See here, 1. What a great affliction it is to a man to have a brawling
scolding woman for his wife, who upon every occasion, and often upon no
occasion, breaks out into a passion, and chides either him or those
about her, is fretful to herself and furious to her children and
servants, and, in both, vexatious to her husband. If a man has a wide
house, spacious and pompous, this will embitter the comfort of it to
him--a house of society (so the word is), in which a man may be
sociable, and entertain his friends; this will make both him and his
house unsociable, and unfit for enjoyments of true friendship. It makes
a man ashamed of his choice and his management, and disturbs his
company. 2. What many a man is forced to do under such an affliction.
He cannot keep up his authority. He finds it to no purpose to
contradict the most unreasonable passion, for it is unruly and rages so
much the more; and his wisdom and grace will not suffer him to render
railing for railing, nor his conjugal affection to use any severity,
and therefore he finds it his best way to retire into a corner of the
house-top, and sit alone there, out of the hearing of her clamour; and
if he employ himself well there, as he may do, it is the wisest course
he can take. Better do so than quit the house, and go into bad company,
for diversion, as many, who, like Adam, make their wife's sin the
excuse of their own.