Classic Poem

FIT THE FOURTH

Some for very need
Laid down a skein of thread,
And some a skein of yarn;
Some brought from the barn
Both bean─ùs and peas;
Small chaffer doth ease
Sometime, now and then;
Another there was that ran
With a good brass-pan,
Her colour was full wan;
She ran in all the haste,
Unbraced and unlaced;
Tawny, swart, and sallow
Like a cake of tallow.
I swear by all hallow
It was a stale to take
The devil in a brake!
And then came halting Joan,
And brought a gambone
Of bacon that was reasty:
But, Lord, as she was testy,
Angry as a waspy!
She began to gape and gaspy,
And bade Elinour go bet
And fill in good met;
It was dear that was far-fet.

Another brought a spick
Of a bacon flick,
Her tongue was very quick
But she spake somewhat thick.
Her fellow did stammer and stut,
But she was a foul slut,
For her mouth foamed
And her belly groaned:
Joan sayn she had eaten a fiest.
" By Christ," said she, " thou liest,
I have as sweet a breath
As thou, with shameful death!"
Then Elinour said, " Ye callets,
I shall break your palates,
Without ye now cease!"
And so was made the peace.
Then thither came drunken Alice,
And she was full of tal─ùs,
Of tidings in Wal─ùs,
And of Saint James in Gal─ùs,
And of the Portingal─ùs,
With " Lo, gossip, ywis,
Thus and thus it is:
There hath been great war
Between Temple Bar
And the Cross in Cheap,
And there came an heap
Of mill-stones in a rout . . ."
She speaketh thus in her snout,
Snivelling in her nose
As though she had the pose.
" Lo, here is an old tippet,
An ye will give me a sippet
Of your stale ale,
God send you good sale!"
And as she was drinking
She fell in a winking
With a barlichood,
She pissed where she stood.
Then began she to weep,
And forthwith fell asleep.
Elinour took her up
And blessed her with a cup
Of new─ù ale in corn─ùs:
Alice found therein no thorn─ùs,
But supped it up at on─ùs,
She found therein no bon─ùs.