pax homines trux decet iraferas Sure it is that one man is néerest kin vnto an other how may a parent be as a stranger or aduersarie to his owne sonne No man hateth his owne flesh Ephe. I meane such as be in the flesh or liue after the flesh except you will speake of Martyrs and such as set little of the flesh because there is an other thing preferred with them And yet hatred of the flesh in them is rather to be vnderstoode of the vices than of their owne fleshe Saint Paule knowing the vndiscretenesse of many parentes and the ill successe and fruitelesse ende of their bitter spéeches and violent dealing with their children was not vnmindefull of the childrens cause for the fathers instruction in his Epistle Col. 3. Fathers sayth he beware howe yée reuile or rigorously deale with your children least yée put them into a desperate minde therefore wee may say it is good to tender as much as you may the preseruation of kindely loue and good will betwixt yée euen in your childrens tender yeares and whiles they be yet vnder your lawe and correction giue no occasion of disloue or griefe taking for vnkinde wordes or dealing Kéepe out of your house these fire brandes of wrath and anger which prouooke vnto disobedience in wordes or déedes But much rather let not you infirmitie or maliciousnesse bee expressed against them of more than rype yeares for there an vnkindnesse is conceiued more déepely Remember you offende not against the eight commandement which sayeth Non loquaris contra proximâ—â—m tuum falsum testimonium Thou shalt not speake false witnesse against thy neighbour If by your rayling and bitter wordes yée prouooke your children to wrath and from wrath to disobedience some Doctors interpret extreame spéeches and prouocations to mortall falling out so straightly seuerely that they say and write Nihil interest verum ferro an verbo occidas There is no difference whether you slay with weapon or by worde and therefore séeing the amendment of ill manners must come from your selues by your good example of tolleration or forbearing set the coldenesse and experienced iudgement of your yeares and the mildnesse of that nature which pertayneth to Parents against their broyling heate and rashnes Ex duobus contrariis fit optimum temperamentum Of two contraries sayth Philosophie is made a goodly temperature And no doubt the faults of children are sâ—â—ner cured and reformed by gentle wordes and milde perswasions than by furious fits of anger and violence It you sée faultes and imperfections in your children eyther they tooke them of you or else you haue as badde in your selues Crates the Philosopher helde it was impossible to finde any man that is not faulty in some pointes comparing man generally to a Pome granate when he is at best which from thencefoorth hath alwayes some rotten graines like vnto mens faultes and ill qualities which be not cured by wrath and euill wordes but by counsaile and friendly admonition And herein a father ought to shewe him selfe like a Phisition who doth not vse to handle his cures with raging and rayling but rather bethinketh him what hée may minister best for their health finding for the most part euery intemperate humour or cause best to be cured by his contrarie CHAP. IV. That Fathers ought to deale kindely and faythfully and not preiudicially or fraudulently towards their children A Certaine friend admonished Agesilans the Lacedemonian King as yet but newly come to the dignitie that he would now remember his preeminent state and lay aside some part of his hard manner of liuing and vse some more maiestie and delicatenesse in his dyet lodging and apparrell he answered nay not so I will be alwayes one manner of man because fortune is so chaungeable Such was the constancie and faithfull heart of this wise Prince towardes his subiects that hee could hardly be brought to any inwarde or outwarde alteration though the chaunge of his estate did in a manner forbid him to continue his former course But this is alwayes founde to be true looke where there is loue there is also fayth and trustinesse Hee was nowe become the vniuersall Parent of his Countrie and therefore néedes must hée loue and deseruing the name of a louing Parent howe may hée become vnfaithfull Truly there be many in whome the lawe of nature and the loue of GOD both take so little holde and worketh so small and slender effectes of kindenesse or christianitie that they may scarce shrowde or shew themselues vnder the name of true friends or friendship such is their hollownesse of heart dissembling in wordes and fraude in dealings I will not say that such be counterfeitors of friendship because that is a fault woorse then the forging of false money For he that taketh a little forged coyne for good his dammage is not great but to take or haue a fained friend in steade of one true constant and faithfull the hurte must néedes bée great and the griefe more Well may we complaine with the Poet in this verse Heu quam parua fides reperitur nunc apud ciues Trustie faithfulnesse in many parents decayeth whose wordes by the rule and example of good men ought to bée as much woorthie in credite and accompt as the othes of strangers Such as in their workes and examples declare themselues inconstant in fatherly loue and so double in their actions are iustly measured by this rule of Salomon Prouerbs the twelfe A true mouth is euer constant but a dissembling tongue is soone changed O howe soone are many fathers altered from the naturall loue and inward affection towardes their children if they fall once to be entertained wyth the gléekes of gallant glosers and to bee wantonlie wrapped in loue and liking of newe spowses of Bigamie What will they not doe to please their appetites Whom will they not hate to gaine their dissembled fauours The waight of a Kingdome coulde not alter or change Agesilaus from béeing one manner of man vnto hys familie and such as were vnder him but the waight of a woman can counterpoise woonderfully wyth some of these and weigh them quite from the ground of nature and honest constancie But no maruell sith it is of olde experience that loue maketh great alteration and conquest according vnto this plaine Latine verse Caecat amor mentes interdumsapientes Loue blindeth mindes â— ad sometimes makes wsse men to dote Saint Bernarb writing vnto his parents saieth He can not come néere vnto wisedome that geueth himselfe to sléepe or to dote and they doe sléepe or dote that doe giue themselues ouer to sensualitie daily forgoing good counsell and gifts of grace which is the best tresure they haue Samson sléeping in Dalidas lappe lost his strength May those hushands or parentes trowe you be déemed rulers of themselues and their forces that with so small resistance yéelde them to the dominion and tyranny of amorous follie making shipwracke of their reason and whatsoeuer
to take delight in her husbands first chirdren Neither commeth this woorde Stepdame of the speakers ill speech or terming but in deede is drawne from the parties ill doing although perhaps the Grammarians will say Nouerca is a compound worde quasi noua furca in english a newe frame of three peeces prepared and set vp for some purpose By that word God forbid I should meane all mothers in lawes of whome I dare vowe and affirme there bee a great number so kindly to their husbandes children that they may well be called mothers The abuse of a fewe sometime maketh all of that sute or sort to be blamed propter paucas inuisa sumus omnes mulieres sayth Terence for a fewe Stepdames sake we are all called Stepmothers To be short I would constantly beseech all mother in lawes in generall to haue this opinion of my meaning that haue aduentured to meddle in this kind of matter chiefely in fauour of the ouerborne motherlesse and of the poore innocents whose Angels be before the throne of God that as we are sure one Crowe pulleth not out anothers eyes so I hope this my Nightcrowe shall spiritually or temporally doe good vnto many euen of them that rightly deserue that name Vale. The Table THat the vertue thriuing and prosperitie of children are for the most part wrought by the fathers good examples and instructions Chap. I. That the vice and other infelicitie of children mostly proceedeth of the fathers ill examples Chap. II. That fathers ought not to prouoke their childrē to wrath or disobedience Chap. III. That fathers ought to deale kindly and faithfully and not preiudicially or fraudulently towards their children Chap. IIII. That fathers or parents ought not to dispose their goods or landes after priuate fancie Chap. V. The second part OF the vngentle dealing of some Stepmothers towardes their husbands children Chap. vj. That stepmothers ought not to be priuate or false accusers of their husbandes children more than of others Chap. vij That Stepmothers ought not to supplant or procure disheriting of their husbandes eldest sonnes Chap. viij That disheriting of the eldest sonne without very great lawfull cause is an act verie wrongfull and vngodly Chap. ix That procurers and counsailors of disherison and all wrong doing ought to make or procure restitution Chap. x. The first part of this treatise surnamed the Night-crowe perswadeth in certaine kindely points pertaining to a natural father the regard whereof may worke a meete preseruatiue or preuention against a womans inchanting or peruerting CHAP. I. That the vertue thriuing and prosperitie of children are for the most parte wrought by the fathers good examples and instructions SOlon that was reputed so wise and prouident a lawe-maker for the Athenians being asked howe a State or Common-wealth might best be kept vpright and longest endure mary saith he if subiects obey their Magistrates and the Magistrates obey the lawes as if hee woulde say It is not enough if the subiects obey the Magistrates neglect the obseruing of laws themselues but these must obey first that the others may learne obedience otherwise they are like to reape such fruits as they sowe by examples As subiects and inferiors are contained within bounds of order and duety by lawes so princes pastors parents and all superiours are subiected to other lawes for the most parte haue a superior Iudge whereby is performed the earthlie Hierarchie so well pleasing vnto God and so much desired of good men whiles they commaund by their owne lawes they stand obliged by no lesse duetie of obedience to the law of God and of nature And specially Parents who are so déepelie bound to loue and tender their children that brute beasts and birds may reproue controll many The thing that is most requisite to be found in them is naturall loue augmented and cōfirmed by the same which Christ so carefully commended to his children to wit charitie Charitie makes one heart of many it is the way of man vnto God and the way of god to man but he that expresseth himselfe in his actions to faile in the duety of naturall loue is not worthy to be counted an obseruer of the bond of Charitie This Charitie or wonderfull newe loue Christ not onely left vnto his children by forme of an expresse commandement but also taught and confirmed the same by the example of himselfe in the vnspeakable mysterie of Sacraments folke are taught better by example of doing then by words and such examples are alwayes to be drawne from the superiour to the inferiour They whom nature or order hath preferred in degrée before others will alwayes bee looked vppon for their examples which therefore had néede to bée good For that which is doone by example the inferiours will thinke they may lawfullie doe the like Good examples doe edifie and vpholde ill examples do destroy and confound Humanitie is taught by the lawe of Nature If parents by their example should teach the contrarie what do they else but indeuour to transfourme men into beasts beginning first to perfourme it in their owne children These will say they bée Christians and of the faithfull and yet Saint Iames saieth Fides sine operibus mortua est Faith without workes is dead They must shewe vs better examples to come from them towardes their children then colde friendship peruerting of order and sowing séedes of dissention in their owne house Good workes generallie tende towardes the clothing of the soules nakednesse but good workes in performing the will of GOD in our owne house may prooue a preseruatiue against the plague or poyson of imputient mindes or more rather remedy against the ruine of Soules descended in our owne osspring Pietie or godlines which is a vertue annexed vnto Iustice besides the fourth expressed Commandement compelleth children to loue and honour their Parentes their kindred and their countrey but yet Parents must not thinke themselues vntouched or vnbound by this commaundement séeing by a secondarie meanes the same willeth and inuiteth Parentes to honour and especiallie to regarde theyr children Which honouring or speciall regarding is to bée perfourmed of eche partie in heart worde and déede As for the loue of people at large it is to bée accounted as mutable as the faire weather or as permanent as the calmes of the Sea But the naturall and the kindelie loue of Parentes towardes their children is or ought to bee as constant and readie as we woulde wish to finde the lone and fauour of GOD towardes vs. Neyther can they folowe a better example giuer then Christ hymselfe who hath taught them to commende and bequeath loue vnto theyr Children for if there had béene anie thing more expedient hée woulde haue commended it vnto his Apostles and Disciples before this Neuer were more néedefull the Parentes examples of loue and well dooing then nowe séeing children finde them scarce to be had at the handes of others Pondus meum amor meus saieth Saint Augustine My waight is my loue And
parents if they should néede yet by lawe and order they are appointed rather to receiue benefites of their Parents than to giue vpwardes For well you wot that loue benefites and all other good thinges are woont to descende Lawe will not that the father bee the sonnes heyre but willeth rather that the father should restore that to his posteritie which himselfe receiued from his auncestors Wherefore sith no guift or token of beneuolence is more fitter for children to bestowe or for the parentes and benefactors to receiue than the benefite of heartie and daily prayer it shall not be much amisse for all dutifull children to remember their debt in that point after the forme of the Grammer case rule Nominatino First to pray for your selfe that you may be so ghostly strengthened that you fall â—ot into mortall sinne by frailtie and that you may haue right knowledge of God by fayth Genitiuo For your Progenitors as Parentes brothers sisters and kinsfolke Datiuo For your benefactors Accusatiuo For your enemies Vocatiuo For them that be in errour or infidelitie that they may come to the right way of their saluation Ablatiuo For them that be absent Saint Paule vnto Timoth. sayth If any man haue not a care for them of his owne familie hee is an infidell And therefore he sayth in an other place Si quid patitur vnum membrum compatiuntur omnia membra If one member be in paine all the rest be not without anguish or griefe O good God who is so harde hearted that will not haue compassion or christian regarde on his parent kinseman or friend if he thought him in the case of straight imprisonment or if he wist he were in any miserable or daungerous state where prayer or friendship might helpe or doe him good The state of a man in misbeléefe infidelitie or securitie in sinning without tokens of repentance and amendment is daungerous God wot and not without néede of assistance by hearty and earnest praier of faithfull friends and naturall children For we must beléeue that God will punish sinne and all other impietie else why doth he threaten sinners so sharpely by that example in the 5. of Matth. Amen dico vobis non exies inde donec solueris nouissimum quadrantem that is Verely I say vnto you thou shalt not depart thence vntill thou hast payd the vttermost farthing I sée not how you can pertake with parents brothers or kinsfolke in nature and haue no féeling of their sinefull life erronious condition or other their pitifull state in your compassion and commiseration But euen as you deale towards them vnto whom ye owe any charitable or naturall dutie so shall they serue you at whose â—euotion you shall happen to stande Then with the same measure ye meate vnto others it is to be doubted will be measured to you againe somewhat according to the wordes of Naomie to Ruth saying cap. 1. Faciat vobiscum Deus misericordiam suam sicut fecistis cum mortuis The seconde part bewrayeth the malignitie of a Stepdame the monstrous transfourming of the Father and the often calamitie of the first children CHAP. VI. Of the vngentle dealing of some stepmothers towards their husbandes first children WHen a Father so little remembreth or regardeth the bond of nature and faithfull dealing of a kinde parent that hée forbeareth not to bring into his family a Stepdame he can not doe a thing of better liking to his foes if he haue any such that foresée it and wish ill betiding vnto him and his For what may bring vnto a Citie or house more harme or inconuenience than discord which diuideth a house and maketh of one Cittie two Intestine diuision is euer counted worse than the malignitie of outwarde foes as warre is accounted worse than peace In discord no man prayseth the Lorde As witnesseth Saint Ambrose What blessing then doe they depriue vs of that take away peace and good agréement Well may some children complaine with the Poet in this case who sayth in his pleasant méeter Sunt tria gaudia pax sapientia copia rerum Haec tria diluit haec tria destruit ars mulierum This Stepmother by the pretence and name of mariage is called in Latine Vxor quasi vnxor a Wife as it were an Annoynter for that the new married Spowse in olde time at her first comming home was wont to annoynt the poastes and principall partes of the house in token that she came to heale and cure all faultes or to remooue sorrow and to plant and encrease gladnesse in the place But I frowe this our Stepdame at this day annoynteth not with the oyle of gladnesse nor with the vnction of the holy spirite by whom so much sorrowe is many times brought in and so many vngodly effectes wrought and encreased Call yée this annoynting she annoynteth in déede but vnhappie be those postes parts of the house where she laieth her vnluckie handes as Euripides sayth Stepdames seeldome with and woâ—ke any good to their huâ—bands children and too much experience teacheth they be their vtter ouerthrowe and cause of confusion For what be their ordinary practises in manner as principles of then partment pollicy For sooth first and chiefely to bring their husbandes children out of conceipt fauour to frame the matter so that they may be counted disobedient by that meanes to wipe from theÌ„ all good will They thinke they must not suffer so much a let and blocke in their way to their husbandes wealth as the bulworke of loue and concord This is a great eye sore and hardly tollerable with them This they imagine they must assault and assay to batter and beat downe by the best engine they haue they can bend against it Cannon shot of great displeasure they are sufficiently furnished with powder of a malicious and wicked spirite nor want they any shot of quarrelous deuises to perce shake this poore remnant of kindly good will with kindled strife and contention Of this kind they can sharpe them new supplies from time to time specially if they haue their husbandes well tempered to their humour and appetite then may it be sayd of the poore enchanted men as we find it in the Psalme Os habent non lâ—quuntur aures non audiunt oculos non vident They haue mouthes and speake not cares and may not heare eyes and will not see They stande in dread and awe they wot who must be foothed in all thinges or else will followe but colde kissing she claimeth all the loue and goodwill to her selfe and if she vnderstoode Latine she would chuse this good verse for her husbande to measure his loue by it Est tibi plus catus quam Papae Pontificatus She may beare no partaker of her husbands honest loue where she ruleth as Quéene She is to be counted very fauourable if she procure them no hatred or vouchsafe it not her selfe These Stepmothers be against their wils great teachers of