Man minded for to thriue must wisely lay to wiue. What hap may thereby fall here argued find ye shall.
¶ The Authours Dialogue betweene two Bachelers, of wiuing and thriuing by Affirmation and Obiection.[E412] Chap. 56. Affirmation. [1] Frend, where we met this other day, We heard one make his mone and say, Good Lord, how might I thriue? We heard an other answere him, Then make thee handsome, trick and trim, And lay in time to wiue.
Obiection. [2] And what of that, say you to mee? Do you your selfe thinke that to be The best way for to thriue? If truth were truely bolted out,[E413] As touching thrift, I stand in dout, If men were best to wiue.
Affirmation. [3] There is no doubt, for proue I can, I haue but seldome seene that man Which could the way to thriue:[E414] Vntill it was his happie lot, To stay himselfe in some good plot,[E415] And wisely then to wiue.
Obiection. [4] And I am of an other minde, For by no reason can I finde, How that way I should thriue: For where as now I spend a pennie, I should not then be quit with mennie, Through bondage for to wiue.
Affirmation. [5] Not so, for now where thou dost spend, Of this and that,[E416] to no good end, Which hindereth thee to thriue: Such vaine expences thou shouldst saue, And daily then lay more to haue, As others do that wiue.
Obiection. [6] Why then do folke this prouerbe put, The blacke oxe neare trod on thy fut,[E417] If that way were to thriue? Hereout a man may soone picke forth, Few feeleth what a pennie is worth, Till such time as they wiue.
Affirmation. [7] It may so chaunce as thou doest say, This lesson therefore beare away, If thereby thou wilt thriue: Looke ere thou leape, see ere thou go, It may be for thy profite so, For thee to lay to wiue.
Obiection. [8] It is too much we dailie heare, To wiue and thriue both in a yeare,[E418] As touching now to thriue: I know not herein what to spie, But that there doth small profite lie, To fansie for to wiue.
Affirmation. [9] In deede the first yeare oft is such, That fondly some bestoweth much, A let to them to thriue: Yet other moe may soone be founde, Which getteth many a faire pounde, The same day that they wiue.
Obiection. [10] I graunt some getteth more that day, Than they can easily beare away, Nowe needes then must they thriue: What gaineth such thinke you by that? A little burden, you wote what, Through fondnesse for to wiue.
Affirmation. [11] Thou seemest blinde as mo[E419] haue bin, It is not beautie bringeth in The thing to make thee thriue: In womankinde, see that ye do Require of hir no gift but two, When ere ye minde to wiue.
Obiection. [12] But two, say you? I pray you than Shew those as briefly as you can, If that may helpe to thriue: I weene we must conclude anon, Of those same twaine to want the ton, When ere we chance to wiue.
Affirmation. [13] An honest huswife, trust to mee, Be those same twaine, I say to thee, That helpe so much to thriue: As honestie farre passeth golde, So huswiferie in yong and olde, Do pleasure such as wiue.
Obiection. [14] The honestie in deede I graunt, Is one good point the wi[1] they. 1577.
The points of Huswiferie, vnited to the comfort of Husbandrie, newly corrected and amplified, with diuers good lessons for housholders to recreate the Reader, as by the Table at the end hereof more plainlie may appeere. Set forth by Thomas Tusser Gentleman.
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