many thinges which are filthy and childish And of this loue the prouerbe doth saye that it is scarcely graunted to God to loue to be wise loue wine are in thy power or euer thou drinke but after y t thou haste dronken y u shalte be their subiect seruaunte And of this she shal iudge the to be vaine light vnapt and folishe Nor thou canst not kepe thy maiestie in such filthy loue for Ouide doth say that maiesty loue doeth not agree nor remain nor tary not in one place But y e poet doth speake of this erthly and blind loue for cordiall and wyse loue doeth not diminishe maiestye Nor a woman can not suffer nor take hym for her maister that was some tyme her seruaunt And the weaker a wo man is in mynde the more she desyreth to be in power and yf she had once domination and rule she taketh it as an iniurie yf she rule not styl Nor there is no rule moore violente or moore greuous then theirs that by al reason ought to be subiectes as the rule of seruauntes artificers children and women But as we woulde that the man whē he loueth shoulde remember his maiestye so we woulde that when he ruleth he forget not hys loue nor to temper it with maiestye And when he doth thinke him selfe to be the head and the soule and the woman as it wer the fleshe the bodye He oughte in lyke manner to remembre that she is hys felow compa nion of his goods labours and that their children be cōmon betwene theym bone of bones and fleshe of the fleshe of man And thus ther shalbe in wedlocke a certayne swete and pleasaunt conuersation withoute the whiche it is no maryage but a prysone a hatred a perpetual torment of the mynde Let thy wyfe per ceyue and knowe that for the good opinion that thou haste of her y t doest loue her simply and faythfullye and not for anye vtilite or pleasure For who so doeth not perceyue that he is beloued for hys owne sake wyl not lightly do the same to another for the thynge that is loued loueth agayn If money or nobilitie coulde perceyue and vnderstande that they were beloued they woulde yf they had anye felynge at all of loue requite it with loue but when the soule is loued inasmuche as it maye loue it geueth loue for loue and loueth agayne The Breaker of horsses that doeth vse to ride and to pace theym doeth handle the rough and sturdy colte with all crafte fearcenes that maye be but with it that is more tractable he taketh not so greate payne A sharpe wyfe muste be pleased and mitigated with loue and ruled wyth Maiest ye the more gently thou doest vse shew thy self vnto her that is meke and honest themore beninge and meke thou shalte finde her But she that is noble and of a stoute mynde and stomake the lesse thou doest looke to be honoured the more she wyll honoure thee But yet the wyse husbande shall neuer sette hym selfe so farre in loue that he forgette that he is a man the ruler of the house and of hys wyfe and that he is set as it were in a Station to watche and delygentlye to take heede what is done in hys house and to see who goeth oute and in A shepherd had nede to be industrious and diligent but he much more that hath the orderynge keping of man the whyche is so variable a beast so intractable Yf so be that the husbande haue obtayned that his wyfe doth truly and heartely loue hym there shal nede nother preceptes nor lawes for loue shall teache her moe thinges and more effectuously thē the preceptes of al the Philosophers And for asmuch as the law is made to moderate the affections w tal they shalbe better refrayned by loue the most pusant of all other affections then by any law how elegantly or wisely howe imperiouslye or threatynglye so euer it be made There is made no lawe for him that loueth for to what intent should they make anye lawe when that loue euen na turallye doth moue a man to loue There is no lawe made for the father agaynst y t child but wel for the child agaynste the father for the father doth continuallye loue the childe but the child doth now thē leaue of to loue the father If the wife loue her husband he is to her a father mothcr bre thren true riches all that she wil desire Fortunate and happy is y t house the whiche is knitte with that wherewith the world the heauens and the celestiall spirites are vnited bounde together y t is with charitie And what thing is there in this life that maye be compared with one daye of so blessed so heauenly a life Galenus was maryed with Sulpitia the which amōg all the Matrones of Rome was most chast and beste learned of the which mariage Mar tial doth write in this wise maner O Galene howe pleasannt were those xv yeares that the Lorde did geue thee with Sulpitia thi wife O note it and nowe note it well with a white stone in the which all thy age yeares are cōprised And yf Parca had geuen thee such another day thou wouldeste haue counted thy selfe muche more happye then to haue liued as longe as Pilius Nestor And finally ther shuld be such cōcorde betwene man wife as god hath made betwene heauen earth by the which so great a varietie and multitude of beastes trees is produced ingēdred And therfore it must be wayd cōsidered whether y e woman do loue simply and faithfully for as fire doth kindle fire so doeth loue prouoke loue one flame augmenteth another This thing sayth Seneca hath in it self great ioye reward for what canne be so ioyfull or pleasant as to be so louing vn to thy wife y t therby y u mayst loue thi self y e better If there be any thing amōg these thin ges of fortune that the trusteth vnto or loueth so well that she despyseth and lytle regardeth her husbande because she hath it not or prefer reth her selfe aboue him because she hathe it that thinge must be layd apart contemned as a thing rather accepted estemed by the foolish opinion of man then of it one proper naturall goodnesse Beautie is a frayle gift and a slipperous and more profitable to those that behold it thē to those that haue it nor he can take no great pleasure in it but a litle as it were in a glasse and yet incontinent he doth forgette y t he beheld and sawe and it is to them both a prouocation to euill He that is fayre waxeth proude and he y t doth behold it becometh subiecte vnto filthie loue In the minde the whiche is iudged to be the man do consiste the true liniamētes of fayrenes the which intice and prouoke celestiall loue
¶ The office and duetie of an husband made by the excellēt Philosopher Lodouicus Viues and translated into Englyshe by Thomas Paynell ¶ Imprinted at London in Pouls Churcheyarde by John Cawood prynter vnto the Quenes hyghnes Cum priuilegio ad imprimendum solum To the ryghte worshipfull Syr Antony Browne Knyght Thomas Paynell whyssheth helth and prosperitye IDo perceaue and by daylye experience do vnderstād most worshipfull Syr how men do erre and are sore deceaued and begi led in the election and choyse of their wiues and howe vncurtously and vngentlye they do vse and intreate them that of equitie and ryghte should be most fauourably and pleasauntly vsed and 〈◊〉 For why what thing should a man loue or intreate more amiably or more swetely then his owne wyfe that is to saye his owne fleshe aud bloude the whiche no man except he be very brutishe and beastly can or ought to mislyke hate or in any maner of wise abhorre But yet how these poore silye wemen are handled and of theyr owne husbandes misordered contemned abhored yea and oftentimes without cause reiected I reporte me vnto the gentle reader of this booke the whiche yf he haue anye 〈◊〉 of wytt or reason shall 〈◊〉 conceaue this thyng to be true and the vndiscrete electiō and choyse of the 〈◊〉 to be the onely and originall sprynge and occasion thereof For in thys our time a time I saye mooste tamentable menne choose not their wiues for their honestie and vertue but for their intisinge beautie not for theyr 〈◊〉 and womanly maners but for theyr possessions and ryches not to 〈◊〉 and brynge forth children to the prayse and lawde of God but for carnall 〈◊〉 and pleasure not to be well and 〈◊〉 occupied at home but ydely and wantonly to spende the tyme abroade not to be godly but wordlye not to be humble and 〈◊〉 but to be prowde and 〈◊〉 not to regard theyr husbandes 〈◊〉 houshold and profyte but theyr owne lustes and solace Wherein is the cause then of theyr wrangelynge and gerre but onelye in the 〈◊〉 election and choyse of theyre wyues and because they doo not when they haue them informe them godly and vertuouslye instructe them for of whome shulde they be instructed and taughte but of theyr owne husbands But per aduēture ye wil say we are not learned nor we haue not redde at any tyme how to choose them and howe to teache them we knowe not In asmuche therfore as I nowe perceaue and knowe that ye can not for lacke of experience and knowledge 〈◊〉 thē that ignoraunce is the roote of suche sinister and 〈◊〉 choyse of youre wyues and the cause of youre so greate debate and stryfe I haue translated this excellent and fyne peace of worke of Mayster Uiues a Philosopher moost famous the which doth teache men howe to choose theyr wyues howe to loue and to intreate them how and where with to instruct them howe to araye and semely to apparell them howe to chasten and correcte them howe in theyr absence and in theyr age to vse them and at theyr departynge vnto god howe to leaue them And on the other syde it teacheth your wyues howe to feare and to honour god howe to loue obey aud serue theyr husbandes how to brynge vp and nourter theyr chyldren howe to haue an eye to theyr husbandes honestie and profyte whether they shoulde be learned or no 〈◊〉 auctors they should reade what company they shoulde haunte and auoyde howe to kepe theyr howses in good reporte and them selues cleane and vndefiled O how excellent then and how profitable a booke is this for the welthe bothe of man and woman moste worthy to be redde of all christians and of those whyche desyre and seke to lyue quietly in matrimony ioyfully in this transitorye vale and dungen of al misery Reade it ther fore at your leasure moste worshypfull syr but yet with iudgement I pray you for as it is a worke moste meete and conuenient for al that maye mary so it is for your maistershyppe moste frutefull considerynge your present estate and condition mooste neadefull For who can be ciricumspect ynoughe in the election and choyse of her whome a man cannot electe by gods lawe tyll death them departe nor yet refuse but for fornication nor at no tyme she beynge alyue mary any other withoute the spot and 〈◊〉 of adulteri Counsell therfore wyth Mayster Uiues howe to choose a wyfe and choose her that feareth god and wyll be obedient and reformable and suche a one as shall geue no occasion of breache or of diuorsement the whiche O lorde is nothynge in these oure dayes regarded for why to haue many wiues at once or to refuse her by some cautell or false interpretation of gods moste holy worde that mystyketh is at this present but as men call it a shifte of descante O heauē O earthe but who am I that goeth aboute to counsell you so prudent a man so well learned so circumspecte in all thynges and that hath a forehande proued the course and trace of matrimony howe godly plesant a thinge it is if the parties be of one accord minde and in Christes true religion of one sayth opinion But let the noble orator Mayster Uiues be al mens guyde and counseyler in this weyghty mater And in such lyke beware of temerarious hastynesse nor beleue not 〈◊〉 yonge and lyght counseller for after light credence commeth heauy repentaunce Thus god preserue your mayster shyppe moste humbly desyrynge the same to accept this my rude translation in good parte and as a token and a pledge of my vnfayned and cordiall loue to you wardes ¶ Of the office and duetie of an husbande IT semed vnto the auctour of nature when he layd y e foundation of the ages and time that was to come that all suche beastes which were sub iecte vnto sicknesses death should at one generation and birth bringe forth but fea we yongelynges to thende their generation might encrease endure for euer that they of a litle beginninge mighte multiplie and arise vnto an in finite multitude and of mortal thinges obtayne as it were an immortalitie But al other beastes do indifferently without any order or lawe obeye nature and geue them selues vnto procreation And this is as it were an vniuersall lawe where vnto we do perceaue and see that al maner of beastes do willingly obeye although there be amōg these that liue in societie and obserue the holines of matrimony so vndefiledly y t they may well instruct and teache many thousandes of men the chastitie the charitie y e fayth the maner and the qualitie of matrimony and in this number are swannes turtledoues crowes and doues But man beynge borne to lyue in company and in the communion of lyfe was bounde by the auctoure of nature wyth more exact and streyghter lawes of matrimonye Nor he would not that man vntemperately shoulde medle
Adā as it were diuining sayd y t two men shuld be in one fleshe vnto y e which wordes the lord our god dyd adde this y e matrimony once cōsumed made perfect they are no more two but one mā y t it might euidently appeare that true matrimonie cā not be betwene thre or foure but betwene two onelye And as oft as god him selfe speaketh of matrimony he neuer sayth husbandes wiues but wife and husband And the Apostle S. Paul to auoyd fornicatiō geueth counsel that euery man shuld haue his wife but he neuer sayeth hys wyues And truly whē the lord doth inhibite that men shuld not re fuse their wiues for any cause except it be for fornication he forbiddeth the multitude of wiues for if he mary another he calleth him an aduouterer Why shuld he be an aduouterer that marieth another his first wyfe beinge yet alyue yf it were lawfull for him at one tyme to haue manye wiues These he the lawes of nature the which in very dede shuld haue sufficed yf oure malitiousnes had lefte oure nature pure and whole as it came frō the handes of his maker But being now violated thorough vice inclininge vnto malitiousnes the age time y t ensued found remedies for this infirmitie as it were cer tayne barres doores to represse vice withal y t it creepe no farther For the worlde in the fyrst encrease of mans generation being yet but yong part of our old rude elders dyd dwel in caues and parte whē the cities were buylded in houses And at the begynginning the husband and the wife kept house together thē were children begotten and borne vnto the whiche there arose an incredible loue kind led with the fyrebrand of nature These childrē beyng of age maried wiues to encrease mākind withal their childrē encreased by whose meanes the loue of the fathers paste on vnto the sonne and doughter in law frō thence vnto theyr neues all these coupled together by the selfe same loue and charitie remay ned in one house beyng parta kers of one fyre loue makyng althinges cōmon or to speak more truly one thing onelye But consanguinitie affinity crepte in alytle further beyng many in nūber wold not depart frō y t familye because they of youth were broughte vp together for there is no sweter thinge then of childrē to haue bene conuersaunte acquaynted because they were suche persons whome they loued as thē selues they could not be departed except they shuld haue bene seperated drawen frō thē selues And although certayn of thē were remoued gone as it were to dwel in another place yet that notwithstandinge they oftentimes returned vn to theyr originall house and were most familiarly conuersaunt together But suche as were wyse and by longe expe rience witty perceauing that chastitie through the feruent nes and heate of youth was in great daūger iudged that such feruentnes motions of youth ought by some religiō lawes to be 〈◊〉 repressed for vnto nature it appeared truely a thing most abhominable to mary other wyth mother nece or doughter y e which thing Adā nature not beyng yet corrupted dyd suf ficiently ynough declare whē that he lokyng vpon his wife sayd Beholde now the bone of my bones the flesh of my fleshe for this shall man leaue both father and mother the which he wold not haue lefte yf he might haue maried her Necessitie scarcenes of peo ple coupled brother syster together But humanitie by a litle litle the world being somwhat more replenyshed begā to despise refuse y t kind of mariage manye nations auoyded it by lawes by religion forbad y t suche as were so nighe of cōsanguinitie and kind should not marye together for it semed vnto thē vn mete that any such should be coupled together and that al such mariages shuld be thoughte incestious agaynste all right by the auctoritie and wil of the superior inhibited for whether we beholde humayne thinges the law that is the consente of the citezins forbiddeth them or diuyne thinges the maiestie of god forbiddeth thē so it foloweth that chastitie shuld be in sauegarde within the walles and houses of those y t are of consanguinitie for it was sufficient ynough vnto the simplici tie and innocencye of oure elders to abstaine 〈◊〉 the thing not wonte to be vsed vnto whome it was ynough in times paste to saye I wil not 〈◊〉 Quirites But in the tyme age y t folowed they coulde not be 〈◊〉 frō 〈◊〉 no not 〈◊〉 manye 〈◊〉 threatninges terrours prysons nor 〈◊〉 wyth death so feble are we to goodnes and so strong mightye agaynste modestiousnes nor we do nothing more coragiously then to disprayse contemne vertue And for asmuche as there is no beast vnto whome concord beneuolence is so profi table or so necessary to ioyne amitie to amplifie loue and charitie withal as to man it is prouided as Cicero S. Augustine do write most notablye that menne shoulde take their wiues from other places and their doughters theyr husbandes out of their families and houses wherby great loue should aryse encrease by such bondes of affinitie the one shuld greatlye fauour the other cōsideryng y e therby great frendshyp and kyured shuld ensue folowe that finally both gods lawe and mans shoulde make and knyt vp as it were a knot of pietie faythfull loue And so it is come to passe that charitye which nature had sprinckled thorowout al humayne generation was restrayned through the affections of the iniquitie of man vnto a feaw is now by the meanes of matrimony spred abroade not in one or two houses only but in cities kinredes nations y e which throughe one sole mariage haue bene reuoked frō sharpe dissentiōs vnto louing and swere agreament concord But how farre it is law ful or vnlawful to procede in these thynges by the ciuill canon lawe defined it is not to be disputed vpon at thys time but hereafter we shall speake thereof when that we by the helpe of Christe shall write of the common welthe But when so great darcknes was in the soule of man and in his wil so great iniquitie that corruption was encreased in man by y e continuaūce of euyll it semed good vnto god to restore his worke for he sente his sonne by whome he made the world to reconcile vs after to great dissention discord vnto the father and to be the clarifier of oure 〈◊〉 an ensample of y e woorkes and dedes of lyfe And he puttinge forthe hys hande lifted vp mankinde lyinge vpon the earth and waloyng in mire to looke vp into heauen and to be partaker of the light thereof And although he hadde blowen hys trompet all they that hearde that celestiall and heauenlye voyce contemning and leauing all other thinges apart dyd hye them towardes so
great and so excellente a beatitude for them and for all other prepared For they perceaued and sawe that all such thinges as by humayne arte wisdome watre or 〈◊〉 myght be obtayned and gotten and all suche thynges as were spoken of to the Philosophers scoles were 〈◊〉 offered and geuen as it were in to their handes more spededely and more purely then euer before whereof there arose an incredible heate and feruentnes to folowe Christ his bloude beyng as yet euen hoate the whiche in such wise maner kindled their brestes whome he touched y e the kinges princes of the gentiles stode as they had beue amased the capitaynes of great hostes w t such as bylong expe rience vse of thynges were sage and wise of whome in al graue and weyghty matters men asked counsell al other learned men the which being set in y t hyght of all humayne thinges and nexte vnto god al other beynge vnder them perceaued y t all thynges with greate myght powre were ouercomed by christen men Euery man marueiled from whence such force strength shulde come wherewyth so many thousand hartes with one accorde shulde desyre and seke for one thinge shuld confesse one Christe shuld speake one thynge and obtayne and come to one ende They cared nether for mony nor yet for their lyues they sought for no superioritie they refused theyr owne howses families parentes kynsfolke yea and theyr owne wyues that nothyng myght let or hinder theyre course on flacke the victory ouer vice and the vnhard reward of vertue Nor they cared not for any impedi mentes or caredge y t doubted not to obtayne by this victori suche infinite rewardes and goodes Nor they had no leasure in such celeritie of age to think vpoÌ„ any other thing beynge thus occupyed and reuished wyth thys hyghe thought and cogitation But this heat of pietie flowing vn to vs from Christ as it were from some excellent fontaine is as careful for other as it is sure certayne of it selfe and is beautified adorned with singuler prudency wisdom But the more that this heate is kindled the more this wisdome doth shewe it selfe for gettinge of it selfe doth profite on her yf that any thynge may be lacking in such ferueÌ„t and aboundant charitie But surely she hath situate and set her selfe in a stedfalte and a sure place and beynge full of hope crieth oute who shall separate vs from the charitie of Christe So then he laboreth for other and not for him selfe he sayeth not he lyueth but not he nowe but Christe lyueth in him And so he fulfilleth the commaundementes of Christ that liueth in him and obeyeth vnto his will to ayde and prouide for those that Christe woulde it shuld be prouided for that is for his flocke for the which he hathe not spared to offer vp his owne life And therefore when these pietifull maisters and coadiutors of Christe do remember what the Lorde aunswered when he was demaunded of wiues y t some did chasten them selues for the kingdome of heauen sake that none other coulde do y t but only they vnto whome the father of heauen gaue it Paule leste that anye manne through an vnwyse feruentnesse of folowynge or couetyng that God hath not geueÌ„ him shuld vnwysely fall into satans secret snares y e which he layeth at y e fete of those y e hast theÌ„ to y e pâ—rfection of life doth exhort theÌ„ wisely to take hede to prepare most effectuous remedy for y t wherein is most yeoperdie to fortifie y e part most stroÌ„gly where vn to they do perceaue their ene my most valiantly and moste stronglye to approche And yet the selfesame Paule the which with his ensample pro uoketh vs esteminge al other thinges as vile beynge bare and crucified to folowe bare Christ and crucified geueth this counsell y t better it were to marye then to burne leste any man should disturbe thorough iniury any other maÌ„s peace or quietnes or defyle him selfe with filthy thoughtes or dedes And therefore herbes and rootes are vsed to be geueÌ„ vnto some as meat to other some as a medicine so is matrimonye the whiche at the beginning was inuented of god for the procreatioÌ„ of children is now vnto the luxurious and incontinente persoÌ„ as a remedy of so great an euil Let vs therfore take this for a very fondation and grounde y t matrimonye is a lawful contunction of one maÌ„ and one wife to liue in coÌ„munion of lyfe together all the dayes of their liues ¶ Of the election choyse of a wyfe OR euer I doo speake of the choise of a wife I muste remoue from y t mind of those which I do instruct teache that furye wherewith they choose not their wiues but inuade theÌ„ they marye them not but rauishe them and deceaue theÌ„ coÌ„trarye to theyr willes do take them Yf the woman were a certayn kynd of merchaundise peraduenture it shuld not seme so vnseÌ„bly by all maner of meanes subteltie to obtayne her for howe soeuer she were obtayned she woulde serue to that vse but conslderyng y t nowe she shalbe his felow for euer yf she loue him not be she neuer so fayre nor neuer so bur dened with riches she shalbe continually molestious And what a madnes were it to be ginne suche a misterye of loue w t hatred Loue is gotteÌ„ by loue by honestie fidelitie not by violence For a tune peraduenture thou mayst en ioye her goodes her beautie her pareÌ„tage kinred but y u shalt neuer enioy thy wyfe Those thinges are best whiche are most coÌ„formable vnto nature AdaÌ„ did not rauish Eue but receaued her deliuered vnto him by god y e father hegaue her not vnto him per force but y t they shuld mutual ly loue one another he drue y e one out of y e other gaue theÌ„ like nature fashion to thintent that they or euer they were maryed shoulde seme and appeare to be one thyng and not two The iudgemeÌ„t of the mynde is the gouernoure of mans lyfe the whiche yf it go not before all our dedes we shall slyde and fall into such greate yeoperdies as we do le daylye chaunce happen amonge men They do wel consider what thinge they should eate or drincke but whome they do call vnto their frendship coÌ„munion of life the which are much more hurtefull or profitable then meat they care not So they do loue preposterouslye or euer they know or iudge what they do loue the which error dothe brynge vnto the lyfe of man more euil more misfortune then can be spokeÌ„ wherby so many and great frendeshippes through cruel dissenti on are chaunged loue most vituperiously shaÌ„fully broken the whiche suche men as by nature and custome could not long endure and coÌ„tinue inloue had craftely begon vnwisely They shuld first by nature and with reason haue