Mrs. Cod monologue — Married Life: A Comedy, in Three Acts

My friends!--ladies!--bless me, we are all in tears! this must not be; what would our husbands say if they knew of our weakness? No, no--we must not break our hearts for such creatures: we must rally and laugh. Ha! ha! ha! laugh, ladies, laugh--and make your arrangements for the future with resolution and spirit. You, Mrs. Lynx, will, I presume, for the present lodge here. I shall now step to my friends and return in half an hour. Mrs. Dove, you are a sensible and well-educated woman; pray accompany me, and give me your advice! we may hear of Mr. Dove while we are gone. Mrs. Y., you, of course, will stay with Mrs. Dismal for the present. Good bye, my dears--good bye! Now pray, don't fret; be women--be women--don't weep about a man. What are men?--mere self-elected law-makers. Don't despair, ladies; the time is fast coming when _we_ shall have voices in the legislation of the country, and then let them look to their questions. The wrongs done to our sex, for centuries, shall be well revenged in the first session.