The Ten Pleasures of Marriage: and the Second Part, The Confession of the New Married CoupleMarsh, A.
General
The Ten Pleasures of Marriage: and the Second Part, The Confession of the New Married Couple
Marsh, A.
Marriage
'Tis true, it seems to fall both tart and bitter, when the children
take such lavish courses, and get such wild hairs in their nostrils;
the sons acting the parts of spendthrifts, and petulant Students, and
the Daughters of light Punks; as long as these things remain so, they
appear to be but very sober Pleasures of Marriage. But when we
perceive, that these thorns being past, the pleasant roses appear, and
that these light hearted Students finally come to be gallant
Practitioners; O that affords you the most satisfactory and largest
Pleasure of Marriage that ever could be expected.
So also, if you perceive that your Daughters are lively, active and
airy; that somtimes they would rather go to a Play, then to Church; or
rather be merry of an evening, than at Sermon in the morning, and grow
to be altogether mannish minded; you must then conclude these are
natural instincts. If it happen to fall out, contrary to your
expectation, that she hath more mind to a brave young fellow that's a
Prentice, whose parts and humor she knows, then she hath in a Plush
Jacketted or gilt Midas; then make your selves joyfull in the several
examples that you have of others, who being so married, have proved to
be the best Matches; of which examples multiplicities are at large
prostrated to your view in the Theater of Lovers. So that you do
herein yet find the Pleasure of Marriage.
But it is much farther to be sought for among the vexations which
house-keeping people have not only from children, but from
base-natured, lasie, tailing, lavish, and ill-tongued servants; done
unto them somtimes by their men, but generally by the foolish and
stifnecked Maids. These can make their Master totally forget his Base
Viol and singing of musick, and their Mistriss the playing upon the
Virginals. It was a much less trouble for Arion and Orfeus to charm
all the senceless creatures both of Sea and Land in those daies; then
it is now for house-keepers to bring their servants to a due
obedience.
Neither is this strange, because some Maids, when they see they have
gotten a kind natured and mild Gentlewoman to their Mistriss;
immediately practice, by all means possible, to rule and domineer over
her; insomuch that whatsoever the Mistriss orders or commands, she
knows how, according to the imagination of her own understanding, to
order and do it otherwise. And dare many times boldly contradict them,
and say, _Mistriss, it would be better if this were done then, and
that so_.
And if the Mistriss be so mild that she condescends and passes by this
some times; they are immediately, in their own conceits, as wise again
as their Mistriss; and dare, when they come among their tailing
Gossips, brag that they can bend their Mistriss to their Bow; and if
their Mistriss bids them do any thing, they do it when it pleases
them, or at their own oportunity; for their Mistriss is troubled with
the simples, a Sugar-sop, &c.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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