BEhauior being an apt cō posure of the body in arguments of discourse and Action, Obseruat. 2. expresseth euery person in so faire a Character, that if his brest were transparant, hee could not be displayed fuller. Albeit, some loue to become so estranged or retired rather from the eye of the world, as they haue made it their highest art and absolutest ayme, to shrowde themselues from the conceit or discussion of man: by entring couenant or contract with Dissimulation, to appeare least to the eye, what they are most in heart, Of this stampe was Tiberius, who gloried in nothing so much (neither indeede had hee many demeriting parts to glory in) as in cunningly cloaking his foule purposes with faire pretences, going inuisible, and deluding his Subiects anxious resolutions with a seeming good. Sometimes imminency of danger begetting an apprehension of feare, will produce this effect: whence it was, that Agrippina in Tacitus knowing her life to be attempted by Ne • o, knew well that her onely remedy was to take no notice of the treason. Neither is it rare to finde a staide looke, and a staid thought in one and the same subiect. But for as much as this is held the seldomest erring Index, euer expressing innocent thoughts the best, and discouering disloyall thoughts the soonest, we are to proceed to such particulars as the Subiect principally reflects on: which are three; Action, Affection, Passion: Behauiour reflects on three particulars. whereon we purpose so to insist, as what deserues approuement in each of these particulars, may be by our Nobly disposed Gentlewomen cheerefully entertained, carefully retained, and to the improuement of their Fame, the choicest Odour, chiefest honour of true Nobility, employed.

VErtue is the life of action, ACTION. action the life of man: without the former, all actions are fruitlesse: without the latter, all our dayes are vselesse. Now in this one subiect, it is strange to obserue what diuersity of actiue dispositions wee shal finde. Some are employed to the purpose, but they are so remisse in their employment, as they lose the benefit of it. Others are imployed to no purpose, making a passing of time a meere pastime, comming as farre short of one vsefull action at their death, as they were incapable of it at their birth▪ Others sleepe out their time in carelesse security: saluting the morning with a sacrifice to their Glasse: the Noone with a luscious repast; the Afternoone with a Play or a Pallet repose; the Euening with a wanton consort, accoutred with a reere-banket, to belull the abused soule with the sleepe of an incessant surfet. Others haue crept into such an Apish formality; as they cannot for a world discourse of ought without some mimicke gesture or other, which, seeme it neuer so complete to them, appeares ridiculous to the beholder. This was Sempr • nia's error, for which she was generally taxed, before euer her honour was publikely tainted. What a tinkling you shall obserue some to make with their feet, as if they were forthwith to dance a Morrice? They are euer in motion like Puppets, but in actions of goodnesse meere Punies. Their pace is a Pauin in the street; their looke a Lu • e to a lasciuious attempt; They expresse nothing by their gesture worthy the image they beare. Besides, who is he, whose iudgement will not taxe these of lightnesse, by these light and vnciuill appearances? A womans honour is of higher esteeme, than to be thus dis-valued. Light occasions are many times grounds of deepe aspersions. Actions are to be seasoned with discretion, seconded by direction, strengthened with instruction, lest too much rashnesse bring the vndertaker to destruction. In the Maze or Labyrinth of this life, many be our cares, mighty be our feares, strong our assailants, weake our assistants, vnlesse we haue that brazen wall within vs to fortifie vs against all occurrents, O then, let not the least action betray you to your enemy, for you haue many; within you, for they are dangerous, because domesticall; without you, for they are strangers, and therefore doubtfull! Let your Actions be your applausiuest Actors; The Scene of your life is short, so liue that your noble actions may preserue your memory long. It was Seneca's counsell to his deare friend Lucilius, that whensoeuer he went about to doe any thing, hee should imagine Cato, or Scipio, or some other worthy Roman to bee in presence. To second his aduice, which may conferre on your glorious actions eternall praise, set alwayes before your eyes, as an imitable mirror, some good woman or other, before whom you may liue, as if she ey'd you, she view'd you. You may finde women, though weake in sexe and condition, yet parallels to men, for charity, chastity, piety, purity, and vertuous conuersation. Reui ••• those ancient families of Rom • , and you shall finde those famous Matrons, Octauia, Portia, Ca • cilia, Cornelia, make a Pagan State seeme morally Christian. Nor were Nicostrata, mother to Euander, C • r • ina, Sappho, women lesse famous for Learning, than the other for blamelesse liuing. Neither haue our moderne times lesse flourished with feminine worthies, as might be illustrated with sundry eminent instances, if I would re • lect vpon this Subiect: but this hath beene the Theame of sundry Panegyrick Poems, which makes me more sparing in it: Onely in your behalfe, and to your honour, let me retort their Criticke Censure, who draw from the very Etymon of your name an occasion of error. Women are woe to men; No, they're the way, To bring them homeward when they run astray.

In a word, conforme your selues to such patternes as are imitable; imitate them in all such actions as are laudable; So liue, that none may haue occasion to speake euilly of you, if they speake truly. The memory of Dorcas liueth still; Shee was full of good workes and almes which shee did. Yea, euen the very Coats and Garments which shee made, while she was liuing, were showne the Apostle as arguments of he • industry, memorials of her piety. Hence it was that Saint Ierome, that excellent patterne of holy Discipline, serious professor of Diuine Doctrine, counselleth the holy Virgin Demetrias to eschew idlenesse: Exhorting her withall, that hauing done her prayers, shee should take in hand wooll and weauing, after the commendable example of Dorcas, that by such change or variety of workes, the day might seeme lesse tedious, and the assaults of Satan lesse grieuous; concluding his deuout Exhortation, with this definite position. I speake generally, no rayment, ornament, or habit whatsoeuer, shall seeme precious in Christs sight, but that which thou makest thy selfe, either for thine owne peculiar vse, or example of other Virgins, or to giue vnto thy Grand-mother, or thy Mother, no, though thou distribute all thy goods vnto the poore. See how strictly this holy Father proceeds with his religious Daughter! Yet was this Demetrias, to whom he addre •• ed this his exhortation, a Noble Lady; not one, whom pouerty did enforce to actions of such necessity: but one honourably descended, richly endowed, powerfully friended. Let this Lady be your Patterne, her action your direction, her obedience your instruction, that you may share with her in a peacefull dissolution. Entertaine no time without some deuout taske: reflect vpon the Noblenesse of your descent, ennoble it with excellence of desert. For you must know true honour is not wonne, Vntill some honourable deed be done.

Waste not prodigally the precious Lampe of your life without some vertuous action that may purchase loue. Your time is lesse than a minute in respect of eternity, employ that minute so, as it may eternize your memory. Let this bee your highest taske; to promote the honour of your Maker, esteeming all things else a slauish and seruile labour.

THere is nothing which requires more discretion,AFFECTION. than how to behaue or carry our selues while we are enthralled to affection. The Louer is euer blinded (saith wise Plat • ) with affection towards his beloued. Reason is laid asleepe, while Sense becomes the master Wooer. Whence came that vsuall saying, One cannot loue and be wise. But I wholly oppose my selfe to their assertion, who seeme thus farre transported with the sensuall opinion of affection. My Tenet is, One cannot truely loue, and not be wise. It is a Beldam frenzy and no fancy, which giues way to fury, and admits not reason to haue soueraignty. Yet in this Subiect, Gentlewomen, is your temper best tryed, your discretion most required, and your Patience, oft-times, most exercised. Looke therefore how you plant it, lest you bootlesly repent it, when it is misplaced.

It is most certaine, there is nothing more impatient of delay than loue, nor no wound more incurable while we liue. There is no exemption, all haue a taste of this Potion, though it haue seuerall degrees of operation. Looke all about you; who so young that loues not? Or who so old, a comely feature moues not?

Yet what different passions arise from one and the selfe-same Subiect? Heere, Gentlewomen, you shall see some of your Sexe so surprized with affection, as it bursts out into violent extremes;BEHAVIOR their discourse is semi-breu'd with sighes, their talke with teares; they walke desperately forlorne, making Launds and desolate Groues their disconso • ate Consorts. Their eyes are estrang'd from sleepe, their weakened appetite from repast, their wearied limbs from repose. Melancholly is their sole melody; They haue made a Contract with griefe, till griefe bring them to their graue. And these poore wenches are much to be pittied, because their owne tender hearts brought them to this exigent; hauing either set their affections, where they thought verily they might bee requited and were not, or else where they receiued like seeming tender of affection, but afterwards reiected, what they wished to effect they could not. So as, in time, if continuance of absence reduce them not to a better temper, they fall into a poore Maudlins distemper, by giuing raines to passion, till it estrange them from the soueraignty of reason. Whereas others you shall see, though not such kind soules, nor halfe so passionate, yet more discreet in their Choyce, and in the passages of loue more temperate. These will not deigne to cast a loose looke vpon their beloued: but stand so punctually vpon their termes, as if they stood indifferent for their choyce, albeit constantly resolued neuer to admit of any change. These scorne to paint out their passions in plaints, or vtter their thoughts in sighes, or shed one dispassionate teare for an incompassionate Louer. Their Experience hath taught them better Notions: they wil seemingly fly to make them follow, and so take them by whom they are most taken. They can play with the flame, and neuer cinge their wings; looke loue in the face, and preserue their eyes; conuerse where they take delight, and colour their affection with a seeming disdaine. These are they who can walke in the Clouds to their intimatest friends: make their eyes strangers to their hearts, and conclude; nothing more foolish than Loue, if discouered; nothing more wise, if artfully shadowed. But I neither approue the violence of the former, nor indifference of the latter. The one interlayeth affection with too much passion, the other with too much dissimulation. These were well to bee so allayed or attempered, as neither too much eagernesse taxe the discretion, nor too much remisnesse argue coolenesse of affection. For the former, I must tell them they giue great aduantage to an insulting Louer, to' entertaine Loue with such vehement ardour: it fares with these, as with hot duellists, who fight themselues out of breath, and so subiect their relenting force to the command of a better tempered enemy. For the latter, they hold constantly that position in arguments of Loue, as well as in other actions of their life; She knowes not how to liue, nor how to loue, that knowes not how to dissemble. I must tell these, Dissimulation sorts not well with affection: Louers seldome read Loues Polliticks. Let them appeare what they are with that discreet temper, as they may deserue the embraces of a Noble Louer. In briefe, let such as are too hot in the quest of their desires, attemperate that heat with intermissions: such violence is best rebated by absence. Contrariwise, such as are too coole, let them quicken that easinesse with their more frequent conference, and assiduate presence.

VVHat a furious and inconsiderate thing is Woman, PASSION when Passion distempers her? how much is her Behauiour altered, as if Iocasta were now to be per • onated? True it is, some with a bite of their lip, can snppresse an intended reuenge: and like dangerous Politicians, pleasingly entertaine time with one they mortally hate, till oportunity vsher reuenge, which they can act with as much hostility, as if that very moment were the Actor of their iniury. But this Passion neuer workes more tragicke of fearefull effects, than when it streames from Iealousie or Competition in the Subiect where they loue. Whereof wee haue variety of instances euen in our owne Iland, to omit Italy, which is a very Theatre of Tragicke Conclusions in this kinde. It is not long since we had one matchlesse President of this stampe. It sometimes pleased a young Gentlewoman, whose fortunes had swell'd her high, to settle her affection on a Gentleman of deseruing parts, which he entertained with a generous requitall: nothing was omitted that might any way increase this respect, or second the height of their ioyes. Continuall resort and frequent made them inseparably one: No day so pleasing, as when they were together; No houre so tedious as when they were asunder. But how short is that moment of vading happinesse, which hath in it a rellish of lightnesse, and is not grounded on essentiall goodnesse! Long had they not thus liued, and sociably loued, but the Gentlewoman conceiued some priuate suspition, that her selfe was not sole soueraignesse of his heart, but that another was become sharer in his loue. Neither was this Competitrice, whom shee suspected, any other than her owne attendant, whose Caskets shee secretly opened, where she found a Ring of especiall note, which shee had formerly bestowed on him. This confirmed her Conceit, changed her reall loue into mortall hate; which shee seconded with this tragicke act: Inuiting him one day to a Summer Arbour, where in former times they were vsually wont to repose, amidst of an amorous discourse, she casually fixt her eye vpon three Lennets, one whereof picking some priuet leaues purposely to build her neast, flew away, while the two which remained, louingly billed one with another: which she intentiuely obseruing, vsed these words; How tenderly and intimately doe those poore fooles mate it? Were it not pitty they should euer be diuided? Which words she had no sooner vttered, then the Shee-Lennet flew away, and left the Male alone, till another returned: with whom the Hee-Lennet billed, and amorously wooed as hee had done before. Which shee more seriously eying, O, quoth shee, How light these males are in their affection! This may seem • to you an easie error, but were I Iudge of Birds, it should receiue due censure. Why Lady (replyed hee) These poore Birds doe but according to their kinde. Yea, but what doe ye kind men then, who ingage your loues, interest your selues, empawne your soules to bee constant where you professe loue, and performe nothing lesse than what you professe most. Nor would her long intended reuenge admit more liberty to her tongue; for with a passionate enterbreath shee clozed this speech with a fatall stabbe: leauing so much time to her vnfortunate and disasterous Louer, as to discouer to one of that sorrowfull family the ground of her hate, the occasion of his fall, which hastned on the dolefull Scene of her Tragedy. Now to allay or abate these passionate furies, there is no better meanes than to enter parley with reason; to chastise all such innouating motions as disquiet the inward repose of the mind; to vse the helpe of such wholesome instructions, as may attemper the heat of those indisposed and inordinate passions. Anger, being an inflammation of blood about the heart, is such a fury, as to giue way to it, is to disclaime reason: much wisedome is then required, mature aduice to bee vsed, all assistants of Art and Nature to be employed before this Adder can be charmed. For wee shall hardly see any one more forget themselues, than when they are surprized with this Passion. Some you shall obserue so amazed or entranced, as they become wholly silenced: They cannot vtter an articulate word to gaine a kingdome. Gladly would they expresse their distaste, and menace reuenge, if their tongues would giue them leaue, but wrath hath tyed them to good behauiour. Others are so voluble of tongue, as nothing can passe them vntouch'd, to asperse disgrace on such by whom they hold themselues wrong'd. If any infamy (which to that time lay buried) offer it selfe to their memory, how they ioy in the occasion of venting their malice on their persons, be their Calumny seconded with words of fowlest aspersion: Which sort of people the euerliuing Pindarus termes persons of vnbounded and vnbrideled tongues. To remedy which enormities, take along with you these instructions: they will benefit you much in the height and heat of your anger, and allay your passion when it rageth and riseth into hugest distemper. Forthwith, so soone as you shall perceiue your selues moued, restraine your passion; but if you cannot appease nor compose your inward Commotion, at least restraine your tongue, and inioyne it silence, that if it speake no good, it may speake no euill, lest being loose and set at liberty, it vtter what wrath, and not reason dictates: More soueraigne and peacefull it will bee for you to retire from society, make recourse to your Oratory, by recommending to your best Physician the cure of this infirmity. Vse likewise this Cordial salue to your corroding soare; the receit is Diuine, if seasonably applyed, and will minister you comfort when you are most distempered. So soone as your disquieted minds begin to expostulate with the quality of your wrongs, which your Enemy is apt to aggrauate and exasperate, purposely to hasten your precipitate reuenge; propose and set before you all the disgraces which possibly you can suffer, and conferre them with those that were aspersed on your Sauiour: this will prepare you to suffer, teach you to conquer: for Arrowes foreseene menace lesse danger.

Likewise, when you consider the iniuries which are done you by others, you may reflect vpon the wrongs which are done by you vnto others: for the consideration of your owne infirmity, will exact of you towards others an impunity. Weigh with your selues how much others suffer of you, how much God himselfe suffers of you, who, if he should haue inflicted reuenge for euery particular offence, you should haue perished long since. In a word, you your selues are frequently grieuous, and displeasing to your selues: Seeing then you are so distastefull vnto your selues, as you must of necessity suffer many iniuries and affronts from your selues, repine not at the sufferings which are inflicted by others on our selues.

You are likewise to consider these discommodities which arise from this Passion; which will arme you with patience, if of your selues you haue any compassion. What auailes it to be reuenged, after our iniury be r • ceiued? Is your woūd by anothers wound to be cured? Or disgrace tendred, by rendring disgrace restored? Besides all this, see what hee obtaineth, who anger obeyeth: 1. He is depriued of the Crowne of glory, and reward of eternity: 2. He becomes a Minister and Instrument of the Deuill: 3. He destroyeth his owne soule, that he might hurt an others body:Greg. For a dispassionate or angry person is like vnto him, who that he may kill his Asse, destroyeth himselfe; or rather like him, who for huge debts which he is not able to discharge, is throwne into prison, and disdainefully refuseth any ones offer to pay his debt for him. For by him, who doth you wrong, is the debt which you owe to God, forgiuen, if with patience you suffer the iniury which is done. Whereas the angry person, who will bee his owne reuenger, telleth God how and in what sort he is to deale with him: that as he suffered not small disgraces from another, so neither should small things be suffered in him by God. As it is written, With what measure you mete, the same shall be measured to you againe. Six other detriments or discommodities there bee which arise from the exorbitancy of this passion.Ibid. lib. 5. For by Anger is lost;Moral▪ cap. 31. first, Wisedome, while reason becomes blinded. Secondly, Righteousnesse: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousnesse of God. Thirdly, Society, for the Acquaintance of one angry man, is pleasing vnto none. Be not, saith the Wiseman, a companion with the angry man. Fourthly, Concord: while peace is disturbed. Fifthly, the Light of Truth, because anger casteth the darkenesse of confusion vpon the mind or vnderstanding, from whom God hideth the cheerefull beame of his Diuine knowledge. Sixthly, the Splendor of the holy spirit: vpon whom, saith the Prophet, shall my spirit rest, but vpon the humble and quiet? that is, vpon the meeke, mild, and compassionate.

Thus you see what benefits may bee procured by attempering what discommodities incurred by fostring this Passion. Whereon I haue the rather insisted, because I am not ignorant, how the strongest and constantest tempers haue beene, and may be distempered and disparraged by it; much more you, wha • e mainest strength consists in the expression of that Passion. At all times therefore vse a moderate restraint; in the prime of your yeares, when youth sends forth her first promising blossomes, behaue your selues mildly without bitternesse, humbly without haughtinesse, modestly without lightnesse, soberly without childishnesse. The Caske will retaine her first taste; the Wooll her first dye. If you shew too much way wardnesse in your youth, small good is to be expected in your age. As you tender your preferrement, seeme milde while you are maids, lest you proue scare • crowes to a young mans bed. Conforme your selues likewise to a nuptiall State, and preserue your honour without staine. Contest not with your head for preeminence: you came from him, not he from you, honour him then as he cherisheth the loue he conceiues in you. A domestick fury makes ill harmony in any family. The discord which was hatched and increased towards M. Anthony by Fulu • a, was euer allayed and attempered by the moderation of Octauia. Be you all Octauia's; the rougher your crosse, the richer your Crowne. The more that iniuries presse you, the more shall your patience praise you. The Conflict is but short and momentanie, the Triumph glorious and impa • l'd with eternity. And thus much touching those three particulars, whereon your Behauior principally reflects; wee are now to descend to the next branch, which shall shew how a Gentlewoman of ranke and quality, (for to such onely is my discourse directed) is to behaue her selfe in Company.

SOciety is the solace of the liuing, for to liue without it, were a kinde of dying. Companions and friendly Associats are the Theeues of time. No houre can be so tedious, which two louing Consorts cannot passe ouer with delight, and spend without distaste. Be the night neuer so darke, the place neuer so meane, the cheerefull beames of conceiuing consorts will enlighten the one, and their affections mutually planted, enliuen the other. What a Desert then were the world without friends? and how poselesse those friends without conceiuing mindes? and how weake those mindes, vnlesse vnited in equall bonds? So then, loue is the Cement of our life: life a load without loue. Now, Gentlewomen, you are to put on your vailes, and goe into Company. Which (I am perswaded) you cannot enter without a maidenblush, a modest tincture. Herein you are to be most cautelous, seeing no place can be more mortally dangerous. Beware therefore with whom you consort,How to behaue her selfe in Company. as you tender your repute: for report will brute what you are, by the Company which you beare. Augustus being at a combat, discerned the inclinations of his two daughters, Iulia and Liuia, by the Company which frequented them: for graue Senators talked with Liuia, but riotous persons with Iulia. Would you preserue those precious odors of your good names? Consort with such whose names were neuer branded, conuerse with such, whose tongues for immodesty were neuer taxed. As by good words euill manners are corrected, so by euill words are good ones corrupted. Make no reside there, where the least occasion of lightnesse is ministred; auert your Eare when you heare it, but your heart especially, lest you harbour it. To enter into much discourse or familiarity with strangers, argues lightnesse or indiscretion: what is spoken of Maids, may be properly applyed by an vsefull consequence to all women: They should be seene, and not heard: A Traueller sets himselfe best out by discourse, whereas their best setting out is silence. You shall haue many trifling questions asked, as much to purpose as if they said nothing: but a friuolous question deserues to be resolu'd by silence. For your Carriage, it should neither • e too precise, nor too loose. These sempring made fac • s partake more of Ch • mbermaid than Gentlewoman. Modesty and mildnesse hold sweetest correspondence. You may possibly be wooed to interchange fauours: Rings or Ribonds are but trifles; yet trust me, they are no trifles that are aym'd at in those exchanges. Let nothing passe from you, that may any way impeach you, or giue others aduantage ouer you. Your innocent credulity (I am resolued) is as free from conceit of ill, as theirs, perhaps, from intendment of good: but these intercourses of Courtesies are not to be admitted, lest by this familiarity, an Entry to affection bee opened, which before was closed. It is dangerous to enter parley with a beleagring enemy: it implyes want or weakenesse in the besieged. Chastity is an inclosed Garden, it should not be so much as assaulted, lest the report of her spotlesse beauty become soyled. Such Forts hold out best, which hold themselues least secure, when they are securest. Nasica, when the Roman Common-wealth was supposed to bee in most secure estate, because freed of their enemies, and strongly fenced by their friends, affirmed that though the Achaians and Carthaginians were both brought vnder the yoke of bondage, yet they were most in danger, because none were left, whom they might either feare for danger, or who should keepe them in awe.

How subiect poore Women be to lapses, and recidi • a • ions, being left their owne Guardians, daily experience can sufficiently discouer. Of which number, those alwayes proued weakest, who were confidentest of their owne strength. Presumption is a daring sinne, and euer brings out some vntimely birth, which viper-like depriues her vnhappy parent of life. I haue knowne diuers so resolute in their vndertakings, so presuming of their womanish strength, so constantly deuoted to a single life, as in publike consorts they held it their choycest merriment to giue loue the affront, to discourse of affection with an imperious contempt, geere their amorous suiters out of Count'nance, and make a very Whirligig of loue. But marke the conclusion of these insulting spirits: they sport so long with loue, till they fall to loue in earnest. A moment makes them of Soueraigns Captiues, by slauing them to that deseruedly, which at first they entertained so disdainfully. The way then to preuent this malady, is to weane you from consorting with folly. What an excellent impregnable fortresse were Woman, did not her Windowes betray her to her enemy? But principally, when shee leaues her Chamber to walke on the publike Theatre; when shee throwes off her vaile, and giues attention to a merry tale; when she consorts with youthfull bloud, and either enters parley, or admits of an enter-view with loue. It is most true what the sententious moral somtimes obserued: We may be in security, so long as we are sequestred from society. Then, and neuer till then, begins the infection to be dispersed, when the sound and sicke begin to be promiscuously mixed. Tempt not Chastity; hazard not your Christian liberty. You shall encounter with many forward youths, who will most punctually tender their vselesse seruice to your shadowes at the very first sight: doe not admit them, lest you prostitute your selues to their prostrate seruice. Apelles found fault with Protogenes, in that he could not hold his hands from his Table. Whereas our Damsels may more iustly finde fault with their youthfull Amorists, for that they cannot hold their hands from vnder the Table. It is impossible to come off faire with these light-fingred fooles. Your onely way is to rampire your chaste intentions with Diuine and Morall instructions, to stop the source, diuert the occasion, subiect affection to reason; so may you become Emperesses of that which hath sometimes tyrannized ouer Emperours: By this meanes shall euery place where you publik • ly resort, minister to you some obiect of inward comfort: By this meanes shall Company furnish you with precepts of chastity, inable you in the serious practice of piety, and sweetly conduct you to the port of glory.

PRIVACY is the seat of Contemplation, though sometimes made the recluse of Tentation. From which there is granted no more exemption in the Cell, than in the Court. Heere is the Lawne where Melancholly drawes her line. Heere the minde becomes our Mate; Silence, our sweetest Conference: where the retired becomes either the best or worst friend to himselfe. There is none, who euer conuersed with himselfe, or discanted solely with his owne humour, who can bee ignorant of those numerous slights or subtilties, which by that great Tempter (whose long exercise hath made him no lesse subtill in contriuing, than cruell in practising our ruine) are priuate • y shadowed and shrowded, purposely to circumuent poore man, and leaue him deluded. Diogenes, when he found a young man talking alone, demanded of him What he was doing? who answered, He was conuersing with himselfe: Take heed (quoth he) thou c • nuersest not with thine enemy. To you, Gentlewomen, I direct my discourse,How to behaue her selfe in Pri • a • y. whose priuacy may enable you, if well employed, for better things than the toyes, tyres, and trifles of this age. How many (the more our misery) bestow their priuate houres (which might be dedicated to Contemplation, or workes of piety and deuotion) vpon light-feather'd inuentions, amorous expost • lations, or min • ing of some vnbeseeming fashions? How few enter into account with their owne hearts; or so co • secrate their houres to Gods honour, as they make Priuacy their soules harbour? The day they spend in visitations; how rare and tedious is one houre reserued for meditation? What a serious intercourse or sociable dialogue is betweene an amorous Mistresse and her Looking-glasse! The poynt or pendent of her feather wags out of a due posture; her Cheeke wants her true tincture; her captious Glasse presents to her quicke eye one error or other, which driues her into a monstruous distemper. Pride leaues no time for prayer. This is her CLOSET for LADIES, where shee fits and accommodates her selfe to Fashion, which is the period of her content, while purer obiects are had in contempt. This is not the way to make Priuacy your mindes melody. These employments should sooner afflict than affect you, because they will sooner distract than direct you. Your spirits will bee reuiued most, when these are valued least. Let me therefore recommend to your choyce, Patternes of more exquisite worth: such whose deuotion may be your direction, whose direction your instruction.

Deuout mention is made of zealous Anna, who made recourse to the Temple, offring her incessant prayers, a viall of sweet odours, that she might conceiue a sonne: of whom, to her succeeding memory, the Scripture recordeth, that after her teares so deuoutly shed, her prayers so sincerely offred, her religious vowes so faithfully performed, her countenance was no more altred; Piety begot in her diuine loue, faith in Gods promise made her beleeue, and zeale to Gods house caused her to perseuere: thus sighing she sought, seeking she obtained, and obtaining she retained a gratefull memory of what she receiued. No lesse feruour shewed Ester in preferring the suite of her distressed Israelites; what perswasiue Oratory, what powerfull Rhetoricke, what inducing reaso • s she vsed, to haue their vniust censure reuersed, their insupportable wrongs redressed, their agrieuances relieued, the incensed King appeased, and them to fauour restored? Shee wooed with teares in her eyes, faith in her heart, almes in her hand; Gods cause was the progresse of her course; shee desired nothing more then how to effect it, which was seconded with a successiue conclusion, because begun, continued, and ended with deuotion. The like zeale expressed Iudith for her besiedged B • thulites; the loue of God had so inflamed her, as no feare of the enemy could amate her; faith armed her with resolution; constancy strengthned her against all opposition. Her armour was prayer, Bethulia's cure her care; holy desires her sole attendants; she enters her enemies pauilion with a zealous confidence; implores the Diuine assistance in her entrance; and discomfits a daring foe with cautelous silence. Her sighes and teares were as the first and second raine; they brought successe to her thirsty soule, and a glorious Conquest to her natiue soyle. No lesse are we to admire the wonderfull deuotion of that teare-swollen Magdelen, who with deuout loue sought her deare Spouse intombed, whose body with obsequious Odours she had embalmed before euer he was interred▪ Shee, when his Disciples were departed, left not the Sepulchre of her sweet Master; still shee sate sorrowing and • ighing, weeping long and much, rising from her seat of sorrow, her gra • e of griefe; where he was, he is not; and where hee is, shee knowes not: with pio • s teares, watchfull eyes, weary wayes, shee re • isits againe and againe the desert caues of his relinquish'd Sepulchre, •• ping at last to haue the happinesse to behold, whom with so feruent a desire • hee sought. Now once and againe had shee entred his desolate Tombe: but little was all this to her that lou'd so much; The power or efficacy of euery good worke consists in Perseuerance. But obserue the comfortable effect of her effectuall loue! For as much as shee loued more than the rest, and louing wept more than the rest, and weeping sought more than the rest, and seeking perseuer'd, allowing her selfe no rest: therefore deserued she to finde, behold, and speake vnto him before the rest. And not onely so, but to become the very first messenger of his glorious resurrection to his Disciples, according as her choyce Spouse had commanded her, and by especiall Commission recommended to her. Goe, tell my Brethren that they goe into Galile, there they shall see me. Hence note the fruit of a deuout heart; the incomparable prerogatiue granted to Diuine loue! Nazia • z • n in hi • Epitaph for his sister Gorgonia, writeth, that shee was so giuen to prayer, that her knees seemed to cleaue to the earth, and to grow to the very ground, by reason of incessancy or continuance in prayer. Gregory in his Dialogues writeth, that his Aunt Trasilla being dead, was found to haue her elbowes as hard as horne: which hardnesse shee got by leaning to a Deske, at which shee vsed to pray. Such as these deserue your imitation; for their Vertue • , like sweet Odours, haue sent out a pleasant perfume. They prayed, and obtained what they prayd for; They liu'd and practis'd what they sought for; They dy'd and enioy'd what they so long time sigh'd for. You are taught to Enter your Chambers and be still▪ Still, and yet stirring still. Still from the clamours and turbulent insults of the World; still from the mutinous motions and innouations of the flesh. But neuer still from warring, wrastling, bickring and embattailing with the Leader of those treacherous associats, tyrannous assazinats. O should you consider what troopes of furious and implacable Enemies are euer lying in ambuscado for you; how many soule-tempting Syrens are warbling notes of ruine to delude you; what feares within you, what foes without you, what furies all about you; you would not suffer one graine of sand to drop through the Cruet, without a dropping eye; not one minute passe vndedicated to some good employment, to preuent the fury of such desperate assailants. Make then your Chamber your priuate Theatre, wherein you may act some deuout Scene to Gods honour. Be still from the world, but stirring towards God. Meditation, let it be your companion. It is the perfume of the memory; the soules rouzer from sinnes lethargy; the sweetest solace in straits of aduersity. Let it bee your key to open the Morning, your 〈◊〉 to close the Euening. What an argument of indisc •• tion were it for one, amidst variety of choyce and delicious viands, to discourse of vanity, and suffer himselfe to famish in the presence of such plenty? This is your case, if amidst so many soule-solacing dainties of spirituall comforts, you diuert your eye, by fixing it on these Obiects of earth: and repose not your selues in those fragrant borders of Diuine Contemplation; which, by how much they are more frequent, by so much they become more sweet and redolent. Surely, there is nothing that relisheth more sweetly, tasteth more daintily, with-draweth your mindes from the world more speedily, strengtheneth you against the temptations of your enemy, excites or exerciseth you in euery spirituall duty, as the soule-rauishing Contemplation of the Supreme Deity. All other Obiects are vanity. They may play vpon your fantasie, and so delude you; but being weakely grounded on pitty, they can neuer suffice you. Taske your selues then priuately, lest priuacy become your enemy. As mans extremity is Gods oportunity, so the Deuils oportunity is mans security. Let not a minute bee mis-spended, lest security become your attendant. Be it in the exercise of your Needle, or any other manuall employment: attemper that labour with some sweet meditation tending to Gods honour. Chuse rather with Penelope to weaue and vnweaue, than to giue Idlenesse the least leaue: Wanton Wooers are time-wasters. They make you idolize your selues, and consequently hazardize the state of your soules. Let not their Lip-salue so annoynt you, as it make you forgetfull of him that made you. Be you in your Chambers or priuate Closets; be you retired from the eyes of men; thinke how the eyes of God are on you. Doe not say, the walls encompasse mee, darkenesse o're-shadowes mee, the Curtaine of night secures me: These be the words of an Adulteresse: Therefore doe nothing priuately, which you would not doe publikely. There is no retire from the eyes of God. I haue heard of some, who for want of more amorous or attractiue Obiects abroad, haue furnished their priuate Chambers with wanton pictures, Aretine tables, Sibariticke stories. These were no obiects for Christian eyes: they conuay too inordinate an heat from the eye to the heart. Eye no obiect which may estrange you from thought of your Maker. Make euery day your Ephemerides. Let your morning imitate your purposes for the day, the day second what your morning purposed, the Euening examine your mornings purpose, your dayes purchase. And so I descend to the next branch: how you are to behaue your selues in publike, which should be by so much more punctuall, for as much as the world is more Stoicall.

VVOmen in sundry Countryes,This branch might seeme included in our former discourse of Company; but that reflected on persons, this on affaires. when they goe into any publike concourse or presse of people, vse to weare vayles, to imply that secret inscreened beauty which best becomes a Woman, Bashfull modesty. Which habit our owne Nation now in latter yeares hath obserued: which, howsoeuer the intention of the wearer appeare, deserues approuement: because it expresseth in it selfe Modest shamefastnesse, a Womans chiefest Ornament. I second his opinion, who held it for diuers maine respects, a custome very irregular and vndecent, that Women should frequent places of publike resort, as Stage-playes, Wakes, solemne Feasts, and the like. It is Occasion that depraues vs; Company that corrupts vs. Hence it was, that some flourishing States, hauing eyed the inconueniences which arise from the vsuall resort of Women to Enterludes and other publike Solemnities, published an expresse inhibition against such free and frequent meetings. Had Hippodamia neuer wandred, shee had prou'd an Hypemnestra, and had neuer wantoned. Had Dinah neuer roaued, shee had prou'd a Diana, and had neuer beene rauished. Yet farre be it from me, to be so regularly strict, or Laconically seuere, as to exclude Wom • n from all publike societies. Meetings they may haue, and improue them, by a Ciuill and Morall vse of them, to their benefit. They may chat and conuerse with a modest freedome, so they doe not gossip it. For these Shee-Elpenors, and Feminine Epicures, who surfet out their time in an vnwomanly excesse, we exclude them the pale of our Common-weale. Be they of what state soeuer, they are staines to their Sexe for euer. Especially such, who carouse it in deepe healths, reioyce at the colour of the wine, till it sparkle in their veines, inflame their bloods, and lay open a breach to the frailty of their Sexe. For preuention whereof, we reade that kinsmen kissed their kinswomen to know whether they drunke wine or no, and if they had, to bee punished by death, or banished into some Iland. Plutarch saith, that if the Matrons had any necessity to drinke wine, either because they were sicke or weake; the Senate was to giue them licence, and not then in Rome neither, but out of the City.

Macrobius saith, that there were two Senators in Rome chiding, and the one called the others wife an Adulteresse, and the other his wife a Drunkard; and it was iudged, that to be a drunkard was more infamy. Truth is, they might ioyne hands as mates of one society, for I haue seldome seene any one subiect to Ebriety, preserue long vntainted the honour of their chastity.

Now for publike Employments, I know all are not borne to be Deborahs, to beare virile spirits in feminine bodies. Yet, in chusing the better part, you may fit and accommodate your persons to publike affaires, well sorting and suting with your ranke and quality. Claudia and Priscilla were nobly descended, yet they publikely resorted, where they might be religiously instructed; and no lesse publikely instructed others in those principles wherein they were informed. It is said of the Vestall Virgins, that they first learned what to doe; secondly, they did what they had learned; thirdly, they instructed others to doe that which they had both done and learned. For this, the rich Saban Queene left her owne Region to heare the Wisdome of King Salomon. Surely, howsoeuer some, no lesse properly than pregnantly, haue emblematiz'd Woman by a Snayle: because shee still carries her house about her, as is the property of a good House-keeper; yet in my iudgement (wherein I ingenuously submit to others censure) a modest and well Behaued Woman may by her frequent or resort to publike places, conferre no lesse benefit to such as obserue her behauiour, than occasion of profit to her priu • te family, where shee is Ouerseer. I haue seene some in these places of publike repaire, expresse such a well-seeming State without Apish formality, as euery action deserued imitation of such as were in their Company. Their Conceits were sweetly tempered without lightnesse; their iests sauory, yet without saltnesse; their discourse free without nicenesse; their answers milde without tartnes • e; their smile pleasing, mixt with bashfulnesse; their pace gracefull without too much actiuenesse; their whole posture delightfull with a seemely carelesnesse. These are such mirrors of modesty, patternes of piety, as they would not for a world transgresse the bounds of Ciuility. These are Matrons in their houses, Models in publike places. Words spoken in season, are like apples of gold with pictures of siluer: So oportunat • ly are their words deliuered, so seasonably vttered, with such vnaffected eloquence expressed, wheresoeuer this sweet and well-tempered discretion is seated. Whereas others there be, whose indiscretion makes discouery of an Ocean of words, out a drop of reason. They speake much, but expr • sse little; their conceits are • uer ballased with harshnesse; their iests • oisted in with too much dulnesse; their discourse trimmed vp with too much nea • nesse; their answers leauened with too much sowrenesse; their lookes promising too much lightnesse, or vnlo • iable peruersenesse; their pace either too q • icke or too slow in dispatch of businesse; their whole posture an indisposed frame of irregular absurdities. But to draw in our sayles, touching the prosecution of this branch; our reproofe shall reflect vpon two sorts especially, whose deuious course drawne by an indirect line, may seeme to deserue reprehension worthily. The first are such, who giue too easie raines to liberty; making Pleasure their Vocation: as if they were created for no other end, than to dedicate the first fruits of the day to their Glasse; the residue to the Stage or Exchange. These, no sooner haue they layd their Artificiall Complexion on their adulterate faces, than they grow sicke for their Coach. They must visit such a Lady, or what, perchance, is worse, such a Lord. A minute now in their Chambers seemes a moneth. Shall wee display one of these in her colours? The Play-bills must be brought her by her Pentioner: her eye views and reuiewes, and out of her feminine iudgement culls out one from among them which shee will see, purposely to be seene. Much shee obserues not in it, onely she desires to be obserued at it. Her Behauiour in a Box, would make any one thinke shee were a Bee in a box; shee makes such a buzzing and rusling. This is her daily taske, till death enter the Stage and play his part; whom shee entertaines with such vnpreparednesse, as her extreme act presents obiects of infinite vnhappinesse: As it sometimes fared with a Gentlewoman of our owne Nation, who so daily bestowed the expence of her best houres vpon the Stage, as being surprized by sicknesse, euen vnto death, she became so deafe to such as admonished her of her end, as shee clozed her dying scene with a vehement calling on Hieronim • . So inapprehensiue was shee of death at her end, because she neuer meditated of death before her end. Now for the second sort, they are meere Antipodes to the former; These are onely for profit, as the other were for pleasure. These become so wedded to the world, as they afflict their spirits, macerate their bodies, estrange themselues from offices of Neighbourhood, to improue their reuenewes, by discouering their too much prouidence to the world. And these are commonly such, as are matcht to Schollers, whose contemplation hath taken them from the world, and recommended the mannagement of their estate to their wife. Now to both these sorts let me addresse my instruction: As I could not possibly approue of the former, because they made pleasure their businesse: so I cannot commend these, because they make not their businesse a pleasure. Let these take heed, that they incurre not that miserable insensibility, which I haue heard sometimes befell to a World • ing of their sexe: Who approaching neere her hauen, and entring now her last Conflict with Nature, was, by such as stood about her, earnestly moued to recommend her selfe to God, tender the welfare of her soule, and to make her saluation sure; thus briefly, but fearefully answered, and forthwith departed: I haue made it as sure as Law will make it. D • Done Timoris. Or as we read in a booke entituled The Gift of feare, how a Religious Diuine comming to a certaine Vsuresse, to aduise her of the state of her soule, and instruct her in the way to saluation, at such time as shee lay languishing in her bed of affliction; told her, how there were three thi • gs by her to bee necessarily performed, if euer shee hoped to be saued: First, she was to be contrite in heart; secondly, shee was to confesse her sinnes; thirdly, shee was to make restitution according to her meanes. Whereto shee thus replyed; Two of those first I will doe willingly: but to doe the last, I shall hold it a difficulty; for should I make restitution, what would remain • to raise my children their portion? To which the Diuine answered; Without these three you cannot be saued. Yea but, quoth shee, Doe our Learned men and Scriptures say so? Ye • surely, said the Diuine. And I will try (quoth she) whether they say true or no, for I will restore nothing. And so resoluing, fearefully dyed, fearing pouerty temporall, more than eternall, which shee was of necessity to suffer, (without Gods infinite interceding mercy) for preferring the care of her posterity, before the honour of her Maker.

To be short, the former sort deserues reproofe, for making pleasure their vocation; the latter for barring businesse all recreation. A discreet temper will moderate both these; the first, by holding pleasure a pastime, and no businesse; the last, by applying a cure to an incessant care, and immixing some pleasure with businesse, to attemper it, lest it incline to heauinesse. Both which, equally concurring, are euer conferring to the labouring mind, inward quietnesse.

COmplexion inclosed in a box, giues no tincture to the Cheeke, nor morall precepts vnapplyed, beauty to the minde. Thus farre haue we proceeded in directions of Behauiour; insisting on such remarkable obseruances, as might better enable you in each particular. Wee are now to lay before you, vpon serious discussion of the premizes,That Behauior most approued, which is clearest from affectation freed. how that Behauiour is to be most approued, which is clearest from affectation freed.

Apes are catcht in Desarts by imitation. Would not you be caught by indiscretion? Imitate nothing seruilely, it detracts from your gentility. I haue noted some of our Chambermaids take vpon them such an vnbeseeming state, when they came to visit their poore friends in the Country, as they punctually retain'd both gate and garb of their mincing Mistresses in the City. To their Parish-Church they repaire to be seene and showne; where if any of these ciuilized Iugs chance to be saluted by the way, hauing quite forgot both broome and mop, with a scornefull eye they will not sticke to returne this maiesticke answer: We thanke you my good people. It is discretion that appropriates to euery peculiar degree their proper distinction. Many things will beseeme the Mistresse, which agree not with the quality of the Maid. But in no degree will that Behauiour seeme comely, which affectaion hath introduced, be it in Court, City, or Countr • y. You shall see many, purposely to couer some naturall blemish or deformity, practise that which makes them appeare farre more vnseemely. Here one indents with her lips to semper, that shee may hide the want or greatnesse of her teeth. Another contracts with her Tayler, lest Nemesis should bee seene sitting on her shoulder. A third weares her Gowne with a carelesse loosenesse, to couer or colour her bodies crookednesse. This, with Fabulla, buyes an artfull Periwig to supply her art-fallen haire. That enazures her seered veines, embolsters her decayed brests, to purchase a sweethart. What an affected state this generally-infected state assumes, purposely to gaine a popular esteeme? Suruey our streets, gaze on our windowes; you shall • ee gazers to entertaine your eyes with variety of phantasticke Behauiours. But these are none of Vertues followers. Would you bee prayse-worthy? Vertue to her selfe is her chiefest prayse, her choycest prize. There is nothing comparably precious to a Continent soule. Affectation shee will not admit, for her habit; both her Habit and Behauiour are proper and not enforced; natiue and not apishly introduced. Shee cannot wooe a wanton Louer with a dissembled blush, nor promise more with an outward presence, than shee resolues to admit with a spotlesse Conscience. Outward semblances, if light, shee holds apparant blemishes to her life. Her life, as it is a line to her selfe, so shee would haue it a light to others. Lacides, Prince of Argos, was accounted lasciuious onely for his sleeke lookes, and mincing gate. So Pompey, because hee vsed to scratch his head with one finger, albeit very Continent and modest. Beleeue it, though your Person be the Booke, your Behauiour is the Index. Which will require a large Comment, if it expresse it selfe in ought probably incontinent. Now, for as much as nothing better seemes you, more commendably adornes you, or more absolutely accommodates you, than what is natiue and vnaffected, so it be by Education seasoned: be your owne Women; dis-value all apish formality; resort not to the Temple to take a patterne of some new fashion: modest discretion blusheth at such seruile imitation. What you see in another, may become them, which would not become another. The Asse in the fable seeing the dogge fawne and leap vpon his Master, thought it would beseeme him, but sorting not with his nature, it got him a beating for his labour.

Now to distinguish betwixt an enforced and vnaffected Behauiour, it is most easie; the very first blush will discouer the one by the other. You shall obserue these who are tyed to affectation in this kinde, set their looke, gate, and whatsoeuer else may con • ferre a phantasticke grace on their vsurped Behauiour, so punctually, as if they had entred a solemne Contract with eye, face, hand, foot and all, to hold constantly their dimension, to beget in the beholder a more setled admiration. Whereas contrariwise, these whose free, genuine, and generous demeanours expresse themselues lesse strictly, but farre more comely; scorne to tye their affections to these seruile restraints. They hold it farre more sutable with an Italian Pantomime, who professeth hope of profit vpon the Stage, to confine them to these regularities, than discreet Women, whose honour is their honest Behauiour: and whose praise it is, to bee exemplary to others in goodnesse, and not others Apes in imitating their phantasticke fashions. To conclude then this Obseruation; as you are generous by birth, dote not on that which is most ridiculous on this Stage of earth. Approue your selues chaste Virgins, continent Wi • es, discreet Matrons, honourable Widdowes, in your vertuous and modest demeanour. Preserue that eternally, which giues accomplishment to Gentility. Your Educations (as may be presupposed) haue so beautified you, as the garbe you retaine is most proper vnto you. The Hyaene is a dangerous beast: yet her subtilty and cruelty take life from affectation and imitation. Desire you to bee so Behau'd, as others may admire you • In your choyce of Behauiour, inure your selues to what is neatest, not what is newest. Inuention in subiects of this kinde, doth more harme than good. So behaue your selues, that too much curiosity may not taxe you of pride, nor too much maiesty of State: Modesty mixt with humility will temper both these, and make that Behauiour which appeares in you, so well become you, as if it were borne with you, and not affectiuely deriued from others to you.

DECENCY takes Discretion euer along with her to choose her f • shion. She accommodates her selfe to the place wherein she liues, the persons with whom she consorts, the ranke or quality shee partakes. Shee is too discreet to affect ought that may not seeme her: too constant to change her habit for the inuention of any phantasticke wearer. What propriety shee expresseth in her whole posture or carriage, you shall easily perceiue, if you will but with a piercing eye, a serious suruey, reflect vpon her demeanour, Decency recommended as requisi • e in foure distinct subiects. in her Gate, Looke, Speech, Habit. Of which, distinctly, we purpose to intreat, in our Entry to this Obseruation; that by these you may probably collect the excellency of her condition.

THat,GATE. wherein we should expresse our selues the humblest, many times transports vs most, and proclaim • s vs proudest. It is no hard thing to gather the disposition of our heart, by the dimension of our gate. What a circular gesture wee shall obserue some vse in their pace, as if they were troubled with the vertigo! Others make a tinkling with their feet, and make discouery of their light thoughts, by their wanton gate. Others with a jetting and strutting pace, publish their hauty and selfe-conceited minde. Thus doe our Wantons (as if they had transparant bodies) display their folly, and subiect themselues to the censure of leuity. This cannot Decency endure. When she sees Women, whose modesty should be the Ornament of their beauty, demeane themselues more like Actors than ciuill Professants, shee compassionately suffers with them, and with choyce precepts of morall instruction (wherein she hath euer shewne her selfe a singular proficient) she labours to reclaime them. With amorous, but vertuous Rhetoricke, she wooes them, hooping by that meanes to winne them. Shee bids them looke backe to preceding times, yea those, on which that glorious light which shines in these Christian dayes, neuer reflected. And there they shall finde Women highly censured, for that their outward carriage onely made them suspected. A vaile couered their face, modesty measured out their pace; their Spectators were as so many Censors: Circumspect therefore were they of their carriage, lest they should become a scandall or blemish to their sexe. Their repaire to their Temples was decent, without any loose or light gesture; Entring their Temples, constant and setled was their behauiour. Quicke was their pace in dispatch of houshold affaires; but slow in their Epicureall visits or sensuall gossipings. They had not the art of imitating such hu •• ing and mounting gates, as our light-spirited Dames now vse. They were not as then learn'd to pace: so far estrang'd were they from the very least conceit of vanity in this kinde. How much more should these purer times, where verity is taught and embraced, vanity so much tax'd and reproued, affect that most, which adornes and beautifies most? Is it not palpable folly, to walke so hautily in these streets of our captiuity? Eye your feet, those bases of frailty, how they, who so proudly strut on earth, are but earth, and approach daily nearer their earth. The Swan, when she prides her selfe in her whitenesse, reflects on her blacke feet, which brings downe her plumes, and allayes her selfe-conceit with more humblenesse. What anticke Pageants shall wee behold in this suruey of Earth? With what Apish gestures they walke, which taxeth them of lightnesse? How like Colosso's others walke, which discouers their haughtinesse? how punctually these, as if they were Puppets drawn by an enforced motion? How phantastically those, as if their walke were a theatrall action? These vnstaid dimensions argue vnsetled dispositions. All is not well with them. For if one of the Spartan Ephori was to lose his place, because he obseru'd no Decency in his pace, how may we be opinion'd of such Women, whose yeeres exact of them stayednesse, whose places retaine in them more peculiar reuerence, and whose descents inioyne them to a state-reseruance; when they, to gaine obseruance, admit of any new, but vndecent posture? Deserue these approuement? No; discretion cannot prize them, nor iudgement prayse them, Vulgar opinion, whose applause neuer receiues life from desert, may admire what is new, but discretion that onely which is neat. It is one thing to walke honestly as on the day, another thing to walke vnciuilly as on the night. Decency becomes the one; Deformity the other. Neither onely are modest women to be cautelous how they walke, but where they walke. Some places there be, whereto if they repaire, walke they neuer so Ciuilly, they cannot walke honestly. Those who value reputation, will not be seene there; for Honour is too deare a purchase to be set at sale. Such as frequent these places, haue exposed themselues to shame; and made an irreuocable Contract with sinne. They make choyce of the Twy-light, lest their paths should be discouered; and shrowd their distained actions with the • able Curtaine of night, lest they should bee displayed. These, howsoeuer their feet walke softly, their hearts poste on swiftly, to seize on the voluptuous prey of folly.

Farre be these wayes from your walkes, vertuous Ladies, whose modesty makes you honored of your Sexe. Though your feet be here below, let your faith be aboue. Let no path of pleasure draw you from those ioyes which last for euer. Though the world be your walke while you soiourne here; heauen should be your ayme, that you may repose eternally there. Liue deuoutly, walke demurely, professe constantly; that deuotion may instruct you, your wayes direct you, your profession conduct you to your heauenly Countrey. It is a probable argument, that such an one hates her Countrey, where onely she is to become Citizen, who thinkes it to bee well with her here, where shee is a Pilgrim. Walke in this maze of your Pilgrimage, that after death you may enioy a lasting heritage. So shall you praise God in the gate, and after your Christian race finished, receiue a Crowne.

IT is most true, that a wanton Eye is the truest euidenceLOOKE. of a wandring and distracted minde. The Arabians prouerbe is elegant; Shut the windowes, that the house may giue light. It is death that enters in by the windowes. The House may be secured, if these be closed. Whence it was, that princely Prophet praid so earnestly: Lord turne away mine eyes from vanity. And hence appeares mans misery. That those Eyes, which should be the Cesternes of sorrow, limbeckes of contrition, should become the lodges of lust, and portals of our perdition. That those which were giuen vs for assistants and associates, should become our assacinats. Our Eye is made the sense of sorrow, because the sense of sinne; yet more apt is she to giue way to sinne, then to finde one teare to rinse her sinne. An vncleane eye is the messenger of an vncleane heart: confine the one, and it will be a means to rectifie the other. Many dangerous obiects will a wandring eye finde, whereon to vent the disposition of her corrupt heart. No place is exempted, no subiect freed. The ambitious eye makes honour her obiect, wherewith the afflicts her selfe, both in aspiring to what she cannot enioy, as likewise in seeing another enioy that, whereto her selfe did aspire. The Cou • tous makes wealth her obiect; which shee obtaines with toile, enioyes with feare, forgoes with griefe: for being got they load her, lou'd they • oile her, lost they gall her. The Enuious makes her Neighbours flourishing field, or fruitfull haruest, her obiect; she cannot but looke on it, looking pine and repine at it, and repining iustly consume her spirit with enuying it. The Lasciuious makes beauty her obiect, and with a leering looke, while she throweth out her lure to catch others, she becomes catcht her selfe. This obiect, because it reflects most on your sexe, let it be thus disposed, that the inward eye of your soules may be on a superiour beauty fixed. Doe ye admire the comelinesse of any creature? remoue your eye from that obiect, and bestow it on the contemplation of your Creator. Wormes and flyes, that haue laye • dead all winter, by reflexe of the Sunne beames, are reuiued: so these flesh-flyes, who haue beene long time buried in these sensuall Obiects of earth, no sooner reflect on the Sunne of righteousnesse, than they become enliuened and enlightened. Those filmes which darkened the eye of their mindes, are remoued, those thicke Cataracts of earthly vanities are dispersed and dispelled, and a new light into a new heart infused.

I know well, Gentlewomen, that your resort to places of eminent resort, cannot but minister to you variety of Obiects. Yea, euen where nothing but chaste thoughts, staid lookes, and zealous desires should harbour, are now and then loose thoughts, light lookes, and licentious desires in especiall honour. The meanes to preuent this malady, which like a spreading vlcer disperseth it selfe in euery society, is neither willingly to take nor be taken. Dinah may be a proper Embleme for the eye; shee seldome strayes abroad, but shee is in danger of rauishing. Now to preserue purity of heart, you must obserue a vigilant discipline ouer euery sense. Where, if the eye, which is the light of the body, be not well disposed, the rest of the senses cannot choose but be much darkned. We say, that the want of one peculiar sense supplies that defect with an higher degree of perfection in the rest. Sure I am, there is no one sense that more distempers the harmony of the mind, nor prospect of the Soule, then this window of the body. It opens euer to the Ra • en, but seldome to the Doue. Rauing affections it easily conueyes to the heart; but Doue-like innocence it rarely retaines in the brest. As it is a member of the flesh, so becomes it a seruant of the flesh; apprehending with greedinesse, whatsoeuer may minister fuell to carnall concupiscence. This you shall easily correct, by fixing her on that pure and absolute obiect, for which she was made. It is obserued by profest Oeulists (an obseruation right worthy a Christians serious consideration) that whereas all creatures haue but foure Muscles to turn their eyes round about, man hath a fift to pull his eyes vp to heauen. Doe not then depresse your eyes, as if they were fixed on earth, nor turne them round, by gazing on the fruitlesse vanities of earth; but on heauen, your hauen after earth. In the Philosophers scale, the soule of a flye is of more excellence then the Sunne; in a Christian scale, the soule of man is infinitely more precious then all creatures vnder the Sunne. Preserue then the honour of a beautifull soule, which suffers infinitely when it is blemished with any soile. So order and dispose your lookes, as censure may not taxe you of lightnesse, nor an amorous glance impeach you of wantonnesse. Send not forth a tempting eye to take another; nor entertaine a tempting looke darting from another. Neither take not be taken. To become a prey to others, will slaue you; to make a prey of others, will transport you. Looke then vpward, where the more you looke you shall like, the longer you liue you shall loue.

VVIthout Speech SPEECH. can no society subsist. By it we expresse what we are, as vessels discouer themselues best by their sound. Discretion makes opportunity her anuile, whereon is wrought a seasonable discourse. Otherwise, howsoeuer we speake much, we discourse little. That sage Stagi • ian debating of the conuenience and propriety of discourse before Alexander, maintained, that none were to be admitted to speake (by way of positiue direction) but either those that mannaged his warres, or his Philosophers which gouerned his house. This Opinion tasted of too much strictnesse (will our women say) who assume to themselues a priuiledge in arguments of discourse, be the argument neuer so course whereon they treat. Truth is, their tongues are held their defensiue armour; but in no particular detract they more from their honour, than by giuing too free scope to that glibbery member. For to such as professe their ability at this weapon, may that saying of Pand • lphus be properly applied: They speake much ill, but they speake little well; they speake much, but doe little. Againe, They doe little well, but they doe much ill; they say well, but doe ill. They promise much, but doe little. What restraint is required in respect of the tongue, may appeare by that iuory guard or garrison with which it is impaled. See, how it is double warded, that it may with more reseruancy and better security be restrained! To giue liberty to the tongue to vtter what it list, is the argument of an indiscreet person, In much Speech there can neuer want sinne, it either leaues some tincture of vain-glory, which discouers the proud heart, from whence it proceeded; or some taste of scurrility, which displayes the wanton heart, from whence it streamed; or some violent and dispassionate heat, which proclaimes a rancorous heart, from whence it issued. Whereas, a well-disposed mind will not speake before it conceiue; nor deliuer ought by way of expression, till it be prepared by a well-seasoned deliberation. That Philosophers speech deserues retention; who seeing a silent guest at a publike feast, vsed these words; If thou beest wise, thou art a foole; if a foole, thou art wise in h • lding thy peace. As discourse vsefully edifying conferres a benefit to the hearer; so discourses fruitlesse and wandring, as they tyre the eare, so they taxe the discretion of the speaker. It was an excellent precept of Ecclesiasticus: Eccles. 22. 8. • . Thou that art young, speake, if need be, and yet scarcely when thou art twice asked. Comprehend much in few words; in many bee as one that is ignorant: be as one that vnderstandeth, and yet hold thy tongue. The direction is generall, but to none more consequently vsefull than to young women; whose bashfull silence is an ornament to their Sexe. Volubility of tongue in these, argues either rudenesse of breeding, or boldnesse of expression. The former▪ may be reclaimed by a discreet Tutor, but the latter, being grounded on arrogancy of conceit, seldome or neuer. It will be-seeme you, Gentlewomen, whose generous education hath estranged you from the first, and whose modest disposition hath wean'd you from the last; in publike consorts to obserue rather than discourse. It suites not with her honour, for a young woman to be prolocutor. But especially, when either men are in presence, or ancient Matrons, to whom shee owes a ciuill reuerence, it will become her to tip her tongue with silence. Touching the subiect of your discourse, when opportunity shall exact it of you, and without touch of immodesty expect it from you; make choyce of such arguments as may best improue your knowledge in houshold affaires, and other priuate employments. To discourse of State-matters, will not become your auditory: nor to dispute of high poynts of Diuinity, will it sort well with women of your quality. These S • e • Clarkes many times broach strange opinions, which, as they vnderstand them not themselues, so they labour to intangle others of equall vnderstanding to themselues. That Diuine sentence, being made an indiuiduate consort to their memory, would reclaime them from this errour, and free them from this opinionate censure; God forbid, that we should not be readier to learne than to teach. Women, as they are to be no Speakers in the Church, so neither are they to be disputers of controuersies of the Church. Holy Bernard pleasantly glanced at these, when on a time entring a Church, wherein the image of our Lady was erected, hee was saluted by the Image in this manner, Good morrow Bernard; which deuice hauing quickly discouered, perceiuing some person to bee purposely inclosed in it, he forthwith replyed: Your Ladiship hath forgot your selfe; Women should be no Speakers in the Church. In one word, as modesty giues the best grace to your behauiour, so moderation of Speech to your discourse. Silence in a Woman is a mouing Rhetoricke, winning most, when in words it wooeth least. Now to giue Speech and Silence their distinct attributes or personall Characters: wee may gather their seuerall tempers by the seueral effects deriued from them.Ambros. in lib. de offic. Greg. in mor. More shall we see fall into • inne by Speech than Silence: Yea, whosoeuer intendeth himselfe to speake much, seldome obserues the course of doing what is iust.

In the whole current of your discourse, let no light subiect haue any place with you • this, as it proceeds from a corrupt and indisposed heart, so it corrupts the hearer. Likewise, beware of selfe-prayse; it argues you haue flow neighbours, or few deserts. Let not calumny runne descant on your tongue: it discouers your passion too much; in the meane time, venting of your spleene affords no cure to your griefe, no salue to your sore. If oportunity giue your sexe argument of discourse; let it neither taste of affectati • n, for that were seruile; nor touch vpon any wanton relation, for that were vnciuill; nor any State-politicall action, for the height of such a subiect, compar'd with your weakenesse, were vnequall. If you affect Rhetoricke, let it be with that familiarity expressed, as your p • ainnesse may witnesse for you, that you doe not affect it. This will make your Speech seeme gracious to the Hearer, conferre a natiue modesty on the Speaker, and free you of all preiudicate censure.

THere is nothing which moues vs more to pride it in sinne, HABIT. than that which was first giuen vs to couer our shame. The fruit of a Tree made man a sinner; and the leaues of a Tree gaue him a couer. In your Habit is your modesty best expressed; your dispositions best discouered. The Habit of the mind is discerned by the state or posture of the body; the condition or quality of the body by the Habit, which either addes or detracts from her beauty. As we cannot probably imagine such to haue modest mindes, who haue immodest eyes; so can wee not properly say such women to be modest matrons or professors of piety, who in their attire shew arguments of their immodesty. It skils not much, for the quality of your habits, whether they be silken or wollen, so they bee ciuill and not wanton. For albeit, some haue affirmed that all gorgeous attire is the attire of sinne, the quality of the person may seeme to extenuate the quality of that sinne. For noble and eminent personages were in all times admitted to weare them; and to be distinguished by them: Neither indeed, is the sumptuousnes of the habit, so reprehensiue as the phantasticknes of the habit respect of the form or fashion. It is this which derogates highly from the repute of a Christian, to see her affect variety & inconstancy of attire, more than euer did Pagan. There is nothing which introduceth more effeminacy into any flourishing State, than vanity in habit. Where we may obserue fashion, many times▪ so long affected, til all fashion become exiled. Surely, whatsoeuer our lighter disposed Curtezans thinke, it is Ciuility which adds most grace, Decency which expresseth best state, and comlines in attire which procures most loue. Other habits, as they display the mind of the wearer, so are they subiects of laughter or contempt to any discreet beholder. Time is too precious to be made a Pageant or Morrice on. These misconceiued ornaments are meer deformities to good minds. Vertuous and discreet Matrons would be loath to weare ought that might giue least scandall or offence to their sexe. Forraine fashions are no baits to catch them, nor phantastick, rather phanaticke dressings to delude them. They cannot eye that habit which deserues approuing, nor that attire which merits louing, where Ciuility is not pattern. Decency is their choycest liberty, which sets thē forth aboue a • l Embroydery. There was an ancient Edict amongst the Romans, purposely to rid the State of all vselesse loyterers,Cic. in lib. de leg. that no Roman should goe through the streets of the City, vnlesse hee carried with him the badge or signall of that Trade whereby he liued: insomuch, that Marc, Aurelius, speaking of the diligence of the Romans, giueth them this deseruing testimony, that all of them followed their labour. Now I mar • ell, whether vpon due suruey of all those artizans, either Periwig, Gregorian-maker, or Tyre-woman, had any set place or proper vocation, or what badges they might beare to signifie their profession. Would not these new-found Artists haue beene rather derided than approued, geered than applauded? Sure, Rome was more ciuill than to giue way to so contagious an euill. Vesta had her maidens, so had Viriplaca her Matrons; but neither of their followers could admit of any new-minted fashions. That Lady City had neuer soueraniz'd ouer so many rich States, swelling Empires, victorious Princes, had shee exposed her selfe to such vanity, which had beene the greatest Eclypse to her spreading glory.

To you let me bend my discourse, whose more generous parts conferre more true beauty on themselues, than these outward fopperies can euer doe: doe not betray your names to suspition. The Chaplet of fame is not reserued for wantons, nor such as sute themselues to the habit of lightnesse; for these adde one degree more to their sexes weakenesse: but for such women as array themselues in comly apparell, 1 Tim. 2. 9, 10. with shamefastnesse and modesty, not with braided haire, or gold, or pearles, or costly apparell. But, as becommeth women that professe the feare of God. For euen after this manner in time past did the holy women, Pet. 3. 5. which trusted in god, tyre themselues. Here you haue a direct platforme, how to attire your selues outwardly; suting your ciuill habit with variety of sweet graces inwardly▪ • et not then these Spider-cauls delude you, discretion will laugh at them, modesty loath them, Decency contemne them. Loose bodies sort best with these adulterate beauties. Those, whose conuersation is in heauen, though they soiourne here on earth; Those, whose erected thoughts spheere them in an higher Orbe than this Circle of frailty; Those, whose spotlesse affections haue deuoted their best seruice to goodnesse, and made Modesty the exact mold of all their actions, cannot endure to stoope to such braine-sicke Lures. And such are you, whose generous descent, as it claymes precedence of others, so should your vertuous demeanour in these foure distinct subiects, GATE, LOOKE, SPEECH, HABIT, improue your esteeme aboue others. In Gate, by walking humbly: in Looke, by disposing it demurely; in Speech, by deliuering it moderately; in Habit, by attiring your selues modestly: all which, like foure choyce borders, perfumed with sweetest odours, will beautifie those louely lodges of your soules with all Decency. Meane while, imprint these Diuine motions in your memory. And first for the first, hold this tenet; To walke, walking to meditate, meditating to make the subiect of it your Maker, is the best portion of the Creature; for the second, to fix your eye with that indifferency on the Creature, as it neuer auert your contemplatiue eye from your Creator; for the third, to direct your Speech to the benefit of the hearer, and to auoyd impertinences for conscience-sake farre more than censure; for the fourth and last, to make choyce of that Habit, whose Ciuility may doe you honour, and publish you examples of Decency to any discreet or temperate beholder.

WHat is it that conueyes more affection to the heart, Decency the attractiuest motiue of affection. than Decency in the obiect we affect? The Spouse in the Cantiales was blacke▪ but comely; and this gaue praise to her beauty. A strayd looke may more affection in a light heart, but in a vertuous minde it begets 〈◊〉 . Truth is, in this disordered age, where the be •• shot to be discharg'd is the Tauerne bill, the best Alarum is the sounding of healths, and the most absolute March is reeling; discretion hath receiu'd such a maime, as affection is seldome measured by what we are, but what we weare. Vanity hath set vp her Flagge; and more fresh-water souldiers desire to fight vnder her Banner, than the Ensigne of honour. But all this workes little vpon a constant and rightly-tempered disposition. Such an one plants there his loue, where with comfort hee may liue. Doe you thinke that a jetting Gate, a leering Looke, a glibbery Tongue, or gaudy Attire can moue affection in any one worthy your loue? Sure no; he deserues a light one for his choyce, who makes his choyce by one of these. To be an admirer of one of these, were to preferre in his choyce a Maymarrian before a Modest Matron. Now there are some fashions which become one incomparably more than another; the reason whereof may be imputed either to the natiue propriety of the party vsing that forme, habit, or complement; or else to the quality of the person, which makes the fashion vsed, infinitely more gracious. For the first, you shall neuer see any thing imitated, but it seemes the imitator worst at the first. Habit will bring it into a second nature; but till such time as custome hath matur'd it, many imperfections will vsually attend it. Whereas, whatsoeuer is naturally inbred in vs, will best beseeme and adorne vs; it needs no other face than what nature gaue it, and would generally become worse, were it neuer so little enforced. For the second, as in any Theatrall presentment, what becomes a Peere or Potentate, would not sort with the condition of any inferiour substitute; euery one must bee suited to the person he presents: So in the Theatre of state, distinct fashions both in Habit and Complement are to be retained, according to the place wherein he is ranked. Lucrece, no doubt, stamped a deeper impression of affection in the heart of her beholder, by addressing her selfe to houswiuery and purple-spinning, than others could euer doe with their reere bankets and riotous spending. All are not of Aegys • us minde, who was taken with a Complement of lightnesse. This argued, that a youthfull heat had rather surpriz'd his amorous heart, than any discreet affection preferr'd him to his choyce. But how vading is that loue, which is so lightly grounded? To what dangerous ouertures is it exposed? Where Vertue is not directrice in our choyce, our inconstant mindes are euer prone to change. Wee finde not what we expected; nor digest well what we formerly affected; All is out of square, because discretion contriu'd not the building. To repaire this breach, and make the Obiect wee once entertained, euer beloued: Let nothing giue vs Content, but what is decent. This is the Habit, Gentlewomen, which will best become you to be woo'd in, and content a discreet Suitor most to haue you wonne in. All others are neither worth viewing, wooing, weighing, nor wearing. Rich • ewels, the more we looke on them, the more are wee taken with them. Such Iewels are modest women, whose countenance promiseth goodnesse, an enforced smile natiue bashfulnesse, euery posture such tokens of Decency and comelinesse, as Caius Tarquinius in his Caia could conceiue no fuller happinesse. Shee, I say, who made wooll and purple her dayes taske, and this her constant impreze▪ Where thou art Cains, I am Caia. Conforme then you generous Dispositions to a Decency of fashion, that you may attract to your selues and beget in others, motiues of affection.

FOuntaines runne by many winding and mazie Currents into one maine Riuer; Riuers by sundry Channels into one maine Ocean. Decency the smoothest path that leads to perfection. Seuerall wayes direct passengers into one City; but one onely way guides man to the heauenly City. This way is Vertue, which like some choyce confection sweetens the difficulty of euery Occurrent that encounters her in her quest after Perfection, Of all those Cardinall Vertues, it is Temperance onely which seasons and giues them a vertuous rellish. Which Vertue dilates it selfe to seuerall branches; all which bud forth into one sauoury fruit or other. It is true, that hee who is euery way Complete, may bee properly styled an absolute man. But what is it which makes him Complete? It is not a scrude face, an artfull Cringe, or an Italionate ducke that deserues so exquisite a title. Another age will discountenance these, and couer these Complete formalists with dust. No, Ladies; it is something that partakes of a more Diuine Nature, than a meere Complementall gesture. If you would aspire to perfection, obserue the meane, that you may attaine the end. Temperance you cannot embrace, if Decency be estranged from your choyce. If temperate, you cannot chuse but be decent: for it includes an absolute moderation of our desires in all subiects.

Come then, Gentlewomen, loue to be decent, and that will teach you the best Complement. You haue that in you, which diuinely employ'd, wil truly ennoble you. Your descent may giue you an higher ascent by way of precedency before others, but this you cannot appropriate to your owne deserts, but that Nobility of blood which is deriued to you by others. Labour to haue something of your owne, which you may challenge to be yours properly, without any helpe of an ancient pedigree; How well doth it seeme you, to expresse a ciuill decent state in all your actions? You are in the eyes of many, who precisely obserue you, and desire to imitate whatsoeuer they note obseruable in you. You may then become excellent patternes vnto others, by retaining decency, and entertaining her for your follower. Shee will make you appeare gracious in their sight, whose iudgements are pure and vncorrupted; howsoeuer our Corkie censurers traduce you, your fame cannot be blemished, nor the odour of those vertues which so sweetly chafe and perfume you, decayed. Decency attended you in your life, and the memory of your vertues shall crowne you after death. Euen there,Aug Soliloq. Cap. XXXV. Where youth neuer ageth, life neuer endeth, beauty neuer fadeth, loue neuer faileth, health neuer vadeth, ioy neuer decreaseth, griefe is neuer felt, groanes are neuer heard, no obiect of sorrow to be seene, gladnesse euer to be found, no euill to be fear'd. Yea, the King shall take pleasure in your beauty, and at your end inuest you with endlesse glory. Prize not then the censure of sensuall man, for hee is wholly set on vanity; but fixe your eyes on him, who will cloath you with eternity. Let this be your Crowne of comfort, that many are improued by your Example,Se • . de vita b • a • a. many weaned from sinne, many wonne to Sion. By sowing the seed of goodnesse, that is, by giuing good examples, expressed best by the effectuall workes of faith, you shall reape a glorious haruest, Actions of goodnesse shall liue in you, and cause all good men to loue you. Whereas, those are to be esteemed worst, who not onely vse things euilly in themselues, but likewise towards others, For, of so many deaths is euery one worthy, as hee hath left examples of naughtinesse vnto posterity.Aug. Med. c. 4. Greg. in 〈◊〉 . Let vertues then bee the stayres to raise you; these will adde vnto your honour, seat you aboue the reach of Censure, and ioyne you indiuidually to your best Louer.

ESTIMATION is a good opinion drawne from some probable grounds. Estimation, a Gentlewomans highest prize. An vnualuable gemme, which euery wise Merchant, who tenders his honor, preferres before life. The losse of this makes him an irreparable Bankrupt. All persons ought to rate it high, because it is the value of themselues, though none more dearely than those, in whom modesty and a more impressiue feare of disgrace vsually lodge. These, so cautelous are they of suspition, as they will not ingage their good names to purchase affection. Publike resorts, because they may corrupt, they auoyd; Priuacy they consort with, and in it conuerse with their owne thoughts, whether they haue in them ought that may betray them. They obserue what in others deserues approuement, and this they imitate; with an vncorrupt eye they note others defects, which they make vse of as a • aueat. Pure is their mold, but farre purer the temper of their minde. Fame they hold the sweetest flower that euer grew neare the border of Time. Which, lest either it should wither for want of moisture, or wanting warmth should lose its vigour, they bedew it with gracious affects, and renue it with zealous resolues, Descent, as they draw it from others, so would they improue it in themselues. Ancient houses, now and then, stand in need of props and pillars; these would they haue supplyed with the Cardinall vertues.

These are Emblemes of your selues (Noble Ladies) who so highly tender your honour, as Estimation on ga •• es you more than what your bloods gaue you. It is a Princely command of your affections, which mounts you to this height of goodnesse: distinguishing betwixt • lind loue, and discreet aff • ction. Pleasure cannot make you so forgetfull of your honour, as to depriue you of that in a moment, which you shall neuer recouer. Vertue hath taken that seazure of you, as no light thought can seize on you, or dispossesse her of that claime shee hath in you Treach • rous Tarpeia's may be taken with gifts; but your honour is of too high an estimate to suffer the • ast blemish for reward. You obserue what staine • haue laid, & do yet lie vpon may anciēt families by means of attainders in their Progenitors. Their bloods (say we) were corrupted, whereby their estates became confiscated, their houses from their lineall successours estranged, and they to lasting infamy exposed. Certainely, though not in so high degree (for these were Capitall) many famili • s haue receiued deepe stains from light actions, which neither time, though neuer so aged, could weare out, nor the liuing exploits of their noble successors wipe off. Vice hath euer beene of a deeper dye than vertue; and the memory of the one commonly suruiues the fame of the other. Wounds, when they are healed, leaue their scarres behinde them: Paths retaine their prints. Your memory shall neither receiue life from that noble blood which sprinkles in you, no • from any monumentall shrine which may hereafter couer you, but from those precious odours of your euerliuing vertues, which shall eternize you. These are of power to make such as long since dyed, and whose vnequall'd beauty is for many ages since to ashes turned, retaine a flourishing fame in the gratefull memory of the liuing. Penelope for spending chaste her dayes, As worthy as Vlysses was of praise.

A daily siege shee suffered, and in her Conquest equall was shee to those victorious Peeres of Greece, who made Troy their triumph. Estimation was her highest prize. Suiters shee got, yet amidst these, was not her Vlysses forgot. Long absence had not estranged her affection; youthfull consorts could not moue in her thoughts the least distraction; neither could opportunity induce her to giue way to any light action.

Well might Greece then esteeme her Penelope of more lasting fame than any Pyramid that euer shee erected. Her vnblemished esteeme was of farre purer stuffe than any iuory statue that could bee reared. Nor was Rome lesse beholden to her Lucrece, who set her honour at so high a price, as shee held death too light to redeeme such a prize. Though force, frights, foes, and furies gaz'd vpon her, These were no wounds but wonders to her honour.

The presence of a Prince no lesse amorous than victorious, could not winne her; though with him price, prayer, and power did ioyntly wooe her. Well deseru'd such two modest Matrons the choice Embraces of two such heröicke Champions, as might equal their cōstant Loues with the tender of their dearest liues. And two our Histories afford, whom succeeding fame hath recorded eminent, because double Conquerours, both of Cities and of themselues: puisant and continent. This noble testimonie we receiue of Scipio, that being a young man of twenty foure yeares of age, in the taking of a City in Spaine, hee rep • essed the flaming heat of his youthfull desires, when a beautifull maid was brought him, restoring her to a young man called Allutius, to whom shee was espoused, with a great reward. Right worthy was hee to conquer another, who could with such temper subdue himselfe: such good successe hath euer attended on these Morall vertues, though professed by Pagans. The other Heröe was rightlyCap. Augustus both in name and nature; and wherefoe're you looke, a victorious CAESAR. Cleopatra kneeled at his feet,Tit. Liu. lib 4. cap. XI. layd baits for his eyes; but in vaine; her beauties were beneath that Princes chastity.

Absolute Commanders were these Heröicke Princes of their affections, yet a farre more singular argument of his composed disposition, and of Morall, if not Diuine, Mortification, shewed that young man SPVTIMIA in Valerius Maximus, whose beauty did so incomparably become him, as it occasioned many women to lust af • er him: which this noble youth no sooner prrceiued, than hee purposely wounded his face, that by the scarre he sustained; his beauty might become more blemished, and consequently all occasion of lusting after it, clearely remoued.

Now (Gentlewomen) if you make Estimation your highest prize; if you preferre honour before pleasure, or what else is deare or tender; your fame will find wings to flye with. This will gaine you deseruing Suiters. Portion may wooe a worldling; Proportion a youthfull Wanton; but it is Vertue that winnes the heart of discretion.

Surely, I haue seldome knowne any make this esteeme of honour, and dye a contemptible begger. Such as haue beene prodigall of it, haue felt the misery of it; whereas, a chaste minde hath euer had something to succour and support it. Thus you see what this inward beauty is, which if you enioy, you sit farre aboue the reach of Calumny; age cannot taint it, nor youth tempt it. It is the Estimation within you, that so confines you, as you hate that place which giues opportunity, that person which makes importunity his agent to lay siege to your Chastity.

Now wee are to descend to the second branch, wherein wee are to shew you how this Estimation, which is your highest prize, may be discerned to be reall; which is not gathered by the first appearance, but a serious and constant triall.

IN Philosophy, a man begins with experience, and then with beleef • but in Diuinity, wee must first beginne in faith, and then proceed to knowledge. True it is, that the Sunne, Moone, and Starres become subiect to vanity; yet charity bids me beleeue, that there are many beauteous and resplendent Stars in this our Firmament, many fresh fragrant Roses in this our inclosed Garden of Albion, who haue preseru'd their beauty without touch, their honour without taint. Where, if vanity did touch them, yet did it not so seize on them, as to disfigure or transforme them. You (noble Gentlewomen) are those Starres, whose glory can neuer be eclipsed, so long as your Estimation liues vnstained; you are those fragrant Roses, whose beauty cannot be tainted, so long as your stalke of honour growes vntouched. Now to the end that your lustre may not bee like to that of the Glow • rme, nor rotten wood, which is meerely imaginary, compared with that is reall; How Estimation may be discerned to be reall. you are not to make faire and glorious pretences, purposely to gull the world, and cast a mist before the eyes of bleered iudgements. No, you are to be really, what you appeare outwardly. These that walke in the Clouds, though they deceiue others much, yet they deceiue themselues most. Obserue then this rule of direction; it will accomplish you more than any outward Ornament that Art can bestow on you; Be indeed what you desire te be thought. Are you Virgins? dedicate those inward Temples of yours to chastity; abstaine from all corrupt society; inure your hands to workes of piety, your tongues to words of modesty. Let not a straid looke taxe you of lightnesse, nor a desire of gadding impeach you of wantonnesse. The way to winne an husband is not to wooe him, but to be woo'd by him. Let him come to you, not you to him. Profferd ware is not worth the buying. Your states are too pure, to bee set at sale; too happy, to be weary of them. So long as you liue as you are, so your mindes bee pure, you cannot possibly be poore. You haue that within you, will enrich you, so you conforme your mindes to your meanes. In the discourse of vertues, and true estimate of them,Salust. none was euer held more excellent than that which is found in chaste youth. You are Conquerours in that, wherein the greatest Conquerours haue fail'd. Your chaste paths are not trac'd with wandring desires; your priuate Chambers arras'd with amorous passions; you spinne not out the tedious night in ah mee's. Your repast findes no hinderance in digestion; your harmelesse repose no louesicke distraction. Others you may command; by none commanded. Others will vow their seruice vnto you; while you are from all seruitude freed. Liue then worthy the freedome of so noble a Condition; for your Virgin state wants nothing that may enlarge her freedome. Againe, are you wiues? you haue attained an honourable state; and by it made partakers of that indiuiduate vnion, where one soule ruleth two hearts, and one heart dwelleth in two bodies. You cannot suffer in that, wherein you haue not one share. Griefe by your Consort is allayed; ioy by partaking with him is augmented. You haue now taken vpon you to become Secretaries to others as well as your selues; but being one and the same with your selues, doe not betray their trust, to whose trust you haue recommended your selues. Imagine now (to recall to memory an ancient Custome) that you haue broken the axletree of your Coach at your doore; you must be no more straglers. These walking Burses and moueable Exchanges, sort not with the constancie of your Condition. You must now intend the growth and proficience of those Oliue branches about your table. Like a curious and continuate builder, you must euer addresse your selues to one worke or other. From their infancy to their youth, from their youth to their maturer growth For the first, I know well that di • tich to bee most true. A mother to be Nurse, that's great and faire, Is now held base: True Mothers they be rare.

But farre was it from those ancient heröicke Ladies, to thinke this to bee either a disgrace to their place, or a blemish to their beauty. Their names are by aged Annals memorized, and shall by these of ours be reuiued. Such were Cornelia, the mother of Gracchu • , and Vetruria of Coriolanu • ; who became examples of goodnesse and chastity, Educating their children which they had brought vp from their own brests, with the milke of morality.

The like did Portia the wife of Brutus; Cle • bula the daughter of Cleobulus, one of the seuen Sages of Greece; Sulpitia the wife of Calenus, who not onely instructed her children which she had tenderly nursed, with excellent precepts while shee liued, but left sundry memorable instructions, as Legacies or Mothers blessings to them, when she dyed. Hortensia, the excellent daughter of a most eloquent Orator, deserued no lesse fame, for her motherly care in nursing and breeding, her ability in copious and serious discoursing, her grauity in composing and digesting such golden sentences, as shee afterwards recommended to the perusall of her suruiuing Children. Ed • sia borne at Alexandria, farre excelled others in profunditie of learning, and piety of liuing; shee was admired by such as liued in her time: performing the office of a Nurse in her childrens infancy, of a Guardian in their minority, of a Sage Counsellour in their maturity.

Paulina the wife of Seneca, as shee was excellently seasoned with the precepts of her husband, so shee surceas'd not from commending them to the practice of those children shee had by her husband. Whence it was, that Sen • ca bemoaned the ignorance of his mother, for that shee had not so exactly obserued the precepts of his Father. What shall I speak of Thean • , the daughter of Metapontus? Phemone, who was first that euer composed heröicke verse? Cori • nathia, who exceeded the Poet Pindarus in her curious and artfull measures; and contending fiue seuerall times with him for the Garland? Argenta • ia Polli • , the wife of Lucan: whom shee is reported to haue assisted in those his high and heroicke composures? Zenobia the Queene of Palmira, who learned both the Greeke and Latine tongue, and compiled an excellent History; approuing her selfe no lesse a constant wife to her husband, then a nursing Mother to her children? Theodosia yonger daughter of the vertuous and victorious Theodosius; no lesse renowned for her learning and other exquisite endowments of minde, than by being inaugurated with an imperiall title, to which she was afterwards aduanced. The Centons of Homer she composed, and into one volume reduced, which to her suruiuing glory were after published. Diodorus Logicus his fiue daughters, all which excelled in learning and chastity, and left memorials of their motherly care to their posterity.

These were tender Nurses, carefull Mothers, reuerend Matrons. Or to giue them that title which antiquity hath bestowed on them; they were in so darke and cloudy a time, patternes of piety, presidents of purity, champions of chastity, mirrours of modesty, iewels of integrity. Women (to vse Plutarchs words) so deuoted to contemplating, as they conceiued no delight in dancing; yet could not contemplation estrange them from performing such proper offices as did concerne them. They knew what it was to obey; that it was not fit for an inferiour member to command the head, nor for them to soueraignize ouer their husbands. What had sometimes beene taught them by their Mothers, they now carefully recommend to the serious reuiew of their Daughters. Wiues with obedience husbands should subdue,Sen. in Octau. For by this meanes they'le be subdu'd to you.

Thus learned they the duty of a wife, before they aspired to that title: conforme your selues to their examples: the cloud which kept them from a full view of their condition, is in respect of you, dispersed; your eyes are cleared, not with any Pagan errour filmed. Be then in this your Christian coniugall Pilgrimage so conformed, that as with increase of dayes, so with appro • ement of deserts you may be firmed.

Againe, are you widowes? you deserue much ho •• ur, if you be so indeed. This name both from the Greeke and Latine hath receiued one consonant Etimology; depriued or destitute. Great difference then is there, betwixt those widowes who liue alone, and retire themselues from publike concourse, and those which frequent the company of men. For a widow to loue society, albeit her intentions relish nothing but sobriety, giues speedy wings to spreading infamy. Saint Hierom writing to E • stachia, giues her this counsell; If thou shalt finde any question in Scripture, harder then thou canst well resolue; demand satisfaction from such an one, who is of a most approued life, ripe age; that by the integrity of his person, thou maist be secured from the least aspersion: for in popular concourse and Court-re • orts there is no pace for widowes: for in such meetings she exposeth her honour to danger, which aboue all others she ought incomparably to tender. Yea, but will you obiect: admit, our inheritance, family, fortunes, and all lye a bleeding? may we not make recourse to publike Courts, for redresse of our publike wrongs? What of all this? Doe not complaine that you are desolate or alone, Modesty affecteth silence and secrecy; a chaste woman solitarinesse and priuacy. If you haue businesse with the Iudge of any Court, and you much feare the power of your aduersary, imploy all your care to this end, that your faith may be grounded in those promises of Christ: Your Lord maketh intercession for you, rendring right iudgement to the Orphane, and righteousnesse vnto the widow.

This inestimable inheritance of Chastity is incomparably more to be esteemed, and with greater care preserued by Widowes then Wiues: albeit, by these neither to be neglected, but highly valued. Out of that ancient experience which time hath taught them, their owne obseruations inform'd them, and the reuerence of their condition put vpon them; they are to instruct others in the practice of piety; reclaime others from the pathes of folly, and with a vertuous conuoy guide them to glory. It would lesse become them to tricke and trimme themselues gaudily or gorgeously, then yong girles, whose beauty and outward ornament is the hope and anchor-hold of their preferment: for by these doe the husbands seeke, and hope in time to get what they seeke. Whereas, it were much more commendable for widowes neither to seeke them, nor being offred, to accept them: le • enforced by necessity, or wonne by importunacy, or giuing way to their frailty, they make exchange of their happy estate for a continuate scene of misery. A widow ought to pray feruently, to exercise workes of deuotion frequently, that the benefit of her prayer redound to her effectually and fruitfully; and not returne backe from the throne of God drily or emptily. For I would (according to Menanders opinion) haue a widow not onely to demeane her selfe chastely and honestly, but likewise to giue examples of her b • amelesse life to such as heare her instructions attentiuely. For she ought to be as a Glasse to young Maids, wherein they may discerne their crimes.

Now I hold her a chaste Widow, who though she haue opportunity to doe it, and be suited by importunity vnto it, yet will not suffer her brest to harbour an vnchaste thought, or consent vnto it. In that Countrey where I was borne (saith Lud. Viues) we vsually terme such widowes the greatest associates and assistants of vices, whose too much delicacy in bringing vp their children, makes them ofttimes-depraued, and to all inordinate liberty addicted. Wherefore, I approue well of their course, who recommend the care of their children to some discreet and well-disposed person. For such is the too tender affection of mothers towards their children, and so much are they blinded with the loue of them, as they thinke they treat them too roughly, albeit they embrace them neuer so tenderly.

Saint Hierome writing vnto Saluina, saith; The chastity of a woman is fraile and fading▪ like a flower quickly perishing and vading, with the least gust or blast of aduerse Fortune failing, if not falling: especially, where her age is apt for vice, and the authority of her husband wants to afford her aduice; from whose assistance, her honour deriues her best succour and supportance. Who, if shee haue a great family, many things are required of her, and to bee found in her, to minister supply to the necessity of time, and vse of affaires, wherein she stands interessed. Requisite therefore it were, that shee made choyce of some one discreetly ripe both in yeares and inward gifts, by whose honest integrity her family might bee better mannaged, with more diligence attended, and to the woman lesse occasion of disgrace obiected.

For I haue knowne very many women, who albeit they spent their daies continually within their owne doores, yet haue fallen into reproach either by some persons obseruing them, or of their owne families disposed by them; for suffering their seruants goe abroad to neatly, arguing thereby a neglect of their family: so as the handmaids pride brought her Mistresse into suspition of contemning her honour.

Sure it is, that an honest woman, whose fame is her highest prize, requires nothing else, desires nothing else, than to satisfie her husbands bequest, though dead: honouring him with a due Commemoration and admiration of his vertues: for the liues of those that dye, consist in the memory of those that liue. So did Anthonia the daughter of Marc. Authonie, and wife to Drusus: leading all the remainder of her life with her stepmother, and retaining alwayes the remembrance of her dead husband. The like did Liuia, who left both her house and land, that shee might dwell vnder one roofe with Noemia: fearing, perhaps, lest the Maids of h • r family growing • oo lasciuiously wanton and inordinate, might by their lightnesse preiudice her honor, which she incomparably valued aboue any treasure. See you not hereby our discourse (Gentlewomen) what excellent Lights darted out from those darke times! Estimation was their best portion; nothing of equall prize vnto it vertues were their choycest Ornaments, which they preseru'd with such constancy, as feare of death could not depriue them of them, though after death they had scarce the least glimpse of immortality.

Thus haue we traced ouer these three Conditions, which wee haue stored with precepts, strengthened with examples, sweetned with choycest sentences; that this reall Estimation, whereof we treat, might be discerned; and that Superficiall Esteeme, whereon we are now to insist, discouered.

MAny desire to appeare most to the eye, How Estimation may be discerned to be superficiall. what they are least in he • rt. They haue learned artfully to gull the world with apparances; and deceiue the time, wherein they are Maskers, with vizards and semblances. These can enforce a smile, to perswade you of their affability; counterfeit a blush, to paint out their modesty; walke alone, to expres • e their loue to priuacy; keepe their houses, to publish them prouident purueyors for their family; receiue strangers, to demonstrate their loue to hospitality. Their speech is minced, their pace measured, their whole posture so cunningly composed, as one would imagine them terr • striall Saints at least, whereas they are nothing lesse than what they most appeare. Some you shall obserue so demure, as in their Salutes they forbeare to expresse that freedome of Curtsie, which ciuill custome exacts of them. Those true Troian Dames, to pacifie their incensed husbands, could finde a lippe to procu • e them loue, and supple their contracted looke. Whereas, these ciuilized Dames, either out of a reseruancy of state, or desire to be obseru'd, scorne to be so familiarly demeaned; as if they renounced antiquity, and sought by all meanes, that such Customes as plead prescription, might be reuersed. Their Lipp • must be their Cheeke; which as it retaynes a better tincture, so many times a sweeter sauour.

At these, the Poet no lesse pleasingly than deseruedly glanced in this Sonnet: Tell me what is Beauty? Skin; Pure to th' eye, but poore within, What's a kisse of that pure faire? But Loues Lure, or Adons s • aire. Nectar-balme did Adon sippe Not from Venus cheeke but lippe. Why should then Loues beauty seeke, To change lippe vnto be cheeke?

All which he elegantly clozeth in opposition to himselfe, with these continuate Stanza's: Cheeke shall I che • ke, because I may not taste it? No; Nature rather; who to th' eye so plac'd it, As none can view it, but he must draw neare it; O make the Chart familiar, or else teare it!

To purchase improuement of esteeme by these meanes, were to swimme against the streame. Discretion cannot approue of that for good, which selfe-opinion or singularity onely makes good. These are but Superficiall showes, which procure more contempt than repute, more derision than ground of esteeme. It is not a ciuill habit, a demure looke, a staid gate that deserues this report, vnlesse all these be s • conded with a resolued soule, and a religious heart. Those who dedicate themselues to the •• ruice of vertue, preferre the pith before the rinde, substance before appearance. What can bee safe, will these say with Lucretius, to any woman, if shee prostitute her honour, or make it common? Good women, as they labour to auoyd all occasion of scandall, so much more any act that may giue breath to • candall. Ciuill they are in heart and habit; Constant in the profession of vertue.

For others, they imitate the Whoorish Woman, who wipes her mouth, and saith, Who seeth mee? So they carry themselues charily, they care not how little chastely. There is none lookes through the Chinke to see them, none in presence to heare them, freely therefore may they commit, what shall afterwards shame them. Let mee then direct my Speech to these whited walls, who make pretences their best attendants, immaske their Impudence with the Vayle of darkenesse,

Tell mee, yee deluded daughters, is there any darkenesse so thicke and palpable, that the piercing eye of heauen cannot spye you thorow it? O, if yee hope by sinning secretly to sinne securely, you shall bee forced to say vnto your God, as Ahab said vnto •• ijah: Hast thou found mee, O mine Enemy? Nay, O God terrible and dreadfull, thou hast found mee. And then let mee aske you in the same termes that the young Gallant in Eras • us asked his wanton Mistresse: Are you not ashamed to do that in the sight of God and before his holy Angels, which you are ashamed to doe in the sight of men? Sinnes may bee without danger for a time, but neuer without feare. Stand then as in the presence of God: redeeme the time you haue lost; loue that which you haue hitherto loath'd; loath that which you haue hitherto lou'd, Know that these Superficiall Complementors, are hypocriticall Courtiers; these formall Damazens, profest Curtezans. You must not hold Religion to bee meere Complement. I will not say, but the bleered eye of humane reason may bee taken with these; and conceiue them reall, which are onely Superficiall. But the All-seeing eye cannot be deceiued; hee sees not as man seeth. Neither distance of place, nor resemblance of that Obiect, whereon his eye is fixt, can cause him to mistake.

Would you then be Courtiers grac'd in the highest Court? Throw away whatsoeuer is Superficiall; and entertaine what will make you Diuinely reall. It is not seeming goodnesse that will bring you to the fountaine of all goodnesse. The Figge-tree brought forth leaues, yet because it yeelded no fruit, it was cursed. Doe yee blossome? So doth euery Hypocrite. Doe yee bring forth fruits? So doth a Christian. What is it to purchase Estimation on earth, and lose it in heauen? This will sleepe in dust, but that neuer. Your highest taske should bee how to promote Gods honour, and to esteeme all things else a slauish and seruile labour. Thus by seeming what you are, and really expressing what you seeme, you shall purchase that esteeme with God and good men, which is reall, by shunning ostentation, which would set such a vading glosse on all your actions, as they will seeme meerely Superficiall.

A Discreet Commander will take no lesse care in manning and mannaging the Fort hee hath wonne,How Estimation may be impregnably p • eserued. than in winning it. It is a constant maxime; there is no lesse difficulty in keeping than getting. Some are more able to get a victory, than skilfull to vse it; Others haue more art to vse it, than courage to atchieue; few or none so accomplish'd, as propitiously to winne it, and prudently to weare it.

We are now to suppose, that you (vertuous Ladies) to whom we addresse this Labour, are victoriously seated in the fort of honour, where beauty cannot be p • anted, but it must be attempted. But so constantly gracious are your resolues, that though it be assaulted, it can neuer be soiled; attempted but neuer attainted. This you desire, and to this you hope to aspire. In the Port or entrance of euery Castle, City, or Cittadell, there vseth some Percullas to be in readinesse, to frustrate the Enemies assault, and keepe him from entry. The like must you prepare, if you desire to haue your honour secured, your daring enemie repelled, and a glorious conquest purchased. And what must this Spirituall Engine be, but a religious Constancy, to resist temptation; and all the better to subdue it, to shunne the occasion? I doe not admit of any Par • ies ouer your wals, they giue new breath to the beleaguer, and oftimes makes a prey of the beleagured. If the assault be hot, deuotion best fortifies the hold. One Christian aspiration breathes comfort to the besiedged, and promiseth reliefe when she is most streightned. Of all arrowes these which are darted by the spirit of zeale, wound the enemy most, and procure the archer best rest. And that in all assaults whatsoeuer, plotted or practised by so malicious a Tempter.

Lactantius sheweth,Lactant. lib 2 diuin. ins ••• . ca. 16. that in his dayes, among many other examples of the weakenesse of Idolatry, in the presence of Christianitie, a silly Seruingman that was a Christian, following his Master into a certaine Temple of Idols; the gods cried out, That 〈◊〉 could be well done, as long as that Christian was intresence. 〈◊〉 . l. 5. de praep. Euang. The like recordeth Eusebius of Di • clesian, the Emperour, who going to Apollo for an Oracele; receiued answer; That the iust men were the cause that he could say nothing. Which iust men Apollo's Priest interpre • ed to be meant ironically of Christians: and thereupon Dioclesian began his most cruell and fierce persecution in Fusebi •• dayes. Sozo •• nes also writeth, that Iulian th' Apostata endeuouring with many sacrifices and coniurations to draw an answer from Apollo Daphnaeus, in a famous place called Daphne, in the Suburbs of Antioch: vnderstood at last by the Oracle, that the bones of S. Babylas the Martyr, that lay neere to the place, were the impediment why that god could not speake, And thereupon, Iulian presently caused the same body to bee remoued. And finally, hereof it proceeded, that in all sacrifices coniurations, and other mysteries of the Gentiles, there was brought in that phrase recorded by scoffing Lucian; Exeant Christiani; Let Christians depart: Lucian. in Al • x. for that, while they were present, nothing could be well accomplished.

Hence collect the force of a Christians presence; it extinguisheth the flame of a Pagan sacrifice. Zealous thoughts, feruent desires, deuout affections will suffer no diabolicall assault to surprize you. Christian constancy will so arme you; pious motions so inflame you; thoughts of heauen so transport you, contempt of the world so weane you; as no obiect of delight can draw you from contemplating him that made you. It will not bee amisse, if now and then you reflect on the constancy and resolution of ancient Heathens, who so highly prized their honour, as it was their highest scorne to gi •• way to an iniurious vsurper.

Camnia wife to Synattus suruiues to this day, as a Mirror of feminine constancy; whom one Synoris, a man of greater authority than hee, loued; and making no small meanes to obtaine her loue, yet all in vaine, he supposed the readiest way for the effecting his desires, to bee the murdering of her husband: which hee performed. This act of horror was no sooner executed, and by the robe of his authority shrouded, than he renued his suit, to which she seemingly assented: but being solemnly come into the Temple of Diana, for celebrating those Nuptiall rites, shee had a sweet Potion ready, which shee dranke to Synoris: wherewith they were both poysoned, to reuenge her husbands death. Chiomara, wife of Orgiagon, a petty king of that Prouince, vpon discomfiture of the Gallo-Graecians, being rauished by a Roman Captaine, gaue a memorable example of Coniugall vertue; for shee cut off the fellowes head from his shoulders, •• Flor. lib. 2. cap. 11. and escaping from her guard, brought it to her Lord and husband. More than feminine was the resolution of Epicharia, a Libertine of Rome, who made priuy to a conspiracy against Nero, to free her nat • ue mother of such a Monster, would not disclose the plotters thereof, though tormented with exquisitest tortures. Neere resemblance had Leëna's name with her Leonine nature, who being Conspirator against the Tyrant Hyppea • , and nothing agast at the death of her friends▪ (though torne with extrememe torments) would not reueale her partners, but bit in sunder her owne tongue, and spit it in the Tyrants face. Or to instance you in subiects lesse Tragicall, but for constancy euery way equall.

Armenia, a noble Lady, being bidden to King Cyrus wedding, went thither with her husband. At night, when they were returned home, her husband asked her, how shee liked the Bridegroome; whether shee thought him to bee a faire and beautifull Prince or no? Truth, sayes shee, I know not: for all the while I was forth, I cast mine eyes vpon none other, but thyselfe. An excellent Commandresse was this Lady of her affections; and no lesse imitable was shee, whom we are to instance next; for her modest and bashfull couering of her husbands infirmities. One of Hiero's enemies reproaching him with a stinking breath; went home and questioned his wife, why shee told him not thereof: who answered, She thought all men had the same sauour.

Without question, there is nothing that addes more true glory to a woman, or better preserues her esteeme, than to retaine a constancy in the quality or disposition of her estate. Be she young or old, let her fame liue euer fresh; and like greene Baye • , most flourishing, when the winter of • duersi • y is most nipping. Vertue cannot exercise her owne strength, nor expresse her owne worth without an Opposite. Spices send forth the sweetest smell, when they are most bruised; and Palmes spread the broadest, when they are soarest pressed. Resolution without an assailant, would, in time, become effeminate. Yet, I must tell you, it is dangerous to tempt either youth or age with motiues of fancy, or to giue least way to a promising opportunity. You shall finde secret assacinates enough to vndermine you, you need little to become your owne betrayers.

I haue heard of a noble Lady in my time, whose descent and desert equally proclaime her worth, so tender of the esteeme of her honour, as shee held it scarce safe to receiue any Letter from a great Personage, whose reputation was touched by rumour. This was the way to preserue her honour impregnably, and to reare it aboue the reach of Calumny. Neither are you to be cautelous onely of your Estimation in subiects of loue and affection; but euen in your domesticke affaires, which trench vpon your prouidence or expence. Your discretions in these are brought to the Stage. Let not profusenesse draw you to spend, where honest prouidence bids you • pare; nor nigg • rdlinesse cause you to spare, where reputation bids you spend. She deserues not to be gouernesse of an house, who wants discretion to moderate her expence. Let her reflect vpon her progeny, intend her charge, and prouide for her family. A good wife is compared to a wise Merchant, who brings his trafficke from a farre. Now, a wise Merchant will not haue his Oare in euery mans Boate, but will seriously addresse his care to his owne. Busie women would make ill S • ayles, and worse housewiues; straglers will neuer become good housekeepers.

To cloze this branch: so compose your affections at home and abroad, as prouidence may expresse your care and charge in the one; a graue and reserued reuerence preserue your esteeme in the other. As your liues are liues of direction to your selues, so should they be arguments of instruction vnto others. Be you planted in what state soeuer, let your good report be your greatest stake for euer: so may you reape what your vertues haue deserued, and keepe your Estimation impregnably preserued.

NOne can preserue what he loues,How Estimation may be irreparably lost. by mixing it with the society of that he loathes. The Iuye while it windes and wreathes it selfe about the Plant, with an enuious consumption dec • yes the sappe. If you be companions to Ostridges, you shall sauour of the wildernesse. Socrates called Enuy an impostume of the soule: so may euery corrupt affection be properly tearmed. Vices loue neighbourhood, which like infectious maladies, do euer most hurt, when they draw nearest the heart.

There is nothing (Gentlewomen) that brings your Honour to a more desperate hazard, then giuing reines to your owne desires. These must you subdue to the soueraignty of reason, if you expect rest in your inward mansion. What better fruits then ignominy may carnall liberty produce? When you make the Theatre your chiefest place of repose: phantasticke gallants, who neuer yet conuerst with vertue, your choisest consorts; delicious viands, seruants to your liquorish appetites; what conclusion may wee expect from such dangerous premises? when modesty puts off her vaile, and vanity begins to ruffle it in sinne; when chaste desires are chac'd out a breath; and lightnesse pleads prescription; when vermillion h'as laid so deepe a colour on an impudent skinne, as it cannot blush with sense of her owne shame: when Estimation becomes a word of Complement, or carelesly worne like some ouer-cast raiment, valued as painted Pageants doe guilded Puppets, onely for shew. What prodegy fuller of wonder, then to see a woman thus transform'd from nature? Her face is not her owne, note her complexion; her eye is not her owne, note her straid motion; her habit is not her owne, eye her strange fashion. Whilest loose weares imply light workes; and thin cobwebbe couers promise free admittance to all sensuall louers. Yea, which is more, she holds it no shame to glory in sinne, nor to court vice in her owne liuery; all which she maintaines to be complements of gentility. Thus vice is euer in fashion, and keepes her gradation till she aspire to the height of her building. She begins with conceit, seconds it with consent, strengthens it with delight, and incorporates it with custome.

One of this ranke haue I oft-times obserued tracing the streets of this flourishing City; who, as one weary of her sexe, forbore not to vnwoman her selfe, by assuming not onely a virile habit, but a virago's heart. Quarrels she would not sticke to binde vpon any fresh-water Souldier, whose late induction to the siedge of Gallants, had not sufficiently inform'd him in that posture. Nothing desir'd she more then to • iue ••• ronts in publike places, which she did with that contempt, as the disgrace she aspers'd on others, was her sole content. Places of frequent were her Rendeuon; where her imperious tongue runne descant on euery subiect ministred; her selfe she vsually ingaged for a Second, vpon least occasion offred. Now could these courses any way choose but cause that to be irreparably lost, which by any modest woman should be incomparably lou'd? Tell me, were not his spirit armou • of proofe, who durst encounter with so couragious an Amazon? or enter nuptiall lists with such a feminine Myrmidon? Surely, these, as they labour to purchase them opinion of esteeme, by their vnwomanly expressions of valour, so they eclypse their owne fame, and by these irregular affronts, detract high • y from their e •• entialst honour. Such may gaine them obs • ruance, but neuer esteeme.

Take heede then, lest publique rumour brand you, Scandall is more apt to disperse what is ill; then Opinion is to retaine what is good. When the world is once postest of your shame; many deseruing actions of piety can hardly wipe off that staine. Esaus birth-right was temporall, yet once lost, many teares could not regaine it; your soules honour is a birth-right spirituall, which once lost, many tedious taskes shall not redeeme it. Let your • st • mation be by you so tenderly lou'd, as you will rather choose to loath life, then irreparably loose that, which is the sweetest Consort of humane life.

THere is nothing which works not for some • nd, wherein it may rest and repose. Long before that glorious Light wee now enioy,The absolute 〈◊〉 wh • reto Estimation aspires, and wherein it cheerefu • ly rests. did the very Heathens, who had no knowledge of a future being, reioyce highly in the practice of Morall vertues, and performing such commendable offices as might purchase them deserued honour, liuing; and eternally memorize them dying.

This might bee illustrated by s • uerall instances in Maids, Wiues, and Widowes. For the first; tho • e Locrian Virgin, deserue our memory; whose custome it was, yearely to be sent to Troy: which 〈◊〉 continued for the space of a thousand yeares; yet was it neuer heard, that any of those Virgins were euer deslowred. Who can likewise passe ouer in silence those seuen Milesian Virgins; who, at such time as the Gauls raued and raged euery where, subiecting all to fire and faggot, depriued themselues of life, lest hostile force should depriue them of their honour? With what praises also may wee worthily aduance those daughters of Scedasus of Leuctra, a Towne situate in the Region of Boectia; who hauing in their fathers absence, hospitably receiued two young men, by whom, made drunke with wine, they were that night defloured: conceiuing a mutuall sorrow for their lost Virginity, became resolute actors in their owne Tragedy. Aristomenes of Messana; when in those publike feasts called Hyacinthia, hee had surprized fifteene Virgins with the souldiers which attempted their dishonour, straightly commanding them to forbeare from vsing any such violence: whose Command when they refused to obey, he caused them to be slaine: redeeming those Virgins with • huge summe of gold. Afterwards, these Virgins hearing that this Aristomenes was accused about the death of one of those men, whom hee had commanded to be slaine; they would not returne into their owne natiue Countrey, till such time, as prostrating themselues before the feet of the Iudge, with their praiers and teares, they had deliuered from bonds the defender of their honour.

Yea,An English Amazon. to draw nearer home, and instance this Maiden-constancy in one of our owne; I haue heard of a notable spirited • irle, within the walls of this City; who, albeit she frequented places of publike Concourse boldly, discoursed freely, expressed her selfe in all assayes forwardly; yet so tender was she of preseruing her honour, that being on a time suited by a young Caueliero, who was so taken with the height of her spirit, wherewith shee was endowed, as he preferred it before the beauty of an amorous face, wherewith she was but meanely enriched, She presently apprehending the loosenesse of his desires, seemingly condescended; so shee might be furnished and appointed, and the businesse with that secrecy carried, as no occasion of suspition might bee probably gounded. This answer cheer'd our yong Gallant; winged with hope to enioy, what his wild desires did so much affect. A Coach is prouided; all things prepared; the very place appointed where they shall meet, to hasten their light iourney; which, for more priuacy, must be the Country. Time and place they obseru'd; but before she would mount her Coach, calling him aside, shee tels him, how shee had vow'd neuer to consent to any man in that kind, till shee had first tri'd his mettall in the field. Draw he must, or she will disgrace him; in which combat, instead of a more amorous Conflict, shee disarm'd him, and with a kicke, wish'd him euer after to be more wary how he attempted a Maidens honour.

For the second, excellent was the answer of those Lacedemonian wiues; who being immodestly suited, made this reply: Surely, we should giue way to your request, but this you 〈◊〉 for is not in our power to gra •• : for when we were Maids, wee were to be disposed of by our parents; and now bring wi • es, by our husbands. At such time as the Inhabitants of Tyre came to Lacede ••• ; suspecting them to be Spyes, they threw them into prison; whose wiues, hauing got leaue to visit and comfort them in their captiuity, changed garments with them, and according to their Countries guise, vailed their faces, by which meanes the men escaped,Plutarch. leauing their wiues restrained: which deeply perplexed all the Lacedemonians. No lesse coniugall loue sh • wed Alcesta to her 〈…〉 to her Prot • esilaus; Pant • ia to her Susi •• ; Arte • i •• a to her Mausolus; Zenobia to her Oedenat •• .

These were good wiues, which 〈◊〉 cals the highest grounds of humane felicity. Nothing being more amiable than an honest woman, saith Theog • i • ; nothing conferring more ioy to man, saith sententious Xistus.

For the third, what singular mirrors of viduall continency, and matron-like modesty were Cornelia, Vetruria, Liuia, and that most Christian widdow Salui • a, to whom S. Hierom directed many sweet and comfortable Epistles. These you might haue sound attired in graue funerall garments, (as memorials of their deceased husbands) of modest behauiour, reue • end presence, publishing to the world a contempt of the world, in their outward appearance.

Now, what may you suppose did those Pagan Ladies hold to be the absolute end, whereto this tender care of their Estimation chiefly aspired, and wherein it cheerefully rested? It was not riches, nor any such temporall respect: for these they contemned, so their honour might be preserued. No; there was implanted in them an innate desire of Morall goodnesse; mixed with an honest ambition, so to aduance their esteeme during life, that they might become examples vnto others of a good Morall life, and perpetuate their memories after death.

Your ambition (Ladies) must mount higher, because your Conuersation is hea • enlier. It is immortality you aspire to; a lower Orbe cannot hold you; nothing else may confine you. Be it then your highest Estimation to honor him, who is the b • rne of your saluation. Let not a moment of 〈◊〉 vanity, depriue you of the hope of eternity. Your voyage is short; your hazzard great. Many 〈◊〉 encounter you in the way; addresse your 〈◊〉 therefore in the way, to some good worke. Let Patience teach you how to suffer, D • uotion sweeten your encounter, Estimation crowne you with succeeding honour.

GENTILITY consists not so much in a lineall deblazon of Armes,Obseruat. 7. as personall expression of vertues. Gentility is d • riued from our Ancestors to vs, but soone blanched, if not reuiued by vs. Yea, there is no Ornament-like vertue, to giue true beauty to descent. What is it to be descended great? to retaine the priuilege of our blood? to be ranked highest in an Heralds booke? when our liues cannot adde one line to the memorable records of our Ancestors? There should be no day without a line, if we desire to preserue in vs the honour of our Line. Those Odours then deserue highest honours, that beautifie vs liuing, and preserue our memory dying. Should we call to mind all those our Ancestors, who for so many preceding ages haue gone before vs; and whose memory now sleeps in the dust; we should, perchance, finde in euery one of them some eminent quality or other, if a true suruey of their deseruing actions could bee made knowne vnto vs: yea, we should vnderstand, that many of them held it their highest grace, to imitate their Predecessors in some excellent vertue; the practice whereof they esteemed more prayseworthy, than the bare title of Gentility. Now, what iust reproofe might we deserue, if neither those patternes, which our Ancestors had, nor the vertuous examples of our Ancestors themselues, can perswade vs to be their followers? Their blood streames through our veynes; why should not their vertues shine in our liues? Their mortality we carry about with vs; but that which made them immortally happy, wee retaine not in vs. Their Gentility wee clayme; the priuileges they had by it, we retaine. Meane time, where is that in vs, that may truly Gentilize vs, and designe vs theirs? What a poore thing is it to boast of, that our blood is nobler, our descent higher? Tell me, can any one prescribe before Adam? And what shall he finde in that first Ancestor of his, but red clay? The matter whereof he was made, it was no better; nor can we suppose our morter to bee purer. Hee most emphatically described our Genealogy, who cryed, Earth, Earth, Earth▪ Earth by Creation, Condition, Dissolution. No lesse fully vnderstood he the quality of his Composition, with the root from whence he tooke his beginning, who called Earth his Mother; Wormes his Brethren and Sisters. His Kinsfolkes hee could not much boast of, they were such inferiour Creatures; no strutters in the street, but despicable Creepers.

Let me now reflect vpon you, Gentlewomen, whose generous birth should bee adorned with v • rtuous worth, and so make you mouing Obiects of imitation, both in life and death.

Are you nobly descended? Ennoble that descent with true desert. Doe not thinke that the priuilege of greatnesse, can bee any subterfuge to guiltinesse. Your more ascending honour requires more than a Common lustre. In places of publike resort you challenge precedency, and it is granted you. Shall the highest place haue the least inward grace? No; let not a word fall from you, that may vnbeseeme you. Others are silent when you discourse; let it be worth their attention; lest a presumption of your owne worth draw you into some friuolous excursion. There is not an accent which you vtter, a sentence you deliuer, any motion in your carriage or gesture, which others eye not, and eying assume not. Your Retinue is great; your family gracious; your actions should be the life of the one, and line of direction to the other. To see a light Lady descending from a noble Family, is a Spectacle of more spreading infamy, than any subiect of inferiour quality. I cannot approue of this Apish kinde of formality, which many of our better sort vse; it detracts from their descent, to make affectation their Tutresse. They were free-borne; nothing then that is seruile can become them. It is nothing to retaine the fauour or feature of your Ancestors, and to estrange you from that which truly dignifi'd your Ancestors.

Vertues haue more liuing Colours, and are seconded with more lasting honours than any outward beauties. You deceiue your selues, if you thinke that honour receiued her first life from descent; no, It was demerit that made descent capable of honour. A Pedigree argues your Gentility: but had not some deseruing action beene, you had neuer attained to any noble Pedigree. For Gentility is not to be measured by antiquity of time, but precedency in worth. If brackish or troubled water seldome come from a pure Spring; wild and vnsauory fruit from a good tree; whence is it, that noble Predecessors, whose pure blood was neuer corrupted with any odious staine, should bring forth such degenerating scienes? Surely, this generally proceeds from the too much liberty that is granted to our youth; whose inclinations, though otherwise good and equally disposed, are vsually by Custome, which becomes a Second nature, miserably depraued. Society they affect, and this infects them; repaire to publike places they admit, and this corrupts them. Those eminent examples which their Noble Progenitors left them, become buried with them. They comply with the time; Vertue (they say) can hardly subsist, where Vice is in highest request. What though Plato aduise them to make choyce of the best way of liuing, which may be easily effected by assiduate vse and daily custome: they haue learned to inuert his rule, by affecting that custome most, which tends to the practice of vertue least. Besides, there is another reason which may be probably alleaged, why generous descents become so much corrupted; and vertuous Parents by vitious Children so frequently seconded. Our Nobler women, though in other respects truly imitable, and for their vertuous Conuersation admirable; come short in one peculiar duty, which euen Nature exacts of them, and which being duely perform'd, would, doubtlesly, no lesse enable and ennoble them who are descended from them, than any particular, were it neuer so powerfull, that could informe them. These which are mothers by generation, are seldome their Nurcing-mothers by education. No maruell then, if they degenerate, when they partake of the natures of other women. Though their owne mothers blood streame through their veines, a strangers milke must feed them, which makes them participate of their nature, as they are fed with their substance. Wheresoeuer the Nurses milke is receiued, the Nurses manners are likewise retained. Whence it was, that Chrysippus expresly commanded that the very best and wisest Nurses should be made choice of; that what good blood had infused, might not by ill milke be infected. It was the ioynt aduice both of Plutarch and Pha • orine, that a mother should bee her childrens Nurse: because, commonly, with the milke of the Nurse, they sucke the quality or condition of her life. Yea, according to ancient Decree, women were bound to nurse their owne children, and not to ha • e any other women (vnlesse necessity enforc'd them) to nurse them.

Let this then bee rectifi'd; yee, whose Noble descents haue made you eminent in the eye of the world; and whom Gods blessing hath made fruitfull Mothers, to bring forth a faire and hopefull increase vnto the world: nurse them with your owne milke; this will expresse in you a motherly care • to them; & beget in them a greater measure of child-like loue to you. Your care, the more it is parentall, will exact of them a loue more faithfull and filiall. Nurse them, I say, with the milke of your owne brests to feed them; with the milke of your owne liues to informe them. So shall their actions proue them to bee your Successours; when they shall not onely deriue their blood from you, but on this Theatre of humane frailty, shall publish themselues to be true representers of you. For in vaine is your blood to them deriued, if your memory by their vertues be not reuiued. Giue them then that which may make them yours. Goodnesse may bee blamed, but her succeeding memory can neuer be blanch • d. Thus shall you not onely shew your selues worthy of that house, from whence you came, but after your period on earth, bee receiu'd into a more glorious house in time to come.

IT is not the Nobility of descent, but of vertues, that makes any one a gracefull and acceptable Seruitour in the Court of heauen. Houses are distinguished by Coats and C •• sts; but these are dignifi'd by something •• se.

In Heraldry those are euer held to be the best Coats, that are deblazon •• with least charge. Vertue the best Coat. Consequently, then must vertue needs be the best Coat. Shee requires the least charge, in her attire, shee is not sumptuous; in her fare, delicious; nor in her retinue (the more is the pitty) numerous. She confines her desires vpon earth within a strait Circumference; a very small portion of that mettall will content her. She sees none so great in the Court, as may deserue her enuy; none so rich in the City, as may beget in her an earthly desire; none so repos'd in the Countrey, as to induce her to change her state. Shee is infinitely happy, in that shee aymes at no other happinesse, than where it is to bee found. Ambition may display her Pie-colour'd flagge; but shee will neuer get vertue to be her follower: Her desires are pitcht vpon a farre more transcendent honour, than these State-corriuals on earth can ere afford her; or by their competition take from her. Pleasure may cast out her Lure, but vertue is so high a flyer, as shee scornes to stoupe to ought vnworthy of her: it pleaseth her to contemplate that on earth, which she is to enioy in heauen. Profit may seeke to vndermine her; but all her pollicie cannot worke on vertues constancy. Content is her Crowne; Contempt of the world, her care; what worldlings seeke, she shuns; whence it is, that her beauty, in the darkest Night of aduersity, shines. In a word, shee is an absolute Commandresse of her selfe; and easie is it to haue that Command, where no turbulent passions labour to contend.

Farre otherwise is it with those, who be they neuer so generously descended, popularly graced, nor powerfully guarded, yet being not adorned with this Crest, distinguished by this Coat, they can neither enioy freedome within, nor safe • y without.

Lewis the eleuenth had a conceit, which, no doubt, proceeded from his m • lancholicke and indisposed humour, that euery thing did stinke about him; all the odoriferous perfumes, or fragrant sauours they could get, would not ease him, but still he smelled a filthy st •• ke. So fares it with them, whose corrupt hearts, like musty vessells, not throughly seasoned with vertue, fe • d forth no other smell than what is most distastefull to a pure and well-disposed minde. Now, there bee many, who make an outward semblance of conscience; and promise to the world apparant arguments of their vprightnesse; whose inward Cells, like corrupt Charnell-houses, afford nothing but filthinesse. Y • a, these, to make the world more confident of their s • nctity, will not sticke to condemne themselues, dis • value their owne worth, and rank them amongst the vnworthiest that breath on earth. Yet, though they disprayse themselues before others, they cannot endure to bee dispraysed by others. Whereof we read one excellent example to this purpose: There was a certaine woman, who had taken her selfe to a Cloyster-life, and seemed very deuout; so as shee vsually said to her Confessor, who came often vnto her, to heare her Confession, and partake of her Deuotion: Good father, pray vnto the Lord for mee; for I am a woman so euill, yea, euen so vtterly nought, as I much feare left the Lord punish others for my sinnes. Vpon this, the Priest out of a discreet zeale, desired to try whether there were in her the foundation of true humility or no. Next time therefore, that shee vttered the like words vnto him, saying; That shee was the very worst of all women; the Priest forthwith answered: I haue often times at many hands beard thus much of thee before this. Whereat she being presently incensed, replyed: You lye in your throat: And whosoeuer hath told you, or reporteth such things of mee, are all lyers. To attemper which immoderate passion, the Priest humbly returned her this answer: Now I perceiue thy pride and hypocrisie; for as much as thou speakest that of thy selfe, which thou disdainest any other should speake of thee. And this is no signe of true humility, but of inward pride and grosse hypocrisie.

These dissembled, be they neuer so assiduate, semblances, are no colours for Vertues crest. They must be dyed in graine, or they will not hold. These, who • xpresse modesty in their outward carriage, are good examples to those that consort with them; yet if their priuate Parler be a witnesse of their dishonor, they deface the figure of goodnesse in themselues. Vertue consists note in seeming, nor piety in appearing but practising. What is it to bee outwardly retyred from the world, and inwardly affianced to the world? How are those women in Turkie affected, that most part of the yeare come not abroad? Those Italian and Spanish Dames, that are mewed vp like Hawks, and lockt vp by their iealous husbands? This is such an enforced restraint, as it many times begets loose desires in the restrained. It is the preuention of occasion that crownes vs. More prayse-worthy were those women of Sio, could they confine their actions within the bounds of modesty, than these restrained Libertines. For those Iland Women, as they are the beautifull'st Dames of all the Greekes, so haue they more liberty granted by their auaricious husbands, than all the Dames in Greece. For their wiues prostitution is their promotion. So as, when they see any stranger or promising factor arriue, they will presently demand if he would haue a Mistris: which, for want of better supply, they mercenarily tender him in the person of their owne wiues: so willing are they to weare the lasting Badge of infamy, for base lucre or commodity.

It is not then an enforced moderation of our affections, that deserues the stile of goodnesse. Wee are to enioy freedome in our desires, and ouer those a noble Conquest, if we merit the name of •• rtuous.

Come then, Gentlewomen, you see what Coat will honour your House most. Other Coats may be blanched by corruption of blood; or blemished by some other occurrent: but this is so pure as it will admit of no staine. Fantasticall & false prophecies may be ominously aduanced, published, & dispersed, vpon Arms, Fields, Beasts, or Badges, against which our Lawes haue ordained necessary prouisiōs. But no Augur, Seer, or Soothsayer can by any such groundles Diuinatiō, detract from the cōstant beauty or splendor of his Coat.

Soueraignizing Saladine, after he had made himselfe a terrour to many potent Princes, by making them his Subiects, who neuer till then knew what subiection meant; after he had atchieued so many prosperous victories, taken in so many flourishing Prouinces, and attained the highest degree of an imperiall greatnesse; being surprized by so mortall and fatall a malady, as he despaired of recouery: called his Chiefetaine or Generall before him, and bad him haste away to the great City Damascus, and there in the midst of that populous City, to fixe his shrouding-sheete vpon a Spheare, and display it like a banner, with these words; This is all that Souldan Saladine hath left of all his Ensignes. How happy had that Emperour beene, if after so many memorable exploits done by him liuing, so many imperiall trophies of his dispersed victories erected by him breathing, he had reserued this Coat to haue memoriz'd him dying?

Dorcas Coats were brought forth and shown, after she departed. So liue, that your best Coats, which are your vertues, may giue testimony of you, when Earth shall receiue you. Let not your Gentility become blasted with infamy; nor your Noble families labour of that scarcity, as not to giue vertue all hospitality, Diuinely sung our Moderne Poet: To be of gen'rous blood and Parents borne, And haue no gen'rous vertues, is a scorne.

Let it be your highest scorne, to stoupe to any base thought. It is not priority nor precedency of place, but propriety and proficiency in grace that makes an honourable Soule. That Cloath is of most worth that weares best; and that fashion of most esteeme that h • lds longest in request. Vertue is right Sempiternum for weare; and of that complete fashion, as with Christian women it growes neuer out of date. Make choice of this stuffe then to suite you, of this Coat to gentilize you. All others are but counterfeits in comparison of her; whose property it is to honour those that serue her; harbour those that flye for refuge to her; and to reward those who constantly stand in defence of her honour. There is nothing can wound you, being thus armed; nothing ill-beseeme you, being thus adorned; nothing disparage you, being thus honoured. Heraldry findes a Coat for your house, but Vertue findes honour to grace your person. Retaine those diuine impressions of goodnesse in you, that may truly ennoble you: display your gentility by such a Coat, as may best distinguish your family; so shall you liue and dye with honour, and suruiue their fame, whose onely glory it was to enioy fortunes fauour.

PAinters are curious in the choice of their colors, lest their Art become blemished, through those decaied colours, wherewith their Pictures are portrayed. Some are of opinion, that the receit of Painting or Colouring the substance of glasse through, is vtterly lost; neither that these late succeeding times can regaine, as yet, that mysterious perfection. Farre more is it to be doubted, lest vertue, which we haue proued by infallible arguments to be the best Coat, want her true colour, and consequently become depriued of her chiefe lustre. Some Pictures, I know, will doe well in white; yet it is colour that giues them life, Beauty neuer darts more loue to the eye, nor with quicker conuoy directs it to the heart, then when it displayes her guiltlesse shame in a crimson blush. There is one flower to be loued of women, which is the chiefest flower in all their garden;Nazian. and this is a good red, which is shamefastnesse.A shamefastered the best Colour to deblazon vertues Coat. These standing colours are slow wooers to discreet Louers. Vertues Coat then is best deblazoned when a shamefastred breathes vpon it.

Protogenes tables, wherein Bacchus was painted, and all his furious Bacchanals to life displayed, moued King Demetrius to such admiration, during his siege of the City Rhodes, that where hee might haue consumed the City with fire, and buried the glory thereof in ashes, would not for the preciousnesse of that table: so as, protracting time by staying to bide them battell, wonne not the City at all. If a liuelesse Picture could enforce such affection in a knowing Commander, what effects may we thinke will a liuing substance produce? Truth is, there is such sweet and amiable correspondence betwixt vertuous beauty, and shamefaste modesty, as the one cannot subsist without the others society. Not a light passage can want the attendance of a blush, whilest modesty is in presence. Yea, though shee be not conscious of any conceit, that might beget in her face a shamefaste blush; out of a modest Compassion shee will not sticke to blush, when she obserues ought in another, deseruing blame. Her eares glow at any light report; which, lest they should grow too credulous, shee fortifies with reason, to oppose the too easie entrance of suspition. Shee partakes of no resemblance lesse than that of the Chameleon, whose naturall property it is to represent all Colours saue white. She is a milde and moderate interpretor of others actions; but a serious Censor of her owne. Light discourses, which tend rather to the deprauing of the hearer, than ministring any vsefull subiect to an attentiue Obseruer, she excludes; vnciuill Complement shee abhorres; what onely is modest she approues; and seconds her approuement with a gracefull smile. She holds an infected minde to be more dangerous than an infected house: such Company shee shunnes, on whom the rayes of vertue seldome or neuer shine. There is not that Condition, bee it neuer so meane, which shee cannot with cheerefulnesse entertaine: so as, shee holds outward pouerty the best enricher of an inward family. Her desires are so equally poyzed, as shee neither seekes more than shee enioyes, nor wants freedome to dispose of what she enioyes. Honour shee affects, yet with no such eagernesse, as to hazzard the losse of a dearer honour, for so vncertaine a purchase. Friends and fauourites she admits, and with that constancy, as it neither repents her of accepting, nor them of tendring such vertuous fruits of amity.

Here you haue her, Gentlewomen, who will tell you, and in her selfe exemplifie what shee tells you; that modesty is the choycest ornament that can adorne you. Now if you purpose to trace her path, or conforme your selues to her line; you must worke on your affections, to embrace what shee loues, and reiect whatsoeuer she loathes. Are you conuersant at any time with such protesting seruants, as make deepe Oaths meere Complements; and whose tongues are witty Orators in running descant on a wanton Tale? These are such Consorts as Modesty would be loath to conuerse with. She can neuer endure any of these discourses without an angry blush. Should you delight in these, you should quickly heare her out of a vertuous passion, cry out with the Poet: O Age! most of our women know not now, What 'ti • to blush, till painting tell them how.

Againe, should you entertaine in your naked bosomes, what some wantons haue too much affected, light amorous Poems; perusing them with no lesse Content, than if they had beene purposely penned to worke on your Conceit; this cannot stand with your modesty; These may corrupt you, but neuer rectifie what is wandring in you. Suffer not a wanton passage to play on your fantasie. Sinne would neuer enter in vpon you, if she found but a preparation of resistance in you. Tell me, what a sweet grace conferres it on you, to mixe your salutes with modest blushes, and entertaine your Suitors with a shamefaste bashfulnesse! Sure I am, where loue is discreetly grounded, this cannot chuse but be an especiall motiue to affection. There may bee, I grant, such wilde louers, who preferre the loose loue of an inconstant Phaedra, before the chaste embraces of a continent Antiope: but their indiscreet choyce is euer seconded with a fearefull cloze. Those, who esteeme more of a painted cheeke, than a natiue blush, shall finde all their imaginary happinesse resolued to a painted blisse. It is Modesty and not Beauty which makes the husband happy. Would you then deserue the title of Chaste Virgins, constant Wiues, modest Matrons? While you are ranked amongst the first, conuerse not priuately with a wanton thought; send not forth a wandring eye to fetch in a Sweet-heart. Dis-value not your owne worth so much, as to wooe others to become your Suitors. This would bee a meanes rather to depresse loue, than increase it; impayre loue, than improue it. If you be worthy winning, you cannot chuse but be worthy wooing. Meane time, let not a straid looke betray your too forward loue; nor a light conceit tax you of deserued reproofe. Dye your cheeks with a Rosie blush, when you heare ought that may detract from the modesty of your Sexe. Be as silent as the night; your best Rhetoricke consists in maiden blushes, and bashfull smiles; which will worke more powerfully on a Louers heart, than a Rhetoricall tongue, bee it neuer so curiously tipt with Art.

For the second ranke; you know how strict a duty is imposed on you; now are you not to conuerse with strange loue: or suffer any other person haue the least share in your affection. To Court loue, or vse any Complement, purposely to winne a priuate fauourite, would detract as much from your honour, as for a Souldier to flye from his Captaine, and adhere to a stranger. He hath inuested you in himselfe, and ingaged himselfe yours by a sacred vow, which death onely may reuerse: the dispersed loues which you entertained before, must now be reduc'd to one, and that but one, by whose mutuall choyce two are indiuidually made one. A heart diuided cannot liue; no more can the heat of diuided loue. You are now so farre from entertaining any stranger; as you haue vow'd with your heart, not to enter so much as any treaty with an vniust intruder. It is dangerous to conuerse with a profest foe, whose drift it is to vndermine you; and such an one is euery loose louer, who labours with the licentious art of adulterous Oratory, to depriue you of that inestimable gemme, which of all others, most adornes you.

For you that are Matrons; ripenesse of yeares hath enioyned you to bid a lasting adew to the vanities of youth. Now are you set as examples of grauity, for others to imitate.

It were dotage in you now to begin to loue, when your decay in Nature tels you, it is not long you are to liue. You haue hitherto performed your parts with a generous approuement of your actions, faile not in the conclusion. This small remainder of your declining pilgrimage, should be wholly dedicated to the practice of goodnesse; that your pious end may second your vertuous beginning. The Sunne shines euer brighter at his setting than rising; so should your life appeare better at your departing than entring.

It were incomparably beneficiall for you, now in this your Exit, to haue your affections seated in heauen, before you depart from earth: leauing some memorable examples of your wel-spent life, which may eternize you after this li • e.

This will make your names flourish; and cause others in a vertuous emulation of your actions, to retaine your memory in thier liues. To bee briefe, be you of what Condition soeuer, either in respect of your age or state; there is nothing can better become you than a modest shamefastnesse: which consists either in • uerting your eare from your owne prayse; or with-drawing your presence from dishonest or vnciuill discourse; or reiecting an importunate Suitor, whose too inconsiderate entertainment might question your honour. I haue noted in some women a kind of zealous and deuout passion, when they chanc'd but to heare any light or wanton communication; they could not hold but reproue them for their impudence, and amidst their reproofe, to adorn the Rosie Circlets of their cheekes with a blushing shamefastnesse. Surely, this expressed a singular modesty in them; which I would haue you (Gentlewomen) in a serious imitation of them, to represent in your selues. It will happen, many times, that you cannot chuse but encounter with some frontlesse Buffoun • , whose highest straine of obscene wit, is to iustifie some fabulous story, or repeat an vnciuill Tale; which you are to entertaine with such disgust, as these odious relaters may gather by your Countenance, how much you distaste such vnciuill discourse. For it is a sweet kinde of euincing sinne, to discountenance it with a modest shame.

Thus shall you make your very frowne an ingenuous Index of your vncorrupt heart: and to adde one line more vnto your Honour, display the Character of your guiltlesse shame in a Mayden blush, a Virgin-colour.

SEuerus the Emperour would haue maiesty preserued by a vertuous disposing of the desire, not by a c • rious • ff • minacy in attire. Gentility is not knowne by what wee we • re, but what we are. For, as we cannot account him for lesse then a foole, who prizeth his horse by the saddle, and trappings that hang about him, more then by the worth that is in him: so is he most foolish, who values the man by the worth of his Cloathes, rather then those inward parts that doe accomplish him.

How many formall Gallants shall we obserue, whose onely value consists in putting on their cloathes neatly; with whom, if you should conuerse, you might easily finde Aesops painted souls, fairely promising,O age! no couer now fit for our mold, but Plush, 〈◊〉 ▪ Veluet, Tissue, Cloth of Gold. but weakly performing? The greatest Obliquity these can finde in our age, is the too carelesse obseruance of fashions; which our neate formalists haue no great cause to taxe for an errour, seeing affectation in the choice of fashion is this ages humour. The golden apple was giuen to the fairest, not the finest; the golden Tripode, neither to the fairest nor finest, but wisest. For might the fairest haue obtain'd it, Alcibiades, being the daintiest and best fauoured Boy in all Athens, might by right haue challeng'd it. Againe, might the finest haue enioy'd it, • he Lydian Croesus, being richer in attire than any of his time, might haue pleaded for it. Of whom it is said, that Solon of Salamine came to visite him: not to admire him, as simple people did, whose iudgements most commonly were plac'd in their eyes: but to reproue him for his vanity, an apt subiect for Philosophy; and weane him from that, which threatned ruine to his State. This delicate Prince had that learned Sage no sounder found decked and adorned with the choisest Ornaments, and seated on an high Throne, than he encountred that graue Philosopher with this vaine question: demanding of him, Whether he had euer seene a more glorious sight? To whom Solon right grauely answered; Yes, quoth he, I haue seene House-cocks, Phesants, and Peacocks: And these were graced with a naturall beauty; whereas yours is but a borrowed glory, which must vaile to time, and shake hands ere it be long, with mortality.

Truth is, should we iudge of mens worths by their outward weare, or distinguish Gentility by a fashionable attire, we should erre more in iudgement, then a blinde man in his first discouery of colours. What eminent Ladies are recorded in the continuate historis of fame; whose esteeme tooke first breath, not from what they wore, but what they were? It was not their ayme to strike a stupid Beholder into admiration with a phantasticke habit, nor allure an humorous Louer with a conceited complement. Our simple Elders knew not what it was, To set their face, or court a Looking-glasse.

It was their highest taske to correct those errours that were in them: by which meanes they became so inwardly louely, as none truely knew them, that could doe lesse than entirely loue them. Surely, there is no state that suites so fit • y with Gentility, as the low, but loyall attendance of humility. This is shee, who (as she is rightly defined) is the Princesse of vertues, the conqueresse of vices, the mirror of virginity, the choisest harbour or repose for the blessed trinity. Aug. She considers, how he, by whom our corrupt blood was restored, our vnualuable losses repaired, and our primitiue nakednesse compassionately couered, was not with a Diadem crowned, nor in a stately bed couched; yea, scarcely rather with one poore coat couered: which he wore not as an ornament to his body, to bestow on it trimnesse, but for necessity to couer his nakednesse. What a pouerty is it then for you, whose ancient descent promiseth something extraordinary in you, to haue nothing to boast of, saue onely a gilded outside? It was Necessity that inuented Cloathes for you; now were it fit to pride you in that, which depriu'd you of your prime beauty? You shall obserue in many of our graue Matrons, with what indifferency they attire themselues. Their inward ornaments are their chiefest care; their renewing and repairing of them, their highest cure. They haue found such choice flowers, as they afford more spirituall delight to the soule, than any visible flowers or odours doe to the smell. And what are these, but diuine and morall precepts, soueraigne instructions; which haue taught them how to contemne earth, conquer death, and aspire vnto eternity? These by a continued custome or frequent conuerse with heauenly things, cannot now conceiue any obiect to be worthy their beholding on earth. Fashions may be worne about them, but little obserued by them. The WEDDING GARMENT is their desired raiment. This they make ready for the Nuptiall day; the meditation whereof so transports them, as nothing below heauen can possesse them. It is not beauty which they prize; for they daily and duely consider the Prophets words,Ioel. 2. All faces shall gather blacknesse. Againe, they remember the threats which God denounceth vpon beautifull, but sinfull Niniueh, I will discouer thy skirts vpon thy face. Nahum. 3. This makes them seriously to consider the dangerous quality of sinne, and to apply Niniuehs salue to their soare: that wine of Angels, the teares of repentance. Which, howsoeuer it is, as one wittily obserues, Euery mans medicine; an vniuersall Antidote, that makes many a Mithridates venture on poison: yet works it not this banefull effect with these; for their affections are so sweetly tempered, their hearts so truly tendred, as they make not Repentance security to delinquents: They well remember that Aphorisme of spirituall Physicke: As he that sinnes in hope of remission, feeds distemperature to seeke a Physician; so hee that repents with a purpose of sinning, shall finde an eternall place to repent in. Th • se, who thus be • ull themselues in the downebeds of security, labour of an irreparable Lethargy. They make bold to sinne, as if they were sure to repent. But the medicine was made for the wound, not the wound for the medicine. We must not suffer our selues voluntarily to be wounded, in hope wee haue to be cured: but preuent the meanes, that wee may attaine a more glorious end.

Preuent the meanes or occasion of sinne; which if at any time we commit, to infuse the balme of repentance into it; which seasonably applyed, may minister a soueraigne salue to our soare, so wee intend our care to so consequent a cure.

Come then, Gentlewomen, beginne now at last to reflect on your owne worth. Vnderstand, that Gentility is not knowne by what you weare, but what you are. Consider, in what member soeuer your Creator is most offended, in that shall euery sinner bee most tormented.Bern. Remember, how the time shall come (and then shall your time be no time) when the M • ath shall be your vnderlining, and the Worme your couering. Trimme your selues then with an inward beauty; that a glorious Bridegroome may receiue you. Fashion your selues to his image, whom you represent. That Fashion onely, will extend the 〈…〉 of time, and crowne you with immortality 〈◊〉 . These, who haue their iudgements in their eyes, may admire you for your Cloaths; but those, who haue their eyes in their heads, will onely prize you by your inward worth. Were it not a poore Ensigne of Gentility, to hang vp a phantasticke fashion to memorize your vanity after death? So liue, that you may euer liue in the memory of the good. It will not redound much to your honour, to haue obserued the fashions of the time, but to haue redeemed your time; to haue dedicated your selues to the practice of vertue all your time; to haue beene Mirrors of modesty to your succeeding sexe; to haue dis-valued the fruitlesse flourish of fading vanity, for the promising hopes of a blessed eternity. Supply then that in you, which bleered iudgements expect without you. You challenge precedency in place, expresse your selues worthy of that place. Vertue will make you farre more honoured, than any garish habit can make you admired. The one is a Spectacle of derision, the other of true and generous approbation. This you shall doe, if you season your desires with discretion; if you temper your excursiue thoughts, and bring them home with a serious meditation of your approaching dissolution. It is said of the Palme tree, that when it growes dry and fruitlesse, they vse to apply ashes to the root of it, and it forthwith recouers: that the peacefull Palmes of your vertuous mindes may flourish euer; that their branches may euer blossome and neuer wither: apply vnto their roots the ashes of mortification; renue them with some sweet and soueraigne meditation. That when you shall returne to your mother Earth, those that succeed you may collect how you liued while you were on Earth: by making these liuing actions of your Gentility, happy Precursors to your state of glory.

FOuntaines are best distinguished by their waters,There are na • iue seeds of goodnesse • sowne in generous bloods by lineall success • on • Trees by their fruits, and Generous bloods by their actions. There are inbred seeds of goodnesse (saith the Philosopher) in euery good man: and these will finde time to expresse themselues.

It was Dauids testimony of himselfe: From my youth vp haue I loued thy Law. An excellent prerogatiue giuen him, and with no lesse diligence improued by him. Now these Natiue seeds, as they are different, so are the fruits which come of them, variously disposed. Some haue a rellish of true and generous bounty; wherein they shew that noble freedome to their owne, in their liberality towards others: as their very actions declare vnto the world, their command and soueraignty ouer the things of this world. Others discouer their noble disposition, by their notable pilty and compassion; These will estrange themselues from no mans misery. If they cannot succour him, they will suffer with him. Their bosomes are euer open with pittifull Zenocrates, to receiue a distressed one. Ouer a vanquish'd foe they scorne to insult; or vpon a deiected one to triumph. They haue teares to partake with the afflicted; and reall expressions of ioy to share with the relieued. Others shew apparant arguments of their singular moderation; abstemious are these in their dishes; temperate in their Companies; moderate in their desires. These wonder at the rioters of this time; how they consume their daies in sensuality and vncleannesse. Their account is farre more straight; their expence more strait; but their liberty of mind of an higher straine. Cloathes they weare, but with that decency, as curiosity cannot taxe them; meats they partake, but with that temperance, as delicacy cannot tempt them. Others from their Cradle, become braue sparkes of valour; their very Childhood promiseth vndoubted tokens of succeeding honour. These cannot endure braues nor affronts. Generous resolution hath stampt such deepe impressions in their heroicke mindes, as fame is their ayme; which they hunt after, with such constancy of spirit, as danger can neither amate them, nor difficulty auert them from their resolues. Others are endued with a natural pregnancy of wit; to whom no occasion is sooner offered, than some dainty expression must second it. Others with more solidity of iudgement, though of lesse present conceit. And these are such, as generally imploy themselues in State-affaires; wherein Experience, purchased by an vsefull expence of time, doth so ripen them, as the Publike State takes notice of them, and recompenceth their care with honours conferred on them.

These and many other excellent endowments shall we obserue to bee lineally deriued from Ancestors to their successors; which, as they retaine a neare resemblance of their persons, so they represent their Actions: so powerfull is nature in bestowing her distinct Offices on euery creature, wherein they generally partake of their disposition as wel as outward feature: whence the Poet, Stout men and good are sprung from stout and good, Horses and steeres retaine their parents blood.

Yet see the iniquity of time! It fareth oft-times with those who are endowed with these vertues, to be most traduced, where their more noble and eminent parts are to be highliest honoured. Which, as it was a maine error in former ages, so descends it to these present times. When Rome was in her glory, this eclipsed her light, by detracting from their demerits most, whose free-bred vertues deserued of their Countrey best. Sundry Families shee had, famous for their vertues, which by a depraued and mis-interpreting Censure, became branded with vndeserued aspersious. If the Piso's were frugall, they were held parcimonious; if the Metelli deuout, they were superstitious; if the Appij strict, they were rigorous; if the Man •• j affable, they were ambitious; the Laelij, if wise, they were dangerous; the Publicolae popular, by being courteous. But with good and and well-disposed perso • s, vertue is neuer out of fauour, though it bee neuer so much impeached by a tradu • ing censure.

Thus you haue heard, Gentlewomen, what vert • es haue lineal • y and by blood descended from Parents to their Children; what especiall inward graces vsually attend some especiall families, which no lesse memorize them, than those natiue honours which are conferred on them. Now, to select such as sort best with your sexe and condition; in my opinion there is none that ennobles you higher, or makes you more gracious in the eye of the beholder than Modesty, which was the greatest aduancer of many Roman families. This is that vertue, which expresseth you to be women; this is that, which makes you honoured amongst women. Chaines and Carken • ts, Iewels and Habiliments may bee valued; but this Ornament is of that high estimate, as it is not to be prized. Now, there is nothing that will cause this to appeare more pretious vnto you, next to the testimony of a good Conscience within you, with an ardent desire of promoting his glory who made you, than a reflexion to your Family which bred you; whose honour to preserue, as it is your especiall duty, so no obiect of profit or pleasure, no attractiue Lure of deceiu • ng honour should remoue this opinion from you: To bee high borne and basely minded, is to ingraffe bastard slippes in a noble stocke. High and heroicke vertues become great house▪ for, as they were first made great by being good, so should they by •• rceasing from being good, lose their title of being great. If by abusing the liberty of time, you detract from your Ancestors fame, you lye a blemish on his shrine; which, though it touch not him, yet it taints you who represent him.

This, no doubt, was that Noble Lady right mindfull of, when on a time being sollicited by a powerfull Suitor, who wooed her first in person, and after in a wanton Rhetoricall Letter, she, as one tender of her honour, and perceiuing that the scope of his suit tended to her dishonour, answered his fruitlesse sollicitancy in this sort, with great modesty: Should I condescend to your Suit, I should not only derogate from the honour of my present state, dis-value that which I hold most deare, make my selfe a subiect of contempt to euery eare, but asperse that infamy on my family, which would beare record of my inconstancy. O what would the next age report of me, that I should so farre degenerate from those that bred me? No; pouerty may enter in at my gate, but dishonour shall neuer lodge in mine heart. Reserue these promises of honour for such, as prize them aboue their •• nour: That generous blood which distreames through my veynes, shall sooner be dried, than it shall be for any hope of aduancement ingloriously stained.

Such singular resolues many of our Albion Ladies, questionlesse, euen at this day retaine; who, rather than they would incurre the least dishonour, or occasion suspition by their too free entertaine of light Suitors, would confine themselues to their Chambers▪ and debarre themselues of publike recourse. Seeing then, that there are natiue Seeds of goodnesse sonne in generous bloods by lineall succession; which euen in their first infancy giue faire promises of their inward beauty: expresse your selues Daughters worthy such vertuous Mothers. Emulation of goodnesse in great persons is honourable. Their Pictures you hang vp, that their memories may liue with you. Enioy their vertues too, and their memories shall liue fresher in you. All memorials, being materials, be they neuer so durable, are subiect to frailty; only these precious monuments of your vertues suruiue time, and breath eternity. You spring from a noble Seminary; let those seeds of goodnesse which are sowne in your youth, come to that ripenesse in your age, that as in piety you imitated others, so you may become Presidents vnto others; as you were here seasoned with grace, a good report may follow you to your graue. All which by instruction onely may be effected, as in our next branch shall be more pregnantly proued.

HE cannot chuse but liue well, who conformes himselfe to that hee heares.How these natiue seeds of goodnesse may be ripened by instruction. Good instructors are such faithfull Monitors, as they will aduise what is most fitting, not what is best pleasing. And these are to be entertained with such endeered respect, as their speeches, bee they neuer so tart, should not incense vs, nor their reproofes, be they neuer so free, distaste vs.

Though Clitus open rebukes cost him his life, his free and friendly reproofe exprest his loue; so as Alexander could neuer sufficiently bemone his losse. Those Natiue seeds of goodnesse, whereof wee formerly treated, be they in our infancy neuer so plentifully diffused, yet in time they would grow ranke and wilde, vnlesse they were by seasonable instruction ripened. Now, Gentlewomen, there be no Tutresses fitter to perfect this excellent worke in you, than those who were the secondary instruments of being vnto you; Neither can those, who are deriued from you, become better instructed than by you. Your loue, I confesse, will be more indulgent, yet your care so much the more incessant. Their dispositions are best knowne vnto you; if motherly affection then will giue way to discretion, who more fit to mold them than you? Preceding times may afford you variety of examples in this kinde.

Cornelia instructed hers in all piety; Portia hers in exemplary grounds of chastity; Sulpitia hers in precepts of coniugall vnity; Edesia hers in learning and morality; Paulina hers in memorials of shamefaste modesty. These, though Heathens, were excellent informers of youth; so as, their Children were more bound to them for their breeding than bearing, nurturing than nursing. Besides, there is an inbred filiall feare in Children to their Parents, which will beget in them more attention in hearing, and retention in holding what they heare. Now, there is no instruction more mouing,Greg. in 38. Euang. than the example of your liuing. By that Line of yours, are they to conforme their owne. Take heed then, lest by the dampe of your life, you darken both their glory and your owne. I might propose vnto you bookes of instruction, which might minister arguments plenteously in this kinde: but so short is the memory in retaining what it reads, yea so distracted is the minde in obseruing what it reads, that, as it fares with our naturall face in a glasse, from which the glasse is no sooner remoued, than the resemblance of it is abolished; euen so, the booke is no sooner left out of the hand, than the Contents are leapt out of the heart. Yet, to the end you may not be vnprouided of such Tracts as may enable you for instruction; and prepare you to encounter with tentation; I will recount such vnto you, as may best accommodate you for the one, and fortifie you against the other.

Learned Viues in his instruction of a Christian woman, recommends vnto them these glorious Lights of the Church,A briefe enumeration, serious dicussion, and iudicious election of sundry ancient fathers, with other morall Au • hors. S. Hierom, Cyprian, Augustine, Ambrose, Hilary, Gregory; annexing vnto them those morall Philosophers: Plato, Cicero, Seneca, &c. Of which, seuerally to deliuer my opinion, it is this:

Than S▪ Hierom none more grauely copious, as may appeare by those pithy and effectuall Epistles of his, directed to those Noble Ladies, Marcella, Demetria, Laeta, Furia, &c. wherein he vseth singular exhortations, inuincible arguments, perswasiue reasons, sweet similitudes, and forciue examples. Modesty is the subiect hee commends vnto them; decency in apparell he approues in them; to a moderate restraint of liberty he enioynes them; to an exemplary holinesse hee exhorts them; and with sweet and comfortable promises of an incorruptible reward he leaues them.

Than S. Cyprian, none more deuoutly feruerous; in his reproofes he shewes mildnesse; in his treaties a passionate sweetnesse; he winnes the sinner by inducing reasons; hee strengthens the soule mightily against temptations; he proposeth an excellent way of moderating the affections; he applyes soueraigne receits to soueraignizing passions: and concludes with that sober and discreet temper, as with a Diuine insinuation he wooes, winnes, and weanes the sinner, and in a spirituall tye vnites him to his Redeemer.

Than S. Augustine, none more profoundly iudicious, more indiciously zealous; pithy are his directions, powerfull his instructions; in his Meditations he is mouing; in his Soliloquies inwardly piercing; in his Manuall comfortably clozing. Amongst all those Conflicts in our Christian wa • fare, hee holds none sharper than our Combat with Chastity. Hee applies meanes how wee may resist, resisting vanquish; and by our Christian victory, receiue Crownes of eternall glory. That Conquest he holds, deserues small honour, which is atchieu'd without Encounter. In a Diuine rapsodie drawne, as it were, from himselfe, hee shewes what should be done by vs. Earth is no obiect fit to entertaine our eye; nor her deluding melody our eare: He exhorts vs therefore to leaue Earth now while wee liue, that leauing Earth for altogether, wee may enioy our best Loue.

Than S. Ambrose, none more Diuinely plenteous; sweetly serious are his instructions; enforcing are his reasons; he speakes home to the sinner: whom he no sooner findes wounded for sinne, than hee applies a Spirituall Salue to cure his sinne. Many graue sentences are in his Offices methodically couched; singular directions to guide euery Christian in his Spirituall Path-way, are there deliuered. Like an expert Physician, he first gathers the nature or quality of your distemper, and then ministers soule-saluing receipts to restore you to your right temper. Hee shewes you how in your very motion, gesture, and pace you are to obserue modesty: concluding that nothing can afford true comfort to a soiorning soule, but practise of piety.

Than S. Hilary, none more fully sententious; hee discouers the occasion of our corruption familiarly; aduiseth vs with many passionate and teare-swollne lines to prouide for our inward family; he proposeth vs a reward, if we contemne Earth; he threatens vs with the Law if wee contemne life. Sundry mouing and effectuall Lessons he recommends to the perusall of women of all rankes, ages, and conditions. Tenderly hee compassionates the case of a sinner; passionately treats he of those torments which shall last for euer: with prayers and teares hee sollicits them that haue gone astray, to returne; those that are already return'd, to goe no more astray. He concludes with an vsefull Exhortation to sorrow for sinne, promising them, • orth of that Store-house of Comforts, contained in the Gospell, for this their momentaine sorrow, an incessant ioy in Sion.

Than S. Gregory, none more highly mysterious, nor contemplatiuely glorious; Diuinely morall are his Morals; full of heauenly comforts are his instructions; hee walkes in an higher way than others trace, yet with that humility, as there is not a cloze from him, but it discloseth in him a loue of meekenesse, lowlinesse, and piety. With proper and elegant similitudes are his works adorned; with choice sentences, as with so many select flowers, neatly garnished; in a word, hee is sweetly substantiall, and substantially sweet. He reprehends the times grauely; commends the practice the vertue gracefully. With an holy zeale he reproues the remisnesse of the Ministry. Directions he giues vnto women, to haue an especiall care of modesty: concluding, that the loue of this life should not so possesse vs, as to depriue vs of that inheritance which might eternally blesse vs. In good mindes he holds pouerty the portresse of humility: accounting those Euils or Aduersities, which doe here presse vs, to be the Cords which draw vs vnto God who made vs.

Touching those three Philosophers, this is my conceit of them; wherein none can otherwise chuse than concurre with me, that shall seriously read, and sincerely scanne them: Than Plato, none more Diuinely Philosophicall; Than Cicero, more philosophically Rhetoricall; Than Seneca, more Sagely Morall.

But for as much as it is not giuen to most of you to be Linguists, albeit many of their workes be translated in your mother-tongue, you may conuerse with sundry English Authors, whose excellent instructions will sufficiently store you in all points; and if vsefully applied, conferre no small benefit to your vnderstanding. I shall not need particularly to name them to you, because I doubt not, but you haue made choyce of such faithfull Retainers and vertuous Bosome-friends, constantly to accompany you. Neither, indeed, are bookes onely necessary; conference will singularly improue your knowledge; but that is not altogether so conuenient nor decent for your sexe in publike places. So as, I much condemne their opinion, who hold no meanes so fitting to bring their daughters to audacity, as a frequent consort with Company. This, in time, begets in them rather impudence than boldnesse.

It was held a touch to a Maid to bee seene talking with any one in a publike place. But in priuate Nurseries, which may be properly termed your houshold Academies, it will suit well with your honors to treat and enter into Conference one with another; or in such places, where your owne sexe is onely conuersant. For such indiscreet Mothers, who vsually trim and deck their daughters, to send them forth to Showes, Meetings, or Enterludes, they annoynt bauin with oyle, that it may burne the better. But much more blame-worthy bee those, who take them along to Tauernes and gossippings; which Educat • on a little time will bring into custome, and make modesty a stranger to her selfe. For aboue all things (saith the Philosopher) ought young Girles to be kept from Ebriety: which he confirmes with this reason: It is good, saith hee, for young men and maids to bee kept from wine, lest such become afterwards profest drunkards, profuse rioters, and prodigall exposets of their honour: the maine occasion whereof, are their parents,Arist. Po • it. 7. by meanes of their ill instruction, and worse example.

It is the very first instruction that takes the deepest impression; how necessary then is it for you, Gentle women, whose sexe is the Embleme of weakenesse, and whose best resolues are oft-times weakned by youthfull promises, to furnish your blooming youth with wholesome instructions: and so to improue them, that they may increase in vigour, as you doe in stature? This your sexe exacts of you; this your present estate requires of you: and this shall easily be effected by you, if hauing (as is to be presupposed) discreet and religious Mothers, you submit your selues in all humble obedience to their direction. For as it is very hard for any one to know how to command, vnlesse she know first how to obey; so will it be vnto you to performe the office of a Mother, if you neuer knew the duty of a daughter. Strict and seuere may those Commands seeme to your youth, which riper age will easily digest. Againe, you that are Mothers, become patternes of modesty vnto your daughters. Your liuing actions are the lines of their direction. While they are vnder your command, the error is yours, not theirs, if they goe astray. Their honour should be one of the principall'st things you are to tender; neither can it be blemished, without some touch to your Credit. I haue knowne some inconsiderate mothers, and those none of the lowest ranke or quality, who either out of a confidence they had of their daughters good carriage, or drawn with the hopes of some rich Suitors to aduance their marriage, haue vsually giuen too free way to opportunity, which brought vpon their daughters names a spreading infamy.

Your instructions will doe well with them, till society depraue them: diuert then the occasion, so shall your daughters, be they neuer so poore, haue good portions of reputation. Suffer not then those who partake of your image, to lose their best beauty. Sigh then if they bee soyled, for their shame must bee on you aspersed.

Grace is a pure balme, and consequently requires a pure and sound vessell. In vaine is it infused, if the vessell be not whole and sound to preserue it. Looke then to your own actions; these must informe them; Looke to your owne examples, these must confirme them. Without you they cannot perish; with you they may. What will you doe with the rest that is left, when you see a part of your selfe lost?

The Harpie hath the face of a man, but a Bird so cruell by nature, as when she is an hungry, she wil assault any man and kill him. After which bloudy repast, she becomes thirsty, so as, going to the Riuer to quench it, she sees her owne face; and recalling▪ to mind how it resembles him whom she slew, she conceiues such griefe, as she dyes therewith. If your Education or instruction depraue those who deriue their beginning from you, the resemblance of this story may haue proper relation vnto you. But if your pious examples enable them, their proficiency in vertue shall ennoble you; your comforts shall be multiplyed in them; your hopes seconded by them; and to your euer-liuing fames, the memory of your vertues preserued by them.

Let not that adage proue true, in respect of your Charge: The most precious things haue euer the most pernicious Keepers. Nothing more precious than a Virgins honour; it were shame for the mother to proue a Tarpeian or treacherous keeper. That Conceit was elegantly expressed by the Emperour Charls the fifth, in his instructions to the King his sonne; That Fortune had somewhat of the nature of a woman; that if she be too much woo'd, she is the farther off. But I hope I shall not finde that auersenesse in you. I haue wooed you in words; expresse your selues wonne by the testimony of your workes. I would not follow the indiscretion of Empericks, which minister same medicines to all Patients; I know well, that such Physicke as agrees with age, would not agree with the hot constitution of youth: To either sort therefore haue I applyed my seuerall receits: and to both, doe I addresse my conclusion.

Let the whole progresse of your Conuersation be a continued Line of instruction; Let the mother discharge her office in commanding, and that without too much rigour or indulgence; Let the daughter performe her duty in obeying, with all faithfull and filiall obseruance: So shall honour grace you here, and glory crowne you there with an heauenly inheritance.