And so thay sat in jolyte al the lung day;
And at the last thay went to bed with ful gret deray:
Mekyl myrth was them among;
In every corner of the hous
Was melody delycyous
For to here precyus
Of six menys song.[6]
NOTE
- It has been thought that this ballad is a burlesque upon the old feudal custom of
marrying an heiress to a knight who should vanquish all his opponents, at a solemn
assembly holden for that purpose. (SeeGentleman's Magazinefor July, 1794, p.613)--
Editor. - See [Mr. Hurd's] Letters on Chivalry, 8vo. 1762. Mémoire de la Chevalerie, par M.
de la Curne des Palais, 1759, 2 tom. 12mo. &c. - "Coppeld." We still use the phrase "a copple-crowned hen."
- "He borrowed him." PC.
- In the former impressions, this concluding stanza was only given from Bedwell's
printed edition; but it is here copied from the old Manuscript, wherein it has been
since found separated from the rest of the poem by several pages of a money-account
and other heterogeneous matter. - "Six-men's song,"i.e.a song for six voices. So Shakspeare uses Three-man song-
men, in hisWinter's Tale, act iii. sc. 3, to denote men that could sing catches
composed for three voices. Of this sort are Weelkes's Madrigals mentioned below,
Book v. Song 9. So again Shakspeare has three-men beetle;i.e.a beetle or rammer
worked by three men.2 Hen. IV. act. i. sc. 3.