A new Ballad, containing a communication between the careful Wife, and the comfortable Husb touching the common cares and charges of household.  

The careful Wife.  
HOw shall we good husband now live this hard year,  
T●is world is so queasy and all things so dear:  
And so little taking of money for ware,  
Makes me lie waking with no little care.  
Then had you need Husband to look to the fox,  
Whose cr●fty conveyance will empty your box:  
With fair fawning speeches some credit to crave,  
Or else to be surety for more than you have.   

Then Husband be careful and not over large,  
For unto housekeeping there longeth a charge:  
In wiving and thriving it is an old song,  
More than the bare legs to bed do belong.  
What you spend on me, I take for my pain,  
For doing such duties as you would disdain:  
For dressing your diet, in washing and wringing,  
And much pains I take man, with faite babies bringing.   

And what you do get, Sir that will I save,  
What better good will in a Wife can you have?  
Be sure of my promise, for better, for worse,  
I will be a huswife to husband your purse.  
I must provide, man, for many an odd thing,  
That you ne●●r look to buy or to bring:  
To welcom● your neighbours, your Nurse and your friend,  
To furnish a household longs many an odd end.   

What need, man, such odding betwixt you and me?  
All shall be even, man, if we two agree:  
Even you my good husband, and I your good wife,  
Will pass this hard year, man without any strife,  
And I for my part will do what I may,  
With Spinning and Reeling to pass time away,  
Providing and getting to pay for my fla●e:  
That none shall come chatting to you for such la●ks.   

As just as you will, man, I will be content,  
Pay you the Brewer, and the Landlord his rent.  
The Butcher, the Baker, and the Collier his score,  
And then the Woodmonger and I ask no more,  
Than a good Newyéers gift, good husband give me,  
And a good Newyéers gift I do give thee,  
Thou hast a good wife, that a huswife will be,  
Both this year and many to be merry with thee.    


The comfortable Husband.  
WIfe, as we get little, so temper our diet,  
With any small morsel to live and be quiet,  
Though home be but homely and never so poo●  
Yet let us keep warily the wolf from the door,  
〈◊〉 there lay a str●●, wife, I am not so mad,  
We●l ●ard is well sold, wife, a man may be glad,  
With any light gain to fill up the purse,  
Mean state to maintain, but not make it worse,   

I know it is true, goodwife, that you say,  
He that doth marry, m●●t cast much away:  
For look wh●tsoever I spend upon you,  
Comes never again (wife) I think this is true,  
Loo●e what you would have, Wife, let me know,  
I grutch not at any thing that you bestow.  
Be content and pleased, lack shall be no let:  
I'll see your cares eased as fast as I get.   

But look no more in wife, than I look without,  
You look in my purse, wife, too often I doubt,  
But when you look in would you bring in as fast  
Then though you still looked, the longer 'twould last,  
Upon the odds, wife, I perceive still you go,  
With the odds I have gotten a very odd shrew:  
The odds may sometimes, wife, make a fair lay,  
And the odds may hazard to make all away.   

A merry new life, makes a merry beginning,  
Let go this is past, wife, be it losing or winning,  
I will play the good husband the best that I can,  
To live with good credit and pay every man,  
Then shall we lack nothing, wife I do believe,  
Nor no man shall take you or me by the sleeve,  
For scoring, or tallying, or taking on trust,  
But clear quittance making is joyful and just.   

That I shall do, wife, with a very good will,  
To pay that I owe my meaning is still:  
And shall have to pay, I hope while I live,  
What old year affords not, the new year will give,  
God grant it be true all this that you say,  
To his only glory, to whom let us pray,  
That we in his fear may seem to amend  
Our former sins passed unto our lives end.