it more greeuously that their mother had so often mocked him so he caused her youÌ„gest sonne to be most cruelly handled put to death then any of his brethreÌ„ And last of all after her sonnes were this all slayne and martyred She also their mother suffered death martyrdome paciently constantly holily dyed in the same opinion and religion for mainteining of the law of God 2. Mach. 7. Ioseph fol. 202. Machabites There were also before these two other women of the Machabites who because they had circumcised their sonnes according to Gods law contrary to the commandement of this cruell tyrant Antiochus were brought forth with the babes haÌ„ging at their breasts and after they had ledde them rounde about the Citie for example to others they were cruelly â—ast downe headlong ouer the walles with their children sucking at their breasts so both mothers and babes perished and were most butcherly slayne martyred for the lawes of their God 1. Mach. â— 63â—2 Mach. 6.10 N Widowe of Nahim In the Citie of Nahim a Towne of Galilie in the tribe of Isachar hard by Tyberias there was a certayne widowe who hauing but one onely sonne left her to comfort her after the death of her husband it pleased God that it fell sicke and dyed And as she was following the corse out of the gates of the Citie to the buriall so it was that Iesus by Gods prouidence came and met her and when the Lorde saw her mourne and take her sonnes death so heauily as she had great cause he had compassion on her and sayde vnto her Woman weepe not and commaunding them that bare the corse to stand stil hee went and touched y e coffin sayde vnto her dead sonne Young man I say vnto thee arise with y t onely word of Christ her dead sonne sate vpright in y â— coffin and began to speake Then Iesus delâ—uered him to his mother to her great comfort and his euerlasting glory Luke 7.11.12.13 P Pathroitesse In Pathros a Citie of Egypt there were certaine superstitious and Idolatrous women of the Iewes who when they heard the Prophete Ieremy from the mouth of the Lord preach vnto them there reproue theÌ„ for their Idolatry with many threatnings of Gods plagues to light vpon them vnlesse they did turne and repent in time These wicked women standing by set light by the threatninges of the Lorde vttered by his Prophet and most impudently answered Ieremias saying The worde that thou hast spoken vnto vs in the name of the Lorde we will not heare it of thee But we will doe whatsoeuer thing goeth out of our owne mouth as to burne incense to the Queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offeringes vnto her as we haue done both we and our fathers our kings and our Princes in the citie of Iudah and in the streetes of Ierusalem for then had we plenty of victuals and were wel and felt no euill But since we left of to burn incense to the Queene of heauen and to poure out drinke offerings vnto her we haue had scarcenes of all things and haue been consumed by the sworde by famine And when we burne incense to the Querne of heauen and powred out drinke offerings vnto her did we make hâ—r cakes to make her glad and powre out drinke offeringes vnto her without our husbandes consent as if they shoulde say no wee did it by their sufferance where we may learne howe great daunger it is for the husbands to permitte their wiues to doe anye thing whereof they bee not assured by Gods woorde for if they doe their wiues thereby will take occasion to iustifie their doinges as these supersticious women here did for which folly wickednesse in the wife the husband shal assuredly giue an account before God who wil not onelie punish the women but their husbands also which haue suffered this superstition and errour in their wiues without reprehension Then the Prophet Ieremy perceiuing these Idolatrous women to esteeme religion by their bellie and so greatly to dishonour God by attributing his woorkes to their Idolles and seeyng their extreeme madnesse and impudencie that they were fallen into by declyning froÌ„ GOD to followe their owne fancies euen to iustifie their idolatry and wickednesse in woorshipping the sunne moone and starres against GOD and his Prophetes The Prophete I say spake againe vnto the women and their husbandes gaue them this aunsweare and sayde Heare the woorde of the Lorde yee women thus saieth the Lorde Forasmuch as yee and your wiues haue committed double euill in making wicked vowes in performing the same spoken with your mouthes and fulfilled them with your handes saying We will performe the vowes that we haue vowed to burne incense to the Queene of heauen and to powre out drinke offerings vnto her Therfore beholde I haue sworne saith the Lord by my great name that my name shall bee no more called vppon by the mouth of any man or woman in Iudah in the land of Egypt as to say the Lorde liueth yea beholde I will watche ouer them for euill and not for good and all the men women children of Iuda y t are in Egypt shal be consumed by y e sword famine til they be vtterly destroyed c. Iere. 44. Also Ier. saieth y t in Babylon there were certaine superstitious Idolatrous women and the menstruous women and they that lay in childbed came and brought giftes to the Idols of siluer gold and wood touched the sacrifices offered to Idolles whiche giftes so offered the Priests gaue vnto their wiues to cloath them and their children and to lay vp to vse at their pleasure but vnto the poore and sicke they gaue nothing Baruc. 6.27.28.29.32 Pharaos daughter Pharaos daughter after that her father the king of Egypt had moste cruelly caused the Hebrewe women to cast their men children into the water to be drowned vpon a tyme went downe to washe her selfe in the same Riuer whereinto their children were throwen and as she walked by the Riuer side she espied an Arke or Cradell of wickar lying among the bulrushes and sent one of her maydes that were there with her to fetch it and draw it out of the water and wheÌ„ they brought it vnto her shee opened it and when shee sawe therein a fayre young babe and a man childe and heard it crie and make pitious mone for the mother and sustenance shee had compassion on it and saide surely this is one of the Hebrues children Then the childs sister Miriam standing a farre off to watche what woulde become of the childe seeing it so taken vp by women ran vnto them and not reuealing vnto them whose childe it was saide to Pharaos daughter shal I goe and call vnto thee a nurse of the Hebrewe women to nurse the childe yea quoth Pharaos daughter goe So the mayde went and called Iochebed hers and the childes mother to whom Pharaos daughter sayde Take this childe away
out this bond womaÌ„ her sonne for the sonne of the bond woman shal not be heire with my soÌ„ne Isaak which thing though it were grieuous vnto Abraham to do because hee tenderly loued Hagars sonne Ishmael yet being coÌ„manded by God to followe his wife Saras counsel therin y t rather for y t the promised seed should be counted from Isaak not from Ishmael also being coÌ„forted by God y t he would blesse Ismael also to a mightie people because he was of Abrahams seede Abraham obeyed the voyce of his wife Sara the next morning early sent Hagar her son away with bag bottel good prouision of victuals vpoÌ„ her back to shift for her selfe her child So Hagar being thus departed from Abraham with her young childe Ishmael in her armes gate her vnto the wildernesse of Beersheba where shee wandered so long vp and downe till all her prouision of meate and drinke was spent gone And wheÌ„ she saw no remedy but y t both she and the child must needs perish for lacke of sustenaunce shee in this great perplexitie renounced all naturall affection and distrusting in Gods prouidence notwithstanding that she had had good experience therof before time went and cast her childe Ishmael vnder a certayne tree behinde a bushe and went her selfe away from it and sate ouer agaynst it a farre off about a bowe shoote weeping and saying thus with her selfe I will not see the death of the childe but as shee sate thus a farre off mourning and lamenting for her sonne Behold God for his promise sake made before to Abraham and not because eyther shee then prayed for the childe as shee ought to haue done or that the childe it selfe had the capacitie and witte to pray for it selfe being so young sent his angell agayne euen from heauen which comforted her in this her miserie and wofull plight saying what ayleth thee Hagar feare not for God hath heard the voyce of the childe where hee lyeth Aryse take vp thy childe and holde him in thine armes and I will make of him a great people as I haue promised vnto Abraham So where as before shee coulde neyther see nor vse the meanes whiche was euen before her eyes God at this instant opening her eyes and Hagar nowe arose and sawe a wel of water wherevnto shee went and refreshed her selfe and filled her bottell with water and then ran to the boy and gaue it drinke thereof by which good prouidence of God both shee and her sonne were relieued and liued together a long time after to her great ioy and comfort And when her sonne came to mans state she then dwelling in y e wildernes of Paraâ— tooke him a wife out of the lande of Egypt Gene. 16.17.21 Haggith or Aggite signi holidayes yeerely feastes turning about merrie Shee was one of the vi wiues of Dauid that hee had in Hebron who there bare vnto him a sonne called Adoniah that afterwarde was put to death by his brother king Salomon for treason as appeareth in the storie of Abishag 2. Sam. 3.3 1. King 1.5 1. Chron. 3.3 Hannoch or Anna â—igni gâ—acions or mercifull his grace or fauour gracious Lady fauourable freely giuing resâ—ng c. She was the wife of Elkana an Ephrathiâ—e who beeing coupled with a mate called Penennah or Fenenna that was very fruitful she her selfe long barren without child yet because HaÌ„na was better beloued of her husband then her mate Penenna was although Penenna had more porcions and giftes giuen vnto her of her husbande when hee wente abroade and vnto her sonnes and daughters then Hannah had Therefore her aduersary mate Penenna did dayly vexe her sore by â—â—brayding her casting her in the teeth w t her barreÌ„nes yea as oft as went vp to the house of the Lorde to sacrifice and serue God her companion would so vexe her herewith to her great reproch that she would sitte and weepe and lament greatly in fasting and prayer in her house before she went out adores which when her husband perceiued he to comfort her said vnto her Hannah why weepest thou and why eatest thou not And why is thy heart thus troubled am not I thy louing husband better to thee then ten sonnes Let this suffice thee that I tenderly loue thee no lesse then if thou hadst manye children So Hanna to satisfie her husbands mynd did eate and drinke a little but yet beeing full of heauinesse that God had made her such a rayling stocke that she could not quietly eate nor drinke nor serue GOD as shee ought shee arose and went to the Temple of the Lorde in Siloe where the Arke then was to woorshippe GOD. And there beeyng tormented and troubled in minde shee made her heartie prayers vnto GOD with teares to geue her a sonne or manchild the forme of which prayer or vowe appeareth in the first Lampe of Uirginitie pag. 6. And as she continued praying very earnestly in the Temple before the Lorde it fortuned that Eli the high Priest as he sate there also marked her mouth and perceiuing her lippes onely to moue a little no voyce heard for she prayed mentally and secretly in her heart he thought she had bin dronken and said vnto her Thou woman how long wilt thou be dronken put away thy dronkennes from thee Then Hannah being further vexed in mind to see her selfe thus interrupted in her prayers and more slaundered by the rash iudgement of so graue a man could no lesse but make him this aunsweare in her excuse and sayd Nay my Lord I am not dronke neyther haue I drunken eyther wyne or strong drinke But I beyng a woman troubled in minde dexed in spirite I doe here powre out my sorowfull soule before the Lorde in mentall or secret prayer therefore doe not so rashly count thy handmayde to be the daughter of Beliall or a wicked woman for out of the abundance of the heauinesse and griefe of my heart haue I spoken hitherto Then goe in peace sayde Eli and the GOD of Israel graunt thy petitioÌ„ that thou hast asked And she knowing that y e prayers of others would be of force with God towardes her desired Ely to pray for her saying O let thine handmayden find grace in thy sight and be remembred in thy prayers offered vnto God And so reposing her selfe to the mercie of God and commending her self to Elyes prayers she departed cheerefully home to her house where she ate and dranke merrily and looked no more sad And shortly after God remembred her according to her petition so that in processe of time she conceyued by Elkana her husband and bare him a sonne in the yeere of the world 3000. or therabouts whose name she called Samuel because she begged him of God And when she had geuen her child sucke and brought him vp and weaned it she like a vertuous mother prepared a sacrifice and went to the temple of the Lord in Sylo with her
go in peace and presently there went out of her seuen diuelles or foule spirites to the admiration of all that sate at the table Then Marie feeling her self much bounde to Christ which had forgiuen her so many sinnes and cast out of her so many diuels fel in so great loue of Christ that al her whole meditation and studie euer after y t time was only vpon him Insomuch that to acknowledge y e great benefites which shee had receiued of him and to shew her perseuerance in thankfulnes and knowledge of Christ shee diligently followed Christ with Ioanna the wife of Chuza and Susanna and many other women whom Christ had healed together with her of their euil spirits and infirmities and ministred vnto Christ of her substance And when her sister Martha receiued Christe into her house to meate and was cumbred about muche seruing of Christ at the table Marie Magdalen chusing y e better part sate at Iesus feete all the while and heard his preaching Also when her brother Lazarus was dead and laide in the graue and Iesus was comming to her sisters Marthas house to rayse Lazarus agayne to life so soone as her sister Martha called her secretly and tolde her that her maister Christ was comming and asked for her shee to declare her affection and reuerence that shee bare to Christ arose with speede and went to meete him and when shee was come where Iesus was and sawe him shee fell downe at his feet wept saying vnto him Lord if thou hadst bin here my brother had not bin dead And when Iesus saw her weepe for very compassion as one y t felt our miseries suffered y e lik he groned in spirit was troubled in himselfe wept also together w t her for sorrow as ye may read more in the storie of her sister Martha Moreouer when Iesus suffered his passion this Marie Magdalen with Marie the virgine and mother of Christ and Marie the wife of Cleophas and with other women who had followed Iesus from Galilee to Ierusalem ministring vnto him first stood a farre off and behelde howe he was crucified and afterward came and stood by the crosse to see the ende and when hee was taken down by Ioseph Aremathea and wrapt in linnen clothes to be buried shee with Marie Ioses mother sate ouer against the sepulchre and behelde where he shoulde be layde and so returned home to buy and prepare odours and sweete oyntments to anoynt his body and rested the Sabboath day according to the commaundement And the morrowe after the Sabbath day when shee came with sweete oyntmentes very early in the morning before sunne rising to the sepulchre thinking to haue anointed and embalmed the body of Iesus in his graue and sawe the stone taken away from the tombe shee with feare and great ioy at the Angelles commaundement ranne to Peter and Iohn and tolde them saying they haue taken the Lord out of the sepulchre we knowe not where they haue laide him But Peter and Iohn not beleeuing her words ran both of them to the graue to trie the matter finding her wordes true they returned backe againe to their companies leauing Marie standing at the graue weeping for the loue she bare vnto Iesus And as she wept bowed her self to looke into y e graue again as one not satisfied w t seeking Iesus her Lord behold she saw two Angels sitting in white clothes who said vnto her woman why weepest thou Oh quoth shee they haue taken away my Lord and I knowe not where they haue laid him And turning her selfe about shee sawe Iesus standing but knew not y t it was he to whom he said Woman why wepest thou whom doest thou seeke she supposing it had bin the gardner said sir if thou hast borne him hence tell me where thou hast laid him I will fet him Thē Iesus said vnto her Marie with y t she turned her selfe and saide vnto him Rabbony which is to say Maister and fell downe to the grounde to haue kissed his feete But to withdrawe her from beeing too much addicted to his corporall presence and to teache her to lift vp her minde by faith into heauen where onely after his ascention he remayneth Iesus said vnto her Touch me not for I am not yet ascēded to my father but go to my brethrē tel them that I ascende to my father to your father to my God your God Thus Iesus after his resurrection hauing appeared first to Marie Magdalē a sinfull woman out of whom he had cast seuen diuels Shee then went to the disciples told them that shee had now seene the Lord and what things hee had sayde vnto her to the better confirmation of their beliefe in his resurrection read Matthewe 26.7.27.56.28.1 Mark 14.3.15.40 47.16.1,9 Luk 7.37.8.2.10.39.23.55 Iohn 11.12.3.19.25.20 all Marie the mother of Iohn and Marke Shee was a godly and faithfull woman vnto whose house Peter came after the Angell of God had deliuered him out of pryson from the handes of Herod where many were gathered together in prayer beeyng let in after muche knockyng by her maide Rhode that kept the doore Act. 12.12 Marie the mother of Iames the lesse and of Ioses She was as some thinke the same Marie Cleopas before named which was the sister to the virgine Marie and was so called after her second husbands name which was Cleopas who being first married to one Alpheus had by him two sonnes the one Iames the lesse whoe was called the brother of Christ and the other Ioses And shee being a very godly deuout woman who with Marie Magdalen amōg other women followed Iesus from Galilee to Ierusalem ministred vnto him of her substaunce And when he was led to be crucified she folowed him also lamenting and bewailing him vnto whom Iesus saide Yee daughters of Ierusalem weep not for me but weepe for your selues for your children for behold the dayes will come when men shall say blessed are the barren the wombes that neuer bare the pappes w t neuer gaue sucke Then shall they begin to say to the mountaynes fall on vs to y e hils couer vs. For if they do these things to a greene tree that is if they thus handle me being an innocent what shal be done to the drie that is to the wicked man And when Christe was crucified she with Marie Magdalen among the rest of the women stood a far off beheld him suffer his passion to see what would become of him and after his death drewe nere stood euer against his sepulchre where hee should be buried afer went home to prepare odors came the morow after the Sabboth very early to embalme the bodie of Iesus but found him not there for he was risen gone so was a witnesse of his resurrection as ye may read in the story of Marie Magdelen Mat. 27.56 28.1 Mar. 15.40.47.16.1 Luk. 8.3.23.27 There was another woman called
was priuily made long agoe betwixt her and mee in all places where we became Then Abimelech the king gaue Abraham beeues sheepe men seruants and maide seruants and greatly inriched him also restored vnto him Sarah his wife giuing him leaue to depart and dwell where hee woulde in his Dominion but before Sara departed as God had suffered this Heathen king to doe vnto her husbande so nowe hee reproued Sarah his wife also for her dissembling lying Behold I haue giuen thy brother a thousand peeces of siluer beholde he is in the vaile of thine enemies to all that are with thee and to all others as if he had said Sara seeing God hath giuen thee an husbande as a vaile or defence yea such a head as with whom thou maiest bee preserued from all dangers thou hast done euill to vse this dissimulation with mee in calling him thy brother that is indeede thine husbande Then Abraham prayed vnto God for Abimelech God heard his yrayer and healed Abimelech and his wife and his maid seruants so that they conceaued afterwarde and bare children for before the Lorde had taken away from them the gift of conceauing and shut vp euery wombe in the house of Abimelech because of Sara Abrahams wife Now the Lord visited Sara while shee was in the land of the Philistines at Gerar so that shee through faith receiued strength to conceaue seede and brought foorth a sonne in her olde age at the time appointed of God according as he had promised by the Angel because she iudged him faithfull that had promised So that of one woman euen of her y t was as one dead past age there sprang so many as y e starres of the skie in multitude as the sand in the Sea shore which is innumerable Heb. 11.11 12. And Abraham called his sonnes name Isaack and when the childe was borne shee accused her self of ingratitude in that shee did not beleeue the Almightie and said God hath made me to reioyce all that heare will reioyce with mee who woulde haue said to Abraham that Sara should haue giuen children sucke for I haue borne him a sonne in his olde age After this when Sara saw and perceiued Ismael the sonne of Hagar her maide as he plaied with Isaak mocking and deriding Gods promises made to Isaak which the Apostle to the Galathians 4.29 calleth persecution she complained thereof vnto Abraham and saide Put away or cast out this bond maid and her sonne for the sonne of this bond woman shall not bee heire with my sonne Isaak Which thing was very greeuous in Abrahams sight because hee loued Ismael But God saide vnto Abraham Let it not greeue thee for the childes sake or his mother but in all that Sara shall say vnto thee heare her voyce for in Isaak shall thy seede bee blessed that is the promised seed shal be counted from thy sonne Isaak borne of Sarah and not from Ismael Rom. 9.9 Then Abraham followed his wife Saraes counsaile and put away Hagar and her sonne foorth of his house who after liued in the wildernesse of Paran and troubled Sara no more Finally when Sara was an hundred and seuen and twentie yeeres olde in the yeere of the worlde 2145. she died in Kyriath-arba otherwise called Hebron in the land of Canaan and was buried in the double caue of the field Machpelah ouer against Mamre which is Hebron which Abraham her husband bought of the sonnes Heath called the Hittites of purpose to bury Sara for whose death he greatly lamented and mourned after her to be a place of common buriall for all his her posteritie for euer And after the death of Sarai Abraham tooke him another wife called Keturah by whom he had diuers sonnes Gen. 11.29 12.5.13 c 13.1.16.17.15.21 18.6,9.11.12 c. 20. 21. 1.2 c. till verse 15. 23.1 reade Iosephus fol. 180.181 Sarra or Sara sig my princehood a prince and as before in Sarai She was the only daughter of one Raguel and Anna or Edna that dwelt in Rages otherwise called Ecbatane a Citie of the Medes where Sarra hauing had seuen husbandes one after another in her fathers house the men before they had lien with her were all one after another by Gods prouidence and permission who had reserued Sara to be wife for young Tobie as afterwarde shall appeare slaine by the euill spirite or Diuell called Asmodius to the great discomfort and heauinesse of the young woman and her friendes And yet to aggrauate her sorrowe and griefe the more Beholde her fathers maides when shee did correct them for their faultes woulde slaunder her cheek and reproue her on this wise saying Doest thou not know that thou hast strangled thine husbandes Thou hast had nowe seuen husbands neither wast thou named after any of them Wherefore doest thou beate vs for them if they bee dead goe thy way hence to them and God let vs neuer see sonne nor daughter of thee more vppon earth thou killer of thine husbandes wilte thou slay vs also as thou hast slaine seuen men When Sara hearde these wordes shee was very sorowfull so that shee thought to haue strangled her selfe But beeing better aduised shee saide with her selfe I am the onely daughter of my father and if I doe this I shall slaunder him and shall bring his age to the graue with sorrow Whereupon shee cast aside all suche wicked and vngodly thoughtes as at the first oppressed her and in great pacience betooke her selfe to fasting and prayer with all deuotion and godlinesse in so muche as in the midst of her griefe and affliction shee got her vp to an high chamber of her house where shee continued three dayes and three nights without meate and drinke in heartie prayer towarde the windowe beseeching God with teares that hee would vouchsafe to loose and deliuer her from this rebuke or els to take her out of the earth saying as before in the first Lampe of Uirginitie Page 39. After prayer shee came downe from her chamber and praysed the Lorde And note that at the very same instant that shee made her prayers old Tobie also made his prayers to God beeing rebuked of his wife Anna and both their prayers came together and were heard receiued also at one time before God who thereupon to both their comfortes sent his good Angel Raphael to heale them both that is to take away the blindnesse of Tobie and to giue Sarra for a wife to Tobias the sonne of Tobit and to binde Asmodius the euill spirite because shee belonged to young Tobie by right For young Tobie being sent by his father to Rages where Sara dwelt conducted all the way by the Angell Raphael when they were come neere to Rages the Angell saide to the young man Brother to day wee shall lodge with Raguel who is thy cosin hee also hath one only daughtâ—r named Sarra I will speake for her that shee may be giuen thee for a wife for to thee doth
and their children and the recouery of their goods cleane contrary to their dueties and as it were in despite of Gods word which vtterly condemneth the same to the great perill of their bodies and soules goods lands and posteritie yea vtter destruction both of bodies and soules for euer in hell without speedie repentance and conuertion Woman in a vision Zachariah the Prophet among other his visions saith that he sawe a woman sitting in the middes of an Ephah or bushell couered with a talent of ledde ouer the mouth of it also that he saw two other women with winges like storkes bearing the same Ephah betweene theÌ„ in the ayre or skie flying away with it toward the laÌ„d of Shinaar there to set or place it which woman represented signified the iniquitie of y e vngodly which the Lord shutteth vp in a measure and keepeth it as it were in a prison y t he only can shut and open at his pleasure so y e Sathan caÌ„ haue no such power to teÌ„pt the godly therwith as he would faine haue And this vision of the 2. other women doth further signifie how that God caÌ„ eueÌ„ by such weake vessels and small meanes remoue iniquity with the weight of all afflictions that come thereby from the godly to their enimies if they repeÌ„t turne vnto him as I praye God we may haue al grace to doe that speedily Amen Zach. 5.6.7 c. The two harlots of Hierusalem In the yeere of the worldes creation 3112. there came two harlots or women victualers vnto king Salomon as he was at Hierusalem in the beginning of his raigne and stoode before him to pleade for a quick child the one woman began to accuse the other of murdering hir child and sayde O my Lorde I and this woman dwell both together in one house and I was first deliuered of a childe and within 3. dayes after that I was deliuered this womaÌ„ was deliuered also in the same house and so we lay both in childbed together no stranger being with vs in the house but wee twayne and this woman ouerlaye her child in the night and it dyed and to auoyde both the shame and the punishment due for so vnnaturall murder of her owne childe she arose at mydnight and stole away my quick child froÌ„ my side while thine handmayd slept and laid her dead child in my bosome in steed therof And when I rose in the morning to giue my child sucke behold he was dead And when I had looked vpon it wel considered it in the light I found it was not my sonne whom I had borne Then the other harlot replyed saying Nay it is not so as thou sayest but this is my sonne that liueth and thy sonne it is that is dead No quoth the other this is thy sonne that is dead and mine it is that is aliue Now Salomon the king hearing their contention how the one said the child that liueth is my sonne and the dead child is thy sonne and the other denyed it so stiffely saying that the dead was none of hers but the liuing and no witnesse nor proofe of eyther side brought to proue their assertions to the end therefore that the impudencie of the one trespasser should not ouerthrow the iust cause of the innocent woman he like a most iust iudge and wise Prince to try out the trothe presently deuised adiudged as followeth First he called for a sword which being brought vnto him now take y e liuing child quoth he to y e seruants and deuide it in twayne geue the one halfe to the one woman and the other halfe to the other with that the first woman that made the complaynt who was the mother of the liuing child indeede hauing now her motherly affection and tender compassion towardes her childe kindled â—ried out and as shee that had rather endure the rigour of the law then to see her child cruelly slayne before her face sayde vnto the king Oh my Lord geue her the liuing childe and slay him not But y e other harlot most impudently sayd nay let it be neither thine nor mine but deuide it Then the king wisely vnderstanding obseruing the vnnaturalnesse or rather crueltie of this harlot who had killed her childe gaue this righteous iudgement and sayd Giue her that complayned the liuing childe and slay him not for this is his mother By which example of Salomons wisedome tried in iudgemeÌ„t God made it plainely appeare to all the worlde that he kept true promise with him in graunting him wisedome at his desire yea it so terrified the heartes of all the hearers thereof that for euer after they feared the king as he in whom the very wisedome of God himselfe remained and as a figure of Christ. 1. King 3.16 c. Ieremy the Prophet in his Epistle to the captiue Iewes in Babylon maketh mention of certayne impudent and common harlots y t were in Babylon in his dayes saying Furthermore the women gyrdeâ— with cordes sit in y e streetes burne straw or branne if one of them be drawen away and lye with any such as come by she casteth her neighbour in the teeth because she was not so worthily reputed nor her cord broken Baruch 6.43 The description of an harlot by Salomon As I was in the window of my house saieth Salomon I looked through the lettice and saw considered among the fooles children a young man voyd of wit and destitute of vnderstanding who passed thorow the streets by the corner and went toward the house of an harlot in the twylight of the euening when the night began to be blacke and darke for there was almost none so impudent but they were afrayd to be seene and also their owne consciences did accuse them that they weÌ„t about wickednesse which caused them to seeke the darknesse of y e night to couer their filthines and sinne withall And beholde there mette him a woman with open tokens of an harlot both in her apparrell gesture and behauiour for she was ful of babling and lowde woordes and ready to dallie her feete cannot abyde in her house nowe she is without nowe in the streetes and lyeth in wayte at euery corner So this light woman caught this foolishe man and kissed him and with an impudent face and shamelesse countenance she â—ayde vnto him Come I haue peace offringes meate at home prepared to make good cheere with this day also haue I payd my vowes and made satisfaction for my sinnes so holy was this harlot as she would seeme outwardly vnder a cloke of hypocrisie the better to deceiue others and to allure them into her snares therefore came I foorth to meet the quoth she that I might seeke thy face and I am glad that I haue found thee come home now I say with me for I haue decked my bed with couerings and gay ornaments of tapistry and clothes of Egypt yea I haue perfumed my bed with myrrhe