sig: [A1] | |
¶A Dyalogue defensyue for women / agaynst malycyous detractoures. | |
sig: [A1v] | |
¶The Prologue. |
|
¶To the ryght worshypfull and his synguler good maystres Arthur_hardberde Robert_Uaghane sendeth moste harty gretynge. | |
TO you maystres Arthur, my seruyce premysed | |
As reason of ryght, requyreth to recompence | |
Your gentle herte, whiche hath nat despysed | |
Afore this tyme, to take with beneuolence | |
5 | My wrytynges vnworthye, full of vayne sentence |
Whiche kyndnes consydered, good cause doth constrayne | |
And dewty me dryueth, to do my dylygence | |
With some small gyfte, for to requyte agayne. | |
¶Your bownteous benygnytie, imboldeth my rudenes | |
10 | This treatyse folowynge, vnto you to dedycate |
Whiche to myne handes, occurryde doubtles | |
As I on my Iourney, was rydynge but late | |
By a frende of myne, with whom I was assocyate | |
As by chaunce I alyghted, at a certayne place | |
15 | Whiche wylled me than, that I wolde algate |
Go forth and talke with hym, a lytell space. | |
¶Than secretly, he dyd vnto me commyt | |
Agaynst detraction, this dyalogue defensyue | |
For the woman sakes, both necessary and fyt | |
20 | Whan preuye reprehendeth, agaynst them lyst to stryue |
Of whose vyce the circumstaunce, he playnely doth dyscryue | |
That throughe auaryce, the syn insacyable | |
Detractours swarme, as bees aboute an hyue | |
Where felonous flatery, to them is profytable. | |
sig: A2 | |
25 | ¶I toke the volume, and rede therin apase |
And well perceyued at the fyrste syght | |
It was fayned in fauour, of one in your case | |
Howebeit I wolde nat aske hym, what she hyght | |
But vnto hym, I sayde anone full ryght | |
30 | What is your mynde, that I herin do shall |
For fayne I wolde, yf it lay in my myght | |
Your mynde accomplysshe, what-soeuer befall. | |
¶I wolde sayde he, yf it your pleasure were | |
That you wolde vouchsaue, at my hande to take | |
35 | This lytell smale volume, your name for to bere |
Whose fantasye with faynynge, is set for to make | |
Lest slaunder perchaunce, his sharpe sowne out_shake | |
To moue me [by] malyce, whiche onely meane rest by] 1542 omits | |
Your name may cause, suche noyses to asslake | |
40 | Therfore present it, where-as you thynke best. |
¶Than in my mynde, I thought that you were | |
Your cause consydered, and also your estate | |
Moste worthy to whom, I myght sende or bere | |
It to present, or els to dedycate | |
45 | And because it declareth, howe the Pyes do prate |
And what them causeth, suche pratynge to vse | |
I trust in God, it shall your mynde recreate | |
Throughe to rede it, yf you wyll nat refuse. | |
¶And of your thankes, to me I requyre | |
50 | No parte at all, sens myne is nat the payne |
But of your gentylnes, I humbly you desyre | |
That he may haue thankes, that labours doth sustayne | |
And as to my-selfe, no thanke I wyll clayme | |
Sens thanke to payne, is euer consequent | |
55 | Yet natwithstandynge, whyle lyfe doth remayne |
Myne herte and seruyce, shall be at your commaundement. | |
sig: [A2v] | |
¶This Dyalogue, as Dyamonde derely dyght | |
And as a (we[r]ke) moste worthely wrought werke] weke 1542 | |
Shynynge with eloquence, as starre doth of lyght | |
60 | Me-thynkes that you, of reason moste ought |
As she that with payne, experyence hath bought | |
Haue in your custodye, as answere for your cause | |
As the free Fawcon, hath you herin taught | |
Your-selfe to defende, agaynst pyes and dawse. | |
FINIS. |
|
¶ Robert_Uaghane to the reader. |
|
REde gentyll Reader, all rygour set aparte | |
Onely with indyfferencye, ponder this argument | |
Be nat weyde with wylfulnes, that ofte doth trewth subuarte | |
Enter let no parcyallytye in iudgement | |
5 | Remembre this rule, that Iustyce in election |
Taketh no place in wyll nor affection. | |
¶Bende nat then in Iudgement, althoughe parchaunce | |
Unto the hath be extended, a auncyent occasyon | |
Requyrynge agaynst women, to haue thy defyaunce | |
10 | Do nat consent, to suche a lyght parswasyon |
Euer consyder, it is a made affection | |
To iudge all vnparfyte, thoughe one lacke parfection. | |
¶Raylynge without reason, voyde of humanytye | |
Outragynge and lewde, for lacke of intellygence | |
15 | Blynded throughe ygnoraunce, with mystes of sensualytye |
Euermore the Pye, setteth out her sentence | |
Relatynge her malyce, by vniust accusacyon | |
This shall ye perceyue, by the Fawcons declaracyon. | |
¶Bestowe nat then thy laboure, to prate with the Pye | |
20 | Uniustly accusynge, thy nowrysshe and mother |
Rede and recorde, howe the Fawcon doth replye | |
Defendynge the femalles, with Aucthours one and other | |
Euermore aledged, and noted in the mergent | |
The gentyll reader, to satysfye and content. | |
FINIS. |
|
sig: A3 | |
¶The Aucthour speaketh. |
|
IN the moneth of Decembre, when phebus the bright | |
With his mocyon had entered in-to the fyrst degre | |
Of Capricorne, whan longe is the nyght | |
And the day-tyme, moste in breuytie | |
5 | Than snowes lyeth depe, vpon the hylles hye |
Waters congyled, in-to yse harde and thycke | |
Trees, Plantes, and Herbes, seme than to dye | |
Fewe thynges growynge, appere to be quycke | |
The wether moste bytter, with wyndes sharpe and colde | |
10 | Causeth great company, togyther to resorte |
Unto the fyre-syde, where ale good and olde | |
Merely they drynke, theyr hertes to comforte | |
Early in a mornynge, in this moneth of Decembre | |
From slepe I arose, and to my studye went | |
15 | Before all thynges than, I dyd remembre |
That tyme of euery man, shuld frutefully be spent | |
At the fyrste by chaunce, I red an oracyon | |
Moste pleasauntly set forth, with flowers rethorycall | |
Descrybynge the monstruous vyce of detraction | |
20 | The dowghter of e[nu]ye, the furye infernall |
Whose pestylent poyson, as cankar doth crepe | |
Amonge all people, in Cytie, Tower, and Towne | |
Bryngynge Innocentes, in-to paynes depe | |
And from theyr good names, it doth them cast downe | |
25 | By readynge this Aucthour, I was pensyfe in my harte |
As one that had proued, his wordes to be trewe | |
Sorowes constrayned me, to lay this boke aparte | |
The remembraunce therof, my paynes dyd renewe | |
Anone I espyed in the Oryent | |
30 | That dame Aurora, to me dyd apeare |
And the Sonne with his beames, as golde resplendent | |
To our Orizont, began to drawe neare | |
With spede than my studye, and bokes, I dyd forsake | |
Intendynge all thoughtes, from my mynde to expell | |
35 | And towarde a Forest, the way dyd I take |
sig: [A3v] | |
Nat far from the partyes, where I dyd dwell | |
In this Forest fayre, as I walked a whyle | |
Beholdynge hye trees, with armes longe and wyde | |
Sodaynly within the space of a myle | |
40 | An Arbour moste pleasaunt, there I espyde |
To that place of pleasure, for my recreacyon | |
With spede I approched, it made my herte lyght | |
Anone I was taken, with great admyracyon | |
Of all the fayre pleasures, when I had a syght | |
45 | This place was enuyroned, with Hedgyes thre |
Of Hauthorne thycke, thre dyches depe cast | |
Thre waters there were, whiche I dyd se | |
In-to the Arbour by them, as I past | |
Okes that were olde, in the fyrste hedge were growynge | |
50 | And Elmes in the seconde, that large were and longe |
In the thyrde Hedge, with bowes downe bowynge | |
Many trees togyther, were thruste in a thronge | |
The Ashe and the Aspe, with his leaues that do quake | |
The Boxe and the Beyche, togyther dyd stande | |
55 | The Corke causynge slyppers, to cracke and to crake |
With the Ewe-tre, a defence to this lande | |
The Plane and the Poplar, there I dyd se | |
The Salowe, the Pyne, and the Maple rownde | |
The Holy with hys pryckes, and the walnut-tre | |
60 | With the Fyr and the Hasyll, hangynge to the grownde |
In the myddes a Cypresse-tre, I dyd espye | |
Borderyd with Olyues, in cyrcle rownde | |
And vnder the Cypresse, downe dyd I lye | |
Where benches on eche syde, were made aboue the grownde | |
65 | These trees to beholde, in my mynde I dyd muse |
Of all kyndes there growynge, and in order set | |
All pleasures worldly, I wolde refuse | |
To haue suche an Arbour, yf I myght it get | |
Suche flagraunt sauours, suche odours swete | |
70 | I neuer felt in the moneth of May |
Agaynst all dolour, a medycyne moste swete | |
sig: [A4] | |
Is to this Arbour, to take the redy way | |
As in this place pleasaunt, my-selfe I dyd comforte | |
With sauours soueraygne, and colours good for syght | |
75 | A Fawcon and a Pye, to the same dyd resorte |
And ouer my heade, in the Cypresse they dyd lyght | |
Great stryfe was betwene them, with argumentacyon | |
Theyr opynyons contrary semed vnto me | |
The Pye prated fast, with moche contencyon | |
80 | And sayde that her sentence, nedes trewe must be. |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶The Fawcon moste gentyll, with sober behauour | |
Sayde ianglynge wordes, the trouth do nat trye | |
And fewe wyse men, I thynke do fauour | |
The lyghtnes of a pratynge Pye. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
85 | ¶The Pye than answered, with wordes full of yar |
And sayde, my sayinges I wyll neuer denye | |
Of women I loke, to haue no hyar | |
Nought is theyr nature, theyr wyttes nat worth a flye. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶All thynges sayde the fawcon, of Goddes creacyon | |
90 | As scrypture recordeth, be perfyte in theyr kynde Deut .32. Gen .10. |
Woman was create, by dyuyne operacyon | |
Perfyt in body, in reason, wyll, and mynde. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Perfyt? who there sayde the Pye I the pray | |
Perfection in woman, shall neuer take place | |
95 | Unperfyt she is, and rude alway |
In body, and in soule, voyde of all grace. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶In the olde lawe, thou mayst playnly se | |
Sayde the Fawcon, that Goddes creatures all | |
Be sownde and perfyt, without deformitie | |
100 | A bongler or a botcher, thou cannest nat God call |
But yf thou wylt scrypture, leaue and forsake | |
And flye vnto reason, with me to contende | |
sig: [A4v] | |
In what thynge tell me, dyd God woman make | |
So vnperfyte, that thou canst nat her nature commende. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
105 | ¶In her bodye sayde the Pye, she lacketh perfection |
Both faynt and feble, labours to sustayne | |
Harted as an hen, she nedeth protection | |
She can nother suffre the wynde, nor the rayne. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶If strength of body, with houge and great quantyte | |
110 | Preemynence quod the Fawcon, do proue and infer |
Amonge all creatures, than man in dygnytie | |
To dyuers brute beastes, shulde far be vnder | |
In Lyon, Elephant, Bear, Bull, and Bore | |
Quantyte in bodye, boldnes, strength, and myght | |
115 | In plenty and abundaunce, be sene euermore |
No man hath lyke, thou mayst se with thy syght | |
Yet these beastes all, be subiect to man | |
For all theyr hougenes, he is hyest in degre | |
Wherfore gyftes bodely, nother may nor can | |
120 | Preemynence in nature, proue where they be |
If shape of body, that semely is in syght | |
If countenaunce comely, yf bewty gyue perfection | |
Than must thou nedes graunt, that woman of ryght | |
Ought before man, be taken in election | |
125 | But corporall qualyties, as bewtye, strength, or shappe |
Boldnes or greatnes, no proffe can make | |
Of nobylytie in man, in hym thoughe thou them lappe | |
Sens brute beastes of nature, these qualyties take | |
And lyke as theyr presence, no dygnytie can brynge | |
130 | Unto man nor perfection, so on the other syde |
Theyr lacke and absence of imperfection nothynge | |
Can proue in woman, in whom they do nat byde. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
Yet humayne perfection, then sayde the Pye | |
In gyftes of the soule, doth chyefly consyst | |
135 | As reason and knowledge, thou cannest nat denye |
sig: B1 | |
Nor agaynst this verytye, thou cannest nat resyst. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶I graunt sayde the Fawcon, that the power intellectyue | |
Of the soule, with reason and lyberty of wyll | |
Set man in perfection, as his gyftes prymytyue | |
140 | By helpe wherof, Goddes lawes he doth fulfyll. |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Than proue shall I lyghtly, that woman is | |
Unperfyt sayde the Pye, and bestyall of kynde | |
Sens these powers spyrytuall, by nature she doth mys | |
And none of them all, in her thou mayst fynde | |
145 | Of knowledge she hath, no more than a Calfe |
In Iudgement as wyse, as a Capon or a Gander | |
And the trouth of her to speake, in this behalfe | |
Her wyt is apysshe, and in lewdnes doth wander | |
To rayle and to skolde, no tongue she doth lacke | |
150 | To inuent myschyfe, she is nat to seke |
Of crafte and desceyte, she hath a great packe | |
But in goodnes, her wyt is nat worth a leke. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶That woman hath these powers rehersed aboue | |
Of the soule sayde the Fawcon, that adde suche perfection | |
155 | Unto mankynde, by reason I shall proue |
That in this matter, shall be her protection | |
Th'effect without the cause, can neuer be founde | |
For betwene them, there is mutuall relacyon | |
Let this be of my reasonynge the grounde | |
160 | And harke what shall folowe, in trewe declaracyon |
Knowledge in lernynge, as in the artes seauen | |
In naturall Phylosophye, and morall also | |
To make dysputacyon, of the bodyes of heauen | |
And of earthly creatures, in theyr places lyinge so | |
165 | Facultyes and craftes, to inuent and fynde out |
And chaunses to tell, are they come a longe season | |
All these to be th'effectes, no man doth doubte | |
Of the intellectyue power, the wyll and the reason. | |
sig: [B1v] | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶What woman, I pray the than sayde the Pye | |
170 | These gyftes haue had, that effectes thou dost call |
Except thou be doubtles, dysposed to lye | |
Thou cannest reherse none, nother great nor small. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶I can sayde the Fawcon, rehersall to the make | |
Of mo suche women, than thou hast in the | |
175 | Condycyons gentle, wherfore good hede take |
And thou shalt here named, mo than two or thre | |
Carmentes the mayde, fyrste dyd inuent | |
Our latyne letters, as wryters do tell | |
Her industrye and labour, with wyll and intent | |
180 | In memorye perpetuall, do cause her to dwell |
The .ix. virgynes pure, that musyes we call | |
The .vii. artes lyberall, dyd fyrste to vs fynde | |
And pleasaunt Poetrye, conteynynge matter morall | |
Under Fables fayned, these maydes dyd combynde | |
185 | Mynerua, whiche also Pallas was named |
As goddes was taken, of arte and sapyence | |
Because that in Grecia, she fyrste set and framed | |
Plantes, shrubbes, and trees, as Aucthours gyue euydence | |
The vse of armour, the helmet, and brest-plate | |
190 | With Ingynes wonderfull, and fortresses stronge fortresses] fortresseys 1542 |
For warres with her policie, she dyd fyrste excogytate | |
The rehersall of her actes, requyreth tyme longe | |
Diotima a mayden, hyghe knowledge had | |
In Phylosophye, throughe whose fame and reporte | |
195 | Socrates the Phylosopher, moste graue and sad |
To her commyne Lecture, dyd come and resorte | |
Leontium also, a woman moste wyse | |
Agaynst Theophrast, with oracyons dyd contende | |
And workes moste excellent, she dyd deuyse | |
200 | Agaynst detractours, women to defende |
Paula and Eustochium, were lerned ryght well | |
Unto whom Hierome, of hyghe estymacyon | |
sig: B2 | |
Epystles and workes, the trouth for to tell | |
Dyuers dyd wryte, for theyr recreacyon | |
205 | In our countrey natyue, women thou mayst se |
In both tongues experte, the Latyne and the Greke | |
In Rethorycke and Poetrye, excellent they be | |
And with pen to endyte, they be nat to seke | |
If women in youth, had suche educacyon | |
210 | In knowledge and lernynge, as men vse to haue |
Theyr workes of theyr wyttes, wolde make full probacyon | |
And that of men counceyll, they nede nat to craue. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶These Examples excell, yf they be vnfayned | |
Sayde the Pye, for women to the starres they extoll | |
215 | In naturall knowledge, nowe am I constrayned |
To graunt that woman hath, moche in her noll. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶I shall proue sayde the Fawcon, that supernaturall | |
Knowledge in woman, may well take place | |
Prophecye I meane, the gyfte celestyall | |
220 | In-to the soule infused, by especyall grace |
Cassandra doughter, to Pyramus the kynge | |
A lady moste fayre, dyd shewe the destruction | |
Of noble Troye, whan it was moste florysshynge | |
That by Parys actes, it shulde come to confusyon | |
225 | The .x. Maydens gentylles, that Uarro doth call |
The Sybylles, this gyfte of Prophecye receyued | |
Of meruayles they dyd speake, before they dyd fall | |
Suche as trusted theyr sayinges, were nat deceyued | |
Sybylla_Tyburtyna, dyd wryte in her boke | |
230 | That Messyas in Betheleem, of a mayde shulde be borne Lactant. q. gentiles |
And that in Nazareth, mannes nature he toke | |
Man to redeme, that by synne was forlorne | |
Sybylla_Erythrea, as Lactancyus doth recorde | |
The processe of the Passyon, moste playnly doth expresse | |
235 | Howe the Iewes vniustly, theyr soueraygne Lorde |
Oppressed with paynes, and deadly dystresse | |
sig: [B2v] | |
His buffyttes, his scourgynge with whyppes that dyd cut | |
His crowne of thorne, with pryckes sharpe and longe | |
The eysell and gall, that to his mouth were put | |
240 | These thynges she descrybed, and all his other wronge |
The Eclypse of the Sonne, that made men to quake | |
With workes that were wonderfull, sene at that season | |
His dolorous death, that amendes dyd make | |
For mannes mysdede, and for his hyghe treason | |
245 | All these she descrybed, by dyuyne reuelacyon |
Longe-tyme before they came to effect | |
And as saynt Austayne maketh recytacyon | |
Of domes-day, the fearfull sygnes she dyd detect De ciuit. dei. 1.18. | |
In the actes of the Apostles, Luke doth recyte Act. 110. | |
250 | Howe Phylyp the Euangelyst, had dowghters foure |
All virgyns cleane, with whom was the spryte | |
Of Prophecye, as [the] Sybylles had before the] they 1542 | |
Wherfore sens women, suche knowledge haue had | |
Both naturall pure, and nature excedynge | |
255 | Who doubteth in this, except he be mad |
Whyther they haue reason, with the power of vnderstandynge | |
But these two powers, set man in perfection | |
And from brute beastes, they do hym exclude | |
Women haue the same, as I haue made induction | |
260 | Ergo they be perfyt, I may well conclude. |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Althoughe I must graunt, that they of nature be | |
Perfyt sayde the Pye, made by Goddes creacyon Ebr .14. | |
So is the Deuyll, yet in Hell lyeth he | |
By dyuyne sentence, in endles dampnacyon. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
265 | ¶What meanest thou, that murderer to mynde |
Sayde the Fawcon, that man dyd take in his snare | |
Our dysputacyon, is of woman-kynde | |
Whiche vnto the Deuyll, thou mayst nat compare. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Betwene two extremes, that in qualytyes agre Arystot. | |
sig: B3 | |
270 | Comparyson may be made, than sayde the Pye |
The Deuyll and woman, be lyke in degre | |
Theyr ende is to haue, an euyll destenye. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶Why women sayde the Fawcon, make me relacyon | |
More than men, suche fortune shulde haue | |
275 | Sens man and woman, be of Goddes creacyon |
He denyeth no mercye, to them that do it craue. Mat. 70. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Where vyce is raygnynge, than sayde the Pye | |
Punysshement must folowe, thou knowest ryght well Ad co[r]inthos corinthos] cointhos 1542 60corinthos] cointhos 1542 | |
All vyce raygneth in women, this is no lye | |
280 | Therfore in paynes, they must nedes dwell. |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶The Fawcon than answered, mylde in his mode | |
Sayinge Pye from thy raylynge, thy-selfe remoue | |
Chryste that suffered death, racked on a rode | |
Forbyd that euer, thou shulde this proue. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
285 | ¶Proue sayde the Pye, what maystry is this? |
Who put man I pray the, in his fyrste creacyon | |
From Paradyse, that place of pleasure and blys | |
But woman, throughe the Deuylles temptacyon? | |
And therfore doubtles, I may her well call | |
290 | The fontayne and welsprynge, of all calamytie |
For throughe her pryde, synne orygynall | |
Dyd ysshewe with death, to all her posterytie | |
And lyke as the fyrste woman, Eue I do meane | |
Dyd sowe the sede, of all iniquytie | |
295 | So syth her tyme, women maynteyne |
All synne and vyce, in moste enormytie | |
Wauerynge they be, and lyght as the wynde | |
Crewell as Tygres, than Lucyfer more prowde | |
And trust in them, no man can fynde | |
300 | She is no woman, that can lye lowde |
Of carnall pleasures, they be insacyable | |
sig: [B3v] | |
In battyll, bluddy bolde Barones for them dye | |
Woman to man, was neuer profyttable | |
But full of cost, who can this denye? | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
305 | ¶A prouerbe proued sayde the Fawcon, I fynde |
The barkynge of a Curre, no Kynge can restrayne | |
So no man can cause, the malycyous mynde | |
Of the pratynge Pye, from raylynge to refrayne. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶A prater I am called, because I hyt the nayle | |
310 | Euen vpon the heade, than sayde the Pye |
Whan I say the trouth, thou sayst I rayle | |
Yet my trewe sayinges, thou cannest nat denye. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶Nothynge sayde the Fawcon, is more repugnant | |
Unto the trouth, than thy sayinges all | |
315 | And that may be proued, by reasones abundant |
Deduced of pryncyples Theologycall | |
From Parydyse pleasaunt, as thou dost say | |
Adam was expulsed, with his posterytie Gen. 30. | |
That Eue was full cause, I do say nay | |
320 | Whom thou dost call, the mother of myserie |
As Eue Goddes commaundement, there dyd transgresse | |
So dyd Adam, as the storye doth tell | |
The Sone of a mayde, theyr offence dyd redresse | |
Whose death dyd breake, the brason durres of hell brason] brasones 1542 Psal. 14.60. | |
325 | Nowe for-as-moche, as dysobedyence |
Of both our fyrste parentes, Goddes yar dyd prouoke | |
It was nat all-onely, the womans offence | |
Wherby mankynde, dyd suffer Goddes stroke | |
And as Dyuynes make declaracyon 21. sisinarum distinct. 12. | |
330 | If Adam had neuer, consented to synne |
In Paradyse mankynde, shulde haue had habytacyon | |
Althoughe Eue before, to offende dyd begynne | |
Wherfore thou Ianglar, nowe mayst thou well se | |
Agaynst our fyrste mother, thy vniust accusacyon | |
sig: [B4] | |
335 | Seynge that man is proued, cause for to be |
As well as the woman, of all trybulacyon. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Than chattered the Pye, and sayde with hyghe voyce | |
Thoughe it be so, as thou tellest to me | |
Beware yet in women, lest thou reioyce | |
340 | They wyll deceyue the, by mutabylytye. |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶Who is sayde [t]he Fawcon, all tymes at one stay the] ihe 1542 | |
Throughe this worlde wyde, and neuer mutable | |
Man is subiecte, to passyons alway Eccle. 1. | |
His lyfe in this worlde, must nedes be varyable. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
345 | ¶I graunt sayde the Pye, but this is my mynde |
All women of promysse, be euer vnstable | |
Theyr fantasyes chaunge, and tourne as the wynde | |
And dowble be theyr dedes, this is no fable. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶In reuoluynge of storyes, sayde the Fawcon then | |
350 | Of women stedfastnes, moche mayst thou rede |
On the contrary parte, thou shalt fynde of men | |
That they haue ben false, in worde and in dede | |
What kyngdomes noble? what Cyties of pryce | |
By treason haue perysshed, as Cronycles tell | |
355 | Contryued throughe the false deuyce |
Of cowharde Captaynes, that there dyd dwell | |
Who betrayde the hyghe kynge, our sauyour Iesu | |
Paynes for to suffre, with extreme passyon | |
But Iudas vniust, and treatour vntrewe | |
360 | Whiche hanged hym-selfe, throughe desperacyon |
Aeneas with Anthenor, Troye dyd betray | |
And gaue it to the Grekes, that were voyde of compassyon | |
Than perysshed that Cytie, as the storye doth say | |
The treason of those Traytours, caused great lamentacyon | |
365 | Fewe feldes be foughten, without treason I dare say |
Of one parte or other, fewe kyngdomes be wonne | |
sig: [B4v] | |
Without preuy packynge, for treason doth decay | |
Mo cyties and countryes, than battyll-axe or gonne | |
If stedfastnes were stablysshed, substancyally in men | |
370 | And grauytie were graued, in rulers that be lyght |
If promys were performed, yf the commaundementes ten | |
Of man were well obserued, both by day and nyght | |
Then constant I myght call hym, but synce that fayth fayleth | |
And treason with all vyce, in hym hath taken place | |
375 | Therfore hym to prayse, lyttell it auayleth |
For mutable he is, and tourneth in small space | |
That women be constant, and trewe as fyne stele | |
Examples we rede, of Penoelope | |
And Lucrecya, that sorowes dyd fele | |
380 | Both matrones noble, as storyes do say |
Hester the quene, fayre Iudyth moste chast Hest. 70. Iud: 130. | |
As scrypture doth say, theyr people dyd saue | |
From crewell death, whan all hope was past | |
Amonge the men, suche grace God them gaue | |
385 | Who can descrybe, with pen or with tonge |
The constant vertue, of Susan moste kynde | |
Unto her husbande, the storye is longe | |
In Danyell the Prophet, thou mayst it fynde Dan. 130. | |
The mother of the Machabeis, that .vii. were in nombre II mach: 70. | |
390 | Exhorted her chyldren, marterdom to take |
Her stedfastnes caused, all men to wondre | |
No payne coulde cause her, the fayth to forsake | |
The woman of Chananee, of Chryst was commended Ma. 150. | |
For her fayth vnfayned, and stedfast belefe | |
395 | By her prayer deuoute, her doughter was amended |
That by vexacyon of a Deuyll, suffered moche grefe | |
Of virgynes moste chaste, what nede I to speke | |
As Katheryne, Margaret, and many thousandes mo | |
No Tyrayne coulde cause them, theyr vowes to breke | |
400 | Theyr chastyte to saue, they suffred moche wo |
At Chrystes death, whan the Apostles all | |
Theyr mayster dyd leaue, throughe mutabylytie Marci. 140. | |
sig: C1 | |
Men were founde lyght, and trundlynge as a ball | |
In them was no fayth, but infydelytye | |
405 | In one woman than, all fayth dyd remayne |
When men dyd shrynke, and tourne as the wynde | |
Mary Chrystes mother, it is that I meane | |
No sorowe coulde cause, her fayth to vntwynde | |
Examples for this matter, almoste innumerable | |
410 | I coulde here recyte, yf tyme wolde permyt |
That women of dede and worde, be ryght stable | |
But here be ynowe, for them that haue wyt. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Yet women sayde the Pye, be great confusyon | |
Unto all men, for in batteyll bolde | |
415 | Of blode they haue caused, oft great effusyon |
Of theyr myschyfe, moche in storyes is tolde. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶Thy fables fayned, make small probacyon | |
Unto thy purpose, the Fawcon dyd say | |
Whan dyddest thou rede, in trewe declaracyon | |
420 | That women cause batteyll, by nyght or by day. |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Dyd nat fayre Helene, than sayde the Pye | |
Of Troye the cytie, cause the destruction | |
When the stronge walles, with towers and towrrettes hye | |
By the Grekes dyd fall, and had there subuersyon. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
425 | ¶Where malyce is raygnynge, there false accusacyon |
Doth folowe sayde the Fawcon, in felde and in towne | |
Therfore of Troy, thou sayst the desolacyon | |
Was caused by Helene, the woman of renowne | |
Dyd nat Alyxaunder, his lust to fulfyll | |
430 | Sone to kynge Pryame, by strength steale away |
Fayre Helene from the Grekes, agaynst her owne wyll | |
Whan she her handes wronge, howe cannest thou say nay | |
If wepynge teares, yf syghes sore and sad | |
If lamentacyon, myght then haue preuayled | |
sig: [C1v] | |
435 | Fayre Helene had escaped, Parys moste mad |
From Grecye in-to Troye, with her whan he sealed | |
And thoughe battyll bloddye, with murder moste myserable | |
Betwene these two nacyons, enshewed to theyr payne | |
The adulterar it caused, by dede detestable | |
440 | Whiche coulde nat from lust, his body restrayne |
What mountayne myghty, what sees roughe and depe | |
Haue men passed throughe, as beastes without wyt | |
Theyr raygynge hath caused, good women to wepe | |
With vyolence constrayned, theyr lust to admyt | |
445 | Suche myschyfes many men, oft haue procured |
And yet they cesse nat, the same to support | |
As towchynge this matter, I am full assured | |
All theyr madnes fully, I can nat report. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶I can report than, sayde the Pye | |
450 | That women be crewell, and loue to be in stryfe |
Cursed as Cayn, thou canst nat denye | |
Angry as the waspe, wedowe, mayde, and wyfe. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶The fayre Fawcon answered, with wordes that were wyse | |
Sayinge Pye thou arte peuysshe, and blynde as a blocke | |
455 | No man with reason may the suffyse |
Thy malyce is meruaylous, and styffe as a stocke | |
Thou raylest agaynst reason, whan thou dost impute | |
Yar vnto women, with crewell condycyon | |
For vnto the contrarye, I shall dyspute | |
460 | Theyr pacyence and pytye, in perfyt dyleccyon |
Heate causeth yar, in man and in beaste Arystotle | |
Of yarfull herte, crewelnes doth sprynge | |
Where crewelty doth dwell, compassyon hath no rest | |
For contraryes togyther, can haue no bydynge Arystotle | |
465 | What causeth fearsnes, in Lyon, wolfe, and beare |
In Bores that be brym, and mastyffes moche of myght | |
Whiche all in theyr raygynge, in peces rent and teare | |
Theyr prayse that they take, by day or els by nyght | |
sig: C2 | |
What moueth man, so fearse for to be | |
470 | And crewell of dede, as beast wod and wylde |
But heat causynge yar, whan he without pytie | |
In war doth destroy, the mother with the chylde | |
And lyke as heate feruent, yar doth inflame | |
In man and in beaste, and crewell them doth make | |
475 | So coldnes contrary, crewelnes doth tame |
Causynge man and beast, to shyuer and to quake | |
Women in theyr nature, be colde as a kay | |
In respect of men, wherfore inclynacyon | |
To be yarfull or crewell, from them is a_way | |
480 | And petye moste tendre, in them hath habytacyon |
Who is so sad, of crewelnes to here | |
In spoylynge or murdre, as these women be | |
For frayes and for feyghtynges, they make heuy chere | |
Upon euery mannes hynderaunce, they take great petye | |
485 | What wepynge teares? what sore lamentacyon Luce. 23. |
Dyd women make, in Hierusalem | |
Upon the lambes death, takynge compassyon | |
That borne was of mother, and mayde in Bethleem Mat. 20. | |
But men at that tyme, as beastes raygynge mad | |
490 | Theyr hyghe kynge and maker, dyd nayle to a tre |
At that season tell me, whyther men had | |
Lyke vnto women, compassyon and petie. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Admyt that thy reasones, dyd fully conclude | |
For women sayde the Pye, as thou dost infer | |
495 | Yet profyte from them, thou must nedes exclude |
Theyr husbandes they brynge, in det and daunger | |
Ease they loue all, to labour they dysdayne | |
Wasters they be of money, meate, and cloth | |
And from the blacke boll, they can nat refrayne | |
500 | To speake all I knowe by them, I am loth. |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶I am full loth, the Fawcon dyd say | |
Unto the Pye, suche raylynge to here | |
sig: [C2v] | |
Nothynge is trewe, thou speakest here this day | |
Thy fables be fayned, and false this is clere | |
505 | A womans offyce, as Arystotle tought |
In his Econymyckes, is redy for to make prins econo: a. 30. | |
Suche thynges for sustynaunce, as to her be brought | |
Her famylye to fede, that paynes and labours take | |
All rychesse procured, by nyght or els by day | |
510 | Throughe the mannes trauayle, in felde or in towne |
The wyfe with her wysdom, must kepe from decay | |
And suffer no proffyte, in losse to fall downe | |
By practes I proue, in places as I passe | |
The prudent polycye, in suche gubernacyon | |
515 | Of women that wysely, the worlde do compasse |
In moste honest maner, to theyr commendacyon | |
What labour of bodye, do they oft sustayne | |
What breke of slepe, whan they shulde rest take | |
With honestye theyr husbandes, and house to mayntayne | |
520 | These thynges to fulfyll, no paynes they forsake |
Men dyuers I haue knowne, to wast, spyll, and spende | |
At drynkynges and games, suche rychesse as they had | |
Whan women full busylye, dyd labour to amende | |
Theyr husbandes lewdnes, that made them full sad | |
525 | Wherfore sens women, theyr dewtyes do fulfyll |
As I haue declared, without fayned fable | |
They rayle without reason, and speake all at wyll | |
That say vnto men, they be nat profyttable | |
Cryinge in his cradell, at his fyrste begynnynge | |
530 | Whan man doth lye rocked, nat able to stande |
Who doth hym than fede, with meates nurrysshynge | |
But woman that to helpe hym, doth put to her hande | |
Who can women lacke, in syckenes or in helth | |
To wasshe and to wrynge, and meates to prepare | |
535 | A comforte they be, in pouertie and welth |
Unto all men, to whom they repare | |
And therfore Scrypture, doth woman call | |
An helper to man, in euery dystresse Gen. 20. | |
sig: C3 | |
Whan fortune fayleth, and causeth hym to fall | |
540 | Chyfe remedye she is, of all his heuynesse |
And thoughe thou Pye pratynge, by vniust accusacyon | |
All kyndes of vyce, to women hast obiect | |
Yet in all vertues, they haue delectacyon | |
And therfore of God, I thynke them elect | |
545 | Humble they be, and lowly in harte |
Pytefull and pacyent, with sobre behauour | |
And contynence from them, doth neuer departe | |
With dylygence for vertues, they do euer labour. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Howe canst thou them vertuous, and chast of lyfe call | |
550 | Sayde the Pye, that men by subtyle prouocacyon |
Moue vnto vyce, and cause them to fall | |
No deuyll vnto woman, is lyke in temptacyon | |
Meandre the flude, that maketh men to muse | |
And laboryous labyrynth, that Dedalus deuysed | |
555 | Suche wyndynges and tournynges, neuer dyd vse |
As women in temptacyon, for men haue contryued | |
All gyftes of nature, they inclyne to prouoke | |
Man vnto pleasure, and his reason to blynde | |
And with Cupydes darte, to gyue hym a stroke | |
560 | Thus cleane and fresshe men, in bondage they bynde |
Theyr countenaunce smylynge, as the messenger of loue | |
Theyr eyes moste wantonly, euer roll and turne | |
Upon syghtes semely, and all thynges aboue | |
Because loue them burneth, they desyre to burne | |
565 | Theyr handes and fyngers, for this they kepe whyte |
Dasshed full of rynges, with many a precyous stone | |
To shewe theyr prety fete, they haue great delyte | |
On theyr toes howe they tryppe, to se it is alone | |
They laughe, they speake, they synge, they daunce | |
570 | The lustes of loue, in youth to inflame |
Theyr garmentes be garnysshed, after the guyse of Fraunce | |
And to vse paynted wordes, theyr tongues be nat lame | |
Theyr brestes they lay forth, as a Boucher doth his flesshe | |
sig: [C3v] | |
To be solde in the shambles, and ouer them they lay | |
575 | A fyne lase of sylke, with an owche that is fresshe |
Or els a small chayne, that was gotten in theyr play | |
And as an horse-mayster, that to a fayre doth brynge | |
His Horses all platted, the mane and the tayle | |
So women theyr hear, as golde wyre shynynge | |
580 | They wrappe, plete, and plat, yonge louers to assayle |
But Paule vnto Tymothe, a document doth gyue | |
Unto all women, suche lyghtnes to despyse I. ad Timoth. 10. | |
And so doth Peter, whiche sayth they shulde lyue | |
Nat in wanton apparell, but in sad and sobre wyse I. Pe. 10. | |
585 | I dare nat nowe speake, howe some do counterfet |
The colours of theyr faces, as they were naturall | |
Straunge hear also, for theyr heades do they get | |
Of their muskes, posyes, and pommanders, I make no rehersall | |
All these prety tryckes, these prety dames do vse | |
590 | In-to Uenus daunce, yonge Rufflers to allure |
Howe canst thou Fawcon saye, but theyr gyftes they abuse | |
Defende them in this matter, thou canst nat I am sure. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶Stop there sayde the Fawcon, and harke to me a season | |
For thy braggynge bostes, lyghtly I shall make base | |
595 | And declare vnto the, by inuyncyble reason |
That delyberate dyscrecyon, in the doth take no place | |
Shameles thou arte surely, thus shamefully to speake | |
That man to vyce is moued, by womans prouocacyon | |
For women of cleane lyuynge, be oft moued to breake | |
600 | Theyr chastytie by churles, that chafe them by temptacyon |
What paynted wordes, womans loue to allure | |
What tokens that be trycke, do these men vse | |
What rynges, what hertes of golde fyne and pure | |
Whiche women do vtterly contemne and refuse | |
605 | And whan by suche tokens, men can nat obtayne |
Theyr purpose and wyll, than they do inuent | |
Letters of loue, expressynge theyr payne | |
And preuely by messengers, they be forth sent | |
sig: [C4] | |
If letters be contemned, yf wrytynges take no place | |
610 | Than labours do louers, in theyr owne persons take |
They ryde and they ronne, many myles in small space | |
And moue honest women, chast lyfe to forsake | |
With syghes semynge sorowfull, theyr foly they expresse | |
With wepynges theyr wordes, be myxed for to moue | |
615 | Pytefully complaynynge, of deadly dystresse |
Thus women to deceyue, all wyles they do proue | |
But yf all theyr glosynges, theyr matters can nat spede | |
If theyr tokens with theyr trynkettes, and letters be despysed | |
Than oft constant women, they brynge in great drede | |
620 | Whan by vyolent oppressyon, they haue them defyled |
Dyna that to Iacob the Patryarke, was doughter | |
By Sychem was oppressed, as scrypture doth tell Gen. 34. | |
In punyshment of his vyolence, there folowed great slaughter | |
Amonge all the people, that in his cytie dyd dwell | |
625 | In the cytie of Gabaa, what abhomynacyon |
Dyd men commyt, agaynst the Leuytes wyfe Iudi. 19. | |
The wyde worlde may wondre, of theyr bestyall fasshyon | |
For amonge them by oppressyon, the woman lost her lyfe | |
Dyd nat A[m]non, that sone was to Dauyd the kynge Amnon] Annon 1542 | |
630 | Chast Thamar oppresse, his syster naturall II. Regum 130. |
After whiche acte, he had nat longe lykynge | |
For absolon his brother, gaue hym woundes mortall | |
Lucrecya the Romayne, a matrone ryght famous | |
Defyled by oppressyon, of Tarquinius sone | |
635 | After the dede, both shamefull and vylaynous |
On a swerde that was sharpe and kene, she dyd rone | |
Suche dolour deadly, his herte dyd oppresse | |
Throughe the dede moste detestable, by vyolence co[m]mytted commytted] conmytted 1542 | |
That death moste dredefull, to ende her dystresse | |
640 | Before lyfe in election, she thought to be admytted |
Many thousandes mo of maydes, wedowes, and wyues | |
Moste tyrannous tourmentes, as wryters do tell | |
Haue suffred, and also haue lost theyr lyues | |
Theyr chastyte to saue, and Tyrannes to repell | |
sig: [C4v] | |
645 | Ursula with her felowes, this matter do recorde |
Expulsed from theyr countrey, theyr clennes to kepe | |
Theyr virgynyte was vowed, to the hyghe kynge and lorde | |
And martyres they were made, with woundes wyde and depe | |
Margaret the mayde, maryage dyd refuse | |
650 | Of Olibrius the Tyran, and his gyftes dyd forsake |
A spouse in heauen, to her she dyd chuse | |
And mekely for his loue, death dyd she take | |
So dyd Katheryne the quene, and virgyne full pure | |
Agathe, and Annes, with Lucya the bryght | |
655 | Wenefrede, and Cecylye, by clennes dyd procure |
In heauen for euer, to be in Goddes syght. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Thou [ca]llest vp a ras[c]all rabble, sayde the Pye callest] rellest 1542; rascall] rastall 1542 | |
Of wytles women, whom sayntes thou wylt make | |
What recorde hast thou, thy wordes to ratyfye | |
660 | For without wytnes, as lyes I them take. |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶A rabble sayde the Fawcon, of raylers I may call | |
Wherof thou arte one, but of Sayntes in the blys | |
Of heauen nowe hauynge, the lyfe immortall | |
Theyr nombre a company, moste gloryous is | |
665 | And to proue that these virgynes, rehersed before |
In the cytie celestyall, haue theyr habytacyon | |
And in Goddes presence, shall be for euermore | |
The Authorytye of the Churche, I brynge for probacyon. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Ha ha here is a prety pastyme, sayde the Pye | |
670 | To here thou mumble thy mu[mp]yng, and dronken dotterd dreames mumpyng] munpsyng 1542 |
As moche aucthorytye, they haue surely | |
As an eles tayle, whan it styrreth in streames. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶Nother the ele sayde the Fawcon, nor yet the eles tayle | |
Aucthorytye haue, for reason they do lacke | |
675 | But auncyent storyes, of aucthorytye can nat fayle |
And that for to proue, I shall nat shrynke backe | |
sig: D1 | |
And tell me nowe Pye, who fyrste buylder was | |
Of royall Rome, who made the walles stronge | |
That large were in heyght, and wyde in compas | |
680 | And who made that domynyon, so large and so longe. |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶ Romulus was fyrste founder therof, sayde the Pye | |
Of whom Roma it was called, as wryters recorde | |
Scipio and Cato, Rome dyd amplyfye | |
And Iulius Cesar, her fyrste Emperour and Lorde. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
685 | ¶If thou wylt sayd the Fawcon, that I shal credence gyue |
Unto thy wordes, than wytnes I must haue | |
For wytnes of all men, that in this worlde lyue | |
Is euer accepted, the trouth for to saue. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Of Hystoryographers, many there be | |
690 | Sayde the Pye, that the Romaynes gestes do declare |
Whiche my sayinges, shall recorde abundauntlye | |
The trouth thou mayst lerne, yf to them thou repare | |
And to be breue, of many I brynge one | |
Titus_Li[u]ius, myne Authour in this case | |
695 | Of no small aucthoryte, in myne opynyon |
For his wordes amonge lerned men, do euer take place | |
And acceptynge of a worke, aucthoryte doth make | |
And gyue to the same, the strength of recorde | |
Wherfore the wytnes of Li[u]ius I take | |
700 | Thy doubte to dyssolue, and deley thy dyscorde. |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶Stop there sayde the Fawcon, I haue myne intent | |
Whan a worke (as thou sayst) of the people is receyued | |
Than hath it aucthoryte, and as a foundement | |
Infallyble is taken, of verytie conceyued | |
705 | The storyes of the Churche, by chrysten men compyled |
That excellent were, in learnynge and in lyfe | |
Of crysten men, as verytie vndefyled | |
Haue euer ben taken, without any stryfe | |
sig: [D1v] | |
They be receyued, ergo I may conclude | |
710 | Upon thy wordes, that aucthorytie they brynge |
And from my sayinges, all fables the[y] exclude they] the 1542 | |
As touchynge the examples, of womens good lyuynge | |
But nowe to retourne, after longe dygressyon | |
To our matter intended, myne examples declare | |
715 | That men moche haue vsed, crafty instygacyon |
Women to wrappe, in the deuylles net and snare | |
And as prouocacyon, hath ben in tymes past | |
Of men moche vsed, the clennes to subuert | |
Of women contynent, so suche as lyue chast | |
720 | Be nowe prouoked, from clennes to auert |
They be nat women, that theyr gyftes do abuse | |
Of nature and of grace, and to vyce them applye | |
But men moste sensuall, that studye and muse | |
Dayly theyr lust to fulfyll in lecherye | |
725 | Nowe I praye the Pye playnly, as it is in thy thought |
Speake here thy mynde, whyther more doth prouoke | |
The [man that] doth seke, or the woman that is sought man that] mn t hat 1542 | |
The trouth herof shulde cause the, thy raylynge to reuoke. | |
Dost thou nat dayly, with thyne eyes se | |
730 | Howe men mased with loue, to women make shute |
And on the other parte, fewe or none they be | |
Of women to whom suche vyce, thou mayst impute. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Nowe am I constrayned, to graunt sayde the Pye | |
By reason and experyence, that all prouocacyon | |
735 | Of man commeth commenly, for I can nat denye |
Of thy sayinges and examples, the suffycyent probacyon | |
But yet for theyr rayment, all gorgyous and gay | |
Reprehended of the Apostles, both Peter and Paule | |
In excuse of the werars, what canst thou nowe say | |
740 | If this matter thou defende, than wyse I the call. |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶Full sharpe be the sayinges, sayde the Fawcon in-dede | |
Of these two Apostles, that rayment reprehende | |
And deckynge of women, yet yf thou take good hede | |
sig: D2 | |
Thou shalt fynde that women, they lyttell dyscommende | |
745 | Saynt Austen to these sayinges, answere doth make Augusti. |
Of both these Apostles, and sayth that none offence | |
Ryseth of rayment, whan women do take | |
Unto dyscrecyon, dylygent aduertence | |
If after the custome, of theyr countrey they vse | |
750 | Rayment ryght royall, and accordynge to theyr state |
Secludynge vayne-glorye, yf they do refuse | |
All purpose in louers, lust carnall to instygate | |
Than synne is auoyded, for who so decked was | |
In garmentes moste gorgyous, as Hester the quene | |
755 | As the beames of the Sonne, shynynge throughe the glas |
With golde and perles, to glyster she was sene | |
Euen so dyd Iudyth, her bewtye augment | |
With apparell of great pryce, that caused admyracyon | |
Yet these women both, for theyr good intent | |
760 | Of scrypture deserued prayse, and commendacyon. |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Thou semest sayde the Pye, all maner to commende | |
And vse of rayment, be it neuer so vayne | |
Yet Paule vnto Tymothe, dyd vtterly intende | |
All women from vanytie, in rayment to restrayne. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
765 | ¶Nothynge I thynke lesse, sayde the Fawcon I the tell |
Than agaynst the sayinges, of Paule for to speake | |
All vanytie in rayment, the Apostle doth repell | |
All vanytie in the same, my mynde is to breake. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Be playne in thy termes, sayde the Pye I the pray | |
770 | And dystynctly declare, what thy meanynge is |
By vanytie of rayment, for nothynge can I say | |
To the yf thy mynde herin, I do mysse. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶So oft sayde the Fawcon, as women rayment vse | |
Agaynst the guyse of theyr countrey, or aboue theyr degre | |
775 | And power be decked, so oft they take and chuse |
sig: [D2v] | |
In werynge theyr apparell, folysshe vanytie | |
Vanytie in rayment, also I do call | |
Whan for prayse or vayne-glorye, rayment is worne | |
Or els to prouoke, and cause men to fall | |
780 | In-to lust of the body, whan reason is forlorne. |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Do nat women sayde the Pye, theyr rayment abuse | |
All these foure wayes, whiche thou dost expresse | |
In moste vayne maner, thou canst nat excuse | |
Herein the femyne sexe, nor theyr lyghtnes redresse. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
785 | ¶I knowe nat sayde the Fawcon, the surety to say |
That any so lyue, but yf thou suche fynde | |
What canst thou infer, nowe in the way | |
Of reasonynge, agaynst the whole kynde. reasonynge] reasonnynge 1542 | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶If one be nought, so be all the rest | |
790 | I say sayde the Pye, of the femyne gendre |
For amonge them all, she that is best | |
Wolde be loth of her lyfe, a reckenynge to rendre. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶In raylynge vnreasonable, thou ragest agaynst ryght | |
Sayde the Fawcon, whan thou dost of fewe womens vyce | |
795 | Infer all the rest, in theyr lyuynge to be lyght |
If thou harken thy blynde erre, shall be open at a tryce | |
Some men be murderers, shulde I therfore call | |
All mankynde murderers, some theues and traytours be | |
Shulde I therfore say, all men do fall | |
800 | In-to the same vyce? no that were madnes playnlye |
Because Cayn dyd murdre, therfore dyd his brother Gen. 40. | |
Abell the same, Esau was reiect | |
And forsaken of God, in the wombe of his mother Mala. 1. | |
Was therfore Iacob refused of God, and also neglect Ad ro. 90. | |
805 | Horryble heresyes, these blynde sayinges be |
If they be defended, and by scrypture confounded | |
And who is so blynde, but he may well se | |
sig: D3 | |
That these sayinges agaynst women of reason, be nat grounded | |
For what raylynge heretycke, so shameles canst thou fynde | |
810 | To say that our Lady, the virgyne moste pure |
Was lyght in her lyuynge, or corrupte in her mynde | |
Because pleasure some women, to lust dyd allure | |
Cesse therfore thy sayinges, and raylynge moste rude | |
Condemne nat a multytude, that innocent is | |
815 | As thoughe from all goodnes, thou woldest them exclude |
Because that a fewe, be founde to do amys | |
Because that a fewe, be both lyght and vayne | |
In rayment and apparell, agaynst the Apostles rule | |
Thou mayst nat therfore, of the whole flocke complayne | |
820 | As thoughe euery woman, from vertue dyd recule |
But many there be, to sayinges euyll so prone | |
And dayly in the same, accustomed to slepe | |
That slaunders causynge many, to syghe and to grone | |
As pastymes they take, whan Innocentes do wepe. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
825 | ¶Yet the mayster sayde the Pye, may lawfully speake |
Of his seruaunt his pleasure, be it false or trewe | |
Lyke maner the husbande, doth nat Goddes precept breake | |
Whan he [h]is wyfes sorowes, with slaunder doth renewe. his] is 1542 | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶Blynde was the fyrste erre, and euen naked nought | |
830 | But this is moche worse, sayde the Fawcon in very dede |
Chryste that mannes soule, with his death derely bought | |
Forbyd that this erre, come in chrysten mannes crede | |
Dost thou nat fynde, d[e]clared in Scrypture declared] daclared 1542 | |
That Chryst is the fountayne, of trouth and verytie Iohannes 140. | |
835 | That man hath by grace, he hath by his nature |
This trouth is the way, to the celestyall cytie | |
As trouth man to heauen, doth condyth and guyde | |
So by falsenes and lyes, that nocyuous be | |
Slaunderers sodaynly, to hell slyp and slyde | |
840 | Where euer they shall rest, in carefull calamytie |
For Dauyd the prophet, in his Psalme doth recorde Psal. 14. | |
sig: [D3v] | |
That sclaunderars and lyars, to endles perdycyon | |
Shall fall by iust sentence, of the heuenly lorde | |
Whan synne shall be rewarded, with ryght retrybucyon | |
845 | The wyse man also, beareth wytnes to this matter Sapi. 1. |
And sayth that the mouth, the soule doth sley and kyll | |
Of that man whiche delyteth, of sclaunders to clatter | |
And the names of good people, with detraction to spyll | |
Nowe for-as-moche, as deedly detraction | |
850 | To all people is dampnable, no state or degre |
Excepted at all, therfore dredefull dampnacyon | |
All men deserue, that of theyr wyues sclaunderars be | |
And it is commonly sayde, that on the deuyll to lye | |
Offence and synne it is, is it nat than offence | |
855 | Agaynst crysten women, with sclaundars out to crye |
Of whose gentyll nature, man shulde speake in defence | |
Paule sayth that man, shuld loue his wedded wyfe Ad eph. 5 | |
As his owne body, and cherysshe her alway | |
Agaynst Paule they do playnly, that loue to be in stryfe | |
860 | With theyr wyues, whose names with sclaunder they decay |
Peace therfore Pye, and this opynyon peuyshe | |
That men may rayle theyr pleasure, speake thou no more | |
For sclaunder is a matter, of all other moste theuyshe | |
The offence therof doubtles, deserueth sorowes sore | |
865 | And yf blynde affections, thou woldest set asyde |
And eluyshe enuye, from thy herte cleane expell | |
Than woldest thou say, that reason in men doth nat byde | |
That with raylynge, the fame of women hurte and quell | |
For in case that any, be founde lewde or lyght | |
870 | In so great a nombre of women, as there is |
Thou mayst nat at theyr vyce, geast or rayle by ryght | |
But be heuye and sorye, for suche as do amys | |
And in this behalfe to say, I dare be bolde | |
That none, the hole kynde of women doth sclaunder | |
875 | Excepte he be suche, as was nought yonge and olde |
And blyndly by vyce, lyueth in the deuylles daunger. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
sig: [D4] | |
¶I graunt sayde the Pye, that sclaunder is nought | |
And lyghtnes in iudgement, that causeth moche wo | |
But yf mens lyues and womens, were to the bothom sought | |
880 | Of men than of women good, thou shuldest fynde mo. |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶This doubte to dyscuse, to no man it pertayneth | |
Sayde the Fawcon, for God this matter must trye | |
But experyence, and also scrypture me constrayneth | |
The rather to women, in this behalfe to wrye | |
885 | For scrypture me teacheth, that all kyndes of synne |
More by man than woman, had rote and begynnynge | |
And practyse doth proue, that contynuaunce therin | |
Of men moste chefely, hath ea[k]e and mayntaynynge eake] eade 1542 | |
The fyrste murdre by croked Cayn, was commytted | |
890 | Whan innocent Abell, to death he dyd dryue Gen. 40. |
Incontynent Lamech, [murdre] admytted murdre] began 1542 Ibidem. | |
For agaynst stymulacyons, he wolde nat stryue | |
Noe fyrste dronkarde, whose fylthynes his chylde | |
Cham dyd dyscouer, his bretherne it perceyuynge [G]en. Gen.] Cen. 1542 90.Gen.] Cen. 1542 | |
895 | Abhorred that dede, wylfull and wylde |
And couered the preuyties, cause of theyr conceyuynge | |
Fyrste tyran was Nemrath, fyrste ydolater was he Genesis. 10. et .11. | |
He set nought by God, by his lyghtnynge, nor his thondre | |
The tower of Babell he buylded, that all men myght se | |
900 | Than deuyded were the tongues, that made men to wondre |
The synne agaynst nature, both brute and bestyall | |
Men fyrste dyd commyt, as scrypture doth recorde Gen. 19. | |
Of .v. Cyties the people perysshed, great and small | |
In punysshement of that synne, by the hyghe kynge and lorde | |
905 | Pharao of Egypt, that Tyran styfe and stowte Exodi. 1. |
Fyrst Innocentes dyd murdre, and to death dyd them dresse | |
For the murdre of those chyldren, he dyed without doubte Exo. 14. | |
The red_see hym swalowed, with his people more and lesse | |
And lyke as these offences, had fyrste orygynall | |
910 | Begynnynge of men, so contynuaunce they haue |
Of men moste chyfely, whiche dayly to them fall | |
sig: [D4v] | |
From enormyties they labour nat, theyr soules for to saue | |
For who doth kyll and murdre, in batteyll that is bolde | |
Who robbeth and spoleth, both by see and by lande | |
915 | Who Tyranny doth vse, that maketh hertes colde |
Who Innocentes doth kyll, with a bloddy hande | |
Who? but man set on myschyfe this vyce doth commyt | |
As lewdnes were lawfull, all vyce he doth take | |
In the snare he lyeth slepynge, the knot is fast knyt | |
920 | No kynde of cryme croked, he wyll forsake |
In Sessyons and in Cyes, who is periured but he | |
Great othes that be odyous, no man refuseth | |
And lecherye is laudable, in euery degre | |
Both symonye synfull, and vsurye man vseth | |
925 | And althoughe some women, to these synnes do fall |
Aboue rehersed, yet in respect of men | |
Theyr nombre is nothynge, or els very small | |
For agaynst one of them offendynge, of the tother there be ten. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶I thynke sayde the Pye, that thy sayinges nowe be | |
930 | Indyfferent agaynst men, for practyes doth expresse |
That fewe of these vyces, in women we may se | |
Whiche thou hast rehersed, but in men they be doubtles | |
For murdre and robrye, that openly is done | |
Symonye, vsurye, and treason vntrewe | |
935 | Brybrye that chaungeth, that iudge as the mone |
Heresyes and scysmes, that dyssencyon do renewe | |
Periurye and rybawdrye, with pollynge and oppressyon | |
All these synnes sensuall, that fowle and fylthy be | |
Of man be moche vsed, I must nedes make confessyon | |
940 | Moche more than of woman, that from these semeth fre. |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶Yet man at his daunger, as thoughe well he were | |
Doth laughe sayde the Fawcon, so synne doth hym blynde | |
If his synne he dyd se, than chaunge wolde his chere | |
Perceyuynge to his maker, howe he is vnkynde | |
945 | His breast he wolde beate, for mercye he wolde call |
sig: E1 | |
For his dedes of dampnacyon, he wolde knele on his kne | |
And many salt teares, from his chekes than shulde fall | |
If he his workes wycked, dyd ponder as they be. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶As it ought to be sayde the Pye, thou dost speake | |
950 | But as thou dost speake, so shall it nat be |
Whyle man is here lyuynge, Goddes lawes he wyll breake | |
Cease therfore thy sayinges, by the counceyll of me. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶Than shall I retourne, to make repetycyon | |
Of our matter fyrste moued, sayd the Fawcon in this place | |
955 | Thou saydest that all women, do lacke perfection |
Of body and theyr soules, be voyde of all grace | |
Apertlye I haue proued, that as perfyte they be | |
In body as man, and theyr soules haue creacyon | |
Unto the ymage, of the hyghe Trynyte | |
960 | Thus perfyt they were create, by dyuyne operacyon |
That depenes of wyt, with reason profounde | |
In women take place, myne examples expresse | |
For the .vii. Artes lyberall, had theyr fyrste grounde | |
And inuencyon by women, this is doubtlesse | |
965 | Aptnes also, and pronytie they haue |
Unto all kyndes of vertue moste pure | |
With dylygent endeuour, they haue laboured to saue | |
Theyr soules from all vyce, and grace to procure | |
And furthermore Pye, I haue made declaracyon | |
970 | That women in lyuynge, the men do excell |
Confounded I haue, thy false accusacyon | |
And reasones I haue vsed, thy raylynges to repell | |
Of scrypture somtyme, the sayinges I haue sought | |
Hystoryes profane, and experyence moste sure | |
975 | The documentes of Doctours, forth I haue brought |
For the femynyne sakes, theyr ryght to recure. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶By thy processe sayde the Pye, as I can perceyue | |
Thou concludest all women, vertuous to be | |
sig: [E1v] | |
Because that a fewe, vertues dyd recey[u]e | |
980 | Wherof examples, thou dydes recyte to me |
At the length thou dost take, for fynall conclusyon | |
That women in theyr lyuynge, far men do excell | |
As thoughe they alonely, of grace had infusyon | |
This vtterly from men, grace thou wylt repell. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
985 | ¶Nat so sayde the Fawcon, for that is nat my mynde |
Grace from all men, vtterly to exclude | |
Nor by myne examples, thou canst nat fynde | |
That all women vertuous, I entende to conclude | |
But this conclusyon, of all my sayinges take | |
990 | That to knowledge and vertue, women apt be |
And yf of theyr lyues, comparyson thou make | |
More godly than men, they seme vnto me. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Theyr proctour thou arte made, sayd the Pye I perceyue | |
A rewarde to receyue, theyr parte thou dost take | |
995 | But whan they with doblenes, shall the deceyue |
I thynke than this offyce, thou wylt forsake. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶The trouth to defende, why shulde I refuse | |
A proctour to be, the Fawcon dyd say | |
Innocentes to helpe, we shulde our wyttes vse | |
1000 | In theyr causes iust, and helpe them alway |
None other rewarde, to receyue I desyre | |
But trouth to trye forth, and malyce to subdue | |
This brought to passe, than haue I my hyre | |
For than shall be knowen, the false from the true | |
1005 | And where-as by doublenes, I shall be deceyued |
(As thou sayst of women) that can nat so be | |
For doublenes of those, is neuer conceyued | |
In whose hertes is playnes, and symplycytie. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶I se sayde the Pye, with the to contende | |
1010 | Agaynst the femyne gendre, I am moche vnable |
sig: E2 | |
As one ouercome, therfore I make an ende | |
For lytell it auayleth, before the to fable. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶Yet one thynge of the, or thou from hens flye | |
I demaunde sayde the fawcon, what moued thy mynde | |
1015 | In all thy sore sayinges, so shamefully to lye |
With raylynge outragyous, agaynst woman-kynde | |
Whyther theyr nature, theyr wordes, or theyr lyuynge | |
Thy tongue haue prouoked, to deadly detraction | |
Or rather by rashnes, of enuye procedynge | |
1020 | Theyr fame to defaulke, thou hast delectacyon. |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶Theyr nature is good, than sayde the Pye | |
And so be theyr dedes, the trouth for to tell | |
Malyce me moued, of women to lye | |
Syster to Megera, the ragynge fende of hell. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
1025 | ¶Why dost thou than women, more than men sclaunder |
The Fawcon dyd say, with thy wordes that be wylde | |
Sens men by dedes deadly, lyue in more daunger | |
Of soule than women, whiche seme vndefylde. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶The lowest parte of the hedge, is troden downe | |
1030 | Under fote sayde the Pye, whan the hyest is forborne |
Womans power is small, in felde and in towne | |
Therfore I them sclaunder, therfore I them skorne | |
Men rule and gouerne, by see and by lande | |
Promocyons and profytes, by them I may haue | |
1035 | Therfore to catche somwhat, in-to my hande |
I laude them, I flatter them, whan I begyn to craue | |
He that wylleth with welth, in this worlde leade his lyfe | |
Placebo he must play, his kne both bowe and bende | |
Flaterars fare of the best, and lyue without stryfe | |
1040 | Whan playnes with trouth, great men do offende |
Theyr appetytes to please, my mynde I applye | |
As they say I say, be it wronge or ryght | |
sig: [E2v] | |
Somtyme I graunt, somtyme I denye | |
Yonge Rufflers to please, whose wyttes be full lyght. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
1045 | ¶Than yf thou shuldes playnly, and as the trouth is |
Thy mynde agaynst men, sayde the Fawcon expresse | |
Rebuke they shulde haue, of prayse they shulde mys | |
And thy style agaynst women, than woldes thou redresse. | |
¶The Pye. |
|
¶I graunt sayde the Pye, but yet adulacyon | |
1050 | Nedes must I vse, great men to content |
And agaynst women, my common detraction | |
These two to contynewe, is my full intent | |
Auaryce of mynde, that is insacyable | |
Adulacyon to vse, hath gyuen me occasyon | |
1055 | And so hath enuye, the vyce detestable |
Prouoked detraction, with false accusacyon. | |
¶The Fawcon. |
|
¶The Fawcon moste fayre, moche moued in his mynde | |
Agaynst the Pyes wordes, and open confessyon | |
With syghes sore, ascendynge from his herte kynde | |
1060 | In lamentynge maner, made this exclamacyon |
O worlde moste wretched, O tyme infortunate | |
O blyndnes moste beastlye, O lyfe without lyght | |
O vertue, O grace, from mans soule seperate | |
The dedes of darknes, haue put forth his syght | |
1065 | Nowe reason is blynded, by synne sensuall |
And iudgement corrupte, by offence customable | |
Wyll wandereth wyldly, by appetyte carnall | |
All powers of mans soule, be founde reprouable | |
Flaterars moste false, that fables can fayne | |
1070 | Great men accept, and to counceyll take |
Playnes and Iustyce, be exyled cleane | |
And oppressyon causeth, Innocentes to quake | |
Extorsyon is extolled, and rygour doth rule | |
Detraction and derysyon, with nobles do dwell | |
1075 | Uerytie and petie, from these men recule |
sig: E3 | |
And falsenes with flatery, trewe playnes do quell | |
All these seme lawfull, to men that be of myght | |
Theyr wylles and pleasures, they take for a lawe | |
With ragynge and raylynge, they ronne agaynst ryght | |
1080 | For smal is theyr lernyng, theyr wyttes nat worth an hawe |
O Pye moste peuysshe, howe canst thou suche prayse | |
And Innocentes condemne, whose dedes deserue lawde | |
The hertes of playne people, thou dost dysease | |
Whiche couet in trouth, to lyue without frawde | |
1085 | But seynge my sayinges, can take no place |
In hertes that be harde, congelyd with vyce | |
No remedye I fynde, but prayer for grace | |
That man from his synne, may wake and aryce. | |
¶The Aucthour. |
|
¶Whan these wordes were spoken, the Fawcon toke flyght | |
1090 | The Pye for to punysshe, that fled fast away |
Of them both shortly, I lost there the syght | |
And whomwarde I walked, from that Arbour gay | |
Anone I drewe forth, the argumentacyon | |
Of these two byrdes, the Fawcon and the Pye | |
1095 | As you haue harde me make recytacyon |
Nothynge from theyr sayinges, my style I dyd wrye | |
The people to profyte, my purpose is playne | |
No man to dysplease, with worde or with wyll | |
But deadly detraction, I wolde restrayne | |
1100 | That causeth many men, theyr soules for to spyll |
The prynce of peace pearles, the lambe immaculate | |
That suffered sorowes sharpe, synne to suppresse | |
And with his blode, wasshed our soules con[t]amynate contamynate] concamynate 1542 Apoc. 1. | |
On the Aulter of the Crosse, the deuyll to depresse | |
1105 | He graunt by his grace, that charytie may sprynge |
In euery mans herte, as flowres sprynge in May | |
Than God shall we loue, our heauenly kynge | |
And enuye expell, that our soules doth decay | |
Than reason shall rule our dedes with dyscrecyon | |
1110 | Betwene man and man, loue shall be vnfayned |
sig: [E3v] | |
No man agaynst women, shall vse detraction | |
For enuye throughe charytie, shall be than restrayned | |
After this sorte, by moste godly gouernaunce | |
If man hym-selfe vse, in good conuersacyon | |
1115 | In God before all thynges, hauynge affyaunce |
Than well he may trust, to come to saluacyon | |
Heauen he shall haue, the cytie celestyall | |
The bryght beames of glorye, shall gyue his soule lyght | |
All worldly pleasures, his ioy excede shall | |
1120 | Of the hyghe Trynytie, whan he hath a syght |
The increate wysdom, that all the worlde wrought | |
To his blysse moste blessyd, this company brynge | |
Our Sauyour I meane, that man and woman bought | |
Graunt vs in heauen, to here the Aungelles synge. | |
1125 | AMEN. |
¶ Finis. |
|
¶ Robert_Uaghane to the Fawcon. |
|
¶Folowe? no O Fawcon, to faynte the with flyght | |
In pressynge thy pynyons, to punysshe the Pye | |
Syt styll sobrely, and thou shalt se with thy syght | |
The tyme that Innocentes, theyr owne trouth shall trye | |
5 | Whan reason reygneth, that ryght wyll nat reprye |
And plantyth Prudence, suche poyntes to ouer_se | |
Than shall wauerynge fortune, her whele tourne awrye | |
And the pratynge Pyes, punysshed shall be. | |
¶ Robert_Uaghane to the Pye. |
|
¶Pyke the hence Pye, pyke the hence prater | |
Pyke the hence peuysshe, pyke the pyed Pye | |
Walke in the wanyond, and wayte for some water | |
To lyckar thy lyppes, that of lyinge are drye | |
5 | Thy braggynge bostes, once shalt thou dere bye |
Happe wyll so happen, I holde the a grote | |
Than far from thy countrey, thou wylt be fayne to flye | |
Or cowardly in couerte, go and chaunge thy cote. | |
sig: [E4] | |
¶ Lenuoy de Robert_Uaghane. |
|
¶Moue nat thy mynde, with crewell malyce | |
Agaynst thy detractours, O symple Innocence | |
Remembre howe prycketh them, the synne of auaryce | |
Gyuynge them boldenes, thou knowest by experyence | |
5 | Acquaynt the therfore, with pearles pacyence |
Requyre thou her, with the for to abyde | |
Euer to stande, and be in thy defence | |
Tyll suche a tyme, as thy trouth may be tryed. | |
¶Uexe nat thy vaynes, with vyolent hate | |
10 | Expell from the, all enuye and yar |
Receyue no ranker, for hurtynge thyne estate | |
Neuer from pacyence, flye thou for yar | |
Onely she is thy remedye | |
None other, but her knowe I Recure to be. last three words set suprascript | |
¶ Robert_Uaghane to the treatyse. |
|
GO forth lytell treatyse, I do the commyt | |
To her womanly wysdom, that shall the retayne | |
And thoughe thou be both lose and vnknyt | |
I doubte nat, but she wyll do her busye payne | |
5 | To sowe the togyther, with fyne sylke of Spayne |
[A]nd make the an hyllynge, of fyne veluet blewe letter broken | |
Because in the, is nothynge sayde certayne | |
But she her-selfe, doth knowe it to be trewe. | |
¶Haue than no drede, to be in her protection | |
10 | As thou dost her, so wyll she the defende |
And for to say the soth, in myne election | |
I can nat se, what nature more can lende | |
To any wyght, her fourme to amende | |
Her vertues vernysshe, as vyolettes in vere | |
15 | I wyll nat speake, other to offende |
But in wyt and womanheade, I knowe nat her pere. | |
sig: [E4v] | |
¶Therfore, whan thou shalt come to her syght | |
Whiche wyll be shortely, as far as I gesse | |
Say thou arte sende, to pleade in her ryght | |
20 | As in the quarell, of thyne owne maystresse |
Than shall she se, what thou canst expresse | |
For her defence, her ryght to recure | |
And from detractours, that wolde the suppresse | |
In her Cypresse cofer, she wyll kepe the sure. | |
FINIS. ¶Thus endeth the Fawcon and the Pye.Anno domini. 1542. | |
¶Imprynted by me Robert_wyer / for Rycharde_Banckes. | |
¶ Cum priuilegio regali / ad imprimendum solum. per septem annum. |