r with one another's infirmities; they are
as eagle sighted as may be in the espial of others' faults, while they
wink upon themselves, and never mind the beam in their own eyes. In
short, man being by nature so prone to frailties, so humoursome and
cross-grained, and guilty of so many slips and miscarriages, there could
be no firm friendship contracted, except there be such an allowance made
for each other's defaults, which the Greeks term _'Eunoeia_, and we may
construe good nature, which is but another word for Folly. And what?
Is not Cupid, that first father of all relation, is not he stark blind,
that as he cannot himself distinguish of colours, so he would make us as
mope-eyed in judging falsely of all love concerns, and wheedle us into a
thinking that we are always in the right? Thus every Jack sticks to his
own Jill; every tinker esteems his own trull; and the hob-nailed suiter
prefers Joan the milk-maid before any of my lady's daughters. These
things are true, and are ordinarily laughed at, and yet, however
ridiculous they seem, it is hence only that all societies receive their
cement and consolidation.

[Illustration: 109]

The same which has been said of friendship is much more applicable to a
state of marriage, which is but the highest advance and improvement
of friendship in the closest bond of union. Good God! What frequent
divorces, or worse mischief, would oft sadly happen, except man and
wife, were so discreet as to pass over light occasions of quarrel with
laughing, jesting, dissembling, and such like playing the fool? Nay, how
few matches would go forward, if the hasty lover did but first know
how many little tricks of lust and wantonness (and perhaps more gross
failings) his coy and seemingly bashful mistress had oft before been
guilty of? And how fewer marriages, when consummated, would continue
happy, if the husband were not either sottishly insensible of, or did
not purposely wink at and pass over the lightness and forwardness of his
good-natured wife? This peace and quietness is owing to my management,
for there would otherwise be continual jars, and broils, and mad doings,
if want of wit only did not at the same time make a contented cuckold
and a still house; if the cuckoo sing at the back door, the unthinking
cornute takes no notice of the unlucky omen of others' eggs being laid
in his own nest, but laughs it over, kisses his dear spouse, and all
is well. And indeed it is much better patientl