thou thinkest thou hast stayed long enough, and wouldest as willingly have a husband as another. Aye, Mother Bunch, but good husbands are hard to find, especially for me, who have no skill in chusing, or else it may be, I would be glad of a good husband. Be sure to take my advice: be wise in chusing, that is to say, take no one that has got a red head, for be sure he loveth a smock so well that he will scarce let his wife have a good one to her back; nor of yellow hair, as he is inclinable to be jealou ; nor a black man, for he is dogged. Aye, but, Mother, if I must not have yellow, black, nor red, what colour must I take? Why, Daughter, I tell you, if he is jealous, you will be forced, by his speeches, to make it good, for how can a young woman forbear what she is always told of? And be sure, if he is jealous of thee, thou mayest well be so of him; for whores and thieves think ill of each other. But hold a little, one thing more I have to say to you, and that is, to take notice of thy sweethearts when they come a wooing to thee, I mean of their civil behaviour; for if they swear, vow, and make great protestations, then have a care of thyself, for many words breed dissimulation; therefore have a care of such: but if a man come to thee that is sober and civil-behaved, there are hopes of his proving a good man. Now, Mother, I will take my leave of you, giving you many thanks for your good advice; and so, farewell, till I see you again, and I intend to take this counsel.
Another time Mother Bunch was in a little meadow, not far from her house, on the 30th of April, before sun-rising. A handsome maid, seeing her alone, came to her, and said, Mother Bunch, good-morrow, how do you do? Pray what makes you abroad so early in the morning? You seem to be in a deep study. Daughter, you say very true; I am studying who shall be my next husband, and if thou
