g, or
spoke civilly to me, I should believe they did not think I deserved
their respect. I'll tell you who he urged for an example though, my Lord
Pembroke and my Lady, who, they say, are upon parting after all his
passion for her, and his marrying her against the consent of all his
friends; but to that I answered, that though he pretended great kindness
he had for her, I never heard of much she had for him, and knew she
married him merely for advantage. Nor is she a woman of that discretion
as to do all that might become her, when she must do it rather as things
fit to be done than as things she inclined to. Besides that, what with a
spleenatick side and a chemical head, he is but an odd body himself.

But is it possible what they say, that my Lord Leicester and my Lady are
in great disorder, and that after forty years' patience he has now taken
up the cudgels and resolved to venture for the mastery? Methinks he
wakes out of his long sleep like a froward child, that wrangles and
fights with all that comes near it. They say he has turned away almost
every servant in the house, and left her at Penshurst to digest it as
she can.

What an age do we live in, where 'tis a miracle if in ten couples that
are married, two of them live so as not to publish to the world that
they cannot agree. I begin to be of your opinion of him that (when the
Roman Church first propounded whether it were not convenient for priests
not to marry) said that it might be convenient enough, but sure it was
not our Saviour's intention, for He commanded that all should take up
their cross and follow Him; and for his part, he was confident there was
no such cross as a wife. This is an ill doctrine for me to preach; but
to my friends I cannot but confess that I am afraid much of the fault
lies in us; for I have observed that formerly, in great families, the
men seldom disagree, but the women are always scolding; and 'tis most
certain, that let the husband be what he will, if the wife have but
patience (which, sure, becomes her best), the disorder cannot be great
enough to make a noise; his anger alone, when it meets with nothing that
resists it, cannot be loud enough to disturb the neighbours. And such a
wife may be said to do as a kinswoman of ours that had a husband who was
not always himself; and when he was otherwise, his humour was to rise in
the night, and with two bedstaves labour on the table an hour together.
She took care every night to lay a