Affirmation.
[17]
Some more than this yet do shee[1] shall,
Although thy stocke be verie small,
Yet will shee helpe thee thriue:
Lay thou[2] to saue, as well as she,
And then thou shalt[3] enriched be,
When such thou hapst[4] to wiue.
Obiection.
[18]
If she were mine, I tell thee troth,
Too much to trouble hir I were loth,
For greedines to thriue:
Least some should talke, as is the speech,
The good wiues husband weares no breech,[E420]
If such I hap to wiue.
Affirmation.
[19]
What hurts it thee what some do say,
If honestlie she take the way
To helpe thee for to thriue?
For honestie will make hir prest,
To doo the thing that shall be best,
If such ye hap to wiue.
Obiection.
[20]
Why did Diogenes say than,
To one that askt of him time whan,
Were best to wiue to thriue?
Not yet (quoth[5] he) if thou be yong,
If thou waxe old, then holde thy tong,
It is too late to wiue.[E421]
Affirmation.
[21]
Belike he knew some shrewish wife,
Which with hir husband made such strife,
That hindered him to thriue:
Who then may blame him for that clause,
Though then he spake as some had cause,
As touching for to wiue?
Obiection.
[22]
Why then I see to take a shrew,
(As seldome other there be few)
Is not the way to thriue:
So hard a thing I spie it is,
The good to chuse, the shrew to mis,
That feareth me to wiue.[E422]
Affirmation.
[23]
She may in something seeme a shrew,
Yet such a huswife as but few,
To helpe thee for to thriue:
This prouerbe looke in mind ye keepe,
As good a shrew is as a sheepe,[E423]
For you to take to wiue.
Obiection.
[24]
Now be she lambe or be she [eaw],
Giue me the sheepe, take thou the [shreaw],
See which of vs shall thriue:
If she be shrewish thinke for troth,
For all her thrift I would be loth
To match with such to wiue.
Affirmation.
[25]
Tush, farewell then, I leaue you off,
Such fooles as you that loue to scoff,
Shall seldome wiue to thriue:
[Contrarie] hir, as you do me,
And then ye shall, I warrant ye,
Repent ye if ye wiue.
Obiection.
[26]
Friend, let vs both giue iustly place,
To wedded man to iudge this [cace],
Which best way is to thriue:
For both our talke as seemeth plaine,
Is but as hapneth in our braine,
To will or not to wiue.