Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Harp of Renfrewshire

24
My tongue and lieai't should pray together.
And hereupon ye shal hear what befell
To certain Clerks, that Latine well covild spell:
With whom, by chance, I lodged at an Inne,
Where an old wife upon a rock did spin ;
And towards evening she fell to and pray'd,
But neither they nor I knew what she said.
One said, the Carling counterfeits the Canting.
Another said, it's but the Matrons manting.
Some call'd it Gibbers, others call'd it Clavers,
But still the Carling speaks, and spins, and slavers.
Now good Sir John, what think ye of this Huasie /
Where was her heart, when her hand was so busie I
In end, one said, Dame, wot ye what ye say 1
No, not, saith she, but well I wot I pray.
Ye pray, said he, and wots not what? I grant.
Alace, how can ye be so ignorant ?
The Matrone musing little at the motion,
Said, Ignorance is mother of devotion.
Then Dame, said he, if ignorance be the mother,
Darknesse must be the daughter, and none other.
Pray'd ye, said he, when all the time ye span ?
Wliat reck of that ! said she, God's a good man,
And understands all that I say in Latine,
And this I do at Even-song and at Matine.
Alace, Sir John, was not this wife abused,
Whose soul and senses all were so confused ?
Ye know these unknown tongues can profit no man,
And one tongue is enough for any woman.
But when one prayes in true sincerity.
As God commands, in Spirit and verity ;
The heart sends up the tongue as messenger
Unto the Lord a pleasant passenger.
Priest.
But, Pack-man, here's a prettie little book,
Wherein if thou wilt listen for to look,
Set out by a true Catholick Divine,