For if I chance now by the way

A woman for to kiss,
The rest are ready for to say,
Thy wife shall know of this.

Give me my yellow hose, &c.

Thus when I come in company,
I pass my mirth in fear,

For one or other merrily

Will say my wife is there;

And then my look doth make them laugh,
To see my woeful case,
How I stand like John hold-my-staff,

And dare not shew my face.

Give me my yellow hose, &c.

Then comes a handsome woman in,
And shakes me by the hand,

But how my wife she did begin,
Now shall understand;

you

Fair dame (quoth she) why dost thou so,

And thou shalt know, before thou go,

He is no man for thee.

Give me, &c.

Good wife (quoth she) now do not scold,

I will do so no more,

I thought I might have been so bold,

I knowing him before.

With that my wife was almost mad,
Yet many did intreat her,

And I, God knows, was very sad

For fear she would have beat her.

Give me my yellow hose, &c.

Thus marriage is an enterprise,
Experience doth shew,

But scolding is an exercise,

That married men do know;

For all this while there were no blows,
Yet still their tongues were talking,

And very fain would yellow hose
Have had her fists a walking.
Give me, &c.

In comes a neighbour of our town,
An honest man, God wot,
And he must needs go sit him down,
And call in for his pot.

And said to me, I am the man

Which gave to you your wife,

And I will do the best I can

To mend this wicked life.

Give me my yellow hose again,
Give me my yellow hose,

For now my wife she watcheth me,
See yonder where she goes.

SECOND PART.

I gave him thanks and bad him go,
And so he did indeed,

And told my wife she was a shrew,
But that was more than need.
Saith he, thou hast an honest man,
And one that loves thee well,
Saith she, you are a fool, good Sir,
It's more than you can tell.

Give me my yellow hose, &c.

And yet in truth he loveth me,
But many more beside,

And I may say, good"Sir, to thee,

That cannot I abide.

For though he loves me as his life,

Yet now, Sir, wot you what,

They say he loves his neighbour's wife, 1 pray you how like you that? Give me, &c.

Saith he, I hope I never shall

Seek fancy fond to follow, For love is lawful unto all,

Except it be too yellow. Which lieth like the jaundice so, In these our women's faces,

That watch their husbands where they go, And haunt them out in places.

Give me my yellow hose, &c.

Now comes my neighbour's wife apace,
To talk a word or two,

My wife then meets her face to face,
And saith, Dame is it you,

That makes so much of my good man,

As if he were your own,

Then clamp as closely as you can?

I know it will be known.

Give me, &c.

Now when I saw the woman gone,
I call'd my wife aside,

And said, why art thou such a one,
That thou canst not abide

A woman for to talk with me,

This is a woeful case,

That I must keep no company,
Except you be in place.
Give me, &c.

This maketh bachelors to halt

So long before they wed,
Because they hear that women now

Will be their husband's head.

And seven long year I tarried

For Jakaman my wife, But now that I am married, I'm weary of my life. Give me, &c.

For yellow love is too too bad,
Without all wit or policy,

And too much love hath made her mad,
And fill'd her full of jealousy.
She thinks I am in love with those
I speak to passing by :

That makes her wear the yellow hose
I gave her for to dye.
Give me, &c.

But now I see she is so hot,
And lives so much at ease,
I will go get a soldier's coat,
And sail beyond the seas:
To serve my captain where and when,
Though it be to my pain,

Thus farewell, gentle Jakaman,

Till we two meet again.

Give me, &c.