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
Come on then, that mirth may be used, let the Cards also be brought in
sight; which formerly, out of a Puritanical humour, ought not to have
been seen in a house; nay, not so much as to have been spoken of; but
now every one knows how to play artificially at Put, all Fours, Omber,
Pas la Bete, Bankerout, and all other games that the expertest
Gamesters can play at. And who knows whether they do not carry in
their Pockets, as False-Gamesters do, Cards that are cut and marked.
They learn to play the game at Bankerout so well with the Cards, that
in a short time they can and also do it with their Housholdstuf,
Wares, and Commodities. To be sure, you'l alwaies find, that every one
of them, by length of time, are capable of setting up a School, and to
act the part of a Mistriss. And most especially they learn to
discourse very exactly touching the use and misuse thereof; just as
these dissimulating Wigs intend to do, though indeed men have never
seen that they practised this lesson themselves.
But, although the Mistriss and her Companions know little or nothing
of these tricks, they serve howsoever, without setting up a School,
and that also for nothing, for good Instructresses to their servants,
who hereby are most curiously taught, what paths they have to walk in,
and what's best for them to do that they may follow their Mistresses
footsteps, as soon as their Master and Mistriss are but gone abroad
together; who then know so exactly how to dance upon those notes, that
we thought it necessary, as being one of the principallest Pleasures
of Marriage, also to be set down in the Third Table of the First Part.
Many women, who are sick of this liquorish and sweet-tooth'd disease,
will be grumbling very much at this, that such a blame and scandal
should be cast upon their innocent sex; and say that Batchelors hereby
will be afraid to marry; But if they, and the Gentlewomen that were in
private domineering together, had not gone to Confession, and made a
publick relation of it, who would have known it. Therefore this sort
of well treated female Guests, are like unto those that when they have
gotten a delicate bit by the by, cannot fare well but they must cry
roast-meat, though they should be beaten with the spit for it.
But the good ones, though they are thin sown, who are not distempered
with this evil, never trouble themselves at what one will say, or
another write concerning women, because their guiltless consciences,
serves them as well as a thousand witnesses; and they are very
indifferent whether that the deceased scandal raiser Hippolitus do
arise, and come into the World again; daring him in this manner
_Surge then Hippolytus, out from thy Ghostly nest:
Who scandal least esteem, revenge themselves the best._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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