common in the Sea and waters which not onely in the beginning but still to this day do naturally bring forth fish and foule As among other things the Barnacle for example a creature not farre to be sought but even in our own Land with divers others All which are from the mixture of heat and moisture after a naturall manner compounded and brought forth of the earth or waters by the hand of nature Whereby may seem to some that Maâ— having his body framed and taken from the same substance and elementary Commâ—xture with the beasts took also his corporeall beginning But the Woman will seem a more Divine worke if the manner of her creation be with his compared For she was made not onely of such a matter but in such a manner as no other creature whatsoever For first as I have said she excell'd Adam in matter being made of bâ—ne and flesh a more purified and noble substance That the manner was much more miraculous is evident For she was made out of a living and sensible creature as no creature under Heaven but her self was All other creatures yea and Adam himself were made and produced by the ministration and operation of naturall Elements either out of the water or earth which are of themselves senseless but she from Adams owne sensible side to whom GOD had before not onely given a lively body but a living soule Had she been made but of the living flesh of some gentle beast it had yet been in respect of the lively and prepared matter somwhat more honourable then that of his whose substance of creation was base and senseles till it was purified and enriched with a sâ—ule but to be made of his refined living and sensible body and after so miraculous a manner must needs give great commendation and adde much respect unto her GOD is sayd according to Anselmus foure manner of wayes to produce Man into this World two whereof seem naturall and two are miraculous 1. The first way out of the naturall earth without Man or Woman as Adam was 2. The second way out of Man without a Woman as Eve out of Adam without the cooperation of nature miraculously 3. The third way by Man and woman as children are by common birth naturally 4. And the fourth way by a Woman without a Man as our Saviour Christ by the blessed Virgin Mary miraculously Thus you see the manner of her creation seemes more wonderfull and miraculous then that of his shee being indeed made only by God without influence cooperating from the Heavens or the earth Out of which consideration Agrippa is bold to set down his opinion thus plainely Vir itaque Naturae opus Mulier opi ficium Dei Man is therefore the worke of Nature and Women the workemanship of God If we observe moreover the Words which the Scripture and the Prophets and Fathers use in the description of the Creation we shall find some things worthy the consideration that expresse the manner of her creation to bee as excellent if not much above his The words which are most used in speaking of his making are feciâ— creavit finxit plasmavit formavit Fecit he formed creavit he began or first produced finxit properly hee made of earth plasmavit like a potters vessell formavit hee fashioned like clay Still intimating his low beginning out of the earth like a peece of Clay in the hands of the Potter Two of which words Creavit and fecit are as proper to the inferior beasts as to man But in the Description of her making though some of these words for variety sake some time also fall into the Storie yet those that doe most properly expresse it are of more elegance And the very words of Moses are sometimes translated Struxit sometimes Exstruxit and sometimes Aedificavit But of these three is the manner of her creation chiefly to bee discerned We will therefore observe them all in order for they all doe well expresse it First then Struxit hee framed like a right skillfull and provident workeman he first provided and prepared the matter and that was a Rib which to this purpose he had framed and made ready It is a word taken from carpenters which first hew and square out their worke to a fitnes before they begin it Which word struere saith Festus among the ancients signifies not onely to frame but augere to augment increase or multiplie which therein God did For taking but one rib from Adam he added so much matter unto it of himself as made up the Womans whole bodie and not only so increased the rib but the man who being before but one and alone was now male and female and two bodies yet but one flesh After this Extruxit he erected it For having first like a Skilfull Architector made the frame he now raises and sets it up For he gave not to man only Os sublime but did also in a most beautifull manner raise the Womans head face and countenance that she also might view heaven with her eies and touch heaven with her praiers as well as he Lastly Aedificavit after he had framed and erected hee builded finished and establisht her like a firme edifice and beautious house as having perfectly finished her and in â—er both heaven and earth It may be objected that she was but an old house new repaired or a broken rib of Adams set up-right againe But this word Aedificavit barres that conceipt quite for hee saith not instauravit but aedificavit which is saith Isidore nova Constructio a new building This word aedificavit is derived from Aedes a house the building whereof is called aedificatio The Woman therefore being aedificata and builded after the manner of a house must have and retain some qualities of an house also A house is thus Etymologiz'd by Sextus Pompeius Aedes est domicilium in edito loco positum simplex et unius aditus et aedes vocata quòd in eo aevum degatuâ— Aedes saith he is a house built in a high and eminent place So was Woman being made in Paradise loco editissimo the highest place of all the earth It is saith he simplex et unius aditus but one house and hath but one entrance so is a Woman For she must be but one one wife to one man who being joyned notwithstanding are but one still And there must be but one entrance unto her and that is by the lawfull way of marriage For whosoever comes other way is but a thief as I have said before Lastly he saith it is called Aedes quòd in eo aevum dâ—gatur because a Man liveth all his life in it so when GOD hath framed a wife for Man he must dwell with her even untill he die or till this beautifull building fall into the Lords hands before him When either he must marry again or be counted no housekeeper according to that of
hard and dryed So as her fabrick shewes rather as a new building and his like a thing decayed by the weather And this for the generall beauty of the frame but for the particular Symmetry of every severall part I will not meddle any further then only to speake of those parts briefly and modestly which they themselves lay open namely of the face hands and breasts First the very front or Face of this building that first meets with the eye confounds it and will scarce suffer it to looke any further Certainly God not only made her body an epitome of the Earth for proportion but her face also an epitome of Heaven for beauty which like some cleare glasse or mirror being turned upwards towards heaven presents it selfe wholly full of heavenly figures The round forehead resembling the bowing orbes the eye browes the rainebowes the eyes the starres and planâ—ts the red and white of the cheekes resemble the faire discoloured clouds the frownes resemble stormes and the smiles faire weather If heaven therefore be beautifull that face which in so small a compasse containes it must needs be faire indeed And this proves beauty to be heavenly and the daughter of the highest For as saith Anacharsis the greatest gift that God gave man was beauty For it delighteth the eye contenteth the minde and winneth good will and favour of all men So that if there were no more but this A beautifull countenance is a silent and sufficient commendation of it selfe Beauty saith Plato is a Privilege and prerogative of nature which hapneth but to a few It is therefore worth the having seeing it is a privilege and but a few have it Amongst whom of all creatures women seeme to bee the true owners of it For though there be a certaine generall beauty in all creatures as they are made by God and serve to adorne the whole universe Yet the chiefest and most delightfull to the heart of man is that of Woman which hath in it two qualities For it not only delights and warmes like the Sunne but sometimes to the resisters and violent contemners it burnes and consumes like lightning according to that of Guevarra An honest woman beautifull killeth with her countenance And justly are they so punished seeing hee which is a foe to beauty is an enemie to nature Beauty corporall is generally a good and proportionable agreeing coherence and compacture of all the severall parts of the body in one fairenesse as it doth especially in woman But in particular it shineth no where so ample as in the face and countenance wherein as Laurentius saies the beams of the divine Majesty so shine that all other creatures tremble at it especially in Women for in them all men admire and love it and all creatures else feare and tremble at it like as at fire from Heaven nay the Lyon the most fierce amongst others feares it and rages more against men then Women as giving more honour and reverence unto their countenance For the glory is so great that as the Sunne when it ariseth upon the high places of the Lord so is the beauty of a good Wife the ornament of her house And as the cleere light is upon the holy candlesticke so is the beautie of her face in a ripe age The Symmetrie and powerfull splendor whereof hath not only a property by opening the hearts of the beholders to make them discover their owne secrets as we have examples enow in Scripture by Sampson c. but it is the discoverer of it selfe and the most secret affections dispositions and passions of it owne heart Vultus est animi Imago the countenance is the Image of the mind saith Cicero And in another place Frons est animi Ianua the brow is the gate of the mind so that the gate lets forth the Image that you may soone see what the mind is If therefore the Image of the mind and the gate it stands in be so faire surely the mind it selfe in Women which is the Spirituall beauty must needs be faire and heavenly yea though they should deny it to be so with their owne tongues or any detractor for them Vultus loquitur quodcunque negas the very beauty of the countenance it selfe would convince them and declare it lowder But as in the Heaven the Sunne and Moone the greatest lightes beare greatest sway and make greatest show so in the countenance the Eyes sparkle forth greatest beauty and declare most the effects of our mind Oculos natura nobis dedit c. Nature saith Tully hath given us eyes as she hath given eares to Horses Lions c. that they may declare the motion of our mind Oculus Luâ—erna corporis the eye is the light of the Body and indeed not only the light wherby we see what is in others but the light whereby others see what is in us For as Salomon saieth a wise mans eyes are in his head but the eyes of a foole are in the foure corners of the World and rowling every way So that it seemes Wisdome folly anger pleasure griefe envy mirth sadnesse chastity or whoredome appear not fromus in any one part so apparantly as in the eye nay in Women in whom indeed they are fairest and most powerfull they do shew certaine signes of Barrennesse and Fruitfulnesse which in that Sex is greatly to be respected as Aristotle testifieth But as they discover much in themselves so have they a very great power in ruling the affections of others For from their beames saith Iohannes de Baptista porta proceeds health or sicknesse love or hate life or death to the object that they view according as they earnestly behold it either in love or hate Nescio quisteneros oculus mihi fascinat agnos saith Virgill And the same is confirmed by Plutarch for as he saith The eyes of faire and beautifull Women kindle fire like the Sun in the very hearts and soules of their lovers though they looke not on them but a farre off From whence grew no doubt the opinion of Strato the Philosopher who held that the commanding part of the Soule remained betweene the Eyes seeing that he saw so great power in them and their affection But if I should write of all the particular beauties in Womens faces I should draw this part which even already growes too long much farther then it ought Wherefore to conclude this point take the generall commendation of the face out of Laurentius thus In the face onely is the particular seat of all the five Senses because it is called the Image of the mind For in the â—rowes loftines in the Cheekes grace in the Chin majesty in the Forehead wisedome in the Visage beautie and in the Cheekes and Chin honesty dwelleth in it is the difference of Age and Sex and the signes of life and death to be perceived and it is this alone that allures
from farre from another family another shire nay sometimes another nation A Shippe is a defence against the waters of trouble in the Sea And a woman against the fires of temptation in the earth A good Shippe the greatest of all creatures moveable in Sea or Land is easily turned with a very small stern And a good woman not the least creature in the earth is as soon moved with a little word A Shippe goeth with her guider for his safety whither all winds blow him And a wife with her husband for his comfort whither all fortunes drive him A shippe under saile is the fairest sight in the Sea And a woman modestly attired is the delightfull est sight in the earth Thus you see both for profit and pleasure she is like in all these yea and many more too long to remember So that it seemes GOD having made Man to live and exercise his calling on Sea and Land provided for him a wife that should both resemble a shippe and a house an habitation for Man on earth and a Temple for GOD in Heaven More hath been added by others wherfore I will end this with the Etymology of a shippe out of Isidore Hispalensis Navim dictam saith he eo quâ—â— Gnavum rectorem quaerat It is called a shippe because it requires a well tried Pilot to guide it that is saith he a skilfull wise and valiant guide to direct and lead it safe through the dangers and chances of the Sea so certainly a good woman doth consequently require a good and honest guide a loving and carefull husband whose providence ought to provide for her and in her for himself against all the storms and chances of this troublesome Seâ— of the World Which nâ— doubt if it might so ofteâ— happen as it is hoped for anâ— desired we should not hear so many and lamentable complaints of such as for want of skill have violently shipwracked both fame credit and substance altogether But of this enough Let us now we have seen the Manner inquire what Form and beauty this aedifice and glorious frame carries For Templum also hath not his name in vaine it comes â— Tuendo from to behold from whence is derived Contemplari seriously to contemplate or advise And certainly this beautious building carrieth such a grace and Majesty with it that as the Epigram hath it Spectator quicunque venit decedit amator Aut illum virtus aut tua forma capit Who comes to view thy look a lover makes him Either thy vertue or thy beauty takes him Let us therefore examine what form it carieth and to what use it is so built that it may in some sort appeare how it can justly claim so great praise and Commendation CAP. V. FIRST then in generall for the form It was given of GOD Forma DEI manus saith Ovid. Therefore it must needs be excellent In all other workes the workman gives the form ad placitum but here ad imaginem in this the workman gave his own form to his own worke So she was made secundum Imaginem DEI according to the Image of GOD. Which although by Saint Ambrose and some others it be faintly denied yet Zanchius fortified with the opinions of Iraeneus Iustinus Tertullian and others doth set down the creation of woman to be in the image of God as well as mans These Fathers saith he are of opinion that the Sonne of GOD from the creation of the World was wont to take unto him the form of a humane body and in that to appeare and speak to the Fathers to wrestle with â—acob c. as it is plain in the Scriptures and that when he was to make Adam he then first of all took that form and made Man according to that bodily shape that he himself then ware c. and that the Same CHRIST in the same form from a ribbe of Adams made also the woman Besides more plainly in his Book of the Image of GOD in the Thesis that begins homo fuit totus factus c. he saith when I say Homo fuit that Man was wholly made in the Image of GOD I do not onely comprehend man but woman also And afterwards he qualifies many objections together with that opinion of Saint Ambrose shewing wherein he was mistaken We may see now who gave the form and according to what module and patern she was made namely after Gods own image which is most perfect But whether this building for the Form were square like a castle or cornerd like a triangle or round like a tower or like a Roman H. according to most of our modern aedifices is partly questionable To this must be answered that it is made in all the Geometricall proportions that are or can be imagined For as all Numbers and proportions for measure both of inches spannes digits cubits feet c. are derived from the members and dimensions of the humane body so is also the body answerable to all proportions buildings and figures that are Not onely answerable I say to the whole world of which it is an epitome but for the most part to every particular figure character building and fabrick in the World Those two the first and last proportions are the one imperfect mortall feminine The other immortall perfect masculine and twixt them both a Quadrat was the base proportioned equally by seaven nine Nine was the circle set in Heavens place all which compacted made a goodly Diapase Besides these proportions which in the Geometricall art signifie things both divine and humane as you have heard there is scarce a figure or character of a letter in the whole Alphabet which are the grounds and elements of all Arts and Sciences whatsoever but may be aptly figured and expressed by some Station metion or action of the Body All which were too long to particularize but hee that will make an ingenious triall may soone see the truth of it And all these forms are expressible in the body of Woman and man equally But among al the buildings of our time a Roman H. seemes to bee in greatest accompt Which letter notwithstanding in most languages is not a letter of weight but only a note of aspiration or breathing From whence a man that would let no occasion escape to warne him of his mortality might easily observe that all buildings honors and riches which the world seems most to imitate and rejoyce in are but an H. a note or marke of breathing a signe and figure of frailty which in the least stopping of the breath passeth away and falles againe into the earth from whence it was taken But of all letters it is the hardest for the body of man or Woman alone of it selfe to imitate an H. For it consists of two severall disjunct parts of letters that is to say of two II both which are signes of the singular and first person and are of themselves both good formes of building too but
unles there come some-what that after a friendly manner may joyne them together they both still remaine singular and alone and the building can never come into its desired and beautifull forme Wherefore if either man or woman being alone and built according to the singular and first person I doe desire to change for a better There is no better way to establish and make them most firmely grow into this well approved forme then by the love of their hearts to reach each other their hands in direct sinceritie thus I I And let the even and straight course of marriage fully and firmely establish them into one letter H. Which not only by uniting of two bodies makes them eâ—ven but by bringing them into the forme of this letter H makes their eaven Heaven if they continue in the love which first joyned them which is indeed Heaven upon earth We see now by this that hath bin said that the forme of this building is not bound to any one particular figure or fashion And good reason is there for if God hath given man such a wit and understanding to build his earthly habitations and houses in so divers squares rounds angles and corners no doubt but the house which hee himselfe would build for the honour of his name should containe them all and as farre surpasse them as the worke of God doth the worke of man Seeing therefore to circumscribe the forme to certaine limits were but to disgrace the worke wee will not compare it in particular to any one thing but speaking generally as of a curious building follow the Allegory of a house Which name it naturally without any crushing deriveth from the word in Scripture Aedificium a building Omnia Aedificia saith Isidore All buildings consist of three parts Dispositio id est fundamentorum descriptio the foundation Secondly Constructio laterum altitudinis the erecting of the frame with the sides and the knitting of the joynts and the top-cover for the strength and safeguard of all And lastly venustas the beauty and ornament whereby it is made not only profitable for use but pleasant and delightfull to the sight Hitherto therefore what I have said of the forme may as well be referred to the body of man as Woman so as yet she is but Mulier homo and all one with him But in these three parts last recited growes the difference which makes for her great commendation First then wee will begin like workemen at Fundamentorum descriptio the foundation and afterwards discourse of framing the sides and lastly of the ornament Fundamentum The foundation is the lowest part of any building the use being to sustaine the rest But in foundations there is much difference For they are not alwayes either of one matter or of one forme For sometimes the foundation is of stone when the building is of brick and sometimes of brick when the building is of Timber For the forme it is sometime made Pyramidically broad below and narrow upwards and sometimes of an equall breadth throughout But of all foundations that is the surest that is of the same matter and substance with the whole building bee it stone or brick for wooden foundations are not aedifices but cottages And that forme is most firme and faire both by common opinion experience and rules of art that standeth upon arches In this building therefore if wee will declare it to bee perfect we must see if it bee all of one substance from the foundation and whether the foundation stand after that forme or no. First to prove the foundation of this divine building to bee all one with the rest for substance and matter from the top to the toe were easie out of Genesis but even in nature it is sufficiently showne For if you observe by that time the foundation riseth but knee height it hath so great affinity with the head that the eyes as Bateman on Bartholomeus observes are most inclined and soonest weepe when the body is bowed and rests upon the bended knees so great a Sympathy is there betweene them which affection as he supposes growes from this that because they lay neerest together in the wombe therefore there is such love between them But I suppose it is because they are all of one matter which comes next to be examined The faithfull are compared by our Saviour to a house built upon a rock As if that foundation were surest that were built on a rocke Stone or rocke is the hardest part of the earth and is answerable to bones in Microcosmus or the little earth of the humane body as I have shewed before So that as stone is preferred before sand in the earth so bone is preferred before flâ—sh in the body as the firmest foundation Of great bones are the thighes and legges which are the foundation made Nay of the greatest bones saith Magirus which for forme like two white pillars of Ivorie covered and interlaced with flesh and blewish veines resembling the pretie rivers in purest Marble doe support and beare up the whole body with an equall distance According to that in the Canticles Thy legs are like pillars of marble set upon sockets of fine gold And againe As golden pillars are upon Sockets of Silver so are faire feet with a constant minde Where in the same booke she her selfe is called a pillar to rest upon These pillars I say â— with a comely proportion beare up the whole body like a curious arch whose joynts are compared to jewells the worke of the hand of a cunning workeman by Solomon in the Canticles But here is the difference that these pillars are more large and faire in women then those that support the bodies of men And not only so in humane bodies but almost generally in all brute beasts and creatures of the earth whose females for the most part are larger then the males The reason for the largenesse and firmenesse of this foundation above that of mans may be easily gathered from the observation of the Constructio the frame or fabrick of the rest of her body to to which by order we are come For as the greater the house and the weight thereof is the more firme and strong the foundation ought to bee So womans body being a more large and spacious building requires a more round and solid support to uphold and beare it For the female body hath in it not only all the roomes and divisions in the male body but diverse others besides that he hath not And it is made of purpose so large and faire not to bee a weight trouble or burden unto her but that shee might with more ease containe and cary that burden which shall after grow into so faire an aedifice as her selfe Shee is therefore so largely made with so many more roomes then the masculine building because shee must containe another house within her with an unruly ghest and all provision necessarie for him The particulars