displeas'd God I am more sorry said she for I am sure it pleas'd me There is another kind of dissimulation too which is so farre from incurring any grounded offence as it deserves high approvement And this is when Beauty is not only wooed but seemingly wonne to produce some good effect by his meanes who imagines himselfe master of the prize Of these to omit instances in Sacred Writ we shall finde our Stories plentuously stored The redoubted Thomyris could practise this feate to expedite her Sonnes revenge and restore her Countreys fame This did that chaste Penelope deluding her numerous Suiters with hopes of successe only to spin out time and with her never-finished webbe to keep them ever in suspence This did that wise but unbeleeved Cassandra who seemingly inclined to Apollo's suite that hee should injoy her if hee would bestow on her the gift of prophecy which when she had obtained she denyed him that which she had seemingly granted But the preservation of her Chastity impaired the Credit of her prophecy being never beleeved were it never so true that shee related This pious act did that memorable Hypermnâ—stra who pretending nothing lesse than what her vertuous aymes directed themselves wholly to saved her husband Linceus from that fatall massacre committed by her Sisters in slaying their husbands Nay it ha's beene the safety of many flourishing estates to dissemble Vertueâ—â— and to comply with the times ever expecting some faire opportunity to put in execution what their addressements for the publique led them to This wise and commendable kinde of Dissimulation some of our witty Wenches many times use in putting on a Countenance of Disdaine at least of strangenesse towards those whom inwardly they unfeignedly affect Nor have these Sleights produced insuccessive effects to their desires For by this meanes have they enjoyed what their simple inclining affection would never have made them Mistresses of For profer'd fruit is sedome tasted and if tasted not halfe so well relishing as if restrained Those golden Apples which the Hesperides those three watchfull Daughters of Atlas so carefully kept were more preciously esteemed because they were by such vigilant beauty guarded Forts which open to their Beleaguerall passages unlesse the miseries of a long Siedge have brought them to that pusillanimity promise no rich booty nor to the winner any glorious victory The way then for beauty to be priz'd is to be rarely seene and when seene so indifferently seeming to be seene as it desires to retire so soone as it is seene This is the load-starre to affection to â—eeme estranged from the least thought of affection and to fixe least in that Object which h'as most interest in her heart This that subtile Coy-duck had learn'd to an hayre when if any time she were invited with her jealouse Husband to a publique Feast shee would alwayes fixe her eye upon the antientst and reverendst in yeares at the Table whereas the eye of her inward affection was elsewhere spheared assuring her Husband withall that no Sight was more seemely in her eye nor convey'd more reverend love to her heart than a grave Old-man who had already spunne the entire webbe of his Follies and could discourse with all sobriety of what he had seene in the World And this neate kind of dissembling pleased her credulous Husband out acry For he believed good man that there was a thorow fayre betwix his Wifes mouth and her heart Whereas Meander had never more windings than she had dainty sleights and devices to delude his facility and to shrowde from the World her private affection to youthfull liberty Till in the end found where she lest suspected and closely infolded in the embraces of a loose Lover whom she entirely affected she begun to relinquish shame and in a publique manner to contest against her Husbands disability And how her modesty had so long restrain'd her but seeing no hope of remedy she held change no robbery and that no Censure should thenceforth abridge her liberty This Dissimulation produc'd a dangerous issue such as a vertuous brest cannot harbour we will therefore divert from this and returne unto the former being such a modest bashfull kinde of punishing their desires as many times that too much retiring or restraining of their Love-sick thoughts procures no small distemper to those who love and would not be thought so As it hapned to that noble Italian Lady who loth to impart the ground of her love or to make any other Secretary to her owne brest fell into such a languishing sicknesse as though the expertest Physicians of those parts consulted about her labouring by all the meanes they could use and all the receipts they could apply not onely to discover the source and occasion of her griefe but allay it yet all their experiments were in vaine they could not finde out the Cause till shee at last drawing neare her last discovered it For when her vitall parts began to bee so enfeebled as they surceased to performe their office and all hope of recovery perish'd in the presence of her Dearest whom till that dying period shee never made least show of to be her Dearest she tooke leave of all the World with this Dispassionate cloze Adue my deare Leontius Which words were the last shee ever spake But what deadly effect those words brought forth in her Leontius the Story amply relates For if the words of dying men be precious even to strangers how impressive the voice of one we love calling and beckning to us from the death-bed O what a passionate conflict what a soule-dividing combat doe those words raise How strongly doth griefe and affection like Sisiphâ—s loving Twins strive to inclose them knowing that in a short space a very short space that tongue the Organs whereof yet speake and move attention by their friendly accents amorous interbreaths teare-trickling adieus was to be eternally tyed up in silence nor the sound of their words salute our eares any more This it was which brought heart-sicks Leontius to his bed of Earth soone after her For recollecting with himselfe how his love was the sole cause of her death like an affectionate Mate who well deserv'd so faithfull a Mistresse after her Obsequies finished he immured himselfe from all society with the World where he enjoyed himselfe till his many pensive dis-consolate houres brought him to her whom he loved above himselfe But these are too heavy for soft â—ares That Love deserves approvement which is till death but that Love requires a seasonable restraint which may occasion death Those two Lovers are more for our purpose who one day falling into a piece of Country-love-Complement proceeded thus O Iug how doe I love thee Nay you know best said Iug but sure am I I shall never dye with loving you No Iug said he But I warrant it thou wouldst if thou hadst an handfull of me A proper handfull quoth she I should bee much better for a bit and a buffet with 't Nay faith
124 9 Historicall passages of Thomyris Penelope and Hypermnestra ib. 125 10 The Story of the Hesperides with their Embleme 126 11 Of a subtill Coy-Ducke who dissemblingly from her credulous Husband shrouded her staine till a more publique discovery exposed her to shame ib. c. 12 The constant loyalty and faithfull sâ—crecy of a noble Italian Lady and how the concealing of her love became the deprivall of her life which likewise procured his death whom she did entirely love 127 128 c. 13 A familiar manner of Wooing betwixt two home-spunne Lovers 129 c. 14 When Affection comes in place Portion is ever to take the second place 131 15 Love is not to bee strangled but easily repelled and by distance allayed and not only distanced but with employments wearied 132 16 The Speeâ—h of a brave Spartan Lady upon report of a disloyall act done by her indeared Servant ib. 17 Those who can pretend fancy to a Lover and reserve a Corner of their heart for another are resembled to Paphlagonian Partridges that are said to have two hearts ib. 18 The nature of the Iuniper resembled to a loyall Lover 133 19 Women should not be to free nor open in the impartment of their fancy instanced in a Lady who after her inconstancy ingaged her fancy to her rejected friends discovery 134 20 A pretty Tale of a discontented Coople who to mend the matter joyntly resolved to bee married againe 135 c. 21 The choyce of a merry Greeke touching his foure Mistresses clozed in an Epigram 137 c. 22 The brave temper of a Biscoy in the expression of her Love 138 23 Of dissembling Widdow-mourners ib. 139 24 The Story of the Indian woman ib. 140 25 A conceited Treatise composed by an Italian intitled A Supplication to Candle-light ib. 141 26 Choycest Cates cloy the soonest 142 27 Of a Wanton Florentines free invitation of fresh Servants 143 28 The châ—ste and temperate Soveraignty of an honour'd Lady ibid. 29 Contempt or Selfe-opinion the sole estrangers of affection made cleare by an experienc'd relation ib. 144 30 Theodora's her divine discourse to a loose Lover 145 c. 31 To our amorous Surveyors of Belcone's and profest Courtiers of casements with the story of a deluded Gallant in the quest of his Mistresse 146 147 148 149 150 32 The like story but interlaced with sundry choice passages of a young Prodigall who found his owne wife in the habit of a Curtezan 150 151 152 153 154 33 The famous story of Isabella wife to Luchino Visconti Lord of Millaine her pretended Pilgrimage purposely to visit her deare servant Ugolino which caused the Millanoise to lay siedge to Mantua though afterwards removed by the mediation of friends 155 156 34 An excellent moderne story of a young Gentleman and his Lady how after a long division by a strange occasion they became reconciled and made one in affection 156 157 158 159 160 35 The Character of a Gentleman Vsher. 161 c. 36 Evill society the staine of Gentry ibid. 37 Pleasure and Profit make up the best Musick 167 SECTION II. Imitable vertues in Women illustrated by Examples Under which Subject are these Stories contained and continued 1HE descends to a serious survey or diligent display of every Cardinall Vertue Wherein hee findes rare feminine instances in each kinde and such as may deserve imitation of the Stronger Sexe 168 c. PRUDENCE Under which kind are these Stories connexed 1 OF the City Cockney who expected a continued penthouse in all her Country-journey 169 2 The discreet and prudent carriage of Thomyris in her besteading of the Massagetes and discomfiture of Cyrus the wise mannagement of her estate in the whole course of her raigne Her witty Inscription upon her Tombe 170 c. 3 The wise and peaceable Government of the stately Semyramis 172 c. 4 The glory of the Amazonian state under their invincible Penthisilea 173 c. 5 The wisedome and resolution of that excellent Sophonisba 174 c. 6 Of Berenice Nicaula the Sabean Queene Sheba's visit of King Salomon The prudence of royall Hester in preventing her peoples danger And of Abigail in pacifying Davids anger winding up this linke with the living fame of our renouned Eliza who made her Kingdome this hedged Garden an Elisium 176 JUSTICE Under which linke are these Stories in wreathed 1 IUstice an Abstract of all other vertues illustrated by sundry memorable Sentences delivered by such women as were held not only professors but practisers of that vertue 178 First of the Thracian Lady ibid. Secondly of the Alban Lady ibid. Thirdly of the Emperesse in her patronage of Iustice. ib. 179 Fourthly of a just Mother in the censure of her daughter ib. Fiftly of the resolution of those Almaine Sisters 180 Sixtly the like example of a noble Gentlewoman in our owne Coast. ibid. Seventhly the noble disposition of a modest Matron ibid. Eightly the advice of the Sabine women ib. 181 Ninthly the impartiality of Aurelia in her husbands election ib. Justice when corrupted may be compared to the Celedonie stone when equally dispensed compared to the Selenite stone ibid. 182 In the Emperour Basils time was found neither Plaintiffe to accuse nor Defendant to answer ib. The Princesse Decree against litigious Plaintiffes ibid. Iustice resembled to the Evening Starre ib. TEMPERANCE Under which linke are inchaced these Stories 1 THe excellent saying of a Lady in the attemperature of her affection occasioned from Livia's and Lucilia's different passions 184 2 This vertue pitcheth mainly upon three Objects 1 Irascible ibid. 2 Concupiscible ibid. 3 Intelligible ibid. 3 For Commanders in the first are instanced Architas Chilo and a noble Lady 185 4 For Commanders in the second a discreet Ethnick Lady the incomparable Armenia 186 5 Their command over their desires in contempt of Honour Habit Appetite instanced in many excellent Ladies not without just reproofe of that famous Italian Domenico Silvio his wife who preferred luscious fare before her fame light consorts before her honour 187 c. 6 The Romans made Recluses of their owne Howses 190 7 What temperance the ancient Romans observed in their abstinence from wine ibid. 8 The diversion of their passion their zeale to reputation 191 9 For Commanders in the last He refers them to his Eight Section wherein their witty Aphorismes are contained 192 FORTITUDE Under which linke are inchained these Stories 1 OF Epicharia that famous Libertine of Rome 193 c. 2 Of Leaena though a prostitute secret and resolute ib. 3 The speech of a discreet Gentlewoman 195 4 The exhortation of a person of high quality and one of our owne Country addressed to her husband about the death of his sonne ibid. c.. 5 What women aptest to reteine secrets ibid. 6 The strange cautious flight of Geese in their passage from Cilicia over the mountaine Taurus 197 7 Dionysius his strait command for beheading Bryas 198 8 A
he could he held it discretion and to discover no passion till he saw further occasion While he stood thus conversing with his owne thoughts The Mistresse of his thoughts came in never so much as suspecting the discovery of her friends Letter After some conference betwixt them he renewes his suite and with the best Rhetorick that the Termes of Law could afford he enforceth his love-plea but his long impertinent preamble was soone cut short with this tart answer Sir quoth shee for you to spin Penelopes web is to no purpose it were well you fixt your affection some other way for I must freely tell you I have vow'd that no Gray-horse shall ever stand more in my stable To which unexpected answer he return'd this resolute reply And I vow faire Mistresse that I preferre this conceit before your selfe Which said without more sollicitancy of love he tooke his leave But comming home and remembring the Letter which hee verily thought was the argument which gave life to her answer hee held it fit under an unknowne name to returne that young Gamester a reply which after many invocations of his Melpomene the fittingst consort for loves melancholy hee addressed in this modest manner SENEâ—IO'S Answer Thou that of youth doest vainely boast Know Buds are soonest nipt with frost Though thou be fresh more faire than I Yet stumps doe live when flowers dye Though thou be young and I be old Though thy veines hot and my blood cold Though youth be moist and age be dry Yet Embers live when flames doe dye The tender Plant is eas'ly broke But who can shake the sturdy Oake Thinke thou thy fortune still doth cry O foole to morrow thou mayst dye But having thus farre discovered the effects of Disdaine and displayed the danger of this Humour with variety of instances to afford more solace to the Reader I purpose now to descend in the same methodicall way to the rest of the Subjects as they shall arise in order AGILITY OF BODY AGILITY of body proceedeth from a quicknesse or vivacity of spirit enlivened by a sweet and equall temperature of the Humours This appeared in the exact temperature of that Universall Monarch the invincible Alexander whose body was of that excellent composition as like a sweet perfume or some odoriferous confection it sent forth a sweet smell wheresoever it was The like we reade of that beautifull Alcibiades whom Plutarch reports to be the best favoured Boy in all Athens one of such Agility as he bore away the prize in every mastery of a winning complexion and performing constitution Albeit hee was never more outwardly beautified than hee was by too free and frequent consorting with his Curtezan Timandra blemished His faire face begot him a foule fame His Agility of body the gage of infamy Agile and active women we reade of in all Ages such as even in in publick managements of warre shewed themselves both for spirit and action to surpasse the effeminacy of their Sex This might we instance in that warlike Semyramis the puissant Thomyris the undaunted Menalippe the couragious Antiope the heroïck Hippolite In the Empire of Monomotapa bounding upon the Kingdome of Congo among all the rest of the Emperours Souldiers the most valorous in name are his Legions of women whom hee esteemeth very highly and accounteth them as the very sinewes and strength of his military forces These women doe burne their left paps with fire because they should be no hinderance unto them in their shooting after the use and manner of the ancient Amazons that are so greatly celebrated by the Historiographers of former prophane memories For their weapons they practise bowes and arrowes They are very quicke and swift lively and couragious very cunning in shooting but especially and above all venturous and constant in fight And that their Prowesse might be seconded by Policy In their battels they use a warlike kind of craft and subtilty For they have a custome to make a shew that they would fly and run away as though they were vanquished and discomfited but they will diverse times turne themselves backe and vex their enemies mightily with the shot of their arrows And when they see their Adversaries so greedy of the victory that they begin â—o disperse and scatter themselves then will they suddenly turne againe upon them and with great courage and fieâ—cenesse make a cruell slaughter of them So that partly with their swiftnesse and partly with their deceitfull wiles and other cunning shifts of warre with which long custome and continuance have made them familiar they are greatly feared in all those parts neare which they inhabite retaining in them those masculine spirits as they hold it not sufficient onely to defend their owne unlesse they inlarge it by their Enemies spoile They doe enjoy by the Kings good favour certaine Countries where they dwell alone by themselves and sometimes they choose certaine men at their owne pleasure such as best likes them both for favour and feature with whom they doe keepe company for generations sake So that if they bring forth Male-children they send them home to their fathers housen but if they be Female they reserve them to themselves and breed them in the exercise of warre So lightly doe they affect any sensuall pleasure as they would not admit it were it not to preserve Society and to continue their flourishing Feminine government to a succeeding Posterity But wee are to finde other exercises for these Agile Bodies yet modestly not such as that Soile to her Sex the insatiate Messalina practised in her Antonine Bathes These would strike a glowing shame in a chaste cheeke Nor will we receive into the List of our Discourse the least mention of any hard-hearted woman for our Penne is addressed rather to pencile their praise than detract any way from their fame For what though some women have bestowed their Agility onely upon Cruelty tyrannizing above the softnesse or delicacy of their Sex Every Larke may have his crest to use that old proverbe of Symonides but every wench hath not the same mole though the same mould What though Orpheus were torne in peeces by women Hippolitus guiltlesly mâ—rdered by a woman Hercules poysoned by a woman The Capitol betrayed by a woman Few or none of all these acts but with an eâ—sy exposition might admit Apologies For first what those women did to Orpheus might upon the first glance seeme cruelty yet he may thanke himselfe for effeminating their youth with his melody the onely moving Scene which brought on his Tragedy Next for Phedra though her fâ—â—t admit the worst Apology had she not lov'd so much she had not become so wilde The lover is ever blinded nay madded with affection towards the object beloved It is not given to us to love and to be wise Discretion is admitted for a Directrice in all affaires excepting love yea though the Object of her love was unjust Love hath alwayes challenged a priviledge in acts
whom hee stands ingaged nay religiously devoted by an inviolable tye of affection I have heard of a domestick combat betwixt two who afterwards became such loving affectionate Turtles as nothing could displease the one what the other affected But before this continued peace could bee procured or these Civill-warres quenched many domestick bickerings and skirmishes were there who might weare the buckler and returne quarter-master The more he laboured to soveraignize the quarrell ever became more implacable for she ever ended that dayes conflict with this peremptory cloze Trust me Husband this will not doe it At last as later considerations prove ever wisest hee recollected himselfe beginning to expostulate the cause with himselfe in this manner How long shall I intangle my selfe in this intricate Maze of endlesse miseries To what purpose is it that I contest with my owne flesh Raise a Pad in the straw and awake a sleeping Lyon It may bee her disposition is more generously tempered than to be thus haled Turne then the Scale and let her enjoy the freedome of her selfe This will relish better to any well condition'd nature than ever to be contending for mastery and make the whole Countrey ring with our folly Upon which resolution they closed together in such an equall Concord and Harmony of their minds as they were never knowne to bee angry both together The one giving way to the others passion with such sobriety and discretion as they never afterwards needed any neighbourly Mediation This I have the longer insisted on because I am not ignorant how many surly and rough dispositions doe abuse by their harshnesse the easy and well-tempered Natures of their unhappy Consorts which might bee instanced and illustrated with many Tragick and dolefull examples both in our owne and other Countreyes where weake and fearefull natures were so disheartned as they inclined to strange melancholick fits and such incurable distempers as they were never rest of them till their tedious life left them Others of higher Spirits but of more vindicative natures impatient of longer suffering have woven up the Tragick Scene of their miseries with the ruine of their cruell husbands Indeed were all Women of that servile condition whereof the ingenious Barcley in his Mirror of Minds reports those women to bee of who cannot be perswaded that their Husbands love them unlesse they beate them Correction then would bee found the only introduction to affection But these Nations are more Civile and our womanish Spirits more Virile to endure such affronts It is worthy our observation to relate what happned to one Iordan in his marrying in those parts being a native German and one who had accompanied Barcley in his Travaile He reports it thus Being in those parts one Iordan a German and who had kept me Company in my Travaile fell in love with a woman there married her Demeaning himselfe to her as became a loving and respective Husband but the more she was tendered by him the more shee seemed to be discontented with him No dalliance nor all the tokens of love or affection that he could shew to her could either winne or waine her from that discontented humour to which his too much kindnesse had brought her At last seeing that the more he laboured to content her the lesse she seem'd to be pleased he takes her aside one day demanding of her the reason of her distaste O Sir saith she how should I bee well pleased when you shew no argument of love towards me Not of love replyed he what more Signes of respect can I show you than these I already doe I am sure you want nothing Yes Husband said she I want Correction And if you did truly love me you would beate me as you see other husbands in these parts use their wifes for I must freely tell you for all your professions of love and respect toward mee till you begin to beate me I shall never bee perswaded that you love me This could not chuse but beget admiration in him yet least hee should lose his Wifes good opinion at last hee began to follow the Countrey-fashion and to give her such correction as might sufficiently perswade her of his affection Although in the end his disciplinary Love grew to be too bitter For he brake her neck before he left her But no modest eare can endure any such breake-necke-love Wives are not to bee made Slaves but Companions And as their constitutions are soft and delicate so should their usage bee mildly tempered and affectionate Sweet and gentle is their Speech albeit no Rule so generall but admits some exception full of rich delight is their Fancy No storme of adversity so violent but their pleasant society will allay it No losse so heavy but by the enjoyment of them supplyed Those dispersed Trojan Dames how soone had they pacified their incensed Husbands with a winning kisse and a friendly salute Their anger was soone done when they saw those pearled teares distilling those amorous armes spred abroad to imbrace them those pretty witty prattles they had to entertaine them These were such harmelesse carelesse Charmes as they wrought farre stronger on the affection than any other forcible Conclusion Now as I have formerly observed seeing there is no Society that can possibly subsist without speech divers qualifications are to bee used whereby that Cement of society may be better seasoned and in all Companies better accepted which I will divide into these two necessary precepts The first is to know what you are to speake The second is to know when you are to speake In the former is Deliberation In the later is Moderation necessarily required He that knoweth how to speake well knoweth also when hee must hold his peace which may serve for an excellent Rule to the Later Thinke an houre before you speake and a day before you promise and this may usefully serve for a direction of high importance to the Former These observed many errors incident to indeliberate speech may be prevented which our too free and glib-tongued Dames are usually subject to I have noted a kinde of pleasing Dialect used by our City Dames to their Husbands and delivered in that loving familiar way as it infinitely became them a kinde of fondling speech as I may properly tearme it or apish toying neither unpleasing to their Husbands nor unusefull to themselves as thus trust mee Chick thou shalt not Now pray thee Prick doe not iffaith you 'r a sleake youth you playd the wag with mee last night well God forgive thee wiltst buy mee this toy my Pigsny These pretty prattles make me remember that free and ingenuous confession of that rich Millanoise That the strings of his purse were never so hard tyed but his Nansy had a Charme to loose them Which brings us no lesse properly than occasionally to fall upon that dangerous Attendant to Gentle Speech which we formerly particuliz'd to be Dissimulation a smooth Orator and such an one as makes her
wench I would never buffet thee but as my Neighbour Grisedale did Guddy Tringles Nay Oswold quoth she you are cousin'd I le warrant you Pray you say why should you thinke I love you Did you ever see mee cast a sheeps-eye at you Or did my Nose ever bleed when I was in your Company And poore wench just as she spake this to shew her true heart her nose fell a bleeding How now Iug said he Who is in love now Not I on mine honesty Howsoever Oswold you may marry me when you list but I will never say I love you When a man bleeds at the nose and through abundance of blood is brought in danger of his life the Physitian lets him blood in his arme to turne the course of the blood another way Let us apply this Physicall experiment thus If Love issue out in too violent a streame it is to be cooled by a temperate expostulation with Fancy by discussing the probability of those grounds of affection which have taken seizure of the heart Or else by fixing our eye upon some more attractive Object divert the course of that madding passion But against these two it may be objected For the first that is a coole Love indeed that will admit of any such expostulation for this would imply discretion such should be as farre estranged from Love as youth from affecting the gravity of age Loves axiome is this None can truly love and be wise And must affection then bee regulated by deliberation Must wee examine what reason wee have to love when Love even to this day hath beene ever impatient to converse with reason Must we discusse what probable inducements wee have to love when there are no such arguments suffer'd to bee disputed of in the Schoole of Love Must wee fall to betray Love in asking Friends and Parents what they will give Or stagger at our choice or study a change when our choice ranks not with us in blood or Fortunes or disparity of yeares or difference in other Tenets which more concerne us This were coole Love And yet should Love be so moderate if rightly seasoned For to make choyce by the eye without relation to Reason makes a â—oole of affection But what receipt against love when it breakes forth into extreames Absence from the Object you love Yea but Love is more vehement when deprived of her Object It is where Reason gives reines to Fancy For then is the Party beloved ever made the Object of the Imagination This begets an obstruction in the stomack a malignant quality in the appetitive part This estrangeth the Eyes from sleeping Because the representment of the person loved keepes the Senses ever waking This distracts the eye and makes it looke wildly never minding that whereon it fixeth because taken up wholly with that it fancieth And for that as one well observes Love is not to be strangled but easily repelled and by distance allayed and not only distanced but by employments wearied The way to remove an inconsiderate Love from taking too deepe rooting in you is to prevent the way of thinking of the party you love Like that brave Spartan Lady who when she heard of a disloyall act done by one whom she held deare would not suffer her thoughts to entertaine him saying He shall never lodge in my bosome that can teach his thoughts to become disloyall Had the Carthaginian Queene learned this lesson she had never harboured a Servant so injurious to hospitality as to requite her too much love with such impiety Now for the latter Objection how should we will you say fixe our eye upon any Object more attractive than his person to whom we have ingaged our heart If we were indeed like those Paphlagonian Partridges whereof our Naturall Historians report that they have two hearts then might we have one for an apparent Friend and an other for a Friend in a Corner But as a heart divided cannot live no more can any Object really attract the eye but what the heart doth unfaignedly love Where the treasure there the heart but no treasure like Love to enrich the Treasury of the heart The heart guides the eye and can wee turne our eye from that Object which guides the heart This were to dissemble with love and disesteeme that which we most honour despice that wee most tender all which would exact revenge one time or other This were too subtile love to come from a true heart And yet if you desire to prevent erring you must in this manner mould your affection Love by degrees was a Sages Counsell lest by bestowing all your love in wooing you leave none when you come to marrying It is said of the Iuniper tree that of all other trees it makes the hoatest coale and the coolest shadow The coale being so hot that if it be rak't up in ashes of the same it continueth unextinguished by the space of a whole yeare Be you such sweet Iunipers Woooers are but Shadows saith the Poet be your shades coole but your coales hot When you are once come to the heigth heat and true fervour of love let no steames of forraine fancy darken it no stormes of adversity weaken it Yet let the Introduction to Love after you perceive a likelyhood of proceeding be so mannaged as your too much coynesse occasion no discouragement For by that meanes may you timely avoide what your disdaine may otherwise deservingly inflict But of all others beware of Love-letters for they are such Injunctions as you cannot appeale from With such reservancy then become Warders of your 〈…〉 uningaged hearts as your Favorite 〈…〉 never shew witnesses against you under your hands I knew one who excepting this Error demeaned her selfe in actions of discretion and modesty above the reach of scandall or reproofe But betraying her love to the secrecy of Pen and Paper and falling afterwards to inconstancy ingaged her selfe to her forsaken Friends privacy Who so tendered her esteeme that till such time as shee had made an apparent breach and violation of her vow by relinquishing her former choyce and bartring love with an indiscreet exchange never disclosed those sacred-secret ingagemenes shee had made but with a constant defence of her honour labour'd ever to cover her shame And this is the worst kinde of dissembling in affaires of love For to dissemble or double with ones Faith is a dangerous equivocation beeing such as makes the Party which shewed inconstancy of all others most miserable in their affection For it is not the outward rite onely which consummates a Sponsall love For if their hearts be not linked before their hands bee ever joyned their house musick is very likely to close in discords As I have sometimes heard a pretty pleasant Story of two who after such time as they had beene a 〈◊〉 â—hile married fell into such debate anâ— variâ—nce as all such as neighbour'd neare them were wearied with them but their next Neighbour worst of all for it
fame upon the adventure might finde her as ready to impaune her honour This was the condition of that Wanton Florentine whose direction it was to some of her closest and secretst reteiners to invite such whose personages promised performance to their Ladies house for whom shee had a private Garden-house where shee would as freely impart her Curtesies as if one houre had made them commanders of her affections This was farre from that chaste and temperate soveraignty which that ever honour'd Lady bore over her desires who being one day highly advanced for those exquisite parts which did accomplish her and that incomparable beauty which made all others inferiour to her answer'd her Husband upon the recitall of those indowments in this manner Trust mee my Ephestion if there be any thing that may merit love in mee I shall onely value it so because it pleaseth thee Now there is nothing that estrangeth affection from the party whereto it stands religiously ingaged but either Contempt of that Object which it ought to love or selfe-opinion in conceiting it selfe too worthy of that Objects love For the former many Tragicall instances might be produced where the Parties Contempt begot in the Owner such Discontent as nothing could heale it but what did seale it with blood Which distaste as it is privately grounded so these dangerous Agents for most part aggravate it Suggesting to them other beauties or promising personages to to alien their affection from their owne Now for selfe-opinion it is such a working illusion as it presents myriads of fancyes to the imagination For if it bee in the Woman it begets in her such a disdaine as first shee entertaines her Husband with a rare accesse She prescribes seasons which good man hee must observe or keepe his distance But a short time makes a perpetuall Progresse betwixt them Beds must be divided A Countenance of strangenesse entertained The Baths must be visited Private Friends admitted Now Gentlemen-ushers provided such as can be secret and with resolution performe their arrand Her Doctor must tell her and in the presence of her Husband that living apart for a season would be infinitely usefull and behoofefull to her weak Constitution And he beleeves all puts up all prayes for his wife 's needlesse recovery while shee kinde Ducke wants nothing but fresh imployment for her Libertine Fancy Long would it bee ere shee would give that repulse to an importunate Suiter if his presence deserved the stile of a Lover which that vertuous Theodora did to an eminent personage whose inward parts as they were exquisite so were his outward highly accomplish'd Who being long time sollicited but never vanquished at last by her vertuous instructions she so won in on him as he beganne to conceive a remorce and to turne the course of his affection to a vertuous admiration This when that Noble Lady perceived to strengthen those good motions in him which formerly had beene so farre estranged from him One day after such time as they had long discoursed together but in such manner as nothing was lesse intended than actions of dishonour and he taking a Lute in his hand had plaid Lacrymae unto her she forthwith returned that Lute-lesson with a faire requitall in this pious direction Lacrymae should not only be in the eye but stamps of more retentive sorrow in the heart A Pilgrims passage is such a passionate progresse as it cannot bee pursued without Sobs nor continued without Sighs I have found sufficient occasion for that Musicke nor can â— eye that place which may afford other Melody A continuall Sinner and a rare Sigher promiseth small comfort hereafter Our dayes are but few and evill Not an houre without some Crime to accompany it Let the Soule never receive her surfet of sorrowing till shee h'as first found in her selfe a loth to sinning As your toutch makes this Instrument speake teares So let teares of Devotion trickle upon the Strings of your Heart This will make you a noble Lover and more enamour you in the Contemplation of your Maker than ever you were taken with the deceiving fancy of any Creature Now if this Selfe-opinion domineere in the man how quickly dis-affects hee his Choice No House more estranged from him than his owne No Bed more dis-relishing than what should be most pleasing If hee at any time make his Gallery of the Street his eyes are so farre from imitating the Swanne in fixing them on his feet to bring him in a dis-esteeme with himselfe as they gaze upon every Belcone Not a window opens nor a painted face lookes out nor an enforced smile nor leering eye but these injoyne a Salute from him an amorous humble Cringe to an unknowne face a formall curtsie to a borrowed beauty This Object sets his unfortunate Genius a worke He h 'as taken precise notice of her lodging although her moveable estate will not suffer her to sojourne long in a place And hee resolves to lye siege to this easy-wonne Fort and to call her to Parliance by Paper-pellets To the Soveraigne then of his thougts whose short acquaintance might in modesty impose a silence he addresseth his letter like a soone-taken Lover His Page must deliver it but so weake and imperfect was his Masters direction and so little to life this Maddona's description as many times foolish Boy he miscarries in his arrand As it sometimes hapned upon like occasion when an amorous young Gallant and a profest Courter of Casements having taken especiall notice of a young beautifull Lady who as hee thought deserved as much love as any earthly beauty couâ—d possibly merit and collecting by her eye that there was no aversion in her from fancy sought by all meanes to become partaker of his hopes which all the better to expedite hee sends his Page with a Letter to intimate the constancy of his zeale to her and how hee preferred her affection before any contentment whatsoever This unfortunate Boy whose heedlesse care to his directions made his Master as haplesse in his affections comes to this Gentlewomans Lodging where he delivers his Letter but to another hand than he was directed to by his Master Howsoever the antient Matron who not onely by the benefit of the roome that was darke but with her cypresse hood vailed perceiving well shee could by no meanes be discovered or distinguished not onely received his kinde amorous Letter but return'd by the Page another acquainting his Master that albeit nothing was more precious to her than her honour and how many spyes were over her in regard of her strict charge which was given the Matron of the House by her Father if he would privately come to such a place such an Evening and returne her some valuable pledge of his professed affection shee would dispense with what shee tender'd most to second his desires How acceptable this Letter was to this frolicke Gamester we need make small question But tedious seem'd the houres till this Evening came which winged his
choyce yet so happy was she in her present condition as she could hardly entertaine one thought of change Yea at such time as her Nuptials were to be solemnized and her vowed affection sealed and nothing wanted but the rite it selfe to joyne their hands together as their hearts long before had confirmed that tender when her unhappy Bridegroome was by an Imperiall command called away to forraine servive as if that sad occasion had purposely pitcht it selfe to decline their solace and perplexe their loves with a tedious expectance she put on so cheerefull a Count'nance as none could gather by her outward semblance that she conceived any discontent by his absence Yet so constantly affectionate was she to her divided choice as no distance of place could aliene her love remaining of a votaresse yet ever reteining an unblemish'd Count'nance till his returne More easily to be admired than imitated was the Modesty of that incomparable Aemilia who being one day invited to a sumptuous Feast where to delight the itching eares and wandring eyes of light Guests were presented sundry wanton passages Songs whose very ayres resounded nothing but lightnesse Obscene Motions and Gestures which relished nothing more than Wantonnesse was asked by a merry Gossip who sat next to her how it far'd that she laughed not at those revels aswell as the rest A modest Dame replyed she should not so much as give an eare much lesse afford a smile to an immodest Sceane HABIT NEXT to this Modesty which many of our Feminine Mirrors shewed in their Countenance we are to present unto you the Decency they observed in their Habit. Which as it was first ordained to keepe the body warme two wayes by keeping in the naturall heat of the body and by keeping out the accidentall cold of the ayre becomes so inverted by abuse as it suites it selfe to neither of those Necessities for which it was first ordained But the phrency of pride suffers no cold Bedlam-like it can goe in slashes to comply with times humour and scarcely feele the distemper of any unseasonable Weather A Mistresse eye is an Antidote against a fever Here you shall have one to beare more than Milo's Bull upon their shoulders Such a weight of Jewels stones borders and carknets as it seemes wonderfull to me to use the words of a Learned Father that they are not pressed to death with the burden they beare Others like so many pye-coloured Butter-flyes falling from Silke-wormes and changing their nature with their colour disguise themselves in the lightest stuffs of vanity which kind of Habit may be indeed truly styled the minds Anatomy With these nothing can be received into grace that appeares grave nor ought complete that is not fantasticall Farre otherwise affected was that Noble Lady who when a Peere of this Kingdome came to visit her and seeing all those inner rooms of her house hung with Black demanded of her the reason of her sorrowing Why my Lord quoth she ha's your Honour slept all this while and never heard how I was a desolate Widdow Yes said he but it is long since your Husband dyed so as by the custome of our Nation you might before this time have left off that Habit. O quoth she but it seemes but as yesterday to me since he died your Honour then must give me leave to weare one Livery both in Heart and Habit. Why replyed this Lord the very Pagans had times limited for their sorrowing and Funerall solemnizing But we are Christians said she and though I weepe not as those without hope yet must I needs with a pious sorrow bemoane the losse of so Honourable an Helpe But admit one in my case were not to be an incessant mourner You will confesse I am sure she should be a constant remembrancer And though no profest votaresse yet would it well beseeme her to make her Chamber her Cloister Now my Lord for mine Habit though it please not the eye of a Courtier yet will it suite well with the humour of such Suiters as I meane to entertaine A richer covering I shall not need and this I hope my meanes will maintaine She seemed constant to her Countrey weare who comming over into this Island with other Out-landish women was wished to accommodate her selfe according to the Habit of our Nation O pardon me Madam quoth she I am neither so forgetfull of my owne Countrey as to put of her livery nor so meanely opinion'd of it as to change it with any forraine bravery Nor if I should shape my selfe to the Habit of your Nation could I any long time be knowne by it being so changeable in her fashion A Divine answer return'd that excellent Lady to an impertinent Objection when being one day asked why she attir'd not her selfe to the fashion of the time O Sir quoth she because the Time observes no fashion But if you wonder at my plainenesse and why I bestow no more cost on my apparell I must tell you I can see no reason in the World that wee should pride us in that which had we not sinned we had never needed EXPRESSION OF THEIR AFFECTION NEXT this let us instance what rare Modesty hath beene shown by Women in the Expression of their Affection How loath to be seene to love and how faithfull to those they did love How shamefast in their professing and how steadfast in their expression I preferre love before life said that noble Aurelia to one of her Maiden-sisters yet had I rather loose my life than discover my love The like said that sweet Sulpitia I could finde in mine heart to dye for my Love so my Love knew not I dyed for his love The like said that vertuous Valeria I could wish to dye so my Clarentius knew not for whom I wish'd to dye That brave Burgundian Lady expressed the like Modesty I will passe by him said she and never eye him my heart shall only speake to him for my tongue it shall rather loose it selfe than unloosen it selfe to him A rare Expression of Affection shewed that young Maid who seeing her Lover deprived of all meanes to enjoy her by the aversenesse of his Father and understanding how he had resolved through discontent to take his Fortune beyond the Seas with a religious vow never to solicit any Womans love for the space of five yeares She though till that time she had ever borne him respect with such discreet secrecy and reservednesse as no eye could ever discover her affection intended under a disguised habit to accompany him in his journey Cutting therefore her haire and taking upon her a Pages habit she came aboord in the same Ship wherein he was received and so continued during all that Sea-voyage by the helpe of that disguise and discolouring of her haire to her Lover altogether unknowne And being now arrived at the Port at which they aymed this disguised Page beseeched him that hee would bee pleased to accept of his service pretending that since his
they lov'd as no danger could decline them from their embraces to whom they had sacrificed their affections This that incomparable Marcella well discovered answering such as advised her to bee more reserved in her love with that elegant Poet in this manner Non here conveniunt nec in unâ sede morantur Majestas Amor Love coynesse hates as Birds distemper'd weather For Love and Majesty suite ill together This that constant Chariclea expressed to her dearest Archas when in a Tablet she caused this to be ingraven to confirme her resolution in despite of all opposition May I sooner leave to live than my Archas whom I love In the fourth siege though they deserve an higher place shall you see presented such tender-hearted Turtles who held it a punishment worse than death to be deprived of the presence of their owne No Object could delight them being reft their sight whose affection only inchain'd them Of this ranke both Divine and Humane Stories render us two examples The one is that of Caja Tranquilla who ever used this apt Posy for a Bride-bush to her royall Spouse Caius Tarquinius Priscus Where thou art Caius I am Caia The other that of Ruth unto Naomi Whither thou goest I will goe and where thou dwellest I I will dwell ☞ This that noble Lady Armenia whom we have formerly mentioned and whose memory cannot bee too much revived with a princely modesty seconded when being invited to King Cyrus Wedding went thither with her Husband At night when they were returned home her Husband asked her amongst other Curtaine parliance how shee liked the Bridegroome whether she thought him to be a faire and beautifull Prince or no Truth saith she I know not for all the while I was forth I cast mine eyes upon none other but upon thy selfe Nor could some of these conceive any such defects in their Husbands as were more than manifest to the Senses of others So as when one of Hiero's enemies reproaching him with a stinking breath he went home and question'd his Wife why she told him not thereof Who answered Shee thought all men had the same savour Which confirmes what Plato sometimes affirmed The Lover is ever blinded with affection towards his or her beloved No lesse gracefull than loyall was the answer of that young Bride to her Husband who being borne of the Scottish borders married to an Englishman was demanded one day by her Husband whether if she were to play the Souldier she would fight for her owne Nation or for his As I â—all quoth she ever an aye acknowledge my Husband for my head so God forefend that I sud crack the allegeance I owe to the head of my Husband ☞ Some Aphorismes there be if they may merit that stile who lose much of their state by their too weake discovery of an Anacreontick Spirit and rendring themselves too light That wench was of a more amiable face than admirable conceipt who having enter'd marriage with a Tradesman and afterwards entertaining too familiar acquaintance with a Knight By whom as it was suspected she had children as well as by her owne Husband stickt not to aske this wise question at a Gossips feast Put case a Woman having issue by a Knight with whom she was acquainted as well as by a Man of Trade to whom she was married whether those children shee had by the Knight might not take the wall of those she had by a Man of Trade Or being to be made Apprentices whether they might not be Freemen before their Elder Brothers A reverend old Bencher the very first night that he went to bed to his Lady She sent forth a Shreeke and being asked the cause How could I doe lesse said she If the embraces of an Husband be so cold What coldnesse shall I finde in the armes of Death That amorous Tomboy was a kinder Trout who though she had no competent portion yet had she a competible proportion an incomparable affection She one day upon a loving Enterview debated the matter with her Sweet-heart in this sort Sir I cannot conceive how you should love me seeing you spinne out so much time when you so shortly may really enjoy me You make much adoe in getting of a portion Whereas with lesse adoe we might beget a Christian. Had I more you should enjoy it having lesse your joy should be no lesse in enjoying me with it That Girle approv'd her selfe an expert and experienc'd Artist for repairing the decayes of a broken Tradesman who being rudely encounter'd by One who shew'd himselfe more haughty than his state was weighty more sensually light than suited with his gravity Sir you 've lent me your pulse and I have found your disease Now the best Receipt for any one who pines away of a Consumption in the bowels of his Estate of which distemper I finde you labour is store of Monopolian gold decocted from a Pound to a Noble and to take such a quantity of this in a broath from sixe Mooneths to sixe Mooneths A precious Cordiall to make rich Heires and rare teares at a Funerall That hote brain'd Calacute shew'd himselfe of too Italionate a temper whose Wife being surprized with an extreame Fever which drove her into so a violent a distemper as the fury or phrensy rather of her disease forc'd her to discover many things she did and perchance more than she ever did He after her recovery believing what her distraction had intemperately disclosed willed her to goe along with him to his Countrey-house where upon his departure from her he was pleased to use these words unto her Madonna here I intend to leave you for I must tell you I love your roome more than your Company such is my affection And I replied she preferre Rome before your Company such is my devotion That haplesse Malecontent fell upon a desperate conclusion who having relinquish'd his owne Bed for the embraces of a a Strange Woman and in a Melancholly Fitte taking a pinte of white Wine and mixing it strongly with Mercury Willed his Curtezan as ever she lov'd him to drinke halfe unto him She whether out of a servile feare or which is more rare in one of her condition out of a reall love drunke it to him which he with an active hand stirring to make it more powerfull pledged and drunke it of to the bottom She to expresse a care of his life as she had formerly tender'd to his love having in readinesse some Sallet-oyle with other soveraigne receipts to repell poyson mixed them in another pinte Willing him as ever he loved her to pledge her annother health But his desperate melancholy would not accept it While she no lesse desirous to live than tender of his love drunk it and recover'd by it But to leave the Suburra and approach the Temple of Viriplaca a place of more peace and in the eye of goodnesse deserving more praise ☞ The Last though not lowest because furthest divided and estranged in
her Majesty she a bridged the Alexandrian and all the Orientall Histories a taske of no lesse difficulty than utility whereby she attained the highest pitch of wisdome and authority The like inward beauty upon her Sexe bestowed that vertuous Cornelia mother to the victorious Gracchus who as she was an Exemplar or Mirror of goodnesse and chastity so by the improvement of her education to her children the lineall branches of so hopefull a succession she exprest her selfe a noble Mother in seasoning their unriper yeares in the studies of History Poesy and Philosophy Next her Portia Brutus his wife Cleobula daughter to Cleobulus one of the seven Sages of Greece The daughter of Pythagoras to leave Rome and descend to Samos who after his death governed his Schoole excelling in all humane Learning and afterwards to give the World a further testimony of her chastity as well as ability erecting a Colledge of Virgins shee became sole governesse or guardinesse of it What shall I say of Theano daughter to Metapontus a disciple of the same Sect Of which name there were two both highly enriched with all knowledge The one a learned woman of Crete and wife to Pythagoras the other the wise of Antenor who was the Priest of Pallas What of Phemone that mysterious Sibyll who first gave life to an Heroick verse and in exquisite composures amongst other propheticall raptures recounted the memorable actions occurrents of her time What of Sulpitia Calanus his wife farre wiser than her ill-advised husband who before great Alexander feeling himselfe sicke and distempered leapt into a great fire and there was burned for she left behind her most soveraigne Precepts touching Wedlock with the Relations of that age in a most proper and elegant style And Hortensia daughter to that most famous Orator Hortensius who for copiousnesse of speech gravity or weight of sentence gave a living lustre to her lines a succeeding â—ame to her Works And Edesia borne at Alexandria one of such infinite Learning sweetnesse of disposition as she was highly admired by those that lived in her time and amongst other excellences to make her more accomplish'd both in forraine and moderne affaires singularly read in Histories then held a Study worthy the entertainment of noblest Ladies And Corinnathia who is reported to have surpassed the Poet Pindarus in artfull and exact composures contending with him five severall times as may be probably gathered by the testimonies of the Ancient and such as were happy Spectators of those glorious Duello's for the Laurell Chaplet or Coronet usually bestowed upon such ingenious followers and favorites of the Muses And Paula Seneca's wife a Matron not only improved by his instructions but highly inriched by the benefit of her owne proper Studies ever reserving some choice houres for the perusall of such Relations as either in those or preceding times had occurred So as we may very well gather whence the ground of her husbands griefe proceeded whence the source of his sorrow was derived in bewailing the ignorance of his Mother not sufficiently seasoned in the Precepts of his Father by reflecting upon the abilities of his Paula whose discourse for History Morall Philosophy and all Humanity appeared so genuine and proper as her very name conferred on her Family a succeeding honour Lastly that I may not dwell too long on these Feminine Features Memorable Mirrors lest their diligence should taxe some of our trimmer Ladies of their supine and neglectfull errors Argentaria Pollia or Polla wife to the Heroicke Lucan is said to have assisted him in the apt and majestick composure of his verses being no lesse rich in fancy than hee himselfe when most enlivened by a Poeticall fury Nor did she restraine her more prosperous studies only to dimensions being no lesse conversant in Historicall Relations with other humane Sciences than Poeticall raptures Such as these might make good Companions to Pray with to Play with to Converse or Commerce with These make the cheerefull beames of every day breake forth as if every day were the Solemnization of a new Marriage day These with an averse eare listen to the Apocryphall verses of those fondlings nor can they credit them when they heare them Primus erit Mensis Mellitus Origine Sponsis Proximus extinctas sentit amore faces First Moneth's an Honey Moneth unto the Bride Next Moneth all fondling must be laid aside These have no knowledge of any such proverbiall experiments For so much estranged were they from fondnesse an error too familiar with New-married Cooples as their discretion could never incline to any such lightnesse Their youth never admitted youthfull parliance nor stouped to any uncomely dalliance Their affections were not grounded on Sense which made them to bee of longer continuance For those Loves quickly expire and dye which receive their onely infusion by the eye If thou wilt believe thy eyes sayes Loves Lecturer thou givest credit to thy betrayers thy spirit will suffer a thousand paines and confusions thou wilt take lookes for azure Mountaines because that distance and proximity deceive the sight a river may also deceive thee in its course till a branch or strawe informe thee what way the streame goes So may the Glo-worme delude thee with her burnisht Skales and with a counterfeate shine surprize thy sight Know I say know if at any time any such adulterate beauty shall seaze on thee that this Woman this sin-â—eered Curtezan who seemes forâ—ally perfect gulls and abuses thee Yesternight she slept ugly and this Morning is adorned with that beauty that thou so much praisest so highly prizest and yet she holds it not but by hire If thou hadst piece-meale examined her thou would'st have found nothing but prinn'd cloth parget powder and plaister and to begin her anatomy at the head the haire she weares came from the Periwigge-makers shoppe for her owne was blowne away with an ill-wind that came from Naples and if any remaines she dares not shew it lest it should accuse her of the Time past Her Eyes have no other browes than those which a Pencill makes Nor her face no other colour than that of painting 'T is an old Idoll newly painted over and yet it is no little wonder to see a Picture have Motion and she is such a one who hath almost found the secret of that famous Negromancer that pretended to grow young againe by shutting himselfe in a glasse-violl since that all that which hath made her appeare so faire as thou speakest comes from the Alembick waters Esseno's and painting If she would suffer her face to be washt thou wouldst know her no more she would be hideous unto thee rivels and ridges would each where encounter thee And were it not for the Confections she eates and the Perfumes she weares her mouth and feet would quickly make thee stop thy nose if thou shouldst kisse her all thy lips would be stuck with oyle and grease embrace her and she is nought but past-boord canvas whale-bone with
votive Order never to infringe that sacred Vow which they had professed nor consort with any that might beget suspicion of a loose affection yet if the extremity of Warre should ingage that encloyster'd Society to the Souldiers fury they were exempted from censure adjudgeing their resolves to be pure inviolated their Vowes though enforced acts had distained their honour yet were they not to returne to their former Order for they held Vesta dishonoured by such a Sister But you brave English Ladies whose happiness it is to close both your actions and affections in one pure Orbe you whose immixed thoughts cannot partake of an irregular love nor can sort with a subject of lightnesse nor labour to attract a strangers love with a luring eye nor imparadise a deluded Amorist with a dissembling favour nor confine a light Passengers eye to a loose-displayed breast nor soveraignise over a captiv'd Lover in holding his aie mees your best melody nor to open your windowes to get suiters nor to offer your first Sacrifice to your Glasse or Cerusse box You I say who hold Reputation such an unvaluable Gemme as an Empire should not command it nor the extreames of Fortune even unto death impeach it You who with much confidence can say with that Heroick Princesse I know how to dye but not to lose mine honour You in whose chaste breasts as in precious Cabinets of selectedst vertues are stored all graces such who hold in their highest scorne to converse with a light favourite or to be sollicited in such a Suite as may detract from your honour You I say are those faire and noble Patronesses to whom I addresse this Labâ—ur You are none of our Curtain Lecturers who disquiet the rest of your Husbands Nor know you how to call them up into the Garret to give them gentle correction You have a better and farre more gentele way to reclaime them Milde and temperate be your Reasonings wooing and winning be your teares and after a vertuous and well-composed treaty you are ready to close with them upon such faire termes as the penance you enjoyne them is no suffering for your sweet-tempered Natures chuse rather to suffer with them Farre unlike to that Shrow who meeting her husband amongst other good fellows at a Taverne doore and seeing him beare the Badge of that red-fac'd Ensigne from whence hee came after many words of disgrace and reproach willed him to goe mend his colour pale-fac'd Rascall as he was No your education ha's better improv'd you your inbred graces more highly ennobled you your tender care of your husbands esteeme so truely inform'd you as you prize nothing more than to preserve it untainted or if at any time questioned constantly to defend it In which respect you differ farre from that shrewd Girle who having taken occasion of displeasure at her husband told him plainly one day That since he had plaid her that prank hee would confesse ere long that the Signe was in Aries when they two were married But for you unblemished Beauties who hold nothing comparably precious to a continent Soule as your minds become devoted wholly to goodnesse so you must give mee leave to interveine my Discourse with others of your Sex who fall so farre short of your perfection as it might seeme strange to reason that one and the same Mould should produce Subjects of such different Natures For as much then as Contraries when most opposed are best discovered And that Venus Picture never shewed more beauty than when it was accompanied by Naïs deformity to revive the living memory of your Honours we intend to bring upon the Stage though closed from vulgar eyes by a Curtain the too forward discourses of such who distemper their Husbands quiet with their Conventuall Lectures and that at uncanonicall houres to the great disturbance of private peace and ill example of all young-married Couples Nor can this be holden for invective The reproofe of those that are evill cannot but highly improve the behaviour of those who are good And in all ages as Harvests have their Miscellaue graines so have we ever had and must have severally-mixt Conditions Rome had many eminent families from whence were derived Matrons adorned with exquisite vertues Octavia Porcia Caecilia Cornelia all famous Matrons whose succeeding vertues were left for imitable mirrours to their Successours Yet in that Age wherein Morall goodnesse was in most request and wherein nothing was esteemed better than to live and dye to their Countries honour that flourishing Citie the Princesse of many renowned States had an impatient Flavia as well as a discreet Octavia a wanton Laelia as well as a Continent Cornelia an immodest Semphronia aswel as a shame-fast Scribonia a Faustina as well as a Cinna a Messalina as well as a Cincinna Now to insist more usefully on this Subject we have proposed to our selves to enter into a Discourse of foure distinct Motives to affection which in their own nature beget affection but inverted expresse to life their owners disposition The first shall be Beauty a Pearle in the eye and a Pinion to the heart The second Agility of body which begets in the owner a desire of liberty The third Quicknesse of Wit which being not well seasoned oft-times breeds occasion of distaste The fourth Gentlenesse of Speech an excellent Ornament and worth entertaining if it be not shrowded or palliated with dissembling To the first then because every gracefull accomplishment or perfection falling from it selfe declines from what it was and presents some dangerous imperfection which before it had not we oppose Disdaine being found for most part an individuall Adjunct to Beauty To the second we oppose Liberty for what youthfull bodies unlesse Mortification hath confin'd and impal'd their affections by devoting them to retirement in affecting a Collegiat or Cloystrall life in their very first ripenings of Nature but being of Ability they desire Liberty To the third wee oppose Distaste For Quicke and prompt Wits if they be not with discretion seasoned they become so freely licentious as they lose more friends than they purchase To the fourth and last we oppose Dissimulation a quality whereto our Whitest tongues are commonly subject Of each of these we purpose to Discourse in order ever giving Beauty her due character when she is Vertues follower And to allay more serious discourse with other pleasing passages of wit you shall finde each of these Subjects accompanyed with choyce Tales such as may beget a modest laughter and from equall judgements receive a faire Censure BEAUTY BEAUTY is a pleasing Object to the eye improved by the apprehension of Fancy and conveyed to the heart by the Optick part If the Owner that enjoyes it know it it begets in her a dis-esteeme and contempt of inferiour features None can serve Eccho but Narcissus What a scornefull eye shee casts upon common persons or a Plebeian presence Shee could finde in her heart to bee angry with the wind for dealing so
as I have chosen rather to suffer than by my beauty to make you a prisoner Wherewith discovering her face in complexion much altered by some colours which she had caused to be laid upon it hee vowed to relinquish his suit imagining that shee had poysoned her face to waine him from his affection This he had no sooner said then shee ran to a spring neare adjoyning to wash it off See said shee I am the same I was but you are much better for now you are brought to see your errour in being so much taken with a skin-deepe beauty which onely consists in dye and colour But howsoever that memorable Marcelles of whom wee formerly made so honourable a mention seemed in defence both of her selfe and Sex to inveigh against Disdain holding it the most unwomanly quality that could be to have an heart steeled against the perswasions of an affectionate Servant Ariosto that ingenious Poet can informe us sufficiently of many hard-hearted Ladies in Italy who prided themselves in nothing more than to make their unhappy Lovers Tragick Subjects while Some of them raved with Orestes transforming Fancy to a phrensy and amongst many other whose heavy Fates brought them to unhappy ends he brings in three distressed Lovers murdered with Disdaine The first as well as the rest under a borrowed name he calls Infeliche who to discover his infelicity and make his name and fate pertake in one quaâ—ity is presented weeping and so long till he ha's left no eyes to shed a teare The next is his Inamorato whose Disdainfull choice brought him to that disaster as hee vowed with an intentive fixing of his eyes upon the Sun-beames day by day never to looke off that Object till the reflex of the Sunne had consum'd his sight The third his Desperato one who scorn'd to protract time or make truce with Death for upon his Ladies scornefull answer as one Despairing of all future fortune because estranged from her favour he leapes headlong from a Rock which gave a period to his unhappy love Disdain then it seems hath soveraigniz'd in every countrey while poore distressed Lovers rest of all hope abandoned health rather than live a languishing life So as being so farre imbarked in this subject I must needs in this place acquaint you with a Letter writ it may well seeme by a perplexed home-spun Lover who impatient to admit any other complement in his lines than what might to life best depaint his sorrow proceedeth thus DEarest Duckling be it knowne to you and to all People that I have pissed bloud three dayes and three nights since I last saw you and received that unwomanly relentlesse answer from you so as your harsh and untoward quality was the onely cause blinke-eyed Cupid forgive you of this my misery and malady Let it now suffice you that I am utterly undone by you while I live to subscribe and loath am I to live such a Scribe Your most unfortunate Servant No lesse ruefull was the case of that pitifully-complaining Lover who discovered his Judaicall passion in this manner I lov'd a Wench and she a coy Precisian Her scorne of love brought me to Circumcision If Circumcision be the way to woo I would my Wench had my Praeputium too But since my Choyce makes mee an haplesse man England adieu I 'm now for Amsterdam Where I may finde what here I cannot move Affection in a Family of Love Though afterwards repenting himselfe of such a rash resolution he salves it with this conclusion Yet my Coy-duck take my resolve with you Losse of no Jewell can make me turne Jew But if you 'l have a Circumcised one My fore-skin onely shall bee yours or none The Lowest but not unloyall'st of your Servants Farre lesse hot in his Love but more discreet in his Choyce appeared that Seignior who having pretended love to a Shrow though shee seemed a Sheepe fell so highly in her books as in the end she became a Soliciter to her Suiter importuning him much to marry her to whom in a poeticall straine hee returned this answer covertly shadowed under the person of another My Wench o're me presuming to have power Will'd me goe with her hand in hand to th' Tower For what said I To cloze our marriage rite No to see th' Lions 't were a better sight For th' Lion Tigre Leopard Panther Beare Are all meeke Creatures to my Minivere Closing the aversion of his love with this resolve I 'd rather cope with Lions in a Grate Than in a Bed with my imperious Kate. One more I will onely here insert and so descend to the next subject which I have occasionally heard related of a wanton widdow who scornefully and in a jeering way disclosed that Disdaine which shee lodged in her heart An ancient Batchler who had been ignorant before what the working of Love was or what effects it produc'd having had formerly good accesse to her house in her husbands time which promised him as he thought no lesse successe now after his death made one day suite to this widdow she neither gave him great hope nor any just cause to despaire And thus his cold suite continued till she falling aboord with a more amiable and affectionate Suiter one whose rising-youth both seconded her expectance and promised more performance One day amongst the rest upon more familiarity betwixt them shee began to acquaint him how such a Batchlers-button had her in chace and if his arguments did not disswade her for ought shee knew shee meant to make him her Choice This shee never intended for her affection begunne now to be free towards this active youth and to scorne nothing more than a doublet with a Monsieurs Belly a payre of Trunk-hose an inclining hamme and a mouted beard for so was this old Batchler accommodated Notwithstanding all this her young choice feared much to suffer a defeat which to prevent so soone as he came to his chamber rapt with a poetick fury or amorous fancy he addresseth these Lines unto her DORICLES to DULCINA Deare where is thy discretion to ingage Thy matchlesse beauty to decrepit age Dew-dropping Violets hang downe their head When their prime Leaves are too much moistened But thy pure-featur'd Orbe shall never finde Any such pearled moisture in a Rinde Beleeve me Sweet no colour may beseem Thy Virgin-veile worse than a Frost on greene This Letter sent and delivered to her hand who had already devoted her heart the selfe-same day she chanc't to leave it upon the drawing-cupboord while she went into her Orchard to take a walke Her over-worne wooer as one impatient of longer delay came as it happened that same time into her chamber as he was formerly accustomed to doe where finding this Letter open and directed with an amorous inscription he dispenced so farre with civility and her patience now in her absence as to peruse the contents which did not a little nettle him howbeit to shroud all things with as much secrecy as
of Justice Thirdly for Deianira's poysoning of her dearest Hercules 'las if there were poyson in too much affection shee was guilty of it render her as shee was deluded Glad would shee have been to enjoy him solely by weining him from his unlawfull love of Omphale There was no venome in this Though the issue prov'd fatall firme was her faith her love loyall Lastly though that treacherous Tarpeia might be as strongly charged with Censures as she was pressed downe with Targets All Historians are not of one opinion touching the moving cause of her Treason It was not hope of gold nor of bracelets but the affectionate embraces of an amorous youth who had already surprized her heart and why not then by her meanes as well the Capitol Nor is it discretion as I conceive in man to reflect upon these by way of aspersion None ever of their Sex committed so foule a crime as to burne Diana's Temple and that was done by the masculine spirit of an Herostratus None amongst them so treacherous as to betray their owne Lady to usurpe an unjust soveraignty yet was this done by a Nabarzanes None so cruell as to embrue their hands in the blood of their owne Alliance for filthy gaine yet was this done by Pygmalion upon Sycheus Idaea indeed was cruell in perswading her Phineus Aegenors unfortunate son and Arcadies unhappy Prince to put out his childrens eyes which he had by his first wife Cleopatra but if she were cruell in perswading he was more unnaturall in consenting Tullia indeed shewed her selfe an unnaturall childe in causing her charriot to be hurried over the dead corpse of her discomfited father yet was her usurping Tarquin as unjust to plant his Empire in blood which shortly expired to his dishonour In these then let us hold both Sexes as equall delinquents But these Agile bodies are none of those Bona-roba's that wee are now to converse with Cleopatra's Pearle-broths and licentious bankets become our Subjects We must present such active spirits as were those of Penthisilaea's and Antiope's who in an amorous encounter would meeâ— their brave metall'd Macedons and returne with equally-conferred favours equall honours These were Ladies who had never taken Physick to restore their decayed strength nor been in custome with their Apothecary for a Potion to procure love or a Powder to enable nature Nature had given them that strength as no Art could improve their state Suppose them then comming in paires to receive their first fruits But you must imagine them withall taking the ayre tracing the fields and traversing the diapred meads where they are as ready to take as give To take a Green-gowne as to give a Sillibub for if you should barre them of Liberty they could finde small employment for Agility of body LIBERTY LIBERTY points at two Objects properly Mind and Body The former the better because purer For restraint of Minde is a miserable servitude For the other many suffer restraint of Body who fully and freely enjoy inward Liberty This the Noble Pibrach proveth in his Paradox of Liberty with the benefit of imprisonment to a Mind winged with Contemplations heauenly Which that restrained Lyrick no lesse merrily chanted Good men and true will you be pleas'd to come And see a man laid in a living Tombe Come you shall finde mee here and finding see My cause is good how'ere it fare with mee For I am none of these that e're did feed Like Bankrupt Brats who breake before they need On others substance and doe make a prey Of simple Snakes that are more poore than they Annexing these as a soveraigne receipt to his undeserved restraint He that thinks I 'm restrain'd whos'ere he bee Let him know this I am as free as hee For though my Body be restrain'd I finde An unrestrained freedome in my minde Birds in a cage sing with a sorry heart But I doe feele no such thing for my part We are to hold then many free who are bound many bound who are free Those who are ingag'd to Earth hold nothing more miserable than to suffer restraint of body the reason is all their Lights and Liberties looke outward whereas those who make Heaven their Haven finde no calme but in a composed mind no freedome but in their Inner-roome But the Creatures whereof we are now to discourse being carried away much by Sense crave nothing more than outward Liberty without which how should they enjoy the benefit of their darling Sense For they hold Agile bodies no fit stuffe to make Hermits But admit they should be coop't up the Cat for want of a Consort will play with her owne tayle As that nimble Monkey in Cheapside did who playing her Tricks above while her husband was selling his trinkets below made an assay to lay her heele on her necke which she did but like the Weasil in the Fable could not get it back againe till at last after long strugling falling out a bed upon the floore her husband affrighted with the noise caused his Foreman to runne up staires to know what the matter was who returning backe assured his Master that she was either bewitched or turn'd into an Ou beast Liberty is the very key that opens to Opportunity which must be had for a kind natur'd wench will see light thorow a small hole yea and with twirling of their Apron-string have as ready an answer if at any time taken napping as if a longer time had given them provision The Tale of a countrey-maid for our Stories must fix on all Sexes States and Places falls pat to this purpose Who when her Mother found her suspiciously in a corner with a young man O mother quoth shee I knew where you would seeke me But she fitted her mother afterwards with a penny-worth for being hopelesse of all opportunity by reason of her mothers jealousy she comes in running one day crying hey Ginger hey What meanes the Girle quoth her mother why Swine are in our Pease mother hey Ginger hey The Mother suspected nothing but bade the carrian make haste with a wenian which she needed not for she and Ginger went to meet her sweet-heart in a Pease-rigge where no doubt before she returned she found them fully codded The like Tale there is of a Good-wife who being found by her husband in bed with her Neighbour told him that she did it for love of him to save him a labour and withall to know whether other men had a stone at rigge as he had which made her suspect him for a Monster The Tale of the Court-gentlewoman to make a faire survey of Ciâ—y Court and Country may take place in the next Story Who being found in a long darke entry with a young Cavaliere Her answer was That in good-sooth there came such a dampe before her eyes such a beating in her Pulse such a working on her Sense and such a shaking Palsy thorow every part as shee verily thought it was some Spirit that
acquainting him withall that her Honour was such a precious Gemme as shee desired to have the Fame of it preserved though it were privately blemished If then hee meant to enjoy her he must bee conveyed secretly into her Chamber which hee with much willingnesse inclined to The Night is appointed the manner of Conveying him contrived a Trunke provided to seaze him of what he so incomparably desired Meane time shee acquaints her Husband with the whole Plot Who infinitely longs for the approach of that Night to discover to his shame his odious lust as the wanton Lecher was impatient of that tedious day to enjoy the shaken fruits of his ranging love The Porter receives his hire and directions from her willing him to set the Trunke upon end against the Wall and in such manner as his feet might stand upward and his head downeward Long may you imagine did this incoffin'd Puffin lye there incased before hee was opened at last the Husband comes in and looking about him demands whose Trunke that was A Friends answers she What Friend said hee No friend should have any Trunke or any such matter in my Chamber but it were fitting that you made me first acquainted what it were and for what end it came hither For I have beene partly made privy to your tricks before Minion quoth hee seeming inraged I will therefore make bold to see what trumpery you have here and breake it open if I may not receive so much favour from you as to have the key She seemingly dissembled all things beseeching him to bee content and spare the Secrecies of that Trunke but the more her subtilty importun'd him the more did her delayes seemingly provoke him To bee short the Trunke is opened where this loose Lecher could not inwardly bee more polluted than his fayre Sattin Suite whose inside partak't intirely of Sathan was found hatefully scummered Now with what dishonour he was kick't out o th' Chamber I leave it to you if you had your wives besieged in like manner to censure But amorous eares no doubt would be more delighted with hearing Devices of an other nature as for instance to heare the Party beloved cast a bait how she may deceive a suspicious eye to cloze her owne content and crowne the long-wished desires of her lover That Tale of a wanton witty Dame will sound well in such eares who advised her Sweet-heart to secure them the better from her Husbands presence to attire his Servant in a Beares skinne being a Beast which of all others he most feared and hated The Story I commend to the relation of this Poeme A wily wench there was as I have read Who us'd to Capricorne her Husbands head Which he suspecting lay in privy wait To catch the Knave and keepe his wife more strait But all in vaine they day by day did mate it Yet could his four eyes never take them at it This subtill wench perceiving how they should At last prevented be do all they could For now Italian-like her Husband grew Horne-mad I wis and kept her in a Mew Invent'd a trick which to accomplish better Vnto her friend shee closely sent a letter And thus it was Friend you shall know by me My Husband keepes me farre more narrowly Then he was wont so as to tell you true You cannot come to me nor I to you Yet spite of his eyes and as many more Wee 'l use those pleasures which wee us'd before Onely be wise and second what I wish Which to expresse my friend know this it is My Husband as he hates the horne to weare Of all the Badges forth so feares he th' Beare More then all other Beasts which doe frequent The Heathy Forrests spacious Continent If thou wilt right me then and pepper him Cover thy Servant in a false Beares skinne And come to morrw as thou us'd before Tying thy Servant to my Chamber doore After this quaint direction he attir'd His man in Beare-skinne as shee had desir'd Entring the Chamber he received is With many a smile back-fall and sweetned kisse For they 're secure of all that was before Having a Beare that kept the Buffe from doore The Wiâ—tall foole no sooner incling had Then up the Staires hee ran as hee were mad But seeing none but th' Beare to entertaine him Of Hornes he never after did complaine him There bee other extreames of love which fall by degrees into mortall hate hammering upon nothing more than revenge and these tragicke effects are ever hatcht from jealous spirits which the Tragedian seemes to discover in a passionate admiration How boundlesse is the height of womans hate This that jealous Dame published to all the World when finding one day in a Cabinet of her Maids divers especiall Love-tokens and affectionate Favours which shee had bestowed upon a Servant of hers who sâ—ood strongly interessed in her love became so violent in her hate towards him whom before shee preferred before all the World as the very next time that he presented his service unto her hee was pistal'd by her without ever so much as expostulating with him the ground of her distaste Nor will wee leave this onely heere As mortall though lesse fatall was that womans malicious pursuit of revenge to give an instance in actions of baser brood who accused one before a Justice for a Rape The discreet Justice perceiving that the ground of her accusation proceeded rather from malice than any just cause wished her to bee well advised before shee impeached him of such a Crime for said the Justice I am halfe perswaded in regard of the honest report and repute of the man that hee is cleare But tell mee in good earnest said the Justice did hee ravish thee indeed Yes quoth shee I 'le take my Corporall Oath of it though your Worship will not beleeve it that hee ha's ravishd mee twenty times at least before ever I came before your Worship Those who are addicted to melancholly are ever esteemed most witty and these most subject to Jealousy On which humour of all others the Devill as Guido observeth worketh for his owne purpose most powerfully This might appeare by the Story of that perplexed Gentleman who being imployed in service abroad and having a very beautifull Wife desired to bee satisfied how shee behaved her selfe in his absence To bee resolvd herein hee makes recourse to a Negromancer Who after some little time shewed him a Glasse wherein hee presented to his view his Lady in full proportion and a young Cavalero with his breeches downe entring her Chamber This amazed him much for as he was naturally addicted to jealousie so this so fully confirmed and strengthened his conceipt as hee could scarcely containe himselfe from picking at the eyes of his Lady presented in the Glasse And to second his conceipt with revenge he begs leave of the Generall that he might obtaine so much favour as to leave the Garrison for a season and returne home into his Countrey to
wherein these prompt and nimble wits are better showne than in these subjects of Love especially where one Object begets an amorous Contest and breedes Corrivals in pursuit of one Mistresse Which encounter admits no order nay admits no priviledge nor prerogative to nature so it may procure that matchlesse booty the purchase of beauty to her Lover This if I had a purpose to inlarge my selfe any further in this subject might bee instanced in the Story of the Gentleman and his sonne both Corrivals to one Lady and of the Impresses they writt with Diamonds in a Window privately but expressively Where the Sonne perceiving his Father to bee farre in love with her whom he so intirely affected and to whom if the presence of his Father had not interposed he might have beene before that time espoused wrote this Impresse with his Diamond Secreta mea mihi Which posy his Father one day finding by way of answer wrote this Et stultitia tua tibi Which his Sonne chancing to read clozed the conceipt with this fancy Nec tibi nec mihi sed dividatur Which words might have relation either to the Party by them equally loved or to the Impresse before wherein either for Love or Folly they might be equally shared But descending from these I passe to the next Subject wherein Gentle speech must take your eares as Objects of beauty have taken your eyes both which introduce a living Oratory to worke the powerfuller effects upon your fancy GENTLENESSE OF SPEECH GENTLENESSE OF SPEECH is an affable treaty or conference one with another Or a winning kinde of Rhetorick which of all others purchaseth most friends with least cost An excellent grace it gives to Hospitality especially where a welcome accompanied with a cheerefull countenance is delivered with the mouth and an entertaining eye becomes ready to usher in that speech Where two meeke men meete together their conference said Bernard is sweet and profitable where one man is meeke it is profitable where neither it proves pernicious Many Motives be there to induce Fancy which well tempered worke upon no blind love such as a deluded eye doats most upon but a cleare and well-grounded affection Such were those exteriour goods or embellishments which begot love in the beholders of those Sabine beauties which so enamoured the Romans in the infancy of their foundation as they begot a succeeding alliance in their posterity Egnatius in Catullus is brought out shewing the whitenesse of his teeth Lacides with sleeke looks and mincing gate Pompey scratching his head with one finger But as the wind Caecias drawes unto it Clouds so did outward postures beget sinister conceipts for Lacides could not use that sleckenesse without suspicion of lasciviousnesse nor Pompey that affected scratching with one finger without opinion of wantonnesse White teeth imply a strong constitution rolling eyes like Lais Lamps heate of affection with a pure Sanguine which is ever accompanied with a beautefull complexion That which Euryala Nurse to that subtile Greeke praysed when she washed the feete of Vlysses was Gentle Speech and tender flesh both referring to two severall Sences the one to the Eare the other to the Toutch Now to expresse the singular effects of the former whereof wee are here to treat There is nothing that ingageth more the affection of the Hearer than affability of Speech I have knowne a great and eminent Person in this Kingdome who how undeservedly I know not having incurred the distasts of some Societies touching some indirect passages as they conceived whereby they stood highly injuried upon Conference with them and declaring his innocency not only freed himselfe of their prejudicate opinion but gained their good esteeme and affection Nor is it almost credible what excellent fruits this Gentle speech graced with a pleasing presence have produc'd both in affaires of peace and warre at home and abroad It is the Wise mans observation Soft speech mitigates wrath We read of few so barbarous if Commanders who could not finde an heart to receive a compassionate teare nor an eare to a faire submission Though Affranius hearing his effeminate Son cry out Alas me wretched hate such a weake servile condition in his Sonne as he seconds it with this severe reply To thy basâ— spirit I am sucâ— a foe If one part grieve let th' rest afflict thee too We shall finde even in Strangers more pity than in such fierce Fathers For in our Surveys of ancient and moderne Histories we shall finde ever some Princely compassionate Spirit though a Conquerour suffer in his Conquest What passionate effects wrought that sad relation of Aeneas in the heart of Queene Dido How soone were those words those Emphaticall words setting forth the Trojans misery conveyed to the heart of that affectionate Lady But indeed in passages of love when occasions of distaste chance to bee bred betwixt the parties upon a faire and free parliance if that happinesse may bee admitted them how quickly are minds before seemingly aliened reconciled Their former hate begins to resolve it selfe into amorous teares So strong is the force of Gentle speech seconded with easie reasons which worke well enough in the eare of Love who melting in affection is as willing to be attoned as the party to move it Whosoever should but see to life personated that Princely Sophonisba whose attractive Majesty and unaffected Eloquence interessed her selfe more in hearts than any Princesse of her time would conclude hence that a sweet and debonaire Speech works wondrous effects as might appeare in those moving Speeches of hers which so tenter'd her Hearers hearts as â—hee herselfe could not suffer more upon reflex had to her owne wrongs than they did in commiserating her wrongs It was an excellent commendation which I have sometimes heard given to a Noble Peere of this Kingdome That none ever came to him how irresolved soever but came away from him well satisfied This was a great felicity that none were he never so dis-affected to him upon his Entry but departed so well contented as he won his opinion whom hee before highly distasted True it is that vulgar Eyes and Eares are only taken with outward Objects They stand not upon sounding or examining the vessell so it make a noyse they rest satisfied A courteous answer or affable salute affords them sufficient measure of content and makes them render an approvement of his affability to the World This is very rare to be seene in the countenance of such who are advanced to high places These can put on a sterne awfull brow and make appeare very legibly how their State is changed A poor State that begets pride An undeserving honour that moulds in the owner a supercilious aspect a difficulty of accesse a phantastick circular gate and a surly uncivile speech Weake habilliments of honour But farre weaker Supports to beare that Colosse of honour up if he should decline I have observed an excellent temperature in this kinde in many of our Ladies whose pleasing
was his hard fortune good man to ride for them After they had continued thus for a good space in these Civile broyles without any amendement One Evening being in bed together sayes the Husband to his Wife This is a wonderfull thing that we must after this manner all the yeare long make our House a Fencing-Schoole Sure Meg quoth he we were not rightly married or else we should have liv'd more peaceably together for wee have not any two Neighbours that so fearefully baste one an other What thinkest thou Wife if we be married againe and see if that will mend the matter The Wife easily consented to his motion and held it fitting saying she would doe any thing for a quiet life With all speed then runs her good man to a Sir Iohn who as he could read on no booke but his owne so he was of no such deepe reading as to know whether Re-marrying were lawfull or no. A new Bridall-feast is provided Friends invited nothing wanting to perfect what they both intended At last comming to the Church Sir Iohn falls to worke where he goes on still and without interruption till he came to Who giveth this woman to bee married c. and holding her by the hand looking ever when some one or other would doe the office of a Father to give her No sayes the mad Bridegroome none shall give me her take yov her Sir Iohn as long as I have had her and if she be not worthy taking why would you give me her But to dwell a little longer on this Subject now in agitation as pure love can admit no dissembling so are young women to be cautious where they fixe their love Many shall they encounter with all who professe affection to all But their drift closeth ever with such a Curtsy as may hazard their honour These are our Libertine Batchlers who chuse rather to graze in Common pastures than Inclosures Yea many of these will boast of your Favours and iâ— publique places speake liberally of will doe before their sweet Husbands departing With Hey ho what shall I doe deare Love if you dye Marry another sayes the Comedian before one stitch of his shrouding Sheet bee broken or those flowers which stuck his Corpse bewithered or one Wormling entred his Coffin Yet will these cunningly disguise their solace and with teare blubber'd vizards close up his eies and infinitely rejoyce in that last office Then must they at his interment seemingly desire to be buried with him rave and looke distractedly as if fancy had brought them to a frency leape into the Grave and performe all these pageants with such a completegrace as not a Neighbour attends them but suffers with them commending their simple hearts for leaving with such unwilling hearts their faithfull Husbands But this sorrow is nothing so sincere as the Story of the Indian women discovers the lovely and lively effects of their mourning Who upon the interment of their Husbands strive by way of an amorous Encounter in relation of their deservings to him and his expressions of love to them which of them may have the honour to bee buried with him The Body of the Story presents it selfe thus The women of India when any of their Husbands dyeth are wont to fall in contention through the vehemency of their affection which of them for they have many Wives he loved best in his life Shee that winneth being very joyfull and solemnly attended by a great Company of her Friends and kinsfolke following her is cast into the fire with her dead Husband But were these whereof wee now discourse put to that Election a short strife would end that contention They must live by the quicke and not by the dead and a living Dog is better than a dead Lion But the wantonnest of these cannot bee so light as their Gentleman Vsher is for most part loose whom to the end we may here portray in his owne Colours and to life the better we have deliver'd in a Character which without any other discovery will present you him in his feature Yet before wee go on in this lively delineature of so dangerous a Piece Our purpose is to propose some reasons why wee have here brought him upon the Stage and with what propriety hee fals upon our discourse which may appeare in a more copious and perspicuous manner in this our prepared relation hereafter There is a conceited Treatise composed by an Italian as what wits more pregnant or present intitled a Supplication to Candlelight discovering the abuses committed and curtained by the silent and secret Shade of Night where it might bee demanded as God in Esay did sometimes aske the devill our watchman Custos quid de nocte What seest thou what discoverest thou Though Lanthorne and Candle-light hang out though the Bel-man traverse the street though the Constable and his rugged Gowne-men after a nod or two take care for discharge of their place and punishment of vice to put out a peremptory Question to a Night-walker from whence came you or whither go you whom do you serve or what businesse have you so late yet it seemes they have no Commission to examine Coacted sinne These may hurry along by their Noses and shroud a loose Gentleman-Vsher with as light a Curtezan in a running-Brothell from those conniving eyes of Endymion and his brotherhood And this light piece must bee conducted to his Lord while hee is to bee admitted to his Lady to present both their Actions on the stage of Folly With what a commanding posture rides this Foot-cloath sinne How apt to forget his composition and how confident in the priviledge of greatnesse These generally have their Purveyors to furnish them with such stuffe as may content their liqu'rish appetite and feed their intemperate desires with fresh fuell In every Solemne or Festivall Show these Forragers take their stand eying what beauties are of most attractive quality then inquire they of their places of habitation Occasions they take to converse with them and in short time so to winne in upon them as they beginne to commend their Masters suit to their too easie attention and with long battry according to the strength of the Fort so seaze on their affection as they make entry to their Lords admission clozing their indirect aymes with an unlawfull Conclusion These Contractors for blemished honour or those obscene Palliards who preferre their trafficke in sinne before the treasures of Sion were sitte attendants for that wanton Damasella who portrayed the affection of her heart in as light an Imprese writing these lines with her Diamond in a Window The choisest Cates â—oon'st â—loy the appetite One is too stâ—le a dish to feed delight Her Choice it seemed affected nothing more than Change She could not conceit how any love could possibly be so pure as to be confined to one Object or so firme as to restraine it selfe to one Friend Her Barge stood ingaged to many Owners Whosoever would hazard their
loose thoughts with all speed to approach the place of meeting And to the end hee might with more freedome enjoy the Object he sought he had furnished himselfe of a rich Juell to ingage his affection unto hâ—r and to confirme what hee had professed in his respect to her whom hee so highly honoured The experientst old Madam who had more wayes to the wood than one faithfully observes the time and in such a disguised way as she might be the Grecian Helen for ought that hee could see A sweet perfumed Roome a rich bed and so closely curtained as old age from youth could not bee discerned Nor needed hee to feare her coynesse though shee pretended at first a kinde of apish nicenesse For the long Custome and habit of sinne had so inured her as nothing lesse than modesty or shamefastnesse could possibly become her Having now received the Gentlemans Juell which shee preferred before all his dalliance she entertaines him with as free and liberall an embrace as her icy-cold armes could afford But scarcely had hee entred that Brothell-bed or enjoy'd his seere and meldew'd Mistresse but a fearefull cry of fire breaking forth with much violence in the very next Lodgins with scaling Ladders raised to every Window prevented the unfortunate Gamester of his decayed pleasure The unweldy Beldam not willing to dye before shee were better provided for it leaving her Mufflers behinde her crawles with the best speed shee can from her shuddring Gallant who seeing by the light of the flakes of fire and multitude of Toarches without the bald Scalpe of his Chop-falne Bedfellow made no lesse haste in flying away from that Hag than she did to escape from the fire Nor could they without cry faster Fire Fire than he within cryed A Fiend a Fiend Nor had he power to get out of the Chamber so surprized hee was with terrour Till all feare of fire beeing removed and all occasion of further dispersing it prevented The Constable of the Ward being desirous to know what raised that cry entred the roome where he found this halfe-distracted Gentleman running up and downe the Chamber and this decrepit Chrone shoulder-shut with a fall lying all along behinde a Trap-doore But when the Constable had heard every passage upon the Gentlemans relation who uttered nothing without much distraction to coole her fancy and temper his frency hee made bold to bestow them both in convenient Lodgings for such unseasonable Tradings Which egregious disgrace so reclaimed him as loose love for long time after was a stranger to him The like Story might be here related of a young Prodigall who after such time as he had betaken himselfe to a Choyce One dâ—scended of a noble family and adorned with excellent Ornaments to accomplish that descent growing weary of the enjoyment of one beauty affecting nothing more than change after many modest Curtaine Lectures which his wife had from time to time delivered unto him to decline him from that loose course which threatned to him and his posterity an approaching misery fell to that debaucht and exposed riot both in the Choice of his Company and prostituting himselfe to all inordinacy as it begune to lessen the respect and affection of his wife unto him holding equall distance with him as he to her It chanced one time that this Night-walker traversing the Streetes and with other Associates exposed to the like loosenesse entring an House of good-fellowship where any light Commodity might be purchased for money the Protectresse of that brittle Society to discover her Office and quality demanded of these Cavalieros if they would have a Withdrawing roome and a Mistresse By all meanes said these Gallants for what end came wee hither And having bestowed them in severall roomes Every one was readily furnished with his light Curtezan But this prodigall young Gallant on whom the Subject of our Discourse is here Sceaned had of all others most property in his for she was his owne wife What a strange kinde of passion or Antipathy this intrview begot I leave to the strength of your imagination who can to life present two such Objects as if you had beene in presence of them Long was it ere the one could utter one word to the other with glowing blushes sometimes disclosing passion sometimes shame Affection was farre from giving way to any amorous encounter and though Looks might speake their Tongues had quite forgot all Dialect At last after a long continued silence in an abrupt dis-joynted manner her Husband addresseth himselfe thus unto her Ha Minion have I found you Have your many Curtaine-Lectures edified you thus Have I found your way of trading and are these the fruites of your teaching well goe on Wee are now both so farre entred the high beat-path of folly as it were madnesse for us to hope ever to wipe of our dispersed infamy No Sir quoth shee To dispaire of recovery were to conceive a distrust in Gods mercy But beleeve it Sir howsoever you esteeme mee I am not what I seeeme to be These are no places I affect nor trading I conceipt I am what I have beene ever carefull of the tender of mine honour Now the occasion of my comming hither was the knowledge I received how this House was your familiar Rendevou A place which you mightily frequented and where your fame stood dangerously ingaged Your person I described to the mercenary Governesse of this hatefull family that if I might be exposed to any it should be to such an One as I described which upon hope of sharing with mee shee promised Now Sir reflect upon your selfe in me how odious would these foule actions of loosnesse appeare in me how contemptible would they make my person appeare to any modest eye And are these such inexpiable crimes in the Weaker Sex and must they bee esteemed such light Errors in you whose strength is greater Is modesty too effeminate a qualitie for man to retaine Is the Spirit of man to bee imployed in that most which detracts most from man O recollect your selfe Sir and you will see nothing can more transforme you from your selfe nor blemish your inward beauty nor enslave you to servile fancy nor deprive you of future glory than affecting of these Consorts of sinne and shame The onely conduct that these will afford you is to the Hospitall where they will leave you Be pleased to put off your selfe a little and with a single eye to observe their light Embraces Proceed these thinke you from a resolved love Will they not for base lucre shew as much kindenesse to their next Suiter And can there be any true affection where the Partie makes no distinction Nay tell me would the faithfullest acquaintance you have amongst all these relieve you if your Fortunes had left you Or afford you one nights Lodging if want surprized you Have they not got the art of professing what they least intend and sacrificing love where they have none to bestow Returne then to
over my affections as neither my too much loving him shall feed in mee jealousy nor my too much coolenesse beget in him a conceipt of my inconstancy This Vertue fixeth mainely upon three Objects the Irascible when Passion labours to soveraignize over Reason The Concupiscible when outward Motives produce in those divine Organs of the soule some discord or distraction The Intelligible when the light of the understanding becomes darkened by some light Object of Vanity interposed For as the Eclypse of the Sunne is occasioned by the interposition of the Moone So is the Light of the Soule Eclypsed in resemblance of the Moone by the interposition of the Earth For as the Moone doth never Eclypse but when she is at the Full so the Mind is never so much obscured as it is with the superfluity of riches And againe as the Moone is the furthest off from the Sunne which giveth it light when it is at the Full So a Man when he is fullest of Riches is furthest off from that equity and justice which ought to give him light in all his proceedings For the first The Saying of Archytas is much commended nor deserves it lesse than to be highly approved who being angry with one of his Hindes said O how would I have beaten thee had I not beene angry with thee The like commendations deserves that well composed temper of that Sage Chilo who observing his Brother to be discontented for being rejected in standing for Ephorus and himselfe elected wished his Brother not to take his repulse impatiently for I must tell you said he that you were altogether unfit for the place seeing your high-unbounded Spirit cannot beaâ—e the height or burden of an injury but I can Nor was that Noble Ladyes temper to be lesse admired who professed in a place where her innocency had borne more than humane patience could well suffer I have learned quoth she how to suffer but never to suffer my selfe to give way to anger Secondly for the Concupiscible part that Lady though an Ethnick had beene fruitfully Schooled in Morality by confining her desires to bounds of such equality who with much confidence affirmed I have made a constant League with mine eyes never to fixe on that Object with desire which I may not with Lawfulnesse enjoy Armenia a noble Lady being bidden amongst other eminent personages to King Cyrus Wedding went thither with her husband At night when they were returned home her husband asked her how shee liked the Bridegroome whether shee thought him to be a faire and beautifull Prince or no Truth sayes she I know not for all the while I was forth I cast mine eyes upon none other but upon thy selfe So well had she limited her affections as she would not suffer her eyes to wander nor to be deluded with the glances of an unlawfull Lover For eyes are those Tarpeja's or privy Conspirators which lay the Fortresse of the Soule most open to advantage Nor would the Heart give way to an unjust Love if a leering eye threw not out first a Lure For this end h 'as that wise Creator made it a Sense of Sorrowing because it is a Sense of Sinning That a Conduit of teares might better rinse that kennell from whence the occasion sprung Nor have these Feminine Wonders exprest lesse command over their desires in contempt of honour an attractive bait to that Sexe in their dis-esteeme of riches or pompe in apparrell dangerous Motives to unsetled Soules Where you shall finde one so respect lesse of Honour as being offer'd her she findes this answer to her amorous besieger I have ever preferred the honour which a pretious fame bestowes on me before that painted adulterate honour which any wanton favorite of the time can purchase me Here shall you finde an other so indifferent for Fortunes as her attestation is this No poverty can amate me so I enjoy my selfe They cannot but have sufficient who are sufficient to themselves Whatsoever is without us should not transport us too much by enjoying Nor deject us too much in the losing No true State but the inward Store What excellent Rules were these to mould the mind to every condition according to that philosophicall Maxime Learne in prosperity to be silent and not transported in adversity to be patient and not dejected in neither to be discontented in both discreetly and philosophically affected Here shall you likewise finde an other so humbly minded for outward Habit so indifferent as she professeth No Habit can beseeme beauty but what suites with decency This might be instanced in those Vertuous Votaresses who were so little taken with any outward weare as they hated nothing more than such light phantastik attyres which lay baits for others eyes Modesty they onely affected both in behaviour and dresse which begot them more honour though lesse opinion in the eye of lightnesse That Habit said the Roman Citizen to his Wife doth well become thee Trust me quoth she I did not hold it so till I heard it from thee But whereas this Subject of Temperance whereof we now treate is most expressed in abstaining from luscious fare pretious liquors amber-broaths with other foments of sensuall delight wee shall finde what rare and incredible austerity many noble Dames used in their practise of that restraint Where some became so abstemious in that kind as they observed Lessius Diet in proportioning themselves such a weight or measure as might sparingly suffice but never surcharge Nature Farre short of this Temperature came indeed the Wife of Domenico â—ylvio whom our Italians report to have beene so delicate a Woman that she would have dew gath'red and in precious vialls conserved to imbath her selfe withall with other rich perfumes and choyce confections and yet see the end of all these delicacies e're she dyed her flesh did rotte that no creature could abide her so much had loose effeminacy corrupted Nature For this one this exemplary enormious One I could instance many of her Sexe whose noble mindes were so farre aliened from such delicacy as they would hardly suffer themselves to be invited to any Publicke Feast least they might occasion others censure by their abstinence Others in a retyred privacy too monastick a course for our Gentry whose education hath begot in them more desire of liberty have embraced reclusive lifes contenting themselves with such homely provision as that remote Place or Desart could afford them where they had taken their Plantation The Romans indeed even at this day make Recluses of their owne Houses and whether out of jealousy or some other innate quality will not suffer their Wifes to go abroad either to Church or any place else and some of them scarcely to looke out at a Lattice Window whence that Proverbe came up In Roma vale piu la Putana Che la moglie Romana In Rome the Harlot hath a better life Than she that is an honest Romans wife Nor was antient Rome lesse cautious of preserving the modesty of
his Wifes patience Albeit there are many whose discreet and well-composed temper can suffer all injuries imbrace poverty with a pleasant smile receive any dis-respect from their Dearest with incredible patience yet when their owne Fame shall come to be questioned they hold that too precious a prize too high a stake to bee hazarded This was that noble Roman Ladies resolution Let me suffer quoth she in the height of Fortunes Contempt Let that ambitious One whom I most maligne receive those honours I should enjoy imbrace that person whom I love best Should I be enforc'd to begge reliefe from her hand where I conceive the constantst hate Should I encounter with all the extremities that adversity could lay upon mee All these were nothing so I may preserve that Fame untainted which I have hitherto preserved Fortune can but take from us what is hers it is our actions only or others injurious obloquie can deprive us of what may be truly and properly styled ours No lesse absolute was she in the Command of her Passions who being one day in private discourse with a Gentleman of excellent winning parts and one whose glib tongue could winne ground upon least advantage was demanded by him how she could brooke to heare her Husband to be such a generall Courter of fresh Mistresses and to boast of their Favours in her presence O Sir quoth she all this is but to Court me with more formality when he comes to mee I finde no faile in his love why should I then distaste what he likes If he had more serious imployments to bestow himselfe on I little doubt but he would asmuch sleight the Courting of a Light Mistresse as he now affects it for want of better imployment If others bestow their Favours on him and he reserve his best Favour for me it were my weaknesse to suffer others respects to him to beget a jealousy in me I neither reteine that meane conceipt of my selfe as to conceive the least thought of his Loving of any one better than me nor have I any such opinion of his inconstancy as to imagine him desirous to preferre any one in his esteeme before me Thus have you heard their excellent temper in Moderation of Passion with what indifferency they could beare the braves of Fortune with what innocency they could beare the weight of injuries How their Fame was the only Touch-stone of their patience which secured nothing so extreame which they have not with resolution encountered and with constancy subdued Which mildnesse begets in them a neare resemblance with that well-dispose feminine Monarchy of Bees for as the Naturall Historian observes that their King has no sting as other Bees have reteyning such an offencelesse quality as hee cannot sting any sufficing himselfe with a Princely Clemency to supply the place of Soveraignty So these hold it power sufficient to have had the power to revenge and by their inferiour Subjects to repell the insolence of a bold intruder holding it a derogation to their honour to become a personall revenger Certaine it is that no vertue more ennobles a Rationall Soule than this Moderation of Passion Nor deserve they either to manage any publique or private charge who cannot restraine these insulting motions which so miserably captivate the better part as by giving way to appetite man though he retaine the name he loseth the nature prime priviledge of man He only and none but he deserves to be honoured who is with goodnesse endowed For foot-cloath honour it is but an Eye-object it may exact of an humble Passenger a low Congy or Salute but his Horse for ought that I know being so richly covered deserves as much honour as he that rides on it And no doubt with a little helpe of a Cynicks Lanthorne it were very easy in this Silken age to finde with Aristippus Stones sitting on stones and barbarous Asses riding on Barbary horses But we have other Surveys to take in hand being now to descend from their Moderation of Passion to their Continency in assaults even to Those where they bore most loyall love and affection SECTION IV. Their Continency in assaults OPPORTUNITY is a dangerous attendant for youthfull Love And yet shall we present to your eyes such noble Commanders of their desires as neither opportunity of place nor importunity of person though affection had entered farre into their bosome could make them dispence with honour Long had that Roman Sophronia beene importun'd by a deserving Suiter one whose youth might deserve Love and whose beauteous personage might have seaz'd of store of Mistresses without much sollicitancy One in whose eyes love sparkled seeming to merit admittance without parliance Yet findes hee his Sophronia of another temper than to preferre her pleasure before her honour She can addresse him this answer What straying eyes have you observ'd in us What loose passage ha's there fallne from us or wherein have you seene any argument of Lightnesse by us That you should be so weakly opinion'd of us Doe you know our Family and câ—n you conceipt us forgetfull of our Fame Trust me Sir either light thoughts have so mis-guided you as you have quite forgot who we are or some base Trader I might say Betrayer of Womens honour ha's deluded you by giving you incouragement to such an indiscreet attempt Returne home then Sir I could wish you and recollect those wits you have scattred Which done it will behove you to begge from me a pardon whom you have sought with so unjust an affection It could not chuse but redound highly to Scipio's commendations that being a young man of 24 yeares of age in the taking of a City in Spaine he should so nobly vanquish his owne affections by repressing his flames of lust when a beautifull Maid was brought him as a trophey of his Victory restoring her to a young man called Allantius to whom she was espoused with a great reward as an additament to her Dower Yet for all this it may be imagined with an easy glosse that her Honour suffered an Assault and that the Maids repulse begot in that victorious Commander a singular esteeme of her vertues It is true that Darius wife and his three daughters being spared by Alexander improved more his fame than all those glorious attempts which ever he had atchieved Yet our Criticks will not sticke to say but they were attempted yet so constant were they in preserving their honour as neither Majesty could command nor beauty as what Prince more amiable allure nor their owne present estate admit any unjust freedome to so commanding a Suiter But to prove unto you that nothing is more incomparably precious than a Continent Soule and that Conjugall Love held such a firme tye even amongst Ethnicks as they preferred that gage before all tenders of sensuall Love or fading honour I will relate here unto you one memorable Story to improve that Sexes glory and beget a pious emulation in posterity Cannia Wife to
Synattus shall be the surviving Subject of this Story whom one Synoris a man of greater authory than he loved and making no small meanes to obtaine her love yet all in vaine supposed the readiest way for the effecting his desires to be the murdering of her husband which he performed This Act of horror was no sooner executed and by the roabe of his authority shrowded as what guilt so hainous but may receive her subterfuge from greatnesse than he renewed his suite to which she seemingly assented but being solemnely come into the Temple of Diana for celebrating those Nuptiall rites she had a sweet potion ready which she drunke to Synoris wherewith both were poysoned In which President we shall finde rare constancy in an Ethnick Lady Honour though it be a baite that is apt to take the most constant minds could worke no such effect in her The vow she had made to her first Choyce estranged her affection from all new Favorites She could finde no brest to entertaine him nor a Love to receive him nor an heart to harbour him nor an arme to imbrace him who had embrued his hands in the blood of her Dearest No Nuptiall rites can allure her no hope of honor delude her she holds fast to her first Choyce without Change Yet since this Loving Murderer must needs enjoy her she will incline to his motion and with a Love-sick potion inshrine their livelesse bodies without further enjoyment together No other way could she finde to prevent it and rather than she will assent to entertaine him for her constant Lover who was her husbands cruell murderer the Scene must be made truly tragicall in both their disasters Admirable was the resolution of that noble Captive who seeing her Husband not only discomfitted but deprived of life and her selfe presented to the Generall as a booty worth receiving being for beauty so rare as the age afforded not a fairer nor more goodly personage so bravely sleighted her restraint as she expressed her selfe more like a Commander than a Captive If the Generall at any time sued to her for love she would with a seeming gracefull scorne reject him telling him That neither her Fame nor Family would suffer her to play the Curtezan and if he meant to make her his Wife she had not yet wip't away her funerall teares and therefore could not so soone entertaine any Nuptiall treaties She wished him to reteine a better opinion of her Sexe than to imagine Womens honour to be as easily wonne as Forts or Sconces Nor could her present condition so discourage her as to admit a thought for a Kingdome to impeach her honour Demand nothing of me would she oft-times say now when I am your Slave but what you might as well require if I were free Trust me Liberty cannot so much please me as losse of honour would afflict me The one is in your hand to give and the other in mine to preserve Fetters are easy burdens to an infranchised minde Though my outward state be poore I desire to keepe my inward state pure Lower I cannot be in fortunes nor higher in esteeme with the Immortall Gods whom I prize above all fortunes so I enjoy my selfe by freeing my unstained honour from the injurious hand of an unjust incroacâ—er Which resolution so well acquitted her as after those due Solemnities observed for her deceased Husband she was received for a Wife by the Generall No lesse constant in her vertuous affection was that noble Maid who having set her love upon a young Gentleman whose parts were many though his fortunes few Her Father taking notice of her extraordinary respâ—ct towards him and having divers times admonished her to forbeare his company but all in vaine at last he resolved of a course by bringing in an other Suiter in fortunes richer though his breeding mâ—aner to weine his daughters affection from him Many weekes were not past till the Match was concluded the Marriage-day appointed and all things prepared to solemnize this enforced bargain But how farre the young Maids mind was aliened from her Fathers choice might well appeare by the answer she return'd her Suiter at such time as he made her acquainted how all things were concluded Is it possible quoth she that all things should be finished and the Party whom it most concerns never acquainted much lesse consented Yes Mistresse quoth he I can assure you your Father and rest of your Friends knew of it long since and your Father thought so well of it as he consented to it Ha's he so answered she Then it seemes you have his good-will Yes forsooth quoth this Country Hoyden Why then said she pray you goe marry my Father whose good-will you have got for you should wrong his daughter to marry her whose good-will you have not But all this could not decline her hard-hearted Father from his rich unworthy choice Married she must be and to her lasting discontent Which when it could not be prevented you shall heare what accident hence insued The time being now come when this inforced Match was to be solemnized and she to be given in Marriage even then when her unhappy Father was to take her by the hand and give her to her contemptible choice instead of her hand he received from her this answer Sir expect no hand from me for I cannot give it having already sent it to him who ha's most interest in it Enforce me then no further Deare Father What joy can this heavy Bridall afford that Gentleman when he makes choice of such a Consort that ha's neither hand nor heart to give him And such an one shall he enjoy in me My hand behold I have sent him and my heart I have ingag'd him Surcease then to afflict an unhappy Maid with a supply of more discomforts This sorrowfull Spectacle having shown her right arme without an hand broke up that Match For by the persuasion of Friends her Father was moved to give her in marriage to her first Choice with whom she lived in that content as she thought her hand well bestowed to rid her of one whom she so much hated and confirme her his to whom both heart and hand stood religiously ingaged Those Dainty Dalmatian virgins shewed no lesse Continency in resisting the assaults of their commanding Enemies who when they saw their People discomfitted their Country depopulated their principall â—ities demolished and themselves Captives were nothing at all amated Insomuch as being lead away prisoners one amongst the rest stept out and spake in behalfe of herselfe and the rest in this manner Whither do you dragge us What way doe you hale us Should you deprive us of what is most esteemed by us it were but a poore purchase seeing our Wils have vow'd even unto death to make resistance Take us then to your Wives and we will serve you whereas if you make Strumpets of us we will hate you and when you are most confident take occasion to be revenged of you
arrivall hee had heard of the death of his dearest Friends and such as his lively-hood relyed on so as he had no meanes to support him nor in his present distresse to supply him unlesse some charitably disposed Gentleman like himselfe would be pleased to take compassion of him and entertaine him This exil'd Lover commiserating his Case tooke her into his Service little imagining that his Page was his Mistresse But no doubt bore his late-entertained Servant more respect for the resemblance he conceived betwixt his Page and Mistresse Thus lived they together for a long time during which space shee never discovered her selfe holding it to be to no purpose seeing hee had taken a solemne vow as was formerly said that hee would sollicit no Womans love for such a time so as rather than he should violate his vow which by all likelyhood hee would have done had hee knowne who was his Page she chused to remaine with him unknowne expressing all arguments of diligence and carefull observance that any Master could possibly expect from his Servant Hope which lightneth every burden and makes the most painefull service a delightfull solace sweetned the houres of her expectance ever-thinking how one day those five yeares would bee expired when she might more freely discover her love and he enjoy what hee so much desired But Fate who observes no order betwixt youth and age nor reserves one compassionate teare for divided Loves prevented their hopes and abridged their joyes by her premature death For being taken with a Quartan-fever she languished even unto death Yet before her end she desired one thing of her Master in recompence of all her faithfull service which was that he would be pleased to close up the eyes of his Page and receive from him one dying kisse and lastly to weare for his sake one poore Ring as a lasting memoriall of his loyall love All which his sorrowfull Master truly performed but perceiving by the Posy of the Ring that his deceased Page was his Mistresse and that he had bestowed that Ring on her at such time as he departed from her it is not to be conceived what continued sorrow he expressed for her A Story of no lesse constant nor passionate affection may be here related of that deeply inamoured Girle who though she preferred her Honour before the imbraces of any Lover and made but small semblance of any fondnesse or too suspicious kindnesse to him who had the sole interest in her love Yea so farre was her affection distanced from the least suspicion as her very nearest Friends could scarcely discover any such matter betwixt them yet at such time as her unfortunate Lover being found a notorious Deliquent in a Civill State was to suffer when all the private meanes by way of Friends that she could make prevailed nothing for his delivery and shee now made a sad spectator of his Tragedy After such time as the Headsman had done his office shee lept up upon the Scaffold and in a distracted manner called all such people as were there present to witnesse That hee who had suffer'd could no way possibly be a Delinquent and she innocent For this heart of mine said she was his how could he then do any thing whereof I was not guilty Nor could this poore distempered Maid by all the advice councell or perswasion that could be used to her be drawne from the Scaffold ever and anon beckning to the the Executioner to performe his office for otherwise hee was an Enemy to the State and the Emperours profest foe Nor could she be without much force haled from the Scaffold till his corpse was removed The Historian gives a noble attestation of that majestick Marcella That none would ever have thought that she had loved her Husband till shee injoyd him but none more discreetly deare in the Expression of her Affection after she had married him But as Vertue receives her proper station in the Meane so all Extreames decline from that Marke I have heard of Some who were so over-nice or gingerly precise in Expressing their Affections as they would not admit so much favour as a faire or equall Parliance unlesse he observed his Distance to their affectionate Servant These will not grant admittance to their Suiters to preferre their requests in their Chambers No they must be distanced by some Partition or Window or else wooe by Prospective Glasses or utter their thoughts with the Silent Lady through Canes or Trunks as if Affection were an Infection But this nicenesse tastes more of Folly than Modesty Those only deserve approvement who can so season their Affections with discretion as neither too much coynesse taxe them of coldnesse nor too much easinesse brand them of forwardnesse in the ordering of their Affection This closeth fitly with those Posies of two cursory wits writ in a window by way of answer one to another She she for me and none but shee That 's neither forward nor too free Which was answered in this manner in a paralell way to the former That wench I vow shall be my joy That 's neither forward nor too coy But thus much may suffice for instances of this kind we are now to descend from the Expression of their constant but modest Love to such as were Corrivals in their Affections which have in all ages brought forth Tragick Conclusions SECTION VI. The violence of some Women us'd upon such as were Corrivals in their choice With Examples THERE is no Maxime more holding than this Scepters and Suiters hate Competitors Agreeing well with that of the Greeke Poet Imperiall power and Nuptiall bed Brooke hardly to be rivalled Italy hath for many ages beene a Tragick Theater of such presentments Where you shall finde here a Lady so violently strong in her affection as her Servant must have Spyes neare him if he Court but an other Mistresse Civile cuâ—â—sies can hardly passe without some rackt Construction This fury that passionate Dame expressed when having entertained a Gentleman of excellent parts and worthy descent to be her Servant and having enjoyed the freedome of their Loves with much familiarity for long time together at last by some report which shee had heard or some other bad office suggested to her she conceived a deep jealousy of her Servant that he begun to aliene his love from her by setting it on such an amorous Curtezan Time strengthned his conceipt For where suspicions of this kinde are not at first resisted they become daily strengthened and breake out into such fearefull issues as they are very hardly without blood to be quenched This jealouse Dame giving free scope to her own thoughts contracted with a curious Limner to draw the feature of that Curtezan as much to life as he could possibly doe Which done she caused this Picture amongst other Pieces of incomparable art to he hung up in her Lodging Chamber The next time that her Favorite came having free accesse unto her entered into her Chamber
fly to the bush Sara behind the door no should the mountaines offer themselves for a shrowd yet in vaine is such retyre no place can hide us from his eye that is ever over us It was Seneca's councell to his friend Lucilius that whensoever he went about to do any thing he should imagine Cato or Scipio or some other worthy Romane to be in presence This Rule you observe you conceipt with your selves in the sacred silence of your hearts which are so close from the affections of Earth as they only aspire to the Contemplations of Heaven that the eyes of all good men no even of those who are become Saints of men are upon you Your desire is only to please them who are only pleased with the Object of goodnesse Being Pythagoreans to all the World and Peripatetians to Christ mute to all vanities and eloquent only to Christ. You follow the counsell of a mellifluous father and of a Wise Morall by setting alwayes before your eyes some Good person to the end that you might so live as if he were ever looking on you ever eying you There is no young Gallant that need encounter you in those tearmes which that cautious Cavaliere did in Erasmus to his wanton Mistresse Are you not ashamed to do that in the sight of God and eye-witnesse of his holy Angels which you are ashamed to doe in the sight of men But now to take a view of these Errors to which your Sexe becomes most ingaged or at least for which you are many times innocently traduced This free speaking Age will not stick to taxe you of Ambition and wherein must this consist but in your desire of precedency before others of your sexe and soveraignity over such as should be your heads And these will tell you of an ancient custome which if you observed as you ought you would not transgresse that law of Obedience so much as you do And this was that when at any time a Couple were married the soale of the Bridegrooms shooe was to be laid upon the Brides head implying with what subjection she should serve her husband But me thinks this Rituall Embleme or Emblematicall Rite was too much underfoot to be observed by one that should be esteemed an equall-individuall mate She came from his Side not from his Foot And though she be not to walk Checkmate with him yet when her Check shall meet with him it cannot chuse but both appease him please him when any thing shall distemper him There are some likewise that will say how your Ambition clozeth not only here Your darling ayme is Honour you could love him that suits you if he could bestow a new stile on you The Title of Madame highly takes you Nor is there any vanity that pleaseth more by playing on your fancy than the naked Complement of Lovely Lady I have heard indeed some of your Sexe so affected but alas this was but an harmelesse Ambition Of which humour that honour-inamoured Damasella seem'd to be who in that Generall-grand Call of Knights finding in her Husband an unwillingnesse to accept as she conceived of that Honour so farre at last prevailed with him by strong Reasons and high Relations of the Honour and Mirror of Knighthood as she perswaded with him to entertaine it But upon his returne home having understood how he had payd for what he got not and disburs'd money for that he had not She entertained the poore Pilcherd with a Bastinado telling him withall that though his dungrell spirit would make her no Lady her fury should make him know what she desired to be Truth is such an innate evill is the desire of Honour as that person who affects it not is of a rare temper And yet that brave Girle seemed to be one of these who being Ladyfide by an honour conferred on her decrepit Husband presently upon report of it thus replyed Trust me a Cullis were farre more Soveraigne for my spent Husband than any Honour For tell me quoth she speaking to the Messenger will all this he hath gotten restore in him Nature Will it cure in him his dry Cough Distillation of rhume from his head That perpetuall defluxion in his eyes Will it strengthen his back Will it make him bend lesse in the hams Will it get me with Boy which his Seere stock could never yet do If his late-purchas'd Honour may produce these effects I shall hold it worth acceptance If otherwise be it what it will I shall hardly admire it much lesse embrace it seing a Poste is still the same be it never so neately painted or pargetted An other Error you are likewise taxed of as what sexe or degree so innocent which the freedome of a calumnious tongue may not traduce and it is your usuall frequent to Court-Maskes and other publique State-Shows where you use purposely to present your selves a pretty time before any such Shows are to be performed in hope that some amorous Lord or some other Complementall Court-Sparke will take you into some with-drawing roome to court your beauty and so ingratiate himselfe within the easy Lists of your fancy So as you come not thither so much to see what is there presented as to be amorously courted affectionately suited all which is with such yeelding silence and pleasing smiles redarted as they hold you wonne so soone as you are wooed tainted as soone as you are attempted soiled so soone as you are assayled ent'red so soone as you are assaulted Others likewise report you apt to take affection upon the moving of any personall Action If you come to a Play-house and there chance to see an Active Roscius breathing life in his Action you presently feele a glowing heate in your veines You could finde in your heart to bestow the choice of a Lover on such an Actor Weake-grounded malice to vent it selfe on such loving frailties Injurious Tetters to femall honours Because their sweet pliable natures are such as they can find no harbour for hate must they therefore be tax't because their Love breaks forth into too much heate These deserve so little answering as if they had no other Advocate even Nature her selfe would plead for them There be Some likewise who say that as you are commonly light in the choice of your Love so are you in your Love as subject to change If your affection be for Youth though it best please you yet you can seemingly bestow it on Age though nothing more displease you And these effects those lovely fortunes of his loathed Love worke in you And what is all the employment you take in hand after such time as you have given him your hand and heart but with no good heart but how to cosin him Your use is they will say to give your old Chrone a sleeping powder that you may take the keys of his treasure from under his head the sooner and so long before his death make your selves his Administrators You love him but only
discontent and if neate in your dresse you are censured of pride What you doe I freely appeale to your selves is to please the curious eyes of your Husbands And perchance to prevent the worst for should they see you sluttish who knows not but it might beget instead of loving you a loathing of you and consequently make them hunt after new Mistresses which would ruine all by making such a breach as scarce time could repaire or the remainder of their declining fortunes redeeme It was the opinion of Lessius that in some cases Women might use their painting and poudring without sin First if it were to the intent to cover any blemish or deformity Secondly if the Husband commanded it to the end his Wife might seeme more comely in the presence of others which was likewise the expresse opinion of Alagora That to adde more beauty were it by apparrelling or painting yea though it were a meere work of Art and colourably deluding yet were it no mortall sin confidentely maintaining the use of painting grounded upon these precedent respects But I shall not desire that my Lampe may give light to that line which may seeme to give fuell or foment to any light love The age is apt enough to sacrifice too many precious houres to Idolatrize such a Shrine My ayme is only in a faire and just defence of your imitable actions to wipe of all such injurious aspersions as calumnious pens shall or may lay on you In which Taske I hold my oyle so much the better bestowed for that I am confident that whereinsoever you are defective you will labour to supply it by perusing this and collecting hence what may truly make you most amiable and accomplished In the meane time it shall be my constant opinion nor doe I feare that there shall bee found the least sprinkling of heresy in it that these Stigmatick Spirits who have steep'd their pens so deep in gall have sometimes received some occasionall scars from the worst which ha's made them so causelesly and without exception to invey against the best For these as I conceive have unhappily got a blow on the shins with a French faggot or fed too freely on a Neopolitan Rabbet These are they and only they who stick not to say if you be old you are lothsome if young you are gamesome you can scorne them that love you love them that scorne you You can play the Snakes shrowding your selves under the freshest and fragrant'st flowers but you have a sting to dart upon every State You can play the Syrens by tuning your voyce to allure the amorous Passenger to Vice But sleight you these malicious affronts you have within you to secure you which will so highly improve you as you remaine perch'd above the compasse or reach of scandal Yet is not all this which hath been hitherto spoken in your Defence so to secure you for so should I delude you as to disswade you from standing upon your guard There is in no place security brave Ladies Neither in Heaven nor in Paradise much lesse in the World For in Heaven the first Angell fell Whence Esay How art thou fallen from heaveÌ„ O Lucifer son of â—he morning For he fell under the very power of the Deity Adam in Paradise the place of all delicacy Iudas in the World from the Schoole of our Saviour the Seed-plot of all Sanctity In one word are ye Maids you have your patterne in a Dorâ—as Are ye Wifes you have your patterne in an Esther Are ye Widdowes you have your patterne in a Iudith These though dead their memories live and by their lifes prescribe you how to live that living as they liv'd and doing as they did your memories may live when you are dead And so I descend from their Modest Defence well becomming Creatures of such divine Excellence to their Witty Aphorismes Apothegmes and Answers which I shall illustrate in sundry choice and select instances SECTION VIII Their witty Aphorismes Apothegms and Answers TOo strait and narrow was the confine of his shallow conceipt who wish'd his wife to have no more wit than to goe out o' th' raine It seemes he had a desire to ingrosse it all to himselfe and to suffer his wife to have small or no share with him But such a Consort were a poore Helpe We shall here finde Creatures of an higher pitch such who knew how to allay the discomforts of a perplexed Husband by their wise and sociable sharing with him in his affliction Others so nobly composed as they scorned to stoup to the lest thought of basenesse when crushed with the greatest weight of affliction Others so far from coynesse to those they lov'd as to their highest hazards they not only exprest it but suffer'd for their affections Others such kind loving Turtles as they could not endure to lose the presence of their owne or to conceive any defects or infirmities in their owne and though all beside themselves distasted them yet were their true affectionate thoughts ever individually knit and cemented to them Others who could make such excellent use of their decayed beauty as they made it their Embleme of mortality begetting no lesse veneration with their riveld age than they did affection with their enamor'd youth Instances in each of these we shall take occasion to offer unto you with such witty Aphorismes pretty Apothegms and pithy Answers as may infinitely delight you And first of such as could apply comforts and cordials seasonably to their disconsolate Husbands when surrounded with Objects of approaching misery ☞ Theogena wife to Agathocles of whom we have made honourable mention elsewhere shew'd admirable constancy in her Husbands greatest misery shewing her selfe most his owne when he was relinquish't and forsaken of his owne and confirming her true affection with this resolution That she was not given him to leave him or to share with him only in prosperity but in what fortune soever should befall him to keepe him company The like constancy of love and comfort in advice shewed Sulpitia to herâ— when she plainely told him What though Fortune leave you she who loves you best and whom you should love best cannot leave you Should you be wholly miserable she will part stakes wlth you to make you lesse miserable Secondly for such whose brave and well-composed temper would not suffer their masculine spirits to stoupe to any Disasters we shall furnish you with imitable patternes in that kinde A lovely Lydia who could with Medea in the Tragedy expresse her selfe nobly and make death and danger the least of her feares Who can be forc'd she knowes not how to dye Honour knowes how to suffer so doe I. This that brave-spirited Martia shew'd good proofe of curing all threats with this exquisite receipt I know well how to pay my debt to Nature but I hope I shall never know how to ransome life with dishonour Thirdly you shall finde such who were so farre from coynesse to those