that Axiome in Philosophy To take a vantage vpon a disaduantage Quicquid efficit tale illud est magis tale That which giueth quality to a thing doth more abound in that quality as fire which heateth is it selfe more hot The Sunne which giueth light is of it selfe more light So if Woman receaued her crookednesse from the rib and consequently from the Man how doth man excell in crookednesse who hath more of those crooked ribs See how this vaine furious and idle Authour furnisheth woman with an Argument against himselfe and others of his Sexe The Authour hauing desperately begunne doth more rashly and impudently runne on in blasphemy which he doth euidently shew in the inference vpon his former speeches And therefore saith he Euer since they haue beene a woe vnto Man and follow the liue of the first leader Now let the Christian Reader please to consider how dishonestly this Authour dealeth who vndertaking a particular prosecuteth and persecuteth a generall vnder the cloake and colour of lewd idle and froward women to rage and raile against all women in generall Now hauing examined what collections Ioseph Swetnam hath wrested out of Scriptures to dishonor and abuse all women I am resolued before I answere further particulars made by him against our sexe to collect and note out of Scriptures First what incomparable and most excellent prerogatiues God hath bestowed vpon women in honour of them and their Creation Secondly what choyse God hath made of women in vsing them as instruments to worke his most gracious and glorious designes for the generall benefit of man-kind both during the law of Nature and of Moyses Thirdly what excellent and diuine graces haue beene bestowed vpon our Sexe in the law of Grace and the worke of Redemption With a conclusion that to manifest the worthinesse of women they haue beene chosen to performe and publish the most happy and ioyfull benefits which euer came to man-kinde CHAPTER II. What incomparable and excellent prerogatiues God hath bestowed vpon Women in their first Creation IN this ensuing Chapter I determine briefly to obserue not curiously to discourse at large the singuler benefits and graces bestowed vpon Women In regard of which it is first to bee considered That the Almighty God in the worlds frame in his Diuine wisedome designed to himselfe a maine end to which he ordayned all the workes of his Creation in which hee being a most excellent worke-master did so Create his workes that euery succeeding worke was euer more excellent then what was formerly Created hee wrought by degrees prouiding in all for that which was and should be the end It appeareth by that Soueraignty which God gaue to Adam ouer all the Creatures of Sea and Land The prerogatiues giuen to women in their Creation that man was the end of Gods creation wherevpon it doth necessarily without all exception follow that Adam being the last worke is therefore the most excellent worke of creation yet Adam was not so absolutely perfect but that in the sight of God he wanted an Helper Wherevpon God created the woman his last worke as to supply and make absolute that imperfect building which was vnperfected in man as all Diuines do hold till the happy creation of the woman Now of what estimate that Creature is and ought to be The last worke which is the last worke vpon whom the Almighty set vp his last rest whom he made to to adde perfection to the end of all creation I leaue rather to be acknowledged by others then resolued by my selfe It is furthermore to be considered as the Maide in her Mussell for Melastomus hath obserued that God intended to honour woman in a more excellent degree Created vpon a refined subiect in that he created her out of a subiect refined as out of a Quintissence For the ribbe is in Substance more solid in place as most neare so in estimate most deare to mans heart which doth presage that as she was made for an helper so to be an helper to stay to settle all ioy all contents all delights to and in mans heart as hereafter shall be shewed That delight A better countrey solace and pleasure which shall come to man by woman is prognosticated by that place wherein woman was created for she was framed in Paradice a place of all delight and pleasure euery element hath his creatures euery creature doth corresponde the temper and the inclination of that element wherein it hath and tooke his first and principall esse or being So that woman neither can or may degenerate in her disposition from that naturall inclination of the place in which she was first framed she is a Paradician that is a delightfull creature borne in so delightfull a country When woman was created Men are worldlings Women paradicians God brought her vnto Adam and then did solempnise that most auspicious Marriage betwixt them with the greatest Maiestie and magnificence that heauen or earth might afford God was the Father which gaue so rich a iewell God was the Priest which tied so inseperable a knot Womans marriage God was the Steward which prouided all the pleasures all the dainties all the blessings which his deuine wisdome might affoord in so delightfull a place The woman was married to Adam as with a most sure and inseparable band so with a most affectionate and dutifull loue Adam was enioyned to receaue his wife as is noted in the Bible printed 1595. There is no loue alwayes excepting the transcending loue which is so highly honoured so graciously rewarded so straightly commanded or which being broken is so seuerely punished as the loue and duty which Children owe to their Parents Yet this loue albeit neuer so respectiue is dispensed withall in respect of that loue which a man is bound to beare to his wife For this cause saith Adam as from the mouth of God shall a man leaue Father and Mother and cleaue onely to his Wife This word cleaue is vttered in the Hebrew with a more significant emphasie then any other Language may expresse such a cleauing and ioyning together which admitteth no seperation It may be necessarily obserued that that gift of the woman was most singularly excellent which was to bee accepted and entertained with so inestimable a loue The wedding Ring and made inseparable by giuing and taking the Ring of Lone which should be endlesse Now the woman taking view of the Garden shee was assaulted with a Serpent of the masculine gender who maliciously enuying the happinesse in which man was at this time like a mischieuous Politician Womans temptation hee practised by supplanting of the woman to turne him out of all For which end he most craftily and cunningly attempteth the woman and telleth her that therefore they were forbidden to eate of the fruit which grew in the middest of the Garden that in eating they should not be like vnto God Wherevpon the woman accepted tasted and
gaue to her Husband In accepting the Serpents offer there was no sinne for there was no sinne till the fruit was eaten Now albeit I haue vndertaken the defence of women and may in that respect be fanoured in taking all aduantages I may to defend my sexe There are many pregnant places in the Scripture which might be alleaged to extenuate the sin of the Woman in respect of the sinne of Adam it is said Ecclesiast 25. Sinne had his beginning in woman Ergo his fulnesse in man Saint Paul saith Chap. 5. Rom. 5. By one mans sinne death came into the world without mention of the womanâ— The same Saint Paul writeth to the Corinthians Chap. 9. to whom he affirmeth that all die in Adam in which the fulnesse and effects of sinne are charged vpon Adam alone not but that woman had her part in the Tragedy but not in so high a degree as the man When Adam had eaten Adam his offences vpon his fall and sinne was now in fulnesse hee beginneth to multiply sinne vpon sinne first he flieth from the sight of God next being called to account he excuseth his sinne and doth expostulate as it were with Almightie God and telleth him That woman which thou gauest mee gaue me and I did eate As who should say if thou hadst not giuen the cause I had not beene guilty of the effect making heerein God the Authour of his fall Now what is become of that loue Adams loue like his childrens in these dayes which Adam was bound to beare towards his wife He chargeth her with all the burden so he may discharge himselfe he careth little how hee clog her God hauing examined the offendors and haueing heard the vttermost they could alledge for themselues he pronounceth sentence of death vpon them Adam punished with iustice as a punishment in iustice due and deserued Iustice he administred to Adam Albeit the woman doth taste of iustice yet mercy is reserued for her and of all the workes of mercy which mankinde may hope for the greatest the most blessed Woman punished by Iustice relieued by Mercy and the most ioyfull is promised to woman Woman supplanted by tasting of fruit she is punished in bringing forth her owne fruit Yet what by fruit she lost by fruit she shall recouer What more gratious a gift could the Almightie promise to woman The incomparable inuentions of womens wits then to bring forth the fruit in which all nations shall be blessed so that as woman was a meanes to loose Paradice she is by this made a meanes to recouer Heauen Adam could not vpbraid her for so great a losse but he was to honour her more for a greater recouery all the punishments inflicted vpon women are encountred with most gratious blessings benefits she hath not so great cause of dolour in one respect as shee hath infinite cause of ioy in another She is commanded to obey her husband the cause is the more to encrease her glorie Obedience is better then Sacrifice 1 Sam. 1 for nothing is more acceptable before God then to obey women are much bound to God to haue so acceptable a vertue enioynâ—â— them for their pennance Amongst the curses and punishments heaped vpon the Serpent what greater ioy could she heare or what greater honour could be done vnto her then to heare from the voyce of God these words I will put cumitie betwixt the woman and thee betwixt thy seede and her seede and that her seed should breake the Serpents head This must perforce be an exceeding ioy for the woman to heare and to be assured that her fruit should reuenge her wrong After the fall and after they were all arraigned and censured and that now Adam saw his wiues dowrie and what blessings God hath bestowed vpon her Womans name answerable to her nature hee being now a bondslaue to death and hell stroke dead in regard of himselfe yet hee comforts himselfe he taketh heart from grace he engageth his hope vpon that promise which was made to the woman Out of this most comfortable and blessed hope hee now calleth his wife by a name in whose effects not onely he but all mankinde should most blessedly share hee calleth her Eue which is the mother of the liuing which is sutable as well in respect of the promise made to her and her seede as in respect of those imployments for which in her creation she and all women are designed to be helpers comforters Ioyes and delights and in true vse and gouerment they euer haue beene and euer will be as hereafter shall be shewed maugre the shamefull blasphemous and prophane speach of Ioseph Swetnam page 31. begining line 15. as followeth If God had not made them onely to be a plague to a man hee would neuer haue called them necessary euils Out of what Scripture out of what record can hee proue these impious and impudent speeches They are onely faigned and framed out of his owne idle giddie furious and franticke imaginations If he had cited Euripides for his Author hee had had some colour for 〈◊〉 prophane Poet in Medea vseth these speeches Quod si Deorum aliquis mulierem formauit opificem se malorum sciat maximum hominibus inimicum If any of the Gods framed woman let him know he was the worker of that which is naught and what is most hurtfull to men Thus a Pagan writeth prophanely but for a Christian to say that God calleth women necessary euils is most intolerable and shamefull to be written and published CHAP. III. What choise God hath made of women to be instruments to deriue his benefits to Mankinde ABraham being in danger Genes 20. was blessed and preserued in respect of Sara Rebecca by Gods prouidence was the means to bring the blessing of Isaac to fall vpon Iacob Genes 27. Exod. 1. The Aegyptian Mid-wiues were a meanes to preserue the male children of the Israelites from the murther entended by Pharao Moses was preserued by the daughter of Pharao Exod. 2. The Messengers sent by Duke Iosuab to view the Land of Promise Iosuâ— 2.6 were harboured and freed from danger by a woman When the Children of Israell had beene twentie yeres oppressed by Iabin King of Canaan Iudges 4. Debbora and Iahell two women the one wâ—â—â—e the battell the other slew the Generall When Abimilech had murthered seauenty of his Brethren Iudges 9. he was punished and slaine by a woman at the siege of Thebes Micholl aduentured the hazard of her Fathers displeasure to preserue her Husband Dauid 1 Kings 19. Abigail by incomparable wisedome with held Dauid from shedding of innocent bloud 1 Kings 25. The Citie of Abdela being in danger 2 Kings 20. was preserued by a wise woman of that Citie In the great famine of Samaria 3 Kings 17. the widow of Sarepta was chosen to preserue Elias and Elias to preserue her The like prouision did
the obiections which are most materiall which our aduersarie hath vomited out against woman and not onely what he hath obiected but what other authors of more import then Ioseph Swetnam haue charged vpon women alas seely man he obiecteth nothing but what he hath stolne out of English writers as Euphues the Palace of Pleasure with the like which are as easily answered as vaynly obiected He neuer read the vehement and profest enemies against our sexe as for Gracians Euripides Menander Simonides Sophocles with the like amongst Latine writers Invenall Plautus c. But of all that euer I read I did neuer obserue such generall sinceritie in any as in this aduersarie which you shall finde I will make as manifest as the Sunne to shine at mid-day It is the maine end that our aduersarie aimeth at in all his discourse to proue and say that women are bad if he should offer this vpon particulers no one would denie it but to lauish generally against all women who can endure it You might Mr. Swetnam with some shew of honestie haue sayd some women are bad both by custome and company but you cannot avoide the brand both of blasphemie and dishonestie to say of women generally they are all naught both in their creation and by nature and to ground your inferences vpon Scriptures I let passe your obiections in your first page because they are formerly answered onely whereas you say woman was no sooner made but her heart was set vpon mischiefe if you had then said she had no sooner eaten of the fruit but her heart was set vpon mischiefe you had had some colour for your speaches not in respect of the womans disposition but in consideration both of her first Tutor and her second instructor For whereas scripture doth say The Deuill tooke the shape of man Woman was supplanted by a Serpent Ioseph Swetnam doth say she was supplanted by the deuill which appeared to her in the shape of a beautifull yong man Men are much beholding to this author who will seeme to insinuate that the deuill would in so friendly and familier a manner put on the shape of man when he first began to practise mischiefe The deuill might make bold of them whom he knew in time would proue his familier friends Herevpon it may be imagined it commeth to passe that Painters and Picture-makers when they would represent the deuill they set him out in the deformed shape of a man because vnder that shape he began first to act the part of a diuell and I doubt he neuer changed his suite sithence Here it is to be obserued that which is worst is expressed by the shape of a man but what is the most glorious creature is represented in the beautie of a woman 〈…〉 â—erpent gaue the woman bad counsell and her husband bad example as Angels Woman at the first might easily learne mischiefe where or how should she learne goodnes her first Schoole-master was aboundant in mischiefe and her first husband did exceede in bad examples First by his example he taught her how to flye from God next how to excuse her sinne then how to cample and contest with God and to say as Adam did thou art the cause for the woman whom thou gauest me was the cause I did eate What Adam did at the first bad husbands practise with their wiues euer sithence I meane in bad examples It was no good example in Adam who hauing receiued his wife from the gift of God and bound to her in so inseperable a bond of loue that forthwith he being taken tardie would presently accuse his wife put her in all the danger but the woman was more bound to an vpright iudge then to a louing husband it would not serue Adams turne to charge her therby to free himselfe Men doe shew themselues the children of Adam It was an hard and strange course that he who should haue beene her defender is now become her greatest accuser I may heare say with Saint Paul by one mans sinne death c. so by the contagion of originall sinne in Adam all men are infected with his diseases and looke what examples he gaue his wife at the first the like examples and practises doe all men shew to women euer sithence Let mee speake freely for I will speake nothing but truly neither shall my words exceede my proofe In your first and second Page you alledge Dauid and Salomon for exclaiming bitterly against women And that Salomon saith Women like as Wine doe make men drunke with their deuices What of all this Ioseph Swetnam a man which hath reason will neuer obiect that vnto his aduersary which when it commeth to examination will disaduantage himselfe Your meaning is in the disgrace of women to exalt men but is this any commendation to men that they haue been and are ouer-reacht by women Can you glory of their holinesse whom by women proue sinfull or in their wisedome Foolish men tempted with outward sheves whom women make fooles or in their strength whom women ouercome can you excuse that fall which is giuen by the weaker or colour that foyle which is taken from women Is holinesse wisedome and strength so slightly seated in your Masculine gender as to be stained blemished and subdued by women But now I pray you let vs examine how these vertues in men so potent came by women to be so impotent Doe you meane in comparatiue degree that women are more holy more wise more strong then men if you should graunt this you had small cause to write against them But you will not admit this What is or are the causes then why men are so ouertaken by women You set downe the causes in your fourth Page there you say They are dangerous for men to deale withall for their faces are Lures their beauties baytes their lookes are nets and their words are charmes and all to bring men to ruine Incidit in Scyllam qui vult vitare Charibdim whil'st he seeketh to auoide one mischiefe he falleth into another It were more credit for men to yeeld our sexe to be more holy wise and strong then to excuse themselues by the reasons alleaged for by this men are proued to haue as litle wit as they are charged to exceed in wickednesse Are external dumbe shews such potent baites nets lures charmes to bring men to ruine Why wilde Asses dotterels and woodcockes are not so easily entangled and taken are men so idle vaine and weake as you seeme to make them Let mee now see how you can free these men from dishonest mindes who are ouertaken thus with beautie c. How can beautiehurt If men be hurt thanke themselues how can it be a cause of a mans ruine of it selfe what do women forcibly draw why men are more strong are they so eloquent to perswade why men are too wise are they mischieuous to entise men are more holy how then are women causes to bring
Ester hath hang'd Haman OR AN ANSVVERE TO a lewd Pamphlet entituled The Arraignment of Women With the arraignment of lewd idle froward and vnconstant men and HVSBANDS Diuided into two Parts The first proueth the dignity and worthinesse of Women out of diuine Testimonies The second shewing the estimation of the Foeminine Sexe in ancient and Pagan times all which is acknowledged by men themselues in their daily actions VVritten by Ester Sowernam neither Maide Wife nor Widdowe yet really all and therefore experienced to defend all IOHN 8.7 He that is without sinne among you let him first cast a stone at her Neque enim lex iusticior vlla Quam necis Artificem arte perire sua LONDON Printed for Nicholas Bourne and are to be sold at his shop at the entrance of the Royall Exchange 1617. TO ALL RIGHT HONOVrable Noble and worthy Ladies Gentlewomen and others vertuously disposed of the Foeminine Sexe RIght Honourable and all others of our Sexe vpon my repaire to London this last Michaelmas Terme being at supper amongst friends where the number of each sexe were equall As nothing is more vsuall for table-talke there fell out a discourse concerning women some defending others obiecting against our Sex Vpon which occasion there happened a mention of a Pamphlet entituled The Arraignment of Women which I was desirous to see The next day a Gentleman brought me the Booke which when I had superficially runne ouer I found the discourse as far off from performing what the Title promised as I found it scandalous and blasphemous for where the Authour pretended to write against lewd idle and vnconstant women hee doth most impudently rage and rayle generally against all the whole sexe of women Wherevpon I in defence of our Sexe began an answer to that full Pamphlet In which after I had spent some small time word was brought mee that an Apologie for women was already vndertaken and ready for the Presse by a Ministers daughter Vpon this newes I stayed my pen being as glad to be eased of my entended labour as I did expect some fitting performance of what was vndertaken At last the Maidens Booke was brought me which when I had likewise runne ouer I did obserue that whereas the Maide doth many times excuse her tendernesse of yeares I found it to be true in the slendernesse of her answer for she vndertaking to defend women doth rather charge and condemne women as in the ensuing discourse shall appeare So that wheras I expected to be eased of what I began I do now finde my selfe double charged as well to make reply to the one as to adde supply to the other In this my Apologie Right Honourable Right Worshipfull and all others of our Sexe I doe in the first part of it plainely and resolutely deliuer the worthinesse and worth of women both in respect of their Creation as in the worke of Redemption Next I doe shew in examples out of both the Testaments what blessed and happy choyse hath beene made of women as gratious instruments to deriue Gods blessings and benefits to mankinde In my second part I doe deliuer of what estimate women haue been valued in all ancient and moderne times which I prooue by authorities customes and daily experiences Lastly I doe answer all materiall obiections which haue or can be alledged against our Sexe in which also I doe arraigne such kind of men which correspond the humor and disposition of the Author lewd idle furious and beastly disposed persons This being performed I doubt not but such as heretofore haue beene so forward and lauish against women will hereafter pull in their hornes and haue as little desire and lesse cause so scandalously and slanderously to write against vs then formerly they haue The ends for which I vndertooke this enterprise are these First to set out the glory of Almightie God in so blessed a worke of his Creation Secondly to encourage all Noble Honourable and worthy Women to expresse in their course of life and actions that they are the same Creatures which they were designed to be by their Creator and by their Redeemer And to paralell those women whose vertuous examples are collected briefly out of the Olde and New Testament Lastly I write for the shame and confusion of such as degenerate from woman-hoode and disappoint the ends of Creation and Redemption There can be no greater encouragement to true Nobility then to know and stand vpon the honour of Nobility nor any greater confusion and shame then for Nobility to dismount and abase it selfe to ignoble and degenerate courses You are women in Creation noble in Redemption gracious in vse most blessed be not forgetfull of your selues nor vnthankefull to that Author from whom you receiue all TO ALL VVORTHY AND HOPEfull young youths of Great-Brittaine But respectiuely to the best disposed and worthy Apprentifes of LONDON HOpefull and gallant youths of Great-Brittaine and this so famous a Citâ—â— There hath been lately published a Pamphlet entituled The Arraignment of lewd idle froward and inconstant Women This patched and mishapen hotch-potch is so directed that if Socrates did laugh but once to see an Asse â—nce Thistles he would surely laugh twice to see an idle franticke direct his mishapen Labours to giddy headed young men he would say as he did when the Asse did eate Thâ—stles like lips like Lâ—â—nâ—â— so a franticks writer doth aptly chuse giddy fauorites The Author of the Arraignment and my selfe in our labours doe altogether disagree he raileth without cause I defend vpon direct proofe He saith women are the worst of all Creatures I prooue them blessed aboue all Creatures He writeth that men should abhorre them for their had conditions I proue that men should honour them for their best dispositions he saith women are the causeâ— of 〈…〉 I proue if there be any offence in a woman men were the beginners Now in that it is farâ—e more woman like to maintaine a right then it is man like to offer a wrong I conceiued that I could not erre in my choyse if I did direct a labour well intended to worthy young youths which are well disposed When you haue past your minority or serued your Apprenships vnder the gouernment of others when you begin the world for your selues the chiefest thing you looke for is a good Wife The world is a large field and it is full of brambles bryers and weedes If there be any more tormenting more scratting or more poysonable weede then other the Author hath collected them in his lothsome Pamphlet and doth vtter them to his giddy company Now my selfe presuming vpon your worthy and hanest dispositions I haue entred into the Garden of Paradice and there haue gathered the choysest flowers which that Garden may affoord and those I offer to you If you belieue our aduersury no woman is good howsoeuer she be vsed if you consider what I haue written no woman is had except she be abused If you belieue him that
women are so bad Creatures what a dangerous and miserable life is marriage If you examine my proofes to know directly what women are you shall then finde there is no delight more exceeding then to be ioyned in marriage with a Paraditian Creature Who as shee commeth out of the Garden so shall you finde her a flower of delight answerable to the Countrey from whence she commeth There can be no loue betwixt man and wife but where there is a respectiue estimate the one towards the other How could you loue nay how would you loath such a monster to whom Ioseph Swetnam poynteth Whereas in view of what I haue described how can you but regardfully loue with the vttermost straine of affection so incomparable a Iewell Some will perhaps say I am a woman and therefore write more for women then they doe deserue To whom I answere if they misdoubt of what I speake let them impeach my credit in any one particular In that which I write Eue was a good woman before she met with the Serpent her daughters are good Virgins if they meet with good Tutors You my worthy youths are the hope of Man-hoode the principall poynt of Man-hoode is to defend and what more man-like defence then to defend the iust reputation of a woman I know that you the Apprentises of this Citie are as forward to maintaine the good as you are vehement to put downe the bad That which is worst I leaue to our aduersary but what is excellently best that I commend to you doe you finde the gold I doe here deliuer you the Iewell a rich stocke to begin the world withall if you be good husbands to vse it for your best aduantage Let not the title of this Booke in some poynt distaste you in that men are arraigned for you are quit by Non-age None are here arraigned but such olde fornicators as came with full mouth and open cry to Iesus and brought a woman to him taken in adultery who when our Sauiour stoopt downe and wrote on the ground they all fled away Ioseph Swetnam saith A man may finde Pearles in dust Pag. 47. But if they who sled had seene any Pearles they would rather haue stayed to haue had share then to flye and to leane the woman alone they found some fowle reckoning against themselues in our Sauiours writing as they shall doe who are heare arraigned And if they dare doe like as our Sauiour had the womans accusers He that is without sinne throw the first stone at her so let them raile against women who neuer tempted any woman to be bad Yet this is an hard case If a man raile against a woman and know no lewdnesse by any he shall proue himselfe a compound foole If he rayle at woman who in his owne experienced tryall had made many bad he shall shew himselfe a decompounded K. I doe not meane Knight The best way is he that knoweth none bad let him speake well of all he who hath made more bad then he euer intended to make good let him hold his peace least hee shame himselfe Farewell Ester Sowrenam AN ANSVVERE TO THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE Arraignment of Women CHAP. I. IF the Author of this Arraignment had performed his discourse either answerable to the Title or the Arguments of the Chapters hee had beene so farre off from being answered by me that I should haue commended so good a labour which is imployed to giue vice iust reproofe and vertue honourable report But at the very first entrance of his discourse in the very first page he discouereth himselfe neither to haue truth in his promise nor religious performance If in this answere I doe vse more vehement speeches then may seeme to correspond the naturall disposition of a Woman yet all iudicious Readers shall confesse that I vse more mildnesse then the cause I haue in hand prouoketh me vnto I am not onely prouoked by this Authour to defend women but I am more violently vrged to defend diuine Maiestie in the worke of his Creation In which respect I say with Saint Ierome Epist ad Ciprianum Meam iniuriam patienter sustinui impietatem contra deum ferre non potui For as Saint Chrisostome saith Sup. Math. iniurias Dei dissimulare impium est If either Iulian the Apostata or Lucian the Atheist should vndertake the like worke could the owne deuise to write more blasphemously or the other to scoffe and flout at the diuine Creation of Woman more prophanely then this irreligious Author doth Homer doth report in his Illiads that there was at the siege of Troy a Graecian called Thersites whose wit was so blockish he was not worthy to speake yet his disposition was so precipitate hee could not hold his tongue Ioseph Swetnam in all record of Histories cannot be so likely paraleld as with this Thersites What his composition of body is I know not but for his disposition otherwise in this Pamphlet I know he is as monstrous as the worke is mishapen which shall plainely appeare in the examination of the first page onely The Argument of the first Chapter is to shew to what vse Women were made it also sheweth That most of them degenerate from the vse they were framed vnto c. Now to shew to what vse woman was made hee beginneth thus At the first beginning a Woman was made to bee an helper to Man And so they are indeed for they helpe to consume and spend c. This is all the vse and all the end which the Authour setteth downe in all his discourse for the creation of woman Marke a ridiculous ieast in this Spending and consuming of that which Man painfully getteth is by this Authour the vse for which Women were made And yet saith hee in the Argument most of them degenerate from the vse they were framed vnto Woman was made to spend and consume at the first But women doe degenerate from this vse Ergo Midasse doth contradict himselfe Beside this egregious folly he runneth into horrible blasphemy VVas the end of Gods creation in VVoman to spend and consume Is helper to be taken in that sence to helpe to spend c. Is spending and consuming helping He runneth on and saith They were made of a Rib and that their froward and crooked nature doth declare for a Rib is a crooked thing c. VVoman was made of a crooked rib so she is crooked of conditions Ioseph Swetnam was made as from Adam of clay and dust so he is of a durty and muddy disposition The inferences are both alike in either woman is no more crooked in respect of the one but he is blasphemous in respect of the other Did Woman receiue her soule and disposition from the rib Or as it is said in Genesis God did breath in them the spirit of life Admit that this Authors doctrine bee true that woman receiueth her froward and crooked disposition from the rib Woman may then conclude vpon