Gammer Gurton's Needle - Faculty & Staff Web Pages
Gammer Gurton's Needle - Faculty & Staff Web Pages
Gammer Gurton's Needle - Faculty & Staff Web Pages
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<strong>Gammer</strong> <strong>Gurton's</strong> <strong>Needle</strong> 29<br />
THE THIRD ACT<br />
The First Scene<br />
[Hodge enters, carrying leather thongs and an awl,<br />
returning from Sam Glover's leather shop]<br />
Hodge: Sam Glover, yet gramercy! 1 'Cham meetly well-sped 2 now.<br />
Thou'rt even as good a fellow as ever kissed a cow!<br />
Here is a thong indeed; by the Mass, though Ich speak it,<br />
Tom Tankard's great bald cur-tail, 3 I think, could not break it!<br />
And when he spied my need to be so straight and hard,<br />
He's lent me his awl to set the job forward. 4<br />
As for my <strong>Gammer</strong>'s nee'le, the flying fiend go wi'it! 5<br />
'Chi'll not to the door again with it to meet! 6<br />
'Chould make shift good enough, and 'Chad a candle's end,<br />
The chief hold in my breech with these two 'Chi'll amend. 7<br />
THE THIRD ACT<br />
The Second Scene<br />
[Hodge starts into <strong>Gammer</strong>'s house, but she meets him<br />
at the door]<br />
<strong>Gammer</strong>: How, Hodge! Mayst now be glad! 'Chave news to tell thee:<br />
Ich know who has my nee'le; Ich trust soon shall it see. 8<br />
Hodge: The devil thou does! Hast heard, <strong>Gammer</strong>, indeed, or dost but jest?<br />
<strong>Gammer</strong>: 'Tis as true as steel, Hodge.<br />
Hodge: Why, knowest well where didst lose it?<br />
<strong>Gammer</strong>: Ich know who found it, and took it up; shalt see, ere it be long.<br />
Hodge: God's mother dear, if that be true, farewell both awl and thong!<br />
But who has it, <strong>Gammer</strong>? Say on! 'Chould fain hear it disclosed. 9<br />
<strong>Gammer</strong>: That false vixen, that same Dame Chat, that counts herself 10 so honest!<br />
Hodge: Who told you so?<br />
1<br />
Yet gramercy!: Thanks again!<br />
2<br />
Meetly well-sped: perfectly prepared<br />
3<br />
Cur-tail: a horse with its tail cut short<br />
4<br />
Set the job forward: get the mending done<br />
5<br />
Wi'it: with it<br />
6<br />
That is, "Wherever <strong>Gammer</strong>'s needle is, may the Devil go with it! I wouldn't open the door again to meet him!"<br />
7<br />
'Chould make . . . amend: I should do well enough if I had a candle to see by. With these two things (a leather thong and an<br />
awl to use as a needle), I'll sew up the biggest hole in the seat of my pants.<br />
8<br />
Ich know…see: I know who has my needle, and I hope to see it soon.<br />
9<br />
'Chould fain . . . disclosed: I would really like to hear it.<br />
10<br />
Counts herself: claims that she is
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