people called Sauromatae in Sarmatia a very large country in Scythia reaching from the riuer Vistulâ— vnto the end of Germanie euen vnto the confines of Hyrcania in Scythia and yet as large as Sarmatia was women ruled their counâ—rey for when all women rule their husbands they must needs rule the countreys These be the scoffes of Cato against the Roman women that the valiant Romanes that conquered all Nations abroad were conquered at home by women It is most strange that women should so loue men for children sake and yet the Male-kinde should neither beare rule nor gouerne amongst them THALESTRES Queene of Scythia hearing of the fame and report of Alexander to be such for his martiall prowesse and great conquest she came with three hundred Scythian Ladies not onely for the sight of Alexander but also to get children by him and his Macedonian Lords that should be like their Parents And though Alexander had not so many queens as Salomon yet had he after the Persian manner as many Queenes as there be dayes in the yeare Notwithstanding his sonnes should beare no rule in Scythia though they were gotten of the queen Thalestres and of Alexander the great So it is historied of Neâ—aule queene of Ethiopia that she came to Ierusalem to heare Salomons wisdome and to propose vnto him hard questions and darke problemes being as willing to haue as many wise Salomons in Ethiopia as Thalestres was to haue valiant Alexanders in Scythia The Romane women hearing such reporâ— and fame of the women of Sparta of the Saceans Sarmatians Scythians and of sundry other Countreys hauing no men to fight with for thaâ— the Romans had conquered al Nations came armed vpon the Theators to fight with diuers and sundrie wilde beasts as Lions Elephants Beares and such like and when they were not permitted to fight vpon the Theators with beasts yet would they ouercome as Cato sayd the Conquerourâ— and Champions at home which ouercame Tygers and Lions vpon the Theators The Ladies of ROOME perceiuing thaâ— all the gold and siluer which was in the treasurie of Rome to be consumed and spent in the warres against the Gaules in the time of that noble captaine Camillus the women brought all their gold siluer chaines earings and all their Iewels vnto the Senators whereby the Gaules were satisfied and Rome againe deliuered At which time the Matrons of Rome were so advanced and honoured by carrying in Coaches to their temples and to their Theators So that now it was also decreed in the Senate house that women being dead their commendations and prayses should bee recited in the pulpits at their Funerals in as large manner as men So was Popilia by her sonne Crassus So Iulius Caesar did commend his wife Pompâ—ia and Nerâ— his friend Poppea Againe in the second Affrican warres when Rome was so afflicted by Hanniball that both men and money were Sâ—ant but chiefly all the money in the treasurie was spent the chiefe Roman Matrons as before brought all their rich treasures which of long time they had kept vnto the Senate house being ready to be armed whereby the Romanes were so animated against Hanniball again that he was inforced after his great Victories in Italy to forsake Italy and flye to Affrica True it is that Rome by women was twise recouered and deliuered from the enemies that the Gaules fledde from Rome and Haniball from Italy What praise had Veturia and Volumnia two Roman Ladies worthy their commendations in the pulpit the one intreating her husband the other her sonne at that time that Rome was in Corolianus hand either to spill or to spare How should I passe in 〈◊〉 Cloaelia that scaped King 〈…〉 and swimmed ouer the Riuer Tiber and opened the secrets of Porsenna to the Roman Senators What great benefites had the Hebrewes by the midwiues of Egipt being by Pharoh the King commaunded to 〈◊〉 the Male-children and to drowne them in 〈◊〉 yet did they rather hazard their liues in breaking the Kings commaundement than to offend God in so foule a fact whereby they are had in perpetuall remeÌ„brance in the booke of God to saue so many thousand mens liues with the hazard of their owne as it is recorded in Exodus These examples should mooue our Englishwomen to do good to their country not seeke the ouerthrow thereof The Sabine virgins after they were rauished by the Romans at the feast Consâ—alia and married vnto the Romans so that warres grew thereby they came in their smocks betweene the two armies the one part their husbands the other their fathers So by the meanes of the Sabin virgins peace grew between the Romans the Sabees When the Carthaâ—â—nâ—â—â— in their warres against the Romans wanted for their matches the Matrons of Carthaâ—e cause themselves all the women to shaue the hayres of their heads So did the women of Rhodes Many graue and wise women haue stood much in stead aswell in publike councell as alâ—o in priuate pollicies to their countryes whoâ—e deuises and sentences being set downe were imitated and found â—it to be followed and therefore in diuerse great kingdomes and countryes women beare such rule that they had the whole gouernment of the common weale It neuer repented Augustâ—us to follow the councell of Liuia It much profited Ferdinandus to heare what Isabella sayd and to effect only what shee sayd Xerxes the great King among all his wise couÌ„cellors in Persia would not sit in councell without Artimesias aduice Ninus King of the Assirians would effect nothing without Semiramis councell And after his death you may reade how shee gouerned the Assirians for fortie two yeares together as stout as Alexander ruled the Macedonians Therefore the Lacedemonians admitted their wise-women not only to come to heare councell but also to be hearde and to set downe their opinions touching aswell Ciuill as Marshall causes Among the old Germans vpon any great affairs touching the state of their country the women which were wise and discreete did sit in councell and giue their sentence and aduice among the Germans were cheifly accepted and at this time more trust and confidence is giuen to women in Germany than to men For women bee there sober when men are drunken The selfe same authoritie and credit had the women aswell in that part of Spaine called Celtiberia as also in Fraunce in which countries women were not only accepted in counsell but in any strife or controuersy it was determyned and adiuged by verdit and Arbitrement of women In the time of Hanibal in certaine debates betweene 〈…〉 〈…〉 and other Countreys where Queenes gouerned and ruled as kings were admitted as Iudges and fat as Councellors to determine of right and wronge as you have heard betweene the Gaules and the Carthagâ—mans Yea among the inuincible Romans by degrees were wise women admitted to haue accesse to the Senate and their counsell heard by
and stones should condemne vs of too much forgetfulnesse Sith neither Syracusa with their conuoyes and prouision to the Romanes at Thrasymenum neither Tyre nor Sydon with their Caedars of Lybanon to Ierusalem were so forward as Denmark was of late to England but as Masinissa sayd of the Romanes that there was one kind of people vpon the earth the people of Rome and among that one people one Scipio to whom he fully deuoted himselfe as one whose soule rested in Scipioes bodie the like sayd Hyra King of Tyre of Salomon King of Israel But neither Hyra with his Sydonians was more grateful to Salomon King of Israel nor Masinissa with his Numidians more louing to Scipio the Romane Consul than Christianus King of Denmarke was to Iames King of great Britane whom neither heauens earth nor seas neither Kingdomes nor Court could keepe that louing King from his loue to come from Denmark as a crowned starre of the North to shine in England and to come to celebrate and to renew the name of great Britane to see the Queene his Sister his Nephew and the rest of the Kings children the sound and sacred anchor of three Kingdomes O loue immortall not to be wayed in ballance not with measure to be measured not knitted with Gordius knot to be cut by Alexanders sword neither with Hercules knot to be vnknitted by Phoebus sith all prophane Histories cannot allow but eight onely of the like loue but not eight Kings most seldome two For to see a King out of his kingdome is as strange as to see the Sunne out of the skie Let England bee of equall loue with Denmarke sith loue is recompensed with loue iustly weyed in equall ballance not with Philips siluer swords in Greece not with Artaxerxes golden Archers in Persia but with Pythagoras weapons one minde one heart and one soule perpetuall weapons the triumphes thereof haue their euerlasting tropheis Among such what needs such leagues and couenants to dippe our weapons in blood as the Scythians did or die our clothes in blood as the Armenians did or to drinke blood out of our armes as the Medians and Lydians did Sith the league between great Britane and Denmarke is consecrated with inward blood of mutuall hearts and confirmed with the entrals and bowels of naturall Parents that two Sunnes may be sooner found to agree in the skie than these two Kings to disagree on earth This God hath appointed nature confirmed fates allowed and fortune thereto agreed Hence grow the cause of our publicke Iubilies and crowned feasts our dayly tropheis and perpetuall triumphes that as the Romans loued and agreed with the Sabins yeelding thanks to their God in the Feast Consualia so the Britanes with the Danes yeelding thanks to their God Iehouah in their Feasts Scaenopegia The Choyse of Iewels THE Empire of Women and Courts of Queenes euen froÌ„ Semiramis time haue gouerned countries and kingdomes subdued Realmes ruled States and brought vnder their obeysance both Kings and kingdomes as also before Semiramis time it may â—eeâ—e probable for that Asia the greatest part of the world was named Asia by a Queene of that name which then dwelt in Asiâ— whose fame continued vntill Semiramis the second Empresse whose martiall exploytes and gouernment hath been such if authorities may serue as neither Alexander the great could exceede in magnanimitie nor Cyrus in victories nor Xerxes in multitude of souldiers Wee leaue the Court of Sardanapalus King of Assiria who during his life exceeded in all effeminate wantoÌ„nesse hauing his Court full of such Iewels as he was wont to â—it amongst them in womans apparell among such light and shamelesse women where women were in mens apparell and men in womens apparell of which I will omit to speake But I will begin with those women that were speciall Iewels appointed not only to saue his people but to saue kingdomes and countryes not only among christiâ—ns but among Heathens and Pagans DEBORA a woman which dwelt in Mount Ephraim and iudged Israel fourty yeares vanquished the Chananites and slue Sisera HVLDAH a Prophetesse which dwelt in Ierusalem to whome king Iâ—siaâ— after the law booke was found sent for Councell to know how and what way God might be pleased with Israell Who knoweth not but Rebecca by God appoynted councelled her sonne Iacob to flee from his brother Esau to Mâ—sopotamia where God appoynted such two Iewels for him as made him the father of the 12 Tribes of Israell in whome he and his posteritie was blessed by the seede of LEA a woman IOSEPH a man sent by God to Egipt though sold by his brethren where the like Iewell was appoynted him to weete Assanetha an Egiptian the mother of Manasses and Ephraim two adopted Tribes in Israell by whome during Iosephs life the Hebrews were Lords of the land of Goshen and free from their bondage in Egipt Was not THERMVTIS the Kings daughter of Egipt a Iewell appointed to saue Moses from drowning in Nilus to name him Moses to bring him vpp as her sonne adoptiue to possesse the Crowne in spight of their Priests of Memphis ESTHER an Hebrew maide maried to Aâ—ashuerosh the great King of Persia a Iewell of God not only appointed to saue Mâ—rdocheus her vnckle but all the Iewes her country-men within an hundred seauen and twenty Prouinces with the daunger of her owne life and the destruction of Seauenty and fiue thousand Persiâ—ns and the hanging of Hâ—man and his ten sonnes In Bethulia a woman widdow ventured more then any man either Cyrus Alexander Or Caesar in their owne persons as shee did who brought Holoferâ—â—â— head in a bagge through the Assirian campe to 〈◊〉 whereby the whole Assirian army was ouerthrowne A famous victorie for a woman to be recorded for the fame of women Obserue therefore how God chiefly by women in all countries saued and defended his people In Mesopotamia by Labans daughters Lea Rachell In Egipt by THERMVTIS King Pharoes daughter In Ethiopia by Tharbis the King of Ethiops daughter whom Moses maried and made her a christian whome Pharaoh and the Priests of Egipt gaue him to th' end to slay him as Saul sent Dauid to the Philistians for the like purpose In Persia by ESTHER King Ahashuerosh wife In Bethulia by Iudith a widdow these were peculier women by God appoynted What should wee seeke proofes far off when we haue examples at home Had we not in England such a Iewell as combined Fraunce vnto England And another Iewell that brought Scotland vnto England being two women Had we not such a Iewell of a woman in England after tenne terrible battels wherein there were a Hundred Knights and Barons slayne tenne Princes and Dukes destroyed and one Hundred thousand Englishmen slayne in the field between the houses of Lancaster and Yorke a woman being the onely cause of a perpetuall League betweene both houses And euen at this present wee enioye such a Iewell that will blesse
neuer loued a woman That is not true sith the forme and jmage of Iustice is formed like a woman with a sword in her hand Prudence with a glasse in her hand Temperance with a dyall in her hand Fortitude with a great huge Colossus on her shoulder that Hercules could not stirre her And all these are wrought in gold in siluer in Arras and in all kinde of Tapestrie The Queens of the Amazones courts were onely of women without men where men by Law and decrees made might not gouerne or beare rule but were exercised in seruile works hauing their legges and armes made so weake by their Nurces that they could not beare armor as Diodorus writes Quoinutiles fierent bello This was a pollicy of the Amazones to be carefull to keepe the anncient Lawe of Scithia that men should not gouerne them who vsed to cut off the right pappe of euery female kinde because it should not hinder them in their shot and military seruice An example of two or three Myrina one of their Queens with thirty thousand foot women and two thousand horse being armed with skins of great Serpents after that shee had subdued many Regions and confines euen vnto Libia marched vnto Egipt at what time Orus Isis sonne reigned King there so auncient a History it is with whom shee coÌ„sented to a â—eague of peace Thence she marched into 〈◊〉 whome she much wasâ—ed and spoyled from thence to Syria whome shee conquered with much slaughter Thence shee marched to Mount 〈◊〉 and ouer came the nations there about so that Queen Myrâ—â—a was as famous in Sâ—ythia as was Semiranus in Asia and both were as famous as Alexander or Cyrus In like sort may it be spoken of Queene Medusa and of her Court as we did of Queene Myrina that shee likewise gouerned a Nation of warlike women named Gorgons who feared not to encounter with great King Perseus the most famous and warlike King of his time amongst the Graecians and kept him long and hard in twoo great battles The fame of these Queens grew so great that Hercules hearing the fame of them and of their courts of their womeÌ„ was much abashed that so many Nations should be subdued by womeÌ„ Hercules after Perseus in great furie began his warre against these Queenes after Myrina and Medusaes time with whome Perseus fought and slue so many I meane of the Gorgans and Amazones that Queene Myrina buried so many of her Ladies that to this day their graue is called Tumuli Amazonum which is in Greece and not in Scythia Among other Nations and Kingdomes the Court of the Queenes of Saca ought iustly for their misitary discipline their victories and gouernment to bee remembred Among many Queenes that ruled there I will onely speake of one Queene named Tarina who after shee had subdued the Nations about her and brought in subiection many countries vnder the Saceans after peace and quietnesse had made such Lawes to her Subiects that the Queenes which succeeded her altered nothing therof but one Queene after another confirmed Tarinas Lawes in Saca Such was the loue commendations of this Queene of her Subiects in her Court for her pollicy wisedome counsell and benefits done to her countrey that such a Sepulcher was made for her after her death that the Pyramides of Egipt and the Labyrinth of Creete might well giue place vnto it Neither might Mauseolum it selfe which Queene Artimesia made for King Mausolus her husbands Tombe be preferred though that Tombe was numbred one of the seauen wonders of the world The Queenes of Scythia their Court a known History whose antiquitie is such that Diodorus Cetesiâ—s and others 〈◊〉 of But the Queenes of Scythia howsoeuer they were first named enlarged their kingdomes so greatly that some were called 〈…〉 and some Arimaspi all warlike Queenes which subdued much of Asia and of Europe so that many of the Queenes of the Amazones are most renowned for the watres which they had with the greatest Conquerors of the world As Queen 〈◊〉 with Hercules Queen Tarina with Persâ—â—â— Queene 〈◊〉 with Achilles Queen 〈◊〉 with Cyrus whom she slue in battell with 200000. Persians with him And after Cyrus was slayne in Scythia King Darius thought to reueng that shame that the great King of Persea with his army should be slayne by a woman but Darius was glad to leaue Scythia vnto womeÌ„ and to returne vnto Persia. And also of Camilla who came armed against Aeneas and his Troian army with so many Kings as well of Asia as of Europe who felt the courage of the Queenes of Scythia that Kings payde Tribute to Queenes in Asia The women Laxamathae were Marshall women on horse backe the men of that country on â—oote In the field the woman fought on horsebacke with halters and short strong ropes and the men with speares and â—argats The women of Sparta are preferred before men All care and busines of Sparta are layde vpon the women For they sit in Councell they Iudge in causes and make such Lawes and decrees as to them seemed good which being obiected against by a certaine Gentleman that only the women of Sparta ruled ouer men And well worthy answered Leonidas wife wee women only of Sparta beare men only True it is as women bring their infants vp in their youth so are they found in their age The women in Persia were so much honored that they might not be seene but couered secret in Coaches So Themisâ—ocles being sought for by the 〈◊〉 and Luâ—dâ—monians escaped by fauoure and was caried among the Persian Ladies secretly For none but the Persian Ladies might haue accesse to their Coaches or presume to speake to them So much in Persia were women esteemed that in all secret Councells of States they were sent for Moreouer the Persians would haue their wiues present in place to see them fight in battells that they might at the sight of their wiues be made more couragious to fight What can be sayd of men but as much may bet sayd of women or rather more Might Herculâ—s any way haue subdued Cerberus or led him in triumph but by the helpe and councell of Proserpâ—na a woman Neither Iason could possibly winne the golden fleece and carry it away from 〈◊〉 vnto Greece without the helpe of Medea a woman Who taught Theseus the way to the Labyâ—â—â—â— at Creete to kill the monster Mino-taurus but 〈◊〉 a woman Who taught the way to werâ— ouer so many daungerous gulfes fiery 〈◊〉 frosty riuers vnto hell it selfe but 〈…〉 woman Therefore the Lawe was that they that 〈◊〉 to Carras into the Temple of Luna and offered sacrifice to the Moone such women should haue the rule gouernment of their husbands with good reason and their husbands should be ruled by them And they which made supplycation offered sacrifice to god Lunus such men had the dominion and gouernmâ—t ouer their wiues The
THE CHOYCE OF IEVVELS By Lodowik Lloid Esquier LONDON Printed by Thomas Purfoot 1607. T Teâ—psichore comes with Clio in hand to iudge with graces three O Of one such like Lucina sayd the Sunne did seldome see A As she that suckt Mellissaes milke fed on Sibillas brest N Nurst with sweet Ambrosias meat with heuenly Nectar drest N Now comes Vrania on message sent from states of greatest fame A Aurora like descends from skie to enrowle on earth her name Q Queene Pallas sayd her name in Court should be Panâ—â—ophia stal'd V Venus smiling wisht her name might be Panphila cal'd E Euer Iuno sadly sayd her name must Pandora be E Each Nymph each Muse each grace agreed Pandora should be she N Now sits shee on Mynerua seat where all Cytherides gree E Euterpe shold to Cynthia say crowne this Queen with Crownes three O On forth Eudora said and send Medeas golden fleece F Fates all agreed Palladium should to Britane come from Greece G Great thrice gracious grac't shee is where graces three do tend R Right happie thrice thrice Queen where kingdomâ— three do bend E Erato charged Iris streight on knee to Euriâ—ia bend T That soone Euribia from Samos should her crowne and scepter send B Bellona arm'd with sword and shield Eumenides stands in place R Rhamnusia shall reuenge on those that seeks this Queenes disgrace I In strength from Delos Diana comes with bowe and quiuer bend T The Troiane Ladies from Ida did the goulden apple send A Amarusia comes with Peplon on her chore Calliope â—als N Now Daphnes comes with lawrell crownes to crowne her Ladies all H Her bowers the Dryads build vp braue and these the Oreads decke E Each Nymph with flowers poesies sweet attend Pandoras check A Arabiâ—n Ladies with Saba came with myrth and Cassia sweet L Like Libanon all these Ladies smell which comes our Queen to greet T Triton sound the Trumpet out make worlds her famâ— to know H Heauens haue their starres of states some such on earth be so TO THE MOST NOble and vertuous Queene Anne by the grace of God Queene of Great Britaine Fraunce and Ireland c. LEa and Rachel most Noble Queene left and forsooke their Countrey Mesopotamia to come to Israell to bee the mother of the twelue Tribes of Israell Ruth the Moabite came from Moab to Iudah to be the mother of many great and godly Kings in Iudah Your Maiestie descending from many Kings and Princes came from Denmarke to Scotland from Scotland to England to be the mother of many Kings and Princes in great Britane Thus wee are bound to the prouidence of God by whom Kings do raigne and Kingdomes are supported and that by Gods good and gracious means in women as by Thermuâ—â—s Pharoes daughter to saue Moses in Nylus to bring the Children of Israell out of Egipt by King Tharbus daughter of Ethiop to yeild the Citie Saba and thereby the victorie to the Hebrew Armie thus heathen women by God are appointed to serue Israell at neede How much more is Esâ—her famous for her great victory ouer the Persians Iudith by cutting off Holofernus head was in Bethulia both for euer famous noble stratagems of women But your Maiestie by putting your Highnes helping hand to pare their feet lesser their eares shorter their eyes out and their monstrous heads off that can come and goe that can see and heare from Rome from Rhemes from Spaine to Great Britaine such victories shold haue double tryumphes the one in earth the other in heauen WheÌ„ Rachels Image was buried by SycheÌ„ Israel began to flourish then Debora a woman within a while after became a Iudge in Israel for 40 yeres in mount Ephraim when Maachas idoll Priapus was buried and ashes throwne to Caedron then Iudah prospered and Hulda a woman dwelling in Hierusalem to whome Iosias sent to know how to serue the Lord and to be instructed by a woman to purifie Iudah from Images and Idols God raised wise godly and vertuous women in all countreys to feare him to feed his seruants a woman in Sarepta to feed Elias a Sanamite woman to lodge Elizeus to a woman of Samaria Christ asked drinke confessed himselfe to be the Messias Since Christ was so conuersant with womeÌ„ that to women Christ spake his last speach before his death after his death he first appeared to women I wish some women should haue Christ in their hearts in Great Britane as Anna had in her armes in Hierusalem to pray to him and not to Saints to worship Christ in the Church and not Idols and Images in Closets and Galleries then did Iudah prosper then did Israell florish and then shall Great Britane bee happie Your Maiesties most bounden and dutifull seruant LODOVVIK LLOID To the most noble and vertuous Prince Christianus King of Denmarke c. Lodowik Lloids most humble Gratulation at his comming to great Britane WHo can passe in silence most noble Prince the ioyes and triumphes of these Halcyons dayes wherein Christianus King of Denmarke leauing his Kingdome his Queen his Court forsaking his imperiall Sceptor and his Subiects renouncing all princely dignities as a Prince that had his soule diuided betweene Great Britane and Denmarke esteeming more the one halfe in Britane than the whole in Denmarke O loue excelling all loue and that in a King which the heauens cannot subdue the earth forget nor fortune ouerthrowe of whose eternall fame fame dare not lye Let Maro cease to commend his Troiane Aeneas let Homer blush to aduance the greatnesse of Achilles which disguised himselfe like a woman lest hee should goe from Greece to Phrygia Let Greece not name Vlisses to faine madnesse lest he should depart from Ithaca and his wife Penelope to Ilion But Christianus King of Denmarke whom neither mother Queen Crownes or Kingdome could keepe him from great Britan where his Maiestie may of right more reioyce of his princely Progenie than King Philip of Hercules stocke in Macedonia or Augustus Caesar of gens Iulia in Rome sith the line of Hercules expired in Alexander and the stemme of Aeneas in the Emperour Nero so that Romanes now may say Fuimus Troes and Macedonians say Fuimus Herculani But Great Britane was then neuer so great vnder Brutus the first King as nowe vnder Iames the second King whose continuance well nye three thousand yeres is now againe like the Eagle renewed and reuiued to be by Gods goodnesse continued as long by the second Brutus that babes in cradles may say Iubilate Britanni Much beholden we are to God if we forget not God and great cause haue we to loue and to honour his Highnesse in great Britane if we looke but vnto the greatnesse of his loue to England in Queen Elizabeths time and now with greater at this present to King Iames if we shuld be deafe and not heare of it or be dumbe and not speak of it heauen and earth would accuse vs of too much ingratitude wood