Wynkyn de Worde,
The Pain and Sorrow of Evil Marriage
“ In the second line we ought to read “sayes [13] ” for “sayth,” as the rhyme evidently shews. The last stanza of the body of the poem is in the same spirit. “Better it is in youth a wyfe for to take, And lyve with her to goddes pleasaunce, Than to go in age, for goddes sake, In worldly sorowe and perturbaunce, For youthes love and utteraunce, And than to dye at the last ende, And be dampned in hell with the foule fende.” ”
Wynkyn de Worde,
The Pain and Sorrow of Evil Marriage
“ The second piece of ancient facetiæ, “the complaynte of them that ben to late maryed,” is [9] written with much more humour, and is far better worth preservation, but it is disfigured by indelicacy, though not of the grossest kind, and never introduced but for the sake of heightening the drollery. It is the lamentation of an elderly gentleman, who after a youth of riot had married a young frolicksome wife, and he relates very feelingly the inconveniences, annoyances, and jealousies to which he is thereby exposed. ”
Wynkyn de Worde,
The Pain and Sorrow of Evil Marriage
“ But loketh soure whan theyr husbandes ayleth ought; And of good mete and drynke they wyll not fayle in dede, What so ever it cost they care ryght nought; Nor they care not how dere it be bought, Rather than they should therof lacke or mysse, They wolde leever laye some pledge ywys. It is trewe, I tell you yonge men everychone, Women be varyable and love many wordes and stryfe: Who can not appease them lyghtly or anone, Shall have care and sorowe all his lyfe, That woo the tyme that ever he toke a wyfe ”
