I know wel enough there will come some times a whiffling blade, that will be relating one or other long-nosed story, how like a drunken Nabal, he was well instructed by his prudent and diligent wife; and how little that he would obey or listen to the commands of so brave a Captain; but they will very seldom or never say any thing what grounds or provocatives they have given her for so doing.

Nevertheless my intent is, not so much to flatter the evil or bad natured women, as if their throwing out their ire upon their husbands, had alwaies a Lawfull excuse or cause.  Just as Xantippe did, who was Socrates’s wife, think that she had reason enough on her side to scold, brawl at, and abuse that wise and good natured Philosopher, and to dash him in the face with a whole stream of her hot Marish piss.  Or that it did any waies become that hot-ars’d whorish Faustina, to govern that sage and understanding Emperor Marcus Aurelius.  By no means, for then that hot-spirited, and high minded sex would prick up their Peacocks-tails so much the higher.  But happy would all these hair-brain’d houswives be, if they had such Tutors to their husbands, as Aurelius was; ’tis most certain, that then that corrupt seed, would be cropt in the very bud and not be suffered to come to perfection.

Yet you new married Couple, are both in heart and mind concordant, and all your delight is to please each others fancy:  you have no difference about the Supremacy; for the Authority of the one is alwaies submitted to the other; and so much the more because your husband never commands you as if you were a Maid; but with the sweetest and kindest expressions, saith, my Dearest, will you bid the Maid draw a glass of Beer or Wine, or do this or that, &c.  Oh if you could but both keep your selves in this state and posture, how happily and exemplarily would you live in this World!  But it happens many times, that the Women through length of time, do take upon them, and grow to be so free, that they will be solely and totally Master; and if their husbands through kind-heartedness have given them a little more then ordinary liberty, they will have the last word in spight of fate.

So have I seen one who could by no means keep her self in that first and Paradice-like life; who observing her husbands good nature, thought her self wise enough to govern all things, and to bring him to her Bow; which, by degrees, to his great discontent, did more and more increase in matters of the housekeeping.

But it hapned once that the good man, went to the Market, and having bought a delicate Capon, meets with a friend, whom he invited to be his guest; and going home with it, his wife powts, maunders and mutters and looks so sowr that the guest saw well enough how welcome he should be.  The good man with fair and kind words sought to remove this, which was in some measure done.