The Pain and Sorrow of Evil Marriage — Text and Context

(2 User reviews) 417

In Category - Adventure Picaresque Fiction

Authors: Worde, Wynkyn de, -1535? Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2010 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Marriage -- Poetry Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 6,538

Reading time 29 min

Text sections 1

For The Pain and Sorrow of Evil Marriage — Text and Context, the stored edition analysis reports 6,538 words, 29 min estimated reading time, and 1 detected text section.

The text analysis averages about 28.4 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Marriage -- Poetry,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #32445

A 16th-century verse complaint warning young men against the perils of a bad marriage, printed by Wynkyn de Worde. The poem catalogues a wife's faults—vanity, extravagance, shrewishness—and offers sardonic advice, including a final couplet suggesting the devil fetch an incorrigible spouse.

Editorial Edition Score 4.3/5

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Description quality20 pts
Title & short description10 pts
Source metadata20 pts
Text length15 pts
Chapters / structure15 pts
EPUB file integrity20 pts

Total of 100 points, scaled to a 2.5-5.0 range. Editions with an empty description or a missing EPUB file are not scored.

Edition quality

File: pg32445

Read the Text

, go get the tyme loste; We must thynke to labour a pace To recompence that it hathe us coste.

“Than for to despyte she up arose, And drewe her faste behynde me, To me sayenge, is this the glose? Alas, pore caytyfe, well I se That I never shall have, quod she, With you more than payne and tormente: I am in an evyll degre; I have now loste my sacramente.

“For me be to longe with you here, Alas, I ought well for to thynke What we sholde do within ten yere, Whan we shall have at our herte brynke Many chyldren on for to thynke, And crye after us without fayle For theyr meate and theyr drynke; Then shall it be no mervayle.

“Cursed be the houre that I ne was Made a none in some cloyster, Never there for to passe; Or had be made some syster, In servage with a clousterer. It is not eyght dayes sythe oure weddynge That we two togyther weere: By god, ye speke to soone of werkynge.”

The second piece of ancient _facetiæ_, “the complaynte of them that ben to late maryed,” is written with much more humour, and is far better worth preservation, but it is disfigured by indelicacy, though not of the grossest kind, and never introduced but for the sake of heightening the drollery. It is the lamentation of an elderly gentleman, who after a youth of riot had married a young frolicksome wife, and he relates very feelingly the inconveniences, annoyances, and jealousies to which he is thereby exposed. After two introductory stanzas, (all of them are in the ordinary seven-line ballad form) he thus states his resolution late in life to commit the folly of matrimony.

“To longe have I lyved without ony make; All to longe have I used my yonge age: I wyll all for go and a wyfe to me take For to increase both our twoos lynage; For saynt John sayth that he is sage That ayenst his wyll doth him governe, And our lordes precepte hym selfe for to learne

“There is no greter pleasure than for to have A wyfe that is full of prudence and wysdome. Alas, for love nygh I am in poynte to rave. These cursed olde men have an yll custome Women for to blame, both all and some; For that they can not theyr myndes full fyll, Therfore they speke of them but all yll.

“Now, syth that I have my tyme used For to follow my folyshe pleasaunces, And have my selfe oftentimes sore abused At plaies and sportes, pompes and daunces, Spendynge golde and sylver and grete fynaunces, For faut of a wyfe the cause is all: To late maryed men may me call.”

Hence he proceeds to narrate his early courses, especially his amours with “mercenary beauties.” He says:—

“Yf I withhelde ony praty one, Swetely ynough she made me chere, Sayenge that she loved no persone But me, and therto she dyde swere. But whan I wente fro that place there, Unto another she dyde as moche; For they love none but for theyr poche.”

His male companions were about upon a par with his female, and upon both he wasted his substance; but having at last married, he imagined that he had only to enjoy tranquillity and happiness, and exclaimed:—

“Now am I out of this daunger so alenge, Wherfore I am gladde it for to persever. Longe about have I ben me for to renge; But it is better to late than to be never. Certes I was not in my lyfe tyll hyther So full of joye, that doth in my herte inspyre: Wedded folke have tyme at theyr desyre.”

On trying the experiment, he by no means finds it answer his expectation. Besides other evils, he says, “constrayned I am to be full of jalousy;” and he admits in plain terms that his young wife has no great reason to be satisfied with her old husband. He observes:—

“It is sayd that a man in servytude Hym putteth, whan he doth to woman bende: He ne hath but only habytude Unto her the whiche well doth hym tende. Who wyll to householde comprehende, And there a bout studyeth in youth alwayes, He shall have honoure in his olde dayes.

“Some chyldren unto the courtes hauntes, And ben purvayed of benefyces; Some haunteth markettes and be marchauntes, Byenge and sellynge theyr marchaundyses; Or elles constytuted in offyces. Theyr faders and moders have grete solace, That to late maryed by no waye hase.

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This early Tudor poem, printed by Wynkyn de Worde around 1535, is a vigorous verse complaint against the institution of evil marriage. The speaker addresses young men directly, warning them to avoid the “snare” of a bad wife through a series of vivid, often misogynistic comparisons. The poem’s structure is a single, unbroken monologue that moves from general admonition to specific accusations, culminating in a darkly humorous solution.

A Catalogue of Faults

The poem builds its case against evil marriage by enumerating a wife’s supposed vices. She is described as “varyable,” loving “many wordes and stryfe,” and more concerned with public display than domestic duty. The speaker accuses her of seeking “sondrye pylgrymages” and sitting “on scaffoldes on hygh stages” to show her face, while neglecting her husband’s needs. She cares nothing for cost, preferring to “laye some pledge” rather than lack good food and drink. These accusations are not subtle; they are blunt, repetitive, and designed to persuade through accumulation rather than nuance.

Classical and Biblical Allusions

The poem draws on a small set of authoritative references to bolster its claims. Solomon is cited for the trio of “shrewde wyves, rayne, and smokes blake” that drive husbands from their homes. The Sirens, or “Cyrenes,” appear as a figure for a wife’s deceptive charm: “Whose blandysshynge endeth with myschaunce.” These allusions are not developed; they serve as shorthand for familiar warnings. The speaker also invokes martyrdom, telling husbands they will “dye a martyr without ony doute” if they endure patiently—a grim consolation that underscores the poem’s satirical edge.

Advice and a Bitter Punchline

The final stanzas shift from complaint to counsel. The speaker advises husbands to “do nothynge agaynst the pleasure of your wyfe” to keep the peace, but immediately undermines this with a conditional threat: if she will not improve, “Set her upon a lelande and bydde the devyll fet her.” This couplet, printed as part of the poem, encapsulates its tone—half jest, half venom. The closing lines return to the opening warning: “let yonge men to eschew sorowe and care / Withdrawe theyr fete or they come in the snare.” The poem thus ends as it began, with a circular structure that leaves no room for redemption or alternative views of marriage.

Readers should note that this text is a reprint by the Percy Society (1840) from a unique copy of Wynkyn de Worde’s original. The introduction mentions two companion poems, “A complaynt of them that be to soone maryed” and “Here begynneth the complaynte of them that ben to late maryed,” which together form a trilogy on marital timing. The present poem stands alone in its focus on the quality of the match rather than its timing, and its unrelieved pessimism makes it a striking example of early Tudor satire.

I remember the little verse against bad wives, that swaggering sixteenth-century warning with its final nod to the devil, and it always calls to mind a quieter companion on my shelf, Cricket Songs — Reading Notes, where the married couple is sunlight and field noise, not shrill complaint. Both know marriage is a sort of weather, and we simply live through it, one way or another.

Daniel Miller

2 weeks ago

Dylan Nguyen

2 weeks ago

4.5

4.5 out of 5 (2 User reviews )

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Jonathan Weaver - 4 weeks ago

{'type': 'negative', 'content': 'While the subject matter is important, this collection falls short. The stories are heavy-handed and lack nuance, making the characters feel one-dimensional. The writing is overly dramatic, and the constant focus on sorrow without any growth or insight feels exhausting. A more balanced approach and deeper character development would have made this a much stronger work.'}

Barbara Jamie Deleon - 4 weeks ago

{'type': 'neutral', 'content': "The Pain And Sorrow Of Evil Marriage is a well-written exploration of a difficult topic. The author's honesty is commendable, and the emotional depth is significant. However, the narrative at times feels repetitive, and the lack of hopeful resolution might leave some readers wanting more. Still, it's a meaningful read for those seeking to understand the darker aspects of marriage."}

James Angela Alexander - 2 weeks ago

{'type': 'positive', 'content': "This book is a raw, unflinching look at the dark side of matrimony. The author's prose is brutally honest, capturing the pain and sorrow with such vivid intensity that you feel every word. It's heartbreaking yet cathartic, offering a sense of validation for anyone who has suffered in a toxic relationship. A powerful, emotionally stirring read that stays with you long after the final page."}