The Countrey mans chat,
Wherein you shall finde
How each man doth talke
To please his owne minde.
To the tune of, Welcome to Towne.
IN place where late I chanced to be at
a feast of friendly meetings,
Where men and women of each degree,
Vs'd kinde and courteous greetings,
For their acquantance and their conference,
one had with another,
Well I noted as they sorted
all their spéech in order,
Men by themselues, women likewise.
men they talkt of Tillage,
The prises of wheat, of sheep and Neat,
and orders of their Uillage.
First, qd. Iohn Thake, to the Goodman Lake,
what when doe y• gin sow Barly?
Masse quoth he not, this sennet yet
I thinke it's somewhat too early.
Quoth Goodman Hare, to another there,
how workes your land in Brimly?
Why, quoth old Paine, 'twants but a raine,
but I warn't twould worke euen trimly.
Then, quoth old Iud, I thinke twere good,
and if you sew't with Pe [...]ason,
No, quoth Iohn How, were I as you,
it should lye another season.
Qd. Goodman Ros, how's your horse,
I heard he's scicke ath' stauers,
Ohhang him Iade, quoth old Iohn Dade,
its time he were at the Glouers.
Quoth Goodmā Read, to the Goodman Pead,
how sold you wheat at Hertford?
Faith, quoth old Brown, euen halfe a crown
and so twas sold at Storford.
I neuer knew, quoth old Iohn Trew,
the Markets to be slower.
Nay, quoth old Snow, tis very like so,
the prizes will be lower.
Marry, quoth old Gue, pray God he true,
then poore shall fare the better,
Now forth came Mence, with's eloquence,
yet he knew neuer a letter,
Wee are confused, and infused,
and our hedges broken.
I faith, quoth Bars, I tell you sirs,
my fields they lye all open,
Faith, quoth old Neale, the poore will steale,
before they'l fall to working.
I and whoore for all they're poore,
they care not for a Ierking.
These hedgebreakers I thinke it fit,
that at next léete wee paine them,
And these inmates, quoth Peter Gates,
how should a man restraine them.
Faith Boyes and Girles, & knaues & truls,
their can be no diuiding,
They must be matcht, and will be pitcht,
somewhere to haue a biding.
Tush, quoth old Rule, man you're a foole,
don't those so that haue riches;
But now they'l preuent th'impediment,
for downe goes Cloackbag breeches.
The second part. To the same tune:
Then, qd. Goodman Dent, how shall we doe, this lent,
they say ther's no good Herring
There's no good white, qd. Goodman Knight,
nay, Ile stand to't, quoth old Seering,
And quoth Tom Bush, law's strait [...]or flesh,
if that's true, quoth old Kelly.
Tush you may be excus'd, qd. Goodman Hewes'd
along of your wiues great belly.
You'r killing a calfe, quoth Goodman Roffe,
I catch this same at Roston,
Where I sold my hogs as cheap as any dogs,
that I bestow'd such cost on.
Quoth Goodman Fip, how standeth your shéep,
they say there [...]ie [...] aboundant,
Faith, quoth Ned Scot, they all haue the rot,
I hold a hundred pound ont,
Nay thats a Iest, quoth Robin Feast,
for I know heres good Mutton,
Theres little found in all this Towne,
Ile stand to't quoth old Hutton.
What is there then, quoth Francis Wren,
that is without some misflaw,
But stay your tale, quoth Humfrey Sale,
can ye spare vs a loade of Pea [...]-straw?
What now Iohn Dan, how dost thou man?
me thinkes thou lookst but sickly,
I doubt, quoth Ieames, he hath raid his seames,
that makes him goe so s [...]atly,
Now here Iohn Simmes, to all our friends,
in City and in Country,
Doe let it come and Ile drinke round,
to Dicke and so to Humfrey.
man I was at Stadds with those old Lads,
and there we drunke full deeply,
Come, quoth Tom Trap, man take of your lap,
and lets be going quickly.
How doe's, quoth ane, your neighbour Ton,
I doubt he thriues but slowly.
But there's Ned Stitch is growne vile rich,
which way the dewce is't know ye.
Thus much delating and much chatting,
is there at such meetings.
If ought I leaue you may it conceiue,
Ile now to the womens greeting
For they were neatly talking featly,
as they vse at Banquets:
Whose kindes I spide euen last Shrouetide,
when they were eating Pankakes.
FINIS.
London, printed for H. G.