A dyalogue defensyue for women, agaynst malycyous detractoures

A dyalogue defensyue for women, agaynst malycyous detractoures

Table of contents

Title page

¶The Prologue.

¶Robert Vaghane to the reader.

§

¶The Aucthour speaketh.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Pye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The Aucthour.

§

§

§

[Page]

[Page]

¶A Dyalogue defensyue for women / agaynst malycyous detractoures.

[figure]

¶The Prologue.

[Page]

¶To the ryght worshypfull and his synguler good maystres Arthur Hardberde▪ Robert Vaghane 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

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

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 asyghted, at a certayne place

whiche wylled me than, that I wolde algate

So forth and talke with hym, a lytell space.

¶Than secretly, he dyd vnto me cōmyt

Agaynst detraction, this dyalogue defensyue

For the woman sakes, both necessary and fyt

whan preuye reprehendeth, agaynst them lyst to stryue

Of whose vyce the circumstance, he playnely doth dyscryue

That throughe auaryce, the syn insacyable

Detractours swarme, as bees aboute an hyue

where felonous flatery, to them is profytable.

[Page] ¶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

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

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 malyce, whiche onely meane rest

Your name may cause, suche noyses to asslake

Therefore 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

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

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 thake I wyll clayme

Sens thanke to payne, is euer consequent

Yet natwithstandynge, whyle lyfe doth remayne

Myne herte and seruyce, shall be at your cōmaundement.

[Page] ¶This Dyalogue, as Dyamonde derely dyght

And as a (weke) moste worthely wrought

Shynynge with eloquence, as starre doth of lyght

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 Vaghane to the reader.

REde gentyll Reader, all rygour set aparte

Onely with indyfferencye, ponder this argument

Be nat weyde with wylfulnes, yt ofte doth trewth subuarte

Enterlet no parcyallytye in iudgement

Remembre this rule, that Iustyce in election

Taketh no place in wyll nor affection.

¶Bende nat then in Iudgement, althoughe parchaunce

Vnto the hath be extended, a auncyent occasyon

Requyrynge agaynst women, to haue thy defyaunce

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

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

Vniustly 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.

§

§

[Page]

¶The Aucthour speaketh.

IN the moneth of Decēbre, whē phebus ye bright

with his mocyon had entered in to ye fyrst degre

Of Capricorne, whan longe is the nyght

And the day tyme, moste in breuytie

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

Causeth great company, togyther to resorte

Vnto 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

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

The dowghter of eunye, 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

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

That dame Aurora, to me dyd apeare

And the Sōne 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

And towarde a Forest, the way dyd I take

[Page] 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

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

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

And Elines 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

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 his pryckes, and the walnut tre

with the Fyr and the Hasyll, hangynge to the grownde

In the myddes a Cypresse, 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

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

I neuer felt in the moneth of May

Agaynst all dolour, a medycyne moste swete

[Page] 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

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

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.

¶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,

Deut. 32.

of Goddes creacyon

As scrypture recordeth,

Gen. 10.

be perfyt in theyr kynde

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

Vnperfyt 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

A bongler or a botcher, thou cānest nat God call

But yf thou wylt scrypture, leaue and forsake

And flye vnto reason, with me to contende

[Page] In what thynge tell me, dyd God woman make

So vnperfyte, that thou canst nat her nature cōmende.

¶The Pye.

¶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

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

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

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

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

Vnto 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

As reason and knowledge, thou cānest nat denye

[Page] Nor agaynst this verytye, thou cānest not resst

¶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

By helpe wherof, Goddes lawes he doth fulfyll.

¶The Pye.

¶Than proue shall I lyghtly, that woman is

Vnperfyt 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

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

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

Vnto mankynde, by reason I shall proue

That in this matter, shall be her protection

Theffect without the cause, can neuer be founde

For betwene them, there is mutuall relacyon

Let this be of my reasonynge the grounde

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

Facultyes and craftes, to inuent and fynde out

And chaunses to tell, are they come a longe season

All these to be theffectes, no man doth doubte

Of the intellectyue power, the wyll and the reason.

[Page]

¶The Pye.

¶what woman, I pray the than sayde the Pye

These gyftes haue had, that effectes thou dost call

Except thou be doubtles, dysposed to lye

Thou cānest 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

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

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

Vnder Fables fayned, these maydes dyd combynde

Mynerua, whiche also Pallas was named

As goodes 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

with Ingynes wonderfull, and fortresseys stronge

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

Socrates the Phylosopher, moste graue and sad

To her cōmyne Lecture, dyd come and resorte

Leontium also, a woman moste wyse

Agaynst Theophrast, with oracyons dyd contende

And workes moste excellent, she dyd deuyse

Agaynst detractours, women to defende

Paula and Eustochium, were lerned ryght well

Vnto whom Hierome, of hyghe estymacyon

[Page] Epystles and workes, the trouth for to tell

Dyuers dyd wryte, for theyr recreacyon

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

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

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

In to the soule infused, by especyall grace

Cassandra doughter, to Pryamus 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

The .x. Maydens gentylles, that Varro 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,

Lactant. q̄ gētiles

dyd wryte in her boke

That Messyas in Betheleem, of a mayde shulde be borne

And that in Nazareth, mānes nature he toke

Man to redeme, that by synne was forlorne

Sybylla Erythrca, as Lactancyus doth recorde

The processe of the Passyon, moste playnly doth expresse

Howe the Iewes vniustly, theyr soueraygne Lorde

Oppressed with paynes, and deadly dystresse

[Page] His buffyttes, his scourgynge with whyppes that dyd cut

His crowne of throne, with pryckes sharpe and longe

The eysell and gall, that to his mouth were put

These thynges she descrybed, and all his other wronge

The Eclypse of the Sōne, that made men to quake

with workes that were wonderfull, sene at that season

His dolorous death, that amendeds dyd make

For mānes mysdede, and for his hyghe treason

All these she descrybed, by dyuyne reuelacyon

Longe tyme before they came to effect

And as saynt Austayne maketh recytacyon

Of domes day,

De ciuit. Dei. li. 18. sect. 110.

the fearfull sygnes she dyd detect

In the actes of the Apostles, Luke doth recyte

Act. 110.

Howe Phylyp the Euangelyst, had dowghters foure

All virgyns cleane, with whom was the spryte

Of Prophecye, as they Sybylles had before

wherfore sens women, suche knowledge haue had

Both naturall pure, and nature excedynge

who doubteth in this, except he be mad

whyther they haue reason, with ye 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

Ergo they be perfyt, I may well conclude.

¶The Pye.

¶Althoughe I must graunt, that they of nature be

Perfyt sayde the Pye,

Esa. 14.

made by Goddes creacyon

So is the Deuyll, yet in Hell lyeth he

By dyuyne sentence, in endles dampnacyon.

¶The Fawcon.

¶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,

Arystot.

that in qualytyes agre

[Page] 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

Sens man and woman, be of Goddes creacyon

Mat. [...]

He denyeth no mercye, to them that do it craue.

¶The Pye.

¶where vyce is raygnynge,

[...] come [...]os. [...]0

than sayde the Pye

Punysshement must folowe, thou knowest ryght well

All vyce raygneth in women, this is no lye

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.

¶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

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

So syth her tyme, women maynteyne

All synne and vyce, in moste enormytie

wauerynge they be, and lyght as the wynde

Crewellas Tygres, than Lucyfer more prowde

And trust in them, no man can fynde

She is no woman, that can lye lowde

Of carnall pleasures, they be insacyable

[Page] In battyll, bluddy bolde Barones for them dye

woman to man, was neuer profyttable

But full of cost, who can this denye?

¶The Fawcon.

¶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

Euen vpon the heade, than sayde the Pye

whan I say the trouth, thou sayst I rayle

Yet my trewe sayinges, thou cānest nat denye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶Nothynge sayde the Fawcon, is more repugnant

Vnto the trouth, than thy sayinges all

And that may be proued, by reasones abundant

Deduced of pryncyples Theologycall

From Parydyse pleasaunt, as thou dost say

Adam was expulsed,

Gen. [...]0.

with his posterytie

That Eue was full cause, I do say nay

whom thou dost call, the mother of myserie

As Eue Goddes cōmaundement, 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 brasones durres of hell

Nowe for as moche,

Psal. 14. [...].

as dysobedyence

Of both our fyrste parentes, Goddes rat dyd prouoke

It was nat all onely, the womans offence

wherby mankynde, dyd suffer Goddes stroke

And as Dyuynes make declaracyon

If Adam had neuer,

21. [...]. distinct. [...]2.

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

[Page] 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

They wyll deceyue the, by mutabylytye.

¶The Fawcon.

¶who is sayde the Fawcon, all tymes at one stay

Throughe this worlde wyde,

Eccle. 1.

and neuer mutable

Man is subiecte, to passyons alway

His lyfe in this worlde, must nedes be varyable.

¶The Pye.

¶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

Of women stedfastnes, moche mayst thou rede

On the contrary parte, thou shaft 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

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

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

Fewe feldes be foughten, without treason I dare say

Of one parte or other, fewe kyngdomes be wonne

[Page] without preuy packynge, for treason doth decay

Mo cyties and countryes, than battyll axe or gonne

If stedfastnes were stablysshed, substancyally in men

And grauytie were groued, in rulers that be lyght

If promys were performed, yf the cōmaundementes ten

Of man were well obserued, both by day and nyght

Then constant I myght call hym, but synce ye fayth fayleth

And treason with all vyce, in hym hath taken place

Therfore hym to prayse, syttell it auayleth

For mutable he is, and tourneth in small space

That women be constant, and trewe as fyne stele

Examples we rede, of Penoclope

And Lucrecya, that sorowes dyd felt

Both matrones noble, as storyes do say

Hester the quene,

[...].

fayre Iudyth moste chast

As scrypture doth say, theyr people dyd saue

From crewell death, whan all hope was past

Amonge the men, suche grace God them gaue

who can descrybe, with pen or with tonge

The constant vertue, of Susan moste kynde

Vnto her husbande, the storye is longe

In Danyell the Prophet,

Dan. [...].

thou mayst it fynde

The mother of the Machabeis, that .vii. were in nombre

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,

Ma. 150.

of Chryst was cōmended

For her fayth vnfayned, and stedfast belefe

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

Theyr thastyte to saue, they suffred moche wo

At Chrystes death,

Marci. 140.

whan the Apostles all

Theyr mayster dyd leaue, throughe mutabylytie

[Page] Men were founde lyght, and trundlynge as a ball

In them was no fayth, but infydelytye

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

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

Vnto all men, for in batteyll bolde

Of blode they haue caused, oft great effusyon

Of theyr myschyfe, moche in storyes is tolde.

¶The Fawcon.

¶Thy fables fayned, make small probacyon

Vnto thy purpose, the Fawcon dyd say

whan dyddest thou rede, in trewe declaracyon

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.

¶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

Sone to kynge Pryame, by strength steale away

Fayre Helene from the Grekes, agaynst her owne wyll

whan she her handes wronge, howe cānest thou say nay

If wepynge teares, yf sygtes sore and sad

If lamentacyon, myght then haue preuayled

[Page] Fayre Helene had escaped, Parys moste mad

From Grecye in to Troye, with her whan he feased

And thoughe battyll bloddye, with murder moste myserable

Betwene these two nacyons, enshewed to theyr payne

The adulterat it caused, by dede detestable

whiche coulde not 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

Suche myschyfes many men, oft haue precured

And yet they cesse nat, the same to support

As to wchynge this matter, I am full assured

All theyr madnes fully, I can nat report.

¶The Pye.

¶I can report than, sayde the Pye

That women be crewell, and loue to be in stryfe

Cursed no Cayn, thou canst nat denye

Angry as the waspe, wedowe, mayde, and wyfe.

¶The Fawcon.

¶The fayre Fawcon answered, with wordes yt were wyse

Sayinge Pye thou arte peuysshe, and blynde as a blocke

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

Theyr pacyence and pytye, in perfyt dyleccyon

Heate causeth yar,

Arystotle

in man and in beaste

Of yarfull herte, crewelnes doth sprynge

where crewelty doth dwell, compassyon hath no rest

For contraryes togyther,

Arystotle

can haue no bydynge

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

[Page] what moueth man, so fearse for to be

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

So colones 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

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

Vpon euery mānes hynderaunce, they take great petye

what wepynge teares?

Luce. 2 [...]

what sore lamentacyon

Dyd women make, in Hierusalem

Vyon the lambes death, takynge compassyon

That borne was of mother,

Mat. 10.

and mayde in Bethleem

But men at that tyme, as beastes raygynge mad

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

Yet profyte from them, thou must nedes exclude

Theyr husbandes they brynge, in det and daunger

Ease they loue all, to labour they dysdayne

wafters they be of money, meate, and cloth

And from the blacke boll, they can nat refrayne

To speake all I knowe by them, I am loth.

¶The Fawcon.

¶I am full loth, the Fawcon dyd say

Vnto the Pye, suche raylynge to here

[Page] Nothynge is trewe, thou speakest here this day

Thy fables be fayned, and false this is clere

A womans offyce, as Arystotle tought

In his Econymyckes,

primseco noca. [...]0.

is redy for to make

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

Throughe the mānes 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

Of women that wysely, the worlde do compasse

In moste honest maner, to theyr cōmendacyon

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

These thynges to fulfyll, no paynes they forsake

Men dyuers I haue knowe, 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

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

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

A comforte they be, in pouertie and welth

Vnto all men, to whom they repare

And therfore Scrypture,

Gen. 10.

doth woman call

An helper to man, in euery dystresse

[Page] whan fortune fayleth, and causeth hym to fall

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 therefore of God, I thynke them efect

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

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

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

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

Vpon syghtes semely, and all thynges aboue

Because loue them burneth, they desyre to burne

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 laught, they speake, they synge, they daunce

The lustes of loue, in youth, to inflame

Theyr garmentꝭ be garnysshed, after the guyse of Fraunce

And to vse paynted wordes, theyr tongues be nat lame

They brestes they lay forth, as a Boucher doth his flesshe

[Page] To be solde in the shambles, and ouer them they lay

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

They wrappe, plete, and plat, yonge louers to assayle

But Paule vnto Tymothe,

[...] Timoth. 20.

a document doth gyue

Vnto all women, suche fyghtnes to despyse

And so doth Peter,

1. Pe. [...]0.

whiche sayth they shulde lyue

Nat in wanton apparell, but in sad and sobre wyse

I dare nat nowe speake, howe some do counterfet

The colours of theyr faces, as they were naturall

Straunge hear also, for theyr heades they do get

Of their muskes, posyes, & pōmanders, I make no rehersall

All these prety tryckes, these prety dames do vse

In to Venus daunce, yonge Rufflers to assure

Howe canst thou Fawcon say, 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

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

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

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

[Page] If letters be contemned, yf wrytynges take no place

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

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, & letters be despysed

Than oft constant women, they brynge in great drede

whan by vyolent oppressyon, they haue them defylled

Dyna that to Iacob the Patryarke,

Gen. 34.

was doughter

By Sychem was oppressed, as scrypture doth tell

In punyshmēt of his vyolēce, there folowed great slaughter

Amonge all the people, that in his cytie dyd dwell

In the cytie of Gabaa,

Iud [...].

what abhomynacyon

Dyd men cōmyt, agaynst the Leuytes wyfe

The wyde worlde may wondre, of theyr bestyall fasshyon

For amonge them by oppressyon, the woman lost her lyfe

Dyd nat Annon,

11. Reg [...] 130.

that sone was to Dauyd the kynge

Chast Thamar oppresse, his syster naturall

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 Tarquimus sone

After the dede, both shamefull and vyldynous

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 commytted

That death moste dredefull, to ende her dystresse

Before lyfe in efection, she thought to be admytted

Many thousandes mo of maydes, wedowes, and wyues

Moste tyrānous tourmentes, as wryters do tell

Haue suffred, and also haue lost theyr lyues

Theyr chastyte to saue, and Tyrānes to repell

[Page] They be receyued, ergo I may conclude

Vpon thy wordes, that aucthorytie they brynge

And from my sayinges, all fables the exclude

As touchynge the examples, of womens good lyuynge

But nowe to retourne, after longe dygressyon

To our matter intended, myne examples declare

That men moche haue vsed, crafty instygacyon

women to wrappe, in the deuylled net and snare

And as prouocacyon, hath ben in tymes past

Of men moche vsed, the clēnes to subuert

Of women contynent, so suche as lyue chast

Be nowe prouoked, from elēnes 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

Nowe I pray the Pye playnly, as it is in thy thought

Speake here thy mynde, whyther more doth prouoke

The mn that doth seke, or the woman that is sought

The trouth herof shulde cause the, thy raylynge to reuoke

Dost thou nat dayly, with thyne eyes se

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.

¶Now am I constraynted, to graunt sayde the Pye

By reason and experyence, that all prouocacyon

Of man cōmeth cōmenly, 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

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

[Page] Thou shalt fynde that women, they lyttell byscōmende

Saynt Austen to these sayinges,

August [...].

answere doth make

Of both these Apostles, and sayth that none offence

Ryseth of rayment, whan women do take

Vnto dyscrecyon, dylygent aduertence

If after the custome, of theyr countrey they vse

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

As the beames of the Sōne, shynynge throughe the glas

with golde and perles, to glyster she was sene

Euen so dyd Iudyth, herbewtye augment

with apparell of great pryce, that caused admyracyon

Yet these women both, for theyr good intent

Of scrypture deserued prayse, and cōmendacyon.

¶The Pye.

¶Thou semest sayde the Pye, all maner to cōmende

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.

¶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

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

And power be decked, so oft they take and chuse

[Page] In werynge theyr apparell, follysshe 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

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.

¶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 reasonnynge, agaynst the whole kynde.

¶The Pye.

¶If one be nought, so be all the rest

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 raysynge vnreasonable, thou ragest agaynst ryght

Sayde the Fawcon, whan thou dost of fewe womens vyce

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

In to the same vyce? no that were madnes playnlye

Because Cayn dyd murdre,

Gen. 40.

therfore dyd his brother

Abell the same,

Mala. 1.

Esau was reiect

And forsaken of God, in the wombe of his mother

was therfore Iacob refused of God,

ad [...]0. 90.

and also neglect

Horryble heresyes these blynde sayinges be

If they be defended, and by scrypture confounded

And who is so blynde, but he may well se

[Page] That these saying? agaynst womē of reason, be nat groūded

For what raylynge heretycke, so shameles canst thou fynde

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

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

As thoughe euery woman, from vertue dyd recule

But many therebe, to sayinges euyll so prone

And dayly in the same, accustomed to slepe

That slaunders cansynge many, to syghe and to grone

As pastymes they take, whan Innocentes do wepe.

¶The Pye.

¶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 is wyfes sorowes, with slaunder doth renewe.

¶The Fawcon.

¶Blynde was the fyrste erre, and euery naked nought

But this is moche worse, sayde the Fawcon in very dede

Chryste that mānes soule, with his death derely bought

Forbyd that this erre, come in chrysten mānes crede

Dost thou nat fynde, daclared in Scrypture

That Chryst is the fountayne,

Iohānes 140.

of trouth and verytie

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

where euer they shall rest, in carefull calamytie

For Dauyd the prophet,

Psal. 14.

in his Psalme doth recorde

[Page] That sclaunderars and lyars, to endles perdycyon

Shall fall by iust sentence, of the heuenly lorde

whan synne shall be rewarded, with ryght retrybucyon

The wyse man also,

Sapt. 1.

beareth wytnes to this matter

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

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 cōmonly sayde, that on the deuyll to lye

Offence and synne it is, is it nat than offence

Agaynst crysten women, with sclaundars out to crye

Of whose gentyll nature, man shulde speake in defence

Paule sayth that man,

Ad eph. 5

shuld loue his wedded wyfe

As his owne body, and cherysshe her alway

Agaynst Paule they do playnly, that loue to be in stryfe

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

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

In so great a nombre of women, as there is

Thou mayst nat at theyr vyce, geast or tayle 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

Excepte he be suche, as was nought yonge and olde

And blyndly by vyce, lyueth in the deuylles daunger.

¶The Pye.

[Page] ¶I graunt sayde the Pye, that sclaunder is nought

And lyghtnes in iudgement, that causeth moche wo

But yf mene lyues & womens, were to the bothom sought

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

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 eade and mayntaynynge

The fyrste murdre by croked Cayn,

Gen. 40.

was cōmytted

whan innocent Abell, to death he dyd dryue

Incontynent Lamech,

Ibidem.

began admytted

For agaynst stymulacyons, he wolde nat stryue

Noe fyrste dronkarde,

Gen. 90.

whose fylthynes his chylde

Chain dyd dyscouer, his bretherne it perceyuynge

Abhorred that dede, wylfull and wylde

And couered the preuyties, cause of theyr conceyuynge

Fyrste tryan was Nemrath,

Gentsis. 10. &. 11.

fyrste ydolater was he

He set nought by God, by his lyghtnynge, nor his thondre

The tower of Babell he buylded, that all men myght se

Than deuyded were the tongues, that made men to wondre

The synne agaynst nature, both brute and bestyall

Men fyrste dyd cōmyt,

Gen. 19.

as scrypture doth recorde

Of .v. Cyties the people perysshed, great and small

In punysshement of that synne, by the hyghe kynge & lorde

Pharao of Egypt,

Exodi. 1.

that Tyran styfe and flowte

Fyrst Innocentes dyd murdre, and to death dyd them dresse

For the murdre of those chyldren,

Exo. 14.

he dyed without doubte

The red see hym swalowed, with his people more and lesse

And lyke as these offences, had fyrste orygynall

Begynnynge of men, so contynuaunce they haue

Of men moste chyfely, whiche dayly to them fall

[Page] 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

who Tyrāny doth vse, that maketh hertes colde

who Innocentes doth kyll, with a bloddy hande

who? but man set on myschyfe this vyce doth cōmyt

As lewdnes were lawfull, all vyce he doth take

In the snare he lyeth slepynge, the knot is fast knyt

No kynde of cryme croked, he wyll forsake

In Sessyons and in Lyes, 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

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 ye tother there be ten▪

¶The Pye.

¶I thynke sayde the Pye, that thy sayinges nowe be

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

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

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

His breast he wolde beate, for mercye he wolde call

[Page] 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

But as thou dost speake, so shall it nat be

whyse 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

Thou saydest that all women, do lacke perfection

Of body and theyr soules, be voyde of all grace

A pertlye I haue proued, that as perfyte they be

In body as man, and theyr soules haue creacyon

Vnto the ymage, of the hyghe Trynyte

Thuo perfyt they were create, by dyuyne operacyon

That depenes of wyt, with reason profounde

In women take place, myne examples expresse

For the .vii. Aries lyberall, had theyr fyrste grounde

And inuercyon by women, this is doubtlesse

Aptnes also, and pronytie they haue

Vnto 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

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

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

[Page] Because that a fewe, vertues dyd receyue

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.

¶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

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

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

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

And where as by doubtenes, I shall be deceyued

(As thou sayst of women) that can nat so be

For doubtenes of those, is neuer conceyued

In whose hertes is playnes, and symplycytie.

¶The Pye.

¶I se sayde the Pye, with the to contende

Agaynst the femyne gendre, I am moche vnable

[Page] 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

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

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.

¶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

Vnder fore 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

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

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

[Page] Somtyme I graunt, somtyme I denye

Yonge Rufflers to please, whole wyttes be full ryght.

¶The Fawcon.

¶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

Nedes must I vse, great men to content

And agaynst women, my cōmon detraction

These two to contynewe, is my full intent

Auaryce of mynde, that is insacyable

Adulacyon to vse, hath gyuen me occasyon

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

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

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

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

Verytie and petie, from these men recule

[Page] And falsenes with flatery, trewe plannes 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

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

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 many from his synne, may wake and aryce.

¶The Aucthour.

¶Whan these wordes were spoken, the Fawcon toke flyght

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

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

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,

Apoc. 1.

wasshed out soules cōcamynate

On the Aulter of the Crosse, the deuyll to depresse

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

Betwene man and man, loue shall be vnfayned

[Page] ¶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

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 dn̄i. 1542.

¶Imprynted by me Robert Wyer / for Rycharde Banckes.

¶Cum priuilegio regali / ad imprimendū solū. per septem annum.

Robert wyer.

The prynter.

[Page]

Information about this book

Title statement

A dyalogue defensyue for women, agaynst malycyous detractoures

Burdet, Robert.

Edition statement

1542

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2006-02 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A14285

ID [STC]

STC 24601

ID [STC]

ESTC S111468

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

99846808

ID [PROQUEST]

99846808

ID [VID]

11799

Availability

This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

Series

Early English books online.

Notes

(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A14285)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 11799)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1475-1640 ; 157:14)

Source

— A dyalogue defensyue for women, agaynst malycyous detractoures, Burdet, Robert., Vaughan, Robert, fl. 1542..

Extent

[40] p.

Imprynted by me Robert Wyer, for Rycharde Banckes,. [[London] :: [1542]]. (Attributed to Robert Burdet, whose name appears twice in acrostic on A2v.) (Edited by Robert Vaughan, whose name appears on A1v.) (In verse.) (A reply to "The schole house of women" (STC 12104.5).) (Imprint from colophon, which begins: Thus endeth the fawcon and the pye. Anno d[omin]i. 1542.) (Signatures: A-E⁴.) (Reproduction of the original in the Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.