Classic Poem

Now biginneth Glotoun for to go to shrifte,
And caires him to kirke-ward his conpte to shewe.
Fasting on a Friday forth gan he wende
By Betene hous the brewestere, that bad him good morwen,
And whiderward he wolde the brew-wif him askede.
"To holy churche," quod he, "for to here masse,
And sennes sitte and be shrive, and sinege no more."
"I have good ale, gossip. Glotoun, wilt thou assaye?"
"Hast thou," quod he, "any hote spices?"
"I have peper and pionie and a pound of garleke,
A ferthing-worth fenkel-sedes, for fasting-dayes I boughte it."
Thenne goth Glotoun in, and grete othes after,
Sesse the souteress sat on the benche,
Watte the warnere and his wif drunke,
Timme the tinkere and twaine of his knaves,
Hicke the hackenayman and Hewe the nedlere,
Clarice of Cockes Lane, and the clerk of the churche,
Sire Peres of Prydie and Purnele of Flaundres,
An hayward, an heremite, the hangeman of Tybourne,
Dawe the dikere with a doseine harlotes
Of portours and of pike-purses and of pilede tooth-draweres,
A ribibour and a ratoner, a rakere and his knave,
A ropere and a redingkinge, and Rose the dishere,
Godefray the garlek-monger and Griffith the Walshe,
And of upholderes an heep, erly by the morwe
Geven Glotoun with glad chere good ale to hanselle.
Clement the coblere cast off his cloke,
And to the newe faire nempnede forth to selle;
Hicke the hackenayman hit his hood after,
And bade Bitte the Bochere been on his side,
There were chapmen y-chose this chaffare to praise,
That who so hadde the hood sholde not have the cloke,
And that the bettere thing, by arbitreres, bote sholde the worse.
Tho risen up rape and rouned togideres,
And praisede this penyworthes apart by hem selve,
And there were othes an heep for or sholde have the worse.
They couthe not, by here consience, acorden for treuthe,
Til Robin the Ropere arise they bisoughte
And nempned him for an oumper, that no debat were.
Hicke the hostiler hadde the cloke,
In covenaunt that Clement sholde the cuppe fille,
And have Hickes hood the hostiler, and holde him y-served;
And who so repentede him rathest sholde arise after
And grete Sire Glotoun with a galoun of ale.
There was laughing and lowring and "Let go the cuppe!"
Bargaines and bevereges bigan tho to awake;
And seten so til evensong, and sungen umbywhile,
Til Glotoun hadde y-globbed a galoun and a gille.