the stomacke of a horse or a dogge I weene.

_R. Royster._ Nay, a man's stomacke with a weapon mean I.

_M.M._ Ten men can scarce match you with a spoon in a pie.

"Gammer Gurton's Needle" was acted in 1552. It bears marks of an early
time in its words being coarsely indelicate, but not amatory. The humour
is that of blows and insults and we may observe the great value then
attached to needles. It is "a right pithy, pleasant and merry comedy"--a
country story of an old dame who loses her needle when sewing a patch on
the seat of her servant Hodge's breeches. The cat's misdoings interrupt
her, and her needle is lost. The hunt for the needle is amusing, and
Gammer Gurton and Dame Chat, whom she suspects of having stolen it,
abuse and call each other witches. Hodge, the man with the patched
breeches encourages Gammer Gurton, who seems little to require it.

"Smite, I say Gammer,
Bite, I say Gammer,
Where be your nails? Claw her by the jawes
Pull me out both her eyen.

Hoise her, souse her, bounce her, trounce her,
Pull out her thrott."

On some one giving Hodge a good slap, the needle runs into him, and is
thus happily found.

At the opening of the second act of Gammer Gurton there is a drinking
song, which deserves notice as it was the first written in English,--

"I cannot eat but little meat
My stomack is not good:
But sure I think that I can drink
With him that wears a hood.
Though I go bare, take ye no care
I nothing am a colde;
I stuff my skin so full within
Of ioly good ale and olde.
Backe and side go bare, go bare,
Booth foot and hand go colde;
But belly, God send thee good ale inoughe,
Whether it be new or olde;

"I love no rost, but a nut browne toste
And a crab laid in the fire;
A little bread shall do me stead
Moche bread I noght desire.
No frost, no snow, no wind I trowe
Can hurt me if I wolde.
I am so wrapt and throwly lapt
Of ioly good ale and olde.
Backe and side, &c.

"And Tib my wife, that as her life
Loveth well good ale to seeke,
Full oft drinkes shee, till ye may see
The teares run downe her cheeke.
Then doth she trowle to me the bowle
Even as a mault-worm sholde,
And saith 'sweet heart I tooke my part
Of this ioly good ale and olde.'
Backe and side, &c.

"Now let them drinke, till they nod and winke,
Even as g