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.