must ordinarily vse equality amoÌ„g their children so neere as they may and not shew more affection to one then to another least thereby they prouoke theÌ„ to anger and desperation Of the duty of childrâ—â—â—â—wards their parentes Chapt. 12. THe first duty of children towards their parents is they obey them in all things for that is well pleasing vnto the Lord. Also they must remember that the earthly father is the true representer of God the vniuersall father and therefore next after God to be had in reuerence The second duty of children towardes their parentes is that they endeuour by all means possible to asswage their parents anger Thirdly children must helpe their parents in their old age and supply their wantes with all necessary complements Of Brotherly loue Whether a man should preferre his friend before his brother Chap. 13. NOthing is more acceptable vnto the Lord theÌ„ that brethren should loue one another The which vndoubtedly by his soueraigne maiesty is ingrauen at our birth for we see the first occasion of this amity to be bred euen from our natiuity Therefore it is the duty of a brother not to bee angry or discouer the faults of his brother Further it is the part of a brother to loue his brother aboue all other for he may daily get many of this friendly mould and more if these faile but it is no more likely to get a new brother then to get an eye which is drawn out or an hand which is chopt off Hence springeth that question whether a maÌ„ should preferre his friend before his brother To this I aunswere negatiuely that he should not and especially for these two reasons First we are bound to follow nature if she leades vs not astray for who so euer followeth nature followeth God by whome she is directed therefore we are bound to loue our brethren aboue our friends seeing that by nature wee are chained with our brethren and whatsoeuer we bestow on them we bestow on our selues Whereunto soundeth that saying of the Poet Take heed that thou make not thy friend equall with thy brother Secondly the loue of brethren is better then the loue of friends for it includeth in it more then the other as for example when friends be at variaunce we see nothing left betwixt them but if brethren chaunce to disagree the knot notwithstanding of brotherhood in despight of them remaines stedfast moreouer a man being forsaken of all his parasitical friends is neuerthelesse of his brother as it were by a natural instinct receiued and comforted To bee briefe I exhort all brethren to assist one another with mutuall loue not to beleeue any whispering make-bates whose onely drift is to shift for themselues and to oppose not onely friend against friend but also for their owne priuate good to put brother against brother This exhortatioÌ„ of mine if brethren will embrace let them assure themselues that they shall enioy the felicity of the celestiall Paradise which is already prepared for them Of disobedient Sonnes Chap. 14. THe very Turkes theÌ„selues according to the second commauÌ„dement contained in their Alcoran do require such dutifull obedience of children towards their parents that they expresly forbid any vpon pain of death to gainsay them either in word or deed Besides it is an article of their beliefe that God will neuer forgiue them who are accursed of their parents Yea they assure theÌ„selues that no sorrow nor penitent contrition of mind is euer able to wash or do away the foule burthen of the parents curse Likewise the Popish Canonists do condemne theÌ„ as infamous which rebell against their parents What then shal we do that are reformed Christians shall we suffer the sonne to abuse the father to commence suit against him approbriously to endamage him no. God forbid We wil rather lead him to the magistrate who shall impose on him what punishment soeuer the father demaundeth Wee will stone him to death for his vnnaturall disobedience But suppose hee were left vnpunished would he not thinke you be cut off as an vnprofitable member by the iust iudgement of God would not his daies be shortned Yea yea he shall not only die in this world but also his body in the world to come shall alway be tormeÌ„ted in hot scalding lead and his soule for euer shall endure the horrible paines of hell We read in our English Chronicles that the sonne of Henry the secoÌ„d king of this land by the instigation of the French King tooke armes against his owne naturall father betwixt whom diuers mighty battels being fought the victory alwaies inclined to the father so that the disobedient rebellious sonne was enforced to desire peace which the father mercifully graunted and forgaue him his offence Howbeit notwithstanding God the aueÌ„ger of such abominable factes punished him for his disobedience by causing him to die 6. yeeres before his father A meet punishment no doubt for him seeing that he could not tarie till after his fathers death Further we heare that there was of late daies a certain man that dwelt in a village neere to Cambray who in a great fury threw his owne mother out of his house three times in one day and the third time told her in anger that he had rather see his house on fire then that she should abide there one day longer But mark the end It fortuned that on the very same day according to his speech his house was strangely fired quite consumed to ashes An euident signe assuredly of Gods displeasure The exaÌ„ples wherof I would to God might serue for a warning to all children if not to mollify yet at least to terrifie theÌ„ froÌ„ dealing crookedly peruersly with their pareÌ„ts whom God himself coÌ„mauÌ„ded to honor left here in this world as semblable images of himselfe The third Plant. Of the duty of masters toward their seruaunts Chap. 15. THe duty of Masters toward their seruaunts I comprise in sixe points First I counsell masters not to keepe any seruaunts in their houses that are giuen to swearing gaming whoring drinking or to any such notorious crimes Secondly I exhort masters to haue a speciall care that their seruaunts be catechized and taught in the word of GOD. Thirdly they must not make them labour on the Sabaoth day Fourthly they must see that their seruaunts lie not abroad in the nights Fiftly masters must grauely correct their seruants according to the quality of their faults least being let alone they waxe bold and so fall into worse courses Lastly masters must looke that their seruaunts receyue their wages or hires at due times Of the Sabaoth day Whether a master ought to set his seruaunts at worke on the Sabaoth day Chap. 16. THe Sabaoth both in the old new testament is sanctified and hallowed and in it magistrates townesmen and all men oâ— what quality soeuer they be must surceasâ— from working chiefly for foure
owne naturall subiects and continually goeth garded with a strong company As Vortiger sometime king of this Realme did when he brought in Hengist and the Saxons and gaue them the countreys of Kent and Essex to inhabit The fift if he without cause coÌ„mand his chiefest nobles to be cashiered branded with ignominy or to be imprisoned and put to death for feare lest they should waxe too popular and ouermighty Such a one was Frauncis Sfortia Duke of Millain that caused Alphonsus king of Naples villanously at a banquet to murther Earle Iames sonne to Nicholas Picinio whome he had sent Ambassadour to the sayd Alphonsus for no other cause then for that hee feared his might because the Braciques in Italy some of his subiects highly esteemed him The sixt token to know a tyrant is if he do away learned and wise men for no other intent then that fearing they should reproue him write against his depraued vngodly life As Domitius Nero that commaunded Seneca the Philosopher and the Poet Lucan to be slaine and Domitian that banished the Poet luuenal for the same cause But of this matter I haue spoken in another booke Whether it be lawfull for subiects to rise against their Prince being a tyraunt or an heretique Chap. 10. EVen as the Prince ought to remoue the causes of mislike which his subiects haue conceiued against him and to extinguish the flame that being nourished in one seuerall house would breake into the next and at last into the whole towne so in like maner subiects ought to please their soueraigne and to tolerat all rigour yea and to lay downe their neckes vpon the block rather then to coÌ„spire against his power which he hath from God It may be that he is raised as another Nabuchodonozor of the Lord for a scourge to punish the transgressioÌ„s and enormities of the inhabitants The dishonourable things which a Prince doth ought to be accounted honourable Men must patieÌ„tly for they can do no otherwise beare with an vnreasonable deà re yeere with vnseasonable stormes and with many blemishes and imperfections of nature Therefore they ought to endure with as constant courages the heresies and tyrannies of their soueraigne But thou wilt say subiectes must obey only iust and vpright Princes To which I answere that parents are bound to their children with reciprocall and mutuall duties Yet if parents depart from their duty and prouoke their children to desperation it becommeth not children to be lesse obedient to their parents But they are subiect both to euill pareÌ„ts and to such as do not their duty Further if seruants must be obedient to their masters aswel curteuos as curst much more ought subiects to obey not onely their gentle but also their cruell Princes This Didacus Couarruuias an excellent Lawier confirmeth saying If a Prince whether by succession or election he was made it skilleth not doth exceed the limits of law and reason he cannot bee deposed nor put to death by any subiect Yea it is hereticall to hold that paradoxe For God is he which chaungeth the times and seasons he taketh away kings and setteth vp Kings to the intent that liuing men might know that the most high hath power ouer the kingdome of men and giueth it to whomesoeuer hee will and appointeth ouer it the most abiect among men Hence is it that we seldome heare of rebels that euer prospered but in the end they were bewrayed and brought to confusion In the time of Henry the fourth there rebelled at one time against him the Duke of Exceter with the Dukes of Gloucester Surrey Aumarle Salisburie and at another time the Earle of Worcester the Archbishop of Yorke HeÌ„ry Hotspurre sonne to the Earle of NorthuÌ„berland all which were either slaine or beheaded To come neerer the state of this question we find that Leonagildus an auncient king of the Gothes in Spaine both a tyrant and an Arrian in the yeere of our Lord 568. pursued the true Christians and exiled his own sonne because he was of the true religion Whereupon this young Prince being moued at the persecution of the Christians in his countrey did twise raise armes against his Lord and Father At the first he was taken captiue and banished at the second he was put to death on Easter day By which example wee may note the effects of Gods iudgements and rebuke the rashnesse of this Prince that rebelled against his soueraigne Wherefore O yee that be subiect to cruell Princes refraine your fury learne to obey beware lest the same chance vnto you which is faigned to haue chanced vnto the frogs who being importunat on Iupiter to haue a king a beame was giuen them the fiâ—â—t fall whereof did somwhat affright them but when they saw it stil lie in the streame they insulted theron with great disdain praied for a king of a quicker spirit theÌ„ was sent vnto them a stork which tyraÌ„nized daily deuoured them In a word rebels in taking care to auoid one calamity do entaÌ„gle themselues in a whole peck of troubles as by this fable of y e frogs is euident And oftentimes it hapneth that the remedy is more dangerous then the malady it selfe for of one tyraunt they make three Hydraes or els in seeking to shun tyranny they reduce their gouernment to a troublesome Democracy Of an Aristocracy Chap. 11. THe rule of a certain and prescribed number of noblemen GentlemeÌ„ respecting the benefite of the common wealth is termed an Aristocracy if any ambitiously preferre their priuat coÌ„modity before the publick good and by coÌ„spiracies dispose of all matters appertaining to the coÌ„monwealth as it please theÌ„ it is named an Oligarchy For as iroÌ„ is consumed in time by rust although it auoideth al incoÌ„uenieÌ„ces so some peculiar dammage or other sticketh to euery commonwealth according to the nature therof as for exaÌ„ple this Oligarchy endamageth an Aristocracy TyraÌ„ny is opposite to a Monarchy sedition to a Democracy That Aristocracy is best allowed where the gouernment is allotted to a few noble vertuous men which bestow most in common seruices and make lawes for the rest directing their cogitations to no other scope then the publick good of their countrey The citizens of Venice do deliuer the discussing of their matters aswell ordinary as of importance to the Senate which are very fewe in number as not ignorant how few being made priuy of their matters they should bee the more priuily managed Neuerthelesse this kind of commonwealth being compared with a monarchy will be found imperfect farre inferiour True it is that siluer and tinne are good but yet imperfect metals in comparison of gold wherein the souerainety and perfection of all metals consist In like maner an Aristocracy well tempered may be good but seldome it so falleth out This Realme of England when it was diuided into prouinces as Mercia NorthuÌ„berlaÌ„d others ruled by
Let such draw neer and view this Golden-groue Whereof the rootes are vertues of the mind The trunks stalks that grow these roots aboue Ioint vertues are to priuate rule assign'd The boughs the publick sway of kingly kind Vertue the root Rule priuate is the stemme The branches are the golden Diademe All which are done by learned Vaughans pen Thereby deseruing well eternall fame Who tooke great paines to benefite all men That would with singlenesse peruse the same Thus hath he got himselfe a golden name And thus we see this stately Golden-groue Whereof the motiue was his Brothers loue Samuel Powel Master of Arts. To the Authour THy selfe a tendrer of that Golden-groue To which thou send'st this golden Groue of thine How truly that so called was dost proue How truly this it needs no proofe of mine It is no gilt it is a golden booke Fit for that gemme thy Brother on to looke The gold whereof as pure as euer shone Let Enuie speake she can it not denie Feares not to touch the learneds Lydian stone Who buyes this Gold too deare it cannot buy It is refin'd in furnace of thy braine In fire then to trie it were but in vaine Some say Prometheus man of clay did make But beastlike passions put into his heart Vaughan beleeue them not for they mistake To make men was not his but is thine Art Thou hast effected what he ne're began Thou hast made maners maners make the mā Gold-gutted Crassus were he now aliue Might here find gold to find an host of men Rich-finger'd Midas might here learne to thriue Not by his owne rich touch but by thy pen Which Chimick-like I hope wil turn to gold Our iron times and make them as of old Iohn Raulinson Master of Arts. In praise of the Golden-groue moralized by master Vaughan AMid the vale of Iedas bushie groue Before a bribed Iudge such was their fate A Trinitie of Goddesses once stroue Gold caus'd their strife the cause of all debate Now a new Iudge their quarrell hath acquited Attoning this late-iarring Trinarie And sith in groues and gold they first delighted Hath built a Golden-groue for this faire three Where Pallas first vnfoldeth vertuous sawes Which Venus doth conuey to families Then Iuno tempreth both with rightful lawes And those themselues with heauenly policies So these whom Gold groues first set at strife This Golden-groue combines in blessed life Charles Fitz-Geffrey In commendation of this Golden-groue SOme write of th'isle of the Hesperides Where golden fruit in greatest plentie grew A pretie fiction and no doubt did please The Authour selfe although it were not true If by our dayes we measure those of old For now men loue if but to dreame of gold No more a fiction now no more a toy Vaughan hath made that true which they but faign'd By Vaughans Art it is that we enioy That which but onely they in shew obtain'd A Golden-groue a harbour of delight Against the storms of Fortunes weaker might What gracious gift can Sophia now bestow On Vaughan worthy his industrious paine Vnlesse of boughs which in his Groue do grow With goldē wreaths she crown his learned brain Fortune cannot reward desert of wit But honour onely she doth nourish it Thomas Michelborne The Arguments of the Chapters that are contained in these Bookes The first Booke The first part OF Gods nature Chap. 1. The knowledge of God chap. 2. Atheists chap. 3. The second part Of Man chap. 4. The soule chap. 5. That a man hath but one soule chap. 6. The immortalitie of the soule chap. 7. The third part Of Vertue chap. 8. Vice chap. 9. That a man must not delay to become vertuous chap. 10. Remedies against vice chap. 11. Iustice. chap. 12. Iniustice chap. 13. Whether it bee lawfull for one to kill himselfe chap. 14. That we should not patiently indure all iniuries chap. 15. The fourth part Of truth chap. 16. Lyes chap. 17. Swearing chap. 18. Periurie chap. 19. Cursers and blasphemers chap. 20. Deceite chap. 21. Whether a man be bound to performe that which hee hath sworne to his enemie either willingly or by constraint chap. 22. Heretike and schismatikes chap. 23. Iesuites chap. 24. The fift part Of Magnanimitie chap. 25. Ambition chap. 26 Remedies against ambition chap. 27 Of Fortitude chap. 28 Foolehardinesse chap. 29 Feare and pusillanimitie chap. 30 The sixt part Of Temperance and Cōtinence ch 31 Intemperance and Incontinence ch 32 Lecherie chap. 33 Gluttonie and Drunkennesse chap. 34 The discommodities of drunkēnes c. 35 Remedies against Intemperance Gluttonie and Drunkennesse chap. 36. Stupiditie or dulnes chap. 37. The seuenth part Of magnificence chap. 38 Liberalitie chap. 39. Prodigalitie chap. 40 The properties of a couetous man chap. 41. Remedies against couetousnes chap. 43. A dehortation from couetousnesse chap. 43. Whether the couetous man bee worse then the prodigall chap. 44. The eight part Of clemencie and courtesie chap. 45. Modestie and bashfulnesse chap. 46. Affabilitie chap. 47. Indulgence chap. 48. Pride chap. 49. Scurrilitie or scoffing chap. 50. Whether stage-playes ought to be suffered in a common-wealth chap. 51. Of crueltie chap. 52. The ninth part Of Patience chap. 53. Anger chap. 54. Remedies against anger 55. Remedies against aduersitie and losse of worldly goods The tenth part Of friendship chap. 57. How a man should knowe his friend chap. 58. Flatterie chap. 59. Ingratitude with a remedie agaynst it chap. 60. Hatred the punishment therof ch 61 Enuie chap. 62. Calumniation and slander chap. 63. The eleuenth part Of Art and whether Art be better then Nature chap. 64. Science or knowledge chap. 65. Vnderstanding chap. 66. Prudence chap. 67. Sapience or wisdome chap. 68. The ignorance of our times chap. 69. The second Booke The first part OF a familie and the diuision thereof chap. 1. That there be foure kinds of matrimony chap. 2. The causes why matrimonie was instituted chap. 3. How excellēt a thing matrimony is ch 4 After what maner the auncients solemnized matrimony chap. 5. Of matrimonie in England at this day solemnized chap. 6. The duties of the husband toward his wife chap. 7. The duties of the wife toward her husband chap. 8. Of Diuorcement and whether the innocēt party after a diuorcemēt made can marie againe during the other parties life chap. 9. Of Iealousie chap. 10. The second part The duties of parents toward their children chap. 11. The duties of children toward their parents chap. 12. Of Brotherly loue and whether a man should preferre his friend before his brother chap. 13. Of disobedient sonnes chap. 14. The third part The duties of masters towards their seruaunts chap. 15. Of the Sabbath day whether masters may set their seruaunts at worke on the sabbath day chap. 16. The duties of seruants toward their masters chap. 17. The fourth part Of Acquisitiue facultie chap. 18. Of money the chiefest part of the Acquisitiue facultie chap. 19. Of Bawdes and whether they ought to be
comfort and cherish him as a part of her owne body The third she must esteeme the maners of her husband to be the legall rules of her life The fourth she must not be too sumptuous superfluous in her attire as decked with frizled haire embrodery pretious stones gaudy raiments and gold put about for they are the forerunners of adultery But let her haue the inward man in her heart which consisteth in the incorruption of a mecke and quiet spirit that is before God a thing much set by For euen after this maner in time past did the holy women which trusted in God attire themselues and were subiect to their husbands The fift shee must not bee iealous or mistrust her husbands absence The sixt duty of a wife is carefully to ouersee her household and to bring vp her children and seruaunts in the feare of God The seuenth she must not discouer her husbands imperfections and faultes to any for by disclosing them eyther she makes her self a iesting stock or els she ministreth occasion for knaues to tempt her to villany The eight duty of a wife is that she gibe not nor flout her husband but beare with him as long as she may Of Diuorcement Whether the innocent party after a diuorcement made can marie againe during the other parties life Chap. 9. MAny mē now a-daies forgetting the plighted troth of man and wife are so deuoid of iudgement and vnderstandding that they make no conscience to proue them separated whome God hath ioyned together Yea some proceed further saying that a man hauing taken his wife in adultery may not onely put her away but also marrie another notwithstanding the first being aliue Which last opinion of theirs because it seemes somewhat probable I will as well as I cā discusse S. Paul saith that the Lord commaundeth the wife not to depart from her husband but and if shee do then be willeth her to remaine vnmarried or bee reconciled vnto her husband In which words might be made a doubt whether the Apostle meant the guiltlesse or guilty party Howbeit I find a defensiue aunswere namely that hee meant the guiltlesse wife for this commaundement let not the wife depart from her husband implieth not this sence to wit let not the wife be constrained as guilty to depart from her husband but rather let not the wife beyng guiltlesse be authour of diuorcement and so by order of law depart from her guilty husband Further if it were lawful for the guiltles to marie againe during the other parties life there would be made a way for infinite diuorcements yea and the commonwealth would be endaungered by reason of often dissentions cauillations and innouations whereas otherwise mē knowing that either they must liue singly or be reconciled seldome or neuer should we see diuorcements To knit vp this doubtfull and litigious question I resolue on this namely that we being Christiās should consider that the spirituall marriage which is betwixt Christ and his Church is now and then polluted by vs with spirituall fornication and that notwithstanding all this it pleaseth his Diuine maiestie to be at a new atonement with vs to comfort vs after this maner Returne O yee disobedient children and I will heale your rebellions For euen as a woman hath rebelled against her husband so haue yee rebelled against me In like sort it behoueth vs to forgiue one another and to imitate our sauiour Christ who mercifully pardoned the woman whom the Scribes Pharisees tooke in adultery saying vnto her Goe and finne no more To be short wee ought to thinke how troublesome second marriages are like to be both for the childrens sake and also for the guilty party who being out of all hope of reconciliation will fall to despaire and to greater vices and perhaps neuer afterwards will become reformed Of Iealousie Chap. 10. IEalousie is a malady of the mind ingendred of loue which will not admit a corriuall or copartner in the thing beloued To this passion the wild asse is most subiect for in a whole herd of females there is but one male and he is so iealous that he will not permit any other to come amongst them and when the female hapneth to haue a male colt the sire with his teeth wil bite off his stones as fearing he would couer his damme Among men the Italians bee most iealous for they if their wiues do but once commune albeit openly with men do presently suspect them of adultery The Germanes of all nations are lesse iealous although their womē be very faire Pope Pius the second otherwise called Aeneas Siluius in the yeere of our Lord 1461. being at the bathes in Germany wondred much at the boldnesse of the Dutchwomen who would euē with men step naked into the bathes whereupon he was wont to say that the Germanes were farre wiser then the Italians Our women here in England although they be in the power of their husbands yet they bee not so straightly kept as in mew with a gard as they be in Italy Spaine but haue almost as much liberty as in Frāce or in Germany and they haue for the most part all the charge of the house and household which is the naturall occupation and part of a wife In summe there is no nation vnder the cope of heauen lesse iealous then ours who tender their wiues so kindly and charitably that at their deaths they make them eyther sole or chiefe executrices of their last willes and testimēts and haue for the most part the gouernment of the children and their portions The second Plant. The duty of Parents towards their children Chap. 11. PArents must haue a carefull eye to their childrē because thereupon principally dependeth the glory of their house And that their duties towardes them may the more manifestly appeare I will set downe what they ought to do First of all Parents must teach their children to pray vnto God to rehearse the Creed and the ten Commaūdements and to catechize them in the chiefest points of faith Secondly they must beware that they come not among such felowes as sweare curse and such like and to that end they must place discreet tutours ouer them Thirdly parēts must breake them from their willes correct them sharply when they offend yet not in their anger for in smitting with the rod they shall deliuer their soules from hell Fourthly parentes must not permit their children to weare gorgeous attires or newfangled dresses but rather declare vnto them the vanity thereof Fiftly parentes must procure them wise and learned teachers when they are fit to go to schole Sixtly parentes must not marre their children by marying them during their minorities neither cause them against their willes to bee assured Seuenthly parentes must see that their children liue in vnitie peace and concord for if debate and discord be pernicious among al men how much rather betweene brethren Lastly parents
of sheeps wooll about her middle fastned with a true-loues knot the which her husband and must loose Herehence rose the Prouerbe Hee hath vndone her virgins girdle that is of a maide he hath made her a woman It is reported of some that the wife as soone as shee was come to her husbands house presented to her husband fire in one hand and water in the other which gaue to vnderstande that as these two elements were most necessarie of al others for conseruation of mans life so there could no societie be neerer linked together then that of the husband and wife The auncient Frenchmē had a ceremonie that whē they would marrie the bridegroome should pare his nailes and send thē vnto his new wife which done they liued together afterwards as man and wife In Scotlād the custome was that the lord of the soile should lie with the bride before her husband But because this order was not decēt nor tolerable amōg Christians King Malcolme the third of that name in the yeere of our Lorde 1095. abolished that wicked custome and enacted that euerie bride thencefoorth should pay to the Lord for ransome of her maiden-head fiue shillings Marriages among the Gentlemen of Venice were for the most part concluded vpon by a third person the bride being neuer permitted so much as to see her new husband nor hee her till their nuptial dowrie was fully treated of agreed which being finished they were married with great pompe solemnitie Concerning the ancient order of mariages in Turkie they held it an vndecent thing for the bride to bee brought home to her future husband with musicall instruments but they thought it meete that the married couple should present themselues before God with all humilitie and reuerence and after that these ceremonies were ended they were led to their bed-chamber which was prouided for them in a very secret and darke place the next morning at the dawning of the day the husband by Mahomets law is boūd to aske his wife whether she can read or no. If she cānot then must he learne her to reade In like sort if she can reade and her husband not then must shee teach and instruct him This was the old maner of marriages among the Turks Howbeit at this day they are growne to such excesse of voluptuousnesse that they rather resemble beasts then men Of Matrimonie in England at this day solemnized Chap. 6. MAtrimonie in England is accounted finished after that it is solemnized in presence of the minister and two lawfull witnesses Superstitious ceremonies there are none Onely the Priest is bound openly in the Church to aske the banes to wit whether any man can alleadge a reason wherfore they that are about to bee married may not lawfully come together Which being done and no exceptiō made they then are ioyned in the holy linkes of matrimonie Also in some shieres when the marriage day approcheth the parents of the betrothed couple doe certaine dayes before the wedding write letters to inuite all their friends to the marriage whom they desire to haue present Afterwards the mariage day being come y e inuited ghests do assemble together and at the very instant of the marriage doe cast their presents which they bestow vpon the new maried folkes into a bason dish or cup which standeth vpon the Table in the Church readie prepared for that purpose But this custome is onely put in vse amongst them which stande in neede Moreouer it is to bee noted that if the wife bee an Inheritrix and landed she is to let her husband enioy it during his life and hers the which afterward descendeth to her eldest sonne or in defect of sonnes it is equally parted betweene her daughters Howbeit neuerthelesse if she die barren without children the husband loseth all because landes euer by the common law of England follow the succession But if shee once had a child by him which was heard to crie the courtesie of our countrie is such that y ◠husband possesseth the said lands during his life If the wife haue only moueables as money plate cattell and such like all belong to her husband To knit vp this discourse If the husband haue any landes either by inheritance descended or purchased and bought and chance to die before his wife shee shall haue the vsufruit of one third part of his landes during her life as her dowrie whether hee hath child by her or no. The duties of the husband toward his wife Chap. 7. THe duties of a husband toward his wife are 7. The first that he giue honour to his wife as the weaker vessell for she is partaker of the grace of life The second hee must patiently brooke the hastinesse of his wife for there is nothing in the world more spitefull then a woman if shee be hardly dealt withall or egged to indignation Hence is the prouerbe Anger thy dogge and hee will bite thee The third dutie The husband in any case must not haue carnall copulation with any other but his owne wife for that is verie vniust by reason it dissolueth the girdle of faith and chastitie is the next way to cause her to hate him a woman is iealous and naturally suspitious and sith her husband breaketh with her she will not sticke to breake with him and priuilie borrow a nights lodging with her neighbour The fourth dutie the husband must not iniurie his wife by word or deede for a woman is a feeble creature and not endued with such a noble courage as the man shee is sooner prickt to the heart or mooued to passions then man and againe he that iniurieth his wife doth as if hee should spit into the aire and the same spittle returne backe vpon his owne selfe The fift the husband in disputations with his wife must sometimes confesse himselfe vanquished by her The sixt the husband must prouide for his wife and for her house-keeping according to his abilitie The seuenth the husband must suffer his wife to be merrily disposed before him otherwise a womans nature is such shee will by stealth find out some secret place or other to tattle in and to disport her self The eight and cheefest dutie is that the husband haue a special regard not to make two beddes for so hee may take away all causes of displeasure also if eyther of them chaunce to iarre by this meanes they may be soone pacified The duties of the wife towards her husband Chap. 8. BVt what shall the woman do shall shee do what seemeth good in her owne eyes no for S. Peter speaketh vnto wiues in this wise Let wiues be subiect to their husbands which is as much to say as they must not contradict them in any point but rather endeuour to please them by all meanes The second duty the wife must not forsake her husband in aduersity or deride him as Iobs wife did when shee bad him curse God and die but shee ought to