nother, then she will so alter,
vex, and fret her self at it, that all the provocations of pains in
labour, turns against her stomack, and there is no hopes further for
that time.

But whilest you are running, and consider in this manner hope the
best; rather think with your self, what great joy is approaching unto
you, if your wife, thus soon, come to be safely delivered of a
hopefull Son or Daughter: In the first place, you will be freed from
all that trouble of rising in the night, and from the hearing of the
grumbling and mumbling of your wife; two months sooner then you your
self did expect you should have been.

Be not discomforted although she doth thus unexpectedly force you out
of bed, before you have hardly slept an hour, for you see there's
great occasion for't; and now is the time to show that you truly love
your wife. This first time will make it more accustomary, the first is
also commonly the worst. And if you be so fortunate that at the very
first you happen to meet with this prudent and grave Matron Midwife, &
do bring her to your longing-for dearly beloved Wife; yet nevertheless
you may assure your self, that before you can arrive to have the full
scope and heighth of this Pleasure, you'l find something more to do:
For the Midwife is not able alone to govern and take care of all
things that must be fetcht, brought and carried to and again;
therefore of necessity the friends must be fetcht with all the speed
imaginable, viz. Sisters, Wives, Aunts, Cousins, and several familiar
good acquaintances must have notice of it, and be defraied to come to
her quickly, quickly, without any delay; and if you do not invite them
very ceremonially, every one according to their degrees and qualities,
it is taken to be no small affront.

It hath hapned more then a hundred times that the Sister afterwards
would not come to the Christning Feast; because, by chance, she heard,
that the Brothers wife had notice given her of the Child-bearing
before her self; little considering how few people the young people
had in the night to assist them; or that the confusion and
unexperiencedness was the occasion that they did not think of such a
method or order. Nay oftentimes is this sort of jealousie arisen
between the Aunt and Cousin; whereby may most certainly be observed
the intelligibility of the most prudent female sex.

'Tis true this running seems both troublesom and tiresom but little
doth the good man know that he is no