of body and soule I thinke I may by more right craue your helpe herein for that partly by your meanes I am fallen into this extremity for y you would not agree to y consummation of the mariage betweene Icilius and mee and howe you can deliuer mee but by deliuering mee to death I see not for that your power is to weake to wreak the wrong which is offred mee and your force is to féeble to fence mee from the fury of my foes Therfore seeing hee will needes haue my body sweet father let him haue it dead that I may not feele the filthinesse which hee purposeth to force mee too Her father melting into teares at her pitifull sute carefully kissing her commended her couragious minde rather confirming her in her constant couragiousnesse then disswadinge her from her purpose By this time the tirantes traine beegan to flocke aboute them to haue her away which Virginius seeing snatched a butchers knife from the shambels and thrust therewith his daughter to the heart saying O daughter by this only meane wherby I may doe I make thee free Icilius seeinge his spouse thus spoyled spent no time in triflinge teares but by the helpe of his father in lawe Virginius prosecuted the matter so ernestly against Appius that hee was throwen into prison where for shame of his deede and dread of deserued punnishment hee did him selfe desperately to death You see here Gentlewomen a most lamentable death of a most vertuous virgin wherein you may note a noble minde in her to desyre it a stout courage in her father to doe it and most outragious tyranny in Appius to driue them to it wherby you may learne that vertue and chastity is to bee preferred beefore worlde or wealth beefore freind or father before loue or liuing before life or death Therfore if I were either in wit able or otherwise worthy to giue you counsayle I would aduise you to auoyde the traines of sutch tyrauntes to kéepe you out of the sight of sutch seedsuckers and to fly from sutch Senes fornecatores sutch raueninge wolues in shéepes cloathinge are rediest to deuoure sutch swéete shéepe sutch olde dogs euer bite forest sutch grauity for the most parte contayneth most incontinency For if their lust were not more then outragious either their great discretion would represse it either their many yéeres would mortify it either their owne wiues would satisfie it But vse of euill maketh vs thinke it no abuse sinnes oft assayed are thought to bée no sinne and these grayheaded gamesters haue the habite of this mischeife so déepely rooted in them that concupiscence will frie their fleshe till breath doe leaue their bodyes And as I would you should auoide these olde youthes in the way of wickednesse so if my wish might wield your willes you should neither medle with them in the way of mariage For perfect loue can neuer bée without equality there can bée no good agréement of affections where there is sutch difference of yéeres Can fire water can flowers frost can warmth and winter can mirth melancholy agrée together No surely Gentlewomen but if you wil haue it so I wil beléeue this matter mooueth you nothing Yet what say you to another point that a most perilous point when to impotencie shal be added Ielousy This is a pill of harde digestion this is a pill which if it bée a litle chewed it will bée so bitter that you will neuer bee able to abide it For when sutch an one shall measure your déedes by his owne desire and your life present by his owne life past when hée shall thinke you to bee naught bicause hee him selfe hath bene naught good god how cloasely then will hee mew you vp how carefully will hee looke to you How lothsomely will hee cloy you with his company Then will you wishe you vnmaried then will you wishe you had maried with a younge man they wil loue and not doate they will bée zelous and not Ielous And if your parentes in some curious or couetous respecte goe about otherwise to dispose of you humbly request them you may chuse where you like and link where you loue that you may bee married to a man rather then mony to quiet rather then coine Dutifully tell them that sutch presinesse of parentes brought Pyramus and Thisbe to a wofull end Romeo and Iulietta to vntimely death and draue Virginius miserably to murther his owne daughter Virginia Admetus and Alcest ADMETVS sonne to ATYS kynge of Lybla fallynge in loue with Alcest daughter to Lycabas kynge of Assur who recompenced him with femblable affection are restrayned eche from other by their parentes but beeyng secretly married wander in wildernesses like poore pilgrimes Atys shortly after dieth wherof Admetus beyng aduertised returneth with his wyfe and is established in the kyngdom The destines graunt him a double date of life if hee can finde one to die for him which Alcest her self perfourmeth for whose death Admetus most wofully lamentyng shee was eftsoones by Proserpina restoared to her life and louer agayne IT is a saying no lesse common then commonly proued true that Marriages are guided by destinie amongst all the contractes which concerne the life of man I think they only bee not in our owne power or pleasure which may plainly appeare by this that when the choice of sutch marriages doth chaunce vnto vs as wée our selues can wish when they may by their parents freindes countenance vs by their dowry and portion profit vs by theyr person and bewtie pleasure vs by their vertue and perfection euery way place vs in paradise yet it is often séen that wee set litle by them neither make any account of sutch profitable profers but by a contrarie course of the heauens and destinies are caried as it were agaynst our willes some other way and caused to settle in affection there where heauen and earth séeme to withstand our desire where freindes frowne on vs where wealth wants where there is neither fecilitie in pursuyng neither felicitie in possessing which the history which you shal heare shall more playnly set forth vnto you There raygned in the lande of Lybia one Atys who had to his neighbour more neere then was necessary one Lycabas kynge of Assur which princes rather couetynge their neighbours dominions then cōtentyng themselues with their owne incroched eche one vpon others right and continued continuall warre one against the other But at length Atys whether hee were weried and wasted with warre or whether hee had occasion to bend his force some other way or whether hée were disposed to enter into league and amitie with his neighbours I know not but hée sent his one sonne Admetus to Lycabas to parlée of a peace Now Lycabas either thinkyng hée had him at some aduaūtage either not minding to put vp iniu ries béefore receiued would accept no conditions of peace but by Admetus sent his father flat defiance So that the warre continued between them
chasâ—d which hath bene alwaies the cheifest stay of my state Shall the sunne of my shining life be now eclipsed with an acte so filthy that the very remembrance thereof is no lesse gréenous then death Why was Helen for all her heauenly hew any other accounted then a common harlot and was it not only to bee reuenged on her and her champion Paris that the Grecians continued their siege so long And touchinge the inconueniences I may incur by this refusall is any euill worse then honesty Is there any thinge to bee fled more then offence Is not the losse of goodes lesse then of ones good name Is not an honourable death to bée preferred before an infamous life And touching y Countesse before rehersed had shée euer married with the kinge if shee had not continued in her constancy to the ende And for the Duchesse of Sauoy what hurt sustained shée by that false accusation Did it not make her glory and vertue shew more splendently to the whole world Yes no boubt of it for like as streames the more ye stop them the higher they flow and trées the more yée lop them the greater they growe or as Spices the more they are beaten the swéeter sent they send forth or as the herbe Camamile the more it is trodden downe the more it spreadeth abroad so vertue honesty the more it is spited the more it sprouteth and springeth for honour euer is the reward of vertue and doth accompany it as duly as the shadow doth the body And as the sun though it bée vnder a cloud kéepeth still his brightnes though weo sée it not so vertue though it bée dimmed with diuelishe deuises yet it keepeth her strength and power still though to vs it seeme vtterly to bée extinguished so that so longe as I remaine vertuous honest I neede not care what man malice or the diuell can deuise against mee No no deare children you shall not by my meanes bee suspected to bee bastardes neither wil I make thée sweet husband ashamed to shew thy face amongest the best of them and I wil let thée vnderstand the villany which that viper Synorix indeuoureth to death And shall I deale so fondly in deede is not the repulse punishment inough onlesse I bée wray his dooinges to my husband and so procure him further displeasure Yea I might therby bee occasion to set them together by the eares whereby it might fall out as the euent of battaile is alwayes doubtfull that my husband might bee hurt or slaine and then the common report would bée as the people are euer prone to speake the woorst that I béeing an ill woman had conspired his confusion and seh Synorix to slea him And though no sutch thing chauncet as God forbid it should yet this at least I should bee sure to get by it that my busbande euer after would bee ielious ouer mée and right carefull would hée bée to kéepe that which hée saw others so busily to seeke And sutch is the malice of men perchaunce hée would iudge some light behauiour in mée to be the cause that incouraged Synorix to attempt my chastity For men haue this common opinion amongest them that as there is no smoake but where there is some fire so seldom is there any feruent loue but where there hath bene some kindnesse shewed to kindle ones desire Moreouer this toy may take him in the head that it is a practise betwéen vs two to preuent suspicion cloake our loue with the firme perswasion of my inuincible chastity to lull him a sléepe in security and then most to deceaue him when hée least suspecteth guile and if at any time hée heare of it by other I may stop his mouth with this that I my selfe tolde him of it which if I had ment to deale falsely with him I would not haue done yea what know I whether hée wil like the better or the worse of mée for bréeding sutch a bées nest in his braine lastly I should derogate mutch from mine owne vertue and in a manner accuse my selfe of pronenesse to fal that way as though I were not strong inough to withstand his assaultes without the assistance of my husband Yes god in whom I repose my trust shall fortifie mée against the fury of my foes and giue mée grace with wisdome to escape his wiles with charines to eschew his charmes and with pietie to resist his prauitie Now to returne to Synorix so soone as that olde Pandarina had related vnto him at large the answere of his Misteris hée fel froÌ„ the place he sat flat vpon the ground and lay in a traunce a great while and now those sparks which béefore loue had kindled in him were with continuall sighes so blowen as it were with a payre of bellowes that they breake foorth into fierie flames and that which before was fancie was now turned to furie for beyng come to himselfe or rather béeinge quight past him selfe with staringe lookes with pale countenaunce with fierie eyes with gnashing teeth with trembling tongue in rage he roared foorth these words And shall I thus be frustrate of my desire shal I with wordes and workes with prayers and presentes pursue the goodwill of a daintie disdayninge dame and receiue but labour for my loue and gréeif for my goodwill But ah frantik foole why doe I in my rage rage against her who is the most fayre and curteous creature vnder heauen No it is that churle Synnatus that soweth the sede of my sorrow it is his seueritie towardes her that causeth her crueltie towardes mée the feare shee hath of him is the cause she dareth not take compassion on my passions and shall hée swim in blisse and I lie drencht in déepe dispaire Shal he be ingorged with pleasure I pine away in paine No I will make him féele that once which hee maketh me féele a thousand times a day And hereupon determined with himselfe by some meanes or other to procure the death of Synnatus thinking thereby the sooner to obtaine his purpose of his wife And callinge vnto hym one of his swearing swash buckler seruauntes hee laide before him the platfourme of his purpose and tolde hym plainely if hée woulde spéedily dispatch Synnatus out of the way he would giue him a thousand crownes in his purse to kéepe him in another Country His seruaunt though altogether past grace yet for fashion sake began to aduise his maister more wisely saying For mine owne part it maketh no matter for another country is as good for mee as this and I count any place my country where I may liue wel and wealthily but for your part it bée hooueth you to looke more warely to your selfe for that your loue towardes Camma is knowen to diuers of this citie by reason wherof if I should commit any sutch acte it must néedes bée thought that you must néedes bée accessarie therto which will turne though not to your death for that none hath auctoritie aboue
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
and churlishuesse in a man to deny his wife any thing which is reasonable so is it great imbecillity and childishnesse to graunte her any thing which is vnreasonable and hereof commeth the vtter vndooing of a great number of young gentlemen And as it is wise and louinge carefulnesse to prouide well for ones wife so is it fond and doatinge curiousnesse to seeke and prouide better for her then bee would do for himselfe whereof came the confusion of this noble Gentleman Germanicus Amphiaraus and Eriphile AMPHIARAVS a Gentleman Argiue sueth for marriage to Eriphile a widow either likyng others possessions better then persons Infortunio burnyng in fonde affection toward the same trull seeyng Amphiaraus land preferred beefore his loyaltie is at poynct to destroy himself Amphiaraus hidyng himself to escape from the warres is betraide by Eriphile for couetice of rewarde and settynge foote within the Theban soyle the earth openeth and swaloweth him vp Eriphile eftsoones a widow profereth her loue to her olde suter Infortunio by whom beeyng repulsed in choler she consumeth away and dieth THe aunciet Ppilosophers are of this mynde that there is nothyng that doth more argue and shew a base mynde then couetous desire of coyne ritches and nothyng more signe of a noble heart then not to desire wealth if one want it and liberally to bestow it if hée haue it But I am of this minde that nothynge doth more argue a mad minde then to desire goods which neuer did good but which haue been alwayes the cause of all our calamities What a world of men hath desire of wealth wasted in war What huge heapes hath it drowned in the Sea What infinite numbers hath it caused Phisitions to kill How many hath it mooued Lawiers to vndoe How many hath it driuen Deuines to sende to the Diuell Of how many Murthers thefts flaughters parricides patricides treasons rebellions periuries forgeries adultries fornications hath it been the cause As Iupiter himselfe abused golde and pelfe to abuse Danae that virgin But you will say though the desire of goods bee detestable yet the possession is profitable Wherto I pray you to maintayne vs in brauery in gluttony in venery in securitie in impunitie in pride in prodigalitie yea to brynge vs to perdition and distruction as kynge Midas wished that euery thynge which hée touched might bee gold wherby hée was starued to death Fabritius an auncient Romain waighed wealth so litle that though hée had béen Prince and Consul of Rome three or foure times yet at his death hée had not so mutch goods as might suffice to bring him honorably to his graue but was faine to bée buried at the common charge of the citie But though the immoderate desire of ritches bée to bée reprehended yet must I néedes say that moderately to account of them is not bée misliked for they are giuen vs by God to passe the pilgrimage of our life withall and we may vse them and yet not abuse them wée may make of them and yet not make our Goddes of them And as by duely desiryng and truly vsyng them they conuert to our commoditie so by gréedy couetinge and naughtie consumyng them they turne to our trouble care and confusion as partly béefore hath béen shewed and plainly here after by the hystorie folowing is prooued which is this In Greece amongst the people called Argiues dwelt one Amphiaraus who béeyng a man of great possessions and wealth heard of a Widdow in the same country of like liuyng vnto him selfe her name was Eriphile and her nature was sutch that shée thought gaine swéet how so euer shée got it It fortuned this Gentleman to come to her house to sée and assay her in the way of Marriage and not withstandyng hée had more likyng to the liuyng then wil to the woman yet hée laboured his sute as ernestly as if hée had loued vehemently and at conuenient time commenced his sute in this sort Gentlewomā I think it not néedful to enter into termes in commendation of mariage therby to perswade you the sooner therto for that you know the dignity thereof and haue already tasted the pleasures and commodities béelonginge to the same but this chiefelye lieth mée vpon earnestly to perswade and humbly to requeste at your handes that when it shalbée your good pleasure to enter into that life againe you will count mee worthy though altogether vnworthy to serue you in steede of a steward to order and dispose your thinges as your seemely selfe shall please to appointe and to ease you of the trouble of trauailinge in your owne affaires which I am sure for that you haue not beene accustomed thereto must needes mutch molest you For it is not méete your young yeres should bée tied to any trouble or trauaile but to passe your time in pleasure according to your bringinge vp and callinge and accordinge to the custome of your kinde and sexe And that you may not thinke my sute to procéed of any desire to your goods your selfe I thinke partly know and by litle inquiry may perfectly vnderstande that my landes and liuinges are sufficient to maintaine the port and countenance of a Gentleman of worship all which I willingly yeeld into your handes to bée disposed at your pleasure if it shall please you to yéeld your body into my armes to bée imbraced at my pleasure so y in acceptinge my offer you shall not only increase your substance but also haue a gentleman at your commaundement who shall make more account of you then of all the goods in the world His talke ended Eriphile smylinge made him this smooth answere Sir by how mutch more I know the inconueniences and infinite troubles mixed with mariage by so mutch lesse do I like to enter into that estate againe And as I was once linked with one according to my liking so looke I not to bee placed againe with any in whom I can take sutch pleasure And as by holy oth I firmely bounde my fayth vnto him so in this minde I am in only my death shal dissolue that bond and y sower remembrance of my sweete husbandes death shall take away the renewinge of all pleasures of life and altogether mortifie in mée the minde to marry any more For his loue was so excéeding great towardes mee that I feare to finde the like at your handes or any mans els For where you professe to be my steward and seruant I am sure if you were once sure of that you seeke for you would thinke your selfe good inough to bee my Lord and maister and you would dispose my goods neither at my pleasure neither to my profite but that which is mine should bée yours and yours your owne And where you pretend to prefer mee before al worldly goods I take it rather for wordes of course then talke of troth for as in the fayrest rose is soonest found a kanker so in fairest spéech is falshood and faigning rifest For I knowe the fashion of you men is by
drye neither is any lycour able to alay their thurst yea the more they drinke the more they desire it so she continually heaped in welth and yet was neuer satisfied yea the more she had the more she desired to haue And being possessed with this lothsome lust of lucre she entred into reasoning with her selfe in this sort Who vnlesse they be out of their wits wil refuse offered gold no the sauour of gaine is swéet of what thing so euer it be gotten Why Tarpâ—ia a Romane mayde did betray the Tower of Rome for a few Bracelets to the Sabines that layed siege to the citie and shall not I for great Duches of Gold bewray my husbande to the Kinge who meaneth by his meanes to preserue our citie for if it come to the worst that he neuer come home againe why I know the worst of it two or three dayes wéepinge will wash away al wo sorrow and then shal I be Lady of his landes and lyuings and be maried againe to some that perchaunce shall better content me euery way then hee doth and who is so foolishe that will not be content to chaunge for the better and in this good minde gat to the King and told him that preferring the safety of his person and the profit of the common wealth before her owne priuate pleasure she was constrained to detect her loyall mate vnto his royall maiesty which her deede she humbly desired him to conceale and not withstanding the absence of her louing husband would greatly annoy her yet the commoditie of her country which she hoped through her husbandes help should be procured would as greatlye ioy her And that she might sauely see her sweet husband againe with a few feined teares forcibly wroung forth she humbly requested the King that he might be placed in sutch part of the battaile that he might not be subiecte to the shot and lie open to the army of the aduersarye The King plainly certified by her of the den wherein the fore was hidden geuing her the promised reward went foorth with to vnkenuell him who hearing of the Kinges comming and by what meanes he was discouered fell to raging against his wife and other like women for her sake in this sort Ah fonde foole that I was to repose any trust or confidence in women whose sexe is sâ—btil whose kinde is cruell who are constant only in vnconstancy who are wytty onely in wiles who as Aristotle saith are monsters in nature altogether imperfect weake vessels ignoraunt in al things yea which we may most lament they are naturaly indued with baites to allure men with poyson to infect men and with charmes to chaunge men from men to beastes as Cyrces did the seruauntes of Vlisses yea what man hath euer been so wise but by women hath bene seduced to folly as Pharo his daughter caused Solomon to fall to idolatry what man hath euer been so godly but by women hath béen depraued as Bersabe droue king Dauid to diuelishnesse what man hath euer bene so strong who by women hath not bene made to stoope as Dalila tooke away the force of Sampson by cutting away his heire who hath euer bene so perfect but by women hath bene drawn to imperfection as Adam by the meanes of Eue loste the perfection of Paradice who hath euer bene so faithfull but that women haue inforced them to infidelytie as a handmayde made Peter denie his mayster Christ who so valiaunt but by women hath been vnquished as Omphale made Hercules serue her and spinne amongst her maides and after by Dynira was done to death who so learned but by women hath beene taught new poyntes of schole as Tully by Terentia Marcus Aurelius by Faustina and Ouid by Cornina were often abused with infinet other But if the wise the godly the strong the perfect the saithfull the valiant y learned haue been bewitched beguiled abused by women is it reason I should chalenge any proper or peculier fortune to my self and not remain content with the lot which is coÌ„mon to alâ—yes I am content my rage in rule to binde but not withstandinge the comfort by other mens calamitie be miserable yet it doth me good to thinke that other haue been as sluttishly serued by women as my selfe as Tullia conspired the death of her owne husband Tarquinius then of her Sister and lastly maried the brother of her owne husband who before was housband to her owne Sister as the fyftie daughters of Danae all but one slue their husbandes the firste night of their marriage as Candaules by the counsell of his wife was slaine by Gyges who after married her as Dyonisius notwithstanding his wary watch and watchful warenesse for the preseruation of his lyfe was by his owne wife Aristomacha miserably made away By this time the king was come into his house where vpon hée was driuen with shame to shewe and presente him selfe to his maiesty humbly crauinge pardon for his offence and séeing no remedy made preparation for the warres disposing his liuinge so well as the shortnesse of time would giue him leaue and dispossessinge his wife of so mutch as hée could possibly Which done amongest the rest hée mournfully marched forward but hée no sooner set foote in the Thebane soyle but that the earth opened swallowed him vp Of which newes so soone as his wife was partaker for fashion sake shée put finger in the eye and attired herselfe in mourning apparell but shée quickly cast it of againe and began to cast in her head how shee might bée sped of any other husband and callinge to minde y deep affection wherin Don infortunio was drowned towardes her shee thought none more fit to make a foole of then him and therfore by letters did him to vnderstand that considering his former goodwill towardes her shée thought her selfe bound in conscience to counternayle his curtesie by any conuenient meane shée might and in that béefore time shée set so light by his loue the cause was for that before his comming shée had betrothed her selfe to Amphiaraus so that as thn shée was not able to yéeld him the méede of his merit but now if his affectioÌ„ were not altered if hée were disposed to deale with her by order of honesty limits of law he might bee paied his due debt with double interest Now the young gentlemaÌ„ by the ayde of absence by the assistance of time by the change of diet by remeÌ„brance of his repulse by dregs of disdain by the vertue of necessity and by the help of reason being fully cured of his folly hauing heard also of the trechery which shee vsed towardes her other husband reiected her offer returning her answer y beeing at liberty hée ment not to come in bondes and béeing now set frée from her fraud falshood he would no more bée trayned to her treison Neither sayth hee doth that hold or castle merit mercy which yéeldes rather for want of freshe supplie then at the
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
pangues of death For as the colte the first time he is ridden snuffeth at the snaffle and thinketh the bit most bitter vnto him so the yoke of loue séemeth heauy vnto me beecause my neck neuer felte the force thereof béefore and now am I first taught to drawe my daies in dolour and griefe And so mutch the lesse I lyke this lot by how mutch the lesse I looked for it and so mutch the more sower it is by howe mutch the more soddaine it is For as the Bird that hops from bough to bough and vttreth many a pleasant note not knowinge how néere her destruction draweth on is caught in snare before shée bée ware so while I spent my time in pleasure assoone playing assoone parling now dawncing now dallying sometime laughing but always loytering and walking in the wide fields of fréedome and large leas of lybertie I was sodenly inclosed in y strait bonds of bondage But I se I sigh and sorow to see that there is no clothe so fine but moathes will eate it no yron so harde but rust will fret it no wood so sounde but wormes will putrifie it no mettall so course but fire will purifie it nor no Maide so free but loue wil bring her into thraldome and bondage But seeing the Goddes haue so appointed it why should I resist them séeing the destinies haue decreed it why shuld I withstand them seeing my Fortune hath framed it why should I frowne at it seeing my fancy is fast fixed why should I alter it seeing my bargaine is good why should I repent it seing I lose nothing by it why should I cōplain of it seing my choice is right worthy why should I mislyke it seeing Cephalus is my Saint why should I not honour him seeing hee is my ioy why shoulde I not inioy him seeing I am his why should not he be mine yes Cephalus is mine and Cephalus shall be mine or els I protest by the Heauens y neuer ani man shal be mine Euer after this shee obserued all oportunities to giue him intelligence as modestly as shee might of her goodwill towards him And as it happened a company of Gentlewomen to sit talkinge together they entred into commendation of the histories whiche beefore had bene tolde them some commending this Gentlemans stories some that according as their fancy forced them but Pro. seemed to preferre the histories of Cephalus both for that saith she his discourses differ from the rest and beesids that mee thinkes the man amendeth the matter mutch Cephalus though out of sight yet not out of hearing replied in this sorte And surely Gentlewoman the man thinketh himselfe much mended by your commendacion and assure your selfe you shall as readily commaunde him as you curteously commend him The Gentlewoman blushing hereat saide she thought hee had not bene so néere but touchinge your answere saith she I haue not so good cause to commaunde you as commend you for as I thinke you well worthy of the one so I thinke my selfe farre vnworthy of the other but bee bolde of this if at any time I commaunde you it shall bee to your commodytie I can not sayth hée but count your commaundment a cōmodytie only in that you shall thinke mée worthy to doe you seruice neither will I wish any longer to liue then I may be able or at least willing to doe you due and dutifull seruice If sir saith she softly vnto hym it were in my power to put you to sutch seruice as I thought you worthy of you should not continue in the condition of a seruant longe but your estate should bee altered and you should commaunde another while and I would obey It shal bée good misteris saith he in your powre to dispose of mée at your pleasure for I wholy cōmit my selfe to your curtesy thinking my estate more frée to serue vnder you then to raigne ouer any other whatsoeuer and I should count my selfe most happy if I might either by seruice duty or loue counteruaile your continuall goodnesse towards mee Upon this the companie brake of and therewith their talke But Cephalus seing her goodwil so great towards him began as fast to frame his fancy towardes her so y loue remained mutuall beetweene them Which her father perceuing and not lyking very well of the match for that hee thought his daughter not olde inough for a husbande nor Cephalus ritch inough for sutch a wife to breake the bond of this amitie went this way to worke Hee wrought so with the Duke of Venice that this Cep was sent post in ambassade to the Turk hoping in his absence to alter his daughters affection Which iourny as it was nothing◠ioyful to Cephalus so was it so painfull to Procris that it had almost procured her death For beeinge so warely wacht by herwaspish parents that shee coulde neither see him nor speake with him beefore his departure shee got to her chaumber window and there heauily behelde the Ship wherin hee was sorowfully sayling away Yea shee bent her eyes with such force to beehold it that shee saw the ship farther by a mile then any els could possibly ken it But when it was cleane out of her sight ▪ she sayd Now farewell my swéete cephalus farewell my ioy farwell my life ah if I might haue but geuen thée a carefull kisse and a faintinge farewell beefore thy departure I should haue bene the better able to abide thy aboad from mée and per chaunce thou woul dest the better haue mynded mée in thy absence but nowe I knowe thy wyll wyl wauer with the windes thy faith wil fleete with the flouds and thy poore Procris shall bee put cleane out of thy rememberance Ah why accuse I thée of inconstancy No I knowe the seas will first be drie beefore thy fayth from mee shall flye But alas what shal constancy prenayle if thy lyfe doe faile mée thinkes I sée the hoysinge waues lyke a huge army to assaile y sides of thy Ship me thinkes I sée the proulyng pirats which pursue thée mée thinks I heare the roaring Cannons in mine eare which are shot to sinke thee mée thinkes I see the ragged rocks whiche stande ready to reaue thy Ship in sunder mee thinkes I see the wilde beastes which rauenously runne with open mouthes to deuoure thee mee thinkes I see the théeues whiche rudely rushe out of the woods to robbe thee mée thinkes I heare the trothlesse Turke enter into conspiracy to kill thee mee thinks I feele the furyous force of their wicked weapons pitiously to spoyle thee These sights and thoughtes depriued her both of seeing and thinkinge for shee fell herewith downe dead to the grounde and when her wayting woman could not by any meanes reuiue her shee cryed out for her mother to come help who beeing come and hauinge assayed all the meanes shée could for her daughters recouery and seeinge no signe of lyfe in her shee fell to outragious outcries saiing O vniust Gods why are you the authours
of sutch vnnatural and vntimely death O furious féende not god of loue why dost thou thus diuelishly deale with my daughter O ten times cursed bee the time that euer Cephalus set foote in this court At the name of cephalus the maide beegan to open her eies which before had dazeled which her mother perceiuing saide beeholde daughter thy Cephalus is safely returned and come to see thee Wherewith shee start from the bed whereon they had laied her and staring wildly about the chamber when shee coulde not sée him shee sunk downe againe Now her parents perceiuing what possession loue had takē of her thought it labour lost to indeuour to alter her determination but made her faithful promise shee should haue their furtherance and consent to haue her cephalus to husbande at his returne wherewith shee was at length made stronge to indure the annoy of his absence It were tedious to tell the prayers the processions the pilgrimages the Sacrifices the vowes shee made for his safe returne let this suffice to declare her rare good will towardes hym that hearing of his happie comming towards the courte shee feared least his sodayne sight would bring her sutche excessiue delight that her sences shoulde not bee able to support it and therfore got her into the highest place of the house and beheld him comming a far of and so by litle and litle was partaker of his presence and yet at the méetinge shee was more frée of her teares then of her tounge for her greetinge was only wéeping word shee could say none Cephalus inflamed with this her vnfaigned loue made all the freindes hee could to hasten the mariage beetweene them But the olde saying is hast maketh waste and bargains made in spéede are commonly repented at leasure For married they were to both their inexplicable ioy which shortly after turned to both their vnspeakable annoy For the increase is small of seede to timely sowen the whelpes are euer blinde that dogs in haste doe get the fruites full sone doe rot which gathered are to sone the mault is neuer swete onlesse the fier bee softe and hee that leapeth before hee looke may hap to leape into the brooke My meaning is this that Cephalus his share must needes bée sorow who would so rashly and vnaduisedly enter into so intricate an estate as wedlocks is The Philosophers will vs to eate a bushell of salte with a man béefore wée enter into strict familiarity with him but I thinke a whole quarter litle inoughe to eate with her with whom wee enter into sutch a bond that only death must dissolue Which rule if Cephalus had obserued hée had preserued him selfe from most irkesome inconueniences But hee at all aduentures ventred vppon one of whom he had no trial but of a litle triflynge loue I like but litle of those mariages which are made in respecte of ritches lesse of those in respect of honours but least of al of those in respecte of hasty foolish and fond affection For soone hot soone colde nothing violent is permanent the cause taken away the effecte vanisheth and when beuty once fadeth whereof this light loue for the most part ariseth goodwill straight fayleth Wel this hot loue she bare him was the only cause of his hasty and heauy bargaine for womanlines she had none her yeres were to young vertue shee had litle it was not vsed in the court modesty shee had not mutch it belongeth not to louers good gouernment and stayed wit shee wanted it is incident to few woomen to bee shorte his choyce was grounded rather vpon her goodlinesse then godlinesse ▪ rather vppon her beauty then vertue rather vppon her affection then discretion But sutch as hee sowed hee reapte sutch as hee sought hee founde sutch as hee bought hee had to wit a witles wenche to his wife Therefore I would wishe my freindes euer to sow that which is sound to seeke that which is sure to buie that which is pure I meane I would haue them in the choice of sutch choyce ware cheifly to respect good conditions and vertue that is the only seed which wil yéeld good increase that is the onely thinge worthy to bee sought that is the only thinge which can not bée too derely bought And who soeuer he bee that in any other respecte whatsoeuer entreth into the holy state of matrimony let him looke for no better a pennyworth then Cephalus had which was a lothsome life and desolate death For within a yeere or two after they had bene maried his fancy was in a manner fully fed and his disordinate desire of her began to decay so that hee beegan plainly to see and rightly to iudge of her nature and disposition which at first the parciality of his loue or rather outrage of his lust would not permit him to perceiue And seeing her retchles regardes and light lookes which shee nowe vsed towardes al men rememberinge therewithall howe lightly hee him selfe won her hee began greatly to doubt of her honest dealinge towardes him and hauing occasion of far iourny and longe absence from her hée wrought this practise to try her truth Hee told her his aboade from her must of necessity bee fourty wéekes but at the halfe yeeres end by that time his haire was wildly growen hee apparelled him self altogether contrary to his wonted guise and by reason of his haire so disguised him selfe that hee was not knowen of any which done his necessary affayres dispatched he returned into his owne country and came to his owne house in manner of a straunger which trauayled the country where hee founde his wife in more sober sorte then hée looked for and receiued sutch courteous entertainment as was conuenient for a guest Hauing soiourned there a day or two at conueniēt time hée attempted her chastity in this sorte If faire Gentlewoman no acquaintance might iustly craue any credite or litle merites great méed I would reporte vnto you the cause of my repaire and craue at your handes the cure of my care but séeinge there is no likelyhoode that either my wordes shalbée beléeued or my woe releeued I thinke better with paine to conceale my sorrow then in vaine to reueale my sute The Gentlewoman somewhat tickled with these triflinge woords was rather desirous to haue him manifest the mistery of his meaning then willing hée should desist from his purpose and therefore gaue him this answere I am Sir of opinion that credite may come diuers wayes besides by acquaintance I my self haue knowen mutch good done to many without desert and therefore if your wordes bée true and your desire due doubte not but you shal bée both credited and cured For the truenesse of my wordes sayth he I appeale to the heauens for witnesse for the duenesse of my desir◠I appeale to your curtesy for iudgment The wordes haue to vtter are these There chaunced not longe since to traueile thorowe the countrie wherein lyeth my liuing a Knighte named Cephalus and though