A Looking-Glass for Ladies, OR, A mirrour for married-women.
Lively setting forth the rare Constancy, Chastity, Patience, and purity of Penelope the Wife of Ʋlisses, one of the Grecian Generals, who during the Ten Years absence of her Husband at the siege of Troy, was solicited, and importun'd, by numbers of Emminent Suitors; who attempted her chastity, and endeavoured to violate her Honour, but never could prevail. She addicted her self wholly to Charity, and good Housewifery, until her Husbands return. Which may serve as a Pattern for all Ladies, Gentlewomen, and others to Imitate her vertuous Example.
With Allowance.
Tune of, Queen Dido: or, Troy Town.
WHen Greeks, and Trojans, fell at strife,
and Lords in Armour bright were seen,
When many a Gallant lost his life,
about fair Hellen, beauties queen:
Ulisses, General so free,
Did leave his dear Penelope.
When she this woful news did hear,
that he would to the Warrs of Troy,
For grief she shed full many a tear,
at parting from her onely joy;
Her Ladies all about her came,
To comfort up this Grecian Dame.
Ulisses with a heavy heart,
unto her then did mildly say,
The time is come that we must part,
my honour calls me hence away;
Yet in my absence dearest be,
My constant Wife Penelope.
Let me no longer live she said,
then to my Lord I true remain,
My Honour shall not be betraid,
until I see my love again:
For ever I will constant prove,
As is the harmless Turtle-Dove.
Thus did they part with heavy cheer,
And to the Ships his way he took;
Her tender eyes dropt many a tear,
still casting many a longing look:
She saw him on the Surges glide,
And unto Neptune thus she cry'd.
Thou God, whose power is in the Deep,
and rulest in the Ocean-Main;
My loving Lord in safety keep,
till he return to me again:
That I his person may behold,
Which I esteem far more then Gold.
THen straight the ships with nimble sayls,
were all convey'd out of her sight,
Her cruel fate she then bewails,
since she had lost her hearts delight:
Now shall my practice be, quoth she,
True vertue and humility.
My patience I will put in ure,
and Charity I will extend,
Since for my woe, there is no cure,
the helpless now I will befriend:
The Widdow and the Fatherless,
I will relieve, when in distress.
Thus she continued year by year,
in doing good to every one;
Her fame was noised every where,
to young and old the same was known:
No company that she would mind,
Who were to vanity inclin'd.
Mean while Ulisses fought for Fame,
'Mongst Trojans hazarding his Life,
Young Gallants hearing of her Name,
came flocking for to tempt his Wife,
For she was lovely, young, and fair,
No Lady might with her compare.
With costly gifts, and Iewels fine,
they did endeavour her to win,
With Banquets, and the choicest Wine,
for to allure her unto Sin:
Most persons were of high degree,
Who courted fair Penelope.
With modesty and comely grace,
their Wanton Suits she did deny;
No tempting charms could ere deface
her dearest Husbands memory;
But constant she did still remain,
Hopeing to see him once again.
Her Book her daily practice was,
and that she often did peruse,
She seldom looked in her glass,
Powder, and Paint, she did not use,
I wish all Ladies were as free
From Pride, as was Penelope.
She in her Needle took delight,
and likewise in her Spinning-wheel,
Her Maids about her, all, she taught,
to use the Distaff, and the Reel:
The Spiders that on Rafters Twine,
Scarce Spins a thread more pure and fine.
Sometimes she would bewail the loss
and absence of her dearest love;
Sometimes she thought the Seas to cross,
her fortune on the Waves to prove:
I fear my Lord is slain, quoth she,
He stays so from Penelope.
At length the Ten years Siege of Troy
did end, the flames the City burn'd,
Which to the Grecians was great joy,
to see the Towers to ashes t [...]rn'd
Then came Ulisses home to see
His constant Dear, Penelope.
Then blame her not if she was glad,
when she her Lord again had seen:
O welcome home, my dear, she said,
a long time absent you have been:
The wars shall never me deprive,
Of thee again whilst I'me alive.
Young Ladies may example take,
and by this Lesson they may learn,
And keep this pattern for her sake,
'twixt vice and virtue to discern:
And let all women strive to be,
As constant as Penelope.
Printed for F. Coles, T, Vere, J. Wright, and J. Clarke.