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⟨3⟩. For he is the honourable laird of Sluggard-field's ⟨son⟩, and ſhe is the daughter of Slipmylabour.
4 Behold he goeth with his garters unbound, his ⟨boſom⟩ bare, holding up his breeches with his hands.
5 Up gets Maggy in the morning againſt the hour (illegible text)nine, whether it be day-light or not, but not ⟨without⟩ the power of a pearſer, for ſhe covers herſelf ⟨with⟩ her petticoat, and runs to the dung-hill as a ⟨ſoldier⟩ to his arms, when alarmed by the drum.
6. This is the character of two, which may be ⟨multiplied⟩ into million, two by two that fall into ⟨miſery⟩ by matrimory, and are deadly wounded by ⟨the⟩ plague of poverty, for want of a virtuous ⟨proceeding⟩ in themſelves.
7. Their great care is, once to be firmly married, ⟨and⟩ then all their cares are drowned in the ſleep of ⟨luſt⟩, and when they awake, the flame of calf love (illegible text) quite out, then they look up when their eyes are ⟨opened⟩, and ſeeing them ſhocked with worldly cares, ⟨almoſt⟩ naked, and next to nothing.
8. Now they muſt work or want, their belly wages ⟨war⟩ againſt them; their backs and beds muſt be ⟨cloathed⟩; their children also come upon them, thick, ⟨thick⟩ if not threefold.
9. Then ſays the huſband, What have I done? ⟨I⟩ work hard all the day to myſelf, and get no wages; ⟨my⟩ belly is never filled with bread, but O my heart ⟨is⟩ almoſt like to break with ſorrow!
10 O had I been ſtill the ſervant of another man, ⟨then⟩ had I got my daily bread and yearly wages, ⟨but⟩ now I have loſt good bread and great pleasure, ⟨and⟩ O but her beef be a weighty burden unto me:
11. Let never a man w(illegible text)le his wife at the kirk-door, nor picks up a painted image in the market; as I have done to my deadly danger.
12. Her fine buſks are turned into miſerable brats; ⟨inſtead⟩ of paintings on her face, a ſlough of dung, which is the ſign of a ſapleſs carcaſe, occaſioned by ⟨the⟩ ſcarcity of ſcones, and a ſcantineſs of pottage.
13 O miſerable madneſs, and wicked alteration,
