Page:The Arraignment of Lewd, Idle, Froward, and Unconstant Women (1622).djvu/52

 foule word at her hand in ſeauen yeares, for thou ſhalt haue enough without asking; beſides I feare me thou wilt bee better headed then wedded, for ſhee will make thee weare an Oxe feather in thy Cap; yet hee which hath a faire wife, will aduenture on a thouſand infamies, onely in hope to keepe her in the ſtate of an honeſt woman: but if ſhe be ill-giuen, doe what thou canſt, breake thy heart, and bend thy ſtudy neuer ſo much, yet all will not ſerue; thou mayeſt let her goe all houres of the night, ſhe will neuer meet with a worſe then her ſelfe, except ſhe meet with the diuell himſelfe.

Therefore yet once more I aduiſe thee in the choyſe of thy wife, to haue a ſpeciall regard to her qualities and conditions, before thou ſhake hands, or iumpe a match with her: Alſo enquire and marke the life and conuerſation of her Parents, let the old Prouerbe put thee in minde hereof; that an euill Bird layeth an ill Eege, the Cat will after her kinde, an ill Tree cannot bring foorth good fruite, the young Cub groweth craftie like the Damme, the young Cocke croweth as the olde, and it is a verie rare matter to ſee Children tread out of the paths of their Parents. He that commeth into a Faire to buy an Horſe, will pry into euery part, to ſee whether he be found of winde and limbe, and without cracke or flaw, and whether his breeding were in a hard ſoyle, or whether he bee well paced, and likewiſe he will haue a care that his horſe ſhall haue all outward markes which betoken a good horſe, yet with all the cunning he hath he may bee deceiued; but if he proue a Iade, he may put him away at the next Faire.

But if in choyſe of thy wife thou be deceiued, as many men