University of Virginia Library

Heere Prowd Beautye beginneth to talke with Robin her Brother, for her proud fancye and wanton dallying: Very necessary to be read and marked of all Maydens that seeke the vaine glory of this world, and the vncomly trickes therin, that they may auoide the dangers therof: for feare of condemnation.

The Maide.
Brother Robert, yesterday, as I vnderstand,
With my father and mother yov were offended:

The name of Gods woord to the blasphemie therof.

With her for her apparrell, and with him for his land;
Thov wovldst by the gospell haue them amended;
Mary, I with my selfe haue thvs pretended
To be faire and feate, nice and neate, is a gay thing:
To colly and kis, my pleasvre it is, for all yovr new learning.

Robin.
New learning, Sister? What, yov be uery bolde
Thvs disdainfvlly to giue it svch a name:
God's woord indeed is both new and olde,
To set a woorke all things in right frame;
Bvt yov boast of knackes that will bring yov to shame.
Wherfore, measvre yovr pleasvre by God's woord and will,
And yov shall finde that yovr minde is whorish and ill.

Maide.
What, whorish? yov knaue, by the blessed masse,
Whore I am thvs to sweare, God giue the sorrow!
Dovt not if I can bring my matters to passe,
I will haue knacks indeed (yov knaue) by to morrow;

Euill woords corrupt good maners.

Yet will I for them neither beg, steale, nor borrow.
Oh, to be faire and feate, nice and neate, is a gay thing:
To colly and kis, my pleasvre it is, for all yovr new learning.

Robin.
Sister, it becommeth maides to be gentle of speach,
Both to man, wife, and childe, whersoeuer they goe:
That yovr woords and woorkes yovr children may teache
To liue in the feare of God heerafter also;
Wovld yov be and doo as yov list? No, sister, no.
Bvt measvre yovr pleasvre by God's woord and will,
And yov shall finde that yovr minde is whorish and ill.

Maide.
Jack savce (I say) thov lovt, thov hoddie peake,
I defie thy teaching I wovld thov know:
Doost thov take vpon thee to learne me speake?
By the masse, bvt for shame thov shovldst beare me a blow;
As I am of person so my behaviovr shall show.
Oh, to be faire and feate, nice and neate, is a gay thing:
To colly and kis, my pleasvre it is, for all yovr new learning.

Robin.
Salomon declareth this by the beavtifvll rovt,
A faire woman withovt discrete manners (saith he)
Is like a ring of golde on a Swines snovt,
The which is a thing, sister, vncomely to see,
And now svrely by yov it well may spoken be;
If yov measvre yovr pleasvre by God's woord and will,
Yov shall finde that yovr minde is whorish and ill.

Maide.
By my troth, for a knaue I will thee allow:
All the dayes of thy life thov shalt be none other:
Doost thov liken me and my maners vnto a sow?
Mary, I defie thee, thovgh thov art my brother.
Sir, my fashions doo please my father and mother.
Oh, to be faire and feate, nice and neate, is a gay thing:
To colly and kis, my pleasvre it is, for all yovr new learning.

Robin.
Sister, can yov be fayrer then God hath yov made,
Feater or neater, by policye or wit?
I aske yov, becavse yovr covlovr oft dooth fade,
And yovr clothes uery grossely abovt yov do sit,
If yov vse anything not honest and fit;
Then measvre yovr pleasvre by God's woord and will,
And yov shall finde that yovr minde is whorish and ill.

Maide.
If God make my face as browne as a berry,

The prattises and motions of Sathan and are vsed of those that be his fathers darlings now a dayes.

I can painte it white and rvddish withall;
And if God make me looke as red as a Cherry,
I can drie vp my blood with Chalke in a wall;
If God make me grosse, I can pent my selfe small.
To be faire and feate, nice and neate, is a gay thing:
To colly and kisse, my pleasvre it is, for all yovr new learning.

Robin.
Oh, what a damnable euill, that either Christian or Tvrke
Shovld trans-forme them selues from their first creation:
What Lvcifer woman will amend God's woorke.
They farre excell the Sodomites in this abomination:
O pride ovt of measvre! O sathans generation!
Measvre this pleasvre by God's woord and will,
And yov shall finde that yovr minde is whorish and ill.

Maide.

The workes of the euill.

Tvsh, I can dye my haire; be it neuer so black,
I can make it shine like golde in a little space:
Also to tire vp my head I haue svch a knack,
That some maides will delight to follow my trace.
I can lay ovt my haire to set ovt my face:
Oh, to be faire and feate, nice and neate, is a gay thing:
To colly and kisse, my pleasvre it is, for all yovr new learning.

Robin.
To dye and to fleare yovr haire so abroad,
Svrely, sister, yov doo it shamfvlly vse:
For with the Scriptvres it dooth not accord,
That maides nor wiues their haire shovld so abvse;
Couer it for shame: it is the vse of the stves.
Therfore measvre yovr pleasvre by God's woord and will,
And yov shall finde that yovr minde is whorish and ill.

Maide.
Brother, thov art bvt a foole me thvs to checke,

The decking and balming of proud liuing Idols.

For I will haue my Pomanders of most sweet smell:
Also my Chaines of golde to hang abovt my necke,
And my broadered haire while I at home dwell;
Stomachers of golde becommeth me well.
To be faire and feate, nice and neate, is a gay thing:
To colly and kis, my pleasvre it is, for all yovr new learning.

Robin.
Sister, in the third of Esay, the Lord saith plaine,
For yovr broadered hairs yov shall haue baldnes:
For yovr Chaines of golde yov shall haue halters certaine
For yovr Pomanders and mvske, yov shal haue stink dovtles:
And for yovr stomachers, sack-cloth; this he dooth confes.
Wherfore measvre yovr pleasvre by God's woord and will,
And yov shall finde that yovr minde is whorish and ill.

Maide.

Feare and shame much sin doth tame.

If the Lord plagve all those that so leade their liues,
With halters and stinkings and with baldnes of head:
Great shame it will be both for maidens and wiues,
That so tire them selues dayly till they goe to bed;
To be thvs plagved, marry, I had rather to be dead.
To be faire and feate, nice and neate, is a gay thing:
To colly and kis, my pleasvre it is, for all yovr new learning.

Robin.
Sister, yovr colling and kissing will haue an euill end;
To clatter and flatter is no maidenlike way:
Yovr gladnes and madnes doth God sore offend,
To intice men to uice is all yovr cheefest play:
In their sight yovr delight is for to goe gay.
Wherfore measvre yovr pleasvre by God's woord and will,
And yov shall finde that yovr minde is whorish and ill.

Maide.
I perceiue that thov wovldst haue me liue like a mome
I will talke no more with thee, for I mvst depart;
By the masse, if thov shovldst dwell long at home,
My mother and I might beshrew thy hart.
If thov by thy talking shovldst my father conuert,
Then his welth, her pleasvre, my pastime and dallying,
Were clene dispatched by this new learning.

Robin.
Sister, God haue yov and saue yov, if it be his pleasvre,
And pretend to amend, for yovr life is now euill:
Look in God's book to haue heauenly treasvre;
There seek to be meek yovr provd hart to kill;
Make haste for to taste of God's holy will,
For it is health and welth to those that be penitent:
Wherfore yet euermore delight in Christ's Testament.