“Takë no wife,” quoth he, “for husbandry, As for to spare in household thy dispence; A truë servant doth more diligence Thy good to keep, than doth thine owen wife, For she will claim a half part all her life. And if that thou be sick, so God me save, Thy very friendës, or a truë knave, Will keep thee bet than she, that waiteth aye After thy good, and hath done many a day.” This sentence, and a hundred timës worse, Writeth this man, there God his bonës curse. But take no keep of all such vanity, Defy Theóphrast, and hearken to me.
A wife is Goddë’s giftë verily; All other manner giftës hardily, As landës, rentës, pasture, or commúne, Or mebles, all be giftës of fortúne, That passen as a shadow on the wall: But dread thou not, if plainly speak I shall, A wife will last, and in thine house endure, Well longer than thee list, paráventure. Marriage is a full great sacrament; He which that hath no wife, I hold him shent; He liveth helpless, and all desolate (I speak of folk in secular estate): And hearken why—I say not this for nought— That woman is for mannë’s help y-wrought. The highë God, when he had Adam maked, And saw him all alonë belly naked, God of his greatë goodness saidë then, Let us now make a help unto this man Like to himself; and then he made him Eve. Here may ye see, and hereby may ye preve, That a wife is man’s help and his comfórt, His paradise terrestre and his disport. So buxom and so virtuous is she, They mustë needës live in unity; One flesh they be, and one blood, as I guess, With but one heart in weal and in distress. A wife? Ah! Saint Marý, ben’dicite , How might a man have any adversity That hath a wife? certes I cannot say The bliss the which that is betwixt them tway, There may no tongue it tell, or heartë think. If he be poor, she helpeth him to swink; She keeps his good, and wasteth never a deal; All that her husband list, her liketh well; She saith not onës Nay, when he saith Yea; “Do this,” saith he; “All ready, Sir,” saith she. O blissful order, wedlock precioús! Thou art so merry, and eke so virtuous, And so commended and approved eke, That every man that holds him worth a leek Upon his barë knees ought all his life To thank his God, that him hath sent a wife; Or ellës pray to God him for to send A