I was teld, Ist git Gowd Grapes here, by some Fowke,

But now I see I've bought a Pig in a Poke.

L. Away, away; if I sud let you sit Rent-free, I see you cud nut live on it.

Your Corn's as Rank as ever it can stand;

There's sike a wreck, it ligs all down o'th Land;
And yet you say your Farm is stark o'th Rent.
And you for Tenants give me neay content.
You cannut pay, nor I cannut forbear,
Provide seay for your-selves another year.

F. Wee'r nut sea Browden on't as you suppose;

I think, langer we stay, the mare weese lose.
Wad we'd nee'r kend your Farm, nor had cum here!
But bought wit's best, if it cost nut o're dear.
There's neay Feaul like to'th awd Feaul, I may say.
They that are bund, I see they mun obey.

530

535

540

The time that we com here, we've cause to Curse; 545 A tumbling Stane, I see, neer gathers Moss.

We war o're weel before and did not wait,

And now we may the time rue, when'ts o're late.

L. Com, com, for all your goodly Cracks and Brags, Ill Husbands and Sluggards mun gang in Rags. If you aw'd Money when you com to'th Farme, Your Creditors, not it, heve deaun you harm. If all your Stock be gane, lean to your Kin; Near is my Sarke, but nearer is my Skin, Charity begins at Hame; Ise nut bund To let you live Rent-free upon my grund.

529. B. get.

550

555

543. B. sey.

535. A. 'oth.

536. B. gives.

551. B. you had Munney.

552. B. Crediturs.

553. B. leane; Rin (!).

546. B. githers.

560

There's neay sell like to'th awne-sell; you've Farme anew
Offer'd, you say; God speed you; Ise neer Rue.
A weaud Horse, I've heard it oft Reported,
And a Rotten Harrow are seaun parted.
Fare weel, Ise weay to finnd'th awd saying true,
It's an ill-made Bargain, whore beath Parties Rue.
F. I've set our Land-Lord forward, Wife, he's gane.
Our Hob's nut weel; he's a base stincking yane ;
He's troubled with worms, he can nut Sleep nor Ligg; 565
Give him Wormseed and Treacle, pray thee, Peg.
Wea worth this trash; Ise flaid my Lad's undeaun;
He's varra seek, it warks at his Heart-Speaun.
To-morne I'le gang to'th Market, and hire Tibb.
And, Peggy, Thou thy-Sell sall Spin out'th Web.

570

[M.] Whya, Husband, you may deau what you will, If I be weel, Ise git it deaun my-sell.

N. How dea ye all? What, Naunt? as I hear say, Tibby hes tane a Gods-penny to-day.

Ise come to knaw before I gang to Bed;

I thought this Martinmas she wad be wed.

575

M. Wayes is me; she's ore Young for a good Man; There's mare Fowks wed than keeps good Houses, Nan. She's Booke and Bane aneugh, I knaw, that's true; But ill Weed waxes fast, and seay duz Thou.

580

N. Ore young, say you? I seaure she's gane eighteen, And few but, at that age, they are Men-keen.

557. A. you've; B. you'ue. he's. 564. B. not; stinking. A. works; B. warks.

572. B. get.

571. B.

569. B. morn. 570. B. oth Web.
573. A. deaye; B. dea ye.

Wya.
Godspenny. 578. B. Fewls (for Fowks).
580. B. Weeds; sea.

574. A.

579. B. Beauk; eneugh.

Pray you, what Age war you when you did wed? . . .

M. But they that wed before they'r Wise, it's said, 585 Will dee before they thrive; and seay Ise flaid Will Thou and She, and all sike Flirtigiggs, That's fit for nought but serving Brewster-Piggs. I marvel thy Mother gits nut thee a Dame; It's fitter for thee then to stay at Hame, To slaver and Spin, and run an odd Char. A good Service war better for thee farr.

N. What? sike an a Service as Tibb's to have? I had as leeve be carrid to my Grave.

M. How sea? what ails her Service, can thou tell?
Thou'l nowther let her thrive, nor thrive thy-sell.

N. I heare Tibb is to gang to Mistress Nice;
She'l Rue, I'le warrant, more than yance or twice;
She'l deal her Neaves about her, I hear tell;
She's timerous to please, and varra Fell.

590

595

600

First thing that comes to hand, she'l let it flee;
Nean's yable to abide her Crueltie.

She'l Nawpe and Nevel them without a Cause;

She'l macke them late their teeth, Naunt, in their Hawse. She's kittle of her hands, and of her tongue seay rife, 605

That Tibb, Ise seaure, will have but an ill Life.

I'le lay a Wager that Tibb never stayes
A New Meaun and an awd; nay, nut ten dayes.
M. Thou's had a good Layer-Fatther, Nan, I guess,
Or els, I seaur, thou never cud tell this.

610

586. B. de.

read slave. B. heve.

589. B. marvil.
593. B. heve.
609. B. Father.

591. A. slaver; B. slive; perhaps 594. B. carried; Greave.

606.

Birlady! but my Barne shall never be

A Battingstock for her, Thou's plainly see.
Her Godspenny sall be sent back to-morn;

I knaw here'l be a Saind for her to come;
But Ise nee'r care, although her Mistress gloom.

Tibb's stay at Hame with me, Nan, Ile be sworne.

615

My Lass sall nowther Dame nor Mistress heve,
Leather then gang to be a perfect Slave.

N. My Neem's now coming; farewel, Ile to Bed; I've sitten till my Feet's as caw'd as Lead.

620

M. Nay, prethee, stay, Nan, but a wirly Bit,
I heve some Garne to send with thee to Lit.
I stale a Keslup, Nan, fra thy Fatther,
Which made me a deel of dainty preaser.
But Ill gitten, Ill gane, is true, I finnd;
For it's all scattered, and's made an ill end.
Sea, pray thee, lend me a little Earning,

For we mun mack some Cheese in the Morning.

N. Let Tibb come o're as seaun as she gits up, And I sall send you back by her a soape.

625

630

M. What hast's thou in, stay and tack a drink, Nan; There's Beer o'th Table, 'ith little Can.

N. This Drink's all dowl'd; how lang ist sine't was drawn?

It is nut hawfe sea fresh, Naunt, as our awn.

F. Yon Town's a dree way off, Pegg, Ise sare tired; 635 Tibb is all Jarbil'd, and Ise basely Mired.

As we went o're a Steel, out starts a Hare,
Our Tibb gave sike a Glent, it flaid her sare.
We went into an House, I lost my Staff;

I finnd its true, Still Sew eats all the Draffe.
All Fowk's denyed but yan beyond the Board,
And he had stown't, and never said a word.
How dusta, Wyfe, thou is nut weel, I think;
Thou graines varra sare, wilta have a drink?
A grunting Horse and graining Wife ne'er will
Their Rider fail, as I have heard Fowks tell.

M. Wya, wya, I can bide your Scoffs and scornes;
But, God be thank'd, a Curst Cow hes short Horns.
You'd leather see me hanging, weel I wait,
Than see me ganging up and down'th Town-gate.

640

645

650

F. You meause, Wife, as ye use, Ise neay sike man;

I can nut please, I see, deau what I can.

M. You are unsawney, I think, by my life;

With tawkin to you I heve broken my Knife.

F. It's eath to mack'th Barne greet whore'th lip doth hing; 655 You Gloom seay, Wife, I thought you'd have a Fling At me, or some els in the House, e'er Neet. Something is alwayes wrang, all's never reet.

M. Gloom, Co yea, it macks me as seeke as a Horse Never to have a penny in my Purse.

F. Better's a comming; pray thee, do not wreak, What! Woman, but for hope the Heart wad break.

660

645. 656.

661. B.