So far was this Daughter from tempting and assaulting him with the Ruines of his tottering House that she represented to him the importance of his suffering for that Cause that Men and Angels were Spectatours of his Victory that he had the Applause and Congratulation of the Church and that the Glory of his Family was raised to the Alliance of Martyrs She spake nothing to him which he knew not before but she said nothing which did not confirm him Old reasons received a new light from her Tears and issued with more vigour out of her Mouth And whether God placed in her Voice and upon her Lips some tincture of Divine Spirit whether pleasing persons have a natural Charm and an Eloquence without Art or that their sole presence is perswasive It seemed as if an Angel appearing to this Moor had inflamed him with more Zeal or infused into him more Light In fine having received the Sentence of Death after Fourteen Moneths of imprisonment and an illustrious and solemn Confession of his Faith made in the presence of all the Ministers of the Schism his good Daughter was willing to be a spectatâ—ess of his Combat and to fortifie her self by the Evidence of his Faith and with the last Act of his Constancie she expected him in his passage and went to imbrace him in the midst of the people who gave back out of respect and with their Admiration and Tears honoured so resolute and so examplar a Piety At these last imbraces the fervour of friendship mixed with that of Zeal ascending from her Heart to her Head caused some Tears to distill from her eyes But these were couragious Tears and such as heretofore the first Heroes of Christianity shed upon the wounds and Crowns either of their Fathers or Children still warme with Martyrdom After the execution of the impious sentence which had submitted this High Judge of Equity to the sword of a Hangman Margaret prepared her self to tender her last duties to the Bodie of her Father Concerning whose Head after it had served a whole Moneth for a spectacle of terrour upon London Bridge she bought it of the Executioner and caused it to be inchased in Silver to the end it might remain with his Writings the Relique of his Family and of her Domestick Devotion Notwithstanding this Devotion wanted not Accusers and was pursued by Justice It was made a crime of State that they might have a pretence to persecute Sir Thomas Moor even after his Death and cause that part of his Heart and Spirit which he had left to his Daughter to suffer a second Martyrdom She was made a Prisoner and examined before the Schismatical Tribunal But she shewed so much Constancie in prison she answered so prudently and with so great courage she made so resolute and a noble confession of her Faith that the Commissioners themselves being become her Admirers conceived it much fitter to send her back then to give a second Victory to her Father and multiply Martyrs and Crowns in his Family MARIAMNE 〈…〉 Mariamne THIS Terrace incompassed with â—allisters of Jasper belongs to the Palace of Herod And it can be no other then Mariamne who comes out of it with so much splendour and so sumptuously apparelled There needed no Diadem and Sceptre to make her known Her Dignitie is neither Artificial nor borrowed It is from her Person and not from her Fortune And her Heroick Stature her Majestical Countenance and soveraign Beauty came from the Maccabees as well as her Blood and Courage Can you believe seeing her so Beautiful and Resolute that she is going to Execution She goes thither most fair and undaunted as you see her And all the Graces and Vertues accompany her to that place Bloody and murtherous Judges suborned by her Husband Mother and Sister in Law come to give the Sentence of death against her She appeared before this Tribunal of Tyranny and Injustice with a Countenance of Authority and a Soveraignty of Heart equal to that of her Face You would have said that the Criminal was to pronounce the Decree and that the Lives of the Judges were in her Mouth But as good Intervals stay not with sweetned Tyrants nor with charmed Vipers so malice and poison quickly return to the Judges of Iniquity Their fury which Innocence and Beauty equally Imperious had chained up with respect is loosned and confirmed And they at last pronounced her Sentence but still with Fear and Trembling As if their Faces had accused their Consciences and given the Lye to their Tongues As if their very Tongues had retracted what was done their Palenesse and stammering made a Declaration contradictory to their Decree and justified condemned Innocence In what manner do you think she received this unjust Sentence and procured by her own Husband With more Equality of Spirit with more Indifferency then she could have received his Carresses And had it been but a feigned Death they pronounced against her she could not have appeared lesse moved She is come hither with all the Calmnesse of her Heart the Reproaches and Injuries of her wicked Step Mother who combined with her Enemies did not provoke her And had she gone to a publick Sacrifice or to some solemn Feast She could not have carried thither a better composed Modesty Since it is decreed that she must die she resolves to die resolutely and like a Macchabee And there will not only appear a Constancy in her Suffering but even a Dignity and Grace Pitty it is nevertheless that so perfect a Light should be extinguished at its high Noon and in the midst of its Carreer And the Mists must needs be very thick and malignant which could not be dissipated by it But we amuse our selves in bewailing her we lose her last splendour and the last examples of her Vertue She is already arrived at the Place of Execution And the envious Saloma hath so violently pressed the Execution that at the very instant I speak there is an end of poor Mariamne Herod himself is come too late to save her His Retraction was fruitlesse They left him not so much leasure as to suspend the wicked Sentence or to keep back even for one moment the Arm of the Executioner And repentant Love which brought him thither found nothing but sorrows to vent and unprofitable tears to shed Affrightment Horror and Despair entred into his Soul at the sight of Mariamne dead Spite Anger and Jelousie at the same time issued from thence And the marks of these Passions mix'd at their encounter caused this distemper in his Eyes and the Confusion you behold on his Face His Bodie half reversed and his arms extended follow the posture of his Soul which remains as it were in suspence between astonishment and aversion between the respect and horrour of these deplorable Reliques He was willing at once both to remove his sight from thence and to sacrifice himself upon them for the expiation of just blood by blood that was guilty And to
should have seen these Noble and Generous Tears trickle down they would have taught us that the Eyes of Heroes are not Adamantine Eyes And that the Vulgar are deceived who take great Hearts for Hearts of Brass Cyrus then bewailed Abradates but he did it magnificently and after an Heroick manner His tears were followed by a profusion of Riches which will be presently burned with the Dead And he is newly returned to the Camp to give out Orders for the Funeral Pomp and to make choice of the Victimes which were to be Immolated to the Ghost of his Friend He believes him still in the Field of Battel where he enjoyes his Reputation and numbers the Dead and his own Victories As for these sad Preparatives and Funeral expences they are made for the Consolation of Panthea no less then for the Honour of Abradates But Panthea is no longer in a Condition to Comfort her self with burn'd Purple or Gold consumed to Ashes with the Smoak of a Flaming Pile and the Blood of a Butchered Flock with the large shadow and great Images of a vast Sepulchre Her Grief was too violent to expect such Superficial and VVeak Remedies and to be cured by Ceremonies and Superstitions She had Recourse to a Consolation of less Cost and far more Efficacious She believed that a small Piece of Steel plung'd into her Bosom would be to her Sorrow a more Infallible and Speedy Remedie then Mines of Gold and Quarries of Jasper erected into Pillars and Pyramids over her Husbands Bodie And this Remedie which she conceived the most speedy and Infallible she newly took couragiously and with a boldnesse which merited to be reserved for a lesse Tragical Occasion Behold on her Face the Confidence of her Spirit and the graceful Composure of her Grief Every thing is very Becoming to Beautiful Persons Their Sorrows and Anger 's look handsomly Their Tears adorn them and their very despites Beautifie them And there is nothing even in their Maladies and VVounds which appears not Decent There is not any thing even in their Deaths which seems not pleasing from their Attractives and shines not from the same Lustre which it extinguisheth That of Panthea hath nothing hideous or gastly you would rather take it for a sweet Sleep then for a violent Death The Graces themselves if there be any such as Painters and Poets describe could not sleep more modestly And a Flower which the North Winde hath withered could not more gently bow down its Head nor die more gracefully It is not likewise a Palenesse which you see upon her Brow and Cheeks It is a tincture resembling that dying Brightnesse which appears in a Clear Cloud when the Sun withdraws his Beams from it Trust not her Eyes though they begin to close The Fire Burns still even when it is extinguished And the Sun being in the Ecliâ—se ceaseth not to be dangerous and to offend the sight The like may happen to these dying Eyes The Sparkles which fall from them retain still a kinde of Lightning and He it and I do not doubt but if 〈◊〉 were here and that one of them should enter into his Heart it would in kindle there a second Feaver and send back the Fire into his former VVound VVhilst her Eyes half shut cast forth their last Light and that her Mouth is open to her last â—ords you observe peradventure the passage of her Soul and desire to know whether it will issue out by her Eyes or Mouth Aâ—â—ure your self that through what art soever it passeth it will passe generously and depart victorious and through a fair gate It is credible neverthelesse that it will sally forth by the nearest Gate to the Heart and which she her self newly made with her own Hand A stream of Blood which goes before this great Soul prepares the way And spurting up even upon the Bodie of Abradates enters there through all his VVounds as if it would fill his empty Veins as if it would even penetrate his Heart to reinkindle the extinguished Fire and dispose it by the Spirits which it brings to receive the Soul which was to follow them Her Countenancâ— though languishing expresses joy at this encounter Her life seems to passe in good earnest with her Blood into her Husbands Bodie and her Soul is assured to finde there a second Abode which will prove more happy then the former had been Comforted by this Vain and sweet Imagination she let fall her Head upon the Head of Abradates You would say that she prepares her self to expire upon his Lips And that after the transmitting into him her Blood and Spirits she resolves to place her Sighs and last Breath upon his Mouth Love supports her in this Action But it is an Heroick and Magnanimous Love a Love which instructed her in Vertue and fortified her Courage For Loves if you are yet to learn it are not all Wanton and Voluptuous There are Austere and Chaste Loves there are Valiant and Philosophical ones And amongst them Glory and Vertue have their Confederates and Disciples as well as Vice and Pleasure He that assists Panthea with so much Care is one of these Confederates of Vertue and Disciples of Glory It is he that strengthened her against Temptations and the Courtships of Ariaspes he that inspired her with Chastity and Conjugal Faith he that taught her to apparel her self with the Reputation of her Husband and to Adorn her self with his Victories he that perswaded her rather to love Abradates glorious and dying with a good Name then living and Infamie This manner of loving Gallantly and like a Heroess was indeed according to Abradates own Heart And you see in what Posture he set himself to correspond therewith We have not seen him in the Conflict breaking a Squadron of Egyptians and pursuing the Victory in a Warlike Chariot But we behold the Glorious Colours which he brought thence and received even between the Arms of Victory It seems that his Valour could not die with him At least it appears still heated in his Wounds and stately on his Face The Rich Armour which his Generous Wife had bought him with her Pearl was pierced thorow in divers Places as if a great Soul could not fally forth by one single passage The blood which trickles down from thence is mixed with the blood of his Enemies wherewith he is covered and seems willing still to overcome All things have in him some Mark of Honour and Generosity And even Death it self is bold upon his Brow and resembles Victory In this so glorious and Mournfull Condition his Vertue begot Pittie even in those to whom in the Conflict it had bred Emulation It was Honoured by the Blood of Enemies and by the Tears of his Rivals by the terrour of the one and the affliction of the other And immediately a sumptuous Monument erected over his Bodie and that of Panthea buried in the same Garment will be to each of them as a second Life and an Immortalitie
of Jasper and Porphire SONNET WHile this Heroick Mede attempts to gain O're weighty Palms be by their poyse is slain His Brow still sweats with Gallans Actions done Still do's the Blood about his Armour run His Hearts late active Flames have lost their Fire And through its reaking Blood in Smoak expire While couch'd among the Dead his Soul pursues The wand'ring Shades of those the sword subdues O hold Panthea hold thy best Relief Rests in the moderation of thy Grief Save thou at least thy Husbands second Heart And let one Death suffice your common Smart In thee he still survives and may again In thee fair Cruel by thy Hand be slain Thâ— inhumane Steel that shall dismiss thy Breath To him must needs procure a second Death ELOGIE OF PANTHEA PANTHEA had a Philosophers Spirit in a Womans Bodie and a knowing and disciplined Soul under a Barbarous Climat There was nothing weak or rustical in her Life All her Actions were full of Courage and Dexteritie Chastity Grace and Modesty excepted nothing appeared in her agreeable to her Sex Having remained a Captive after the Defeat of the Assyrians vanquished by Cyrus she was set apart as the most precious piece of the Spoil and as the choicest fruit of the Victory And in this occasion her Vertue appeared more rare and prizable then her Beauty A noble man of Persia having had the Impudence to attempt upon her Honour Discretion Chastity and Fidelity defended it And the Victory which remained to her evidently shewed that Fortune had not yet overcome her And that though she were an absolute Captive yet she had alwayes a free Heart and a soveraign Soul The Affection she bore to her Husband Abradates was serious and manly she did not consume it in affected Discourses and superfluous Apprehensions She truly loved his Life and Repose but she was jealous of his Reputation and Renown And she would rather have wished him an untimely and glorious Death then a dishonoured and compleat old Age. So far was she from making him lose in her Closet the hours of the Field and from withdrawing him from Gallant Encounters and Honourable Dangers that she sent him thither in a costly Equipage like a Conquerer that she delighted to see in him an adorned and sumptuous Valour which might both dazle and affright which might beget at once both Admiration and Fame He died likewise Victorious in the Gold Armour which she had bought for him with her Pearl and pretious Stones as if she intended thereby either to adorn his Death or to set a Value and Lustre on his Victory Being brought to her covered over with his own Blood and that of his Enemies she received him Couragiously and with a manly Constancy mixt with sorrow and Majesty She forbore not to bewail him but it was done with those modest and decent Tears which do not soften the Heart but beautifie the Face Not being able to make his Soul return into his Body she essayed to substitute her own in the place of it For that end she opened her Bosom by a wide wound and leaning on him as if she were willing to fill his Heart with her Blood and Life she dyed in two Bodies and yeelded up her Soul through her Husbands Wound and and her own MORAL REFLECTION I Put not here a Sword into Womens Hands nor invite them unto Poison a Halter or Precipice Voluntary Death might appear handsom and becoming in this Barbarian it would seem black and hideous in a Christian Woman But Chastity Fidelity and Constancie are in use with all Nations and requisite for All Sects And our Christian Women without darkning or disfiguring themselves may imitate Barbarian Let them learn of her that Conjugal Love is not an effeminate and mincing Passion That it is vigorous and serious That it is capable of great Designes and of Noble and Couragious Thoughts Let them understand that though their Sex be exempted from the Dangers and Functions of War yet their Fortunes and Mindes are not so that they ought to serve with their Goods and Possessions if not with their Persons And that it were a Disgrace for them to spare two or three Pearls and Parcels of rich Cutwork in Occasions wherein Princes are Liberal of their Blood and Kings expose their Crowns and Heads In fine let them know that their chief Ornament consists in their Husbands Glory that they ought to adorn themselves with all that contributes to their Credit and Reputation And that a man without Honour is as great a Deformity to a brave Woman as a Head of Clay to a Statue of Ivorie MORAL QUESTION Concerning the Order which a Gallant Woman ought to observe in Conjugal Love IF good Eyes and a great Light be requisite to love regularly more Courage and Vertue is yet required to it And well ordained Charity what sweetness soever it promiseth is the most powerful and the most rare perfection of a Gallant Woman There are many who tenderly love their Husbands The Heart of a Turtle or the Soul of a Dove without other Philosophie would suffice for this Tendernesse But surely few there are that love them according to measure and in order to their duties few that know how to afford just proportions to their kindnesses and to set every office in its place and in the degree which is proper to it Finally few that can boast with the Spouse in the Canticles of having a regular Love and a well ordered Charity And neverthelesse it is this regular Love and well ordered Charitie which must accomplish the Fortitude of a Woman For according to the saying of S. Augustine these give the Character and Tincture to all other Vertues of what Sex soever they be and by what Names soever they are called Morever this Order to draw the Designe of it in little and to teach it by Epitomie must be taken from the very order of those Objects that are beloved Wherein this proportion is to be exactly observed that every Object be ranked in the esteem and according to the degree of its Merit That the most pretious and important should have the first Cares and be furthest advanced in the Heart that the rest of lesse consequence should remain in the superficies and rest satisfied with the second thoughts and remaining Affections And generally that love should grow intense or remisse rise or fall act or acquiesce according to the different weight according to the several degrees according to the Value of the good which is to be affected and pursued This Rule ought to be in a Gallant Woman what the Rod was to the Angel whom Ezekiel saw measuring the Temple She ought not to Love but with proportion according to the quantity of merit And how vast soever her Heart is she must yet be wary of pouring it out rashly and at random she ought to give nothing of it but by weight and measure Not that I permit her to divide and distribute it to whom
and without staining his hands with her Blood Although I have said that Women will not ascend in Troops to this high degree yet some there are who have arrived to this Pitch and gone thither more innocently and couragiously then Monima she whom I shall immediately produce will finde few equals She cannot be placed in too great a light nor upon too fair a Stage She cannot have too noble Spectators and History will never give her so many applauses and Crowns as she deserves EXAMPLE The Brave Hungarian THe Wound which Hungary received at the taking of Seget was great and dangerous And if God had not reached out his hand and upheld that Kingdom it was ready to perish by this wound The siege was famous by the presence of Solymon the second who began this last Expedition with five hundred thousand men and left the finishing of it to his Reputation and Fortune dying a few dayes before the taking of the place and almost in the sight of Victory It was not the Earl of Serins fault who defended the Town that Solymons Fortune and Reputation died not there with his Person and that Victory did not abandon him in this Action and remain to the Christians The Ladies of Seget did what service they could with their Jewels and Pearls which were converted into Money for the pay of the Garrison they served also there with their persons And by a Zeal much bolder then that of the Carthaginians who gave their hair to make Ropes for Engins of War they employed their Arms to the repairing of the Walls and exposed their Heads to the defence of the breaches and Gates At the last assault given by the Turks the Earl of Serin perceiving that the hour of perishing was at hand resolved to dye most magnificently and in Pomp and to give Lustre and Reputation to his Death He â—ought in an Imbroidered Sute and with a string of Diamonds tyed about his Hat having the keyes of the Town fastned to his Scarse and a hundred Crowns in his Pocket for that Souldier who should send him to Triumph in Heaven The History renders this testimony of his Death that it was a Triumphant and Victorious Death But though it was victorious yet it did not equal the Death of a Ladie of Siget who surpasseth all that is left us of the Memory of Heroick time She was a Woman of quality and one of the fairest but she was none of those languishing Beauties and without Vigour of those Beauties which resemble the stars of the North which have no activity and shine faintly and without heat She was vigorous and bold yet vigorous with sweetnesse and bold with a good Grace and Comlinesse Her Husband who loved her passionately and even to the degree of Jealousie scared nothing but her taking in the taking of Siget The Image of captivated and inchained Hungary nay of flaming and bloody Hungary was to his apprehension a lesse dreadful apparition then the Image of his Captive Wife To rid himself of this Fantome which followed him every where and to secure the Honour and Freedom of his Wife of whom he was more Jealous then of the Honour of Christianity and the Liberty of Europe He resolved to take her out of the World before the Victorious Turk should enter the City which was no longer able to resist and had too good hearts left to yield themselves This so Tragick and soul a resolution was no sooner fixed in his Minde but the slains thereof appeared even in his Eyes and upon his Face His Wife who was discreet and quick-sighted observed them and was touched therewith she pardoned his Jealousie in consideration of his Love And though she was fully prepared for death yet she did not desire a death which might make him a Criminal whom she loved more then her own life She took him aside and made him understand that his bad intention could not be hidden from her She was so dexterous as to draw the confession of it from his own mouth and upon his Confession she strongly and efficatiously represented to him the infamie which would remain to him from so Barbarous an Act and the Scandal which he would give to his Age and leave unto posterity I confesse said she that I owe you all my blood And behold me ready to give it without reserving one drop But have patience till some other come to shed it Do not fullie your hands with it stain neither your memory nor your soul therewith Do not inkindle an eternal fire by it For my part I apprehend far more Life then Death and all the Scimiters of the Turks cause in me far less fear then their most gentle and pretious Chain were it more sweet and pretious then the Diadem of the Sultanesse But permit me to die gloriously and with Reputation Do not dishonour the Repose which you seek Disparage not your good affection My Honour is not so desperate that it cannot be preserved but by a Crime You think to justifie your self by laying the blame upon Love You are much mistaken if you take it for a murderer Do not put the Dagger into its hands Do not solicit it to commit a murder and if you cannot restore it the goods you have received from it leave it at least its Reputation and do not envie its Innocencie An honourable Death is not so hard a thing to find in a Town taken by force There enter enough of them by Gates and Breaches Let us fallie forth together with Swords in our hands to chuse an illustrious and renowned end Let it be by fire or sword let it be short or lasting it imports not It will be sweet to me provided I dye a rival to your Valour and not a Victime to your Jealousie Having said this she caused her self to be compleatly armed and went out with a Sword in her hand and a Buckler upon her arm her Husband followed her armed with the like weapons and encouraged by her words and Example which gave him a second Heart and a new Spirit They went on boldly where fire noise and danger were greatest And as soon as they came to the place where they were to fight between the flaming Fire and the victorious Army They shewed by the wonders which they did that there is no valour like the valour of despairing Love and of Graces armed in defence of their Honour After a long and rude fight they were at last rather overpressed then overcome by a barbarous multitude irritated by their own losses and their resistance And feeling their strength stealing away with their Blood they gave each other their last imbraces and fell upon a heap of dead bodies which had been slain by their Hands They could not die more sweetly then in the fruition of their mutual Fidelity They could not have a more magnificent Tomb then their Arms and Victories Their souls which imbraced each other as well as their Bodies could not be severed by Death
the scat of Valour is the most tender part of the Body It is composed of flesh without Nerves and Bones hath neither Teeth nor Nails to fortifie it There may well then be generous Spirits and vigorous Souls in tender Bodies as there are good swords in Velvet Scabbards as victorious Hands are seen in persumed Gloves as Conquerors are lodged in painted and guilded Tents That if it be necessary to support reason by experience and to make History speak for Philosophie it will produce from all Ages whole Armies of couragious and warlike Women Women Conqueresses and victorious over men even the most gallant and valiant amongst men That famous Cyrus who deserved the Name of great by the greatness of his exploits was defeated by Thamaris Queen of Scythia And the Scythiaus themselves who were all born Souldiers and had no other Countrey nor Houses then a Camp and Tents were overcome by the Amazons That famous Semiramis to whom a Prophet gave the Name of Dove was indeed a Dove in her Closet even a voluptuous and perfumed Dove but a victorious Eagle in the Field And in her time Asia had no King out of whose hands she wrested not the Scepter and from whose head she snatched not the Crown Bundâ—va was another Eagle to usefull the same Phrase but a Northern Eagle who in several Battels vanquished the Roman Eagles and intended to chase them out of England Zenobia whose Picture I have newly given you did not treat them more gently in Egypt and Persia and the Commanders of Natitions and the Conquerors of the World were necessitated to come to composition in point of Victory with a Woman France hath had Amazons as well as Scythia and other Countreyes beyond the seas And to defer to another time the Maid of Orleans whose Valour came to her by Inspiration and Miracle not to produce here a 〈◊〉 Lâ—sse who drove the Flemmgs out of Amreus and forced out of their Hands a Town taken and a victory gained not to speak of the boldness wherewith the Ladies of Beâ—â—â—ais repulsed the Hugonots during the Civil Wars of France The memory remains still fresh of the late Siege of Câ—â—â—brey and of the Heroick Courage which the Wife of the Marshal of Balagus shewed there to the general astonishment of all those that beheld her upon this Stage She assisted in all Military duties she visited the Sentinels and the Courts of Guard she made Speeches upon the Bulwarks she gave Life to their Labours by her Presence and Example And if betimes she had known how to gain the Hearts of the Inhabitants the Head of Count Fueâ—tes and all the Arms of his Camp would have unprofitably wearied themselves at this Siege She was likewise of the House of Amboise and the Name of Amboise is a Name of valiant Men and Women The Race is couragious and full of Heroick Spirits in all the Branches thereof It resembles that of Palms whose Females are as vigorous as the Males and as fit for Victories and Triumphs And besides now that we have War with Spain if some Count Fuenutes should present himself before â—resie he would not indeed finde there the Courage and Magnanimity of the Marshal of Baligni's Wife to be cruel and haughty but a Valour accompanied with sweetnesse and a civilized and gentle Magnanimity mixed with armed and liberal Graces And assuredly this mixture of sweetness and courage and this conjunction of Arms and Liberalities in the Governess could not be the least strong piece of the Cittadel But it is not necessary to inroll here all the gallant Women who have made Beauty warlike and armed the Graces The Princess whom I am going to produce will finish the convincing of those who place valiant Women amongst Monsters And who believe that a Cask and Plumes of Feathers upon a Womans Head make no less a Prodigie then heretofore the Snakes did upon the Head of Medusa EXAMPLE Joan of Flanders Countess of Montfort EAgles whatsoever they do are still Eagles And whether they sport in the Air or have any thing in Chase they sport with Vigour and chase couragiously and with vehemency Joan Countess of Mountfort and Daughter to Lewis Earl of Flanders was one of these ever generous and bold Eagles Her whole Life was a perpetual Warfare or a continual preparation to it Her first divertisments were laborious and manly And at the Age when Maids begin to see the World to go to Bals and shew themselves at publick Meetings she began to learn the riding of great Horses running at Tilt and fighting at Banners She learnt all these Exercises without forgetting the Bashfulness of her Sex without taking off from sweetness or discomposing Graces And there was alwayes upon her Face and in all her Actions a mixture of Beauty and Valour a tincture mingled with Boldness and Modesty and a certain Air like that of Minerva drawn by the antient Painter who was armed and yet appeared a Virgin Her Valour likewise was not a Valour for Carrousels and Turnaments and her Gallantry was not painted and specious From counterfeit VVars and Chamber Combats she passed to real VVars and Field Encounters she was present at Sieges and Naval Battels she gained all kindes of Victories and merited all sorts of Crowns Joan Duke of Brittany dying without Children left to the Earl of Mountfort and Charls of Blois the strife about Succession The Earl began the pursuit of his right by a seizure and assisted by the VVit and courage of the Countess his Wife partly by Force and partly by dextetity he gained the most considerable places of the Province Charls prevented by what was done had recourse to the Court of Peers and to the protection of the King whose Neece he had married The Court adjudged the difference about succession in his Favour And the King committed the Execution of the Decree to his Son the Duke of Normandy sending him with an Army into Brittany After the reduction of some Places the Earl of Montfort was taken at Nants and sent Prisoner to Paris where he dyed in the Tower of the Loâ—â—er This fall of the Count must evidently occasion the Ruine of his Countesse As they say the Death of the Male Palm is followed by that of the Female But all Loves are not of the same complexion nor subject to the same Symptomes The generous Widow remained unshaken between her Husbands Death which lay extreamly heavy on her heart and the war he left upon her shoulders And it was a hard task for a Widow to stand out against all France her Enemie and in Arms. She visited in Person all the Towns of her Party she setled the affrighted people and confirmed the wavering Garrisons she gained noble souls by her Caresses and the mercenary by presents And by her Example infused courage into the one and fidelity into the other Afterwards the War being reinkindled by the first ray of the spring And the City of Rennes after some assaults being
glorious effusion ariseth it is certain that Cicinna is penetrated by it and his soul which fear had imprisoned being now inflamed and attracted by the power of this light expects only the fatall stroke which was to set it at liberty To give this blow Arria presents him a Dagger still warm with her blood and courage Love is the mediator of this commerce and at the same time and by the same inspiration infuseth courage into the mind of Arria and resolution into the spirit of Cicinna Take not this Love for one of those nice ones in whom Poppy causeth the head-ach and who would not adventure to touch a Rose unless it be disarmed It is one of those couragious and magnanimous Loves of those which have produced Heroes and Heroesses of those which know no other Garlands but Helmets no other Posies but Swords of those which take delight in Frost and Rain in Chains and Prisons And I am much mistaken if it be not the very same Love which led Euadne to the flaming pile of her Husband which sparkled the Sword wherewith the true Dido guarded her self from a second Marriage and which lately also cut off the Hair of the Vertuous Hypsicratea put the Helmet on her head and made a Queen become a Foot-soldier in the Army of Mithridates At present this Love playes the Exhorter and Philosopher it speaks to Cicinna of liberty and glory and animates him to follow the Example and Courage of his wife You would say that in guiding his hand to the Dagger which is offered him she assures him that it will cut off the ligaments of his soul without hurting him that it hath been mollified in the bosome of Arria and by the fire of her heart that her blood hath qualified it and take from thence all that it had of malignity and sharpness and that not only so Noble and Honourable a weapon as that but even a Cord presented by the hand of so gallant a woman would be more glorious then many Diadems wrought by the hand of Fortune and presented by those of Messaline Cicinna seems fully perswaded by these reasons and confirms them by his gesture and countenance He is no longer the same fearfull and irresolute man as before He hath still the same head and body but another heart is placed in this body and another spirit in this head He hath no longer any blood in his veins which is not Romane All his thoughts are triumphant and all his sentiments worthy of a Consul and shortly his soul greater then Fortune and stronger then Death will depart victorious over both and re-unite it self to the soul of Arria This Example of constancy and conjugall Fidelity is very precious to Rome at this time and no doubt but the young Arria and Trascus her Husband who are spectators thereof will make good use of it They greedily and studiously collect the circumstances thereof and look upon it as the principal piece of their Patrimony Truly it is wonderfull to behold a wisdom at the age of eighteen to behold maturity and youth in one and the same head To see a woman couragious and constant a woman grave and serious in an age of divertisements and pleasures She conceives her self more rich from the lessons and examples of her mother then from the succession of all the Consuls of her House and three drops of her blood and four syllables of her last words have something in them which is dearer to her then all the Pearls of her Ancestors She likewise stores up these words and layes up about her heart all that she can gather of his blood and of the spirit which is mingled with it Surely this must needs be her good Genius who inspires her so timely to arm her self thereby and she cannot choose but foresee the occasions wherein it will be usefull to her to have conserved the memory of her Mother and fortified her self with her Blood and Courage Traseus was no less solicitous to reap benefit by this illustrious Example The present misfortune of Cicinna is a presage to him of his future mishap and not finding himself so weak as to crouch under the age nor so powerfull as to alter it he clearly sees that the least he can expect is to be ruined by it after the rest He restifies at least by his countenance that he will not fall cowardly nor expect till they push him on and all the rules of Phisiognomy are deceitfull or he will be an Original of his time and his death will have one day a place amongst the Heroick Examples SONNET ARRIA speaks ARria instructs her Husband by her wound That in a gallant Death no smart is found The Noble Blood which from her Bosome flows Of her Chaste Fire the heat and tincture shows Conjoynth with this blood of matchless worth A Fate-subduing Love hath issu'd forth Who thus Cicinna's coldness doth exhort To close thus gallant Scene with like effort Thy Honour now Cicinna is at slake No less then is thy Life then Courage take Beware lest abject fear restrain thy hand And put thy Glory to a shamefull stand Arria thy wound upon her self hath taâ—ne To her own Death she hath annext the pain Of thâ—â—e and by 〈…〉 extreamly rare Hath only leâ—t it's Glory to thy share Elogy of Arria IT is true that the Reign of the fift Caesar was but a perpetual Comedy But the Interludes thereof were bloody and Traâ—â—call And cruelty was almost continually mixed there with the loves of Messalâ—â— and the Impostures of Narâ—issa The Spectators grew at length weary of so ill composed and represented a Scene And some of the least patient and most Couragious amongst them resolved to force the Republike out of the hands of these Stage-Players Nevertheless the Conspirators failing in the success they promised themselves 〈◊〉 who was their Head happened to be killed in 〈◊〉 And his Complices abandoned by reason of his death remained in the power of the Beast whom they had inraged Afterwards 〈◊〉 who was the most ingaged in the Plot was apprehended and brought to Rome The Couragious and Faithful Arria did not deliberate whether she ought to follow him It came not into her thoughts that Adversity was a Divorce she did not believe that bad Fortune ought to be more powerful then Love nor that it could Lawfully dissolve Marriages On the contrary she believed that she was the Wife of Cicinna a Criminal and Prisoner as she had been of Cicinna's a Favourite and Consul and that she ought to have as great a share in his Chains and Punishments as she had in his Fortunes and Glory She accompanied him to the Ship And at the instant of Imbarking seeing her self put back by the Guards You will permit at least saith she that a Senator of an ancient Consulary Race may have some body to wait upon him during so long a Voyage I alone will supply the Places of his Attendants And the Ship will not be
acknowledgement of Posterity are in Expectation be pleased Madam that the most Noble and Illustrious Part of Antiquity may honour you in this Gallery This will be no impure and tumultuary Worship The honours which shall be rendred you by so many Wise by so many Magnanimous by so many gloriously chast Women will not be disavowed and unauthorized Such fair hands cannot present you but with most pure Incense nor make you other then beautifull and precious Crowns And nothing but just and melodious Acclamations nothing but a Harmony of Honour and Heroick Hymns can proceed from so many Soveraigne and well instructed Mouthes This Veneration will be common to the Illustrious of your Sex But those of your Race and Name will bring unto it a particular Zeal as they have a Duty a Part and Interests peculiar to themselves And in the Crowd of so many Heroesses which will presse to be seen by your Majesty the Blanches and Isabella's whether of Castile or Austria will make their Offerings and Vows remarkable amongst the rest Besides Madam they have a neerer Relation to you and owe you more then others And the honour they have to Revive in you and to be Irradiated by your Reputation is to them a second Life more Illustrious then the First It is to them a temporall Beatitude wherein they take more glory then in the eternity they enjoy in History But Madam the Honour which Heroick Women shall render you will not be like those Ceremonies of the good Goddesse wherein Men had no share VVe shall be admitted thereto in Common we shall mingle our Duties and Acclamations with theirs their Incense and our own shall make the same Persume their Hymns and ours shall make but one Consort Your Goodnesse Madam and our Duties your Vertues and the VVonders they have wrought will be the Subject of these Hymns The Prosperities and Victories of your Regency will be loudly sung And Peace which is the Crown of Prosperities and ought to be the End of Victories will be the close of our Songs and the accomplishment of your Praises Yes Madam this Victorious and Crowned Peace will be the reward of your Pietie and good VVorks It will be the fruit of the Zeal and Conduct of those two Princes who are so Beneficiall and Glorious either by the hazard of their Persons in the Field or by their Abilities and sincere Intentions in the Cabinet Counsell Their Example will infuse Force and Vigour into the Results of Counsell And so many judicious and sharp-witted Heads which compose this Illustrious Body will contribute to the Conclusion of this Important Affair the union of their Judgements and the harmony of their Lights The chief President of Justice that Christian and French Cato who might make up a whole Senate and whom we might oppose to the Ancient Republique will put his helping hand therto with that incorruptible Integrity and that unlimited Capacity which is the Hope and Ornament of this Reigne and will be the Example and Admiration of future Ages I hat other so just so well tempered so well composed and so charitable wise Person to whose care your Majesty hath committed the Administration of your Revenues will contribute thereto that generous and pure Integrity and that disinterressed and faithfull Zeal which have always carried him to the good of the State and the ease of the People And if he hath been able to sweeten the harshest part of his Ministery if he hath introduced Civility and good Offices into the Exchequer and reconciled the Graces with the Treasury well may he also sweeten the Asperity of Factions well may he contribute to the restauration of Tranquillity in the State and to the Reconciliation of Peace thorowout all Europe Here Madam I must not forget that so able and faithfull a Minister of State who assists you to sustain the burthen of Affairs He is one of our Chiefest hopes and will be one day one of the principall Instruments of the Peace we expect The spirit of Ancient Rome wherewith he is so abundantly endowed was a spirit of Direction and Counsel a spirit Superintendent over Victories and Arbitrator of Events Heretofore all known Nations and the whole world that was capable of Discipline submitted to the Manners and Impressions of this spirit It ordain'd with Authority and Soveraign Power both Peace and War It disposed the good and bad Fortunes of Kingdoms and made the temporall Destiny of Nations Now if this spirit was so soveraign and efficacious in rusticke Senators in half savage Consuls and in grosse and Illiterate Sages we cannot sear that it degenerats and grows weak in him who is the Senator of the Christian VVorld who is the Consul of a spirituall and sacred Republique who hath joyned acquired with naturall Lights who hath been polished both by Ecclesiastical and Civil Sciences The wheels of the State Madâ—m directed by this spirit must needs be â—rdered rightly and with addresse nor can the Genius and Purple of the Senate which succeeds the Ancient Senate but give Force and Dignity to our Affairs It is not prejudiciall Madam that this spirit be the spirit of Rome which was heretofore the Head of the Roman VVorld and which is at present the Head of the Christian. There is no member to which the spirits of the Head are strangers There is no Countrey where Wisdom and Fidelity are not naturall And moreover the most Noble and perfect things even those that have most Vertue and Force are not Originary of the places where they Act Great Rivers have their Sources three hundred Leagues from the Countreys they enrich and cultivate Fire Light and the spirit of the Planets which produce so great effects in the low Region of this VVorld are Originary of the Higher The Intelligences were not created in the Sphear they move The Angel-Guardians of this VVorld are not of this VVorld And your beautifull Soul Madam that Soul of yours so Noble and Munificent so Elevated and Royall is but a Guest and Passenger in the fair Body it governs It is not then Madam Inconvenient or contrary to Justice nor yet against Order that this rare Spirit should be to our Affairs what the Administring Spirits are to the Sphears and Provinces committed to their charge VVe thence cannot expect but a lesse defective and a more harmonious Conduct but an Administration more disingaged from matter and elevated above the clouds of Interest but a Tranquillity lesse casuall and more regular but a Prosperity more generall and of a larger Extent No Madam this Prosperity will not be a restrained and particular Prosperity Superiour Causes are not Nationall and propriatory they do no good which is not Universall And all Europe even the whole Christian World will have their share of it after France Thâ— Acknowledgement thereof will be also common and the Benedictions generall Your Majestie will receive Praises in every Language for it And in this consort of Praises Madam I may peradventure be so
be not prepared against the 〈◊〉 misfortune And if you have afforded a place of retreat to some Soveraign passion to some Capital and commanding vice Remember that you are bound in honour both to betrâ—y it and to keep no faith with it as it is a Sisera to you so ought you to be a Jahel to it and you shall be to it an Heroick and victorious Jahel if you â—ull it asleep with the blood of the Lamb and plane a Nail of the Cross in the Head of it A MORAL QUESTION Whether there was Infidelity in the Act of Jahel THe act of Jahel is not numbred amongst those which instantly gain approbation and which at first sight informs the understanding The colour of it is not so beautifull nor the face of it so taking There appeareth therein much dexterity and courage but there is deâ—â—ipt in this address and this courage hath something of barbarous in it 〈◊〉 the breach of faith seems in that action very evident cabinet and chamber 〈◊〉 cannot fail to fill their Common places therewith and to compose a piece against the infidelity of women But here and every where else we must defie seeming illusions and the false lights of the superficieâ—â— We must beware of fastning our opinions upon the 〈◊〉 of things and of judging by the colour The outside 〈◊〉 deceitful and 〈◊〉 into beliefe And very often colours are more 〈◊〉 and have more Justice about vice then vertue Moreover since the holy Ghost himself hath set forth the praise of Jahel since he hath inspired her with a prophetick mouth and hath even dictated it to one of his writers we need not fear to hazard our esteem upon his approbation not make a scruple to honour the memory of a vertue whereof he hath lest us the 〈◊〉 and picture after his own manner There was then prudence and conduct addresse and courage in this action of Jahel and particularly fidelity which is questioned was herein couragious and magnanimous It was fortified with zeal and consecrated to Religion I know not whether Jahel might owe something to Sisera and the Canaanites who were the enemies of God Tyrants over his people and publick oppressors of the posterity of the Patriarchs But I know very well that she could not engage unto them a second faith against the first which she owed to God against the Law of her forefathers and to the ruine of that holy nation A treaty of this nature had been an Apostaâ—ie of State and Religion and she could not have kept her word without the breach of her saith without betraying her brethren without sinning against God and Moses The Holy Scripture very well observes that there was some kinde of peace between the house of her husband Hebar and the Canaanites But this was not a regular peace and according to usual forms It was but a good interval hardly and dearly purchased by the weakest side It was but 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 and pillages which the Canaanites accorded to the house of Hebar in respect of the contributions they drew from them And doubtlesse this Accord on Hebars part was without preâ—udice to the faith he owed to God and his people and this particular repose which he purchased was not a falling off from the common cause It was in all probability of the same nature as particular Treaties are now adayes between common people residing upon Frontiers who 〈◊〉 and sword with money who divert the â—undation and inâ—oad of the Enemie by contributions which they lay upon them this is properly called and without abusing the term so conâ—ure a tempest and charm wilde beasts But these charms and comutations do not binde the Common people who put them in practise They live within the limits of 〈◊〉 and under the duty of joyning as occasion serves with the Troop of their 〈◊〉 of maâ—â—hing against the common enemie of 〈◊〉 the same beasts which they themselves had enchanted The Treatie of Hebar with the Canaanites was in this form It was not a surrender of his right not a dispensation of his duty It was an innocent Charm against 〈◊〉 and sword against Tyrants and oppressors And the waâ— undertaken against them proceeding from the will of God 〈◊〉 by expresse revelation and declared by the Regâ—nâ— Prophetâ—â— as he might list himself without any â—reachers amongst the Troops and â—oyn hiâ— Arms with the common Armâ— for the liberty of the people In Jahel with a good Conscience and meâ—â—t might let her hand to the same work the might be aâ—ding by her 〈◊〉 and forces to break the Chaâ—â— of her brethren she might finish by a particular inspiration the victory which Debora had begun with publick Authority and by the Spirit of Prophesie This particular inspiration supported the common Interest and strengthened natural reason And Jahel exâ—ited on the one side and perswaded on the other exposed for the people both her life and reputation to a hazardouâ— enterprise and which might leave her an ill â—ame Thereby the performed an 〈◊〉 Act of fidelity towards God whom she obeyed towards the â—aw of her Ancesters which she established by the ruine of the opposite Power towards her people whole â—oke she brake and whose chainâ— she rent in pieces towards posterity to which she conserved both Religion and the Sanctuary Freedom and Hope Neverthelese this Act is reckoned amongst those extrâ—ordinary oneâ— which surpaâ—â— received Laws and exceed such measures as are in use It may well 〈◊〉 us admiration and respect but we cannot 〈◊〉 a model of it and draw copies from thence And since Fidelity is an essential part in a Gallant Woman it is proper to produce some exampleâ— whereby vertue all Pure and without the least appearance of stain may serve as well for Imitation as Shew EXAMPLE Joan of Beaufort Queen of Scotland and Catherine Douglas IT is with the History of Scotland as with those frightful pictures wherein nothing is represented but dead and wounded Bodies nothing but fired houses and ruines One cannot ingage himself in it without passing over blood and murthers nay even upon sacred blood and paracide murthers and it is very strange that so little a crown should be divided by so many factions and so often stained with the death of those who have worn it That of James the First was a Tragedy which might passe for an Oriâ—â— either in the time of 〈◊〉 or in the Age of Oedipus But as there is never any Age represented so cruel wherein some person of good life doth not interâ—â—ne who reads not upon the stage lessons of Vertue and corrects the scandal which others give Two women who were present at the death of this good Prince gave an example of Fidelity which cannot be seen now adayes in history without applauding and 〈◊〉 it at least in thought The 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 a Scotchman being possessed with the Ambition of 〈◊〉 which is a bloody Devil and the Instigator of Paracid◠〈◊〉 against his Nephew King
them nothing but the exteriour to burn Neither do I know whether they respect not the very marks which appear upon these bloody and torn reliques Surely they owe this and more to that Fire superiour to all others And the impression of Charitie ought to be at least in like reverence and no less sacred then the impression of Lightning Heretofore the Flames of the Babylonian Furnace had this discretion either Natural or Divinely inspired They respected the three Jews whom Faith and Charity had consecrated And by a violent breaking out like that of a Lion who should leave his prey and fall upon his Keeper they devoured those Ministers of Impiery who kindled them But nothing but Miracles of Courage and Patience will be wrought here God will permit the Consummation of the Sacrifice and receive all the Smoak of it Salomona her self who hath hitherto fought but in heart and been only tryed against Compassion shall be suddenly tryed against Grief By the same Force wherewith she restrained all her Tears she will pour out all her Blood She will overcome Cruelty as she hath vanquished Nature And after seven Deaths suffered in Minde and by Piece-meal she will endure the last which shall be the Recompence and Coronation of all the rest SONNET IN Natures sight in sight of Heav'n above Brave Salamona combats Grief and Love Which through her seven Sons Breasts with deadly Smart Have made a Rent in her undaunted Heart Nor Blood nor Tears do trickle from her wound All that 's in her is with true Valour Crown'd Her Faith dâ—â—ends that Breach â—midst horrid pains Her Soul much more believes then it sustains What cannot Love improve its force unto What hath not Faith abundant pow'r to do The Love of seven brave Sons dear as her Eyes Makes her endure seven Deaths before she dies Yet Faith does more and by a rare â—ffort Which Love should emulate in its transport Makes her seven times a Martyr ere paâ—e Death Constrains her to forsake her vital Breath ELOGIE OF SALOMONA THe Mother of the Macchabees was peradventure the first Gallant Woman who sought without Arms and overcame by death She was the Daughter of holy Conquerers and the Mother of Martyrs and gave to Judâ—â— a Christian Heroess before Christianity In the common ruine of her Countrey and general Martyrdom of her Nation all sorts of Enginâ— were applyed to withdraw her Children from the Religion of their Parents They were put to defend themselves against objects both of delight and terrour and to overcome a Tyrant armed with favours and punishments The Couragious Mother assisted at all their Combats and contributed her voice her â—eal and spirit to their Victory so far was she from concealing them from Torments and Death that she produced them one after another armed with her Vertue and fortified with her Admonitions she animated them with her faith and warmed them with her tears she gathered together their â—lead skins and their mutâ—lated members as the matter both of their Crowns and of her own and as many deaths as she numbred so many accomplished Victories she counted in her Thoughts Not that she was lesse a Mother then the tender and weeping ones 〈◊〉 Her soul endured Iron and Fire in the bodies of her Children she â—ell in 〈◊〉 with their Members and her Heart melted away through theâ—â— Wounds But she knew the order and quality of her obligation It was her belief that she owed more to God then to her own blood and more to Religion then to her Race And knowing that a 〈◊〉 Death is more happy then a sinner who lives and reigns she chose rather to make a Family of Saints then of Apostates and to be rather a Mother in Heaven then upon Earth MORAL REFLECTION LEt our Ladies learn of this Jew to be Mothers and Christians Let them learn by her Example that Children given to God are not lost That it would be much better to have them innocent in a Grave then vitious on a Throne That a good Death is the best Fortune they can attain to And that it is for the glory of the Macchabees and the good of Children to be saved even before their time even with many pains even by their own blood and through all the Engines of Death and not to be damned after their old Age loaden with sorrows and sins It is a glory to the Earth that Marble stones which come out of its Bosom should become excellent Figures under the Hammer And it is better that a Shute should be cut off when it is yet tender and that it be grafted in the Garden of a Prince then to have it wither upon the Stem and serve only for matter of Fuell MORAL QUESTION Whether Religion be the Principal Vertue of a Gallant Women THere are some Vertues indeed of greater noise and carrying a saâ—er Glose then Religion but none of greater use not more necessary for a Gallant Woman All the rest what 〈◊〉 soever they make and what colour soever they have are without her but Stage-Vertues They resemble those superficial bodies made only for shew which are all Mask and Garment they have neither life nor spirit they are without form and consistence And though they seem to be active and full of motion yet they act to no purpose nor move but by Artificial wheels Even Force and Valour which are not supported by Religion are feeble and impotent At the most they have but a Flash of Choller and a precipitous Brutallity Prudence 〈◊〉 blinde without her â—â—ght And the Graces cannot please if Religion hath not adorned and instructed them There is then no solid and perfect Vertue without Religion and by this common reason 〈◊〉 all the rest should 〈◊〉 Religion ought to be the principal Form and the predominant Quality of a Gallant and sollidly Vertuous Woman But that is effected by a more 〈◊〉 and which reflects particularly upon the Courage which 〈…〉 this place there are 〈◊〉 functions of courage and 〈◊〉 were 〈◊〉 general duties which supportall particular ones and give a solid state and consistence to the whole life By the first it makes us act equally and with a constant and regulated â—â—ennesse by the second it fortifies the Mind against either Fortune and keeps it up what winde soever bloweth between the elevation and the fall By the third it arms the Heart against the corruptions of flesh and blood and preserves it from maternal Passions By the last it secures it against the apprehensions of Death 〈…〉 it victorious over this dreadful thing which is the common 〈◊〉 Bear of mankinde and the terrour of Nature These duties are noble and sublime But force should impertimently strive to use extraordinary violences it could never acquit it self with the aid of Morality alone it hath need of a more powerful assistance to support it of a supernatural and Divine Coadâ—â—â—esse to labour joyntly with it And this Coadjuâ—â—ess can be no other then Religion whose
rendred to Charles of Bloiâ— notwithstanding the resistance of William of Cadâ—vilal who commanded there the French Armies marched to besiege Henebond to which place the Countesse betook her self with her choisest friends She manfully sustained the siege and served there with her whole Person She acted no lesse with her armes then with her heart and head And she alone was of more use then many Souldiers and Captains She gave out Orders and was the first in executing the Orders given She made one in all the Sallies and assisted at all the Assaults And when she ascended upon the walls and went through the streets mounted on a warlike horse and compleatly armed the lightning of her eyes and the fire of her heart spread upon her face and this Valour of carriage and countenance which reinforc'd her Beauty and gave it a quicknesse did encourage the most scarful and awaked the most drowsie and faint-hearted One day when the Besiegers equally irritated by her resistance and their own losses come to a general Assault the Couragious Princesse having for defence set in order all her people even her Women and Maids whom her example had made warlike ascended unto the top of a Tower to discover the state of the sight And as soon as shee discerned that none but servants were left for the Guard of the Camp she came down from the Tower took Horse and Sallying forth by a Posterne Gate in the head of three hundred Cuirassiers she fired the Enemies Quarters The smoak and flame called them quickly back to the defence of their Tents and Baggage The Countesse having done her work made a Gallant Retreat in the sight of her Pursuers And the wayes of Herelâ—and being shut up she got with her Party into Aulroy The besieged were five dayes without hearing any tidings of her Meanwhile she made up five hundred Horse And the sixth day very early in the morning she presented her self before the face of the Camp She forced all that she found in her way and entred the City with a great sound of Trumpets Victory her self could not enter more Gloriously not be received with more joy It was not onely her work to resist Force and Engins rais'd against the Walls but the was to defend her self against Stratageins and to contest with those artifices which slack the courage of her people and debauch them from her service But in fine her Prudence her Dexterity and the Eloquence of her intreaties accompanied with her presents stayed them till the arrival of the English succours which raised this first Siege She procured afterwards a Cessation of Arms which gave her time to passe over into England and in Person to sollicite new aids Magnificence Civility and all the Graces asked them in her behalf and caused them to be Imbarked Her Valour and Fortune preserued them at Sea and rendred them Victorious in Britany The Naval Army of Charles of Blois having set upon her before the Islands of Garnsey the manifested that her Valour was for both Elements and that she had as good a Heart and as solid a Head in a ship as upon a Bulwark and in â—renches She fought all the day with a Sword in her Hand under a storm of Iron and Fire and amongst many dead Bodies of different forms and all of them frightful enough Neverthelesse she did neither sink under Iron nor Fire she beheld with a stedsaft Eye all the shapes of these bloody and gastly dead Corps And though they had been more terrible and in greater numbers she would not have sailed to carry away the Victory in the midst of them if the Night and Tempest which intervened had not taken it out of her hands As soon as she landed with her Troops she marched directly to Vanues and began the War afresh by besieging this Place Her presence and Example proved the two strongest Instruments wherewith the Walls were beaten down And the Town at last being taken by Force after several assaults in which she sought both with Voice and Hand she made her entry on horseback and like a Conqueress If I were to follow this Victorious Woman in all occasions and in all the fights at which she was present I should write here a History of many yeers It sufficeth to say for conclusion that after divers Sieges and Battels she placed the Crown upon her Sons ' head And if she had lived in an Age of Statues and triumphant Arches she would still triumph in Marble and Brass upon all the Gates and publick Places of all the Cities in Brittany as she still sights and will fight eternally in our History LVCRECE 〈◊〉 par Tarquin laue son malheur et sa reputation de son propre 〈…〉 la liberté Romaine et a la Republique 〈…〉 The Gallant Roman Women Lucrecia HOw dangerous a Good is Beauty how difficult is it to keep and to what strange Adventures is it exposed I know not whether the danger would be so great to have the keeping of a savage Beast in ones house as to harbour a handsom woman or whether the Graces I say the modest and chaste Graces are not more to be feared then irritated Fortune become an Enemy Lions at least have intervals of Innocence they bite but till their hunger is satisfied and there are some Feasts which bad Fortune celebrates there are days of Truce for those whom she persecutes Beauty knows none of those days of Truce nor those intervals of Innocency Her very Complacences are dangerous and her Repose is to be feared And to the end you may know that it is not only a debauched and licentious Beauty which is destructive that of Lucrecia ruined Tarquâ—n And Lucrecia her self who was so severe to her own Beauty and kept it so watchfully and under so great restraint happens to be newly murthered by it You may have peradventure heard of the undiscreet gallantry of those Princes who are in the Camp of Ardea The other day they entred into discourse concerning the merit of their VVives and every one giving the prize to his own it was resolved that the Eyes should be chosen Iudges of this difference without adjourning the agreement to the next day they all took horse together and rid Post to Rome and Collatia It is said that all the voices were for Lucrecia she gained unhappily an advantage which she did not dispute and this unfortunate and fatal Purchase cost her the loss of her Honour and Life Young Tarquin of his own Nature Arrogant and full of Pride and inheriting from his Father the name of Proud being returned to Collatia and received by Lucrecia as her Husbands Friend came with a Sword in his hand to surprize her in Bed and offered her a Violence which surpasses the Title of Proud and Tyrant I will not acquaint you with the particulars of this Attempt but only say that by break of day the poor VVoman grown desperate in her Misfortune sent in all haste for her Husband
the more burthened nor the more exposed to Tempests None being able to perswade these Barbarous People to receive her all entire she did not forbear in spight of them to imbark her spirit and heart with her Husband and that she might follow him at least in part she put her Body into a Fishermans Bark and exposed it to the Winds and Waves which carried away the rest Fortune favoured so couragious a Fidelity The Spirit and Body of Arria arrived at Rome at the same time And being re-united at their arrival did joyntly and with mutual cares sollicite the freedom of Cicinna Her endeavours finding ill success she resolved to die And she sufficiently explained her self by the reproach she used towards the wife of 〈◊〉 for surviving the death of her Husband slain in her bosom Her Son-in-Law Thrascus alledged all that he could devise to perswade her to live All that he could invent not prevailing with her You have a mind then saith he that your Daughter should abandon her self to the like despair And you condemn her to die with me when Fortune shall ordain that I must perish My Example doth not condemn her replyed she And when she shall have lived as long and with as sweet an harmony as I have done with Cicinna she may die boldly without my coming back to take the sword out of her hand or the poison out of her mouth Her kindred being advertised by this Answer that her Resolution was of more force then their Reasons they renewed their cares and diligences towards her She besought them to suffer her quietly to die and not to change an easie death into a painfull one Having said this she violently threw her self against the next Wall and fell into a swound Being come again to her self with much ado I did tell you saith she that all you could do was but to hinder me from dying quietly and at ease All the violent Attempts which Arria made upon her soul did not loosen the soul of Cicinna nor perswaded it to depart Honourably out of the World and without expecting the violence of his Enemies She went at last to see him And declared to him that if he had not courage enough to go first he ought at least to have enough to follow her She represented to him on the one side the shame of being continually made a 〈◊〉 game by a prostituted Woman and an insolent Servant who made a Scene of the Court and a Fantome of his Masters On the other side she remonstrated to him the Infamy which the Executioner left to the Ashes and Memory of those that died by his hands She often repeated to him that death was only terrible to irresolute and timerous persons That it doth never wound such Couragious Souls as loosen voluntarily themselves and prevent the hand of force That this last Act would be more looked upon in History then his Consulship and would be more resplendent then the Triumphs of his Ancestors And perceiving that he still deliberated between Resolution and Fear she plung'd a Dagger into her own bosom which she had provided for that purpose And then drawing it forth warm and dropping she presented it to him with these words which were the most Heroick and Victorious that ever issued from a Romans mouth Take this Dagger Cicinna it hath done me no harm Cicinna received from her hand with the Weapon the Spirit and Courage which came forth of her wound And died rather by the Magnanimity of Arria then by his own Courage MORAL REFLECTION LEt Christian Ladies learn of this Idolatress in what dis-interessed Love and conjugal Fidelity doth consist Let them observe how many Combats she hath fought and how many Victories she hath gained She had a present and future Interest in his Possessions and Hopes She was Young Rich and the friend of Messalâ—â— She might have left her husband to Justice and reserved her self for a better Fortune and a more happy Marriage Her Riches her Beauty her Youth were no Criminals They had not conspired against the Prince And it was not against them Commissioners were appointed and Informations given She rejected nevertheless the Temptations of her Age and Interest She listened only to her Fidelity and Love And taught her whole Sex by her Example that a good Woman hath no other Interest then her Huâ—band that to her there was but one Man in all the World and that he dying Riches Youth and Beauty die to her Arria likewise reads a second Lesson to Women which is no less important nor less useful then the first she teacheth them how that Person is deceived who said that Marriage was but a name of pleasure And that even now adayes they are much mistaken who believe it to be a community of Goods and Fortunes It is a name of Yoke and Affliction a community of Evils and Troubles a society of Cares and Labours And it is fit that young Women should be advertized on the day of their Marriage that they are not to be Marryed only for that day but for all the rest which are to follow how stormy soever they may prove and what unpleasing hours soever they may have They ought to know that with the person of their Husbands they espouse all their present and future Fortunes and that they are obliged to follow them to what place soever the wind drives them in what storm soever the Heavens pours down upon them But this veâ—ity will be more enlarged in the ensuing Question MORAL QVESTION Concerning the Duty of VVives towards Husbands in the time of 〈…〉 and Misfortunes I Could not as yet Divine why Married Women are crowned and 〈…〉 celebrated with so great pomp and with so much joy 〈…〉 properly and without a figure it is to adorn Slaves and 〈…〉 it is to lead them to Prison in pomp and jollity it is 〈…〉 them with Ceremony and Musick I am well read in the 〈…〉 Custom I see very well that Time Example and the 〈…〉 People are for it But I know also that Antiquity is neither all 〈…〉 Holy The first Men may have left us their abuses as well as then 〈◊〉 And old Errours are not better conditioned then 〈…〉 are not justified by the crowd of those that commit them It were 〈…〉 to the purpose and of far better example that the Weddingâ— of Christians should be grave and modest That the Ceremony should be serious and frugal and that instead of being an object of access and pleasure for new married Couples it should be a Lesson of Petience and a preparative to Troubles There would not be seen so many Rich persons â—â—umbred nor so many Innocent Repentants There would not so many complain of being caught by a specious bait who curse the flowers under which so many thornes have been hid They would have at least made trial of the burthen before they laid it on their shoulderâ— They would have measured theâ— forces with this yoke They would
the advantage which the courage of Chaste Women hath above that of Valiant Men let us present here to publick view the Picture of a Warlike and vertuous Chastity EXAMPLE Blanche of Rossy THat Mezentius whose Memory even at this day is exemplarily punished was peradventure but a Fiction of Virgil made to chastise in Effigie at least both Tyrannie and Cruelty and to read a Lesson of Justice and Clemency to Princes Nevertheless this Fiction so notoriously punished and cryed down for so many Ages hath not wanted bad Imitators who have drawn Copies of it so much the more deformed as they more resembled the Original And not to produce others here which belong to other Subjects Accidin was in flesh and bone in minde and action what Mezentius was but in Paper and Figure This Exterminator who was sent about the end of the twelfth Age to chastise insolent and debauchâ—d Italy renewed all the ancient Cruelties and abolishâ—d Punishments And verified all that was strange in Fables all that was seen Tragical and surprising upon Theaters His Cruelty extended so far that to lengthen the punishment and impatience of those wretched men whom he tormented he caused them to be laid upon half putrified bodies to the end the dead might by little and little stifle the living that they might be eaten up by their Worms and become corrupted by their Putrifaction This Cruelty of Accidin was accompanied with a barbarous and brutish Incontinency And albeit tenderness and sweetness be a Natural Ingredient to Voluptuousness His nevertheless was ordinarily Savage stain'd with Blood and like a Fury It appeared such during the whole course of his life and particularly in the Sacking of Bossâ—â—â— which he took by Storm 〈◊〉 Baptista of 〈◊〉 who was either the Governour or Lord of the Place having been slain upon the Wall Blanche of Rossy his Wife who fought compleatly armed by his side after a long resistance and Heroick Endeavors was taken and led in Triumph before the Tyrant as the most rare and precious piece of his Conquest Certainly also she had in her self alone wherewith to merit the enterprise and labours of three just Conquerors And the famous Grecian who was so often stoln away and for whom so many Battels had been fought was but a third part of this Italian Lady Her Beauty was no solitary Beauty and ill attended like the others It was accompanied with all the Vertues which make the Honour of her Sex and even those which Honour ours were not wanting in her She was very Beautiful but far more Chaste and little less Valiant She had Charms and accomplished Graces but those Charms were Innocent and without Affectation those Graces were Continent and Military And generally in all her Attractives there appeared a tincture of Modesty and Spirits mix'd with bashfulness and courage As soon as Accâ—din had viewed her thus gracefully set forth in Armour covered over with a certain dust steeped in sweat which appeared like a Military painting and such as they give to Victory A black and violent flame suddenly seized on his heart And the smoke thereof ascending to his head extinguished all that was found there of light It was neither Affection nor â—steem it was neither Inclination nor true Love Flames of this Nature do not fasten on all sorts of matter And although the Sun doth illuminate Comets as well as the Planets yet it is not from the fire of Planets that he illuminates the Comets The relation which was made him of the Valour and Chastity of Blanche added new fire to his brutish Concupiscence he was likewise by Nature one of these lustful Devils who are less lascivious by an appetite they cannot have then by the inclination they have to defile and corrupt Rapes and all debauchery injurious to Vertue were most pleasing to him And he took a particular delight in spoiling those Flowers which were Consecrated to her At first he constrain'd his Humour and took upon him a flattering and complacent Countenance but this look was a very improper Mask And his rude and forc'd complacences were far from softning the Vertue of Blanche She knew very well that Tygers never grow familiar in good earnest with their Prey and that though they hide their teeth and clawes yet they seldom make much of them without scratching or biting them Afterwards he discovers himself and declares to her his passion with arrogant intreaties and in a stile of Command His intreaties though violent finding not themselves powerful enough he came to armed threats full of death and tortures And his threats with all their weapons proved as weak as his Intreaties There nothing remain'd to try but force And as he prepared himself for it the Chaste and Couragious Blanche slipt out of his hands got into the window and transported by her Vertues and Courage and perchance also by her good Angel she precipitated her self from thence This boldness astonish'd all that were present And even Accidin acknowledg'd himself overcome by the fall of his Captive They that were sent to help her believed her dead She was only in a swound and had one shoulder out of joynt and an arm broken She being come to her self there was neither care not remedies spar'd for her Cure But as she apprehended more her Cure then death the same Remedies which asswaged the pain of her body augmented the grief of her minde and every moment she prayed against the Vertue of Remedies and bewailed the ease which she received by them The Remedies had notwithstanding more Vertue then either her Prayers or Tears They restored her health and the restauration thereof proved the Crysis of her misfortune Accidin no sooner saw her recovered but he presently renewed his pretensions and pursuits He assaulted her Soul in every part where it might be assaulted Having in vain contested against hope he contested against fear And caused far greater Threats to succed larger Offers But this second Assault found not a more prosperous Success then the former His great Menaces and Offers were tendred without effect and there was sound nothing base or weak in this great Soul Perswasion not prevailing with her he used a Tyrannical and Barbarous Violence and not being able to gain upon the Spirit of Blanche he caused her body to be fastened upon a Table which was more detestable to her then a Torturing Wheel This action only sullied the Tyrant who did it The Vertue of the Patient who endured it with so much regret was not defaced by it Her very Name received not any stain thereby Nevertheless being transported with pain and become odious and almost unknown to her self she withdrew to the place in which her Husband Interr'd Where having discovered what remained of his body where having made a short and interrupted yet Couragious and Manly Complaint to his Ghost and where having besought him to come and deliver her soul out of a Prison stain'd by Accidin she cast her self upon these dear and
must be prepared to rush through all these Weapons and to Essay the Teeth and Nails of these Attendants rather then suffer the least stain Whatever may be said the Reputation of valour is not so precious nor invironed with so many Difficulties Her Crowns even those which are made by the site of Canons and Granadoes cost not so much and Heroes are formed at a less expence amidst Pikes and Breaches I forget not what hath been said of Modesty She is the proper spirit of Chastity and they affirm that she is Timerous and Apprehensive that she hath Moderation and Reservedness I confess that for the most part she is not Precipitous and that she is never Impudent But she is not more fearful then Fear it self and Fear hath its sallies as well as Anger and Boldness have theirs Some couragiously endure Pain for fear of another Pain Some cast themselves into the Sea for fear of falling into it And to avoid one Death but apprehended they precipitate themselves into another Let us remember that the Ermine which is the Symbole of Modesty and the silent Mistress of the Chastity which Nature hath given to Women Concerning which to say thus much by the way she hath Treated them more Honourably then men to whom she hath onely given an Ant as the Emblem of Labour and Industry The Ermine is extreamly fearfull and hath neither strength nor weapons and yet this unarmed and timerous Creature had rather dye then be sullyed And when she is pursued rather then to expose her whiteness to a stain and save her self by a little dâ—â—t transported by the Instinct she hath in point of Purity she casts her self into the nets of Hunters and perishes with Courage Behold a Transport and a Transport of Modesty behold a Sally and a Sally of Purity in an Innocent and Fearfull Animal And shall We deny the same Transport and the like Raptures to chaste Women Without doubt they are capable thereof An Heroick spirit and possessed with Enthusiasm mingles it self sometimes with their Vertue penetrates their hearts and in them inkindles a fire breaks all the fetters of their souls tears them from their bodies and carries them away with main force By this Spirit was that Pelagia of Antioch Transported of whom S. Ambrose hath left us so fair a Picture Perceiving her self besieged by Enemies which attempted more upon her Chastity then her Faith she threw her self down into a Precipice with all the Ornaments and Jewels wherewith she had Adorned her self to render Honour to her Death and add Grace to her Courage With the same Spirit her Mother and Sisters were possessed when pursued by the same Enemies they cast themselves into a River and there quenched by Death the wicked Fires of their Lascivious Pursuers A Maid of Alexandria possessed with the same Spirit having been informed of the mischief which her Eyes though otherwise reserved and modest had done to a young Man she tore them out of her Head and sent them to the sick Person to the end he might inflict such punishment on them as he should think good or at least that he might heal with their blood the wound they had given him Blanch of Rosâ—â— Transported with the same Spirit wrested her self out of the hands of the Tyrant Acciolin and cast her self headlong from a Window The same Spirit blew the flaming Fire-brand which Mary Cornelia the Wife of Iohn Câ—rda thrust down into her body to quench a dangerous Fire which Age and Occasions began there to inkindle And this Example of Vertue was given to Spain in the time of Peter the Cruel and Mary Padilla That is to say under the Raign of Adulteries and in the Age of Libertie We ought to believe for the love of Vertue and in Honour of these Christian Heroesses that there was some Spark of Divine fire in these bold Attemps and that the Spirit which transported them came from above and from a purer Spring then that which forms the Raptures which we may follow and the Examples which are lawful for us to imitate Those are not for every day nor for the use of all sorts of Persons Besides God doth not send Angels to all sorts of Persons nor every day creates new Stars And unless we have an Angel for guid and a new Star to follow it would be a rash attempt to walk upon the Sea and to chuse a Precipice for our way The ensuing Example is not of these Extraordinary Ones yet is it of the great and Heroick And if there be any thing of Transport it proceeds from an even Spirit and which is not raised but regularly and by usual and beaten Tracks EXAMPLE The Chaste Venetian VVoman IT is true that Vertue finds Adversaries everywhere and even in those places where she is in esteâ—m and habituated her Peace is full of trouble and agitation and her Repose unquiet and interrupted Nevertheless there are Countries of War and as it were Frontier Regions where she is exposed to the Incursions and attempts of her Enemies And in these Regions she ought to be more Resolute and Warlike then elsewhere She ought to be expert in all sorts of Combats and prepared for all manner of Events She ought to be almost continually upon her Guard and in Arms. Faith and Chastity which are neighbouring upon Infidels and Barbarians have need of this preparation of Courage and of this exposed and continuall Discipline It is likewise from those Countries these Heroick and Victorious Vertues come to us which Triumph every year in the Church and do honour to our Annals And a great number of other Vertues besides those are come from thence which have not fought less Couragiously nor overcome with less Force though their Combats have not made so much noise noâ— the Church hath Celebrated their Victories I place amongst this number the Victorious Captive which hath been newly represented in this Picture And because she was a Subject to the Republick of Veniâ—â— I conceived that to fit her with a known Companion sutable to her it was necessary to joyn with this Gallant Woman the Daughter of Paul 〈◊〉 who trumphed over Maâ—omet and the Sâ—raglio at the taking of 〈◊〉 as this other had done over Mustapha and Porta at the taking of 〈◊〉 It is credible that Gods indignation was great when he abandoned 〈◊〉 to the Ottomans And Iniquity must needs have been Enormous and Consummated which deserved that the Mistress of Arts and Sciences and the Mother of so many Saints should be put in Chains Yet this was her Lot and hitherto no man hath been found to set her at liberty Mohâ—met the Second slept not in this occasion he managed all the moments thereof and made so good use of the division amongst Christians as in a short time be disarmed all his Neighbours and made himself Master of those places which might restore liberty to Greece The Island of Nâ—grepont which belonged to the Venetians was first assaulted
and conquering Graces she is onely guarded with attractives and graceful charms but they are violent attractives and forcible charms She is equally dangerous and graceful and wounds even by that which delights Not onely her eyes are piercing and the lightning which God hath placed in them doth dazel the sight but even her very feet contributed to the victory and the eyes of her Buskins have surprized Holofernes by the eye and enslaved his Soul These arms though divinely reinforced and purified with a Heavenly ray could not have overcome alone They effected nothing but after prayer fasting and tears And though these which are spiritual and of an invisible temper have not wrought upon the sight of Holofernes yet they have done it upon the heart of God and opened a passage whereby Safety came upon his people and Death upon his enemies Judeth is ready to give a beginning to both The exterminating Angel who assists her puts not a Lance of Fire into her Hand nor the point of a Thunderbolt brought down from Heaven such noble weapons and descending from so great a height are not necessary for this execution And God doth not use to leave to the haughty the title of a glorious and renowned death He presents to her the sword of Holofernes and putting it into her Hand he setled confidence and boldnesse in her Heart You would take this fatal sword for the stroke of a Thunderbolt you would swear that it is all composed of lightning But these lightnings are not like those which are formed in the clouds they come to it from a Diamond and a Rubie whereof the â—ilt is composed and what lustre soever it receives from these fires of preâ—ious stones which adorn it it expects more from the innocence and vertue of this fair hand which is ready to imploy it You would say that it glittereth from the impatience it hath to be serviceable to a stroke which will be worth many Battels and which shall be heard by all Ages Judeth receives it couragiously and with confidence but her courage is far from fiercenesse and her confidence appears modest and submissive Her faith renewed in this perilous moment and her zeal breaking forth enlighten her face and diffuse themselves by her mouth And her eyes are lifted up toward Heaven as if they did shew the way to the prayers she sends thither in silence and accompanied with the spirit it of her tears There is nothing which so pure a soul and so holy tears may not obtain and the voice of this silence is too powerful and pressing not to be heard But though it were strong enough to penetrate Heaven and to make it self to be heard of God yet it reacheth not the ear of Holofernes Beast that he is he is far from waking at this voice he would not awake at that of Heaven though it should thunder with all its force He hath not only lost both spirit and motion but even his heaâ—ing and sight are bound up and he is more fastned by the fume of wine and the vapours of sleep then he would be by six great cords and as many chaâ—s Do not believe that in this plight he dreams of the taking of Bethulia or the sacking of Jerusalem that any Siege is laid or any battel fought in his Head No Armies are now there to lead nor Kingdoms to overcome Judeth is there alone what War Glory and Nabuchodonezer were before But it is not thâ—â— Judeth whom vertue zeal and these Angels have brought It is a Judeth not unlike a cheating dream which hath transformed a Heroeâ—s into a mincing Dame and this mincing and imaginary Judeth shall be suddenly overthrown by the 〈◊〉 and chast one The sword which you see in her hand shall do her Justice upon this cheating dream And all these vain Ideas shall be drowned in the blood of the Dreamer and shall fall with his Head Whilst the measures once more the greatness of her Enterprize and that her last tears demand of God courage and proportionâ—d forces the Angels who brought her thither remaâ—n as a Guard about her person at the door of the Tent. Her Angel Guardian lights her with a Torch and at the same time bowing down the Pike of Holofernes which he had seized on seems to assure her with his looks and gesture that he will second her if her hand should fail Observe the Action of these Angels who sport with a cask and Cuyrass There is a mysterie in their Action and what they sport at is the assurance and instruction of Judeth They break in pieces the Armer of Holofernes which was thought to be all composed of solid Fires and of well tempered and well hammer'd Inchantments and which was so long the general terrour of all Asia In breaking it they deride the infirmity of human powers and you see that they shew the pieces of it to Judeth to assure her that there is nothing to be feared having guards and seconds to whom Diamonds and Steel are but Glass and Tiffany As for those whom you see at the door of the Tent they stand there to chase away fear and apparitions from this Maid whom Judeth placed there for a Guard They remain in that place to repell the Devils Enemies of Gods people which might come to the aid of Holofernes Their arms though seemingly obscure are yet composed of a Celestial and most resplendant matter but because lightnings might issue from them which would awaken the whole Camp they themselves obscured them and suppressed all their light Neverthelesse this restraint is no longer needfull for them Behold Judeth coming forth with the â—ead of Holofernes and the Heart of all these different bodies which are half dead with wine and sleep and which shall quickly be dispatched by the Israelites The blood still reaks after the sword and where it passes the earth greedily drinks up the drops which fall from it You believe indeed that the joy of this Victory is not little in the heart of the Conqueresse It is there so great as it is dilated on her face and her eyes have received thereby a second fire with a new and accessory light It will suddenly appear far greater in Bethulia where the generous Widow is impatiently expected and to which place she is going to carry with the Head and Death of the Publick Enemy the life and freedom of all the people SONNET PRoud Holofern is laid the sun his light Hath mixt with darkness to commence the night Whose shadow Judeth for her veil doth take Lest with her Beauties lustre he should wake The sword which this chaste wonder doth advance Addes a fierce splendour to her Countenance And in this exigent to quell all Fear Thou speaks her Angel-Guardian in her ear Shrink thou not Judeth let thy Foe be sped He is already little lesse then dead For Sleep and Wine by their joynt forces have Begun thy Conquest and the Tyrants grave It would beseem thee ill to
be afraid Of him thou hast thy humble Captive made Well may thy Arm his Head and Body part Who with thy â—â—es hast from him torn his Heart THE ELOGIE OF JVDETH IT is not necessary for me to say who Judeth was and what Act she hath done she is sufficiently known to every one For above the space of two thousand yeers she is in all Countreyes and in the sight of all Nations still cutting off the Head of Holofernes and raising the siege of Bethulia This part of her life hath been indeed the most radiant and remarkable but peradventure not the most laborious or Heroick and she more easily defeated Holofernes invironed with a whole Armie then Pleasure and Grief Covetousnesse and Fear then her own Beauty and Youth She was victorious nevertheless in all sorts of conflicts and got the upper hand both of pleasing and terrifying Enemieâ— At the Death of her Husband she overcame Grief by resignation and shewed that with the blood of Patriarchs her Predecessors she had inherited their Faith and Constancie This first Adversary being mastered the overcame also Idlenesse Pleasures and the latter Affections which are the second and most dangerous Enemies of young Widows She not being able to renounce her Youth nor to be rid of her Beauty which were to her like suspected Domesticks and hard to be preserved she kept them continually shut up and likewise â—â—aring lest they should make an escape she weakned them by Prayer Labor â—asting and Hair-cloth She grew warlike by these Domestick and Private Combats and prepared her self all alone and in one single night for this famous Field in which the Fortune of the Assyrians was ruined by the Blow received from the Hand of a victorious Woman and the Head of a vanquished Man Besides in this so magnanimous and perillous an enterprise she was to overcome not only a man whom Love had disarmed and Wine and Sleep had secured but to overcome the power of Gold to which armed Legionâ— submit and strong Forts are rendered she was to overcome the sparklings of pretious stones which wound even souls which are 〈◊〉 to the sharpest point of swords she was to overcome pleasures which is stronger then valour it self and triumpheth every day over the Victorious Besides these pleasing and flattering enemies certain cruel and terrible ones presented themselves which she was likewise obliged to overcome Her Enterprise could not prove successeful to her but by miracle and if it took no effect she was to passe through all the hands of a furious Army she must suffer all the punishments and Deaths which inraged Tyranny can inflict she measured all these punishments and numbred all these Deaths And upon a serious consideration of them all the undertook in their very sight and presence this memorable Action by which with one stroak she shewed her self not onely more couragious and valiant but more intelligent and prudent then all Judea which she preserved and all Assyria which she overcame A MORAL REFLECTION WOmen have not every day Holofernes's to vanquish but every day they have occasion to fight against excess vanity delights and all pleasing and troublesome passions The memory of this Heroick Woman may instruct them in all the enterprises and exercises of this war which though made in shadow and without effusion of blood ceaseth not to be laborious and made with vigour of spirit and stability of courage Let them learn then from this illustrious and glorious Mistresse to discipline their graces and to give to them devotion and zeal To imprison dangerous Beauty and to take from it all the weapons wherewith it might offend Let them learn from her to reform Widowhood and to put themselves under the yoke of God after they are free from that of men Let them learn from her to be loyal to the memory of their deceased Husbands never to divorce themselves from their Names and to place under their ashes all the fire which may be remaining in them as for this celebrious Act by which Judith overcame all Assyria a Tent and struck off with one blow the head of a whole Armie It teacheth men that Heroick Vertue proceeds from the Heart and not the Sex that valour clothed with iron is not alwayes 〈◊〉 and that the weakest and most tender hands may 〈◊〉 the safety of Nations when God directs them A MORAL QUESTION Concerning the Choice which God hath made of Women for the preservation of States reduced to Extremity IT is noted in the Book of Judges and observed there as a wonder and prodigâ—â—â— that meeknesse was once born of force and that nourishment 〈◊〉 from the 〈◊〉 of him that devoutâ— It is a wonder which 〈…〉 of prodigie and which nevertheless hath not been yet observed that 〈◊〉 is a portion of meekness and that the handâ— accused to have been the Authoâ—â— of Death have brought safety and given 〈◊〉 However this second wonder is true and no lesse surprizing then the first not lesse proper to frame a 〈◊〉 Problem and a specious 〈◊〉 The examples thereof are likewise less 〈◊〉 and more known 〈…〉 to be seen of them almost in all the Regions of History And God hath renewed them aâ— often as he hath chosen the handâ— of Women other to establish tottering States or to support their 〈◊〉 The great wonder in this is that God hath almost made this choice 〈…〉 Counsels and Hope and in the last confusion 〈…〉 And in occasions wherein the Arms of the strong were 〈…〉 Heads exhausted he hath raised up Women who 〈…〉 the valiant and 〈◊〉 who have taken away 〈…〉 and the Sword held over the Head of Nations who have chased away from surrendred â—owns Armies already victorious who 〈…〉 and Courage to vanquished King who 〈…〉 and fallen Crown It suffiâ—â—th to believe that such works are not done but by the hand of God and with much of hiâ— spirit and by the Vertue of miracles There are nevertheleâ—â— appearances and Reasons within the reach of out sight which in this particular make good his Providence 〈…〉 Power appears therein more independant and his Wisdâ—m 〈◊〉 infallible and 〈◊〉 There is very often Deâ—eption in 〈◊〉 Thought and mistake 〈…〉 in our Terms We take Force 〈…〉 and that which we call Power ought to be called 〈…〉 and a Weaknesse with a great Train 〈…〉 was to be truly powerful to take Towns and overcome 〈…〉 Canons and other Armâ— but with broken Poâ—â— and 〈…〉 This were to be extraordinarily strong not to throw 〈…〉 with many Engine but to break in 〈…〉 with blowing on the â—ace of it to â—leave a Mountâ—â—n with 〈◊〉 of Snow And the Art as well as the Courage of 〈…〉 might be called Divine who in the sight of a Storm should 〈…〉 with â—ails of 〈◊〉 and with a 〈◊〉 of Paper It â—utes very neer with the manner of Gods acting when in the Tumult of 〈◊〉 and amidst the 〈◊〉 of falling States he 〈◊〉 the Arms of 〈◊〉 and the Heads