A Batchelers Resolution. OR
Haue among you now, Widowes or Maydes,
For I come a woing as Fancie perswades.
I must haue a Wife, be she Older or Younger,
For I cannot, nor will not lye alone any longer.
To the tune of, The Blazing Torch.
A Batchelour I haue béene long,
and had no minde to marry,
But now I finde it did me wrong
that I so long did tarry,
Therefore I will a wooing ride,
there's many married younger,
Where shall I goe to s [...]ke a Bride?
Ile lye alone no longer.
So many sinnes are incident
vnto a single life,
That I all danger to pr [...]uent
with spéede will seeke a Wife;
If I with Women chance to drinke
I'me call'd a [...]utton-monger,
But now Ile stop their mouthes I thinke
And lye alone no longer.
O Fate send me a handsome Lasse
that I can fancy well,
For Portion Ile not greatly passe,
though Money heares the bell▪
Loue now adayes with Gold is bought
but I'me no Money-monger.
Giue mee a Wife, though shee's worth nought
Ile lye alone no longer.
Yet if she chance to prooue a Slut,
a Scold, or else a Whore,
That could not chuse but be a cut,
and [...] me very sore,
A Slut would make me loath my meate
were I halfe dead with hunger,
But I must leaue this fond conceate,
And lye alone no longer.
What if she should a Wanton be,
a [...]ake my forehead ake?
Oh that would be a griefe to me,
such wrongs few men will take,
For iealousie is of such force,
no passion can be stronger,
But be she better, be she worse,
Ile lye alone no longer.
If iealous she shall be of me,
that were as great a spight,
Then should we seldome quiet be,
but quarrell day and night,
She'd thinke my loue from her did range
though I nere meant to wrong her,
Yet this shall not my humour change,
Ile lye alone no longer.
What shall I doe to chuse a wife
in euery thing compleate?
Should I in searching spend my life,
i'would prooue a taske to great,
No Man can finde a Woman so,
the older nor the younger,
Ile take my chance as others doe,
And lye alone no longer.
Yet will I chuse the best I can,
[...]oue send me luck in chusing,
And craue the counsell of some man
whose counsels worth the vsing:
If she prooue good I shall be glad,
and vow Ile neuer wrong her,
Yet am resolued good or bad
To lye alone no longer.
The second Part. To the same tune.
I [...]e be contented with my lot,
How euer it befall,
Yet if she prooue a drunken sot,
[...]ill grieue me worst of all,
Then I my selfe must drinke small-béere,
and she must drinke the stronger,
Though't cost me twenty pounds a yeare,
Ile lye alone no longer.
This is the onely time I know,
for Young-men to get Wiues,
Thou say that Maides and Widowes now
fo [...] Husbands daily striues,
The [...]ore I shall be quickly sped,
sith both for Husbands hunger,
with any man th [...]yle quickly wed,
Theyle lye alone no longer.
Be shee a widdow or a Maiyde,
I doe not greatly passe,
A withered Crone whose bla [...]d's decayde,
or a young li [...]ely Lasse:
One that is rich or one that's poore,
a feeble, or a stronger:
An honest woman or a whore,
Ile lye alone no longer.
But ye [...] if I [...] choice may haue
a Mayde [...]ould b [...] my wife,
I would not be a Widowes slaue,
Ide rather loose my life:
If I should wed a Widow old,
I [...]ad better take a younger,
For Widowes will not be contrould,
Yet I can stay no longer.
If she should haue a stinking breath
I neuer should abide her,
For tha [...] to me is worse then death,
I had rather touch a Spider:
But thats a fault may soone be smelt,
s [...]e Aiax smels no stronger:
[...]efore I [...]e take one with such fault,
[...] lye alone yet longer
If shée chance to prooue a Scould,
her tongue will bréede my strife,
Then I must looke to be contrould,
and curbed by my Wife:
A Scould of women is the worst,
shele force a man to wrong her:
Therefore Ile try all humors first,
And lye alone no longer.
Some men perhaps may wonder, why
my minde runnes so on Marriage,
To him that askes me, I reply,
'tis for my honest carriage:
For liue a young man nere so chaste,
he's counted a Whoremonger:
Therefore Ile get a Wife in haste,
And lye alone no longer.
Although my Wife be none oth best,
yet I must be content:
I shall as well speede as the rest,
whith 'bout this action went:
I am not first that matched ill,
therefore it is no wonder:
Ile keepe my resolution still,
And lye alone no longer.
I trust I shall with one be sped,
that doth deserue my loue:
If I with such a Woman wed,
I sweare by mighty loue,
That ere she any thing should [...]
Ile suffer colde and hunger:
Though she had scant cloathes
Ide lye alone no longer.
You that my resolution hear
iudge whether I deserue
To haue a Wife that loue
and would my will obser [...]
Were she a Widdow or a [...]
an Elder, or a Younger
My Wedding should not be
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