who whatsoever she imagines, desires or doth, it is alwaies
accompanied with wishes. O, saies she, how glad shall I be; when all
things is bought that there ought to be for the making of my Child-bed
linnen. And no sooner is it bought, but then she wishes that it were
made.

But this requires some time: and then you'l have reason to rejoice;
for it is commonly the usual custom of the semstresses to let you go
and run after them, and fop you off with lies and stories, till the
time be so nigh at hand, that it will admit no longer delay.

Yet before you see that your wife hath accomplisht this desire, you'l
find her very much troubled at two several causes, which will make you
glad when she hath once obtained them. For these are things of
importance, to wit, the making choice of a Midwife and a Nurse,
because upon one depends the health and preservation of the life of
the Woman; and on the other that of the Child.

Let it no waies molest or trouble you, but rather be pleasing and
acceptable, if she be continually chattering at you, and desiring your
advice and councell, who she shall make choice of or not; hereby you
may observe, that you have a very carefull wife; and if you listen a
little more narrowly, you will hear what a special care she hath for
all things; then she will every day be relating to you that amongst
the number of Midwives which have been recommended to her, there is
not one that pleases her; for one is too young and unexperienced,
another is too old and doting; a third is too big handed; a fourth
hath too much talk; and the fifth drinks too much wine. To be short
there is so many deficiencies in every one of them, that the good
woman hath need of a learned Counsellors advice to help her to chuse
the best.

And the like trouble hath she also concerning the taking of a Nurse,
having already spent above a months time in examining among her
kindred and relations, and other good acquaintance, how such and such
nurses have behaved themselves; & she is informed that there are few
to be found but have certainly some faults or other, and somtimes very
great ones, for one is too sluttish, another saunters too much, a
third too lazy; another too dainty: and then again, one eats too much,
and another drinks too much; one keeps company too much with the maid,
and another in like manner with the good man: And such a one or such a
one are the best, but they were not very handy about the hearth, to
make ready som