%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> Nobody his Counsaile to chuse a / Wife: OR, The difference betweene Widdowes and Maydes. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1622 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 06/26/2008 20177

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Patricia Fumerton Early Modern Center - English Department University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93105 United States of America EMail: pfumer@english.ucsb.edu

1.382-383 S126286 2 the wanton Wife of Westminster The Wanton Wife The Wanton Wife of Westminster the same tune the Same Tune LEt Young men giue eare / vnto that I reherse, For Maydens are wanton / and often times coy: / But Widdowes be wilfull / and neuer say nay. A Younge Wife must haue go= / (ssips, / were nere had before For Maydens are wanton / and often times coy: / But Widdowes be wilfull / and neuer say nay. Pepys 1.382-383 STC 18598 A. M[athewes c.1622] Woodblock 1: first 1/2 sheet, over columns 1, 2, 3: A man and woman hold hands. Both figures appear to be oddly distorted, their clothes made up only of the lower half of a set of garments, and their bodies reflecting this shape. The woman stands to the left of the cut. She wears a shapeless patterned dress (skirt?), low shoes, a ruff, a long loaf-shaped hat or headpiece, and a long coat (or overskirt?). The man stands to the right of the woodcut. He wears a pair of slops that appear to come to his shoulders, hose, a collar, low shoes, ribbon garters, and a flat cap with a feather and a plume. Both hold indeterminate objects (possibly loaves of bread) in an upraised hand. : 93 x 105 Pepys Library The Pepys ballads : facsimile volume Editor W.G. Day D.S. Brewer Cambridge [England] 1987 Information in this section of the Source Description refers to the original ballad manuscript. 1: 382 1: 383 Nobody his Counsaile to chuse a / Wife: OR, The difference betweene Widdowes and Maydes. Nobody his Counsaile to chuse a Wife: OR, The difference betweene Widdowes and Maydes[:] Nobody His Counsel to Choose a Wife: Or, the Difference Between Widdows and Maids: The second part. The second part. The Second Part. 1/2 sheet folio, originally left part, 282 x 160 1/2 sheet folio, originally right part, 283 x 160 torn bottom edge, damaged surface, uneven inking cropped right and bottom edges, creased, damaged surface cast fleurons cast fleurons 1622 Printed at London by A. M. A.M. Weinstein: STC initials

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 Taxonomy used by Pepys to Organize Ballads in Albums A Small Promiscuous Supplement Devotion & Morality Drinking & Good Fellowship History - True & Fabulous Humour, Frollicks &c Love Pleasant Love Pleasant and Unfortunate Love Unfortunate Marriage Sea State & Times Tragedy Various Subjects Early Modern Center Ballad Project Keyword Taxonomy advice affliction/health alcohol animals/nature appearance Bible/biblical figures buildings/architecture catastrophe children class clothing/fashion country/nation crime death economics/trade entertainment family/procreation folklore gender historical figures & events holidays/seasons infidelity law London love maritime marriage military/war monstrosity mythology/Classical world news nobility/court politics/government punishment religious concepts religious figures religious types & sects royalty rural life servitude sex/sexuality supernatural/magic The New World travel trickery/deceit urban life vice violence virtue vulgarities/crass humor Library of Congress Subject Heading Taxonomy 6/26/2008 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Marriage advice infidelity marriage servitude 06/26/08 Checker Rachel Mann Metadata updated, xml created 7/03/2007 Checker Katy Trumbull Ballad Checked 2006 Transcriber Jeff Moorse Original Transcription 7/23/2004 Bibliographer Liberty Stanavage Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">Nobody his Counsaile to chuse a</hi></seg> <seg n="2" rend="left"><hi rend="italic"><hi rend="bold">Wife: OR,</hi> <hi rend="bold">The difference betweene Widdowes and Maydes[:]</hi></hi></seg> <seg n="3" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">To the Tune of the wanton Wife of <hi rend="bold">Westminster.</hi></hi></seg>
LEt Young men give eare unto that I reherse, And thinke good the subject though set downe in verse: Nobody unto you, will kindly relate: The difference twixt Maydens and Widdowes estate, When ere they be had, they both will prove bad: Yet he that a Widdow takes, most may be glad: For Maydens are wanton and often times coy: But Widdowes be wilfull and never say nay. That man that doth woe a mayd, must be compeld: To live like an honest life ere she will yeeld: He someimes must [coll] her, and often times kisse her, Yet may another gaine, he may chance misse her: He lives like a slave, must doe what shel'e have: He must not deny whatsoere she doth crave. For Maydens, etc. But take me a Widdow, who if you doe woe her: Will yeeld with the soonest, when ere you come to her: She will be as willing, to yeeld to a man:
As he that doth woe her, make what speede he can: Sheel'e give him content, for what he hath spent: If he that doth woe her, to true love be bent. For Maydens, etc. He that a Mayd marries is caught in the lurch, He must never let her goe often to Church: Least thinking by that meanes, some goodnesse to teach her: She larne some new fashion, and minde not the Preacher: Then when she comes home, sheel'e pine, and sheele mone: With sweete heart let me have that fashion or none. For maydens, etc. He that's matcht with a widdow, by! that is a winner: Sheel'e stay and heare Service, and then provide dinner: Shee is twise in a Saboath, at Church like a Woman: And not to learne fashions, as some doe most common: Shee loves to goe plaine, let who will disdaine: Shee needs must goe so, that hath had Husbands twain: For Maydens, etc. And if a young Bell
doe chance for to swell: That man that begot it, were as good live in Hell: For she will be calling for one thing or other, It may be shee's joyfull shee shalt be a Mother: Then the man must disburse, to hire a Nurse, With twenty things more, which is marryed mens curse. For Maydens, etc. He that deales with a Widdow, hath these at command: He takes a commodity broke to his hand, He neede not stand carking, for linnen nor Cradle: If he bestow getting, to keepe it shees able: She seldome will pray, her Husband to pay: If he bestow night worke, then sheele bestow day. For Maydens are wanton, and often times coy: But Widdowes be wilfull, and never say nay.
<seg n="1" rend="left"><hi rend="italic">The second part. to the same tune.</hi></seg>
A Younge Wife must have gossips, [w]ere nere had before She scornes to have any are judgd to be poore: Great Banquets sheele make them, no cost shall be spard: Her poore husbands purse shee doth never regard, With pray be not sad, tis the first that I had: My Husband and I, have cause to be glad. For Maydens are wanton, and often times coy: But widdowes be wilfull, and never say nay. A widdow to save all these charges will shift. For she can have Gossips at any dead lift: Sheele bid them as welcome, to one joynt of rost: As your new married Cupple. shall with all their cost: Sheele say man be wife, spend what may suffice: For Houserent and all things. beginneth to rise. For Maydens, etc. A young Wife is crabbed, and takes a delight: If her mayd doe but crosse her, so speake and then smight: Shee never is well but a breeding debate, Shee'le make her young husband, his prentises hate:
No servants will stay, man and mayde will away: By this meanes she worketh, her Husbands decay: For Maydens, etc. A Widdow will never be froward to such, Sheele use them as kindly, and then theyle doe much: Theyle call her kind Mistris, and alwayes worke faster: Because they live quiet with her, and their master: She still beares the mind, to use servants kinde: That she and her husband much profit may finde. For Maydens, etc. A young wife must allwayes, in house be halfe Master: Or else her tongue gallops. no Mill-clacke goes faster: If he doe denie her, a needlesse request: Sheed have it by some meanes, or make him a beast: With rascall and slave, give me what I crave: Or else by this light, thou no quiet shalt have: For Maydens, etc. A Widdow will alwayes, looke well to her home: Let him doe his businesse or let it alone, Sheele buy what is needfull
to serve her owne use: In words she will never her Husband abuse, A broad she is kinde, in bed he shall finde: A woman that strive will, to pleasure his mind: For Maydens, etc. A young Wife will vaver as oft as the winde, An old wife is fixed naught changeth her mind: A young wife once crost, continually doth frowne: But crosse once an old wife, her mind will reforme: A young wife will brawle, if she rule not all: A widdow will rule what to her doth befall: For Maydens, etc. Much more I could speake, but to tell you the troth: To prayse and to disprayse too much, I am loath: I would not to be partiall, on one side nor other: Did they to their deserve, I would speake well of tother: My judgements not blind, I speake as I find: None will take exceptions, for speaking my mind. For Maydens, etc. I speake not of all Maydes, that are to be had: Tis pitty mongst thousands, if all should be bad: Nay some widdowes likewise, may worse be then they: Both sortes are too wicked, no man will gaine say: With this I doe end, hoping none I offend: If I wed, with a widdow my dayes I will spend. For Maydens are wanton, and often times coy: But Widdowes be wilfull, and never say nay.
FINIS. Printed at London by A. M.