Page 453
Scene 41.
VVife, you may win me from the imbracing of other women, if you have Discretion and Chastity answerable to your Wit and Beauty.
But I perceive men love variety; and if so, had I the Beauty of Venus, and the Wit of Mercury, the Wisedom of Pallas, and the Chastity of Diana, you would be like Iupiter still, and make love to mortals, which are common Wenches: But do not think I will do as Iuno did, as to torment my self with vexing and fretting for that which I cannot mend or help; but I will please my self with variety as much as you, and in the clouds of night will hide my Self and Lovers.
'Faith Wife I shall dissolve your Clouds into showers of Tears, and strike your Lover with my Thunder-bolt, which is my Poniard: But Wife, let me advise you to be as you ought to be, a good Wife: for, as I will not incroach upon my Wifes Prerogative, so Wife, you shall not in∣croach upon mine, being your Husband.
You will not give me leave to have the variety of Courting Servants; yet you will take the liberty of variety to Court several Mi∣stresses.
It is part of my Prerogative.
What, to have whores?
Yes; and its part of the Wifes duty which she owes to her Hus∣band, to be content.
She is not bound to that duty.
She is bound to obey all duties: for the fundamental Laws in Mariage, are for the Husband to rule, the Wife to obey; the Husband to cherish, the VVife to love; the Husband to be Valiant to defend and protect her, the VVife to be Chaste, to suffer and submit; and when I leave to Com∣mand, you may leave for to Obey; when I leave to Cherish, you may leave to Love; when I am a Coward, you may be a VVhore: for when I base∣ly part with my Honour, you are not bound to keep it; but until I do part with my Honour, I charge you to keep it as you would do your life.
By these Rules maried men are not bound to be constant.
Yes, to the Sex, but not to his VVife, in the case of Amorous Im∣bracements: for a Husband hath liberty for variety, but the VVife is re∣frain'd to one.
These are Laws that neither the Gods nor Nature have prescri∣bed, but only impartial men which make what Laws they please.
Nature taught men to make them for propriety-sake, and Gods command men to keep them, and that men should do their endeavour to force the Effeminate Sex to obey and practice them strictly, for the sake of Civil Common-wealths, wherein the Gods are best serv'd.
But women are not such Fools, to be forc'd, such Asses, to bear such intollerable burdens of Troubles, Vexations, Crosses, and Neglects, from their Husbands and their VVhores.
VVomen are best pleas'd when they are made Asses.