The Bride | Page 7

doores fast lock'd, and she her selfe alone,
Came in a gallant
stranger, meere vnknowne.
Who euer came in courting manner to her,
With all the louing
courage could be thought:
So powerfull in perswasions force to woe
her,
That to his will constrained she was brought:
Although her heart did firme deniall vow,
Yet she was forc'd to yeeld
and knew not how.
So oft he came (quoth she) priuate and strange,
When I shut vp my
selfe in most sad humor,
That I began to finde an inward change,

Which brought me quickly to an outward tumor:
An't please your highnes I was in such case,
That to the world I durst
not show my face.
My foes reioyced, all my friends were sad,
My selfe in sorrow spent
both day and night,
No satisfaction my wrong'd honour had,
Was
neuer maide in such perplexed plight:

To be with child whether I will or no,
And for my child, no humane
father know.
Had I bin married (quoth she) as I ought,
And with my loue, the loue
of man requited,
I had not to this woefull state bin brought,
In all
contempt, disgracefully despighted:
And tearmed strumpet by the rude vnciuill,
Who say my sonne is
bastard to the diuell.
Wherefore I wish Ladies of my degree,
And all the rest inferiour sorts
of maydes,
To take a warning (for their good) by me,
Yeelding
affection when kind men perswades:
And hate disdaine that vile accursed sin,
Least they be plagu'd for
pride as I haue bin.
How say you to this warning wenches now,
That Lady Adhan giues
vnto you all,
Were you not better marriage to allow,
Then in a
manner for a Midwife call:
I thinke you were if I might iudge the cause,
How say you Susan_,
speake good _Doll_ and _Grace.
Grace.
This is a story that seemes very strange,
And for my part, it doth me
full perswade,
My Mayden-head with some man to exchange,
I will
not liue in danger of a mayde:
The world the flesh, the diuell tempts vs still,
Ile haue a husband, I
protest I will.
If I were sure none of you here would blabbe,
I would euen tell you
of a dreame most true,
And if I lye, count me the veriest drabbe,

That euer any of you saw or knewe:

When a friend speakes in kindnes do not wrong her:
For I can keepe
it (for my life) no longer.
One night (I haue the day of moneth set downe)
Because I will make
serious matters sure,
Me thought I went a iourney out of towne,

And with a propper man I was made sure:
As sure as death, me thought we were assured,
And all things for the
businesse were procured.
We did agree, and faith and troath did plight,
And he gaue me, and I
gaue him a Ring,
To doe as Mistris Bride will doe at night,
And I
protest me thought he did the thing:
The thing we stand so much vpon he tooke,
And I vpon the matter
bigge did looke.
Forsooth (in sadnes,) I was bigge with childe,
And had a belly,
(marry God forbid,)
Then fell a weeping, but he laught and smil'd,

And boldly said, weele stand to what we did:
Fye, fye (quoth I) who euer stands I fall,
Farewell my credit,
maydenhead and all.
Thus as I cry'd and wept and wrong my hands,
And said deare
maydes and maydenhead adue,
Before my face me thought my
mother stands,
And question'd with me how this matter grew:
With that I start awake as we are now,
Yet feard my dreame had bin
no dreame I vow.
I could not (for my life) tell how to take it,
For I was stricken in a
mightie maze,
Therefore if marriage come Ile not forsake it,
Tis
danger to liue virgin diuers wayes,
I would not in such feare againe be found,
Without a husband, for a

thousand pound.
Susan.
Is it euen so Grace, are you come to this,
You that perswaded me
from loue of late,
When you knew who, sent me a Ring of his:
And
would haue had me bin his turtle mate,
You cunningly did make me to forsake him,
Because I thinke in
conscience you will take him.
Ile trust your word another time againe,
That can dissemble so
against your heart,
Wishing that I should earnestly refraine,
From
that which thou thy selfe embracer art:
This is braue doing, I commend you Grace,
But ile nere trust you
more in such a case.
Bride.
I pray you here let this contention ende,
(We being all of selfe same
woman kind,)
And each the other, with aduise befriend,
Because I
see some of you well enclin'd:
To take good wayes, and so become good wiues,
Ile teach you
certaine rules to leade your liues.
You that intend the honourable life,
And vvould vvith ioy liue happy
in the same,
Must note eight duties doe concerne a wife,
To vvhich
vvith all endeuour she must frame:
And so in peace possesse her husbands loue,
And all distast from
both their hearts remooue.
The