IT is not long sithence (gentle Reader) that my very good frend and chamber fellow M. Henry Willobie, a yong man, and a scholler of very good hope, being desirous to see the fashions of other coun­tries for a time, departed voluntarily to her Maiesties seruice. Who at his depar­ture, chose me amongst the rest of his frendes, vnto whome he reposed so much trust, that he deliuered me the key of his stu­dy, and the vse of all his bookes till his returne. Amongest which (perusing them at leysure,) I found many prety & wit­ty conceites, as I suppose of his owne dooing. One among the rest I fancied so much, that I haue ventered so farre vpon his frendship, as to publish it without his consent. As I thinke it not necessary, to be ouer curious in an other mans labour, so yet something I must say for the better vnderstanding of the whole matter. And therefore, first for the thing it selfe, whether it be altogether fayned, or in some part true, or alto­gether true; and yet in most part Poetically shadowed, you must giue me leaue to speake by coniecture, and not by knowledge. My coniecture is doubtfull, and therfore I make you the Iud­ges. Concerning the name of AVISA, I thinke it to be a fai­ned name, like vnto Ouids Corinna; and there are two causes that make mee thus to thinke. First, for that I neuer heard of any of that name that I remember; and next for that [Page] in a voide paper rolled vp in this boke, I found this very name AVISA, written in great letters a prety distance asunder, & vnder euery letter a word beginning with the same letter, in this forme.

A.

Amans.

V.

vxor.

I.

inuiolata.

S.

semper.

A.

amanda.

That is in effect. A louing wife, that neuer violated her faith, is alwaies to be beloued. Which makes me con­iecture that he minding for his recreation to set out the Idea of a constant wife, (rather describing what good wiues should doe then registring what any hath done) deuised a womans name, that might fitly expresse this womans nature whom he would aime at: desirous in this (as I coniecture) to imitate a far off, ether Plato in his Common wealth, or More in his Vtopia. This my surmise of his meaning, is confirmed also by the sight of other odd papers that I found, wherein he had, as I take it, out of Cornelius Agrippa, drawen the seuerall dispositions of the Italian, the Spanyard, the French man, the German, and the English man, and how they are affected in loue. The Italian dissembling his loue, assaileth the woman beloued, with certaine prepared wantonnesse: hee praiseth her in written verses, and extolleth her to the Heauens.

The Spanyard is vnpatient in burning loue, very mad with troubled lasciuiousnesse, hee runneth furiously, and with pittyfull complaintes, bewailing his feruent desire, doth call vpon his Lady, and worshippeth her, but hauing obtained his purpose maketh her common to all men.

The French man endeuoreth to serue, he seeketh to pleasure his woman with songes, and disports &c.

The Germane & Englishman being nigher of nature, are inflamed by little and little, but being enamored, they instant­ly require with arte, and entice with giftes &c. Which seue­rall [Page] qualities are generally expressed by this Author in the two first trials or assaultes made by the noble man, and the lustie Caualieros, Captaines, or Cutters &c. Signifying by this ge­neralitie that our noble men, gentlemen, captaines, and lusty youthes haue of late learned the fashions of all these countries, how to sollicit their cause, & court, their Ladies, & louers, & this continueth from the second Canto, to the ende of the two and twentieth.

After this he comes to describe these natures againe in particular examples more plainely, and beginneth first with the French man vnder the shadow of these Letters D. B. from the three and twentieth Canto vnto the end of the three and thirtieth. Secondly the English man or Germane, vnder these Letters D. H. from the 34. Canto vnto the ende of the forty three. Lastly the Spanyard and Italian, who more furiously inuadeth his loue, & more pathetically indureth then all the rest, from the forty foure Canto to the ende of the booke. It seemes that in this last example the author names himselfe, and so describeth his owne loue, I know not, and I will not bee curious.

All these are so rightly described according to their na­ture, that it may seeme the Author rather meant to shew what suites might be made, and how they may be aunsweared, then that there hath bene any such thing indeede.

These thinges of the one side leade me to thincke it altoge­ther a fained matter, both for the names and the substance, and a plaine morrall plot, secretly to insinuate, how honest maides & women in such temptations should stand vpon their guard, considering the glory & praise that commendes a spot­lesse life, and the blacke ignominy, & foule contempt that wai­teth vpon a wicked and dissolute behauiour.

Yet of the other side, when I do more deepely consider of it, [Page] & more narrowly weigh euery particular part, I am driuen to thinke that there is some thing of trueth hidden vnder this shadow. The reasons that moue me are these, First in the same paper where I found the name of AVISA written in greate letters, as I said before, I found this also written with the Au­thors owne hand, videlicet, Yet I would not haue Auisa to be thought a politike fiction, nor a truethlesse inuen­tion, for it may be, that I haue at least heard of one in the west of England, in whome the substaunce of all this hath bene verified, and in many thinges the very wordes specified: which hath indured these and ma­ny more, and many greater assaultes, yet, as I heare, she standes vnspotted, and vnconquered.

Againe, if we marke the exact descriptions of her birth, her countrie, the place of her abode; and such other circum­stances, but especially the matter and manner of their talkes and conferences, me thinkes it a matter almost impossible that any man could inuent all this without some ground or foun­dation to build on.

This inforceth me to coniecture, that though the matter be handled poetically, yet there is some thing vnder these fai­ned names and showes that hath bene done truely. Now iudge you, for I can giue no sentence in that I know not. If there bee any such constant wife, (as I doubt not but there may bee) I wish that there were more would spring from her ashes, and that all were such. VVhether my Author knew, or heard of a­ny such I cannot tell, but of mine owne knowledge I dare to sweare, that I know one. A. D. that either hath, or would, if occasion were so offered, indure these, and many greater temp­tations with a constant mind, and setled heart. And therfore here I must worthely reprehend the enuious rage, both of Hea­then Poets, and of some Christian and English writers, which [Page] so farre debase the credite and strength of the whole sexe, that they feare not with lying toungs wickedly to publish, that there are none at all that can continue constant, if they bee tried. Hereof sprang these false accusing speeches of the old Poets.

And againe

This false opinion bred those foule-mouthed speeches of Frier Mantuan, that vpbraides all women with fleeting vn­constancy. This made Ariosto and others to inuent, and pub­lish so many lewd and vntrue tales of womens vnfaithfulnes. And this is the cause, that in this booke ye shall so often find it obiected against AVISA by all her sutors, that no woman of what degree so euer can be constant if she be much requested, but that the best will yeeld. But the best is, this common and course conceit is receiued but onely among common, lewd, & carelesse men, who being wicked themselues, giue sentence of all others, according to the loose and lawlesse humors where­withall they feele their owne straying and wandring affections to be infected. For they for sooth, because in diuers and sundrie places, (as they often wickedly boast) they may for an Angell and a great deale lesse haue hired nagges to ride at their pleasure, such as make a sinnefull gaine of a filthy carkasse; be­cause in other countries, where stewes and brothelhouses are winckt at, they see oftentimes, the fairest and not the meanest flocke to the fellowship of such filthy freedome, Thinke present­ly, that it is but a mony matter, or a little intreatie, to ouer­throw [Page] the chastity of any woman whatsoeuer. But if all women were in deede such as the woman figured vnder the name of AVISA either is, or at least is supposed to bee, they should quickly restore againe their auncient credite and glory which a few wic ed wantons haue thus generally obscured. In the twentie and seuen Canto, I find how D. B. perswadeth with A. that it is little sinne or no fault to loue a frend besides her husband. VVhereupon, inquiring more of the matter I haue heard some of the occupation verifie it for a trueth: That a­mong the best sort, they are accompted very honest women in some cities now, that loue but one frend besides their husband, and that it is thought amongst them a thing almost lawfull. If this be true, (as I hardly thincke it to bee true, because wicked men feare not to report any vntrueths) but if it be true, I feare least the ripenesse of our sinne cry to the Lord for vengeance against vs, that tremble not at the remembrance of Gods iudgements, that hath bound a heauy curse & woe vpon the backe and conscience of them, That speake good of euill, and euill of good. that is, such as are growne to that pointe, that they are no longer ashamed of their sinne, nor care for any honesty, but are become wilfully desperate in the performance of all kind of impiety.

But I leaue this to the godly preachers to dilate more am­ply. And to returne to my purpose, although I must confesse that of all sortes of people, there haue bene & will be still some loosely and lewdly giuen, yet this can bee no excuse to lauishe tounges, to condemne all generally. For, I dare to venter my hand, and my head vpon this point, that, let the foure moral vertues be in order set downe.

• Prudence
• Fortitude
• Temperance
• Iustice

and let the holy scriptures be searched from the beginning to the end, & [Page] let all the ancient histories both ecclesiasticall and prophane be thorowly examined, and there will bee found women inough, that in the performance of all these vertues, haue matched, if not ouer matched men of euery age, which I dare my selfe, to verifie in their behalfes vpon the venter and losing of my cre­dite, if I had time and leasure. Among infinite numbers to giue you a taste of one or two: for wisedome, and Iustice, what say you to Placilla, wife to the Emperour Theodosius? She was wont euery day in her owne person, to visite the sicke, the poore, and the maymed: And if at any time shee saw the Em­perour declining from Iustice to any hard course, shee would bid him Remember himselfe, from whence he came, & Theodoret. eccles. hist. lib 5. cap. 17. what he was, in what state hee had bene, and in what state he was now; which if he would do, he should ne­uer wax proud nor cruell, but rather humble, mercy­full and iust.

For temperance, how say you to the wife of one Pelagius, Theodor. ecc hist. li. 4. c. 10 of Laodicea, which being yong her selfe, and married to a yong and lusty man, was yet notwithstanding contented wil­lingly, to forbeare carnall pleasure, during her whole life. I bring not this womans example, for any liking I haue to her fact, being lawfully married, but rather, against the curious carpers at womens strength, to proue that some women haue done that, which few men can doe.

For Fortitude and temperance both, I finde, that in An­tioche, Eusebius lib. 8. cap. 24. there was a noble woman with her two daughters, rather then they would be defloured, cast themselues all wil­lingly into a great riuer, and so drowned themselues.

And also, that in Rome there was a Senatours wife, who when she heard, that there were messengers sent from Ma­xentius cap. 27. Lok for Blandina in Eusebius, [...] rare example of constancy & fortitude. the tirant, to bring her vnto him, perforce to be ra­uished of him; and seing that her husband was not of ability [Page] and power to defend her, she vsed this pollicy. Shee requested that they wold giue her leaue to put on som better apparel & to attire her selfe more decently: which being graunted, and she gotten into a chamber by her selfe, she tooke a sword and per­ced her selfe to the hart, rather then she would be counted the Emperours whore.

By this may be seene what might be sayd in this argument, but leauing this to some other time, or to some other better able; I returne to my author.

For the persons & matter, you haue heard my coniecture, now for the manner of the composition, disposition, inuention, and order of the verse, I must leaue euery mans sence to him­selfe, for that which pleaseth me, may not fancy others. But to speake my iudgement, the inuention, the argument, and the disposition, is not common, nor, (that I know) euer handled of any man before in this order. For the composition and order of the verse: Although hee flye not alofte with the winges of Astrophell, nor dare to compare with the Arcadian shep­heard, or any way match with the dainetie Fayry Queene; yet shall you find his wordes and phrases, neither Tryuiall nor absurd, but all the whole worke for the verse, pleasant, with­out hardnesse, smooth without any roughnesse, sweete without tediousnesse, easie to be vnderstood, without harrish absurdi­ty: yeelding a gratious harmony euery where, to the delight of the Reader.

I haue christened it by the name of Willoby his Auisa: because I suppose it was his doing, being written with his owne hand. How he will like my bouldnes, both in the publishing, and naming of it, I know not. For the incouraging and help­ing of maides and wiues to holde an honest and conastnt course against all vnhonest and lewd temptations, I haue doone that I haue doone. I haue not added nor detracted any thing [Page] from the worke it selfe, but haue let it passe without altering a­ny thing: Onely in the end I haue added to fill vp some voyd paper certaine fragmentes and ditties, as a resolution of a chast and constant wife, to the tune of Fortune, and the praise of a contented mind, which I found wrapped altogether with this, and therefore knew not whether it did any way belong vnto this or not.

Thus leauing to trouble your patience with farder delaies. I commit you to the good gouernment of Gods spirit.