%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Woman's Medley. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center English Broadside Ballad Archive (EBBA) Director Patricia Fumerton Associate Director Carl G Stahmer ?-? Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 07/09/2021 36899

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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

R229260 1 NONE London is a Fine Town Let's trace them from their Infancy till into Age they're grown, / From two Years Old we shall begin and each to sixty one; O Woman is a fine thing, so wondrous neat and pretty, / But now they are degenerate, alas, the more's the pitty, Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 119 The Woman's Medley. The Woman's Medley. ?-?

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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 Featured 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 7/9/2021 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Ballads, English 17th century Broadsides, England 17th century 7/9/2021 10:52:59 AM XBallad Henderson, Olivia Created XML Version of Ballad 7/9/2021 10:52:59 AM Transcription Supervisor McCants, Kristen Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/9/2021 10:52:59 AM Double-Key Comparison and Merging Stark, Nicole Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/9/2021 10:52:59 AM Transcriptionist Two Abrams, Annie Transcription of ballad manuscript 7/9/2021 10:52:59 AM Transcriptionist One Al halabieh, Deena Transcription of ballad manuscript 3/12/2019 Bibliographer Kristen McCants Initial Ballad Catalogue Record Created
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O Woman is a fine thing so wondrous neat and pretty, But now they are degenerate, alas, the more's the pitty, Let's trace them from their Infancy till into Age they're grown, From two Years Old we shall begin and each to sixty one; We'll give you plain their Characters, and how they spend their li[ves] In what capacity they Act as Widows, Maids and Wives. O Woman is a fine thing, etc. As soon as they can go alone full fast their Tongues do run, And if you do observe them they hold as they begun, At five Years will be trickt up fine they've such a smatch of pride, Lac'd Shoes, fine Petticoats, Comodes, and twenty things beside. So very pert and apt there grown as soon as turn'd of Ten, Their thoughts continually do run on nothing else but Men, For Lasses are so forward grown as plainly now appears, That they think of a Husband, and ever they think of their Prayers. And if they get a sweetheart as soon as can be, You'll find they will not be content unless they have two or three; They all are very fond of choice and prone unto this evil, To take the Man that has most pelf, the rest may go to the Devil. Her Tea-table must be set out with China of the best, With tatling Gossips like herself, and then she's truly blest; And oftentimes three Hours long they sit at the Tea-table, To scandalize their Neighbours as long as they are able. Some Women tread in virtues Paths as if they tread on Thorns, Or else to many Men as would never wear the Horns; For 'tis the fate of many Men, and not of one alone, That Children their oblig'd to keep, which are none of their own. If the Husband for to take a Glass unto the Tavern goes, His Wife is quickly after him, and doth her mind disclose, She tells him that is a shame, 'tis time away he come, And rattles Thunder in his Ears, as he gets home. When she's in Bed she tells him, and say twill quite undo him, And if he'd play with you know what, she turn her Buttocks to him; No Man can manage Woman though he hath ever such Skill, And he that would a Woman please must let her have her Will. And if the Husband chance to die, and she's a Widow left, O then she grieves confoundedly that of him she's bereft; She hides her Face in Mourning, and blinds her Eyes with Tears, And hopes she shall another get, O there lies all her cares. If her Husband cross her in what she hath done or said, [T]hen presently she doth fall Sick, and needs must keep her Bed; [T]he Doctor comes, then with his Skill to Cure her when she droops, [A]nd puts the Man to vast expence in Bolus's and Slops. A[l]tho' her charms thro' Age decline, exempt from every grace, She[']ll Paint and Patch, and Patch and Paint to hide her wrinkle Face, But Women all these failings have, and many more beside, But all these faults are owing to nothing but Pride. Our Grandames they old we read were virtuous, Wise and Sage, And many Woman are so too, within this present Age; For such they well may be beloved, 'twill be by Age confest, Then let us as we ought to do, pray Heaven to mend the rest.