ABSTRACT
Men may conseille a womman to been oon, But conseillyng is no commandement. He putte it in oure owene juggement; For hadde God comanded maydenhede, Thanne hadde he dampned weddyng with the dede. And certes, if ther were no seed ysowe, Virginitee, thanne whereof sholde it growe? Poul dorste nat comanden, atte leeste, A thyng of which his maister yaf noon heeste. The dart is set up for virginitee; Cacche whoso may, who renneth best lat see. But this word is nat taken of every wight, But ther as God lust gyve it of his myght. I woot wel that th’apostel was a mayde; But nathelees, though that he wroot and sayde He wolde that every wight were swich as he, Al nys but conseil to virginitee. And for to been a wyf he yaf me leve Of indulgence; so nys it no repreve To wedde me, if that my make dye, Withouten excepcion of bigamye. Al were it good no womman for to toucheHe mente as in his bed or in his couche, For peril is bothe fyr and tow t’assemble; Ye knowe what this ensample may resemble. This is al and som: he heeld virginitee Moore parfit than weddyng in freletee Freletee clepe I, but if that he and she Wolde leden al hir lyf in chastitee. I graunte it wel; I have noon envie, Though maydenhede preferre bigamye. It liketh hem to be clene, body and goost; Of my estaat I nyl nat make no boost, For wel ye knowe, a lord in his houshold, He nath nat every vessel al of gold; Somme been of tree, and doon hir lord servyse. God clepeth folk to him in sondry wyse, And everich hath of God a propre yifteSom this, som that, as hym liketh shifte. Virginitee is greet perfeccion, And continence eek with devocion, But Crist, that of perfeccion is welle,
Bad nat every wight he shoulde go selle Al that he hadde, and gyve it to the poore, And in swich wise folwe hym and his foore. He spak to hem that wolde lyve parfitly; And lordynges, by youre leve, that am nat I. I wol bistowe the flour of al myn age In the acts and in fruyt of mariage. Telle me also, to what conclusion Were membres maad of generacion, And of so parfit wys a wright ywroght? Trusteth right wel, they were nat maad for noght. Glose whoso wole, and seye bothe up and doun That they were maked for purgacioun Of uryne, and our bothe thynges smale Were eek to knowe a femele from a male, And for noon oother cause-say ye no? The experience woot wel it is noght so. So that the clerkes be nat with me wrothe, I sey this: that they maked ben for bothe; That is to seye, for office and fore ese Of engendrure, ther we nat God displese. Why sholde men elles in hir bookes sette That man shal yelde to his wyf hire dette? Now wherwith sholde he make his paiement, If he ne used his sely instrument? Thanne were they maad upon a creature To purge uryne, and eek for engendrure. But I seye noght that every wight is holde, That hath swich harneys as I to yow tolde, To goon and usen hem in engendrure. Thanne sholde men take of chastitee no cure. Crist was mayde and shapen as a man, And many a seint, sith that the world bigan; Yet lyved they evere in parfit chastitee. I nyl envye no virginitee. Lat hem be breed of pured whete-seed, And lat us wyves hoten barly-breed; And yet with barly-breed, Mark telle kan, Oure Lord Jhesu refresshed many a man. In swich estaat as God hath cleped us I wol persevere; I nam nat precius. In wyfhod I wol use myn instrument
As frely as my Makere hath it sent. If I be daungerous, God yeve me sorwe! Myn housbonde shal it have bothe eve and morwe, Whan that hym list come forth and paye his dette. An housbonde I wol have-I wol nat letteWhich shal be bothe my dettour and my thral, And have his tribulacion withal Upon his flessh, whil that I am his wyf. I have the power durynge al my lyf Upon his propre body, and noght he. Right thus the Apostel tolde it unto me, And bad oure housbondes for to love us weel. Al this sentence me liketh every deel”…
GLOSSARY ben be clepe call eek also engendrure procreation everich every ferforth far freletee weakness glosen interpret heeste commandment hoten called ilke very kan know leden lead lete leave leveful allowed nether purs male genitals nys is not on lyve in life parfyt perfect practyk practice rekketh care scoleiyng schooling sekirly certainly sely innocent sorwe sorrow thynges smale genitals tow flax wight man woot know
wys is yaf gave yifte gift
The Tua Mariit Wemen and the Wedo WILLIAM DUNBAR 1460?–1520?
