sayth A prince that is to saye the Emperoure or kynge is aboue the lawes and although the empresse is bonde by the lawes yet the emperour frely granteth her as great priuileges as he hath hym selfe Wherfore it is permitted vnto noble women to iudge to arbytrate and decyde matters to doo and take homage and fealtie to keepe courtes and mynyster Iustyce amonge theyr tenauntes And for this pourpose the woman may haue couenant seruauntes of her owne as well as the man may and a womanne may be iudge yea amonge straungers She maye also gyue name to her familie and kynred so that the chyldren shalbe named after their mother and not after their father And in dyuerse places of the lawe cyuyle womenne haue touchynge theyr doweries many great priuileges graunted them Where amonge other thynges it is ordeyned that a woman of good name and fame shall not be imprysoned for dette and the Iudge that commytteth her to pryson shall lose his heed If she be suspected of any faute she shal be putte into a monasterye or secrete place or elles be delyuerid to womē to be imprysonde by them For the lawe saythe A woman is of better state and condition than a man and also in one selfe kynd of offence the manne trespasseth more than the woman Wherfore the man taken in auoutrie loseth his head but the woman aduouterer is put into a monasterye Azo the Lawyer gethereth mo priuiledges for the womenne in his Summe and briefe Annotation vpon the title named Ad Senatus consultum uelleianum Speculator vpon the title De renuntiationibus ¶ Also the auncyente lawe makers and stablyshers of common wealthes the moste graue wyse and prudent menne Licurgus I say and Plato knowynge verye welle by the secretes of Phylosophy that women were not inferiours to men neyther in excellencye of mynde nor in strengthe of bodye nor in dygnitie of Nature but lyke able vnto all thynges decreed and made lawes that women shoulde exercise suche maystries as men vsed yea all feates perteynynge to the warre in the bowe in the slynge in hurlynge of stones in shotynge in fyghtynge in armour as well on hors backe as on foote in pytchyng of tentes in settynge men in arraye and couductynge of an hoste and to be briefe they ordeyned that women shuld as cōmonly as men vse all maner exercyses Lette vs rede writers of antiquitie worthy to be beleued and we shall fynde that in Getulia Bactris and Galletia the maner was that menne gaue them selfes to ease and delicacy and the women to plow and tylle the fieldes to buylde to bye and sel to ryde to go on warfare and to do all other thynges whiche nowe amonge vs the men do Amonge the Cantabrians men gaue dowerye to the women bretherne were gyuen to mariage by theyr systers doughters were appoynted to be heires Amonge the Scythians the Thracians and Frenche menne all worthy dedes were as cōmonly done by women as by men and in matters concernynge warre and peace women were called to councelle to gyue theyr aduyse and sentence Which thynge the Truce that the Celtes made with Hanniball dothe well declare to be trewe by these wordes If any of the Celtes complayne to haue had wronge of any of the Carthaginences of that thing let the rulers officers of y e Carthaginences or els the capytaynes which shal be in Spayne be iudges If any of the Cartha ginences hath hadde any wronge done hym by anye of the Celtes lette the women of the Celtes be iuges and determyne that thyng But by the great tyranny of men preuaylynge ageinst the lawes of god and nature such libertie was gyuen to women ¶ Thou wylte saye that is nowe forbydden by lawes abolished by custome extincted by education For anon as a woman is borne euen from her infancy she is kept at home in ydelnes as thoughe she were vnmete for any hygher busynesse she is pmitted to know no farther than her nedle and her threede And than whan she commeth to age able to be maried she is delyuered to the rule and gouernance of aielous husband orels she is perpetually shutte vp in a close nounrye And all offyces belongynge to the common weale be forbydden theym by the lawes Nor it is not permitted to a woman though she be very wise and prudent to pleade a cause before a Iuge Furthermore they be repelled in iurisdiction in arbiterment in adoption in intercession in procuration or to be gardeyns or tutours in causes testamētary and criminall Also they be repelled frome preachynge of goddes worde agaynst expresse and playn scripture in whyche the holy gost promised vnto them by Iohel the prophet saieng And your daughters shall prophecie and preache lyke as they taught openly in the tyme of the apostles as it is well knowen that Anna the wydowe of Symeon the daughters of Philyp and Priscilla the wyfe of Aquila dydde But the vnworthy dealyng of the later lawe makers is so great that breakyng goddes commaundemente to stablysshe theyr owne traditions they haue pronounced openlye that women otherwyse in excellency of nature dignitie and honour most noble be in condicion more vyle than all men And thus by these lawes the women being subewed as it were by force of armes are constrained to giue place to men and to obeye theyr subdewers not by no naturall no diuyne necessitie or reason but by custome education fortune and a certayne tyrannicall occasion ¶ Furthermore there be somme men whyche by relygion clayme authoritie ouer women and they proue theyr tyranny by holy scripture the whiche haue this cursed sayenge spoken to Eue contynually in theyr mouth Thou shalt be vnder the power of man and he shall haue lordeshyp ouer the. But yf it be answered vnto them that Christe toke awaye that cursed sayenge they wyll obiecte ageyne the wordes of Peter with whome Paule agreeth sayenge Lette women be in subiection of theyr husoandes Lette women in the churche kepe sylence But he that knoweth the dyuers fygures of Scripture and the effectes of the same shall soone se that these thynges be not repugnant but in the rynde For this is the order in the churche that men in ministration shall be preferred before women lyke as the Iewes in promyssion are before the Greekes yet neuerthelesse God is not accepter of persones For in Christ neither male nor female is of value but a newe creature And manye thinges were permitted vnto mē for the hardenesse and crueltie of theyr hartes ageynste women as in times past diuorces were granted vnto the Iewes whiche for al that nothyng hurteth the dignitie of women But whan men commytte offence and erre the women haue power of Iudgement ouer theym to the great shame and rebuke of menne And that quiene Saba shall iudge the men of Ierusalem Therfore they whyche beynge iustifyed by fayth are become the sonnes of Abraham the chylderne I say of promyssion be subdewed to a woman and bounden by the cōmandement of god sayenge to Abraham what so euer Sara saith vnto the folow it ¶ Nowe at laste brefely to recollecte Fyrste I haue shewed the great excellency of womankynd by her name order place and matter and what greate dignitie she hath obteined of god aboue man Farther I haue declared it by relygion nature humayne lawes by diuers authorities reason and examples myngling one with an other And yet haue I not so moche sayd but that I haue left moche more vnspoken For neyther Ambition nor the cause of myne owne commendation but my dutie and the very truthe moued me to wryte lest that I as one commyttynge sacrilege holdynge my peace shuld seme priuyly to steale and bribe away by a certayn wycked silence from so noble a kynde the laudes and preyses due to it as it were burienge in the groūd the talente that god hathe gyuen me But yf anye man more curyous than I shal fynde any argument or reason that hath escaped me whyche he thynketh worthye to be added to this my booke I woll not recken my selfe blamed but rather holpen thereby in that this my worke by his wytte and counnynge he wolle make better Therefore leste this worke shuld growe to ouer great a volume here I make an ende FINIS A Londini in aedibus Thomae Bertheleti typis impress Cum pri nilegio ad imprimendum solum ANNO. M.D.XLII Gen. 1. Luc. 20. Marc. 12. Matt. 22. Hebr. 1. Phil. 2. Cyprl de montibus Syna et Syon Aug. sup Gen. li. 7. Gen. 2. Arist vl 8. de auditu Sapi. 8. Io. 1. Gen. 9. Gen. 12. Gen 24. 1. Reg. 15. 2. Reg. 11. 3. Reg. 1. Hester 1. et 2 Iu. 8. et 10. Dan 13. Iob vlt. in fine Num. 31. Deut. 21. Galē 2. de Sparmate 14. de vtilitate particularum Aui doc S Fen. 1. primi Val. li. 5. cap. 4. Arist de anima Eccle. 36. Pro. 18. Eccle. 26. Ibidem Pro. 12. 1. Cor. 11. Gene. 17. Gene. 17. 28. Gen. 2. Hier. 31. Ioan. 20. Mat. 16. Luc. 24. Matt. 27. Arist de anima 1. Cor. 1. Gene. 2. Iudic. 14. 16. Gene. 19. .2 Reg. 11 3. Reg. 11. Matt. 15. Ioan. 18. Matt. 20. Marc. 14. Luc. 22. Plaut 8. Gene. 31. Gene. 27. Iosue 2 Iudic. 4. Pro. 18. Gene. 3. Gene. 4. Gene. 9. Gene. 10. Gene. 37. Exod. 1. Gene. 18. Arist de anima 1. Cor. 1. Iusue 7. 2. Reg. 19. 3. Reg. 4. Lactā lib. insti Eus de p̄p Euangel August de ci dei Exod. 15. 4. reg 22. 2. Para. 34 Rom. 4. Genes 15. 21. Gene. 25. Luc. 1. Luc. 2. Act. 21. Ioan. 4. Matt. 15. Marc. 7. Mat. 9. Mar. 5. Luc. 8. Ioan. 11. Matt. 16. Luce. 7. Ioan 19. Matt. 27. Mar. 16. 17. Luc. 23. 24. Act. 18. 2. Mach. 7. Sanctuary a place consecrate or halowed Iudic. 4. 4. Reg. 2. 2. Par. 22. Act. 8. 3. Reg. 10. 2. Paral. 9. Matt. 12. Luce. 11. 2. Reg. 14. 1 Reg 25. 3. Reg. 1. 1. Reg. 20 Iudic. 9. Hest 7. 8. Anno d̄ni 1428. Iohel 8. Genes 2. ◠Pet. 3. Ad col 3. Ad eph 5◠Rom̄ 2. Act. 10. Gene. 21.
are softe and tender her backe playn and streyght her armes long and ful her handes white and softe with fingers longe and small stretched forth a length from the ioyntes and proprely set and knytte to gither her hyppes thyes and legges well brawned fleshy and full her fingers endes and toos are propre rounde lyke a lyttel circle and al the partes of her body well furnished with humour More ouer her pace and going is right comely her mouynge honest her port and chere very cōmendable and in the order of al the body in shap figure proportion and disposition aboue al other she is farre the fairest creature In al the hole heape of creatures there is noo thynge so wonderfull to see ne noo miracle so maruaylouse to beholde In so moche that there is no man excepte he be starke blynde but he maye see that god hym selfe coniested and heaped togyther in woman what so euer was beautiful in all the holle world which causeth euery creature to be astonyed and amased at her yea and many wayes they louen and worshyppe her in so moch that we se it chance ofte tymes that the bodiles spirites and diuels are ardently taken and rauyshed with the beautie of women out of al measure which opinion is not false but the truth by many experyences is notablye knowen And to passe ouer those thynges that the poetes haue left to vs in wrytynge of the loue of the goddes and of theyr louers coneubines as of Apollo Daphnes Neptunus Salmonea Hercules Hebe Iole Omphale and of the other goddis louers ye and many of Iupiters him self This gyfte of beaute so diuine so beloued of god and man holye wrytte in many places doth hyghly commende and prayse aboue al other gyftes and qualities For it is red in Genesis That the chyldren of god seinge the daughters of men that they were faire did chose and toke vnto theym wyues suche as they liked We rede also of Sara the wyfe of Abraham that she was fayre yea the fairest of al women on the erthe Soo whan the seruant of Abraham had sene Rebecca a maide of excellēt beautye he said secretly to hym selfe This is she whiche god hath prepared for Isaac the sonne of Abraham And Abigail the wyfe of the wicked churle Naball was prudente wyse and fayre wherby she saued the life and goodes of her husbād from the furye of kynge Dauid and the yuell man was saued by the fayre woman for Dauid sayd to her these wordes Go peasably into thy house loo I haue harde thy voyce and honoured thy face For seynge that all beautie is eyther spirituall vocal or corporal Abigail was all fayre in prudency of spirite in eloquēce of spech and beautie of body whiche caused Dauid after the dethe of Naball her husbande to take her to his wyfe And Bathsaba was a womanne of so excellent beautie that Dauid beinge rauished and taken with her loue after the deth of her husband exalted her aboue all other to be his wyfe queene Also Abisag a Sunamite by reason she was a mayden most faire was chosen out to lye with kyng Dauid waxinge very olde to restore his naturall hete Wherfore the aged kynges wyll was highly to aduance her in honour And also after the dethe of this mighty kynge she was enterteyned as a queene We rede of the excellent beautie of queene Vasti and also of Nester which was preferrid before the other bycause she was more goodlye and fayre of face We rede of Iudith whose fayrenesse god so moche encreased that all that behelde her were wonderfully amased And shortly to speke we rede that Susanna was very delycate goodly and beautiful We rede also that after Iobs dyuers temptations vexations and greuous troubles finyshed besydes all other thynges whiche his gret pacience deserued god gaue vnto hym three daughters fayrer than the three Charites yea there were found no where so fayre women More ouer we maye rede histories of holy vyrgins doubtles to our gret wonder howe far howe beautyfull they were aboue al other the childrē of men whose laude and prayse the catholyke churche dothe solempnely synge but specially the prayse of the immaculate and vndefiled princesse the mother of god the virgin Marie whose fayre beautie the sonne and moone wōder at from whose moste fayre visage so great clerenes of beautie with chastitie and holynes dyd shyne that although she moued the myndes and lykewyse the eies of all men yet for al that no mortall man at any tyme was allured or inticed by her beutie ones to thynke amysse ¶ Those thynges all thoughe some what at lengthe I haue rehersed vnto you and that almost the very selfe same wordes out of holy scripture where mention of beautie is so ofte made to the intent we shulde playnely perceyue that the beautie of women is not onely among men but also of god hyghly estemed and honoured ¶ In an other place of holy scripture we lyke wyse rede that god commanded all the men and men children to be slayne but the faire women to be saued In the booke of Deuteronomy it was permytted to the chyldren of Israell eche to chose hym a fayre womanne to wyfe of those that were taken prysoners ¶ And besydes this wounderfull beautie woman is endowed with a certaine dignitie and worthines of honestie whiche is not gyuen to man for the heare of her head hangeth downe soo lowe that yt wyll couer and hyde all the pryuy partes of her body Farther it is not nedefull for a woman to handle these partes of her body in the workes of Nature whiche man customably vseth to doo Finally Nature hathe soo wounderfullye wrought for the comelynes of woman that her priuie partes nr not so apparant as mans but set in a place more secretely And nature hath gyuen more shamfasines to woman than to man Wherfore it hath ofte chanced that a woman greuousely dyseased in her prime partes hath chosen rather to dye than to abyde the syght and hand lynge of the surgian to be cured and healed And this shamefaste honestie they obserue and kepe both in dyenge and after they be dead as it appereth by them that be drowned For as Plinie and experience witnessen a woman lyeth grouelyng whan she is deade by the fauour that nature bereth to her shamefaste honestie but a man swymmeth vpryghte on his backe Farther the most worthye parte of man wherby we chiefly differre from other brute beastes and doo represente the dyuine nature is the heade and in it chiefly the countinaūce Truely a mans heade is deformed with baldnes and contrary a womanne by the great pryuilege of nature is not bald Moreouer the countinaūce and face of man is by the bearde to hym hateful so oft defiled and hyd with filthy heares that scarse from brute beastes he may be discerned in woman contrary wise the face doth alway remayn pure and comely Wherfore it
was decreed in the law of the .xii. tables that women shuld not scrape nor shaue theyr chekes leaste at any tyme the bearde shuld growe out and shamfastenes be hyd Alsoo of the clennes and puritie of woman this maye be to all men the moste euydent argumente and token That a woman ones washed clene ouer as ofte as she is wasshed afterwarde in cleane water that water receyueth no spotte of vnclennesse but a man be he neuer so clene wasshed as ofte as he washethe agayne troubleth and fouleth the water Furthermore Nature hath so ordeyned that women auoid superfluous humours by secrete partes that men auoide by the face the moste worthy part of mannes body And where it is graunted to man aboue all other beastes to haue the face and continaunce lokynge vppe to heuen Nature and fortune haue prouyded so wonderly for woman and shewed so great fauor that if she chaunce to fall she seldome or neuer falleth on her head or face ¶ Shall we ouer passe the preferrement of nature to woman aboue man in the procreation of mankynde Whyche thynge is thus very well perceyued For only the womans seede as wytnessen Galen and Auicen is the matter and nourishment of the chyld and not the mans whiche is but an accident to the substance For as the lawe sayth the greattest chiefest offyce and duetye of woman is to conceyue and to saue that is conceyued For which cōsideration we se very many to be lyke theyr mothers by reson they be begotten of their bloudde and this lykenes is very oft well perceyued in the proportion and makyng of their bodies but it is alwayes in their maners For if the mothers be foolyshe the chyldren proue foolysshe also If the mothers be wyse the chyldren shall haue a sent thereof But contrarye wyse it is in the fathers For thoughe they be wyse ye manye tymes they gette folyshe children and foolysshe fathers gette wyse chyldren so that the mothers be wyse And there is none other reson why mothers more than the fathers shuld loue theyr children but that the mothers perceyue that theyr chyldren haue and soo they haue in dede in theym more of theyr mothers substance than of theyr fathers For this cause that I haue shewed you I suppose it naturally grafte in vs to be more kynde and louyng to our mothers than to our fathers In so moch that we seme to loue our father meanely and to loue oure mother hartelye And for this cause Nature hathe gyuen vnto women milk of so great strength and vertue that it not onely nourissheth infantes and babes but also restoreth such as ar brought lowe by sycknes and is a sufficiente foode to preserue the lyfe of those that are of perfecte age As we rede an example in Valerius Maximus of a certain yong woman whiche with the mylk of her breastes norished her mother in prison that otherwyse shoulde haue famysshed for hunger For the whiche pietifull dede her mother was deliuered out of pryson and vnto them bothe a perpetual lyuynge was gyuen And of that prison they made a Temple and called it The temple of Pitie ¶ It is well knowne that for the more parte a woman hath alway more pite and mercy than a man Whiche thynge Aristotle doth attribute to womākynd as a thing appropried therevnto Wherfore Salomon sayth Where as is no woman there the sycke man waileth eyther bycause that in seruynge and helpynge the sicke she is full diligent orels by reason of her mery chere she is full comfortable or els bycause that womās mylke is the chiefe and principall reliefe for such as be feble weke yea beynge broughte to deathes doore they are therby restored ageyne vnto helthe And the phisitions say That the heat of a womans breastes and pappes layde and ioyned to the breastis of feble olde men consumed a way by age styrreth vp encreaseth and conserueth in them lyuely heate Whyche thyng was well knowen to Dauid that in his olde aege chose the mayden Abisag a Sunamite with her collynges clippinges to hete kepe him warme Also woman is rather redye and more prompt to the holy offyce of generation than man as it is wel knowen ¶ Further it is a wonderful myracle of Nature that a womanne bredynge chylde sore longyng for it hathe eaten rawe fleshe rawe fyshe coles erth stones mettals poysons many suche other lyke thynges which without hurt she doth digeste conuerte and turne into the holsome nutrimente and substance of the body Now great myracles and maruailes that nature hathe endowed woman with shal he fynd that redeth throughly the volumes and bokes of philosophers and phisitions whiche for brefenes we here ouerpasse ¶ Nowe let vs speake of speche and langage whiche is the gyfte of god and by whiche one thing we passe and are better than all other brute beastes Trismegistus Mercurius iudgeth it to be of as great pryce as moch worth and as good a thynge as immortalitie And Hesiodus nameth it the chiefest treasure of Mankynde And is not a womā better spokē more eloquent more copious and plentyfull of wordes than a man Do not all we that be men lerne first to speke of our mothers or of our nources Truely nature her selfe the former of thinges sagely prouidyng for mankynde gaue this gyfte to womankynde that scarse in any place ye shall fynde a dumme womanne Is it not right faire and cōmendable that women shulde excelle men in that thing in whiche men chiefly passe all other beastes But from prophane mattiers lette vs retourne home agein to holy scripture and begynne at the verye fountaynes of our relygion ¶ We know surely that god blessed man for womans sake whiche blessynge the vnworthye man deserued not to haue tyll the womā was created and made wherwith Salomon in his prouerbes agreeth Who so fyndeth a good woman fyndeth a good thinge and receyueth an holsome benefite of the lorde And it is written Ecclesiastici 26. Happy is the man that hathe a vertuous wyfe For the number of his yeres shall be double And no man may be compared to him in dignitie that for his worthynes hathe a good woman For as Ecclesiasticus saythe A good woman is a gyfte aboue all other gyftes And therfore Salomon in his prouerbes calleth her the crowne of her husbande and Paul the glorie of man For glorie is defined to be the accomplishment and perfection of a thinge restyng and delytyng in his ende that is to say when nothing more may be added to encreace or amēd the perfection thereof A woman therfore is the ende perfection felicitie benediction and glorye of the man and as Augustin sayth the fyrste societie and company of mankynde in this morall lyfe Wherfore of necessitie euery man loueth her whome who soo euer wyl not loue but hate is a stranger not only to all humanitie and gentylnesse but also to all vertue and grace And to speake
man beinge ouer aged vnmeete for mariage or otherwise vnlusty to do the dedes of Venus had maried a maiden it shoulde be laufull for his wyfe to chose a goodly and a tall younge manne to dalye and play with her and the chylde gotten betwene theym shoulde be ascribed to her housbande and not to be called a bastarde and though those lawes were made and establyshed yet we rede not that they were kepte not so moche through the sturdynesse of the men as by the chastitie of the womenne refusynge those lawes ¶ There be innumerable excellent women whiche with notable clennesse of lyfe and perfet wiuely loue haue farre passed al men as Abigail the wyfe of Naball Arthemisia the wyfe of Nausoleus Argia the wyfe of Policinis a Chebane Iulia the wife of Pompeius Portia the wyfe of Cato Cornelia the wife of Gracchus Messalina the wife of Sulpice Alceste the wyfe of Admetus Hypsicratea the wife of Mithridates kynge of Pontus and also Dido the buylder of Carthage and the Romayn Lucrece and Sulpitia the wyfe of Lentulus There be innumerable other whose hartes were so fyxed on vyrgynitie and chastitie that the very dethe coulde not remoue theym of whom thexamples are manyfest and playne as Athlanta Calidonia Camilla Volsca Iphigenia of Grece Cassandra and Crise With these gone the Vyrgynes of Lacedemonye of Spartane of Milesia of Thebes with other innumerable of whome the storyes of the Hebrewes of the Grekes and of other Macyons doo make mencyon the whyche estemed vyrginite aboue kyngdomes yea and aboue theyr very lyues ¶ If the examples also of pitie and louing kyndnes be required amonge al other Claudia Vestalis towarde her father and that poore yonge woman of the whiche we spake afore towardes her mother are wonderfull ¶ But here some enuious felow wyl obiect ageinst those thynges the deadely mariages of Sampson of Iason of Deiphebus of Agamemnon and such other tragedies on whyche as saythe the prouerbe if a man loke throughly with clere eies he shall fynde that theyr wyues are falsely blamed of the whyche neuer chaunced vnto a good man one yll For yll wyues neuer chaunce but to ylle husbandes vnto whome all though the good somtyme chāce yet their husbandes vyces make them naught ¶ If it had bene laufull for women to make lawes too wryte histories how gret tragedies trowye wolde they haue writen of the inestimable malice of men amōg whom many ben murtherers theues rauishers of vyrgins periurers robbers burners of houses traytours of whome also in the tyme of Iosue Dauid the king so greatte a multitude were murtherers robbers that they were able to make princes capytaynes ouer theyr companies Yea and at this day there is an infinite number of them For all prisons be filled with men and al the galowes in euerye place be loded with the carcases of men But contrarye wyse womenne were the fyrste inuentours of all honest craftes of all vertue and benefittes Whiche thyng the very names of sciences and vertues beinge of the femynine gender do playnly specifye Whereof this is a notable profe that the circuite of the hole world is callyd by the names of women that is to say of the Nymph Asia of Europa the doughter of Agenor of Libia the doughter of Epaphus the whiche is also callid Aphrica And finally to recite all kyndes of vertue a woman shall euery where obteyne the hygheste place For the vyrgin Mary was a woman the whyche fyrst dydde vowe her vyrginitie to god and thereby deserued to be the mother of god The womenne prophetes were euermoore inspyred with a more diuine spyrite than the men Whiche thynge is welle knowen by that Lactātius Eusebius and Augustine wytnessen of the Sibylles ¶ So Mary the syster of Moses prophecied And whan Ieremye was taken prysoner his vncles daughter Olda rose vp and prophecied beyonde mans reache to the people of Israell atte the poynte redy to peryshe Lette vs serche holy scripture and we shall fynde that women in constancye in feythe and in other vertues ar commended farre aboue men as in Iudith Ruth Hester the whiche with so great glory and praise were celebrate and honored that holy bokes beare their names And all though Abraham for the stedfastnes of his fayth is called in scripture a iuste man by cause he surely beleued in god yet for al that he muste submyt hym selfe to his wyfe Sara For by y e voyce of the lorde he was cōmanded thus What so euer Sara saythe to the here her voyce So Rebecca beleuyng stedfastly went to aske god certayne questions and she being reputed worthy harde this oracle or aunswere of god Two maner of folke are in thy bealy and two maner of people shall be deuyded from thy bealy And the wydowe Sareptana gaue credence to Helias all thoughe it were harde to beleue that he tolde her So zachary rebuked of the aungell for his incredulitie was dumme and his wife Elizabeth with her wōbe and voyce prophecied is praysed bicause she beleued faithfully and she afterwarde praysed the most blessed virgin Mary saying Blessed art thou whyche dyddest beleue those thynges that were spoken to the of the lord So Anna the prophetesse after the reuelation of Simeon cōfessed god spake of him to al that wold here whyche loked for the redemption of Israel And Phylip had foure vyrgins to his doughters which dyd prophecy What shall I saye of her the samaritan with whom Christe spake at the well and beinge fedde with the faythe of this beleuing womā refused the meate that the apostelles broughte To these may be ioyned the faithefull woman of Chananee and the woman dyseased with the blouddye flyxe Was not also the faith and confessyon of Martha lyke the confessyon of Peter The Gospell wytnesseth howe greate constācy of faith was in Mary Magdaleyn For whyle the pristes and Iewes crucyfyed Christe she wepeth she bringeth oyntmentes vnto the Crosse she seeketh in the Tombe she asketh the gardyner for hym she aknowledgeth god she gothe to the apostles and sheweth them that he is rysen They were in doubte therof but she beleued it verily Ageyn what shall I saye of that holy woman Priscilla the whiche instructed Apollo apostolycke man perfitely lerned in the lawe and byshoppe of the Corinthians Nor it was no shame for a postell to lerne of a woman what he shulde teache in the churche ¶ Moreouer they that haue shewed the stedfastnes of theyr faith by sufferyng of Martyrdom and by the dispisynge of deathe be no fewer in number than men Nor that wonderfull mother shuld be lefte vnspoken of so worthy to be remembred the whiche not onely behelde her .vii. sonnes putte to deathe by most cruell martyrdom but also she boldly exhorted them stedfastlye to dye And she aboue all thynges trustyng in god was after her
polytyke in peace In the bolde byckerynges of battayle what a woman was Thomiris the queene of Massagetaries She ouercame Cyrus the gret conquerour and puissant kynge of Persians Also Camilla of the Volscians and Valisca of Boheme were two most mighty queenes We rede of many other moste noble women whyche by theyr wonderfulle power and polycie in most extremytie and whan there was no hope of helpe loked for recouered theyre countrey and restored it to wealthe ageyne Amonge whome is Iudith whyche saynt Ierome hyghlye prayseth with these wordes Take Iudith the wydowe the example of chastite declare her with triumphant prayse and perpetual commendation For god gaue her to be an example not only for women but also for men to folowe whiche for a rewarde of her chastitie armed her with suche vertue that she vanquished him that was inuyncible to all menne and subdued hym that no man coulde ouercome ¶ Further we reade that a certayn wise woman called vnto her Ioab the capitayne and delyuered into his handes the heade of Siba the ennemye of Dauid to the intente to saue the citie Abela from distruction whiche was the chiefe citie of Israell And a certayne woman threwe a piece of a myl stone vpon Abimelechs head and brake his brayne panne executynge the vengeance of god vpon Abimelech bycause he hadde done yll before god agaynste his father in sleinge .lxx. of his brether vpon one stone ¶ So Hester the wyfe of kynge Assuer not only deliuered her people from the moste shamefull deth but also made theym ryght honorable ¶ Whanne Coriolanus with the Volscians had besieged Rome soo sharpely assayled it that the Romaynes were not able to defende them selues agaynste hym an auncient woman Veturia his mother soo handled the mattier that she ouercame his rage and furye and reconcyled hym ageyn to the Romaynes Arthemisia whan the Rhodians came fiersly vpon her both disapoynted them of theyr nauye of shyppes and conquered that Ilande and sette vp her Image within the citie of Rhodes as a perpetuall note of infamye vnto them ¶ Howe moche doo the Frenche men prayse a yonge damsell whiche beinge descended of a lowe linage toke vpon her after the maner of the Amazons to leade the forward of the army she fought so valiantly and hadde soo good chaunce that the French men beleued verily that by her prowesse they recouered the relme of Frāce out of the Englysshe mens handes And therfore to the perpetuall remēbrance of her they made an ymage of a mayden to be sette vp in Orliaunce on the brydge ouer the ryuer of Liger or Loier I coulde yet reherce out of the histories of the Grekes of the Latines and other barbarous natiōs innumerable moste excellent women but to the ende this worke shulde not be to greate a volume I studyed to be breefe For Plutarche Valerius Bocatius and many other haue writtē the praise of noble women And therfore I haue spokē but lytel of their praises but ouer passed verye manye thynges For why I am not soo presumptuous to thynke my selfe able to cōprehend in few wordes y e infynite nobylities vertues of womē For who is able throughly and perfectly to recyte the infinite prayses of women of whome we take all oure lyfe and substaunce and in whome is all the conseruation of mankynde the whyche els shulde peryshe and decay in short tyme on whome also euery familye and common welthe dependeth This thynge was well knowen to the buylder of Rome whiche bycause he lacked women rauy shed and caried away the Sabines daughters not doubtynge the cruel warre that shuld folowe thervpon For he knewe that suche an empire wolde in short time perisshe yf they wanted women And at laste whan the Capytoll was taken by the Sabynes and that in the myddes of the market place they foughte moste cruellye hande to hande with the sodayne runnynge of the women betwene bothe the hostes the battayle cessed and at the laste a peace being made and a truce taken they concluded a perpetual amitie For the whych cause Romulus regestred these womens names in the courtes and courte rolles And it was by the Romaynes assente decreed and wrytten in the common tables that women shuld not grind at the quyrne nor drudge in the kitchen nor the husbande shulde not say Wife I giue the this nor the wyfe Husbande I gyue you this bycause they shulde knowe that euery thynge betwene theym was cōmon And hereof at length grewe a custom that whan y e new wedded wyfe was brought home she wolde saye vbi tu ego that is where you be lorde I am ladye where you be maister I am maystresse Moreouer great honours tokens of high reuerence and dignitie were done to women by decree of the Senatours as these that in the way they shulde go on the vpper hane and that men shuld ryse on their fete vnto them gyue them place Furthermore it was graunted theym to weare purple garmentes embrowdred about with gold ornamentes deeked with precyous stones rynges at theyr eares chaynes of golde about theyr neckes And it was at the last decreed by the emperours lawes that as ofte as any statute was made in any place forbydding ornamentes or apparayle to be worne women shoulde not be comprehended vnder that lawe Also it was granted theym to receyue herytage and succession of goodes the funerals of women to be celebrate and honourablye kepte as the funeralles of noble men were For why on a time whā a gyfte shoulde be sente to Apollo Delphicus as Camillus had vowed and that there was not soo moche golde in the cytie the women of theyr owne good wylles brought in the iewelles and ornamentes of theyr bodies ¶ And in the warre that Cyrus made agaynst Astiages the Persians armye was by the castygation of women reprehended and being newely restored againe opteyned a right worthy vyctorye For the whiche dede Cyrus made a lawe that kynges of the Persians entrynge into the cytie shuld paye to euerye woman a piece of golde The whiche thynge also kynge Alexander entrynge twyse into that citie payd twyse Ye and more ouer he commaunded the gyft to be doubled to women with chylde So from the moste auncient kynges of the Persyans and Romaynes yea from the very begynnyng of the citie of Rome and empire women were hadde in all hygh honour and reuerence and the very emperours theym selues estemed theym moste highly For Iustynian the emperour in makynge of lames thoughte it conueniente to haue the counsaylle and aduyse of his wyfe And in an other place the law sayth that the wyfe shyneth in the honour of her husbande and the brightnes of his dignitie beautifieth her for the higher the husband is aduanced in honour the higher is his wyfe Soo the Emperours wyfe is callid empresse the kingis wife quene the princis wyfe the princesse and is therby enobled howe lowe so euer she be of byrthe And Vlpian the lawyer