Page:The Arraignment of Lewd, Idle, Froward, and Unconstant Women (1622).djvu/45

 then thou muſt needes maintaine her.

For if a woman be neuer ſo rich in dowrie, happy by her good name, beautifull of body, ſober of countenance, eloquent in ſpeech, and adorned with vertue, yet they haue one ill qualitie or other, which ouerthroweth all the other: like vnto that Cow which giueth great ſtore of milke, and preſently ſtriketh it downe with her foot: ſuch a Cow is as much to be blamed for the loſſe, as to be commended for the gift: or like as when men talke of ſuch a man, or ſuch a man, hee is an excellent good workman, or he is a good Chirurgion, or a good Phyſitian, or he is a pretty fellow of his hands, but if they conclude with this word, But it is pitty, hee hath one fault, which commonly in ſome men is drunkenneſſe: then I ſay, if he were endued with all the former qualities, yet they cannot gain him ſo much credit to counterpoyſe the diſcredit that commeth thereby.

It is ſaid of men, that they haue that one fault, but of women it is ſayd that they haue two faults, that is to ſay, they can neither ſay well, nor doe well: there is a ſaying that goeth thus; That things farre fetcht and deare bought are of vs moſt dearely beloued: the like may bee ſayd of women, although many of them are not farre fetched, yet they are deare bought; yea, and ſo deare, that many a man curſeth his hard penniworth, and bannes his owne heart. For the pleaſure of the faireſt woman in the world laſteth but a hony-moone, that is, while a man hath glutted his affections, and reaped the firſt fruit: his pleaſure being paſt, ſorrow and repentance remaineth ſtill with him.

Therefore to make thee the ſtronger to ſtriue againſt theſe