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| III. |
| IV. |
| XI. |
| V. |
| VI. |
| VII. |
| VIII. |
| XIV. |
| IX. |
| XLVI. |
| XLVII. |
| XLVIII. | XLVIII. Followis the Ballat maid be Robert Semple of Ionet Reid, Ane Violet, and Ane Quhyt.
Being slicht wemen of lyf and conversatioun, and tavernaris. |
| X. |
| XIII. |
| XII. |
| XV. |
| XVI. |
| XVII. |
| XVIII. |
| XIX. |
| XX. |
| XXI. |
| XXII. |
| XXIII. |
| XXIV. |
| XXVI. |
| XXVII. |
| XXVIII. |
| XXIX. |
| XXX. |
| XXXI. |
| XXXII. |
| XXXIII. |
| XXXVIII. |
| XLIII. |
| XLV. |
| XXXIX. |
 | Satirical poems of the reformation |  |
398
XLVIII. Followis the Ballat maid be Robert Semple of Ionet Reid, Ane Violet, and Ane Quhyt. Being slicht wemen of lyf and conversatioun, and tavernaris.
Off cullouris cleir quha lykis to weir,
Ar sindry sortis in to this toun,
Grene, ȝellow, blew, and mony hew,
Bayth Pareiss blak, and Inglis broun;
Lundoun sky quha lykis to by,
Bot Cullour derroy is clene laid doun;
Dundy gray, this mony a day,
Is lychleit bayth wt laid and loun.
Ar sindry sortis in to this toun,
Grene, ȝellow, blew, and mony hew,
Bayth Pareiss blak, and Inglis broun;
Lundoun sky quha lykis to by,
Bot Cullour derroy is clene laid doun;
Dundy gray, this mony a day,
Is lychleit bayth wt laid and loun.
Stanche my fyking, and stryd my lyking,
Ar semely hewis for sommer play;
Dundippit in ȝello ffor mony gud fallo,
As Will of Quhit-hawch bad me say;
I will not dennyit till nane þat will by it;
For silver nane salbe said nay;
Ȝee not to plenzie, my clayth will not stenzie,
Suppois ȝe weit it nycht and day.
Ar semely hewis for sommer play;
Dundippit in ȝello ffor mony gud fallo,
As Will of Quhit-hawch bad me say;
399
For silver nane salbe said nay;
Ȝee not to plenzie, my clayth will not stenzie,
Suppois ȝe weit it nycht and day.
And I haif Quhyt off grit delyt,
And Violett, quha lykis to weir,
Weill werand Reid, quhill ȝe be deid,
Quhilk sall nocht failzie, tak ȝe no feir.
The Quhyt is gude, and richt weill lwid,
Bot ȝit the Reid is twyiss als deir;
The Violet syne, bayth fresche and fyne,
Sall serve ȝow hosing for a ȝeir.
And Violett, quha lykis to weir,
Weill werand Reid, quhill ȝe be deid,
Quhilk sall nocht failzie, tak ȝe no feir.
The Quhyt is gude, and richt weill lwid,
Bot ȝit the Reid is twyiss als deir;
The Violet syne, bayth fresche and fyne,
Sall serve ȝow hosing for a ȝeir.
The Quhyt is twiche, and fresche ennewche,
Soft as the silk, as all men seis;
The Reid is bony, and socht of mony:
Thay hyve abowt the houss lyk beis.
Wt Violet, to, gif ȝe haif ado,
It meites lyk stemmyne to ȝor theis;
Seure, be my witting, not brunt in the litting,
Suppois baith laidis and lȳmeris leis.
Soft as the silk, as all men seis;
The Reid is bony, and socht of mony:
Thay hyve abowt the houss lyk beis.
Wt Violet, to, gif ȝe haif ado,
It meites lyk stemmyne to ȝor theis;
Seure, be my witting, not brunt in the litting,
Suppois baith laidis and lȳmeris leis.
Off all thir thre hewis I haif left clewis,
To be oure court-men wintter weid;
Twynit and small, the best of thame all
May weir the claith for woll and threid.
Bot in the walk-mill the wedder is ill;
Thir ar nocht drying dayis indeid,
And gif it be watt, I hecht for that,
It tuggis in hoilis, and gais abbreid.
To be oure court-men wintter weid;
Twynit and small, the best of thame all
May weir the claith for woll and threid.
Bot in the walk-mill the wedder is ill;
Thir ar nocht drying dayis indeid,
And gif it be watt, I hecht for that,
It tuggis in hoilis, and gais abbreid.
Ȝit it is weill walkit, cairdit, and calkit,
Als warme a weid as weir the deule,
Weill wrocht in the lwmis with wobster gwmis:
Bayth thik and nȳmill gais the spwle.
Cottond and schorne, the mair it be worne
Ȝe find ȝour self the grittar fule;
Bot bony, forsuth, cum byit in my bwth,
To mak ȝow garmentis agane ȝule.
Als warme a weid as weir the deule,
Weill wrocht in the lwmis with wobster gwmis:
Bayth thik and nȳmill gais the spwle.
400
Ȝe find ȝour self the grittar fule;
Bot bony, forsuth, cum byit in my bwth,
To mak ȝow garmentis agane ȝule.
Bot mixt thir togidder, ȝourself may cōsidder,
Quhat fyner cullour can be fund,
And namely of breikis, gif ony man seikis,
Sall haif the pair ay for a pund.
Howbeid it be skant, na wowaris sall want,
That to my bidding wilbe bund:
Weill may thay brukit, thay neid not to lukit,
Bot graip it marklynis be the grund.
Quhat fyner cullour can be fund,
And namely of breikis, gif ony man seikis,
Sall haif the pair ay for a pund.
Howbeid it be skant, na wowaris sall want,
That to my bidding wilbe bund:
Weill may thay brukit, thay neid not to lukit,
Bot graip it marklynis be the grund.
Ȝour court-men heir hes maid my claith deir,
And raisd it twell-pēnis of the ell;
Ȝit is my claith seuver for sadillis to ceuver,
Suppois the sessioun raid thamesell.
The Violet certane wes maid Dumbartane,
The Reid wes walkit in Dumkell,
The Quhyt hes bene dicht in mony mirk nicht,
Bot tyme and place I can not tell.
And raisd it twell-pēnis of the ell;
Ȝit is my claith seuver for sadillis to ceuver,
Suppois the sessioun raid thamesell.
The Violet certane wes maid Dumbartane,
The Reid wes walkit in Dumkell,
The Quhyt hes bene dicht in mony mirk nicht,
Bot tyme and place I can not tell.
Now gif ȝe wirk wyislie, and schaip it precyslie,
The elwand wald be grit and lang;
Gif the byess be wyd, gar lay it on syd,
And sa ȝe can nocht weill ga wrang.
And, for the lang lest, it wald be schewid fast,
And cair not by how deip ȝe gang;
Bot want ȝe quhyt threid, ȝe can not cum speid:
Blak walloway mon be ȝor sang.
The elwand wald be grit and lang;
Gif the byess be wyd, gar lay it on syd,
And sa ȝe can nocht weill ga wrang.
And, for the lang lest, it wald be schewid fast,
And cair not by how deip ȝe gang;
Bot want ȝe quhyt threid, ȝe can not cum speid:
Blak walloway mon be ȝor sang.
Bot thot it be awld, and twēty tymis sawld,
Ȝit will the freprie mak ȝow fane
With vlis to renew it, and mak it weill hewit,
And gar it glanss lyk Dūmygrane.
Syne wt the sleik stanis, that servis for the nanis,
Thay raiss the pyle, I mak ȝow plane;
With mony grit aith thay sell this same claith,
To gar the byeris cum agane.
Ȝit will the freprie mak ȝow fane
With vlis to renew it, and mak it weill hewit,
And gar it glanss lyk Dūmygrane.
401
Thay raiss the pyle, I mak ȝow plane;
With mony grit aith thay sell this same claith,
To gar the byeris cum agane.
Now is my wob wrocht, and arlit to be bocht;
Cum lay the paymēt in my hand,
And, gif my claith felȝie, ȝe pay nocht a melȝie:
The wobb salbe at ȝour cōmand.
The merkit is thrang, and will not lest lang:
Thay by fast in the bordour land;
Albeid I haif tynsell, ȝet mon I tak hansell,
To pay my buth maill and my stand.
Cum lay the paymēt in my hand,
And, gif my claith felȝie, ȝe pay nocht a melȝie:
The wobb salbe at ȝour cōmand.
The merkit is thrang, and will not lest lang:
Thay by fast in the bordour land;
Albeid I haif tynsell, ȝet mon I tak hansell,
To pay my buth maill and my stand.
My claith wald be lwd wt grit mē of gwd,
Gif lawdis aud lownis wald latt me be:
Ȝit mon I excuss thame; how can I reffuss thame,
Sen all mēis penny makis him free?
The best and the gay of it, myself tuk a say of it,
A wylie-coit, I will nocht lee,
Quhilk did me no harme, bot held my cost werme,
A symple merchant, ȝe mā see.
Gif lawdis aud lownis wald latt me be:
Ȝit mon I excuss thame; how can I reffuss thame,
Sen all mēis penny makis him free?
The best and the gay of it, myself tuk a say of it,
A wylie-coit, I will nocht lee,
Quhilk did me no harme, bot held my cost werme,
A symple merchant, ȝe mā see.
This far to releif me, that na man repreif me,
In Jedburgh, at the Justice air,
This sang of thre lassis was maid abone glassis,
That tyme that thay wer tapstaris thair.
The first wes ane Quhyt, a lass of delyt;
The Violett, bayth gud and fair;
Keip the Reid fra skaith, scho is worth thame baith:
Sa, to be schort, I say no mair.
In Jedburgh, at the Justice air,
This sang of thre lassis was maid abone glassis,
That tyme that thay wer tapstaris thair.
The first wes ane Quhyt, a lass of delyt;
The Violett, bayth gud and fair;
Keip the Reid fra skaith, scho is worth thame baith:
Sa, to be schort, I say no mair.
Finis. Quod R. Semple.
| Satirical poems of the reformation | |