whiche burneth in desire of soueraintie And lastly for wisdome is it like that Pallas would instruct mē and spitefully withdraw frō hir owne sexe the worthy gift of vnderstanding no but it is manifest that she hath adopted them for hir only heires of such a right bountiful patrimonie which benefit men haue rather receiued at their hands than foūd out by their owne industries For it is thoughte that the Latines firste learned their leters of Nicostrata Pithagoras was supposed to be the desciple of hys sister Theoclea Pericles the Duke of Athens was instructed in learning by Aspatia Suche and absolute perfection of vertue and so rare a figure of diuine beautie is both fixed and fashioned in the noble mind and comely proportion of women that who can mistrust any lothsome qualities to lurke vnder the couerte shadowes of such comelinesse but those which haue by experience vnhappily found the same to be manifest But oh blind goddesse Fortune or cursed furie Fate with what tearmes shall I enter into thy disprayse with what voyce shall I sound thy dishonour or by what force shall I confound thy gouernement thou that vnequally diuidest thy goodes thou that partially bestowest thy giftes and thou that disdeynefully rewardest thy subiectes why diddest thou not indifferently impart riches vnto men that none should be disdeyned or vniuersally bestowe vertues on women that none mighte be condemned bycause thou wilt say the last was not in my power and the firste was not conueniente But is it nature then that hathe thus scornefully abused hir creatures to rayse vp one vnto the seate of honourable fame and to foyle a thousand with the reproche of shamefull follie Surely it were an vniust parte of a mother that had manye daughters to make one of them hir Mistresse and all the rest hir seruantes And it were vnnaturall in a Nursse in stead of Milke to giue hir children poyson But Nature is the mother of mankinde and teacheth to maynteyne the commodities of life she is oure Nursse and therefore wisheth the health of hir children No it is euen oure selues that are corrupte and imperfect it is menne that are abused by women and it is women that are the cause of all mischiefe Examine histories whyche are the light of truth euen from the begynning of the worlde vntill thys day and you shall finde no griefe no sorrowe no deathe no danger no warres no wast no fiers no destruction no woes no lamenting no deceypt falsehode discorde no not anye other inconuenience whereof a woman hath not bin some part of the occasion Was not Eue the cause of Originall Sinne than the whyche to mankynde what coulde happen more pernicious thys one singular example of moste auntiente authoritie myghte serue to daunte the pryde and coole the vauntyng bragges of wicked and licentious women for as they beganne with persuasions of false delyghte so they continue wyth dissembling practise and ende commonly wyth horrible shamefull mischiefe Theyr begynning I call the floures of youth whyche age is fyrste subiecte to the manye assaultes of loue wherein howe maydenly they behaue themselues in the mayntenance of Virginitie nay howe Syrenelyke they shewe themselues in the Shipwracke of theyr modestie it is wonderfull And firste she learnes to set hir eies fixed with the stars in signe of stabilitie hir eares are vigilāt to heare hir self praised hir tong is taught to be silente in token of modestie hyr countenance is milde hir spéech short and swéete and lastly hir liuely lookes of sober chéere but yet amiable She is bashfull therefore sittes most comely beneath at the dore or else aboue somewhat more modestly in a windowe where she sings sometimes for sorow she sighes perhaps for delighte she sowes for a fashion shée playes to remoue fansies she mournes for want of company And whē she cōmes to be moued with playne tearmes of mariage good God what nicenesse she wyll vse how coy she will become and what a countenance of virginitie she will borow to set forth the matter for then they will all be Nunnes they will neuer marrie nor knowe what a man meanes so long as they liue whereas they meane nothing so muche as the contrarye but lette them be courted after another sorte and as you would saye proffer them the common courtesie it is not so soone offered as willingly enterteyned for when they know the depth of his deuotion they sound his affection by their owne desire they suppose he will be quickly lost if not lightely loued and thus they féede some wyth lookes and other with loue some wyth wordes and other with workes some with sporte and other with spite some with pleasure some with payne some with fauoure some with disdeyne some with losse some with gayne that I thinke their insatiable desire would haue as many supplyes as they haue sleightes of alluring And these are the slighte practises of yong women whome when riper yeares and alteration of estate hath well grounded in the perfection of their science then they begin to procéede in high degrées of falsehoode By this time vse hath made them experte and impudence hath giuen thē vtterance of déepe dissembling flatterie but now they haue a cloke for the rayne and why shoulde they bée bashfull before they masked in the close visordes of virginitie but nowe they daunce with the figure a Saincte in their hande and the image of Diuels in theyr heart before they were onely molested with the tyrannie of loue but nowe they are vexed with hate pressed with pryde poysoned with disdeyne haunted with iealousie and plagued with suspition and the least of them all if it lay in their power is as muche as a mans lyfe is worth for the nature of them all is in extreames in so muche that eyther they loue affectionately whiche is seldome or else they hate deadly whyche is common they are too proude or too sluttishe too fonde or too frowarde too pleasaunte or too péeuishe too muche fawning or too scornefull too much familiar or too strāge too shéepishe or too shrewishe too apish or too lumpishe so that all their affections are without meane and theyr passions without measure as soone surprised in delight as soone confounded with sorrow soone quickned with hope and as soone drowned in despayre soone wéeping soone laughing and accordyng to the Prouerb Soone ripe soone rotten And seldome seene is soone forgotten They are Lawlesse for they choose whome they like and refuse when they list but yet they are conscionable for they woulde haue all thinges in common So they are liberall but it is of other mens goodes they are pitifull bycause they would haue no man wāt that which they desire they are courteous bycause they would be courted Mantuan likeneth thē to a Northeast winde whiche beareth off cloudes at the first puffe and drawes them back again with a false encoūtring blast So womē whē they perceiue the deuotiō of mē to be cold or
them that honour vs to spoyle them that serue vs to persecute them that loue vs neyther to musel the mouth of the labouryng Oxe nor vniustly to withdrawe the rewardes of well deserued hier for these are the workes of infidelitie Therefore if nature haue somewhat heretofore nusled vs in the churlishe affections of selfe Loue which is the authour of pryde and consequently the cause of great mischiefe yet let vs hencefoorthe followe the perswasions of reason whyche teacheth vs to shunne the vaine enticementes of follie and to searche out the diuine secretes of wisedome and surelye the first point hereof in myne opinion is for a man to knowe hym selfe It is straunge that the nature of man shoulde be desirous of nouelties and not regarde his owne safetie or that his minde shoulde be able to discouer the qualitie of the heauens and yet graueled in the knowledge of himself but you will say it is an easie matter for a man to bée knowen from a beaste and that is by reason and vnderstanding Then what meant the Philosopher Diogenes that in the Market place stoode gazing amongst a multitude and being demanded whome he sought made answere that he loked if he mighte sée anye man they told him that there were manye but hée sayde agayne verily amongst so many I can not finde anye man for he accompted them no men which coulde not rule theyr affections whiche in the common sorte of people is not easie to be founde when of the learned themselues it is a rare thing to be followed And as it is sayd the greatest Clearkes are not alwayes the wysest men nor commonly the strongest moste valiant And as the highest trées are more subiect to the blustering force of the winds than the low shrubbes which are shrowded vnder the defence of the Mountaines so the noble mindes of Princes and worthy Péeres are sooner shadowed and ouercast with the clowdes of Vanitie than the quiet fansies of the meanest whose affections are gouerned by the stedfast rule of Vertue And for this cause it was worthily prouided by the Emperoures of olde tyme that the same daye they were crowned euen in their chiefe royaltie the artificers shoulde come personally and demaunde how and after what sorte it woulde please him to haue his Tombe fashioned and this was done solemnely to the intente he shoulde be mindfull of death and not surprised with too muche delighte of suddayne felicitie Therefore if Princes and Emperoures haue not bin ashamed to acknowledge themselues mortall and by this meanes to suppresse the swelling waues of vayne glory it behoueth all priuate men muche more vigilantly to watche and warde that they bée not at anye time puffed vp and infected wyth the strong poyson of selfe loue and most hatefull surquedrie Of Wine and Women CHAP. 6. HEliodorus in the thyrde Booke of hys Ethiopian Historie proueth that the cause of intemperancy and lust are both one for as well sayth he the mind of a drunken man is flexible as the affections of loue are inconstant bycause they are both drowned in moyst humors and therefore we sée that a common louer wil soone be drunke and a drunkerde soone moued with the desires of loue It were a doubtfull question to determine whether hathe greater force of Wyne or Women for surelie the strength of the one is inuincible and the lust of the other not to be satisfyed Thys conquereth Kings that wasteth whole countreys this desguiseth mē into beastes that transformeth mē into Monsters This diuorceth vs from the ioyes of Heauen and that other winds vs to paines of Hell. But least we should offende with Tiresias we will rather confesse with the Chamberlaine of Darius that in these poyntes women are soueraigne And as the vse of them both and many things else is very necessarie pleasant and profitable so it is only the abuse eyther of them or anye thing that is filthie tedious and incoueniente May not the trée be good although the blossoms are blasted is not the ayre wholsome bycause it is hurtful to the sickly or is gold naught bycause our nature is corrupted no it is pure but we are vnperfect these thyngs are wholesome but we are immoderate they are good but our affections are euill disposed Aristotle gaue counsell to King Alexander in his most troublesome affayres and warlike aduentures to behold the beautifull countenance of women and by pleasant spéeche with them had to lighten the weight of cares which continually increasing mighte discourage the mind of the most valiante from his noble enterprise wherein he had great reason for what can be more delectable vnto a man than to behold the image of himself sette forth in a more perfect and heauenly figure what more comfortable than to sée the cause of his life and consequently the chiefe authour of his felicitie what is more ioyfull than pleasure what more pleasant than beautie and what can bée more beautifull than women surely nothing And I suppose with the Poets that Nature hath curiously fashioned them in hir owne molde with suche excellencie of personage to spite the proude Goddesse that vauntes hir selfe in beautie to be soueraigne Neyther can I perceyue them in any vertues to be much inferiour vnto men but if I shoulde not speake partiall rather the authours than followers of wisedome To beginne with Chastitie it is not possible that so pure a mettall shuld be defiled with anye spottes of filthy lust for why they were made after the perfection of man of the soundest parte of hys body Moreouer their owne complexion is cold and therefore commonly they are more temperate and chst modest and patient milde and mercifull most constant and pitifull and for the corruption that ariseth of grosse meates and vnholesome sauoures why they haue by nature a cōtinuall euacuation of all superfluous humoures suche force hathe that whiche is pure to expell the same that is vncleane And what is he that doubtes of the continencie of women but let him remember onely the daughter of Virginius whyche chose rather to be slayne of hir owne father than to hazarde the Castell of hyr chastitie vnto the hote séege of Appius hir fleshly enimie if they be not constante what was Penelope if not patiēt what was Griseld if not pitifull what was Dido excepte you will make them Goddesses for Vertue whyche were in déede by kynde women but you wyll say they wante courage bycause they are gentle by nature a wise reason as though Sainctes themselues are not sometymes displeased or as if the water were not calmest in the déepe and the winde strongeir in the streyghts but dyd not Quéene Thomiris chalenge the combat of Alexander to fighte with him hande to hande whiche he refused was not Pentheseleia before hir in the middest of the battell at the ruinous séege of Troy what was Bellona hir selfe if women were not couragious yes no doubt they are strong and valiante whiche appeareth euen in that stout affection of them
frée till you be able to restraine youre affections For howe can he enioy the commodities of Peace whiche delighteth in the practise of discord If he be frée that is subiecte to feare or happy that pines in sorrowes or quiet that burneth in wrath thē is he at libertie which overruled by his affections but it is farre otherwise and therefore in my iudgement he is frée from libertie and inferiour to bondage Therefore if we woulde be crowned with euerlasting fame if we séeke pleasantly to liue and honorably to dye to rule with power and to be feared with fauour and lastely to be like vnto the Goddes themselues we muste be liberall in reward of dueties and bountifull in due consideration of deserts The Emperour 〈◊〉 was so bountiful in rewards toward his subiects that he wold suffer no day to passe wherein he had not diuersly performed sūdry déeds of charitie What a Princely rewarde was giuen to Virgil by the noble Octauia the mother of Marcellus for a few lines writtēd in worthy praise of hir sonne howe mindful was that highe renowned King Alexander of his friendly gouernors whiche in the conquest of Persia commaunded a riche cheste which conteined chiefe parte of the spoile to be reserued for Homer These were the vertues of the Gréekes and Romanes which cōmitted their names of the Booke of eternall memorie Furthermore there be comely graces aswell in gesture as other behauiour to be noted in a Courteour and it behoueth him much that daily standeth in the face of his Prince and chiefe royaltie of the Realme to be modest in his lookes and verye circumspecte of behauioure Heliodorus or at leaste the friendlye translatour of hys workes resembling Theagines vnto the valiaunt Achilles both in stature and al other outward comely proportions of the body maketh them equall but for his countenaunce whiche discloseth the modestie of the minde he preferred Theagines before the other in that he was more humbly disposed and farre more courteous of speach for whiche he gyueth him a singular commendation And to saye trueth what is the comelinesse of personage without good manners surely it may be likened to the Painters image wherin is much arte no sēse most curious workmanship little vnderstanding But in gesture behauiour there are as many shameful vices to be eschued as there be comely graces to be followed for I would not wish a yong man to counterfet such grauitie that he become a Drawlatche nor a double curtesie maker which is scornful nor a ceremonious cap giuer to al men for that is ridiculous so that he must be neither shéepish nor yet past shame that will séeke to aduance himselfe to credite by good maners modest behauior There be some whiche loue rather to set their lookes in a Glasse than learne to sit comely in the saddle another stalkes in the stréets as we say like one that would steale Cranes another beares the countenance of a Lion perhaps whose courage is not worth a Léeke this wily fellowe shewes euerye man hys sword which hath bin the death of so many frogs in Ireland and other tels the wonders of strange countries therein vseth the liberties of a Trauailer and lastely some are euer exclayming on their stepmothers fortune and whine at the sorrowes of Aduersitie But these in my iudgement had rather choose Follie for their playfellowe and companion than the haue Vertue their guide safeconduct vnto wisedome There is a meane and mediocritie in all thinges whiche he that can indifferentlye obserue hathe attained euen to the full perfection of Vertue It commendeth a Courteour likewise to bée generallye séene and experienced in many thinges for the knowledge of all thinges is profitable but the abuse of anye thing is vncomely I haue knowen very wise men which traueling by chance in the company of mean Artificers would not thinke scorne to talke but take delight to discourse with suche euen of the vilest trades that are to be necessarily vsed in a common wealth Swéete honny is not gathered out of one onelye flower nor learning is had out of one booke nor Wisedom likewise is attayned by the practise of one Vertue alone And wée muste learne also to frame oure speache and behauiour according to the place and company not to talk with Priests of loue nor with Ladies of religion not to discourse with childrē of wars nor with Princes of trifles neither in a tragicall misfortune to be too muche daunted with fear nor in a sodain felicitie too farre surprised with delight And in any discourse we must remember to inferre duties by desert mirth with measure and pleasure by commodities for according to the Poet Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit vtile dulci. To conclude in al our actions expeditions we must prefer the steadfast counsaile of aduised policie before the rash enterprise of malaperte boldenesse It is better to deserue euerlasting fame with noble Fabius which saued his country by delays than to perishe with shamefull Callicratides which lost a goodly fléete of the Lacedemonians with ouermuch hast We sée the lingring snaile by tract of time doth softly climing reach to the toy of stately Towers there quietly sits without danger where the fierce capitain with hot assaults bloudy skirmishe at laste perhappes winnes the strongest fort which he cā not kéepe without double charge and deadlye perill And surelye the cunning to kéepe is no lesse cōmendable than the courage to obtayne And thus he that will rule must learne to be obedient he that will liue quietly muste of force restraine his affections and hée that would be knowen to be a gentleman must alwayes vse good conditions Of Selfe loue and surquidrie CHAP. 5. I Can not easily condiscende to the opinion of those whiche affirme that a man cannot in any wise doe himselfe wrong but I am rather induced by reason to beléeue that a man can hurte no man so muche as hée plagueth himselfe For if we consider the miserable estate of mankinde subiecte to such and so many fearefull daungers and sodaine alterations in the whole course of his life we shall finde that in steade of one iniurie done is another man he bringeth mountaines of care heapes of sorrowes vpon his owne head And to omitte all childish sorrowes when he commeth from his crade first into riper yeres of discreation good God howe violently is he drawen by swéete alluring luste into the lothsome practise of follye what care vexeth him within what feare doth compasse him aboute what pleasures in hope what sorrowes in dispaire what flames of desire and what colde floudes of disdaine and finallye what rockes of repulse doe breake the billow waues of his wauering minde in so muche as tenne thousande times in a daye to ende this careful strife he calles for deathe to cutte the line asunder of this his lucklesse life And yet perhaps by tract of time he is taughte to leaue such toyes reason
able to withstande the force of shamefull death And thus you sée to vaine vitious nature the proude blossomes of your vntimelye fruit soone withered the strength of youre aucthoritie soone decayed and the beautie of your countenaunce soonest of all to be fledde forlorne and defaced And surelye if a man woulde but consider eyther the imperfections of nature the innumerable sorrowes of thys lyfe or the inuincible force of death no doubt hée shoulde be as earnestlye persuaded to folowe the rule of ryght and séeke out the secretes of wysedome as hée was first allured to swéete sinne and violentlye drawen into the schoole of follye But alas those which are in hell knowe not the ioyes of heauen and what hope of victorie is left to them that are alreadie conquered O strong selfe Loue and pestilent force of pryde what homicyde parricyde or what murthers haste thou not committed What flamyng fyres what warres yea what mischiefe haste thou not attempted Thou hast killed Princes poysoned Kynges and murthered most famous Emperours By thée strong Castles are rased townes spoyled Cities wasted and by thée countreys are lefte desolate And whither can the force of thy ragyng furie bée nowe further extended Thou haste vanquisshed men and wylt thou nowe exercyse thy tyrannye vpon brute beastes And woulde to GOD we myght all bée so well excused Thou haste wonne the whole worlde but doest thou meane to laye siege to the heauens or giue battyle vnto the Gods But remember thy Champion Lucifer what rewarde had hée for hys proude attempte Call to mynde the presumptuous buildynges of Nembroth and what successe had hée in hys enterpryse And forget not the proude Knyght Companius whiche being valiaunt and fortunate in warres had suche confidence in hys courage and suche faythfull truste in hys owne strength that hée scorned at those whiche after victorie obteyned dyd vse anye ceremonyes in worshipping of their Goddes callyng it a cowardlye affection that fearefullye craued helpe and supporte of shadowes but hée was sodainly consumed with fyre from heauen beyng in the forefronte of the battayle at the siege of Thebes These thynges considered maye soone coole the hote courage of pryde and moste horryble conceiptes of Surquedrye But the close affection of selfe Loue is more couertlye crepte into the opinions of men whiche thinke them selues by nature bounde and not forbydden by diuyne lawes to make muche of them selues And God forbyd but that eche man shoulde haue a prouident care to profite hime selfe But yet are wée taught by the commaundements of GOD to loue another equallye as our selues wée are instructed by the recorde of holye scriptures that all our actions ought to be done to the glorie of GOD And wée maye learne by prophane wryters that wée are not borne vnto our selues but that partlye our parentes partlye friendes partlye chyldren partlye kynsefolke and chiefelye our natyue countreye doeth chalenge a pryncypall duetie wherin the charitable loue and affection of vs all is ioyntly comprehended And this is more plainly perceyued by the comfortable vertue of societe without the which the life of man were naked tedious and vnpleasaunt For what auayleth it vnto a man to be the monarche of the whole worlde if he haue not subiects to gouerne if hée haue not a wyfe to increase his ofspryng if he haue not chyldren to honour and defende hym and lastly if he haue not friendes to reioyce with hym in prosperitie and to comfort hym in aduersitie Yea if hée be not happie straight wayes that hath all these things howe vnhappie is he then that wanteth so many goodly commodities And by this meanes a proude man is to bée thought most infortunate For when he begins to take an opinion of him selfe euen then is he first mislyked of others Where hée fawnes he is feared where he loues hée is suspected where he fauours most he is lest regarded Agayne when he frownes he is forsaken when hée laughes he is enuyed and when hée mournes hée is left desolate But hée is warye and wyse hée wyll trust none neyther shall he be trusted of anye hée is proude bycause hée is ryche but hée is poore in that hée is proude hée is strong in power but he is weake in wysedome hée is comelye in proportion but hée is deformed in condition Waye these thynges togyther in the true ballaunce of reason and you shall perceyue the wayght of sinne and heauie burthen of mischiefe able to sinke the strongest the comeliest and the proudest man alyue into the deadlye pytte of destruction Dionisius was wyse and yet hée beguyled hym selfe for hée was shamefullye murthered by the consent of hys wyfe Brennus was valiaunt yet coulde not withstande the wrath of the Gods. And Tarquinius was proude but pryde was the cause of this foule destruction And these be the fruites of selfe Loue Surquedrie But cease O cruell Kyng cease nowe at length thys thy ragyng tyrannye forbeare to vexe the myndes of innocentes with pryde and drowne no more vnhappie soules in the seas of selfe Loue and Surquedrie And yet why doe I thus gentlye entreate with a Tyrant why doe I pleade for peace with the chief authour of discorde And whye doe I call hym Kyng which is the father of mischiefe and mortall enemye to mankynde euer since the begynnyng of the worlde Euen hym I meane whyche brought the fyrst care and calamityes vnto Adam by the taste of an Apple For it is none but hée whiche couertly séekes by false prouocations to bryng vs vnto mischiefe It is hée that settes the spitefull plantes of pryde and hée that sowes the moste hatefull séede of dissention But hée nameth hym selfe the Prince of the Worlde howe shall wée than séeke to confounde hym Naye but hée is the Father of lyes and therefore we wyll not belieue hym hée is but a shadowe and why shoulde wée then feare him he triumpheth ouer worldlings lyke a Lyon but resist him stoutlye and hée vanisheth into nothyng Wylt thou learne to withstande the temptations of Sathan Then you must faithfully cleaue to the promyse of God whiche will not suffer the righteous to be cōfounded But thou canst not be righteous of thy selfe nor faythfull without humilitie nor humble without charitie For these vertues are vnyted and can not bée separated So that hée whiche woulde haue the fauour of the diuine Maiestie must néedes indeuour hym selfe to resist the strength and power of our vniversal enemye Neyther is it too late at any tyme to resorte vnto goodnesse nor too tymelye to preuent mischiefes Wée must vse no procrastinations and delayes to be vertuous For hee that is not readye to thinke well to daye will be more vnlikely to doe good on the morrowe And it is not enough to thinke ill of none but wée must in that we may doe good vnto all yea euen vnto our enemyes for thus are wée taught to doe good for euyl which are the fruites of perfect charitie Much lesse then ought we to disdayne