Selected quad for the lemma: friend_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A36720
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The accomplish'd woman written originally in French ; since made English by the Honourable Walter Montague, Esq.; Honneste femme. English
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Du Bosc, Jacques, d. 1660.; Montagu, Walter, 1603?-1677.
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1656
(1656)
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Wing D2407A; ESTC R3125
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57,674
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154
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Camna wife to Synates used all manner of devices to bring her to yeeld to his passion but all his pursuits with the eminency of his Qualitie having no power to shake the resolution of this Lady he imagined that if her Husband were out of the world he should compasse what had been refused him He put him to death and after this cruelty importuned so the kindred of this Widow that she made show of an agreement to a Marriage with Synogaris when they came to the Ceremonies and that they were to go to the Temple of Diana this chast Lady carried with her a drink of which she drank half her self and then gave the rest to Synogaris who drank it joyfully not imagining it to be poyson Camna seeing her designe accomplish'd cast her self upon her knees before the Image of Diana to whom she presented these thanks and excuses Great Deity thou knowest how unwillingly and to what purpose I have consented to a Marriage with this murderer If Grief kill'd as often as it ariseth to an extreme I had not been now in this world where notwithstanding I have not refused to stay a while to take vengeance of this persidious man that thou seest who beleeves that I can love him after he hath ravished from me my dear Synatis Think on thy self barbarous man and confesse what right I have to sacrifize thy life to that which thou hast rob'd my Husband of I do not reckon mine own since I have imploy'd the end of it to give posterity a remarkable testimony of my love and thy cruelty Camna was so happy as to see him die first though he drank last the Gods gave this satisfaction to her Fidelity and she went out of this world often calling upon Synatis that he might come and meet her to accompany her in this her journey Can men produce a nobler example of Constancy and was it not an erring Philosopher that maintained publickly that among a thousand men there could hardly be found one constant but amongst all women none If Constancy be shewn in the continuation of a designe in spight of all impeachments and crosses how great was that of Psyche in the search of Cupid shee saw three goddesses set against her pretensions Iuno Ceres and Venus and yet her passion became victorious over their malevolence she did things that seemed impossible she went down to hel where she spoke to Proserpina and the gods esteemed so much her resolution that they Deified her and gave her her love which she had sought so constantly After so many effects of their fidelity it is hard to decide whether the Prince of Philosophers had reason to compare women kind to the first matter because they desire alwaies to change forms and though they have a most perfect one they turne a generall inclination for all others This Philosopher meant to conclude by this parallel that women are insatiable and variable for men as matter is for formes But it is a comparison too injurious and would suit better with this Philosopher then with the lightest woman since he left his Herina for another Mistresse to whom he erected Altars to convince himselfe with more solemnity of that fault which he had accused women of They have more reason to complain of men then to fear their reproaches How is the simplicity of credulous ones now abused What pawn soever men give they my be better called cousners then inconstant because at the same time that they promise fidelity they purpose to violate it so as there is no change in their resolution but only in their discourse Variablenesse doth not distract Wits of the higher strain one may rely on them even their least designes remain firm in all the storms of Fortunes Levity ariseth from the weaknesse of the brain and Constancy from the force of it After Affection hath fastned two hearts the separation of them should be impossible for if Love in its own nature be immortal it is not true if it can cease St. Austine himself said that his friend and he seemed to have but one soul to live as well as to love and death had not so properly separated two as divided one and after the losse of this his confident he feared death and abhorted life because without him he lived but one half of himself and that he was obliged to preserve this rest lest his friend should die out-right There were few so constant as this great person On the contrary many would believe themselves too innocent if they did not annex treachery and persidiousnesse to Inconstancy I cannot conceive how there should any remain of this profession because all the world detests it those that use it distrust it and those that are injured by them cannot orgive them Indeed not to pursue all the â—â—ules of Physiognomy to know them their mind alone witnesseth that falling out with all the world they do not agree themselves confessing without speaking that horrour which is their sins conception It must needs be that theirs is the greatest guilt in the world since they arraign themselves in their own Court of Conscience even going sometime as far as execution with their own hands practising a new form of justice where they are Judges Parties Accusers and Executioners though we naturally love our selves they cannot shew themselves mercy and one may read in the colour of their face that none can absolve them when their own soul condemns them and torments them It must needs be the most horrible and the most inexcusable of all sins since those that are guilty of it have so much pain to commit it and that they do much harm unto themselves in doing it to others 'T is for this reason that Fidelity is alwayes cheerfull among thorns and Perfidiousnesse alwayes troubled and pensive even in the beds of Roses A loyal spirit feels not his torments and a trayterous one tasts not his pleasures Their senses are diversly suspended because vitiousness bitters even their delights and vertue sweetens and relisheth the others ills and sufferings There needs no proofs to shew that Women are seldomer perfidious then men we may judg by these following examples of the rest What excuse could Ptolomy King of Aegypt find after the receit of so many obligations from Pompey for his commanding him to be murthered while he fled to him for refuge after the defeat of Pharsalia those that have read the History will confesse that it was an unparallell'd cruelty and treachery Though Iulius Caesar had declared Brutus for his heir yet he was one of the first that struck him in the Senate without any consideration of the favours which he expected or enjoyed from this Emperor When the soul is sullied with this vice it is capable of all the malice that can be imagined Covetousness keeps close to it which when any woman hath a propensity to she can hardly be faithful there is nothing that she would not buy or sell to be made rich It
judged capable of vice by weaknesse if not by illnesse There are those that speake ill of other on purpose yet would seem to do it unwillingly but 't is to do like Archers that draw the shaft towards themselves that it may go stronger to the mark How much error and vanity is there in our judgments and discourse since between the even and the next morning we differ from our selves more then wee did from others How can we be assured that she that was to day given to pleasure shall not to morrow shut her self up to austerity But suppose our judgments be not false we must needs offend against charity if not against truth Such as have but yet committed one sinne should not be called vitious and those that have done many it may be will not continue in them the first correct the other change themselves And indeed there is no certainty to speake of the illnesse of any without indangering a lie since a moment or a thought are enough to change perdition into penitence Of a Debauched Woman THere are few such Islands as that of Cio where it is said that the lawes of honour and chastity were preserved in their purity the space of seven hundred years without ever being violatedby the ladies of the country I know not whether it be an effect of their cunning or their vertue but howsoever it was either a chastity or a reputation of a great standing which deserves as much admiration as the depravation of this age doth blame sufferings or corrections It may be this discourse will not be welcome to such as I should be glad it should be usefull But if the vitious be not disposed to take our remedies for this cure at least they must resolve to endure our reproaches for their shame and if our precepts be not Soveraigne enough to close up the incurable ulcers of these old she-sinners and to draw them out of the mire where the weight of their crimes hath buried them and those whose eyes are more contrite then their consciences being alwaies awater rather to lament the losse of their youth then the enormity of their crimes at least this will restraine the young ones from sinking into so obstinate a loosnesse I speake boldly of all because if they be debauched I would not be friends with them if they be vertuous I need not fear falling out with them the one will applaud my censure the other wil do me honour in disproving of my doctrine as I do of their life This passion is not that which properly is called love but some other disease which cannot be cured but by miracle and one may reproach such as are infected with it as the Poet did Myrrha that it is not Cupid but one of the enraged furies that lights such a flame It is a fire of hell that has blindnesse for smoke scandal for light and infamy and shame for ashes these are the sad relicks of such that having long prostituted themselvs save of the ruins of their honor nothing but a sad repentance but what honour soever we conceive of them we must be more obscure then reprochful in this matter in which we should cover by modesty that which hatred truth might oblige us to publish this crime has one great advantage being so reproveable that its own beastlinesse defends it but 't is rather by others shame then pity Those that have inclination for all our sex love none though they love all when one is come to that passe there is no more distinction the most bruitish seemes the loveliest their fire kindles even in water by objects that deserve even horror and hatred Semyramis loved a horse Pasiphae a Bull Glauce a Dog and Glaucippe an Elephant Appelles musing on this drew Venus face with her mouth halfe open to shew that those of her humour have never their mouths closed for lures to their own designes and though they be never so old their desires alwaies exceed their abilities Indeed many resemble Iberina in Iuvenal that would have as many men as kisses Then the number of their sinnes passes that of their thoughts and without borrowing any thing from Poetry one may say that Arithmetick cannot multiply so high Many of this humor have sought remedies for their infamous disease in magicall intoxications What extravagancy is it to think to find in druggs means to be beloved as if love had any roots but in merit and vertue 't is that which gives it birth and nourishment and those that use so much art to make themselves lovely run the hazard which Apuleius speakes of that used an oyntment to get wings to flie in at his Mistriss window but in stead of being changed into a bird he was turned into a beast If herbs had any power to recover those that are struck with this disease Apollo which is the god of Physick would have made use of it when the beauty of Daphne had made him quit heaven for earth and chang'd the form of a god for that of a shepherd Those that endure with so much delight lascivious discourse show that they would take much more in the action and that there is nothing said to them but what they are acquainted with both by knowledg and desire 't is not their gentleness nor good humor that brings this facility complacency reaches not so farre Modesty is alwaies severe when it is entire and is tainted when it is brought to such a softnesse The widow of Sigismund discovered her self sufficiently by an answer she made to those who counselled her to imitate the turtles That she loved as much the company of men as our Lady apprehended that of an Angell she told him that if she were to live like birds she would take an example rather from Sparrows then Doves There is no less danger to read mens Courtings then to hear them After Helin had opened Paris his letter she imagined then that she ought to refuse him nothing When one has given any favour she engages her selfe afterwards beyond either the obligation or the intention Those that have no mind to be overcome should at first distance all rash hope lest they take a gentle refusall for a permission As the most ill-favoured have most need of painting so the most debauched are most curious in the apparency of vertue This is the reason that they are ordinarily unequall appearing to day insolent according to their humour and to morrow modest by affectation Those that compare vitious women to Syrens it may be do not know the mystery of this similitude One of the monsters was call'd Parthenope which is to say virgin having a smiling face to allure Marriners to break their Ships against the points of rocks that were cover'd under water The most immodest ordinarily study to appear the chastest but for all their falsifying they are whirlepits of infamy where none but the unadvised and desperate are shipwracked The reservednesse of an honest woman is far different