A CAUTION TO MARRIED COUPLES: Being a true RELATION How a Man in Nightingale-lane Having beat and abused his Wife, Murdered a Tub-man that endeavoured to stop him from Killing her with a Half-pike.  
For which he was carried to Newgate the 15th of May 1677.  

Licenced  
May the 16. 1677. Ro. L'Estrange.   
LONDON: Printed for D. M. 1677.   

A CAUTION To Married Couples, etc.  
IF we consider the strict Obligations which both Nature and Religion lays upon Man and Wife each to other, one would wonder such discontents, hatreds, and cruelties should happen between them, as daily and in every place almost we see practised. But 'tis no miracle if we mind that the greatest part of men and women take up that sacred Ordinance, and abuse that Divine Institution by profaning it, and enslaving themselves out of particular and unjust designs: So rate it is, but the Devil of covetousness for a good Portion, the unclean Spirit of Lust for a pretty charming Face, or some other sinister Bias interferes and chaps in, whilst Virtue and Equality or Agreement, as well in Fortune and Quality, as Humour (the great or rather only Cement that can firmly knit the Matrimonial Bond) are slighted and neglected. From this infected Spring do all the waters of Bitterness, which overflow so many Families, originally arise: which beginning in railing, quarrelling, and fight, seldom conclude without destruction to both parties, or what at least is equivalent, to the murder of one.  
Of this we have just now a dreadful Example before our faces; which we desire may be a warning to all men, not to abuse their Wives, nor in fury to violate the Nuptial Laws, by acting the madmen in beating those whom God and Nature have obliged them to cherish and maintain; it being certain that Whosoever pretends just cause to beat his Wife, deserves severely to be cudgeled himself for not cusing a better.  
But to proceed to the too long expected Narrative of this too rashly executed Fact, the Reader is given to understand, That on this 15th of May 1677, a certain person, by Trade a Lighterman, living not far from the Armitage, took some impertinent occasion to quarrel with his Wife; and after several words (the common Bellows of Sedition) had passed, fell to blows: to avoid which, the poor woman fled out of the house, hoping to escape her Husband's brutish fury; but he seeing her fly, gets down an Half pike and violently pursues her; nor could any body that saw him, judge otherwise than that he had an intention at that time to have killed her, though Fortune directed the unhappy Pass another way: For it happened at the same fatal moment a certain Tub-man, dwelling on Salpeter bank near Rosemary-lane, a person frugal industrious, and (what is the necessary product of those commendable qualities) pretty well thriving in the world, passing by and wearied with his burden, sat down on his Tubs just against this person's door; where observing the unnatural Cobat between two that were (or at least should be) both one flesh, and that the Head was going to spit the Rib, to prevent Murder, steps in between them, and with fair and gentle words requested the man to forbear further beating or abusing his Wife; who was so incensed thereat, that in the same ungovernable posture he made at him, (I mean the Tub man that endeavoured to part them) and with one Pass laid him on the ground stone-dead; as well he might, having ('tis said) pierced part of his very heart.  
The woman by this luckily unluckily means made her escape, and the dead person taken up, and all means endeavoured for his recovery, but in vain: for he was gone beyond the retrieval of Art; so frequent a thing it is for those that endeavour to quench an unruly Fire to be scorched therewith; and those that intermeddle in a Squabble to be more durtied and abused than such as originally begun i●.  
The person that did this wicked deed was so overcome with Passion, that at first he could scarce be convinced he had committed it; but upon examination before a Justice, did confess, he believed he had killed the man, but not without provocation, hindering him to correct his Wife, etc. A very poor excuse! because a Friend or Neighbour seeing me in an extravagant Passion, endeavours to reclaim me to more quiet and sobriety, shall I therefore kill him? God forbidden; but rather thank him for his good advice and counsel.  
But I conceive all sober and and discreet men will abhor so bloody a Fact, and learn to live with their Wives in that love and tenderness that meekness and condescension each to other, as becomes persons under so strict a Vow, and so many ties of Nature, Custom, Interest, and Religion; all which are violated when man and wife live at variance: Nor did I yet (though I have above twenty years curiously observed it) ever know a Couple that thrived in the world, who nourished Debate at home between themselves; but rather that Loss, Beggary, and Misery, and too often Murders and untimely Ends to some of the parties have ensued, as in this lamentable Example is too sadly apparent; the Husband being at this instant a Prisoner in Newgate, there to remain for his final Doom next Sessions, according as the Law shall direct.  
FINIS.