Ut omnia instrumenta in damo appareant serpentes. Recipe serpentem, et toque, et sume pinguedinem ejus, et fac candelam cum alia cera, et iliumina. Si vis facere lumen per vim animi. Accipe vermes qua lucent de nocte et pone in vase vitreo continente radium solis quousque fiet aqua, et tune pone illam in lampade, et lucet sicut candela, et probatum est. Ut homines ardere appareant. Recipe sanguinem leporis, et ceram virgineam, et fac candelam, et illumina. Item capiatis argentum vivum, et ponatis ipsum in aliquo vitro, et etiam aquam ardentem, et aquam vitae, et projiciatis tres vel quatuor guttas in igne--si fuerat aliqua mulier corrupta statim debet mingere et non aliter. "Gossips mine" has been printed from another manuscript by the Percy Society. To most readers of Fraser, however, it is likely to be new. I select it from the humorous poems as being capable (which most of them are not) of being printed without omissions. The necessary discretion, it will be seen, has been supplied by the author. How gossips mine, gossips mine, When shall we go to the wine. I shall tell you a good sport, How gossips gather them of a sort, Their sick bodies to comfort, When they meet in land or street. But I dare not for your displeasure, Tell of these matters half the substance; But yet somewhat of their governance, So far as I dare I will declare. Good gossip mine, where have ye been; It is so long sith I you seen. Where is the best wine, tell you me. Can ye aught tell? Yea, full well. I know a draught of merry go down, The best it is in all the town. But yet I would not for my gown, My husband wist. Ye may me trist. Call forth our gossips, bye-and-bye, Eleanour, Joan, and Margery, Margaret, Alice, and Cecily; For they will come, both all and some. And each of them will something bring, Goose or pig, or capon's wing, Pasties of pigeons, or some such thing. For we must eat some manner meat. Go before, between, and tween, Wisely that ye be not seen; For I must home and come again. To wit I wis where my husband is. A strype or two God might send me, If my husband might here see me. She is afeared, let her flee, Quoth Alice then,--I dread no men. Now be we in the tavern set, A draught of the best let him fet, To bring our husbands out of debt; For we will spend--till God more send. Each of them brought forth their dish, Some brought flesh and some brought fish, Quoth Margaret meke--now with a wish, I would Anne were here; she would make us cheer. How say ye, gossips, is the wine good ? That is it, quoth Eleanour, by the rood. It cheereth the heart and comforts the blood. Such jonkets among shall make us live long. Anne bade fill a pot of muscadell; For of all wines I love it well. Sweet wines keep my body in hell. If I had it not I should take great thought. How look ye, gossips, at the board's end. Not merry, gossips? God it amend, All shall be well, else God it defend, Be merry and glad, and sit not so sad.