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The syxth mery Iest, how this wydow Edyth deceiued a Draper in London of a new Gowne: & a new Kyrtell, and how she sent him for a nest of Goblets to the Scriuener that she had deceiued afore.
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The syxth mery Iest, how this wydow Edyth deceiued a Draper in London of a new Gowne: & a new Kyrtell, and how she sent him for a nest of Goblets to the Scriuener that she had deceiued afore.

Here wyll I tary no lenger while
But to the wydow agayne my stile
I shal direct: and tell some deale more
Of her pastime, and God before.
In the Cittie she walked in her Peticote,
Yet at the last, acquayntaunce she gote
Out of her old walke, on the other side.
A Draper there was, that loued no pride:
To whom she preferred her accustomed craft
Lye after lye, and sayd she was beraft:
A greate part of her goods, full wrongfully.
Alas (quod the Draper ful piteously)
It is ruth, to see you go so slender:
I shall mend it (quod she) when I come yender
To winsore (I trust) where my stuff is,
Gods curse haue they, that make me doe this.
Master mine (quod she) I pray you be not wroth
Might I be so bolde, as of your hole cloth
To desire you for to deliuer vnto me
As much as wyll suffyse (quod she)
To make a large Gowne, and a Kyrtell,
And I shall pay you therfore, full well:
When I come to winsor, & after your owne price,
So that ye set not on me all the dice:


But let me haue a penyworth for a peny.
Mistresse sayd the Draper if there be any
Ware in the Shop: that wyll doe you good
You shal haue it, I swere by the roode:
So that ye put me in good suretie
For my money: for I know you not truely.
Syr sayd the wydow if it be your pleasure?
To commaund your seruant to ride to Wynsore:
In my company within these .vi. dayes,
You shal haue your money without any delayes
And a pleasure withall, for your good wyll.
Forsooth sayd ye Draper, you speake good skyll
And shortly without any interogation,
He deliuered vnto her at the mocion:
Of broade cloth .iiii. yardes ful wely mote
And eke as much as wolde make her a cote
A Kyrtell I wolde say of good wolstet,
And commanded his seruant for to beare it:
To the Taylour to be made in hast.
And on the .4. day after, whē she had toke repast
The Draper sent a Iurneyman of his
With her to Winsore, the way they did not mis.
A gardeuyaunce the seruant with him bare
Therin to bring thence all the short ware:
That she had promised the Draper before,
He should have in keping, I can no more.
To winsore they came .ii. houres before night,
And at a dore off her horse down she light:
And in she goth, no more but for a countenaunce,
And came out agayne, saying wt a vengeaunce:
They must go by water and the way so fayre,
But I think they lacked horse to repayre.


The seruant abroade walkyng the horses,
Hard her wel, when she sayd al this:
No force (quod he) I shall haue the lesse to cary,
So you shal sayd she, nor ye nede not to tary.
But set by your horse therfore anon,
In some Inne, and in the meane season
I shal hastely go wright a skrow,
To certyfie your master shortly as I trow.
The seruant to an Inne the horses had,
While she caused the letter to be made.
And then gaue it him, and had him go to bed
To Colbroke: wher his horse better might be fed.
And syr she sayd, I thanke you for your payne,
Your master wylbe plesed this letter whē he hath saine
A cup wt ale at ye dore she made him drink.
And thē he rode to Colbroke, ere time was to wīk
And to London on ye morow, & deliuered his letter
Unto the Draper that was his master
The letter bad that he sholde resorte
To a Scriuener, take hede what I reporte
He dwelleth in chepeside, and his name is Rouse
Byd him deliuer you out of his house
By such a token, an hole nest of Goblets
A dosen of spoones, se there be no lets,
A standyng cup with a couer percell gilt.
Now thoght ye Draper, I haue in my hand the hilt
I wyl plede in possessiō might I yt possed
To the Scriuener his seruant he sent wt spede,
For this foresayd geare, and bid him not tary
This seruants name was called Harry.
His errand he sayeth vnto the Scriuener
And diligently this Rouse gaue an eare


From the begynnyng, markyng his tale well,
And when the Seruant had tolde euery dell,
The Scryuener sayd, I wyl delyuer none to thee
Go home and byd thy Maister come to mee:
I wyll so answere hym, that he shalbe content.
The Seruant in haste to his Master went,
And tolde hym that he must him selfe repayre,
For this Plate so costly and so fayre.
A, I see well quod the Draper, this man is no foole,
Loe what it is, to put a childe to scoole
To learne wisdome, while he is yong.
Upon his way, he walked so long,
Tyll he came thither, and gan to tell his tale.
Neibor quod ye Scriuener, let vs drynk som ale
And speake no more in this matter for shame,
For ye are begyled, and I am the same.
Nay by cockes body, I put you out of doubt,
Sayd the Draper, ye shall not laugh it out
With me after suche maner: for I wyll haue it indeed
Ye shal haue none of me by Christs crede
Quod the Scriuener, get it where ye can,
But harken what I shall tell you man,
Let me townd in your eare that no body know
For and if it be abroade yblow,
we shalbe laughed to scorne both,
Wherfore Neyghbour, looke ye be not wroth:
She shewed you she had Place, and so she told me
But all the good she hath is not wurth a peny.
I haue it proued, therfore leaue your sighyng,
This shall be good I tell you for our learnyng.
Good quod the Draper in the Deuylles name,
A vengeance lyght on her and open shame.


By the holy Masse quod he, I wil haue tde quean
Els, it shall cost me the labour of all my men,
For the space I tell you of this fortnyghts daye,
She shalbe punyshed truely, as I you say,
To the ensample of all other, & god grant me lyfe
Farewel neighbor, I wyl go dine with my wife.
Sayd the Draper sith it wyl be non other,
A dieu neighbor, and farewell quod the tother.
This Draper went him home in all the haste
And commanded his seruant to take repaste:
And after to ride as fast as he can,
To winsor and demaund for this woman:
And if it so betyde, thou canst her finde?
Take an officer and fast her bynde:
Se her bestowed, and then come and tell me,
And by my thyrst shortly wyl I see:
What the Law wil say to ye hore & theefe both
I pray thee make spede, & take my boots of cloth:
Draw them on thy legs, for the way is depe,
The seruant in hast, vpon his horse lepe
And rode to winsor, by then it was night,
And at an Inne where he dyd alight:
He hard tell that the widow was gon
Where ne whether wist no man.