Satyrical essayes characters and others. Or Accurate and quick descriptions, fitted to the life of their subiects. Iohn Stephens

CHARACT. XVI. A Country Bride.

IS the beginning of the world: or an old booke with a new Title:

A quarters wages before hand, and the Title of a Coun∣try Dame bee the two Ada∣ments of her affection. She rises with a resolution to be extreme∣ly sober: this begets silence, which giues her a repletion of aire without ventage: and that takes away her appetite. Shee seemes therefore commendably sober vnto all: but she driues the Parson out of patience with her modesty, vnlesse he haue interest or be inuited: She inclines to statelines, thogh ignorant of the meaning: Her interpretor, taster, caruer, and Sewer, be theresore

accidentall; and yet without these, she were an Image to the assembly. Rosemary and Rib∣bands be her best magnificence. She will therefore bestow a Li∣very, though she receiues backe wages: behauiour stickes to her like a disease; necessity brings it; neither can she take pleasure in the custome: and therefore im∣portunacie with repetition, en∣force her to dumbe signes: o∣therwise you must not looke for an answere. She is a courteous creature: nothing proceedes from her without a courtesie: Shee hath no ornament worth observance, if her gloues be not miraculous and singular. Those be the Trophy of some forlorne sutor, who contents himselfe with a large offring, or this glo∣rious sentence, that she should haue beene his bed-fellow. Her

best commendation is to be kist often: this onely proceeds from her without interruption. She may to some, seeme very raw in cariage, but this becomes noted through the feare of discove∣ring it. No question is to bee made of her maiden-head: yet if she weepes, a question may a∣rise; as whether she doth still de∣sire to keepe it? but the answere take: away the doubt of loosing it: for neither can she repent her match before tryal, nor the losse of chastitie, seing she matcht for that purpose: but these are no∣thing to preserue her honesty: for she cannot also cunningly proceed; but like a quiet crea∣ture, wishes to loose her Gar∣ters quickly, that shee may loose her maiden-head likewise. And now she is layd.