The second piece of ancient _facetiæ_, “the complaynte of them that ben to late maryed,” is written with much more humour, and is far better worth preservation, but it is disfigured by indelicacy, though not of the grossest kind, and never introduced but for the sake of heightening the drollery. It is the lamentation of an elderly gentleman, who after a youth of riot had married a young frolicksome wife, and he relates very feelingly the inconveniences, annoyances, and jealousies to which he is thereby exposed. After two introductory stanzas, (all of them are in the ordinary seven-line ballad form) he thus states his resolution late in life to commit the folly of matrimony. “To longe have I lyved without ony make; All to longe have I used my yonge age: I wyll all for go and a wyfe to me take For to increase both our twoos lynage; For saynt John sayth that he is sage That ayenst his wyll doth him governe, And our lordes precepte hym selfe for to learne “There is no greter pleasure than for to have A wyfe that is full of prudence and wysdome. Alas, for love nygh I am in poynte to rave. These cursed olde men have an yll custome Women for to blame, both all and some; For that they can not theyr myndes full fyll, Therfore they speke of them but all yll. “Now, syth that I have my tyme used For to follow my folyshe pleasaunces, And have my selfe oftentimes sore abused At plaies and sportes, pompes and daunces, Spendynge golde and sylver and grete fynaunces, For faut of a wyfe the cause is all: To late maryed men may me call.” Hence he proceeds to narrate his early courses, especially his amours with “mercenary beauties.” He says:— “Yf I withhelde ony praty one, Swetely ynough she made me chere, Sayenge that she loved no persone But me, and therto she dyde swere. But whan I wente fro that place there, Unto another she dyde as moche; For they love none but for theyr poche.” His male companions were about upon a par with his female, and upon both he wasted his substance; but having at last married, he imagined that he had only to enjoy tranquillity and happiness, and exclaimed:— “Now am I out of this daunger so alenge, Wherfore I am gladde it for to persever. Longe about have I ben me for to renge; But it is better to late than to be never. Certes I was not in my lyfe tyll hyther So full of joye, that doth in my herte inspyre: Wedded folke have tyme at theyr desyre.” On trying the experiment, he by no means finds it answer his expectation. Besides other evils, he says, “constrayned I am to be full of jalousy;” and he admits in plain terms that his young wife has no great reason to be satisfied with her old husband. He observes:—