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Agrippa: Declamatio de nobilitate & precellentia Fminei sexus.

This digital edition copyright 2005 by Joseph H. Peterson. Latin text based on 1529 edition: http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/Visualiseur?Destination=Gallica&O=NUMM-71692 English translation is based on:
Female pre-eminence, or, The dignity and excellency of that sex above the male: an ingenious discourse / written orignally in Latine by Henry Cornelius Agrippa ... ; done into English with additional advantages by H[enry]. C[are]. Published: London : Printed by T. R. and M. D. and are to be sold by Henry Million ..., 1670. University of Minnesota: TC Wilson Library Annex Sub-Basement Mfilm 1771 444:4.

HENRICI CORNELII AGRIPP

de Nobilitate & Prcellentia Fminei sexus, ad Margaretam Augustam Austriaco & Burgundionum Principem [1529] Expostulatio cum Ioanne Catilineti super expositione libri Ioannis Capnionis de uerbo mirifico De sacramento Matrimonii declamation ad Margaretam Alenconi dum. De triplici ratione cognoscendi Deum liber vnus ad Guilielmum Paleologum Marcionem Mantisserrati. Dehortatio Gentilis theologi ad Episcopum Vasatensem. De Originali peccato desputabilis opinionis declamatio ad episcopum Cyrenensem. Regimem aduersus pestilentiam ad eundem episco.

Female Pre-eminence:
OR THE

Dignity and Excellency of that Sex, above the Male.

An Ingenious Discourse: Written Originally in Latine, by Henry Cornelius Agrippa, Knight, Doctor of Physick, Doctor of both Laws, and Privy-Counsellor to the Emperour Charles the Fifth. Done into English, with Additional Advantages. BY H.C.
1 Esdr. 3.12. Women are strongest. LONDON Printed by T.R. and M.D, and are to be sold by Henry Million, at the Sign of the Bible in Fleet-street. 1670.

The Epistle Dedicatory.

TO HER Most Excellent Majesty,

KATHERINE,
By the Grace of God, QUEEN of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, &c.
Madam, His little Champion, who long hath Brav'd the World in Your Noble Sexes Defence, being Arriv'd in Your Majesties Dominions, and taught to speak the English Dialect, is with all Humility prostrated at Your Royal Feet. The Original Tratise was Grac'd with the propitious Regards of a Great Princess, The Illustrious Margaret of Austria,

afterwards Empress; whence this mean Translation derives, an ambition, not to take shelter under any less than Soveraign Patronage. Yet is not Your Majesties Greatness, so much as Goodness, respected in this Humble Address; that serious primitive Devotion, exemplary Virtue, and other excellent Endowments, that render You more truely Glorious, than all the magnificnet Advantages of Your Most Illustrious Birth and Fortune. To Your Majesty this Discourse is necessitated to Appeal; for 'tis Your bright Name alone, that can, being stampt thereon, (like Your Royal Consort's Effigies on Coyn) make it pass Currant in the opinion of the World; who no longer will be scandaliz'd at the Title, nor think the Author too Lavish in Womens Praise, when they Reflect on Your Majesty, that Great Example of Female Preeminence, and Excellency, that have outdone the mosr daring Hyperbolies, and not only Justified, but Surpass'd in Life and Merit, whatever can be said in the behalf of Your Most Glorious Sex. That Your Majesty, Encircled with all Happiness, may long remain a President of Piety to this Degenerous Age, and find as many to Imitate as Admire Your Royal Virtues, is the Prayer of Your Majesties Most Humble, Loyal, and Obedient Subject, H. Care.

The Translators Preface. In this giddy Age wherein each extravagant opinion finds a welcome, and Conceits more wilde than any Bedlam-phrensie, have been entertain'd with zeal, and promoted with passion, an innocent Paradox may fairly hope for Pardon at least, if not Applause. Since (1.) Tyranny, (2.) Injustice, (3.) Ugliness, and (4.) Folly it self, have not wanted their respective Advocates amongst the Learned, I see small reason why Asserting the Pre-eminence of the Female Sex, should too severely be censured.
(1.) Praised by Polycrates, and Hisocrates. (2.) By Glauco. (3.) By Paco**nus. (4.) By Erasmus.

But 'tis unjust to debar Readers of that tickling delight they take in finding faults, it being oftentimes all the consideration they have for laying out their Money. The Stationers humour and mine agree, Let them but buy the Book, and then (being their own) use it as they please. I shall not therefore waste time, either in Courting or Huffing the Reader, (for both wayes are now commonly used to surprize his good opinion,) but only endeavour to give an Impartial Account of the Author, and Design of the ensuing Discourse. To say much of the noble Agrippa, were to put an Affront on the Reader, (if he pretend at all to traffick in the Commonwealth of Learning) by supposing him a stranger to that Man, who was justly admir'd as the Prodigy of his Age, for all kind of Science. That vast progress he made, Tam Marte quam Mercurio, in Arms no less than Arts; the Titles and Honours he acquir'd; the respect paid him by most of the Grandees, and famous Men, his Contemporaries; and those Monuments of Learning, wherewith he hath oblig'd Posterity; all speak him a Person above the ordinary level of Mankind; to be rankt only amongst those few noble Heroes; Queis meliore Luto finxit prcordia Titan. Whom Titan with a gentle [Cf. Juvenal, Ray, XIV. 34-5.] Hath moulded of a purer Clay. 'Tis true, (like all great Wits) he took no little pleasure in stemming the impetuous Tide of popular opinion, as if nothing had been impregnable against the puissance of his parts. Hence he made that desperate (5.) Onset, to prove in particular, what Solomon was content to affirm in the lump, That all things are Vanity; and with an excess of Gallantry undertook singly to duel all Arts and Sciences. Nor was this present Essay any other than a sally of the same Generosity, that delights to engage on disadvantages, and bravely to assist the weaker party. After so many slanderers (like ungratefull Mules, turning their brutish heels to kick those Paps whence they receiv'd their first Nutriment) had dipt their keen Pens in Gall, and fill'd their black Mouthes with Calumnies, to sully the Repute of this fair Sex, our Author was too noble, not to think himself concern'd in its Vindication; Common Justice, no less than point of Honour, obliging all to succour

(5.) His Book of the vanity of all Arts and Sciences.

oppressed Innocency. Hereupon the Generous Agrippa enters the Lists, to assert the Honour of the Female Party, against the immerited obloquies of the Male, which he chooses to attempt, not after the low, timerous method of an Apology, the shallow Invectives of the Adversaries being unworthy the refute of his Pen; but like a politick General, carrying the War into the enemies Countrey, startles them with an expected Invasion, and lets them know this noble Sex ought to be the object of their veneration, nor contempt, being in all respects their superiour. How prudently this Design was undertaken, or how well perform'd, I shall not fore-stall the Readers opinion, so far as to determine; but must confess my self pleas'd with that Diversion I met with in reading the Original; and thereupon to have attempted the Translation, not without some Additions, and variation, to render it more smooth and gratefull to the present Age, thinking I could scarce better devote my vacant hours, than to the service of that sweet Sex, which every one deserving the Name of Man, cannot but love; and to whom, whoever hath not forgot he had a Mother, is oblig'd to pay a reverential esteem. Yet is it no part of our Design to flatter Women, but to put some check to the rude, undeserv'd reproaches, cast on them by the Men: To acquaint the fair Sex with its natural Dignity, that they may scorn to act any thing unworthy of themselves: to treat them with variety of real (not Romantick) Examples of true Piety, exact Chastity, sincere, unalterable Affection, and other rare, sublime qualities; whence inspir'd with a generous emulation, they may strive ti out-vye these ancient Heroinaes, and transcend the excellent Patterns here recommended; finding, that it is Virtue alone that can embalm their Memories, and render them still fresh and amiable, even then when Age or Sickness have plow'd their Faces with wrinckled furrows, and swept away the sparkling Glories of their Eyes. To conclude: If the captious World shall a while lay aside its usual severities, and vouchsafe any Acceptance of these our inconsiderable pains, (now confusedly huddled up in hast,) we shall use our utmost endeavours in the second Edition to deserve that favour, by some further Additions and Embellishments.

H.C.

To His Ingenious Friend

Mr. H. Care:
On his Pains in Translating, and Refining this quaint Discourse of Female Pre-eminence. 'Tis bravely done, dear Friend! thus to Engage For the Fair Sex, in this detracting Age, When vip'rous Tongues so virulently throwe Venome at thise to whom their Lives they owe, And each base Fopp poor Womens Judge doth sit, Who thinks Railing at them proves him a Wit, And therefore Dams 'um, They'r all Whores, hee'l cry, Though's Mother and his Sister both stand by: Nor want there Squires o'th' Quill to wound their Name, And with foul Ink Bespatter their bright Fame. But as when Royal Phbus shews his Face, Those Sporads vanish which usurpt his place; So all these black-mouth'd screeching Birds of Night, And by your Book put to eternal Flight: Your Book; For what you modestly do call Translation, if with the Original It be compar'd, 'twill easily be known, That the far better part on it is your own. You adde, correct, and so the Whole Refine, That 'tis no more Agrippa's now, but thine; He laid the Plot, but you the Language bring, And giv't a Dress as glorious as the Spring: Choice Words compos'd in Periods, that surprize The Ear with most harmonious Cadencies, Such charming stile, which France it self admir'd, Was thought t'have vanisht when Love-Day expir'd; Our English Prose seem'd sunk ever since then, But now there's hopes you'l Buoy it up agen: For such fair Blossomes in your Youth, presage No common Fruit from your maturer Age.

But what dost aim at? (for I must profess, In this Attempt, 'twill puzzle one to guess) Weary of retail-Love, by this Design, Dost thou intend to Court all Womankind? T' ingross their Favour, and ambitiously, Affect Loves universal Monarchy? Or do thy flames which to some one Aspire, Transport thee, the whole Sex thus to admire? What e're it bem unto thy pains and wit, All Ladies must confess themselves in Debt; And to thee, whence such Ornament they find, They'r most ungratefull if they prove not kind. Their Snow-white Hands thy welcome Book shall hold, And sometimes wrap't up in some silken Fold, In their sweet Bosomes suffer it to Rest, (Ah! who'l not envy it when 'tis so Blest?)
[2]

DE FOEMINEI SEXUS praecellentia L. Beliaquetus

Desine vaniloquax sexum laudare virilem Plus aequo, laudum ne sit aceruus iners Desine (si sapias) sexum damnare malignis Fmineum verbis, quae ratione carent. Si bene lance tua sexum perpendis vtrumque Fmineo cedet quisquis virilis erit Credere si dubites, & res tibi dura videtur Haud alias visus nunc mihi testis adest Quem nuper vigilans extruxit Agrippa libellum Ante viros laudans fmineumque genus.

[3]

CLARISSIMO VIRO DOMINO Maximiliano Transsiluano Caroli quinti Caesaris Imperatorisque A consiliis Hen. Cor. Agrippa S.D.
Anni ferme viginti retroacti sunt (splendide Maximiliane) quo tempore in Dola Burgundi Gymnasio pulpito donatus magna omnium

admiratione librum Ioan. Capnionis, de Verbo Mirifico ad honorem diuae Margaretae Principis nostr interpretabat, habita in prlectione insigni laudum suarum oratione. Instabant per id tempus apud me plerique eius ciuitatis non infim sortis viri, inter cteros quem nosti Symon Vernerius Dolan ecclesi Decanus, & Gymnasii Procancellarilis vt prnominat Principi nonnihil operis scripto dedicarem: contendebant omnes improbis precibus, vrgebantque epistolis, & ingerebant me hoc ipso haud non insignem gratiam apud eandem principem initurum. Annui nefas arbitratus tantorum virorum preces rejicere, ac propositam mihi tant Principis gratiam contemnere. Et cepi argumentum operis de nobilitate & prcellentia Fminei sexus, non indignum ratus quod illi Principi potissimum deuouerem dedicaremque qu supra omnes nostri ui prclaras mulieres fmine nobilitatis prcellentique vnicum exemplar visa est, vt se prside ac teste libellus ille non parum authoritatis caperet aduersus eos qui in fmineo sexu vituperando, nihil faciunt reliqui. Quod autem ad id temporis cum ceptum hoc votum meum apud celsitudinem suam non liberarim, non loci distantia, non temporis effluxus, non animi facilitas, non propositi mutatio, non etiam argumenti angustia, ingeniiue paupertas, sed Catilineti cuiusdam calumnia in causa fuit (que cuiusmodi fuerit ex ipsa nostra ad eumdem expostulatione quam vna cum prsentibus ad te mitto videre, licebit) cuius hypocrisi victus, indignabundusque factus suppressi librum, usque adhuc nolui tamen hac fidelia aliam quamuis etiam pretiosum parietem dealbare, futurum aliquem [4] confidens quo liber ille non esset amissurus suam dominam. Nunc itaque reuersus in patriam hanc, equum putaui respondere fidei, nec diutius differendum librum illum principi nostr offerre, qui illi ex stipulatione & voto quissimo iure debetur. Atque vt cognoscat me interim temporis nec illius oblitum esse, nec deuotam fidem vnquam deseruisse, nec pluris valuisse apud me alienam nequitiam, quam proprii animi constantiam virtutibus ac laudibus eius impense fauentem. Quod si nunc tua prudentia hoc meum consilium non improbauerit, faciam vt libellus iste cum plerisque aliis meis progrediatur in publicum, etiam si videam res

hc quam sit exigua, & qua nulla elegantia dicendi reddita. Sed volo libellum hunc quondam in pueritia mea conscriptum, & nunc non nisi vt in hoc exemplari vides tumultuario, alicubi recognitum ipsi principi su (sicut apud Canonistas (quos vocant) dicendi mos est) ex nunc vt a tunc, vel cum stimationis me iactura oblatum iri. Dum interim tate iam grandior, grauiori ac pleniori argumento, sublimiora & digniora clsitudini su parauero. Neque vero velim Principem ipsam, ab his pueriti me nugis, ingenium meum metiri: quod si experiri velit, possit sibi etiam in maximis rebus & pace & bello vsui fore. Proinde vero ne quis superbior, aut eruditionis iactantior, contemptu mediocritatis me, in ingenium nostrum ingratus hanc operam nostram despiciat, calumnietur, mordeat, laceret, tu Magnanimitati eandem, vna cum fmine nobilitatis splendore, cum muliebris excellenti gloria insuper tuendam, defendendamque commendo, speroque futurum me huius caus, quod viris fminas prtulerim, facile veniam obtenturum quod tant Principi hc scripserim, ac tua amplitudine hortante, tuenteque, ediderim. Vale. Ex Antuerpia, xvi Kalendas Maii An. M. D. XXIX. Iuditium tuum expectabo

[5]

DIVAE
MARGARETAE AVGVSTAE Austriacorum Burgundionumque principi clementissim Henricus Cornelius Agrippa, S. D.

EM HACTENVS inauditam, sed a vera haud absimiliem pro viribus audacter quidem, sed non sine pudore aggressus sum fminei sexus nobilitatem, prcellentiamque describere. Certauit fateor intra me spius audacia cum pudore. Nam ut innumeras mulierum laudes, virtutes, summamque prstantiam oratione velle complecti, plenum ambitionis & audaci putabam, sic fminas maribus prferre, tanquam euirati ingenii plenum pudoris videbatur. Hinc forte causans cur quum pauci admodum de mulierum laudibus scribere tentarunt. Nullus hactenus quod certo sciam earum supra viros eminentiam adserere ausus est. Proinde vero tam dignissimo sexui veras atque debitas sibi laudes tacendo velut inuidere, & prripere eumque suppressa agnita veritate suis meriti suaque fraudari gloria, plenum ingratitudinis arbitrabar atque sacrilegii. Quum itaque inter has varias dissonasque sententias anxius mecum [6] ipse hsitarem, miro hoc ingratitudinis, codemque sacrilegii metu, victo pudore audacior effectus sum in scribendo, dum metuo videri audacior, si tacerem, bonum omen interpretatus, quasi eius rei prouincia, quam hactenus eruditorum ctus penitus neglexisse videtur, mihi superis relicta atque decreta fuerit. Annunciabo itaque gloriam mulieris, & honestatem eius non abscondam, tantumque abest quod me assumpti argumenti pudeat, quandoque si fminas viris prferam, ob id me vituperandum putem esse, vt vix me excusatum iri fidam, qui rem adeo sublimem humiliori quam par est dicendi forma complexus sum, nisi me cum temporis angustia & rei difficultas, tum caus quitas tuerentur, tum quia nullo adulandi assentandiue studio hanc operam aggressus sum ideoque non tam studium fuit rhetoricis figmentis officiosisque mendaciis verba in laudes ornare, quam rem ipsam ratione authoritate, exemplis, ipsisque sacrarum litterarum, & vtriusque iuris testimoniis commonstrare. Tibi autem serenissima Margareta, cuius inter huius aeui prclaras fminas per uniuersum orbem

terrarum Apollo, Diana, dies Aurora, Vulcanus, dii quinque non illustrarunt, cum generis nobilitate, tum virtutum prstantia, & rerum gestarum gloria, parem alteram hanc operam nostram, ideo deuotam dedicatamque constituto, ut te (qu ad id virtutum fastigium ascendisti, quod, cuncta qu de fminei sexus laudibus prdicantur, vita & moribus superasti) prsentaneo exemplo, ac teste fidissima, eiusdem sexus vestri decus, & gloria, quasi sole quodam splendidius [7] elucescat. Vale felicissime nobilissimarum mulierum simul ac principum decus, & ornamentum, & gloria, modis omnibus absoluta.

HENRICI
utriusque secus fecunditate plenissimus, hominem sibi similem creauit, masculum & fminam creauit illos [Genes. prio.]. Quorum quidem sexuum discretio non nisi situ partium corporis differente constat, in quibus usus generandi diuersitatem necessaria requirebat. Eandem vero & masculo & fmin, ac omnino indifferentem anim formam tribuit. Inter quas nulla prorsus sexus est distantia. Eandem ipsa mulier cum viro sortita est mentem, rationem atque sermonem, ad eundum tendit beatitudinis finem, ubi sexus nulla erit exceptio. Nam iuxta Euangelicam veritatem [Luc. 20. Mar. 12. Matth. 22.] Resurgentes in proprio sexu, sexus non fungentur officio, sed angelorum illis promittitur similitudo. Nulla itaque est ab essentia anim inter virum & mulierem, alterius super alterum nobilitatis preminentia. Sed utrisque par dignitatis innata libertas. Qu autem prter anim diuinam essentiam in homine reliqua sunt, in iis muliebris inclyta stirps durum virorum genus in infinitum pene excellit, quod tum [8] demum ratum firmumque erit, quum id ipsum (& quod institutum nostrum est) non adulterinis

CORNELII AGRIPPAE DECLAmatio de nobilitate & prcellentia EVS optimus maximus cunctorum genitor, pater ac bonorum Fminei sexus.

lmighty God, to whose efficacious Word all things owe their original, abounding in his own glorious Essence with infinite goodness and fecundity, did in the beginning Create Man after his own likeness, Male and Female, created he them; the true distinction of which Sexes, consists meerly in the different site of those parts of the body, wherein Generation necessarily requires a Diversity: for both Male and Female he impartially endued with the same, and altogether indifferent form of Soul, the Woman being possess'd of no less excellent Faculties of Mind, Reason, and Speech, than the Man, and equally with him aspiring to those Regions of Bliss and Glory, where there shall be no exception of Sex. For though at the last Trumpets universal Alarm, when our recollected bodies shall start up amazed, to find themselves releas'd from their Prisons of Darkness, we may perhaps appear in our respective proper Sexes, yet shall we not then either need or make use of Sex, but are promised by him who is Truth it self, a Conversation resembling that of blessed Angels in Heaven. Hence 'tis evident, that as to the essence of the Soul between Man and Woman, there can no Pre-eminence at all be challenged on either side, but the same innate

fucatisve sermonibus neque etiam logicis tendiculis quibus multi sophist homines illaqueare solent, sed cum optimorum authorum patrociniis, rerumque gestarum veridicis historiis ac apertis ratioibus, tum sacrarum literarum testimoniis & utriusque iuris sanctionibus ostensum est.

worth and dignity of both, the Image of their Creator being stampt as fairly, and shining as brightly in one, as t'other; whereas in all other respects the noble and delicate Feminine Race, doth almost to infinity excell that rough-hewn, boisterous kind, the Male. This may at first perhaps seem an odd Assertion, and extravagantly Paradoxical, but will appear a certain Truth, when we have prov'd it (which is our present undertaking) not with empty flourishes of words, or gawdy Paint of Rhetorick, nor with those vain Logical Devices, wherewith Sophisters too frequently inveigle unwary understandings, but by the Authority of the most Approved Authors, unquestioned Histories, and evident Reasons, as likewise with Testimonies of holy Writ, and Sanctions of both Civil and Canon Laws. Since Names are signs of things, and that all matter presents it self to us cloathed in words, the Learned have advis'd us in all Discourses, First, To consider diligently the Notations or Appellations of those things whereof we intend to Treat, which if we reduce to practice in our present Subject, we may observe, that Woman was made at first so much more excellent than Man, by how much she had given her a Name more worthy than he; the word Adam, signifying but Earth, whereas Eve, is interpreted Life; whence it seems, Woman is no less to be preferr'd before Man, than Life it self before sordid and contemptible Earth. Nor let any weak heads fancy this argument lame or invalid, because from names it passes judgement on things, since it must be acknowledged, that the All-wise Contriver both of names and things, well knew the things before he imposed names on them; and therefore (it being impossible he should be deceived) did undoubtedly bestow on them such fit and apposite names, as might best express their intrinsick natures and dignity. Nor is it only the holy tomgue that intimates this sexes Pre-eminence, the Latines too seem very express in asserting it, amongst whom Woman is names Mulier, quasi Melior, as much as to say, better or more worthy than Man. And in our English language, although Some little wits at Woman rail and ban, Swearing she's call'd so, quasi woe to Man; Yet such vain derivations are to blame,

Principi itaque ut rem ipsam ingrediar: Mulier tanto viro [Gene. 3.] excellentior facta est, quanto excellentius pr illo nomen accepit: Nam Adam terra sonat, Eua autem vita interpretatur. At vita ipsa quam terra est excellentior, tam viro ipso mulier est prferenda. Neque est quod dicatur debile hoc argumentum esse ex nominibus de rebus ipsis iudicium ferre. Scimus enim summum illum rerum ac nominum artificem prius cognouisse res quam nominasse, qui cum decipi non potuit, eatenus nomina fabricauit, quatenus rei naturam proprietatem & usus exprimeret. [In marg.: In autem de defen. civi. col. iii in prin. in Institu. de Don. f.f. est & aliud.] Ea enim est antiquorum nominum veritas, testantibus id quoque Romanis legibus, ut ipsa sint consona rebus, ac aperte rerum significatiua. Ideo a nominibus argumentum apud theologos ac iurisconsultos magni est momenti. Quemadmodum de Nabal scriptum legimus, secundum nomen suum stultus est, & est stultitia cum eo. Hinc Paulus in epistola ad Hebros [Ad Hebr 1.] ostensurus prcellentiam Christi, hoc utitur argumento: Quia tanto melior angelis effectus est (inquiens) quanto differentius pr illis nomen hreditauit. Et alibi: [Ad Philip. 2.] Dedit illi nomen [9] quod est super omne nomen, ut in nomine Iesu omne genu flectatur, clestium, terrestrium, & inferorum. Adde non paruam iuris utriusque vim in verborum obligationibus, in verborum significationibus, in

Since God himself did her Man's conditionibus & demonstrationibus, in help-meet name. conditionibus appositus atque id genus Woman promote our joyes, disputationibus, iuriumque apicibus partake our woes, comprehendi, uti in illis ipsis comparibusque aliis But we men work our own, and their o'rethrowes. utriusque iuris titulis comprehendere licet. Sic enim in iure arguimus a nominis interpretatione. Tis too great a derogation from the known Item vi verbi, atque vocabuli. Insuper & ab prudence and piety of our ancestors, to etymologia nominis, & nominis ratione, & imagine them at once so injurious and verborum ordine. Iura etenim ipsa haud segniter impious, as to brand this noble Sex with a considerant significationes nominum, ut ex illis name, diametrically thwarting that character it self had aliquid interpretentur. Cyprianus etiam adversus which Heavenmuch more given of its Nature. We may with probability, (the Iudos arguit primum hominem quatuor mundi only Compass to sail by in an Ocean of cardinibus nomen adeptum esse, quasi Etymologies) suppose the word, Woman, to

quod sonat oriens, occidens, septentrio, meridies. Et in eodem libro interpretatur idem nomen Adam, quia terra caro facta est, quam vis talis expositio discrepat traditione Mose, quum apud Hebros non quatuor literis sed tribus scribatur. Hc tamen expositio in tam sancto viro non est vituperanda, qui linguam Hebraicam non didicit, quam plures sancti & sacrarum literarum expositores sine multa culpa ignorarunt. Quod si mecum non habeatur similis licenti patientia, ut liceat mihi ad arbitrium in fminei sexus laudem nominis Eu pariformem etymologiam effingere, saltem hoc unum mihi dicere permittant [10] ex Cabalistarum mysticis symbolis, ipsum nomen mulieris plus affinitatis habere cum nomine ineffabili diuin omnipotenti , qum nomen viri quod cum diuino nomine nec in characteribus, nec in figura, nec in numero convenit.

be derived quasi Woe man, she being the loadstone of Man's desires, and the sole adequate object of his affections, whom he is to woe, court, and settle his love on; or else from With Man, abbreviated in the pronunciation, intimating the need Man hath of her presence and company, and his dull heartless condition without her. Society is the life of Life, and Women the life of Society, compar'd with whom all other pleasures and diversions are but flat and melancholy; whereof the Protoplast, even whilest he was in his state of innocency, and had a garden of pleasure for his habitation, was not insensible; of whom thus a minor poet, Adam alone in Paradise did grieve, and thought Eden a desert without Eve, Untill God pittying his lonesome state, Crown'd all his wishes with a loely mate. No reason then hath Man to slight or flout her, Who could not live in Paradise without her. However if we shall not be allow'd the priviledge of contriving for the honour of the Female Sex, such advantageous etymologies, yet let us at least affirm from the mysterious learning of the Cabalists; that the Woman's Name in the original language, hath a much nearer affinity with the ineffable Tetragrammaton, or sacred name of the Divine Essence, than the Man's, which bears no resemblance thereto either in characters, figures, or number.

Sed in nunc supersedebimus: sunt enim paucis lecta, paucis lecta, paucioribus intellecta, &

But waving (at present) this abstruser mode of proof, as a matter read by few,

fusiorem narrationem requiunt quam ut hic understood by fewer, and requiring a adscribi conveniat. Nos interim excellentiam more ample ample explication, than mulieris non nomine modo, sed rebus ipsis ac our leisure, no less than the reader's muniis meritisque investigabimus. Scrutemur patience, can here allow of, we proceed itaque scripturas (ut aiunt) & ab ipso creationis from words to things, and come to initio sumentes exordium quid dignitatis mulier investigate and display Female ipsa in primo productionis ordine supra virum Excellency, not barely from the name, sortita est disseramus. Scimus qucunque Deo but in reality from its intrinsick worth optimo maximo facta sunt, hoc potissimum and proper endowments; for long differre ut qudam eorum perpetu maneant jangling about nominals, whilest incorruptibilia, qudam corruptioni, ac mutationi substances fleet by unregarded, may subiecta sint, atque in his creandis, Deum hoc argue some smattering in Grammar, or ordine progressum ut nobiliori unius incipiens, Sophistry, but no great stock of solid or in nobilissimum alterius desineret. Itaque creauit usefull learning. primum incorruptibiles angelos, & animas: ita Let us then (as we are commanded) namque contendit Augustinus animam primi nostri parentis ante corporum productionem una search the Scriptures, and dating our cum angelis creatam fuisse [Augu. super Genes. discourse with the World's original, examine what dignity was alotted to Ii. 7.]. Porro creauit incorruptibilia corpora, ut Woman above Man, by order of clos ac stellas, ac elementa incorruptibilia Creation. We know that all things quidem, sed variis mutationibus obnoxia, ex made by the Almighty Architect, may quibus ctera omnia qu corruptioni subiecta not unfitly be branched into these two sunt, conflauit ex vilioribus per singulos dignitatis gradus, rursus ascendendo ad universi ranks, some remaining ever incorruptible, others subject to [11] perfectionem procedens [Gene. 2.]. Hinc corruption and mutation; in the creation primum mineralia prodierunt post vegetabilia, of both which, Divine Wisdome plant, & arbores, deinde zoophita, demum proceeded in a method of descension animantia bruta per ordinem reptilia, natantia, volantia, quadrupedia. Postrem ver creauit sibi and ascension, beginning with the more similes homines duos, marem inquem primum, & noble of the one, and concluding with postremo fminam, in qua perfecti sunt cli, & the most noble of the other. Hence he terra, & omnis ornatus eorum, ad mulieris enim first created those purer essences, immaterial angels and souls, (for so the creationem, veniens creator, quieuit in illa, ut nihil honoratius creandum pr manibus habens, great St. Augustine contends, that the soul of our first parent was created in ipsaque conclusa & consummata est omnis together with the angels, before the creatoris sapientia, atque potestas, ultra quam non reperitur creatura alia, nec excogitari potest. poroduction of his body) then the incorruptible bodies, as the Heavens, Cum itaque mulier sit ultima creaturarum, ac and those vast numbers of glorious finis, & complementum omnium operum Dei perfectissimum, ipsiusque universi perfectio, quis stars, wherewith the same are eam negabit super omnem creaturam prcellentia embroidered; as also the elements, incorruptible too, but obnoxious to dignissimam sine qua mundus ipse iam ad various mutations, of which last he unguem perfectissimus, & numeris omnibus absolutus fuisset imperfectus, qui non aliter quam composed all other things liable to corruption, beginning with the in creaturarum omnium longe perfectissima meanest, and so proceeding upwards perfici potuit. Dissentaneum enim est & again by several degrees of dignity, to absurdum opinari, Deum in aliquo imperfecto tantum opus per fecisse. Nam cum mundus ipse the perfection of the Universe; so as first minerals were brought forth, then velut integerrimus aliquis perfectissimusque

circulus Deo creatus sit, oportuit illum in ea sprouted up vegetables, plants, herbs, particula absolui qu omnium primum cum and trees, afterwards plant-animals, omnium ultimo unitissimo quodam nexu in sese then living creatures in order, creeping, copularet. Sic mulier dum creatur mundus inter swimming, flying, and four-footed, and omnia creata tempore fuit ultima, eademque cum last of all he formed our first parents authoritate, tum dignitate in ipso diuin mentis after his own similitude, first the man, conceptu omnium fuit prima, sicut de illa and then the woman, in whom was scriptum est per Prophetam: Antequam cli compleated the Heavens and the Earth, crearentur elegit eam Deus, & prelegit eam. [12] and all the glory of them, for after her Ea siquidem est pervulgata philosophantium (ut creation the great Creator rested, as illorum verbis utar) sententia finem semper having nothing more honourable to priorem esse in intentione & in executione frame; and so well resented the postremum. Mulier autem fuit postremum Dei pleasure of having finisht this glorious opus introducta Deo in hunc mundum velut work so happily, that he instituted a eius regina in regiam sibi iam paratam ornatam, day of each seven to celebrate its & omnibus muneribus absolutam. Merito igitur Festival. Woman then beingthe last of illam omnis creatura amat, veneratur, obseruat, the creatures, the end, complement, meritoque illi omnis creatura subiicitur, atque and consummation of all the works of obedit, qu omnium creaturarum regina est atque God, what ignorance is there so stupid, finis, & perfectio, & gloria modis omnibus or what impudence can there be so absoluta. Quamobrem de illa Sapiens inquit: effronted, as to deny her a prerogative Generositatem mulieris glorificat, contubernium above all other creatures, without habens Dei, sed & omnium Dominus dilexsit whom the World it self had been eam. Quantum etiam ratione loci in quo creata imperfect; it being impossible the same est mulier, generis nobilitate virum excedit, sacra should be compleated, but in some nobis eloquia locupletissime testantur, quando creature most perfect, and absurd to mulier in paradiso nobilissimo loco pariter & dream, that Infinite Wisdome would amnissimo formata est cum angelis, vir autem conclude so noble a fabrick, with a extra paradisum in agro rurali cum brutis thing any way trivial or defective: for animalibus factus est. Postea creandam mulierem the whole Universe being created by traductus in paradisum. Ideoque mulier peculiari God, as an entire and perfect circle, it quadam natur dote veluti assueta ditissimo was requisite the same should be made creationis su loco, quantumvis ab also up, and finisht in such an exact and despiciens non patitur vertiginem, neque caligant absolute particle, as might with a most oculi eius, ut viris accidere solet. Prtere si strict tye unite and glew toghether the contingat mulierem cum viro pariter in aquis first of all things with the last. Thus the periclitari omni externo adiutorio semoto mulier woman in relation to time indeed was diutius supernatat viro, citius subsidente formed last, but in respect of dignity, fundumque petente. Quod autem loci dignitas ad first of all conceived in the divine Idea, hominis nobilitatem faciat, leges ciuiles sacrique (as 'tis written, Before the Heavens canones haud obscure confirmant, [13] & were created I chose her;) the End, omnium gentium consuetudo. Illud maxime according to the Catholick Creed of obseruat non solum in hominibus, sed quibusque philosophers, being ever first in animalibus, etiam in inanimatis stimandis, ut intention, though last in execution: but quanto quque dignior sunt orto loco tanto Woman was the End, and last work of generosiora censeantur. Quocirca Isaac prcepit God, and introduced into the World, filio suo Iacob ne uxorem acciperet de terra not unlike a queen into her royal Canaan, sed de Mesopotamia syri conditione palace, Paradise her metropolitan meliore. Est haud dissimile quod est apud residence, being fitted and prepared

Iohannem [Iohan. 1.] dum Philippus diceret: before hand for her reception and Invenimus Iesum filium Ioseph, Nazareth dixit entertainment, where the Man seem'd ei Nathanael, Nazareth potest esse aliquid boni. only her harbinger or attendant. Deservedly therefore doth every creature love, and pay respect and homage to her, who is of all creatures the queen, perfection, and glory; for which cause the wise man saith, He glorifies the generosity of the Woman, having society with God, the Lord of all hath loved her. But further, in reference to the place of her creation, how much Woman doth surpass Man in dignity, sacred Oracles liberally inform us, witnessing her to be created in Paradise, a place no less noble, than pleasant and delightfull; but the Man out of Paradise, in a rural field, with irrational brutes. And therefore as great personages, of noble extraction, though by the malice of Fortune reduc'd to extremities, retain still some marks of grandeur, and a mean different from the vulgar, so Woman carries yet an air of Paradise, something that speaks her sublime descent, her inclinations beign generally more pious and devout, and her countenance angelical, and (as accustomed to that sublime place of her first birth) she enjoys this peculiar priviledge, that looking downwards, though from never so high a precipice, she is not seiz'd with that dizziness or dimness of sight, which frequently in such accidents happens to men. As also if a man and woman together chance to be exposed to danger by water, (deprived of all external aid or assistance) you may behold her a long time floating on the chrystal superficies, the compassionate element seeming unwilling to contract the guilt of destroying so much excellency; whilest the Man streight sinks, and (like other gross bodies) tends to the bottome, as his proper center. Now that

the dignity of the place of nativity conduces not a little to the enobling a person, both the civil laws, and sacred canons plainly intimate, and the custome of all nations confirms; and that not only in men, but in all other animals, yea inanimate creatures, esteeming each so much more generous and noble, as they come from a more worth place. Thus Isaac commands his Jacob not to take a wife of the land of Canaan, but of the then more renowned country, Mesopotamia of Syria: not unlike which is that in John, where Philip relating, that he had found Jesus of Nazareth, Nathanael (that true Isreaelite) nimbly queries, If any thing good could come thence? Nunc ad alia pergamus: Prcellit mulier virum But to proceed; as in order and place, materia creationis, propterea quod non ex so also in matter of her Creation, inanimato quopiam aut vili luto creata [Gen. 2.], Woman far excells Man. things receive quemadmodum vir, sed ex materia purificata, their value from the matter they are viuificata, & animata, anima inquam rationali made of, and the excellent skill of their mentem participante diuinam. Accedit ad hoc maker: Pots of common clay must not quod vir ex terra quasi suapte natura omnis contend with China-dishes, nor pewter generis animantia producente cooperante clesti utensils vye dignity with those of influxu Deo factus est. Mulier autem supra silver. One line drawn by Appelles his omnem cli influxum ac natur promptitudinem exquisite pencill, is more to be absque ulla virtute cooperante solo Deo creata esteemed, than whole portraitures est, in omnibus sibi constans integra, & perfecta perform'd by the slubbering hands of viro interim unius cost iacturam faciente, ex vulgar artists. Woman was not qua formata est mulier, videlicet Eua de Adam composed of any inanimate or vile dirt, dormiente, atque tam profunde ut ne costam but of a more refined and purified quidem evelli sentiret, quam Deum abstulit viro substance, enlivened and actuated by a & dedit mulieri. Vir itaque natur opus, mulier Rational Soul, whose operations speak opificium dei. Ideoque mulier diuini splendoris it a beam, or bright ray of Divinity. plerunque viro capacior, speque plena existit, Man was taken out of the Earth, which quod etiamnum, ex munditia & pulchritudine of its own nature, with the co-operation ipsius mirifica facile videre licet. Nam quum of Celestial Influxes, is wont to bring pulchritudo ipsa nihil est [14] aliud quam diuini forth living creatures: but Woman, vultus, atque luminis splendor rebus insitus, per above all influence of the Heavens, or corpora formosa relucens. Is certe mulieres pr aptitude of Nature, without any viris habitare ac replere abundantissime elegit. assisting virtue, or co-operating power, Hinc mulieris corpusculum omni aspectu was formed miraculously, by god tactuque delicatissimum, Caro tenerrimam, color himself, out of that ribb taken from clarus, & candidus, cutis nitida, caput decorum, dormant Adam's side, whereby Man casaries venustissima, capilli molles, lucidi & became maim'd and imperfect; and protensi, vultus augustior, prospectusque hilarior, thence ever since, as a needle that hath

facies omnium formosissima, ceruix lactea, frons suffered the magnetick touch, stands expeditus, spatiosus & splendidus, oculos habet alwayes trembling till he looks full on vibrantiores, micantioresque, amabili hilaritate, its beloved North, so he can never rest, & gratia contemperatos, supra hos supercilia in till by taking a woman, and tenuem gyrum composita, eademque cum decora incorporating her with himself, he planitie, decenti distantia diuisa, quorum medio retreive that loss, and render himself descendit nasus, qualis & intra rectum modum again intire and perfect, The rare art cohibitus, sub quo os rutilum, & tenellis labris exercised in rearing this Femaleconformi compositione venustum intra qu tenui Fabrick, is not obscurely intimated by risu, dentes emicant, minutili & quo ordine the Divine Historian, in his Original locati, eburneo candore nitentes, illormque Language, where God is said to make quam viro paucior numerus quod neque edax Man, but to have built Woman; that neque mordax. Circumsurgunt maxill, implying but common work, this much genque, tenera mollitie roseo fulgore rubentes, curiosity, and contrivance; insomuch verecundique plen, ac mentum orbiculare, that Man seems little more than the decenti concauitate iucundum. Sub hoc collum production of Nature, Woman, the habet gracile, & longiusculum, rotundis ex more immediate handiwork of the God humeris erectum, gulam delicatam & albicantem, of Nature. And therefore for the most mediocri crassiti fultam vocem, & orationem part Woman is more susceptable of, suauiorem, pectus amplum, & eminens, quali and replenisht with divine splendor and carne vestitum cum mamillarum duritie, irradiations, than Man, of which her illarumque simul ac ventris orbiculari rotunditate, incomparable Neatness, and charming latera mollia, dorsum planum & erectum brachia Beauty, may be a pregnant evidence; extensa, manus teretes digitosque concinnis for Beauty is nothing but the brightness iuncturis, [15] protensos, ilia coxasque habitiores, or radiancy of Divine Light, shining in suras carnosiores, extrema manuum pedumque in created Essences, and casting on us its orbicularem ductum desinentia, singulaque glorious reflections from fair bodies, as membra succi plena. Ad hc incessus gressusque illustriously as out weak eyes are modestus, motus decentior, gestus digniores, capable without dazleing to behold it. totiusque prterea corporis ordine atque And this most frequently chooseth to symmetria, figura ac habitudine longe lateque in reside in Woman, rather than Man; omnibus speciosissima, nullumque in tota whence she becomes beyond all creaturarum serie, neque spectaculum adeo espression amiable and delightfull, her mirandum, neque miraculum perinde flesh tender and delicate, her colour spectandum, ut nemo nisi ccus omnino non bright and clear, her hair most videat deum ipsum quicquid pulchritudinis capax becoming, her locks (Cupids Fetters, est mundus universus in mulierem simul and the only threads wherewith he congessisse, ut ob id illam omnis creatura strings his bow) soft, long, and stupescat, & multis nominibus amet, ac glittering, her countenance more august veneretur, usque adeo ut usu venire videamus and majestical, her lokks more quod incorporei spiritus, dmonesque mulieres sprightly, vivid, and jocund, a snowspissime ardentissimis amoribus depereant, qu white neck, and large smooth high non fallax opinio est, sed multis experimentis fore-head, sparkling eyes, armed with nota veritas. Atque ut omittam ea qu poet irresistable glances, and yet tempered nobis de amoribus deorum, eorumdemque with a lovely grace and chearfulness, amasiis tradidere, ut Apollinis, Daphne, Neptuni, arches over with stately eyebrows, Salmonea, Herculis, Hebe, Iole, & omphale, (half Moons, that boast more conquests cterorumque deorum amasiis, & ipsius Iovis than the proud Turkish ensigns) which admodum multis, Hoc tam divinum being divided with a beseeming, plain,

pulchritudinis munus diis, hominibusque amabile sacra eloquia in mulieribus pr cteris gratiarum dotibus in multis locis celebriter commendant [Gene. 6.]. Hinc legitur in Genesi quod videntes filii Dei filias hominum quod essent pulchr, delegerunt uxores sibi ex illis quas voluerunt. Legimus etiam de Sara Abrah quod fuit pulchra pr aliis terr mulieribus, imo pulcherrima. Sic servus Abrah cum vidisset Rebeccam eximi pulchritudinis puellam, dixit tacitus secum: Hc est quam prparavit Dominus filio Abrah, Isaac, & Abigail [16] uxor Nabal viri pessimi erat prudens, & cordata, perinde atque speciosa. Ideoque servavit vitam & facultatem viri sui furore David. Et malus vir per pulchram mulierem servatus est. His namque verbis allocutus est eam David: Vade pacifice in domum tuam, ecce audivi vocem tuam, & honorificavi faciem tuam, nam cum omnis pulchritudo sit, vel spiritualis, vel vocalis, vel corporea. Abigail tota pulchra fuit, & prudentia spiritus, & facundia sermonis, & venustate corporis, quo nomine mortuo viro suo Nabal facta est una uxorum David. Et Bathsaba fuit adeo insigni forma mulier, ut eius amore captus David, illam post mortem viri desponsatam reginali dignitate pr cteris elevaret. Item Abisag sunamitis quod esset puella pulcherrima, propterea electa fuit ut accubando David senescntis iam regis calorem instauraret. Quapropter & summis honoribus senex eam rex augere voluit, & post mortem regis potentis regin loco habita est. Huc spectant ea qu de mira pulchritudine regin Vasti legimus, atque de Hester qu illi prlata, illaque prstantior fuit, nimis quam pulchra & decora facie. De Iudith etiam legimus cuius auxit Dominus pulchritudinem, in tantum ut eam conspicati stupore sint admirando affecti. De Susanna denique qu fuit oppido quam delicata, & specie pulchra. Quid quod legimus etiam post varia tentamenta Iob & eius rumnas exantlatas prter ctera qu summa patientia meruit, dedisse illi Dominum tres filias [17] pulcherrimas, tribus charitibus longe gratiores, quibus mulieres in universa terra speciosiores neutiquam invent sunt. Legamus porro licebit sanctarum virginum historias, nimirum mirabimur quam mir pulchritudinis et speciosissim form pr

and equal distance, her well proportioned nose leads to her pretty mouth, and that displaying with an amorous smile, the rosie portals of its soft ruddy lips, discovers a row of inestimable pearl, her fine small teeth, even, and out-vying ivory for whiteness, yet fewer in number than man's, as having less occasion to use them, being neither great eater, nor biter. Then her modest cheeks, whose colours are so purely mixt, that lillies and roses seem there to contend for superiority, and her pretty round chin, beautified with a love-dimple; a voice she hath most sweet and inchanting; breasts which seem two sphears of snow, or swelling mountaines of delight; long arms, little hands, interwoven with a curious laberynth of azure veins; long slender fingers, nimble joints, and all parts of her body plump, juicy, and attractive. Besides, her gate is so modest, her motions decent and natural, her gesture more free and noble, her air more taking and complacent, and the whole form, habit, and symmetry of her person, graced with such innumerable charms, as without injuring truth, we may affirm, That in the whole series of creatures there is nothing so much to be admir'd, or miracle so deserving to be seen, since in her alone all that have not their eyes blear'd with prejudice, or envy, may clearly see, the great Creator (who is the fountain of all that is good and amiable) hath epitomized the beauty of all his other works, for those perfections which sparkle here and there in them, are collected and constellated in her, whom we may call, a draught of the whole Creation in miniature, or a copy of that vast Volume done in exquisite short-hand. Hence all creatures admire, love, and almost adore her; for so (* Lib. 8. Nat. Hist.) Pliny (that great clark of Nature's Closet) relates, That the lion which

cteris filiis hominum catholica ecclesia solemniter illas collaudando decantet. Sed omnium longe lateque principem immaculatam Dei genitricem virginem Mariam, cuius pulchritudinem sol & luna mirantur, cuius speciosissimo vultu tanta simul effulsit pulchritudinis castimonia, atque sanctitudo, ut licet omnium oculos pariter & mentes perstringeret, nemo tamen unquam mortalium suis illecebris, vel minimo cogitatu corruerit. Hc etiam si fusius sacris bibliis ubi toties de pulchritudine facta mentio, idque ipsissimis pene verbis ideo recensui, quo plane intelligamus mulierum pulchritudinem, non apud homines solum, sed & apud Deum c ohonestatam esse & honore cumulatam. [Numeri. 31] Proinde & alibi legimus in sacris literis Deum prcepisse omnem masculum sexum etiam pueros occidi, mulieres vero pulchras servari. [Deut. 21.] Et in Deuteronomio permittitur filiis Israel pulchram mulierem captivis sibi deligere in coniugem.

spareth no other creature, trembleth at a woman, and hardly proffereth her that violence which usually he doth to Man; as if Nature had taught that savage animal the respects due to so fair a presence. Nor is it only the conceit of fond opinion, but a very credible Truth, That even spiritual Natures, incorporeal Essences, and Dmons, have many times been enamoured on Women with wonderfull passion; for omitting those stories poets tell us, of the Amours of their fabulous Deities, as Apollo and Daphne, Neptune and Salmonea, or rampant Hercules with his three wenches, Hebe, Jole, and Omphale, &c. The Holy Scripture seems to intimate no less, as in Genesis we find, That the Sons of God seeing the Daughters of Men were fair, took of them for their wives: to which we might adde, (if it be not too Apochryphal) the ill spirit Asmodeus, who so jealously courted the Lady, that he destroy'd all his rivals, in the history of Tobit. Indeed these sacred rolls are frequent in recommending this divine ornament, Beauty, and furnish us with various examples of its power and excellency. Thereby it was Abigail preserved her churlish husband's life and fortune, from the fury of incensed David; for thus the royal captain accosts her, Return in peace, I have heard thy voice, and honoured thy face, (or as other versions render it, Accepted thy person.) All beauty is either intellectual, vocal, or corporeal; in each of which this Lady is recorded to have been eminently accomplisht, being both prudent in mind, eloquent of speech, and beautifull in person; for which excellency perfections, David after Nabal's decease accepted her for one of his wives. Hester's beauty was a means to deliver her people out of the jaws of destruction, to which proud Haman had devoted them. And fair Judith's charms infatuating the besotted

general, preserved her nation from a ruine which seem'd inevitable. After those various temptations and tedious afflictions of holy Job, Heaven (as if it could not bestow a better earthly reward on such a stupendious and inimitable patience) blest him with three daughters so sweet, fair, and attractive, that they surpast those graces poets fable of, and the whole World (bankrupt of such other excellency) could not produce their parallels. Who reading the legends of the Sacred Virgins, can but admire in them that transcendent beauty, which the Church vouchsafes to celebrate with such solemn Eulogies of honour? especially that immaculate Virgin, the blessed Mary, whose beauty is said to be so exactly temper'd with chastity and holiness, trhat though it captivated all hearts, yet it never tempted any to folly, so much as in thought. Not is beauty only esteemed amongst men, but seems also to be particularly regarded even by God himself, (as indeed how can he but respect his own reflection.) Thus we sometimes read him commanding all the males (even children) should be slain, but the women that were fair to be saved alive. And in Deuteronomy, liberty is indulged to the Israelites, to take one of their captives to wife, if she were beautifull, which otherwise was unlawfull. But besides this charming excellency, which not only invites, but commands our admiration, Woman is endowed with another natural ornament, not vouchsaft to men; her hair growing to that becoming length, as to veil those more reserved parts, whereof modesty commands concealment; and indeed of that slushing virtue this sweet Sex may justly challenge the far greatest share, it having been oft experienced, (*) that in desperate diseases, they have chosen

Prter hanc admirandam pulchritudinem etiam honestatis quadam dignitate mulier dotata est,

(*) This discourse in the original was dedicated by the author Agrippa, to the Princess Margaret, afterwards wife to Maximilian, Emperor, who was herself a

fatal quod viris non contingit: Nam capilli mulieris in to expose themselves to Death's instance tantum promittuntur, ut omnes corporis partes imbraces, rather than to the view and hereof, for pudentiores operire possint. Adde quod has handling of chyrurgions [surgeons] for breaking her thigh by a corporis partes in natur operibus mulieri cure. Nor can Death it self rifle them of fall from a horse as she contrectare, id quod viris adsolet usui [18] venire, this modest bashfulness, for when was hunting, nunquam est necesse. Ad miram denique drowned, (as Pliny relates, and she would not permit decentiam natura ipsa mulieribus inguina experience proves) they lye in the chyrurgions ordinavit non prominentia uti viris, sed intus water with their faces downwards, to set it, but manentia, ac secretiori tutiorique loco seposita. Nature sparing their modesty, whereas chose rather to die Porro natura plus verecundi contulit mulieribus, a man in such a case swims on his thereof, than quam viris. Quamobrem spissime contigit back, exposing all his shame and prostitute mulierem inguinum periculoso abscessu nakedness to publick view. further, the her modesty. See Speed's grotantem mortem elegisse, potius quam se most worthy part of us, whereby we Chronicle. chyrurgi conspectu ac contrectationi obiiceret chiefly differ from brutes, is the head, medendam. Et hanc verecundi honestatem and of that, especially the face. Now in etiamnum moribund mortuque retinent, ut in men, that noble member the head, is his patet maxime qu in aquis pereunt. Nam often by age or other infirmity authore Plinio atque experientia teste, mulier plundered of hair, its native ornament, prona iacet pudori defunctarum parcente natura, and grows deformed with a despicable vir autem natat supinus. Accedit ad hc quod baldness, from which misfortune dignissimum in homine membrum quo maxime women by an extraordinary priviledge brutis differimus divinamque judicamus naturam, of Nature are exempt. As likewise their caput est, & in eo potissimum vultus. Caput faces remain alwayes smooth and quidem in viris calvitie deformatur, muliere comely; whereas men's are frequently contra magno natur privilegio non calvescente. so beset with over-grown beards, and Vultus insuper in viris barba illis odiosissima sordid hair, that 'tis difficult to adeo spe deturpatur, pilisque sordidis operitur, distinguish them from beasts; whence ut vix beluis discerni possint. In mulieribus by the Law of the Twelve Tables, it contra ramanente semper facie pura atque decora. was provided, women should not shave Hinc lege duodecim tabularum cautum erat ne their cheeks, lest it might occasion the mulieres genas raderent, ne quando barba growth of beards, and destroy their excresceret & pudor occultaretur. Munditi native pudor [modesty] and etiam ac puritatis ipsius mulieris omnibus vel hoc comeliness. Now of the cleanness and evidentissimum argumentum est, quod mulier purity of this sex, this oft-try'd semel munde abluta, quoties post aqua pura experiment cannot but be a proof diluitur, aqua ipsa nullam recipit immunditi beyond exception; for when a woman maculam. [19] Vir autem quantumcumque hath once washt her self clean, let her ablutus, quoties denuo abluit, turbat aquam, & wash again in fresh water, and it shall inficit. Ad hc natur ordinatione mulieribus per receive no spot or tincture of foulness; loca secretiora singulis mensibus superfluitates but a man never so well washt, as oft expelluntur, qu viris per faciem multo as he washes again, will still leave digniorem humani corporis partem continuo behind some filth and sordities. Nor emittuntur. Prterea cum inter ctera animantia may we omit, That Nature hath given solis hominibus concessum sit ad coelum Women the greatest share in the attollere vultus, natura fortunaque mulieri in hoc procreation of Mankind; for according mirifice prospexerunt atque adeo pepercerunt, ut to the opinion of those great pillars of si casu fortuitove cadendum sit, mulieres fere the Art of healing, Galen and semper in tergum decidant, ac vel nunquam vel Avicenna, she contributes most to the non temere in caput vultumve prosternantur. matter and nutriment of the birth,

Quid (quod ne omittamus) nonne in humani which may be the reason that most generis procreatione videmus naturam viris children resemble their mothers many mulierem prtulisse? Quod hoc maxime times in external features, but almost perspicuum est, quia solum muliebre semen alwayes in genius and inclinations; for Galeno [Gal. 2. de spermate et 14, de utilitate where mothers be simple, the children particularum] & Avicenna [Avi. doc. 5 fen prima generally prove fools, and where they primi.] testibus, est materia et nutrimentum are wise, these are witty: but on the foetus, viri autem minime, quod illi contrary, the wisest fathers have most quodammodo ut accidens substanti ingrediatur. times idiots to their sons, and foolish Maximum enim ut ait lex, atque, prcipuum fathers frequently get wise children, munus est fminarum concipere, conceptumque provided the mother be but possest of a tueri, obquam causam videmus plurimos competent stock of discretion. And matribus similes esse, quia ex earum sanguine hence it should seem, mothers become procreatos. Idque plurimum in corporis habitu, more fond and indulgent to children, as semper autem in moribus, si enim matres stolid being sensible of having a greater share sunt, & filii stolidi fiunt, si matres prudentes, & and interest in them; in requital filii earum prudentiam redolent. Contra vero in whereof for the same cause, we are patribus qui si ipsi sint sapientes, filios ut naturally more affected towards our plurimum generant stolidos, & stolidi patres mothers than to our fathers, so as we sapientes producunt filios, modo sapiens mater seem but to respect our father, and to sit. Nec alia ratio est cur matres plus [20] patribus love only our mother. And this leads us diligant filios suos, nisi quia multo plus de suo to make some reflection on that which sentiunt, habentque in illis matres, quam patres. is our first commons in this World, our Ob eandem quam dixi causam, etiam arbitror mother's milk, a thing of that catholick nobis inditum esse, uti plus in matrem quam in virtue, that it not only nourishes patrem simus adfecti, usque adeo ut patrem infants, cherishes the sick, and restores diligere matrem solam amare videamur. consumptive and languishing nature, Eademque de causa natura mulieribus tanti but may in case of necessity suffice for vigoris lac contulit, quod non solum infantes the preservation of life to persons of nutriat verum etiam & gros restaurat, & adultis any age, a notable instance whereof we quibusque ad vit columen sufficiat. Cuius read in Valerius, of a poor young experimentum legimus apud Valerium [Val. li. 5. woman, who therewith preserved her ca. 4.] de plebeia, quadam iuvencula, qu aged mother in prison, that otherwise matrem suam in carcere sic aluit, cum alioqui had inevitable been swallowed up by fame esset peritura, quam ob pietatem salus matri the devouring jaws of famine, whereby & utrique perpetua alimenta data sunt, carcerque She sav'd her life who gave in pietatis templum consecratus est. Constat her life before, autem semper fere mulierem maioris esse pietatis And kindly did in kind her et misericordi, quam virum quod & Aristoteles milk restore. [Aristot. lib. de animalibus.] ipse fmineo sexui proprium tribuit. Quamobrem arbitror dixisse Salomonem ubi non est mulier ingemiscit ger Which signal love and tenderness not only procured the old woman's release, [Ecclesia. 26.], vel quod in inserviendo et adsistendo valetudinariis mir est dexteritatis, & and a competent maintenance for her alacritatis, quod lac muliebre potissimum gris and her daughter, but for a monument thereof the goal was converted into the debilibus etiam morti vicinis prsentaneum remedium est, quo ad vitam restituantur. Hinc, ut Temple of Piety, a virtue to which women are almost ever more prone ferunt medici calor earumdem papillarum than men; so that Aristotle recounts virorum nimio senio confectorum pectori

applicatus, calorem vitalem in illis excitat adauget, & conservat, quod ne Davida quidem latuit, qui Abisaac sunamitem puellam delegit in senio, illius calefactus amplexibus.

piety, mercy, and compassion, as virtues peculiar to this sex. Nor is it unusual for physitians to relate, That the heat of young women's paps, applyed to the breasts of persons won out with age, doth stir up, augment, and preserve the vital heat, of which David not ignorant, when age had snow'd her silver hairs on his head, and robb'd him of his youthfull vigour; procured the fair young Shunamite for his bed-fellow, that he might receive warmth from her sweet caresses, and cherishing imbraces.

Porro etiam hoc promptior est viro mulier [21] ad Furthermore, to omit that women are sacrum illud generandi officium (ut omnibus more early ready to accomplish that palam est) quod hc quidem decennis & infra great end of our being, generation, and viri, potens est ille vero longe succedat. the propagation of posterity, than men, Prtereque nemini id obscurum est, solam and that stupendious miracle of Nature, fetificantium mulierem postquam prgnans est & their longing, when many times ferre incipit uterum, nec ita diu etiam postquam without danger they greedily feed on partu est soluta ad recensitum iam opus rursum raw flesh or fish, and not seldome on inclinatam, cuius vasculum (matricem vocant) coals, dirts, stones, and other trash, adeo usque humano conceptu adficitur, ut which without damage they concoct, aliquando mulier absque concubitu concepisse and convert into healthfull nutriment: legatur. Sic enim Physicus ille de muliere We only at present adde, That quadam monumentis tradidit literarum, qu virile according to the traditions of semen in balneo emissum adhauserit. Accedit ad philosophers and physitians, ratified by hoc aliud natur stupendium miraculum, quod experience, women have obtained this mulier prgnans si appetitus instigarit, impune excellent book from the indulgence and victitat carnibus incoctis, crudisque piscibus, bounty of Nature, That in all diseases neque raro carbonibus, luto, lapidibus, metalla whatever, they of themselves, from quoque & venena, cteraque huiusmodi, multa their own proper stock, are furnisht sine noxa concoquit, & in corporis convertit with remedies, and can cure salutiferum nutrimentum. Quanta etiam prter themselves, without praying in aid of hc ipsa in mulieribus natura producere gaudeat any forreign help, or far-fetcht miracula, nemo mirabitur, qui philosophorum medicament. medicorumque volumina perlegerit, quorum exemplum, quod unicum duntaxat subiiciam, prsto est & ad manum. In menstruo qui sanguis But that which transcends all wonder, prterquam quod quartanis, ab hydrophorbia, is, that Woman alone, without Man, should be able to produce humane morbo comitiali, ab elephantia, ab impressionibus melancolicis, ac mania, & multis Nature, which Man alone never could id genus perniciosissimis gritudinibus liberat, pretend to; and yet this is commonly affirmed by the Turks and other aliaque permulta, nec minus admiratu digna Mahumetans, to be feazible; amongst efficit, inter ctera miranda etiam incendia whom many are believed to be extinguit, tempestates sedat, fluctuum pericula

arcet, noxia omnia pellit, maleficia solvit, ac conceiv'd without Fathers, whom in cacodmones fugat. De his vero qu [22] reliqua their own tongue they call Nefesogli. sunt, plura ad prsens probare non est consilium. Stories likewise go of islands, where Illud tamen adhuc addam auctarii vice, in the women are conceived to conceive mulieribus esse iuxta philosophorum & by the Wind; but this we dare not medicorum comprobatas experientia traditiones, admit into our Creed, for thereby we divinum donum omnibus admirandum quo should injuriously rob the blessed Mary ipsmet suis propriis dotibus in omni morborum of her honour, whose alone prerogative genere sibi ex seipsis mederi possunt, nullo etiam it was to conceive without the exotico aut aliunde accersito adminiculo knowledge of Man, when she brought accedente. Sed quod omnia superat mirabilia, forth her natural Son, our Saviour, of mirabilissimum illud ipsum est, quod sola sine her proper substance, being viro mulier humanam potuit producere naturam, impregnated by the Holy spirit, and quod viro haud quaquam datum est. Quod remaining still a pure and immaculate equidem apud Turcas, seu Mahumetistas in Virgin, such fruitfulness attending the confesso est, apud quos plures concepti precedent Benediction, that she needed creduntur, sine virili semine, quos illi sua lingua not Man's help in reference to nefesogli vocant, & narrantur insul, ubi conception. But of brute animals it is fmin ventus afflatu concipiunt, quod tamen more confidently affirmed, some nos verum esse non concedimus. Sola siquidem females conceive without the company virgo Maria, sola inquam hc sine viro Christum of the Male; as Origen against Faustus, concepit ac peperit filium ex sua propria delivers on the credit of history, substantia, & naturali fcunditate. Est enim concerning she-vultures; and Antiquity beatissima virgo Maria vera & naturalis Christi of certain mares, which went to foal by mater, ipseque Christus verus & naturalis virginis the fruitfull gales of Zephyrus, of Mari filius: dico autem naturalis, quia homo & which the Poet, iterum naturalis virginis filius, quatenus ipsa virgo non fuit corrupt natur obnoxia. Quo circa neque etiam in dolore peperit, neque sub potestate viri fuit, tanta fuit eius ex prveniente benedictione fcunditas, ut ad concipiendum virili non indigeret opera. Inter bruta autem animantia constat fminea non nulla maris expertia fcunda esse ut vulturum fminas ex historia memori proditum esse contra Faustum tradit Origenes, sed & quas quasdam zephyro stanta concipere comperit antiquitas de quibus hc canuntur:
[23]

Ore omnes vers in zephyrum stantrupibus altis Exceptantque leves auras, & spe sine ullis Coniugiis vento gravid. Iam quid de sermone dicam divino munere, quo uno beluis maxime prstamus, quem Trismegistus Mercurius eiusdem ac

Ore omnes vers in zephyrum stantrupibus altis Exceptantque leves auras, & spe sine ullis Coniugiis vento gravid. Standing on top of rocks, the wanton Beast Sucks in the gentle breises

immortalitatem pretii existimat. Et Hesiodus of the West; optimum hominis thesaurum nominat. Nonne Whence she grows sermone mulier viro facundior, magisque diserta pregnant, and such Coles & abundans? Nonne quotquot sumus homines, you'd find non nisi aut matribus, aut nutricibus primum As fleet and nimble, at their loqui didicimus? sane natura ipsa rerum Sire, the Wind. architectrix in hoc humano genere sagaciter prospiciens, hoc muliebre genus donavit, ut vix What shall we say of speech, that divine Faculty differencing us from uspiam mulier milia reperiatur. Pulchrum brutes, whereby the Soul puts profecto & laudabile eos viros prcellere, quo conceptions into words, and makes her cteris animantibus homines potissimum apprehensions audible, which the prstant. Sed prophanis ad sacras literas ceu profound Trismegistus prizes at no postliminia redeamus, atque ab ipsis usque lower rate than immortality; and the religionis fontibus rem auspicemur. Scimus in primis haud dubie propter mulierem viro Deum poet Hesiod deservedly stiles our best treasure. I appeal to each man's own benedixisse, quam benedictionem vir utpote indignus habere non meruerat prius quam mulier exerience, (and some I know have had cause to observe it) whether women are esset creata. Cui consonat illud Salomonis not naturally more eloquent of speech, proverbium, [Proverb. 18.] Qui invenerit than men, and their tongues more apt mulierem bonam, invenitbonum, & haurit benedictionem domino, Et illud Ecclesiastici: and voluble to cloath their thoughts in language and express their sentiments [Ecclesia. 26.] Mulieris bon beatus vir, on any occasion. How sweet and numerus annorum illorum duplex. Et nullus insinuating are their complements? homo potest in dignitate comparari illi, qui dignus fuerit habere mulierem bonam. Nam ut ait how close and home their objurations? Ecclesiasticus: [Eccle. 26.] Mulier bona est gratia how sudden their answers? how ingenious their retorts? how ready their super omnem gratiam. Ideoque Salomon in excuses? how neat their evasions? how proverbiis [Proverb. 12.] vocat illam coronam irresistable their intreaties? Did not viri. Et Paulus [I. Corinth. 11.] gloriam viri: definitur autem gloria, consummatio & petfectio every one of us first learn to speak from no to tutors than our mothers or rei [24] quiescentis & delectantis in suo fine, nurses? and in this behalf Nature (like quando videlicet rei nil amplius addi potest ut a carefull governess) so wisely crescat eius perfectio. Mulier itaque consummatio, perfectio, flicitas, benedictio et provides for Humanity, that scarce ever gloria viri existit, atque ut ait Augustinus: Prima any of that sex are found dumb. Nor is this sure any mean or vulgar honour, humani generis in hac mortalitate societas. but meriting the greatest regard, to Idcirco illam omnis homo amet necesse est, surpass men in that, wherein Man quam qui non amaverit, qui odio habuerit, ab omnibus virtutibus & gratiis alienus est, nedum himself chiefly excells other creatures. humanitate, referenda forte istic essent cabalistica illa mysteria, quomodo Abraam benedictus Deo But pretermitting these more vulgar per mulierem Sarah, decerpta nomine mulieris and prophane instances of feminine superiority, let us return to sacred litera H, & addita nomini viri, & vocatus est letters, deducing the rivulets of our Abraham [Gene. 27. & 28.], quomodo etiam benedictio Iacob illi sit, per mulierem, matrem discourse from the very fountains of videlicet acquisita [Gene. 2.]. Sunt huius generis Religion; where we may observe, That Man was first blest for the woman's plura in sacris literis, sed hoc loco non sake, God vouchsafing no benediction explicanda. Benedictio itaque data est propter mulierem, lex autem propter virum, lex inquam on him till after her Creation, as if

ir & maledictionis, viro namque interdictus erat before he had been unworthy that fructus ligni, mulieri non item, qu neque dum celestial favour. consonant whereunto creata erat illam enim Deus ab initio liberam esse is that Proverb of Solomon, He that voluit, vir itaque comedendo peccavit, non finds a good woman, finds a good mulier, vir mortem dedit, non mulier. Et nos thing, and shall receive a blessing from omnes peccavimus in Adam, non in Eva, the Lord. And that in Ecclesiasticus, ipsumque originale peccatum non matre Blessed is the husband of a good fmina, sed patre masculo contrahimus. woman, the number of his years shall Ideoque vetus lex omne masculinum circumcidi be doubled. Nor indeed can any vye iussit, fminas autem incircumcisas manere, dignity with him whose good fortune peccatum videlicet originis. In eo sexu qui 'tis to enjoy a good wife; for (as the peccasset solummodo puniendum statuens. same Siracides saith) she is a Grace Neque prterea increpavit Deus mulierem, quia above all Graces: and therefore the comederat, sed quia mali occasionem dedisset wisest of kings calls her, The Crown; viro, atque id quidem imprudens, [25] eo quod and the great Apostle, The Glory of the per diabolum tentaretur. Vir itaque excerta Man: Now Glory is defined to be the scientia peccavit, mulier erravit ignorans, & consummation and perfection of a decepta. Nam & diabolo primo tentata est, thing acquiescing and delighting in its quippe quam cognovit creaturarum omnium end, viz. when nothing more can be excellentissimam. Et ut inquit Bernardus: Videns thereto added to augment its perfection. diabolus admirandam eius pulchritudinem, sciens Therefore Woman being the eam talem qualem antea in divino lumine complement, feliciry, blessing, and cognouerat, qu super omnes angelos gauderet glory of Man, 'tis but requisite every colloquia Dei, inuidiam iecit in solam mulierem, man should love and respect her propter suam excellentiam. Quo circa Christus accordingly; and he that doth not do so, natus huic mundo humilimus, quo sua humilitate or shall be to barbarous as to hate or superbiam expiaret peccati, primi parentis, sexum dis-esteem her, is not only a stranger to assumpsit virilem, ut humiliorem, non sexum all virtues and graces, but a very rebel fmineum, sublimiorem & nobiliorem. Prterea against Humanity. quia condemnati fuimus propter peccatum viri, non mulieris, voluit Deus vt in quo sexu fuerat Hereto we might, perhaps not peccatum in eo fieret & peccati expiatio, & qui improperly, refer those Cabalistical sexus ignorans deceptus erat, per eundem etiam mysteries, how that Abraham was fieret vindicta. Ideoque ad serpentem dictum est, blessed of God in some respect through quia mulier, vel quod verius legitur quia semen means of his Wife Sarah; for by taking the letter H from her name, and adding mulieris caput eius conteret [Gene. 3.] non vir neque semen viri. Atque hinc est forte quare ordo it to his, he came to be called Abraham. As also that Jacob's blessing sacerdootalis ab ecclesia commissus est viro was acquired by a woman, his mother: potius quam mulieri, quia sacerdos omnis of which sort there are in Scripture Christum representat. Christus autem primum hominem peccatorem ipsum videlicet Adamum. several other passages, not requisite Ex hoc iam intelligitur Canon ille qui incipit [33 here to be unfolded. This may suffice to let us see, that the blessing was q. 5. hc imago] hc imago dicens mulierem bestow'd for the Woman's sake, but the non esse factam ad imaginem Dei, scilicet ad corpoream Christi similitudinem. Noluit tamen Law given to the Man: to him was forbidden the fruit of that unhappy tree, Deus ipse inquam Christus filius esse viri, sed mulieris, quam eo usque honorauit ut ex muliere which set all posterities teeth on edge; not to the Woman, who was not then sola carnem indueret. [26] Propter mulierem so much as created. For although St. namque Christus dictus est filius hominis, non

propter virum. Hoc est illud ingens miraculum, Gregory (*) [Greg l. 35. Moral c. 16.] quod admodum Propheta stupescit, quia mulier read the Prohibition, you shall not eat, circumdedit virum [Hiere. 31. (Jer21.20)] quando as though it were spoken to both Man videlicet sexus devoratur virgine, & Christum and Woman, yet the original delivers it portat in corpore. Etiam resurgens Christus in the singular number. And St. Austin morte, mulieribus primum apparuit, non viris [Io. (*) (Gen. ad Lat. lib. 8. cap. 17) [St. 20. Marc. 16.]. Nec ignotum est post Christi Augustine] taketh away the doubt, and obitum viros fide discessisse, mulieres autem telleth us, That by tradition the Woman nusquam constat fide & religione Christiana receiveth this Commandment from the defecisse. Porro nulla unquam fidei persecutio, Man, not by immediate delivery from nulla hresis, nullus in fide error mulieribus God; which if so, we thence conclude, unquam emersit, secus constat de viris. Christus That by reason thereof the Woman traditus, venundatus, emptus, accusatus, might chance more easily to break this damnatus, passus, crucifixus, tandem morti Law, than the Man; since the Alltraditus, non nisi per viros. Imo etiam Petro suo glorious Majesty of God that negatus, cteris discipulis relictus, solis commanded, should take deeper mulieribus ad crucem usque & sepulchrum impression in Man, than the equality of comitatus [Luc. 24.]. Atque etiam ipsa Pilati person that related, could in the uxor, Aethnica plus conabatur salvare Iesum, Woman; the roaring of a lion being quam quisquam virorum etiam illorum qui more trembled at, than the braying of crediderant [Matth. 27.]. Accedit huc quod tota an ass; the commands of a king more ferme theologorum scola asserit, acclesiam tunc powerfull, than the words of one's non nisi apud solam mulierem puta virginem companion. At most, when Woman Mariam mansisse, atque, ob id & merito sin'd, she did it, poor Soul, unwittingly, religiosus ac sacer fminei sexus appellatur. being deluded by the insinuating Serpent: so that, it appears the Man sinned against perfect knowledge, and the positive command of his Maker; the Woman out of ignorance, seduced by the crafty wiles of the Tempter, with whom for a considerable time she disputed the matter, and lost not the glory of the day without a fair combate (?), though at last she fell an unhappy trophy to his strategems: whereas no sooner was that too-pleasing apple proffered to the Man, but without scruple he greedily falls oon, and, rebel as he was, would needs tast its fancied sweetness, whose bitter rellish remains to this day, and hath left on us those original stains, which nothing but Divine Blood can fetch out. That Woman was first set upon by the Adversary, may be an argument of her excellency; for we know, that the sharpest points are soonest blunted, and the perfectest white most easily soil'd.

Envy strikes at the best, who stand on high, And fairest marks for foulest oblaquy. The black Prince of the Air, that subtle degraded Seraphin, well knew Woman to be the most accomplisht of all creatures; and seeing (as St. Bernard observes) her amazing beauty to be such, as before his lapse he had beheld in the Divine Light, and which above the sublimest Hierarchies enjoys Communion with God, did thereupon meeryl out of envy, plot how he might dismount her from that Throne of Perfection, and endeavoured by his malitious darts first of all to wound her innocency, and sully her glory, whose transcendent lustre above others, his hellish nature could not but most of all repine at. Nor want we further intimation of the fair sexes dignity and pre-eminence, if we reflect, That when the promised seed of Woman, that bruised this cursed Serpent's head, I mean our blessed Savious, left the bosome of his Eternal Father, and the splendors of inaccessible Light, to become visible in these lower Regions, and veiling the Majesty of his glorious presence, cloath'd himself with humane flesh, coming into the World in the lowliest manner imaginable, that by his humility he might expiate the pride of our first Parents' sin; we may with all humble reverence conjecture, That he was therefore pleased to assume the Male, as the meanest and inferior Sex; contriving by his infinite wisdom, that since Man's offence had reduced us all into this forlorn condition, (for had the Woman only sin'd, we never had had such cause to cry out, Oh Adam! what hast thou done? nor the Apostle to say, In Adam we all dyed) satisfaction for sin should be made in that Sex, from whom that ocean of impiety which overwhelm'd the World, had its first

source and origine. But although this blessed Immanuel took not on him the Female Sex, yet he so far honoured it, as to assume his Flesh only from the Woman; and is therefore entituled, Filius hominis, in respect of her, not of Man, (which our vulgar translations seem to have forgot.) This was that stupendious miracle, the contemplating whereof put the admiring Prophet into an extasie, That a Woman should encompass a Man; that is, Christ be conceiv'd in a pure Virgin's womb, Impregnated without the contact of two prolifick sexes; that Divinity should be embroidered in an earthly Tabernacle, and have its glories shut up in a cloud of flesh, like Sun-beams in curtains of chrystal [crystal]. Nor did our Lord afterwards when he had dissolv'd the powers of the Grave, and destroy'd death's Empire by his miraculous Resurrection, voiuchsafe his first appearance to men, but women, who are not known at any time to have quitted the faith, or turn'd their backs on true Religion; whereas men immediately after his ascension began to apostatize. Nor can it be proved, that ever any persecution, heresie, schism, or error in the church, had women for its first authors, but alwayes men. By that perfidious and cruell sex was our blessed Jesus the Lord of Life, and King of Glory, betrayed, sold, bought, accused, condemned, crucified, and slain: yea when he was denied by his own great confident, Peter, and abandoned by all the rest of his male disciples, even then the women left him not, but accompanied him still to the Cross and sepulchre; and Pilate's heathen wife endeavoured more his preservation, than any of the men which profess'd belief in him. Whereto we may adde, That almost all SchoolDivines concur in opinion, That the Church at that instant remained wholly and solely in a woman, viz., The Virgin

Mary; and therefore this Sex is deservedly by them stiled sacred and religious. Quod si etiam quispiam cum Aristotele dicat But if any object with Aristotle, That [Arist. lib. de animali.] inter omnia animalia the male is generally much the masculos esse fortiores, prudentiores & strongest, and therefore to be more nobiliores, huic respondet excellentior doctor valued; wedesire such to consider, how Paulus Apostolus dicens: Qu stulta sunt mundi contemptible a glory tis to boast of big elegit Deus ut confundat sapientes & infirma bones, or brawny arms, and what mean mundi elegit Deus, ut confundat fortia, & trophies they can hope to raise to ignobilia mundi, & contemptibilia elegit Deus, & themselves by excelling women, by ea qu non [27] sunt ut ea qu sunt destrueret [I. those advantages wherein they must Corynth. 1.]. Nam quis inter viros in cunctis confess themselves inferior to hundreds natur gratiarum dotibus Adamo sublimior of beasts. If strength alone must give extitit? [Gen. 2] at mulier illum humiliavit. Quis the pre-eminence, let Men give place to Samsone fortior? mulier eius fortitudinem their horses, confess their oxen their superauit. Quis castior Loth [Iudich. 14. & 16.]? masters, and pay homage to elephants. mulier illum ad incestum prouocauit, Quis Dauid But in truth they have little reason to religiosior? mulier eius sanctimoniam turbauit; vaunt of the strength or prudence, the quis sapientior Salomone, [Gen. 19.] mulier eum valour or subtilty of their Sex, having decepit. Quis patientior Iob? [2. Reg. 11.] quem been alwayes shamefully baffled by diabolus fortunis omnibus exuit [3. Reg. 11.], those whom they vainly call the weaker familiam & filios occidit, ipsumque ulceribus, vessels. What Man was ever able to sanie, dolore toto corpore oppleuit? tamen vye strength with Sampson, whose pristina animi simplicitate, patientiaque ad single arm no better weapon'd than iracundiam prouocare non potuit, prouocauit with an asses jaw-bone, could at once autem mulier, in hoc diabolo superior sacrifice a thousand and lives to his confidentiorque, quem ad maledicendum irritauit. fury? yet did this prodigious hero (like Quod si modo fas est vel Christum ipsum [Matth. Hercules) truckle to a distaff, and was 15.] in hanc comparationem vocare, quo nihil ridiculously captivated by a woman. potentius, nihil sapientius, cum sit terna Dei Who could boast a more severe sapientia, atque potestas, nonne Chananea illa chastity than just Lot, whose righteous muliercula sese superari passus est, dicente ipso: soul did daily suffer pangs of grief and Non est bonum tollere panem filiorum, & mittere indignation, seeing the Sodomite's canibus. Illa contra respondente: utique Domine, debaucheries? yet women easily inticed nam & catelli edunt de micisqu cadunt de him to ebriety and incest. Who more mensa Dominorum suorum, cum que iam vidisset religious than David? yet a bathing Christus, quia illam hoc argumento superare non Beersheba caused him at once to sully posset, benedixiti illi dicens, Fiat tibi sicut vis. the pure robes of his sanctity, with the Quis Petro Apostolorum primo in fide ferventior? black stains both of adultery and [Ioan. 18. Matth. 20. Marc. 14. Luc. 22.] mulier murder. Who so wise as Solomon, who illum non minimum ecclesi pastorem ad seems to have been Nature's Privynegandum Christum seduxit, dicant quicquid Counsellor, and to have had the honour velint canonist, ecclesiam suam non posse to behold her undrest? yet was not all errare, Papa mulier illam egregia impostura his wisdom amulet sufficient to guard delusit. [24. q. 1. recta Plati. de Ioan. 3] him against women's charms, but that Cterum dicet quis, hc magis in opprobrium he still placed more felicity in their

mulierum vergere, quam ad laudem accedere. [28] Cui mulieres ad hunc modum respondebunt. Si alterum nostrum necesse est aut boni alicuius, aut etiam vit iacturam facere, malo ego te perdere quam me perditum iri, Idque exemplo Innocentii tertii, qui in quadam sua decretali epistola ad quendam Cardinalem Romana se de legatum scriptum reliquit. Si te vel me confundi oporteat, potius te confundi eligam. Prterea ciuilibus legibus etiam mulieribus indultum est, ut liceat sibi consule re damno alieno. Atque in ipsis sacris literis nonne spe benedicitur, et extollitur iniquitas mulieris, plus quam vir benefaciens? Nonne laudatur Rachel, qu patrem suum idola qurentem [Genes. 31.], pulchra adinventione delusit? Nonne etiam Rebecca quia per fraudem obtinuit Iacob benedictionem patris [Genes. 27.], & postea cautius fecit declinare fratris iram, Raab meretrix decepit eos qui qurebant exploratores Iosue, & reputatur ei ad iustitiam Egressa est Iahel in occursum Sisar, dixitque ad eum intra ad me Domine mi, ac petenti aquam dedit illi bibere de utre lactis, & operuit illum iacentem, dormiente autem Sisara ingressa est abscondite, percussitque clauum in caput eius, & interfecit illum, qui se fidei eius crediderat servandum, atque pro hac in signi proditione benedicta, inquit scriptura, inter mulieres Iahel benedicatur in tabernaculo suo. Legite historiam Iudich [Iudich. 11], & notate verba eius ad Olofernem. Sume inquit verba ancill tu quoniam si ea secutus fueris perfectum te faciet Dominus, veniens nunciabo tibi omnia, ita ut adducam [29] te per mediam Hierusalem, & habebis omnem populum Israel, sicut oues quarum est pastor, & non latrabit vel unus canis contra te, quoniam hc mihi dicta sunt per prouidentiam Dei, sopitumque blanditiis Olofernem percussit in ceruicem, & abscidit caput eius. Quod quso, iniquius consilium, qu crudeliores insidi, qu captiosior proditio ex cogitari posset, & hanc idcirco benedicit, laudat & extollit scriptura, & longe melior reputata est iniquitas mulieris, quam vir benefaciens.

enjoyment, than in all the curious contemplations and researches of Philosophy; and even abandon'd the worship of that God, who had bestowed those stupendious parts on him, to wantonnize in their imbraces. Who more fervent and resolv'd in the faith, than Peters, the chief of the Apostles? yet a silly damsel caused that great pastor of the Church thrice to deny his Master. But methinks I hear some whispering, That all this makes more against than for Women, and tends rather to their infamy, than praise. To whom we answer, That the evil of the before recounted actions redounds chiefly to Men the actors, rather than to the Women, who were only accidently the occasion of them. And if the Sun's lustre by dazling our weaker eyes, bring on us any inconvenience, shall we accuse his glorious brightness: or rather ought we not to bewail the imbecillity of our own Opticks, unable to cope with so much splendor? Besides, admitting Women to be in some of these cases criminal, we could (if we delighted to be paradoxical) alledge, That even the holy Scripture seems to put a more favourable construction on their lapses and failings, than on Mens. Is not Rachel commended, who with a neat invention deluded her Father, in his search for her Idols? And Rebecca, who by fraud procured Jacob his father's blessing? Rahab with a lye deceived those who sought for Joshuah's spies, and 'tis accounted to her for righteousness. Jahel most perfidiously destroy'd Sisera, as he lay innocently sleeping in her tent, whither with an entire confidence he had committed himself for preservation; which signal treachery notwithstanding, 'tos said, Blessed amongst women shall Jahel be, &c. Read the story of Judith; observe well

her dissembling insinuations to Holofernes, and those flatteries wherewith she having lull'd him to sleep, cut off his head, for which she is applauded and extolled to the sjies. Lot's daughters pass uncondemn'd for their incest; and yet their father is not excused, but hath his succession excluded from the Church of God. Lascivious Thamur is defended, and said to be more just than the Patriarch Judah; and by that fraudulent incest obtains the honour to be named in our saviour's geneology. But 'tis time we dis-entangle our self from this odd digression and return to the prosecution of our subject. [Nonne bonum operatus est Cain offerens in sacrificium optimarum frugum primitias & eo ipso reprobatus esta Deo? Esau nonne benefecit dum pia obedientia venatur decrepito parenti cibum, & interea defraudatur benedictione, & odio habitus est Deo? Oza, dum, zelo religionis inclinatam, & iam prope labantem arcam sustinet, morte subita percussus est; rex Saul dum Amalechitarum pinguiores hostias in sacrificium parat Domino, deiectus regno etiam spiritui nequam traditus est. Excusantur ob incestus patris fili Loth, & non excusatur temulentus pater, & successio eius eiicitur ab Ecclesia Dei. Excusatur incestuosus Thamar, & dicitur iustior patriarcha Iuda, & fraudulento incestu meretur propagare lineam Salvatoris. Ite nunc viti fortes & robusti, & vos prgnantia Pallade, ligata tot fasciis scolastica capita, & totidem exemplis contrariam illam probate sententiam, quod melior sit iniquitas viri quam mulier benefaciens. Certe non poteritis illam tueri, ni recurratis ad allegorias, ubi tunc qualis cum viro mulieris erit authoritas.] Sed modo revertamur prcellenti tam flicissimi sexus, omnibus hoc vel euidentissimum argumentum esse potest, quod dignissima omnium creaturarum, cuius nec unquam dignior fuit, nec futura est mulier fuerit ipsa inquam beatissima virgo Maria, cui si quidem prter originale peccatum concepta sit, ne Christus quidem quod ad eius humanitatem There needs not any more evident argument of this happy sexes preeminence, than to reflect, That the most worthy of all creatures that ever was or will be, was a Woman, viz. the blessed Virgin. Nor is this any other than one of Aristotle's own Arguments. That kind of which the best is more

[This passage is in the 1532 edition, but not the 1529 edition.]

attinet maior erit. Est etenim Aristotelis validum noble than the best of another kind, is hoc argumentum, Cuius generis optimum est it felt more noble than that other kind: nobilius, optimo, alterius generis hoc genus esse now of the Female kind the Virgin altero nobilius, in fmineo genere optima est Mary is the best. In the Male there virgo Maria, in masculino non surrexit maior arose not a greater than John Baptist; Ioanne Baptista, atque hunc quantum excellat and how much that sacred Virgin, who virgo diua, qu exaltata est super omnes choras is exalted above all the Quires of angelorum, nemo catholicus ignorat. Similiter angels, doth surpass him, there is no argumentari licebit, cuius generis pessimum Catholick so ignorant but understands. peius est pessimo alterius, id genus esse ilia In like sort we may argue, That kind quoque inferius. Iam vero scimus quia whose worst is worse than the worst of vidosissima ac pessima creaturarum omnium vir another kind? but we know, that the est siue ille fuerit Iudas qui Christum tradidit, de worst and vilest of all creatures is Man; quo ait Christus: bonum esset homini illi si natus whether we understand it of that non fuisset [Mar. 14.], [30] siue illo peior futurus wretched Judas, who committed high sit antichristus aliquis, in quo omnis potestas treason against the King of Kings, and sathan inhabitabit. Multos ptterea viros of whom 'tis said, It had been good for ternis cruciatibus damnatos prodit scriptura, him not to have been born; or whether cum nulla uspiam mulier damnata legatur. there shall hereafter arise an Antichrist Accedit ad id testimonii etiam brutalis natur worse than he, in whom shall dwell all qudam prrogatiua, quippe auis omnium the power of Satan. And here by the regina, atque nobilissima qu aquila est, semper way give us leave to remark, that the fminei, nunquam masculini sexus reperitur, Scriptures mention divers Men banisht Phnicem etiam auem unicam Aegyptii non nisi to eternal torments; whereas we semellam prodiderunt. E contrario autem regulus nowhere read of any woman damn'd. serpens quem basiliscum dicunt omnium But to proceed; venenatorum pestilentissimus non nisi masculus est, quem insuper impossibile est nasci femellam. Nature herself gives a suffrage to our Prterea sexus huius excellentia, probitasque ac assertion; for in all her productions, when any thing is to be framed more innocentia vel his argumentis satis abunde ostendi potest, quoniam malorum omnium ortus excellent than ordinary, she makes it a Female. Thus the Eagle, the noblest of viris sit, mulieribus minime. Primus quippe protoplastes Adam ille legem domini transgredi birds, and Queen of all the winged ausus, portas cli obserauit & omnes nos peccato troops, is never found a Male. And the wondrous Phoenix (to which the World mortique reddidit obnoxios [Gen. 3.]. Omnes enim peccavimus, & morimur in Adam, non in is too poor to yield a mate) is related by the Egyptians to be ever of the Eva. Huius perinde primogenitus inferorum female sex. But on the contrary, The portas reserauit. Ille primus inuidus, primus homicida, primus parricida, primus desperans de King of Serpents, whom they call the Basilisk, the most mortal of all misericordia Dei [Gene. 9.], primus digamus poisons, is alwayes, and cannot but be Lamech [Ibidem], primus ebrius Noh, primus turpitudinem patris sui denudans ille filius Noe a male, as the more proper receptacle Chamus [Gene. 10.], primus tyrannus simul ac of venome and destructive qualities. idololatra, Nemroth, primus adulter vir, primus Whereas the excellency and innocency of this other sweet-natur'd sex, which incestuosus vir, viri insuper primi cum dmonibus fdera inierunt, ac prophanas artes we here recommend, is hence abundantly manifest, in that all those invenerunt. Viri filii Iacob primi vendiderunt black crimes and crying enormities fratrem [Gen. 37. Exod. 1.], Pharao Aegyptius which incense Heaven, and infest [31] necauit primus pueros, viri primi contra

naturam luxuriati sunt, testibus Sodoma, & Gomorra [Gene. 18.], qu ob virorums celera perierunt, celebres olim urbes, viros legimus ubique temeraria voluptate digamos, multinubos, multicubos, adulteros, fornicatores. Sic plurium uxorum, concubinarumque viri fuerunt Lamech, Abraham, Iacob, Esau, Ioseph, Moses, Sanson, Helcana, Saul, Dauid, Salomon, Assur, Roboam, Abia, Caleph, Assuerus, & innumeri alii, qui singuli plures uxores insuper & pellices & concubinas habuerunt. Nec illarum coniugio contenti ad explendam suam libidinem, etiam cum earum ancillis se commiscuerunt. Mulierem vero excepta una sola Betsabea nullam vsquam reperimus, nisi uno solo viro semper fuisse contentam, nec digamam insuper reperies ullam, si ex primo marito prolem susceperat. Sunt enim mulieres pudicita ac castitate viris ipsis multo continentiores, quas quod infcunde essent virorum concubitu spe ab stintuisse legimus & alienam vero introduxisse uxorem sicut Sara, Rachel, lia & ali mult infcundiores, qu ancillas suas introduxerunt, ut suscitarent viris suis posteritatem [Gen. 16 et 30.].

Earth, derive their pedigree from men. Adam the first man, first lockt up the Gates of Paradise, and by presuming to transgress the Law of his Maker, rendred all us his unhappy posterity obnoxious to sin, and consequently entituled to the wages thereof, death. And his first-born son unlockt the Gates of Hell; first of all introducing that infernal train, Envy, Murder, Paracide, and Despair into the World. The first that ventured on polygamy was Lamech; the first drunkard, Noah; the first setter up both of tyranny and idolatry, Nimrod, that mighty hunter, who thereby at once exercised his cruelty both on body and soul. Men they were that first establisht a commerce with the Regions of darkness, by treating and making compacts with infernal spirits, and inventing prophane arts. Men they were whose raging lusts first transported them to offer violence to Nature, whereof the ruines of Sodom and Gomorrah (once famous cities) calcin'd by that unnatural heat, remain to this day a dreadfull monument. To read of men that have abandon'd themselves to all kind of brutish sensualities; had two or more wives, or been adulterers, or whore-mongers, is not at all rare or unfrequent. How many wives had Abraham, Jacob, Esau, Joseph, Moses, Sampson, Saul, David, Solomon, Roboam, Abashuerus (?), and a numberless number more, who besides their wives, had concubines; and yet not satisfied, could not refrain tampering with their servants and handmaids. But we find not one woman (except Beetsheba) mentioned, but was content with one man; nor any that made a second choice, if she had issue by the first: for women are naturally far more chast and continent than men; insomuch that perceiving themselves unfruitfull, they have oft abstained from their husband's

bed, and brought in others to supply their places, as Sarah, Rachel, Leah; and others voluntarily offered their maids to their husband's embraces, to raise them up posterity. Sed quis obsecro virorum, quantumcunque senex, But what man pray ever was there, frigidus, sterilis, ac rei uxori ineptus, tant though never so old, cold, impotent, or unquam aut pietatis, aut clementi extitit in unfit for chamber-practice, that had uxorem, ut aliquem suo loco substitueret, qui either so much piety or pity, as to feracem uxoris uterum fcundo semine irroraret? substitute any in his place, that might quamvis huiusmodi leges Lycurgum, atque impregnate his wife's fruitfull womb Solonem olim tulisse legamus, videlicet si quis with a generous off-spring. We read tate provectior, & nuptiis intempestivior, indeed, that Lycurgus and Solon aliterue [32] in venerem ignavior puellam (persons rankt by antiquity amongst the despondisset ut liceret uxori ex adolescentibus & wisest of legislators) establisht laws to necessariis unum aliquem robote moribusque this effect, That if any man weakned conspicuum deligere, qui cum illa dulciter with age, or otherwise uncapable of colluderet & luctaretur, modo partus ditus sacrificing to Venus, and performing mariti adfereretur, nec idcirco alienum aut the Rights of the Nuptial Bed, had adulterinum dici quod nasceretur, leges quidem taken a young wife, she should not be illas latas legimus, seruatas autem non legimus, confin'd wholly to his fumbling non tam virorum duritia, quam mulierum courtship, but might make choice of continentia illas recusante. some sprightly young friend, to pay her those arrears of benevolence, due from her insolvent husband, whose issue should be deemed the husband's to all intents, and not at all illegitimate. But we find not these ordinances put in practice; no so much by reason of the men's obstinacy in obstructing, as the women's modesty and continency, refusing the liberty thereby indulged. Innumer sunt adhuc prclarissim fmin, Nor are examples wanting of divers qu cum insigni pudicitia etiam coniugali illustrious ladies, surpassing the best of charitate viros omnes longe vicerunt, cuiusmodi men, not only in an exact and rigid Abigail uxor Nabal, Arthemisia Mausolei, Argia chastity, but also for entire conjugal Pollinicis Thebani coniux, Iulia Pompei, Portia affection. Some out of a passionate Catonis, Cornelia Gracchi, Messalina Sulpitii, tenderness, not enduring to survive Alceste Admeti, Hypsicratea Mitridatis Pontici their husbands, have violently cast regis coniux, Dido quoque Carthaginis conditrix, themselves into the graves or funeral Romanaque Lucretia, atque Sulpitia Lentuli. Sunt piles, together with the beloved corps. infinit ali quarum virginitatis & pudiciti Others have thought no tomb but their fides ne morte quidem potuit immutari, quarum own bodies, worthy to inshrine the exempla sese offerunt, Athlanta, Calidonia, ashes of their dearest mates. How Camilla Volsca, Iphigenia grca, Cassandra & religiously have they preserved their Crise. Accedunt his Lacedemoni, Spartiat, love's flames, as pure and undecaying Milesi, atque Theban virgines, & innumer as vestal fires? What means have they

ali quas nobis numerant Hebrorum, left unattempted? What hazards have Grcorum, Barbarorumque histori qu they not embraced, to serve those to virginitatem pluris quam regna, quam denique whom Hymen's sacred Band hath vitam ipsam fecerunt. Quod si etiam pietatis united them? Witness Cornelia, who so exempla requirantur, inter ctera sese offerunt, dearly affected her Pompey, that she Claudia vestalis erga patrem, & plebeia illa would not suffer him to go into the iuuencula de qua supra locuti sumus in matrem. wars, (though he were the World's Sed obiiciet istis zoilus aliquis Samsonis, Iasonis, Terror) unless her self in person might Deiphbi, Agamemnonis exitialia coniugia [33] wait on him. Witness Demotia, who ac huiusmodi tragdias, quas si quis linceis having lost her Leosthenes, could not oculis (vt aiunt) introspexerit, comperiet falso find her self, and therefore through uxores accusari, quarum nulla vnquam contigit solitariness made a speedy voyage to viro bono improba. Non enim nisi malis maritis, death after hijm. Witness Sulpitia, who mal uxores sunt, quibus licet bon aliquando being adjudged to stay, and watched eueniant, spe eorundem vitio corrumpuntur. that she should stay at rome, when her Putas ne si licuisset mulieribus leges condere, husband Lentulus was banisht thence, historias scribere, quantag tragdias scribere did yet (notwithstanding the Senate's potuissent de virorum instimabili malitia, inter command, her princely father's charge, quos plurimi reperiuntur, homicid, fures, the love of her city and country, the raptores, falsarii, incendiarii, proditores, qui loss of friends and family) alone etiam tempore Iosue [Iosu. 7.] ac Dauid regis [2 expose her self unto the danger of the Reg. 19.], tanta multitudine latrocinabantur [3. night, beguiled the watchfull eyes of Reg. 4.], vt suorum agminum principes her strict guard, brake forth of the city, constituerent, sed & hodie adhuc infinitus est and lacquted after him along the fields, illorum numerus. Hinc omnes carceres viris until she became the joyfull companion repleti, cruces undique omnes virorum of his wofull banishment, so little she cadaveribus onuste. At contra, mulieres omnium esteem'd all the World's felicity in artium liberalium, omnisque virtutis ac beneficii regard of her dear Lentulus; and for her inuentrices extiterunt, quod & ipsa artium Lentulus so willingly she incurr'd virtutumque fminina nomina prcipue whatsoever misery. Witness Pantha, ostendunt. Cui & illud notabile accedit, quod ipse Rhodogune, Laodemia, Martia, quoque terrarum orbis, fminarum nominibus Valeria, Portia, Lucretia, Penelope, nuncupatur, videlicet ab Asia nympha, ab Europa Alcinoe, and millions more, whose Agenoris filia, a Libia filia Epaphi, qu & singular fame herein as it hath caused Aphrica dicitur. Denique si per singula virtutum Antiquity to invest them in eternal genera iter sit mulier, vbilibet principem locum shrines of honour, so may their obtinebit. Mulier enim fuit, qu primo rehearsal enforce Posterity to receive virginitatem Deo deuouit ipsa virgo Maria, qu them as the fruitfull patterns of ex hinc meruit esse mater Dei. Mulieres imitation, and so dar proselyte the prophet, semper diuiniore spiritu afflat sunt bitterest Woman-hater, as to convert quam viri. Quod testibus Lactantio [Lactan. li. his aversion into an admiration of this insti], Eusebio [Euseb. de prpa. euang.], [34] & sexes heroick vertues; especially if in Augustino [Aug. de ci. dei] de Sybillis notum est. his thoughts to these miracles of Sic Maria Mosi soror erat prophetes [Exod. 15.], affection, he adde those mirrours of et captiuo Hieremia uxor auunculi eius nomine chastity, who have bravely slighted all Olda [4. Reg. 22.], peritura populo Isral [Israel] both temptations and torments to supra viri vices prophetes suscitatur [2. Paralip. preserve their honour, which they not 34.]. Scrutemur sacras scripturas, et videbimus only scorn'd to prostitute for sordid mulierum in fide cterisque virtutibus gain, or aiery titles, fror a flattering

constantiam, supra viros longe commendatam, vt complement, or prodigal treat, but also in Iudith, Ruth, Hester, qu tanta gloria withstood the importunities of celebrat sunt, vt sacris quoque voluminibus Grandees, and defi'd the menaces of nomina indiderint. Abraham ille, quem licet ob tyrants, valuing their virgin purity more fidei firmitatem scriptura iustum vocauerit, than crowns, or kingdomes, or Life it quoniam credidit Deo, subiicitur tamen uxori su self; as the Calidonian Atlanta, the Sar, & domini voce prcipitur ei: Omnia Volcian Camilla, the Grecian qucumque dicit tibi Sara, audi vocem eius. Sic Iphigenia, Cassandra, and Crase, and Rebecca firmiter credens, pergit ad divers Lacedemonian, Spartan, Theban, interrogandum Deum, & eius responsione and other virgins, whos enames are condigna, audit oraculum: Du gentes in vtero embalm'd in History, for the wonder tuo, & duo populi de ventre tuo diuidentur. & and imitation of Posterity, vidua Sareptana credidit Heli, licet rem difficilem sibi diceret. Sic Zacharias ab angelo de But here perhaps some barking Zoilus may interrupt us, by objecting the datal incredulitate redargutus obmutuit. Et Elizabet matches of Sampson, Jason, uxor sua, vteto & voce prophetat ac Deiphobus, Agamemnon, &c. and commendatur, quia fideliter credidit, qu those tragedies thence ensuing: in deinceps commendat beatissimam virginem most, if not all which, if we narrowly Mariam, dicens [Luc. 2]: beata qu credidisti inspect all circumstances, we may qu dicta sunt tibi & domino. Sic Anna easily find the women to be wrongfully prophetes, post Simeonis revelationem confitebatur Deum, et loquebatur de eo omnibus accused; for scarce ever do ill wives happen to any but bad husbands, and volentibus audire, qui exspectabant redemptionem Isral. Et erant Philippo quatuor such as by their own vitious examples debauch them, and teach them to be fili virgines prophetantes [Acto. 21.]. Quid wicked by a president. We are more dicam de Samaritana ille, cum qua Christus loquebatur ad puteum [Ioan. 4.], & saturatus fide easily sway'd by patterns, than by credentis, cibos respuit Apostolorum [Math. 15.]. precepts: every example is a most Accedit ad hc fides [35] Chanane ac mulieris pleasing invitation, where the eye is guided unto present action, not the ear illius qu fluxum sanguinis patiebatur. Nonne fed with fained speculation. A etiam fides & confessio Marth similis erat confessioni Petri? Et in Maria Magdalena quanta lascivious husband will make a wanton fuerit fidei constantia, ex Evangeliis nobis notum wife; a spend thrift husband an extravagant wife; and a modest, honest, est. Ipsa namque dum sacerdotes & Iudi Christum crucifigunt, plorat, ad crucem unguenta careful husband, a modest, honest, portat, qurit in tumulo, Hortulanum interrogat, carefull wife. We should therefore take St. Austin's [St. Augustine's] counsel, Deum recognoscit. Pergit ad Apostolos, resurrexisse nunciat. Illi dubitant, ista confidit. and such as we would have our wives Quid rursus de Priscilla illa sanctissima fmina; appear unto us, the same should we first approve our selves to them. 'Tis an qu Apollo virum apostolicum, & in lege doctissimum Corinthiorum episcopum erudivit. impudent and impious fellow (saith Seneca *) [(*) Ad. I** Epist. 94.] that Nec turpe fuit Apostolo discere muliere qu requires of his wife an undefiled bed, doceret in ecclesia. Adde insuper qu martyrii yet he himself defiles it. For this reason patientia & mortis contemptu, fidei su (as Diogenes struck the father, when constantiam testat sunt, non esse virorum the boy swore, because he had taught numero pauciores. Neque hic silentio prtereunda est mater illa mirabilis, & bonorum him no better) so in some places the memoria digna, qu in conspectu suo pereuntes husbands are punisht only for the faults of their wives; as in Catalonia, crudeli martyrio septem filios non solum bono

animo ferebat, sed fortiter hortabatur ad mortem, whoever is cuckolded, payeth a summe atque ipsa per omnia in Deo confidens, post filios of money; and in Paris, he rides in pro patriis legibus consumpta est. Nonne etiam disgrace through the city, the cryer Theodelina Bauarorum regis filia Longobardos, proclaiming these words before him, ac Greisilla Henrici primi imperatoris soror, So do, so have; from which our English Ungaros et Clotildis Burgundiqnum regis filia, custome of ridings is not much Francos: & Apostola qudam infim sortis different. Nor do these deplorable fmina, Hiberos singul innumeros populos ad consequences alwayes arise from any Christi fidem conuerterunt? Denique hic extream ill habit or disposition of religiosissimus sexus solus vel maxime is est, in wither of the parties, but from their quo in hunc [36] diem usque fides catholica, & indiscreet conjuncture; their tempers pietatis continuata opera refulgent. At ne cui disagreeing cause their discord, and dupium sit, mulieres omnia ea posse qu viri: their humours being contrary, are unfit exemplis rem ipsam agamus, & comperiemus for so close an union; such jarring nullum vnquam egregium facinus in vlla virtutum notes can produce no harmony, but genere viris perpetratum, quod mulieribus rather dismal effects: as a fiery vapour non sit que prclare factitatum. Claruerunt in inveloped in the arms of a cold cloud, sacerdotio olim apud gentes Melissa Cybeles, breaks forth with amazing flashes, and cuius nomine ceter de sacerdotes, Melisse terrible thunderclaps. A mature postea dict sunt. Item Hypeccaustria sacerdos deliberation is requisite before such an Mineru, Mera Veneris, Iphigenia Dian eternal bond be entred into: The mutual fuerunt, & fmin Bacchi sacerdotes, multis affection of each party; the consent of nominibus clar, vt Thyades, Menades, Bach parents; the approbation of friends; the Eliades, Mimallonides, Aedonides, Euhyades, tryal of acquaintance; the special Bassarides, Triaterides. Apud Iudos quoque observation of disposition, genius, Maria Mosse soror una cum Aaron sanctuarium kindred, education, and behaviour, ingrediebatur, & tanquam sacerdos habita est. In ought seriously to be weigh'd, before nostra autem religione, licet mulieribus sacerdotii one conclude for the better, for worse, functione interdictum sit, scimus tamen historiis and tye that Gordian knot, which proditum, mulierem aliquando mentito sexu, ad cannot be loosed till death cuts it. Now summi pontificatus apicem conscendisse. Nec then if a man make his choice with obscur sunt ex nostris tot sanctissim abbates these due respects, his marriage cannot & moniales, quas antiquitas non dedignatur but prove a merry age, and be crown'd vocare sacerdotes. Claruerunt in prophetia apud with joy and felicity, because he is omnis regionis gentes, Cassandra, Sybill, Maria guided by Prudence, which never Mosi soror, Delbora, Holda, Anna, Elizabeth, faileth her followers. But if not, he quatuor Philippi fili, & mult ali recentiores may well be stiled a fool, since he is sanct fmin, quales Brigida & Heldegardis. hurried on with passion, and a giddy fancy, which easily impoison the best designs. He therefore that is truely wise, cannot but choose a vertuous wife, and by consequence live happily with her; and if any take one that proves vitious, it argues his own folly, and so by good reason he ought patiently and without repining to endure her, as the effect of his own inconsiderateness, and not to aggrandize his misfortune, by

quarrelling with his own Choice. Besides, as the Lion in the fable reply'd to the fellow upbraiding him with a picture, wherein was drawn a man killing a lion; Were we lions' painters, you should see one lion tearing a thousand men. So had women but the power of making laws, and writing histories, what tragedies might they not justly have published of men's unparalleld villany? Amongst whom are daily found so many murderers, theeves, ravishers, forgers, fierers of cities, and trayters, who in the time of Joshua and King David, robb'd in such vast multitudes, that they march'd in a posture of war, and made them captains of their padding bands, (a trick they have scarce forgot at this very day) whence so many prisons become crowded, and so many gibbets loaded with their carkasses. Whereas on the contrary, to women we owe the invention of all things usefull or beneficial to Mankind, which may either adorn and enlighten our dark minds, or relieve and accommodate the necessities of our frail bodies. Hence both the Muses and the Graces are said to be Shees; and the names of all arts, sciences, and vertues, are feminine, and drawn by painters in the habit of women. Nor was there amongst all kinds of idolaters, and so much celebrated for learning and prudence, as those who paid their adorations at the altars of female Deities; such being the veneration and esteem of this Sex of old, that those three principal parts (which Antiquity conceited to be all the World) were christned after the names of women; one taking its denomination from Asia the Nymph; the other from Europa, the daughter of Agenor; and the third from Lybia, the daughter of Epaphus, which is also called Africa. If we particularly take an impartial

survey of all kinds of virtues and excellencies, we shall find that women may in each without usurpation challenge the principal place. If we look of Chastity, 'twas a Woman first vow'd virginity to God. If the gift of prophesie [prophecy] be required, Lactantius, Eusebius, and St. Austin [St. Augustine], can tell us with what a divine spirit the Sybils were inspired: and holy Writ records Miriam the sister of Moses, and Olda, Jeremiah's unkle's wife; and no less than four sisters, daughters of Philip, all eminent prophetesses. If constancy and perseverence in virtue be regarded, you will find Judith, Ruth, and Hester, so gloriously celebrated by the holy Spirit, Inditer of those sacred Volumes, that the books themselves retain their Names. If a lively, vigorous, and stable faith be expected, we shall see Men generally come short of Women. The poor widdow of Sarepta believed the Prophet Elias, though the things he told her could not but to carnal reason appear in the shape of impossibilities. Zacharias was reprehended for his infidelity by the Angel, and struck dumb; but his wife Elizabeth prophesies both with her womb and her voice, and loudly celebrates the praises of the blessed Virgin Mother, saying, Blessed art thou who hast believed the things which are said unto thee by the Lord. To omit the Samaritan Woman, with whom Christ entertain'd discourse at the well, and being satisfied with the more acceptable dainties of her stedfast faith, refused the Apostles provsion. And that irresistable belief of the Woman of Cananaa; her who had the issue of blood, who seemed to storm Heaven, and offer a welcome violence to their Saviour, not to be put off with any denial. Was not the faith and confession of Martha equal to that of Peter? What a noble constancy of faith and resolution do we find in Mary

Magdalen, verifying that saying, She to whom much was forgiven, loved much. For when the priests and Jews, blinded with rage and ignorance, crucified that Messias, whom they had so long passionately expected, she stands weeping by the Cross, a floud of tears flowing from her fair eyes, to see those streams of blood and water trickle from his precious side. Afterwards she brings spices and precious oyntments to embalm his body; but missing it in the tomb, enquires of the supposed gardiner, and soon acknowledgeth him to be God; goes with as much speed as joy (?) to the Apostles, and tells them her Lord is risen: They all doubt the miracle, or rather deride her narration, as if 'twere only some dream of her melancholly fancy; but still her confidence continues, and her faith remains unshaken, even when all those pillars of the Church seem'd weak and tottering. What shall we say of holy Priscilla, who instructed Apollo, a person learned in Law, and (as Ecclesiastical histories inform us) Bishop of Corinth, which great Apostolical Man was so much a stranger to the pride and conceited humour of our giddly Age, that he thought it no shame to learn of a woman what he might teach in the Church. If we consult primitive histories, and turn over martyrologies, we shall find, those women who have testified their faith in the flames of martyrdome, and embraced death and torments, rather than renounce true Religion, not to have been out-numbred by the men, all which particularly to enumerate we should be infinite: only give us leave not to forget that wonderfull matron, deserving a place in all good men's memories, who not only with a divine and incredible patience, beheld her seven sons perishing in her sight by

cruel martyrdome, but also couragiously exhorted them to death; and putting her entire confidence in God, was afterwards her self destroyed for the laws of her countrey. To this good natur'd Sex, (as instruments of providence) whole nations stand indebted for their faith, and owe their conversion. Did not Theodilina, the daughter of the King of Bavaria, convert the Lombards? Greisil the sister of the Emperour Henry the First, the Hungarian? Clotidis, the daughter of the King of Burgundy, the Francks? and a poor she-Apostle of very mean extraction, the Hiberti? each of them illuminating with the bright beams of the Christian Faith, many thousand souls, which before lay groping in the hellish darkness of Pagan superstition and idolatry. By this method of beneficence, doing good to the better part of those we converse with, and promoting the eternam Concerns of Mankind, is trur Honour only acquir'd. This alone is the Royal Road to that immense Glory, which will still remain fresh and sparkling, when Pyramids shall lye buried in rubbish, and the noise of victories be forgot; for so Divinity assures us, They that turn many to righteousness, shall shine as the Stars in the Firmament for ever and ever. But lest any scrupulous heads should doubt of Women's abilities, to dispatch all those affairs which are usually transacted by Men, let us joyn issue, and try the matter by examples, and we shall find, That never any difficult office was manag'd, hazardous undertaking attempted, or brave, generous exploit achieved by Men, but the same hath been perform's as famously, and with as much dexterity and success ub every respect by Women. That of old they were priests,

is evident; for Melissa amongst Gentiles was so eminent in the Priesthood of the Goddess Cybele, that all that succeeded her were called Melissa. and to pass by Hyperaustria, the Priestess of Minerva; Mera of Venus; Iphigenia of Diana, &c. it may be nothing unpleasant to repeat those various names, wherewith Bacchuse's she-priests were honoured, as Thyades, Bacch, Menades, Eliades, Mimallonides, donides, Eubyades, Basarides, Triaterides, &c. Amongst God's own people too, the Jewes, Mary, Moses's sister, used to accompany Aaron into the Sanctuary, and was by all reverenced as a priest. Nor are there wanting at this day many holy Recluses, whom Antiquity scrupled not to call (Sacerdotes) Priests. Famous for prophesie hath this Sex been amongst all Nations; witness Cassandra, all the Sybils, Moses his sister, mentioned but now, Deborah, Hulda, Anna, and others of old, besides divers more modern, as Bridget, Prterea in magica siue bonorum, siue malorum Hildegard, &c.the inexpugnable In Magick, or dmonum inexpugnabili disciplina pr cteris discipline of good or ill spirits, (which Circes, atque Medea longe mirabiliora [37] many talk of, most condemn, and few effecerunt, quam vel ipse Zoroastes, licet huius understand,) Circe and Meda wrought artis inuentor pluribus credatur. Insuper in more wonders than Zoroaster himself, philosophia prclar extiterunt Theano vxor though most believe him the first Pythagor, eius denique filia Dama in inventer of these black Arts. exponendis paternis sententiarum inuolucris clara. Item Aspasia & Diotima Socratis discipul For profound knowledge in the abstrusest parts of Philosophy, were & Mantinea ac Philesia Axiochia, Amb eminent, Thaana, Pythagoras his wife, discipul Platonis. Extollit denique Plotinus Geminam, atque Amphicleam, laudat Lactantius and his daughter Dama, excellent at explaining her father's mysterious Themisten. Exultat Christiana ecclesia in diua Sentences; Aspasia and Diotima, Caterina, qu sola puella omnem illius ui sapientum doctrinam longe superauit. Nec nobis scholars of Socrates; Philesia and Axiochia, both disciples of Plato; hoc loci Zenobia regina Longini philosophi discipula, memoria excidat, qu ob effusam & Plotinus extols Gemina and Amphiclea; candidam literarum peritiam Ephiniss accepit Lactantius applauds Themiste; the Christian Church glories in St. appellationem, cuius opera sacrosancta Katherine, a Lady that alone for Nicomachus Grca reddidit. Ad Oratoriam & Poesim vadamus. En se nobis offerunt Armesia, learning surpast all the wisest Men of

cognomenta Androginea, Hortensia, Lucera that Age. Nor may our memory here [Lucretia], Valeria, Copiola, Sapho [Sappho], without an unpardonable crime, let slip Corinna, Cornificia Romana, & Erimna Telia seu the mention of Longinus; the Tesbia, qu epigrammatista cognominata fuit. Et Philosopher's excellent pupil Queen apud Salustium Sempronia, apud iurisconsultos Zenobia, for her vast knowledge in Calphurnia, & nisi vetitum esset hodie mulieribus Letters, and clear understanding, called literas discere, iamiam adhuc haberentur Ephinissa, whose devout works clarissim doctrig excellentores ingenio Nichomachus rendred into Greek. If we mulieres quam viri. Quid de hoc dicendum est, proceed to those soul-charming quod sola natura ipsa, mulieres facile omnium faculties, Oratory and Poesie, behold a disciplinarum artifices superare videntur. Nonne whole troop crowd about us; as grammatici se benedicendi magistros iactant, Armesia, surnamed Androgenia, atque id nos longe melius discimus nutricibus Hortensia, Lucretia, Valeria, Copiola, & matribus, quam [38] grammaticis? Nonne Sappho, Corinna, Erimna, Telia, or Grachorum eloquentissimam linguam, mater Tesbia, surnam'd the Epigrammatist; Cornelia formauit, et Sylem Aripithi Scythi Sempronia in Salust; and amongst the regis filium Istrinei mater Grcam linguam lawyers, Calphurnia. docuit? nonne semper in introductis apud exteras 'Tis a proud self-flattering conceit of gentes coloniis nati, pueri matrum sermonem the Bearded-Tribe, to arrogate all tenuerunt? Non aliam ob causam Plato & Quintilianus de deligenda pueris nutrice idonea, learning to themselves, or think the noble Female Sex incapable of making tam sollicite statuerunt, vt pueri lingua atque as generous flights towards the top of sermo recte discreteque formaretur. Parnassus, as they. Women's Phantasies are much more quick and searching; their memories as tenacious and faithfull; their judgements as solid; all their faculties as ready, and their thirst after knowledge and fame no less intentive, than Men's. Why then should they not with the same advantages, make at least an equal progress in Literature? 'Tis true, our male Dictators strive to monopolize Learning, and having by a brutish custome barr'd the Doors of the Muses' Temple against Women, do now pretend they are unable and unfit to enter: yet vain are these their envious designs, to depress or cloud the Glories of this Sex: for indeed Women by nature alone do excell the Professors of Arts, even in those particular Arts which they pretend to; those Sciences and accomplishments which Men acquire not without a vast expence of time, waste of spirits, and other inconveniencies, being all in Women as it were innate and con-natural. That

this may not seem a naked affirmative, or inconsiderate rant, be pleas'd to consider, That although Grammarians proudly boast themselves masters of the Art of well-speaking, as if all must be dumb, or at least barbarous, that have not submitted to the tyranny of their Perula; yet we learn far better to speak from our mothers and nurses, who are continually engaging us to prattle, and correcting the errors of our lisping Tongues, than from the crabbed instructions of those supercilious pedagogues. 'Twas Cornelia's industry that form'd her sons' the Gracchi's tongues, to such an admired height of eloquence; nor had the king of Scythia's son Siles any other tutor to teach him the Greek Tongue, but his mother Istrinea. When colonies are planted, and several nations mingled, do not the children alwayes retain their Mothers' languages? For which reason, both Plato and Quintilian have been so exact in giving precepts for the choice of a fit nurse, that children's speech may rightly be ordered, and discreetly moulded from their infancy. Iam uero nonne & Poet in suis nugis & fabulis, ac Dialectia in sua contentiosa garrulitate mulieribus uincuntur? Orator nuspiam adeo tam bonus aut tam felix, ut suadela uel meretricula superior sit. quis Arithmeticus, falsum supputando, mulierem soluendo debito, decipere potest? Quisue Musicus hanc cantu, & uocis amnitate quat? Philosophi, Mathematici, Astrologi, nonne in suis diuinationibus, & prcognitionibus non raro rusticis mulieribus inferiores sunt, & spissime anicula medicum uincit? Ipse Socrates uir omnium sapientissimus, si Pythio testimonio fides habenda est, iam natu grandior muliere Aspasia adhuc quiddam discere non dedignatus est, sicut nec Apollo Theologus Priscilla erudiri ueritus est. Quod si etiam prudentia requiratur, exemplo sunt Opis inter deas relata, Plotina Traiani uxor, Amalasuntha Ostrogothorum regina, Emilia Scipionis uxor, quibus accedit Delbora mulier Are not the Poets in their trifling fables surpast by hundreds of old Women? and Logitians in their contentious brawlings out-done by each Billingsgate-Fish-wife? Your smooth-tongu'd Orators seem almost almighty in words, and able at pleasure to raise or calm the passions, by the Magick of their rhetorick; yet where was there ever any of them so happy, but that a pretty obliging Wench would out-go him in the art of persuasion? What subtle Arithmetician is able to mis-reckon a Woman when he goes to pay her a debt, or cheat her of a penny by all his rules of practice or falshood? What musitian [musician] can equal her for singing; or dare compare the squeaking of his Crowd to

prudentissima uxor Labidoth, qu ipsa ut legitur the melody of her ravishing voice? in libris Iudicum, aliquamdiu super populum A silly Grammar's predictions have Isra [Israel] iudicauit, [39] ascendebantque ad eam filii Isral [Israel] in omne iudicium. Qu often been answered with suitable events; whilest the prognosticians of etiam recusante Barach, hostilem pugnam ipsa great mathematicians, and famous stardux Isralitici exercitus electa, hostibus csis fugatisque uictoriam reportauit. Legitur prterea readers, (that boast themselves of in regum historia Attaliam reginam regnasse, & Heaven's cabinet-Councel) serve only iudicasse per septem annos in Hierusalem. Atque to prove their authors either lying fools, or flattering knaves. How Semir amis post mortem Nini regis iudicabat frequently is the art of the most populos quadraginta annis. Et omnes regin eminent physitians [physicians] forc'd Candaces Aethiopi prudentissim potentissimque regnarunt, de quibus mentio est to veil to the skill of a countreymatron? who with an ordinary receipt in Actibus Apostolorum. Mira autem de illis chases away those sullen distempers, narrat fidus ille antiquitatis scriptor Iosephus. which bid defiance to all the slops and Huc etiam accedit Nicaula regina Saba, qu hard words levied against them by veniens finibus terr audire sapientiam Salomonis, & testimonio domini condemnatura Master Doctor. est omnes uiros Hierusalem. Fuit & Thecnites qudam sapientissima mulier, qu Dauid regem Nor need any of these artists resent this ill, since Socrates, the wisest of Men interrogatione concludit, enigmate docet, exemplo Dei mitigat. Nec hic prtere unda sunt (if you'l credit an Oracle) thought if no shame in his wisest Age to learn of Abigail & Bethsaba, quarum illa uirum suum Aspasia: nor did Apollo the Divine liberauit ab ira Dauid, & post mortem uiri sui, blush to receive instruction from good facta est regina & uxor Dauid. Altera autem Priscilla. Salomonis mater filio suo regnum prudenter impetrauit. Porro in rerum inuentionibus exemplo Having thus briefly vindicated the fair stint Isis, Minerua, Nycostrata. In condendo Sexes reputation in the schools, we imperio & urbibus, Semiramis uniuersi orbis next proceed to the Court and Camp, monarchiam tenens, Dido, Amazones. In and find them there not at all deficient bellorum certaminibus, Thomiris Massagetarum in policy of State, or that civil regina, qu Cyrum Persarum monarcham deuicit. prudence requisite for the conduct of Item Camilla de gente Volscorum, Valisca [40] humane affairs: not so ignorant as Bohemi amb potentes regin. Item Indorum many imagine, in State-craft; that Pande Amazones, Candes, Lemnenses, refined skill which dis-imbroils the Phocensium, Chiarum, Persidque mulieres. intrigues of the Court; which teacheth Legimus de aliis multis illustrissimis mulieribus, the Science of War, and the dexterity qu mira uirtute uniuers nationi su, in summa of treating for peace; Women's wits rerum desperatione salutem restituerunt. Inter having generally been esteemed more quas est Iudith, quam beatus Hieronymus his quick and ready in sudden exigents, uerbis extollit, inquiens: Accipite Iudith uiduam and most fertile and dexterous for the castitatis exemplum, triumphali laude, perpetuis plotting and carrying on any politick eam prconiis declarate. Hanc enim non solum design, or subtle contrivance. fminis, sed & uiris imitabilem dedit, qui castitatis eius remunerator, uirtutem talem tribuit, No stratagem did warriour ut inuictum omnibus, uinceret, et insuperabilem e're devise, superaret. Legimus adhuc quia mulier qudam Which first he learnt not sapiens, uocauit Ioab, & dedit in manus suas from their catching eyes. caput Sib inimici Dauid, ut conseruaret Abelam

ciuitatem, qu erat mater ciuitatum in Isra. Et mulier qudam iaciens fragmentum mol, allisit caput Abimelech, & confregit cerebrum eius, executurum vindict Dei super Abimelech, quia fecerat malum coram domino, contra patrem suum, interfectis per eum septuaginta fratribus super uno lapide. Sic Hester Assueri regis uxor, non solum liberauit populum suum morte turpissima, sed insuper summa honore decorauit. Obsessaque Volscis urbe Roma, Cn. Martio Coriolano duce, quam armis uiri urbem defendere non poterant. Veturia magno natu mulier, ac Coriolani mater filii obiurgatione seruauit. Arthemisia irruentes sibi Rhodios & classe exuit, & insulam domuit, [41] erecta in urbe Rhodia statua, qu perpetuum stigma illi inureret. Iam quis satis laudare poterit puellam nobilissimam (licet humili gener ortam) qu anno Christianorum M.CCCC.XXVIII. occupato, per Anglos Franci regno Amazonis more, sumptis armis primamque aciem ducens, tam strennue feliciterque pugnauit, ut pluribus prliis superatis Anglis, Francorum regi iam amissum regnum restitueret. In cuius rei perpetuam memoriam apud Genabum oppidum quod Aurelianum uocant, in ponte qui est super Ligurim fluuium sacra statua puell erecta est. Possem innumeras adhuc ex Grcorum, Latinorum, Barbarorumque, tam ueteribus quam recentioribus historiis prstantissimas mulieres recensere, quod, ne in grande nimium opus turgesceret, breuitati studere uolui.

Of these she-Machiavils and feminine Hectors, history copiously affords us examples; as Opis, reverenced by the gyptians [Egyptians] as a Deity; Plotina, the wife of Trajan; Amalasmutha, the Queen of the Ostrogoths; Deborah, to whom in all cases of difference the Israelites repair'd for judgement, and rescu'd themselves from slavery, by a memorable victory under her conduct. Semiramis, who for forty years with much honour and renown governed the Assyrians; and Candaces, Queen of Ethiopia, no less eminent for prudence, than power and magnificence, of whom some mention is made in the Acts: but wonders are related by that worthy Register of Antiquity, Josephus, for laying the foundations of Empires, and building cities; Semiramis, Dido, and the Amazons, for both skill and success in war; Thomiras, Queen of the Massaget, who conquer'd Cyrus, that great monarch of the Persians; as also Camilla, of the Nation of the Volci; and Valisca, of Bohemia, both potent Queens. To whom might be added the Indian Pande, and the women of Phocia, Chios, and Persia; with many other illustrious Viragoes, who in the greatest exigencies, and most desperate shocks of Fortune, have preserv'd their gasping countreys; of whom the noble Judith and fair Hester deserve to lead the van, as the glory of their own, and shame of the other Sex. Whilst Rome stands, the name of that grave matron Vetruria, will be famous; who by checking the inordinate rage of her son Coriolanus, preserv'd that emperial city, the young captain at his Mother's perswasions desisting from his unnatural hostility against his MotherCountrey. Nor can the brave Arthemisia want her due applauses, who destroy'd the Rhodian Navy that invaded her, and to return the civility of their intended visir, subdued their

island, erecting an ignominious statue in the midst of their chief city, to remain there as a perpetual brand of infamy and reproach. The English Nation were most ungratefull, should they ever forget their obligations to this Sex, to whose contagious resolution alone, they owe their deliverance from the insufferable tyranny of the Danes. Nor is the most Christian King less engaged, whose tottering crown was once refixt on his ancestor's head by a Female hand. That strange ridling prodigy of valour, Joan of Arc, (celebrated by some as a saint, and branded by others for a Witch,) when the English had almost spred their victorious Ensigns over the whole Kingdome of France, and wanted little to compleat its total conquest, taking arms like an Amazon, arrested their fortune, put a stop to the torrent of their victories, and by degrees restor'd the withering de Laces to their former lustre; in honour of which gallant Enterprise, a statue sacred to her memory stands erected on the bridge at Orleans. Nam scripserunt de illis Plutarchus, Valerius, Bocacius & plures alii. Hinc est quare non tam multa de mulierum laudibus dixerim, quam plurima reticuerim, quippe qui non sum tam ambitios ceruicis, ut mulierum infinitas prstantias atque uirtutes tam pauculo sermone me posse complecti prsumam. Quis enim ad percensendas infinitas mulierum laudes sufficiat, quibus omne nostrum esse, omnisque humani generis conseruatio, quod alias in breui petriturum esset, omnisque familia & respublica dependet. Quod nec Roman urbis conditorem latuit, qui dum mulieribus careret, cum Sabinis raptis eorum filiabus, bellum asperrimum inire non [42] dubitauit, cogllouit namque eiusmodi imperium, si mulieres non adessent breui periturum. Tandem capto Sabinis capitolio, cum media foro collatis signis cruentissime An innumerable catalogue could we here produce of most excellent women, out of both ancient and modern histories of the Grecians, Romans, and other nations; Plutarch, Valerius, Boccace, and many others, having written largely of them: but we study brevity, that our Work may not overflow its intended limits; for we fancy not those over-grown Treatises which are divided into Tomes and Volumes; so that we shall not here say so much in Women's praise, but that we shall conceal much more that might, and deserves to be said; being not so extravagantly ambitious, as to undertake to comprehend or display the infinite excellencies and virtues of that

pugnaretur, intercursu mulierum inter ambas Sex, in so curt a discourse. What acies prlium cessauit, factaque tandem pace, & mortal's pen, or angel's tongue, is percusso fdere perpetuam amicitiam inierunt. sufficient to enumerate and proclaim Quamobrem earum nomina Curiis imposuit their praises, on whom depends our Romulus, uolentibusque Romanis, in publicis very being, and the preservation not tabulis exceptum est, mulierem nec molere, nec only of particular families, and coquinariam facere, uxorem uiro, uirum ab republicks, but of all humane kind, uxore aliquid dono accipere uetitum, quo bona which without them would soon decay, omnia communia esse scirent. Hinc tandem and the World in one century droop consuetudo emersit, ut sponsam introducentes, into a solitary Desart. dicere iuberent, ubi tu ego, denotantes ubi tu This Rome's first founder well dominus, ego domina. Ubi tu herus, ego hera, understood; and rather than want deinde cum regibus exactis Cariolano Martio Women, chose to incur a sharp duce Volscorum legiones ad quintum lapidem hazardous War with the Sabines, for castrametat essent, per mulieres auers sunt, stealing away their daughters, without pro quo beneficia insigne templum fortun muliebri dedicatum est. Magni insuper honores whom his intended Empire had quickly mouldred away, and never arriv'd at dignitatisque insignia, senatusconsulto illis that proud Grandeur, to give Laws to collata. Cuiusmodi sunt, quod in uia superiori all the World. Upon which quarrel, loco incedant, uiris insuper quibusque illis in when afterwards the Sabines intending pedes assurgentibus, locumque cedentibus. Prterea uestes purpure cum fimbriis inauratis, a rescue, had taken the Capitol, and a gemmarum etiam ornatus, et inaures anulique & bloody fight was begun in the midst of torques illis concessa, posterumque imperatorum Rome's market-place, the good-natur'd women rushing in between both lege cautum, ut quoties alicubi statutum fiat, armies, their husbands on the one side, prohibens deferri certas uestes aut ornamenta, mulieres sub illo non comprehendi. Hreditatum their fathers on the other, procured by quoque & bonorum [43] successionibus donat their entreaties a cessation from that unnatural conflict, which ended in an sunt, legibus etiam permissum est, mulierum indissoluble peace, both nations being funera, quemadmodum illustrium uirorum glew'd together in perpetual amity. publicis laudibus celebrari. Siquidem cum Whereupon Romulus caused the mittendum ad Delphicum Apollinem munus women's names to be inrolled in the esset, ex Camilli uoto, nec foret auri tantum in Courts; and by common consent it was urbe, mulieres sponte corporis ornamenta enacted, That none of them should be contulere. Porro in eo bello quod Cyrus contra put to grynde, or do kitchin-drudgery, Astyagen gessit in fugam conuersa Persarum or any such servile employment; nor acie, mulierum castigatione reprehensa est, ac should receive any thing as a gift from denuo instaurata, insignemque illis uictoriam dedit. Ob quod facinus lege cautum est Cyro, ut her husband, nor he from her; that they might not dream of any particular persarum reges urbem ingressuri, singulis mulieribus singulos auri nummos persoluerent. propriety, but know, that whatever either of them enjoy'd, was common to Quod etiam Macedo bis eam urbem ingressus, toties erogauit. Insuper et prgnantibus munus both: for he that makes a present to his wife, offers an injury in a complement, duplicari iussit. Sic priscis illis Persarum regibus atque Romanis, ab ipsis inquam Roman pretending to entitle her to that by his donation, which is hers before in her urbis imperiique incunabulis, mulieres omni semper honoris genere donat sunt. Porro abipsis own right. This gave birth to that custome, when the Bride was brought imperatoribus non minus uenerat. Hinc Iustinianus imperator etiam in legibus condendis, home, to use these solemn words; Ubi

uxorem consulendam adhibendamque censuit. Et tu, Ego; (that is) Where you are Jack, alibi dicit lex, quod uxor coruscat, merito in I'll be Jill; Where you are Master, I honore ut sentiat eius fulgorem, ut in quantum uir will be Dame. in altum tollitur, tantum & coniunx eius. Sic uxor After the expulsion of Kings, when the imperatoris dicitur imperatrix, & uxor regis Forces of the Volsci, who had regina, & uxor principis princeps & illustris undecunque sit nata. Et Ulpianus ait: Princeps, espoused the Tarquin's quarrel, were advanc'd within five miles of Rome, hoc est imperator legibus est solutus. Augusta they were beat back by the sole autem qu est uxor imperatoris, licet legibus courage of the women; for which soluta non est, princeps tamen eadem illi priuilegia contulit, qu ipse habet. [44] Hinc est gallant service a famous Temple was quod illustribus mulieribus iudicare permittitur, built, dedicated to Female-Fortune; and & arbitrari, atque ut possint feudum inuestire & many notable marks of dignity and inuestiri, & inter Vasallos quid iuris decernere. honor conferr'd on them by decrees of Ad idem facit quod fmina potest habere seruos the Senate: as to have the upper hand peculiares sicut et uir, potestque mulier iudicare in walking, the men standing up, and etiam inter extraneos, potest etiam nomen indere giving place when they pass by; as famili, sic quod filii denominentut matre, non likewise leave to wear purple with patre. Habent & circa dotes grandia priuilegia. gold-fringe, ear-rings, jewels, gold chains, and other ornaments. And by a Hinc inde in diuersis locis in corpore iuris expressa, ubi etiam cauetur quod mulier honest law of later Emperours, women were uitet fam pro debitis ciuilibus incarcerari non enabled to succeed in inheritances, and take administrations; and suffered to debeat, imo iudex pna capitis punitur, qui ipsam carceri mancipauerit. Quod si sit suspecta have their funerals publickly celebrated with encomiastick orations, as well as de delicto in monasterium trudatur, aut mulieribus incarceranda tradatur, quia teste lege the most illustrious men. And twas provided, That in all edicts prohibiting mulier melioris est conditionis quam uir, tum the wearing of any apparel, women quia in eodem genere delicti, plus peccat uir quam mulier, hinc uir in adulterio deprehensus, should not be included: an indulgence they well deserv'd, since they knew so capite punitur: sed mulier adultera in monasterium retruditur. Plura priuilegia colligit well how to part with their ornaments on a good occasion. For when Camillus Azo in summa sua super titulo ad senatusconsultum Velleianum, et Speculator de had vow'd a present to Apollo of renunciationibus. Illi etiam ueteres legum latares, Delphos, and the whole city could not yield gold enough to make up the ac reipublic artifices uiri sapientia graues, scientia prudentissimi, Lycurgus inquam & Plato summe, the women freely open'd their cabinets, and brought in their rings, cum scirent ex philosophi penetralibus bracelets, &c. so ready were they to mulieres, nec animi excellentia, nec corporis robore, nec dignitate natur uiris inferiores, sed support the honour of their countrey, ad omnia que habiles, statuerunt mulieres cum though with the loss of what their Sex is said most to delight in. In the War uiris in luctationibus & gymnasticis exerceri, etiam in omnibus qu ad bellicam pertinent [45] which Cyrus waged against his disciplinam, in artu, in funda, iactu lapidum, in grandfather Astiages, the Persian army sagittando, in armorum dimicatione tam equestri being put to flight by the prowess of the Medes, was reinforc'd by the quam pedestri, in castrorum positione, ac in acierum ordinatione, in ducendo exercitu, & (ut seasonable reproof and exprobation of breuiter dicam) omnia eademque mulieribus qu the women; for thereupon shame and indignation infusing fresh courage, uiris exercitia communia tribuerunt. Legamus antiquitatum fide dignos scriptores, comperiemus they fac'd about again, routed their

in Getulia, Bactris, Galletia morem fuisse uiros pursuers, and came off, crowned with mollicie deditos, mulieres autem agros colere, the lawrels of victory; for which good dificare, negotiari, equitare, prliari & ctera service Cyrus ordain'd, That as oft as facere, qu modo apud nos uiri factitant. Apud the kings of Persia entred the city, they Cantabros uiri mulieribus dotem dabant, fratres should bestow on each woman a sororibus nuptui dabantur, fili hredes medal, or piece of gold; which was designabantur. Apud Scythas, Thraces, & Gallos frequently performed accordingly; yea, mulieribus uirisque communia erant officia. Et de and doubled to such as were with child. bello paceque agentes, mulieres iudicio consultationibus adhibebantur, quod percussum Thus were women, by those ancient princes of Persia, and the valiant cum Hannibale Celtarum fdus in hc uerba Romans, from the very infancy of their demonstrat. Si quis Celtarum iniuria Carthaginensium aliquo affectum se conqueritur, Empire, treated with all kind of respect and honour; and to this day, by how eius rei Carthaginensium magistratus aut imperatores qui in Hispania fuerint iudices sunto. much each nation is more civiliz'd, and Si quis Carthaginensium ab ullo Celtarum iniusti refin'd from Barbarism, so much greater liberty and honour do women quippiam passus fuerit, Celtarum de ea re mulieres iudicium faciunto. Sed uirorum nimia there enjoy. Nor is there a surer tyrannide, contra diuinum ius, naturque leges character of a noble birth, or any thing prualente, data mulieribus libertas. Iam, iniquis, that sooner discovers a generous education, than a respective carriage, legibus interdicitur, consuetudine usuque aboletur, educatione extinguitur. Mulier namque and complacent deportment towards mox ut nata est, primis annis domi detinetur in Ladies. desidia, ac uelut altioris prouinci [46] incapax, nihil prter acus & filum concipere permittitur. That the renowned Justinian had a particular veneration for this Sex, is Ubi exinde pubertatis annos attigerit, in mariti evident; for that he thought fit to traditur zelotipum imperium, aut uestalium consult his wife in the modelling of his ergastulo perpetuo recluditur. Publica qu que officia legibus sibi interdicta sunt. Postulare in Laws, and framing those Institutes, whose excellent prudence all iudicio licet prudentissima non permittitur, repelluntur. Prterea in iurisdictione, in arbitrio, succeeding generations have admired in adoptione, in intercessione, in procuratione, in and no wonder, since the Law it self affirms, That the Wife shines in an tutela, in cura, in testamentaria & criminali causa. Item repelluntur in uerbi pei prdicatione, equal sphear of honour with the contra expressam scripturam, qua promisit illis Husband; so as how much soever he is spiritus sanctus per Iohelem inquiens [Iohel. 2.: preserved in dignity, so much she too, Et prophetabunt fili uestr, quemadmodum & is advanc'd. Thus an Emperour's wife is stiled Empress, and a King's, Queen, Apostolorum tate publice docebant, sicut de and a Prince's, the Princess, and Anna Simeonis, & filiabus Philippi, atque illustrious, though they are never so Priscilla Aquil notum est. Sed tanta est recentium legis latorum improbitas, qui irritum meanly descended. So Ulpian, The fecerunt mandatum Dei propter traditiones suas, Prince (he means the Emperour) is absolv'd and free from the coercive quod mulieres alias natur eminentia, & dignitate nobilissimas, pronunciarunt cunctis uiris power of the laws, but the Empress his conditione uiliores. His itaque legibus mulieres wife, though of herself she be not faced therefrom, yet her husband confers on uiris tanquam bello uict, uictoribus cedere her the same privileges which he has coguntur, non naturali non diuina aliqua himself. Hence by the Civil Law 'tis necessitate aut ratione, sed consuetudine permitted to noble Women to judge, educatione, fortuna & tyrannica quadam

occasione id agente Sunt prterea, qui ex arbitrate, purchase, sell, and decide relligione auctoritatem sibi corrogant in mulieres, controversies between their tenants, or & ex sacris literis suam probant tyrannidem, vassals, and sometimes to retain quibus illud Ev maledictum continuo in ore est: peculiar servants, and give name to a Sub potestate uiri eris, & ipse dominabitur tui. family, so as the children shall be Quod si illis respondeatur Christum abstulisse called by the Mother's name, not the [47] maledictum, obiicient rursus idem ex dictis father's, with several other privileges, Petri [Petri. 3.], cui accedit & Paulus [Ad Collos. in relation to their dowers, exprest in 3.]: Mulieres uiris suis subdit sint, mulieres in divers places throughout the whole ecclesia taceant. Sed qui nouerit uarios scriptur body of the Law: Which also provides, tropos, eiusdemque affectus, facile cernet hc That a woman of honest fame shall not non nisi in cortice repugnare. Est enim is ordo in be imprisoned for debt; and that the ecclesia, ut uiri prponantur in ministerio judge who shall commit her, shall in mulieribus, sicuti Iudi Grcis in promissione. such case be liable to capital Non tamen est acceptor personarum Deus, in punishment: And if she be apprehended christo enim nec mas, nec fmina, sed noua on suspicion of any crime, she shall be creatura. Quin et pleraque uiris propter duriciem put into a Monastery, or delivered to cordis eorum in mulieres permissa sunt sicut the custody of persons of her own Sex. Iudis quondam concessa repudia, qu tamen Moreover, a woman in the eye of the mulierum dignitati nihil officiunt, quin & Law is of a better condition than a deficientibus errantibusque uiris, mulieres in Man, so that in the very same kind and uirorum opprobrium potestatem habent iudicii. Et degree of crime, he is esteemed a ipsa regina Saba iudicatura est uiros Hierusalem. greater offender, and worthy of severer Qui ergo iustificati per fidem effecti sunt filii punishment than she. Hence a man Abrah, filii inquam promissionis subiiauntur found in adultery is punisht with death, mulieri, & obnoxii sunt prcepto Dei ad the woman only shut up in a Abraham inquientis [Genesis. 21.]: Omnia monastery. Many other privileges of qucumque dicit tibi Sara, audi uocem eius. women you may read, collect by Azo, Nunc tandem ut me quam breuissime recolligam, in his summe on the title, ostendimus prcellentiam muliebris sexus, Senatusconsultum Velleianum, and nomine, ab ordine, loco, materia, & quid Speculator of Renunciations, and dignitatis mulier supra uirum sortita sit Deo, De others. inde religione, natura, ab humanis legibus, No wonder then if those ancient iam uaria autoritate, ratione et exemplis legislators, men grave for their promiscue demonstrauimus. Tamen non tam wisdome, and prudent for science, multa diximus, quam plurima adhuc dicenda reliquerimus, quia non ambitione commotus, aut Lycurgus, I mean, and Plato, understanding by their diligent [48] me commendationis causa ueni ad scribendum, sed officio & ueritate. Ne tanquam researches into the most profound parts sacrilegus, tam denoto sexui debitas sibi laudes of Philosophy, that Women were not a whit either for excellency of wit, (ut talentum mihi creditum suffodiendo) impia quadam taciturnitate surripere uidear sisilerem. strength of body, or dignity of nature, inferiour to Men, but equally able in all Quod si quis me curiosior nobis prteritum aliquod argumentum repererit, quod huic operi respects whatever; did thereupon nostro ad struendum putet, ab illo me non argui ordain, That Women should exercise together with Men in wrestling, and sed adiuuari credam, quatenus bonam hanc other publick games and pastimes; and operam nostram, suo ingenio doctrinaque as well as Men, make an inspection meliorem reddiderit. Ne ergo opus ipsum in into all things appertaining to Martial nimis magnum uolumen exeat, Hic illius finis

esto.

[FINIS]

discipline, as shooting, slinging, casting stones, darting, handling of arms, both on foot and horseback, pitching of tents, leading up, marshalling, and setting armies in array, &c. Let us peruse the volumes of credible historians, and they will assure us, That by the custom in Getulia, Bactria, and Galletia, the Men devoted wholly to ease, made much of themselves at home, whilst the Women tilled the ground, built, negotiated, rid up and down, went to the wars, and transacted all those affairs which among us are managed by Men. That amongst the Cantabrians, the Men brought the Women portions; the brothers were dispos'd of in marriage by the sisters; and the daughters were the heirs. That among the Scythians, Thracians, and other nations, all offices were undertaken by Women, as well as Men. And in their Treaties Women were concern'd; as appears by the league made between Hannibal and the Celt, in these words: If any of the Celt complain that he is injured by any of the Carthaginians, let the magistrates or commanders of the Carthaginians who shall be in Spain, judge thereof. If any Carthaginian shall receive damage from any of the Celt, let the Women be judges of the same. Nor did the ancient Brittains [Britains] and Picts regard any difference of sex, for the soveraign command, but usually went to war under the conduct of Women, as both Tacitus and Beda witness. From what has been said, appears conspicuously, as if written with Sunbeams on a wall of chrystal, That this Sex are not incapable of, nor were in the primitive and more innocent Ages of the World, debarr'd from managing the most arduous of difficult affairs, till the tyranny of Men usurpt the dispose

of all business, and unjust laws, foolish customes, and an ill mode of education, retrencht their liberties. For now a woman (as if she were only the pass-time of Men's idle hours, or a thing made merely for trifling courtiers to throw away their non-sensical complements on) is from her cradle kept at home; and as incapable of any nobler imployment, suffered only to knit, spin, or practice the little curiosities of the Needle. And when she arrives at riper years, is delivered to the tyranny of a jealous-pated husband, or cloistered up in a Nunnery; all publick offices are denied them; implead, or sue at Law in their own names, though never so prudent, they must not; no jurisdiction they can exercise: nor make any contract that is valid without their husband's license; and several other hard impositions they have laid on them. By which unworthy, partial [i.e. "biased"] means, they are forc'd to give place to Men, and like wretched captives overcome in war, submit to their insulting conquerors, not out of any natural or divine reason, or necessity, but only by the prevalancy of custome, education, chance, or some tyrannical occasion; yet might Women's excellent good natures possibly perswade them calmly to undergo this servitude, did not the male-usurpers adde shame and reproach to their tyranny. But as all slavery is miserable in the account of generous minds, so that which comes accompanied with scorn and contempt, stirs every one's indignation, and can be endur'd by none whom Nature does not intend for slaves, as well as Fortune. Although 'tis evident; That unto Woman-kind the World oweth half of its life, and Man is indebted the whole of his love, she being the only adequate object of his affections on

earth; yet Custom spreading like some epidemick contagion, hath made it common to undervalue this Sex, and bespatter their reputation with all kind of opprobrious language, and slanderous Epethites. Each idle Poeraster hath a Rhime to reproach them; and every phantastick gull a scandalous sonnet or musty Proverb to impeach their honour; particular reasons whereof, many may be gather'd from the divers humours of their accusers. Some will dispraise that Woman, whom before they ador'd, because her modesty has repell'd their unchast desires. Some turn their amorous complements of wooing, into a barbarous stile of railing, because for want of desert they obtain not Love. Many love not Women, because they know not how to love them; and most of all Men being evil themselves, love but few things that are good, and thence entertain Women with hatred. Some to make ostentation of their parts, and acquire the title of wits, few with any shew of reason, and none on any just cause, have yet filled the World with pamphlets, things no less idle in themselves, than disgracefull to Women. But Oh unmanly Men, and stain of your Sex! Is this a point of Manhood, or any ornament of your valour, to busie your selves for disgrace of Women? Is this the thankfull tribute you return to the authors of your Being? Is this the recompense you afford them for their sorrow a nd pains at your birth, for their care and diligence in your infancy, for their love and tenderness, their assistance and endearments throughout your Life? Such and so many obligations should not (methinks) be so easily cancelled, not such courtesies forgotten, much less so injuriously remembred, as to be repaid with causeless detraction, and immerited invectives. But why speak

we to these Men of Gratitude, the greatest of virtues, who never were acquainted with any virtue at all? It can be no great dishonour to be evil spoken by them, who never learn'd to speak well of any. We shall not therefore so vainly spend our own or the reader's time, as to take notice of all those black scandals by them cast on this fair Sex, they being only fluxes of gall, or the purgings of idle brains: only one we must briefly examine, which seems more plausible, and passes for currant in the vogue of the World; and that is, their terming Women, Necessary Evils. This is indeed the common Tenure, and the comical wits think they have very judiciously spoken, when thus they have designed them; which yet in truth is no other than an egregious Solecism; an error almost blasphemous. That they are necessary, we needs must grant; since he that made Man, saw it was not good that Man should be without them. That they are Evils, we utterly deny; since he that made Woman, saw that all he made was good. Is Woman good then in the judgement of God, and in your conceit also necessary? then change your phrase, and henceforth stile her, A necessary good. Those very terms, Necessary, and Evil, are inconsistent: All things that are necessary for Man, are good; food is necessary, it is good; apparel necessary, it is good; the Fire, the Air, the Earth, the Water necessary, they are good: Women necessary, therefore good. For else if we suppose God has bound Man in so hard a condition, that some things are necessary for him, yet evil, we both impair the wisdome of God, and detract from his goodness. To conclude: If Woman be so necessary for Man, and he of himself so weak and impotent, that he could not

even in Paradise live without her; If Abraham the friend of God be commanded, by no less Authority than the voice of Heaven, to hear his wife Sarah whatsoever she should say to him; If Nature have so illustriously markt out Women for the most excellent of all creatures, and crown'd them most prodigally with the choicest of her ornaments; Since they in no respect come short of the most celebrated Heroes, and that their names and gallant actions have swell'd the records of Fame, and stand register'd there with such obliging Eulogies; what remains but that without delay we render them those homages which such extraordinary merits challenge? Let us no longer dis-esteem this noble Sex, or abuse its goodness, or usurp on its prerogative. Let us allow them those Privileges which God and nature have invested them with. Let us re-enthrone them in their Seats of Honour and Preeminence. Let us regard them with that reverence that is due; pay them that devotion that becomes us; and treat them with all that respect and veneration which belongs to such Terrestrial Angels. Thus have we endeavored to shew the pre-eminence of the Female Sex, from the name, order, place, and matter of Creation; and what dignity bounteous Heaven has vouchsaft thereto above the Male. We have also promiscuously, yet plainly, demonstrated the same from Divinity, Nature, Humane Laws, various Authority, Reason, and Examples, yet have we not said so much, but that we have left much more unsaid: for we took not up our pen in this cause out of ambition, or design to purchase applause by ostentation of wit, or reading; but meerly as conscious of our duty, and out of loyalty to Truth, that we might not seem sacrilegiously to rob this worthy

Sex of its due praises, by an envious silence. But if some more curious Head shall find (as easily he may) any argument by us omitted, which he shall judge proper to be here inserted, we shall be ready to acknowledge our obligations to him; esteeming it a courtesie, not an injury, if by his wit and learning he render this well-intended Work of ours better; to which, lest it swell to too great a volume, we here affix a final period. FINIS.

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