[The tua mariit wemen and the wedo. And other poems]

He wil my corse all beclip et clap to his breist Quhē schaiffyn̄ is that ald schaik with a scharp rasour He schowis on̄ me his schewill mouth & schēdis my lippis And with his hard hurtheonē scyn̄ sa hekllis he my chekis. That as a glemand gleyd glowis my chaftis I schrenk for ye scharp stound bot schout dar I nought For i schore of that auld schrew schame hī betide The luf blenkis of that bogill fra his blerde ene As belzebub had on̄ me blent abasit my spreit. And quhē ye smy on̄ me smyrkis with his smake smolet He fepillis like a farcy aver that flyrit on̄ a gillot. Quhē that ye sound of is saw sinkis in my eris Tan ay renewis my noy or he be neir cūand. Quhē i heir nēmyt his name yā mak i nyne crocis. To keip me fra ye cūmerans of that carll mangit That full of eldnyng is et anger et all euill thewis I dar nought luke to my luf for that lene gib. He is sa full of ielusy and engyne fals. Eu{er} ymagynyng in mynd mat{er}is of euill Compasand et castand cacis a thousand Ho he sall tak me with a trawe at trist of ane oyir I dar nought keik to ye knaip that ye cop fillis. For eldnyng of that ald schrew that eu{er} on̄ euill thynkis. For he is wistit et worne fra venus werkis. And may nought beit worght a bene in bed of my mystirs. He trowis that ʒoung folk iʒerne ʒeild for he gane is Bot i may ʒuke all yis ʒer or his ʒerd help Ay quhē that caribald carll wald clym̄ on̄ my wambe Than am i danger{us} et daine & dour of my will ʒit leit i neū that larbar my leggis ga betuenene To fyle my flesche na fūmyll me with out a fee gret And yoght his pen̄ purly me payis in bed His purse pays richely in recompense eft{er} For or he clym̄ on̄ my corse t••at carybald forlane. I haue cōdition̄ of a curche of kersp all yer fynest.

A govn of engranyt claitgh ritgh gaily furrit. A ring with a ryall stane or oyer riche iowell. Or rest of his routy raid yotgh he wer rede wmyod For all ye buddis of iohnt blunt quhē he abone clymis. Me think ye baid deir a boutht sa bawth ar his werkis And yus i sell him solace yotgh i it sour think ••ra sic a syre god ʒow saif my sueit sist{er}s deir. Quhē that ye semely had said hir sentence to end. Than all yai leuth apū loft with latis full mery And raucht ye cop round about full off ric••e wynis And ralʒett lang or yai wald rest with ryatus spec••e The wedo ye toyir wlonk warpit yer wordis. Now fair sist{er} fallis ʒow but fenʒing to tell. Sen mā ferst witgh mat{er}mony ʒow menkit ī kirk. Now haif ʒe farne be ʒour faith {con}fese ws ye treuth. That band to blise or to ban qulk ʒow best thinkis. Or how ʒe like lif to leid in to lell spousage And syne my self ʒe exem̄ on̄ ye samy wise An i sall say furth ye sout•• dissymyland no word The plesand said i {pro}test ye treuth gif i schaw That of ʒour toungis ʒe be traist ye toyir twa grantit With yat sprang vp hir spreit be a span̄ hec••ar. To speik {quod} scho i sall noutgh spar yer is no spy neir. I sall a ragment reveil fra rute of my hert A roust that is sa rākild quhill risis my stomok Now sall ye byle all out brist that beild has so lang. For it to beir on̄ mi breist wes berdin our hevy. I sall ye venome devoid with a vent large And me assuage of ye swalme that suellit wes gret My husband wes a hur mast{er} ye hugeast in erd Tharfor i hait hī with my hert sa help me our lord He is a ʒoung mā rytgh ʒaip bot noutgh in ʒouth flouris For he is fadit full far et feblit of strenth He wes as flurising fresche with in yis few ʒeris. Bot he is falʒeid full far et fulʒeid in labour.

He has bene lychour so lang quhill lost is his n•••••••• his ••••me is vaxit larbar et lyis in tho swonne. Wes neu{er} sugeorne wer set na on̄ that snaill tyrit For eft{er} vii oulkis rest it will noutgh rap anys He has bene waistit 〈…〉〈…〉 he me wif chesit. And in adultre in my tyme i haif him tane oft And ʒit he is als brankand witgh bonet on̄ syde. And blenkand to ye brithtest that in ye burtgh duellis Alse curtly of his clething et kemyng of his hair. As he that is mare valʒeand in venus chalm{er} He semys to be sūthing worth that syphyr in bour He lukis as he wald luffit be yotgh he be litill of valour. He dois as dotit dog that danys on̄ all bussis. An liftis his leg apon̄ loft yotgh he noutgh list pische He has a luke witghout lust et lif witghout curage He has a forme without force et fesson̄ but vertu. And fair wordis but effect all fruster of dedis He is for ladyis in luf a right lusty schadow. Bot in to derne at ye deid he salle drup fundī He ralis et makes repet witgh ryatus wordis Ay rusing hī of his radis et rageing in chalm{er}. Bot god wait quhat i think quhyē he so thra spekis. And how it settis him so syde to sege of sic mat{er}is Bot gif him self of sū evin mytgh ane say amang yaī Bot he noutgh ane is bot naue of naturis possessoris Scho that has ane auld mā noutgh all is begylit He is at venus werkis na war na he semys I wend i josit a gem̄ et i haif geit gottin He had ye glemyng of gold et wes bot glase fundī Thought mē be ferse wele i fynd fra falʒe yer curage That is bot eldnyng or anger yer hertis withī: ʒe speik of berdis on̄ bewch of blise may yai sing That on̄ sanct valētynis day ar vacandis ilk ʒer. Hed i yat plesand prevelege to {per}t quhē me likit. To c••ange et ay to cheise agane yā chastite adew.

Than suld i haif i a fresch feir to fang ī mynn armys To hald a freke quhill he faynt may foly be calit Aponē sic mat{er}is i mus at mydnyght full oft And murnys so ī my mynd i murdris my selfin. Than ly i walkand for wa and walt{er}is about Uvariand 〈◊〉〈◊〉 my wekit kyn that me away cast To sic cradounē b•••• cur•••• that knyt my cler bewte And yer so mony kene knygtis yis kenrik within Than think i on a semlyar ye suth for to tell Na is our syre be sic sevin with yat i syth ost Than he ful tend{er}ly dois turne to me his twme {per}son. And with a ʒoldin ʒerd dois ʒolk me ī armys And sais my sou{er}ane sueit thing quiy sleip ʒe no betir Me think yer haldis ʒowe a hete as ʒe sū harme alyt. {quod} i my hony hald abak and handill me nought sair; A hathe is happinit hastely at my hert rut. Uwith yat i seme for to swounē tought i na swerf tak And yus beswik i yat swane with my sueit wordis I cast on him a crabit e quhē cleir day is cūmyn And lettis it is a luf blink quhē he about glemys I turne it in a tend{er} luke that i in tene warit And him behaldis hamely with hertly smyling I wald a tend{er} peronall that myght na put thole. That hatit me with hard geir for hurting of flesch Had mā gud my to hir gest for i dar god suer Scho suld not stert for his straik a stray breid of erd. And syne i wald that ilk band that ʒe so blist call Had bund him so to to yat bryght quhill his bak werkit And i wer in a beid broght with berne that me likit I trow that bird of my blis suld a bourd want Onone quhē yis amyable had endit hir speche Luly rauthand ye laif allowit hir meklē Thir gay wiffis maid ga•••• amang ye greue leiffis. Thai drank et did a way dule vnd{er} derne bewis Thai swapit of ye sueit wyne yai swan quhit of hewis

Bot all ye pertlyar ī plane yai ••ut out thar vocis▪ Than said ye weido I v•••• 〈…〉〈…〉 Now tydis me for to talk my taill it is n•••••• God my spreit now inspir et my speche qu••••in And send me sentence to say substātious et noblē. Sa yat my preching may pers a our {per}verst hertis And mak yow mekar to mē in man{er}is et conditiounis I schavv ʒow sist{er} in schrift i wes a schrew eu{er} ī nīcrit bot i wes schene in my sc••rowd et schew me And yougt i dour wes et dane dispitois et bald I wes dissymblit suttely ī a sanctis liknes I semyt sober and sueit et sempill without fraud Bot i couth sexty dissaif that suttillar wer haldī Uvnto my lesson ʒelyth et leir at me wit Gif yov nought list be forleit with losingeris vntreu be constant ī ʒour gou{er}nance et count{er} feit gud man{er}s. yougt ʒe be kene inconstant et cruell of mynd yougt ʒe as tygris be terne be tretable in luf And be as turtoris i your talk yout ʒe haif talis brukill. Be dragonis baitht and dowis ay in double forme And quhen it nedis ʒow onone note baith ther stranthis Be amyable with humble face as angellis apperand And with a t{er}rebill tail be stangand as edderis Be of ʒour luke like innocentis yog••t ••e haif euill myndis. Be courtly ay in clething et costly arrayit That hurtis ʒow nought worth a hen ʒowr husband pays for all. Twa husbandis haif i had yai held me baith deir. Thought i dispytit yaī agane yai spytit it na thing. Ane wes ane hair hogeart that hostit out flewme I hatit him like a hund thought i it hid preue. With kissing et with clapping i gert ye carill fon̄ Uveil couth i krych his cruke bak & kem his kewt noddill. And with a bukky i my cheik bo an him behind And with a bek gang about et bler his ald e And with a kyind contynan•••• ••ys his crynd c••ekis.

〈◊〉〈◊〉 to my mynd makand mo••is at that mad fad{er}. Trovand me wit•• 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 to 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hī so fair. This coug•••• 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 with 〈…〉〈…〉 na dises tak bot ay be me〈…〉〈…〉 et myrth full of cher I had a lufsum〈…〉〈…〉 for to be slokyn. That couth be secrete and sure and ay saif my honour And sew bot at certane tymes et in sicir placis Ay quhē ye ald did me anger with akword wordis Apon ye galland for to goif it gladit me agane I had sic wit that for wo weipit i litill. bot leit ye sue it ay ye sour to gud sesone bring. Quhē that ye chuf wald me chid with girnand chaftis I v••••d him chuk cheik et chyn et cheris hī so mekill that his chief chymys had chevist to my sone. Suppos ye churll wes gane chaist or ye child wes gottī As wis womā ay i wrouht et not as wod fule For mar with wylis i wan na withtnes of handis Syne maryt i a nīchand mygti of gudis. He wes a mā of mydeld et of mene statur. bot we na fallowis wer ī frendschiprblud In fredome na furth bering na fairnes of {per}sounē Quilk ay ye fule did forʒet for febilnes of knawlege. Bot i sa oft thogt hī on quhill angrit his hert. And quhilū i put furht my voce et pedd{er} hī callit I wald ryght tinchandly talk bei wes tuyse maryit For endit wes my innocence with my ald husband I wes apperand to be pert within {per}fit eild. Sa sais ye curat of our kirk that knew me full ʒing He is our famous to be fals that fair worthy prelot. I salbe laith to-lat him le quhill i may luke fueth I gert ye buth mā obey yer wes no bute ellis He maid me ryght hie reu{er}ens fra he my rytht knew. For yot i say it my self ye seu{er}ance wes meklē Be tuix his bastard blude et my birth noblē That page wes neu{er} of sic price for to p̄some anys.

Unto my {per}sone to be peir had pete nought grantit. Bot m{er}cy in to woma heid is a meklē vertu. For neu{er} bot in a gentill hert is gen{er}it ony ruth I held ay grene ī to his mynd that i of grace tuk hī And for he couht ken him self i curtasly hī lerit He durst not sit anys my sūmondis for or he secund charge He wes ay redy for to ryn so rad he wes for blame. bot ay my will wes ye wat of womāly natur. The mair he loutit for my luf ye les of hī i rakit And eik yis is a ferly thing or i hi faith gaif I had sic fauour to that freke and feid syne for eu{er}. Quhē i ye cure had all clene et hī our cūmy haill I crew abone that craudonē as cok that wer wictour. Quhē i hī saw subieit et soit at myn bydding Than i him lithtlyit as a lowne et lathit his man{er}is Than woxe i sa vnm{er}ciable to m{er}tir hī i thougt For as a best i broddit hī to all boyis laubour I wald haif ridd hī to rome with raip ī his heid wer not ruffill of my renovnē et rumour of pepill And ʒit hatrent i hid within my hert all. bot quhilis it hepit so huge quhill it behud out. ʒit tuk i neū ye wosp clene out of my wyde t••rote Quhill i outht wantit of my will or quhat i w••ld desir bot quhē i seu{er}it had that syre of substance ī erd. And gottī his biggnigis to my barne et hie burrow lādis. Than with a stew stert out ye stoppell of my hals That he all stwnyst throu ye stound as of a stele wappī Than wald i eft{er} lang first sa fane half bene wrokin That i to flyte wes als fers as a fell dragoun I had for flatt{er}ing of that fule fenʒeit so lang. Mi uidentis of he{er}tagis or ai wer all selit. My breist ythat wes gret beid bowdyn wes sa huge That nieir my baret out birst or the band makin bot quhē my billis et my bauthles wes all braid selit I wald na langar beir on bridill bot braid vp my heid.

Thar myght na molet mak me moy na hald my mouth in. I g••t ye rīʒeis rak et rif in to sondir I maid that wif carll to werk all womēs werkis And laid all mā•••• mat{er}is and m••••sk in yis eird Than said i to my cūmar{ris} in c••••••sall all about Se now i cabeld ʒonē cout wiht a kene brydill The cappill that ye crelis kest in ye caf mydding Sa curtasly ye cart drawis ā kēnis na plūgeing He is nought skeith na ʒit sker na scippis nought on̄ syd. And yus ye scorne & ye skaith scapit he noyir, He wes no glaid sū gest for a gay lady Thar for gat hī a gam̄ that ganyt him bettir He wes a gret goldit mā et of gudis riche I leit him be my lūbart to lous me all nustis And he wes fane for to fang fra me that fair office. And thoght my fauo{ris} to fynd thrō his feill giftis He grathit me in a gay silk et gudly arrayis In gownis of engranyt claight et gret goldī chinʒeis In ringis ryally set with riche ruby stonis Quhill hely raise my renovnē amang ye rude peple Bot i full crftaely did keip yai courtly wedis. Quhill eft{er} dede of that drupe that dotht nought in chalmir Tought he of all my clathis maid cost et expense Ane oyir sall ye worschip haif that weildis me eftir And yoght i likit him bot littill ʒit for luf of oyirs I wald me prūʒa plesandly in precius wedis That luffa{ris} myght apon̄ me luke & ʒing lusty gallādis That i held more in daynte et derer be ful mekill Ne hī that dressit me so dink full dotit wes hi•• heyd Quhē he wes heryit out of hand to hie vp my honoris And payntit me as pako proudest of feddīs I hī miskēnyt be crist et cukkald hī maid I him for leit as a lad et lathlyit hī mekle I thoght my self a papīgay et him a plukit h••rle All yus enforsit he his fa et fortifyit in strenth

And maid a stalwart staff to strik hī selfe doune Bot of ane bowrd in to bed i sall ʒow breif ʒit Quhē he ane hal••ar wes hanyt & hi behuffit cage And i wes laith to be loppī with sic a lob avoir. Alse lang as he wes on̄ loft i lukit on̄ hī neu{er}. Na leit neu{er} in my thoght that he my thing persit: Bot ay in mynd ane oyir mā ymagynit that i haid Or ellis had i neu{er} mery bene at that myrthles raid. Quhē i that grome geldit had of gudis & of natur. Me thoght hī gracelese on̄ to goif sa me god help. Quhē he had warit all on̄ me his welth et his substance Me thoght his wit wes all went a way with ye laif Ad so i did him dispise i spittit quhē i saw. That sup{er} spendit euill spreit spvlʒeit of all vertu. For weill ʒe watt wiffis that he that wantis riches And valʒeandnes in venus play is ful vile haldī Full fruster is his fresch array et fairnes of personne All is bot frut lese his effeir et falʒeis at ye vp with. I buskit vp my barnis like baronis sōnis. And maid bot fulis of ye fry of his first wif I banyst fra my boundis his breyir ilkane. His frendis as my fais i heid at feid evir. Be yis ʒe beleif may i luffit noutgh hī self. For neu{er} i likit a leid that langit till his blude And ʒit yer wismē yai wait that all wiffis euill. Ar kend with yer conditionis et knawī with ye sa〈…〉〈…〉 Deid is now that dyour et dollin in erd. With him deit all my dule et my drery thogtis Now done is my dolly nyght my day is vpsprūgī. Adew dolour adew my daynte now begynis. Now am̄ i a wedow i wise and weill am̄ at ese I weip as i wer woful bot wel is me for eu{er}. I busk as i wer bailfull bot blith is my hert. My mouth it mak{ris} murnyng et my mynd lauc••is. My clokis yai ar caerfull in colour of sabill.

Bot courtly and ryght curyus my corse is yer vndir. I drup with a ded luke in my dule habit. As with māis daill had done for dayis of my lif. Quhē that i go to ye kirk cled in cair weid. As foxe in a lambis fleise fenʒe i my cheir Than lay i furtgh my bright buke on̄ breid on̄ my kne. With mony lusty lett{er} ellūmynit with gold And drawis my clok forth wart our my face quhit That i may spy vnaspyit a space me beside Full oft i blenk by my buke et blynis of deuotion̄ To se quhat berne is best brand or bredest in schuldīs On f••••••eit is maist forcely to furnyse a bancat. In venus chalm{er} valʒeandly withoutī vane ruse. And as ye new mone all pale oppressit with change. Kythis quhilis her cleir face trō cluddis of sable So keik i thrō my clokis et castis kynd lukis. To knythis and to cleirkis and corly {per}sonis. Quhē frendis of my husbandis behaldis me on̄ fer I haif a watt{er} spunge for wa with in my wyde clokis Than wring i it full wylely et wetis my chekis. Wit that watt{er}is myn ene et weltīs doune teris. Than say yai all that sittis about se ʒe nought allace ʒone lustlese led so lelely scho luffit hir husband ʒone is a pete to enprent in a princis hert That sic a perle of plesance suld ʒone pane dre I sane me as i war ane sanct et semys ane angell At langage of lichory i leit as i war crabit I sich wit out sair hert or seiknes in body According to my sable weid i most haif sad manīs Or yai will se all ye suth for certis we wemen. we set ws all for ye sytgh to syle mē of treuth. we dule for na euill deid sa it be derne haldin wisemē has wayis aud wond{er} full gydingis wit gret engyne to be iaip yer iolyus husbandis And quyetly with sic craft gvoyis our matīs.

That und{er} crist no creatur kēnis of our doingis. Bot folk a cury m••y mistuke that knawlege wantis And has na colouris for te couer yer awne kindly favtis: As dois yir damysellis for derne dotit lufe. That dogonis haldis in dainte et delis with yai so lang Quhill ar ye c̄tre knaw yer kyndnes et faith Faith has a fair name bot fals heid faris beittir. Fy on̄ hir that cā nought feyne her fame for to saif ʒit am i wise in sic werk et wes all my tyme. yoght i want wit in warldlynes i wylis haif in luf As ony happy wamā has that is of hie blude Hutit be ye halok lase a hund{er} ʒeir of eild. I haue ane secrete serwand rycht sobir of his toung That me supportis of sic nedis quhē i a syne mak. yoght he be sympill to ye sicht he has a tong sickir. Full mony semelyar sege wer seruice dois mak Thotgh i haif cair vnd{er} cloke ye cleir day quhill nygt ʒit haif i solace vnd{er} serk quhill ye sone ryse ʒit am i haldī a haly wif our all ye haill schyre. I am sa peteouse to ye pur quhē yer {per}sonis mony. In passing of pilgrymage i pri•• me full mekle Mair for ye prese of peple na ony {per}don wynyng. Bot ʒit me think ye best bourd quhē baronis et knythis And oyir bachilleris blith blwmyng in ʒouth And all my luffaris lele my lugeng {per}sewis And fyllis me wyne wātonly with weilfair et ioy Sū rowis et sū talʒeis et sū redis ballatis. Sū raiffis furght rudly with riatus speche Sū plenis et sū prayis sū prasis mi bewte Sū kissis me sū clappis me sū kyndnes me {pro}feris Sū kerffis to me curtasli sū me ye cop giffis Sū stalwardly steppis ben with a stout curage And a stif standand thing staiffis in mi neiff And mony blenkis ben our that but full fer sittis That mai for ye thik th••••ng noutgh thrif as yai wald.

Bot with my fair calling i comfort yaī all. For he that sittis me mxt i nip on his finger I serf hī on ye toyir syde on ye sanū fasson. And he that be hi•••• me i hard on him lene. And hi befor with my fut fast on his i stramp And to ye bernis far but sueit blenkis i cast To eu{er}y mā in speiall speke i sū wordis So wisly and so womāly quhill warmys yet hertis That is no liffand leid so law of degre that sall me luf vnluffit i am so loik hertit And gif his lust so be lent ī to my lyre quhit That he be lost or with me lak his lif sall not danger. I am so m{er}cifull ī mynd et menys all withtis My sely saull salbe saif quhē sa bot all iugis Lladyis leir yir lessonis et be no lassis fundī. This is ye legeand of my lif yought latyne it be nane. Quhē endit had hir ornat speche yis eloquēt wedow Llowd yai lewth all ye laif et loffit hir mekle And suid yai sald exampill tak of her sou{er}ane teching And wirk eft{er} hir wordis that womā wes so prudent than culit yai yer mouthis with confortable drinkis And carpit full cūmerlik with cop gonig round. Thus draif yai our that deir nyght with danceis full noble Quhill that ye day did vp daw et dew donkit flouris The morow myld wes et meik ye mavis did sing And all remuffit ye myst et ye meid smellit. Silu{er} schouris doune schuke as ye schene cristall And berdis shoutit in schaw with yer still notis. The goldī glitt{er}and gleme so gladit yer hertis That maid a glorius gle amang ye grene bewis The soft sow••h of ye swyr et sovne of ye stremys The sueit sawour of ye sward singnig of foulis Myght confort ony creatur of ye kyn of adā And knidill agane his curage yoght it wer cald sloknyt. Than rais tyer ryall rosis in yer rithe wedis

And rakit hame to yer ••••st thrō ye rise blwmys And i all prevely past to a plesand arber. And with my pen̄ did report yer pastance most mery. ʒe auditoris most honorable that eris has gevin. On̄ to yis vncouth aventur quhilk airly me hapīnit Of yer thre wanton̄ wiffis that i haif writtī heir Quhilk wald ʒe vvaill to ʒour vvif gif ʒe suld vved one

{quod} dunbar.