Poems (1830) :: :: University of Virginia Library

Sum wyfis of the burrows-toun
Sa wondir vane ar, and wantoun,
In warld thay watt not quhat to weir:
On claythis thay wair monye a croun;
And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Thair bodyes bravelie thay atyir,
Of carnall lust to eik the fyir;
I fairlie 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:
Of fynest camroche thair fuk-saillis;
And all for newfangilnes of geir.

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

Thair wylecots man weill be hewit,
Broudirit richt braid, with pasmentis sewit:
I trow, quha wald the matter speir,
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;
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 beidis;
With velvet hats heicht on thair heidis,
Coirdit with gold lyik ane younkeir,
Brouderit about with goldin threidis;
And all for newfangilnes of geir.

Thair schone of velvot, and thair muillis;
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 of thame thair honour dreidis;
Quhy sould thay nocht have honest weidis,
To thair estait doand effeir?
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 weill of all wemen I mein,
On vaneteis that waistis geir.

Thay say wyfis are 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,
Nor wald thair mothers in ane yeir:
Quhilk will gar monye pak 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
In meit, and clayth accordinglie;
And nocht sa vainlie waist your geir.

Use not to skift athort the gait;
Nor na mum chairtis, air nor lait;
Be na dainser, nor this daingeir
Of yow be tane an ill consait,
That ye ar habill to waist geir.

Hant 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 lessoun for to quin per queir;
Syne keip it weill continuallie,
Better nor onye warldlie geir.

Leif, burgess men, or all be loist,
On your wyfis to mak sic cost,
Quhilk may gar all your bairnis bleir:
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 curcheis 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 thole 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 landwart ladyis ar als vain,
As be thair cleithing may appeir;
Werand gayer, nor thame may gain;
On ouir vaine claythis waistand geir.