A Dialogue Between the Husbandman and Servingman
The servingman the plowman would inviteTo leave his calling and to take delight;But he to that by no means will agree,Lest he thereby should come to beggary.He makes it plain appear a country lifeDoth far excel: and so they end the strife.
MY noble friends give ear, if mirth you love to hear,I’ll tell you as fast as I can,A story very true, then mark what doth ensue,Concerning of a husbandman.A servingman did meet a husbandman in the street,And thus unto him began:
Quoth he, my brother dear, the coast I mean to clear,And the truth you shall understand:I do no one disdain, but this I tell you plain,I am an honest husbandman.
If a husbandman you be, then come along with me,I’ll help you as soon as I canUnto a gallant place, where in a little space,You shall be a servingman.
Sir, for your diligence I give you many thanks,These things I receive at your hand;I pray you to me show, whereby that I might know,What pleasures hath a servingman?
A servingman hath pleasure, which passeth time and measure,When the hawk on his fist doth stand;His hood, and his verrils brave, and other things, we have,Which yield joy to a servingman.
My pleasure’s more than that to see my oxen fat,And to prosper well under my hand;And therefore I do mean, with my horse, and with my team,To keep myself a husbandman.
O ’tis a gallant thing in the prime time of the spring,To hear the huntsman now and thanHis bugle for to blow, and the hounds run all a row:This is pleasure for a servingman!To hear the beagle cry, and to see the falcon fly,And the hare trip over the plain,And the huntsmen and the hound make hill and dale rebound:This is pleasure for a servingman!
’Tis pleasure, too, you know, to see the corn to grow,And to grow so well on the land;The plowing and the sowing, the reaping and the mowing,Yield pleasure to the husbandman.
At our table you may eat all sorts of dainty meat,Pig, cony, goose, capon, and swan;And with lords and ladies fine, you may drink beer, ale, and wine!This is pleasure for a servingman.
While you eat goose and capon, I’ll feed on beef and bacon,And piece of hard cheese now and than;We pudding have, and souse, always ready in the house,Which contents the honest husbandman.
At the court you may have your garments fine and brave,And cloak with gold lace laid upon,A shirt as white as milk, and wrought with finest silk:That’s pleasure for a servingman!
Such proud and costly gear is not for us to wear;Amongst the briers and brambles many a one,A good strong russet coat, and at your need a groat,Will suffice the husbandman.A proverb here I tell, which likes my humour well,And remember it well I can,If a courtier be too bold, he’ll want when he is old.Then farewell the servingman.
It needs must be confest that your calling is the best,No longer discourse with you I can;But henceforth I will pray, by night and by day,Heaven bless the honest husbandman.
WELL met, my brother friend, all at this highway end,So simple all alone, as you can,I pray you tell to me, what may your calling be,Are you not a servingman?
No, no, my brother dear, what makes you to inquireOf any such a thing at my hand?Indeed I shall not feign, but I will tell you plain,I am a downright husbandman.
If a husbandman you be, then go along with me,And quickly you shall see out of hand,How in a little space I will help you to a place,Where you may be a servingman.
Kind sir! I ‘turn you thanks for your intelligence,These things I receive at your hand;But something pray now show, that first I may plainly knowThe pleasures of a servingman.
Why a servingman has pleasure beyond all sort of measure,With his hawk on his fist, as he does stand;For the game that he does kill, and the meat that does him fill,Are pleasures for the servingman.
And my pleasure’s more than that, to see my oxen fat,And a good stock of hay by them stand;My plowing and my sowing, my reaping and my mowing,Are pleasures for the husbandman.
Why it is a gallant thing to ride out with a king,With a lord, duke, or any such man;To hear the horns to blow, and see the hounds all in a row,That is pleasure for the servingman.
But my pleasure’s more I know, to see my corn to grow,So thriving all over my land;And, therefore, I do mean, with my plowing with my team,To keep myself a husbandman.
Why the diet that we eat is the choicest of all meat,Such as pig, goose, capon, and swan;Our pastry is so fine, we drink sugar in our wine,That is living for the servingman.
Talk not of goose nor capon, give me good beef or bacon,And good bread and cheese, now at hand;With pudding, brawn, and souse, all in a farmer’s house,That is living for the husbandman.
Why the clothing that we wear is delicate and rare,With our coat, lace, buckles, and band;Our shirts are white as milk, and our stockings they are silk,That is clothing for a servingman.
But I value not a hair your delicate fine wear,Such as gold is laced upon;Give me a good grey coat, and in my purse a groat,That is clothing for the husbandman.
Kind sir! it would be bad if none could be hadThose tables for to wait upon;There is no lord, duke, nor squire, nor member for the shire,Can do without a servingman.
But, Jack! it would be worse if there was none of usTo follow the plowing of the land;There is neither king, lord, nor squire, nor member for the shire,Can do without the husbandman.
Kind sir! I must confess’t, and I humbly protestI will give you the uppermost hand;Although your labour’s painful, and mine it is so very gainful,I wish I were a husbandman.
So come now, let us all, both great as well as small,Pray for the grain of our land;And let us, whatsoever, do all our best endeavour,For to maintain the good husbandman.
Words in this poem 24
- strife n.
- The act of striving; earnest endeavor. [OF. estrif. See Strive.]
- ensue v. t.
- To follow; to pursue; to follow and overtake. [OF. ensevre, OF. & F. ensuivre, fr. L. insequi; in + sequi to pursue. See Sue.]
- husbandman n.
- The master of a family.
- quoth v. t.
- Said; spoke; uttered; -- used only in the first and third persons in the past tenses, and always followed by its nominative, the word or words said being the object; as, quoth I. quoth he. [AS.cweedhan, imp cwæedh, pl. cwædon; akin to OS. queedhan, OHG. quethan, quedan, Icel. kveedha, Goth. qiþan. sq. root22. Cf. Bequeath.]
- shall v. i.
- To owe; to be under obligation for. [OE. shal, schal, imp. sholde, scholde, AS. scal, sceal, I am obliged, imp. scolde, sceolde, inf. sculan; akin to OS. skulan, pres. skal, imp. skolda, D. zullen,]
- prosper v. t.
- To favor; to render successful. [F. prospérer v. i., or L. prosperare, v. i., or L. prosperare, v. t., fr. prosper or prosperus. See Prosperous.]
- huntsman n.
- One who hunts, or who practices hunting.
- beagle n.
- A small hound, or hunting dog, twelve to fifteen inches high, used in hunting hares and other small game. See Illustration in Appendix. [OE. begele; perh. of Celtic origin; cf. Ir. & Gael. beag small, little, W. bach. F. bigle is from English.]
- dainty n.
- Value; estimation; the gratification or pleasure taken in anything. [OE. deinie, dainte, deintie, deyntee, OF. deintié delicacy, orig., dignity, honor, fr. L. dignitas, fr. dignus worthy. See Deign, and cf. Dignity.]
- capon n.
- A castrated cock, esp. when fattened; a male chicken gelded to improve his flesh for the table. [OE. capon, chapoun, AS. cap (cf. F. chapon), L. capo, fr. Gr. skopiti to casrate. CF. Comma.]
- amongst prep.
- Mixed or mingled; surrounded by. [OE. amongist, amonges, amonge, among, AS. onmang, ongemang, gemang, in a crowd or mixture. For the ending -st see Amidst. See Mingle.]
- groat n.
- An old English silver coin, equal to four pence. [LG. grote, orig., great, that is, a great piece of coin, larger than other coins in former use. See Great.]
- suffice v. i.
- To be enough, or sufficient; to meet the need (of anything); to be equal to the end proposed; to be adequate. [OE. suffisen, OF. soufire, F. suffire (cf. suffisant, p.pr.), L. sufficere to put under, to substitute, to avail for, to suffice; sub under + facere to make. Se]
- humour n.
- Moisture, especially, the moisture or fluid of animal bodies, as the chyle, lymph, etc.; as, the humors of the eye, etc. [OE. humour, OF. humor, umor, F. humeur, L. humor, umor, moisture, fluid, fr. humere, umere, to be moist. See Humid.]
- courtier n.
- One who is in attendance at the court of a prince; one who has an appointment at court. [From Court.]
- needs adv.
- Of necessity; necessarily; indispensably; -- often with must, and equivalent to of need. [Orig. gen. of need, used as an adverb. Cf. - wards.]
- henceforth adv.
- From this time forward; henceforward.
- downright adv.
- Straight down; perpendicularly.
- duke n.
- A leader; a chief; a prince. [F. duc, fr. L. dux, ducis, leader, commander, fr. ducere to lead; akin to AS. teón to draw; cf. AS. heretoga (here army) an army leader, general, G. herzog duke]
- pastry n.
- The place where pastry is made.
- brawn n.
- A muscle; flesh. [OF. braon fleshy part, muscle, fr. HG. br flesh, G. braten roast meat; akin to Icel. br flesh, food of beasts, AS. brbr to roast, G. braten, and possibly to E. ]
- laced a.
- Fastened with a lace or laces; decorated with narrow strips or braid. See Lace, v. t.
- humbly adv.
- With humility; lowly.
- endeavour v. t.
- To exert physical or intellectual strength for the attainment of; to use efforts to effect; to strive to achieve or reach; to try; to attempt. [OE. endevor; pref. en- + dever, devoir, duty, F. devoir: cf. F. se mettre en devoir de faire quelque chose to try to do a thing, to go about it. See Devoir, Deb]
Definitions and etymologies from Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913.
About this text
A Dialogue Between the Husbandman and Servingman is in the public domain. This text is taken from Ancient Poems, Ballads, and Songs of the Peasantry of England, Project Gutenberg ebook #649; the transcription's header, footer and licence were removed and nothing else was changed. You may copy, print and reuse it freely.
Cite as: Robert Bell, A Dialogue Between the Husbandman and Servingman, in Ancient Poems, Ballads and Songs of the Peasantry of England (1857), text of Project Gutenberg ebook #649, Laurel, https://laurelpoetry.com/poem/bell-ancient-poems/a-dialogue-between-the-husbandman-and-servingman.html, id L11904.
Form and metre
A Dialogue Between the Husbandman and Servingman is 132 lines in 30 verse paragraphs. It is unrhymed, as far as the pronouncing dictionary can tell. 90% of its stressed syllables fall where the metre puts the beat. The lines average 10.5 syllables. 25 lines end on an unstressed syllable, a feminine ending. 7% of the lines run on without a stop at the line end.
Measured by Laurel's pipeline, not copied from a handbook: how stress and metre are counted, how rhyme is lettered, how a drifted rhyme is found. Where the dictionary cannot confirm a rhyme the letter is withheld, not guessed.
Rhyme words, stanza by stanza
The word that ends each line, lettered by the rhyme it makes; a dash is a line whose rhyme the dictionary could not confirm.
- 1 AA--BB inviteA · delightA · agree · beggary · lifeB · strifeB
- 2 -A---A hear · canA · ensue · husbandman · street · beganA
- 8 ---A---A spring · than · row · servingmanA · fly · plain · rebound · servingmanA
- 11 AA-- baconA · thanA · house · husbandman
- 13 -A-B-A-B wear · oneA · groat · husbandmanB · well · canA · old · servingmanB
Scansion, line by line
Each line with its syllable count and the stresses the words themselves fix: / stressed, ˘ unstressed, · a syllable the word leaves free and the metre decides. How this is done.
| Line | Syl. | Stress |
|---|---|---|
| The servingman the plowman would invite | 10 | ·····/˘·˘/ |
| To leave his calling and to take delight; | 10 | ···/˘···˘/ |
| But he to that by no means will agree, | 10 | ········˘/ |
| Lest he thereby should come to beggary. | 10 | ·······/˘˘ |
| He makes it plain appear a country life | 10 | ····˘/·/˘· |
| Doth far excel: and so they end the strife. | 10 | ··˘/······ |
| MY noble friends give ear, if mirth you love to hear, | 12 | ·/˘········· |
| I’ll tell you as fast as I can, | 8 | ········ |
| A story very true, then mark what doth ensue, | 12 | ·/˘/˘·····˘/ |
| Concerning of a husbandman. | 8 | ˘/˘··/˘˘ |
| A servingman did meet a husbandman in the street, | 13 | ·······/˘˘··· |
| And thus unto him began: | 7 | ·····˘/ |
| Quoth he, my brother dear, the coast I mean to clear, | 12 | ···/˘······· |
| And the truth you shall understand: | 8 | ······˘/ |
| I do no one disdain, but this I tell you plain, | 12 | ····˘/······ |
| I am an honest husbandman. | 8 | ···/˘/˘˘ |
| If a husbandman you be, then come along with me, | 13 | ··/˘˘····˘/·· |
| I’ll help you as soon as I can | 8 | ········ |
| Unto a gallant place, where in a little space, | 12 | ···/˘····/˘· |
| You shall be a servingman. | 7 | ······· |
| Sir, for your diligence I give you many thanks, | 10 | ···/˘···/· |
| These things I receive at your hand; | 8 | ···˘/··· |
| I pray you to me show, whereby that I might know, | 12 | ············ |
| What pleasures hath a servingman? | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| A servingman hath pleasure, which passeth time and measure, | 14 | ·····/˘·/˘··/˘ |
| When the hawk on his fist doth stand; | 8 | ········ |
| His hood, and his verrils brave, and other things, we have, | 13 | ········/˘··· |
| Which yield joy to a servingman. | 8 | ········ |
| My pleasure’s more than that to see my oxen fat, | 12 | ·/˘······/˘· |
| And to prosper well under my hand; | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| And therefore I do mean, with my horse, and with my team, | 13 | ············· |
| To keep myself a husbandman. | 8 | ···/·/˘˘ |
| O ’tis a gallant thing in the prime time of the spring, | 13 | ···/˘········ |
| To hear the huntsman now and than | 8 | ···/˘··· |
| His bugle for to blow, and the hounds run all a row: | 13 | ·/˘·········· |
| This is pleasure for a servingman! | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| To hear the beagle cry, and to see the falcon fly, | 13 | ···/˘·····/˘· |
| And the hare trip over the plain, | 8 | ········ |
| And the huntsmen and the hound make hill and dale rebound: | 13 | ···········˘/ |
| This is pleasure for a servingman! | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| ’Tis pleasure, too, you know, to see the corn to grow, | 12 | ·/˘········· |
| And to grow so well on the land; | 8 | ········ |
| The plowing and the sowing, the reaping and the mowing, | 14 | ·/˘··/˘·/˘··/˘ |
| Yield pleasure to the husbandman. | 8 | ·/˘··/˘˘ |
| At our table you may eat all sorts of dainty meat, | 13 | ·//˘······/˘· |
| Pig, cony, goose, capon, and swan; | 8 | ·/˘·/··· |
| And with lords and ladies fine, you may drink beer, ale, and wine! | 14 | ····/˘········ |
| This is pleasure for a servingman. | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| While you eat goose and capon, I’ll feed on beef and bacon, | 14 | ·····/······/˘ |
| And piece of hard cheese now and than; | 8 | ········ |
| We pudding have, and souse, always ready in the house, | 13 | ·/˘···/˘/˘··· |
| Which contents the honest husbandman. | 9 | ·˘/·/˘/˘˘ |
| At the court you may have your garments fine and brave, | 12 | ·······/˘··· |
| And cloak with gold lace laid upon, | 8 | ········ |
| A shirt as white as milk, and wrought with finest silk: | 12 | ·········/˘· |
| That’s pleasure for a servingman! | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Such proud and costly gear is not for us to wear; | 12 | ···/˘······· |
| Amongst the briers and brambles many a one, | 10 | ···/·/˘/·· |
| A good strong russet coat, and at your need a groat, | 12 | ···/˘······· |
| Will suffice the husbandman. | 7 | ·˘/·/˘˘ |
| A proverb here I tell, which likes my humour well, | 12 | ·/˘······/˘· |
| And remember it well I can, | 8 | ·˘/˘···· |
| If a courtier be too bold, he’ll want when he is old. | 13 | ··/˘········· |
| Then farewell the servingman. | 7 | ··/···· |
| It needs must be confest that your calling is the best, | 13 | ········/˘··· |
| No longer discourse with you I can; | 9 | ·/˘/˘···· |
| But henceforth I will pray, by night and by day, | 11 | ·//········ |
| Heaven bless the honest husbandman. | 9 | /˘··/˘/˘˘ |
| WELL met, my brother friend, all at this highway end, | 12 | ···/˘····/·· |
| So simple all alone, as you can, | 9 | ·/˘·˘/··· |
| I pray you tell to me, what may your calling be, | 12 | ·········/˘· |
| Are you not a servingman? | 7 | ······· |
| No, no, my brother dear, what makes you to inquire | 12 | ···/˘·····˘/ |
| Of any such a thing at my hand? | 9 | ·/˘······ |
| Indeed I shall not feign, but I will tell you plain, | 12 | ˘/·········· |
| I am a downright husbandman. | 8 | ···/·/˘˘ |
| If a husbandman you be, then go along with me, | 13 | ··/˘˘····˘/·· |
| And quickly you shall see out of hand, | 9 | ·/˘······ |
| How in a little space I will help you to a place, | 13 | ···/˘········ |
| Where you may be a servingman. | 8 | ········ |
| Kind sir! I ‘turn you thanks for your intelligence, | 11 | ········˘/˘ |
| These things I receive at your hand; | 8 | ···˘/··· |
| But something pray now show, that first I may plainly know | 13 | ·/˘·······/˘· |
| The pleasures of a servingman. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| Why a servingman has pleasure beyond all sort of measure, | 15 | ······/˘·····/˘ |
| With his hawk on his fist, as he does stand; | 10 | ·········· |
| For the game that he does kill, and the meat that does him fill, | 14 | ·············· |
| Are pleasures for the servingman. | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And my pleasure’s more than that, to see my oxen fat, | 13 | ··/˘······/˘· |
| And a good stock of hay by them stand; | 9 | ········· |
| My plowing and my sowing, my reaping and my mowing, | 14 | ·/˘··/˘·/˘··/˘ |
| Are pleasures for the husbandman. | 8 | ·/˘··/˘˘ |
| Why it is a gallant thing to ride out with a king, | 13 | ····/˘······· |
| With a lord, duke, or any such man; | 9 | ·····/˘·· |
| To hear the horns to blow, and see the hounds all in a row, | 14 | ·············· |
| That is pleasure for the servingman. | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| But my pleasure’s more I know, to see my corn to grow, | 13 | ··/˘········· |
| So thriving all over my land; | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| And, therefore, I do mean, with my plowing with my team, | 13 | ········/˘··· |
| To keep myself a husbandman. | 8 | ···/·/˘˘ |
| Why the diet that we eat is the choicest of all meat, | 14 | ··/˘·····/˘··· |
| Such as pig, goose, capon, and swan; | 8 | ····/··· |
| Our pastry is so fine, we drink sugar in our wine, | 13 | //˘·····/˘·/· |
| That is living for the servingman. | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| Talk not of goose nor capon, give me good beef or bacon, | 14 | ·····/······/˘ |
| And good bread and cheese, now at hand; | 8 | ········ |
| With pudding, brawn, and souse, all in a farmer’s house, | 12 | ·/˘······/˘· |
| That is living for the husbandman. | 9 | ··/˘··/˘˘ |
| Why the clothing that we wear is delicate and rare, | 12 | ··/˘····/˘·· |
| With our coat, lace, buckles, and band; | 8 | ·/··/˘·· |
| Our shirts are white as milk, and our stockings they are silk, | 13 | /······//˘··· |
| That is clothing for a servingman. | 9 | ··/˘····· |
| But I value not a hair your delicate fine wear, | 12 | ··/˘····/˘·· |
| Such as gold is laced upon; | 8 | ·····˘·· |
| Give me a good grey coat, and in my purse a groat, | 12 | ············ |
| That is clothing for the husbandman. | 9 | ··/˘··/˘˘ |
| Kind sir! it would be bad if none could be had | 11 | ··········· |
| Those tables for to wait upon; | 8 | ·/˘····· |
| There is no lord, duke, nor squire, nor member for the shire, | 13 | ········/˘··· |
| Can do without a servingman. | 8 | ········ |
| But, Jack! it would be worse if there was none of us | 12 | ············ |
| To follow the plowing of the land; | 9 | ·/˘·/˘··· |
| There is neither king, lord, nor squire, nor member for the shire, | 14 | ··/˘·····/˘··· |
| Can do without the husbandman. | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| Kind sir! I must confess’t, and I humbly protest | 12 | ········/˘/· |
| I will give you the uppermost hand; | 9 | ·····/˘·· |
| Although your labour’s painful, and mine it is so very gainful, | 16 | ···/·/˘·····/˘/˘ |
| I wish I were a husbandman. | 8 | ·····/˘˘ |
| So come now, let us all, both great as well as small, | 12 | ············ |
| Pray for the grain of our land; | 8 | ·····/˘· |
| And let us, whatsoever, do all our best endeavour, | 14 | ····˘/˘··/·˘/˘ |
| For to maintain the good husbandman. | 9 | ··˘/··/˘˘ |
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