Women, women, love of women
Maketh bare purses with sum men.
Sum be mery, and sum be sad,
And sum be besy, and sum be bad;
Sum be wilde, by Seint Chad;
Yet all be not so,
For sum be lewed,
And sum be shrewed;
Go, shrew, whersoever ye go.
Sum be wise, and sum be fonde;
Sum be tame, I understond;
Sum will take bred at a mannes hond;
Yet all be not so.
Sum be wroth and cannot tell wherfore;
Sum be skorning evermore,
And sum be tusked like a bore;
Yet all be not so.
Sum will be dronken as a mouse;
Sum be crooked and will hurte a louse;
Sum be faire and good in a house;
Yet all be not so.
Sum be snouted like an ape;
Sum can nother play ne jape;
Sum of them be well shape;
Yet all be not so.
Sum can prate without hire;
Sum make bate in every shire;
Sum can play chekmate with our sire;
Yet all they do not so.
Maketh bare purses with sum men.
Sum be mery, and sum be sad,
And sum be besy, and sum be bad;
Sum be wilde, by Seint Chad;
Yet all be not so,
For sum be lewed,
And sum be shrewed;
Go, shrew, whersoever ye go.
Sum be wise, and sum be fonde;
Sum be tame, I understond;
Sum will take bred at a mannes hond;
Yet all be not so.
Sum be wroth and cannot tell wherfore;
Sum be skorning evermore,
And sum be tusked like a bore;
Yet all be not so.
Sum will be dronken as a mouse;
Sum be crooked and will hurte a louse;
Sum be faire and good in a house;
Yet all be not so.
Sum be snouted like an ape;
Sum can nother play ne jape;
Sum of them be well shape;
Yet all be not so.
Sum can prate without hire;
Sum make bate in every shire;
Sum can play chekmate with our sire;
Yet all they do not so.