The merry cuckold Who frolickly taking what chance doth befall, is very well pleased with wife, hornes and all. To the tune of, The merry cuckold. This text is an enriched version of the TCP digital transcription A19682 of text S116070 in the English Short Title Catalog (STC 6102). Textual changes and metadata enrichments aim at making the text more computationally tractable, easier to read, and suitable for network-based collaborative curation by amateur and professional end users from many walks of life. The text has been tokenized and linguistically annotated with MorphAdorner. The annotation includes standard spellings that support the display of a text in a standardized format that preserves archaic forms ('loveth', 'seekest'). Textual changes aim at restoring the text the author or stationer meant to publish. This text has not been fully proofread Approx. 5 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 1 1-bit group-IV TIFF page image. EarlyPrint Project Evanston,IL, Notre Dame, IN, St. Louis, MO 2018 A19682 STC 6102 ESTC S116070 99851287 99851287 16558 2248548125

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Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A19682) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 16558) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 1601:05) The merry cuckold Who frolickly taking what chance doth befall, is very well pleased with wife, hornes and all. To the tune of, The merry cuckold. 1 sheet ([1] p.) : ill. Printed by the assignes of Thomas symcock, [London] : [1629] Verse - "You married men". Place of publication from STC, which has publication date 1628-1629. In two parts; woodcut illustration at head of each part. Reproductions of the original in the British Library. eng Ballads, English -- 17th century. eebo The merry cuckold. Who frolickly taking what chance doth befall, is very well pleased with wife, hornes and all. To the tune of, The merry cuckold. [no entry] 1629 2 723 1 0 0 0 0 0 13.83 C The rate of 13.83 defects per 10,000 words puts this text in the C category of texts with between 10 and 35 defects per 10,000 words. 2002-03 Assigned for keying and markup 2002-04 Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2002-05 Sampled and proofread 2002-05 Text and markup reviewed and edited 2002-06 Batch review (QC) and XML conversion
The Merry Cuckold . Who frolickly taking what chance doth befall , Is very well pleased with Wife , Hornes and all .

To the tune of , The merry Cuckold .

You married men whom Fate hath assign'd , To marry with them that are too much kind , Learn as I do , to beare with your wiues , All you that doe so , shall liue merry lives . I haue a Wife so wanton and so free , That she as her life , loues one besides me , What if she doe , I care not a pin , Abroad I will goe , when my riuall comes in . I can be merry and drinke away care , With Claret and Sherry and delicate fare . My Wife has a Trade , that will maintain me , What though it be said , that a Cuckold I be . While she at home is taking her pleasure , Abroad I do rome , consuming her treasure . Of all that she gets . I share a good share , She payes all my debts , then for what should I care . She keepes me braue , and gallant in cloathing , All things I haue , I do want for nothing . Therefore I conniue , and winke at her faults , And daily I striue , against iealous assaults While for small gaines : my neighbours worke hard , I liue ( by her meanes ) and neuer regard . The troubles and cares , that belong to this life , I spend what few dares : gramercy good Wife . Should I be iealous , as other men are , My breath like to bellowes , the fire of care Would blow and augment , therefore I thinke it best , To be well content , though I were Vulcans crest . Many a time vpbraided I am , Some say I must dine , at the Bull or the Ramme : Those that do ieere cannot do as I may , In Wine , Ale and Béere , spend a noble a ●ap .
The Second part . To the same Tune .

I By experience , rightly do know : That no strife or variance , ( causes of woe ) Can make a wife so bent to liue chast , Thou in stead of strife , let patience be plac't , If a man had all Argus his eyes , A wife that is bad , will something deuise , To gull him to 's face , then what boores mistrust , The hornes to disgrace , though weare it I must , I le be concent with this my hard chance , And in merryment my head I le aduance . Wishing I were but as rich as some men , Whose wiues chast appeare , yet they 'l kisse now and then . One trying to me , a great comfort is , Still quiet is she . though I do amisse , She dares do no other , because she knowes well , That gently I smoother , what most men would tell . If I should raue , her minde would not alter Her swing she will haue . though 't be in a halter . Then sith that I get good gaines by her vice , I will not her let , but take share of the price . Why should I vexe , and pine in dispaire , I know that her sexe , are all brittle ware , And he that gets one who canstant abides , Obtaines that which none , or but few haue besides . Yet will I not , accuse my wife , For nothing is got , by railing , but strife . I act mine owne sence . intending no wrong , No Cuckold nor Queane will care for this song . But a merry Wife , that 's honest I know it , As deare as her life , will sure loue the Poet : And he that s no Cuckold in Countrey or City , Howeuer if lucke hold , will buy this our Ditty .
FINIS .

Printed by the Assignes of Thomas symcock .