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
But many men whose understanding is turned topsie turvy in their
brains, seek it in a contrary place, and where the Bank is lowest,
the Water breaks in soonest. In such case the Women suffer cruelly.
For if he be foul-mouth'd, he is not ashamed openly before his
servants and other people to check, curb, and controul his wife
lustily; and when they are in private together, reprehends her so
bitterly, that he would not dare to mention it in the ears of honest
people: because having seen that his Border, out of meer civility, cut
many times the best peece at Table and presented to his Wife, bilds
thereupon a foundation of jealousie, and an undoubted familiarity,
which he privately twits her in the teeth with; though in publick he
is ashamed to let it appear that he is jealous; because then he would
be laught at for it; therefore he doth nothing but pout, mumble, bawl,
scold, is cross-grain'd and troubled at every thing; nay looks upon
his Wife and all the rest of his Family like a Welsh Goat, none of
them knowing the least reason in the World for it.
In the meanwhile he useth all possible means privately to attrap his
wife; for to see that which he never will see; and at which he is so
divellishly possessed to have a wicked revenge; nay which he also
never can see though he had a whole boxfull of spectacles upon his
nose; because she never hath, or ever will give him the least reason
for it. In that manner violating loves knot, and laying a foundation
of implacable hatred.
Verily, if a woman be a little light-hearted and merry humoured, it is
a great delight and pleasure for her to be taking notice, and every
way to be scoffing, with all the foolish tricks and devices of such a
jealous Coxcomb. But otherwise there is no greater Hell upon Earth,
then for an honest Woman to dwell with a jealous husband; because in
his absence she dare not in the least speak to any one, and in his
presence hardly look upon any body. This is known to those, who have
had experience of it, and it never went well with any Family where
this damned house-divel ever got an entrance.
'Tis true, all men are not defiled with this dirtiness. But such
Loggerheads many times occasion, through their wicked folly and evill
doings, that the Woman, who before never thought of jealousie, now
begins to grow jealous her self. For she, considering that her husband
is so without any ground or reason, looks so sour, and ill-natured;
and alwaies when he comes home every thing stands in his way; besides,
that the soothings and friendly entertainments, should differ so much
from those of former times, and especially from them of the first
year; cannot imagine that the small gain and the bad times are the
occasion of it; therefore she thinks that there is some other fine
Gipsie, that puts him on to these base humors, or that he is led away
by some or other charming Punk.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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