Cock Lorrelle's Bote Poem by Anonymous Olde English

She had a desyre ofte to be wedde
And also to lye in an other mannes bedde
Lytell rought she therfore
She is as softe as a lamme yf one do her meue
And lyke to ye deuyll wan a ma dothe her greue
So well is she sette
O good condycyon to her housbonde
Yf he call her calat she calleth hy knaue agayne
She shyll not dye in his dette
By saynt Ione sayd Cocke than
These be fayre vertues in a woman
Thou shalte be my launder
To wasshe and kepe clene all my gere
Our two beddes togyder shall be sette
Without ony lette
The nexte that came was a coryar
And a cobeler his brother
As ryche as a newe shorne shepe
They offred Cocke a blechynge pot
Other Iewelles they had not
Scant shoes to theyr fete
The coryer dresseth so well his lether
That it wolde drynke water in fayre weder
Therfore he hath many a crystes curse
And the cobeler for his cloutynge
The people blesseth hym with euyll cheuynge
To knytte fast in his purse
A shomaker came to these other two
Bytwene them two was moche a do
For a pyese of lether
Cocke Lorell.


They togged with theyr teth & gnewe it there
And pulde as it had ben grehondes at a hare
It was a shepes skyne of a wether
And than they tanned it whan they had done
To make lether to hym with mennes shone
And all for theyr auayle
For as sone as the hemme is tore
The sho is lost for euermore
And it is lytell meruayle
A tanner for euyll tannynge of leder
They foure with sorowe Cocke dyde set togyder
And neuer a good without fayle
Than came one wt two bolddogges at his tayle
And that was a bocher without fayle
All be gored in reed blode
In his hande he bare a flap for flyes
His hosen gresy vpon his thyes
That place for magottes was very good
On his necke he bare a cole tre logge
He had as moche pyte as a dogge
And he were ones wrothe
He loked perysshe and also rowe
A man wolde take hym for a shrewe I trowe
And of his company be lothe
Than came a gonge fermourer
Other wyse called a masser scourer
With hym a canyell raker
Theyr presence made Cocke & his me to spewe
For as swete was they brethe as henka or rewe
To wasshe them they laked water
On these Irysshe cople I wyll not tare
Cocke dyde set the there as knaues sholde be
Amonge the slouenly sorte
Than came two false towlers in nexte
He set them by pykers of the best
For there sholde they abyde
But before yt they were plonged in the ryuer
To searche theyr bodyes fayre and clere
Therof they had good sporte
A myller dustypoll than dyde come
A Ioly felowe with a golden thome
On his necke a sacke was
Many sayd that he with reprefe
Cocke Lorell.


Of all craftes was nexte a thefe
In that Cocke founde no lacke
He sayd that the touled twys for forgetynge
And stele floure and put chauke therin
Be sherewe hym that taught hym that
Cocke bad hym grynde cherystones & peson
To make his men brede for a season
By cause whete was very dere
Than came a pardoner with his boke
His quaterage of euery man he toke
But Cocke wolde theyr names here
The pardoner sayd I wyll rede my roll
And ye shall here the names poll by poll
There of ye nede not fere
Here is fyrst Cocke Lorell the knyght
And symkyn emery mayntenauce agayne ryght
With slyngethryfte fleshemonger
Also fabyane flaterer
And sesly claterer
With adam auerus flayle swenger
And frauces flaperoche of stewys captayne late
With gylys vnyeste mayer of newgate
And lewes vnlusty the lesynge monger
Here also baude baudyn boller
And his brother copyn coler
With mathew marchaunte of shoters hyll
Cry stofer catchepoll a crystes course gaderer
And wat welbelyne of ludgate Iayler
With laurence lorell of clerken well
Here is gylys Iogeler of ayebery
And hym sougelder of lothe bery
With wallys the wrangler
Pers potter of brydge water
Saunder fely the mustarde maker
With Ielyan Iangeler
Here is Ienkyne berwarde of Barwycke
And tom tombler of warwyke
With Phyllyp fletcher of fernam
Here is wyll wyly the mylpeker
And patrycke peuysshe heerbeter
With lusty hary hange man
Also mathewe tothe drawer of London
And sybly sole mylke wyfe of Islyngton
With dauy drawelache of rokyngame
Cocke Lorell.


Here is maryone marchauntes at all gate
Her husbode dwelleth at ye sygne of ye cokeldes pate
Nexte house to Robyn renawaye
Also hycke crokenee the rope maker
And steuen mesyll mouthe muskyll taker
With Iacke basket seler of alwelay
Here is george of podynge lane carpenter
And patrycke peuysshe a conynge dyrte dauber
Worshypfull wardayn of slouens In
There is maryn peke small fremason
And pers peuterer that knocketh a basyn
With gogle eyed tomson shepster of lyn
Here is glyed wolby of gylforde squyere
Andrewe of habyngedon apell byer
With alys esy a gay tale teller
Also peter paten maker
With gregory loue good of rayston mayer
And hary halter seler at tyborn the ayer
Here is kate with the croked fote
That is colsys doughter the dronken koke
A lusty pye baker
Here is faunder sadeler of froge strete corner
With Ielyan Ioly at sygne of the bokeler
And mores moule taker
Also annys angry with the croked buttocke
That dwelled at ye sygne of ye dogges hede in ye pot
By her crafte a breche maker
Cocke sayd pardoner now ho and sease
Thou makeste me wery holde thy pease
A thynge tell thou me
What profyte is to take thy pardon
Shewe vs what mede is to come
To be in this fraternyte
Syr this pardon is newe founde
By syde London brydge in a holy grounde
Late called the stewes banke
Ye knowe well all that there was
Some relygyous women in that place
To whome men offred many a franke
And bycause they were so kynde and lyberall
A merueylous auenture there is be fall
Yf ye lyst to here how
There came suche a wynde fro wynchester
That blewe these women ouer the ryuer
In wherye as I wyll you tell
Some at saynt Kateryns stroke a grounde
And many in holborne were founde
Some at saynt Gyles I trowe
Also in aue maria aly and at westmenster
And some in shordyche drewe theder
With grete lamentacyon
And by cause they haue lost that fayre place
They wyll bylde at colman hedge in space
Another noble mansyon
Fayrer and euer the halfe strete was
For euery house newe paued is with gras
Shall be full of fayre floures
The walles shall be of hauthorne I wote well
And hanged wt whyte motly yt swete doth smell
Grene shall be the coloures
And as for this olde place these wenches holy
They wyll not haue it called the stewys for foly
But maketh it strabery banke
And there is yet a chapell saue
Of whiche ye all the pardon haue
The saynt is of symme trollanke
I wyll reherse here in generall
The indulgences that ye haue shall
Is these that foloweth with more
At the oure of deth whan ye haue nede
Ye shall be assoyled of euery good dede
That you haue done before
And ye shall be parte taker of as many good dedde
As is done euery nyght a bedde
And also ferthermore
At euery tauerne in the yere
A solempne dyryge is songe there
With a grete drynkynge
At all ale houses trewely
Ye shall be prayed for hertely
With a Ioyefull wepynge
And the pope darlaye hath grauted in his byll
That euery brother may do what he wyll
Whyle that they be wakynge
And the pardone gyueth you that hath the pose
On your owne sleue to wype your nose
Without rebuke takynge
Also pope nycoll graunteth you all in this texte
The coughe and the colyke the gout and the flyxe
With the holsome tothe ache
Also it is graunted by our bulles of lede
That whan ony brother is dede
To the chyrche dogges shall cary hym
A ryche pal to ly on ye corse late fro rome is come
Made of an olde payre of blewe medly popley hosone
For ye worshyppe of all ye bretherne.
Theyr knylles shall be roge in ye myddes of tese
And theyr masse songe at shoters hyll amonge the elmes
With grete deuocyon in dede
And many thynges elles shall be done
The resydewe I wyll reherse soone
For drynke fyrst must I nede
Than Cocke cast a syde his hede
And sawe the stretes all ouer sprede
That to his bote wolde come
Of all craftes there were one or other
I wyll shewe how many or I passe ferther
And reken them one by one
The fyrst was golde smythes & grote clyppers
Multyplyers and clothe thyckers
Called fullers euerychone
There is taylers/tauerners and/drapers
Potycaryes/ale brewers/and bakers
Mercers/fletchers/and sporyers
Boke prynters/peynters/bowers
Myllers/carters/and botyll makers
Waxechaundelers/clothers/and grocers
Wolle men vynteners/and flesshemongers
Salters/Iowelers/and habardashers
Drouers/cokes/and pulters
Yermongers/pybakers/and waferers
Fruyters/chese mongers/and mynstrelles
Talowe chaundelers/hostelers/and glouers
Owchers/skynners/and cutlers
Blade smythes/fosters/and sadelers
Coryers/cordwayners/and cobelers
Gyrdelers/forborers/and webbers
Quylte makers/shermen/and armorers
Borlers/tapstry workemakers/and dyers
Brouderers/strayners and carpyte makers
Sponers/torners/and hatters
Lyne webbers/setters with lyne drapers
Roke makers/coper smythes/and lorymers
Brydelbytters/blacke smythes/and ferrars
Bokell smythes/horse leches/and golde beters
Fyners/plommers/and penters
Bed makers/fedbed makers/& wyre drawers
Founders/laten workers/and broche makers
Pauyers/bell makers/and brasyers
Pynners/nedelers/and glasyers
Bokeler makers/dyers/and lether sellers
Whyte tanners/galyors/and shethers
Masones/male makers/and merbelers
Tylers/brycke leyers/harde hewers
Parys plasterers/daubers/and lyme borners
Carpenters/coupers/and Ioyners
Pype makers/wode mogers/& orgyn makers
Coferers/carde makers/and caruers
Shyppe wryghtes/whele wryghtes/& sowers
Harpe makers/leches/and vpholsters
Porters/fesycyens/and corsers
Parchemente makers/skynners/and plowers
Barbers/bokebynders/and lymners
Repers/faners/and horners
Pouche makers/belowfarmes/& cage sellers
Lanterners/stryngers/grynders
Arowe heders/malte men and corne mongers
Balancers/tynne casters/and skryueners
Stacyoners/vestyment swoers/and ymagers
Sylke women/pursers/and garnysshers
Table makers/sylke dyers/and shepsters
Golde sheres/keuerchef launds/& rebe makers
Tankarde berers/bouge men/& spere planers
Spynsters/carders and cappe knytters
Sargeauntes/katche pollys and somners
Carryers/carters/and horskepers
Courte holders/bayles/and honters
Constables/hede borowes/and katers
Butlers/sterchers/and musterde makers
Harde waremen/mole sekers/and ratte takers
Bewardes/bryckeborners/and canelrakers
Potters/bromesellers/pedelers
Shepherdes/cowe herdes/and swyne kepers
Broche makers/glas blowers cadelstycke casts
Hedgers/dykers/and mowers
Gonners maryners/and shyp maysters
Chymney swepers/and costerde mongers
Lode men/and bere brewers
Fysshers of the see/and muskeltakers
Schouyll chepers/gardeners/& rake fetters
Players/purse cutters money baterers
Golde washers/tomblers Iogelers
pardoners kyges beche gatherers & lether dyers
There were theues hores & baudes wt mortherers
Crakers/facers and chylderne quellers
Spyes/lyers and grete sclaunderers
Cursers chyders & grete vengeaunce cryers
Dyssy mulynge beggers hede brekers borders
Nette makers and harlote takers
Swerers and outragyous laughers
Surmowsers yll thynkers and make brasers
With lollers lordaynes and fagot herers
Luskes slouens and kechen knaues
Barge men whery rowers and dysers
Tyburne collopes and peny pryckers
Bowlers mas shoters and quayters
Flaterers and two face berers.
Sluttes drabbes and counseyll whystelers
With smoggy colyers & stykyge goge fermers
Of euery crafte some there was
Shorte or longe more or lasse
All these rehersed here before
In Cockes bote eche man had an ore
All tho that offyces had
Some woude at ye capstayne as Cocke the bad
Some stode at ye slyge some dyde trusse & thryge
Some pulde at the beryll some sprede ye mayne myssyll
Some howysed the mayne sayle
Some veryed showte a very slayle
Some roped ye hoke some ye pope & some ye lauce
Some ye loge bote dyde lauce some mede ye corse
Mayne corte toke in a refe byforce
And they that were abyll drewe at the cabyll
Some the anker layde some at the plope a sayll
One kept ye compas & watched ye our glasse
Some ye lodysshestoe dyd seke some ye bote dyd swepe
Cocke Lorell.


Some made knottes of lynkes endes
Some the stay rope suerly byndes
Some a satte borte a stare borde
Some the standerdes out dyde brynge
Some one the shrowedes dyde clyme
Some couched a hogges heed vnder a hatche
Some threwe out bayte fysshe to catche
Some pulled vp the bonauenture
Some to howes the tope sayle dyde entre
Some stered at the helme behynde
Some whysteled after the wynde
There was non that there was
But he had an offyce more or lasse
Than Cocke Lorell dyde his whystell blowe
That all his men sholde hym knowe
With that they cryed and made a shoute
That the water shoke all aboute
Than men myght here the ores classhe
And on the water gaue many a dasshe
They sprede theyr sayles as voyde of sorowe
Forthe they rowed saynt George to borowe
For Ioye theyr trupettes dyde they blowe
And some songe heue and howe rombelowe
They sayled fro garlyke hede to knaues in
And a pele of gonnes gan they rynge
Of colman hedge a syght they had
That made his company very glad
For there they thought all to play
Bytwene tyborne and chelsay
With this man was a lusty company
For all raskyllers fro them they dyde trye
They banysshed prayer peas and sadnes
And toke with them myrthe sporte & gladnes
They wolde not haue vertu ne yet deuocyon
Cocke Lorell.


But ryotte and reuell with Ioly rebellyon
They songe and daunsed full merely
With swerynge and starynge heuen hye
Some sayd yt they were getylme of grete myght
That ther purses were so lyght
And some wente in fured gownes & gaye shone
That had no mo faces than had the mone
Of this daye gladde was many a brothell
That myght haue an ore with Cocke Lorell
Thus they daunsed with all theyr myght
Tyll that phebus had lost his lyght
But than came lucyna with all her pale hewe
To take her sporte amonge the cloudes blewe
And marcury he trewe downe his golde bemes
And sperus her syluer stremes
That in the worlde gaue so grete lyght
As all the erth had be paued with whyte
Tha Cocke wayed anker and housed his sayle
And forthe he rowed without fayle
They sayled Englande thorowe and thorowe
Uyllage towne cyte and borowe
They blessyd theyr shyppe whan they had done
And dranke aboute saynt Iulyans torne
Than euery man pulled at his ore
With that I coude se them no more
But as they rowed vp the hyll
The bote swayne blewe his whystell full shryll
And I wente homwarde to mowe shame stere
With a company dyde I mete
As ermytes monkes and freres
Chanons chartores and Inholders
And many whyte nonnes with whyte vayles
That was full wanton of theyr tayles
To mete with Cocke they asked how to do
And I tolde them he was a go
Than were they sad euerychone
And went agayne to theyr home
Cocke Lorell.


But my counseyll I gaue them there
To mete with Cocke another yere
No more of Cocke now I wryte
But mery it is whan knaues done mete
Cocke had in his hande a grete route
The thyrde persone of Englande
Thus of Cocke Lorell I make an ende
And to heuen god your soules sende
That redeth this boke ouer all
Chryst couer you with his mantell perpetuall.


Here endeth Cocke Lorelles bote. Inpryted at London in the Flete Strete at the sygne of the sonne by Wynkyn de Worde.