Of wisdome three bookes written in French by Peter Charro[n] Doctr of Lawe in Paris. Translated by Samson Lennard

CHAP. XII. The dutie of maried folke.

ACcording to those two diuers considerations that are in mariage, as hath been said, that is to say, equalitie and * 1.1 inequalitie, there are likewise two sorts of duties and offices of maried folke, the one common to both, equallie recipro∣call of like obligation, though according to the custome of the world, the paine, the reproch, the inconuenience, be not equall: that is to say, an entire loyaltie, fidelitie, communitie, and communication of all things, and a care and authoritie ouer their familie, and all the goods of their house. Heereof we haue spoken more at large in the first booke.

The other are particular and different, according to that inequalitie that is betwixt them, for those of the husband * 1.2 are: 1. To instruct his wife with mildnesse in all things that belong vnto hir dutie, hir honor and good, and whereof she is capable. 2. To nourish hir, whether she brought dowrie with hir or no. 3. To cloath hir. 4. To lie with hir. 5. To loue and defend hir: The two extremities are base and vitious, to hold hir vnder like a seruant, to make her mistris by subiecting himselfe vnto hir. And these are the principall duties. These follow after, to comfort hir being sicke, to deliuer hir being captiue, to burie hir being dead, to nourish hir liuing, and to prouide for his children he hath had by hir, by his will and testament.

The duties of the wife, 1. are to giue honor, reuerence, and respect to hir husband, as to hir master and lord; for so haue * 1.3 the wisest women that euer were termed their husbands, and

the hebrew word Baal signifieth them both, husband and lord. She that dischargeth hirselfe of this dutie honoreth hir selfe more than hir husband: and doing otherwise, wrongs none but hir selfe. 2. To giue obedience in all things iust and lawfull; applying and accommodating hir selfe to the maners and humours of hir husband; like a true looking-glasse, which faithfullie representeth the face, hauing no other particular designement, loue, thought, but as the dimensions and acci∣dents which haue no other proper action or motion, and ne∣uer moue but with the bodie, she applieth hir selfe in all things to hir husband. 3. Seruice, as to prouide either by hir selfe or some other his viands, to wash his feet. 4. To keepe the house; and therefore she is compared to the Tortuis, and is painted hauing hir feet naked, and especiallie in the absence of hir husband. For hir husband being farre from hir, she must be as it were inuisible, & contrarie to the Moone (which appeareth in hir greatnes when she is farthest from the sunne) not appeare, but when she comes neere hir sunne. 5. To be silent, and not to speake but with hir husband, or by hir hus∣band: and forasmuch as a silent woman is a rare thing and hardlie found, she is said to be a pretious gift of God. 6. To employ hir time in the practise and studie of huswifrie, which * 1.4 is the most commodious and honorable science and occupa∣tion of a woman, this is hir speciall mistris qualitie, and which a man of meane fortune should especiallie seeke in his mari∣age. It is the only dowrie that serueth either to ruinate, or preserue families, but it is very rare. There are diuers that are couetous, few that are good huswiues. We are to speake of them both, of houshold husbandrie presentlie by it selfe.

In the priuat acquaintance and vse of mariage there must * 1.5 be a moderation, that is, a religious and deuout band, for that pleasure that is therein, must be mingled with some seueritie; it must be a wise and conscionable delight. A man must touch his wife discretlie and for honestie, as it is said, and for feare, as Aristotle saith, lest prouoking hir desires too wantonlie, the pleasure thereof make hir to exceed the bounds of reason, and the care of health: for too hot and too frequent a pleasure al∣tereth the seed, and hindereth generation. On the other side, to the end she be not ouer-languishing, barraine, and subiect

to other diseases, he must offer himselfe vnto hir though sel∣dome. Solon saith thrise in a month; but there can no certaine law or rule be giuen heereof. * 1.6

The doctrine of houshould husbandrie doth willinglie fol∣low, and is annexed vnto mariage.

Notes

• * 1.1

  1 Common duties.
• * 1.2

  2 Particular duties of the husband.
• * 1.3

  3 Of the wife.
• * 1.4

  Eccles. 26.
• * 1.5

  4 An aduise∣ment vpon the acquain∣tance of ma∣ried folks.
• * 1.6

  Plutar. in Solone.