye disprayse me for so lyght an elft I praye you gyue me leue to prayse my selfe And for the fyrste parte I wyll begyn In my behauour at my commynge in Wherin I thynke I haue lytell offendyd For sewer my curtesy coulde nat be amendyd And as for my seure your seruaunte to be Myght yll haue ben myst for your honestie For as I be saued yf I shall nat lye I sawe no man sewe for the offyce but I Wherfore yf ye take me nat or I go Ye must anone whether ye wyll or no And syns your entente is but for the wethers What skyis our appyrell to be fryse or fathers I thynhe it wysdome syns no man forbad it With this to spate a better yf I had it And for my name reportynge all waye truely What hurte to reporte a sad mater merely As be occasion for the same entente To a certayne wedowe this day was I sente Whose husbande departyd without her wittynge A speciall
wolde I haue rayne euer more to fall Whiche two in experience ryght well ye se Ryght selde or neuer togyther can be For as longe as the wynde ruleth it is playne Twynty to one ye get no drope of rayne And when the Element is to farre opprest Downe commeth the rayne and setteth the wynde at rest By this ye se we can nat both obtayne For ye must lacke wynde or I must lacke rayne Wherfore I thynke good before this audiens Eche for our selfe to lay or we go hens And whome is though weyken when we haue fynysht Leue of his sute and content to be banysht ☜ Wynde myller ¶ In fayth agreed but then by your licens Our mylles for a tyme shall hange in suspens Syns water and wynde is chiefly our sute Whiche beste may be spared we wyll fyrst dispute Wherfore to the see my reason shall resorte Where shyppes by meane of wynde try frome port to port From lande to lande in distaunce many a myle Great is the passage and smale is the whyle So great is the profyte as to me doth seme That no mans wysdome the welthe can exteme And syns the wynde is conueyer of all Who but the wynde shulde haue thanke aboue all ¶ Water myller ¶ Amitte in this place a tree here to growe And therat the wynde in great tage to blowe When it hath all blowen this is a clere case The tree remoueth no heare bred from his place No more wolde the shype blowes the best it coude All though it wolde blowe downe bothe mast shrowde Excepte the shype flete vpon the water The wynde can ryght nought do a playne mater Yet may ye on water without any wynde Rowe forth your vessell where men wyll haue her synde Nothynge more reioyceth the maryner Then meane cooles of wynde and plente of water For commenly the cause of euery wrache Is excesse of wynde where water doth lacke In rage of these stormes the peryll is suche That better were no wynde then so farre to muche ⧠Wynde myller ¶ Well yf my reason in this may nat stande I wyll forsake the see and lepte to lande In euery churche where goddes seruyce is The organs beare brunt of halfe the quere I wys Whiche causeth the sounde of water or wynde More ouer for wynde this thynge I fynde For the moste parte all maner mynstrelsy By wynde they delyuer theyr sounde chefely Fyll me a bagpype of your water full As swetly shall it sounde as it were stuffyd with woll ¶ Water myller ¶ On my fayth I thynke the moone be at the full For franty ke tansyes be then moste plente full Whiche are at the pryde of theyr sprynge in your hed So farre from our mater he is nowe fled As for the wynde in any instrumente It is no percell of our argumente We spake of wynde that cometh naturally And that is wynde forcyd artyfycyally Whiche is nat to purpose but yf it were And water indede ryght nought coulde do there Yet I thynke organs no suche comodite Wherby the water shulde banyshed be And for your bagpyppes I take them as nyfuls Your mater is all in fansyes and tryfuls ☜ Wynde myller ☜ By god but ye shall nat tryfull me of so Yf these thynges serue nat I wyll reherse mo And nowe to mynde there is an olde prouerbe come One bushell of marche dust is worth a kynges raunsome What is a hundreth thousande bushels worthe than ☜ Water myller ¶ Nat one myte for the thynge selfe to no man ¶ Wynde myller ¶ Why shall wynde euery where thus be obiecte Nay in the hye wayes he shall take a effecte Where as the rayne doth neuer good but hurt For wynde maketh but dust and water maketh durt Pouder or syrop syr which lycke ye beste Who lycketh nat the tone may lycke vp the reste But sure who euer hath assayed suche syppes Had leuer haue dusty eyes then durty lyppes And it is sayde syns afore we were borne That drught doth neuer make derth of corne And well it is knowen to the moste foole here Howe rayne hath pryced corne within thi vii yere ⧠Water miler ⧠Syr I pray the spare me a lyteell season And I shall preuely conclude the with reason Put case on somers day without wynde to be And ragious wynde in wynter dayes two or thre Muche more shall dry that one calme day in somer Then shall those thre wyndy dayes in winter Whom shall we thanke for this when all is done The thanke to wynde nay thanke chyefly the son And so for drought of corne therby encres The son doth comfort and rype all doutles And oft the wynde so leyth the corne god wot That neuer after can it rype but rotte If drought toke place as ye say yet may ye se Lytell helpeth the wynde in this commoditie But nowe syr I denye your pryncypall If drought euer were it were impossybyll To haue any grayne for or it can growe Ye must plowe your lande harro we and sowe Which wyll not be excepte ye may haue rayne To temper the grounde and after agayne For springyng and plumynge all maner corne Yet must ye haue water or all is forlorne If ye take water for no commoditie Yet must ye take it for thynges of necessitie For washynge for showrynge all fylth clensynge Where water lacketh what bestly beynge In brewynge in bakynge in dressynge of meate It ye lacke water what coulde ye drynke or eate Without water coulde lyue neyther man nor beast For water preserueth both moste and leaste For water coulde I say a thousande thynges mo Sauynge as nowe the tyme wyll not serue so And as for that wynde that you do sewe fore Is good for your wyndemyll and for no more Syr syth all this in experience is tryde I say this mater standeth clere on my syde Wynde myller ¶ Well syns this myll not serue I wyl alledge the reste Syr for our wyll I say myne is the beste My wyndmyll shall grynde more corne in one houre Then the water myll shall in thre or foure Ye more then thyne shulde in a hole yere If thou myghtest haue as thou hast wyshed here For thou desyrest to haue excesse of rayne Whiche thynge to the were y e worst thou coudest obtayne For yf thou dydest it were a playne induccion To make thyue owne desyre thyne owne destruccion For in excesse of rayne at any flood Your mylles must stand styll they can do no good And whan the wynde doth blowe the vttermost Our wyndemylles walde a mayne in euery cost For as we se the wynde in his estate We moderour sayles after the same rate Syns our mylles grynde so farre faster then yours And also they maye grynde all tymes and houres I say we nede no water mylles at all For wyndemylles be sufficient to serue al. ¶ Water myller ¶ Thou spekeste of all and consyderest nat halfe In boste of thy gryste thou art wyse as a calfe For thoughe aboue vs
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
fyrst man wolde haue cooles to blowe meanly The seconde the same saue wether clere and nat wyndy The thyrde desyred stormes and wynde most extermely The fourth all in water and wolde haue no wynde The fyfte no water but all wynde to grynde The syxte wolde haue none of all these nor no bryght son The seuent extremely the hote sone wolde haue woone The eyght and the laste for the frost and snowe he prayd By lady we shall take shame I am afrayd Who marketh in what maner this sort is led May thynke it impossyble all to be spede This nomber is smale there lacketh twayne of ten And yet by the masse amonge ten thousande men No one thynge coulde stande more wyde frome the other Nat one of theyr suters agreeth with an other I promyse you here is a shrewe pece of warke This gere wyll trye wether ye be a clarke Yf ye truste to me it is a great foly For it passeth my braynes by goodes body ☜ Iupiter ⧠Son thou hast best diligent and done so well That thy labour is ryght muche thanke worthy But be thou sure we nede no whyt thy counsel For in our selfe we haue forsene remedy Whiche thou shalt se but fyrste departe hens quyckly To the gentylman and al other suters here And commaunde them all before vs to appeare ☜ Mery report ☜ That shall be no lenger in doynge Then I am in commynge and goynge †Mery reporte goeth out ¶ Iupiter ⧠Suche debate as from aboue he haue harde Suche debate beneth amonge your selues ye se As longe as heddes from temperaunce be defarde So longe the bodyes in distemperaunce be This perceyue ye all but none can helpe saue we But as we there haue made peace concordantly So wyll we here now gyue you remedy ⧠Mery report and all the suters entreth ⧠Mery report ¶ If I had caught them Or euer I taught them I wolde haue taught them To be nere me Full dere haue I bought them Lorde so I sought them Yet haue I brought them Suche as they be ¶ Gentylman ☜ Pleaseth it your maiestie lorde so it is We as your subiectes and humble suters all Accordyng as we here your pleasure is Are presed as your presens beynge pryncypall Hed and gouernour of all in euery place Who ioyeth not in your syght no ioye can haue Wherfore we all commyt vs to your grace As lorde of lordes vs to peryshe or saue ☜ Iupyter ☜ As longe as discrecion so well doth you gyde Obediently to vse your dutye Dout ye nat we shall your sauete prouyde Your greuys we haue harde wherefore we sende for ye To receyue aunswere eche man in his degre And fyrst to content most reason it is The fyrst man that sude wherfore marke ye this Oft shall ye haue the wether elere and styll To hunte in for recompence of your payne Also you marchauntes shall haue muche your wyll For oft tymes when no wynde on lande doth remayne Yet on the see pleasaunt cooles you shall obtayne And syns your huntynge may rest in the nyght Oft shal the wynde then ryse and before day lyght †It shall ratell downe the woode in suche case That all ye rangers the better lyue may And ye water myllers shall obtayne this grace Many tymes the rayne to fall in the valey When at the selfe tymes on hylles we shall puruey Fayre wether for your windmilles w t such cooles of winde As in one instant both kyndes of mylles may grynde ☜ And for ye fayre women that close wether wolde haue We shall prouyde that ye may suffyciently Haue tyme to walke in and your beautie saue And yet shall ye haue that lyueth by laundry The hote sonne oft ynough your clothes to dry Also ye prety chylde shall haue both frost and snowe Nowe marke this conclusyon we charge you arowe ¶ Muche better haue we nowe deuysed for ye all Then ye all can perceyue or coude desyre Eche of you sude to haue contynuall Suche wether as his crafte onely doth requyre All wethers in all places yf men all tymes myght hyer Who coulde lyue by other what is this negligence Vs to attempt in such inconuenience ¶ Nowe on the other syde yf we had graunted The full of the some one sute and no mo And from all the rest the wether had forbyd Yet who so had obteyned hadde wonne his owne wo There is no one crafte can preserue man so But by other craftes of necessitie He must haue muche parte of his commoditie ¶ All to serue at ones and one destroy an other Or elles to serue one and destroye all the rest Nother wyll we do the tone nor the other But serue as many or as fewe as we thynke best And where or what tyme to serue most or lest The dyrectyon of that doubtles shall stande Perpetually in the power of our hande †Wherfore we wyll the hole worlde to attende Eche sorte on suche wether as for them doth fall Nowe one nowe other as lyketh vs to sende Who that hath it ply it and sure we shall So gyde the wether in course to you all That eche with other ye shall hole remayne In pleasure and plentyfull welth certayne ⧠Gentylwoman ☜ Blessed was the tyme wherein me were borne Fyrst for the blysfull chaunce of your godly presence Next for our sute was there neuer man beforne That euer harde so excellent a sentence As your grace hath gyuen to vs all arowe Wherin your hyghnes hath so bountyfully Distrybuted my parte that your grace shall knowe Your selfe soole possessed ☜ Merchant ☜ Lykewyse marchauntes shall yelde vs holy Onely to laude the name of Iupyter As god of all goddes you to serue soolly For of euery thynge I se you are norysher ⧠Ranger ¶ No doute it is so for so we nowe fynde Wherin your grace vs rangers so doth bynde That we shall gyue you our hartes with one accorde For knowledge to knowe you onely as our lorde ¶ Watermyller ☜ Well I can no more but for our water We shall gyue your lordshyp our ladyes sauter ☜ Wynde myller ¶ Muche haue ye bounde vs for as I be saued We haue all obtayned better then we craued ¶ Gentylwoman ⧠That is true wherfore your grace shall truely The hartes of suche as I am haue surely ☜ Launder ¶ And suche as I am who be as good as you His hyghnes shall be sure on I make a vowe †Boy ¶ Godfather god I wyll do somwhat for you agayne By Christ ye may hap to haue a byrde or twayne And I promyse you yf any snowe come ▪ When I make my snowe balles you shall haue some