Basha Maâ—â—â—â—t begirt it with a Fleet of three hundred Sail and Mahomet followed by sixscore thousand men entred it by a Bridge which he commanded to be made over the â—â—rippa and Besieged the Metropolitan City by Land It was to defend it self against Treason and force Intelligences and Assaults And doubtless strength would have overcome as well as Treason and the Assaults would not have proved more successful then Intelligences if General Caâ—â—â—â—â— who commanded the Venetian Fleet had but let Fortune alone and made use of the Courage and Vessel of two Caâ—leaâ— Gentlemen who offered themselves to go break down the Bridge which was erected over the â—â—rippa The City then was taken in the sight and by the error of this Faint-Hearted and Timerous Wise man â—he dust and noise of the Demolisheâ—d Walls the Crys and Blood of the Citizens went to reproach him as Far as his ship And the unhappy Spectator of the Peoples Ruin whom with a little Courage he might have saved retired turning his back to the Reputation he abandoned and to the Smoak of the Island which followed him afar off upon the sea The Booty was very great for the Conquerors but the Cruelty of the Victorious was far greater upon the Vanquished Pyramides were made of their Heads at the Gate of the Church and in the publick places and their Bodies being cast into the Channel spred far with their blood a doleful and pittifull relation of their Misfortune Paul 〈◊〉 Governour of the Island had done and undertaken during the Siege all that an Expert and Disciplined Valour was able to Effect all that Courage could attempt when Religion enflames it and Despair transports it He held out longer then the Towers and Bulwarks and stood upright after their Fall He fought upon the Ruins and Ashes of a Conquered City And they could not have gained it but by Composition and promising him life But Mahomet was so far from keeping this promise that he had the Cruelty to command his body to be sawâ—â— a two Besides he added Rallery to his Cruelty as Tyrants cast Salt into Fire and Vineger into Wounds And said to him with a bitter and barbarous Equivocation that leaving him his head for which he stood ingaged he might dispose of the rest at his discretion without any breach of Faith This so strange and Tragical Punishment was the Triumph of Paul â—rici and afforded him more solid Glory then four Towns taken and as many Battels won could have done It may be well believed that having overcome like a Martyr he received also the Palm of Martyrdom and that the saw of the Turkish Tyrant fashion'd him a Crown of the same Form like those which heretofore were made by the Racks and Wheels of Heathen Tyrants His Glory nevertheless was not without confusion And what Faith soever Fortified him against Death he dyed not without great Apprehension The honour of his Daughter whom he left a Prisoner mix'd confusion with his Glory And he more feared the love and kindness of Mahomet towards her then his Fury and Tortures against himself This excellent Maid had not then her Equal in any kinde of Perfection And all the treasures of the Republick could not have ransomed her at the â—â—ate of her Worth Nature produceth every day precious Stones and Pearls She works every day in gold and silver But rarely is it her chance to â—orm accomplished Persons and her Work merits praise when she makes but one in a whole Age. Even when her Designs were most neat and regular and that Matter retained still its first purity she was not so exact nor exprest so much care in perfecting her Works And when now adays she finishes some rare piece Men ought to come in crowds to see it as they do to see Miracles it ought to be in History a mark of Honour to her Age. This Noble Venetain Woman was one of these extraordinary Works And the eyes of the greatest Criticks in the World could observe nothing in her but rare and accomplished nothing which was not becomming with Dignity and Majestical with Grace On a sudden likewise she dazels the eyes of those that offered to seiâ—e on her and this dark mist being followed with a kinde of veneration was like to have made them adore their Prey But as soon as this amazement was over they approach to her with barbarous respects and a stupid and stammering Civility They strive to make her understand that no hurt should be done that they would conduct her to a place where she should be free and honoured And as they advanced to lay hands on her Barbarians saith she in thrusting them back whither will you lead me and for what new adventure do you reserve me I should die here more nobly and better contented And my Blood will not be more pleasing and gratefull in another place Be not more merciless concerning me then you have been in massacring so many Innocents Commit at least a murther handsomly after so many perpetrated with cruelty And permit one stain of Clemency in your Victory and upon your Armes They will receive no dishonour by it nor will the Spoil become less precious She had persisted farther but two Basha's arrived who remonstrated to her that she was not strong enough to resist Fortune nor to alter the right of War which had given her to their Prince That she need apprehend nothing in his Victory That it was not against those of her Sex and Merit he was armed That he knew how to punish and pardon seasonably and to place Rigour and Clemency in their just postures That it would be her best course to permit them to bring her before him and to remit the rest to the disposure of Fortune These words did not perswade her but she submitted her self to the present necessity which she could not inforce and suffered her self to be led before Mahomet Not being ignorant to what danger they exposed her and what assistances she needed in the conflict she was to undergo she prayed in silence and with tears by the way And besought of God the Spirit of Fortitude and Councel which make Martyrs and reserve Virgins The voice of her tears was heard God sent her the Spirit she desired And fortified by this succour she marched with a confident look and a resolute countenance and more like a Conqueress then a Captive She lost nothing of this confidence before Mahomet and there was no more alteration in the resolution of her Countenance then in that of her heart On the contrary she appeared with a more then usual Majesty And the presence of her Enemy made a certain haughty and disdainful blush come upon Her together with a Fierceness yet Modest and becoming which contributed Force to Sweetness and added Dignity to Grace This Fierceness wrought not the same effect as she intended Mahomet whom she thought to Irritate esteemed her the more and took this alteration for a Tincture of
the Chaste the Faithful the Couragious the Constant the Pious may all enter into it and keep their degrees there under the Title of Heroick VVomen The assembly of these Gallant Women might be greater then I have made it And albeit Solomon was troubled to finde one single Heroick VVoman yet since his Time enough have appeared to Plant here a whole Colonie Of all this great Number I have chosen twenty of the most Renowned all Illustrious amongst them And not to produce them confusedly in disorder I have divided them into four Squadrons The first of Jewish Woman The second of Barbarian VVomen to take the word Barbarian in the same sence as it was understood by the Grecians The third of Roman and the fourth of Christian VVomen I exhibite a Picture of each and the Subject of this Picture is taken from the most resplendent and couragious part of her Life Besides these Pictures are not meerly superficial carry a bare outside like those of Philostrates who was content to express what was visible to copy out the draughts of the Pencil with the strokes of his Pen. They represent chiefly the Interior that secret part which cannot be disclosed or expressed but by Philosophers They discover all the Features Motions of the Heart all the Postures and Colours of the Soul And the Scope of it which is wholly Moral aims more at the Manners then at the satisfaction of the Eye Every Picture is accompanied with a Sonnet which is another piece drawn in little And the Sonnet is seconded by an Historical Elogie where the Life of the Heroess is abbreviated which serves for the Subject of the Picture I adde a Moral Reflection to the Elogie which tends more directly and immediately to the Benefit and Regulation of Manners And there I mark out what is most profitable and instructive in the preceding Example I establish practical Axioms and draw from thence useful consequences I advertise Women of their Duties and obligations and cause them to take in by Grains and Drops the pure spirit of Christian Philosophie and the extraction of her Maximes which they scarce receive but with distaste in Books where it is without seasoning and in grosse In sequence of this Reflection and in order to the Maximes which are given therein I propose a Moral Question in which there is enough to satisfie the Intellectual part and to fortifie the Appetitive And after the having decided it to the advantage of Vertue and to the edification of those Women I desire to instruct I confirm my Decision by a Modern Example which I take either at our own Door or fetch it from our Neighbours to the end being seen neer at Hand it may make the deeper impression and act with more Vigour Besides these Examples are all illustrious and Heroick They contain great and wonderful things And I have chosen them of this form to teach such as run after the Fantomes of Romances that Truth is not only instructive but also more delightful and divertising then falshood and that natural Bodies are more Luminous and Graceful then all the Apparitions and Specters which Magick Art produceth As for the Heathen Women which I bring upon the Stage I place them not there as perfect Models I know very well that their Vertues have been but rough drawn And that wanting the light of Faith they remain imperfect But I know also that such fair rough drawn Vertues are presented there as we may gather from thence wherewith to form excellent pieces And by the same reason that the Son of God alleadged Ninâ—ve against Jerusalem and proposed Tyre to Judea one may alleadge the Heathen and Barbarian against Christian Women one may well propose Pantheas to Catherins and Zenobias to Agathas I particularly declare that I do not pretend to justifie the Death of those who slew themselves with their own Hands what Colour soever the Philosophie of that time gave to their Deaths and with what paint soever the Poets have set them forth If they had the Force and greatnesse of Courage it was enormous and disproportioned it was a greatnesse beyond limit or compasse Nevertheless this doth not hinder that these enormous and great disproportioned Women may have something of imitation One may frame by a Colossus a Figure of a middle and very exact Stature In Moral Philosophie as well as in Logick Errour may be serviceable to Truth And a good consequence may be drawn from a bad Principle Behold what I had to say in order to the designe and structure of this Work I have nothing to adde to what hath been said but these few words with which S. Ambrose concludes the second Book he dedicated to Virgins Since the tasts of men are so different and that there are as many Opinions as Heads If any Neatness and Care appear in some places of my Discourse those places can justly displease no Man If there be any mature and serious ones they will please the Palat of those in whom the Maturity of understanding accompanies the Maturity of Age If any be found flowered and delightful they will not offend such as are in the Age of the Flowers of Grace and Men will grant me that it is no lesse necessary to write for these Persons then for others There remains nothing more for me to say to the Reader He may enter into my Gallery when he pleaseth The Door is open to him DEBORE 〈…〉 THE GALLERY OF HEROICK WOMEN The Gallant Jewes DEBORA THIS Country so delightfull to the eye and so adorn'd with the riches and ornaments of Nature is the western Part of Palestine You cannot choose but know it at first sight by that verdure which makes it enjoy as it were a perpetuall spring And by those tufts of Palms and Cedars which serve as naturall Garlands to crown it These Towns and Cities which appear afar off are not built by the Israelites They have as yet erected in this Country nothing but flying Towns and walking Cities They have only built with Canvas and Cordage All their Houses have been hitherto but field habitations And during the obstinate and continual wars wherein they were imployed their thoughts were more taken up in rendring souldiers warlike and forming Captians then in hiring Masons and making Architects Besides at present the whole Countrey is fild with the rumour of wars and preparrd against the Cananites Ten thousand men selected out of two Tribes are rlready advanced towards Mount Thabor And the men you behold in arms about the great Palm are the most remarkable of the people whom Debora the Prophetesse and Governesse of Israel retained with Barac to instruct them in the discipline of war and excite them to act gallantly You never beheld a Tribunall like that of this Governesse Surely their enters more splendor and pride in the Thrones of Kings but lesse naturall Majesty and true Glory This is not the work of a year nor the master-peece of a
pain of a broken Leg and of an Arm cut off The Infanta did sundry times such good deeds and her charities have ascended even to crowned Heads Princes flying to her for protection and decayed Princesses found with her their House and Rank They found there preparatives and remedies for their wounds even pretious preparatives and agreable and perfumed remedies and the Hand it self which touched them was so skilful as to charm their anguish and to take away the seeling and almost the very remembrance of their falls Authority which is to Princes a Crown without matter and a character of invisible Majesty which is in them a vertue that acts without motion and procures them obedience without force or violence This Authority I say which is formed out of the vertue of a Prince and out of the esteem of his Subjects was soveraign in the Infanta and alone affected more then all the Engines of Spain assisted with all the Mines of the Indies could have done She neither wanted Armies nor Cittadels to support her Commands and what she did with two words another could not have done with four Cittadels and as many Armies Her Subjects obeyed her intentions what marks soever they had of them and by what mouth soever they were declared Even strangers and enemies honoured her Name and had for her submissions of respects and complaâ—â—ncies of esteem even to that degree that the French who had not respected the Kings Authority before the Barriers of the Lâ—â—â—re and the Royal Pallace yielded respect to the Authority of the Infanta even upon the Frontiers of her Countrey and had a scruple to sight threescore leagues from Bruxelâ— All these vertues of Peace and war which became familiar and domestick to the Infanta which assisted her in her Closet and followed her in the field were under the conduct of another superiour vertue and of a higher discent I speak of Religion which is the Tutresse of States and ought to be the Superintendent of Policie That truly was the predominant vertue of this great Princesse but it was not a superstitious and timerous Religion a Religion of scruples and apish faces much lesse was it of those artificial and painted ones which compose and fit themselves for shew which have studied looks and tears of reserve for the publick which deride in private the masked part they act in Churches The Infanta was solidly religious and even with vigour of spirit she was humble and submissive to God without dejection she drâ—aded him with that respectful fear which is the only fear of the wise and constant Noblenesse and Dignity were to her so inherent as they entred in a manner against her will into all her good works And in her least devotions there was a tincture of Majesty and some thing I know not what which had a touch of the greatness of her birth And surely to speak my thoughts of it Great men are not permitted to be lesse devout then mean persons and crowned heads owe no lesse subjection to God then others But the devotion of Great ones ought to be more magnificent and resplendent then that of inferiour persons And crowned heads even in their submissions and when they humble themselves have a lustre and motion of dignitie which others want The fire of the mountains which God himself hath touched is another kinde of fire then all those which are enkindled with the sat and moisture of the valleyes And the majestical submission of the â—alm bowing under the weight of its fruits renders far more honour to Heaven then the lightness of a reed under the first winde which 〈◊〉 it As the greatnesse and dignity of the Infanta assisted her piety and had their place and share in all her devotions so her piety entred into all the actions of greatnesse and dignity which related either to her quality or office It had the first rank and principal Authority in her Counsel It was present in the beginning and end of all her enterprises It gave them the platforms and designes of all that was to be executed both within and out of her Dominions And what proposition soever was made either for Peace or War it was alwayes the first heard This Piety had likewise its part in the liberalities and profusions of the Infanta and dispensed them so Christianly and with so general a Charity as they overflowed even into the â—ouses of the poor By this means Churches and Hospitals became the festival recreations of the Palace Citizens did not fast for the good châ—â—â— of Courtiers And mercy as well as magnificence did honour to the publick Even divertisements and pastimes were practised in the sight of this piety proper for all uses It brought thither order and discipline It took from them even the indecency of gesture and the immodesty of discourse It only left them a serious and regular gallantry and a most pure and spotlesse joy Affairs were also blessed and prosperous in the hands of so religious a Princesse Flanders was never more happy then in her time And it hath been very evident since her death that war and ill fortune bore her respect while she lived But the vertues of this great Princesse detain us too long behold more matter then is requisite to crown her Let us make the draught which we promised of her Aunt the Dutchesse of Parma and let us examine whether there will be matter enough to compose a fair crown to her memory Margarite of Austria Dutchesse of Parma and Governesse of the Low-Countreys MARGARITE of Austria Dutchesse of Parma may well be placed with the Infanta Isabel her Neece and serve as an advantagious and modern proof for the Government of Women She had much of the spirit and addresse of Charles the Fift I say of that spirit of government and authority and of that politick addresse which did more mischief to France then all the forces and machinations of the Empire united and combined against her She being sprightly and already capable by her birth it was not very difficult to polish her self by practise and to adde to so excellent a nature as to a rare and valuable matter perfect habits and exquisite and accomplished comportments She received the first strokes of these habits in the Court of Florence where adversity furnished her all it could with the best impressions and most exact and fairest forms A second marriage having caused her to passe from thence into the house of Ferâ—ese the discipline and cares of Paul the Third the ablest person of his time in the Science of Princes compleated in her minde the rough draught she had brought from the School of the Medicean Family A while after she was called to the Government of the Low-Countreyes by Philip the Second who had less regard in this choice to the blood and memory of Charles his Father then to his proper interest and to the conservation of his Patrimony of seventeen Provinces They remained yet all in peace
and obedience when the Dutchess of Parma arrived there and there was then no speech of Factions or States Guex or Hereticks But this calm lasted not long And the Heresies of Germany and 〈◊〉 which had crept into those Provinces quickly drew thither Rebellion after the dissention This alteration of time gave work enough to the Governess but it was a glorious work and full of reputation wherein she had Kings for her Encouragers and was looked on by all Europe with astonishment It was likewise to the wise and speculative of that time a wonderful spectacle to see a woman wrastle alone against so great and dangerous a storm Yet she got the upper hand at last and after nine yeers of agitation she brought back the vessel into the Haven in despite of the windes and tides which had forced it out I say that she was to wrastle alone against the storm because the Councel it self had begun the trouble and the Ministers hired to save the vessel were the first that split it and made way for the waves Grauâ—â—lle Archbishop of Arraâ— whom King Philip had assigned to the Governeâ—s for an honourable Spye and a Pedagogue raised to the degree of a Minister of State gave her more jealousie and distrust then good advice and proved rather obstructive then assistant to her His Corrivals and Enemies accused him of all the ill had hapned Such as stood indifferent suspected him for raising a tumult in the vessel to the end the stern might be wholly left to himself As for the Prince of Orange the Earls of Iâ—â—mond and Hâ—rn the Marquesse of Berg and other Dâ—tch Lords being all declared enemies against Granville and secret Corrivals to each other all suspected of Rebellion and ill affected to the Domination of strangers they brought nothing to the Councel but a spirit of contradiction and confusion nothing but interested and partial opinions nothing but hidden conspiracies and open animosities By which means they more imbroyled then assisted the Governess and not daring either to reject or take their advice she might be truly said to be abandoned amongst all these guides because they were either â—uspected or disloyal and that it was equally dangerous either to leave or follow them Nevertheless she forcibly overcame all these difficulties she deâ—teâ—ously loosned her self from these incombrances And after diâ—erted and discovered conspiracies after extinguished and chastised â—â—ditions after the revolt of Towns reduced to obedience she chased away Rebellion and Heresie out of Flanders she sweetly and deâ—â—erously tyed up again the 〈◊〉 which gaped after liberty and had already broken a piece of his chain The States of Holland would have been at present but a Republick in Idea and Leyden would have been 〈…〉 to Spain as to Bruxels if King Philip had left for a longer time the Government unto the Dutchess of Parma Ruy 〈◊〉 and the Duke 〈◊〉 were indeed of this opinion Likewise none but indulgent and popular Ministers were ignorant that clemency is more persuasive and makeâ— it 〈◊〉 better obeyed then severity But the advice of Cardinal Spinosa and the Duke of Alâ—a carrying it against their opinions the King concluded upon the way of rigour and force The duke of Alâ—a being sent to put them in execution opened afresh with fire and sword those wounds which lenitives had closed up and what the dextentâ— and mildeness of a wise and obliging woman had re-established was â—â—â—ned by the violenceâ— of a bloody and rigorous Minister of State Philip to 〈◊〉 this errour resolved to send back the Dutchess into â—landeâ—â— which very earnestly demanded her believing that its cure could come from no other hand then hers But he desired it too late and out of season God thought that she had laboured enough and sufficiently overcome and therefore called her to give her repose and the crowns she had merited The Flemings being out of hope to have her Person conserved her Memory They honoured her in Publick and in their houses and whereas they had solemnly and with ringing of Bells thrown down that insolent and proud statue which the Duke of Alâ—a had caused to be set up in the Citadel of Antwerp they erected in their hearts which were stronger then Citadels a statue of pure esteem and glory to the Dutchess of Parma IAHEL 〈…〉 Iahel THERE is now an end of the Cananites and of their Fortune their Armie composed of so many Troops and Engins of war was defeated by the Israelites who are still pursuing the remainder of it And all the presages are deceitful nay even Prophesie it self is a lyer or their Empire shaken by this Blow will not much longer expect its fall the Earth is covered over with the bloody parcels of so formidable a Bodiâ— some of them have fallen upon all the Mountains and into all the Valleys of the Countrey and the stately Head thereof which hath hitherto rolled along happens to be broken in pieces by the Hand of this Woman It is Jahel who hath finished the overthrow of the Canaanites by the death of their General whom she killed with a Nail in her own â—ent where he had sheltred himself after the routing of his Armie she is still moved with the blow she so lately struck Certainly she could not have given a more hazardous one nor of greater consequence and the Age of our fore-fathers which was an Age of Miracles and of prodigious Adventures hath never seen any thing of like Courage nor of greater Fame The joy she felt at the successe of so high an enterprise adds new lustre to her eyes and a second grace to her face The confidence of her looks corresponds with the boldnesse of the Action her hands armed with the fatal Hammâ—r which proved of more force then the warlike Engines of the Enemies and performed more then all the Lances and Swords of the Israelites prepared themselves to gain a second Victory And yet her Hands all heated as they are with breaking the Chain and Yoak of Israel upon the Head of Sisera seem willing to give the like blow even unto the Ghost of the Cananean King whom her imagination hath brought Captive to her and loaden with Chains Neverthelesse Sisera wrastleth in vain against the Earth At the same time he pushes with his arms as it were to force her to give back and by a contrary effort he seems willing to carry her away with his head His heart strives within to succour the wounded part and not being able of himself to assist it with all the remainder of his force he conveyes thither Anger Rage and Despair These impotent and furious Passions appear confusedly and with horror on his face swollen with the blood and spirits which are there poured out from the whole bodie It would be hard to distinguish them by their proper features and by the Colours which are natural to them All of them have participated of the Anguish which is mingled with them and are grown either pale
and conquering Graces she is onely guarded with attractives and graceful charms but they are violent attractives and forcible charms She is equally dangerous and graceful and wounds even by that which delights Not onely her eyes are piercing and the lightning which God hath placed in them doth dazel the sight but even her very feet contributed to the victory and the eyes of her Buskins have surprized Holofernes by the eye and enslaved his Soul These arms though divinely reinforced and purified with a Heavenly ray could not have overcome alone They effected nothing but after prayer fasting and tears And though these which are spiritual and of an invisible temper have not wrought upon the sight of Holofernes yet they have done it upon the heart of God and opened a passage whereby Safety came upon his people and Death upon his enemies Judeth is ready to give a beginning to both The exterminating Angel who assists her puts not a Lance of Fire into her Hand nor the point of a Thunderbolt brought down from Heaven such noble weapons and descending from so great a height are not necessary for this execution And God doth not use to leave to the haughty the title of a glorious and renowned death He presents to her the sword of Holofernes and putting it into her Hand he setled confidence and boldnesse in her Heart You would take this fatal sword for the stroke of a Thunderbolt you would swear that it is all composed of lightning But these lightnings are not like those which are formed in the clouds they come to it from a Diamond and a Rubie whereof the â—ilt is composed and what lustre soever it receives from these fires of preâ—ious stones which adorn it it expects more from the innocence and vertue of this fair hand which is ready to imploy it You would say that it glittereth from the impatience it hath to be serviceable to a stroke which will be worth many Battels and which shall be heard by all Ages Judeth receives it couragiously and with confidence but her courage is far from fiercenesse and her confidence appears modest and submissive Her faith renewed in this perilous moment and her zeal breaking forth enlighten her face and diffuse themselves by her mouth And her eyes are lifted up toward Heaven as if they did shew the way to the prayers she sends thither in silence and accompanied with the spirit it of her tears There is nothing which so pure a soul and so holy tears may not obtain and the voice of this silence is too powerful and pressing not to be heard But though it were strong enough to penetrate Heaven and to make it self to be heard of God yet it reacheth not the ear of Holofernes Beast that he is he is far from waking at this voice he would not awake at that of Heaven though it should thunder with all its force He hath not only lost both spirit and motion but even his heaâ—ing and sight are bound up and he is more fastned by the fume of wine and the vapours of sleep then he would be by six great cords and as many chaâ—s Do not believe that in this plight he dreams of the taking of Bethulia or the sacking of Jerusalem that any Siege is laid or any battel fought in his Head No Armies are now there to lead nor Kingdoms to overcome Judeth is there alone what War Glory and Nabuchodonezer were before But it is not thâ—â— Judeth whom vertue zeal and these Angels have brought It is a Judeth not unlike a cheating dream which hath transformed a Heroeâ—s into a mincing Dame and this mincing and imaginary Judeth shall be suddenly overthrown by the 〈◊〉 and chast one The sword which you see in her hand shall do her Justice upon this cheating dream And all these vain Ideas shall be drowned in the blood of the Dreamer and shall fall with his Head Whilst the measures once more the greatness of her Enterprize and that her last tears demand of God courage and proportionâ—d forces the Angels who brought her thither remaâ—n as a Guard about her person at the door of the Tent. Her Angel Guardian lights her with a Torch and at the same time bowing down the Pike of Holofernes which he had seized on seems to assure her with his looks and gesture that he will second her if her hand should fail Observe the Action of these Angels who sport with a cask and Cuyrass There is a mysterie in their Action and what they sport at is the assurance and instruction of Judeth They break in pieces the Armer of Holofernes which was thought to be all composed of solid Fires and of well tempered and well hammer'd Inchantments and which was so long the general terrour of all Asia In breaking it they deride the infirmity of human powers and you see that they shew the pieces of it to Judeth to assure her that there is nothing to be feared having guards and seconds to whom Diamonds and Steel are but Glass and Tiffany As for those whom you see at the door of the Tent they stand there to chase away fear and apparitions from this Maid whom Judeth placed there for a Guard They remain in that place to repell the Devils Enemies of Gods people which might come to the aid of Holofernes Their arms though seemingly obscure are yet composed of a Celestial and most resplendant matter but because lightnings might issue from them which would awaken the whole Camp they themselves obscured them and suppressed all their light Neverthelesse this restraint is no longer needfull for them Behold Judeth coming forth with the â—ead of Holofernes and the Heart of all these different bodies which are half dead with wine and sleep and which shall quickly be dispatched by the Israelites The blood still reaks after the sword and where it passes the earth greedily drinks up the drops which fall from it You believe indeed that the joy of this Victory is not little in the heart of the Conqueresse It is there so great as it is dilated on her face and her eyes have received thereby a second fire with a new and accessory light It will suddenly appear far greater in Bethulia where the generous Widow is impatiently expected and to which place she is going to carry with the Head and Death of the Publick Enemy the life and freedom of all the people SONNET PRoud Holofern is laid the sun his light Hath mixt with darkness to commence the night Whose shadow Judeth for her veil doth take Lest with her Beauties lustre he should wake The sword which this chaste wonder doth advance Addes a fierce splendour to her Countenance And in this exigent to quell all Fear Thou speaks her Angel-Guardian in her ear Shrink thou not Judeth let thy Foe be sped He is already little lesse then dead For Sleep and Wine by their joynt forces have Begun thy Conquest and the Tyrants grave It would beseem thee ill to
the dying victorious and they that strike and kill were the vanquished The Combat is for the God of Abraham and Moses for the Law of the Patriarchs and Prophets On the other side this cause is defended by abandoned and naked Faith and on the other assaulted by Infidelity armed with Engins and punishments The match seems to you to be unequal And you will hardly believe that Infirmity and Tendernesse can be of more Force then Iron and Fire that a Mother weak both in Sex and Age and Children both abandoned and unarmed should vanquish a furious and armed Tyrant and overcome all the Executioners of his Train Nevertheless they subdued them all and there are alreadie on their side as many Victories as Deaths Salomona was present at all these particular Combats All entire that you see her she hath already delivered up six parts of her heart And I believe that she is now come to her last Childe and to her seventh Crown Her face bears as many Victories as Years There is something I know not what of venerable and August in her wrinkles and you would say that even the Law it self is come out of the Propitiatory in humane shape to infuse Zeal into her Followers and to teach them Fidelity and Constancy Certainly Beauty whatsoever is said of it belongs not only to Youth Vertue is graceful in every Age Her flowers are of the latter season as well as her fruits And whether by natural right or by an Immemorial Priviledge she hath ever preserved the advantage of being at once both Beautiful and Ancient and of having charms under gray Hairs and wrinkles You will profess at least that she hath commanding Attractives in this half dried up skin and upon these withered â—heeks And you will be as much inamored of these venerable Ruines and this Heroick and generous Caducity as of adorned Youth and a scandalous Vivacity Besides do not believe that her Constancie is blinde and obstinate it is fortified with Sence and Reason and its solidity is resplendent and penetrated with light as well as that of the Diamond As if she were not furnished enough with that which is intrinsical and diffused from her own Spirit A light more vigorous and pure descends to her from Heaven which infires her Heart and her heart being inflamed with this fire seems ready to issue forth of her Eyes to receive it even in its source By the Charity of this Divine Light she came to know the short and ruinous Carreir of time and the Immense and sollid Extent of Eternity She hath seen the Waste and Defects of Fortune through the Paints and Disguises wherewith she varnishes her self And one Single Ray miraculously extinguished in her apprehension all those Piles of Wood which are set on fire for her self and Children and made her discern afar off in the hands of Abraham and Jacob the Crowns prepared for them Illuminated by these Lights and fortified by this Object she hath already overcome even six Deaths and behold her wrastling with the seventh which assaults her by the youngest and last of her Children There is tendernesse indeed on that side but nothing of weaknesse and this last part of her Heart in being the most innocent and lesse fortified by time shall not be the less invincible The Tyrant thinks to gain upon her by that way but he was not well acquainted with her He perswades himself that at least with this single drop of blood which was left her she would preserve the hope and restauration of her Posterity But the blood of the Macchabees would not endure the least stain for its Conservation and so holy and glorious a Race could not end more honourably then by seven Martyrs She was far from contributing her voice and Carresses to iniquity and from becoming the Temptress of her Son she fortified his Minde and strengthened his Courage she discovered to him her Bosom and Breasts which are reasons so much the more powerful as having the more tendernesse she shews him the Heavens open and the God of Abraham a Spectator of his Conflict with the Patriarchs and Prophets I think also that the spake to him of his Ancestors the Macchabees and made him understand that this great Light is that of their Conquering Souls which are descended to assist his Victory and to finish by his Constancie the Glory and Coronation of their Name the Triumph and Sanctity of their Race The Couragious Youth heareth her with a manly Constancie his Resolution is visible already in his Eyes and gives a Color to his Face His Constancie in Punishments will quickly shew that he is twice born of this Heroick Mother that he is no less the fruit of her Heart then of her Womb and that he hath sucked with his Milk the Spirit and Quintessence of her Vertue and the very blood and Marrow of her Soul Being now assaulted by large Promises and magnificent VVords he only opposeth his silence to this vain Battery and one motion of his Head accompanied with a Gesture of Scorn over turns all those Mountains of Gold which are offered him The Tyrant being irritated thereby bites his very Lips wrath prepares new Fires in his Heart both for the Mother and the Son Some sparkles of them are seen already to issue from his Eyes and smoak out of his Mouth and two great stacks of wood will suddenly be here enkindled with his Breath and the Fire of his VVrath Mean while Salomona rejoyceth at the Courage of her Son she animates him afresh to the Combat and proposeth to him the Example of his Brothers She shews him their souls already crowned who remain at the Gate of Heaven staying only for his to begin their Triumph Those are their Bodies which you see amidst the Executioners and Tortures Of six two of them have been delivered up to the Furnace incompassed with Fire and the four other have been divided between two great Caldrons They live no longer and yet still resist They seem to contest with Insensibility which is to them as it were a second Constancy and a natural Force which their souls have left them at their Departure You would say that they had a mind to make shew of a distinct Virtue from that of their mindes and to possess their labours and merits apart in this common cause You would say that every member hath a Heart peculiar to its self and a particular life to expose Their blood though shed retains still its vigour There issueth thence a smoak which proceeds from the fire of their Zeal nay even their flead skins and their lopped off Feet and Hands retain still something of the Spirit of the Macchabees and seem to seek a second Victory There remain none about them but these two Executioners All the rest are out of the Combat and have lost their Resolution with their Forces The Fires which have been kindled to consume these Holy Victimes are overcome by the Divine Fire which hath left
them nothing but the exteriour to burn Neither do I know whether they respect not the very marks which appear upon these bloody and torn reliques Surely they owe this and more to that Fire superiour to all others And the impression of Charitie ought to be at least in like reverence and no less sacred then the impression of Lightning Heretofore the Flames of the Babylonian Furnace had this discretion either Natural or Divinely inspired They respected the three Jews whom Faith and Charity had consecrated And by a violent breaking out like that of a Lion who should leave his prey and fall upon his Keeper they devoured those Ministers of Impiery who kindled them But nothing but Miracles of Courage and Patience will be wrought here God will permit the Consummation of the Sacrifice and receive all the Smoak of it Salomona her self who hath hitherto fought but in heart and been only tryed against Compassion shall be suddenly tryed against Grief By the same Force wherewith she restrained all her Tears she will pour out all her Blood She will overcome Cruelty as she hath vanquished Nature And after seven Deaths suffered in Minde and by Piece-meal she will endure the last which shall be the Recompence and Coronation of all the rest SONNET IN Natures sight in sight of Heav'n above Brave Salamona combats Grief and Love Which through her seven Sons Breasts with deadly Smart Have made a Rent in her undaunted Heart Nor Blood nor Tears do trickle from her wound All that 's in her is with true Valour Crown'd Her Faith dâ—â—ends that Breach â—midst horrid pains Her Soul much more believes then it sustains What cannot Love improve its force unto What hath not Faith abundant pow'r to do The Love of seven brave Sons dear as her Eyes Makes her endure seven Deaths before she dies Yet Faith does more and by a rare â—ffort Which Love should emulate in its transport Makes her seven times a Martyr ere paâ—e Death Constrains her to forsake her vital Breath ELOGIE OF SALOMONA THe Mother of the Macchabees was peradventure the first Gallant Woman who sought without Arms and overcame by death She was the Daughter of holy Conquerers and the Mother of Martyrs and gave to Judâ—â— a Christian Heroess before Christianity In the common ruine of her Countrey and general Martyrdom of her Nation all sorts of Enginâ— were applyed to withdraw her Children from the Religion of their Parents They were put to defend themselves against objects both of delight and terrour and to overcome a Tyrant armed with favours and punishments The Couragious Mother assisted at all their Combats and contributed her voice her â—eal and spirit to their Victory so far was she from concealing them from Torments and Death that she produced them one after another armed with her Vertue and fortified with her Admonitions she animated them with her faith and warmed them with her tears she gathered together their â—lead skins and their mutâ—lated members as the matter both of their Crowns and of her own and as many deaths as she numbred so many accomplished Victories she counted in her Thoughts Not that she was lesse a Mother then the tender and weeping ones 〈◊〉 Her soul endured Iron and Fire in the bodies of her Children she â—ell in 〈◊〉 with their Members and her Heart melted away through theâ—â— Wounds But she knew the order and quality of her obligation It was her belief that she owed more to God then to her own blood and more to Religion then to her Race And knowing that a 〈◊〉 Death is more happy then a sinner who lives and reigns she chose rather to make a Family of Saints then of Apostates and to be rather a Mother in Heaven then upon Earth MORAL REFLECTION LEt our Ladies learn of this Jew to be Mothers and Christians Let them learn by her Example that Children given to God are not lost That it would be much better to have them innocent in a Grave then vitious on a Throne That a good Death is the best Fortune they can attain to And that it is for the glory of the Macchabees and the good of Children to be saved even before their time even with many pains even by their own blood and through all the Engines of Death and not to be damned after their old Age loaden with sorrows and sins It is a glory to the Earth that Marble stones which come out of its Bosom should become excellent Figures under the Hammer And it is better that a Shute should be cut off when it is yet tender and that it be grafted in the Garden of a Prince then to have it wither upon the Stem and serve only for matter of Fuell MORAL QUESTION Whether Religion be the Principal Vertue of a Gallant Women THere are some Vertues indeed of greater noise and carrying a saâ—er Glose then Religion but none of greater use not more necessary for a Gallant Woman All the rest what 〈◊〉 soever they make and what colour soever they have are without her but Stage-Vertues They resemble those superficial bodies made only for shew which are all Mask and Garment they have neither life nor spirit they are without form and consistence And though they seem to be active and full of motion yet they act to no purpose nor move but by Artificial wheels Even Force and Valour which are not supported by Religion are feeble and impotent At the most they have but a Flash of Choller and a precipitous Brutallity Prudence 〈◊〉 blinde without her â—â—ght And the Graces cannot please if Religion hath not adorned and instructed them There is then no solid and perfect Vertue without Religion and by this common reason 〈◊〉 all the rest should 〈◊〉 Religion ought to be the principal Form and the predominant Quality of a Gallant and sollidly Vertuous Woman But that is effected by a more 〈◊〉 and which reflects particularly upon the Courage which 〈…〉 this place there are 〈◊〉 functions of courage and 〈◊〉 were 〈◊〉 general duties which supportall particular ones and give a solid state and consistence to the whole life By the first it makes us act equally and with a constant and regulated â—â—ennesse by the second it fortifies the Mind against either Fortune and keeps it up what winde soever bloweth between the elevation and the fall By the third it arms the Heart against the corruptions of flesh and blood and preserves it from maternal Passions By the last it secures it against the apprehensions of Death 〈…〉 it victorious over this dreadful thing which is the common 〈◊〉 Bear of mankinde and the terrour of Nature These duties are noble and sublime But force should impertimently strive to use extraordinary violences it could never acquit it self with the aid of Morality alone it hath need of a more powerful assistance to support it of a supernatural and Divine Coadâ—â—â—esse to labour joyntly with it And this Coadjuâ—â—ess can be no other then Religion whose
So far was this Daughter from tempting and assaulting him with the Ruines of his tottering House that she represented to him the importance of his suffering for that Cause that Men and Angels were Spectatours of his Victory that he had the Applause and Congratulation of the Church and that the Glory of his Family was raised to the Alliance of Martyrs She spake nothing to him which he knew not before but she said nothing which did not confirm him Old reasons received a new light from her Tears and issued with more vigour out of her Mouth And whether God placed in her Voice and upon her Lips some tincture of Divine Spirit whether pleasing persons have a natural Charm and an Eloquence without Art or that their sole presence is perswasive It seemed as if an Angel appearing to this Moor had inflamed him with more Zeal or infused into him more Light In fine having received the Sentence of Death after Fourteen Moneths of imprisonment and an illustrious and solemn Confession of his Faith made in the presence of all the Ministers of the Schism his good Daughter was willing to be a spectatâ—ess of his Combat and to fortifie her self by the Evidence of his Faith and with the last Act of his Constancie she expected him in his passage and went to imbrace him in the midst of the people who gave back out of respect and with their Admiration and Tears honoured so resolute and so examplar a Piety At these last imbraces the fervour of friendship mixed with that of Zeal ascending from her Heart to her Head caused some Tears to distill from her eyes But these were couragious Tears and such as heretofore the first Heroes of Christianity shed upon the wounds and Crowns either of their Fathers or Children still warme with Martyrdom After the execution of the impious sentence which had submitted this High Judge of Equity to the sword of a Hangman Margaret prepared her self to tender her last duties to the Bodie of her Father Concerning whose Head after it had served a whole Moneth for a spectacle of terrour upon London Bridge she bought it of the Executioner and caused it to be inchased in Silver to the end it might remain with his Writings the Relique of his Family and of her Domestick Devotion Notwithstanding this Devotion wanted not Accusers and was pursued by Justice It was made a crime of State that they might have a pretence to persecute Sir Thomas Moor even after his Death and cause that part of his Heart and Spirit which he had left to his Daughter to suffer a second Martyrdom She was made a Prisoner and examined before the Schismatical Tribunal But she shewed so much Constancie in prison she answered so prudently and with so great courage she made so resolute and a noble confession of her Faith that the Commissioners themselves being become her Admirers conceived it much fitter to send her back then to give a second Victory to her Father and multiply Martyrs and Crowns in his Family MARIAMNE 〈…〉 Mariamne THIS Terrace incompassed with â—allisters of Jasper belongs to the Palace of Herod And it can be no other then Mariamne who comes out of it with so much splendour and so sumptuously apparelled There needed no Diadem and Sceptre to make her known Her Dignitie is neither Artificial nor borrowed It is from her Person and not from her Fortune And her Heroick Stature her Majestical Countenance and soveraign Beauty came from the Maccabees as well as her Blood and Courage Can you believe seeing her so Beautiful and Resolute that she is going to Execution She goes thither most fair and undaunted as you see her And all the Graces and Vertues accompany her to that place Bloody and murtherous Judges suborned by her Husband Mother and Sister in Law come to give the Sentence of death against her She appeared before this Tribunal of Tyranny and Injustice with a Countenance of Authority and a Soveraignty of Heart equal to that of her Face You would have said that the Criminal was to pronounce the Decree and that the Lives of the Judges were in her Mouth But as good Intervals stay not with sweetned Tyrants nor with charmed Vipers so malice and poison quickly return to the Judges of Iniquity Their fury which Innocence and Beauty equally Imperious had chained up with respect is loosned and confirmed And they at last pronounced her Sentence but still with Fear and Trembling As if their Faces had accused their Consciences and given the Lye to their Tongues As if their very Tongues had retracted what was done their Palenesse and stammering made a Declaration contradictory to their Decree and justified condemned Innocence In what manner do you think she received this unjust Sentence and procured by her own Husband With more Equality of Spirit with more Indifferency then she could have received his Carresses And had it been but a feigned Death they pronounced against her she could not have appeared lesse moved She is come hither with all the Calmnesse of her Heart the Reproaches and Injuries of her wicked Step Mother who combined with her Enemies did not provoke her And had she gone to a publick Sacrifice or to some solemn Feast She could not have carried thither a better composed Modesty Since it is decreed that she must die she resolves to die resolutely and like a Macchabee And there will not only appear a Constancy in her Suffering but even a Dignity and Grace Pitty it is nevertheless that so perfect a Light should be extinguished at its high Noon and in the midst of its Carreer And the Mists must needs be very thick and malignant which could not be dissipated by it But we amuse our selves in bewailing her we lose her last splendour and the last examples of her Vertue She is already arrived at the Place of Execution And the envious Saloma hath so violently pressed the Execution that at the very instant I speak there is an end of poor Mariamne Herod himself is come too late to save her His Retraction was fruitlesse They left him not so much leasure as to suspend the wicked Sentence or to keep back even for one moment the Arm of the Executioner And repentant Love which brought him thither found nothing but sorrows to vent and unprofitable tears to shed Affrightment Horror and Despair entred into his Soul at the sight of Mariamne dead Spite Anger and Jelousie at the same time issued from thence And the marks of these Passions mix'd at their encounter caused this distemper in his Eyes and the Confusion you behold on his Face His Bodie half reversed and his arms extended follow the posture of his Soul which remains as it were in suspence between astonishment and aversion between the respect and horrour of these deplorable Reliques He was willing at once both to remove his sight from thence and to sacrifice himself upon them for the expiation of just blood by blood that was guilty And to
Immolate the jealous Penitent to executed Innocence He wished that he were able at least to tear out his Heart and to rid himself with it of his Crime and Punishment His Eyes besieged by a Death as yet warm and bloody and by two Specters equally frightful finde every where Torment and Reproaches Me thinks this Fury strikes Fear into you Surely she is frightfull And the most Resolute and Heroick Souls even those which deride Death with all its disguises cannot behold her without Trembling if she appears to them Of these Serpents which you see upon her Head some raise sinister Reports and bad Rumors others infuse suspitions and distrusts There are some which steal in by the Eyes of Husbands others which enter by the Ears of VVives The fairest Flowers wither as soon as they are touched by them The best united Hearts are severed if never so little bitten by them and from their mouth doth fall as well the Gall which imbitters the sweetest Humours as the Venom which corrupts the fairest Flowers of Marriage The Torch which she holds in her Hand is no less pernitious then the serpents about her Head All the bad Colours wherewith the most innocent Actions become darkned are compounded of this Coal Her Smoak obscureth the purest and clearest Lights and draws Tears from the fairest Eyes she robs the fairest Faces of their Lustre and Attraction Her Fire seizeth on both Souls and Bodies she causeth Frenzies and Calentures and even in this Life she makes Devils and damned Souls All this teacheth you that this Furie is Jealousie and Enemie of the Graces and the Corruptresse of Love She is come as you see to act her second part and begins to revenge that Murder to which she her self did instigate All the Serpents which are wanting on her Head are about Herods Heart and even tears his Conscience The Bloody sword which she shews him is a dreadfull Looking-glass to his Imagination He beholds there the horror of his Crime he sees there the wounds of his Heart and the stains of his Soul This Apparition indeed is frightful but the incensed Ghost which ariseth from this beautiful Bodie is much more And Herod suffers an other fire and other stings then from the Torch and Snakes of the Furie His wandring and troubled Eyes change their station at every moment They are obsest with these two Spectres which haunt them every where And thinking to repose them upon this dying Beauty wherein heretofore consisted his chief Happinesse he findes there a Tribunal and Scaffold his condemnation and punishment His Yesterdayes Idoll is to day his judge and Executioner This just Blood which still reaks is a devouring fire which fills his distemper'd Imagination and there comes out of it Imprecations and Complaints Outcries of Reproach and Vengeance These cold and tyed up Hands tear his Heart in pieces and this Beautifull Head which caused all his joyes and happy dayes is now the Principal part of his Torment Mean while she hath only changed place the blow which cast her down hath not shaken off her flower her Grace and Beauty are thereby a little faded but not defaced And her open and still â—â—rene eyes seem to expect another Death as if there needed more then one to extinguish them Thus the eclipsed Moon is still fair and the Sun sets daily without losing one single Ray or changing Countenance The mischief is that whereas the Moon recovers her defections and is cured of her Eclipses and the Sun riseth again the next day after his setting there is no renovation of Light or a new day to be expected for Mariamne And this Beautiful Head is fallen in her own Blood never to rise again SONNET MAriamne's dead her Corps is now the seat Of Whiteness only by her Souls Retreat The Royal Blood that tinctur'd it with Red In Crimson streams flowes from her sever'd Head Megaera holds before the Tyrants Eyes The murd'ring Sword He in that Glass espyes The stains wherewith his Heart is cover'd ore And sees his Image purpled with her gore The Vigorous impressions of this sad And â—atal Object render Herod mad Two vindicating Ghosts his Eyes invade With flaming Torch and with a glittring Blade But now his Fury dreads nor Flames nor Swords Her Blood that 's boyling still such Fumes affords As make him feel all Hells tormenting Evils Without the Scorch of Fire or Scourge of Devils ELOGIE OF MARIAMNE MARIAMNE hath appeared too often upon the Theater not to be known in this Picture All things were great in her Birth Beauty Vertue Courage nay bad Fortune She was the Grand-Childe of Patriarchs Prophets Kings and High Priests Her Countenance captivated Herod and inchainâ—d him for a time and her Picture stood in Competition with Cleopatra in the Heart of Anthonie Her Vertue neverthelesse did not consent to this concurrence and being far from thinking on forbidden Acquisitions she never dained to put any constraint upon her self for the preservation of that which she lawfully possessed Her Chastity was so severe and so little indulgent outwardly that there remained within something I know not what of stately and piccant which exasperated Herod and made him return to his own Nature But she was the same to the bitings of this inâ—aged Beast as she had been to his Indeerments She retained her confidence and preserved all her Majesty amidst suborned Accusers confederate and corrupted Judges The Face of the Executioner did not alter at all the serâ—â—ity of her Countenance and her Head was struck off without paling her Brow or displacing her Heart Her Constancie did not begin by her punishment it began by that which is termed her good Fortune Having espoused a jealous Tyrant it was requisite for her to be as couragious in the Palace as in the Prison and Resolution was as needful for her under the Diadem as under the Sword The Blow which struck off her Head was less her Death then the End of her punishment for one Crown it cut off it brake a dozen chains and it was a Redeemer and not an Executioner which delivered her from Herod MORAL REFLECTION HEROD glorious and tormented and Mariamne crowned and unhappy teach us that the greatest Tranquillity is not found in the Highest Regions of the World There are no priviledged Territories nor exempt from Malediction Many sufferers are seen in Prisons and upon Scaffolds but the worst treated Persons remain in Pallaces and upon Thrones These nevertheless cause more Envie then Pitty The People admire what they ought to lament and when there is occasion of drawing the Picture of Happiness they represent her upon a Throne and place a Scepter in her Hand and a Crown upon her Head But the People are ignorant Judges and very unskilful Painters Every day they judge at Random and without knowing the Cause Every day they vent Chimaera's and Caprichio's for well regulated Figures They sufficiently understand of what matter Crowns are made and discern well enough how they
of Jasper and Porphire SONNET WHile this Heroick Mede attempts to gain O're weighty Palms be by their poyse is slain His Brow still sweats with Gallans Actions done Still do's the Blood about his Armour run His Hearts late active Flames have lost their Fire And through its reaking Blood in Smoak expire While couch'd among the Dead his Soul pursues The wand'ring Shades of those the sword subdues O hold Panthea hold thy best Relief Rests in the moderation of thy Grief Save thou at least thy Husbands second Heart And let one Death suffice your common Smart In thee he still survives and may again In thee fair Cruel by thy Hand be slain Thâ— inhumane Steel that shall dismiss thy Breath To him must needs procure a second Death ELOGIE OF PANTHEA PANTHEA had a Philosophers Spirit in a Womans Bodie and a knowing and disciplined Soul under a Barbarous Climat There was nothing weak or rustical in her Life All her Actions were full of Courage and Dexteritie Chastity Grace and Modesty excepted nothing appeared in her agreeable to her Sex Having remained a Captive after the Defeat of the Assyrians vanquished by Cyrus she was set apart as the most precious piece of the Spoil and as the choicest fruit of the Victory And in this occasion her Vertue appeared more rare and prizable then her Beauty A noble man of Persia having had the Impudence to attempt upon her Honour Discretion Chastity and Fidelity defended it And the Victory which remained to her evidently shewed that Fortune had not yet overcome her And that though she were an absolute Captive yet she had alwayes a free Heart and a soveraign Soul The Affection she bore to her Husband Abradates was serious and manly she did not consume it in affected Discourses and superfluous Apprehensions She truly loved his Life and Repose but she was jealous of his Reputation and Renown And she would rather have wished him an untimely and glorious Death then a dishonoured and compleat old Age. So far was she from making him lose in her Closet the hours of the Field and from withdrawing him from Gallant Encounters and Honourable Dangers that she sent him thither in a costly Equipage like a Conquerer that she delighted to see in him an adorned and sumptuous Valour which might both dazle and affright which might beget at once both Admiration and Fame He died likewise Victorious in the Gold Armour which she had bought for him with her Pearl and pretious Stones as if she intended thereby either to adorn his Death or to set a Value and Lustre on his Victory Being brought to her covered over with his own Blood and that of his Enemies she received him Couragiously and with a manly Constancy mixt with sorrow and Majesty She forbore not to bewail him but it was done with those modest and decent Tears which do not soften the Heart but beautifie the Face Not being able to make his Soul return into his Body she essayed to substitute her own in the place of it For that end she opened her Bosom by a wide wound and leaning on him as if she were willing to fill his Heart with her Blood and Life she dyed in two Bodies and yeelded up her Soul through her Husbands Wound and and her own MORAL REFLECTION I Put not here a Sword into Womens Hands nor invite them unto Poison a Halter or Precipice Voluntary Death might appear handsom and becoming in this Barbarian it would seem black and hideous in a Christian Woman But Chastity Fidelity and Constancie are in use with all Nations and requisite for All Sects And our Christian Women without darkning or disfiguring themselves may imitate Barbarian Let them learn of her that Conjugal Love is not an effeminate and mincing Passion That it is vigorous and serious That it is capable of great Designes and of Noble and Couragious Thoughts Let them understand that though their Sex be exempted from the Dangers and Functions of War yet their Fortunes and Mindes are not so that they ought to serve with their Goods and Possessions if not with their Persons And that it were a Disgrace for them to spare two or three Pearls and Parcels of rich Cutwork in Occasions wherein Princes are Liberal of their Blood and Kings expose their Crowns and Heads In fine let them know that their chief Ornament consists in their Husbands Glory that they ought to adorn themselves with all that contributes to their Credit and Reputation And that a man without Honour is as great a Deformity to a brave Woman as a Head of Clay to a Statue of Ivorie MORAL QUESTION Concerning the Order which a Gallant Woman ought to observe in Conjugal Love IF good Eyes and a great Light be requisite to love regularly more Courage and Vertue is yet required to it And well ordained Charity what sweetness soever it promiseth is the most powerful and the most rare perfection of a Gallant Woman There are many who tenderly love their Husbands The Heart of a Turtle or the Soul of a Dove without other Philosophie would suffice for this Tendernesse But surely few there are that love them according to measure and in order to their duties few that know how to afford just proportions to their kindnesses and to set every office in its place and in the degree which is proper to it Finally few that can boast with the Spouse in the Canticles of having a regular Love and a well ordered Charity And neverthelesse it is this regular Love and well ordered Charitie which must accomplish the Fortitude of a Woman For according to the saying of S. Augustine these give the Character and Tincture to all other Vertues of what Sex soever they be and by what Names soever they are called Morever this Order to draw the Designe of it in little and to teach it by Epitomie must be taken from the very order of those Objects that are beloved Wherein this proportion is to be exactly observed that every Object be ranked in the esteem and according to the degree of its Merit That the most pretious and important should have the first Cares and be furthest advanced in the Heart that the rest of lesse consequence should remain in the superficies and rest satisfied with the second thoughts and remaining Affections And generally that love should grow intense or remisse rise or fall act or acquiesce according to the different weight according to the several degrees according to the Value of the good which is to be affected and pursued This Rule ought to be in a Gallant Woman what the Rod was to the Angel whom Ezekiel saw measuring the Temple She ought not to Love but with proportion according to the quantity of merit And how vast soever her Heart is she must yet be wary of pouring it out rashly and at random she ought to give nothing of it but by weight and measure Not that I permit her to divide and distribute it to whom
no other Attendance then his own Family Neither did he think to go to a Siege or Battel he beheved that his Voyage was to a Treaty of Marriage and a Marriage is not treated of with Armies and Engins of War No man espouseth a beating Drum or flying Colours As soon as he arrived in Navarre King Garcius a Complice in the Treason of his Sister Theracia received him with outrages and reproaches and without giving him time to recollect himself commits him to Prison and causeth him to be loaden with Chains more harsh and ponderous then those which he came to seek Sanchia advertised of so soul a Treason to which she had contributed innocently and with no ill intent thought her self obliged for the Justification of her promise and for the Honour of her House to assist a Prince who was taken in her Name and by her promise She found out a means to see him in Prison and this sight mollified her Heart and laid it open to Passion which never before found any accesse unto it Pitty which is not bashfull and suspected by no man entred first boldly and without resistance Love stole in fearfully after her and was there received upon the ingagements made by Gonzales and upon the faith which had been given him Sanchia was already sufficiently tied by the promise delegated to the King of Navarre her brother and to her sister the Queen of Leen But she found her self there much faster tied by the chains of Gonzales She renewed to him the promise she had sent him by the ministers of her brothers treachery And having given necessary orders for his liberty she took him out of prison and fled away with him to Castile where she was married to him in great pomp and with the general applause of the people I confesse that there was much of boldnesse in this action and I would not pardon it in a Maid who had followed a wandring fire and played the part of a 〈◊〉 or a Lucipps But if we consider that Sanchia was no longer at her own dispose nor at her brothers that she was promised and betrothed to Gonzales that she had given her faith out of obedience And that she owed more to her betrothed faith then to the treachery of her House her boldnesse will be no reproach to her memory And men will rather give her an honourable ranke amongst the Herâ—â—sses then joyn her with the wandring women of Romances Neverthelesse the King her brother did not take it in that sense As soon as he was advertised of his prisoners and sisters flight he presently raised a powerfull Army and fell into Castile But he fell in under so ill a Planet that he was defeated in the first Battell and by the sport of Fortune which mingles at her pleasure chains and Crowns and placeth them sometimes upon one Head and sometimes upon an other or to speak more Christianly by a just disposure of Divine Providence which would punish Injustice and Treachery the King of Navarre in his turne remained prisoner to his Fugitive and was loaden with the same Chains he had brought for him After some moneths of imprisonment Gonzales moved by the perswasions of his Wife set him at liberty and sent him back with honour to his Kingdom These benefits ought to be ranked amongst those Coals which according to the saying of the Wiseman give new heat to congealed Charity and reenkindle extinguished affection But they stirred up hatred and inkindled a new warre which would have caused great flames and ruines if the wise and couragious Sanchia before one drop of blood was spilt had not mediated between her Husband and Brother and quenched with her tears the fire which had taken on all sides These tears which had vertue enough to extinguish a warre already flaming and to pacifie two Kingdoms in Arms had not enough to sweeten the Animosity of a Woman The Queen of Leen reserved her passion in all the Treaties which were held And in all the Articles which were proposed to her whatsoever her lips and tongue did swear and whatsoever her hand did signe she full sware in her mind and signed in her heart the death of Gonzales The obstinate Princess not content with having laboured unprofitably and at a great expence to dishonour the Name of the King her Brother with having perverted her Faith and falsified her promise took away also the Honour and Reputation of the King her Husband And perswaded him to make of his Word and Faith a second snare for Gonzales The Faith of Kings is sacred Their Promise is holy And it is a prophanation and a kinde of Sacriledge to convert them into Deceits and Treasons and to make them serve for Baits to Circumventions This Prince nevertheless seduced by his Wife consented to the Prophanation of his Word and Faith He convened the States of his Kingdom and sent thither the Earl of Castile The Earl had sight good enough to discern afar off the snare which was laid for him but he had too good a Heart and too confident a Soul to avoid a snare from which he knew not well how to flie but by flying from his Duty and turning his back to his Reputation He stuck fast then to his Reputation and Duty and committed his Life and Liberty to Fortune Fortune nevertheless which is said to be favourable to bold Actions gave him no better entertainment at Leon then he had received at Navarre He found there a second Prison and as strong and heavy chains as the former And found no Sanchia in that place who might break these chains and open the Prison for him But Love which was more just then Fortune and works far other Miracles did not long retard the bringing thither his Deliveress And if she had been Couragious and Faithful during the time of Contract she shewed her self yet more Couragious and Faithful in the state of Marriage Assoon as she had notice of her Husbands Captivity her first thought was to march in the head of twenty thousand men to destroy his Prison with Fire and Sword and to bring him back to Castile through the Ruines and Light of a flaming Province To this first thought which arose from her Courage another succeeded wherein there was more of Prudence and more of Safety for her Husband She fixed upon that though the danger thereof was more evident for her self And she resolved to oppose to a foul and treacherous fraud an innocent and purely charitable deceit She chose amongst the most Faithful servants of the Earl her Husband all those who had most courage and strength and commanded them to follow her without noise and with Arms of more effect then shew This done she began her journey in the habit and Marks of a Pilgrime passeth every where for a Woman of quality who went to perform her Vow made to S. James And being arrived in Leon with two Knights she so craftily and dexterously assaulted the Gates of the
their gesture and countenance the same oath which Brutus takes Their fiery eys and their faces grown young again by a heat unknown to their age swear in the same form to extirpate the Tarquins Colâ—atin dazled with his affliction and loss doth not mind what they do but when he shall return out of this amazement he will mingle his zeal with theirs And all four consecrating themselves to liberty and revenge by touching that blood which this woman gathers up they joyntly renewed their vow to Lucrecia's Ghost And Lucrecia will be hereafter next unto liberty and vertue their Domestick Divinity and the principall Religion of their Families SONNET LUCRECIA speaks ALL Nations know my Tragedy I find That still the fact is fresh in ev'ry mind The blood still from me flows which in Rome's sight Repair'd my wrong and wash'd my honour white Nature admird my genrous Death set forth In History by Pens of greatest worth And to eternize me each hand that 's rare In Glory's Temple draws my Picture faire But all these marks of Honour and of praise What do they serve me for since now adayes They slander my disaster with the name Of Crime and wrongfully arraign my Fame But this affront my noble Ghost resents And to my Fate her thence-sprung sorrow vents Nay rather then endure so soul a slain I in this Pourtrait kill my self again The Apology and Elogy of LVCRECIA LVcrecia complains in these verses of her rigorous usage and of the charge laid against her to the dishonor of her Memory I have seen this charge and the sentence annext to it in the Books of the City of God I have been present sometimes at the declamations which one of the highest and strongest Vertues of her Sex is wont to make against her And I confess that if she be judged by the Christian Rule and the Laws of the Gospel she will be hardly able to justifie her Innocence The most favourable will be at least of S. Austins opinion and conclude with him that she neither merited the death she gave her self if she were innocent in her dishonour nor the praises she received if she were guilty of it Nevertheless were she withdrawn from this severe Tribunal where no Heathen Vertue appears which is not in danger to be condemned were she to be judged by the Law of her own Country and by the Religion of her time she will be found one of the chastest Women of her Age and one of the most couragious of her Country Noble and Vertuous Philosophy which so often accuseth her will absolve her of her disaster and be reconciled to her and every one will confess that her sin is less ascribable to her own fault then to the imperfection of the Law which had ill directed her and to the scandals of that Religion which had given her but bad presidents In effect the Law of that Country was then but specious and superficial the Moral was only applyed to plaister over the exteriour to imitate the countenance and gestures of Vertue to make fair masks and handsom delusions It touched not upon corrupted intentions it had no Rule for inordinate desires and in case depraved passions came not so far as to ill effects yet it abandoned them to their own sense and permitted their hearts to enjoy a liberty more then popular It allowed them an unpunishable and unrestrained freedom As for the Religion of the Romans which erected Courtisans into Goddesses and sacrificed to Adulterers it was not to be expected that it should produce Virgins and chaste Women Therein Lucrecia even ravished Lucrecia was better then the Gods of Rome It was not the love of pleasure nor the fear of death which induced her to sin but the love of Honour and the excessive fear she had to lose it and if she were not endowed with the resolution of Susaâ—â—s who sunk neither under death nor infamy it suffices to say in her excuse that she knew not the God of Susanna And the miracle would have been too great it a Heathen Woman had equalled one of the highest Vertues amongst the Faithful without the Law and the Graces which made them so Let us not forbear then to commend Lucrecia she is worthy of our praises Ancient Rome which hath been the Nurse of sublime natural vertues of great Pagan Heroes hath brought forth nothing more high and great nothing more gallant and couragious then Lucrecia This great City was the Exterminatrix of insolent Kings and the Mother of the Common-wealth And to bring into the World this famous Maid who ought to have commanded so many Nations she opened her own bosom and procured to her self a remarkable and violent death Therein she was more glorious and worthy of esteem then the Mother of the first Caesar whose belly was 〈◊〉 up to make way for the Usurper whom she bore in her womb The outragious Villain who offered violence to her Honour did not dishonor her Honour stuck close to Vertue and Vertue cannot be torn out of the heart it must fall of it self Being unable with her single hands to resist armed Force she repelled it with her minde and her soul raised it self as much as it could not to be stained with the impurity which defiled her body Besides she was willing to cleanse it with her blood and the zeal of her Modesty was so great as she punished upon her self the uncleanness which another had committed MORAL REFLECTION YOU who see Lucrecia dying in this Picture take heed lest her blood fall upon you and put you to the blush if you be a less chaste Christian then she was a chaste Idolatress And if you be pure in that point and possess the prime Vertues of your Sex remember that a chaste Woman is but an initiated Christian and that it is no great praise to you to be under the Law of a Virgin born and a Virgin-God what so many other have been under lascivious Gods and adulterous Goddesses But if your Honour be humble and modest if your Chastity be sweet charitable and religious if you be numbred amongst the industrious and prudent Virgins if you listen to the Bridegroom with patience and with a Lamp lighted in your hand if you be strong in the strength of Christianity all Ancient Rome whether of your Sex or ours was endued with less Fortitude then your selves And you do not only take away the honour from Lucrecia but you take it also from the Cornelia's the Panthea's and the 〈◊〉 you take it from all the Vertues of the Republick and Empire MORAL QVESTION Whether Chastity belongs to the Honour of Heroesses and great Ladies I Have seen the discourse of Tassus concerning the vertue of Ladies and I understand very well the difference that he places betweeen the honour of Women and that of Heroesses But I very well discern to what his discourse doth tend And I am not ignorant of his sickness caused by the Princess 〈◊〉 of Esâ—e
fault that his soul is not already at liberty he presseth it with vehemency enough and hath made for it Orifices large enough in all his Veins But Seneca must be long a dying that his lingring death may be a lasting Instruction and a Pattern of a large extent Surely this Seneca is not the man of whom Envy and Detraction hath made so many false Pictures I perceive nothing of weakness or vice wherewith they reproach him And this Death what ever ignorant and traducing spirits say cannot be the Tragedy of a seemingly Vertuous person of a masked Philosopher of a Counterfeit and Sophisticall Doctor His calm and setled Constancy shews outwardly the stability of his mind He seems to confirm with his eyes and brow whatsoever he hath written concerning the contempt of Fortune and Death You would say that he alledges himself for the proof of his Doctrine He Philosophizes by as many mouths as there are wounds And every drop of his blood is a Stoicall Demonstration A proof of his Opinions and a testimony which he renders to the Courage of his Sect. His weeping and mourning friends receive with his last words the last spirit of Philosophy and the pure lights which already his almost loosned and descryed Soul diffuseth The attention they give him is full of respect and hath something I know not what of Religion It would be hard to say whether it be to his voice or blood they are attentive whether it be the dictates of his mouth or those of his wounds which they write In this extremity this severe man who so boldly looks upon Death as if he were seeing a Mask dares not fix his eyes upon Paulina I think that he apprehends lest friendship might soften his spirit and the Husband be found more powerfull in his heart then the Philosopher But â—e not scandalized at this tenderness It is not unseemly in a wise man He may with credit afflict himself for another And the Tears which friendship hath exprest may decently trickle down on his Face SONNET PAULINA speaks PAulina meets Death's Launcet with a Mind No less of Stoick then of Roman Kind A Philosophick Love which charms her Heart Will give the stroke to sweeten all her smart Inhumane Fortune through remorse or hate Runs to rebuke her and repair her Fate But her great Soul resists a forced stay And with her Blood makes haste to slide away You daring Sages who for Truths promote Your high fictitious Dreams and from us Vote Our Noble Passions Learn of this Heroique And Famous Woman to be truly Stoique And know this truth whatever you in vain Have learn'd from your fantastick Founder's Brain That the most Tragick Deaths delightfull grow VVhen Love himself shall give the fatal Blow Elogy of Paulina IF there were great Vices in Nero's Age there were also eminent and very exemplar Vertues The darkest nights have their Planets And in the worst Seasons the Sun hath his good Intervals and fair hours This Monster inrag'd against Reason which made him see his Errours fell upon Seneca who had cleer'd and disciplin'd that faculty in him As if it had proceeded from the Masters fault who polished the Glass and not from his own Deformity that he was hideous He then gave order for his death And this excellent Man who was grown old under another Mistress then this slight fencing Philosophy which is only bold in a School and against Fantosmes was ready to submit to this barbarous Command for proof of his Doctrine and to put in Practice what he had set forth in Propositions and Opinions When it was time to depart he did not so much as turn his head to listen to Fortune who solicited and called him to the Empire He departed out of a house more worth then ten Millions as if he had gone out of a thatchâ—d 〈◊〉 He shewed himself only sensible for Paulina whom he leâ—t young and exposed to the outrages of a bad season and the insolencies of a Tyrant who had caused it He endeavoured to perswade her to live and take comfort in her own Vertue and the Goods he had left her But she remonstrated to him that these indulgent and careful perswasions were not fit to be used to the Wife of Seneca That his Example counselled her better then his Reasons That it taught as well as Philosophy how to die resolutely and with courage Their veins were opened with the same Lancet they mingled their Blood their Spirits and Examples And the soul of Paulina would have followed that of Seneca if it had not been detained at the last step she was to make Nero apprehending lest the death of so illustrious a Lady and of so high a Reputation might compleat the drawing on him a publick hatred sent Souldiers who bound up her veins and used violence to make her live But she retained all that she could of death which was then kept from her And ever after conserved the desire of it in her heart and the paleness of it upon her face MORAL REFLECTION PAulina who is still victorious over death in this Picture informs us that Philosophy hath no Sex that it communicates it self without making any distinction between Garments and Faces That the Graces themselves may become Valiant and Couragious under her Discipline And that Cowardise proceeds from the corruption of the heart and not from the tenderness of the temper nor the dispositions of Fortune It likewise informs us that Vertue must needs be very weak and Christianity superficial in the greatest part of Christian Ladies who perplex themselves about a Necklace and a few Pearls who have their hearts fixed on a lac'd Petticoat who are slaves to a small Fortune which to express it well is but a figure of guilded dirt The least they can expect is to be condemned by this Heathen woman who had a soul dis-ingaged from Riches which may vie with those of Kings who had a free heart even in the arms of a Fortune which was as large as the Empire and which raised jealousie even in the Fortune of the Emperour himself The ensuing Question will manifest whether Paulina could be a Philosopher and a Stoick and whether I had reason to say that Philosophy hath no Sex MORAL QVESTION VVhether VVomen be capable of true Philosophy A Woman hath been heretofore seen playing the Orator in publick places who did with unprofitable and studied Discourses what the Mountebanks now adayes use to do with their Drugs and Antick faces There was also a lewd Woman who affected a brutish and impudent Freedom who braved Fortune and Nature with a Staff and Wallet who was Beggerly and Arrogant and who had under a ragged and tottered Garment a worse Pride then is found under cloth of Gold and Purple Both the one and the other was called Philosophy But both had but the name and a false mask which drew Spectators to them And certainly if no other Philosophy had descended from Heaven then from this
Dilates the Will which it hath fastened to its self and penetrates it with a pleasing and violent sweetness which hath wherewith to gain and overcome it Nevertheless it hath no need of violence against the Will She renders her self up freely to what is Good and expects not to be forced from it She embraceth all that resembleth it She ever gapes after the Odour and Shadow thereof And her happiness consisting in being united to it she cannot repel it without suppressing or suspending her instinct without acting against her self and offering violence to Nature Her instinct and disposition in respect of Evil are far different from the other As it is an Object of Terror which woundeth by 〈…〉 presence the Will also cannot endure the Reproaches of it She flies eagerly even from the appearances and presages thereof and for this she needs neither new vigour nor force but her own instinct contrariwise she would have need of a second vigour more powerfull then the first and it would be necessary that she should offer violence to her instinct If she were I do not say to follow Evil but even to expect it quietly and to suspend the hatred she bears it It is then more easie to fight against Evil. and to overcome it by a propense and natural resistance then to repell Good and obtain such a forced victory over it as is offensive to Nature and constrains her Inclinations And this truth being supposed I leave unto others to judge whether the Combats of Valour be more hazardous and painfull then those of Chastity And whether to support Nature and to repulse with her by joynt Forces a danger which affrights and threatens her it be necessary to imploy more Vigour and Constancy and act more couragiously and with more resolution then to force her Inclinations to suppress her instinct and desires to snatch from her a Good which is Interiour and Adherent to her a pressing and obstinate Good a Good which is supported by many other Goods which are her Solicitors and Agents which render it valuable and sustains it This is a third Reason which much increaseth the dangers of Chastity and the need she hath to be wel armed with courage warlike Discipline She is not only to defend her self from voluptuousness which is an obstinate and pressing Enemy And which can hardly be vanquished either by open force diversion or stratagem But she is likewise to overcome Avarice Vanity and Ambition She is to resist Engines of Gold and Silver Batteries of Diamonds and Pearls and generally all the Assaults which a potent Love assisted by Fortune is able to give Some Men go about to Debauch even Reputation and Honour from the service of Chastity and to imploy them some times against her with better Success then Pleasure and Riches nay then death it self and punishments as it hapned in the fall of 〈◊〉 Now it is certain that Gold and Silver are the Engines which overcome all things with them Towns are taken which have held out against Canons and Mines By them Armies have been defeated which had resisted Fire and Sword the injuries of Weather and the fury of the Elements And a Woman hath need of far greater force then that of the Heroes to maintain a Battery which hath broken whole Legions and overthrown Câ—tadels There are also but too many of them who surrender to it And in these sorts of Combats Victories are daily gain'd with Gold and Pearl Nevertheless that which is remarkable even Riches Honors Presents and Hopes which have so much power to weaken Chastity are helps which incourage valour and Fortifie it And the valiant raise themselves great and resplendent Fortunes out of the same things which turne chaste Women There is much more then this And as if Chastity had not enemieâ— enough of her own she is to contest with those of Valour and Constancy She is not onely assaulted by voluptuousness and battered with pieces of Gold and Silver with Presents and Offers with Weapons which wound the soul by 〈◊〉 the senses and vanquish the heart by delighting the Body But she is also assaulted by Tyrants and Executioners with a preparation of 〈◊〉 and Engines of Punishments And the 〈◊〉 which they propose to her is not a resplendent and specious death and Honorable and Glorious death like that of valiant Men but a hideous and Tragick Death a Death accompanied with Torments and like those which are bewailed upon Theaters The chief thing is that she is not to contend with this death and these Torments by resistance and by repelling them with the Sword as in War This Combat would be easie and Nature would both side with her and support her But she must overcome by Patience and in suffering all that an Irritated passion and become furious can make one suffer And Nature to which sufferance is averse not assisting her in this kinde of fight She must have a strong resolution and a very Heroick Courage to resist all alone Fire and Sword and hold out against the Rack and Tortures Those are truly to be esteemed who expose themselves freely to so many Deaths as there be Grains of Lead and Pikes of Iron in the Army of an Enemy who remain firm before artificial Thunders which strike at a greater distance and cause more Murthers then those of Nature But the end of those Persons how resolute soever they be is not to put back the Goods which are offered them and less also to abandon themselves to the Evils which appear and threaten them She is to acquire all that they see of Riches and Crowns in the hands of Victory She is to retort death upon their Enemies and with Death all the evils which accompany it as well as those that follow it Chastity hath Objects and Pretensions quite opposite to these And it is her duty to vanquish equally things delightful and formidable The delightful by a generous refusal the formidable by an immoveable Patience and both by an Heroick Magnanimiâ—â— The couragious Susanna was to fight and overcome all these sorts of Enemies drawn together against her in one single Occasion She vanquished Pleasure which hath put so many Heroesses under the yoke and so many Conquerers in chains She overcame Infamy which is the great Bug-Bear of her Sex She overcame Death even the Death due to Sacriledges And that which exceeds all Expression She chose rather to undergo innocently the shame and punishment of Adulterers then to preserve her Life and Honour by a Stain easie to be washed out and far easier to be concealed Certainly the Victories of Sampson though Heroick and Miraculous if compared with these will pass but for May-Games and Fictions And whatsover is said of it he shewed less strength in tearing up Pillars and bearing the fall of a Ruined House then Susanna did in offering her self to the snares which were prepared for her Let us add now Example to Discourse and to Inculcate also to the Understanding
pittiful Reliques And in this state able to beget Emulation in all the Vertuous Women of Antiquity she rendred up her Soul not upon the Body of her Husband who was no more but upon his Shadow and Memory ISABELLE de Castille suâ—e le â—enin et le peril de la playe de son Mary desesperé des 〈…〉 par sa â—uerisâ—n que l'Amour est le Maistre de la vie et de la mort 〈…〉 Eleonor of Castile Princess of wales ALL England is dangerously sick upon this Bed with Prince Edward The Fortune of the Publike being wounded to the heart by the wound he brought from the Holy VVar endures the same Convulsions as he feels And the Physitians give them but one day of life if God send not an Angel and a Miracle to cure them Surely it is very strange that the hearts of a whole Nation should be wounded by one blow and that one shaft which hath hurt but one Body should draw Blood from so many Soules But such is the condition and as it were the destiny of good Princes They have a heart and soul in every one of their Subjects Their blood and veines disperse themselves throughout all the parts of their Dominions and their least wounds are followed by publike Symptomes and popular Maladies Prince Edwards wound is one of those The King his Father and all his Subjects lament it and their Tears are the Blood of their Soules which have been wounded by his Body You will believe notwithstanding that in this generall sickness and amidst these common lamentations the Princess his wife is the most sick and most to be lamented There is also a good half of the Prince in her and reciprocally more then a good half of her in the Prince Her love at least is there intire and with her love there is more of her Life and more of her Soul then is left behind Though far remote from the fight yet she was wounded there to death with him Her heart found it self just in the offended part and ever since her soul and life have issued forth by the same wound with her Husbands blood At present hope is returned to her but it is a dolefull hope and such as may come from despair The Physitians have declared to her that the Prince might yet be cured and that to cure him it was necessary to seek out some affectionate and couragious person who would expose himself to take in his Death by sucking the poyson out of his wound Her Love which was present at the Consult of the Physitians perswaded her that this affection could not be expected but from a woman nor this Courage but from a Princes That this fatall wound could not have a more soveraign Salve then her Tongue and that if it were her Husbands destiny to receive a second Life he could owe it to no other then her Spirit and Mouth This inspiration greedily received by her heart drew from thence this bold and vigorous heat and this tincture of hope and joy which you see in her Face There appears in her Countenance something I know not what of fierce and stately which seems to require respect and yet begets affection It is peradventure a certain Ayr of Spain which passed the Seas with her and followed her into England It is perchance a visible expression of her Heroick thoughts and an exteriour sign by which her Soul declares what she newly concluded For whatever this little fierceness may be taken and what name soever they give it it sets a harmless edge upon the sweetness of this Princess It is to her Beauty and Graces a modest and well-becoming boldness It is as it were a reflection of her Heart upon her Face and as a demonstration of the greatness and vigour of her Soul But whether it proceed from the greatness and vigour of her Soul or from the force and greatness of her affection she valueth not death to which she is going to expose her self nor is affrighted at this great train of Terror which the people set before her She considers and hearkens to nothing but her Love which calls her to an action which will equall Spain to ancient Greece and old Italy which will efface the glory of renowned men and women and infuse jealousie into both Sexes which will be the honour of this Age and the admiration of Posterity and will manifest that Charity no less then Faith hath the gift of Cures and the vertue of Miracles Her Imagination was full of these great Objects But her Husband is the main one and approacheth nearest to her heart In her mind she renounceth Reputation and Glory and by an express Oath taken upon the name and picture of the Prince which you see in her hand She dedicates her self to his Cure and obligeth her self to suck in her own Death or to give him Life Let us accompany her to the Execution of this business and place our selves behind this piece of Arras with the Princes servants who observe her in silence and with gestures of astonishment Vertue cannot have too many witnesses in like Enterprizes And this would merit that time past should return and the future advance to convey to her Spectators of all Ages Behold her already upon the Princes Bed and couched upon the wound she hath discovered You would say that her Soul to accomplish the Transport she hath vowed and to pass from the subject she animates to that she loveth flows away by her Eyes with her Tears and drop by drop penetrates the Body of the sick Prince Do not fear that these Tears should inflame his wound or that the Ardour of his Feavour be augmented by them These Tears indeed are very warm and come from a scorching spring but they are gentle and benigne and I believe that not a Tear doth fall which carryeth not with it some part of the Princesses Soul and some drop of her Life distilled therein VVhat do you think of this Love who exhorts her with his very looks and action Doth he not seem to be newly come out of her Heart to declare himself the Author of this great Design and to enjoy it neerer and in an open way He is not one of these Interested and Propriatory Ones that will ingross all to themselves and aym meerly at their own private satisfaction Less also is he one of those Discontented and Contentious Ones who are armed on all sides with teeth and nails who carry not a Flower which is not accompanied with Thornes who make not so much cleer fire as they do noise and smoke You see no Shafts nor Torch about him because he is a Saving and no Tyrannical Love He is come to cure an old wound and not to make new ones And there entreth nothing but a pure Spirit and Light into the Flames which he inkindles He is not of the Country of Romances nor of the Region of Fables His Origen is from Heaven even from the
the ill humours and bad Fortunes of their Husbands but it would have them sick of their Maladies die of their Deaths And as if it had not been sufficient to make them slaves undergo the yoke It made them also Sufferers and Victims and put ordinarily either a rope about their necks or a dagger in their throats The chief thing is that there was a necessity of taking that course to acquire the title of a gallant Woman And such as were able to endure life after the death of their Husbands could not pretend to the acclamations of their present Age nor to the Eternity of History Besides even in these dayes this cruel Custom is used in some parts of the Indie No Widows are seen in those Countries And Families are not prejudiced there by Dowries which issue out of them A Father of a Family being dead the Law of the Country ordains that he be put in an Equipage for the other World And that such things as had been most dear unto him should be burn'd with him The best beloved of his Wives hath this advantage by his last Will and the Right which Custom allows her She dresseth her self more richly and with more care for death then she had done for her Wedding-Feast The whole Kindred in Festival Garments and adorned like her Conducts her Solemnly and in Pomp to the flaming Pile And there she suffers her self to be burnt in Ceremony and with a more Natural and less affected Constancy then did the 〈◊〉 Philosopher who would counterfeit Hercules dying And presented a Spectacle of his death to the Army of Alexander I know indeed that this Superstitious and regular Cruelty of the Indians And that other tumultuary and precipitated Despair of the Romans and Grecians are equally reproved by the Laws of Christianity But I am not ignorant also that conjugal Love hath its Meritorious and Vertuous Deaths And there is some ground to doubt whether such kinde of deaths may happen by way of obligation and concern the Duty of a good Wife To this Question which is not of meer Curiosity but Instructive and Profitable I answer First that desperate and passionate Women who kill themselves to follow their deceased Husbands transgress against conjugal Love and violate the Fidelity they owe them This Proposition draws neer to a Paradox Yet exceeds not its bounds and Truth is there well ballanced One or two Reasons may Justifie it and draw the assent of the most devoted to the Memory of the Pantâ—â—â—â—â— and the Porcia's In the first place it will be granted me that the prime care of Lovers should be to nourish their fire and to keep it still in heat and action To delend it from all that might extinguish it And the least neglects therein are Temptations Doubts are Dispositions to change and commenced Infidelities Now this fire is smother'd in blood and by the violence of desperate Widows It is a great folly to believe that nothing remains after death The earth of Church-yards is too cold to preserve a single spark thereof An such as thunder out so great Oaths that their Ashes will retain everlastingly the heat thereof are highly guilty of Perjury unless they vent them by way of Poesie And if it be an act of Infidelity by tract of time and by piece-meal to suppress ones love from day to day and to deprive it by degrees of nourishment what will it be to smother it violently and on a sudden not to leave it a single spark which may inkindle it I know not how they will take what I have to say in this particular It is true nevertheless and must be spoken in what sense soever it may be taken Conjugal Fidelity is more hainously violated and the dead are far more injured by the delusive Courage of the falsely Constant Women that destroy themselves then by the weakness of those which will open their hearts to new Affections and run to second Marriages These at least preserve the Memory of their Husbands They still retain their Rings on their Fingers They keep their Pictures in their Closets and Hearts And the second fire which â—â—â—â—eth on them is not so incompatible nor so much an enemy to the first that it permits not some sparks thereof and a little heat in the remaining Ashes On the contrary furious and despairing Widows in what manner soever they voluntarily die reserve nothing of their first fire They destroy it even to the Matter to the very Ashes and Harth And their Husbands who might live long and quietly in their hearts perish a second time by the impetuosity of their Despair or by the obstinacy of their Grief Hence I infer a second Reason against the Falsity of impatient and despairing Love It is an opinion generally received and supported both by the Sense and Nature as well as by Speculation and Philosophy That Persons beloved have a particular Being and as it were a second Existency in the Imagination in the Soul and Heart of the Persons that love them They live there intellectually and by their Images And those Images are not dead Figures nor Impostures of a deceiving Art They have Life and Spirit they are true and Natural They possess all the Perfections and Graces of their Originals and have neither the Defects nor stains of Matter Now a Woman who kills her self out of a blinde and precipitious fury or who consumes her self with an obstinate and voluntary Affliction takes from her Husband this second Existency and this intellectual Being and Love by which he surviv'd himself She voluntarily annihilates and violently destroys that which death had left her And if she ought to make a scruple of defacing his Picture with what colour and pretence can she justifie the violence she offereth to an Image which was her second Life and Felicity in this World It is evident thereby that Constancy is not furious and that Fidelity is another thing then Despair That the greatest Love is not that which makes the most haste to poysons and precipices That Wives cannot more Religiously keep the Faith they owe to their Husbands not give them stronger proofs of their Affection then in rendring their Fidelity and Love durable and lasting Then in procuring them in their minde a life full of tranquillity and satisfaction Then in espousing their Memory and making a new Contract with their Images Then in carefully preserving those things which have been dear unto them And if they be good Wives they will not doubt but they were more dear to them then any Worldly treasure Let it not be said that this Philosophy is too remiss and indulgent That it pleads the cause of Nice and Effeminate Dames That it gives credit and authority to self Love This cannot be spoken but rashly and at random And surely as one may kill himself out of self Love and through an excess of tenderness so one may preserve his own life for the Love of another and by a particular
Melancholy And by the ruine of her Prison she secures her Palace And that by the choice of a death which lasts but a moment and is sweetned and purified by Love She avoids a Widow-hood which is to Lovers a long and bitter death A death of the Heart and Minde a death which endures and makes it self felt as long as it lasteth Thereby in fine her Love enjoys the purest and highest satisfaction whereof it is capable Which is to produce it self entire To fill up the whole Extent that lies open to it to pass even to the utmost bounds and to the last Tryals Now so long as it advanceth not so far as death there still remains a great Vacâ—â—â—â— before it And the most important and perswasive point is yet wanting to Tryals Being assured by the Testimony of Holy Writ that Perfect and Consummated Love is only found in such as Sacrifice their Lives for those who are dear unto them Moreover this last and Supream Duty which Conjugal Love imposeth on Wives and which it may also impose on Husbands is not one of those Duties in 〈◊〉 and Speculation whereof no Example is seen but in Romances The Couragious Spanish Princess whose Picture I have newly drawn was not a Fantome of that Country And so many others so well known in true History were not born in the same Places as the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 I leave the Ancient and Forreign Dames to seekers of far-fetched Curiosities The French Lady whom I am to produce is of a Family good and rich enough to be an Honour to her Country and Age And such as treat of Modern Vertues as of the younger bâ—ood will learn at least by this Example that the younger Daughters of France are nothing inferiour to the eldest Daughters of Greece and Rome EXAMPLE Margaret of Foixe Dutchess of Espernon IT is no new thing to hear me Discourse of the bad Intelligence which is between Friendship and Fortune It hath always been believed that Greatness was too much Interessed and Propriatory to love really and that it had a certain Pride and Rigour which left no room for Tenderness and soft Passions It hath been said that Love and Majesty never dwell together That it rather affects a mean and quiet Condition then an elevation exposed to Winds and Tempests And they that have resembled it to a Bird have not made it flie with Eagles nor placed it upon the top of Cedars and the summet of Mountains They have ranked it amongst Bees which are Armed and live like it of the quintiscence of â—owers and of the pure Spirit of the Planets They have lodgd it amongst Rose Trees where there is Fire and Thorns like its own But whatever hath hitherto been believed or said Friendship and Vertue are not equally at variance with all great Fortunes There are Grandeurs very Affectionate and wel-Natured as well as Rude and Intractable And if the Lizard which walks only upon his hands as Solomon saith be so bold as to ascend even to the Palaces of Kings and to dwell with them as their Domestique We must not believe that Love which is Nobly Descended and to whom so excellent wings are given is only born for Cottages There are no Houses shut against it And it shall appear by this Example into what House soever Vertue introduceth it there is no Greatness which gives not place to it nor any Interest which obeys it not The Fortâ—ne of the deceased Duke of Esperâ—on hath been long admir'd throughout all France It was likewise Extraordinary and Wonderful and there was not only colour in the pieces which composed it but also Force and Solidity they were all great and Illustrious In my Judgement nevertheless the decealed Lady his Wife was the greatest and most Illustrious of all those pieces nay the strongest and most solid though it lasted not so long as the rest This great Lady possessed in an eminent degree all the Qualities which may conduce to the glory of a Family and the happiness of a Husband Her Nobility was of the first rank And I know not whether in all Europe there were any Soveraign Title or Crown wherein she had not a share But there is a Nobility which is proud and insolent yet hers was Modest and Civil The Titles of her House did not puff up her Mind And the Crowns of her Allies and Predecessors made her not receive others with scorn To this Nobleness of Blood was added the Nobleness of her Countenance and that Soveraignty of Natural Right and Ancient Descent which begets Majesty in Beautiful Persons but she was not of those fair Ones who erect their Soveraignty into Liberty and Tyranny Hers still remained within the limits of a lowly and exemplar Sobriety Detraction which is so bold in lying and findes out stains in the most Beautiful Planets had not one word to say against her Nevertheless her Vertue was no sullen Vertue she was none of those curst ones who have not a drop of good nature who know onely how to scratch and bite She was naturally milde and cultivated by study and the Graces had so well tempered what might perchance have been over tart in her as she gave content even where she was severe But all these rare qualities do not concern the subject we now treat of my Question is about Conjugal Love and the deceased Dutchess of Espernon hath given an Example thereof which equals the force of ancient Models There are even in these days Illustrious and Remarkable witnesses which speak not of it but in terms of Praise But what ever they say of her Esteem and respects of her Obedience and Cares of her good Offices and Complacences though they speak nothing thereof which is not Great and Exemplar yet it leaves not so high an Idea of this Love as the action of Angouâ—â—â—â— In that General Revolution which happened at Court in the year 1588. The Heads of the Leagâ—t raised all their Engines against the Duke of Espernâ—â— and used both openly and privately all sorts of endeavours to destroy him However he was not shaken so that these Engines did onely assault the favour and good will of his Prince But as soon as Calumny took hold of his Fidelity and that he was accused for holding intelligence with the King of Nâ—varre his good Master who till then had defended his own benefits and interpos'd between his Work and those envious Persons who designed his ruin withdrew his Protection and consented to the Plot which was laid to seiz on him in Angoâ—leme The enemies which he had in the Cabinet Councel entended the Kings consent even to his destruction And Orders were sent from the Court to the Magistrates of Angoâ—leme to bring him alive or dead The execution of this dangerous Plot was defer'd till the tenth of August and that day the Magistrate who was not ignorant how hard a chase he had to follow presented himself with two hundred selected and armed men to seiz
impetuosity wherewith they passed along retreated disorderly into their Forts conceiving that it would not be safe for them to remain in their Tents Nevertheless the number of those that have no longer any need of Tents or VVorks is great enough And apparently if the landed Troops had given on at the same time upon all sides this dayes work had put an end to the Siege And this so stately Camp which had been for seven moneths the Prison of Orleans would become at present the Sepulchre of a good part of England But so great a work well deserved to be shewn distinctly and at leisure And to the end this imprisoned and despairing City might behold all the Valour of its Deliveress it was necessary that its Prison should not be broken but by track of time and by parcels This happy beginning is a certain presage of a far more fortunate Issue And the Earl of Dunois whom you see under the Gate with Lahire and the other Commanders is gone forth to congratulate with her aforehand Peradventure you may have never seen the face of this young Prince You have never then beheld the greatest Ornament of this Age and the fairest hope of Posterity Take time to observe him well Behold his gracefull carriage and the dignity of his whole Person Behold those Rayes of Majesty which have something I know not what of Royal and are dyed with the Purple of his Blood Behold the Nobleness of Aspect and ayr of a VVarriour which demonstrates his exteriour Courage and his remarkable Valour and acknowledge that he adds much to the name of Orleans and worthily supports the Greatness and Fortune thereof It is hoped that his Vertues will not die with him They will serve for other Ages and under other Reigns And all Predictions are false and Physiognomy is deceitfull or Princes shall be born from him who will be Heroes by Race and Valiant from Father to Son who will be one day the Honour of their Family by rendring Honour to France SONNET The PUCELLE speaks FAtal to England Fortunate to France Of th' one I curb'd the surly Arrogance And with my Lance the tott'ring Throne sustain'd Of th' other Realm whose Freedome I regain'd The smoakie Ordures of the burning Pile Could not my spotless Innocence defile And my opprobrious Death more mischief brought To those that cans'd it then my Arm that fought With Heart which did Heroickly aspire I under verdant Laurels kept entire My Body's flow'r and not unlike the Bee Was rich in Courage and in Chastitie On thâ— English Lions I did boldly press And chac'd them oft a Virgin Conqueress And gallantly defended with my Lance The Flowr-de-Luce which Crowns our Kings of France Elogy of Pucelle HISTORY which causeth it self to be stiled true and exact scatters nothing almost in every place but far fetch'd Falshoods and Fables Magnificently set forth and with Pomp. It only proposeth Pictures exceeding Natural Proportion nothing but Colosseses which seem to be made only to affright the belief of Readers and weary their sight There is nothing here of this Model or Statute All pure and naked Truth without exaggeration and ornament is here more taking then these Fables more magnificent and stately then these Colosseses The Maid of Orleans is not the Work of an Inventive and Deluding Fancy She is not composed of the same Matter with those Valiant Women set forth in Romances and by Poets Her Vertue was Sensible and Substantial She really effected in the Field all that others have done in Picture and in the brain of their Inventors Her Victories have not been like theirs which spake only by black'd Paper and spilt Inke The same Spirit which called from the Sheepfold the Conquerour of Gelia which chose a weak and unarmed Woman to defeat the Assyrians broken into Iudea and to tear its People out of the claws of Holifernes took this Maid from amidst the Flocks and sent her Fortified by his Vertue to raise up ruined France and to free it from the bondage of Strangers who would have dishonoured that Kingdom after they had pillag'd it He infused into her a Prophetick Spirit and a Conquering Heart He made a Debâ—â—â— and Iudith of her And heap'd together in her life all that in the time of Miracles appeared most rare and â—â—â—ustrious It did not suffice him to give her Courage and Conduct He sent her an Angel who laid his hands on her and this Imposition of hands was to her what the Ceremony of Instaulment is to new made Knights He instructed her in all the Exercises of War and taught her more in a moment then 〈◊〉 and Potâ—â—â— had learnt from Occurtences and Fortune The English also stood not before her Their Fortune which conceived it self already Victorious gave way to her Angel and what forcible endeavours soever they used to hinder her entry into Orleans she entred it in despite of them and deprived them of France by taking this City from them After several Fights wherein she was still Victorious she fell into the hands of her Enemies who treated her as a Criminal both in point of Religion and State and made her undergo the punishment of Hereticks and Sorcerers God was pleased thus to permit it to the end she might accomplish all the Duties of a gallant Woman and finish that part of a perfect Heroesse which she had begun That she might overcome by her Patience as she had done by her Valour And that the English might be no less defeated by her Death then by her Victories Besides this barbarous Injustice heightened their sins and drew upon them the wrath of God the Avenger of oppressed Innocence The Spirit of the Maid and her good Angel re-inkindled the War after he death Ever since the English had them on their backs they were vanquished by them in all Battels and beaten off in all Sieges And in fine to preserve themselves from these exterminating Spirits they were inforced to quit all that they 〈◊〉 â—â—vaded MORAL REFLECTION THere is a great difference between the Judgements of God and those of Men And we see few places where this difference is more expresse and better marked out then in the History of the Maid of Orleans God drew her out of a Village to inform us that he makes no distinction either of places or names that he esteems not men for their Coats of Arms and ancient Titles that the blood of a Prince and a Shepherd are of the same colour and matter That a Sheep-hook in his sight is of the same value as a Scepter And that both high and low as well as the Palme and Bush spring from the same Earth He chose her out of a weak Sex because he hath ever loved to overcome Pride by Weakness to throw down Colosseses with grains of Sand to fell Giants with Reeds He would manifest that the weakest and least Warlike hands are able to defend Scepters and support Thrones when he hath blessed them
in her hands it was never more universal nor extended to more uses nor to a larger compass Her Profusions did not slide away in unprofitable transitory Pomps They were not like Torrents which are onely for shew and last but a dayâ— They resembled Rivers which are fertile and durable they afforded staâ—e and solid riches and brought happiness to Nations and plenty to Ages And to say nothing of those which remained in Spain where they are still looked upon with astonishment The great Bible of 〈◊〉 which hath been so long the most ample and rich spectacle of learned men the most profitable and stately Ornament of our Libraries is no less the work of Isabella then of Cardinal Ximenes her Councellor This Eminent Princess first advanced this great enterprize and furnished of her own stock to those preparations which were requisite long before the Work was begunne But as there hath never been so bold an Undertaker who hath not had more bold Successors then himself and besides as the same Time which ruins on the one side the works of art doth perfect them on the other so the Bible of 〈◊〉 having raigned near upon threescore year and held the first 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 was deposed of its place by the Royal Bible which 〈◊〉 the second caused to be printed at Antwerp And very newly the Royall happened to be degraded by that which Monsieur Le lay after the labour of thirty years hath published with the generall Applause of all the learned It is true also that this enterprize was not the undertaking of a particular Person and of a mean Fortune It was of a Monarch nay of a sumptuous Monarch and addicted to Noble expences It was of a Soveraign and Magnificent Fortune And if this great Body of seven Languages remains 〈◊〉 to be shewn all intire to Posterity I know not whether the most credulous Posterity will ever believe that a single private Person of this Kingdom assisted onely by his Revenue and Generosity hath affected more then a King of Spain with all his Mountains of Silver and Springs of Gold with all his Mines and Indies But great Souls not great Estates are the things which perform great Actions It was requisite that the Regency of Anne of Austria should have 〈◊〉 advantage above the Raign of Isabella and Philip her Predecessor It was necessary that a moderate Fortune should give Emulation and Instruction to all the great Fortunes of Europe and that Princes and then Ministers should learn from a Private Person to be Christianly Magnificent with the Benediction of God and Men. Isabella was not onely Wise and Couragious Magnanimous Just and Magnificent But her Publick and Active Vertues were accompanied with other Domestick and Peaceable Ones which were not the less vigorous for making the less noise and had not the less merit in being less Regarded I set down her Devotion in this Last which had been remarkable in a Religious Woman her modestie and Civility which savoured nothing of the height of her quality her Patience which might have made a Heroess in a private Fortune Her Court was a School of Piety Purity and Modesty for the Maids of Honour which were Educated near her Person She was an Academy of Spirit and Honour for Cavaliers And from this Academy came that famous Gonzales of 〈◊〉 to whom Spain so liberal in Titles and Elogies gave the name of Great Captain as a reward for driving the Fortune of France out of the Kingdom of Naples Besides her Vertue was not one of those Stage Vertues which act not handsomly but before the World and in the eyes of men It was not one of those Mercenary and Interessed Vertues which serve not but upon good Terms and for great Wages and Pawn It was likewise sincere and acted as soveraignly and with as much order in Private as in the eyes of the Publick It was likewise steddy as well during a storm as in a calm and had not a different Countenance and Heart in Affliction then in Prosperity It hath been known by the report of her Attendants that in all her Child beds the pain of Delivery which is the Natural Torture of their Sex did never force a word of Complaint from her mouth Marvellous was the Moderation which made her suffer with the death of her Son the death of her Name and the Extirpation of her Race And certainly since there is no Tree which doth not bend and complain when a Branch is torn off from it by a Tempest though it be a wilde Tree though the Branch which is taken off be half rotten How much courage were necessary for a Mother not to be cast down by the blow which deprived her of such a Son which tore from her so noble a shoot and of so great hope A shoot which was to have extended it self to new Worlds and a new Nature She was so far from being dejected by this Accident that it â—earce gâ—ve her the least disquiet The gallant Woman prevailed in her minde above the good Mother And the news of this deplorable death being brought her in the Eve of her Daughter Isabella's Marriage with 〈◊〉 King of Portugal she knew so well how to seal up her heart She so handsomly fitted her Countenance to an Action for which so great Preparations were made that not a sigh escaped out of her Heart not a Tear fell from her Eyes which might cloud the Serenity of the Feast Her Constancy appeared no less by bearing with the publick Extravagancies of the Princess 〈◊〉 her Daughter who was sick of the Love of her Husband Philip. His truly was a Lawful Love and had received the Benediction of the Church Not only Bastard Loves are those which appear Monstrous but even Lawfull Ones which are Enormous and Irregular have scarce a better Aspect And the Fires which the Church hath blessed if they be not entertained with Moderation may no less offend the head and dazle with their smoak then the other The Love of Iaâ—â— was one of these Lawful disordered Loves It was one of these honest fires which heat too much and daâ—â— with their smoak And surely she must needs have been much dazled when she resolved to Imbark her self in the most bitter Season of the year and to expose her life her great belly and the hope of so many Kingdoms to the Winter and the Ocean that she might meet with her Husband who was 〈◊〉 into Handerâ— But Fonsâ—â—a Bishop of Burgos and 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Governour of 〈◊〉 having hindred her Imbarking neither Intreaties nor Reasons could prevail to bring her back to her Lodging She remained whole days and nights without Food or Sleep exposed to the Air and all the injuries thereof And assuredly she would have died on the ground if the Quâ—een her Mother had not brought her in all haste a Licence to commit her self to the penâ— of the Sea Nevertheless she escaped the Sea and Tempesluous Season But Jealousie escaped
Infamy and â—dishonest Prison to which she was carryed by the wind after a thousand Maledictions breathed forth both against Fortune who had unhappily preserved her from the fire and ruines of her House and against her Sex which had rendred her unworthy of an honorable Deathâ— it came into her mind that the Genius of her Coâ—ntry required some action from her which might make more noyse then her Fall had done As this Mayd was wholy taken up with this thought she perceived a Soldier entring into the Magazine of Powder she went in readily after him and having found fire ready at hand assisted by her good Angel as One may believe and inspired by God jealous of the honor of Virgins she took hold of this fire and cast it into a barrel of Powder which was ready to receive it The Effect was sudden At the very Instant the flame disperseth it self with an incredible noyse through the whole Gally and from thence spred it self amongst the other three which drew neer to assist it The Couragious Virgin being first carryed away had not the leisure to be sensible of her Liberty and Victory But doubtless her faâ—â— soul issuing forth of her body stayd at least some time to have the 〈◊〉 of them both And her first Joy was to behold these devouting and statelâ— flames which revenged the sacking of Nicofia upon the Victorious and burnt with the prison and bondage of her Companions the Sâ—ragâ—o and voluptuous present which Muâ—tapâ—a had embarked for Selum MORAL REFLECTION WHat I have said in Verse is true and I can say it also in Prose The strong Hebrew who threw down a Pallace and overwhelmed a whole multitude at his Death did no more then this Mayd If she had not so much strength in her Armes she had peradventure more in her Heart and Mind At least she overcame Love and Pleasure which vanquished Sampson And the Captives death which was no less then hers a bloody Victory without Combat hath manifested in these latter Times that Vertue becomes not decrepid with Years that it is now the very same it was in the Time of Heroes and that the alteration we observe therein proceeds from its Subjects and not from its vigor and strength But this chaste and victorious Mayd speaks cheifly to those that pretend to Chastity and are jealous of the flower and glory of their Sex She teacheth them that perfect Chastity hath her Enthusiasmes and Raptures that she cannot endure to be tyed how rich soever her chains may be that Fortune hath no Mountains of Gold nor Rivers of Silver which she doth not pass over that Ambition cannot build her so elevated a Pallace from which she doth not precipitate her self that Excess and Voluptuousness cannot tye her with so sweet chains which she doth not break that even Death it self cannot present to her Obstacles which she doth not overcome It would be a great Shame to a Woman who should profess Chastity to be fastned to a Trifle if she could not break a silken thred if she dare not oppose her self to a few Thorns And I know not how she would dispose of her Honor if to conserve It she were necessitated to set fire on her house to leap down into a Precipice to expose her self to Swords Wheels Tender Women and such as Love their ease will make answer to this that these Raptures belong not to the Vertue of their Sex And that Chastity is not reduced to so great necessity as Despair must defend it The subsequent Question will shew what weight this Answer carries and whether Christian Philosophy be on her side MORAL QVESTION VVhether an Heroick Transport be necessary to the Perfection of a Womans Chastity THe Question doth suppose a Transport to be Essential to Heroick Vertue And that there is an Enthusiasme which forms Heroes as well as there is one which makes Poets This Transport to define it distinctly and to give an Express and pure Notion of it is an extraordinary Effort by which the Soul is violently carryed to Objects which transcends the common reach of Men. And because our forces be not proportionable to those high Objects and that the best disposed and most able amongst us can hardly advance much further without being born up it hath been always believed that there necessarily entred into these extraordinary Efforts something I know not what Divine which transported Nature and of this I know not what whether it be a Spirit or Divine Fire the word Enthusiasme is composed which the Grecians have expresly formed for these Transports Here nevertheless we must call to minde that Enthusiasmâ— and Transports are divers and of a different Species according to the different Faculties which are Transported and according to the different Objects to which they are Transported If the Rapture comes only from the Intellectual and Imaginary part which is Subalteâ— it tends to luminous and elevated Ideas to Noble and Specious Fantomes and Imaginations It is effected by glorious Visions and by bold and magnificent Expressions And this Enthusiasmâ— is properly That which Ignorant and Prophane Men stile the folly of Poets But if the Rapture be from the whole Person if the Intellectual part carryes away the Appetitive if the Soul Transports the Body and if by a joynt effort they all tend either to the Divine or Soveraign Good or to that eminent Honour which is in this life the last point of consummated Vertue this general Transport being a Transport of Action is the same Enthusiasme which they attribute to Heroes and which Philosophers seek in Heroick Vertue And surely it is absolutely necessary to it whether by reason of the 〈◊〉 and difficulty of its Object whereto we arrive not by ridding way and numbring our steps or by reason of the Thornes and Obstacles whâ—â—h Inviâ—on it And to raise ones self above these Thornes to surmoâ—â—â—â— these Obstacles it were almost requisite to have a winged Heart One ought to have at least a Soul to carry it as swiftly and as high as winâ—â— could do It is not likewise doubted for these reasons but that a 〈◊〉 sport is necessary to Heroick Vertues yet there is much ground to doâ—bt whether Chastity be one of these Vertues whether it be called to the Communication of this Spirit whether it may not advance to its Good but with violence and by 〈◊〉 And â—f we believe at first sight the appearance and common notions thereofâ— we will stand for the Negative First the Spirit of Modesty being 〈…〉 Spirit of Chastity is an Apprehensive and Fearful Spirit a Spirit which â—â—dles and Restrains which Apprehends much noise and 〈◊〉 which shuns the Stage and Spectators which affects Privacy and 〈…〉 Now there is nothing more opposite to this timerous and 〈…〉 Spirit then the Spirit of Transport which is Bold and Attemptingâ— Impâ—â—ient and Active an Enemy to Reservedness and Constraint 〈…〉 of Bounds and yet more uncapable of Chains Moreover all the Masters of
and belonging to her Family she had much Piety of her own and was very vertuous by her own Acquisitions Her Piety nevertheless was not tepide and timerous her Vertues were none of those idle and Antick ones which amuse the most part of Women They were strong and couragious they acted continually and with vigour and this vigour was supported by a Generosity which might make a life Heroick if it had been placed in another Sex and in a Soveraign Condition She needed no less courage to resist the Assault and to acquit her self with honour of so perilous an Attempt which was made upon her She made answer to those that proposed to her an exchange of Laâ—cate and her Loyaltie for her husband That she owed her first and highest affections to her King and Fidelity And that she would not take them off to give them to her husband to whom she owed but second and inferiour ones That she loved him intirely and had great tenderness for him yet loved him in his degree and with order and that there was nothing remiss or weak in her tenderness That she understood better then any body the worth of her Husband That were he to be sold innocently and to be put to a Lawful ransom she would not only alienate her Lands and pawn her Jewels to redeem him but even rent out the labour of her hands and make money of her blood and death if she could compass it by her sweat and pains That nevertheless for this she would never alienate her Fidelity nor engage therein one single point of her Conscience And that if she should make so ill a bargain her husband would be the first breaker of it That he would never be perswaded to depart out of Prison without his honour nay he would never descend from a Scaffold nor ascend unto a Throne without it But should he forget his honour went she on yet I will never be unmindfull of mine I know too well the value of it nor will I ever dispossess my self thereof for any gain or loss which may arise from it I understand very well to what Marriage obligeth me and what I owe to my Family But I was not born a marryed Person as I am born a French-Woman And it shall never be said that to preserve a Family which was but yesterday and peradventure will not be to morrow I have laid open a Fort to Rebellion and contributed to the ruine of my Countrey The Confederates of the League being overcome and repulsed at this first Assault did not yet retire they continued the Battery for the space of seven weeks And every day they gave some new onset upon the Place through the heart of this generous Woman Sometimes they sware to make her Husband suffer all sorts of torments And they made her endure them all in her imagination with terrifying looks and far more frightfull words Sometimes they threatned to render him back to her by piece-meal And these threats were worse then Canon shots or Granadoes but they fell upon a heart which was stronger then the strongest Bulwarks and which would not have yielded either for Canon shot or for all their Granadoes In fine the Confederates of the League despaired of taking Laâ—cate by so well guarded a place and the dolefull and tragick execution which followed their despair clearly shewed that they spake in good earnest and that their threats were reall Monsieur de Barry was strangled in his Chamber by the hand of an Executioner And neither the Cord nor Engine wherewith he was strangled could not draw from his mouth any sign of irresolution nor one single word of weakness In History there are more glorious and famous Deaths then this but a more magnanimous heroick one hath not been seen Remarkable Deaths are not made so by the Grandeur of the Armes which destroy they arise from the greatness of Courage and the force of resolution and there are enough which will not yield before two hundred Piles and a battery of twelve Canon But there are few which render not themselves to the Rope of an Executioner Surely it were to be wished for the good of the State that we might have many Copies of this gallant Man and of this generous Woman If there were but one in every Town of the Kingdom it would be at least impregnable through coveteousness or fear The sending back the body of Monsieur de Barry did in a strange manner incense the Garrison In the first heat of anger and compassion the Soldiers transported by both ran unto the Governors house with a resolution to kill Monsieur de Loupian who was a Gentleman of quality and a particular Confident of the house of â—oyeâ—â—e Monsieur Montâ—â—rancy who kept him Prisoner being advertised of the taking of Monsieur de Barry had given him in charge to his wife that he might be responsible to her for the life of her husband and that by the right of Reprisals he might make satisfaction with his own life if the other miscarryed Doubtless there had been an end of him and all the credit of the League could not have saved him in this tumult if Madam de Barry had not been more generous and humane then is observed in the single order of Nature But she was so after a more pure and sublime manner and there was in her heart another kind of spirit and other principles differing from the spirit of the world and the Maximes of Morality She presented her self before this irritated Troop and spake so efficaciously and with so powerfull and perswasive a grace of Monsieur de Loupians Innocence of the Crime they would commit in making him undergo the penalty of a murther whereof he was not guilty of the punishment God would infallibly inflict upon this offence that she appeased their spirits and removed all spite and rage from their grief Addressing her self afterwards to her Son Heâ—â—dâ—s whom the soldiers had followed she proposed to him the Heroick constancy and the inviolable Fidelity of his Father The Patrimony of Glory which his death had purchased to their Family the stain which the unjustly spilt blood of Monsieur de Loupian would bring upon this still-fresh Glory the repentance which follows precipitated Anger and unlawful Revenges The Protection they ought to expect from him who makes himself to be called the Father of Orphans and the Defender of Widows And by these reasons fortifyed by her example and animated by a spirit of Vertue and Authority she saved this poor Gentleman and sent him back to Monsieur Montâ—â—rancy with a Convoy The History of Spain makes a great deal of noise about the Generosity of Gâ—â—â—an the Good who being summoned by the Moors either to deliver up Terissa which he defended or to be a Spectator of his Sons death who was a Prisoner in their hands would not become a Traitor to remain a Father and chose rather to preserve his Honour then his Race Truly
this Generosity was Heroick And Spain so magnificent in great words and in vast and high expressions hath no words so great nor expressions so vast which can equal it Nevertheless the action of a Woman and a French Woman hath surpassed it And the Loyaltie of Madam de Barry was so much the more Gallant and Generous then that of Guâ—man in as much as a dearer pledge and a more irreparable and sensible loss was to be hazarded thereby The Spaniard consented to the loss of a young Plant which was dear to him and made one part of himself But perchance this young plant was not single This part was served from him And besides others might grow up in its place The French Woman came not off at so cheap a rate she was to undergo the loss of the Stem and of all the Roots She was to suffer the Incision of a part which was inherent in her which stuck to her flesh and bones which was flesh of her flesh and bone of her bone which made up the moâ—ty of her heart and spirit And the chiefest matter is that this so difficult and costly fidelity was exercised in a time of trouble and tumult In a time when Laws were in disorder and Duties in confusion when Rebellion was Canonized by the People and Loyaltie made an Hackny when Soveraignty was Lâ—tigious and brought into Dispute when the oppressed Crown seemed ready to be torn in pieces or to change its Master The Command of Laâ—cate continued to this generous Widow And for the space of seven years she performed the Functions of it with so much courage and with so laborious an Assiduity as she left nothing more to be desired in point of her care and conduct By her presence she gave incouragement to the labours and exercises of the Souldiers She was assisting in their Duties and kept them in an exact Order and under a regular Discipline She Commanded pleasingly and with Dignity and she her self added example and the shew of action to her Commands And whatsoever an active and vigilant Captain Armed with Authority could have done in a Garrison Town this gallant Woman did it generously and with success she did it with comeliness and a pleasing grace The deceased King Henry the Great who esteemed nothing rashly and out of fancy highly prized this Generosity And when some Courtiers affecting the Government of Laâ—cate represented to him that a Place of such importance was not safe in the hands of a Woman He often Answered That he reposed more Trust in this Woman then in the ablest Man of his Kingdom That he knew not any one who could give so gallant an Earnest or so precious a Pledge of their Fidelity as she had done And that above all it concerned the honour of France to have it known that there were Ladies of that Nation not inferiour to Captains Nothing could be added to these few words They spake more then our longest Elogies can do They Crown the Memory of this Generous Woman and are a greater Honour to her then a triumphant Arch and many Statues ARRIE fortifie son Mary contre la Mort et par l'essay et l'exemple de la sienne 〈…〉 qu'on meurt sans douleur quand on meurt auec courage 〈…〉 Arria WEE are come too late and have lost the fairest piece of the most magnanimous action Rome hath ever seen The Actors as you see are few in number but all choice and famous ones And what they doe in private and without noise will be speedily carryed to Theatres and publike Places and wiâ—l receive Applauses from all free and Roman Hands You come not so far off and are not so great a stranger to Rome that you have heard no speech of Arria She is a modern Copy of the ancient Vertue she is a young woman and hath the Features of the old Republike Her Apparell and Speech sutes indeed with this time but her Courage Constancy and Fidelity are of the Sabiâ—s Age. And though she lives under the Reign of Claudius the Simple and in the Court of Messeline the Incontinent yet nothing of this Reign nor of this Court appears in her Manners They are of Lucrecia's Age or of some other far purer Time and less remote from the primitive Vertue Common Fame may have told you all that can be said of this womans Vertue but it could not as yet inform you what you see of her Courage Shâ— returned long since from Dalmatia following in a small Bark the Fortune and Ship of her Husband who was led away Captive You may have heard that he had been one of the Heads of the Scribonian Conspiracy and that he hâ—d liberty to pass which way he pleased to Messalin and Narcissus His wife perceiving him irresolute between Fear and Courage she her self took a couragious resolution that she might fortifie him by her example and teach him how to make choise of a Consular Death and equall to the 〈◊〉 and Triumphs of his Ancestors I could wish that we had been present at the Discourse which she newly had with him VVe might have heard the Images of the Cicinnaâ—s speak we might have seen the memory of Cato and Brutus and the glory of all the Defenders of Liberty laid before him to give him Courage To the force of so many Heroick reasons and of so many magnanimous words she added the force of her Example which is far more Heroick and Magnanimous And the mortall stroke she but even now gave her self set a value upon her Reasons and fortified them by a present Authority and by a Personall and still-fresh Experiment She exhorts him with her eyes and countenance as you see she exhorts him with her hand with which she presents him a Dagger But her most efficacious and pressing Exhortation is that of her wound which is a mouth of good credit and belief a mouth which can only say what it thinks and nothing which it doth not perswade This stream of blood which flows from thence hath her voice and spirit and this spent all warm that it penetrates the heart of Cicinnas dissipates his fears and coldness stayes his trembling fits and fortifies his weakness and raises up there against Death a true Patriciman Vertue of the Age of Liberty and of the spirit of Rome Arria accompanies with the sweetness of her eyes the vigour of this spirit and the shadow of approaching Death was so far from obscuring them that they never cast forth more fire they never diffused so pure and penetrating a light You believe peradventure that this is done by an effusion which is naturall and common to all Torches which draw near their end For my part I believe and believe it with more probability that this surplusage of light issues from the very soul of Arria which shews it self openly by these fair Gates to the soul of Cicinnaâ— and exhorts it to â—ally forth couragiously after her But from what spring sâ—ever this pure and