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Agrippa: Declamatio de nobilitate & precellentia
Fœminei sexus.
This digital edition copyright © 2005 by Joseph H. Peterson.
Latin text based on 1529 edition: http://visualiseur.bnf.fr/Visualiseur?Destination=Gallica&O=NUMM-71692
English translation is based on:
Female pre-eminence, or, The dignity and excellency of that sex above the male :
an ingenious discourse / written orignally in Latine by Henry Cornelius Agrippa ... ;
done into English with additional advantages by H[enry]. C[are].
Published: London : Printed by T. R. and M. D. and are to be sold by Henry Million ..., 1670.
University of Minnesota: TC Wilson Library Annex Sub-Basement Mfilm 1771 444:4.
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HENRI-CI CORNELII AGRIPPÆ
de Nobilitate & Præœcellentia Fœminei
sexus, ad Margaretam Augustam
Austriaco & Bur-
gundionum Principem[1529]
Expostulatio cum Ioanne Catilineti super expo-
sitione libri Ioannis Capnionis de uerbo mirifico
De sacramento Matrimonii declamation ad
Margaretam Alenconiæ duœm.
De triplici ratione cognoscendi Deum liber vnus
ad Guilielmum Paleologum Marcionem
Mantisserrati. Dehortatio Gentilis theologiæ ad Episcopum
Vasatensem.
De Originali peccato desputabilis opinionis
declamatio ad episcopum Cyrenensem. Regimem
aduersus pestilentiam ad eundem episco.
Female Pre-eminence:OR THE
Dignity and Excellency of
that
Sex, above the Male.
An Ingenious Discourse:
Written Originally in Latine,
by Henry Cornelius Agrippa, Knight,
Doctor of Physick, Doctor of both
Laws, and Privy-Counsellor to the
Emperour Charles the Fifth.
Done into English, with Ad-
ditional Advantages.
BY H.C.
1 Esdr. 3.12. Women are strongest.
LONDONPrinted by T.R. and M.D, and are to be soldby Henry Million, at the Sign of the Bible in
Fleet-street. 1670.
The Epistle Dedicatory.
TO HER
Most Excellent Majesty,
KATHERINE,By the Grace of God,
QUEEN of Great Britain,France, and Ireland, &c.
Madam,
His little Champion, wholong hath Brav'd theWorld in Your NobleSexes Defence, beingArriv'd in Your MajestiesDominions, and taught tospeak the English Dialect,
is with all Humility prostrated at Your RoyalFeet. The Original Tratise was Grac'd withthe propitious Regards of a Great Princess,The Illustrious Margaret of Austria,
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afterwards Empress; whence this meanTranslation derives, an ambition, not to takeshelter under any less than SoveraignPatronage. Yet is not Your MajestiesGreatness, so much as Goodness, respectedin this Humble Address; that serious primitiveDevotion, exemplary Virtue, and otherexcellent Endowments, that render You moretruely Glorious, than all the magnificnet
Advantages of Your Most Illustrious Birthand Fortune. To Your Majesty this Discourseis necessitated to Appeal; for 'tis Your brightName alone, that can, being stampt thereon,(like Your Royal Consort's Effigies on Coyn)make it pass Currant in the opinion of theWorld; who no longer will be scandaliz'd atthe Title, nor think the Author too Lavish inWomens Praise, when they Reflect on YourMajesty, that Great Example of Female Pre-eminence, and Excellency, that have out-
done the mosr daring Hyperbolies, and notonly Justified, but Surpass'd in Life andMerit, whatever can be said in the behalf of Your Most Glorious Sex.
That Your Majesty, Encircled with allHappiness, may long remain a President of Piety to this Degenerous Age, and find asmany to Imitate as Admire Your RoyalVirtues, is the Prayer of
Your Majesties
Most Humble,Loyal, and Obe-
dient Subject,H. Care.
The Translators Preface.
In this giddy Age wherein each extravagant
opinion finds a welcome, and Conceits morewilde than any Bedlam-phrensie, have beenentertain'd with zeal, and promoted withpassion, an innocent Paradox may fairly hopefor Pardon at least, if not Applause.
Since (1.) Tyranny, (2.) Injustice, (3.)Ugliness, and (4.) Folly it self, have notwanted their respective Advocates amongstthe Learned, I see small reason whyAsserting the Pre-eminence of the FemaleSex, should too severely be censured.
(1.) Praised
byPolycrates,
andHisocrates.
(2.) By
Glauco.
(3.) ByPaco**nus.
(4.) ByErasmus.
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But 'tis unjust to debar Readers of thattickling delight they take in finding faults, itbeing oftentimes all the consideration theyhave for laying out their Money. TheStationers humour and mine agree, Let thembut buy the Book, and then (being their own)use it as they please. I shall not thereforewaste time, either in Courting or Huffing theReader, (for both wayes are now commonly
used to surprize his good opinion,) but onlyendeavour to give an Impartial Account of the Author, and Design of the ensuingDiscourse.
To say much of the noble Agrippa, were toput an Affront on the Reader, (if he pretend atall to traffick in the Commonwealth of Learning) by supposing him a stranger to thatMan, who was justly admir'd as the Prodigyof his Age, for all kind of Science. That vastprogress he made, Tam Marte quam
Mercurio, in Arms no less than Arts; theTitles and Honours he acquir'd; the respectpaid him by most of the Grandees, andfamous Men, his Contemporaries; and thoseMonuments of Learning, wherewith he hathoblig'd Posterity; all speak him a Personabove the ordinary level of Mankind; to berankt only amongst those few noble Heroes;
Queis meliore Luto finxitpræcordia Titan.
Whom Titan with a gentle
Ray,Hath moulded of a purerClay.
[Cf. Juvenal,
XIV. 34-5.]
'Tis true, (like all great Wits) he took no littlepleasure in stemming the impetuous Tide of popular opinion, as if nothing had beenimpregnable against the puissance of hisparts. Hence he made that desperate (5.)Onset, to prove in particular, what Solomonwas content to affirm in the lump, That all
things are Vanity; and with an excess of Gallantry undertook singly to duel all Artsand Sciences.
(5.) HisBook of the
vanity of all
Arts and
Sciences.
Nor was this present Essay any other than asally of the same Generosity, that delights toengage on disadvantages, and bravely toassist the weaker party. After so manyslanderers (like ungratefull Mules, turningtheir brutish heels to kick those Paps whencethey receiv'd their first Nutriment) had dipttheir keen Pens in Gall, and fill'd their blackMouthes with Calumnies, to sully the Reputeof this fair Sex, our Author was too noble,not to think himself concern'd in itsVindication; Common Justice, no less thanpoint of Honour, obliging all to succour
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oppressed Innocency. Hereupon theGenerous Agrippa enters the Lists, to assertthe Honour of the Female Party, against theimmerited obloquies of the Male, which hechooses to attempt, not after the low, timerousmethod of an Apology, the shallowInvectives of the Adversaries being unworthythe refute of his Pen; but like a politickGeneral, carrying the War into the enemies
Countrey, startles them with an expectedInvasion, and lets them know this noble Sexought to be the object of their veneration, norcontempt, being in all respects their superiour.
How prudently this Design was undertaken,or how well perform'd, I shall not fore-stallthe Readers opinion, so far as to determine;but must confess my self pleas'd with thatDiversion I met with in reading the Original;and thereupon to have attempted theTranslation, not without some Additions, andvariation, to render it more smooth andgratefull to the present Age, thinking I couldscarce better devote my vacant hours, than tothe service of that sweet Sex, which everyone deserving the Name of Man, cannot butlove; and to whom, whoever hath not forgothe had a Mother, is oblig'd to pay areverential esteem.
Yet is it no part of our Design to flatterWomen, but to put some check to the rude,
undeserv'd reproaches, cast on them by theMen: To acquaint the fair Sex with its naturalDignity, that they may scorn to act any thingunworthy of themselves: to treat them withvariety of real (not Romantick) Examples of true Piety, exact Chastity, sincere, unalterableAffection, and other rare, sublime qualities;whence inspir'd with a generous emulation,they may strive ti out-vye these ancientHeroinaes, and transcend the excellentPatterns here recommended; finding, that it isVirtue alone that can embalm their Memories,and render them still fresh and amiable, eventhen when Age or Sickness have plow'd theirFaces with wrinckled furrows, and sweptaway the sparkling Glories of their Eyes.
To conclude: If the captious World shall awhile lay aside its usual severities, andvouchsafe any Acceptance of these ourinconsiderable pains, (now confusedlyhuddled up in hast,) we shall use our utmostendeavours in the second Edition to deserve
that favour, by some further Additions andEmbellishments.
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H.C.
To His Ingenious Friend
Mr. H. Care:
On his Pains in Translating, andRefining this quaint Discourse
of Female Pre-eminence.
'Tis bravely done, dear Friend! thus toEngageFor the Fair Sex, in this detracting Age,When vip'rous Tongues so virulently throweVenome at thise to whom their Lives theyowe,And each base Fopp poor Womens Judgedoth sit,Who thinks Railing at them proves him a Wit,And therefore Dams 'um, They'r all Whores,hee'l cry,Though's Mother and his Sister both standby:Nor want there Squires o'th' Quill to woundtheir Name,
And with foul Ink Bespatter their brightFame.But as when Royal Phæbus shews his Face,Those Sporads vanish which usurpt his place;So all these black-mouth'd screeching Birdsof Night,And by your Book put to eternal Flight:Your Book; For what you modestly do callTranslation, if with the OriginalIt be compar'd, 'twill easily be known,That the far better part on it is your own.You adde, correct, and so the Whole Refine,That 'tis no more Agrippa's now, but thine;He laid the Plot, but you the Language bring,And giv't a Dress as glorious as the Spring:Choice Words compos'd in Periods, thatsurprizeThe Ear with most harmonious Cadencies,Such charming stile, which France it self admir'd,Was thought t'have vanisht when Love-Dayexpir'd;Our English Prose seem'd sunk ever since
then,But now there's hopes you'l Buoy it up agen:For such fair Blossomes in your Youth,presageNo common Fruit from your maturer Age.
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But what dost aim at? (for I must profess,In this Attempt, 'twill puzzle one to guess)Weary of retail-Love, by this Design,Dost thou intend to Court all Womankind?T' ingross their Favour, and ambitiously,Affect Loves universal Monarchy?Or do thy flames which to some one Aspire,Transport thee, the whole Sex thus to admire?
What e're it bem unto thy pains and wit,All Ladies must confess themselves in Debt;And to thee, whence such Ornament theyfind,They'r most ungratefull if they prove notkind.Their Snow-white Hands thy welcome Bookshall hold,And sometimes wrap't up in some silkenFold,In their sweet Bosomes suffer it to Rest,
(Ah! who'l not envy it when 'tis so Blest?)
[2]
DE FOEMINEI SEXUS
praecellentia L. Beliaquetus
Desine vaniloquax sexum laudare virilem
Plus aequo, laudum ne sit aceruus iners
Desine (si sapias) sexum damnare malignisFœmineum verbis, quae ratione carent.
Si bene lance tua sexum perpendis vtrumque
Fœmineo cedet quisquis virilis erit
Credere si dubites, & res tibi dura videtur
Haud alias visus nunc mihi testis adest
Quem nuper vigilans extruxit Agrippa libellum
Ante viros laudans fœmineumque genus.
[3]
CLARISSIMO VIRO DOMINO
Maximiliano Transsiluano Caroli
quinti Caesaris
Imperatorisque A consiliis Hen. Cor.
Agrippa S.D.
Anni ferme viginti retroacti sunt (splendide
Maximiliane) quo tempore in Dola Burgundiæ
Gymnasio pulpito donatus magna omnium
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admiratione librum Ioan. Capnionis, de Verbo
Mirifico ad honorem diuae Margaretae Principis
nostræ interpretabat, habita in prælectione insigni
laudum suarum oratione. Instabant per id tempus
apud me plerique eius ciuitatis non infimæ sortis
viri, inter cæteros quem nosti Symon Vernerius
Dolanæ ecclesiæ Decanus, & Gymnasii
Procancellarilis vt prænominatæ Principi nonnihiloperis scripto dedicarem: contendebant omnes
improbis precibus, vrgebantque epistolis, &
ingerebant me hoc ipso haud non insignem
gratiam apud eandem principem initurum. Annui
nefas arbitratus tantorum virorum preces rejicere,
ac propositam mihi tantæ Principis gratiam
contemnere. Et cepi argumentum operis de
nobilitate & præcellentia Fœminei sexus, non
indignum ratus quod illi Principi potissimum
deuouerem dedicaremque quæ supra omnes
nostri æui præclaras mulieres fœmineæ nobilitatis
præcellentiæque vnicum exemplar visa est, vt se
præside ac teste libellus ille non parum
authoritatis caperet aduersus eos qui in fœmineo
sexu vituperando, nihil faciunt reliqui. Quod
autem ad id temporis cum ceptum hoc votum
meum apud celsitudinem suam non liberarim,
non loci distantia, non temporis effluxus, non
animi facilitas, non propositi mutatio, non etiamargumenti angustia, ingeniiue paupertas, sed
Catilineti cuiusdam calumnia in causa fuit (que
cuiusmodi fuerit ex ipsa nostra ad eumdem
expostulatione quam vna cum præsentibus ad te
mitto videre, licebit) cuius hypocrisi victus,
indignabundusque factus suppressi librum, usque
adhuc nolui tamen hac fidelia aliam quamuis
etiam pretiosum parietem dealbare, futurum
aliquem [4] confidens quo liber ille non essetamissurus suam dominam. Nunc itaque reuersus
in patriam hanc, equum putaui respondere fidei,
nec diutius differendum librum illum principi
nostræ offerre, qui illi ex stipulatione & voto
æquissimo iure debetur. Atque vt cognoscat me
interim temporis nec illius oblitum esse, nec
deuotam fidem vnquam deseruisse, nec pluris
valuisse apud me alienam nequitiam, quam
proprii animi constantiam virtutibus ac laudibus
eius impense fauentem. Quod si nunc tuaprudentia hoc meum consilium non improbauerit,
faciam vt libellus iste cum plerisque aliis meis
progrediatur in publicum, etiam si videam res
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hæc quam sit exigua, & qua nulla elegantia
dicendi reddita. Sed volo libellum hunc quondam
in pueritia mea conscriptum, & nunc non nisi vt
in hoc exemplari vides tumultuario, alicubi
recognitum ipsi principi suæ (sicut apud
Canonistas (quos vocant) dicendi mos est) ex
nunc vt a tunc, vel cum æstimationis meæ iactura
oblatum iri. Dum interim ætate iam grandior,grauiori ac pleniori argumento, sublimiora &
digniora cælsitudini suæ parauero. Neque vero
velim Principem ipsam, ab his pueritiæ meæ
nugis, ingenium meum metiri: quod si experiri
velit, possit sibi etiam in maximis rebus & pace
& bello vsui fore. Proinde vero ne quis superbior,
aut eruditionis iactantior, contemptu mediocritatis
meæ, in ingenium nostrum ingratus hanc operam
nostram despiciat, calumnietur, mordeat, laceret,
tuæ Magnanimitati eandem, vna cum fœmineæ
nobilitatis splendore, cum muliebris excellentiæ
gloria insuper tuendam, defendendamque
commendo, speroque futurum me huius causæ,
quod viris fœminas prætulerim, facile veniam
obtenturum quod tantæ Principi hæc scripserim,
ac tua amplitudine hortante, tuenteque, ediderim.
Vale. Ex Antuerpia, xvi Kalendas Maii An. M.
D. XXIX.
Iuditium tuum expectabo
[5]
DIVAEMARGARETAE AVGVSTAE
Austriacorum Burgundionumque
principi
clementissimæ Henricus Cornelius
Agrippa, S. D.
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EM HACTENVS
inauditam, sed a vera
haud absimiliem pro
viribus audacter
quidem, sed non sine
pudore aggressus sum
fœminei sexus
nobilitatem,præcellentiamque
describere. Certauit fateor intra me sæpius
audacia cum pudore. Nam ut innumeras
mulierum laudes, virtutes, summamque
præstantiam oratione velle complecti, plenum
ambitionis & audaciæ putabam, sic fœminas
maribus præferre, tanquam euirati ingenii plenum
pudoris videbatur. Hinc forte causans cur quum
pauci admodum de mulierum laudibus scribere
tentarunt. Nullus hactenus quod certo sciam
earum supra viros eminentiam adserere ausus est.
Proinde vero tam dignissimo sexui veras atque
debitas sibi laudes tacendo velut inuidere, &
præripere eumque suppressa agnita veritate suis
meriti suaque fraudari gloria, plenum
ingratitudinis arbitrabar atque sacrilegii. Quum
itaque inter has varias dissonasque sententias
anxius mecum [6] ipse hæsitarem, miro hoc
ingratitudinis, codemque sacrilegii metu, victopudore audacior effectus sum in scribendo, dum
metuo videri audacior, si tacerem, bonum omen
interpretatus, quasi eius rei prouincia, quam
hactenus eruditorum cœtus penitus neglexisse
videtur, mihi à superis relicta atque decreta
fuerit. Annunciabo itaque gloriam mulieris, &
honestatem eius non abscondam, tantumque abest
quod me assumpti argumenti pudeat, quandoque
si fœminas viris præferam, ob id mevituperandum putem esse, vt vix me excusatum
iri fidam, qui rem adeo sublimem humiliori quam
par est dicendi forma complexus sum, nisi me
cum temporis angustia & rei difficultas, tum
causæ æquitas tuerentur, tum quia nullo adulandi
assentandiue studio hanc operam aggressus sum
ideoque non tam studium fuit rhetoricis figmentis
officiosisque mendaciis verba in laudes ornare,
quam rem ipsam ratione authoritate, exemplis,
ipsisque sacrarum litterarum, & vtriusque iuristestimoniis commonstrare. Tibi autem
serenissima Margareta, cuius inter huius aeui
præclaras fœminas per uniuersum orbem
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terrarum Apollo, Diana, dies Aurora, Vulcanus,
dii quinque non illustrarunt, cum generis
nobilitate, tum virtutum præstantia, & rerum
gestarum gloria, parem alteram hanc operam
nostram, ideo deuotam dedicatamque constituto,
ut te (quæ ad id virtutum fastigium ascendisti,
quod, cuncta quæ de fœminei sexus laudibus
prædicantur, vita & moribus superasti)præsentaneo exemplo, ac teste fidissima, eiusdem
sexus vestri decus, & gloria, quasi sole quodam
splendidius [7] elucescat. Vale felicissime
nobilissimarum mulierum simul ac principum
decus, & ornamentum, & gloria, modis omnibus
absoluta.
HENRICICORNELII AGRIPPAE DECLA-
matio de nobilitate & præcellentia
Fœminei sexus.EVS optimus maximus cunctorum
genitor, pater ac bonorum
utriusque secus fecunditate
plenissimus, hominem sibi
similem creauit, masculum &
fœminam creauit illos [Genes. prio.]. Quorumquidem sexuum discretio non nisi situ partium
corporis differente constat, in quibus usus
generandi diuersitatem necessaria requirebat.
Eandem vero & masculo & fœminæ, ac omnino
indifferentem animæ formam tribuit. Inter quas
nulla prorsus sexus est distantia. Eandem ipsa
mulier cum viro sortita est mentem, rationem
atque sermonem, ad eundum tendit beatitudinis
finem, ubi sexus nulla erit exceptio. Nam iuxtaEuangelicam veritatem [ Luc. 20. Mar. 12. Matth.
22.] Resurgentes in proprio sexu, sexus non
fungentur officio, sed angelorum illis promittitur
similitudo. Nulla itaque est ab essentia animæ
inter virum & mulierem, alterius super alterum
nobilitatis præeminentia. Sed utrisque par
dignitatis innata libertas. Quæ autem præter
animæ diuinam essentiam in homine reliqua sunt,
in iis muliebris inclyta stirps durum virorum
genus in infinitum pene excellit, quod tum [8]
demum ratum firmumque erit, quum id ipsum (&
quod institutum nostrum est) non adulterinis
lmighty God, towhose efficaciousWord all things owetheir original,abounding in hisown glorious
Essence with infinitegoodness andfecundity, did in the
beginning Create Man after his own likeness, Male and Female, created he them; the truedistinction of which Sexes, consists meerly inthe different site of those parts of the body,wherein Generation necessarily requires aDiversity: for both Male and Female heimpartially endued with the same, andaltogether indifferent form of Soul, theWoman being possess'd of no less excellentFaculties of Mind, Reason, and Speech, thanthe Man, and equally with him aspiring tothose Regions of Bliss and Glory, wherethere shall be no exception of Sex. Forthough at the last Trumpets universal Alarm,when our recollected bodies shall start upamazed, to find themselves releas'd from theirPrisons of Darkness, we may perhaps appearin our respective proper Sexes, yet shall wenot then either need or make use of Sex, butare promised by him who is Truth it self, a
Conversation resembling that of blessedAngels in Heaven. Hence 'tis evident, that asto the essence of the Soul between Man andWoman, there can no Pre-eminence at all bechallenged on either side, but the same innate
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fucatisve sermonibus neque etiam logicis
tendiculis quibus multi sophistæ homines
illaqueare solent, sed cum optimorum authorum
patrociniis, rerumque gestarum veridicis historiis
ac apertis ratioibus, tum sacrarum literarum
testimoniis & utriusque iuris sanctionibus
ostensum est.
worth and dignity of both, the Image of theirCreator being stampt as fairly, and shining asbrightly in one, as t'other; whereas in all otherrespects the noble and delicate FeminineRace, doth almost to infinity excell thatrough-hewn, boisterous kind, the Male.
This may at first perhaps seem an oddAssertion, and extravagantly Paradoxical, but
will appear a certain Truth, when we haveprov'd it (which is our present undertaking)not with empty flourishes of words, or gawdyPaint of Rhetorick, nor with those vainLogical Devices, wherewith Sophisters toofrequently inveigle unwary understandings,but by the Authority of the most ApprovedAuthors, unquestioned Histories, and evidentReasons, as likewise with Testimonies of holy Writ, and Sanctions of both Civil andCanon Laws.
Principiò itaque ut rem ipsam ingrediar: Mulier
tanto viro [Gene. 3.] excellentior facta est,
quanto excellentius præ illo nomen accepit: Nam
Adam terra sonat, Eua autem vita interpretatur.
At vita ipsa quam terra est excellentior, tam viro
ipso mulier est præferenda. Neque est quod
dicatur debile hoc argumentum esse ex
nominibus de rebus ipsis iudicium ferre. Scimus
enim summum illum rerum ac nominumartificem prius cognouisse res quam nominasse,
qui cum decipi non potuit, eatenus nomina
fabricauit, quatenus rei naturam proprietatem &
usus exprimeret. [ In marg.: In autem de defen.
civi. col. iii in prin. in Institu. de Don. f.f. est &
aliud.] Ea enim est antiquorum nominum veritas,
testantibus id quoque Romanis legibus, ut ipsa
sint consona rebus, ac aperte rerum significatiua.
Ideo a nominibus argumentum apud theologos ac
iurisconsultos magni est momenti.
Quemadmodum de Nabal scriptum legimus,
secundum nomen suum stultus est, & est stultitia
cum eo. Hinc Paulus in epistola ad Hebræos [Ad
Hebræ 1.] ostensurus præcellentiam Christi, hoc
utitur argumento: Quia tanto melior angelis
effectus est (inquiens) quanto differentius præ
illis nomen hæreditauit. Et alibi: [Ad Philip. 2.]
Dedit illi nomen [9] quod est super omne nomen,
ut in nomine Iesu omne genu flectatur,cœlestium, terrestrium, & inferorum. Adde non
paruam iuris utriusque vim in verborum
obligationibus, in verborum significationibus, in
Since Names are signs of things, and that allmatter presents it self to us cloathed in words,the Learned have advis'd us in all Discourses,First, To consider diligently the Notations orAppellations of those things whereof weintend to Treat, which if we reduce topractice in our present Subject, we mayobserve, that Woman was made at first somuch more excellent than Man, by howmuch she had given her a Name more worthy
than he; the word Adam, signifying but Earth, whereas Eve, is interpreted Life;whence it seems, Woman is no less to bepreferr'd before Man, than Life it self beforesordid and contemptible Earth. Nor let anyweak heads fancy this argument lame orinvalid, because from names it passes
judgement on things, since it must beacknowledged, that the All-wise Contriverboth of names and things, well knew thethings before he imposed names on them; andtherefore (it being impossible he should bedeceived) did undoubtedly bestow on themsuch fit and apposite names, as might bestexpress their intrinsick natures and dignity.Nor is it only the holy tomgue that intimatesthis sexes Pre-eminence, the Latines too seemvery express in asserting it, amongst whomWoman is names Mulier, quasi Melior, asmuch as to say, better or more worthy thanMan. And in our English language, although
Some little wits at Woman rail
and ban,Swearing she's call'd so, quasi
woe to Man;Yet such vain derivations are toblame,
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conditionibus & demonstrationibus, in
conditionibus appositus atque id genus
disputationibus, iuriumque apicibus
comprehendi, uti in illis ipsis comparibusque aliis
utriusque iuris titulis comprehendere licet. Sic
enim in iure arguimus a nominis interpretatione.
Item à vi verbi, atque vocabuli. Insuper & ab
etymologia nominis, & à nominis ratione, & àverborum ordine. Iura etenim ipsa haud segniter
considerant significationes nominum, ut ex illis
aliquid interpretentur. Cyprianus etiam adversus
Iudæos arguit primum hominem à quatuor mundi
cardinibus nomen adeptum esse, quasi
quod
sonat oriens, occidens, septentrio, meridies. Et in
eodem libro interpretatur idem nomen Adam,
quia terra caro facta est, quam vis talis expositiodiscrepat à traditione Mose, quum apud Hebræos
non quatuor literis sed tribus scribatur. Hæc
tamen expositio in tam sancto viro non est
vituperanda, qui linguam Hebraicam non didicit,
quam plures sancti & sacrarum literarum
expositores sine multa culpa ignorarunt. Quod si
mecum non habeatur similis licentiæ patientia, ut
liceat mihi ad arbitrium in fœminei sexus laudem
nominis Euæ pariformem etymologiam effingere,saltem hoc unum mihi dicere permittant [10] ex
Cabalistarum mysticis symbolis, ipsum nomen
mulieris plus affinitatis habere cum nomine
ineffabili diuinæ omnipotentiæ
, quàm nomen viri quod cum
diuino nomine nec in characteribus, nec in figura,
nec in numero convenit.
Since God himself did her Man's
help-meet name.Woman promote our joyes,partake our woes,But we men work our own, andtheir o'rethrowes.
Tis too great a derogation from the knownprudence and piety of our ancestors, to
imagine them at once so injurious andimpious, as to brand this noble Sex with aname, diametrically thwarting that characterwhich Heaven it self had given of its Nature.We may with much more probability, (theonly Compass to sail by in an Ocean of Etymologies) suppose the word, Woman, tobe derived quasi Woe man, she being theloadstone of Man's desires, and the soleadequate object of his affections, whom he isto woe, court, and settle his love on; or elsefrom With Man, abbreviated in thepronunciation, intimating the need Man hathof her presence and company, and his dullheartless condition without her. Society is thelife of Life, and Women the life of Society,compar'd with whom all other pleasures anddiversions are but flat and melancholy;whereof the Protoplast, even whilest he wasin his state of innocency, and had a garden of pleasure for his habitation, was not insensible;of whom thus a minor poet,
Adam alone in Paradise didgrieve,and thought Eden a desertwithout Eve,Untill God pittying his lonesomestate,Crown'd all his wishes with aloely mate.No reason then hath Man toslight or flout her,Who could not live in Paradisewithout her.
However if we shall not be allow'd thepriviledge of contriving for the honour of theFemale Sex, such advantageous etymologies,yet let us at least affirm from the mysteriouslearning of the Cabalists; that the Woman'sName in the original language, hath a muchnearer affinity with the ineffableTetragrammaton, or sacred name of theDivine Essence, than the Man's, which bearsno resemblance thereto either in characters,
figures, or number.
Sed in nunc supersedebimus: sunt enim paucis
lecta, paucis lecta, paucioribus intellecta, &
But waving (at present) this abstruser
mode of proof, as a matter read by few,
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fusiorem narrationem requiunt quam ut hic
adscribi conveniat. Nos interim excellentiam
mulieris non à nomine modo, sed à rebus ipsis ac
muniis meritisque investigabimus. Scrutemur
itaque scripturas (ut aiunt) & ab ipso creationis
initio sumentes exordium quid dignitatis mulier
ipsa in primo productionis ordine supra virum
sortita est disseramus. Scimus quæcunque à Deooptimo maximo facta sunt, hoc potissimum
differre ut quædam eorum perpetuò maneant
incorruptibilia, quædam corruptioni, ac mutationi
subiecta sint, atque in his creandis, Deum hoc
ordine progressum ut à nobiliori unius incipiens,
in nobilissimum alterius desineret. Itaque creauit
primum incorruptibiles angelos, & animas: ita
namque contendit Augustinus animam primi
nostri parentis ante corporum productionem una
cum angelis creatam fuisse [ Augu. super Genes.
Ii. 7.]. Porro creauit incorruptibilia corpora, ut
cœlos ac stellas, ac elementa incorruptibilia
quidem, sed variis mutationibus obnoxia, ex
quibus cætera omnia quæ corruptioni subiecta
sunt, conflauit ex vilioribus per singulos
dignitatis gradus, rursus ascendendo ad universi
[11] perfectionem procedens [Gene. 2.]. Hinc
primum mineralia prodierunt post vegetabilia,
plantæ, & arbores, deinde zoophita, demumanimantia bruta per ordinem reptilia, natantia,
volantia, quadrupedia. Postremò verò creauit sibi
similes homines duos, marem inquem primum, &
postremo fœminam, in qua perfecti sunt cœli, &
terra, & omnis ornatus eorum, ad mulieris enim
creationem, veniens creator, quieuit in illa, ut
nihil honoratius creandum præ manibus habens,
in ipsaque conclusa & consummata est omnis
creatoris sapientia, atque potestas, ultra quamnon reperitur creatura alia, nec excogitari potest.
Cum itaque mulier sit ultima creaturarum, ac
finis, & complementum omnium operum Dei
perfectissimum, ipsiusque universi perfectio, quis
eam negabit super omnem creaturam præcellentia
dignissimam sine qua mundus ipse iam ad
unguem perfectissimus, & numeris omnibus
absolutus fuisset imperfectus, qui non aliter quam
in creaturarum omnium longe perfectissima
perfici potuit. Dissentaneum enim est &absurdum opinari, Deum in aliquo imperfecto
tantum opus per fecisse. Nam cum mundus ipse
velut integerrimus aliquis perfectissimusque
understood by fewer, and requiring a
more ample ample explication, than
our leisure, no less than the reader's
patience, can here allow of, we proceed
from words to things, and come to
investigate and display Female
Excellency, not barely from the name,
but in reality from its intrinsick worthand proper endowments; for long
jangling about nominals, whilest
substances fleet by unregarded, may
argue some smattering in Grammar, or
Sophistry, but no great stock of solid or
usefull learning.
Let us then (as we are commanded)
search the Scriptures, and dating our
discourse with the World's original,examine what dignity was alotted to
Woman above Man, by order of
Creation. We know that all things
made by the Almighty Architect, may
not unfitly be branched into these two
ranks, some remaining ever
incorruptible, others subject to
corruption and mutation; in the creation
of both which, Divine Wisdomeproceeded in a method of descension
and ascension, beginning with the more
noble of the one, and concluding with
the most noble of the other. Hence he
first created those purer essences,
immaterial angels and souls, (for so the
great St. Augustine contends, that the
soul of our first parent was created
together with the angels, before the
poroduction of his body) then the
incorruptible bodies, as the Heavens,
and those vast numbers of glorious
stars, wherewith the same are
embroidered; as also the elements,
incorruptible too, but obnoxious to
various mutations, of which last he
composed all other things liable to
corruption, beginning with the
meanest, and so proceeding upwardsagain by several degrees of dignity, to
the perfection of the Universe; so as
first minerals were brought forth, then
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circulus à Deo creatus sit, oportuit illum in ea
particula absolui quæ omnium primum cum
omnium ultimo unitissimo quodam nexu in sese
copularet. Sic mulier dum creatur mundus inter
omnia creata tempore fuit ultima, eademque cum
authoritate, tum dignitate in ipso diuinæ mentis
conceptu omnium fuit prima, sicut de illa
scriptum est per Prophetam: Antequam cœlicrearentur elegit eam Deus, & præelegit eam. [12]
Ea siquidem est pervulgata philosophantium (ut
illorum verbis utar) sententia finem semper
priorem esse in intentione & in executione
postremum. Mulier autem fuit postremum Dei
opus introducta à Deo in hunc mundum velut
eius regina in regiam sibi iam paratam ornatam,
& omnibus muneribus absolutam. Merito igitur
illam omnis creatura amat, veneratur, obseruat,
meritoque illi omnis creatura subiicitur, atque
obedit, quæ omnium creaturarum regina est atque
finis, & perfectio, & gloria modis omnibus
absoluta. Quamobrem de illa Sapiens inquit:
Generositatem mulieris glorificat, contubernium
habens Dei, sed & omnium Dominus dilexsit
eam. Quantum etiam ratione loci in quo creata
est mulier, generis nobilitate virum excedit, sacra
nobis eloquia locupletissime testantur, quando
mulier in paradiso nobilissimo loco pariter &amœnissimo formata est cum angelis, vir autem
extra paradisum in agro rurali cum brutis
animalibus factus est. Postea creandam mulierem
traductus in paradisum. Ideoque mulier peculiari
quadam naturæ dote veluti assueta æditissimo
creationis suæ loco, quantumvis ab also
despiciens non patitur vertiginem, neque caligant
oculi eius, ut viris accidere solet. Prætereà si
contingat mulierem cum viro pariter in aquispericlitari omni externo adiutorio semoto mulier
diutius supernatat viro, citius subsidente
fundumque petente. Quod autem loci dignitas ad
hominis nobilitatem faciat, leges ciuiles sacrique
canones haud obscure confirmant, [13] &
omnium gentium consuetudo. Illud maxime
obseruat non solum in hominibus, sed quibusque
animalibus, etiam in inanimatis æstimandis, ut
quanto quæque dignioræ sunt orto loco tanto
generosiora censeantur. Quocirca Isaac præcepitfilio suo Iacob ne uxorem acciperet de terra
Canaan, sed de Mesopotamia syriæ conditione
meliore. Est haud dissimile quod est apud
sprouted up vegetables, plants, herbs,
and trees, afterwards plant-animals,
then living creatures in order, creeping,
swimming, flying, and four-footed, and
last of all he formed our first parents
after his own similitude, first the man,
and then the woman, in whom was
compleated the Heavens and the Earth,and all the glory of them, for after her
creation the great Creator rested, as
having nothing more honourable to
frame; and so well resented the
pleasure of having finisht this glorious
work so happily, that he instituted a
day of each seven to celebrate its
Festival. Woman then beingthe last of
the creatures, the end, complement,
and consummation of all the works of
God, what ignorance is there so stupid,
or what impudence can there be so
effronted, as to deny her a prerogative
above all other creatures, without
whom the World it self had been
imperfect; it being impossible the same
should be compleated, but in some
creature most perfect, and absurd to
dream, that Infinite Wisdome wouldconclude so noble a fabrick, with a
thing any way trivial or defective: for
the whole Universe being created by
God, as an entire and perfect circle, it
was requisite the same should be made
up, and finisht in such an exact and
absolute particle, as might with a most
strict tye unite and glew toghether the
first of all things with the last. Thus thewoman in relation to time indeed was
formed last, but in respect of dignity,
first of all conceived in the divine Idea,
(as 'tis written, Before the Heavens
were created I chose her;) the End ,
according to the Catholick Creed of
philosophers, being ever first in
intention, though last in execution: but
Woman was the End , and last work of
God, and introduced into the World,not unlike a queen into her royal
palace, Paradise her metropolitan
residence, being fitted and prepared
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Iohannem [Iohan. 1.] dum Philippus diceret:
Invenimus Iesum filium Ioseph, à Nazareth dixit
ei Nathanael, à Nazareth potest esse aliquid boni.
before hand for her reception and
entertainment, where the Man seem'd
only her harbinger or attendant.
Deservedly therefore doth every
creature love, and pay respect and
homage to her, who is of all creatures
the queen, perfection, and glory; for
which cause the wise man saith, Heglorifies the generosity of the Woman,
having society with God, the Lord of
all hath loved her.
But further, in reference to the place of
her creation, how much Woman doth
surpass Man in dignity, sacred Oracles
liberally inform us, witnessing her to
be created in Paradise, a place no lessnoble, than pleasant and delightfull; but
the Man out of Paradise, in a rural
field, with irrational brutes. And
therefore as great personages, of noble
extraction, though by the malice of
Fortune reduc'd to extremities, retain
still some marks of grandeur, and a
mean different from the vulgar, so
Woman carries yet an air of Paradise,something that speaks her sublime
descent, her inclinations beign
generally more pious and devout, and
her countenance angelical, and (as
accustomed to that sublime place of her
first birth) she enjoys this peculiar
priviledge, that looking downwards,
though from never so high a precipice,
she is not seiz'd with that dizziness or
dimness of sight, which frequently in
such accidents happens to men. As also
if a man and woman together chance to
be exposed to danger by water,
(deprived of all external aid or
assistance) you may behold her a long
time floating on the chrystal
superficies, the compassionate element
seeming unwilling to contract the guilt
of destroying so much excellency;whilest the Man streight sinks, and
(like other gross bodies) tends to the
bottome, as his proper center. Now that
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the dignity of the place of nativity
conduces not a little to the enobling a
person, both the civil laws, and sacred
canons plainly intimate, and the
custome of all nations confirms; and
that not only in men, but in all other
animals, yea inanimate creatures,
esteeming each so much more generousand noble, as they come from a more
worth place. Thus Isaac commands his
Jacob not to take a wife of the land of
Canaan, but of the then more renowned
country, Mesopotamia of Syria: not
unlike which is that in John, where
Philip relating, that he had found Jesus
of Nazareth, Nathanael (that true
Isreaelite) nimbly queries, If any thing
good could come thence?
Nunc ad alia pergamus: Præcellit mulier virum
materia creationis, propterea quod non ex
inanimato quopiam aut vili luto creata [Gen. 2.],
quemadmodum vir, sed ex materia purificata,
viuificata, & animata, anima inquam rationali
mentem participante diuinam. Accedit ad hoc
quod vir ex terra quasi suapte natura omnis
generis animantia producente cooperante cœlestiinfluxu à Deo factus est. Mulier autem supra
omnem cœli influxum ac naturæ promptitudinem
absque ulla virtute cooperante à solo Deo creata
est, in omnibus sibi constans integra, & perfecta
viro interim unius costæ iacturam faciente, ex
qua formata est mulier, videlicet Eua de Adam
dormiente, atque tam profunde ut ne costam
quidem evelli sentiret, quam Deum abstulit à viro
& dedit mulieri. Vir itaque naturæ opus, mulieropificium dei. Ideoque mulier diuini splendoris
plerunque viro capacior, sæpeque plena existit,
quod etiamnum, ex munditia & pulchritudine
ipsius mirifica facile videre licet. Nam quum
pulchritudo ipsa nihil est [14] aliud quam diuini
vultus, atque luminis splendor rebus insitus, per
corpora formosa relucens. Is certe mulieres præ
viris habitare ac replere abundantissime elegit.
Hinc mulieris corpusculum omni aspectu
tactuque delicatissimum, Caro tenerrimam, colorclarus, & candidus, cutis nitida, caput decorum,
casaries venustissima, capilli molles, lucidi &
protensi, vultus augustior, prospectusque hilarior,
But to proceed; as in order and place,
so also in matter of her Creation,
Woman far excells Man. things receive
their value from the matter they are
made of, and the excellent skill of their
maker: Pots of common clay must not
contend with China-dishes, nor pewter
utensils vye dignity with those of silver. One line drawn by Appelles his
exquisite pencill, is more to be
esteemed, than whole portraitures
perform'd by the slubbering hands of
vulgar artists. Woman was not
composed of any inanimate or vile dirt,
but of a more refined and purified
substance, enlivened and actuated by a
Rational Soul, whose operations speakit a beam, or bright ray of Divinity.
Man was taken out of the Earth, which
of its own nature, with the co-operation
of Celestial Influxes, is wont to bring
forth living creatures: but Woman,
above all influence of the Heavens, or
aptitude of Nature, without any
assisting virtue, or co-operating power,
was formed miraculously, by god
himself, out of that ribb taken fromdormant Adam's side, whereby Man
became maim'd and imperfect; and
thence ever since, as a needle that hath
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facies omnium formosissima, ceruix lactea, frons
expeditus, spatiosus & splendidus, oculos habet
vibrantiores, micantioresque, amabili hilaritate,
& gratia contemperatos, supra hos supercilia in
tenuem gyrum composita, eademque cum decora
planitie, decenti distantia diuisa, è quorum medio
descendit nasus, æqualis & intra rectum modum
cohibitus, sub quo os rutilum, & tenellis labrisconformi compositione venustum intra quæ tenui
risu, dentes emicant, minutili & æquo ordine
locati, eburneo candore nitentes, illorúmque
quam viro paucior numerus quod neque edax
neque mordax. Circumsurgunt maxillæ,
genæque, tenera mollitie roseo fulgore rubentes,
verecundiæque plenæ, ac mentum orbiculare,
decenti concauitate iucundum. Sub hoc collum
habet gracile, & longiusculum, rotundis ex
humeris erectum, gulam delicatam & albicantem,
mediocri crassitiæ fultam vocem, & orationem
suauiorem, pectus amplum, & eminens, æquali
carne vestitum cum mamillarum duritie,
illarumque simul ac ventris orbiculari rotunditate,
latera mollia, dorsum planum & erectum brachia
extensa, manus teretes digitosque concinnis
iuncturis, [15] protensos, ilia coxasque habitiores,
suras carnosiores, extrema manuum pedumque in
orbicularem ductum desinentia, singulaquemembra succi plena. Ad hæc incessus gressusque
modestus, motus decentior, gestus digniores,
totiusque præterea corporis ordine atque
symmetria, figura ac habitudine longe lateque in
omnibus speciosissima, nullumque in tota
creaturarum serie, neque spectaculum adeo
mirandum, neque miraculum perinde
spectandum, ut nemo nisi cæcus omnino non
videat deum ipsum quicquid pulchritudinis capaxest mundus universus in mulierem simul
congessisse, ut ob id illam omnis creatura
stupescat, & multis nominibus amet, ac
veneretur, usque adeo ut usu venire videamus
quod incorporei spiritus, dæmonesque mulieres
sæpissime ardentissimis amoribus depereant, quæ
non fallax opinio est, sed multis experimentis
nota veritas. Atque ut omittam ea quæ poetæ
nobis de amoribus deorum, eorumdemque
amasiis tradidere, ut Apollinis, Daphne, Neptuni,Salmonea, Herculis, Hebe, Iole, & omphale,
cæterorumque deorum amasiis, & ipsius Iovis
admodum multis, Hoc tam divinum
suffered the magnetick touch, stands
alwayes trembling till he looks full on
its beloved North, so he can never rest,
till by taking a woman, and
incorporating her with himself, he
retreive that loss, and render himself
again intire and perfect, The rare art
exercised in rearing this Female-Fabrick, is not obscurely intimated by
the Divine Historian, in his Original
Language, where God is said to make
Man, but to have built Woman; that
implying but common work, this much
curiosity, and contrivance; insomuch
that Man seems little more than the
production of Nature, Woman, the
more immediate handiwork of the God
of Nature. And therefore for the most
part Woman is more susceptable of,
and replenisht with divine splendor and
irradiations, than Man, of which her
incomparable Neatness, and charming
Beauty, may be a pregnant evidence;
for Beauty is nothing but the brightness
or radiancy of Divine Light, shining in
created Essences, and casting on us its
glorious reflections from fair bodies, asillustriously as out weak eyes are
capable without dazleing to behold it.
And this most frequently chooseth to
reside in Woman, rather than Man;
whence she becomes beyond all
espression amiable and delightfull, her
flesh tender and delicate, her colour
bright and clear, her hair most
becoming, her locks (Cupids Fetters,and the only threads wherewith he
strings his bow) soft, long, and
glittering, her countenance more august
and majestical, her lokks more
sprightly, vivid, and jocund, a snow-
white neck, and large smooth high
fore-head, sparkling eyes, armed with
irresistable glances, and yet tempered
with a lovely grace and chearfulness,
arches over with stately eyebrows,(half Moons, that boast more conquests
than the proud Turkish ensigns) which
being divided with a beseeming, plain,
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pulchritudinis munus diis, hominibusque amabile
sacra eloquia in mulieribus præ cæteris gratiarum
dotibus in multis locis celebriter commendant
[Gene. 6.]. Hinc legitur in Genesi quod videntes
filii Dei filias hominum quod essent pulchræ,
delegerunt uxores sibi ex illis quas voluerunt.
Legimus etiam de Sara Abrahæ quod fuit pulchra
præ aliis terræ mulieribus, imo pulcherrima. Sicservus Abrahæ cum vidisset Rebeccam eximiæ
pulchritudinis puellam, dixit tacitus secum: Hæc
est quam præparavit Dominus filio Abrahæ,
Isaac, & Abigail [16] uxor Nabal viri pessimi erat
prudens, & cordata, perinde atque speciosa.
Ideoque servavit vitam & facultatem viri sui à
furore David. Et malus vir per pulchram
mulierem servatus est. His namque verbis
allocutus est eam David: Vade pacifice in
domum tuam, ecce audivi vocem tuam, &
honorificavi faciem tuam, nam cum omnis
pulchritudo sit, vel spiritualis, vel vocalis, vel
corporea. Abigail tota pulchra fuit, & prudentia
spiritus, & facundia sermonis, & venustate
corporis, quo nomine mortuo viro suo Nabal
facta est una uxorum David. Et Bathsaba fuit
adeo insigni forma mulier, ut eius amore captus
David, illam post mortem viri desponsatam
reginali dignitate præ cæteris elevaret. ItemAbisag sunamitis quod esset puella pulcherrima,
propterea electa fuit ut accubando David
senescœntis iam regis calorem instauraret.
Quapropter & summis honoribus senex eam rex
augere voluit, & post mortem regis potentis
reginæ loco habita est. Huc spectant ea quæ de
mira pulchritudine reginæ Vasti legimus, atque
de Hester quæ illi prælata, illaque præstantior
fuit, nimis quam pulchra & decora facie. DeIudith etiam legimus cuius auxit Dominus
pulchritudinem, in tantum ut eam conspicati
stupore sint admirando affecti. De Susanna
denique quæ fuit oppido quam delicata, & specie
pulchra. Quid quod legimus etiam post varia
tentamenta Iob & eius ærumnas exantlatas præter
cætera quæ summa patientia meruit, dedisse illi
Dominum tres filias [17] pulcherrimas, tribus
charitibus longe gratiores, quibus mulieres in
universa terra speciosiores neutiquam inventæsunt. Legamus porro licebit sanctarum virginum
historias, nimirum mirabimur quam miræ
pulchritudinis et speciosissimæ formæ præ
and equal distance, her well
proportioned nose leads to her pretty
mouth, and that displaying with an
amorous smile, the rosie portals of its
soft ruddy lips, discovers a row of
inestimable pearl, her fine small teeth,
even, and out-vying ivory for
whiteness, yet fewer in number thanman's, as having less occasion to use
them, being neither great eater, nor
biter. Then her modest cheeks, whose
colours are so purely mixt, that lillies
and roses seem there to contend for
superiority, and her pretty round chin,
beautified with a love-dimple; a voice
she hath most sweet and inchanting;
breasts which seem two sphears of
snow, or swelling mountaines of
delight; long arms, little hands,
interwoven with a curious laberynth of
azure veins; long slender fingers,
nimble joints, and all parts of her body
plump, juicy, and attractive. Besides,
her gate is so modest, her motions
decent and natural, her gesture more
free and noble, her air more taking and
complacent, and the whole form, habit,and symmetry of her person, graced
with such innumerable charms, as
without injuring truth, we may affirm,
That in the whole series of creatures
there is nothing so much to be admir'd,
or miracle so deserving to be seen,
since in her alone all that have not their
eyes blear'd with prejudice, or envy,
may clearly see, the great Creator (whois the fountain of all that is good and
amiable) hath epitomized the beauty of
all his other works, for those
perfections which sparkle here and
there in them, are collected and
constellated in her, whom we may call,
a draught of the whole Creation in
miniature, or a copy of that vast
Volume done in exquisite short-hand.
Hence all creatures admire, love, andalmost adore her; for so (* Lib. 8. Nat.
Hist.) Pliny (that great clark of Nature's
Closet) relates, That the lion which
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cæteris filiis hominum catholica ecclesia
solemniter illas collaudando decantet. Sed
omnium longe lateque principem immaculatam
Dei genitricem virginem Mariam, cuius
pulchritudinem sol & luna mirantur, è cuius
speciosissimo vultu tanta simul effulsit
pulchritudinis castimonia, atque sanctitudo, ut
licet omnium oculos pariter & mentesperstringeret, nemo tamen unquam mortalium
suis illecebris, vel minimo cogitatu corruerit.
Hæc etiam si fusius è sacris bibliis ubi toties de
pulchritudine facta mentio, idque ipsissimis pene
verbis ideo recensui, quo plane intelligamus
mulierum pulchritudinem, non apud homines
solum, sed & apud Deum c ohonestatam esse &
honore cumulatam. [ Numeri. 31] Proinde & alibi
legimus in sacris literis Deum præcepisse omnem
masculum sexum etiam pueros occidi, mulieres
vero pulchras servari. [ Deut. 21.] Et in
Deuteronomio permittitur filiis Israel pulchram
mulierem è captivis sibi deligere in coniugem.
spareth no other creature, trembleth at
a woman, and hardly proffereth her
that violence which usually he doth to
Man; as if Nature had taught that
savage animal the respects due to so
fair a presence. Nor is it only the
conceit of fond opinion, but a very
credible Truth, That even spiritualNatures, incorporeal Essences, and
Dæmons, have many times been
enamoured on Women with wonderfull
passion; for omitting those stories poets
tell us, of the Amours of their fabulous
Deities, as Apollo and Daphne,
Neptune and Salmonea, or rampant
Hercules with his three wenches, Hebe,
Jole, and Omphale, &c. The Holy
Scripture seems to intimate no less, as
in Genesis we find, That the Sons of
God seeing the Daughters of Men were
fair, took of them for their wives: to
which we might adde, (if it be not too
Apochryphal) the ill spirit Asmodeus,
who so jealously courted the Lady, that
he destroy'd all his rivals, in the history
of Tobit. Indeed these sacred rolls are
frequent in recommending this divineornament, Beauty, and furnish us with
various examples of its power and
excellency. Thereby it was Abigail
preserved her churlish husband's life
and fortune, from the fury of incensed
David; for thus the royal captain
accosts her, Return in peace, I have
heard thy voice, and honoured thy
face, (or as other versions render it, Accepted thy person.) All beauty is
either intellectual, vocal, or corporeal;
in each of which this Lady is recorded
to have been eminently accomplisht,
being both prudent in mind, eloquent
of speech, and beautifull in person; for
which excellency perfections, David
after Nabal's decease accepted her for
one of his wives. Hester's beauty was a
means to deliver her people out of the jaws of destruction, to which proud
Haman had devoted them. And fair
Judith's charms infatuating the besotted
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general, preserved her nation from a
ruine which seem'd inevitable. After
those various temptations and tedious
afflictions of holy Job, Heaven (as if it
could not bestow a better earthly
reward on such a stupendious and
inimitable patience) blest him with
three daughters so sweet, fair, andattractive, that they surpast those
graces poets fable of, and the whole
World (bankrupt of such other
excellency) could not produce their
parallels. Who reading the legends of
the Sacred Virgins, can but admire in
them that transcendent beauty, which
the Church vouchsafes to celebrate
with such solemn Eulogies of honour?
especially that immaculate Virgin, the
blessed Mary, whose beauty is said to
be so exactly temper'd with chastity
and holiness, trhat though it captivated
all hearts, yet it never tempted any to
folly, so much as in thought. Not is
beauty only esteemed amongst men,
but seems also to be particularly
regarded even by God himself, (as
indeed how can he but respect his ownreflection.) Thus we sometimes read
him commanding all the males (even
children) should be slain, but the
women that were fair to be saved alive.
And in Deuteronomy, liberty is
indulged to the Israelites, to take one of
their captives to wife, if she were
beautifull, which otherwise was
unlawfull.
Præter hanc admirandam pulchritudinem etiam
honestatis quadam dignitate mulier dotata est,
But besides this charming excellency,
which not only invites, but commands
our admiration, Woman is endowed
with another natural ornament, not
vouchsaft to men; her hair growing to
that becoming length, as to veil those
more reserved parts, whereof modesty
commands concealment; and indeed of
that slushing virtue this sweet Sex may justly challenge the far greatest share,
it having been oft experienced, (*) that
in desperate diseases, they have chosen
(*) This
discourse inthe original
wasdedicated by
the author
Agrippa, tothe Princess
Margaret,
afterwards
wife toMaximilian,
Emperor,who was
herself a
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quod viris non contingit: Nam capilli mulieris in
tantum promittuntur, ut omnes corporis partes
pudentiores operire possint. Adde quod has
corporis partes in naturæ operibus mulieri
contrectare, id quod viris adsolet usui [18] venire,
nunquam est necesse. Ad miram denique
decentiam natura ipsa mulieribus inguina
ordinavit non prominentia uti viris, sed intusmanentia, ac secretiori tutiorique loco seposita.
Porro natura plus verecundiæ contulit mulieribus,
quam viris. Quamobrem sæpissime contigit
mulierem inguinum periculoso abscessu
ægrotantem mortem elegisse, potius quam se
chyrurgi conspectu ac contrectationi obiiceret
medendam. Et hanc verecundiæ honestatem
etiamnum moribundæ mortuæque retinent, ut in
his patet maxime quæ in aquis pereunt. Nam
authore Plinio atque experientia teste, mulier
prona iacet pudori defunctarum parcente natura,
vir autem natat supinus. Accedit ad hæc quod
dignissimum in homine membrum quo maxime à
brutis differimus divinamque judicamus naturam,
caput est, & in eo potissimum vultus. Caput
quidem in viris calvitie deformatur, muliere
contra magno naturæ privilegio non calvescente.
Vultus insuper in viris barba illis odiosissima
adeo sæpe deturpatur, pilisque sordidis operitur,ut vix à beluis discerni possint. In mulieribus
contra ramanente semper facie pura atque decora.
Hinc lege duodecim tabularum cautum erat ne
mulieres genas raderent, ne quando barba
excresceret & pudor occultaretur. Munditiæ
etiam ac puritatis ipsius mulieris omnibus vel hoc
evidentissimum argumentum est, quod mulier
semel munde abluta, quoties post aqua pura
diluitur, aqua ipsa nullam recipit immunditiæmaculam. [19] Vir autem quantumcumque
ablutus, quoties denuo abluit, turbat aquam, &
inficit. Ad hæc naturæ ordinatione mulieribus per
loca secretiora singulis mensibus superfluitates
expelluntur, quæ viris per faciem multo
digniorem humani corporis partem continuo
emittuntur. Præterea cum inter cætera animantia
solis hominibus concessum sit ad coelum
attollere vultus, natura fortunaque mulieri in hoc
mirifice prospexerunt atque adeo pepercerunt, utsi casu fortuitove cadendum sit, mulieres fere
semper in tergum decidant, ac vel nunquam vel
non temere in caput vultumve prosternantur.
to expose themselves to Death's
imbraces, rather than to the view and
handling of chyrurgions [surgeons] for
cure. Nor can Death it self rifle them of
this modest bashfulness, for when
drowned, (as Pliny relates, and
experience proves) they lye in the
water with their faces downwards,Nature sparing their modesty, whereas
a man in such a case swims on his
back, exposing all his shame and
nakedness to publick view. further, the
most worthy part of us, whereby we
chiefly differ from brutes, is the head ,
and of that, especially the face. Now in
men, that noble member the head, is
often by age or other infirmity
plundered of hair, its native ornament,
and grows deformed with a despicable
baldness, from which misfortune
women by an extraordinary priviledge
of Nature are exempt. As likewise their
faces remain alwayes smooth and
comely; whereas men's are frequently
so beset with over-grown beards, and
sordid hair, that 'tis difficult to
distinguish them from beasts; whenceby the Law of the Twelve Tables, it
was provided, women should not shave
their cheeks, lest it might occasion the
growth of beards, and destroy their
native pudor [modesty] and
comeliness. Now of the cleanness and
purity of this sex, this oft-try'd
experiment cannot but be a proof
beyond exception; for when a womanhath once washt her self clean, let her
wash again in fresh water, and it shall
receive no spot or tincture of foulness;
but a man never so well washt, as oft
as he washes again, will still leave
behind some filth and sordities. Nor
may we omit, That Nature hath given
Women the greatest share in the
procreation of Mankind; for according
to the opinion of those great pillars of the Art of healing, Galen and
Avicenna, she contributes most to the
matter and nutriment of the birth,
fatal
instancehereof, for
breaking her
thigh by afall from a
horse as she
was hunting,she would
not permit
chyrurgions
to set it, butchose ratherto die
thereof, than
prostituteher modesty.
See Speed's
Chronicle.
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Quid (quod ne omittamus) nonne in humani
generis procreatione videmus naturam viris
mulierem prætulisse? Quod hoc maxime
perspicuum est, quia solum muliebre semen
Galeno [Gal. 2. de spermate et 14, de utilitate
particularum] & Avicenna [Avi. doc. 5 fen prima
primi.] testibus, est materia et nutrimentum
foetus, viri autem minime, quod illiquodammodo ut accidens substantiæ ingrediatur.
Maximum enim ut ait lex, atque, præcipuum
munus est fœminarum concipere, conceptumque
tueri, obquam causam videmus plurimos
matribus similes esse, quia ex earum sanguine
procreatos. Idque plurimum in corporis habitu,
semper autem in moribus, si enim matres stolidæ
sunt, & filii stolidi fiunt, si matres prudentes, &
filii earum prudentiam redolent. Contra vero in
patribus qui si ipsi sint sapientes, filios ut
plurimum generant stolidos, & stolidi patres
sapientes producunt filios, modo sapiens mater
sit. Nec alia ratio est cur matres plus [20] patribus
diligant filios suos, nisi quia multo plus de suo
sentiunt, habentque in illis matres, quam patres.
Ob eandem quam dixi causam, etiam arbitror
nobis inditum esse, uti plus in matrem quam in
patrem simus adfecti, usque adeo ut patrem
diligere matrem solam amare videamur.Eademque de causa natura mulieribus tanti
vigoris lac contulit, quod non solum infantes
nutriat verum etiam & ægros restaurat, & adultis
quibusque ad vitæ columen sufficiat. Cuius
experimentum legimus apud Valerium [Val. li. 5.
ca. 4.] de plebeia, quadam iuvencula, quæ
matrem suam in carcere sic aluit, cum alioqui
fame esset peritura, quam ob pietatem salus matri
& utrique perpetua alimenta data sunt, carcerquein pietatis templum consecratus est. Constat
autem semper fere mulierem maioris esse pietatis
et misericordiæ, quam virum quod & Aristoteles
[Aristot. lib. de animalibus.] ipse fœmineo sexui
proprium tribuit. Quamobrem arbitror dixisse
Salomonem ubi non est mulier ingemiscit æger
[ Ecclesia. 26.], vel quod in inserviendo et
adsistendo valetudinariis miræ est dexteritatis, &
alacritatis, quod lac muliebre potissimum ægris
debilibus etiam morti vicinis præsentaneumremedium est, quo ad vitam restituantur. Hinc, ut
ferunt medici calor earumdem papillarum
virorum nimio senio confectorum pectori
which may be the reason that most
children resemble their mothers many
times in external features, but almost
alwayes in genius and inclinations; for
where mothers be simple, the children
generally prove fools, and where they
are wise, these are witty: but on the
contrary, the wisest fathers have mosttimes idiots to their sons, and foolish
fathers frequently get wise children,
provided the mother be but possest of a
competent stock of discretion. And
hence it should seem, mothers become
more fond and indulgent to children, as
being sensible of having a greater share
and interest in them; in requital
whereof for the same cause, we are
naturally more affected towards our
mothers than to our fathers, so as we
seem but to respect our father, and to
love only our mother. And this leads us
to make some reflection on that which
is our first commons in this World, our
mother's milk, a thing of that catholick
virtue, that it not only nourishes
infants, cherishes the sick, and restores
consumptive and languishing nature,but may in case of necessity suffice for
the preservation of life to persons of
any age, a notable instance whereof we
read in Valerius, of a poor young
woman, who therewith preserved her
aged mother in prison, that otherwise
had inevitable been swallowed up by
the devouring jaws of famine, whereby
She sav'd her life who gave
her life before,
And kindly did in kind her
milk restore.
Which signal love and tenderness not
only procured the old woman's release,
and a competent maintenance for her
and her daughter, but for a monument
thereof the goal was converted into theTemple of Piety, a virtue to which
women are almost ever more prone
than men; so that Aristotle recounts
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applicatus, calorem vitalem in illis excitat
adauget, & conservat, quod ne Davida quidem
latuit, qui Abisaac sunamitem puellam delegit in
senio, illius calefactus amplexibus.
piety, mercy, and compassion, as
virtues peculiar to this sex. Nor is it
unusual for physitians to relate, That
the heat of young women's paps,
applyed to the breasts of persons won
out with age, doth stir up, augment,
and preserve the vital heat, of which
David not ignorant, when age hadsnow'd her silver hairs on his head, and
robb'd him of his youthfull vigour;
procured the fair young Shunamite for
his bed-fellow, that he might receive
warmth from her sweet caresses, and
cherishing imbraces.
Porro etiam hoc promptior est viro mulier [21] ad
sacrum illud generandi officium (ut omnibuspalam est) quod hæc quidem decennis & infra
viri, potens est ille vero longe succedat.
Prætereque nemini id obscurum est, solam
fetificantium mulierem postquam prægnans est &
ferre incipit uterum, nec ita diu etiam postquam
partu est soluta ad recensitum iam opus rursum
inclinatam, cuius vasculum (matricem vocant)
adeo usque humano conceptu adficitur, ut
aliquando mulier absque concubitu concepisse
legatur. Sic enim Physicus ille de muliere
quadam monumentis tradidit literarum, quæ virile
semen in balneo emissum adhauserit. Accedit ad
hoc aliud naturæ stupendium miraculum, quod
mulier prægnans si appetitus instigarit, impune
victitat carnibus incoctis, crudisque piscibus,
neque raro carbonibus, luto, lapidibus, metalla
quoque & venena, cæteraque huiusmodi, multa
sine noxa concoquit, & in corporis convertit
salutiferum nutrimentum. Quanta etiam præterhæc ipsa in mulieribus natura producere gaudeat
miracula, nemo mirabitur, qui philosophorum
medicorumque volumina perlegerit, quorum
exemplum, quod unicum duntaxat subiiciam,
præsto est & ad manum. In menstruo qui sanguis
præterquam quod à quartanis, ab hydrophorbia, à
morbo comitiali, ab elephantia, ab
impressionibus melancolicis, ac mania, & multis
id genus perniciosissimis ægritudinibus liberat,
aliaque permulta, nec minus admiratu digna
efficit, inter cætera miranda etiam incendia
extinguit, tempestates sedat, fluctuum pericula
Furthermore, to omit that women are
more early ready to accomplish thatgreat end of our being, generation, and
the propagation of posterity, than men,
and that stupendious miracle of Nature,
their longing, when many times
without danger they greedily feed on
raw flesh or fish, and not seldome on
coals, dirts, stones, and other trash,
which without damage they concoct,
and convert into healthfull nutriment:
We only at present adde, That
according to the traditions of
philosophers and physitians, ratified by
experience, women have obtained this
excellent book from the indulgence and
bounty of Nature, That in all diseases
whatever, they of themselves, from
their own proper stock, are furnisht
with remedies, and can cure
themselves, without praying in aid of any forreign help, or far-fetcht
medicament.
But that which transcends all wonder,
is, that Woman alone, without Man,
should be able to produce humane
Nature, which Man alone never could
pretend to; and yet this is commonly
affirmed by the Turks and other
Mahumetans, to be feazible; amongst
whom many are believed to be
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arcet, noxia omnia pellit, maleficia solvit, ac
cacodæmones fugat. De his vero quæ [22] reliqua
sunt, plura ad præsens probare non est consilium.
Illud tamen adhuc addam auctarii vice, in
mulieribus esse iuxta philosophorum &
medicorum comprobatas experientia traditiones,
divinum donum omnibus admirandum quo
ipsæmet suis propriis dotibus in omni morborumgenere sibi ex seipsis mederi possunt, nullo etiam
exotico aut aliunde accersito adminiculo
accedente. Sed quod omnia superat mirabilia,
mirabilissimum illud ipsum est, quod sola sine
viro mulier humanam potuit producere naturam,
quod viro haud quaquam datum est. Quod
equidem apud Turcas, seu Mahumetistas in
confesso est, apud quos plures concepti
creduntur, sine virili semine, quos illi sua lingua
nefesogli vocant, & narrantur insulæ, ubi
fœminæ ventus afflatu concipiunt, quod tamen
nos verum esse non concedimus. Sola siquidem
virgo Maria, sola inquam hæc sine viro Christum
concepit ac peperit filium ex sua propria
substantia, & naturali fœcunditate. Est enim
beatissima virgo Maria vera & naturalis Christi
mater, ipseque Christus verus & naturalis virginis
Mariæ filius: dico autem naturalis, quia homo &
iterum naturalis virginis filius, quatenus ipsavirgo non fuit corruptæ naturæ obnoxia. Quo
circa neque etiam in dolore peperit, neque sub
potestate viri fuit, tanta fuit eius ex præveniente
benedictione fœcunditas, ut ad concipiendum
virili non indigeret opera. Inter bruta autem
animantia constat fœminea non nulla maris
expertia fœcunda esse ut vulturum fœminas ex
historia memoriæ proditum esse contra Faustum
tradit Origenes, sed & æquas quasdam zephyrostanta concipere comperit antiquitas de quibus
hæc canuntur:
conceiv'd without Fathers, whom in
their own tongue they call Nefesogli.
Stories likewise go of islands, where
the women are conceived to conceive
by the Wind; but this we dare not
admit into our Creed, for thereby we
should injuriously rob the blessed Mary
of her honour, whose alone prerogativeit was to conceive without the
knowledge of Man, when she brought
forth her natural Son, our Saviour, of
her proper substance, being
impregnated by the Holy spirit, and
remaining still a pure and immaculate
Virgin, such fruitfulness attending the
precedent Benediction, that she needed
not Man's help in reference to
conception. But of brute animals it is
more confidently affirmed, some
females conceive without the company
of the Male; as Origen against Faustus,
delivers on the credit of history,
concerning she-vultures; and Antiquity
of certain mares, which went to foal by
the fruitfull gales of Zephyrus, of
which the Poet,
[23]
Ore omnes versæ in zephyrum
stantrupibus altis
Exceptantque leves auras, & sæpe sine
ullis
Coniugiis vento gravidæ.
Iam quid de sermone dicam divino munere, quo
uno beluis maxime præstamus, quem
Trismegistus Mercurius eiusdem ac
Ore omnes versæ in
zephyrum stantrupibus altis
Exceptantque leves auras, &
sæpe sine ullis
Coniugiis vento gravidæ.
Standing on top of rocks,
the wanton Beast
Sucks in the gentle breises
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immortalitatem pretii existimat. Et Hesiodus
optimum hominis thesaurum nominat. Nonne
sermone mulier viro facundior, magisque diserta
& abundans? Nonne quotquot sumus homines,
non nisi aut à matribus, aut à nutricibus primum
loqui didicimus? sane natura ipsa rerum
architectrix in hoc humano genere sagaciter
prospiciens, hoc muliebre genus donavit, ut vixuspiam mulier milia reperiatur. Pulchrum
profecto & laudabile eos viros præcellere, quo
cæteris animantibus homines potissimum
præstant. Sed à prophanis ad sacras literas ceu
postliminia redeamus, atque ab ipsis usque
religionis fontibus rem auspicemur. Scimus in
primis haud dubie propter mulierem viro Deum
benedixisse, quam benedictionem vir utpote
indignus habere non meruerat prius quam mulier
esset creata. Cui consonat illud Salomonis
proverbium, [Proverb. 18.] Qui invenerit
mulierem bonam, invenitbonum, & haurit
benedictionem à domino, Et illud Ecclesiastici:
[ Ecclesia. 26.] Mulieris bonæ beatus vir,
numerus annorum illorum duplex. Et nullus
homo potest in dignitate comparari illi, qui
dignus fuerit habere mulierem bonam. Nam ut ait
Ecclesiasticus: [ Eccle. 26.] Mulier bona est gratia
super omnem gratiam. Ideoque Salomon inproverbiis [Proverb. 12.] vocat illam coronam
viri. Et Paulus [ I. Corinth. 11.] gloriam viri:
definitur autem gloria, consummatio & petfectio
rei [24] quiescentis & delectantis in suo fine,
quando videlicet rei nil amplius addi potest ut
crescat eius perfectio. Mulier itaque
consummatio, perfectio, fœlicitas, benedictio et
gloria viri existit, atque ut ait Augustinus: Prima
humani generis in hac mortalitate societas.Idcirco illam omnis homo amet necesse est,
quam qui non amaverit, qui odio habuerit, ab
omnibus virtutibus & gratiis alienus est, nedum
humanitate, referenda forte istic essent cabalistica
illa mysteria, quomodo Abraam benedictus à Deo
per mulierem Sarah, decerpta à nomine mulieris
litera H, & addita nomini viri, & vocatus est
Abraham [Gene. 27. & 28.], quomodo etiam
benedictio Iacob illi sit, per mulierem, matrem
videlicet acquisita [Gene. 2.]. Sunt huius generisplura in sacris literis, sed hoc loco non
explicanda. Benedictio itaque data est propter
mulierem, lex autem propter virum, lex inquam
of the West;
Whence she grows
pregnant, and such Coles
you'd find
As fleet and nimble, at their
Sire, the Wind.
What shall we say of speech, thatdivine Faculty differencing us from
brutes, whereby the Soul puts
conceptions into words, and makes her
apprehensions audible, which the
profound Trismegistus prizes at no
lower rate than immortality; and the
poet Hesiod deservedly stiles our best
treasure. I appeal to each man's own
exerience, (and some I know have had
cause to observe it) whether women arenot naturally more eloquent of speech,
than men, and their tongues more apt
and voluble to cloath their thoughts in
language and express their sentiments
on any occasion. How sweet and
insinuating are their complements?
how close and home their objurations?
how sudden their answers? how
ingenious their retorts? how ready theirexcuses? how neat their evasions? how
irresistable their intreaties? Did not
every one of us first learn to speak
from no to tutors than our mothers or
nurses? and in this behalf Nature (like
a carefull governess) so wisely
provides for Humanity, that scarce ever
any of that sex are found dumb. Nor is
this sure any mean or vulgar honour,
but meriting the greatest regard, to
surpass men in that, wherein Man
himself chiefly excells other creatures.
But pretermitting these more vulgar
and prophane instances of feminine
superiority, let us return to sacred
letters, deducing the rivulets of our
discourse from the very fountains of
Religion; where we may observe, ThatMan was first blest for the woman's
sake, God vouchsafing no benediction
on him till after her Creation, as if
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iræ & maledictionis, viro namque interdictus erat
fructus ligni, mulieri non item, quæ neque dum
creata erat illam enim Deus ab initio liberam esse
voluit, vir itaque comedendo peccavit, non
mulier, vir mortem dedit, non mulier. Et nos
omnes peccavimus in Adam, non in Eva,
ipsumque originale peccatum non à matre
fœmina, sed à patre masculo contrahimus.Ideoque vetus lex omne masculinum circumcidi
iussit, fœminas autem incircumcisas manere,
peccatum videlicet originis. In eo sexu qui
peccasset solummodo puniendum statuens.
Neque præterea increpavit Deus mulierem, quia
comederat, sed quia mali occasionem dedisset
viro, atque id quidem imprudens, [25] eo quod
per diabolum tentaretur. Vir itaque excerta
scientia peccavit, mulier erravit ignorans, &
decepta. Nam & à diabolo primo tentata est,
quippe quam cognovit creaturarum omnium
excellentissimam. Et ut inquit Bernardus: Videns
diabolus admirandam eius pulchritudinem, sciens
eam talem qualem antea in divino lumine
cognouerat, quæ super omnes angelos gauderet
colloquia Dei, inuidiam iecit in solam mulierem,
propter suam excellentiam. Quo circa Christus
natus huic mundo humilimus, quo sua humilitate
superbiam expiaret peccati, primi parentis, sexumassumpsit virilem, ut humiliorem, non sexum
fœmineum, sublimiorem & nobiliorem. Præterea
quia condemnati fuimus propter peccatum viri,
non mulieris, voluit Deus vt in quo sexu fuerat
peccatum in eo fieret & peccati expiatio, & qui
sexus ignorans deceptus erat, per eundem etiam
fieret vindicta. Ideoque ad serpentem dictum est,
quia mulier, vel quod verius legitur quia semen
mulieris caput eius conteret [Gene. 3.] non virneque semen viri. Atque hinc est forte quare ordo
sacerdootalis ab ecclesia commissus est viro
potius quam mulieri, quia sacerdos omnis
Christum representat. Christus autem primum
hominem peccatorem ipsum videlicet Adamum.
Ex hoc iam intelligitur Canon ille qui incipit [33
q. 5. hæc imago] hæc imago dicens mulierem
non esse factam ad imaginem Dei, scilicet ad
corpoream Christi similitudinem. Noluit tamen
Deus ipse inquam Christus filius esse viri, sedmulieris, quam eo usque honorauit ut ex muliere
sola carnem indueret. [26] Propter mulierem
namque Christus dictus est filius hominis, non
before he had been unworthy that
celestial favour. consonant whereunto
is that Proverb of Solomon, He that
finds a good woman, finds a good
thing, and shall receive a blessing from
the Lord. And that in Ecclesiasticus,
Blessed is the husband of a good
woman, the number of his years shallbe doubled. Nor indeed can any vye
dignity with him whose good fortune
'tis to enjoy a good wife; for (as the
same Siracides saith) she is a Grace
above all Graces: and therefore the
wisest of kings calls her, The Crown;
and the great Apostle, The Glory of the
Man: Now Glory is defined to be the
consummation and perfection of a
thing acquiescing and delighting in its
end, viz. when nothing more can be
thereto added to augment its perfection.
Therefore Woman being the
complement, feliciry, blessing, and
glory of Man, 'tis but requisite every
man should love and respect her
accordingly; and he that doth not do so,
or shall be to barbarous as to hate or
dis-esteem her, is not only a stranger toall virtues and graces, but a very rebel
against Humanity.
Hereto we might, perhaps not
improperly, refer those Cabalistical
mysteries, how that Abraham was
blessed of God in some respect through
means of his Wife Sarah; for by taking
the letter H from her name, and adding
it to his, he came to be called
Abraham. As also that Jacob's blessing
was acquired by a woman, his mother:
of which sort there are in Scripture
several other passages, not requisite
here to be unfolded. This may suffice
to let us see, that the blessing was
bestow'd for the Woman's sake, but the
Law given to the Man: to him was
forbidden the fruit of that unhappy tree,which set all posterities teeth on edge;
not to the Woman, who was not then
so much as created. For although St.
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propter virum. Hoc est illud ingens miraculum,
quod admodum Propheta stupescit, quia mulier
circumdedit virum [ Hiere. 31. (Jer21.20)] quando
videlicet sexus devoratur à virgine, & Christum
portat in corpore. Etiam resurgens Christus à
morte, mulieribus primum apparuit, non viris [ Io.
20. Marc. 16.]. Nec ignotum est post Christi
obitum viros à fide discessisse, mulieres autemnusquam constat à fide & religione Christiana
defecisse. Porro nulla unquam fidei persecutio,
nulla hæresis, nullus in fide error à mulieribus
unquam emersit, secus constat de viris. Christus
traditus, venundatus, emptus, accusatus,
damnatus, passus, crucifixus, tandem morti
traditus, non nisi per viros. Imo etiam à Petro suo
negatus, à cæteris discipulis relictus, à solis
mulieribus ad crucem usque & sepulchrum
comitatus [ Luc. 24.]. Atque etiam ipsa Pilati
uxor, Aethnica plus conabatur salvare Iesum,
quam quisquam virorum etiam illorum qui
crediderant [ Matth. 27.]. Accedit huc quod tota
ferme theologorum scola asserit, acclesiam tunc
non nisi apud solam mulierem puta virginem
Mariam mansisse, atque, ob id & merito
religiosus ac sacer fæminei sexus appellatur.
Gregory (*) [Greg l. 35. Moral c. 16.]
read the Prohibition, you shall not eat ,
as though it were spoken to both Man
and Woman, yet the original delivers it
in the singular number. And St. Austin
(*) (Gen. ad Lat. lib. 8. cap. 17) [St.
Augustine] taketh away the doubt, and
telleth us, That by tradition the Womanreceiveth this Commandment from the
Man, not by immediate delivery from
God; which if so, we thence conclude,
That by reason thereof the Woman
might chance more easily to break this
Law, than the Man; since the All-
glorious Majesty of God that
commanded, should take deeper
impression in Man, than the equality of
person that related, could in the
Woman; the roaring of a lion being
more trembled at, than the braying of
an ass; the commands of a king more
powerfull, than the words of one's
companion. At most, when Woman
sin'd, she did it, poor Soul, unwittingly,
being deluded by the insinuating
Serpent: so that, it appears the Man
sinned against perfect knowledge, andthe positive command of his Maker;
the Woman out of ignorance, seduced
by the crafty wiles of the Tempter,
with whom for a considerable time she
disputed the matter, and lost not the
glory of the day without a fair combate
(?), though at last she fell an unhappy
trophy to his strategems: whereas no
sooner was that too-pleasing appleproffered to the Man, but without
scruple he greedily falls oon, and, rebel
as he was, would needs tast its fancied
sweetness, whose bitter rellish remains
to this day, and hath left on us those
original stains, which nothing but
Divine Blood can fetch out.
That Woman was first set upon by the
Adversary, may be an argument of herexcellency; for we know, that the
sharpest points are soonest blunted, and
the perfectest white most easily soil'd.
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Envy strikes at the best,
who stand on high,
And fairest marks for
foulest oblaquy.
The black Prince of the Air, that subtle
degraded Seraphin, well knew Woman
to be the most accomplisht of allcreatures; and seeing (as St. Bernard
observes) her amazing beauty to be
such, as before his lapse he had beheld
in the Divine Light, and which above
the sublimest Hierarchies enjoys
Communion with God, did thereupon
meeryl out of envy, plot how he might
dismount her from that Throne of
Perfection, and endeavoured by his
malitious darts first of all to wound herinnocency, and sully her glory, whose
transcendent lustre above others, his
hellish nature could not but most of all
repine at. Nor want we further
intimation of the fair sexes dignity and
pre-eminence, if we reflect, That when
the promised seed of Woman, that
bruised this cursed Serpent's head, I
mean our blessed Savious, left thebosome of his Eternal Father, and the
splendors of inaccessible Light, to
become visible in these lower Regions,
and veiling the Majesty of his glorious
presence, cloath'd himself with humane
flesh, coming into the World in the
lowliest manner imaginable, that by his
humility he might expiate the pride of
our first Parents' sin; we may with all
humble reverence conjecture, That he
was therefore pleased to assume the
Male, as the meanest and inferior Sex;
contriving by his infinite wisdom, that
since Man's offence had reduced us all
into this forlorn condition, (for had the
Woman only sin'd, we never had had
such cause to cry out, Oh Adam! what
hast thou done? nor the Apostle to say,
In Adam we all dyed ) satisfaction forsin should be made in that Sex, from
whom that ocean of impiety which
overwhelm'd the World, had its first
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source and origine. But although this
blessed Immanuel took not on him the
Female Sex, yet he so far honoured it,
as to assume his Flesh only from the
Woman; and is therefore entituled,
Filius hominis, in respect of her, not of
Man, (which our vulgar translations
seem to have forgot.) This was thatstupendious miracle, the contemplating
whereof put the admiring Prophet into
an extasie, That a Woman should
encompass a Man; that is, Christ be
conceiv'd in a pure Virgin's womb,
Impregnated without the contact of two
prolifick sexes; that Divinity should be
embroidered in an earthly Tabernacle,
and have its glories shut up in a cloud
of flesh, like Sun-beams in curtains of
chrystal [crystal]. Nor did our Lord
afterwards when he had dissolv'd the
powers of the Grave, and destroy'd
death's Empire by his miraculous
Resurrection, voiuchsafe his first
appearance to men, but women, who
are not known at any time to have
quitted the faith, or turn'd their backs
on true Religion; whereas menimmediately after his ascension began
to apostatize. Nor can it be proved, that
ever any persecution, heresie, schism,
or error in the church, had women for
its first authors, but alwayes men. By
that perfidious and cruell sex was our
blessed Jesus the Lord of Life, and
King of Glory, betrayed, sold, bought,
accused, condemned, crucified, andslain: yea when he was denied by his
own great confident, Peter, and
abandoned by all the rest of his male
disciples, even then the women left
him not, but accompanied him still to
the Cross and sepulchre; and Pilate's
heathen wife endeavoured more his
preservation, than any of the men
which profess'd belief in him. Whereto
we may adde, That almost all School-Divines concur in opinion, That the
Church at that instant remained wholly
and solely in a woman, viz., The Virgin
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Mary; and therefore this Sex is
deservedly by them stiled sacred and
religious.
Quod si etiam quispiam cum Aristotele dicat
[Arist. lib. de animali.] inter omnia animalia
masculos esse fortiores, prudentiores &
nobiliores, huic respondet excellentior doctorPaulus Apostolus dicens: Quæ stulta sunt mundi
elegit Deus ut confundat sapientes & infirma
mundi elegit Deus, ut confundat fortia, &
ignobilia mundi, & contemptibilia elegit Deus, &
ea quæ non [27] sunt ut ea quæ sunt destrueret [I.
Corynth. 1.]. Nam quis inter viros in cunctis
naturæ gratiarum dotibus Adamo sublimior
extitit? [Gen. 2] at mulier illum humiliavit. Quis
Samsone fortior? mulier eius fortitudinemsuperauit. Quis castior Loth [ Iudich. 14. & 16.]?
mulier illum ad incestum prouocauit, Quis Dauid
religiosior? mulier eius sanctimoniam turbauit;
quis sapientior Salomone, [Gen. 19.] mulier eum
decepit. Quis patientior Iob? [2. Reg. 11.] quem
diabolus fortunis omnibus exuit [3. Reg. 11.],
familiam & filios occidit, ipsumque ulceribus,
sanie, dolore toto corpore oppleuit? tamen à
pristina animi simplicitate, patientiaque ad
iracundiam prouocare non potuit, prouocauit
autem mulier, in hoc diabolo superior
confidentiorque, quem ad maledicendum irritauit.
Quod si modo fas est vel Christum ipsum [ Matth.
15.] in hanc comparationem vocare, quo nihil
potentius, nihil sapientius, cum sit æterna Dei
sapientia, atque potestas, nonne à Chananea illa
muliercula sese superari passus est, dicente ipso:
Non est bonum tollere panem filiorum, & mittere
canibus. Illa contra respondente: utique Domine,nam & catelli edunt de micisquæ cadunt de
mensa Dominorum suorum, cum que iam vidisset
Christus, quia illam hoc argumento superare non
posset, benedixiti illi dicens, Fiat tibi sicut vis.
Quis Petro Apostolorum primo in fide ferventior?
[ Ioan. 18. Matth. 20. Marc. 14. Luc. 22.] mulier
illum non minimum ecclesiæ pastorem ad
negandum Christum seduxit, dicant quicquid
velint canonistæ, ecclesiam suam non posse
errare, Papa mulier illam egregia impostura
delusit. [24. q. 1. à recta Plati. de Ioan. 3]
Cæterum dicet quis, hæc magis in opprobrium
But if any object with Aristotle, That
the male is generally much the
strongest, and therefore to be more
valued; wedesire such to consider, howcontemptible a glory tis to boast of big
bones, or brawny arms, and what mean
trophies they can hope to raise to
themselves by excelling women, by
those advantages wherein they must
confess themselves inferior to hundreds
of beasts. If strength alone must give
the pre-eminence, let Men give place to
their horses, confess their oxen theirmasters, and pay homage to elephants.
But in truth they have little reason to
vaunt of the strength or prudence, the
valour or subtilty of their Sex, having
been alwayes shamefully baffled by
those whom they vainly call the weaker
vessels. What Man was ever able to
vye strength with Sampson, whose
single arm no better weapon'd than
with an asses jaw-bone, could at once
sacrifice a thousand and lives to his
fury? yet did this prodigious hero (like
Hercules) truckle to a distaff, and was
ridiculously captivated by a woman.
Who could boast a more severe
chastity than just Lot, whose righteous
soul did daily suffer pangs of grief and
indignation, seeing the Sodomite's
debaucheries? yet women easily inticedhim to ebriety and incest. Who more
religious than David? yet a bathing
Beersheba caused him at once to sully
the pure robes of his sanctity, with the
black stains both of adultery and
murder. Who so wise as Solomon, who
seems to have been Nature's Privy-
Counsellor, and to have had the honour
to behold her undrest? yet was not all
his wisdom amulet sufficient to guard
him against women's charms, but that
he still placed more felicity in their
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mulierum vergere, quam ad laudem accedere.
[28] Cui mulieres ad hunc modum respondebunt.
Si alterum nostrum necesse est aut boni alicuius,
aut etiam vitæ iacturam facere, malo ego te
perdere quam me perditum iri, Idque exemplo
Innocentii tertii, qui in quadam sua decretali
epistola ad quendam Cardinalem à Romana se de
legatum scriptum reliquit. Si te vel me confundioporteat, potius te confundi eligam. Præterea
ciuilibus legibus etiam mulieribus indultum est,
ut liceat sibi consule re damno alieno. Atque in
ipsis sacris literis nonne sæpe benedicitur, et
extollitur iniquitas mulieris, plus quam vir
benefaciens? Nonne laudatur Rachel, quæ patrem
suum idola quærentem [Genes. 31.], pulchra
adinventione delusit? Nonne etiam Rebecca quia
per fraudem obtinuit Iacob benedictionem patris
[Genes. 27.], & postea cautius fecit declinare
fratris iram, Raab meretrix decepit eos qui
quærebant exploratores Iosue, & reputatur ei ad
iustitiam Egressa est Iahel in occursum Sisaræ,
dixitque ad eum intra ad me Domine mi, ac
petenti aquam dedit illi bibere de utre lactis, &
operuit illum iacentem, dormiente autem Sisara
ingressa est abscondite, percussitque clauum in
caput eius, & interfecit illum, qui se fidei eius
crediderat servandum, atque pro hac in signiproditione benedicta, inquit scriptura, inter
mulieres Iahel benedicatur in tabernaculo suo.
Legite historiam Iudich [ Iudich. 11], & notate
verba eius ad Olofernem. Sume inquit verba
ancillæ tuæ quoniam si ea secutus fueris
perfectum te faciet Dominus, veniens nunciabo
tibi omnia, ita ut adducam [29] te per mediam
Hierusalem, & habebis omnem populum Israel,
sicut oues quarum est pastor, & non latrabit velunus canis contra te, quoniam hæc mihi dicta
sunt per prouidentiam Dei, sopitumque blanditiis
Olofernem percussit in ceruicem, & abscidit
caput eius. Quod quæso, iniquius consilium, quæ
crudeliores insidiæ, quæ captiosior proditio ex
cogitari posset, & hanc idcirco benedicit, laudat
& extollit scriptura, & longe melior reputata est
iniquitas mulieris, quam vir benefaciens.
enjoyment, than in all the curious
contemplations and researches of
Philosophy; and even abandon'd the
worship of that God, who had
bestowed those stupendious parts on
him, to wantonnize in their imbraces.
Who more fervent and resolv'd in the
faith, than Peters, the chief of theApostles? yet a silly damsel caused that
great pastor of the Church thrice to
deny his Master.
But methinks I hear some whispering,
That all this makes more against than
for Women, and tends rather to their
infamy, than praise. To whom we
answer, That the evil of the before
recounted actions redounds chiefly toMen the actors, rather than to the
Women, who were only accidently the
occasion of them. And if the Sun's
lustre by dazling our weaker eyes,
bring on us any inconvenience, shall
we accuse his glorious brightness: or
rather ought we not to bewail the
imbecillity of our own Opticks, unable
to cope with so much splendor?Besides, admitting Women to be in
some of these cases criminal, we could
(if we delighted to be paradoxical)
alledge, That even the holy Scripture
seems to put a more favourable
construction on their lapses and
failings, than on Mens. Is not Rachel
commended, who with a neat invention
deluded her Father, in his search for
her Idols? And Rebecca, who by fraud
procured Jacob his father's blessing?
Rahab with a lye deceived those who
sought for Joshuah's spies, and 'tis
accounted to her for righteousness.
Jahel most perfidiously destroy'd
Sisera, as he lay innocently sleeping in
her tent, whither with an entire
confidence he had committed himself
for preservation; which signal treacherynotwithstanding, 'tos said, Blessed
amongst women shall Jahel be, &c.
Read the story of Judith; observe well
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her dissembling insinuations to
Holofernes, and those flatteries
wherewith she having lull'd him to
sleep, cut off his head, for which she is
applauded and extolled to the sjies.
Lot's daughters pass uncondemn'd for
their incest; and yet their father is not
excused, but hath his successionexcluded from the Church of God.
Lascivious Thamur is defended, and
said to be more just than the Patriarch
Judah; and by that fraudulent incest
obtains the honour to be named in our
saviour's geneology. But 'tis time we
dis-entangle our self from this odd
digression and return to the prosecution
of our subject.[Nonne bonum operatus est Cain offerens in
sacrificium optimarum frugum primitias & eo
ipso reprobatus esta Deo? Esau nonne benefecit
dum pia obedientia venatur decrepito parenti
cibum, & interea defraudatur benedictione, &
odio habitus est Deo? Oza, dum, zelo religionis
inclinatam, & iam prope labantem arcam
sustinet, morte subita percussus est; rex Saul dum
Amalechitarum pinguiores hostias in sacrificium
parat Domino, deiectus regno etiam spirituinequam traditus est. Excusantur ob incestus
patris filiæ Loth, & non excusatur temulentus
pater, & successio eius eiicitur ab Ecclesia Dei.
Excusatur incestuosus Thamar, & dicitur iustior
patriarcha Iuda, & fraudulento incestu meretur
propagare lineam Salvatoris. Ite nunc viti fortes
& robusti, & vos prægnantia Pallade, ligata tot
fasciis scolastica capita, & totidem exemplis
contrariam illam probate sententiam, quod melior
sit iniquitas viri quam mulier benefaciens. Certe
non poteritis illam tueri, ni recurratis ad
allegorias, ubi tunc æqualis cum viro mulieris erit
authoritas.]
[Thispassage is in
the 1532
edition, butnot the 1529
edition.]
Sed modo revertamur præcellentiæ tam
fœlicissimi sexus, omnibus hoc vel
euidentissimum argumentum esse potest, quod
dignissima omnium creaturarum, cuius nec
unquam dignior fuit, nec futura est mulier fueritipsa inquam beatissima virgo Maria, cui si
quidem præter originale peccatum concepta sit,
ne Christus quidem quod ad eius humanitatem
There needs not any more evident
argument of this happy sexes pre-
eminence, than to reflect, That the
most worthy of all creatures that ever
was or will be, was a Woman, viz. theblessed Virgin. Nor is this any other
than one of Aristotle's own Arguments.
That kind of which the best is more
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attinet maior erit. Est etenim Aristotelis validum
hoc argumentum, Cuius generis optimum est
nobilius, optimo, alterius generis hoc genus esse
altero nobilius, in fœmineo genere optima est
virgo Maria, in masculino non surrexit maior
Ioanne Baptista, atque hunc quantum excellat
virgo diua, quæ exaltata est super omnes choras
angelorum, nemo catholicus ignorat. Similiterargumentari licebit, cuius generis pessimum
peius est pessimo alterius, id genus esse ilia
quoque inferius. Iam vero scimus quia
vidosissima ac pessima creaturarum omnium vir
est siue ille fuerit Iudas qui Christum tradidit, de
quo ait Christus: bonum esset homini illi si natus
non fuisset [ Mar. 14.], [30] siue illo peior futurus
sit antichristus aliquis, in quo omnis potestas
sathanæ inhabitabit. Multos ptæterea viros
æternis cruciatibus damnatos prodit scriptura,
cum nulla uspiam mulier damnata legatur.
Accedit ad id testimonii etiam brutalis naturæ
quædam prærogatiua, quippe auis omnium
regina, atque nobilissima quæ aquila est, semper
fœminei, nunquam masculini sexus reperitur,
Phœnicem etiam auem unicam Aegyptii non nisi
semellam prodiderunt. E contrario autem regulus
serpens quem basiliscum dicunt omnium
venenatorum pestilentissimus non nisi masculusest, quem insuper impossibile est nasci femellam.
Præterea sexus huius excellentia, probitasque ac
innocentia vel his argumentis satis abunde
ostendi potest, quoniam malorum omnium ortus à
viris sit, à mulieribus minime. Primus quippe
protoplastes Adam ille legem domini transgredi
ausus, portas cœli obserauit & omnes nos peccato
mortique reddidit obnoxios [Gen. 3.]. Omnes
enim peccavimus, & morimur in Adam, non inEva. Huius perinde primogenitus inferorum
portas reserauit. Ille primus inuidus, primus
homicida, primus parricida, primus desperans de
misericordia Dei [Gene. 9.], primus digamus
Lamech [ Ibidem], primus ebrius Noh, primus
turpitudinem patris sui denudans ille filius Noe
Chamus [Gene. 10.], primus tyrannus simul ac
idololatra, Nemroth, primus adulter vir, primus
incestuosus vir, viri insuper primi cum
dæmonibus fœdera inierunt, ac prophanas artesinvenerunt. Viri filii Iacob primi vendiderunt
fratrem [Gen. 37. Exod. 1.], Pharao Aegyptius
[31] necauit primus pueros, viri primi contra
noble than the best of another kind, is
it felt more noble than that other kind:
now of the Female kind the Virgin
Mary is the best. In the Male there
arose not a greater than John Baptist;
and how much that sacred Virgin, who
is exalted above all the Quires of
angels, doth surpass him, there is noCatholick so ignorant but understands.
In like sort we may argue, That kind
whose worst is worse than the worst of
another kind? but we know, that the
worst and vilest of all creatures is Man;
whether we understand it of that
wretched Judas, who committed high
treason against the King of Kings, and
of whom 'tis said, It had been good for
him not to have been born; or whether
there shall hereafter arise an Antichrist
worse than he, in whom shall dwell all
the power of Satan. And here by the
way give us leave to remark, that the
Scriptures mention divers Men banisht
to eternal torments; whereas we
nowhere read of any woman damn'd.
But to proceed;
Nature herself gives a suffrage to our
assertion; for in all her productions,
when any thing is to be framed more
excellent than ordinary, she makes it a
Female. Thus the Eagle, the noblest of
birds, and Queen of all the winged
troops, is never found a Male. And the
wondrous Phoenix (to which the World
is too poor to yield a mate) is related
by the Egyptians to be ever of the
female sex. But on the contrary, The
King of Serpents, whom they call the
Basilisk, the most mortal of all
poisons, is alwayes, and cannot but be
a male, as the more proper receptacle
of venome and destructive qualities.
Whereas the excellency and innocency
of this other sweet-natur'd sex, which
we here recommend, is henceabundantly manifest, in that all those
black crimes and crying enormities
which incense Heaven, and infest
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naturam luxuriati sunt, testibus Sodoma, &
Gomorra [Gene. 18.], quæ ob virorums celera
perierunt, celebres olim urbes, viros legimus
ubique temeraria voluptate digamos, multinubos,
multicubos, adulteros, fornicatores. Sic plurium
uxorum, concubinarumque viri fuerunt Lamech,
Abraham, Iacob, Esau, Ioseph, Moses, Sanson,
Helcana, Saul, Dauid, Salomon, Assur, Roboam,Abia, Caleph, Assuerus, & innumeri alii, qui
singuli plures uxores insuper & pellices &
concubinas habuerunt. Nec illarum coniugio
contenti ad explendam suam libidinem, etiam
cum earum ancillis se commiscuerunt. Mulierem
vero excepta una sola Betsabea nullam vsquam
reperimus, nisi uno solo viro semper fuisse
contentam, nec digamam insuper reperies ullam,
si ex primo marito prolem susceperat. Sunt enim
mulieres pudicita ac castitate viris ipsis multo
continentiores, quas quod infœcunde essent à
virorum concubitu sæpe ab stintuisse legimus &
alienam vero introduxisse uxorem sicut Sara,
Rachel, lia & aliæ multæ infœcundiores, quæ
ancillas suas introduxerunt, ut suscitarent viris
suis posteritatem [Gen. 16 et 30.].
Earth, derive their pedigree from men.
Adam the first man, first lockt up the
Gates of Paradise, and by presuming to
transgress the Law of his Maker,
rendred all us his unhappy posterity
obnoxious to sin, and consequently
entituled to the wages thereof, death.
And his first-born son unlockt theGates of Hell; first of all introducing
that infernal train, Envy, Murder,
Paracide, and Despair into the World.
The first that ventured on polygamy
was Lamech; the first drunkard, Noah;
the first setter up both of tyranny and
idolatry, Nimrod, that mighty hunter,
who thereby at once exercised his
cruelty both on body and soul. Men
they were that first establisht a
commerce with the Regions of
darkness, by treating and making
compacts with infernal spirits, and
inventing prophane arts. Men they
were whose raging lusts first
transported them to offer violence to
Nature, whereof the ruines of Sodom
and Gomorrah (once famous cities)
calcin'd by that unnatural heat, remainto this day a dreadfull monument. To
read of men that have abandon'd
themselves to all kind of brutish
sensualities; had two or more wives, or
been adulterers, or whore-mongers, is
not at all rare or unfrequent. How
many wives had Abraham, Jacob,
Esau, Joseph, Moses, Sampson, Saul,
David, Solomon, Roboam, Abashuerus(?), and a numberless number more,
who besides their wives, had
concubines; and yet not satisfied, could
not refrain tampering with their
servants and handmaids. But we find
not one woman (except Beetsheba)
mentioned, but was content with one
man; nor any that made a second
choice, if she had issue by the first: for
women are naturally far more chast andcontinent than men; insomuch that
perceiving themselves unfruitfull, they
have oft abstained from their husband's
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bed, and brought in others to supply
their places, as Sarah, Rachel, Leah;
and others voluntarily offered their
maids to their husband's embraces, to
raise them up posterity.
Sed quis obsecro virorum, quantumcunque senex,
frigidus, sterilis, ac rei uxoriæ ineptus, tantæunquam aut pietatis, aut clementiæ extitit in
uxorem, ut aliquem suo loco substitueret, qui
feracem uxoris uterum fœcundo semine irroraret?
quamvis huiusmodi leges Lycurgum, atque
Solonem olim tulisse legamus, videlicet si quis
ætate provectior, & nuptiis intempestivior,
aliterue [32] in venerem ignavior puellam
despondisset ut liceret uxori ex adolescentibus &
necessariis unum aliquem robote moribusque
conspicuum deligere, qui cum illa dulcitercolluderet & luctaretur, modo partus æditus
mariti adfereretur, nec idcirco alienum aut
adulterinum dici quod nasceretur, leges quidem
illas latas legimus, seruatas autem non legimus,
non tam virorum duritia, quam mulierum
continentia illas recusante.
But what man pray ever was there,
though never so old, cold, impotent, orunfit for chamber-practice, that had
either so much piety or pity, as to
substitute any in his place, that might
impregnate his wife's fruitfull womb
with a generous off-spring. We read
indeed, that Lycurgus and Solon
(persons rankt by antiquity amongst the
wisest of legislators) establisht laws to
this effect, That if any man weakned
with age, or otherwise uncapable of sacrificing to Venus, and performing
the Rights of the Nuptial Bed, had
taken a young wife, she should not be
confin'd wholly to his fumbling
courtship, but might make choice of
some sprightly young friend, to pay her
those arrears of benevolence, due from
her insolvent husband, whose issue
should be deemed the husband's to allintents, and not at all illegitimate. But
we find not these ordinances put in
practice; no so much by reason of the
men's obstinacy in obstructing, as the
women's modesty and continency,
refusing the liberty thereby indulged.
Innumeræ sunt adhuc præclarissimæ fœminæ,
quæ cum insigni pudicitia etiam coniugali
charitate viros omnes longe vicerunt, cuiusmodiAbigail uxor Nabal, Arthemisia Mausolei, Argia
Pollinicis Thebani coniux, Iulia Pompei, Portia
Catonis, Cornelia Gracchi, Messalina Sulpitii,
Alceste Admeti, Hypsicratea Mitridatis Pontici
regis coniux, Dido quoque Carthaginis conditrix,
Romanaque Lucretia, atque Sulpitia Lentuli. Sunt
infinitæ aliæ quarum virginitatis & pudicitiæ
fides ne morte quidem potuit immutari, quarum
exempla sese offerunt, Athlanta, Calidonia,
Camilla Volsca, Iphigenia græca, Cassandra &
Crise. Accedunt his Lacedemoniæ, Spartiatæ,
Milesiæ, atque Thebanæ virgines, & innumeræ
Nor are examples wanting of divers
illustrious ladies, surpassing the best of
men, not only in an exact and rigidchastity, but also for entire conjugal
affection. Some out of a passionate
tenderness, not enduring to survive
their husbands, have violently cast
themselves into the graves or funeral
piles, together with the beloved corps.
Others have thought no tomb but their
own bodies, worthy to inshrine the
ashes of their dearest mates. How
religiously have they preserved their
love's flames, as pure and undecaying
as vestal fires? What means have they
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aliæ quas nobis numerant Hebræorum,
Græcorum, Barbarorumque historiæ quæ
virginitatem pluris quam regna, quam denique
vitam ipsam fecerunt. Quod si etiam pietatis
exempla requirantur, inter cætera sese offerunt,
Claudia vestalis erga patrem, & plebeia illa
iuuencula de qua supra locuti sumus in matrem.
Sed obiiciet istis zoilus aliquis Samsonis, Iasonis,Deiphœbi, Agamemnonis exitialia coniugia [33]
ac huiusmodi tragœdias, quas si quis linceis
oculis (vt aiunt) introspexerit, comperiet falso
uxores accusari, quarum nulla vnquam contigit
viro bono improba. Non enim nisi malis maritis,
malæ uxores sunt, quibus licet bonæ aliquando
eueniant, sæpe eorundem vitio corrumpuntur.
Putas ne si licuisset mulieribus leges condere,
historias scribere, quantag tragœdias scribere
potuissent de virorum inæstimabili malitia, inter
quos plurimi reperiuntur, homicidæ, fures,
raptores, falsarii, incendiarii, proditores, qui
etiam tempore Iosue [ Iosuæ. 7.] ac Dauid regis [2
Reg. 19.], tanta multitudine latrocinabantur [3.
Reg. 4.], vt suorum agminum principes
constituerent, sed & hodie adhuc infinitus est
illorum numerus. Hinc omnes carceres viris
repleti, cruces undique omnes virorum
cadaveribus onuste. At contra, mulieres omniumartium liberalium, omnisque virtutis ac beneficii
inuentrices extiterunt, quod & ipsa artium
virtutumque fœminina nomina præcipue
ostendunt. Cui & illud notabile accedit, quod ipse
quoque terrarum orbis, à fœminarum nominibus
nuncupatur, videlicet ab Asia nympha, ab Europa
Agenoris filia, a Libia filia Epaphi, quæ &
Aphrica dicitur. Denique si per singula virtutum
genera iter sit mulier, vbilibet principem locumobtinebit. Mulier enim fuit, quæ primo
virginitatem Deo deuouit ipsa virgo Maria, quæ
ex hinc meruit esse mater Dei. Mulieres
prophetæ, semper diuiniore spiritu afflatæ sunt
quam viri. Quod testibus Lactantio [ Lactan. li.
insti], Eusebio [ Euseb. de præpa. euang.], [34] &
Augustino [ Aug. de ci. dei] de Sybillis notum est.
Sic Maria Mosi soror erat prophetes [ Exod. 15.],
et captiuo Hieremia uxor auunculi eius nomine
Olda [4. Reg. 22.], peritura populo Israël [Israel]supra viri vices prophetes suscitatur [2. Paralip.
34.]. Scrutemur sacras scripturas, et videbimus
mulierum in fide cæterisque virtutibus
left unattempted? What hazards have
they not embraced, to serve those to
whom Hymen's sacred Band hath
united them? Witness Cornelia, who so
dearly affected her Pompey, that she
would not suffer him to go into the
wars, (though he were the World's
Terror) unless her self in person mightwait on him. Witness Demotia, who
having lost her Leosthenes, could not
find her self, and therefore through
solitariness made a speedy voyage to
death after hijm. Witness Sulpitia, who
being adjudged to stay, and watched
that she should stay at rome, when her
husband Lentulus was banisht thence,
did yet (notwithstanding the Senate's
command, her princely father's charge,
the love of her city and country, the
loss of friends and family) alone
expose her self unto the danger of the
night, beguiled the watchfull eyes of
her strict guard, brake forth of the city,
and lacquted after him along the fields,
until she became the joyfull companion
of his wofull banishment, so little she
esteem'd all the World's felicity inregard of her dear Lentulus; and for her
Lentulus so willingly she incurr'd
whatsoever misery. Witness Panthæa,
Rhodogune, Laodemia, Martia,
Valeria, Portia, Lucretia, Penelope,
Alcinoe, and millions more, whose
singular fame herein as it hath caused
Antiquity to invest them in eternal
shrines of honour, so may theirrehearsal enforce Posterity to receive
them as the fruitfull patterns of
imitation, and so dar proselyte the
bitterest Woman-hater, as to convert
his aversion into an admiration of this
sexes heroick vertues; especially if in
his thoughts to these miracles of
affection, he adde those mirrours of
chastity, who have bravely slighted all
both temptations and torments topreserve their honour, which they not
only scorn'd to prostitute for sordid
gain, or aiery titles, fror a flattering
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constantiam, supra viros longe commendatam, vt
in Iudith, Ruth, Hester, quæ tanta gloria
celebratæ sunt, vt sacris quoque voluminibus
nomina indiderint. Abraham ille, quem licet ob
fidei firmitatem scriptura iustum vocauerit,
quoniam credidit Deo, subiicitur tamen uxori suæ
Saræ, & domini voce præcipitur ei: Omnia
quæcumque dicit tibi Sara, audi vocem eius. SicRebecca firmiter credens, pergit ad
interrogandum Deum, & eius responsione
condigna, audit oraculum: Duæ gentes in vtero
tuo, & duo populi de ventre tuo diuidentur. &
vidua Sareptana credidit Heliæ, licet rem
difficilem sibi diceret. Sic Zacharias ab angelo de
incredulitate redargutus obmutuit. Et Elizabet
uxor sua, vteto & voce prophetat ac
commendatur, quia fideliter credidit, quæ
deinceps commendat beatissimam virginem
Mariam, dicens [ Luc. 2]: beata quæ credidisti
quæ dicta sunt tibi & domino. Sic Anna
prophetes, post Simeonis revelationem
confitebatur Deum, et loquebatur de eo omnibus
volentibus audire, qui exspectabant
redemptionem Israël. Et erant Philippo quatuor
filiæ virgines prophetantes [ Acto. 21.]. Quid
dicam de Samaritana ille, cum qua Christus
loquebatur ad puteum [ Ioan. 4.], & saturatus fidecredentis, cibos respuit Apostolorum [ Math. 15.].
Accedit ad hæc fides [35] Chananeæ ac mulieris
illius quæ fluxum sanguinis patiebatur. Nonne
etiam fides & confessio Marthæ similis erat
confessioni Petri? Et in Maria Magdalena quanta
fuerit fidei constantia, ex Evangeliis nobis notum
est. Ipsa namque dum sacerdotes & Iudæi
Christum crucifigunt, plorat, ad crucem unguenta
portat, quærit in tumulo, Hortulanum interrogat,Deum recognoscit. Pergit ad Apostolos,
resurrexisse nunciat. Illi dubitant, ista confidit.
Quid rursus de Priscilla illa sanctissima fœmina;
quæ Apollo virum apostolicum, & in lege
doctissimum Corinthiorum episcopum erudivit.
Nec turpe fuit Apostolo discere à muliere quæ
doceret in ecclesia. Adde insuper quæ martyrii
patientia & mortis contemptu, fidei suæ
constantiam testatæ sunt, non esse virorum
numero pauciores. Neque hic silentioprætereunda est mater illa mirabilis, & bonorum
memoria digna, quæ in conspectu suo pereuntes
crudeli martyrio septem filios non solum bono
complement, or prodigal treat, but also
withstood the importunities of
Grandees, and defi'd the menaces of
tyrants, valuing their virgin purity more
than crowns, or kingdomes, or Life it
self; as the Calidonian Atlanta, the
Volcian Camilla, the Grecian
Iphigenia, Cassandra, and Crase, anddivers Lacedemonian, Spartan, Theban,
and other virgins, whos enames are
embalm'd in History, for the wonder
and imitation of Posterity,
But here perhaps some barking Zoilus
may interrupt us, by objecting the datal
matches of Sampson, Jason,
Deiphobus, Agamemnon, &c. and
those tragedies thence ensuing: inmost, if not all which, if we narrowly
inspect all circumstances, we may
easily find the women to be wrongfully
accused; for scarce ever do ill wives
happen to any but bad husbands, and
such as by their own vitious examples
debauch them, and teach them to be
wicked by a president. We are more
easily sway'd by patterns, than byprecepts: every example is a most
pleasing invitation, where the eye is
guided unto present action, not the ear
fed with fained speculation. A
lascivious husband will make a wanton
wife; a spend thrift husband an
extravagant wife; and a modest, honest,
careful husband, a modest, honest,
carefull wife. We should therefore take
St. Austin's [St. Augustine's] counsel,
and such as we would have our wives
appear unto us, the same should we
first approve our selves to them. 'Tis an
impudent and impious fellow (saith
Seneca *) [(*) Ad. I** Epist. 94.] that
requires of his wife an undefiled bed,
yet he himself defiles it. For this reason
(as Diogenes struck the father, when
the boy swore, because he had taughthim no better) so in some places the
husbands are punisht only for the faults
of their wives; as in Catalonia,
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animo ferebat, sed fortiter hortabatur ad mortem,
atque ipsa per omnia in Deo confidens, post filios
pro patriis legibus consumpta est. Nonne etiam
Theodelina Bauarorum regis filia Longobardos,
ac Greisilla Henrici primi imperatoris soror,
Ungaros et Clotildis Burgundiqnum regis filia,
Francos: & Apostola quædam infimæ sortis
fœmina, Hiberos singulæ innumeros populos adChristi fidem conuerterunt? Denique hic
religiosissimus sexus solus vel maxime is est, in
quo in hunc [36] diem usque fides catholica, &
pietatis continuata opera refulgent. At ne cui
dupium sit, mulieres omnia ea posse quæ viri:
exemplis rem ipsam agamus, & comperiemus
nullum vnquam egregium facinus in vlla virtutum
genere à viris perpetratum, quod à mulieribus
non sit æque præclare factitatum. Claruerunt in
sacerdotio olim apud gentes Melissa Cybeles, à
cuius nomine ceteræ deæ sacerdotes, Melisse
postea dictæ sunt. Item Hypeccaustria sacerdos
Mineruæ, Mera Veneris, Iphigenia Dianæ
fuerunt, & fœminæ Bacchi sacerdotes, multis
nominibus claræ, vt Thyades, Menades, Bachæ
Eliades, Mimallonides, Aedonides, Euhyades,
Bassarides, Triaterides. Apud Iudæos quoque
Maria Mosse soror una cum Aaron sanctuarium
ingrediebatur, & tanquam sacerdos habita est. Innostra autem religione, licet mulieribus sacerdotii
functione interdictum sit, scimus tamen historiis
proditum, mulierem aliquando mentito sexu, ad
summi pontificatus apicem conscendisse. Nec
obscuræ sunt ex nostris tot sanctissimæ abbates
& moniales, quas antiquitas non dedignatur
vocare sacerdotes. Claruerunt in prophetia apud
omnis regionis gentes, Cassandra, Sybillæ, Maria
Mosi soror, Delbora, Holda, Anna, Elizabeth,quatuor Philippi filiæ, & multæ aliæ recentiores
sanctæ fœminæ, quales Brigida & Heldegardis.
whoever is cuckolded, payeth a summe
of money; and in Paris, he rides in
disgrace through the city, the cryer
proclaiming these words before him,
So do, so have; from which our English
custome of ridings is not much
different. Nor do these deplorable
consequences alwayes arise from anyextream ill habit or disposition of
wither of the parties, but from their
indiscreet conjuncture; their tempers
disagreeing cause their discord, and
their humours being contrary, are unfit
for so close an union; such jarring
notes can produce no harmony, but
rather dismal effects: as a fiery vapour
inveloped in the arms of a cold cloud,
breaks forth with amazing flashes, and
terrible thunderclaps. A mature
deliberation is requisite before such an
eternal bond be entred into: The mutual
affection of each party; the consent of
parents; the approbation of friends; the
tryal of acquaintance; the special
observation of disposition, genius,
kindred, education, and behaviour,
ought seriously to be weigh'd, beforeone conclude for the better, for worse,
and tye that Gordian knot, which
cannot be loosed till death cuts it. Now
then if a man make his choice with
these due respects, his marriage cannot
but prove a merry age, and be crown'd
with joy and felicity, because he is
guided by Prudence, which never
faileth her followers. But if not, hemay well be stiled a fool, since he is
hurried on with passion, and a giddy
fancy, which easily impoison the best
designs. He therefore that is truely
wise, cannot but choose a vertuous
wife, and by consequence live happily
with her; and if any take one that
proves vitious, it argues his own folly,
and so by good reason he ought
patiently and without repining toendure her, as the effect of his own
inconsiderateness, and not to
aggrandize his misfortune, by
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survey of all kinds of virtues and
excellencies, we shall find that women
may in each without usurpation
challenge the principal place. If we
look of Chastity, 'twas a Woman first
vow'd virginity to God. If the gift of
prophesie [prophecy] be required,
Lactantius, Eusebius, and St. Austin[St. Augustine], can tell us with what a
divine spirit the Sybils were inspired:
and holy Writ records Miriam the sister
of Moses, and Olda, Jeremiah's unkle's
wife; and no less than four sisters,
daughters of Philip, all eminent
prophetesses. If constancy and
perseverence in virtue be regarded, you
will find Judith, Ruth, and Hester, so
gloriously celebrated by the holy Spirit,
Inditer of those sacred Volumes, that
the books themselves retain their
Names. If a lively, vigorous, and stable
faith be expected, we shall see Men
generally come short of Women. The
poor widdow of Sarepta believed the
Prophet Elias, though the things he told
her could not but to carnal reason
appear in the shape of impossibilities.Zacharias was reprehended for his
infidelity by the Angel, and struck
dumb; but his wife Elizabeth
prophesies both with her womb and her
voice, and loudly celebrates the praises
of the blessed Virgin Mother, saying,
Blessed art thou who hast believed the
things which are said unto thee by the
Lord. To omit the Samaritan Woman,with whom Christ entertain'd discourse
at the well, and being satisfied with the
more acceptable dainties of her stedfast
faith, refused the Apostles provsion.
And that irresistable belief of the
Woman of Cananaa; her who had the
issue of blood, who seemed to storm
Heaven, and offer a welcome violence
to their Saviour, not to be put off with
any denial. Was not the faith andconfession of Martha equal to that of
Peter? What a noble constancy of faith
and resolution do we find in Mary
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Magdalen, verifying that saying, She to
whom much was forgiven, loved much.
For when the priests and Jews, blinded
with rage and ignorance, crucified that
Messias, whom they had so long
passionately expected, she stands
weeping by the Cross, a floud of tears
flowing from her fair eyes, to see thosestreams of blood and water trickle from
his precious side. Afterwards she
brings spices and precious oyntments
to embalm his body; but missing it in
the tomb, enquires of the supposed
gardiner, and soon acknowledgeth him
to be God; goes with as much speed as
joy (?) to the Apostles, and tells them
her Lord is risen: They all doubt the
miracle, or rather deride her narration,
as if 'twere only some dream of her
melancholly fancy; but still her
confidence continues, and her faith
remains unshaken, even when all those
pillars of the Church seem'd weak and
tottering. What shall we say of holy
Priscilla, who instructed Apollo, a
person learned in Law, and (as
Ecclesiastical histories inform us)Bishop of Corinth, which great
Apostolical Man was so much a
stranger to the pride and conceited
humour of our giddly Age, that he
thought it no shame to learn of a
woman what he might teach in the
Church.
If we consult primitive histories, and
turn over martyrologies, we shall find,
those women who have testified their
faith in the flames of martyrdome, and
embraced death and torments, rather
than renounce true Religion, not to
have been out-numbred by the men, all
which particularly to enumerate we
should be infinite: only give us leave
not to forget that wonderfull matron,
deserving a place in all good men'smemories, who not only with a divine
and incredible patience, beheld her
seven sons perishing in her sight by
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cruel martyrdome, but also
couragiously exhorted them to death;
and putting her entire confidence in
God, was afterwards her self destroyed
for the laws of her countrey.
To this good natur'd Sex, (as
instruments of providence) wholenations stand indebted for their faith,
and owe their conversion. Did not
Theodilina, the daughter of the King of
Bavaria, convert the Lombards? Greisil
the sister of the Emperour Henry the
First, the Hungarian? Clotidis, the
daughter of the King of Burgundy, the
Francks? and a poor she-Apostle of
very mean extraction, the Hiberti? each
of them illuminating with the brightbeams of the Christian Faith, many
thousand souls, which before lay
groping in the hellish darkness of
Pagan superstition and idolatry. By this
method of beneficence, doing good to
the better part of those we converse
with, and promoting the eternam
Concerns of Mankind, is trur Honour
only acquir'd. This alone is the Royal Road to that immense Glory, which
will still remain fresh and sparkling,
when Pyramids shall lye buried in
rubbish, and the noise of victories be
forgot; for so Divinity assures us, They
that turn many to righteousness, shall
shine as the Stars in the Firmament for
ever and ever.
But lest any scrupulous heads should
doubt of Women's abilities, to dispatch
all those affairs which are usually
transacted by Men, let us joyn issue,
and try the matter by examples, and we
shall find, That never any difficult
office was manag'd, hazardous
undertaking attempted, or brave,
generous exploit achieved by Men, but
the same hath been perform's asfamously, and with as much dexterity
and success ub every respect by
Women. That of old they were priests,
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is evident; for Melissa amongst
Gentiles was so eminent in the
Priesthood of the Goddess Cybele, that
all that succeeded her were called
Melissa. and to pass by Hyperaustria,
the Priestess of Minerva; Mera of
Venus; Iphigenia of Diana, &c. it may
be nothing unpleasant to repeat thosevarious names, wherewith Bacchuse's
she-priests were honoured, as Thyades,
Bacchæ, Menades, Eliades,
Mimallonides, Ædonides, Eubyades,
Basarides, Triaterides, &c. Amongst
God's own people too, the Jewes,
Mary, Moses's sister, used to
accompany Aaron into the Sanctuary,
and was by all reverenced as a priest.
Nor are there wanting at this day many
holy Recluses, whom Antiquity
scrupled not to call (Sacerdotes)
Priests.
Famous for prophesie hath this Sex
been amongst all Nations; witness
Cassandra, all the Sybils, Moses his
sister, mentioned but now, Deborah,
Hulda, Anna, and others of old, besidesdivers more modern, as Bridget,
Hildegard, &c.Præterea in magica siue bonorum, siue malorum
dæmonum inexpugnabili disciplina præ cæteris
Circes, atque Medea longe mirabiliora [37]
effecerunt, quam vel ipse Zoroastes, licet huius
artis inuentor à pluribus credatur. Insuper in
philosophia præclaræ extiterunt Theano vxor
Pythagoræ, eius denique filia Dama in
exponendis paternis sententiarum inuolucris
clara. Item Aspasia & Diotima Socratis discipulæ
& Mantinea ac Philesia Axiochia, Ambæ
discipulæ Platonis. Extollit denique Plotinus
Geminam, atque Amphicleam, laudat Lactantius
Themisten. Exultat Christiana ecclesia in diua
Caterina, quæ sola puella omnem illius æui
sapientum doctrinam longe superauit. Nec nobis
hoc loci Zenobia regina Longini philosophi
discipula, memoria excidat, quæ ob effusam &
candidam literarum peritiam Ephinissæ accepitappellationem, cuius opera sacrosancta
Nicomachus Græca reddidit. Ad Oratoriam &
Poesim vadamus. En se nobis offerunt Armesia,
In Magick, or the inexpugnable
discipline of good or ill spirits, (which
many talk of, most condemn, and few
understand,) Circe and Medæa wrought
more wonders than Zoroaster himself,
though most believe him the first
inventer of these black Arts.
For profound knowledge in the
abstrusest parts of Philosophy, were
eminent, Thaana, Pythagoras his wife,
and his daughter Dama, excellent at
explaining her father's mysterious
Sentences; Aspasia and Diotima,
scholars of Socrates; Philesia and
Axiochia, both disciples of Plato;
Plotinus extols Gemina and Amphiclea;
Lactantius applauds Themiste; theChristian Church glories in St.
Katherine, a Lady that alone for
learning surpast all the wisest Men of
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cognomenta Androginea, Hortensia, Lucera
[Lucretia], Valeria, Copiola, Sapho [Sappho],
Corinna, Cornificia Romana, & Erimna Telia seu
Tesbia, quæ epigrammatista cognominata fuit. Et
apud Salustium Sempronia, apud iurisconsultos
Calphurnia, & nisi vetitum esset hodie mulieribus
literas discere, iamiam adhuc haberentur
clarissimæ doctrigæ excellentores ingeniomulieres quam viri. Quid de hoc dicendum est,
quod sola natura ipsa, mulieres facile omnium
disciplinarum artifices superare videntur. Nonne
grammatici se benedicendi magistros iactant,
atque id nos longe melius discimus à nutricibus
& matribus, quam à [38] grammaticis? Nonne
Grachorum eloquentissimam linguam, mater
Cornelia formauit, et Sylem Aripithi Scythiæ
regis filium Istrinei mater Græcam linguam
docuit? nonne semper in introductis apud exteras
gentes coloniis nati, pueri matrum sermonem
tenuerunt? Non aliam ob causam Plato &
Quintilianus de deligenda pueris nutrice idonea,
tam sollicite statuerunt, vt pueri lingua atque
sermo recte discreteque formaretur.
that Age. Nor may our memory here
without an unpardonable crime, let slip
the mention of Longinus; the
Philosopher's excellent pupil Queen
Zenobia, for her vast knowledge in
Letters, and clear understanding, called
Ephinissa, whose devout works
Nichomachus rendred into Greek. If weproceed to those soul-charming
faculties, Oratory and Poesie, behold a
whole troop crowd about us; as
Armesia, surnamed Androgenia,
Hortensia, Lucretia, Valeria, Copiola,
Sappho, Corinna, Erimna, Telia, or
Tesbia, surnam'd the Epigrammatist;
Sempronia in Salust; and amongst the
lawyers, Calphurnia.
'Tis a proud self-flattering conceit of
the Bearded-Tribe, to arrogate all
learning to themselves, or think the
noble Female Sex incapable of making
as generous flights towards the top of
Parnassus, as they. Women's
Phantasies are much more quick and
searching; their memories as tenacious
and faithfull; their judgements as solid;all their faculties as ready, and their
thirst after knowledge and fame no less
intentive, than Men's. Why then should
they not with the same advantages,
make at least an equal progress in
Literature? 'Tis true, our male Dictators
strive to monopolize Learning, and
having by a brutish custome barr'd the
Doors of the Muses' Temple against
Women, do now pretend they are
unable and unfit to enter: yet vain are
these their envious designs, to depress
or cloud the Glories of this Sex: for
indeed Women by nature alone do
excell the Professors of Arts, even in
those particular Arts which they
pretend to; those Sciences and
accomplishments which Men acquire
not without a vast expence of time,waste of spirits, and other
inconveniencies, being all in Women
as it were innate and con-natural. That
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this may not seem a naked affirmative,
or inconsiderate rant, be pleas'd to
consider, That although Grammarians
proudly boast themselves masters of
the Art of well-speaking, as if all must
be dumb, or at least barbarous, that
have not submitted to the tyranny of
their Perula; yet we learn far better tospeak from our mothers and nurses,
who are continually engaging us to
prattle, and correcting the errors of our
lisping Tongues, than from the crabbed
instructions of those supercilious
pedagogues. 'Twas Cornelia's industry
that form'd her sons' the Gracchi's
tongues, to such an admired height of
eloquence; nor had the king of
Scythia's son Siles any other tutor to
teach him the Greek Tongue, but his
mother Istrinea. When colonies are
planted, and several nations mingled,
do not the children alwayes retain their
Mothers' languages? For which reason,
both Plato and Quintilian have been so
exact in giving precepts for the choice
of a fit nurse, that children's speech
may rightly be ordered, and discreetlymoulded from their infancy.
Iam uero nonne & Poetæ in suis nugis & fabulis,
ac Dialectia in sua contentiosa garrulitate à
mulieribus uincuntur? Orator nuspiam adeo tam
bonus aut tam felix, ut suadela uel meretricula
superior sit. quis Arithmeticus, falsum
supputando, mulierem soluendo debito, decipere
potest? Quisue Musicus hanc cantu, & uocis
amœnitate æquat? Philosophi, Mathematici,Astrologi, nonne in suis diuinationibus, &
præcognitionibus non raro rusticis mulieribus
inferiores sunt, & sæpissime anicula medicum
uincit? Ipse Socrates uir omnium sapientissimus,
si Pythio testimonio fides habenda est, iam natu
grandior à muliere Aspasia adhuc quiddam
discere non dedignatus est, sicut nec Apollo
Theologus à Priscilla erudiri ueritus est. Quod si
etiam prudentia requiratur, exemplo sunt Opis
inter deas relata, Plotina Traiani uxor,
Amalasuntha Ostrogothorum regina, Emilia
Scipionis uxor, quibus accedit Delbora mulier
Are not the Poets in their trifling fables
surpast by hundreds of old Women?
and Logitians in their contentious
brawlings out-done by each
Billingsgate-Fish-wife?
Your smooth-tongu'd Orators seem
almost almighty in words, and able atpleasure to raise or calm the passions,
by the Magick of their rhetorick; yet
where was there ever any of them so
happy, but that a pretty obliging Wench
would out-go him in the art of
persuasion? What subtle Arithmetician
is able to mis-reckon a Woman when
he goes to pay her a debt, or cheat her
of a penny by all his rules of practice
or falshood? What musitian [musician]
can equal her for singing; or dare
compare the squeaking of his Crowd to
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prudentissima uxor Labidoth, quæ ipsa ut legitur
in libris Iudicum, aliquamdiu super populum
Israë [Israel] iudicauit, [39] ascendebantque ad
eam filii Israël [Israel] in omne iudicium. Quæ
etiam recusante Barach, hostilem pugnam ipsa
dux Israëlitici exercitus electa, hostibus cæsis
fugatisque uictoriam reportauit. Legitur præterea
in regum historia Attaliam reginam regnasse, &iudicasse per septem annos in Hierusalem. Atque
Semir amis post mortem Nini regis iudicabat
populos quadraginta annis. Et omnes reginæ
Candaces Aethiopiæ prudentissimæ
potentissimæque regnarunt, de quibus mentio est
in Actibus Apostolorum. Mira autem de illis
narrat fidus ille antiquitatis scriptor Iosephus.
Huc etiam accedit Nicaula regina Saba, quæ
veniens à finibus terræ audire sapientiam
Salomonis, & testimonio domini condemnatura
est omnes uiros Hierusalem. Fuit & Thecnites
quædam sapientissima mulier, quæ Dauid regem
interrogatione concludit, enigmate docet,
exemplo Dei mitigat. Nec hic prætere unda sunt
Abigail & Bethsaba, quarum illa uirum suum
liberauit ab ira Dauid, & post mortem uiri sui,
facta est regina & uxor Dauid. Altera autem
Salomonis mater filio suo regnum prudenter
impetrauit. Porro in rerum inuentionibus exemplostint Isis, Minerua, Nycostrata. In condendo
imperio & urbibus, Semiramis uniuersi orbis
monarchiam tenens, Dido, Amazones. In
bellorum certaminibus, Thomiris Massagetarum
regina, quæ Cyrum Persarum monarcham deuicit.
Item Camilla de gente Volscorum, Valisca [40]
Bohemiæ ambæ potentes reginæ. Item Indorum
Pande Amazones, Candæes, Lemnenses,
Phocensium, Chiarum, Persidæque mulieres.Legimus de aliis multis illustrissimis mulieribus,
quæ mira uirtute uniuersæ nationi suæ, in summa
rerum desperatione salutem restituerunt. Inter
quas est Iudith, quam beatus Hieronymus his
uerbis extollit, inquiens: Accipite Iudith uiduam
castitatis exemplum, triumphali laude, perpetuis
eam præconiis declarate. Hanc enim non solum
fœminis, sed & uiris imitabilem dedit, qui
castitatis eius remunerator, uirtutem talem tribuit,
ut inuictum omnibus, uinceret, et insuperabilemsuperaret. Legimus adhuc quia mulier quædam
sapiens, uocauit Ioab, & dedit in manus suas
caput Sibæ inimici Dauid, ut conseruaret Abelam
the melody of her ravishing voice?
A silly Grammar's predictions have
often been answered with suitable
events; whilest the prognosticians of
great mathematicians, and famous star-
readers, (that boast themselves of
Heaven's cabinet-Councel) serve onlyto prove their authors either lying
fools, or flattering knaves. How
frequently is the art of the most
eminent physitians [physicians] forc'd
to veil to the skill of a countrey-
matron? who with an ordinary receipt
chases away those sullen distempers,
which bid defiance to all the slops and
hard words levied against them by
Master Doctor.
Nor need any of these artists resent this
ill, since Socrates, the wisest of Men
(if you'l credit an Oracle) thought if no
shame in his wisest Age to learn of
Aspasia: nor did Apollo the Divine
blush to receive instruction from good
Priscilla.
Having thus briefly vindicated the fair
Sexes reputation in the schools, we
next proceed to the Court and Camp,
and find them there not at all deficient
in policy of State, or that civil
prudence requisite for the conduct of
humane affairs: not so ignorant as
many imagine, in State-craft; that
refined skill which dis-imbroils the
intrigues of the Court; which teacheththe Science of War, and the dexterity
of treating for peace; Women's wits
having generally been esteemed more
quick and ready in sudden exigents,
and most fertile and dexterous for the
plotting and carrying on any politick
design, or subtle contrivance.
No stratagem did warriour
e're devise,
Which first he learnt not
from their catching eyes.
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ciuitatem, quæ erat mater ciuitatum in Israë. Et
mulier quædam iaciens fragmentum molæ, allisit
caput Abimelech, & confregit cerebrum eius,
executurum vindictæ Dei super Abimelech, quia
fecerat malum coram domino, contra patrem
suum, interfectis per eum septuaginta fratribus
super uno lapide. Sic Hester Assueri regis uxor,
non solum liberauit populum suum à morteturpissima, sed insuper summa honore decorauit.
Obsessaque à Volscis urbe Roma, Cn. Martio
Coriolano duce, quam armis uiri urbem
defendere non poterant. Veturia magno natu
mulier, ac Coriolani mater filii obiurgatione
seruauit. Arthemisia irruentes sibi Rhodios &
classe exuit, & insulam domuit, [41] erecta in
urbe Rhodia statua, quæ perpetuum stigma illi
inureret. Iam quis satis laudare poterit puellam
nobilissimam (licet humili generæ ortam) quæ
anno Christianorum M.CCCC.XXVIII. occupato,
per Anglos Franciæ regno Amazonis more,
sumptis armis primamque aciem ducens, tam
strennue feliciterque pugnauit, ut pluribus præliis
superatis Anglis, Francorum regi iam amissum
regnum restitueret. In cuius rei perpetuam
memoriam apud Genabum oppidum quod
Aurelianum uocant, in ponte qui est super
Ligurim fluuium sacra statua puellæ erecta est.Possem innumeras adhuc ex Græcorum,
Latinorum, Barbarorumque, tam ueteribus quam
recentioribus historiis præstantissimas mulieres
recensere, quod, ne in grande nimium opus
turgesceret, breuitati studere uolui.
Of these she-Machiavils and feminine
Hectors, history copiously affords us
examples; as Opis, reverenced by the
Ægyptians [Egyptians] as a Deity;
Plotina, the wife of Trajan;
Amalasmutha, the Queen of the
Ostrogoths; Deborah, to whom in all
cases of difference the Israelitesrepair'd for judgement, and rescu'd
themselves from slavery, by a
memorable victory under her conduct.
Semiramis, who for forty years with
much honour and renown governed the
Assyrians; and Candaces, Queen of
Ethiopia, no less eminent for prudence,
than power and magnificence, of whom
some mention is made in the Acts: but
wonders are related by that worthy
Register of Antiquity, Josephus, for
laying the foundations of Empires, and
building cities; Semiramis, Dido, and
the Amazons, for both skill and success
in war; Thomiras, Queen of the
Massagetæ, who conquer'd Cyrus, that
great monarch of the Persians; as also
Camilla, of the Nation of the Volci;
and Valisca, of Bohemia, both potentQueens. To whom might be added the
Indian Pande, and the women of
Phocia, Chios, and Persia; with many
other illustrious Viragoes, who in the
greatest exigencies, and most desperate
shocks of Fortune, have preserv'd their
gasping countreys; of whom the noble
Judith and fair Hester deserve to lead
the van, as the glory of their own, andshame of the other Sex. Whilst Rome
stands, the name of that grave matron
Vetruria, will be famous; who by
checking the inordinate rage of her son
Coriolanus, preserv'd that emperial
city, the young captain at his Mother's
perswasions desisting from his
unnatural hostility against his Mother-
Countrey. Nor can the brave
Arthemisia want her due applauses,who destroy'd the Rhodian Navy that
invaded her, and to return the civility
of their intended visir, subdued their
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island, erecting an ignominious statue
in the midst of their chief city, to
remain there as a perpetual brand of
infamy and reproach.
The English Nation were most
ungratefull, should they ever forget
their obligations to this Sex, to whosecontagious resolution alone, they owe
their deliverance from the insufferable
tyranny of the Danes. Nor is the most
Christian King less engaged, whose
tottering crown was once refixt on his
ancestor's head by a Female hand. That
strange ridling prodigy of valour, Joan
of Arc, (celebrated by some as a saint,
and branded by others for a Witch,)
when the English had almost spredtheir victorious Ensigns over the whole
Kingdome of France, and wanted little
to compleat its total conquest, taking
arms like an Amazon, arrested their
fortune, put a stop to the torrent of
their victories, and by degrees restor'd
the withering de Laces to their former
lustre; in honour of which gallant
Enterprise, a statue sacred to hermemory stands erected on the bridge at
Orleans.
Nam scripserunt de illis Plutarchus, Valerius,
Bocacius & plures alii. Hinc est quare non tam
multa de mulierum laudibus dixerim, quam
plurima reticuerim, quippe qui non sum tam
ambitiosæ ceruicis, ut mulierum infinitas
præstantias atque uirtutes tam pauculo sermoneme posse complecti præsumam. Quis enim ad
percensendas infinitas mulierum laudes sufficiat,
à quibus omne nostrum esse, omnisque humani
generis conseruatio, quod alias in breui
petriturum esset, omnisque familia & respublica
dependet. Quod nec Romanæ urbis conditorem
latuit, qui dum mulieribus careret, cum Sabinis
raptis eorum filiabus, bellum asperrimum inire
non [42] dubitauit, cogllouit namque eiusmodi
imperium, si mulieres non adessent breui
periturum. Tandem capto à Sabinis capitolio,
cum media foro collatis signis cruentissime
An innumerable catalogue could we
here produce of most excellent women,
out of both ancient and modern
histories of the Grecians, Romans, and
other nations; Plutarch, Valerius,
Boccace, and many others, havingwritten largely of them: but we study
brevity, that our Work may not
overflow its intended limits; for we
fancy not those over-grown Treatises
which are divided into Tomes and
Volumes; so that we shall not here say
so much in Women's praise, but that
we shall conceal much more that
might, and deserves to be said; being
not so extravagantly ambitious, as to
undertake to comprehend or display the
infinite excellencies and virtues of that
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pugnaretur, intercursu mulierum inter ambas
acies prælium cessauit, factaque tandem pace, &
percusso fœdere perpetuam amicitiam inierunt.
Quamobrem earum nomina Curiis imposuit
Romulus, uolentibusque Romanis, in publicis
tabulis exceptum est, mulierem nec molere, nec
coquinariam facere, uxorem à uiro, uirum ab
uxore aliquid dono accipere uetitum, quo bonaomnia communia esse scirent. Hinc tandem
consuetudo emersit, ut sponsam introducentes,
dicere iuberent, ubi tu ego, denotantes ubi tu
dominus, ego domina. Ubi tu herus, ego hera,
deinde cum regibus exactis Cariolano Martio
duce Volscorum legiones ad quintum lapidem
castrametatæ essent, per mulieres auersæ sunt,
pro quo beneficia insigne templum fortunæ
muliebri dedicatum est. Magni insuper honores
dignitatisque insignia, senatusconsulto illis
collata. Cuiusmodi sunt, quod in uia superiori
loco incedant, uiris insuper quibusque illis in
pedes assurgentibus, locumque cedentibus.
Præterea uestes purpureæ cum fimbriis inauratis,
gemmarum etiam ornatus, et inaures anulique &
torques illis concessa, posterumque imperatorum
lege cautum, ut quoties alicubi statutum fiat,
prohibens deferri certas uestes aut ornamenta,
mulieres sub illo non comprehendi. Hæreditatumquoque & bonorum [43] successionibus donatæ
sunt, legibus etiam permissum est, mulierum
funera, quemadmodum illustrium uirorum
publicis laudibus celebrari. Siquidem cum
mittendum ad Delphicum Apollinem munus
esset, ex Camilli uoto, nec foret auri tantum in
urbe, mulieres sponte corporis ornamenta
contulere. Porro in eo bello quod Cyrus contra
Astyagen gessit in fugam conuersa Persarumacie, mulierum castigatione reprehensa est, ac
denuo instaurata, insignemque illis uictoriam
dedit. Ob quod facinus lege cautum est à Cyro, ut
persarum reges urbem ingressuri, singulis
mulieribus singulos auri nummos persoluerent.
Quod etiam Macedo bis eam urbem ingressus,
toties erogauit. Insuper et prægnantibus munus
duplicari iussit. Sic à priscis illis Persarum
regibus atque Romanis, ab ipsis inquam Romanæ
urbis imperiique incunabulis, mulieres omnisemper honoris genere donatæ sunt. Porro abipsis
imperatoribus non minus ueneratæ. Hinc
Iustinianus imperator etiam in legibus condendis,
Sex, in so curt a discourse. What
mortal's pen, or angel's tongue, is
sufficient to enumerate and proclaim
their praises, on whom depends our
very being, and the preservation not
only of particular families, and
republicks, but of all humane kind,
which without them would soon decay,and the World in one century droop
into a solitary Desart.
This Rome's first founder well
understood; and rather than want
Women, chose to incur a sharp
hazardous War with the Sabines, for
stealing away their daughters, without
whom his intended Empire had quickly
mouldred away, and never arriv'd atthat proud Grandeur, to give Laws to
all the World. Upon which quarrel,
when afterwards the Sabines intending
a rescue, had taken the Capitol, and a
bloody fight was begun in the midst of
Rome's market-place, the good-natur'd
women rushing in between both
armies, their husbands on the one side,
their fathers on the other, procured bytheir entreaties a cessation from that
unnatural conflict, which ended in an
indissoluble peace, both nations being
glew'd together in perpetual amity.
Whereupon Romulus caused the
women's names to be inrolled in the
Courts; and by common consent it was
enacted, That none of them should be
put to grynde, or do kitchin-drudgery,
or any such servile employment; nor
should receive any thing as a gift from
her husband, nor he from her; that they
might not dream of any particular
propriety, but know, that whatever
either of them enjoy'd, was common to
both: for he that makes a present to his
wife, offers an injury in a complement,
pretending to entitle her to that by his
donation, which is hers before in herown right. This gave birth to that
custome, when the Bride was brought
home, to use these solemn words; Ubi
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uxorem consulendam adhibendamque censuit. Et
alibi dicit lex, quod uxor coruscat, merito in
honore ut sentiat eius fulgorem, ut in quantum uir
in altum tollitur, tantum & coniunx eius. Sic uxor
imperatoris dicitur imperatrix, & uxor regis
regina, & uxor principis princeps & illustris
undecunque sit nata. Et Ulpianus ait: Princeps,
hoc est imperator legibus est solutus. Augustaautem quæ est uxor imperatoris, licet legibus
soluta non est, princeps tamen eadem illi
priuilegia contulit, quæ ipse habet. [44] Hinc est
quod illustribus mulieribus iudicare permittitur,
& arbitrari, atque ut possint feudum inuestire &
inuestiri, & inter Vasallos quid iuris decernere.
Ad idem facit quod fœmina potest habere seruos
peculiares sicut et uir, potestque mulier iudicare
etiam inter extraneos, potest etiam nomen indere
familiæ, sic quod filii denominentut à matre, non
à patre. Habent & circa dotes grandia priuilegia.
Hinc inde in diuersis locis in corpore iuris
expressa, ubi etiam cauetur quod mulier honestæ
uitæet famæ pro debitis ciuilibus incarcerari non
debeat, imo iudex pœna capitis punitur, qui
ipsam carceri mancipauerit. Quod si sit suspecta
de delicto in monasterium trudatur, aut
mulieribus incarceranda tradatur, quia teste lege
mulier melioris est conditionis quam uir, tumquia in eodem genere delicti, plus peccat uir
quam mulier, hinc uir in adulterio deprehensus,
capite punitur: sed mulier adultera in
monasterium retruditur. Plura priuilegia colligit
Azo in summa sua super titulo ad
senatusconsultum Velleianum, et Speculator de
renunciationibus. Illi etiam ueteres legum latares,
ac reipublicæ artifices uiri sapientia graues,
scientia prudentissimi, Lycurgus inquam & Platocum scirent ex philosophiæ penetralibus
mulieres, nec animi excellentia, nec corporis
robore, nec dignitate naturæ uiris inferiores, sed
ad omnia æque habiles, statuerunt mulieres cum
uiris in luctationibus & gymnasticis exerceri,
etiam in omnibus quæ ad bellicam pertinent [45]
disciplinam, in artu, in funda, iactu lapidum, in
sagittando, in armorum dimicatione tam equestri
quam pedestri, in castrorum positione, ac in
acierum ordinatione, in ducendo exercitu, & (utbreuiter dicam) omnia eademque mulieribus quæ
uiris exercitia communia tribuerunt. Legamus
antiquitatum fide dignos scriptores, comperiemus
tu, Ego; (that is) Where you are Jack,
I'll be Jill; Where you are Master, I
will be Dame.
After the expulsion of Kings, when the
Forces of the Volsci, who had
espoused the Tarquin's quarrel, were
advanc'd within five miles of Rome,they were beat back by the sole
courage of the women; for which
gallant service a famous Temple was
built, dedicated to Female-Fortune; and
many notable marks of dignity and
honor conferr'd on them by decrees of
the Senate: as to have the upper hand
in walking, the men standing up, and
giving place when they pass by; as
likewise leave to wear purple withgold-fringe, ear-rings, jewels, gold
chains, and other ornaments. And by a
law of later Emperours, women were
enabled to succeed in inheritances, and
take administrations; and suffered to
have their funerals publickly celebrated
with encomiastick orations, as well as
the most illustrious men. And twas
provided, That in all edicts prohibitingthe wearing of any apparel, women
should not be included: an indulgence
they well deserv'd, since they knew so
well how to part with their ornaments
on a good occasion. For when Camillus
had vow'd a present to Apollo of
Delphos, and the whole city could not
yield gold enough to make up the
summe, the women freely open'd their
cabinets, and brought in their rings,
bracelets, &c. so ready were they to
support the honour of their countrey,
though with the loss of what their Sex
is said most to delight in. In the War
which Cyrus waged against his
grandfather Astiages, the Persian army
being put to flight by the prowess of
the Medes, was reinforc'd by the
seasonable reproof and exprobation of the women; for thereupon shame and
indignation infusing fresh courage,
they fac'd about again, routed their
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in Getulia, Bactris, Galletia morem fuisse uiros
mollicie deditos, mulieres autem agros colere,
ædificare, negotiari, equitare, præliari & cætera
facere, quæ modo apud nos uiri factitant. Apud
Cantabros uiri mulieribus dotem dabant, fratres à
sororibus nuptui dabantur, filiæ hæredes
designabantur. Apud Scythas, Thraces, & Gallos
mulieribus uirisque communia erant officia. Et debello paceque agentes, mulieres iudicio
consultationibus adhibebantur, quod percussum
cum Hannibale Celtarum fœdus in hæc uerba
demonstrat. Si quis Celtarum iniuria à
Carthaginensium aliquo affectum se conqueritur,
eius rei Carthaginensium magistratus aut
imperatores qui in Hispania fuerint iudices sunto.
Si quis Carthaginensium ab ullo Celtarum iniusti
quippiam passus fuerit, Celtarum de ea re
mulieres iudicium faciunto. Sed uirorum nimia
tyrannide, contra diuinum ius, naturæque leges
præualente, data mulieribus libertas. Iam, iniquis,
legibus interdicitur, consuetudine usuque
aboletur, educatione extinguitur. Mulier namque
mox ut nata est, à primis annis domi detinetur in
desidia, ac uelut altioris prouinciæ [46] incapax,
nihil præter acus & filum concipere permittitur.
Ubi exinde pubertatis annos attigerit, in mariti
traditur zelotipum imperium, aut uestaliumergastulo perpetuo recluditur. Publica quæ que
officia legibus sibi interdicta sunt. Postulare in
iudicio licet prudentissima non permittitur,
repelluntur. Præterea in iurisdictione, in arbitrio,
in adoptione, in intercessione, in procuratione, in
tutela, in cura, in testamentaria & criminali
causa. Item repelluntur in uerbi pei prædicatione,
contra expressam scripturam, qua promisit illis
spiritus sanctus per Iohelem inquiens [ Iohel. 2.:Et prophetabunt filiæ uestræ, quemadmodum &
Apostolorum ætate publice docebant, sicut de
Anna Simeonis, & filiabus Philippi, atque
Priscilla Aquilæ notum est. Sed tanta est
recentium legis latorum improbitas, qui irritum
fecerunt mandatum Dei propter traditiones suas,
quod mulieres alias naturæ eminentia, &
dignitate nobilissimas, pronunciarunt cunctis uiris
conditione uiliores. His itaque legibus mulieres
uiris tanquam bello uictæ, uictoribus cederecoguntur, non naturali non diuina aliqua
necessitate aut ratione, sed consuetudine
educatione, fortuna & tyrannica quadam
pursuers, and came off, crowned with
the lawrels of victory; for which good
service Cyrus ordain'd, That as oft as
the kings of Persia entred the city, they
should bestow on each woman a
medal, or piece of gold; which was
frequently performed accordingly; yea,
and doubled to such as were with child.
Thus were women, by those ancient
princes of Persia, and the valiant
Romans, from the very infancy of their
Empire, treated with all kind of respect
and honour; and to this day, by how
much each nation is more civiliz'd, and
refin'd from Barbarism, so much
greater liberty and honour do women
there enjoy. Nor is there a surercharacter of a noble birth, or any thing
that sooner discovers a generous
education, than a respective carriage,
and complacent deportment towards
Ladies.
That the renowned Justinian had a
particular veneration for this Sex, is
evident; for that he thought fit toconsult his wife in the modelling of his
Laws, and framing those Institutes,
whose excellent prudence all
succeeding generations have admired
and no wonder, since the Law it self
affirms, That the Wife shines in an
equal sphear of honour with the
Husband; so as how much soever he is
preserved in dignity, so much she too,
is advanc'd. Thus an Emperour's wife is
stiled Empress, and a King's, Queen,
and a Prince's, the Princess, and
illustrious, though they are never so
meanly descended. So Ulpian, The
Prince (he means the Emperour) is
absolv'd and free from the coercive
power of the laws, but the Empress his
wife, though of herself she be not faced
therefrom, yet her husband confers onher the same privileges which he has
himself. Hence by the Civil Law 'tis
permitted to noble Women to judge,
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occasione id agente Sunt præterea, qui ex
relligione auctoritatem sibi corrogant in mulieres,
& ex sacris literis suam probant tyrannidem,
quibus illud Evæ maledictum continuo in ore est:
Sub potestate uiri eris, & ipse dominabitur tui.
Quod si illis respondeatur Christum abstulisse
[47] maledictum, obiicient rursus idem ex dictis
Petri [Petri. 3.], cui accedit & Paulus [ Ad Collos.3.]: Mulieres uiris suis subditæ sint, mulieres in
ecclesia taceant. Sed qui nouerit uarios scripturæ
tropos, eiusdemque affectus, facile cernet hæc
non nisi in cortice repugnare. Est enim is ordo in
ecclesia, ut uiri præponantur in ministerio
mulieribus, sicuti Iudæi Græcis in promissione.
Non tamen est acceptor personarum Deus, in
christo enim nec mas, nec fœmina, sed noua
creatura. Quin et pleraque uiris propter duriciem
cordis eorum in mulieres permissa sunt sicut
Iudæis quondam concessa repudia, quæ tamen
mulierum dignitati nihil officiunt, quin &
deficientibus errantibusque uiris, mulieres in
uirorum opprobrium potestatem habent iudicii. Et
ipsa regina Saba iudicatura est uiros Hierusalem.
Qui ergo iustificati per fidem effecti sunt filii
Abrahæ, filii inquam promissionis subiiauntur
mulieri, & obnoxii sunt præcepto Dei ad
Abraham inquientis [Genesis. 21.]: Omniaquæcumque dicit tibi Sara, audi uocem eius.
Nunc tandem ut me quam breuissime recolligam,
ostendimus præcellentiam muliebris sexus, à
nomine, ab ordine, à loco, à materia, & quid
dignitatis mulier supra uirum sortita sit à Deo, De
inde à religione, à natura, ab humanis legibus,
iam uaria autoritate, ratione et exemplis
promiscue demonstrauimus. Tamen non tam
multa diximus, quam plurima adhuc dicendareliquerimus, quia non ambitione commotus, aut
[48] meæ commendationis causa ueni ad
scribendum, sed officio & ueritate. Ne tanquam
sacrilegus, tam denoto sexui debitas sibi laudes
(ut talentum mihi creditum suffodiendo) impia
quadam taciturnitate surripere uidear sisilerem.
Quod si quis me curiosior à nobis præteritum
aliquod argumentum repererit, quod huic operi
nostro ad struendum putet, ab illo me non argui
sed adiuuari credam, quatenus bonam hancoperam nostram, suo ingenio doctrinaque
meliorem reddiderit. Ne ergo opus ipsum in
nimis magnum uolumen exeat, Hic illius finis
arbitrate, purchase, sell, and decide
controversies between their tenants, or
vassals, and sometimes to retain
peculiar servants, and give name to a
family, so as the children shall be
called by the Mother's name, not the
father's, with several other privileges,
in relation to their dowers, exprest indivers places throughout the whole
body of the Law: Which also provides,
That a woman of honest fame shall not
be imprisoned for debt; and that the
judge who shall commit her, shall in
such case be liable to capital
punishment: And if she be apprehended
on suspicion of any crime, she shall be
put into a Monastery, or delivered to
the custody of persons of her own Sex.
Moreover, a woman in the eye of the
Law is of a better condition than a
Man, so that in the very same kind and
degree of crime, he is esteemed a
greater offender, and worthy of severer
punishment than she. Hence a man
found in adultery is punisht with death,
the woman only shut up in a
monastery. Many other privileges of women you may read, collect by Azo,
in his summe on the title,
Senatusconsultum Velleianum, and
Speculator of Renunciations, and
others.
No wonder then if those ancient
legislators, men grave for their
wisdome, and prudent for science,
Lycurgus, I mean, and Plato,
understanding by their diligent
researches into the most profound parts
of Philosophy, that Women were not a
whit either for excellency of wit,
strength of body, or dignity of nature,
inferiour to Men, but equally able in all
respects whatever; did thereupon
ordain, That Women should exercise
together with Men in wrestling, andother publick games and pastimes; and
as well as Men, make an inspection
into all things appertaining to Martial
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esto.
[FINIS]
discipline, as shooting, slinging,
casting stones, darting, handling of
arms, both on foot and horseback,
pitching of tents, leading up,
marshalling, and setting armies in
array, &c.
Let us peruse the volumes of crediblehistorians, and they will assure us, That
by the custom in Getulia, Bactria, and
Galletia, the Men devoted wholly to
ease, made much of themselves at
home, whilst the Women tilled the
ground, built, negotiated, rid up and
down, went to the wars, and transacted
all those affairs which among us are
managed by Men. That amongst the
Cantabrians, the Men brought theWomen portions; the brothers were
dispos'd of in marriage by the sisters;
and the daughters were the heirs. That
among the Scythians, Thracians, and
other nations, all offices were
undertaken by Women, as well as Men.
And in their Treaties Women were
concern'd; as appears by the league
made between Hannibal and the Celtæ,in these words: If any of the Celtæ
complain that he is injured by any of
the Carthaginians, let the magistrates
or commanders of the Carthaginians
who shall be in Spain, judge thereof. If
any Carthaginian shall receive damage
from any of the Celtæ, let the Women
be judges of the same. Nor did the
ancient Brittains [Britains] and Picts
regard any difference of sex, for the
soveraign command, but usually went
to war under the conduct of Women, as
both Tacitus and Beda witness.
From what has been said, appears
conspicuously, as if written with Sun-
beams on a wall of chrystal, That this
Sex are not incapable of, nor were in
the primitive and more innocent Agesof the World, debarr'd from managing
the most arduous of difficult affairs, till
the tyranny of Men usurpt the dispose
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of all business, and unjust laws, foolish
customes, and an ill mode of
education, retrencht their liberties. For
now a woman (as if she were only the
pass-time of Men's idle hours, or a
thing made merely for trifling courtiers
to throw away their non-sensical
complements on) is from her cradlekept at home; and as incapable of any
nobler imployment, suffered only to
knit, spin, or practice the little
curiosities of the Needle. And when
she arrives at riper years, is delivered
to the tyranny of a jealous-pated
husband, or cloistered up in a Nunnery;
all publick offices are denied them;
implead, or sue at Law in their own
names, though never so prudent, they
must not; no jurisdiction they can
exercise: nor make any contract that is
valid without their husband's license;
and several other hard impositions they
have laid on them.
By which unworthy, partial [i.e.
"biased"] means, they are forc'd to give
place to Men, and like wretchedcaptives overcome in war, submit to
their insulting conquerors, not out of
any natural or divine reason, or
necessity, but only by the prevalancy
of custome, education, chance, or some
tyrannical occasion; yet might
Women's excellent good natures
possibly perswade them calmly to
undergo this servitude, did not the
male-usurpers adde shame and
reproach to their tyranny. But as all
slavery is miserable in the account of
generous minds, so that which comes
accompanied with scorn and contempt,
stirs every one's indignation, and can
be endur'd by none whom Nature does
not intend for slaves, as well as
Fortune. Although 'tis evident; That
unto Woman-kind the World owethhalf of its life, and Man is indebted the
whole of his love, she being the only
adequate object of his affections on
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earth; yet Custom spreading like some
epidemick contagion, hath made it
common to undervalue this Sex, and
bespatter their reputation with all kind
of opprobrious language, and
slanderous Epethites. Each idle
Poeraster hath a Rhime to reproach
them; and every phantastick gull ascandalous sonnet or musty Proverb to
impeach their honour; particular
reasons whereof, many may be gather'd
from the divers humours of their
accusers. Some will dispraise that
Woman, whom before they ador'd,
because her modesty has repell'd their
unchast desires. Some turn their
amorous complements of wooing, into
a barbarous stile of railing, because for
want of desert they obtain not Love.
Many love not Women, because they
know not how to love them; and most
of all Men being evil themselves, love
but few things that are good, and
thence entertain Women with hatred.
Some to make ostentation of their
parts, and acquire the title of wits, few
with any shew of reason, and none onany just cause, have yet filled the
World with pamphlets, things no less
idle in themselves, than disgracefull to
Women. But Oh unmanly Men, and
stain of your Sex! Is this a point of
Manhood, or any ornament of your
valour, to busie your selves for
disgrace of Women? Is this the
thankfull tribute you return to theauthors of your Being? Is this the
recompense you afford them for their
sorrow a nd pains at your birth, for
their care and diligence in your
infancy, for their love and tenderness,
their assistance and endearments
throughout your Life? Such and so
many obligations should not (methinks)
be so easily cancelled, not such
courtesies forgotten, much less soinjuriously remembred, as to be repaid
with causeless detraction, and
immerited invectives. But why speak
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we to these Men of Gratitude, the
greatest of virtues, who never were
acquainted with any virtue at all? It can
be no great dishonour to be evil spoken
by them, who never learn'd to speak
well of any.
We shall not therefore so vainly spendour own or the reader's time, as to take
notice of all those black scandals by
them cast on this fair Sex, they being
only fluxes of gall, or the purgings of
idle brains: only one we must briefly
examine, which seems more plausible,
and passes for currant in the vogue of
the World; and that is, their terming
Women, Necessary Evils. This is
indeed the common Tenure, and thecomical wits think they have very
judiciously spoken, when thus they
have designed them; which yet in truth
is no other than an egregious Solecism;
an error almost blasphemous. That they
are necessary, we needs must grant;
since he that made Man, saw it was not
good that Man should be without them.
That they are Evils, we utterly deny;since he that made Woman, saw that
all he made was good. Is Woman good
then in the judgement of God, and in
your conceit also necessary? then
change your phrase, and henceforth
stile her, A necessary good . Those very
terms, Necessary, and Evil, are
inconsistent: All things that are
necessary for Man, are good; food is
necessary, it is good; apparel
necessary, it is good; the Fire, the Air,
the Earth, the Water necessary, they
are good: Women necessary, therefore
good . For else if we suppose God has
bound Man in so hard a condition, that
some things are necessary for him, yet
evil, we both impair the wisdome of
God, and detract from his goodness.
To conclude: If Woman be so
necessary for Man, and he of himself
so weak and impotent , that he could not
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even in Paradise live without her; If
Abraham the friend of God be
commanded, by no less Authority than
the voice of Heaven, to hear his wife
Sarah whatsoever she should say to
him; If Nature have so illustriously
markt out Women for the most
excellent of all creatures, and crown'dthem most prodigally with the choicest
of her ornaments; Since they in no
respect come short of the most
celebrated Heroes, and that their names
and gallant actions have swell'd the
records of Fame, and stand register'd
there with such obliging Eulogies; what
remains but that without delay we
render them those homages which such
extraordinary merits challenge? Let us
no longer dis-esteem this noble Sex, or
abuse its goodness, or usurp on its
prerogative. Let us allow them those
Privileges which God and nature have
invested them with. Let us re-enthrone
them in their Seats of Honour and Pre-
eminence. Let us regard them with that
reverence that is due; pay them that
devotion that becomes us; and treatthem with all that respect and
veneration which belongs to such
Terrestrial Angels.
Thus have we endeavored to shew the
pre-eminence of the Female Sex, from
the name, order, place, and matter of
Creation; and what dignity bounteous
Heaven has vouchsaft thereto above the
Male. We have also promiscuously, yet
plainly, demonstrated the same from
Divinity, Nature, Humane Laws,
various Authority, Reason, and
Examples, yet have we not said so
much, but that we have left much more
unsaid: for we took not up our pen in
this cause out of ambition, or design to
purchase applause by ostentation of
wit, or reading; but meerly asconscious of our duty, and out of
loyalty to Truth, that we might not
seem sacrilegiously to rob this worthy
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Sex of its due praises, by an envious
silence.
But if some more curious Head shall
find (as easily he may) any argument
by us omitted, which he shall judge
proper to be here inserted, we shall be
ready to acknowledge our obligationsto him; esteeming it a courtesie, not an
injury, if by his wit and learning he
render this well-intended Work of ours
better; to which, lest it swell to too
great a volume, we here affix a final
period .
FINIS.
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