and winnes the eyes of all men Therfore it cannot chuse but be very beautifull I will but even touch the hands and breasts and then proceed to the beauty vocall The instrument of instruments the Hand as it is of singular use in the body sodeserves it in Women as singular observation commendation For nature delivering man nacked into the world neither armed with hoofe or tooth for his defence gave him yet two things wherein he is armed far more excellently then any other creature that is to say the mind and the hand The one to advise the other to execute And indeed if we curiously advise with the Palmisters we shall finde the Minde written in the Hand For in the lines and circles thereof like our nativity in the Starres is set downe the manner of our dispositions bee they good or bad Moreover as the minde is written in the hand so is it a fit companion of the mind For we may observe it to bee the chiefe agent and best interpreter of our words and meaning which with lively action it sets forth and expresses in such sort that if the tongue were missing it would most aptly supply the place For with it we call unto us we give leave to depart wee command wee intreat wee threaten wee promise wee salute wee strike wee give wee receive wee make wee destroy wee defend wee offend so that it is in the morall of a building like the guard for defence the Vsher for entertainment the servant for imploment the Cater for the provision and the Cooke of the provision This excellent and necessary part is in Women much more delicate then in man and hath qualities equall to all his and some farre above them For she doth not only such grosser workes and actions of meaner estimation as well as he but expresseth all musicke with as swift motion and performance together with such arts and works of curicsity by reason of the slender softnesse and nimblenesse of her hand as are too hote for his fingers But one thing more I will observe out of Agrippa from the hand for the greater commendation of this creatures purenesse and innocency a gift given unto them inseparable even in nature that let men wash their hands never so often they shall still foule and trouble the water But let a Woman wash them but once cleane and she shall after foule it no more To conclude this point the hand among the Aegyptians was a Hieroglyphick of fortitude And therefore they that require auxilium helpe tooke hold of the right hand not of the left which was a figure and pledge of faith to which may be alluded that as Woman was made auxilium commodum a fit faithfull and right hand help for man in all his vocation So it is even expressed in her by nature For as Plinâ— and Hippocrates observe though many men are often times wholly left-handed women are very seldome so or never at all For the last I meane the breasts As in medio consistit virtus so between the head and hands of this building remaines to bee spoken of the Breasts the beautifull and vertuous springs and fountaines that not only adde beauty but utility to the whole aedifice The best commendation of a house is that it stand in a good aire and be well watered The first of these is observed to bee in this building out of the etymology of her name by Bartholdus Mulier quasi mollis aer propter puritatem a sweet and pure aire And the second is made good in the office of her brests which are the springs and conduit heads which are commended in their forme their place and their use First for their forme they are round a figure most capable of all others and fittest for them seeing they must containe like fountaines moysture for nourishment And they resemble in making two little hills or mounts pleasantly garnished with disparted and streaming veines on whose tops arise the conduit heads in hew like Strawberries from whence proceed the streames so much commended both for food and physick This forme imitating the world is very beautifull From the observation of which the skilfull beholder shall not only distinguish the difference of Sex but also of age and health in women as Laurentius noteth Secondly for the place they are not set in the lower parts of the body as in other creatures but to preserve modesty and for comelinesse sake in the very breast nere the head and right against the heart For this cause as Plutarch saith that women being most loving and tenderly affected to their children might at their greater ease in the earnestnesse of their love both feed with their milke imbrace with their armes and kisse with their lips their children at one time together which they could not doe were they placed elsewhere Lastly for their use First they are to feed and to that end they are indeed with milke and such as no other creature hath For there is no milke whatsoever so nourishing and cherishing in effect nor so sweet and honied in taste as that of a Woman Which milke it is possible for them to have without the help of man as Hippocrates affirmes So that seeing shee is compared in Ecclesiasticus to a possession and in the Proverbs preferred before a possession she may well be likened to that holy habitation and possession the land of Promise which flowed with milke and hony or with honied milke which was promised to those that feared God For shee also being so indued is both the gift and promise of God Whose breasts have the properties of a Possession also First to feed as I have said Secondly to Defend for with their round fleshinesse they protect and preserve the Heart from outward stormes more safely then those in mâ—n Thirdly they do adorne the habitation And therein not only give delight but satisfaction to man So that as a man content with his owne possession which he hath obtained from the Lord he neither can or ought desire more Which is well advised by Solomon in the Proverbs Rejoyce with the wife of thy youth c. Let her breasts satisfie thee at all times and delight in her love continually So that both delight profit and satisfaction proceeds from this forme others as is declared sufficiently in the description of the beauty of her face hands and breasts And thus much for the beauty Corporall For the beauty Vocall which is in Women It is such as makes them no whit inferiour but rather superiour to men And it is of good consequence for their commendation First then in generall for the voyce Though it have neither dimensions proportion or substance whereby it may be seen or felt yet is it like another face and visage in man and hath many of the same properties For it not only like the face distinguishes man from beast But man from man and man from woman who
the Rich plenty Fourthly the vertuousnesse of the Plenty And Fiftly the company I will begin at the last first and for once set the cart before the horse For the Company it was an habitation of Angels one of which afterwards kept the place with a fiery sword And it was also the walking-place of God and is yet unto this day invironed with a flame not farre from Babylon as some conjecture out of Plinie Secondly for the Plenty it had in it all manner of things good for mans life it wanted nothing either of pleasure or necessity The beasts were obedient the trees fruitfull the fruit nourishing the hearbs pleasant in sight the flowres delicate in smell the rivers not onely watered the Garden and dividing themselves into foure parts made it both pleasant in forme and fruitfull in effect but also brought forth most fine gold for ornament and precious Gemmes of more estimation and worth then gold for beautie and medicine There was no evill thing in it nay the tree of good and evill though the eating thereof was a deadly poyson to Adam and his posterity was good in it self and ill onely in respect of the commandment Quid bonum quod DEVS vult Quid malum quod DEVS vetat Thirdly besides all this fertility and rich plenty with the like whereof GOD hath also in some measure inriched some other places There was that most desired rich Jewell and inestimable vertucus treasure the Tree of life no where else under Heaven to be found whose fruit increased strength and lengthned the life of man Not as other fruits which also being eaten bring health and increase the vegetative part of man for a time and were made to drive away thirst and hunger but as venerable Beda writes it had Divinely received this vertue that who so tasted of it it should preserve his body in stable health and perpetuall soundnesse so that it should not fall into worse estate by any infirmity or weaknesse of age nor ever die addes Zanchius Which proves how much in vertue and value as well as in plenty and pleasure that place exceeded all others Fourthly for the Situation it was in Heden a place very fruitfull and Heden was in Mesopotamia That it was there placed appeares out of Ezekiel where mention is made of the sonnes of Heden which are joyned with Canneh and Haran which place being also the habitation of Terah and Abraham is now known to be a Region of Mesopotamia As for the particular site of this garden it was in loco editissimo in the highest part of all the World saith Adricomius Delphius and neerest lift up to Heaven where is the height of all happinesse and happinesse beyond all height Fiftly for the names of this place They are three One of the Countrey Mesopotamia the other of the region Eden The third of the garden Paradise The first signifies a place between two Rivers as that lies between Tigris and Euphrates which is the cause of the great fertility Mesopotamiam feâ—tilem facit Euphrates in quam quotannis quasi novos agros invehit For the name of the Region Heden it is in Hebrew no more but Deliciae a place of Delight saith Isidore and it must needs be very fruitfull since from thence runnes the river that spreading into foure parts waters and makes fruitfull the most part of all Asia As for the particular name Paradise being a Greek word it is correspondent to the former and signifies but an hortyard or Garden of pleasure But such a place indeed it was and is and so warily kept from man since for his disobedience he lost it that where it is or what it is at this day the best Divines cannot resolve which makes S. Ambrose say If Paradise be such a thing as that onely S. Paul or scarce any like S. Paul could see in this life and that whether in the body or out of the body he cannot tell how shall we resolve where it is placed since we cannot see it or if we could we are forbidden to declare it But whatsoever it now is into this place of Paradise which then so highly flourished in delight the LORD brought Adam from the company of the ruder beasts before he would make Woman for him Which shewes that he had no birth-right to the place being not made there but that as he received the first so shall he and his sonnes receive the second Paradise by grace and favour onely and by no claime of merit or birthright But this place was the Womans native countrey For heere was she created But that appeares not fully and expresly in the text may some say To that Zanchius answers The commandment was given unto Adam in Paradise before the Woman was created Therefore unlesse GOD tooke Adam forth again of purpose that must needs be the place of her creation To which Agrippa addes Mulier formata est in Paradiso cum Angelis No mervaile therefore if Isaack were commanded to take a Wife in Mesopotamia since in that Countrey was the place where the first Woman was made by the hand of GOD Which place as you have heard is dignified in the name the Plenty the vertuous riches of the Plenty the Situation and the Inhabitants From all which particulars may be gathered these observations First that as the Name of the place signifies it to be of pleasure delight and beauty so is the creature there made beautifull For the pleasure and delight of Man as it is confessed in the Booke of Ecclesiasticus The beauty of a Woman cherisheth the face and a man lâ—veth nothing better And indeed well may her beauty be compared to a flower and her self to a garden For she belongeth but to one husbandman and ought but by one alone to be ordered and disposed So that whosoever comes either by craft or force to take any of the pleasures there is but a thief Pecâ—as saith Martiall nec tua furtaâ—egis for so the Poets call adulterie 〈◊〉 Therefore to defend 〈◊〉 place GOD hath set a red Cherubin with a fierie blade in the entrance and face of this Garden that with the sodaine flash of crimosine blushes beats back all presumptuous and unlawfull assaults of such as bouldly venture to violate the forbidden fruit Secondly as the Place of her creation was elevated and in the highest place of the World so hath it given Women some remembrance thereof in their nature For most of them are not so giddy in looking down from high places neither are they so soon dimme of sight or blinde in age as men are Thirdly as the place was very pleasant and fruitfull so was the Woman whose children since have fil'd the whole World And as the plenty was rich and precious so is her fruit Which not onely filleth the earth with Men but the Heavens
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of which mingled and put together he framed and made a Name for his wife In which by this conjunction he expressed both from whence she was taken and who gave her unto him therby declaring her to be taken from Man and acknowledging JEHOVAH to bee the Author and sanctifier of this marriage and conjunction betweene him and his wife For without the helpe of those two letters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ish and Isha could not be joyned into one name So that in her name thus framed the Author of this and all other marriages is set downe to be the Lord JEHOVAH who ioyneth both together without whom Isha cannot consist nor any marriage or conjunction bee lawful or blessed Secondly the Persons in marriage are here expressed to bee Ish and Isha man or woman both knit in one name by Adam as they were knit in marriage by JEHOVAH But if we will know more particularly of what quality the persons in mariage ought to bee wee must examine what the estates of the first two were wherein wee shall find First their Freedome Secondly their Perfection Thirdly their Age. Fourthly their Condition First Ish and Isha were free persons and uncontracted before GOD joyned them For man could not find a wife for himselfe untill GOD made him one who though bone of his bone Yet none of his Wife till GOD gave her And therefore Free So should also the conditions of after-marriages bee Man should seeke for his Ribb for his Flesh and Bone yet keepe himselfe free and uncontracted till GOD bring one as free to give him Secondly Ish and Isha were perfect Man and woman both for Age Stature and health For as S. Augustine holds they were created in that health strength and stature of body which wee attaine unto at thirty our best age From whence is taught the perfection of that state as being a thing unfit for the sicke weake or Impotent Thirdly Ish and Isha were neere one age and hee but a little the older Which teacheth the Equality of age in marriage Age and youth in extreames must not match yet the man ought to bee somewhat the older but not much For the yong Woman that is wedded to an aged man is not a married wife but a married widdow So that the persons must not bee children under age nor those that are twice children for age Lastly Ish and Isha were naked were not ashamed Both their minds were so free from Sinne as their bodies were from imperfection or fault Therefore they needed not blush at meeting From whence wee my learne in what naked truth and plaine simplicity mariages ought to be made in the sight of GOD neither of them seeking by dissimulation to cloake or cover any cause or imperfection that should justly hinder or barre that holy Conjunction But as Ish and Isha were married in the same nakednesse they were made so they may also be conjoyned in that naked innocency and modesty of mind and body as they were borne From whence also they may learne how peaceably they ought to behave themselves in this holy estate without fighting or unquiet striving For Ish and Isha were naked Man was made so and men are borne so Nos nudi creati sumus ad nemâ—nem laedendum saith Zanâ—hius Wee were made naked that we should hurt no body They that meet and imbrace naked uncloathed and unarmed can intend no hurt for they are neither of them fit to strike or defend Therefore when the married remember their first parents were made so married so and themselves borne so they should live in all love and peaceable concord with themselves For GOD hath neither made nor given them meanes to hurt each other For the married are joyned by love And though Ovid say Militat omnis amans I rather thinke he meanes Militat omnis amens For Propertius held the truth Pacis Amor deus est pacem veneramur amantes Love is a God of peace and lovers love the peace Therefore all strife and contention whereby peace may be broke or hindered must be banished Thirdly in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Duties of marriage are contained Which duties are generally chiefly two Love Propagaâ—ion of children both exprest by Commodum auxilium Love is first and seasons all the rest And it is properly the marieds vertue as Fortitude is the Souldiers Temperance the Magistrates and Iustice the Princes And this duty is expressed by Adam himselfe when hee saith that for her Man shall leave father and mother and cleave to his wife and they shall be both one flesh And therefore he closed them both in one name to shew that their love that drew them together into one conjunction from all others should never part But that they should continue together in one perpetuall bond and Society as they were taught by their names which are both tied and knit into one in the Name of JEHOVAH the Lord. God is love and the Namâ— of God hath made their names one Which teacheth them that there ought to be that love of God and godly love between them as should keep them alwayes in best affection together For the other duty of Procreation injoyned them by the command of increase and multiplie it is herein contained and expressed For as her name Isha though it was taken out of his name Ish containes his also So her body though it was taken out of his containes his also by propagation of the same kind For as the woman is of the man so is the man also by the woman saith S. Paul Which is well expressed in our English Orthography before named of womb-man not dissenting from that of the Prophet Mulier circundabit virum Which though it was specially meant of our Saviour and the B. Virgin yet is it literally true in nature For all men are contained bred and propagated in women which is expressed in this name Isha which in like manner comprehendeth his Name Fourthly in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is contained what may best continue marriage in the most commendable perfection And that is unity Of which they shall alwayes be remembred if they doe but looke on the Womans name For as I said Gods power made their bodies one flesh by conjunction and Gods name made their names one name by interposition God is unity And unity conjoyned them so that if they doe but consider that in their conversation God is in the midst of them it shall alwayes bee a meanes for them to walk as in his presence without contention in all concord and unity Which is able to establish and confirme their holy conjunction in all peaceable and happy continuance unto the end Fifthly and lastly there may be gathered from this name if it bee well considered what may dissolve and unknit this holy knot