Keep a good tongue in your head:
FOR
Heres a good woman in every respect,
But only her tongue breeds all the defect.
To the tune of the Milkmaids, etc.
|
I Marryd a wife of late,
|
the mores my unhappy fate
|
I tooke her for love,
|
As fancy did me move,
|
and not for her worldly state.
|
For qualities rare,
|
Few with her compare,
|
let me doe her no wrong:I must confesse,
|
Her chiefe amisse,
|
Is onely this,
|
As some wives is,
|
she cannot rule her tongue.
|
She that hath as sweet a face,
|
as any in seaven miles space,
|
Her eyes christalline,
|
Like Diamonds doe shine,
|
she looks with a modest grace:Her haire is like flax,
|
Her lips are red wax
|
that seale the bond so strong
|
Twixt her and I,
|
That till I die,
|
Ile justifie
|
Her constancy,
|
but she cannot rule her tong.
|
Her cheeks are red as the rose,
|
(which June for her glory shows)
|
Her teeth on a row,
|
Stand like a wall of snow,
|
between her round chin & her nose
|
Hier sholders are decent,
|
Her armes white and pleasant,
|
her fingers are smal and long,
|
No fault I find,
|
But in my minde,
|
Most womenkind,
|
Must come behind,
|
o that she could rule her tong.
|
Her breasts like Pyreene hills,
|
which nature yearely fils
|
With liquor that by ods
|
Doth passe the drink oth gods,
|
all Nectar it far excels,
|
With this she doth feed,
|
The twigs that proceed
|
from our affections strong,
|
Shees fruitfull as
|
The springing grasse,
|
No times let passe,
|
And yet alas
|
she cannot rule her tongue.
|
Her body which I have oft
|
embraced so smooth and soft,
|
Is slender and white,
|
Proportioned aright,
|
tis straight as any shaft,
|
Her leg is compleat,
|
Her foots fine and neat,
|
tis neither too short nor too long,
|
In every part
|
Dame Natures art,
|
Gives her the start,
|
With all my heart
|
I wish she could rule her tong.
|
|
|
|
|
The second part To the same tune.
|
AS she in feature excels,
|
wel nye most women else
|
Even so doth her wit,
|
If sheel make use of it,
|
as daily experience tels,
|
I cannot deny it,
|
If she be at quiet,
|
her speeches will do no wrong
|
Sheel laugh and smile,
|
New termes sheel file,
|
Yet in a while
|
Sheel change her stile,
|
and cannot rule her tong.
|
With eloquence she wil dispute
|
few women can her confute,
|
She sings and she playes,
|
And she knowes all her keyes,
|
on the vial, de Gambo, or Lute
|
Sheel dance with a grace,
|
Her measures sheel trace,
|
as doth unto art belong,
|
She is a Girle
|
Fit for an Earle,
|
Not for a churle,
|
She were worth pearle,
|
if she could but rule her tong.
|
Her needle she can use well,
|
in that she doth most excell,
|
She can spin and knit,
|
And every thing fit,
|
as all her neighbours can tel:Her fingers apace,
|
At weaving Bone-lace,
|
she useth all day long,
|
All arts that be
|
To women free,
|
Of each degree
|
Performeth she,
|
O that she could rule her tong.
|
For huswifery she doth exceed,
|
she looks to her businesse with heed,
|
Shees early and late
|
Emploid I dare sayt,
|
to see all things wel succeede,
|
She is very wary
|
To looke to her Dary,
|
as doth to her charge belong,
|
Her servants all
|
Are at her call,
|
But sheel so brawle,
|
That stil I shall
|
wish that she could rule her tong
|
With all that hath bin said,
|
no woman neede be dismaid,
|
Sith I have not beene
|
Incensed through spleene,
|
in this spacious river to wade
|
I none doe disparage
|
To hinder their marriage,
|
but wish both old and yong
|
Great heed to take
|
When choice they make
|
For vertues sake,
|
No venemous Snake
|
stings like a womans tongue.
|
|
|
|
|