Satire on the Toun Ladyes
Sum wyfis of the burrows-toun
Sa wondir1108 vane ar, and wantoun,
In warld thay watt1109 not quhat to weir.
On claythis thay wair1110 mony a croun;
And all for newfangilnes1111 of geir.
Thair bodyes bravelie thay atyir,
Of carnall lust to eik1112 the fyir;
I fairlie1113 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 seir1114
Of fynest camroche thair fuksaillis;1115
And all for newfangilnes of geir.
And of fyne silk thair furrit cloikis,
With hingand1116 sleivis, lyk geill poikis1117;
Na preiching will gar thame forbeir
To weir all thing that sinne provoikis;
And all for newfangilnes of geir.
Thair wylecots man1118 weill be hewit,
Broudirit1119 richt braid, with pasmentis sewit1120:
I trow, quha wald the matter speir1121,
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 drawin1122;
With gartens of ane new maneir,
To gar thair courtlines be knawin;
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 beidis1123,
With velvet hats heicht1124 on thair heidis,
Coirdit with gold lyik ane younkeir1125,
Brouderit about with goldin threidis;
And all for newfangilnes of geir.
Thair schone of velvot, and thair muillis1126;
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 mein1127 of thame thair honour dreidis;
Quhy sould thay nocht have honest weidis,
To thair estait doand effeir1128?
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 heir
Think weill1129 of all wemen I mein,
On vaniteis that waistis 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 day
Than wald thair mothers in ane yeir;
Quhilk will gar monye pak1130 decay,
Quhen thay sa vainlie waist thair geir.
Thairfoir, young wyfis speciallie,
Of all sic faultis hald yow frie,
And moderatly to leif now leir1131
In meit, and clayth1132 accordinglie;
And nocht sa vainlie waist your geir.
Use not to skift athort the gait1133,
Nor na mum chairtis, air nor lait1134;
Be na dainser, nor this daingeir
Of yow be tane an ill consait
That ye ar habill1135 to waist geir.
Hant1136 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 generallie
To all wemen, quhat-evir thay be,
This lesson for to quin per queir1137,
Syne keip it weill continuallie
Better nor onye warldlie geir.
Leif1138, burgess men, or all be loist,
On your wyfis to mak sic cost,
Quhilk may gar all your bairnis bleir1139:
Scho that may not want wyne and roist
Is abill for to waist sum geir.
Betwene thame and nobillis of blude
Na difference bot ane velvous huid!
Thair camroche curcheis1140 ar als deir;
Thair uther claythis ar als guid;
And thai als costlie in uther geir.
Bot, wald grit ladyis tak gud heid
To thair honour, and find remeid,
Thai suld thole1141 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 perseveir
Into sic folische vanitie
For na newfangilnes of geir.
Of burgess wyfis thoch I speik plaine,
Sum landwart1142 ladyis ar als vain,
As be thair cleithing may appeir;
Werand1143 gayer nor thame may gain—
On ouir1144 vaine claythis waistand geir.