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
Upon my word, said Mistris _Bounce-about_, it is an excellent help
when men understand their travelling upon such sort of roads. It
hapned to me once that some Gentlewomen were merry with me somewhat
late in the evening; and because I had had several Symptoms of Labour,
said this, Mistris _Bounce-about_, if you would now take a walk to the
Parsley bed, we would help you very bravely; but neither wind nor
weather was serviceable at that time. But they had hardly been gone an
hour, and being in bed with my husband, and he very fast asleep;
before there begun such an alteration of the weather; that my husband
must up with all speed, who wakened the Maid, and sent her for the
Midwife laying on fire himself in all hast; yet do all what they
could, within less then a quarter of an hour, and that without any
bodies help but my husbands, my journy was performed; but things were
done with such a confusion; that he received the child in the
Christning cloath instead of the Blanket.
And a thousand more such stories as these are ript up; that would
burthen the strongest memory to bear them: and so much the more,
because it is impossible to distinguish one from the t'other, when
the men and the women that gabble so one among another. And oft-times
they spin such course threads of bawdery in their talk, that are
enough to spoil a whole web of linnen. And who can tell but that their
tattling would last a whole night, for there's hardly one of them who
hath not at the least a hundred in their Budgets; but because it is
high time that either the Dry or Wet-Nurse must go to swathe the
child, they begin to break off and shorten their prittle-prattle.
Now young Father, do but observe what fine airy complements will be
presented to you at their parting. Every one thanks you for your kind
and cordial entertainment, and not one of them forgets to wish that
you may the next year either have a Daughter to your Son, or a Son to
your Daughter; imagining then that all things is well, when you
receive such a full crop: But I am most apt to beleeve that all their
wishes aim at the But of coming next year again to the Gossips Feast,
to toss up the Gossips-bowl, and in telling of a bobbinjo story they
peep into all nooks and corners.
Well, O new Father, this Pleasure begins to come to a conclusion; but
prithee tell me, would not a body wish for the getting of such
another, that his Wife might make a journy to the Parsly-bed twice a
year?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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