My Wife will be my master.  
OR, The Married-mans' Complaint ●●ainst his Unruly Wife, being a warning for all Unmarried persons, to have a special care in choosing their Maike, lest they meet with such a Myre-●hype, as this poor-man did  
To the Tune of A Tailor is no Man. Tune ●…gis ●… most love thee  

AS I was walking forth of late,  
I heard a Man complaining,  
With that I drew me near to him,  
to know the cause and meaning  
Of this his Sorrow, Pain and Grief,  
which bred him such disaster;  
Alace, quoth he, what shall I do  
my Wife will be my Master.   

If I should give her forty pound  
within her Apron folding,  
No longer than she telling on't  
her tongue leaves never scolding:  
As Aesop's Dog barked at the Moon,  
thinking for to distaste her,  
So doth my Wife scold without cause,  
and strives to be my Master.   

Were I so strong as Hercules,  
or wiser than Apollo;  
Or had I Icarus wings to flee,  
my Wife would after follow:  
●r should I live as many Years  
as never did king Nectar,  
●●t do I greatly stand in fear,  
my Wife would be my Master.   

〈◊〉 know no cause nor reason why  
that she with me should jangle,  
〈◊〉 never gave her cause at all  
to make her with me wrangle:  
〈◊〉 please her still in what I may,  
and do no jot distaste her;  
●et she doth strive both night and day  
always to be my Master.   

〈◊〉 every Morning make a fire.  
all which is done to ease her,  
I get a Nutmug, make a Tost,  
in hope therewith to please her:  
With a cup of nappy Ale and Spice,  
of which she is first taster,  
And yet this cross-grained quean will scold  
and strive to be my Master.   

I wash the dishes, sweeps the house,  
I dress the wholesome diet;  
I humour her in every thing;  
because I would be quiet:  
O●…●●…ery several dish of meat  
〈…〉 〈…〉 lie be first taster,  
〈◊〉 I am glad to pick the bones.  
she is so much my Master,   

Sometimes she'll sit while day be light,  
in company with good fellows,  
In Taverns and in bousing Tents,  
or in some pimping Alehouse,  
And when she comes home drunk at night,  
though I do not distaste her,  
She'll fling, she'll throw, she'll scratch, she'll bite,  
and strive to be my Master.   

Her bed I made both soft and fine  
and put on shoes completely;  
Her shoes and stockings I pull off,  
and lay her down most neatly;  
I cover her and keep her warm,  
for fear I should offend her,  
I hug her kindly in my Arms,  
yet still she'll be my Master.   

And when I am with her in Bed,  
she doth not use me well Sir.  
She'll wring my Nose and pull my Ears,  
a pitiful tale to tell Sir:  
And when I am with her in Bed,  
not meaning to molest her,  
She'll kick me out at her Beds-feet  
and so become my Master.   

And thus you hear how cruelly  
my Wife doth still abuse me,  
At Bed, at Board, at Noon, at Night,  
she always doth misuse me:  
But if I were a lusty man,  
and able for to baste her.  
Then would I surely use a means,  
that she should not be my Master.   

You Bachelors that sweet hearts have,  
when as you are a wooving,  
Be sure you look before you leap,  
for fear of your undoing:  
The after Wit is not the best,  
and he that weds in haste Sir,  
May like to me bewail his case,  
if his Wife do prove his Master.   

You married Men that have good wives,  
I pray you make much of them,  
For they more precious are then gold,  
if once you come to try them:  
A good Wife makes a Husband glade,  
then let him not offend her;  
But a Scold will make a man run mad.  
if once she prove his Master.   
FINIS.