¶ The proud wives Pater noster that would go gay, and undid her husband and went her way. ¶ Anno Domini. M. D. L. X. ON high feest days when wives go gay To church with devotion Their prayers devoutly for to say Their thinking is on this lesson Or they go forth themself to trim Both heed and breast on foot and hand I swear to you by sweet saint sym themselves they think angels well to understand Their beauteous behaviour & countenance demure They think full pleasant for to behold But for to go gay ye may be sure They muse full often and many fold And how they might best to pass bring Each as gorgeous as other to go In their apparel girdle and ring And other trim knacks many more. To church they be come this is no lie Unto their pew there for to kneel Reverence doing to the other by with countenance meek and becometh them weal Than sit they down each gossep other by Beholding their apparel of either side if the one be gaier than the other that doth espy Than she thinketh her fellow set all full of pride Yet to her devotion she doth her set And Pater noster she doth begin But to gay gear her heart doth fret And thinketh how she may such gay gear win▪ saying to herself what fortune have I That my fellow so gorgeous is in her gear And I site here so poorly her by But it shallbe amended by god I swear ¶ Qui es in celis, and that within short while Or else my husband full sore it shall repent For I can nought get of him by feet nor wile But all shall be mine now that I in hand can hent From him always whatsoever betide Till I be arrayed as other women be I would not have aught for no manner pride But only because it is a good sight to see ¶ Sanctificetur nomen tuum Lord hallowed be thy name if to such gear I may come Than shall I bear both port and fame As other women in every where Do alway where as they do wend Go feet and fresh and trim in their gear In the best manner as them doth to pretend ¶ Adueniat regnum tuum, thy kingdom come to us After this life when we hens shall wend But while we be here now sweet jesus As other woman have such grace in me send That I may have lord my heed into wrap After the guise kercheses that be fine And thereon to set some lusty trim cap with smocks well wrought soude with silken twine ¶ Fiat voluntas tua, thy will fulfilled be Lord god always as this time doth require And as my gossep that sitteth here by me So let me be trimmed nought else I desire Therefore if it may be in any wise For thou hast power thereof to do thy will To make me go gay after the best guise For reason it is with right good shyll ¶ Sicut in celo et in terra, in heaven as in earth It is always seen, go we never so far That women above all the beauty beareth And without gay gear our beauty we mar Therefore good lord let this be a mended And gay gear to were that I may have Or else my life will have an end For very pure thought, nought can me save ¶ Panem nostrum cotidianum Our daily breed lord will also do well But of divers corns I have many a come At home in my barn for to sell But there with lord I dare not mell For fear of my husband that keepeth me so hard A bushel thereof I dare not sell For if he wist the game ware marred ¶ Da nobis hodye, give us this day And specially me my lord that am heavy at heart Till I have my will lord a part I say Of my desire lord, or else I must live in smart With that full maruayloussy can she sight And in a swoon half 'gan she fall Her fellow beholding that woeful wight And wondered full sore than here with all ¶ Et dimit nobis debita nostra, now Mercy good lord and forgiveness what is this I was never this afraid I make god a vow Good lord said she than what meaneth this And her little finger than wrong she fast Her to revive and gave her sweet spice So she up start than at the last Like a trim gossip that fain would be nice ¶ Sicut et nos dimittimus debytoribus nostris As we do forgive lord so let us be forgiven And than to her she did say without miss ye had a shrewd fit by sweet saint steven Gossip mine, how is it with you now what is your grief, now I you pray if I can ease you by god anowe I will be ready both night and day ¶ Et ne nos in ducas in temptacionem Let us fall into no temptation now with that, the other revived then Right sore dismayed ye me trow And to each other they 'gan say Why be ye thus sad my gossep dear Tell me the cause, now I you pray For if it lay in me now I will amend your cheer ¶ Sed lybera nos a malo, deliver us from all ill Raggis and iaggis this wife 'gan to rehearse if I may not go gay I shall myself spill I pray you gossep dear, understand well this verse My husband is hard to me both day & night And doth me not regard but let me go even thus Not as other do but as a wretched wight But yet it shallbe mended I hope by sweet jesus ¶ Amen, said the other I pray god it be so For ye have good enough this I do know well Of good merchandise so moat I the As any is here in this country to sell For his degree but he is afraid That he should pass his state or look on hawt Than behind your backs it should be said if he fore amiss, that it were all your fault But competenly take the third penny of his gain And buy therewith both kirtle and gown Than yet shall ye leave him always twain So do we most part throughout the tow Or else we should never have half our gayes That we have iwis ye may be sure But properly thus we find the ways with rings and deeds to go full demure Rybandes of silk that be full long and large with triangles trimly made point devise For some folk it were full charge Therefore all thing by measure by mine advise But as for you ye may be bold To do some what more than other may yet it would make your husbands heart full cold If he so hard be and wretched as ye say That he may not see you go as other do And have it so well as he hath in store I would have my sign hose and eke my trim sho with other knacks many a score if I were as you be, I faith I swear Somewhat should be sold that he should not know ye have to sell so divers gear He can not know all by god I trow ¶ Yet may I rejoice always iwis For my husband is glad when I go trim He would think I did full sore a miss if I went not fresh by sweet saint sym He doth rejoice in my gay gear when he do see me put it on And would I should it often were For I shall have new when mine is done O good lord, happy be ye That have so good a husband by god in throne Among a hundredth ye shall not find three Of all our neighbours that hath such a one if god would that mine were as your is I would be as merry as bird on briar But his heart is so set on covetise iwis That he can never be of good cheer And than causeth me often for to weep when I think on his unkindness so I can not eat nor drink nor step For heaviness my heart doth beat But through your counsel my gossep dear I hop the better for to speed And for to go gayer another year with mirth and joy my life to lead That I may be accepted with every man Which me beholdeth both far and near Without your helps no read I can But by your good counsel amend is my cheer This hole in you my hope I seat And without you I am but deed Lusty fresh gear how I may get And to go trim in lusty were ¶ Well gossep than do after me And ye shall never repent iwis I swear to you by Mary so free All shallbe well; that now is amiss beware of one thing, your tongue go not to large And forbear your husband when he is grame Speke never to him of such charge with evil mode, for that were shame If ye of him will such thing have As ye desire for to go gay with loving countenance ye must it crave And with fair words to him say My husband dear I you require Take no displeasure with my word What soever of you I do desire But this must be done in bed or at board ¶ My lovely husband my spouse most dear To you I must needs talk my moan As reason requireth ye he my fere And no body else but you alone Thus I must desire you with all my heart Take no displeasure what ever I say For if ye do, it will me smart And for thought I shall die this is no nay When he this hereh than he will muse And marvel what your request will be If he be gentle he will not refuse No reasonable thing I hope perdie ye shall than say, ye lack that or this And begin with that thing that ye have most need I dare say than withouten miss The sooner of him than ye shall speed With small trifles ye must begin Of him to get gay gear in store Or else of him ye shall nought wym And thus may ye daily increase more and more Of gorgeous gear plence to have And all with his good will for that is best if ye it so get so god me save Than may ye were it with peace and rest ¶ If he do not give you than good comfort Speke ye no more but than be still But straight to his wares resort And thereof take ye what ye will if he play the churl play ye the same And let him not know no more of your mind God give all churl's mickle shame That to their wives be unkind. ¶ if he be gentle take 'nough him fro Ly tell nor much whatsoever betide For if ye do it will turn you to woe Than folk will say that it cometh of pride See what debate this folk have now And all because the wife would go gay I swear to you by god avow ye were better bide still in your old aray● ¶ Therefore beware be not ratshe To do or say that should him displease But if he be churlysshe give him a dash Though ever after it should him disease Among his wares spare not at all For half is yours as well as his Therefore as now counsel I shall give unto you by heaven's bliss To do even so and be not afraid For lief nor loche why chulde ye not The fault will all to him be laid Of any one that heareth that That he so chorlyshe to you is ay And will not be friendly as other be shame of him than will they say So to be served well worthy is he And worse be god withouten fable if worse may be by any mean considering that he is not unable It ought on you for to be seen Somewhat better for very pure shame Than it is now by reason and right For he is worthy to have the blame if he will be such a wretched wight He can not have to much displeasure That hath a young wife and will not her trim I wish them care and sorrow out of measure And specially them that be like unto him mirrors of mischief we may them call That keep their wives so bare and poor To many one it doth befall Through such means to make a good wife a hore An whore? ye may it swear by god above They may be wretches that so do Which causeth their wives to choose new love Thought it should turn them to great woe So vylaynus they be in every where Unto their wives in every hour and tide if their wives do go, ought trim in they, gear They say they do it than for great pride And all this is but jealousy god wot That this doth cause I know it well Hangeth be such husbands by the throat Or else the devil carry thew away to hell That jealous be either early or late Upon their good wives that be so meek God send them strife and ever debate And a bengeaunce upon them both day and week As for my husband I need not to crave But fists and staves if I will obtain enough of them I may soon have Thus dare I not speak for fear of pain For no such things but I know another I shall from him steel both day and night I swear to you by gods dear mother His bags I hope to make full light if he may not see me than go gay I think not long to tarry here But pryvele together what I may And chose me than another fere For I can not live this in wretchedness I will leave him bare y now It is to me great heaviness To lead this life I make god avow With that all service in the church was done These wives homeward did take the way For sast it drew than toward none And so they departed and adieu 'gan say when she came home this sorry wife Her husband full merry there did she find She could no longer abide for her life But needs unto him she must break her mind To prove whether he would be to her kind She 'gan him flatter after the new guise And soon her heart she 'gan unbind saying to him that in this wise My spouse most worthy, my husband dear I pray you take it for no grief whatsoever of you I do desire But give my heart now some relief As I hope ye will, and thereto be glad And say me not nay whatsoever befall And than for ever I must be sad Thus in your hand it doth lay all My trust is hole in you set So many wives in this parish de That go full lustily and trim set A pleasure for their husdondes it is to see And now me think ye be well moved wherefore the bolder I to you speak As to mine heart most best beloved Or else a sunder mine heart would break desiring you with mind and will To give me now some goodly gay gear Some susty news my back to hill with girdles and ring for your love to were As other women do for their husbands love So let me do for yours I pray Than will ye bind me myself to move good of you always to say ¶ I am not able to perform your will In giving to you that I not have It is neither reason nor yet good skill Such things of me now for to crave ye see yourself that I do spare And with simple clothes that I do go Honesty would ye should help me care And like in apparel that we should go Let us live as we have done ere And pass not our bow●●s in no degree To put ourself in great danger For your small pleasure it were great pite How tometh now such things in your mind That ye desire me to do such cost ye spend your labour and wind And all your words be but lost A lack good wife were this your will For to go gay above your estate And would be glad to fulfil All your desire if it were not to late But I am far behind the hand As now dear wife more than I say An hundred pound ye shall understand with in this month I must needs pay ¶ Toward the same wife I ne have Twenty pound in silver nor gold which doth make so god me save when I thereon think mine heart full cold Therefore good wife take thereof no grief For I am not able as the time require Except I should thereof be a thief And that I think ye will not desire For that were a shame I tell you plain As well for you as it for me With shame for my trespass I should be slain And hanged full high upon a tre Than men would say there hangeth a thief Which would than full sore grieve your heart It is no need for to a …. A shameful name that would us cause to smart ¶ Thus answer she had this good wife That her heart son into her hose And weary she was right sore of her life But with her busbonde she did no more gloze suddenly she set her hands on her side And said than caitiff god give the woe I tell the plain it is for no pride But only with other wives for to go That was mynentent and nothing else But saying it will no otherwise be I shall make the a hood and set it full of bells which shallbe marked in all this country Though every man knew it I set not a fly And what I do, now I ne care Within short while thou shalt well spy That I shall make thy bags full bare ¶ With that from the board this wife 'gan go And bad him beware of her evil will She said for ever she would be his fo And do her best him for to spill Thereto she would labour both day and night With all the help that she could make And that she could get with main and might Another should spend it for his sake ¶ The man was wroth here with iwis And wandered full sore what his wife ailed He took up his hand and him did bliss weening to him that her wits had failed But it was not so on mischief she was set The devil himself could not her turn Though he with staves her should have bet which made full sore his heart to mourn ¶ Than was he bewailed all in woe Right piteously he did complain Thinking always what his wife might do Him thought for sorrow his heart was slain Because his wife was set on rage what best was to do he him be thought Her furious anger to a suage Her mind he perceived was set to nought ¶ Fain he would her let, this good honest man And heap her in goodness as he had done ere Alas he said no read I can Of mine undoing I stand in fear That she will me rob by day and night Than far well my joy and my solas Many a man hath wrong and much unright Through their false wives, alas, alas ¶ And so am I like me doth think For such one is able a man to mar For thought I can neither eat nor drink So sore is my heart set now in care Yet will I not myself cast away Thought she will be lewd and also bad With costly garments I will not ray For my destruction to make her glad ¶ I think she hath found some villain gnaw That will help her to carry away my store Yet I trust that god will me save And preserve me from her danger for ever more For a cursed wife is worse than a fiend If I me bless he can me not dear But this cursed wife where ever I wend Putteth me in doubt and great fere Wherefore I dare not go out of the door Lest she me beguile and go her way with some lewd knave to play the hore And me unto for ever and aye Yet to my curate I will high And show him of my grief what I do ail To know if he remedy Me of my woe or ought me avail ¶ In this mean while his wife was gone Unto her gossep to show her grief The good man found himself alone Withouten comfort or relief Than straight to the church he 'gan him dress Unto the curate which he there found All ready revest going to mess And toward the altar he was bound ¶ This man abode till mass was done For to take counsel of his curate dear When he him met right soon anon He made his moan with heavy cheer After all greetings to him thus he said Sir I you require of counsel now My wife doth make me so sore dismayed That I am like to die I make god avow ¶ With short conclusion his matter he told How it began and how it befell between him and his wife that made his heart cold But ever the priest bade him do well And god should help him ever at his need if he did trust unto his grace Always the better should he speed And heaven at the last he should purchase If she will be nought and not amend And thou intend ever well to do Good grace god shall unto the send when she shall live in care and woe Go thy way home and take no thought But ever take heed what so befall For such one as doth set her to nought To undo a man she careth not at all This man did after the curates read And home full soon he did him haste But when he came there his heart did bleed He spied that his labour was all in waist And that his wife had been there before And spoiled all that she might carry Of short ends and money that he had in store No legger with him that she would vary Thus was the good man undone for ever God give all such wives care For after that day he saw her never But of his wealth she made him bare Now jesus that is heaven king Grant all good wives that fain would do well The joys of heaven at their ending And to be preserved fro the pains of hell Such Pater noster some wives do say Another were better for their soul health As here doth fellow so should ye pray And than ye should ever live in wealth ¶ Here after followeth the golden Pater noster of devotion. THe father of heaven omnipotent Of nought all this world did create In paradise he made Adam a pure innocent And for his comfort Eve to him was assacyate The serpent by fraud made them obstinate Whereby they lost their mansion joy and bliss Till by thy mercy they were regenerate Pater noster quies in celis ¶ O blessed lord of thy bounty & goodness That sent thine own son to be incarnate The original sin of Adam to redress By virtue of death of christ immaculate Which is our brother by prove cartyfycate And thou ourfather throughout christendom wherefore let us merely without debate Sing, Sanctificetur nomen tuum ¶ christ jesus our king and his mother dear Be in our need our succour and comfort Our souls from sin to preserve clear That the flame of charity in us report To whom that we may resort with blissful armony both all and sum Sweet jesus for us exhort That unto us, Adueniat regnum tuum ¶ Infuse us with grace lord in countenance In every malady, poverty and tribulation perfit patience to keep thy perseverance For any wrongful trouble or vexation That we without grudge or exclamation Say and pray, Fiat voluntas tuas high and low thy might operation So be it, sicut in celo et in terra ¶ Upon shear thursday thy disciples thou fed In form of breed with thine own deite By virtue of the words of thy godhead Bade them thine own body accipite And eat, which for you berrayed shallbe A preseruat if against death most wholesome Our petition good lord, da nobis hodye That same, panem nostrum cotidianum ¶ When mortal sin had us devoured And have forgotten thy holy conversation yet let us not utterly be confounded whom thou deemed by thy biter passion But wash us with penance by full contrition Thou one and three trinitas sancta when we require the by proclamation Et dimit nobis debita nostra. if any creature hath us offended And trespasset forgive we all those That their offence may be amended Our mercy and pity to them disclose That when to god our passage purpose That of his mercy abound that we may not miss forgive us good lord, sicut et nos Dimittimus debitoribus nostris Another petition we ask our father That we be not overcome by temptation But we to christ our own brother Call for aid and obtain remission And of our sins clean to have absolution By merit of the brygpt star of Betheleem To whom we pray with humble devotion Et ne nos inducas in temptacionem ¶ The father, the son, and the holy ghost Three persons undivided, and one in essence Make in us trinity by thy power most Thy body, thy soul, thy godhead in presence So conserve us here in thy absence To use well five and observe ten That deadly sin cumber not our conscience Sed libera nos a malo. Amen ¶ Finis. ❧ Imprinted at London, in Paul's Church yard at the Sign of the Swain by john King.