The castles and abbeys of England; Vol. 2 of 2: from the national records, early chronicles, and other standard authorsBeattie, William
History
The castles and abbeys of England; Vol. 2 of 2: from the national records, early chronicles, and other standard authors
Beattie, William
Abbeys -- England; Castles -- England
resemblance--as if Nature herself had chosen him to be his
representative--the right stone being pulled out, and a counterfeit set
in the right ring--and what with the likeness of his countenance, and
the identity of apparel, he passed for current; which jest my Roman
thought so good, that he must needs brag of it to the Marquess. But my
lord no way liked it; asking him--‘Would you put another upon doing that
which you would not do yourself? What if the devil--you two being so
like one another--should mistake you for him? I assure you he would go
neare to mar the conceit.’ For, he might have added, though honesty be
no Puritan, yet it will do no hurt.”
“Mine honour is my _life_; both grow in one;
Take honour from me, and my life’s undone.”
In the next passage, the Marquess undertakes the duty of admonishing a
party who had come to visit him; and his method of doing so is somewhat
amusing. We shall give the lecture, as nearly as we can, in his
chaplain’s own words:--“There was a new-married couple,” says he,
“presented before the Marquess. The bride was a goodly proper woman, her
face well-featured, an excellent eye she had, but she was pitifully
disfigured with the smallpox. The Marquess, looking much upon her, and
saying nothing to her for a long while, we all knew that silence was in
labour for some notable production. At last he advances toward the young
bride, and asked her: ‘Gentlewoman, do you know why it is said that God
Almighty created man and builded woman?’ The lady, somewhat out of
countenance, answered, ‘No, indeed, my lord.’ The Marquess asked her
again: ‘Do you know why you women are called housewives?’ ‘I think, my
lord,’ said the bride, ‘because good wives should keep at home, and not
gad abroad.’ ‘It is a good answer,’ said the Marquess, ‘but not the
right one; for women may be bad wives at home, as well as abroad;
otherwise they would never scold their husbands out of doors. The answer
to my first question is: Woman is not said to be _made_ as Adam was,
which only signifies plain work; but to be _built_, which signifies
curiosity and contrivance; and, therefore, as to my second question, a
woman is called a housewife, because she is a house out of which all the
royal families of kings and emperors derive their extract. Neither are
you only compared to houses; but unto cities, kingdoms, churches, and
commonwealths. But do you know what house you are like?’ ‘No, indeed, my
lord,’ answered the bride. ‘Why, then, I’ll tell you,’ resumed the
Marquess; ‘when God builded the first woman, he made her his storehouse,
wherein he had laid up all the race of mankind, wherewith he replenished
the whole earth. But I must tell you, my lady, God Almighty did not make
you coaches nor waggons, that you should be always gadding about.’
Whereat the bridegroom made answer: ‘My lord, I thank you for this; I
hope my wife will remember it.’ ‘My lord,’ said the young bride, ‘you
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