An antidote against melancholy: made up in pills. Compounded of witty ballads, jovial songs, and merry catches.

A Ballad of the Gelding of the Devil.

NOw listen a while and I will you tell Of the Gelding of the Devil of Hell; And Dick the Baker of Mansfield Town, To Manchester market he was bound, And under a Grove of Willows clear, This Baker rid on with a merty chear: Beneath the Willows there was a Hill, And there he met the Devil of Hell. Baker, quoth the Devil, tell me that, How came thy Horse so fair and fat? In troth, quoth the Baker, and by my fay, Because his stones were cut away. For he that will have a Gelding free, Both fair and lusty he must be: Oh! quoth the Devil, and saist thou so, Thou shalt geld me before thou do'st go.

Go tie thy Horse unto a tree, And with thy knife come and geld me. The Baker had a knife of Iron and Steel, With which he gelded the Devil of Hell. It was sharp pointed For the nonce Fit for to cut any manner of ston••s.: The Baker being lighted from his Horse, Cut the Devils stones from his Arse.

••h! quoth the Devil beshrow thy heart, Thou dost not feel how I do sinart; ••r gelding of me thou art not quit, For I mean to geld thee this same day sevennight. ••he Baker hearing the words he said, Within his heart was sore afraid, ••e hied him to the next market town To sell his bread both white and brown.

••nd when the market was done that Day, The Baker went home another way. ••nto his wife he did tell, How he had gelded the Devil of Hell: ••ay, a wondrous word I heard him say, He would geld me next market day; ••herefore wife I stand in doubt, Ide rather, quoth she, thy Knaves Eyes were out.

••de rather thou should break thy Neck-bone, Then for to Lose any manner of stone, ••or why 'twill be a Loathsome thing, When every Woman shall call the Gelding. ••hus they continued both in fear Untill the next market day drew near. ••ell quoth the good wife, well I wot, Go fetch me thy Doublet and thy Coat.

••hy Hose thy Shoone and Cap also, And I like a Man to the Market will go: ••hen up she got her all in hast, With all her bread upon her beast; ••nd when she came to the Hill side, There she saw two Devils abide, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 little Devil for and another, Lay playing under the Hill side together.

Oh! quoth the Devil, without any fain Yonder comes the Baker again; ••eest thou well Baker, or beest thou wo, I mean to geld thee before thou dost go. ••hefe were the words the Woman did say, Good Sir, I was gelded but yesterday;

Oh quoth the Devil that I will see, And he pluckt her cloaths beneath her knee

And looking upward from the ground, There he spied a grievous wound: Oh (quoth the Devil) what might he be? For he was not cunning that gelded thee, For when he had cut away the stones clean, He should have sowed up the hole again; He call'd the little Devil to him anon And bid him look to that same man.

Whilest he went into some private place To fetch some salve in a little space, The great Devil was gone but a little way, But upon her belly there crept a flea; The little Devil he soon spied that, He up with his paw and gave her a pat: VVith that the woman began to start, And out she thrust a most horrible fart.

VVhoop whoop quoth the little Devil, come again I pray, For her's another hole broke, be my fay; The great Devil he came running in hast, VVithin his heart was sore agast. Fogh quoth the Devil thou art not sound, Thou stinkest so sore above the ground; Thy life dayes sure cannot be long, Thy breath it fumes so wond'rous strong.

The hole is cut so near the bone, There is no salve can stick thereon. And therefore Baker I stand in doubt That all thy bowels will fall out: Therefore baker hie thee away, And in this place no longer stay.