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THE SECOND BOOKE 83
but whither? onely out of his sight, not out of his
house. The steps of age are so slow, the senses so
troubled, the minde so distracted, that he shall live and
doe his office a whole year in one same house, and
never be perceived. And when fit time or occasion
serveth, letters are produced from farre places, humbly
suing and pittifully complayning, with promises to doe
better and to amend, by which he is brought into favour
and office again. Doth the master make any bargaine
or dispatch that pleaseth not, it is immediately
smothered and suppressed, soon after forging causes,
and devising colourable excuses, to excuse the want
of execution or answer. No forraine letters being first
presented unto him, he seeth but such as are fit for his
knowledge. If peradventure they come into his hands,
as he that trusteth some one of his men to reade them
unto him, he will presently devise what he thinketh
good, whereby they often invent that such a one
seemeth to aske him forgivenesse, that wrongeth him
by his letter. To conclude, he never lookes into his
owne businesse, but by a disposed, designed and as
much as may be pleasing image, so contrived by such as
are about him, because they will not stirre up his
choler, move his impatience, and exasperate his frowardnesse.
I have seene under different formes many long
and constant, and of like effect, economies. It is ever
proper unto women to be readily bent to contradict and
crosse their husbands. They will with might and
maine, hand over head, take hold of any colour to
thwart and withstand them: the first excuse they meet
with serves them as a plenary justification. I have
seene some that would in grosse steale from their
husbands to the end (as they told their confessors) they
might give the greater almes. Trust you to such
religious dispensations. They thinke no libertie to
have or managing to possesse sufficient authoritie, if
it come from their husbands consent: They must
necessarily usurpe it, either by wily craft or maine
force, and ever injuriously, thereby to give it more
grace and authoritie. As in my discourse, when it is