The Lamentation of a new married man, briefely declaring the sorrow and grief
that comes by marrying a young wanton wife
To the tune of, Where is my true Love,
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YOu Batchelors that brave it
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So gallant in the street,
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With Muske & with Rose water,
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Smelling all so sweet:
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With shooes of Spanish leather,
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So stately to your feet,
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Behold me a married man.
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Before that I was wedded,
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I lived in delight,
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I went unto the dancing schoole,
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I learnd at Fence to fight:
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With twenty other pleasures,
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That now are banisht quite,
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I being a etc.
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When I lived single,
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I knew no cause of strife,
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I had my heart in quiet,
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I led a pleasant life.
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But now my chiefest study
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Is how to please my Wife,
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I being a married man,
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Quoth she, You do not love me,
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To leave me all alone,
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You must goe a gadding,
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And I must bide at home,
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While you among your minions,
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Spend more then is your owne:
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This life leads a etc.
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Do you think to keep me
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So like a drudge each day,
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To toile and moile so sadly
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And lame me every way?
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Ile have a Maid, by Lady,
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Shall work while I do play,
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This life etc,
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Then must I give attendance
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Upon my Mistris heeles,
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I must wait before her,
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While she doth walk the Fields,
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Sheel eat no meat but Lobsters,
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And pretty Girgs and Eeles,
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This life etc
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Then must I get her Cherries,
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And dainty Kathern Peares,
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And then longs for Codlings,
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She breedeth Childe she sweares
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When God knowes tis a cushion
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That she about her beares,
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This life etc.
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She must have Rabbet suckers,
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Without spot or specke,
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I must buy her Pescods
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At sixteen groats the Pecke
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She must have Egs & white wine
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To wash her face and neck:
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This life etc.
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If once to passe it commeth,
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That she is brought to bed,
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Why then with many dainties
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She must be dayly fed,
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A hundred toyes and trifles
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Comes then within her head:
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This life etc.
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Against that she is churched,
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A new Gowne she must have:
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A daintie fine Rebato
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About her neck so brave:
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French bodies, with a Farthingale
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She never linnes to crave
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This life etc.
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Abroad among her Gossips
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Then must she daily go:
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Requesting of this favour
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A man must not say no,
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Lest that an unkinde quarrell
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About this matter grow
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This life etc.
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To offerings and to Wedings:
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Abroad that she must prance,
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Whereas with lusty youngsters
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This gallant dame must dance:
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Her husband must say nothing,
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What hap soever chance:
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This life etc.
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And then there is no remedy,
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She must go to a play,
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To purge abounding Choller,
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And drive sad dumps away:
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She tarries out till midnight,
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She sweares she will not stay,
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This life etc.
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When home at last she commeth,
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To bed she gets her soone,
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And there she sleeps full soundly,
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Till the next day at noon,
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Then must she eat a Cawdle
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With a silver spoone
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This life etc.
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Therefore my friends be warned,
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You that unwedded be,
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The troubles of a married man
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You do most plainly see.
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Who likes not of his living,
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Would he would change with me,
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That now am a etc.
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Where I was wont full often
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Good companie to keepe.
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Now I must rocke the Cradle,
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And hush the childe asleep,
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I had no time nor leasure
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Out of my doores to peep,
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Since I was a married man,
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The Second part. To the same Tune.
An answer sent to the young married man.
Written most friendly by his gentle Wife Nan.
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ALacke wherefore lament you,
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your happy wedded state:
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Therein you shew great folly,
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repentance come to late
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To make your self a mocking stock
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with every scoffing mate
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Now you are a married young man.
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In youth, do well remember,
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Your minde was all on pride:
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Deceiving sport and pleasure,
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Your lavish thoughts did guide,
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Tis time such foolish fancies
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should now be laid aside;
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Now you are etc,
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When you lived single,
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Your time you vainely spent:
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Unto unlawfull pastime
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Your youngling wits were bent
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But now you must learn wisedome,
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discredit to prevent,
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Sith you are etc,
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An alas to estimation,
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Longs to a single life,
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What were you but skip Jacke,
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Before you had a wife,
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A mate for every madcap,
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a stirrer up of strife,
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Till you were etc,
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A Wife hath won you credit,
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A Wife makes you esteemd
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An honest man through marriage
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Now are you surely deem[]d.
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And you shall finde at all times,
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a wife your dearest friend,
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Now you are etc.
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Then is it right and reason,
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Your wife should pleased be,
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It is a happy houshold
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Where couples do agree,
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It doth delight the Angels,
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such Concord for to see,
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Then blest is the etc.
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If I do blame your gadding
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It is for love, be sure,
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Bad company doth alwaies
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Ill counsell still procure
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The man that will be thrifty,
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must at his worke endure,
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While he is etc.
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This works his commendations
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Amongst the very best,
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The chiefe men of the Parish,
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his quaintance will request,
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And then he shall be called
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To office with the rest
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When he is a etc.
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He shall be made a Headborough
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Unto his credit great,
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At what time all the neighbours,
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His friendship will entreat,
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And then it is most decent,
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he should goe fine and neat.
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When he is a married young man.
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Then bareheaded unto him,
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A number daily flocks:
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To help him by his office,
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from many stumbling blocks:
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Then comes he to be Constable,
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and set knaves in the stocks:
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Thus riseth a etc,
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His wife shall then be seated
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in Church at her desire,
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Her husband he is sideman,
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and sits within the Quire,
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Then he is made Churchwarden
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and placed somewhat hier,
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Great joy to a etc.
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Then seeing all this credit
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by marriage you do finde,
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Unto your wife tis reason,
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you should be good and kinde
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And sometimes wait upon her
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according to her minde
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As best fits a etc.
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If fr[i]endly you go with her
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to walke out of the Towne,
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Why then you may have pleasure,
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to give her a green Gowne,
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To have so great a favour;
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some men would give a crowne
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Which is not etc.
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As for the Peares and Apples,
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you give me in the street.
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The Cherries or the Codlings,
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for prety women meet,
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At night I give you kindely
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a thousand kisses sweet
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Great joy to a etc.
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A hundred other pleasures.
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I do you then beside,
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In bringing forth your Children
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great sorrow I doe bide.
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For twentie Gownes & Kirtles,
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the like would not be tride,
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By any fine young married men.
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Why should you scorn the Cradle
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I tell you sir most plaine,
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There is not any pleasure,
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but sometimes breedeth paine,
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If you will not be troubled,
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why then good sir refraine
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to play like a married young man
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