The Bride | Page 6

here made females for like ends,
Fye, fye for shame,
disemble not with friends.
Ile tell you one thing which by proofe I knowe,
My mother had a
cocke that vs'd to roame,
And all the hens would to our neighbours
goe,
We could not keepe them for our liues at home:

Abroad they went, though we wold nere so saine
Vntill by chance we
got our cocke againe.
And so my fathers pigeons in like sort,
Our matchlesse hens about
would euer flye,
To paire with other doues they would resort,
(Pray
laugh not Susan, for it is no lye)
I haue it not from other folkes relation,
But from mine owne, and
mothers obseruation.
Susan.
I laugh that you compare vs to your hens,
Or straying pigions that
abroad haue flowne,
To seeke about for cocks of other mens,

Because (you say) they wanted of their owne:
But Francke, though you like them be francke and free, You must not
iudge all other so to be.
We doe not vse to hunt abroad for cockes,
But rather shun the places
where they be,
The prouerbe sayes, let geese beware the fox,
Tis
easie making prayes of such as we:
That will not keepe them from the charmers charme
Mens flatteries
doe maiden-heads much harme.
Bride.
Flatterers are of all to be reiected,
As well of wiues as you that are but
maydes,
We praise not faults wherewith men are infected,
Nor
yeeld applause to euery one perswades:
Our praysing men thus vnderstand you must,
Tis meant of those are
honest, louing, iust.
Why there are men doe erre in what you hold,
Chast batchelers that
neuer meane to match,
Who for the siugle life smooth tales haue told,


And yet the fleshly knaues will haue a snatch:
Ile ne're trust those that of themselues doe boast,
The great'st
presisians will deceiue you most.
I knew a prating fellow would maintaine,
A married man had but two
merry dayes,
His wedding day the ioyfull first of twaine,
For then
God giue you ioy, euen all men sayes:
The second merry day of married life,
Is that whereon he burieth his
wife.
And woemen vnto shippes he would compare,
Saying as they
continually lacke mending,
So wiues still out of repairations are,

And vrge their husbands daily vnto spending:
Yea worse disgrace, he would presume to speake:
Which I will spare,
least I offend the weake.
But note the badnesse of this wretches life,
That counted woemen
abiect things forsaken,
He raune away at last with's neighbours wife,

Worthy of hanging were the rascall taken:
Such odious actes haue such dishonest mates,
that against marriage,
rude and senceles prates.
But you most wilfull wenches that oppose,
Against the state that you
are borne to honour,
A prophesie vnto you Ile disclose,
And she
that here doth take most nice vpon her:
Pray note it well, for there is matter in it,
And for to doe you good
thus I beginne it.
When fish with fowle change elements together,
The one forsaking
aire, the other water,
And they that woare the finne, to weare the
feather,
Remaining changelings all the worlds time after:

The course of nature will be so beguilde,
One maide shall get another
maide with childe.
When euery Crow shall turne to be a Parret,
And euery Starre
out-shine the glorious Sunne,
And the new water works runne white
and clarret,
That come to towne by way of Islington,
Woemen and men shall quite renounce each other.
And maides shall
bee with childe, like Merlins mother.
Grace.
Like Merlins mother, how was that I pray,
For I haue heard he was a
cunning man,
There lines not snch another at this day,
Nor euer was, since Brittans first began:
Tell vs the story, and we
well will minde it.
Because they say, In written bookes we finde it.
Bride.
Marry this Merlins mother was welsh Lady,
That liued in Carnaruan
beautious maide,
And loue of Lords and Knights shee did not way by,

But set all light, and euery one denay'd:
All Gentlemen, (as all you knowe be there,)
That came a wooing
were no wit the neere.
At length it hapned that this gallant girle,
Which scorned all men that
she euer saw,
Holding her selfe to be a matchlesse Pearle,
And such
a Loadestone that could Louers draw:
Grew belly-full, exceeding bigge and plumpe,
Which put her
Mayden-credit in a dumpe.
Time running course, and her full stomacke fed,
When consumation
of fewe months expired,
Shee husbandlesse, a mayde was brought to

bed,
Of that rare Merlin that the world admired:
This to be honest, all her friends did doubt it,
Much prittle prattle was
in Wales about it.
So that ere long, the strangnes of the thing,
To heare that Lady Adhan
had a childe,
Caus'd famous Arthur (being Brittans King)
Send for
her to the Court, and reason milde:
To know how this rare matter could be done,
And make her finde a
father for her sonne.
She told his Maiestie with sighes and teares,
That keeping beautie
carefull from the Sunne,
Within her chamber safely shut from feares,

Till Phoebus horses to the West were runne:
The