¶ Here beginneth a merry geste of the frere and the boy. a friar and a shepherd GOd that died for us all And drank both eisell and gall Bring us out of bale And give them good life & long That listeneth to my song Or tendeth to my tale There dwelled an husband in my country That had wives three. By process of time By the first wife a son he had That was a good sturdy lad And an happy hyne His father loved him weal So died his mother never a deal I tell you as I think All she thought was lost by the road That died the little boy any good Other meet or drink And yet iwis it was but bad And thereof not half enough he had But evermore of the worst Therefore evil moat she far For ever she died the little boy care As farforth as she dorste The good wife to her husband 'gan say I would ye would put this boy away And that right soon in haste Truly he is a cursed lad I would some other man him had That would him better chaste Than said the good man again Dame I shall to the sayne He is but tender of age He shall abide with me this year Till he be more strongere For to win better wage We have a man a stout freke That in the field keepeth our neat Sleeping all the day He shall come home so god me shield And the boy shall in to the field To keep our beasts if he may Than said the wife verament Thereto soon I assent For that me thinketh most needy On the morrow when it was day The little boy went on his way To the field full ready Of no man he had no care But sang hay how away the mare And made joy enough Forth he went truly to say Till he came to the plain His dinner forth he drew When he saw it was but bad Full little lust thereto he had But put it up again Therefore he was not to wite He said he would eat but light Till night that he came home And as the boy sat on a hill An old man came him till Walking by the way son he said god these Sir welcome more ye be The little boy 'gan say The old man said I am an hungered sore Hast thou any meet in store That thou mayst give me The child said so god me save To such victual as I have Welcome shall ye be Thereof the old man was glad The boy drew forth such as he had And said do gladly The old man was easy to please He eat and made him well at ease And said soon gramercy son thou hast given meet to me I shall the give things three Thou shalt them never forget Than said the boy as I trow It is best that I have a bow Birds for to shoot A bow soon I shall the give That shall last the all thy live And ever a like meet Shoot therein when thou good think For if thou shoot and wink The prick thou shalt hit When he the bow in hand felt And the bolts under his belt Loud than he lough He said now had I a pipe Though it were never so light Than were I glad enough A pipe son thou shalt have also In true music it shall go I do the well to wite All that may the pipe here Shall not themself steer But laugh and leap about What shall the third be For I will give the gifts three As I have-sayd to the before The little boy on him lough And said sir I have enough I will desire no more The old man said my troth I plight Thou shalt have that I the height Say on now and let me see Than said the boy anon I have a stepdame at home She is a shrew to me When my father giveth me meet She would thereon that I were cheek And stareth me in the face When she looketh on me so I would she should let a rap go That it might ring over all the place Than said the old man though When she looketh on the so She shall begin to blow All that ever it may here Shall not themself steer But laugh on a row Far well quoth the old man God keep the said the child than I take my leave at the God that most best may Keep the both night and day Gramercy sone said he Than drew it toward the night jacke him hied home full right It was his ordinance He took his pipe and began to blow All his beasts on a row About him they dance Thus went he piping through the town His beasts him followed by the sown In to his faders close He went and put them up eachone Homeward he went anon In to his faders hall he goose His father at his souper sat little jacke espied well that And said to him anon father I have kept your neat I pray you give me some meet I am anhungered by saint Ihone I have sitten metelesse All this day keeping your beasts My dinner feeble it was His father took a capons wing And at the boy he 'gan it sling And bad him eat a pace That grieved his stepmoders heart sore As I told you before She stared him in the face With that she let go a blast That they in the hall were aghast It range over all the place All they laughed and had good game The wife waxed reed for shame She would that she had been gone Quod the boy well I wot That gone was well shoot As it had been a stone Cursedly she looked on him though An other blast she let go She was almost rent Quod the boy will ye see How my dame letteth pellets i'll In faith or ever she stint The boy said unto his dame Tempre thy bomb he said for shame She was full of sorrow Dame said the good man go thy way For I swear to the by my faith Thy gear is not to borrow afterward as ye shall here To the house there came a frere To lie there all night The wife loved him as a saint And to him made her complaint And told him aright We have a boy within iwis A shrew for the nonce he is He doth me much care I dare not look him upon I am ashamed by saint Iohn To tell you how I far I pray you meet the boy to morrow beat him well and give him sorrow And make the boy lame Quoth the frere I shall him beat Quoth the wife do not forget He doth me moche shame I trow the boy be some witch Quoth the frere I shall him teach Have thou no care I shall him teach if I may Quod the wife I the pray Do him not spare On the morrow the boy arose In to the field soon he goose His beasts for to drive The frere ran out at the gate He was afterde least he came to late He ran fast and belive When he came upon a land little jacke there he foude driving his beasts all alone Boy he said god give the shame What hast thou done to thy dame Tell thou me anon But if thou canst excuse the well By my troth beat I the will I will no longer abide Quoth the boy what aileth the My dame fareth as well as ye What needeth the to chide Quoth the boy will ye weet How I can a bird sheet And other thing withal Sir he said though I be light Yonder bird will I smite And give her the I shall There sat a bird upon a briar Shoot on boy quoth the frere For that me listeth to see He hit the bird on the heed That she fell down deed No farther might she flee The frere to the bush went Up the bird for to hent He thought it best for to done jacke soak his pipe and began to blow Than the frere as I trow Began to dance soon As soon as he the pipe heard Like a wood man he fared He leapt and danced about The breres scratched him in the face And in many an other place That the blood braced out And tore his clothes by and by His cope and his scapelary And all his other weed He danced among thorns thick In many places they died him prick That fast 'gan he bleed jacke piped and laughed among The frere among the thorns was throng He hopped wonders high At the last he held up his hand And said I have danced to long That I am like to die gentle jacke hold thy pipe still And my troth I plight the till I will do the no woe jacke said in that tide Frere skip out on the ferder side lightly that thou were go The frere out of the bush went All to ragged and to rent And torn on every side uneaths on him had one clout His hely for to wrap about His harness for to hide The breres had him scratched so in the face And many an other place He was all to bled with blood All that might the frere see Were fain away to flee They wend he had been wood When he came to his host Of his journey he made no boost His clothes were rent all Moche sorrow in his heart he had And every man him dread When he came in to the hall The wife said where haste thou been In an evil place I ween Me thinketh by thine array Dame I have been with thy sone The devil of hell him overcome For no man else may With that came in the good man The wife said to him than Here is a foul array Thy sone that is the leaf and dear Hath almost slain this holy frere Alas and wellaway The good man said benedicite What hath the boy done frere to the Tell me without let The frere said the devil him speed He hath made me dance maugre my heed Among the thorns hay go bet The good man said to him though Hadst thou lost thy life so It had been great sin The frere said by our lady The pipe went so merrily That I could never blin When it drew toward the night The boy came home full right As he was wont to do When he came in to the hall His father died him soon call And bad him to come him to Boy he said tell me here What hast thou done to the frere Tell me without losing father he said by my faith I died nought else as I you say But piped him a spring That said his father would I here Marry god forbid said the frere His hands he died wring Yes said the good man by god's grace Than said the frere out alas And made great mourning For the love of god quoth the frere If ye will that he pipe here Bind me to a post For I know none other rede And I dance I am but deed Well I wot my life is lost Strong ropes they soak in hand The frere to the post they bond In the middle of the hall All that at the souper sat Laughed and had good game thereat And said the frere would not fall Than said the good man Pipe on good soon Hardly when thou wilt father he said so moat I the Have ye shall enough of gle Till ye bid me be still As soon as jacke the pipe hent All that there were verament Began to dance and leap When they 'gan the pipe here They might not themself ftere But hurled on an heap The good man was in no despair But lightly leapt out of his chair With a good cheer Some leapt over the stock Some stumbled at the block And some fell flat in the fire The good man had great game How they danced all in same The wife after 'gan step Evermore the kest her eye at jacke And fast her tail began to crack Loud than they could speak The frere himself was almost lost For knocking his heed against the post He had none other grace The rope rubbed him under the chin That the blood down died run In many a divers place jacke ran in to the street After him fast died they leap Truly they could not stint They went out are the door so thick That each man fell on others neck So prettily out they went Neighbours that were fast by Heard the pipe go so merrily They ran in to the gate Some leapt over the hatch They had no time to draw the latch They wend they had come to late Some lay in their bed And held up their heed Anon they were waked Some start in the way Truly as I you say Stark belly naked By that they were gathered about iwis there was a great rout Dancing in the street Some were lame and might not go But yet iwis they danced to On hands and on feet They boy said now will I rest Quoth the good man I hold it best With a merry cheer Sease soon when thou wilt In faith this is the meryest fit That I heard this seven year They danced all in same Some laughed and had good game And some had many a fall Thou cursed boy quoth the frere Here I summon the that thou appear Before the offycyall Look thou be there on Friday I will the meet and I may For to ordain the sorrow The boy said by god avow Frere I am as ready as thou And friday were to morrow friday came as ye may here jacks stepdame and the frere together there they metre folk gathered a great pace To here every man's case The offycyall was set There was moche to do Matters more than one or two Both with priest and clerk Some had testaments for to prove And fair women by your leave That had strokes in the dark Every man put forth his case Than came forth frere Topyas And jacks stepdame also Sir official said he I have brought a boy to the Which hath wrought me moche woe He is a great nygromancere In all orleans is not his peer As by my troth I trow He is a witch quod the wife Than as I shall tell you blithe Loud could she blow Some laughed without fail Some said dame tempre thy tail Ye wrest it all amiss Dame quoth the offycyall Tell forth on thy tale Let not for this The wife was afraid of another crack That no word more she spacke She durst not for dread The frere said so moat I the Knave this is long of the That evil might thou speed The frere said sir official The boy will cumber us all But if ye may him chaste Sir he hath a pipe truly Will make you dance and leap on high Till your heart burst The offycyall said so moat I the That pipe would I fain se And know what mirth that he can make Mary god forbid than said the frere That he should pipe here Afore that I hens the way take Pipe on jacke said the official I will here now how thou canst play jacke blewe up the sooth to say And made them soon to dance all The offycyall leapt over the desk And danced about wonder fast Till both his shins he all to breast Him thought it was not of the best Than cried he unto the child To pipe no more within this place But to hold still for god's grace And for the love of marry mild Than said jacke to them eachone If ye would me grant with heart fire That he shall do me no villainy But hens to depart even as I come Thereto they answered all anon And promised him anon right In his quarrel for to fight And defend him from his fone Thus they departed in that tide The official and the sompnere His stepdame and the frere With great joy and moche pride ¶ Thus endeth the frere and the boy. imprinted at London in Fleetstreet at the sign of the son/ by winkin de word. printer's device of Wynkyn de Worde W symbol for the numbers 74 C winkin de word