A Merry Dialogue Declaringe the Properties of Shrowde Shrews and Honest WivesErasmus, Desiderius
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A Merry Dialogue Declaringe the Properties of Shrowde Shrews and Honest Wives
Erasmus, Desiderius
Dialogues, Latin (Medieval and modern) -- Translations into English; Imaginary conversations
Eula. when he is ydle, neither angry, pensife, nor ouersen, then
betwixt you two secretly he must be told his faute gētly, or rather
intreated, that in this thynge or that he play the better husbande to loke
better to his good name and fame and to his helth and this tellyng must be
myxt with mery conceites and pleasaunt wordes many times I make a meane to
tel my tale after this fashyon, that he shall promise me, he shal take no
displeasure wyth my thynge, that I a foolyshe woman shall breake vnto hym,
that pertayneth eyther to hys helthe worshyppe or welth. When I haue sayde
that I woulde, I chop cleane from that communication and falle into some
other pastime, for this is all our fautes, neyghbour Xantippa, that whē
we begyn ones to chat our tounges neuer lie.
Xantip. So men say
Eulalia. Thus was I well ware on, that I neuer tell my husbād
his fautes before companie, nor I neuer caried any cōplaynte furthe a
dores: the mendes is soner made whē none knoweth it but two, and
there were anie suche faute that myght not be wel borne nor amēded by
ye wyues tellige, it is more laudable that the wife make
complaynte vnto the Parentes and kynsfolke of her husband, then vnto her
own, and so to moderate her complaynte that she seme not to hate hym but
hys vice nor let her play all the blabbe, that in some poynt vnutered, he
may know & loue his wiues curteysy.
Xantip. She had nede be aswellerned womā, that would do all
this.
Eu. Mary through suche demeanoure, we shall sterre our husbādes
vnto lyke gentylnesse.
Xan: There be some that cannot be amended with all the gentyll
handlynge in the worlde.
Eula: In faith I thyncke nay, but case there be, marke this wel the
good man must be for borne, howe soeuer the game goeth, then is it better
to haue him alwayes at one point or ells more kinde and louing throw oure
gentill handlinge, then to haue him worse and worse throwe our
cursednesse, what wyll you say and I tell you of husbādes that hath
won theyr wiues by suche curtesie, howe muche more are we boūde to
use the same towarde our husbandes.
Xantip. Than shall you tell of one farre vnlyke vnto thyne husband.
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