Wives

"One wife is too much for most husbands to bear, But two at a time theres no mortal can bear."

"He knew whose gentle hand was at the latch, Before the door had given her to his eyes."

"Giving honour unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel."

"I will be master of what is mine own; She is my goods, my chattels; she is my house, My household stuff, my field, my barn, My horse, my ox, my ass, my anything; And here she stands, touch her whoever dare."

"Should all despair That have revolted wives, the tenth of mankind Would hang themselves."

"Of earthly goods, the best is a good wife; A bad, the bitterest curse of human life."

"Casta ad virum matrona parendo imperat."

"But what so pure, which envious tongues will spare? Some wicked wits have libelld all the fair. With matchless impudence they style a wife The dear-bought curse, and lawful plague of life; A bosom-serpent, a domestic evil, A night-invasion and a mid-day-devil. Let not the wife these slandrous words regard, But curse the bones of evry living bard."

"The contentions of a wife are a continual dropping."

"It is a womans business to get married as soon as possible, and a mans to keep unmarried as long as he can."

"A good wyf, that is clene of werk and thoght, Sholde nat been kept in noon await, certayn; And trewely, the labour is in vayn To kepe a shrewe, for it wol nat be. This holde I for a verray nycetee, To spille labour, for to kepe wyves; Thus writen olde clerkes in hir lyves."

"You know I met you, Kist you, and prest you close within my arms, With all the tenderness of wifely love."