1ffryar: and Boye.2 THE present is the completest copy known to us of this capital story. Wynkyn de Worde's, reprinted (with collations) by Mr. W. C. Hazlitt ("Early Popular Poetry," v. 3, p. 54-81), runs with it, though less smoothly, to 1. 456, but there suddenly throws up its six-line stanzas, and ends the story with six four-line stanzas, a circumstance not noticed by Mr. Hazlitt. The present copy either wants half a stanza after 1. 495, or a stanza of 9 lines is given at 1. 493-501, as in stanzas of four lines one is often increased to six. Mr. Hazlitt's introduction gives all the bibliography of the poem, except a notice of Mr. Halliwell's print of it in the Warton Club "Early English Miscellanies," 1854, p. 46–62, from Mr. Ormsby Gore's Porkington MS. No. 10. This Porkington copy is in seventy-one six-line stanzas (426 lines), but does not contain the citation of the boy before the "official" and the scene in court. The tale ends at 1. 402 (corresponding with 1. 396 here, no doubt the end of the first version of the tale), the last four stanzas winding it up with a moral. 4 THAT god that dyed for vs all & dranke both vinigar & gall, bringe vs out of balle,3 and giue them both good life & longe or tend vnto my talle 4 ! The rhyme every where requires that it should be written or pronounced FRERE, as in Chaucer.-P. In our earliest Rhyming Dictionary, Levins's Manipulus, 1570, under the words in eare, are entered a Bryar, a Fryar, a Whyer, chorus, a Quear of paper, liber, p. 209, col. 1. E. E. Text Soc. 1867.-F. A man, thrice married, has a son by whom he loves well, but the stepmother spites. The boy fares ill. The stepmother asks her husband to send him away. The husband will not, 1. who.-P. 2 his first His father loued him well,4 but his stepmother neue[r] a deale, I tell you as I thinke, 16 All things shee thought lost, by the roode, as either meate or drinke; Vnto the man the wiffe gan say, 28 Trulie he is a cursed ladde 9 ! I wold some other man him hade that wold him better chast. 10" Then said the goodman, "dame,11 not soe, 32 I will not lett the yonge boy goe, he is but tender of age; 12 a child.-P. 3 i.e. unlucky, full of waggery.-P. 4 loved him very well.-P. 5 which might the boy do.-P. that wrought.-P. An old man comes his way, and asks for food. The boy offers what he has. The old man eats and is happy, then bids the boy choose three presents. He chooses 1. a bow. The old man promises him a right good one, Sonne," he said, "god thee see1! now welcome, father, may you bee 2 ! " The old man sayd, "I hunger sore; 72 Of this the old man was full gladd, 76 The old man easie was to please, saying, "sonne, god amercye! [page 98.] Sonne," he sayd, "thou hast giuen meate to me,' 80 & I will giue 3 things to thee,10 84 what ere thou wilt intreat." Then sayd the boy, "tis best, I trow,11 that bestow on me 12 a bowe with which I burds may gett." "A bow, my sonne, I will thee giue, the which shall Last while thou dost liue, was neuer bow more fitt! 13 |