← Fiue hundred pointes of good husbandrie
Chapter 54
49. ¶ A lesson for dairie maid Cisley, of ten toppings gests
(a)
As wife that will
good husband plese,
Must shun with skill
such gests as these.
(b)
So Cisse that serues
must marke this note,
What fault deserues
a brushed cote.
(c)
Gehezie, Lots wife, and Argusses eies,
Tom piper, poore Cobler, and Lazarus thies,
Rough Esau, with Mawdlin, and Gentils that scrall,
With Bishop that burneth, thus knowe ye them all.
(d)
These toppingly gests be in number but ten,
As welcome in dairie as Beares among men.
Which being descried, take heede of you shall,
For danger of after claps, after that fall.
1
Gehezie his sicknes was whitish and drie,
such cheeses, good Cisley, ye floted too nie.
2
Leaue Lot with her piller (good Cisley) alone,
much saltnes in whitemeat is ill for the stone.
3
If cheeses in dairie haue Argusses eies,
tell Cisley the fault in hir huswiferie lies.
4
Tom Piper hath houen and puffed vp cheekes,
if cheese be so houen, make Cisse to seeke creekes.
5
Poore Cobler he tuggeth his leatherlie trash,
if cheese abide tugging, tug Cisley a crash.
6
If Lazer so lothsome in cheese be espied,
let baies amend Cisley, or shift hir aside.
7
Rough Esau was hearie from top to the fut,
if cheese so appeareth, call Cisley a slut.
8
As Mawdlin wept, so would Cisley be drest,
for whey in hir cheeses, not halfe inough prest.
9
If gentils be scrauling, call magget the py,
if cheeses haue gentils, at Cisse by and by.
10
Blesse Cisley (good mistris) that Bishop doth ban
for burning the milke of hir cheese to the pan.
If thou (so oft beaten)
Amendest by this:
I will no more threaten,
I promise thee Cis.
Thus dairie maid Cisley, rehearsed ye see,
what faults with ill huswife, in dairie house bee.
Of market abhorred, to houshold a griefe,
to maister and mistris, as ill as a thiefe.