Page:The Arraignment of Lewd, Idle, Froward, and Unconstant Women (1622).djvu/17

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Many will ſay, this which I write is true, and yet they cannot beware of the Deuil, vntil they are plagued with his Dam: The little Lambe skips and leapes, till the Foxe come, but then hee quiuers and ſhakes; the Beare dances at the ſtake, till the Dogges be vpon his backe; and ſome men neuer feare their Mony, vntill they come into the hands of Theeues: euen ſo, ſome will neuer be warned, and therefore are not to be pittied, if they be harmed. What are women, that make thee ſo greedily to gape after them? Indeede, ſome their faces are fairer and beautifuller then others; ſome againe ſtand highly vpon their fine foot and hand, or elſe all women are alike: Ione is as good as my Lady, according to the Countrey mans Prouerbe, who gaue a great ſumme of Money to lye with a Lady; and going homewards, he made grieuous moane for his Money: and one being on the other ſide the hedge, heard him ſay, That his Ione at home was as good as the Lady. But whether this be true, or no, my ſelfe I doe not know; but you haue it as I heard it.

If thou marryeſt a woman of euill report, her diſcredit will be a ſpot in thy brow: thou canſt not goe in the ſtreet with her without mocks, nor amongſt thy neighbours without frumps; and commonly the faireſt women are ſooneſt enticed to yeeld vnto vanitie. He that hath a faire Wife and a Whetſtone, euery one will be whetting thereon: and a Caſtle is hard to keepe, when it is aſſaulted by many; and faire women are commonly catched at. He that marryeth a faire woman, euery one will wiſh his death to enioy her; and if thou be neuer ſo rich, and yet but a Clowne in condition, then will thy faire Wife haue her credit, to pleaſe her fancie; for a

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