1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

N N   N   N N     N N     N   N         N N     N       N

Ther was an old batchleor maried to a young girle, and efter maried he went to bed with the girle everie night for six months time togither, never minding nor understanding what he ought to doe to his wife at night, bot fell asleep when he went to bed at night, and got up in the morning, and went abroad to his busines; and all the time understanding that he hadd nothing to doe with a wife but for dressing his victuals and keeping a clean house and his back wearme all night, bot never minded the onlie and cheif thing the poor young girle wanted. So efter long times patience, or rather impatience, the poor girle went to the preist of the parosh, and compleaned on her housband John, and sayes, "God forgive yow, Sir, for marieing me to a man that understands not mariadge! Therfor, pray, Sir, tell him what he ought to doe, or let us be pairted, for I cannot comand natur longer; and ye wold taiken it ill to me to gon and satisfied nature the wrong way, and mad me sit on the pillar of repentance." The preist replyed that he wold be at her dwelling the nixt day, and speak to John; and acordingly cam, and asked John how he cam to be so unkind to his wife; who replyed that, "Non could be kinder to wife nor he was; never had he disobeyed her, or given her a froward word." "Bot John," say the preist, "ye ar wanting in another thing of greater consequence;" and tell that mariadge was ordained for procreatione of children, for satisfieing nature, and avoiding of fornicatione, with a great manie more arguments: bot, by all, he culd not come to understand what he ought. So the preist says: "Poor girle, I pittie thy caise! for this man is verie dull; bot I think it best yow and I go to bed, and I will shew him how and what to doe." Who replyed she was willing with all her heart; and to bed they went. And the preist got on the top of her, and spok in Irish tongue (as all the rest of the forgoing storie was) MUSSHO VETICH, that is to say, doe this way. So when the preist had don what he was able to do, the poor girl was so weel pleased with the game, that she says, "Oh, Sir, our John is verie forgetful! Pray doe it over again!" Vale.         [on the back is written]         scottch stor. . .         McBaire . . .

The Meaning of Marriage, Select Bibliography

Manuscript

British Library MS Sloane 1983 B, leaf 13 (seventeenth century ?).


Edition

Furnivall, Frederick J., ed. Jyl of Breyntfords Testament . . . and Other Short Pieces. London: Printed for private circulation by Taylor & Co., 1871. Pp. 40-41.