Propagating the Funny

[gyzki]

Spotted on shalmestere's journal, and funny enough it needs passing along:

[From Parrott, E. O. The Dogsbody Papers: or 1066 and All This. London: Viking, 1988.
ISBN 0670814385 EAN-13 9780670814381]

"Documentary evidence of the bolshie mood among the peasants of the late
fourteenth century has always been scarce. Here at last we have it, from
a peasant for whom the last straw was clearly being asked to decorate the
local church for Christmas. Did I say 'asked'? Found by me among the
pages of the Parish Register at Tydde. --Willoughby Dogsbody

'Ye hollye and ye ivye
And ye Christmas tree so faire
Are a mekill peyne to a poore villein
Who hath litel tyme to spare;
O ye scrubbynge of ye lecturne
And ye deckynge of ye tree
And ye blowynge of ye murie organ:
Must they alle be done by me?

'Ye hollye beareth prickle
As sharp as any spike;
Ye may stick a briar in our gracious squire
Atte anie tyme ye like;
O ye lightynge of ye candles
And ye polysshynge ye brasse!
Yf this be ye Feudal Systeme,
Rolle on, ye myddel Classe!'

"(The ms. offers an alternative version of the last line, which it seemed
better to ignore.)"

--Paul Griffin