Betwene Johan Johan the husbande / Tyb his wyfe / & syr Jhān the preest [Decoration] A Mery Play, betwene JOHAN JOHAN, _the husbande_. TYB, _his wyfe_, & SYR JHAN, _the preest_ JOHAN JOHAN, _the Husbande_. God spede you, maysters, everychone, Wote ye not whyther my wyfe is gone? I pray God the dyvell take her, For all that I do I can not make her, But she wyll go a gaddynge very myche 5 Lyke an Antony pyg[229] with an olde wyche, Whiche ledeth her about hyther and thyther; But, by our lady, I wote not whyther. But, by goggis[230] blod, were she come home Unto this my house, by our lady of Crome,[231] 10 I wolde bete her or that I drynke. Bete her, quotha? yea, that she shall stynke! And at every stroke lay her on the grounde, And trayne[232] her by the here[233] about the house rounde. I am evyn mad that I bete her not nowe, 15 But I shall rewarde her, hard[e]ly,[234] well ynowe; There is never a wyfe betwene heven and hell Whiche was ever beten halfe so well. Beten, quotha? yea, but what and she therof dye? Then I may chaunce to be hanged shortly. 20 And whan I have beten her tyll she smoke, And gyven her many a c.[235] stroke, Thynke ye that she wyll amende yet? Nay, by our lady, the devyll spede whyt![236] Therfore I wyll not bete her at all. 25 And shall I not bete her? no shall?[237] Whan she offendeth and doth a-mys, A i _b_ And kepeth not her house, as her duetie is? Shall I not bete her, if she do so? Yes, by cokkis[238] blood, that shall I do; 30 I shall bete her and thwak her, I trow, That she shall beshyte the house for very wo. But yet I thynk what my neybour wyll say than, He wyll say thus: "Whom chydest thou, Johan Johan?" "Mary," will I say! "I chyde my curst wyfe, 35 The veryest drab that ever bare lyfe, Whiche doth nothying but go and come, And I can not make her kepe her at home." Than I thynke he wyll say by and by,[239] "Walke her cote,[240] Johan Johan, and bete her hardely." 40 But than unto hym myn answere shal be, "The more I bete her the worse is she: And wors and wors make her I shall." He wyll say than, "bete her not at all." "And why?" shall I say, "this wolde be wyst,[241] 45 Is she not myne to chastice as I lyst?" But this is another poynt worst of all,