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
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
He that is idle and would businesse haue Let him of these two things himselfe prouide A Woman and a Ship no two things crane More care or cost to suite the one for pride Th' other for tackles they are both like fire For still the more they haue they more desire And this I speake by proofe from morne to noone Their labour and their trauells haue none end To wash to râ—b to wipe and when that 's done To striue whore nothing is amâ—sse to mend To polish and expolish painâ— and staine Vnguents to daube and then wipe out againe c. Now what generall censures these fantasticke garbes and meere importunities incurre if any demaund I answere What lesse than weakenesse of the braine or loosenesse of life This iest following though it be old yet me thinkes it is pittie it should dye vnremembered A gentleman meeting in the streets with a braue gallant wench and richly accommodated seeing her walke with her brests bare almost downe to the middle laying his hand vpon them demaunded of her in her eare whether that flesh were to bee sold who skornefully answered No to whom he modestly replyed Then let me aduise you to shut vp your shop-windowes I will end this monitorie counsell with an Epigram out of Ausonius which beares title of two sisters of vnlike conditions Delia nos miramur est mirabile qoud tam Dissimiles estis c. Wee wonder Delia and it strange appeares Thou and thy sister haue such censure past Though knowne a whore the habit 's chast she woares Thou saue thy habit nothing whorish hast Though than chast life she hath chast habit sought Her Manners her thy Habit makes thee nought In memorie of Virgin chastitie I will cite you one historie out of Marullus lib. 4. cap. 8. The monument of Aegiptae the daughter of Edgar king of England a professed Virgin in her life time beeing opened after shee had many yeares lyen in the graue all her bodie was turned into dust sauing her wombe and bowells and they were as fresh and faire without any corruption as at the first day of her interment Those that stood by wondering at the obiect one Clerke amongst the rest broke foorth into these tearmes Wonder not to see the rest of the bodie to taste of putrifaction and the wombe still sound and perfect which neuer was contaminated with the least stayne or blemish of lust Of her Bishop Danstan thus speakes Worthie is her remembrance to be honoured vpon Earth whose chast life is celebrated amongst the Saints in Heauen O great reward due to Virgin chastitie by which such felicitie is attayned that their soules are not onely glorified in Heauen but their bodies are not subiect to corruption on earth But because the Theame I am next to speake of is of Virgins giue me leaue to begin with the best that euer was since the beginning for Beautie Chastitie and Sanctitie nor shall it be amisse to speake a word or two concerning her Genealogie MARY the Mother of CHRIST was the daughter of Ioachim of the Tribe of Iuda her mothers name was Anna the daughter of Isachar of the Tribe of Leui. Here as S. Hierome obserues is to be noted That Anna and Emeria were two sisters of Emeria came Elizabeth the mother of Iohn Baptist also Anna was first marryed to Ioachim and had by him Mary the mother of Christ and was after espoused to Cleophas by whom she had Mary Cleophe who was marryed to Alphaeus From them two came Iames the lesse surnamed Alphaeus Symon Canâ—â—â—aus Iudas Thaddaus and Ioseph otherwise called Barsabas Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall Historie Lib. 2. cap. 2. sayth That Iames the lesse was called the Brother of our Lord because hee was the brother of Ioseph the husband of Mary but his opinion is not altogether authenticall Also Anna was espoused to Salome and had by him Mary Salome after marryed to Zebedeus and had by him Iâ—mes the greater and Iohn the Euangelist Ioseph the husband of Mary was the brother of Cleophas It is also obserued That in the one and fortieth yeere of the reigne of Augustus Caesar in the seuenth moneth which is September in the eleuenth day of the Moone which is the foure and twentieth day of the moneth on a Thursday Iohn Baptist was conceiued and two hundred threescore and fifteene dayes after on a Fryday was borne So that he was the fore-runner of Christ both in his Conception his Birth his Baptisme his Preaching and his Death A woman goeth with child two hundred threescore and sixteene dayes for so long by computation was Christ in the wombe of the blessed Virgin though all women goe not so long with child as S. Augustine obserues Lib. 4. de Ciuitate Dei cap. 5. So that Christ was longer in the wombe by a day and more than S. Iohn Baptist. Iohn also was borne when the dayes began to shorten and wane and Christ when the dayes began to waxe long Concerning these Antiquities I conclude with a sentence of S. Augustines Against Reason sayth hee no sober man will dispute against the Scripture no Christian man contest and against the Church no religious man oppose And so I proceed to the Historie Of MARY the Blessed Virgin LEt it not be held vnnecessarie or appeare out of course amongst these Virgins to insert a historie memorable for the â—arenesse thereof to all posteritie Iohannes Wyerius in his booke intituled de Prestigijs demonum hath collected it out of Suidas In the time that Iâ—stinianuâ— was Emperour there was a prince amongst the Iewes whose name was Theodosius He hauing great acquaintance and familiaritie with one Philippâ—s a Christian a bancker or one that dealt in the exchange of money for hee was called Philippus Argentarius this Philip did often sollicite and exhort him to leaue his Iudaisme and be a conuertite and turne to the Christian religion to whom he aunswered Indeed he must ingeniosly confesse he made no question but that Iesus whom the Christians adored was the same Messias of whom the holie Prophets foretold yet he could not bee persuaded to relinquish the honours and profits that he had amongst his owne nation and giue himselfe vp to a name which they knew not or at least would not acknowledge yet that he beleeued so of Christ he was not onely persuaded by the Oracles of the holie Prophets but he found it approoued by a certaine mysterie namely a writing most charily still kept amongst the Iewes in a place most safe and secret where their choise records with the especiallest care and trust are reserued which was of this nature It was a custome amongst the Iewish nation at what time the holie Temple was yet standing in Ierusalem to haue continually the number of twentie two chiefe and selected Priests iust so many as there bee letters in the Hebrew language or bookes of the old Testamenâ— and so often as any one of these was taken away by