1An old man through a town did often pass;

2With him, a pretty

stripling1

and an ass.

3The man did ride; the boy was

pedester2

,

4

As fit it was, he wait upon his master3

.

5At this, the people laughéd out aloud,

6Saying the man was merciless or proud

7To let the pretty child go sweating by,

8Whilst he rode, ambling in his majesty.

9

The boy rode next4

; the man did trudge afoot:

10But then, the people did so laugh and shout

11Because the man did favor so the lad

12To go afoot whilst he rode on his

pad5

.

13Next time this poor man through the town did pass,

14The man and boy got both upon the ass;

15But then the people bade him

light, for shame6

;

16He’d

spoil7

the ass, or make him sick, or lame.

17Next time, beside the ass they both did walk;

18But then they were the town and county’s talk.

19The people laughed and

made the welkin ring8

;

20Children their folly up and down did sing.

21Once more the man resolved the road to pass,

22And then the youth and he did

bear9

the ass,

23At which the people did so laugh and roar

24That the poor man would ne’er more

explore10

25The

Hydrian monstrosity11

to please,

26But sadly flung his ass into the seas.

27By this you see they do themselves delude

28That think to please the

giddy12

multitude.

29

Andronicus13

did make this story good;

30Even he that shed his royal sovereign’s blood,

31

Sejanus14

, so by pop’lar breath up borne,

32By

Briareus15

was in pieces torn.

33So

some alive16

the Hydra’s love will rue

34

Whenas17

to them they give to these their due18

.

35For certainly ’twill one day come to pass

36They’ll have the death and burial of

this ass19

.