Page:Wife of Beith (9).pdf/5

Then down they went a right ſteep hill,
Where ſmoke and darkneſs did abound,
And pitch and ſulphur burned ſtill,
With yells and cries, hills did rebound.
The fiend himſelf came to the gate,
And aſked him where he had been;
Do ye not know and have forgot,
Seeking this wife could not be ſeen.

Good dame, he ſaid, Would you be here,
I pray you then tell me your name,
The Wife of Beith, ſince that you ſpeer,
But to come in I were to blame.

I will not have you here good dame,
For you are miſtreſs of the flyting,
If once within this gate you come,
I will be troubled with your biting;
Cummer, go back, and let me be,
Here are too many of your rout;
For women lewd like unto thee,
I cannot turn my foot about.

Sir Thief, I ſay, I ſhall bide out,
But goſſip thou waſt ne’er to me:
For to come in, I’m not fo ſtout,
And of my biting thou’ſt be free:
But Lucifer what’s that on thee?
Haft thou no water in this place?
Thou look’ſt ſo black it ſeems to me,
Thou ne’er doſt waſh thy ugly face.

If we had water here to drink,
We would not care for waſhing then;
Into thofe flames and filthy ſtink.
We burn with fire unto the doom.