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
The Bishop thus perceiving that no good thread could be spun of such
sort of Flax, caused the Banes to be forbidden. Then said _Barebeard_,
may it please your Grace, am I not a freeman, & may I not marry with
whom I please, or have a mind to? to which his Grace answered, yes.
Presently _Barebeard_ thrusting his head out at the dore, calls out
aloud, _Peg_ do you come hither now; and begged that his Grace would
be pleased to give him leave to marry with this person. Which Mall
seeing she cries out, you Rogue, you have been too cunning for me in
this; if I had the least thoughts on't, I would have had my _Hal_ to
have tarried for me at this dore, instead of tarrying for me at
another place. Whereupon his Grace, being in great ire, chid them most
shrewdly, giving them such strong reproofs, that at first it might
very well be imagined that he would never have admitted of a second
consent; yet afterwards upon considerations it was granted. But
_Barebeard_ being now married with _Peg_, they got no children: And
_Mall_ being married to _Hal_, they had both a Son and a Daughter at
one birth. By which its easie to be observed what acquaintance _Mall_
had made with _Barebeard_ before hand, & why she would rather marry
with Hall then with him.
To this again Mistris _Sweetmouth_ relates, that she had been several
times invited to Mistris _Braves_ labour; and that she had been twice
brought to bed very happily of two delicate twins. And in the last
encounter, for a recompence of the affection of her Beloved, she
presented him with two lustly and gallant boys; but because she would
equally balance his great bounty; the Midwife takes the same walk
again for another, and finding in what condition things stood, she
calls for a bason of warm water, bringing out at last a most delicate
pretty daughter, that was yet poor thing wrapt up in the Cawl. Which
she immediately laid into the warm water, and shewed unto them all the
wonderfull works of nature; for there they could see it move and stir,
as if it had been in its Mothers glass Bottle; but the skin being just
cut open with a small hole, it begun presently to make a little noise
like a weak childish voice, which indeed was very rare & pleasant to
be seen. In truth, such a Father, who can cast every time such high
doubblets, may very well be called by the name of Brave.
But this Story was hardly told before Mistris _Tittle-tattle_ pursued
it with another out of the same Text, saying, A little more then two
years ago I was at a Gossipping by Mistris _Gay_, who was then brought
to bed both of a Son and a Daughter, also at one birth; but indeed the
Labour came so violently upon her, that as she was standing upon the
stairs, not being able to set one foot further; and having neither
Midwife, nor any other women of her neighbors and friends, only the
assistance of her husband and the Maid; she was immediately delivered
of two gallant Children; but they did not live long.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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