PHILOTUS

Oh sex uncertain, frail and falls, Dissimulate and dissaitfull also, With honey lips to hold in hals, Bot with ane wicked mind: Whom will dois More nor reason's mufe, More lechery nor honest Love, More harlotry nor Good behufe, Unconstant and kind. In whom ane shaw, bot nam shame sinks, That ane thing says and uther thinks: Ane eye lukis up, ane uther winks, With fair and feinȝe it face: Bot Gossop go, quhill it is greine, For to seek out quha hes his seine, Give of his moyen we get ane meine, It war ane happy grace. Rage not Good gosse, bot hold ȝour tongue The las bot bairnly is and young, I walled be laith to wit his dung, Suppose scho hath offendit: Forgive his this ane fault for me, And I shall souertie for his be, That instantly sho shall agree, That this slip should be mendit. Heir is my hand my darling dow, To be ane faithful spous to ȝow, Now be my saull Gossop I trow, This is ane happy meiting: This mater Gosse, is sa well dressed, That all things ar cumde for the best, Bot let us set among the rest, Ane day for all compleiting. Forsuith ȝe shall Gam with me hame, Where I shall keip ȝow saif From shame, Unto the day, or than me blame, That scho shall have nane ill. My dow suppois I did delay, Now cum is our sweit Nuptial day, Therefore make haist sooa that we may, In time cum to the Kirk: I sie it cummis to cuffis the man, Ileend the play that thou began, That victory thou never won, That shall be bocht sa deir: Would mercy, mercy Emily, Taken ȝe the mastery all for me, For I shall at ȝour bidding be, And slay me not I sweir. I am content when & how soon, All till obey that ȝe inione, That ȝe command it man be done Their is nane uther buit: Knew ȝe the truth Goodman I trow Hirlabour ȝe should not allow, Lycia all my face, behald my brow, That is baith black and blame: Now Flavius, I wait riched well Sen ane of them man be a Deill, My maiglit face makes me to feill, That mine man be the same: For quhy? riched Emily is ȝouris, And that incarnate Devil is ouris, I got, ȝe may sie be my clouris, A Deill unto my Dame. A man, allace, and harmisay, That with my only Dochter lay, Sin dang my fell, quhat shall I say? Of this unhappy chance? Have I not maid a berry block, That hes for Jenny married Jock? That mowit my Dochter for a mock, The Devil be at the dance. Allace, I am for ever schamit, To be thus in my eild defamit, My Dochter is not to be blamit, For I had all the wit: Old men is twice barns, I persaif, The wisest will in wowing raif, I for my labour with the laif, Am driuin to this despite. Bot now advert Good bretherin all about, That of my labour hes the success seine: Ȝe that hes hard this hail discourse throw out, May knaw how far that I abusit have be, I grant indeed their will nam man me meine, For I my self am author of my grief, That by my calling should be caryit cleine, With ȝouthlie toyis unto sa great mischief's. Give I had weyit my gravity and age, Rememberit also my first and ancient sait, I had not sowmit in sik unkindly rage, For to disgrace mine honour and estait, Quhat had I bocht bot to my self debate, Suppois the mater had cum than as I meinit: Nay my repentance is not half sa lait, As I had gotin the thing quhairfoir I greinit. For thought my folly did the Lord offend, Ȝit my Good God hes wrought all for the best: And this rebuik hes therefore to me send, All sik inordinate doings to detest, Quhilk sweit rebuik I reckin with the rest, From fatherly affection to proceed, That uthers with like passions possessed, May leirne be my exampill to taken heid. Sen age therefore should gouernit be w to skill Let countenance accord with ȝour grey hairis Ȝe ancients all, let reason's rewll ȝour will, Subdue ȝour sensis till eschew their snairis, Give ȝe walled not encumbered be with cairis, Be master over ȝour awin affections hail: For hailillie the praise is only theirs, That may against sik passion prevail. We will not for the mastery stryne, We mon grie better and we thrive,