Nobody his Counsaile to chuse a
Wife: OR, The difference betweene Widdowes and Maydes[:]
To the Tune of the wanton Wife of Westminster.
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LEt Young men give eare
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unto that I reherse,
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And thinke good the subject
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though set downe in verse:
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Nobody unto you,
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will kindly relate:
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The difference twixt Maydens
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and Widdowes estate,
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When ere they be had,
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they both will prove bad:
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Yet he that a Widdow takes,
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most may be glad:
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For Maydens are wanton
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and often times coy:
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But Widdowes be wilfull
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and never say nay.
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That man that doth woe a mayd,
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must be compeld:
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To live like an honest life
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ere she will yeeld:
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He someimes must [coll] her,
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and often times kisse her,
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Yet may another gaine,
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he may chance misse her:
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He lives like a slave,
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must doe what shel'e have:
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He must not deny
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whatsoere she doth crave.
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For Maydens, etc.
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But take me a Widdow,
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who if you doe woe her:
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Will yeeld with the soonest,
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when ere you come to her:
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She will be as willing,
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to yeeld to a man:
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As he that doth woe her,
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make what speede he can:
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Sheel'e give him content,
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for what he hath spent:
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If he that doth woe her,
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to true love be bent.
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For Maydens, etc.
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He that a Mayd marries
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is caught in the lurch,
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He must never let her
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goe often to Church:
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Least thinking by that meanes,
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some goodnesse to teach her:
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She larne some new fashion,
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and minde not the Preacher:
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Then when she comes home,
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sheel'e pine, and sheele mone:
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With sweete heart let me
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have that fashion or none.
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For maydens, etc.
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He that's matcht with a widdow,
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by! that is a winner:
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Sheel'e stay and heare Service,
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and then provide dinner:
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Shee is twise in a Saboath,
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at Church like a Woman:
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And not to learne fashions,
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as some doe most common:
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Shee loves to goe plaine,
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let who will disdaine:
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Shee needs must goe so,
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that hath had Husbands twain:
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For Maydens, etc.
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doe chance for to swell:
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That man that begot it,
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were as good live in Hell:
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For she will be calling
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for one thing or other,
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It may be shee's joyfull
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shee shalt be a Mother:
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Then the man must disburse,
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to hire a Nurse,
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With twenty things more,
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which is marryed mens curse.
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For Maydens, etc.
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He that deales with a Widdow,
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hath these at command:
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He takes a commodity
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broke to his hand,
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He neede not stand carking,
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for linnen nor Cradle:
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If he bestow getting,
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to keepe it shees able:
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She seldome will pray,
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her Husband to pay:
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If he bestow night worke,
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then sheele bestow day.
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For Maydens are wanton,
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and often times coy:
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But Widdowes be wilfull,
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and never say nay.
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The second part. to the same tune.
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A Younge Wife must have gossips,
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[w]ere nere had before
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She scornes to have any
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are judgd to be poore:
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Great Banquets sheele make them,
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no cost shall be spard:
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Her poore husbands purse
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shee doth never regard,
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With pray be not sad,
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tis the first that I had:
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My Husband and I,
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have cause to be glad.
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For Maydens are wanton,
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and often times coy:
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But widdowes be wilfull,
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and never say nay.
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A widdow to save all
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these charges will shift.
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For she can have Gossips
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at any dead lift:
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Sheele bid them as welcome,
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to one joynt of rost:
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As your new married Cupple.
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shall with all their cost:
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Sheele say man be wife,
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spend what may suffice:
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For Houserent and all things.
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beginneth to rise.
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For Maydens, etc.
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A young Wife is crabbed,
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and takes a delight:
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If her mayd doe but crosse her,
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so speake and then smight:
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Shee never is well
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but a breeding debate,
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Shee'le make her young husband,
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his prentises hate:
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No servants will stay,
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man and mayde will away:
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By this meanes she worketh,
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her Husbands decay:
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For Maydens, etc.
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A Widdow will never
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be froward to such,
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Sheele use them as kindly,
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and then theyle doe much:
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Theyle call her kind Mistris,
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and alwayes worke faster:
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Because they live quiet
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with her, and their master:
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She still beares the mind,
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to use servants kinde:
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That she and her husband
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much profit may finde.
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For Maydens, etc.
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A young wife must allwayes,
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in house be halfe Master:
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Or else her tongue gallops.
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no Mill-clacke goes faster:
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If he doe denie her,
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a needlesse request:
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Sheed have it by some meanes,
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or make him a beast:
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With rascall and slave,
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give me what I crave:
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Or else by this light,
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thou no quiet shalt have:
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For Maydens, etc.
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A Widdow will alwayes,
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looke well to her home:
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Let him doe his businesse
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or let it alone,
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Sheele buy what is needfull
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to serve her owne use:
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In words she will never
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her Husband abuse,
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A broad she is kinde,
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in bed he shall finde:
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A woman that strive will,
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to pleasure his mind:
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For Maydens, etc.
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A young Wife will vaver
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as oft as the winde,
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An old wife is fixed
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naught changeth her mind:
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A young wife once crost,
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continually doth frowne:
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But crosse once an old wife,
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her mind will reforme:
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A young wife will brawle,
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if she rule not all:
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A widdow will rule
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what to her doth befall:
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For Maydens, etc.
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Much more I could speake,
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but to tell you the troth:
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To prayse and to disprayse
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too much, I am loath:
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I would not to be partiall,
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on one side nor other:
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Did they to their deserve,
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I would speake well of tother:
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My judgements not blind,
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I speake as I find:
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None will take exceptions,
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for speaking my mind.
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For Maydens, etc.
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I speake not of all Maydes,
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that are to be had:
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Tis pitty mongst thousands,
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if all should be bad:
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Nay some widdowes likewise,
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may worse be then they:
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Both sortes are too wicked,
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no man will gaine say:
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With this I doe end,
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hoping none I offend:
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If I wed, with a widdow
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my dayes I will spend.
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For Maydens are wanton,
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and often times coy:
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But Widdowes be wilfull,
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and never say nay.
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