Page:History of the haveral wives, or, The folly of witless women displayed.pdf/7

( 7 ) ooking at them, and a' the fhairny bought hizzies in the pariſh maun ha'e the like or lang gae; but an' I ware to preach ſic pride ſudna ha'e baith peace and proſperity in my parish, I wad point my finger at them in the kirk and name them baith name and ſirname, and ſay, there its fhairney Meg o' the mill, ſtumpy May o' the moſt, ſniveling Kate wi' her hodle makenſter coat; they come into the kirk, bobbing their hint quarters like water wag tails, ſhaking their heads like a hunder pund horſe, ſmaking their lips and hading their mouth like May pudducks and what ſhall I compare them to? painted Jezebels, the whore of Babylon, Rachael the harlot, wi' a' their gaudy decoving colours high taps, and ſpread glittering tails when they come into the houſe of prayer, as it were a houſe of dancing and deboſhery. Gae ye painted preſe- wips, to fairs or waddins, and there diſplay your proud banners o' pride ; but if the gillie gawkies ſhould come into the kirk wi' their heels up and their heads down our Meſs John is like ane o' the dogs of Egypt, he wou'dna move his tongue, and I believe he darna for clippock his wife, whaſe element is to banter a' the poor folk frae her door: ſhe caſts a' her cauld parrich and kail to the cocks and hens, kicks the poor colly dogs out at the door: ca's them filthy uſeleſs brutes becauſe they canna lay eggs like hens eggs, ſhe is ay ſiyting on the ſervant laſſes, hungers her ſervant lad, and gars the poor miniſter eat ſalt herring

Mag. Weel I wat then I wiſh he minna turn a drunken body for herrin maks folk dry. But now Janet, ye ha'e teld their fauts on baith ſides, and I ha'e a great faut to our miniſter yet, and tho I were-read and rotten the night before the morn I'll neither forgi'e nor forget him for what he did to me, he ſaid I ſhould be ta'en and douked for offrin to marry again, or ony woman at my age. And now, Janet, I am no to ca' very auld yet; although I be ſtricken in years I dinna ken my ain age, being chriſtened the time of papery; but I ha'e the penny tho' bare o' fleſh and blude, and ha’e four good teeth afore and weel willing gumes i' the back ſide. I