THe Title ( being Hic Mulier ) of your Declamation , giues me iust cause , to ranke you amongst those Thrasonical Cowards , who dare enter combat with none , but with the weake , vnarmed , or dead . You haue taken armes , not only against a Woman , Timiditas est , & quod maius est amittere , & quod minus est capere , Eurip. in Phoen. but against the weakest of Women , yea so weake , that the breath of a Souldier is able to throw her vpon her backe ; you haue wounded a Man , but more to your shame , a dead Man . Before I come to my answer , let me expostulate a little with you ; Who bee these good Women , whom you so complementally magnifie in your Declamation ? or , where doe they dwell ? It appeareth to me you haue beene a traueller ( therefore are Licentiate ) and perhaps in the desert of Arabia , haue seene some one , whom you grace with such excellencies ; but that such a Phoenix should multiplie to a world-full of good Women , no man ( except mad ) will beleeue you .

I doe confesse they are the Seminaries of propagation , the supporters of mankind , ( as you rightly terme them ) and so are we . Perpetuum , & necessarium malum est mulier , Stob. The greatest praise that ( by the most wise ) hath beene giuen vs therereby , is , that we are , mala necessaria , and that 's all : your other Hyperbolicall praises are paradoxes not proued . I doe confesse there be some ( whom you call good ) faire , and chaste , but those are commonly proude ; some deformed and vertuous , those bee scoulds ; some sociable , those are yeelding , not impregnable castles ; Ego mulieri hoc vnum credo , quod à morte non reuiuiscat , Anlep . sayleable , not vnsayleable Riuers ; moueable not vnmoueable Seas ; Helpers , but not trustie ; Centinels , but sleepie ; signes , but deceitfull ; true guides , but full of danger ; Balmes that seldome cure ; honoures , but euery day perishing , and such graces as Seneca neuer praised , but in his mad or doting age ; or ( as you say ) with Sophocles presented them as they should be : but I with Euripides praise them as they are , and shall admire with you and say , O you rare good women , Rarum est mulieris beneficium , apud Stob. you are modest when milde , young when vertuous , glorious when chaste ; looke not to find your name in this exclamation , but I shall write it with a pen of I know not what , and vpon paper I know not where ; I write now with a Goose quill , on white paper , the deedes of a dull leaden age , blackish , I should say , brokish age .

To come then to my answere , wherein I will ouerpasse your farre borrowed epithites , and hellish comparisons applyed vnto vs , and only will answere the more materiall points of your accusation ; A similibus , similia non lu●…s fi●…r● , Arist. Rhet. ●● and thereafter discouer the abuses of Haec Vir whom you dare not point at , much lesse challenge .

First , I answere that those imputations you doe lay against me , are the chiefe summum bonum , the most honourable ends , the only vertues , I ayme at , And therefore no maruell although enuied , it hath beene so à principio ; for what greater glorie can come to the masculine woman ( as you terme her ) then to ouerrule her parents and husband ? Mulieri imperare in parentes , out maritam non concedit natura , Pub. Mim . to be so pitifull that she cuts the hayre of her head , to couer their shallow braines , or hornes ; so stout that shee disarmes the Martiall , degrades Knights by vnspurring ( or rather oft spurring ) them ; Antonius Silui● a Venetian , hauing a faire wife , deuised a rare locke per la fica sua , which by her cunning and a false key ( in his absence ) did open and enioy her Friend . So industrious that she is become Painter , Apothecarie , Chirurgion , Barber , and what not : so cunning that shee can open the rare Venetian Locke , infect your purse with want , and your body with the poxe : so charitable that ( although carried in a Cart ) shee will visit Friends , at playes , and Bawdi-houses : and finally , to be so precise , that shee that hath not cut Haire , a Fether in her Hat , a painted Face , naked Brests , open Skirts , Pistoles , or Poiniards , shall be bard her societie .

Secondly ( to vindicate vs from the aspersions of Noueltie ) I will by your owne words , and other examples ( ancient and moderne ) demonstrate the ancientie of Masculine Women : in the ninth line of your declamation , you say , that since the dayes of Adam , Women were neuer so masculine ; whereby you couertly implie , that in the dayes of Adam , Eua , or some other was a Masculine Woman ; but admitting there was none in that age , was not Dauid , Salomon , Samson , ensnared with the beautie , ouercome by the multitude , and betrayed by the policie of my sexe ? Mulieres ad bona ●…uide●… ineptissimae , malorum vero omnium effectrices sapientissimae , Eurip . in Med. did not Tarpeia ( in later times ) betray the Capitoll and her Countrey ? Medea , kill her owne Children in dispight of her Husband ? Was not Hellens lightnesse the cause of the ten yeeres bloudie warre and destruction of Troy ? did not Sylla steale her Fathers haire , and giue it to his Enemy ? Biblis fell in loue with her owne brother ; Myrrha , with her Father ; Semiramis , with her sonne . These were Gallants in their time , & my deare kinswomen , by whom I hope you are satisfied for the ancientie of my Ancestors : I do confesse at that time their number was fewer then now , yet sufficient to pleade antiquities ; but if in this age a generall muster should be taken of Women , I am sure to draw vp in Battaile one hundreth Hos Foeminas for one Haec Foemina .

Thirdly , in your description of the Masculine Feminine , you haue erred from the Rules of a good definition , in reducing the generall name of Haec Mulier , to those you call deformed monsters , by cutting their haire , wearing French doublets , hauing open breasts and false bodies : but I call a woman , Aequè facinori videtur obnoxius qui auxilium praestat agenti , & qui perpetratum facinus quasi iure factum collaudat , Plut. de cla . Mul. of whatsoeuer degree , who exceedes the ends of her Creation , Hic Mulier .

A Woman was created to honour her Parents , and obey her Husband ; Fathers , to vse their lawfull authoritie ouer their Children ; Husbands to ouerrule & command their Wiues : as he therefore is an effiminate man , that transfers his birthright vpon his Daughter or Wife , so is shee a Masculine Woman that bereaues Parents of authoritie , A Muliere male regitur ciuitas , Arist. 1. Pol. Husbands of supremacie , or debords from the modestie required in her sexe : shee then , that dare presume to ouerrule her Husband ( or sometimes for his owne good beate him ) although shee neither paint , cut her haire , or be deformed with new inuented fashions , is notwithstanding Hic Mulier .

She that spends more vpon delicate cheere , or entertainement of a Sweete-heart , in a moneth , then her Husband may allow her for a yeere , is , Hic Mulier .

She who sitteth a gossipping till she be drunke , is ,

Mulier quae vini vsum immoderatè appetie vt virtutibus cunctis tanuam claudit , ita & vi●ijs aperit , Max.

Lingua modicum membrum , si refraenata non fuerit , totum corpus corrumpit , Bern. ad Soror .

Aut appare quod es , aut esto quod appares , Chrys.

She whose tongue is able to set the whole world on fire , or whose lookes , gesture , words , oathes , bewray her Luciferian pride , is , Hic Mulier .

The Baud that will bring you a quarte of wine in a pottle pot , an old painted Whore in shape of a Countrie Wench new come to Towne , is one of my kinred .

The Puritan sister that will crie out against loose breeches , or painting , if shee trade with a Brother ( so the wicked doe not see ) is one of my Sisters .

Item , Shee that keepes a masse Priest , rather for priuate Confession then publique Deuotion , is Hic Mulier .

I haue now answered generally those calumnies you doe suggest against me , Sunt qui quod sentiunt etiamsi ostimum sit , inuidiae metu non audent dicere , Cic. offic . and haue supplyed your lame description ( with a full definition ) of Hic Mulier . Now I will lay open your Cowardize by a suruey of Haec Vir , whom ( not contented with that description of the Feminine Man , lately set downe in a conference I had with Haec Vir ) I will more fully delineate .

The definition of Haec Vir ( in the signification I now take it ) shall not only bee extended to those yong Fellowes , who deckes themselues vp in effeminate fashions , Sweares , Swaggers , haunts Play-houses , Dicing , Carding , Tauernes , Tobacco shops , Ale-houses , cosens Merchants and Tradesmen , to supply their neuer heard of prodigalitie ; but to many others of your Masculine kind , and specially to those , whose names ( according to my definition ) are comprehended vnder the generaltie of Haec Vir.

Pastorum est vigilare super gregem propter tria necessaria , ad disciplinam , ad custodiam , ad preces , Bern. sup. Cant. ser. 42. Imprimis , The Churchman that preferres pride , simony , or other worldly respects , before the cure of soules committed to his charge , is , Haec Vir.

Item , The false-hearted Puritan , that ( vnder the vaile of deuotion ) will commit all villany , take the forfeit of a poore mans bond , and dare affirme , that God sent it him : you shall know him by the ensuing liuerie . Vult hypocrita scire diuina eloquia , nec tamen facere , vult recte loqui , nec tamen viuere , Greg. ●2 . Mor.

Item , The supersticious plotting Papist , Vindictam quam petuni Scripturae , prophetia est non vindicta , Aug. sup. Psal. 66. Amor & odium , & proprium commodum faciunt saepe iudicem non agnoscere veritatem , Arist. Rhe. 1. Maior plerumque lite quaestio est , Quint. Decl. 3. Paruo ab intio contentionem magnam hominibus auaritia suppeditat ; hoc vero honesti homines maxime cau●ant vicinis fabricare , Eurip . in And. and bloudie Iesuite .

Item , The Iudge , who is corrupt with briberie , or ouer-swayed with greatnesse , or other respect , then iustice .

Item , The Lawier , who ( by too much studying Ploydon ) can euery day alter the Case , bastardize the fundamentall Lawes by wrested glosses , confirming one thing this day , and another tomorrow ; that hath more wit then honestie , and serues onely to emptie his Clyents Cap-case , and fill his owne .

Item , The Pettifogger and Atturney , who wanteth both wit and honestie , liueth altogether by setting Neighbours together by the eares , are the andyrons that holds vp their Clyents , till they be burnt to ashes , and yet are warmed themselues .

Item , The Vintner , that ( by sophisticating his rotten wines ) makes no conscience to hazard the poysoning of his drunken guest .

Item , The Taylor , that condemnes the best part of his Clyents garments to hell , consumes more paper in writing of a Bill , for a sure of clothes , then might serue for the conueyance of one hundred pounds Land .