Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	child_n	father_n	great_a	1,899	5	3.4004	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75977	The glory of women: or, A treatise declaring the excellency and preheminence of women above men, which is proved both by scripture, law, reason, and authority, divine, and humane. Written first in Latine by Henricus Cornelius Agrippa Knight, and doctor both of law and physicke. And presented to Margaret Augusta, Queen of the Austrians and Burgundians. And now translated into English, for the vertuous and beautifull female sex of the Commonwealth of England By Edvv. Fleetvvood, Gent.; Declamatio de nobilitate et praecellentia foeminei sexus. English	Agrippa von Nettesheim, Heinrich Cornelius, 1486?-1535.; Fleetwood, Edward.	1652 (1652)	Wing A788; Thomason E655_7; ESTC R205944	27,257	39

account when Nabal was dead she became one of the wives of David And Bathsheba was a woman of so excellent a forme that David was taken with the love of her and after the death of her Husband did extol her with Queenly dignity before the rest when she was espoused to him Abishag the Shunamite because she was a Virgin most faire therefore was chosen to lye with the King in his extream age to recover his heat Whereupon the King being old did inrich her with the highest honours and after his death she was accounted in the place of Queen Hitherto appertaine those things which we read concerning the wonderful beauty of Queen Vasti and Hester who was yet preferred before her and was more excellent and of a more exceeding fair and comely face We read concerning Judith whose beauty the Lord increased so much as in beholding her men were struck with astonishment We read concerning Susanna which was ravishingly delicate and beautifull We read concerning Job that after his various temptations and his involved miseries besides other things the Lord gave to him three most fair daughters more gracious then the three Graces fairer then whom there was not any in the whole earth found out If we read the history of holy Virgins truely wee cannot but admire their wonderfull beauty and specious form before other children of men But above all both far and near as the immaculate Princesse of all shines forth the blessed Virgin Mary Mother of Christ at whose beauty the Sun and Moon stands amazed from whose glorious countenance such a lustre of chastity and holinesse floweth as that it was able to dazle the minds of all men no man for all that at any time through the temptation and inticements of so stupendious a beauty falling in the least thought These although more largely set downe in the holy Bible where so often mention is made concerning beauty I have related almost in the very words themselves by which we are given plainly to understand that the beauty of women not onely with men but with God is esteemed and hath its honour Therefore we read in holy Writ that God commanded every male child to be slaine but the fair women to be saved alive In Deuteronomy the children of Israel were permitted to chuse themselves Wives out of the fair women captives Besides this admired beauty also the woman is endowed with a certaine grace of comelinesse which happeneth not unto men For the hairs of women grow to such a length as that they may cover those parts of the body wherein there is lesse comelinesse Of which parts it is not necessary at this time I should treat Onely this I shall say that in wonderfull decency Nature hath ordained these in women being not prominent as in men but biding within in a more secret and sure place Furthermore Nature hath afforded women more modesty then men Wherefore often times it happens that women being diseased with the dangerous Ulcer in the secrets they have rather chosen death then to submit themselves to the sight and handling of a Chirurgeon that they might be healed And they retaine this grace of modesty not onely living but dying yea and also dead which appeareth cheifly in those which perish in waters For as Pliny writeth and experience testifieth the woman lyeth with her face downwards nature sparing the modesty of the dead but the man swimmeth with his face upwards To these may be added the worthiest member in man by which we differ chiefly from bruits and shew forth the divine nature is the head in which head the chiefest part is the countenance the head in men is deformed with baldnesse the woman contrariwise by a great priviledge of Nature waxeth not bald The countenance moreover in men is often times so soiled with a most odious beard and covered with nasty haires that they can scarcely be discerned from beasts in woman contrarywise the face alwayes abides pure and comely Hence there was in the law of the twelve tables that women should not shave their cheeks least when a beard should bud forth their modesty might be hid and it is to all for an argument of the cleanlinesse of women that when a woman is once cleanly washed as often as she washeth afterwards in cleane water the water receiveth not the least foulnesse but man when he hath been washed often times very clean he muddieth and soileth the water Moreover by the ordinance of nature women through secret places every moneth expell their superfluities but mens are continually expelled through the face the most comely part of the body Furthermore since amongst all other living creatures it is given only to man to look with the countenance erect towards heaven Nature and Fortune have respected woman cheifly in this and are so propitious that if by chance she falls she almost alwayes falls upon her backe and seldome or never on her head or face There is another thing which we may not omit Do not we see that in the procreation of mankind nature preferreth women before men which is cheifly perspicuous because the womans seed alone as Galen and Avicen say that is the matter and nutriment of the child not the mans because it entreth into the woman as an accident into the substance For as the law saith that is the greatest and cheifest office of women to conceive and to nourish the thing conceived for which cause we see that many are like their mothers because they are procreated of the blood of them and that holds also very much in the habit of the body alwayes in the manners if the mothers be foolish also the sons are foolish if the mothers be prudent the sons are prudent But contrary wise in fathers if they be wise for the most part they beget foolish children and foolish fathers wise children provided alwayes the mothers be wise Neither is there any other reason why Mothers love their children more then Fathers except that because the mothers are sensible they have more of their owne substance then the fathers for the same cause also I think it is naturall to us to be more affected towards the mother then towards the father so as we seem but to affect the father but passionately to love the mother And therfore nature affordeth to women milk of such a strength which doth not only nourish infants but also restore them being sicke which also when they are grown up may suffice for saving of life The experiment we read in Valerius Max. concerning a young maid of the common people which by suckling nourished her mother in Prison when otherwise she was condemned to have perished with hunger for which piety of hers life was not only given to the mother but a settled maintenance to both and the prison was afterward dedicated to the goddesse Piety For it is most commonly seen that the woman is more full of compassion and piety then

no preheminence of Nobility between man and woman by the essence of the soule of one above the other but an equal inbred dignity to both But as for the exercise and operation of the soule the illustrious Sex of women infinitely almost excells the rough and unpolished generation of men Which then at length shall be made firme and good when the same shall appear to be so and which is our purpose to make not by adulterated and painted speeches neither with logicall snares by which many Sophisters are wont to entangle the unskilfull but by the judgements of all best Authors truth-speaking Histories undeniable Reasons as also by the testimonies of holy Writ and firm sanctions of both the Lawes First of all therefore That I may begin the Matter The Woman is so much the more excellent then the Man by how much the more excellent name she receiveth above him for Adam signifieth Earth but Eve is interpreted Life by how much then life it selfe is more excellent then earth so much woman is to be preferred before man Neither is there cause wherefore it may be said this Argument is weak to judge of things themselves by names for we know that the great Creator both of Things and Names knew things before he named them and his Wisdome which cannot be deceived therefore framed Names that they might expresse the Nature Property and Use of things That there is truth and consonancy and significativenesse in ancient Names the Roman Lawes witnesse Therfore from names an Argument both with Divines and Lawyers is of great moment As concerning Nabal we read in Scripture according to his name He is a fool and foolishnesse is with him Hence Paul in the Epistle to the Hebrewes going about to shew the excellency of Christ useth this Argument saying He is made so much better then the Angels by how much he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name then they And else where He hath given him a name above every name that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow of things in heaven of things in earth and things under the earth Add hereunto no smal force and power doth arise to both Laws from the obligation of words from the signification of words from conditions demonstrations and disputations of that kind nay even from the heads and titles of both Lawes So in Law we well argue from the interpretation of a name from the force of a word also from the Etymology of a name and the reason of the Etymology and order and the placing of words For the Lawes themselves doe not a little look into the significations of names that something they may collect from thence Cyprian against the Jewes argueth the first man to have obtained his name from the foure Parts or Quarters of the World East West North and South and in the same book he expoundeth the same name Adam because the earth is made flesh although such an exposition differeth from the tradition of Moses because it was written by the Hebrewes not with four but with three Letters notwithstanding this exposition in so holy a man is not altogether to be dispraised who had not learned the Hebrew tongue which very many Expositors of holy Writ are ignorant of without much blame Now if the same licence may be indulged to me that I may according to my fancy frame a like Etymology of Eve in praise of the Female Sex they must give me leave to say this one thing from those mystical Symbols of the Cabalists that the name of woman hath more affinity with that unspeakable four-letter'd name of the divine omnipotency then the name of man which agreeth with the divine name neither in characters neither in figure neither in number But to passe by these for they are read by few understood by fewer and they require a larger narration then can suite with our purpose In the mean while we will finde out the excellency of women not by Name onely but by Realities by Offices and Merits We will search the Scirptures and take our rise from the beginning of the Creation and discusse what dignity she hath obtained above the man In the first order of production we know whatsoever are created by God differ in this that certaine of them perpetually abide incorruptible certain are subject to corruption and mutation and in creating these God proceeded in this Order and Method beginning at the more noble of the one that he might end at the noblest of the other therefore he created first the incorruptible Angells and soules For so Augustine contendeth that the soule of our first parent before the production of the body was created together with the Angells Moreover he created incorruptible bodies as the Heavens Stars and Elements which I call incorruptible although they are liable to various changes out of which he made all other things which are subject to corruption so by ascending through every degree of dignity from the more vile proceeding to the perfection of the Universe Hence first were brought forth Minerals after Vegetables Plants and Trees next the sensible plant at length sensible creatures in their order creeping swiming flying and going upon four feet At last he created two like himselfe the Male first and then the Female in whom the Heavens and the Earth with all their ornaments are perfect for the Creator comming to the Creation of the Woman he rested in her as the most honourable of the whole Creation and indeed in her is concluded and consummated the whole Wisdome and Power of the Creator so that beyond her there is not to be found nor imagined a more excellent Creature Since then Woman is the last of all Creatures the end and complement of all the works of God and the perfection of the Universe it selfe who will deny her to be most worthy of preheminence without which the world now indeed absolute and perfect in every degree had else been imperfect which not otherwise then in the perfectest of all creatures could have been perfected for it is erroneous and absurd to thinke that God ended his daies of Creation in an imperfect work For since the world was created of God as a most intire and exact circle it was necessary that it should couple and unite the first of all things with the last So woman while the world was created was the last in time of all things were created but in the divine Idea and Conception was first both as well for Authority as Dignity As concerning her it is written by the Prophet God elected her before the heavens were created and fore-elected her That is the common opinion of Philosophers that I may use their own words That the end is alwayes the first in intention and last in execution But the woman was the best work of God brought in of God into this world as the Queen of it into a palace prepared for her adorned and decked in all respects

shine bright continually to this day but least any should doubt that women are not able to doe all those things appertaining to men let us run over the matter by examples and wee shall finde there is no famous action in any kind of Vertues performed by men which may not as excellently be done by women Melissae Cybeles in times past were famous for the Priesthood from whose name other goddesses Priests afterward were called Melissae Hypecaustria was the Priest of Minerva Mera of Venus Iphigenia of Diana and women were the Priests of Bacchus famous by many names as Thyades Maenades Bacchae Eliades Mimalonides Aedonides Euhyades Bassarides Triaterides with the Jewes Mary the sister of Moses together with Aaron did enter the Sanctuary and was accounted as a Priest In our Religion although the office of Priest-hood be forbidden women we know notwithstanding that Histories declare that women sometimes concealing their Sex have ascended to the top of the High Priests office So many there have beene most holy Abbesses and Nuns whom antiquity was not ashamed to call Priests Famous in prophecy with Nations of all Religions Cassandra Sybillae Mary the sister to Moses Debora Holda Anna Elizabeth the foure daughters of Philip and many other holy women of later days as Brigida Hildegardis have been Furthermore in Magicke whether by the familiarity and acquaintance of good or evill spirits I dispute not Circes before the rest and Medea did far more wonderful things then even Zoroastes himselfe although the Inventor of this Art as hee is beleeved by many Againe In Philosophy there is famous Theano the wife of Pythagoras and his daughter Dama famous for expounding the darke sentences of her father also Aspasia and Diotima the Schollars of Socrates and Mantinea and Philesia Axiochia both the Shollars of Plato To conclude Plotinus extolleth Gemina and hee praiseth Amphiclea and Lactantius Themistis The Roman Church rejoyceth in her Katharine which maide alone did farre excell all the learning of wise men in that age Neither may we forget in this place Zenobia the Queen and Schollar of Longinus the Philosopher who for her abundant and excellent skill of letters obtained the name of Ephinissa whose holy workes Nicomachus hath turned into the Greek tongue Let us proceed to Oratory and Poetry behold Armesia by sirname Androgenea Hortensia Lucrea Valeria Capiola Sappho Corinna Cornificia Romana and Erimna Telia or Telbia which were named Epigrammatists in Salust Sempronia and Calphurnia among the Lawyers yea except it had been forbidden women to learn letters in these days even now as yet might be had women of most famous learning more excellent in wit then men But wherefore do I speake concerning this because women by nature it selfe alone without doubt seem to excell Artificers in all Disciplines do not Grammarians boast themselves to be Masters of Well-speaking and do we not learn that better from Nurses and Mothers then from Grammarians hath not Mother Cornelia framed the most eloquent tongue of the Gracchi and the mother of Istrinus taught Sylem the son of Aripithus the King of Scythia the Greek tongue did not alwayes children born in Colonies brought in with strange Nations hold the speech of their mothers Not for any other cause Plato and Quintilian carefully gave Order concerning chusing a fit Nurse for children that their speech might be rightly and discreetly formed by the tongue of the child And are not also Poets in their Trifles and Fables and Logicians in their Notionall contentions overcome by women There is not an Orator so good or so happy but the perswasion of a light Huswife will overcome him What Arithmetician by casting up falsely can deceive a woman of her due benevolence What Musician can equall a woman by singing and pleasantnesse of voice Philosophers Mathematicians Astrologers are they not in their Divinations and Prognostications oftentimes inferiour to plaine Country women and often an old woman excells a Physitian Socrates himselfe the wisest of all men if credit may be given to the testimony of Pythius and mature in judgement yet disdained not to learn something of the Lady Aspasia So neither was Apollos the divine ashamed to be instructed by Priscilla Now if Prudence be required Opis related amongst the goddesses Plotina the wife of Trajanus Amalasuntha the Queen of the Ostrogoths Aemilia the wife of Scipio are examples to whom may be added Debora a most Prudent woman the wife of Labidoth who alone as may bee read in the Booke of Judges some time judged over the people of Israel and the children of Israel went up to her for every Judgement who also was chosen Captaine of the Host of Israel when Barach did refuse to fight and wone the Field her Enemies being slaine and put to flight Furthermore It is read in the History of the Kings that Attalia the Queen Reigned and Judged seven yeares in Jerusalem and Semiramis after the death of Ninus the King judged the People Forty yeares and all the Candaces Queens of Aethiopia Reigned being most wise and potent concerning whom mention is made in the Acts of the Apostles Josephus that faithfull Writer of Antiquities telleth wonderfull things of them Adde hereunto Nicaula the Queene of Sheba who coming from the uttermost ends of the Earth to heare the Wisdome of Salomon by the testimony of the Lord condemned all the men of Jerusalem And also there was one Technites a most wise woman which staggered K. David with an Interrogation taught him by a riddle appeased him by an Example of God Neither here again is to be passed by in silence Abigal and Bathsheba the one of which freed her Husband from the anger of David The other the Mother of Salomon prudently obtained the Kingdom for her Son Furthermore in the invention of matters Isis Minerva Nycostrata are examples And in modelling Governments and Cities Semiramis holding the Monarchy of the whole World Dido and the Amazones In Wars Thomiris Queene of the Massagetans which conquered Cyrus the Monarch of the Persians Also Camilla of the Nation of the Volscians Valisca of Bohemia both mighty Queens and Pande of the Indians the Amazones Candaces Lemnenses and the Phocians Chians and Persian woman Wee read of many other most famous women which restored safety to their Nation in the highest despaire thereof amongst whom is Judith whom Jeremy extolleth in these words saying Receive ye Judith the widow an example of chastity with triumph perpetuate her never-dying memory with praises he giveth her out not only to be imitated by women but by men because being an example rewarder of chastity such were her vertues that she overcame the invincible and excelled the most excellent We read also that a certain wise woman called to Joab and gave into his hands the head of Siba the enemy of David that he might save the City Abela which was the Mother of Cities in Israel And that a certain woman cast a peece of Mil-stone