A talk of ten wives on their husbands' ware / ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall.Leve lystynesAberystwyth. National Library of Wales. Manuscript. Brogyntyn 2.1Furnivall, Frederick James, 1825-1910.ca. 8 kB SGML-encoded text fileUniversity of Michigan, Digital Library Production ServiceAnn Arbor, Michigan2003AEH6189tenwives1852

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A talk of ten wives on their husbands' ware [in] Jyl of Breyntford's testament ... and other short pieces / ed. by Frederick J. Furnivall, p. 29-33.5 p. of 44Printed for Private Circulation by Taylor and Co.London1871

Transcribed from Aberystwyth, National Library of Wales, MS Brogyntyn 2.1 (olim Porkington 10).

Header created by hand based on text and MARC record on 2003-03-26.

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 Latin English prose literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500. English language -- Middle English, 1100-1500 -- Texts. Women -- Poetry

Jyl of Breyntford's Testament … And Other Short Pieces.

Edited by Frederick J. Furnivall

Printed for Private Circulation, by Taylor and Co. London 1871

A Talk of Ten Wives on their Husbands' Ware LEve, lystynes to me Two wordys or thre, AndEvery final d, g, m, n, has a curl to it, which in some cases umst meane. herkenes to my songe; And I schall tell ȝow a tale, Howe .x. wyffys satt at þe nale, And noman hem a-monge. "Sen we haue no othere songe [Forto singen vs amonge,] Talys lett vs tell Off owre hosbondes ware, Wych of hem most worthy are To-day to bere the bell. And I schall nowe begyn att myne: I knowe the mettmeasure, length. well & fyne, The lenȝte of a snayle, And euer he warse is from day to day. To grete god euer I pray To gyve hym evyle hayle." ¶ The secund wyffe sett her nere, And seyd, "by the rode, I haue a ware That is two so menemiddling; 'twice as poor.': I mettmeted, measured. hym in þe morowe tyde, When he was in his moste pryde, The lenȝte of .iij. bene. "Howe schuld I be served with that? I wold gybbe, owre gray catt, Were cord þere on! By sayne peter owte of rome, I se neuer a wars lome Stondyng opon mone." ¶ The .iij. wyffe was full woo, And seyd that "I haue one of thoo That noȝte is at nede; Owre syre breche, when hit is torn, Hys pentyll pepythe owte be-forn Lyke a warbrede? Warbot. 'A worme, escarbot, Palsgrave.' Halliwell. Cp. 'War-beetles. The large maggots which are bred in the backs of cattle. Norfolk.' Ib.; "Hit growethe all with-in þe here: Sychon se I neuer ere, Stondyng opon schare'The pubes of a man.' Halliwell, quoting this passage. 'The fork of the legs,' from A.S. sceare shears, scissors.. Ȝett the schrewe is hodles, And of all thynge goodles! There cryste gyve hym care!" ¶ The .iiij. wyffe of the floke Seyd, "owre syre fydecokeFor fyde, cp. our Fiddle, fiddle-de-dee, nonsense; fiddle-head, stupid, etc. ffayn wold I skyfteshift, change; A.S. sciftan.: He is longe, and he is smalle, And ȝett hathe þe fydefalleFor fyde, cp. our Fiddle, fiddle-de-dee, nonsense; fiddle-head, stupid, etc.; God gyve hym sory thryfte! "The leste fyngere on my honde Is more than he, whan he dothe stonde: Alasse that I am lorn! Sory mowntyng com there-on! He schold a be a womon Had he be eere born." ¶ The .v. wyffe was full fayn When sche hard her felowys playn, And vp sche gan stond: "Now ȝe speke of a tarse'Mentula, virga:' Halliwell, citing this passage.! In all þe warld is not a warse Than hathe my hosbond. "Owre syre bradys? sheds his horns; ? braid, to draw a sword out of the scabbard. lyke a dere He pysses his tarse euery ȝere, Ryȝte as dothe a boke: When men speke of archery, He mon stond faste there-by, Or ellys hys schote woll trokefall short: Halliwell, quoting these lines. ?A.S. trucan fail.." ¶ The .vj. wyffe hyȝte sare; Sche seyd: "my hosbondys ware Is of good a-sysemeasure, standard of weight, etc.; He is whyte as ony mylke, He is softe as ony sylke, Ȝett sertis he may not ryse. I lyrkejerk. Lirt to toss, West. and Cumb. Dial. P. 368: Halliwell, citing this passage. hym vp with my hond, And pray hym that he woll stond, And ȝett he lythe styll. When I se that all is noȝte, I thynke mony a throfierce. thoȝte; Bot cryste wote my wyll." ¶ The .vij. wyffe sat on the bynch, And sche caste her legge on wrynch, And bad fyll the wyne: "By seynt Iame of galys, In englond ne in walys Is not a wars than myne! "Whon owre syre comys In, And lokes after that sory pyne That schuld hengge bytwen his leggis, He is lyke, by the rode, A sory lauerokelark. satt on brode Opon two adyll eggis." ¶ The .viij. wyffe was wll I-taȝte, And seyd, "seldom am I saȝte, And so I well may: When the froste fresys, Owre syris tarse lesys, And all-way gose a-way. When the ȝekeA.S. geac a cuckoo. gynnys to synge, Then the schrewe begynnys to sprynge, Lyke a humbulbe; He cowres vp on othere two,— I know not the warse of tho, I schrew hem all thre!" ¶ The .ix. wyffe sett hem nyȝe, And held a mettmeasure. vp on hyȝe The lenȝte of a fote: "Here is a pyntell of a fayre lenȝte, But he berys a sory strenȝte,— God may do booteremedy, help.;— "I bow hym, I bend hym, I stroke hym, I wendturn. hym; The deuell mot hym sterve! Be he hote, be he cold, Tho I torn hym two fold, Ȝett he may not serve." ¶ The .x. wyffe be-gan her tale, And seyd, "I haue on of the smale, Was wyndowed a-way. Of all noȝtes it is noȝte: Sertis, and hit schuld be boȝte, He is not worth a nay" Amen.