The prayse of all women, called Mulieru[m] pean Very fruytfull and delectable vnto all the reders. Loke [et] rede who that can. This boke is prayse to eche woman.

WHat tyme the crabbe his course had past And Phebus atteyned the Aquarye The selfe same time whan it frose fast Amyddes the moneth of Ianuarye I in my bedde , and slepe in myne eye A sodeyne assemble before me dyd appere And women they semed by abyte and chere . ❧ A wake they sayde , slepe nat so fast Consyder our grefe , and howe we b● blamed And all by a boke , that lately is past Whiche by reporte , by the was fyrst framed The scole of wom●n , none auctour named In prynte it is passed , lewdely compyled All women wherby be sore reuyled . ☞ Consyder therin , thyne owne good name Consyder also our infamye Sende forth some other , contrary the same For thyne and outs , bothe honestye The Pean thou wrote , and lyeth the bye Be quycke herein , prolonge nat thus As thou woldest our sauour , nowe do for vs ¶ Amongest all other , one b●ldely prest Obey sayd she shalt thou / be thou ned so strong Her male & he●●antell , she threwe on my brest For I am she sayd she , thou hast do most wronge A wake a wake , thou slepest ouer longe Uenus am I cleped , my name shall nat be hyd Nowe sharpen thy pen , and wryte as a the byd . ❧ Of trueth it is , wryte on quod she The nature of man inclyneth to synne Rather than vertue , and reason is why Eche nature dothe ende , as it dothe begyn Salte wyl be water , thought none be therin The tre of the cote , dothe take his verdure The fruyte whe●by , is knowen swete or soure . ☞ So at the begynnyng , where man had that vse Of wyt and reason , to be ruled by By cause he offended , he made excuse The faute allegynge , to the femynye God to haue dysceyued , yf it wolde haue be And as he tho , to lye begon So to this daye , he holdeth on . ¶ Of vs pore women customably Without cause iust , to rayle and iest No nature naturate , vnder the skye Fysshe , fowle , worme , ne beest But with theyr owne kynde , the lyue at rest Man of all other , of maners so rude Can nat saye well by his symylytude . ❧ A great abuse , and shamefully holde Suche frowardnes , in hande to haue The selfe same thynge , whiche most they shulde Laude and loue , it to depraue And that of nede ▪ whiche most they craue So to improper , great foly it is For in no wyse they may vs longe mys . Recorde the goodnes , of god almyghty At the creacyon , whiche he began Perceyuynge it coulde nat endure a ryght Without any helpe made to the man Faciamus ( sayde he ) and made Eue than The woman the man , to helpe and assyst It foloweth therfore , we can nat be myst ¶ Howe be it , ye men fast pore and prye All that ye may vs women agayne Nothynge lefte out , ye may come by Of holy wrytte , nor thot poetes do fayne All is alledged as thynge certayne And what that makes nat , for your purpose Shall be interpretate , with a lewde glose . ❧ Exemples many , faynt and feble Mo than ye may well iustyfye And saye it is a thynge impossyble Any one good woman founde to be Whiche euyll sayenge to ratyfye A sence of Salomon ye aledge , which sayth Mulierem fortem quis inueniet . ☞ But as to that thou shalt nat tary Lenger than nedes to make reporte As at this tyme them to contrary By any exemple , the nexte to retor● Taken an nowe of the lyuynge sorte Contynue thy processe , tyll thou may espye A place therfore more necessary . ❧ Howe shulde this worlde contynued be Man I meane in his most nede Were nat women , what were ye Examples many , hereof may ye rede And ouer that ye se in dede Howe by the vertue of the femynyne face Myrth encreaseth , and thoughtes gyue place . Pri. Re. xviii . ☞ Exempled in Saule , whan he shulde fyght Agay●st the armye phylystyne Had neyther herte , courage ●e myght Ne wyst nat what to do the●in With hongry thought hym selfe to pyne Had nat the woman hym counseyled and f●● For feare in that fury , Saule had be deed ¶ Whan ye lye sycke and lyke to dye Who then attendeth you vnto . Were nat the woman , there myght ye lye Donge in your denne , as bestes do The woman is euer redy to go For this and that to watche and wake You to recouer many labours to take . ❧ If that your fynger other hede ake Or elles what ayleth you , hande or fote There can no medycyne the payne a●●ake Without the woman be your bote Lappe you warme in clothes softe A kercheyffe bonde vnto your hedde And in her armes bere you to bedde . ¶ Nyght and day than must she wak● And redy be at the fyrst call A culles or some caudel make As for the sycke dothe best befall Oneles the woman come withall No man can get hym vp to sytte Therof to taste morsell or bytte ❧ Thus of the woman great pleasures ye haue Whiche man to man can nat suffyce And yet ye do vs all depraue Sayenge we be neyther sadde ne wyse And that no profyte by vs doth ry●e Where as in trueth recorde I can As many aryse as by the man . ☞ A woman playne dyd fyrst inuent Ou● . meth ▪ li.v. All maner grayne to inne and sowe Ceres named by comune assent And for her wysdome , the people dyd knowe Honours diuyne they dyd her shewe And as her merytes dyd than expresse They named her the good goddesse . ¶ And in lyke maner a woman founde Isido . l● . i . an t . ix . The letters fyrst that we nowe wryte The A.B.C. as they do stande Wherby we vse our myndes to endyte One to another ful and perfyte Carmenta call●d as I remembre Mother vnto the famous Euander . ❧ Pallas the doughter of Iupyter August . de ciuita lib. v●i . & Oui. in fast . &c. Through her entere and pured brayne The goddesse named of the artyfycer Of wolle and oyle , fyrst founde the vayne For whiche inuencyon the story is playne Preferred she was before Neptune To gyue the name to Athenes towne . ☞ Soppho the poetresse dyd also fynde With the harpe to synge the tune to wrest Whiche greatly conforteth mannes mynde With syghes of sorowe ouer prest i. Reg. xvi . Saule the kynge coulde neuer haue rest Tyll Dauyd had harpyd a fytte or two The malygne spryte , wolde nat hym fro . ¶ The Sybbilles .xii. dyd prophecy The sone of god shulde man become One of them shewed the mystery Unto Octauyan in the sonne Many is the yeres , that syth is ronne And yet the churche dothe occupye The selfe same Sybbilles prophecye . ❧ Hystoryes many I coulde forth lay That maketh wel with the feminye Of lyke sentence I dare well saye And grounded on good auctoryte Howe be it because that poetry Is taken nowe in suche despyte Of other reasons , I wyll thou wryte ❧ But fyrst this questyon , ●ske quod she Demurely , and after a gentyl rate . To whom be holden more are y● Unto the man that you begate ▪ Or to the woman puerperate I knowe no reason for your excuse But that it shulde your selues confuse . ☞ As sone as the woman , dothe conceyue Full dyuers is her appetyde Bothe bely and hert dothe ryse and heu● The stomake seldome satysfyde For many sondry meates prouyde Longe for more than she may gete . And many a sory morsell ete . ¶ In case she may it nat optayne Harde she escapeth with the lyfe And in her labour suche is the payne That as god knoweth the vrgent grefe Without a gracyous prerogatyfe Ware thynge , no doubte , impossyble She shulde escape , and after haue hele . ❧ And whan she is delyuered Syke and wepe contynually And as ye knowe but lytell consydered With many a man , the more blame he Who but the woman must keper be Prouyde for euery ragge and cloute And in her armes bere you aboute . ❧ In case the man suche labour shulde tak● I meane to bere you to and fro His armer and shulders wolde so ake That lame he wolde be of bothe two The sely woman hathe neuer do What in her armes and in her lappe Nyght and daye she must you wrappe ☞ Lytell or nothynge may she rest But alwayes besy you for to kepe Aryse and fede you with her brest And all to styll you whan ye wepe Where of your selfe , ye can scant crepe She must be redy to gyue you pappe From wynde & wether , you warme to lappe . ¶ The man may lye and snowre full fast Whan that the wyfe must watche and wak● Out of the bed her armes cast The cradell to rocke tyll they bothe ake The babe also vnto her take And whan he is vnclene beneth Must be content with many yll breth ❧ Shyfte hym ofte , wype and wesshe Clou●es and clothes newe prepare And be it harde or be it nes●●e She woman must do a way the ware Thus hathe the mother all the care All the labour and dyssease Where as the father dothe what hym please . ☞ When that ye drawe nere , xii . monethes old● Than may the woman nother rest ne sytte But ●uer dadle you in sure holde Tyll tyme that ye haue founde your fyt Her brestes ye ●ere with many a byt And scratche also with your sharpe nayles And yet the woman you neuer fayles . ¶ Where as the man wolde sure dysdayne And be therwith impacyent And peraduenture stryke agayne Nother be eftsons so dylygent If ons ye dyd hym dyscontent For as ye se when hym myslyketh The man dayly his chylderne stryketh ❧ The mother tendreth them alway And scant can suffer them in the wynde Of them in doute bothe nyght and day● Lest any male chaunce shulde them blynde Ough● you nat then to the woman to be kynde Howe be it ye haue no better sporte Than of the woman euyll to report● ☞ Some saye the woman had no tonge After that god had her create Untyll the man toke leues louge And put them vnder her palate An aspyn leffe of the dyuel he gatte And for it moueth with euery wynd● They saye womens tongues be of lyke kynde . ❧ I saye the fable rehersed before The trueth well knowen is but a lye All the clerkes that euer were Do wryte the same and testefye That god made all thynge parfetlye Howe shulde the woman then t●nge haue none And be of goddes creacyon , ☞ Because that Eue our prime parent The wyll of god dyd on s transgresse They blame all women in lyke consent And make them selfe alwayes fauteles There be of women as of men doutles All be it that dyuers haue offended Yet ought nat all to be reprehended ¶ All maner clothe is nat lyke fyne Nor yet all men complexyoned lyke Some more of colour , some more sanguyne Some malancolye , some fleamatyke Some longe and small , some shorte and thycke Nat euery man of one compleccyon Nor euery woman of one condycyon ☞ Why shulde the woman then be blamed More than ●he man , and he lyke bad Me thynkes ye ought to be ashamed And also in conscyence sore adrade In case that ye any conscyence had Ro. ii . Wytnes saynt Paule ; it doth no man beseme Worse of a nother than of hym selfe to ●ome ¶ Admytte that woman ●yrste offended The man persuadynge to transgres A woman was she , the faute that amended By meane of her great humblenes . Genises . Of mannes restore the chefe foundres Eue was she that made vs thrall And Mary was she that ●oused all . ❧ And ouer that in genesye I fynde it wryten , that god dyd make The woman for man an helpe to be Nat of vyle erthe out of the lake But of a rybbe that he dyd take Out of the mannes ryght syde And the woman made of thynge well tryde ☞ Lyke as ye s● by experyenc● Golde torged ●f leade ▪ ●ren and tynne And is hym selfe in his fyrst essens No better than the matter he was fyrst in And nowe more valued than man wyn● Lyke so dyd god the femynyne Plasmate of the ma●culyne . ¶ Ye se also the ryche Rubies And other stones of hye ●eco●e Set in golde at poynt deuyse And in thynge of small value In symblable wyse hy●rselfe Iesu Wolde of the woman i●carnate be Mayden and wyfe his mother Mary . ❧ And sythe that god the woman create Of thynge thus pured , and nat the man To the ende she shulde helpe hym algate Of congruence it foloweth than That in no wyse mysse ye can The man ( as who sayeth ) is the adiectyue And the woman is playne the substantyue . ☞ For as wytnesseth the accidence The adiectyue may nothyng do Oneles it be vnder pretence Of other substance put therto The man ●nlyke effecte also Without the wonans helpynge hande By hym selfe may nat longe stande ¶ Yf a man without womans consent Myght haue redrest the fyrste offence It had nat neded the omnipotent To hau● come hym selfe to make the admendes The woman was chosen by diuyne assenc● To be through her humylyte The well of our tranquily●y . ❧ And who that lysteth the trueth to try● Shall fynde in the Bible thorowe & thorowe That god dyd fauoure the femynyne Many tymes as well as you And in the woman dyd of renewe Agaynst all naturall dysposycyon In steryll age parentall fruycyon . ☞ As fyrst in the boke of Genesy● Ge. iii. i. Reg. i. Iudici . xiii . iiii . Reg. iiii . Of Ioseph , Isaac , and Samuell With other mo in places sondry As of Sampson ye may fynde well Lyke of the Sunamyte befell The Bible rede and ye shall fynde That these were borne past course of kynde . ¶ And in lyke case Elyzabeth Luce. i. The mother , of holy Iohan Baptyst Saynt Anne also as scrypture sayeth Conceyued Mary mother of Chryst Mary also that man neuer wyst Math. i. Conceyued by grace both god and man Mayden & mother bothe nowe and than ❧ Thus haue ye sure certifycate That god muche fauoureth the femyn kynde Sythe he hym selfe after suche rate Tendreth in them the deuout mynd● And furthermore no doute I fynde That god permytted man to make Wonders many for the womans sake . ☞ As fyrst we fynde by diuine s●yracyon iiii . Reg iiii . Done by the prophet Helysy● A lytell oyle and all by myracle Made to encrease and multyply Ibedem . And to his hostyes by prophesye Gaue a chylde , and to the same wyfe Ibedem . Restored he sone from deth to lyfe . ❧ Ouer tha● it may nat be nayde Whan man had broken the precepte Seynge hym selfe so nakedly arayde For shame amonge the leues 〈◊〉 crepte God hym called , he no ●ot● stepte But blamed the woman for his consent To fortyfye his his euyll entent ❧ But what sayde god , loke and rede Genes. Maladicta terra in opere tuo Cursed be the erthe thou dost on fede And swete for thy lyuynge thou shalt also Mynde had he none to call for grace tho So where god made hym of erth or than Yf he cursed the erth , he cursed man ¶ So of the woman it can nat be sayde For she of a rybbe was made before . But for she was so lyghtly betrayde Penaunce she had , but nat so sore Curst was she nat , howe be it euermore God sayde in chyldynge whan she dyd lye With sorowe her sede shusde multyply . ❧ That man was curst oft we rede Gene. 9 . iiii . re. ii Tren. i● . et Mala. ii . Besydes that I rehersed haue As Chayn and Cham for theyr lewde dede And those that the prophet dyd mocke & depraue With other ( no fewe ) where as god gaue Many tym●s vnto the woman His blessynge as well as to the man . ❧ Thus all thynge pondred in balance play●● God fauoureth alwayes the femynitye We then to haue them in dysdayne Standeth nat well with equytye And who so sayde the good rare be I durst auenture my heed to lose To proue he lyeth that maketh that glose . ¶ Thousandes or two I dare well say Of them that yet here lyuyng be In ful recorde forth bryng I may And seke nat farre out of the countre I coulde also many●estly Dyuers rehers and theyr names tell The place assygnynge where they do dwell . ☞ Howe be it as nowe it shal suffyce Nf them that gone be many yeres past Example to take and this treatyse By theyr goodnes to make sure and fast That none hereafter presume to cast Fables forged of wylfull mynde . Agaynst the deuout femynyne kynde· ¶ Abraham maryed one Sara● Genes●● xiiii . A perfyte woman as other be mo In worde and dede alwayes redy To be obedyent hym vnto God bad Abraham that he shulde go Out of the lande Cananye In to Egypt from his kyn nye ❧ Howe be it before he thyder came In his conce●te thus waded he Called his wyfe , and sayde good dame One thynge I wyll thou do for me By meane dere wyfe of thy beautye I doubte yf thou be knowen my wyfe That I perchaunce shall lose my lyfe . ☞ Say therfore my suster thou arte That I may fare the better for the I shall ( she sayd ) with all my har●e And elles what do , that ye byd me To helpe you in necessyte There shall no p●rsone haue knowlege other But that ye be my naturall brother ¶ So into Egypte whan that they came Sarra was sent for to kynge Pharao And for her sake was Abraham The better take with frende and fo Her brother she called hym , he bad her so Howe be it god punysshed the p●ople sore Tyll Pharao ot her had made restore Ge. xx . ❧ And in lyke maner afterwarde When that he came to G●ratye Abraham the bette● farde By reason of his w●●e Saray God lykewys● punysshe● greuously So that the kynge ●bym●lech Gaue hym his wy●e wi●h a so●● cheke . ☞ Lyke case befell with Isaac And Rebecca his trusty wyfe Whiche in lykewyse dyd her forsake And all for to enlength his lyfe The woman was his prerogatyfe Howe saye ye nowe by your lewde fable Were nat these women profytable . ¶ God preserued Sarra twyse And ons Rebacca gracyously In case that they had done amys It had be longe of the man suerly God wolde there shulde be no suche foly In the woman yf ye marke well Recorde Saara the doughter of Raguel . ❧ To s●uen dyuers maryed was she Thobi . vi . & .iii. And alwayes mayden arose them fro Because the man wolde by and by Hys carnall lust with her haue do No reuerence gyuen the sacrament vnto At nyght the deuyll was there alwaye And strangled them before the daye . ☞ Preserued was the femynyne Bycause she was so vertuous S●rangled were the masculyne Because they were so vycyous Sodome and Gomore , the lecherous In brymstone we rede dothe boyle & bran Ge. xx . For the myslyuynge of the man ❧ The doughter of Iacob amyable Dyne For the foule rape vpon her done Geneses xxxiii . Her bretherne two brought to ruyne The c●te and slewe the masculyne echon● Emmor the father and Sychem the son God wolde they shulde suche reuel mak● And on the men suche vengeaunce take ☞ Of Dauyd the doughter fayre Thamar ii . Reg. xiii . Whom her owne brother Amon by name Faynynge hym sicke and she nat ware Agaynst her wyll , she nat to blame Unlawfully vsed to his owne shame Longe tyme bewayled her euyll chaunce In token playne she toke repentaunce Iosue . ii ¶ Because Raab dyd them defende From Iosue sent to Ierico Holy wryte dothe her commende And iustyfye her lyfe also Luce. vii . Mary magdalyne another of tho For her great ●ayth and contrycyon Of all her crymes she had remyssyon ❧ Wherby apereth playne and euydent What grace is gyuen the femynyne For small offence so sore to repent Recorded in Thamer and in Dyne Where stubberne and styffe is the masculyne A●am ●o wytnes whiche had no grace Mercy to aske for his trespace . ☞ And furthermore admyt the case That many women haue sore offended And thousandes mo done well ofte hase Shulde all the name be dyscommended Bycause the best nombre be reprehended If that shulde be reporte me then What myght be spoken of the men ¶ Large be the volumes in euery nacyon For euer in cronycle to remayne Yf ye perceyue , and note the fasshyon Euydens ynoughe ye shall haue playne Agaynst one woman , men twayne Ye twenty I dare auowe doubtles Whiche be improued for theyr lewdenes ❧ In token that man shulde be content His wyfe to loue especyally Genesis xxi Abraham had strayte commaundement To folowe the mynde of Sarai And so expulsed by and by Agar his harlot out of hys house Agaynst her maystres presumptuous . ☞ Howe be it because of repentaunce For none example of lyke foly God dyd accept her meke penaunce And quyte for gaue her by and by The aungell was sent and bad her hye Home agayne and knowe her dame And god wolde multyply her fame . Ibidem . ❧ Agayne she came , her maysters content And ●ate Abraham one Ismaell Which pas●ynge all other was more feruent And passynge reason more cruell Than euer yet ye harde of ●ell His ly●e durynge to warre he was mouyd He loued no man , nor none hym loued . ☞ So can be nat rede of any woman Namely in wryttynge autentycall To be so cruell as was this man At warre to be with one and all O that ye men can fyght and braule And kyll ●che other comenly Whiche is nat sene in the femynyne . ¶ Howe be it there is founde in holy wryt That some women haue done lyke case Nat to them selfe but marked to it Of god onely , b● specyall grace Suche dedes marcyall to brynge to passe Iudith . xiii . That man myght nat Iudyth to wytnes Whiche slewe alone myghty Holofernes . ❧ And in lyke case of Delbora Whom god electe his prophete to be The deth to declare of Sisara Iudic. iiii . Where and whan to sygnyfye And gaue her also more specyally Knowlege in many other cause And made her iudge ouer the lawse , ☞ At mount Thabor as sh● dyd tell Iudic. v. T●is captayne dyscomfe● fled out of the thronge The wyfe of Abner named Iah●l Sisara slewe lyenge a longe God strengthed the woman & the laude strong Unto the femynyne lesse and more 〈◊〉 to the man no ●rayse therfore . ¶ Abymalech that ferefull kynge ●i . re. x● ▪ At lyege lyenge before Thebes A ●●one that on the wall dyd hang A woman thr●we into the prease And on the he●d hyt hym doub●les S●●we him starke , and ●o therby The lyege gaue ouer , this is no lye ❧ Who was the cause that Abela Was nat by Ioab beaten downe ●i . re. x● . Who kept the deed but good Raspha The woman onely dyd ●aue the towne And ●or her dede , ought haue renowne I me r●p●rte , nowe howe saye ye Be nat the women prayse worthye . ☞ Sythe god them marked gracyously ●i . Reg. xxi . Unto the●e deades before specyfyde It can nat be ●ayde to them playnly Neyther of malyce ne yet of pryde ●or synguler wysdome in then tryde God pre●erred the w●man than Suche thynges to do before the man Hester . vii . ¶ Of synguler wysdome note quene Hester The kynge her husbande whiche dyd pacyfye Where Aman the wretche dyd mo●e Assuer Uengeaunce to haue taken on Mardochye And the Iewes to haue slayne generally With pe●y & wysdome she dealed so than That she sauyd the Iewes and hanged Aman. ❧ Of thousand thousandes there was nat one Unto Ioab the woman sent That coulde procure for Absolon A fenall peace wi●h his parent ii . Reg. xix . Dauyd t●e kynge dyd ●one consent At the womans request the Bible to recorde To call his sone home and be his good lorde . ☞ The prophet also called Nathan Of counseyle preuy with his souerayne Perceyued well theyr myght no man Of his full mynde Dauyd refrayne iii. Re. i. But Adonyas shulde be kynge and raygne Sent Barsa●e to hym forth on And she obtayned for Salomon . ¶ A●d further where as the Egypcyan kynge Agaynst the Hebrewes sore moued was Exo. i. Bycause he se theyr encrease and sprynge A●uaunsed moche in euery place Commaundement gaue for any case The mydwyues of the Hebrean lyne To kyll and slee all masculyne . ❧ And this we rede in places two But god wolde nat the excercyse Ibedem . So that the woman wolde it nat do But made excuse , after this wyse Abhorringe the shamfull enterpryse And sayde the Hebreans , in theyr nedes Can helpe them selfe and do suche dedes . ☞ Aboute whiche tyme holy Moyses Into this worlde was brought & borne Exo. ii . Thre monethes kept in secretnes Magre Pharao , thoughe he had sworne In a v●ele of russhes , to haue be lorne Cast in the water , to synke or to swyme Redy was the woman , & she saued him . ¶ The doughter of Pharao fered nat Compassyon her moued inwardely Herynge hym crye , and se hym flote Commaunded her maydens that wass●ed her by A norse to get , and mod●rly She hym adopte to be her sonne God wolde haue thus , by the woman done . ❧ The prophete also good H●ly Unto the woman from god was sent iii. Reg. xvii . B●cause Galaad and Samary No moysture had from the fyrmament And careth stone drye , for punysshement The wydowe of Sarapt , the prophete fedde Or elles parchaunce he had ben deed . ❧ And in lykewyse the S●●amyte Moued her husbande be●ylye And in conclu●yon optayned it iiii . Re. iiii . A place to make for Helysye The prophete of god , nece●sarye Thus ho●ped they him , in an habitacle After the latyn called a cenacle . ☞ Who was the cause that duke Naaman Was helyd of his foule lyppecye iiii . re. v No doute the fayre yonge wo●an Taken with the robbers of Syrye Becau●e she spake and pray●ed Helysye The kynge sent Naaman into Israell Where in shorte space he had his heel . ¶ Who was the fyrst I praye you who That praysed god for vyctorye After that drent was Pharao E●odi . Loke in the boke of Exodye And ye shall fynde it was Mary Mary the ●yster of Aaron With ●ounde of tympane she played vpon . ❧ What tyme Dauyd the gloriouse kynge Aged sore and ●e●led fast ●●i . Re. i. A vyrgyn toke a tendre thynge For no ●ynne , but for he dyd wast Pre●erued therby , tyll at the la●t By very course of naturall kynde The ●oule to god he vp resynde . ☞ Where yonge Abya weke and feble Ibidem . xiiii . Had layne longe seke contynually To knowe yf it were possyble He shulde recouer or elles dye The woman was sent this no lye T●e wyfe I meane of Ieroboas Into Sylo was sent to Ahyas . ¶ I praye you who dyd fyrst dy●crye The euyll entent of Achytophel ? The mayden escryed the conspyracye ii . Reg. xvii . Wherby the kynge escaped paryll Ionathan and Achymaas she dyd it tell For had it nat ●e shortly knowen Kynge Dauid had ben all to hewen . ❧ To whom I praye you dyd Selysye Declare the derth that shulde ensewe To the man or the woman howe saye ye If that ye can , disclose it nowe ? The woman it was that fyrst it knowe iiii Reg viii . She tolde her husbande as a kynde wyfe Wherby at lenght she saued his ly●e . ☞ Who but the woman of Bahurye Saued the lyfe of Ionathas ? ii Reg. xvii If Ab●alon myght haue come hy●●y He neuer had sene Dauid in the face Neyther his compe●e A●hymaas A cursed vowe dyd them discrye A ●lessed woman kept them secrye . i. Reg. xxv . ❧ Had nat ben Abygall The gentle wyfe of the churle Nabal Dauyd had folowed his othe and wyll And lefte hym nat one great ne small Upon the morowe to haue pyst on the wall She sent him vytayle , and went also And made hym his frende , that erst was his fo . iiii . Re. xi . ☞ And as I remembre good Iosabeth Doughter vnto the kynge Ioram Yonge Ioas saued from the oeth Sonne and heyre of Ochezyam Where Athalia than wylfully came Entendynge to haue slayne without pyty● All the kynges progenye . ¶ What tyme the myghty Galadit Iudi. xi . Iepte clepyd by name as I ●ynde Agaynst the Amonytes shulde fyght On god he called with mouth and mynde And ●ayde good god my le●te I bynde Yf I preuayle to o●tre to the The fyrste that I mete after vyctorye ❧ Saue one doughter no chylde he had Whiche whan he came the baryil from In token that she was of hym glad Her father mette , and welcom●● home An instrument she playde vpon His vowe remembred than syghed he Sayenge doughter wo is ●e ●or the. ☞ Answere she made meke and demur● Be nothynge heuy father for me That you haue promysed kepe it sure And it to fu●fyll I am redye So had nat than the woman be The man had chaunged parchaunce his entent A●d fals●d his promys , syth he dyd repent . ¶ The deuoute mother of one Mychye Of promyse iust a myrrour fyt Iudic. xvii . Dothe shewe that women constant be And from theyr behestes loth to flye The money that she to god behyt Sent by her sonne to the golde swyth Therof to make Sculptile quid . ❧ Many and dyuers other there be Of whom the man example ●ay take As of god R●th and Ncomy Of her that nother wolde god forsake Ruth . i. Nother ye consent ydolatrye to make But strenghtned her sonnes in nombre seuen ii . Machab ▪ vii To dye for the lawes of god of heuen . ☞ Great is the prayse of the aunceent Unto this daye h●d in memorye iii. Reg. xxii . Luce. ii . iii. re. x. For theyr hye vertues excellent As fayth , wysdome , a●d mere pytye With 〈…〉 in aduersytye To wytnes the profyte● Solda and Anne With Saba the quene , to Solomon that came . Marce. xvi . ❧ The testament newe allso telleth me After that Chryst ●hese wordes had sayde Hely Hely ●amaza●atan● Luc. ii . That fayth in man was clere d●ceyde In Mary his mother , bothe wyfe and mayde Ioh. xx . It neuer fayled , for the f●mynyne In Thomas it fayled for the masculyne . ☞ B●fore also ye shall w●ll fynde The woman was euer promp● and redye Wi●h hole he●te and deuoure mynde Luce. i. Of Chr●tes byrth to belyue the mysterye Where as the woman , olde Zacharye Blamed of the Angell , lost his syght Elysabeth him knowleged , ●uyn ●urth ryght . Ioh. xx . ¶ Great was the loue of the femynyne Durynge the daungeour of his passyon Recorde therin good Magdalyne Whiche neuer backed , but folowed on Where his disciples were fled and gone Oft the sepulcre she dyd vy●yt And longe there wepynge wolde she syt . ❧ She with his compers Maries two Marce. xvi . Salomye and Iacobye with oyles pure For synguler loue they bare him to Sough● hym layde in sepulture Supposynge theyr oyntemēces shulde him recure For well the ●ekenynge by his sayenge p●ayne He wolde reuyue , shortely agayne . ☞ God hym selfe prayse to her gaue At table syttynge for the oyle she spende And openly the men dyd depraue Lu● . xxi Sayde pore haue ye daylye , but I must wende Her also except he , in mytes that dyd sende In G●z●philacum , before the ryche man And Martha lykewyse , that called him goddes sonne . ❧ Was nat she playnly full of grace Acte . ●x . Thab●●a the wydowe the pore that fed Whom P●ter by prayer reuyued hase To lyu● agayne were she was ded And she also that nature ledde iii re ▪ iii. Rather her chyld● quycke to for go Than Salomon shulde part hym in two ☞ The wyfe of Pylate dyd pytye more The turnement of our Sauyoure Than all the men that than there were The scrybes and the pha●isys to there powre Luc. xxi The workes of Chryst blasphemyd eche houre The woman pre●ent sayde I make you ware Blessed be the bely that the bare . ¶ Whan he arose , Math. xxvii . xxviii . this is clere Tho whom apered he , I praye you fyrst Sure for ought that I can here To women two , or any man wyst To her that hym with her brest nurst To Mary Magdalyne , and bad her go Ioh. xx . And his apostoles tell it to . Luc. viii ❧ Seldome I fynde that Chryste dyd blame Any one woman properly Or that any woman so fare past shame So ly●le to set our sauyour by As Peter d●d Chryst to denye Luc. vii . Chryst blamed Peter , nowe and than For lacke of fayth , and called hym Sathan . ☞ And where Scribes malycyouslye Brought vnto him adulteram The woman he saued , gratiouslye wrote in the dust , to the mennes shame Iohan. viii . Do nomore women , sayde he the same Nowe tell me playne yf ye so can Dyd he euer lyke myracle for any man . ¶ The woman also of Cananye Whose doughter posseit was of a deuyll Seased nat on Chryst to cr●e Math. xv . Her doughter to he●e of that sore yuyll Chryst herde her well , and helde him styll To the ende all men , myght notyfye What fayth was in the femynye . ❧ The man he blamed of Ipocrysye Iohan. xiii . And also vpon the Saboth day Helyd the woman gracyouslye Eyghtene yeres longe that sort syke lay● And mekely dyd the Samaritane praye Iohan. iiii . water to drawe hym ou● of the stone Where o● the man he asked none . ❧ And also at the wom●ns request Bycause they lacked necessarye Iohan . ii . Turned water to wyne at the feast Kept in Cana Galylye At the instaunce of Martha or Mary He raysed Lazarhole and sounde Foure dayes buryed vnder grounde . ¶ Where as he wepte full tenderly Ioh. xi . To the woman that hym ofte fed Martha the one the other Mary Wepe and by wayle theyr brother deed As farforth yet as euer I rede I can nat fynde that he dyd make Any lyke sorowe for the mannes sake . ❧ And ouer that the treuth dothe proue The sayenge of Luke who so well wayth It was a very sclender loue Luce. viii ▪ And a lesse token of any fayth In the man the E●angelyst sayth In Iudas by name his mayster that solde With a false kysse and thyrty pens golde . ¶ Thus may ye see by holy wryt That women be no cast awayes Neyther they that lyue as yet Nor those that were in the auncyent dayes Proued I haue who so denayes For more wytnes I shal reporte Of later tyme and so be shorte ❧ The churche mylytant dothe ones yerely A ●euen thousande vyrgins ha●●●e in on● So many of men I can nat e●pye Sythe tyme the worlde fyrst ●egon All be it they were nat women echoue Yet for the woman was pryncypall Lyke name is gyuen vnto them all . ☞ I rede of seuen ●lepynge men And also of .iiii. coronate Nowe two and thre ▪ of thousandes ten Of one alone with his a●●ociate Of forte knyghtes martyry●a●e But of a .xi. thousande neuer Coulde I fynde as yet togyther . ¶ All be it there be of the i●fant s●ate Of innocen●es I m●a●e many one Yet haue these vyrg●us immaculate If any comparyson may be therto More mede of god , I suppose ●o These ●yrg●us for god dyed wyllyngly The infantes by force and knewe nat why ❧ Moche other thynges aledged myght be Aucro●ysed by holy wryt Besydes muche more in p●yetrye In sondry m●tyrs craf●ely knyt Wh●che on●ly I ●ut●e to omyt On●●s it ●e o● two or of thre To wrytte them all 〈◊〉 wyll nat be ¶ As fyrst of Luctes the noble wyfe Oui● . in fast . li. primi . August . de ci. li. A myrrour to all other of goostly fame Whiche wylfully with a small knyfe Slewe her selfe in auoydynge shame And therby saued her olde good name What tyme Tarquyne newe made kynge Had her forlayne , she nat wyllynge . ❧ Where Rome besyeged was about By Cor●olane then exulate Vala● . li. primo So that no man durst on s pere out For fere of lesynge of his pat● Uetur●a badde open the gate Her armes cast crosse , her heer to rent Most wofully forth thus she went . ☞ Large were the teres that from her eyes ran Her ●restes before hym when she dysplayde Beholde she sayde thou vnkynde man Thy natural mother thus wretchely arayde Nature shulde moue the , though wyll denayde To warre with other than thy natyfe countre Peace sayde he mother so shall it be . ¶ Whose acte to be had in mem●rye A lawe forth with the Romyanes let make From that daye forwarde to the femynyne E●he man shulde vowe for Ueturys sake Graunted also that the woman myght take To her attyre broche , ow●he , or rynge Ueluet pu●ple or any other t●ynge . Hester . ● ❧ Where as before through quene Uasthye All honour was take the woman fro By reason of her obstynacye In ●y●obeyinge kynge Assuero Nowe was re●tored with moche more to Many men saued that myght haue ben slayne And the cytie set franke fre agayne . Mar● . ii.i. epigre ☞ Whan Portia harde that Brute was deed Lenger to lyue no houre thought she Ete brennynge coles as fast as breed Ouid. eplar . ●i . primo . Bycause she coulde no knyfe come by In moche lyke case Penelope To put of weddynge tyll Ulyxes came home Untwyned at nyght that in the daye she ●poue . ¶ And as it cometh vnto my mynde Of one hystorye catholycall Whiche almost clene was lefte behynde Daniel . xiii . As nothynge worthy memoryall That one remembred conclude I shall The hystory I meane of good Su●an Falsly accused by the man . ❧ Attempt she was of rybaldes two With them to haue dea●ed , she nolde consent They he● accused , and sayde she had ado W●th a yonge man , and shulde be brent God k●owe the woman innocent And caused the infant Danyell To speke to the people and the treuth tell . ☞ A babe to speke was a straunge maruell The people assembled on euery syde The tales bothe varyed that they dyd tell Wherby it was knowen the rybaldes lyde The woman saued and the treuth tryde Her false accusars by comen assent To dye forthwith had iust iudgement . ¶ Whiche thynges remembred with other mo That myght parchaunce ●nlarge this boke Estates comenly where I go Trust theyr wyu●s to ouer loke Baker , brewer , butler , and roke With other all , man medleth no whytte Bycause the woman hathe quycket wytte . ❧ My lady must receyue and paye And euery man in his offyce controll And to eche cause gyue ye and nay Bargayne and bye and set all so●e By ●ndenture other by court roll My lady must ordre thus all thynge Or small shal be the mannes wynnynge ☞ A further profe herein as yet By comune reporte we here eche day The chylde is praysed for his mother wytte For the fathers condycions depraued alway And ouer that your selfe wyll saye Surgeons aduauntage , by women small Bycause they be no fyghters at all . ¶ An ende therfore herof to make Me thynkes these men do nothynge well So wylfully to bragge and crake And agaynst all women so to geuell And yet who so that lengest dothe reuell And this boke redeth I knowe playnly Shall saye : or be shamed , tonge I lye . ❧ Explicit .