Ballate against evil Women

The beistlie lust, the furious appatite,
The haistie wo, the verrie grit defame,
The blind discretioun, and the foul delyte
Off woman-kynd that dreidis for na schame,
Setand at nocht God nor manis blame,
Thair lustis hes thame unreist so, but dreid,
That all thair traist is in thair god Cupeid.

So quhone the biche is jolie and on rage,
Scho chesis not the grewhund in the hour,
The foulest tyk quhill scho hir lust aswage ;
Rycht so the meir forsaikis the cursour,
And takis a crukit aver and a dour,
Evin so women wairis thair virginitie
On thame that maist ar holdin onworthie.

The lustiast ladie that nature can devyne,
Thocht scho have mony semelie scheruitour,
Ȝit se ȝe hir full suddanelie incleine
To tak a crippill, or a creatour
Deformit as ane oule be dame Natour,
Sic is thair weird, thairfoir quha sould thame wyte
To serue thair beistlie lust and appatite.

And sen thir clarkis hes writtin in thair stylis
To ȝoungar folk and thair successioun,
For to eschew the malice and the wylis
Off wickit woman, and thair oppressioun,
Thir folkis wise of gude discretioun
Hes teichit ws quhat skaithis and offence
That women dois with cullourit eloquence.

And war it possibill that in ony corce
War Salamonis witt and hie sapience,
Arrestotlis clergie, Sampsonis strength and force,
Hectouris manheid and michtie excellence,
Ȝitt women sould with thair sle eloquence
Thair vertewis all mak of na availis,
Be subtill winkis, and thair desaitfull talis.

Dissimulat so dangerous and dane,
So feinȝitt, and so fals with litill feir,
And quhair thai go thai beir the sleikit stane ;
Go follow thame, quha will inconstance leir,
Secreit invy, and of dispyt the speir ;
With women haill gois quyt now for euir,
Quhilk sould caus men fra subtill huris dissiuir.

Explicit.

Salviour, suppois my sensualitie
Subiect to syn hes maid my saull of syss,
Sum spark of licht and spiritualitie,
Walkins my witt, and ressoun bidis me rys,
My corrupt conscience askis, clipis, and cryis
First grace, syn space, for to amend my myss,
Substance with honour doing nane suppryss,
Freindis prosperitie heir, peax, syn heavins blys.

Quod Dumbar.