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
Mistris _Lookabout_ was going to begin again; but they heard such
rapping and knocking at the dore, that one of them said I beleeve
there are our husbands; and indeed she guest very well. This augmented
their mirth mightily. And especially of the Nurse; for now she was
sure that, if the good Cully her Master treated his Gossips nobly and
liberally, her presents would be doubled. But Nurse do not cheat your
self, for fear it might happen otherwise; I know once a merry boon
Companion, who being at a Gossipping Feast, called the Nurse alone to
him; and saies to her, Nurse, I'l swear you are very vigilant and take
a great deal of pains, in serving both us and our wives with all
things, and also filling of us full glasses and bowls: hark hither, my
wife is a little covetous, and oft-times so narrow-soul'd that she
doth not keep her credit where she ought to do, so that I beleeve her
gift will not be very great, and truly because you are such a good
body, see there, that's for you, put it some where privately away; &
there-with thrusts her an indifferent great brass Counter, wrapt up in
a paper, into her hand. The Nurse certainly beleeving this to be at
the least a Crown piece, thanks him very demurely, and puts it in her
Pocket; never opening it till they were every one of them gone, but
then she saw that she was basely cheated. But Nurse you are warned now
by this, another time you may look better to't. Yet methinks I'd fill
about lustily, it is the good man of the house his wine; and when the
Wine begins to surge crown-high; the men are much more generous than
before.
And verily methinks I have a mind to take my portion of it also; but
yet not so as the Nurse did at my Neeces, who had toss'd up her bowls
so bravely upon the good health of the Child-bed woman her Mistriss,
that when she was going to swathe and feed the Child, instead of
putting the spoon into the mouth, she thrust it under the chin, &
sometimes against the breast; and then when she was about swathing of
it; as it is commonly the custom to lay a wollen blanket and linnen
bed together, she wrapt the poor Infant with its little naked body
only in the blanket alone.
O thrice happy young Father, who have hitherto so nobly treated and
entertained all your She Gossips, and had the audience of all their
curious relations! Now you will have the honour also of entertaining
their husbands your He-Gossips, who will not be backward in doing of
you reason out of the greatest bowl you will set before them, and talk
as freely of a Py-corner merchandize.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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