Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	woman_n	word_n	work_n	81	3	4.9223	4	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

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. LONDON Printed for Robert Ibbitson 1652. To the most Clement Margaret Augusta Queen of the Austrians and Burgundians Henry Agrippa wisheth all health and happinesse Most Wise Princesse I Have entred upon a matter hitherto unheard of but not disagreeing with truth boldly I have done it according to my ability but not without some blushing It is to describe the Nobility and Excellency of the Female Sex I doe confesse boldnesse with shamefac'dnesse hath often strived within me For as I did think it a thing full of ambition and boldnesse to comprize the innumerable Praises Vertues and highest Excellencies of women So it did seem as a childish modesty of wit to prefer women before men Hence I alledged an Argument wherefore none hitherto as I certainly know have dared to exalt the eminency of women above men when very few dared to write so much as concerning their praises Therefore I did thinke it a thing full of ingratitude to be silent even as to envie and rob so deserving a Sex of its most just and due praises so that while I did stick perplexed within my selfe amongst these various and dissonant opinions I was made more bold in writing with this wonderfull fear of ingratitude when as indeed I should have been more bold had I suppressed such a truth by my silence I cannot then but interpret it for a good omen as if the province of this matter had been left and decreed to me from above which hitherto the multitude of learned men seem utterly to have neglected I shall freely therefore declare the glory of women and their accomplishments I shall not hide in doing which far be it from me that I should be ashamed of the argument taken in hand that if I prefer women before men I may think I ought to be dispraised for this as scarcely I can beleeve that I shall be excused who have composed a matter so sublime with a lower forme of speaking then ought to be except the streightnesse of time difficulty of the matter and justnesse of the cause did defend me as also because I have entred upon this worke with no desire of flattery or assentation therfore I have not so much studied to adorn my words with Rhetorical fictions and officious lyes for praises as to shew the matter it self by Reason Authority Examples and by the testimony of Holy Writ and of both Lawes To you most Illustrious Margaret whose other part amongst the most famous women of this age through the whole world Apollo Diana Dies Aurora Vulcan five gods have not sufficiently illustrated as well for your Nobility of birth as glory of your Actions I appoint this worke therefore devoted and dedicated that the lustre of your Sex may shine forth in you as in a Sun who hath ascended to the highest degree because you have exceeded whatsoever hath bin blazed abroad concerning the praises of the Female Sex both in Life and Manners by a present example and a most faithfull witnesse of the same Sex Farewel most happily the Grace Ornament and Glory of most Noble women and Princesses absolute in all respects Henricus Cornelius Agrippa TO THE Vertuous and Beautifull Female Sex of the Common-Wealth of ENGLAND Illustrious Crowne of the Creation OVt of a gratefull desire to do right to that Sex to which mankind oweth but its all I both meditated within my self and read severall Authours among which happily I met with a subject very sutable to be exhibited to you It is a Tract of Cornelius Agrippa a judicious learned Authour who writes not unfitly of your praises I found it in a Roman dresse but I present it to you in your owne naturall language I use the Authours owne expressions and terme you the Crown of the Creation not unworthily because if you look into Genesis you shal find that Woman was the last work in the Creation and so the most perfect and absolute As we see when Artificers make an excellent piece they keep pollishing till the last as being the perfection and Crown of it I cannot disagree in judgement with the Authour because when I behold your splendor and glittering beauty I take it as a great confirmation of the opinion Nor doe you glitter in your outward alone but also in your inward beauty which is your Wit and Vnderstanding as appears by your quick and acute Answers For seldom have I seen Men so subtile in return of Answers as Women I will say no more but this now you are apprehensive of your own Excellencies let God have the glory and esteem of me as The admirer of your Vertues Edward Fleetwood De foeminei sexus praecellentiâ L. Bliaquettus DEsine vaniloquax Sexum laudare virilem plus aequo laudum ne sit acervus iners Desine si sapias sexum damnare malignis foemineum verbis quae ratione carent Si bene lance tuâ sexum perpendis utrumque foemineo cedet quisque virilis erit Credere si dubitas restibi dura videtur haud alias visus nunc mihi testis adest Quem nuper vigilans extruxit Agrippa libellum ante viros laudans foemineumque genus Englished thus Cease idle Prater for to raise a mount Of praise to Men which I but words account Cease if thou art wise to load with envious words The Female Sex no reason such affords If well thou weighest both Sexes in thy mind The Male must yeeld unto the Female kind Which if thou doubtest nor yet to thee is clear We have a witnesse here shall mak 't appear I mean this booke which learn'd Agrippa writ In praise of Female 'bove all Mankind wit The Speech and Declamation of Henricus Cornelius Agrippa concerning the Nobility of the Female Sex GOD the Creator of all things in whom the plenitude of both Sexes dwels hath made Man like himselfe Male and Female Created he them It is manifest that the difference of the Sexes consists only in the different Scituation of the parts of the Body which the office of generation did necessarily require But certain it is he gave one and the same in different soule to Male and Female in which undoubtedly there in no distinction of Sex The woman is endued with the same rationall power and Speech with the man and indeavoreth to the same end of blessednesse where there is no exception against Sex for according to Evangelicall truth they rising againe it their proper Sex doe not perform the function of Sexes but become like unto the Angells Therefore there is

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

deservedly therefore every creature loveth reverenceth and observeth her deservedly every creature is subject and obeyeth her as their Queen being as the end so the glory and perfection of all the works of God Wherefore the wise man speaks concerning her He glorifieth the Nobility of the Woman having fellowship with God and above all the Lord loveth her How much also in respect of the place in which the woman was created she excelleth man the holy Scriptures plainly testifie in that the woman was formed in Paradise being a most Noble and most pleasant place with the Angells when as the man was made in the ordinary field out of Paradise with bruit creatures and afterwards for the sake of the woman to be created was brought into Paradise therefore the woman by especiall and extraordinary priviledge of nature as it were accustomed to the highest place of her Creation although looking down from high is not giddy neither doe her eyes dazle as it is wont to happen to men Furthermore if it happen that a woman together with the man be in danger by waters all outward helps being laid aside the woman longer swimmeth above the water when the lumpish man presently sinkes to the bottom That the dignity of Place maketh to the Nobility of a man both civill Laws and holy Canons do abundantly confirm and it is the general observation of all Nations not only of men but of every animate creature yea and inanimate also That by how much more worthy soyl they draw their originals from by so much the more generous they are counted Wherfore Isaac commanded his Son Jacob that he should not take a wife in the land of Canaan but from Mesopotamia of Syria being in better condition Not unlike to this is that in St. John which Philip said We have found Jesus the son of Joseph of Nazareth Nathaniel said unto him can any good thing come out of Nazareth But to proceed to other Arguments The woman excelleth the man in respect of the matter of which she was made which was not dead and vile clay as mans was but a purified substance enlivened and endued with a soule yea a rationall soule participating of the divine mind Hereunto I shall adde that man was made of the earth which of its own nature heavenly influences co-operating produces living creatures of all kinds But the Woman above the influences of heaven promptitude and potentiality of nature and concurrence of secondary causes was made by God alone in all things like unto him intire and perfect man loosing but one single rib of which the woman was formed to wit Eve of Adam sleeping and that so deeply that he did not feele when it was taken away which God taking from the Man gave to the Woman Man therefore is the worke of Nature but Woman the Artifice of God And therefore for the most part Woman is more capable of divine splendor then Man and often is found full of the same which may easily appear from the serenity and pulchritude with which she is even to wonder blest For since beauty is nothing else but the divine light and splendor shining through faire bodies he certainly hath chose to dwell in and fill with it Women rather then Men Hence the Body of WOMAN is most delicate to the eye and touch her flesh most soft and tender her colour bright and lustring Skinne cleare Head comely Locks faire haire soft shining and long her Countenance majesticke Aspect pleasant her Face surpassing in beauty necke milke white fore-head high eyes sparkling with a lovely chearfulnesse mixt with tenne thousand graces above them eye-browes smooth and thin divided with decent distance from the middle of which descendeth her nose streight and of due proportion under which is her mouth neat round and lovely with small fresh and red lips within which her teeth appeare when she gently smiles being very small and evenly placed overcoming Ivory with their whitenesse and to whom they are fewer in number then to man because she is not given so much to eating and consuming About them her jaw-bons rise handsomely and cheeks of a tender softnesse a rosie brightnesse and full of modesty Next take view of her round and dimpled Chinne in a pleasant manner under which the neck is placed which is small but something long fairly erected upon her round shoulders a delicate throat white and of an indifferent thicknesse her voice sweet and pleasant her brest somewhat large and prominent adorned with two Nectar-fill'd Paps the roundnesse of which doth suite and agree well with the roundnesse of her belly her sides soft back smooth and erect armes stretched out hands small and slender fingers ●●●…tly joynted her flanks and hips more full the calves of her legs more fleshy the tips of her hands and feet ending in a round orbicular compleatnesse and every member ful of juyce and moisture Adde to these her composed gate modest deportment graceful motion gallant carriage besides the order symmetrie figure and habitude in all parts most specious that I may say there is no creature so admirable no wonder so to be admired and that no man except he be blind cannot but see God himselfe what pulchritude soever the universal world is capable of to have heaped upon women to the end that every creature might stand amazed at her love and reverence her as we see by experience that incorporeall spirits doate upon women with most ardent affections which is such an approved truth that none I think dare offer to deny it And that I may omit that which Poets manifest to us concerning the Loves of the gods and their Paramours as of Apollo and his Daphne Neptune and his Salmonea Hercules and his Hebe Jole and Omphale and of the Mistrisses of other gods and more then many of Jupiter himselfe The holy Scriptures in many places highly commend beauty in women above all other gifts and graces hence it is read in Genesis that the Sons of God seeing the daughters of men that they were fair took them wives of all they would We read also of Sarah Abrahams wife that she was a fair woman to look upon above all other women in the Land When the Servant of Abraham saw Rebecca a maid of an excellent beauty he said silently within himselfe This is she which the Lord hath prepared for Isaac the sonne of Abraham And Abigal the wife of wicked Nabal as she was prudent and discreet in like manner she was fair and beautiful and therfore she saved the life and the goods of her Husband from the fury of David and the evill man was saved by the faire and vertuous woman for with these words David spake unto her Goe in peace unto thy house behold I have heard thy voice and honoured thy face For since every beauty is either spirituall vocall or corporeall Abigal was wholly beautifull both by prudence of spirit comelinesse of body eloquence of speech upon which

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