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Jhesu that arte jentylle, for joye of Thy dame, As Thu wrought thys wyde worlde, in hevyn is Thi home, Save alle thys compeny and sheld them from schame, That wylle lystyn to me and tende to thys game. God kepe alle women that to thys towne longe, Maydens, wedows, and wyvys amonge; For moche they ar blamyd and sometyme with wronge, I take wyttenes of alle folke that herythe thys songe. Lystyn good serrys, bothe yong and olde, By a good howsbande thys tale shal be tolde; He weddyd a womane that was fayre and bolde, And hade good inow to wende as they wolde. She was a good huswyfe, curteys and heynd, And he was an angry man, and sone wold be tenyd, Chydyn and brawlynge, and farde leyke a feynd, As they that oftyn wyl be wrothe with ther best frend. Tylle itt befelle uppon a day, shortt talle to make, The goodman wold to the plow, his horse gan he take; He calyd forthe hys oxsyn, the whyt and the blake, And he seyd, "Dame, dyght our denner betyme, for Godes sake."1    The goodman an hys lade to the plow be gone, The goodwyfe had meche to doo, and servant had she none, Many smale chyldern to kepe besyd hyrselfe alone, She dyde mor then sho myght withyn her owne wone. Home com the goodman betyme of the day, To loke that al thing wer acordyng to hes pay, "Dame," he sed, "is owr dyner dyght?" "Syr," sche sayd, "naye; How wold yow have me doo mor then I cane?" Than he began to chide and seyd, "Evelle mott thou the! I wolde thou shuldes alle day go to plowe with me, To walke in the clottes that be wette and mere, Than sholdes thou wytt what it were a plowman to bee." Than sware the goodwyff, and thus gane she say, "I have mor to doo then I doo may; And ye shuld folowe me foly on day, Ye wold be wery of your part, my hede dar I lay." "Wery! yn the devylles nam!" seyd the goodman, "What hast thou to doo, but syttes her at hame? Thou goyst to thi neybores howse, be on and be one, And syttes ther janglynge with Jake an with John." Than sayd the goodwyffe, "Feyr mot yow faylle! I have mor to do, who so wyst alle; Whyn I lye in my bede, my slepe is butt smalle, Yett eyrly in the morneng ye wylle me up calle. "Whan I lye al nyght wakyng with our cheylde, I ryse up at morow and fynde owr howse wylde; Then I melk owre kene and torne them on the felde.2 Whyll yow slepe fulle stylle, also Cryst me schelde! "Than make I buter ferther on the day; After make I chese, - thes holde yow a play; Then wyll owre cheldren wepe and upemost they, Yett wyll yow blame me for owr good, and any be awey. "Whan I have so done, yet ther comys more eene, I geve our chekyns met, or elles they wyl be leyne: Our hennes, our capons, and owr dokkes be-dene. Yet tend I to owr goslyngs that gothe on the grene. "I bake, I brew, yt wyll not elles be welle: I bete and swyngylle flex, as ever have I heylle: I hekylle the towe, I kave, and I keylle, I toose owlle and card het and spyn het on the wheylle."3 "Dame," sed the goodman, "the develle have thy bones! Thou nedyst not bake nor brew in fortynght past onys;4 I sey no good that thou dost within thes wyd wonys, But ever thow excusyst thee with grontes and gronys." "Yefe a pece of lenyn and wolen I make onys a yere, For to clothe owreself and owr cheldren in fere; Elles we shold go to the market, and by het ful deer, I ame as bessy as I may in every yere. "Whan I have so donne, I loke on the sonne, I ordene met for owr bestes agen that yow come home, And met for owrselfe agen het be none, Yet I have not a feyr word whan that I have done. "Soo I loke to owr good withowt and withyn, That ther be none awey noder mor nor myn, Glade to ples yow to pay, lest any bate begyn, And fort to chid thus with me, I feyght yow be in synne." Then sed the goodman in a sory tyme, "Alle thys wold a good howsewyfe do long ar het were prime; And sene the good that we have is halfe dele thyn, Thow shalt laber for thy part as I doo for myne. "Therffor, dame, make thee redy, I warne thee, anone, Tomorow with my lade to the plowe thou shalt gone; And I wyl be howsewyfe and kype owr howse at home, And take my ese as thou hast done, by God and Seint John!" "I graunt," quod the goodwyfe, "as I understonde, Tomorowe in the mornyng I wyl be walkande: Yet wyll I ryse whyll ye be slepande, And see that alle theng be redy led to your hand." Soo it past alle fo the morow that het was dayleyght; The goodwyffe thoght on her ded and upe she rose ryght: "Dame," seid the goodmane, "I swere be Godes myght! I wyll fette hom owr bestes, and helpe that the wer deght." The goodman to the feeld hyed hym fulle yarne; The godwyfe made butter, her dedes war fulle derne, She toke agen the butter-melke and put het in the cheryne, And seid yet of on pynt owr syer shal be to lerne. Home come the goodman and toke good kype, How the wyfe had layd her flesche for to stepe: She sayd, "Sir, al thes day ye ned not to slepe, Kype wylle owr chelderne and let them not wepe. "Yff yow goo to the kelme malt for to make, Put smal feyre ondernethe, sir, for Godes sake; The kelme is lowe and dry, good tend that ye take, For and het fastyn on a feyr it wyl be eville to blake. "Her sitt two gese abrode, kype them wylle from woo, And thei may com to good, that wylle weks sorow inow." "Dame," seid the goodmane, "hy thee to the plowe, Teche me no more howsewyfre, for I can inowe." Forthe went the goodwyff, curtes and hende, Sche callyd to her lade, and to the plow they wend; They wer bese al day, a fytte here I fynde, And I had dronke ones, ye shalle heyre the best behund. A fytte Here begenethe a noder fytte, the sothe for to sey. . . .

who; gentle; (i.e., Mary); (see note) made shield give themselves over belong widows; wives who hear; (see note) Listen [attentively] good sirs; (see note) husband; (see note) had sufficient [wealth] to go housewife; clever enraged Chiding; [he] behaved like angry tale; (see note) oxen (see note) and his young male servant; (see note) much; (see note) besides than she; dwelling i.e., when dinner time came his pleasure ready may you suffer wish clumps of earth; swampy know If; one full weary; head; wager name sit here at home; (see note) neighbor's house, repeatedly gossiping fail knew short; (see note) early child; (see note) in disarray soundly; protect later Next; cheese; sport; (see note) weep at the top of their lungs if; misplaced (missing) remains more to do chickens food; scrawny (lean) all together geese; (see note) (see note) pound flax; health; (see note) (see note) spacious dwellings yourself; grunts; groans If; linen; wool together buy it full dear (pay full price) (see note) see the dawn; (see note) provide food; before before it is noon kind; (see note) outside; inside nothing missing neither more or less debate (argument) think before; six a.m. since; your part soon; (see note) lad rise while you are still sleeping laid; (see note) until it task fetch quickly; (see note) secret churn one pint; sire made an observation meat to marinate this Keep well oven Make; fire watch it carefully if it catch on fire; too burnt There enough know enough went busy And [if]; hear; that follows; (see note) another fit (section)

Ballad of a Tyrannical Husband, Select Bibliography

Manuscript

Chetham Library MS 8009, fols. 370-372 (c. 1500).


Edition

Wright, Thomas, and James Orchard Halliwell, eds. Reliquiae Antiquae. Scraps From Ancient Manuscripts, Illustrating Chiefly Early English Literature and the English Language. 2 vols. London: John Russell Smith, 1845. Vol. 2, pp. 196-99.


Related Studies

Purdie, Rhiannon. "Sexing the Manuscript: The Case for Female Ownership of MS Chetham 8009." Neophilologus 82 (1998), 139-48.