Advice to Batchelors,
OR,
A Caution to be careful in their Choice. As also, the deserved praise of a Careful Industrious Wife.
If thou wilt change a single Life,
to live free from annoy,
Chuse then a kind and careful Wife,
she'll Crown thy days with Joy.
To the Tune of, A Touch of the Times. Or, The Country Farmer.
This may be Printed. R.P.
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BOth Robert and Richard, nay, William and Ned,
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If any of you have a fancy to wed,
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Come hither and take this good Counsel I give,
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So may you be happy as long as you live;
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For both good and bad amongst Women there be,
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And therefore I pray you be ruled by me,
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Chuse one that is modest, discreet in her ways,
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And then the whole world cannot speak her due praise.
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Such wives they will always their Husbands obey,
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And never be given to wander or stray.
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Among lazy Gossips her money to spend,
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She knows that it will her kind Husband offend,
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And therefore her study and care will be still,
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To love him and always submit to his will;
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For she that is modest, discreet in her ways,
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The world is not able to speak her due praise.
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Some Men chuse a Wife by the weight of her purse,
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Which may be her money does prove but a Curse.
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Proud Wives they will flourish at such a loose rate,
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Till they have clearly consum'd an Estate.
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But as for the woman that strives to take care,
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If she has but decent apparel to wear,
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She seeks for no more, but her Husband obeys,
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And then, etc.
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Some Women are subject to thunder and brawl,
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And others with Wantons will waste and spend all.
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And which is the worst of these two I don't know,
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The wife that is Wanton, or she that's a Shrow,
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The one makes him clearly aweary of life,
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The other is still for contention and strife.
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But she that is modest, discreet in her ways,
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The world is not able to speak her due praise.
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A good Wife that marries a man that is poor,
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She'l make it her care to replenish his store,
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And like to the painful industrous Bee,
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She'll do her endeavour to labour with thee:
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If thou art in Anger she will not revile,
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But instead of frowns will afford thee a smile;
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And thus being modest, discreet in her ways,
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The world, etc.
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Ne'r strive for to marry a finikin Lass,
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We see they are often as brittle as Glass,
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They'l crack their Credit, consuming thy store,
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While she that is careful will labour for more:
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In troubles or crosses, or whate're may fall,
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A good wife will stand the brunt of it all,
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And do her endeavour her Husband to raise,
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The world, etc.
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A good wife will always be taking of care,
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And yet will not murmur, repine, or dispair,
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But still is contented with what she enjoys,
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And is not for railing, and making a noise:
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Such women that never knows how for to scold,
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Adore them more dearer then Jewels or Gold,
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For she is most vertuous, discreet in her ways,
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The world, etc.
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For that is the Woman that still will contrive,
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To help her kind Husband in order to thrive,
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And seeks for to please him, and never offend,
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O such a good wife we may truly commend:
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Nay, what though her portion, alas! be but small,
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Her vertues will make thee amends for it all,
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A wife that is wise and discreet in her ways,
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The world, etc.
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If it be thy fortune to find such a wife,
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Adore her and love her as dear as thy life,
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Ne'r grieve her, but labour always to provide
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Both Food and Apparel, and all things beside,
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So may you be ever united in Love,
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And blest in this life by the powers above,
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The wife that is vertuous, discreet in her ways,
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The world is not able to speak her due praise.
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