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
Nevertheless it is the generall desire of all persons, forasmuch as it
is possible, to live in the World in pleasure and delights. Amongst
the rest the gain of mony is none of the smallest pleasures, and this
appears to be the least burthensom, tho it have much trouble in it.
Therefore is it very much commendable, O young Couple, though you have
a pretty estate of your own, according as your Contract of Marriage
testifies, and as we have also seen by the Wedding you kept, your
apparel, and the other ap and dependances, that you begin to meditate
how to make the best benefit of your stock; and so much the more,
because your Predecessors got it with a slavish diligence, reaped it
together with sobriety, kept it with care, and finally left it unto
you for your great pleasure. It is then also not strange, if you, as
true bred children, keep it carefully, and make the best profit of it;
to the end, that your Successors, when time shall serve, may find that
they have had frugall Parents; and so walk in your footsteps. Verily
this is one of the necessariest meditations in the World. If we could
but any waies make the dead sensible of it in their grave, undoubtedly
the Reliques of your Parents would rejoice at so happy and carefull an
intention of you their children.
And truly, what is there, among other cogitations, more pleasurable,
then to begin with a handsom Shop-keeping? For this through the daily
gain, yeelds every day new pleasures, and by consequence a merry life.
'Tis true, Merchandize bears a greater respect, and yeelds also
sometimes great gains; but with these trouble somtimes, it is for the
most part subject to great and weighty losses, which is the
destruction of young people, and so intangles the merriest part of
their lives, that fears and cares deprives them of their night rest.
If the wind blow hard, they are presently in a fear that the Ships at
sea laden with their Goods and Wares may be Shipwrack'd. If they will
assure them, then the Assurer goes away with the profit: and they are
also so greedy and cunning, that the least storm or bad tiding makes
them very slow and circumspect; or if they be not so, it is to be
feared, so there happen many losses, that then the Assurer himself
might come to be lost.
But the handsom Shop-keeping is the surest and pleasurablest; for
every moment you get new customers as well from abroad as at home, who
buy continually with ready mony; or otherwise pay the old score, and
trust the new. Yea all the news that goes about the City, is brought
home and imparted to you. There's not a man dies, or woman brought to
bed, but you have knowledge of it. Well then, what greater pleasure
can there be then this?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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