<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2008-10-01</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080859.pdcc.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="B06552">
<STC T="W">W165</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99887710</BIBNO>
<VID>183360</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="ballad">
<PB N="191" REF="1" MS="y"><!-- PDF PAGE 12 -->
<HEAD>A Good Wife is a Portion every day. OR <HI>A Dialogue di&s;covering a good Wife from a bad.</HI></HEAD>
<HEAD TYPE="sub">And happy is that man that hath &s;uch a one.</HEAD>
<OPENER>The Tune is, Pockingtons pound.</OPENER>
<BYLINE>By J. Wade.</BYLINE>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<P><FIGURE>
</FIGURE></P>
<LG>
<L>COme youngmen &amp; li&s;ten to what I'le you &s;how</L>
<L>then <HI>William,</HI> and <HI>Harry,</HI> and <HI>Robin,</HI> &amp; <HI>John</HI></L>
<L>When as you are minded a wooing to go,</L>
<L>for the&s;e Lines do concern you every one:</L>
<L>And what I declare,</L>
<L>I'le make it appear,</L>
<L>From <HI>Eve</HI> it &s;prang out, and has la&s;t till this year,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L><HI>For though &s;he was Man's fall, mark what I &s;ay,</HI></L>
<L><HI>A good Wife is a portion every day.</HI></L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>For a good wife will be &s;aving and fearful to wa&s;te,</L>
<L>but keep all things together &s;o near as &s;he can,</L>
<L>When that a Spend:thrift will let fly as fa&s;t,</L>
<L>and &s;&eacute;eks by all means to undo her good man:</L>
<L>Though he carps and doth care,</L>
<L>She'l not pinch nor &s;pare,</L>
<L>But junket abroad, and mu&s;t have her fine cheer,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L><HI>She thinkes what &s;he brought will never decay,</HI></L>
<L><HI>When a good Wife is a portion every day.</HI></L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>A wife that is vertuous and civil be&s;ide</L>
<L>will honour her Husband, his words &s;he'l obey,</L>
<L>She'l not &s;trive to cro&s;s him what ever betide,</L>
<L>but make all things well when there &s;hould be a</L>
<L>With fair words &s;he'l him draw</L>
<L>To &s;ubmit to her Law,</L>
<L>Though his Beard it be frozen, in time &s;he'l it thaw</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L><HI>Although he be given to wander and &s;tray.</HI></L>
<L><HI>A good wife will lead him into the right way.</HI></L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But &s;he that takes no care but only for Pride</L>
<L>how Buckle and Thong together to hold,</L>
<L>She will have her humour whatever betide,</L>
<L>or el&s;e day and night at him &s;he will &s;cold,</L>
<L>For let a man &s;tarve,</L>
<L>As I am alive,</L>
<L>Fir&s;t he mu&s;t ask his wife is he &s;hall thrive:</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L><HI>And if &s;he &s;ays no, his E&s;tate will decay;</HI></L>
<L><HI>When a good Wife is a portion every day.</HI></L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>If a youngman hath but little withal to begin,</L>
<L>if he lights of a good wife his &s;tock will increa&s;e,</L>
<L>What he gets without doors &s;he'l &s;ave it within,</L>
<L>and if he be froward &s;he'l &s;trive to keep peace:</L>
<L>When a cro&s;s-grained wife</L>
<L>That's given to &s;trife,</L>
<L>Will &s;eek to make a man weary on's life:</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L><HI>What e're he &s;ays to her &s;he'l not him obey,</HI></L>
<L><HI>When a good wife is a portion every day.</HI></L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Therefore young Batchellors wherever you be,</L>
<L>let not this money your hearts &s;o bewitch,</L>
<L>For 't 'ant that which makes a good husband you &s;&eacute;e</L>
<L>nor Means altogether don't make a man rich:</L>
<L>The rea&s;on ile &s;how you why,</L>
<L>You &s;han't &s;ay I lye,</L>
<L>She that brings a great deal looks to be maintained high</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L><HI>Her co&s;tly Attire an E&s;tate will decay,</HI></L>
<L><HI>When a good wife</HI> &amp;c.</L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>I heard of two Brothers, the one was the Heir,</L>
<L>the other had little at all to begin,</L>
<L>He married a wife that was both rich and fair,</L>
<L>then for his poor Brother <GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e car'd not a pin:</L>
<L>For he did live high,</L>
<L>And his wife &s;he let flye</L>
<L>His means, till &s;he brought him to poverty,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L><HI>Then to his poor brother he &s;igh'd and did &s;ay,</HI></L>
<L><HI>A good wife &amp;c.</HI></L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Thus you may &s;ee how &s;ome are made poor,</L>
<L>and &s;ome that hath but little to fortune doth ri&s;e,</L>
<L>then he that has a good wife make much of her there|fore</L>
<L>and do not again&s;t her no mi&s;chief devi&s;e:</L>
<L>But &s;ome men cannot &s;ee</L>
<L>When as they well be,</L>
<L>But &s;eeks for to ruin their Family:</L>
<L><HI>Then all the blame on the poor woman they lay,</HI></L>
<L><HI>When a good</HI> &amp;c.</L>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>He that has a good wife, happy is that man,</L>
<L>if he does his indeavour his Living to get,</L>
<L>And not &s;pend it abroad in Pot nor in Can,</L>
<L>&s;he'l arive alwaies to keep him out of Debt;</L>
<L>Good Coun&s;el &s;he'l him give,</L>
<L>If he'l it receive,</L>
<L>And &s;et him all times in a way for to live:</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L><HI>But a wife that is froward his E&s;tate will decay</HI></L>
<L><HI>But a good &amp;c.</HI></L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But youngmen you'l &s;ay how &s;hould a man kno<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 letter"></L>
<L>how to choo&s;e a good wife from a bad,</L>
<L>In few lines I here will you &s;how,</L>
<L>and teach you that will make your hearts glad</L>
<L>Chu&s;e one that is civil,</L>
<L>And &s;trives to &s;hun evil,</L>
<L>For &s;ome are too cunning I think for the Devil,</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L><HI>But &s;he that means hone&s;t will keep the right w<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="2 letters"></HI></L>
<L><HI>When a good &amp;c.</HI></L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Be &s;ure don't take a wife that will &s;wear and lye,</L>
<L>nor one that is given to flout or to jeer,</L>
<L>Though &s;he has ne'r &s;o much means, &s;he'l make all fl<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 letter"></L>
<L>&amp; &s;pend more in a week then thou'lt get in a ye<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="2 letters"></L>
<L>Nor do not take one</L>
<L>That's too fluent in tongue,</L>
<L>She'l always be tattling of that &s;he knows none</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L><HI>Though it be non&s;ence &s;he will have her way,</HI></L>
<L><HI>when a good &amp;c.</HI></L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>But if thou art minded for to have a Mate,</L>
<L>chu<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="1 letter">e one that is vertuous and civil be&s;ide,</L>
<L>Although thou art poor &s;he'l live at the &s;ame rate.</L>
<L>and with patience will wait till thou can&s;t bet<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="2 letters"> provid<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="1 letter"></L>
<L>For content is a thing,</L>
<L>That comfort doth bring,</L>
<L>It makes a poorman as well as a Lord to &s;ing:</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L><HI>Then let the red &s;hank or Dane deny what I &s;ay</HI></L>
<L><HI>If a good wife &amp;c.</HI></L>
</LG>
</LG>
<LG>
<L>Concluding my ditty of what I have told,</L>
<L>make much of thy wife tho thou'rt never &s;o poor</L>
<L>And if thou'&s;t got children e&s;teem them as gold,</L>
<L>then thou'lt find a Salve for to cure thy &s;ore:</L>
<L>To work do thou &s;trive,</L>
<L>To keep them alive,</L>
<L>As thy charge grows up thy &s;tock it will thrive:</L>
<LG TYPE="refrain">
<L><HI>Then youngmen remember th<GAP DESC="illegible" EXTENT="2 letters">e words that I &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="2 letters"></HI></L>
<L><HI>A good Wife is a Portion every day.</HI></L>
</LG>
</LG>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="colophon">
<P><HI>Printed for <HI>P. Brooksby</HI> at the golden Ball neer t<GAP DESC="illegible" REASON="page cropped" EXTENT="2 letters"> Ho&s;pital Gate in <HI>We&s;t Smithfield.</HI></HI></P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
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