aspyre to the height of her haughtie minde The younge Gentleman thinking that his â—kle for feare of displeasure durst not deale in so daungerous a matter neither gaue great credit to his wordes neither yéelded him any thankes for his paines but determined notwithstanding of hymselfe to pursue his sute And knowing that proper Gentlewomen delight in prety Iewels and that the Goddes them selues are pleased with gifts he gat the most precious Pearles dearest Diamonds in the country and caused them to be presented vnto the Princesse from hym But disdainfull rigour so ruled her that she would not so mutch as looke vpon them saying she had no néede of his giftes that he might better bestowe them on those who were not his betters and that she thought it shame a Princes person should be purchased with perles The Gentleman though greatly dismaide to sée both his goodwill neclected and his giftes reiected yet lyke a valiaunt Souldiour he gaue a freshe onset vppon her with friendlye louing Letters whiche hee wrote in this wise Most péerelesse Princesse though loue hath almost blinded me in all thinges yet I humbly beséeche you not to thinke me so forgetfull either of the meanesse of myne owne estate either of the maiestie of yours as to presume to practise you in the waye of mariage for in my iudgemente I thinke no man on earthe worthy that honour but my pitifull petition is this that you wyll accept mee for your slaue and seruant and the what country soeuer you shall be married into I may geue attendance vpon you to y intent still to inioy the sight of your swéete face féede my fansy in y conteÌ„plation of your beuty For I am so vowed to your vertue y onely the swéet remembrance of you shal mortifie in me y mind to any other woman whatsoeuer For I perswade my selfe to finde more felicity in one friendly looke of yours then in any others faithfull loue And though these blotted wordes be to base an obiect for your heauenly eyes yet waighing the cause in the skales of curtesye I trust you will take them in good part The cause of the blots was the teares whiche fell from my eyes at the making hereof the cause of the words is the good will of the writer Thus prayinge you to pittie the one and to accept the other I leaue lyving onely to doe you duty and seruice Yours though not yours IPHIS The Princesse hauing this letter deliuered vnto her by one of her waiting women so soone as she knew front whence it came floung it from her sayinge shee had nothing to deale ether with him or his letters and straightlye charged her women not to salute her with any thing from him But Fortune so framed that as she flung the letter from her in came the king her father caused the letter to be reacht vnto him and knowing the contentes therof sent for my youth Iphis shooke him vp with sharp threatnings and charged him vpon paine of punishment neuer after to be séene at the Courte The younge Gentleman séeing the ground which he tilled altogether barren and that it yéelded him but care for Corne and griefe for graine determined to bestowe no more cost or labour thereon and besides fearing the Kings fury and displeasure with as conuenient spéede as he could coueied hymselfe in to the countrie and there asswaged his sadnesse with solitarinesse setting her crueltie towardes him against his curtesie towards her her visdainfulnes against his owne dutifulnes he soone set himself free froÌ„ his folly This matter thus enued greater stormes began to brue such a tempest arose that Scilla who beefore kept other in bandes was now her selfe set in the sandes where before shee sailed in ship with top and top gallant setting out flag of defiance now she was driuen to strik saile and vaile bonnet euen to her fathers enemy For it fell so out that King Minos moued iustly therto for the murther of his sonne waged warre and came with a puisaunt power against King Nysus and layde so harde to his charge that he made him kéepe his Castle Now while Minos lay at the siege therof it fortuned the younge Princesse to haue a sight of him out at the window of the tower wherin shee lay and now Cupid ment to bee reuenged on the crueltie which she vsed to his Captaine Iphis who fought so faithfully vnder his banner and shot sutch darts of desyre into her towards King Minos that vnlesse she might haue him to husbande shée thought her selfe but a woman cast away and after a sobbinge sigh and tricklynge teare she fell out with her self in this sorte Ah fond foolish girle and canst thou finde in thine hart to beare freindly affection to thy fathers feendly foe Can I loue him kindly who seekes to spoyle my country cruelly Coulde I valiauntly withstande the assaultes of a flourishinge young man and shall I cowardly yeeld to a fadinge olde man without any assault O loue without law O rage without reason O will without wit O fansy fraught full of fury and frensy Good God where are now beecome those lofty lookes I was wonte to vse to louers Where are the coy countenances the haughty wordes the solemne salutacions the dainty dealinges the curious congies and sutch like Alas now I am made to stoupe without stale to come without call or lure yea to the empty fist But alas who is priuiledged from the force of loue no there are none so stout but loue maketh them stoupe none so wise but loue maketh them fooles none so shamefast but loue maketh them bolde And though I should first bewray my affection and make loue to kinge Minos the offence is rather to bee pitied then punished Yea the more frankly I offer him my goodwil the more freindly no doubt but hee will accept it and the lesse hée hath deserued it the more will hée indeuour himself to bee thankful for the same Neither can hee but take it as an vndoubted signe of deepe goodwill if I giue the first onset in this skirmishe neither can it any way redound to my shame the end béeinge honest and my meaninge in the way of mariage And if it bee lawfull to follow the example of creatures without reason doth not the Cow loe to the Bull doth not the Mare neigh to the Horse doth not the Yeaw blea to the Ramme doth not the Faulcon call to the tossell gentle the gerfaulcon to the Gerkin the sparehauke to the Musket And so of all other creatures the females are more forward that way then the males Besides that by how mutch weaker women are then men by so mutch the more they are to bee borne with all if they bee lesse able to beare the heauy burthen of loue then men Againe by how mutch more the loue of women is more feruent then of men the more fiery flames of force must fry within vs whiche without great griefe cannot be concealed or
her husbandes absence to sée a wilde Aegiption with one eye in his forehead whom shee longed to see that women ought to spin with Penelope to spill with Camma to kill with Lucrece to bee slaundred with Susanna with Sauoy and with others to indure any torment rather then to lose one iote of their chastity and honesty Pigmalions friende and his Image PIGMALION a Gentleman of Piemount continuing the space of certaine yeares in honest affection and vertuous loue with PENTHEA wife to Luciano a noble gentleman of the same country is at length by her reiected in respect of a base stranger Pigmalion abandoning the company of all women and giuinge himselfe to the arte of Caruing burneth in loue with an Image whiche himselfe had fashioned whom at his earnest sute Venus transformeth into a faire Mayde and hee taketh her to Wife TO make the reckoning without the host is the way soone to bee â–ª ouershot in the shot to resolue certenly vpon incertenty is the way neuer to be in any certenty to looke for constancy of those y lyke of inconstancy or to determine of those things which are not in our powers to perfourme is nothing els but to bee deceiued of our expectation and to be driuen to alter our determination as the History whiche you shall heare shal yéelde example of both the one and the other In the country of Piemount had his beeinge one Pigmalion a gentleman discended of noble birth indued with perfection of person perfectly pourtraied forth with y lineameÌ„ts of learning so that it was dooubtful whether he were more indebted to fortune for his birth to nature for his beauty or to his parentes for his learninge But as beautie birth ritches and the rest must néedes geue place to learninge so no doubt but his parentes deserued the preheminence of prayse For the other are but dim starres where learninge giueth light And as when the sunne shineth the light of the stars is not séene so where learning appeareth all other giftes are nothing to be accounted of Besides that beeside his learning he was indued with a great dexteritie in all thinges in so mutch as nothing came amisse vnto him whiche was méete for a Gentleman in feates of armes no man more couragious in exercises of the body none more actiue in game or play none more politike amongst the auncient who more graue amongst the youthfull who more merrie so that there was no time no person no place wherto hee aptly applyed not him self By reson wherof he was acceptable to all good companies wel was he that might entertaine him in his hous But most of al he frequeÌ„ted y â—hous of one Luciano a noble Gentleman of the same countri in continuaunce of time grew so farre in familiaritie with his wife that he reposed his onely pleasure in her presence Yea shee had made sutch a stealth of his harts that neither Father nor Mother Sister nor Brother nor all the friends he had in the country beside could keepe him one wéeke together out of her compani Yea this faithful loue hée bare her séemed in a manner to extinguish all naturall loue towards his allies and kinsfolke Who beeinge as they were wont desirous of his company at hauking hunting and sutche like pastimes coulde not by any erauing or importunity obtayne it but being ignorant of the cause they thought it had proceded of this that his minde vpon some occasion had been alienated from them which caused them on the contrarie somewhat to withdrawe their goodwils from him But hee forced litle thereof he cared not whom hee displeased so he might worke her contentation shee was the starre by whose aspect he did direct his doynges she was the hauen wherein he sought to harborough shée was the heauen whyther he coueted to come shee was the saint to whom hée did lend sutch deuotion that hee could finde in his heart to bend no liking to any other whatsoeuer In so mutch y hauing the profer of many ritch maryages hee alway refused them as hauing his hart so replenished with the loue of her y there was no roomth for the loue of any other to remayn within him Now shee on the other side whose name was Penthea béeinge a curteous courtly wenche gaue him sutch freindly entertaynment and vsed him so well in all respectes that her husband excepted shee séemed to holde him most dere vnto her of any wight in the whole world Shée neuer made feast but hée must bee her guest shee neuer rode iourney but he must be her companion shee neuer daunced but hee must direct her shee neuer dised but hee must bee her partner shee in a manner dyd nothing wherin hee did not something Her Husbande all this while beeinge fully assured of her vertue and very well perswaded of the honesty of the Gentleman susspected no euill beetweene them but lyked very well of their loue and familiarity together neither in deede had hee any cause to the contrary For Pigmalion knew her to bee indued with sutch constant vertue that he thought it impossible to allure her to any folly and besides that his loue was so exceedinge great towardes her that hee would not by any meanes bee the cause to make her commit any thinge which might make her lesse worthy of loue then shee was And if at any time as the fleshe is frayle the vehemency of his affection forced him to perswade her to folly he did it so faintly that it might plainly bee perceiued hee was not willing to ouercome For hee deepely doubted that if by the force of her loue towardes him or of his perswasions towardes her shee should haue yeelded the forte of her fayth and chastity in to his handes his loue towards her with the sun beinge at the highest would haue declined and decreased which would haue bene the greatest greife to him in the world No hee liued with sutch delight in the contemplation of her chastity and vertue that hee was voyde not only of Libidinous lust towardes her but also towardes all other women whatsoeuer Yea hee receiued more pleasure of her by imagination then of any other woman by y acte of generation So that betweene these friends was no cause of suspicion no cause of iarre no cause of ielousie but they liued together the space of three or foure yeares in most heauenly hauen of most happie lyfe The floud of their felicity flowed from the fountaine of most faithful friendship the building of their bidinge together was raised on the rock of vertu so y it was to be thought no seas of subtiltie or floudes of fickelnesse coulde haue vndermined it But what perpetuitie is to bee looked for in mortall pretences What constancy is to bée hoped for in kytes of Cressids kinde may one gather Grapes of thornes Suger of Thistels or constancy of women Nay if a man sift the whole sexe thorowly hée shall finde their wordes to bee but winde their fayth forgery
A petite Pallace of Pettie his pleasure Contaynyng many pretie Hystories by him set foorth in comely colours and most delightfully discoursed Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit vtile dulci. To the gentle Gentlewomen Readers GEntle Readers whom by my will I woulde haue onely Gentlewomen and therefore to you I direct my woords May it please you to vnderstand that the great desire I haue to procure your delight hath caused me somwhat to transgresse the boundes of faithfull freindship for hauinge with great earnestnesse obtained of my very freinde Master George Pettie the copie of certaine Histories by himself vpon his owne and certaine of his freinds priuate occasions drawn into discourses I saw sutch wittie pithie pleasantnes contayned in thē that I thought I could not any way do greater pleasure or better seruice to your noble sexe then to publish them in print to your common profit pleasure And though I am sure hereby to incur his displeasure for that he willed me in any wise to keepe thē secret yet if it please you thankfully to accept my goodwill I force the lesse of his ill wil. For to speake my fancy without feigninge I care not to displease twentie men to please one woman for the freindship amongst men is to be counted but colde kindnesse in respect of the feruent affection beetweene men and women and our nature is rather to doate of women then to loue men And yet it lyeth in your powers so to thinke of his doings and to yeeld him sutch courteous consideration for the same that hee shal haue more cause to thank me then think ill of my faithles dealing towards him Which if your courtesies shall perfourme you shall increase my dutie towardes you and his good will towards mee you shall make me shew my will and him his skill another time to pleasure you you shall binde both of vs to remaine ready at your commaundements For mine owne part I can chaleng no part of praise or thankes for this woorke for that I haue taken no paines therein neither by addinge Argument Note or any thinge but euen haue set them forth as they were sent mee only I haue christened them with the name of a Pallace of Pleasure I dare not compare this woorke with the former Pallaces of Pleasure because comparisons are odious and because they cōtaine Histories translated out of graue authors learned writers and this containeth discourses deuised by a greene youthfull capacitie and reported in a manner ex tempore as I my selfe for diuers of them am able to testifie I dare not commende them beecause I am partiall I dare dedicate them to you Gentlewomen beecause you are curteous And that you may the better vnderstande the drift of these deuises I haue caused the letter also which my freinde sent mee with this worke to be set downe to your sight Thus commending mine owne faithles enterprise and my freinds fruitfull labour and learning to your courteous protection I wish you all beuty with bounty and cumlinesse with curtesie from my lodging in Fleetstreete Yours readily to commaund R. B. The Letter of G. P. to R. B. concerning this woorke FOrced by your ernest importunity and furthered by mine owne idle oportunity I haue set downe in writinge and accordynge to your request sent vnto you certaine of those Tragicall trifles whiche you haue heard mee in sundrie companies at sundrye times report and so neare as I could I haue written them word for word as I then told them but if any of them seeme better vnto you now then they did then you must attribute it to my lisping lips which perchaunce did somewhat disgrace the grace of them and yf any seeme worse now then than you must impute it to this that perchaunce there was then some Pallas in place which furthered my inuention For I am in that point of Ouid his opinion that Si cupiat sponte disertus erit But whether they seeme vnto you good or ill I trust you will take them as a token of good will and that is the onely commoditie I looke to reape by them I pray you only to vse them to your owne priuate pleasure and not to impart them to other perchaunce to my preiudice for that diuers discourses touch neerely diuers of my nere freindes but the best is they are so darkely figured forth that only they whom they touch can vnderstand whom they touch yet to auoide all captious constructions I pray you in any wise let them bee an obiect only for your owne eyes If this mislike you in my discourses that I make Camma vse the example of the countesse of Salisbury the Dutches of Sauoy and sutch who were of far later yeeres then the auncient CAMMA is with the like in diuers other of the stories you must consider that my Camma is of fresher memory then any of them and I thinke in your iudgment of fresher hew then the fayrest of them Likewise if you like not of some wordes and phrases vsed contrary to their common custome you must thinke that seeing wee allowe of new fashions in cutting of beardes in long wasted doublets in litle short hose in great cappes in low hattes and almost in al things it is as mutch reason wee should allow of new fashions in phrases and wordes But these faultes or whatsoeuer els I care not to excuse vnto you who are the only cause I cōmitted them by your ernest desire to haue mee set downe these trifles in writing And as my wordes hytherto haue tended to this end that you should take these trifles well so now I am to exhort you that you will vse them well that with the spider you sucke not out poyson out of them that by some light example you bee not the sooner incited to lightnesse For beleeue mee I speake it freindly therefore take it freindly I thinke it more needfull to send you a bridell then a spur that way And if my example may bee a bridle to restraine you from vanity doe but imitate mee hereafter or if my counsayle may containe you in continency doe but follow this aduise if you bee free that you come not into bondes if you bee bound vt te redimas captum quam queas minimo for trust me the broad blasphemy of Pigmalion and the sodain Apostacie or rather right conuersion of Alexius haue setled me in this fayth that I thinke him Terque quaterque beatum qui a consortio mulierum se cohibere potest You meruayle I am sure to heare these wordes of mee and that I should so soone turne my tippet and recant who but yesterday as it were entred into heresy But beleeue mee my B. nunquà m nimis citò est ad bonos more 's via Qui non est hodié cras minus aptus erit Principiis obsta serò medicina paratur Cum mala per longas conualuere moras Errare humanum est in errore perseuerare belluinum Sinnes oft assaied
able to requite good will the one belonginge to the minde the others incident to the body but from the equitie of my cause I appeale to your good grace and fauour and at the bar of your beauty I humbly holde vp my handes meaning to be tried by your courtesy and mine owne loyalty and minding to abide your sentence either of consent vnto life or of deniall vnto death Camma hearing this discourse assoâ—e loked red for shame as soone pale for anger neither would disdain let her make him answere neither would her greife giue her leaue to holde hir peace but standing a while in a maze betwéene silence and saying at length shee brake of the one and burst out into the other in this sort If Sir your banquet had bene no better then this your talke is pleasant to mée I am perswaded the dishes woulde haue béen taken whole from the Table without touchinge but as the one was far better then the company deserued so the other for a far worse woman might more fitly haue serued and if your swéete meate haue sutche sower sauce the next time you send for mée I will make you sutch answere as was made to Cratorus the Emperour by Diogenes when he sent for him to make his abode with him in his courte who answered he had rather be fed at Athens with salt theÌ„ liue with him in all delicacy so for my part I promise you I had rather be fed at home with bread and water then pay so derely for dainty dishes Touching the paines you haue indured for my sake I take your wordes to bee as false towardes mee as you would make my faith towards my husband but admit they were true seeing I haue not willingly been the cause of them I count not my self bound in conscience to counteruayle them only I am sory they were not bestowed on some more worthy your estate and lesse worthy an honest name then my selfe which beinge the cheife ritches I haue I meane most diligently to keepe The interest which cauilingly you cleime in me as it consisteth of false premises so though the premises were true yet the conclusion which you infer thereof followeth not necessarily for were it so that your loue were greater towardes me then my husbandes which you can not induce me to beléeue yet séeyng my husbande by order of law hath first taken possession of mée your title succéeding his your successe and sute must néedes bée cold naught for as your selfe say of lawes so of titles the first are euer of most force and the most ancient of most auctoritie Your Wolues example though it shew your Foxely brayne yet doth it inforce no sutch proofe to your purpose but that by my former reason it may bée refelled for y the Woulfe is frée from the proper possession of any but therin truly you obserue decoraÌ„ very duly in vsyng the example of a Beast in so beastly a cause for like purpose like proofe like man like matter Your manly marchyng vnder the ensigne of Iustice if reason bée your captayne generall to lead you I doubt not but soone to tourne to a retire for if it bée goodwill which you beare mée I must néedes graunt you duly deserue the like agayne but when you are able to prooue it goodwill to deflower my chastitie to béeréeue mée of my good name to despoyle mée of mine honour to cause mée to transgresse the boundes of honestie to infringe my faith towards my husband to violate the sacred Rytes of Matrimonie to pollute the Temple of the Lorde with other innumerable enormities when I say you are able to prooue these to procéed of good will then will I willingly yéelde consent to your request But sée the vnreasonablenesse of your suite would you haue mée in shewyng curtesie towards you commit cruelty towards my self should I in extendyng mercie to you bring my selfe to miserie should I place you in pleasure and displace my selfe of all ioy for what ioy can a woman inioy hauinge lost her chastitie which ought to bée the ioy Iewell and Gemme of al Gentilwomen of my callyng and countenance your appeale from your owne cause to my courtesie bewrayeth the naughtinesse therof for if it bée not ill why sticke you not to it if it bée good why appeale you from it but séeynge you haue constituted mée Iudge in this case you know it is not the part of a Iudge to deale partially or to respect the man more then y matter or to tender more mine owne case then your cause therefore indifferently this sentence definitiue I giue I condemne you hencefoorth to perpetuall scilence in this sute and that you neuer hereafter open your mouth herein beeing a matter moste vnséemely for your honour and most preiudiciall to my honestie and in abidyng this sentence if you can bee content with honest amitie for the curteâ—ie which I haue alwayes founde at your handes and for the good will which you pretend to beare mée I promise you you shall inioy the seconde place in my harte and you shall finde mée fréendly in all thinges which either you with reason can aske or I with honestie graunt Synorix hauing heard this angell thus amiably pronouncing these woords was so rapt in admiratioÌ„ of hir wisedom and rauished in contemplation of her beutie that though shée had not inioyned him to silence yet had hée not had a woorde to say and least his lookes might béewray his loue and his countenance discouer his case hée secretly and suddainly withdrew him selfe into his chamber to study what face to set on the matter casting him self vpon his bed after hée had dreamed a while vpon his dotinge deuises at length he awaked out of his wauering thoughtes and recouered the possession of his sences againe by which time the play was ended and his guestes ready to depart whervpon hee was driuen to come foorth of his chamber to take his leaue of them and bidding his Misteris good night 〈◊〉 gaue her sutch a looke that his very eyes séemed to plead for pity so that what his tongue durst not his eyes did His guestes beeinge gone he disposed him selfe to rest but loue which was then his good Maister willed him otherwise to imploy that night whiche was in examyning perticulerly euery point of her answere And though the first part seemed sumwhat sharpe and rigorous and the second contained the confutation of his cause yet the third and last part seemed to be mixt with mettell of more milde matter which he repeated to himselfe a thousand times and there vppon as vppon a firme foundacion determined to raise vp his building again with the two former partes of her answere had vtterly â—ansakt to the grounde But mistaking the nature of the ground wheron the foundation was layd his building as if it had been set in sandes soone came to ruine for by that promise of freendship which she freendly made him hee sinisterly conceiued hope of obtayning that
resteth for mee onely to beewayle my euill hap to lament my luckelesse loue and neuer to attempt that I am like neuer to attaine vnto By this time the earth was couered with a darke mantell and by reason that the Sun was departed out of our Horizon the light of the starres which the Sun lendeth them béegan to appeare in the firmamente where vpon this poore passionate louer weried with woe disposed him selfe to rest but hee whose bane loue hath brued neither by night nor by day neither in company nor solitary neither sléeping nor waking can take any rest or quiet For hee was no sooner in a slumber but the goddesse of his deuotions presently presented her selfe béefore him sayinge Myne owne why doest thou thus torment thy selfe for my sake who suffer no litle greife to see thy great sorrow wherfore be bolde to aske any thing at my hands honestly and bee sure I will graunt it willingly for I perswade my selfe the heauens haue reserued mee for thée Icilius hearinge as hée hoped this heauenly voice and séeing as hée thought that saint by his bed side with open armes reached to imbrace her but béeinge awaked with open eyes hée saw hee was deceiued which sodaine fall from heauen to hell tooke away his breath from him for a while but béeing come to him selfe hée began to cry out in this carefull manner O God is it not sufficient to vexe mée with vanities in the day time vnlesse thou torment mée with visions also in the night haue I not woe inough awake but that béesides I must haue sorrow in sleepe What gréeuous offence haue I committed that deserueth sutch gréeuous punishment if this bée the rewarde of them that loue woe woe bée to them that hate thou hast commaunded vs all to loue one another and if thou thus punishe the fulfillers of thy law what shall béecome of the transgressors therof but if thou bee disposed to punish mée and displeased with my deedes neuer suffer mée hereafter to do any thynge but cast mée into sutch a sleepe wherin I was erwhile and therein let mée continue continually O happy was Endymion who longe time inioyed the like sleepe O ten times happie are the dead if death bée any thynge like this sleepe But O hundred times vnhappie am I to whom wakyng is waylefull wheras to all thynges els it is ioyfull But was this but a vision which deluded mee was it but a dreame whiche I doated on And if it were but a dreame doth it portend nothyng and may there be effect in dreames Yea god wot commonly the contrary or as Cato saith wée sée sleeping that which wée wish for wakyng So that neither in dreaming nor doing neither in sleepyng nor séeyng neither in thinkyng nor sayinge finde I any cause of comfort or see any signe of solace This youthe passed his time so longe in these and sutch like passions that the carefull cariage of his eyes bewrayed his carefull minde and his pale countenance his painfull case Which a special fréend of his perceiuyng tooke sutch compassion and pitie on his painfull state that hée sought all meanes possible to sift out the cause of his sorrow to the intent to séeke some medicine for his maladie And hauyng oportunitie of time and place hée brake with him in this sorte Good freende if I should shew you what great sorrow I sustayne by your heauinesse you would perchaunce iudge my words to proceede rather of flattery and trifling then of truth but no more but trie how willyng I wil be to ease your payne and by that iudge how greatly it gréeueth mee But how great so euer my gréeif bee my wonder is more then great to sée you transfourmed from the estate of a pleasant Gentleman into sutch solitarie regardes that you séeme rather a Tymon of Athens then a courtier of Italy and so mutche the more cause I haue of meruayle by how mutch lesse I sée any apparent cause which should worke any sutch alteration in you For if want of worldly wealth coulde worke your woe why you want nothyng if you would eate golde as they say you might haue it If losse of freendes molest you why you haue an infinite number whiche loue you intirely If you bee disposed to trauayle to see straunge countries your parents wil bee well pleased with your departure If you bee wearie of your single life your freendes will foorthwith prouide for your Marriage If any repulse receyued of any dayntie dame doo daunt you why the Goddes them selues haue suffred the like as Daphne a seely damsel refused the God Phoebus Syrinx a simple mayde reiected the God Pan with infinite other If you haue fixed your fancie in place you thinke impossible to possesse why you haue reason to rule your affection you haue wit to compasse your desire you haue fréends to further it you want nothynge to finish it With this his colour beegan to chaunge and hee fetcht a deepe sighe or two whereby his freend perceiued hee had touched the cause of his calamitie and sore of his sorrow praying him very ernestly to vnfolde the secrets of his thoughtes vnto him sayinge two wittes are better then one and that which you blinded perchaunce by loue can not see I stirred vp by desire to doo you good may perceiue And for secrecy in your affaires assure your selfe that neuer Pithias to his Damon Pylades to his Orestes nor Gysâ—ppus to his Titus was more true then I will bee to you And though your learninge and wit to knowe what is best for your owne behalfe bee far better then mine yet the simplenesse of my wit shal bee supplied with the sincerenesse of my will which shal be alwayes so ready prest to pleasure you that if my seruice may satisfie you you shall commaund mee if my company may content you I will neuer be out of your sight if I may any way stand you in any steede account mee your owne only Icilius hearing this friendly discourse could not but say in his heart O friend vnfained O loue most loyall O curtesy incomparable and imbracinge fast his freend in his armes sayd if al the miseries in the world did muster in multitudes about mee yet this thing only is of force to fence mee from their furies to thinke I inioy so firme a friend as your selfe are and if I may liue but to requite some part of your good wil it is the second felicity I loke for in this life But touching the cause of my perplexity I must craue pardon if I make courtsy to disclose it for that many euils cary this nature rather to bee concealed with griefe then reuealed in hope of releife And as a greene wound by taking the aire spredeth farther abroad and is the hardlier healed so I thinke my tormente and greife beeinge once discouered would not bee so easely cured If sayth his frend the originall of your euil proceede of loue as in my fancy it doth then vndoubtedly the
couered And whereof springeth this errour that women may not first make loue but only of a precise and curious custome nay rather a preiudicall and carefull custome I may tearme it to vs women for wherof commeth it that so many of vs are so euill matcht in mariage but only hereof that wée are tyed to the hard chose of those that offer their loue vnto vs where as if it were lawfull for vs to make loue where we lyked best we woulde neuer marry but to our minde and contentation Lastly I am not the first that haue played the lyke parte and that whiche is done by alowable example is lawfully done For Venus her selfe yéelded her selfe to her darlinge Adonis withoute any sute made on his part Phaedra made sute to Hippolitus Oenone pleaded her right with Paris Dido dyd Aeneas to vnderstande how déepely she desired him Bryses besought the goodwill of Achilles Adalesia by her gouernesse made loue to Alerane the Dutchesse of Sauoy went on pilgrimage to y Knight Mendoza infinit lyke exampls I could alleage and why is it not lawfull for me to do the lyke and make loue to King Minos who perchance would first haue sued to mée if he had first séene mée yes let the world iudge what they will I wyll doe what I shal iudge best for my selfe and with as conuenient spéede as I may I will either by letters or déedes do Minos to vnderstand what minde I beare him And as she was busely beating her braines here about one of her most trusty and louing women came ▪ vnto her humbly requestinge her to make her priuy to the cause of her perplexitie Alas good misteris saith she yf you want any thing let your friends vnderstand it and it shal be prouided If my poore seruice may any way serue your turne assure your selfe neither respect of honour lyuing or lyfe shall let mee from doing any thing which may deliuer you out of distresse if you haue imprisoned your libertie any where and giued your selfe in the fetters of fansy I know a Gentlewoman my familier freind who can stand you in as much steed for y obtaininge of your purpose as any gentlewoman in this Courte The princes desirous of aid in her distres prayed her woman to procure the comminge of that Gentlewoman with all possible spéede Whervpon the wayting woman caused one of the princesses gentlemen to goe to this honest woman and in her name to desire her to come to the princesse You shall vnderstande this gentlewomans name who was sent for was Pandarina in her youth a seruinge woman and one which knewe more fashions then was fit for honest women But nowe married to an honest Gentleman shée entred into a newe religion seeming to renounce her olde fayth setling her selfe in sutch hipocrysy y she rather counterfaited cunningly thē liued cōtinētly But to paint her out more plainly she was more coy thē cumly more fine thē wel fauored more loftly thē louely more proud then proper more precise thē pure more superstitious then religious more of spighte then of the spirit and yet nothing but honesty would downe with her more Ielous then zelous either iudging her husband by her selfe or iudginge her selfe vnworthy the seuerall vse of so cōmodious a commen as her husband was Well sutch as shee was this younge gentleman of the younge princesse was sent for her at the first comming according to the fashion hee kist her and hauing done his message with frowning face shee told him shee could not goe to the princesse and though shee could yet would shee not goe with him The Gentleman somwhat abashed hereat returned to the gentlewoman that sent him and told her what answere this honest woman made Who meruailing mutch therat went presently her selfe vnto her desiring that gentleman to accompany her Béeinge come to her lodging after a few salutacions Pandarina prayed the gentlewoman either to send vnto her a more modest messenger then the gentleman shee sent or els to teache him to kisse more continently The gentlewoman blushinge for bashfulnes told her she had not the skill to teache men to kisse shee thought that cunning concerned cōmon harlots or at least married women rather then her but sayth shee I will tell him of it that of him selfe hee may amend his fault and callinge the gentleman aside vnto her shée asked him how hée had misused him selfe towards Misteris Pandarina in kissinge her No way sayth hee that I knowe for but if I kissed her boldly I trust shee wil attribute it to young mens bashfulnesse and if I kissed her kindly I trust she wyll impute it to good will. Yes mary sayth the gentlewoman it was more hindely then shee cared for or liked of Uerily sayth hee if it were ouer kinde it is more then I know or more then I ment for to speake my fancy freely I know neuer a gentlewoman in this lande that I like of worse and if shee bee aferde I bee to far in loue with her I will bee bound in what bond shee will to hate her no man more But gentlewoman if you adhibite any credite to my counsayle flie her familiarity eschew her company sutch sayntes in shewe are Satans in déede sutch fayned holinesse is double diue lishnesse sutch counterfayte continencye I count litle better then baudry For sure this is a most sure marke to knowe dissemblers by that they will alwayes far excéede the meane for feare of béeing found in their fayning As those that fayne to weepe houle out right those that fayne to bee freindly shew them selues plaine Parasites as those that fayne to bee valiant brag most gloriously and as shee counterfaytinge continency sheweth her selfe altogether curious and hipocritiall But notwithstandinge I haue had no knowledge of her life and conuersation yet dare I lay my life on it that either shee hath bene naught is naught or wil be naught whensoeuer shee can get any foule adultrour fit for so filthy an adultresse The Gentlewoman hearing him so ernest prayed him to put vp the matter patiently sayinge shee thought it was but a shift to excuse her not comminge to the princesse and so went to Pandarina telling her the Gentleman was sory hée had offended her and so away they went together to the princesse I haue wandred Gentlewomen somwhat béesides the path of my promised purpose but yet not cleane out of the way of mine owne will and intent For though this digressiō pertaine litle to the history I haue in hande yet it may serue to admonish you that you take not executions of curiosyty against kisses which are giuen you of curtesy and if there chaunce to bée any fault in them either modesty to conceale it or presently to returne the kisses againe to him which gaue them But in excusing my former digression I shall enter into another digression therefore to the matter and purpose proposed Pandarina beeinge preferred to the presence of the Princesse hauinge done dutifull
thou art rated at to high a price to be reached auaunte foule beastly baâ—de thy counsell is withoute conscience thy aduice without honesty they which cleaue to thy help shall bée serued as he whiche ready to fall from a hedge catcheth holde of a sharpe bryer to staye himselfe they y follow thy phisick shal do as he which to heale his agâ—e slew himself they which prouide for their fathers peace and preseruation as thou wouldest haue mée to doe shalt with the Daughters of Pelias kill their Father to make hym younge agayne They which loue their Father as thou wouldst haue me to do shall with Thais to her Phaedria shut hym out of the dores and out of his kingdome for loue But what doe floudes drowne fieldes before they finde a bâ—ack can one be exalted without anothers wracke Can I be preferred to pleasure without some others paine But it gréeues mee my father shoulde bee pinched for my pleasure Why it is reason the greife should be theirs whose is the gaine But it is perilous for mee to enterprise so great a matter Why is it not reason the perill should be mine in pursuing when the pleasure shall bee mine in possessing but alas it nippeth mee nere to lose my father the victory to winne my selfe my loue Why alas gréeuous woundes must haue smarting playsters and those medicines euer soonest heale vs whiche most gréeue vs And shall I then preferre mine owne pleasure before my fathers profit why euery one ought to be nerest to them selues and their wisdome is nothing worth which are not wise for them selues Nay rather shall I preferre the commodytie of King Minos before the commodytie of King Nysus why Nysus is my father why Minos will be my Phere why Nysus gaue me lyfe Why Minos wyll yéelde mee loue Why Nysus made mee a maide Why Minos wil make mée a mother Why Nysus cherised mee beeing young Why Minos wyll make mutch of mée beeinge olde why nature bindeth mee to loue my father why God commaundeth mee to loue my husband Ah foole doe I call hym husbande who wyll not haue mee doe I call him phere who forceth not of mee Is it lykely hee will receiue a runnagate from her cittie a beetrayer of her Father Can hee think to finde mee faithfull towards him that am faithlesse to mine owne father Tush hee will attribute all this to loue and loue mée y better for it He will excuse beare with my doings by the exaÌ„ple of his owne daughter Ariadne who betraied him to her louer Thesius by the exaÌ„ple of Medea who betraied her father to Iason by the example of Hyppodamé who procured y death of her father by matching with Pelops And therfore al doubtes done away I wil without delay put the policie of Pandar â–ª in practise The night following sutch hast her hot loue required she shewd her selfe Misteris of her word though not of her selfe and performed that which shee sayde she would For her father beeing a sleepe shée got softly to him and cut of his precious haire which had in it sutch vertue Which done shée went to King Minos and presented him therewith who in most reprochefull wordes reprehended her déede and in most disdainfull sort reiected her loue But she not meaning to leaue her loue while shee had lyfe leapt into the sea to swim after him as hee sayled away And so quenched her desire in the bottome of the sea You see here Gentlewomen she y would not looke vpoÌ„ her Iphis coulde not be looked vpon by her Minos Shee that would make no account of her inferriour could not be accounted of by her superiour For it is a plaine case and therfore looke to it that they which deale rigorously with other shall bée rudely dealt withal themselues But I am by this story chiefely to admonish you that you pull not of your fathers haire that is y you pul not their harts out of their bodies by vnaduisedly castinge your selues away in matching in marriage with those who are not meet for you That is to pull of your fathers haire when you shall cast of the bridle of obedience rashly run at randon rudely neglect his precepts and presumptuously place your selues in marriage contrarie to his pleasure that is to pull of your Fathers haire But Soueraigne now your father is gone I will giue you more sound advice I will admonishe you all not to pull of your owne haire that is not to binde your selues to the froward faust of your politique parents but to make your choice in mar riage according to your owne mindes for ouer widowes you sée Fathers haue no prehemineÌ„ce of power touching their marriages and you are not to know that mariage is a contract consisting of the frée consent of both the parties and that onely is required in the consummation of marriages and the Rodians haue this law that onely the mothers haue rule ouer the Daughters But mum lupus in fabula I must I say admonish you y as your parents gaue you your bodies so they may dispose of them That you requight all their loue care and cost at least with obedience I must tel you that if you honour not them your dayes will bee short on earth I must tell you that Rauens will pull out the eye that blindeth the Father and neglecteth the good instruction of the mother as Solomon sayd Curiatius and Horatia CVRIATIVS a young Gentleman of the Citie of Albania in ITALY fallinge into extreame loue with Horatia a young Gentlewoman of the Cittie of Rome after longe sute and many delayes obtaineth her graunt to bee his wife But in the meane time contention fallinge out beetwene the two Citties Curiatius is slaine in the fielde by Horatius brother to the said Gentlewoman to whom hee was assured Whose death Horatia most pittifully bewaylinge her brother greatly disdayneth thereat and cruelly thrusteth her to the harte with his Swoord SUrely Gentlewomen either according to Ouid his opinion Forma numen habet Beutie hath some diuinity or Godhead in it or els contrary to the common opinion loue is some heauenly influence and no earthly accident For of euery earthly and mortall motion there may some probable reason or naturall cause bee giuen as euery lyving creature desireth that whiche is good and agréeable to it nature bicause euery thinge is déere to it selfe and desireth the conseruation of it selfe in it kinde As the earth draweth downward beecause it is heauy the fyre flyeth vpward beecause it is light the water contrarie to it nature oftentimes ascendeth to the top of high hyls to avoyde vacantnesse The aire for the same cause often times discendeth into the pores of the earth as cholerike complexions are soonest intensed to anger beecause they abound with heate as women are not so subiect to anger as men beecause they are more colde of nature And so of all humaine actions natural effectes there may be some probable reason and naturall cause yéelded But
of loue it is so farre without the compasse of reason and bounds of nature that there can no reason no cause no coniectur bee geuen of it Neither what it is working sutch diuers effects neither whence it is procéedinge of so diuers causes neither whether it will béeing neuer satisfied Therfore no earthly thing but some supernal power sure it is as your selues I thinke will say by that time you haue harde the History of Curiatius who was sodenly strocken therewith as if it had béene with some thunder or lightning from heauen For you shall vnderstande this gentleman dwelling in a towne named Albania situate néere vnto the Cittie of Rome hee made dayly repaire vnto Rome both in respect of profit as to deale with marchants in matters of waight and in respect of pleasure as to frequent the felowship of lusty younge Gentlemen whiche flourished in that Cittie Now it was his chaunce as hee strayed about the stréetes to sée a proper Gentlewoman named Horatia sittinge at her Fathers dore to take the aire and to recreate her selfe with the sighte of those that passed by and notwithstandinge he had neuer séene her before yet through the deuine power of loue he was so blasted with her beautie that he presently proclamed her the soueraigne of his thoughtes and gouerness◠of all his doinges And hauinge passed by her twise or thrise with lookes shewing his loue and salutations signifiyng his sute he could not be so satisfied but banishing bashfulnes he couragiously incoūtred her in this māner Gentlewoman God saue you and send you that which you wish and to wish that which I would God Misteris may it please you to know that though my féete haue force to cary my body from this place yet my harte will not suffer mée to turne my head from beholdinge your swéet face whiche is the cause that hath made mée thus boldly to intrude my selfe into your company But setting your goodnesse against my rudenesse I doubte not but you will attribute it rather to abundaunce of good-will then to want of good behauiour and rather take it for good meaning then yll manner But if it please you not thus frindly to interpret it yet at least I beséech you not to impute it to my boldnesse but to your owne beautie for as the Larketaker in his day net hath a glasse whereon while the birdes sit and gaze they are taken in the net so your face hath sutch a glisteringe glasse of goodlynesse in it that while I gazed thereon I was caught in the snares of Cupid Or as the Spider in her webbe doth fast winde the litle Flie so your beauty doth so fast binde mee in the beames thereof that I am faine presently to yéelde my selfe a pray to your good pleasure humbly béeseeching you to account of mee not accordinge to my deserts which as yet are none but accordinge to the loyall seruice which I faithfully vow hereafter to do vnto you Neither meane I to craue other rewarde for my seruice but onely that it will please you in good parte to accept it Horatia hauinge harkened to this talke with a certaine disdainfull and solemne scilence made him this waspishe answer Gentleman this libertie of spéeche in you sheweth the lightnesse of your loue for as I haue harde those that loue most speak least as hearing their cogitations conuersant in the contemplation of the Saints whom they serue but your smooth tale and fine filed words shew that your practise is rather fainedly to pretende loue then faithfully to loue And for my part I would not you should think me either so simple as to beléeue your coloured words either so ouergone in lykinge of my selfe but that I take the commendation which you giue mee rather for triflinge mockinge then true meaninge and I promise you I had rather you woulde vse some other to exercise your eloquence on then my selfe for that I neither like of your vnlykely loue neither meane to be framed to your folly Your comming to mée vpon no acquaintaunce contenteth mee well inough for that I may leaue your company when I lyst and so turned in at the dore frō him The Gentleman séeing her rigorousnesse to excéede his owne rudenesse laying aside a litle more good manner tooke hir fast by the arme desiringe her to stay a worde or twaine which he vttered to this effect O good Misteris goe not about to torment hym so terribly whiche loueth you so intirely depriue mee not of that sight which doth onely work my delight absent not your selfe from him whom nothinge vnder the Sunne pleaseth but your presence And whereas you chalenge my lybertie of spéeche may it like you to vnderstand that though this sodaine loue hath made me loose in a maner the remembraunce of my selfe and caused mee to bee carlesse and negligent in all other affaires though of neuer so great importance yet the beeholdinge of your séemely selfe doth so reuiue my sences and quicken my spirits that it maketh all my partes to doe their part in praying for pittie and praysing your person wherein if I should bee speechelesse I might iustly be thought to spare the trueth and spighte your perfection And that my loue is modest without mocking true without triflynge and vehement without vanytie I take the heauens to witnes and beesids let this be practised for proofe that if it please you to imploy mée you shall finde mée as spéedy to end my lyfe to doe you good as ready to spende my time to doe you seruice Mary saith she perchaunce so for I thinke I shall finde you neither spéedy in the one neither ready in the other But thei that haue once passed the bounds of shamefastnesse may euer after lawfully bee impudent and you that haue beegunne to scoffe and gybe thinke by authorytie you may continue in it sutch a one I count you to bee and so I account of you And so left my youth without dores Who séeinge him selfe so coursly accounted of fell to raginge to him selfe in this manner Ah the brauery of these fine girles the more they are courted the more they are coy the more humbly they are sued vnto the more loftyly they looke And if a man practise them in the way of marriage good God what shew of shamefastnesse will they make what visors of vyrginitie will they put on what colours of continencie wil they set foorth what charinesse wil they make of their chastitie they neuer forsooth meane to marrie sayinge that single life is the only swéet life that marriage is inuented rather for necessitie then for any goodnesse that is in it that their yéeres yet require no hast of marriage that if God would giue them grace their freinds would not force them to the contrarie they would neuer know what man meaneth while they liue Whereas in very deede they desire nothyng more then marriage neither couet any thing more then the company of men Agayne if a man making loue in
my marrying is turned to mourning my wedding to wéeping my wealth by warre is wasted my slowre of ioy by the cold frost of cankred fight is defaced Yea what flower can flourish where no Sun doth shine what Sun can shine inclosed close in earth My sun alas is dead and downe for euer rysinge againe and the worlde with mée is at an ende and done for euer ioying againe Wâ—e wâ—rth the cause the quarrell the conflict that brought my Curiatius to this cureles case O woulde to God my Citie had béene sacked my friends spoyled and my brothers brought to bane rather then my Curiatius should haue come to this careful ende O brother y hast not only slaine thy foes but thy friends thou hast not only killed Curiatius but thou hast wounded thine owne Sister to death Her brother passinge by her and hearing her heauy plaints beeing therwith rapt into great rage and with pride of the victory almost béesides hymselfe drew his sword and forgetting al lawes of nature and humanytie thrust his Sister therewith to the harte saying get thée hence to thy kinde spouse with thy vnkinde loue who forgettest thy brothers that are dead thy brother that is aliue and the conquest of thy country And so come it to euery Romaine that shall lament the death of an enemy to the Romaines You haue harde Gentlewomen that one harmefull hand made a hand of two harmelesse wightes and that hand had hangd himself to if his father by his pitiful peticion had not purchased his pardon Now I would heare your indgementes to whom you thinke this lamentable end of these louers ought to be imputed Surely I think Horatia cheifly in fault for holding of so longe béefore shée woulde accept and acknowledge the loue of her beloued For if she would by any reasonable sute haue béene wóon they had bene married longe time beefore this warre begunne They had dwelled quietly together in Albania and Curiatius béeing a married man should not haue béen prest to the warres but should haue beene suffered to trye his manhood at home with his wife So that her lingring loue hastened her and his death her selfe will wrought her selfe and hym wracke And for her Brother his offence was litle for in killing Curiatius hee procured conquest to his Country and commendation to himselfe and in killinge his Sister hee eased her of so mutch labour and saued her soule from damnation For hée knew shee would desperately doe her selfe to death and considering the miserie shée was in hée thought hée could not doe her a greater pleasure then to cause her to die for her Curiatius his cause Cephalus and Procris CEPHALVS a lustye younge gallant and PROCRIS a bewtifull girle both of the Duke of VENICE Courte beecum eche amorous of other and notwithstandinge delayes procured at length are matched in marriage Cephalus pretending a far iourney and long absence returneth beefore appointed time to trie his wiues trustinesse Procris falling into the folly of extreme ielousie ouer her Husband pursueth him priuely into the wooddes a hunting to see his beehauiour whom Cephalus heeringe to russhell in a bushe wherein shee was shrowded and thinking it had bin some game slayeth her vnwares and perceiuinge the deede consumeth hymselfe to death for sorowe IT is the prouident policy of the deuine power to the intent wée shoulde not bée to proudly puft vp with prosperitie most commonly to mix it with some sower sops of aduersitie and to appointe the riuer of our happinesse to runge in a streame of heauinesse as by all his benefites bountifully beestowed on vs may bée plainely perceiued whereof there is not any one so absolutely good and perfect but that there bée inconueniences as well as commodyties incurred thereby The golden glisteringe sun which gladdeth all earthly wightes parcheth the Sommers gréene and blasteth their bewtie which blaze their face therein The fire which is a most necessary element vnto vs consumeth most stately towres and sumptuous Cities the water which wée want in euery thing we do â–ª deuoureth infinit numbers of men and huge heapes of treasure and ritches the aire wherby we liue is death to the disceased or wounded man and béeinge infected it is y cause of all our plagues and pestilences the earth which yéeldeth foode to sustaine our bodies yéeldeth poison also to our bodies the goodes whiche doe vs good often times woorke our decay and ruine children which are our comforte are also our care marriage which is a meane to make vs immortall and by our renewing ofspring to reduce our name from death is accompanied with cares in number so endlesse and in cumber so curelesse that if the preseruation of mankinde and the propagation of our selues in our kinde did not prouoke vs therto wée should hardly be allured to enter into it And amongest all the miseries that march vnder the ensigne of marriage in my fancy there is none that more torments vs then that hatefull helhounde Ielousy as the history which you shall heare shall shew You shal vnderstand in the Dukes Courte of Venice spent his time one Cephalus a Gentleman of great calling and good qualities who at the first time hee insinuated himselfe into the societie of the Ladies and Gentlewomen made no speciall or curious court to any one but generally vsed a dutifull regarde towards them all and shewed hymselfe in sport so pleasaunt in talke so wittie in maners so modest and in all his conuersation so cumlye that though he were not specially loued of any yet was hée generally lyked of all and though hée himselfe were not specially vowed to any yet was hee speciallye vewed of one whose name was Procris a proper Gentlewoman discended of noble parentage And though at the first her fancy towardes him were not great yet shee séemed to receiue more contentation in his company then in any other Gentleman of the troupe But as materiall fyre in shorte time groweth from glowinge coales to flashing flames so the fyre of loue in her in shorte time grew from flytting fancy to firme affection and she beegan to settle so surely in goodwil towardes him that shee resolued with her selfe hée was the onely man she would be matched to if shee were euer married And béeinge alone in her lodginge shee entred with her selfe into this reasoning How vnequally is it prouided that those which worst may are driuen to holde the Candle That we which are in body tender in wit weake by reason of our youth vnskilfull and in all thinges without experience should bee constrained to beare the loadsome burthen of loue wheras ryper yéeres who haue wisdome to wyeld it and reason to represse it are seldome or neuer oppressed with it Good God what fiery flames of fancy doe frye within mée what desyre what lust what hope what trust what care what dispaire what feare what fury that for mée which haue alwaies lyued frée and in pleasure to be tormented therewith séemeth litle better then the bitter
cases and ioyninge of genders together And this was the lesson in déede that liked him this hée thought y lesson of al lesson y only lessoÌ„ which led to perfect learning y only instructioÌ„ which truly taught right construction the onely lesson of lyfe the only pathway to Paradise This lesson hée soone had learned and yet thought with himself that hée neuer had sufficiently learned it which made him in short time make repetition of it a thousand times And for recreation after his study his exercise alwayes was either to triumph of his owne happinesse either to trisle and talke with his misteris either in verse curiously to commende her or els in prose liuely to paint foorth the praise of women and amongst many other his frantick fancies hée presented in writing to his wife this mutch in effect As it somewhat easeth the afflicted to vtter their annoy so no doubt it greatly increaseth our happinesse to expresse our ioy And I am perswaded that al the delightfull things we sée all the ioyfull things we heare and all the pleasaunt thinges we feele woulde procure vs litle pleasure if we had no meanes to manifest theÌ„ or freinds to impart them to Therefore I will vnfolde my ioyes to my ioy my pleasures to my Peragon my mirth to my mistris For who euer swamme in sutch seas of delight who euer bathed in more perfect blis for first what could I haue wished more of God then to haue mine owne Father the author the béeginner the perswader the practiser the furtherer and the finisher of my felicitie to impart vnto mée his counsayle to depart with his coyne to geue mée his goods to leaue me his lands to do more for me then I had ether reasoÌ„ to require or so mutch as durst to desire O Father thou only knowest how to blesse thy children then what more happines could happeÌ„ vnto me then to haue a wife whose countenance coueteth only to content mée whose lookes are framed only to my lykinge whose wordes are only wrested to my wyll whose deedes are only directed to my delight whose beautie then the sun beames is more bright whose bounty wit and vertue is more rare then to be comprehended in a mortal wight who in shape Venus in wit passeth Pallas her selfe who is the only starre which giueth right light who is the only worship of the worlde the only honour of her age the only Phaenix of the earth whose gouernment is sutch that she can guide her selfe wisely in all companies in all causes whose discretion is sutch that shee can applie herselfe fitly to all times to all places to all persons who loueth mée so loyally that I cannot but like it who honoureth mee so dutifully that I cannot looke for more who at all times entertaineth mée so curteously that I cannot but bee content with it who dayly filleth my eares with sutch sugred words that they can not but delight mée who at borde feedeth mée so daintily that a prince would bée pleased with it who at bed feasteth mee so delicately that Cupid him selfe would bée glad of it O Misteris thou only knowest how to make thy husband happy But what meruayle is it to sée a good trée bring forth good fruit what wonder is it to sée one woman good when there are none ill And how is it possible there should bée any ill when y matter wherof they are made causes wherof they come are right good For first they are made of the purified mettall of man wheras man was made of y grosse earth And as in stils out of herbs is gotten pure water so out of man was gotten y pure mettall of women as may bée plainly perceiued by the finenesse of their fourme by the softnesse of their flesh by the clerenesse of their colour sutch like TheÌ„ for the constitution of their bodies they are most coÌ„monly colde by reason wherof they are most patient modest milde and mercifull most constant without lightnesse most continent without leudnesse neither offende either in excesse of meate either in fleshly heate so often as men of firy and hot complexions doe Besides that the purity of their bodies may bée perceiued by this that no corruption comminge by the grosenesse of meat or otherwise can continue long within them but that they haue continually euacuation of all yll humours sutch force hath that which is fine to expel that which is filthy And as their bodies are most perfecte so also their soules are most pure For wheras men receiue from Adam origynall sinne women are altogether voide of that infection which may be partly coniectured by the excellency of many of their complexions cleerenes of their skins so that no man almost would think y there could lurke any lothsomnes to be misliked of vnder so cumly a couert as their faire faces are but only they y haue proued the contrarie But notwithstaÌ„ding this perfectioÌ„ wherw t they are indued yet as things most excelleÌ„t are euer most enuied their want not those which want so mutch gouernmente that they will not sticke ernestly to inueigh against the noble feminine sexe and amongest the rest as who is so bold as blind bayard Mantuan like a mad man most rudely and rashly raueth and rayleth against them But his wordes are so voyde of wit and his railing so without reason that if hee were aliue I thinke him rather with tormentes to bee confounded then with argumentes to bee confuted Before him Aristotle as an Asse sotted with ouer mutch studdy maketh a great speake sayinge women are monsters in nature and he alleageth a profound reason to proue it for that nature forsooth alwayes intendeth to bringe forth that which is most perfect and therfore would bring forth only men if shee might Apythy argumente hee reasoneth as though it were graunted him that men were more perfecte then women which with all his philosophy hee shall neuer bee able to proue And if hee make this reason that the male is euer more perfect then the female nature her selfe will quickly confute him who in most of her creatures hath made the female far more perfect then the male And not to vse many instances what need wee goe any farther then consider the kinde of Hawkes where wee shall see the Goshauke far better then the Tossell the Gerfaulcon then the Gerkin the Lanar then the Lanaret the Sparâ—hauke then the Musket and so of all the rest But Aristotle can make a better reason for that women by mutuall coniunctions receiue their perfection from men a reason truely without all reason What woman was euer more perfecte then the virgin Mary who neuer knew man Then the Romaine vestall virgins Then our vowed virgins who continued the whole course of their life without the company of men But Ceny forsooth beeinge a mayd desired to bee made a man But will you know the cause Not for that shee coueted to bee of the kinde of man but that shee might
bee free from the filthinesse whiche men did force her to for before she had bene rauished by Neptune like as y litle chicke being caught by the kyte would wish with all his heart hée were a Kite and yet the kind of Kites is not to be thought better then of the chicken But to leaue Aristotle his railyng reasons and to reason indifferently of the matter what one perfection any way are men indued withall that women want Do men I say either in natural wit either in politike gouernment either in valiant courage either in skill and learnyng either in vertue and liuyng any thyng excell them And first for wit Aristotle himselfe proueth them to bee more apt in wit for that they are more soft in fleshe and we our selues haue a common sayinge amongst vs that women are neuer without an excuse which is a sure signe of a most sharpe and readie wit. And if I were driuen to alledge exaÌ„ples of witty women I coulde recite whole countries to wit Flaunders Holland Zeland and most of the lowe countries where the women wittily deale in al thinges discreetly order their housholds courteously entertayne straungers and wisely wield most waightie affayres wheras the men deale only with drinke and like drunken doltes lie vnder the bourde In Fraunce also the GentlewomeÌ„ generally are more wittie in words and eloquent in talke theÌ„ the men The like no doubt may bee truly reported of diuers other nations Then for politik gouernment is it likely that they who can gouerne them selues and their affections discréetely their families and housholdes orderly are to séeke in the polytike gouerment of publike matters For no doubt it is far more easy to see wittily into other mens affaires then into our owne and Solon sayth that they only are fit to gouerne other who can well guide them selues neither is the difference so great betweene a priuate family and publike society but that they which can gouerne the one may wyeld the other Againe seeinge in matters of loue which blinde the wisest men that are women can deale so politikely that though they themselues beare great affection to a man yet they will so handle the matter that they shall humbly make sute vnto them and ernestly desire them to it which thei of them selues most ernestly desire seeinge in priuy stealthes they can practise so politikely y their husbands though neuer so wary shal neuer be ware of it but rather the more they are deceiued doate y more of them Is it to be thought they are to learne of men or any way inferiour to them in the conuaigh of ordinary accidents and matters of common moment But women are not admitted to the administration of the common wealth but what forsooth is the cause For sooth the malicious spite of men and I may saye it to my self it standeth vs vpon so to do for if they should be allowed to execute publike offices whereby their discreet and good gouernment might be generally known it were greatly to bée feared that wee should be set to the clout and kitchin another while and they placed in those offices whiche wee now not so worthy of them wrongfully vsurpe And yet to the intent all sutch bright lights should not bee put vnder a bushâ—ll it hath pleased god to set some of them on the hils of high estate to giue light of life and good gouernment to the whole world as namely the wife of Aeneas named Lauinia after his death gouerned the most turbulent state of Italy with sutch policy and wisdome that though the title of her husband to the kingdom were very tickle beeinge a Troian straunger though her neighbours on euery side were giuen to spoylyng incroching oppressyng and vsurpynge yet shee kept her people in peace and her kingdome quiet vntill her sonne Ascanius came to ripe yeeres then safely set him in the regall seate and royall dignity of his father As Debora for her wit and policy was appointed iudge ouer the Israelits by whose counsayle and courage that couragious captayne capital enemy to the Israelits named Sysara was subdued But what should I rehearse examples of the politique gouernment of women whereas lawes the only ground of all good gouernment were first inuented and made by Ceres a woman Therfore to the third point which is valiaunt courage wherin we our selues confesse them to be nothing inferriour vnto vs in that wee say women are alwayes destrous of soueraintie which euidently argueth a noble and haughty minde Béesides that howe mutch weaker their bodies are then mens so mutch the more strength and vertue is contained in their mindes For it is the iustice of God commonly to supply the debilitie of the body with the might of the minde Againe how mutch shorter lyued are they then men according to Aristotle his opinion so mutch the more vertue of body and minde they are endued withall Like as by dayly experience wée sée that those children which are destined to death in the prime time of their lyfe are farre more wittie discréete perfect euery way then those who haue longe time graunted them to liue on earth Lastly if particularyties might proue a generality what man was euer more couragious then Semiramis who in the habite apparell of a man gouerned y Assirians most couragiously then Tomiris who slue the mighty Kinge Cyrus most valiently then the wiues of the citie of Scio who repulsed their enimies most reprochefully with infinite other who in stoutnes of stomack and couragiousnes of minde haue ben equall to any man that euer had any praise for his prowes and vertue The fourth poynt is learninge which to bee proper as it were to women may bee proued by this y the Muses the authors of all lerning were womeÌ„ It may be said that the people called the Latines lent vs mutch learninge but it must bée saide that a woman named Nicostrata first taught them their letters It may be said that Athens hath bene the author of many arts but it must be sayd y â–ª Aspasia instructed Pericles the Duke thereof in learning Solomon was most wise and learned yet Saba was able to dispute with him Zenobia had learned sonnes but shee her selfe taught them So that it is euident that women are rather the author of learninge then any way inferiour to men in learning The last poynt is vertuous life Alas it gréeueth mée to thinke how far we come behinde in this comparison How straunge is it to heare a woman to bée a swearer a stealer a murtherer a traytor a rebel an extorcioner a perâ—urer a cosener or any sutch like â–ª To our shame I speake it we wallow in those wickednesses How hard againe is it to finde a man of coÌ„tinent coÌ„uersation of modest manners of milde minde of gentle disposition of curteous inclinatioÌ„ of pitifull hart To their praise I speake it women abound in those vertues So that to speake indifferently béetwéene the life of men