some of womens ioye and peace And shall not we performe obedience then As wee are bound by law of God and nature Yealding true harts affection vnto men Ordain'd to rule and gouerne euery creature Why then of all on earth that liue and moue We should degenerate and monsters proue Besse Monsters forsoth nere sleepe in maidens beds But they are lodged with your married wiues The knotty browes and rugged butting heds Concerne not vs professing single liues To learne your horne-booke we haue no deuotiō Keepe monsters to your selues we scorne the motion Bride Besse of such shapes whē your turne coms to marry A carefull mynd in choyse of husband beare For if your browes from former smothnes varry Thinke on this speach It commeth with a feare Which I am past perplexe me no feare can Being sure I haue a constant honest man Iane. Belieue you haue and t' is enough they say But you and I agree not in a mynde I read in storyes men will run astray Yet make their foolish wiues beleeue th' are kind And therefore since they are so cunning knowne I le keepe my selfe a maide and trust to none Had I one sutor swore himselfe loue-sicke Another for his Mistris sake would die A third thorow Cupids power growne lunaticke A fourth that languishing past hope did lye And so fist sixt and seauenth in loues passion My Maiden-head for them should ner'e change fashion Aeneas told many a cogging tale To Dido that renowned worthy Queene And Iason with his flatterings did preuaile Yet falser knaues in loue were neuer seene And at this instant hower as they were then The world aboundeth with deceitfull men Doll Iane that 's too true for to you all I sweare How I was bobd by one t is shame to tell A smoother fellow neuer wench did heare And as I liue I thought he lou'd me well Heere you shall see one of his cunning letters Which still I keepe meane to shew his betters In Romane hand on guilded paper writ Pray Dorothy read you it to the rest But whether his owne head inuented it Or robd some printed Booke I doe protest I cannot tell but his owne name is to it Which proues he takes vpon him for to doe it The Loue Letter The truest heart shall nought but falshood cherish The mildest man a cruell tyrant prooue The water drops the hardest flint shall perish The hilles shall walke and massie earth remooue The brightest Sun shall turne to darke some clowde Ere I prooue false where I my loue haue vowde Ere I prooue false the world desolu'd shall be To that same nothing that it was before Ere I prooue false mine eyes shall cease to see And breath of life shall breath in me no more The strong built frame shall moue from his foundation Ere I remoue my soules determination Death shall forget to kill and men to dye Condemned soules shall laugh and cease to mourne The lowest hell shall rise and meete the skye Time shall forget his course and backe returne Contrary vnto kinde each thing shall proue Ere I befalse or once forget my loue Oh then deare heart regard my sad estate My passions griefe and wofull lamentation Oh pittie me ere pittie come too late That hold thee deare past mans imagination Preserue my life and say that thou wilt haue me Or else I die the whole world cannot saue me Grace This is a Ballad I haue heard it sung Doll Well be or be not that 's not to the matter But who will trust a louers pen or tongue That vse all protestations thus to flatter For this base fellow that was so perplext Sent this one monday and was married next Sara Now out vpon him most dissembling creature I le warrant you that he can neuer thriue He showes himselfe euen of as bad a nature As euer was in any man aliue Alas poore foole that hath this fellow got Shee hath a Iewell of him hath she not Nell Yes surely hath she waying all things deepe A louer that will tast as sweete as gall One that is better farre to hang then keepe And I perswade me you doe thinke so all Excepting onely partiall Mistris Bride For she stands stoutly to the married side Bride So farre as reason and as right requires I will defend them both by word and deede Yet haue I no apology for lyers And ill conditions that false hearts doe breede All that are married be not faithfull kinde Nor all vnmarried are not chast in minde Are there not maids vpon your cōscience speake Knowne to your selues as well as you knowe me Will vowe their loue to men and falsly breake Which in the number of your Virgins be That will delude some halfe a score young men And hauing gull'd them take some other then I will not name her was in loue with ten But in your eares I 'le note her secret harke She had both Courtiers Cockneys Country-men Yet in the ende a Saylor boards her Barke And therefore put not men in all the blame But speake the trueth and so the diuell shame Grace I knowe the partie well that you doe meane And thus much for her I dare boldly say To diuers sutors though she seemed to leane To trye her fortunes out the wisest way Yet did she neuer plight her faith to any But vnto him she had among so many And ther 's no doubt but diuers doe as she Your selfe in conscience haue had more then one To whom in shewe you would familiar be And comming to the point why you would none Ciuilitie allowes a courteous cariage To such as proffer loue by way of marriage An affable behauiour may be vsed And kinde requitall answere kinde deseart And yet no honest man thereby abused With fained showes as if he had the heart When there is purpose of no such intent To gull him with his time and mony spent Mall Were I to giue maides counsell they to take it And that they would consent to doe as I Who offered vs his loue we would forsake it And like Dianes Nymphs would liue and die For I protest your louers should haue none But wiues and widdowes to put tricks vpon We would reuenge the crafty double dealing Thousands of harmelesse virgins doe endure By their deceitfull art of kinde-hart stealing Keeping our loues vnto our selues secure And credit to their vowes should be no other But in at one eare and goe out at t'other Bride This you would doe and y' are in that minde now But I perswade me t is but rashly spoken And therefore Mary make no foolish vow For if you doe in conscience t' will be broken Say you doe meane to keepe you free from man But to be sure still put in If you can Or else you may presume aboue your power Twixt words and deedes great difference often growes You may be taken such a louing hower Your heart may all be Cupids to dispose Then vve shall haue you sicke pine and
grieue And nothing but a husband can relieue Aske but your elders that are gone before And the 'le say marry maide as we haue done Twixt twelue and twenty open loue the doore And say you vvere not borne to liue a Nonne Vnperfect female liuing odde you are Neuer true euen till you match and paire Iust Nature at the first this course did take Woman and man deuided were in twaine But by vniting both did sweetely make Deuisions blisse contenfull to remaine Which well made lawe of Nature and of kinde To matters reasonles doe nothing binde Nothing vnfit nothing vniust to doe But all in order orderly consisting Then what seeme they that wil not ioine their two And so be one without vnkinde resisting Surely no other censure passe I can But she 's halfe woman liues without a man One that depriues her selfe of what 's her right Borne vnto care and ignorant of ease A lustlesse liuing thing without delight One whom vnpleasantnesse best seemes to please Depriu'd of lifes sweete ioy from kind remoued Of worthlesse parts vnworthy to be loued Who will in paine pertake with such a one Whom we may most vnhappy creature call Who will assist her when her griefe makes mone Or who vphold her if she chance to fall The burthen one doth beare is light to two For twisted cordes are hardest to vndoe The loue and ioy doth absolute remaine That in posteritie is fixed fast For thou in children art new borne againe When yeeres haue brought thee to thy breathspent last Those oliue plants shall from each other spring Till Times full period endeth euery thing This being thus what sencelesse girles you be To iustifie a life not worth embracing Opposing silly maiden wits gainst me That will not yeelde an ynch to your out-facing For were heere present all the maydes in towne With marriage reasons I would put them down Prudence Kinke sisters all now I haue heard the Bride Will you haue my opinion not to flatter Sure I am turning to the wedding side I heare such good sound reason for the matter Let Grace Doll Besse and Susan Mary Iane Leade apes in hell I am not of their vaine As sure as death I le ioyne my selfe with man For I perswade me t is a happy life I le be a Bride vvith all the speede I can It 's vvonder how I long to be a vvife Grace heer 's good counsell had you grace to take it Susan t is sound oh Besse doe not forsake it Good husband-men vve see doe euer vse To chuse for forfit those that breede the best And none vvill keepe bad breeders that can chuse Euen so your fowlers that often brood the nest Are most esteem'd their kinds worthiest thoght All barren things by all are counted nought Who plantes an orchard vvith vnfruitfull trees None but a mad man so vvill vvast his ground Or vvho sowes corne vvhere onely sand he sees Assured that there vvill no increase be found And in a vvord all that the vvorld containes Haue excellence in their begetting gaines For my part therefore I resolue me thus Vnto the purpose I vvas borne I le liue All maydes are fooles that vvill not ioyne vvith vs And vnto men their right of marriage giue Most vvorthy Bride here is my hand and vow I loue a man in heart as vvell as thou Francis Prudence I am of your opinion iust A vvif's farre-better then a matchlesse maide I le stay no longer virgin then needes must The law of Nature ought to be obayde Either vve must haue inward loue to men Or else beare hate and so be brutish then Doth not the vvorld instruct vs this by others That vvedlocke is a remedy for sinne Shall vve be vviser then our reuerent mothers That married or we all had bastards bin And ere our mothers lost their maiden Iemme Did not our grandhams euen as much for them From whence haue you the gift to liue vnwed Pray of what stuffe are your straight bodies made By what chast spirit was your nicenesse bred That seeme of flesh to be so purely stayde Are not all here made females for like ends Fye fye for shame disemble not with friends I le tell you one thing which by proofe I knowe My mother had a cocke that vs'd to roame And all the hens would to our neighbours goe We could not keepe them for our liues at home Abroad they went though we wold nere so faine Vntill by chance we got our cocke againe And so my fathers pigeons in like sort Our matchlesse hens about would euer flye To paire with other doues they would resort Pray laugh not Susan for it is no lye I haue it not from other folkes-relation But from mine owne and mothers obseruation Susan I laugh that you compare vs to your hens Or straying pigions that abroad haue flowne To seeke about for cocks of other mens Because you say they wanted of their owne But Francke though you like them be francke and free You must not iudge all other so to be We doe not vse to hunt abroad for cockes But rather shun the places where they be The prouerbe sayes let geese beware the fox T is easie making prayes of such as we That will not keepe them from the charmers charme Mens flatteries doe maiden-heads much harme Bride Flatterers are of all to be reiected As well of wiues as you that are but maydes We praise not faults wherewith men are infected Nor yeeld applause to euery one perswades Our praysing men thus vnderstand you must T is meant of those are honest louing iust Why there are men doe erre in what you hold Chast batchelers that neuer meane to match Who for the siugle life smooth tales haue told And yet the fleshly knaues will haue a snatch I le ne're trust those that of themselues doe boast The great'st presisians will deceiue you most I knew a prating fellow would maintaine A married man had but two merry dayes His wedding day the ioyfull first of twaine For then God giue you ioy euen all men sayes The second merry day of married life Is that whereon he burieth his wife And woemen vnto shippes he would compare Saying as they continually lacke mending So wiues still out of repairations are And vrge their husbands daily vnto spending Yea worse disgrace he would presume to speake Which I will spare least I offend the weake But note the badnesse of this wretches life That counted woemen abiect things forsaken He raune away at last with 's neighbours wife Worthy of hanging were the rascall taken Such odious actes haue such dishonest mates that against marriage rude and senceles prates But you most wilfull wenches that oppose Against the state that you are borne to honour A prophesie vnto you I le disclose And she that here doth take most nice vpon her Pray note it well for there is matter in it And for to doe you good thus I beginne it When fish with fowle change
husband vnto his affaires Of things abroad that out of doores haue bin By him performed as his charge to doe Not busie-body like inclin'd thereto Thus as I cry'd and wept and wrong my hands And said deare maydes and maydenhead adue Before my face me thought my mother stands And question'd with me how this matter grew With that I start awake as we are now Yet feard my dreame had bin no dreame I vow I could not for my life tell how to take it For I was stricken in a mightie maze Therefore if marriage come I le not forsake it T is danger to liue virgin diuers wayes I would not in such feare againe be found Without a husband for a thousand pound Susan Is it euen so Grace are you come to this You that perswaded me from loue of late When you knew who sent me a Ring of his And would haue had me bin his turtle mate You cunningly did make me to forsake him Because I thinke in conscience you will take him I le trust your word another time againe That can dissemble so against your heart Wishing that I should earnestly refraine From that which thou thy selfe embracer art This is braue doing I commend you Grace But I le nere trust you more in such a case Bride I pray you here let this contention ende We being all of selfe same woman kind And each the other with aduise befriend Because I see some of you well enclin'd To take good wayes and so become good wiues I le teach you certaine rules to leade your liues You that intend the honourable life And vvould vvith ioy liue happy in the same Must note eight duties doe concerne a wife To vvhich vvith all endeuour she must frame And so in peace possesse her husbands loue And all distast from both their hearts remooue The first is that she haue domestique cares Of priuate businesse for the house vvithin Leauing her husband vnto his affaires Of things abroad that out of doores haue bin By him performed as his charge to doe Not busie-body like inclin'd thereto Nor intermedling as a number will Of foolish gossips such as doe neglect The things which doe concerne them and too ill Presume in matters vnto no effect Beyond their element when they should looke To what is done in Kitchin by the Cooke Or vnto childrens vertuous education Or to their maides that they good huswiues be And carefully containe a decent fashion That nothing passe the lymmits of degree Knowing her husbands businesse from her own And diligent doe that let his alone The second dutie of the wife is this Which shee in minde ought very carefull beare To entertaine in house such friends of his As she doth know haue husbands welcome there Not her acquaintance without his consent For that way Iealousie breeds discontent An honest woman will the scandall shun Of that report is made of wantonnesse And feare her credit will to ruine run When euill speakers doe her shame expresse And therefore from this rule a practise drawes That the effect may cease remoue the cause Th'ird dutie is that of no proude pretence She moue her husband to consume his meanes With vrging him to needlesse vaine expence Which toward the Counter or to Ludgate leanes For many ydle huswiues London knowes Haue by their pride bin husbands ouerthrowes A modest vvoman vvill in compasse keepe And decently vnto her calling goe Not diuing in the frugall purse too deepe By making to the world a pecocke showe Though they seeme fooles so yeelde vnto their wiues Some poore men doe it to haue quiet liues Fourth dutie is to loue her owne house best And be no gadding gossippe vp and downe To heare and carry tales amongst the rest That are the newes reporters of the towne A modest vvomans home is her delight Of businesse there to haue the ouersight At publike playes she neuer will be knowne And to be tauerne guest she euer hates Shee scornes to be a streete-wife Idle one Or field vvife ranging vvith her vvalking mates She knows how wise men censure of such dames And how with blottes they blemish their good names And therefore with the doue shee le rather choose To make aboade where she hath dwelling place Or like the snayle that shelly house doeth vse For shelter still such is good-huswiues case Respecting residence where she doth loue As those good housholders the snayle and doue Fist dutie of a wife vnto her head Is her ohedience to reforme his will And neuer with a selfe conceit be led That her aduise prooues good his counsell ill In Iudgement being singular alone As hauing all the wit her husband none She must not thinke her wisedome to be thus For we alasse are weakelings vnto men What singular good thing remaines in vs Of wise ones in a thousand show me ten Her stocke of wit that hath the most I say Hath scarse enough for spending euery day When as the husband bargaines hath to make In things that are depending on his trade Let not wifes boldnes power vnto her take As though no match were good but what she made For she that thus hath oare in husbands boate Let her take breech and giue him petti-coate Sixt dutie is to pacifie his yre although she finde that he empatient be For hasty words like fuell adde to fire And more and more insenceth wraths degree When she perceiues his choller in a fit Let her forbeare and that 's a signe of wit Many occasions vnto men doe fall Of aduerse crosses woemen not conceiue To find vs honny they doe meete with gall Their toyle for vs doe their owne ioyes bereaue Great shame it were that we should ad their woe That doe maintaine and keepe and loue vs so If that a hasty word sometime be spoke Let vs not censure therefore they are foes Say t is infirmitie that doth prouoke Their hearts are sorry for their tongues God knowes Since we by proofe each day and hower finde For one harsh word they giue ten thousand kind The seuenth dutie that she must endeauour Is to obserue her husbands disposition And thereunto conforme her selfe for euer In all obedient sort with meeke submission Resoluing that as his conditions are Her rules of life she must according square His vertues and good parts which she doth finde shee must endeauor for to imitate The vices whereunto he is enclin'd Shee must in patience beare in milde estate So that the meekenesse of her louing carriage May be peace-maker of all strife in marriage She must not doe as foolish woemen vse When they are met about the gossippes chat Their absent husbands with their tongues abuse But vtterly abhorre to offer that Resoluing that a husbands least disgrace Sould cause the wife to haue a blushing face The eight last dutie she must take vpon her To binde all t'other seauen to be done Is loue and chiefe regard to husbands honour Which if at true affection it begunne Then be he poore or sicke or in distresse See still remaines most firme in faithfulnesse Best in aduersitie it will appeare What constancy within the heart remaines No testimonie can be found more cleare Then friend in trouble that his loue explaines For such a one we may resolue is true That changeth not though fortune turne from you And thus faire virgins to you all farewell What I haue spoken doe proceede from loue The ioyes of marriage I want art to tell And therefore no more talke but try and proue With wedding rings be wiues of credit knowne God send good husbands to you euery one FINIS