A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

HANGING and wiving go by destiny

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  1546 J. HEYWOOD Dialogue of Proverbs I. iii. Weddyng is desteny, And hangyng lykewise. 1596 SHAKESPEARE Merchant of Venice II. ix. 82 The ancient saying is no heresy: Hanging and wiving goes by destiny. 1678 S. BUTLER Hudibras II. i. 270 If Matrimony and Hanging go By Dest’ny, why not Whipping too? 1738 SWIFT Polite Conversation i. 78 ‘Twas her Fate; they say, Marriage and Hanging go by destiny. 1951 E. MARSHALL Viking iii. King Alfred said that wiving and hanging go by destiny. "fate and fatalism; marriage
  

hanging see also CATCHING’S before hanging; there are more WAYS of killing a dog than hanging it.
ha’porth see do not spoil the SHIP for a ha’porth of tar.
happen see ACCIDENTS will happen (in the best-regulated families); the UNEXPECTED always happens.
happiness see MONEY can’t buy happiness.
If you would be HAPPY for a week take a wife; if you would be happy for a month kill a pig; but if you would be happy all your life plant a garden
There are almost endless possibilities for variation on this theme, but marriage is generally included as one of the more ephemeral sources of content.

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  a 1661 T. FULLER Worthies Wales 6 I say the Italian-humor, who have a merry Proverb, Let him that would be happy for a Day, go to the Barber; for a Week, marry a Wife; for a Month, buy him a New-horse; for a Year, build him a New-house; for all his Life-time, be an Honest man. 1809 S. PEGGE Anonymiana II. xix. If you would live well for a week, kill a hog; if you would live well for a month, marry; if you would live well all your life, turn priest. .. Turning priest .. alludes to the celibacy of the Romish Clergy, and has a pungent sense, as much as to say, do not marry at all. 1973 New Earth Catalog 55 If you would be happy for a week take a wife; If you would be happy for a month kill a pig; But if you would be happy all your life plant a garden. 1996 National Review 25 Nov. 6 For those of a philosophical turn of mind, I pass on something that the distinguished economist Peter Bauer said last week: ‘If you want to be happy for a day, get drunk; for a month, get married; for a lifetime, take up gardening.’ "happiness