Note 208 — THE LINGUIST-DAME, THE DUENNA AND THE KING’S SON.
Richard Francis Burton translation · Edition 2
So the old English rhyme, produced for quite another purpose by Sir John Bull in “Wat Tyler’s Rebellion” (Hume, Hist. of Eng., vol. i. chapt. 17):—
“When Adam dolve and Eve span,
Who was then the gentleman?”
A variant occurs in a MS. of the xvth century, Brit. Museum:—
“Now bethink the gentleman,
How Adam dalf and Eve span.”
And the German form is:—
“So Adam reutte (reute) and Eva span
Wer was da ein Eddelman (Edelman)?”