I ran across the following during my reading on the seventeenth century and English Civil Wars, and thought it was rather amusing.
"A Gallant in his youth was much addicted to dicing, and many times
when he had lost all his money, then he would pawn his cloak, and so go
home without either cloak or coin, which grieved the Lady his Mother
very much: for remedy whereof, she caused all his doublets (of what
stuff so ever) to be made with canvas painted backs, whereon were
fashioned two fools, which caused the Gentleman ever after to keep
his cloak on his back, for fear two of the three should be discovered."
The following amusing item shows that even in the seventeenth century, being married was viewed as many husbands view it today. Now, while personally I don't hold this view with regards to my marriage, but I know (and I'm sure you do as well) some old soldiers that were yanked from the field by their wives, that this is very true to form for.
"A Lusty young Man in Somersetshire, after he had been Married
about four Months, grew very Lean and Feeble, so that he could hardly
crawl a long; He, one day, seeing a Butcher run over a Plough'd Field
after a Mad Bull, ask'd him the reason of it. Why, says the Butcher it is
to Tame him: O, says the Fellow, Let him be Married, let him be Married:
if that don't Tame him, I'll be hang'd."
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