kyng of Gothia and many other women moo / whiche haue broughte theyr husbandes to good order and vertue Of children and the charge and care about them The .xi. Chap. Fyrst of all if thou beare no children / take it with a pacient a coÌ„teÌ„t mynde in maner reioyse / that thou lackest that incredible payne busynes There is no place here to declare / what mysery she must suffre / whyle she is great what dolore and perell / whan she laboreth More ouer / what werynes care she hath in the nourisshyng and bryngyng vp of them / leste they shulde waxeyll / or any mysfortune by chaunce them what coÌ„tinual feare she hath / whyther they go what they do / lest they do or take any harme Verily I canne nat expresse the cause of this great desyre / that women haue to beare children Woldest thou be a mother Wherto That thou mayst replenysshe the worlde as who say / the worlde coude nat be filled / excepte thou brynge forthe a lytell beaste or two orelles that god coulde nat reyse chyldren vnto Abraham of these same stones Be neuer carefull in the house of god / howe hit shall be fylled he wyll prouide well inough for his house / that it shall nat be emptie But parauenture thou feareste the rebuke of bareÌ„nes Thou arte a Christen woman Therfore vnderstande / that nowe this sayenge is past / Cursed be that woman in Israell that is barenne Thou lyueste nowe vnder a lawe / where in thou seeste virginyte preferred aboue maryage and herest the sayeng of thy lorde wo be vnto women / that be great and beare chyldreÌ„ and blessed be they / that be baren blessed be the wombes that beare nat / and the breast is that gyue nat souke Howe canst thou tell / whether god wyll haue the to be one of those happy and blessed womeÌ„ Howe moche more shamfully dyd the woman of Flaunders / whiche had be maried almost fyfty yere / and neuer had childe / and after that her husbaÌ„de was deed / maryed vnto another man / layeng only for her cause / to proue whether the faute was in her selfe or in her husbande / that she had no chyldren Wherfore she was worthy to beare a chylde with great payne and werynes and in her laboure to be delyuered of her chylde and her lyfe both / with extreme tourment Howe be it I can nat tell / whether she had any other cause to marye agayne / at the least wyse she layde that / whiche semed moste honest in the cares of the folisshe people ParaueÌ„ture thou woldest fayne se children comen of thyne owne body shall they be of any other fassyon trowest thou / than other chyldren be and thou haste chyldren of the cite / and also all other ChristeÌ„ chyldren / whom thou mayst beare motherly affection vnto And thynke that they be all thyn For so the lawe of mankynde doth exorte the / and our faithe commauÌ„deth Wher to haue you so great a delyre of chyldren you women For if the cares and sorowes / that chyldren cause vnto theyr mothers / were paynted you in a table / there is none of you so gredy of children / but she wolde be as sore aferde of them as of deth and she that hath any / wolde hate them lyke cruell wylde beast is / or venymous serpentes What ioye / or what pleasure can be in children Whyles they be yonge / there is nothing but tediousnes and whan they be elder / perpetuall feare / what wayes they wyl take if they be il / euerlastyng sorowe and if they be good / there is ê‘petuall care / lest they shulde dye / or some harme bechaunce them and lest they shulde go away / or be chanÌ„ged What nede me to brynge in Ortauia / syster vnto Augustus / for an example I wolde there were nat so many examples / as there be / of suche as haue be made of welthy fortunate mothers myserable / and pyned away / and died for sorowe More ouer / if thou haue many / than haste thou greatter care / where the vnthriftynes of one shall wype away all the ioye that thou hast of the reste And this I meane by the sonnes Nowe to speake of the doughters / what a tourment of care is hit to kepe them And in maryeng them / what payne shall she haue besyde this / the fewe fathers and mothers seeth good chyldren of theyr owne For very goodnes whiche is neuer without wysedome / cometh nat but in discreate age Plato calleth hym happy / that may attayne in his last age vnto wysedome and good lyfe But whan the children be of that age / fathers and mothers be tourned to douste O vnkynde woman / that doste nat reknowledge howe great a benyfite thou haste had of god / that either neuer dyd beare children / orels loste them before the tyme of sorowe Wherfore Euripides sayd full well She that lacketh children Is happy of that mysfortune Therfore thou that bearest nat / put nat the faute of thy barennes in thy husbande for the faute is parauenture in thy selfe whiche arte comdempned to be baren / either by nature or by the wyll of god And greattest philosophers agre in this opinyon / that women beare no children more longe of them selfe than of theyr husbandes For nature neuer broughte forthe but very fewe baren men / and many women And that vpon great consyderation / bicause there is more losse in the barennes of the man / than of the woman For there cometh more increase in generation by the man / than by the woman Wherfore woman / if the barennes be in the / thou dotest vngraciously in vayne for ther shall neuer man get the with chylde And so thou conceiuest many vngratious dedes in thy mynde but thou shalte neuer conceyue any frute in thy wombe And many tymes by the ryghtous prouision of god / vnknowen vnto vs / there commeth none issue in mariage For lyke as hit is the gyfre of god / that good children be hade / so is it his gyfte / that any children be had at all Therfore to seke any other remedy than by prayer / is nat only super fluous / but also a cursed dede Therfore aske childreÌ„ of god / that good childreÌ„ For if thou haue an ill chylde / hit were better beare a snake / or a wolfe Therfore aske thou a chylde as Anna / wyfe vnto Helcane / dyd aske Whiche by prayer / wepyÌ„g / and holy lyuyng optayned a sonne / a prophet and iuge of Israell / called Samuell lyke as the other Anne / wyfe vnto Ioachim / whiche trustyng holly in god / bare Mary the quene of the worlde / vnto maÌ„nes saluatioÌ„ Also Elisabeth / wyfe vnto zacharie / whiche had ben baren / brought forth saint IohnÌ„ / the messynger of our lorde Whiche gatte many a childe vnto Christ aboue the whiche saynt Iohan there was neuer man borne of woman
the mother of her husbande lorde for the churche is also a mother and a virgyne Nor there is nothynge that our lorde delyteth more in / than virgines nor wherein angelles more gladly abyde / and playe with / and talke with For they be virgins also them selfe / theyr lorde whiche wolde haue a virgine vnto his mother / and a virgine to his moste dere disciple / and the churche his spouse a virgine And also he maryeth vnto hym selfe other virgins / and gothe vnto mariages with virgins And whither so euer he goethe / that lambe without spotte / whiche made vs clene with his blode / an hundred and .xl. thousande virgins folowe hym Hit is writen in the canticles Our syster is a lytell one / and hath no breastes Whether that be the sayenge of Christe or angels to the soule / in whom standeth the very virginite pleasant vnto god Al glorie of the kynges daughter is inward sayth Dauid in the psalme There is that golden clothynge / there is the garment set and powdred with so many vertuous and precious stones Be nat proude mayde that thou arte holle of body / if thou be broken in mynde nor bycause no mā hath touched thy bodye / if many men haue persed thy mynde What auayleth hit / thy body to be clene / whan thou bearest thy mȳde and thy thought infected with a foule and an horrible blotte O thou mayde / thy mȳde is wyddred by burnyng with mānes heate nor thou fretest nat with holy loue but hast dryed vp all the good fatnes of the pleasures of paradise Therfore art thou the foly she mayde / and haste no oyle and whyle thou rounnest to the sellar / art shutte forthe and as our lorde in the gospell thretneth / whan thou commest agayne / and knockest / thou shalte be answered Who art thou I knowe the nat Thou shalte say than knowest thou nat this body closed and vntouched of men our lorde shall say agayne I se nat the body I se the soule open vnto men / and vnto deuylles worse than men / and often knocked at Thou art proude mayde / bycause thy bealy hath no cause to swelle whā thy mynde is swollen / nat with mānes sede / but with deuylles For here howe well thy spouse lyketh the / thou knowest nat thy selfe O mooste goodly of all women come forthe and folowe the steppes of thy flockes / and fede thy kyddes by the tentes of the herde men Thou knowest nat howe all only virginite is good / thou art nat my spouse come forthe / and go after the steppes of those flockes / whom thou hast norysshed in thy mȳde And syth thou dost nat fede my kyddes / fede thȳ owne Thou loueste nat me so moche / that am onely the hyghest and the beste herde man Tarye nere the tentes of the herdmen / whom thou folowest For if thou folowedest me / only one herdman shulde be knowen vnto the / and nat many For he wyl haue all to be playne and euen Thy wombe swelleth nat / nor there is no cause whye nor lette nat thy mynde than swelle nor let there be no cause why I praye the / vnderstande thyne owne goodnesse mayde / thy pryce canne nat be estemedde / if thou ioyne a chast mynde vnto thy chaste bodye / if thou shutte vp bothe bodye and mynde / and seale them with those seales that none can open / but he that hath the keye of Dauid / that is thy spouse whiche resteth so in the / as in a temple most clene and goodlye Thynkeste thou this any small thynge / that thou mayste receyue onely by purenes that thynge / whiche can nat be comprehended in this holle worlde Howe glad is a woman / if she beare in her wombe a chylde / whiche shall be a kynge But thou bearest a kynge all redy nat onely in thy wombe / but also in thy mynde whiche is more goodly / yea and that suche a kynge / in whose garment this tytle of dignite is wryten Kynge of all kynges / and lorde of all lordes of whom prophetes haue prophycied and his reigne is the reigne of all worldes whose reygne the angel tolde shuld haue none ende Let vs nowe lyfte vp our selfe aboue the common people and let vs dispute this mooste goodly matter with saynt Augustyne but yet so that thou mayst perceyue vs / and doubtles thou shalte perceyue vs better than we shall our selfe For we speake of thy goodnes / whiche thou art nat ignorant of and we shewe the that thyng / that thou haste within the. The holy virgin our lady cōceyued fyrst in her mynde our lorde Christ / and after in her body And it was a more honorable / noble / and excellent thyng to cōceyue in mȳde than in body Wherfore thou arte pertener of the more excellent cōception O happy art thou / that art maruelously mother vnto an excellent maruailous childe Our lorde in the gospell / whan the womā sayd Blessed be the wombe that bare the / and the brestes that thou suckedest he answered / Naye / But blessed by they that here the worde of god / and kepe it And whan the Iewes tolde hym that his mother and bretherne taryed hym without / he asked them Who is my mother and my bretherne And poyntyng his hande towarde his disciples Those be sayde he / my bretherne mother / and who so els obeyeth the cōmandement of my father Wherfore virgins and all holy soules / engendre Christe spiritually Howe be it corporally only one virgin dyd beare god mā whiche is spouse and also father vnto all other virgins O thou mayde / thynkest thou this but a small thing that thou art bothe mother / spouse / and daughter to that god / in whom nothynge can be / but hit be thyn and thou mayst with good ryght challenge for thyn For bothe thou gettest and art gottē and maryed vnto hym If thou woldest haue a fayre spouse / hit is sayde by hym Thou art beautyfull aboue the children of mā / grace is diffused in thy lyppes If thou woldest haue a ryche husbande / thou mayst here sayd of hym Honour and riches is in his house If thou woldest haue a gētylmā / he is goddis son̄e / and rekeneth fourtene kynges in his petegrewe / and his generations can nat be expressed and the aūciāte of his stocke is before the makyng of the worlde / tyme euerlastyng If thou woldest haue a myghty husbande / hit is sayde by hym he is wise in herte / and mighty in strength And in the .xliiij. psalme Gyrde the with thy sworde vpon thy thygh most myghtyly If thou woldest haue a good one / thou shalte here nothyng oftener of hym / than that he is the best If thou woldest haue one of great possessions / thou redest of hym / that all thinges be subiecte vnder his fete And in an other psalme / that all thynges do homage vnto hym And that
thyne offryng there / and go be agreed fyrst with thy brother / and after offer that vnto god / that thou intendest For thou callest for peace of god in vayne / as longe as thy frende is nat pleased with the / but moche more / if thy husbande be nat What so euer is spoken in the chaÌ„bre the holy bed of wedlocke / let her take good hede to kepe more secreate and counsaile / than the sacrifice of Ceres in Elewce was kepte / or misteries of any other god or goddes For what madnes is hit to bable out suche thynges / as ought to be kepte so secrete The wyse people of Athens / whan they hadde warre with Phylyp kynge of Macedony / and had taken letters of his / sente vnto his wyfe Olempias / they wolde nat suffre them to be opened and red / bycause they rekened the secretes of wedlocke to be / as they be in dede / holy / and to be kepte in priuite / nor to be conuenyent to commyne them abrode / or to be knowen of other folkes / than of the wyfe and her husbande And therfore they sent the letters vntouched vnto Macedone vnto the quene Wherfore they were worthy to haue theyr wyues both to kepe faith and couÌ„saile with them Nowe if they dyd that vnto theyr enemye armed agaynst them / howe moche more is it for the to do it vnto thy husbande Porcia wyfe vnto Brutus proued her owne pacience with a wouÌ„de / whether she coude kepe counsayle of great matters or nat And whaÌ„ she sawe she coude hyde the wounde and kepe secrete / thaÌ„ was she so bolde as to aske of her husbande what he studied so carefully vpon And whan he had tolde her howe they purposed to flee Cesar / she kepte her as wel as any that was of the same counsayle Neither the wyfe ought onely to loue her husbande her selfe / but also to se that she make nat other folkes to hate hym / or bryÌ„g hym iÌ„ to any ieê‘dy by causyng hym to be eÌ„uyed through her meanes Nor let nat her vse her husbande to be her page / and reueÌ„ge all iniures done vnto her / excepte hit be the parell of chastite / whiche is the most precious thynge that a woman can haue If any body haue spoken wordes of displeasure or dishonesty vnto her / or done a thyÌ„g that may seme to greue her tender mynde / let her nat ronne streight to her husbande and kendel his stomacke with fyrye wordes / suche as angre is wonte to cause A good woman shall take all suche thynges paciently / and shall reken her selfe safe and sure inough / as longe as her chastite is holle and vntouched whiche if it be poluted / there is nothynge to be rekened pure She shall vse in chamber nat onely chast behauour / but also shamfastnes And let her remembre that she is a wyfe / in whom Plutarche wolde haue both great loue and great demurenes coupled and ioyned to gether They saye that the quenes of Perse were woÌ„te to kepe priuate and sober feastis with theyr husbaÌ„des / but as for in waÌ„ton baÌ„kettes cam none but syngers / mynstrelles / and concubynes / wedlocke was had in suche reuerence For as the noble prince was wonte to say / a wyfe was a name of dignite and nat of bodily lust so the husbande is a name of couplyng and affinite / as I haue declared Nor the husbaÌ„des ought nat to gyue them selfe vnto ouer moche pleasure / nor to delyte in any companye but theyr wyues / but our purpose is nat here to teache the husbandes Howe be it / it is nat conuenient for them to be maisters of wantoÌ„nes and lechery vnto theyr wyues And let them euer remembre this sayenge of Xystus the philosopher He is an adulterar with his wyfe / who so is ouer excedyng and ouer hote a louer And let him obey the apostle Paule / sayeng vnto husbaÌ„des / that they shulde haue their wyfe as vessels of generation in holynes / and nat in vnlefull concupiscence or immoderate / as the pagaÌ„s do / that knowe nat god The spouse in the canticles calleth his spouse syster / to th entent to make his loue more measurable but we wyll returne agayne vnto women Let them nat defoyle the holy and honeste bed of wedlocke with fylthy and lecherous actis The chast wyfe of Spartane / whaÌ„ she was asked if she vsed to go vnto her husbaÌ„de / nay perde sayde she / but he vnto me For the chast woman neuer prouoked the lust of her husbande / nor vsed the bodylye pleasure / but for her husbandes pleasure Trebellius Pollio wrytethe / that zenobia the quene of Palmyra / a very well lerned and a wyse woman / was of so great chastite / that she wolde nat lye with her husbande / without she had proued before / whether she were with chylde or no. For whan she had lyen with hym she wolde tarye her tyme / to se whether she had conceyued and if she had nat / than was she content to suffre her husbandes wyll agayne Who wolde thynke / that this woman had any luste or pleasure in her body This was a woman worthy to be had in honour and reuerence / whiche had no more pleasure in her naturall partes / thaÌ„ in her fote or her fyÌ„ger She had bene worthy to haue borne childreÌ„ with outen mannes company / whiche neuer desyred it / but only for children or els to haue brought them forthe without payne / whiche gate them without pleasure But one of our christen women called Ethelffryda / a quene of EnglaÌ„de / dyd a greatt acte / whiche after she had borne one childe / neuer laye more with her husbande And yet one Edelthrudis / a quene of the same countrey / passed her whiche had had .ij. husbandes / and made them bothe to kepe perpetuall chastite There were also other couples / that lyued to gether without carnall dealyng / as Henricus Bauarus / the prince of Rome / and Sinegunda his wyfe Iulianus the martyr / and Basilia his wyfe and in the cyte of Alexander ChrysaÌ„thus / and Daria his wyfe and Amos with his wyfe For these holy folkes vnderstode well inough / that thyng whiche is writeÌ„ of wyse men / that the bodely pleasure is vnworthy this excelleÌ„t nature of ours / whiche we haue of the soule And therfore euery bodye dispiseth it the more / and casteth it away / the more that he hath of that excellentnes of the soule / the nigher that he is to god and other heuenly myndes neyther wyll vse this pleasure often / except it be suche as haue but beastly / vile / and abiecte myndes / and hath taken moche of vile nature / and veray lytle of that high celestyall nature You wyues / whanne you put of your smokkes / put vpon chamefastnes / and kepe alway both day and night both in coÌ„pany of other men
Our lorde gaue Isaac the image of Christe / the begynner of .ij. great nations of people / vnto Sara in her olde age whiche was nat discontent with her barrennes / in that tyme / whan barrennes was rekened a great shame The angell of our lorde shewed vnto the wyfe of Manna / a good and a chast womā / that Sampson shulde be borne of her / the iudge and delyuerer of Israell Suche children do they optayne / that so aske For they that be conceyued of synne and wickednes / can be naught elles / but vngratiousnes The wordes of the angell vnto Sampsons mother be these Thou art baren and without children howe be it thou shalte conceyue beare a sonne Therfore se thou drynke neyther wyne nor ale / nor eate any vnpure thȳg For thou shalte conceyue and beare a sonne / whose heed no razec shall touche for he shal be blessed of god from his babes age / from the wombe of his mother and shall begynne to delyuer Israell out of the hādes of the philystyns These wordes put me in remembraunce nowe / to gyue women with chylde warnyng / that so longe as they be great / they neither eate so moche to take surfet of / nor drynke to be drounke with For many chyldren haue afterwardes vsed the same thynges / that theyr mothers delited in / whā they were with chylde with them Nowe for to declare / what diligence oughte to be gyuen to chyldren in the bryngynge vp of them / were to longe to be comprehended in this boke / if I shulde teache euery thȳg at large Wherof many counnyng men / both of olde tyme late / haue writē moche in bokes made purposely for the same matter I wyll touche a fewe thȳges / the methȳke pertayne vnto the duetie of a wyse house wyfe Fyrste of all / let the mother reken her childrē to be all her treasure There came vpon a tyme a great ryche woman vnto Rome / out of the countrey of Campanya / whiche was hosted and lodged with the noble womā Cornelia / wyfe of Gracchus ther this ryche woman shewed out her great treasure vnto Cornelia / abundaunde of syluer and golde / ryche raymentes / and precious stones Whiche whan Cornelia had preysed / than desired this woman of Campany / that she wolde do so moche agayne / as shewe her treasure Cornelia answered / that she wolde do so at nyght Nowe were her children gone to schole / and were nat yet comen home So at nyght / whā the chyldren were comē home / she shewed them vnto this womā / and sayd these be my chiefe treasure Another tyme a certayne woman of Ionia / made great boste and shewe of glorious clothes / of great price and goodly worke / Cornelia sayd this woman maketh great bost of her clothes / but my foure sonnes indued with all kynde of vertue / be vnto me in steade of precious clothes / with costly worke / and all treasure Therfore in kepyng of this treasure / and increasyng it / there is no labour to be refused Loue shall make all labour lyght and easye Wherfore she shall nourisshe them with her owne mylke and obey the cōmaundement of nature / whiche gyuyng .ij. breastis with mylke / vnto euery woman delyuered of childe / semeth to crye and byd euery woman / that hath borne childe / to kepe childe as other lyuynge creatures do Also that wyse and lyberall mother of all thyng / Nature hath tourned all that blode / whiche wente vnto the nourisshement of the childe / whyle hit was in the mothers wombe / after that the chylde is borne / she sendeth hit vppe vnto the breastis / tourned into whyte mylke / to nourisshe the childe with all neither forsaketh the tēder babe / after that it is borne / but nourissheth hit with the same fode / where of she hath made hit But I haue spoken inough of this matter in the boke afore After wardes / if the mother can skyll of lernyng / let her teache her litle children her selfe / that they maye haue all one / bothe for theyr mother / theyr nouryse / and theyr teacher And that they may loue her also the more / and lerne with better corage / and more spede / by the meanes of the loue / that theyr teacher hath towarde them As for her daughters / she shall besyde the lernyng of the boke / instructe them also with womennes craftes as to handle wolle flexe / to spynne / to weaue / to sowe / to rule and ouer se an house Neyther a vertuous mother ought to refuse lernynge on the boke / but nowe and than studye and rede holy and wyse mēnes bokes and though she do it nat for her owne sake / at the least wyse for her childrē / that she may teache them / and make them good As Euridice / whan she was of great age / sette her selfe vnto lernynge / and study of philosophy / onely to th entent / that she myght teache her children and so she did For the babe fyrste hereth her mother / and fyrste begynneth to enforme her speche after hers For that age can do nothyng it selfe / but coūterfet and folowe other and is counnyng in this thing only She taketh her fyrst conditions and information of mynde / by suche as she hereth / or seeth by her mother Therfore it lyeth more in the mother / thā meu wene / to make the conditions of the children For she maye make them whether she wyll / very good / or very badde Nowe howe she shall make them good / I wyll gyue a fewe shorte rules Let her gyue her diligence / at least wise by cause of her children / that she vse no rude and blounte speche / lest that maner of spekyng take suche route in the tender myndes of the children / and so growe increase together with theyr age / that they can nat forget it Children wyll lerne no speche better / nor more plaȳly expresse / thā they will their mothers For they wyll counterfete both the vertue and the vice / if any be in it Iames / the kyng of Aragone / after that he had wonne my countre Valence / out of the handes of the Agarenes / whiche inhabited the citie that tyme / he droue out the people / and commaunded men of Aragon / and womē of Ilerda to go dwell in hit So the children that came of them bothe / with all theyr posterite / kepte theyr mothers language whiche we speke there vnto this daye For the space of more than .ij. hundred and .l. yere Tyberius Gracchus / Gayus Gracchus / were coūted the most eloquent mē of Rome / and they lerned it of their mother Cornelia / whose epistols were red in the olde worlde / full of pure eloquence Istrina the quene of Scythia / wyfe vnto kyng Aripithis / taught her son Syles the greke tonge Also Plato commandeth / that nurces
Christe her spouse wyll lyghtly helpe her that wyll lyue vertuouslye And if we do any thyng well / we ought to thanke hym therfore and if we do ill / it is to be referred to our selfe And as a man hath all his ioye in his wyfe / if she be good / in like wyse no man can beleue howe pleasant and amiable she is to Christ / that playeth the wydowe in dede / that is to say / the whiche beyng desolate in this lyfe / hath all her hope and truste / and all her ioye and delyte in Christe And suche saynt Paule commaundeth to the bysshoppes to haue in regarde for by theyr prayer the churche optayneth many thynges of Christe For suche a one deserued to se Christe fyrste in the temple / and to prophesie of hym to them that were preseÌ„t Suche a wydowe is praysed by the mouthe of god / is commended to vs in this commaundement in the C.xxx psalme / where our lorde sayth I shal blesse this wydowe And in the prophet Esai Thou shalte nat hurte a wydowe / or a childe that is vnder age For if thou hurte them / they shall crye to me / and I shall here theyr cryenge / and shal be displeased / and strycke the with my sworde / your wynes shal be wydowes / and your childreÌ„ fatherles Howe they shall vse themselfe at home The .v. Chaptre NAt withstandynge that holy men wolde wydowes shulde be ofte in the churche / and styll in prayer / yet they dyd nat vtterly forbyd them worldly busynes For saynt Paule saith of wydowes / wrytynge vnto Tymothe If any widowe haue chidren / or childreÌ„s children / let her fyrst lerne to handle her owne house vertuously / do for her progenitours agayne Let the wydowe teache this / let the childreÌ„ lerne this / that is to behaue them selfe lowly louyngly to theyr fathers and mothers / graundfathers graundmothers For we se hit chaunseth ofte tymes / that they that be broughte vp with a wydowe / by the meanes of her ouer moche sufferaunce and cherysshynge / be stobborne inobedient to them / whom they shuld obeye in so moche that in some countreis / and inespeciall in myne / hit is vsed in a comon prouerbe / to call them wydowes kocneis / that be ill brought vp children / and that be selfe wylde and vnthryfty yonge men Therfore I wolde counsayle a yonge womaÌ„ / beyng a wydowe / to put the bryngyng vp of her children vnto some good sad man For she is so blynded with the loue of them / that she thynketh she dealeth hardly with them / whan she maketh of them most Howe be it some hath be great wyse women / and hath brought vp theyr children both very well wysely As Cornelia / that brought vp Gracchus her son Veturia / whiche brought vp Martius Coriliane in so moche / that what noble acte so euer he dyd in the coÌ„mon welthe / either at home or from home / he was euer incited with this thyng / that he myght do so / that it myght be alowable to his mother / that had brought hym vp But howe children shulde be brought vp I haue taught in the boke afore Therfore let the wydowe loke there / whatsoeuer maketh for this purpose And as for theyr householde / the appostle aforesaid / wrytethe of hit If any wydowe do nat se to her owne frendes specially / she denyeth her fayth / and is worse than an infidell Yet lest she be to homely / to put her selfe in presse / in company of her seruauÌ„tes / namely if she be yoÌ„ge / let her here what saynt Hieronyme sayth / writyng vnto Saluina Chastite sayth he / in women is a brytyll thyng / and lyke a goodly flower wyddereth and dryeth with a lytell wether / and a small blaste and namely if the age be apte to vice / and the aucthorite of the husbande lacking / whose spirite is the defender of the wyfe What shulde a wydowe do amonge a great noumbre of men seruauntes / whiche I wolde nat she shulde set at nought / as bondmen / but abasshe and regarde as meÌ„ Howe be it / if she haue a great house / that requireth moche mannes seruice / let her make some wel aged man ruler / that is sadde and discrete / and of good conditions / whose honestie shal be his maistres worship For I haue knowen many that haue shutte vp theyr dores / and haue nat comen abrode / and yet haue had an yll name with theyr owne seruauÌ„tes / whom ouer gorgious aê‘ell of the seruaÌ„t hath caused to be suspected / orels the welfare good lykyng of his bodye / or age apte for pleasure / or pride / or high myÌ„de / by the reasoÌ„ that he knewe he was loued of his maystres whiche loue / though hit be well hyd / yet many tymes hit appereth / whan he dispiseth his felowes / as they were his bondmen These be the wordes of saynt Hieronyme vnto the whiche I adde this more ouer / That beste is for a wydowe to mynysshe her householde / in especial of meÌ„ / and to take vnto her some well aged woman / wyse and vertuous / with whom she may leade her lyfe and aske counsayle of her in suche matters as pertayne to women And if she be aged her selfe / let her take to her some olde man / that is some kynsman of hers / or of her alyaunce / whom she may trust vnto And fynally / let her euer vse the counsaile of that man / that she knoweth hath good wytte / and wolde her profet / and is trusty The olde Romayns wolde / that the women shulde euer be vnder the rule of theyr fathers / and bretherne / and husbandes / kynsmeÌ„ Let her dwelle rather with her mother in lawe / or her husbandes alyaunce and kynsfolkes / thanne with her owne / both for the remembraunce of her husbande / for whose sake hit may appere / that she loueth better his kyn his blode / than her owne And in as moche as she is traÌ„slated in to that kynred / vnto the whiche she hath borne children / or at the least wyse shulde haue done More ouer / the discipline of chastite is rekened more strayte amonge alyance / thaÌ„ kynsfolkes bicause there is lesse cherisshyng and libertie But a vertuous womaÌ„ wyll nat be so moche moued with all these thynges / as with the remembraunce and loue of her husbaÌ„de For so Antonia / doughter vnto Marcus Antonius the iudge / wyfe vnto Drusus / ledde all her lyfe with her mother in lawe Lyke wyse Liuia lefte her house and her countrey to dwell with her mother iÌ„lawe Noemy Excepte ther be with her mother in lawe some nyce and wanton yonge men / that maye cause a blotte in her good name / or put her chastite in ieoperdye or excepte the womeÌ„ that be her alyans / be nat of all the beste fame for
vnder / but also shall kepe better theyr helthe I haue redde in an epistole of saint Hieronyme vnto Furia in this maner Phisitians and suche as wryte the natures of meÌ„nes bodies / and specially Galene in the boke of Helthe saythe / that the bodyes of chyldren and yonge men / and those that be in lustie age / bothe men and women / be very hotte of naturall heate and that all meates that encrease heate / be verye noysome for them and that it is good for them to vse all colde thyng in meates and drynkes As in contrary wyse vnto olde men / and suche as be full of fleme and colde / hotte meates and olde wyne be best Wherfore our sauiour sayth Take you hede to your selfe that your hertes be nat ouer commen with surfet and dronkennes / and the cares of this lyfe And the apostle saythe wyne / in whom is lecherye Neither hit is wonder that he that made the vessell dyd perceyue this by the vessell / that he made Where Terence / whose intente was to discribe and shewe the conditions of the worlde / sayd thus without meate and drynke corage waxeth colde Therfore fyrste if theyr stomake be stronge inough / take water in thy wyne or drynke / vntyll thy maydes yeres be past and suche water as is mooste colde And if thou mayste nat for feblenes / myngle it as Timotheus dyd / with a lytell wyne for thy stomacke and wekenes Than in meate eschewe all hote thyng I speke nat onely of flesshe / where of the vessel of election saint Paule speketh this senteÌ„ce / sayeng Hit is good to eate no flesshe nor drinke no wyne but also of pulse / all those that be full of wynde heuye shulde be eschewed And a lytell before what nedeth hit vs for to boste our chastite / whiche without hit haue all besyde that apperteyneth / as abstineÌ„ce small fare / it can nat brynge proffe of hit selfe The apostle werieth his body / and subdueth hit vnto the coÌ„mandement of the mynde / lest he shulde nat kepe that hym selfe / which he byddeth other to do Than howe can a yoÌ„ge woman / that hath a body hotte with meate be sure of her selfe Nor I coÌ„deÌ„pne nat with these wordes meates that god hath ordeyned to vse with surrendryng of thankes But I take from yonge men / and maydens the kendlyng of lust For neither the burnynge Etna / nor the countre of Vulcane / nor Veseuus / nor yet OlyÌ„pus boyleth with suche heate as the bodies of yoÌ„ge folkes enflamed with wyne delycate meates / done All this haue I brought in of saynt Hieronyme / that you myght knowe what thynges that maister of chastite dyd teache whiche writyÌ„g vnto Saluina / had leauer ieoparde the helth of the body thaÌ„ the soule / sayeng Hit is better that the stomake ake / than the mynde / and to rule the body than to do hit seruyce / stagger in goyng than in chastite The most holy man Gregorius Nazanzenus / that was saynt Hieronymis maister / wolde that his mayde shuld alay her hunger with bred / quenche her thyrst with water Hilarius the heremite / whan he lyued in wyldernes with small foode / scantly preseruyng the lyfe / and yet felte hym selfe dyuers tymes pryckedde with the bodily luste / he weried his body with fastynge / sayeng I shall tame the concupiscence / to make the thynke vpon thy meate / and nat vpon thy pleasure And this say the disciples of Christ / the felowes of saynt Paule / beyng gyueÌ„ vnto sobre and chaste religion As who knewe / that the noryshementes of holy men sente by the grace of god / were but symple and small to coÌ„tent nature / without any pleasures Helise norisshed hym selfe and the chyldren of the prophetes with wylde herbes / he byddeth / make swete the bytter meate with flower / and nat with suger And he coÌ„manded the soudiours in Samaria / of whom he had put out the eies / to be fedde with bredde and water IohnÌ„ the Baptist / that was chosen the shewer of Christe and the lyght to come / was fed in deserte with grashops and wyld hony Habacuch caryed the meate of the reapers vnto Daniell in Babylon / whiche was brede baken vnder the asshes / and a cuppe of water was sente vnto Helie from heuen to refreshe hym with and yet might god haue sente from heuen partryges / and phesauntes / and capons / and marche payns / as well as breade but holy folkes nede norishemeÌ„t to holde the soule in the body / and nat to drowne hit with What say philosophers / the maisters of worldly wisedome / al speke of meate that is easy to gette / to kepe the mynde sobre and the body chaste Socrates the father of Philosophie dyd get by sobre dyet / that he was neuer infected with any sore or ieoê‘dous sicknes Also Cornelius Tacitus wryteth / that Senec the philosopher in all his ryches fedde hym selfe with frute water therfore his body was brought so lowe / that whaÌ„ his veynes were opened / there wolde almost no blode reÌ„ne out Howe trow you that Xenocrates lyued / whiche whan his scholers had layde hym a goodly queen in his bedde / and was moche ê“uoked of her vnto luste / yet he was nat moued Plato in his lawes forbyddeth yonge men wyne Cicero in his officis wolde haue all the lyuing and arraye of the bodye / to be taken to the helthe and strength / and nat for pleasure And he sayth also / if we wolde coÌ„sydre what excellence and dignite is in the nature of man / we shulde vnderstaÌ„de / howe great shame hit is to waste hit awaye riottouslye / and to leade the lyfe delycately deliciously and howe honest it is to lyue chastely / sobrely / sadly / measurably This sayth Cicero Also Duidius / gyuynge remedy of loue / byddeth them that shall lyue chastely also to lyue temperately / and eschew suche meate as moueth the body to luste / and wynes specially / and to brynge suche to the table as refrayne the luste of the bodye Whan I speake of hotte meates / I wold be vnderstande in suche exercises also / that heate the body / and of oyntmentes / spices / talkyng and also syght of men For all these be hurtfull vnto the chastite for they fire the mynde with fylthy and ieoperdous heate Nor let nat your bed be very softe / but clene the whiche thyng also is to be regarded in clothes / that they be nat ouer delicate / but without fylthe and without spotte and lyghtly the mynde reioyseth in the clenlynes of the body And agayne / a deynty and a delycate mynde deliteth in sylkes and costely clothes and what so euer is nat suche / hit counteth harde and greuous Gregorius Nazanzenus forbyddeth maydes to weare golde and perle What a foly is it / to wene that these wordes of our sauiour Christe Ecce qui
haue so moche vertue in them as men say but nowe mo seke them for vanite / that he may seme more ryche / than for the vertue Nor let her nat peynte nor anoynt her face / but wasshe hit make hit clene nor dye her heare / but kome hit clenly Nor let her nat suffre her heed to be full of scurfe Nor let her nat delite to washe it in swete fauours nor to kepe hit stynkynge nor loke in a glasse to peynte her or trȳme her gayly by but to haue away / if any foule thyng or vncomely be on her heed / that she coude nat els se and thā let her aray her selfe therby / lest any thyng be in her face to defoule her / beyng els chaste and sobre Finally that whiche Socrates bad his scholers / lette her thynke spoken vnto her to / that they shuld loke them in a glasse / and if they were fayre / that they shulde se lest the mynde were foule and if they were foule / that with the beautie of the mynde they shuld coūtrepeyse the deformite of bodye Moreouer / let an honeste mayde remembre styll / that beautie hath brought many of them that haue hadde hit / in great pride and many of them that haue sene hit / in to abhominable synne Wherfore many holy women haue labored to seme lesse fayre thā they were As for this nedeth nat to byd I suppose / that a womā shall vse no mannes rayment / els let her thynke she hath the mānes stomake / but take hede to the wordes of our lorde / sayeng A womā shal nat put on mannes apparell for so to do is abhomynable afore god but I truste no woman wyll do hit / excepte she be paste bothe honeste and shame Of the lyuyng alone of a virgin The .x. Chapter HOly writers say that deathe gothe in to the soule by the senses of the body lyke wyndowes excepte a mā be wisely ware Folkes be tolled enticed with the pleasures of the worlde where with also the soule is caughte and holden Therfore a mayde shulde go but seldome abrode bycause she neyther hath any busynes forthe / and standethe euer in ieopardye of her chastite / the moste precious thynge that she hath And let her wayte vpon her mother / nat only whan she gothe forthe / but also at home Whiche thynge theyr mothers muste also be charged with Saynt Hieronyme counsayleth Leta / that whan she gothe to her manner place in the countre / she do nat leaue her daughter in her house within the cite let her nat canne tie maye to lyue without you saythe he and whā she is alone / let her feare ▪ Whiche sayeng I wolde haue thus vnderstanden / that the mother shulde take her daughter awaye with her / if she tary any whyles For els it is no nede to take her daughter with her / as ofte as she goth forthe and specially if she go to any feastis / or maryages / or metynge of men / or any other lyke place / that she muste go to / or to fulfyll her husbandes pleasure Where hit is nat mete for the daughter to go and let there be at home some good womā keper of her chastite For there is no greatter myschiefe than that that is bredde at home / nor more ieoperdous Howe shalte thou auoyde that / excepte thou eschewe hit vtterly What auaileth it to saue the wod from all harme / whan there is a worme with in / that eateth hit I knowe a very good woman / whiche was made the ouersear of maydes / that wolde nat correcte / and take away her sonnes / whā they playde some what wantonlye with wenches / bycause she loued them some what tenderly / nor kepe from harmynge of theyr chastite Wherfore hit is to be taken hede of that the woman / whom the mayde is put in trust to / haue no wanton sonnes / nor bredren whom she dare nat be agaynst Let her nat be onely chaste / but also in countenance grauite / both of wysedome / maners / and speche / worthye to be had in reuerence Whose eies loke they wyl be aferde of nat only their speche ye though they be her elder bretherne / that she feare nothyng in doyng her duety of watche kepyng So that she make all thynge belōgynge vnto her chastite / safe with her presēce and suche as wolde tolle them vnto wantonnes and vice / with her exsample is for to be dryuen far away But she that wyll be hyred of a louer to prouoke to moue with speche and wordes / lacketh the name of a reasonable creature For that is a deuyllysshe thynge Whiche a mayde shal flee fro / lyke as she wolde frō an edder or a serpēt whiche all folkes shulde dryue out of the countre / as a commen distruction of them all Hit can nat be tolde / howe moche myschiefe suche womē be cause of Therfore let nat a mayde ones abyde the syght of suche womē For they be verye cocatryces and inspire poyson with theyr loke / and slee with the only beholdyng Nor let any man thynke that I speake this as a similitude beyonde the veray trouthe For some be so craftye / that they can catche one with a loke / without wordes and some vse inchauntemētes and charmes Where of there be manye examples Also with the only loke and salutȳg / this serpēt casteth a blotte on the yonge woman / vnto whom she speketh and loketh / namely there as suche a woman is knowen besyde the shame that she causeth in that house / that she resorteth vnto Therfore let the maide fire vnto her mother / as vnto a sainctuary / and schewe vnto her / what that vngratious body wolde haue done orels so auoyde kepe her selfe from her / that they that se it / maye perceyue by her chere / that she feareth the myscheuousnes of that woman and so she shall do her selfe good / with the dede / other with her example whā she sheweth other maydes / what they ought to feare in that woman Hit were good for the cōmon welth / that inquisition were made of olde poore women / that the ruler of the cite myght knowe howe they gette theyr lyuynge Also of the seruauntes saynt Hieronyme sayth / I wolde she shulde loue none of her maydes more than an other / in whose eare she shulde vse to rowne and tytle often What so euer she say the to one / let all here hit Let her be cōtent with a mayde nat pyked / and fayre / and wanton / that can synge a balade with clere voyce but sad / pale / and vntrymmed Also he sayth vnto Demetrias Se that none of her felowes do her harme / either with nyce raymēt / or wantō wordes Haue nought to do with suche women / that haue pleasure to be sene / and loued / and make theyr boste / that they haue suche a fayre louer /
in the nyghte / whiche they called Hiacinthina / toke away .xv. maydens that were playenge in company there / and went all nyght a pace fleyng out of the countre with them and whan some of his men wolde haue deuoured them / he charged them / as wel as he coude / that they shuld nat do so and at the last some that wolde nat obey he put to dethe / to feare the reste with all After / whaÌ„ these maydes were redemed agayne by their frendes / and they sawe this Aristomenes sewed for the deth of a man / they wolde neuer go home / but lay ê“strate at the fete of the iuges vntil they se hyÌ„ quitte / that was defender of theyr chastite Howe shulde we sufficieÌ„ly preyse the doughters of Scedasus of Leuctres / a towne of the couÌ„tre of Beoce / whiche their father being from home / as we rede / had receyued .ij yonge men by the way of hospytalite / and they dronke with ouer moche wyne / in the nyght rauyshed the maydes / whiche whaÌ„ they had lost theyr virginite / wolde lyue no longer / but kyld one an other Also the maydes of Locrean be worthy to be spokeÌ„ of / that had a custome in their countres / to be sende yerely vnto Ilium whiche custome had contynued a thousande yere / nor yet was there neuer herde tell / that any had any report name of disteynynge theyr virginite Who can let passe vnspoken of the .vij. maydens of Milesye / whiche whan the frenche men distroyed all about theyr countre / kylled them selfe / leste they shulde be compelled to any villany / leauyng an example vnto all virgins / that vnto an honeste mynde the chaste purenes of bodye oughte to be more regarded than the lyfe Nycanor after he had coÌ„quered Thebes the cite / was takeÌ„ in the loue of a mayde / that he had taken prisoner / and wolde haue maryed her / whiche thyng might haue pleased a poure prysoner / but she sette more by her virginite / than by his kyngdome / and there kylled her selfe / whiche thyng he made great sorowe fore / holdyng the deade body in his armes Greke writers tell of an other mayde of Thebes / that whan her enemy a Macedon had deflowred her / a whyle she dissembled her angre / and after founde the corrupter of her virginite slepyng / whom she slewe / and after that her selfe / for ioye that she had aueÌ„ged her selfe of that abhomynable vilanye nor she wolde lyue no longer / than she had her virginite nor dye / tyll she had auenged her chastite All this sayth saynt Hieronyme Therfore christen women maye be ashamed / if any shame were in them / that do nat kepe theyr chastite truly lyuyng vnder the moste chaste Christe / sonne of the mooste chaste mother / and in the most chast churche / and faythe / seynge that pagans / worshippers of fylthye Iuppiter / baudy Venus / haue set more by their chastite / thaÌ„ all other thynges Where to shulde I recyte here the exaÌ„ples of holy virgins / to moue them with / that be nat ashamed / that chaste pagans shulde be ones named Whom shulde I specially shewe them to folowe example of amonge so many thousandes / Tecla / or Hagnes / Catharine / Lucia / or Cecile / Agatha / Barbara / or Margarita / or Dorothe / or rather the holle flocke of the .xj. thousaÌ„de virgins / whiche all hadde leauer dye / than they ennemyes shulde do theyr coursed pleasure with them Thou shalte skarse fynde .ij. men that shall so stedfastly agre in that holy purpose wherin .xj. thousande render virgins were to faste and stable There were infynyte in nombre / that had leauer be kylled / heded / straÌ„gled / drowned / or haue theyr throtis cutte / than lose their chastite whiche whaÌ„ they wold nat ste them selfe / yet they sought crafte to come by their deth / whaÌ„ they were in ieoperdye of their chastite / as Brasilla / a noble maide / borne in Dirchache / a cite of Italy / which whaÌ„ she saws her ennemye come to be rafte her of her virginite / promysed vnto hym / that if he wolde do her no vil lany / she wolde gyue hym an herbe / where of if he were anoynted with the iuse / no wepen shulde perce hym the man of warre was coÌ„tent with the offre So she went in to the nexte garden / and there toke vp an herbe / the fyrst that came to hande / and bad hym aueÌ„ture the fyrst profe on her selfe / of the vertue of the herbe / anoynted her throte there with / and bad hym smyte / to assay so he smote / and kylled her Neyther saynt Hieronyme disaloweth / that a woman kylle her selfe / to saue her chastite with And saynt Ambrose in the .iij. boke / that he wryteth of virgins / laythe agaynst this doubte the example of Pelagey the martyr / saying / there nedeth none other confyrmation / where we haue the dede of a virginne and a martyr / of fyltene yeres of age / whiche with her mother and her syters together / caste her selfe in to a water Saynt Euseby in the ecclesiastical historie sayth / that one Sophronia a noble woman / whan she sawe her husbande that was the chiefe offycer of the cyte afferde / vnable to defende her goodnes agaynst the foule and vnlawful pleasure of Maximine the emperour / closed her selfe in her chambre / there kylled her selfe and yet the churche hathe alowed her for a martyr All these examples of chastite be redde in the churche Howe dare an vnchaste and a noughty woman come thether / nor be a basshed to bryng a brothelrye in to the coÌ„pany of virgins / and defyle those pure etes with her fylthye lokes / and polute tender yeres with her corrupt voyces Thou vngratious woman / darste thou name Catharin / Hagnes / or Barbara / and fyle those holy names with thyne vnpure mouthe Darste thou name thy selfe by any of those names / and make thy selfe in name lyke vnto them / to whom thou arte so vnlyke to in conditions / and a very deedly enemy Nor cometh hit nat to thy remembrance / whan thou hereste thy selfe called / what maner one she was / whose name thou bearest And whaÌ„ thou remembrest / that she was so pure / chast / and good / and agayne thy selfe so vnpure / vnchaste / and vugrations / doste thou nat rage day nyght / for thought and repentaunce O thou moost shameles of all women / howe darest thou halowe the natiuite of the most pure virgin / that art thy selfe vnworthy euer to be borne And dareste thou shewe we thy shameles face vnto her most demure eies And woldest thou haue her to here or loke at the so ouer couerte with noughtynes / whiche whan she was in this worlde / was neuer wont to se nor here no me / nat though they were full
these folkes What good man wyll alowe this Or who wyll lyke hit / but suche as neuer knewe so moche as a shadowe of honestie Whiche wolde if they coulde brynge hit to passe / haue all womē nought / that they myght the more easylye fulfylle theyr vnsatyable lustes Whiche be them selfe drowned vppe to bothe the eares in vice / vnhappynes / and vnthriftynes / that they can neither le theyr owne vice / nor other mennes Fyrste let them put of that cursed darkenes / where with they be ouer layden and than shall we beleue theyr iudgementes of vertue As for a yonge woman and a yonge man / to talke of loue in a corner / is nat mete / though they were bretherne and systerne There maye be rehersed many olde examples and newe bothe / of vices that haue be done amonge bretherne and systerne / hauyng occasion and tyme secrete So Amon sonne of kynge Dauid / defloured his owne syster Thamar so Caunus lay by his syster Byblis Saint Augustine wolde neuer dwelle with his syster in house He sayde hit was noughte to se a woman / worse to speke with her / and worst of all to touche her Pion an holy abbot / hadde a syster sore sicke / whiche whā he was desyred to go speke with her / or she died / he closed vp his eies / and was led of an other body vnto her chābre / and talked with her / and so departed away Neither I wolde nat haue bretherne to playe with theyr systers / nor kyns men with theyr nere kyns women / be they neuer so good / chaste / cōtinent neither to kysse them / nor groope / nor plucke at them What shulde that serue fore / but to rype them and prepare redy for suche as be more lewde that if they desyre anye vnhoneste thynge / the women sette in heate there with / shall thinke on suche thynges as shulde touche theyr chastite Nor in a great courte I wolde they shulde nat crepe in to corners What wolde they say there / that other folkes may nat heare if they purpose to speke of that / that is pure and chaste Neither I wolde there shulde be manye wordes betwene yonge men and maydes / though folkes be by / excepte they be so pure and honeste / that no susspecte of ill can come of them For some men be so crafty in noughtynes / can wrappe in darke sentence theyr myndes in suche wyse / that they maye yet be vnderstanden of her what they meane / by that they speke vnto her and yet shall the double sence cause / that they maye denye that they ment so / and blame her for wronge takynge theyr wordes / and vnderstandynge them in euyll sence / whiche they spake for no harme and than they set moche by theyr owne witte whā they be coūnyng in these craftes / though they be deuoyde of al goodnes / but able coūnyng inough to do yl whiche thynge dothe nat proue any great wytte but an excercise in noughtynes whiche as Senec sayth / is worse / and more foule / than is a dull and slugyshe wytte For wytte is nat to be rekened in subtiltis and deceytes / excepte we wyll reken deuylles more wyse than angelles but one good angell is more wise thā all the deuylles in hell At fewe wordes / hit is good to haue very lytell or nought to do with men / and speke very fewe wordes with them / and those full of sobrenes / honestie / and wysedome nor thou shalt nat thereof be rekened the more moope and fole / but the more wyse And if iudgement shulde be gyuen of thy disposition / I had leauer yll folkes shulde reken the rude / than good folkes badde Tell me howe moche redeste thou in all the historie of the gospell / that our lady euer spake The angell cometh in vnto her she fynisshed the matter with fewe wordes / and those wyse and sad / also holy She gothe for to se Elisabeth / speketh to the preyse of god She brȳgeth forth a sonne / whiche is god She is lauded of the angelles / worshyppedde of the hyrde menne / and holdethe her peace / gatherynge and kepynge in her remembraunce all theyr sayenges She was honored of the wyse men of the easte / that came thyther a great waye and what doste thou rede / that euer she spake Some other pauenture wold haue askedde of theyr countre / of theyr treasure / of theyr lernynge / or of the sterre but she / as became a yonge mayde / spake neuer a worde She offereth her sonne in the temple / and whan Symeon prophysied of hym / an other wolde haue asked some moo thynges / or elles the reason and maner of those that be tolde The olde man tourned his sayenge vnto the mayde / spekynge of her sonne Lowe he is put for a falle and a rysynge agayne of many in Israel / a syng / ayenst whom there shall be spekynge / and a sworde shall cut thy harte / vnto th ende that the thoughtes of many hartes in Israel may be opened Some other woman wolde haue asked / whan / howe / and where hit shulde haue bene but we rede nat / that she said any thynge She loste her dereste sonne at Hierusalem and whan she had sought hym thre dayes / and at the laste founde hym / howe many wordes sayd she to hym Sonne / why haste thou serued vs so Lothy father and I sought the carefully After that whan she was of more age / at a maryage / she sayd no more but this Sonne they haue no wyne And at the crosse she was clene dumine she asked neuer a whytte of her sonne / neither with whom he wolde leaue her / nor what he wold commaunde her to do / whan he dyed For she had nat lerned to pratle amonge folkes All maydes / al womē folowe you her for she was but of fewe wordes but wonderous wise Theano Metapontina a poet / and a mayde excellent counnynge / rekened / that silence was the nobleste ornament of a woman And Sophocles is of the same opynyon for with silence bothe wysedome and chastite be swetely poudered Thou arte none atturney of lawe good doughter / nor pleadeste nat in courte / that thou shalte nede to quaple either thyn owne / or thy clyentes matter / excepte thou speke Holde thou thy peace as boldly as other speke in courte and so shalte thou better defende the matter of thy chastite / whiche afore iuste iudges shall be stronger with silence than with speche We rede in histories / that a childe was ones brought in to the commen place of the cyte at Rome vpon a matter of chastite / and with holdyng downe his eies / on the grounde / and styll silence / defended his matter better than he shulde haue done with longe orations of orators But nowe to speke of women / saint Susan excused her selfe of the
/ in resortynges drynkynges / howe many wordes fly to and fro / nat only idle / but also ieoperdous And also where he saythe Who so loketh vpon an other mannes wyfe / and desyreth to haue her / he hath cōmitted adultery all redy with her in his harte suppose you nat / that this was ment as well by the woman / beholdynge a man And to be briefe / thou arte nat christened / nor spyrituall / but a pagane and carnall / if thou dost nat beleue that thou hast a sprynge of vngratiousnes with in the And that hit forceth nat / what the mynde be / but the bodye I dare be bolde to saye / that fewe yonge womē / after they begyn to waxe towarde womās state / come from feastis / and bākettes / and resorte of men with safe myndes But some be taken with eloquence / some with delyueraunce of body / some with one propretie / and some with other whiche a yonge woman shall fynde in a great multitude of men / set lyke nettes And hit is an harde thynge to scape vncaught with those thynges / wher vnto she is some thyng inclined all redy Howe moche were hit better nat to loue this ieoperdy / than to perisshe in hit / as the wyse man sayth Verely my mȳde is / and I trowe Christis too / that maydes shulde be kepte at home / and nat go abrode / excepte hit be to here masse / and that well couered / leste they either gyue or take occasyon of snarynge A christen mayde oughte to haue nothynge a do with weddyng feastis / bankettes / and resortynges of men Fynally / what myn opinion is / concernyng yonge womē / you may knowe by that / the I wolde nat haue yōge boyes brought vnto feastis / both bicause hit hurteth the strength and the helthe of the chylde / in his tyme of growynge and bycause that feastis be the sprynges of great and manye vyces / be they neuer so sobre and moderate A chylde shall se there many vncomely thynges / and lerne moche noughtynes / euen amonge aged mē / though they be right wyfe Wher to shulde I saye amonge women and men / where after theyr myndes be inflamed bothe inwarde outwardly vnto foule luste / be they neuer so well kepte vnder / yet will they shewe them selfe foule and outragiously nor wyll be brydled in / nor obey theyr gouernour What than wyll they do / if they be prouoked forwardes than in dede there wyll be neither rule nor measure / nor any respecte of honestie Of daunsynge The .xiii. Chap. NOWe let vs speake of that thynge / whyche some maydes do nothynge more gladly / and be taught also with great diligence / of bothe father and mother / that is to daunce counnyngly I wyll make no mention here of the olde vse of wrastlyng / whiche both Plato and many of the stoicke philosophers sayd was holsome for honeste mennes sonnes and Cicero and Quintilian called necessarye for an oratour Whiche was nothynge but a certayne informynge of gesture / and mouynge of the body / to set and moue all in comly ordre / whiche crafte nowe / as many other be / is clene out of vse I wyll intreat of this daunsyng / that nowe a dayes is moche vsed / whiche many of the Grekes preysed / as they dyd many moo thynges / some solysshe / and some also fylthy whiche the sage people of Rome refused nor we rede nat that euer any of those sad matrōes vsed daūsyng / Salust writeth / that one Sempronia dyd bothe synge and daunce more counnyngly / thā was necessary for a good woman Also Cicero / defendyng Muren agaynst Cato / whiche had layde vnto his charge / that he had vsed daūsynge in Asia / where he was gouernour for a season / whiche dede was so disalowable / that he durste nat defende hit for well done / but styffely denyed / sayenge more ouer / that neuer sobre man daunsed / excepte he were madde neither beyng alone / neither at an honest and measurable banket Feastynges out of tyme / and pleasant sportis / and delicate pastime brynge euer daūsyng in the laste ende So that daūsynge muste nedes be the extreme of all vicis But we nowe in christiane Countreis haue scholes of daūsynge / howe be hit that is no wondre / seynge also we haue houses of baudry / so moche the pagās were better and more sadde than we be nor they neuer knewe this newe fasshion of daunsynge of ours / so vnreasonable / and fulle of shakynge and braggyng / and vnclenly handlynges / gropynges / and kyssyngis and a very kēdlyng of leachery Wherto serueth all that bassynge / as hit were pydgyns the byrdes of Venus In olde tyme kyssyng was nat vsed / but amonge kyns folke nowe is hit a cōmon thynge in Englande and France If they do hit bycause of Baptisme / that they may seme all as bretherne and systerne / I preyse the intent / if other wyse / I se nat where vnto hit perteyneth to vse so moche kyssynge / as thoughe that loue and charite coude none other way stande betwene men and women Without this were their pourpose / to stere vp their bodily lustis in suche colde coūtreis Verily me thynketh hit is a foule and a rude maner But nowe to speke of daunsynge what good doth all that daunsynge of yonge women / holden vp on mennes armes / that they maye hoppe the hygher What meaneth that shakyng vnto mydnyght / neuer wery / whiche if they were desyred to go but to the nexte churche / they were nat able / excepte they were caryed on horse backe or in a charette Who wolde nat thynke them out of their wyttis I remembre / that I harde vpon a tyme say / that there were certayne men brought out of a farre coūtrey in to our partis of the worlde / whiche whan they sawe women daunce / they rounne away wonderslye afrayde / cryenge out / that they thoughte the women were taken with an vnked kynde of francy And to say good soth / who wolde nat reken women frantycke / whan they daunce / if he had neuer sene women daunce before And it is a worlde to se howe demurely sadlye some syt / beholding them that daūce / with what gesture / pase / and mouynge of the bodye / and with what sobre footynge / some of them daunce Wherin also a man may spye a great parte of their foly that go about to handle suche a folisshe thynge so sadly neyther se them selfe haue a matter in hande with out any wysedome / neyther any thynge worthe / but as Cicero saythe a companion of vicis What holy woman dyd we euer rede of / that was a daūser Or what woman nowe adayes / that is sad wyse / wyll be knowen to skyll of daūsynge / wyll nat refuse it if she be desyred to daunce For they knowe wel inough / it is a
that be good and caste your selfe in to perpetuall care For if thou be maryed to a fayre one / he wyll be proude of his person And if thou marye to a rythe one / his substance maketh hym stately And if thou be maried to one of great byrthe / his kynred exalteth his stomacke Nowe / if thou marye vnto one for his fayrenes / whiche hathe neyther reason / nor vertue / nor any droppe of wytte / as it is ofte proued by experience / as the wyse man of Grece sayd by these goodly Innes / where be foule hostesses by lyke reason thou myght marye an ymage or a paynted table Canst thou fynde in thy harte to be a foles wyfe / for his goodes Thanne mightest thou as well desyre to be maried to an ymage of golde Woldest thou be maried vnto a getylman borne / whiche is of fylthye and nought ye lyuynge / for his blode as well than thou myghteste those the ymage of Scipio or Cesar And in very dede it were better to be maried vnto an ymage / or a picture / or to a paynted table / than to be maryed to a vicious / or a folysshe / or a brayneles man Wherfore I may better compare them vnto asses / or swyne / lyons / or wolfes / than to mad mē And in tyme passed / I thought it had bene but a fable / that men telle / howe Palyphat the quene of Candy / dyd lye with a bulle and other as vngratious dedes as that whiche I haue harde say / other women haue done but nowe me thynketh them all lykely inough to be true / whan I se women can fynde in theyr hartes / to tomble and lye with vicious and fylthy mē / and dronkerdes / and braulers / and dawysshe / brayneles / cruell murderars For what difference is betwene them and asses / swyne / bores / bulles / or beares What madnes is it to haue delyte in suche men / and to flee and eschewe wyse men / as Plutarke the philosopher sayth / flee honeste men and good men / as warely as they wolde flee from venomous bestis Wherfore it was well and aptly spoken / that a countrey man of myne sayde / that the nature of women was in chosynge mē / lyke vnto the female wolues whiche amonge a great sorte of males / take the fouleste and worste fauored but men neuer caste any fauoure to a woman / but for some good propretie / either of substāce / person / or witte And women many tymes loue some men / bycause there is nothynge in them worthye to be beloued ▪ wherby they declare the more playnly / that they go without reason whiche thynge I say by some that haue nothynge a do with theyr reason / but all gyuen and applied vnto their bodye Agaynst whom I haue spoken sharpely / bicause they dote / and fonde good yonge men / and brynge them to fylthynes and foly / whan they wolde fayne please the women / and se they can nat / excepte they go wyde from all conditions perteynynge vnto men For lyke as childrē / whiche be gyuē all vnto sporte and playe / neither haue discretion for lacke of age to comprehende any depe matter / haue onely in pryce and regarde those / that can hādle theyr sportes and pastymes the moste aptly so women set all vpon pleasures / and volupties / wantonnes / and foly / thynke no man wyse / but those that can well conuey suche matters and what so euer perteyneth to wytte sadnes / they counte foly So their discretion is blynded so sore / that they loue / estyme and set by foles / and coūte them for great wyse men abhorre them / that be wyse in dede / hate dispyse / and lothe them / and take them for foles in lyke maner as folkes that be sicke of a great agewe / wene that swete meate is bytter and as sowes haue more delice in myre and durte than in swete flowres What hope shall we haue of them / that haue so feble discretion and so corrupted For maydes that desyre and wysshe for suche husbande 's / in whom be the externall gyftes of fortune / whiche the people calle good / nor haue no respecte vnto thyn warde goodnes / they be worthy to fele perpetuall sorowe / and to be punysshed for theyr errour / so longe as they lyue bicause they dispise that / that is the more noble and excellent in dede / in cōparison of that / whiche is more vyle lesse worth O folysshe mayde / whiche haddest leauer haue cōtynuall sorowe in golde and sylke / than haue pleasure in wollen cloth whiche had leauer be hated beaten in rayment of purple and ryche colour / thā beloued and set by in a course garment of meane colour If thou haddest leauer haue that other / take that thou haste chosen / nor be nat discontent with that / whiche thou hast wyrtyngly takē with thyn owne hādes More ouer / we haue harde tell of some so folisshe husbandes / that they haue kylled theyr wyues / as Iustina a mayde of Rome / borne of noble blode / whom her father mother maried vnto a yonge mā of great possessions / but of smale discretion and witte whiche whā he sawe his wyues whyte necke / as she was stowpyng to vnlose her shone / fell streight in to a suspection and ielosye ouer her / bycause of her beautie with a sworde cutte her necke in sunder of whom was made this epitaphie folowynge My cruell husbande to deth hath de done And with a sworde my necke in sunde cutte As I was stowpynge to vntye my shoone And to pulle out my praty fote And that besyde the bedde / where I was layde With hym nat long before O harde cruell mȳde In that same place / where as he had hadde My mayden heed / to shewe hym so vnkynde Yet I neuer offended / wherfore I ought to dye All myghty god to recorde I take And loo nowe here-slayne I lye Thus pleased fortune myne ende to make But fathers all example take by me Iustina / as warely as you can If ye loue your doughter tenderly That you ne marye her to a folisshe man Fathers and mothers whiche marye theyr children vnto good and vertuous mates / do nat onely prouyde well for them / but also for them selfe For they get them suche sonnes daughters in lawe / that shall be socoure and ayde vnto them in theyr olde age And if they be noughtys vngratious / they prouide them of enemyes Nowe of the sonne in lawe / we haue an example in the gospell For saint Peters mother in lawe / whā she lay sicke of great ague / was made holle of our lorde / at thin-stance of her son in lawe Suche it was to haue so good a sonne in lawe / that Christ disdayned nat to take vnto his disciple And of the doughter in lawe / we rede an
it / and so she oughte to prepare her selfe / that so great a sacrament fyrste vnderstande / she may afterwarde fulfyll hit After that god the prince maker of this excelleÌ„t worke / had brought maÌ„ in to this worlde / he thought it vncoÌ„uement to leaue hym all alone / and so ioyned to hym a lyuynge creature / mooste lyke vnto hym of mynde and shappe with whose conuersation and compenable wordes / he myght swetely speÌ„de his tyme and also bycause of generation / if hit pleased hym And in dede wedlocke was nat ordeyned so moche for generation / as for certayne coÌ„pany of lyfe / and coÌ„tynuall felowship Neither the name of husbandets a name of bodely pleasure / but of vnite and affinite God led the woman to the man whiche meaneth none other thynge / but that god hym selfe was chiefe author and maker of wedlocke Therfore Christe in the gospell calleth them coupled of god Assone as the man lokedde vpon the femalle of his kynde / he beganne to loue her aboue all thynges / and sayde / Nowe is this a bone of my bones / fleshe of my fleshe And for her a man shall forsake both father and mother / and abyde with his wyfe and they shal be .ij. in one fleshe Where hit is sayde in one fleshe / it is to be vnderstanden one fleshe fleshe / aff the ê“pretie of the Hebrewe speche signifieth maÌ„kynde both man and woman So that they whiche fyrste were .ij. man and woman conioyned in wedlocke / be made one This is the marueylous mesterye of wedlocke / so to myngle and to couple the man and the womaÌ„ / that .ij. shal be made one The whiche thyng also it hath done in Christ and the churche / as teacheth Paule the apostle / whiche no power saue only goddes power myght brynge about Of necessite that thynge must be moste holy / at whiche god is so specially present Therfore what time a womaÌ„ cometh here vnto / she ne shuld suppose / that she cometh to daunce / play / and lest / but muste ponder higher thynges in her mynde God is the ouer sear / the churche is the medyatryce in maryage For whiche cause that thynge that is ioyned and fastned to gether by so high auctorite / Christe suffereth nat eyther to be broken or losed of any mortal creature / sayeng in his gospel That god hath ioyned to gether / man may nat de uyde Nowe if it be nat lefull to lose it / that knot is nat to be vnknytte with mannes handes / whiche god hath knytte Lyke wyse no man ought to open that thyng / whiche is shutte with the key of Dauid whiche allonely that immaculate lambe hath in kepynge Nowe than streyghte in the begynnynge / thou that arte an honeste woman / appoynt thy selfe / that thou maist in suche wise byÌ„de hym vnto the with loue / whom god by the sacrament hath ioyned vnto the that the bande maye be easye and lyght Nor neuer desyre that knot to be vnknytte nor caste nat thy selfe and hym bothe that is knytte with the / in to grefe without ende / ê‘petuall mysery For a great ê‘te of this mater resteth in thy haÌ„de other with pure chastite / mekenes / buxum vsyÌ„g of thy selfe / to haue thy husbaÌ„de plesaÌ„t louyÌ„g vnto the / to lede thy lyfe welthfully orels with thy vices of myÌ„de body / to haue hym frowarde / crabbed to ordeyne for thy selfe greuous turment / whiche by deth shall nat be ended Thou shalt toyle / thou shalt wepe / thou shalt be troubled / thou shalt curse the day that euer thou were ioyned vnto hym / thou shalte curse hym that the begate her that the bare / al thy kyn / ye al them the any thyng dye in thy mariage / if thou through thyÌ„ owne vices cause thy husbande to hate the. But on the other ê‘tie / if thou by vertuous lyuynge / and buxumnes / gyue hym cause to loue the / thou shalte be mastres in a merye house / thou shalte reioyse / thou shalte be glad / thou shalte blesse the day the thou were marted vnto hym / all them that were helpyÌ„g ther vnto The wise seÌ„teÌ„ce sayth A good womaÌ„ by lowely obeysaunce ruleth her husbaÌ„de Plinius the yoÌ„ger / whaÌ„ he had a wyfe as his myÌ„de desyred / he was mylde gentyll vnto her agayÌ„e / thaÌ„ked Hispula his wyues aunte / both for his owne his wiues sake / sayÌ„g I thaÌ„ke you the ê“uided me of her she thaÌ„keth you bicause you got her me / as it were haue choseÌ„ the one vnto the other Aboue all this / that fyrste as I suppose onely chapter of the lawes of wedlocke / that they shal be .ij. iÌ„ one ê‘soÌ„ / is the very grouÌ„d of wedlocke / and the boÌ„de of that most holy felowship Wherfore if a womaÌ„ directe all her thoughtes / her wordes / and her dedes vnto this poyÌ„t / that is to kepe truely safely the purenes of wedlocke / she caÌ„ nat but lyue well vertuously Therfore an honest a chaste womaÌ„ ought euer to haue this in myÌ„de Therfore she shall studie both day night howe she may fulfyl this lawe / to expresse shewe it in dede trustyÌ„g verily here vpoÌ„ / that what so euer she be that fulfylleth this law / that is to say / that rekeneth her selfe her husbaÌ„de all one persoÌ„ / so liueth / that she may both be iÌ„ dede / apere to be all one with her husbaÌ„d / she caÌ„lacke no kyÌ„de of vertue she that doth nat so / shall haue no vertue at al. O reuereÌ„t power of the deuine worde / whiche in thre wordes hath coÌ„pÌ„heÌ„ded as moch as mortal meÌ„ go about to expÌ„sse nor yet caÌ„ nat with longe sermoÌ„s Wherfore I wil make noÌ„e other lawe of mariage for only this is sufficieÌ„t only this coÌ„teyneth as moch as either maÌ„s wit can coÌ„ceyue / or mans eloqueÌ„ce can vtter Therfore the womaÌ„ shall nat beleue my faÌ„tasye / but the fyrst father of our kyÌ„d AdaÌ„ or rather obey Christe / coÌ„mauÌ„dyng iÌ„ the gospel of Mattheu / that they shal be two iÌ„ one ê‘soÌ„ And thaÌ„ hath she fulfylled al the dutie of a vertuous wyfe This one precepte of god might haue eased me of allabour of writyÌ„g / if the it had eÌ„tred so depe iÌ„ to womeÌ„s hartes that they might both haue wel ê‘ceiued it / beare in myÌ„de / executed it But nowe to th eÌ„teÌ„t that it maye sticke more fast / growe more surely / it must be turned haÌ„dled many wayes / be made iÌ„ many fashoÌ„s / so be set afore their eies taught vnto them / that they may both take kepe it the bett Nat wtstandyng a wise womaÌ„ shall remeÌ„bre / that all that euer I say is but one pÌ„cepte / as it were one maÌ„ in diuerse apparell Of .ii. the
lyfe or after thy dethe But parauenture thou woldest say / I brought goodes money moughe to make me noble with O thou fylthy and beastylly woman / that weneste thy selfe to be a wyfe / bycause thou haste a man lyenge by thy syde / weneste thou that wedlocke standeth in that Thou breakest the lawes of god and Nature For if thou woldest touthe thyne owne body / beynge diseased / and loke vpon thy sores and handle them / thou oughtest nat to refuse to do the same vnto thyn husbāde / seyng that ye be bothe as one person Therfore where is that same inseperate mate / whiche thou pretendest / if thou sterte from hym / whan thou shuldest abyde most nere Wherfore vnderstāde / that thou dost nat thy duety / neither to thy brother borne of one woman with the / nor thy father / that begotte the / neyther thy mother / that bare the. Wherfore if thou be ashamed of that / thou mayst lyke wyse be ashamed of that thou dost vnto thy husbande Whom thou oughtest to regarde more than them all And many leaue theyr mothers lyenge sicke / nor loue any bodye but them selfes / whiche were worthy to be loued of no body els / and no more be they in dede Howe often haue we sene bestis with out reason / ruled only by nature / one cherishe another / and the femall lycke the sores of the male / as kyene / and dogges / lyons / beares / and all other bothe wylde and came And thou that arte a woman / hauyng reason beside thy nature / whiche is more excellent thā all theirs / can nat fynde in thin harte eyther to touche or to se thyn husbandes sotes / whan thou haste stomacke inough to handle the byles and scabbes of thy concubyne wherewith many hath bene taken / that a man may wel knowe the nat nature but theyr owne vngraciousnes so dothe moue them Nowe to shewe furder of my matter / if thy husbande were yll / yet oughtest thou to suffce hym / nor stryue with hym / by shrewdenes / leste thou neuer haue ende of sorowe and myschefe but whan he is more pacified / thā gyue hym warnynge by curtese and gentyll meanes to amende his lyuyng And if he wyll do after thy sayeng / than shalte thou proffitte bothe hym and thy selfe but if he begynne to waxe angrye / stryue nat with hym / thou hast done thy duetye Therfore let hym along and suffre hym / and thou shalte haue nat onely great commendation afore men / but also great merite afore god And if he by vnthrifty meanes of hym selfe moued and hastynes strycke or beate the / thynke it is the correction of god / and that it chaunceth the as a punishmēt for thy synnes And thou shalte be happy / if thou mayste so with a lyttell payne in this lyfe / bye out the great paynes of an other worlde Howe be hit there be but very fewe good wise wyues / whom theyr husbandes wyll beate / be they neuer so vnhappy mē Also some husbādes there be folisshe wytles / whom a good wyfe wyll handle wysely inoughe / and neither prouoke them to angre / nor take from them the honour belongyng to the mā but beyng hym in good hope / that all thing shal be done after his wyll And for his profette shall rule hym well inough by wisedome / as it were a wylde beast tamed and in all poyntes shall handle hym in lyke maner as many mothers do their children in lyke case / whiche haue most cōpassyon of them / that be in moste misery of whiche compassion cōmeth loue and fauour Wherfore they loue and cherysshe more them that be feble / maymed / folysshe / yll fauored / and sekely / than them that be stronge / holle / wyse / fayre / and lustye I wyll nat reherse all other infortunes / I wyll gyue a generall precepte of all at ones If thou be ones maryed vnto hym and god / the churche / thy father and mother / haue gyuen hym to be thy husbāde and thy lorde / thou must suffer hym / seynge thou canst nat chaunge hym / and loue hym / worship and honore hym if thou wylte nat for his owne sake / at the least wyse for theyr sakes / that haue gyuen hym vnto the and for the promise that thou hast made hym / as many other do loue them that be worthy no loue / only for theyr frendes sakes / whiche hath commytted them vnto theyr truste And many do bicause of their promise / thynges whiche els they wolde nat Therfore gyue thy dilygence bothe to seme to do / and to do in dede / that whiche thou muste nedes do / be thou neuer so lothe so shall all those thynges be lyght and pleasant vnto the whiche if thou be lothe to do / hit shall be greuous paynfull Nowe I perceyue that somme put doubtes / howe farre they ought to obey theyr husbandes verely in all thȳges that be either honest / or without vice / there is no doubte but a woman ought to obeye her husbandes commandement / as a diuine lawe For the husbande beareth the roume of god here in erthe vnto his wyfe / and presēteth his person Therfore if there be any thyng / that the wyfe wolde gyue vnto god / she neyther ought nor maye do hit without her husbandes lycence For what maye a woman reken to be more her owne / than her body and mynde And yet sayth saynt Paule / that the woman hath no power of her owne body / neither she can nat a vowe chastite vnto god / her husbande either nat wyllynge / or nat knowynge Wherfore if thyn husbande wolde haue the other wyse occupied / thou mayst nat only nat go forth to daūce or se playes / or go to feastis / and passe tyme with gossyppes / whiche be poyntes of common harlottes but thou mayste nat as moche as go pray or walke about to churches / without his leaue or elles be thou sure / that neyther thy prayer is pleasaunte vnto god / nor thou shalte nat fynde god in the churche God wolde that thou pray and go to the churche / but that is / whā thou hast done thyne husbandes busynes at home / and he hath none other labour to sette the about And these be the poyntes of wedlocke / whiche god lyketh beste in a maried woman For in his gospel / he byddeth a man be at one with his frende / or he come nere his aulter howe moche more than / wold he haue the to be at one with thyn husbande / whiche farre passeth any frende Wherto goste thou to masse or churches / whan thyne husbande commaundeth other wyse / eyther by wordes expressedlye / or by countinaunce preueyly Wenest thou to fynde god in the churche whan thou leauest thyne husbade at home either sicke or hungry Thou mayst fȳde all halowes about his bedde / bothe aulters / god / peace /
they loue agayne suche as make semblaūce as though they loued them and do nat in dede Hit were good for a wyfe to vse that counsayle / that Horace the wyse poet gyueth vnto Lollius / howe to vse his frende / vyddyng hym applye hym selfe vnto his frendes appetyte If he lyste hunte sayth he / do thou nat syt to make versys / but cast vp thy muses / and folowe the herses caryeng the nettes / leade forthe dogges Amphion and zetus were bretherne and twynnes borne of Anthiopia / the one was verye coūnyng in harpyng / thother rude and vnlerned Nowe whan the sounde of the harpe pleased nat zetus / and lyke to departe company betwixte the two bretherne / Amphion therfore layde downe his harpe and so let the wyfe ordre ber selfe after her husbandes maners / and pleasure / lest he hate and set noughte by her We rede in histories / that Andromacha Hectors wyfe gaue hay ootes vnto his horses with her owne handes / bycause she sawe what delyte her husbande had in them / and kepte them for warre / as dilygently as coulde be And Cecilius Plinius sheweth in many pistelles that he loued his wyfe moste derely / in whiche pistolles ther is one writen vnto Hispula his wyues awnt / whiche had brought her vp / where he gyueth her great thākes / that she so taught her and brought vp / whan she was a chylde and also shewed the cause why he loued his wyfe so well / wrytynge of his wyfe in this wyse She loueth me / whiche is a sygne of chastite And more ouer she is greatly gyuen vnto lernyng whiche fantasy she hath taken by the loue she hath vnto me She hath my bokes / and redeth / and lerneth them without boke whāso euer I shall pleade / she is wōders carefull and whan I haue done merueylous ioyfull She settes folkes to watche / howe I am lyked of the people / what countenaunce / what noyse I cause them to make / what iudgement I get in the ende And whan so euer I reherse a lectoure / she getteth her nexte vnto me / seperate from the other herers with a vayle / and herkeneth moste diligently for my prayses She syngeth my verses / and playeth them on the lute None other maister teacheth her / but the loue she hath vnto me / whiche is the best schole maister of all This wryteth Plinius A late whā I was at Paris and talked with Guilielmus Budeus at his owne hous / and his wyfe come bye / where as we walked / a goodly personne and a fayre / as a man shulde loke vpon / whiche as I coude deme by her comly maner and countenance / me thought shulde be both a prudēt and vertuous huswyfe So she after she hadde salued her husbande / with suche reuerence as a good woman shulde / and had welcommed me curtesly and honorably / I asked hym if she were his wyfe / yes forsoth saythe he / this is my wyfe / whiche so diligently foloweth my pleasure / that she intreateth my bokes no worse than her owne chyldren / bycause she seeth me loue studye so well In whiche thyng me thynke her worthy more preyse than was Plinius wyfe in as moche as she was lerned her selfe / and this is nat Nowe howe moche more honestly dothe she / than suche as drawe theyr husbandes from study / and counsayle them to luker / playe / or other pleasures / that they may obtayne parte them selfe / either of luker / playe / or volupties / bycause they can get no parte of theyr study And the foles knowe nat howe moche more sure and veraye pleasure hit were / to haue a wyse man than a ryche or voluptuous Moreouer they shulde lyue a great deale more quietlye with wyfe men than with ignorant foles / that neuer had set the brydell of reason to rule theyr fantasyes withal / whiche be for the more parte caried quite away with suche motions as comme in theyr myndes Nor she shulde loth in her husbande neither study nor any thing els / either by wordes / countenance / or gesture / or any maner of sygnes she shall loue all thynge in hym / haue all thynge in reuerence / and set great store by it / what so euer he dothe / assent all thyng vnto hym / and beleue what so ener he sayth / though he tolde that neither were true / nor lyke to be / nor presume aboue her husbande in any maner thyng she shall reken hym her father / her lorde / her elder / her better This shal she both knowlege in dede / and make semblaunce of For howe can any loue or frendship stande / if thou beynge ryche dispise hym poure or fayre thy selfe / loth hym beyng foule or thy selfe of great bloode / disdayne hym as of lowe byrthe Iuuenall saith / there is nothynge more intollerable than a ryche wyfe Saynt Hieronyme saith the same / writing agaynst Iouyntane And Theophrast sayth / it is a turment to suffre a ryche wyfe but I canne nat beleue that / excepte they say / if she be ill and lewde with all For what a lewdenes is hit / nat to consyder howe vayne a thyng that money is for hit is the vylest of all thyng that men be proude of But many lyghte and frayle myndes wyll ryse a lofte with a lyttell wynde Ah foole / doth nat wedlocke make all thynge commen For if that frendshipe make all thyng commen / howe moche more dothe maryage make commen nat onely theyr money / but also frendes / kynsfolke and all thynges elles Wherfore the Rhomayns as Plutarche saythe / commaunded in theyr lawes / that the husbande and wyfe shulde gyue nothyng one vnto a nother / bycause that neither shulde reken any thynge pryuatly theyr owne In a good commen wele Plato sayth / that these wordes / myne and thyne / shulde be put awaye Than moche more in a good house holde / whiche is than the beste most perfet / therto moste welthfull / whan there is as one body vnder one heed For if it haue many heddes or many bodyes / hit is lyke a monster Moreouer all the husbandes and after the similitude of Plutarch / though there be more water thā wyne in the cuppe / yet is all the myxture called wyne / so thoughe the woman brynge neuer so moche with her / and the man neuer so lytell / yet all is his For he muste nedes haue all that the woman hath / that hath her selfe is her lorde And thou mayst here our lorde say to the Womā thou shalte be in the rule of thy husbande and he shall haue the maistre on the. Nor he is to be dispised for his fauoure For thou haste fauour / he hath the / with thy fauour I wyll nat dispute / howe sklender a thing beautte is / whiche standeth but onely in mennes opynyons For she that is fayre in one mannes sight / is foule in
thynke / that she coude do nothyng that shulde more please her husbādes concubyne / than if she ronne from her house and her husbande / or elles be at debate with hym For than she will thynke to haue his fauour the more / whan she seeth his wyfe caste hit of with her frowardnes / besyde the speche of people / whiche thȳg is worse for a woman / than to suffre any kynde of payne with her husbande We rede in storyes that yonge and newe maryed women / whan their husbande 's many tymes for the loue of huntynge hath layne out al night / they haue suspected them with other women / and folowedde them in to the woddes and forestis / and there in the darke haue ben kylled with arrowes and torne with dogges / in the steade of wylde beastis / and suffered great payne for theyr curious ieolosy But howe moche more curtesly and wisely dyd Tertia Emylia wyfe vnto Affricane the fyrste / whiche whan she sawe that her husbande had a fantasye vnto one of her maydes / dissembled the matter / leste she shulde seme to condempne of incontinēcy the vanquissher of the worlde / and the prince of her countrey / and also her selfe of impacience / that coude nat suffre a wronge of her husbande / whiche was the nobliste mā of the worlde in his tyme. But bycause no mā shulde thynke / that she kepte any grutche in her harte / she maried that same woman / that had ben her husbandes concubyne / vnto an honest man of her owne seruauntes / supposyng that if folkes departed out of this lyfe / haue any remembrance or felynge of worldly matters / that dede shulde be a great pleasure vnto her husbandes soule This wyse woman knewe well inough that she was the wyfe the lady of the house / whether so euer her husbande went And if she shulde beare any grutche that her husbande shulde lye with other women that were but a fantasye of bodely pleasure / and nat of loue Moreouer / if the wyfe shulde take displeasure with her husbande / she shulde but prouoke him the more and if she suffre hym / she shal the soner reclame hym / and specially whā he doth perceyue and compare to gether her gentyll maners and his concubynes vnreasonable pryde for so Terence a peynter and declarer of the world is conditions wryteth in the comedye called Hecyra / that Panphilus was gotten frome Bacchis his concubyne / whom he loued so well / and brought a way his mynde vnto his wyfe / after that he had ones consydered and knowen well hym selfe / and Bacchis / and his wyfe / that was at home / estemynge bothe theyr maners as they were in dede / howe his wyfe was as an honeste woman / ought to be / sober / demure / and shamfast and howe she suffred all the harmes and wronges that her husbāde dyd vnto her / kepte her displeasure in close than his mynde by lyttel and litle ouer comen partly with pite / that he hadde on his wyfe / partlye with wrōges done by Bacchis / fell clene out from Bacchis and tourned all his loue vnto his wyfe / seyng she was of conditions accordynge to his appetite Thus sayth Terence Neyther I wyll let passe the dedes of that noble woman / whiche whā her husbande was taken with loue of an other mānes wyfe / she sawe hym go dayly vnto her with ieoperdye of his lyfe / bycause of the womans husbande and her bretherne / that laye styll in watche for hym / sayd vnto her husbande in this manere Syr I se you can nat be gotten away from the loue of that womā / neither I wyll require that of you / I desyre you only / that you loue nat with so great ieoperdye of your lyfe she sayth she wyll be cōtent to goo with you Therfore brynge her home vnto pour owne castell / and I shal leaue her all this the moste goodlyest parte of the place / and go my selfe in to an other / I promyse you of my fayth to entreate her none other wyse / thā myn owne syster if you fynde contrary / dryue me out of the house / and let her abyde So in conclusyon she persuaded her husbande and vpon a nyght he brought his concubyne in to his castel / sore tremblyng and fearyng her louers wyfe But she receyued her moste gentelly and courteslye / and brought her in to her chambre / nor neuer called her but syster / and sente vnto ger twys aday / commaūded she shulde be entreated more tēderly and dayntely thā her owne selfe / without any token of hate / either in worde or dede Than sayde she vnto her husbande Nowe may you vse your loue with lesse care ieoperdye So / the mā of an holle yere came nat at his wyfe / whiche was both fayrer and more noble of byrth / and honeste / and in all poyntes more goodly than his concubyne What she thought in her mynde / only god knoweth but as farre as men coude perceiue / she toke no displeasure with the matter at all / speciallye after she hadde rydde her husbande out of ieoperdye Moche was she in the churche / and moche in prayer / and euery mā knewe wel inough her trouble / but no man knewe that euer she grutched or cōplayned With in a yere / this man tourned his mynde holly vnto his wyfe / and beganne to hate his concubyne deadly / and at the laste put her away and set all his loue vpon his wyfe / in so moche / that euer after he sayd / that al his mynde / his lyfe / and his harte was in her / and nowe he saith he wyll nat lyue lōge after / if it shulde chaūce her to dye I wyll nat name them / bicause they be both on lyue These examples haue I brought of them that haue an euident cause of ieolosy For as for them that be nat sure of any cause / and be vnreasonable / and intollerable / and cause great vexacion / both vnto their selfe and vnto their husbandes / for an offence / that they wotte nat whether it be so or nat / as many do / whiche either loue inordinatly / or folowe theyr owne fantasyes ouer moche / they take lyght suspeciousnes and feble coniectures / for great and euident argumentes If her husbande bourde with a nother woman / lette nat the wyfe streight suspecte / that he loueth her A great parte of this affection commeth of beleue / and ryseth ofter of opinion and suspection thā matter in dede Therfore let nat the woman be taken with euery lyght suspection / whiche ought nat to be moued or agreued though she knewe any thȳg in dede Of raymentes The .viii. Chap. ALso arayment in lyke wyse as all other thynges oughte to be referred vnto the husbandes wyll / if he lyke symple arayment / let her be contēt to weare it For if she desyre
more goodly and costly / than it appereth that she trymmeth nat her selfe so moche for her husbādes eies as other mennes whiche is no poynt of an honest woman What shulde a woman do with golde or syluer / that is a Christen woman / and also whose husbande delyteth nat there in Thou woman / wylte thou nat apply thy selfe vnto Christis arayment at thy husbandes byddynges whiche oughtest / if he wolde haue it so / to weare the deuylles habyte Saynt Ambrose speaketh of payntynge in this maner Here of sayth he / cometh those inflamynges of vices / to paynte theyr faces with coloures / lest men shulde myslyke them and with the adultery of theyr face they go about adultery of theyr bodye What a madnes is hit to chaunge the naturall Ymage / and take a picture / and whiles they feare theyr husbandes iugement to vtter theyr owne For she gyueth fyrst iugement of her selfe / that wolde be other wyse thā she was borne and so while she gothe aboute to be lyked of other / fyrst of all she dislyketh her selfe Saynt Ambrose in these wordes sheweth what his minde is / if the husbande haue nat speciallye commaunded his wyfe to do so Neyther anye wyse man wyll commaunde it But if he do cōmaūde / or if she knowe that hit be his wyll / than for his mynde and pleasure let her do this But than shall she say as saint Hester sayde / whan she was apparelled and tyred with all the deuylles pompe Thou knoweste good lorde said she my necessite / that I abhore this fygne of pride and of myne honoure vpon my hed on the dayes of my pompe / and I course hit as a cloute defyled with blode / neither vse to weare hit on suche dayes as I maye be at rest Therfore if a woman be at her lybertie to weare what apparell she lyste / lette her remembre that there is no cause greatly desyred wherefore she ought to desyre to be proudely and goodly apparelled / seyng she is maried and hath catched all redy that / whiche other saythe they / hunte for with suche nettes Saynt Eypryan the martyr byddeth maryed womē take hede / that they do nat flater and excuse their owne fantasyes / and lykynges in themselfe with theyr husbandes / lest whan they lay theyr husbandes for theyr excuse / they take them for fellowes and accessaries of their vice I haue shewed myne opinion afore alredy / as concernyng apparell nowe hit is beste to gyue an eare vnto saynt Peter and Paule / whiche bad a christē wyfe weare symple araymēt / be more goodly in holynes of lyuynge / than golde or precious stones And indede an honest woman hath other more goodly atyremētes / whiche as the wise man Xistus sayth / standeth in chast demeanoure and honest bryngyng vp of her children / as Cornelia Gracchus wyfe was wonte to say and also in her husbandes honour / or worship The wyfe of Philo the wyfe man / whan she wente forth vpon a tyme without a goldē garlāde on her hed / and other noble womē dyd weare / one asked her why she had none she āswered agayne / the husbandes honore and vertue is ornament inough vnto the wyfe Who dyd nat more regarde the wyfe of Cato / whiche was no very riche man / than all the wyues of a great meany of Publicānes / whiche flowed in goodes ▪ Also hit was more honore for Xantippe to be wyfe vnto poure Socrates / than either vnto Scopa / or any other ryche man in those dayes Democrates sayth / that the ornament of a woman is small apparell and lytle spech / and she is the mooste honorable that hath the best husbande nat withstandyng / as I wold haue a myfe to vse no precious apparell lykewyse no more do I alowe fylthy and slobery arayment Also some thyng must be done for the tyme / place / and common custome / but nat excedyng / but rather moche lesse than they receiue Aristotle in his bokes of house kepȳg wolde haue a womā to vse lesse raymēt apparel thā the lawes customes of the cite do apoynt For she ought to cōsyder sayth he that neither goodly clothyng / nor excellent beautie / nor abundance of golde / shall cause a woman so great worship / as shall sobernes in all thyng / and studye to lyue chast and honestly Therfore ought she rather to regarde reason / vertue / and holynes / than vayne iugementes and erronious customes / whiche haue ben brought vp by some vngratious folkes / and accepted and confermed by the corrupte and folishe fantasyes of the comon people Wherfore some good and vertuous wyues oughte with one asset to resiste and go agaynst suche customes / and by sklender and symple aparell do them selfe that is couenient / and shewe example vnto other what way they ought to take and hit shulde be a greatt preyse for them to put away an yl custome / than folowe it Nor there is no dispayre / but some may brȳge downe that agayne / which was brought vp by some For the cōcent and agrement of good women shulde preuayle as moche in goodnes / as the concent of yll women hath preualed in noughtynes if they wolde ones begynne to stryue to gether / who shulde passe other in honesty / measure and chastite / and reken it a worship to get the victory in these thynges / and nat in the bostyng of riches whiche thynge doth sone induce lyght myndes in to great enuie / and stryfe / but fewe doth enuie that ā other shulde be more vertuous thā she / or more pacient / or lowe her husbande better / but many do enuie / if another shulde haue more apparell / chayne 's / broches / ouches / or rynges / than she O proude and folysshe beastis / euen created vnto vanite and pompe / here vpon ryseth stryfe and procedeth for the with suche feruent myndes / as Cato sayth very wysely in the story of Liuius / that the ryche women wolde haue that / whiche none other shulde be able to come by And on the other syde / the poure women / lest they shulde be dispised nought set by / by that meanes they streyne them selfe aboue theyr power And so whan they be ashamed of that / that they shulde nat / and nothyng ashamed of that / they shulde be / they robbe both their husbandes and their children / to clothe them selfe with / and leaue hungre and pouerte at home / that they may go forth them selfe ladē with sylke and golde Wherfore they compell theyr husbandes vnto shamfull craftes to get by / and myscheuous dedes / with theyr whynyng gronyng / leste theyr kynse women / alyance / or theyr neighboure shulde seme rycher or more gloriously apparelled than they And yet al these outragious and intollerable thynges moughte be suffered / if they dyd nat sell away their chastite to get ther by that theyr husbande
they robbed their fathers and mothers And if they sawe that all was so well and closely layde vp / that they coulde nat come by it / than begoūne they to hate theyr fathers and mothers / and wysshe for theyr dethes / and seke meanes to rydde them away And hit is playnly knowen / that many haue poysoned theyr fathers mothers / bycause they thought to lōge / to tarry tyll they dyed for age Often tymes they rebuke theyr fathers and mothers of theyr owne vices / as though they had lerned them by theyr example or neglygence For the vnthrifty yonge man / whiche had an vnthrifty father / sayd of this fassyon I wyll impute myne vnthriftynes vnto my father For I was nat brought vp with sadde meanour / neither vnder the lawe of a well ordered house / whiche moughte haue instructed my maners better / plucked me from those vices / that myne age was inclyned to But whan that fyrste age of children ought to be holden vnder / kepte in by sad orderyng / lest it fall vnto vice / through ouer mothe libertie / from whiche it will be harde to plucke them agayne and as the wyse man counsayleth / neuer haue the rodde of the boyes backe specially the daughters shulde be handled without any cherysshyng For cherysshyng marreth the sonnes / but hit vtterly distroyeth the daughters And mē be made worse with ouer moche libertie / but the women be made vngratious For they be so set vpon pleasures and fantasyes / that excepte they be well brydled and kepte vnder / they rounne on heed in to a thousāde myscheffes Nowe howe the daughters oughte to be brought vp / I haue shewed in the boke afore Therfore the mother shall rede hit / bothe bycause there be many thynges pertaynynge vnto maryed women / and bycause hit is the mothers dutie / to se that the doughters do that we teache there And whan the mothers haue prouided as well as they cā by wordes / that no foule / vncomely / or vnclenly thynge / or ieoperdous / or vngratious abyde in the childes mynde / than shall they prouide moste of all / both by example and dedes / that the childe se nothynge / whiche can nat he counterfeted folowed without shame For as I sayd before / that age is euen almost lyke an ape / and doth nothynge of it selfe / but all by counterfetynge of other And though the fathers and mothers by their auctorite and loue / and also commaundement / put the ill examples of other folkes out of the chyldrens myndes / yet they can nat rebuke that they do them selfe or though they wold rebuke it / yet wyll nat children be so moche moued with that / that they here / as with that / that they se Wherfore the poet Iuuenall saythe full well / that thexamples of fathers mothers / may do more / than a great deale of warnyng and teachyng / of a great sorte of maisters for they shal do them more hurte by thexample of one ill dede / thā they haue done them good by moche holy counsaylyng And therfore the afore sayd poet counsayleth wyfely in the .xiiii. Satyre on this maner Let nothynge / that is fylthy to speake or se / Come nere those dores / wherin chyldren be Awaye with songes of baudes / wenches lyghte / And skoffyng iauels / that walken all nyght Thou shuldest gyue children great reuerence / If thou go about any inconuenyence Nor set at lyght a childes yeres and age But whan thou fallest in to outrage Yet for thy lyttell childe whiche is in syght Refrayne that foule acte with all thy myght Celius Plinius dispreiseth Numydia Ouadratilla / bycause she kepte and sherisshed players and testers / more than was conuement for a noble woman Nat with standynge he cōmendeth the elde womās wisedome in this poynt / bicause she wolde nat suffre her Neuewe Quadratus / to loke vpon her players / neither with in her house / nor in the comon playeng place And whā someuer she wold here them / or was about to take her pastyme in playenge at the cheseis / she vsed to commaūde her neuewe to go his waye and studye his boke The same afore sayde Plinius / gyueth great thankes by a letter vnto Hyspula / his wyues aūte / bycause she had brought vp and instructed his wyfe with good lernynge / whiche neuer sawe any thynge in her auntes house / but honest and vertuous and no doubte / moche more diligence ought to be gyuē about the doughters / that nothynge blotte theyr demucenes / thastite / or sadnes / bycause these thȳges be required more perfite in a woman than a man And the females in all kyndes of beastis be folowe example moste wittily / and euer more redely and more peiferely the vices / whiche thyng the male doth also Wherfore she wyll lightly do that / whiche she seeth her mother do / or any other woman that she seeth regarded of folkes Neither she can refrayne her selfe / if she haue their example for auctorite Wherfore in suche countres / where the noble and gentyll women be badde / there be but fewe of the lowe degre and comunaltie good And than they that be brought vp of yll women / be nat lyghtly any other them selfe Howe be it the daughter resembleth nat so moche her mother / as her the hath brought norisshed her vp Wherfore many bastardes / whiche haue be brought vp with their graunmothers on the fathers syde / beynge vertuous womē / haue gone out of theyr mothers kȳde / and felowed the lyfe and holines of their granmothers / that nourisshed them Cato thelder / banysshed Gaius Manlius out of the senate house / bycause he kyssed his owne wyfe / his doughter beynge by For that ignorant age vnderstādeth nat / Wherfore euery thyng is done / but it wyll represēt the same actis / lyke as a glasse representeth the fassions of bodies / set afore it / but nat in the same condition Whiche thynge the most wyse and holy man Eleazar vnderstandyng / whan he was commaunded by that statute of kyng Antiochus / to eate swynes flesshe / and refused it / and was counsailed by pagannes that were his frendes / at least wyse to make countenance / as though he dyd eate hit / that he myght vnder that coloure escape / as though he had obeyed the kynges wyll / he made answere that he had leauer dye / than do any thynge that myght gyue yll example to yonge folkes / spake vnto them in these wordes For it is nat cōuenient nor becommyng for myne age / to vse any symulation / that yonge men may suspecte Eleazer / whiche nowe is paste ixxx yet is and tenne of age / is turned vnto the lyfe of alyantes and infidels and so they by the meanes of my symulation / and for a litell space of this corruptible lyfe / shall be disceyued and by that meanes shall I get a shame
counsayle her that that is good / or put her in remēbrāce / whan she is maryed / of suche coūsayles as she gaue her / whā she was vnmaried but she shal nat mel with her in suche poyntes / as she thȳketh will displease her sonne in lawe She shall nat leade her to churches / nor brynge her home / nor speke to her / if she thynke it be agayne her sonne in lawes wyll Neither let any folysshe woman say to me on this maner what / may I nat speke to myn owne daughter She is thy daughter in dede / but nowe she is nat thy womā For what so euer ryght thou haddest to her / thou hast gyuen it ouer to thy sonne in lawe Therfore and thou loue thy daughter / and woldest se her happy / that is to say lyue in cōcorde with her husbande / exhorte her alwaye / and gyue her counsaile to obey her husbāde in euery poynt / nor lette her ones speake with the without he wyll gyue her leaue For who so euer wyll haue more libertie with a mans wyfe / thā the husbāde wyll suffre is an adulterer And who so euer toucheth any thyng of an other mans agaynst the owners wyll / is a thefe She shall loue her son in law none other wise thā her owne son but yet she shall reuerēce hȳ more than her owne son For a woman ought nat to thynke / that she may be as homely ouer her son in lawe / as her owne sonne but she shall desyre his welfare as moche as her owne son / and gyue hym as good counsayle exhortation but yet in suche maner / that she may seme rather to exhorte and require hym / than byd and commaunde hym Of a wyfe well worne in age The .xv. Chaptre A wyfe well shotte in age / shall do as philosophers saye the byrde of Egypte doth / whiche whan hit is olde / purgeth all the fylthy humours of hit body with spices of Araby / sendeth forthe of hit mouthe a wonderous swete breth so a woman / whan she is past the pleasure of the body / and hath done with bearyng bryngyng vp of children / than shall she sauour brethe all heuenly / she shall neither say nor do any thyng / that is nat full of holynes / and that may be example for yonger folkes to take hede of Thā as Gorgy as the Rethorycian saythe / her name shall begynne to spryng and be knowen / whan her person is vnknowen than her lyfe / holyly passed before / shall begynne to appere than in dede a vertuous woman shall rule her husbande by obeysaunce / shall brynge to passe / that her husbande shal haue her ī great auctorite / whiche afore tymes hath lyued euer vnder her husbandes rule Archyppa / wyfe vnto Themistocles / by diligent obediēce vnto her husbāde / optayned of hym suche loue / that he agayne / whan he was the most wyse and most noble man / yet folowed he his wyues mynde / almost in euery thyng and there of came this fasfiō of argumēt / whiche in bordes was comen amōge the grekes what someuer this childe wyll / they ment Theophantus Themystocles sonne / whom the mother loued tenderly / thā argued they thus What someuer this childe wyll / the mother wyll What so euer the mother wyll / Themistocles wyll and what so euer Themistocles wyll / all the cite of Athens wyll and what so euer the cite of Athens wyll all grece wyll Our lorde commaūded Abraham / to take hede vnto Saras wordes / bycause she was aged / and past the lust of the body Wherfore she wold nat coūsaile hym any childishe thȳg / or that he nede to be ashamed of / by the reason of her wanton body Therfore whan a wyfe cometh vnto this estate / and all her children maryed / and her selfe tydde out of wordly busynes / than let her loke to the grounde with her body / yeldyng it vnto the grounde / but with her mynde beholde the heuen / whither her mynde shulde flytte / and lyfte vp all her sensis / her thought / and all her mynde vnto god / and prepare and applye her selfe holly to her iourney / nor thynke nothynge / but that per tayneth vnto her iourney / whiche drawethe towarde But lette her be wyse leste in steade of holynes / she falle in superstion / by the reason of ignorance Let her be moche in holy workes howe be it / yet trust more vpon the mercy and the goodnes of god / nor trust nat on her selfe / as though by the reason of her workes / she myght come thether / as she intendeth / rather than by the benyfite gyfte of god And whyles her harte is lustyer than her body / leaue some of her bodily labour / and labour more with her mynde Let her praye more more intentyuely let her thynke often of god / and more feruētly / fastles / and wery her selfe lesse with walkyng about vnto churches Hit is no nede to mynisshe her aged body / and forsake her norysshyng Let her do good vnto other / by gyuȳg them good counsayle Let her do them good also with exāple of her lyfe / of the whiche commodite a great parte shall retourne vnto her selfe Here endeth the seconde boke The thyrde boke of the instruction of a Christen woman Of the mournynge of wydowes The fyrste Chaptre A Good Woman whan her husbād is deed / ought to knowe / that she hath the greatteste losse dāmage / that can bechaunce her in the worlde and that ther is taken from her the hart of mutual and tender loue towarde her and that she hath loste nat only the one halfe of her owne lyfe as lerned men were wonte to saye / whan they had loste them / whom they loued derely but her selfe also to be taken from herselfe all to gether / perisshed Of this cause maye come honest wepynge / sorowe / and mournynge / with good occasion / and waylynge nat to blame Hit is the greattest token that can be of an harde harte and an vnchast mynde / a womā nat to wepe for the dethe of her husbande Howe be it there be .ij. kyndes of womē / whiche in mournȳg for their husbandes / in contrarye wayes do bothe a mys That is bothe they that mourne to moche / those that mourne to lyttel I haue sene some womē no more moued with the dethe of theyr husbandes / than it hadde bene but one of lyght aqueyntance / that hadde dyed whiche was an euident sygne of but colde loue vnto theyr husbādes Whiche thȳg is so foule / that none can be more abhomynable / nor more cursed And if a manne aske them / why they do so / or rebuke them / they answere agayne / the nature of the coūtrey so requireth And the same excusis laye they for them / that vse to put the cause of theyr vices in some planet / or
nor sytteth on the grene tre ne commeth amonge none of her felowes playenge sportyng together These chast and holy loues meaneth Solomon / whā he calleth his spouse to hym / sayeng The voyce of a turtle doue is harde in our realme And cōpareth his spouse some tymes to a turtell / and some tyme to a stocke douue Also they that can haue no measure in theyr wepyng and mournyng / be as farre to blame on thother syde For whan they be newly wounded with the chaunce / they confounde and fyll all the place full of cryeng / teare their heare / beate theyr breastis / and skratche theyr chekes / knocke theyr heddes to the walles / their bodyes to the grounde / and drawe forth longe the tyme of theyr mournynge / as in Secill / Asia / Grece / and Rome in so moche / that the senate was fayne to make statutes and lawes / whiche was called the lawes of the twelue tables / for to modyfie and appease the mournyng And therfore the apostle also / whan he wrote to this people / was compelled to comforte them / sayenge Bretherne / I wolde ye shulde haue knowlege of those that slepe / that ye be nat sory and pēsyfe / lyke other people that haue no faythe For if we beleue that Iesus is deade / and reuyued agayne so shall god lyke wyse bryng agayne with hym al that be deade by him Nowe a wydowe / let her bewayle her husbāde with harty affection / and nat crye out / nor vexe nat her selfe with dasshyng of her handes / neither beatynge of her body but let her so mourne / that she remēbre sobernes measure / that other may vnderstande her sorowe / without her owne hostȳg vtteraūce And after that the fyrst brōte of her sorowe is past and swaged / than let her begynne to study for consolation Nowe here will I nat brynge forthe preceptes out of the longe volumes of philosophers For my purpose is to instructe a Christen woman with Christis philosophy in cōparyson of whom / all mannes wy sedome is but folye My mynde is to seche a remedy Let vs remēber the sayeng of the apostle / that they whiche slepe with Iesu / shall be brought of god with Iesu agayne Wherfore we ought to be of good cōforte And she that is a wyse woman / let her remembre that all men be borne / and lyue in this lawe and condition / to paye theyr duete vnto nature / as theyr creditoure / whan so euer she asketh it / of some soner / of some later howe be it all be coupled with in the comon lot and rate / to be borne / lyue / and dye but our soules be immortal / and this lyfe is but a departyng in to a no ther eternall lyfe and blessed / to them that haue passed wel and vertuously this temporall and trāsitory lyfe The whiche thyng the Christen faythe maketh easye inough / nat by our desarte and merite / but of his goodnes / the whiche with his deth losed vs from the bādes of dethe and deth of this lyfe is but as a saylȳg out of the see in to the hauyn They that dye / go afore / and we shall sone come after and whan we be departed and losed out of this bony / shall leade our lyfe in heuen vnto that tyme / that euery man shall receyue his owne body agayne howe be hit nat so coumberous and heuye as it is nowe / but lyghtly couered and arayde with it we shall haue blessed and euer lastynge lyfe This is the true and sure christyan consolation / whā they that be a lyue thynke and trust / that theyr frēdes / whiche are deade / be nat seperate from them / but only sente before in to the place / where with in shorte space after they shall mete to gether full merily / if they wyll do theyr diligence / that they may by the exercise of vertues come thether / as they beleue that they be gone These thinges ought christē prestis to shewe and tell vnto yonge wydowes / and comforte theyr heuy myndes with these consolations / and nat as many do drynke to them in the funeral feast / and byd them be of good chere / sayeng / they shall nat lacke a newe husbāde / and that he is prouided of one for her all redy / and suche other thynges / as they cast out at bākettes and feastis / whā they be well wette with drynke Of the buryeng of her husbande The .ij. Chaptre ALso amōge many other thynges / that we vse after the example of the pagās / this is one to kepe the buriall with great solēnite For the pagans and gentils beleued / that if the bodye were vnburyed / the soule shulde haue great payne in helle / and that the royaltie and cerimonies of buryenge shulde be an honour bothe to them and theyr successours Nat withstandynge / there were some of them / that coūted these but fātasies and vanitees For Virgyll in the person of Anchises / whom he induceth for an erāple of wisedome / sayth / that the losse of sepulture is but a small thȳg And Lucane in this maner sayth Nature in her quiet lap doth all thyng receiue He is couered with the sky / that hath none other graue Also wyse philosophers / as Diogines / Theodorus / Senec / Cicero / but in especiall Socrates / did proue by great reasōs / that it forsed nat where the carcas became and rotted Marcus Amilius / whiche was the chefe of the senate of Rome / commaunded his sonnes alyttell before he departed forth of the worlde / to cary hym out on a bere apoȳted without any shetes or purple / nor shulde spēde vpon any other solemnitees beside past x.s for he sayd / the corses of noblemen were commended by theyr owne noblenes / and nat by coste of money Valerius Publicola / and Agrippa Menemius / the one beynge banissher of the kynges / and restorer of the comon lybertie / the other broker and arbytrator of the comon peace / and many other mo excellēt men / dyd vtterly dispice the royalte of sepulture in so moche that whā they had bene in great auctorite ryches / yet they lafte nat behȳde them so moche as to hyre an ouer sear of the funeral with And if they had counted so great goodnes in burieng / as the people supposed / they wolde sure haue sene there vnto Nowe I wyll speake of our martyrs of the Christyan faythe / whiche cared nat / where theyr deed bodyes lay / so that the soules fared well For Christe / what tyme he shall restore the soules to the bodies / shall easely fynde in his house / whiche he knoweth wel inough / the least asshes of the bodye Saynt Augustyne in the boke that he named the Cite of god / in the fyrst sayeth All these busynes / as kepynge of the corce / and order of
examples nygh about Therfore let the wyfe her selfe fyrst of all / shewe example of sober fare and so shall she make her seruaūtes the most easily to folowe the same orels her seruauntes wyll thynke hit nat reason to require of them / that she wyll nat do her selfe And so shall she euer haue them murmurynge and grutchynge to kepe her commaundement Therfore let her kepe her selfe euer sober / nat so moche bicause of her seruaūtes / as for her owne sake For what a filthy thȳge is drounkenes and glotony The greattest assaylers of chastite shamfastnes / and enemyes of honest name For euery man wyll abhorre a drounkē woman and a great glouttō / as an vnlucky signe Euery man knoweth / that chastite standeth in ieoperdie amonge excesse of meates I wolde the wyfe shulde be ignorāt of nothyng that is in her house / but loke vpō all thyng often tymes / that she maye haue them redye in memorie leste whan she shall haue nede of them / either she shall nat knowe of them / orels haue moche trouble in sekȳg of them Also consyder in what cōdition and state her house holde standeth howe moche she may spēde howe moche she maye kepe howe she maye clothe and howe she may fede For the wyse man sayth She hath consydered the wayes of her house This diligence shall encrease moche her house holde store I wolde she shulde be euer amonge her maydes whether they be in her kychene dressing of meate / orels spynnynge / or weauyng / or sowyng / or brusshyng For whyle the maistres is by / all thynges shall be better done And as the wyse men sayde / Nothȳng shall better fede an horse / or better tylle the grounde / than the mayster and the maysters to haue an eie to theyr householde store There is nothing that kepeth an house louger or better thā dothe a diligent eie of the good wyfe And whā she hath done this / let her be euer busy with her owne worke / neither eate her breade idell And thā doth she obey god / whiche wold nat haue vs to eate our breadde without swete of our face And than she foloweth the exāple precepte of saynt Paule / whiche dyd nat eate his breade idel amonge them / vnto whom he shewed the mysteries of our lorde / but laboured and toyled daye and nyght / as moche as he hadde leysour from the minysteryng of goddes worde / and wroughte styll / bycause he wolde put no bodye to charge / often rehersynge and sayeng / that he was nat worthy to eate that refused laboure The wyfe shall let no man come in to the house / excepte her husbande commaunde Whiche thynge also Aristotle byddeth And whan her husbande is forthe adores / than kepe her house moche more diligently shutte And yet as Plautus sayth / it is conuenient for a good woman to be all one / both in her husbandes absence and presence And bicause the busynes and charge with in the house lyeth vpon the womans hande / I wold she shulde knowe medycines and salues for suche diseasis as be comen / and rayne almost dayly and haue those medicynes euer prepared redy in some closette / wherwith she maye helpe her husbande / her lytle chyldren / her house holde meyny / whan any nedeth / that she nede nat ofte to sende for the phisition / or by all thyng of the potycaries I wolde she shulde knowe remedies for suche diseasis as come often / as the cough / the murre / and gnawynges in the bealy / the laxe / costyfnes / the wormes / the heed ache / paynes in the eies / for the agewe / bones out of ioynt / and suche other thinges / as chaunce dayly by lyght occasions More ouer / let her lerne to knowe / what maner diet is good or badde / what meates is holsome to take / what to eschewe / and howe longe / and of what fassion And this I wold she shulde lerne / rather of the experience and vse of sad and wyse women / than of the counsaile of any phisition / dwellynge nigh about and haue them diligently writen in some lytle boke / and nat in the great volummes of phisycke A vertuous wyfe / whan she hath ryd her householde charge and busynes / shall euery day ones / if she may / or at the least on the holy dayes / get her selfe in to some secreate corner of her house / out of companye and there for a whyle / lay a part out of her mȳde all care and thought of her house and ther with a quiet mȳde gatheryng her wyttes and remēbraūce vnto her / dispise these worldly thynges as tryffels / frayle / and vnsure and that sone shall vanysshe awaye / and bicause the length of our lyfe is so shorte / and passeth so swiftely / that hit semeth nat to be led awaye but plucked awaye / neyther to departe / but flye awaye After this / let her lyfte vp her mynde vnto the studye and contemplatyon of heuenlye thynges / by some holy redynge than confesse her synnes vnto almighty god / and desyre mekely per done and peace of hym and pray fyrst for her selfe and than / whan she is in more fauour with god / for her husbande and than for her children and after for all her house holde that our lorde Iesus of his grace wolde inspire good mynde in to them Saynt Paule / the messanger of almyghty god / where he informed and taught the churche of the Corinthyans / begynnyng sayth in this wyse If any man haue a wyfe that is an infidell / if she be content to tarye with hym / let hym nat put her awaye And if any Christen woman haue an husbande an infidell / if he be cōtent to dwell with her / ler her nat go from hym For the man / that is an infidell / shall be blessed by his faythfull wyfe and the woman that is an infidell / shall be blessed by her faithfull husbande For what canste thou tell woman / whether thou shalte be cause of thy husbandes saluation Or what canste thou tell man / whether thou shalte be cause of thy wyues saluation Whiche sayeng prayneth partely vnto prayer For as saynt Iames sayth / the continual prayer of a good mā or a good womā may do moche and parte vnto the example of lyuynge Whiche thyng saynt Peter the apostle sheweth / where he saythe Lyke wyse women / be you subgettes vnto your husbandes / that they that will nat beleue the worde / maye be wonne without the worde / by their wyues conuersacion / whanne they consyder your demeanoure in holye feare I haue redde of many Christen women / whiche by theyr meanes haue brought their husbandes vnto holy and vertuous lyuyng as Domitia / whiche amended her husbande Flauius Clemens / kynse man vnto the emperoure Domitian and Clotildis / wyfe vnto Clodouius the kynge of Fraunce and Iuguldis / wyfe vnto Hermogillus the