¶ Here begynneth the fyrste chapytre whiche tel­leth howe & by whome the Cyte of Ladyes was fyrst begon to buylde. Capitulo. Primo.

AFter the maner that I haue moche in vsage / and to that thynge whiche the excercyse of my lyfe is moost dys posed / that is to knowe in the haun tynge of studye. On a day as I was syttynge in my lytell cell dyuers bokes of dyuers matters aboute me. Myne entente was at that tyme to trauayle and to gather in to my consayte the wayenge of dyuers sentences of dyuers auc­tours by my longe tyme before studyed. I dressed my vysage towarde those foresayd bokes / thyn­kynge as for y^• tyme to leue in peas subtyll thyn­ges / & to dysporte me for to loke vpon some plea­saunt boke of the wrytynge of some poetes / & as I was in this entente I serched aboute me after some praty boke / & of aduenture came a straunge boke in to my handes that was taken to me to kepe / I opened this boke and I sawe by y^e intytula­cyon that it called hym Matheolus. Then in laughynge bycause I had not sene hym / and often tymes I had herde speke of hym that he sholde not speke well of the reuerence of women. I thought that in maner of solace I wolde vysyte hym. And yet I had not loked longe on hym but y^t my good moder that bare me called me to the refeccyon of [Page] souper wherof y^e houre was come purposynge to se hym in the mornynge / I lefte hym at y^t tyme / & in y^e morowe folowynge I sate me agayne to my study as I dyde of custome I forgate it not in put my wyll to effecte y^t came to me y^e nyght before to vysyte y^e foresayd boke of Matheolus. And then I began to rede & to prosede in hym. But as me semed y^e matter was not ryght pleasaunt to people y^t delyted them not in euyll sayenge / nor it was of no profyte to ony edyfyenge of vertue / seynge the wordes & the matters dyshonest of whiche it touched vysytynge here & there / & so came to y^e ende I lefte hym & toke hede of more hygher matters & of more profyte / yet the syght of this foresayd boke howe be it that he was of none auctoryte it engē dred in me a newe thought / whiche made grete meruayle to growe in my courage / & thynkynge what myght be the cause and wherof it myght come that so many dyuers men clerkes and others haue ben and ben enclyned to say by mouthe / & in theyr treatyse and wrytynges so many slaundres and blames of women and of theyr condycyons & not onely one or twayne nor this Matheolus / whiche amonge others hath no maner of reputa­cyon and treateth in maner of scorne / but generally in all treatyses of phylosphres / poetes / and all rethorycyens / whiche sholde be longe to reherce all theyr names / speketh as it were by one mou­the and accordeth all in semble conclusyon deter­mynynge that y^e condycyons of women ben fully [Page] enclyned to all vyces. These thynges thynkynge in me ryght depely / I began to examyne myselfe and my condycyons as a woman naturall. And in lyke wyse I dyscuted of other women / whos companye I haunted / as well of pryncesses and of grete ladyes as of meane gentyll women ry­ght grete plentye / whiche of theyr graces haue tolde me theyr pryuytees and strayte thoughtes to knowe by my Iugement in conscyence and with out fauoure yf it it myght be trewe that so many notable men of one and other wytnesseth / yet not withstandynge that for thynges y^t I myght knowe as longe as I haue sought and serched I coude not perceyue that suche Iugementes myght be trewe agaynst the naturall condycyons or ma ners of women. I argued strongly agaynst these women sayenge y^t it sholde be to grete a thynge y^t so many famous men / so solempne clarkes of soo hyghe and grete vnderstandynge / so clerely seyn­ge in all thynges as it semed that sholde haue spoken or wryten lyengly / and in so many places y^t of payne I founde ony morall volume what so euer y^t auctoure were y^t or I had redde it to y^e ende but some chapytres or certayne clauses were of bla­mynge of theym. This onely shorte reason made me to conclude that myne vnderstandynge / for his symplenesse & ygnoraunce ne coude not kno­we my grete defautes and semblably of other women that alwaye it accorded that it was so true­ly / and soo I reported me more to the Iugement [Page] of other then to that I felte or knowe of myselfe. Thus in this thought was I as a persone halfe from hymselfe / & there came before me ryght gre­te foyson of dyttyes & prouerbes of many dyuers auctours to y^e purpose y^t I remembred in myselfe one after another / as it were a welle spryngyn­ge. And in conclusyon of all I determyned y^t god made a foule thynge when he fourmed woman in meruayllynge howe soo worshypfull a werke man deyned euer to make one soo abhomynable werke whiche is the vessell as by sayenge of thē & y^• draught & herbegage of al euyll & of all vyces Then I beynge in this thought there sprange in me a grete dyspleasannce & sorowe of courage in dyspraysynge myselfe & all womenkynde so as yf y^t sholde be shewed in nature / & I sayd suche wor­des in my'complayntes. Ha lorde god howe may y^t be / for if I arre not in y^• fayth I ought not doubt y^t thyne infynyte wysdome & veray parfyte good­nesse had nothynge made but y^t all were good / & fourmest not y^• thyselfe womā ryght syngulerly & then y^• gaue her all suche inclynacyons y^t pleased y^e y^t she sholde haue & howe maye y^t be y^t thou sholde haue fayled in ony thynge / & alway se here so ma­ny grete occasyons thus Iuged determyned & cō cluded ayenst them I can not vnderstande this re pugnaunce / & yf it be so good lorde god y^t it be true y^t womankynde haboundeth in so many abhomy nacyons as many men wytnesseth / & thou sayest thyselfe y^t the wytnesse of many is for'to byleue / [Page] by the whiche I ought not doubte but that it shol de be true. Alas good lorde why haddest thou not made me to be borne in to this worlde in y^• mascu lyne kynde / to that entente y^t myne euclynacyons myght haue ben al to haue serued the the better & y^• I sholde not haue arred in ony thynge & myght haue ben of so grete perfeccyon as they say y^t men be / yet syth it is so that thy debonayrnesse stretche th not so moche towarde me / then spare my negly gence in thy seruyce good lorde god / & be not dys­pleased. For that seruaunt that receyueth leest re­wardes of his lorde / leest is bounde to his seruy­ce. Suche wordes & mo ynowe I sayd ryght lon ge in my sorowfull thought to god and in my la­mentacyon so as she that by my foly helde me ry­ght euyll contente of that that god made me to be borne in to this worlde in kynde of woman.

¶ Xp̄ine telleth howe .iii. ladyes appered to her / & howe she y^t wente before reasoned with her fyrste and comforted her of the dyspleasure that she had Capitulo. Secundo.

AS I was in this sorowfull thought y^• heed downe cast as a shamfull per sone / the eyes full of teeres holdynge myne hande vnder my cheke / lenyn­ge on y^• pomell of my chayre sod [...]yn­ly I sawe come downe vpon my lappe a stremyn ge of lyght as it were of y^• same. And I that was [Page] in a derke place i whiche y^• sone myght not shyne at y^• houre sterte then as thoughe I had ben wa­ked of a dreme / and dressynge the heed to beholde this lyght fro whens it myght come I sawe before me standynge thre ladyes crowned of ryght souerayne reuerence. Of the whiche the shynynge of theyr clere faces gaue lyght vnto me and to all the place / there as I was meruayllynge neyther man nor woman with me consyderynge the dore close vpon me / and they thyder came doubtynge leest it had ben some fantasye for to haue tempted me made the sygne of the crosse in my forehede ful of drede. And then she whiche was the fyrst of the thre in laughynge began thus to reason with me Dere doughter drede y^e nought / for we be not co­me hyder for nothynge that is contrary vnto the / nor to do the to be encombred / but for to comforte the as those that haue pyte of thy trouble / and to put the out of the ygnoraunce that so moche blyndeth thyne vnderstādynge / and that thou puttest fro the that thou knowest of very certayne s [...]yen­ce / to gyue faythe to the contrary to that whiche thou felest not / ne seest not / ne knowest otherwyse than by pluralyte of straunge opynyons. Thou resemblest the fole of the whiche was made a Iape whiche was slepynge in y^e mylle and whas clothed in the clothynge of a womā / and to make re­semblaunce those that mocked hym wytnessed y^t he was a woman / & so he byleued more theyr fal­se saynges than y^e certaynte of his beynge. Howe [Page] is it fayre doughter / & where is thy wytte become Hast thou forgoten nowe howe y^e fyne golde proueth hym in the fornayse y^t he chaungeth not his vertue but is more plyaunt to be brought in to dyuers facyons. And knowest thou not y^t the moost meruayllous thynges be moost debatous & most arguous yf thou wylte aduyse the / In the same wyse to the moost hyghe thynges that ben y^t is to knowe y^e celestyall thynges. Beholde yf these grete phylosophres that hath ben that thou arguest agaynst thyne owne kynde haue determyned false and to the contrary of trouthe / and as they re­pugne one agaynst another as thou thyselfe hast sene in y^e boke of Metaphisike where as Arystotle reproueth theyr opynyons / and reherseth the sa­me wyse of Plato and of others / & note this agayne. If saynt Austyne and other doctours of y^e chyrche haue done so / the same wyse Arystotle in some partyes al be it that he be called the prynce of phylosophres and in whome Phylosophye naturall and morall was soueraynely. And it semeth that trowest that al the wordes of Phylosophres ben artycles of the fayth of Ihesu cryst / and that they maye not arre. And as to these poetes of whiche thou spekest knowest not thou well that they ha­ue spoken in many thynges in manere of fables. And do entende so moche to the contrary of that that theyr sayenges sheweth. And it maye be ta­ken after the rewle of grammere the whiche is named Antyphrasys / the whiche entendeth thus [Page] as thou knowest well / 'as one sholde say syth one is a shrewe / that is to saye that he is good / and so by the contrary. So I counsayle the that thou do thy profyte of theyr sayenges & thou vnderstande it so what so euer be theyr entente in suche places where as they blame women. And peraduenture this same mā that is Matheolus in his boke vn­derstode y^e same. For there be many thynges who so taketh them after the letter it sholde be pure he­resye / and shame to hym that sayth it / & not onely to hym but to others. And the same wyse of y^e Romaunce of the rose on whome is put grete faythe bycause of the auctoryte of the maker of the ordre of maryage whiche is an holy estate & worshyp­full & ordeyned of god. This thynge proueth cle­rely by experyence that the contrary is true of the shrewdenesse that they purpose and syth to be in that estate / to the grete charge and blame of wo­men. For who was euer that housbande y^t euer suffred suche maystrye of his wyfe that she sholde haue leue to saye so many vylanyes and iniures as they put vpon women that they sholde saye / I byleue what so euer thou hast sene in wrytynge y^u sawest it neuer at y^e eye. So they be pure lesynges ryght shrewdely coloured. Thus I say in concludynge my lefe frende that folye caused y^e this pre­sente opynyon. Nowe come agayne to thyselfe & take thy wytte & trouble y^e no more for suche fan­tasyes. For knowe wel y^t all this euyll saynges generally of womē hurteth y^e sayers & not y^e womē.

¶ Xp̄ine sayth howe that the lady that reasoned with her deuysed what was her propryete & wher of she serued / and tolde her howe she sholde buyl­de a cyte with y^e helpe of these .iij. ladyes. Ca. iij.

THis famous lady sayenge these wordes to me with y^e presence of whome I can not say whiche of my wyttes was moost vndertaken in myne herynge / in herkenynge of her worthy wordes where that my syght was in beholdynge her grete beaute / her attyre / her reuerent porte / & her ryght worshypfull countenaunce / & the same wyse of the others / and wyst not whiche of them to beholde / for soo moche these thre ladyes resem­bled eyther other / that of payne I myght knowe that one from that other / but that I sholde haue ben deceyued. And she of the lesse auctoryte than that other had her chere so fyerse that whome her eyen behelde was not so hardy / but that he sholde be vndertaken with grete drede. For it semed that she manased the euyll doers. Soo I was before them standynge vp from my syege for theyr reue­rence beholdynge them without faynynge of ony worde / as that persone that was so ouertaken y^t coude not sowne a worde. And I had grete mer­uayle in my herte thynkynge who they myght be and ryght gladly yf I had durste I wolde haue asked theyr names and theyr beynge / and what [Page] was the sygnyfyenge of y^e dyfferent septres y^t eche of them helde in theyr ryght handes whiche were of ryght grete rychesse and wherfore they were come thyder / yet when I had thought me not wor­thy to reason with them in suche demaundes soo hyghe ladyes as they appered vnto me I durst in no manere but contynued my syght vpon theym halfe aferde / & halfe assured by the wordes that I had herde them saye / whiche hathe cast me out of my fyrst thought / yet that ryght wyse lady y^t had reasoned with me whiche knewe my thought in spyryte as she that hath syght in all thynges an­swered to my thought saynge thus. Dere doughter knowe ye that the prouydence of god that no­thynge leueth vayne ne cometh not vs to estable thoughe that we knowe celestyall thynges to be & to haunte amonge the people of this bace worlde to y^e entente to put in ordre & to holde in equyte the stablementes made by ourselfe after the wyll of god in dyuers offyces / to y^e whiche god we thre ben doughters and of hym borne. So it is myne offyce to redresse men and women when they are out of the waye to put them agayne in the ryght waye. And I come to thē pryuely in spyryte all couertely / and I preche them & teche them in shew­ynge theyr erroure / and that in whiche they fayle I assygne them the causes / & after I teche theym y^e manere to folowe that that is to do / and howe they sholde flee that that is to be lefte. And for y^t I serue to showe clerely and make to se in conscyence [Page] theyr dedes to euery man and woman / and theyr propre tatches and defautes / thou feest me holde in stede of a septre this bryght glasse or my­roure that I bere in my ryght hande knowe this for trouthe that there is no persone that loketh in this myroure but he maye knowe euery creature what he is clerely. O my myroure it is of so grete dygnyte that it is not without grete cause that he is so enuyronned of so ryche precyous stones as thou seest it. For by hym these beynges qualytees proporcyon / & measures of al thynges ben know ne / ne without hym may nothynge be well made nor done / & for y^t that thou desyrest to knowe also the offyces of myne other two systers y^t thou seest here / to that entente that the wytnessynge of vs may be to the more certayne eche of them in theyr owne persone shall answere of theyr name and of theyr propryete / yet the cause and the mouynge of our comynge shall be declared by me ryght here / I make the to vnderstande that as there shall be done nothynge without good cause / our apperyn ge is nothynge here in vayne. For thoughe that we be not comunely in many places and that the knowlege of vs cometh not vnto all people.

Neuerthelesse for the grete loue the whiche thou haste for to enquyre after thynges by veray longe and contynuall studye / by the whiche thou doest yelde thyselfe here solytarye / and thou withdraw est the out of the worlde / thou haste deserued and thou deseruest to be vysyted and to be comforted [Page] of vs in thy trouble & sorowe as ryght a dere fren­de / & that thou be made clerely seynge those thyn­ges that defoule & trouble thy courage in the der­kenesse of thought. Also there is a gretter cause of our comynge and a more specyal that thou shalte knowe by our reuelacyon / so vnderstande to that entente that this erroure myght be destroyed we wolde that these ladyes and all worshypfull wo­men myght haue from hens forthe some manere of place to come to or a cloystre of defence agaynst all those that wolde assayle them. For the defaute of whiche all these foresayd ladyes and famous women haue longe tyme be lefte vnclosed as a fel­de without hedge without fyndynge of ony cham­pyon that for theyr defence myght compare suffy­cyently. Notwithstandynge these noble men that by ordenaunce of ryght ought to defende theym / whiche by neglygence and no force hathe suffred them to be defouled / by y^e whiche it is no meruayl thoughe theyr enuyous enemyes & the outrage of vylaynes assaylled them by dyuers craftes and haue had y^e vyctory agaynst them in theyr warre for defaute of defence where is y^t cyte so stronge y^t myght not sone be taken yf there be not founde re­systence. ¶ Nor so vniuste a cause but it myght be goten by cōtynuaunce of hym y^t pledeth w^tout par­ty / ryght so these symple & debonayre ladyes to y^e ensample of pacyence whiche god cōmaūdeth ha­th suffred frendely these grete iniuryes y^t so moche by y^e mouthe of so many & theyr hādes wrytynge [Page] haue suffred so moche wronge thus they reporte them to god of theyr good ryght / yet nowe it is ty­me that theyr Iuste cause be put out of y^e handes of Pharao. And therfore bytwene vs thre ladyes y^t thou seest here moued by pyte / we be come to tell the of a certayne buyldynge made in the manere of a cloystre of a Cyte strongely wrought by ma­sons handes & well buylded / whiche is predesty­nate to the for to make and to stable it by our hel­pe and counsayle / in the whiche shall none enha­byte but onely ladyes of good fame / and women worthy of praysynges. For to them where vertue shall not be founde / the walles of our Cyte shall be strongely shytte.

¶ Xp̄ine telleth howe the lady deuyfed to her the Cyte that was commytted to her to make and y^t she was stabled to helpe her to begyn the walles and the cloystre aboute / and after tolde her her na­me. Capitulo .iiij.

THus fayre doughter y^t prerogatyue is gyuen to the amonge al other wo­men to make and fortefye the Cyte of ladyes for the whiche thou shalte take vpon the to make the founde­ment and parfytely conclude hym. And thou shal te receyue of vs thre / wyne and water as of a cle­re welle. And we shall delyuer to the mater ynou­ghe more stronger & more durable than ony mar­bre [Page] / and as for Cyment there shal be no better thā thou shalte haue. So shall thy Cyte be ryght fay re without pere and of perpetuall durynge to the worlde. ¶ Haste y^u not redde y^t the kynge Troys founded the grete cyte of Troye by y^e helpe of Ap­polo / Mynerue / and Neptune / whiche the people at that tyme trowed theym as goddes. And also howe Cadmus founded the cyte of Thebes by y^e mynestracyon of goddes. And for al that those cy tees by space of tyme were ouerthrowne and ben tourned in to ruyne. But I prophecye to the as verray Sybylle that neuer this cyte whiche thou shalte founde shall be brought to nought / ne shall not fall but alway endure in prosperyte maulgre all his enuyous enemyes / thoughe that he be fou ght withall by many dyuers assaultes / so she shal neuer be taken ne ouercome. ¶ Somtyme y^e roy­alme of Amosonye was begonne by y^e ordynaun ce & entrepryse of dyuers women of grete coura­ge whiche despysed bondage so as the hystoryes bereth wytnesse. And longe tyme by them it was mayntayned vnder sygnyouryes of dyuers que­nes ryght noble ladyes y^e whiche they chose them selfe & gouerned ryght fayre and well / and by gre te strengthe maynteyned the lordshyp / and neuer thelesse thoughe they were of grete myght & pu­yssaunce & that in the tyme of theyr domynacyon conquered grete parte of the oryent & all the lan­des nyghe them put them in drede / & in the same wyse the countre of Grece doubted them whiche [Page] that tyme was y^• foure of all countrees of y^• worl­de / and not for y^t within processe of tyme the puys­saunce of the royalme by the same manere as it is of all other worldely lordshyppes there is not by den in this tyme as nowe but onely y^e same. But this cyte shal be of moche more stronger buyldyn ge that thou hast to make / for y^e whiche to begyn I am commytted by y^e delyberacyon amonge vs all thre ladyes togyder to delyuer the morter du­rable and without corrupcyon to make the stron foundementes and the grete walles all aboute. And to lyfte vp the hyghe large and grete towres and stronge castelles / dyked / bastyled / and barred as moche as it perteyneth to a cyte of grete defen ce / and by our deuyse thou shalte set it in grete dep nesse to endure the longer / and after thou shalte lyfte vp the walles so hyghe y^t all the worlde shal drede them. Doughter thus I haue nowe tolde y^e the causes of our comynge to y^e entente y^t thou take the more credence to my sayenge. Nowe I wyll y^t thou lerne my name by the sowne of y^t whi che onely thou shalte knowe y^t thou hast in me if y^• wylte folowe myne ordynaūces a mynystresse in thy nede to do y^ty^u myght not yestereuen. I am na med dame Reason / nowe aduyse y^e then yf y^u be in good conduyte / so I say no more to y^e at this tyme

¶ Here Xp̄ine telleth howe the seconde lady tolde her her name / and wherof she serued / and howe she sholde helpe her to make the masonry of the cyte of Ladyes. Ca. v.

[Page] WHan the lady aboue sayd had acche­ued her worde or that I had laysoure to answere. The seconde lady began to answere in this manere I am cal­led ryghtwysnesse whiche hathe my dwellynge more in heuen than in erthe. But as a sone beme / & a lyghtnynge or a shynynge or god & messangere of his goodnesse / I haunte amonge the Iuste persones and counsayle them to do all thynge well and to yelde to euery man that that is his / and after to say and sustayne trouthe to be re the ryght of the poore people and Innocentes / to greue others by vsurpacyon / & sustayne the re­nowne of them that ben accused without cause. I am the shelde and defence of the seruauntes of god / I call on the punycyon of euyll folkes / I ma­ke to gyue and alowe to the trauayllers / and I re­warde the good doers / and god maketh open his secretes by me to his frendes. I am theyr aduoca­te in heuen. This shynynge lyne y^t thou seest me holde in stede of a Septre in my ryght hande is y^• ryght rewle y^• departeth the ryght from the wron­ge / and it sheweth the dyfference bytwene good & euyll / who so foloweth it shall not goo out of the waye. This is the staffe of peas that reconsyleth the good. And where vpon they lene them / he smy­teth and beteth the euyl doers / what sholde I mo­re saye to the. By this lyne all thynges are lymyt­ted and the dygnytees of hym ben infynyte. Soo vnderstande that he shall serue the wel / and thou [Page] shalte haue nede of hym to measure the buyldyn­ge of the cyte that is commytted to the to make / & of the sayd Cyte to make the stone werke and to make within the hyghe towres and the hyghe pa layces to compace the housynge and all the man­syons / the stretes and places / and all thynges co­uenables to helpe the / and to put suffycyent peo­ple within the foresayd Cyte / thus am I come in thyne helpe with my syster Reason / and this no­ble lady whiche thou seest here. Boholde this is myne offyce. Nowe dysmaye thou not of the gre­te largenesse and longe cyrcuyte of the closynge of the walle. For by the helpe of god and of vs thou shalte buylde it and people it ryght well and fay­re without leuynge of ony voyde thynge w^t fayre mansyons and stronge herbegages

¶ Here Xp̄ine telleth howe the thyrde lady tolde her what she was and wherfore she serued / and howe she wolde helpe her to make the hyghe ba­taylmentes of the towres of her Cyte and to peo­ple it with noble ladyes. Ca. vi.

AFter this spake the thyrde lady whi­che sayd ryght thus. Xp̄ine ryght de­re frende. I am Iustyce the synguler doughter of god / and my beynge pro­cedeth purely of his propre persone. My dwellynge is in heuen / in erthe / and in helle. In heuen for the glorye of sayntes and of blessyd [Page] soules / In erthe for to departe & gyue euery man his porcyon other of good or of euyll as he hathe deserued. In helle for the punycyon of euyl people I bowe not to no parte. For there is no frende / no fere of grete wyl / pyte / nor prayer / thretnynge nor cruelte that moueth me. Myne offyce is onely for to Iuge / departe / & to make y^• payment after eue­ry mannes ryghtfull deseruynge. I susteyne all thynges in estate / and without me there may no thynge be stablysshed / I am in god / and god is in me / & we be as one selfe thynge. He that foloweth me maye not fayle. And my waye is sure. I teche to euery man & womā holsome vnderstandynge yf he byleue me / & I teche hym to chastyce / to kno­we / & to reproue hymselfe / fyrst to do to another y^t that he wolde sholde be done to hym / to departe thynges without fauoure to saye trouthe / to fle & hate lesynges / and to put away all vycyous thyn­ges. This vessell of fyne golde y^t thou seest in my ryght hande made after y^e guyse of a rounde mea­sure / god my fader gaue it me / & it serueth to mea­sure to euery man his lyueray of suche meryte as he ought to haue. It is marked with y^e floure de­luce of the Trynyte / and he yelded hym Iuste to porcyons there maye noo man complayne of my measure. But these men of the worlde haue other measures whiche they saye dependeth and come th of myne. But falsely they measure often tymes vnder shadowe of me / and there theyr measure is not alwaye Iuste / other it is to large to some ▪ or [Page] to lytel to some others. I myght holde longe tale ynoughe of the propryetees of myne offyce. But shortly for to say I am an especyall amonge other vertues / for al they referre them to me. And amon­ge vs .iij. ladyes that thou seest here we be as one selfe thynge / and we may none of vs do without other. And that the fyrst dysposeth / the seconde or­deyneth and putteth it to werke. And then I that am the thyrde perfourmeth it and bryngeth it to ende. Thus am I stabled to helpe the by the wyll of vs thre perfytely to make thy Cyte. And myne offyce shall be to make y^e hyghe roffes of thy tow­res of the mansyons and of the herbegages whi­che shall be of fyne golde shynynge bryght. And I shall people it of ryght worthy ladyes / & they shal be suche that shall haue the prerogatyue and the honoure amonge these other women as y^e moost excellences. And there I shall yelde the by thyne owne helpe parfyte fortefyenge and closynge of stronge gates the whiche I shall go seke in heuen and I shall delyuer vnto the the keyes with my­ne owne handes.

¶ Here Xp̄ine telleth howe she spake to to the .iij. ladyes. Ca. vij.

THese wordes abouesayd ended whi­che I had herkened by grete entente of these .iij. ladyes whiche had draw­ne fro me entyerly the dyspleasaun­ce that I had before theyr comynge [Page] Sodaynly I fell downe at theyr feete not onely on knees but all flatte for theyr grete excellence / kyssynge y^• erthe aboute theyr feete worshyppyn­ge theym as goddesses. I began myneoryson of praysynge of them in this wyse. O lady of soue­rayne dygnyte / Lanternesse of heuen gyuynge ly ght to all the erthe / welles of paradyse / & the Ioy of them that ben blessyd / wherof is come to your hyghnesse suche humylyte that ye haue vouched saufe to come frome your hyghe syeges and shy­nynge trones in to the troubled tabernacle & dar ke of a symple and an ygnoraunt studye / whiche maye not yelde couenable thankynges to suche a benefyce / & whiche haue by the rayne of the dewe of your swete wordes fallen vpon me departed & tempered the drynesse of myne vnderstandynge / so y^• it feleth hym nowe redy to burgyn & put out newe plantes / dysposed to bere fruyte of profyta­ble vertue and delectable smellynge / howe shal it be done in me suche grace that I shall receyue the gyfte after your worde to make & fortefye nowe ryght in this worlde suche a newe cyte. I am not saynt Thomas the appostle that made by deuyne grace in heuen a ryche palays to y^• kynge of ynde? Nor my feble wytte can not / ne knoweth not the crafte ne measures / ne the studye nor the pratyke of buyldynge / and yf these thynges by possybyly­te of connynge were nowe in myne vnderstādyn­ge / where sholde be taken suffycyent strengthe in my f [...]ble womans body to put so grete a thynge [Page] to werke / yet neuertheles my ryght redoubted la­dyes howe be it y^t the meruayllynge of these newe tydynges be straunge to me I knowe well y^• the­re is nothynge impossyble as to god and I ought not doubte that what thynges y^• euer be taken on hande by the counsayle and helpe of you thre / but that they be wel and fayre ended. Thus worshyp ped be god with al my power and you my ladyes that so moche haue worshypped me that I am sta bled to so noble a commyssyon y^• whiche I recey­ue with grete gladnesse. And se here your cham­berere redy to obey. Nowe cōmaunde after your pleasure.

¶ Here Xp̄ine telleth howe by the commaunde­ment of dame Reason she began to dygge the er­the to make the foundement. Ca. viij.

REason y^• noble lady then answered & sayd. Nowe ryse doughter with­out more abydynge / go we in to the felde of scryptures / there shall be loū ded the Cyte of Ladyes in a playne countre and fruytefull / there where all fruytes & swete waters ben founde / and where the groun­de haboundeth of all good thynges. Take the py coys of thyne vnderstandynge and dygge strong ly / & make a grete dyke aboute where thou seest y^• trace of my lyne. And I shall helpe the to bere out y^• erthe vpon myne owne sholders. And then for [Page] to obeye to theyr commaūdemente I dressed me lyghtly felynge my selfe by y^• vertue of them more stronge and more lyght than I was before. So she wente before and I after / and we came in to the foresayd felde / I began to dyke and dygge af ter her sygne with the picoys of inquisycyon / and my fyrst worke was done in this wyse. ¶ Ma­dame me thynketh well that ye haue sayd to me before applyenge to the purpose of y^t / y^t many mē haue so moche blamed and blameth generally y^• condycions of women / that the golde the more it is in the fornayce the more it fyneth hym / whiche is to vnderstonde / that the more they be blamed wrongfully the more encreaseth theyr meryte of theyr praysynge / yet I pray you tell me wherfore it is and whens cometh y^• cause that so many dy­uers auctours haue spoken agaynst thē in theyr bokes syth that I fele nowe that it is of wronge / whether that nature enclyne them / or yf they doo it for hate / and whens ryseth the cause. Than she answered thus. Doughter for to gyue the waye to goo in more deper I shall here out this fyrst to be borne out. ¶ Knowe that it cometh not of na­ture / but it is all y^• contrary. For there is in y^• worl de no man so grete / ne so stronge as he is of y^• gre te loue that nature by the wyll of god putteth by twene man and woman. But the causes ben dy­uers & indyfferent y^t hath moued & moueth many dyuers men to blame women / and the same wy­se y^• auctours in theyr bokes as y^• thou hast foūde [Page] ¶ For some haue done it in god entente / that is to knowe / for to drawe agayne these men that be out of the waye / by the hauntynge of dyuers wo men that ben vycyous and lyght / wherof they be assotted / other to kepe them y^t they be not assotted & to the entente y^• euery man sholde fle y^• lyfe y^• is lecherous & foule / they haue blamed all women generally for theyr trowynge to do of al abhomy nacyons. Madame sayd I then pardon me yf I yelde you here your worde / then haue they done well syth y^• good entente hathe moued them. For it is sayd that the entente Iugeth the man. Fayre doughter y^• is euyll taken sayd she. For ygnoraun ce maketh not one to excuse hym yf he siewe a mā in good entente / & by his folysshe trowynge then sholde it be well done / yet what so euer they be as in that they haue vsed of euyll ryght. For why to do greuaunce & preiudyce to one partye to trowe to socoure another it is no ryght / and to blame al y^• condycyons of women to y^• contrary of trouthe so as I shal shewe y^• by experyence. Notwithstan dynge they sholde do it in y^• entente to withdrawe these foles from folye / & also y^t yf I blame the fyre whiche is ryght a good element & ryght necessa­ry bycause y^t some men were brente therin. And al so y^• water for y^• some mē ben drowned in it / & the same wyse yf one sholde saye of all good thynges whiche a mā may vse bothe wel & euyll no mā ou ght to blame them thoughe these foles abuse thē. And these poyntes ȳ haste touched thyselfe in thy [Page] sayinges / yet they y^t so hath spoken habundaunt­ly what so euer was theyr entente they haue ta­ken theyr purpose vpon the large onely to come to theyr entente / so as he dothe y^t maketh hym to cutte a longe and a large gowne of a pece of cloth that cost hym nought / and no man saythe the con trary so he taketh and graunteth the ryght of ano ther to his vsage / yet as thou haste sayd other ty­mes ynowe. If thou sholde haue sought the way es to withdrawe these men from folye and to ke­pe them that they laboure not in vayne to blame the lyfe and the condycyons of theym the whiche sheweth them vycyous and lyght / as there is no­thyng in y^e worlde y^t maketh one more to fle to say the ryght trouthe / as dothe a shrewde woman / ly ght and cursed as it showeth whiche is a thynge counterfayte & out of her propre condycyon natu rall whiche ought to be symple / pryuy / and honest I consente well that they sholde haue buylded so ueraynely a good and fayre worke / but to blame all where there ben so many ryght excellent I pro myse y^• that it came neuer of me but that they fay­led and fayle gretely / and al they y^• foloweth them So cast out these foule stones ragged and blacke out of thy werke for they shall neuer serue ne shal not be put i good buyldynge of thy cyte. ¶ Other men haue blamed women for other causes / for to some it is come of theyr owne vyces and some be moued for y^e defaute of theyr owne ladyes others for pure enuye / some others for delectacyon that [Page] of theyr propre condycyon hath to saye shrewdely Other for to showe that they haue sene ynoughe of scrypture / and so they grounded them on that y^• they haue founde in bokes & speketh after those others and aledge them for auctours. Those the whiche it is come of theyr propre vyces ben men that haue vsed theyr youthe in the dyssolute lyfe & haboūded them in many dyuers loues of dyuers women. Thus they are borne vp by dyuers cau­ses whiche taketh no hede of themselfe & waxeth olde in theyr synnes without repentaunce / yet ta ke they sorowe to theyr passed folyes & dyssolute lyfe that they haue ledde in theyr tyme. For natu­re is waxed colde in them whiche suffreth theym not to put theyr courage to effecte after theyr wyl that y^e appetyte wolde without puyssaunce. So they haue sorowe when they se that y^e lyfe y^t they were wonte to calle theyr good tyme is faylled from them & that the yonge men y^t ben nowe ha­ue the tyme as they were wonte to haue. Thus they knowe not howe to put away theyr sorowe but to blame womē by theyr trowynge to do dys pleasaunce to others. And one saythe commune­ly suche olde men speke foule and dyshonestly soo as thou mayst se them / and properly of Matheo­lus whiche confesseth hymselfe that he was olde full of wyll and no power / & thou mayst proue it true by hym that I haue sayd to the. And byleue it stably that it is in the same wyse of others / but these olde men thus defouled whiche be as y^e lyfe [Page] of a mesell that may not be heled of the good auncyent men that I haue made perfyte in vertue in the mouthe of whome after theyr courage all the wordes ben of good ensampre / honest / and dyscrete and whiche hateth all euyll doyinge & euyll sayenge. And they defame not ne blame nother men ne women / but hateth all vyces in generall counsaylynge to fle them and folowe the ryght waye. Those that haue ben moued by defaute of theyr owne body ben some impotent and dyfformed of theyr membres that haue sharpe and malycyous vnderstandynge. And the sorowe of theyr impo­tencye can none otherwyse aduenge them / but to blame them of whome cometh Ioye to many by trowynge to tourne away y^e pleasaunce of others when they may not vse it in theyr owne persone.

¶ Those that haue blamed them by enuye ben some myscheuous men y^t haue sene and knowne dyuers women of gretter vnderstandynge & more noble of condycyon than they be y^t blameth them And therfore theyr grete enyuye hath moued them to blame all women / trowynge to withdrawe & to make lesse theyr worshyp & praysynge / All this y^t he hath done I wote not what man in his say­enge that he claymeth tytle of phylosophy in whiche he trauayleth hym moche to proue howe it perteyneth not that euery womā be worshypped moche by man / and sayth that they y^t maketh so mo­che of them chaungeth wrongfully y^e name of his boke / that is to say of phylosophye maketh phylosopholy. [Page] But I promyse the & afferme y^t he hym­selfe by the bryngynge forthe of that processe full of lesynges y^t he holdeth maketh a ryght phyloso­pholy. Those that of nature are euyll sayers / it is no meruayle whan they blame euery man thou­ght they saye euyll of women / & alwayes this I promyse y^e that a man that saythe euyll wylfully of women it cometh of ryght grete age of coura­ge. For he dothe agaynst reason & agaynst kynde Agaynst reason in so moche that he is ryght vn­kynde & euyll knowynge of teh grete benefeytes that women hath done to hym / so grete y^t he may not yelde them agayne / & by so often tymes & contynuelly that she dothe to hym of necessyte ayenst kynde in that that there is no dome beest ne byrde but naturally it loueth derely theyr fader and moder . So it is a thynge out of kynde whan a reasonable man dothe the contrary.

¶ And so as there is so worthy a werke al be it that it be made by a good mayster but some notwithstandynge y^t they can but lytell they wyll counterfeyte. There ben many that medle them of endytynge / and they se­me that they may not do amysse syth that others haue sayd in theyr bokes that that they wolde say and as that men saythe I knowe some of theym that wyll entremete and medle for to speke in makynge of dyttyes of fresshe water without salte.

¶ Suche ben theyr wrytynges and theyr bala­des without vnderstandynge or felynge / and spekynge of the condycyons of women / or of lordes / [Page] or of other peole / & they can not knowe themselfe nor aduyse theyr caytyuous inclynacyons and defautes / & y^e symple people whiche ben ygnoraunt as they saye that it is the beste done thynge in the worlde.

¶ Here Xp̄ine telleth howe she dygged in y^e erthe whiche is to vnderstande the questyons that she made to Reason / any howe reason answered her. Capitulo .ix.

NOwe I haue arayed & ordeyned grete worke / so thynke thou to dygge in the erthe after y^e pourtrayenge of my sygne. And then to obeye her cōmaū ­dement I smote with all my myght in this manere. Madame whens came it to Ouyde that is of reputacyon amonge poetes as one of the moost souerayne / notwithstandynge y^t dy­uers clerkes say / and my Iugement accordeth to the same alwayes vnder your correccyon y^t Vyr­gyle was more to prayse & his wrytynges of mo­re spedefulnesse than his whiche blamed women so moche in many of his dyttyes as in the boke y^t he made whiche is called the crafte of loue / & also in other of his volumes.

¶Answere. Ouide was a subtyll man in the crafte and scyence of poetrye and had grete vnderstādynge / all be it he lete his body slyppe in to all vanyte & delyte of flesshe, not onely in one loue / but habandoned hymselfe to al [Page] women so as he myght. Nor he kepte not measu­re nor trouthe to no woman / but haunted this ly­fe in his youthe as longe as he myght / for y^e whi­che at the last he had the rewarde and payment y^t vnto such a case perteyneth. That is to knowe / sclaundre / losse of goodes and membres / wherfore in for his grete voluptuousnesse as well in dede as in worde counsayllynge the yonge folke to le­de the same lyfe he was sente in to exyle. Also as it happened after that by fauoure of some yonge puyssaunt Romaynes he was called agayne fro exyle. And he kepte hym not after frome fallynge agayne in his euyll doynge / whereof he was somwhat punysshed before. And then he was chafed and dysseuered frome his membres by his owne deserte. Thus it is to the purpose that I sayd to y^e aboue. For when he sawe that he myght not lede y^e lyfe in the whiche he was wonte to delyte hym so moche. Thē he toke on hym strongly to blame women by his subtyll reasons / and by that enforced hym to dysprayse them to others.

¶ Madame ye say wel. But I haue sene a boke of another auctore Italyen. I suppose of the contrary or of the marches of Costane whiche calleth hym Ce­codastoly that sayth in a chapytre meruayllous abhomynacyons more than ony other suche as be not to reherce of no persone that hathe vnder­standynge.

¶ Answere. Thoughe Cecodastoly saye euyll of all women / Doughter meruayle the not for he had all women in hate & dyspleasaunce [Page] and y^e same wyse by his horryble shrewdenesse he wolde make them to dysplease & to be hated of al men. So he was alowed after his meryte / for by the deseruynge of his cursed vyce he was brente in the fyre ryght dyshonestly. ¶ Another lytell bo ke in latyne I sawe also madame / y^t nameth hym the secrete of women whiche speketh of y^e makyn ge of theyr bodyes naturall many grete defautes ¶ Answere. Thou mayst knowe by thyselfe with out ony other proue / y^t that boke was made at vo lentees & fayntly coloured as thou hast redde whi che is an open thynge to the y^t it is drawne all of lesynges / & thoughe y^t some men saye that it was arystotyll / that is not to byleue that suche a phylo sophre was so charged with so false tales. For by that / that these women maye clerely proue & kno we that some thynges y^t he toucheth be not true / but verye fables / thus they may conclude y^t these maters that he treateth of be very lesynges. But remembrest y^• it not that he saythe at his begyn­nynge y^t I wote not what pope cursed euery man that sholde rede it to ony woman / or take it them to rede. Madame I remembre it wel. Than kno west not thou the malycyous cause wherfore this Iape was gyuen to be byleued of bestyall men & nyce at the begynnynge of y^t boke. Madame nay but yf ye tell it me. It was to y^t entente y^t women sholde not haue no knowlege of that boke nor of that cōteyned in hym. For he y^t made it knewe wel that yf they redde it or herde it redde / y^t they sholde [Page] knowe well y^t it was but tryfles so they sholde ha ue spoken ayenst hym & mocked hym. Thus wol de y^• auctoure y^t made it mocke & begyle y^• men y^t sholde rede it by this way. Madame I am remē ­bred y^t amonge these other thynges y^t he hath sayd whē he hath spoken yn oughe of y^e impotence im­ꝑfeccyon & feblenes whiche is cause of myss hap­ynge of womans body in y^e wombe of y^e moder y^t nature is ashamed / when she sawe y^t she had four med suche a body as a thynge imperfyte. Ha the grete foly swete frende & the grete blyndnesse out of all reason y^t moueth or styreth ony man to say it & howe nature whiche is y^e chambryere of god is she more maystres thā her mayster almyghty god whiche had y^e shap of man & woman in his thou­ght when it came to his wyll to fourme Adā of y^e s [...]yme of y^e erthe in the felde of Damas / & when he had made hym he brought hym in to paradyse ter restre whiche was & is the worthyest place of this lowe worlde / & there Adam slepte & of one of his Rybbes to y^t entente y^t he sholde loue woman as his owne fless he fourmed y^e body of y^• woman / so the moost souerayne werkeman had no shame to make & fourme the body of womā / and sholde na ture be ashamed therof. ¶ Ha y^e grete some of fo­lyes to saye y^t it is trewe / and howe was she four med I wote not yf y^• notest it / she was fourmed af ter the ymage of god. O howe durste the mouthe say so euyl of so noble a prynte / but some be so gre te foles y^t they trowe when they here say that god [Page] made man after his ymage y^• it be to say of mate­ryall body. But it is not so / for god had not then taken the body of man but it is to vnderstande of the soule whiche is a spyryte vnderstandynge the whiche shal endure w^tout ende to y^• lykenes of the deite / y^• whiche soule god made & put as good & as worthy & all euen to the body of woman as of man. But yet as to the makynge of the body the woman was made of the moost souerayne wer­ke man / and in what place was she made / In pa­radyse terrestre / wherof came the foule matere y^• she was made of. Nay it was of the moost noble matere that euer was made that was of the bo­dy that god made. Madame after that that I fe­le of you womā is ryght a noble thynge. But yet Tullyus sayth y^• a man sholde neuer serue a wo­man / and he that dothe it defouleth hymselfe / for none ought to serue that that is lower than hym selfe. ¶ Answere. He is happy that serueth y^• vyr­gyne that is aboue al the aungelles / and he or she that is moost hyghe ought to serue her in whom all vertue haboundeth. Also madame one of the Cathons sayth whiche that was a grete clerke / y^• yf y^• worlde had ben without we sholde haue ben conuersannt with goddes. ¶ Answere. Nowe mayst thou well se the foly of hym that men helde so sage. For by y^• encheson of woman men reygne th with god. And yf ony wolde saye y^• man wa [...] ban [...]sshed by woman by the cause of dame Eue [...] I saye y^t he hathe goten more hyghe degre by ou [...] [Page] lady Mary than he lost by Eue in so moche y^t the manhode is Ioyned to y^• godhede & that had not ben yf the trespace of Eue had not ben. So bothe man and womā ought to lyfte vp themselfe from that defaute / & he that worshyppeth woman wor shyppeth hymselfe. For of so moche as mannes nature fell more lower by suche a creature as wo man / by woman she is lyfte vp agayne more hy­gher / & to be conuersaunt with goddes as Caton sayth yf womā had not be / he sayd more truer thā he wende / for he was a paynyme / & amōge thē of y^t lawe they vnderstode as well goddes to be in helle as in heuen / y^t is to knowe the deuylles whi che they called theyr goddes of helle. So it is no Iape that men sholde haue ben cōuersaunt with those goddes yf our lady Mary had not ben.

¶ Also of the same altrycacyons and answeres. Capitulo .x.

ALso the same Caton sayth yet that the woman y^t pleaseth a man naturally re sembleth the rose whiche is pleasaunt to se / but y^e thorne is vnder & prycketh ¶ Answere. This Caton sayth more trewer agayne thā he wende. For euery good ho nest woman & of good lyfe ought to be & is one of the pleasauntest thynges y^t is to se. And alwayes there is the thorne of drede to do amysse & a com­pūccyon in her courage whiche y^t parteth not fro [Page] her. And y^t maketh her to holde her pryue & sytte­th styll / & that is it y^t kepeth her. Many auctours bereth wytnesse madame y^t women ben by natu­re synful. Doughter thou hast herde speke of a pro uerbe that sayth that y^t nature gyueth may not be taken away. So it sholde be to grete a meruayle yf they sholde be so enclyned to synne naturally. For the women y^t loueth her worshyp nature sty­reth them neuer to come in suche places where as y^t synne that is sayd of them is vsed / as in tauer­nes & other places to y^t or for that ordeyned / & yf ony man wolde answere & saye y^t shame kepeth them / I say y^t is not true. For it is another thynge that kepeth them whiche is theyr naturall condy cyon whiche is not so enclyned therto. And I put case that they were so enclyned & that shame gaue them suche resystence contrary to theyr naturall inclynacyon that y^t vertue and constaunce sholde tourne them to grete worshyp & praysynge. And to y^t purpose remembrest thou not that not longe ago that as thou were in a festfull day at the gate of thyne house deuysynge one & other with a wor shypfull damoysell thy neyghboure. And y^u sawest a man come out of a tauerne y^t wente talkynge w^t another sayenge / I haue spente thus moche at y^• tauerne / & my wyfe shall drynke no wyne to ny­ght. And then thou called hym to the and asked y^• cause why / and he sayd to the. For this cause ma­dame. For she hathe suche a condycyon that eue­ry tyme that I come from the tauerne she asketh [Page] me howe moche I haue spente / & yf it be more thā xij. pens she wyll recompence me by the sobernes of her mouthe / & that y^t I haue spente to moche & sayth y^t yf we bothe sholde spende so largely / oure crafte sholde not tournysshe vs to our dyspence. Madame sayd I then of y^• I remembre me well. & then she sayd to me. Thou mayst knowe by en­samples ynowe y^• by nature women ben sobre / & those y^t be not they go out of kynde / for there may not be a more lewder vyce in a woma than glo [...]o ny / for y^t vyce draweth to hym many other vyces But y^• mayst well se of them grete companyes & grete prese in theyr chyrches at sermons & at par­dons holdynge theyr beedes in theyr handes say enge theyr prayers. Madame sayd I y^t is trouthe But these men say y^t they go fresshe & Ioly to sho­we theyr beaute & to drawe these mē to theyr loue ¶ Answere. That sholde be a thynge for [...]o byle­ue dere frende yf one sawe none there but yonge women & fresshe▪ but y^• shalte se there for one yon ge womā .xx. or .xxx. olde of symple habyte to go & haunte y^e places of deuocyon. And yf deuocyon be amonge women it sholde folowe in y^• same wyse y^t charyte fauteth not there / for they vysyte y^• syke & comforte thē / they renne to pore people & se [...] che th hospytalles & bury y^• deed bodyes. Me semeth y^t these be y^• werkes of womē y^• whiche ben y^• [...]oue rayne traces y^t god cōmaūdeth vs to folowe. Ma dame ye say wel / but there is an auctour sayth y^t womē by nature haue yll courage & be as chyldrē [Page] And for that cause chyldren ben cōuersaunt with them / & they with the chyldren. ¶ Answere. Dou ghter yf thou take hede to y^• nature of a chylde of his condycyon / he loueth frendlynesse / & swetnes And what thynge is there in y^• worlde more swet ter & more amyable than is a woman well set in ordre. Ha the cursed people of the deuylles condy cyon that wolde haue the welthe & vertue of me­kenesse and benygnyte that is in women tourne to euyll & in to reproffe. For thoughe women loue chyldren / it cometh not of them by y^• vyce of ygno raunce / but it cometh of the swetnesse of theyr cō ­dycyon / and yf they be as chyldren in benygnyte of that & in that they be well counsaylled. For so as the gospell recordeth. Ne sayd not our lorde to his appostles when they stryued amonge theym whiche sholde be moost grete / & he called a chylde and layde his hande on his heed and sayd. I saye you certaynly that he that wyl holde hym lytell & meke as a chylde shal be moost hye. For who that meketh hym shall be enhaunced / and he y^• enhaun ceth hym shall be put lowe. Madame men dothe me grete hurte of one prouerbe in latyne y^• they re proue women by often tymes whiche sayth wepe speke / and spynne / god hath put in woman. ¶ An swere. Forsothe swete frende that worde is true howe be it that he y^• trowed or sayd y^• in reproue / it was for them a good happe whiche by spekyn­ge / wepynge / & spynnynge haue ben saued / thus god put in them suche condycyons. And agaynst [Page] them that so moche reproueth them in the condy­on of wepynge. I saye yf that our sauyour Ihesu cryst to whome no thought is hydde and whiche seeth euery courage had knowen that y^• teeres of women had come onely of fragylyte and symple­nesse / the dygnyte of his grete hyghnesse had not ben so enclyned to yelde hymselfe teeres of y^• eyen of his worshypfull & gloryons body by compassy on when he sawe Mary Magdaleyne & Mar [...]ha her syster wepe for y^• dethe of theyr broder Lazare whiche he raysed from the dethe. O howe many grete graces god hath done to women bycause of theyr teeres. He dyspraysed not the teeres of the foresayd Mary Magdaleyne / but accepted them in so moche that he pardoned her of her synnes / & by the merytes of them she is in heuen gloryously Also he put not awaye those teeres of y^• wydowe whiche wepte for her deed sone y^• one bare to the erthe. And our lorde whiche is y^• welle of all pyte moued of compassyon for the teeres of her wente to aske her / wherfore wepest thou / and then ano ne he raysed the chylde to y^• lyfe. Other grete gra­ces whiche sholde be longe to telle god hathe do­ne to many women for theyr wepynge & alwaye dothe. wherfore I suppose that bycause of theyr wepynge and theyr deuocyon many of them ben saued & others also whiche they pray for. Ne was not saynt Austyne y^• gloryous doctoure of y^• chyr­che conuerted to the fayth / bycause of wepynge of his moder. For that same good lady wepte with [Page] out seasynge praynge to god y^• it myght please hȳ to enlumyne the herte of her sone whiche was at y^• tyme a paynyme & out of y^• byleue from y^• lyght of y^• faythe. wherfore this good lady wente often tymes to requyre saynt Ambrose y^• he sholde pray to god for hym / & then my lady Reason sayd to me I suppose sayd she y^• it sholde be a thynge impossy ble y^• so many teeres of a womā sholde be lost. O blessyd saynt Ambrose thou trowed not y^• so ma­ny teeres of a womā sholde be set at nought / and that may be answere to men y^• reproue women y^• bycause of theyr wepynge / of a woman is y^• holy lyght in the fronte of holy chyrche whiche clereth & enlumyneth all the chyrche. That is to knowe saynt Austyne. Soo lette men speke no more of y^• as nowe. The same wyse truely god put the spe­kynge in woman worshypped be he. For yf speche had not ben put in theym they had ben dome / yet contrary to y^• that the prouerbe whiche I knowe not who made it at his pleasure in the reproffe of women / yf language of y^• woman had ben so mo che reprouable & of so lytell auctoryte as some mē wolde saye / our lorde Ihesu Cryst had neuer vou ched saufe y^• so worshypfull a mystery as y^• was of his gloryous resurreccyon whiche was fyrst an­nounced by womā as he hymselfe commaunded to the blessyd Mary Magdaleyne to whome he appered fyrst on Ester day that she sholde tell it & ānounce it to his dyscyples & to Peter. O blessyd lorde Ihesu loued be thou whiche with other infy [Page] nyte gyftes & graces y^• thou hast done & gyuen to woman kynde woldest that woman sholde be y^• berer of so hyghe & worshypfull tydynges wel ou ght these enuyous men to be styll yf they aduyse them well. It was a good happe y^• the womā of Cananee was so grete a speker whiche dyde nou ght elles but crye after our lorde Ihesu Cryst go­ynge by the stretes of Iherusalem sayenge. Haue mercy on me lorde for my doughter is syke. But what dyde our lorde god he in whom al mercy ha bounded & haboundeth / and to whom it suffysed one onely worde comynge from the herte to haue mercy. It semed y^• he delyted in many wordes of y^• mouthe of y^• woman alway perseueraunt in her prayer / but wherfore dyde he it / It was to proue her stedfastnesse. For when he herde her lyken her selfe to dogges / that semed a lytell rudely for y^• she was of a straunge lawe and not of goddes lawe She had no shame to speke well & wysely in say­enge. Lorde it is true y^• the lytell dogges eteth y^• crommes that falleth from y^• table of theyr lorde. O ryght wyse woman who hathe tought the to speke so. Thou gatest thy cause by thy language yssued of good wyll / and well it semed. For oure lorde bare wytnesse of his owne mouthe / retour­nynge than vnto his appostles sayenge to th [...]ym that he had not founde suche fayth in Israell and graunted vnto her request and desyre. ¶ Ha who maye somme suffysauntly the worshyp in y^• kyn­de of woman the whiche the enuyous men wyll [Page] so dysprayse consyderynge that in the herte of a lytell woman of the kynred of paynymes▪ god foū ­de more faythe than in all the bysshoppes & pryn­ces or preestes / or in the people of Iewes y^• called thēselfe the worthy people of god. In suche a manere spake also longly & w^t grete pleatynge & wel for her the woman Samarytane that was come to drawe of the water / where she founde Ihesu cryst syttynge all wery. O thou blessyd godhede conioyned to the worshypful body. Howe myght thou suffre thy holy mouthe to open / and to holde the rayne of wordes of helthe to this poore & lytel woman synner / y^e whiche was not of that lawe. Truely thou shewed well y^t thou dysdayned not y^e deuoute kynde of women. ¶ Ne spake not wy­sely the woman y^t sate at the sermone of our lorde Ihesu Cryste whiche was so embraced with his holy wordes / so as one saythe y^t women may not byleue so soone / yet she spake at y^t tyme / & then she rose with a grete wyll & sayd. Blessyd be y^t wom­be that bare the & the pappes that thou sowked. ¶ Thus thou mayst vnderstande fayre swete frē de that god hathe shewed y^t truely he loueth lan­guage to be well serued. So that ought not to be reproffe to them wherof so moche welthe cometh and so lytell euyll / for no man seeth grete preiudy­ce come of theyr language. ¶ And as to spynne / truely it is goddes wyll y^t it be kyndely to them. For that offyce is necessary to goddes seruyce / & to y^e helpe of euery creature reasonable / without [Page] the whiche worke the offyces of the worlde shol­de be maynteyned in grete foulenesse and vnclen nesse. So it is grete shredenesse to put that in to y^• reproffe of woman that ought to tourne them to grete honoure and praysynge.

¶ Xp̄ine demaundeth of Reason wherfore it is that women sytteth not in the syege of pleadynge Capitulo .xj.

RIght hyghe and worshypfull lady / your fayre reasons satysfyeth ryght gretely my thought. But yet tell me yf it please you the trouthe / wherfo­re is that y^t these women holde noo pleadynge in the courte of Iustyce / nor they kno­we not of the causes ne dothe no Iugement. For these men saye y^t it is for they can not / & that wo­man y^t sytteth in y^e place of Iustyce gouerneth her shrewdely. Doughter these ben but Iapes & thyn ges contryued of that y^• one lyst to say of women But he that wolde demaunde the causes and rea sons of al thynges it sholde be to moche to answe re. Howe be it that Arystotle in in his boke of pro blemes yeldeth reason of many thynges / & in the same wyse in the boke of propryetees of thynges ben conteyned y^e beynges of dyuers accyons na­turalles. But as to y^t fayre frende the same wyse yf it be demaunded why god ordeyned not y^• these men sholde do y^e offyces of women / & the women [Page] the offyces of men. But y^• answere is this y^e as a wyse lo [...]de well ordeyned stablyssheth his meyne to do dyueuers offyces one one thynge / another another thynge / as so that y^t one dothe another do the not. The same wyse god hath ordeyned man & woman to serue / & also to helpe / comforte / & hol de company one with another euery of them in y^• he is ordeyned to do / & hathe gyuen to euery kyn­de suche nature & inclynacyon as to do his offyce competently perteynynge to hym / howe be it that mannes nature abuseth often tymes in y^t that he ought to do. He hath gyuen to men body stronge power / and hardy to go & come & speke / and for y^e these men that haue y^t nature lerneth the lawes / & ought to put them in execucyon / to holde y^e worl­de in the ordre of Iustyce. And they be bounde y^t in case y^t ony wolde not obey to y^e lawes establed by ryght & reason y^t they sholde make them to obeye by force of theyr bodyes and by puyssaunce of ar­mes & that the women may not do. For howe be it that god hath gyuen them vnderstandynge yet they may not vse it in y^t manere for theyr honeste. For it were not conuenyent that they sholde goo sewe them in Iugement as these men done. For there ben ynowe y^• dothe it / for what nedeth thre men to lyfte vp a fardell y^t twayne may lyghtly be re it away / yet yf some men wolde saye y^t women haue not suffycyent vnderstandynge for to lerne the lawes / the contrary is made open by expery­ence / and it appereth of many women / as it shall [Page] be sayd here after y^e whiche haue ben ryght grete phylosophres & haue lerned more subtyll scyence and more hygher than the lawes wryten by men. And also who wolde purpose that they haue not naturall wytte in dede of polycye & of gouernaū ­ce. I gyue y^e ensample of many grete may stresses that haue ben in tyme past / & also in thy tyme / to y^• entente y^• thou sholdest knowe the better my trou the of them that haue ben wydowes whiche haue kepte good gouernaunce in all theyr doynges af ter the dethe of theyr housbandes / whiche gyueth open experyence y^t a woman that hath vnderstan dynge is couenable in all thynges.

¶ Here it speketh of y^e Empresse Nyehole & after of dyuers noble quenes and pryncesses of Fraunce. Capitulo .xij.

TEll me I praye the where was euer that kynge of grete vnderstandynge in the dede of polycye of gouernaun ce to kepe souerayne Iustyce / and al so of hyghe magnyfycence in lyuyn­ge that is reode of the ryght noble Empresse Ny­chole. For not withstandynge that in these coun­trees grete / large / & dyuers that she had the rew­le of had ben kynges of grete fame called Phara­ons of whom she was descended. This lady was she that fyrste began to lyue in her royalme after [Page] lawes & worldely polycy / & she destroyed the rude maners of lyuynge of those countrees y^• she had in gouernaunce. And these auctours saye y^• speke th of her that she amended y^• rudenesse of her peo­ple. And she was herytoure of the foresayd Pha­raons / not onely of y^• lytell countre / but of the roy alme of Arabee of Ethyope and of Egypte / & of y^• Ile Maromye whiche is ryght longe and large / and habundaunte of all manere of goodes whi­che is closed with the flode of Nyle whiche she go uerned by meruayllous prudence / what shall I saye more of this lady whiche had all this welthe but that she was so wyse & of suche gouernaunce y^• holy scrypture speketh of her grete vertue. She herselfe ordeyned lawes and ryghtes to gouerne her people. She habounded in grete noblesse and rychesse more than ony man in those dayes / & she was profounde & experte in scryptures & in scyen ces. And she had so hyghe a courage that she dys­deyned to be maryed ne wolde that no man shol­de haue, knowlege of her body.

¶ Of the quene of Fraunce whiche was named Fredegonde. Ca. xiij.

OF ladyes of wyse gouernaunce I my­ght telle the ynoughe. The quene of Fraunce Fredegonde that had ben y^• wyfe of kynge Charles notwithstan­dynge she was cruell out of naturall [Page] lawe of woman [...]et after the dethe of her houfbā de she gouerned the royalme of Fraunce by grete prowe [...]se whiche was at that tyme in ryght grete balaunce. For there was lefte her a sone without mo herytours of his fader the whiche was called Clothary [...] / so there was grete deuy [...]yon amonge the lordes bycause of gouernaunce & vpon y^• the­re fell grete warre to y^• royalme / yet this lady hel­de contynually her sone bytwene her armes. And she called & assembled theyr lordes in a counsayle & sayd lordes so here your kynge / ye haue not for goten the trouthe / whiche alwayes hath ben in Fraunce / and nowe dyspyse hym not thoughe he be a chylde / for by y^• helpe of god he shall encrease and when he shall come to age he shal knowe his good frendes and shall rewarde them after theyr desertes. So I pray you dysheryte hȳ not wrong fully. And as for me I make you certayne that he shall rewarde them that well and truely mayn­teyneth hym that they shall be the better euer af­ter. And so this quene appeased y^• lordes thrughe the whiche sadde gouernaunce she dyde so moche that she drewe her sone out of his enemyes han­des and nourysshed hym herselfe tyl that he was of age and by her he gate the crowne and the wor shyppe of the royalme whiche had neuer ben done but by the grete prudence of her.

¶ And in the same wyse one maye saye of the ry­ght wyse / and in all cases good the noble quene Blaunche moder vnto Saynt Lowes / whiche [Page] so nobly & prudently gouerned y^• [...]oyalme of Frail [...]o ryll her sone were rype of age / whiche was ne­uer better gouerned by man / & also whan he was come to his age by y^• proffe of her wyse gouernan̄ [...]e sh [...] was alway thyefe of his counsay [...]e / and no thynge was done without her and also she sewed her [...]one alwaye in batayle and in warre / other n [...] out nombre I myght tell y^• to this purpose whi­che I let passe for shortnesse of tyme / yet syth y^• we be entred to speke of ladyes of Fraunce without goyenge ferther to seke straunge storyes. Thou sawest in thy tyme y^• noble quene of Fraūce Iane wedowe of kynge Charles the fourth / yfthou ha ne it in mynde. Aduyse the grete welthe that y^• fa­me of this noble lady wytnesseth as moche in no table ordynaunce of her courte as in manere of ly uynge & in souerayne Iustyce. It was neuer spo­ken of prynce that maynteyned and kepte better in his londe y^• was pertaynynge to hym thā this lady dyde. And the noble lady that was wedded to the duke of Orlynaunce sone of kynge Phylyp resembled her wel / the whiche in her wydo whode in the whiche she was longe tyme maynteyned Iustyce in her countre so ryghtfully that no man myght do better. ¶ Also the quene of Fraūce da­me Blaunche whiche was wyfe to kynge Iohan maynteyned her londe and gouerned by grete or­dre of ryght & Iustyce. And what myght one saye of the worshypfull and wyse lady the duchesse of Aniou some tyme doughter to the holy Charles [Page] de Bloys duke of Brytayne / and after was wyfe to the yonger brother of y^• kyng of Fraūce. The whiche duke was called syth kynge of Ce [...]yl how helde she vnder the rodde of Iustyce the londes & countrees / as well of Prouance as of other that she gouerned and helde in her honde for the ryght noble chyldren whyle y^• they were yonge / where was euer clamoure or playnte harde of wronge done that this noble lady sholde do. In the same wyse the Coūtesse de la marche lady & countesse of Uandome & of Castres whiche yet is on lyue / what myght one saye of her gouernaunce wolde it not be knowne howe & in what manere her I [...] styce was maynteyned / & she herselfe as a good & wyse lady toke hede therto curyously. And what sholde I say more / one myght say yn oughe of gre te ladyes / meanes / & lesse / in the same wyse howe they dyde that y^• was perteynynge to them who so wyl take hede. It semeth me that one myght se that these noble ladyes in theyr wydo whode ha­ue susteyned & suffycyently well kepte Iurysdyc­ [...]yon & ryght in theyr lordeshyppes as theyr hous­bandes dyde that tyme lyuynge & as well loued of theyr subiectes & better. For be it no doubte nor dyspleasaunce to men y^• there ben many women y^• haue better vnderstandynge than some of these men haue / of the whiche yf theyr housbandes had byleued them that they had had suche vnderstan­dynge as they had it myght haue tourned theym to grete profyte / yet thoughe these women com­munely [Page] medle them not of the dede of Iugement ne pronounce the causes of partyes it is to theym no force. For by so moche they haue the lesse char­ge to theyr soules and to theyr bodyes. And howe be it that it is a thynge necessary for to punysshe y^• euyll doers and to do ryght vnto euery man the­re ben men ynowe & suche offycers that they my­ght wyss he y^• they had neuer knowne more than theyr moders. For yf they go all the ryght waye / god knoweth of the whiche if there be ony fraude theyr punycyon is not lytell.

¶ Of altercacyons and argumentes of Xp̄ine to dame Reason. Ca. xiiij.

CErtes madame ye say ryght wel / and your reasons ben ryght well sow [...]yn ge in my courage. But yet thoughe it be so of theyr vnderstandynge is that proued that women haue feble body­es / tendre and not myghty in the dedes of streng­the / and by nature they ben cowardes / and this is one thynge that maketh moche lesse the degree and auctoryte of the kynde of woman / by the Iu­gement of men. For they wyll saye that in so mo­che as a body is more imperfyte in euery thynge so moche is it abredged and made lesse of his ver­tue. And by that that thou folowest it / it is y^• lesse for to prayse. ¶ Answere. Dere doughter thys [Page] folowynge is not good nor to be susteyned. For without fayle one seeth often tymes y^• when na­ture hathe restrayned ony thynge frome a body y^• she hathe fourmed / she rewardeth y^t body in some other thynge of as moche valoure / as thus. If a womā be imparfyte of shap / or of beaute / or of im potencye / or feblenes of membres it is sygne y^• she recompenseth her with some other thynge that is more worth than y^t she hath berafte her. Ensam­ple as it is sayd of the grete phylosophre Arystotle whiche was ryght lewde of shap / one eye hygher than that other and of straunge vysage / yet thou­ghe he had ony deformyte of body or of shap / true ly nature recompensed hym ryght gretely in vn­derstandynge retentyfe and felynge as it appere­th by this antentyke wrytynges so y^t recompen­synge of so grete wytte was of more valoure thā thoughe he had a body lyke vnto Absolon. In the same wyse one maye say of the grete Emperoure Alexandre y^t was but lytell of body yet had he gre te vertue in his courage as it appered & so it is by many others. So I promyse the fayre loue y^t the grete & stronge body causeth not the vertuous & myghty courage / but it cometh of a vertuous strē gethe & maners y^t is gyuen of god / whiche graun teth to nature to leue to some creatures reasona­bles more thā to some others / for it is a gyfte hyd in the vnderstandynge & in courage / & not onely in the strengthe of body nor of membres thus we knowe often tymes by that y^• grete men ynowe & [Page] of stronge membres we se they be latches faylyn ge & recrayed / & of others that haue ben lytell & fe ble of body y^• ben hardy & full stronge / & the same wyse it is of other vertues / but as to y^• hardynes & suche strengthe / god & nature hathe done ynou­ghe for women in y^• that he hath gyuen them Im potencye. For at y^• leest they ben agreably excused by y^t defaute in so moche y^t they do not these horry ble crueltees y^• wronges & the grete greues & ex­torcyons the whiche are done to y^• worlde bycau se of strength / so they shal not haue suche punyssh mentes as suche case requyreth / & it sholde haue ben ryght good for y^• soules of man y^• they myght haue passed the pylgrymage of this worlde in the feble body of woman. And truely I saye & come agayne to my purpose y^• yf nature had not gyuen grete strengthe of membres to a womans body y^• she recompenseth her ryght well in that y^• there is gyuen to her a more vertuous inclynacyon / y^t is to loue god / & to be dredefull naturally to do cō trary to his commaundementes / & those that do otherwyse dothe out of kynde. But alwayes ad­uyse the dere doughter howe it semeth y^• god lyst to showe all degrees to men thoughe y^• they say y^• for as moche as womē haue not all so grete stren gthe & hardynesse corporall as communely these men haue y^• they ought not byleue y^• it is for that that al bodely strengthe and hardynesse be shytte fro the kynde of womā. It appereth by that that in many women there is shewed grete courage / [Page] strengthe & hardynesse to vndertake all maner of stronge thynges & to accheue them lyke as dyde these grete men & solem [...]ne conquerours of whō there is made so grete mencyon in wrytynges as I shall remembre y^• here after by ensample. Fayre doughter nowe I haue ordeyned & arayed for y^• a pytte grete and large. And I haue borne out vpō my sholdres ryght grete burdens of rubrysshe of the erthe. And it is tyme y^t thou sette in these grete & stronge stones for the foundement of y^• walles of the cyte of Ladyes. Nowe take thy truell & thy plumbe w^t thy lyne & make y^• redy to werke strong ly y^• masonry by grete dylygence. For se here a gre te and a large stone whiche I wyll y^• it be y^• fyrste set in the foundement of thy cyte / & knowe it y^t na ture herselfe hathe pourtrayed it by the sygnes of Astrologye for to be alowed in this werke. Nowe drawe the a lytell abacke & I shall cast hym on.

¶ Of the quene Semyramys. Ca. xv.

SEmyramys was a woman of ryght grete vertue in dede of grete & vycto ryous courage / in vndertakynge of entrepryses / and in hauntynge of de des of armes / the whiche was so ex­cellent that the people there the whiche were pay nymes sayd that for the grete myght and streng­the that she hadde bothe vpon the lande / and vp­on the see / that she was syster vnto the grete god [Page] Iupyter and doughter to the auncyent god Sa­turnus whiche they called the god of the lande & of the see. This lady was the wyfe of kynge Ny­nus y^t named y^• cyte of Nynyue of his name. And he was so grete a couqueroure that by the helpe of his wyfe Semyramys whiche lykewyse as he rode alway with hym in harnoys / he cōquered y^• grete Babylone & all the lande of Assyrye & other countrees many. It happened that the lady beyn ge yet ynoughe in yonge age Nynus her housbā de was slayne with an arowe at the assaulte of a cyte / yet when the obsequyes & the solompnytees was couenably done of the foresayd kynge / the la dy neuer lefte y^• excercyse of armes / but more than before by ryght grete courage toke vpō her to go uerne by strengthe the lordshyppes / royalmes / & landes whiche her housbande & she had conque­red with the swerde / whiche landes & royalmes she kepte ryght notably by grete discyplyne of che ualrye. So & in suche manere she haunted and ac complysshed so many of notable werkes that no man in vygure and in strengthe surmounted her This lady in whom habounded ryght hardy cou rage / ne doubted no payne / ne was not aferde of no perylles / but put herselfe to all thynges by su­che excellence y^• she ouercame all her aduersaryes y^• had trowed to put her in her wydowhode out of all her cōquestes. By y^• whiche she was so dredde & doubted in armes y^t she kepte not onely y^• coun­tres before conquered but w^t a ryght grete armye [Page] wente vpon y^• lande of Ethyope whiche she ouer­came by grete strengthe & put it vnder subieccyon & Ioyned it to her Empyre. From thens she wen te with a grete puyssaunce in to Inde / and assay­led strongly the men of Inde / to whom there was neuer man approched to make them warre. So she ouercame them and put them vnder her sub­ieccyon / & syth she wente ferther vpon theyr coun trees so moche that to say shortly that she conque red all the oryent whiche is called the Eest parte of y^• worlde whiche were ryght grete and mygh­ty. This Semyramys enforced & made agaynst y^• cyte of Babylone whiche was founded by Nem broche and the gyauntes and was set in the felde of Semyaar grete and of meruayllous strengthe and cyrcuyte / and so this lady made it more stron ger of dyuers defenses / and lete make aboute lar ge and depe dykes. Semyramys was in a tyme in her chambre & maydens aboute her k [...]mynge her heed. It happened that tydynges came y^• one of her royalmes began to rebell agaynst her. So she lyfted vp herselfe and sware by her puyssaun­ce that the other tresse of her heed sholde neuer be tressed whiche was vntressed tyll the tyme that she had venged her of that iniury and put agayne that londe in to her subieccyon. So she made an [...] ne all her men to arme them in a grete multytude and wente vpon these rebelles / & by meruaylous strengthe put them vnder subieccyon / & thus they and all her other subiectes dradde her that neuer [Page] syth they durste not moue a fote to rebell. Of the whiche noble dede and couragyous longe tyme after gaue wytnesse a grete ymage made of brasse gylte / rychely lyfte vp vpon an hyghe pyller in Ba bylone whiche represented a pryncesse holdynge & swerde in her hande / & one of the sydes of her heed tressed & y^• other not. This quene foūded & edyfy­ed of newe dyuers cytees & stronge places & accō plysshed many other grete dedes so moche y^t there was neuer wryten of no man of so grete courage ne of more meruaylous werkes worthy to be had in mynde. It is trouthe that many blameth her & so she ought of ryght yf she had ben of our lawe of that y^t she toke her owne sone to housbande y^t she had goten of Nynus her lorde but the causes that moued her to that were .ij. pryncypally / that one that she wolde not haue had in her Empyre none other lady crowned saue onely herselfe y^• whiche sholde haue ben if her sone had wedded ony other lady / that other cause was that her semed no mā worthy to haue her to his wyfe saue onely her ow ne sone / yet was this cause y^• gretter thrughe whi the she was somwhat excused in y^• that she was not of our lawe / for y^• people lyued after y^• lawe of nature where one durste doo to another without mysse takynge that whiche his herte perceyued / or desyred. For it is no doubte that if she had thou ght that it had ben euyll or that ony blame sholde fall to her therof but that she had so grete and soo hyghe courage / and loued so moche worshyp / she [Page] wolde neuer haue done it. Nowe is the fyrst stone set in the foundement of our cyte. Nowe it is con uenyent from hens forthe to set sewyngly stones to the quantyte for to auaunce our buyldynge.

¶ Of the Amozones. Capitulo .xvi.

A Lande there is towarde the ende of Europe after the grete see that holde th in all the worlde / whiche lande is called Syche or Sychye. It happe­ned somtyme that y^• countre by force of warre was despoyled of all y^• yonge men dwel lynge in that countree. And when the women of that place sawe that they had lost theyr housban­des / theyr bretherne / and theyr kynnesmen. And there was none lefte but olde men and chyldren / they assembled by grete courage and toke coun­sayle bytwene them and aduysed the conclusyon that from that tyme forth they wolde maynteyne theyr lordshyppes without ony subieccyon of mē and made suche a commaundement that no ma­ner of man sholde entre in to theyr iurysdyc [...]yon▪ yet for to haue lygnage they sholde go in to y^• ner­te countre by a certayne season of the yere / & then sholde they tourne home agayne in to theyr coun tre. And yf they were delyuered of ony sones they sholde sende them vnto theyr faders. And yf they [Page] were mayde chyldren they wolde nourysshe them themselfe to perfourme theyr ordynaunce. Then they chose .ij. of the moost noble ladyes amonge them to be crowned quenes of whiche one was called Lampheto / that other Marpasye. This do ne they chased out of theyr countre all y^• mankyn­de that was lefte bothe yonge & olde. And after y^t they armed them and with a grete batayle all of ladyes & of maydens wente vpon theyr enemyes and wasted all theyr lande by fyre and by armrs / and there was none that myght resyst them and to speke shortely they auenged the dethe of theyr frendes full notably. And by this way began the women of Syche or of Sychye to bere armes / y^• whiche syth were called Amozonnes / that is as moche to say as vnpapped. For that they had su­che a manere y^• the noble women when they were lytell maydens theyr lyfte pappes were cutte of by a certayne crafte / for y^• they sholde not be com­bred to bere the shelde. And to them that were not gentylwomē theyr ryght pappes were cut away to shote the more easely. So they wente so moche delytynge in the crafte of armes that they encrea sed by forte ryght moche theyr countre and theyr royalmes in so moche that theyr fame wente all aboute as I haue here before touched to y^e. Then they wente in to dyuers countrees eche of theym ledynge a grete hoost & dyde so moche y^• they con­quered a grete parte of Europe and of the countre of Ayfe and put vnder subieccyon many dyuers [Page] countres and Ioyned them to theyr lordshyppes and founded many cytees and townes / and in ly­ke wyse in Ayse in the cyte of Ephese whiche is & longe tyme hathe ben of grete renowne. Of these two quenes Marpasye dyed fyrst in a batayle thē the Amozones crowned her doughter in her pla­ce a noble mayde and a fayre whiche was named Synoppe whiche had so grete courage & hyghe y^• all y^• dayes of her lyfe she dysdeyned not to be cou pled to no man but remayned styll a maybe al her lyfe. So she had none other loue nor charge but onely in the excersyse of armes / and in y^• she had so grete pleasunce that she myght not be satysfyed to assayle and conquere landes and royalmes / & by her her moder was gretly venged in so moche that those of that countre were slayne and put to the swerde & wasted all the lande and conquered.

¶ Of y^e quene of Amozonye Thamaris. Ca. xvii.

THus as thou mayste here howe the Amozones began and maynteyned longe tyme theyr lordshyppes ryght worshypfully. Of the whiche they made quenes by successyon one af­ter another yf ryght worshypful ladyes whiche to name by rowe it myght tourne the reders to gre­te noyaunce. So it shall suffyse to speke of y^• pryn cypalles of whiche there was one called Thama rye ryght hardy wyse & sage by whos wytte cau­tele [Page] and strengthe. Cyrrus the stronge and mygh ty kynge of Perse was ouercome and taken / whi che had conquered the grete Babylone / and in the same wyse a grete parte of y^• worlde. So he wol­de after many other conquestes that he had done goo vpon the lande of Amozones in hope to haue put them vnder his subieccyon / wherof it happe­ned as this same wyse / y^• quene knewe by her spy es that this same kynge Cyrrus wolde come vpō her with so grete strengthe of people that ought suffycyently to conquere all the worlde / she aduy­sed her that it sholde be impossyble to dyscomfyte theyr hoost by strengthe of armes. So it was con uenyent to laboure by cautele. And then she wen­te this worshypfull capytayne when she knewe y^• Cyrrus was entred before in to her londe / y^• whi­che she suffred and lete hym passe before in to her londe without ony gayne saynge / she made arme all her damoyselles / and by ryght good ordynaū ­ce put them in dyuers busshmentes vpon y^• moun tayues and in y^• woodes where that Cyrrus my­ght passe none other way. There abode this Tha marys ryght stylly with all her hoostes vnto y^• ty me that Cyrrus and his people were come in to y^• strayte wayes in forestes / and amonge y^• craggy roches where thrughe he must nedes passe. And then the lady when that she sawe tyme made ha­stely to blowe a trompette. And then this Cyrrus was ryght sore abasshed whiche toke no hede to hymselfe / & sodeynly sawe hym assayled in euery [Page] parte. For these ladyes that were vpon the moun taynes threwe downe grete roches vpon them whiche myght go nother forwarde ne backe war de for the dyuersyte of the countre / and some of y^• busshmentes were before whiche slewe y^• people downe ryght feruently y^• wolde haue yssued out of the strayte passages & myght not gather them togyder for that other busshment y^• was behynde them. So they were smyten a sondre with stron­ge roches to the dethe all the people / and Cyrrus taken and by the commaundement of the quene lefte alyue and his barons with hym / whom she made to come before her in to a pauylyon after y^• dyscomfyture / & for the grete wrathe that she had to hym for one of her maydens that he had slayne by y^• way before / the wolde haue no mercy of Cyr­rus nor of his barons / but made to smyte of theyr hedes before hym. And after that she sayd to hym Cyrrus whiche by thy crueltees were neuer satys fyed with y^• blode of man nowe thou mayst dryn­ke at thy wyll. And then she made to sinyte of his heed & cast it in to a basyne / in to & whiche she had made to gather the blode of his lordes. Fayre dou ghter & my dere frende these thynges I brynge in remembraunce for that affermeth the matter y^• I haue tolde the of. Notwithstandynge that thou knowest them well / & thyselfe hast rehersed them another tyme in thy boke of y^• mutacyon of fortu­ne & in y^• same wyse in thyne epystle of Othea. So I shall say to the more yet here after folowynge.

¶ Howe the stronge Hercules & Theseus wente vpon the Amozones and howe the .ij. ladyes Me nal [...]pe and ypolyte had almoost ouercome them Capitulo .xviij.

WHat sholde I say more of y^e strengthe of theyr bodyes or by the prowe [...]se of armes of these ladyes of Amozonye / whiche by all countrees were dredde and doubted anone to y^• of londe gre ce whiche was farre thens. And y^• tydynges wen [...]e howe these ladyes seased not to destroy landes and wasted the countres yf they wolde not yelde theym ryght soone vnto theym / and howe they to withstande theyr enemyes. Of this all Grece was aferde doubtynge that the landes of theym sholde stretche in shorte tnme vnto theyr countre. Then there was in Grece in the floure of his you the Hercules the meruayllous stronge man whi che in his tyme dyde more meruaylles of strength than euer man dyde that was borne of woman / of whome is made mencyon in hystoryes. For he fought with gyauntes and Lyons / with serpen­tes and monstres ryght mer [...]ayllous and had of all them the vyctory. And to saye shortely he was so stronge y^• neuer man was lyke hym in strength excepte Sampson le forte. This Hercules sayd y^• it were not good to abyde tyl these ladyes of Amo [...]onye came vpon them / but it were moche better to go vpon them fyrst / then for y^• they lete ordeyne [Page] a grete nauye of shyppes & assembled a▪ grete com pany of yonge lusty men for to go thyder in grete haste / when Theseus the worshypfull and wyse man whiche was kynge of Athenes knewe this tydynges he sayd that he sholde not go without hym. And so he assembled a grete hoost with this hoost of Hercules / and when they were all assem bled they put them in to the see towarde the coun tre of Amozonye. And when they approched the countre Hercules notwithstandynge his meruay lous strengthe and hardynesse and his grete host of people durste not take the porte by day ne to co me downe vpon the lande / so moche the strengthe of these amozones was blowen aboute in dyuers countrees that it were meruayle to say and byle­ue yf there were not soo many hystoryes brynge wytnesse of them y^t there hathe ben so many wor shypfull men ouercome by women. So Hercules and his hoost abode tyll the darke nyght was co me. And then when the houre was come that eue ry mortall creature ought to take his rest and sle­pe he and his hoost lepte a lande and entred in to the countre / and began to sette fyre in cytees and townes and slewe all the women y^t toke no hede of theyr comynge. In the meane tyme grete was y^• crye amonge y^• people / then they were not slowe to renne to theyr harnoys al maner of women as those that were moost hardyest to renne amonge y^• people towarde y^• see syde vpon theyr enemyes. ¶ And then there reygned vpon these Amozones [Page] the quene Orthya y^• whiche was a lady of ryght grete worthynesse and conquered many landes. And this was the moder of y^• worshypfull quene Pantasylya of whom shall be made mencyon he re after. This quene Orthya was crowned after y^e cheualrous quene Anthyoppe y^• whiche mayn­teyned y^• Amozones in grete dys [...]yplyne of armes & of cheualrye / and was passynge wyse & hardye in her tyme. Soo this quene Orthya herde this tydynges howe the Grekes were come in by ny­ght fyghtynge on the lande & alway sleynge the people. Then it was to deme y^t she was wrothe & thought to be auenged vpon theyr male talent / & anone manasynge them that she dredde not com­maunded to make redy all her batayle / there one myght se all the ladyes busy to renne to theyr har noys and assembled them aboute theyr quene / & by this tyme was the clere daye come. And then this quene armed herselfe and abode to put in or­dre her bataylles and her hostes. Then were the­re .ij. worshypful maydens of souerayne strength of cheualrye and hardynesse & wyse aboue many others. Of whiche y^• one was called Manalyppe & that other Ipolyte / and they were ryght nyghe kynne to the quene / & they abode not onely the co mynge of theyr quene / but as fast as they myght be armed / theyr speres in theyr handes / theyr shel des of stronge elemphant hangynge vpon theyr neckes mounted vpon theyr well rennynge cour sers wente ryght fast rennynge towarde y^• porte / [Page] and with grete hete as those y^• were supprysed w^t wrathe berynge lowe theyr speres bare thrughe y^• best of y^• grekes. That is to knowe Manalyppe towarde Hercules / and Ipolyte to Thesens / but whether they had wrathe or no it apered wel / for notwithstandynge y^• grete strengthe hardynesse & grete courage of them so strongly these maydens hurte them / & by so grete encountre eche of theym bete theyr knyght / & they also fell on y^t other syde / but as soone as they myght they recouered them selfe & ranne vpon them with good swerdes. O what worshyp ought these ladyes to haue y^• by suche .ij. women were beten .ij. of y^e best knyghtes y^t were in all y^e worlde / & this thynge sholde not be credyble to be trewe but y^• so many antentyke doc tours bereth wytnesse of it / these same doctours meruayllynge themselfe of this aduenture in ex­cusynge specyally Hercules cōsyderynge his out­ragyous strengthe sayth y^t he was beholdynge to his hors y^t lepte from y^e grete hurte of y^• stroke / for they trowed not yf they had ben on [...]ote but they sholde haue ben throwne downe / these .ij. knyghtes were ashamed to be thus betē of these .ij. maydens. Notw^tstandynge these maydens fought w^t theyr swerdes ayenst these .ij. knyghtes strōgly & y^• batayle endured longe ▪ yet at y^• last & what me [...] uayle y^t these maydens were takē / for there ought not to be lyke strokes bytwene thē. Of this pryse they thought them gretely honoured. Hercules & Thesens were gladder thā & they had takē a cyte [Page] So they helde them in theyr shyppes with them to refresshe them and to vnarme them and thou­ght that they had well employed theyr wyll. And when they sawe them vnarmed and that they we re so fayre and so semely then doubled theyr Ioye for they toke neuer pray y^• was to them so agrea­ble / and so they kepte them with grete Ioy & plea saunce. Then came the quene vpon the grekes w^t a grete hoost / and when y^• tydynges came to her that these two maydens were taken she was mer uayllously sorowful / yet for doubte that they shol de do any harme to these ladyes that were taken yf she wente vpon them she rested as then / & sente to them by .ij. of her baronnesses and badde them to put to theyr fynaunce for these .ij. ladyes as mo che as it pleased them and she wolde sende it vnto them. Hercules & Theseus receyued these messa­geres with grete worshyp and answered theym courtoysly / and yf the quene wolde make a small peas with them / and bothe she & her baronnesses sholde promyse that they sholde neuer arme them agaynst the Grekes but to be theyr good frendes And the Grekes wolde promyse them in the same wyse that they wolde yelde home these .ij. ladyes all quyte without hauynge ony other raunsome saue theyr harnoys onely / for that they wolde ha ue for worshyp and remembraūce for euer of this vyctory that they had vpon these ladyes. Then y^• quene for the desyre that she had to haue these .ij. damoyselles agayne / whom that she loued so mo [Page] che was constrayned to make a peas with y^• gre­kes. Soo was this matter entreated & accorded bytwene them y^• the quene came to them all vn­armed with ryght a fayre company of ladyes & maydens in so ryche araye that they sawe neuer suche before / the grekes mette with them and fee sted them and made sure the peas bytwene them and there was moche Ioy made / yet not for that it noyed gretely Thesens to delyuer Ipolyte for he was smyten with grete loue. Soo Hercules prayed and requyred the quene so moche for hym that she graunted Thesens to take Ipolyte vnto his wyfe and so sholde lede her in to his countre / And then were the weddynges made worshypful ly / and after that the Grekes departed / and The­sens ledde home ypolyte whiche had a sone after warde that was called Ipolytus whiche was a knyght of grete worshyp and a chosen mā amon ge many. And when it was knowne in grece that that the peas was made they had neuer gretter Ioye. For there was neuer noo thynge that they doubted more.

¶ Of the quene Pantassylea howe she wente to the socours of Troye. Ca. xix.

LOnge tyme lyued this noble quene Orthya / and in grete prosperyte hel de the lande of Amozonye and mo­che encreased theyr puyssaunce and she was ryght olde when she dyed. [Page] Then they crowned after her her noble doughter the ryght worshypfull Pantassylle / whiche abo­ue all others bare the crowne of wytte / of pryce / of wysdome and worthynesse. This lady was ne uer wery to bere armes ne to fyght / & by her theyr lordshyp was encreased more than euer it was. For she tested neuer tyme. So she was so moche dredde of her enemyes that there durst none aby­de her. This lady was of so hyghe courage that she dysdeyned neuer to be coupled to mā but was a mayde all her lyfe. ¶ In her tyme was the gre­te warre of the Grekes agaynst the Troyans / & for the grete fame that floured thrughe all y^• worl de of the ryght grete worshyp and knyghthode of Ector of Troy as of the moost manly of the worl de and of the moost excellent in al graces. As it is the vsage that gladly euery frende wolde desyre to vysyte his lyke. Pantassylle whiche was the thyefe of all ladyes of y^• worlde / and whiche that herde saye contynuelly so grete goodnesse of this worshypful Ector she loued hym worshypfully of ryght grete loue / & aboue all thynges she desyred to se hym / & for to fulfyll this desyre she departed from her royalme in grete haste with ryght a no­ble company of ladyes and damoyselles of grete prowesse & ryght rychely armed. So she toke her way towarde Troy whiche was not lytell / but ryght ferre of / yet it thought not longe / nor tra­uaylable to the herte y^• loueth wel / & when they ca me to y^• porte of Troy there aryued this noble pā [Page] tassylle / & yet it was to late for there she foūde Ec tor deed whiche was slayne by Achylles lyenge a wayte for hym in y^• batayle / in whom perysshed y^• floure of all knyghthode of Troy. Then this que ne Pātassylle was receyued with grete worshyp of kynge Pryamus and of the quene Eccuba his wyfe / & of all theyr lordes / but yet she had her her­te alway on that y^• she sawe neuer Ector on lyue / whiche caused her y^t there myght nothynge reioy ce her / yet y^e kynge & y^e quene whiche without sea­synge sorowed for y^• dethe of theyr sone Ector sayd to her y^t syth they myght not shewe hym to her on lyue y^t they wolde showe hym to her deed. Then they ledde her in to y^• temple where they had ma­de his sepulture y^• most noble & most ryche y^• euer ony hystory made mency on of / for it was made in a chapell ryght ryche all of golde & precyous sto­nes before the hyghe awter of theyr goddes / & the re sate y^e body of Ector in a chayre whiche was so bawmed & couered y^• it semed vysybly y^• it was on lyue holdynge a swerde in his hande semynge al way y^t his fyers vysage manased the Grekes clo thed in a garment grete & large all of Tyssue em­browdred with precyous stones traylynge on y^• erthe & couered y^• partyes bynethe whiche were plunged in fyne bawme / whiche yelded meruayl­lous swetnes / there y^e Troyans helde this body in grete worshyp as it had ben one of theyr goddes w^t lyght of ware clerely brēnynge / & there was ry chesse w^tout nombre / & thyder they led this quene [Page] Pantassylle the whiche as sone as y^• chapel was opened & sawe the body of Ector kneled her dow ne saluynge hym as he had ben on lyue / and after she wente nere & in beholdynge y^• vysage she begā to saye suche wordes wepynge. ¶ Ha floure and excellence of all knyghthode of all the worlde / the grounde and y^• endynge of all worthynesse / who maye no we from hense forthe auaunte hym after you of ony prowesse / or to stretche a [...]werde syth y^• nowe is quenche [...] the lyght and ensample of soo grete hyghnesse. Alas what houre was borne the arme so cursed that durst by his outragyous cou rage despoyle the worlde of so grete a treasoure. ¶ O ryght noble prynce wherfore is my fortune so contrary that I had not ben so nyghe you whē the false traytoure that slewe you made suche a wayte vpon your persone. If I had ben there I wolde haue wayted vpon your persone myselfe / yet and ye were on lyue he wolde byleue your de­the sholde be reuenged. ¶ Ha what grete wrathe and sorowe that myne herte feleth to se you thus without puyssaunce to speke to me whom I desy red so moche to se. Nowe syth it maye none other wyse be. I swere by al the hyghe goddes that we byleue on and promyse well and afferme to you my dere lorde y^• whyle my lyfe shall endure youre dethe shall be venged by me vpon the Grekes. Thus knelynge before y^• body Pantassylle spake so hyghe that y^• grete company of lordes & ladyes of the che [...]alrye that were there myght here her. [Page] she and all wepte for pyte and coude full euyll de­parte from thens / yet at the last kyssynge the han de with whiche he helde the swerde she departed saynge. ¶ worthynesse of knyghthode whiche se­med you well in ydur lyfe when y^• representacyon of your body bereth you wytnesse of so grete excel lence / & anone she departed wepynge ryght ten­derly / and as soone as she myght she armed her / & lepte out of y^• cyte w^t her hoost ryght nobly arayed agaynst the Grekes that were at y^• syege. And to saye shortely of that y^• she dyde there without fay­le yf she had lyued longe she wolde haue done ma ny meruaylles of armes. So she wolde not tour ne homewarde but wolde fyght with Pyrrus y^• was y^• sone of Achylles & was a ryght manly kny ght of his hāde. & so moche she bete hȳ & woūded hym y^• he was almost slayne. And with grete pay ne he was rescowed of his people & as a deed man was borne out of y^• felde / and the Grekes trowed neuer that he sholde escape / wherfore they made moche sorowe / and yf she hadde hate to the fader she shewed it well to y^• sone. Neuerthelesse to ma ke shorte the tale when she had done there so mo­che of armes by dyuers Iourneys with her peo­ple y^• the Grekes were vndernethe Pyrrus y^• was amended of his woundes had meruayllous sha­me and sorowe that he was thus beten soo foule of this womā. So he ordeyned his people of his hoost whiche were of ryght grete prowesse that they sholde attende to none other thynge in y^• ba­tayle [Page] saue onely to enclose Pantassyllee bytwene them and to put her from her people / for he wolde that she were slayne by his owne hande & he pro­mysed them yf they myght do thus to gyue them grete gyftes. This thynge to accomplysshe y^• people of Pyrrus put grete payne longe tyme or they myght happen to do it / [...]or they dred soo moche to come nyghe her for y^• grete strokes that she gaue, yet not for that to come to the conclusyon they applyed it as those y^• toke no hede to other thynge / & sawe in a Iournay where she dyde meruayllous dedes of armes that it myght nere hande suffyse to Ector yf he had ben on lyue / that by reason she ought to be wery / & there they enclosed her amonge them / & departed her from her batayle / & so sore oppressed her ladyes that they myght not socoure her / & that notwithstandynge by ryght meruayl­lous vertue and strengthe she wolde haue defen­ded her / and then they brake her harnoys & smote of a quarter of her helme. Then Pyrrus when he sawe y^• heed bare by whiche her yelowe heere ap­pered gaue her so grete a stroke y^• he clefte in son­dre y^• heed & the brayne. And thus ended the worshypfull Pantassylle of whom it was grete losse to the Troyans and grete sorowe to all her countre whiche made grete sorowe and lamentacyon For neuer syth there reygned none suche vpon the Amozones. And thenne they bare the bodye ho­me in to her owne countre. ¶ And thus as thou mayst here began the royalme of women & was [Page] maynteyned by grete puyssaūce / whiche endured by y^• space of .viij. hondred yeres as thou thyselfe mayst note and se / & rede by the hystoryes of nom bre whiche may renne syth theyr begynnynge tyll after the conquest of grete Alexandre y^• conquered al y^• worlde. In whiche tyme it appered y^• then en dured y^• reygne & lordshyp of y^• Amozones. For y^• hystory of hym maketh mencyon howe he wente in to that royalme and howe he was receyued of the quene & o [...] the ladyes: So was this Alexādre longe tyme after the destruccyon of Troye / and y^• same wyse more than .iiij. hondred yeres after the foundacyon of Rome whiche was longe tyme af ter y^• sayd destruccyon of Troy. wherfore yf thou wylte take the leysoure to brynge togyder the hy storyes and to calcule the tymes and the nombre thou shalte fynde that this royalme and the lorde shyp of women endured ryght a longe space / and thou mayst note that in al the lordshyppes y^• hath ben in the worlde whiche by the space of so moche tyme hath endured one shall not fynde more nota ble prynces nor in more quantyte ne that hath do ne more natable dedes than were done by y^• que­nes and the ladyes of that realme.

¶ Of Cenobye quene of Palmurenes. Ca. xx.

THere were not worshypfull women onely of these Amozones / for y^• valy­aūt Cenobye ought not to be of lesse fame & worthynes y^• was quene of palmurenes a lady of noble bloode / [Page] yssued of Ptholomees kynges of egypte. Of this lady was apperynge all her youthe the grete cou rage and knyghtly inclynacyon that she had. For as soone as she was strengthed there myght no man kepe her but that she wolde leue the dwellyn ge in the townes closyd / in palayces / or in royall chambres but to enhabyte the woodes & forestes in whiche places she had her swerde gurde abou te her & dartes by grete dylygence tosle the wylde beestes / as hertes and hyndes. And after that be­gan to fyght with Lyons / with beres / and with many other wylde beestes / and she assayled them without drede & ouercame them meruayllously. This lady helde it for no payne to lye in the woo­des do ubtynge nothynge vpon the harde erthe / in hote and in colde / ne it greued her not to trace y^• strayte passages of y^• forestes / graue vpon y^• moū ­taynes / dyke in the valays / rennynge after y^• be­stes. This lady dyspraysed all carnall loue / & lon­ge tyme refused maryage as she y^t wolde kepe her vyrgynyte / yet at y^• last constrayned by her kynne she toke to housbande the kynge of Palmurenes Of grete beaute and soueraynly of body & of vysa ge was this noble Cenobye whiche set but lytell by her beaute. And fortune was so fauourable to her inclynacyon y^t she consented to haue an hous­bande corespondent ynoughe to her condyons. This kynge whiche was a knyghtly man hadde grete luste to conquere by strengthe of armes all the oryent and y^e Empyres aboute hym. In this [Page] same tyme Ualeryan Auguste y^• helde y^• Empyre of Rome was taken of Sapore kynge of Perce. This kynge of Palmurenes assembled his gre­te hoost and Cenobye made no grete force of the fresshnes of her beaute / but dysposed her to suffre the trauayle of armes with her housbande / and to were harnoys / & to be partycypant with hym in all labours in y^• exercyse of knyghthode. This kynge that was named Ordonet stabled Herode his sone of another woman to conduyte one par te of his hoost takynge hede agaynst the sayd Sa pore kynge of Perce whiche that tyme occupyed Mesopotame / after he ordeyned that on y^t other parte sholde go vpon hym Cenobye his wyfe w^t another grete parte of his hoost. And he hymselfe sholde go in that other parte with the thyrde par te of his hoost. Soo they departed in suche ordy­naunce. But what shall I saye / the ende of this matter was suche so as thou mayst se by y^• hysto­ryes that this lady Cenobye so myghtely and by suche hardynesse & vertue gate dyuers bataylles agaynst this kynge and had the vyctorye / and by her prowesse put Mesopotame vnder the subiec­cyon of her housbande / and besyeged Sopore the kynge of Perce in his owne cyte and toke hym by strengthe with his Concubynes / and there she cō quered grete haboundaunce of rychesse. ¶ After this vyctorye it happened y^t her housbande was slayne by one of his owne kynnes men for enuye that he reygned vpon hym / yet this lady by noble [Page] courage toke the possessyon of the Empyre for her chyldren whiche were yet but yonge / and put her selfe in the see royall as Empresse and toke therof the gouernannct by grete vertue and charge and to say all / so she gouerned by so grete wytte & dys­cyplyne of knyghthode / that Galeryan and Clau dyan Emperoures of Rome thought that they oc cupyed a parte of the oryent for y^e Romaynes dur ste neuer vndertake ony thynge agaynst her. And the same wyse the Egypcyans ne y^• Arabyens ne those of Armony but doubted her puyssaunce and her grete fyer [...]enesse and helde theym contente to kepe that they had & medle no ferther. This lady was worshypped of her prynces & of her people obeyed and loued and of her knyghtes dred and doubted / for whē she rode with her people as ofte tymes it happened she wolde neuer speke to them of her hoost but her harnoys on her backe and her helme on her heed / nor to no batayle made her ar­mure to be ledde in charyot. Notwithstandynge other kynges vsed that guyse. And alway she ro­de vpon a well rennynge courser / & often tymes she wolde ryde vnknowne to espye her enemyes before her folke. This noble lady Cenobye with y^t that she passed all other knyghtes of the worlde y^t tyme in dyscyplyne and crafte of knyghthode. ¶ Also she passed all other ladyes in noblesse and good condycyons of honest lyfe / and ryght sobre soueraynely in all her demeanynge yet notwith­standynge she made often tymes grete feestes vn [Page] to her barons and to straungers / and all magny­fycence was holden with her / and royall largesse in all thynges / and grete gyftes and fayre / & cou­de well drawe people to her loue and benyuolen­ce / she was alway of a souerayne chastyte. For she kepte her not onely from other men but in the sa­me wyse she wolde not lye with her housbande / but for hauynge of yssue / & that she shewed open­ly by that that she wolde not lye with hym after y^t she felte her with chylde / and to that entente that all that appered outwarde sholde afferme that y^t was inwarde / she wolde neuer that ony vycyous man sholde haunte her courte / and she wolde y^t al they that wolde desyre to stande in her good gra­ce were vertuous and well condycyoned / and she dyde grete honoure to people after theyr worthy nesse and vertues / & not onely for theyr rychesse or byrthe / and she loued moche those men that we re of sadde condycyons and proued in knyghtho­de. She lyued after a royall custome of an Em­presse by grete magnyfycence and cost of estate af ter the maner of Perse / whiche was those dayes the moost pontyfycall custome that was amonge kynges. She was serued in vessell of golde and of precyous stones / She was garnyss hed of all good araye / and also she gathered grete treasou­res of her owne without doynge of extorcyon. and she gaue ryght largely where that it was rea sonable / for there was neuer prynce of gretter lar gesse nor of more gretter magnyfycence.

[Page]¶ And with these sayd thynges one of y^e hyghest of her vertues that I shall saye to the was lerned in letters in those of Egypte and of her owne lan guage / and whē she had rest then ryght dylygent ly she toke hede to the scole and desyred to be tau­ght in phylosophy by a phylosophre y^t was named longyne. She knewe the latyne and y^e grekysshe letters by y^e helpe of whiche she ordeyned and put ryghte curyously all her hystoryes vnder ryghte shorte wordes / and the same wyse she wolde that her chyldren that she nourysshed were lerned in scyences. Nowe take good hede ryght dere fren­de yf thou haue ought sene of ony prynce or kny­ght more vnyuersall in all the vertues.

¶ Of Lylye moder of y^e good knyght Thyerrys. Capitulo .xxj.

ANd howe that the noble lady Lylye was not in batayle in propre person is she not to be praysed as ryght a no ble & worshypfull lady in y^• that she counsayllynge her sone Thyerrys y^e ryght noble knyght made hym to tourne agayne in to the batayle as thou shalte here. This Tyer res was in his tyme one of the grete prynces of y^e palays of the Emperour of Constantynoble / and was ryght a fayre man and ryght wel proued in the worthynesse of knyghthode / and with that by the ryght good nourysshynge & counsayllynge of [Page] his moder was ryght vertuous and excellently manered. ¶ It happened y^• a prynce named Odonatre wente vpon the Romaynes for to destroye them and all Italy / and as these Romayns wente to requyre the foresayd Emperoure of Constantynoble of his helpe / he sente to them this knyght Tyerres as for the best knyght of cheualry with ryght a grete hoost of people. So it happened as he fought in batayle ordeyned agaynst this Odonatre the fortune of the batayle tourned agaynst hym in suche wyse that for drede he was constrayned to fle towarde the cyte of Rauenne / and whē this worshypful & wyse moder whiche toke good hede of the batayle sawe her sone fle she had grete and meruayllous sorowe / consyderynge that there myght be no gretter reproffe to a knyght than to fle in batayle. Anone the grete noblesse of her courage made her to forgete all moderly pyte in suche maner that she had leuer to se y^• dethe of her sone worshypfully than there sholde falle to hym suche a shame. So she ranne anone before hym & prayed hym ryght tenderly y^t he sholde not dysho­noure hym by suche fleynge / but y^t he sholde assemble agayne his hoost and tourne to y^e batayle / yet he toke noo charge of these wordes / and then the good moder supprysed with grete wrathe lyfted vp her gowne before and sayd to hym / truely fay­re sone thou hast no place to fle to but thou tourne agayne in to the wombe fro whens thou camest. Then was this Thyerres so ashamed y^t he lefte [Page] his fleynge & assembled his people agayne / & touc ned agayne to the batayle in the whiche for y^• hete that he had of the shame of the wordes of his mo der he fought so strongly that he dyscomfyted his enemyes and slewe Odonatre / and so all Italye was delyuered of theyr enemyes by the wytte of this lady where it was lyke to be vtterly destroy ed. So me semeth that the honoure of this vycto ry came more of the moder than of the sone.

¶ Of the quene of Fraunce Fredegonde. Ca. xxij.

OF the quene of Fraunce Fredegonde of whom I spake before was also of grete hardynesse of that that she dyde in batayle. For as I haue touched ho we y^t she was lefte wedowe of kynge Chylderyke her housbande hauynge Clotharye her sone at her pappes / and y^• royalme was assay led with werre she sayd to her barons. Lordes ne drede you not for the multytude of our enemyes that ben come vpon vs. For I haue thought befo re a wyle by the whiche we shall ouercome them yf ye wyll byleue me / I shall leue al femynyne dre de / and I shall arme myne herte with the hardy­nesse of a man to that entente to encreace the cou rage of you / & of all our hoost by pyte of your yon­ge prynce. So I shall go before hauynge hym in myne armes and ye shall folowe me and that we haue ordeyned our conestable to do / ye shal do the [Page] same. And the barons answered & bad her to com maunde them & with ryght good herte they wol­de laboure it. And then she lete make and well or­deyned her hoost. Syth she put her before wel hor sed her sone bytwene her armes the barons after and al the bataylles sewynge by fayre ordre. And so they rode towarde theyr enemyes so longe tyll the nyght was come. And then they entred in to a forest. So the conestable cutte downe an hyghe braunche of a tree / and all the remenaunt dyde y^e same wyse and couered al theyr horses with may & tyed belles aboute some of theyr neckes as men dothe to horse that gothe in pastures and in this maner they rode togyder an easy pace tyll they ca me nyghe the lodgynges of theyr enemyes / and they helde hyghe braunches and bowes of maye in theyr handes. And alway the quene wente be­fore with hardy courage in warnynge theym by promyses and fayre wordes for to do wel holdyn ge the lytell kynge bytwene her armes of whiche they all had grete pyte / and had the more courage to kepe his ryght. And when they thought y^t they were nyghe ynoughe theyr enemyes they rested them. when the dawnynge of the daye began to appere those that made watche of the hoost of the enemyes perceyued it & began to saye one to ano ther. Se here a grete meruayle. For yesternyght there appered no woode nor forest nyghe vs and se nowe a ryght grete & a thycke woode y^e others y^t behelde this thynge sayd that it must nedes be y^t [Page] the woode had ben there longe tyme before for it myght be none otherwyse but that they haue ben so beestyss he that they haue not perceyued it / and that it was to se that it was a woode / the belles of the hors that pastured myght haue made them certayne. And so as they deuysed they thought ne uer on the trechery. Sodeynly the quenes hoost cast away theyr braunches and then that y^t semed to theyr enemyes a wode it appered knyghtes ar med / so they ranne vpon them / and this was do­ne so sodaynly y^t theyr enemyes had no leysoure to arme them / for they were all in theyr beddes. So they wente in to theyr lodgynges / and slewe and toke theym all that they coude fynde / & thus they had the vyctory by the wytte of this good quene Fredegonde.

¶ Of the mayde Camylle. Ca. xxiij.

OF women of worshyp and of knyght hode I myght tell the ynoughe. The noble mayde Camylle was noo lesse worthy than those before sayd. This Camylle was doughter of the ryght auncyent kynge of Uoulques named Machaby­us and when she was borne her moder dyed / and anone after her fader was dysheryted by his ow­ne people that rebelled agaynst hym / & soo moche they troubled hym that he was constrayned to fle for sauynge of his lyfe. Soo he bare nothynge w^t [Page] hym saue onely his yonge doughter whom he lo­of so grete loue. And when he came to passe ouer a grete ryuere that he myght not chose but he must nedes passe it / he was in grete myschyefe for that that he coude fynde no counsayle to helpe his lytel doughter to passe / and whē he had thought ynou­ghe he toke grete ryndes of trees & made a vessell as it were a lytell bote. So he put his lytell dou­ghter within and bounde y^e vessell with good ro­pes to his arme. And after put it in the ryuere / & he swymmynge trayled easely this vessell after hym / and so he and his doughter passed ouer the water in to the woodes / and there he lyued longe for he durste not go none other waye for drede of his enemyes. He nourysshed his doughter with the mylke of wylde bestes vnto the tyme that she was well strengthed / and with the skynnes of y^e beestes that he slewe he couered bothe hym & his doughter & they had none other bedde ne other co­uerynge but skynnes of bestes. And whē she was waxed moche she began to warre with wylde be stes and to sle them with her slynges and stones & she wolde renne after so lyghtly that there my­ght no greyhounde do better. And thus she conty nued tyl she came to her parfyte age in whiche she founde herselfe of a meruayllous strengthe & har dynesse / and then she was enfourmed of her fader of the wronge that he had of his subgectes. She felynge herselfe of grete strengthe and ryght cou­ragyous departed from thens and toke her to ar [Page] mes / and to saye shortely she dyde so moche & ap­plyed her purpose that with the helpe of some of her kynnesmen she beynge alwaye in her propre persone in bataylles / dyde so moche by strengthe of armes that she conquered agayne all her coun­tre and neuer lefte after to pursewe the dedes of cheualrye / and she was of so hyghe courage that she deyned neuer to haue housbande ne to be cou­pled to man. And this same Camylle was y^e may­den that came to the socoure of Turnus agaynst Eneas when he was come downe in to Italye.

¶ Of y^e quene Ueronycle of Capadoce. Ca. xxiiij.

THere was a quene in capadoce that was named Ueronycle noble of blo­de and of courage / as she that was doughter to the grete kynge Mycry­daces that ruled a grete parte of the oryent / and wyfe of kynge Aryaraces y^e Capado­cyan. This lady contynewed in her wedowhode in the whiche wedowhode one of the bretherne of her housbande assayled her with warre to dyshe­ryte her and her chyldren / and as it happened du­rynge this stryfe that y^e vncle slewe the .ij. sones of this lady and his owne neuewes. She was so vtterly moued with sorowe y^t this grete wroth made all drede to fle from her. So she armed her­selfe & with a grete hoost wente agaynst her bro­ther [Page] in lawe / and so she plyed her entente that at y^e last she slewe hym her owne hande & made her charyot to go ouer hym and ouercame y^• batayle.

¶ Of the noble Archemyse quene of Carye. Capitulo .xxv.

WHat shall we saye lesse of the noble & the ryght excellent Archemyse than of other worshypfull ladyes whiche was quene of Carye the whiche abo de wedowe longe after her housban de kynge Mansole the whiche she loued of so gre te loue that it myght neuer departe from her her­te as it appered so as it shall be deuysed to the in tyme and place here after. Her housbāde lefte her many fayre and grete countrees in gouernaunce yet to gouerne she neuer was abasshed / for streng the / in vertue / sadnesse of condycyons / & prudente in gouernaunce was all in her. So she had with that so grete hardynesse in dede of knyghthode / & so well kepte the dyscyplyne of cheu [...]rye that she had the vyctory of many dyuers bataylles. And thus the hyghnesse of her name was gretely lyfte vp by grete praysynge. For in her wedowhode w^t that that ryght nobly she gouerned the countres she armed her by dyuers tymes and in especyall .ij. notable dedes / y^t one was to kepe her countre y^t other was to kepe trouthe & faythfull promyse. [Page] The fyrst was when the foresayd kynge Manso­le her housbande was deed / those of y^• rodes whi­che marched ryght nyghe the royalme of this la­dy had grete enuye and dysdayne that a woman sholde haue the lordshyp of the royalme of Carye and for that in hope to put her out & to gete y^e lan­de they came vpon her with a grete armye and a grete multytude of shyppes and made her waye towarde the eyte of da [...]ycarnase whiche stode vp­on the see in an hyghe place called I care whiche was ryght a stronge place. So there were to this Cyte two gates of whiche that one was within the cyte as it were hydde and couered and at the entrynge ryght strayte / and there myght one go and entre in to y^t palays without seynge of them without and of them of the cyte also. That other comune gate was nyghe the walles of the Cyte. And when this worshypfull and wyse Archemy­se knewe by her spyes that her enemyes were co­me she made her people to go to harnoys of whō there were assembled ynowe and entred in that lytell gate in to the shyppes that she ordeyned to come thyder / yet or she departed she ordeyned to them of the cyte whiche were good and trewe in whom she trysted wel to do suche thynges as she commaunded them that when she sholde make a certayne sygne y^t she deuysed to them y^t they shol­de make to them of the rodes a sygne of loue and that they sholde call them vpon the walles & shol­de saye to them that they wolde delyuer to theym [Page] the cyte / and that they sholde come boldely / and y^t they sholde do soo moche yf they myght to make them lepe out of theyr shyppes and to entre in to the market place of the cyte. And this thynge or­deyned the lady and her hoost yssued out at the ly­tell gate and wente a lytell waye in to the hyghe see so that her enemyes toke no hede of them / and as she had made her sygne and knewe by y^e sygne of them of the cyte that the enemyes were entred in / anone she retourned by the grete gate and to­ke the shyppes of her enemyes and entred in to y^e cyte / and made to assayle the men of the Rodes in euery parte by her busshmentes / and she and her hoost were before them / and so slewe them al and dyscomfyted them and had the vyctory. And yet more worshypfully dyde this noble Archemyse / for she wente after in to the shyppes of her enemy­es with all her hoost / and wente to the Rodes / & made to lyfte vp an hyghe sygne of vyctorye as thoughe it▪ had ben theyr people that sholde come agayne vyctoryously. And when those of y^t coun­tre sawe this trowynge that it had ben theyr peo­ple they were passynge Ioyfull / & lete open theyr porte and Archemyse came in and ordeyned peo­ple to kepe the porte / and then wente streyght to the palays and toke and slewe all the prynces. And thus those of the Rodes were taken whiche toke no hede of themselfe / and the lady kepte her seased in the foresayd Cyte. And anone after all the hole Ile of Rodes yelded theym vnto her.

[Page]And after that she had put all the yle in seruage & vnder trybute she lefte it garnysshed with good kepers / and so retourned home / yet or she depar­ted she lete make two ymages of brasse in y^• cyte / of whyche that one represented the persone of Ar chemyse as ouercomer. And that other the Cyte of Rodes as ouercome. ¶ Another notable de­de amonge others that this lady dyde was this that when it was so that Exerse y^e kynge of Per­se was come agaynst the Macedonyes and all y^e lande was full of his hoost bothe on horse backe and on fote and y^e ryuageful of people and of his shyppes as he that trowed to destroye all grece. Than y^e Grekes whiche had made alyaunce with this lady Archemyse sente to her to requyre her of her helpe / to the whiche helpe she sente not onely but lyke a cheualrous lady came in propre perso­ne with ryght a grete hoost. And so well she kepte her place there that to saye shortely anone she put her in batayle agaynst these men of Perse & dys­comfyted them. And when she had dyscomfyted them vpon the lande she entred into the shyppes and was before al others with her nauye and ny­ghe the cyte of Salemyne she gaue them batayle And as they fought strongly this worshypfull ar­chemyse was amonge the fyrst lordes and capy­taynes of her hoost and comforted them with gre­te boldenesse sayenge. Nowe forthe my bretherne and good knyghtes and laboure so that the wor­shyp maye be ours / and deserue ye this daye pray [Page] synge and worshyp. And my grete treasoure shall not be spared vnto you / and to saye all she dyde so moche that in lykewyse as she dyscomfyted them on the londe / she dyscomfyted them on the water / And Exerses fledde shamefully / and thus she had people innumerable / for as many wryters of hy­storyes bereth wytnesse / she had so grete an hoost that dyuers ryuers taryed theym as she passed. And so had this worshypfull lady this noble vyc­torye and retourned worshypfully in to her coun tre with the dyademe of grete worshyp.

¶ Of the hardynesse of Cleolis. Ca. xxvj.

ALso Cleolis y^e noble Romayne was ryght an hardy woman and a wyse. notwithstandynge it was not in the warre nor in batayle. For as it hap­pened ones that the Romaynes by certayne couenauntes made bytwene them and a kynge that had ben theyr aduersary. It was ac­corded that by certyfycacyon of the couenauntes there was sente to that kynge to be in hostage the noble mayden Cleolis and other mandens of no­ble lygnage of Rome / and when this Cleolis had ben a grete whyle in the foresayd hoostage. She thought that it was a grete hurte to the worshyp of the Cyte of Rome / that so many of noble may­dens sholde be holden as prysoners of a straun­ge kynge. Soo this Cleolys armed her courage [Page] with grete hardynes / and dyde so moche by fayre wordes & fayre promyses that she deceyued wy­sele them y^t had them in kepynge & departed from thens by nyght / and ledde her felowes and wen­te so longe tyll they aryued vpon the reuer of Ty­bre / and there this Cleolys founde in y^• medowes an horse pasturynge. And then she whiche happe­ly neuer rode before mounted vpon this horse / & without ony maner of drede of the depnesse of the water put one of her felawes behynde her & pas­sed ouer. And after all y^• others one after another and so they passed ouer saufe / and this lady Cleo­lys ledde them to Rome & brought them to theyr frendes. The hardynesse of this mayde was gre tely praysed of them of Rome / and y^• same wyse y^• kynge that had them in hostage praysed her gre­tely & had therof grete solace. And the Romayns to that entente that there sholde be a remembraū ce had of this dede from thens for the. They made make the ymage of Cleolys whiche was made in y^• guyse of a mayde syttynge vpon an horse. And they put this ymage in an hyghe place vpon the waye by whiche they wente to a temple & there it abode longe tyme. Now we haue accheued ynou ghe as for the foundement of our cyte. Nowe we must lyfte vp the hyghe walles all aboute.

¶ Xp̄ine demaundeth of Reason yf euer god lyste to make a woman so noble to haue ony vnderstā dynge of the hyghnesse of scyence. Ca. xxvii.

[Page] THese thynges of me ryght well her­de I answered to y^• lady that spake to me. Madame truely without fay le god shewed grete meruaylles in y^• strengthe of these foresayd ladyes of the whiche ye haue touched / yet I praye you to make me wyse yf it please you / to the whiche god hathe gyuen them soo many graces it pleased to worshyp the kynde of woman to gyue pryuylege to ony of them of the vertue of hyghe vnderstan­dynge and of grete scyence / and yf they haue aby­le wytte to that. For that I desyre to knowe for y^• that men maynteyne and say that the vnderstan dynge of women is but of lytell takynge. ¶ An­swere. Doughter by that y^t I haue sayd here to fo re thou mayst knowe the contrary of theyr opyny on / and for to expounde it more playnly I shal gy ue it the fyrst by ensamples. I saye to the agayne and doubte neuer the contrary that yf it were the custome to put the lytel maydens to the scole and that sewyngly were made to lerne y^• s [...]yences as they do to the man chyldren / that they sholde ler­ne as parfytely / and they sholde be as wel entred in to the subtyltes of al the artes and scyences as they be / and peraduenture there sholde be mo of them / for I haue touched here to fore by howe mo che that women haue the body more softe than y^• men haue / and lesse habyle to do dyuers thynges by so moche they haue the vnderstandynge more sharpe there as they apply it. ¶ Madame be not [Page] dyspleased / suffre me vpon this poynte yf it plea­se you. Certaynly mē wolde neuer suffre this que styon to passe for trouthe but yf it were openly as­soyled. For they wolde saye y^t one sayth comunely these men to vnderstande moche more than y^• wo men dothe. ¶ Answere doughter knowest thou wherfore it is that they vnderstande lesse. Ma­dame naye but yf it please you to tell it me with­out fayle it is for that they haunte not so many dy uers places ne so many dyuers thynges / but they holde them within theyr houses / and it suffyseth them to do theyr busynesses / and there is nothyn ge that techeth a creature reasonable so moche as dothe the experyence of many dyuers thynges. Madame and syth that they haue the vnderstan­dynge abyle to conceyue and to lerne as the men haue / wherfore lerne they not more. ¶ Answere. For y^t doughter for it is no nede to y^• comune thyn ge that they medle them of that whiche is cōmyt ted to man to do / as I haue sayd to the before. It suffyseth that they do comune offyce to y^• whiche they are ordeyned / and that that one Iugeth by y^• experyence of that that the women can lesse than men it is no meruayle as it is sayd before though theyr vnderstandynge be lesse. Make the a behol dynge of the people of the lowe countre / or of the hyghe mountaynes. Thou shalte fynde coūtrees ynowe y^t the people seme as bestes they be so sym ple / and yet it is no doubte that nature hath ma­de them as parfyte in all thyse thynges as in bo­dy [Page] and vnderstandynge as well as y^• wysest peo­ple / and y^• moost experte of those that ben in good cytees or in good townes / and that is for defaute of lernynge. Not withstandynge as I haue sayd to the before that of men and women some haue better vndestrandynge than some / for there hath ben women of ryght grete connynge and of gre­te vnderstandynge. I shall tell the and to our pur pose that I tolde the of the vnderstandyng of wo men that they haue as sharpe wytte to lerne as men haue.

¶ Of women y^t were enlumyned of grete scyen­ces & fyrst of y^• noble mayde Cornyfye. Ca. xxviii.

COrnyfye the noble mayde was sent to the scole by her fader in maner of scorne / or of Iape with her brother Cornyfycyen whē they were yonge chyldren. But this lytell mayde by mernayllous wytte haunted the scole so moche y^t she began to fele the swete droppes of vnderstan dynge to lerne. So it was no lyght thynge to ta­ke away this pleasaunce from her / to the whiche all other womens werkes put a parte / she apply­ed her in that she myght. And thus she occupyed her so well by the space of tyme that she was ry­ght a souerayne poete / and not onely in y^t scyence [Page] but it semed that she was nourysshed with y^• myl ke and with the doctryne of party te phylosophye For she wolde fele and knowe of all maner of scy ences that she lerned soueraynly in so moche that she passed her broder whiche was ryght a grete poete in all excellent clargye / & it suffysed her not onely the connynge but she put the vnderstandyn ge to werke it / and her handes to y^• penne in com­pylynge many ryght notable bokes / the whiche bokes and dyttyes were in the tyme of saynt Gre gory of grete pryce / of whom Bocace the Italyen whiche was a grete poete maketh mencyō in pray synge this womā sayth in his boke. O ryght gre­te worshyp to that woman y^• hath lefte womans werkes and applyeth and gyueth her wytte to y^• studye of ryght hyghe connynge. And this Boca­ce sayth forthermore certefyenge the purpose y^• I sayd to the of the wyttes of women. Nowe ben they ashamed sayth he as these slowe women y^• so mysse trusteth of theyrselfe and of theyr vnder­standynge so as thoughe they were borne in the mountaynes without vnderstandynge what is welthe or worshyp / & so dyscourageth themselfe / and sayth that they be not good to other thynge nor profytable but to take men aboute the necke and to bere & nourysshe chyldren / and god hathe gyuen them fayre vnderstandynge yf they wolde applye it in all thynges that these gloryous and excellent men dothe / for yf they wolde studye / the thynges be nother more ne lesse but also comune [Page] to women as to men / and may by honest laboure gete them name perpetuall / the whiche hauynge is agreable to all worshypfull men. Ryght dere doughter thus mayst thou se howe this auctoure Bocace bereth wytnesse of that that I haue sayd to the and howe he prayseth and proueth scyence in woman.

¶ Of Probe the Romayne. Ca. xxix.

OF grete excellence in scyence also was Probe y^• Romayne wyfe of Adelphe / & was crystened. This woman had so notable wytte / and she loued and haunted the scole soo moche that she coude soueraynly the. vi [...]. scyences lyberales and was ryght a souerayne poete. And by so grete la­boure in studyenge she haunted the bokes of poe­tes and in especyall of vyrgyle and of his dyttyes that to all purposes she had them all in mynde / y^• whiche as in a tyme she sawe by grete entente of her wytte and of her thought / and as she toke he­de of the sygnyfyenge of them / It came to her en­tencyon that one myght after the foresayd bokes dyscryue all the scrypture and the hystoryes of the olde testament and of the newe by pleasaunt ver­ses and full of substaunce the whiche thynge for certayne that the auctoure Bocace saythe is not without meruayle that so hyghe consyderacyon myght entre in the brayne of woman / and ryght [Page] a [...]rete meruayleas he sayth to put it in execucyō for she ryght gretely desyrynge to fulfyll her thou ght put the hande to the werke and somtyme she ranne by the Bucolyques or by Eueydos or by y^• Georgykes whiche were the bokes that Uyrgyle made whiche ben so named / that is to say / she vy­syted and redde & nowe of one parte she toke the hole verse / nowe of others some lytell partes she touched by meruayllous crafte & subtylte to her purpose / and so ordynately made hole verses and y^• letell partes put togyder & coupled & redde in be holdynge y^• lawe / the crafte & the measure of fete and the Ioynynge togyder y^• verses without fay lynge in ony parte that no man myght do better. And by suche manere after the begynnynge of the worlde she made the begynnynge of her boke in sewynge all the hystoryes of the olde testament & of the newe / and so came to the sendynge of y^• ho­ln ghost to the apostles accordynge all with y^• bo­kes of Uyrgyle soo ordynately that who had not knowynge of this makynge wolde haue wende that Uyrgyle had ben a prophete or an Euange­lyst togyder. For the whiche the foresayd Bocace sayth grete recommendacyon & lowynge of this woman. For it appereth openly that she had very knowlege and playne of holy bokes and holy vo­lumes of deuyne scrypture the whiche boke was knowne of many grete clerkes & deuynes of our tyme. And this noble lady wolde y^• this foresayd werke made and compounded by grete laboure [Page] Laboure sholde be called Centonyas. And not [...] standynge y^• the laboure of werke as for the gret­nesse ought suffyse to y^• lyfe of a man / yet she lefte not tyll she had made many dyuers other bokes ryght worshypfull & excellente. One amonge all other she made in verses & to be called also Cento nye bycause of an hundred verses that ben contey ned therin. Also she toke the bokes of Omerus y^• poete and the verses by whiche one myght conclu de to the praysynge of her whiche knewe not one ly the latyne letters but also the grekes as parfy­tely. Of the whiche lady and of her thynges y^• she dyde Bocace sayth that it ought to be grete plea­saunce to all women to here.

¶ Of Sapho poete and phylosophre. Ca. xxx.

ANd of lesse cōnynge thē Probe / was not the noble Sapho / whiche was a mayde of y^• cyte of Mylycene. This Sapho was of ryght grete beaute of body and of vysage / and in maner ly countenaunce / and in speche ryght agreable & pleasaunt / and aboue all other graces that were gyuen her she passed of hyghe vnderstandynge. For she was experte pro [...]oundely in many dyuers artes and scyences. And she knewe not onely let­ters and wrytynges made by others / but of her­selfe she founde many newe thynges / and made many dyuers bokes & dyttyes / of whom speketh [Page] [...]he poe [...] Bornes these fayre wordes of poetyke language Sapho garnysshed of quycke vnder­standynge and of brenuynge desyre by contynuel study amonge the beestysshe people and without co [...]nynge haunted the hyghnesse of the mountay ne of [...]ernaso / this is to vnderstande the par [...]yte studye by veray hardynesse and boldenesse / she ac companyed herselfe with y^e .ix. muses not refused that is to say [...] amonge the craftes and scyences / & so entred in the forest of Lawryere full of braun ches of vertue / & floures of dyuers colours smel­lynge of grete swetnesse of dyuers herbes where they rest them and dwell / grammer / Logyke / and the noble rethoryke / Geometry / and Arysmetryke and so moche she wente y^t she came and aryued in the caue and depnesse of Appolyne god of scyence and connynge / and founde the sprynge and con­duyte of Castolyo the welle / and toke the wrest of the harne and touched it. So she made grete me­lodyes with the nymphes ledynge y^• daunce / this is to vnderstande with the rules of Irmony and cordes of musyke. By these thynges that Bocace sayth of her ought to be vnderstande the depnesse of her vnderstandynge / and y^• bokes that she ma­de of so depe scyence that the sentences ben stron­ge to knowe & vnderstande to men of grete wytte and the scole after the wytnesse of auncyent men endureth vnto this day / and her wrytynges and dyt [...]yes ryght notably compounded & made by y^• lyghtes and ensamples to them that cometh af­ter [Page] par [...]yte wrytynge and e [...]dytynge. She foun­de many dyuers maners of makynge of songes / and dyttyes playes / and wepynge complayntes and straunge lamentacyons of loue ryght well & in fayre ordre whiche were named after her name Saphyse / and of these dyttyes recordeth Crassus that when Plato the grete Phylosophre whiche was mayster to Arystotle was deed / one founde the bokes of the wrytynges of Sapho vnder his bolster of his heed / and to saye shortely of this la­dy she was of so grete excellence of connynge y^t in the Cyte where she was conuersaunt to y^• entent y^• she was moost worshypfull and that she sholde be alwaye in remembraunce / one made to her ly­kenesse an ymage of brasse halowed in the name of her lyfte of a grete hyght. So was this lady na med and counted amonge all other poetes of re­nowne / of the whiche as Bocace saythe the wor­shyppes of dyademes & of crownes / & of mytres of bysshoppes be not gretter ne them that hathe vyctores and chaplettes of Lauryere and palme. ¶ Leonte that was a greke was a grete phyloso phre also / whiche durste reproue the Phylosophre Theophrast by pure and trewe reasons / whiche was so gretely named in his dayes.

¶ Of the mayde Manthoa. Ca. xxxj.

IF the scyences ben easy & couenable to wo­men to lerne / knowe it for trouthe that the [Page] same wyse y^• craftes are not vn sene to them & som tyme in the olde lawe of paynymes y^• people vsed many dyuers dyuynacyons of that that was to come by the fiyght of byrdes / and by the flambes of fyre. And by the entrayles of deed beestes. And that was a propre arte or a cōnynge whiche they helde in grete dygnyte. In this tyme a mayden was a grete maystresse whiche was doughter of Thyryfye / whiche was the gretest preest of y^• cyte of Thebes so as we calle hym a bysshop / for in y^• other lawes the bysshoppes were maryed. This woman that was named Manthea whiche flou red in the tyme of kynge Edyppus was of so cle­re and grete wytte that she knewe al the crafte of Pyromancye whiche is for to dyuyne by y^• flam­bes of fyre / the whiche arte vsed in the olde tyme those of Caldee whiche founde it / and others say th that Nembroche the gyaunt founde it. So the re was in her tyme no man that knewe y^• mouyn ges of the flambes of fyre / the colours and y^• sow [...]e y^t came out of the fyre but she. And also she kne we clerely the vaynes of beestes / the throtes of bo les and the entraylles of all beestes that one wol de byleue that by these craftes often tymes y^• spy­rytes were constrayned to speke and to gyue an­swere of that y^t one wolde knowe. In the tyme of this lady Thebes was destroyed thrughe the en cheson of the .ij. sones of kynge Edyppus. Then wente this lady to dwelle in Asye / and there she made a temple of the god Apollo the whiche was [Page] syth in grete renowne. She ended her lyfe in Ita lye / and of y^e name of this lady for her grete aucto­ryte there was named a Cyte of the countre and yet is Manthoa / in y^• whiche vyrgyle was borne

¶ Of Medea and another quene named Cyrtes Capitulo .xxxij.

MEdea of whome hystoryes ynoughe maketh mencyon coude as moche of crafte and connynge as she before reherced. She was the doughter of Othes kynge of Coloos and of Per te / She was ryght fayre of body and of vysage / But in connynge she passed all other women in her tyme / she knewe the vertues of euery dyuers herbe and all maner enchauntementes that my­ght be made and of ony crafte that myght be ler­ned she was not ygnoraunt by y^• vertue of a son­ge that she coude / she wolde make y^e Ayre to trou­ble and the skye to waxe darke / moue y^• wyndes out of the pyttes and caues of the erthe to make the tempestes to ryse in the ayre / to make waters and grete ryuers to stande styll / to make venyme to make fyres without laboure to brenne ony ma ner thynge y^• she wolde & all suche maner of thyn ges she coude do / this was she y^t made Iason to conquere the golden fleece by enchauntement.

¶ Cyrtes also was a quene of a countree vpon [Page] the see whiche stode vpon the entryes of Italye. This lady coude so moche of the crafte of enchaū tement that there was nothynge that she wolde do / but she wolde do it by y^• vertue of her enchaun tement / and by a drynke that she wolde gyue she wolde chaunge the bodyes of men in to the fygu res of wylde bestes and byrdes. And to wytnesse y^e same thynge it is wryten in y^e hystory of Ulyxes that when he retourned after the destruccyon of Troy trowed to go agayne in to his countree / of grete fortune and woodnesse of tempestes burled his shyppes here and there by many dyuers trou bles that at the laste they aryued at the porte of y^• cyte of this lady Cyrtes. yet this wyse vlyxes wol de not take the lande without lycence of the que­ne of the lande / he sente certayne of his knyghtes to her for to knowe yf it pleased her that they my­ght take the lande. Then this lady trowed that they had ben her enemyes gaue them drynke of y^• drynke that she made / and anone they were trans fourmed in to hogges / but Ulyxes wente anone to her / and dyde so moche y^• they were put agayne in to theyr owne s [...]ap / and in the same wyse some men saye of Dyomede that was another prynce of Grece that when he aryued at the porte of this lady Cyrtes y^• she made his knyghtes to be trans fygured in to byrdes whiche be yet ryght grete & of other shappe than other byrdes ben / and they ben ryght fyerse and those of that countree calle them Dyomedens.

¶ Xp̄ine asketh of Reason yf there was euer wo­man that founde ony thynge of herselfe that was not knowne before / and she tolde her of Nycostra te otherwyse called Carmentis. Ca. xxxiij.

I Xp̄ine whiche vnderstode these thynges of dame reason replyed vpon that in this ma nere. Madame I se wel y^• ye myght fynde ynowe and of grete nombre of women praysed in scyen­ces and in crafte / but knowe ye ony that by y^• ver tue of theyr felynge and of subtylte of wytte haue founde of themselfe ony newe craftes and scyen­ces necessary good and couenable that were ne­uer founde before nor knowne / for it is not so gre te maystry to folowe and to lerne after ony other scyence founde and comune before as it is to fyn­de of theymselfe some newe thynge not accusto­med before. ¶ Answere. Ne doubte ye not y^• con­trary my dere frende but many craftes and scyen ces ryght notable hathe ben founde by the wytte and subtylte of women as moche by speculacyon of vnderstandynge the whiche sheweth them by wrytynge as in craftes y^e sheweth theym in wer­kynge of handes and of laboure. And of these I shall gyue the ensamples. And fyrst I shal tell the of Nycostrate whiche those of Italye called Car­mentes. This lady was doughter of the kynge of Archadye named Pallent. She was meruayl lous wytty & gyuen of god to her of specyall gyf­tes of vnderstandynge. She was a grete clarke [Page] in the letter of Grece / and had so moche fayre and wyse speche & worshypfull faconde that y^• poetes beynge y^• tyme y^• wrote of her fayned in her wry­tynges y^• she was loue of the god Mercuryus / & y^• she had a sone by the foresayd god / whiche was of grete vnderstandynge. This lady by certayne chaunce that happened in the countre where she was wente out of her countre / her sone and grete foyson of people y^t folowed & wente with her / and with a grete nauye came in to Italye / and aryued vpon the water of Tybre and there she descended out of her shyppes. So she wente vp vpon an hyghe hylle that she named the mounte Palentyne after her fader vpon the whiche mounte the Cyte of Rome was founded syth. This lady with her sone and those that folowed her founded a fayre castell there. And as this lady had founde the mē of that countre al bestysshe and rude she ordeyned and wrote certayne lawes by y^• whiche she enioy­ned them to lyue by ordre of ryght and reason af­ter Iustyce and she was the fyrst y^t in this countre whiche was syth of so grete renowne / & of whom all the lawes of ryght come of the fyrst y^t establed the lawes there. This lady knewe by inspyracyō deuyne that by the spyryte of prophecye amonge other graces that she had synguler specyalte was gyuen to her howe this countre ought to be in tyme to come moost noble of excellence & of renow­ne aboue all the countres of the worlde. So it se­med her that it sholde be no honest thynge y^t whē [Page] the hyghnesse of the Empyre of Rome that all the worde ought to lordeshyp and gouerne that they sholde vse of letters and carectes straunge / and begged of other countrees / and to that entente al so that she wolde shewe her wysdome and excel­lence of wytte to the worlde to come / she dyde soo moche by her study that she founde propre letters dyfferenced from all other nacyons of the worlde that is to knowe the. A. B. C. and the ordenaun­ce of latyne by puttynge togyder of y^• same letters with the dyfference of vowelles with all the en­trynge of the scyence of grammere. The whiche letters and scyences she toke and taught them to her people / and wolde y^t it sholde be knowne com munely / so it was no lytell scyence nor lytell profy table that this woman founde. For y^• subtylnesse of the sayd scyence / and for the grete profyte and welthe that is come to y^e worlde by it one myght say that there was neuer worthyer thynge foun de to the worlde / and of that benefyse y^• Italyens haue not ben vnkynde & of good ryght to whom this thynge was so meruayllous that they had her not onely in reputacyon more than man / but a goddesse. For the whiche they honoured her w^t deuyne worshyppes. And whē she was deed they edyfyed and founded a tymple in her name. And it was made and buylded at the foote of the fore­sayd mountayne where she dwelled. And to gy­ue to this lady a perpetuall memorye for euermo­re / they toke many of them theyr names as after [Page] the scyences that she had founde / & also they gaue the name of her to dyuers of theyr thynges so as themselfe of that countre for the scyence of latyne whiche that was founde there by that lady they call themselfe latynes in grete worshyp / and that more is for that that ita in latyne that is to say in Frensshe ouy / and in Englysshe ye / the souerayne affyrmacyon of this language is latyne. And yet it suffyseth not them y^t this countre was called y^• lande of latyne / but they wolde that all the coun­tres ouer the mountaynes whiche is grete & lar­ge / & where there were many dyuers countres & lordshyppes all was called Italye. Of this lady Carmentys dyttyes were called carmen in latyn And also the Romaynes that came a grete whyle syth named one of the gates of the Cyte of Rome Carmentele / the whiche names for what maner prosperyte that y^e Romaynes had syth nother for no hyghnesse of Emperours they chaunged ne­uer syth / so as it appereth vnto this day it endure th yet. And what wylte thou more fayre dough­ter may there ony man saye more worshyp of ony man borne of woman / yet thou trowest not that this crafte be onely to the worlde by whiche ma­ny scyences and dyuers haue ben founde.

¶ Of Mynerue that founde many scyen­ces / and the maner to make Armoure of Iron and steele. Ca. xxxiiij.

[Page] MInerue so as thou haste wryten in other places was mayden of Grece and her surname was Pallas / this mayde was of so grete excellence in wytte that the lewde people of that countree for that y^t they knewe not well of what kynrede she was of / & they sawe her do thynges y^t had not ben before in vsage / sayd that she was a goddesse comen frome heuen / for by so moche as they knewe not frome whens she came the more was to them meruaylable the grete connynge of her aboue all women in her tyme / this lady was subtyll and of grete vnderstandynge not onely in one thynge but soueraynely in all thynges. She founde by her subtylnesse certayne lettres Greke­ysshe that some call them Carectes / by the whiche one myght put a grete tale of dyuers thynges in wrytynge in the space of ryght fewe lettres & of shorte wrytynge the whiche abreuyacyons vseth the Grekes yet whiche was ryght a fayre inuen­cyon and a subtyll to fynde. She founde nombre and maner of a compte and to put togyder som­mes. She had the spyryte soo moche enlumyned of vnderstandynge that she founde many craftes and werkes to make that had neuer ben founde before. The crafte of wolle and to make clothe / & she founde fyrst y^t euer was aduysed to shere shepe to tose wolle / to kembe & to carde it with dyuers instrumentes to make it clene / to make it softe w^t roddes of yron / to spynne at y^• dysta [...]e & after in­strumentes [Page] to make the clothe / & howe it sholde be wouen. Also she founde the cafte & vsage to ma ke oyle of fruytes of y^e erthe / of Olyues & of other fruyte to presse it & to drawe y^e lycoure. ¶ Also she founde y^• crafte & the vsage to make cartes & cha­ryottes to bere thynges easely from one place to another / & yet dyde this lady more / & that semed more meruaylable for that y^t it is ferre fro y^• natu­re of womā y^t she sholde aduyse her of suche thyn­ges. For she founde the crafte & the manere of ma kynge of harnoys & armure of yron & of stele the whiche the knyghtes, & men of armes vseth in ba tayle with whiche they couer theyr bodyes and y^t she t [...]ke it fyrst to them at Athenes to whome she taught y^e vsage of ordeynynge hoostes in batayle & the maner of fyghtynge in ordre & arowe / & she founde fyrst pypes / shalmes / & trompes & instru­mentes of mouthe. This lady with the grete ver­tue of vnderstandynge y^t she had was alwaye a vyrgyn / & for y^• gret chastyte y^t she was of y^• poetes sayd in theyr sayenges y^t wulcan y^• god of fyre had longe wrestled with her / & fynally she ouercame hym & surmounted hym / y^t is as moche to saye / y^• she ouercame the brennynge & the concupyscence of the flesshe whiche gyueth grete defaute in you­the. The people of Athenes had her in grete reue­r [...]nce & called her goddesse of armes & of knyght­hode bycause y^• she founde fyrst y^• vsage. And also they called her goddesse of connynge for the grete scyence y^• haboūded in her. ¶ After her dethe they [Page] made to her a temple in Athenes cōsecrate in her name / & in that temple they set her ymage whiche was in y^• shap & semblaunce of a mayden y^• whi­che ymage sygnyfyed wysdome & knyghthode / & so this ymage had the eyen terryble & cruell for y^t that knyghthode is ordeyned to execute y^• rygure of Iustyce / also it sygnyfyed y^t one knewe lytel of­ten tymes to what ende entendeth y^• entencyon of a wyse man / she had y^• heed helmet whiche beto­kened y^t a knyght ought to haue strengthe in ver­tue / & also it sygnyfyed y^t the counsayles ought to be couerte & secrete. She was clothed w^t an haw berke whiche betokeneth y^e puyssaunce of y^e state of knyghthode / & it betokened also that the wyse man ought to be alway armed agaynst y^• monyn ges of fortune be it well or euyll / she helde a shafte or a longe spere whiche was to say y^t a knyght ou ght to be the staffe of Iustyce / & it sygnyfyed also y^t the wyse man pycketh his darte of a grete leng­the. She had hangynge at her necke a targe or a shelde of crystall whiche betokened that the kny­ghtes ought to be alwaye wakynge & to se clere vpon the defence of the countre and of the people Also it sygnyfyed that vnto the wyse man al thyn ges ben brought and made open. In the myddes of this targe there was also pourtrayed the heed of a serpent the whiche was named Gorgon / the whiche heed betokened and sygnyfyed that a no­ble and worthy knyght ought to be subtyl and wy ly and watchynge vpon his enemyes as dothe y^• [Page] serpent it was also to vnderstande that the wyse man ought to be aduysed of all malyces thrughe whiche he myght be noyed. Also they put a byrde in y^• one syde of this ymage as for kepe it whiche fleeth by nyght that men calleth a choughe whi­che betokeneth that a knyght ought to be as well by nyght as by daye all redy for the defence comu ne if nede be. Also it sygnyfyed that the wyse man sholde wake at euery houre vpon that that is to hym easye to doo. This lady was by longe tyme holden by so grete reuerence / and so moche wente her renowne that in many places were stabled & made temples in her name / and in the same wyse longe tyme after that y^• Romaynes were in theyr grete puyssaunce put her ymage amonge theyr other goddes.

¶ Of the ryght noble quene Seres. Ca. xxxv.

CEres whiche was in the ryght olde dayes quene of the royalme of Sy­culyens had a prerogatyue to fynde by subtylte of wytte fyrst the scyence and vsage of the tyllynge of the er­the & of the toles that perteyneth therto. She tau ght to her subiectes to put togyder & to make ta­me y^• oxen & to accustome them to be coupled in y^e yoke. She founde also y^• ploughe & shewed them y^e maner howe they sholde cleue & departe y^e erthe [Page] and al the laboure y^• therto perteyneth / & after she taught them to cast the sede vpon y^e erthe & to co­uer it / & after when the sede was growne & mul­typlyed she shewed theym howe they sholde repe the corne / & with betynge of flayles to put it out of the eres. After she taught them to grynde it by twene .ij. harde stones by crafte / & howe they shol de make mylles & she taught them after to make brede of the mele / & also this lady taught to y^e peo ple y^• lyued customably as beestes with acornes & hawthorne buryes / & wylde apples to vse more couenable fedynges / yet this lady dyde more for the people of y^• countre that had it of custome to dwelle here & there in woodes & in wylde places & voyde as beestes made them to assemble by gre te companyes / & taught them to make townes & cytees & howses in the whiche they sholde dwelle togyder / & thus by this lady y^• worlde was brou­ght out of the beestysshnesse in to the reasonable lyfe of man. Of this Ceres the poetes fayned the tale howe her doughter was rauysshed by Pluto god of helle / and for the auctoryte of her vnderstā dynge and the grete welthe y^• she had procured to the worlde / the people of thens worshypped her & called her goddesse of corne.

¶ Of the noble quene I [...]es that founde fyrste the crafte to make Orchardes and to plan te plantes. Ca. xxxvj.

[Page] THe same wyse was Isys of so grete te vnderstandynge in the dede of la­bour that she was not onely named quene of Egypte but ryght syguler & specyall goodnesse of Egypcyens. Of this Isys speketh y^• fable that Iupyter loued her and howe he transfourmed her in to a cowe / & after howe she came in to her fyrst fourme whiche by sygnyfyenge of her grete vnderstandynge soo as thou haste touched her thyselfe in thy boke of Othea. She founde dyuers maners of letters a­breged that she tought the Egypcyans and gaue them fourme of theyr longe language to abrege it. This was the doughter of Iuachus kynge of Grekes and syster of Phoroneus whiche was ry ght a wyse man / and this lady wente out of Gre­ce for dyuers thynges y^• fell & wente in to Egypte w^t her brother. There she taughte amonge other thynges the vsage of orchardes & to graffe trees on dyuers stockes / & she gaue & ordeyned certay­ne lawes and ryghtfull / and she tought y^• people of Egypte whiche lyued rudely without ordynaū ce of Iustyce to lyue by ryght ordre / & to speke shor tely she dyde so moche y^• lyuynge & deed / they had her in grete reuerence / & her renowne wente thru ghe the worlde in so moche that in dyuers places were made temples and oratoryes in her name. And also at Rome in the tyme of theyr hyghnesse they made a temple in her name where they ordey ned sacrefyses and offerynges & grete solempny­tees [Page] in the maner as they of Egypte were accusto med to doo for her. The housbande of this lady was named Aprys / whiche after the arroure of auncyent people was sone of the god Iupyter & of Nyode / doughter of Phoroneus / of whome the olde hystoryes and poetes maketh mencyon ynoughe.

¶ Of the grete welthe that is come to the worl­de by dyuers ladyes. Ca. xxxvij.

MAdame I haue grete meruayle of y^• / that I haue herde you saye y^• so mo­che good sholde come to the worlde bycause of y^• vnderstandynge of wo­man. And these men saye comunely theyr vnderstandynge is as a thynge withoute pryce and y^• they haue not serued ne serueth to the worlde but for to bere chyldren and spynne. ¶ An swere. Nowe mayst thou well knowe the grete ygnoraunce & they yelde no thankynges to them from whom they come. And also thou mayst se cle rely howe god whiche nothynge dothe without cause hath wyll to showe to men that he dyspray seth not y^e woman kynde / ne thoughe that he con sydereth that in the brayne of woman there is so grete vnderstandynge that not onely they ben a­byle for to lerne / and to withholde the scyences / but to fynde of themselfe all newe scyences of soo grete vtylyte and profyte vnto the worlde / that [Page] nothynge is more necessary so as thou mayst se of this Carmentes of whome I haue spoken to the y^• founde the letters of latyne / to the whiche god hath ben so gracyous & so moche multyplyed the scyence y^e this lady founde whiche hathe defaced as amonge vs all y^• letters of Ebrue & of Grewe / & that nyghe Europe whiche conteyneth a grete partye & space of the erthe vseth of these letters of the whiche there be made & compounded infyny­te bokes of volumes of al facultees / where be put & kepte in perpetuall memorye the actes & dedes of men and the nobles & excellent praysyngees of god & all maner scyences and craftes. So mayst thou conclude that the welthe y^• this womā hath done is infynyte. For by this lady thoughe y^t they wyl not knowe it these men are drawne out of yg noraunce & put in to knowynge / by her they haue y^• crafte to sende theyr courages & entencyons as ferre as they wyll & haue knowledge & vnderstan­dynge agayne of all thynges that pleaseth them & the same wyse to knowe thynges passed & pre­sent / and some that are to come. And also by y^• scy ence of this woman men may make accorde and Ioyne frendshyppes with persones ferre fro them and by answeres that they gaue that one to that other they fele and knowe theyr wyll without se­ynge. And to say shortely all the welthe y^t cometh of letters may not be tolde / for they dyscryue and make to vnderstande and knowe god & celestyall thynges / the heuens the see / the erthe al persones [Page] and all thynges / where was there euer man tha [...] euer dyde more good.

¶ Of the same. Capitulo .xxxviij.

ANd also where was there euer man by whom more welthe happened to the worlde than dyde by this noble quene Ceres of whome I haue spo­ken of to the before whiche may not gete a name of gretter praysynge as to brynge y^• wylde men dwellynge in wodes as beestes with out lawe of ryght to dwelle in cytees & townes & to teche them to vse y^e ryght way & to haue pour­chaced vytayle of better [...]edynge than acornes & wylde apples / that is to knowe / whetes and cor­nes by the whiche these men haue the body more fayre & more clere and the membres more stronge & more mouynge as it were mete more comforta tyfe / and more couenable to mannes nature and the lande full of thystles of thornes / & of busshes euyll set to gyder and full of wylde trees / she tau­ght to clense by laboure / and to sowe the sede the whiche by the labourynge of y^e grounde there as it was wylde it becometh free & tame to y^e comu­ne profyte / & so by this lady mannes nature recey ueth that profyte by the whiche the wylde & rude worlde was chaunged in to the guyse of good cy tees and townes / and the slawstrynge wyttes & slowe / beynge in the caues of ygnoraunce were [Page] chaunged and brought agayne in to hyghnesse of contemplacyon and exersyses couenables / and she ordeyned some men to labonre the feldes by y^• whiche so many cytees & towne are replenysshed & susteyned / & some to do other necessary werkes to lyue by. ¶ I sys the same wyse in orchardes / & gardynes who may somme the grete welthe that she procured t [...] the worlde to gyue the manere to lyfte vp plantes and trees and so many good her bes couenable to y^• nourysshynge of man. ¶ My nerue also that pourueyed by her wytte to man­nes nature so many dyuers necessary th [...]nges as clothynge of wolle whiche were before clothed w^t skynnes of be [...]stes. Also she put them out of pay­ne that they had to bere all theyr necessary thyn­ges bytwene theyr armes from one place to ano­ther and ordeyned and founde the manere to ma­ke cartes and charyottes for theyr socoure and to the nobles and knyghtes she founde the crafte & the vsage to make harnoys to couer theyr bodyes for the more suretye in the warre more fayre and stronger and more couenable than they had befo­re whiche was onely with the hydes of beestes. ¶ Xp̄ine and I sayd to her. Ha madame. Nowe I perceyue by that / y^t ye saye more than euer I dyde the grete vnkyndnesse and vnconnynge of these men that so moche euyll sayth of women / for not­withstandynge that it sholde seme that there is cause ynoughe of praysynge of them by that wo­man is moder to man / and al other welthes that [Page] one mayese openly that generally women dothe to men. Truely I se nere the ryght hepe of beuety ses and of souerayne largenesse that they haue re ceyned and receyue of them. Nowe lette them hol de theyr peas from hens torthe these euyll sayen­ge clerkes of women that haue blamed and spo­ken shrewdely of women in theyr bokes and dyt­tyes and other suche / and lette them caste downe theyr eyen for shame of that they haue mysse sayd consyderynge the trouthe whiche is contrary vn to theyr wrytynge seynge this noble lady Carmē tis the whiche by the hyghnesse of her vnderstan dynge hath taught them as theyr maystresse at y^• scole suche a lesson by y^• whiche vnderstandynge / they holde them so hyghe and worshypfull / that is to knowe the noble letters of latyne / yet what shall these nobles and knyghtes say to this thyn­ge so moche agaynst ryght that saythe euyll gene rally of all women / lette them refrayne theyr mou thes & from hens forth aduysynge y^• vsage, to be­re armes in batayle / & to fyght in ordenaunce of y^• whiche crafte they prayse them & holde them gre te / & all is come to them by women▪ & generally al men that lyueth by brede / & that lyueth in Cytees and townes by the ordre of ryght. And also those y^• tylleth the lande / haue they soo moche cause to blame women as many of theym dothe thynkyn ge vpon these benefeytes and goodnesses whiche they haue done for them. Forsothe naye. And that by these women / that is to vnderstāde Myuerne [Page] Ceres / and Isys there ben come to them so many dy [...]rs [...]elthes & profytes / of the whiche benefy ses they haue theyr lyfe worshypfully & so they ly ue and shall lyue alway. These thynges ben wel appealed without fayle madame / but yet it seme­th me that the doctryne of Arystotle whiche was of ryght grete profyte to mannes wytte & wher­of one holdeth of grete counte and of ryght / none of all that other phylosophres that euer were the re is not of so grete profyte to the worlde as haue ben & ben by y^• doctryne of these foresayd ladyes.

¶ Of the mayden Arenye that founde the crafte to shere sheepe / to dresse the wolles / and to make clothe. Ca. xxxix.

NOt onely by these ladyes god hadde lust to pouruey to the worlde many dyuers thynges & necessaryes / but also in y^• same wyse by many dyuers others. So as by a mayde of the lan de of Assye that was named Arenye doughter of ydmuete Cholophone y^• whiche was of meruayl lous & subtell wytte. So moche she laboured her wyttes y^• she founde fyrst the crafte to dye wolle in to dyuers coloures & to make werkes in clothe as paynters dothe / in the manere that we sholde calle y^• clothes of hyghe lyst and in this crafte she was meruayllous subtyll. And it was she wher­of the fable speketh and saythe that she stryued w^t [Page] Pallas whiche became a flee. This woman foū de another scyence more necessarye. For this was she that founde fyrst the maner of Flaxe & maner of werkes to make lynnen clothe / y^• whiche thyn­ge semeth to be ryght necessarye to y^• worlde thou ghe that some men say that the exercyse therof be reprofe to women. This Arenye also founde fyr­ste to make nettes and craftes to take byrdes and fysshes and founde the crafte of fyss hynge / & to ta ke and deceyue the stronge wylde beestes and co­nyes & hares / & byrdes with nettes whiche was not knowne before. So me semeth that this wo man made no lytell seruyce to y^• worlde by y^• whi che syth men haue founde grete profyte. ¶ Notw^tstandynge y^t dyuers auctoures and also this Bo­cace whiche telleth y^e foresayd thynges haue sayd that the worlde was better when y^e people lyued not but with hawes & acornes / and y^• they ware but skynnes of bestes then it hathe ben syth whē that they were taught to vse others more delyca­tyfe / yet saue the reuerence of the sayd auctoure & of all them that shall saye that it is preiudyce to y^• worlde to vse suche thynges & that the nouryssh­ynge of mannes body sholde be founde and vsed I saye that in so moche that ony creature receyue th more of graces & of grete gyftes of god / by soo moche is he the more beholdynge to serue hym y^e better / & that yfony creature vse euyll of well y^• god hathe prouyded for hym & graunted hym to vse them well & couenably / & made them for the [Page] vsage of man & woman y^• it cometh of the shrew­denesse and cursydnesse of them that vseth it euyl and not that y^• thynges of hym sholde not be euyl but good to vse. Ihesu cryst hymselfe in his owne persone shewed it wel for he vsed brede and wyne fless he and fyss he / robe of coloure / of lynnen / and of all other thynges necessary whiche had not be done yf it had ben better to vse to eate acornes & hawes & also he honoured moche the scyence y^t Ce res founde / that is to knowe of brede whē it plea sed hym to gyue to man & woman his owne body in fourme of brede / and that they sholde vse it.

¶ Of Pamphyle that founde the crafte to drawe sylke of the wormes. Ca. xl.

OF scyences good and profytable foun de by women / amonge others we ou ght not to forgete the noble P [...]mphy le of the countre of Grece. This lady was of ryght subtyll wytte in dyuers werkes / and so moche delyted to serche straunge thynges that she was the fyrst y^• founde the craf­te of sylke. For as she was ryght subtyll and yma gynatyfe she aduysed her of these wormes y^• ma­keth sylke naturally vpon the braunches of trees So she toke y^• bothomes that these wormes had made and she sawe that they were ryght fayre / & then she toke many thredes and put theym togy­der and twyned them / and then she assayed if this [Page] threde wolde take ony fayre coloure / and when she had proued all this and sawe that it was ry­ght a fayre thynge she toke it to make and to we­ue in to clothes of sylke. For the whiche thynge of the connynge of this woman there is come grete beaute and profyte to y^• worlde multyplyed in all conntres. For god is worshypped and serued in dyuers arayes therof. And the noble robes & ray mentes of prelates in deuyne offyces ben made therof. And also of Emperours kynges and pryn ces / and the same wyse the people of some landes vseth none other clothynge for that they haue no wolles and they haue ynowe of sylke wormes.

¶ Of Thamar that was a souerayne maystresse in the crafte of payntynge / and of another named Irayne. Ca. xli.

WHat woldest thou I sholde say yf na­ture of woman be able to fynde and to lerne the speculatyfe scyences and also these hande craftes. The same wyse it is empropryed to execute thē and put them in werke ryght subtylly when they haue lerned them. So as it is wryten of a womā that was named Thamar whiche was of so gre te subtylte in the crafte and scyence of payntynge that in those dayes whyle she lyued there was no ne suche as she was in connynge. This woman [Page] as Bocace sayth was doughter to Nyton Peyn tre and was in y^e tyme of Olympe. Olympe was a grete solempne day so called / in the whiche the­re were made dyuers playes / and he that gate it sholde be graunted vn to hym y^t he asked yt it we­re a reasonable thynge the whiche feest & playes was done in the honoure of Iupyter / & it was ha lowed from .vj. yere vnto .vj. yere .iiij. yere free by twene bothe / & Hercules ordeyned fyrst this feest / and of y^e fyrst begynnynge y^t it was ordeyned they made theyr date. So as dothe the crysten men of the Incarnacyon of Ihesu cryst. This Thamar lefte all womens werkes and folowed the crafte of her fader by ryght grete subtelte of wytte in y^• tyme when Archylans reygned vpon the Mace­donyes she had synguler praysynge in so moche y^t they of the countre of Ephese that there worshyp ped the goddesse Dyane made by grete charge y^t this Thamar sholde paynte the ymage of theyr goddesse / whiche they kepte longe tyme after in grete dygnyte as a thynge made by grete subtyl­te and solempnely paynted / & they shewed neuer this ymage but at the feest & solempnyte of y^e god desse the whiche payntynge as it endured by ry­ght grete age bare so grete wytnesse of the subtyl te of this woman that vnto this day there is me mory of her wytte. In this scyence of payntynge there was also a woman of Grece soueraynly ler ned whiche was named Irane that she passed al those that were in her tyme / this woman was a [Page] dyscyple of a payntoure called Cracyne y^• whiche was a souerayne werke man / yet she was subtyll & so moche lerned in the scyence y^• she passed & exce ded her mayster so meruayllousiy y^• for the remem braunce of her they lete make an ymage whiche was as a mayden y^t paynted / & they lyfte it for ho noure amonge y^• other ymages of souerayne wer ke men of certayne workes y^t had ben before her. For suche custome had these auncyent men y^t they worshypped bothe men & women y^t passe other in excellence whyder it were of vnderstandynge or of strengthe or of beaute / or of ony other grace or vertue y^t for to make theyr perpetuall remembraū ce they made to set theyr ymages in hyghe & wor shypfull places. ¶ Marcya the Romayne y^t was also a vyrgyne was of ryght grete vertue in no­ble lyuynge / & in good condycyons / she was also of noble wytte in y^• crafte of payntynge / this wo­man wrought by so grete crafte & so maysterly y^e she passed all men / & the same wyse Gaye & Spo­lyn y^t were called y^• moost souerayne payntoures of the worlde in theyr tyme / she passed them & at­tayned the worshyp of all y^t myght be knowne of y^t scyence after that that the maystres sayd. This Marcya to that entente y^t the remembraunce of y^e scyence sholde shewe after her amonge her noble werkes she made a table by grete crafte where she paynted her fygure beholdynge her in a myroure so properly y^• euery mā y^• sawe it Iuged it to be on lyue / the whiche table ryght longe syth was soue [Page] raynely kepte & she wed to werke men as a trea­soure of solempnyte. ¶ Then I sayd to her mada me by this ensample one may perceyue y^t in y^• olde tyme these wyse people were more worshypped than they be no we / & the scye nces holdeth in mo­che more pryce / yet to the purpose of that y^t ye saye of women experte in y^• scyence of payntynge. ¶ I knowe at this day a woman y^t men calleth Ana stase y^e is so moche experte & lerned to make vyny ettes of enlumynynge in bokes & chasynge hysto ryes y^t there is mencyon made of ony werke man in y^• towne of Parys / yet there ben suche in y^t tow ne y^t ben called y^• soueraynest werkemen of y^• worl de / but y^t she passeth them / ne y^t so swetely maketh flourysshynges as she dothe / and this I knowe by experyence / for she hathe wrought for myselfe dyuers thynges whiche ben holden syngulersby themselfe amonge the vynyettes of other werke men. Responce. Of y^t I byleue the well fayre dou­ghter / for thou mayst fynde women ynowe whi­che ben wel experte in dyuers thynges who y^t wol de serche aboute in the worlde / and yet to y^• same purpose I shall telle the of a woman of Rome.

¶ Here it speketh of Semproyne. Ca. xlij.

SEmproyne of Rome was a woman of gre te beaute / yet notwithstādynge y^t the shap of her body & of her vysage passed in her tyme all other women in beaute / yet she passed & exceded [Page] in excellence of subtylte of her wytte / y^e whiche she had so redy y^t there was nothynge soo subtyll in worde nor in werke but anone she wolde haue it so hooly y^t she wolde not fayle but as her lyste she wolde reporte it all y^t she had herde saye thoughe it were ryght a grete narracyō. This lady knewe not onely the latyne letters but y^• Grekyss he also entyerly & wrote them so wyttely y^t it was grete meruayle to se. Also of speche & faconde & of fayre manere so comely & so gentyll y^t by her wordes & maners she coude drawe ony persone to y^• she wol de / yf she wolde or lyst to prouoke them to solace / or Ioye / to wepe or to sorowe / in y^• same wyse she coude moue euery man therto / other to hardynes or to ony dede of strengthe / or to lerne ony other thynge / she coude styre them therto / & she had spo­ken with them. And with that so moche she was of maner / of speche / and of countenaunce / and ful of courtoysye / and of swetnesse that one sholde ne uer be satysfyed to beholde her / & here her / she son­ge so melodyously / and by grete crafte played in all instrumentes soueraynly / & she coude all ma­ner of playes / and to saye shortely she was ryght able and wytty to do al maner of thynges y^t man nes wytte myght comprehende.

¶ Here Xp̄ine asketh of Reason yf naturall prudē ce be in woman. Ca. xliij.

IXp̄ine yet sayd to her. Madame truely I se well y^t it is true that god worshypped be he [Page] hath gyuen vnderstandynge to woman compre­hensyfe in all thynges to vnderstande / knowe / & to holde / yet for y^t that one seeth people ynowe y^t haue ryght subtyll wytte & redy to fele & to vnderstande all y^t one wolde showe them / & ben so sub­tyl in felynge & retentyfe y^t there is no scyence but y^t it be open ynoughe to them whiche by hauntynge of the scole geteth ryght grete clargye. And ne­uerthelesse there ben many also y^t be of grete reputacyon amōge clarkes & full of scyence y^t haue but lytell wysdome in maners & in worldely gouer­naunce wherof I haue grete meruayle / for it is no doubte that the introduccyon of scyence techeth y^• good cōdycyons & vertues. So I wolde knowe ryght fayne of you my lady yf it pleased you if the vnderstandynge of womā whiche is ynoughe as me semeth by your proues & that I se it by takyn­ge & retentyfe in subtyll thynges & scyences as o­thers ben / but I wolde wyte yf theyr vnderstan­dynge be prompte & abyle in thynges y^t prudence techeth / y^• is to knowe to haue aduyse vpon y^t whiche is best to do / & of that y^t ought to be leest remē ­braunce of thynges passed by y^• whiche one maye be y^• more experte by y^t ensample y^t one haue wyse syght in gouernaunce of present thynges / & that one haue pourueyaunce vpon thynges to come. These thynges as me semeth techeth prudence.

¶ Answere thou sayst trewe doughter / but this prudence of whiche thou spekest / knowe y^t it cometh by nature to man & womā to some more / to so­me [Page] lesse / & not to allyke / howe be it that she dothe so moche y^t naturally they ben prudent. For thou mayst knowe y^t two strengthes togyder ben more & more resystynge thā is euery strengthe by hym­selfe. And therfore I saye to the y^t euery persone y^t by nature hathe prudence / that is called naturall wytte / & with that connynge gotten to y^t persone bryngeth hym to praysynge / of grete excellence / yet suche hathe one / as thou thyselfe hathe sayd / y^t another hath not. For that one is the gyfte of god y^• other is goten by longe studyenge / yet they ben bothe good / but some sooner shall chose naturall wytte without scyence goten thā goten with scy­ence / and neuertheles vpon this preposycyon the re may many opposycyons be founde / of the whi­che maye sprynge questyons ynowe / for one my­ght say that he dothe well to chose the more whi­che is moost auaylable or profyte in the comune nede / and it is so that to knowe scyences it profy­teth a synguler persone and more to all persones by the shewynge that he dothe to others that all sholde not do of naturall wytte that he sholde ha­ue. For this naturall wytte maye not endure but durynge the lyfe of the persone that hathe it / and when he dyeth his wette dyeth with hym / but the Scyence that is goten endureth perpetually for euer to theym that hathe it for to knowe in pray­synge / and it profyteth vnto many people / in soo moche that they do teche it vnto others / and ma­keth bookes vnto theym that ben to come.

[Page]So theyr scyence dyeth not with them. So as I may shewe y^e by ensample of Arystotle & of others by y^• whiche the scyences were brought to y^e worl de y^• profyteth more to y^• worlde the connynge go ten of them than dothe all y^• prudence without scy ence goten of all y^t men passed or those y^t ben. Not withstandynge y^t by prudence many dyuers roy­almes & Empyres hathe ben well gouerned and dressed / yet al these thynges ben faylynge & gothe with these men / & scyence endureth euer. But yet this questyon I shall leue vnassoylled & to deter­myne to others. For it draweth not to the purpo­se of y^• strengthynge of our cyte / and I shall tour­ne agayne to the questyon that thou hast made to me / that is to knowe yf there be natural prudence in woman / of the whiche thynge I answere y^• soo that thou mayst knowe by that y^t is sayd to the be fore. So as thou mayst se generally by the gouer naunce of them in offyces that are put to them to do / & yf thou take hede it shall seme y^• good. Thou shalte fynde that to gouerne theyr housholde and to pouruaye for it in all thynges after theyr puys­saunce they ben comunely and for the moost par­tye ryght curyous quycke and dylygent in so mo­che that theyr neglygent housbandes thynketh y^t it is grete anoyaunce to them y^t they busy them so moche to do that that perteyneth to them to pour uaye and then they saye / that they wolde be may­stresses and more wyse than they. And thus they wolde tourne it in to euyl that y^t many womē say [Page] to thē in good entente & of these wyse women spe keth y^• epystle of Salamon / of whiche y^• substaūce after our purpose wyll say y^t it foloweth so.

¶ The epystle of Salamon in the boke of prouerbes. Ca. xliiij.

WHo shall fynde a stronge woman y^t is to say wyse / her housbande shall not faute of all good. She is praysed of all y^e countre / & her housbande truste th her wel / for she yeldeth hym al wel the and prosperyte in all tymes / she seketh & pour chaseth wolles / that is to vnderstande werke to kepe her meyny i profytable werkes to garnysshe her hous [...]ande & she herselfe put her handes to the busynesse / and she is as a shyp of a marchaunte y^t bereth all manere of goodes and pouruayeth for brede. She gyueth her gyftes to them y^t ben wor thy / and those ben her counsayllours. And all ha­boundaunce of meetes & drynkes spryngeth also to her seruauntes. She consydereth the value of a maner or she bye it. And by y^t werke of her wytte she hath planted vynes with the whiche her hous holde is pouruayed. She gyrdeth her raynes w^t strengthe and constaunce of busynesse / and her ar mes ben in contynuall good werke she seeth that her busynesse is good & therfore she contynueth it And for so moche y^t the lyght of her laboure shall neuer be quenched what darke tyme that cometh She busyeth herselfe in stronge thynges / & with that she dysprayseth not womens workes but she [Page] herselfe worketh it. She stretcheth her handes to the poore & feble in theyr socoure / her house by her pourueyaunce is kepte from al maner of coldnes of snowe & those y^t she hath to gouerne ben clothed in double robes. She maketh for herselfe robes of sylke of purple of worshyp & of renowne / & her housbande is worshypped when he is set with y^e fyrst auncyent men of y^e erthe. She maketh cloth lynnen & wollen y^t she selleth / & her clothynge is strengthe & worshyp / & for that Ioye perpetuall shal be to her / her mouthe speketh alway wordes of wysedome / & the lawe of buxomnesse is in her tongue. She consydereth the prouysyons of her house / & she eteth not her brede ydell. The condy­cyons of her chyldren sheweth y^t she is theyr mo­der / & the werke of them sheweth her goodnesse. The clene rayment of her housbande yeldeth her praysynges. She is maystresse of her doughters in al thynges thoughe they be grete / she dyspray­seth false praysynges and vayne beaute. Suche a woman shall drede our lorde & shall be praysed. and she shall yelde her fruyte after her werke whi che prayseth her in all places.

¶ Here it speketh of Gay Cyryle. Ca. xlv.

TO the purpose y^t the epystle of Salamon sayth of a wyse woman maye well be re­membred the noble quene Gay Cyryle. This la­dy was of Rome or of Constaunce / and maryed to a kynge of y^e Romaynes. She was of pruden­ce in the dede of gouernaunce & ryght vertuous. [Page] And with the grete naturall wyt trouthe & boun­te y^t she had aboue all women she was praysed to be ryght a grete vyander & of notable pourueyaū ce / & thoughe she were a quene & myght well leue to werke with her handes / yet she had y^e herte al­waye to profyte in some thynge & noo tyme to be ydle / but alway laboured in some werke / & the sa­me wyse she made y^e ladyes & damoyselles abou­te her to laboure / & in especyall those y^t serued her. She founde y^e maner to sorte wolles / & to make fyne clothe & of dyuers sortes / & in y^t she occupyed her whiche is for y^e tyme a ryght honourable thyn ge / by whiche this noble lady in all places was praysed & worshypped / by whiche for y^e reuerence & memory of her the Romaynes whiche after en­creased in ryght grete puyssaunce whiche in her tyme were not ordeyned & maynteyned the custo me y^t to the weddynge of her doughters when the spouse sholde entre fyrst in to y^e house of her hous­bande / one asked howe she sholde be named / & she answered Gaye / & that gaue to vnderstande y^t she wolde folowe this same lady in dedes & in wer­kes after her puyssaunce.

¶ Here it speketh of the aduyse of Dydo quene of Cartage. Ca. xlv [...].

PRudence so as thyselfe hast sayd befo re / is to haue aduyse & a beholdynge vpon thynges that one wyll take on hande howe y^t they sholde be determy ned / and y^t women sholde be in suche [Page] respecte aduysed in grete matters. I shall gyue y^e yet ensample of some puyssaunt ladyes / & fyrst of Dydo. This Dydo was fyrst named Elyxa / the connynge of her prudence shewed well by her wer kes as I shall tell y^e. She founded & edyfyed a cy te in y^e lande of Auffryke named Cartage of y^e whi che she was lady & quene / & the maner of y^t foun­dynge to gete y^e lande & to possede it shewed in her grete constaunce / noblesse & vertue / without whi che to haue by grace veray prudence maye not be in ony persone. The comynge of this lady was of them of Fenyce whiche of y^e last partyes of Egyp te came in to y^e lande of Syrye / & there they foun­ded & buylded dyuers noble townes and Cytees Amonge y^e whiche people there was a kynge cal­led Agenor of y^e whiche descended by lygnage the fader of this lady dydo whiche was named Beel & was kynge of Fenyce / & he put the royalme of Cypre vnder his subieccyon. This kynge had one sone named Pygynalyō / & this mayden Dydo w^t out mo chyldren / & when he came to the dethe he charged gretely his barons y^t they sholde bere to these .ij. chyldren loue & trouthe & so to do they ma de promyse to hym. When y^e kynge was deed they crowned Pygynalyon his sone & wedded Elyxe whiche was ryght a fayre mayde to a duke of the countre whiche was grettest after y^e kynge & was called Acerbe Cyte or Cytens. And this Cyteon was the grete preest of the temple of Hercules af­ter theyr lawe and was a meruayllous ryche mā [Page] And so he and his wyfe loued moche togyder and ledde a good lyfe. But this kynge Pygynalyon was of shrewde condycyons / cruell / & the moost coueytous persone that one myght se / for he cou­de not haue so moche but he wolde coueyte more Elyxe his syster whiche knewe well his grete co­ueytyse / and also she knewe well that her housbā de had grete treasoure / and there was grete spe­kynge of this rychesse / she counsaylled and aduy­sed hym that he sholde kepe hym from the kynge / and sholde put his goodes in some secrete place / to that entente that the kynge sholde not take it awaye. Cycyens byleued well this counsayle yet he kepte not well his persone from the awaytes of the kynge as she had tolde hym. So the kynge made hym to be slayne on a daye / to the entente y^t he myght haue his grete treasoures / of the whi­che dethe Elyxe had so grete sorowe that she was nere hande deed / and was longe tyme in wepyn­ge and wayllynge / soro wynge pyteously her hus bande and her lorde / cursynge her cruell brother that made hym to dye. But the false kynge that founde a wyle of his opynyon whiche was for y^t that he had founde lytell or nought of the goodes of Cytens and bare grete rancoure to his syster. For he thought that she had hydden the goodes. And she whiche sawe well y^t she was in grete pe­ryll of her lyfe was warned by her prudence to le ue her owne countre & to go thens. This thynge remēbred / she toke aduyse in herselfe by vertuous [Page] courage of y^t she sholde do & armed her with stren gthe & constaunce to put in effecte y^t she wolde ta­ke on hande. So this lady knewe well y^t the kyn­ge was not welbyloued of his lordes / nor of his people for y^e grete crueltyes & extorcyons y^t he dy­de / so she toke to her certayne lordes & cytesyns / & also of y^e comune people / & after y^t that she had ma de them swere y^t they sholde holde it in counsayle suche thyngesas she wolde deuyse to them she by ryght fayre language began to declare her enten te / so moche y^t they accorded to go with her / & ther to they made theyr othe to be trewe & faythfull. So this lady as soone as she myght made redy her nauye all secretly / & by nyght she departed w^t al her grete treasours & foyson of people with her & she charged gretly her maryners to employ thē to go. More gretter malyce dyde this lady for she knewe well y^t her broder as soone as he knewe of her goynge wolde sende people after her / & secret­ly she made fylle grete males & grete fardelles of thynges of noo valewe / but they were heuy as it had ben grete treasoure to y^t entente y^t in delyue­rynge these foresayd males & fardelles to them y^t her broder wolde sende after it sholde let her passe & not to hurte her goynge / whiche thynge came all to y^e poynte / for they were not longe, gone but grete foyson of people came from y^e kynge sewyn ge after her to haue arested her but the lady wel & wysely spake to them & sayd that she wente in her pylgrymage / so they letted her not / but when this [Page] lady sawe y^• this excusacyon wolde not aduayle she knewe wel y^t he wolde nothynge w^t her but to haue her treasoure, & she sayd y^t she wolde sende it to hym with a good wyll / and those y^t knewe wel that they wolde do theyr payne to contente y^e kyn ges appetyte & to apease y^• kynge / & then y^e lady w^t a sorowfull chere as thoughe she toke sorowe for it made to be delyuered all these males & bagges to them. And those y^t trowed verely y^e they had do ne well theyr deuoyre & y^• they sholde brynge Ioy full tydynges to the kynge departed from her / & the quene without makynge semblaunt of y^t thou ght on her goynge as soone as she myght / & they wente so longe by day & by nyght y^t they aryued in y^e Ile of Cypre / & there they refresshed them a ly tell whyle / & anone after she toke her shyppes whē she had done her oblacyons vnto y^e goddes / and she brought with her y^e preest of Iouys & his wyfe & all his housholde / & he had dyuyned before y^t the re sholde come a lady of y^e partyes of Phenyce for y^e whiche he sholde leue his countre & sholde go w^t her. Thus they wente & lefte behynde them y^e lan de of Grece & the lande of Cecyll in y^e ryght hande & they sayled longe by y^e lande of Me [...]ulye so mo­che y^t they aryued in Ausryke & there toke y^e lande and anone came y^e people of y^e countre to se y^• ma­nere & what people they were / & when they sawe y^e lady & her people they brought plentye of vy [...]ay les & the lady spake to them ryght frendly & sayd / y^t for the grete welthe y^e she had herde say of y^t coun [Page] tre she was come thyder to dwell there yf it plea­sed them / & they answered y^t they wolde well / and y^e lady y^t made semblaūt y^t she wolde make no gre­te dwellynge vpon a straunge lande requyred thē to selle to her vpon y^e see coste so moche lande one­ly as y^e hyde of an oxe wolde enclose there to make dwellynge places for her & her people / the whiche thynge was graunted to her / and the couenaun­tes & the pryce sworne bytwene them. The lady then whiche shewed her wyt & grete prudence ma­de to take an hyde of an oxe / & made to cutte it by y^e smallest thonges y^t myght be made & knytte thē togyder all on lengthe & after made to stretche it vpon y^e grounde all aboute y^• see coste whiche con teyned a meruayllous grete countre of y^e whiche thynge y^e sellers were meruayllous sore abasshed & meruaylled moche of y^e cauteyles of this womā & not for y^t yet they must holde theyr pryce▪ & thus this lady gate this lande in Auffryke / & in y^e sayd fortakynge there was smyten of y^e heed of an hor­se / by y^• whiche heed & by y^e crye & the flyght of byr des they vnderstode after theyr dyuynynge y^• in y^t cyte that sholde be founded / there sholde be in ty­me to come men of warre & wyse in armes. Then this lady sente anone all aboute to seke werkemē & opened her treasoure & made to buylde a Cyte / meruayllous grete / fayre & stronge whiche she na­med Cartage / & the towre of y^e dongeon she called Byrse whiche is to say y^e hyde of an oxe / & so as she begāto buylde her cyte she herde tydynges of her [Page] broder whiche manaced her gretely & all y^• were in her company for bycause she had mocked hym of y^e treasoure / but she answered to y^e messangers y^t the treasoure was good & fayre y^t she toke to be­re to her broder / but y^t by aduenture those y^t brou­ght it toke it awaye & put in stede of y^• some false thynges / or y^t it myght well be for y^e vengeaunce of y^e dethe of her housbande y^e goddes had no wyl y^t he y^t slewe hym sholde reioyce his goodes & ther fore they haue chaunged it. But as for the mana­synge she thought by the helpe of her goddes she sholde defende her from her broder / & then she ma de to call all those y^t she had brought thyder w^t her & sayd to them y^t she wolde not y^t they sholde aby­de w^t her agaynst her courage / ne y^t by her sholde come encombraunce to them / by y^e whiche yf they wolde tourne home agayne all or some of them y^• she wolde restore thē for theyr laboure & sende thē forthe / & they answered all with one voyce y^t they wolde lyue & dye with her w^tout partynge all the dayes of theyr lyues. Then departed the messan­gers, & y^e lady as moche as she myght busyed her to perfourme her cyte [...] & whē it wasal made she or deyned lawes to y^e people for to lyue after ryght & Iustyce / & thus she gouerned so notably & by gret prudēce y^t in al coūtres wente her renowne / & eue­ry māspake of her not onely for the grete vertue y^t was in her but as moche for hardynesse of y^e fayre entrepryse y^t she had made / & for the grete prudent gouernaūce they chaunged her name & called her [Page] Dydo whiche is as moche to say in latyne as Ui rago / y^• is to saye she y^t hath vertue & strengthe of man / & thus she lyued gloryously a grete whyle & longer had done if fortune had ben fauourable to her / but as she often tymes enuyous to them that ben in prosperyte dystēpered to her an harde drau ght of drynke at the last so as here after in tyme & place I shall tell the.

¶ Here it speketh of Opis. Ca. xlvij.

OPys or Ops y^t syth was called goddesse & moder of goddes was of y^e auncyent peo­ple / had in reputacyon as ryght a wyse woman for y^t that after y^e sayenge of the olde hystoryes ry­ght prudently & constauntly she coude holde her contente amonge y^e prosperytees & aduersytees y^t happened to her in her tyme. This lady was dou ghter of Urane y^t was ryght a puyssaunt man in Grece & of Uesta his wyfe whiche was ryght ru­de & lytell knowynge of y^e worlde / and this lady Opys or Ops was wedded to Saturnus y^• kyn ge of Crete whiche was her broder. So this kyn ge had a vysyon y^t his wyfe sholde be delyuered of a mā chylde y^t sholde slee hym / & for to voyde this foresayd destenye he ordeyned that all y^e men chyl dren y^t the quene sholde haue sholde be slayne / yet for all y^t this lady dyde so moche by her wytte whi che founde suche cauteyles y^t she respyted her thre sones from y^e dethe / y^t is to knowe Iupyter Nep­tunus [Page] / and Pluto / and she was gretely worshyp ped syth / and her wysedome praysed / and for her vnderstandynge / and for the auctoryte of her chyl dren she gate in her tyme so grete voyce / and wor shyp in the worlde y^t the lewde people of the coun tre called her goddesse and moder of goddes. For her'sones in theyr lyuynge was counted for god­des for y^t they were in some thynges more know­ynge then other men that were all as bestes. So there were ordeyned and sacryfyed temples / the whiche opynyon the foles kepte longe tyme / and the same wyse at Rome in the tyme of the prospe­ryte of the Romaynes was this folye / & then had this goddesse in grete reuerence.

¶ Of Lauyne doughter of the kynge Latyn. Capitulo .xlviij.

LAuyne whiche was quene of the La rynes had also praysynge of pruden ce. This noble lady was descended of this Saturnus kynge of Crete of whome we haue spoken / & was doughter of the kynge Latyn / and after Turnus the kynge of Turylyens coueyted to haue her to wyfe / but her fader whiche had answere of y^e god des that she sholde be gyuen to a lorde of Troye whiche taryed the maryage longe tyme / not with stādynge y^t his wyfe laboured y^e contrary / & when Eneas was ary [...]ed in Italy he asked leue of the [Page] kynge Latyne to descende vpon his lande / but he gaue hym not onely y^t leue / but he graunted hym his doughter in maryage. And for this cause Tur nus moued warre agaynst Eneas in the whiche was grete slaughter & kynge Turnus was slay ne hymselfe. And Eneas had y^e vyctory and wed­ded Lauyne that had syth a sone by hym of who­me she mas grete when Eneas dyed. But when it ca [...]e that she sholde be delyuered for the grete drede that she had that a sone that Eneas had of another woman / whiche chylde was named Asta nyus that for couetyse of reygnyge sholde not slee the chylde that she was delyuered of. She wente & was delyuered in a woode and gaue the chylde a name Iulyus Syluyus. This lady wolde ne­uer after be maryed / and she gouerned her in her wydo whode ryght prudentely / and maynteyned the royalme by grete wysedome / and her sone in lawe had her in so grete loue y^t he had none euyll wyll agaynst her nor his broder. But after that y^t he had buylded the ryte of Alba he wente to dwel there / & Lauyne gouerned the lande ryght wysely tyll the chylde was growne / of the whiche chylde came Remus and Romulus whiche founded Ro me / and the hyghe Romayne prynces that came syth. ¶ what woldest thou that I sholde saye mo re dere doughter / me semeth that I haue brought for the proues ynowe to myne entente / that is to vnderstande of that I she we by quycke reason & ensample that god hathe not had / ne hathe in re­probacyon [Page] the femynyne vse as these men haue / so as thou seest clerely. And as it hathe appered & yet shall appere by the dysposycyon of myne other two systers that ben here. For well me semeth y^• frome hens forthe it ought to suffyse in that that I haue made the walles of the cloystre of the cyte of ladyes. Nowe ben all thynges accheued and ordeyned. Nowe cometh forthe myne other, two systers / and by theyr helpe and deuyse lette the re­menaunte of the buyldynge be perfourmed and made an ende by them.

¶ Here begynneth the seconde partye of the boke of y^e Cyte of Ladyes the whiche telleth howe & by whome the Cyte was buylded within and peopled. And y^e fyrst chapytre speketh of y^e .v. Sybylles. Capitulo. Primo.

[Page] AFter the wordes of the fyrst lady that was named Reason. The seconde la dy drewe her towarde me the whiche was named ryghtwysnesse / & thus sayd to me. Dere frende I ought to drawe me abacke / nor to bellowe to buylde & to make the stone worke with thy helpe in cyrcuyte of y^e cloystre of the waile nowe made by my syster Reason of the cyte of Ladyes. Nowe take thy to­les and come before and tempre thy morter in eue ry corner / and buylde on fast with the foote of thy penne. For I shall delyuer ynoughe wherof / & by y^• vertue of god we shall haue good buyldynge & hyghe palayces / royal & noble mansyons of these excellente ladyes of grete worshyp and renowne che shal be lodged in this cyte / & shal abyde perpe tually fro hens forth. Thē IXp̄ine herynge y^• wor de of this worshypfull lady sayd in this manere / Ryght excellente lady se me here all redy. No we cōmaunde for my desyre is to obeye / & she layd to me thus. Frende beholde these fayre stones more fayrer than ony precyous stones & shynynge whi che I haue sought for y^• & ordeyned them, redy to lodge them in the ma [...]onry semeth y^• y^t I haue ben ydle whyle my syster Reason & you haue ben busy Or set them a rowe after my lyne y^t thou seest here by the ordynaunce y^t I shall tell the. Amonge the ladyes of souerayne dygnyte maye well be put in the rowe ofhyghnesse the hyghly fulfylled of Sa pyence the wyse Sybelles the whiche as olde an [Page] tentyke auctours put in theyr wrytynges were .x. by nombre thoughe y^t some put but .ix. ¶ O my dere frende take hede here what more worshyp in dede of reuelacyons dyde god euer to a prophete that he loued more than he gaue and graunted to these ryght noble ladyes of whome I speke to the dyde not he sende in to them y^• holy spyryte of pro­phecy so moche y^• it semed not onely of that y^• they sayd that it sholde be a pronosty cacyon of tyme to come / but it semed as it were of cronycles of thyn ges passed and came so moche that they were cle rely vnderstandynge in theyr thynges wryten / & also of the comynge of our lorde Ihesu Cryst whi che came ryght longe tyme after they spake more clerely as it is founde than dyde al the prophetes These ladyes vsed al theyr lyues in mayden hode & dyspraysed pollucyon / and all were named Sy belles / and it is not to vnderstande y^• it was theyr propre names / but Sybelle is to say as knowyn ge the thought of god / and so they were called for that that they prophecyed meruayllous thynges that it was conuenyent that y^• they sayd sholde co me to them of the pure thought of god. So it is a name of offyce and no propre name. These lady­es were borne in dyuers countres of the worlde and not all in one tyme / and all they prophecyed grete foyson of thynges to come and in especyall of our lorde Ihesu Cryst and of his comynge / soo as it is sayd ryght clerely thoughe that they were al paynymes & not of the lawe of Iewes whiche [Page] that tyme was the lawe of god. ¶ The fyrst was borne in the lande of Perse / & for that she was na med Persya. ¶ The seconde was of Lybye / and was called Lybyca. ¶ The thyrde of De [...]phe en­gendred in the temple of Appolyn / & was named Delphyca. And this lady preched the destruccyon of Troye longe tyme before / & Ouyde put many verses of her in his boke. ¶ The fourthe was of ytalye & was called Symerya. ¶ The fyfte was of Babylon and was called Erophyle. This la­dy answered to them of grece of thynges y^• they demaunde her / that Troye and ylyon the stronge castell sholde perysshe by them / and y^• Omere shol de wryte lesyngly / also she was called Erytell for y^• she dwelled in y^• Ile / and there were her bookes founde. ¶ The .vj. was of the Ile of Samos & was called Samya. ¶ The .vij. was called Cu­nyana and was borne of ytallye in Cumynys in y^• lande of Champayne. ¶ The .viij. was named Elespontyne & was borne hesponte in the fe [...]de of Troy & floured in y^• temple of y^• noble auctoures Solyn & Tyry. ¶ The .ix. was of Frygya therfo re she was named Frygica. This lady spake mo­che of y^• fallynge of dyuers lordshyps / & she spake moche of y^• comynge of y^• false prophete Antecryst ¶ The .x. was called Tyburtine / & by another na me Albuyna of whom the wrytynges are moche praysed for that y^• she wrote clerely of Ihesu Cryst and notwithstandynge that these Sybylles were borne of paynymes all they reproued theyr lawe / [Page] and blamed them y^• they worshypped dyuers god des saynge y^t there is but one god / & that all theyr ydolles were but vayne.

¶ Here it speketh of Sybyll Erytee. Ca. ij.

AMonge y^• other Sybelles Eryte had the gretest prerogatyue of wysdome. For of her the vertue was so grete by a synguler & a specyall gyfte of god y^t she wrote & prophecyed dyuers thynges to come so clerely y^t it semed better to be a gospell than prophecye / & at the request of the grekes she put theyr laboures clerely in wrytynges / theyr ba taylles / & the destruccyon of Troy y^t it was neuer clerer after it was done than it was before. The same wyse she descryued and put to gyder in fewe wordes & true y^• Empyre & the lordshyp of the Ro maynes / & theyr dyuers aduentures longe tyme before y^• it was come / & soo it semed better to be a shorte remembraunce of thynges passed than of thynges of tyme to come. And a more greter dede she dyde & a more meruayle / for she prophecyed & opened playnely the secretenesse of the thought of god y^t was neuer opened by the prophetes but by [...]ygures & derke wordes and couerte. That is to knowe the holy ghost / the mystery of the Incarna cyon of the sone of god in y^• mayden Mary. And in her boke there was wryten / Ihesus / Ceytos / Cenyos. Sothor whiche was to say in englysshe Ihesu Cryst sone of god & sauyoure / & there was also the lyfe & the werkes of hym / the treason and [Page] the takynge & al the scornynges & his dethe. The resurreccyon / the vyctory / and the Assencyon / the comynge of the holy ghost to y^e apostles / y^• comynge at y^• day of Iugement / & y^• same wyse y^• she had sayd & compounded shortely the mystery of y^• cry­sten faythe / & not onele she tolde y^• dedes to come / y^• is to say y^• day of Iugement / y^• tremblynge day the erthe shall swete blode / y^• kynge shal come fro heuen y^t shall Iuge all y^• worlde / & y^t bothe good & euyll shal se / euery soule shall take agayne his bo­dy / & euery soule shal haue praysynge after his deserte. There rychesse shall fayle & y^• false ymages also / y^• fyre shal brenne bothe see & lande / & al thynge shal perysshe excepte the sayntes loued of god / there shall be no thynge hydde / all shall be open / & all thynges shall dye / there shal be wepynge & so­rowful people shal strayne theyr tethe for dystres The sone / y^• mone / the sterres shal lose theyr clere­nesse / hylles & valays shal be made euen / the see & y^• lande & all thynges shall be brought in egalnes The trompe of heuen shall call mankynde to co­me to the Iugement / then there shall be grete drede & euery man shal wepe for his folye. Then shal the erthe be made newe / kynges & prynces shal come before the Iuge whiche shall gyue euery man after his deserte. Fyre of brymstone shall departe frome heuen whiche shall fall in to helle. And all these thynges ben conteyned in .xxvij. verses that this Sybylle made. For the whiche merytes as Bocace sayth and other wyse auctoures whiche [Page] that wryteth of her holdeth y^t she was ryght wel byloued with god / & that she ought to be honou­red more than ony other womā after y^e holy sayn tes of paradyse. This woman kepte her in vyrgy nyte all y^e dayes of her lyfe / & so it is to presume y^t she was brought vp in all clennesse / for in an her­te euyll tatches / or fouled with vyces it maye not be that moche lyght of knowynge of thynges to come myght haue his beynge.

¶ Of the Sybyll Almethea. Ca. iij.

ALmethea y^• Sybylle was borne as it is sayd in y^e lande of Champayne whi che is nyghe Rome. This lady had al so ryght especyall grace of y^e spyryte of prophecy / & she was borne as some auc tours say in y^e tyme of the destruccyon of Troye / & lyued vnto y^e tyme of Tarquyne y^• proude / & some called her Deiphyle. This lady notwithstandyn ge y^t she lyued a meruayllous grete age she was a vyrgyne all her lyfe / & for y^• grete wysdome of her some poetes fayned y^t was loued of Phebus whi che they called god of wysdome / & that by y^e gyfte of this Phebus she gate so moche of vnderstan­dynge & lyued longe / whiche is to vnderstande y^• for her maydenhode & for y^t she was loued of god y^• sone of sapyence whiche enlumyned her with y^e clerenesse of prophecye by y^• whiche she hath sayd before & wryten many dyuers thynges to come. Ouer this it is wryten that she beynge at y^• ryua­ge of Bayoule nyghe y^e lake of helle had a noble & [Page] a meruayllous āswere & reuelacyon deuyne whi che is wryten & kepte in her name & is in vere Ry med. And thoughe it be ryght an auncyent thyn­ge it is yet a grete meruayle of y^• gretenesse & the excellence of this to whom it is well cō [...]ydered & beholden. Some faynynges say y^t the ledde Ene­as to helle & brought hym agayne. This womā came to Rome & brought w^t her .ix. bokes the whiche she presented to sell to Tarquyne y^e kynge / but as he wolde refuse to take them of y^e pryce y^t she as ked she brente .iij. of theym in his presence / & that other day she asked for the other .vi. bokes y^t were lefte y^• same pryce as she asked for y^• hole .ix. & sware y^t yf one wolde not gyue the same pryce y^t she asked anone she wolde brenne .iij. of them / & the day after y^• kynge Tarquyne gaue her the same pryce y^t she asked fyrst. So these bokes were well kekte & it was founde y^t they declared clerely y^• actes y^t sholde come vnto y^• Romaynes / & the grete case y^• syth hath happened they founde wryten in y^• sayd bokes / y^• whiche syngulerly be kepte in y^• treasou­rye of the Emperours as for to receyue counsayle of them as it were an answere deuyne▪ ¶ Nowe take hede here swete frende howe god gaue so gre te grace to a womē y^t she had wytte to counsayle & aduyse not onely one Emperour in his lyfe / but to all them y^t were to come to Rome & all y^e dedes of y^e Empyre durynge y^e worlde. So tell me I the pray where was there euer a mā y^• sholde do y^t / & y^• as a fole not longe ago heldest y^• euyll cōtente to [Page] be of y^e kynde of suche creatures thynkynge y^e god wolde haue had it in reprocyon / of this Sybylle speketh Uyrgyll in his boke all in verses. She en ded her dayes & her tombe was shewed lōge after

¶ Of dyders ladyes prophetes. Ca. iiij.

THese foresayd ladyes were not onely by y^e gyfte of god prophetysynge to y^e worlde / but there hath ben grete foyson of others i al law es y^t hath ben holden / for yf thou loke in y^e lawe of Iewes y^• shalte fynde ynowe as Delborra whi­che was a womā prophete in y^e tyme of Iuges of Israell / by y^• whiche Delborra y^e people of god we re delyuered out of y^e bondage of y^e kynge of Ca­naan whiche had holden them in seruytude .xx. yeres. ¶ The blessyd Elysabeth cosyne to our lady was not she a prophete whē she sayd to y^e blessyd maydē y^t came to vysyte her / whens cometh this y^• the moder of god is come to me / yet she knewe y^t she was cōceyued of y^e holy ghost / but it was by y^e spyryte of prophecye. ¶ Also my frende y^e good la­dy Anne hebrewe y^t lyghted y^e lampes in y^e temple had not she y^e spyryte of prophecy as Symeō had y^e prophete to whom our lady presented Ihū ▪ cryst on Candelmasse day vpon y^e awter of y^e temple & y^e holy prophete knewe y^t it was the sauyour of y^e worlde / & toke hym bytwene his armes / yet the good lady Anne whiche wēte aboute in y^e temple doynge her offyce / anone as she sawe y^e holy vyr­gyne holdynge her sone entre in to y^e temple / she knewe in spyryte y^t it was y^e sauyour of y^e worlde / [Page] she k [...]ed downe & worshypped hym & sayd with an hyghe voyce y^t it was he that was come to sa­ue all the worlde. Thou shalte fynde women pro phetes ynowe in y^e lawe of Iewes and thou loke after them / & in the crysten lawe as infynyte as y^e sayntes / but nowe passe we ouer these here / for y^t that one myght saye y^t god had pryuyleged them by his specyall gyfte▪ & let vs passe ouer spekynge yet of paynymes. ¶ The quene of Saba of who me holy scrypture maketh mencyon y^t when she y^t was of souerayne vnderstandynge herde speke of the wysdome of Salamon of whom y^t fame ran by al the worlde she desyred to se hym / & for that y^• she came out of a corner of the oryent one of y^e last partyes of the worlde / she lefte her countre & rode by the londe of Othyope / & of Egypte by the passa ges of the reed see / & by y^e grete desertes of Arabe / & with a noble company of prynces / lordes / & kny ghtes / & of many noble ladyes with grete estate / & treasoure of many precyous thynges / & aryued in the cyte of Iherusalem to se & vysyte the wyse Salamon / & to knowe yf it were true that folke sayd of hym in all the worlde. So Salamon re­ceyued her with grete worshyp as it was reason & she was with hym a grete whyle & proued his wysdome in many thynges. Many demaundes & questyons she made to hym whiche were ryght derke / and couerte / the whiche he answered after that she asked so gretely y^t she sayd that he myght not haue so grete wysdome by mānes wytte / but [Page] by the specyall gyfte of god. This lady g [...]te hym many dyuers precyous thynges amonge y^• whi­che there were plantes of lytell trees y^t yelded ly­coure & bare bawme. The whiche kynge Sala­mon made plante nyghe a water called Allepha­ter & cōmaūded y^t they sholde be laboured & kepte wysely & also she gaue hy^• many precyous Iewel­les. Of y^e wysdome of this lady & of her prophecy speketh many dyuers scryptures y^t sayth / y^t as she was in Iherusalem / & that Salamon ledde her for to se y^e noblesse of the temple y^t he had made to buylde. She sawe a longe borde y^t was couched attrauers of a myre & made as a planke to passe ouer the depnesse. Then the body rested in behol­dynge y^e planke & worshypped it & sayd / this plan ke whiche is nowe holden in grete foulenesse and put vnder y^e feete shall be yet worshypped aboue all y^e trees of the worlde & garnysshed with precy ous stones & treasoure of prynces / & vpon this sa me planke he shall dye y^t shall brynge the Iewes lawe to nought. They helde this worde but for a scorne or a Iape but put hym away & hydde hym in y^e erthe in a place where as they trowed that it sholde neuer be founde / but that y^• god wyll haue kepte is well saued. For as well as they coude hy de it yet it was founde at the last in the tyme of y^e passyon of our lorde Ihesu Cryst / & of this planke was the crosse on y^• whiche our sauyoure suffred his passyon / & then was the prophecye made true of this lady.

¶ Of Nycostrate / and of others. Ca. v.

THis Nycostrate of whom mencyon was made before was also a womā prophete / for as sone as she had pas­sed y^e flode of Tybre & she w^t her sone Euāder where hystoryes ynowe ma keth mencyon was vpon y^e mounte Pallentyne she prophecyed y^t vpon y^• hyll sholde be buylded a cyte y^e most named y^t euer was in y^e worlde / & shol de be y^e chefe & souerayne of al lordshyppes world ly / & to y^• conclusyon y^t she wolde be y^• tyrst y^t sholde laye a stone / she buylded there a stronge castell so as it is sayd before & there is Rome buylded syth and edyfyed. ¶ Also Cassandra y^e noble mayde of Troye doughter to kynge Pryamus of Troye / & syster to the worshypfull Hector / she was so grete a clarke y^t she knewe all y^e craftes & was also a pro phete. For this mayde wolde neuer take mā thou ghe it had ben a grete prince & she had in spyryte y^t y^• was to come she was euer full of sorowe & heuy nesse / & when she sawe y^e grete prosperyte of Troy so gretely flourysshed in magnyfycence before y^• y^• warre began bytwene y^• Troyans & the grekes she made moche sorowe & wepte sore beholdynge y^e noblesse & rychesse of y^e cyte / her fayre & worshyp full bretherne & specyally y^e noble Hector y^t was so worshypfull a man she myght not holde her peas for the grete sorowe y^t was to come. And whē she sawe y^e warre begyn thā began her sorowe / so she seased not to crye & wayle & counsayled her fader [Page] and her bretherne to make peas with the grekes or elles without fayle with y^• warre they sholde be destroyed / but they toke no charge of all her wor­des nor byleued her / & alway as she y^• gretely play ned & of good ryght this grete losse & damage my ght not be styll by y^• whiche often tymes she was betē of her fader & of her bretherne y^• sayd she was a fole / but for al y^• she wolde not holde her in peas to dye therfore ne spared not to speke w^tout seasyn ge. For y^• whiche to make her holde her peas they made her to be shytte in a chambre to put awaye her noyse from theyr eeres / yet it had ben better y^• they had byleued her / for it happened to them as she had tolde them before. So they byleued at the ende & then it was to late for them / & so it happe­neth ofte tymes y^• a fole wyl neuer byleue a thyng tyll he haue it. ¶ Also was it not a meruayllous Pronosty cacyon y^• the quene Basyne made / y^• had ben y^• wyfe of the kynge of Thorynge & syth was wyfe to Chylderyke y^e .iiij. kynge of Fraunce so as the Cronycles conteyneth it. For y^• hystory sayth y^• the nyght of y^• weddynge of her & of y^• kynge Chyl deryke / she sayd to hym y^• he sholde holde hȳ chast y^• nyght & he sholde se a meruaylous vyspon. And then she sayd to hym anone after y^• he sholde ryse & go to the dore of the chambre and not well that that he sholde se. The kyuge wente thyder & it se­med hym that he sawe grete bestes that men call Unycornes / Leopardes / and Lyons / that wente & came by the palays / so he retourned agayne all [Page] aferde and demaunded y^• quene what that sholde sygnyfye / & she answered hym that she wolde tell hym in the mornynge / and that he sholde haue no drede / but to go thyder agayne / & soo he dyde. And it semed hym that he same grete beres & wolues y^• wolde renne one vpon another. The quene sente hym agayne the thyrde tyme / and hym semed that he sawe dogges / and lytell beestes / eche of theym dyspysynge other. And as the kynge was moche adradde of this thynge. The quene tolde hym the aduy syon of the beestes that he had sene / whiche sygnyfyed dyuers generacyons of prynces y^• shol­de reygne in Fraunce that sholde come of theym / y^• whiche theyr condycyons and theyr dedes sholde drawe after y^• nature of those beestes that he had sene. Soo thou mayste clerely se fayre loue howe our lorde hathe made open often tymes his secre­tes to the worlde by women.

¶ Here it speketh of Anthonye that became Em­presse. Capitulo .vj.

THat was noo lytell secrete that god shewed by reuelacyon of a woman to Iustynyan / whiche was syth Em peroure of Constantynoble as y^• hy­storyes telleth. This Iustynyā was keper of the treasours & coffers of the Emperoure Iustyne. It happened in a day that as this Iusty nyan was gone to dysporte hym in y^• feldes / and [Page] had brought with hym to be his comforte a wo­man that he loued moche whiche was called An­thony / and when the houre of nyght was come & that this Iustynyan had luste to slepe / and layde his heed in his louers lappe. And when he was on slepe / then Anthony sawe a grete Egle come flyen ge ouer them whiche payned hym to come downe to kepe the vysage of Iustynyan fro y^• brennynge of the sone with his wynges. This woman whi­che was wyse vnderstode the sygnyfyaunce. And when he was awaked she reasoned with hym by fayre wordes and sayd. Fayre swete loue I haue loued you moche and loue you as hym whiche is the mayster of my body / and of my loue as ye kno­we wel. So it is no reason that a louer wel loued of his loue ought to denye her nothynge. And for that I wolde requyre you in rewarde of my may­denhede / and of my loue but one gyfte the whiche thoughe it be ryght grete to me it shal seme to you but ryght lytell yf ye wyl graunte it me. Iustynyā answered to his loue that she sholde requyre hym hardely / and that she sholde fayle of nothynge y^• he myght graunte her. Then sayd Anthony. My lo­ue y^• gyfte that I requyre of you is this / that when ye shal be Emperour y^• ye haue not in dyspraysyng your poore loue Anthony / but y^• she may accompa­nye her w^t your worshyp & w^t your Empyre by true maryage / & so to promyse me right anone / whē Iustynyan had herde the damoysell thus speke he be­gan to laughe trowynge that she sayd it in Iape. [Page] And as he y^• helde it as a thynge impossyble to hap pen to hym promysed her y^• without fayle he wol­de take her to his wyfe when he sholde be Empe­roure & so he sware by al his goddes / and then she thanked hym hertely / and in token of this promy­se she gaue hym her rynge / and he gaue his to her. And anone the began to saye. I brynge the tydyn­ges certaynly that thou shalte be Emperoure and that it shall be in shorte tyme. And then they depar ted. So it passed not longe tyme after that as the Emperour Iustyne had assembled his hoost to go vpon them of Perce a sykenesse toke hym thrughe the whiche he dyed. And as after the prynces & ba rons were assembled to chose a newe Emperoure & they myght not wel accorde / it happened that in maner of dyspyte of another / they chose Iustynyā to be Emperour / the whiche slewthed not but as soone as he myght / ryght vygorously with a gre­te hoost ranne vpon these Percyens & wanne y^• ba tayle & toke the kynge of Perce & conquered there grete good & worshyp / & when he was retourned home i to his palays Anthony his loue forgate hy^• not but dydey^• she myght to entre by grete subtylte there where he sate i his trone w^t his prynces / & she kneled before hym & began her reason & sayd y^• she was a mayde y^• was come to hym to aske ryght & reason of a māy^• had betrouthed her & had gyuen her his rynge & taken hers. The Emperoure whi­che yet thought not on her / answered her and sayd if that man had betrouthed her reason wolde that [Page] he toke her / and yf she myght proue that she sayd y^t she sholde haue ryght and that he sholde take her. And then Anthony drewe the rynge from her fyn­ger / and shewed it to hym / and sayd. Noble Empe roure I maye proue it by this rynge / beholde it yf thou knowe it. Then the Emperoure sawe well y^t he was taken by his wordes yet not for y^t he thou ght to kepe his promyse. And anone he made her to be ledde into his chambre to araye her in noble garmentes / and toke her to wyfe.

¶ Here Xp̄ine speketh to ryghtwysnes. Ca. vii.

MAdame by that that I vnderstande & se openly the grete ryght of women agaynst that of whiche they be so mo che accused maketh me to knowe bet ter frome hense forthe the wronge of theyr accusers. And yet I maye not holde me styll of a comune custome y^t renneth amonge these men And in the same wyse amonge some women / that the comune custome is this / that when these wo­men be with chylde / and be delyuered of a mayde chylde / the husbandes ben wrothe with it often ty mes and chydeth / for that his wyfe was not dely uered of a sone. And theyr nyce wyues whiche ou­ght to haue souerayne Ioye of that / that god hath saufely delyuered them / & thanke hym with good herte / they troubled themselfe also / for y^t theyr hous bandes ben troubled with it. And madame frome [Page] whens cometh that / y^• they be wrothe / be the dou­ghters of more preiudyce than y^• sones / or be they of lesse loue to theyr fader & moder & lesse charge to them than be the sones. ¶ Answere. Dere frende for that that thou demaundest me y^• cause whens it cometh I answere the certaynly that / that cometh of ryght grete symplenesse and ygnoraunce to them that troubleth them so. Notwithstandynge that the pryncypal cause that moueth them therto is for y^e cost of theyr goodes y^t they must vnpurse & laye out when they be in the age of maryage. And also some dothe it for that they doubte y^e perylles y^t they maye be deceyued by euyll counsayle in sym­ples / but al these causes in regarde be of no reason For as touchynge the doubte that they do foly / there ben but fewe / but they enfourme theyr chyldren when they ben yonge and lytell and that y^e moder gyueth them good ensamples bytwene themselfe in honeste and techynge. For yf the moder were of a foly lyfe it sholde be lytell ensample to the doughter / and that she be kepte from euyll company and holden shorte in tyme of youthe / it is the preroga­tyue to good condycyons all her lyfe. ¶ Item as to the cost I trowe yf the fader and moder beholde well that y^t the sone cost them / as to make them to lerne scyences or crafte / as to holde them in estate and also in superfluous despenses / in lewde com­panyes / and in many nycetees / I trowe they shol­de fynde but lytel aduauntage in sones more than in doughters. And the wrathe and sorowe y^t they [Page] cause often tymes theyr faders & moders to haue / as in folowynge of dyssolute lyfe & so moche grefe and cost to theyr faders & moders I trowe it shol­de passe the sorowe that they haue for theyr dough ters. ¶ Beholde how many sones thou shalte fyn de that haue nourysshed swetely and mekely theyr faders and moders in theyr age / so as they ought to do. I trowe thou shalte fynde them but thynne sowne. And thoughe y^e fader and moder make as moche of theyr sones as theyr goodes / when they be wexen myghty and ryche and theyr fader poore they wyll dyspyse hym / and they wyll be wrothe & shamefull when they se hym. And yf theyr fader be ryche they wyll desyre his dethe to haue his good. ¶ All be not suche / but there be many of them / and whan the sones be maryed / god knoweth the gre te coueytyse that they haue alway to drawe from y^e fader and moder / and they wolde not recke thou ghe they sholde dye for hongre / so that they myght haue al. And where as y^e moder abydeth wedo we and where as they ought to comforte her / and to be staffe and berer vp of her age / they wyll crye on her tyll they haue drawne from her that y^t she hath And yf she wyl not gyue them ynoughe after theyr entente they wyl haue no conscyence to moue plee ayenst her. Of suche sones there be ynowe / & some doughters haply also. yet if thou take good hede I trowe thou shalte fynde sones more shrewysshe to the fader and moder than doughters. And yet I put case that all were good / it is comunely sayd y^• [Page] doghters holde better company to the faders and moders than the sones. And more vysyteth / com­forteth / and kepeth them in theyr sykenes and ege The cause is this / for that y^t the sones trauaylleth more vp and downe in the worlde here and there / and the doughters be more coye and holde theym more nyghe so as thou mayste se thyselfe. For not­withstandynge that thy bretherne were ryght na turall & of grete loue / they be gone in to the worlde and thou alone arte abydynge to kepe company w^t thy good moder y^e whiche is a souerayne comforte in her age. And for that I saye to the in conclusyon that they be more foles that troubleth theym and be wroth when they haue borne doughters. And for that that vpon this purpose thou hast put me / I wyl tell the of some women of whome amonge other the hystoryes wryteth / whiche were ryght kynde vnto theyr fader and moder.

¶ Here it begynneth to speke of doughtes y^t loued fader and moder / and fyrst of Drypetrue. Ca. viij.

OF grete loue to her fader was Drype­true quene of Laodocye / she was dou­ghter to the grete kynge Mytrydaces And she loued hym soo moche y^t she fo­lowed hym in all bataylles. She was of a straunge shappe in some thynges / for she had a double rewe of tethe whiche was a grete defor­myte / but she was of so grete loue to her fader y^t she [...]te hȳ neuer nother in ꝓsperyte ne i euyll fortune [Page] And thoughe she were a quene and lady of a grete lande by the whiche she myght well be at rest and ease in her countre / she was in euery place partycy pante of all the paynes and trauayles that her fa­der had in many dyuers armyes there as he was And when he was ouercomen of the grete Pom­pee / she lefte hym neuer / but serued hym by grete charge and dylygence.

¶ Of Isyphyle. Ca. ix.

ISyphyle put her in peryll of dethe to saue her fader / whiche was named Thoant and was kynge of Leuydynyens. And as his countre rebelled ayenst hym and with a grete woodnesse came to the palays to sle the kynge. Isyphyle ano ne hydde hym in one of her coffres. And after she lepte out to appease the people / but i [...] auayled her nothynge / and as they sought the kynge all abou te and myght not fynde hym. They put the poyn­tes of theyr glayues ayenst Isyphyle and gretel [...] manaced her of dethe yf she wolde not tell them o [...] her fader. And with that they promysed her if they myght knowe by her where he was / they wolde crowne her quene / and they wolde obaye to her. But she whiche coueyted more y^• lyfe of her fader then to be quene / ne was not aferde for drede of d [...] the answered them with an hardy courage / and without sygne of ony drede / that without fayle he was fledde a grete whyle before. And at y^• lastfor [...] [Page] that they myght not fynde hym / and that she so su­rely affermed them that he was fledde / they byle­ued her and crowned her quene / & a whyle she rey­gned peasybly vpon them. And she y^t a lytel whyle had kepte her fader secretely for drede at the last y^t by some enuyous persone he might be accused / put hym out by nyght and sente hym by see to another place with grete goodes / but as this thynge was at the last opened to the vntrue Cytezyns they cha ced theyr quene Isyphyle out of the royalme & wol de haue slayne her yf her grete goodnesse had not kepte her.

¶ Of the mayde Claudyne. Ca. x.

AS a sygne of grete loue shewed the mayden Claudyne to her fader / then when by the good dedes of hym / and by y^e grete vyctoryes that he had had in many bataylles retourned hym / & vyctoryously was receyued at Rome in the soue­rayne worshyp that they called y^• tryumphe / whi­che was a ryght grete worshyp / in y^• whiche they receyued princes whē they retourned ouercomers of ony grete dedes. Soo this same fader of Clau­dyne whiche was one of the prynces of Rome ry­ght worshypfull beynge in this honoure of tryum phe was assayled by another of the lordes of Ro­me that hated hym. But when Claudyne his dou ghter whiche was sacred to the goddes Besta / as [Page] we say here a relygyous of some abbay / and was with the ladyes of her ordre that were gone to the processyon agaynst this foresayd prynce / so as the custome was / herde the noyse / and knewe y^t her fa der was assayled of his enemyes. Then the grete loue that the doughter had to the fader made her forgete al the symple behauynge that a relygyous woman sholde haue comonly. Also she put backe all drede and▪ fere in suche manere that anone she lepte forthe and wente flyenge thrughe the prece / and boldely wente amonge the swerdes that she sawe vpon her fader / and toke hym by the throte y^t she sawe nexte hym / and to her power toke strong­ly vpon her to defende her fader / there y^• prece was so grete that anone the medlynge was departed. Then as the worshypfull Romaynes had of custo me to set moche by euery parsone y^• dyde ony wor­shypful acte of meruayle / praysed gretely this may den and gaue her grete laude of that she had done.

¶ Here it speketh of a woman that gaue her mo­der sowke in the pryson. Ca. xi.

ORete loue also had a woman of Rome to her moder / of whome the hystoryes speketh. It happened that y^• sayd mo­der for a certayne cryme that she was attaynted of / was condempned to per petuall pryson. And that none sholde gyue her ney ther mete nor drynke / by the whiche in this maner she sholde fynysshe her lyfe. The doughter cōstray [Page] ned of grete loue beynge sory for this condempna­cyon / requyred them that kepte the pryson of a spe­cyal grace / that she myght vysyte her moder euery daye whyle she was on lyue / to that entente that she myght counsayle her of pacyence. And shortely to saye / so moche she employed and prayed / that y^• kepers of the pryson had pyte on her / and graūted her y^t she sholde vysyte her moder euery daye. But or she sholde go to her that she bare with her no vy tayle. And when this vysytacyon had endured by so many dayes / that it was impossyble to the Iay loures y^t the woman prysoner myght lyue so longe naturally without mete & yet was not dede / and consydered y^t none other vysyted her but her dou­ghter / whiche they serched ryght dylygently or she sholde go in to her moder / they meruaylled ryght strongely what that myght be. And on a day they spyed the moder & the doughter togyder y^• whiche was lately desyuered of a chylde / & then they sawe her gyue the tete to her moder so moche tyl she had al / and thus the moder drewe mylke of the pappes of her doughter. And thus the doughter yelded to the moder in her age that y^t she had taken of her in her youthe. This cōtynuell dylygence & grete loue of y^• doughter to y^• moder moued the Iaylours to grete pyte and they reported it to the Iuges / then of manly compassyon they delyuered the moder to the doughter. ¶ Also to the purpose of loue of the doughter to y^• fader one may say of y^e good & wyse Grysylde whiche syth was marquyse of Saluce / [Page] of whome I shall telle hereafter the grete vertue / stablenesse / and constaunce. O howe true loue ha­th nature gyuen vnto her / to be so busy to serue her fader Ianycle so humbly and obeysauntely in his sykenesse / and in his age / that she in her clennesse & vyrgynyte / & in y^• floure of her youthe nourysshed / and gouerned so dylygentely by the laboure / and the crafte of her handes getynge / with grete char­ge and busynesse the poore lyfe of theym bothe. O in a good houre were those doughters borne of su che bounte / and so grete loue to theyr fader & mo­der. For notwithstandynge that that they do that they ought to do / yet they gete grete meryte to the soule / & grete praysynge is gyuen them of y^• worl­de / and in the same wyse to the sones that ben of y^• cōdycyon. ¶ what woldest thou that I sholde say more I coude tell y^e ensamples ynowe of lyke case but ynoughe suffyseth.

¶ Here ryghtwysnesse sayth that she hathe acche­ued the stone werke of the Cyte / and it is tyme to people it. Ca. xij.

NOwe me semeth ryght dere frende y^• our buyldynge is well lyfte vp of our Cyte of Ladyes / and y^• hyghe mason­ry al alonge the large stretes / and the royall palayces / stronge buyldynges of dongeons / and defensable towres lyfted ryght hyghe that it maye be sene a farre. Soo it is tyme [Page] fro hensforthe that we begynne to people this no­ble cyte / to y^t entente that she be not waste nor voy de but enhabyted of ladyes of grete excellence / for we wyll none other people. ¶ O howe fortunate shall y^• cytezynes of our cyte be / for they shall haue no nede to haue drede nor doubte to be dyslodged of theyr possessyon by straūgers. For this is y^• pro­pryete of our werke y^• the owners shall not nede to be put out. And nowe there is a newe femeny­ne royalme bygon / but it is moche more worthyer than that other was. For it shall nede y^t the ladyes lodged here goo out of theyr lande for to conceyue ne brynge forthe newe heyres to maynteyne theyr possessyon by dyuers ages fro lygne to lygne. For it shall suffyse ynoughe for euer of them y^t we shall put in it nowe / for this is y^• destyne of them / y^t they shall neuer dye. And without fayle they shall aby­de in the same age / beaute / and fresshnesse / be they yonge or o [...]de that we shall put therin. And when we haue peopled it with noble cytezynes. Dame Iustyne my syster shall come after y^t shall brynge thyder y^• quene / aboue all other women moost ex­cellent / accompanyed w^t pryncesses of grete dygny te / whiche shall enhabyte y^• moost hyghe places & hyghe dongeons. For it is good reason y^• when y^• quene shal come thyder that she fynde the cyte gar nysshed & peopled of noble ladyes that sholde re­ceyue her with grete worshyp as theyr souerayne lady & Empresse of all theyr kynde / yet what cyte­zyns shall we put there / shall they be vnstable wo­men [Page] or defamed / certaynly nay / but they shal be al worshypfull women & of grete auctoryte. For mo re fayre people ne more grete aray may not be in a cyte than good women & worshypfull. Nowe ry­se leefe frende / nowe put the in busynes and go be­fore / and lette vs seke them.

¶ Here Xp̄ine asketh of dame ryghtwysnesse yf y^• be true y^• these bokes & these men sayth y^t the lyfe of maryage is harde to bere for y^e occasyon of womē & to theyr grete wronge. And ryghtwysnesse an­swereth & begynneth to speke of the grete loue of women to theyr husbandes. Ca. xiij.

THen in goynge to seke the fore sayd ladyes by y^e ordynaunce of dame ryghtwysnesse / in go ynge I sayd these wordes / ma dame w^tout fayle ye & reason haue assoyled & concluded soo wel & so fayre my questyons & demanndes y^• I can not replye no more / & I holde me ryght well enfourmed of y^t y^• I sought. And by you two I haue lerned ynou­ghe howe al thynges able ought to be done & ler­ned / as moche in strengthe of bodyes as in wysdo me of vnderstandynge / & yf al vertues be possyble to be executed by women. But yet I pray you y^• ye wolde telle & certyfye me / yf it be true y^• these men say / & so many auctours bereth wytnesse thrughe the whiche I am in ryght a grete thought / y^• the ly [Page] fe of y^• ordre of maryage be to men heuy & enuyron ned of so grete tempest by y^• blame & importunyte of women & of theyr rauenous grefe / as it is wry ten in many bokes / & people ynowe wytnesseth it. and that they loue theyr husbandes and theyr com pany so lytell / y^t nothynge noyeth them so moche / by y^• whiche to voyde suche incōuenyences / many haue counsayled y^• wyse men y^t they mary not / cer­tefyenge y^t fewe of them be true in theyr partye / & also walere wryteth to Ruphyn / & Theophrastus in his boke sayth y^t noo wyse man ought to take a wyfe / for there is but lytell loue in a woman / but grete charge & Ianglynge. And yf y^e mā do it to be y^• better serued & kepte in his sykenes / more better & more truely a true seruaunt shall kepe hym & ser ue hym / & shal not cost hym so moche. And yf y^• wo man be syke y^• husbande is in grete sorowe / & dare not speke one worde nyghe her. And ynoughe of suche thynges he telleth whiche sholde be to longe to reherce / wherfore I say myne owne lady that yf these thynges be true / these defaultes be so grete y^t all y^e grace & vertues y^t they may haue be brought to nought and quenched. ¶ Answere. Certesdere frende so as y^• thyselfe hath sayd somtyme to y^• pur pose y^t one may lede a processe well at his ease that pledeth without partye. And I promyse the that▪ y^• bokes that so sayth women made them not. But I trowe y^t he y^t wolde make a newe booke y^t were true of the debates of maryage & y^t he were enfour med of y^• trouthe one sholde fynde other tydynges [Page] Alas dere frende howe many women be there as thou knowest thyselfe y^t vseth theyr wery lyfe in y^• bande of maryage by the hardnesse of theyr husbā des in more greter penaunce than they were escla ues amonge the sarazynes. Ha god howe many harde betynges without cause & reason / howe ma ny vylanous wronges & outragyous bondages suffreth many of these good and worshypfull wo­men whiche all crye not out an harowe / and suche y^t dye for hungre / and for mysease / & theyr husban­des ben at the tauerne / and in other dyssolute pla­ces / and yet y^• poore women shall be beten at theyr comynge home / and that shal be theyr souper. And to say y^t these husbandes ben ony thynge sorowful for the sykenesse of theyr wyues. I praye the my lo ue where be they. And without that / y^• I say more to the / thou mayst knowe well y^t these sclaundres sayd agaynst women who so saythe it they were & be thynges founde & sayd of vyolence & ayenste trouthe. For the husbandes ben maysters ouer the women / & not y^• women theyr maystresses / so they wolde neuer suffre suche auctorite of theyr wyues But I promyse the y^t all maryages be not mayn­teyned in suche contentes it were grete damage. For there ben some that lyueth in peasyblenesse / lo ue / and trouthe togyder / by that that y^• partyes be good & dyscrete / and reasonable / thoughe it be not of euyll husbandes. There ben ryght good / wor­shypfull / and wyse / and that the women that me­teth with them lyueth as to the glory of y^• worlde [Page] in ryght a good houre for them. And y^• thou mayst well knowe by thyselfe that & thou haddest suche one that in thy Iugement none other man passed hym in al bounte / peasyblenes / trouthe / & good lo ue of the whiche the sorowes of y^t that dethe toke hym away from the shall neuer parte from thyne herte. And thoughe that I say to the / and it is trou the that there ben many good women ryght euyll ledde by theyr dyuers housbandes. Knowe it for trouthe y^t there be many dyuers women / shrewde cruell / and cursed / & without reason. For yf I shol­de say that all were good / lyghtly I myght be pro­ued a lyer. But in y^• lesse partye / and of that partye whiche be good I medle me not. For suche euyll women ben as thynges out of theyr nature. But for to speke of those that ben good / for y^t that this Theofrastus of whome thou hast spoken sayth / y^t also truely and as busely shall a mābe kepte in his sykenesse / or in his nede by his seruaunt as by his wyfe. A howe many good women ben there so bu sy to serue theyr husbondes hole or syke by true lo­ue as & they were theyr goddes. I trowe that one shal not fynde but fewe suche seruauntes. And for that that we be entred in to this matter I shal gy ue the many ensamples of grete loue and trouthe of women borne to theyr housbandes. And nowe we be thanked be god retourned to our Cyte with a noble company of worshypfull women that we shall lodge there. And se here this noble lady & que ne Hypsytrace wyfe sometyme of the ryche kynge [Page] Mytrydaces for that y^t she is of olde tyme / and her valure of grete dygnyte we shall lodge her fyrst in the noble palays that is arayed for her.

¶ Here it speketh of y^e quene Hypsytrace. Ca. xiiij.

HOwe myght there be [...]ny crea ture of gretter loue to another than was y^• ryght fayre / good / and true Hypsytrace to her hus bāde. And it shewed wel. She was wyfe of the grete kynge Mytrydaces / whiche gouer­ned y^e coūtres of .xxiiij. languages. And thoughe it so were that this kynge was myghty & puyssaunt. The Romaynes moued ry­ght harde warre agaynst hym / but in all y^• tyme y^t he laboured by grete charges in y^• bataylles / whe­re y^t euer he wente his good wyfe lefte hym not / & thoughe that this kynge after y^• maner of Barba­ryne had dyuers concubynes. Neuerthelesse this noble lady was alway embraced in parfyte loue / in suche maner y^t in no wyse she suffred not that he sholde go without her / where she was ofte tymes in bataylles with hym in peryl to lose his royalme and in aduenture of his lyfe ayenst y^• Romaynes. But when he sholde go in to a straunge regyon or in to a ferre countre / or passe the see / or destres / and peryllous forestes / he wente neuer but she was al way his ryght true felawe without departynge. [Page] For she loued hym of so parfyte loue y^t she thought y^t no man sholde serue her lorde so clenly ne so well as she sholde. And agaynst that / y^t the phylosophre Theofrastus sayth touchynge this matter. This lady for that y^t she knewe y^t often tymes kynges & prynces haue false seruauntes / wherof foloweth false seruyce. She as a true louer to y^t entente y^t she myght mynystre al necessaryes & conuenable thyn ges to her lorde / thoughe it so be y^t she suffred grete payne she wolde alway folowe▪ hym / & for so mo­che that to suche a dede the habyte of a woman is not conuenable / nor it is not expedyent that a wo­man so nyghe a grete kynge / & soo noble a fyghter in batayle sholde be sene to that entente / that a mā sholde seme to smyte of her yelowe heres as golde whiche to the apparellynge of a woman is a thyn ge ryght well semynge. But with y^t she spared not y^• fayre fresshnesse of her vysage / but ware her hel­me / vnder the whiche she was ofte tymes soylled and full of [...]wetynge and duste / and her fayre body & softe vsed the harneys and habergyon / hosed w^t yron / and the precyous rynges & the ryche ornamē tes put a parte. In stede of whiche she bare in her handes / axes / harde speres / bowes and arowes▪ stretchynge aswerde. And in this maner this no­ble quene gouerned her by strengthe of grete loue and true / and thus she chaunged the tendernes of her fayre body and yonge / whiche was wonte to be cheryss hed softely / and delycately / and she lyued after the manere of a stronge armed knyght.

[Page]O sayth Bocaca that wryteth this story / what is that that loue causeth not one to do when she that had it of custome to lyue so delycately / to lye softe / & to haue al thynges at her ease / and nowe demea ned by her free wyll as it were an harde man and a stronge lyenge day and nyght in y^• mountaynes and valays / in the desertes / and in forestes / often tymes vpon the bare erthe for drede of enemyes in euery syde of her wylde beestes / & serpentes. But all this was swete to her / to be alwaye nyghe her husbande / for to comforte hym / counsayle hym / & serue hym in all his nedes. And yet after when she had suffred to endure longe tyme many harde tra­uayles. It happened that her husbande was dys­comfyted ryght cruelly by Pompee prynce of the hoost of the Romaynes / so that he was constray­ned to fle. yet when he was forsaken of al his ow­ne people and lefte alone / his good wyfe lefte hym neuer / but rennynge after folowed hym by hylles & valays / by forestes / & by many strayte passages / and he whiche was forsaken of all his frendes / & had noo maner of hope / yet was he comforted by his good wyfe / whiche counsaylled hym swetely to haue hope of better fortune. And the more that he and she were in grete trybulacyon the more she payned herselfe to do hym solace / & to reioyse hym by the swetnesse of her / to y^• entente to appease his malancoly by goodly playes that she coude fynde by the whiche thynges / and by y^• grete swetenesse of her / so moche she comforted hym / that in euery [Page] mysery y^t he suffred in all his trybulacyons she ma de hym so to forgete it / that he sayd often tymes y^t he was not in exyle but hym semed that he was ry ght delycyously in his palays w^t his true spouse.

¶ Of the Empresse Tryayre. Ca. xv.

RIght lyke to the foresayd quene in ca se and in true loue towarde her hus­bande was the noble Empresse Try ayre wyfe of Lucyan Urylyan Empe roure of the Romaynes. She loued hym of so grete loue / that she folowed hym in eue­ry place / and in all bataylles armed lyke a knyght alway ryght nyghe hym / and fought ryght strong ly / whereof it happened on a tyme that this Empe­roure had warre with Uaspasyan bycause of the lordeshyp of the Empyre. And whan he sholde go ayenst a Cyte of Uolques and sholde do by nyght that he sholde entre in to the towne he founde the people a slepe / & he wente vpon them cruelly. But this noble lady Tryayre whiche all the nyght had folowed her husbande and was not ferre fro hym but alway desyrynge that he myght haue the vyc­tory of the batayle alwaye in harnays the sw [...]rde gyrde aboute her / fyghtynge ryght fyersely in the rowte nyghe her husbande / nowe here / nowe the­re by the darkenesse of the nyght hauynge no dre­de nor fere / but that she bare her so worshypfully that she had y^e pryce of the batayle aboue al others [Page] and dyde many meruayles. So it shewed wel as Bocace sayth y^• grete loue y^• she had to her husban de in prouynge the bande of maryage y^t other wol de so moche reproue.

¶ Of the quene Archemyse. Ca. xvi.

OF ladyes that haue loued theyr husbā ­des of grete loue & shewed it in dede I may say yet of y^• noble lady Archemyse quene of Carye that as it is sayd befo re folowed y^• kynge Mansole her hus­bande in many grete batayles tyll he came to y^• de the. And she outraged w^t so grete sorowe as moche as ony creature myght bere / yf she shewed it well in his lyfe that she loued hym wel she dyde no lesse in the ende. For in makynge all the solempnytes y^t was in y^• vsage there / as moche as myght be ma­de for a kynge with grete company of prynces & of barons made brenne the body of her housbande / wherof she herselfe gadred the asshes quenchynge them with her teeres / and put them in a vessell of golde. So she semed that it was no reason that y^• asshes of hym that she had loued so moche sholde haue other scpulture than y^• herte & the body whe­re the rote of this grete loue was / and therfore she dranke the foresayd asshes / by successyon of tyme medled w^t her drynke / by lytel and lytel tyl she had [Page] taken all / yet notwithstandynge y^t for the remem­braunce of hym she wolde let make suche a sepul­ture / whiche sholde be alway for hym a perpetuall memory / and to make it she spared no treasoure / so she made to seke certayne werke men that coude deuyse & make meruayllous werkes in buyldyn­ge / that is to knowe / Scope / Bryaxe / Thymothe / and Leothayre / whiche were werke men of grete excellence / and the quene sayd to them y^t she wolde haue a sepulture made for the kynge Mansole her lorde / y^• moost solempne that kynge or prynce my­ght haue in y^• worlde. For she wolde y^t by the mer­uayllous werke the name of her husbande sholde endure alwaye. And they sayd that they wolde do it ryght well. So the quene made them to seke stones of marble ynowe / and of Iasper of dyuers co­lours / and all that euer they wolde aske. The en­de of the werke was suche / that the foresayd wer­ke men before the cyte of Elycarnase whiche is the mayster Cyte of Carye lyfted vp a grete werke of marble stone wrought by entayle ryght nobly.

And it was made square / & in euery squarenesse it was of .lxiiij. fote. And on hyght an .C. and .xl. fore And yet it was more meruaylous. For al this grete buyldynge was sette vpon .xxx. grete pyllers of marble. And eche of the .iiij. werke men wrought by stryfe one with another / wherof y^• werke was so meruaylous that it gaue not onely remembraū ce of hym that it was made for / But it was mer­uayle of the subtylnesse of the werke men.

[Page]The fyrst werke man to perfourme this werke y^t was called Itrayre made the hyghnesse of the se­pulture to be lyfted vp by .lx. degrees. And after came the syxte werke man named Pychys the whi­che wrought a charyote of marble / and set it in the hyghnesse of the buyldynge. This werke was soo meruaylous that it was called one of the .vij. meruayles of the worlde. And in so moche that it was made for the kynge Mansolee / the werke toke his name and was called Mansolee. And for that / y^t it was the moost solempne sepulture that euer was made for kynge or for prynce. All other sepultures of kynges and prynces haue ben called syth man­solees. And thus appered wel in dede and in sygne that the true loue dured all the whyle she lyued.

¶ Of Argyne doughter of the kynge Adrastus. Capitulo .xvij.

O The grete loue proued that Argyne had / doughter to Adrastus kynge of Arge towarde her housbande Poly­myte. O what is he that dare saye y^t there is but lytel loue in a woman to warde her husbande / yf he consyder well this la­dy. This Polymyte that was the husbande of Ar gyne stryued with his broder Ethyocles for bycau se of the lordeshyp of the royalme of Thebes. whi­che perteyued to hym by certayne couenauntes y^t were made bytwene them / but as Ethyocles wol [Page] de not in no maner wyse graunt hym the royalme Polymyte his broder moued warre agaynst hym to the helpe of whome kynge Adrastus came with al his power / yet fortune tourned shrewdely ayen ste Polymyte whiche slewe his broder / & his bro­der hym in batayle. And the hoost bode not longe on lyue but onely the kynge Adrastus and slewe y^e thyrde parte of his people. But when Argyne kne we that her husbande was deed in batayle. She departed and all her ladyes with her out of y^• cyte of Arge / and forsoke her royal see. And of that that she dyde Bacace saythe in this manere. The noble lady Argyne herde say that the body of Polymyte her husbande laye vnburyed amonge the bodyes and caraynes of the comune people that there we re slayne. Anone she full of sorowe lefte the habyte and [...]he ornamentes / the noblesse and swetnesse of her courte to dwelle in her chambres worshypful­ly arayed / and with that by grete desyre / the bren­nynge of loue surmounted and ouercame the feble nesse and womanly tendrenesse. And so moche she wente by her Iourneys / tyll that she came to y^t pla ce where the batayle had ben / on the whiche waye she had no fere of the busshmentes nor of the way tynge of her enemyes / ne was neuer wery of long nesse of the way. And she came in to the felde / dre­dynge not y^• cruell bestes ne y^e grete byrdes sewyn­ge the deed bodyes / ne y^• wycked spyrytes whiche after the lykenesse of dyuers fowles flyeth aboute deed bodyes. And whiche is a thynge more mer­uaylous [Page] as Bocace sayth / she doubted not the pre cepte / nor the commaundement of kynge▪ Creonce whiche had cōmaunded and made crye vpon the payne of losynge of theyr heedes that none sholde vysyte nor bury those bodyes whose soo euer they were. For she was not come thyder for to obey to that cōmaundement / but as sone as she was ary ued / whiche was aboute y^• nyght / she lefte not for no stynkynge y^t came out of y^• caraynes / but wen­te with a grete brennynge & a sorowfull courage / & vnderset the bodyes / nowe one / nowe another / sekynge for hym y^t she loued so moche / nowe here / nowe there / and thus she seased not tyll that with the lyght of a lytell bronde offyre that she helde in her hande she knewe her ryght entyerly beloued husbande / and so she foūde that she sought. O sayd Bocace the meruaylous loue / the brennynge desy re / and the affeccyon of women. For as the face of her husbande for y^• rustynesse of his harnoys halfe eten / all full of stynkynge / all forbledde / full of dust charged with foulenesse / all pale & blacke whiche was as at that tyme vnable to be knowen myght be hydde from this woman so brennyngly she lo­ued hym / thus y^• stynkynge of the body & the foule nesse of the vysage myght not let her / but that she kyssed hym / and embraced hym straytely bytwene her armes. Notwithstandynge the precepte / & cō ­maūdement of kynge Creonce / she spared not but y^t she cryed with an hyghe voyce. Alas alas I ha­ue foūde hym y^t I loued so moche / & then she wepte [Page] with grete plente of teeres. For as she knewe by often tymes kyssynge his mouthe y^t there was no lyfe in hym / and had wasshed hym w^t her teeres al stynkynge / & often tymes by grete cryes / wepyn­ges / & waylynges called vpon hym fynably as she sawe y^t the soule was departed fro y^• body made to lyght vp a grete fyre so as it was the maner there of buryenge of kynges & of grete states / to that en tente y^• she wolde do y^e last & pyteous offyce / put hȳ in the fyre w^t many sorowfull cryes of whome she gadred the asshes ryght derely in a vessel of golde And when she had done al this / as she y^t wolde ad uenture her body to the dethe for to venge her hus bande / dyde so moche / & put to suche payne with y^e helpe of other ladyes wherof there was grete quā tyte y^• the walles of the cyte of Thebes were ouer­throwen / & gate the towne / & put all to dethe.

¶ Of the noble lady Egryppyne. Ca. xviij.

WEll ought to be put amonge these no ble ladyes of grete loue to theyr hous­bandes y^• noble lady Egryppyne dou ghter of Marke Egryppyne & of Iu­lye doughter of the Emperour Octa­uyan lorde of all the worlde. And as this noble la­dy was gyuen in maryage to Bermanyce the ry­ght noble prynce / well manered / wyse / and an encreaser and multeplyer of the comune profyte of [Page] Rome. Tybere y^• Emperour whiche was of euyll condycyons / toke suche enuye of the welthe that he herde of Bermanyce husbande of the sayd lady Egryppyne / and of that y^t euery man loued hym / that he lete make watche vpon hym & [...]lewe hym / of whose dothe his good wyfe had suche sorowe y^• she wolde in lyke wyse be slayne / and that semed ryght wel. For she withdrewe not to say grete vy lanyes to Tybere / For the whiche he made her to be beten & tourmented cruelly / and put her in pry­son. But as she that the sorowe of her housbande myght not forgete / loued better the dethe than the lyfe / purposed neuer to ete nor drynke / but this pur pose came to the tyraunt Tybere to tourment her longer / and wolde constrayne her by tourmentes that she sholde ete / but it auayled not. So he wol de by strengthe make to caste the mete in to y^• sto­make. But she shewed well to hym that he hadde puyssaunce to make folke to be slayne / but not to kepe them from dethe yf they wolde. For thus she ended her dayes.

¶ Here Xp̄ine speketh / and ryght wysnes answe­reth gyuynge ensamples of the noble lady Iulye doughter of Iulyus Cesar / wyfe of y^e prynce Pompee. Capitulo .xix.

WHen that my lady ryghtwysnes sayd to me these wordes. I replyed her in suche maner. Madame truely it seme [Page] th me to be grete honoure to the kynde of women to here tell of so many excellent ladyes. And amon ge other vertues of them ought to be ryght agrea ble to al people / y^• so grete loue may be in y^e herte of a woman in y^• bonde of maryage. Nowe let them slepe and holde theyr peas this Matheolus and all other Ianglers that enuyously and lyengly ha ue spoken agaynst women. But madame yet me thynketh y^• the phylosophre Phylostratus of who me I haue spoken here aboue sayth that these wo­men hateth theyr husbandes when they be olde / & also y^t they loue not these connynge men y^• be cler­kes. For he sayth that the charges hat one ought to haue in daungers of women / & the studyenge of bokes ben contrary togyder. ¶ Answere. O dere frende holde thy peas / I haue anone founde y^e en­samples contrary to theyr sayenge / by the whiche we shal holde them as no sayenges true. ¶ Iulye was in her tyme the moost noblest of the ladyes of Rome doughter of Iulyus Cesar whiche was sy th Emperoure of Rome and of Coruylle his wyfe comynge downe fro Eneas of Troye. This lady was wyfe of Pompee y^e grete conqueroure y^• whi che as Bocace sayth in ouercomynge the kynges / in puttynge downe / in makynge agayne of other in puttynge vnder subieccyon dyuers nacyons in destroyenge theues of the see / hauynge the fauou­re of Rome of all the kynges in the worlde / in cret­tynge the lordshyppes / not onely of y^• landes / but also of y^• see and caues by meruayllous vyctoryes [Page] in souerayne worshyp was than waxen olde and sore brused. But not for that the noble lady Iulye his wyfe whiche was but yonge as yet / loued hȳ of soo grete loue y^• she ended her lyfe by a straunge aduenture. For as it happened in a day that Pom pee had deuocyon to gyue praysynge to goddes y^• he had goten by noble vyctoryes and wolde do sa crefyse after the custome of that countre. And as the beest sacryfyed was vpon the awter / & Pom­pe as by deuocyon helde hym by that one syde / his robe was soylled with the blode yssuynge oute of the wounde of the beest / wherfore Pompe dyde of his robe & sente it home by one of his seruauntes / & for to brynge another clene & fresshe. So it hap­pened by an euyll fortune y^• he y^• bare y^• robe mette with Iulye y^• wyfe of Pompe y^• whiche when she sawe y^e robe of her lorde so soyled with blode / then for that y^t she knewe wel y^t dyuers tymes it happe ned in Rome y^t to them that were the best / one wol de renne vpon hym for enuye & sle hym wherwith she was supprysed sodaynly by the sygne that she sawe of certayne byleuynge y^t it had happened soo to her husbande by some fortune / by whiche suche sodayne sorowe toke her at the herte that as she y^t wolde no longer lyue / she beynge grete with chyl­de fell flatte to the erthe / pale and styffe / & the eyen tourned in her heed / that there myght noo remedy be had soo sone to put her oute of that drede / but y^t she yelded vp the spyryte / whiche dethe by reason ought to be grete sorowe to the husbande. But it [Page] was not onely preiudycyable to hym nor to y^• Ro­maynes / but it was also to all the worlde of y^• ty­me. For yf she & her sone had lyued / y^• grete werre had neuer ben y^• was syth bytwene Iulyus Cesar and Pompe / y^• whiche warre was preiudycyable to all the londes of the worlde.

¶ Of the noble lady Tyerce Emulyene. Ca. xx.

THe fayre and good Tyerce Emulye­ne wyfe of prynce Scypyon y^• fyrste Affrycan hated not her husbande al­so thoughe he were olde. This lady was of grete prudence & ryght ver­tuous / & as her husbande was olde / & she yet fayre & yonge▪y^• notwithstandynge he laye with a bon­de woman whiche was her seruaunt / & so often it fell y^• this worshypfull lady perceyued it. She not withstandynge y^• her herte was sorowfull v [...]ed y^e vertue of her grete vnderstandynge / and not one­ly of y^• passyon of Ialousye. For she dyssymyled so wysely y^• her husbande ne none other herde her ne uer speke of it. For she wolde not telle it to hym for that y^• he sholde seme y^• it were shame to hym y^• she sholde reproue so wyse & so grete a mā as he was & to make mencyon therof to o [...]y other. For y^• shol de be a maner of repreffe & losynge of y^• praysynge so wyse a man / & ayenst y^• honoure of his persone / whiche had conquered so many royalmes & Em­pyres. Soo she neuer lefte hym this good lady▪ to serue hym truely / to loue hym / and worshyp hym. [Page] And when he was deed / she made the mayden fre and wedded her to a free man. ¶ And I Xp̄ine an­swered. Then truely madame to this purpose y^e ye saye / I haue sene often tymes women in lyke case whiche for ony thynge y^t they knewe / wolde not saye thoughe they knewe well that theyr husband­des had them but in lytell loue / and yet they loued them / and made them good chere / & releued them / and comforted them of whome they had chyldren before. And also I haue herde say of a lady of Bry tayne that lyued but late / & was countesse of Coe­men whiche was in the floure of her youthe fayre aboue all the ladyes. And by her grete goodnesse / and constaunce she dyde the same.

¶ Of Uancyppe wyfe of the phylosopre Socra­tes. Capitulo .xxj.

VAncyppe the ryght noble lady a woman of grete connynge and bounte / so she had to husbande y^• grete phylosophre Socrates. And notwithstandynge that he was in grete age / & that he had grete charge to serche and tour ne the bokes to pourchace for his wyfe softe thyn­ges and curyous / the worshypful woman lefte ne uer to loue hym / but trowed that it was so grete a thynge the excellent vnderstandynge / & the grete vertue of hym / and of his constaunce / that she had [Page] hym in souerayne loue & reuerence. And whē this woman knewe y^t her husbande was condempned to y^e dethe by them of Athenes for that y^t he blamed them y^t they worshypped the ydolles / & sayd y^t the­re was not but one god that ought to be worshyp ped & serued. This noble lady myght not haue pa cyence of this thynge but fledde / her heere hangyn ge aboute her chekes / full of sorowe / wepynge / & betynge at the palays gate where her housbande was / and there she founde hym amonge the false Iuges whiche hadde taken to hym a venymous drynke to shorten his lyfe / and when it came to y^• poynte y^t Socrates wolde put y^• cuppe to his mou the to drynke the venyme / she wente to hym with a grete wrathe and raced the cuppe out of his han de and threwe it all togyder on the erthe / but So­crates repreued her / & counsayled her to haue pacy ence / and comforted her. And when she myght not let hym in no wyse fro y^t dethe / she sorowed strong ly and sayd. Ha what harme and what losse is it / to make so Iuste a man to dye wrongefully & syn­fully. And Socrates alway comforted her / & sayd to her / y^• it was better y^• he sholde dye wrongfully / then ryghtfully / and so he passed. But the sorowe ended not in the herte of her that loued hym so mo che all her lyfe.

¶ Of Pompe Paulyne / wyfe of Seneke Capitulo .xxij.

[Page] THe ryght wyse phylosophre Seneke notwithstandynge y^t he was ryght olde / & al his entent was in studyeng it fayled not but y^• he was well bylo­ued of his wyfe / fayre & yonge whiche was named Pompee Paulyne. All the charge y^t this noble lady had was to serue hym & kepe hym in peas / as she y^t ryght truly & derely loued hym / & whē she knewe y^t y^e tyraūt emperour Nero to whō he had ben mayster had condempned hym to dye / to be drowned in a bayne fatte / then as she y^t beca­me out of herselfe sorowe / & as she y^t wolde fayne dye with her husbande / wente cryenge many vy­lanyes to the tyraunt Nero to the entente y^t he shol de stretche his cruelte vpon her also. But all that auayled her not / so moche she sorowed the dethe of her housbande / y^t she lyued not longe after. And I Xp̄ine sayd then to the lady y^t spake to me. Certes madame your wordes hathe remembred me / and drawne to mynde many other women / fayre / and yonge / ryght perfytely louynge theyr husbandes / notwithstandynge y^t they were ryght feble & olde And in my tyme I haue sene ynowe y^t haue loued theyr husbandes perfytely / & hath borne them true loue all y^• whyle they lyued / & namely y^• noble dou­ghter of one of y^e grete barons of Brytayne y^t was gyuen by maryage to y^• ryght worshypfull consta ble of Fraunce syr Bertram Claquyn / the whiche notwithstandynge y^t he was ryght lewde of shap of his body and olde / this noble lady beynge in the [Page] floure of her youthe / whiche toke hede more to the grete pryce of his vertue then to the facyon of his body loued hym of ryght grete loue / so moche y^t all her lyfe she had plente of sorowe for his dethe. And ynowe of other lyke I myght telle / whiche that I lette passe for shortuesse of tyme. Answere of y^• I le ue the ryght well / and yet I shall tell the of mo la­dyes louynge theyr husbandes.

¶ Of the noble Sulpyce. Ca. xxiij.

SUlpyce was wyfe of Lentylyus Cō ­sulyennole a man of Rome / whome she loued of so grete loue as it appe­red. For when he sholde be condemp­ned by the Iuges of Rome for certay ne thynges of whiche he was blamed to be sente wretchedly into exyle / & there to vse his lyfe poore ly. The good lady Sulpyce notwithstondynge y^t she was in Rome of ryght grete rychesse / & myght abyde in ease & reste loued better to folowe her hus bande in his pouerte & exyle / than abyde in haboū daunce of rychesse without hym. So she renoūced all her herytage / goodes & countre / & dyde so mo­che y^t she stale away fro her moder & cosynes / whi­che kepte her for the same cause y^t she sholde not go away. And in an vnknowne wede dyde so moche y^t she wente to her housbande. Xp̄ine sayd. Certes madame it semeth me by y^• that ye say of some wo men that I haue sene in my tyme in lyke case. For of suche I haue knowne of whom the husbandes [Page] haue become lyppers / & that it were conuenyent y^t they were departed fro the worlde and put in syke houses. But theyr good wyues euermore for that y^• they wolde not leue them loued better to goo w^t them for to serue them in theyr sykenesse / & to hol­de them the true faythe & promyse in maryage thā to byde without theyr housbandes well at ease in theyr houses. And I trowe I knowe one that is yonge / fayre / and good / of whome the housbande is had in suspeccyon of suche sykenesse. But as her frendes hath warned her / & preched to her to leue his company / & to dwell with them / she answered that the dayes of her lyfe she wolde not leue hym. And yf they make it to be proued y^t he is ataynte of y^e sayd maladye / by whiche it is cōuenyent y^t he for sake y^e worlde y^t without fayle she wolde go with hym. And for that cause her frendes haue lefte it to make a proffe therof. Also other women I knowe that I leue to be named for that y^t by aduenture I sholde dysplease them whiche y^t haue housbandes so cursed / & of so an vnordynate lyfe / that y^• fader & the moder of the woman wolde y^t they were deed And dothe all that they may for to withdrawe the women to them from theyr shrewde husbandes / but they loue better to be betē with many paynes & to be in grete pouerte / and subieccyon with theyr husbandes then for to leue them. And they saye to theyr frendes / ye haue gyuē me to hym / with hym shall I lyue and dye / and these thynges be sene all daye / but all people consydereth it not.

¶ Here it speketh of dyuers ladyes that respyted theyr husbandes fro the dethe. Ca. xxiiij.

OF many women also in the same wy se as those before sayd of grete loue to theyr husbandes I wyll tell you yet. ¶ It happened after that / y^t Ia­son had ben in Coltos to gete the gol den fleece / that some of his knyghtes that he brou ght with hym whiche were of a countre of Grece / that is called Menudye lefte theyr owne countre and Cyte / and wente to dwelle in another Cyte of Grece that is called Lacedemonye / soo they were there gretely receyued and honoured as moche for theyr auncyent noblesse as for theyr rychesse. And there they maryed the moost noblest maydens of y^e Cyte. And so moche they waxed ryche and moun­ted in worshyp that they lyfted vp themselfe in so grete pryde that they wolde make a conspyracyon ayenst the soueraynes of the Cyte / and so they dy­de to haue the lordeshyp. So theyr ymagynacyon was knowen / wherfore all were put in pryson / & condempned to the dethe. ¶ Of this thynge theyr wyues were in greate sorowes. And they assem­bled them togyder as for to make theyr sorowes. So it was counsayled amonge them yf ony way myght be founde howe they myght delyuer theyr husbandes. And in the ende this was theyr con­clusyon / that in a nyght they sholde araye them in lewde gownes / & they sholde couer theyr heedes [Page] w^t mantellesas thoughe they wolde not be know ne. And in suche a wyse they wente to the pryson / & soo moche they prayed with wepynge & gyftes to the kepers of the pryson y^t they wolde suffre them to go se theyr husbandes. And when they were w^t theyr husbādes they gaue them theyr lewde gow nes & toke those gownes y^t they were clothed in. And syth put them out of the pryson / and y^• kepers trowed y^t it were the women y^• had tourned agay ne. And when it came to the daye y^t they sholde dye the kepers brought them to y^e tourment. And whē it was sene y^t they were women eche of them had grete meruayle of theyr wyse cauteyle. Soo they were gretely praysed / and the cytezynes had pyte of theyr doughters / so there dyed none. And so the se worshypful women delyuered theyr husbandes fro the dethe.

¶ Here Xp̄ine speketh to dame ryght wysnesayen ste them that sayth that women can not kepe noo counsayle. And the answere y^t she maketh of Por­cya. Capitulo .xxv.

MAdame I knowe certaynely nowe & also I haue perceyued that grete is y^• loue / and the trouthe that many ha­ue had and hath to theyr husbandes And therfore I haue grete meruayle of a language y^• renneth comunely amonge these men. And also mayster Iohn̄ de Meun affermeth [Page] it so strongly in his romaunce of y^• rose / and other auctours also dothe it / that what a man say the to his wyfe it maye not be kepte pryue / and that wo­men can not holde theyr peas. ¶ Answere. Dere frende thou oughtest to knowe that all women be not wyse / and the same it is of men / by the whiche yf a man haue ony wytte / he ought well to aduyse hym what wytte his wyfe hathe / and what good nesse or he saye ony thynge y^t he wolde haue kepte close / for therof myght come foly. But when a mā knoweth that he hath a good wyfe / wyse / and dys crete / there is nothynge more trusty in the worlde nor y^• so moche may comforte a man. For dyscrecy on and secretenesse are too be commended in ony persone. And yet to y^e purpose of women louynge theyr husbandes. There was late a man in Rome ryght notable named Brutus whiche was mary ed to a gentyl woman named Porcya / this noble Porcya was doughter of Chaton the lesse whiche was neuewe to grete Chaton. Her foresayd hous­bande Brutus felte that his wyfe was ryght wy se / secrete / and chaste / tolde her his entente / that he and Cassyen another noble man of Rome were in purpose to sle Iulyus Cesar at the counsayle / the whiche thynge the wyse lady aduysynge the grete euyl that myght come of it with al her puyssaunce counsayled hym the contrary / and warned hym of the myschyefe that myght falle therof / and myght not slepe all the nyght. Then the morowe comen when that the foresayd Brutus wente oute of his [Page] chambre to goo to perfourme his entrepryse. The lady whiche wolde full fayne tourne his purpose toke a rasoure frome the barboure as thoughe she wolde haue pared her nayles / and lete the rasoure falle / and after made as thoughe she wolde haue taken it vp / and anone she smote herselfe in y^e han­de / wherfore her women that sawe her so woun­ded cryed so pyteously and so strongely y^t Brutus tourned agayne. And when he sawe her hurte he blamed her / and sayd that it was not her offyce to werke with a rasoure but of y^e barboure. And she answered hym that she had not done it soo folyly as he thought. For that that she had done was a purpose to assaye howe she myght sle herselfe yf y^• entrepryse that he had made sholde tourne hym to euyll. But for all that he wolde not leue but wen­te anone / and bytwene hym & Cassyen they slewe Iulyus Cesar. And anone after they were exyled and Brutus was slayne / notwithstandynge that he was fled out of Rome. But when Porcya his good wyfe knewe that he was deed / her sorowe was so grete that she forsoke the Ioye of her lyfe. And for that y^t men toke awaye from her / her kny ues and all thynges that she myght sle her with. For folkes sawe wel what she wolde do / she wen te to the fyre and toke brennynge coles and brente her and dyed. And by this waye ended this noble lady Porcya / whiche was the moost straungest de the that euer ony dyed on.

¶ And yet of the same matter / & speketh of the no­ble lady Curya. Ca. xxvj.

ANd yet I shall tell the to that purpose ayenst them y^t saye y^t women can not kepe no counsayle / and alwaye conty nuynge the matter of the grete loue y^t many women haue to theyr husban­des. Curya the noble Romayne was of meruayl­lous fayth / constaunce / wysdome / and loue towar de Quyntus Lucrecyus her husbande. For when her sayd husbande / and other in lyke wyse sholde be condempned to the dethe for a certayne cryme y^t was put vpon them / & it sholde come to his know ledge y^t one sought them to be Iustyfyed. It hap­pened hym so well that they had space to flee. But for the fere that they had to be founde / they wente to hyde them in caues of wylde beestes / & yet they durst not abyde there. But Lucrecyus / by y^e good counsayle of his wyfe parted neuer out of his chā ­bre / and when they that sought them came there / she helde hym bytwene her armes in her bedde / & she hyd hym soo wysely that they neuer perceyued hym. And after had hym so wysely bytwene y^e wal les of her chambre / that neuer none of her m [...]ynye perceyued it ne knewe it. And she coude so well ke pe his counsayle by grete cautele and wysdome / y^t she clothed her in poore clothes / her heere hangyn ge aboute her chekes / al forwepte / betynge her hā des togyder / wente aboute by the stretes and by y^e [Page] temples and asked all aboute after her husbande and serched yf ony persone knewe where her hus­bande was become / or to what place he was fled For my desyre is to be felawe with hym in his ex­yle / and in his myseryes. And by this way so wy­sely she coude fayne that neuer man perceyued it / & so she saued hym. And with y^t she comforted her housbande full of sorowe. And shortely to saye / so moche she dyde / & so moche she purchaced for hym that she delyuered hym not onely from his exyle / but from his dethe also.

¶ yet of the same purpose. Ca. xxvij.

ANd for that we be in purpose to telle ensamples ayenst them that say that women can not kepe noo counsayle / truely I myght tell y^e of ynowe of thē without nombre. But let it suffyse y^e of one that I shall tell the yet. In the tyme y^• Nero the tyraunt and Emperour reygned in Rome / the re were certayne men that consydered that for the ryght grete myscheues & crueltes y^e the sayd Nero dyde / that it sholde be grete welthe & profyte to ta ke away the lyfe fro hym. So they made conspyra cyon ayenst hym / & were aduysed to sle hym. The­se same men repayred al to y^e house of one woman in the whiche they trusted so moche that they spa­red not saye the dede of theyr conspyracyon before her. And as it happened in an euenynge tyde that [Page] they were aduysed to put to effecte in y^• mournyn­ge theyr entrepryse they souped with the sayd wo man / and they kepte them not wysely fro spekyn­ge / by the whiche by mysaduenture / there were so me y^t herde them / whiche for to flatter and to haue grace of the Emperoure wente & tolde hym what they herde them say / by the whiche they were not so soone departed from the sayd woman but that the sergeauntes of the Emperoure came to y^e wo­mans house / but bycause that they founde not the men there y^t conspyred thus y^e dethe of y^e emperour they toke the woman and ledde her before y^e Em­peroure whiche enquyred gretely of this matter. But he coude neuer doo so moche by gyuynge of grete gyftes / nor by promyse / nor by force of tour­mentes / of whiche he spared none that he myght knowe of this woman what men they were / ne y^t she knewe ony thynge of suche matters / and thus this woman was meruayllously proued bothe se­crete and constaunte.

¶ Proues ayenst them that say that a man is but lewde that byleueth the counsayle of his wyfe / or taketh ony hede therto. Ca. xxviij.

MAdame by these reasons that I vnder stande of you & by that y^• I se so moche wyt & welthe to be in a womā / I mer uayle of that / that dyuers men saye / y^t these men ben lewde fooles y^t byleue & gyueth credence to y^e counsayle of theyr wyues. [Page] ¶ Answere. I haue sayd to the before that all wo men be not wyse. But those y^t haue wyues / good / and wyse dothe grete foly when they byleue them not / so as thou mayste se by that that I haue sayd to the before. For yf Brutus had byleued Porcy a his wyfe as for sleynge of Iulyus Cesar he hadde not be slayne hymselfe ne the euyll had not happe­ned that felle. And for that that we be entred in to this purpose. I shall tell the of dyuers to whome it hath happened euyll in the same wyse that they byleued not theyr wyues. And also I shall tell the after of dyuers to whome it hathe well happened / that they byleued theyr wyues. yf Iulyus Cesar of whome we haue spoken / had byleued y^• ryght wy­se & good womā / whiche by many tokens that she had sene apperynge / that betokened y^• dethe of her husbande / and the horryble dreme that she had the nyght before by the whiche she counsayled hym to tourne his purpose that he sholde not come at the counsayle y^t daye / yf he had not come there / he had not ben slayne. Also in the same wyse Pompe that had wedded Iulye the doughter of Iulyus Cesar as I haue sayd before. And after her he wedded a­nother noble lady named Cornelya / whiche to the purpose abouesayd loued hym so moche y^t for none euyll fortune that happened hym wolde not leue hym. And also when he was constrayned to fle by the see after the batayle in whiche he was dyscom fyted by Iulyus Cesar / the good lady was alway with hym / & bare hym company in al his perylles [Page] And when he aryued in the kyngdome of Egypte and that Tholomee the kynge of that countre made semblaunte by treason that he had Ioye of his comynge / sente his people before hym as thoughe they sholde receyue hym with Ioy / and that was for to sle hym / the whiche people sayd to hym that he sholde entre in to theyr shyppes & that he sholde leue his people to that entente y^t they myght bryn­ge theyr vesselles to the porte more lyghtely. But whē he wolde haue entred in to theyr shyppes his good and wyse wyfe Cornylle counsayled hym y^• contrary that he sholde not go in to ony nor to put his people away from hym. And when she sawe y^t he wolde not byleue her / nor do by her counsayle / she wolde haue gone in to the shyp with hym / but he wolde not suffre her / and made her to be holden with strengthe / then began her sorowe that neuer fayled after all y^• dayes of her lyfe. For he was not ferre from her / but she had alwaye her beholdynge after hym / and there she sawe the traytours mur­ther hym within the shyp. For the whiche she wolde haue drowned herselfe in the see yf she had not ben kepte with strengthe. ¶ Also as it happened myscheuously to Ector of Troye. For as y^• nyght before y^t he was slayne Adromatha his wyfe had a ryght meruaylous vysyon / that yf Ector wente to the batayle in the morowe y^t he sholde dye with out fayle / by the whiche this lady affrayed of this thynge / whiche was no dreme but a meruaylous prophecy / prayed hym with Ioyned handes vpon [Page] her knees before hym beryng bytwene her armes his two fayre sones y^t as that day he sholde not co me at the batayle. But he dyspysed her wordes / thynkynge that euermore it semed hym y^t it sholde be reproffe to hym / that for the counsayle and wor des of a woman he sholde leue to go to y^e batayle / nother for prayer of fader nor moder to whom she hadde prayed to requyre hym / wolde he not leue. wherby it happened hym as it is sayd before. For he was slayne by Achylles / therfore it had ben bet ter y^t he had byleued her. ¶ Of case infynyte I my ght tell y^• of men to whom it happened full euyl by dyuers maners y^t they dysdeyned not to byleue y^• coūsayle of theyr good & wyse wyues. But yf ony euyll come to them y^t dyspyseth theyr counsayles / those women ought not to be blamed.

¶ Here it speketh of them y^t there is good comyn­ge of it that byleueth y^t counsayle of theyr wyues / and gyueth ensample of dyuers ladyes. Ca. xxix.

OF them to whome it hathe fortuned well by the byl [...]uynge of y^• counsayle of theyr wyues / I shall tell y^e of some and let it suffyse the for a proffe. Soo moche I myght say that the processe sholde be without ende. And lette that auayle the whiche is sayd before of many that maye serue to the same purpose. ¶ The Emperoure Iustynyan of whome it is sayd before had a baron with hym [Page] that he helde hym as a felawe / and loued hym as hymselfe / and was called Bellyfere whiche was ryght a worthy knyght. So the Emperoure had made hym mayster & gouernoure of his cheualry & made hym to syt at his table serued as hymselfe And to say also he shewed hym many sygnes of lo ue that the barons had grete enuye therof. In soo moche that they sayd to the Emperour / that he en tended to slee hym / and to take the Empyre vpon hym. The Emperour byleued this thynge to sone & to fynde the way couertely howe that he myght make hym to dye. Then he commaunded that he sholde go fyght ayenst a people that was called y^• Uoendres where as no man myght haue the bet­ter for the grete strengthe that they were of / when Bellyfere vnderstode this commaundement and knewe well that the Emperour charged hym not with this thynge but yf he had be fallen out of his grace / and benyuolence. So he was so meruayl­lously sorowfull that he myght not be more. And wente home to his house. When his wyfe whiche was called Antonye / & was syster to y^• Empresse / sawe her husbande lye vpon his bedde pale & pen­syfe / and the eyes full of teeres / she that had grete pyte of hym demaunded hym so moche that with grete payne he tolde her'the cause of his sorowe / & when y^• lady vnderstode it then she made sēblaunt to be ryght Ioyous and comforted hym and sayd Syr haue ye none other thynge that dyscomfor­teth you but this. And yt is to vnderstande that [Page] the faythe of Ihesu cryst was as yet but ryght ne­we. And therfore the good lady whiche was a cry sten woman began to saye / haue ye trust in Ihesu cryste y^t was crucyfyed / and ye shall haue y^e hygher hande of your enemyes with y^e helpe of hym. And thoughe the enuyous wolde noye you / ye shall do soo moche by your worthynesse that ye shall yelde them lyers of that y^• they saye. So byleue me well and dyspyse not my wordes / and lette all your ho­pe be in god / and I promyse you that ye shall ouer come them. And be well ware y^• ye shewe noo ma­ner semblaunt to haue ony dyspleasaunce of this thynge / & that no man se you sory / but ryght Ioy­full / as he that is well contente. And ye shal assem ble your hoost in the hastyest wyse that ye maye / & beware also that no man knowe at what porte ye wyll aryue. And also loke y^• ye haue shyppes y [...]o­we / and then parte your hoost in to two partes as soone as ye maye secretly with one partye entryn ge in to Auffryke / and anone renne vpon your ene myes / and I shall haue that other partye of youre people with me / and we shal aryue by the see at an hauen. And I tell you that they shall abyde to gy­ue you batayle / and we shall entre in to that other parte in townes & cytees / and we shall put theym all to y^e dethe / and brenne and destroy all that they fynde. Bellyfere byleued well this coūsayle of his wyfe / soo he dyde as a wyse man. For more ne for lesse y^t she had sayd he ordeyned hym on his waye / of y^• whiche it came so well to passe / y^t he ouercame [Page] his enemyes and put them vnder subieccyon / and toke y^e kynge of Uoendres / & so he had this noble voctory by the counsayle & wytte of his worshyp­full wyfe / and then the Emperour loued hym bet­ter than euer he dyde before. ¶ Also kynge Alexan der had not in despyte the wordes of y^e quene his wyfe that was doughter of Dayre kynge of Per se / when the sayd Alexander felte that he was em poysoned by his seruauntes / and of the grete soro we that he felte he wolde go cast hymselfe in a ry­uere to ende his lyfe the sooner. And y^e good lady y^t wente ayenst hym thoughe she had ryght grete so rowe toke hym / & comforted hym / & sayd to hym y^t he sholde tourne agayne / & sholde laye hym in his bedde. And she wolde speke to his barons / & wol­de make his ordynaunce as was perteynynge to suche a prynce. For it sholde be a grete losynge of his worshyp yf one myght say after that ympacy­ence had ouercome hym.. So he byleued his wy­fe / and by her counsayle made his ordynaunces.

¶ Here it speketh of the grete welthe that is come to the worlde and euery daye cometh by the cause of women. Ca. xxx.

MAdame I se infynyte welthes come to y^e worlde by women. And alwaye these men say that there is none but it cometh by them. ¶ Answere. Fay­re frende thou mayst se by that that [Page] I haue sayd to the longe ago that the contrary y^t they saye is true. For there is no man that may so me y^• grete welthe y^t is come to the worlde by wo­men / and euery daye cometh I haue proued to the by the noble ladyes that hathe brought to y^e worl de scyences and craftes. But yf it suffyse the not y^t I haue sayd to y^• of temporall welthes y^• ben come by them. I shal tell y^e of y^t spyrytualles. O howe is euery man so vnkynde that he forgeteth y^t by wo­men the gate of paradyse was opened to vs that is by y^e vyrgyne Mary / what gretter welthe may one desyre and that god is made man as I haue sayd to the before. And who may forgete the grete welthes that the moders do to the chyldren / and women to all men and to all the worlde. I praye them that they wolde not forgete y^• welthes that toucheth of whens they be spyrytuall. And let vs beholde in the olde lawe of Iewes yf thou wylte beholde the hystory of Moyses to whome god ga ue the lawe of y^e Iewes wryten. Thou shalte fyn de y^t by a woman y^t same holy prophete by whome came so many grete welthes was respyted frome dethe as I shall telle the. ¶ In the tyme that the Iewes were in y^• thraldome of y^• kynge of Egypte there sholde a man be borne of the Ebrues y^• shol­de defende the chyldren of Israell from the bonda ge of them. So it happened when that Moyses y^t noble duke was borne of his moder, whiche dur­ste not nourysshe hym was constrayned to put hy in a lytell basket & put hym in to the ryuere. So it [Page] happened as god wolde that he sholde be saued / y^• Chermyche the doughter of kynge Pharao spor­ted her vpon the ryuere that tyme y^e the basket f [...]o ted vpon the water by the whiche anone she made to take it vp for to saue that she hadde goten. And when she sawe that it was a chylde / and soo fayre that noo fayrer myght be sene she had a meruay­lous grete Ioy. So she made it to be nourysshed / and sayd that it was her chylde. And for that y^• by myracle he wolde not souke no woman of a straū ­ge lawe / she made it to souke and to be nourysshed by a woman of the Ebrues. This Moyses chosen of god when he was of age / it was he to whome god gaue the lawe and that drewe the chyldren of Israell out of the hondes of the Egyptyens / and passed the reede see & was duke & conduytoure of y^e chyldrē of Israel. And thus came so grete welthe to y^e Iewes by y^e cause of this womā y^t saued hym.

¶ Of Iudyth that noble lady. Ca. xxxj.

THe noble lady and wydowe Iudyth saued the people of Israell frome pe­ryss hynge / in the tyme that the secon de Nabugodonosor had sente Holo­phernes duke of his cheualry vpon the Iewes after that he had conquered the lande of Egypte. And as the sayd Holophernes with a grete puyssaunce hadde besyeged the Iewes in a cyte / and also he fared soo fowle with theym that [Page] they myght not abyde it longe / & had taken away the cōduytes of water from them / and al theyr vy taylles began to fayle them. Nowe y^e Iewes had no hope to haue power ayenst hym / and they we­re as vpon the poynte to be taken of hym that ma naced them gretely / wherfore they were in grete sorowe. And then they wente to theyr prayers be, sechynge almyghty god that he wolde haue pyte of his people / and to defende them from theyr ene myes. God herde theyr prayers / and as he wolde saue all mankynde by a womā / he wolde saue thē and socoure them by a woman. In that cyte was Iudyth than / the wyse woman whiche was yet but yonge and ryght fayre / but yet more chaste / & that was better / she had moche pyte of the people that were in suche desolacyon and prayed god ny­ght aud daye that he wolde socoure them. And so as god enspyred her in whome she had grete trust She aduysed her of grete herdynesse and in a ny­ght she commended her to god / and departed out of the cyte she and her seruaunt / and wente so mo­che tyll that she came to the hoost of Holophernes And when they y^t made the watche of y^e hoost per­ceyued her grete beaute by the lyght of the mone / they ledde her anone to Holophernes / whiche re­ceyued her with grete Ioye / for y^t she was so fayre and made her to sytte by hym / and praysed moche her wytte / and her beaute. And in the beholdynge of her he was gretely embraced with loue and by grete desyre he coueted her. But she that thought [Page] otherwyse prayed god alway in her thought y^t he wolde her helpe to perfourme y^t she wolde do / and she ledde Holophernes alway forthe w^t fayre wor des tyll y^t she sawe her tyme / when it was come to the thyrde parte of y^e nyght Holophernes had gy­uen a souper to his barons & had well dronken & was well chaufed with wyne & mete / and myght abyde no lenger fro bedde / & sente for this good la dy Iudyth y^t she sholde come before hym. And thē he tolde her his wyll / & that tyme she sayd nothyn ge contrary to his entente. But she sayd y^t she wol pray hym y^t for y^e more honeste he wolde make voy de his pauylyon of all people / & that he sholde goo fyrst to bedde / & that she wolde come to hym with out fayle aboute mydnyght when all men slepte. And thus he accorded. And the good lady put her to her payers alway prayenge god y^t he wolde gy ue hardynes to her womanly herte & ferefull to de lyuer his people fro y^e felle tyraunt / when Iudyth thought y^t Holophernes was on slepe / she came stylly & her mayden with her / & herkened at y^e dore of y^e pauylyon & vnderstode y^t he slepte strongely. Then sayd y^e lady go we hardely / for god is with vs. So she entred in & without drede toke y^e swer de y^t she sawe at his beddes hede & drewe hym out naked & lyfte hym vp with all her strengthe & smo te of y^e heed of Holophernes / without herynge of ony body / & put y^e heed in her lappe / & as soone as she myght she dressed her towarde y^e cyte so moche y^t without ony lettynge came to the gate & cryed [Page] come come & open / for god is with vs. And when she was entred in no man knewe the way y^t was made of this aduenture. And on the morowe she hanged the heed vpon a perche aboue the walles & all the people of the cyte armed them & manfully ranne vpon theyr enemyes the whiche were yet in theyr beddes. For they toke no hede of them of the cyte. And when they came in to the Pauylyon of theyr duke to make hym aryse hastely / & there they founde hym deed / & al his people began to sparcle So they slewe & toke all y^t they myght fynde. And thus was y^e people of god delyuered fro y^• handes of Holophernes by Iudyth the worshypfull lady whiche shall enermore be praysed gretely in holy scrypture.

¶ Of the worshypfull quene Hester. Ca. xxxij.

BI the noble and wyse lady quene He ster god wolde also delyuer his peo­ple from y^e bondage of kynge Assuere This kynge Assuere was of greate puyssaunce aboue al other kynges in those dayes. And posseded many royalmes / and he was a paynyme & helde the Iewes in seruage And as the kynge made to seke in al royalmes the moost noble maydens / the moost fayre / y^e best tau­ght for to chose one amonge them al y^t myght plea se hym best to be his wyfe. And amonge all others was brought before hym / the noble / good / wyse / and fayre / and loued of god / the mayden Hester y^t [Page] was an Ebrue / whiche pleased hym moost aboue all others / and so he wedded her / and so moche he loued her of grete loue that he wolde not denaye her of nothynge that she wolde requyre hym of. It happened on a tyme after / that a false flatterer whiche was named Naman / and he exhorted the kynge ayenst the Iewes / that he dyde so moche y^t he commaunded all aboute / where that euer the Iewes were founde that they sholdde be taken. And the quene knewe nothynge of this / for yf she had knowne it / it wolde haue greued her euyll y^t the people sholde be so euyll entreated. Neuerthe­les an vncle of hers named Mardocheus whiche was as chyefe of the Iewes made her to knowe it / & prayed her that she wolde remedy it as soone as she myght. For the daye was shorte within the whiche y^t the sentence of the kynge sholde be execu ted. Of this the quene Hester was ryght sory / soo she clothed & arayed her in the moost noblest wyse that she myght / and wente with her woman as to dysporte her in a gardyne where she knewe well y^t the kynge was at the wyndowes. And when at y^• tournynge towarde the chambre of the kynge as thoughe she thought not on hym. And she [...]awe y^• kynge at the wyndowes / anone she fell downe on her knees & saluted hym / & the kynge to whome it pleased her humylyte / & whiche had grete pleasure to beholde her grete beaute of the whiche she had ynoughe called her and sayd to her / y^• she sholde de maūde what thynge she wolde & she sholde haue it [Page] And y^e quene sayd to hym y^e she wolde none other thynge but y^t he sholde come and dyne with her in her chambre / and that he sholde brynge with hym Naman / and the kynge graunted her. And when thre dayes were past y^e kynge came & dyned with her. And he had soo agreable chere y^t pleased hym well. And then he behelde her countenaunce / her worshyp / her bounte / and beaute / and wolde not leue her in peas / but that he sholde aske some ma­ner grete gyfte. Then she fell downe at his feete & in wepynge she began to say / that she wolde pray hym that he wolde haue pyte on the people of the Iewes and that he wolde not put them to so gre­te myschyefe syth y^t he had put her in so grete wor­shyp. For it was grete pyte to se her lygnage and them of her nacyon so vylanously to be destroyed And then the kynge all wrothe answered her and sayd. Myne owne lady what is he that durste do it. She answered / syr Naman your prouost make th it to be done / whiche is here present. And to say it shortely / the kynge called agayne his sentence & Naman was hanged whiche had caused all y^e to be done. And Mardocheus vncle to y^• quene was put in his place / the Iewes fraunchysed & made moost priuyleged of ony other people & moost had in worshyppe. And soo in the same wyse that god wolde by Iudyth he dyde by this noble quene He ster that his people were saued. And byleue it not y^t these two ladyes were alone in y^• holy scrypture by whō god wolde saue his people dyuers tymes [Page] For there benynowe of others whiche I leue for shortnes of tyme as of Delborra of whom I ha­ue spoken aboue / whiche delyuered the people fro bondage.

¶ Of the ladyes of Sabyne. Ca. xxxiij.

OF ladyes of auncyent lawe of payny­mes / also I may tell the of many whi the in the same wyse were cause of sa­uynge of countres / cytees / & townes But I shall passe ouer excepte two en samples ryght notable without mo / for all proue­th of them. ¶ when Remus & Romulus had foū ­ded the cyte of Rome / and Romulus had peopled the cyte / and fulfylled it of knyghtes and men of armes that he had chosen and assembled after dy uers vyctoryes that he had / Romulus wo [...]de fay ne purchace that they myght haue wyues to y^• en­tente that they myght haue yssue y^t myght posses the cyte and the lordeshyp. But he wyste not well howe he myght do y^t he and his felawshyp myght haue wyues / and that they were maryed / for the kynges and the prynces / and the people of y^• coun tre desyred not gretly to haue affynyte with them for that it semed them y^t they were fyerse people / & dyuers / & so they wolde not gyue them theyr dou­ghters in maryage. And therfore Romulus aduy sed of a grete cautele made to crye a [...]ourney and a Ioustes by all the countres / & that it pleased the [Page] kynges and prynces and lordes and all other peo ple sholde brynge adyes and damoyselles to [...]e y^• dysporte of the straunge knyghtes. The daye of y^• feest was come / and grete was the assemble what of one syde / what of that other. And thyder came grete foyson of ladyes and of maydens to behol­de the playe. And amonge all others the kynge of Sabyne had brought with hym a fayre mayden [...] whiche was his doughter with all the ladyes & gentylwomen of that countre that folowed her. Thus were the Ioustes ordeyned without the cy te in a fayre playne besyde an hylle. And the lady­es were al set by rowe on hye vpon y^• hylle. There the knyghtes enforced them one agaynst another to make dysporte. ¶ For y^• fayre ladyes that they sawe encreased theyr hertes in strengthe and har­dynesse to make knyghtes. And to make the ta [...]e shorte when they had ronne togyder ynoughe / & Romulus semed that it was tyme to do that they had ordeyned. He toke a grete horne of an Holo­faunt & began to blowe ryght hyghe. That blow ynge and that token they entended well / and ano ne lefte the playe / and all they ranne towarde the ladyes / and Romulus toke the kynges doughter for he was gretely smyten with loue / and all that others in the same wyse toke eche of them one / & anone they set them on theyr horses and fledde to­warde y^e cyte. And they shytte y^• gates ryght well and surely. There was a grete crye and grete soro we of the faders & moders that theyr doughters [Page] were so taken awaye w^t strengthe, But theyr we­pynge auayled them not. Romulus made a grete feest & wedded his lady / & so dyde all y^• others. Of this sprange grete warre. For as sone as y^e kynge of Sabyne myght / he came w^t a grete hoost vpō y^• Romaynes / but it was no lyght thynge to ouer co me them nor to dyscomfyte them / for they were ry ght manly men. The warre endured bytwene thē v. yeres / & on a day when bothe hostes sholde me­te togyder & this thynge was gretely sorowed of the ladyes of y^• cyte y^t there sholde be so grete man slaughter. And when this Romulus was yssued out of y^• cyte with a grete hoost. The quene assem­bled to a parlyament al y^• ladyes of the cyte in to a temple / & then she whiche was ryght wyse / good & fayre / began thus to say / worshypfull ladyes of Sabyne / my ryght dere systers & felawes / ye kno we y^• rauysshynge y^t was done on vs by our hous­bādes / for y^• whiche cause our faders & frendes ha th moued warre to our husbandes & our husban­des ayenst thē. So we may not in our parte in no maner determyne this mortall warres / nor to be mayntened who y^t euer wyn y^• vyctory / but it must be grete p̄iudyce to vs / for yf our husbādes be ouer come it ought to be to vs y^t loue them as reason is & y^• we haue chyldren by them / ryght grete sorowe & desolacyon / & that our lytel chyldren sholde be or phelynes / that is to say without faders. And yf it happen that our husbandes haue the vyctory and y^t our faders and frendes be deed and destroyed / [Page] certes we ought to haue grete pyte y^• for vs there sholde suche myschyefe happen / and that y^• is done maye be none other wyse. And therfore me semeth it sholde be grete welthe if y^• ony counsayle myght be founde by vs that peas were set in this warre. And yf it please you to folowe me / & do as I shall do I trowe we shal come wel to our entente. And all the ladyes answered to the wordes of the que­ne and sayd that she sholde commaunde and they wolde obey. And then the quene wente with her heere aboute her chekes / and bare foote / and all y^e others dyde in the same wyse. And those that had chyldren bare them bytwene theyr armes & ledde them with them / and there was grete foyson of chyldren and of women with chylde. The quene put herselfe before in this pyteous processyon and so they came to the felde ryght there as the batay­le sholde be the same houre y^• they began to assem­ble. And she wente to put herselfe bytwene bothe hoostes with all the company of ladyes and gen­tyl women so that they myght not assemble. For y^• quene & al the other ladyes kneled bytwene them cryenge with an hyghe voyce. Faders & frendes / ryght dere lordes / entyerly byloued housbandes / for goddes sake make peas / or elles sle vs here / & let vs no longer lyue / when the housbandes sawe theyr wyues and theyr chyldren bytwene theyr ar mes It is no doubte y^t they were gretely abasshed and dysmayde / and the same wyse to the faders to se theyr doughters it fylled theyr hertesful of pyte [Page] by whiche they loked one vpon another & behelde the pyte of the ladyes whiche prayed them so me­kely / y^• whiche caused bothe partyes to tourne all theyr wrathe and malyce in to amourous pyte as of the sones to the fader / so moche that they were constrayned to cast of theyr harneys on bothe par tyes / and to embrace eche other / and to make a fy­nall peas. Romulus ledde the kynge of Sabyne his fader in to the cyte & gretely worshypped hym and all the company. And thus by the wosdome & vertue of this quene and of the other ladyes were the Romaynes and Sabynes saued that they be not destroyed.

¶ Of Uetury the noble lady of Rome. Ca. xxxiiij.

VEtury was a noble lady of Rome / moder of the ryght worshypful Ro mayne named Marcyan a man of vertue and counsayle / subtyll / and redy / wyse & hardy. This worshyp ful knyght sone of Uetury was sen te by the Romaynes with a grete hoost ayenst the Coryens / of whome he had the vyctory / and toke the fortresse of Uolques / for the whiche vyctory y^• he had vpon the Coryens / he was named Coryo­lus. Of this thynge this mā was so gretely wor­shypped that he had all the gouernaunce of Rome But as that was a thynge ryght daungerous to gouerne the people euery man after his entente▪

[Page]At the last y^• Romaynes were wrothe ayenst hym and condempned hym to be exyled / and was ba­nysshed out of Rome. But of that he coude ryght well reuenge hym. For he wente towarde the Co­ryens that he had dyscomfyted before / and made them to rebelle ayenst the Romaynes / & they ma­de hym theyr capytayne / & with a grete puyssaūce came vpon the cyte of Rome / & dyde them moche harme where so euer they wente. The Romayns doubted this matter gretely / and for y^• peryll whi­che they sawe themselfe in / they sente messages to them to treate for the peas. But Marcyen dysdey ned not to here them / and as often as they sente it auayled them not but euermore dyde them moche harme. So they sente to hym y^• bysshoppes / & the preestes all reuested in vestymentes praynge hym ryght humbly for y^• peas / but it auayled not. And then the Romayns wyst not what to do / but they sente ladyes of the cyte to the noble lady Ueturye moder of Marcyen to praye her that she wolde ta ke the payne to treate for the peas vnto her sone. Then this good lady Uetury departed out of the cyte & with her the noblest ladyes of the towne / & in this processyon she wente to her sone / the whi­che sone as a good knyght as soone as he knewe y^• comynge of his moder descended from his hors & wente on fote to mete her / & receyued her ryght humbly as a sone ought to do his moder. And thē as she began to praye hym for the peas he answe­red that it perteyned to the moder to commaunde [Page] the soue and not to praye. And thus this noble la­dy ledde hym agayne to Rome. And by her were y^e Romaynes as that tyme kepte from dystruccyon and thus she dyde alone / that all y^e hyghe legates of Rome myght not do.

¶ Of the quene of Fraunce Crotylde. Ca. xxxv.

OF grete welthes that be come by wo men to beholde the spyrytualte as I haue sayd to y^• before. Crotylde dou­ghter of the kynge of Burgoyne wy fe of the stronge Clodonne kynge of Fraunce / was it not she by whom y^• faythe of The su cryst was fyrst brought and spredde to the kyn­ges and prynces of Fraunce / where myght there be a better thynge done than that was y^• she dyde For as she was made lyght with the fayth of our lorde. And she was a good lady and an holy. She neuer seased to comune with her husbande & pray hym that he wolde receyue the faythe / and be bap­tysed / but he wolde not accorde to her / alway this lady seased not to pray vnto god in wepynge and fastynge that he wolde enlumyne the herte of the kynge / in so moche y^t at the last our lorde had pyte of her afflyc [...]yon / & enspyred y^• kynge in suche ma­nere y^• as he was ones gone to do a batayl ayenst y^• kynge of Almaunce & the dyscomfyture of y^e ba­tayle came vpon hym. And then y^• kynge Clodon soo as god wolde enspyre hym lyfted vp his eyen [Page] towarde heuen and by grete affeccyon sayd these wordes. Almyghty god whiche that y^e quene my wyfe byleueth and worshyppeth let thyne infyny­te grace shyne on me this daye to helpe me in this batayle. And I promyse the y^t I shall receyue thy­ne holy faythe / he had no soner sayd these wordes but that the dede of the batayle tourned to hym & had the playne vyctory. Then he yelded thankyn­ges to our lorde and retourned home with grete comforte and Ioye / and receyued baptyme with the quene and all his barons / and after al the peo­ple. And from that houre vnto this day our lorde hathe stretched his grace soo plenteously on vs y^• the faythe fayled neuer syth in Fraunce / and all by the prayers of this good lady and holy quene / ne there was neuer kynge heretyke worshypped by god as there hathe ben of dyuers other kynges & Emperoures / the whiche thynge is gretely to be praysed in them. And therfore they be called very crysten people. If I wolde tell the all y^t grete wel­thes that cometh by women the wrytynge sholde be to grete. But yet vpon the acte that toucheth y^• spyrytualte / howe many holy martyrs haue there ben comforted / harboured / and refresshed by wo­men / wyues / and wydowes. If thou wylte rede thou shalte fynde that it pleased god that all for y^e moost parte in theyr aduersytees & martyrdomes were comforted by women / not onely the marty­res but also the appostles saynt Poule and other / and in the same wyse Ihesu cryst was refresshed [Page] and comforted by women. ¶ And y^• frenss he men that haue in soo grete deuocyon the body of saynt Denys a good cause why / for he brought fyrst the faythe in to Fraunce / haue not they that blessyd bo­dy / and y^e bodyes also of his blessyd felawes saynt Rust [...]ke and saynt Elenthere thrughe the helpe of a woman. For the tyraunt that made them to be heeded ordeyned that the bodyes sholde be cast in to the ryuer of Sayne / and they that sholde haue done it put the bodyes in a sacke to bere it thyder. and they were harboured with a good woman a wedowe whiche was named Catule / the whiche opened the sacke and toke out y^e holy bodyes & put in to the sacke deed hogges. And buryed these ho­ly martyres as worshypfully as she coude in her owne house. And set wrytynge ouer them to y^e en­tente that in tyme to come they sholde be knowne And longe tyme after also by a womā there was made fyrst a chapell in the honoure of them. That was by my lady saynt Geuenyene tyll vnto that tyme that the good kynge of Fraunce Dangobert founded the chyrche that is nowe there.

¶ Here it speketh ayenst them y^t say y^t is not good that women sholde lerne letters. Ca. xxxvi.

AFter these thynges before sayd. I Xp̄i­ne sayd thus. Madame I se well that many grete welthes cometh by womē And yf ony euyll haue folowed by ony [Page] euyll women / neuertheles it semeth me that there ben many mo welthes come by good women / & in the same wyse by wyse women / and by them that haue lerned scyences / of whom there is mencyon made before / by the whiche I meruayle gretely of the opynyon of some men that saye / that they wol­de not in no wyse that theyr doughters or wyues or kynneswomen sholde lerne scyences and that it sholde apayre theyr cōdycyōs. ¶ Answere. Thou mayst se well by that that al the opynyons of men be not founded vpon reason / & y^t they haue wron­ge. For it ought not to be presumed that of know­ynge the scyence moral and they that lerne vertue the condycyons of them ought not to be enpayred by that / but it is no doubte y^t they nobled therby & amended / howe is it thought that he that lerneth a good lesson of doctryne sholde enpayre. ¶ This thynge is not to say ne to susteyne / I say not that it is good that a man or a woman sholde study in scyences of sorcery / or of suche as ben forbydden. For it is not for nought that the chyrche hathe put them out of the comune vsage / but that y^e women apayreth with connynge it is not well to byleue. ¶ Quintus Ortencyus was not of the same opy­nyon y^t was a grete rethorycyen in Rome and a so uerayne endytoure. The same man had a dough­ter named Hortence whome he loued moche for y^• subtylnesse of her wytte / and made her to lerne let tres / and to study in the foresayd scyence of retho­ [...]yke / wherof she lerned soo moche that not onely [Page] as Boca [...]e sayth she resembled her fader by wytte and good remembraunce and in all facultes / but also of well pronounsynge / and of all ordre of spe­kynge so well that he passed her in nothynge. And to the purpose of that y^t is sayd aboue of welthe y^t cometh by women. The welthe y^t cometh by this woman and by her connynge was amonge other that in y^• tyme that Rome was gouerned by thre men / this woman Hortence toke vpon her to su­steyne the causes of women and to demeane that that a man durste not take on hande / that was of certayne charges that one wolde put vpon them and on theyr araymentes in y^e tyme of necessytes of Rome. And the cloquence of this woman was so fayre that she was herde with no lesse wyll thā her fader was / and gate her cause. ¶ In the same wyse to speke of more newe tyme without lokyn­ge after olde hystoryes. Iohsi Andry a solempne le­gyster of Boloynela Grace / was not of the same opynyon that it was euyll that women were let­tered / as to this fayre doughter / and good / that he loued so moche whiche was named Nouuelle ma de her to lerne letters / & she had the lawes y^• when he was occupyed in ony busynesse by y^e whiche he myght not entende to rede y^e lessons of his scolers he sent Nouuelle his doughter in his place to rede to y^• scolers in y^• thayre / & to y^• entente y^t her beaute sholde not hurre y^• thought of them y^• she taughte she had a lytell curtyne before her ▪ & by suche ma­nere she fullylled y^• occupa [...]yons of her fader whō [Page] he loued so moche / that for to put y^• name of her in remembraunce made a notable letter of a boke of lawe that he called it after the name of his dough ter Nouuelle. So there be not many men that be wyse of the opynyon aboue sayd. ¶ Thy fader y^t was a naturall phylosophre had not that opynyo that women sholde not lerne letters / but in so mo che that he sawe she enclyned to lernynge as thou knowest well he had grete pleasure of it. And by y^e blame of thy moder whiche by the comune opyny on of women thou were taryed in thy youthe to entre more in the depnesse of scyences. But as the prouerbe say the / that nature gyueth maye not be taken awaye. So it may not hurte the felynge of connynge that thou hast gadred togyder the lytel droppes of the whiche I trowe that thou wenest be not of lyt [...]ll valure / but thou holdest theym in grete treasoure and without fayle thou haste cau se. And I Xp̄ine answered. Madame that you say is as true as the Pater noster.

¶ Here Xp̄ine to ryghtwysnesse and she answere­th agaynst them y^t sa [...]e there be but fewe women chaste / and telleth of Susanne. Ca. xxxvij.

MAdame to that y^t I se that these grete welthes & all vertues may be founde in women. And whens cometh it y^t these men saye that there be but fewe women chast. And yf it be so / al other [Page] vertues sholde be as nought in so moche y^• chastyte sholde be the moost souerayne vertue in a wo­man. But by y^• I haue herde you say it is all other wyse. ¶ Answere. By that that I haue sayd to y^• truely and that thou knowest is open ynoughe y^e contrary. And yet I thynke to saye & alwaye shall ¶ O of howe many worshypful ladyes chaste speketh holy scrypture / whiche rather chase the dethe than to breke theyr chastyte / and clennesse of body and of thought / so as the fayre and goo Susanne the wyfe of Ioachym that was a man of y^• lygnage of Iewes ryche and of grete auctoryte. And as vpon a tyme this good lady sported her alone in a gardyne / there entred to her two false olde prestes and requyred her to synne with them / and she al­waye denyed them. By whiche when they sawe y^• theyr prayer auayled not they manased her to ac­cuse her to the Iustyce / and to put on her that she was founde w^t a yonge man. And when she herde theyr manales / for y^• custome was there that wo­men founde in suche case were stoned to the dethe she sayd than enuyronned with anguysshe in eue­ry parte. If I do not that these men requyre me I shall haue corporall dethe. And yf I do it I offende before the face of my creatoure. But not for that it is better to be innocent and suffre corporall dethe then fall by synne in to the wrathe of my lorde god And then cryed Susanne and the people that we­re within came anone / and to say shortly so moche wytnesse these false preestes made that Susanne [Page] was condempned to the dethe. But god whiche prouyded alwaye for his frendes opened the mou the of y^• profyte Danyel whiche was a yonge chyl de bytwene the armes of his moder y^• whiche whē they ledde Susanne to the Iugement with grete multytude of people y^• wente wepynge after her / cryed & sayd y^t the innocent Susanne was Iuged by grete wronge. So she was ledde home agay­ne & the false preestes better examyned were foun de by theyr confessyon culpable. And the innocent Susanne was delyuered and they were Iuged to the dethe.

¶ Of Sarra the wyfe of Abraham. Ca. xxxviij.

OF the chastyte & goodnesse of Sarra speketh the byble aboute the .xx. cha­pytre of Genesis. This womā was wyfe of Abraham y^• grete Patryarke Moche good thynge is there sayd of her in holy scrypture whiche that I leue to tell the for shortnesse. But of her chastyte may one saye to the purpose that we spake of before that there ben fayre women ynowe that be chaste. For she was of so souerayne beaute that in her tyme she passed all other women / so moche that many prynces co ueted her / but she was so true that she dysdeyned not to here theym. wherof amonge all the others that coueyted her was the kynge Pharao / in soo moche that he toke her awaye by strengthe frome [Page] her husbande. But the grete goodnesse of her whi che yet passed her beaute desyred of god that she lo ued soo tenderly that he wolde kepe her frome all maner of vylanyes. And almyghty god herynge her petycyon tourmented so moche Pharao and his people bothe of body and of herte by greuous sykenesses and dyuers vysytacyons / that he tou­ched her neuer / and so was he constrayned to yel­de her agayne.

¶ Of Rebecca. Capitulo .xxxix.

REbecca the wyfe of Isaac the Patry arke fader of Iacob / was not moche lesse to prayse than the fayre & good Sarra. This Rebecca is meruayl­lously praysed in holy scripture of dy uers thynges. And it is wryten of her in the .xxiiij. chapytre of the fyrste boke of y^e byble / that she was so good / wyse / and honest / that she was ensample of chastyte vnto all women that knewe her. And with that she bare her meruayllously mekely to­warde her housbande / and soo symply that she se­med not that she was a lady / and therfore y^• good man Isaac worshypped her / and loued her mer­uayllously well. ¶ But this good woman Rebec ca hadde of almyghty god a better gyfte than the loue of her housbande for her grete chastyte and goodnesse. ¶ For this noble lady that was so mo che in the loue and in the grace of our lorde Ihesu [Page] she had it so gretely y^t notwithstandynge she was olde & [...]arayne god gaue her two chyldren in one wombe whiche was Iacob and Esau / of whome came the lygnages of Israell.

¶ Of the noble woman Ruth. Ca. xl.

OF good ladyes and chaste I myght tel the / of whiche holy scrypture maketh mencyon whiche I leue for shorten [...]s Ruth was a noble lady & a good whi­che dessended of y^e lygnage of Dauyd the prophete. She was ryght chaste / and in lyke­wyse in her wydowhode of ryght grete loue to her husbande as it appered. For the grete loue that she had to hym when he was deed she forsoke her ow ne countre / and nacyon / and wente to dwelle and vse her lyfe with the Iewes of the whiche lygna­ge her husbande came / and dwelled with his ow­ne moder. And to say shortly this noble lady was so good and chaste that there was a boke made of her / and of her lyfe / in the whiche these thynges be fore sayd be wryten.

¶ Of Penolope wyfe of Ulyxes. Ca. xlj.

OF chaste ladyes paynymes there be founde ynowe ryght good and wor­shypfull in dyuers cronycles Peno­lope the wyfe of prynce Ulyxes was [Page] rygh a vertuous lady / & amonge other vertues y^t she had she was gretely praysed for her chastyte / & many dyuers hystoryes maketh mencyon of her. For this lady al the whyle y^e her husbande was at the syege before Trope y^t endured .x. yeres / she go­uerned her ryght wysely. And not withstandynge y^t she was requyred of many kynges and prynces for bycause y^t she was so fayre / she wolde not her­ken to them nor here them speke. And she was wy se & prudent / & deuoute to her goddes / & of fayre & good behauynge. And also after y^e dystruccyon of Troye she abode her sayd husbande other .x. yeres & men supposed that he was perysshed in the see. where there were many pestylences. And when he was come home he founde her besyeged with a kynge y^e wolde haue had her by strengthe in ma ryage. For her grete beaute and chastyte / her hus­bande came in the guyse of a Pylgryme & enquy­red of her / & when he herde good tydynges of her / he was ryght Ioyous. And he had grete Ioye of his yonge sone Thelomachus whiche he lefte w^t her ryght lytell / and he founde hym then parfytely growne. And I Xp̄ine sayd thus. Madame by y^• that I haue herde you saye / these foresayd ladyes lefte not to be chaste thoughe they were fayre. For many men say that of grete payne there be founde ony fayre women chaste. ¶ Answere. Those y^t so saye fayleth. For there be / hathe ben / and shall be fayre women chaste.

¶ Here it speketh ayenst them that saye that it is a payne for to fynde ony fayre woman chaste. Capitulo .xlij.

MAryamyre was a woman of Ebrue doughter of kynge Arystobolus / she was of so grete beaute that not one­ly in that tyme men wende that she had passed and exceded all other wo­men in beaute / but they Iuged her that she was rather a celestyall ymage & godly / than a mortall woman / and y^e fygure of her was paynted in a ta­ble and sente to kynge Anthony of Egypte y^• whi che for the grete meruayle of suche beaute sayd / & Iuged that she was doughter of Iupyter the god For he wolde not byleue that she myght be engen dred by a mortall man. This lady notwithstan­dynge her excellent beaute and y^t she was tempted and assayed to be had of dyuers grete prynces / & kynges. Neuerthelesse by grete vertue & strength of courage she re [...]ysted all / & for y^t she was the mo­re praysed & more shynynge in renowne. And yet she was more to prayse / in so moche that she was wedded ryght euyll / that is to knowe / to Herode Anthy pater kynge of Iewes whiche was a man of grete cruelte / and also he had made to be slayne the broder of this good lady / for the whiche cause and many others that he dyde to her she had hym in hate. But for al that she lefte neuer to be a good woman and chaste. And yet with this it came to [Page] the knowledge of this lady that he had ordeyned that yf he dyed before her / that she sholde he slayne anone after to the entente that none other sholde haue the possessyon of so grete beaute after hym.

¶ Also the same purpose of Anthony wyfe of Dru se Tybere broder of the noble Emperoure Nero. Capitulo. .xliij.

FOr that that one sayth comunely y^t it is as stronge a thynge y^t a fayre wo­man maye kepe her amonge yonge men & courtyours desyrous of loue without takynge / as it is to be amon ge the flambes of fyre without brennynge / well she coude defende her the fayre & good Anthonye wyfe of Druse Thybere broder of Nero the Em­peroure. This lady dwelled in the floure of her so uerayne beaute & grene youthe wedowe of Dru­se Thybere her husbande whiche his broder Nero had slayne with poyson / wherof this noble lady had so grete sorowe that she purposed neuer after to be maryed / but to lyue in chastyte / y^• whiche pur pose she helde as longe as she lyued so holy y^t there was neuer paynyme lady that had gretter pray­synge of chastyte. So she dyde of this thynge soo moche more to be praysed as Bocace saythe that in this chastyte & contynuence she was abydynge amonge in the courte amonge y^e yonge lusty peo­ple / fresshe & Ioly louers lyuynge courtely. There [Page] she vsed her lyfe without spotte of ony blame / or of ony maner of lyghtnesse / the whiche thynge as the auctoure saythe is worthy too be lyfted vp in praylynge / soo as of a yonge woman ryght excel­lent in beaute whiche was the doughter of Mar­ke Anthonye that ledde his lyfe full synfully. But not for that the lewde ensamples that she sawe / made her neuer to falle / but that she abode alway in chastyte amonge the brennynge tyres / and it was noo lytell whyle / but that she was perseue­raunt tyll that she dyed for age. Of suche that we­re fayre and chaste lyuynge amonge the worlde­ly people / and also in courte amonge the yonge lu­sty folkes / of ensamples I myght fynde the ynowe and at this daye also / nor doubte the not but there ben many thoughe that the euyll tongues lysteth for too saye shrewdely. ¶ And of suche good and chaste ladyes ledynge theyr lyues amonge these worldely people speketh Ualery of this noble and worthy lady Sulpyce / the whiche was of greate beaute / and yet she was named the moost chaste amonge all the ladyes of Rome.

¶ Here it speketh agaynst them that saythe that women wolde be rauysshed / and gy­ueth ensamples of dyuers / and fyrste it speketh of the noble and worthy lady Lucresse. wyfe of Tarquyne Colla­tyn. Capitulo .xliiij.

[Page] THen I Xp̄ine sayd thus. Madame I byleue it well that ye saye / and I am sure that there ben ynowe fayre wo­men chaste / and that can kepe them from the awayte of the deceyuours / yet it greueth me of that that many men say that women wolde be rauysshed / and that it dysplease th them not thoughe they saye the contrary with theyr mouthe. But it were a grete thynge to ma­ke me to byleue it that it were agreable to theym. ¶ Answere. Doubte it not fayre frende / that it is noo pleasaunce to these chaste ladyes of herte and thought to be rauysshed / but it is to theym ryght grete sorowe aboue all other / and that it be true there be many of them that haue shewed it by fay­re ensamples. As of Lucres the ryght noble wo­man of Rome / souerayne in chastyte amonge all y^t ladyes of Rome wyfe of the noble Tarquyne Col latyn / & as Tarquyne the prowde sone of the kyn ge was taken with the loue of this lady Lucres / and durst not tell it her / for the grete chastyte that she was of / but dyspayred to come therto by gyf­tes or prayer. So he thought to come to it by cau­tele / he sayd y^t he was well byloued with her hus­bande by y^• whiche he entred in to her house when it pleased hym / by the whiche as in a tyme he wol de go thyder when he knewe verely that her hous­bande was not at home / and she receyued hym ry ght worshypfully as hȳ whiche she thought was a ryght good frende to her housbande. But Tar­quyne [Page] whiche thought all otherwyse dyde so mo­che that he entred at nyght in to her chambre / of y^• whiche she was gretely aferde. And to say shorte­ly when he had spoken ynoughe by grete promy­ses / gyftes / and offres that he myght do his wyll with her / & sawe that all auayled not / he toke his swerde & manaced her to [...]lee her yf she spake one worde / but that she sholde consente to his wyll / & she answered that he sholde [...]le her hardely for she loued more to dye than to consente. Tarquyne y^t sawe that nothynge auayled hym / aduysed hym of another grete malyce / and sayd that he wolde tell it openly y^t he had founde her with one of her seruauntes / and to say shortely she was so grete­ly aferde of this thynge thynkynge y^t folkes wol­de soone byleue suche a thynge by the wordes of hym she suffred his strengthe. But yet myght not Lucresse bere pacyentely this grete dyspleasure / wherfore when it was daye she sente to seke her husbande / and her fader and kynnesfolke whiche were y^• grettest of Rome / & when they were come to her she tolde them with grete wepynges and waylynges that whiche was done to her. And as her housbande and kynnes folkes sawe her in soo grete sorowe recomforted her / she drewe a knyfe that she had vnder her gowne sayenge / thoughe it be so that I clere me of this synne / and I shewe myne Innocence / neuerthelesse I delyuer me not from tourment / nor I put me out of payne / ne fro hens forthe there shal neuer woman lyue shamed [Page] by the ensample of Lucresse. And these thynges sayd / by grete strengthe she fyxed y^• knyfe in to her brest / and fell downe dyenge in y^• syght of her hus­bande and frendes. So they ranne al as they had ben out of themselfe vpon this Tarquyne / and for this cause all Rome was moued / and chased the kynge out of the towne & they wolde haue slayne his sone yf they myght haue fouude hym. And ne­uer syth there was no kynge in Rome bycause of this grete outrage done to Lucres / & as some say for bycause of her there was a lawe made that yf ony man that rauysshed a woman sholde dye the whiche lawe is conuenable and Iuste.

¶ Of the same purpose of y^e quene of Gausegres. Capitulo .xlv.

WEll to the purpose aboue sayd the hy­story maketh mencyon of y^e noble que ne & wyfe of Orgyagontes kynge of Gausegres. It happened in the tyme when the Romayns made theyr gre­te conquestes vpon straungers y^• this sayd kynge was taken by the sayd Romaynes in a batayle & his wyfe w^t hym / & whē they were at theyr lodgyn ge y^• noble quene whiche was ryght fayre / symple & chaste pleased gretely one of y^t constables of the sayd hoost of Rome whiche had taken the kynge & her. So he prayed & requyred her by grete offres / but when he sawe that prayers auayled hym not / he lefte of and spake no more. Then this noble la­dy [Page] had grete sorowe for the wronge that this con stable dyde to her / and she lefte not to thynke how she myght be reuenged. So she [...]aryed & dyssyiny­led tyll she sawe her tyme / and when she sawe that the raunsome was brought for to delyuer her hus bande and her / the lady wolde y^• this money shol­de be payde to y^• sayd constable she beynge present To whom she sayd that she wolde that he sholde waye the golde to the entente that he sholde haue noo wronge / and that he were not deceyued. And when she sawe that he entended to way the golde & that there was noae of his people aboute hym. The lady toke a knyfe and smote hym in the thro­te and slewe hym / and smote of his hede & with­out ony trouble brought it to her husbande & tol­de hym ho we she had done / and howe she had re­uenged her wronge.

¶ yet of the same / and of y^e ladyes of Sycambres and other maydens. Ca. xlvj.

ALso thoughe I maye gyue the ensam ples of maryed women of whome I myght tell the ynoughe of whom the sorowe to be rauysshed was importa ble / I shall tell the of wydowes and maydens. ¶ Sysponne was a woman of Grece / and she was taken & rauysshed with maryners & scommers of y^• see / whiche were enemyes to that countre / the whiche lady as she that was of grete [Page] beaute was requyred by them ryght gretely. And when she sawe that she myght not escape / but to be rauysshed she had this thynge in so grete abho mynacyon and dyspleasannce that she had leuer to dye. And therfore she lepte in to y^• see / and was drowned. ¶ Also the Sycambres whiche nowe ben called Frensshmē assayled on a tyme amonge other the cyte of Rome with a grete hoost & a mul tytude of people. And in hope that they sholde ha­ue destroyed the cyte they brought theyr wyues w^t them and theyr chyldren. And it happened that y^• dyscomfyture tourned vpon y^• Sycambres / whē theyr wyues sawe that / they counsayled amonge them y^t it was better to dye in defendynge theyr chastyte. For they knewe y^t after y^• vsage of warre they sholde be rauysshed than to be deedly dysho­noured. So they made fortresses aboute them w^t theyr charyottes and cartes & armed them ayenst y^• Romaynes / and they defended them as moche as they myght and slewe many of them / but at y^• last they were siayne y^• moost parte of theym. And those that were lefte on lyue prayed with Ioyned handes that they wolde not touche them in no vy lany / and that they myght vse the ende of theyr ly­ues in seruynge in the temple of maydens of the goddesse Uesta. But for that that it was not graū ted to them they wolde sle them rather than to be rauysshed. ¶ Also of maydens in lyke wyse so as of Uyrgyne the noble mayde of Rome whiche the false Iuge Claudyen trowed to haue by cautele & [Page] by force / and when he sawe y^• prayer auayled hym not / but she notwithstandynge her grene youthe had leuer to dye than to be rauysshed. ¶ Also the­re was a cyte taken in Lombardy by the enemyes whiche that slewe the lorde. The doughters of y^• sayd lorde whiche were ryght fayre in so moche y^• they thought they sholde be solde to be rauysshed / they pourneyed them of a straunge remedy / for y^e whiche they were gretely to prayse. For they toke the flesshe of chekyns rawe and put it in theyr bo­somes / so it was anone corrupte by hete / wherof it happened that when they y^t wolde rauysshe them came nyghe to them and they felte y^• stynke anone they lefte them saynge. O goddes howe these lom bardes stynke. But that stynkynge made them to smell ryght swete.

¶ Proues agaynst that y^t one speketh of y^• incon­staunce of women. Xp̄ine speketh & ryghtwysnes answereth of y^• inconstaunce and fragylyte of dy­uers Emperoures. Ca. xlvij.

MAdame ye tell me meruayllous con­staunce / stablenesse and vertue of y^• grete courage of women / what my­ght one saye more of the moost stron gest men that euer were / yet aboue all vyces that men and also the bokes say to be of women cryeth all of one voyce vpon them / y^t they [Page] be varyable / Inconstaunte / chaungeable / lyght / & of frayle courage / bowynge as chyldren. Are these men then so constaunnte that they may not vary and it is a grete thynge to do that so moche accu­seth women of inconstaunce. Certes yf they do to moche it is ryght lewde and euyl semynge to aske of another a vertue that they can not haue them­selfe. ¶ Answere. Fayre swete loue haste not thou alwaye herde say that a fole perceyueth better the lytell mote in y^e face of his neyghboure then he be­holdeth the grete beme y^t hangeth ouer his owne eye. So I shall shewe the grete contradyccyon in that that these men saye so moche of the varyaun­ce of women. They accorde all generally that wo men by nature be ryght frayle / and yet these men desyre that women sholde be of grtter constaunce then they can be themselfe. For those that so calle­th themselfe to be so stronge and of so noble condy cyon / yet they maye not holde them from fallynge in to many ryght grete defautes and synnes / and knowe well that they mysse take / and they labou­re so moch [...] to the women that yf ony of them fall in ony defaute of whiche they are the cause / and by theyr cautayles they haue drawne them therto by grete payne and laboure / yet [...]yth they name them soo frayle they ought in some wyse for to supporte theyr fragylyte / and not to calle a lytell faute a gre te cryme / yet they lyst not to supporte them but ma keth and saythe many greate gryefes of theym / And they denaye not to calle theym stronge / and [Page] constaunte when they endure theyr grete outra­ges. And thus at all purposes these men wolde ha ue the ryght from them. And of y^t thou hast spokē ynoughe in thy pystle of the god of loue. But to y^t thou demaundest me yf these men be so stronge & so constaunte that they haue cause to blame other of theyr constaunce. If thou beholde syth y^• ages and auncyent tyme vnto this daye by the bokes & by that thou haste sene in thyne age / and at all ty­mes theu mayst se it before thyne eyes / not onely in symple men / nor of lowe estate / but of y^• grettest thou mayst knowe y^• perfeccyon of theyr constaun ce / I wyll not saye absolutely that it is with them so generally as they say of women but as it hathe ben / and is in some of theym. ¶ And for that that yf there be in the courage of men no inconstaunce but accuse the women of y^• vyce. Take hede nowe here / and I shall gyue the ensamples of y^• grettest prynces and moost lyfted vp in estate / whiche is a thynge not perteynynge to y^• same vyce more thā in others without sekynge in more aūcyent ages ¶ where was there euer courage of women soo frayle / nor so euyll accustomed and lesse constaunt then was the Emperour Claudyen. He was soo varyable y^• what so euer he ordeyned in one houre he dyspysed it in another / and there was neuer sta blenes founde in his worde / he accorded to all coū sayle. He caused his wyfe to be slayne by his cruel te / and after at nyght he, asked wherfore she came not to bedde / and commaunded his seruauntes y^• [Page] he had made smyte of theyr heedes to come & play with hym. This Emperoure was of so caytyfe a courage that he trembled alwaye / nor he trusted no body / I can not tell the all the shrewdenesse of the condycyons of this lewde Emperoure / but y^• he was full of fragylyte. ¶ Tybere y^• Emperoure what was he more wrothe / all in constaunce / all varyaunce / all slyppernesse was mor en hym thā euer was founde in woman.

¶ Of Nero the cruell Emperoure. Ca. xlviij.

ANd Nero that was he / syth we be en­tred in the dedes of Emperoures. Of this Nero the grete varyablenesse ap pered. For at y^• begynnynge he was good ynoughe and dyde his payne to please all people. But after he had no refrayne of his lechery / of his rauyne / nor of his cruelte / and to exercyse it the more / often tymes he armed hym by nyght and wente with his glotons and his fe­lawes to vnthryfty places playenge and Iapyn­ge by the stretes / doynge all shrewdenes / & to fyn­de occasyon to do shrewdely / he shouldred them y^• he mette / & yf they spake ony worde / other he wol­de wounde them or sle them. He brake tauernes & dores of lewde houses / he toke women by streng the / wherby he was almoost slayne ones of y^• hus­bande of a woman that he had rauysshed. He lete make bathes for lewdenesse / and ete and dranke [Page] all the nyght and slepte y^• day. He ordeyned nowe one thynge nowe another / as his foly styred hym to do dyuers thynges. All lechery / al superfluytes all pryde / and al maner thoughtes of foly was in hym / he haunted al euyll / he loued noughty folkes and tourmented the good. He was consentynge to y^• dethe of his fader & of his moder / & when she was deed he made her to be opened to se the place where he was conceyued. And when he had sene it / he sayd that she was a fayre woman when she lyued. He slewe his wyfe Octouyene that was ry ght a good woman / and toke another y^• he loued moche at y^• begynnynge / & after slewe her / he lete sle a kynnes woman of his owne bycause she wol de not be maryed to hym / he made to sle his lytell doughter within the age of .vij. yeres bycause one bare her to playe with a dukes sones. He lete sle y^• noble phylosophre Seneke whiche was his may ster. For that that he was alwaye ashamed when he sawe hym / he enpoysoned his prouost faynynge y^• he wolde hele hym agayne / he enpoysoned with metes and drynkes all y^• noble auncyent prynces and barons of grete auctoryte that had grete go­uernaunce / he made to sie his aunte / and toke her goodes / he made to destroye all the nobles of Ro­me and put them in exyle / and destroyed theyr chyl dren / he made a cruell man of Egypte to be accu­stomed to ete mannes fless he rawe to the entente that by hym he wolde make men to be eten quicke what shall I say one may not tell the horryble de­des [Page] that he dyde ne gathered togyder y^• erueltees of hym. He made fyre to be caste all aboute Rome vj. dayes and .vj. nyghtes / and by that pestylence dyed moche of the people / he behelde the fallynge of his toure / and made grete Ioye / and songe / He made to sle saynt Peter and saynt Poule / and ma ny other martyres. And in doynge these thynges when he had reygned the space of .xiiij. yeres the Romaynes y^• had suffred to moche rebelled ayenst hym / & he fell in dyspayre and slewe hymselfe.

¶ Of the Emperoure and of others. Ca. xlix.

[...]I grete meruayle I haue tolde y^• as y^• it semeth by aduenture of the cursed­nesse of Nero / and of his fragylytes. But I promyse the y^• the Emperoure that succeded hym whiche was na­med Galba was but lytell better yf he had lyued longe / for his cruelte was out of measure. And w^t his other vyces he was so varyable y^• there was no maner of restraynynge ne he was neuer in one estate / nowe cruell & without measure / nowe to softe and without Iustyce / neglygent / enuyous / and full of suspeccyon / lytell louynge his prynces and his knyghtes / caytyfe / and fereful of courage coueytous aboue all thynge / he reygned but .vj. monethes for he was slayne to shortē his crueltes [Page] ¶ But Othomy whiche that succeded hym was no better / For that some saye that women ben cu­tyous. The Emperoure was curyous and delyca te of his body / caytyfe of courage / sekynge after nothynge but his ease folyly large / a grete gloton faynte / lecherous / a false traytoure / and full of all shrewdenesse / full of dysdayne. And y^e ende of hym was that he slewe hymselfe after y^t he had reygned thre monethes / for bycause that his enemyes had the vyctory of hym in batayle. ¶ Uyncylyen that succeded this Othomy was noo better but full of cursednesse / I wote not what I shal tell the more and thou trowe that I lye / rede y^• hystoryes of Emperours / and the processe of theyr lyues / and thou shalte fynde that there were but fewe in nombre y^t were of good condycyons / ryghtfull & constaunt / of the whiche good was the Emperour Trayane and Tytus. But I promyse the that ayenst these two good thou shalte fynde .x. euyll. ¶ And in the same wyse of y^e Popes & of people of holy chyrche / whiche ought to be more chosen / but thoughe y^• at the begynnynge of crysten faythe there were sayn tes. Syth the Emperour Constantyne gaue to y^e chyrche grete reuenues and rychesses / y^e holynesse that hath ben / rede theyr gestes and crownacles & tell me yf they be of y^e same perfeccyon nowe / and nowe thou mayst se at this daye yf the worlde be in amendynge. And yf grete stablenesse haue ben and grete constaunce in the dedes and counsayles as moche of temporall prynces / as of spyrytuall / [Page] it appereth ynoughe. I shall say to the more I wo te not to whom men speke of inconstaunce / nor of varaunce of women / nor howe they haue no sha­me to open theyr mouthe when they beholde how in the grete dedes gouerned by them / and not by y^e women with so moche inconstaunce & varyaunce as it were y^e dedes of chyldren / & howe well theyr purpose and accorde abydeth y^• they make in theyr grete counsayles. ¶ And I shal tell the all at ones vpon these thynges / there is none other inconstaū ce nor varyaunce but to do agaynst that y^• reason techeth. And a creature reasonable made after the ymage of god / and that hathe knowledge of that y^• enclyneth more to sensualyte than to reason that is frayle / and the more y^• the shrewdenesse is grete the ferder it is fro reason / and ought to be called y^e gre [...]ter fragylyte. And I am certayne that rede al alonge the hystoryes of whom that euer they are wryten thoughe phylosophers & many auctours haue sayd and afferme that there is so grete fragy lyte in women that thou shalte not fynde ony wo man of so grete cursednesse as there hathe ben in grete quantyte of men. The worste women that thou shalte fynde in holy scrypture was Athalys & Iesobell her moder quenes of Iherusalem whi­che poursued the chyldren of Israell. Brunchent quene of Fraunce / and some other. But aduyse the of the cursednesse of Iudas that so myscheuously betrayed his good mayster swete Ihesus to whō he was appostle y^t had done hym so moche good / [Page] and take hede of Iulyan the apostata. Denys the tyraunt. So many of shrewde kynges in dyuers countrees / of false Emperoures and Popes / and other prelates without faythe / full of coueytyse / y^• antecrystes also and thou shalte fynde also y^e men haue cause to holde theyr peas / and that women haue cause to thanke god / and prayse hym that ha the put the treasoure of so many good soules in y^e bodyes of women. So I shall saye noo more as nowe agaynst them by ensamples of the dedes of them that call these women so frayle. And I shall tell the of dyuers women ryght stable & constaunt of whome the hystoryes ben ryght good to here of good ensamples.

¶ Of Grysylde Marquys of Saluce a woman of grete vertue / and specyally in pacyence. Ca. l.

WRyten it is y^• there was a Marquys of Saluce named by name Gautyre sans pere. He was fayre of body and a worshypfull man / but ryght straun­ge of condycyons his lordes often ty mes counsayled hym & prayed hym that he wolde mary / that he myght haue yssue. But it was lon­ge tyme or he wolde accorde to them. At the last he sayd to them that he wolde with a good wyll. If it sholde be agreable to them / that he myght take suche a woman as he wolde chose to be maryed [Page] vnto / to the whiche thynge they accorded and ma de theyr othe therto. This Marquys haunted of­ten tymes the dysporte of huntynge and hawkyn ge in the feldes / in the whiche amonge the poore men labourers of that towne there dwelled a ry­ght poore man impotent & olde y^t was called Ia­nycle / and was a good true man al his lyfe. This same good man had a doughter of the age o [...]. xviij yeres named Grysylde / whiche serued hym by gre te dylygence and founde hym by y^e laboure of her spynnynge. The sayd Marquys whiche often ty­mes passed that waye had well aduysed the good condycyons and the honeste of this mayden whi­was ryght fayre of body and of vysage / whom he had ryght gretely in his grace. It happened that the Marquys y^t was accorded with his barons y^t he sholde take a wyfe / sayd to theym / y^t they sholde assemble at a certayne day for y^e weddynges / & he [...]rdeyned that all the ladyes sholde be there / so he lete make grete araye. And at y^t daye as all men & women were assembled before hym / he made al y^t route to take theyr horses / for to go with hym for to fetche home his spouse. Soo they wente ryght vnto the house of Ianycle / and there they mette w^t Grysylde with a potte of water vpon her heed whi che came fro the welle. He demaunded of her whe re her fader was. And this Grysy [...]de mekely kne­led downe and sayd vnto hym that he was at ho­me. Go seke hym sayd he vnto her. And when the good man was come / y^e Marquys sayd to hym y^t [Page] he wolde take his doughter by maryage. And Ia nycle answered hym that he sholde do his pleasu­re. So the ladyes entred in to the lytell house and clothed and arayed the spouse ryght nobly so as it perteyned to the estate of a Marquys / of Robes & of Iewelles that he had ordeyned for her. Soo he ledde her home & wedded her in his palays. And to make the tale shorte. This lady bare her so wel to euery creature that y^• nobles grete and lytell / & all the people loued her / and so well she coude be­haue her w^t euery persone y^t euery man helde them contente / and she serued and cherysshed her lorde so as she ought. This yere this lady had a dough­ter whiche was taken in grete Ioye. But when she was in age that she was taken fro the pappes The Marquys made the lady to byleue for to pro ue her constaunce / that she dyspleased the lordes y^t the lygnage of her sholde lordeshyp vpon them / & and therfore he wolde that the chylde were slayne To this thynge whiche ought to be ryght harde to euery moder. Grysylde answered that the dou­ghter was his owne & that he myght do his plea­sure. So he made the chylde to be taken to a squy­er of his y^• whiche in makynge semblaunt that he came thyder to sle the chylde / and he bare it secret­ly to Boloyne la grace to the countesse of Payngo whiche was syster to the Marquys to kepe and to nourysshe it. But for al this Grysylde made neuer semblaunt of heuynesse that trowed her doughter to be slayne. Agayne in the yere after y^• lady was [Page] with chylde and was delyuered of a fayre sone the fade receyued it with grete Ioye. And yet agayne the Marquys wolde assaye his wyfe as he dyde before / and sayd to her that the chylde must nedes be slayne to contente the lordes & his people. And Grysylde answered that yf it suffysed not that her chylde sholde dye / that she was redy to dye if it my ght please hym. So he toke the chylde to y^• squyer in the [...]ame wyse as he dyde that other / and yet she made neuer semblaunt of sorowe / ne sayd other worde / but that she prayed the squyer that when he had slayne the chylde / that he wolde hury hym / to the entente that the tender flesshe of the chylde were not eten with wylde beestes / ne with byrdes Of this grete hardnesse there appered neuer chaū gynge chere in Grysylde. But yet it was no [...] lon­ge after that y^• Marquys wolde assay her agayne when they had ben togyder .vij. yeres / in the whi­che tyme the good lady had borne her so well that it ought to haue suffysed y^• prouynge of her vertue when the Marquys on a daye called her in to his chambre and sayd to her that he was in poynte to lose his lordshyp by his knyghtes and his squyers for her. For they had grete dysdayne to holde for theyr lady and maystres the doughter of Ianycle So it is conuenyent yf he wolde appease them y^• she wente home agayne to her fader so as she ca­me thens / and that he sholde wedde another more gentyll woman / & of more hygher blode. To this thynge whiche ought to be ryght greuous & harde [Page] to her / āswered grysylde. My lorde I knewe well alway & oftymes thought y^• bytwene thy noblesse & magnyfycēce & my pouerte myght be no ꝓporcyon nor I thought me not onely worthy to be your spouse / nor also to be y^• poorest of your house. And nowe I am redy to retourne in to the house of my fader / in y^• whiche I shall were myne age. And as to my dowre that thou hast ordeyned me to haue / that I ought to haue I se it well. Thou knowest well y^t when thou tokest me out of my faders house thou madest me to be dyspoyled all naked / & clo­thed me agayne in good robes with the whiche I came with y^• / ne neuer other thynge of myne owne brought I with me / but fayth / maner / loue / reue­rence / and pouerte. So it is reason y^• I yelde to the agayne thy mouable goodes. And se here thy robe of whiche I me despoyle / & so I yelde to y^• y^• rynge with the whiche thou dydest wedde me / & I yelde to the all other rynges / Iewelles / clothynge / and araye / by y^• whiche I was worshypped & enryched in thy chambre / all naked out of my faders house I came / & all naked I shall tourne agayne. Saue y^t it me semeth a thynge vnconuenable y^t this wombe in the whiche the chyldren were y^• thou haddest engendred sholde appere all naked before y^• people For the whiche yf it pleas the & none otherwyse I praye the y^• for the recompensacyon of my vygynyte y^• I brought in to thy palays the whiche I bere not agayne that it maye please the that there my­ght be lefte vnto me a symple smocke w^t the whiche [Page] I shall couer the wombe of thy wyfe / sometyme Marquyse. And then y^• Marpuys myght not hol­de hym no more from wepynge for compassyon / & yet he ouercame his courage and ordeyned y^t there was brought to her a smocke. ¶ Then in the pre­sence of all y^• knyghtes & ladyes Grysylde dyspoy­led her / & dyde of her hosen & shoes / & put of all her ornamentes / and nothynge remayned but onely the smocke. Then stretched the rumoure all abou­te that y^• Marquys wolde departe from his wyfe & all men and women were come to the palays so rowynge gretely of this thynge. And Grysylde all naked saue her smocke / bare heeded / and bare fote was set vpon an horse / and with company of lor­des / knyghtes / and ladyes / that all men & women wepte cursynge the Marquys & sorowed gretely the goodnesse of the lady / yet Grysylde neuer caste teere out of her eyes & was conuayed vnto y^• hou­se of her fader / the whiche good olde man had ben alway in doubte thynkynge y^• his lorde sholde be full euery daye of so poore a maryage. Then he he rynge the noyse wente to mete with his doughter and brought to her her olde cote all to torne whi­che he had kepte / so she clothed her agayne with­out shewynge semblaūt of ony sorowe. And thus dwelled Grysylde with her fader a whyle in suche humylyte & pouerte & in seruynge her fader as she was wonte / no sorowe shewynge outwardes nor no heuy countenaunce was sene in her / but recom forted her fader of his heuynesse that he had for to [Page] se his doughter to fall frome so grete hyghnesse in to so grete pouerte. ¶ And when the Marquys se med that he had proued his true spouse ynoughe / he sente to his syster that she sholde come to hym ryght nobly accompanyed with lordes & ladyes / & sholde brynge with her his two yonge chyldren without makynge semblaunt that they were his And he made his barons & sugectes to vnderstan de that he wolde take a newe wyfe / and wedde a ryght notable lady whiche his syster had in kepyn ge. So he made to assemble a ryght fayre compa­ny of knyghtes and of ladyes in his palas that sa me daye that his syster sholde aryue / And he lete make ryght a fayre feest and a grete. So he sente to Grysylde and sayd to her in this manere. Gry­sylde the mayden that I shall wedde shall be here to morowe. And for that I desyre that my syster & her company sholde be ryght nobly receyued / for that that thou knowest my condycyon / and howe I ought to receyue lordes and ladyes / and thou knowest the chambres and places / and to the en­tente that euery persone be well lodged after his estate / and in especyall my spouse that shall be. For I wyll that thou haue all the charge / And all offycers shall obaye vnto the. So thynke theron and se that all be well ordeyned. Grysylde answe­red and sayd she wolde doo it with ryght a good wyl. And in the mornynge the company were ary ued / grete was there the fceste. And Grysylde lefte not for her lewde coote / but that she wente with [Page] a glad chere to mete the mayden and newe spouse as she trowed / & makynge reuerence humbly kne­led before her sayenge welcome my lady and also to the sone / and to all men and women of the com pany / & thus receyued them eche after theyr estate ryght Ioyously. And thoughe so be that she was in the habyte of a poore woman it semed by her be hauoure y^• she was a woman of ryght grete wor­shyp / and of meruayllous prudence so moche that the straungers meruaylled them howe suche fay­re speche / and suche worshypfull myght be vnder so poore an habyte. Grysylde had made so well to be ordeyned al thynges that there was nothynge amysse at the poynte. But with so good a wyll dre we her nyghe this mayden and the sone / that she coude not departe from them. The Marquys had made▪ redy all thynges as for to wedde the yonge mayden. And when it came to the houre to synge the masse. Then came y^e Marquys and before all he called Grysylde and sayd to her howe semeth y^• Grysylde of my newe spouse / is she not fayre and goodly. And she answered full goodly. Certaynly my lorde there maye not be founde a good lyer ne a fayrer. But of one thynge I wyll pray y^• in good fayth and counsayle y^• that is that thou make her not sory / ne prycke her not with the nedles of whi­che thou hast proued that other. For this is more yonge and more delycyously nourysshed / so parad uenture she shall not suffred as y^t other hathe done Then y^e Marquys herynge y^• wordes of Grysylde [Page] consyderynge her grete stablenesse strengthe and constaunce had grete meruayle of her vertue / and pyte toke hym that he had gyuē her to suffre with out sayenge the contrary. Soo he began to saye thus in the presence of all the people. ¶ Grysylde it ought ynoughe to suffyse y^• prouynge of thy con staunce / of thy veray faythe / trouthe / and grete lo­ue / hobey saunce / & mekenesse / well proued towar­de me. And byleue it that there is noo man vnder heuen that by so many proues hathe knowne the loue of maryage as I haue done in the. And then the Marquys wente nere her whiche helde dow­ne her heed for shame for the grete praysynge that he sayd to her. So he enbraced her uraytely in his armes and kyssed her in sayenge. Thou arte my­ne onely spouse / other weddynges shal I neuer ha ue. This mayde that thou thynkest that sholde be my spouse is thy doughter & myne / and that other is thy sone and myne. So knowe they all that be here that that I haue done hathe ben to proue my true spouse / and not to condempne her. And I ha­ue made my chyldren to be nourysshed at Boloy­ne la grace with my syster / & not s [...]ayne them / now se them here. Then this lady herynge the wordes of her lorde y^• Marquys fell downe flatte for Ioy And when she came to herselfe she toke y^• chyldren in her armes / and it was no doubte but her herte had meruayllous▪ Ioye. And all the people wepte for Ioye & pyte. There was she greued more than euer she was before. So she was clothed agayne [Page] and arayed ryght rychely. So the feest was grete & ryght Ioyous where euery man had grete wor des of the praysynge of this lady. And they lyued togyder .xx. yeres in grete Ioye and peas. And the Marquys made Ianycle her fader of whome he made no grete compte before to come to y^• palays & there he helde hym in grete worshyp / he maryed his chyldren hyghly & after hym his sone succeded by y^• good wyll of the lordes / & of y^• comunes also.

¶ Of Florence of Rome. Ca. lj.

OF Grysylde Marquyse of Saluce y^t had ynoughe of vertuous strengthe / & constaunce I haue sayd to y^•. Nowe I shall telle the of the noble Florence Empresse of rome whiche by meruay­lous pacyence suffred grete aduersyte / soo as it is wryten of her in the myracles of our lady. This la dy was of souerayne beaute but she was more cha ste / and vertuous. It happened y^t the Emperoure her husbande ought to go to a grete warre ryght a grete waye thens. So he lefte to kepe his coun­tre / and his wyfe / a broder that he had the whiche tempted with the enemy after the departynge of y^• Emperoure coueyted folyly his brothers wyfe / & to speke shortely he helde her so shorte that she sho [...] de accorde to his wyl / y^t for drede y^• after y^• prayers he wolde vse her by force / he put her in pryson in a stronge toure & there she was tyll the comynge of [Page] the Emperoure when it came that the tydynges were brought that y^• sayd Emperoure was come agayne / he made y^• lady to be taken out of pryson / she not wenynge that he wolde complayne on her wrongfully & he dyde it to the entente y^t she sholde kepe y^• countre whyle he wolde go ayenst his bro­der / at the arrynge of whome he toke all the euyll of this good lady / and the worste y^t myght be sayd by the whiche the Emperoure y^t byleued hym sent his people and ordeyned y^t or he sholde aryue with out makynge ony mencyon of it that she sholde be slayne. For he wolde not se her ne fynde her only­ue. But she meruayllynge moche of these tydyn­ges prayed so moche to them that were commyt­ted to do this thynge that they sholde let her go in an habyte vnknowne. So they graunted her her desyre. Then this noble lady wente & by a straun­ge aduenture that happened her / she was cōmyt­ted to kepe a chylde of a grete prynce. So it fortu­ned that y^• broder of that prynce was taken with the loue of her / in soo moche that after that he had requyred her ynoughe / for despyte that she wolde not accorde to hym / he slewe the yonge chylde by her as she slepte to y^• entente to make her to be de­stroyed. All these aduersytees whiche were not ly­tell suffred this noble lady the Empresse ryght pa­cyently & by ryght stronge & constaunt courage. And when she sholde be ledde to the place where she sholde be put to y^• dethe as she y^• some supposed had slayne the chylde suche pyte came to the lorde [Page] and to the lady for the fayre lyfe and the grete ver tues y^• they had sene in her that theyr hertes coude not suffre her to dye / but they put her in exyle. In the whiche place as she was in grete pouerte and was ryght pacyent & deuoute towarde god & his swete moder / she slepte on a tyme after her pray­ers made to god in a fayre grene place / thē she had a vysyon of the blessyd vyrgyne Mary y^• she shol­de gader a certayne herbe y^t was vnder her heed / and with that herbe she sholde gete her lyuynge / in helynge all maner of sykenesses. And on a tyme after by the sayd herbe the lady had heled so many syke folkes / of whom y^• renowne sprange all abou te it fortuned that the broder of y^• prynce that had slayne the chylde aboue sayd was syke of a grete sykenesse ryght horrybly / for whom men were sen te to fetche this womā to hele hym. And when she was come in to his presence she sayd to hym that he myght well se that god bete hym with his rod­des / and that he sholde confesse his synne openly / & he sholde be hole / for otherwyse she myght not hele hym. And then he moued with grete contryey on confessed his horryble wyckednesse / & howe he hymselfe had slayne the chylde thrughe whiche y^• good lady was blamed y^t kepte hym. The prynce was passynge wrothe with this and wolde at all tymes do Iustyce on his broder. But the noble la­dy prayed hym so moche that she appeased hym to hym / and then she heled hym anone / and thus this good lady yelded good for euyll after the cōmaun [Page] bement of god. ¶ It happened in the same wyse and it taryed not longe after / but that the broder of the Emperour / by y^• whiche Florence was exy­led felle in soo horryble sykenesse of the lyppre that he was all stynkynge. And as the voyce wente in all the worlde howe there was a woman y^t wol­de hele al maner of sykenesse. Anone men were sen te out to seke her by the commaundement of y^• Em peroure without ony knowlege what she was.

For he demed his wyfe to be deed longe before.

And when she was come before hym she sayd to hym that it was conuenyent that he sholde con­fesse hym openly / for otherwyse he myght not be heled. But as he refused it longe tyme / at the laste he opened all his wyckednesse that he had done to the Empresse / for y^• whiche he wyst well that god punysshed hym. This thynge herde of the Empe­rour beynge passynge wrothe of that y^t he trowed that he had made his true spouse to dye that he lo­ued so moche wolde haue slayne his broder. But the good lady opened herselfe to the Emperoure and made the peas bytwene hym and his broder. And thus Florence recouered by the meryte of her patyence / her estate and felycyte / with grete Ioye of the Emperoure and of all people.

¶ Of the wyfe of Barnabo the Geneuoys. Capitulo .lij.

[Page] TO the purpose yet of women that be constaunte maye well be brought to remembraunce the hystory that Bo­cace telleth in his boke of Cent nou­uelles howe it happened on a tyme in Parys / as many marchauntes Lombardes and Italyens were togyder at a souper. In whi­che as they spake of many thynges they tell to spe ke of theyr wyues / so moche that amonge others a Ianeuoys that was called Barnabo began gre tely to prayse his wyfe of beaute / of wytte / of cha­styte aboue all thynges / & of al vertues. So there was another outragyous felawe in the company named Ambrose whiche sayd that he was a foole to prayse his wyfe so moche and specyally of cha­styte and that there was none so stronge but that one sholde ouercome her by gyftes / by promyse / & fayre wordes / & so to come to his entente. Of this thynge begā a grete stryfe bytwene them twayne & it came so ferre forthe y^• they layde in wager the some of .v. thousande Floryns Barnabo sayd y^t / y^• other sholde not lye w^t his wyfe for al y^t he coude do And Ambrose layde y^t he sholde / & y^• he wolde bryn ge so good a token y^t it sholde suffyse▪ y^t other mar­chauntes dyde as moche as they coude to seas the debate but it auayled not. Ambrose departed th [...]s as soone as he myght / & wente to Gene / & whē he came there he enquyred gretely of y^• lyfe of the wy­fe of Bar [...]abo / But to saye shortely / soo moche he herde recorde of her grete goodnesse that he lost al [Page] his hope that he sholde neuer come to his entente wherof he founde hymselfe gretely abasshed & re­pentaunt of his foly. And he aduysed hym of a gre te malyce / for it greued his herte ryght sore to lose so .v. thousande floryns. Soo he dyde so moche y^t he spake to an olde poore woman y^t repayred ofte tymes to the house of y^•, good woman. And gaue and promysed her so moche that he was put in a grete cofre / and was borne in to the chambre of y^e sayd good woman to whom y^• olde poore womā had made to vnderstande that there was moche good gere in y^• cofre / whiche was taken her to ke­pe / and theues laboured to robbe her / and therfore she prayed her that it myght abyde a lytell whyle in her chambre to be kepte tyll they came home y^t ought it / to the whiche thynge y^• good womā con­sented with a good wyll. Ambrose whiche was in the cofre made suche a wayte vpon the lady by ny ght that he sawe her all naked / and with y^t wente preuyly out of y^• cofre and toke a gyrdell & a purse made with the nedle y^t she had wrought by good crafte. And after entred in to the cofre agayne soo preuyly that the lady that slepte / and with her a ly tel doughter that she had felte nothynge of it. And when he had ben there .iij. dayes y^• olde poore wo­man came agayne to fetche her cofre. Ambrose y^t had grete Ioye & wende y^t he had well employed his entente / wente to Parysagayne & reported to her husbande before all the company that he had lyne with his wyfe at his ease. And fyrste he tolde [Page] hym the token of the chambre and of y^e payntynge that was in it. After he shewed hym the purse and the gyrdell that he knewe well / and sayd that the had gyuen it to hym / and tolde hym all the facyon of her body / and that he sawe her all naked / and he tolde hym also that she had a lytell spotte as it we re a warte vnder the lyfte pappe. Then y^• husban­de byleued stably by the tokens the wordes of Am brose / of whiche yf he were sory no man meruayle And then he payed hym and cōtented hym of this v. thousande floryns. And as soone as he myght he wente to Gene. And before that he sholde aryue he sente expressely to his factoure that gouerned all his doynges there / in whome he trusted aboue all thynges the maner howe he wolde y^t he sholde sle this woman his wyfe / the whiche y^• commaun dement sene made the good womā to mounte on horse-backe / and made her to byleue that he wolde brynge her to her husbande. And the good womā whiche byleued hym well wente with hym with grete Ioye. But when they were come into a wo de he tolde her that he must nedes sle her by the cō maundement of his mayster her housbande. And to make the tale shorte this womā dyde so moche whiche was so good & so fayre & so moche she cou­de preche that he lete her go so that she sholde pro­myse hym y^t she sholde go out of the countre. She that was thus escaped wente vnto a towne and dyde so moche to a good woman that she bought her clothynge for a man / so she cutte of her heere & [Page] she arayed her in the lykenesse of a yonge mā. And she dyde so moche that she put herselfe with a ry­che man of Cateloyne named Syguyr Ferant y^t was come downe from his shyp to refresshe hym so she serued hym so well that he helde hym conten te meruayllously. For he founde neuer so good a seruaunt / & this same woman called herseite Sa­gurat Daffynoly. This Saguyr Ferant y^t wente agayne in to the shyp & Sagurat daffynoly with hym wente so moche by see tyll he came in to Alex­andre / and there he bought faucons ryght fayre & good / horses also. And after that he wente towar de the Sowdan of Babylone with whom he had good frendeshyp / and when he had byden there a whyle and the Sowdan aduysed well this Sa­gurat Daffynoly the whiche serued so dylygently his mayster / and the whiche semed to hym so fayre and gracyous that he pleased hym meruayllously so moche that he prayed this Saguyr Ferant y^t he wolde gyue hym to hym / and he wolde make hym a grete mayster / and he graunted hym ayenst his wyl. And to saye shortely soo well this Sagurat Daffynoly serued the Sowdan that he trusted no man so moche as he dyde hym / and was so grete mayster aboute hym that he gouerned all. It hap pened that in a towne of the Sowdans sholde be a grete fayre where marchauntes came of all par­tyes / the Sowdan ordeyned Sagurat y^t he shol­de go in to that towne to kepe the fayre / & to take hede of his ryght. And as it happened as god wol [Page] de y^t to that fayre was come with other Italyens that brought many Iewelles this false Ambrose aboue sayd / whiche was gretely enryched with y^• goodes of Barnabo. Sagurat that was lyeute­naunt of the towne of the Sowdans was grete­ly worshypped of all people / & for he was a grete lorde and a grete mayster the marchauntes brou­ght to hym euery day Iewelles to selle. So amon ge others there came to hym that same Ambrose / & as he had opened a lytell cofre full of Iewelles before Sagurat to the entente y^t he sholde se them And in this cofre was y^• purse & the gyrdell before sayd / by the whiche as soone as Sagurat sawe it he knewe it well and toke it in his hande & behel­de it strongely meruayllynge gretely howe they myght come thyder. And Ambrose that but lytell thought of y^t aduenture began to laughe ryght fa ste / and Sagurat y^t sawe hym laughe sayd to hym Frende I suppose that thou laughest of that / that I muse to beholde this womans thynge / and for­sothe it is ryght fayre. And Ambrose answered hȳ My lorde it is at your commaundement. But I laughe for that that I bethynke me of the manere howe I had it. So god gyue me Ioye sayd Sa­gurant I praye the tell me howe thou haddest it. By my faythe sayd Ambrose I shall tell you howe I gate it / I had it of a fayre gentylwoman y^t gaue it me with whome I laye all a hole nyght. And moreouer besyde that I gate fyue thousande Flo­ryns of good golde for a wager that I dyde make [Page] with the folyss he husbande of her that is named Barnabo whiche durst so lewdely laye it with me that I sholde not lye with his wyfe / and nowe y^e vnhappy man hath slayne her also. But he hathe better deserued to be punysshed than she. For a mā may well knowe that euery woman is frayle and lyght to ouercome. Soo there is no man y^t ought to haue affyaunce in a woman. Then knewe Sa gurat the cause of the wrathe of her housbande y^t she knewe neuer before. But as a ryght prudent and stable wysely she dyssymyled vnto the tyme y^t it come to the poynte. So she made semblaunt to haue ryght grete solace of this thynge / & she sayd to hym that he was ryght a good felawe / and y^t he wolde haue hym ryght specyally in frendeshyp / & that he wolde that he sholde abyde and bye mar­chaundyse for them bothe / and that he wolde take hym ynoughe wherof in his handes. Of that Am brose hadde grete Ioye. And forth with Sagurat made to delyuer hym an house. And for to deceyue hym the better she toke hym money in his handes And shewed hym so grete sygne of loue y^t he was alwaye with hym. And she made hym to tell that Iape before the Sowdan to make hym to laughe And to saye shortely howe the thynge was deter­myned. So moche Sagurat dyde and pourcha­sed that she dyde so moche to the Ieneuoys that were in that countre after that that she knewe the estate of Baruabo y^t was fallen in pouerte. what for the grete fynaunce that he had payed / and for [Page] the grete sorowe that he toke therfore that Barna bo sholde come ouer in to that countre by the com maundement of the Sowdan / and to make y^e tale shorte / when he was come in to that countre he ca me before y^e Sowdan. And anone Sagurat ma­de seke after Ambrose. But or he came he had wel enfourmed the Sowdan howe Ambrose lyed in makynge his auaunte y^t he made of this woman. And she prayed hym also that in case that the trou [...]he were come to knowlege y^t he wolde punysshe Iustely the sayd Ambrose / the whiche thynge whē Ambrose & Barnabo were come before the Sow­dan / Sagurat began to saye in this maner. Am­brose it pleaseth to our lorde that is here that thou tell the Iape all alonge howe thou dydest gete of Barnabo that here is .v. thousande floryns wher of thou haste tolde hym by what maner thou dyde lye with his wyfe. And then Ambrose chaunged co loure as he to whom the trouthe myght vnethes suffre to couer soo an vntrue fraude / for it was to hym a sodayne thynge of the whiche he toke no he de. Then he toke to hym a lytell maner and answe red. My lorde it is no force thoughe I tell it not. Barnabo knoweth well ynoughe. I haue shame of his shame. And then Barnabo full of sorowe & of shame prayed y^t he myght neuer here of it more / and that he wolde lette hym leue. But Sagurat answered as in laughynge that he sholde not go / and that it was conuenyent that he lete hym tell it. Then Ambrose whiche sawe that he was con­strayned [Page] began to say all with a tremblynge voy­ce that he had made Barnabo to vnderstande and all as he had tolde them. And when he had ended his reason Sagurat asked of Barnabo yf it were true that Ambrose had sayd / and he answered and sayd ye without fayle. And howe sayd Sagurat be ye well certayne that this man here laye with your wyfe / for that that he tolde to you certayne tokens / be you suche a beest that you can not kno­we that by wayes ynowe fraudelently he myght knowe y^e facyon of her body without lyenge with her / and ye haue for this cause made your wyfe to dye / ye are worthy to dye yourselfe for ye haue no suffycyent profe. Then Barnabo had grete drede And then Sagurat that wolde no longer be styll and that her semed tyme to speke sayd to Ambrose False traytoure saye the trouthe without makyn­ge the to be tourmented. And y^e woman of whom y^• auauntest the is not yet deed / but she is not ferre hens to say y^e contrary to thy false lesynges. For y^• touched her neuer. There was a grete assemble / what of lordes of the Sowdans as of grete foy­son of Lombardes whiche meruayllously herke­ned this thynge. And to saye it shortely this Am­brose was so ledde y^t he confessed before the Sowdan and all the people all the fraude / and howe he had wrought by coueytyse to gete those .v. thou­sande Floryns. when Barnabo herde this almost he was out of hymselfe / for y^t he wyste none other but that his wyfe was slayne. But the good wo­man [Page] came to hym and sayd / what woldest thou gyue hym that wolde yelde the thy wyfe agayne alyue hole and chaste Barnabo answered & sayd that he wolde gyue all that euer he coude make in the worlde. And then she sayd vnto hym. Barna­bo broder and frende / howe is that thou knowest not her. And as he was abasshed that he wyst not what he dyde she vnbotened her brest and sayd to hym I am thy dere felawe y^t thou haste condemp­ned to the dethe without cause. And then they em­braced eche other in meruayllous grete Ioy. And the Sowdan and all the people was gretely ad­meruayled of this thynge / and ryght gretely pray sed the grete vertue of this woman / and they ga­ue her grete gyftes. And all the goodes that was perteynynge to Ambrose was gyuen to her / and he was put vnto the dethe ryght myscheuously / And ryght so Barnabo and the good woman his wyfe tourned home agayne in to theyr countree / and there they lyued togyder longe tyme after in prosperyte and Ioye.

¶ Here it sheweth howe after that / that Ryghtwysnesse had tolde of these con­staunce / my lady Xp̄ine asked her yf it be true that dyuers men saye that there ben but fewe women true in theyr amourouse lyfe / and therto āswered ryghtwys­nes. Capitulo .liij.

[Page] WHen my lady ryghtwysenesse had tol de me all these thynges and ynoughe of others whiche I leue for shortnesse So as of Loonce that was a womā of Grece / the whiche wolde neuer for tourmentes that ony man wolde do to her accuse two men with y^t whiche she was aquaynted / but cutte of her tonge with her tethe before the Iuge to put hym out of hope that she sholde tell hym by strengthe of tourmentes. And ynowe of other la­dyes & gentylwomen whiche were of constaunte courage that they had leuer to drynke poyson and dye / than to bowe ayenst ryght and trouthe. And then I sayd to her / Madame ye haue shewed me ynoughe grete constaunce in the courage of wo­men and all other vertues / that truely there maye no more be sayd of no man. Soo I meruayle me gretely howe so many worshypfull ladyes that ha ue ben so wyse & so well lettred / & that haue goten the fayre style of endytynge & to make fayre bokes hath suffred so longe without sayenge y^• contrary so many errours to be wytnessed ayenst them by dyuers men when that they knewe well y^t it was of grete wronge. ¶ Answere / my dere frende this questyon is lyght ynoughe to assoyle / thou mayst se by that that is sayd before / that y^e grete vertues of these ladyes of whome I haue tolde y^• here abo ue in dyuers werkes dyfferenced one frome ano­ther ententyfely occupyed and not all in one selfe thynge. This werke was reserued to the to make [Page] and not to them / an to people of good vnderstan­dynge / y^e women were praysed ynoughe without other wrytynge. And as to the longnesse of tyme passed without gayne saynge all thynges cometh well to poynte / & ynoughe to y^e beholdynge of the longe worlde / how longe suffreth god heresyes to be in the worlde ayenst the holy lawe / whiche yet endureth y^t he hathe not destroyed them. So it is of many other thynges y^t ben suffred longe with­out gayne sayenge & syth they be reproued at y^e last ¶ Then I Xp̄ine sayd to her. Madame ye say pas synge well. But I yelde me certayne / y^t many noy­ses groweth amonge the euyll sayers of this pre­sent werke / whiche wyll saye y^t yf it be true y^t some women haue ben / & ben good / yet they be not so al ¶ Answere. what meruayle thoughe they be not all noted / that of the company of Ihesu cryst there were but .xij. yet was one ryght euyll / & these men durst saye y^t all women sholde be good / what shol de they be than I suppose when all men be parfy­te that the women shall folowe them. ¶ I Xp̄ine āswered. Madame nowe let vs leue thyse questy­ons / but a lytel yssuynge out of termes wherof we haue spoken tyll nowe / ryght gladly I wolde ma ke you some demaundes to y^e same purpose yf y^t I knewe y^t it sholde not noy you / for that y^• the mater thoughe it be founded vpon the lawe of kynde / it cometh not all by the attemperynge of reason.

And she answered vnto me / dere frende / say what thou wylte. For the dyscyple y^t asketh of y^e mayster [Page] ought not to be reproued thoughe he aske y^t he de­syreth to knowe. Madame there renneth in y^e worl de a naturall lawe of men to women / and women to men / not the lawe made by the stablynge of peo ple / but by carnal enclynacyon by the whiche they loue eche other of ryght grete and stronge loue by one pleasaunt tyme / & so they knowe not to what cause ne wherfore suche loue one of another is fyx ed in them. And in this loue y^t is comune ynoughe & it is called y^• amourous lyfe / y^e men say comune­ly y^t women thoughe they promyse / there he but fe we abydynge in one place / & of lytell loue. Ryght subtyll & faynte / & all y^t cometh of the lyghtnesse of theyr courage. And amonge all other auctours y^• accuseth them of y^t Ouyde in his boke of y^e crafte of loue gyueth them ryght grete charge / & this Ouy de sayth & others in y^e same wyse when they haue blamed ynoughe y^e women vpon y^t thynge y^t they put in theyr bokes as well of y^• descyuable condy­cyons of them as of theyr wyckednesse y^t they doo it for y^e comune welthe to y^e entente to aduyse y^e mē of theyr cauteyles y^e better to eschewe them / so as of y^e serpent whiche is hydde vnder an herbe. So please it you myne owne lady to teche me the trou th of this thynge. ¶ Answere. My dere frende as to that y^t they say y^t women be desceyuable I wote not what I shall say to the more. For thyselfe hath treated suffycyentely ynoughe of this matter / as well ayenst this Ouyde as ayenst others in thyne epystle of y^e god of loue. And in the epystles vpon [Page] the Romaunce of the rose. But vpon the poynte y^t thou hast touched to me / y^t they saye y^t they doo yet for the comune welthe. I shall shewe the y^t it was nothynge for y^t cause / & se here the reason. The co­mune profyte in a Cyte / or a countre / or in comu­nalte of people is none other thynge but one pro­fyte / & the generall welthe is of y^• whiche eche one hath his parte. But the thynge y^t sholde be done in profyte some and not to some / sholde be called the pryuate welthe or propre / & not y^e comune. And yet y^t shall do the lesse good y^t is taken away from one and gyuen to another. And this thynge ought to be called not pryuate welthe or propre / but ryght grete extorcyon made to another in fauoure of the partye. So thou mayst se & perceyue clerely y^t they do it fauourably & in preiudyce of one parte to his gryefe to sustayne y^t other. For they spake not to y^e women in aduysynge them y^t they kepe them from the awaytes of men. And yet it is a thynge ryght certayne often tymes y^t they desceyue women by theyr cauteylous & false semblaunt. And it is noo doubte y^t the women be as well in the nombre of y^e creatures erthely as be the men. Then I conclu de y^t they sholde do for y^• comune welthe y^t is to vn derstande of .ij. partes they sholde haue spoken as well to y^e women y^t they sholde beware of the men as they haue done to the men to beware of y^e wo­men. But for to leue to goo to questyon and in fo­lowynge y^e other / y^t is to vnderstande y^• women be not of so lytell loue there as theyr hartes is sette & [Page] that they be more stabler thā they say / it shall suffy se to proue it by ensample of them y^• haue percey­uered vnto the dethe. And fyrst I shal tell the of y^• noble Dydo quene of Cartage of whome it is spo ken here aboue of her grete valoure as thyselfe ha the touched other tymes.

¶ Here it speketh of Dydo quene of Cartage to y^• purpose y^• loue is stable in a woman. Ca. liiij.

SO as it is sayd aboue. Dydo quene of Cartage beynge in her cyte in Ioy and peas reygnynge gloryously co­me by fortune Eneas fledde frome Troye after the destruccyon of y^e Du ke & capytayne of many Troyans cast by dyuers tempestes / theyr shyppes broken / theyr vytayles fayled / & grete losse of people. Desyrous of rest / we ry of rouynge by y^• see / busy to gete lodgynge / ary­ued at y^• porte of Cartage / & as for doubte of mysta kynge he wolde not be so hardy to take lōde w^t out lycence of y^• of the quene / but sente to her to knowe whyder it pleased her or no. But y^• noble lady full of worshyp and of worthynes whiche knewe well that the Troyans were of more reputacyon for y^• tyme / then was ony nacyon of the worlde. And y^• this Duke Eneas was of the noble blode royall of Troye. She gaue hym not onely lycence that he sholde take the lande / But she herselfe with a noble company of lordes / and ladyes / and gentyl women came agaynst hym vnto the see syde / and [Page] receyued hym & all his company with grete wor­shyp / she ledde hym in to her cyte and gretely wor­shypped hym / feested hym / & eased hym / why shol­de I make the tale longe. So longe Eneas was there at soiourne / ease / and reste / that he thought but lytell of all the tourmentes that he had before And so moche was theyr hauntynge / y^• loue whi­che subtylly can sette harteson fyre made that one to loue that other. But after that that experyence shewed she loued moche better Eneas than he dy de her. For notwithstandynge that he had gyuen to her his faythe that he sholde neuer take other woman / but that he sholde be hers euermore / he departed after that / that she had refresshed hym w^t good and ease / his shyppes garnysshed full of trea soure and goodes / as she that had not spared her goodes there as the herte was holly sette wente away without takynge leue by nyght ryght tray tourously without knowynge of her / and thus he payed his hostesse. The whiche departynge was to her so grete sorowe of hym that she loued so mo che that she wolde forsake all Ioye & her lyfe also. And in dede after that she had wepte and wayled ynoughe she cast herselfe in a grete fyre that she le te make / and so she brente herselfe. And others say that she slewe herselfe with the swerde of Eneas. And thus pyteously ended y^• noble quene Dydo y^• whiche had ben so gretly worshypped y^• she passed in renowne all other women in her tyme.

¶ Of Medea the true Louer. Ca. lv.

[Page] MEdea doughter of the kynge of Col­cos whiche had so moche vnderstan dynge loued ofto grete loue and sta­ble Iason. This Iason was a kny­ght of Grece ryght manly in armes. He herde tell that in y^• Ile of Colcos whiche was in the countre of whiche the fader of Medea was kynge / there was a shepe that semed as impossy­ble to conquere. And yet it was prophecyed that by a knyght it sholde be conquered. Iason whiche vnderstode this thynge / as ryght desyrous to en­creas his renowne from good to better / departed from Grece with a grete company to the entente to proue hym in this conquest. And as he was ary ued in the foresayd countre of Colcos / the kynge of the londe sayd to hym that it was impossyble y^• by the prowesse of armes of man the golden fleece myght be goten. For it was a thynge made by en chautement / and y^• as many knyghtes as assayed it were perysshed. So he wolde not that he sholde lese his lyfe in suche manere. And Iason sayd shor tely that syth he had taken the enterpryse in hande he wolde not leue to dye therfore. Medea the dou ghter of y^• kynge whiche sawe Iason of suche beau te & o [...] so grete renowne / & of the lygnage of a kyn ge semed that he were a good maryage for her / & that he myght y^• better employe his loue to her she thought to kepe hym from the dethe. For grete py te toke her y^• suche a knyght sholde perysshe so. So she spake to hym longe & at laysoure / & to say shor­tely [Page] she toke hym charmes & enchauntementesas she y^• coude all / & taught hym all y^e maner howe & by what waye he sholde conquere y^• golden fleece so y^• Iason sholde promyse her to take her to wyfe without hauynge other / & to loue her truely. But of this promyse lyed Iason. For after that that he was come to his entente he lefte her for another / wherof as sone as he had lefte her she fell in suche dyspayre y^• there was neuer after Ioy in her herte

¶ Of Tysbe the mayden. Ca▪ lvj.

OUyde telleth in his booke of Metha­morphoseos that in the cyte of Baby­lone were .ij. noble & ryche Cytezynes ryght nyghe neyghboures y^t y^e walles of theyr houses y^t they dwelled in Ioyned togvder. These .ij. men had .ij. chyldren fayre aboue all others / y^t one a sone y^t was named Pyra mys / and y^t other a doughter whiche was named Tysbe. These .ij. chyldren whiche yet were with­out malyce / as of y^e age of .vij. yeres loued so par­fytely togyder y^t they myght not abyde one frome another. And it was theyr guyse alwaye y^t euery day to ryse in the mornynge togyder to take theyr refeccyon of theyr faders for to go to play w^t other chyldren of theyr age to y^e entente y^t they myght be alway togyder / & at al theyr playes one myght se them togyder / & thus endure tyll they were waxē grete / & as they grewe in age so encreased y^e flam­bes of theyr loue / so moche y^t by theyr hauntynge they were perceyued / & so some had suspeccyon by [Page] the whiche it was reported to the moder of Tysbe The whiche toke suche wrathe of this thynge y^t she shytte her faste in her chambres / and sayd that she wolde kepe her well ynoughe fro the hauntynge of Pyramys. Of this pryson were ryght sorowfull these two louers that theyr wepynges & com playntes were ryght pyteous. And so was this sorowe to them ryght harde for that none of theym myght se other. This dystresse endured passynge longe / the whiche made not lesse theyr loue / ne made them nothynge y^e slower for so moche as they sawe not eche other but alway encreased the hete of theyr age / so moche that they were come to the age of .xv. yeres. It happened on a daye so as for­tune wolde that Thysbe that thought alwaye in her loue all wepynge in her chambre beholdynge the walle that was bytwene y^• .ij. houses in sayen ge pyteously. O thou walle of harde stone whiche makest the departynge bytwene my loue and me / yf there were ony pyte in the thou woldest cleue in sondre to the entente that I myght se hym that I haue desyred so moche. And as she sayd these wor­des / she sawe by aduenture in a corner y^• walle cle­ued by the whiche she perceyued the lyght of that other parte / and then she dygged in the clefte with the pendant of her gyrdell / for other toole had she none / y^e hole encreased so moche y^e she put thrughe the pendant / to the entente that Pyramys sholde perceyue it. The whiche thynge happened as by this token these .ij. louers often tymes assembled [Page] to speke togyder in the foresayd hole where they made theyr pyteous complayntes. And at the last constrayned by grete loue they toke coūsayle that they wolde stele awaye by nyght fro theyr faders and moders. And that eche of them sholde fynde other at a welle vnder a whyte mulbery tre / whe­re they were wonte to playe in theyr youthe. And as Tysbe whiche loued more was the fyrst come to the welle abydynge her loue / she beynge aferde of a lyon that she herde comynge to drynke at the well she fled to hyde her in a busshe there by. And in goynge she lete fall a whyte couerchefe the whi che the lyon founde / and caste vpon it the entray­les of beestes that he had deuoured / Pyramys ca­me or y^• Tysbe durste come out of the busshe. And for that he founde the couerchefe of Tysbe whiche he perceyued by the mone lyght charged with the entraylles / trowed verely that his loue was de­uoured. So he had so grete sorowe that he slewe hymselfe with his swerde. And as he was in dyen ge Tysbe came whiche founde hym in that poynt and by the token of the couerchefe y^• she sawe hym haue in his hande she knewe y^e cause of y^• euyll ad­uenture / wherof she had suche sorowe y^• she wolde lyue no longer. And when she sawe that the spyry te of her loue was out of his body after many gre te [...]amentacyons that she made she slewe herselfe with the same swerde.

¶ Of the good woman Hero. Ca. lvij.

[Page] THe noble yonge woman Hero loued not moche lesse y^e Hander than dyde Tysbe Pyramys. For as this Han­der to kepe the worshyp of her loued better to put hym in grete peryll thā she sholde be blamed for hym / to y^• entente y^• theyr loue myght endure the longer / without espyenge of ony people / he toke suche a maner to se his lady often tymes. He rose by nyght from his bedde to the entente y^• no man sholde knowe it. And wente alone to an arme of y^e see ryght large whiche was called Herles & passed ouer swymmynge tyll he ca me to a castell named Habydon y^• stode vpon the ryuere in y^• other syde where y^• Hero dwelled whi­che abode at a wyndowe / & in the longe nyghtes of wynter helde out a bronde of fyre at the wyndo we to the entente y^• he sholde come the ryght way thyder. These .ij. louers contynued this lyfe ma­ny yeres tyll fortune had enuye of theyr solacyous lyfe / & thought to trouble theym. For as it happe­ned on a tyme of wynter y^• by the woodnesse of y^• see the ryuere was full of tempest & passynge depe & peryllous / the whiche tempest durynge so longe without seasynge y^• they thought it ryght longe y^• one to se that other whiche was ryght noyous to the .ij. louers and gretely they complayned them of y^• wynde & of the tempest that endured so longe At the last the Hander whome grete desyre chased by that y^• he sawe in a nyght the bronde at y^e wyn­dowe y^• Hero helde It semed hym y^• she called hym [Page] and he thought grete cowardyse y^• he put hym not in peryll / & that he wente not / for drede of whiche he doubted hym. And she wolde fayne defende hȳ y^• he sholde not go to put hym in suche peryll yf she myght. Notwithstandynge she helde out y^• bron­de at aduenture to teche hym the ryght way yf he wolde nedes do it. So thus happened the vnhap py aduenture y^• the Hander put hymselfe in the ry­uere & myght not stryue agaynst the flode of y^• wa ter whiche bare hym soo ferre that he must nedes drowne. The good Hero to whom her herte gaue as it happened seased neuer wepynge. And when y^e clere day appered as she y^• slepte not wente agay ne to y^• wyndowe where she had ben all the nyght And she sawe y^e body of her loue flete vpon the wa ter nyghe y^e brynke. She y^• wolde not lyue no lon­ge after caste her in to y^e see / & dyde so moche y^• she [...]oke her loue in her armes / and so dyed / and thus she was perysshed.

¶ Of Sysmonde doughter of the prynce of Sa­lerne. Ca. lviij.

BOcace telleth in y^• boke of Cent Nou uelles y^• a prynce of Salerne named Cancre had a fayre doughter ryght gentyll & courtoys whiche was na­med Sysmonde. He loued this dou­ghter of soo grete loue that with grete payne he wolde accorde vnto the styrynge of his lordes to marye her to the Erle of Champayne. But as she [Page] that sholde not abyde longe in maryage / this Er­le dyed and y^e fader toke her home agayne to hym / thynkynge neuer to marye her agayne. The lady whiche was nourysshed tenderly / and was ryght fayre / & in the floure of her youthe. And whiche y^t knewe the wyll of her fader that she sholde be ma ryed agayne wente and aduysed her amonge all the seruauntes of her fader of a squyer the whiche aboue al the others thoughe there were grete foy son of knyghtes and gentyll men he semed to her fayre and good / & worthy to be loued. And so mo­che that she thought to passe her youthe more Ioy ously to take her pleasaūce. And longe tyme or she wolde dyscouer this thynge she behelde euery day when she sate at her faders table the maner / coun tenaunce / and condycyons of the squyer whiche was named Guyscart so moche that from day to day he semed to her more parfyte amonge all thyn ges. By the whiche she called hym on a day before her & sayd to hym in this manere / Guyscart fayre frende the trust that I haue in your bounte / beau­te / & wysdome / counsayleth me to dyscouer to you of dyuers thynges that toucheth me ryght secrete the whiche I wolde not tell to none other body. But I wolde or y^t I tell it you to haue your trou­the that shal neuer be opened by you. Guyscart an swered. Madame you nede not to doubte that there shall be nothynge knowne by me that ye tell me / and for that I assure you by my trouthe. And then sayd Sysmonde to hym / Guyscarte knowe [Page] it for trouthe y^t my pleasaunce is in a gentylman / that I loue and wylloue / and for that that I may not well speke to hym nor by whome to sende hym my wyll. I wolde that ye were meane of our lo­ues. Nowe beholde yf I haue grete truste in you aboue all others when I wyll put myne honoure in your handes. And there he set hym on his knees and sayd. Madame I knowe wel that ye haue su che wytte and goodnesse that ye wolde not do the thynge vnconuenable. Soo I thanke you ryght mekely that ye trust in me more than in another. Nowe cōmaunde your good pleasure to me your seruaunt / and I shall obey to my power and serue hym yf I knewe whiche he were y^t were so happy to haue the loue of a lady of so grete worthynesse / as ye are. For certes he hath not fayled of a noble loue. When Sysmonde y^t had wyll to proue hym had herde hym speke so wysely. Thē she toke hym by the hande and sayd. Frende Guyscart knowe it that thou arte he that I haue chosen for myne one ly loue / and in whom I wyll take all my pleasaun ce. For me semeth that the noblesse of thy courage and the good maners of whiche thou arte full yel deth the worthy to haue an hyghe loue. The yon­ge man had grete Ioye of this thynge & thanked ryght humbly / and shortely to say / longe tyme con tynued theyr loue without that / y^e ony tydynges was felte therof. But fortune enuyous of theyr so lace wolde no longer suffre these .ij. louers in Ioy but tourned theyr dysporte in to grete and bytter [Page] sorowe by meruaylous aduenture. It fortuned in a somers day y^t Sysmonde dysported her in a gar dyne with her maydens / at y^t houre her fader that had none other welthe but when he sawe her wen te alone in to her chambre to dysporte hym w^t her. But when he founde y^e wyndowes shytte and the curteynes of the bedde drawne / & that there was no body there trowed that she had ben a slepe. So he wolde not awake her but layde hym on a lytell couche / & there he slepte strongly. when Sysmon­de thought y^t she had ben longe ynoughe in y^e gar­dyne she wente to her chambre & layde her on her bedde as for to slepe / all her women were voyded & shytte the dore vpon her / not perceyuynge y^t her fader or ony other was there / & when she sawe her selfe alone she rose from her bedde & wente to seke Guyscart whiche was in one of he wardrobes / & brought hym in to her chambre. And so as they de uysed bytwene them two within the curteyns as they y^t trowed y^t they were alone / the prynce awo­ke & vnderstode y^t there was a man with his dou­ghter / he had so grete sorowe of y^e thynge y^t of pay­ne the consyderacyon y^t he sholde dyshonoure his doughter myght not kepe hym▪but that he had de parted them. Neuerthelesse he suffred & vndersto­de wel who it was / & dyde so moche y^t he lepte out of the chambre they not knowynge of hym. And when these two louers had ben ynoughe togyder Guyscarte departed. But the prynce that had ma­de watche vpon hym / anone he made hym to be ta [Page] ken & prysoned hym. And after wente to his dou­ghter / & they beynge alone in y^e chambre y^e eyesfull of teeres / and with grete sorowe began to saye to her. ¶ Sygysmonde I trowed to haue in y^• a dou ghter aboue all women / fayre / chaste / & wyse▪but of so moche am I y^• more ouercome to say as thou ghe I had trowed the contrary. For yf I had not sene it with myne eyes there was nothynge that sholde haue made me byleue that thou had be sup prysed w^t the loue of ony man▪but it had ben thyne housbande. But as of y^t I am certayne y^e sorowe therof shall be the tourment of myne age. And of that lytell tyme y^t I haue to lyue / & that whiche en grudgeth moost my wrathe is that y^• I trowed y^• to be of more noble courage then ony woman bor ne. And I se well the contrary / by that y^• thou hast taken the to one of y^e leest of myne housholde. For yf thou wolde haue done suche a thynge / thou my ghtest haue founde some of more noblesse & wor­shyp in my courte then when thou toke Guyscart. To whome I trowe to yelde the sorowe y^t I haue by his cause. For I wolde y^t thou knowe it that I shall make hym to dye / & the same wolde I do by the yf I myght destroy fro myne herte the loue y^t I haue in y^e more gretter than euer fader had to his doughter / whiche tourneth me fro it / when Sys­monde vnderstode this thynge & that her fader cō dēpned hym to deth y^t she loued so moche she was so sorowfull that she wolde fayne dye y^t houre / yet by ryght stable courage & constaunte chere w^t out [Page] castynge ony teeres out of her eyes / thoughe she was dysposed to lyue no longer she āswered thus Fader syth that it is so that fortune hathe made y^t to be knowne whiche that I wolde so fayne haue couered. I haue noo nede to make noo request of you / excepte yf I wyste to aske of you remyssyon & lyfe to hym that ye manace of dethe. I wolde bese che you to take myne and leue his. For in that y^t I aske you pardon / & ye wolde do to hym as ye saye I wolde not aske it. For I wyll noo longer lyue. For of so moche I make you certayne that by his dethe ye shall sle me. But of this thynge that mo­ueth you to so grete wrathe ayenst vs / haue ye not cause to take it vnto your owne blame. For ye that be of fless he haue not ye engendred a doughter of fless he & not of stone nor of yron. And ye ought to thynke thoughe ye be olde / what and howe grete is the heuynesse of youthe lyuynge in delyces and at ease / and the pryckynges whiche are to passe. And syth that I sawe that ye thought neuer ma­ry me agayne / & felynge me yonge & prycked with lustynesse I fell to loue this same gentylman and not without a cause / ne without grete delybera­cyon I consented and accorded to myne herte that he desyred / yet or that I aduysed well the condycy ons of hym parfyte in all vertues more than ony other of your courte / and that ye may knowe your selfe whiche haue nourysshed hym / & what other thynge is noblesse but vertues / for it cometh not of fless he & blode whiche is but donge / so ye haue [Page] not cause to saye that I haue taken me to the leest noble of your courte / and thus ye haue no cause of wrathe towarde vs / your owne blame cōsydered But at all yf ye wyll take so grete punysshment of hym for that trespace it perteyneth not to be taken but it sholde be taken of wronge & of synne. But it is more ryght y^t I haue it whiche styred hym ther­to / whiche thought that he ought to haue it. For certes it sholde haue ben to moche in the herte of a vylayne to haue refused a lady of suche parentage Ought ye then to employe this trespace all vpon hym and not vpon me. Then the prynce departed from Sysmonde. But yet he was not appeased to warde Guyscart / but in the mornynge made hym to be slayne / & commaunded that the herte sholde be taken out of the body / the whiche herte y^• fader put in a ryght ryche cuppe of golde / and by a secre­messagere sent it vnto his doughter / and he sholde say that he sent her that presente & to enioy of that thynge y^t she loued moost. The messagere came before Sysmonde and made his present and sayd y^t he was charged therwith. And she toke the cuppe and opened it / and anone she knewe the aduentu­re. But thoughe she had sorowe inestymable / she was not dysmayed of her hyghe courage / but made her answere to hym in this wyse without chaū gynge her chere sayenge. My frende say to y^• prynce that one thynge perceyue I well / that is this / y^t to so noble a herte he hathe gyuen suche a sepultu­re that perteyneth to hym. For other than golde & [Page] precyous stones ought he not haue. Thā she stou­ped ouer the cuppe and kyssed the herte / in sayenge pyteously. Ha ryght swete herte herboure of all my pleasure. Cursed be the cruelte of that maketh me to see the in this plyte. ye were alwaye present in myne herte / and the veray eyen of my thought. Now hast thou passed the course of thy noble lyfe by dyuerse fortunes / but yet thou hast suche asepul ture of thyne enemye as thy worthynesse hath de­serued / so it pertayneth well that I do myn offyce that thou be wasshed & bayned with the teeres of her that thou loued so moche / and thou shalte not fayle therof / and with y^t thy soule shal not be longe without myne. For that is no reason but y^t I shall make y^e companye in short tyme / yet maulgre for­tune that hath be to the so cōtrarye / there is come to the so moche of wele nowe that my cruell fader bath sent y^• to me to thentent y^t thou be more wor­shypped / and that I speke to the or that I dye and that my soule maye se thyn / of whom I desyre the companye aboue all thynge / for I knowe well y^t thy spyryte desyreth myne / suche wordes & others ynowe sayd Sysinonde so pyteous that ony per­sone that harde it ought to haue grete pyte of it. And so depely she wepte that it semed y^• she had .ij. welles in her hede y^t ran w^tout ceasynge in to y^• cup w^tout makynge noyse or crye / but w^t alowe voy­ce kyssynge alwaye y^• herte. The ladys & gentyl­women y^• were about her had grete meruayle of this thynge / for they knewe nothynge of y^• aduen­re [Page] / ne what was the cause of y^• grete sorowe. So they wept all for pytye / and payned them to recō ­forte her / but it auayled not / & in vayne they asked her moost pryue women the cause of her sorowe. And she ouercome w^t meruayllous sorowe whan she had wepte ynough sayd. O ryght welbyloued herte I haue done al myne ossyce that longed to y^• nowe there resteth nought to doo but to sende my soule to make companye with thyne. And w^t these wordes she lyfte her vp and opened an almarye & toke out a boxe where she had put venymous her­bes to dyssolue in water / to haue it redy whan the cause happed. So she cast y^• water in to the cuppe where the herte was & without ony maner drede dranke it all / & layde her done vpō her bed abydyn ge the dethe holdynge y^• cup alwaye ryght stratly whan y^• women sawe her body chaūge by sygnes of dethe / sorowynge meruayllously cursed y^• fader whiche was gone a lytell whyle to dysporte hym. And than he came at the houre that the venym by gan to stretche aboute in the vaynes / and he ful of sorowe of y^e case y^t was happed repentynge hym of y^t he had done / bygan to speke to her by swete wor des trowyng to haue recōforted her makynge gre te sorowe / & his doughter āswered hȳ Cancre reser ue thy teeres tyl a nother tyme / for here is no nede of thē & I desyre thē not / y^u resemblest y^e mad mā y^t slewe a mā & after wepte tor it / had it not be better y^t y^u haddest let thy douzter lyue at plesaūce secretly louyng a mā thā to se her hard deth by thy cruelte [Page] to thy grete sorowe. The whiche dethe shall make that thynge that was secrete to appere openly / & then she myght speke no more for her herte brake / holdynge the cuppe ryght straytely in her handes And anone after her y^e fader dyed for sorowe. And thus ended Sysmonde the doughter of the pryn­ce of Salerne /

¶ Of Lyzabeth and of other louers. Ca. lix.

ALso Bocace telleth in the saydbooke of Cent Nouuelles that in the cyte of Messyne in Italy there was a yonge woman named Lyzabeth / y^e whiche iij. bretherne of hers by theyr couey­tousnes taryed her of maryenge. And they had a factoure and a gouernoure of all theyr busynesses ryght fayre and a goodly yonge man whiche that theyr fader had nourysshed all his youthe. ¶ It happened by the contynuell frequentacyon y^t they had bytwene them they loued eche other, and this loue contynued a whyle ryght Ioyously. But at the last as these bretherne perceyued as they that wolde not make grete noyse for dyshonourynge of theyr syster were aduysed to sle hym. And in de­de they ledde this yonge man whiche was named Laurence with them vnto a manere of theues / & when they were come thyder they had hym in to a gardyne and slewe hym / and buryed hym amon­ge the trees. And they came home agayne to theyr [Page] house made them to byleue y^t they had sente this Laurence ferre in to another cou [...]re in theyr mes­sage. Lyzabeth whiche loued Laurence of so gre te loue was nothynge at hertes ease bycause she had lost y^e presence of her loue & her herte gaue her straungely of this matter so moche y^t in a tyme cō strayned of ryght loue myght not suffre noo lon­ger but y^t she a [...]ked of one other bretherne where y^t Laurence was & why he taryed so longe. By y^• whiche her broder answered her ryght tyersly & sayd / what perteyneth it to y^e to knowe / & then Ly zabeth perceyued certaynly y^• they had slayne lau rence / for y^e whiche she made meruaylous sorowe when she was alone / & she wepte all y^• nyght ry­ght depely w^tout takynge ony maner of rest in cō ­playnynge hym y^t she loued so moche / & ther with she became ryght syke / for y^e whiche sykenesse she requyred her bretherne y^t they wolde let her go to dysporte her at theyr maner w^tout the Cyte a lytel whyle / & when they had graunted her she wente thyder / & she to whome her herte gaue all this ad uenture wente alone in to y^e gardyne where this Laurence lay deed / & lokynge all aboute she sawe where y^e body was buryed by the raysynge of the newe erthe / & then she dygged y^e erthe w^t a pycoys y^t she founde there so moche tyll she founde y^• body Then embrasynge y^e body by grete dystresse made sorowe out of measure. But for so moche that she knewe that she myght not be longe there for fere she sholde be perceyued / toke y^e body out of y^e erthe [Page] and toke the heed of her loue y^t her bretherne had smyten of / and knytted it in a couerchefe & bury­ed it in one of her grete pottes wheron they vse to set herbes & plantes & an herbe aboue it swete ly smellynge y^t is called Basylycon. And w^t this potte she tourned home to her house agayne but she had this potte in so grete cherete y^t she coude not parte from it but put it in one of her chambre wyndowes in the ayre. And she watered it with none other water but with the teeres of her eyen nyght and daye. And this thynge endured no ly­tell whyle as some of these men saye women for­geteth lyghtly / but it semed y^t her sorowe encrea­sed from day to daye / & thus was the Basylycon waxen fayre & grete for the fatnesse of the erthe / & to tell shortely so moche she ledde this lyfe vpon y^e potte / y^t it happened y^t some of her neyghboures perceyued howe she wepte without seasynge at this wyndowe vpon the potte / & tolde to her bre therne the meruayle of her sorowe. So they we­re gretely abasshed what it myght be. And by ny ght stale awaye the potte wherof in the mornyn ge there began to sprynge a newe noyaunce whē she founde not her potte / & for all grace she requy red y^t she myght haue her potte agayne & she wol de quyte it them thoughe she sholde gyue her par te of all her other goodes / and sayd pyteously in complaynynge. Alas in what houre brought my moder me forthe in to this worlde with my cruel bretherne y^• whiche hateth my symple pleasaūce / [Page] that they wyll not leue me a lytell poore potte of Basylycon whiche cost them nought nor yelde it me agayne / & I aske them nothynge elles for my maryage / & for my dowry. Alas it is not grete y^e I desyre of them / & thus she lete it passe / but her soro we neuer seased so moche y^t she layde her on a bed & was sore syke. In the whiche sykenesse what so euer one offred her she set not by it ne by no Ioye in y^e worlde but onely her potte / & thus she dyed pyteously. And I thynke not y^t this thynge is a le synge for there they made a songe of y^e complayn­te of this geney [...]womā & of her pot whiche they synge yet. what shall I tell y^e more I sholde holde y^e to longe yf I tolde y^e the hystoryes of women in suche maner of loue taken / whiche haue loued of ryght grete loue. ¶ Of another also telleth Boca ce of whome y^e housbande made to eate y^e herte of her loue / whiche neuer ete after. The same dyde y^e lady of Fayllee whiche loued the Chastelayne of Coussy by to grete loue. Also I soude Trystram. Tyamere whiche loued Hercules so moche y^t she slewe herselfe whē he was deed. So it is no dou bte y^• there is ryght grete loue in a cōstaunte wo­mā where she setteth her herte thoughe it be so y^t there be some womē lyght. ¶ But these pyteous ensamples & ynowe of others y^t I myght tell the ought not to be y^e cause to moue y^• courage of wo men to put them in this peryllous see & dampna­ble of lewde loue. For alway the ende therof is to them grete preiudyce in grefe of body & goodes / [Page] or dyshonoure in y^• soule whiche is most. So they shalldo as wyse womē whiche by good wyt can eschewe & not to gyue audyence to thē whiche w^t out seasynge trauaylleth thē to deceyue theym in suche case.

¶ Of Iuno & of other dyuers ladyes of renow­ne. Ca. lx.

NOwe I haue tolde y^• of grete foyson of ladyes of the whiche y^• hystoryes maketh mencyon / but for to saye of all the processe sholde be infynyte the whiche I haue not taken in honde / & it suttyseth me without more that I brynge forth some in wytnessynge to saye the contrary to that y^• thou hast purposed that dyuers men say. I wyl tell the in conclusyon of some that hathe ben in y^• worlde gretely praysed by dyuers accydētes mo­re thā by grete vertues. ¶ Iuno doughter of Sa turnus & of Opys after the sayenges of poetes & y^• erroure of paynymes was gretely praysed abo ue all other women of y^t lawe more for her good fortune than for ony other excellence. She was syster of Iupyter and maryed vnto hym whome they called souerayne god / & for the grete rychesse & fortune in whiche she lyued & habounded with her housbande was reputed as goddesse of ry­chesse. And those madde people byleued y^• for her stature that she had after her dethe that they we­re the better fortuned / & they graunted to her also y^• cōforte of y^• ryghtes of maryage / & by her helpe [Page] the women recouered in praynge to her / and they made temples of her all aboute / awters / preestes / playes & sacrefyses / & thus was she lōge worshyp ped of the grekes and of them of Cartage / & with that she was brought to Rome after and put in y^• Capytole in the Celle of Iupyter her housbande. And there she was worshypped of Romaynes y^• were lordes of the worlde with many dyuers ce­rymonyes by longe tyme. ¶ Also Europe y^t was doughter of Agenor kynge of Phenyce was also gretely praysed for that / that Iupyter whiche lo­ued her named the thyrde parte of y^• worlde after her name. And it is to knowe that of the names of dyuers women hathe ben dyuers landes / Cytees and townes named so / as Englonde of a woman that was called Angle / and so of others.

¶ Iocasta quene of Thebes was praysed for her grete infortune / for by mysaduenture she had wed ded her owne sone after that / y^t she had slayne his owne fader wherof none of theym bothe knewe. And she sawe that he dyspayred when he knewe y^• aduenture & after sawe hym slayne bytwene two sones y^t she had. ¶ Also Meduse or Bargon was praysed for her grete beaute / she was doughter of the ryche kynge Porce of whom y^• Royalme was ryght haboundauntly closed with y^• see. This Me duse as the auncyent hystoryes sayth was of soo meruayllous beaute that not onely she passed all other women / but that is a meruayllous thynge and aboue nature. She had her countenaunce so [Page] pleasaunt with her beaute of body and of vysage & of her yelowe heeres as longe thredes of golde & cryspe that she drewe euery mortall creature y^t she behelde to her / so that she was unmouable to all people. And therfore the fable fayneth that she became a stone. ¶ Helayne wyfe of Menelans / kynge of Lacedemoyne doughter of Tyndarus kynge of Ceballe / & of Leyda his wyfe was gre­tely renowmed for her grete beaute. And for that that it happened for bycause of the rauyss hynge that Parys made of her whiche was y^• cause by the whiche Troye was destroyed of this quene / thoughe it be sayd of the beaute of others / the hy­storyes affermeth that she was the fayrest womā that euer was borne of moder. And therfore the­se Poetes saye that she was engendred of Iupy­ter the grete god. ¶ Also Polexene that was the meke doughter of kynge Pryamus was also as fayre a mayde as is made mencyon in ony hysto­re / and with y^• she was ryght stable & constaunte of courage as she shewed in receyuynge the deth without vysege or [...]here when she was heeded vpon the tombe of Achylles / then she sayd that it was more agreable to her to dye than to be ledde in seruage. Of others ynowe I myght tell y^• whi che that I leue for shortenesse.

¶ Here speketh Xp̄ine / and ryghtwysnesse answe reth ayenst them that women drawe mē to them by theyr gaynesse. Ca. lxj.

[Page]IXp̄ine sayd thus Madame truely to y^• pur­pose aboue sayd. The peryllous lyfe of foly loue to that y^• I se / truely it ought to be eschewed of women that haue ony vnderstandynge in soo moche that it is to them so preiudyable. But the­re is grete blame gyuen to them that delyte them to be gay in theyr araye and clothynge / and some saye that they do it for to drawe these mē to theyr loue. ¶ Answere. Dere loue I shall not excuse them that be curyous and quaynte of theyr aray For without fayle that vyce and not lytell ne no quayntenesse out of estate that perteyneth to eue­ry persone to bere is not without blame by y^• whi che not to excuse the euyll / but to the entente that none charge them to gyue greter blame / ne other that it affermeth not of suche women y^t one seeth fresshe and gaye. I say to the certaynely that it co meth not to all women bycause of loue that they do so / but it cometh to many as well men as wo­men by ryght good condycyón and naturall in­clynacyon that they delyte theym in fresshenesse / and in fayre habytes and ryche / in clennesse / and in profytable thynges. And yf it come to them by kynde it were herde to them to eschewe it howe be it that it sholde be the more vertuous. ¶ It is not wryten of the Appostle saynt Barthylme we the whiche was a ryght grete gentyll man / that notwithstandynge that our sauyoure cryste Ihe­su preched and teched strongly of pouerte & lym­plenesse in all maner of thynges / yet the blessyd [Page] apostle all his lyfe ware clothes of sylke frenged aboute with golde and precyous stones / and it co meth to hym of kynde to be rychely arayed y^• whi­che is comunely a curyous thynge and full of pry­de / and yet he synned not. And some wyll say that for that cause our lorde suffred that for his martyr dome he lefte his skynne / and was slayne. And the se thynges that I tell the for to showe that no mā ought to Iuge another of conscyence for his haby te / ne for his araye. For it perteyneth onely to god to be Iuge of all creatures / and vpon that I shall tell the some ensamples.

¶ Of Claudyne a woman of Rome. Ca. lxij.

ALso Bocace and Ualere telleth y^• Clau dyne whiche was a noble lady of Ro­me delyted gretely in fayr [...] clothynges & delycate. And for that y^t she was mo­delycatyfe than the other ladyes of Ro­me / some presumed shrewdely ayenst her / & ayenst her chastyte to y^• preiudyce of her good name. So it happened in the .xv. yere of the seconde batayle of Aufryke. That the ymage of Pyssemonde mo­der of y^e goddes after opynyon had ben borne fro Rome there were assembled all the noble ladyes of Rome to go mete with the ymage whiche was put in a shyp vpon Tybre / but y^• maryners myght not aryue at the porte for all theyr strength. Then Claudyne whiche knewe well y^t she was mysby­lened [Page] of wronge for her fresshnesse she kneled be­fore the ymage and made her prayer all on hyghe in sayenge to the goddesse / that as truely as that she knewe that her chastyte was hole and not cor rupte that she wolde gyue her grace that she alo­ne myght drawe the shyp to the hauen. And then trustynge to her clennesse toke her gyrdell & boun de it to the sterne of the shyp / and atter drewe the shyp to the ryuayle as lyghtly as thoughe all the maryners of the worlde had ben there. And then euery body meruaylled therof. I haue not tolde y^• this ensample for the thynge that I wene that y^• ymage that they as foles and myscreauntes call a goddesse y^t had myght to lyfte vp the prayer of Claudyne but I haue tolde it the for to shewe the that she that was so gaye lefte not for so moche to be chaste and by that she shewed that she had that the trouthe of her chastyte was so courable to her the whiche helped her and not the goddesse.

¶ Howe they lye not vpon some womē for so mo che thoughe they delyte them in fayre clothynge & araye. Ca. lxiij.

ANd those women that wolde be bylo­ued payne them for y^• cause to be gaye nyce and curyous. I shall proue the y^t encheson maketh them not the sooner / ne the better to be loued of wyse men & of worshyp / and more sooner and better ben these [Page] vertuous women honest & symple loued of them that loue worshyp than the moost Iolyest & fay­rest. So one myght answere me thus / syth that women drawe these men to theym by theyr ver­tue and honeste. It were better that there were fewer good women / but y^• reason sholde be nou­ght worth. For the good and profytable thynges ought not to be lefte to be tolde & to encrease for that thoughe the foles abuse them and euery mā ought to do his deuoyre as wel doynge thoughe it fortune the contrary. And y^t it is soo that many women ben loued for theyr vertues and honeste. I shall shewe the ensamples fyrst of dyuers sayn tes of paradyse I myght tell the that were couey ted of men for theyr honeste. ¶ Lucresse of whom I spake here aboue whiche was rauysshed / the grete honeste of her was cause that Tarquyne lo ued her more than her beaute. For as her hous bā de was ones at a soupere there as this Tarquy­ne was whiche rauysshed her after and dyuers other knyghtes with theym they began to speke of theyr wyues / and euery mā sayd that his was best. But to knowe y^e trouthe & to proue whiche o [...] theyr wyues was moost worthy to be praysed euery man wente to horse backe & wente to theyr houses. And thoughe y^t they founde occupyed in the moost honest offyces & the werke were y^• mo­ [...]e of reputacyon wherof it fortuned y^t Lucresse a­monge all the other was founde y^• moost honest­ly occupyed as ryght a wyse & a good womā clo­thed [Page] in a symple gowne amonge her maydens & her womē werkyngein wulles & spekynge of ver tuous thynges / & thyder came y^• sayd Tarquyne sone of y^• kynge with her hous bade whiche behol dynge her grete honeste / her symple countenaūce & her styll manere was so amerous of her y^t it cau [...]ed hȳ to do the folye that he dyde a [...]ter.

¶ Of quene Blaunche moder of saynt Lewes & o [...] other good women loued for theyr vertues. Capitulo .lxiiij.

THe same wyse was loued for her gre te vnderstandynge / wysdome / ver­tue & bounte / the ryght noble quene Blaūche moder of saynt Lewes of y^• erle of Chāpayne not [...]standynge she had passed y^e floure of her youthe. But this no ble erle herynge y^• quene speke to hym w^t so wyse wordes when he had begon to warre agaynst y^• sayd sayd saynt Lewes and the good lady spake to hym of it sayenge that he ought not to do so cō syderynge the welthes that her sone had done to hym / the erle behelde her by grete entent meruay lynge hym of the grete goodnesse & vertue of her by y^e whiche he was so strongely vndertaken w^t her loue y^t he wyst not what to say nor do / ne durst neuer warre ayenst hym after. For he knewe wel y^• there was so moche welthe in her and of vertue also y^t he coude neuer do otherwyse but accorde w^t hym and her. So he suffred fro that houre for the [Page] many troubles by lewde desyres that cōstrayned hym / yet she answered hym by the same. And then when she doubted not that he sholde neuer make warre to the kynge but wolde be all his / and that she was incertayne that herte and body and all y^t euer he had was submytted to her commaunde­ment / soo she loued hym all his lyfe after. And he lefte not for a lytell wanhope that he myght come to her loue. So he made his louely complayntes in dyttyes praysynge gretely his lady. The whi­che goodly dyttyes that he made he put them to a musyeyen to set them in to songe ryght delectably And in his halle at Prouynce and also at Troyes he made wryte them and yet they appere in many places. And thus myght I tell the of many other ¶ And I Xp̄ine answered Madame to your pur­pose in lyke case I haue sene by experyence. For I knowe many vertuous women that by that they haue confessed them to me in complaynynge them to me of the pleasaunce that they toke there they haue ben more requyred syth y^• tyme y^• theyr grete beaute and youthe hath ben past▪ than they were in theyr grete f [...]oure wherof they sayd. Alas what wyll ye that I say to these men seynge in me ony countenaunce of foly by y^• whiche they haue coloure and cause to thynke that he was of accor­de to do so grete foly. And I perceyue nowe open ly by that y^• ye saye that the grete welthe of them hathe ben cause to make them to loue. And it is well contrary to y^• opyupon of dyuers folke y^t say [Page] that a good woman that wolde be chaste shall ne uer be that woman that lyst to be coueyted nor re quyred.

¶ Xp̄ine asketh & ryght wysnes answereth ayenst them that saye that women by nature ben scarse. Capitulo .lxv.

REplye you I can no more myne ow­ne lady / For my questyons ben well assoyled. And it semeth me that ye ha ue ynoughe proued false the euyll say enges y^t so many men saye vpon wo­men. And also amonge other vyces of womē they saye y^t Auaryce is a naturall thynge in them / but it appereth not so to me by that that ye saye. ¶ An swere. Dere doughter I tell the certaynly y^t Aua­ryce is no more naturall in women than in men / & yf there be lesse god knoweth it. And that thou mayst se by that that by y^• couetysenesse of dyuers men there is moche more harme done to the worl de than by the lytell couetysenesse of women. But as I haue sayd to the before that y^• fole knoweth better the lytell trespace in his neyghboure than he dothe the grete cryme of hymselfe. And by that that one sethe often tymes y^• women delyte them in louynge to spynne and carde suche thyngesmē call couetyse. But I promyse the y^t there ben grete foyson of them that yf they had wherof they wol­de not be scarse ne couetouse as of that y^t sholde be [Page] to theyr worshyp. But poore men holde comune­ly theyr wynes so strayte y^t they must nedes kepe that they haue / for they wote well it were no ly­ght thynge to haue more. And so there ben some people y^t calleth women scarse / for y^t they haue ma ryed full large wastours of theyr goodes / & the poore women y^t knewe well y^t theyr housbandes haue spended lewdely that y^t sholde fynde theyr housholde & that they & theyr chyldren dare not compare chere and maye not holde them to speke to theyr housbandes & to coūsayle them of lesse de spence. So suche thynges is no coueytyse ne scar senesse but it is a sygne of ryght grete prudence / & suche debates one may se often tymes in marya­ges by that y^t suche counsayllynge pleaseth not to the men / and by y^t they gyue blame to the women of y^t they ought to prayse them of. But y^t it be true that this vyce of Auaryce be not in them so as so­me wyll say / It appereth to almesse that with ry ght good wyll they do dayly / & god knoweth it howe many prysoners in the londe of y^• sara [...]yns howe many nedy gentylmen & others haue ben and ben all dayes lowe in the worlde comforted & socoured by women & by theyr goodes. ¶ The Ladyes of Rome were not scarse when in the ty me that y^• Cyte was gretely greued with warre / by the whiche all y^• comune treasoure of y^• towne was wasted & spended on men of armes wherof it was grete sorowe to y^• Romaynes to fynde the way to haue syluer to put forth an armye whiche [Page] was of force ryght necessary for them. But the la dyes by theyr owne fre wyll & also the wydowes assembled them & brought all theyr Iewelles & al that they had without sparynge ony thynge to y^• prynces of Rome / & freely toke it them of y^• whi che thynge the ladyes were gretely praysed / and afterwardes all theyr Iewelles & goodes were yelded to them agayne & of good ryght. For they were the cause of y^• recouerynge of Rome.

¶ Of the ryche lady and lyberall named Buyse. Capitulo .lxvj.

OF the lyberalyte of women also it is wryten in the dedes of y^• Romaynes of y^• worshypfull ryche woman Buy­se or Paulyne whiche was in y^• londe of Puyl le in the tyme y^t Hanyball gre ued so moche the Romaynes by fyre and yren / y^t he despoyled almost all Italy of men & of goodes It happened y^t of y^• grete dyscomfyture of Canes wherof Hanyball had so noble a vyctorye / many Romaynes fledde y^• scaped from the batayle woū ded and hurte. But this worshypfull lady Buyse receyued all them that she myght haue anone to the nombre of .x. thousande and gadered them in to her houses / for she was of grete rychesse. Soo she made them to be heled at her cost and charge / & socoured them all with her goodes soo moche y^• [Page] by the helpe and comforte y^• she dyde to themthey myght tourne agayne to Rome and set vp theyr armes agayne of the whiche thynge she was ry­ght gretely praysed. So doubte ye not dere fren­de that of infynyte women / large curtoys / and ly / berall I myght tell the ynoughe. ¶ And also with out sekynge more ferther the hystoryes as well of other largesse of ladyes I myght tell the ynoughe Ne was not the lyberalyte grete of the noble la­dy de la ryuere named Margarete whiche is yet on lyue / and was somtyme wyfe of the lorde Bu­rell lorde de la ryuere / and fyrste chambrelayne of the wyse kynge Charles. This lady as she y^t was alwaye / wyse / worshypfull and well manered. It happened in a tyme amonge others / y^t she beynge at a grete feest where there was grete foyson of noble ladyes and of knyghtes and of gentylmen in grete apparayle. Then this noble lady whiche was fayre & yonge as she behelde y^• noble cheual­ry that was there thought that there was no che re amonge others ryght a notable knyght and of grete worshyp in his lyuynge that was called syr Emenyon de Pomyners. This lady lefte not for so moche y^t he was a goodly man to haue remem braunce of hym bycause of his worthynesse and bounte / her thought y^• more fayrer araye myght not be in a company than notable men & of good fame thoughe that they were olde. So she asked gretely where this syr Emenyon was y^• he was not at that assemble. So it was tolde her that he [Page] was in pryson in the castell of Parys for fyue hon dred frankes in whiche he was boūde for a vyage that he dyde in armes as he dyde ofte tymes. Ha sayd the noble lady what shame is this to y^e real­me to suffre suche a man to be an houre in pryson for dette. And than she toke the chapellet of golde that she had vpon her hede / ryght ryche and fayre / and put vpon her in stede of that a chapellet of per uencle / and so she toke it to a certayne messagere & sayd. Go and put this chapellet in plegge for that he oweth / and that he be delyuered anoue and co­me heder / the whiche thynge was done of the whi che she was gretely praysed.

¶ Of pryncesses & of ladyes of Fraūce. Ca. lxvij.

ANd I Xp̄ine sayd thus. Madame sy­the that ye haue remēbred this lady that is in my tyme and are entred to the same pourse of ladyes of Fraunce a bydynge in that coūtre. I pray you that it please you to saye som what of them that ye seme ought to be sayd / & yfye thynke y^t it be good that they maye be harboured in our cyte. For whe refore ought they to be forgotten as thoughe they were straungers. Answere. Xp̄ine I answere the certaynely that I se many of thē ryght vertuous / and it pleaseth me wel y^• they be of our cytezeynes And fyrst of all shall not be refused / there the noble quene of Fraunce Isabell debauere / nowe by the [Page] grace of god reygnynge in whom there was ne­uer founde no cruelte nor extorcyon ne none euyl vyce but alway in good loue & benygnyte to her subiectes. ¶ Ne ought not gretely to be praysed y^• fayre yonge / good & wyse duchesse of Berry wyfe of duke Iohn̄ late sone of kynge Iohn̄ of Fraū ce & broder of y^• wyse kynge Charles / y^• whiche noble duchesse bare herselfe so wysely & chaste in the floure of her youthe y^• all y^• worlde praysed her of grete vertue. what sholde I say to y^• of y^• duchesse of Orlyaunce wyfe of Lewes sone of Charles y^• wyse kynge of Fraūce late doughter of y^e duke of Myllayne / of whiche prudent lady ye myght tell y^• stronge & constaūte courage of grete loue to her lorde / aduysed in gouernaunce / Iust to euery mā & wyse of her behauoure. ¶ what is there to saye of y^• duchesse of Burgoyne wyfe of duke Iohn̄ so­ne of Phylyp / late sone of kynge Iohn̄ of Fraūce / was she not ryght vertuous true to her lorde be­nygne in herte / & in her countenaunce / good in cō dycyons & without ony vyce. ¶ The countesse of Cleremount doughter of y^• duke of Berry aboue sayd of his fyrst wyfe & maryed to y^• erle of Clere­mount sone of y^• duke of Burbon abydynge y^• du­chy / is not y^• tale of her suche y^• perteyneth to be to euery hygh prȳcesse of y^• gret loue of her lorde wel manered in all thynges wyse / & her vertues appe red lyke to her countenaunce & honourable porte & this is she y^• ȳ louest syngulerly amonge others as moche for her vertues as for y^• grete benefey­tes [Page] of her / stretched vnto y^• by charyte & good loue ȳ arte beholdynge therto. The Duchesse of Holā ­de & countesse of Heynaulte doughter of y^• aboue sayd Phylyp & syster of hym y^• is nowe / ought not y^• lady to be put amōge y^• good ladyes true in cou rage / ryghtwyse in gouernaunce / charytable / & so ueraynely deuoute to god warde / & to say shortly all good. ¶ The duchesse of Burgon / ought she not to be remembred amonge y^• praysed ladyes / & ryght worshypfull worthy to be praysed in al thȳ ges / what sholde I say / I must occupye longe ty­me to tell all theyr grete bountees. ¶ The good lady & fayre & ryght a noble woman countesse of Saynt Poule / doughter of y^• duke of Bar / cosyn germayne of y^• kynge of Fraunce wel ought to co me in place amonge others. ¶ Also she y^• thou lo­uest well Anne doughter somtyme of the Erle of Marche & syster to hym y^t nowt is whiche is ma­ryed to the broder of y^• quene of Fraunce Lewes de bauyere empeyreth not y^• company of thē y^• ha ue grace & be worthy of pray synge / for to god & y^• worlde her vertuesben accepted. ¶ Of other coū tesses & baronnesses ladyes & gentylwomē / bur­geyses / wyues & of al estates there ben ynowe bo the good & fayre maulgre y^• euyll sayers y^• god be worshypped whiche maynteyne thē & amēde thē y^• do amysse / & of this thyng doubte not y^• cōtrary For I afferme y^• for certayne thoughe y^t many mē as euylsayers & enuyous say y^• cōtrary. & I Xp̄ine answered / thā certes madame this I sayd of you [Page] is to me a souerayne Ioye. And she answered me. Dere frende nowe I haue suffycyently done myne offyce in y^• Cyte of ladyes / as in makynge y^• fayre palays & [...]ayre mansyons / & I haue peopled it w^t nobles grete rowtes of all estates whiche is nowe fulfylled / nowe come my syster Iustyce whiche shal perfourme y^• surplus & so y^• shalte be suffysed.

¶ Xp̄ine speketh to all pryncesses ladyes / & to all women. Ca. .lxviij.

MOost doubted execellente & worshyp full pryncesse of Fraūce and of euery coūtree / all ladyes gentyll women / & generally al women / whiche loueth / loued / and shal loue vertue and good condycyons. As moche those y^• ben passed as those ben nowe / & those y^• are to come / be ye glad & make I oye in our newe Cyte / whiche thanked be god is al buylded for y^• moost parte / & nere hande peopled yelde ye thankes to god whiche hytherto hath con duyted mewith grete laboure & studye & wolde y^• a worshypfull lodgynge for a perpetuall dwellynge as longe as y^• worlde shall last were made by me in y^• cloystre of a cyte stablysshed / to whiche I am come hytherto / hopynge to go forthe to y^e cōclusyō of my worke / by y^• helpe & comforte of dame Iusty ce / whiche after her promyse shall be to me helpe w^t out beynge wery tyll it be closed & al parfytely ma de. Nowe pray for me my moost doubted ladyes.

¶ The fyrst chapytre telleth howe Iustyce ledde the quene of heuen to enhabyte and lordeshyp in the Cyte of ladyes. Capitulo. Primo.

ANd then my lady Iustyce drewe her towarde me in her hyghe manere & sayd thus. Xp̄ine to saye y^• ryght way It semeth me well y^• after thy possy­bylyte with the helpe of my systers so that thou hast knowne to put in werke thou hast wrought well and fayre in the buyldynge of the Cyte of Ladyes. And frome hense forthe it is ty­me y^• I entremete me of the surpluse so as I haue promysed the. That is to knowe to brynge thy­der and lodge the moost excellent and blessyd que ne amonge all women with her noble company so that the cyte maye be lordeshypped and gouer­ned by her / and enhabyted with a grete multytu­de of noble ladyes of her courte and of her me [...]ny For I se the palays and the hyghe mansyons re­dy and arayed / and al the stretes couered to recey ue her and her ryght honourable and excellente rowte and assemble. Nowe come on then ye pryn cesses / ladyes / and all women before / to receyue this lady with grete worshyppe and reuerence. whiche is not onely your quene / but she whiche hathe domynacyon and lordeshyp aboue al puy­saunce after here onely sone that she bare and con ceyued of the holy ghost / and whiche is y^• sone of [Page] god the fader. But it is good reason y^t this moost hyghe & excellent pryncesse be mekely prayed by y^• assemble of all ladyes & women y^t it please her of her grete makenesse to dwelle here alowe amon­ge them in theyr Cyte & congregacyon without hauynge them in dysdayne for the regarde of her hyghnesse towarde theyr lytelnesse. But it nede­th not to doubte y^t her mekenesse whiche passeth all others & her benygnyte more than aungelyke ne wyll not suffre her to make refuge to dwelle & enhabyte in y^e Cyte of ladyes aboue all other wo­mē in y^e palays y^t my syster ryghwysnesse hath or­deyned for her whiche is all made of glorye & of praysynge. Nowe come on then al women w^t me & say we thus here. ¶ we salute y^• with y^• same sa lutacyō y^t the aūgell brought to y^• / y^• whiche y^• hast most agreable aboue al other salutacyōs saynge to y^e. (Aue Maria). All y^• deuoute kynde of womē beseche the mekely y^t thou abhorre not to dwelle amonge them by grace & pyte as theyr defende­resse / & protectryce / & keperayenst all y^e assaultes of y^• enemyes & of the worlde / & y^t they may dryn­ke of y^• well of vertues y^t floweth fro y^e / & to be re­fresshed / so y^t synne & all vyce be to them abhomy nable. Nowe then come on our heuenly quene / tē ple of god / selle & cloystre of y^e holy ghost / habyta­cle of y^• Trynyte / Ioye of aungelles / Sterre & re­dresse of them y^t ben out of y^• ryght way / hope of al true byleuynge people. O blessyd lady what is he so outragyous y^t euer dare thȳke or put out of his [Page] mouthe y^t the femenyne kynde is foule consydered thy dygnyte / for thoughe all the doynges of wo­men were euyll / so passeth & surmounteth y^• lyght of thy goodnesse all the euyll y^t may be. And when god wolde chose his spouse in thiskynde for thyne honoure ryght excellent lady. All men ought to be ware / not onely to blame women but to haue thē in grete reuerence. ¶ The answere of the blessyd quene is thus Iustyce y^• ryght welbyloued of my sone / with ryght good wyll I shall dwell & abyde amonge my systers and frendes the women. For reason / ryght wysnesse / and thyselfe wolde that I dyde so / and nature enclyneth me therto / for they serue me / prayse me / and worshyp me without sea synge. So I am and shall be euermore the heede of the kynde of women. For this thynge was euer in the thought of god the fader preparate / and or­deyned in the counsayle of y^• Trynyte ¶ Then an­swered Iustyce with all the women / Lady than­kynges / and praysynges be gyuen to the by the in fynyte worldes. Nowe lady saue vs / and pray for vs to thy sone whiche nothynge the refuseth.

¶ Of the Systers of our Lady & of Mary Mag­daleyne. Ca. secundo.

NOwe y^• Empresse is lodged with vs whether the euyll sayenge Ianglers wyl or no. And nowe ought y^• blessyd systers to put in / & saynt Mary Mag daleyne with them / whiche made her [Page] company without leuynge her in the tyme of the passyon of her sone ryght nyghe the crosse. O the grete faythe of women & grete loue whiche neuer lefte y^• sone of god quycke nor deed whan he was abandonned & forsaken of his apostles / and it ap pered well y^t god reproued not the loue of womē as it were a frayle thynge as some men wyll say when he put so grete loue in the herte of y^• blessyd Mary Magdaleyne & of other ladyes as it appe red and that it proued so moche.

¶ Of saynt Katheryne the holy vyrgyne. Ca. iij.

TO make company with y^• vyrgyne quene of heuen / & pryncesse of y^• Cy­te of Ladyes / we must lodge w^t her the blessyd vyrgynes & holy ladyes in shewynge howe god hath proued the kynde of women / by that that the same wyse that he gyuen vnto men he hath gyuen vnto wo men for to vnderstande in theyr yonge and ten­dre age for to be constaunte and stronge in suf­ferynge horryble martyrdomes for y^• holy lawe / the whiche ben crowned in glorye of whome the fayre lyuesben of good ensample to here to euery euery woman aboue all othher wysdome / & ther fore they shall be y^• superlatyue degre of our Cyte And fyrst as a ryght excellent y^• blessyd Katheryn whiche was doughter of kynge Costes of Alexā ­dre. This blessyd vyrgyn was lefte to be heyre of her fader in the age of .xviij. yeres / & notably she [Page] gouerned her & her herytage / she was a crystē wo mā & all gyuen to god refusynge all other marya ges. It happened that in to the cyte of Alexandre was come y^• Emperour Maxencyus the whiche on a day of grete solempnyte of his goddes had made to aray grete appareyle to make solempne sacryfyse. Katheryne beynge in her palays herde the noyse of beestes y^t were arayed to do sacryfyse & grete noyse of instrumentes / & as she had sente to knowe what it was. And it was reported to her that y^e Emperour was in the temple to do sa­crefyse anone she wente & began to correcte y^• Em peroure of y^t erroure by many wyse wordes / & as she was a grete clerke & had lerned scyences be­gan to proue by good reasons of Phylosophye y^t there was but one god maker of all thynges / & y^t he ought to be worshypped & none other. when y^t Emperour herde this mayden whiche was so no ble & of so grete auctoryte thus speke / & whiche y^t was so fayre was all admeruaylled & wyste not what to say but entended to beholde her / so he sen te al aboute to seke phylosophres in all y^e londe of egypte / so there came before hym .l. phylosophres whiche helde thē ryght euyll contente when they knewe the cause wherfore they were brought thy der. And sayd that lytell wytte had moued them to trauayle frome so farre coutrees for to dyspute with a mayden / and to telle shortely when y^• day of theyr dysputac yon was come / the blessyd Ka­theryne ledde theym for the so with argumentes / [Page] that they were all ouercome and coude not assoyle her questyons for y^• whiche y^• Emperoure was pas synge wrothe with them / but all that aduayled no thynge. For by the grace of god & by the holy wor des of the vyrgyne they were all conuerted & con­fessed the name of Ihesu Cryst / for the whiche de­spyte the Emperoure made them all to be brente & the holy mayden conforted them in theyr martyr­dome / and assured them to be receyued in perpetu­all glory & prayed god that he wolde kepe them in the veray faythe. And so by her they were put in y^• nombre of the blessyd martyrs. And suche a myra­cle god shewed in them y^• the fyre neuer hurte theyr bodyes ne theyr clothes but that they bode al hole after the fyre was done w^tout losynge of ony heere of theyr heedes / but it semed that all were on lyue The tyraunte Maxencyus whiche gretely couey­ted the holy vyrgyne katheryne for her beaute be­gan to flatter her y^• she sholde tourne to his wyll / But when he sawe that it aduayled nothynge he tourned hym to his manasynges and then to tour mented and made her to be beten cruelly and after to put her in pryson without vysytynge of ony per sone y^• space of .xij. dayes without mete or drynke trowynge to haue made her dye for hongre. But the aungelles of our lorde were with her whiche comforted her & after the .xij. dayes she was brou ght before the Emperoure / and he sawe her more fresshe and hole than she was before / and trowed that she had ben vysyted. So he commaunded the [Page] kepers of the pryson to be tourmented / but Kathe ryne whiche had pyte on them affermed that she had no comforte saue onely from heuen. The Em peroure wyst not what harde tourmentes he my ght make to tourment her. And by the counsayle of his prouoste he lete make wheles full of rasou­res whiche tourned one ayenst another / & what someuer was in the myddes was al cutte of / and bytwene these wheles he made put saynt Kathe­ryne all naked whiche alwaye worshypped god with Ioyned handes. Then the aungelles of god came and defended her / whiche brake the wheles with so grete strengthe that all the tourmentou­res were slayne with them. And when the Empe roures wyfe vnderstode these meruaylles y^• god made for saynt Katheryne she was conuerted / & blamed the Emperoure of that that he dyde / and then she wente and vysyted the holy vyrgyne in the pryson and prayed her that she wolde pray to god for her. For the whiche despyte y^• Emperoure made to tourmente his wyfe and to drawe of her pappes / and the vyrgyne sayd to her. Doubte ye not y^• tourmentes noble quene for this daye thou shalte be receyued in the Ioye without ende. And then the Emperoure made his wyfe to be heeded and a grete multytude of people that were con­uerted. The Emperoure requyred Katheryn that she wolde be his wyfe / and when he sawe that she was refusynge to all his petycyons wente & ga­ue his sentence that she sholde b [...] heeded. And she [Page] made her prayer praynge for all them that had re membraunce on her passyon / and for theym that called her name in theyr trybulacyons that god myght be theyr helpe & socoure. A voyce came fro heuen whiche sayd y^t her prayer was herde. Soo she made an ende of her martyrdome and in stede of blode there ranne mylke out of her body. And y^• aungelles toke her holy body & bare it to y^e moun te Synay whiche is .xx. dayes Iourney fro thens And there they buryed her / at the whiche tombe god hath done many myracles whiche I let passe for shortenesse. And of the same tombe there ren­neth oyle whiche heleth many syke men and god anone after punysshed the Emperoure ryght hor rybly.

¶ Of saynt Margarete. Ca. iiij.

WE shall not forgete also y^e blessyd vyr gyne saynt Margarete of whome y^• Legende is knowne full well howe she was borne in Antyoche of noble kynrede / introducte in y^• faythe whē she was yonge of her nouryse / of whome ryght humbly she wente euery daye to kepe the shepe / wherof it happened y^• Olybryus whiche was ste­warde with the Emperoure sawe her in goynge by and coueyted her. So he sente to fetche her / & for that that she wolde not consente to his wyll / [Page] and that she tolde hym that she was a crysten wo man / he made her to be strongly tourmented / be­ten and prysoned in the whiche pryson for that y^• she felte her tempted she requyred that she myght se hym vysybly that soo moche euyll pourchased her. And then came an horryble serpente whiche gretely made her aferde and swalowed her. But she made the sygne of the crosse and anone the ser pente brake / and after she sawe at a corner of the pryson a blacke fygure as of a man of Ethyope / And then Margarete wente boldely and coniu­red hym / and he couched vnder her feete / and she sette her feete vpon his throte / and he cryed with an hygh voyce / mercy. The pryson fulfylled with clerenesse Margarete was comforted of the aun gelles / and then she was tourmented agayne be­fore the Iuge / the whiche when he sawe that all his ammonycyons aduayled hym not / made her to be tourmented more than she was before. But the aungelles of god came and brake all the tour mentes / and the vyrgyne lepte awaye from it all hole / and there was grete foyson of people cōuer­ted. And when the false tyraunte sawe that he or­deyned y^• she was heeded. But she made her ory­son fyrste / and prayed vnto almyghty god for all theym that remembred her passyon / and all they that prayed vnto her in theyr trybulacyens / and for women grete with chylde that almyghty god wolde grauute vnto them theyr petycyon. And y^e aungell of god came & tolde her that her prayers [Page] were herde and that she sholde go in the name of god to receyue the palme of the vyctory / and then she stretched forthe her necke and was heeded / & the aungelles bare her soule to heuen. ¶ This false Olybryus also made to tourmente the holy vyrgyne named Regyne / whiche was ryght yon ge of the age of .xv. yeres for that that she wolde not accorde to hym / and she conuerted moche peo ple with her holy prechynge.

¶ Of the holy vyrgyne saynt Luce. Ca. v.

THe biessyd saynt Luce whiche was borne in Rome ought not to be for­geten in our letanye / y^e whiche was rauysshed of y^e kynge Aceya of Bar­bary. And when he was in his co [...]n tre he trowed to haue defouled her. Then she by the vertue of god began so to preche vnto hym y^t he meruaylled of her wytte and lefte her & sayd y^t she was a goddesse & helde her in grete worshyp and reuerence in his palays. And ryght reuerent ly he establysshed her dwellynge for her and her meyny / and ordeyned that no man sholde repayre thyder to hurte her or trouble her. And she with­out seasynge was in fastynges and in orysons & ledde ryght an holy lyfe prayenge for her hoost▪ y^t it myght please god to enlumyne hym with the ly ght of his holy faythe / and her hoost asked coun­sayle of her in all his doynges / and he toke it wel [Page] what so euer she counsayled hym / when he wente to the werre he prayed her that she wolde praye to her god for hym / and she blessyd hym / and he ca me agayne as ouercomer of his enemyes / wher­fore he wolde worshyp her as a goddesse & wolde haue made to buylde a temple for her but she sayd that he sholde beware therof and that there was not but one god / & that she was a symple synner and thus she was by the space of .xx. yeres perse­uerynge in holy lyfe. So she had it by reuelacyon of our lorde that she sholde retourne to Rome / & there she sholde accomplysshe the terme of her ly­fe by martyrdome / & she tolde it to the kynge whi che was ryght full of sorowe for it / and answered her and sayd. Alas yf thou parte frome me / myne enemyes wyll assayle me / & I shall lose my good fortune when I shall not haue the. And she sayd to hym / thou kynge come with me / and leue thy­ne erthely royalme / for thou arte chosen to posses a more noble kyngdome whiche is without ende And he anone lefte all that he had & wente with the holy vyrgyne not as a lorde but as a seruaūte And when they were come to rome / and she was knowne that she was a crysten woman / she was taken & brought to her martyrdome. Of the whi­che thynge the kynge Aeeya was ryght sorowful and ranne aboute and wolde haue reuenged her after his power / yf the holy vyrgyne had not byd­den hym the contrary / soo he wepte tenderly and cryed that they were cursed people to do so moche [Page] euyll to the holy vyrgyne of god. And when it ca­me that one sholde smyte of the heede of y^t blessyd vyrgyne / y^e kynge wente to put his heed by hers / cryenge I am a crysten man / & I offre myne heed to Ihesu Cryst god & maker of all thynge whom that holy Luce worshyppeth. And soo they were bothe heeded togyder and crowned in glory / and xij. other with theym that were conuerted by the holy vyrgyne saynt Luce wherof the feest of them is halowed togyder in the .vij. kalenders of Iule

¶ Of y^e blessyd vyrgyne saynt Martyne. Ca. vj.

THe blessyd vyrgyne Martyne maye not be forgoten. This blessyd may­de was borne in Rome of ryght no­ble kynred. The Emperoure wolde constrayne her to be his wyfe bycau se of her beaute / and she answered I am a crysten woman offred to god alyue whiche delyteth hym in chaste bodyes and in clene herte / and to hym I do sacrefyse and commende me. And for despyte of these wordes the Emperoure made her to be ledde to the temple to constrayne her to worshyp the ydolles / and she kneled downe and her eyen towarde heuen / lyftynge vp her Ioyned handes made her orysons to god / and anone the ydolles fell downe all to torne / the temple brake / and the prestes of the temple of ydolles were slayne / and the deuyll that was in the ydoll cryed & confessed [Page] that the holy vyrgyne Martyne was the veray seruaunt of god. The tyraunte Emperoure for to reuenge his goddes made her to be cruelly tour­mented / in the whiche god appered to her & com­forted her / and she prayed for them y^t tourmented her somoche that they were conuerted by her me­rytes / and grete foyson of people also. Of y^e whi­che thynge the Emperoure was worse dysposed than before and made her to be tourmented mo­re and more of dyuers tourmentynges and cruel But those that tourmented her thought verely y^t they sawe god and his sayntes before her / & they asked mercy of her and were conuerted. And soo as she was in oryson prayenge for them a lyght came rounde aboute them / and a voyce was her­de from heuen that sayd I spare you for the loue of my ryght welbyloued Martyne. And then the prouost cryed to them for that they were conuer­ted and sayd. O fooles ye are deceyued by this en chauntresse Martyne. And they answered with­out drede. Nay thou arte deceyued by the dyuyll y^t dwelleth within the / for thou knowest not hym that made the. And the Emperour wrothe out of measure cōmaunded them to be hanged / & theyr flesshe to be al to torne / & they receyuynge martyr dome Ioyfully praysed god. And the Emperour agayne made martyne to be dispoyled al naked & her flesshe whyte as lylye y^t made them abasshed for her grete beaute / & when the Emperour whi­che coueyted her had longe tyme counsayled her / [Page] and sawe that she wolde not obaye / made her to be cutte al aboute / and out of her woundes there came mylke for blode / and yelded grete swetnesse & yet he woode on her made to stretche her abro­de and raced her with hokes and brake all the bo dy so moche that they that tourmented her were al wery and god kepte her that she sholde not dye so soone / to the entente that the tourmentoures myght haue cause to be conuerted the whiche be­gan to crye Emperoure we wyll do no more / for the aungelles beteth vs with chaynes. And then there came newe tormentoures to tourment her and anone they were deed / and the Emperour cō fused wyste not what to doo / but made her to be stretched to brenne her with brennynge gr [...]es / & alwaye she gloryfyed our lorde / and there came out of her mouthe ryght grete swetnesse / & when the tyrauntes had tourmented her so moche that they were ashamed they cast her in a derke pryson And Emenyon the cosyn of the Emperoure wen te to loke in to the pryson / and he sawe Martyne enuyronned with aungelles set in a trone ryght well arayed and there was grete clerenesse with many dyuers songes ryght melodyous / and she helde a table of golde in y^• whiche there was wry ten. My lorde swete Ihesu cryst so moche by thy werkes praysed in thy blessyd sayntes Emenyon gretely admeruayled of this thynge wente to tell it to the Emperoure whiche answered y^t he was deceyued by her enchaūtementes / in y^e mornynge [Page] the tyraunt made her to be taken out of pryson / & euery body meruaylled of that y^t she was all hole thrughe whiche many was conuerted. At the last he made her to be ledde to the tymple to constrayne her to do sacrefyse to the false goddes. Then y^• deuyll began to braye and sayd / alas alas I am confounded / and the holy vyrgyne commaunded hym to come out and that he sholde shewe hym in his owne lewde lykenesse / and anone there ca­me a grete thondre with lyghtnynge / that came from heuen and brake the ydoll and brente y^e preestes. And then the Emperoure was woode with her & made her to be stretched abrode & raced all y^• flesshe of her body with combes of yron / and she alway worshypped god / and when he sawe that she dyed not he made her to be put to wylde bee­stes to be deuoured and a grete lyon that had not eten in thre dayes came to her and bowed hym to her and laye downe by her as it were a lytell dog and lycked her woundes / & she thanked our lorde in saynge. Blessyd be thou almyghty god that by thy vertue hast modered the cruelte of wycked bestes. The tyraunte wrothe with this thynge commaunded that the lyon sholde be put agayne in to his caue / and y^e lyon dressed hym by grete wrathe and made a lepe and slewe Emenyon the Emperoures cosyn of the whiche thynge he was ry­ght sorowfull and commaunded her to be cast in to the fyre / and she beynge within with a Ioyful chere god sente a grete wynde that put away the [Page] fyre aboute her & brente them that tourmēted her The Emperoure commaunded that the heere of her heed sholde be cutte awaye [...] whiche was ry­ght fayre and longe sayenge that the enchaunte­mentes was in her heeres. And the vyrgyne sayd to hym. Thou takest awaye the heeres whiche is an ornamente of woman / as the apostle sayth / & god shall put the out of thy reygne and poursue y^• and thou shalte byde the dethe with grete sorowe and payne. Then he made her to be enclosed in a temple where his goddes were / and nayled the dore & sealed it with his owne sygnete. And whē thre dayes were past he came agayne and foun­de his goddes all ouerthrowne and the holy vyr­gyne playenge with aungelles hole and sounde. The Emperoure asked her what she had done w^t his goddes / and she sayd y^• vertue of Ihesu cryste hathe ouerthrowne them and confounded them. And then he commaunded that one sholde cutte her throte / thē there was herde a voyce that sayd Martyne vyrgyne for that that thou hast fought for my name thou shalte entre in to my kyngdo­me amonge my sayntes. And thou shalte enioye with me euerlastyngly. And thus ended y^e blessyd Martyne / and then came the bysshoppe of Rome with all his clargye & buryed y^• body honourably in y^• chyrche. And y^e same day y^• Emperoure Alexā der was smyten with suche a sorowe y^t he ete his owne flesshe & gnewe hymselfe to the dethe.

¶ Of saynt Luce of Syracuse. Ca. vij.

[Page] ANother vyrgyne Saynt Luce there was in the Cyte of Syracuse / and so as she prayed at y^• sepulture of saynt Agace for her moder whiche was sy ke / she sawe saynt Agace in a vysyon in the myddes of aungelles arayed in precyous stones whiche sayd to her. Luce my syster deuou­te vyrgyne wherfore requyrest thou of me y^t thou mayst gyue to thy moder thyselfe I tell the for cer tayne y^• so as y^• cyte of Cathonyas is lyfted vp by me / so shall the cyte of Syracuse be worshypped by y^•. For thou hast arayed to Ihesu cryst delecta­ble Iewelles in thy clennesse. Luce rose vp / & her moder was hole / and she gaue al that she had for goddes sake / and after ended her lyfe by martyr­dome / and amonge other martyrdomes that she had / y^• Iuge manaced her to make her to be ledde to y^• place where y^t lewde women vsed theyr lyfe. & there she sholde be defouled in the despyte of her spouse / & she answered. The soule shal neuer be de fouled w^tout consente of y^• mynde. For yf thou ma ke me to be corrupted by force my chastyte / & my vyctory shall be doubled therby / & so as they wol­de lede her to y^• place aboue sayd / she was so heuy y^t for no horse nor other bestes y^t sholde drawe her thyder myght not be remoued & they put cordes on her fete to drawe her forthe but she was so sta ble as it had ben an hylle. And at her passynge she prophesyed that that was to come to the Empe­roure. ¶ Also the gloryous vyrgyne saynt Benet [Page] borne in rome is worthy of grete reuerence. She had with her .xij. vyrgynes conuerted by her pre­dycacyon. She desyred to encrease by prechynge the crysten relygyon. So she departed & her com pany and preched and conuerted moche people w^t out hauynge ony drede for god was with them and by the wyll of god they were departed in son dre and stretched them in dyuers countrees to y^t entente that euery of theym myght profyte / and as this holy vyrgyne had conuerted dyuers coū tres and encreased the faythe of our lorde / she en­ded her lyfe by the palme of martyrdome / and on y^• same wyse dyde her holy felawes. ¶ And saynt fauste was not of lesse perfeccyon of the age of .xiiij. yeres / whiche for that that she wolde not do sacrefyse to the ydolles / the Emperoure Maxy­my on made her to be sawed with a sawe of yron But as the [...]awyers seased not sawynge fro the houre of tyerce anone to the houre of noone and they myght not entame her / and they sayd to her by what vertue hast thou holden vs by thyne en chauntementes soo longe here without doynge ony thynge / and the holy vyrgyne Fauste began to preche to them of Ihesu Cryst and of his lawe and so conuerted them. The Emperoure had gre te indyngnacyon hereof and made her to be tour mented with dyuers tourmentes / and amonge others he made to nayle her heed with a thousan de nayles lyke to the helme of a knyght / and she prayed for them that dyde her persecucyon. And [Page] the prouost was conuerted by that that he sawe y^• heuens open & god syttynge with his aungelles and when saynt Fauste was in y^• cawdron o [...] wa ter boylynge y^• sayd prouost began to crye. Thou holy seruaunt of god ne go thou not without me and lepte in to the cawdron / and when the other twayne that he had conuerted sawe y^• they lepte in to the cawdron also / of whiche the water boy­led ryght feruently / and the holy Fauste touched theym▪and they felte no maner of euyll. And she sayd I am in the myddes as it were a byne beryn ge fruyte / as our lorde sayth / where there ben two or thre assembled in my name I am in y^• myddes of them. And then there was herde a voyce from heuen that sayd. Come to me my blessyd vyrgyne the fader hath asked for you / and they that herde this thynge yelded vp the ghost ryght Ioyously.

¶ Of saynt Iustyne. Ca. viii.

THe holy vyrgyne Iustyne borne in [...]nthyoche yonge and of souerayne beaute ouercame the deuyll whiche was called vp by y^• callynge of a [...]y gromancere that he sholde do so mo che that she sholde consente to the wyll of a man that was gretely taken with her loue / and lefte her not in peas. But for that that by prayers nor by promyses he coude doo nothynge / he trowed [Page] that the [...]eu [...]ll sholde helpe hym but it aduayled hym not / for the gloryous Iustyne chased the ene my dyuers tymes whiche that put hym in dyuers fourmes to tempte her. But he was ouercome of her and wente his waye confused. And at the last she ended her lyfe by martyrdome and conuerted the sayd nygromancere that was called Cypryen and had ben a man of ryght a shrewde lyfe / but by her he was put in a good lyfe / and dyuers others were conuerted by y^• sygnes y^t god shewed in her. ¶ Also y^• blessyd vyrgyne Eulalye borne in Spay ne of the age of .xij. yeres stale awaye from her fa der and moder that helde her in close for that that she neuer stynted to speke of our lorde Ihesu cryst so she fledde by nyght / and wente and cast downe the ydolles of the temples to the erthe / and cryed to the Iuges that dyde so moche persecucyon to the martyres that they were deceyued / and that in that faythe she wolde dye / so she was put in y^• nombre of the knyghtes of Ihesu cryste / and had many grete tourmentes / & there was moche peo ple conuerted by y^• myracles y^t god shewed to her ¶ Also of another holy vyrgyne that was called Matre whiche was ryght sore tourmented for y^• fayth of Ihesu Cryste / and amonge her tourmen tes she had her pappes raced frome her body / and after so as she was in the pryson god sente vnto her his aungell whiche that establysshed her hel­the / wherof the prouost was gretely abasshed.

But he lefte not for that / but that he made her to [Page] be gretely tourmented of dyuers paynes / and at the laste she yelded vp the spyryte to god / and her holy body lyeth nyght the Cyte of Raynes.

¶ Also the blessyd vyrgyne saynt Faythe suffred martyrdome in her youthe / and had many tour­mentes. And our lorde crowned her and sente her a crowne of precyous stones by an aungell / and god shewed for her many meruaylles / by the whi che many people were conuerted. ¶ Also the holy and blessyd vyrgyne Marcyenne when one dyde worshyp to a false ymage of an ydoll / she toke the ydoll and threwe hym to the grounde and brake hym / for the whiche cause she was so moche beten that they lefte her for deed / and prysoned in a pla­ce▪in the whiche place a false mynystre trowed to haue rauysshed her by nyght. But by grace deuy ne there came a grete walle bytwene her and hȳ that he myght not goo frome thens / the whiche was sene on the morowe of all the people / by the whiche there was moche people conuerted. This holy & blessyd vyrgyne hadde many dyuers tour­mentes. But alwaye she preched of the name of Ihesu Cryste / and at the laste she prayed to god that he wolde take her vnto hym. And thus she ended her lyfe in her grete tourmente.

¶ Also the blessyd vyrgyne Saynt Eufenye also suffred moche for y^• name of god / she was of good kynred & of noble shap of body. The prouost Pry sens co [...]saylled her that she sholde worshyp the ydolles / and forsake Ihesu cryste / & she by ryght [Page] grete argumentes answered hym so moche that he coude not assoyle her questyons wherof he had so grete wrathe that he was ouercome of a wo­man / and made her to be tourmented with ryght greuous and harde tourmentes. But thoughe y^• body of her were sore brused her wytte alway en creased and yelded good wordes full of the holy ghost / and when she was tourmented the aungel of god defended her and brake the tourment / and tourmented the tourmentoures / and she with a gladde vysage wente out all hole. The false pro­uost made to hete a fournoys of whiche y^• flame stretched out by .xl. cubytes of hyght / and made her to be cast in it and she sange within it praysyn ge god ryght melodyously soo hyghe y^• all people praysed her / & when y^e fyre was all consumed she came out saufe & hole. The Iuge wrother thā he was made to brynge brennynge pynsons to dra­we out her membres / but those that sholde haue done it were so aferde that none durst touche her and all the tourmentes were all to broken. So y^e false tyraunte made to brynge foure lyons / and other .ij. wylde beestes but they worshypped her / and y^• blessyd vyrgyne desyrous to go to her god prayed hym that he wolde take her to hym / and then she ended without touchynge of ony of the wylde beestes.

¶ Of the vyrgyne Theodosyne / Saynt Barba­ra / and saynt Dorothe. Ca. ix.

[Page] THe constaunce of the martyrdome of the blessyd Theodosyne cometh to our purpose well to be remēbred This vyrgyne was ryght noble & of grete beaute of y^e age of .xviij. ye­res she by meruayllous wytte dysputed with the Iuge whiche manaced her to tourment her yi she forsoke not Ihesu Cryst / and as she answered by godly wordes / he made her to be taken by y^e hee­re and beten ryght sore / and she sayd to hym. Cer tes he is a caytyfe that wolde lordeshyp another and can not gouerne hymselfe. Alas to hym that hath grete charge to be fulfylled with metes and drynkes and hath no thought of the hongre euyl for hym that wolde be warmed and wyll not clo the ne warme those that ben euyll clothed / wo be to hym that wolde haue rest & trauaylleth others euyll be it to hym that saythe all thynges ben his and he hathe receyued them of god / wo be to hym that wolde that one sholde do well and he dothe all euyll. Suche worthy wordes sayd alwaye y^• holy vyrgyne in her tourmente. ¶ But for that she had sorowe in her herte of the shame of that / that her shamfast membres appered openly god sente her a whyte cloude that couered her al. And Urban the Iuge manaced her more and more to whome she sayd. Thou she west none of my mee­ses of my dyner that is ordeyned for me. And the tyraunt manaced her that he wolde corrupte her vyrgynyte / to whom she answered. Thou mana [Page] cest in vayne to be corrupcyon in me for god enha byteth in y^e clene hertes. The prouost more wode than he was made her to be cast in the see an he­uy stone aboute her necke. And she borne vp with aungelles & brought agayne to the loude syngyn ge & bare the stone bytwene her handes / whiche wayed moche more than herselfe. The tyraunte made to lette go vpon her .ij. Leoperdes but they lepte aboute her makynge her grete chere. At the last the tyraunt y^t knewe not howe to do made to smyte of her heed / & the soule departed fro her bo­dy vysybly in y^e shappe of a whyte downe / shynyn ge bryght / & the same nyght she appered to her fa der & moder more clerer than the sone / crowned with precyous stoues accompanyed with many vyrgynes holdynge a crosse of golde in her han­de / & sayd to them. Se here what is the Ioy that ye wolde haue put awaye from me / and by y^t they were conuerted. ¶ Also in y^e tyme of Maxymyan the Emperoure floured in vertues y^e blessyd vyr­gyne saynt Barbara of noble lygnage & soueray nely sayre / her fader for bycause of her beaute had shytte her in a toure / and she had inspyracyon of y^e crysten faythe / & for that y^t she myght not be bap­tysed of none other she herselfe toke water & bap­tysed her in the name of the fader & sone & the ho­ly ghost. Her fader wolde haue maryed her ryght hyghly and she refused all maryages / and at the laste she tolde that she was crystened / and hadde vowed her vyrgynyte vnto god / the fader wolde [Page] haue slayne her for that cause / and she fledde and escaped / and as her fader poursued her to put her to the dethe / at the laste he founde her by y^e techyn ge of a shepeherde whiche serched anone bothe hym and his beestes / and the fader ledde her to y^• prouost the whiche for that that she dysobeyed al his commaundementes made her to be marty­red with many a greuous tourmente / and han­ged her by the feete / and she sayd to hym / caytyfe ne seest thou not that the tourmentes dothe me no harme / and he ryght wrothe made her pappes to be drawne frome her body / and in that estate made her to be ledde thrughe the cyte. And she al­waye gloryfyed god. But for that that she hadde shame that her vyrgynall body was sene all na­ked / our lorde sente her his aungell and heled all her woundes / and couered her body with a why­te clothe. And when she had ben ledde forth ynou ghe one ledde her agayne before the prouost whi­che was wode when he sawe her all hole / and her face shynynge bryght / soo he made her agayne to be tourmented soo moche that he commaunded when he coude thynke of no mo tourmentes that her heed sholde be smyten of. And she made her orysons and prayed god that he myght be in the helpe of all them that requyred her in remembraū ce and recorded her passyon. And when she hadde all ended her oryson and prayer / there was a voy ce herde from heuen whiche sayd vnto her in this wyse. Come vnto me my ryght dere welbyloued [Page] doughter to rest the in the kyngdome of my fader and receyue thy crowne. And that that thou hast requyred shall be graunted to the & so as she was gone vp vpon y^• hylle where she sholde be heeded Her cruell fader smote of her heed hymselfe. And as he came downe the hylle y^• fyre of heuen brent hym al to poudre. ¶ Also y^• blessyd vyrgyne saynt Dorothe the same wyse suffred dyuers martyrdo mes in Capadoce. And for that y^• she wolde not take no mā to housbande / and spake so moche of her spouse Ihesu Cryst. The mayster of the scoles whiche was named Theophylus sayd to her in mockery when one ledde her to be heeded / that at the leest when she sholde be with her spouse that she wolde sende to hym of the roses and apples of the gardyne of her housbande / and she sayd that she wolde / wherof it happened that as soone as she had made an ende of her martyrdome ryght a fayre yonge chylde as of y^• age of .iiij. yeres come to Theophylus and brought with hym a lytell panyer full of s [...]ueraynly fayre roses and apples meruayllously well smellynge and fayre / & sayd y^t the vyrgyne Dorothe sente them to hym. Then was he gretely admeruaylled for it was wryten in the moneth of February / so he was conuerted & after was martyred for the name of Ihesu cryst ¶ So of all other sayntes vyrgynes that ben in heuen by constaunce of martyrdome yf I wolde tell the y^• hystory sholde be ryght longe so as saynt Cecyle / saynt Agnes / saynt Agace / and infynyte [Page] others / and yf thou wylte haue mo / go and behol de in the hystoryal myroure and there thou shalte fynde ynoughe. And I shall tell the yet of Saynt Crystyne for that that she is thy godmoder / and is a vyrgyne of grete dygnyte I shall tell the lyfe of her more playne / whiche is deuoute and fayre.

¶ The lyfe of saynt Xp̄ine vyrgyne and martyre. Capitulo .x.

THe blessid vyrgyne saynt Xp̄ine was of the cyte of Syre doughter of Ur­ban mayster of the cheualrye / this la dy for her beaute was kepte in close by y^• commaundement of her fader in a toure / and she had with her seuen maydens. And there her fader lete make a fayre oratory of ydolles nyghe to the chambre of Xp̄yne to the en­tente that she sholde worshyp them. But she that was so yonge as of the age of .xij. yeres was en­spyred of the fayth of Ihesu cryst and made no for ce of the ydolles wherof y^• maydens meruaylled and often tymes they called on her to do oblacy­on. And when she had taken ensence so as to ma­ke sacrefyse to the ydolles / she kneled towarde y^• Eest at a wyndowe and loked towarde heuen & encensed the inmortall god. And the moost parte of the nyght she was at that wyndowe beholdyn ge the sterres and she waylynge besought god ry ght deuoutely and prayed hym that he wolde be [Page] her helpe agaynst all her aduersaryes. The may­dens whiche perceyued well that her herte was all in Ihesu cryste / kneled before her often tymes with Ioyned handes prayenge y^t she sholde not put her entente in a straunge god / but y^t she wol­de worshyp the goddes of her fader and moder / & yf that she were knowne al they sholde be destroy ed. Saynt Xp̄ine answered that they were decey ued by the deuyll whiche styred them to worshyp so many goddes / and that there was but one. At the last as her fader knewe y^t his doughter wolde not worshyp the ydolles he was ryght sorowfull and reproued her. And she sayd that with a good wyll she wolde offre to god of heuen / & he trowed that she mente Iupyter and was ryght glad and wolde haue kyssed her / but she c [...]yed & sayd / foule not my mouthe. For I wyll offre myne offrynge clene to god of heuen / and of erthe / and of y^t her fa der was contente. And she wente in to her cham bre & shytte fast the dore / & set her on her knees / & offred her holy oryson to god in wepynge / and y^• holy aungell of our lorde came downe & comfor­ted her / & brought her whyte brede & mete wherof she ete / for in .iij. dayes she had no maner of mete nor drynke. After that saynt Xp̄ine sawe at y^• wyn dowes many poore crysten men beggynge at the fote of her toure / and she hadde nothynge to gyue them / and she wente to seke the Idolles of her fa­der whiche were of golde and syluer / and she bra ke them all and gaue the peces to the poore men. [Page] And when her fader knewe that thynge he bete her ryght cruelly / and she tolde hym playnly that he was deceyued to worshyp suche false ymages and that there was but one god in Trynyte / the whiche she confessed / and other god wolde she not worshyp to dye therfore / wherfore he was woode with her / and made her to be bounde with chay­nes / and ledde her betynge her in dyuers places / and after put her in pryson / and he sayd y^t he wol­de be Iuge hymselfe of that cause. Soo he made her to be brought before hym on the morowe and manaced her with all tourmentes / yf she wolde not worshyp the ydolles / and after that that he sa we well that she wolde not tourne her entente for prayer ne for manaces / made her to be stryped all naked bothe armes and legges and beten so mo­che that .xij. men were wery of it / and she asked her fader alwaye yf he aduysed her not / & he sayd to her. Doughter naturall pyte constrayneth sore my courage to tourmente the so whiche arte my flesshe. But the reuerence and the faythe that I haue to my goddes constrayneth me to do it for y^• that thou dyspysest theym. And the holy vyrgyue answered hym. Tyraunt whiche I ought not to calle fader / but enemye of myne holynesse / tour­mente the flesshe hardely that thou haste engen­dred / and spare it not. For as for that thou mayst wel doo at thy pleasure / but as for the spyryte the whiche was made of my fader the whiche is in heuen thou hast no power in no wyse to touche it [Page] by no temptacyon / for Ihesu cryst my sauyoure ke peth hym. The cruell fader more woode then he was made to brynge a whele that he had let ma­ke / and made this holy swete yonge mayden to be bounde to it / and to put fyre vnder / and after made to cast boylynge oyle grete plentye vpō her body / and the whele tourned vpon her / and all to brake her / but god the souerayne fader had pyte on his seruaunt sente his aungell whiche brake y^• whele all to peces / and slewe the tourmentoures staunched the fyre / and delyuered the vyrgyne ho le and sounde / and slewe more than a thousande persones that behelde her without pyte / and the aungelles of god came aboute her and comfor­ted her. And her fader asked her / tell me who ha­th taught the all the cursednesse. And she answe­red / Tyraunt without pyte / haue not I tolde the well that my fader Ihesu cryste hathe taught me this pacyence / and all the ryght way in the fayth of god alyue. And therfore despyse I all thy tour­mentes. And I shall ouercome in y^• vertue of god all the assaultes of the deuyll. And he ouercome & confused made to cast her in ryght an horryble & a derke pryson. And so as she was there thynkyn ge on the grete mysteryes of our lorde there came to her .iij. aungelles with a grete lyght and brou­ght her mete / and comforted her / and she yelded thankynges to god. Urban wyst not what to do with her / & lefte not to thynke before what tour­mentes he myght do to her / at the last as all anoy [Page] ed with her for to be delyuered of her made to put a grete stone aboute her necke and throwe her in to the see. But anone as they threwe her in to the see / the aungelles receyued her / and she wente vp on the water with the aungelles / and then Xp̄ine prayed our lorde Ihesu cryst lyftynge vp her eyen to heuen that it myght please hym y^t she myght re ceyue y^e holy sacrament of baptyme in y^t same wa­ter whiche she had desyred so moche to haue. And then our lorde Ihesu cryst dessended in propre per sone with a grete multytude of aungelles / & bap tysed her and made her after his name Xp̄ine / and crowned her / and shynynge sterre vpon her heed / and sette her on the londe. And that same nyght Urban was tourmented with y^• deuyll and dyed myscheuously. And in y^• mornynge after she was founde prayenge in her faders halle in a corner.

And thus this blessyd Xp̄ine whiche god wolde receyue by matyrdome whiche she desyred ryght moche was ledde agayne by the tourmentoures in to the pryson. ¶ And y^• newe Iuge named zyon whiche knewe well what was done to her / made her to come before hym & coueyted her for her be­aute / but when he sawe that all his fayre wordes aduayled hym not he made her to be tourmented agayne and made to [...]ylle a grete cawdron full of oyle and pytche and a grete fyre vndernethe it / & foure men tourmented her in the cawdron with grete hokes of yron / and the holy vyrgyne songe to god ryght melodyously and mocked the tourmentoures [Page] & manaced them with the paynes of helle. And when the cruell Iuge sawe y^t nothynge aduayled hym he made to hange her in the place before all people by the heere of her heed / whiche was longe and shynynge lyke golde. And the wo men came rennynge aboute her whiche wepte for pyte to se so yonge a mayden tourmented / & cryed to the tyraunt sayenge. Thou vntrewe and cruel man / howe myght the herte of a man haue suche cruelte agaynst a mayden so fayre and so tendre / thou arte worse than ony wylde beest / & all wol­de haue ronne vpon hym. Then the Iuge sayd to her. Xp̄ine frende thou shalte suffre no more tour­mente / but come with me / and let vs worshyp y^• souerayne god that hath susteyned the so moche / he thought of Iupyter whiche they helde for theyr souerayne god / but she thought all otherwyse.

Then she sayd to hym / thou hast ryght well sayd and I graunt the. And then he made her to be vn hanged and ledde her to the temple / and grete, foy son of people folowed them / whē he had brought her before the ydolles trowynge that she wolde haue worshypped them / she kneled downe behol dynge towarde heuen / & made her oryson to god and then she rose vp and tourned her towarde y^e ydoll and sayd / I saye to the thou wycked spyryte whiche arte in this ydoll in y^• name of Ihesu cryst y^t thou come out / & anone y^• wycked spyryte lepte out & made a grete & a ferefull noyse by y^• whiche all were so ferde that they fell downe to the erthe [Page] And the Iuge when he was releued sayd. Xp̄ine thou haste moued our god almyghty / but for that that he hath pyte on y^• / he is come out that he my­ght se his creature. And she was wrothe with y^t worde / & reproued hym strongly that he was soo blynde that he knewe not goddes vertue. So she prayed god that the ydoll sholde falledowne al to poudre / y^• whiche thynge was done / & by the wor des and sygnes of y^e holy mayde there were con­uerted what of men & women mo than .iij. thou­sande. And the Iuge ryght sore aferde sayd. If y^• kynge knewe that that is done agaynst our god / by the shewynge of this Xp̄ine / he wolde destroye me myscheuously / and then the Iuge full of angu ys [...] he waxed woode and dyed. ¶ The thyrde Iu ge came after named Iulyan / and made to take Xp̄ine and made his auaunt that he wolde make her to worshyp the ydolles. But for al his myght that he coude do / he myght not make her remeue out of the place where she was / so he lete make a grete fyre aboute her / & she bode in y^t fyre .iij. day­es and .iij. nyghtes / & there were herde many dy­uers swete melodyes / & the tourmentoures were aferde by y^• meruayllous sygnes y^t they sawe / the whiche thynges reported to Iulyan he wende to haue waxen wode / & whē y^• fyre was cōsumed she came out al hole. The Iuge made serpentes to be brought forth & made to cast vpō her .ii. aspes & .ij grete colubres whiche bote & venymed meruayl­lously / but these serpentes fell downe at her fete y^e [Page] the hedes enclyned towarde her without doynge her ony herme. And then there were other .ij. hor­rybie serpentes let lowce vpon her and they han­ged them at her pappes & lycked her. And Xp̄ine loked towarde heuen and sayd. I yelde the than­kynges my lorde god Ihesu cryst whiche hast ma de me so worshypfully to be enhaunced by the ho­ly vertues that these horryble serpentes knoweth thy dygnyte in me. And this obstynate Iulyan se ynge these meruaylles cryed to hym that was ke per of the serpentes. Arte not thou enchaunted of Xp̄ine also by the whiche thou haste no power to moue the serpentes agaynst her. Then he whiche doubted the Iuge trowed to haue moued the ser­pentes ayenst her / and they ranne vpon hym and slewe hym. And so moche euery body doubted y^e serpentes that none durste come nyghe Xp̄ine / & she commaunded them by the vertue of god that they sholde go agayne into theyr owne place w^t ­out doynge ony harme to ony creature / & so they dyde. Then she raysed agayne y^e deed man to his lyfe whiche anone cast hym at her feete and was conuerted. And the Iuge blynded with y^e deuyll so as he perceyued not the meruayllous sygnes sayd vnto Xp̄ine. Thou hast ynoughe shewed thy wytche craftes / and she sayd to hym. Thou man out of wytte yf thyne eyen wolde se y^• vertues of god thou sholdest byleue them. And then he beyn ge passynge wrothe made to drawe her pappes out of her body / and anone there came out mylke [Page] in stede of blode. And for that y^t she w^tout seasynge named the name of our lorde Ihesus / he made to cutte of her tonge / but she spake better and clerer after then she dyde before / and blessyd god in thā ­kynge hym of his grete benefeytes that he dyde to her. And began to make her oryson vnto god y^t it myght please hym to perfourme the crowne of her martyrdome and to receyue her to hym. And then there was herde a voyce frome heuen sayen ge / Xp̄ine pure and clene the heuens ben open for the / and the reygne without ende redy and all the company of sayntes blesseth god for the / for thou hast fro thy youthe susteyned the name of cryste / & then she praysed & gloryfyed god the eyen to war­de heuen. The voyce was herde agayne whiche sayd. Come Xp̄ine my ryght welbyloued and cho sen doughter / and receyue the palme and perdu­rable crowne and y^e rewarde of thy passyonable lyfe in the confessyon of my name. And y^e false Iu lyan that herde this voyce blamed the tourmen­toures that they had not cutte the tonge of Xp̄ine more nerer / so they cutte it so nyghe that she shol de not speke so moche as she dyde of our lorde Ie su cryst / for they toke an yron hoke and pulled out the tonge / and cutte it anone to y^e throte. And she toke the culpen of the tonge and threwe it to the vysage of the tyraunt / and smote out his eye / and sayd to hym as holely as euer she spake before. Thou cursed tyraunt what auayleth the to cutte of my tonge to y^e entente y^t it sholde not worshyp [Page] god when my spyryte shal alway worshyp hym & thy spyryte shall dwell alway in cursednesse. And for y^t thou knowest not my worde it is good rea­son y^t my tonge hathe made the blynde. Then she whiche y^t sawe Ihesu cryste syttynge in the ryght syde of his fader ended her martyrdome by two arowes that were shotte at her / one in the syde / y^t other towarde y^e herte. And a cosyne of hers whi­che was conuerted by her buryed her body & wro te her gloryous legende. O blessyd Xp̄ine and ho­ly mayden & chosen of god I praye the by the ho­lynesse wherof god hath made the soo worthy to praye for me a synner named of thy name / & haue pyte on me blessyd godmoder whiche haste reioy­ced me to haue cause to put thyne holy legende in my wrytynges the whiche at the reuerence I ha­recorded a longe that it myght be agreable to the and to all women cause of good ensample.

¶ Of dyuers sayntes whiche y^• sawe theyr chyl­dren martyred before them. Ca. xj.

O what thynge in y^• worlde is more ten dre to a moderly herte than to se her chylde to suffre payne. But for that y^t I se faythe is yet the grettest thynge as it appered to many worshypfull women whiche for the loue of Ihesu cryste offred theyr owne chyldren to tourment. As this blessyd [Page] Felyx whiche sawe her .viij. chyldren whiche we­re ryght fayre yonglynges martyred before her / and comforted and counsayled them of pacyence by moderly wordes to be stable in the faythe. And for the loue of god she had forgoten all womanly courage as to the body. And after that when she had offred them all in sacrefyse to god she wolde be sacrefyed herselfe vnto god by martyrdome.

¶ Also the blessyd Iulytte in the same wyse whi­che had a sonne named Cyrycus / she nourysshed hym not onely with bodely fode but also with spy rytuall. For without seasynge she enfourmed hȳ in the faythe in suche wyse that he beynge ryght lytell and yonge myght neuer be ouercome with tourmente / ne by fayre wordes that he sholde for sake the name of Ihesu cryste / but when he was tourmented he sayd with his lytell clere voyce. I am a crysten man / I am a crysten man. I thanke the our lorde Ihesu cryste / and he spake so openly as it hadde ben a man of .xl. yeres of age / and his good moder comforted hym the whiche was al­so ryght cruelly tourmented / and she without sea synge praysed our lorde and comforted other mar tyres / and spake of the heuenly Ioye that they dy de abyde / and that they sholde haue noo drede.

¶ Also what shall we nowe saye of the meruayl­lous constaunce and strengthe y^t the blessyd Blan dyne had / she sawe tourmented and martyred be fore her her doughter whiche was of y^e age of .xv. yeres whom she comforted Ioyously / & after as a [Page] woman sholde go to her spouse / she wente to put her in tourmente / & was soo moche tourmented by multytude of martyrdomes that the tourmen toures were wery of her / & put her on agrydyren and rosted her & was alwaye prycked with pyn­nes of yron / and she alwaye gloryfyed our lorde god / & so she cōtynued anone to y^• dethe. ¶ what sholde I saye to the for to fulfyll our cyte of suche meyny. Come on Saynt Ursula with all thy .xj. thousande vyrgynes and blessyd martyres for y^• name of Ihesu cryst all theyr heedes smyten of so as they were sente to be maryed & they aryued in a londe of myscreauntes whiche wolde constray­ne them to forsake the faythe of god / and they cho se rather to dye than to forsake the name of theyr sauyoure Ihesu cryst.

¶ Of saynt Maryne the holy vyrgyne. Ca. xij.

OF vyrgynes martyred one myght tell a grete nombre / and the same wyse of others that lyued in relygyon / and in many other holy guyses / and I shall tell the of twayne of whom the hysto ry is ryght fayre. ¶ A seculer man had one onely doughter lytell and yonge named Maryne / so he put her in the warde of a cosyne of his owne / and entred in relygyon / and ledde ryght an holy lyfe. And not for that nature drewe hym to thynke on his doughter wherof his payne made hym to be [Page] heuy / so he was ryght pensyfe / and the abbot de­maunded hym the cause of his heuynes so moche tyll he tolde hym that all his thought was vpon a doughter of his / whiche he had lefte in the worl de whiche he myght not forgete. The abbot bad hȳ y^t he sholde go to fetche her / and y^• she myght be put in to relygyon with hym. So was this may­de with her fader clothed as a lytell monke / and coude well kepe her close / and she was of ryght good dyscyplyne. And when she came to the age of .xviij. yeres alwaye perseuerynge frome good to better / y^• fader whiche had taught her this holy lyfe passed out of this worlde / & she abode alone in her faders celle in holy lyuynge / so that the ab­bot and all other praysed her holy conuersacyon / and wyst none other but y^• she was a man. This abbay was but .iij. myles frome a market towne So it fortuned that the monkes must of necessy­te go other whyles vnto the foresayd market for to bye theyr necessaryes / wherof it happened dy­uers tymes that they were nyghted in theyr co­mynge home warde / in the wynter season after that they hadde done theyr busynes / so that they must nedes lye in the towne. And Maryne whi­che was named frere Maryne dyuers tymes abo de at his course in the foresayd towne in a certay­ne hostery where he lodged communely when he came to the towne. So it happe in that tyme that the doughter of y^• hoste was with chylde. And as she was constrayned by her fader & moder to tell [Page] whos it was she put it vpon frer [...] Maryne wher of the fader and moder came and complayned to the abbot whiche made hym to be sente for & was ryght sorowfull of this thynge. And the holy may den had leuer take the blame vpon her than to ex cuse her. And she kneled wepynge and [...]ayd / fader pray for me I haue synned and I shall do penaun ce. And then the abbot beynge ryght wrothe ma­de hym to be beten and tourmented / and put hym out of the monastery and defendynge hym the en trynge agayne. And he set hym on the e [...]the befo­re y^• abbay / & lay there in penaunce / & asked of his bretherne one mors [...]ll of brede ones a day & y^• do [...] ghter of y^• hosteler was delyuered of a sone / and y^• moder of her brought this chylde to Maryne be­fore y^• abbay and there lefte it. And the holy may­den receyued hym / and with the morselles of bre­de y^• men goynge in & out gaue hym nourysshed this chylde as thoughe it had ben his owne / and on a tyme after that y^• bretherne moued with py­te prayed the abbot that he wolde receyne agay­ne frere Maryne to mercy / and with grete payne they cōstrayned hym at theyr prayer. And she had ben then .v. yeres in that penaunce before the ga­te of the monastery. And when he was entred in the abbaye the abbot commaunded hym to do all y^• foule offyces of within / and that he sholde bryn in water to wasshe al theyr necessaryes / and that he sholde serue all the people of the place. And the holy vyrgyne dyde it humbly / & with a good wyll [Page] And within a whyle after she passed to our lorde. And when the bretherne had tolde this to the ab­bot he sayd to them. Se ye that his syn [...]e was su che that he deserued no pardon. ¶ Neuerthelesse wass he hym and bury hym ferre from the abbay And so as they dyde of his clothes suche as he wa re they sawe that it was a woman / then they be­gan to crye and were passynge sory for the grete euyll and greuaunce that was done to soo holy a creature without cause / of the whiche conuersa­cyon they had grete meruayle. This thynge tolde to the abbot he was astonyed gretely / and anone he fell downe at the feere of the holy body in grete wepynge / betynge his brest for his blame and cry enge mercy / and requyrynge pardon / and ordey­ned her sepulture in a chapell within the monaste ry. Thyder came al the monkes amonge the whi che there was one that hadde but one eye whiche kneced downe and kyssed the holy body by grete deuocyon / and anone his syght was restored to hym the same daye. ¶ And the woman that bare the chylde became out of her wyste / and cryed on her synne / and then she was brought vnto the ho ly body / and there she recouered helthe. And syth almyghty god dyde many myracles for her in the [...]ayd place.

¶ Of the moost holy and blestyd vyrgyne Eu [...]ra syne. Capitulo .xiij.

[Page] THere was a mayde [...] alexādre named Eufrasyne y^• whiche god had gyuen to her fader Paffousyen a mā of gre te rychesse by the prayers of an holy abbot & of a couent of mōkes y^t was nyghe hym / when this doughter was waxen mo che y^e fader wolde haue maryed her / but she y^t was gyuen in purpose to kepe her vyrgynyte fled clo­thed in y^e guyse of a man / & requyred y^• abbot y^t she myght be receyued in to y^• sayd abbaye / and made hym to byleue that she was a yonge man of the Emperoures courte whiche had deuocyon to be rendred in to that relygyon. The abbot whiche sa we his grete deuocyon receyued hym with good wyll. And when the fader myght not fynde his doughter he had meruayllous sorowe. So he ca me to the abbot to tell his grete sorowe to fynde some comforte / and prayed hym and his couente to praye to god that he myght haue some tydyn­ges of her. The abbot comforted hym and sayd y^t he myght not byleue that a chylde gyuen of god by prayer sholde be perysshed. Longe the abbot & the couent prayed to god for this thynge. And as this good mā myght here no tydynges came eue ry day to the abbot to haue some comforte in his trybulacyon y^• abbot sayd to hym on a day truely I wene not that thy doughter is euyl gone for yf it were so I deme that god wolde haue shewed it vuto vs or this tyme. But and yf thou wylte spe­ke to a chylde of deuocyon and prayer the whiche [Page] we haue here within whiche came hyder frome y^• Emperours courte / and god hathe gyuen hym so moche of grace that euery persone that speketh w^t hym fyndeth hym ryght well comforted. Paffou syen prayed hym that for goddes loue he myght speke with hym. And the abbot made the fader to be brought to the doughter whiche he knewe not but the doughter knewe well y^• fader / so she was anone full of teeres and tourned her a parte so as thoughe she wolde ende some maner of oryson / & the beaute and the fresshnesse of her vysage was gretely empayred by y^• grete abstynence y^t she dy­de. After she spake to her fader & comforted hym & made hym certayne that he sholde se his dough­ter or he dyed / and that he sholde not doubte but that she was in the seruyce of god where euer she were / and that yet he sholde haue grete Ioy of her The fader trowed that he knewe that by dyuyne vertue and departed thens ryght well comforted and sayd to the abbot that euer syth his doughter departed he had not founde to his courage so mo the of comforte / and I am sayd he fulfylled with the grace of god syth that I shall haue tydynges of my doughter / and with that recommendynge hym to the abbot & to the prayers of y^• bretherne he departed. But he myght not holde hym / but y^t he must often tymes come agayne to vysyte y^e ho ly brother / and he dyde nothynge but by his coun sayle. And thus it endured by so longe tyme that this doughter whiche named herselfe Synaroch [Page] had complete the space of .xxxviij. yere within her celle. And than it pleased god to call her to hym & sykenes toke her. The good mā of y^t ryght sorow full came thyder / and whan he sawe that Syna­roche sholde dye he began to crye. Alas where be those swete wordes & those promyses that y^• hast made to me that I sholde se my doughter. Syna roche passed to god / and the fader was not there whē he passed. He helde a wrytynge in honde whi che no man myght take out / y^e abbot and all y^e co­uent came to assaye but they dyde nothynge / vp­on this y^• fader came thyder with grete cryenge / and grete wepynge for his good frende whiche he founde dede on whome was all his comforte. and as sone as he approched the corpes to kysse it before all he opened the hande and toke to hym y^• writynge / and he toke it and redde within that it was his doughter / and that none sholde touche her body to bury it but onely he / this thynge was grete meruayle to hym / to the abbot / and to all y^e couent whiche gretely praysed her holy stablenes in vertue. And to the fader doubled the wepynge in consolacyon of his lyfe. So he solde all y^t euer he had / and rendred hym in to the same abbaye & there he ended his lyfe. Nowe I haue tolde the of dyuers vyrgynes. So I shall tell the of other la­dyes martyres ryght gloryous & of holy lyfe.

¶ Of the blyssed lady Anastase and her felowes Ca. xiiij.

[Page] THere was in the tyme of y^• grete per­secucyon of the crysten people in Ro­me in the tyme of Dyoclutan y^• Em­peroure. There was in that Cyte ry ght a noble lady of grete rychesse & of grete auctoryte whiche was named Anastase. This lady had meruayllous grete compassyon of the tourment that she sawe done euery day to the martyres / and for to comforte them and vysy te theym / she clothed her in the habyte of a poore woman / and wente with one mayden vnto the prysons where they were / and comforted theym with precyous meetes and drynkes / and of suche as she myght. She wasshed / and wyped theyr woundes / and anoynted them with ryght precy­ous oyntementes. And she contynued soo longe tyll she was accused to Publyen / whiche was a noble man of Rome whiche that wolde haue had her to wyfe / whiche waxed wrothe with it / and he made suche awaytes on her that she durst not come oute of her house. And then amonge other martyres in the pryson there was Saynt Gryso gone a man of ryght grete excellence / the whiche hadde suffered many dyuers tourmentes / and he was susteyned of the goodes and the vysytacy­ons of that good and gracyous lady Anastase. Unto whome the foresayd saynt Grysogone sent couertely dyuers epystles / by a good vertuous crysten woman / counsaylynge her of pacyence / and in the same wyse she sente vnto hym by the [Page] sayd woman. And at the last so as god wolde he that helde her so shorte dyed. And she solde al that she had / and employed it all in the vysytacyon & sustenaunce of martyres. This noble lady hadde grete suyte of ladyes and of maydyns crystened. And amonge the others. ¶ There were .iij. may­dens systers of noble lygnage whiche were ryght famylyer with her / one of these systers was cal­led Agappe that other Thyonne / and the thyrde Hyrene. So it came to the knowlege of the Em­perour that these noble systers were crystened / he sente for them and promysed them grete gyftes & that he wolde marye them hyghly yf they wolde forsake the name of Ihesu cryst / and as they ma­de therof no charge he made them to be beten / & after to be put in harde pryson in the whiche pry­son theyr holy frende Anastase vysyted them not sparynge nyght and day and prayed god that he wolde suffre her to lyue whyle her goodes endu­red to the entente that she myght employ them al in that holy werke. The Emperoure commaun­ded Dulcycyon his prouost that all y^• crysten peo ple that were in y^• prysons sholde be constrayned by tourmentes to worshyp y^• ydolles. So y^• sayd prouost made them for to be brought before hym amonge whiche were the .iij. systers. And when the cursed Iuge sawe them he coueyted them for theyr beaute and counsaylled them in secrete wy­se by fayre wordes and promyses that they shol­de accorde to hym / and he sholde delyuer theym. [Page] But as they were all that refusynge he put them in to the warde of one y^• was famylyer with hym and he made them to be ledde in to his house and he thought to haue them agaynst theyr wyll or w^t theyr wyll. And when the nyght came he wente alone without lyght to the house where he made them to be brought. And as he wolde goo to the place where he herde theyr voyce / whiche all the nyght dyde no thynge but prayse god / He passed by the place where all the vesselles of the kechyne were kepte. And then he full of the deuyll & blyn­ded with the spyryte of Lechery so as god wolde he toke them by the necke & kyssed them straytely syth one & syth another / and trowed y^t it had ben the maydens. And so moche he wente thus doyn ge y^• he was verely wery. And when it was daye he wente to his people whiche abode hym w^tout / whiche when they sawe hym / he semed a fygure of the deuyll so moche he was soylled with fatte and coles / and his gowne rente and traylynge in the dyrte / so they fledde from hym all aferde. And when he sawe them fle thus / and that they despy sed hym he was meruayllously abass [...]ed / wher­fore it was / so he thought hym that he wolde go and complayne to the Emperoure of that y^• euery man mocked hym there as he wente and scorned hym. And when he was entred into y^• palas whe re many abode hym in the mornynge / then there began a grete crye vpon hym where some bete bȳ with roddes / some shoued hym abacke sayenge. [Page] Go out of the waye thou vnhappy and abhomy­nable persone thou stynkest all aboute / some scrat ched hym in y^• vysage / and some laughed hym to scorne / soo he was greately admeruaylled what that it myght be that he was almoost out of his wytte. For the deuyll had closed soo his eyen that he myght no perceyue it / so he tourned hym home agayne vnto his house ryght foule ashamed.

¶ And then another Iuge was put in his place / whiche made these thre blessyd vyrgynes to co­me before hym / and he wolde make them to wor­shyppe the ydolles / and for that that they wolde do nothynge as his byddynge was / he commaū ded them to be dyspoyled all naked / and soo to be beten / yet for all theyr myght they myght not de­spoyle theym / for theyr clothes were so cleuynge to them that there myght no man put them of / so he made them to be put in a fyre ryght hote bren­nynge whiche greued them nothynge. And then they prayed to god that they myght ende theyr ly ues yf it pleased hym / so they passed anone to our lorde ryght gloryously. But for to showe that it was theyr wyll to dye / the fyre neuer brente them nor none of theyr clothes / and when the fyre was wasted the bodyes of them were founde / the han des Ioyned as hole and fresshe as thoughe they had slepte. And the blessyd lady Anastase whiche toke good hede of them buryed them.

¶ Of saynt Theodore the vyrgyne. Ca. xv.

[Page] ANother noble felawe had this good Anastase whiche was named Theo dory / the whiche had .iij. yonge chyl­dren. This lady for that that she re­fused maryage of the erle Lencady­ne / and y^t she wolde not do sacrefyse to the ydolles there was made many tourmentes for her. And to constrayne the better by moderly pyte made to tourment one of her sones. But by the vertue of y^e faythe whiche passed nature she comforted hym sayenge / sone ne doubte thou not these tourmen­tes / for by them thou shalte go to Ioye euerlastyn ge / and then the lady was put in pryson. A sone of the deuyll came to her to defoule her chastyte / but sodeynly he began to blede at the nose / and he cry ed and sayd that a yonge felawe had smyten hym on the nose with his fyst whiche was with her in the pryson. So this lady was tourmented / and at the laste they slewe her and her .iij. sones whi­che yelded theyr blessyd spyrytes gloryfyenge god & the blessyd Anastase buryed them. ¶ Then this holy Anastase had so moche haunted the vysyta­cyon of martyres that at the last she was taken & emprysoned / so she myght no more vysyre y^• sayn­tes of god / ne had no mete nor drynke. But god whiche wolde not that she whiche so dylygently hadde comforted and refresshed his holy seruaun tes to suffre more / he sente vnto her the spyryte of her blessyd felawe Theodorye with a grete lyght the whiche set before her a table and she brought [Page] with her dyuers precyous refecryens. And kepte company with her .xxx. dayes / in the whiche tyme was neuer delyuered to her mete nor drynke / and they trowed that she had ben deed for hongre / so she founde all alpue and brought before the pr [...] ­uost whiche had grete sorowe / and for that y^t dy­uers people were conuerted by y^e myracle / he ma­de her to be put in a shyn with other trespassours that were condempned to dethe. And when they were in the hyghe see / the maryners to obey that that they were commaunded / brake the shyp and wente in to another vessell. And then the blessyd Theodosyne appered to them / and conueyed thē by the see a nyght and a daye / as surely as they had ben vpon the playne erthe / so moche that she set them in the Ile of palme / in the whiche Ile the re were many byss hoppes & holy men put in exyle so they were receyned there / with praysynges to god & with grete Ioye. And those that were esca­ped with Anastase were baptysed and byleued in god. This thynge after come to the knowlege of the Emperoure he sente to fetche theym all bothe man and woman and chylde aboute the nombre of thre hondred / whiche he made all to dye by dy­uers tourmentes. And the blessyd Anastase after many grete argumentes that she made to y^e Em­peroure / & after dyuers tourmentes that she had was crowned by martyrdome.

¶ Of the noble Natalye. Ca. xvj.

[Page] NAtalye y^• noble wyfe of Adryan pryn ce of the cheual [...]y of the Emperoure Maxymyan as she was crystened se cretly in the tyme that dyuers crystē people were martyred she herde saye that Adryan her housbande for whom she prayed god without seasynge was sodaynly conuerted in beholdynge y^e martyres tourmented / and had confessed the name of Ihesu cryst wherfore y^e Em perour of that ryght wrothe made hym to be put in ryght an harde pryson. The good lady ryght Ioyous of y^e conuersyon of her housbande wente anone to y^e pryson to comforte hym / and to praye hym to perseuer in that he had begon / and kyssed the chaynes with whiche he was bounde wepyn ge for pyte & Ioye / and counsayllynge hym grete ly that he wolde haue no respecte to these erthely Ioyes that endured but a whyle / but that he shol de haue before his eyen the grete glory that was ordeyned for hym. This holy lady was there lon ge comfortynge hym and all the other martyres praynge god that she myght be of theyr company and prayed them gretely that they sholde comfor te her housbande of whome she doubted her that by force of tourmentes he sholde not chaunge in the stablenesse of the faythe / she vysyted hym eue ry daye / and euery daye preched hym to haue sta­blenesse / & many a fayre worde she spake to hym. But for that that she and dyuers other ladyes vy syted the holy martyres the Emperoure made to [Page] defende that no woman sholde come in to them. And therfore she clothed her in the guyse of a man And when it came to the daye of his last martyr­dome she was presente and wyped his woundes and kyssed his blode and prayed hym that he wol de pray to god for her. And thus passed the blessyd Adryan / and she toke with her one of his handes that was cutte of / and wrapped it full derely in a couerchefe as a relyke. This holy lady after the dethe of her housbande one wolde constrayne her to be wedded bycause she was of hyghe lygnage fayre and ryche / so she was alway in oryson pray enge god that he wolde drawe her out of the han des of them that wolde constrayne her to be wed­ded. And then there appered to her in slepynge y^e spyryte of her housbande whiche comforted her / and sayd vnto her that she sholde goo in to Cou­stantynoble to burye the bodyes of many marty­res that were there / and she dyde soo. And when she had ben there a whyle in goddes seruyce in vy sytynge the holy martyres emprysoned / her hous­bande appered vnto her agayne and sayd to her / Syster and frende Chambere of Ihesu Cryste co me on in to glorye perpetuall for our lorde calleth the. And then she awoke / and anone after she pas­sed to our lorde.

¶ Of the holy and blessyd Saynt Affra. Capitulo .xvij.

[Page] AFfra was a woman that lyued folyly conuerted to the fayth of Ihesu Cryst and was accused to the Iuge whiche sayd to her. It suffyseth not the / y^e dys­honestye of thy body but y^t thou muste fall in erroure to worshyp a straunge god / do sa­crefyse to our goddes that they maye pardon the And Affra answered / I shall doo sacrefyse to my god Ihesu Cryste that came downe for synners. For his gospell sayth y^t a woman a synner wassh ed his feete with her teres and had forgyuenesse And he despysed neuer folyly lyuynge womā ne y^e publycanes synners but he lete them ete w^t hym. The Iuge sayd vnto her. If thou do no sacrefyse thou shalte not be loued of thy rybaudes / ne thon shalte receyue no gyftes of them. She answered I shal neuer receyue cursed gyftes & those y^t I ha­ue goten vntruely I haue prayed to the poore peo ple that they wyll take them and pray for my fyn nes. The Iuge gaue his sētence that saynt Affra sholde be brente syth that she wolde not do sacre­fyse. And when she was delyuered to tourmente she worshypped god and sayd lorde god almygh­ty Ihesu cryst whiche callest synners to penaunce receyue my martyrdome in goood entente in the houre of my passyon / & delyuer me fro euerlastyn­ge fyre by this corporall fyre that is arayed to my body / & y^e fyre beynge aboute her she sayd. Lorde Ihesu cryst pleaseth y^e to receyue me a pore synner in sacrefyse of thy holy name y^• y^• offred thyselfe in [Page] sacrefyse for all the worlde / and thou ryghtfull we re put on the crosse for the vnryghtfull / and good for the euyll doers / blessyd for the cursed / swete for the bytter / clene and innocent from synne to dely­uer the synners. To the I offre the sacrefyse of my body whiche lyueth and reygneth with the fader and the holy ghost by all the worlde of worldes. And thus ended the blessyd Affre for whome our lorde hath shewed syth many myracles.

¶ Here telleth Iustyce of dyuers ladyed whiche serued and lodged the appostles and other sayn­tes. Capitulo .xviii.

WHat woldest thou that I saye to the more fayre Xp̄ine. I myght brynge to remembraunce suche ensamples without nombre. But for that y^• thou arte adme ruaylled so as thou haste sayd here before that wherfore all auctours bla­me women. I saye to the that thoughe that thou hast founde it in the wrytynges of auctours pay nymes I trowe that to that purpose thou sha [...]te fynde but fewe in holy legendes and in the hysto ryes of Ihesu cryst and of his appostles / and the same wyse of all the sayntes so as thou mayst se / but a grete nombre thou shalte fynde of meruayl lous constauncè by the grace of god in women / & good seruyces grete charytees that they haue do ne and do without faynynge / and by good wyll [Page] to y^• seruaūtes of god bothe hospytalytees & other good dedes / so as it is wryten of Drucyane whi­che was a good lady and a awydowe / whiche re ceyued to host saynt Iohn̄ the euangelyst / she ser­ued hym of his mete and his drynke. And whan the sayd saynt Iohan sholde be receyued fro his exyle and those of the cyte made hym a grete feest Drucyane was borne to be buryed whiche was deed for sorowe y^t he taryed so longe / & her neygh boures sayd to hym. Iohan see here Drucyane thy good hostesse whiche is deed for sorowe for thy longe taryenge / she shal serue y^• no more. And than saynt Iohan sayd to her Drucyane ryse vp and go in to thy house and make redy my refeccy on / & she rose frome dethe to lyfe. ¶ Also another of y^e cyte of Lymoges named Susanne / she was the fyrst that harboured saynt Marcyall whiche was sente thyder by saynt Peter to conuerte the countre and dyde hym ryght moche good.

¶ Also the good lady Maxymylle buryed saynt Androwe and toke hym frome the crosse / and do­ynge this she put herselfe to the peryll of dethe.

¶ Also y^e holy mayde Euphygene folowed by de­nocyon saynt Mathewe the euangelyst / and af­ter his dethe she made to edefye for hym ryght a fayre chyrche. ¶ Also another good lady was so moche taken w^t the loue of saynt Poule y^e apostle that she folowed hym all aboute / and serued hym by grete dylygence. ¶ Also in y^t tyme of y^e apostles a noble quene called Helyn / and it was not she y^• [Page] was moder of Constantyne but another quene of Oblygoys whiche wente to Iherusalem / in the whiche there was grete scarcete of vytaylles for the famyne that was there. And when she knewe that the sayntes of our lorde that were in y^e Cyte to preche and to conuerte the people dyed for hongre she made to bye so moche vytaylles for them that they were pouruayed as longe as the derthe lasted. ¶ Also when one lydde saynt Poule to be heeded by the commaundement of Nero a good lady whiche was called Pautylle that was aco­stomed to serue hym came ayenst hym wepynge gretely. And saynt Poule asked of her a couerche­fe that she had vpon her heed / and she toke it hym wherof the shrewde people y^t were there mocked hym sayenge for that it was fayre that so moche she had loste. Saynt Poule hymselfe wyped his eyen / & after when he was deed he sente it agay­ne to the woman full of blode wherfore she kepte it ryght rychely. And saynt Poule appered to her and sayd that for so moche that she had done hym seruyce in heuen in prayenge for her / ynoughe of others in lyke case I myght tell the. ¶ Uaxyllete was a noble lady in the vertue of charyte. This lady was maryed to saynt Iulyan. And in the nyght of theyr weddynge of one acorde they vowed vyrgynyte / and none myght thynke the holy con­uersacyon of this woman / ne y^• multytude of women and maydens that were saued and drawne to holy lyfe by her holy monycyon. To saye shor­tely [Page] so moche she had of grace in her that our lor­de spake to her as she was in dyenge. ¶ I wote not what I sholde saye more Xp̄yne my dere loue I myght tell the without nombre of ladyes of dyuers estates as well vyrgynes as wydowes / or maryed women / in whome god hath shewed his vertues by meruayllous strengthe and constaun ce / so be thou suffysed as nowe. For ryght well & fayre as it semeth me I haue wel quytte me of my ne offyce in perfourmynge of the hyghe batayle­mentes of thy Cyte. And I haue peopled it with excellente ladyes / so as I promysed the. And not­withstandynge that I name not / ne maye not name all the holy ladyes by theyr names / whiche y^t hathe ben / whiche that ben / and whiche that shal be / all maye be comprehended in this Cyte of La­dyes / of the whiche one maye saye. (¶ Gloriosa dicta sunt de te ciuitas dei). That is to say / gloryous thynges ben sayd of the thou Cyte of god. So I yelde it to the as a parfyte thynge wel and stably so as I promysed the. Nowe I betake the to god / and the peas of oure hyghe souerayne be euerlastyngely with the.

AMEN

¶ Here Xp̄ine speketh vnto the ladyes in the ende of the boke. Ca. xix.

[Page] MI ryght redoubted ladyes worshyp ped by god nowe is our Cyte well accheued and made parfyte / in the whiche all ye that loueth honoure / vertue / & praysynge may be lodged with grete worshyp as wel those that are past as those that ben nowe / and those that be to come.

For it is founded and made for euery woman of worshyp. And my ryght dere ladyes it is a thyn­ge natural to mannes herte to reioyce hym when he fyndeth hym that he hathe the vyctory of ony entrepryse / and that his enemyes be confounded So haue ye cause all ye my ladyes to reioyce you nowe vertuously in god and in good cōdycyons by this newe cyte to se it parfyte whiche may not be onely the refuge of al you / that is to vnderstan de of vertuous women / but also the defence and warde ayenst your enemyes and assayllers yf ye kepe it well. For ye may se that the matter wherof it is made is all of vertue / and so truely shynynge that all ye maye beholde therin and specyally in y^• emfrytaylynge of this laste partye / and the same wyse in that whiche may touche you of other par tyes. And my dere ladyes. Soo vse ye not of this newe herytage as these proude people whiche be come so full of pryde whē theyr prosperyte encrea seth and are mounted in rychesse / but by y^• ensam­ple of your quene the souerayne vyrgyne whiche after so grete worshyp that the aungell brought to her as to be the moder of the sone of god. She [Page] so moche more meked her in callynge her y^• hande mayden of god. So my ladyes as be it true that the more the vertues ben the more ye ought to yel de you humble & benygne / and this Cyte be cause vnto you to loue good maners / and to be vertu­ous and humble. ¶ And haue ye not in despyte ye ladyes that ben maryed to be so subiectes to your housbandes. For it is not some tymes beste to a creature to be free out of subieccyon / & that wyt­nesseth the tonge of our lorde god where he sayth to Esoras the prophete. Those he sayth that vse theyr free wyll falleth in synne / and despyse theyr lorde / and defouleth the Iuste people / and therfo­re they perysshe. So be ye humble and pa [...]yente and the grace of god shall encreace in you / and ye shal be gyuen in praysynge to y^• worlde. For saynt Gregory sayth that pacyence is the entrye of pa­radyse and the way of Ihesu Cryst. ¶ And amon you vyrgynes in the state of maydenhode / be ye clene / symple / coye / and without ydelnesse. For y^• gynnes of euyll men ben set agaynst you. So be ye armed with vertuous strengthe agaynst theyr cauteyles to eschewe theyr frequentacyon.

¶ And to ladyes wedowes be honest in habyte & countenaunce and in worde / deuoute in dede and in conuersacyon / prudente in gouernaunce / pacy­ente in that where nede is / in mekenesse & in cha­ryte. ¶ And to all generally / grete / meane / & lytel wyll ye alway to be set in defence agaynst the ene myes of your worshyp & chastyte. Se my ladyes [Page] howe these that accuseth you maketh all them ly­ers that blameth you. And put abacke these losen gyers whiche by dyuers draughtes hurteth and withdraweth that that ye ought to kepe so well / that is to vnderstande your worshyppes. O the lewde loue of whiche they counsayle you and sty­reth you therto. Fle it for goddes loue fle it / for be ye certayne / thoughe that the semblaunt be fayre it is deceyuable / that at all tymes the ende of it is preiudyce to you. And thynke not the contrary for otherwyse it maye not be. Remembre howe they call you frayle and false / and alwaye they seke en gynes ryght straunge and deceyuable with gre­te payne and trauayle for to take you so as one do the to take wylde beestes. Flee theyr gynnes my ladyes / flee theyr acquayntaunce vnder laughyn ge of whome is lapped venyme ryght full of an­guysshe whiche bryngeth one lyghtly to the dethe And thus that it please you my ryght redoubted ladyes to drawe to the vertues and flee vyces to encreace and multeplye our Cyte / and ye to reioy ce in well doynge. And me your seruaunt to be re commended vnto you in praynge god whiche by his grace in this worlde graunte me for to lyue / and perseuer in his holy seruyce / and at the ende to be pyteous to my grete defautes / and graunte bothe vnto you and me the Ioye whiche endure­euermore.