%ISOlat1; %ISOlat2; %ISOnum; %ISOpub; ]> The Married-mans best Portion:/ Or,/ A new Song plainly setting forth the Excellency, and incomparable Worth of a good Wife, as/ also how much Happiness doth continually attend upon that Man that enjoys her. University of California - Santa Barbara The Early Modern Center Director Patricia Fumerton 1678-1688 Early Modern Center, University of California Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA 08/20/2007 21748

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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

4.84 R214098 1 Fancies Phoenix Fancy's Phoenix AMongst those worldly Ioyes, of which/ Men equally may have their share, There is no comfort in this life,/ Like to a constant loving Wife. Pepys 4.84 Wing M711 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. 4: 84 The Married-mans best Portion:/ Or,/ A new Song plainly setting forth the Excellency, and incomparable Worth of a good Wife, as/ also how much Happiness doth continually attend upon that Man that enjoys her. The Married-mans best Portion: Or, A new Song plainly setting forth the Excellency, and incomparable Worth of a good Wife, as also how much Happiness doth continually attend upon that Man that enjoys her. The Married Man's Best Portion: Or, a New Song Plainly Setting Forth the Excellency, and Incomporable Worth of a Good Wife, as Also How Much Happiness Does Continually Attend Upon that Man that Enjoys Her. 1/2 sheet oblong folio, ?205 x 313 cropped top and bottom edges 1678-1688 London Printed for W. Thackeray, T. Passenger, and W. Whitwood. W. Thackeray, T. Passenger, W. Whitwood. PBA

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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 8/20/2007 Santa Barbara, California, United States of America Marriage advice marriage virtue 08/20/07 Checker Rachel Mann Transcription checked, Metadata added, XML created; ESTC # found in bl.uk 09/08/06 Transcriber Jessica Murphy Original Transcription 9/14/2004 Bibliographer Liberty Stanavage Bibliographic SQL Database Record Created
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AMongst those worldly Joyes, of which Man equally may have their share, Whereof the Poor as well as Rich most commonly possessours are: The greatest happiness I find, Is that which comes from Women kind: There is no comfort in this life, Like to a constant loving Wife. A vertuous women doth excel the richest Treasure of the Earth, Th' who can find her parallel. or fully set her praises forth: She is a Phenix very rare, She is a Jewel past compare, There is no comfort, etc. That man is happy in his choice who unto such a one is wed, He may with cheerfulness rejoyce, because that he so well hath sped,
He hath his portion with the best, that with a vertuous wife is blest. There is no comfort, etc. How sweet a sight it is to see, a married Pair so truly joyn'd In perfect love, that though there be two Persons, yet there's but one mind: Such Couples do enjoy content, And in true peace their lives are spent. There is no comfort, etc. A vertuous woman evermore her husbands pleasure doth fulfill, She treasures up his love in store, and alwaies strives to do his will, She gives consent to what he sayes, When he commands, then she obeys. There is no comfort in this life, Like to a constant loving Wife.
SHe useth not abroad to rome, amongst the Gossips idle Crew, But careful is, and stays at home, with diligence her work to do, Her Family she will direct, And give her husband due respect. There is no comfort in this life, Like to a constant loving wife. Shee's wary, and shee's provident; and often saves what others loose, By right forecasting the event. she well doth know which way to chuse, Accordingly her course she steeres, And daily orders her affairs. There is no comfort, etc. If that her husband fault doth find with any thing that is amisst, As soon as ere she knows his mind, she rests not till it mended is, His love doth all her pains req[u]ite, And in the same she takes delight. There is no comfort, etc. When he with sickness is opprest, or any ways cast down with grief, She suffers not her heart to rest, till she hath gain'd him some relief:
When he doth mourn, the she is sad, When he rejoyces, she is glad. There is no comfort, etc. If sometimes for a little space, his business calls him forth from home, She greatly longs to see his face, and often wishes he would come: His presence gives her full content, His absence she doth much lament. There is no comfort, etc. She will not vary in the least from what at first she seem'd to be, Her constancy shall be encreast, but not diminish'd one degree, Her husband she hath vow'd to love, And she to him will faithful prove, There is no comfort, etc. Thus having set before your eyes, in Caracters right plain to read, A vertuous womans qualities, I wish you now even well to speed, Chuse such a wife and you shall see, My words will all fulfill'd be, There is no comfort in this life, Like to a constant loving wife.
London Printed for W. Thackeray, T. Passenger, and W. Whitwood.