%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Loving Mistress,/ AND/ The WANTON CLERK./ The Mistress and the Maid would try,/ If Will between them both could lie/ And not with them the Wanton play,/ Of this they did a wager lay,/ He to be wanton did begin,/ So they the VVager thought to win. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 0-1689 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 08/22/2007 21176

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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

3.164 R188508 3 A fig for France A Fig for France A Fig for France The Country Farmer King James's Jig; The Country Farmer The Country Farmer Where's my Shepherd Where's my Shepherd Where's My Shepherd A Lawyer in our Town did dwell,/ who lov'd his Wife exceeding well, And him she called wanton Will. [with variations] Pepys 3.164 Wing L3294[B] 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. 3: 164 The Loving Mistress,/ AND/ The WANTON CLERK./ The Mistress and the Maid would try,/ If Will between them both could lie/ And not with them the Wanton play,/ Of this they did a wager lay,/ He to be wanton did begin,/ So they the VVager thought to win. The Loving Mistress, AND The WANTON CLERK. The Mistress and the Maid would try, If Will between them both could lie And not with them the Wanton play, Of this they did a wager lay, He to be wanton did begin, So they the Wager thought to win. The Loving Mistress, and the Wanton Clerk. The Mistress and the Maid Would Try, If Will between Them Both Could Lie and Not With Them the Wanton Play, of This They Did a Wager Lay, He to Be Wanton Did Begin, So They the Wager Thought to Win. 1/2 sheet oblong folio, 200 x 334 cropped right edge, torn top edge vertical rule and cast fleurons 0-1689 London, Printed for J. Conyers, an[d]/ are to be had at his Shop at/ the Black Raven a little a-/ bove St. Andrews Church/ in Holborn. J. Conyers BBTI

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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 8/22/2007 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Love Pleasant sex/sexuality trickery/deceit vulgarities/crasshumor 8/22/07 Checker Cat Zusky Checked transcription and metadata, created XML 8/03/06 Transcriber Pavneet Aulakh Original transcription 8/24/04 Bibliographer Simone Chess Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
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A Lawyer in our Town did dwell, who lov'd his Wife exceeding well, Although he was well struck in years he tender'd her, it plain appears. This Lawyer had a handseme Clerk, who broke into his Masters Park, His Mistress pleasure to fulfill, And him she called wanton Will . Upon a time it chanced so, the Lawyer out of Town did go, Mean while the Mistriss wantonly, upon her Clerk did cast her eye, As she was sitting by the fire, and Will the Clerk was standing by her, But winking Moll with voice most shrill found fault with this poor wanton Will .
Who will a wager lay me, about my Masters Clerk quoth she? Who is so sluggish and so dull, he has no brains within his skull: His Mistriss she did soon reply, and told the Maid she told a lie, But do you talk and prate your fill, there's none more brisk than wanton Will . You are deceiv'd quoth she, and laugh'd, the still-sow sucks up all the draught, And if he were 'twixt us to lie, with me you quickly would comply: You'd find him then a brisk young Lad, he'd jerk us till he made us mad, And therefore you do talk full ill to undervalue wanton Will .
A Wager then was straightway laid betwixt the Mistriss and the Maid, And Will between them was to lie, his mettle for to prove and try. So to the Bed away they went, the Clerk he seem'd to be content, The wager was, he would lie still; but they mistook this wanton Will . Quoth Will , if I between them lie I'le tye my bauble to my thigh, And if that they do let him loose he shall not long be out of use. Into the bed straightway he went, to trounce them both was his intent, And I suppose he had his fill, twas tiresome work for wanton Will . His Mistress lying by his side, soon she had the knot unty'd, To work he went immediately, with both of them resolv'd to try, The Mistress he did quickly please then got between the servants knees Their lustfull humors to fulfill, and this was done by wanton Will . He doubtless had enough to do to please the minds of these same two, The wager's lost assuredly, the mistress and the maid did cry.
Oh no, quoth Will , it is not so, my master I'le appeal unto, For in such matters he has skill, no no, quoth she, my wanton Will . I hope quoth she, you'l be more wise, then such a simple thing devise, Your master by no means must know, then pray be careful what you do, But when the master home was come, and Will stood waiting in his Room, His nimble tongue could not lie still, but thus began this wanton Will . Oh gentle master! then quoth he, there was a wager laid with me, Which I desire you to decide, by you 'tis fit it should be try'd: I tied my Nag, where Corn grew nigh, the owner did the Nagg untie, He ran i'th' Corn and eat his fill; now who's in fault in quoth wanton Will . Why, those that did the Nagg untie were most in fault assuredly, The mistriss blush'd, and him look'd on, and said the wager he had won: But nothing did the master doubt, nor could he find this Riddle out, The Clark did both their minds fulfill. And they found work for wanton Will .
FINIS.
London , Printed for J. Conyers , and are to be had at his Shop at the Black Raven a little a- bove St. Andrews Church in Holborn .