At nightfall Jack pipes his cattle home,

When it grew neere vponto the night,
Iacke, well prepared," hied home full right;

itt was his ordinance;-
136 And as he went his pipe did blow,

the whilest his cattell on a row
about him

gan
to

dance;

12

And wisshed it had been wexed

With a wispe of firses.
(ed. Wright, v. 1, p. 98, 1. 3171-6).-F

6 shall.-P.
? And he that best.-P.

protect.-P.
9 safe.-P.

8

Thus to the towne he pipt full trim,

(page 99.]
140 his skipping beasts did 2 ffollow him

into his fathers close.
He went & put them [up] each 3 one;

which done, he homewards went anon;
144

vnto his fathers hall5 he gooes.

4

finds his father supping, and asks for a help.

His ffather att his supper sate,
& litle Iacke espyed well thatt,
and said to him

anon,
148 “father, all day I kept your neate,

Ι
at night I pray you giue me some 6 meate,

I am hungrye, by Saint Iohn!

“ Meateless 8 I haue lyen all the day,
152 & kept your beasts, they did not stray;

My dinner was but ill."
His ffather tooke a Capono winge,

& at the boy 10 he did it fling,
156 bidding him eate his fill.

His father throws him a capon's wing.

This greeued 11 his stepdames hart full sore,
who lothed 12 the Ladd still more & more;

shee stared 13 him in the face :
160 with that shee let

goe

such a blast that made 14 the people all agast,

itt sounded 15 through the place;

The stepdame stares at him, fulfils the old man's promise,

and is laughed at

Each one laught & made 16 good game, 164 but the curst wife

grew

red for shame & wisht shee had beene gone.

1

9

pipes.-P. 2 do.-P. up

capon's.-P. 10 at his son.-P. 11 loathes.-P. 12 grieves.—P. 13 And stares.-P. 14 As made.-P. 15 And sounded.-P. 16 did laugh & make.-P.

“ffye!” said the boy vnto his dame, temper your 6 teltale.bumm, for shame ! ”

which made her full of sorrow. “Dame,"7 said the goodman, "goe thy way, for why, I sweare, by night nor day &

thy geere is not to borrow.”

8

180

She tells her wrongs to a friar,

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 Iackes most vile despight.

“We haue,” quoth shee, “within, I-wis, 188 a wiced boy,-none shrewder is,

which doth me mighty care; I dare not looke

vpon

his face,
or hardly telllo my shamefull case,

soe filthylie I fare ;

192

1

and asks him to beat the boy soundly.

“ 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 not to forgett,

the boy did her much shame :

The friar agrees.

“Some wiche he is," quoth 4 shee, " I smell.”' 200 “but,” quoth the fryar, “Ile beat him well!

of that take you noe care ;
Ile teach him witchcraft, if I may."
“O,” quoth the wiffe,“ doe soe, I pray,

lay on & doe not spare.”

204

8

who asks him to explain his conduct.

But when he came ynto the land, 8 212 he found where litle Iacke did stand,

keeping his beasts alone.
“Now, boy,” he sayd, “god giue thee shame!

what hast thou done to thy stepdame ? 216 tell me forthwith anon !

“ And if thou canst not quitto thee well,
Ile beate thee till thy body swell,

I will not longer 10 byde.”

· For my sake meet him.-P.
2 Yea, make.-P.
3 She prayed him.-P.
* He is a witch, qth.-P.
5 dele then.-P.

8

6 he came too.-P.
? And ran.-P.

upon the land.-P.
9 quite.-P.

no longer.-P.

10

220 The boy replyed, “what ayleth thee?

my stepdame is as well as thee;

what needs you thus to Chyde ?!

1

2

Jack
changes the
subject;
offers to
shoot a bird,
and give it
to the friar.

“Come, will you seemy arrow flye
224 & hitt yon small bird in 3 the eye,

& other things withall ?
Sir fryer, tho I 4 haue litle witt,

yett yonder bird I meane to hitt,
228 & giue her

you

I shall.”

Shoots it.

There sate a small birde in a 5 bryar:
“Shoot, shoot, you wagg," then sayd the fryer,

“ for that I long to see.” 6
232 Iacke hitt the bird vpon the head

soe right that shee fell downe for dead,

noe further cold shee flee.

236 &

The friar
gone among
the bushes
to pick it up,
Jack pipes
and nakes
him dance.

ffast to the bush the fryar went,
vp

the bird in hand? hee hent,8
much wondering at the chance.
Meane while? Iacke tooke his pipe & playd
soe lowd, the fryar grew mad apaide, 10

& fell toll skip & dance;

240

The briars scratch and tear him.

Now sooner was 12 the pipes sound heard,
but Bedlam like 13 he bouncet & fared,

& leapt the bush about;
244 The sharpe bryars cacth 14 him by the face,

& by the breech & other place,

that fast the blood ran out;