%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Cuckowes Comendation: / Or, the Cuckolds Credit: Being a merry Maying Song in Praise of the Cuckow. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1625 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 06/23/2008 20191

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

1.406-407 S126292 1 the Button'd Smocke The Buttoned Smock OF all the Birds that haunts the woods, / The waters or the Plaine; ANother takes a Garden, / to which in pleasant weather original woodcut and type not heavily inked compared to facsimile. Pepys 1.406-407 Rollins (1) I:95-101; STC 6102.5 [G. Purslowe] for Mr R. [c.1625] (the latter not identified). Woodblock 1: below title, above first column: Two shepherds face each other, holding shepherd's crooks. Both wear wide brimmed hats, short breeches and low boots. The man to the left of the cut wears a v-necked short tunic. The man to the right of the cut has a beard. He wears a buttoned cape and is drawing a pipe or flute from his pocket. In the background, hills and a city are visible. A flag flies above the city.: 68 x 73 Woodblock 2: below title, above second column: A bird faces to the left and stands on a branch in profile.: 80 x 65 Woodblock 3: below title, above two columns and cast fleurons: A city sits along the shore of a body of water,. Several houses are in the left foreground of the woodcut and the rest of the city stretches back and across the background. A wooden fence surrounds the houses in the foreground. The houses are of varying heights and have peaked, thatched roofs. Windows can be seen and out of one of the chimneys of the house comes smoke. In the cluster of houses is a tower or silo-type structure. The rest of the city in the background borders on the river, along which are large rounded bushes or trees. A church steeple can be seen in the distance rising above the other rooftops. In the right foreground, along the side of the woodcut, stands a large tree on the banks of the river. : 102 x 150 Pepys Library The Pepys ballads : facsimile volume Editor W.G. Day D.S. Brewer Cambridge [England] 1987 Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 406 1: 407 The Cuckowes Comendation: / Or, the Cuckolds Credit: Being a merry Maying Song in Praise of the Cuckow. The Cuckowes Comendation: Or, the Cuckolds Credit: Being a merry Maying Song in Praise of the Cuckow. The Cuckoo's Commendation: Or, the Cuckoo's Credit: Being a Merry Maying Song in Praise of the Cuckoo. The second Part, The second Part, The Second Part, 1/2 sheet folio, originally left part, 284 x 150 1/2 sheet folio, originally right part, 286 x 155 holed, damaged surface, uneven inking cropped top and left edges cast fleurons cast fleurons 1625 Printed for Mr. R. R. Weinstein: STC initials

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 Taxonomy used by Pepys to Organize Ballads in Albums A Small Promiscuous Supplement Devotion & Morality Drinking & Good Fellowship History - True & Fabulous Humour, Frollicks &c Love Pleasant Love Pleasant and Unfortunate Love Unfortunate Marriage Sea State & Times Tragedy Various Subjects Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/health alcohol animals/nature appearance Bible/biblical figures buildings/architecture catastrophe children class clothing/fashion country/nation crime death economics/trade entertainment family/procreation folklore gender historical figures & events holidays/seasons infidelity law London love maritime marriage military/war monstrosity mythology/Classical world news nobility/court politics/government punishment religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/sexuality supernatural/magic The New World travel trickery/deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/crass humor Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 6/23/2008 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Marriage animals/nature infidelity marriage sex/sexuality 06/23/08 Checker Rachel Mann Metadata updated, xml created 7/23/2007 Checker Katy Trumbull Ballad Checked 8/08/2006 Checker Jessica Murphy Ballad Checked 7/13/2006 Transcriber Pavneet Aulakh Original Transcription 8/1/2004 Bibliographer Maggie Sloan Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Cuckowes Comendation:</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Or, the Cuckolds Credit: Being a merry Maying Song in Praise of the Cuckow.</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To [t]he Tune of the Button'd Smocke.</hi></seg>
OF all the Birds that haunts the woods, The waters or the Plaine; I like the Cuckows pleasant tunes, though some his Notes disdaine: For all the faire greene Season, most cheerfully he sings, And with his double Ditties makes the Hilles and Valleyes ring. The Earth to entertaine him, puts on her best array, The lofty trees and lowly shrubs, likewise are fresh and gay; The Birds to bid him welcome in, doe warble pleasant notes, All Beasts in fields and Forrests wild cast off their winter coates. And when he comes amongst them, he chaunts his melody, More freely then a Lawyer, that takes a double Fee: He farre excells the Fiddler, his melodie's more free, As well unto the [p]oorest sort, as to the highest degree. The Citizens that heare him, will walke to fetch in May; Their wives like[w]ise [to] cheare them, will dresse themselves most gay: All for to heare the Cuckow sing, and warble forth his noates, The Maidens and the Prentises, together goe in flockes. Hee'l sing unto the Courtier, as well as to the Clowne, He sp[a]reth not his musicke, in City nor in Towne:
And many when they heare him, will thinke this Proverb true, That Gold and Opportunity, will make some Women doe. The Lawyer when he heares him, his velvet Cap off sturres, And feares while hee's at Westminster, another Cause demurres: Lest that some younger Student come at home and in his place, To have the free soliciting of his owne proper case. The Merchant and the Marriner, that forraigne Countries finde, When they doe heare the Cuckow sing, rest doubtfull in their mind: While they strange traffickes take in hand to load their Ships with wares, Their Pinnace that they left at home some other Burthen beares. The Maidens when they heare him, accuse him for a blab, The jealous Doctor when he cries, thinkes his young wife a Drab: Captaines and wedded Martialists, when they doe heare him cry, Likewise mistrust their Wives at home, in others Armes doe lie. The silken suted Citizens which let their gorgeous Spouses Goe frolicke in good company, whilst they doe keepe their houses: If they doe blame the Cuckow sweet, they doe the Bird abuse: For wine and opportunity, will make some women loose.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second Part, to the same Tune.</hi></seg>
ANother takes a Garden, to which in pleasant weather The Mistris must a walking goe, the Prentice brings her thither: And then it so may fortune, that walking on the way, They fall into some dancing-Schoole, and there they both doe stay. But then and if the Citizen doth heare the Cuckowes sound, He feares not but his Prentises, from Venery are bound: Suspecttly then he keepes his house, and casteth up his Booke, Meane while the Mistris and her Man, are doing what, goe looke. And there be Knights and Gentlemen, which gallant seeme and stout, Doe let their wives have Coaches, to whirle the streets about, Man'd only by a Coachman, an Usher and a Page: Yet when they heare the Cuckowes note, they neither sinne nor rage. For if my Lady lighteth, the Coachman must sit still, The Lacquey he is then imployd, to doe her worships will: The Usher for her Ladiship, he well doth know his part, And doth that which the Prentice did, to please his Mistris heart. The Taylor that so neatly doth fit his Mistris wast, And puts on her strait Bodies, when Petticoats unlac'd, Whilst thus he fits his Mistris, another is at home,
To ease his wives strait Bodies, which are to narrow growne. The Butcher that for fat ware full oft abroad doth ride, And leaves his wife to sell the Joynts, that he doth well provide: While he from home is ranging, his Wife a Friend may finde, That of a Lambe may make a Ram, and use her very kinde. The Smith which on his Anvill, the Iron hard doth ding: He cannot heare the Cuckow, although he loud doth sing, In poynting of Plow-Harnesse, he labours till he sweat, While another in his Forge at home, may steale a private heat. But to conclude of all sorts, though high or low they be, Theres many loose back-sliders, would there were none for me: And yet it grieves my Conscience, that such a lovely Game, Should make the Cuckow hated, and scandall his good name, His body is as toothsome, and pleasant as his voyce, And use him as a Dyet, he is a food most choyse: He fortifies the back-part, and freeth some Disease, And therefore use you all the Art, may best the Cuckow please.
FINIS. Printed for Mr. R.