Desiderius Erasmus

“ As for that fantasye whensoeuer it commeth into your mynd first of all counte how naked a thynge woman is, deuorsed from man. It is the hyghest dignitie that longethe to the wyfe to obsequyous vnto her spouse. So hath natyre ordeined so god hath appoynted, that the woman shoulde be ruled al by the man loke onely vppon this whiche is trouth, thine husbande he is, other canste thou none haue. ”

“ I wyll tell you a prety story more, and so make an ende One of oure neyghboures, a well disposed and a goddes man, but that he is some what testie, on a day pomeld his wife well and thriftely aboute the pate and so good a woman as euer was borne, she picked her into an inner parler, and there weepynge and sobbynge, eased her heuye harte, anone after, by chaunce her husbande came into the same place, and founde hys wyfe wepyng. ”

“ Eula. when he is ydle, neither angry, pensife, nor ouersen, then betwixt you two secretly he must be told his faute gētly, or rather intreated, that in this thynge or that he play the better husbande to loke better to his good name and fame and to his helth and this tellyng must be myxt with mery conceites and pleasaunt wordes many times I make a meane to tel my tale after this fashyon, that he shall promise me, he shal take no displeasure wyth my thynge, that I a foolyshe woman shall breake vnto hym, that pertayneth eyther to hys helthe worshyppe or welth. ”

“ Al be yet I haue power to make a womā to speake, but and yf a woman begin ones to speake, I nor al the deuyls in hel that haue the mooste power be not able to make a woman to be styll, nor to cause her to leue speakyng. ”

“ Eye saye not so, there is no beest so wild but by fayre handling be tamed, neuer mistrust man thē. Assay a moneth or two, blame me and thou findest not that my counsell dooeth ease. There be some fautes wyth you thoughe thou se them, be wyse of this especyall that thou neuer gyue hym foule wordes in the chambre, or inbed but be sure that all thynges there bee full of pastyme and pleasure. ”

“ Thei that goth vnto the Elephantes weare no white garmentes, nor they that tame wylde bulles, weare no blasynge reedes, for experience teacheth, that suche beastes bee madde with those colours, like as the Tygers by the sound of tumbrels be made so wode, that thei plucke theymself in peces. ”

“ Then the gētylman sayd agayne, I know that I may do but I had leuer haue her amēded eyther by youre good counsell or commaundement, then to come vnto that extreme waies, her father promised that he would fynde a remedye. After a dai or two, he espied time and place whē he might be alone with his doughter. Then he loked soureli vpō his doughter, as though he had bene horne woode with her, he began to reherse how foule a beaste she was, how he feared many tymes that she neuer haue bestowed her. ”

“ There was a certaine gentilmā he as suche sort of men do, vsed much huntyng in the cuntre, where he happened on a younge damoysell, a very pore womās child on whō he doted a man well stryken in age, and for her sake he lay oftē out of his owne house his excuse was hūtîg. ”

“ What saieth other mē by thin husband, they that be his cōpanions, they delite with him abrode
xā, They say that he is meruelous gentyl, redy to do euery man pleasure, liberal and sure to his frende. ”

“ As whoe saieth this gentill dealynge serueth not for bothe partyes, for they spyte of theyr berdes muste suffre many thynges in our demeanor, yet a time ther is, whē in a weighty matter it is laufull that the wyfe tell the good mā his faute, if that it be matter of substaunce, for at lyght trifles, it is best to play byll under wynge. ”

“ Go now and disprayse thine husbāde whiche yf he gette children by playe, what wyll he do whē he goeth to it in good ernest.
xantippa, I fere me I am payed agayin.
Eula. Good locke God hath sent a fruitfull grounde, a good tylmā.
Xantip. In that thing he might haue lesse laboure and more thanke.
Eula. Few wyues finde at theyr husbandes in that behalf but were ye thē sure togither.
xanti. yea that we were
Eula. The offence is the lesse. Is it a man chylde.
xantip. yea.
Eula. He shal make you at one so that ye wil bow & forbere. ”

“ This mās wife an exceding honest womā, halfe deale suspecte the mater, tried out her husbandes falshed, on a tyme whē he had taken his iourney fourth of the town vnto some other waies, she wente vnto that poore cotage and boulted out all the hoole matter, where he laye on nights, wheron he drāke, what thyng thei had to welcō him withall. ”