She stares again, with the same result.

The boy triumphs.

She tells her

wrongs to a friar,

168

"Perdy," the boy sayd, "well I wott
that gun was both well charged1 & shott,
& might haue broke a stone."

ffull curstlye2 shee lookt on him tho:
that looke another cracke3 lett goe
which did a thunder4 rise.

172 Quoth the boy, "did" you euer see
a woman let her pelletts flee

More thicke & more at ease?

"ffye!" said the boy vnto his dame,
176"temper your teltale bumm, for shame!"
which made her full of sorrow.

180

"Dame," said the goodman, "goe thy way,
for why, I sweare, by night nor day 8
thy geere is not to borrow."

Now afterwards, as you shall heare,
Vnto the house there came a fryar,

& lay there all the night.

184 The wiffe this fryer loued as a Saint,9
& to him made a great complaint
of lackes most vile despight.

"for gods loue meet this boy' to-morrow,

beat him well, & giue him sorrow,

& make him blind or lame."

196 The fryar swore he wold him beat, the wiffe prayd him 3 not to forgett,

the boy did her much shame :

4

"Some wiche he is," quoth shee, "I smell." 200 "but," quoth the fryar, "Ile beat him well! of that take you noe care;

204

Ile teach him witchcraft, if I may."

"O," quoth the wiffe, "doe soe, I pray,

lay on & doe not spare."

Early next morne the boy arose,

& to the field full soone he goes,

his cattell for to driue.

208 The fryer then 5 vp as early gatt, he was afrayd to come to 6 late, he ran full fast & blythe.

But when he came vnto the land,8

212 he found where litle Iacke did stand,

keeping his beasts alone.

[page 100.]

"Now, boy," he sayd, "god giue thee shame!
what hast thou done to thy stepdame ?

and asks him

to beat the boy soundly.

The friar agrees.

Next day

the boy

goes afield as before, followed by the friar;

who asks him to explain his conduct.

Jack changes the subject; offers to

shoot a bird and give it to the friar.

Shoots it.

The friar

gone among the bushes

to pick it up, Jack pipes

and makes him dance.

The briars scratch and tear him.

220 The boy replyed, "what ayleth thee?
my stepdame is as well as thee;

Shoot, shoot, you wagg," then sayd the fryer,
"for that I long to see.' 196

232 Iacke hitt the bird vpon the head

soe right that shee fell downe for dead,

noe further cold shee flee.

ffast to the bush the fryar went,

236 & vp the bird in hand' hee hent,8

240

much wondering at the chance.

Meane while Iacke tooke his pipe & playd
soe lowd, the fryar grew mad apaide,10

& fell to skip & dance;

Now sooner was 12 the pipes sound heard,
but Bedlam like 13 he bou[n]cet & fared,

& leapt the bush about;

244 The sharpe bryars cacth 14 him by the face,
& by the breech & other place,

It tare his clothes downe to the skirt, 248 his cope, his coole,3 his linen shirt, euery other weede.4

252

&

The thornes this while 5

were rough & thicke,

& did his priuy members pricke,

that fast they gan to bleede.

Iacke, as he piped, laught amonge 6;

the fryar with bryars was vildlye stunge,

he hopped wonderous hye.

256 Att last the fryar held vp his hand, & said, "I can noe longer stand! Oh! I shall dancing dye!

The thornes had scratcht him by the face, 272 the hands, the thighes, 10 & euery place, he was all bathed in bloode

He tare.-P.

2 His cap.-P.

3 cowle, a monk's hood.-P.

4 garment, A.-S. wad, wed.-F.

5 the while.-P.

6 at intervals.-F.

7 at the.-P.

Jack laughs.

The friar begs for mercy.

Jack lets

him go.

The friar

goes away ragged and lacerated,

to the stepdame,

and recounts his woes.

She complains of the boy to the goodman,

who inquires into the

case,

276

Soe much, that who the fryar did see,
for feare of him was faine1 to flee,
thinking he had beene woode.

When to the good wife home 2 he came,
he made noe bragge for verry shame
to see his clothes rent all;

280 Much sorrow in his hart he had,

284

288

The goodwiffe said, "where hast thou beene?
sure in some evill place, I weene,

by sight of thine array."

"Dame," said he, "I came from thy sonne;
the devill & he hath me vndone,

noe man him conquer may."

300

1

were fain.-P.

2 MS. hone.-F.

3 mad.-P.

now tell me without let."

"The devill him take! "7 the fryar he sayd,
"he made me dance, despite my head,8

among the thornes the hey-to-bee." "

4 See note 2 to 1. 484, p. 28.-F.

here is.-P.

[page 101.]

hey-go-beat.-P. Hey, to sport, play

or gambol; to kick about. Halliwell.-F.