The Ten Pleasures of Marriage<br />and the Second Part, The Confession of the New Married Couple by A. Marsh (easy to read books for adults list txt) 📖

title="" /> LONDON, Printed in the year 1683. To the READER.

Courteous Reader,

Thy kind acceptance of the First Part, hath incouraged me to go forward with a Second, which I here present thee with; being now indifferently confident that it will be no worse used by Thee then the Brother of it was: I hope there is never a Part of it, in which thou wilt not find somthing that will please thy Fancy: But for such as profess to be of the zealousest sort of people, and make use of the gestur of casting up the whites of their eys, when they intend to tell you a notorious ly, I would not have them to study in it, by reason it speaks a great deal of truth, and will not be so suitable to their humors; because it is a bundle of matter that is scrambled together, which could not be wrapt up in such clean linnen, or drest up in such holding forth Language and pious hypocrisie, as such generally make use of: It is only fit for truehearted Souls that will solace their Spirits with a little laughter, and never busie their brains with the subversion of State and Church government: And being well received by such, it is as much as is expected by him who is thine. Farewell.

The CONFESSION Of the New Married Couple, Being The Second Part of the Ten Pleasures of Marriage. INTRODUCTION.

It is an inexpressible pleasure for Travellers, when after many traverses and tossings too and again, they return quietly home to their studies and rememorates all the unexpected pleasure that they encountred with upon the one Coast, and the horrible vexations and confusions that they had upon another. And the very penning thereof, doth, as it were anew, repossess them of all the pleasures, and conveyeth them through all the Countries, without so much as the least moving of a foot. Just so it goes with those that have been under the Bands of Matrimony, and are loosed from them: These being then come to be solitary, at rest, and in quiet, can the more seriously rememorate and recogitate what pleasures they injoied at one, and what thwartings and crosses they met with at other times. And the writing down of these, doth not only afresh regenerate in them the received pleasures; but serves also for a Looking-glass to all married Couples, for them to recogitate what pleasures they have already received, and what joys are still approaching towards them. And for those which as yet know not the sweetness of the Nuptial estate, it serves for a Fire-Beacon that they may with all earnestness Sail unto it, and possess those joys also. Of those we have before demonstrated unto you Ten Pleasant Tables: But because the Scale of Marriage may hang somwhat evener, and not fall too light on the womens side, we shall for the Courteous Reader add unto them Ten Pleasures more, being that which some Married people have since confessed, or to be short with you, was formerly wink'd at, and passed over.

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Published by The Navarre Society, London.

The First Pleasure. The young Couple begin to keep Shop, and demand their promised Portion.

Till now, O new Married Couple, you have passed through the First part of your Wedlock with feasting and pleasures, and have injoied no smal delights in it. But what is there in this World that we grow not weary of? You have seen that the sumptuosest Feast full of delicate dishes, and the pleasurablest Country Scituations, with al their rich fruits, finally cloggeth, through the continual injoyment of them.

Nevertheless it is the generall desire of all persons, forasmuch as it is possible, to live in the World in pleasure and delights. Amongst the rest the gain of mony is none of the smallest pleasures, and this appears to be the least burthensom, tho it have much trouble in it. Therefore is it very much commendable, O young Couple, though you have a pretty estate of your own, according as your Contract of Marriage testifies, and as we have also seen by the Wedding you kept, your apparel, and the other ap and dependances, that you begin to meditate how to make the best benefit of your stock; and so much the more, because your Predecessors got it with a slavish diligence, reaped it together with sobriety, kept it with care, and finally left it unto you for your great pleasure. It is then also not strange, if you, as true bred children, keep it carefully, and make the best profit of it; to the end, that your Successors, when time shall serve, may find that they have had frugall Parents; and so walk in your footsteps. Verily this is one of the necessariest meditations in the World. If we could but any waies make the dead sensible of it in their grave, undoubtedly the Reliques of your Parents would rejoice at so happy and carefull an intention of you their children.

And truly, what is there, among other cogitations, more pleasurable, then to begin with a handsom Shop-keeping? For this through the daily gain, yeelds every day new pleasures, and by consequence a merry life. 'Tis true, Merchandize bears a greater respect, and yeelds also sometimes great gains; but with these trouble somtimes, it is for the most part subject to great and weighty losses, which is the destruction of young people, and so intangles the merriest part of their lives, that fears and cares deprives them of their night rest. If the wind blow hard, they are presently in a fear that the Ships at sea laden with their Goods and Wares may be Shipwrack'd. If they will assure them, then the Assurer goes away with the profit: and they are also so greedy and cunning, that the least storm or bad tiding makes them very slow and circumspect; or if they be not so, it is to be feared, so there happen many losses, that then the Assurer himself might come to be lost.

But the handsom Shop-keeping is the surest and pleasurablest; for every moment you get new customers as well from abroad as at home, who buy continually with ready mony; or otherwise pay the old score, and trust the new. Yea all the news that goes about the City, is brought home and imparted to you. There's not a man dies, or woman brought to bed, but you have knowledge of it. Well then, what greater pleasure can there be then this?

Also, young Woman, you may, through love and care, herein be assistant to your husband oftentimes, which you cannot do in Merchandize, and so by degrees learn to understand the Shop, and converse neatly with the customers; whereby you can in his absence, also help the customers, and give them pleasing answers, insomuch that you oftentimes attain to as perfect a knowledge of the Trading, as your husband himself.

You are happy, yea ten times over happy, O housewively young Woman in this choice, and that not only for your husband, but principally for your self. For if that mischance might happen to you, that death should bereave you of your husband, you find your self oftentimes setled in a way of Trading, which you can manage your self, and set forward with reputation. Nay though you might happen to have children, you have the opportunity your self to bring them up in the same way, and so get a due, faithfull and carefull assistance from them, which will not so well be done by Men and Maid-servants, and over whom there is seldom so much command, as over ones own children.

And if your husband continue in health, and find that Trading grows quick, he perceives that by the assistance of his wife, something else may be taken by the hand that is also profitable, and then he will alwaies exercise some sort of Merchandise that is secure and advantagious.

It is most certain, sweet Woman, you will be the more tied to your housekeeping, and cannot so often go to visit and take your pleasure with your Gossips as you formerly did, in Coaches or by Water; as if your husband had taken any sort of Merchandice in hand; because that a Woman who is married to a Shopkeeper, is as it were also wedded to the Counter, by reason you dare not trust your Shop to old, much less to new men or Maid-servants, because they do not perfectly understand the Trade, and thereby also find occasion to make one bed serve for both and junket together; which makes no small confusion in the family; but little regard must be taken about that, for the importantest must alwaies be taken care of.

And be assured, if the desire of gain, small Trading, and bad paiment, begin once to take possession of you, the thoughts of all the former pleasures will remove, and you will exchange them for those that are more noble and becoming, viz. in the well governing of your Men and Maid-servants in the Shop and House, and taking inspection that they be obedient unto you; the Family must be wel taken care of; going to Market with the Maid to buy that which is good, and let her dress it to your