2

It tare 1 his clothes downe to the skirt, 248 his cope, his coole, 3 his linen shirt,

& euery other weede.4
The thornes this while 5 were rough & thicke,

& did his priùy members pricke, 252 that fast they gan to bleede.

6

Jack laughs.

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 daucing dye !

The friar begs for mercy.

Jack lets him go.

The friar goes away ragged and lacerated,

Out of the bush the fryar then went,
all Martird, 8 raggd, 9 scratcht & rent,

& torne on euery side;
268 Hardly on him was left a clout

to wrap his belly round about, ,

his harlotrye to hide.

a

The thornes had scratcht him by the face, 272 the hands, the thighes, 10 & euery place,

he was all bathed in bloode

to the stepdame,

[page 101.]

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,

& euery man did guesse him made3

when he was in the hall.

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

Ι
by sight of thine array."
“ Dame," said he, “I came from thy sonne;
the devill & he hath me yndone,

noe man him conquer may."

and recounts his woes.

288

She complains of the boy to the goodman,

4

with that the goodman he came in,
the wiffe sett on her madding pin,

cryed," heeres 5 a foule array !
292 thy sonne, that is thy liffe & deere,

hath almost slaine the holy fryar,

alas & welaway!”

who inquires
into the
case,

The goodman said, “Benedicitee!
296 what hath the vile boy done to thee ?

now tell me without let."
6. The devill him take!”7 the fryar he sayd,
" he made me dance, despite my head, 8

among the thornes the hey-to-bee.9 "

8

300

1

were fain.-P. 2 MS. hone.-F. 3 mad.-P. 4 See note 2 to 1. 484, p. 28.-F. 5 here is.-P.

6 frere.-P.
7 take him .. then.-P.
8 mine head.-P.

9 hey-go-beat.-P. Hey, to sport, play or gambol ; to kick about. Halliwell.-F.

The goodman said vnto him thoe,
“ father! hadst thou beene murdered soe,

it had beenel deadly sine.2 '
304 The fryar to him made this replye,

“the pipe did sound soe Merrilye

that I cold never blin.3."

and, when Jack comes home,

Now when it grew to almost night, 308 Iacke the boy came home full right

as he was wont to doo;
But when he came into4 the hall,

full soone his father did him call, 312 & bad him come him too:

calls him to account for his doings.

“Boy,” he said, come tell me heare,5
what hast thou done vnto this fryer ?

lye not in any thing."
316 “ffather,” he said, “now by my birthe,

”
I plaide him but a fitt of Mirth

& pipet him vp a spring."

Wishes himself to hear the pipe.

“That pipe, 7” said his father, "wold I heare."'8 320 “now god forbidd!” cryed out the fryar';

his hands he then didlo wringe.
“ You shall,” the boy said, “ by gods grace.”
the ffryar replyed, “woe & alas !”

making his sorrowes ringe.

324

“ffor gods loue !” said the warched fryar, 11
“& if you will that strange pipe heare,

binde me fast to a post !

At his own request the friar

8

1 It sh! be :-It had been no deadly sin.-P.

? sin, pr. copy.-P.

3 blin, cessare, desinere, desistere. Lye.-P. 4 unto.-P. 5 let me hear.-P.

* piped him a.-P.
? There is a tag to the e as if for s.-F.

Pype I would.-P.
9 frere.-P.
10 then did he.-P.
11 frere.-P.

328 for sure my fortune thus I reade,

if dance I doe, I am but deade,

my woe-full life is lost !"

is bound fast to a post.

Strong ropes they tooke, both sharpe & round,
332 & to the post the fryer bounde?

in the middest2 of the hall.
All they which att3 the table sate,

laughed & made good sport theratt,
336 sayinge, “fryer, thou canst not fall!”

Then sayd the goodman to the boy,
“Iacke, pipe me vp a merry toye,

pipe freelye when thou will !”
340 “ffather," the boy said, " verelye

you shall haue mirth enoughe & glee
till
you

bidd me bee still.”

Jack pipes, and every creature dances,

With that his pipe he quicklye sent, 344 & pipt, the whilest in verament

each creature gan to dance ; Lightly thé scikipt & leapt about,

yarking in their leggs, now in, now out, 348 striuing aloft to prance.

the goodman

[page 102.]

The good man, as in sad dispaire,
leapt out & through & ore his chayre,

noe man cold caper hyer 6 ;
352 Some others leapt quite ore the stockes,

some start att strawes & fell att blockes,7

some 8 wallowed in the fyer.

' they bound.-P.
2 middle.-P.
8 that at.
4 hent.-P.

yerking their Legs.

throw out or move with a spring. Johnson.-P.

caper higher.—P. 'o'er blocks.-P. 8 MS. sone, with a mark of contraction over the n.-F.

6

5

To yerk is to

and his wife.

The goodman made himselfe good sportt 356 to see them dancel in this madd sortt;

the goodwiffe sate not still,
But as shee dancet shee? looket on Iacke,

& fast her tayle did double each cracke, 360 lowd as a water Mill.

The fryer this while was almost lost,
he knocket 3 his pate against the post,

it was his dancing grace; 364. The

rope

rubd him ynder the chinn 4
that the blood ran from his tattered sckin

in many a Naked place.

cautions, is much damaged.

Jack passes into the street with his dancers.

Iacke, piping, ran into the street; 368 they followed him with nimble ffeet,

hauing noe power to stay,
And in their hast they dore did cracke,

eche tumbling over his ffellows backe 372 ynmindfull of their way.

5

The neighbours join the rout,

The Neighbors that were dwelling by,
hearing the pipe soe Merrilye,

came dancing to the gate;
376 Some leapt ore dores, some oer the hatch,6

Noe man wold stay to draw the latch

but thought they came to Late;

6

even sick folks, and undressed,

Some sicke or sleeping in their bedd,
as thé? by chance lift vp their heade,

were with the pipe awaked ;

380

I the dance.-P.
? But dancing still she.-P.
s knockt.-P.
4 chim, MS.-F. his chin.-P.

6 the.-P.

6 A wicket, or half-door. Halliwell's Gloss.-F.

? they.-P.