A care-cloth

What if he be toilsome himself, and put me also to harder labour, then ever I endured, being a daughter or a servant? What if he think much to allow me necessary helps and comforts, in my weakness, sicknesses, and lying in, and be then most unkind, when I need most kindness, because his niggardly humour can bear no charges? Or what if he be divers, and tetchy, so that nothing in the world can please him, but he will still be brawling, chiding, and finding fault, though I be as careful as I can, to ekepe my self from faults? Or what if he prove a voluptuary, a drunkard, an epicure, spending that riotously, and wastefully, which were better saved, to provide for me and his children? What if he be an haunter of Alehouses, or Taverns, and come home half drunk, half mad, and pour forth all his rage upon me and my innocent children? What if he consume himself in sports, pastimes, and gaming, and make us all beggars by his unthriftiness? How could I suffer all, or any of these troubles, in the flesh? How tedious? How bitter? How terrible would they seem unto me? Or, What if out of an hateful over-lovingness, he make himself suspicious of mine honesty, and (in a furious and blind apprehension of, I know not what, slender probabilities) be ever upbraiding me with being such a mans whore, and such a mans whore? How keen? How cutting? How stinging? ⟨p. 47⟩How piercing would these terms be unto me? But, ah, what if he should become unclean and filthy? given to whoredom, embracing the bosom of strangers, and bringing home unto me the fear, if not the feeling of loathsome diseases? How should I undergo this heavy burden, which yet I see many compelled to undergo without remedy? Thus should the woman consider before-hand in her thoughts, the evils that may be fall her in marriage.

What if hee bee toylesome himselfe, and put me also to harder labour, then euer I endured, being a daughter or a seruant? What if he thinke much to allow me necessarie helpes and comforts, in my weakenesse, sicknesses, and lying in, and be then most vnkind, when I need most kindnes, because his niggardly humour can beare no charges? Or what if he bee diuers, and tetchie, so that nothing in the world can please him, but he will still be brawling, chiding, and finding fault, though I bee as carefull as I can, to ekepe my selfe from faults? Or what if he proue a voluptuarie, a drunkard, an epicure, spending that riotously, and wastefully, which were better saued, to prouide for me and his children? What if he be an haunter of Alehouses, or Tauernes, and come home half drunk, halfe mad, and powre forth all his rage vpon me and my innocent children? What if he consume himselfe in sports, pastimes, and gaming, and make vs all beggers by his vnthriftinesse? How could I suffer all, or any of these troubles, in the flesh? How tedious? How bitter? How terrible would they seeme vnto me? Or, What if out of an hatefull ouer-louingnesse, hee make himselfe suspicious of mine honestie, and (in a furious and blind apprehension of, I know not what, slender probabilities) bee euer vpbraiding mee with being such a mans whore, and such a mans whore? How keene? How cutting? How stinging?