standing that with their owne eyes they do see as in a glasse how good a thynge that beautye is and doe soone forget it But consider with the eye of the mynde and vnderstandynge makyng a coniecture of them selues by other how vnstable a thyng that be auty is And besydes al thys that that thynge is hardely kept that manye doe desyre And therfore a certayne poet doeth say that there is a great stryfe where beauty and honestye are ioyned together And that often tymes vnder fayre faces are hydden filthy mindes But she that is very deforme and foule not withstandynge she be most tender lye beloued yet she beleueth it not thinkynge her selfe vn worth ye and is gelous of all those that her husband doth other behold or speake vnto Amonge the whiche ther are some in whom this sentence may be well applied and veri fied The foule euyl fauoured are ofte chaste although there lacke no wyll but the aduouterer onelye But yet in thys thynge after as the qualitie of the man is there are certayne commodities that the luxurious fastidious man may haue to satiate and fulfyl hys wyl with all he that is suspitious and in gelosye maye be in suretye All these thinges are not catholike and yet it is wont to chaunce thus All thynges be in manne as the mynde of is but specially after as it is infourmed of youth and stablished by vertuous customes and maners Hys wyfe that with his handes doeth labour for hys lyuing ought to be robuste and stronge so that she maye helpe and laboure with hym as in plowinge and harrowynge of hys lande The wyfe that is sickly is verye moleste and greuous yf it lette her to beare children or to do suche thynges as of necessitie muste be done at home Hesiodus Plato and Aristotle wyl that y e man be thre and thyrtye yeares of age and the woman eyghtene or euer they doe mary For the man beynge vnder those yeres is not of sufficiēt strength to get children and the chyldren are but feeble nor encrease not as they should doe nother in stature nor in strēgth And he being inexpert doth not rule his fa milie houshold as he should do where he beareth because of his youth but litle authoritie nor his children do not re uerence hym the which doth appeare vnto them not as a father but a brother And yf he be verye olde he can not helpe his yonge children nor they hym but haue nede of other mens ayde helpe and doth depart or euer he make any prouision for them And women before they be eyghtene yearrs of age are not mete to beare children doe trauell of chylde with greate parel and daunger Nor it is not expedient to accustome her beinge so tender yonge to venerialcopul ation for lecherye is there by enflamed and y e body can not haue hys due increase Nor such a yong thing can not rule her family being inexpert of all thinges and cōming to a more perfect age she wyll not be ruled by her husband for her conditions and maners are so growen and rooted in her that they can not be chaunged Finallye the foresayde ages doe well agree and are conueniente bothe for theym to lyue together in Matrimonye and also to eugender and bring forth children for their whole power and strength shall fayle theym at one tyme and season theyr mariage shoulde haue lytle ioye or pleasure yf the one were fruitfull and the other feble for age All thys haue I sayde after the mynde and opinion of the Philosophers but speciallye of Aristotle in hys booke of the common wealthe But yet in these thinges the causes why they dyd so define the thynge are more to be considered and lo ked vpon then the definition Or elles when soeuer anye other lyke causes or the selfe same the whiche certes are verye good doe perswade it Lette vs perceyue vnderstande that all ready nature vath defined it the which hauing respecte to the time and place doth with secrete qualities alter mans body But first we must consider reason and pitie the only goodnes of the mind And for the time that we liue chaste vnmaried we must vse such a waner and measure of liuing y t before the iust age of procre ation we be not much pricked nor stirred with the flesh Caesar doth cōmende the custome of the olde Almanes y e which he prayseth because they wēt long without any skinnes or rayment vpon them y e which thing after the mind opinion of some did stablishe their stature their force sinnose And also their women were greatly estemed the whiche before they were twenty yea res of age would cōpany nor lye with no man But yf we cānot liue chast let vs esteme religion aboue al thinges and folow the precept of Paule y e it is better to marrye then to burne Let vs eleuate oure eyes to the euerlasting countreye and care litle for this life y t which is but for a time And oure Lorde that is the voyce of the diuine and godly wisdome doth saye that it pro fiteth a man nothing to winne all the worlde wyth the losse of his soule Yf she that is aged dothe marrye she muste be voyde from all natural vices and of all suche as she was nourished and broughte vp withal for being indured and hardened with suche euil vices when shall she be reformed But she that is younge may euen as it were waxe be fashioned formed to what soeuer a man will fashion her vnto In parentage and kinred let vs remembre the olde prouerbe that of a good mother cometh a good doughter My countreye men pronounce that with two senses thus Of a good vine take a good braunche to thy wife take the doughter of a good mother And wanderynge aboute the citie firste inquire thou of the mother and then of the doughter But yet it importeth verye muche wyth whome and where 〈◊〉 was nourished brought vp for it is seene often times that suche as be borne of euill parentes waxe good euen as they be that nourishe them And borne of good vertuous parentes to waxe 〈◊〉 tye and euill for youth dothe most aptly expressely ensue and folowe that euill is The womans frendes muste be wayde and considered whether they be to mightye or to greuous for y e or no. Nor I cā not saye whether thou shalte haue her sufficiently ynoughe vnder thy power dominiō y t trusteth much in the mightie strength of her kinred Tiberius Caesar maried Iulia Augustus doughter a shamelesse woman and of a verye euyll name but when y t he could no ther chastē her nor yet chace her the doughter of so mightie a father oute of his house nor durst not accuse her vnto him of adultery being vncertayn howe he wolde take it to kepe her still to continue in her cōpany was most
or no or whether that any other man can do the same whether she had rather y t he as of necessitie should do it agayne whether she be familiar with him All these thinges wil sone declare what wil folowe what she loketh for what she woulde what she deliteth in That womanne which doth gladly haunt the cōpany of fatte well likinge men but ignoraunte and vnskilful of any honest art apper teyning vnto women or that doth gladly talke with suche inuitinge him to her table what should a man beleue or saye that she loketh for but to do euill Men by the life that is paste do take aknowledge of the life that is to come for the force strengthe of a custome is great and howe she hath vsed her self with yong men with maydens with ser uauntes how she hath supported both good euill fortune yf euer she proued them that is prosperitie mekelye equally or fearcely impotētlye aduersitie strongly moderatly or desperatly and ab iectly Pietie and religion is a secrete a hidden thinge knowen of God onelye vnto whome it perteyneth both to reward to punishe and it is no mans part to iudge therof nor Christes wil they should as a thinge vnto his iudgement only reserued But yet his iudgemente is not lighte iudgemente vnto those y t do gladly speake of God and his holy word heare it without any arrogancy or ostentation of witte or to be honoured of other but with reuerence submission that through the preceptes cōmaundementes therof both she and other might learne to liue well and vertuously Nor to speake or commen of exterior thinges pertayning to the actes and dedes of the body do in suche wise opē religiō as to speake and reason of y e inward thinges of those that do eleuate and exalt the mind vnto god The first be as to dispute and reason vpon fastinges the number of prayers of vowes and of holy peregrinations And notwithstandinge that fasting and prayer are verye good thinges that good deuout women shuld oftentimes practise and vse thē yet in asmuche as the euill maye like wise vse thē they do not clerely shew and setforth the true sincere religion But to speake of him that is iudge both of the quicke the dead of him that beholdeth the actes and dedes of men of the fugacitie of life of the va nitie of those thinges which men desire of the contempte of honour riches dignitie of the care that God hath to defende vs sustayne vs and to kepe vs of y e loue of Christ towardes vs of our mutuall loue and charity of our ayde and helpe vnto the poore of our loue honour vnto our husbandes of the rule and bringing vp of our children seruauntes of deathe of the paynes of the sinful of the eternall felicitie and of those that are vertuous and good are more euidente promises and witnesses therof And of these thinges we haue compendiouslye intreated spoken of Dissimulation in all these thinges is sone speied perceaued or els it endureth but for a season and oftē times euen sodenlye it openeth it selfe For why a mās mind beinge set and disposed to dissemble doth easelye euē of it selfe returne to hys proper nature Let vs therfore nowe returne vnto our purpose and speake of all those thynges the whiche we haue set in the soule in the bodye and in the exterior and outwarde thynges for whose cause we haue somewhat digrest vnto the thinges that we hitherto haue spoken of Pietie is the head of al thinges She that is pitifull doeth neuer euel nor any thing that may be iusiely rebuked Thys is the true and natiue iustice of the whiche the olde prouerbe doeth saye that it embraseth all vertue But the wycked womā at no time doeth anye thynge well but when she iudgeth it to be for her owne vt ilite and profite So my preceptes shall haue an eye and regarde those whiche are not wycked nor perfectly pitifull for there is not one that is perfectlye pitifull For Paule doeth saye that he doeth runne and laboure yf by anye meanes he maye optayne and comprehend But a great and a well growen pitie is accepted and counted for an absolute and perfect pitie Unchast womē are intollerable what wyse man can suffer any suche excepte he be wytles Salomon sayeth he that expelleth a good woman expelleth a good thing and he y t kepeth an harlote is a foole and vnwyse What loue can a man haue to suche a woman For the Lorde sayeth that she hathe violated the mistery of matrimonye And yet they that amende returne from their enyll life oughte not to be numbred among the euel in asmuche as they haue turned theyr euyl lyfe into a bet ter She is not muche vnlyke a shameles woman that beynge naturallye inclyned to euyll doeth not geue her diligence to erect it but folowynge her naturall pleasure and desyre doeth by an vse and custome kepe it vnder and by softe and gentle intreatynge nouryshynge of the same doth augment and increase it And so it chaunseth that daye by daye she ta keth more pleasure more in it when that it were farre more conuenient to represse it and by good motions and exercises to wynde tourne it to better Of y e which Ouide not withoute a cause doeth speke saying She y t for fear committeth not the faute is an aduoutres in asmuche as she desyreth it And this woman is much worse then she that declareth her selfe to be an open harlote for amonge these there maye be founde that geue them selues to honesty the whiche perchaunce were led to dishonestye not by necessitye for there can be no necessitie to doe euyl but by some appearaunce or spice of necessitie withoute the whiche manye myghte lyue more honestlye Nor no man can lyue pleasauntlye with her that is euyll spoken of nor haue amitie or anye concorde with her that is not naturally and stedfastly witted And what thynge is more intollerable or more greuous to a wyse man then to supporte or to suffer a foolyshe companion And in asmuche as to lyue together doeth not onelye consiste in confabulation and wordes but in all other thynges that pertayne to the lyfe of man Therfore it is to be con sidered and wayed who it is that wyll be maryed and whether he be sharpe or dull witted what his customes and maners be whether he be peaceable or angrye vehement or softe impetuous fearefull a dronkarde or an abstayner from wyne a nyggarde or prodigal a wydowe man or whether he hath ben maryed or no hauynge chyldren or withoute chyldren howe and by what occupation he lyueth vpon hys landes or by other gayne whether he be an occupiour or a craftes man learned or vnlearned a magistrate or a pri uate persone of what age of what health and strength
tēperā cie of mind is most aproued most effectuous as whē thou she west thy selse to be moued wyth the greatnesse of the faulte not for any disdaine nor to satisfye and contente thine affections but to amēd her whome thou rebukest Thou muste obserue bothe tyme and place leaste that throughe feruentnes of reprehention thou bespot thy wyfe and cause thy chaunces to be openlye knowen to straungers and other thy familiars whereby in tyme to come thy wyfe shall continuallye hate thee Be not longe angry leaste y t thy desperate wyfe fall headlonge into vice and noughtynes The apostle sayth ye husbandes loue your wyues and be not bitter vnto theym And yf the lorde forbyd vs to be angrye wyth oure brother howe muche y e lesse ought we to be angrye with our wyues the which exceade all brotherlye loue and beneuolence as we haue tolde you before and it is meate it be often times repeted And yf manne be the head of the woman Christe the head of the man he must vse hym selfe vnto the womanne as Christe doeth vse him selfe vnto us that is beniglye and frendelye And the selfe same Apostle doeth call the womanne the bodye of the manne as the churche is the bodye of Christe And not wythstandynge we sustayne and suffer manye incommodities of the bodye yet we hate it not but suffereth it nourysheth it and gouerneth it The husbandes reprehention muste be short for yf it shoulde continue hatred would ensue the whiche woulde coule matrimoniall loue kyndle disdayne and chaunge the swetenesse of theyr conuersation into bytternes Furthermore thou muste alledge the reason and cause that moueth thee to rebuke her that bothe nowe and in tyme to come she may be admonished The force and strengthe of reason hath great power in the mynde of man nor there is nothynge that so cleaueth vnto it nor lesse penetreth the same as thys sentence Thus I wyll and thus I commaunde Thou muste so rebuke her that she maye perceyue it to procede come of good loue to make her better and to be without vice or faulte y t the loue whiche is betwene you maye be the more feruēt and without anye quarel or complaynt at al. Therfore assone as thou hast chastened corrected her and that she other by worde honeste shamefastnes or silence doeth declare that she wyll obey thee geue her then fayre wordes again and a gentle countenaunce as thou waste wonte to doe Ther are in noble women as ther is among men certayne excellente motions of the mynde the whyche to those that be not wyse and doe marcke the thynge but slenderlye seme to come of arrogancye and pryde Nor these ought not vtterly to be kept vnder and cleane extinguished for without theym they canne not approche nor come to that hyghe and memorable ornament that exciteth and moueth man to maruaile and to prayse extolle them Such affections of the mind are apte meete to conserue and kepe the honestye chastitie of women Such noble women shuld not be greuously or sharpely reprehēded or rebuked but drawen frō vice other by y e example or vertue of such women as be gone alreadye or of those that they were aquaynted wyth all or elles by puttynge theym in remembraunce of theyr olde vertue and godlye lyuynge To some woman a becke of her husbande is sufficient to declare y t there is somewhat amisse y t displeaseth him and specially yf she beare her hus bād any reuerēce An honest matrone hath no nede of any greter staffe but of one worde or one sowre coūtenaunce of her husband But where y t this can not helpe but that brawling staues acre must nedes be vsed I geue no pre ceptes nor rules for there they vse violence but yet by mine aduice the husband shal neuer come to y t extremitye for yf thy wife be often rebuked will not bowe but waxeth more stiffe croked yet inasmuche as she kepeth her selfe pure chaste she must be supported and borne withal Nor the bow must not be bro ken with to muche bendynge therof Thus dyd Socrates forbeare his wife Xantippa whom we should folow yf we wer so wvse as to thinke that our pacience by reason of the womā is exercised proued to y e augmentation increase of vertue as Iob Toby did to theyr great profite and to the womans rebuke shame as y t lord whensoeuer it shall be wyl declare iudge aswel of the one as of the other Also he must thinke that she fell vnto him by lotte as his kinred hys countrey hys body hys soule and hys wyt dyd wherwith euery man ought to holde hym contente thynkynge with him selfe that the omnipotente and euerlasting God doeth dispence and order al thynge moste wyselye and moste iustelye Finallye it is meete and conueniente that the authoritye of God whyche coupled theym together shoulde sette them at one yf they were out agre thē And what man durste be so bolde to breake the peace that the king hath made Or who wolde reiect him that by some noble man was cōmaun ded deliuered vnto him yf in thys thyng the reuerence that we haue and beare vnto those whyche are of greate power be of suche force and strengthe or elles loue it selfe howe muche shoulde it be towardes god for who is so mighty or so louinge vnto vs as he him we shuld reue rence loue aboue all other thinges Also he ought to remēber what Paule sayeth y e the wife the husband are al one flesh Of y e body do come continually many incōmodities but yet no manne dothe hate it but to his power doth nourish it yf at any time he be miscontent there with by and by he pleaseth it agayne Such like loue shuld euerye man beare his wise and this after the minde of y e Apostle ¶ Of the proceding and going forwardes in matrimony AFter y e thou haste had experience of thy wife y u oughteste to loue her more tenderlye And nature doth induce a man to that y t which doth make swete familiar and customable thinges be thei neuer so sharpe or greuous for the vse continuall cōpany doth so establishe and cōfirme loue beneuolence y t we vpon that occasion doe loue dogges cattes horses other brute beastes and do mourne sorow their death and absence And what thing is lesse conueniente for a wise a well nourtred man then not to loue his wife whose cō pany he hath so longe so familiarly vsed Meleager Oeneus sōne being both angry w t him selfe all hys sat him downe in his chamber The Curetes whiche made warre agaynst the Calidonians assayled the citie molested them so sort that ther was no hope nother in man nor woman The elders of y t citie came vnto Me leager the only saue garde of al the countrey desiryng
¶ The office and duetie of an husband made by the excellēt Philosopher Lodouicus Viues and translated into Englyshe by Thomas Paynell ¶ Imprinted at London in Pouls Churcheyarde by John Cawood prynter vnto the Quenes hyghnes Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum To the ryghte worshipfull Syr Antony Browne Knyght Thomas Paynell whyssheth helth and prosperitye IDo perceaue and by daylye experience do vnderstād most worshipfull Syr how men do erre and are sore deceaued and begi led in the election and choyse of their wiues and howe vncurtously and vngentlye they do vse and intreate them that of equitie and ryghte should be most fauourably and pleasauntly vsed and 〈◊〉 For why what thing should a man loue or intreate more amiably or more swetely then his owne wyfe that is to saye his owne fleshe aud bloude the whiche no man except he be very brutishe and beastly can or ought to mislyke hate or in any maner of wise abhorre But yet how these poore silye wemen are handled and of theyr owne husbandes misordered contemned abhored yea and oftentimes without cause reiected I reporte me vnto the gentle reader of this booke the whiche yf he haue anye 〈◊〉 of wytt or reason shall 〈◊〉 conceaue this thyng to be true and the vndiscrete electiō and choyse of the 〈◊〉 to be the onely and originall sprynge and occasion thereof For in thys our time a time I saye mooste tamentable menne choose not their wiues for their honestie and vertue but for their intisinge beautie not for theyr 〈◊〉 and womanly maners but for theyr possessions and ryches not to 〈◊〉 and brynge forth children to the prayse and lawde of God but for carnall 〈◊〉 and pleasure not to be well and 〈◊〉 occupied at home but ydely and wantonly to spende the tyme abroade not to be godly but wordlye not to be humble and 〈◊〉 but to be prowde and 〈◊〉 not to regard theyr husbandes 〈◊〉 houshold and profyte but theyr owne lustes and solace Wherein is the cause then of theyr wrangelynge and gerre but onelye in the 〈◊〉 election and choyse of theyre wyues and because they doo not when they haue them informe them godly and vertuouslye instructe them for of whome shulde they be instructed and taughte but of theyr owne husbands But per aduēture ye wil say we are not learned nor we haue not redde at any tyme how to choose them and howe to teache them we knowe not In asmuche therfore as I nowe perceaue and knowe that ye can not for lacke of experience and knowledge 〈◊〉 thē that ignoraunce is the roote of suche sinister and 〈◊〉 choyse of youre wyues and the cause of youre so greate debate and stryfe I haue translated this excellent and fyne peace of worke of Mayster Uiues a Philosopher moost famous the which doth teache men howe to choose theyr wyues howe to loue and to intreate them how and where with to instruct them howe to araye and semely to apparell them howe to chasten and correcte them howe in theyr absence and in theyr age to vse them and at theyr departynge vnto god howe to leaue them And on the other syde it teacheth your wyues howe to feare and to honour god howe to loue obey aud serue theyr husbandes how to brynge vp and nourter theyr chyldren howe to haue an eye to theyr husbandes honestie and profyte whether they shoulde be learned or no 〈◊〉 auctors they should reade what company they shoulde haunte and auoyde howe to kepe theyr howses in good reporte and them selues cleane and vndefiled O how excellent then and how profitable a booke is this for the welthe bothe of man and woman moste worthy to be redde of all christians and of those whyche desyre and seke to lyue quietly in matrimony ioyfully in this transitorye vale and dungen of al misery Reade it ther fore at your leasure moste worshypfull syr but yet with iudgement I pray you for as it is a worke moste meete and conuenient for al that maye mary so it is for your maistershyppe moste frutefull considerynge your present estate and condition mooste neadefull For who can be ciricumspect ynoughe in the election and choyse of her whome a man cannot electe by gods lawe tyll death them departe nor yet refuse but for fornication nor at no tyme she beynge alyue mary any other withoute the spot and 〈◊〉 of adulteri Counsell therfore wyth Mayster Uiues howe to choose a wyfe and choose her that feareth god and wyll be obedient and reformable and suche a one as shall geue no occasion of breache or of diuorsement the whiche O lorde is nothynge in these oure dayes regarded for why to haue many wiues at once or to refuse her by some cautell or false interpretation of gods moste holy worde that mystyketh is at this present but as men call it a shifte of descante O heauē O earthe but who am I that goeth aboute to counsell you so prudent a man so well learned so circumspecte in all thynges and that hath a forehande proued the course and trace of matrimony howe godly plesant a thinge it is if the parties be of one accord minde and in Christes true religion of one sayth opinion But let the noble orator Mayster Uiues be al mens guyde and counseyler in this weyghty mater And in such lyke beware of temerarious hastynesse nor beleue not 〈◊〉 yonge and lyght counseller for after light credence commeth heauy repentaunce Thus god preserue your mayster shyppe moste humbly desyrynge the same to accept this my rude translation in good parte and as a token and a pledge of my vnfayned and cordiall loue to you wardes ¶ Of the office and duetie of an husbande IT semed vnto the auctour of nature when he layd y e foundation of the ages and time that was to come that all suche beastes which were sub iecte vnto sicknesses death should at one generation and birth bringe forth but fea we yongelynges to thende their generation might encrease endure for euer that they of a litle beginninge mighte multiplie and arise vnto an in finite multitude and of mortal thinges obtayne as it were an immortalitie But al other beastes do indifferently without any order or lawe obeye nature and geue them selues vnto procreation And this is as it were an vniuersall lawe where vnto we do perceaue and see that al maner of beastes do willingly obeye although there be amōg these that liue in societie and obserue the holines of matrimony so vndefiledly y t they may well instruct and teache many thousandes of men the chastitie the charitie y e fayth the maner and the qualitie of matrimony and in this number are swannes turtledoues crowes and doues But man beynge borne to lyue in company and in the communion of lyfe was bounde by the auctoure of nature wyth more exact and streyghter lawes of matrimonye Nor he would not that man vntemperately shoulde medle
the cause nor the reasone of certayne appetites For why to be lawefull full for some menne to doe certayne thynges and not for thee maye come of shame or elles of dysdayne So is the apparell and raymente of all menne yf it be lyke for euerye manne wyll haue and coueteth that he seeth in another That shame to be counted or taken for coueteous or for poore is the worste and moste haynoust of all other But the lawe taketh bothe frome you seynge ye haue not the thynge that is lawefull for you to haue But she that is ryche doeth saye equalitye doeth not please me for why shoulde I not be sene in gold and purple And why is the pouertye of other cloked vnder the coloure of thys lawe Wherby it apeareth that they regarde the lawe and not pouertie O ye Quirites wyll ye geue your wiues suche a battel that they being contented to be taken estemed for ryche should do that other cannot do and that the poore shuld extend thē selues aboue their habilitie because thei woulde not be despised For so where no nede is they shoulde be ashamed where nede is they woulde not and what she mighte prepare of her owne she woulde and that she coulde not she should desyre and pray her husband to doe Wretched is that husband the whiche whether he consent or no shal see his wife haue that thynge of another the whiche he gaue her not This doth Cato say And in what a miserable necessitie are they in that to vpholde suche charges doe searche diuers payneful wayes ful of enuy daungerous scelerate and vniuste These men doe abuse theyr wiues the which thynge Paule doeth forbyd yet that not withstandynge they loue theyr husbandes euen as a mayster loueth hys diligent faythful stewarde of whome he perceyueth hys goodes to be truly and fayth fully vsed augmented And so doth y e costly sumptuous wife loue her husband not for his owne sake but for her owne vtilitie and profite by whose industrious labour she liueth ydlye and arrogantly hauynge greate abundaunce of al thynges But yf fortune do turne and the knot of loue be remoued and taken away that loue wyl soone be loused and diminished or els waxe verye faynte feble But beinge wise thou shalt take ano ther way with thee for thou shalt cal to thy remembraūce that thou waste not borne for the woman but the womā for the therfore thou must accustome her to serue the so to applie her mind y t she may vnderstande and knowe that she is a helper and a partaker of thy trauel labor and not an ydle mistres Thou shalte take and refer all authoritie to thy selfe not to her takynge diligent heede to her honoure and chastitie as thou wouldest to thyne owne proper lyfe for in this ye are but one As for those delites pleasures and ornamentes thou shalte deride and laughe to scorne nor no more esteme them thē the ridiculous and folish desyres of children And so thou shalt obeye the cousell of the Apostle commaundynge vs so to haue oure wyues althoughe we had theym not and so to vse theym that we abuse theym not Thou shalt so apparel and araye thy selfe and thy wyfe that Nature may sufficiently be satisfied thy dignitie kept and conserued And yet in thys thynge ye must differ for thou oughtest to be clothed more lyke a man that is more simplye and soberlye and the woman more exactlye and cleanlye And as greate costlye araye doth nother become man nor woman so doeth cleane and honeste apparell become the woman This is the force and strengthe of nature that can not be altered Thys femine sexe doeth sette muche stoore by goodlye and precyous raymente the immoderate and vnsaciable desyre thereof maye be brydeled and refrayned but not cleane taken awaye and disanulled It shal be sufficiente yf she be thus wel instructed taught that in adourning decking of her selfe she do not so much regard the price and newnes of the thing as to auoyde the vncleannes thereof and so to behaue her self that she be not lothed and reproued The meane moderate vse of ornamentes garments with grauitie and cleanlines is of al men much more cōmended then is that delicate sumptuous raymente apparell He that doth araye him selfe very sumptuously gorgiou slye of some shalbe counted taken for riche of other for a vayne waster But he doth shewe hym selfe wise that meanlye dothe apparell hym selfe and as necessitie shal require That curious exqui site decking of the womanne doth declare her to be vayne and light nor the existimation or fame of her beautye whose vniuersal grace is assined vnto her apparell orna mēts doth therfore increase or augment the more Nor a married woman should not care nowe to be counted and retkened fayre vnto other mens eyes O how greate a signe token of chastitie of a pure and a cleane heart is y t simple and meane apparell the whiche doe then appeare most manifestly whē all men do know that she had rather adourne her selfe with wisdō grauitie and fayth with gouerning of her familie housholde instructing and teaching of her children then w t gold silck or pretious stones Nor there is no man y t doeth not much more honoure one such matrone then a nūber of those that glister in their pre tious sumptuous ornamen tes apparell Who did not more honor Cornelia the mother of the Graccis being pore without golde or pretious stones then her hostes of Cāpania hauing al those thinges most plentuously Therfore let no man hereafter saye vn to me y e eye of him y t looketh must somewhat be satisfied cōtended for to y t we geue to great attendance That simple pure modest graue ornamēt dothe declare the house to be holy vncorrupt commen deth pouertie the whiche by teaching and instructing one what modestie is doth cause him to know him self Euery manne doth blame the poore woman if she be sumptuously arayde for they know ful wel in cities what euerye mans substance is what he maye do And therfore such a pore woman is reckened taken as proude insolent and her husbande as fonde that doth consent to her foolishnes and madnes The riche are commended yf they be modeste tēperate in the vsage vse of their riches as thei be which through their riches great substance are not arrogante nor statelye Thus doth vertue adourne the raymente man is adourned of him self not of his vayne clothing apparell Marchaūts whose riches is in the handes of fortune are in more creditie and the nobilitie within more fauour with the people when they abase somewhat apply thē selues to their qualities customes And it is a christi ans duetye office to diuide that among the poore that is wont to be consumed in suche