Truth in Fiction Or, Morality in Masquerade. A Collection of Two hundred twenty five Select Fables of Aesop, and other Authors. Done into English Verse. By Edmund Arwaker |
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| LIV. | FABLE LIV. The Drown'd Wife: |
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 | Truth in Fiction |  |
FABLE LIV. The Drown'd Wife:
Or, Better lost than found.
A Man, unhappy in a clam'rous Wife,
(That daily led him an unhappy Life)
A kind Relief from Fate's Indulgence found;
And She, who Ducking oft' deserv'd, was Drown'd.
He sought her Corps, and (tho' his true Intent
Was not to find it) up the River went.
A Neighbour, that observ'd his seeming Pain,
Which such wrong Measures needs must render vain,
Told him; If what he sought, he wish'd to find,
'Twas a prepost'rous Method he design'd:
He rather shou'd the Water's Course pursue,
Which soonest wou'd restore her to his view.
The Man reply'd; That wou'd be more a Jest,
For he was sure (who knew her Temper best)
That she, when dead, against the Stream wou'd strive,
Who was all Contradiction, while alive.
(That daily led him an unhappy Life)
A kind Relief from Fate's Indulgence found;
And She, who Ducking oft' deserv'd, was Drown'd.
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Was not to find it) up the River went.
A Neighbour, that observ'd his seeming Pain,
Which such wrong Measures needs must render vain,
Told him; If what he sought, he wish'd to find,
'Twas a prepost'rous Method he design'd:
He rather shou'd the Water's Course pursue,
Which soonest wou'd restore her to his view.
The Man reply'd; That wou'd be more a Jest,
For he was sure (who knew her Temper best)
That she, when dead, against the Stream wou'd strive,
Who was all Contradiction, while alive.
The MORAL.
‘Thus an Ill-humour'd, Peevish Wife, is priz'd;‘Hated, while living; and when dead, despis'd:
‘One only Good she does; by proving Cross,
‘She saves her Husband's Sorrow for her Loss.
‘Such Helps-unmeet, rather Obstructions prove;
‘Kindle Aversion, but extinguish Love:
‘Their Husbands lose them with a grateful Smart;
‘As Men, for Life, with gangren'd Members part.
| Truth in Fiction | |