The seuin Seages Translatit out of prois in Scottis meter be Iohne Rolland in Dalkeith, with ane Moralitie efter euerie Doctouris Tale, and siclike efter the Emprice Tale, togidder with ane louing and laude to euerie Doctour efter his awin Tale, & ane Exclamation and outcrying vpon the Empreouris wife efter hir fals contrusit Tale ... Edited, with introduction, notes, and glossary, by Geo. F. Black |
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| Moralitas. |
 | The seuin Seages |  |
211
Moralitas.
O mercie God quhat thing is this,
The mater greitly meruellis me
That cunning Clerkis can not discus
The Ill and the Iniquitie
That in wemen bene,
Bred with greit tray and tene
The greit dissait and subteltie
Sic kenenes with greit crueltie
Was neuer hard nor sene.
The mater greitly meruellis me
That cunning Clerkis can not discus
The Ill and the Iniquitie
That in wemen bene,
Bred with greit tray and tene
The greit dissait and subteltie
Sic kenenes with greit crueltie
Was neuer hard nor sene.
This Lady in hir windo set,
Singing hir noitis sa curious
Presenting thair the deuillis net
Under cullour sa cautelous
Ȝoung men ar till hir gane,
And in hir net ar tane
And thair with mynde malitious
In hart being sa couetous
Causit murdreis thame Ilk ane.
Singing hir noitis sa curious
Presenting thair the deuillis net
Under cullour sa cautelous
Ȝoung men ar till hir gane,
And in hir net ar tane
And thair with mynde malitious
In hart being sa couetous
Causit murdreis thame Ilk ane.
This murther first scho did Inuent
That causit thir men for to be slane
Syne was the verray Instrument
First for to mak it knawin agane
Sa mony wayis scho fand,
For to tyist hir husband
To do mischief with sic fals trane,
And syne the same scho culd not lane
Bot maid it kend fra hand.
That causit thir men for to be slane
Syne was the verray Instrument
First for to mak it knawin agane
Sa mony wayis scho fand,
For to tyist hir husband
To do mischief with sic fals trane,
And syne the same scho culd not lane
Bot maid it kend fra hand.
Throw hir malice and her Inuy
Baith of hir husband and hir sell
The cruell murther scho did out cry
Quhair of nichtbouris had greit meruell.
Quhilk thing thay neuer knew,
Quhill that the wife it schew
And causit hir the treuth to tell,
How all the mater first befell
And how the Knichtis thay slew.
Baith of hir husband and hir sell
The cruell murther scho did out cry
Quhair of nichtbouris had greit meruell.
212
Quhill that the wife it schew
And causit hir the treuth to tell,
How all the mater first befell
And how the Knichtis thay slew.
Quha was puneist for thair misdeid,
And gat the rigour of the Law,
Now Schirs persaue quhat dois proceid
Of ane Ill womans wickit saw,
Huredome was first in plane
Syne gredynes but lane
To wow the woman as ȝe knaw.
The gold and slauchter did on draw
And causit the men be slane.
And gat the rigour of the Law,
Now Schirs persaue quhat dois proceid
Of ane Ill womans wickit saw,
Huredome was first in plane
Syne gredynes but lane
To wow the woman as ȝe knaw.
The gold and slauchter did on draw
And causit the men be slane.
Thairfoir I say thay that hes wyfes,
Let thame not all thair secreitis knaw,
For gif it chance that thay twa stryfes,
All that scho knawis that will scho schaw.
And rather mair nor les
Thay haue that vse expres,
For gif ȝe len thame anis ane blaw
Quyte auld freindschip thay let faw
Turnis all to wickitnes.
Let thame not all thair secreitis knaw,
For gif it chance that thay twa stryfes,
All that scho knawis that will scho schaw.
And rather mair nor les
Thay haue that vse expres,
For gif ȝe len thame anis ane blaw
Quyte auld freindschip thay let faw
Turnis all to wickitnes.
As did this wife in greit malice,
Hir husband and hir self put doun,
Throw hir counsall and couetice
To hyde the same had na ressoun.
That thing ȝe wald haue hid,
That to ȝour wyfe forbid
And it war neuer sa greit tressoun.
That scho sall tell throw all the toun
As this wickit wyfe did.
Hir husband and hir self put doun,
Throw hir counsall and couetice
To hyde the same had na ressoun.
That thing ȝe wald haue hid,
That to ȝour wyfe forbid
And it war neuer sa greit tressoun.
That scho sall tell throw all the toun
As this wickit wyfe did.
213
The wyse man sayis thair toungis ar schairp
As ony sword is wrocht with hand,
Quhairwith sa crouslie thay will cairp
Ilk word thay say alone sall stand.
Thay ar sa outrageous,
Irefull and dispittous,
Thay cure not the wag of ane wand
To gar ȝow tyne baith lyfe and land
Quhen thay grow furious.
As ony sword is wrocht with hand,
Quhairwith sa crouslie thay will cairp
Ilk word thay say alone sall stand.
Thay ar sa outrageous,
Irefull and dispittous,
Thay cure not the wag of ane wand
To gar ȝow tyne baith lyfe and land
Quhen thay grow furious.
God saue my self fra sic ane sort
For I persaue thay ar perrellous
I promeis ȝow it is na sport
To find ȝour vnfreind in ȝour hous.
Quhidder be he or scho,
To tell all that I do
And thay be bauld and busteous,
Sa cūmersum and malitious,
I can not tell quhairto.
For I persaue thay ar perrellous
I promeis ȝow it is na sport
To find ȝour vnfreind in ȝour hous.
Quhidder be he or scho,
To tell all that I do
And thay be bauld and busteous,
Sa cūmersum and malitious,
I can not tell quhairto.
Ne intenderis malice mulieris quia nouissima illius amara quasi absintheum longe fac ab ea viam tuam quia lingua eius accuta vt gladius biceps. Et pedes eius discendunt in mortem. Prouerb. 5.
| The seuin Seages | |