[Sca-cooks] Cries of London

[kingstaste at mindspring.com]

I'm not sure where the Street Cries thread started, but I thought some might
be interested to read a Renaissance shopping list in the form of a song :)
Christianna


Thomas Morley <../literature/courtmusicians.html>  took the equivalent of a
Renaissance tape recording of the market in a piece that is made up of the
cries.*
The words are:

	God give you good morrow my master, past three o'clock and a fair
morning. New mussels, new lily white mussels. Hot codlings, hot. New
cockles, new great cockles. New great sprats, new. New fresh herrings. New
haddocks, new. Now thornbacks new. Hot apple pies, hot. Hot pippin pies,
hot. Fine pomegranates, fine. Hot mutton pies hot. Ha' ye any old bellows or
trays to mend? Rosemary and bays, quick and gentle. Ripe chestnuts, ripe.
Ripe smallnuts, ripe. White cabbage, white young cabbage, white. White
turnips, white young turnips, white. . . parsnips. . . lettuce. . . Buy any
ink, will you buy any ink, very fine writing ink, will you buy any ink? Ha'
ye any rats or mice to kill? I ha' ripe peascods, ripe.
Oysters, oysters, oysters, threepence a peck at Bridewell dock, new
Wallfleet oysters. Oyez! If any man or woman can tell any tidings of a grey
mare, with a long mane and a short tail, she halts down right before, and is
stark lame behind, and was lost this thirtieth day of February. He that can
tell any tidings of her, let him come to the Crier, and he shall have well
for his hire. Ripe damsons, ripe fine damsons. Hard garlic, hard. Will ye
buy any aqua vitae, mistress? I have ripe goose-berries, ripe. Buy a barrel
of Samphire. What is't ye lack? Fine wrought shirts or smocks. Perfumed
waistcoats, fine bone lace or edgings, sweet gloves, silk garters, very fine
silk garters, fine combs or glasses.
Or a poking stick with a silver handle. Old doublets, ha'ye any old
doublets? Ha' ye any corns on your feet or toes? Fine potatoes, fine. Will
ye buy any starch for a clear complexion, mistress? Poor naked bedlam, Tom's
a-cold, a small cut of thy bacon or a piece of thy sow's side, good Bess.
God Almighty bless thy wits. Quick , periwinckles, quick, quick,
quick. Buy a new almanac. Buy a fine washing ball. Buy any small coal? Good
gracious people, for the Lord's sake, pity the poor women, we lie cold and
comfortless night and day on the cold boards in the dark dungeon in great
misery. Hot oat cakes. Lanthorn and candlelight, hang out maids for all
night.
And so we make an end.