The Gossips Meeting

A sixteenth-century carol

Hoow, gossip myne, gossip myn,

Whan will we go to the wyne?

Good gossipes [myn.]

I shall you tell a full good sport,

How gossippis gader them on a sort,

Ther seke bodyes to comforte,

Whan they mete

In Lane or stret,

God gossipis myn.

But I dare not, for their displesauns,

Tell of thes maters half the substance,

But ye sumwhat of ther gouernaunce

As ferre as I dare,

I will declare

Good gossipis myn.

 

'Good gossip myn, wher have ye be?

Hit is so long sith I you see.

Wher is the best wyne? Tell you men.

Can ye owght tell?'

'Ye, full well,

Good gossippis myn.

 

'I know a drqwght of mery-go-down;

The beste it is in all this town;

But yet I wolde not for my gown

My husbond wyste,

Ye may me triste,

Good gossipis myn.'

'Call forth owr gossippis by and by,

Elynore, Johan, and Margery,

Margret, Alis, and Cecely,

For thei will cum,Both all and som,

Good gossipis myn-a.

 

'And eche of them will sumwhat bryng,

Gose or pigge or capons wynge,

Pastes of pigynes or sum other thyng,

For we muste ete

Sum maner mett,

Good gossippis myn-a.'

 

'Go beffore by tweyn and tweyn,

Wisely, that ye be not seen,

For I must home and cum agayn

To witt, ywis,

Where my husbond is,

Good gossippis myn.

 

'A strype or two God myght send me

Yf my husbond myght here see me.'

'She that is aferde, lett her flee,'

Quod Alis than,

'I dred no man,

Good gossippis myn-a.

 

'Now be we in the tavern sett;

A drawght of the best lett hym fett,

To bryng owr husbondes owt of dett,

For we will spend

Till God more send,

Good gossippis myn-a.

 

Eche of them browght forth ther disshe;

Sume browght flesshe and sum fisshe;

Quod Margret meke now with a wisshe,

'I wold Anne were here;

She wold mak us chere,

Good gossippis myn-a.

 

'How say ye, gossippis, is this wyn good?'

'That is it,' quod Elynore, 'by the rode!

It chereth the hart and comforteth the blod;

Such jonkers amonge

Shall make us leve long

Good gossippis myn-a.'

 

Anne bade, 'Fill a pot of muscadell,

For of all wynes I love it well;

Swet wynes kepe my body in hele;

Yf I had it nowght,

I shuld tak thowght,

Good gossippis myn-a.

 

'How loke ye, gossip, at the bordes end?

Not mery, gossip? God it amend!

All shall be well; els God defend!

Be mery and glad,

And sit not so sade,

Good gossip myn-a.'

 

'Wold God I had don after your counsell,

For my husbond is so fell

He betith me lyke the devill of hell,

And the more I crye,

The lesse mercy,

Good gossippis myn-a.'

 

Alis with a lowde voys spak than;

'Evis,' she said, 'littill good he can

That betith or strikith any woman,

And specially his wyff-

God geve hym short lyff,

Good gossippis myn-a.'

 

Margret meke saide, 'So mot I thryve,

I know no man that is alyve

That gevith me ii strokes but he have v!

I am not afferd,

Thowgh he have a berde,

Good gossippis myn-a.'

 

On cast down her shot and went away.

'Gossip,' quod Elynore, 'what did she pay?

Not but a peny? Loo, therfor I say

She shall no more

Be of owr lore,

Good gossippis myn-a.

 

'Suche gestes we may have ynow,

That will not for ther shot alowe;

With whom com she? Gossip, with you?'

'Nay,' quod Johan,

'I com allon,

Good gossipis myn-a.'

 

'Now rekyn owr shot, and go we hens.

What? Cummeth to eche of us but iii [pence]?

Perde, this is but a small expens

For suche a sorte,

And all but for sporte,

Good gossipis myn-a.

 

'Torn down the stret whan ye cum owt,

And we wil cumpas rownd abowt.'

'Gossip,' quod Anne, 'what nedith that dowt?

Your husbondes [be] pleased

Whan ye be eased,

Good gossippis myn-a.

 

'Whatsoever any man thynk,

We com for nowght but for good drynk;

Now let us go home and wynke,

For it may be seen

Wher we have ben,

Good gossippis myn-a.

 

This is the thowght that gossippis take:

Ons in the wek mery will they make,

And all small drynkes thei will forsake,

But wyne of the best

Shall have no rest,

Good gossippis myn-a.

 

Sum be at the tavern [thrise] in the weke.

And so be sum every day eke,

Or elles thei will gron and mak them sek,

For thyngis used

Will not be refused,

Good gossippis myn-a.

 

And therfore lat us drynk all a-row

And of owr syngyng

Mak a good endyng,

Good gossippis myn-a.

 

Now fyll the cupe, and drynk to me,

And than shal we good felows be,

And off thys talkyng leve will we

And speak then

Good off women,

Good gossippis myn-a.