Sex, Love & Marriage in the Elizabethan Age by R. E. Pritchard

Author:R. E. Pritchard
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Marriage &Long-term-Relationships
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books
Published: 2021-06-29T00:00:00+00:00

As to the birth itself, Dekker admits:

I deny not that when a woman is with child, she bides many times great pains, and is oft very ill at ease, and at the time of her deliverance she is for the most part not only in exceeding pain, but also in no less danger of death. But all this is nothing to the husband’s troubles, on whose hands alone rests the whole charge and weight of maintaining the house and dispatching all matters … .

Then every day after her lying-down, will sundry dames visit her, which are her neighbours, her kinswomen and other her special acquaintances, whom the good man must welcome with all cheerfulness, and be sure there be some dainties in store to set before them, where they about some three or four hours (or possible half a day) will sit chatting with the childwife, and by that time the cups of wine have merrily trolled about, and half a dozen times moistened their lips with the sweet juice of the purple grapes, they begin thus to discourse.

‘Good Lord, neighbour, I marvel how our gossip Free doth, I have not seen the good soul this many a day.’

‘Ah, God help her,’ quoth another, ‘for she hath her hands full of work, and her heart full of heaviness. While she drudges all the week at home, her husband like an unthrift never leaves running abroad, to the tennis court and dicing houses, spending all that ever he hath in such lewd sort. Yea, and if that were worst it were well. But hear ye, gossip, there is another matter spoils all, he cares no more for his wife than for a dog, but keeps queans [whores] even under her nose.’

‘Jesu,’ saith another, ‘who would think he were such a man, he behaves himself so orderly and civil, to all men’s sights.’

‘Tush, hold your peace, gossip,’ saith the other, ‘It is commonly seen, the still sow eats up all the draff. He carries a smooth countenance, but a corrupt conscience. That I know F well enough, I will not say he loves Mistress G. Go to, gossip, I drink to you.’

‘Yea,’ saith another, ‘there goes foul lies if G himself loves not his maid N. I can tell their mouths will not be stopped with a bushel of wheat that speak it.’

Then the third, fetching a great sigh, saying, ‘by my troth, such another bold bettress [betrayer] have I at home. For never give me credit, gossip, if I took her not the other day in close confidence with her master, but I think I beswaddled [beat] my maid in such sort, that she will have small list to do so again.’

‘Nay, gossip,’ saith another, ‘had it been to me, that should not have served her turn, but I would have turned the quean out of doors to pick a salad. For, wot ye what, gossip, it is ill setting fire and flax together. But I pray you tell me one

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