Complete. From the “Holy State.”

HAVING formerly described a good wife, she will make a good husband, whose character we are now to present.

  His love to his wife weakeneth not his ruling her, and his ruling lesseneth not his loving her. Wherefore he avoideth all fondness (a sick love, to be praised in none, and pardoned only in the newly married), whereby more have willfully betrayed their command than ever lost it by their wives’ rebellion. Methinks the he-viper is right enough served, which, as Pliny reports, puts his head into the she-viper’s mouth, and she bites it off. And what wonder is it if women take the rule to themselves, which their uxorious husbands first surrender unto them.

  He is constant to his wife, and confident of her. And, sure, where jealousy is the jailor, many break the prison, it opening more ways to wickedness than it stoppeth; so that where it findeth one it maketh ten dishonest.

  He alloweth her meet maintenance, but measures it by his own estate; nor will he give less, nor can she ask more. Which allowance, if shorter than her deserts and his desire, he lengtheneth it out with his courteous carriage unto her; chiefly in her sickness, then not so much word-pitying her as providing necessaries for her.

  That she may not intrench on his prerogative, he maintains her propriety in feminine affairs; yea, therein he follows her advice, for the soul of a man is planted so high that he overshoots such low matters as lie level to a woman’s eye, and therefore her counsel therein may better hit the mark. Causes that are properly of feminine cognizance he suffers her finally to decide; not so much as permitting an appeal to himself, that their jurisdictions may not interfere. He will not countenance a stubborn servant against her, but in her maintains his own authority. Such husbands as bait the mistress with her maids, and clap their hands at the sport, will have cause to wring them afterwards.

  Knowing she is the weaker vessel, he bears with her infirmities. All hard using of her he detests, desiring the rein to do, not what may be lawful, but fitting. And grant her to be of a servile nature, such as may be bettered by beating, yet he remembers he hath enfranchised her by marrying her. On her wedding day she was, like St. Paul, freeborn, and privileged from any servile punishment.

  He is careful that the wounds betwixt them take not air, and not be publicly known. Jars concealed are half reconciled; which, if generally known, it is a double task to stop the breach at home and men’s mouths abroad. To this end he never publicly reproves her. An open reproof puts her to do penance before all that are present, after which many rather study revenge than reformation.

  He keeps her in the wholesome ignorance of unnecessary secrets. They will not be starved with the ignorance, who, perchance, may surfeit with the knowledge of weighty counsels, too heavy for the weaker sex to bear. He knows little who will tell his wife all he knows.

  He beats not his wife after his death. One having a shrewd wife, yet loath to use her hardly in his lifetime, awed her with telling her that he would beat her when he was dead, meaning that he would leave her no maintenance. This humor is unworthy a worthy man, who will endeavor to provide her a competent estate; yet he that impoverisheth his children to enrich his widow, destroys a quick hedge to make a dead one.