| sig: [A1] | |
| HEre begynneth a lytell propre Ieste. | |
| Called cryste crosse me spede .a.b.c. | |
| How the good gosyps made a royall feest | |
| In the goodlyest maner with game and gle | |
| 5 | To the ale they went with hey troly loly |
| But whan they came home theyr songe was not so | |
| Theyr songe was of sorowe and most hatefull wo | |
| sig: [A1v] | |
|
CHryste crosse me spede .A.B.C |
|
| The grace of the graye dystaffe | |
| With the spyndelles all at a raffe at a raffe ='in bundles (of timber)'?; see OED s.v. raff n3. | |
| With the swepynge of your halles all | |
| The wesshynge-betels on your hedes fall wesshynge-betels: =washing-beetles, 'wooden bats used in washing' | |
| 5 | The clubbes blessynge of swyngels all |
| That men beare in hande gyue you a scall | |
| I graunt you theyr blessynge to your hedes al | |
| Tyll that your hedes renne all on redde blode | |
| Dame sybbyll_saltocke that sothe was of sawe | |
| 10 | Telleth the storye of the olde lawe |
| And kateryn the kemster accorded well therto | |
| And crystyan the carde-maker and many other mo | |
| A grete company of gossyps gadred on a route | |
| Went to besyege an ale-hous rounde aboute | |
| 15 | Some brought a distaffe and some brought a rele |
| Some brought a shouell and some brought a pele | |
| Some brought drynke and some a tankarde | |
| And a galon potte fast they drewe thederward | |
| Whan they were sette they sembled on a syse syse: =size, 'assize, jury'; see OED s.v. size, n1 | |
| 20 | Than began gyll to cakell in the flyse flyse ='a share of booty'?; see OED s.v. fleece n, 2b. |
| Than spake dame molde the greate | |
| Unneth she myght one worde well speake | |
| Now gyue vs drynke aboute | |
| I assent sayd Ione | |
| 25 | Thou shalte not drynke alone |
| Amonge the great route | |
| Now fyll me a potte sayd alysonne | |
| For I wyll haue a vessell of a tonne | |
| Ye for god sayde mote | |
| 30 | We wyll drynke eche a grote |
| sig: [A4] | |
| Now here an ende withouten drede | |
| Of crystes crosse god me spede | |
| Here endeth the kynred of the cuppe royall | |
| Greate pyte to parte suche gosyps in-dede | |
| 35 | God sende them the blysse of bruers vessell all |
| And in al theyr pylgrymages well for to spede | |
| Forsothe this partynge maketh theyr hertes to blede | |
| All that be present god sende you suche an ende | |
| Ones to be gossyp-lyke / or that you hense wende. | |
|
Finis. |
|
| ¶Imprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the Sonne / by me Wynkyn_de_Worde | |
| sig: [A4v] |