8 JANET’S ORATION.
winter’s cauld, we had peace ay at Porech-time, and harmony through the day; we supp’d our sowens <<illegible>> supper-time with a seasonable heat, and went to <<illegible>> good bairns, kend naething but stark love and kindness, we wrought for riches, and our age and earthly stores increased alike, we hated pride and loved peace, he died with a good name, I let you ken <<illegible>> live, but not as many do, not so lordly of my <<illegible>> as some are of their belly? and was not my <<illegible>> strange by that now practised? Come help yourfelf you hillokat livers and avoid it.
Now after all, if a poor man want a perfect wife let him wale a well blooded hissie, wi’ braid shoulders and thick about the haunches, that has been la<<illegible>> servant in ae house, though twice or thrice away and ay fied back, that’s well liked by the bairns and the bairns’ mither, that’s nae way cankard to the ca<<illegible>> nor kicks the colley-dogs am mg her feet, that w<<illegible>> let a’ brute beasts live, but rats, mice, lice, flaes neets and bugs, that bites the wee burns in their cradles that carefully comb the young things’ heads washes their faces and claps their cheeks, snites the snotter frae their nose as they were a’ her ain, that the lafs that will make a good wife; for them t<<illegible>> dauts the young bairns will ay be kind to auld fou<<illegible>> an they had them.
And ony hale hearted wholesome hiffie that want to halter a good husband, never tak a widow’s ae <<illegible>> for a’ the wifely gates in the warld will be in him for want of a father to teach him manly actions neither take a four looking fumf wi’ a muckle mouth and a wide guts, who will eat like a horse and <<illegible>> like a sow, suffer none to sup but himself, eat your meat and the bairns’ baith; when hungry angry, wh<<illegible>> fu full of pride, ten sacks will not hold his <<illegible>> though a pea-shap will hold his silver: But go <<illegible>> your chance, and if cheated channer not on me, f<<illegible>> fashionable folk flee to fashionable things, for lust brutish blind, and fond love as blear-ey'd. I add <<illegible>> more says Janet; so be it, said Humphray the Clergy.
FINIS
