Merrie England in the Olden Time, Vol. 1Daniel, George
General
Merrie England in the Olden Time, Vol. 1
Daniel, George
England -- Social life and customs
and the wisest could have done no more, nor so much. But thus this fat
foole fills a leane grave with his carkasse; upon which grave the King
caused a stone of marble to bee put, on which poets writ these lines in
remembrance of him:
'He that gard all men till jeare,
Jemy a Camber he ligges here:
Pray for his Sale, for he is geane.
And here a ligges beneath this steane.
The following poetical picture of him is exact and curious.
“This Fat Foole was a Scot borne, brought up
In Sterlin, twenty miles from Edinborough;
Who being but young, was for the King caught up,
Serv'd this King's father all his lifetime through.
A yard high and a nayle, no more his stature,
Smooth fac't, fayre spoken, yet unkynde by nature.
Two yards in compassé and a nayle I reade
Was he at forty yeeres, since when I heard not;
Nor of his life or death, and further heede,
Since I never read, I looke not, nor regard not,
But what at that time Jemy Camber was
As I have heard, lie write, and so let passe.
His head was small, his hayre long on the same,
One eare was bigger than the other farre:
His fore-head full, his eyes shinde like a flame,”
His nose flat, and his beard small, yet grew square;
His lips but little, and his wit was lesse,
But wide of mouth, few teeth I must confesse.
His middle thicke, as I have said before,
Indifferent thighes and knees, but very short;
His legs be square, a foot long, and no more,
Whose very presence made the King much sport.
And a pearle spoone he still wore in his cap,
To eate his meate he lov'd, and got by hap
A pretty little foote, but a big hand,
On which he ever wore rings rich and good:
Backward well made as any in that land,
Though thicke, and he did eome of gentle bloud;
But of his wisdome, ye shall quickly heare,
How this Fat Foole was made on every where.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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