XII mery Iests, of the wyddow Edyth [by Walter Smith] |
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 | XII mery Iests, of the wyddow Edyth |  |
The nynth mery Iest, how this wydow Edyth deceyued a Lorde, somtime Earle of Arundell: and how he sent fiue of his men seruantes and a handmayden to beare her company, and fetch her daughter who as she boasted was Heyre of great Landes.
And
there anon she tould the Earle,
That she had a daughter a little gerle:
Which was borne to be Heyre
To great inheritaunce & lands good and fayre
And mouable substaunce not a lyte,
If it please God her to respyte.
And graunt her lyfe tyll she succeede,
Her elders aliue: of whose lede
She is issued by lyneall dissent.
That she had a daughter a little gerle:
Which was borne to be Heyre
To great inheritaunce & lands good and fayre
And mouable substaunce not a lyte,
If it please God her to respyte.
And graunt her lyfe tyll she succeede,
Her elders aliue: of whose lede
She is issued by lyneall dissent.
And eke she sayd or that she went,
That her daughter should holde land
Heareafter when it commeth to her hand.
Of that Earle and pay hym rent,
Wherfore she sayd that she was content:
His Lordship should haue her to dispose
And mary her as him best suppose.
Unto gentylman Yeman or Grome
That her daughter should holde land
Heareafter when it commeth to her hand.
Of that Earle and pay hym rent,
Wherfore she sayd that she was content:
His Lordship should haue her to dispose
And mary her as him best suppose.
She wold haue her daughter come:
If it pleased his Lordship it should so be?
She wold fetch her into that contrie.
The Earle was contented it should be so,
And had his seruants for to go
That is to say, to the number of fiue,
And redy make them bliue:
To wayt on this gentil woā & bring her thither
She herselfe could hot tell whether
Notwithstanding she did say,
That her housshold was at Foots Scray:
Where she retayned great famely.
As they shall well find sykerly,
At their repayre, and God before.
If it pleased his Lordship it should so be?
She wold fetch her into that contrie.
The Earle was contented it should be so,
And had his seruants for to go
That is to say, to the number of fiue,
And redy make them bliue:
To wayt on this gentil woā & bring her thither
She herselfe could hot tell whether
Notwithstanding she did say,
That her housshold was at Foots Scray:
Where she retayned great famely.
As they shall well find sykerly,
At their repayre, and God before.
And foorth they ride without more:
She was accompayned as I haue sayd,
With fiue Yemen and a Mayde.
And all they woed as they rode,
Each to him selfe at large abrode:
She was accompayned as I haue sayd,
With fiue Yemen and a Mayde.
And all they woed as they rode,
Each to him selfe at large abrode:
One sheweth his iustynes & mastery,
An other taketh vp his horse on hye
The thyrd sayd that he had treasure in store
The fourth sayd that he had myckle more.
The fyft was a man of few words
At the last he sayd, a straw for your hoords,
Paraduenture he is here that saith not all,
That somwhat could say, if nede should fall,
Be mery Wydow then (quod he)
And cast a Sheps epatrice on me:
For though that I ride pensiue and styll,
Perhaps yet I could satisfy your wyll.
As well as some other, though I cry not out
An other taketh vp his horse on hye
The thyrd sayd that he had treasure in store
The fourth sayd that he had myckle more.
The fyft was a man of few words
At the last he sayd, a straw for your hoords,
Paraduenture he is here that saith not all,
That somwhat could say, if nede should fall,
Be mery Wydow then (quod he)
And cast a Sheps epatrice on me:
For though that I ride pensiue and styll,
Perhaps yet I could satisfy your wyll.
But all this while she cast about
How she might conueniently steale them fro,
But at a woods side it happened so:
A fayre house there was which she sayd
Her husband bought it and for it payd.
Two yeares before he let his lyfe,
And she was now in mikell stryfe:
For the sayd house and lands withall
And sued she was in Westmynster hall.
Great thought she toke for a freend,
That in her right wold her defend.
How she might conueniently steale them fro,
But at a woods side it happened so:
A fayre house there was which she sayd
Her husband bought it and for it payd.
Two yeares before he let his lyfe,
And she was now in mikell stryfe:
For the sayd house and lands withall
And sued she was in Westmynster hall.
Great thought she toke for a freend,
That in her right wold her defend.
One of the company that hard this,
Fayned him to light downe to pis:
Purposedly for to go to enquyre
Of this matter to know yf that it were
As she had sayd, or els that she lyed.
Fayned him to light downe to pis:
Purposedly for to go to enquyre
Of this matter to know yf that it were
As she had sayd, or els that she lyed.
To the house he goeth and there he tryed,
That she was falce and a noughty queane:
In all England not worth a beane.
That she was falce and a noughty queane:
In all England not worth a beane.
When he hard this he galoped fast,
His company he ouer toke at the last.
And declared vnto them from poynt to poynt
Then all their loue, was sodenly quoynt
They light doune all by one accorde
Xv. myle when the had rode
And stripped her out of her array
Walke hore they all gan say.
His company he ouer toke at the last.
And declared vnto them from poynt to poynt
Then all their loue, was sodenly quoynt
They light doune all by one accorde
Xv. myle when the had rode
And stripped her out of her array
Walke hore they all gan say.
Home agayne they toke the way.
And yet she repayred to Foots Scray.
There she abude a certayne season,
The next house vnto one mader Heron.
A Gowne and a Kyrtle there she dyd hyre,
Of a poore woman to were to a fayre
Kept there besides vpon an holy day:
Fayne she wolde haue made her selfe gay,
At the foresayd fayre to haue be solde
If any man wold be so bolde,
Without examynation for to alight.
And yet she repayred to Foots Scray.
There she abude a certayne season,
The next house vnto one mader Heron.
Of a poore woman to were to a fayre
Kept there besides vpon an holy day:
Fayne she wolde haue made her selfe gay,
At the foresayd fayre to haue be solde
If any man wold be so bolde,
Without examynation for to alight.
And when that she was out of sight,
She got her away a great pace.
She got her away a great pace.
Then came she to Croyden there as she was
Continewing for the space of a wook
Duryng the which time a poore Cook.
There dwellyng she dyd begile,
And borowed of him in that while
Fiue shillings in Groats and pence.
And then priuely she stale away from thence.
Continewing for the space of a wook
Duryng the which time a poore Cook.
There dwellyng she dyd begile,
And borowed of him in that while
Fiue shillings in Groats and pence.
And then priuely she stale away from thence.
Then she came to Eltham the right way,
Where she rested her three weekes & a day:
And dyd nothyng but ay enquere
Of Gentlemen dwelling here and there
And when she saw her time on an holy day,
She walked to a Thorp called Batersay:
And on the next day after, she tooke a Whery,
And ouer Thames she was rowed ful mery.
Where she rested her three weekes & a day:
And dyd nothyng but ay enquere
Of Gentlemen dwelling here and there
And when she saw her time on an holy day,
She walked to a Thorp called Batersay:
And on the next day after, she tooke a Whery,
And ouer Thames she was rowed ful mery.
| XII mery Iests, of the wyddow Edyth | |