Eula. But how much wiselier dyd this woman?
She desyred that yonge woman home vnto her, and
made her good chere, so by that meanes she brought
home also her husband without ani witchraft or sorserie,
and yf that at anye season he supped abrode with
her she would sende vnto them some good dayntie
morsel, and byd him make good chere Xantippa.
I had leuer be slayne then I woulde be bawde vnto
myne owne husbande. Eulalia. Yea, but
consyder all thynges well, was not that muche better,
then she shoulde be her shrewyshnesse, haue putte
her husbandes minde cleane of from her, and so haue
ledde all her life in trouble and heuynesse.
Xantippa. I graunte you well, that it was better
so but I coulde not abyde it. Eulalya.
I wyll tell you a prety story more, and so make
an ende One of oure neyghboures, a well disposed
and a goddes man, but that he is some what testie,
on a day pomeld his wife well and thriftely aboute
the pate and so good a woman as euer was borne,
she picked her into an inner parler, and there weepynge
and sobbynge, eased her heuye harte, anone after,
by chaunce her husbande came into the same place,
and founde hys wyfe wepyng. What sitest thou
heare sayth he seighing & sobbing like a child Then
she like a wise woman sayde. Is it not more
honesty for me to lamente my dolours here in a secret
place, then to make wondering and on oute crye in
the strete, as other women do. At so wyfely
and womanly a saing his hart melted, promysynge
her faythfullye and truelie that he woulde neuer
laye stroke on her afterwarde, nor neuer did.
Xantippa. No more wil mine god thanke my selfe.
Eulalya. But then ye are alwaies one at a nother,
agreinge lyke dogges and cattes. Xan. What
wouldest thou that I should do? Eu. Fyrst
& formest, whatsoeuer thy husbande doeth sayde thou
nothinge, for his harte must be wonne by lytell
and litel by fayre meanes, gentilnesse and forbearing
at the last thou shalte eyther wynne him or at the
least waie thou shalt leade a better life then thou
doest now. Xantippa. He his beyonde goddes
forbode, he wil neuer amende. Eulalia.
Eye saye not so, there is no beest so wild but by
fayre handling be tamed, neuer mistrust man then.
Assay a moneth or two, blame me and thou findest
not that my counsell dooeth ease. There be
some fautes wyth you thoughe thou se them, be wyse
of this especyall that thou neuer gyue hym foule
wordes in the chambre, or inbed but be sure that
all thynges there bee full of pastyme and pleasure.
For yf that place which is ordeined to make amendes
for all fautes and so to renew loue, be polluted,
eyther with strife or grugynges, then fayre wel
al hope of loue daies, or atonementes, yet there
be some beastes so wayward and mischeuous, that
when theyr husbandes hath them in their arms a bed,
they scholde & chyde making that same plesure their
lewd condicions (that expelseth all displeasures
oute of their husbandes mynde unpleasaunt and lytell
set bi corrupting the medecine that shuld haue cured