with a mantle Who hoping that the worst was now past and his life in no further danger called unto her and sayd Give mee I pray thee a little water for my travaile hath made me very thirsty who fetched presently a bottle of milke and gave him to drinke with which having sufficiently refreshed himselfe he layd him downe againe and she againe covered him and as shee was departing from him hee called once more unto her saying stand I pray thee in the doore of the Tent and if any shall come and inquire of thee and say is any man here thou shalt answer him and say nay which having spoken being weary and over tyred in his flight he fell suddenly into a deepe and dead sleepe for so indeede it proved for he never awakned after Which she perceiving and being in heart an Israelite howsoever for necessities sake they with their whole Tribe complide with the Gentiles shee would not let slip so good an advantage but unwilling to let one of Gods enemies escape out of her hands like a bold virago shee tooke a nayle of the Tent in her hand and in the other an hammer and comming softly towards him she strooke the nayle into his temples and fastned it into the ground peircing his skull unto the braine with which wound he instantly expired Now Barak after the great hoast was defeated having intelligence which way Sisera was fled Iael came out to meete him and bespake him thus Come in with mee and I will shew thee the man whom thou seekest who entring with her into the Tent she discovered unto him the body of Sisera which lay groveling on the earth dead and the nayle still sticking in his temples which object put him in mind of the words of Deborah when he denied to go into the field without her company that the honour of great Siseras death should be taken from him and bee conferd upon a woman which accordingly happened For Deborah in her song of thanksgiving after that great and miraculous victory over Sisera and his hoast giveth unto her this extraordinary character Iael the wife of Heber the Kenite shall be blessed above other women blessed shall she bee above women dwelling in Tents He asked water and shee gave him milke shee brought him butter in a Lordly dish shee put her hand to the nayle and her right hand to the workemans hammer with the hammer smote she Sisera shee smote off his head after shee had wounded and peirced his temples hee bowed him downe at her feete hee fell downe and lay still at her feet hee bowed him downe and fell and when hee had suncke downe hee lay there dead By which so often iteration of the same words she strived both to magnifie her act and eternize her memory Neither did this great honour done unto Iael any way take off or derogate from the merit and magnanimity of Deborah that any man need question which of them did better deserve the name of a Worthy The precedence and priority undoubtedly belonging to her who was a Prophetesse a Iudgesse and a mother in Israel the other onely a secondary minister and agent to have the will of the Almighty executed Deborah in person out-braving danger and standing the brunt of the battell against many thousands living Armed and awake and Iael onely taking the advantage of one single man flying trembling with feare and after to kill him sleeping I conclude of her with her owne words in her holy song after so glorious a conquest So let all thine enemies perish O Lord but they that love him shall be as the Sunne when he riseth in his might After which great discomfiture the Land had rest forty yeares IVDETH THe great Assyrian King puft up with pride Because no Prince was able to abide His potency in battle having subdu'd By his scarce to be numbred multitude All bordring Kingdomes at his mighty cost An hundred twenty dayes feasted his Host Then his chiefe Captaine Olophernes sent With a most puissant army with intent To sweepe all flesh from earth who had denayd To send him in his last great battle ayde He seekes to invade Iudea 'mongst the rest When of all other Cities most distrest Bethalmi was where Iudeth made abod Who in their great'st dispaire cald upon God And more their nations honour to advance Did undertake their free deliverance And when the spirits of the souldiers faild Put on a masculine spirit and prevaild Match me this woman amongst men who dar'd Against an Host invincible prepar'd For her whole nations ruine to invade That potent army singly with her maid And in her bold adventure so well sped To cut off and bring thence the Generals head OF IVDETH A SECOND WORTHY WOMAN AMONGST THE IEWES KING Nabuchodonosor and King Arphaxad were Contemporaries two mighty potent Princes the one raigned in Ninevey the great City over the Assyrians the other in Echbatane over the Medes A place as well strongly munified as most gloriously beautified It happened that King Nabuchodonosor purposed to make warre against King Arphaxad in the great Champian Countrey in the Coasts of Ragan and to that purpose hee assembled all those that dwelt in the Mountaines and by Euphrates Tigris and Hidaspes the Countries of Arioche the Elimeans the streames of Chelod with many other Nations and Languages He sent also into Persia and to all that dwelt in the West to Cilicia Damascus Libanus Antilibanus and all those that dwelt by the Sea coast and to all the people that are in Carmel in Galahaad in hither Galilee and the great field of Esdrelam and to all in Samaria and the Cities thereof and beyond Iordan unto Ierusalem c. But all the Inhabitans of these Countries despised the commandements of the King of the Assyrians neither would they come with him unto the battle but sent away his Embassadours sleightly and with dishonour therefore he was greatly incensed against all these Nations and swore by his Throne and Kingdome he would be avenged upon them and destroy all their inhabitants with the edge of the sword In which interim he marched in battle aray against the King of the Medes in the seventeenth yeare of his raigne and prevailed against him For he overthrew all the power of King Arphaxad his Infantry Horsemen and Chariots he woone all his Cities and entring Echbatâ—ne tooke the Towers defaced the streetes ruined the walls and turned the beauty thereof into shame Hee also surprised the King in the mountaines of Ragan and caused him to be thrust through with darts after which great victory he returned unto his owne City Ninivey Both he and all his Princes and Souldiers which were a great multitude where he passed the time in pleasure and jollity and banqueted his Hoast an hundred and twenty dayes During which triumphall feasting he communicated with those Princes and Nobles which were of his intimate counsell to destroy all flesh from the
and say In their blind errour they were much misled Or had they either Quintus Curtius read Or Iustine both Historians they 'd confesse Their Learning to be small their Iudgement lesse But leaving them now thus much understand Concerning this Virago now in hand This Amazon though many were of name May 'bove the rest a just Precedence claime The first brave Championesse observed in field Arm'd with a Polleax and a Mooved shield And shall a lasting memory injoy For ayding Priam in the warres of Troy OF PENTHISILAEA THE SECOND FAMOVS CHAMPIONESSE AMONGST THE HEATHEN ALL these Heroyicke Ladies are generally called Viragoes which is derived of Masculine Spirits and to attempt those brave and Martial Enterprises which belong to the honour of men in which number this Penthisilaea hath prime place amongst the ancient remembrancers we read of many warlike Women of the like condition and quality of some few of them I will give a particular denomination Camilla Queene of the Volscians gave manifest signes of her future eminence in armes even from her Infancy not being effeminately educated with carefull and indulgent Nurses but brought up in the Woods and Forrests and fed with the milke of wilde beasts for so she was disposed of by her Father Metabus who growing to maturity cast aside the action of those common exercises whose practise belong to women as the Needle the Web and the like but cloathing her selfe in the skinnes of savage beasts she followed Hunting and the Chase using the Iavelin the Bow and Quiver and to outstrip the Hart in running and in the warres betwixt Turnus and Aeneus she sided with the Rutilians against the Trojans of whom Virgil giveth a notable Character Hilerna also the Daughter of Ianus her Father being dead raigned by the River Tiber taking upon her the sole soveraignety which before her time belonged to the men onely Semiramis ambitious of soveraignety demanded the guidance of the Scepter for five dayes onely in which interim she commanded the King her Husband to be first imprisoned and after slaine then taking the whole Principallity upon her she raigned over the Assyrians who at least royally repaired if nor really built the Walls about Babilon Zenobia Queene of the Palmireans after the death of her Husband Odenatus tooke upon her the Soveraignty of all Syria neither feared she to take up armes against the Emperour Aurelianus of whom being vanquisht and led in triumph after his victorious chariot it being objected unto him as a dishonour that he being so potent an Emperour would triumph over a woman made answer that it was no shame for him being over such a woman who was inspired with a more then masculine spirit and Hipsicratea the wife of Methridates in all the dangers of warre never left the side of her Husband but cut her haire short lest it might be any impediment to the sitting close of her Helmet Tomyris Queene of the Scithians opposed in battle great Cyrus the most puissant King of the Persians and in revenge of her siers death rifled his Tents spoyled his Campe and slew him and after cutting off his head caused it to be cast into a great vessell brimmed with blood saying after humane blood thou ever thirsted in thy life and now drinke thy fill thereof in death and Teuca the wife of Argon Queene of the Illyrians in person in sundry battles opposed the Romans and became victresse overthem Maria Puteolana who had that namē conferd upon her from Puteolis a City of Campania the place of her discent flourisht in the time of the famous Italian Poet Francis Petrarch by whom shee is thus deciphered she was patient in all labour and travaile sparing of dyet and abstinent from Wine Never applying her selfe to any of those chares belonging to Women but was wholly exercised in the practise of armes delighting in the Bow the Dart the Helmet and shee was so vigilant that she would watch some nights together with out sleepe and that little rest which shee tooke was not upon a bed but the bare earth her head instead of a pillow being laide upon her Target and though she was alwayes conversant amongst Souldiers and armed men for which some might have laid upon her the aspertion of impudence and incontinence yet she studyed nothing more then Virginall Chastity in which she continued even to death and was worthily ranked in the life of the Heroicke Ladies Let these suffice for the present and being to discourse of an Amazonian Championesse it shall not be altogether impertinent to the Story now in hand if I speake something of their Originall The Scythians a warlike nation having spent many yeares in opposing Xexores King of Egypt and after staying long in the subduing of Asia their wives sent unto them that if they made not speedy hast home they would provide themselves of issue from their neighbour Nations in processe of time two Princely youths of the Scythians Plinos and Scolopytus by a decree of the Optimates being exilde their Country tooke with them along a great number of young men to seeke a new fortune planting a new Colony upon the Borders of Capadocia neere to the River Thermodoon and having subdued the Temiscerians occupyed their grounds these having long tyrannized over the bordering Nations were at the last insidiated by the enemy and treacherously slaine which their Wives at home hearing tooke Armes to defend their owne territories which was not without good and great successe and finding the sweetenesse of liberty and soveraignty added they refused to take Husbands either of friends or enemies accounting Matrimony no better then a miserable servitude Notwithstanding they not onely without the ayde of men maintained their owne but trencht upon others holding the masculine sex in meere contempt and because they would beare a like fortune and that no one should be held more happy than the other they slew all those Husbands which yet remained amongst them and now after many conflicts having setled peace lest their posterity shold fal they desired congres with their neighbours all the male children borne unto them they strangled but the female they preserved and brought them up in the practise of Armes searing of their right paps least otherwise it might be an impediment unto them in the use of the Bow or the Speare of which they had the denomination of Amazones or Vnimammae Of these were two Queenes Marthesia and Lampedo who the more to increase their Dignity and Authority proclamed themselves to be the Daughters of Mars and having subdued a great part of Europe invaded Asia also erecting diverse famous Cities as Ephesus and others and having sent part of their Army with great preyes and booties into their Country the rest who stayed to mainetaine the Empire of Asia under the Command of Marthesia were with her selfe by the Barbarians miserably slaine In her place succeeded Orythia
infinites to make this pocket booke rather voluminus then portable let these nine serve to vindicate the entire number For whose greater honour and dignitie the seven liberall sciences the sences all Cities and Countries The Cardinall vertues the foure parts of the world the Muses the Graces the Charities are all figured and delivered in the portrackt of women and even Sapientia wisdome her selfe is of the same gender who in her creation was not taken from the head of Adam least she should presume to overtop him nor from his soote least she should be vilified by him but from a ribbe neare unto his heart that she might be ever deare and intire unto him which showes the alternate love that ought to bee betwixt man and wife In the composure of bodies Philosophers say some consist of parts sejunct as an Army by Land or Navy by Sea others of parts compact as an house a Shippe and the like others of parts vnite or in one nature concreate as man beast and other Animals so wedlocke consisting of naturall and reciprocall love hath reference to that composed of parts concreate Children or issue to the compact friends and alliance to the sejunct and as Physitians hold that humors in the body are totally in the totall so in the true conjugall tie the persons or bodies riches friends or what else ought to preserve that unanimitie consanguinitie and correspondencie to be all in all and wholly in the whole which I wish to every one of that honorable order and consocietie for venare juvitis non facile est Canibus Fare yee well TO THE GENERALL READER GEnerous Reader for all the Iudicious are so know that History in generall is either Nugatory as in all comicall Drammae's or adhortatory as in the Fables of Aesop Poggius c. or fictionary as in poeticall narrations or Relatory such as soly adheare to truth without deviation or digression of which onely the ancient Gramarians admitted as worthy the name and in which ranke I intreate thee to receive this following tractate Of History there be foure species either taken from place as Geography from time as Chronologie from Generation as Geneologie or from gests really done which not altogether unproperly may be called Annologie The Elements of which it consisteth are person place time manner instrument matter and thing It is defined Rerum gestarum expositio a declaration of such things as have beene done Budaeus in his Greeke commentaries derives Historia from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is I narrate I looke I see I inquire aske know seeke learne dictate c. besides whatsoever is gravely explicated my goe under the name of History Simon Grinaeus speaking of the utilitie that ariseth unto us from the reading of History hath words to this purpose What can be thought more pleasing or profitable then in this spatious Theater of humane life for a man to instruct his understanding by searching to know whatsoever is marvelously carried in all the parts thereof To view the danger of others without any perill to himselfe thereby to make him the more wise and cauâ—elous to make happy use of forreigne presidents and examples by applying them to his owne perticulars to be as it mere private with the greatest men in their gravest counsells and not onely privie to the purpose but partaker of the event To be acquainted with all the passages of state the qualitie of times the succession of Ages the vicessitude of both The situation of countries the originall of nations the rare lives of good Princes the lamentable ends of Cruell Tirants To make all that hath beene precedent as familiar with us as the present forreigne lands as well knowne unto us as that wherein we live The acts of our fore fathers as visible unto our eyes as were they now in being As ours if we shall doe ought worthy remembrance commended to all the posteritie briefly such is the benefit of History that comparing what is past with the present we may better prepare our selves for the future Further to the exact composure of History there belongs such an accurate curiositie that whosoever shall attaâ—ne to the true method and manner may boast he hath transcended Herodatus Xipheline Dio Trogus Pompeius Justine Livy Curtius Tacitus Swetonius and even Caesar in his Commentaries To all which I must ingeniously confesse I am so many degrees inferiour that I dare not list my selfe in the number of the History-graphers being now rather a remembrancer or collector of some passages concerning the persons now in agitation But my discourse at this present is of women and women onely intimating to my selfe that it is a kinde of duty in all that have had mothers as far as they can to dignifie the Sex which in my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or History of Women I have strived to doe with my utmost minerva but that was a meare miscelaine of all ages sexes qualities complexions conditions dispositions of rich poore learned unlearned faire foule well featured deformed barraine bearing matron meretrix and all in generall from the Scepter to the sheepe booke From the Court to the Cottage But in this tractate I have onely commemorated the lives and memorable Acts of nine â—alluding to the number of the Muses Three Iewes three Gentiles three Christians Courteous Reader what is here proposed to thy view peruse without prejudice What thou findest worthy just taxation correct without mallice which granted the Nine worthy Women going before it may bee presumed that the Nine worthy Men may at some small distance follow Constantly devoted to thy content THO. HEYVVOOD To his much respected Friend Mr. Thomas Heywood concerning his Worke of the Nine Women Worthies IS 't Natures wonder that the dead revive You worke a wonder then make dead alive Nor can you being too much create them new Yet doe you being enough their being renew Who had existance by eternall will Have quasi-co-Existance by your Quill That gave them severall worth and you joyne now Their worths in one your worke where when and how This worke as theirs speakes your deserving praise Raysing their worthes in these our worthlesse dayes It intimates dull spirits rouse for shame Behold nine Trophies all of female fame Whom ye your selves if not deject may see Honours high towring Pyramidds to be Which justice ever distributing dew Makes Tripartite to Christian Gentile Iew. William Ball alias Bennet Esquire To his learned loving Friend Mr. Thomas Heywood upon his History of the Nine Women worthies IS 't not presumption for a Penscarce knowne To write in praise of him that of his owne Has Volumes of Eternallizing lines Such as have fathom'd ev'n the deepest mines Of Poetrie and Historie weigh'd downe With all Arts Plummets to bring up renowne And fix it on his head will not men say I light my Taper in a Sunshine day Sure such a censure would not seeme unjust And yet ther 's a necessitie I
earth which had not obeyed his commandement and to that purpose called unto him Olophernes his chiefe Captaine and gave him a strickt Commission to execute the will of the great King and Lord of the whole earth for so he stiled himselfe Then went forth Olophernes from the presence of his Lord and called together all the Governours Captaines and Officers of the army of Ashur and selected an hoast of an hundred and twenty thousand foote with twelve thousand Archers on Horse backe besides Camels and Asses for burdens and Sheepe Goates and Oxen without number and victuall for every man in the army besides great store of treasure out of the Kings house with multitudes of strangers like swarmes of Grasse-hoppers which attended on the Army and to pertake with the Assyrians in the spoyle Who from the upper Cilicia even to Damascus overrunne many Nations robbed their Cities laid waste their Countries and put all their young men to the edge of the sword so that feare and trembling fell upon all the inhabitants of the Sea coasts who sent Ambassadors unto him and laid themselves prostrate to his mercy and after received him with Crownes Timbrels and Dances into their borders and Cities notwithstanding which he cut downe their woods set Garrisons in their chiefe Cities and tooke out of them their chosen men of warre destroyed all their gods commanding them to worship Nabuchodonosor onely and that all tongues and Tribes should call upon him as their God Now when the children of Israel who dwelt in Iudea had hard what was done unto the Nations they were greatly troubled for Ierusalem and the Temple for they were but newly returned from the Captivity therefore they sent into all the Coasts of Samaria and the bordering Cities And tooke all the toppes of the high mountaines and walled in their Villages and put in vittailes for the provision of warre And â—oachim the High Priest sent to them of Bethulia and the adjacent Cities exhorting them to keepe the passages of the mountaines for by them was an entry into Iudea but so narrow was the passage that two men could but elbow there at the most Then cryed they unto the Lord even every man of Israel their wives and their children all with one consent and fell downe before the Temple in sacke-cloath and ashes on their heads praying that hee would not give their children for a prey nor their wives for a spoyle nor the Cities of their Inheritance to destruction nor the sanctuary to pollution and reproach and a derision to the Heathen the High Priest also and the Levites stood before the Alter their loynes giâ—t with sacke-cloath and ashes upon their Miters and called upon the Lord who heard their prayer In this interim it was declared to the great Captaine of the Assyrian army that the Israelites had prepared for warre and shut the passage of the mountaines and laid impediments in the champion Country where with being exceedingly mooved he assembled all the Princes of Moab and the Captaines of Ammon and all the Governours of the Sea coast and demanded of them who that people were what their Cities and what the multitude of their army and why they alone have not come downe to submit themselves more then all the inhabitants of the West To whom Achior Captaine of the Ammonites replyed Let my Lord heare the words of his servant and I will declare unto thee the truth concerning this people and gave him a free relation of their estate from the beginning rehearsing punctually all those great wonders that God had done for them in delivering them from the Aegyptians slavery In dividing the red Sea and overwhelming Pharaoh and his hoast and destroying the nations before them c. Adding moreover that when they sinned not before their God they prospered but when they departed from his way they were destroyed in many battles and led Captives into strange Countries but now saith hee they are turned unto their God and are come up from the scattering wherein they were scattered and possesse Ierusalem where their Temple stands and dwell in the mountaines which were desolate therefore if they have now againe sinned they shall be easily overcome But if there be none iniquity found in this people let my Lord passe by them least the Lord whom they serve defend them and we become a reproch before all the world Whose words were no sooner ended but all the Captaines of the Hoast began greatly to murmur And would in their fury have slaine him but when the tumult was appeased Olofernes said unto Achior because thou hast prophesied amongst us this day that the people of Ierusalem is able to fight against us because their God is able to defend them and who is God but Nabuchodonosor therefore will I destroy them from the face of the earth and their God shall not deliver them but we will destroy them all as one man And thou Achior because thou hast spoken these words in the day of thine iniquity thou shalt see my face no more till I take vengeance of that people which is come from Aegypt and then shall the Iron of mine army and the multitude that serve mee passe through thy sides and thou shalt fall amongst their slaine nor shalt thou perish till thou beest destroyed with them Then commanded hee his servants concerning Achior that they should bring him before Bethulia bound and deliver him into the hands of the Israelites which was accordingly done then came the men of the City and loosed him and brought him into Bethulia and presented him unto the governours of the place which were Ozias the sonne of Micha of the Tribe of Simeon and Chabris the sonne of Gothoniel and Charmis the sonne of Melchiel who demaunded of him of all that was done of which he gave them ample satisfaction declaring unto them the purpose of Olofernes and the words he had spoken in the midst of the Princes of Ashur For which having first praysed God they comforted Achior and commended him greatly and Ozias tooke him into his house and made a feast to the Elders calling upon the God of Israel The next day Olophernes removed his whole army neere unto Bethulia and cut off all their Springs of water thinking without the hazard of his people to make them perish by thirst for so he was counselled and besieged the City for the space of foure and thirty dayes in which time all their places of water failed and their Cisternes were empty insomuch that they had not supply for one day so that their children swouned and their wives and young men failed and fel downe in the streetes so that they murmured against the Elders desiring them to deliver up the City to the enemy for it is better for us said they to be a spoyle unto them then to dye of thirst since the Lord hath delivered us into their hands which they prest upon them so urgently
who for her martiall discipline and many glorious victories and for her constant vow of Virginity as she was much famed so shee was much honoured Two of foure sisters raigned at once Orythia whom some call Otreta and Antiope In whose time Hercules with many of the prime Heroes of Greece invaded their confines at such a time of their security that their troopes were carelesly scattered abroad by taking which advantage hee slew many of them and tooke other prisoners amongst which were two of those Princely sisters Antiope whom Hercules ransomed for her golden baldricke and Menalip of whom Theseus after her surprisall grew inamoured and tooke her to wife by whom he had issue Hippolitus Orithia taking grievously this affront done to her sisters purposed to make warre upon Greece and to that end she negotiated with King Sagillus who then raigned over the Scythians solliciting his aide who sent to them his sonne Penegagaras with a mighty army of Horsemen but the Amazones and he falling to dissention by which the Grecians set upon them disbanded them and were victorious over them yet they had before fortified so many places by the way that in their retreate unto their Country they were not dammaged by any nation through whose Provinces they were compelled to make their passage Orythia deceasing Penthisilaea succeeded she for the great love she bare unto the fame of Hector came with a thousand armed Viragoes to take part with the Trojans against the Greekes but Hector being before cowardly slaine by Achilles and his Myrmidons and Achilles soone after shot by the hand of Paris in the Temple of Apollo where hee should have marryed Polixna the daughter of Priam and Hecuba And now Pyrrbus otherwaies called Neoptolemus the Sonne of Dejademeia the daughter of Lycomedes remaining the sole Champion of hope upon the party of the Greekes she marked out him as the maine ayme of her revenge shee is said to be the first that ever devised the Pole-axe and therefore because she much practised that weapon shee was called securigera as bearing an Axe she was also called Vexillifera as bearing upon her Lances point a flagge or Ensigne and Peltifera from those shields made in the forme of halfe Moones which the Amazones used to weare Of her Virgil in the first of his Aeneiids thus writes Ducit Amazonidum lunatis Agmina peltis Penthisilaeaâ—urens â—urens mediisque in millibus ardet Arm'd with their Moony sheilds the Queene her Amazonians leads And raging seemes to burne amidst those thousands where she treades Of her rare beauty added to her valour diverse Authours give ample testimony and amongst them not the least Propertius in these words Ausa feroxab e quo quondam appugnare sagitis Moetis Danaum Penthisilaea rates Aurea cui posi quam nudavit Cassida frontem Vixit victorem candida forma virum Thus paraphrased The bold Penthisilaea durst the Danish fleete oppose And from her steede sharpe arrowes shoote to gall her armed foes No sooner was the battaile done Her golden helme laid by But whom by armes she could not take she captiv'd with her eye Valerius Flaccus lib. 5 Statius lib. 12. Hor. lib. 4. and Ovid in his Epistles of Phaedra to Hippolitus useth these words speaking of her Prima securigeras inter virtute puellas Shee is also by him remembered in his second booke De Ponto and the third booke De Arte Amandi he sportively begins thus Arm'd at all points the Greeke to field is gone To encounter with the naked Amazon Behold like weapons in my power remaine For thee Penthisilaea and thy traine c. Some thinke her to have beene slaine in single combat by Achilles but the most are of opinion that she fell by the hand his sonne Neoptolemus about the beginning of the tenth and last yeare of the siege after whose death the Trojans altogether unable to resist the fury of the enemy where forc't to immure themselves and keepe close within their walles till after the Grecians entered the City by stratagem as you may read it fully and excellently delivered by the Prince of Poets Virgil To whom I referre you Penthisilaea thus dead and many of her Ladies perishing with her those few which remained alive retyred themselves with much difficulty into their Country where they had much adoe to defend their Frontiers and support themselves against their bordering Nations and others overwhom they had for a long time tyrannized in which incertaine state they remained untill the time of Alexander the Great over whom Minothaea or Monithaea called also Thalestris then raigned she in admiration of his great conquests made earnest suite unto him to enjoy his company in bed for the space of foureteene nights together which shee obtained at his hands and so returned with her traine unto her owne Country in great hope that her expected issue would equall the fame and fortunes of the Father but the successe it seemes came short of her hope for after her decease the Amazonian Nation with their name were quite swept away from the face of the earth Generaâ—ly of the Nation of the Scythians their manners and their customes from whence the Amazonians claime their discent it is further left thus recorded their dwelling houses are but small not built upon he earth but lifted and reared upon Waines and Waggons to shift and remoove from place to place as the necessity of occations or their private fancies leade them Horrace cals them Campestres and Lucan calls them Errantes wanderers for they are never constant to one place but remove according to the nature of the seasons By the vertue of one herbe called Spartiana the taste thereof giveth them ability to abstaine from meate and drinke for the space of twelve daies together they are bold and much glory in the thundring of their Horses hoofes There custome is at Cessant times to drinkeÌ„ deepe as being naturally much addicted that way but when they finde themselves to have transgressed order and tooke their cups too much they strike hard upon the strings of their bent Bowes by which they make an harmony and such a kinde of musicke as weaneth them from their voluptuousnesse and recalleâ—h them to their Pristime continence sometimes but that of necessity they have not spared to feede on humaine flesh and such strangers as have been accidentally cast upon their coasts they have sacrifized to Mars and after kept their skulls to make their quaffing bowles they are for the most part pale of complection and of condition bold and hardy for so much the nature of the climate under which they live being very cold implies the beads of their Arrowes they dip in the blood of Man and Vipers mixt together the least wound racing but the skinne being irrecoverable and necessitous death The Scythians live by theft nor will they labour of themselves but feede onely upon the prey which they can gaine from
others but 〈◊〉 â—aturall Scythians I meane the most ancient of whom I spake before have all things amongst themselves common saving their swords and their quaffing bowles those they reserve as peculiar to themselves Their Wives and their Children they hold promiscuously begot the one knowledge no certaine Fathers and the other acknowledging no constant husbands they were in the originall a most simple people and most observant in the exact lawes of justice as allotting suum cuique i. to every man his owne but falling of from that regularity they grew as violent in the contrary extreame as observing none at all Forsoone after they grew to that inhumane barbarisme that whosoever of any forraigne Nation came within their confines they cut off his nose as a marke to distinguish him from the rest of their Nation They are naturally inclined to wrath and anger and betwixt them and the Sauramates this one thing is common that they sacrifice their living wives at the obsequies of the dead husbands they wholly studdy grasse and cattle but neglect Tillage and graine as feeding upon rootes rather then bread their habit or attire is the skinnes of wilde beasts which being tanned they weare the hairy side outwards that to the Foe they may seeme the more terrible Theft they abhorre because they have all the gs amongst them free and common Drunkennesse is frâ—quent amongst them in somuch that to be toxt with Wine to give it the more emphaticall expression the Latine saith Scithissare which is the same with Inebriari In their sollemne feasts their custome is to have a great massie bowle brimmed with Wine to be carryed from man to man in which none is suffered to drinke who cannot give account of the slaughter of some enemy and hee that hath slaine most hath the honour to drinke deepâ—st they have neither walled Townes nor Cities but whether soever they travell they carry their houses in Waggons or Chariots along with them Images Altars and Temples they abhorre onely such as are dedicate to Mars they imbrace wood they have scarce any or none at all and therefore such cattle as they kill they eate the flesh sod or rosted with a fire made of the bones in any set battle the first enemy they surprise they first kill him and then quaffe healths the one to another in his blood Those are most honoured amongst theÌ„m who can give account that by his owne hand he hath slaine most of the enemies and of theÌ„ contrary those that have done no facinorious act they extreamely vilifie When the King shall command any man to death all his male children under goe the like censure but the wife and daughters are free in all contracts and covenants they drinke the one to the other in wine mixt with blood and such compacts are held inviolable no slave is admitted or mercenary man to attend upon the supreame Majesty who being dead fifty of the prime who attended him are strangled and as many of his best horse who are also buryed with him in his sepulchre ARTIMESIA OF this brave Carian Queene my pen's at strife Whether she better Widdow was or Wife In both there 's none that reads her can deny But she observ'd her true Conjugall tye For Chastity or Valour those fam'd most Cannâ—t before her least precedence boast In either who shall strive her to surmount Needes must they come farre short in their account For who so reades Herodotus shall finde She was of such a chaste Heroicke minde That both in peace and warre she was like glorious In the Court Famous in the Campe Victorious Who to her Country till her time obscure Hath left a Name for ever to indure For all the monuments on Vertue plac't No Envy can demolish nor Time waste But they shall brave all Ages to ensue Whose Attributes I summe up in these few Three hundred thousand Persians this brave Queene In a great Navall conflict fought betweene Them and the Greekes out shin'd yet honoured most For one of the seaven wonders at her cost Erected to Posterity which rariety Shee built to expresse her true Conjugall Piety OF ARTIMESIA QVEENE OF CARIA A THIRD HEROICK CHAMPIONESSE AMONGST THE HEATHEN ALmost all places but most sure I am all ages have brought forth brave and illustrious women renowned for sundry Vertues and qualities as also severall Countries for instance we read of a Semiramis amongst the Assyrians a Camilla of the Volscians a Thomyris of the Scithians an Hester of the Persians a Cleopatra of the Egiptians a Zenobia of the Palmirians an Amalasantha of the Gothes a Theolinda of the Longobards a Radegunda of the Frankes or Galls a Bunduca of the Brittaines a Maria of the Hungarians an Isabella of the Spaniards a Cassiope of the Ethiopians an Harpalice of the Amazones an Hippolite of the Magnesians an Electra of the Thebans a Teuca of the Illyrians a Lucresse amongst the Romans a Inturna of the Rutilians a Cassandane of the Medes a Cassandra of the Trojans an Hermodice among the Lidians a Penelope amongst the Larissaeans a Dido of the Carthaginians c. And of others promiscuously thus Andromache the Wife of Hector Creusa of Enaeus Monima of Mithridates Erfilia of Romulus Herpilida of Aristotle Amastrix of Xerxes Hotina of Trajanus Atossa of Darius Portia of Brutus Pyrha of Deucalion Euridice of Orpheus and this our Artimesia of Mousolus c. She was the Daughter of King Lydamnius her Paternall blood shee derived from Halicarnassus the prime City of Caria her Maternall from Creâ—te now Caria hath its name from Capitalis i. a head Country but as others would have it from King Cara who first reduc't it to a Monarchy and is scituate in Greece upon one side of the mountane Taurus betwixt the two Regions of Licia and Ionia this illustrious Lady as well for her Conjugall Love and Chastity as for her Heroicke Spirit and magnanimity is worthily remembred to all Posterity There are said to be Septem orbes miracula i. seven wonders of the World who for their state magnimity and cost deserved a prime admiration above all others of which her pompous and most magnificent structure was not the least upon this just occasion I will as briefely as I can render them unto you in order the first were â—he Egiptian Pyramides built upon square stones below but sharpe and pointed above which the Egiptian Kings erected over their Tombes and Funerall Monuments as well in a vaine ostentation of their Riches as to set their people upon imployment to keepe them from sloth and idlenesse one of which was built of one entire stone which either grew or was made in their owne Country in Longitude an hundred forty and three foote in Altitude threescore and two a second was maâ—e of stone fetcht from Arabia which sixe hundred thousand men were twenty yeares in building three others there were which from their first foundation till they were compleately
he received two sonnes Edmond and Eldred and two daughters Edburga and Edgina thus was he blest with a numerous Issue setting all his sonnes to Schoole to teach them knowledge in the Liberall Arts but the Ladies his daughters to spinne and card wooll taking his president from Charles of France surnamed the Conquerour from which even our greatest Ladyes nay even Princesses themselves if they be either cited in Court or arraigned upon any Capitoll offence they are indited by the name of such an one Spinster to this day About the first yeare of his raigne one Clito Ethelwaldus a neere kinsman to the King rebelled against him and strengthned himselfe at a place called Win-burne neere unto Bathe and tooke thence perforce a beautifull Nunne and with her fled unto the Danes who then had peaceably seated themselves in Northumberland animating them by very pregnant and perswasive reasons to take armes in his behalfe against the King his Nephew who notwithstanding so hotly pursued him that hee was compelled to forsake that Country quite leaving the Nun behind him and for his safety flye into France so that the King with drew his forces and left off his pursuite restoring the Nunne unto the same cloyster from whence she was violently taken In all which expeditions this brave Heroina with Etheldredus her Husband Duke of Mercia assisted the King her Brother as also in that which followeth being highly extolled above many other prime Commanders for her forward and excellent service The next yeare following this Clito before spoken off with a crew of Frenchmen landed in the East part of England and gathered unto him all the Danes of that Country robbing and pillaging all the Townes and Villages as they marched onwards especially those about Crekingsford and Crickland and after passed the River of Thames and spoyled all the Lands neere unto Bradenstuake and so from thence retyred themselves into Hast Anglia which were the two Counties of Northfolke and Suffolke But the King with his sister made after them with all possible speed making havocke of all those Lands which they then held of him by composition from the River of Owse as farre as the borders of Saint Edmonds bury and soone after the two hosts encountered where a bloody battle was fought to the great losse of both sides in which conflict Elpheda fought hand to hand with Clito and though sundred by the multitude yet came off with the best the event was that Clito with many of the Danes were slaine and left dead in the field and the King and his Sister shared in the honour of the day Those that survived were forced to seeke and sue for peace upon condition that they should keepe themselves within the bounds to them limitted and moreover pay an annuall tribute for all those grounds they held of the King In the twelfth yeare of this Edwards raigne the Danes repenting of those Covenants before made as thinking it an impairing to their honour assembled a mighty hoast with which the King and his sister met in Stafordshire at a place called Toten-hall and soone after at Wodnesfield at which two places they slew two Kings two Earles and divers Commanders of note besides many thousands of the Danes of which the Chronocles afford us no exact number most of which came out of the Country of Northumberland where they had beene peaceably seated This excellent Lady was as Religious as Valiant who amongst other of her pious acts prevailed so farre with her Husband that they betwixt them at their proper charge translated the bones of King Oswal who had beene Cannonized for a Saint from Bradony to Glocester and there erected a faire and beautifull Monastery dedicated to the honour of Saint Peter soone after which for it presently ensued the last battle before spoken of dyed Etheldredus Duke of Mercia or middle England after whose expiration the King having had so long proofe of his Sisters love valour and wisdome conferred on her the sole and entire rule and governement of that Country in as ample possession as her Lord had before injoyed it the City of London only excepted which he reserved to be under his owne patronage Of this masculine Spirited Lady to reckon up all her vertues would aske long circumstance but I will particularize unto you some few of those brave deedes she hath left memorable to all posterity as building and repairing many Townes Cities and Castles as Tamworth besides Lychfield Stafford Warwicke Shrowsbury Watersbury and Eldesbury in the Forrest besides Chester shee erected also a Castle in the North end of Mercia upon the River cald Merce in the Saxon tongue Ramcofan and since Runcora shee also built a bridge over the River Severne called Brimsbury Bridge she more over both by her purse and wisdome greatly assisted the King her Brother as well in the mannaging the affaires of the Realme as in erecting sundry Forts and Cittadels as the strong Castle of Hereford in the edge of Wales and in repairing the wals and City of Chester by the Danes much defaced which he much inlarged so that the Castle which was before without the Walles is from his time even to this day contained within them It is further reported of her that after she had once prooved the paine of travaile in Child birth shee for ever after abandoned the bed and embraces of the Duke her Husband saying it was neither convenient nor seemely for a Kings Daughter and Sister to a King to expose her selfe to any such lust full action which might beget those pangs and throws which women were inforced to indure in travell a rare continence and not found in many and that was one prime occasion why after the birth of her sole and onely Daughter Elswina she left all other effeminacies and applying her selfe unto the condition of those turbulent and combustious times became a stout and warlike Virago whose example could not chuse but put courage into the most dastardly cowards beholding a woman so valiant Of her rare continence and vowed chastity too much cannot be spoke in her praise for Chastity as Solon defineth it is the beauty of the soule the grace of the body and peace of the minde it is a vertue alwayes companion with fortitude and as it is both in Virginity and the Widdowed much approoved so even in Wedlocke it cannot be but commendable and as idlenesse is the greatest enemy unto it so by being in continuall action is to oppose it abstinence from fleshly lusts are best tryed in extremity and in the end crowned with eternity for let the body be never so faire without that it cannot be truely cald beautifull Beauty may be compared to the flowers of the Spring which soone fade but Chastity to the starres of Heaven which last ever for with the reines of reason it curbeth the rage of lust The greatest honour conferd upon women without that is