Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	day_n	good_a	life_n	10,536	5	4.7272	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A01694	A vvomans vvoorth, defended against all the men in the world Proouing them to be more perfect, excellent, and absolute in all vertuous actions, then any man of what qualitie soeuer. Written by one that hath heard much, seene much, but knowes a great deale more.; Paradoxe apologique, où il est fidellement démonstré que la femme est beaucoup plus parfaite que l'homme en toute action de vertu. English	Pontaymeri, Alexandre de, d. 1618.; Munday, Anthony, 1553-1633, attributed name.; Gibson, Anthony.	1599 (1599)	STC 11831; ESTC S105731	43,550	162

Mirrhe and other sweete perfume And there is seene a shining fire In this rare place which soules desire She likewise rehearsed this sentence of Euripides That which by name we doe entitle life Is in effect but a continuall strife Indeed I well remember that men haue beene famous for some rare qualities as inuenting the sundrie idle playes at Dice and Cardes with other such like exercises beside Wherevpon Saint Bernard shaping his course to the young men of his time sayde You follow idlenesse to shun idlenesse you apply your selues to play euen vntill yee fall into Deaths daunger Iob in like manner cryed out against men that they consumed their dayes in vaine delights and so in the end were dispossessed of theyr liues Good old Sara hauing care of a holye conscience discoursed in this sorte with the Eternall I haue not frequented to these players neither had accesse to vaine persons Well then we may say that men are artezanes and continuall labourers in things altogether apperteining to follie as in superfluous tempering of meates or in delicacies the onely companion of inconstancie the goade to luxurie and birthe of death and from whence he receiueth his onlie conception Oh vile gourmandise the onelye pestilence to humane kinde by good reason oughtest thou to liue amongst men who naturally are enemyes to theyr owne selues Thou art he which troublest the braine impeachest reason prophanest chaste eares misorderest the behauiour of them thou possessest thou beggerest them that inherit thee thou layest ambuscadoes for chaste thoughts thou loadest the spirits with lasciuiousnes thou art hee that didst murder our first father and so brought an vniuersall death vppon all mankinde thou souldest Esaues birthright thou massacredst the people in the deferr in breefe thou art the only instrument wherwith are erected all circumuentions that worke violence to our soules and especially in the persons of men the ordinarie ministers of thy pernicious practises We read enough concerning intemperance of Heliogabalus of Caracalla Caligula Lucullus Phaon Xerxes Aristippus Myle of Crotona and of Philoxenus who intreated Jupiter to grant him the neck of a Crane to taste with more leysure the sweetnesse of his delicate viands likewise of Candaules of Lidia of Hermagoras of Alexander Darius Marke Anthonie with many other among the Pagans Wee read beside in holy Scripture of Holophernes the enemie to God a most dissolute man of Dauid in some sort of Ammon his sonne the Beniamites the olde accusers of Susanna the Gomorrhists and Sodomits but of intemperate women you shall verye hardly finde any that can be spoken of Vesta was so sober in her life that the Painters figured Fasting by her as Exercise by Diana Maiestie by Iuno and Prudence by Minerua I will referre to your owne iudgement that seeing these vertues could be no way better signified for in mē they would haue appeared most monstrous if womens natures must not needs be celestial yea euen in their ordinary and customarie functions Search thorow all Germanie which is the empire of all drunkennesse and seruitude of the sober yee shall not finde one woman but she is not onely free from being taxed with that beastlinesse but likewise if shee haue once ouer drunke it is sufficient for her euer after Where contrariwise the men they hardly respect any other exercise then tossing emptying of the pottes which is more shamefull to the vnsatiable then the Wine they disgorge can be to them healthfull But perhaps you will say vnto me it is not seemely for a woman to drinke much and therefore that folly may be tollerated in men Let me returne yee this answere euill dooing is no more permitted to men then women the rather in this respect because men make vaunts of beeing their superiours and that womens primacie consisteth not in commanding but in obeying Alas this excellence is not in the degree but in such behauiour as makes them woorthy therof yet they will approue that good in themselues which they thinke bad and condemne in women as if vice and vertue were limitted by their desseignes and as though by their maner of life and demeanor they were no way subiect eyther to one or other Wherin they declare how much they dissent from nature who neuer ordayned to the subiect where she appointed moouing but what was apt conuenient for it or else such rest as shuld not be vnprofitable like a faithfull Oeconomie of graces and mother of all Hierarchie Nay more these prophane men would binde the feminine sexe to such laws as themselues are not able to obserue lawes drawne from their own iealosie their suspition their weaknes their auarice their depraued consciēce their pride thinking it good to prohibite others such things as thēselues could neuer effect wherin they haue regarde to their owne perticuler imperfection not the law of nature who measures the constrainte of her will her will by the inclination her inclination by that which is most proper and the most propper by that which is most common and most necessarie for the conseruation of her kinde Let vs now speake of Liberalitie which is as worthy noting in her own subiect as anye other vertue in the worlde beside so royall and seemely is shee in all faire mindes whatsoeuer More familiar is shee with women then men for they are naturally full of pittie mercie and diuinest charitie They vse continually to visite Hospitalles Prisons and other places of wants to giue assistance to the miseries of men who fill the ayre with their wretched lamentations yea those places that commonly haue beene infected with theyr bad sauour women haue not spared to make theyr vsuall accesse vnto Mausolus monument builded by a Woman in remembrance of her husband is a matter of such especiall estimation as the very richest Sepultures of Kinges doe thence deriue their names as from the fountaine of all honour and excellence Sarteshkia wife to Arphaxed gaue instruction for building the proude and incomparable walles of Elchatana as you may at large read in Memnon of Ephesus Parisatis Queene of Persia caused all the Monarches of Asia to be buried in pure golde and instituted a sacrafice to Cyrus the expence whereof amounted yeerely to a thousand Affricke tallentes according to the report of Dionisius Milesianus Olympias mother to Alexander employed seauen hundred thousand crownes in erecting an Alter to Iupiter Hammon vpon the coast of Accium Cleopatra redeemed fiue thousand Romaines for two millions of golde and thirty crownes which shee in a perpetuall Aprill of theyr tyme. Diana gaue chastity diligence and honest care of housholde affayres So that but for the liberality of these before named the Gods had had no Altars and men had bin depriued of all vnderstanding Iuno placed Hercules among the Gods number Pallas Vlisses Venus Aeneas Thetis Achilles Diana Hippolitus Vesta Romulus Isis Pompilius Calipso was so liberall notwithstanding the ingratitude of Vlisses as she would haue made him immortall which he refused

guardians crueltie I meane to bend Euen by those beautious lookes which her defend That way to make them mylde and debonaire No more to fright me from so sweete a faire Then on the house Ile raine a shower of golde To glut their eyes while Loue makes mee more bolde When Juno would haue borrowed a fauour of Aeolus shee esteemed no recompence woorthy of such grace but the offer of one of her Nimphes where to the God so well lent his eare as he effected that which before hee would by no means yeeld to promise will not admit thee to mollifie theyr furies witnesse that which Linus saith Men of their furie would be much ashamde And their behauiour mightily be blamde Did they but see the wood Nimphes golden life So sweete so pleasing and so voide of strife Pharaohs daughter had more goodnesse in her then all the Egiptians beside could be stoard with malice shee was more kinde and affable then her father was rigorous let mee not saye cruell for that great Captaine and lawe deliuerer Moyses did shee saue from shipwrack yea the gulfe of death auouching him for her owne sonne in a time most dangerous so that it may vnder reuerence be said it pleased God to make her doo him seruice as well as Moyses in such a neede and all for the deliuerance of his people Heredotus the father of histories be it spoake in no dispraise to Plutarch makes rehearsall of a Spartane woman who let scape a prisoner from her house that had in earnest smitten her and because her husband should not kill him for it she saued his life by sending him to Thebes Yee shall hardlie finde the like qualitie in men by nature addicted to crueltie and more enclined to offend their friends then pardon any that haue doone them iniurie Homer maketh mention of Pallas who quallified the rage of the fierie God of warre that but for her would haue made a generall destruction when he vnderstood the death of his sonne The fugitiue Aeneas might long enough haue wanted humaine succour yea lyfe and all had vtterlye miscaryed if as a helpe vnexpected hee had not happened to the good Queene Dydo where he found a blessed hauen after so many mishaps and much better was entertained then his base trecherie deserued Thrasilla saued Phorybus who scaled her house to rob her treasurie and as the neighbours would haue slaine him she said Let him alone he is but a foole and hath doone no harme but to my windowe nayles Hersilia seeing Melanthus in the Temple at Delphos and that hee would haue stolne a Crowne thence which Perseus had caused there to bee sacred excused him to the Preestes who had likewise perceiued him telling them that he was a Goldsmith of Athens and her husbands hoste who came not thither with any ill intent but onlye had a curious desire after workemanshipe which she allwayes had knowne him addicted vnto All the frenche had miscaried at the Scicilian Vespres except such as saued themselues in Sperlinga but that they were aduertised by a Nursse who serued the Podesta of the Ile whereon was written Sperlinga only shall not burne Else all the Isle to hauocke turne And else where A pittying Nurse did many French preserue That in Sperlinga sundry monthes did serue When the Thebanes recouered their libertie from them of Sparta and that the tirannie of Charondas was vtterly extinguished the women of Thebes preuayled so well with the two Captaines Pelopidas and Epaminondas iustly displeased against them of Lacedemon as there were but very few put to the swoord albeit they had beene so iniuriouslye handled as the remembraunce thereof could not but bee irkesome to them and bloudy reuenge no more then lawfull When Prometheus stole the fire from heauen and Jupiter bound him to the mount Caucasus where a vulture glutted her selfe continually on his entrayles the Goddesse Iris rayned downe a shower of Nectar on this ouer-hardy mans brest till Hercules at length became his deliuerer by Iunos appointment who grew into pittie of his hard extremitie notwithstanding at one instant he had committed two mightie offences the one by his great ingratitude to Jupiter the other by his execrable theft according to that which Aeschilus saith None more ingracefull then Prometheus was Who from the high and vaulty house of heauen Stole holy fire and thence away would passe Hauing had gentle entertainement giuen By all the greatest Gods in seemely sorte Yea Iupiter receiu'd him in his Courte Theoderita the wife to John Paleologus seeing that her husband would needes haue fiue slaues hanged for a small offence and that shee durst not beg theyr liues because he was so furious gaue a summe of money to a Countie their keeper who fled awaye with them and were afterward neuer heard of On the daye of Saint Bartholmew when the French shew themselues the most barbarous that can be imagined there was a good and hardie woman neere to whom a man had withdrawne himselfe as if it had been to a sanctuarie of assurance from the rage of those bruite beasts who forciblie followed him she caught a dizeuier by the coller and would not let him goe albeit shee were halde and puld by the garments vntill she iudged the man pursued to bee in sound safetie as indeed by her means it came so to passe If such a notable deede might not too much displease the conditions of men especiallye the French executioners of their owne fellow Cittizens I would bring such a rancke among them that I could name as strange histories should haue cause to complaine that their subiects giue them not leaue once to rehearse matter so memorable Sophronia returning from Church and seeing two young men come led as prisoners laden with garments which they had stolne from her house when shee was tolde by the officers they had robde her of all and left iust nothing shee answered That what they had doone was by her own consent and they tooke these things but as a pledge of a certaine summe of money which in her necessitie she had borrowed of them and so they had no other punishment then feare onely Hee that would take vppon him to number the starres should not finde himselfe so confounded by their infinitie in his sight as I am dazeled with multiplicitie of matter deliuered only vppon this subiect which going beyond admiration astonisheth my sences rauisheth my spirits wearies my hand and by wearinesse dispossesseth mee of all hope to get out of this boundlesse Oceane but that the verie goodnesse it selfe of this matter I handle supplyes my defects as contented with a little in so vnable a person I haue saide sufficient concerning the happy qualities of women which to speake truely triumpheth ouer men in all cheefe glory of perfections that can be affoorded by heauen and nature who ordinarily makes her selfe more admired in the feminine sexe then any subiect else whatsoeuer neuerthelesse me thinkes I am iustly to condemne my selfe in

likewise Pindarus in this Ode The Sea aboue all elements Hath the cheefest ornaments Euen as golde dooth lustre bright Like to a sacred flame in sight And shines more faire then all mettalls Dispersed in the mineralles Now as women are much more moyste then men so in like manner may we discerne in them that frenzies and furiousnes is not so familiar with them as men in regarde they will neuer runne madde for loue or any other worldly desire Whereas men from time to time make themselues as in a publique Theater the subiect of very tragicall follies such as the like can scant be imagined yet customablie vsed in assemblie of their friends agreeing with the oppinion of the Poet Antimachus The Cadmeane cittie brought foorth crueltie Those Germaine twins pale Death and Enuie Which more inhumaine then an angrie Beare Depriuing life leaues yet a world of feare I will begin by state affaires to approoue alleadging thereto sufficient witnesses that the vertue feminine hath bin of greater efficacie then men not onely in this subiect but any other whatsoeuer especially the matter heer alleaged for it consisteth much more of debating cases and the facultie imaginatiue which indeed are the happiest functions of the soule then any other desseignes that we can deale withall And so dooth Xenophon testifie that the partie which is apte for the managing of publique occasions whereon many welfares consist euen infinite as it were is endued with some perticuler gift of nature or blessed from the heauens beyond many other All the great Monarchies were instituted by the councell of women Sbithea Sister to Nimrod enstructed him in the course of gouernement according as Manethon reporteth Presigithes a Sheepheardesse did the like to Cyrus Dydo first founded the common wealth of Carthage Semiramis reserued the Empire to her Sonne albeit hee was thereof vncapable and Fauna brought together the people of Italie dispersed heere and there before she went to Cassino in Cassina for agreeing of the one with the other as it is recorded in certaine fragments of the Poet Ennius Fauna the Goddesse Vestaes woman preest First taught the Latines ciuill gouernement And whē in fields they wandred where they list She brought them into Citties regiment Tomyris Queene of the Scithians appointing to them the lawes of Anacharsis the Philosopher assured them to be more holy and better then those of the Athenians She restored her Empire being halfe brused by the Souldiours of Ariartsanes the Captaine and the death of her own Sonne who suffered himselfe to be fondly surprized and afterward cruelly slaine notwithstanding she valiantly triumphed ouer Cyrus the vniuersall Monarche of the East Penthesilea knowing that it would be hard to squander the Greekes in Hellespont by reason of their multitude beeing well neere numberlesse attended them on the frontiers of Misia and there ouerthrew Hippoclus conducter of the back bandes of all the Grecian people Hippolita dissipated the troupes of great Theseus dismounting himselfe in the fight yet afterward on meere grace made him her husband The Siracusan women were cause of their Citties preseruation beeing before abandoned by their husbands whence arose the prouerbe of Venus armed as Menander describeth in one of his Comedies Let none himselfe so much abuse As offer to take Syracuse For women haue it in respect And Venus dooth them safe protect Good were it then the God of warre Should lend to her his Cemiter Cyrus vanquished by the common flight of his Souldiours and his owne proper faulte thus deliuered the victorie to his enemie by this only exhortation that they but came to fight with women The Romaines surprized by the Sabines and other people neere neighbours to them were warrented from death and vtter destruction of their Cittie by the meanes of women who knew how to quenche the anger iustly enflamed in their fathers against their husbands Parysatis daughter to Cyrus and mother to Artaxerxes was so well enstructed in the state affayres as shee made Asia tryumphe of the Greekes liberty compassing by her gouernement the losse of all the allyed common weale and stealing by her gifts the most liberall courages of her Empires enemies which was in shew ruled by her son but in verye deede maintained by her selfe The mother of Coriolanus saued the citty of Rome euen from the cradle to her glorious height vsing so manie great maximes of and for the state to her sonne being then the citties enemie as all the Xenophons Tacitusses Machiauels yea whatsoeuer Councellers to the Princes of Europe may iustly learne example by those noble resolutions and admit them amongst the very cheefest desseignes Cloelia gaue freedome to sixe score young men of her Cittie by admiration of her fayre enterprise couragiously effected which made Ennius the Poet thus write thereof What vertue male may with thy woorth cōtend Can men h●pe any way to doe as much By their best meanes Alas tis to no end In like affaires their haps were never such And elsewhere Young Romaines feeble are your mindes Your glorie of the least esteeme When Cloelia passage for you findes And must with honor you redeeme Rhea knew so well to temper the prodigious crueltie and tyrannie of Saturne who not onely would disinherit her sonnes but deuoure them to asswage his more then brutish hunger that as Orpheus rehearseth in his Songs Iupiter from blame had not been free If Rheas prudence had not been of might To sheeld him from the spightfull iealosie Her tyrant husband vsde both day and night Vesta deliuered the Hetrurians from the besiegings of Alsichoris Medea made victorious Iason conquer the golden Isles and defended the Argonautes from straunge ambuscadoes which were preparde for them in the Isle of Colchos A●alanta knew how to enfranchise the Curetes from their ordinarie tributes to the Princes of Achaia euen till the day she triumphed ouer them in the race Debora Iudith and Hester wrought meruailes for conseruation of their people euen to the enterprise of so high actions as the issue of them could not be apprehended their beginnings were so dreadfull their effects beyond comparison and their vertue bounded within no equalitie to the confusion of men amazement of the Gods and perpetuall memorie of the feminine sexe Thus much for state affaires although this is not the hundreth part of that I could produce to maintaine this subiect which might be handled by Angels and sufficient for my sences to stand and woonder at Yet haue I heere made no mention of the Amazones in generall nor of the Cipriotes nor of the Sydonians and many other sundry countries who both in common perticuler haue gotten so much glory by armies of womē as mē durst hope no otherwise but in the meere fables they haue written of thēselues boasting of victories gottē ouer their equalles and one while against Lions then Beares and some Tygers with other of like strength and violence wherein women haue done as much or rather more then they They were wont to tryumph ouer

worthye enough to dignifie his vertues which in greatnesse did exceede hys Empyre The history of Tenora taken prisoner in the Citty of Modon and enfranchised for her constancy best knowen to Bascha Ariaden who gladly would haue marryed her might heere bee auouched to the great scandale of men and perpetuall honour of the female sexe but in regard of the l●ngth let me referre yee to I●●●obaldus of Corfue a most sound and faythfull expresser thereof The height of courage in three Spaniardes who offered theyr chaste brestes to their miserable father constrayned to graunt them so vnpleasing an execution for shielding them from the shamefull seruitude prepared for them is of such efficacy as men for preseruation of theyr renowne had neuer the heart to endure so extreame a remedy For reading of which excellent discourse I must leaue yee to Nicholas de Nicholai hys voyage of Constantinople in the historye of the seidge of Trypoly I haue very much wherewith to enlarge my labour as the maruaylous constancy of Ioan the Pucel whose life the Englishmen had gladly saued if she would simply haue said that shee was holpen by charmes extraordinarie meanes and supernaturall power in execution of her perillous enterprises but she preferred her honor before life yeelding her conscience to tormenters and her tormenters to leasings as louing rather to suffer a bodilie hell then making hellish the freedome of her owne courage in a purpose not beseeming the greatnesse of her deeds nor the true oppinion iustlie conceiued of her behauiour the principall organs of her valour which made Fraunce more famous then euer it had beene before yea more then at this daye it hath attainde vnto For though shee bee now troubled with some foure or fiue Spaniards in her liuer vaine yet she then drew a million of Englishmen out of her entrailes I will not goe seeke out an Arbecha on Danubie nor Gertrude on the Rheine nor Flotensa on Tanais seeing the histories of the North haue no other honor then onely of the subiect drawen from their constancies Lesse cause shal I haue to produce Polixena whose death made the life of the Grecians infamous and theyr victory insolent euen the vtter ouerthrow of all their renowne The constancy of Antigone described by Antimachus and Euripides is of such merite as all men together cannot boast of any thing to come neere it her piety is of such commendation as the most religious of our Aheistical age haue iust cause to complaine that christianity as yet neuer conceiued the like The constant patience of Grisilda written by Frederick of Ast the Pied-montese is vneuitable and almost exceeding beleefe in our weake soules so little inured to sufferancy That of Virginia Portia and Sophonisba the ornament of Affricke terror of Roome is so great as shee could endure more then arte is able to describe Oh cowardly men what shal become of ye or rather what are you among so many gallant women that haue abid the violent assaults of death euen of death vndeserued and much lesse expected you are no way firme but in lookes constant but in words dreadlesse but in security without corruptiō but in feare to be made knowen to others Better is it for you goe learne to spin thē to prefer your selues before women as your graund Hercules came capable of that occupation by the enstruction of his Mistresse Dianeira Sampson was glad to reele hy his Dalila Achilles sowed by his Brisis king Demetrius did the like by his Latmia Hesiodus acknowledged this imperfection in men of his time saying You that are Natures infamy And to your sexe doe iniury Shewing your selues imperfect men By actions not beseeming men One sits and by his Mistresse sowes Another like a Goddesse goes Other missled by iealousie Must weare his garments to his knee Yet all makes vaunts of Fortunes blisse When she most wretched to them is My paper is vnworthy to beare my p●n in ●escribing my immaginations 〈◊〉 the high merit of holy Virgins what contempt and disdaine they made of the most barbarous cruelties that could be inuented by the enemies of the Christian faith for defence wherof they haue bin deliuered ouer to the feareful rage of persecuters who haue beene more weary of tormenting them then they any iot dismaided at the seuerall sorts of violence inflicted on their bodies by nature soft and tender and more worthy to be admired then so bloodyly murdred Like matter could neuer men set downe of themselues albeit themselues were Authours of the legends for theyr martirologe containes so few of them making comparison with that of women as the very wisest tearme theyrs but a meere vanity dispearsed among the veritie of the Saintes sufferings The Church it selfe is resembled to a woman without spot or blemish such as Salomon describes the Princesse of Aegypt a figure of the Church In the new Testament yee may note the three Maries and the Chananean who were so constant in their holy resolutions as the blessed spirit being speaker of the sacred history hath left them a spectacle to all posterities The mother of the seauen Martires wherof description is made in the Machabees deliuered such witnesse of her truely tearmd celestiall confidence as that onely acte might beautifie the history of vertuous women more then men can gleane glory from the constant resolution of Abraham Moyses or Iob all which deserue not the tytle of constant because a little detection did in some sort touch them As first to begin with Abraham for a leasing who said that his wife was his Sister only for a little feare of death much more suspected then any way prepared Next for distrust as whē Moyses said to the Lord Howe may it be that I should present my selfe before Pharoah seeing J can hardly abstaine from stammering Js it possible that I should deliuer this message Then for murmuring as Job who stood expostulating with the eternall Which minde neuer came neere the Virgin of Virgins for she said I am the seruant of the Lord be it vnto mee according to his word Abraham Moises and Iob were but weake in resolution if one should compare them with that vertuous woman mother to these 7. Martires who suffered as many paines as she saw diuersity of torments applied to ruinate and ouerthrow the constancy of her Sons yea she did sollace her selfe in such sort among the rigours of theyr martirdome with such behauiour and speeches in contempt of death and assurance of better condition in the life succeeding as they all were euen sorry they could dye but once In sooth I must needs say that the very greatest matter among mē neither is or can be but the remainder ouerplus of this one womans glory who practised the same in her self which she had taught to her Sons for she dyed so constantly that Antiochus the very abhomination of Kings became enraged as it were to see a simple woman mocke him and all his angry threatnings no way able to

liberties This foolish courage women doe despise And by their teares expresse themselues more wise Andromache the wife of Hector was endued with such goodnes as her seruantes were in her house as in a Temple yea shee tooke care and paines for managing her husbandes horses he himselfe neuer hauing so much courage as she had vertues I may referre thee for further proofe heereof to Homere where the Lackies of Paris tearmes her a Pithagorician for this cause It is strange to heare how some bawle against this text for they talke of Metempsichosis which we call transauimation the passage of soules from one body to another and then will not sticke withall to sweare that the Authour heereby meaneth some deceipt but heerein they resemble little chyldren who imagine belles to sound all that they sing Iulia Censorina hauing heard that sentence of death was pronounced against her husband disguised him so sodainely as the Iaylor imagined him to be her so she remained prisoner in his habite while he escaped with safety of life They threatned her with torments to reueale where he was but she replyed neuer make spare of mee for I haue done no more then a woman ought to doe There is no true historian that euer did set downe like example of a man I knowe very well that some will obiecte vnto mee howe Diuine Orpheus descended into hell there to demaund his fayre wife of Pluto but if hee did so it was more because hee coulde not liue without her then for any especiall goodnesse remaining in himselfe considering hee was a perpetuall enemy to women Likewise hee behaued himselfe so ill if Aeschilus say true As he encurd the high disgrace Of all the beauteous dames of Thrace And being thus dishonoured Lost first his harpe and then his head I would not aduise men to shed any teares for him because happily they haue too few for themselues The generall historie of nations tells vs that an infinite number of good women vowed themselues to their husbands graues as not desiring any longer life after them Wise Salomon hath figured forth a good woman to vs and though she come short of many especiall qualities due to such perfection yet hath hee described in her more excellent matters then can bee in a man whom he esteemeth not capable of any praise For saith he A good woman is an inestimable treasure In this Song of Songs he sings nothing els then of the vertuous woman Plato held that shee is no lesse to bee desired in a familye then a iust Magistrate in a common wealth this made them paynt Venus standing on a Tortuse to shew that a woman ought necessarilye to keepe at home Possidonius nameth a woman the eye of necessity meaning thereby that her fore-sight being as a Sun of grace a house is waste and desolate without her beames and men can neuer clearely see into their houshold affayres but onely by the warie eye of theyr wiues There is such superaboundaunce of goodnesse in women as wee may grieue to see them deceiued by the bolde mallice of men who make no reckoning at all of theyr treasons and treacheries for while they weep like Crocadiles they will sweare by Heauen and Earth that theyr affections are loyall their words faithfull their behaui●● 〈…〉 yet for all this in 〈…〉 they are 〈…〉 the Hiena 〈…〉 ●●en vipers more inconstant men the Polipe fish more 〈◊〉 men Tigers and lesse worthie loue then Hornets Aristophanes shall take my part although he was an Athenian to wit gadding minded and vncertaine lyke many other of his companions To seduce faire women kinde Pretending loyaltie of minde And yet not loue but for a while Or else for base desire of gaine A greefe that many may complaine When plaine apparance shewes the guyle It is a most vnwoorthy parte Farre different from the high desert That to women dooth belong Who being debounaire and milde Neuer thinke men to be so vilde As to requite them with such wrong If yee will haue some of this good stuffe out of mens storehouse looke then on detestable and vngratefull Theseus on Paris the lyer and periurde wretch on inconstant Hercules and disloyall Iason who all most falselye deceiued their friends after they had triumphed by their meanes and credit I will not say on their honors for these men none woorse that euer were could not any way wound the happie and laudable reputation of these their faire fosterers and dearest friends which made them indeed more enemyes to themselues then they could be to the renowne of these Ladyes whose vertues may perhaps bee toucht with some slaunder but their innocent natures stand free from iniurie and their good cariage from all base suspition Yet let vs consider heerewithall that a woman can haue no greater enemy then a man who is like vnto a rauenous Lyon continuallye seeking to deuoure new spoyle Oh sexe abhominable thou art too much affected to thy selfe to knowe rightly indeede howe to vse women kinde especially in these dayes wherein as saith the Italian Poet. Th'abortiues of this cittie in a flame Do at their countries woes but make a game And an other A Coridon a Coridon gapes after gaine And nothing pleaseth him but womens paine Not many moneths since a Gascoigne Gentleman became amorous of a young and vertuous maiden and raisde vp such a scandale to mens reputation who spare not to fault in the lyke offence as enforceth mee to set downe the historie not so much to make them the more infamous as to make knowne the iust vengeance which this honest Virgin tooke on the ingratitude of her feygned and dissembling friend He after a million of pursuites fild full of seruices complaines teares and promises yet not able to compasse his vnlawfull desires forgot him selfe so farre as to publish abroade with no sillie protestations that hee was not meanely interested into the Maidens best fauours She hauing no other supporte for her innocencie then the true witnesse of her soule vnattainted and free from so vile an infamie raisde vp her spirits with such rightfull disdaine against the vniust rauisher of her reputation as she spared not to kill him in the middest of a verye honourable assembly where she waited long for the effecting of such a woorthy enterprise which vnder correction of better iudgement in my minde deserued rather pardon and recompence then any ill reproche scandale or punishment For Pacience importun'de dooth conuert to hate And who so quitteth not an offered blame Waites but a second blemish of his name Neuerthelesse in the Parlement at Burdeaux shee was condemned to loose her head men did so earnestlye pursue the cause But after their rigour became somewhat more moderate shee was confyned vnto perpetuall prison wherout I would very willinglie deliuer her if I could conuert my selfe into a shower of golde as sometime did the Sonne of Saturne If Loue deny to open me the gate By other meanes I will get in thereat Her

takes originall From seede of quite contrary kinde To that it should agree withall When it planting first did finde I may well-say with a million of our elders that there is sixe and thirty seuerall beauties in one woman and hardly any one in a man for he is the true anotomy of natures imperfection yea the very Image of her weaknesse as a woman may iustly tearme her selfe the perfecte mirrour of her vertues whereof Plutarch was not ignorant when he said If nature wish her selfe to see A woman then her glasse may be Propertius was of the same opinion Is women not a miracle Her voice a perfect oracle Nay is she not a deity By beauty of such maiesty Men being naturally composed of all corruption take no delight but in dessimulation The reason is because Loue and Venus withdrawing once from mens assembly knowing the mallice which dayly frequented them left them euen so to their fraudulent complexions and gaue them the gift to be singuler in deceiuing The report of Anacreon testifies as much Beholde the Dolphins how they play And on their siluer finnes conuey Loue and Venus naked both To shield them from the great vntroth Of men most flattering and vntrue Let still deceite false hearts pursue Although a woman were indued with any other perfection then being beautifull or admit she had but this ornament only yet that alone may exalt her aboue all men who neither are faire well fauoured or good nor indeed to speake the truth can they any way be capable of apprehending these qualities they are in such plenty bestowed vpon women The holy scripture holds womanhood in such account as it teacheth vs that nothing can sooner put sadnesse from afflicted mindes then the sight of a good woman euen as one should say for a celestiall remedy because a husband can indeede haue greater comfort in his cares The Prophet Dauid euen in the coldest winter of his age hoped for such consolation by beautie as he made choise thereof and age indeed can haue no better corasiue Timeus Sticillianus rehearseth a maruailous historie of a Shepheardesse of Affrica who in the daies chiefest heate casting off her garmentes that shee might bath in the riuer well shadowed from the Sunne a Lyon comming that way for the space of three houres stood gazing vpon her and seemed as surprized with exceeding contentment The poore Virgin was in wonderfull feare and durst not come to her cloathes least the Lyon should deuour her but growing to better courage in the end hearing the noyse of certaine Cammell driuers not farre off betooke her selfe to flight naked as she was not taking so much as her smocke with her which the Lyon getting vp in his teeth folowed withal and laid it mildely at her feet fetching afterward all her other garments and then as making a signe of obeysance left her and returned among the woodes to her no little ioy finding such seruice in so vnaccustomed a louer Admetus wife was of such admirable beauty as the Swannes of Meander would leaue the riuer to follow her and pearch many times vpon her shoulders A matter very strange the like neuer hapning to any man whatsoeuer as also the inconuenience of her death onely for deliueraunce of her husband hath more note of honour piety and meritte then all the men in the world can brag of any vertue in those thinges which moste may make for their aduantage For shee sacrificed her selfe willingly to redeeme her hasbandes life which lessened euery day by mortall langour of an vlcer that poured foorth more loathsome and filthy stench then Augeus stable clensed by Hercules could compare withall All which notwithstanding he no sooner slept but shee suckt foorth the venome paying the ransome for him who could not else liue but by losse of her life Cambles the Prince of Sardys being one day drunke would needes kill his housholde seruants and proceeding so farre in this rude determination as hee had compassed the issue of his mercilesse rage eyther by fire swoord or some other meanes But beautifull Soclea being so faire as any woman possible could bee presented her selfe before him and sweetly taking him by the hand made him on a sodaine become so tractable and not onely he desisted from further assayling them but forgot likewise that hee had beene in any such fury submitting himself mildely and gently to her both being thus recouered of his drunkennes and fury Womens beauty then is aboue all else most maruellous It is the excellencie of the Diuine workemanship or rather the chiefest thing of his heauenly labour It is the modell not onely of thinges that beautifie the world but the very especiall of all formes It is the table of rhe celestiall powers the gadge of natures alliance with the world and the onelie mirrour of perfect Ideaes briefly it is that which I cannot worthily enough admire and therefore am the more vnable to describe The man that will enter but into consideration thereof shall in that one book read all perfections whatsoeuer and censuring of them by this little or rather no part thereof at all will vnfainedly confesse that the body of a woman is a true Temple and her soule the very image of God or figure of his blessing He will say himselfe is made but of slime and dung whereas woman was formed of a matter otherwise prepared finished in a happy and wel ordered substance with all qualities beseeming a most perfect creation Hee will like wise confesse that woman was giuen him for his eternall good and the house is not blessed where she wanteth By her is this huge masse subsisted cōmon weales made immortal citties peopled Realmes strengthened Kings assured and subiects maintained By her it is that we liue againe in our children posterity haue knowledge of vs and our memory is continued It is by her that we remember our houses and respect our families By her wee learne to growe heedfull she makes vs quick and ready she ripens our lawfull actions and drawes vs from the world to liue in her company as in a schoole of pietie modestie and iust apprehension of following accidents wherein else we should but little differ from bruite beasts It was shee that had her birthe in the terrestriall Paradise and not man Last of all she is our meanes of comfort to God the Father the cause of his blessings to vs in this life and by her we are made sure of all happinesse in the life to come FINIS An other defence of womens vertues written by an Honorable personage of great reckoning in Fraunce and therefore thought meete to be ioyned with the former discourse That a VVomans excellence is much greater then a mans MAny things brought foorth by Nature are oft times made but slender account of through want of diligent knowledge as also searche into the excellencie of them which being a matter vulgare and common caryeth the lesse price and estimation with euery one Omitting other circumstances