Cocke Lorelles Bote

A rare fragment of early English verse, this satirical poem strings together a brisk procession of society’s lower ranks, offering swift, sharply‑drawn portraits of each group. Printed in the first years of Henry VIII’s reign, the work is embellished with wood‑cut images that echo the style of contemporary “Ship of Fools” illustrations, giving listeners a vivid sense of Tudor‑era visual culture. Its brisk, four‑hundred‑plus lines move like a bustling market, each stanza a fleeting glimpse into the habits, foibles and self‑justifications of the people it surveys.

At the heart of the piece is Cocke Lorrell, a notorious tinker‑turned robber who once led a band of thieves through London’s streets. He compiles a “Catalogue of Vagabonds,” cataloguing the assorted orders of knaves with a blend of wit and moral critique. As the poem unfolds, listeners are treated to a lively, tongue‑in‑cheek commentary on the everyday lives of the city’s underclass, revealing the humor and harshness of life on the Tudor margins.