more a do but tooke his knife and like a blouddy butcher cut her tounge foorth of her head This done hée caused her to bée locked fast in a chamber takyng euery thyng from her wherby she might vse violence towardes her selfe and so went home to the Quéene Progue his wife with this forged tale I am sory sweete wife it is my chaunce to bée the messenger of sutch sower newes vnto you but séeing of force you must heare it as good I now impart it as other here after report it vnto you And séeing it is an accident which ordinarily happeneth to mortall wightes I trust of your selfe you will giue sutch order to your sorowe that you will suffer it to sinke no depelier into your hearte then wisdome would it should caryinge this in your remembraunce that wée are borne to die and that euen in our swathe cloutes death may aske his due Alas saith shée and is Pandion departed No sayth hée Pandion liueth but his life is sutch that death would more delight him Then farewell my Philomela sayth shée thy death I know is cause of this desolation and thy death shall soone abridge my daies In déede sayth hée so it is the gods haue had her vp into heauen as one to good to remaine on earth Ah vniust goddes sayth shée shée is to good for them also what pity what pieti what right what reason is in them to depriue her of life now in the prime of her life béefore shée haue tasted the chiefe pleasures of life or any way deserued the paine of death Ah swéete wife sayth hée I béeséech you by the loue which you beare mée to moderate your martirdome asswage your sorrow only in mée to repose your felicitie for I protest by these hands teares which I shede to see your sorrow that I wil be to you in stéede of a father a sister yea if you had a thousand fathers a thousaÌ„d sisters al their goodwils together shuld not surmouÌ„t mine alone These louinge woordes caused her somewhat to cease from her sorrow and shée began to take the matter as paciently as her paine would permit her But to returne to Philomela who béeinge kept close prisoner determined to pine herselfe to death but the hope of reuenge altered that determination and shée began to cast in her head how she might open the iniury to her sister which that Tirant had offered them both at length shée went this way to worke shee wrought and imbrodred cunningly in cloath the whole discourse of her course and carefull case which being finished fortune so framed that a gentleman riding late in the night had lost his way and seeing a light in her chamber a far of drewe nere to the window and called to Philomela inquiringe the way to the next towne wherevpon Philomela opened the window séeing him to bèe a gentleman whom she thought would not sticke to put him selfe in some perill to redresse a Ladies wronge shewed him the cloath which shee so cunningly had wrought and in the first place thereof was plainly written to whom it should bée deliuered and from whom The gentleman tooke it at her handes and plighted to her his fayth safely and secretly to deliuer it to the quéene Sée the iust iudgement of god who will suffer no euill done secretly but it shalbée manifested openly as in times past hee made the infant Daniell an instrument to detecte the conspiracy of the two Iudas iudges who falsely accused the good Lady Susanna and other times other wayes but this tiranny of Tereus was so terrible that the very stones in the walles would haue béewrayed it if there had been no other meanes vsed Now Progne hauinge this cloath conuayed vnto her and fully vnderstandinge how the case stoode not withstandinge her greife were great in the highest degrée yet a meruailous thing a woman could do so shée â—oncealed y matter secretly hoping to be reuenged more spéedily But yet her husbands villany towards her caused her to inueigh against him in this vehement sort O diuelish déepe dissembling of men who would haue thought that hée which pretended so great goodwill towards mée would haue intended so great ill against mée Why if my person could not please him could none but my sister satisfie him and if hée thought her most méete for his mischeif yet was it not villany inough to vanquish her virginity but that hee must mangle and dismember her body also but what pity is to bée looked for of sutch Panthers which passe not of piety Hée sheweth his cursed carelesse kinde hée plainely proues him selfe to procéed of the progenie of that traitor Eneas who wrought the confusion of the good Quéene Dido who succoured him in his distres It is euident hée is ingendred of Iasons race who disâ—oyally forsooke Medea y made him win y golden â—léece Hée is discended of the stock of Demopheon who through his faithles dealing forced Phyllis to hange her selfe Hée séemes of the séede of Theseus who left Ariadne in the desertes to bée deuoured through whose helpe hée subdued the Monster Minotaur and escaped out of the intricate Labirinth Hée commeth of Nero his cruel kinde who carnally abused his owne mother Agrippina then caused her to bée slaine and ript open that hee might se the place wherin he lay béeing an infant in her belly So that what fruites but filthinesse is to bée gathered of sutch graftes What boughes but beastlines growe out of sutch stems no I will neuer make other account but that faith which a man professeth is nothing els but forgery truth which hée pretendeth nothing els but trifling loue lust woordes wyles déeds deceit vowes vanities faythfull promises faythlesse practises ernest othes errant artes to deceiue sorrows subtelties sighes slightes groanes guiles cries crafts teares treason yea all their doinges nothing but baytes to intice vs hookes to intangle vs ingins vtterly to vndoe vs O that my mouth could cause my woords to mount aboue the skies to make y gods bend downe their eyes to take vew of the vilany of this viper then no doubt but either the city would sinke wherin hee is or the earth would open swalow him vp or the at least some plague should bee thundred downe vpon him which might most painefully punish him Or why may not the gods vse mée as an instrumeÌ„t to execute their vengeance on him The wife of Dionisias the tirant wrought the will of the goddes on her husband and miserably murthered him and why is it not lawfull for mee to doo the like Yes I can and will deuise sutch exquisite punishment for this Tiraunt that it shall feare all that come after from the like filthinesse Now to further her furie shée had this oportunitie offred her it was the same time of the yeere that the sacrifices of Bacchus were to bée celebrated what time the vse was for the women to goe aboute the countrey disguised as if they had béen mad where
her father Virginius Apius answered that hee thought it good the matter should hange in suspence vntill the returne of her supposed father but it was no reason but that hee who pretended yea and had prooued to haue sutch right to her should haue her in his custody vntill the matter were more examined and vpon his honour hée promised shee should bee foorth comminge to appeare at the time of her fathers approche The people hearinge this iniurious iudgment of Appius rather murmured at it then durst make resistance against it by reason wherof Marcus Cloudius béegan to draw the maid to bee defloured as the tiger in Hyrcane wooddes haleth the lambe to bée deuoured But god the righter of al wrongs and protector of all pure virgins preuented the perill which hong ouer her head sent home from the warres to succour her her vncle Numitorius and her spouse Icilius who hearinge the haynousnesse of the matter presently presed to the place where Appius sate in iudgement but hee commaunded his officers to kéepe Icilius backe whervpon Icilius inueighed against him in this sort Albeit O Appius by force you keepe mee from keepeinge mine owne out of your handes yet shall you not stay my toung from detecting the villany which you indeuour to doe For the truth is this virgin is betrothed to mée and my minde is to marrie her a chast maide therfore assure your selfe if it lie in mee to let shee shal not remaine one minute of an houre out of her fathers house Is it not sufficiente for you to depriue the people of the cheife pillors of their liberty but that our wiues and children also must liue in slauery to your tirranny Exercise your cruelty on our bodies at least let chastity bee in safety Ought princes to giue light of life to their people and wil you make your selfe a mirrour of mischeife to your posterity But if you minde to take her away from vs by force and from her her virginity neuer thinke to doe it while I haue any breath left in my body for in this iust cause and quarrell of my wife life shall sooner leaue mee then loyalty Appius thinkinge the power of Icilius would preuaile aboue his for that the multitude meruaylously inclined to his side sayd hée would haue another time to represse the rebellious rage of Icilius and touchinge the maide for her fathers sake hee was content to defer the pronouncinge of sentence against her vntill the nexte court day that her father might bee present in the meane while hée would intreate Marcus Cloudius to forbeare his right but if her father came not by the next court day hee would defer the execution of iustice for no mans plesure Presently vpon this hee dispatched letters to the captaine generall of the army that hee should not in any wise dismisse Virginius or suffer him to come home but Icilius had sent for him with such spéede that he had leaue to depart beefore those letters came to the captayne so it pleased god to preuent the pollicy and wicked purpose of Appius Now Virginius béeinge come to Rome went with his daughter to the iudgement place and did there lamentably implore the helpe of the people sayinge while I with the rest of the souldiours haue hazarded our liues in the defence of you and your children I am in daunger to haue mine owne daughter dispoyled wheras by my helpe our city is preserued from enemies I my selfe am brought to sutch misery as if it were taken by our enemies and vtterly razed to the ground For what greater villany can bée done to the vanquished then to sée béefore their eyes their wiues and children desloured and defiled But neighbours and freindes if you suffer mée to sustaine this iniury assure your selues your staffe standeth next to the dore and looke no longer to bée husbands ouer your wiues and parentes ouer your children then it shall please these tirantes to giue you leaue Any euill at the first entring in of it may easely bée auoyded but let one or two presidentes passe patiently without resisting and it will run into a custome and from thence to a law and you will neuer bée able after to rid your handes of it And if your owne safety driue you not to succour mée yet let my old yeeres my hoary heires the honest port which I haue euer maintained and the chast life of my daughter moue you to put to your handes to helpe redresse my wronge By this time Appius was come to the iudgement place with a great troupe of armed men and séeing Virginius there contrary to his expectation and perceyning no colour of law could cloud his dooings hée set down his owne will for a law and sayd hée would defraud Marcus Cloudius no longer of his right and séeinge the maide was conuicted by proufe and witnes to bée his bond maid he gaue sentence that he should presently haue her away not suffering her father to alleage any thing for her fréedome Virginius seeing this extreeme dealing of Appius threatningly shooke his hands at him saying I haue béetrothed my daughter to Icilius not to thee O Appius I haue brought her vp to bee an honest maried woman not thy harlot What doest thou thinke vnder the pretence of bondage to make her bound to thy beastlinesse Appius not regarding his rayling caused his officers to make the multitude giue place to Marcus Cloudius that hee might quietly cary away his bond mayd by reason wherof Virginia was left voide of helpe and rescue which her father perceiuing and séeing him self not able to deliuer her out of her enemies handes to defer the time hopinge still for helpe hée vsed this pollicy hée desired Appius hee might haue his daughter aside and betwéene her nurce and her examine the matter that if it were found hée were but her fained father hée might the more willingly depart with her Which béeing by Appius graunted they thrée went aside together where Virginia fell downe vpon her knees and made this ruthles request vnto her father I perceiue deare father it is not without great cause that the philosophers were of this opinion that the greatest felicity is neuer to bée borne and the second soone to die now séeing by your meanes I am depriued of the first I beseech you by your meanes let mee inioy the second and to counteruayle the lucklesse and lothsome life which you haue giuen mée vouchsafe to bestow on mee an honourable death And as by your fatherly care I haue continued a continent virgin hetherto so by your furthering aide I praye you let mee dye an honest mayde presently least my life hereafter contaminate y commendation of my life heretofore and seeing I can bee no longer suffred to liue honestly good father let mee die honourably For an honourable death is alwayes to bee preferred beefore an infamous life of euils the least is to bee chosen and death of body is to bee counted a lesse euill then distructiō
found who would willingly die loose their owne life for him hee should begin the course of his life againe and continue on earth another age Now when the time of his naturall life drew to an ende there was diligent inquiry made who would bée content to abridge their owne dayes to prolong their princes life And first the question was put to his freindes who were néerest to them selues then to his kinsfolke whose loue was asmutch of custome as of kindenesse then to his subiectes whose affection was as mutch for feare as for fauour then to his seruauntes who thought their life as swéete as their mayster did his then to his children who thought it reason that as their father did first enter into this life so hee should first depart out of this life so that there coulde none bée founde so franke of their life to set this prince frée from the force of death Now Alcest seeing the death of her deare husband draw néere and knowinge her owne life without his life and loue would bée but lothsome vnto her of her owne accorde offred her selfe to bée sacrificed for her husbandes sake and to hasten her owne death to prolonge his life O loyall louing wife O wight good inough for god him selfe And yet had shée a husband good inough for her selfe for hee loued her so intirely that though by loosing her hée might haue gained life long time yet would hee not by any meanes consent to her death sayinge without her life his life would bée more gréeuous vnto him then a thousand deathes But shée perswaded with him against herself all that shée could saying I would not O peerles prince you should take the matter so kindly at my hands as though for your sake only I offred vp my life for it is in déede the commodity of your country and mine owne béeinge vnder your domynion which driueth mee hereto knowinge my selfe vnable to gouerne them you beeing gone And considering the dayly warre the spoylefull wastes the bloudy blastes the troublesome strife which your realme is subiect too I thought you had not loued mee so litle as to leaue mee behinde you to beare on my weake backe sutch a heauy burthen as I thinke Atlas him selfe could scarce sustaine Againe considering that death is but a fleeting from one life into another and that from a most miserable lifë to a most happy life yea from bale to blisse from care to quiet from Purgatory to Paradise I thought you had not enuied mee so mutch as to thinke mee vnwoorthy of it Doo you not know that Cleouis and Byton had death bestowed on them as the best gifte which God could deuise to giue them and doe you thinke it can doe mee harme especially seeing I may therby doe you good Alas sweet wife sayth Admetus this your piety is vnprofitable which is subiect to so many perils But if death bee so good good wife let mée inioy it who am inioyned to it and to whom onely it will be good for death is onely good to mée whom it is giuen not to you who are not appointed to it For it is not lawfull for any to leaue this life without speciall permission of the goddes And as in our court it is lawful for none to haue accesse vnto vs vnlesse by vs hee bee sent for so neither is it lawfull for any to appeare before the heauenly throne vnlesse by the goddes hee be sommoned Neither wil death bee so easy to you as to mee whose nature is apt to yeelde vnto it For you see fruite whiche is not ripe will scarce with strength bee torne from the tree wheras that which is ripe falleth easely of it owne accord Therefore good wife giue mee leaue to die to whom it wil bee onely good and easy to die Why sweet husband sayth shee the god Appollo allowed any that would to die for you otherwise to what purpose was that which hee obtayned of the destinies for you And for the vneasines of death nothing can bee vneasy or hard vnto a willing heart But bicause your pleasure is so I am content to continue my carefull life and with sorrowe to suruiue you And so left her husbande and went priuily to the Aulter and offred vp her selfe to death to prolonge her husbands life Which when the king knew hee would presently haue spoyled him selfe but his handes had not the power to doe it for that by the decrée of the destinies hee must now of force liue another age on earth Which when hée saw hée filled the court with sutch pitifull wayling sutch bitter weeping sutch hellishe houlinge that it pearced the heauens and mooued the gods to take remorse on his misery And Proserpine y goddes of hell especiallye pitying y parting of this louing couple for y she her selfe knew the paine of partinge from freinds beeing by Dys stolen frō her mother Ceres put life into his wife againe and with speed sent her vnto him Who beeing certified here of in his fleepe early in y morning waited for her cōming seing her come a far of hee had much a do to kepe his soule in his body from flying to meet her Beeing come hee receiued her as ioyfully as shee came willingly so they liued longe time together in most contented happinesse This séemeth straunge vnto you Gentlewoman that a woman should die and then liue againe but the meaninge of it is this that you should die to your selues and liue to your husbandes that you should counte their life your life their death your distruction that you should not care to disease your selues to please them that you should in all thinges frame your selues to their fancies that if you see them disposed to mirth you should indeuour to bee pleasaunt if they bee solemne you should bée sad if they hard you hauinge if they delight in haukes that you should loue Spanniels if they hunting you houndes if they good company you good housekéeping if they bee hastie that you should bee pacient if they bée ielous that you should lay aside all light lookes if they frowne that you feare if they smile that you laugh if they kisse that you cléepe or at least giue them two for one and so that in all thinges you should conforme your selues to their contentacion so shall there bée one will in two minds one hart in two bodies and two bodies in one flesh Meethinkes I heare my wish wishe mée sutch a wife as I haue spoken of verily good wish you wish your wealth great wealth and God make mee woorthy of you wish and your wishe and if I might haue my wish I am perswaded you should haue your wish But if I bee so good a husband as Admetus was if I forgoe father freindes and liuinge if I bee content to chaunge ioy for annoy court for care pleasure for pilgrimage for my wiues sake if I had rather die my selfe then shee should if shée béeinge dead with mournfull cries I moue the
lothsomnesse but to haue choice of chaung which breedeth appetite and lustinesse The chast eares of Camma not able to indure this course discourse shee cut of her gostely counsayle with these cutting woords gentlewoman if you were indued with as many good conditions as you haue liued yeares you would neuer haue vndertaken so shameles a message and were it not more for reuerence of your yeeres then respect of your errant I would make your filthy trade of life so famous that you should euer hereafter bee ashamed to shew your face in any honest company What do you thinke though mony can make you a baude that it can make mee a harlot and though you for gaine flie no filthinesse that I for glory follow no faithfulnesse either towardes my spouse and husband either towardes my ◠Lorde and god Do you iudge me so couetous of coine or so prodigall of min◠honour that to get theone I wil loose the other Or doth hee that sent you thinke so abiectly of mee that gaine may more preuaile with mée then good-will mony more then a man coyne more then courtesie Iewels more then gentlenesse Perls more then perils and paynes which hee hath indured for my sake no let him vnderstand if any thinge could haue caused mee to swarue frō my duty loue of luker should not haue allured mée therto But as I am fully resolued faythfully to keepe my vow and promise made to my husband so I béeseeche him not to bestow any more labour in attempting that which hee shall neuer attaine vnto for before this my resolution shalbée reuersed hée shall see the dissolution of my body into dust But if hee will not thus giue ouer his sute hee will cause mee to make those priuy to his dealing who will make him ashamed of it and for your part you may packe you hence with this your trashe and trumpery to those which measure their honour by the price of profite and their glory by the gwerdon of gayne This honest woman beeing gone a way with a slea in her eare Camma began to thinke of the matter with aduysed deliberation and entred into reasoning with her selfe in this sort What fearfull folly is this in mee to contemne the frendship of so great a lorde as Synorix is whom the greatest Lady in this lande would willingly receiue for husband and yet I rigorously refuse for seruaunt What is that honoure wheron I stand so stifly shall it not rather increase mine honour to haue so honourable a seruaunt And what is that chastity which I seke so charily to keep do not some men say that women alwaies liue chastly inough so that they liue charily inough that is so that they conuay their matters so couertly that their dooinges bée not commonly knowen for otherwise to incontinency were added impudency likewise for a woman to enter into conuersation with a rascall of no reputation can not but bee a great blemishe to the brightnesse of her name for a foule adultrer is euer woorse then the adultry it self and it is a great signe she greatly lotheth her husband when she liketh one better which is eueri way worse but to haue a freende of reseruation whose very countenance may credit her her husband me thinkes can be no great dishonour to either the one or the other What dishonour was it I pray you to Helen when she left her husbād Menelaus went with Paris to Troy Did not y who le glory of Greece to her great glory go in armes to fetch her again And if she had not been counted a peece of price or if by y facte she had defaced her honour is it to be thought y Grecians would haue continued ten yeeres in war continually to win her againe But to leaue honour and chastity and come to commodity and safety what do I knowe what perils will folow of this repulse is it likely Sinorix wil put vp this reproche paciently may I not iustly lok◠to haue his loue turned to hate and that he will either by tyrannous meanes séeke the subuersion of my husbande his whole household either by trecherous meanes woork the ouerthrow of me and my good name For the first Edward a kinge of England may serue for an example who when the countesse of Salesbury would not consent to content his incontinent desire he so raged against her parēts and friends y the father was forced to perswade his own daughter to folly the mother as a baud to prostitute her to the kinges lust bring her to his priuy chamber For the second the Erle of Pancalier may serue for testimony who when y duchesse of Sauoy would not yeeld to his lassciuious lust wrought sutch wyles y she was condemned for adultry and iudged to suffer most shamefull death by burning Now to preuent either of these perils it lieth in my power seing of euils y least is to be chosen I think it better then to hazard life liuing or good name to lose that which shalbée no great losse to my husband or my self for as the sun though it shine on vs here in Italy yet it giueth light likewise to those that are in England and other places or as the sea hath fish for euery man or as one good dishe of meate may well suffice two persons though very hungry so is there that in mee wher with Synnatus may bee satisfied and Synorix sufficed And this incourageth ▪ mée hereto the rather for that I sée by experience in most of my neighbours y those are euer most made of by their husbandes who that way deale most falsely with theyr husbandes Besides that how openly soeuer they deale in these affaires theyr husbandes neuer heare of it and though they do heare of it yet wil thei not harken vnto it and though they do in a manner se it yet will they not beleeue it and though they doo béeleeue it yet will they loue them the better to haue them leaue it the sooner Againe what know I whether my husband deale falsly with mée row in some other streame which if it bee so I shal but saue my soule in paying his debts oxercise the vertue of iustice in requiting like for like And touching corrupting of my childrens bloud I thinke it made more noble in participating with a bloud more noble then my husbandsis But canst thou harlot cal him husband whom y meanest so wickedly to betray Am I in my wits to vse these witles words Is it my mouth y hath vttred this blasphemy or was it the diuel within me that deliuered it forth No if I were gyltie but in thought hereto I would restore y fault with criminal penance yea if I felt any part in me apt to any such euil I would cut it of for feare of infecting the rest of y body Good god whether now is honour fled which was euer wont to bée the fairest flower in my garland Whether now is chastity
disalow mariage and that you pretend otherwise in words then you intend to doo in workes I am content to giue you the honour of the fielde and thus far to yéelde my consent to your opinion that virginity considered of it owne nature simply without circumstance is better then Matrimony but bicause the one is full of perill the other full of pleasure the one full of iepardy the other full of security the one as rare as the blacke swan the other as common as the blacke crow of good thinges I thinke the more common the more commendable If sayth shée I haue gotten any conquest hereby I am to thanke mine own cause not your curtesy who yéeld when you are able to stand no longer in defence Nay Madame say not so sayth hée for in that very yelding to your opinion I proued mariage better then virginity for that is more common neither would I haue you turne my scilence in this matter into lacke of science and knowledge or reprehend mée if I spare to inforce further proufe in a matter sufficiently prooued already no more then you would rebuke a Spanniel which ceaseth to hunt when hée séeth the Hauke seazed on the Partridge But you may meruaile madame what is the cause that maketh mée perswade you thus earnestly to mariage which as mine owne vnworthinesse willeth mée to hide so your incomparable curtesy incourageth me to disclose which maketh mée thinke that it is no smal cause which can make you greately offended with him who beareth you great goodwil and that what sute soeuer I shal prefer vnto you you wil either graunt it or forgiue it pardon it or pitie it Therfore may it please you to vnderstand y since not long since I tooke large view of your vertue and beauty my hart hath beene so inflamed with the bright beames therof that nothing is able to quenche it but the water which floweth from the fountayne that first infected mée and if pity may so mutch preuaile with you as to accept mée I dare not say for your husband but for your slaue and seruaunt assure your selfe there shall no doubt of daunger driue mée from my duty towardes you neither shall any Lady whatsoeuer haue more cause to reioyce in the choice of her seruaunt then your selfe shall for that I shall account my life no longer pleasaunt vnto mée then it shall be imployed in your seruice Agrippina dying her lily chéekes with Vermilion red and castinge her eies on the grounde gaue him this answere As I am to yéeld you thankes for your goodwill so am I not to yéeld consent to your request for that I neither minde to marry neither thinke my self worthy to retain any sutch seruaunt but if I were dispoled to receiue you any way I thinke the best manner meane inough for your worthynesse Immediatly here vpon there came company vnto them which made them brake of their talke and Agrippina béeing got into her chamber began to thinke on the sute made vnto her by Germanicus and by this time Cupid had so cunningly carued and ingraued the Idoll of his person and béehauiour in her heart that shée thought him worthy of a far more worthy wife then her selfe and perswadinge her selfe hy his woordes and lookes that his loue was loyall without lust true without triflinge and faythfull without faygninge shée determined to accept it if her parentes would giue their consent therto Now Germanicus nothinge dismayed with her former deniall for that it had a curteous close so soone as oportunity serued set on her againe in this sort Now Madame you haue considered my case at leasure I trust it will stand with your good pleasure to make mee a more comfortable answere I béeseech you sir sayth shee to rest satisfied with my former answere for other as yet I am not able to make you Alas Madame sayth hée the extremity of my passion will not suffer long prolonginge of compassion wherfore I humbly beseech you presently to passe your sentence either of bale or blisse of saluation or damnation of life or death for if the heauens haue conspired my confusion and that you meane rigorously to reiecte my good will I meane not long to remaine aliue to trouble you with any tedious sute for I account it as good reason to honour you with the sacrifice of my death as I haue thought it conuenient to bestow vpon you the seruice of my life Alas sir sayth shée this iesting is nothing ioyfull vnto mée and I pray you vse no more of it for the rememberaunce of that which you speake of in sporte maketh mée séele the force therof in good ernest for a thousand deaths at once can not bée so dreadful vnto mée as once to thinke I should liue to procure the death of any sutch as you are If sayth hée you count my wordes sporte iest and daliance assure your selfe it is sport without pleasure ieste without ioy and daliance without delight as tract of time shall shortly try for true But if you loue not to heare of my death why like you not to giue mée life whiche you may do only by the consent of your good will. Why sir sayth shee you know my consent consisteth not in my selfe but in my parents to whom I owe both awe and honour therfore it bée hooueth you first to séeke their consent Why Madame sayth hée shall I make more account of the meaner partes then of the heade you are the heade and cheife in this choice and therfore let mée receiue one good worde of your good wil and then let heauen and earth doo their woorst It is not the coine countenance or credite of your parentes that I pursue for to winne sutch wealth as your good will. I could bée content to leade a poore life all the dayes of my life so that you bée maintayned according to your will and worthinesse Well saith shée séeing I am the only marke you shoot at assay by all the meanes you may to get my freindes good will and if you leuell any thinge strait you shall not misse mée Germanicus vpon this procured the Emperours letters to her father in his beehalfe who hauinge perused those letters sayd hée trusted the Emperour would giue him leaue to dispose of his owne accordinge to his owne pleasure and that his daughter was to nere and deere vnto him to see her cast away vpon one who for lacke of yéeres wanted wisdome to gouerne her and for lacke of landes liuyng to maintaine her and calling his daughter béefore him hée béegan to expostulate with her in this sorte Daughter I euer here tofore thought you would haue been a solace and comfort to my olde yéeres and the prolonger of my life but now I se you will increase my hoarie heares and bee the hastner of my death Doeth the tender care the careful charge and chargeable cost which I haue euer vsed in bringyng you vp deserue this at your handes that you should passe a
this without hazarding them selues any way as the Emperour Octauian hath consumed the whole course of his life without perill and Alexander béeyng but fiue and thirtie yéeres of age tooke vpon him the Monarchy of the whole world Besides if I should now refuse the Empire offred me it were a signe of a base and ignoble minde and the Emperour woulde thinke I made no account of his good will. Well saith shee do as God shall put in your head of mee make this account that though you bee the meanest man in the citie yet will I honour you as if you were the Emperour and though you make mée a Princesse yet will I bée as obedient to you as if I were your hyred hand mayde Ah good wife saith hée leaue those termes of humilitie to those y like them or looke for them for for my part I haue you in sutch reuerent estimation y I thinke the best state which euer I shal be able to bryng you to wil be to base for your worthinesse and if it shall please you to rest satisfied with the seruice I can do you to remaine content with the callyng I can giue you to returne louingly the good will which I will beare you ▪ it is all that euer I will looke for at your hands and the only felicitie I force of in this life God forbid maister Germanicus saith shée that I should either looke for seruice of you or mislyke the lot whiche you shall alow mée or not restore with interest the good will which you shall beare mée Yes perswade your selfe this though you surmount mée in all other thynges yet wil I not fayle if it bée possible to excéede you in good wil. Shortly vpon this the whirlyng whéele of Fortune turned theyr talke to teares their woordes to waylyng their gladnesse to sadnesse their happinesse to heauinesse yea their life to death For a certayne thirst of the kingdom began to assaulte one Tiberius a Gentleman in the Emperours court who beeyng of the bloud royall perswaded her selfe if Germanicus were made away the Emperour béeyng dead hee should succeed in the Empire Whiche greedie desire of the kyngdom so blinded his vnderstandyng that hee passed not to peruert both humaine and deuine lawes for the accomplishyng therof no rules of reason no bonde of freendship no care of kynred no feare of lawes no prickes of conscience no respect of honestie no regard of gods or men could prohibite him from his pestiferous purpose For if freendship had been of force with him why they were familier friendes If kinred why they were nere kinsmen If lawes hee knew his deede contrarie to all lawes If conscience hée knew it terrible If honestie hee knew it most wicked If goddes or men hée knew it abhominable in the sight of bothe the one and the other But too true it is desire of a kyngdome careth neither for kith nor kin friend nor foe God nor the diuel as by this trayterous Tyrant may bee playnly prooued who by poyson procured the death of this worthy Gentleman Germanicus to the intent to inioye the kyngdome of Rome Now Agrippina séeyng her sweet husband so sodainly dead was surprised with sutch sodain sorrow y for a long time she could neither speake woord neither let fal teare but at length she cast her self vpon the corps of her Germanicus kissyng his colde cheekes and imbracing his breathlesse bodie sighyng sobbyng foorth these woords Alas wretched wight that I am whose misery is like to mine whose griefe so great whose life so lothsome no flowing teares no griping groanes no carefull cries no throbbing sighes can sufficiently set forth my sorrowes My life my loue my hope my husband my ioy my Germanicus is miserably murthered and made away Ah vaine desire of wordly dignity ah diuelish deede of blouddy cruelty But in vaine it is to complaine when my care is without cure and none can redresse my wronge For goddes I know there are none otherwise I knowe the good should not bee so made away by the ill and men there are none that can medicine my malady and rayse my Germanicus to life againe so that nothing resteth for mee but by death to bée rid of the moste bitter panges of death I could prolong my life and seeke by some meanes to hasten the death of that tirant Tiberius but alas his death can not bring Germanicus to life no let him liue stil on earth where I doubt not but hee shall ten thousande times in his time feele the force of death For hee wilbée so tormented with his owne example that as the poets report of Suspicion to bee plonged in all the pits of hell will not bee so painfull vnto him Well the gods if there bee any giue him as he hath deserued and giue me leaue to goe to the ghost of my Germanicus Here vpon shee resolued with her selfe that as her husbande indeed his life by receiuing into his body that which hee should not so shee would end her daies by not receiuinge that which shée should and so defrauding her selfe of foode distillinge her selfe as it were into teares pitifully pined away And when the Emperour Octauian caused meate to bee thrust in her throate shee cast it vp againe saying sorowe was the onely sustinance and moane the meate which shee either could or would take and so in short time died I shall not neede here gentlewoman to exhort you to take the death of your husbandes when you shal be married and when it shall happen more paciently for that I knowe your wisdomes to bee sutch that you will not so wilfully worke your own confusions neither doo I think you are to know that wee must liue by the liuinge not by the dead and that there hath bene neuer any one husband so good but there may bee others found as good yea and though they bee not perfectly so good yet in respecte of chaung which most women delight in they are commonly counted better as your selues if you were once married perchaunce would saye or at leaste thinke But I thinke this needefull to put you in minde that by the example of Agrippina you counsayle your husbandes to content themselues with their callinge not to soare to highe and stie aboue their seate and with foolishe Phaeton and youthfull Icarus come to confusion It is your partes also to way your husbandes wealth and not to decke your heades and neckes with golde when hee hath none in his purse not to swimme in silkes when hee is drowned in debt not to abound in brauery when hee is pinched with pouerty For you knowe it is your parte to take sutch part as hee doth whither it bee pouerty or ritches woe or wealth pleasure or paine But surely in my fancy that man is to bee begged for a foole who will prefer his wiues pleasure before his owne and her profite her will before his owne wealth her vanity before his owne ability And as it is great inciuilyty
the maine shete of her minde and by the anckers of aduise so stayed her course that no wynde which my wilfull youthe could blow could cause her any thinge to bow or wauer and by assuringe her to a large ioynter hée was chosen to rule her sterne wher the other was kept stil vnder the hatches Who all this while that they were concluding the contracte was in his chaumber busily deuisinge verses in the praise of his Misteris but hearing of the sory successe of his sute by a handmaide of the Gentlewoman hée was so confounded in him selfe that his inuencion was cleane marred and his deuise vtterly dasht yea hée was so far from writinge that hée had not a woord to saye or a thought to thinke And surely in my iudgment hée reaped the right reward of his doatinge desire for there only grafts of greife must néedes grow where sutch raw conceite doth set and sutch rashe consent dooth sowe For neyther was his loue grounded vpon vertue wherwith shee was not indued neither vpon beauty wherwith shee was not adorned For neither can cruelty be cloaked vnder vertue neither the treason of vntruth couered vnder beuty for the disposition of the minde followeth the constitucion of the body so that it was his own selfe will and fond fancy that drewe him into sutch depth of affection and therefore with greife was faigne to gather the fruites of his folly And beeing come to him selfe hee began to rage in this sort And is my true loue thus triflyngly accounted of Shall hée with his trash more preuayle then I with my truth And will shée more respect gayne then good will O iniquitie of times O corruption of manners O waueryng of women Bée these the fruites of thy fayre lookes Is this the hap of the hope thou puttest mée in Is this the delight of the daliance thou vsedst with mee Here in truly thou mayst bée fitly resembled to the Cat whiche playeth with the Mouse whom straight shée meaneth to slay or to the Panther who with his gay colours swéet smell allureth other beastes vnto him and béeyng within his reache hée rauenously deuoureth them But if I should set thée foorth in thy colours I thinke the sauage beastes would bee lothe to bee likened vnto thee for crueltie thou mayest compare with Anaxarete who suffred Iphis to hange himself for her sake for inconstancie with Cressed who forsooke her trustie Troylus for pride with Angelica who contemned all men for treason with Helen who ran away with Paris from her husbande Menelaue But what rashnesse is this in mee to rage and rayle agaynst her whereas it is loue and the destines that haue decréed my distruction For Marriages are guided by destiny and God hath indued women with this propertie to bee wedded to their wils Neither doth loue learne of force the knots to knit shée serues but those which feele sweet fancies fit for as streames can not bée made to run against their course so vnwilling loue with teares nor truth cannot bée won So that this only choice is left for mée either to die desperately or to liue lothsomely and as the birde inclosed in cage the cage doare béeing set open and the Hauke her ennemy sitting without watching for her betwéene death and prison piteously oppressed standeth in doubt whether it bée better stil to remaine in prison or to goe forth to bee a pray for the hauke so stande I in doubt whether it bée better by loosing life to get liberty or by lyuinge to become thrall and bond and liue in continuall torment and vexation of minde For loue hath taken so déepe roote in mee that neither reason can rule neither wisdome wield my witched will. But as the bytinge of a mad dogge rageth and rankleth vntil it haue brought the body bitten to bane so the poyson of loue is so spread into euery part of mee that it will vndoubtedly bringe mee to death and distruction O cruell captaine cupid is this the pay thou giuest thy souldiours O vaine Venus is this the victory thou vouchsafest thy champions Wouldest thou haue bene content thy darlinge Adon should rigorously haue reiected thee when thou wert furiously inflamed with his loue But the parish priest forgetteth that euer hee was clarke and those that bée in happines themselues way not the heauinesse of other Yea perchaunce thou fauour the falshood of this woman the rather for that thou thy self playedst the false harlot with thy husband Vulcan the smith and madest him a forked toole more then before hée had in his shop but remember yet how hée tooke thee and the adultrour Mars tardie in your trechery and lechery together starke naked in an iron nette and then called all the goddes to take view of your victous conuersation to thy vtter shame and confusion And so it may fall out that this your pupill may so longe delight in deceit that shee may bee taken in the net which shee layeth to intangle other But what meane I to blaspheme against the gods who doe but punnish mee iustly for louing so lightly and ouely mine owne careles faut is the cause of this curelesse fate Wherefore O death to thee I make ernest request that thou wilt speedily send Atropos vnto mee to cut in sunder the twyst of my troublesome life and seing my loue doth loth mee good death doe thou desire mee I know thou sentst out processe for mee euen in my swath cloutes and now I beeseeche thee serue it on me when I am most willinge and ready to appeare beefore thy presence While this foreldrue gentleman continued in these carefull contemplations the mariage was consummated betweene the widdow and Amphiaraus who liued quietly together about a yeere or two shee shewinge a presentiall obedience towardes him and hee bearinge an ordinary affection towardes her but in short time it pleased god to giue occasion to try the trechery of the one to worke the distruction of the other For it fell so out that Adrastus king of y Argiues was vpon vrgent causes mooued to infer war vpon the Thebanes and in mustringe his men hee thought Amphiaraus a meete man to make one of his captaines and willed him to prepare him selfe for that voyage who beeing well seene in astronomy and other secret sciences knew if hee went to the warres hee should not returne aliue for which cause hee couertly hid himselfe in his owne house makeing only his wife priuy therto Now the kinge takinge muster of his men missed Amphiaraus and knowing the cause of his absence was in great rage sayinge hee thought hee had had no sutch cowardes in his kingdome and promised great rewardes to them that could bring tidings of him Eriphile hauinge intelligence of this riche reward promised was merueylously set on sier in the desire therof notwithstandinge she was plentifully indued with ritches yet was she in desire as greedy as if she had been in estate most needy and as dropsy pacients drink and still be
in as great rage as it had done the former time of their raygne But yet hate caused not sutch hoate skirmishes between the parentes but that loue forced as fierce assaultes between the children For it was so that Lycabas had a daughter named Alcest who what time Admetus was in her fathers court to intreate of peace chaunced out at her chaumber window to haue a sight of him and hee at the same time happened to incounter a vewe of her And as small drops of rayne ingender great flouddes and as of litle seedes grow greate trees so of this litle looke and sight grew sutch great loue and delight that death it selfe could not dissolue it For as women bee of delicate and fine mettall and therefore soone subiect to loue so Alcest after this first sight was so ouergone in goodwill towardes Admetus that shee fixed her only felicitie in framyng in her fancie the fourme of his face and printyng in her heart the perfection of his person And as nothyng breedeth bane to the body sooner then trouble of minde so shee perseuered so longe in sutch pensiue passyons and carefull cogitations that her body was brought so lo for lacke of the vse of sleepe and meate that shee was fayne to keepe her bed and by reason that shee couertly concealed her greife it burned so furiously within her that it had almost cleane consumed her away Her father seeinge her in this heauy case assembled all the learned phisitions hee could learne of in the country who hauinge seene her were all altogether ignorant of her disease and were at their wits ende what medicine to apply to her malady Some thought it a consumption some a burning feuer some a melancholy humor some one thing some another And her father examyning her how it held her and what disease shee thought it to bee shee answered that it was a sicknesse which it pleased god to sende her and that it was not in y helpe of Phisicke to heale her but her health was onely to bee had at gods handes Nowe Admetus on the other side hauinge the profer of many princes made him in the way of mariage made very carelesse account thereof and seemed in his minde to bee very angry with those offers and as the sight of meat is very lothsome to him whose stomacke is ill or hath already eaten his fill so that litle sight which hee had of Alcest had fed his fancy so full that to see or so mutch as think of any other woman was most greeuous vnto him And notwithstandinge the gripinge paine of loue caused some graftes of greife to begin to growe in his heart yet by reason that hée had the conducting of the army royall vnder his father hée was so busily occupied that he had no great leasure to lodge any louing thoughts within his breast But sée howe the destinies dealt to driue this bargaine thorow There aroase a quarrell béetwéene the two armies touchinge certaine pointes wherin the law of armes was thought to bée broken to decide which controuersy Admetus was sent post to Lycabas who sitting by his daughters bed side had woorde brought him that Admetus was come to the court to impart matters of importance vnto him Nowe at this instant there chaunced one of the Phisitions to hold Alcest by the arme and to féele her pulses and where before they beate very féebly as if shée had béene ready to yéelde to the sommance of death shée no sooner heard that message brought vp to her father but that her pulses began to beat with great force and liuelinesse which the phisition perceiuinge perswaded him selfe hée had found the cause of her calamity but for more assured proufe hée whistered the king in the eare desiring him that Admetus might bée sent for thither and there to make relation of his message vnto him which the kinge caused to bée done accordingly Admetus was no sooner admitted into the chamber but her pulses beegan to beate againe with wonderfull swiftnesse and so continued all the while hée was in the chaumber Who séeinge his loue in sutch daunger of her life though hée vnderstood not the cause therof yet hée cast sutch a carefull countenance towardes her that shee easely perceiued hée did participate in payne with her which made her cast sutch glaunces of goodwill towardes him that hée easely vnderstood it was for his sake shée sustained sutch sorow and sicknesse But the feare of her father who was his mortall foe and the vrgent necessity of his affaires forced him to depart without manifesting vnto her the manifolde good will hée bare her And though his departure were litle better then death to the damsell yet for that shée knew her loue to bée incountred with like affectiō wherof before shée stoode in doubt shee beegan to driue away the darke cloudes of dispaire and to suffer the bright light of hope to shine vpon her Admetus béeing gone the Phisition tooke the king a syde and tolde him his daughters disease was not deriued of any distemperature of the body but only of the disquietnesse of the minde and to tell you the truth plainely saith hee it is only the feruent affection shée beareth to that younge prince Admetus your enemy that forceth this féeblenesse and faintnes in her And told the kinge by what meanes hée tried the truth therof The kinge at these wordes was meruailously disquieted perswading himself that it was so in déede and that Admetus on the other side bare affection to his daughter for that all the time of his talke with him hée continually turned his eyes towards her bed and wold often times giue him answeres nothinge pertinent to the questions which hée proposed vnto him as hauing his cogitations conuersaunt in other matters Upon this the king went to his daughter as the phisition first ministreth to his patient bitter pilles and purgations to expell grose and ill humours and then applieth lenitiues and restoratiues to bréede and bringe againe good bloud so hée first vsed sharpe threatnings vnto her to expell the force and fury of her loue and then vsed gentle perswasions to restore her to her former helth and quiet of minde But neither the sowernesse of the one neither the swéetnesse of the other could preuayle for salues seldome helpe an ouerlong suffred sore it is to late to shut the stable dore when the stéede is stolen it booteth not to stop the breach when the towne is ouerflowen it is to late to dislodge loue out of ones breast when it hath infected béefore euery parte of the body For as sowninge mortifieth euery member as pestilence infecteth euery part as poyson pierseth euery vaine so loue if it bée not in time looked too will bringe both body and minde to vtter confusion For this virgin was so vanquished by loue that shée neither forced her fathers faire wordes neither feared his fierce threatninges but tolde him plainly shée would not deny the loue she bare Admetus neither could
they thinke wee doate and that their owne wits are far better then ours if wée warne them to bee wary and thrifty they thinke it proceedeth rather of couetousnesse then of kindenes if wee prouide them no mariages it is bicause wee will departe with no liuinge to them if wée perswade them to mariage it is bicause wée would haue them forsake all good felowship liue like clownes in the countrey by the Plowe tayle If wée perswade them to learnynge it is that they might liue by it without our charge if wée perswade them to one wife rather then another it is bicause the one is ritcher then the other if wée looke seuerely on them wée loue them not if wée vse them familiarly wée feede them with flattery bicause wée will giue them litle and so of all our louing dooinges they make these leud deuises yea when wée haue brought them vp with greate care and coste when wée haue trauailed all our time by sea and by land early and late in paine and in peril to heape vp treasure for them when wée haue by continuall toyle shortned our owne liues to lengthen and inlarge their liuinges and possessions yet if wée suffer them not to royst and to riot to spill and to spoyle to swashe and to lashe to lend and to spende yea and to followe the fury of their owne frantike fancies in all things this forsooth is our recompence they wish an end of our liues to haue our liuings Alas a lamentable case why hath not nature caused loue to ascend as well as discend Why hath shee indued the Storke with this property to féede his damme when shée is olde and men with sutch malice to wish their parents death when they are aged But I speake perchaunce of mine owne proper greife god forbid it should bée a common case for my sonne Ah why doo I call him sonne hath not only wisht my death but wrought it Hée knew hée was my onely delight hée knew I coulde not liue hée béeing out of my sight hée knew his desperate disobedience would driue mee to a desperate death And could hée so mutch doate of a light damsell to force so litle of his louing father Alas a wife is to bée preferred before father and freind But had hee none to sixe his fancy on but the daughter of my most furious foe Alas loue hath no respecte of persons Yet was not my goodwill and consent to bee craued therin Alas hee saw no possibility to obtaine it But now alas I would graunt my goodwil but now alas it is to late his feare of my fury is to great euer to bee found his fault is to great euer to looke mee in the face more and my sorrowe is to great euer to bee saluted And therevpon got him to bed and in fiue dayes space his naturall moysture with secret sorrowe was so soken away that hee could no longer continue his careful life but yeelded willingly to desired death So it pleased God to prouide for the poore pilgrimes who hauing past many a fearful forrest and daungerous desert were now come to the sea shoare mindinge to take ship and trauell into vnknowen coastes where they might not by any meanes bee knowne and béeing on ship borde they heard the mayster of the ship make report that Atys king of the Lybians was dead Wherevpon Admetus desired to bée set on shoare againe and dissemblinge the cause thereof pretended some other matter and got to the next towne wherwith the mony and iewels hée had about him hee furnished him selfe and his lady with the best apparell could bee prouided in the towne and with sutch a trayne of men as hee coulde there take vp whiche done hee made the greatest expedition hee coulde vnto his owne country where hee was royally receiued as prince and shortly after ioyfully crowned Kinge And beeing quietly setled in the regall seate hee presently dispatched Ambassadours to Lycabas his fathers foe and his father in law whose ambassade contained these two pointes the one to intreat a peace for his people the other to craue a pardon for his wife who willingly graunted both the one and the other Wherby hee now liued in great quiet and tranquillity A meruaylous mutabylity of fortune which in the space of a moneth could bring him from happy ioy to heauy annoy and then from annoy againe to greater ioy then his former ioy For as the sunne hauing bene long time ouerwhelmed with darke cloudes when it hath bannished them from aboute it seemes to shyne more brightly then at any time beefore so the state and condition of this prince hauinge bene couered with the cloudes of care now it was cleared of them seemed more pleasaunt and happy then at any time before And verely as sharpe sauce giues a good taste to sweete meate so trouble and aduersity makes quiet and prosperity for more pleasaunt For hee knoweth not the pleasure of plenty who hath not felt the paine of penury hee takes no delight in meate who is neuer hongry hee careth not for ease who was neuer troubled with any disease But notwithstandinge the happy life of this prince albeit hee abounded in as great ritches as hee required albeit hee had as many kingedomes as hee coueted albeit hée had sutch a wife as hee wished for yea and inioyed all things which either god could giue him fortune further him to or nature bestow vpon him yet to shew that there is no sunne shineth so bright but that cloudes may ouer cast it no ground so good but that it bringeth forth weeds as well as flowers no kinge so surely garded but that the gamesome goddes fortune will at least checke him if not mate him no state so plentifull in pleasure but that it is mixed with paine hee had some weedes of wo which began to grow vp amongst his flowers of felicity some chippes of sory chaunce did light in the heape of his happynesse Yea fortune presented her selfe once agayne vpon the stage and ment to haue one flinge more at him For this prince possessinge sutch a pleasaunte life tooke great delight in good house keepinge and gaue sutch good entertainment to straungers that his fame was far spred into forrain countries yea the rumor thereof reached to the skies in so mutch that Apollo as the poets report hauing occasion to discend from heauen to the earth went to see the entertainement of Admetus who was so royally receiued by him that the god thought good with some great kindnesse to requite his great curtesie And as Philemon and Laucis for their harty house keepinge were preserued by the goddes from drowning when al the cuntry and people besides were ouerflowen so the god Apollo ment to preserue his life when all his countrey and people then lyuing should lie full loe in their graues And of the destinies of death obtained thus much for him that if when the time and terme of his naturall life drewe to an end yf any coulde bée
thou art rated at to high a price to be reached auaunte foule beastly baâ—de thy counsell is withoute conscience thy aduice without honesty they which cleaue to thy help shall bée serued as he whiche ready to fall from a hedge catcheth holde of a sharpe bryer to staye himselfe they y follow thy phisick shal do as he which to heale his agâ—e slew himself they which prouide for their fathers peace and preseruation as thou wouldest haue mée to doe shalt with the Daughters of Pelias kill their Father to make hym younge agayne They which loue their Father as thou wouldst haue me to do shall with Thais to her Phaedria shut hym out of the dores and out of his kingdome for loue But what doe floudes drowne fieldes before they finde a bâ—ack can one be exalted without anothers wracke Can I be preferred to pleasure without some others paine But it gréeues mee my father shoulde bee pinched for my pleasure Why it is reason the greife should be theirs whose is the gaine But it is perilous for mee to enterprise so great a matter Why is it not reason the perill should be mine in pursuing when the pleasure shall bee mine in possessing but alas it nippeth mee nere to lose my father the victory to winne my selfe my loue Why alas gréeuous woundes must haue smarting playsters and those medicines euer soonest heale vs whiche most gréeue vs And shall I then preferre mine owne pleasure before my fathers profit why euery one ought to be nerest to them selues and their wisdome is nothing worth which are not wise for them selues Nay rather shall I preferre the commodytie of King Minos before the commodytie of King Nysus why Nysus is my father why Minos will be my Phere why Nysus gaue me lyfe Why Minos wyll yéelde mee loue Why Nysus made mee a maide Why Minos wil make mée a mother Why Nysus cherised mee beeing young Why Minos wyll make mutch of mée beeinge olde why nature bindeth mee to loue my father why God commaundeth mee to loue my husband Ah foole doe I call hym husbande who wyll not haue mee doe I call him phere who forceth not of mee Is it lykely hee will receiue a runnagate from her cittie a beetrayer of her Father Can hee think to finde mee faithfull towards him that am faithlesse to mine owne father Tush hee will attribute all this to loue and loue mée y better for it He will excuse beare with my doings by the exaÌ„ple of his owne daughter Ariadne who betraied him to her louer Thesius by the exaÌ„ple of Medea who betraied her father to Iason by the example of Hyppodamé who procured y death of her father by matching with Pelops And therfore al doubtes done away I wil without delay put the policie of Pandar â–ª in practise The night following sutch hast her hot loue required she shewd her selfe Misteris of her word though not of her selfe and performed that which shee sayde she would For her father beeing a sleepe shée got softly to him and cut of his precious haire which had in it sutch vertue Which done shée went to King Minos and presented him therewith who in most reprochefull wordes reprehended her déede and in most disdainfull sort reiected her loue But she not meaning to leaue her loue while shee had lyfe leapt into the sea to swim after him as hee sayled away And so quenched her desire in the bottome of the sea You see here Gentlewomen she y would not looke vpoÌ„ her Iphis coulde not be looked vpon by her Minos Shee that would make no account of her inferriour could not be accounted of by her superiour For it is a plaine case and therfore looke to it that they which deale rigorously with other shall bée rudely dealt withal themselues But I am by this story chiefely to admonish you that you pull not of your fathers haire that is y you pul not their harts out of their bodies by vnaduisedly castinge your selues away in matching in marriage with those who are not meet for you That is to pull of your fathers haire when you shall cast of the bridle of obedience rashly run at randon rudely neglect his precepts and presumptuously place your selues in marriage contrarie to his pleasure that is to pull of your Fathers haire But Soueraigne now your father is gone I will giue you more sound advice I will admonishe you all not to pull of your owne haire that is not to binde your selues to the froward faust of your politique parents but to make your choice in mar riage according to your owne mindes for ouer widowes you sée Fathers haue no prehemineÌ„ce of power touching their marriages and you are not to know that mariage is a contract consisting of the frée consent of both the parties and that onely is required in the consummation of marriages and the Rodians haue this law that onely the mothers haue rule ouer the Daughters But mum lupus in fabula I must I say admonish you y as your parents gaue you your bodies so they may dispose of them That you requight all their loue care and cost at least with obedience I must tel you that if you honour not them your dayes will bee short on earth I must tell you that Rauens will pull out the eye that blindeth the Father and neglecteth the good instruction of the mother as Solomon sayd Curiatius and Horatia CVRIATIVS a young Gentleman of the Citie of Albania in ITALY fallinge into extreame loue with Horatia a young Gentlewoman of the Cittie of Rome after longe sute and many delayes obtaineth her graunt to bee his wife But in the meane time contention fallinge out beetwene the two Citties Curiatius is slaine in the fielde by Horatius brother to the said Gentlewoman to whom hee was assured Whose death Horatia most pittifully bewaylinge her brother greatly disdayneth thereat and cruelly thrusteth her to the harte with his Swoord SUrely Gentlewomen either according to Ouid his opinion Forma numen habet Beutie hath some diuinity or Godhead in it or els contrary to the common opinion loue is some heauenly influence and no earthly accident For of euery earthly and mortall motion there may some probable reason or naturall cause bee giuen as euery lyving creature desireth that whiche is good and agréeable to it nature bicause euery thinge is déere to it selfe and desireth the conseruation of it selfe in it kinde As the earth draweth downward beecause it is heauy the fyre flyeth vpward beecause it is light the water contrarie to it nature oftentimes ascendeth to the top of high hyls to avoyde vacantnesse The aire for the same cause often times discendeth into the pores of the earth as cholerike complexions are soonest intensed to anger beecause they abound with heate as women are not so subiect to anger as men beecause they are more colde of nature And so of all humaine actions natural effectes there may be some probable reason and naturall cause yéelded But
beauty and cumlinesse continue not wheras curtesy and clemency remaine for euer Consider that vertue is the true beauty which carrieth coÌ„mendacion with it at al times which maketh men loue those whom they haue neuer seene and which supplieth all other wantes whatsoeuer Did not Antonius that lusty gallant of this city prefer Cleopatra that blacke Egiptian for her incomparable curtesy before all the blasinge starres of this citty and did not the puisant knight Persey in respect of her vertue fetch Andromade from the blacke Indians Wherby you see that bounty before beutie is alway to be preferred Whiche bounty I beseeche you imbrace both to preserue my life and your owne good name Alas what renowme shall you reape by killinge cruelly him that loued you intirely What glory shall you get by driuing into dispaire him y was drawen into desire towardes you No pitty is the onely patheway to prayse and mercy is the meane to make you immortall At the ende of the next measure shée replied in this sorte Why Gentleman doe you thinke it cruelty not to condiscend to the requestes of euery one that maketh loue Doe you count it vice not to yéeld to the assaultes of euery lasciuious young man Doe you make so mean a count of mariage that you thinke it meet for a maide so rashly to enter into it without sufficient knowledge of your selfe ignorante of your life and conuersation not knowing your state parentes or freindes againe without the consent of my freindes without their good will and furtherance and which is most of all without mine owne loue and likinge No I will haue more tryall of him whom I meane to marry then I haue had of you â–ª and I wil féele in my self more feruent affection towards him then as yet I doe beare you You must consider it is not for a day or a yéere that man and wife must continue together but euen for the whole terme of their life and that they may not for any respecte chaunge beeinge once chayned together but muste remaine content the one with the other in solace and in sorrowe in sicknesse and in safenes in plenty and in penury Way againe that the happy life of the wife only consisteth in the loyall loue of her husband and that shee reposeth her selfe only in the pleasure shee hath in him She for the most part sitteth still at home shee hauketh not shee hunteth not shee diseth not shee in a manner receiueth no other contentation but in his company Hee is the only play which pleaseth her hee is the only game which gladdeth her hee is the field shee delighteth to walke in hee is the forrest shee forceth to hunt in So that in my iudgement in takinge a husbande no héede can bee to wary no choyce to chary And therefore you must make a count that mariage is a matter neither so rashly to bee required as you doe neither so easely to bee graunted as you would haue mee to doe And if you adhibite any credite to my counsayle I would wish you to sowe the seede of your sute in a more fertill soyle for in mee no graftes of grauntes or flowers of affirming will by any meanes growe but only double denialles and ragged repulses His replie here to with diuers other discourses whiche passed beetwéen them I wil omit lest I should weary you with the weary toyle whiche hée made of it And besides I would not you should take example by her to hang of so straungly when you are sued to so humbly and not to faine dislikinge so deepely when in deed you loue intirely For notwithstanding all his ernest suâ—e hee could not receiue so mutch as one good worde of good will. At length the dauncinge beeinge done the banquet was beegunne wherevppon their talke ceased but his loue dayly increased in so mutch that hée fully resolued with himselfe hopinge thereby somewhat to bee eased of his greife to forsake country friendes lyuinge and all that hée had And there vpon wrote a letter vnto her to this effect Séeinge most mercylesse Misteris neither my person can please you neither my lyuinge lyke you neither my calling content you neither my singular affection towards you cause you to requite it with lyke loue I meane vtterly to abandon the place of your abode and to bestow my selfe in some sutch fare country whyther not so much as y report of your vertue and beuty shall come hopinge therby somwhat to appease my paine and to asswage the rygour of my raginge loue For as the sence of seeinge is most sharp so is that paine most pinching to see the thing one séeketh and can not possesse it Lyke as the Greyhounde is gréeued to see the Hare if hée bee kept in slippe and the Hauke the Partridge if she bée tyed in lunes and as the common saying is y which the eye séeth the hart géeueth Likewise to heare of your happie marriage with some other would bée litle better then death vnto mée to think any other should inioy that which by law of loue is proper to my selfe and to heare of your vnlucky linking with any would bee death it selfe vnto mee to thinke that my only ioy should liue in annoy Therfore I thinke the best way to mitigate my martirdome is to absente my selfe from both hearing and seeing I could reaue my self of life and so rid my selfe of strife but alas to imbrue my hands with mine owne bloud would but bring to my body destruction to my soule damnation to my freindes desolation and to your selfe defamation Where as by contynuinge my carefulll life I may at least or at laste make manifeste the constancy of my loue to the whole world â–ª and some way imploy my selfe to doe you seruice For assure your selfe this that what land soeuer I shall lodge in my hart and body shall bee dedicated to doe you duty and seruice And thus ready to goe to seaward I stay only to know whether it stand with your good pleasure to commaund mee any seruice yours while hee is CVRIATIVS Horatia hauing red this letter and thinking shee had sufficiently sounded y depth of his deuotion towards her returned him this comfortable answer Albeit sir I nothinge doubt of your departure out of your country for that nothing is more deere to any man then his owne natiue soyle and besides I know you vse it only for a meane to moue mee to mercy yet to confesse the truth the secret good will which longe since I haue borne you will not suffer mee to conceale from you any longer the secrets of my thoughtes Therfore you shall vnderstand I haue not vsed this straungnesse towardes you for that my minde hath bene enstraunged or alienated from you but only to try the truth of your good will towardes mee For if for one repulse or two like an ill hound which for one losse or twain giueth ouer the chase you would haue giuen ouer your sute â–ª I might haue iudged
rightly that you had loued but lightly But now I sée you continue to the ende there is no reason but you should bée saued if I may terme it sauing the hauing of so worthles a wife as my selfe But assure your selfe this I haue not shewed my selfe heretofore in loue so colde and fainte as hereafter you shall finde mée in affection feruent and faithfull I thinke your labour shal be litle to get my freindes good will for if their iudgment agrée with mine they will thinke you worthy of a worthier wife and rather thankefully accept you then daintily delay you Thus ready to restoare the iniury I haue done you with any curtesy conuenient to my maydenly estate I cease not ceasinge dayly to recorde the depthe of your goodwill in the bottome of my hart and in deuouring by all meanes possible to shewe my selfe thankefull for the same Yourâ— and her owne if yours HORATIA This letter so louinge so vnlooked for so swéete so sodaine raised him from heauinesse to happinesse from hell to heauen from death to life And presently herevpon hée procured her parentes consent who were so willing thereto that they gaue him great thankes that it would please him to match in their stocke and kinred thinking perchance that hee had bene a man of a higher callinge then in déede hée was and prayed to god that their daughter might become a wife worthy of sutch a husband And herevpon the day of the solemnizing of the mariage was appointed but many thinges as the sayinge is happen betweene the cup and the lip many thinges chaunce betweene the bourd and the bed man purposeth and God disposeth and it is the fashion of fortune commonly thus to frame that when hope and hap when health and wealth are highest then woe and wracke disease and death are nighest For in this manner it happened this mariage to bée marred There arose a quarrell béetwéen the towne Albania and the cittie of Rome which not with wordes but onely with weapons must bée decided great hurly burly there was in either towne nothing but war war war the Cannons roard the barbed horse neighed the glitteringe armour shined the boystrous billes and pearcing pikes pressed forward the dartes were dressed the bowes were bent the women wept the children cryed the Trumpets sowned Tan tara tara the Drummes stroake vp the mournfull marchinge forward and the souldiours on both sides marched in battayle aray vnto the field Amongst whom Curia as one of the most couragious captaines and boldest blouds of the Albanes was the formost But to leaue the battayle and come to the conflicte which Horatia had with her selfe when shée hearde that her beloued was in armes against her cittie Shée fell forsooth to reasoninge with her selfe in this sorte O most doubtfull distres that euer poore damsell was driuen to For whom shall I offer vppe sacrifice for whom shall I make my vowes For whom shall I pray for victory to whom shall I wishe the ouerthrowe on the one side fighteth my freinde on the other side my father on the one side the cittie wherin I am is in daunger to bee sacked on the other side the towne whither I must goe is in perill to bee spoyled on the one side I am like to loose my loue on the other side mine owne life So that I know not to whether part I ought to incline in hart No can Why a woman ought to forsake father and mother and followe her husbande But ought any thinge to bée more swéete vnto mée then the cittie to bée counted mine wée beeing both one flesh But life is sweet to euery one full sower God knoweth to mee without his loue and life So that if my will might worke effecte I would rather wish that of the two Rome might run to ruine But alas dareth hee lay siege to the cittie wherin I am Is hée not affraide to ouerthrow the house that harboureth mée Doubteth he not least some peece should perce my tender breast Yes no doubt of it hee deepely doubteth it but alas they that are bound must obey hee must follow of force his general captayne vnlesse hee will incur the suspition of cowardlinesse or treason or both Like as Vlysses was greatly defamed bicause hee faigned himself to be mad for that he would not go to the siege of troy No god sheild my Curiatius from shame god sende him either friendly to enter into the citie all quarrels beeing ended and truce taken either valiantly to venture into the cittie and with triumphant armes to imbrace mee By this time both the armies were met and to auoyd the effusion of bloud the general Captaines entred into this agreement There were in either army three brothers of great courage and countenaunce the Romaines were named Horatii brothers to the GentlewomaÌ„ before spoken of the Albanes were called Curiatii wherof one was y gentlemaÌ„ before meÌ„tioned Now it was concluded that these brothers on both sides should by dint of sworde stint the strife betweene these townes and if the Hor. conquered the Curiatii that then the Albanes should remain vnder the rule and empire of the Romains if otherwise then otherwise Herevpon these sire valiaunt champions at the sound of the Trumpets entred the listes and fell to furious fight within short time two of the Horatii were slayne and al the three Curiatii wounded the Romaine remaynynge alone to withstand three reâ—ired somewhat backe to the intenfe to single his enemies one from another which done hee slue them all one after another This valiant victory atchiued with great ioy triumph he returned into y citie amongâ— y rest ready to receiue him was his sister Horatia who knew nothing perticulerly of y which was done in y field but only y the Romayns were victors But seing a far of about her brothers shoulders y coate armour of her Cur. which she her self with needle work had curiously made being therby fully assured of his death she was driuen into these dolefull plaints Oh HeaueÌ„s what hellish sight doe I see far more dolorous and dangerous then monstrous Medusaes head And is my Curiatius slaine then care come cut in sunder my corps theÌ„ dole deliuer me to y dreadful darts of death For what lyfe alas in this lyfe is to bee counted lyfe without his life and loue for so to liue as not to liue why should I long any longer to liue What ioy in this coÌ„mon ioy can I count ioy and not him inioy who was my only â—oy No though the whole Cittie singe in triumphe I must sorrow in torment though the Romanes vaunt of victory I must complaine of ouerthrowe though they flourish in prosperytie I must fade in aduersitie though they swimme in blisse I must bath in bale though they liue in peace I must lead my lyfe in warre though they possesse pleasure I must pine away in paine For my triumph my victory my prosperytie my blisse my peace my pleasure is perished Yea now
for that in nature and conditions there is sutche difference beetwéene vs But repentaunce now commeth to late this only resteth to bee foreséene that vnto the greate greife which mine owne conceite procureth me her abuse adde not infamy and dishonour And if the heauens haue assigned mee sutch heauy fate as due to my doatinge desyre yet this at least let mée take heede that with the losse of her owne honour shee procure not the losse of my lyfe And herevpon appointed certaine of his assured friends to haue the custody and kéeping of the queene who seeinge her selfe thus disloyally without cause abridged of her liberty béegan to curse the time that euer shée came to bee quéene wishing shee had continued in meaner callinge with fruition of liberty rather then to sit in chayre of dignity with suspicion of dishonesty What pleasure sayth shee doth my princely estate procure mee whiche must liue as a prisoner Who wil honour mee for queen which am suspected for a queane and harlot How shall I dare to shew my face in the Courte when the kinge doubteth of my dealinge towardes him My lookes haue not bene so light my curtesie hath not bene so common my glaunces haue not bene so garish wherby hee shoulde enter into this sinister suspicion of mee But loue they say is light of beeleefe and ielousy is grounded vpon loue Auant fond foolish loue God send my husbande rather to hate me then to beare mée any such loue which bereueth him of rest and mee of renowme which breaketh the bond of faythfull freindship and intire amity betwéen vs which causeth him to doubt mee and mee to dread him which maketh both our liues so lothsome that I wishe death to dispatch ether the one of vs or the other But this froward fate I must ascribe only to mine owne fault and fraud towardes Verecundus who hath now iust cause to triumph that I my selfe am fallen into the pit I digged for him Wel I must retire to patience perforce and hange in hope of some good hap to redresse my woe and misery But you shall vnderstand Gentlewomen this was not all her punnishment nay this was but a trifle in respecte of that which after followed a matter in haynousnesse so horrible in desire so detestable and in lust so lothsome that it is no lesse strange to bée tolde then hard to bée beléeued so that I thinke my wordes will rather carry wonder then credite with you For whether it were gods plague for y husbands ielousy or for her iolity pride and subtelty I know not but thus it pleased him to suffer the diuell to deale with her Beeing by her husbandes commaundement in his absence kept from company her cheife solace was to walke in a pleasaunt groue ioyned to her palaice where vsed to feed a heard of beasts amongest which was a goodly white bull I dare not say shee fell in loue with the bull least I should driue you rather to laughinge at my story then listninge to it but surely so it was Yea shee was not only in loue with the beast and went euery morninge and with her owne hands brake downe boughes for him to brouse vpon but which was more shee was ielous ouer him for what cow in all the herd shee saw hee liked best shee caused to bée had from the heard and killed as she pretended for sacrifice but in deed for fatisfiyng her ielous minde And as the beast was opening shee would take the inwardes in her hand saying now goe thy way and please my loue if thou canst And taking delight a while in this daliance at length her lust grew to sutch outrage that shee felt in her selfe an impossibility to continue her cursed life without the carnall company of the bull And notwithstandinge shee assayed the assistaunce of reason the pollicy of perswations the helpe of herbes and the meane of medicines to mortyfy her beastly desire to the beast yet nothinge would preuayle yea beeinge often in minde to make her selfe away her hart would not suffer her hands to doe it not that death feared her but that desyre forced her first to fulfil her filthy lust But GentlewomeÌ„ because you shal not enter into colorick conceites against me for publishing in this presence a hystorie whiche seemeth so mutch to sounde to the shame of your sexe I meane not to iustifie the truth of it but rather will proue it false by the opinioÌ„ of one Seruius who writeth that Pasiphae indéede played false with one Taurus which signifieth a Bul secretary to her husband in the house of Dedalus and after being delyuered had two sonnes the one lyke Minos the other lyke Taurus and therevpon the Poets faigned the fable aforesaide but whether béeing a woman shee vsed the carnall company of a beast or whether lyke a lewde wife shee gaue her husbande the badge of a beast her offence was sutch that I cannot though gladly I woulde excuse it Yet must I néedes say that in my fancy her husbande deserued some blame for no doubt his suspicion without cause caused her in sutche sorte to transgresse marriage lawes For seeing her honestie doubted of and her good name as good as losâ—e shee thought as good to bee naught for somewhat as to bee thought naught for nothing And surely the experience is to common y suspicion and slaunder maketh many to bee that which they neuer ment to bee But some are of this foolish opinion that it is simple and sottishe folly for a woman to deale truly with him whiche dealeth ielously and cruelly with her some againe lewdly thinke y if a woman cannot coÌ„ceiue by her husband y she may lawfully enter into coÌ„uer sation with some other some wickedly wéene that if the husbande bee not able to satisfie the insatiable desyre of his wife that to auoyde concupiscence shee may communicate with some other but surely Gentlewomen I am setled in this opinion that no suspicion or ielousie ought to cause a woman to transgresse the boundes of honesty that rhastitie is the only Iewell which women ought to bee chary of that women hauinge lost their chastitie are like broken glasses which are good for nothing that they make shipwrack of all if the cabels of constancie be once crakt the anchors of honestie slipt y it is better for theÌ„ to be fooles then false to be simple then subtil to be doues then diuels to be abused then abuse y it is better for theÌ„ to be barren then beastly to bée without fruite then faith children then chastitie that concupisence is only to desire other besides their husbandes that they which burne in sutch desire shall burne in hell fire y no adultresse shall inherite the kingdome of heauen that all women ought to bee like y matronesse of Rome which knew y sauour of no mans breath but of her husbandes like the wife of Fuluius Torquatus who died with longinge rather then shée would goe forth of her chaumber in
bee free from the filthinesse whiche men did force her to for before she had bene rauished by Neptune like as y litle chicke being caught by the kyte would wish with all his heart hée were a Kite and yet the kind of Kites is not to be thought better then of the chicken But to leaue Aristotle his railyng reasons and to reason indifferently of the matter what one perfection any way are men indued withall that women want Do men I say either in natural wit either in politike gouernment either in valiant courage either in skill and learnyng either in vertue and liuyng any thyng excell them And first for wit Aristotle himselfe proueth them to bee more apt in wit for that they are more soft in fleshe and we our selues haue a common sayinge amongst vs that women are neuer without an excuse which is a sure signe of a most sharpe and readie wit. And if I were driuen to alledge exaÌ„ples of witty women I coulde recite whole countries to wit Flaunders Holland Zeland and most of the lowe countries where the women wittily deale in al thinges discreetly order their housholds courteously entertayne straungers and wisely wield most waightie affayres wheras the men deale only with drinke and like drunken doltes lie vnder the bourde In Fraunce also the GentlewomeÌ„ generally are more wittie in words and eloquent in talke theÌ„ the men The like no doubt may bee truly reported of diuers other nations Then for politik gouernment is it likely that they who can gouerne them selues and their affections discréetely their families and housholdes orderly are to séeke in the polytike gouerment of publike matters For no doubt it is far more easy to see wittily into other mens affaires then into our owne and Solon sayth that they only are fit to gouerne other who can well guide them selues neither is the difference so great betweene a priuate family and publike society but that they which can gouerne the one may wyeld the other Againe seeinge in matters of loue which blinde the wisest men that are women can deale so politikely that though they themselues beare great affection to a man yet they will so handle the matter that they shall humbly make sute vnto them and ernestly desire them to it which thei of them selues most ernestly desire seeinge in priuy stealthes they can practise so politikely y their husbands though neuer so wary shal neuer be ware of it but rather the more they are deceiued doate y more of them Is it to be thought they are to learne of men or any way inferiour to them in the conuaigh of ordinary accidents and matters of common moment But women are not admitted to the administration of the common wealth but what forsooth is the cause For sooth the malicious spite of men and I may saye it to my self it standeth vs vpon so to do for if they should be allowed to execute publike offices whereby their discreet and good gouernment might be generally known it were greatly to bée feared that wee should be set to the clout and kitchin another while and they placed in those offices whiche wee now not so worthy of them wrongfully vsurpe And yet to the intent all sutch bright lights should not bee put vnder a bushâ—ll it hath pleased god to set some of them on the hils of high estate to giue light of life and good gouernment to the whole world as namely the wife of Aeneas named Lauinia after his death gouerned the most turbulent state of Italy with sutch policy and wisdome that though the title of her husband to the kingdom were very tickle beeinge a Troian straunger though her neighbours on euery side were giuen to spoylyng incroching oppressyng and vsurpynge yet shee kept her people in peace and her kingdome quiet vntill her sonne Ascanius came to ripe yeeres then safely set him in the regall seate and royall dignity of his father As Debora for her wit and policy was appointed iudge ouer the Israelits by whose counsayle and courage that couragious captayne capital enemy to the Israelits named Sysara was subdued But what should I rehearse examples of the politique gouernment of women whereas lawes the only ground of all good gouernment were first inuented and made by Ceres a woman Therfore to the third point which is valiaunt courage wherin we our selues confesse them to be nothing inferriour vnto vs in that wee say women are alwayes destrous of soueraintie which euidently argueth a noble and haughty minde Béesides that howe mutch weaker their bodies are then mens so mutch the more strength and vertue is contained in their mindes For it is the iustice of God commonly to supply the debilitie of the body with the might of the minde Againe how mutch shorter lyued are they then men according to Aristotle his opinion so mutch the more vertue of body and minde they are endued withall Like as by dayly experience wée sée that those children which are destined to death in the prime time of their lyfe are farre more wittie discréete perfect euery way then those who haue longe time graunted them to liue on earth Lastly if particularyties might proue a generality what man was euer more couragious then Semiramis who in the habite apparell of a man gouerned y Assirians most couragiously then Tomiris who slue the mighty Kinge Cyrus most valiently then the wiues of the citie of Scio who repulsed their enimies most reprochefully with infinite other who in stoutnes of stomack and couragiousnes of minde haue ben equall to any man that euer had any praise for his prowes and vertue The fourth poynt is learninge which to bee proper as it were to women may bee proued by this y the Muses the authors of all lerning were womeÌ„ It may be said that the people called the Latines lent vs mutch learninge but it must bée saide that a woman named Nicostrata first taught them their letters It may be said that Athens hath bene the author of many arts but it must be sayd y â–ª Aspasia instructed Pericles the Duke thereof in learning Solomon was most wise and learned yet Saba was able to dispute with him Zenobia had learned sonnes but shee her selfe taught them So that it is euident that women are rather the author of learninge then any way inferiour to men in learning The last poynt is vertuous life Alas it gréeueth mée to thinke how far we come behinde in this comparison How straunge is it to heare a woman to bée a swearer a stealer a murtherer a traytor a rebel an extorcioner a perâ—urer a cosener or any sutch like â–ª To our shame I speake it we wallow in those wickednesses How hard againe is it to finde a man of coÌ„tinent coÌ„uersation of modest manners of milde minde of gentle disposition of curteous inclinatioÌ„ of pitifull hart To their praise I speake it women abound in those vertues So that to speake indifferently béetwéene the life of men