that the temperature of weather succeedeth tempests that wealth commeth not by wishing but watching neither can rest in age be procured where labour and industry in youth is not practised Warres take away the limbs and lives of many yet doth not that terrifie others from the attaining unto honour by armes and â—o of the rest Good things are not to be forborne for the feare of evills that may ensue rather the worst things are to be endured that the better may bee encouraged Were it not then absurd that Husbandmen Navigators and Souldiers shall not foâ—beare to use all diligence and exercise in their severall qualities as no way deterr'd by the detriments belonging unto them and shall any man forbeare maâ—riage for the multiplicitie of cares and crosses which some through their vaine and idle feares would asperse upon it Shall a Virgin feare to marrie onely with this evasion Say I should be a widow or having children borne O what a griefe it would be to me to see them buried Let her know that in this case death is to be blamed not matrimonie and she may as well accuse nature for making us men and not Gods If either husband or children die it is because they were borne and their bodies created mortall and not immortall It may be therefore thus further argued that marriage supplies such deficiencie in nature for by a second nuptiall the wife loseth the name of widow and redeemeth not only the late lost name of husband but to her children the forfeited name of father by which marriage maketh amends in what nature seemed to doe amisse and is rather a restauration than a deprivation to Orphancie and Widow-hood If you shall summe up the cares and troubles that depend upon wedlocke set but against them the profits and the pleasures and they shall farre surmount them both in nature and number What greater content to a man than after the laborious travells of the day to repose at night in the bosome of a sweet and loving bed-fellow What more delightfull hope than the exectation of an happy issue The throwes of the mother are forgot in the birth of the child and the pleasures of the latter farre surmount the paines of the former the peevishnesse of the childs infancie is quite forgot when he begins to prattle What comfort their toward youth breeds and what consolation their more staid yeeres beget I leave to their consideration who have beene the fruitfull parents of a fortunate progenie If then by lawfull marriage soules are here inspired upon earth to become glorious Saints in heaven and parents in their issue and succession imitate the Creator himselfe by giving life to others that they by an alternate course as they receive breath from their fathers may also returne it to their own children and so till the last dissolution if it change the common titles of man and woman to the honoured names of father and mother if it beget temperance providence and the rest and make these carnall pleasures which are otherwise interdicted and forbidden honest and legitimate if the certaine comforts so farre surmount all casuall corsives as it is so graciously honoured why should it not be genâ—rally embraced And though Saint Ambrose saith Nuptiae terras implent virginitas Paradiâ—um marriage peoples the earth but virginity Paradise yet Saint Austine preferres humble marriage before proud virginity I conclude this Chapter with that of Claudian in Europa Nascitur ad fructum mulier prolemque futuram A woman was made fruitfull in her birth Still to continue mankind upon earth CHAP. V. How parents ought to dispose of their daughters The miseries of enforced contracts The maner of marriage amongst the Romans the Muscovites the ancient Britans the Gaules the Germans c. PLato in his booke De Legib. tells us that mankind is by marriage made immortall and lasteth for ever for by leaving children to beget children the father by successive generaâ—ion is made immortall of which immortaâ—itie all such are justly deprived who abandon themselves to a life single and solitary But there ought to be a great care in the Parents in disposing of their children the better to continue this blessed perpetuitie The Emperour Aurelius informeth us that there was a custome amongst the Rhodians or a Proverb at least that the fathers to marry a son need to spend but one day but in the disposing of one daughter they ought to consider with themselves ten yeers which were it even in these times carefully observed and diligently imitated might be the prevention of many inconveniences or rather palpable mischiefes of which we have had many wofull examples Some through their base avarice not willing to allow unto their daughters sufficient dowers Others too prodigall have stretcht themselves beyond their ability and meanes to be the ruine of their children by pride and of themselves by poverty Others ill advised or too selfe-opinioned by their too much dotage on the sons have cast too great a neglect upon the daughters by which as they lose time so they forfeit duty and many times chastity for when they come to maturity of yeers such as their fathers have no care to bestow have a will to dispose of themselves the event of which is for the most part disaster and penurie Others will enforce them to marry where themselves like and not where their children love the effects of which are commonly discontent and misery for inequality either in yeeres fortunes or affections is the road way to spouse-breach and didivorce for where there is dis-union of hearts there must needs be disorders in the house How often have forced contracts beene made to add land to land not love to love and to unite houses to houses not hearts to hearts which hath beene the occasion that men have turned monsters and women devills I forbeare to instance any for in nomination of the dead I might perhaps give distast to such of the kinred who yet survive who no question could rather with that the memory thereof were rather buried than blazed abroad Further who shall but follow the Circuit in the Countrey besides these trialls here in the City shall seldome find a generall Assises without some evidence or other givâ—â— upon the like tragicall accidents But leaving these I purpose in the next place to speake something concerning the ancient ceremonies observed amongst the Romans and others in their contracts and nuptiall ceremonies The Romans called them Sponsalia à spondendo of the vow and promise made each to other which words were writ downe recorded and sealed before witnesses and those were called Signatores Before the ceremony the Bride and Bridegroome consulted severally either of them with a soothsayer to know what omen should be in their future marriage Of which Iuvenal in his tenth Satyr maketh mention Veniet cum signatoribuâ— auspex .i. The Soothsayer comes with those that signed to the contract Aul. Gellius informes us that the young man gave unto
thee I 'm still Alcides thine Notwithstanding all this goodnesse inherent to her greatnesse the dissolute King growing neglectfull of his first faire choice bends his inordinate affections fully upon fresh change Hee sleepes now onely in the bosomes of Catamites and base prostitutes whil'st her company and consociety is both at boord and bed quite abandoned But the good Queen lesse troubled with the want of his boord or bed fellowship than grieved with the dispaire shee had of hopefull and princely issue knowing as Basil saith that barren marriage is seldome without braules she bethought her selfe how by redeeming the one she might recover the other And to that purpose she dealt privately being wonderously for her vertues sake beloved of all with one of the Pages of the Kings bed-chamber whom he most imploied in his private prostitutions to bring her covertly to the Kings bed to supply the place appointed for one of his best loved mistresses This was as effectually performed as considerately plotted so that the King once more injoyed his Queen and was as prodigall of those favours to her as he pretended to another The morning growing on and he now sufficiently sated hastens her departure both for his owne honour and her credit But shee taking hold of the present occasion began to discover her selfe in these or the like words and read unto him this short Lecture My gracious Lord and Husband if I have offended you in the fervencie of my love I here voluntarily submit my sâ—lfe to the tyâ—annie of your hate yet if it please you considerately to examine the cause of my hither comâ—ing it was neither to quench any immoderate desire in my selfe nor envie to intercept any of those favours you intended unto another it was not lust but love hoping that this nights unexpected passage may blesse us with issue and beautifie the Kingdome with a joyfull heire For why should strangers inherit where there is yet hope left that we may have of our own to succeed Nor will I leave your side till you call into your chamber some persons of honour and â—rust to the end that if heaven be so gracious unto us that royall fruit by me so much desired may ensue by this adventure the world by their testimony may take notice that it is legitimate to crowne me with the name of an happy Mother and not adulterate to brand mee with the title of a lewd and lascivious strumper The King though he seemed somewhat troubled at the first yet better recollecting himselfe was not any vvay displeased vvith the Qâ—eenes honest deceit but presently called in two Gentlemen of his chamber as witnesses of that truth considering it touched his own honour as much as the Queenes desire The event of this stratagem proved fortunate both to the Parents and the kingdome for by that meeting she conceived vvith childe and according to the season of vvomen vvas delivered of a son on the first day of February in the veere of Grace 1196. The Father and Mother when the solemnity of his Baptisme vvas to bee celebrated differing about the name they caused twelve torches of equall length and making to bee alighted at once they bearing the names of the 12. Apostles with this omen that the name of that torch vvhich vvas first burnt out should bee given to the Infant vvhich happened to be that of S. Iames and so was hee called Iames being the chief Saint whom the Arragonians celebrate He proved a rare and an unparalleld Prince as well in forrain warres as domestick government he was beneficiall to his servants and bountifull to his souldiers his courage vvas full of constancy and continued vvithout change proving such an one as Socrates characters for valiant Great attempts he undertooke vvithout diffidence and managed them vvithout feare Making invasion upon the Mores he pierced vvith a great army the I le of Majorque then in their possession and after many skirmishes brought it under his owne subjection Hee invaded Carihage and made his name famous in Africa He had a faire and fertile issue sonnes and daughters His eldest was Don Peter who succeeded him in the kingdome of Arragon his second Don Iames whom hee made King of the two Iles Majorque and Minorque his third vvas Archbishop of Toledo His eldest daughter Donna Tollant vvas Queen of Castile the second Donna Isabella Queen of France the third Donna Urracha vvas married to Don Emanuell Prince of Castile His sonne Don Pedro espoused the daughter of the King of Navarre Great pity therefore it had beene that the meeting of that happy night had beene intermitted in vvhich the royall father of so kingly â— progeny vvas begot He lived 72. yeeres and died â—â—â—ligiously retiring himself to a sequestred life For being troubled vvith a griâ—vous disease which maâ— him unable for governmenâ— hee disposed of his scepâ—â— and estate and expired in thâ— City Valentia in a Monastâ—ry in the yeere 1266. aboâ— the beginning of August I need not to have travellâ—â— so far for an history to 〈◊〉 purpose vvhen our owâ—â— kingdome hath afforded â—workâ— like betwixt persons of 〈◊〉 greatest quality who by the like sleight practised by 〈◊〉 forsaken Ladies have not â—eene onely a meanes of reâ—onciliation but of happy propagation and issue Great â—hen hath beene the vertue and patience of those noble Matrons to suffer such corrivalship in conniving at their owne maid-servants and Gentlewomen considering that as Crates saith nuptiall faith is seldome violated vvithout revenge Besides there can be no greater temptation to corrupt the constancy and loyalty of a married woman than when shee perceives her husband to discharge upon her his discontents and virulencies and reserve all his time and consocietie for the person of another Aristotle affirmes thâ—â— man or woman is worthy to be accounted stout bold and valiant who doe noâ— onely with patience induâ—â— injuries and rebukes of fered them but strive to repay the best good for thâ— worst evill For patiencei of such similitude and neeâ—â— alliance unto fortitude thâ—â— shee is either her sister or her daughter And thougâ— this vertue as Cicero saith being often provoked with injuries may breake out into fury yet in such distraction it is good for wronged women to thinke upon the worst how to better it and to wish the best with intent to further it and whatsoever shall happen patiently to indure it For the onely remedy for injuries is to study how to forget them I conclude with the Emperour Aurelius who tells us that it is more safety to forget a wrong than to revenge it to suffer infirmities and dissemble mishaps the one is the office of a constant sicke man the other of a cunning Statesman But for a wife to beare with the weakenesse and imperfections of 〈◊〉 husband is the true Character of a wise and vertuous woman Gaudet patientia Duris FINIS
others all eminent Poets and not one of them whose pen was not imployed in the laborious encomiasticke of some excellent Lady or other The like I may say of the Germanes as Iohannes Gulielmus Rosbachius Matthias Baderus Lambertuâ— Ludolphus Frenzekius Franciscus Modius Bebelâ—lius c. Amongst thâ— French Marrot and others And of our English I will only at this time memorize two famous Mr. Edmund Spencer magnified in his Gloriana and the most renowned Sr. Philip Sidney never to bee forgotten in his Pamela and Philoclea Nay none of these Satyrists against women but with easie examination I could bring their owne works to witnesse against themselves but more needfull occurrents take mee off from them I will therefore leave them to their contradictions with that of Terentius in the Prologue to his first Comedy called Andraea ut quiescant porro moneo desinant Maledicere malefacta ne noscant sua I warne them their ill speeches to forbeare Lest of their owne ill deeds they further heare For it is the fashion of many to prie and seeke to have a deepe inspection to the actions and behaviours of others whilst they are meerely carelesse and negligent in managing of their owne manners and deportment which Horace ingeniously observes and with which I conclude this Chapter Egomet mi ignosco Maevius inquit Stultus improbus hic amor est dignusque notari Maevius doth say My selfe on my selfe dote But foolish is this love and worthy note When purblind thou thine own cheeks canst not see Why dost thou looke so fixt on him or mee For now thine eyes so nimble sighted are The Eagle or the Serpent to out-stare CHAP. II. Of virgintie and the excellencie thereof The punishment of the incestuous Vestalls How chastitie was honoured amongst the ancient Spartans How farre virgins may extend their words writings or gestures BEfore I come to dissect or take upon mee to anatomize the conditions oâ—â—wives it lieth in my roadâ— way to speake something of virgins for all women were first maids before they came to bee married One saith of women in generall that they are wonders in nature if they would not wrong nature And another that they bee admirable Angels if they would not be drawen with Angels to become Devils And of virgins thus If they bee faire they are to bee won with praises and if coy with prayers if they bee proud with gifts if covetous with promises And as it is naturall in them to despise what is offered so it is death to them to be denied what they demand Some compare their hearts to the Cotton tree whose fruit in the bud is as hard as a bullet of iron but being ripe it bringeth forth nothing but soft wooll But give me leave a little to deviate and leave them for a page or two to speake something of the excellencie of virginitie it selfe Pope Gregorie hath these words Quanquà m laudationem virginitatis non suscepi expressionem tamen c. Though I have not undertooke to give virginitie the due praise yet I will afford it some expression and first shew you in what countrey she was bred and by what parent begot If that be our countrey where our dwelling is then is Heaven the mansion of chastitie It hath here a pilgrimage there a permanence For what is virginall chastitie but an integritie voyd of all contagion And whom can we call the father thereof but the immaculate Sonne of God whose flesh saw no corruption and whose Divinitie was not sensible of putrefaction How great then is the honour of virginitie when our blessed Saviour a virgin came of a virgin A virgin the Mother a virgin the Sonne begot of his Father before all worlds borne of his Mother in the world the first proceeding from his eternall goodnes that the second might bee conducible to our everlasting glorie So likewise the holy Mother Church his Spouse is immaculate in her conception and yet fruitfull in her issue a Virgin in her chastitie a Mother in her children being a virgin shee generateth us not by the aid of the flesh but by the assistance of the Spirit not with the throwes and paines of the womb but by the joyes of Angels she gives us suck not with the milke of the breast but the doctrine of the Apostles A virgin is the daughter of Sion a virgin is the new Jerusalem into which no flesh can enter that is common or uncleane Note but how farre the name and vertue of virginitie exâ—endeth for though amongst those that be married the title and honour seâ—meth to bee lost yet ought we to know that everie chaste soule which abstaineth from things unlawfull and forbidden keepeth it still For the Church which consisteth of young and old male and female married and unmarried everie member thereof is honoured with that sacred title Virgin For many causes saith Iohannes Episcopus did the Saviour of the world chuse to be borne of a wife espoused to an husband first to take away all aspersions that might bee alledged against her by the Jewes who urging the strength of the Law would have stoned her being the punishment imposed upon an aâ—dulteresse next to prevent all occasions from immodest virgins lest they should listen unto any false suspitious rumours by which our blessed Saviour might bee injured or defamed that in going and returning from Aegypt shee might have the company and comfort of her husband Ioseph not a protectour onely but a witnesse of her continued virginitie as also to beguile the Devill the open adversarie of all mankinde who by reason of her marriage might be in some hesitation and doubt whether she were a virgin and therefore grow diffident whether our blessed Saviour were the Sonne of God or no. Pope Leo Parturiente Maria natus est nobis Dei filius c. Mary being delivered or bringing forth to us and for us was borne the Sonne of God borne of an untoucht woman that his humane birth might assure us that he was perfect man and her immaculate virginitie confirme to us that he was perfect God of whom Maxinus Episcopus to this purpose testates Though when hee was borne earthly swathings contained him yet that hee was not of earth heavenly signes witnessed of him Whilst he lay in the cradle he shined in the clouds hee cryed as an infant amidst the Jewes he raigned as an Emperour amongst the Gentiles whilst hee suckt amongst the Bethlemites hee was a worshippedâ— and adored by the Chaldeans when hee was visited by Shepherds he was honoured by Kings when he was obscure in the stable hee was visible amidst the starres Hee was poore in habit amongst the Jewes he appeared in glory amidst the Gentiles Therefore saith a learned Father let all virgins rejoyce for Mary the blessed virgin hath brought forth let all widowes bee glad for Anna the widow acknowledged Christ in his infancie let all wives exult for when Mary came to visit Elizabeth the wife of