[illustration]
[illustration]
BOth Men and Women listen well
a merry Iest I will you tell,
Betwixt a Good-man and a Wife,
Who fell the other day at strife,
He chid her for her Huswivery,
And she found fault as well as he.
With him for's work without the doors,
Quoth he, a pox on all such whors,
Sith you and I cannot agrée,
Let's change our work content quoth she
My whéel and Distaff here take thou,
And I will drive the Cart and Plow.
This was concluded twixt them both,
To Cart and Plow ye good-wife go'th,
The good-man he at home doth tarry,
To sée that nothing doth miscarry,
An apron he before him put.
Iudge, was not this a hansome Slut,
He fléets the Milk he makes the Chéese
He gropes ye Hens, the Turks & Gees,
He Brews & Bakes as wel as he can,
But not as it should be done, poor man,
As he did make his Chéese one day,
Two pigs their belys brake with whay
Nothing that he in hand did take.
Did come to good, once he did Bake,
And burn,d the Bread as black as a stock
Another time he went to rock
The Cradle, and threw ye Child o'th floor,
And brok his Nose, and hurt it sore.
He went to Milk one evening tide,
A skittish Cow on the wrong side,
His pail was full of Milk, God wot,
She kickt and spilt it every jot,
Besides she hit him a blow o'th face,
Which was scant whol in six wéeks space
Thus was he serv'd, and yet too well.
And more mischances yet befell,
Before his Apron he'd leave off,
Though all his Neighbors did him scoff,
Now list and mark one pretty jest,
'Twill make you laugh above all the rest.
As he to Churn his Butter went,
One morning with a good intent,
The Cot-quean fool did surely dream,
For he had quite forgot the Cream,
He churn'd all day, with all his might.
And yet he could get no Butter at night,