Well who would not, for so much honour and respect, but now and then suffer the trouble of his wives quamish stomack with some charges to’t?  And more then that, you have now the best opportunity in the World, to go with your new chosen Gossips, (as you did before with your Bridemen) & chuse & taste out some of the most delicious Wine, for you must be sure to store your Cellar well, because then both the Bridemen and Bride-maids will certainly come to eat some of the long-look’d for Caudle; besides the great number of friends that will come then also to give you a visit, and with all respect wish you much joy:  I will not so much as think any thing of those that will come also to the Christning and Gossips Feast.

Be joyfull with this, till such time as the t’other Pleasure begins to appear.

* * * * *

THE SEVENTH PLEASURE.

The Woman falls in Labour.

Behold, young couple, hitherto a considerable deal of time is spent and passed over, with the aforesaid Mirth and Pleasures; do not you now perceive what a vast difference is between the married or unmarried estate?  You have, by provision, made your self Master of these six Pleasures; nay oftentimes before you have gotten the longd-for joy of the fourth Pleasure, appears that of the seventh very unexpectedly; for the good woman begins to look so sour, grumble, grunt and groan, that it seems as if she would go into the Garden and fetch a Babe out of the Parsley-bed.

But Uds-lid this is a great-surprizal; for a little while ago she said that she was but seventh months gone of her reckoning.  How then? should she have jested upon it? or has the good woman lost her book, and so made a false account?  Yet this being the first time of her reckoning, ought the more favourably to be passed by as long as the Trade goes forwards.

[Illustration:  Folio 116. Published by The Navarre Society, London.]

There’s now no small alarm in the Watch.  Who is there that is but near or by the hand that is not set a work!  Oh, was Dorothy the Semstress, and Jane the laundress now here, what a helping hand we might have of them!  Where are now the two Chair-women also, they were commonly every day about the house, and now we stand in such terrible need of them, they are not to be found?  Herewith must the poor Drone, very unexpectedly, get out of bed, almost stark naked, having hardly time to put on his shoes and stockins; for the labour comes so pressing upon her, that it is nothing but, hast, hast, hast, fetch the Midwife with all possible speed, and alas, there is so many several occasions for help, that she cannot miss her maid the twinkling of an eye; neither dare she trust it to the Maids fetching, for fear she should not find the Midwives house; and she hath not shewed it her, because she made her reckoning that she had yet two months more to go.