Page:Oration on the virtues of the old women, and the pride of the young (1).pdf/5

 ever craving, wilfully waſting, till all be brought to doleful diſh of deſolation, and with cleanneſs of teeth, a full breaſt, an empty belly, big pockets without pence, pinching penury, perfect poverty, drouth, hunger, want of money and friends both, old age, dim eyes, feeble joints, without ſhoes or cloaths, the real fruits of a bad marriage, which brings thoughtleſs Fops to both faith and repentance in one day.

Thirdly, Another thing I ſee, hear, and cannot help, is the breeding of bairns and bringing them up like bill-ſtirks, they gie them wealth of meat, but no manners; but when I was a bairn, if I did not bend to obedience, I ken myſel what I got, which learned me what to gi' mine again; if they had tell'd me tuts or prute-no, I laid them o'er my knee and a com'd crack for crack o'er their hurdies like a knock bleaching a harn-web, till the red wats ſtood on their hips, this brought obedience into my houſe, and baniſh'd dods and ill-nature out at the door; I dang the de'il lo' them, and dadded them like a wet diſh clout till they did my bidding: But now the bairns are brought up to ſpit fire in their mithers' face, and caſt dirt at their auld daddies; How can they be good who never ſaw a ſample of it? or reverence old age, who practiſed no precepts in their youth? How can they Jove their parents who gave them black poiſon inſtead of good principles? Who ſhewed them no good, nor taught them no duties? No marvel ſuch children deſpiſe old age, and reverence their parents as an old horfe does his father.

Fourthly, The laſt prevailing evil which I ſee, all men may hear, but none ſtrive to help, the baniſhment of that noble holy-day, called the Sabbath, which has been blaſted by a whirl-wind from the ſouth; I am yet alive, who ſaw this hurricane coming thro' the walled city near Solway in the South; it being on a Sunday, and a beautiful ſun-ſhine day amangſt ſome foul weeks in harveſt weather, which cauſed the Lord Mayor of that place work hard and put in the whole fields of wheat harveſt, and the prieſts of that church commended him therefore, becauſe the leaſon was