MY WIFE.  
LONDON, Printed for R. Marriot, in St. Dunstan's Churchyard, Fleetstreet, 1660.   

To the Reader. ●Tis not fit a little book should have a large Epistle, and therefore briefly this:  
THe Author fancied this Wife at a seasonable time to be married; which was, about the thirtieth year of his Age; he lived almost as long married to her, and died married to no other. She has now been more than twenty years his widow; all which time, she has been kept very faithfully, and as privately by a true friend of her Husbands; and she having been a Mourner so long, has been persuaded by him to unvale herself and appear in the light, that she may become a Copy for the best wives to write after.  
And now each Reader that thinks fit may Court her, and by a strict Civility get so much of her favour as to know her well; and by that knowledge have the advantage of getting a Wife, as like her as his merits or his fortune (who has usually the greatest share in getting wives and riches) will allow him, but let him not flatter himself with a false hope of obtaining her, for ●he has protested to die John Cooper's widow  
And yet, if she should prove ●o very a woman as to change her name, let me beg that though ●he break her promise, yet he use her kindly for her first husband's sake, who was both Patient, and Humble, and Learned, and remarkably Charitable; and indeed, a man of more visible virtues, than a short Epistle may enumerate.  
And if the Reader shall doubt the justness of this Commendation, and require a double witness for it, the Lady Dyot (for whose direction the Author created this Wife) will say she knows it to be truth, and I know she and I do both love his memory.  
J. W.   

MY WIFE.  

I.  
I Have passed my maddest age,  
Free from Cupid's foolish rage,  
Free from sigh, free from tears,  
Free from hopes, and free from fears:  
And yet I'll wed, if I can see  
A Mistress that is meet for me.   

II.  
First, I would have her person such,  
As deformity cannot touch;  
Be she black, or brown, or fair,  
Of Complexion, hue, or hair;  
If my Mistress comely be,  
She'll prove fair enough for me.   

III.  
Courtly carriage in these days  
Is but a suspicious poise:  
For my part I care not for't,  
Nature is not made at Court:  
Let a grave and virtuous Mother  
Be my Wife's Court, and no other.   

iv  
Wealth I wish she may have more  
Then to keep her from being poor;  
That she need not love for need,  
Nor I wealth her love to feed:  
If in mind or means she be  
Rich, she's rich enough for me.   

V  
To be born of noble blood,  
Is to her that's good a good:  
But to me it is no more  
Than time past, or untried Ore:  
Be she good, how ere she be  
Born, she's nobly born to me.   

VI  
True Religion will make  
Any good for her own sake;  
But, let virtue be the Teacher  
Of my Wife, before the Preacher;  
She's good that would use me well,  
Were there neither Heaven nor Hell.   

VII.  
Who for beauty takes a Wife,  
Chooseth by the sheath the knife;  
And, who takes her for Estate,  
Or for person, hath ill fate:  
These may perish, or decay  
On, or ere her Wedding day.   

VIII.  
Wealth is Fortunes and not mine,  
Person owes decay to time:  
Learning, Wit, and such like parts  
Ravish men's, not women's hearts;  
But a love, by true love bred,  
Gives each night a maidenhead.   

IX.  
Wit and Eloquence of tongue,  
Should to me, not her, belong  
Sober silence in a maid  
Says enough when nothing's said;  
And a Wife when she speaks least,  
And that little well, speaks best.   

X.  
When I Court her first she shall  
Neither credit nought nor all:  
But, when time my truth has proved,  
And she finds she is beloved,  
Let her then believe, and then  
First begin to love again.   

XI.  
Let her next be wise, and know  
Love shall reap as Love shall sow  
Trying masteries in a Wife,  
Is the scab or bane of life:  
And hath too oft had the fate,  
To destroy a good Estate.   

XII.  
Children should not be loves end,  
But loves mend: if God them send  
She should love them for no other  
Cause, but for my Wife's their Mother▪  
If God send none I should be  
Child to her, and she to me.   

XIII.  
For man is the ball of fate,  
Tossed about from state to state;  
Therefore God for one chief part  
Give mine fortitude of heart,  
That so she may valiant prove,  
And bear any loss but love.   

XIV.  
Next I wish that my heart may  
Find here's made of Wax, not Clay:  
That my love may make here's be  
More soft, not more hard to me;  
She's loves hangman, and his hell  
In whom a proud heart does dwell.   

XV.  
When the Priest has made us one,  
Flesh of flesh and bone of bone;  
We must Wed our wills together  
And will one in both or neither▪  
By her tongue my heart must ●peak,  
Hers by mine must silence break.   

XVI.  
Where two hearts be thus indented,  
They live, ●or they live contented;  
Where they differ, there they die,  
And their Marriage-knot untie:  
They and none but they are Wed,  
Whose hearts lodge both in one Bed.   

XVII.  
She that knows to spend or spare,  
As times and occasions are,  
Brings a portion, bringing none,  
But, much better bringing one;  
One may well call such a Wife,  
The life of her husband's life.   

XVIII.  
She her husband's state and ki●  
Makes her glass to dress her by▪  
She a neat and wholesome diet  
Makes the utmost of her riot;  
She, like a good Snail, doth dwell.  
Most at home in her own shell   

XIX.  
Such a Wife as this, would make  
Monks their Cloisters to forsake,  
Such a Wife would almost vex  
Angels that they want a sex;  
Such a Wife I wish to nurse  
Both my body and my purse.   

XX.  
Thus i'th' mine ● de choose my gold  
And my Wife cast in a mould;  
Yet, a Woman's Son may vary,  
But, I mean if ere I marry,  
Either to have such an one,  
Or a better, which is none.   
Jc. COOPER.   

The Book of Common Prayer.  

WHat prayer by the book? and Common?  
Yes, why not?  
The Spirit of Grace,  
And supplication,  
Is not left free alone  
For time and place,  
But manner too, to read or speak by rote,  
Is all alike to him that prays  
With's heart, what with his mouth he says.   

They that in private by themselves alone  
Do pray, may take  
What liberty they please  
In choosing of the ways,  
Wherein to make  
Their souls most intimate affections known  
To him that sees in secret, when  
Th' are most reserved from other men.   

But, he that unto others leads the way  
In public prayer,  
Should choose to do it so  
As all that hear may know  
They need not fear▪  
To tune their hearts unto his tongue, & say  
Amen; no doubt they were betrayed  
To blaspheme, when they should have prayed.   

Devotion will add life unto the Letter:  
And, why should not  
That which Authority  
Prescribes, esteemed be  
Advantage got?  
If Prayer be good? the commoner the better.  
Prayer in the Church's words, as well  
As sense, of all Prayers bears the Bell   
Ch: H●▪  
FINIS.