Whose active skill at once could moove an hundred In every one a pen As many eyes As Iuno's Argus waking to devise Of her perfections onely Head Hands Sight In striving but to patterne her aright All though in their full vigour I should sinde Strucke on the suddaine Stupid Dull and Blinde Chaste Virgin Royall Queene belov'd and fear'd Much on the Earth admir'd to Heaven indeer'd Single and singular without another A Nurse to Belgia and to France a Mother Potent by Land sole Soveraigne of the Maine Antagonist to Rome the scourge of Spaine THE LAST OF THE THREE WOMEN WORTHIES AMONGST THE CHRISTIANS CALLED ELIZABETH QVEEN OF ENGLAND FRANCE AND IRELAND c. AS the most famous Painter of his Time Apelles to frame the picture of one Venus had aâ— once exposed to his view an hundred of the most choyce and exquisite Virgins of Greece to take from one the smoothest brow from a second the most sparkling eye a third the Rosiest colloured cheeke a fourth the best Corrall like lippe a fifth the sweetest dimpled chinne a sixth the daintiest swelling brest a seventh the whitest hand from another the most delicate foote and so of the rest and all to make the exact portrature of that Emergent goddesse so in the accurate expression of this rare Heroicke Elizabeth should I peruse all the ancient and Authenticke Histories and out of them select the lives of the most vertuous Ladyes for their rare and admirable indowments commended to posterity and perpetuity taking and extrâ—cting from them severally those sundry gifts and graces by which they were remarkeably eminent above others whether Piety or Virginâ—ll purity Beauty and bounty Majesty and magnanimity Language and learning polliticke Governement or practise of goodnesse pitty of forraâ—gne distressed nations or indulgence over her owne Natives c. Nay what praecelling vertue soever was commendable in any one particular or all in generall may without flattery be justly conferred on her Shee was the Daughter of King Henry the eighth of that name and of his second wife the Lady Anne Bullaine first created Marchionesse of Pembrooke and then espoused to the King the five and twentyeth day of Ianuary 1533. and upon Whitsunday next following at Westminster crowned Queene the seventh of September after shee was delivered of a faire Daughter to the great and unspeakeable joy both of the Prince and people shee was Christened the third day next ensuing being Wednesday in the Fryers Church in Greenewich in a Font of silver The old Dutchesse of Northfolke held the Babe Her Godfather was Thomas Cranmer Arch-bishop of Canterbury and Metropolitane of all England her Godmothers the Dutchesse of Northfolke and the Marquionesse of Dorset both Widdowes Not long after the birth of this young Princesse a generall oath of Allegiance past through the Kingdome to support and maintaine the successive heires descending from the bodies of the King and Queene Anne lawfully begotten in the possession of the Crowne and Scepter and all Imperiall honours to them belonging by which Katherine of Spaine his former wife and the Princesse Mary their daughter were disabled to lay any claime at all to the Royall dignity and for this cause were the two young Ladies brought up a part which might be a reason also why there was such distance in their dispositions I have further read of this young Lady Elizabeth that there were pregnant hopes of her even in her Mothers conception Mercury being the starre which was at that season most predominant whose influence is sharpenesse of wit and ingenuity Iupiter at her birth being in conjunction with Venus and Soi with a favourable Aspect shining on either a doubtlesse presage that the Infant borne under that Constellation should bee faire and fortunate powerfull in warre yet a Patronesse of peace excellent in Learning exquisite in language in life honoured in death lamented who in her tender Infancy was said almost as soone to speake as to goe and that her words had sence as soone as sound and not being full foure yeares of age used every morning when shee opened her eyes to aske for her booke before shee called for bread and at all other times of the day was observed to bee more ready to pray then to prattle Queene Annes life being taken away by a violent death the morrow after the King was marryed to his third wife the Lady Iane Seymer daughter to Sir Iohn Seymer who on the twelfth day of October In the yeare of grace 1537. was at Hampton Court delivered of a Sonne whose Mother dyed the second day after much lamented and pittyed and the young Prince called Edward was the eighteenth of the same moneth created Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Chester the Father being so joyfull of his Sonne that hee cast a neglectfull eye on his two former daughters Mary and Elizabeth but the later of the two was in the first grace for when Mary was separated from comming neere the Court Elizabeth was admitted to keepe the young Prince company and from his Tutors received all such necessary documents that by her childish dictating unto him he might be the more capable to understand them and such was their proxinity in blood that it begot in them a mutuall and alternate affection insomuch that he no sooner knew her but he beganne to acknowledge her neither was their love the lesse comming from one loynes then had they issued from one and the same wombe being equally fortunate and unfortunate as having one Royall Father but either of them to be deprived of a mother and in that too having a kinde of mutuall correspondence that though her Mother suffered by the sword and his dyed in Child bed yet both indured violent and inforced deaths To cut off circumstance in the yeare one thousand five hundred forty sixe and of his raigne the thirty eighth King Henry the eighth expired the 28. of December and was the sixteenth day of February next following with great solemnity buryed at Windsor And upon the one and thirtyeth day of Ianuary was Prince Edward proclaimed King over all his Fathers Dominions and Realmes by the stile of Edward the sixth of that name and on the nineteenth of February he rode with his Vnckle Sir Edward Seymor Duke of Summerset and Lord Protector through the City of London And the day following was annoynted and Crowned King at Westminster by Thomas Craâ—mer Arch-Bishop of Canterbury and Metropolitane of all England who that day administred the holy Sacraments c. The King was no sooner Crowned but the Lady Elizabeth gave way to the present state neither continued they in that frequent familiarity as before for whereas in former time she loved him as a Brother her discretion now taught her to honour him as her King for though hee was a Prince of great meekenesse and modesty for that Royall Majesty which makes the difference betwixt the
on a Chalcidonian Damsell lost all his honour giving way to the enemy for an easie victory of these and the like we thus read Ovid Elegiar lib. 2. nisirapta fuisset Tyndaris Europa pax Asiaeque foret Femina silvestres Lapit has populumque biformem c. But for the rape made of the Spartian Queene Europe and Asia still in peace had beene Woman and Wine that blooddy banquet made In which the two shap't Centaurs did invade The Lapithes who doubly text with lust And the grapes juyce lay tumbling in the dust In Latin's kingdome for his Iustice praisd Woman a second Trojan tumult raisd Two buls I have seene for a faire heifer fight With lustfull fire inraged at her sight c. But contrary to these diverse of the same sex though not in that great number have beene very eminent in advancing both the profit and honour of their Nations as Dominica the wife of the Emperour Valence with her great eloquence and hazard of her person withall pacified the barbarous Goths from sacking and utterly subverting Constantinople the Metropolis of the Grecian Empire Iuguldis the sister of Childebert King of France by her Arguments and earnest sollicitations brought her Husband Hermogillus the Sonne of Lemigildus King of the Goths quite to abjure all paganisme and sincerely to professe the true Christian Religion Clotildis Queene of France after the like manner brought her Husband Clodoveus the son of Chilpericke to the profession of the faith In the yeare of grace three hundred and twelve Autaulphus King of the Goths laid his seige against Rome to assault it at least if not to spoyle it and to change the name thereof and for Roma to call it Gothia But Placida the wife of Honorius with her sweete perswasive language so insinuated into the ferocity of his barbarous diposition that she caused him to relent and quite altering his bloody purpose to raise the siege and leave the City in safety Pompeia Paulina wrought the like upon the tyrannous disposition of the Emperour Iulianus her husband causing him to take of those taxes and heavy impositions which he had with great rigour laid upon his people To which number may be added Helena the Mother of Constantine and Monica the Mother of Saint Augustine and some others and not the least meriting this Lady Elpheda the subject of our present treatise Whose Father Aluredus whom some of our Chronologers call Alphredus the fourth Sonne to Adolphus and Brother to Etheldredus late King began his raigne over the West Saxons and divers other Provinces of England in the yeare of Grace eight hundred threescore and twelve and in the thirtyeth yeare of Charles surnamed the Bald King of France It is written of him that he was twelve yeares of age before he was taught to know any Letter but after by his great industry he not onely excelled in learning his brothers but many others who were before him in time Hee was the first raised a Schoole in Oxford and gave that Towne great freedomes and Immunities He caused also many Lawes to be translated out of the Brittish tongue into the Saxons Especially the Mercean Lawes which Mercia was an absolute Kingdome called also middle England he was further a very skillfull Architector as having great knowledge in building and for hunting and hawking hee was able to instruct any but needed direction from none hee was of a comely stature and faire both of countenance and condition and of all his other children the best beloved of his Father He when he came to maturity espoused a noble Lady whose name was Etheluida by whom he had two sons Edward surnamed the elder and a second called Egelward Elpheda whom he after marryed to Etheldredus whom hee made Duke or Prince of Mercia the second was called Ethelgota he made a Nunrie or Votaresse and the third had to name Elphrida all his children as well daughters as sonnes he caused to be diligently instructed in the art of grammer so much he affected learning and was in many battles victorious over the Danes who often and in sundry places invaded the Land and tyrannized therein and amongst many other his Heroyicke acts one passage I cannot omit being so remarkeable Being in one battle much overset by reason of the multitude of his enemies he was forced with a small traine to hide himselfe in the wooddy Country about Summerset shire and had no other food save such as hee could provide by hunting and fishing yet at length being better comforted he began to shew himselfe more publicke and at large so that dayly there resorted unto him men out of Wiltshire Summerset shire Hampeshire and other places of the Kingdome so that in Processe of time he was strongly accompanied and much better accommodated then the Danes any way dreamed of upon a time the King in person tooke upon him the habit of a Bard or Musician and with his Harpe or some such instrument he entered the Tents and Pavilions of the Danes and sung unto them many pleasant Ballads and Ditties which greatly delighted them in which interim he espyed their sloth and idlenesse tooke full view of their hoast their strength and how it was ordered and withall discovered much of their Counsell and purposes and after returned unto his owne company who with some chosen men fell upon them in the night and utterly defeated and routed them having ever after the upper hand of his enemies It is further remembred of him that hee divided the night and day into three parts if he were not otherwise hindered and molested by his enemies whereof eight houres he spent in study and other eight in Almes deeds and prayer and the remainder in his dyet exercise and affaires of the Realme he raigned three and twenty yeares and dyed a notable and most memorable president to all that should hereafter sit on the throne of Majesty whom succeeded his son Edward Brother to this our Elpheda who though he was lower degreed then his Father in Arts and Literature yet excelled him in state and Majesty This high spirited Virago quite abandoning all softnesse and effeminacy betooke herselfe wholly to the practice of Armes by which she grew famously glorious assisting her Brother in all those great conflicts against the Danes but ere I come to give you a particular character of the sister let it be held no unnecessary digression to speake somewhat of the King her Brother who by his first wife named Edwina had a Sonne called Ethelstane who after succeeded him in the Throne By his second wife two Sonnes Edredus and Edwinus and seven daughters of which the eldest named Alnuda or Almida he marryed to the Emperour Otto the first of that name and Algina the second to Charles King of France surnamed the simple and the youngest of his daughters to Lewis King of Guien By his third wife Ethelswida
THE EXEMPLARY LIVES AND MEMORABLE ACTS OF NINE THE MOST WORTHY WOMEN OF THE VVORLD Three Iewes Three Gentiles Three Christians Written by the Author of the History of Women August Lib de singul Cleric Man was created out of Paradise but Women in Paradise London Printed by Tho. Cotes for Richard Royston and are to be sold at the signe of the Angell in Ivie Lane 1640. TO THE HONORABLE AND EMINENTLY VERTVOVS THE EXcellent Lady THEOPHILA the Learned Consort of the right worthy Sir ROBERT COOKE Knight c. Excellent Madam SHould I present you with your merited praise What Muse should I invoke what rapture raise For my minerva t is too high a straine As farre surpassing both my pen and braine When I shall say the Lilly doth excell For whitenesse or the Violet for the smell Or for a modest blush the Garden Rose What speake I more in this then each man knowes Or if I shall proclaime the Turtle chast Or praise the ripe fruits for their pleasing taste The Nightingale commend for many a tune And say shee farre excells the Bird of Iune If in their grace I strive to doe my best What write I more then is by all confest If I shall say y' are beautifull and faire Matchlesse unparalleld in all parts rare And to those outward should I then annex The inward vertues that most grace your Sex To name which would exceede number or to tell The severall tongues in which you so excell Greeke Roman French Castillian and with those Tuscan Teutonick in all which you pose The forreigne Linguist in the most select Both native Ideom and choise dalect Or for all learning Morrall or Divine To list you a tenth Muse amongst the nine When to the height of all these I am growne I shall adde nothing to you save your owne Nor can my praise the least advantage win you Since all that know you know these to be in you If to your honours both of Birth and Booke You shall but daine an animating looke To ' inlifen these dull papers they shall strive Alternatly to make your name survive Acknowledging in a submisse surrender They had dy'd blind not lightned by your splendor Your Honours absequiously devoted THO. HEYVVOOd TO THE EXCELLENTLY DISPOSED MISTRIS ELIZABETH THE VERTVOVS CONSORT OF CLOVILL TANFIELD OF COPT-FOLD HALL IN ESSEX Esquire The memorable Acts of these nine most worthy Ladies are humbly presented by T. H. Excellent Creature THat I presume to approach so faire a shrine with so meane an offering accept not I pray my unworthinesse but your owne worthy deservings borrowing your unspotted name to usher in these nine most incomparable Ladies neither is it improper but rather materiall for modesty and chastitie best accommodates magnanimity courage all vertuall decorements consists not in masculine spirited Viragoes some of your sex being for their beautie beloved some again more for their inward vertues then outward features affected as virgins for their chast and modest indowments wives for the love and care they have to preserve their conjugall tie untainted some widdowes for their wisedome and grave matrons for their gravitie now in this misselany of your so much magnified sex where you shall finde one excellently pollisht it is in your choyse to make her your president or if any for too much boldnesse branded you may use her as a vaile to make your owne vertues shew the more conspicuous for contrarieties in coulers best sets off each others luster thus after a particular acknowledgment of my dutie and service with pardon craved for my too much boldnesse I remaine yours In all observance obliged Tho. Haywood TO ALL NOBLE AND BRAVE SPIRITED GENTLEMEN WITH THE EXCELLENT AND VERTVOVSLY DISPOSED GENTLEWOMEN in generall TO the most generous of both Sexes I commend these few lines devoted to the honour of all worthy women of what qualitie or condition soever come to their first creation Adam was created from the dust of the earth shee from the ribbe of man Adam without she within Paradise and whether we take them nationall or singular we shall finde them to parallell men as well in the liberall Arts as in high Facinorous Acts For the nationall or provinciall what braver resolutions then in the Troádes the Phecides the Chiae the Aâ—giuae the Persides the Salmanicae the Milasiae the Celticae the Melicae the Tyrhenae the Liciae the Câ—ae or Cianae c. Of all whose magnanimities there are lâ—st to us memorable Histories Come to particulars Valeria and Cloelia Micca and Megisto Pieria and Policrita Lampsace Aretaphila Camm Sratonica Chiomara Timoclea Erixo Xenocrita Pithis Lucretia Telesilla c. and others without number And therefore was the opinion of Gorgias received before that of Thucidades who gave precedency and prioritie in place to such as were least spoken of abroad intimating that it was necessitous in a good woman to keepe as well her fame as her body within doores neither of them daring to be heard or seene beyond the threshold alluding to the French proverbe La Femme in La Maiscu et La Jambe rompue that is let the woman be in her house and her legge broke intimating shee ought to busie her selfe about houshold affaires onely and not to goe abroad But more approved was Gorgias allowing both their features and fames a liberall freedome to undergoe any publicke censure And therefore commendable was that law amongst the Romans which admitted funerall orations to be openly delivered at the obsequies of any grave and modest matron to animate and incourage the living who by imitating their excellent indowments and departments might be partakers with them in their obituall prayses and extolments Plutarch in the eightie fift of his Roman questions saith thus Cur antiquitus mulieres neque sinebant molere ne que coquere c. that is why in the ancient times did they not suffer women eyther to grinde at the Mill or to play the Cookes in the Kitchâ—n His answer is it is in the memory of the Covenant made betwixt the Romans and the Sabines for after their rape of the Sabine Virgins a peace being concluded betwixt the two opposite nations There was a Law written that not any of their wives should be put to such petty workes nor any of their daughters to the like servile drudgeries I spake at first of Arts and Armes let a few instances serve for many Come to painting Timarete the daughter of Micaon Irene of Cratinus Martia of Varro Aristarche the scholler of Nearchus or Lala Cizizena c. who might coÌ„pare with Apelles Zeuxis Apollidorus Atheniensis Aristides Thebanus or Nicomachus the sonne of Aristidamus for musicke and songry Lamia the beloved of King Demetreus and Aglais the daughter of Megacles were no whit inferiour to Arion or Orpheus In Poetry Sapho outshined Anacreon and for learning what man was ever knowne to surpasse the Sibills and the Muses and for masculine and heroicke spirits though I could produce
must To prove my loves profession does not faine Thrust into th' world amid'st the Muses traine Who being Women and in number Nine And as of all mens honour worthy mine Would say I beare to vertue little love When the Nine worthy Women could not move Th' expression of a poore respest from me Let this then for my Pen the pleader be Withall I must confesse 't was my maine end To boast The Author 's my deserving Friend So avoucheth Steph. Bradwell To the worthy Reviver of these Nine Women worthies Master Thomas Heywood Gent. AMongst the many worthy to attend Thy worthy female and thy worth commend Let me present my love too to thy choice Of this great subject and th' eternall voyce Thy Pen has given their Ashes to thy flame Their second soule now when their towring fame Was well nie Buried with them to thine Art Thy cost thy care cloathing thier every part In all th'adorements of such eminent stories So as to reade almost to see their glories In their owne greatnesse acted friend thy straine In these these brave Viragoes of thy braine This Golden issue of thy Silver head Thy many such shall when thy bodi 's dead Live as thy lines now make them live for ever Pompe lives and dy's such worthie labours never Thomas Brewer To his worthy Friend Mr. Thomas Heywood on his Nine Female Worthies WIll neither rugged time nor vast expence Of thy unfathom'd fancy and cleare sence Perswade thee to leave off but thou wilt still Make all'twixt heaven hell flow from thy Quill Nay Heav'n it selfe and all those Angels there Those powr's and vertues will themselves declare Thy Genuine searching soule But these here Thy female Angels that doe grace this Spheare Thrice worthy worthy women whose great acts Immortallize their mem'ries and exacts Not thee alone but all the noblest wits That in the courts of truth and judgement sits To write their Legends But thy learned Pen That writ before their Story hath agen From thy owne workes substracted Nine to be The great example to posteritie I doe not flatter but I may admire To see fire turn'd t' Ashes returne to fire Thy age goes backward and thy Phaenix braine From the old Ashes is growne younge Againe George Estoutevile THE APPELLATION OF THE THREE IEWES DEbora the Prophetesse and a mother in Israel Iudeth of Bethulia the widdow of Manasses Ester the Queene of King Ahashuerosh and Neece to Mordecay the Iew. THE APPELLATION OF THE THREE GENTILES BOnduca or Boadicia the Dowager Queene of Prasutagus King of the Iceni one of the Kingdomes of the Brittish Scepterchy Penthisilaea the warlik Queen of the Amazons and friend to Hector of Troy Queen Artimesia wife to Mausolus King of Caria a Province in Greece scituate betwixt Lycia and Iania THE APPELLATION OF THE THREE CHRISTIANS ELphleda Daughter to King Alured and wife to Etheldredus Duke of Mercia or middle England Queene Margaret daughter to the King of Cecile and Hierusalem and wife to Henry the sixt King of England Elizabeth Queene of England France and Ireland c. Defender of the Faith DEBORAH HE that shall take in hand to speake at large Of womens prayse shall undergoe a charge Beyond supporture and he better were Take Atlas burden on him and to beare The Heavens upon his shoulders If then any Inquisitive bee why I amongst so many Am now that undertaker And shall aske Why to my selfe I durst assume this Taske I must appeale for answer to my rare Scarse patternd Patroness most learn'd most fayr Whom if these my unpolisht papers please It is a burden to be borne with ease Whose Approbations where soe'r Inscribd Shall passe a worke as currant as to have bribd All the Nine Sisters or invokt their ayde She now the sole out of so many made As for our worthy Iewesse now in quest The sequent Traectate can describe her best He that made man the womans Head that â—he Despis'd of her superiour might not-be Rais'd from her sex brave Dames by Text allowd Least she might prove dejected or he proud If any one this Maxime shall gaine say Let him but reade Barach and Deborah OF THE NINE VVORTHIES AMONGST WOMEN Three Iewes Three Gentiles Three Christians And first of DEBORAH TO Deborah I give the priority as first named in the holy text in which we reade of two of that name The one Rebeckahs Nurse the wife of Iacob who being dead was buried beneath Bâ—thel under an Oake which he called Alâ—on Bachuth or the Oake of Lamentation the other a Prophetesse the wife of Lapidothe who Iudged Israel the Argument of our ensuing Discourse The name Deborah in the originall implyeth a Word or a Bee neither was her name any way averse to her nature for as she was mellifluous in her tongue when she either pronounced the sacred oracles of God or sat upon any judicatory causes amongst his people so she had also a sting at all times upon any just occasion to wound and be revenged on his enemies the Cananiteâ— who then most barbarously and cruelly oppressed his owne chosen nation But the better to illustrate her history it is necessary that I give you a briefe relation of that estate in which Israel then stood Iosuah the sonne of Nun who succeeded Moses in the Empyre and was Captaine of the Lords people in his Masters place after the subduing and slaughter of one and thirty Kings and having divided the Land of Palastine amongst the twelve tribes of the Children of Israel by lots All his time and all the dayes of the Elders who were his Contemporaries and survivers and â—ad beene eye witnessâ—s of those great and stupendious woâ—kes which the Almighty had done for them served the Lord and were obedient unto his Commandements But he after he had lived an hundred and ten yeares expiring and being buried in the Coast of his inheritance all that generation being likewise gathered to their Fathers Another roâ—e after them who neither knew the Lord nor the great workes which hee had done for Israel In so much that they dwelt amongst the Cananites the Hittites the Amorites the Perizites the Hevites the Iebusites c. Taking their daughters to be their wives and giving their owne daughters to their sonnes and serving their gods which was contrary to the Commandement and the Law of Moses by which they incensed the wrath of the Lord which was now hot against them in â—o much that he delivered them into the hands of spoylers who spoyled them and sold them unto their enemies so that they were noâ— able to stand against those that hated them namely the Gentiles and Idolaters Notwithstanding which the Lord in his great mercy according to his oath sworne to their Fore-fathers the Patriarchs upon their least repentance and turning unto him raysed up some eminent amongst them whom they called Iudges who delivered them from the hands of their oppressors But
who for her martiall discipline and many glorious victories and for her constant vow of Virginity as she was much famed so shee was much honoured Two of foure sisters raigned at once Orythia whom some call Otreta and Antiope In whose time Hercules with many of the prime Heroes of Greece invaded their confines at such a time of their security that their troopes were carelesly scattered abroad by taking which advantage hee slew many of them and tooke other prisoners amongst which were two of those Princely sisters Antiope whom Hercules ransomed for her golden baldricke and Menalip of whom Theseus after her surprisall grew inamoured and tooke her to wife by whom he had issue Hippolitus Orithia taking grievously this affront done to her sisters purposed to make warre upon Greece and to that end she negotiated with King Sagillus who then raigned over the Scythians solliciting his aide who sent to them his sonne Penegagaras with a mighty army of Horsemen but the Amazones and he falling to dissention by which the Grecians set upon them disbanded them and were victorious over them yet they had before fortified so many places by the way that in their retreate unto their Country they were not dammaged by any nation through whose Provinces they were compelled to make their passage Orythia deceasing Penthisilaea succeeded she for the great love she bare unto the fame of Hector came with a thousand armed Viragoes to take part with the Trojans against the Greekes but Hector being before cowardly slaine by Achilles and his Myrmidons and Achilles soone after shot by the hand of Paris in the Temple of Apollo where hee should have marryed Polixna the daughter of Priam and Hecuba And now Pyrrbus otherwaies called Neoptolemus the Sonne of Dejademeia the daughter of Lycomedes remaining the sole Champion of hope upon the party of the Greekes she marked out him as the maine ayme of her revenge shee is said to be the first that ever devised the Pole-axe and therefore because she much practised that weapon shee was called securigera as bearing an Axe she was also called Vexillifera as bearing upon her Lances point a flagge or Ensigne and Peltifera from those shields made in the forme of halfe Moones which the Amazones used to weare Of her Virgil in the first of his Aeneiids thus writes Ducit Amazonidum lunatis Agmina peltis Penthisilaeaâ—urens â—urens mediisque in millibus ardet Arm'd with their Moony sheilds the Queene her Amazonians leads And raging seemes to burne amidst those thousands where she treades Of her rare beauty added to her valour diverse Authours give ample testimony and amongst them not the least Propertius in these words Ausa feroxab e quo quondam appugnare sagitis Moetis Danaum Penthisilaea rates Aurea cui posi quam nudavit Cassida frontem Vixit victorem candida forma virum Thus paraphrased The bold Penthisilaea durst the Danish fleete oppose And from her steede sharpe arrowes shoote to gall her armed foes No sooner was the battaile done Her golden helme laid by But whom by armes she could not take she captiv'd with her eye Valerius Flaccus lib. 5 Statius lib. 12. Hor. lib. 4. and Ovid in his Epistles of Phaedra to Hippolitus useth these words speaking of her Prima securigeras inter virtute puellas Shee is also by him remembered in his second booke De Ponto and the third booke De Arte Amandi he sportively begins thus Arm'd at all points the Greeke to field is gone To encounter with the naked Amazon Behold like weapons in my power remaine For thee Penthisilaea and thy traine c. Some thinke her to have beene slaine in single combat by Achilles but the most are of opinion that she fell by the hand his sonne Neoptolemus about the beginning of the tenth and last yeare of the siege after whose death the Trojans altogether unable to resist the fury of the enemy where forc't to immure themselves and keepe close within their walles till after the Grecians entered the City by stratagem as you may read it fully and excellently delivered by the Prince of Poets Virgil To whom I referre you Penthisilaea thus dead and many of her Ladies perishing with her those few which remained alive retyred themselves with much difficulty into their Country where they had much adoe to defend their Frontiers and support themselves against their bordering Nations and others overwhom they had for a long time tyrannized in which incertaine state they remained untill the time of Alexander the Great over whom Minothaea or Monithaea called also Thalestris then raigned she in admiration of his great conquests made earnest suite unto him to enjoy his company in bed for the space of foureteene nights together which shee obtained at his hands and so returned with her traine unto her owne Country in great hope that her expected issue would equall the fame and fortunes of the Father but the successe it seemes came short of her hope for after her decease the Amazonian Nation with their name were quite swept away from the face of the earth Generaâ—ly of the Nation of the Scythians their manners and their customes from whence the Amazonians claime their discent it is further left thus recorded their dwelling houses are but small not built upon he earth but lifted and reared upon Waines and Waggons to shift and remoove from place to place as the necessity of occations or their private fancies leade them Horrace cals them Campestres and Lucan calls them Errantes wanderers for they are never constant to one place but remove according to the nature of the seasons By the vertue of one herbe called Spartiana the taste thereof giveth them ability to abstaine from meate and drinke for the space of twelve daies together they are bold and much glory in the thundring of their Horses hoofes There custome is at Cessant times to drinkeÌ„ deepe as being naturally much addicted that way but when they finde themselves to have transgressed order and tooke their cups too much they strike hard upon the strings of their bent Bowes by which they make an harmony and such a kinde of musicke as weaneth them from their voluptuousnesse and recalleâ—h them to their Pristime continence sometimes but that of necessity they have not spared to feede on humaine flesh and such strangers as have been accidentally cast upon their coasts they have sacrifized to Mars and after kept their skulls to make their quaffing bowles they are for the most part pale of complection and of condition bold and hardy for so much the nature of the climate under which they live being very cold implies the beads of their Arrowes they dip in the blood of Man and Vipers mixt together the least wound racing but the skinne being irrecoverable and necessitous death The Scythians live by theft nor will they labour of themselves but feede onely upon the prey which they can gaine from
he received two sonnes Edmond and Eldred and two daughters Edburga and Edgina thus was he blest with a numerous Issue setting all his sonnes to Schoole to teach them knowledge in the Liberall Arts but the Ladies his daughters to spinne and card wooll taking his president from Charles of France surnamed the Conquerour from which even our greatest Ladyes nay even Princesses themselves if they be either cited in Court or arraigned upon any Capitoll offence they are indited by the name of such an one Spinster to this day About the first yeare of his raigne one Clito Ethelwaldus a neere kinsman to the King rebelled against him and strengthned himselfe at a place called Win-burne neere unto Bathe and tooke thence perforce a beautifull Nunne and with her fled unto the Danes who then had peaceably seated themselves in Northumberland animating them by very pregnant and perswasive reasons to take armes in his behalfe against the King his Nephew who notwithstanding so hotly pursued him that hee was compelled to forsake that Country quite leaving the Nun behind him and for his safety flye into France so that the King with drew his forces and left off his pursuite restoring the Nunne unto the same cloyster from whence she was violently taken In all which expeditions this brave Heroina with Etheldredus her Husband Duke of Mercia assisted the King her Brother as also in that which followeth being highly extolled above many other prime Commanders for her forward and excellent service The next yeare following this Clito before spoken off with a crew of Frenchmen landed in the East part of England and gathered unto him all the Danes of that Country robbing and pillaging all the Townes and Villages as they marched onwards especially those about Crekingsford and Crickland and after passed the River of Thames and spoyled all the Lands neere unto Bradenstuake and so from thence retyred themselves into Hast Anglia which were the two Counties of Northfolke and Suffolke But the King with his sister made after them with all possible speed making havocke of all those Lands which they then held of him by composition from the River of Owse as farre as the borders of Saint Edmonds bury and soone after the two hosts encountered where a bloody battle was fought to the great losse of both sides in which conflict Elpheda fought hand to hand with Clito and though sundred by the multitude yet came off with the best the event was that Clito with many of the Danes were slaine and left dead in the field and the King and his Sister shared in the honour of the day Those that survived were forced to seeke and sue for peace upon condition that they should keepe themselves within the bounds to them limitted and moreover pay an annuall tribute for all those grounds they held of the King In the twelfth yeare of this Edwards raigne the Danes repenting of those Covenants before made as thinking it an impairing to their honour assembled a mighty hoast with which the King and his sister met in Stafordshire at a place called Toten-hall and soone after at Wodnesfield at which two places they slew two Kings two Earles and divers Commanders of note besides many thousands of the Danes of which the Chronocles afford us no exact number most of which came out of the Country of Northumberland where they had beene peaceably seated This excellent Lady was as Religious as Valiant who amongst other of her pious acts prevailed so farre with her Husband that they betwixt them at their proper charge translated the bones of King Oswal who had beene Cannonized for a Saint from Bradony to Glocester and there erected a faire and beautifull Monastery dedicated to the honour of Saint Peter soone after which for it presently ensued the last battle before spoken of dyed Etheldredus Duke of Mercia or middle England after whose expiration the King having had so long proofe of his Sisters love valour and wisdome conferred on her the sole and entire rule and governement of that Country in as ample possession as her Lord had before injoyed it the City of London only excepted which he reserved to be under his owne patronage Of this masculine Spirited Lady to reckon up all her vertues would aske long circumstance but I will particularize unto you some few of those brave deedes she hath left memorable to all posterity as building and repairing many Townes Cities and Castles as Tamworth besides Lychfield Stafford Warwicke Shrowsbury Watersbury and Eldesbury in the Forrest besides Chester shee erected also a Castle in the North end of Mercia upon the River cald Merce in the Saxon tongue Ramcofan and since Runcora shee also built a bridge over the River Severne called Brimsbury Bridge she more over both by her purse and wisdome greatly assisted the King her Brother as well in the mannaging the affaires of the Realme as in erecting sundry Forts and Cittadels as the strong Castle of Hereford in the edge of Wales and in repairing the wals and City of Chester by the Danes much defaced which he much inlarged so that the Castle which was before without the Walles is from his time even to this day contained within them It is further reported of her that after she had once prooved the paine of travaile in Child birth shee for ever after abandoned the bed and embraces of the Duke her Husband saying it was neither convenient nor seemely for a Kings Daughter and Sister to a King to expose her selfe to any such lust full action which might beget those pangs and throws which women were inforced to indure in travell a rare continence and not found in many and that was one prime occasion why after the birth of her sole and onely Daughter Elswina she left all other effeminacies and applying her selfe unto the condition of those turbulent and combustious times became a stout and warlike Virago whose example could not chuse but put courage into the most dastardly cowards beholding a woman so valiant Of her rare continence and vowed chastity too much cannot be spoke in her praise for Chastity as Solon defineth it is the beauty of the soule the grace of the body and peace of the minde it is a vertue alwayes companion with fortitude and as it is both in Virginity and the Widdowed much approoved so even in Wedlocke it cannot be but commendable and as idlenesse is the greatest enemy unto it so by being in continuall action is to oppose it abstinence from fleshly lusts are best tryed in extremity and in the end crowned with eternity for let the body be never so faire without that it cannot be truely cald beautifull Beauty may be compared to the flowers of the Spring which soone fade but Chastity to the starres of Heaven which last ever for with the reines of reason it curbeth the rage of lust The greatest honour conferd upon women without that is