Page:Janet Clinker's oration, on the villanies of the old women, and the pride of the young.pdf/4

4 piper-faced fingers are not for hard labour yet they might also pass on a pinch for a black sutor's wife, for the stitching of white seams round this mouth of a lady's shoe; or with barbers or bakers they might be buckled, because of their muslin mouth and pinchbeck speeches, when harm is scant, they can blow up their bread with fair winds, and when the razor is rough, can trim their chafts with a fair tale, oil their peruke with her white lips, and power the beaux's pow with a French puff. They are all well versed in all the science of flattery, musical tunes, hornpipe and country-dances, though perfect in none but Reel of Gammon.

Yet these are they the fickle farmer fixes his fancy upon, a bundle of clouts, a skeleton of bones; Maggy and the mutch, like twa fir stick and a pickle tow, neither for his plate, nor his power very improper plenishing, neither for his profit nor her pleasure, to plout her hands thro' hawkey's caff-cog, is a hateful hardship for mamy's pet, and will hack a' her hands. All this have I seen an heard, and been witness to: but my pen being goose quill, cannot expose their names nor place of abode, but warns the working men out of the way.

2. I see another sort, who can work, and maun work till they be married, and become mistress themselves; but as the husband receives then their thrift leaves them before that they wrought as for a wager, and they span as for a premium busked as for a brag, scoured their din skin as wauker does worsted blankets; kept as mim in the mouth as a minister's wife, comely as Diana chaste as Susanna, yet the whole of their toil