_Wife._ The wife is as a Diamond richly set; _Maid._ The maide vnset doth yet more rich appeare. _Widow._ The widdow a Iewel in the Cabinet, Which though not worn is stil esteem'd as deare. _Wife._ The wife doth loue, and is belou'd againe. _Widow._ The widdow is awakt out of that dreame. _Maid._ The maids white minde had neuer such a staine, No passion troubles her cleare vertues streame. Yet if I would be lou'd, lou'd would I be, Like her whose vertue in the bay is seene: Loue to wife fades with satietie, Where loue neuer enioyed is euer greene. _Widow._ Then whats a virgin but a fruitlesse bay? _Maid._ And whats a widdow but a rose-lesse bryer? And what are wiues, but woodbinds which decay The stately Oakes by which themselues aspire? And what is marriage but a tedious yoke? _Widow._ And whats virginitie but sweete selfe-loue? _Wife._ And whats a widdow but an axell broke, Whose one part failing, neither part can mooue? _Widow._ Wiues are as birds in golden cages kept. _Wife._ Yet in those cages chearefully they sing: _Widow._ Widdowes are birds out of these cages lept, Whose ioyfull notes makes all the forrest ring. _Maid._ But maides are birds amidst the woods secure, Which neuer h[=a]d could touch, nor yet[148] could take; Nor whistle could deceiue, nor baite allure, But free vnto themselues doe musicke make. _Wife._ The wife is as the turtle with her mate. _Widow._ The widdow, as the widdow doue alone; Whose truth shines most in her forsaken state. _Maid._ The maid a Ph[oe]nix, and is still but one. _Wife._ The wifes a soule vnto her body tyed. _Widow._ The widdow a soule departed into blisse. _Maid._ The maid, an Angell, which was stellified, And now t' as faire a house descended is. _Wife._ Wiues are faire houses kept and furnisht well. _Widow._ Widdowes old castles voide, but full of state: _Maid._ But maids are temples where the Gods do dwell, To whom alone themselues they dedicate. But marriage is a prison during life, Where one way out, but many entries be: _Wife._ The Nun is kept in cloyster, not the wife, Wedlocke alone doth make the virgin free. _Maid._ The maid is ever fresh, like morne in May: _Wife._ The wife with all her beames is beautified, Like to high noone, the glory of the day: _Widow._ The widow, like a milde, sweet, euen-tide. _Wife._ An office well supplide is like the wife. _Widow._ The widow, like a gainfull office voide: _Maid._ But maids are like contentment in this life, Which al the world haue sought, but none enioid: