deliuerers of her people And so much for the Legend But Richardus Diuisiensis sayth That being awed by Earle Godwin and for the feare of hasarding his life and kingdome Edward was compelled by threats and menaces to the marriage of Editha Moreouer Polydore reports That for the hate he bore her father who had not long before most trayterously slaine his brother Alphred hee caused himselfe to be diuorced from her seising her goods and dower to his owne vse and pleasure Ranulphus and one that writes himselfe Anonimos as willing to conceale his name say That shee was disrobed of all her Queene-like honors and confined into the Abbey of Warnwell with only one maid to attend her and so committed to the strict custodie of the Abbesse William of Malmesbury and Marianus Scotus haue left remembred That hee neyther dismissed her his bed nor carnally knew her but whether it was done in hatred to her kindred or purpose of Chastitie they are not able to determine Robert Fabian confesseth as much in his Chronicle Part. 6. cap. 210. Howsoeuer the effects of that abstenious life were not onely preiudiciall but brought lamentable effects vpon this distracted kingdome namely Innouation and Conquest for Edward dying without issue England was inuaded and opprest by the Normans and the people brought to that miserie that happie was that subiect that could say I am no Englishman And in this agree Matthew Paris Capgraue Fabian and Polydore As I hold it not necessarie for marryed folke to tye themselues to this strict kind of abstinence so I hold it not conuenient for any such as haue to themselues and in their soules taken vpon them the strict life of Virginitie to be compelled to an enforced marriage as may appeare by this discourse following recorded by Gulielm Malmsburien Simeon Danelmens Matthew Paris Roger Houeden Capgraue c. Henry the first of that name king of England and crowned in the yeere of Grace 1101 was by the instigation of Anselme once a Monke of Normandie but after by William Rufus constituted Archbishop of Canterburie marryed vnto Maude daughter to Malcolme the Scottish king she hauing taken a Vow and being a profest Nunne in the Abbey of Winchester Much adoe had the King her father the Queene her mother her Confessor Abbesse or the Bishop to alienate her from her setled resolution or persuade her to marriage but being as it were violently compelled thereunto she cursed the Fruit that should succeed from her bodie which after as Polydore affirmes turned to the great misfortune and miserie of her children for afterwards two of her sonnes William and Richard were drowned by Sea Besides her daughter Maude who was afterwards Empresse prooued an vnfortunate Mother and amongst many other things in bringing forth Henry the second who caused Thomas Becket to be slaine it thus happened All forraine warres being past and ciuile combustions pacified in the yeere of our Lord 1120 Henry the first with great ioy and triumph left Normandie and came into England But within few dayes following this great mirth and iollitie turned into a most heauie and fearefull sorrow for William and Richard his two sonnes with Mary his daughter Otwell their Tutor and Guardian Richard Earle of Chester with the Countesse his wife the Kings Neece many Chapleines Chamberlaines Butlers and Seruitors for so they are tearmed in the storie the Archdeacon of Hereford the Princes play-fellowes Sir Geffrey Rydell Sir Robert Maldvyle Sir William Bygot with other Lords Knights Gentlemen great Heires Ladyes and Gentlewomen to the number of an hundred and fortie besides Yeomen and Mariners which were about fiftie all these sauing one man which some say was a Butcher were all drowned together and not any one of their bodyes euer after found Many attribute this great Iudgement to the heauie Curse of Queene Maude others censure of it diuersly Howsoeuer in this King as Polydore sayth ended the Descent and Lyne of the Normans Of this Anselme before spoken of there are diuerse Epistles yet extant to many women in those dayes reputed of great Temperance and Chastitie as To Sister Frodelina Sister Ermengarda Sister Athelytes Sister Eulalia Sister Mabily and Sister Basyle To Maude Abbesse of Cane in Normandie and Maude the Abbesse of Walton here in England Hee writ a Treatife about the same time called Planctus a missae Virginitatis i. A bewayling of lost Virginitie So farre Iohn Bale And so much shall serue for Chast Wiues in this kind being loth to tyre the patience of the Reader Of Women Wantons DIon the Historiographer in Tiberio sayth that Lyuia the wife of Augustus Caesar beholding men naked sayd to the rest about her That to continent women and chast matrons such obiects differed nothing from statues or images for the modest heart with immodest sights ought not to be corrupted The vnchast eye more drawes the poyson of sinne from beautie which is Gods excellent workemanship from which the chast and contrite heart deriues the Creators praise and glorie But my hope is that in exposing vnto your view the histories of these faire Wantons you will looke vpon them should I strip them neuer so naked with the eyes of Lyuia that is to hold them but as beautifull statues or like Appelles his woman not better than a picture of white Marble I haue heard of a man that liuing to the age of threescore and ten had led so austere a life that in all that time he neuer touched the bodie of a woman and had proposed to himselfe to carrie that Virginall vow with him to his graue but at length being visited with sickenesse and hauing a faire estate purchased with his small charge and great husbandrie and therefore willing to draw out the thread of his life to what length he could hee sent to demaund the counsell of the Phisitians who hauing well considered the estate of his bodie all agreed in this that since the phisick of the soule belonged not to them but onely the phisick of the bodie they would freely discharge their duties and indeed told him that this present estate was dangerous and they found but onely one way in art for his cure and recouerie which was in plaine tearmes To vse the companie of a woman and so tooke their leaues and left him to consider of it Loath was the old man to loose his Virginitie which hee had kept so long but more loath to part with his life which he desired to keepe yet longer and hauing meditated with himself from whom he was to depart and what to leaue behind him namely his possessions his money his neighbours friends and kindred and whether hee was to remooue to the cold and comfortlesse graue he resolued with himselfe to prolong the comfort of the first and delay as long he could the feare of the last Therefore hee resolued rather than to be accessorie to the hastening his owne death to take the counsell of the doctors It was therfore so ordered by
APOLLO CLIO THALIA TERPSICHORE POLYMNIA TUNAIKEION or NINE BOOKES of Various History Concerninge Women Inscribed by the names of the Nine Muses Written by Thom Heywoode Aut prodesse solent aut delectare LONDON Printed by ADAM ISLIP 1624. EVTERPE MELPOMENE ERATO VRANIA CALLIOPE Aut prodesse solent aut delectare TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE AND MOST NOBLE EDVVARD SOMERSET Earle of Worcester Baron Herbert of Ragland Lord Chepstowe Strigull and Gower Lord Priuie Seale Knight of the most Noble Order of the Garter and one of his Maiesties Priuie Councell RIGHT HONOVRABLE AFter so long a discontinuance and neglect of a most acknowledged dutie I durst not assume that boldnesse nor dare I now without blushing to appeare before you at this present did I not bring the Nine Muses with an Armie of Goddesses and Women to mediate in my behalfe In these few sheets I haue lodged to the number of three thousand who could they speake would vndoubtedly informe you that they were acquired and sought out for no other reason than to be exposed to your noble view and most iudiciall censure All which I haue charmed with such art that the fairest amongst them you may admit into your Bedchamber without suspition and the most clamorous into your Closet without noyse Amongst the illustrious Queenes your Lordship may reade those whom you haue as zealously honored as you haue been by them royally fauored Q. Elizabeth Q. Anne Amongst the Noble Ladies memorated for their incomparable Beauties or commended to posteritie for their admirable Vertues thinke my Lord you behold all the vnparalleld accomplishments of the excellent Ladies your Daughters intended and comprehended And to whom more pertinently may I commend the patronage of good women than to your Honor who hath been the happie Husband fortunate Father of such If you happen of others in this Tractat contrarily disposed they are but as Foyles to set off the lustre of the former for Vertue and Vice Beautie and Deformitie discouered together makes the horrid aspect of the one more odible and the imitable glory of the other more eminent Therfore Minerua still thought her selfe fairest when Medusa's Head was present which was of all others the foulest If your Lordship from your more weightie designes of State and grauer Imployments can spare any retyred houres and in them to vouchsafe the perusall of these few imperfect histories I shall not only hold my trauaile well vndertaken but liberally rewarded I was my Lord your creature and amongst other of your seruants you bestowed me vpon the excellent Princesse Q. Anne to whose memorie I haue celebrated in these Papers the zeale of a subiect and a seruant but by her lamented death your Gift my Lord is returned againe into your hands being stil yours either to keepe vnto your selfe or to conferre where your noble disposition shall best please Howsoeuer as I haue euer been an admirer of your Vertues so my prayers still are they may not only continue you a lasting Honor here vpon Earth but purchase you an euerlasting Glorie reserued for you in Heauen Your poore yet faithfull seruant THO. HEYWOOD TO THE READER GEnerous Reader I haue exposed to thy most iudiciall view a Discourse of Women wherein expect not that I should either enuiously carpe at the particular manners or actions of any liuing nor iniuriously detract from the Sepulchers of the dead the first I could neuer affect the last I did alwayes detest I only present thee with a Collection of Histories which touch the generalitie of Women such as haue either beene illustrated for their Vertues and Noble Actions or contrarily branded for their Vices and baser Conditions in all which I haue not exceeded the bounds and limits of good and sufficient Authoritie Here thou mayest reade of all degrees from the Scepter in the Court to the Sheepe-hooke in the Cottage of all Times from the first Rainebow to the last blazing Starre of all knowne Nations from the North to the Meridian and from the East to the Septentrion of all Faiths Iewes Pagans or Christians of all Callings Virgins Wiues or Widowes of the Faire and Foule Chast and Wanton of each of these something Briefely of all Estates Conditions and Qualities whatsoeuer In the Goddesses and other Poeticall Fictions which to some Readers may appeare fabulously impossible you shall find their misticall sences made perspicuous and plaine with the true intent of the Poets which was not as some haue dreamed meerely to transferre Worship and Honor vpon Naturall Causes thereby to debarre the true and euer-liuing Creator of his diuine Adoration but rather including in darke and aenigmaticall Histories Precepts of Wisdome and Knowledge least they should be made too popular and therefore subiect to contempt The like Illustrations you shall find in the Nymphes Graces Oreades Driades Hamadriades c. No seeming Fable being here remembred though neuer so intricate obscure which is not made plaine and easie In the Muses you shall meet with the first Inuentresses of all good Arts and Disciplines in the Sybills their diuine Prophesies set downe at large in the Vestalls the honor due to Chastitie in Queenes how such should beare themselues in their power and other Noble Ladies in their obedience Wiues may reade here of chast Virgins to patterne their Daughters by and how to demeane themselues in all Coniugall loue towards their Husbands Widowes may finde what may best become their solitude and Matrons those accomplishments that most dignifie their grauitie and so of the rest Now if any aske Why I haue shut vp and contruded within a narrow roome many large Histories not delating them with euerie plenarie circumstance I answer That therein I haue imitated Aelianus de Var. Hist. and Valer. Maxim who epitomised great and memorable acts reducing and contracting into a compendious Method wide and loose Histories giuing them notwithstanding their full weight in few words Some also may cauill that I haue not introduced them in order neither Alphabetically nor according to custome or president which I thus excuse The most cunning and curious Musick is that which is made out of Discords and Ouid preferres a blunt Carriage and a neglected Habit aboue all sprucenesse and formalitie It may be likewise obiected Why amongst sad and graue Histories I haue here and there inserted fabulous Ieasts and Tales sauouring of Lightnesse I answer I haue therein imitated our Historicall and Comicall Poets that write to the Stage who least the Auditorie should be dulled with serious courses which are meerely weightie and materiall in euerie Act present some Zanie with his Mimick action to breed in the lesse capable mirth and laughter For they that write to all must striue to please all And as such fashion themselues to a multitude consisting of spectators seuerally addicted so I to an vniuersalitie of Readers diuersly disposed I may be further questioned Why I haue in the Front of my Booke no Encomiasticks or commendatorie Verses from my friends to
Vlisses sage And chast Penelope gaine much applause Especiallie from Agamemnons ghost Who had to him a fate much contrarie Yet whom in life he had respected most Meane time Vlisses that much long'd to see His fatherâ— old Laertes freelie tells His fortunes dangers trauells miserie Both forreine and domesticke what strange spells Witchcrafts and ship-wracks had so long detein'd him From his graue Father and his constant Queene And to what dyrefull exegents constrein'd him In what strange coasts and climats he had beene By this the Fathers of the Sutors dead Grieuing their Sonnes should so vntimely fall Take counsell and 'gainst th'Ithacan make head These he opposes and repells them all But gathering new supplyes by Ioues command Pallas from heauen descends t' attone these iarres To free all forraine forces from the land And by her wisedome compromise these warres By his decrees and her owne wisedome guided Armes are surceast all difference is decided Pallas hath beene often inuocated by the Poets but amongst infinite I will onelie instance one and that for the elegancie Homer in his long peregrination through Greece and other countries sometimes by sea and sometimes by land and by the reason of his blindnesse groaping his way hee happened to passe by a place where Potters were at worke and setting such things as they had newlie moulded into their furnace who finding by his harpe for he seldome trauelled without it being one of the best meanes he had to get his liuing that hee had some skill in Musicke intreated him that hee would play them a fit of Myrth and sing them a fine song which if hee would doe they would giue him so manie small pots and necessary drinking cups for his labour vayles that belonged to their trade The conditions were accepted and he presentlie to his harpe sung this extemperoll dittie called Caminus or Fornax Oh Potters if you 'l giue to me that hyre Which you haue promis'd thus to you I 'le sing Descend ô Pallas and their braines inspire And to their trade thy best assistance bring That their soft chalices may harden well And their moist cups of clay waxe browne and dry This being done they may with profit sell And customers from all parts come to buy Not to the market onelie but euen here Where they be forg'd and burnt so shall it be When I am pleas'd and you haue sold them deere Profit to you and couenant with me But if you mocke me and my meede deny All hydeous mischiefes to this furnace throng May those grosse plagues that thicken in the sky Meete at this forge to witnesse this my wrong Hither rush Smaragus and with him bring Asbetes and Sabactes quench their fire Oh Pallas 'bout their roomes their models fling On Ouen shoppe and furnace vent thine Ire Else let Omodomas with too much heat Cracke all their vessels and their art confound Pash all their workes to mammocks I intreat Pull furnace forge harth house and all to ground That they may bruise together in their fall Whilst all the Potters quake with such a ruine As when huge masts are split and cracks withall The warring winds the sea-mans wracke pursuing In such a tempest let the chimneyes shatter And the vast frame within his basses sinke Whilst 'bout their eares the tyles and rafters clatter That all their pipkins steanes and pots for drinke And other vses may be crasht to powder And so conuert againe into that myre Whence they were forg'd Or if a horror lowder May be deuis'd here vent thy worst of Ire Else let that Witch that calls Apollo father Who can from hell the blackest furies call All her infectious drugs and poysons gather And sprinkle them on worke-men worke and all Let Chiron to this forge his Centaurs bring All that suruiued the battell 'gainst Ioues sonne That they these pots against the walles may ding And all their labour into ruine runne Till what they see be nothing and these heare Spectators of this wracke may howle and yell And their great losse lament with many a teare Whilst I may laugh alooofe and say 't was well And to conclude That he that next aspires But to come neere the furnace where they stand May be the fuell to these raging fires And be consum'd to ashes out of hand So may the rest that shall escape this danger Be warn'd by these how to deride a stranger That the former writers might demonstrate vnto vs That humane actions are not altogether so gouerned by the force coelestiall but that there is some place left open for mans prudence and wisedome and besides to deliuer vnto vs how acceptable the knowledge of good things is to him who is the giuer of all graces they therefore left this expression to posteritie that Wisedome was the daughter of Iupiter and borne without a mother since God is onelie wise and men not so but meerelie in a similitude or shadow Therefore to manifest the power of Wisedome they feigned her to come into the world armed because the wise man respects not the iniuries of Fortune nor puts his trust in any worldlie felicitie further than by counsell and patience to subdue the one and moderate the other still placing his hopes in that fountaine from whence she first proceeded Next because the feare of the Lord is the beginning of Wisedome shee is said to haue coâ—batted Giants the sonnes of the earth such as in that great Gigomantichia would haue pluckt Iupiter out of his throane by which are intended the presumptions of nature and the insolencies of men who all seruice and adoration to the diuine powers neglected are not affraide to make insurrection against heauen it selfe I may therefore conclude that all humane wisedome different against the diuine will is vaine and contemptible since the good man is onelie wise and in the grace and fauour of his maker DIANA SHe is the daughter of Iupiter and Latona the goddesse of Virginitie and Chastitie In the heauen shee is called Luna the Moone in the Earth Diana in Hell or amongst the Infernalls Proserpina of which three-fold power she is called Triformis and Triula The places sacred to her were as Valerius Flaccus affirms Parthenius a flood of Paphlagonia She with her brother Apollo was borne in Cinthus a mountaine hanging ouer Delos of whom Statius saith they are both called Cinthij In Ephesus a cittie of Ionia or Lydia she had a magnificent Temple numbered amongst the seauen wonders of the world In Bauron a cittie of Attica she was likewise honoured And as Lucan testates in Taurus a mountaine in Sicilie and as Virgil in Delos Notior vt canibus non iam sit Delia nostris Not Delia to our dogges is better knowne Horace reports her to haue two mountaines in Italie dedicated to her deitie Auentinus and Algidus In her sacrifices a Hart was still offered at her Altar and dogges or hounds as Ouid writes Exta canum Triuia vidi mactare Sabaeos Et quicunque
whose example Pallas soone puts on A Beldams shape transports her selfe anon To Ariachne who with her compares And hauing after strife wrought sundry chares Pallas transhapes her to a spider leauing Her antient Art to take delight in weauing This mooues not Niobe who late had lost Her children and in diuerse turmoyles tost Is chang'd to stone Now when the people knew This portent they the memorie renew Of the base Lysian rustickes turnd to Frogges And by Diana doom'd to liue in bogges They Marsias likewise can remember still Who ranks his musicke with Apolloes quill But he that 'gainst the gods sought praise to winne In this contention lost both lawd and skinne When all the neighbouring citties came to cheere Distressed Thebes the Athenians absent were And to their sorrowes can no comfort bring Being at home awde by a tyrant king Tereus who the faire Philomel ' deflowring Turnes to a Lapwing in the ayre still towring As Philomel ' into a Nightingale And Progne to a Swallow This sad tale Vnto Pandion told he dyes with griefe In whose sad king dome next succeedes as chiefe Ericteus Orithea the faire His daughter Boreas to his kingdome bare Of her he Calain and Zethus got Amongst the Argonauts these tooke their lot There Iason the whitâ— teeth off serpents sew Of which men arm'd in compleat harnesse grew The waking dragon made to sleepe the Fleece Of gold from Phasis after brought to Greece Medea he beares thence She by her art Makes young old Aeson promising to impart Like good to Peleus to his daughters showing From a decrepit Ram a young lambe growing But slew him by her fraud Transported thence She with Aegeus makes her residence Against whom Minos wars hauing collected Men from all places by his skill directed As some from Paros which long time before Arne betrayd for which she euer wâ—re The shape of Daw. King Aeacus supplyes With Mirmidons that did from pismires rise King Minos Cephalus these forces led Who seeing to adulterat his owne bed Preuailes with Procris whil'st his dogges in chace Of a wild fox both in the selfe same place Are chang'd to stoneâ— Minos Alchathoe woone Nisus and Scilla are in shape foredoone He to a Hawke she to a Larke is shifted And through the aire with their light feather lifted Thence he returnes to Creete all sad and dull Where liu'd the Minotaure halfe Man halfe Bull Him Theseus slew and after doth beguile Faire Ariadne left in Naxos Isle With her god Bacchus enters amorous warres And placeth on her head a crowne of starres Young Icarus with his old father flies And downe into the sea drops from the skies His death whil'st Daedalus laments his sees The Partridge new transformed Now by degrees Theseus winnes fame scarce spoken of before Being cal'd to hunt the Calidonian Boore Which Meleager slew and died by th' hand Of his owne mother in the fatall brand His sisters with loud shreekes his death proclaime Being all chang'd into birds that beare his name He visits Achelous in his way And all these Islands that but th' other day Were Nymphes and Naides which appeared true Since the like transformation Lelex knew In Baucis and Philemon whom he sees Growing before him in the shape of trees Their cottage made a Temple for their sakes The village where they dwelt all standing lakes Achelous addes to these the transformations Of Proteus and of Mestra with the fashions That he himselfe appeared in when he prou'd His strength 'gainst Hercules both deerely lou'd Faire Deianeira who hauing vnderstood Her husbands scapes dipt in the Centaures blood A fatall shirt Alcides doth expire Being after made a starre Lychas her squire Is sixt a sea-rocke whil'st Alcmena hyes To Iole and as they two deuise She tells her of Galantis before made A monstrous Weasill th' other showes the glâ—de In which at that time shee might growing see Her elder sister now growne to a tree To them comes Iolaus in the way Made young by Hebeâ— Ioue himselfe can say And instance Aeacus this to be true From him Miletus fled and thence withdrew Himselfe to Asia from whom descended Caunus and Biblis whose not loue extended To her owne brother as the stories tell And weeping was desolu'd into a well This had appear'd more strange were it not knowne Young Iphis on her marriage day was growne To be a complâ—at man these nuptialls saw Hymen and thence he doth himselfe withdraw To Orpheus spousalls but his bright robes di'd In funerall blacke Euridice the bride Expires vpon her marriage day being stung In th' anckle by a snake when Orpheus sung His various transformations to the Lyre The trees to heare him from all parts desire Amongst whom came the Cypresse and the Vine The one clasp's Cyparissus in her twine The other Atis euerie Thrasian fro That in his death had hand besides them grow And are made trees Bacchus departs from Thrace And because Midas gaue Silenus place With entertainments due to quittance this He guerdons Midas with his golden wish Who after wearied with his rauishing dreames Was made to wash him in Pactolus streames They since that time their golden tincture keepe Still glistring when the Sunne shines on the deepe Pans musicke and Apollos Midas heares And by false sentence gaines him Asses eares Phoebus this done an humane shape puts on And build's Troyes wals to be excel'd by none This cittie great Alcides hauing rac't With Pirams sister he the valor grac't Of Aiax Telamon who in these bralls Was first set foot vpon the Dardan walls Peleus wedds Thetis though against her will For though she by her godhead had the skill To shift in sundrie shapes yet was comprest And Peleus lodg'd vpon her yuorie brest To Ceix he past thence one of his blood Where he part saw and partly vnderstood Dedalion take on him a goshawkes shape And Woolfe made stone that flying thought to scape Soone after this Alcinoe in her bed Dreaming she saw her lord shipwrecks and dead And from the shore his liuelesse bodie floting Both were made birds which some spectators noting Straight call to mind how Aesacus before Was chang'd into a Sea-gull him deplore Priam and all his sonnes as lost and dead Excepting Paris who to Greece was sped And brought thence Hellen him the Greekâ—s pursue At Aulis Gulfe they anchor where in view Of the whole fleet a Dragon they espie Obdur'd to stone To Troy-ward thence they hye Where Cygnus on whose skinne no steele could bite Was by the great Achilles bruis'd in fight And at the instant made a siluer Swan So Coenis once a woman now a man Was after likewise to a bird conuerted This tale'mongst others Nestor had inserted Periclimenes change to her repeates Neptune meane time the other gods intreates About Achilles death being much offended At his late losse he dead Aiax contended With slye Vlysses for his armes and shield Aiax disgrac't expires and in
who for her elegant feature and extraordinarie beautie and withall because the costlie ornaments with which she vsed to attire herselfe exceeded the precise custome of her Order she was brought within suspition of lust and inchastitie for which being cal'd into question and not able legallie to acquit her selfe she was brought within the compasse of the law and for her supposed offence had both the sentence and execution due to the like delinquents Iustin in his 43 booke commemorates this historie Aeneas after many tedious trauells landing in Italie was by marrieng Lauinia the daughter of King Latinus made partner with him in the Kingdome for which marriage warre was commenst betwixt them two of the one partie and Turnus King of the Rutilians on the other In which combustions Turnus being slaine and Latinus yeelding to Fate Aenaeas both by the right of victorie and succession became Lord of both the Kingdome and poeple erecting a cittie called Lauinium in remembrance of his wife Lauinia In processe he made warre against Mezentias king of the Etruscians whom hauing slaine Ascanius the sonne of Aenaeas succeeded in the principalitie Ascanius leauing Lauinium built the cittie Alba which for three hundred yeares space was the capitall cittie of that Kingdome After many discents the regall honours were conferred vpon Numitor and Amulius These two Princes emulous of each others greatnesse Amulius the younger hauing opprest his brother Numitor surprised also his sole daughter Rhaea who was immediate heire to her fathers honours and regall dignities all which he couetous to ingrosse to himselfe and fearing withall least from her issue might in time descend some one that might punish his insolencies and reuenge her and her fathers iniuries deuised with himselfe how to preuent both and fearing least by putting her to death he might incurre a generall hate amongst the people in whose loue hee was not as yet fullie setled he apprehended as his safest course to shadow her vow of virginitie to be elected into the sacred seruice of Vesta Being thus confin'd into the groaue celebrated to Mars whether begot by Mars himselfe as was then beleeued or otherwise adulterouslie conceiued it is vncertaine but she was deliuered of two sonnes This being knowne to Amulius increased his feares who commanded the infants to be cast foorth and Rhaea to bee loaden with yrons vnder whose seuere sentence expiring she yeelded to Fate The two children ready to perish were miraculouslie nourced by a she wolfe and after found by the shepheard Faustulus were by him brought vp and called Remus and Romulus and so much of Rhaea Tranquillus and Cornelius Tacitus both of them remember one Rubria a Vestall virgin who was forceably deflowred by Nero. Another whose name was Pompilia because by her inchastitie she prophaned the sacred orders of Vesta was buryed aliue the same death for the like offence suffered Cornelia Floronea the Vestall was conuicted of whoredome but she to preuent one death made choice of another For taking to her selfe a braue Roman spirit shee with her owne hands boldlie slew her selfe Posthumia taxed for her two curious habit and gaudinesse in attire as much transcending the custome of that more strict Order was suspected of Lust and accited before the Senate and there arraigned she wittilie and noblie answered to whatsoeuer could be obiected against her so that being found guiltlesse she was absolued by the sentence of the high Priest or Archflammin Sextilia sped not so well as this Posthumia for she being suspected of inchastitie and found culpable suffered according to the law made for the punishment of the like offenders The like suffered Tutia the Vestall for her vnlawfull prostitution Plutarch in Gracchis in the Catalogue of these consecrated virgins numbers Licinia And Pliny relates that when Clodius the Emperour was in opposition with his wife Messalina that sinke of lust and most incontinent of women when their differences could be no wayes decided Messalina sent to Vbidia one of the most reuerent amongst the Vestalls by whose mediation attonement was made betwixt her and the Emperour The vestfall fire vpon a time going out and it being imputed to their inchastitie Aemilia with these words besought the goddesse Oh Vesta thou that art the protectour of this famous cittie Rome as I haue truelie and chastlie almost for thirtie yeares space celebrated thy sacrifices so either at this present crowne my puritie with fame or before this multitude brand my lust with infamy These words were no sooner spoken but casting her mantle vpon the Altar the fire instantlie brake foorth where before there was nothing in place saue cold embers by which prodigie her innocent life was protected Claudia the Vestall was of no lesse remarkeable chastitie who when a barke laden with the sacreds of the goddesse stucke fast in the riuer Tyber and by no human strength could be loosed from the sand she thus openlie protested before the people If quoth she ô goddesse I haue hitherto kept my chastitie vndefiled vouchsafe these may follow me when fastning a cord to the stearne of the ship she without any difficultie drew it along the riuer Tuscia likewise suspected of incontinence by the like wonder gaue testimonie of her innocence who inuocating Vesta in these words If saith she ô mother of the gods I haue offered thy sacrifices with chast and vndefiled hands grant that with this sieue I may take vp water from the riuer Tyber and without shedding the least droppe beare it vnto thy Altar which when she had obtained and accordinglie performed with lowd acclamations of the multitude she was absolued and her austere life euerafter held in reuerence The attributes of Modestie and Temperance are greater ornaments to a woman than gold or iewells and because all perfections cannot be in one woman at one time this Modestie is that which supplyes all things that are wanting It is a dower to her that hath no portion not onelie an ornament to deformitie but in blacknesse it impresses a kind of beautie it illustrates the ignobilitie of birth supplying all those defects wherein fortune hath beene scanting And so much shall suffice for the Vestalls Of the Prophetesses COncerning these Prophetesses I will onely make a briefe catalogue of some few whom the antient writers haue made most eminent We reade of Hyrtia the daughter of Sesostris king of Aegypt most skilfull in diuination who to her father foretold his Amplitude and Monarchy Volatteranus in Georg. writes of one Labissa a diuining woman that was eminent for many predictions in Bohemia whom succeeded her daughter Craco as well in skill as in fame Plutarch in Mario speakes of one Martha whom Marcius most honourablie circumducted in a horse-litter and at her appointment celebrated many sacrifices her the senate with a generall suffrage for her approued skill in augurie rewarded with libertie making her a free woman of the cittie Polyxo is the name of
of diuerse other women for diuerse noble actions Illustrious Dominica the wife of the Emperour Valens when the Gothes had threatned the vtter subuersion of Constantinople by her wisedome and descretion mediated with the enemie was the sole means of the safetie both of the people and citie Sex Aurelius reports of Pompeia Plautina when hir husband Iulian the Emperor had with intollerable exactions oppressed the people insomuch that their discontents were readie to breake out into rebellion this vertuous princesse so farre temporised with the Emperour that by her meanes they were released from all exactions and tributes Diaconus makes mention of Placidia the sister and wife of Honorius who in the yeare 412 when Ataulphus king of the Gothes presented himselfe with an inuincible armie before the walls of Rome threatning vtterly to subuert the cittie and after rebuild it againe and in steede of Rome to call it Gothia so wrought with the barbarous king by persuasions and promises that she turned his pride to pitie and his immanitie to mercie so that he departed thence without any assault made against the cittie or the least spoile done vnto the countrey Vollateranus speakes of Inguldis the sister of Childebert who being marryed to Hermogillus sonne to Lemigildus king of the Gothes persuaded her husband then an infidell to bee a true and constant professour of the Christian faith The like we reade of Cleotilda queene of France who did the like good worke vpon her husband Clodoncus the sonne of Childericke Nor hath our owne nation beene barreine of good examples since Helena the mother of Constantine may in that kind claime equalitie if not precedencie before any As Rome affoorded a Volumnia mother to Martius Cariolanus so England yeelded as eminent a Ladie in all points the mother to Brennus and Belinus The first when her sonne had worthilie deserued of his countrie euen to the attaining of all militarie honours and as an addition to the rest for his braue seruice against the cittie of Coriolorus had the denomination of Coriolanus bestowed vpon him by the publique sufferage of the Senat yet notwithstanding for all his merites and vnmatchable exploits by which he purchased to himselfe the honor to be called Pater Patriae yet after by the ingratefull multitude who were euer emulous of any mans deserued greatnesse hee was not onely degraded from all his titles of dignitie but had the doome of euerlasting banishment denounced against him in reuenge of which ingratitude hauing raised an armie and inuaded the townes of the Roman empire readie to inuest himselfe before the quaking and affrighted cittie when they had first sent to him to make their attonement their priests who by reason of their sacred offices were held in much reuerence next their Augurers and South-sayers then the Aeditiae which were the keepers of their Temples and last their prophets but none of these preuailing as their last refuge the Roman matrons presented themselues before Volumnia the mother of Martius humblie intreating her to make intercession betwixt her sons rage and the imminent calamitie This reuerent Ladie mooued with their teares and acclamations accompanied with Virgilia the wife of Coriolanus and many other noble matrons and damosells hauing before promised to plead in their behalfes as farre as a miserable mother could claime interest in an iniured sonne repaired to his tent and casting themselues downe at his feete humblie besought him of compassion the feare exprest in their faces and the sorrow in their habits cast vpon the enemy a sudden reuerence and silence when Volumnia with such feeling accents and moouing Oratorie mixed with teares besought the peace of the cittie that they made a reuerent impression in the heart of Coriolanus who supporting his mother and aduancing his wife from the earth brake out into this extasie Vicistis You haue ouercome me Thus by these excellent women all combustions of warre were appeased a threatned misery preuented and a generall and safe peace setled in the Commonweale Of no lesse remarke was the wife of Mulmutius Dunwallo the sonne to Cloten duke of Cornwall who as Fabian remembers of him hauing in great peace and tranquilitie gouerned the kingdome for the space of fortie yeres and was after buried in a place by him before erected cald the Temple of peace leauing the land equally deuided betwixt his two sonnes Belinus and Brennus to Belinus the elder was allotted England Wales and Cornewall vnto Brennus all the North parts beyond Humber who being a young man and desirous of honour not content with the principalitie appointed him commenced against Belinus a fearefull war But as the two brothers were readie to ioyne battaile the mother presented herselfe betwixt the armies exposing her bodie to their opposit weapons shewing the breasts that gaue them sucke and with noble admonitions and motherlie persuasions so molified the hearts of the incensed princes that all ciuill and seditious warre layd aside they entered a friendly and brotherly league which was so established in the reuerent vertues of the mother that it was neuer after violated in all their life times after With what condigne honours is queene Marcia's memorie worthie to be celebrated who being the wife to Guinthelinus king of Britaine the sonne of Gurgunscius was in those daies of that excellent learning and knowledge that she deuised many profitable and wholsome lawes to the benefit of the Common-wealth which were much esteemed amongst the Brittaines and carefully obserued being cald after her name The Mercean laws many ages insuing But being loath to instance too many to one purpose least I should rather seeme tedious than delightfull to the reader I will adde onely one English lady in another kind memorable and worthy for her goodnes an euerlasting character There was a noble man of England created Earle of Couentrie this man was so austere to the citisens that he had iniuriously wrested from them all their ancient franchises and priuiledges insomuch that by his oppressions insufferable exactions the cittie was much decaied the people disabled in their power and weakened in their fortunes These petitioned to the Countesse a noble and well disposed lady to mediate for them to the Earle That their customes and former liberties might be restored The lady vndertakes their suit and with much importunitie solicited her lord in their behalfe but he being of a haughtie and insolent disposition stil persisted immoueable but she commiserating their estate as daily mooued with their complaints without cessation still sollicited for them and with such vrgence that he had neither peace at boord nor quiet in bed he at length as much wearied with her importunitie as she tired with their petitions she wrested from him this churlish and indeffinite answer Cease Lady further to persuade me for I protest and that with an vnaltered resolution that there is but one onely meanes by which their franchises are to be recouered which
season free from the blastings of disease and canker wormes of sicknesse able to make the fairest amongst you to looke aged in her youth Then may the choicest of you with beautifull Lais who when she saw the Lillies in her brow faded and the Roses in her chekes withered the Diamonds in her eyes loose their lustre and the Rubies in her lippes their colour as being now growne in yeares in these words giue vp your looking-glasses backe to Venus Nunc mihi nullus in hoâ— vsus quia cernere talem Qualis sum nolo qualis eram nequeo Now there 's no vse of thee at all Because I haue no will To see what I am now and what I was I cannot still If then this rare ornament be of such small permanens euen in the best How much then is it to bee vnderprised when it is contaminated and spotted with lust and vnlawfull prostitution since it is a maxime That things common are so farre from begetting appetite and affection that they rather engender the seedes of contempt and hatred for how should any thing festered and corrupt please the eye or that which is rotten and vnsound giue content vnto the pallat But to returne to my first appollogie needfull it is that to the Tragicke Muse Melpomone I should suit Tragicall historie wherein if any women be personated for Incontinence Intemperance Adulterie Incest or any such vile and abhominable action shee hath in that disgraced herselfe not her Sex as stretching no further than the delinquent If any man object and say they are bad presidents to him I answere they are examples of horror to be eschewed not immitated which in their owne natures beget a loathing not liking and for placing them next to and so neere to the women Illustrious I will excuse my selfe in this short Epigram A skilfull Painter hauing lim'd a face Surpassing faire of admirable feature Sets by the same to giue it the more grace The pourtrait of some foule deformed creature No doubt as much Art in the last is showne As in the first albeit that pleaseth most How euer to the workeman 't is well knowne They both to him are of like care and cost T is so with me I haue set before you many Braue Ladies of them all to take full view Pleasing toth ' eye not of these peeces any Whome a more willing workeman euer drew Should these appeare rough hew'd or of bad fauour And whose aspect cannot so well content you Perhapes the next of more delight may sauour And grinding other colours I 'le present you A smoother peece and limne if I be able A fairer face in a more curious table Of Women incestuous and first of Q. Semiramis IT is questioned by some authors concerning this potent and mightie Queen Whether she be more renowned for her braue and magnanimous exploits or notorious for her ignoble and infamous actions some willing that for her vertues sake her vices should be vtterly buried in obliuion others in regard of what was bad in her that nothing good or commendable might of her to posteritie be remembred I purpose to giue you a tast of both Some say she was called Semiramâ—is of the birds named Semiramides by which it is sayd she was fostered in her infancie but that bearing no show of truth others deriue her denomination from Samir which in the Hebrew the Syrian dialect imports as much as Adamant because her noble and braue atchieuements attracted the heartes of that barbarous rude nation to her admiration and loue as the Adamant drawes yron Plutarch in libro Amator saith she was a damosell of Syria and concubine to the king of that countrey with whose loue Ninus being after besotted tooke her to his wife of whom shee had that predominance that though before he had conquered all the Easterne parts subiugated his neighbour kings and subdued Zoroastes monarch of the Bactrians he that was the first inuentor of the Art magicke that deuised the principles of Astrologie and found out the true motions of the starres notwithstanding she so farre preuailed with him that for one day she might fit in the royall throne and for that space haue the regall jurisdiction in her full power with intire command ouer the whole Empire In the morning of her soueraigntie she imposed vpon the subiects such modest milde iniunctions that ere noone shee had insinuated into their bosomes so farre that shee found them so plyable and conformable to her desires that shee presumed there was nothing so difficult and impossible which for her sake they would not boldly and resolutely vndertake Vpon this presumption she stretched her vsurpation so farre that she commaunded them to lay hands vpon the king her husband before night and committing him to prison caused him within few daies to be put to death She had by Ninus one sonne called Ninus junior who should haue succeeded his father that for fiftie two yeares space had swaied the Babylonian Empire but whether in her owne ambition desirous of the principalitie or finding her sonne too effeminate to be lord ouer so great a people and vncertaine withall whether so many men and of so many sundrie nations would submit themselues to the soueraigntie of a woman all these suppositions being doubtfull certaine it is that in the steade of the mother of Ninus shee assumed the person of Ninus hir sonne changing her womans shape into the habit of a mans for they were of one stature proportioned in lineaments alike semblant in voice and in all accomplements difficultly to be distinguished in somuch that neuer mother and child could haue more true resemblance hauing therefore luld her sonne in all effeminacie and attired him in her queenelike vesture the better to shadow her owne proportion she suited her selfe in long garments and commanded all her subiects to do the like which habit hath bin amongst the Assirians Bactrians Babylonians in vse euen to this day Vpon her head she wore a Turbant or Myter such as none but kings vsed to adorne their heads with so that in the beginning she was known for no other than the prince in whose name she accomplisht many notable and noble atchieuements at whose amplitude Enuie and Emulation stood amased confessing her in all her attempts supereminent neither did her heroick actions any way derrogate from the honour of the Empire but rather adde to the splendor thereof admiration in regard a woman had not onely excelled all of her Sex in valour but might claime a iust prioritie ouer men She built the mightie cittie Babylon and the stately walls reckoned amongst the seuen wonders She not onely conquered all Aethiopia and made that kingdome to her state tributarie but inuaded India being the first that durst attempt it and sauing her none since but Alexander who was the second and the last Thus farre Iustine out of the historie of Trogus Pompeius Berosus affirmes as much These be his words Nemo
early to attend the king who was that day to bee entertained by the earle his father in law All things were noblie prouided and Edgar royally receiued and set to dinner some write that Ethelâ—old had caused a kitchin maid to put on his wiues habit and sit at the kings Table but I find no such matter remembered in my Author the truth is the king about the middest of dinner cald for the Earle Orgarus and demanded of him whether he had a wife or no if he had why he might not haue her companie knowing it was a generall obseruation in England that without the wiues entertainement there could be no true and heartie welcome The earle replied that at that time he was an vnhappie widdower he then demaunded whether he had any children to continue his posteritie to which he answered heauen had onely blest him with one daughter a plaine damosell yet the sole hope of his future memorie The king was then importunate to see her and commanded her to be instantly brought vnto his presence which put Ethelwold into a strange agonie yet still hoping she had done as hee had late inioyned her when shee contrarie to his expectation came in apparelled like a bride in rich and costly vestures her golden haire fairely kembed and part hanging downe in artificiall curles her head stoocke with jewells and about her neck a chaine of diamonds which gaue a wonderous addition to that beautie which naked of it selfe without any ornament was not to bee paraleld a contrarie effect it wrought in the king and her husband To Edgar she seemed some goddesse at least a miracle in nature to Ethelwold in regard of his feare a furie or what worse hee could compare her to O fraile woman in this one vanitie to appeare beautifull in the eyes of a king thou hast committed two heinous and grieuous sinnes Adulterie and Murder for accordingly it so fell out Edgar was as much surprised with her loue as incensed with hate against her lord both which for the present he dissembled neither smiling on the one nor frowning on the other In the afternoone the king would needes hunt the stagge in the forrest of Werwelly since called Hoore-wood In the chace by the appointment of Edgar Earle Ethelwold was strooke through the bodie with an arrow and so slaine the king after made Elfritha his bride and queene The Earle had a base sonne then present at the death of his father of whom the king asked how hee liked that manner of hunting to whom he answered Royall sir what seemeth good to you shal be to me no way offensiue from that time forward he was euer gratious with the king And Elfritha thinking to make attonement with heauen for the murder of her husband or rather as Ranulphus saith for causing Edward to whom she was step-mother to be slaine that her owne sonne Egelredus might raigne builded an Abbie for Nunnes at Worwell where she was after buried Gunnora IN the time that Agapitus was Pope Lewis king of Fraunce the sonne of Charles caused William Longa Spata the second duke of Normandie to bee treacherously slaine this William was sonne to Rollo The Lords of Normandie with this murder much insenced watched their aduantage and surprised the king in Rhothemage where they committed him to safe custodie till he had promised and sworne to yeeld vp Normandie to Richard sonne and immediate heire to William the late murdered duke and moreouer in what place soeuer the king and the yong duke should haue meeting to conferre that Richard should weare his sword but king Lewis neither to haue sword nor knife about him This Richard being yong was called Richard the Old he had besides another attribute giuen him which was Richard without Feare because he was neuer known to be dismayde at any thing but a third aboue these was that he pretended to be wonderous religious He was duke two and fiftie yeares and tooke a Ladie to his bed from Denmarke whose name was Gunnora by whom he had fiue sonnes and two daughters the eldest of which was married to Etheldredus king of England her name was Emma and shee was called the flower of Normandie Concerning this bold yet religious duke it is reported by Marianus lib. 2. Henricus Ranulphus and others that besides many other testimonies of his sanctitie this one made him most eminent A Monke of Andoenus in Rothomage a town in Normandie going one night to meete with his sweet heart his way lay ouer a bridge and vnder that bridge was a deepe foord or riuer it so happened that mistaking his footing hee fell into the water and there was drowned He was no sooner dead but there came to carrie away his soule an Angell and a Fiend these two contended about it the one would haue it so would the other great was the controuersie betwixt them at length they concluded to put the case to duke Richard both to stand to his arbitrement much pleading there was on both sides at length the duke gaue sentence That the soule should be restored againe to the bodie be placed againe vpon that bridge from whence he had falne and if then he would offer to goe from thence to his sweet heart the diuell should take him but if otherwise he because he was a Church-man should be still in the Angels protection This was done and the Monke left his way to the woman and fled to the church as to a sanctuarie whether the duke went the next day and found the Monkes clothes still wet and told the Abbot euerie circumstance as it fell out therefore the Monke was shriuen did penance was absolued and reconciled This I haue read which I persuade no man to beleeue This duke liued with the faire Gunnora long time dishonestly and without marriage had by her those children aforesaid but at length by the persuasion of the nobilitie and intercession of the cleargie he tooke her to wife The first night after the marriage when the duke came to her bed she turned her backe towards him which she had neuer done till that time at which hee maruelling demaunded of her the reason why she did so To whom she answered before I was your strumpet and therfore as a seruant was tide to doe your pleasure in althings but now I am your wife and made part of your selfe therefore henceforth I claime with you an equall soueraigntie and will doe what mee list bearing my selfe now like a princesse not like a prostitute This I am easily induced to beleeue for how soone do honoures change manners Iuuenall in his sixt Satire speaking of marriage thus sayth Semper habet lites aeternaque iurgia lectus c. The marriage bed is sildome without strife And mutuall chidinges hee that takes a wife Bargaines for mightie trouble and small rest Sleepe growes a stranger then whilest in her brest She lodgeth Passion Selfe-will Anger Feare And from her eyes drops many a
c. The same author lib. 2. speakes of one Tiburna Saguntina the wife of one Marhus a braue and bold female warrior Zenobia queene of the Palmyrians after the death of her husband Odenatus tooke vpon her the imperiall regencie and made tributarie the kingdome of Syria neither feared shee to take armes against the Emperour Aurelianus by whom she was ouercome and led in triumph but when it was obiected to Caesar as a dishonour and reproach that he had triumpht ouer a woman he answered It was no disgrace at all being ouer such a woman as excelled most men in Masculine vertue Of whom Pontanus thus speakes Qualis Aethiopum quondam sitientibus aruis In fuluum regina gregem c. As did the Aethiopian queene In the dry fields of old Incounter with the yellow heards whose rough haires shin'd like gold Opposing the sterne Lions paw Alone and without ayde To see whom wrestle men aloofe stood quaking and afraid Such 'tweene two warlike hosts appeares This Amasonian Queene Zenobia with her strong bow arm'd And furnisht with shafts keene Hypsicrataea the wife of Mithridates was still present with him in battaile and left him in no danger cutting her haire short least it should offend her when she put on her beauer Artimesia queene of Caria after the death of her husband was admired through Greece who not onely in a nauall expedition ouercame the inuading Rhodians but pursued them euen vnto their owne coasts and tooke possession of the Island amidst whose ruines she caused her owne glorious statue to be erected of whom Herodotus thus writes I cannot wonder sufficiently at this warlike queene Artimesia who vnforced and vncompeld followed the expedition of Xerxes against Greece out of her owne manly courage and excellencie of spirit She was the daughter of Lydamus her father was of Halicarnassus her mother of Creete shee furnished fiue shippes of her owne charge with Halicarnassaeans Coeans Nisirians and Calidnians in the great sea fight neere Salamine to behold which battaile Xerxes had retired himselfe and stood but as a spectator Iustine lib. 2. saith There was to bee seene in Xerxes womanish feare in Artimesia manly audacitie for shee demeaned herselfe in that battaile to the admiration of all men of whose ships the king taking especiall notice but not knowing to whom they belonged nor in whose management they then were one spake to the king and said Great Lord behold you not how brauely the queene Artimesia beares her selfe this dayâ— the king would not at first beleeue that such resolution could bee in that Sex at length when notwithstanding her braue seruice hee perceiued his nauie beaten and put to flight he sighing thus said All my men this day haue shewed themselues women and there is but one woman amongst them and she onely hath shewed herselfe a man Many of the most illustrious persons dyed that day as also of the Meades amongst whom was the great captaine Aria Begnes the sonne of Darius and brother of Xerxes Cleopatra queene of Aegypt the daughter of Dionisius Auletes after the death of Iulius Caesar hauing taken Antonius in the bewitching snares of her beautie shee was not contented with the kingdomes of Aegypt Syria and Arabia but she was ambitious to soueraignise ouer the Roman Empire in which though she fayled it shewed as inuincible a spirit in the attempt as shee exprest an vnmatched courage in the manner of her voluntary death Cyrus the Persian inuading the Messagets and Scythians of which Tomyris then raigned queene she sent against him her onely sonne Spargapises with a puissant army to beat him back againe beyond the riuer Araxes which he had late with a mightie host traiected But the young man not inured to the stratagems and policies of warre suffered his souldiours in the height of wine and surfets to be inuaded his tents rifled his army defeated and himselfe taken prisoner by Cyrus To whom the queene sent to this purpose Thou hast surprised my sonne by fraud not strength by deceit not warre be now counselled by me Returne me the Prince and with the honour to haue vanguisht the third part of my people vnpunished depart out of my countrey which if thou dost not I vow by the Sunne the Lord and God to which the Messagets giue due adoration that I will quench thy thirst beest thou neuer so much insatiate of blood This message being deliuered to Cyrus he regarded it not but held it as the vaine boast of a franticke woman But Spargapises the sonne of Tomyris being awaked from the drowsinesse of wine and perceiuing into what mischiefe he was falne intreated Cyrus he might be released from his bonds to which the Persian granted who no sooner found his legges vnbound and his hands at libertie but he instantly catcht hold of a weapon with which he slew himselfe The queene hauing intelligence of the death of her sonne and withall that Cyrus gaue no heed to her admonition collected a puissant armie of purpose to giue him battaile who inticed him by a counterfeit flight into certaine straits of her countrey where hauing ambusht her men she fell vpon the Persians and made of them an infinite slaughter to the defeating of their whole host In this strange and bloody execution Cyrus himselfe fell whose body Tomyris caused to be searcht for and being found filled a vessell with blood into which commanding his head to be throwne shee thus insultingly spake Of human blood in thy life thou weart insatiate and now in thy death thou mayst drinke thy fill The fashions of the Messagets are after this manner described by Herodotus Their habit and their food is according to the Scythians they fight as well on horsebacke as on foot being expert in both they are both archers and lanciers in all their weapons armour or caparisons vsing gold and brasse in the heads of their speares their quiuers their daggers and other armour they were brasse but whatsoeuer belongs to the head or to the belt is of the purest gold the breast-plates of their horses and what belongs to their trappings and caparisons are buckled and studded with brasse but that which appertaines to the headstall or raines is of gold of yron and siluer they haue small vse or none as being rare in their countrey but gold and brasse they haue in aboundance Euery man marrieth a wife but not to his owne peculiar vse for they keepe them in common for what the Greeks in this kind remember of the Scythians they do not it is customable onely amongst the Messagets if any man haue an appetite to a woman he onely hangs his quiuer vpon the next bough prostitutes her in publike without taxation or shame There is no limit proposed to terminate their liues when any growes old his neighbours about him make a generall meeting and with great ceremony after the manner of a sacrifice cause him to be slain with
pourtrayde the picture of the Sauiour of the world with a flower-de-lyce in his hand and so marched to Orleance Her first exploit was fortunately to raise the siege and releeue the towne From thence shee passed to Reames tooke the cittie and caused the Dolphin there to proclaime himselfe king and take vpon him the crowne of France She after tooke Iargueux a strong towne and in it the Earle of Suffolke with many other braue English gentlemen She fought the great battaile of Pathay with good successe in which were taken prisoners the lord Talbâ—â— the skourge and terror of the French nation the lord Seales the lord Hungerfâ—rd with many others both of name and qualitie she tooke in Benueele Mehun Trois and diuers other townes of great import and consequence at length in a camisado or skirmish she was taken prisoner by sir Iohn of Entenburch a Burgonian captaine and sent to Roan The French Cronicles affirme that the morning before she was surprised she tooke the sacrament and comming from Church told to diuerse that were about her that she was betraide her life sold and should shortly after be deliuered vp vnto a violent death For sir Iohn gaue a great sum of money to betray her The English comming to inuest themselues before Mondidier Ioan was aduised to issue out by Elaâ—ie and skirmish with them who was no sooner out but he shut the gates vpon her being taken she was sent to Peter Bishop of Beuoise who condemned her to the fire for a sorceresse which iudgement was accordingly executed vpon her in Roane in the market place Twentie six yeares after Charles the king for a great summe of money procured an annichilation of the first sentence from the Pope in which she was proclaimed a Virago inspired with diuine instinct in memorie of whose vertuous life and vniust death he caused a faire crosse to â—ee erected iust in the place where her bodie was burned I returne againe to the English Fabian and Harding speake of Emma sister to the Norman duke called Richard who for her extraordinarie beautie was called The flower of Normandie she was married to Ethelred king of England By her heroicke spirit and masculine instigation the king sent to all parts of the kingdome secret and strict commissions That vpon a certaine day and hour assigned all those Danes which had vsurped in the land and vsed great crueltie should be slaughtered which at her behest and the kings commaund was accordingly performed which though it after prooued ominous and was the cause of much miserie and mischiefe yet it shewed in her a noble and notable resolution Of queene Margaret the wife of Henrie the sixt her courage resolution and magnanimitie to speake at large would aske a Volume rather than a compendious discourse to which I am strictly tyed And therefore whosoeuer is deâ—irous to be further instructed in the successe of those many battailes fought against the house of Yorke in which she was personally present I referre them to our English Chronicles that are not sparing in commending her more than womanish spirit to euerlasting memorie With her therefore I conclude my female Martiallists And now me thinkes I am come where I would be and that is amongst you aire Fones Of Faire Women IT is reported of a king that for many yeeres had no issue and desirous to haue an heire of his owne bloud and begetting to succeed in the Throne vpon his earnest supplication to the diuine powers he was blessed with a faire sonne both of beautie and hope And now being possest of what he so much desired his second care was to see him so educated that hee might haue as much comfort of him in his growth as hope in his infancie hee therefore sent abroad to find out the most cunning Astrologians to calculate of his natiuitie that if the starres were any way maleuolent to him at his birth he might by instruction and good education as farre as was possible preuent any disaster that the Planets had before threatened A meeting to that purpose being appointed and the Philosophers and learned men from all parts assembled after much consultation it was concluded amongst them That if the infant saw Sunne or Moone at any time within the space of ten yeeres hee should most assuredly be depriued the benefit of sight all his life time after With this their definitiue conclusion the father wondrously perplexed was rather willing to vse any faire meanes of preuention than any way to tempt the crosse influence of the starres Hee therefore caused a Cell or Caue to be cut out of a deepe Rocke and conueying thither all things necessarie for his education hee was kept there in the charge of a learned tutor who well instructed him in the Theorie of all those Arts which best suited his apprehension The time of ten yeeres being expired and the feare of that ominous calculation past ouer the day was appointed when his purpose was to publish his sonne to the world and to shew him the Sunne and Moone of which he had often heard and till then neuer saw entire and to present vnto his view all such creatures of which he had beene told and read but could distinguish none of them but by heare-say They brought before him a Horse a Dogge a Lion with many other beasts of seuerall kindes of which he onely looked but seemed in them to take small pleasure They shewed him Siluer Gold Plate and Iewels in these likewise hee appeared to take small delight or none as not knowing to what purpose they were vsefull yet with a kind of dull discontent he demanded their names and so past them ouer At length the king commanded certaine beautifull virgins gorgeously attyred to be brought into his presence which the Prince no sooner saw but as recollecting his spirits with a kind of alacritie and change of cheare he earnestly demanded What kind of creatures they were how bred how named and to what vse created To whom his tutor ieastingly replyed These be called Deuills of which I oft haue told you and they are the great tempters of mankind Then his father demanded of him To which of all these things he had beheld he stood affected best and to whose societie hee was most enclined who presently answered O Father I onely desire to be attended by these Deuils Such is the attractiue power of beautie which women cannot fully appropriate to themselues since it is eminent in all other creatures Who wonders not at the beautie of the Sunne the glorie of the Moone and the splendor of the starres the brightnesse of the morning and the faire shutting in of the euening Come to the flowers and plants what artificiall colour can be compared to the leaues of the Marigold the Purple of the Violet the curious mixture of the Gillyflower or the whitenesse of the Lilly to which Salomon in all his glorie was not to be equalled You that are prowd of your haire
honour consume the remainder of their liues in great discontent sorrow and anguish Of this custome Cicero remembers vs Tusc. Quest. lib. 5. Vaeler Maxim lib. 2. cap. 1. Alex. ab Alex. Aelianus Egnatius and others This funerall ceremonie as Fulgos. lib. 2. cap. 6. is continued amongst them vnto this day alluding to this purpose is that of Propert. lib. 3. Foelix eo is lex funeris vna maritis c. Which I thus paraphrase in English You Easterne Husbands in your funerall Lawes Most happie and their first inuentors wise In which you are more famous then because On you the blushing morning first doth rise When Death hath with his last mortiferous wound The Husband strucke his last Rites to prepare A pious troupe of Wiues engirt him round Drying their moist cheekes with their scatt'red haire Who striue which shall associate him in fate And bed with him together in the flame To liue beyond him is a thing they hate And he once dead life is to them a shame She that can die with him hath her desire And leapes with ioy into the funerall fire The like is obserued by a people of Thrace that inhabite a little aboue the Crestonaeans They likewise are delighted with pluralitie of wiues who after the decease of their husbands enter into the like contention as the women of India and she that is Victoresse as if glorying in some great conquest adorned in her best and richest ornaments is with great ceremonious pompe amongst all her kindred and allyes conducted vnto the place where his bodie is to be interred where being slaine by her next of kinne as the best office he can doe her she is buried in the same graue with her husband Herod lib. 5. The wiues amongst the Geates repayre to their husbands Sepulchre and holding all life tedious and burthensome without them offer their bodies willingly either to the sword or to the fire The custome of the Catheoreans was That when the Bride chose her husband she made a couenant with him at his death to be burnt in the same Pile Alex. ab Alex. lib. 1. cap. 25. The women amongst the Herulians a people that inhabite beyond the riuer of Danubius repayre to the graues of their husbands and iust ouer-against them strangle themselues Which marriage-loue appeares the more strange because the men are of that barbarous and inhumane incontinence that they hold it no shame to leaue the societie of their women and haue congression with brute beasts Bonifacius in his Epistle vnto king Ethelbaldus as Gulielm Malmsbur lib. 1. cap. 64. de Anglia relates it sayth That the Winedi are the worst and the most nastie people among the Germans yet their wiues are of that incomparable zeale and pietie toward their husbands that shee is held to be the most laudable and prayse-worthie that with her owne hand kills her selfe to burne with him in his last funerall fire From the generalitie of women I descend to particulars Admirable was the loue of Phila towards her husband king Demetrius and haughtie and magnanimous her spirit who receiuing newes of his defeat in battaile and that his whole armie being dispersed and scattered he was retyred into Cassandria dranke poyson and so died The wife of Straton Prince of Sydonia when the citie was straitly besieged by the Persians her greatest care was least the person of her husband should fall into the hands of the mercilesse enemie which she purposed to preuent by death When therefore shee heard they had skaled the walls and were readie to be instantly possest of the towne and seize vpon the person of her husband she snatcht from him his sword with which she first â—lew him and then laying out his bodie with as much comelinesse as the shortnesse of the time would permit after fell vpon the same sword thus by voluntarie death preuenting the dishonor of captiuitie Fulgos. lib. 4. cap. 6. Fannia the daughter of Arria the younger wife to Poetus Patauinus before remembred in her braue and heroick death with her husband was the Spouse of Heluidius Priscus who followed him in all his exile euen to his vnfortunate and most vniust death she was the third time confined from the reigne of Tiberius Nero to the death of Domitian Plinie with infinite prayses applauds the incomparable vertues of this Fannia with both the Arriaes in Lib. 9. in his Epistle to Quadratus and in his seuenth to Genitor and Priscus Triaria was the noble and chast wife of L. Vitellius brother to Aul. Vitellius the Emperor who as Hypsicrataea followed Mithridates in all his combustious warres so she neuer forsooke her husband but was present with him in all those ciuile dissentions against Vespasian And the night when Vitellius her Lord with a great armie of souldiers inuaded and entred the citie Terecyna shee presented her selfe in the middest of the slaughter not onely daring but doing equally with the most valiant killing on all sides till shee had hemmed her selfe in with dead bodies slaine by her owne hand so bold and magnanimous a spirit had the coniugall loue to her husband imprest in her Her memorie is made famous by the same Author Antonia Flaxilla by some called Archona when her husband Priscus was found guiltie of the Pysonian Faction and for that cause exiled by Nero and when shee might haue enioyed all the plentie and abundance in Rome left all the pleasures and delights of the citie to accompanie her desolate Lord in his penurious and vncomfortable banishment Her example Egnatia Maximilla imitated who likewise associated her husband Gallus guiltie of the same Conspiracie with Priscus Fulgos. lib. 6. cap. 7. From Iacobus the sonne of Vsson Cassannus amongst many other Captaines that reuolted there was one eminent in that Rebellion called Pandoerus who had a most beautiful young wife her age exceeded not sixteene yeeres to whom he was ardently and in conioyned loue affected He being by her often earnestly entreated to forbeare all conflicts with the enemie but by no meanes either mooued by her teares or perswaded with her intercessions and prayers persisting resolute for a present encounter shee then begged of him That before he hasarded himselfe to the extremitie of danger hee would first take away her feares by transpiercing her with his sword which when he likewise denyed he presently left her and gaue signall of battaile in which conflict he was vanquished and slaine his Tent rifled his wife surprised and committed into the hands of one of the chiefe Captaines belonging to the king who pittying her teares and sorrow to which her feature and beautie gaue no common lustre made instant suit vnto her to make her his wife Shee whilest shee could put him off with all possible delayes but after perceiuing that what hee could not compasse with her good will hee purposed to attaine vnto by compulsion and force shee craued onely some few houres of
least amongst the Magitians as hauing his art or rather diabolicall practise from his father hereditarie confesseth that in all his life time in his great familiaritie and acquaintance amongst them he neuer knew any one that was not in some part mishapen deformed The same Author with whose opinion Wicrius Hippocrates and others assent affirms that all those Demoniacks or Witches after they haue had commerce and congresse with the Deuill haue about them a continuall nastie and odious smell of which by the ancient writers they were called Faetentes by the Vasconians Fetelleres à Faetore i. Of stench insomuch that women who by nature haue a more sweet and refreshing breath than men after their beastly consocietie with Sathan change the propertie of nature and grow horrid putred corrupt and contagious For Sprangerus witnesseth who hath taken the examination of many they haue confessed a thing fearefull to be spoken to haue had carnall copulation with euil and vncleane spirits who no doubt beare the smell of the inâ—isible sulphure about them Now concerning this Magicke what reputation it hath beene in amongst men which in effect is no better than plaine Witchcraft in women we may reade in Nauclerus and Platina That all the Popes inclusiuely from Siluester the second to Gregorie the seuenth were Magicians but Cardinall Benno who obserued all the Bishops that way deuoted numbers but fiue Siluester the second Benedict the ninth Iohn the twentieth and one and twentieth and Gregorie the seuenth Of these Augustinus Onuphrius one of the Popes chamber that from the Vatican and the Liues of the Popes there registred made a diligent collection speakes of two only Siluester the second and Benedict the ninth one of them was after expelled from the Papacie Siluester lying vpon his death bed desired his tongue to be torne out and his hands to be cut off that had sacrifised to the Deuill confessing that he had neuer any inspection into that damnable Art till he was Archbishop of Rhemes These are the best rewards that Sathan bestowes vpon his suppliants and seruants how comes it else so many wretched and penurious Witches some beg their bread some die of hunger others rot in prisons and so many come to the gallowes or the stake It is reported of a gentleman of Mediolanum that hauing his enemie at his mercie held his steeletto to his heart and swore that vnlesse he would instantly abiure his faith and renounce his Sauiour had he a thousand liues he would instantly with as many wounds despoile him of all which the other for feare assenting to and he hauing made him iterate ouer and ouer his vnchristianlike blasphemies in the middle of his horrible abiuration stabd him to the heart vttering these words See I am reuenged of thy soule and bodie at once for as thy bodie is desperate of life so is thy soule of mercie This vncharitable wretch was an apt schollar to the grand Deuill his master who in the like manner deales with all his seruants who after he hath made them renounce their faith blaspheame their maker and do to him all beastly and abhominable adoration such as in their owne confessions shall be hereafter related he not only leaues them abiects from Gods fauour whose diuine maiestie they haue so fearefully blasphemed but deliuers them vp to all afflictions and tribulations of this life and all excruciations and torments in the world to come Horrible and fearefull haue beene the most remarkeable deaths of many of the professors of this diabolicall Art for whom the lawes of man hath spared as a terror to others the hand of heauen hath punished I will onely giue you a tast of some few Abdias Bab. Episcopus lib. 6. Certam Apostol writes That Zaroes and Arphaxad two infamous Magitians amongst the Persians with their exorcismes and incantations deluding the people in the houre when Simon and Iude suffered martyredome were stroke with lightning from heauen and so perisht Lucius Piso in the first booke of his Annals speakes of one Cinops a prince amongst the Magitians who at the prayer of S. Iohn the Euangelist was swallowed vp in a riuer Olaus Magnus lib. 2. cap. 4. de gentib Septentrional tells vs of one Methotis who by his prestigious iuglings had insinuated into the hearts of the people and purchast that opinion and authoritie amongst them that he was called The high and chiefe Priest to the gods who was after torne to peeces by the multitude from whose scattred limbes such a contagion grew that it infected the ayre of which much people perished Hollerus the Magitian was staine Oddo the Dane was besides his skill in Magicke a great pyrat it is written of him Wierius li. 2. ca. 4. that without ship or boat he would make his transmarine passage ouer the Ocean and by his Inchanâ—ments raise stormes to shipwrecke the vessells of his enemies hee was after notwithstanding swallowed in the sea and there most wretchedly perished D. Iohn Faustus borne at Kuneling a Village neere Cracouia was found dead by his bed side his face blasted and turned backward in the Dukedome of Wittenberch at which time the house wherein he died was shaken with a tempest and horrible Earthquake The Earle Matisconensis a practitioner in the same diuellish studie sitting at Dinner amongst many Lords Barons Captaines and others was snatcht from the Boord by Deuils and in the sight and view of all the people three times hurried swiftly round about the citie being heard to cry Succurrite Succurrite i. Helpe Helpe of him Hugo Cluniacensis writes more largely A Priest at Noremberch searching for hidden Treasure in a place where the Deuill had directed him found it guarded by a Spirit in the semblance of a great blacke Dogge in the search of which the Earth fell vpon him and buryed him aliue And this happened in the yeere 1530. Wierius A Magician of Salsburch vndertooke to call all the Serpents together within a mile of the place and bring them into one Pit digged for the purpose in the trayne of which came after the rest a great Serpent supposed to be the Deuill and twining about him cast him in amongst the rest where they together perished The like vntimely deaths wee reade of Appion Grammaticus Iulian Apostata Artephius Robertus Anglicus amongst the Heluetians Petrus Axonensis sirnamed Conciliator Albertus Teutonicus Arnoldus de villa noua Anselmus Parmensis Pycatrix Hispanus Cicchus Ascalus Florentinus and many others Commendable therefore it was in the French king who when one Friscalanus Cenomannus a man excellent in this Science came to shew diuerse prestigious feats and trickes before him for which he expected reward amongst others he caused the Linkes of a Golden Chayne to be taken asunder and remooued them to diuerse remote places of the chamber which came of themselues to one place and were instantly ioyned together as before Which the king seeing and being thereat astonished he commanded him instantly from
Windes grew calme the tempest ceased and she had a faire and speedie passage into England and this the same gentlewoman hath often related Nor is this more incredible than that which in Geneua is still memorable A young wench instructed in this damnable science had an Iron Rod with which whomsoeuer she touched they were forced to dance without ceasing til they were tired lay down with wearinesse She for her Witchcraft was condemned to the fire to which she went vnrepentant with great obstinacie and since which time as Bodinus saith who records this historie all dancing in memorie of her is forbidden and held euen till this day abhominable amongst those of Geneua Our most learned writers are of opinion that these Inchantresses can bewitch some but not all for there are such ouer whom they haue no power The same Author testifies That he saw a Witch of Auerne in the yere 1579 who was taken in Lutetia about whom was found a Booke of a large Volume in which were drawne the hayres of Horses Oxen Mules Swine and other beasts of all colours whatsoeuer She if any beasts were sicke would vndertake their cure by receiuing some number of their hayres with which she made her Spells and Incantations neither could she helpe any beast by her owne confession but by transferring that disease or maladie vpon another neither could shee cure any creature if she were hyred for money therefore she went poorely in a coat made vp with patches A nobleman of France sent to one of these Witches to cure a sicke Horse whom he much loued shee returned him answer That of necessitie his Horse or his Groome must die and bid him chuse whether The nobleman crauing some time of pawse and deliberation the seruant in the interim died and the Horse recouered for which fact she was apprehended and iudged It is a generall obseruation That the Deuill who is a destroyer neuer heales one creature but by hurting another and commonly he transmits his hate from the worse vnto the better For instance if a Witch cure a Horse the disease falls vpon one of higher price if shee heale the wife shee harmes the husband if helpe the sonne she infects the father Of this I will produce one or two credible instances The first of the Lord Furnerius Aureliensis who finding himselfe mortally as hee thought diseased sent to a Witch to counsaile with her about his recouerie who told him there was no hope of his life vnlesse he would yeeld that his yong sonne then sucking at the Nurses breast should haue his mortall infirmitie confirmed vpon it The father to saue his owne life yeelds that his sonne should perish of which the Nurse hearing iust at the houre when the father should be healed is absent and conceales the child The father is no sooner toucht but helped of his disease the Witch demands for the child to transferre it vpon him the child is missing and cannot be found which the Witch hearing broke out into this exclamation Actum est de me puer vbinam est i. I am vndone where is the child when scarce hauing put her foot ouer the threshold to returne home but she fell downe suddenly dead her body being blasted and as blacke as an Aethiope The like remarkable Iudgement fell vpon a Witch amongst the Nanuetae who was accused of bewitching her neighbour The magistrates commanded her but to touch the partie distempered with her Inchantments which is a thing much vsed by all the German Iudges euen in the Imperiall Chamber it selfe the Witch denyed to doe it but seeing they began to compell her by force shee likewise cryed out I am then vndone when instantly the sicke woman recouered and the Witch then in health fell downe suddenly and died whose bodie was after condemned to the fire And this Bodinus affirmes to haue heard related from the mouth of one of the Iudges who was there present In Tholosa there was one skilfull in Magicke who was borne in Burdegall hee comming to visit a familiar friend of his who was extreamely afflicted with a Quartane Ague almost euen to death told him he pittied his case exceedingly and therefore if he had any enemie but giue him his name and he would take away the Feauer from him and transferre it vpon the other The sick gentleman thanked him for his loue but told him there was not that man liuing whom he hated so much as to punish him with such a torment Why then saith he giue it to thy seruant the other answering That he had not the conscience so to reward his good seruice Why then giue it me sayth the Magician who presently answered With all my heart take it you who it seemeth best knowes how to dispose it Vpon the instant the Magician was stroke with the feauer and within few dayes after dyed in which interim the sicke gentleman was perfectly recouered Gregorie Turonensis lib. 6. cap. 35. sayth That when the wife of king Chilperick perceiued her young sonne to bee taken away by Witch-craft shee was so violently incensed and inraged against the verie name of a Sorceresse that she caused diligent search to be made and all such suspected persons vpon the least probabilitie to be dragged to the stake or broken on the wheele most of these confessed that the kings sonne was bewitched to death for the preseruation of Mummo the great Master a potent man in the kingdome this man in the middest of his torments smiled confessing that he had receiued such inchanted drugs from the Sorcerists that made him vnsensible of paine but wearied with the multitude of torments he was sent to Burdegall where he not long after died I desire not to be tedious in any thing for innumerable Histories to these purposes offer themselues vnto me at this present but these few testimonies proceeding from authenticke Authors and the attestations of such as haue beene approouedly learned may serue in this place as well as to relate a huge number of vnnecessarie discourses from writers of lesse fame and credit Neither is it to any purpose heare to sâ—â—ake of the Witches in Lap-land Fin-land and these miserable and wretched cold countries where to buy and sell winds betwixt them and the merchants is said to be as frequent and familiarly done amongst them as eating and sleeping There is another kind of Witches that are called Extasists in whose discouerie I will striue to be briefe A learned Neapolitan in a Historie not long since published that treates altogether of naturall Magicke speakes of a Witch whom he saw strip her selfe naked and hauing annointed her bodie with a certaine vnguent fell downe without sence or motion in which extasie she remained the space of three houres after she came to her selfe discouering many things done at the same time in diuers remote places which after inquirie made were found to be most certaine Answerable to this is that reported by the President
Neoptolemus the sonne of Achilles and Deiadamia rap't Lanissa the niece of Hercules Aiax the sonne of Telamon did the like to Tecmessa of whom Horace Mouit Aiacem Telemone satam Forma captiuae dominum Tecmessae Captiue Tecmessas beautiegaz'd vpon Insnar'd her lord the sonne of Telamon Aiax Oilaeus rauished Cassandra Nessus the Centaure Deineira the wife of Hercules sister to Meleager and daughter to Oeneus and Althea king and queene of Calidonâ— Tleoptolemus stole Axiothia from Ephira a citie of Peloponessus hee was the sonne of Hercules and Astioche he was first a suitor to Hellen and came to the siege of Troy with nine shippes and was after slaine by the hand of king Sarpedon Hypodamia the daughter of Atracius and wife of Perithous suffered the like violence by the Centaures being heated with Wine and Lust especially by Euritus of whom Ouid lib. 12. thus speakes Euritus Hyppodamea alij quam quisque probabat Aut poterat rapiunt Euritus rap't Hyppodame and after him the rest By his example did the like and snatcht where they lik't best The great enmitie betwixt the Grecians and Barbarians though it might seeme to arise by reason of the distance of countries and difference of manners yet most probable it is that their inueterate hate and irreconsilable malice tooke first originall from diuerse rapes committed on either part for first the Phoenician Merchanrs exposing their commodities to publique sale in the citie of Argis when Iö the kings daughter amongst other damosells came downe to the Key to take view of what marchandise she best liked to furnish her selfe according to her womanish fancie the Merchants beeing extreamely surprised with her beautie seised both her and the rest of her attendants and stowing them vnder hatches hoised saile and transported them into Aegypt Not long after the Cretenses awaiting the like opportunitie stole away Europa the daughter of the king of the Tyrians and bore her into Creet in requitall of the former rape The Heroes of Greece next sailed in the great Argoe to Cholcos pretending their iourney for the golden fleece and raped thence Medea the daughter of Areta after whom sending Embassadors into Greece to redemand his daughter they returned him answere That the barbarous Phoenicians had made no restitution nor satisfaction at all for the rape of Io neither would they for Medea After that Paris the son of Priam rather to reuenge the iniurie done to his Aunt Hesione than for any loue or affection to Spartan Hellen stole her from Lacedemon and brought her to Troy in Asia The Princes of Greece redemanding her answere was returned That since they made no restitution of Europa nor of Medea nor Hesione neither would they of Hellena which was the originall of that memorable siege of Troy and the destruction of that famous citie Herodotus Lib. 1. Thrasimenes being enamored of the faire daughter of Pisistratus and his affection dayly more and more encreasing he gathered to himselfe a societie of young men and watching the Ladie when shee came with other young damosells to offer sacrifice according to the custome of the countrey by the Seaside with their swords drawne they set vpon the companie that attended her and hauing dispiersed them snatched her vp and hurrying her aboord sailed with her towards Aegina But Hyppias the eldest sonne of Pisistratus beeing then at Sea to cleere those coasts of Pyrats by the swiftnesse of their Ores imagining them to be of the fellowship of the Sea robbers pursued them boorded them and tooke them who finding his sister there brought her backe with the rauishers Thrasimenes with the rest of his faction being brought before Pisistratus not withstanding his knowne austeritie would neither doe him honour nor vse towards him the least submission but with bold and vndaunted constancie attended their sentence telling him That when the attempt was first proposed they then armed themselues for death and all disasters Pysistratus admiring their courage and magnanimitie which showed the greater in regard of their youth called his daughter before him and in the presence of his nobilitie to recompence his celsitude of minde and spirit freely bestowed her vpon Thrasimenes by which meanes he reconciled their opposition and entertained them into new faith and obedience no more expressing himselfe a Tyrant but a louing and bountifull father and withall a popular citisen Polinae lib. 5. The daughters of king Adrastus were rauished by Acesteneutrix as Statius lib. 1. hath left remembred Euenus the sonne of Mars and Sterope married Marpissa daughter to Oenemaus and Alcippa whom Apharetas espying as she daunced amongst other Ladies grew innamoured of and forcibly rapt her from her companie Plutarch in Paral. Hersilia with the Sabine Virgins were likewise rap't by Romulus and his souldiers at large described by Ouid. Lib. de Arte Amandi 1. Lucrece the chast Roman Matron was stuperated by Sextus Tarquinius of whom Seneca in Octauia thus saith Nata Lucreti stuprum saeui passa Tyranni Eudoxia being left by Valentinianus was basely rauished by the Tyrant Maximus who vsurped in the Empire for which shee inuited Gensericus out of Africke to auenge her of the shame and dishonour done vnto her Sigebertus in Chronicis The same Author tells vs of Ogdilo Duke of Boiaria who forced the sister of king Pepin for which iniurie done to her the king opprest him with a cruell and bloudie warre Of Handmaids Nurses Midwiues and Stepdames PLecusa was a Handmaid to Diana whom Martial Lib. 1. thus remembers Et cecidit sectis Icla Plecusa Crinis Lagopice is another Lib. 7. remembred by the same Author Cibale was the maid-seruant to a poore man called Similus remembred by Virgil in Morete Phillis Troiana was the Handmaid to Phoceus as Briseis was to Achilles Plinie Lib. 36. cap. 27. makes Ocrisia the Damosell to the Queene Tanaquil so Horace makes Cassandra to Agamemnon Gyge as Plutarch relates was such to Parysatis Queene of Persia and mother to Cyrus Thressa was maid-seruant to Thales Milesius who as Theodoricus Cyrenensis affirmes when shee saw her maister come home durtie and myrie as being newly crept out of a Ditch chid him exceedingly for gazing at the starres to finde those hidden things aboue and had not the foresight to see what lay below at his feet but hee must stumble Herodotus in Euterpe calls Rhodope the famous Aegyptian strumpet the Handmaid of Iadmon Samiâ—s a Philosopher Elos was a Damosell to king Athamas from whom a great citie in Achaia tooke denomination and was called Aelos Lardana as Herodotus affirmes was at first no better than a seruant from whom the noble Familie of the Heraclidae deriue their first originall Titula otherwise called Philotis was a Roman Virgin of the like condition and is remembred for such by Plutarch in Camillo as also by Macrob. Lib. 1. Saturnalium Proconnesia is remembred
commemorates these Rebecka who when she saw the seruant of Abraham at the Well where she came to draw water and desiring to drinke answered cheerefully and without delay Drinke sir and I will also draw water for thy Cammells till they haue all drunke their fill Genes 24. The Midwiues feared God and did not according to the command of Pharaoh king of Aegypt but preserued the male-children whom they might haue destroyed Exodâ—s 1. The daughter of Pharaoh comming downe to the riuer to wash herselfe with her handmaid and finding the young child Moses in the arke amongst the bulrushes she had compassion on the infant and said Surely this is a child of the Hebrewes so caused him to be nursed brought vp in her fathers court and after adopted him her sonne Exod. 2. Rahab the strumpet when she knew the spies of Ioshua to be pursued and in danger of death concealed them and returned them safe to the armie Iosh. 2. The messengers that were sent to Dauid in the wildernesse to informe him of the proceedings of his sonne Absolon were by a woman hid in a Well which she couered and by that meanes deluded their pursuers Kings 2.17 When two common Women contended before Saloman about the liuing and dead infant the one had a tender and relenting brest and could not indure to see the liuing child to perish Kings 3.3 The widdow woman of Zerephath entertained Eliah as hir guest and by her he was relieued Kings 3. 17. The Shunamitish woman persuaded with her husband that the Prophet Elisaeus might haue a conuenient lodging in her house to go and come at his pleasure Kings 4. 2. When wicked Athalia had giuen strict command to destroy all the Kings seed Iosaba the daughter of King Ioram tooke Ioas one of the Kings children and by hiding him out of the way preserued his life Kings 4. 11. Esther hauing commiseration of her people when a seuere Edict was published to destroy them all and sweepe them from the face of the earth she exposed her selfe with the great danger of her owne life to the displeasure of King Ahashuerosh purchasing thereby the freedome of her nation and her owne sublimitie Esther 4.5 Women ministred to the Sauiour of the world in his way as he went preaching to the towns and cities Luk. 8. when he walked from place to place preaching and teaching he is said neuer to haue had more free and faithfull welcome than in the house of Martha and Marie Luke 10. Iohn 12. When the Scribes and Pharisees blasphemed at the hearing and seeing the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ a certaine woman giuing deuout attention to his words as extasied with his diuine Sermon burst forth into this acclamation Blessed bee the wombe that bore thee and the brests that gaue thee sucke Luke 11. Christ being in Bethania in the house of Simon the leaper as he sate at the table there came a woman with a box of ointment of Spicknard verie costly and she brake the box and poured it vpon his head and when some said disdaining To what end is this wast for it might haue beene sold for more than 300 pence and giuen to the poore Iesus said Let her alone she hath wrought a good worke on me c. and proceeded Verily I say vnto you wheresoeuer this Gospell shall be preached throughout the whole world this also that she hath done shall bee spoken in remembrance of her The woman of Canaan was so full of naturall pittie and maternall pietie that she counted her daughters miserie and affliction her owne when she said to Iesus Haue mercie vpon me oh Lord the sonne of Dauid for my daughter is vexed with an euill Spirit Math. 15. The women stood by to see the Lord suffer and followed the crosse when he was forsaken of his Apostles Luke 23. Iohn 19. they were carefull likewise to visit him in his sepulchre Math. 28. Luke 24. The wife of Pilat had more compassion of Christ and more vnwilling that he should suffer vpon the crosse than any man of whom the Scripture makes mention Math. 27. Marke 16. Iohn 20. For deeds of charitie and dealing almes to the poore and needie widdowes and orphans they intreated Peter weeping that he would visit Tabitha being dead who mooued with their teeres kneeled and praied at whose intercessions she was restored to life Act. Apost 9. Herod hauing slaine Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword and seeing that it pleased the people he proceeded further to take Peter and put him in prison deliuering him to the charge of foure quaternions of souldiers to be kept but the Angell of the Lord appeared to him in the night tooke off his double chaines and led him out of prison who hauing past the first and second watch the yron gate opened to the Angell and him and finding that which he thought to be a vision to be a reall truth he came to the house of Marie the mother of Iohn whose sirname was Marke where many had seperated themselues to praier Peter knocking a maide whose name was Rhode came to the doore who hearing and knowing Peters voice the Scripture saith she opened not the doore for gladnesse but ran in and told them that Peter stood without at the entrie In which are to be obserued two memorable women for their zeale and pietie namely Rhode the handmaid whose ioy was so great at the verie voice of Peter released from the prison of Herod and Mary her mistresse who was a deuout harboresse and one that gladly entertained the Disciples of Christ into her owne house notwithstanding the persecution to performe their zealous and religious exercises Act. Apost 12. Lydia a dier of purple beleeuing the gospell which Paul preached was baptised with her whole household after which she intreated them in these words If thou thinke me worthie saith she to be a faithfull seruant to my Lord and God vouchsafe to enter my house and abide there and she compelled vs as Luke saith By which is concluded that women haue beene the readie willing and deuout hearers of the word of God Act. Apost 16. Many no question zealous and religious women haue to their power striued to imitate those with their best of industrie Amongst others I might instance one now of a great age as hauing much past that number by which Dauid reckons the yeares of man yet from her youth hath lead a life without any noted staine or blemish deuout in her zeale remarkeable in her charitie beloued of all hated of none a Phisitian to the sicke and Chirurgion to the wounded who with her owne hands hath sent more lame and diseased persons from her gate whole and sound than Lazarus had sores about him when he lay at the rich mans gate vnrelieued she feeding with loaues when that purple glutton would not spare his crummes she doing this out of a widowes mite when he would