You that do choose your Wiues as sometimes I
Haue chosen Kniues: That is, for Beauties sake
And in your Choise mind but Carnalitie
You make a Match to marre, and marre, to make
Yee marre your selues by making such a Match:
Yet marre your selues, to make your selues but Beasts,
Then, in your turning Beasts oft Hornes yee catch
Which the Head beares, how ere the Hart disgests
For, if you needs will Wiue for Wantonnesse
Then needs you must haue Wantons to your Wiues:
And if your selues so well loue Lusts excesse
Its fitt They loue what you loue as their liues.
But were they good by Kinde, their Kinde you change,
And make, them ouerkinde so, ouernought,
You learne them strange Tricks, and they teach as strange
To others, that do learne but what you taught.
Therein (like good Wiues) they divulge your Skill
Because you should bee knowne to be good Dooers:
Then blame them not sith they, for meere good will,
Do show their Husbands Conning to their Wooers.
Nor, will they take to teach, but gine, to learne
Some other Tricks of others, skild therein:
Wherewith to please their Husbands, and to earne
Their liuing if neede bee, for Slouth is sinne
Thes Good-ones are made so, by teachers ill
(Too good at all things that are good for nought)
If their meanes fail; yet can thee liue by Skill:
Which being Light shall lightly well be wrought,
But ô fraile Fleshlings, Husbands, Hard heads, Bawdes,
Note but the end of your laciuious Match:
Your Wiues gett, Emralds, Rubles, and such Gawdes,
Which you, of them, and they of others, catch
Shame, and Confusion (with a Pox) Disioynes
Your dam'd Coniunction, which doth quite deuide
From Heau'n, your Soules, from Health, your lothsome Loynes,
To teach each Groome to choose a better Bride:
For whosoeuer drownes his Spirit in Fleshe
When hee doth handle Flesh, to fitt his gripe;
Shall seruéd bee with Trickes still fresh, and freshe
Vntill he stinck as stale, or rotten-ripe.
And in thy Choise, thy Choise to handle so
Thou maist so well be seru'd; and seruèd well
Thou art, by hir, which thou didst Loue, to kno
Not know, to loue or loue, as knowen well
I speake not of the Bralls, and Discontents
(That Ielousie, which still doth Lust besott,
Doth breede, twixt them, through their misgouerments)
Though they Want not: That is, they want them not
Then lett thy Mistris bee what likes hir best
[Though Lust loues not to serue best Mistrises]
But let thy Wife (in whome thou wouldst be blest)
Bee farre from Trickes, and Toyes, and Fantazies
And looke not in hir Eyes for Lookes t'alure
(Except thine Eyes b'alurd with modest Lookes)
But looke to see, through them, hir Spirit pure;
So maiest thou coniure Spirits vp by these Bookes,
That may thy Hart to pure affection moue,
And in Loues Compasse, Compasse endlesse Loue!