The Life and Death of Mr. Badman

Wise. You may be sure,¹ that it was but the beginning of badness, for other evils came on apace; as for instance: it was but a little while after he was married, but he hangs his Religion upon the hedge, or rather dealt with it as men deal with their old Cloths, who cast them off, or leave them to others to wear, for his part he would be Religions no longer. Now therefore he had pulled off his Visor, and began to show himself in his old shape, a base, wicked, debauched fellow, (and now the poor woman saw that she was betrayed indeed;) now also his old ⟨p. 127⟩Companions begin to flock about him, and to haunt his house and Shop as formerly: And who with them but Mr. Badman? and who with him again but they? Now those good people that used to company with his Wife,² began to be amated and discouraged; also he would frown and gloat upon them, as if he abhorred the appearance of them: so that in little time he drove all good company from her, and made her s•t solitary by her self.³ He also began now to go out a nights to those Drabs who were his Familiars before, with whom he would stay sometimes till midnight, and sometimes till almost morning, and then would come home as drunk as a Swine; and this was the course of Mr. Badman. Now, when he came home in this case, if his wife did but speak a word to him, about where he had been, and why he had so abused himself,⁴ though her words were spoken in never so much meekness and love, then she was Whore, and Bitch, and Jade; and 'twas well if she missed his fingers and heels. ⟨p. 128⟩Sometimes also he would bring his Punks home to his house, and woe be to his wife when they were gone, if she did not entertain them with all varieties possible, and also carry it lovingly to them. Thus this good woman was made by Badman her Husband, to possess nothing but disappointments as to all that he had promised her, or that she hoped to have at his hands. But that that added pressing weight to all her sorrow,