SATIRE ON THE TOUN LADYES.

Sum wyfis of the burrows-tounSa wondir[1108]vane ar, and wantoun,In warld thay watt[1109]not quhat to weir.On claythis thay wair[1110]mony a croun;And all for newfangilnes[1111]of geir.Thair bodyes bravelie thay atyir,Of carnall lust to eik[1112]the fyir;I fairlie[1113]quhy thai have na feirTo gar men deime quhat thay desyre;And all for newfangilnes of geir.Thair gouns ar coistlie, and trimlie traillis,Barrit with velvous, sleif, nek, and taillis;And thair foirskirt of silkis seir[1114]Of fynest camroche thair fuksaillis;[1115]And all for newfangilnes of geir.And of fyne silk thair furrit cloikis,With hingand[1116]sleivis, lyk geill poikis[1117];Na preiching will gar thame forbeirTo weir all thing that sinne provoikis;And all for newfangilnes of geir.Thair wylecots man[1118]weill be hewit,Broudirit[1119]richt braid, with pasmentis sewit[1120]:I trow, quha wald the matter speir[1121],That thair gudmen had caus to rew itThat evir thair wyfis weir sic geir.Thair wovin hois of silk ar schawin,Barrit abone with tasteis drawin[1122];With gartens of ane new maneir,To gar thair courtlines be knawin;And all for newfangilnes of geir.Sumtyme thay will beir up thair gownTo schaw thair wylecot hingeand down,And sumtyme bayth thay will upbeirTo schaw thair hois of blak or broun;And all for newfangilnes of geir.Thair collars, carcats, and hals beidis[1123],With velvet hats heicht[1124]on thair heidis,Coirdit with gold lyik ane younkeir[1125],Brouderit about with goldin threidis;And all for newfangilnes of geir.Thair schone of velvot, and thair muillis[1126];In kirk ar not content of stuillis,The sermon quhen thay sit to heir;Bot caryis cuschingis lyik vaine fuillis;And all for newfangilnes of geir.I mein[1127]of thame thair honour dreidis;Quhy sould thay nocht have honest weidis,To thair estait doand effeir[1128]?I mein of thame thair stait exceidis;And all for newfangilnes of geir.For sumtymes wyfis sa grave hes bein,Lyik giglets cled wald nocht be sein.Of burgess wyfis thoch I speak heirThink weill[1129]of all wemen I mein,On vaniteis that waistis geir.Thay say wyfis ar so delicatIn feiding, feisting, and bankat,Sum not content ar with sic cheirAs weill may suffice thair estait,For newfangilnes of cheir and geir.And sum will spend mair, I heir say,In spyce and droggis on ane dayThan wald thair mothers in ane yeir;Quhilk will gar monye pak[1130]decay,Quhen thay sa vainlie waist thair geir.Thairfoir, young wyfis speciallie,Of all sic faultis hald yow frie,And moderatly to leif now leir[1131]In meit, and clayth[1132]accordinglie;And nocht sa vainlie waist your geir.Use not to skift athort the gait[1133],Nor na mum chairtis, air nor lait[1134];Be na dainser, nor this daingeirOf yow be tane an ill consaitThat ye ar habill[1135]to waist geir.Hant[1136]ay in honest cumpanie,And all suspicious places flie;Lat never harlot cum yow neir,That wald yow leid to leicherie,In houp to get thairfoir sum geir.My counsall I geve generallieTo all wemen, quhat-evir thay be,This lesson for to quin per queir[1137],Syne keip it weill continuallieBetter nor onye warldlie geir.Leif[1138], burgess men, or all be loist,On your wyfis to mak sic cost,Quhilk may gar all your bairnis bleir[1139]:Scho that may not want wyne and roistIs abill for to waist sum geir.Betwene thame and nobillis of bludeNa difference bot ane velvous huid!Thair camroche curcheis[1140]ar als deir;Thair uther claythis ar als guid;And thai als costlie in uther geir.Bot, wald grit ladyis tak gud heidTo thair honour, and find remeid,Thai suld thole[1141]na sic wyfis to weir,Lyk lordis wyfis, ladyis weid,As dames of honour in thair geir.I speik for na despyt trewlie,(My-self am nocht of faultis frie),Bot that ye sould nocht perseveirInto sic folische vanitieFor na newfangilnes of geir.Of burgess wyfis thoch I speik plaine,Sum landwart[1142]ladyis ar als vain,As be thair cleithing may appeir;Werand[1143]gayer nor thame may gain—On ouir[1144]vaine claythis waistand geir.

Sum wyfis of the burrows-tounSa wondir[1108]vane ar, and wantoun,In warld thay watt[1109]not quhat to weir.On claythis thay wair[1110]mony a croun;And all for newfangilnes[1111]of geir.

Sum wyfis of the burrows-toun

Sa wondir[1108]vane ar, and wantoun,

In warld thay watt[1109]not quhat to weir.

On claythis thay wair[1110]mony a croun;

And all for newfangilnes[1111]of geir.

Thair bodyes bravelie thay atyir,Of carnall lust to eik[1112]the fyir;I fairlie[1113]quhy thai have na feirTo gar men deime quhat thay desyre;And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Thair bodyes bravelie thay atyir,

Of carnall lust to eik[1112]the fyir;

I fairlie[1113]quhy thai have na feir

To gar men deime quhat thay desyre;

And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Thair gouns ar coistlie, and trimlie traillis,Barrit with velvous, sleif, nek, and taillis;And thair foirskirt of silkis seir[1114]Of fynest camroche thair fuksaillis;[1115]And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Thair gouns ar coistlie, and trimlie traillis,

Barrit with velvous, sleif, nek, and taillis;

And thair foirskirt of silkis seir[1114]

Of fynest camroche thair fuksaillis;[1115]

And all for newfangilnes of geir.

And of fyne silk thair furrit cloikis,With hingand[1116]sleivis, lyk geill poikis[1117];Na preiching will gar thame forbeirTo weir all thing that sinne provoikis;And all for newfangilnes of geir.

And of fyne silk thair furrit cloikis,

With hingand[1116]sleivis, lyk geill poikis[1117];

Na preiching will gar thame forbeir

To weir all thing that sinne provoikis;

And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Thair wylecots man[1118]weill be hewit,Broudirit[1119]richt braid, with pasmentis sewit[1120]:I trow, quha wald the matter speir[1121],That thair gudmen had caus to rew itThat evir thair wyfis weir sic geir.

Thair wylecots man[1118]weill be hewit,

Broudirit[1119]richt braid, with pasmentis sewit[1120]:

I trow, quha wald the matter speir[1121],

That thair gudmen had caus to rew it

That evir thair wyfis weir sic geir.

Thair wovin hois of silk ar schawin,Barrit abone with tasteis drawin[1122];With gartens of ane new maneir,To gar thair courtlines be knawin;And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Thair wovin hois of silk ar schawin,

Barrit abone with tasteis drawin[1122];

With gartens of ane new maneir,

To gar thair courtlines be knawin;

And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Sumtyme thay will beir up thair gownTo schaw thair wylecot hingeand down,And sumtyme bayth thay will upbeirTo schaw thair hois of blak or broun;And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Sumtyme thay will beir up thair gown

To schaw thair wylecot hingeand down,

And sumtyme bayth thay will upbeir

To schaw thair hois of blak or broun;

And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Thair collars, carcats, and hals beidis[1123],With velvet hats heicht[1124]on thair heidis,Coirdit with gold lyik ane younkeir[1125],Brouderit about with goldin threidis;And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Thair collars, carcats, and hals beidis[1123],

With velvet hats heicht[1124]on thair heidis,

Coirdit with gold lyik ane younkeir[1125],

Brouderit about with goldin threidis;

And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Thair schone of velvot, and thair muillis[1126];In kirk ar not content of stuillis,The sermon quhen thay sit to heir;Bot caryis cuschingis lyik vaine fuillis;And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Thair schone of velvot, and thair muillis[1126];

In kirk ar not content of stuillis,

The sermon quhen thay sit to heir;

Bot caryis cuschingis lyik vaine fuillis;

And all for newfangilnes of geir.

I mein[1127]of thame thair honour dreidis;Quhy sould thay nocht have honest weidis,To thair estait doand effeir[1128]?I mein of thame thair stait exceidis;And all for newfangilnes of geir.

I mein[1127]of thame thair honour dreidis;

Quhy sould thay nocht have honest weidis,

To thair estait doand effeir[1128]?

I mein of thame thair stait exceidis;

And all for newfangilnes of geir.

For sumtymes wyfis sa grave hes bein,Lyik giglets cled wald nocht be sein.Of burgess wyfis thoch I speak heirThink weill[1129]of all wemen I mein,On vaniteis that waistis geir.

For sumtymes wyfis sa grave hes bein,

Lyik giglets cled wald nocht be sein.

Of burgess wyfis thoch I speak heir

Think weill[1129]of all wemen I mein,

On vaniteis that waistis geir.

Thay say wyfis ar so delicatIn feiding, feisting, and bankat,Sum not content ar with sic cheirAs weill may suffice thair estait,For newfangilnes of cheir and geir.

Thay say wyfis ar so delicat

In feiding, feisting, and bankat,

Sum not content ar with sic cheir

As weill may suffice thair estait,

For newfangilnes of cheir and geir.

And sum will spend mair, I heir say,In spyce and droggis on ane dayThan wald thair mothers in ane yeir;Quhilk will gar monye pak[1130]decay,Quhen thay sa vainlie waist thair geir.

And sum will spend mair, I heir say,

In spyce and droggis on ane day

Than wald thair mothers in ane yeir;

Quhilk will gar monye pak[1130]decay,

Quhen thay sa vainlie waist thair geir.

Thairfoir, young wyfis speciallie,Of all sic faultis hald yow frie,And moderatly to leif now leir[1131]In meit, and clayth[1132]accordinglie;And nocht sa vainlie waist your geir.

Thairfoir, young wyfis speciallie,

Of all sic faultis hald yow frie,

And moderatly to leif now leir[1131]

In meit, and clayth[1132]accordinglie;

And nocht sa vainlie waist your geir.

Use not to skift athort the gait[1133],Nor na mum chairtis, air nor lait[1134];Be na dainser, nor this daingeirOf yow be tane an ill consaitThat ye ar habill[1135]to waist geir.

Use not to skift athort the gait[1133],

Nor na mum chairtis, air nor lait[1134];

Be na dainser, nor this daingeir

Of yow be tane an ill consait

That ye ar habill[1135]to waist geir.

Hant[1136]ay in honest cumpanie,And all suspicious places flie;Lat never harlot cum yow neir,That wald yow leid to leicherie,In houp to get thairfoir sum geir.

Hant[1136]ay in honest cumpanie,

And all suspicious places flie;

Lat never harlot cum yow neir,

That wald yow leid to leicherie,

In houp to get thairfoir sum geir.

My counsall I geve generallieTo all wemen, quhat-evir thay be,This lesson for to quin per queir[1137],Syne keip it weill continuallieBetter nor onye warldlie geir.

My counsall I geve generallie

To all wemen, quhat-evir thay be,

This lesson for to quin per queir[1137],

Syne keip it weill continuallie

Better nor onye warldlie geir.

Leif[1138], burgess men, or all be loist,On your wyfis to mak sic cost,Quhilk may gar all your bairnis bleir[1139]:Scho that may not want wyne and roistIs abill for to waist sum geir.

Leif[1138], burgess men, or all be loist,

On your wyfis to mak sic cost,

Quhilk may gar all your bairnis bleir[1139]:

Scho that may not want wyne and roist

Is abill for to waist sum geir.

Betwene thame and nobillis of bludeNa difference bot ane velvous huid!Thair camroche curcheis[1140]ar als deir;Thair uther claythis ar als guid;And thai als costlie in uther geir.

Betwene thame and nobillis of blude

Na difference bot ane velvous huid!

Thair camroche curcheis[1140]ar als deir;

Thair uther claythis ar als guid;

And thai als costlie in uther geir.

Bot, wald grit ladyis tak gud heidTo thair honour, and find remeid,Thai suld thole[1141]na sic wyfis to weir,Lyk lordis wyfis, ladyis weid,As dames of honour in thair geir.

Bot, wald grit ladyis tak gud heid

To thair honour, and find remeid,

Thai suld thole[1141]na sic wyfis to weir,

Lyk lordis wyfis, ladyis weid,

As dames of honour in thair geir.

I speik for na despyt trewlie,(My-self am nocht of faultis frie),Bot that ye sould nocht perseveirInto sic folische vanitieFor na newfangilnes of geir.

I speik for na despyt trewlie,

(My-self am nocht of faultis frie),

Bot that ye sould nocht perseveir

Into sic folische vanitie

For na newfangilnes of geir.

Of burgess wyfis thoch I speik plaine,Sum landwart[1142]ladyis ar als vain,As be thair cleithing may appeir;Werand[1143]gayer nor thame may gain—On ouir[1144]vaine claythis waistand geir.

Of burgess wyfis thoch I speik plaine,

Sum landwart[1142]ladyis ar als vain,

As be thair cleithing may appeir;

Werand[1143]gayer nor thame may gain—

On ouir[1144]vaine claythis waistand geir.

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