%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Young-womans Complaint: / OR, / A Caveat to all Maids to have a care how they be / Married to Old Men. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1647-1647 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 03/08/2012 32045

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

R233038 1 What should a young woman do with an old man, &c. Bonny Sweet Robin; My Robin is to the Greenwood Gone What Should a Young Woman Do With an Old Man, etc. COme all you young damsels / both beauteous and free, HE stoops in the shoulders / and goes almost double That she is sore troubled / with an Old-man. [with variation] with all the ill properties / of an Old man. [with variation] Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 406 The Young-womans Complaint: / OR, / A Caveat to all Maids to have a care how they be / Married to Old Men. The Young-womans Complaint: OR, A Caveat to all Maids to have a care how they be Married to Old Men. The Young womans Complaint: OR, A Caveat to all Maids to have a care how they be Married to Old Men. 1647-1647 W. Gilbertson

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 Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/ health alcohol Americas animals/ nature Bible/ biblical figures buildings/ architecture catastrophe children class clothing/ appearance country/ nation crime death economics/ commerce entertainments family folklore gender holidays/ seasons infidelity labor/ craft law London love maritime marriage military/ war monstrosity mythology/ Classical news nobility/ court politics/ government procreation punishment race/ ethnicity religious concepts religious figures religious groups royalty rural life servitude sex/ sexuality supernatural/ magic travel trickery/ deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgar humor youth/ age Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 3/8/2012 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America infidelity love marriage sex/ sexuality trickery/ deceit Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 3/8/2012 2:52:59 PM XBallad Halsey, Nicholas Created XML Version of Ballad 3/8/2012 2:52:59 PM Transcription Supervisor Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/8/2012 2:52:59 PM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Becker, Charlotte Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/8/2012 2:52:59 PM Transcriptionist Two Meyer, Shannon Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/8/2012 2:52:59 PM Transcriptionist One Lee, Jennifer J Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/10/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 3/10/2011 Checker Grafals Michael Edited Ballad Catalogue Record 2/16/2011 Bibliographer Shannon Meyer Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created 11/28/2011 Checker Megan Palmer Browne Edited Ballad Catalogue Record
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Young-womans Complaint:</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">OR,</hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">A Caveat to all Maids to have a care how they be</hi></seg> <seg n="4" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Married to Old Men.</hi></seg> <lb/> <seg n="5" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The Tune is, <hi rend="bold">What should a young woman do with an old man, etc.</hi> Or, <hi rend="bold">The Tyrant.</hi></hi></seg>
COme all you young damsels both beauteous and free, Ile Summon you all to listen to mee; A Song of misguiding, concerning my Marriage, Sorrows the cause of this my ill carriage; A Maiden of fifteen as it may appear She Married an Old-man of Seventy-two year; And by her misfortune well prove it I can, That she is sore troubled with an Old-man. When he sits down by me, heel presently blame me, He often doth chide me and threatens to lame me; Then fain would I hide me but cannot tell where.
He calls me young Giglet, and sometimes bold whore; But hold thy tongue man, for I am none such, I dare not call Cuckold though I think as much: She throws by her Bracelets her Hat and her Fan, Sing cursd be the time that I saw this Old-man. To speak of his Livings his Land or his Fee, Or of his Relations too tedious twill bee; His humping, his grumping his cursing, and swearing, Hes almost quite blind, and heard of his hearing, His Pate it is bauld, and his Beard it is thin, His Breath it doth stink, and short is his thing:
And now let him do what ever he can, Judge if it be fitting to love this Old-man. In Bed as I lye, he groaneth he cryeth Like one that is dyeing in sorrow he lyeth: Instead of Loves blisses he scraches and grumbles And all the night long he tosses and tumbles, And lying and dyeing and telling the Clock, Weeping and wailing, expecting a Knock: And wiping away her tears as they ran, What shall a young woman do with this old man.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second part, to the same Tune.</hi></seg>
HE stoops in the shoulders and goes almost double He is alwayes to me a continual trouble, His Breast it sticks forth even almost withs snout, He seldom goes far without letting a rout, His hands they do shake, and hes very lame, And all his whole body is quite out of frame, His Nose it is long, and his face pale and wan. With all the ill properties of an Old man. When he walks abroad with me sometimes in the street He limps, and he stumbles, the boys they do seet, And laugh him to scorn, he creeps and he grumbles, He coughs and he spits, and at last he down tumbles Then I cry and lament that ere I was born. But to quit his love, ile make him wear the horn; For let me do what ever I may or can, I still shall be plagud with this doting old man. If I with some young-men do chance for to meet, And do but them freindly and courteously greet, Then he begins presently to scold and brawl, And a thousand base names he then will me call, Which makes me with greif and sorrow lament, And now its too late I fear to repent: But ile get a Youngster that please me well can, Then a fig for this doting feeble old man.
I forcd was to marry him cause of his Wealth, But ile have another now, and then by stealth: For with him I must never expect any joy; Which vexes me worst I shall nere have a boy; Therefore Im resolvd to live merry and jolly, And take the best course to quite Melancholly. For what should a young-wo-man do with this old man But make him a Cuckold as soon as she can Theres young men enough, which will make much of me And I unto them will be gallant and free: Theyl court me and kisse and please me full well, And I will not want it, the truth I you tell; His Chests Ile set open, his money let fly, For Ile lead a merry life, until I dye. What should a young-woman do with this old man, But make him a Cuckold as soon as she can. My advice is to you all Maids that are young, That you get you Husband, that will you not wrong, For sure youth with age will never agree, As by this Ditty you plainly may see; Therefore take you warning all by my miscarriage, Be sure to be wise in your choice of Marriage: For Ile assure you, do what you can, You never can love such, an Old doting man.
Finis. London, Printed for W. Gilbertson in Giltspur-street without Newgate.