As Gammer Gurton with manye a wyde styche Sat pesynge and patching of Hodg her mans briche, By chance or misfortune, as shee her geare tost, In Hodge lether bryches her needle shee lost. When Diccon the bedlem had hard by report 5 That good Gammer Gurton was robde in thys sorte, He quyetly perswaded with her in that stound[657] Dame Chat, her deare gossyp, this needle had found; Yet knew shee no more of this matter, alas! Then knoeth Tom, our clarke, what the priest saith at masse. 10 Hereof there ensued so fearfull a fraye, Mas[658] Doctor was sent for, these gossyps to staye, Because he was curate, and estemed full wyse; Who found that he sought not, by Diccons device. When all thinges were tombled and cleane out of fassion, 15 Whether it were by fortune, or some other constellacion, Sodenlye the neele Hodge found by the prickynge, And drew it out of his bottocke, where he felt it stickynge. Theyr hartes then at rest with perfect securytie, With a pot of good nale they stroake up theyr plauditie. 20 The fyrst Acte. The fyrst Sceane. DICCON. _Diccon._ Many a myle have I walked, divers and sundry waies, And many a good mans house have I bin at in my daies; Many a gossips cup in my tyme have I tasted, And many a broche[659] and spyt have I both turned and basted; Many a peece of bacon have I had out of thir balkes, 5 In ronnyng over the countrey, with long and were walkes; Yet came my foote never within those doore cheekes, To seeke flesh or fysh, garlyke, onyons, or leeke[s], That ever I saw a sorte[660] in such a plyght As here within this house appereth to my syght. 10 There is howlynge and scowlyng, all cast in a dumpe, With whewling and pewling, as though they had lost a trump. A ii b Syghing and sobbing, they weepe and they wayle; I marvell in my mynd what the devill they ayle. The olde trot syts groning, with alas! and alas! 15 And Tib wringes her hands, and takes on in worse case. With poore Cocke, theyr boye, they be dryven in such fyts, I feare mee the folkes be not well in theyr wyts. Aske them what they ayle, or who brought them in this staye, They aunswer not at all, but "alacke!" and "welaway!" 20 Whan I saw it booted not, out at doores I hyed mee, And caught a slyp of bacon, when I saw that none spyed mee, Which I intend not far hence, unles my purpose fayle, Shall serve for a shoinghorne to draw on two pots of ale. The fyrst Acte. The second Sceane. HODGE. DICCON.