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
Now Nurse have at you; you shall now reap the fruit of all your
running and going early & late to invite them. Oh thinks she by her
self, would but every shilling change it self into a crown-peece. But
Nurse you'l hardly be troubled with a fit of that yellow Jaundies
sickness, for there's no drug at the Apothecaries, nor any lice among
the Beggars that can cure you of it. And I dare say Nurse, that you'l
go nigh to perceive that its a very hard time, and mony mighty scarce:
because formerly the women used to put their hands more liberally in
their purses, and one gave a crown, another half a crown; but the
times are now so strangely altered, that they keep little
mild-shillings only for that use, nay some of them rub it off with a
couple of their Grandams gray groats. But howsoever I hope for your
sake, it will not be here according as often happens, fair promises
but no performances; for if it should, I protest ye ought to have made
your bargain to have had a peece more at the least for your Nurse
keeping; or otherwise you must have had the full liberty to toss up
the remains of all that was left in the Gossipping Bowls, or else to
have carried the key of the Wine Cellar alwaies in your pocket, and
then after the feeding and swathing the child, you might in the
twinkling of an eye, swinge up a lustly glass upon the good health of
the Father, Child-bed mother and the Child; for the Wine was laid in
to be made use of to that end and purpose; and it is commonly known
that the Nurses are not so mealy mouth'd; for although they don't do
it that every one should see it, they'l be sure with the Maid to get
their shares in one corner or other. But you must for this again
think, that the freer you let them take their swing herein, the more
care they will take for the Child.
Now Nurse, don't spare to make good use of your time, for it belongs
amongst other things to this Pleasure; and the new Father will
nevertheless be turning about to another mirth, and then you may be
sure to expect to have a God be w'ye. Therefore make much of your
self, and toss up your glasses stoutly at the Wine-Cask; who knows
whether you may have the opportunity this twelve month again to meet
with such a good Nurse-keeping; a liquorish sweet-tooth'd Child-bed
woman, & a plentifull housekeeping, is not every where. And you may
certainly beleeve, that the month will be no sooner ended, then that
you'l begin to stink here; for the Mistris will begin to consider with
her self, that she can make a shift with the Maid and Wet-Nurse; so
that then you must expect to get your undesired Pass.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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