A Cuckold by Consent: Or,
The Frollick Miller that intic'd a Maid,
Ar he did think, to lodge in his lawless Bed;
But she deceived him of his intent,
And in her room his Wife to bed she sent.
The Tune is, The Beds making
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FRiends will it please you to hear me tell
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Of a merry Jest that late befell,
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By as good a Miller as ever laid Stone,
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Yet was not contented with his own?
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But he was deceived in the Dark,
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And took his own for anothers mark.
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Upon a time it chanced so,
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A proper Maid to the Mill did go,
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To grind her Father a Bath of Corn,
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The Miller's heart with her did burn;
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Yet he, etc.
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And to obtain his purpose right,
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He caus'd the Maid to stay all Night,
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And said it would be almost Morn,
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Before that he could grin'd her Corn:
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But he, etc.
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So when the day was done and spent,
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Home to his house the Miller went;
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He took the Maid with him along,
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To whom he thus did use his Tongue,
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Buo he, etc.
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Sweet-heart, quoth he, I tell thee now,
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That I have made a secret Vow,
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That I this night must Lie with thee,
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And thou shalt have thy Grist Tole-free.
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But he, etc.
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At home I have a speciel Room,
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Where none but my chief guests do come;
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Thy lodging there alone shall be,
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And I will come to bed thee.
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Yet he, etc.
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Sweet Soul I prithee be content,
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With Maidens silence gives consent,
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It is no purpose to say no,
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For I have sworn it shall be so:
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But he, &
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Then to his wife the Miller said,
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I pray make much of this same Maid,
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And Lodge her in the Parlor below,
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For she is a good mans child I know:
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But he was deceived in the Dark,
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And took his own for anothers Mark.
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SO to the Mill again he went,
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But to return was his intent,
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For to perform what he had swore
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Unto the Maid not long before:
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Yet he, etc,
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Then shortly after he was gone,
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Unto his Wife the Maid made known:
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Quoth she, your Husband hath this night,
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Sworn to deprive you of your right:
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So he, etc.
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Unto your Lodging let me go,
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And lye you in the Room below;
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If in the Parlor bed you be,
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He'l lye with you and think 'tis me.
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So he, etc.
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His Wife considering of the thing,
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To her own bed the Maid did bring,
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And for to have the thing you know,
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She laid her self in the Room below:
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So he, etc.
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Then towards the mid-time of the night,
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The Miller came to the Chamber right,
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His Promise which he made, to keep,
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And he thought he found the Maid asleep:
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But he, etc.
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For joy the Miller nothing said,
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But off with his Cloaths and into bed:
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And colours in the dark being like,
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He at his work did briefly did strike:
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Yet he, etc.
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His Wife speaks not a word at all,
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But took all kindly that did fall,
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And that did prove so good a part,
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She thankt the Maid with all her heart:
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But he, etc.
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The Miller out of bed again
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And to the Mill he went amain;
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But in his mind he was almost wild
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For fear he had got the maid with child;
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Yet he, etc.
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He did devise to cause the mother,
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To Father the Bantling on another;
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And pausing on the thing a while,
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His man he thought for to beguile:
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But he, etc.
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With that he cast his wits about,
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To work the project past all doubt,
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Then (with all wisdome on this wise)
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He told his man of a dainty prize:
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But he, etc.
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Jack, quoth the Miller, by the Mass,
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I'le tell thee of a curios Lass,
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With a Cherry-Cheek and a dainty Chin,
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With snow white brests and a Silken-skin
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But he, etc.
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With nut-brown hair, and a fore-head high,
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With Ruby lips and pleasant eye,
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With a pretty lisping, prating tongue,
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Soft hands and fingers small and long:
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But he, etc.
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With a slender middle and a body straight,
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Both back and belly proportion'd right,
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With an handsome leg and a dainty foot,
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And a finer thing if thou canst come to't.
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But he, etc.
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Now Jack if thou wilt credet me,
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A sweeter wench thou ne'r didst see,
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What wilt thou give me for my good will;
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And thou shalt have belly bait thy fill?
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But he, etc.
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It is so, quod the Miller: then quoth his man
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Good master do the best you can,
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To bring it about, and for the same,
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I'le give unto you my old Ram:
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But he, etc.
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A match, quod the Miller, the Ram is mine,
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And the Wench she shall be thine,
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And so the miller like an Ass,
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Sent him to his Wife in stead of the Lass:
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So he, etc.
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When Jack did come where she did lye,
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Into the bed then Jack did hye;
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You know so well I need not name,
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What Jack would do unto his Dame
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But he, etc.
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When Jack had finisht up his game,
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Unto the Miller he went amain,
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He thankt his master, and to him swore,
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That he had never such sport before.
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But he, etc.
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Betimes i'th morning the maid arose,
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And to the Miller straight she goes,
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Her horse she ready Sadled found,
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Besides her Corn was Tole-free ground.
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But he, etc.
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The Miller then disir'd the maid,
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That she would remember the Parlor bed,
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Quoth she good Sir you are deceiv'd,
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You kist your wife all in my stead:
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And you, etc.
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Alas, quoth the Miller, what shall I do?
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For then our Jack hath been there too,
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And for this trick a vow I make,
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I'le never trust maiden for thy sake,
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Be he was deceived in the dark,
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And took his own for anothers mark.
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