¶ A merry ballad, how a wife entreated her Husband, to have her own will.  

IN May when flowers sweetly smell  
The people roaming abroad full rife  
A merry tale I shall you tell  
that then was herd, but no great strife  
In close, a young man and his wife  
Sat reasoning sore, but for none ill,  
She said, I am weary of this life  
Good husband let me have mine own will.   

¶ Wife (quoth he) then must I needs know  
What is your will then for to have,  
At me you must neither mock nor mow  
Nor yet lout me, nor call me knave:  
Nor VENUS' game upon me crave  
Nor yet your honesty for to spill,  
And make me neither boy nor slave  
But do good, and therein take your own will.   

¶ Tush (quoth she) sir as for that  
I will be honest, to die therefore,  
But husband husband, wots ye what?  
I have been your wife this month and more:  
And have not gone but to the door  
Such keeping in, my heart doth spill,  
By house keepers, neighbours set no store  
Good husband let me have mine own will.   

¶ Wife (quoth he) be you content  
You shall to Church and to market go,  
And to neighbours to, at time convenient  
But not to gossip, the truth is so:  
Taverns to haunt? no wife, no no  
Nor yet alehouses, with jacke nor Jill,  
You know my mind for friend or foe  
Do good, and therein take your own will.   

¶ Husband (quoth she) you be to blame  
To keep me in, and so plain withal,  
Me think I should be a fine dame  
Whereby great praise to you might fall:  
I being fair, nice, and small  
If I had gay clothes my body to hill,  
Then gentlewomen for me would call  
Good husband let me have mine own will.   

¶ No wife (quoth he) it will not be borne  
For you to go fine, and gaily clad,  
To go as I will have you, think ye no scorn  
That is, comely and clean, sober and sad:  
Wherefore, be you neither sick nor yet mad  
Because ye may not your mind fulfil,  
For your desire is wicked and bad  
Do good, and therein take your own will.   

¶ Not mad (quoth she) alas good man  
What woman could your words abide?  
I entreating you, as fair as I can  
And yet my words you set aside:  
Though I be fair, I love no pride  
For I serve your swine with draff and swyl,  
Unto my friends I would fain ride  
Good husband let me have mine own will.   

¶ Wife (quoth he) what needeth all this?  
You crave a great deal more than need,  
Your friends have no need of us I wis  
Wherefore be stayed good gentle Beede:  
Now let us blow, and sow our seed  
Our winter land is yet to till,  
How to thrive, let us first take heed  
And do good, and therein take your own will.   

¶ Oh husband (quoth she) I am but young  
Wherefore I pray you grant me one thing,  
At liberty let me have my tongue  
Either to chide, or else to sing:  
To dance, to kiss, not over working  
But once a week to go to mill,  
My time is short, my death is coming  
Good husband let me have mine own will.   

¶ No wife (quoth he) I am your head  
Wherefore I pray you, my counsel take,  
And let such tricks in you be dead  
Lest that for it, your bones do ache:  
Therefore learn betime to brew and bake  
And live no longer in idleness still,  
Wherefore for your own ease sake  
Do good, and therein take your own will.   

¶ Alas (quoth she) what chance have I  
To couple myself with such a one,  
That had rather to see me die  
Then to deck me gay, as I would have gone:  
To chide, nor sing, nor to dance alone  
I would I had married john Goose quill,  
Then need I not to have made this moan  
For by him, I might have had all my will.   

¶ No more of these twain could be hard  
But home they went together plain,  
But let no wives, this wife regard  
For her request was all in vain:  
And yet with shrews some men take pain  
And abideth the job of the devils bill,  
From the which all good wives refrain  
God give us all grace to do his will. Amen.   
¶ FINIS.  quod T. W. T.  

¶ Imprinted at London by Alexander Lacy.