The Jest of Peele and Singer

The following "Jest" was written about the reign of Charles the First, and was printed by Mr Collier, from a MS belonging to himself, in Extracts from the Registers of the Stationers Company, &c, vol ii p 216. The tale is originally found in a small prose-work entitled A Sackful of Newes; but we owe to our versifier the introduction of George Peele and John Singer (a celebrated actor under Henslowe).

A Jest of Peele and Singer
G.Peele and Singer travelling together
Neare Cambridge towne, where they oft times had playde;
It was in summer, and full hot weather;
Sitting beneath a spreading beeches shade,
They saw a drove of pigs all coming hither,
A clownish hoggerd driving. "Now," Peele saide,
"Ile showe you sporte; do you my councell keepe,
And I'le perswade the clowne his pigges are sheepe.

"Go you on forward or he sees you here,
And meete him comming, and unto him say,
Holla, my friend! are thy sheepe very deare?
I would buy some; soe stoppe them on the waye."
Singer agreed, and made a circuit cleare
Over the fieldes,and that without delaye,
That he might meet the hoggerd on his roade,
Some halfe mile on, whilst G.Peele there abode.

"Soone as the pigs came neare him and the man,
G.Peele stept forward , and survey'd the drove,
As he would buy some, and bespake him than:
'Those truly are fine sheep, I sweare by Jove,
I nere saw finer since my time began:
Wilt thou sell one? for mutton much I love.'
And true it was stewde mutton he lov'd well
As ani man twixt this and Clerkenwell.

"The hoggerd, hearing thus his pigs calde sheepe,
Did laugh outright whilst G. continued on;
'Tell me, my friend, what shall I give to keepe
One of thy sheepe? Say, and the bargaines done.'-
'What!' cried the clowne, 'art thou not half asleepe,
To take my pgis for sheepe? sheepe are they none,
But pigs; and harke how they squeake, grunt, and snore:
Ich never heard a sheepe bleate soe before.'-

"'Man, thou art mad, ' quoth Peele, 'and I will wager
These angels gainst a sheepe that sheepe they are.'-
'Done,' said the peasant to the humurous stager:
'Take which you will, for hang me if I care.'-
'Youle wish ere long,' said G. 'you had been sager,
Ime very sure: but prithee now declare
Who shall be judge betweene us: shall we saye
The first mane that we meete upon the way?'-

"'With all my hart,'the hoggerd answered.
Singer, be sure, was not far off by now:
They saw him coming on the road, Then said
The hoggerd, 'Here's a stranger, as I vowe:
It may be Adam, or Ile loose my head.'-
'His verdict in the matter Ile allowe.'
Geo. Peel replied:'to me to[o] he's a stranger,
Thy sheepe, good friend, is mine and in my danger.'-

"'When pigges are sheepe it is, but not till then,'
The clowne replied. And so they drove along
To meete with Singer, who, some nine or ten
Yardes distant, stood and gazde upon the throng
Of hogges, all grunting as when in a pen.
'How sell you, you, your sheepe? for them among
I see some fineones that I faine would buy:
How do you sell your sheepe? Ile buy one, I.'-

"'There!' exclaimed G., 'does he not call them sheepe?
And sheepe they are, albeit pigs you call them.
I have won my wager: one is mine to keepe,
And you were lucky not to jeopard all them.'
The hoggerd starde, an cride, 'If so you cpele
Pigs sheepe, you have no eies, but faire befall them!
If you have eies, then I my wittes have lost.'-
'And that you have,' said George,'unto your cost.'

"The hoggert srcat his head in strange confusion,
Rubbing his eyes and looking every waye:
He felt he must be under some delusion,
And pigs in truth were sheepe, as they did saye:
He never dreamed of the vilde abusion
They put upon him in the open daye,
But paide his wager mid the players laughter,
And callde pigs sheepe, perchance, for ever after."