o labour they count it for no payne,
Renning and leaping they driue away the colde,
The sturdie plowmen lustie, stronge and bolde,
Ouercommeth the winter with driuing the foote ball,
Forgetting labour and many a greuous fall."

A shepherd, after mentioning his skill in shooting birds with a bow,
says:--

"No shepheard throweth the axeltrie so farre."

A gallant is thus described:--

"For women vse to loue them moste of all,
Which boldly bosteth, or that can sing and iet,
Which are well decked with large bushes set,
Which hath the mastery ofte time in tournament,
Or that can gambauld, or daunce feat and gent."

The following sorts of wine are mentioned:--

"As Muscadell, Caprike, Romney, and Maluesy,
From Gene brought, from Grece or Hungary."

As are the dainties of the table. A shepherd at court must not think to
eat,

"Swanne, nor heron,
Curlewe, nor crane, but course beefe and mutton."

Again:

"What fishe is of sauor swete and delicious,--
Rosted or sodden in swete hearbes or wine;
Or fried in oyle, most saporous and fine.--
The pasties of a hart.--
The crane, the fesant, the pecocke and curlewe,
The partriche, plouer, bittor, and heronsewe--
Seasoned so well in licour redolent,
That the hall is full of pleasaunt smell and sent."

At a feast at court:--

"Slowe be the seruers in seruing in alway,
But swift be they after, taking thy meate away;
A speciall custome is vsed them among,
No good dish to suffer on borde to be longe:
If the dishe be pleasaunt, eyther fleshe or fishe,
Ten handes at once swarme in the dishe:
And if it be flesh ten kniues shalt thou see
Mangling the flesh, and in the platter flee:
To put there thy handes is perill without fayle,
Without a gauntlet or els a gloue of mayle."

"The two last lines remind us of a saying of Quin, who declared it was not
safe to sit down to a turtle-feast in one of the city-halls, without a
basket-hilted knife and fork. Not that I suppose Quin borrowed his bon-mots
from black letter books." (Warton.)

The following lines point out some of the festive tales of our ancestors:--

"Yet would I gladly heare some mery fit
Of mayde Marion, or els of Robin hood;
Or Bentleyes ale which chafeth well the bloud,
Of perre of Norwich, or sauce of Wilberton,
Or buckishe Joly well-stuffed as a ton."

He again mentions "Bentley's Ale" which "maketh me to winke;"