%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Gossips Feast: / Or, A merry meeting / Of women kinde each other greeting. / VVhich by a fire with spiced Ale, / Told many a pleasant Christmas tale. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer 1635-1635 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 10/16/2018 36054

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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

S92731 2 There was an old man sate piping [unknown] There Was an Old Man Sate Piping To the same tune [unknown] To the Same Tune OF late within an euening tide / it was my chance to be THen said old smug the blacksmiths (wife / my husband is vnkind, This ale goes merrily downe, downe, / this ale goes merrily downe. / Since here we be good company / let each wife drinke her round. This ale goes merrily downe, downe, / This ale goes merrily downe, / Since here we be good company / let each wife drinke her round. Manchester Central Library Blackletter Ballads Editor none none none none Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 2: 6 The Gossips Feast: / Or, A merry meeting / Of women kinde each other greeting. / VVhich by a fire with spiced Ale, / Told many a pleasant Christmas tale. The Gossips' Feast: Or, A merry meeting Of womankind each other greeting. Which by a fire with spiced Ale, Told many a pleasant Christmas tale. 1635-1635 Thomas Lambert

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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 10/16/2018 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 10/16/2018 3:08:28 PM XBallad Raychawdhuri, Anita Created XML Version of Ballad 10/16/2018 3:08:28 PM Transcription Supervisor McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/16/2018 3:08:28 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Levinson-Emley, Rachel Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/16/2018 3:08:28 PM Transcriptionist Two McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 10/16/2018 3:08:28 PM Transcriptionist One Adkison, Katie Transcription of ballad manuscript 11/17/2016 Bibliographer Rachel LevinsonEmley Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Gossips Feast:</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">Or,</hi> A merry meeting</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Of women kinde each other greeting.</hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Which by a fire with spiced Ale,</hi></seg> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Told many a pleasant Christmas tale.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="6" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To a delicate Northerne tune: Or, <hi rend="bold">There was an old man sate piping.</hi></hi></seg>
OF late within an evening tide it was my chance to be Close placed by a good fireside with a merry company Of kind good women, whose intent was for to doe no wrong, But onely for to drink their drinke, and this was all their song. This ale goes merrily downe, downe, this ale goes merrily downe, Since here we be good company let each wife drinke her round. Their names indeed I cannot tell, nor doe I rightly know The places where that they doe dwell, yet will I partly shew What tradesmens wifes these women were, which drove the time along, With telling many a Gossips tale, and this was still their song, This ale goes merrily downe, etc. And first bespoke a Coblers wife, since we are met together, Let's drink, carouse, & merrily bowse, a fig for rainy weather: My husband he is kind to me, as I to you may say, He gives me for to drinke good ale full three pence every day. This ale goes merrily downe, downe, this ale goes merrily downe, Since here we be good company, let each wife drinke her round.
Alack then said the Taylors wife, my husband keepes me in, And gives me nothing but small beere that is both cold and thin: Yet thus much now I make a vow, when I am once broke loose, Rather then I will sit adry, I meane to pawne his goose. This ale goes merrily downe, downe, this ale goes merrily downe, Since here we be good company, let each wife drinke her round. Then said the joviall Saylors wife, my heart is not at ease, To thinke upon the blustring stormes my husband hath at seas; Yet will I to great Neptune pray, to send him safe to me. Meanetime weel drink all care away, sweet Gossip here's to thee. This ale goes merrily downe, etc. Then quoth bold buff the Souldiers wife I speak with all my heart, Here is a cup of stinging ale, then fill's the other quart. What though my hand & foot goe bare, my back and side goe cold, My belly shall not want strong ale, as much as it will hold. This ale goes merrily downe downe, this ale goes merrily downe, Since here we be good company, let each wife drinke her round.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second part. To the same tune.</hi></seg>
THen said old smug the blacksmiths wife my husband is unkind, He allows me nothing but small beere, contrary to my mind. But verily before that I will pocket up these wrongs, Ile make his vice and h[am]mer fly, and pawne his Iron tonges. This ale goes merrily downe, downe, This ale goes merrily downe, Since here we be good company let each wife drinke her round. My husband said the Fidlers wife, each week doth daily pay Seven groats for ale which I do drink that is a groat a day: The money he gets merrily for to discharge the score, And merrily I will let it fly, let him goe fiddle for more. This ale goes merrily downe, etc. Kind neighbours said the Tanners wife. be rul'd by mine advice, Call for the other cup of ale, and I will give you spice: For this I see assuredly, a cup of barly broth. Is better far in my conceit, then meat and drink and cloth. This ale goes merrily downe, downe, this ale goes merrily downe, S[i]nce here we be good company let each wife drink her round. Sure Gossip said the Glovers wife, we two are of one mind,
A pot of ale that is strong and stale, as I by proof do find, Strengthens the brains and beats the veins a morning when you rise, The other quart take next your heart it is good to cleere your eyes. This ale goes merrily downe, etc. The P[?]ters wife came in great hast, but could not long time stay, But onely for to wash her throat, and so to part away: Whereby they broke up company, each to her severall home, And left me for to sing this song, onely myselfe alone. This ale goes merrily downe, etc. Now will I here conclude in haste, for feare I should offend, But yet I trust none will dislike with that which here is penn'd: If anyone desires to know, and would the Author prove, You may know by his nose, as I sup-pose what pottage he doth love. This ale goes merrily downe, downe, this ale goes merrily downe. Since here we be good company, let each wife drinke her round.
FINIS. Printed at London for Thomas Lambert at the signe of the Hors-shoo in Smithfield.