English and Scottish Ballads, Volume VIII

Ballads, English -- England -- Texts; Ballads, Scots -- Scotland -- Texts

Or like a filthy heap of dung,
      That lyeth in a whoard;
    Which never can do any good,                                      15
      Till it be spread abroad.

    So fares it with the usurer,
      He cannot sleep in rest
    For feare the thiefe will him pursue,
      To plucke him from his nest.                                    20

    His heart doth thinke on many a wile
      How to deceive the poore;
    His mouth is almost ful of mucke,
      Yet still he gapes for more.

    His wife must lend a shilling,                                    25
      For every weeke a penny;
    Yet bring a pledge that is double worth,
      If that you will have any.

    And see, likewise, you keepe your day,
      Or else you loose it all:                                       30
    This was the living of the wife,
      Her cow she did it call.

    Within that citie dwelt that time
      A marchant of great fame,
    Which being distressed in his need,                               35
      Unto Gernutus came:

    Desiring him to stand his friend
      For twelvemonth and a day;
    To lend to him an hundred crownes;
      And he for it would pay                                         40

    Whatsoever he would demand of him,
      And pledges he should have:
    "No," quoth the Jew, with flearing lookes,
      "Sir, aske what you will have.

    "No penny for the loane of it                                     45
      For one year you shall pay;
    You may doe me as good a turne,
      Before my dying day.

    "But we will have a merry jeast,
      For to be talked long:                                          50
    You shall make me a bond," quoth he,
      "That shall be large and strong.

    "And this shall be the forfeyture,--
      Of your owne fleshe a pound:
    If you agree, make you the bond,                                  55
      And here is a hundred crownes."

    "With right good will," the marchant he says,
      And so the bond was made.
    When twelve month and a day drew on,
      That backe it should be payd,                                   60

    The marchants ships were all at sea,
      And money came not in;
    Which way to take, or what to doe,
      To thinke he doth begin.

    And to Gernutus strait he comes,                                  65
      With cap and bended knee;
    And sayde to him, "Of curtesie,
      I pray you beare with mee.

    "My day is come, and I have not
      The money for to pay;                                           70
    And little good the forfeyture
      Will doe you, I dare say."

    "With all my heart," Gernutus sayd,
      "Commaund it to your minde:
    In thinges of bigger waight then this                             75
      You shall me ready finde."

    He goes his way; the day once past,
      Gernutus doth not slacke
    To get a sergiant presently,
      And clapt him on the backe.                                     80

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

English and Scottish Ballads, Volume VIII

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