Page:History of Jack of Newbury.pdf/18

18 Now to return again to Jack and his wife. It happened that she fell sick and died; and soon after her burial Jack fell in love with one of his maids, and sent for her father to know what he would give with his daughter. He came to Newbury, and seeing the great wealth of his daughter and sweetheart, he was exceedingly astonished, so Jack had

In one room two hundred looms all going.

Two hundred boys winding quills.

An hundred women carding.

In another room two hundred maids spinning.

One hundred and fifty boys picking of wool.

Fifty shearmen.

Eight toers.

Forty dyers in the dye-house.

Twenty men in a fulling mill.

In his own house he kept a butcher, a baker, a brewer, five cooks, and six scullions.

He spent every week five fat oxen in his house, besides butter, cheese, fish, &c.

Zir, quoth the old man, I wize you be abominable rich, and cham content you