Nuptial Dialogues and Debates :: :: University of Virginia Library

Nuptial Dialogues and Debates

Or, An Useful Prospect of the felicities and discomforts of a marry'd life, Incident to all Degrees, from the Throne to the Cottage. Containing, Many great Examples of Love, Piety, Prudence, Justice, and all the excellent Vertues, that largely contribute to the true Happiness of Wedlock. Drawn from the Lives of our own Princes, Nobility, and other Quality, in Prosperity and Adversity. Also the fantastical Humours of all Fops, Coquets, Bullies, Jilts, fond Fools, and Wantons; old Fumblers, barren Ladies, Misers, parsimonious Wives, Ninnies, Sluts and Termagants; drunken Husbands, toaping Gossips, schismatical Precisians, and devout Hypocrites of all sorts. Digested into serious, merry, and satyrical Poems, wherein both Sexes, in all Stations, are reminded of their Duty, and taught how to be happy in a Matrimonial State. In Two Volumes. By the Author of the London Spy [i.e. Edward Ward]

Ward, Edward (1667-1731)

[epigraph]

[The First Volume]

II.

The Second Volume.

DIALOGUE I. Between a Great Man Sentenc'd to the Scaffold, and his Vertuous Lady at their last parting.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

II.

DIALOGUE II. Between a Pious Couple, concerning the Peaceful Comforts of a Religious Life, as on a fine Day they were taking their Recreation in the pleasant Meadows.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

III.

DIALOGUE III. Between an unfortunate Nobleman and his beautiful Lady, who had surrender'd her Charms to the Caresses of her Sovereign.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

IV.

DIALOGUE IV. Between a Dethron'd Prince and his Disconsolate Princess.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

DIALOGUE V. Between a melancholy fanciful Gentleman and his merry bantering Wife.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

VI.

DIALOGUE VI. Between a Salacious Monarch, and his Barren Consort.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

VII.

DIALOGUE VII. Between the surly Drunkard and the inflexible Termagant.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

VIII.

DIALOGUE VIII. Between King Avery, the Pirate, and his Indian Prineess at Madagascar.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

IX.

DIALOGUE IX. Between an old amorous Knight, and a young Strumpet he was drawn in to marry, just come out of Yorkshire, to take a view of the Town.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

DIALOGUE X. Between a non-jurant Clergy man, and his contentious Lady, about taking the Oaths to the late Government.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

XI.

DIALOGUE XI. Between a handsome Money-getting Shrew, and a Husband that depends upon his Wife's Pocket.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

XII.

DIALOGUE XII. Between a Town-bred Gentleman, and his Country-Bride, concerning London, which he had abandon'd for the Pleasures of a rural Life.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

XIII.

DIALOGUE XIII. Between a Great Commander and his Lady upon his Arrival from the Wars.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

XIV.

DIALOGUE XIV. Between a spend-thrift Gentleman, who had run out his Estate, and his prudent Lady, about disposing of her Jointure, to supply his farther Extravagance.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

XV.

DIALOGUE XV. Between a Dissenting Alderman, and his High-Church Lady.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

XVI.

DIALOGUE XVI. Between a melancholy unfortunate old Merchant, and his parsimonious saving Lady.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

XVII.

DIALOGUE XVII. Between the grave Philosopher, and his young scolding Wife.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

XVIII.

DIALOGUE XVIII. Between Aminadab, a Quaker, and his Wife Rachel, concerning primitive Purity, and the sinful Abominations of the present Age.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

XIX.

DIALOGUE XIX. Between a Low-Church Husband, and his High-Church Wife, concerning the Times.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

XX.

DIALOGUE XX. Between a very talkative Madam, and her merry drunken Husband, who always us'd to sing when his Wife scolded.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

XXI.

DIALOGUE XXI. Between an over-fond Husband, very desirous of Children, and his cunning Wife, who pretends often to miscarry yet is never with Child.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

XXII.

DIALOGUE XXII. Familiar Chat between a loving Couple, Concerning their own Happiness.

Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

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Moral Reflexions on the foregoing Dialogue.

[Of all the Plagues that wait on Love]

Of all the Plagues that wait on Love,
And do our nuptial Joys impede,
The Tongue does most tormenting prove,
And does the greatest Mischief breed.

It often unawares betrays
The vitious Murmurs of the Mind,
And does, by wanton Freedoms, raise
Those Doubts that make a Spouse unkind.

An idle Tale, a scoffing Jest,
The ill-tim'd Mention of a Name,
Or a kind Word or two misplac'd,
Will sometimes Jealousy inflame.

It highly then concerns a Bride
To guard her Tongue in all she says,
Since a short Sentence misapply'd,
May make her wretched all her Days.

280

Therefore since ev'ry wanton Word
Endangers matrimonial Ease,
The Scold must surely be abhorr'd,
Whose Tongue's an everlasting Tease.

Men, tho' they're headstrong and perverse,
No Wife should clamour or rebel:
For an ill Tongue makes bad but worse,
When milder Methods might prevail.