%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Contented Cuckold, or / Patience upon force is a Medcine for a Mad Man. / You batchellors both young and old / give ear unto this ditty, / A story here I will unfold / in mirth I hope it will fit ye, / A batchellor of threescore years / a Damsel young did marry / Now he complains she doth him wrong / and basely doth miscarry: / Near Worksworth Town in Darby-shire / this couple they do dwell, / With patience pray this ditty hear / and then I bid farewell. R., T. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 03/07/2016 35094

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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

R227027 YOu young Men all to you I call / whether you live in Town or City, Houghton Library Huth EBB65H Editor none none none none Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 34 The Contented Cuckold, or / Patience upon force is a Medcine for a Mad Man. / You batchellors both young and old / give ear unto this ditty, / A story here I will unfold / in mirth I hope it will fit ye, / A batchellor of threescore years / a Damsel young did marry / Now he complains she doth him wrong / and basely doth miscarry: / Near Worksworth Town in Darby-shire / this couple they do dwell, / With patience pray this ditty hear / and then I bid farewell. The Contented Cuckold, or Patience upon force is a Medcine for a Mad Man. You batchellors both young and old give ear unto this ditty, A story here I will unfold in mirth I hope it will fit ye, A batchellor of threescore years a Damsel young did marry Now he complains she doth him wrong and basely doth miscarry: Near Worksworth Town in Darby-shire this couple they do dwell, With patience pray this ditty hear and then I bid farewell. The Contented Cuckold, or Patience upon force is a Medicine for a Mad Man. You bachelors both young and old give ear unto this ditty, A story here I will unfold in mirth I hope it will fit ye, A bachelor of threescore years a Damsel young did marry Now he complains she doth him wrong and basely doth miscarry: Near Worksworth Town in Darby-shire this couple they do dwell, With patience pray this ditty hear and then I bid farewell. R., T. ?-? Thomas Passenger

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol Americas animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family Featured folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious groups royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 3/7/2016 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America infidelity marriage procreation sex/ sexuality trickery/ deceit vulgar humor Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 3/7/2016 2:33:30 PM XBallad Bell, Erik Created XML Version of Ballad 3/7/2016 2:33:30 PM Transcription Supervisor Palmer, Megan Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/7/2016 2:33:30 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Levinson-Emley, Rachel Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/7/2016 2:33:30 PM Transcriptionist Two Courtney, Tenaya Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/7/2016 2:33:30 PM Transcriptionist One Ward, Jayne Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/2/2016 Checker Katie Adkison Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/17/2015 Checker Erik Bell Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 11/17/2015 Checker Erik Bell Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 1/8/2015 Bibliographer Rachel LevinsonEmley Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Contented Cuckold, or</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Patience upon force is a Medcine for a Mad Man.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">You batchellors both young and old</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">give ear unto this ditty,</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">A story here I will unfold</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">in mirth I hope it will fit ye,</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="7" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">A batchellor of threescore years</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="8" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">a Damsel young did marry</hi></hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="9" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">Now he complains she doth him wrong</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="10" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">and basely doth miscarry:</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="11" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">Near</hi></hi> <hi rend="italic">Worksworth <hi rend="bold">Town in</hi> Darby-shire</hi></seg> <seg n="12" rend="left"><hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">this couple they do dwell,</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="13" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">With patience pray this ditty hear</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="14" rend="left"><hi rend="bold"><hi rend="italic">and then I bid farewell.</hi></hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="15" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the Tune, <hi rend="bold">She cannot hold her Legs together.</hi></hi></seg>
YOu young Men all to you I call whether you live in Town or City, A Warning take by this my fall which I shall declare in this my ditty When as you do a Wooing go pray have a care you be not scorned, For if fortune say it must be so you soon may come for to be horned. A Batcheller full threescore years I lived long in joy and pleasure, I was quite v[o]id of grief and cares I had house & Land & store of Treasure, I did provide Mony to hide, at last blind Cupid he me Wounded, With a dart of Love but now I can prove my heart with grief is almost drownded.
Then to Cupids Court I did resort and there I met with Venus Sister, Full threescore pound a true report I gave for Mally would God I had mist her To make her gay I flung away full ten pound more to buy her cloathing Still my Estate goes to decay for to Cuckold me she counts it nothing. All Darby-shire could not compare with pritty Mally for Wit and beauty I thought she was a Jewel rare which made me dote in love and duty With a Forehead high and Rouling eye which signifies that she loves sporting, She scorns with me now for to lye, but to, etc.
A Young Man living in the Town has stollen from me her love & duty, No comfort I get but a frown not scarce a look upon her beauty: For all her delight both day and night is in his company for sporting The boys cry Cuckoo in my sight for to Cuckold me she counts it nothing. My aged looks she doth disdain with taunts and jears I now am scorned My bed likewise she doth refrain by Dick it is I must be horned, Thus Mary she abuseth me which makes my friends to jear & scoff me And the boys cry Cuckoo in my sight because Dick doth make a Cuckold of me My means they Wast both night and day most wilfully without all measure My Goods and Cattle is their prey they seek all means to Wast my treasure While they do Sing my hands I Wring which makes my friends to jear & scoff me And the boys, etc. Now may I sigh lament and mourn I do confess it was my folly, Now I may I sit like an idle drone or like one struck in a Melancholly, While Mary and Dick doth play the trick of Put In, Or else get of me, In house or barn if weather warm there Dick must make a Cuckold of me.
Thus night and day they spend away their time in this unlawful carriage, Which makes me cry as well I may, to curse the day and time of Marriage My Garments bare and my White Hair and my Fore-man with her is scorned, The boys cryes Cuckoo to my face and says that Dick my head has horned You Batchellors and married men whether you live in Town or City, Let me intreat you once again to read this harmless ditty, No harm at all is in this Wall For all poor Robin now is scorned, Pray do not jear at Robin here you know not who may next be horned. Now the Proverb old I think upon sayes a Cuckold is a good mans fellow My time is spent I must be gone come fill's a cup of Ale that's mellow For Mal and Dick will play the trick of Put In, Or else get of me, In house or barn etc. Now to conclude and make an end hoping I have no Man offended, Nor yet done wrong to any friend he that thinks so pray let him mend it, For Mary and Dick will play the trick of Put In, Or else get of me, And the boys cry Cuckoo to my face because Dick doth make a Cuckold of me.
Finis. T.R. Printed for Thomas Passenger at the three bibles on London-bridge.