of parlament,
(Holden by custome in each country towne),
That if a sheepe (with any bad intent)
Presume to breake the neighbour hedges downe,
Or haunt strange pastures that be not his owne,
He shall be pounded for his lustines,
Untill his master finde out some redres.

Also if any prove a strageller
From his owne fellowes in a forraine field,
He shall be taken for a wanderer,
And forc'd himselfe immediatly to yeeld;
Or with a wyde-mouth'd mastive curre be kild;
And if not claimd within a twelve month's space,
He shall remaine with land-lord of the place.

Or if one stray to feede far from the rest,
He shall be pincht by his swift pye-bald curre;
If any by his fellowes be opprest,
The wronger, (for he doth all wrong abhorre),
Shall be well bangd so long as he can sturre,
Because he did anoy his harmeles brother,
That meant not harme to him nor any other.

And last of all, if any wanton weather,
With briers and brambles teare his fleece in twaine,
He shall be forc'd t' abide cold frosty weather,
And powring showres of ratling stormes of raine,
Till his new fleece begins to grow againe:
And for his rashnes he is doom'd to goe
Without a new coate all the winter throw.

Thus doth he keepe them still in awfull feare,
And yet allowes them liberty inough;
So deare to him their welfare doth appeare,
That when their fleeces gin to waxen rough,
He combs and trims them with a rampicke bough,
Washing them in the streames of silver Ladon,
To cleanse their skinnes from all corruption.

Another while he wooes his country wench,
With chaplet crownd and gaudy girlonds dight,
Whose burning lust her modest eye doth quench;
Standing amazed at her heavenly sight,
Beauty doth ravish sense with sweet delight,
Clearing Arcadia with a smoothed browe,
When sun-bright smiles melt flakes of driven snowe.

Thus doth he frollicke it each day by day,
And when night comes drawes homeward to his coate,
Singing a jigge or merry roundelay,
For who sings commonly so merry a noate,
As he that cannot chop or change a groate?
And in the winter nights his chiefe desire,
He turnes a crabbe or cracknell in the fire.

He leads his wench a country horne-pipe round,
About a may-pole on a holy-day,
Ki