¶ Here begynneth a mery geste of the frere and the boye.
GOd that dyed for vs all
And dranke bothe eysell and gall
Brynge vs out of bale
And gyue them good lyfe & longe
That lysteneth to my songe
Or tendeth to my tale
There dwelled an husbonde in my countre
That had wyues thre.
By processe of tyme
By the fyrst wyfe a sone he had
That was a good sturdy ladde
And an happy hyne
His fader loued hym wele
So dyde his moder neuer a dele
I tell you as I thynke
All she thought was lost by the rode
That dyde the lytell boye ony good
Other mete or drynke
[Page] And yet ywys it was but badde
And therof not halfe ynough he had
But euermore of the worste
Therfore euyll mote she fare
For euer she dyde the lytell boye care
As ferforth as she dorste
The good wyfe to her husbonde gan saye
I wolde ye wolde put this boye awaye
And that ryght soone in haste
Truly he is a cursed ladde
I wolde some other man hym had
That wolde hym better chaste
Than sayd the good man agayne
Dame I shall to the sayne
He is but tender of aege
He shall abyde with me this yere
Tyll he be more strongere
For to wynne better wage
We haue a man a stoute freke
That in the felde kepeth our nete
Slepynge all the daye
He shall come home so god me shelde
And the boye shall in to the felde
To kepe our beestes yf he may
Than sayd the wyfe verament
Therto soone I assent
For that me thynketh moost nedy
On the morowe whan it was daye
The lytell boye wente on his waye
To the felde full redy
Of no man he had no care
But sange hey howe awaye the mare
[Page] And made Ioye ynough
Forth he wente truly to sayne
Tyll he came to the playne
His dyner forth he drough
Whan he sawe it was but bad
Full lytell lust therto he had
But put it vp agayne
Therfore he was not to wyte
He sayd he wolde ete but lyte
Tyll nyght that he came home
And as the boye sate on a hyll
An olde man came hym tyll
Walkynge by the waye
Sone he sayd god these
Syr welcome more ye be
The lytell boye gan saye
The olde man sayd I am an hongred sore
Hast thou ony mete in store
That thou mayst gyue me
The chylde sayd so god me saue
To suche vytayle as I haue
Welcome shall ye be
Therof the olde man was gladde
The boye drewe forth suche as he had
And sayd do gladly
The olde man was easy to please
He ete and made hym well at ease
And sayd sone gramercy
Sone thou hast gyuen mete to me
I shall the gyue thynges thre
Thou shalte them neuer forgete
Than sayd the boye as I trowe
[Page] It is best that I haue a bowe
Byrdes for to shote
A bowe sone I shall the gyue
That shall last the all thy lyue
And euer a lyke mete
Shote therin whan thou good thynke
For yf thou shote and wynke
The prycke thou shalte hytte
Whan he the bowe in honde felte
And the boltes vnder his belte
Lowde than he lough
He sayd now had I a pype
Though it were neuer so lyte
Than were I gladde ynough
A pype sone thou shalte haue also
In true musyke it shall go
I do the well to wyte
All that may the pype here
Shall not themselfe stere
But laugh and lepe aboute
What shall the thyrde be
For I wyll gyue the gyftes thre
As I haue-sayd to the before
The lytell boye on hym lough
And sayd syr I haue ynough
I wyll desyre no more
The olde man sayd my trouth I plyght
Thou shalte haue that I the hyght
Saye on now and let me se
Than sayd the boye anone
I haue a stepdame at home
She is a shrewe to me
[Page] Whan my fader gyueth me mete
She wolde theron that I were cheke
And stareth me in the face
Whan she loketh on me so
I wolde she sholde let a rappe go
That it myght rynge ouer all the place
Than sayd the olde man tho
Whan she loketh on the so
She shall begyn to blowe
All that euer it may here
Shall not themselfe stere
But laugh on a rowe
Fare well quod the olde man
God kepe the sayd the chylde than
I take my leue at the
God that moost best may
Kepe the bothe nyght and day
Gramercy sone sayd he
Than drewe it towarde the nyght
Iacke hym hyed home full ryght
It was his ordynaunce
He toke his pype and began to blowe
All his beestes on a rowe
Aboute hym they daunce
Thus wente he pypynge thrugh the towne
His beestes hym folowed by the sowne
In to his faders close
He wente and put them vp echone
Homewarde he wente anone
In to his faders hall he gose
His fader at his souper sat
Lytell Iacke espyed well that
[Page] And sayd to hym anone
Fader I haue kepte your nete
I praye you gyue me some mete
I am an hongred by saynt Ihone
I haue sytten metelesse
All this daye kepynge your beestes
My dyner feble it was
His fader toke a capons wynge
And at the boye he gan it slynge
And badde hym ete a pace
That greued his stepmoders herte sore
As I tolde you before
She stared hym in the face
With that she let go a blaste
That they in the hall were agaste
It range ouer all the place
All they laughed and had good game
The wyfe waxed reed for shame
She wolde that she had ben gone
Quod the boye well I wote
That gonne was well shote
As it had ben a stone
Cursedly she loked on hym tho
An other blaste she let go
She was almoost rente
Quod the boye wyll ye se
How my dame letteth pellettes fle
In fayth or euer she stynte
The boye sayd vnto his dame
Tempre thy bombe he sayd for shame
She was full of sorowe
Dame sayd the good man go thy waye
[Page] For I swere to the by my faye
Thy gere is not to borowe
Afterwarde as ye shall here
To the hous there came a frere
To lye there all nyght
The wyfe loued hym as a saynt
And to hym made her complaynt
And tolde hym aryght
We haue a boye within ywys
A shrewe for the nones he is
He dooth me moche care
I dare not loke hym vpon
I am ashamed by saynt Iohn̄
To tell you how I fare
I praye you mete the boye to morowe
Bete hym well and gyue hym sorowe
And make the boye lame
Quod the frere I shall hym bete
Quod the wyfe do not forgete
He dooth me moche shame
I trowe the boye be some wytche
Quod the frere I shall hym teche
Haue thou no care
I shall hym teche yf I may
Quod the wyfe I the praye
Do hym not spare
On the morowe the boye arose
In to the felde soone he gose
His beestes for to dryue
The frere ranne out at the gate
He was afterde leest he came to late
He ranne fast and blyue
[Page] Whan he came vpon a londe
Lytell Iacke there he foude
Dryuynge his beestes all alone
Boye he sayd god gyue the shame
What hast thou done to thy dame
Tell thou me anone
But yf thou canst excuse the well
By my trouth bete I the wyll
I wyll no lenger abyde
Quod the boye what eyleth the
My dame fareth as well as ye
What nedeth the to chyde
Quod the boye wyll ye wete
How I can a byrde shete
And other thynge withall
Syr he sayd though I be lyte
Yonder byrde wyll I smyte
And gyue her the I shall
There sate a byrde vpon a brere
Shote on boye quod the frere
For that me lysteth to se
He hytte the byrde on the heed
That she fell downe deed
No ferder myght she flee
The frere to the busshe wente
Vp the byrde for to hente
He thought it best for to done
Iacke soke his pype and began to blowe
Than the frere as I trowe
Began to daunce soone
As soone as he the pype herde
Lyke a wood man he fared
[Page] He lepte and daunced aboute
The breres scratched hym in the face
And in many an other place
That the blode brast out
And tare his clothes by and by
His cope and his scapelary
And all his other wede
He daunced amonge thornes thycke
In many places they dyde hym prycke
That fast gan he blede
Iacke pyped and laughed amonge
The frere amonge the thornes was thronge
He hopped wonders hye
At the last he helde vp his honde
And sayd I haue daunced to longe
That I am lyke to dye
Gentyll Iacke holde thy pype styll
And my trouth I plyght the tyll
I wyll do the no woo
Iacke sayd in that tyde
Frere skyppe out on the ferder syde
Lyghtly that thou were goo
The frere out of the busshe wente
All to ragged and to rente
And torne on euery syde
Vnnethes on hym had one cloute
His hely for to wrappe aboute
His harneys for to hyde
The breres had hym scratched so in the face
And many an other place
He was all to bledde with blode
All that myght the frere se
[Page] Were fayne awaye to flee
They wende he had ben wode
Whan he came to his hoost
Of his Iourney he made no boost
His clothes were rente all
Moche sorowe in his herte he had
And euery man hym dradde
Whan he came in to the hall
The wyfe sayd where hast thou bene
In an euyll place I wene
Me thynketh by thyn araye
Dame I haue ben with thy sone
The deuyll of hell hym ouercome
For no man elles may
With that came in the good man
The wyfe sayd to hym than
Here is a foule araye
Thy sone that is the lefe and dere
Hath almoost slayne this holy frere
Alas and welawaye
The good man sayd benedicite
What hath the boye done frere to the
Tell me without lette
The frere sayd the deuyll hym spede
He hath made me daūce maugre my hede
Amonge the thornes hey go bette
The good man sayd to hym tho
Haddest thou lost thy lyfe so
It had ben grete synne
The frere sayd by our lady
The pype wente so meryly
That I coude neuer blynne
[Page] Whan it drewe towarde the nyght
The boye came home full ryght
As he was wonte to do
Whan he came in to the hall
His fader dyde hym soone call
And badde hym to come hym to
Boye he sayd tell me here
What hast thou done to the frere
Tell me without lesynge
Fader he sayd by my faye
I dyde nought elles as I you saye
But pyped hym a sprynge
That sayd his fader wolde I here
Mary god forbede sayd the frere
His handes he dyde wrynge
Yes sayd the good man by goddes grace
Than sayd the frere out alas
And made grete mournynge
For the loue of god quod the frere
If ye wyll that he pype here
Bynde me to a post
For I knowe none other rede
And I daunce I am but deed
Well I wote my lyfe is lost
Stronge ropes they soke in honde
The frere to the post they bonde
In the myddle of the hall
All that at the souper sat
Laughed and had good game therat
And sayd the frere wolde not fall
Than sayd the good man
Pype on good sone
[Page] Hardely whan thou wylte
Fader he sayd so mote I the
Haue ye shall ynough of gle
Tyll ye bydde me be styll
As soone as Iacke the pype hent
All that there were verament
Began to daunce and lepe
Whan they gan the pype here
They myght not themselfe ftere
But hurled on an hepe
The good man was in no dyspayre
But lyghtly lepte out of his chayre
With a good chere
Some lepte ouer the stocke
Some stombled at the blocke
And some fell flatte in the fyre
The good man had grete game
How they daunced all in same
The wyfe after gan steppe
Euermore the kest her eye at Iacke
And fast her tayle began to cracke
Lowde than they coude speke
The frere hymselfe was almoost lost
For knockynge his heed ayenst the post
He had none other grace
The rope rubbed hȳ vnder the chynne
That the blode downe dyde rynne
In many a dyuers place
Iacke ranne in to the strete
After hym fast dyde they lepe
Truly they coude not stynte
They wente out ar the dore so thycke
[Page] That eche man fell on others necke
So pretely out they wente
Neyghbours that were fast by
Herde the pype go so meryly
They ranne in to the gate
Some lepte ouer the hatche
They had no tyme to drawe the latche
They wende they had come to late
Some laye in theyr bedde
And helde vp theyr hede
Anone they were waked
Some sterte in the waye
Truly as I you saye
Starke bely naked
By that they were gadred aboute
Iwys there was a grete route
Dauncynge in the strete
Some were lame and myght not go
But yet ywys they daunced to
On handes and on fete
They boye sayd now wyll I rest
Quod the good man I holde it best
With a mery chere
Sease sone whan thou wylte
In fayth this is the meryest fytte
That I herde this seuen yere
They daunced all in same
Some laughed and had good game
And some had many a fall
Thou cursed boye quod the frere
Here I somon the that thou appere
Before the offycyall
[Page] Loke thou be there on frydaye
I wyll the mete and I may
For to ordeyne the sorowe
The boye sayd by god auowe
Frere I am as redy as thou
And frydaye were to morowe
Frydaye came as ye may here
Iackes stepdame and the frere
Togyder there they metre
Folke gadered a grete pase
To here euery mannes case
The offycyall was sette
There was moche to do
Maters more than one or two
Bothe with preest and clerke
Some had testamentes for to preue
And fayre women by your leue
That had strokes in the derke
Euery man put forth his case
Than came forth frere Topyas
And Iackes stepdame also
Syr offycyall sayd he
I haue brought a boye to the
Whiche hath wrought me moche wo
He is a grete nygromancere
In all orlyaunce is not his pere
As by my trouth I trowe
He is a wytche quod the wyfe
Than as I shall tell you blythe
Lowde coude she blowe
Some laughed without fayle
Some sayd dame tempre thy tayle
[Page] Ye wreste it all amysse
Dame quod the offycyall
Tell forth on thy tale
Lette not for this
The wyfe was afrayed of another cracke
That no worde more she spacke
She durst not for drede
The frere sayd so mote I the
Knaue this is longe of the
That euyll mote thou spede
The frere sayd syr offycyall
The boye wyll combre vs all
But yf ye may hym chaste
Syr he hath a pype truly
Wyll make you daunce and lepe on hye
Tyll your herte braste
The offycyall sayd so mote I the
That pype wolde I fayne se
And knowe what myrth that he can make
Mary god forbede than sayd the frere
That he sholde pype here
Afore that I hens the waye take
Pype on Iacke sayd the offycyall
I wyll here now how thou canst playe
Iacke blewe vp the sothe to faye
And made them soone to daunce all
The offycyall lepte ouer the deske
And daunced aboute wonder faste
Tyll bothe his shynnes he all to brest
Hym thought it was not of the best
Than cryed he vnto the chylde
To pype no more within this place
[Page] But to holde styll for goddes grace
And for the loue of mary mylde
Than sayd Iacke to them echone
If ye wolde me graunte with herte fre
That he shall do me no vylany
But hens to departe euen as I come
Therto they answered all anone
And promysed hym anone ryght
In his quarell for to fyght
And defende hym from his fone
Thus they departed in that tyde
The offycyall and the sompnere
His stepdame and the frere
With grete Ioye and moche pryde
¶ Thus endeth the frere and ye boye.
Enprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the sonne / by wynkyn de worde.
W
C
wynkyn de worde