A new Ballad, containing a communication between the carefull Wife, and the comfortable Husb
touching the common cares and charges of House-hold.
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The carefull Wife.
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HOw shall we good husband now live this hard yeare,
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This world is so queasie and all things so deare:
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And so little taking of money for ware,
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Makes me lye waking with no little care.
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Then had you need Husband to looke to the Foxe,
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Whose crafty conveyance will empty your boxe:
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With faire fawning speeches some credit to crave,
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Or else to bee surety for more then you have.
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Then Husband bee carefull and not over large,
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For unto Hous-keeping there longeth a charge:
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In wiving and thriving [,] it is an old song,
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More then the bare legs to bed doe belong.
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What you spend on mee, I take for my paine,
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For doing such duties as you would disdaine:
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For dressing your dyet, in washing and wringing,
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And much paines I take man, with faire babies bringing.
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And what you doe get, Sir, that will I save,
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What better good will in a Wife can you have?
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Be sure of my promise for better, for worse,
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I will be a huswife to husband your purse.
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I must provide, man, for many an odde thing,
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That you never looke to buy or to bring:
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To welcome your neighbours, your Nurse and your friend,
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To furnish a houshold longs many an odde end.
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What need, man, such odding betwixt you and me?
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All shall bee even, man, if wee two agree:
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Even you my good husband, and I your good wife,
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Will passe this hard yeere, man, without any strife,
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And I for my part will doe what I may,
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With Spinning and Reeling to passe time away,
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Providing and getting to pay for my flaxe:
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That none shall come chatting to you for such lacks.
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As just as you will, man, I will be content,
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Pay you the Brewer, and the Landlord his rent.
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The Butcher, the Baker, and the Collier his score,
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And then the Woodmonger and I aske no more,
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Then a good Newyeers gift, good husband give mee,
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And a good Newyeers gift I doe give thee,
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Thou hast a good wife, that a huswife will bee,
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Both this yeare and many to bee merry with thee.
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The comfortable Husband.
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WIfe, as wee get little, so temper our dyet,
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With any small morsell to live and be quiet,
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Though home be but homely and never so poor
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Yet let us keepe warily the Wolfe from the doore,
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Nay there lay a straw, wife, I am not so mad,
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Well payd is well sold, wife, a man may be glad,
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With any light gaine to fill up the purse,
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Meane state to maintaine, but not make it worse,
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I know it is true, goodwife, that you say,
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He that doth marry, must cast much away:
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For looke whatsoever I spend upon you,
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Comes never againe (wife) I thinke this is true,
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Looke what you would have, Wife, let mee know,
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I grutch not at any thing that you bestow.
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Be content and pleased, lacke shall bee no let:
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Ile see your cares eased as fast as I get.
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But looke no more m[y] wife, then I looke without,
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You looke in my purse, wife, too often I doubt,
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But when you looke in, would you bring in as fast,
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Then though you still lookd, the longer twould last,
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Upon the odds, wife, I perceive still you goe,
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With the oddes I have gotten a verry odde shrow:
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The oddes may sometimes, wife, make a faire lay,
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And the oddes may hazard to make all away.
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A merry new life, makes a merry beginning,
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Let goe, this is past, wife, be it losing or winning,
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I will play the good husband the best that I can,
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To live with good credit and pay every man,
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Then shall wee lacke nothing, wife I doe beleeve,
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Nor no man shall take you or me by the sleeve,
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For scoring, or tallying, or taking on trust,
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But cleare quittance making is joyfull and just.
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That I shall doe, wife, with a very good will,
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To pay that I owe my meaning is still:
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And shall have to pay, I hope while I live,
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What old yeare affords not, the new yeere will give,
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God grant it bee true all this that you say,
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To his onely glory, to whom let us pray,
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That wee in his feare may seeme to amend
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Our former sinnes passed unto our lives end.
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