Cock Lorell's Boat

sig: B1

She had a desyre ofte to be wedde

And also to lye in an-other mannes bedde

Lytell rought she therfore

She is as softe as a lamme yf one do her meue

And lyke to the deuyll wan a man dothe her greue wan: =when

So well is she sette

O good condycyon to her housbonde O ='of'

Yf he call her calat she calleth hym knaue agayne calat: =callet, 'strumpet'

She shyll not dye in his dette

By saynt Ione sayd Cocke than

These be fayre vertues in a woman

Thou shalte be my launder

To wasshe and kepe clene all my gere

Our two beddes togyder shall be sette

Without ony lette The rhyme scheme is irregular in this stanza in the copytext.

The nexte that came was a coryar coryar: =currier, 'leather-dresser'

And a cobeler his brother

As ryche as a newe-shorne shepe

They offred Cocke a blechynge-pot

Other Iewelles they had not

Scant shoes to theyr fete

The coryer dresseth so well his lether

That it wolde drynke water in fayre weder

Therfore he hath many a crystes curse

And the cobeler for his cloutynge

The people blesseth hym with euyll cheuynge

To knytte fast in his purse

A shomaker came to these other two

Bytwene them two was moche a_do

For a pyese of lether

sig: [B1v]

They togged with theyr teth & gnewe it there

And pulde as it had ben grehondes at a hare

It was a shepes-skyne of a wether

And than they tanned it whan they had done

To make lether to hym with mennes shone

And all for theyr auayle

For as sone as the hemme is tore

The sho is lost for euer-more

And it is lytell meruayle

A tanner for euyll tannynge of leder

They foure with sorowe Cocke dyde set togyder

And neuer a good without fayle

Than came one with two bolddogges at his tayle bolddogges: =bulldogs

And that was a bocher without fayle

All be_gored in reed blode

In his hande he bare a flap for flyes

His hosen gresy vpon his thyes

That place for magottes was very good

On his necke he bare a cole tre logge cole tre logge: =coltre-logge, 'wooden sheath for a knife (coulter)'?

He had as moche pyte as a dogge

And he were ones wrothe

He loked pe[u]ysshe and also rowe peuysshe] perysshe 1518

A man wolde take hym for a shrewe I trowe

And of his company be lothe

Than came a gonge-fermourer fermourer: =farmer

Other-wyse called a masser-scourer

With hym a canyell-raker

Theyr presence made Cocke & his men to spewe

For as swete was they[r] brethe as henkan or rewe theyr] they 1518

To wasshe them they laked water

sig: B2

On these Irysshe cople I wyll not tare

Cocke dyde set them there as knaues sholde be

Amonge the slouenly sorte

Than came two false towlers in nexte towlers: =tollers, 'toll-collectors'

He set them by pykers of the best

For there sholde they abyde The rhyme scheme fails here in the copytext.

But before that they were plonged in the ryuer

To searche theyr bodyes fayre and clere searche ='penetrate'? See OED s.v. search v, 9.

Therof they had good sporte The rhyme-word 'sporte' and the general sense suggest that these 3 lines belong with lines 1-3 of the previous stanza.

A myller dustypoll than dyde come

A Ioly felowe with a golden thome

On his necke a sacke was Perhaps 'a sacke was' should be emended to 'was a sacke' to rhyme with 'lacke' in the following group of three lines.

Many sayd that he with reprefe

sig: [B2v]

Of all craftes was nexte a thefe

In that Cocke founde no lacke

He sayd that the touled twys for forgetynge the: =they

And stele floure and put chauke therin stele: =stole?

Be_sherewe hym that taught hym that

Cocke bad hym grynde cherystones & peson

To make his men brede for a season

By-cause whete was very dere

Than came a pardoner with his boke

His quaterage of euery man he toke quaterage: =quarterage, 'quarterly dues'

But Cocke wolde theyr names here

The pardoner sayd I wyll rede my roll

And ye shall here the names poll by poll

There-of ye nede not fere

Here is fyrst Cocke_Lorell the knyght

And symkyn_emery mayntenaunce agayne ryght mayntenaunce ='the action of wrongfully aiding and abetting litigation'; see OED s.v. maintenance n, 6.

With slyngethryfte_fleshemonger

Also fabyane_flaterer

And sesly_claterer

With adam_auerus flayle-swenger

And fraunces_flaperoche of stewys captayne late

With gylys_vnyeste mayer of newgate

And lewes_vnlusty the lesynge-monger

Here also baude baudyn_boller

And his brother copyn_coler

With mathew_marchaunte of shoters_hyll

100

Crystofer_catchepoll a crystes course-gaderer course: =corse, 'corpse'

And wat_welbelyne of ludgate Iayler

With laurence_lorell of clerken_well

Here is gylys_Iogeler of ayebery

sig: B3

And [s]ym_sougelder of lothe_bery sym] hym 1518sougelder: =sow-gelder

105

With wallys the wrangler

Pers_potter of brydge_water

Saunder_fely the mustarde-maker

With Ielyan_Iangeler

Here is Ienkyne_berwarde of Barwycke

110

And tom_tombler of warwyke

With Phyllyp_fletcher of fernam

Here is wyll_wyly the mylpeker mylpeker: =mill picker, 'one who fashions the grinding surfaces of millstones'

And patrycke_peuysshe heerbeter heerbeter: =herb-eater

With lusty hary_hange-man

115

Also mathewe_tothe-drawer of London

And sybly_sole mylke-wyfe of Islyngton sybly: =sybyl? But see Skelton, Collyn Clout 391, 'Dame Sybly'.

With dauy_drawelache of rokyngame

sig: [B3v]

Here is maryone_marchauntes at all_gate

Her husbonde dwelleth at the sygne of the cokeldes pate

120

Nexte house to Robyn_renawaye

Also hycke_crokenec the rope-maker

And steuen_mesyll-mouthe muskyll-taker

With Iacke_basket-seler of alwelay

Here is george of podynge_lane carpenter

125

And patrycke_peuysshe a conynge dyrte-dauber

Worshypfull wardayn of slouens_In

There is maryn_peke-small fremason

And pers_peuterer that knocketh a basyn

With gogle-eyed tomson shepster of lyn shepster ='dressmaker'

130

Here is glyed_wolby of gylforde squyere

Andrewe of habyngedon apell-byer

With alys_esy a gay tale-teller

With gregory_loue_good of rayston mayer

And hary_halter-seler at tyborn the ayer ayer: =heir?

135

[Also peter_paten-maker] This line is printed two lines above in the copytext.

Here is kate with the croked fote

That is colsys doughter the dronken koke

A lusty pye-baker

Here is saunder_sadeler of froge_strete corner

140

With Ielyan_Ioly at sygne of the bokeler

And mores_moule-taker

Also annys_angry with the croked buttocke

That dwelled at the sygne of the dogges hede in the pot

By her crafte a breche-maker

145

Cocke sayd pardoner now ho and sease

Thou makeste me wery holde thy pease

A thynge tell thou me

sig: [B4]

What profyte is to take thy pardon

Shewe vs what mede is to come

150

To be in this fraternyte

Syr this pardon is newe founde

By-syde London_brydge in a holy grounde

Late called the stewes_banke

Ye knowe well all that there was

155

Some relygyous women in that place

To whome men offred many a franke

And bycause they were so kynde and lyberall

A merueylous auenture there is be_fall

Yf ye lyst to here how

160

There came suche a wynde fro wynchester

That blewe these women ouer the ryuer

In wherye as I wyll you tell Also wherye; =wherry

Some at saynt_Kateryns stroke a_grounde

And many in holborne were founde

165

Some at saynt_Gyles I trowe

Also in aue_maria_aly and at westmenster

And some in shordyche drewe theder

With grete lamentacyon

And by-cause they haue lost that fayre place

170

They wyll bylde at colman_hedge in space

A nother noble mansyon

Fayrer and euer the halfe-strete was and: emend to 'than'?

For euery house newe-paued is with gras

Shall be full of fayre floures

175

The walles shall be of hauthorne I wote well

And hanged with whyte motly that swete doth smell

Grene shall be the coloures

sig: [B4v]

And as for this olde place these wenches holy

They wyll not haue it called the stewys for foly

180

But maketh it strabery_banke

And there is yet a chapell saue saue =safe

Of whiche ye all the pardon haue

The saynt is of symme_trollanke

I wyll reherse here in generall

185

The indulgences that ye haue shall

Is these that foloweth with more

At the oure of deth whan ye haue nede

Ye shall be assoyled of euery good dede

That you haue done before

190

And ye shall be parte-taker of as many good dedde

As is done euery nyght a_bedde

And also ferthermore

At euery tauerne in the yere

A solempne dyryge is songe there

195

With a grete drynkynge

At all ale-houses trewely

Ye shall be prayed for hertely

With a Ioyefull wepynge

And the pope darlaye hath graunted in his byll

200

That euery brother may do what he wyll

Whyle that they be wakynge

And the pardone gyueth you that hath the pose pose ='cold in the head'

On your owne sleue to wype your nose

Without rebuke takynge

205

Also pope nycoll graunteth you all in this texte

The coughe and the colyke the gout and the flyxe

With the holsome tothe-ache

sig: [B5]

Also it is graunted by our bulles of lede

That whan ony brother is dede

210

To the chyrche dogges shall cary hym

A ryche pal to ly on the corse late fro rome is come

Made of an olde payre of blewe medly popley hosone medly ='motley'; popley: =popely, 'befitting a pope'

For the worshyppe of all the bretherne.

sig: [B5v]

Theyr knylles shall be ronge in the myddes of temse

215

And theyr masse songe at shoters_hyll amonge the elmes

With grete deuocyon in-dede

And many thynges elles shall be done

The resydewe I wyll reherse soone

For drynke fyrst must I nede

220

Than Cocke cast a_syde his hede

And sawe the stretes all ouer-sprede

That to his bote wolde come

Of all craftes there were one or other

I wyll shewe how many or I passe ferther

225

And reken them one by one

The fyrst was golde-smythes & grote-clyppers

Multyplyers and clothe-thyckers

Called fullers euerychone

There is taylers / tauerners and / drapers

230

Potycaryes / ale-brewers / and bakers

Mercers / fletchers / and sporyers

Boke-prynters / peynters / bowers

Myllers / carters / and botyll-makers

Waxe-chaundelers / clothers / and grocers

235

Wolle-men vynteners / and flesshemongers

Salters / Iowelers / and habardashers

Drouers / cokes / and pulters

Yermongers / pybakers / and waferers Yermongers: =ironmongers

Fruyters / chese-mongers / and mynstrelles

240

Talowe-chaundelers / hostelers / and glouers

Owchers / skynners / and cutlers Owchers ='makers of ouches, buckles, or brooches'; OED oucher: sole attestation.

Blade-smythes / fosters / and sadelers fosters ='foresters'

Coryers / cordwayners / and cobelers

sig: [B6]

Gyrdelers / forborers / and webbers forborers: =furbers, 'furbishers'; webbers ='weavers'

245

Quylte-makers / shermen / and armorers shermen ='workers who shear woollen cloth'

Borlers / tapstry-worke makers / and dyers Borlers: =burlers, 'workers who dress cloth by removing knots and extraneous particles'

Brouderers / strayners and carpyte-makers

Sponers / torners / and hatters

Lyne-webbers / setters with lyne-drapers Lyne-webbers ='flax-weavers'; setters ='workers who stretch cloth on frames'

250

Roke-makers / coper-smythes / and lorymers Roke: =rock, 'distaff'; lorymers ='makers of bits and metal mountings for horses' bridles'

Brydelbytters / blacke-smythes / and ferrars ferrars: =farriers; see OED s.v. ferrer n2, ferrour.

Bokell-smythes / horse-leches / and golde-beters

Fyners / plommers / and penters Fyners: =refiners; penters: =painters

Bed-makers / federbed-makers / & wyre-drawers

255

Founders / laten-workers / and broche-makers

Pauyers / bell-makers / and brasyers

Pynners / nedelers / and glasyers

Bokeler-makers / dyers / and lether-sellers

Whyte-tanners / galyors / and shethers galyors: =Dutch gleyer (dealer in earthenware brought by galley)? OED galyor, sole attest.

260

Masones / male-makers / and merbelers male-makers ='bag-makers'; merbelers ='quarrymen or hewers of marble'?

Tylers / brycke-leyers / harde hewers harde hewers='stonemasons'

Parys-plasterers / daubers / and lyme-borners

Carpenters / coupers / and Ioyners

Pype-makers / wode-mongers / & orgyn-makers

265

Coferers / carde-makers / and caruers

Shyppe-wryghtes / whele-wryghtes / & sowers

Harpe-makers / leches / and vpholsters

Porters / fesycyens / and corsers corsers ='jobbers, horse-dealers'

Parchemente-makers / skynners / and plowers

270

Barbers / bokebynders / and lymners

Repers / faners / and horners faners ='workers who winnow grain with a fan'

Pouche-makers / belowfarmes / & cage-sellers belowfarmes: =bellows-farmers, 'bellows-operators'? Fot the form farmes, cf. golde-sheres below

Lanterners / stryngers / grynders

sig: [B6v]

Arowe-heders / malte-men and corne-mongers

275

Balancers / tynne-casters / and skryueners Balancers ='tumblers, acrobats' (see OED s.v. balancer) or, possibly, 'balance-makers'.

Stacyoners / vestyment-s[ow]ers / and ymagers sowers] swoers 1518

Sylke-women / pursers / and garnysshers

Table-makers / sylke-dyers / and shepsters

Golde-sheres / keuerchef-launders / & reben-makers

280

Tankarde-berers / bouge-men / & spere-planers bouge-men ='wallet-makers'; see OED s.v. bouge n1.

Spynsters / carders and cappe-knytters

Sargeauntes / katche-pollys and somners

Carryers / carters / and horskepers

Courte-holders / bayles / and honters bayles: =bailies, 'bailiffs'; honters: =hunters, haunters?

285

Constables / hede-borowes / and katers hede-borowes: =headboroughs, 'petty constables'

Butlers / sterchers / and musterde-makers

Harde-ware men / mole-sekers / and ratte-takers

Bewardes / brycke-borners / and canelrakers Bewardes: =bee-wards, 'beekeepers'

Potters / bromesellers / pedelers

290

Shepherdes / cowe-herdes / and swyne-kepers

Broche-makers / glas-blowers candelstycke-casters

Hedgers / dykers / and mowers

Gonners maryners / and shyp-maysters

Chymney-swepers / and costerde-mongers

295

Lode-men / and bere-brewers Lode-men: =load-men, 'load-carriers'

Fysshers of the see / and muskeltakersSchouyll-chepers ='shovel-merchants'; rake-fetters ='makers or menders of rakes'? OED s.v. rake n, 5.

Schouyll-chepers / gardeners / & rake-fetters

Players / purse-cutters money-baterers money-baterers ='clippers or sweaters of coin'

Golde-washers / tomblers Iogelers Golde-washers ='those who "sweat" gold coins'

300

Pardoners kynges-benche-gatherers & lether-dyers

There were theues hores & baudes with mortherers

Crakers / facers and chylderne-quellers facers ='braggarts'

Spyes / lyers and grete sclaunderers

sig: C1

Cursers chyders & grete vengeaunce-cryers

305

Dyssymulynge beggers hede-brekers borders borders: =bourders, 'buffoons'

Nette-makers and harlote-takers

Swerers and outragyo[u]s laughersSurmowsers: =surmisers, 'accusers'; make-brasers ='people who domineer or bluster'? See OED s.v. make-.

Surmowsers yll-thynkers and make-brasers

With lollers lordaynes and fagot-berers lollers: =Lollards

310

Luskes slouens and kechen-knaues

Barge-men whery-rowers and dysers

Tyburne-collopes and peny-pryckers peny-pryckers ='players of the game of penny-prick'

Bowlers mas-shoters and quayters mas-shoters: =mace-shooters, 'billiard players'? See OED s.vv. mace n1, 3, mast n5 (although mace ='billiard cue' is not recorded until 1727); quayters: =quoiters

Flaterers and two-face-berers

315

Sluttes drabbes and counseyll-whystelers

With smoggy colyers & stynkynge gonge-fermers smoggy: =smuggy, 'grimy'

Of euery crafte some there was

Shorte or longe more or lasse

All these rehersed here-before

320

In Cockes bote eche man had an ore

All tho that offyces had

Some wounde at the capstayne as Cocke them bad

Some stode at the slynge some dyde trusse & thrynge trusse ='furl (a sail)'

Some pulde at the beryll some sprede the mayne-myssyll beryll: =(capstan-) barrel

325

Some howysed the mayne-sayleveryed showte: =veered sheet, 'payed out the sail-ropes'; see OED s.v. veer v1, 1. 'a very slayle ' corrupt?

Some veryed showte a very slayle

Some roped the hoke some the pompe & some the launce launce: =launch, 'ship's boat'? See OED s.v. launch n2, 1, where this sense is first recorded in 1697.

Some the longe-bote dyde launce some mende the corse

Mayne-cor[s]e toke in a refe by force corfe] corse 1518Mayne-corse ='mainsail'; see OED s.v. main-course.

330

And they that were abyll drewe at the cabyll

Some the anker layde some at the plompe a_sayll plompe ='pump'; see OED s.v. plump n2.

One kept the compas & watched the our-glasse

Some the lodysshestone dyd seke some the bote dyd swepe lodysshestone: =lodestone

sig: [C1v]

Some made knottes of lynkes endes

335

Some the stay-rope suerly byndes

Some [sette borde] a_stare-borde sette borde] a satte borte 1518sette borde a_stare-borde ='set (the ship's course) "board a-starboard"'; see OED s.vv. board n, 15, set v1, 105b.

Some the standerdes out dyde brynge

Some-one the shrowedes dyde clyme

Some couched a hogges-heed vnder a hatche

340

Some threwe out bayte fysshe to catche

Some pulled vp the bonauenture bonauenture ='outer mizzen-sail'

Some to howes the tope-sayle dyde entre

Some stered at the helme behynde

Some whysteled after the wynde

345

There was non that there was

But he had an offyce more or lasse

Than Cocke_Lorell dyde his whystell blowe

That all his men sholde hym knowe

With that they cryed and made a shoute

350

That the water shoke all aboute

Than men myght here the ores classhe

And on the water gaue many a dasshe

They sprede theyr sayles as voyde of sorowe

Forthe they rowed saynt George to borowe

355

For Ioye theyr trumpettes dyde they blowe

And some songe heue and howe rombelowe

They sayled fro garlyke_hede to knaues_in

And a pele of gonnes gan they rynge

Of colman_hedge a syght they had

360

That made his company very glad

For there they thought all to play

Bytwene tyborne and chelsay

With this man was a lusty company

sig: C2

For all raskyllers fro them they dyde trye raskyllers ='rabble'; see OED s.v. rascaller, where this is the sole example cited; trye ='select, pick out'; see OED s.v. try v, 1b.

365

They banysshed prayer peas and sadnes

And toke with them myrthe sporte & gladnes

They wolde not haue vertu ne yet deuocyon

sig: [C2v]

But ryotte and reuell with Ioly rebellyon

They songe and daunsed full merely

370

With swerynge and starynge heuen-hye

Some sayd that they were gentyl-men of grete myght

That ther purses were so lyght

And some wente in fured gownes & gaye shone

That had no mo faces than had the mone

375

Of this daye gladde was many a brothell

That myght haue an ore with Cocke_Lorell

Thus they daunsed with all theyr myght

Tyll that phebus had lost his lyght

But than came lucyna with all her pale hewe

380

To take her sporte amonge the cloudes blewe

And marcury he t[h]rewe downe his golden bemes threwe] trewe 1518

And sperus her syluer stremes sperus: =Hesperus, 'the evening star'?

That in the worlde gaue so grete lyght

As all the erth had be paued with whyte

385

Than Cocke wayed anker and housed his sayle

And forthe he rowed without fayle

They sayled Englande thorowe and thorowe

Uyllage towne cyte and borowe

They blessyd theyr shyppe whan they had done

390

And dranke aboute saynt Iulyans to[n]ne tonne] torne 1518tonne: =tun

Than euery man pulled at his ore

With that I coude se them no more

But as they rowed vp the hyll

The bote-swayne blewe his whystell full shryll

395

And I wente homwarde to mowe-shame_st[r]e[t]e strete] stere 1518

With a company dyde I mete

As ermytes monkes and freres

sig: C3

Chanons chartores and Inholders chartores: =Chartreux, 'Carthusians'? Inholders: ='innkeepers'; perhaps an ironic nonce-term for a religious order.

And many whyte nonnes with whyte vayles

400

That was full wanton of theyr tayles

To mete with Cocke they asked how to do

And I tolde them he was a_go

Than were they sad euerychone

And went agayne to theyr home

sig: [C3v]

405

But my counseyll I gaue them there

To mete with Cocke another yere

No more of Cocke now I wryte

But mery it is whan knaues done mete done: emend to 'do'?

Cocke had in his hande a grete route

410

[.........................................]

[.........................................] Both the sense and rhyme-scheme indicate that at least two lines have dropped out in the copytext.

The thyrde persone of Englande

Thus of Cocke_Lorell I make an ende

And to heuen god your soules sende

415

That redeth this boke ouer-all

Chryst couer you with his mantell perpetuall.

AMEN

Here endeth Cocke_Lorelles bote. Inprynted at London in the Flete_strete at the sygne of the sonne by Wynkyn_de_Worde.

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