Donald Dickson's Abuse and Neglect History
kathleen
Mockingbird
2: I muvit furth allane, neir as midnicht wes past,
3: Besyd ane gudlie grein garth, full of gay flouris,
4: Hegeit, of ane huge hicht, with hawthorne treis;
5: Quhairon ane bird, on ane bransche, so birst out hir notis
6: That never ane blythfullar bird was on the beuche harde:
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7: Quhat throw the sugarat sound of hir sang glaid,
8: And throw the savour sanative of the sueit flouris,
9: I drew in derne to the dyk to dirkin efter mirthis;
10: The dew donkit the daill and dynnit the feulis.
11: I hard, under ane holyon hevinlie grein hewit,
12: Ane hie speiche, at my hand, with hautand wourdis;
13: With that in haist to the hege so hard I inthrang
14: That I was heildit with hawthorne and with heynd leveis:
15: Throw pykis of the plet thorne I presandlie luikit,
16: Gif ony persoun wald approche within that plesand garding.
17: I saw thre gay ladeis sit in ane grene arbeir,
18: All grathit in to garlandis of fresche gudlie flouris;
19: So glitterit as the gold wer thair glorius gilt tressis,
20: Quhill all the gressis did gleme of the glaid hewis;
21: Kemmit was thair cleir hair, and curiouslie sched
22: Attour thair schulderis doun schyre, schyning full bricht;
23: With curches, cassin thair abone, of kirsp cleir and thin:
24: Thair mantillis grein war as the gress that grew in May sessoun,
25: Fetrit with thair quhyt fingaris about thair fair sydis:
26: Off ferliful fyne favour war thair faceis meik,
27: All full of flurist fairheid, as flouris in June;
28: Quhyt, seimlie, and soft, as the sweit lillies
29: New upspred upon spray, as new spynist rose;
30: Arrayit ryallie about with mony rich vardour,
31: That nature full nobillie annamalit with flouris
32: Off alkin hewis under hevin, that ony heynd knew,
33: Fragrant, all full of fresche odour fynest of smell.
34: Ane cumlie tabil coverit wes befoir tha cleir ladeis,
35: With ryalle cowpis apon rawis full of ryche wynis.
36: And of thir fair wlonkes, tua weddit war with lordis,
37: Ane wes ane wedow, I wis, wantoun of laitis.
38: And, as thai talk at the tabill of many taill sindry,
39: Thay wauchtit at the wicht wyne and waris out wourdis;
40: And syne thai spak more spedelie, and sparit no matiris.
41: Bewrie, said the Wedo, ye woddit wemen ying,
42: Quhat mirth ye fand in maryage, sen ye war menis wyffis;
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43: Reveill gif ye rewit that rakles conditioun?
44: Or gif that ever ye luffit leyd upone lyf mair
45: Nor thame that ye your fayth hes festinit for ever?
46: Or gif ye think, had ye chois, that ye wald cheis better?
47: Think ye it nocht ane blist band that bindis so fast,
48: That none undo it a deill may bot the deith ane?
49: Than spak ane lusty belyf with lustie effeiris;
50: It, that ye call the blist band that bindis so fast,
51: Is bair of blis, and bailfull, and greit barrat wirkis.
52: Ye speir, had I fre chois, gif I wald cheis better?
53: Chenyeis ay ar to eschew; and changeis ar sueit:
54: Sic cursit chance till eschew, had I my chois anis,
55: Out of the chenyeis of ane churle I chaip suld for evir.
56: God gif matrimony were made to mell for ane yeir!
57: It war bot merrens to be mair, bot gif our myndis pleisit:
58: It is agane the law of luf, of kynd, and of nature,
59: Togiddir hairtis to strene, that stryveis with uther:
60: Birdis hes ane better law na bernis be meikill,
61: That ilk yeir, with new joy, joyis ane maik,
62: And fangis thame ane fresche feyr, unfulyeit, and constant,
63: And lattis thair fulyeit feiris flie quhair thai pleis.
64: Cryst gif sic ane consuetude war in this kith haldin!
65: Than weill war us wemen that evir we war fre;
66: We suld have feiris as fresche to fang quhen us likit,
67: And gif all larbaris thair leveis, quhen thai lak curage.
68: My self suld be full semlie in silkis arrayit,
69: Gymp, jolie, and gent, richt joyus, and gent ryce.
70: I suld at fairis be found new faceis to se;
71: At playis, and at preichingis, and pilgrimages greit,
72: To schaw my renone, royaly, quhair preis was of folk,
73: To manifest my makdome to multitude of pepill,
74: And blaw my bewtie on breid, quhair bernis war mony;
75: That I micht cheis, and be chosin, and change quhen my lykit.
76: Than suld I waill ane full weill, our all the wyd realme,
77: That suld my womanheid weild the lang winter nicht;
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78: And when I gottin had ane grome, ganest of uther,
79: Yaip, and ying, in the yok ane yeir for to draw;
80: Fra I had preveit his pitht the first plesand moneth,
81: Than suld I cast me to keik in kirk, and in markat,
82: And all the cuntre about, kyngis court, and uther,
83: Quhair I ane galland micht get aganis the nixt yeir,
84: For to perfurneis furth the werk quhen failyeit the tother;
85: A forky fure, ay furthwart, and forsy in draucht,
86: Nother febill, nor fant, nor fulyeit in labour,
87: But als fresche of his forme as flouris in May;
88: For all the fruit suld I fang, thocht he the flour burgeoun.
89: I have ane wallidrag, ane worme, ane auld wobat carle,
90: A waistit wolroun, na worth bot wourdis to clatter;
91: Ane bumbart, ane dron bee, ane bag full of flewme,
92: Ane skabbit skarth, ane scorpioun, ane scutarde behind;
93: To see him scart his awin skyn grit scunner I think.
94: Quhen kissis me that carybald, than kyndillis all my sorow;
95: As birs of ane brym bair, his berd is als stif,
96: Bot soft and soupill as the silk is his sary lume;
97: He may weill to the syn assent, bot sakles is his deidis.
98: With goreis his tua grym ene ar gladderrit all about,
99: And gorgeit lyk twa gutaris that war with glar stoppit;
100: Bot quhen that glowrand gaist grippis me about,
101: Than think I hiddowus Mahowne hes me in armes;
102: Thair ma na sanyne me save fra that auld Sathane;
103: For, thocht I croce me all cleine, fra the croun doun,
104: He wil my corse all beclip, and clap me to his breist.
105: Quhen schaiffyne is that ald schalk with a scharp rasour,
106: He schowis one me his schevill mouth and schedis my lippis;
107: And with his hard hurcheone skyn sa heklis he my chekis,
108: That as a glemand gleyd glowis my chaftis;
109: I schrenk for the scharp stound, bot schout dar I nought,
110: For schore of that auld schrew, schame him betide!
111: The luf blenkis of that bogill, fra his blerde ene,
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112: As Belzebub had on me blent, abasit my spreit;
113: And quhen the smy one me smyrkis with his smake smolet,
114: He fepillis like a farcy aver that flyrit one a gillot.
115: Quhen that the sound of his saw sinkis in my eris,
116: Than ay renewis my noy, or he be neir cumand:
117: Quhen I heir nemmyt his name, than mak I nyne crocis,
118: To keip me fra the cummerans of that carll mangit,
119: That full of eldnyng is and anger and all evill thewis.
120: I dar nought luke to my luf for that lene gib,
121: He is sa full of jelusy and engyne fals;
122: Ever ymagynyng in mynd materis of evill,
123: Compasand and castand casis a thousand
124: How he sall tak me, with a trawe, at trist of ane othir:
125: I dar nought keik to the knaip that the cop fillis,
126: For eldnyng of that ald schrew that ever one evill thynkis;
127: For he is waistit and worne fra Venus werkis,
128: And may nought beit worth a bene in bed of my mystirs.
129: He trowis that young folk I yerne yeild, for he gane is,
130: Bot I may yuke all this yer, or his yerd help.
131: Ay quhen that caribald carll wald clyme on my wambe,
132: Than am I dangerus and daine and dour of my will;
133: Yit leit I never that larbar my leggis ga betueene,
134: To fyle my flesche, na fumyll me, without a fee gret;
135: And thoght his pene purly me payis in bed,
136: His purse pays richely in recompense efter:
137: For, or he clym on my corse, that carybald forlane,
138: I have conditioun of a curche of kersp allther fynest,
139: A goun of engranyt claith, right gaily furrit,
140: A ring with a ryall stane, or other riche jowell,
141: Or rest of his rousty raid, thoght he wer rede wod:
142: For all the buddis of Johne Blunt, quhen he abone clymis,
143: Me think the baid deir aboucht, sa bawch ar his werkis;
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144: And thus I sell him solace, thoght I it sour think:
145: Fra sic a syre, God yow saif, my sueit sisteris deir!
146: Quhen that the semely had said her sentence to end,
147: Than all thai leuch apon loft with latis full mery,
148: And raucht the cop round about full of riche wynis,
149: And ralyeit lang, or thai wald rest, with ryatus speche.
150: The wedo to the tothir wlonk warpit ther wordis;
151: Now, fair sister, fallis yow but fenyeing to tell,
152: Sen man ferst with matrimony yow menskit in kirk,
153: How haif ye farne be your faith? confese us the treuth:
154: That band to blise, or to ban, quhilk yow best thinkis?
155: Or how ye like lif to leid in to leill spousage?
156: And syne my self ye exeme one the samyn wise,
157: And I sall say furth the south, dissymyland no word.
158: The plesand said, I protest, the treuth gif I schaw,
159: That of your toungis ye be traist. The tothir twa grantit;
160: With that sprang up hir spreit be a span hechar.
161: To speik, quoth scho, I sall nought spar; ther is no spy neir:
162: I sall a ragment reveil fra rute of my hert,
163: A roust that is sa rankild quhill risis my stomok;
164: Now sall the byle all out brist, that beild has so lang;
165: For it to beir one my brist wes berdin our hevy:
166: I sall the venome devoid with a vent large,
167: And me assuage of the swalme, that suellit wes gret.
168: My husband wes a hur maister, the hugeast in erd,
169: Tharfor I hait him with my hert, sa help me our Lord!
170: He is a young man ryght yaip, bot nought in youth flouris;
171: For he is fadit full far and feblit of strenth:
172: He wes as flurising fresche within this few yeris,
173: Bot he is falyeid full far and fulyeid in labour;
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174: He has bene lychour so lang quhill lost is his natur,
175: His lume is waxit larbar, and lyis in to swonne:
176: Wes never surgeorne wer set na one that snaill tyrit,
177: For efter vii oulkis rest, it will nought rap anys;
178: He has bene waistit apone wemen, or he me wif chesit,
179: And in adultre, in my tyme, I haif him tane oft:
180: And yit he is als brankard with bonet one syde,
181: And blenkand to the brichtest that in the burgh duellis,
182: Alse curtly of his clething and kemmyng of his hair,
183: As he that is mare valyeand in Venus chalmer;
184: He semys to be sumthing worth, that syphyr in bour,
185: He lukis as he wald luffit be, thocht he be litill of valour;
186: He dois as dotit dog that damys on all bussis,
187: And liftis his leg apone loft, thoght he nought list pische;
188: He has a luke without lust and lif without curage;
189: He has a forme without force and fessoun but vertu,
190: And fair wordis but effect, all fruster of dedis;
191: He is for ladyis in luf a right lusty schadow,
192: Bot in to derne, at the deid, he salbe drup fundin;
193: He ralis, and makis repet with ryatus wordis,
194: Ay rusing him of his radis and rageing in chalmer;
195: Bot God wait quhat I think quhen he so thra spekis,
196: And how it settis him so syde to sege of sic materis.
197: Bot gif him self, of sum evin, myght ane say amang thaim,
198: Bot he nought ane is, bot nane of naturis possessoris.
199: Scho that has ane auld man nought all is begylit;
200: He is at Venus werkis na war na he semys:
201: I wend I josit a gem, and I haif geit gottin;
202: He had the glemyng of gold, and wes bot glase fundin.
203: Thought men be ferse, wele I fynd, fra falye ther curage,
204: Thar is bot eldnyng or anger ther hertis within.
205: Ye speik of berdis one bewch: of blise may thai sing,
206: That, one Sanct Valentynis day, ar vacandis ilk yer;
207: Hed I that plesand prevelege to part quhen me likit,
208: To change, and ay to cheise agane, than, chastite, adew!
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209: Than suld I haif a fresch feir to fang in myn armes:
210: To hald a freke, quhill he faynt, may foly be calit.
211: Apone sic materis I mus, at mydnyght, full oft,
212: And murnys so in my mynd I murdris my selfin;
213: Than ly I walkand for wa, and walteris about,
214: Wariand oft my wekit kyn, that me away cast
215: To sic a craudoune but curage, that kynt my cler bewte,
216: And ther so mony kene knyghtis this kenrik within:
217: Than think I on a semelyar, the suth for to tell,
218: Na is our syre be sic sevin; with that I sych oft:
219: Than he ful tenderly dois turne to me his tume person,
220: And with a yoldin yerd dois yolk me in armys,
221: And sais, "My soverane sueit thing, quhy sleip ye no betir?
222: Me think ther haldis yow a hete, as ye sum harme alyt."
223: Quoth I, "My hony, hald abak, and handill me nought sair;
224: A hache is happinit hastely at my hert rut."
225: With that I seme for to swoune, thought I na swerf tak;
226: And thus beswik I that swane with my sueit wordis:
227: I cast on him a crabit E, quhen cleir day is cummyn,
228: And lettis it is a luf blenk, quhen he about glemys,
229: I turne it in a tender luke, that I in tene warit,
230: And him behaldis hamely with hertly smyling.
231: I wald a tender peronall, that myght na put thole,
232: That hatit men with hard geir for hurting of flesch,
233: Had my gud man to hir gest; for I dar God suer,
234: Scho suld not stert for his straik a stray breid of erd.
235: And syne, I wald that ilk band, that ye so blist call,
236: Had bund him so to that bryght, quhill his bak werkit;
237: And I wer in a beid broght with berne that me likit,
238: I trow that bird of my blis suld a bourd want.
239: Onone, quhen this amyable had endit hir speche,
240: Loudly lauchand the laif allowit hir mekle:
241: Thir gay Wiffis maid game amang the grene leiffs;
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242: Thai drank and did away dule under derne bewis;
243: Thai swapit of the sueit wyne, thai swanquhit of hewis,
244: Bot all the pertlyar in plane thai put out ther vocis.
245: Than said the Weido. i wis ther is no way othir;
246: Now tydis me for to talk; my taill it is nixt:
247: God my spreit now inspir and my speche quykkin,
248: And send me sentence to say, substantious and noble;
249: Sa that my preching may pers your perverst hertis,
250: And mak yow mekar to men in maneris and conditiounis.
251: I schaw yow, sisteris in schrift, I wes a schrew evir,
252: Bot I wes schene in my schrowd, and schew me innocent;
253: And thought I dour wes, and dane, dispitous, and bald,
254: I wes dissymblit suttelly in a sanctis liknes:
255: I semyt sober, and sueit, and sempill without fraud,
256: Bot I couth sexty dissaif that suttillar wer haldin.
257: Unto my lesson ye lyth, and leir at me wit,
258: Gif you nought list be forleit with losingeris untrew:
259: Be constant in your governance, and counterfeit gud maneris,
260: Thought ye be kene, inconstant, and cruell of mynd;
261: Thought ye as tygris be terne, be tretable in luf,
262: And be as turtoris in your talk, thought ye haif talis brukill;
263: Be dragonis baith and dowis ay in double forme,
264: And quhen it nedis yow, onone, note baith ther strenthis;
265: Be amyable with humble face, as angellis apperand,
266: And with a terrebill tail be stangand as edderis;
267: Be of your luke like innocentis, thoght ye haif evill myndis;
268: Be courtly ay in clething and costly arrayit,
269: That hurtis yow nought worth a hen; yowr husband pays for all.
270: Twa husbandis haif I had, thai held me baith deir,
271: Thought I dispytit thaim agane, thai spyit it na thing:
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272: Ane wes ane hair hogeart, that hostit out flewme;
273: I hatit him like a hund, thought I it hid preve:
274: With kissing and with clapping I gert the carll fone;
275: Weil couth I keyth his cruke bak, and kemm his cowit noddill,
276: And with a bukky in my cheik bo on him behind,
277: And with a bek gang about and bler his ald E,
278: And with a kynd contynance kys his crynd chekis;
279: In to my mynd makand mokis at that mad fader,
280: Trowand me with trew lufe to treit him so fair.
281: This cought I do without dule and na dises tak,
282: Bot ay be mery in my mynd and myrth full of cher.
283: I had a lufsummar leid my lust for to slokyn,
284: That couth be secrete and sure and ay saif my honour,
285: And sew bot at certayne tymes and in sicir placis;
286: Ay when the ald did me anger, with akword wordis,
287: Apon the galland for to goif it gladit me agane,
288: I had sic wit that for wo weipit I litill,
289: Bot leit the sueit ay the sour to gud sesone bring,
290: Quhen that the chuf wald me chid, with girnand chaftis,
291: I wald him chuk, cheik and chyn, and cheris him so mekill,
292: That his cheif chymys he had chevist to my sone,
293: Suppos the churll wes gane chaist, or the child wes gottin:
294: As wis woman ay I wrought and not as wod fule,
295: For mar with wylis I wan na wichtnes of handis.
296: Syne maryit I a marchand, myghti of gudis:
297: He was a man of myd eld and of mene statur;
298: Bot we na fallowis wer in frendschip or blud,
299: In fredome, na furth bering, na fairnes of persoune,
300: Quhilk ay the fule did foryhet, for febilnes of knawlege,
301: Bot I sa oft thoght him on, quhill angrit his hert,
302: And quhilum I put furth my voce and Pedder him callit:
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303: I wald ryght tuichandly talk be I wes tuyse maryit,
304: For endit wes my innocence with my ald husband:
305: I wes apperand to be pert within perfit eild;
306: Sa sais the curat of our kirk, that knew me full ying:
307: He is our famous to be fals, that fair worthy prelot;
308: I salbe laith to lat him le, quhill I may luke furth.
309: I gert the buthman obey, ther wes no bute ellis;
310: He maid me ryght hie reverens, fra he my rycht knew:
311: For, thocht I say it my self, the severance wes mekle
312: Betuix his bastard blude and my birth noble.
313: That page wes never of sic price for to presome anys
314: Unto my persone to be peir, had pete nought grantit.
315: Bot mercy in to womanheid is a mekle vertu,
316: For never bot in a gentill hert is generit ony ruth.
317: I held ay grene in to his mynd that I of grace tuk him,
318: And for he couth ken him self I curtasly him lerit:
319: He durst not sit anys my summondis, for, or the secund charge,
320: He wes ay redy for to ryn, so rad he wes for blame.
321: Bot ay my will wes the war of womanly natur;
322: The mair he loutit for my luf, the les of him I rakit;
323: And eik, this is a ferly thing, or I him faith gaif,
324: I had sic favour to that freke, and feid syne for ever,
325: Quhen I cure had all clene and him ourcummyn haill,
326: I crew abone that cruadone, as cok that wer victour;
327: Quhen I him saw subject and sett at myn bydding,
328: Than I him lichtlyit as a lowne and lathit his maneris.
329: Than woxe I sa unmerciable to martir him I thought,
330: For as a best I broddit him to all boyis laubour:
331: I wald haif ridden him to Rome with raip in his heid,
332: Wer not ruffill of my renoune and rumour of pepill.
333: And yit hatrent I hid within my hert all;
334: Bot quhilis it hepit so huge, quhill it behud out:
335: Yit tuk I nevir the wosp clene out of my wyde throte,
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336: Quhill I oucht wantit of my will or quhat I wald desir.
337: Bot quhen I severit had that syre of substance in erd,
338: And gottin his biggingis to my barne, and hie burrow landis,
339: Than with a stew stert out the stoppell of my hals,
340: That he all stunyst throu the stound, as of a stele wrappin.
341: Than wald I, efter lang, first sa fane haif bene wrokin,
342: That I to flyte wes als fers as a fell dragoun.
343: I had for flattering of that fule fenyeit so lang,
344: Mi evidentis of heritagis or thai wer all selit,
345: My breist, that wes gret beild, bowdyn wes sa huge,
346: That neir my baret out brist or the band makin.
347: Bot quhen my billis and my bauchles wes all braid selit,
348: I wald na langar beir on bridill, bot braid up my heid;
349: Thar myght na molet mak moy, na hald my mouth in:
350: I gert the renyeis rak and rif into sondir;
351: I maid that wif carll to werk all womenis werkis,
352: And laid all manly materis and mensk in this eird.
353: Than said I to my cumaris in counsall about,
354: "Se how I cabeld yone cout with a kene brydill!
355: The capill, that the crelis kest in the caf mydding,
356: Sa curtasly the cart drawis, and kennis na plungeing,
357: He is nought skeich, na yit sker, na scippis nought one syd:"
358: And thus the scorne and the scaith scapit he nothir.
359: He wes no glaidsum gest for a gay lady,
360: Tharfor I gat him a game that ganyt him bettir;
361: He wes a gret goldit man and of gudis riche;
362: I leit him be my lumbart to lous me all misteris,
363: And he wes fane for to fang fra me that fair office,
364: And thoght my favoris to fynd through his feill giftis.
365: He grathit me in a gay silk and gudly arrayis,
366: In gownis of engranyt claith and gret goldin chenyeis,
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367: In ringis ryally set with riche ruby stonis,
368: Quhill hely raise my renoune amang the rude peple.
369: Bot I full craftely did keip thai courtly wedis,
370: Quhill eftir dede of that drupe, that dotht nought in chalmir:
371: Thought he of all my clathis maid cost and expense,
372: Ane othir sall the worschip haif, that weildis me eftir;
373: And thoght I likit him bot litill, yit for luf of otheris,
374: I wald me prunya plesandly in precius wedis,
375: That luffaris myght apone me luke and ying lusty gallandis,
376: That I held more in daynte and derer be ful mekill
377: Ne him that dressit me so dink; full dotit wes his heyd.
378: Quhen he wes heryit out of hand to hie up my honoris,
379: And payntit me as a pako, proudest of fedderis,
380: I him miskennyt, be Crist, and cukkald him maid;
381: I him forleit as a lad and lathlyit him mekle:
382: I thoght my self a papingay and him a plukit herle;
383: All thus enforsit he his fa and fortifyit in strenth,
384: And maid a stalwart staff to strik him selfe doune.
385: Bot of ane bowrd in to bed I sall yow breif yit:
386: Quhen he ane hail year was hanyt, and him behuffit rage,
387: And I wes laith to be loppin with sic a lob avoir,
388: Alse lang as he wes on loft, I lukit on him never,
389: Na leit never enter in my thoght that he my thing persit,
390: Bot ay in mynd ane other man ymagynit that I haid;
391: Or ellis had I never mery bene at that myrthles raid.
392: Quhen I that grome geldit had of gudis and of natur,
393: Me thought him gracelese one to goif, sa me God help:
394: Quhen he had warit all one me his welth and his substance,
395: Me thoght his wit wes all went away with the laif;
396: And so I did him despise, I spittit quhen I saw
397: That super spendit evill spreit, spulyeit of all vertu.
398: For, weill ye wait, wiffis, that he that wantis riches
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399: And valyeandnes in Venus play, is ful vile haldin:
400: Full fruster in his fresch array and fairnes of persoune,
401: All is bot frutlese his effeir and falyeis at the up with.
402: I buskit up my barnis like baronis sonnis,
403: And maid bot fulis of the fry of his first wif.
404: I banyst fra my boundis his brethir ilkane;
405: His frendis as my fais I held at feid evir;
406: Be this, ye belief may, I luffit nought him self,
407: For never I likit a leid that langit till his blude:
408: And yit thir wisemen, thai wait that all wiffis evill
409: Ar kend with ther conditionis and knawin with the samin.
410: Deid is now that dyvour and dollin in erd:
411: With him deit all my dule and my drery thoghtis;
412: Now done is my dolly nyght, my day is upsprungin,
413: Adew dolour, adew! my daynte now begynis:
414: Now am I a wedow, I wise and weill am at ese;
415: I weip as I were woful, but wel is me for ever;
416: I busk as I wer bailfull, bot blith is my hert;
417: My mouth it makis murnyng, and my mynd lauchis;
418: My clokis thai ar caerfull in colour of sabill,
419: Bot courtly and ryght curyus my corse is ther undir:
420: I drup with a ded luke in my dule habit,
421: As with manis daill I had done for dayis of my lif.
422: Quhen that I go to the kirk, cled in cair weid,
423: As foxe in a lambis fleise fenye I my cheir;
424: Than lay I furght my bright buke one breid one my kne,
425: With mony lusty letter ellummynit with gold;
426: And drawis my clok forthwart our my face quhit,
427: That I may spy, unaspyit, a space me beside:
428: Full oft I blenk by my buke, and blynis of devotioun,
429: To se quhat berne is best brand or bredest in schulderis,
430: Or forgeit is maist forcely to furnyse a bancat
431: In Venus chalmer, valyeandly, withoutin vane ruse:
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432: And, as the new mone all pale, oppressit with change,
433: Kythis quhilis her cleir face through cluddis of sable.
434: So keik I through my clokis, and castis kynd lukis
435: To knychtis, and to cleirkis, and cortly personis.
436: Quhen frendis of my husbandis behaldis me one fer,
437: I haif a watter spunge for wa, within my wyde clokis,
438: Than wring I it full wylely and wetis my chekis,
439: With that watteris myn ene and welteris doune teris.
440: Than say thai all, that sittis about, "Se ye nought, allace!
441: Yone lustlese led so lelely scho luffit hir husband:
442: Yone is a pete to enprent in a princis hert,
443: That sic a perle of pleasance suld yone pane dre!"
444: I sane me as I war ane sanct, and semys ane angell;
445: At langage of lichory I leit as I war crabit:
446: I sich, without sair hert or seiknes in body;
447: According to my sable weid I mon haif sad maneris,
448: Or thai will se all the suth; for certis, we wemen
449: We set us all fra the syght to syle men of treuth:
450: We dule for na evill deid, sa it be derne haldin.
451: Wise wemen has wayis and wonderfull gydingis
452: With gret engyne to bejaip ther jolyus husbandis;
453: And quyetly, with sic craft, convoyis our materis
454: That, under Crist, no creatur kennis of our doingis.
455: Bot folk a cury may miscuke, that knawledge wantis,
456: And has na colouris for to cover thair awne kindly fautis;
457: As dois thir damysellis, for derne dotit lufe,
458: That dogonis haldis in dainte and delis with thaim so lang,
459: Quhill all the cuntre knaw ther kyndnes and faith:
460: Faith has a fair name, bot falsheid faris bettir:
461: Fy one hire that can nought feyne her fame for to saif!
462: Yit am I wise in sic werk and wes all my tyme;
463: Thoght I want wit in warldlynes, I wylis haif in luf,
464: As ony happy woman has that is of hie blude:
465: Hutit be the halok las a hunder yeir of eild!
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466: I have ane secrete servand, rycht sobir of his toung,
467: That me supportis of sic nedis, quhen I a syne mak:
468: Thoght he be sympill to the sicht, he has a tong sickir;
469: Full mony semelyar sege wer service dois mak:
470: Thought I haif cair, under cloke, the cleir day quhill nyght,
471: Yit haif I solace, under serk, quhill the sone ryse.
472: Yit am I haldin a haly wif our all the haill schyre,
473: I am sa peteouse to the pur, quhen ther is personis mony,
474: In passing of pilgrymage I pride me full mekle,
475: Mair for the prese of peple na ony perdoun wynyng.
476: Bot yit me think the best bourd, quhen baronis and knychtis,
477: And othir bachilleris, blith blumyng in youth,
478: And all my luffaris lele, my lugeing persewis,
479: And fyllis me wyne wantonly with weilfair and joy:
480: Sum rownis; and sum ralyeis; and sum redis ballatis;
481: Sum raiffis furght rudly with riatus speche;
482: Sum plenis, and sum prayis; sum prasis mi bewte,
483: Sum kissis me; sum clappis me; sum kyndnes me proferis;
484: Sum kerffis to me curtasli; sum me the cop giffis;
485: Sum stalwardly steppis ben, with a stout curage,
486: And a stif standand thing staiffs in my neiff;
487: And mony blenkis ben our, that but full fer sittis,
488: That mai, for the thik thrang, nought thrif as thai wald.
489: Bot, with my fair calling, I comfort thaim all:
490: For he that sittis me nixt, I nip on his finger;
491: I serf him on the tothir syde on the samin fasson;
492: And he that behind me sittis, I hard on him lene;
493: And him befor, with my fut fast on his I stramp;
494: And to the bernis far but sueit blenkis I cast:
495: To every man in speciall speke I sum wordis
496: So wisly and so womanly, quhill warmys ther hertis.
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497: Thar is no liffand leid so law of degre
498: That sall me luf unluffit, I am so loik hertit;
499: And gif his lust so be lent into my lyre quhit,
500: That he be lost or with me lig, his lif sall nocht danger.
501: I am so mercifull in mynd, and menys all wichtis,
502: My sely saull salbe saif, quhen sa bot all jugis.
503: Ladyis leir thir lessonis and be no lassis fundin:
504: This is the legeand of my lif, thought Latyne it be nane.
505: Quhen endit had her ornat speche, this eloquent wedow,
506: Lowd thai lewch all the laif, and loffit hir mekle;
507: And said thai suld exampill tak of her soverane teching,
508: And wirk efter hir wordis, that woman wes so prudent.
509: Than culit thai thair mouthis with confortable drinkis;
510: And carpit full cummerlik with cop going round.
511: Thus draif thai our that deir nyght with danceis full noble,
512: Quhill that the day did up daw, and dew donkit flouris;
513: The morow myld wes and meik, the mavis did sing,
514: And all remuffit the myst, and the meid smellit;
515: Silver schouris doune schuke as the schene cristall,
516: And berdis schoutit in schaw with thair schill notis;
517: The goldin glitterand gleme so gladit ther hertis,
518: Thai maid a glorius gle amang the grene bewis.
519: The soft sowch of the swyr and soune of the stremys,
520: The sueit savour of the sward and singing of foulis,
521: Myght confort ony creatur of the kyn of Adam,
522: And kindill agane his curage, thocht it wer cald sloknyt.
523: Than rais thir ryall roisis, in ther riche wedis,
524: And rakit hame to ther rest through the rise blumys;
525: And I all prevely past to a plesand arber,
526: And with my pen did report thair pastance most mery.
527: Ye auditoris most honorable, that eris has gevin
528: Oneto this uncouth aventur, quhilik airly happinnit;
529: Of thir thre wantoun wiffis, that I haif writtin heir,
530: Quhilk wald ye waill to your wif, gif ye suld wed one?
Chuck P Adams
Not good enough, still a danger for fraud.
I suggest you fix it ASAP.