The Cuckowes Comendation:
Or, the Cuckolds Credit: Being a merry Maying Song in Praise of the Cuckow.
To [t]he Tune of the Button'd Smocke.
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OF all the Birds that haunts the woods,
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The waters or the Plaine;
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I like the Cuckows pleasant tunes,
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though some his Notes disdaine:
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For all the faire greene Season,
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most cheerfully he sings,
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And with his double Ditties makes
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the Hilles and Valleyes ring.
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The Earth to entertaine him,
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puts on her best array,
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The lofty trees and lowly shrubs,
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likewise are fresh and gay;
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The Birds to bid him welcome in,
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doe warble pleasant notes,
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All Beasts in fields and Forrests wild
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cast off their winter coates.
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And when he comes amongst them,
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he chaunts his melody,
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More freely then a Lawyer,
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that takes a double Fee:
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He farre excells the Fiddler,
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his melodie's more free,
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As well unto the [p]oorest sort,
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as to the highest degree.
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The Citizens that heare him,
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will walke to fetch in May;
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Their wives like[w]ise [to] cheare them,
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will dresse themselves most gay:
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All for to heare the Cuckow sing,
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and warble forth his noates,
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The Maidens and the Prentises,
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together goe in flockes.
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Hee'l sing unto the Courtier,
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as well as to the Clowne,
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He sp[a]reth not his musicke,
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in City nor in Towne:
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And many when they heare him,
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will thinke this Proverb true,
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That Gold and Opportunity,
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will make some Women doe.
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The Lawyer when he heares him,
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his velvet Cap off sturres,
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And feares while hee's at Westminster,
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another Cause demurres:
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Lest that some younger Student come
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at home and in his place,
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To have the free soliciting
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of his owne proper case.
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The Merchant and the Marriner,
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that forraigne Countries finde,
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When they doe heare the Cuckow sing,
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rest doubtfull in their mind:
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While they strange traffickes take in hand
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to load their Ships with wares,
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Their Pinnace that they left at home
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some other Burthen beares.
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The Maidens when they heare him,
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accuse him for a blab,
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The jealous Doctor when he cries,
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thinkes his young wife a Drab:
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Captaines and wedded Martialists,
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when they doe heare him cry,
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Likewise mistrust their Wives at home,
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in others Armes doe lie.
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The silken suted Citizens
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which let their gorgeous Spouses
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Goe frolicke in good company,
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whilst they doe keepe their houses:
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If they doe blame the Cuckow sweet,
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they doe the Bird abuse:
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For wine and opportunity,
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will make some women loose.
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The second Part, to the same Tune.
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ANother takes a Garden,
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to which in pleasant weather
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The Mistris must a walking goe,
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the Prentice brings her thither:
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And then it so may fortune,
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that walking on the way,
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They fall into some dancing-Schoole,
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and there they both doe stay.
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But then and if the Citizen
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doth heare the Cuckowes sound,
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He feares not but his Prentises,
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from Venery are bound:
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Suspecttly then he keepes his house,
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and casteth up his Booke,
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Meane while the Mistris and her Man,
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are doing what, goe looke.
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And there be Knights and Gentlemen,
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which gallant seeme and stout,
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Doe let their wives have Coaches,
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to whirle the streets about,
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Man'd only by a Coachman,
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an Usher and a Page:
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Yet when they heare the Cuckowes note,
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they neither sinne nor rage.
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For if my Lady lighteth,
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the Coachman must sit still,
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The Lacquey he is then imployd,
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to doe her worships will:
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The Usher for her Ladiship,
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he well doth know his part,
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And doth that which the Prentice did,
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to please his Mistris heart.
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The Taylor that so neatly
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doth fit his Mistris wast,
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And puts on her strait Bodies,
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when Petticoats unlac'd,
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Whilst thus he fits his Mistris,
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another is at home,
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To ease his wives strait Bodies,
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which are to narrow growne.
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The Butcher that for fat ware
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full oft abroad doth ride,
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And leaves his wife to sell the Joynts,
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that he doth well provide:
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While he from home is ranging,
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his Wife a Friend may finde,
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That of a Lambe may make a Ram,
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and use her very kinde.
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The Smith which on his Anvill,
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the Iron hard doth ding:
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He cannot heare the Cuckow,
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although he loud doth sing,
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In poynting of Plow-Harnesse,
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he labours till he sweat,
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While another in his Forge at home,
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may steale a private heat.
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But to conclude of all sorts,
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though high or low they be,
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Theres many loose back-sliders,
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would there were none for me:
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And yet it grieves my Conscience,
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that such a lovely Game,
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Should make the Cuckow hated,
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and scandall his good name,
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His body is as toothsome,
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and pleasant as his voyce,
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And use him as a Dyet,
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he is a food most choyse:
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He fortifies the back-part,
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and freeth some Disease,
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And therefore use you all the Art,
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may best the Cuckow please.
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