To honest Mr. Kayes in Cunny Street.
He entertain'd me well, for which I thanked him,
And gratefully amongst my friends I'll rank him.
My kind remembrance here I put in paper,
To worthy Mr. Hemsworth there, a draper;
Amongst the rest he's one that I most thank,
With his good wife, and honest brother Frank.
Now for the city; 'tis of state and port,
Where emperors and kings have kept their court,
989, year of foundation,

Was laid before our Saviour's Incarnation,
By Ebrane who a temple there did rear,
And plac'd a Flamen to Diana there;

But when King Lucius here the stepert swayed,
The idols level with the ground were laid,
Then Eleutherius, Rome high bishop plac'd
An archbishop at York, with titles grac'd,
When after Christ 627,

Was Edwin baptized by the grace of heaven,
He pluck'd the minster down, that then was wood,
And made it stone, a deed both great and good.
The city oft hath known the chance of wars,
Of cruel foreign, and of home-bred jars.
And those that further please thereof to read,
May turn the volumes of great Holinshed,
'Tis large, 'tis pleasant and magnificent,
The north's most fertile famous ornament.
'Tis rich and populous, and hath indeed
No want of anything to serve their need;
Abundance doth that noble city make,
Much abler to bestow, than need to take.
So farewell York, the tenth of August then
Away I came for London with my men.
To dinner I to Pomfret quickly rode,
Where good hot venison staid for my abode.
I thank thee worshipful George Shillito,
He fill'd my men and me, and let us go.
There did I well view over twice or thrice,
A strong, a fair, and ancient edifice:
Re-edifi'd where it was ruined most,

At th' high and hopeful Prince of Wales his cost.
I saw the room where Exton' and his rout
Of traitors, royal Richard's brains beat out;
And if that king did strike so many blows,
As hacks and hews upon one pillar shows,
There are one hundred slashes, he withstood,
Before the villains shed his kingly blood.
From Pomfret then, unto my noble friend,
Sir Robert Swift at Doncaster we wend,
An ancient knight, of a most generous spirit,
Who made me welcome far beyond my merit.
From thence by Newark, I to Stamford past,
And so in time to London at the last,

With friends and neighbours, all with loving hearts,
Did welcome me with pottles, pints and quarts.
Which made my muse more glib, and blithe to tell
This story of my voyage. So farewell.

AN EPILOGUE.

Thus have I brought to end a work of pain,
I wish it may requite me with some gain.
For well I wot, the dangers where I ventured,
No full bag'd man would ever durst have entered;
But having further shores for to discover
Hereafter, now my pen doth here give over.

JACK A LENT

HIS

BEGINNING AND ENTERTAINMENT

WITH

The mad pranks of his gentleman usher

SHROVE-TUESDAY

that goes before him

And his footman Hunger attending.

то

FISHMONGERS AND BUTCHERS.

GREETING.

FRIENDLY, frolic, free-hearted, famous, flourishing Fishmongers; and brave, bold, battering, beef-braining Butchers, to both your Companies in general I wish health and happiness. I acknowledge you to be haberdashers for the belly, and I wish a plentiful increase of good appetites and hungry stomachs, that every one, in their calling may proof valiant of their teeth, whereby you may merrily by the profit you receive by nimble-chopped feeders. I have plainly set down Jack-a-Lent's good deeds and his bad, his friends and his foes, the great need and necessity we have of his coming once a year into this Kingdom, and the great pity that he is no better entertained and observed. And though it be written in a merry style, yet I dare presume that mirth and truth walk together in it. In a word read it if you like, and judge as you list, please yourselves and I am pleased. And let J. S. hold Jack-a-Lent's stirrup whilst he alights, for of all men, I have most reason to prefer him, for a trick he showed me lately. So I rest yours ever, and his as far, as he dares swear for twelve pence.

JOHN TAYLOR.

JACK A LENT:

HIS

BEGINNING AND ENTERTAINMENT.

OF Jack-an-Apes I list not to indite,

Nor of Jack Daw my goose's quill shall write ;
Of Jack of Newbury I will not repeat,

Nor Jack of both sides, nor of Skip-Jack neat.
To praise the turnspit Jack, my muse is mum,
Nor of the entertainment of Jack Drum
I'll not rehearse; nor of Jack Dog, Jack Date,
Jack Fool, or Jack-a-Dandy, I relate,

Nor of black Jacks at gentle buttery bars,
Whose liquor oftentimes breeds household wars;
Nor Jack of Dover that grand jury Jack,

Nor Jack Sause, the worst knave amongst the pack;
But of the Jack of Jacks, great Jack a Lent,
To write his worthy acts is my intent;

How he's attended with a mess of Jacks,

Whose fame my heartless, weak invention cracks, Jack Herring and Jack Sprat, Jack Straw, Jack Cade, These are the Jacks with which my pen must trade. To speak of the original of this Jack, or from whence the name of Jack hath derivation, I think it not impertinent to show you; therefore I would have all men understand that Jack is no Christian, nor was ever baptised, but is sprung, like a mushroom, out of the corruption of the name of John; for before Johns were, I did never find mention of any Jacks, except black Jacks. And there was an old courteous epithet attributed to John, as gentle John, but now so many Jacks are made gentles, that most Johns and Jacks make no further account of gentility than glorious titles and gaudy suits. So much for Jack.

Now for the name and beginning of Lent, as near as I can I will describe. The word Lent doth signify, a thing borrowed, for except a thing be borrowed, how is it lent? and being lent, it follows by consequence that it