peraduenture maye rule suche rage and counsayle ouercome suche youthfull fansies But from thence escaping the daunger of Scilla hée is nowe throwne headlong vppon the dreadfull rockes of Charibdis he is growne from youth to manhoode naye rather he is come from ioye to greife from pleasure to paine and from myrth to mischiefe before the wanton desires of youthe molested him but nowe the wilfull déedes of manhoode doe dayly assaulte him before the pleasure of luste enticed him to follye but nowe the rage of wrathe can prouoke him to mischiefe Lastly he was then rauished with the ioyes of heauen but nowe he is haunted with furies of Hell. For in in this age he is chiefely subiect to pride vexed with wrath and puft or rather poysoned with ambitiō Againe when the naturall heate of lustie youthfull blonde by diminiyshing séemes to moderate suche outragious furies to qualitie suche affections and to asswage all suche wylfull desyres Euen then commes the Image of deathe I meane olde age so crooked so lame so deformed so lothsome fraught with such care and ouerladē with such infirmities that a man would wishe rather nowe to dye liuing than to lyue longer in such a plight pyning for besides all these plagues and tedious annoyes it is most commonly accompanyed with suche a diuelishe companion that fainteth hys weake bodie for want of sustenaunce disquieteth his testie minde for lacke of reste and in the end like and euil guide that leads a blinde man into the ditche it closeth vp his eyes in endlesse sorrowes and most miserable calamities And this is the same couetousnesse which hath bin euer accounted the roote of all mischiefes So that wée sée by the whole course of humain life that a manne is the chiefest enemye vnto himselfe And oftentimes it commeth to passe that where a man soweth pleasure he reapeth paine where he pretendeth loue he findeth hate and wherein he séemes to offende others least he priuilye hurteth himself most And this is manifestly proued by the example of Self loue and surquedry A swéete vice and deceiteful affection is that fansie which the Philosophers haue called Philautia and so naturall a disease in déed that neyther Prince nor Péere highe nor lowe rich nor poore wise nor foolish weak nor strong faire nor deformed no not the learned Philosophers themselues were all able to withstand And me thinkes I heare Nature thus reasoning with my selfe Is it possible for a man to liue that loues not himselfe best but that is contrarie to my lawes which haue giuen to euerye one an especial charge and prouident care to nourish himselfe and that thou mayst easilye perceyue this to be true beholde I gaue thée eares to heare eyes to sée tongue to speake reason to vnderstande féete to goe handes to féede and defend thy self and generally care to maintayne the good estate of life These things are graūted by kind and canst thou vndkindlye séeke to abuse them more to the profit of others than to thine own benefit no not if thou wouldest for I can compell thée to the contrarie but thou takest more delight in the beautie of another I graunt so thy neyghbours field is more fruitful and his cattell beare more bountifull vdders and what fares she the worse for that whiche féedes ofte vpon the same and thinkes hir owne birdes fayrest So can I sée them wéepe when I laughe mourne when I reioice sicke when I am whole poore when I am riche naked when I am clothed imprisoned when I am frée and harbourlesse when I am housed and wherein can this be hurteful vnto me whiche féele not an other mans griefe knowe not his wante nor beare not his passion but what if I did shoulde I supporte hys néede and waste mine owne wealth that were folly shoulde I sette hym frée to lose mine owne libertie that were more vaine and generally shoulde I succoure him relieue and cure his disease to hinder me to grieue me and increase mine own maladies that were euen little better than madnesse No I am nearest vnto my selfe and therefore no man can iustly blame me to prefer mine owne safetie before the commodities of an other and I may perhaps commend him wel and like hir bette but I will euer loue my selfe beste To these obiections of nature or rather false perswasions of Diuellishe disposition reason doeth modestlye replye by the aucthoritye of trueth in this manner Howe long wilte thou abuse the patience of diuine power Oh thou frowarde and peruerse humaine Nature how long shall thy proude lookes prouoke the dreadefull wrath of the heauens canst thou safely chalenge the name title of a goddesse and yet still practise to rebell againste the Lawes and ordinaunces of the Goddes or wilte thou looke to be called the mother of mankinde and wilt not submit thy selfe to the rules of reason doth not the dreadfull iudgement of the one feare thée from sinne nor the friendly perswasions of the other moue to imbrace vertue But consider what thou art of thy selfe yet at the length I beséeche thée haste thou anye strength substaunce beautie reason or vnderstandyng whyche is not giuen thée from aboue A naked life in déede we receiue at thy handes and what auayleth that vnto vs without good conditions nay were it not better to be vnfed than vntaught and neuer borne than broughte vp to destruction Thou vauntest of life but canst thou make vs frée from deathe thou talkest of beautie but cāst thou teach vs to auoyde the smart of luste thou braggest of strength but canst thou warrant vs to w stand sicknesse no nor any meanes thou canst sée to make vs thy childrē happie For as he is not called fortunat which is poore and deformed so they are not accompted happye which are onely rich and beautifull But thou wilt saye perhappes that Nature is desirous of knowledge whiche is the grounde worke and foundation of Wisdome And it is true that a man is naturally inclined to the practise of skill and experience of cunning For in his youth hée voluntarilye learneth to speake then he practiseth to dispute and perswade hée learneth to delighte with soundes hée is taught to number anye summes hée measureth the grounde by proportions and ruleth the stars with vnderstanding And what profiteth a man to compasse al the worlde by witte and destroy himselfe for want of wisdome for as life without learning is vnpleasant so learning without Wisdome is vnprofitable To what ende serued the déepe knowledge of Aristotle whiche vertuously instructed others and yet desperately shortned hys owne life what aualyed the profounde skil of Archimedes whiche loste his Citie besiedged by Marcellus and was himselfe then drawing out of circles by a messenger sodainely put to death And what gained Plato by his learning whiche was shamfully reproued of ambition likewise of the rest Narcissus was faire and beautifull but his vnhappye fauour was the cause of his destruction and lastly Hercules and Sampson were strong but not
are vncertayne yet the dysprofites are infinite And first touchyng the Fame and creadyte of a man whyche amongest the vertuous is estéemed equall wyth lyfe It is a verye harde matter inordinatly to followe the deceyptfull practise of this coosenyng skyll or skilfull coosenage without the shamefull marke of reproche or badge of open infamye For besides that many times hée is constrayned to disappoynt hys especiall good friendes of sundrye dayes of paiment he shall be forced to make suche shiftes of descant and hard supplies to vnderprop and bolster his base estate that at the yeares ende he shal be driuen to fly not for feare of his enemyes but least hée be pursued of his best friendes and to shroud hym selfe in corners farre from the sight of the scornefull And is it not a scornfull thyng in déede that the absence of friendes shoulde be desired and not their moste comfortable presence embraced O moste miserable estate where friendes are feared and enemyes nothyng mystrusted And howe farre from punyshement can hée be whose countenaunce bewraieth hym selfe guiltie how farre from iudgement whose cōscience accuseth him and how frée from imprisonmēt can he be which is in euery mās debt danger And thus is the fame good name of euerye man no sooner in question than when he is knowen to be a common gamester Then then folowes the riotous effusion of hys goodes and landes whiche is euen as lamentable None otherwise than as in the shipwracke of a common wealth or cruel spoile of a whole coūtry where all things come to a most miserable and ruinous decay euen so with these men downe with woodes downe with auncient buildyngs downe with stately Towers downe with Princely halles And if it were in theyr power or possession whole stréetes Temples townes Cities and all should goe downe euen flatte to the grounde Why should Pate be vnpauned and the owner lyke to be imprisoned Why should lands lye vnsolde and the Lorde lacke his libertie A course exchaunge of Plate for penurie and a shreude losse of landes and libertie But will ye knowe why Castles and Towers Cities and townes halles and houses landes goodes trées and all goe to wracke Surely bicause the Lorde is an vnthrift And why be there nowe suche intrusions why suche wrongfull possessors why be rentes rackt without offence why be tenaunts punisht without cause why such pounding why suche pylling why such strayning such deteyning such driuyng such vnlawfull thryuing such catching suche snatching suche coosoning with quicke spéede and suche falshood nowe adayes in worde and déede mary sir bycause the Lord himselfe hath néede Oh lucklesse Lorde with suche calamities molested and alas poore Tenaunts with such a thriftlesse landlord oppressed were it not farre better to be the Tenaunt of libertie than Landlorde of thrall the seruaunte of thrift than to be called Matter Makeshift and the scholler of Wisdome than the slaue of Folly Is it not vaine to followe suche a thriftlesse vaine that brings manye a welthy man to the Wallet or is it not absurde for childishe pastimes to forsake so many goodly commodities or to be ledde by fond affections of youth and léese the liberties of life For besides these greate losses of lande and liuing perhappes in the ende he looseth and destroyeth himselfe what with reare banquets and more tothesome thā holesome iunkets what with vntimely féeding and insatiable quaffing long stāding vnholesome sitting night walkyng and inordinate watching he so muche distempereth himselfe that of a most cleare complexion and healthfull bodie he wyll in shorte space be chaunged into a pale ghoste haunted with greate sicknesse and poysoned with lothsome foule diseases This causeth the colde reumes ascending vppe into his carelesse heade to impaire the noble gifte of memorie this dryueth downe the painefull goute into his féete which griefe almost incurable depriues him of libertie and this likewise bréedes the lothsome dropsie than the which nothing is more pernicious and to be shorte what other foule diseases or any grieuous maladies doeth not this disorder bréede nourish and maintaine but yet they wyl say what sir are we not yong and lustie and whye shoulde we then feare suche annoyaunce as is more commonly subiect vnto age doth the nicenesse of women become vs or shoulde we be curious in diet like vnto Ladies no it hardneth vs to watche and faste againste we beare armour in the fielde nay but by your leaue vsing suche intemperance and disorder you may chāce sooner to become a criple at Sainte Barthelmewes in the spittle than a souldiour with Saint George in the fielde neyther is it womanly softnesse to auoyd sicknesse nor wanton diet to séeke the meanes to preserue health But it is plaine follye to shorten the life by disorder whiche by temperance and modestie might better be cherished and maintayned From hence commes likewise such swearing such blaspheming such fretting such fuming such brawling suche blading that oftentimes their solace is turned into sin their gaine into griefe and their pastimes into mischiefe But oh ye witlesse folke or wilfull youth howe long shall these selfe-wrongs oppresse you howe long wil you forsake true libertie and séeke to be coupled in the straight yoake of bondage for it is not fréedome to bée licentious nor libertye to lyue Idle if you loue sporte is it not thereby to delight but howe can that be pleasaunt that is hurtefull if thou séeke pleasure is it not profitable vnto life and why doe you then runne headlong vnto mischiefe but rather learne of Nature that life is moste swéet and remember the Poet Palengenius that saith death cā by no meanes come too late But to late cōmes had I wist walking in solitarie places shunning the companie of his familiars and reasoning wyth himselfe like a man distraught out of hys sēses with what a wretch am I that haue thus rigorously wasted my goods impayred my good health and hardly escaped the foule daunger and losse of life why dyd I not erste restraine suche fansies and why do I not yet follow the perswasions of good counsayl but alas late witte and vnfruitfull Wisdome are the nexte neyghbours vnto folly And perhappes while he is thus layde on his carefull bedde complayning to himselfe of his losse the rest of his play-fellowes haue friendly diuided the spoyle and by this time huffing scoffing and quarelling in streates amongst the rest of their ruffianly companions Is this a life or rather death nay not so good for death is the only ende of suche mischiefe then is it a most wretched life that is neuer frée from troubles Therfore as the exercise of Chiualrye is profitable to the common wealthe the practises of strēgth and actiuitie holesome for the bodye and the vse of Dice Cards and other disportes good to recreate the minde So the immoderate abuse of them all is not commendable but hurtefull and pernicious and therefore of all degrées and sortes of people necessarye to bée refrayned and warelye
séeke his owne fathers destructiō But the consideration of this the worthy benefites of learning I leaue to their priuate iudgemēt which know the manifest differēce of good euil And returning to the purpose I say that obedience as in all ages estates it is necessary so in youth it ought chiefly to be plāted principally grafted Next vnto this ariseth the brāch of patiēce wherin cōsisteth the chiefe trial of wisdome And a stoute vertue is this that vanquisheth the swelling rage of wrath and resisteth the inuincible force of nature Bias the wise man being demanded what man was to be thought most infortunate answered euen he that is most impatient adding there vnto this reason that not the losse of goodes or change of fortune could so much prostrate a mans life as the vnquiet acceptance of such vnhappie chance doth molest and greeuously disturbe the tranquilitie of the mind the present remedie for such uncōfortable mischiefs is only patience the ouerwhelmeth heapes of sorrowes with hope of succeding pleasure the indifferētly susteineth the profits of peace and bitter stormes of war patience is the shield of intollerable wrongs that lighteneth the burthen of aduersitie seasoneth the ioyes of prosperitie the comfortable medicine of sicknesse the most wholsome preseruatiue of health What caused the Philosopher Socrates a mā of meane birth to be pronounced the only wise man of the whole world by the deuine Oracles of Apollo but patience what raysed the worthy renoume of Q. Griseld whose fame is registred in the court of euerlasting memorie but patiēce finally what stormes of strife what chāce of fortune or what force of mischiefe doth not the same patience ouercome for this cause wer the sage Philosophers wont to be receiued highly estéemed in the Courts of Princes that by the example of their modesty the noble Péeres rulers of the land might be the better instructed of indifference in the execution of iustice for according to the opinion of Aristotle vnworthily to him is the charge of authoritie committed that is vnable to restreyne gouerne his owne priuate affections Then if patience in a Prince be comely and in a Magistrate also necessarie howe muche more ought it of all good subiects dutifully to be embraced for as the vertue of a Prince is the chiefest authoritie of the magistrate so are the good conditions of rulers the best stay and strongest defence of inferioures And thus muche I woulde wishe to be generally perswaded vnto youth that as patience is the porter of prefermente so that all wrathfull and rashe reuenge is the ringleader of mischiefe and authoure of destruction But héere some will say perhappes what doctrine is thys that so confoundeth hygh courage what a cowardly minde hathe he that so debaceth manhoode can it stand with the courage of Achilles to forbeare or with the maiestie of Caesar to take wrong yea Sir and by youre leaue be it spoken howe muche the more noble is the minde so muche lesse is the reuenge of priuate wrongs by hymselfe estéemed and for thys cause that if the wrong consist in words be misdoubteth not his good fame and credite sufficiente to disproue and confounde the weake strength of false reportes but if prouoked wyth vniust déedes to séeke reuenge of iniuries It appeaseth the wrath of a noble conqueroure more to bée able to punishe than it contenteth hym vtterlye to destroy Was it agaynste the courage of Hercules that hée restored Priamus vnto the Sceptre and possessions of his father Laomedon was it againste the honour of King Hidaspis that he pardoned the false traytor Oroondates was it againste the maiestie manhoode of Alexāder that he refused the vnequall chalenge of Quéene Thomyris no but rather a speciall signe of heroicall magnamitie to despise light wrongs and nothing to regard such meane aduentures wherevnto this Prouerb may be applyed Aquila non capit muscas the loftie fierce Eagle prayes not on sillie Flyes But I meane not here to praise Thersites in stead of Aiax nor Aiax is to be preferred before Vlisses for it is not ynough for a man to be bolde without witte nor strong withoute wisdome but vnto whome those vertues are indifferently graunted he hathe in my iudgemente an absolute force and perfection of manhode Again there be diuers kinds of sufferance for as the execution of iustice and wrongfull persecution are not equal so constreyned sufferance and humble patience are not alike The patience of good Calisthenes the Philosopher enduring the cruell tormentes deuised by the tyrannie of Alexander was wonderfull but the desperate boldnesse or rather obstinate stubbernesse of Quéene Olimpias at hir death was not alike nor by anye meanes commendable Thus we sée that patience is the armour of righteousnesse agaynste whiche not the bitter stormes of aduersitie not the furious rage of tirannie no not the cruell passions of death it selfe can take place or any thing preuayle The last branche of Humilitie outwardly shewing the fruites of vertues humbleth it selfe in the face of all men and beares the floures of courtesie And truth it is that suche as is the trée like is the fruite for neyther cā we gather Figges of thornes nor Grapes of thistles This Vertue as in all places amongst all sortes it is commendable so in the Pallace of a Prince which is the Nursse of Fame and Theatre of Vertues it ought chiefely to bée fostered and dayly practised So agréeable to the nature of mankinde is thys gentle affection that by the consente of sage men it hathe bin called Humanitie and since by the friendlye corruption of the common sorte as I gesse from the Courte it nowe taketh the name of courtesie but wée wyll not stande so muche vppon the name as the perfecte vse héereof although in déede of late amongst oure Englishe Poets hathe risen a doubtefull controuersie as touchyng the true christening of thys Vertue in so muche as some call it a bastarde courtesie or in playne tearmes dissemblyng flatterie that couertly taketh possession of mens myndes in the Courtes of Princes nowe adayes but as these haue theyr priuiledge to speake what they liste so I doubte not but manye of the other haue a protection of selfe wyll to doe what they lyke best These menne maye bée resembled to the Philosopher Antisthenes who walked on a tyme in the common place at Athens amongst the Nobilitie verie muche dysguised in apparell wearing Ragges in stedde of Robes meanyng thereby couertlye to steale the name of Humilitie for that hée was otherwyse of good abilitie and reputation wellknowen But Socrates so soone as hée peceyued hym in that place thus attyred cryed aloude Beholde a man maye sée the secrete ambition of Antisthenes euen through the holes of his cloke whome presentlye the people all behelde with scornefull derision And thus was the déepe dissimulation of Antisthenes discouered by the readie witte and sharp rebuke
able to withstande the force of shamefull death And thus you sée to vaine vitious nature the proude blossomes of your vntimelye fruit soone withered the strength of youre aucthoritie soone decayed and the beautie of your countenaunce soonest of all to be fledde forlorne and defaced And surelye if a man woulde but consider eyther the imperfections of nature the innumerable sorrowes of thys lyfe or the inuincible force of death no doubt hée shoulde be as earnestlye persuaded to folowe the rule of ryght and séeke out the secretes of wysedome as hée was first allured to swéete sinne and violentlye drawen into the schoole of follye But alas those which are in hell knowe not the ioyes of heauen and what hope of victorie is left to them that are alreadie conquered O strong selfe Loue and pestilent force of pryde what homicyde parricyde or what murthers haste thou not committed What flamyng fyres what warres yea what mischiefe haste thou not attempted Thou hast killed Princes poysoned Kynges and murthered most famous Emperours By thée strong Castles are rased townes spoyled Cities wasted and by thée countreys are lefte desolate And whither can the force of thy ragyng furie bée nowe further extended Thou haste vanquisshed men and wylt thou nowe exercyse thy tyrannye vpon brute beastes And woulde to GOD we myght all bée so well excused Thou haste wonne the whole worlde but doest thou meane to laye siege to the heauens or giue battyle vnto the Gods But remember thy Champion Lucifer what rewarde had hée for hys proude attempte Call to mynde the presumptuous buildynges of Nembroth and what successe had hée in hys enterpryse And forget not the proude Knyght Companius whiche being valiaunt and fortunate in warres had suche confidence in hys courage and suche faythfull truste in hys owne strength that hée scorned at those whiche after victorie obteyned dyd vse anye ceremonyes in worshipping of their Goddes callyng it a cowardlye affection that fearefullye craued helpe and supporte of shadowes but hée was sodainly consumed with fyre from heauen beyng in the forefronte of the battayle at the siege of Thebes These thynges considered maye soone coole the hote courage of pryde and moste horryble conceiptes of Surquedrye But the close affection of selfe Loue is more couertlye crepte into the opinions of men whiche thinke them selues by nature bounde and not forbydden by diuyne lawes to make muche of them selues And God forbyd but that eche man shoulde haue a prouident care to profite hime selfe But yet are wée taught by the commaundements of GOD to loue another equallye as our selues wée are instructed by the recorde of holye scriptures that all our actions ought to be done to the glorie of GOD And wée maye learne by prophane wryters that wée are not borne vnto our selues but that partlye our parentes partlye friendes partlye chyldren partlye kynsefolke and chiefelye our natyue countreye doeth chalenge a pryncypall duetie wherin the charitable loue and affection of vs all is ioyntly comprehended And this is more plainly perceyued by the comfortable vertue of societe without the which the life of man were naked tedious and vnpleasaunt For what auayleth it vnto a man to be the monarche of the whole worlde if he haue not subiects to gouerne if hée haue not a wyfe to increase his ofspryng if he haue not chyldren to honour and defende hym and lastly if he haue not friendes to reioyce with hym in prosperitie and to comfort hym in aduersitie Yea if hée be not happie straight wayes that hath all these things howe vnhappie is he then that wanteth so many goodly commodities And by this meanes a proude man is to bée thought most infortunate For when he begins to take an opinion of him selfe euen then is he first mislyked of others Where hée fawnes he is feared where he loues hée is suspected where he fauours most he is lest regarded Agayne when he frownes he is forsaken when hée laughes he is enuyed and when hée mournes hée is left desolate But hée is warye and wyse hée wyll trust none neyther shall he be trusted of anye hée is proude bycause hée is ryche but hée is poore in that hée is proude hée is strong in power but he is weake in wysedome hée is comelye in proportion but hée is deformed in condition Waye these thynges togyther in the true ballaunce of reason and you shall perceyue the wayght of sinne and heauie burthen of mischiefe able to sinke the strongest the comeliest and the proudest man alyue into the deadlye pytte of destruction Dionisius was wyse and yet hée beguyled hym selfe for hée was shamefullye murthered by the consent of hys wyfe Brennus was valiaunt yet coulde not withstande the wrath of the Gods. And Tarquinius was proude but pryde was the cause of this foule destruction And these be the fruites of selfe Loue Surquedrie But cease O cruell Kyng cease nowe at length thys thy ragyng tyrannye forbeare to vexe the myndes of innocentes with pryde and drowne no more vnhappie soules in the seas of selfe Loue and Surquedrie And yet why doe I thus gentlye entreate with a Tyrant why doe I pleade for peace with the chief authour of discorde And whye doe I call hym Kyng which is the father of mischiefe and mortall enemye to mankynde euer since the begynnyng of the worlde Euen hym I meane whyche brought the fyrst care and calamityes vnto Adam by the taste of an Apple For it is none but hée whiche couertly séekes by false prouocations to bryng vs vnto mischiefe It is hée that settes the spitefull plantes of pryde and hée that sowes the moste hatefull séede of dissention But hée nameth hym selfe the Prince of the Worlde howe shall wée than séeke to confounde hym Naye but hée is the Father of lyes and therefore we wyll not belieue hym hée is but a shadowe and why shoulde wée then feare him he triumpheth ouer worldlings lyke a Lyon but resist him stoutlye and hée vanisheth into nothyng Wylt thou learne to withstande the temptations of Sathan Then you must faithfully cleaue to the promyse of God whiche will not suffer the righteous to be cōfounded But thou canst not be righteous of thy selfe nor faythfull without humilitie nor humble without charitie For these vertues are vnyted and can not bée separated So that hée whiche woulde haue the fauour of the diuine Maiestie must néedes indeuour hym selfe to resist the strength and power of our vniversal enemye Neyther is it too late at any tyme to resorte vnto goodnesse nor too tymelye to preuent mischiefes Wée must vse no procrastinations and delayes to be vertuous For hee that is not readye to thinke well to daye will be more vnlikely to doe good on the morrowe And it is not enough to thinke ill of none but wée must in that we may doe good vnto all yea euen vnto our enemyes for thus are wée taught to doe good for euyl which are the fruites of perfect charitie Much lesse then ought we to disdayne
whiche burneth in desire of soueraintie And lastly for wisdome is it like that Pallas would instruct mē and spitefully withdraw frō hir owne sexe the worthy gift of vnderstanding no but it is manifest that she hath adopted them for hir only heires of such a right bountiful patrimonie which benefit men haue rather receiued at their hands than foūd out by their owne industries For it is thoughte that the Latines firste learned their leters of Nicostrata Pithagoras was supposed to be the desciple of hys sister Theoclea Pericles the Duke of Athens was instructed in learning by Aspatia Suche and absolute perfection of vertue and so rare a figure of diuine beautie is both fixed and fashioned in the noble mind and comely proportion of women that who can mistrust any lothsome qualities to lurke vnder the couerte shadowes of such comelinesse but those which haue by experience vnhappily found the same to be manifest But oh blind goddesse Fortune or cursed furie Fate with what tearmes shall I enter into thy disprayse with what voyce shall I sound thy dishonour or by what force shall I confound thy gouernement thou that vnequally diuidest thy goodes thou that partially bestowest thy giftes and thou that disdeynefully rewardest thy subiectes why diddest thou not indifferently impart riches vnto men that none should be disdeyned or vniuersally bestowe vertues on women that none mighte be condemned bycause thou wilt say the last was not in my power and the firste was not conueniente But is it nature then that hathe thus scornefully abused hir creatures to rayse vp one vnto the seate of honourable fame and to foyle a thousand with the reproche of shamefull follie Surely it were an vniust parte of a mother that had manye daughters to make one of them hir Mistresse and all the rest hir seruantes And it were vnnaturall in a Nursse in stead of Milke to giue hir children poyson But Nature is the mother of mankinde and teacheth to maynteyne the commodities of life she is oure Nursse and therefore wisheth the health of hir children No it is euen oure selues that are corrupte and imperfect it is menne that are abused by women and it is women that are the cause of all mischiefe Examine histories whyche are the light of truth euen from the begynning of the worlde vntill thys day and you shall finde no griefe no sorrowe no deathe no danger no warres no wast no fiers no destruction no woes no lamenting no deceypt falsehode discorde no not anye other inconuenience whereof a woman hath not bin some part of the occasion Was not Eue the cause of Originall Sinne than the whyche to mankynde what coulde happen more pernicious thys one singular example of moste auntiente authoritie myghte serue to daunte the pryde and coole the vauntyng bragges of wicked and licentious women for as they beganne with persuasions of false delyghte so they continue wyth dissembling practise and ende commonly wyth horrible shamefull mischiefe Theyr begynning I call the floures of youth whyche age is fyrste subiecte to the manye assaultes of loue wherein howe maydenly they behaue themselues in the mayntenance of Virginitie nay howe Syrenelyke they shewe themselues in the Shipwracke of theyr modestie it is wonderfull And firste she learnes to set hir eies fixed with the stars in signe of stabilitie hir eares are vigilāt to heare hir self praised hir tong is taught to be silente in token of modestie hyr countenance is milde hir spéech short and swéete and lastly hir liuely lookes of sober chéere but yet amiable She is bashfull therefore sittes most comely beneath at the dore or else aboue somewhat more modestly in a windowe where she sings sometimes for sorow she sighes perhaps for delighte she sowes for a fashion shée playes to remoue fansies she mournes for want of company And whē she cōmes to be moued with playne tearmes of mariage good God what nicenesse she wyll vse how coy she will become and what a countenance of virginitie she will borow to set forth the matter for then they will all be Nunnes they will neuer marrie nor knowe what a man meanes so long as they liue whereas they meane nothing so muche as the contrarye but lette them be courted after another sorte and as you would saye proffer them the common courtesie it is not so soone offered as willingly enterteyned for when they know the depth of his deuotion they sound his affection by their owne desire they suppose he will be quickly lost if not lightely loued and thus they féede some wyth lookes and other with loue some wyth wordes and other with workes some with sporte and other with spite some with pleasure some with payne some with fauoure some with disdeyne some with losse some with gayne that I thinke their insatiable desire would haue as many supplyes as they haue sleightes of alluring And these are the slighte practises of yong women whome when riper yeares and alteration of estate hath well grounded in the perfection of their science then they begin to procéede in high degrées of falsehoode By this time vse hath made them experte and impudence hath giuen thē vtterance of déepe dissembling flatterie but now they haue a cloke for the rayne and why shoulde they bée bashfull before they masked in the close visordes of virginitie but nowe they daunce with the figure a Saincte in their hande and the image of Diuels in theyr heart before they were onely molested with the tyrannie of loue but nowe they are vexed with hate pressed with pryde poysoned with disdeyne haunted with iealousie and plagued with suspition and the least of them all if it lay in their power is as muche as a mans lyfe is worth for the nature of them all is in extreames in so muche that eyther they loue affectionately whiche is seldome or else they hate deadly whyche is common they are too proude or too sluttishe too fonde or too frowarde too pleasaunte or too péeuishe too muche fawning or too scornefull too much familiar or too strāge too shéepishe or too shrewishe too apish or too lumpishe so that all their affections are without meane and theyr passions without measure as soone surprised in delight as soone confounded with sorrow soone quickned with hope and as soone drowned in despayre soone wéeping soone laughing and accordyng to the Prouerb Soone ripe soone rotten And seldome seene is soone forgotten They are Lawlesse for they choose whome they like and refuse when they list but yet they are conscionable for they woulde haue all thinges in common So they are liberall but it is of other mens goodes they are pitifull bycause they would haue no man wāt that which they desire they are courteous bycause they would be courted Mantuan likeneth thē to a Northeast winde whiche beareth off cloudes at the first puffe and drawes them back again with a false encoūtring blast So womē whē they perceiue the deuotiō of mē to be cold or