It was again printed at Edinburgh for Stanley and Blake in 1817, from a transcript made by the Rev. Joseph Stevenson, with an introductory notice by Mr. James Maidment. This reprint has become almost as rare as the Roxburghe Club edition, only forty copies having been taken. The Percy Society, in 1843, issued an edition of the “Bote” to its members, with a preface by Dr. E. F. Rimbault. The rarity of the two first mentioned reprints, and the form, apart altogether from the comparative scarcity of the last, has led to the reprinting once more of this poem. The writer begs to acknowledge his obligations to both Mr. Maidment’s and Dr. Rimbault’s editions as supplying the material for the foregoing notice. While aware that there is little that is new which can be said about Cocke Lorell, he trusts that this edition may be favourably received, if for no other reasons than these, that while it avoids the many inaccuracies of the Edinburgh edition, it omits the modern punctuation which has been introduced into the Percy Society’s reprint. The present impression is limited to one hundred and one copies, one of which is printed on vellum. J. P. EDMOND. COCKE LORELLES BOTE. * * * * * * * She had a desyre ofte to be wedde B. i. _a._ 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 yᵉ deuyll wan a mā dothe her greue So well is she sette O good condycyon to her housbonde Yf he call her calat she calleth hȳ knaue agayne She shyll not dye in his dette By Saynt Jone 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 nexte that came was a coryar And a cobeler his brother As ryche as a newe shorne shepe They offred Cocke a blechynge pot Other Jewelles 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 tho cobeler for his cloutynge The people blesseth hym with euyll cheuynge To knytte faste in his purse A shomaker came to these other two Bytwene them two was moche a do For a pyese of lether They togged with theyr teth and gnewe it there B. i. _b._ And pulde as it had been 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 tannyng of leder They foure with sorowe Cocke dyde set togyder And neuer a good without fayle Than came one wᵗ two bolddogges at his tayle