 | Poems Sacred And Satyricall |  |
111
The Single and Marrid Life.
Some say, the single life, is single care,
Yet sinne still Slaves it under Sathan's snare,
Soule-burning Beauties-brav'ry, witching folly,
Which mads th' intemprate Braine breeds melancholly,
Delight in dangrous Dice, Drabs, drinke, and Riot,
Sinne Theife-like robs, the single life of quiet
Hinders the happie Soule from being wed,
To Vertues faire, Chast, Honest, Humble bed.
O what a sacred sweetnesse had it beene,
Had our first Parents purity shunn'd sinne.
Marriage, that Rich immaculate Robe of honour,
Had ne're beene tempted then to base dishonour;
Lust, that do's hour'ly slave the single life,
And shunnes the sweets of Wedlock, through base strife.
Had ne're beene thought on then; all had gone well,
Soules ne're had cause to feare sinne, death nor hell.
Yet sinne still Slaves it under Sathan's snare,
Soule-burning Beauties-brav'ry, witching folly,
Which mads th' intemprate Braine breeds melancholly,
Delight in dangrous Dice, Drabs, drinke, and Riot,
Sinne Theife-like robs, the single life of quiet
Hinders the happie Soule from being wed,
To Vertues faire, Chast, Honest, Humble bed.
O what a sacred sweetnesse had it beene,
Had our first Parents purity shunn'd sinne.
Marriage, that Rich immaculate Robe of honour,
Had ne're beene tempted then to base dishonour;
Lust, that do's hour'ly slave the single life,
And shunnes the sweets of Wedlock, through base strife.
112
Soules ne're had cause to feare sinne, death nor hell.
Mariage was made for Man, ('tis a true Text)
For honour, not dishonour, to be vext
With deadly strife; adultr'ate fornication,
Vnruly Lust, sinne-causing-separation
(Hell to the Bed that's chast) turning the case
Of wholsome Marriage, into a disease.
Wedlocks great weighty worke, craves sound advice,
Begg'd at the hands of Heav'n; lest cheating Vice,
Puts tricks on faire beleeving honesty,
To cloake Biggebellies prurient venery.
Marriage requires a solemne Meditation,
Trembling resolve, no sudaine affectation
Vnask't of Heav'n; the mari'd life must be,
Vnforc'd, Religious, faithfull, chast and free.
Else like Jehorams Match twill prove a curse,
Bad the beginning, but the end farre worse.
Learne wisedome by this Truth, be zealous,
Vse holy Iobs preservative; be jealous,
Thou that art Married over all thy waies,
Beauties alurement, Natur's ill spent dayes,
Thy trouble about wealth, greifes long and large,
Care still to get, Childrens continuall charge,
Losses by Servants, sinnes infirmity
Vnquietnesse of Neighbours; all do cry,
And cry alow; the married life to be,
Man's ent'rance into sad calamity.
For honour, not dishonour, to be vext
With deadly strife; adultr'ate fornication,
Vnruly Lust, sinne-causing-separation
(Hell to the Bed that's chast) turning the case
Of wholsome Marriage, into a disease.
Wedlocks great weighty worke, craves sound advice,
Begg'd at the hands of Heav'n; lest cheating Vice,
Puts tricks on faire beleeving honesty,
To cloake Biggebellies prurient venery.
Marriage requires a solemne Meditation,
Trembling resolve, no sudaine affectation
Vnask't of Heav'n; the mari'd life must be,
Vnforc'd, Religious, faithfull, chast and free.
Else like Jehorams Match twill prove a curse,
Bad the beginning, but the end farre worse.
Learne wisedome by this Truth, be zealous,
Vse holy Iobs preservative; be jealous,
113
Beauties alurement, Natur's ill spent dayes,
Thy trouble about wealth, greifes long and large,
Care still to get, Childrens continuall charge,
Losses by Servants, sinnes infirmity
Vnquietnesse of Neighbours; all do cry,
And cry alow; the married life to be,
Man's ent'rance into sad calamity.
The Married life, I fitly may compare
To Heav'n or Hell, unto the Earth, or Ayre,
'Tis Heav'n where harmelesse Turtle Mates agree,
But Dismall Hell where Couples faithlesse be,
Sweet like the dainty wholsome Ayre to sense,
Where Man and Wife content, shunne rude offence.
But where deepe discord rules, and proud disdaine,
There, like the gaping Tongue-ride Earth for Raine
(Sun-burnt with sordid Actions, deeds unjust)
They partch to Cinders, fall away to dust:
'Tis sinnes just payment, whose reward is death,
The misery of life, and scourge of breath.
“Wisedome directs the married life to be,
“The peacefull Embleme of true Vnitie.
“Heav'n gives a blessing; makes that love divine
“Where Man and Wife content, draw in a Line:
“A Wife, obeying of her Husbands will,
“Ha's the rule over him, deserves no ill!
Love, is a worthy Wife, Times precious woman,
Lust a perfidious Harlot, true to no man.
“There is no joy on Earth that can transcend,
“A Husband and a Wife, kind to the end.
“The carefull Husband's honest gaines no doubt,
“Makes the Good-wife, an honest layer out.
“A Vertuous Wife (free from all lewd expence)
“Is the Husbands joy, his Tower of defence;
“Thus speakes the Text, discretion in a Wife
“Make's fatt the Husbands bones, delights his life.
To Heav'n or Hell, unto the Earth, or Ayre,
'Tis Heav'n where harmelesse Turtle Mates agree,
But Dismall Hell where Couples faithlesse be,
Sweet like the dainty wholsome Ayre to sense,
Where Man and Wife content, shunne rude offence.
But where deepe discord rules, and proud disdaine,
There, like the gaping Tongue-ride Earth for Raine
(Sun-burnt with sordid Actions, deeds unjust)
They partch to Cinders, fall away to dust:
'Tis sinnes just payment, whose reward is death,
The misery of life, and scourge of breath.
114
“The peacefull Embleme of true Vnitie.
“Heav'n gives a blessing; makes that love divine
“Where Man and Wife content, draw in a Line:
“A Wife, obeying of her Husbands will,
“Ha's the rule over him, deserves no ill!
Love, is a worthy Wife, Times precious woman,
Lust a perfidious Harlot, true to no man.
“There is no joy on Earth that can transcend,
“A Husband and a Wife, kind to the end.
“The carefull Husband's honest gaines no doubt,
“Makes the Good-wife, an honest layer out.
“A Vertuous Wife (free from all lewd expence)
“Is the Husbands joy, his Tower of defence;
“Thus speakes the Text, discretion in a Wife
“Make's fatt the Husbands bones, delights his life.
| Poems Sacred And Satyricall | |