The Young-womans Complaint:
OR,
A Caveat to all Maids to have a care how they be
Married to Old Men.
The Tune is, What should a young woman do with an old man, etc. Or, The Tyrant.
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COme all you young damsels
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both beauteous and free,
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Ile Summon you all
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to listen to mee;
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A Song of misguiding,
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concerning my Marriage,
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Sorrows the cause of
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this my ill carriage;
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A Maiden of fifteen
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as it may appear
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She Married an Old-man
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of Seventy-two year;
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And by her misfortune
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well prove it I can,
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That she is sore troubled
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with an Old-man.
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When he sits down by me,
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heel presently blame me,
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He often doth chide me
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and threatens to lame me;
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Then fain would I hide me
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but cannot tell where.
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He calls me young Giglet,
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and sometimes bold whore;
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But hold thy tongue man,
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for I am none such,
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I dare not call Cuckold
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though I think as much:
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She throws by her Bracelets
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her Hat and her Fan,
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Sing cursd be the time
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that I saw this Old-man.
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To speak of his Livings
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his Land or his Fee,
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Or of his Relations
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too tedious twill bee;
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His humping, his grumping
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his cursing, and swearing,
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Hes almost quite blind,
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and heard of his hearing,
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His Pate it is bauld, and
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his Beard it is thin,
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His Breath it doth stink,
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and short is his thing:
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And now let him do
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what ever he can,
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Judge if it be fitting
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to love this Old-man.
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In Bed as I lye,
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he groaneth he cryeth
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Like one that is dyeing
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in sorrow he lyeth:
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Instead of Loves blisses
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he scraches and grumbles
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And all the night long
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he tosses and tumbles,
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And lying and dyeing
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and telling the Clock,
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Weeping and wailing,
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expecting a Knock:
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And wiping away her
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tears as they ran,
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What shall a young woman
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do with this old man.
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The second part, to the same Tune.
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HE stoops in the shoulders
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and goes almost double
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He is alwayes to me
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a continual trouble,
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His Breast it sticks forth
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even almost withs snout,
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He seldom goes far without
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letting a rout,
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His hands they do shake,
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and hes very lame,
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And all his whole body is
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quite out of frame,
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His Nose it is long, and
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his face pale and wan.
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With all the ill properties
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of an Old man.
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When he walks abroad with me
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sometimes in the street
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He limps, and he stumbles,
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the boys they do seet,
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And laugh him to scorn,
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he creeps and he grumbles,
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He coughs and he spits,
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and at last he down tumbles
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Then I cry and lament
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that ere I was born.
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But to quit his love, ile
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make him wear the horn;
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For let me do what
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ever I may or can,
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I still shall be plagud
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with this doting old man.
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If I with some young-men
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do chance for to meet,
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And do but them freindly
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and courteously greet,
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Then he begins presently
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to scold and brawl,
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And a thousand base names
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he then will me call,
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Which makes me with greif
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and sorrow lament,
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And now its too late
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I fear to repent:
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But ile get a Youngster that
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please me well can,
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Then a fig for this doting
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feeble old man.
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I forcd was to marry him
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cause of his Wealth,
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But ile have another now,
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and then by stealth:
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For with him I must never
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expect any joy;
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Which vexes me worst
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I shall nere have a boy;
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Therefore Im resolvd to
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live merry and jolly,
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And take the best course
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to quite Melancholly.
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For what should a young-wo-man
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do with this old man
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But make him a Cuckold
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as soon as she can
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Theres young men enough,
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which will make much of me
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And I unto them will be
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gallant and free:
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Theyl court me and kisse
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and please me full well,
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And I will not want it,
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the truth I you tell;
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His Chests Ile set open,
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his money let fly,
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For Ile lead a merry life,
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until I dye.
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What should a young-woman
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do with this old man,
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But make him a Cuckold
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as soon as she can.
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My advice is to you all
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Maids that are young,
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That you get you Husband,
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that will you not wrong,
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For sure youth with age
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will never agree,
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As by this Ditty you
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plainly may see;
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Therefore take you warning
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all by my miscarriage,
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Be sure to be wise in
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your choice of Marriage:
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For Ile assure you,
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do what you can,
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You never can love such,
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an Old doting man.
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