And all the fweete fwinkers :

There hopped Hawkin,

There daunced Dawkin,

There trumped Timkin, and were true drinkers.

When' the day was gone, and eve-song past,

15

That they should reck'n their skot, and their counts cast, Perkin the potter into the presse past,

And fay'd, Randill the reve, a daughter thou haft, 20 Tibbe thy deare,

Therefore faine weet would I,

Whether these fellowes or I,

Or which of all this batchelery

Were the best worthy to wed her his fere.

Upftart the gadlings with their lang ftaves,
And fayd, Randill the reve, lo! the ladde raves,
How proudly among us thy daughter he craves,
And we are richer men then he, and more good haves,
Of cattell, and of corne.

*Then fayd Perkin, I have hight

• To Tibbe in my right

25

30

To be ready to fight, and thoughe it were to morne.

Ver. 17. Till. P. C.

Then

Ver. 25. in his fere. P. C.

*The latter part of this ftanza feemed embarrassed and redundant, we bave therefore ventured to contract it. It flood thus j

Then fayd Perkin, to Tibbe I have hight

That I will bee alwaies ready in my right,.

With a flayle for to fight

This day feaven-night, and thought it were to morne.

The two laft lines feem in part to be borrowed from the following ftanza, where they come in more properly.

Then fayd Randill the refe, Ever' be he waryd
That about this carping lenger would be taryd;
I would not my daughter that she were miskaryd,
But at her most worship I would she were maryd,
For the turnament shall beginne

This day feav'n-night,

With a flayle for to fight,

35

40

And he, that is moft of might, fhall brok her with winne.

He that bear'th him best in the turnament,

Shall be granted the gree, by the common affent,
For to winne my daughter with doughtineffe of dent,

And Copple my brood-hen, that was brought out of Kent, dunned cow:

And my

For no fpence will I fpare ;

For no cattell will I care;

He shall have my gray mare, and my spotted fow.

45

There was many a bold lad their bodyes to bede;
Then they take their leave, and hamward they hede,

50

And all the weeke after they gayed her wede,

Till it come to the day, that they should do their dede :

They armed them in mattes;

They fet on their nowlls

Good blacke bowlls,

To keep their powlls from battering of battes.

5.5

VOL. II.

C

They

Ver. 34. Every. P. C. Ver. 52. her, i. e. their. So also V. 182,

They fewed hem in fheepfkinnes, for they fhould not breft;
And every ilke of hem a black hatte, inftead of a crest,
A basket or panyer before on their brest,

And a flayle in their hande, for to fight prest,
Forthe con they fare.

There was kid mickle force,

Who fhould beft fend his corse;

60

He, that had no good horse, borrowed him a mare. 65

Sich another clothing have I not seene oft,
When all the great company riding to the croft,
Tibbe on a gray-mare was fette up on-loft,

Upon a facke-full of fenvy, for fhe fhould fit foft,
And led till the gappe:

Forther would fhe not than,

For the love of no man,

70

Till Copple her brood-hen wer brought into her lappe.

75

A gay girdle Tibbe had borrowed for the nonce;
And a garland on her head full of ruell bones;
And a brouch on her breft full of fapphyre ftones,
The holyroode tokening was written for the nonce;

For no fpendings they had fpar'd :'

When jolly Jenkin wift her thare,

He gurd so fast his gray mare,

That fhe let a fowkin fare at the rere-ward.

Ver. 59. ilken. P. C.

80

I make

Ver. 65. Mares were never used in Chivalry: It was beneath the dignity of a knight to ride any thing but a Stallion. V. Memoires de la Chevalerie..

Ver. 67. perhaps, rid into. Ver. 78. would they spare. P. C..

I make a vowe, quoth he, my capul' is comen of kinde I fhall fall five in the field, and I my flaile finde.

I make a vowe, quoth Hudde, I shall not leve behinde; May I meet with lyard or bayard the blinde,

I wote I fhall them grieve.

I make a vowe, quoth Hawkin,

May I meete with Dawkin,

For all his rich kin, his flaile I fhall him reve.

85

I make a vow, quoth Gregge, Tibbe thou fhall fee 90
Which of all the bachelery graunted is the gree:

I fhall fkomfit hem all, for the love of thee,
In what place that I come, they fhall have doubt of mee;
For I am armd at the full :

In my armes I beare wele

A dough-trough, and a pele,

A faddle without a pannele, with a fleece of wooll.

95

Now go downe, quoth Dudman, and beare me bet about, I make a vow, they shall abye that I finde out,

Have I twice or thrice ridden thorough the rout,

100

In what place that I come, of me they fhall ha doubt, Mine armes bene fo clere;

I beare a riddle and a rake,

Powder'd with the brenning drake,

And three cantles of a cake, in ilka cornere.

C 2

Ver. 82. Originally it stood thus,

105

I make

I make a vowe, quoth Tibbe, coprle is comen of kinde; but as this evidently has no connection with the lines that follow, the Edifor proposes the above emendation. Ver. 98. Perhaps I shall go downe.

I make a vowe, quoth Tirry, and fweare by my crede,
Saw thou never young boy forther his body bede;
For when they fight fafteft, and moft are in drede,
I fhall take Tib by the hand, and away her lede;
Then bin mine armes beft;

I beare a pilch of ermin,

Powderd with a cats skinne,

110

The cheefe is of perchmine, that ftond'th on the creft.

I make a vow, quoth Dudman, and sweare by the ftra,
While I am moft merry, thou gettft her not swa; 115
For fhe is well fhapen, as light as a rae,

There is no capull in this mile before her will ga :
Shee will me not beguile;

I dare foothly fay,

Shee will be a Monday

Fro Hiffelton to Hacknay, nought other halfe mile.

120

I make a vow, quoth Perkin, thou carpft of cold roft ;

I will wirke wiflier without any boast;

Five of the best capulls, that are in this hoft,

I will hem lead away by another coft ;

And then laugh Tibbe,

Wi' loo, boyes, here is hee,

That will fight and not flee,

For I am in my jollity; Ioo foorth, Tibbe.

125

Ver 113. pechminc, P. C. Ver. 127. We loo. "P. C.

When