em. But the Tortures of Marriage are such a
burthen, that I never saw no man, let him be as couragious as he
would, which it hath not brought under the yoke of her Tyranny. Marry
then, you shall have a thousand vexations, a thousand torments, a
thousand dissatisfactions, a thousand plagues; and in a word, a
thousand sort of repentings, which will accompany you to your Grave.
You may take or chuse what sort of a Wife you will, she'l make you
every day repent your taking of her. What cares will come then to
awake and disturb you in the middle of your rest! and the fear of some
mischance or other will feed your very spirit with a continual
trouble. For a morning-alarm you shall have the children to awaken you
out of sleep. Their lives shall hasten your death. You shall never be
at quiet till you are in your Grave. You will be pining at many
insufferable troubles, and a thousand several cogitations will be
vexing your spirits at the chargeable maintenance of your Family.
Insomuch that your very Soul will be tormented with incessant crosses,
which alwaies accompany this evil, in the very happiest marriages. So
that a Man ought in reality to confess, that he who can pass away his
daies without a Wife is the most happiest. Verily a Wife is a heavy
burthen; but especially a married one; for a Maid that is
marriageable, will do all that ever she can to hide her infirmities,
till she be tied in Wedlock to either one or other miserable wretch.
She overpowers her very nature and affections; changes her behaviour,
& covers all her evil and wicked intentions. She dissembleth her
hypocrisie, and hides her cunning subtleties. She puts away all her
bad actions, and masks all her deeds. She mollifies both her speech
and face; and to say all in one word, she puts on the face of an
Angel, till she hath found one or other whom she thinks fit to deceive
with her base tricks and actions. But having caught him under the
Slavery of this false apparition; she then turns the t'other side of
the Meddal; and draws back the curtain of her Vizards, to shew the
naked truth, which she so long had palliated, and her modesty only
forbad her to reveal: By degrees then vomiting up the venom that she
so long had harboured under her sweet hypocrisie. And then is
repenting, or the greatest understanding of no worth to you: Perhaps
you may tell me, that you have a Mistriss, who is fair, rich, young,
wise, airy, and hath the very majestical countenance of a Quee