Page images
PDF
EPUB

The sea Crabb.

[Page 462 of MS.]

ITT: was a man of Affrica had a ffaire wiffe, ffairest that euer I saw the dayes of my liffe: with a ging, boyes, ginge! ginge, boyes, ginge! 4 tarradidle, ffarradidle, ging, boyes, ging!

This goodwiffe was bigbellyed, & with a lad,
& euer shee longed ffor a sea crabbe.
ginge &c.

8 The goodman rise in the morning, & put on his hose,
he went to the sea syde, & ffollowed his nose.
ginge &c.

12

16

Sais, "god speed, ffisherman,' sayling on the sea,
hast thou any crabbs in thy bote for to sell mee ?"
ging &c.

"I haue Crabbs in my bote, one, tow, or three;
I haue Crabbs in my bote for to sell thee."
ginge &c.

The good man went home, & ere he wist,

& put the Crabb in the Chamber pot where his wiffe

pist. ging &c.

20 The good wiffe, she went to doe as shee was wont; vp start the Crabfish, & catcht her by the Cunt. ging &c.

A wife who
Was

pregnant wanted a crab.

Her good

man

bought one

and put it in the jordan.

It caught hold of his wife.

1MS. ffishernan.-F.

He blew on it to make

it let go,

and it pinned his nose to his wife.

So he called the neigh

bours in to part them.

"Alas!" quoth the goodwiffe, "that euer I was borne, 24 the devill is in the pispott, & has me on his horne." ging &c.

28

32

"If thou be a crabb or crabfish by kind,

thoule let thy hold goe with a blast of cold wind." ging &c.

The good man laid to his mouth, & began to blowe,
thinkeing therby that they Crab wold lett goe.
ging &c.

"Alas!" quoth the good man,

hither,

"that euer I came

he has ioyned my wiffes tayle & my nose together!" ging &c.

They good man called his neigbors in with great

wonder,

36 to part his wiues tayle & his nose assunder.

ging &c.

ffinis.

8

12

16

20

24

Last night I thought.

[Page 463 of MS.]

LAST: night I thought my true loue I caught;
when I waket, in my armes I mist her;
my sleepe I renued, & my dreame I pursued;

till I ffound out my loue, & I kist her.
but if such delights belong to the nights,
when the head1 hath Phebus in keepinge,
how is he blest with content in his rest
that can find but his Mistress sleepinge?

If shadowes can make the braines for to ake,
when the spirritts haue their reposes,

the substance hath power to proue & procure
all the pleasures that loues incloses.
Nights sable shroud, with her bonny cloude,

will defend thee from Tytanus peepinge,

& helpe thee to shade all the shiffts thou hast made
ffor to find out thy Mistress sleepinge.

Then since the aid of the Cynthian mayd

doth assist vs with her endeauour;

light to the moone till the suffering be done;
shees a ffreind to the ffaithfful euer.

though shee denyes, shee pishes & shee cryes,
leaue not thou of ffor her weepinge;
ffor if shee ffind that affectyon be kinde,

shees thine owne, boy, awake or sleepinge!

Thetis, q.-P.

H

ffinis.

I dreamt last night

that I kist my love.

If I enjoyed that,

what must the real thing be?

I since found her sleeping,

and didn't leave her for her weeping.

She was my own.

[blocks in formation]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][subsumed][ocr errors][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »