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33. Ane ballat maid to þe derisioun and scorne of wantoun wemen.
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55

33. Ane ballat maid to þe derisioun and scorne of wantoun wemen.

Ȝe lusty ladyis luke
The rakles lyfe ȝe leid,
Hant nocht in hoile or nuke
To hurt ȝour womanheid;
I reid, for best remeid,
Forbeir all place prophane:
Gife this be caus of feid,
I sall not said agane.
Quhat is sic luve bot lust,
A lytill for delyte,
To hant that game robust,
And beistly appetyte;
I nowdir fleische nor flyte,
To tell the trewith certane;
Taik ȝe this in despyte,
I sall not said agane.
The wysest scho may sone
Sedusit be and schent;
Syne fra the deid be done,
Perchance sall soir repent;
Ouir lait is till lament
Fra belly dow not lane,
To try in tyme take tent:
I sall not said agane.
Lycht wynchis luve will fawin,
Evin lyk ane spanȝeollis lawchter
To lat hir wamb be clawin
Be thame list geir betawcht hir;
For conȝie ȝe may chawcht hir,
To sched hir schankis in twane,
And nevir speir quhais awcht hir:
I sall not said agane.

56

Thocht bruckill wemen hantis
In lust to leid thair lyvis,
And wedow men þat wantis
To steill a pair of swyvis;
Bot quhair that mareit wyvis
Gois by thair husbandis bane,
That houshald nevir thryvis;
I sall not said agane.
It settis not madynis als
To latt men lowis thair laice
Nor clym about menis halss,
To clap, to kiss, nor braice,
Nor round in secreit place;
Sic treitment is a trane
To cleive thair quaver-caice:
I sall not said agane.
Fairweill with chestetie,
Fra wenchis fall to chucking,
Thair followis thingis thre
To gar thame ga in gucking,
Brasing, Graping, and Plucking;
Thir foure the suth to sane,
Enforsis thame to fucking:
I sall not said agane.
Sum luvis new cum to toun,
With jeigis to mak thame joly,
Sum luvis dance vp and doun,
To meiss thair malancoly;
Sum luvis lang trollie-lolly,
And sum of frigging fane,
Lyk fillokkis full of folly:
I sall not said agane.
Sum monebrunt madynis myld,
At nonetyd of the nicht,
Ar chappit vp with chyld,
But coile or candill-licht;

57

Sua sum said maidis hes slicht
To play, and tak no pane,
Syne chift thair seid fra sicht:
I sall not said agane.
Sum thinkis na schame to clap
And kiss in opin wyiss;
Sum can-nocht keip hir gap
Fra lansing as scho lyiss;
Sum gois so gymp in gyiss,
Or scho war kissit plane,
Scho['d] leir be japit thryiss:
I sall not [said againe].
Moir gentrice is to jott
Vndir ane silkin goun,
Nor ane quhyt pittecott
And reddyar ay boun;
The denkest / sonnest doun,
The farest / But refrane,
The gayest / Grittest loun:
I sall not said again.
The moir degest and grave,
The grydiar to grip it;
The nycest to ressave,
Vpoun the nynnis will nip it;
The quhytliest will quhip it,
And nocht hir hurdeis hane;
The less the lerger hippit:
I sall not said agane.
Loe! ladeis gif this bie,
Ane gud counsale I geif ȝow,
To saive ȝour honestie,
Fra sklander to releif ȝow;
Bot ballatis ma to breif ȝow,
I will nocht brek my brane,
Suppois ȝe sowld mischeif ȝow;
I sall not said agane.