did not much faile to verifie the diuine promise vttered in the ninth of the Prouerbs The innocent dealing of the iust shal lead or deliuer them but the vnfaithfulnes of the despisers shal be their ende or destruction The truth of the matter seemeth as open and euident as a werte in a mans face The persons be named the place is noted and none of these obscure CHAP. VIII That Stepmothers ought not to supplant or procure disheriting of their husbands eldest Sonnes DIonisius king of Cicill when he saw his mother who was well stept in yéeres to haue gotten hir an other husband and therby to bring her sobriety and former chast behauiour in question gaue forth this sentence vppon that action of her liking saying Truely my friends wee may violate and break the lawes of our countrey and perhaps escape vnpunished but my mother would break the law of nature and that is either impossible or inconuenient for her to doe But king Dionisius was not in the case to complaine of those euils and inconueniences which are wont to succéede of second mariages he stood not at his mother deuotion neither might it much preiudice him by her mariage onely he séemed to blame her for attempting to break the law of nature which is the firmest law by abandoning hir selfe to the flesh at those yéeres and by entring into a purpose that is wont to alienate naturall loue and to alter motherly affection changing them both perhaps for their cōtraries And to say the troth for the most part children haue not so much cause to dislike with their owne mothers second marying as with their fathers séeing by the dicease of the Father they haue that which pertaineth or they might looke for but not so when the mother departeth first For in that case there is a new worlde towards and a turning of al vpsice downe if the Father be not constant in obseruing the law of nature and prouident in auoiding such euils and hinderances as by another marrying are like to ensue to his present children Mulieris emulatio totam turbat domum saith Plautus the couetous and contentious endeuour of a Stepmother will make all his children sing woe and weale away she purposeth to bestow her time and night worke so well that she will raise vppe new plants and fruite that shall soone be ripe but in the meane time she wil be so bolde as to crop the others and to kéepe them as much as she can from any good increase ouer this at length perhaps vtterly to supplant and plucke them vp quite by the rootes But soft you dame stay the brilde a while and let mée looke if all be well for your surer sitting I wot a womans wisedom is for the most in her wil and her conscience in her cubbord I may graunt your vertue and honesty to be much but Ecclesiasticus saieth ther is no wickednes to the wickednes of a woman Are you maried I aske you because wée finde some mariages godly and some no more then honest some to bee wicked and some scarcely good some well approued and some no more then tollerable some bee Bigamy by marrying one woman and some marie twise for one wife but all men most confesse it is a badde matrimony that is not better then whoredome or fornication Can you loue your husbande and hate his children Can you honor him or vow to seeke his honesty by vndoing them Doe you perform the vow of your obedience when by all meanes you can you make him to obay and followe your iniurious will Are you a Christian by profession and yet in workes will shew your selfe worse then a Turke of Thrace or Constantinople that will not persecute Christian infants but nourish and bring them vp are you receiued to be endewed by the law and yet will wrastle to abuance your part with the spoile and impouerishing of them whom rather you are bound by honesty to defend To get as much as you can to your share by flattery and iniury this you say is your conscience and this is your counsell truly it is but a sory counsell and second conscience meete for a second marriage For there is another marriage to be preserred before yours and yet I acknowledge yours to bee lawfull and tollerable And that is the first marriage of the two single persons by the which is figured the vnion of Christ with the Church his spouse and therewithall signified the deuine loue comfort and faithfulnesse towards the same Which Church our Sauiour did sanctify and clense by his holy Sacraments in such wise as hee might haue it without spotte or wrinkle And if so pure and immaculate a thing be figured or signified by the first marriage it must follow that the same marriage is without spotte or reprehension which is more then the second may well bee assured of as may appeare by these reasons likelihoodes and allegations following To the first marriage did appertaine that Ecclesiasticall blessing which in a great part of Christiandome is vsed till this day the same alwaies being denyed to the second or third marriage And here I constantly beseech as many as would be counted professors or fauorers of truth abhorring to suppresse or deny it that they will beare with me in setting downe these few places of testimony being true from whence soeuer they come It is well knowne that for the most part both in the Latin Greeke church til this day in most places they admit not the holines of Ecclesiastical function any that hath marryed twice wherby he is called Bigamus and therefore reiected By the Councell of Neocesaria Can. 3. it was consulted vpon and decréed concerning those men who marry sundrie times and likewise of the women that marry sundry times tempus quidem penitentiae his constitutum manifestum est sed conuersatio fides eorum tempus abbreuiat Also by the same Councell Can. 7. it was decréede concluded and established for an vniuersall law That a priest ought not to bée present at the feast or bridale of the second or third marriage specially séeing he is commanded to enioyne repentance to the second marriage Quis ergo erit presbyter qui propter conuiuium illis consentiat nuptijs that is what priest then will for the feast or dinners sake séeme to consent vnto that marriage Saith the rest of the Canon Well we wil admit this to be true and that there is or hath bin such a precisenesse vsed but percase not meant altogether in derogation or disabling of the second marriage but rather to commend the first and to aduance the dignitie of ecclesiasticall orders S. Hierome in an epistle written to a Lady or gentlewoman whose name was Ageruthia hath these words Cum in semente terrae bonae centesimum sexagesimum tricesimum fructum Euangelia doceant centenarius pro virginitatis corana primū gradum teneat sexagenarius pro labore viduarum in secundo sit numero
Philosophy but their lucke is ill in making sew good Philosophers The cause is for that they for the most part wish and would that all their husbandes children were rather fooles than wittie or well deseruing so well it would make for their part and purpose And because they be themselues parties of so good merise one Callimachus mentioneth in an Epigram that a young fellow whose Stepdame was lately deceased would haue placed ouer her Toome or Hearse I wot not of what mourning intent a fresh and faire garlande it happended so that by moouing or medling with the Hearse or Toomestone it fell on his legges and did him such hurt that hée neuer recouered it after By which example Stepdames are to bee feared and taken héede of euen when they bée dead What shoulde I saye there is in Stepdames so much wylinesse and boldnesse to attempt euen the vtter most meaâ—es of exterminating and vndooing of their husbandes children that in all ages and degrées there haue béene sonne in lawes brought to ruine and destruction by them I wot not whether I should impute it more to the husbands effeminatenesse and follie than to the womans wylie woorking and dexteritie Iuno though a goddesse counted afterwardes bearing the like loue to her husbands some Hercules whiles he was yet but in his cradle vouchsafed to shift into him two venemous adders in stéed of two pretie birds for the litle boy to play with but by the mercy and prouidence of God who defendeth innocentes which are sine macula ante thronum Dei the poore childe was sounde safe without hurt clipping fast the two snakes in ech hand one But this was not all she skath and sorrow she wrought him for besides this when he came to mans state and perfection those monstrous toyles which were called Hercules labours were deuised by her and enioyned to him to performe and accomplish The Britaine King Vortimer the sonne of Vortiger was poysoned by Rawen his Stepdame The Saxon King Edward the sonne of Edgar was killed on his horsebacke by procurement of Elphreda his deceased Fathers wife because she would haue her sonne Etheldred King But might there be no more examples brought foorth of the like bad dealinges in former ages then such as are onely registred of Kinges Or be there not in our present age many meaner mischieuous dealings of as bad testimonie for this purpose No doubt yes but this is enough to enforce any indifferent man to be of this opinion that as an euill man may bee compared with manie woemen that be counted good so doth a Stepdame little differ from the iust proportion of an euill woeman And often times the hatred both of the one and the other is borne against them that be good euen for truth or goodnesse sake Truely enough it may bée sayde after the sentence of some wise men There is no euill more greeuous than a Step-mother It was therefore ordayned as a lawe by Charondas a lawe giuer among the Grecians that Whosoeuer brought vnto his children a Stepmother the same father should be without the fauour and reputation of bearing anie office in the common wealth Neyther was his iudgement or opinion héerein to be thought singular or priuate which was receiueb as an inuiolable lawe to a wise Nation And of the like minde was Euripides the Philosopher a man counted of no lesse wisedome and fame when hee sayde Qui liberis suis Nouercam superinduxit non honore dignus sed infamis sit vipote dissentionis author that is to say who so bringeth a Stepdame vppon his children lette him not bee worthy of worship or reputation but rather counted infamous Phineus King of Arcadia bringing a Stepdame vnto his children shée wrought so that in shorte space shée procured the eyes of some of them to bée put out For the which acte God was displeased wyth him and depriued the King of his owne sight and for a worse punishment when soeuer he shoulde go to his meate there did vsually come certaine cruell birdes or spirites like Harepies to scratch the meate out of his handes and mouth whereby hée was so vexed and pined in his diet that hée liued not long tyme after The worde Stepdame is not of vnkinde calling but of harde and iniurious dealing For we can not truely call her a mother who sheweth her selfe rather a persecuter then a Nurse and comforter It is a saying or resolute Sentence of hym that yée call Maister of the Sentences Non sunt filij sanctorum qui loca tenent sanctorum sed qui imitantur opera sanctorum These be not the somes of holy men or successors of holy Bishops that occupie their Seates and places but such as followe their steppes and doings Likewise we may say these be not mothers because they be coupled with fathers but such are to be called mothers as succéede them in motherly dealing and kindenesse But that is not agréeable vnto the nature and propertie of a stepmother who for the most part is enclined rather vnder the shape and milde looks of a Doue to beare at length the stinging tayle of a Scorpion Then what is the remedie Euen as there be manie euilles done or borne with vnder the name of Iustice so I wote not howe we may resist or auoide these sundrie inconueniences hatched and shrowded vnder the name and solemnitie of marriage But this is to be wished that fathers in such case shoulde somewhat striue to maister their owne fleshly affections that they doe auoide such mischiefs as he ouer déere bought Ecclesiast saieth A wise man hath his eyes in his head and not in the ground nor below the girdle that is to say he hath regarde to soule health and concorde of his house and other ghostly good of his samilie if he will Which otherwise doth redounde the more vnto his blame and sinnefull defaulte It is a saying of Saint Gregorie Non potest esse pastoris excusatio si lupus oues commedit pastor nescit It can not bée a sufficient excuse for a Pastour or Gouernour when his flocke is deuoured by the Woolfe to saie hée knewe not of it And when children are infected wyth grudging mallice dissention and disobedience brought quite out of kindelie loue and fauour and depriued of such comforte and benefite as otherwise might come vnto them it is not a full excuse for the father to saie It was her dooing and not mine I founde best ease or contentment by suffering her for to beare the sway and for to haue her owne will Or thus It was my fortune and who may resiste the ordinance of GOD Forsooth a goodlie excuse by a gay glose when hée doth blame GOD for his owne fancie and follie and imputeth the faulte of his farewell to Fortune which wrought no more in his matter then the Crosse in Cheape side or the Pasquill at Rome Well dooth hée deserue the reprehension of Chaweer in this péece of méeter following He that buildeth his
tricenarius federa nuptiarum ipsa digitorum coniunctione testetur Digamia in quo erit numero imo extra numerum certè in bona terra non oritur sed in vepribus spinetis vulpium quae Herodiae impijssmae comparantur vt in eo se putet esse laudabilem si scortis melior sit si publicanorum victimas superet si vni sit prostituta non pluribus that is Whereas the Gospell teacheth or mentioneth of a hundred folde fruit sixtie folde and thirtie folde to come of the séede sowne in good ground and that the hundred folde helde the first and chiefe degrée for the crowne of virginitie the sixtie folde the second degrée for the labour and good worke of widowes the thirtie folde signifieth a rewarde for the true obseruing of matrimony made by ioyning hands The state of Digamie or such as marry twise in what degrée or number be they In déede they are in none séeing it groweth not in good grounde but in bushes and thornes which are compared to the wicked Herodias that might thinke her selfe laudable in this point if she be somwhat better thē they that be naught if she serue one mans turne not many Diuers sundry other proofs reasons likelihoodes might be brought that woulde shake and quasle the very foundation of a Stepdames ouer great reckoning and presumption but this shall suffice for this turne That which may be gathered of the aboue mentioned places of testimony if it be well considered and weighed in the ballance of a mans christen conscience I doubt not but that any father standing in this case of such as haue flexible hearts and be not ouermuch hardened will at the length haue both an outward and inward respect vnto the qualitie dignitie and preeminence of the first marriage and likewise the issue thereof yea and whatsoeuer he thinketh a while there is such a remorce to be had herein specialy if he haue iniured the first as wil make his pulses work and his heart to drop teares if that be enough Which remorce and remembrance of himself may be drawne and deriued euen from example and experience in our first fathers the patriarchs and faithfull seruants of God The Bishop of Wurmace Doctor Bourchard in his common places of the decrées and counselles Ecclesiastike alleadgeth this as the wordes of Saint Hierome Ebron dicitur esse ciuitas trium virorum c. Ebron is saide to be the Cittie of the thrée men because in the same were buried the thrée Patriarchs there in a double caue with theyr thrée wiues to wit Abraham and Sara Isaac and Rebecca Iacob and Lea. They had other wiues of whome appeares not the like regard but these were the first to whose ofspring the blessing was due and by whose fruitefulnes the heretage of the faithful and the faith it selfe was maintened and vpholden by propagation and spreading vnto the posteritie from whom we clayme Answerable to this Tobias said to his son Cum acceperit deus animam meam c. When GOD shall receiue my soule thou shalt bury my body and honour thy mother al the dayes of thy life and when she hath likewise accomplished her time thou shalt bury her harde by me in one sepulchre Saint Augustine hereuppon hath these wordes In primo connubio coniuncti quia vna eadem caro est in vno sepulohro sepeliantur They that in the first marriage be ioined togither forasmuch as they be one and the same flesh it is méet they be buried in one graue or sepulchre If the examples of the patriarks the counsel of the holy doctors do persuade and induce to bring the deceased fathers to their first spouses or the first espoused to them in burialles what should we gather hereof but perfection validitie and diuine allowing of the one weakenesse clement tolleration and scantie commending of the other With what conscience then may the woman of the second marriage iniure the first by a supplanting drift and indonour of hir part first rooting out all kindely good will that should come towards the son from his father and at length stripping him of the blessing birthright and heretage due by the right of laws nature and so great antiquitie Woulde she shrowde hir wicked working and wrong doing vnder the example of Rebecca defrauding Esau of the blessing due vnto the eldest sonne No she can not for that the cases bée not like Rebecca was the first wife and Esaus own mother and also it came of the will and prouidence of God since reuealed who knewe before what was néedefull to be done for the helpe of his Church the planting of his faith and the encrease of his glorie But as for the vsuall sorte of Stepdames I wote with what Spirite they be endowed and directed who can not so well chalenge to them the worthines mysticall vnion and right of the first marriage though they be called wiues Thē is she a wrong doer by the vniuersal law of cities matrons which saith locupletari nō debet aliquis cū alterius iniuria vel iactura no man nor womā ought inrich thēselues with the wrōg or losse of others But the diuine lawe whose sentence is most to be dreaded gyueth a harde construction and a more scuere iudgement against any Stepdame and hir complices in the lyke wrongfull action as appeareth in Ecclesi◠◠34 Who so depriueth his neighbour of his liuing dooth as great sinne as though hée slewe hym to death I trowe she will not deny hir husbands sonne to be hir neighbour very neare in this meaning Wherefore not to be ouer tedious in this point as ye haue heard before the sentence of the heauenlie King against the iniurious woman deliuered by the trump of the holy Ghost euen so let the iudgement of the earthlie Emperour Marcus Aurelius against the misaduised father be digested as a pleasant reprehension and profitable admonition which is thus He is a foole that taketh counsel of a woman he more foole that asketh it but he most foole that fulfilleth it CHAP. IX That disheriting of the eldest sonne is an acte verie wrongfull and vngodly ONe of the Romane Emperours though namelesse because he was vicious yet did he ordaine sundry lawes that imported great iustice and humanitie namely amongest the rest this one That no Romane whatsoeuer should cast out of his doores any seruant slaue horse or other beast were it but a dogge for olde age sickenesse or any infirmitie grounding and confirming his law with this reason that men serue from their youth to be succoured when they come to olde age Humanitie and Iustice are so vniuersally commendable and so particularly néedfull in the life of man that we may draw infinite examples of the obseruing due regard therof euen from Paynims infidels which is the losse to be maruelled at by this saying of Strabo Moriales maxime Deos imitantur quoniam benefici sunt All people doe followe the propertie and goodnesse