witness that he looked o're the hedge In Goal when he is laid we make no doubt But as he stole in so he would steal out These Dames for nothing else but being Wives Are made the closest prisoners for lives Never but in the Husbands death to see Or their own death a Goal-delivery Barbarian Xâ—â—ifs-concubines escape 'T is said if they but see a man a rape Before their count begins they must cry out For what to bring their honesty in doubt Rather than shield it He who them espyes By chance is not beholding to his eyes Whose case Actaeon-like presents strange kind Of misery which is not to be blind Proud Masters think their rule entrenched on If the good Wives their reasons dare to own When they make question whether musty Must Of canker'd spirits should be born as Just Or with due reverence beseech and pray They may not be expos'd as fâ—ols in play This boldness makes the sottish soul invent A plot and wish an Act of Parliament That each man in his house may rule and be Invested with a full authority To domineer command controul make Laws Void of all reason but a proud because Scripture without a Word of God they bring To justifie their tyranny The King Aâ—aâ—â—erus cited is the Queen Vasthi arraign'd as grosly overseen That would not shew her self make Majesty She did partake of with the King to be As picture shew'd to subjects and moreover In this command they think the King was sober That a decree so necessary was Fit to be made a Monument in brass I leave them with Memucan to prevent Imperiousness the woman never meant And to sue out the formallest decree Against what never was will never be The thing call'd Matrimony thus beguiles And makes a John a Nokes a John a Stiles To swell with mighty titles for his Cur-ship To his proud hasty humours pleads for worship With prayers tears she our John may not assault When dub'd Sr. Walter Walter Knight of Malt. Sarah call'd Abraham Lord his Wife must do So to his honour he 'l be Baron too If she thinks all her livelihood too much is To be exposed to his greedy clutches Since he reels all away that she can spin Spends faster than hard labour can bring in Her chests and coffers boxes straight he breaks Open to shew his Licence to play Rex If Cajâ—tanes vote carry he may hope To be elected as Donestick Pope That sith the womans head is man doth call His power by title that is Mystical Hard to be understood what doth infer As Mystick something that he 's Mystick Sir The toyling Wife may give her self the case And judge it fit that Peter keep the keyes In his power o're her children servants see Mark of the Beast a Tripleâ— Soveraignty And be forbidden ever for to own That she believes the story of Pope Joan. If he do tyrannize and reason fail For what he doth he puts on Coat of Male Pleads he 's an husband so right or behoof Or promise shall not pierce him this is Proof If Layship cannot well absolve the man Nor give indulgence Mystick Headship can This speckled creature without charge of pelf May do wrong give a pardon to himself We need no antient Histories to tell us That meaner sort of Dames may grow good fellows Follow the trade of Gossippings they can Toss jovially their pots like any man If the poor Gaffer have weak jacks their wills May not be serv'd without their lustier Gills Whose spirits make them keep most woful rackets It may be fall hard on their husbands jackets If so Viraginous that must allow What such Wives say or do cannot tell how To help it scarce may think that expence sad Which beggars families and makes them mad For me Xantippe ne're shall be too old To bear the stigma of an odious scold As punishment just let her alwayes be Under the tongue-strappado Railery Yet this may sober Civil women vex That faults not general upon the sex Are cast What made Philosopher to load us With silly pâ—ssinus habendi Modus Was there no matter for the wise to write Upon but womens eager appetite To men by slender matter first begot To serve they say themselves they know not what The most for which this poor conceipt can bid Is little something called Nescio quid What means unkind Dilemma that sayes women If beautiful must therefore needs be common Such base Dilemma's alwayes in dispute Deserve to bear the Odium of Cornute Leave off your tyranny you pievish elves Whilst you do harm your Wives you wrong your selves Making their grieving hearts through eyes express What tongues would not the great unhappiness Not to be suffer'd that they are brought to Endeavouring most vainly to please you What can you swagger storm at and confine Them wrongfully and call it Masculine Thus to insult It is but foolish mind Seeks to advance the Sex debase the kind Is 't mercy to thy family to make Subsistence of Wife Children lye at stake And run a sad adventure when they All Must be exposed by a doubtful fall And but uncertain cast at Dice wherein She suffers much although thou chance to win But if some unexpected hap do cross Thy greedy aims she must sit down with loss When all is cast away may she not gain The liberty of losers to complain Canst thou think to run through all in thy sport And not endure thou shouldst be blamed for 't Or make it run through thee by drunken fit And yet not suffer her to grieve for it Women-Worthies EXamples croud upon us lest the flaws Of some irregulars should wrong their cause The innocence of others blemish and the blame Of envy should be charg'd I 'le further name Out of those many thought to equal best Of men some few that did outshine the rest Since the great Amazonian Ladies seats Are mention'd by good Authors and their feats Of War successes progress and the Dates Of these related with Confederates Their government declensions and last Queen But to suppose they have not been is spleen In them in questioning that make us know They are ashamed much that it should be so The greatness of the things they did atchieve Puts the world so much to it to believe Others do talk at a prodigious rate And that which noble was call desperate As though their valour in first gallant fight Were to be thought a better sort of flight Were we dispos'd this reason to allow As likely possibly who could tell how To vindicate great Warriors for men When desperate fight their way back agen In dangers vilest Recreants are made stout Only to make way to creep poorly out But they consult not safety to make peace Which soon might have been done since cause did cease For their exile and sufferings but go on Leaving their names to fame Thermodoon Revenge was not the main cause for that lamp When flash is over soon is quench'd by damp
A Friendly APOLOGY In the behalf of the Womans Excellency Together with some Examples of Women-Worthies As also the Character of a Virtuous and Accomplished Woman Wherein Ladies of Pleasure are taxed and admonished Written in Verse by J. Golborne sometime Fellow of Trinity Colledge near DVBLIN Si Natura negat facit admiratio versum Qualemcunque potest LONDON Printed for Henry Mortlock and are to be sold at the Sign of the Phoenix in St. Pauls Church-yard and at the White Hart in Westminster Hall 1674. TO THE Most Virtuous AND Pious LADY M rs Katharine Booth Madam SInce famed Laureates never durst Adventure on the noblest Themes at first But were so modest doubtfully to peep Out of their private Cells and then to creep In arguments much lower till well how To trust their wings they knew from bough to bough Of various subjects flutter'd judging best So to attempt that danger might be least Till arts had been more lib'ral thought they might Not safely venture an Heroick flight Pardon this boldness that presumes to try First hand on piece of Curiosity Which better would deserve the richest vein Of smooth conceipt out of the pregnant brain Of one to whom kind Nature first had been Of much more virtue than the Hippocrene My fancy not well vers'd when first put to 't Would not perswaded be to stir a foot On other subjects yet did freely run That her due service might in part be done Unto your sex and if she limps the fault She calls her own lameness doth make her halt You cause her move and what is to express Her gratitude will make crime somewhat less In this Essay I have sought to no Fairy Call'd Muse that keeps her wild haunts at Canary Your mind is sober nor durst I think fit To offer you poor gathering of wit You need not such collection which is more Fit for those persons that in worth are poor Grant very small allowance bate the Verse That waited on your pious Sâ—sters horse And charge not some choice sentences which you Know well to whom their service best is due And what is stoln will not amount to be Fit to be charg'd with Pettit-larceny Should I call women Deities you 'd be Displeased Madam with the blasphemy Or phrase them nobler creatures than men are You likewise might condemn the flatterer Should I pass bounting Lasses and the Jigs Uncivil of the City-whirligigs Their pride their luxury their antick dresses Their bare necks painted faces and their tresses Whereby they would ensnare their wanton tongues In lovesome Catches and lascivious Songs Their going unto Church bringing no more From thence than what new dresses Gallants wore Frequenting Playes lest therein they should do Too little there becoming Actors too I should unworthily at least suggest That you so little baseness do detest Of shameless Hippia's as not to admit They should be lash'd by Scorpions of wit Whereas I know you loath that hateful Crew That brag of breeding brave and fruitful too Use broad words and large liberties as seat Of gallantry the way to become great Belly'd that they may bear their shameful sin And suffer plague of birth and lying in Should I forget my Gossip that can tell How to turn over tongue a spic'd-cup well With whose loud tittle tattle those folks are Troubled that deal not in such peddling ware But mind their own concerns and do not pry Into concerns of the next family Should I pass her whose spungy lungs as sayls Are swoln but not when dry with telling tales Of private merriments scarce Civil jars Familiar talk and of Domestick wars Where will be next and where was the last wedding And all the pretty passages at bedding How Madam Hasty gave to little Grace Her chamber-maid a blew and broken face Because she came not at first call how ill Her Master took it that shew'd his good will How Nell came to mischance by Knavery Of Will how Joan beat silly Ralph and why Not to chastise such gross defectives must Shew me more Civil to the Sex than Just Unto the virtuous who bear others shame Bâ—ushing at boldness of the wanâ—on Dame And their impertinence vain that are grown Knowing in all concernments but their own To set off virtues of your sex a whole Venus if painted will but make a mole Apolles when he drew his master-piece And summon'd in the Paragoas of Greece For beauty as their excellence did very Unto his pencil to be tributary Venus her mole forgate not but did place And make her comely with it in her face Praise of a sex without exception may Fit only people of Utopia Cannot sincerely be adapted to The state of sinful mortals here below Where those few persons do appear most rare And excellent in whom least vices are They cannot be from Adam of th' whole blood That are without all humane faileurs good Let idle brains make silly sport to vex And force their fancies to disgrace your sex With all the virtuous vainly they do try To level at the Stars which are too high This most will fret them and stir up their gall That they provoke and move you not at all When unconcern'd you gain the victory And overcome them by your passing by The Rustick that all day hath toyl'd at plough Puts off his clogs at night begins to woo At a strange rate in Complementing Amy He takes up phrase befitting Academy Not single flow'rs of Tropes will do but cluster'd That with conceit do make him fouly fluster'd And strangely elevated he scorn now To term her Pigsney darling Ladicow His heighten'd fancy longer will not truckle In pleasing her his Primrose Honeysuckle The Gardens fair sweet serve him not in prose Talip Clovegilliflower Lilly Rose Out of the Sun Stars and the brightest Rosie Blushes of morn he gathers her a Posie And if he gets some little Scribe to write He makes small matter matter to endite Hearing of Po'sie she thinks to disclose Meaning by holding letter to her Nose Or sticking it in bosome knows not well That paper flow'rs are for the sight not smell The frantick gallant eyes his Ladies look More than young Chanter doth his Singing-book Dancing attendance most officiously After the lessons of her fidling eye Like Statue stands in admiration of Each syllable stâ—p frown smile glance and coff The sacred Laurell he will need invoke That never learnt so far as Holioke To celebrate grace that was never in her And yet condemn himself a mortal sinner For his Omission but that is not it Makes him so bad but what he could commit How like a Malefactor doth he staâ—d Expecting sentence What is her command Shall he or live or dye Upon one breath Depends his happy life or woful death Great Empress she that with a pleasant I Can make him live and with a No to dye Though much dejected and cast down erewhile Yet she can set him up with a kind smile When his brains thin'd are
into flame 〈…〉 Piâ—my seems to be 〈…〉 him that is Immensity Aegyptian Phaâ—os wou'd officiously Hold candle to this Wonder passing by But that poor watch-light nothing could confer To help the brightness of the Morning Star Olympick Jupiter like Statue stands For empty shew with eyes ears mouth and hands In thee was Master-piece of Heaven aid Most curious work that ever Heaven made Had there gone out tax on the wit of all Men on this Globe wisdom Angelicaâ— They could have carv'd with curiosity But better shap'd piece for Idolatry The Father hath express'd his Image on Pure Virgin-wax and ta'n to Union With God the second Person hence our true Service and adoration are due The Carian boast Maâ—soleum dare not call For any Rights but silent burial In rubbish for its greatest pride can go For nothing more than Worms Sâ—raglio Much greater wonder is the Virgin Tomb Where never man was laid before The womb That bore him is more glorious when the â—right Sun for nine mâ—neâ—hs in Virgo lodg'd hâ—s light The strong and stately 〈…〉 Compar'd to him â—s no defence at all He 's waâ— much stronger than one made of stâ—â—e Or brass impregnable salvation To take the height of which requâ—res much rather Than a poor Jacobs Staff a Jacobs 〈◊〉 The Character of an Accomplished and Virtuous Woman THy mind is happy being seat of wit More happy since discretion governs it The former is the pretty fable this Discretion grave the useful Moral is As there irrationals do speak what suites With solid reason that men turn not brutes So here child 's taught the riddles to unfold Of gravity a stripling to grow old It stains not freshness of thy youth to have And to deserve the Epithete of grave Hated by them whose bodies now grown cold Make them in all respects but prudence old But much concerns thee time runs on so fast With winged feet and thou no better haste Canst make in judgement that thy tender age By Antedate of prudence may be sage Leavest them to blush at their idle fears That reckon it as Int'rest in their years To seem discreet but yielding viler rate To Ladies that are worn quite out of Date Thou think'st not gravity doth then look best Exposed when to laughter in a jest Or that becoming wit which doth afford To make the author of it more absurd Thou seek'st with grandam-virtues to adorn Thy self when youthful vanities are worn By persons much more aged to yield strong Presumption to the world that they are young That seem to reckon it as an excess Either to practise virtue or profess Admit into their Ethicks modesty Apocope'd without a Civil tye Serving all wanton modes thus pievish wag Spoileth the lace by pulling off the Taâ— Those that in too great freedom draw not near Occasions foul are judged too severe As though plain Modesty deserv'd no thanks Careful how it approaches nigh the banks Of foulest baseness their presumption thinks It 's want of resolution fears the brinks A vulgar unapproved innocence Deserving not at all Heroick sence They 'l have you think if you have faith enough They 're innocent as child new born although They tempt the wanton Reveller to try What guard is kept upon their honesty Strength of thy resolution is bely'd If it be thought to be less fortifi'd Because of caution rather might it tell Against wild storms it is impregnable If any in repute grown outlaw'd comes Assaults with levity and beats the drums Of thy chaste ears he finds there is no charm To win thy heart but make thy virtues arm Vileness of his attempts exposed lye Set out in colours of Vermilion-dye That he may see his rudeness take the shame Thou lend'st the Taper of thy modest slame When exhalations thick the air do muddy So the bright Ruler of the morn looks ruddy If highness to debase upon the stage And folly mask with an abstemious rage If to feed corrupt fancy with the veins Of â—evity in some Romantick strains If loâ—ty traversing must be alone Accounted gallant education Thou wilt take up with grave and antient sort Of bâ—eeding and not be less nobler for 't The Lillyes candour and the blushing Rose A temper neither frolick nor moiose Pleasantness mixed well with gravity A grace deportment maâ—ron-like and free The sweetest condescension not abject Or sordid to command and to affect Obliging carriage which admired makes Rather than feared as it was it takes Not too high nor familiar to prevent Both the extreams of hatred and contempt Are thy true glories not for shew but use Need not bear judgement true or beg excuse Let losty Mounters proudly scale the â—kye With frâ—zled sparkling bravery and dye Let Mâ—t vis with exhalations fed Glutted with vapour be soon famished Let Potentares be swoln up big with Titles In Honours Volumes but the smallest tittles Let proud Phantastes much admire his Minion A ragged baâ—e and beggarly Opinion Thy praise is in thy self not put to death By spiteful stopping of anothers breath To thee without true excellence 't is naught Great and right Honourable to be thought Since it is more to be than only seem To merit glory than to have esteem To appear great to world dost not aspire But if to vulgar sight less to be higher Whil'st haughtiness foâ—dly advancing Crest Thâ—'eth her own Fools-Coat the Noblest Because it 's gaudy Scripture He aldry Gives the much better plain Humility Thy self-denyal is a noble feat For greatest Alexander far too great Too high for them whose soaring aims were bent To gain the title of Magnificent It 's truly honourable to despise That which the greatest Monarclâ—s idolize Ambition lawful is and the intent Blessed in goodness to be excellent After good facts performing to Commerce And take the high degrees of Eminence The touring thoughts of pride that do advance Their lofty heads by Gospel Ordinance Thou batter'st down Pray'r fastings do confer To make thee humble a self Leveller Before thou wast since that thy power to be Depended on Gods Alsufficiency That could produce Thy futurition stated Was from the will and virtue that created Beauty wit greatness honour thou'lt confess But as they are deriv'd from God are less Than nothing in act safely canst maintain Them less than less than Nothing told again Nor are nor can be real but hang on The judgements greatest Contradiction These realliz'd thou thankfully dost own Because that they are thine and not thy own Thine as to payment of a grateful mind Thine not to free from duty but to bind So not thine own a worthiness to raise In self but what redoundeth to his praise In this God must be sole without compare Since it is granted Nothing hath no share Beauty so many envy and admire Honour few seek to merit but acquire Riches that suffer not the owner sleep Health many seek to Court but few to keep Thousand degrees are short of parallel To Grace wherein
shall be no shadow nor decay No showres no clouds to stain the perfect day Here learn you to be wise whose careless care Is to sleep dress feast chat and take the air Whose idle work when rarely set upon And to do nothing almost are all one Whose planetary lives are chiefly spent In the Exchange of frothy Complement With you the antient virtues are much more Grown out of fashion than the clothes they wore Your shame is to be fix'd amongst the Stars By vanity of your lewd Jupiters That much admire you to ensnare their eyes As do the painted powd'red Butterflyes Some little children and for nothing else To be admir'd by Merchants but your shells Like scented Panthers that destroy and please And poyson as the bright Cantharides Why so high born brave Dames None of you can Draw out your lives inch longer than the span Design'd Why swell you big with thoughts of birth The Worm 's your Sister and your Mother Earth Are you with travel of your Mother grown Noble The labour then was not your own Or doth your honour come by being march'd That light is borrow'd from the fool you catch'd Do you your selves by fame that 's common prize That when the giddy humour 's over dyes As bubble swoln with empty ' air doth last â—â—me thoughts not many longer than the blast One breath blows up and breaks this wat'ry bail And half a Minute is its Spring and Fall What is it not enough some to imploy To Indies most remote to fetch a toy Or precious trâ—fle yet all this to dress And to equip your rotten carkasses But that the Artist black must run to Hell To fetch your fortunes and return to tell Shall wandr'ing Gipsies and that wicked Crew Of Vagrants that pretend as if they knew Future Contingents have your charity And be rewarded for theâ—r cheating lye Whereas the godly Ministers that bear Affection to your souls scarce gain your ear When they declare the woful state of sin And misery you are involved in By nature shew restor'd you cannot be To sight unless you know you do not see And send you to the Son of God whose bright Rayes to the Saints in Heaven give a light They tell you you are dead in sin and give This token of their love to wish you live Direct you unto Christ your life whereby You may have health wealth and true liberty Since you will know the things that are to come Out of the Word they read the dreadful Doom Of all that have no interest in him If they continue in their death and sin Shall yet a costly patch amount to more Than what ye ever gave unto the poor Shall they that sighing do reprove you have No better thanks than Clown or sawâ—y Knave May your faults acted be and not be told Will you not be perswaded you are old Or so shall be e'relong Why bring you down The rate of Aâ—e which is a glorious Crown In righteousness Would you have death to come And Complement your Honours to the Tomb Or will you bid him stay below For why You are not yet in humour brought to dye And to prevent his visit send to tell That you are busie or not very well Death is a Doctor such you 'l scarce endure That killeth all yet not a few doth cure Will you like Jezabels your faces paint And think withal that Serjeant grim to daunt With your imperious looks In vain ye do'â— He 'l not be scar'd but tread you under foot Thy body to neglect thou 'lt not endure And must thy soul be then a sine Cure O foolish thoughts pains wishes vain which are Not to be holy humble meek but fair For shame let not such golden seasons pass Upon your boards beds sports or looking-glass Cut off some minutes toward the concern Of what the world despiseth sempitern Why look you on Religion as a Dame That is too homely beareth not a name Amongst vain Ranters with severities Of mortifying zeal doth blear her eyes Deforms her visage and forbids all airs Of merriment to pine her self with cares And dreadful thoughts in a tormented life That none but fools would choose her for a Wife Gallants will scarce afford Civility To serve the Custome of a Cap and knee Her noble quality well understood Would shew her great and of the Royal blood It 's not below best of most Princely house To Court her Ladyship and to espouse So excellent is beauty of this Saint It cannot be worse injur'd than by paint Her vast estate is not confined by The bounds too narrow of Geography All the Gold Silver Pearls Fruits this Globe bears To one of many Jewels that she wears Bear no compare in value if not you Yet this the wisest Merchants have found true The testimony of good Conscience That there hath been a thorough sight and sense Of odious sin so pow'rful as to make The soul with hatred sin and self forsake And cleave to Christ resting on him alone With constant holy life reflected on Through Gods great mercy do afford more true Lasting great cordial joy than that which you Conceive to be had by the loosing reins Of Civil temper to run into strains Of jollity screw'd up to highest pin Of madness that you may not feel your sin Yours is but heartless laughter for your sinning Maketh a foul and but convulsive grinning Not unlike the Sardinian herb whereby Men only seem to laugh but surely dye You say Gods mercy you rely upon Is it good hope or bold presumption Speak out your meaning and be understood Will you be wicked because God is good And is it gratitude so to abuse The mercy which you thankfully should use To serve the perfect Being with decayes And him that 's alwayes present with delayes At distance pleasures of the earth appear Greater grow lesser much as they draw near Their promises shifting delayes you find Why do you not then serve them in their kind Say this were granted you might on still run In vanity to your Declining Sun And meet with no arrest to stop career Of mirth or cause the sadness of a tear What will the end be Will dry bones dim eyes Decrepit acts be fit for Sacrifice Is it meet Sin World Devil have the prime Of vigour beauty action strength and time And he that for all mind heart might doth call Have most deformed weakest part of all Will you present the first fruits unto sin Leave the poor share and gleanings unto him And what I pray are offers like to get When you are old but a prolong'd Not yet Although to act your follies nought can move With so much pleasure Will you cease to love The vanities you cannot act What force Must be requir'd to make a full Divorce Is it too much to be at small expence Of some few minutes cost in reference To soul-concerns when frightful death draws near To do its work Repentance will be dear A