Scottish Text Society publications > Third series > Works of Sir David Lindsay of the Mount, 1490-1555 > Volume 4, 1936

THE WORKS OF SIR DAVID LINDSAY
192
The Taylour’s wife avows indignantly that her husband has been of
no use to her for six months ; the Sowtar’s wife has been neglected a
month and a half. Obviously these women are more sexual than their
menfolk, one of the principal elements in the comedy now to be pre¬
sented. His satire against the Sowtar is continued in lines 2122-79.
1295. Let vs play cap'out. Cf. line 539, and note.
1296-1299. I suspect this to be a snatch of a drinking song.
1300. Mynnie. Affectionate term for mother. Cf. Dunbar, In Secreit
Place this Hyndir Nycht, S.T.S., II. 247, line 16, " Sen that I borne wes
of my mynnye.”
1304. Ane fair %oung mayden cled in quhyte. The symbolical colour of
Chastity is white, signifying purity and innocence ; the symbolical
metal is silver.
1311. Turnes the can. Bann MS., temiss the can. To/erne is to empty.
1315. Kow-clink. Cf. Satyre, 3656, cowclink, public prostitute. Chastitie,
it will be remembered, has " accosted ” the two men herself. Cf. line
1331, “ In company with ane kow-clink.” Cf. Dunbar, To the Quene,
S.T.S., II. 204, lines 26-30 :
I saw cowclinkis me besyd.
The joung men to thair howses gyd,
Had bettir liggit in the stockis ;
Sum fra the bordell wald nocht byd,
Quhill that thai gatt the Span^ie pockis.
Not in O.E.D. Jamieson suggested cow + clink, money. Perhaps also
cow, an opprobrious term for a woman, and clinquant, glittering with
mock gold or silver, here perhaps overdressed.
1325. Mence ane tedder, grace a tether, grace the gallows. Cf. Satyre,
4088, " Cum heir Falset and mense the gallows.”
1341,1343. Chastitie, here the quality, not the personification.
1344-1347. " Because that monster (Chastity) has made such an
attempt on my bedstaff (euphemism for her husband’s penis—i.e., has
made it useless) that dastard (pointing to her husband) bears the marks
of my wrath, and I vow, if you come this way again, you’ll have your
buttocks belted as well, by St Blasius.”
1355. Thy peild harne-pan : thy bald brain-pan, head. Peild, peeled,
bare ; cropped, eaten bare. Harm, Dan. hjerne.
1358. After beating the husbands with their distaffs, the wives move
away in triumph, leaving the men bemoaning their fate. The oppor¬
tunity is taken to launch a shaft of satire against the priests and bishops