sig: [A1] | |
¶The prayse of all women called Mulierum Pean. Uery fruytfull and delectable vnto all the reders. | |
¶Loke & rede who that can. | |
This boke is prayse to eche woman. | |
sig: [A1v] [page blank] | |
sig: A2 | |
WHat tyme the crabbe his course had past | |
And Phebus atteyned the Aquarye | |
The selfe-same time whan it frose fast | |
Amyddes the moneth of Ianuarye | |
5 | I in my bedde, and slepe in myne eye |
A sodeyne assemble before me dyd appere | |
And women they semed by abyte and chere. | |
A_wake they sayde, slepe nat so fast | |
Consyder our grefe, and howe we be blamed | |
10 | And all by a boke, that lately is past |
Whiche by reporte, by the was fyrst framed | |
The scole of women, none auctour named | |
In prynte it is passed, lewdely compyled | |
All women wherby be sore reuyled. | |
15 | Consyder therin, thyne owne good name |
Consyder also our infamye | |
Sende forth some other, contrary the same | |
For thyne and ours, bothe honestye | |
The Pean thou wrote, and lyeth the bye | |
20 | Be quycke herein, prolonge nat thus |
As thou woldest our fauour, nowe do for vs | |
¶Amongest all other, one baldely prest | |
Obey sayd she shalt thou be thou never so strong | |
Her male & her mantell, she threwe on my brest | |
25 | For I am she sayd she, thou hast do most wronge |
A_wake a_wake, thou slepest ouer_longe | |
Uenus am I cleped, my name shall nat be hyd | |
Nowe sharpen thy pen, and wryte as [I] the byd. I] a 1542, 1557 | |
sig: [A2v] | |
Of trueth it is, wryte on quod she | |
30 | The nature of man inclyneth to synne |
Rather than vertue, and reason is why | |
Eche nature dothe ende, as it dothe begyn | |
Salte wyl be water, [though] none be therin though] thought 1542, 1557 | |
The tre of the rote, dothe take his verdure | |
35 | The fruyte wherby, is knowen swete or soure. |
So at the begynnyng, where man had that vse | |
Of wyt and reason, to be ruled by | |
By_cause he offended, he made excuse | |
The faute allegynge, to the femynye | |
40 | God to haue dysceyued, yf it wolde haue be |
And as he tho, to lye begon | |
So to this daye, he holdeth on. | |
¶Of vs pore women customably | |
Without cause iust, to rayle and iest | |
45 | No nature naturate, vnder the skye |
Fysshe, fowle, worme, ne beest | |
But with theyr owne kynde, the[y] lyue at rest they] the 1542, 1557 | |
Man of all other, of maners so rude | |
Can nat saye well by his symylytude. | |
50 | A great abuse, and shamefully holde |
Suche frowardnes, in hande to haue | |
The selfe-same thynge, whiche most they shulde | |
Laude and loue, it to depraue | |
And that of nede, whiche most they craue | |
55 | So to improper, great foly it is |
For in no wyse they may vs longe mys. | |
sig: A3 | |
Recorde the goodnes, of god almyghty | |
At the creacyon, whiche he began | |
Perceyuynge it coulde nat endure a_ryght | |
60 | Without any helpe made to the man |
Faciamus (sayde he) and made Eue than | |
The woman the man, to helpe and assyst | |
It foloweth therfore, we can nat be myst | |
¶Howe-be-it, ye men fast pore and prye | |
65 | All that ye may vs women agayne |
Nothynge lefte out, ye may come by | |
Of holy wrytte, nor th[a]t poetes do fayne that] thot 1542, that 1557 | |
All is alledged as thynge certayne | |
And what that makes nat, for your purpose | |
70 | Shall be interpretate, with a lewde glose. |
Exemples many, faynt and feble | |
Mo than ye may well iustyfye | |
And saye it is a thynge impossyble | |
Any one good woman founde to be | |
75 | Whiche euyll sayenge to ratyfye |
A sence of Salomon ye aledge, which sayth | |
Mulierem fortem quis inueniet. | |
But as to that thou shalt nat tary | |
Lenger than nedes to make reporte | |
80 | As at this tyme them to contrary |
By any exemple, the nexte to retort | |
Taken an nowe of the lyuynge sorte | |
Contynue thy processe, tyll thou may espye | |
A place therfore more necessary. | |
sig: [A3v] | |
85 | Howe shulde this worlde contynued be |
Man I meane in his most nede | |
Were nat women, what were ye | |
Examples many, hereof may ye rede | |
And ouer that ye se in-dede | |
90 | Howe by the vertue of the femynyne face |
Myrth encreaseth, and thoughtes gyue place. | |
Exempled in Saule, whan he shulde fyght | |
Agaynst the armye phylystyne Pri. Re .xviii. | |
Had neyther herte, courage [n]e myght | |
95 | Ne wyst nat what to do therin |
With hongry thought hym-selfe to pyne | |
Had nat the woman hym counseyled and fed | |
For feare in that fury, Saule had be deed | |
¶Whan ye lye sycke and lyke to dye | |
100 | Who then attendeth you vnto. |
Were nat the woman, there myght ye lye | |
Donge in your denne, as bestes do | |
The woman is euer redy to go | |
For this and that to watche and wake | |
105 | You to recouer many labours to take. |
If that your fynger other hede ake | |
Or elles what ayleth you, hande or fote | |
There can no medycyne the payne aslake | |
Without the woman be your bote | |
110 | Lappe you warme in clothes softe |
A kercheyffe bonde vnto you hedde | |
And in her armes bere you to bedde. | |
sig: [A4] | |
¶Nyght and day than must she wake | |
And redy be at the fyrst call | |
115 | A culles or some caudel make |
As for the sycke dothe best befall | |
Oneles the woman come withall | |
No man can get hym vp to sytte | |
Therof to taste morsell or bytte | |
120 | Thus of the woman great pleasures ye haue |
Whiche man to man can nat suffyce | |
And yet ye do vs all depraue | |
Sayenge we be neyther sadde ne wyse | |
And that no profyte by vs doth ryse | |
125 | Where-as in trueth recorde I can |
As many aryse as by the man. | |
A woman playne dyd fyrst inuent | |
All maner grayne to inne and sowe Oui. meth. li .v. | |
Ceres named by comune assent | |
130 | And for her wysdome, the people dyd knowe |
Honours diuyne they dyd her shewe | |
And as her merytes dyd than expresse | |
They named her the good goddesse. | |
¶And in lyke maner a woman founde | |
135 | The letters fyrst that we nowe wryte Isido. li. i. ant .ix. |
The A.B.C. as they do stande | |
Wherby we vse our myndes to endyte | |
One to another ful and perfyte | |
Carmenta called as I remembre | |
140 | Mother vnto the famous Euander. |
sig: [A4v] | |
Pallas the doughter of Iupyter | |
Through her entere and pured brayne | |
The goddesse named of the artyfycer | |
Of wolle and oyle, fyrst founde the vayne | |
145 | For whiche inuencyon the story is playne |
Preferred she was before Neptune | |
To gyue the name to Athenes towne. August. de ciuita lib .vii. & Oui. in fast. &c. | |
Soppho the poetresse dyd also fynde | |
With the harpe to synge the tune to wrest | |
150 | Whiche greatly conforteth mannes mynde |
With syghes of sorowe ouer_prest | |
Saule the kynge coulde neuer haue rest | |
Tyll Dauyd had harpyd a fytte or two i. Reg .xvi. | |
The malygne spryte, wolde nat hym fro. | |
155 | ¶The Sybbilles .xii. dyd prophecy |
The sone of god shulde man become | |
One of them shewed the mystery | |
Unto Octauyan in the sonne | |
Many is the yeres, that syth is ronne | |
160 | And yet the churche dothe occupye |
The selfe-same Sybbilles prophecye. | |
Hystoryes many I coulde forth lay | |
That maketh wel with the feminye | |
Of lyke sentence I dare well saye | |
165 | And grounded on good auctoryte |
Howe-be-it because that poetry | |
Is taken nowe in suche despyte | |
Of other reasons, I wyll thou wryte | |
sig: B1 | |
But fyrst this questyon, aske quod she | |
170 | Demurely, and after a gentyl rate, |
To whom be_holden more are ye | |
Unto the man that you begate | |
Or to the woman puerperate | |
I knowe no reason for your excuse | |
175 | But that it shulde your-selues confuse. |
As sone as the woman, dothe conceyue | |
Full dyuers is her appetyde | |
Bothe bely and hert dothe ryse and heu[e] heue] heuy 1542, heue 1557 | |
The stomake seldome satysfyde | |
180 | For many sondry meates prouyde |
Longe for more than she may gete. | |
And many a sory morsell ete. | |
¶In case she may it nat optayne | |
Harde she escapeth with the lyfe | |
185 | And in her labour suche is the payne |
That as god knoweth the vrgent grefe | |
Without a gracyous prerogatyfe | |
Ware thynge, no doubte, impossyble | |
She shulde escape, and after haue hele. | |
190 | And whan she is delyuered |
Syke and wepe contynually | |
And as ye knowe but lytell consydered | |
With many a man, the more blame he | |
Who but the woman must keper be | |
195 | Prouyde for euery ragge and cloute |
And in her armes bere you aboute. | |
sig: [B1v] | |
In case the man suche labour shulde take | |
I meane to bere you to and fro | |
His arme[s] and shulders wolde so ake armes] armer 1542, armes 1557 | |
200 | That lame he wolde be of bothe-two |
The sely woman hathe neuer do | |
What in her armes and in her lappe | |
Nyght and daye she must you wrappe | |
Lytell or nothynge may she rest | |
205 | But alwayes besy you for to kepe |
Aryse and fede you with her brest | |
And all to styll you whan ye wepe | |
Where of your-selfe, ye can scant crepe | |
She must be redy to gyue you pappe | |
210 | From wynde & wether, you warme to lappe. |
¶The man may lye and snowre full fast | |
Whan that the wyfe must watche and wake | |
Out of the bed her armes cast | |
The cradell to roke tyll they bothe ake | |
215 | the babe also vnto her take |
And whan he is vnclene beneth | |
Must be content with many yll breth | |
Shyfte hym ofte, wype and wesshe | |
Cloutes and clothes newe prepare | |
220 | And be it harde or be it nesshe |
[T]he woman must do a_way the ware The] She 1542, The 1557 | |
Thus hathe the mother all the care | |
All the labour and dyssease | |
Where-as the father dothe what hym please. | |
sig: B2 | |
225 | When that ye drawe nere ,xii. monethes olde |
Than may the woman nother rest ne sytte | |
But eu[e]r dadle you in sure holde | |
Tyll tyme that ye haue founde your fyt | |
Her brestes ye tere with many a byt | |
230 | And scratche also with your sharpe nayles |
And yet the woman you neuer fayles. | |
¶Where-as the man wolde sure dysdayne | |
And be therwith impacyent | |
And peraduenture stryke agayne | |
235 | Nother be eftsons so dylygent |
If ons ye dyd hym dyscontent | |
For as ye se when hym myslyketh | |
The man dayly his chylderne stryketh | |
The mother tendreth them alway | |
240 | And scant can suffer them in the wynde |
Of them in doute bothe nyght and daye | |
Lest any male-chaunce shulde them blynde | |
Ought you nat then to the woman to be kynde | |
Howe-be-it ye haue no better sporte | |
245 | Than of the woman euyll to reporte |
Some saye the woman had no tonge | |
After that god had her create | |
Untyll the man toke leues longe | |
And put them vnder her palate | |
250 | An aspyn-leffe of the dyuel he gatte |
And for it moueth with euery wynde | |
They saye womens tongues be of lyke kynde. | |
sig: [B2v] | |
I saye the fable rehersed before | |
The trueth well knowen is but a lye | |
255 | All the clerkes that euer were |
Do wryte the same and testefye | |
That god made all-thynge parfetlye | |
Howe shulde the woman then tonge haue none | |
And be of goddes creacyon, | |
260 | Because that Eue our prime parent |
The wyll of god dyd ons transgresse | |
They blame all women in lyke consent | |
And make them-selfe alwayes fauteles | |
There be of women as of men doutles | |
265 | All-be-it that dyuers haue offended |
Yet ought nat all to be reprehended | |
¶All maner clothe is nat lyke fyne | |
Nor yet all men complexyoned lyke | |
Some more of colour, some more sanguyne | |
270 | Some malancolye, some fleamatyke |
Some longe and small, some shorte and thycke | |
Nat euery man of one compleccyon | |
Nor euery woman of one condycyon | |
Why shulde the woman then be blamed | |
275 | More than the man, and he lyke bad |
Me-thynkes ye ought to be ashamed | |
And also in conscyence sore adrade | |
In case that ye any conscyence had | |
Wytnes saynt Paule, it doth no man beseme | |
280 | Worse of a nother than of hym-selfe to deme Ro .ii. |
sig: B3 | |
¶Admytte that woman fyrste offended | |
The man persuadynge to transgres | |
A woman was she, the faute that amended | |
By meane of her great humblenes. Genises. | |
285 | Of mannes restore the chefe foundres |
Eue was she that made vs thrall | |
And Mary was she that loused all. | |
And ouer that in genesye | |
I fynde it wryten, that god dyd make | |
290 | The woman for man an helpe to be |
Nat of vyle erthe out of the lake | |
But of a rybbe that he dyd take | |
Out of the mannes ryght syde | |
And the woman made of thynge well tryde | |
295 | Lyke as ye se by experyence |
Golde forged of leade, yren and tynne | |
And is hym-selfe in his fyrst essens | |
No better than the matter he was fyrst in | |
And nowe more valued than man myne | |
300 | Lyke so dyd god the femynyne |
Plasmate of the masculyne. | |
¶Ye se also the ryche Rubies | |
And other stones of hye vertue | |
Set in golde at poynt deuyse | |
305 | And in thynge of small value |
In symblable wyse hym-selfe Iesu | |
Wolde of the woman incarnate be | |
Mayden and wyfe his mother Mary. | |
sig: [B3v] | |
And sythe that god the woman create | |
310 | Of thynge thus pured, and nat the man |
To the ende she shulde helpe hym algate | |
Of congruence it foloweth than | |
That in no wyse mysse ye can | |
The man (as who sayeth) is the adiectyue | |
315 | And the woman is playne the substantyue. |
For as wytnesseth the accidence | |
The adiectyue may nothyng do | |
Oneles it be vnder pretence | |
Of other substance put therto | |
320 | The man in lyke effecte also |
Without the wo[m]ans helpynge hande womans] wonans 1542, womans 1557 | |
By hym-selfe may nat longe stande | |
¶Yf a man without womans consent | |
Myght haue redrest the fyrste offence | |
325 | It had nat neded the omnipotent |
To haue come hym-selfe to make the admendes | |
The woman was chosen by diuyne assence | |
To be through her humylyte | |
The well of our tranquilyty. | |
330 | And who that lysteth the trueth to trye |
Shall fynde in the Bible thorowe & thorowe | |
That god dyd fauoure the femynyne | |
Many tymes as well as you | |
And in the woman dyd of[t] renewe oft] of 1542, 1557 | |
335 | Agaynst all naturall dysposycyon |
In steryll age parentall fruycyon. | |
sig: [B4] | |
As fyrst in the boke of Genesye | |
Of Ioseph, Isaac, and Samuell | |
With other mo in places sondry | |
340 | As of Sampson ye may fynde well |
Lyke of the Sunamyte befell | |
The Bible rede and ye shall fynde | |
That these were borne past course of kynde. Ge .iii. i. Reg .i. Iudici .xiii. iiii. Reg .iiii. | |
¶And in lyke case Elyzabeth | |
345 | The mother, of holy Iohan_Baptyst Luce .i. |
Saynt Anne also as scrypture sayeth | |
Conceyued Mary mother of Chryst Math .i. | |
Mary also that man neuer wyst | |
Conceyued by grace both god and man | |
350 | Mayden & mother bothe nowe and than |
Thus haue ye sure certifycate | |
That god muche fauoureth the femyn kynde | |
Sythe he hym-selfe after suche rate | |
Tendreth in them the deuout mynde | |
355 | And furthermore no doute I fynde |
That god permytted man to make | |
Wonders many for the womans sake. | |
As fyrst we fynde by diuine spyracyon | |
Done by the prophet Helysye iiii. Reg iiii. | |
360 | A lytell oyle and all by myracle |
Made to encrease and multyply Ibedem. | |
And to his hostyes by prophesye | |
Gaue a chylde, and to the same wyfe | |
Restored he sone from deth to lyfe. Ibedem. | |
sig: [B4v] | |
365 | Ouer that it may nat be nayde |
Whan man had broken the precepte | |
Seynge hym-selfe so nakedly arayde | |
For shame amonge the leues he crepte | |
God hym called, he no fote stepte | |
370 | But blamed the woman for his consent |
To fortyfye his euyll entent his] his his 1542 | |
But what sayde god, loke and rede | |
Maladicta terra in opere tuo Genes. | |
Cursed be the erthe thou dost on fede | |
375 | And swete for thy lyuynge thou shalt also |
Mynde had he none to call for grace tho | |
So where god made hym of erth or than | |
Yf he cursed the erth, he cursed man | |
¶So of the woman it can nat be sayde | |
380 | For she of a rybbe was made before |
But for she was so lyghtly betrayde | |
Penaunce she had, but nat so sore | |
Curst was she nat, howe-be-it euermore | |
God sayde in chyldynge whan she dyd lye | |
385 | With sorowe her sede shu[l]de multyply. shulde] shusde 1542 |
That man was curst oft we rede | |
Besydes that I rehersed haue | |
As Chayn and Cham for theyr lewde dede | |
And those that the prophet dyd mocke & depraue Gene .9 .iiii. re .ii Tren .ii. et Mala .ii. | |
390 | With other (no fewe) where-as god gaue |
Many tymes vnto the woman | |
His blessynge as well as to the man. | |
sig: C1 | |
Thus all-thynge pondred in balance playne | |
God fauoureth alwayes the femynitye | |
395 | We then to haue them in dysdayne |
Standeth nat well with equytye | |
And who-so sayde the good rare be | |
I durst auenture my heed to lose | |
To proue he lyeth that maketh that glose. | |
400 | ¶Thousandes or two I dare well say |
Of them that yet here lyuyng be | |
In ful recorde forth bryng I may | |
And seke nat farre out of the countre | |
I coulde also manyfestly | |
405 | Dyuers rehers and theyr names tell |
The place assygnynge where they do dwell. | |
Howe-be-it as nowe it shal suffyce | |
[O]f them that gone be many yeres past Of] Nf 1542 | |
Example to take and this treatyse | |
410 | By theyr goodnes to make sure and fast |
That none hereafter presume to cast | |
Fables forged of wylfull mynde. | |
Agaynst the deuout femynyne kynde. | |
¶Abraham maryed one Sarai Geneses xiiii. | |
415 | A perfyte woman as other be mo |
In worde and dede alwayes redy | |
To be obedyent hym vnto | |
God bad Abraham that he shu[l]de go shulde] shusde 1542 | |
Out of the lande Cananye | |
420 | In-to Egypt from his kyn nye |
sig: [C1v] | |
Howe-be-it before he thyder came | |
In his conceyte thus waded he | |
Called his wyfe, and sayde good dame | |
One thynge I wyll thou do for me | |
425 | By meane dere wyfe of thy beautye |
I doubte yf thou be knowen my wyfe | |
That I perchaunce shall lose my lyfe. | |
Say therfore my suster thou arte | |
That I may fare the better for the | |
430 | I shall (she sayd) with all my harte |
And elles-what do, that ye byd me | |
To helpe you in necessyte | |
There shall no persone haue knowlege other | |
But that ye be my naturall brother | |
435 | ¶So into Egypte whan that they came |
Sarra was sent for to kynge Pharao | |
And for her sake was Abraham | |
The better take with frende and fo | |
Her brother she called hym. he bad her so | |
440 | Howe-be-it god punysshed the people sore |
Tyll Pharao of her had made restore. | |
And in lyke maner afterwarde Ge .xx. | |
When that he came to Geratye | |
Abraham the better farde | |
445 | By reason of his wyfe Saray |
God lykewyse punyished greuously | |
So that the kynge Abymalech | |
Gaue hym his wyfe with a sore cheke. | |
sig: C2 | |
Lyke case befell with Isaac | |
450 | And Rebecca his trusty wyfe |
Whiche in lykewyse dyd her forsake | |
And all for to enlength his lyfe | |
The woman was his prerogatyfe | |
Howe saye ye nowe by your lewde fable | |
455 | Were nat these women profytable. |
¶God preserued Sarra twyse | |
And ons Rebacca gracyously | |
In case that they had done amys | |
It had be longe of the man suerly | |
460 | God wolde there shulde be no suche foly |
In the woman yf ye marke well | |
Recorde Saara the doughter of Raguel. | |
To seuen dyuers maryed was she | |
And alwayes mayden arose them fro Thobi .vi. & .iii. | |
465 | Because the man wolde by and by |
Hys carnall lust with her haue do | |
No reuerence gyuen the sacrament vnto | |
At nyght the deuyll was there alwaye | |
And strangled them before the daye. | |
470 | Preserued was the femynyne |
Bycause she was so vertuous | |
Strangled were the masculyne | |
Because they were so vycyous | |
Sodome and Gomore, the lecherous | |
475 | In brymstone we rede dothe boyle & bran Ge .xx. |
For the myslyuynge of the man | |
sig: [C2v] | |
The doughter of Jacob amyable Dyne | |
For the foule rape vpon her done | |
Her bretherne two brought to ruyne | |
480 | The cyte and slewe the masculyne echon[e] Letters defective here and in the next lineGeneses xxxiii. Geneses xxxiii. |
Emmor the father and Sychem the son[e] | |
God wolde they shulde suche reuel make | |
And on the men suche vengeaunce take | |
Of Dauyd the doughter fayre Thamar | |
485 | Whom her owne brother Amon by name ii. Reg .xiii. |
Faynynge hym sicke and she nat ware | |
Agaynst her wyll, she nat to blame | |
Unlawfully vsed to his owne shame | |
Longe-tyme bewayled her euyll chaunce | |
490 | In token playne she toke repentaunce |
¶Because Raab dyd them defende | |
From Iosue sent to Ierico Iosue .ii | |
Holy wryte dothe her commende | |
And iustyfye her lyfe also | |
495 | Mary_magdalyne another of tho Luce .vii. |
For her great fayth and contrycyon | |
Of all her crymes she had remyssyon | |
Wherby apereth playne and euydent | |
What grace is gyuen the femynyne | |
500 | For small offence so sore to repent |
Recorded in Thamer and in Dyne | |
Where stubberne and styffe is the masculyne | |
Adam to wytnes whiche had no grace | |
Mercy to aske for his trespace. | |
sig: C3 | |
505 | And furthermore admyt the case |
That many women haue sore offended | |
And thousandes mo done well ofte hase | |
Shulde all the name be dyscommended | |
Bycause the best nombre be reprehended | |
510 | If that shulde be reporte me then |
What myght be spoken of the men | |
¶Large be the volumes in euery nacyon | |
For euer in cronycle to remayne | |
Yf ye perceyue, and note the fasshyon | |
515 | Euydens ynoughe ye shall haue playne |
Agaynst one woman, men twayne | |
Ye twenty I dare auowe doubtles | |
Whiche be improued for theyr lewdenes | |
In token that man shulde be content | |
520 | His wyfe to loue especyally |
Abraham had strayte commaundement Genesis xxi | |
To folowe the mynde of Sarai | |
And so expulsed by and by | |
Agar his harlot out of hys house | |
525 | Agaynst her maystres presumptuous. |
Howe-be-it because of repentaunce | |
For none example of lyke foly | |
God dyd accept her meke pe[n]aunce | |
And quyte for_gaue her by and by | |
530 | The aungell was sent and bad her hye |
Home agayne and knowe her dame | |
And god wolde multyply her fame. | |
sig: [C3v] | |
Agayne she came, her maysters content Ibidem. | |
And bare Abraham one Ismaell | |
535 | Which passynge all other was more feruent |
And passynge reason more cruell | |
Than euer yet ye harde of tell | |
His lyfe durynge to warre he was mouyd | |
He loued no man, nor none hym loued. | |
540 | So can be nat rede of any woman |
Namely in wryttyng autentycall | |
To be so cruell as was this man | |
At warre to be with one and all | |
O that ye men can fyght and braule | |
545 | And kyll eche other comenly |
Whiche is nat sene in the femynyne. | |
¶Howe-be-it there is founde in holy wryt | |
That some women haue done lyke case | |
Nat to them-selfe but marked to it | |
550 | Of god onely, by specyall grace |
Suche dedes marcyall to brynge to passe | |
That man myght nat Iudyth to wytnes Iudith .xiii. | |
Whiche slewe alone myghty Holofernes. | |
And in lyke case of Delbora | |
555 | Whom god electe his prophete to be |
The deth to declare of Sisara | |
Where and whan to sygnyfye Iudic .iiii. | |
And gaue her also more specyally | |
Knowlege in many other cause | |
560 | And made her iudge ouer the lawse, |
sig: [C4] | |
At mount_Thabor as sh[e] dyd tell Iudic .v. | |
This captayne dyscomfet fled out of the thronge | |
The wyfe of Abner named Iahel | |
Sisara slewe lyenge a_longe | |
565 | God strengthed the woman & the laude strong |
Unto the femynyne lesse and more | |
And to the man no prayse therfore. | |
¶Abymalech that ferefull kynge ii. re .xi | |
At syege lyenge before Thebes | |
570 | A stone that on the wall dyd hynge |
A woman threwe into the prease | |
And on the heed hyt hym doubtles | |
Slewe him starke, and so therby | |
The syege gaue ouer, this is no lye | |
575 | Who was the cause that Abela |
Was nat by Ioab beaten downe ii. re .xi. | |
Who kept the deed but good Raspha | |
The woman onely dyd saue the towne | |
And for her dede, ought haue renowne | |
580 | I me reporte, nowe howe saye ye |
Be nat the women prayse-worthye. | |
Sythe god them marked gracyously | |
Unto these deades before specyfyde ii. Reg .xxi. | |
It can nat be layde to them playnly | |
585 | Neyther of malyce ne yet of pryde |
For synguler wysdome in the[m] tryde them] then 1542, 1557 | |
God preferred the woman than | |
Suche thynges to do before the man | |
sig: [C4v] | |
¶Of synguler wysdome note quene Hester Hester .vii. | |
590 | The kynge her husbande whiche dyd pacyfye |
Where Aman the wretche dyd moue Assuer | |
Uengeaunce to haue taken on Mardochye | |
And the Iewes to haue slayne generally | |
With pety & wysdome she dealed so than | |
595 | That she sauyd the Iewes and hanged Aman. |
Of thousand thousandes there was nat one | |
Unto Ioab the woman sent | |
That coulde procure for Absolon | |
A f[y]nall peace with his parent fynall] fenall 1542, 1557 | |
600 | Dauyd the kynge dyd sone consent |
At the womans request the Bible to recorde ii. Reg .xix. | |
To call his sone home and be his good lorde. | |
The prophet also called Nathan | |
Of counseyle preuy with his souerayne | |
605 | Perceyued well theyr myght no man |
Of his full mynde Dauyd refrayne | |
But Adonyas shulde be kynge and raygne iii. Re .i. | |
Sent Barsabe to hym forth-on | |
And she obtayned for Salomon. | |
610 | ¶And further where-as the Egypcyan kynge |
Agaynst the Hebrewes sore moued was Exo .i. | |
Bycause he se theyr encrease and sprynge | |
Aduaunsed moche in euery place | |
Commaundement gaue for any case | |
615 | The mydwyues of the Hebrean lyne |
To kyll and slee all masculy[n]e. | |
sig: D1 | |
And this we rede in places two | |
But god wolde nat the excercyse Ibedem. | |
So that the woman wolde it nat do | |
620 | But made excuse, after this wyse |
Abhorringe the shamfull enterpryse | |
And sayde the Hebreans, in theyr nedes | |
Can helpe them-selfe and do suche dedes. | |
Aboute whiche tyme holy Moyses | |
625 | Into this worlde was brought & borne Exo .ii. |
Thre monethes kept in secretnes | |
Magre Pharao, thoughe he had sworne | |
In a ve[ss]ele of russhes, to haue be lorne vessele] veele 1542, 1557 | |
Cast in the water, to synke or to swyme | |
630 | Redy was the woman, & she saued him. |
¶The doughter of Pharao fered nat | |
Compassyon her moued inwardely | |
Herynge hym crye, and se hym flote | |
Commaunded her maydens that wasshed her by | |
635 | A norse to get, and moderly |
She hym adopte to be her sonne | |
God wolde haue thus, by the woman done. | |
The prophete also good Hely | |
Unto the woman from god was sent iii. Reg .xvii. | |
640 | Because Galaad and Samary |
No moysture had from the fyrmament | |
And [w]axeth stone-drye, for punysshement waxeth] caxeth 1542, careth 1557 | |
The wydowe of Sarapt, the prophete fedde | |
Or elles parchaunce he had ben deed. | |
sig: [D1v] | |
645 | And in lykewyse the Sunamyte |
Moued her husbande besylye | |
And in conclusyon optayned it | |
A place to make for Helysye iiii. Re .iiii. | |
The prophete of god, necessarye | |
650 | Thus holped they him, in an habitacle |
After the latyn called a cenacle. | |
Who was the cause that duke Naaman | |
Was helyd of his foule lypperye iiii. re .v | |
No doute the fayre yonge woman | |
655 | Taken with the robbers of Syrye |
Because she spake and praysed Helysye | |
The kynge sent Naaman into Israell | |
Where in shorte space he had his heel. | |
¶Who was the fyrst I praye you who | |
660 | That praysed god for vyctorye |
After that drent was Pharao Exodi. | |
Loke in the boke of Exodye | |
And ye shall fynde it was Mary | |
Mary the syster of Aaron | |
665 | With sounde of tympane she played vpon. |
What tyme Dauyd, the gloriouse kynge | |
Aged sore a[n]d febled fast | |
A vyrgyn toke a tendre thynge iii. Re .i. | |
For no synne, but for he dyd wast | |
670 | Preserued therby, tyll at the last |
By very course of naturall kynde | |
The soule to god he vp resynde. | |
sig: D2 | |
Where yonge Abya meke and feble | |
Had layne longe seke contynually Ibidem .xiiii. | |
675 | To knowe yf it were possyble |
He shulde recouer or elles dye | |
The woman was sent this [is] no lye is] 1542, 1557 omit | |
The wyfe I meane of Ieroboas | |
Into Sylo was sent to Ahyas. | |
680 | ¶I praye you who dyd fyrst dyscrye |
The euyll entent of Achytophel? | |
The mayden escryed the conspyracye | |
Wherby the kynge escaped paryll ii. Reg .xvii. | |
Ionathan and Achymaas she dyd it tell | |
685 | For had it nat be shortly knowen |
Kynge Dauid had ben all to_hewen. | |
To whom I praye you dyd Selysye | |
Declare the derth that shulde ensewe | |
To the man or the woman howe saye ye | |
690 | If that ye can, disclose it nowe? |
The woman it was that fyrst it knowe iiii Reg viii. | |
She tolde her husbande as a kynde wyfe | |
Wherby at lenght she saued his lyfe. | |
Who but the woman of Bahurye | |
695 | Saued the lyfe of Ionathas? ii Reg .xvii |
If Absalon myght haue come hym by | |
He neuer had sene Dauid in the face | |
Neyther his compere Achymaas | |
A cursed bo[y]e dyd them discrye boye] bowe 1542, 1557 | |
700 | A blessed woman kept them secrye. |
sig: [D2v] | |
Had nat ben Abygall | |
The gentle wyfe of the churle Nabal i. Reg .xxv. | |
Dauyd had folowed his othe and wyll | |
And lefte hym nat one great ne small | |
705 | Upon the morowe to haue pyst on the wall |
She sent him vytayle, and went also | |
And made hym his frende, that erst was his fo. | |
And as I remembre good Iosabeth | |
Doughter vnto the kynge Ioram iiii. Re .xi. | |
710 | Yonge Ioas saued from the deth |
Sonne and heyre of Ochezyam | |
Where Athalta than wylfully came | |
Entendynge to haue slayne without pytye | |
All the kynges progenye. | |
715 | ¶What tyme the myghty Galadit Iudi .xi. |
Iepte clepyd by name as I fynde | |
Agaynst the Amonytes shulde fyght | |
On god he called with mouth and mynde | |
And sayde good god my-selfe I bynde | |
720 | Yf I preuayle to offre to the |
The fyrste that I mete after vyctorye. | |
Saue one doughter no chylde he had | |
Whiche whan he came the batyil from | |
In token that she was of hym glad | |
725 | Her father mette, and welcomed home |
An instrument she playde vpon | |
His vowe remembred than syghed he | |
Sayenge doughter wo is me for the. | |
sig: D3 | |
Answere she made meke and demure | |
730 | Be nothynge heuy father for me |
That you haue promysed kepe it sure | |
And it to fulfyll I am redye | |
So had nat than the woman be | |
The man had chaunged parchaunce his entent | |
735 | And falsed his promys, syth he dyd repent. |
¶The deuoute mother of one Mychye | |
Of promyse iust a myrrour fyt Iudic .xvii. | |
Dothe shewe that women constant be | |
And from theyr behestes loth to flye | |
740 | The money that she to god behyt |
Sent by her sonne to the golde-smyth | |
Therof to make Sculptile quid. | |
Many and dyuers other there be | |
Of whom the man example may take | |
745 | As of god Ruth and Neomy Ruth .i. |
Of her that nother wolde god forsake | |
Nother ye[t] consent ydolatrye to make yet] ye 1542, 1557 | |
But strenghtned her sonnes in nombre seuen | |
To dye for the lawes of god of heuen. ii. Machab .vii | |
750 | Great is the prayse of the aunceent |
Unto this daye had in memorye | |
For theyr hye vertues excellent iii Reg .xxii. | |
As fayth, wysdome, and mere pytye Luce .ii. iii. re .x. | |
With fortitude in aduersytye | |
755 | To wytnes the profytes Solda and Anne |
With Saba the quene, to Solomon that came. | |
sig: [D3v] | |
The testament newe allso telleth me | |
After that Chryst these wordes had sayde Marce .xvi. | |
Hely Hely lamazabacani | |
760 | That fayth in man was clere deceyde Luc .ii. |
In Mary his mother, bothe wyfe and mayde | |
It neuer fayled, for the femynyne Ioh .xx. | |
In Thomas it fayled for the masculyne. | |
Before also ye shall well fynde | |
765 | The woman was euer prompt and redye |
With hole herte and deuoute mynde | |
Of Chri[s]tes byrth to belyue the mysterye Christes] Chrites 1542Luce .i. Luce .i. | |
Where-as the [man], olde Zacharye man] woman 1542, 1557 | |
Blamed of the Angell, lost his syght | |
770 | Elysabeth him knowleged, euyn furth-ryght. |
¶Great was the loue of the femynyne | |
Durynge the daungeour of his passyon Ioh .xx. | |
Recorde therin good Magdalyne | |
Whiche neuer backed, but folowed on | |
775 | Where his disciples were fled and gone |
Oft the sepulcre she dyd vysyt | |
And longe there wepynge wolde she syt. | |
She with his compers Maries two Marce .xvi. | |
Salomye and Iacobye with oyles pure | |
780 | For synguler loue they bare him to |
Sought hym layde in sepulture | |
Supposynge theyr oyntementes shulde him recure | |
For well the rekenynge by his sayenge playne | |
He wolde reuyue, shortely agayne. | |
sig: [D4] | |
785 | God hym-selfe prayse to her gaue |
At table syttynge for the oyle she spende | |
And openly the men dyd depraue Luc .xxi | |
Sayde pore haue ye daylye, but I must wende | |
Her also except he, in mytes that dyd sende | |
790 | In Gazaphilacum, before the ryche man |
And Martha lykewyse, that called him goddes sonne. | |
Was nat she playnly full of grace Acte .ix. | |
Thabita the wydowe the pore that fed | |
Whom Peter by prayer reuyued hase | |
795 | To lyue agayne were she was ded |
And she also that nature ledde iii re .iii. | |
Rather her chylde quycke to for_go | |
Than Salomon shulde part hym in two | |
The wyfe of Pylate dyd pytye more | |
800 | The turnement of our Sauyoure |
Than all the men that than there were | |
The scrybes and the pharisys to there powre Luc .xxi | |
The workes of Chryst blasphemyd eche houre | |
The woman present sayde I make you ware | |
805 | Blessed be the bely that the bare. |
¶Whan he arose, this is clere Math .xxvii. xxviii. | |
[To] whom apered he, I praye you fyrst To] Tho 1542, 1557 | |
Sure for ought that I can here | |
To women two, or any man wyst | |
810 | To her that hym with her brest nurst |
To Mary_Magdalyne, and bad her go Ioh .xx. | |
And his apostles tell it to. | |
sig: [D4v] | |
Seldome I fynde that Chryste dyd blame Luc .viii | |
Any one woman properly | |
815 | Or that any woman so fare past shame |
So lytle to set our sauyour by | |
As Peter did Chryst to denye Luc .vii. | |
Chryst blamed Peter, nowe and than | |
For lacke of fayth, and called hym Sathan. | |
820 | And where Scribes malycyouslye |
Brought vnto him adulteram | |
The woman he saued, gratiouslye | |
Wrote in the dust, to the mennes shame | |
Do no more women, sayde he the same Iohan .viii. | |
825 | Nowe tell me playne yf ye so can |
Dyd he euer lyke myracle for any man. | |
¶The woman also of Cananye | |
Whose doughter possest was of a deuyll | |
Seased nat on Chryst to crye | |
830 | Her doughter to hele of that sore yuyll Math .xv. |
Chryst herde her well, and helde him styll | |
To the ende all men, myght notyfye | |
What fayth was in the femynye. | |
The man he blamed of Ipocrysye Iohan .xiii. | |
835 | And also vpon the Saboth day |
Helyd the woman gracyouslye | |
Eyghtene yeres longe that sore syke laye | |
And mekely dyd the Samaritane praye | |
Water to drawe hym out of the stone Iohan .iiii. | |
840 | Where-of the man he asked none. |
sig: E1 | |
And also at the womans request | |
Bycause they lacked necessarye Iohan .ii. | |
Turned water to wyne at the feast | |
Kept in Cana_Galylye | |
845 | At the instaunce of Martha or Mary |
He raysed Lazar hole and sounde | |
Foure dayes buryed vnder-grounde. | |
¶Where-as he wepte full tenderly Ioh .xi. | |
To the woman that hym ofte fed | |
850 | Martha the one the other Mary |
Wepe and bywayle theyr brother deed | |
As far forth yet as euer I rede | |
I can nat fynde that he dyd make | |
Any lyke sorowe for the mannes sake. | |
855 | And ouer that the treuth dothe proue |
The sayenge of Luke who-so well wayth Luce .viii. | |
It was a very sclender loue | |
And a lesse token of any fayth | |
In the man the Euangelyst sayth | |
860 | In Iudas by name his mayster that solde |
With a false kysse and thyrty pens golde. | |
¶Thus may ye see by holy wryt | |
That women be no cast-awayes | |
Neyther they that lyue as yet | |
865 | Nor those that were in the auncyent dayes |
Proued I haue who-so denayes | |
For more wytnes I shal reporte | |
Of later tyme and so be shorte. | |
sig: [E1v] | |
The churche mylytant dothe ones yerely | |
870 | A_leuen thousande vyrgins halowe in one |
So many of men I can nat espye | |
Sythe tyme the worlde fyrst begon | |
All-be-it they were nat women echone | |
Yet for the woman was pryncypall | |
875 | Lyke name is gyuen vnto them all. |
I rede of seuen slepynge men | |
And also of .iiii. coronate | |
Nowe two and thre, of thousandes ten | |
Of one alone with his associate | |
880 | Of forte knyghtes martyryzate |
But of a .xi. thousande neuer | |
Coulde I fynde as yet togyther. | |
¶All-be-it there be of the infant state | |
Of innocentes I meane many one | |
885 | Yet haue these vyrgyns immaculate |
If any comparyson may be therto | |
More mede of god, I suppose so | |
These vyrgi[n]s for god dyed wyllyngly | |
The infantes by force and knewe nat why | |
890 | Moche other thynges aledged myght be |
Auctorysed by holy wryt | |
Besydes muche more in poyetrye | |
In sondry metyrs craftely knyt | |
Which onely I pur[po]se to omyt purpose] purse 1542, purpose 1557 | |
895 | Oneles it be of two or of thre |
To wrytte them all it wyll nat be | |
sig: E2 | |
¶As fyrst of Lucres the noble wyfe Ouid. in fast. li. primi. August. de ci. li. | |
A myrrour to all other of goostly fame | |
Whiche wylfully with a small knyfe | |
900 | Slewe her-selfe in auoydynge shame |
And therby saued her olde good name | |
What tyme Tarquyne newe made kynge | |
Had her forlayne, she nat wyllynge. | |
Where Rome besyeged was about | |
905 | By Coriolane then exulate Valar. li. primo |
So that no man durst ons pere out | |
For fere of lesynge of his pate | |
Ueturia badde open the gate | |
Her armes cast crosse, her heer to_rent | |
910 | Most wofully forth thus she went. |
Large were the teres that from her eyes ran | |
Her brestes before hym when she dysplayde | |
Beholde she sayde thou vnkynde man | |
Thy natural mother thus wretche[d]ly arayde wretchedly] wretchely 1542, 1557 | |
915 | Nature shulde moue the, though wyll denayde |
To warre with other than thy natyfe countre | |
Peace sayde he mother so shall it be. | |
¶Whose acte to be had in memorye | |
A lawe forthwith the Romyanes let make | |
920 | From that daye forwarde to the femynyne |
Eche man shulde bowe for Ueturys sake | |
Graunted also that the woman myght take | |
To her attyre broche, owche, or rynge | |
Ueluet purple or any other thynge. | |
sig: [E2v] | |
925 | Where-as before through quene Uasthye Hester .i |
All honour was take the woman fro | |
By reason of her obstynacye | |
In dysobeyinge kynge Assuero | |
Nowe was restored with moche more to | |
930 | Many men saued that myght haue ben slay[n]e |
And the cytie set franke fre agayne. | |
Whan Portia harde that Brute was deed Mart. li. i. epigre | |
Lenger to lyue no houre thought she | |
Ete brennynge coles as fast as breed | |
935 | Bycause she coulde no knyfe come by |
In moche lyke case Penelope Ouid. eplar. li. primo. | |
To put of weddynge tyll Ulyxes came home | |
Untwyned at nyght that in the daye she spone. | |
¶And as it cometh vnto my mynde | |
940 | Of one hystorye catholycall |
Whiche almost clene was lefte behynde | |
As nothynge worthy memoryall Daniel .xiii. | |
That one remembred conclude I shall | |
The hystory I meane of good Susan | |
945 | Falsly accused by the man. |
Attempt she was of rybaldes two | |
With them to haue dealed, she nolde consent | |
They her accused, and sayde she had ado | |
With a yonge man, and shulde be brent | |
950 | God knowe the woman innocent |
And caused the infant Danyell | |
To speke to the people and the treuth tell. | |
sig: E3 | |
A babe to speke was a straunge maruell | |
The people assembled on euery syde | |
955 | The tales bothe varyed that they dyd tell |
Wherby it was knowen the rybaldes lyde | |
The woman saued and the treuth tryde | |
Her false accusars by comen assent | |
To dye forthwith had iust iudgement. | |
960 | ¶Whiche thynges remembred with other mo |
That myght parchaunce enlarge this boke | |
Estates comenly where I go | |
Trust theyr wyues to ouer_loke | |
Baker, brewer, butler, and coke | |
965 | With other all, man medleth no whytte |
Bycause the woman hathe quycker wytte. | |
My lady must receyue and paye | |
And euery man in his offyce controll | |
And to eche cause gyue ye and nay | |
970 | Bargayne and bye and set all sole |
By indenture other by court roll | |
My lady must ordre thus all-thynge | |
Or small shal be the mannes wynnynge | |
A further profe herein as yet | |
975 | By comune reporte we here eche day |
The chylde is praysed for his mother wytte | |
For the fathers condycions depraued alway | |
And ouer that your-selfe wyll saye | |
Surgeons aduauntage, by women small | |
980 | Bycause they be no fyghters at all. |
sig: [E3v] | |
¶An ende therfore herof to make | |
Me-thynkes these men do nothynge well | |
So wylfully to bragge and crake | |
And agaynst all women so to geuell | |
985 | And yet who-so that lengest dothe reuell |
And this boke redeth I knowe playnly | |
Shall saye: or be shamed, tonge I lye. | |
Explicit. |
|
The authour. |
|
GO forthe lytell boke god be thy spede | |
O[r]dre thy-selfe accordyngly Ordre] Oodre 1542, Ordre 1557 | |
Set nought by hym that dothe the rede | |
In case he warble the to denye | |
5 | Nat one so good but he hath an enemye |
Hyde nat thy face for a proude crake | |
Let hym be knowen that dyd the make | |
¶Go forthe queckely with pase demure | |
Of one prerogatyue sure thou arte | |
10 | Set for to be in hye honour |
In myddes of the hole femynyne herte | |
Nexte god they wyll all take thy parte | |
Hyll the with sylke and lymme the with golde | |
Nowe passe on thy way thou mayst be bolde. | |
15 | Glory be thy garment so worthy thou arte |
Of syluer thy claspes, and of fyne golde | |
So true is thy processe in euery parte | |
sig: [E4] | |
In the hye Ierarchye thou may be enrolde | |
None other lyke the that euer was solde | |
20 | Hyghest of all other in trueth is thy dytye |
Lygth where thou shalte nowe farewell from me. | |
Yf question be moued who is thyne authour | |
Be nat addrad to vtter his name | |
Say Edwarde_Gosynhyll toke the labour | |
25 | For womanhede the for to frame |
Call hym thyne authour, do nat asshame | |
Thankes lokes he none for, yet wold he be glad | |
A staffe to stande by that all women had. | |
Thus endeth this frutfull treatese of the prease of women called Mulierum Pean. Imprynted at London in Fletestrete at the sygne of the George by me Wyllyam_Myddylton. | |
¶CVM PRIVILEGIO AD IM[PR]IMENDV[M]IMPRIMENDVM] IMRPIMENDVN 1542 SOLVM. | |
sig: [E4v] |