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When to Trust Women
(15th c.) Balliol Coll. Oxford MS 354, f. 250v
Whan netilles in wynter bere Rosis rede,
& thornys bere figges naturally,
& bromes bere appylles in euery mede,
& lorelles bere cheris in þe croppis so hie,
& okys bere dates so plentvosly,
and lekes geve hony in þer superfluens-
Than put in a woman your trust & confidens.
Whan whityng walk in forestes hartes for to chase,
& herynges in parkys hornys boldly blowe,
& flownders more-hennes in fennes enbrace,
& gornards shote rolyons owt of a crosse bowe,
& grengese Ride huntyng þe wolf to ouer-throwe,
& sperlynges Rone with speris in harnes to defence- Than
put in a woman your trust & confidence.
Whan sparowys bild chirhces & stepulles hie,
& wrenes Cary Sakkes to the mylle,
& curlews cary clothes horsis for to drye,
& semews bryng butter to þe market to sell,
& woddowes were wodknyffes theves to kyll,
& griffons to goslynges don obedyence-
Than put in a woman your trust & confidence.
Whan Crabbis tak wodcokes in forestes & parkes,
& haris ben taken with swetnes of snaylis,
& Camelles with þer here tak swalowes & perchis,
& myse mowe Corn with wafeyyng of þer tayles,
Whan dukkes of þe dunghill sek þe blod of haylis,
Whan shrewd wyffes to þer husbondes do non offens- Than
put in a woman your trust & confidence.
Explicit quod Richard hill.
A variation . . .
Bodleian Library. MS Eng. Poet. e. I., f. 43v.
Whane thes thynges foloyng be done to owr intent,
Than put women in trust and confydent.
When nettuls in wynter bring forth rosys red,
And al maner of thorn trys ber fyggs naturally,
And ges ber perles in euery med,
And laurell ber cherys abundantly,
And okes ber dates very plentuosly,
And kyskys gyfe of hony superfluens,
Than put women in trust and confydens.
Whan box ber papur in euery lond and towne,
And thystuls ber berys in euery place,
And pykes have naturally fethers in ther crowne,
And bulles of the see syng a good bace,
And men be the schypes fyscheys do trace,
And in women be fownd no incypyens,
Than put hem in trust and confydens.
Whan whytynges do walke forestes to chase hertys,
And herynges ther hornnys in forestes boldly blow,
And marmsattes morn in mores and in lakys,
And gurnardes schot rokes owt of a crose-bow,
And goslynges hunt, the wolfe to ouerthrow,
And sprates ber sperys in armys of defens,
Than put women in trust and confydens.
Whan swyn be conyng in al poyntes of musyke,
And asses be docturs of euery seyens,
And kattes do hel men be practysyng of fysyke,
And boserds to Scryptur gyfe ony credens,
And marchans by with horne instead of grotes and pens,
And pyys be mad poetes for ther eloquens,
Than put women in trust and confydens.
Whan spawyns byld chyrchys on a hyth,
And wrenys cary sekkes onto the myll,
And curlews cary tymber, howsys to dyth,
And semavs ber butter to market to sell,
And wodkokes wer wodknyfys, cranis to kyll,
And gren fynchys to goslynges do obedyens,
Than put women in trust and confydens.
Whan crowbes tak sarmon in wodes and parkes,
And be tak with swyftes and snaylys,
And cammels in the ayer tak swalows and larkes,
And myse move movntans with wagyng of ther tayles,And schypmen
tak a ryd insted of saylles,
And whan wyfvys to ther husbondes do no offens,
Than put women in trust and confydens.
Whan hantlopes sermovntes eglys in flyght
And swans be swyfter than haukes of the tower,
And wrennys ses goshaukes be fors and myght,
And musketes mak vergese of crabbes sower,
And schyppes seyl on dry 1ond syle gyfe flower,
And apes in Westmynster gyfe jugment and sentens,
Than put women in trust and confydens.
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