Book 1III.

x Coy. ii.
Genef. i.
ivo r «//ji iaich , to be under Guardians , by rcalon ot the infirmity of
their natures, and to bear no civill office. Alfo St. Paul3 who with st. Pauls pre- indefatigable labour inftru&ed mens minds in the found faith, and wmlT"**** diligently informs us what is godlineffe , commands filcnce unto women in publickfolemnitiesin the Congregation, by reafon of the s cor. x4» impotency of their minds, and want of moderation in their affecti¬ ons ; and will not fuffer a woman to preach, or to aske a queftion in publ ick meetings , or to be prefent in voting, or to gi ve her opi- nion concerning it. Since therefore fogreat is tneffrailtyand weak- piatoes opinion neffe3 and imperfe&ion of womens nature, that Plato tothedif- c™fmnl lf0' grace 0f this fex, faith that they have hardly any loul , and fcarfe deferve to be called by the name of man, or to be honour'd with it; yet St. Paul, who with a fatherly care, gives counfcli concerning oeconomicall government and peace in Families, will have honour given to the woman that belongs to her , and that fhe muftnotbe totally defpifed, or accounted bafe and vile , fince (he is of allmoff the fame dignity and condition , and partakes of the fame guifts with man , being taken out of man by the operation of God that made them both. Wherefore the man is the Image and Glory of God, as the Apoftle faith, hut the woman if the glory of the Man ; for' the man is not from the woman> but the Woman is from the Man . For man reas not created for Woman , but Woman for Man3yet the Man is not with* out the Woman , nor the Woman without the Man in the Lord> who fo Qlt ders all things , that the woman rauft be in fubje&ion to the Man. For as the Woman is from the Man , fo the Man by the Woman begetteth Children : So that there is a fociety for help that is feet* on both fides, and there is required the mutuall fuccour , love and confent of them both. Wherefore St. Peter thinks it fit, that Women {hould obey their husbands ; and that the men fhould be gentle and loving to their Wives, forbearing them, as being the weaker veflells, pardoning (mail faults in them , and winking at A daiteryh many thiBgs> and not repining at them : for it is not fit that a man ivoman nan (hould fie too cruell againft that fex which is fo frail , or too (harp indehUefpgi. and bitter, fo long asa Woman doth her duty ; and is not tainted atadtluT^nb in her honefty and chaftity* which fault when it is known* brings a aprovsrbiau man more indignation, than it doth him hurt, as Adulterers ufe to fay, yet that fpot in a woman can never be wafht our, nor can that wound be healed , though Chriftian charity , and matrimonial! love muft not be too rigid, or implacable; finec there is reconcilia¬ tion with God , and the divine goodnefle provoked by our wicked- nefle, idolatries, and grievous finns , is wont to be pacified by our prayers and repentance 5 when we acknowledge the errours of our lives paft , when we ate forrowfull for what we have done , and difdaineand hateourfinns , with a fetied purpofe ofamendmene of life. Moreover great part of moleftation in this fex,comes from’ the tedioufnefle of their going with Child , and the trouble they have in fuckling and breeding up their Children , and no fmall in¬ convenience from their Tcrmcs ftopt ; which if they run at the fee time for them > the heat of anger and bitternefle is driven off, thofc . '• * 1 ; , ■ ■’ fmoky
Epb. ft
CoJo/.J. Pet. f .
fpeccb.
whence ’womtn arefofrt- 'Wffri.
Of the nature of Women,
Chap. 1 3
fmoky vapours being turned from their hearts and brains, and the fad vapour being dilcufied, that ufeth to fly upwards. But it is belt whenamma* known to them tnat are. marryed>& I need not enlarge my difeourfe ismoii Patient» upon it , how calme and mild that man lhall find his Wife, when the marriage bed is frequently adorned , and this ground is ma¬ nured with often embracings and copulation. And although! may feem to have been fomething tedious and fuller of words than it needs, in explaining this Paradox (or ientencethat is befides the common opinion , and vulgar cuft prae) of the Wife Hebrew, that facp{ace 0f ^ the meaning of it might be fearched out ; That the wickednefie of a clu$ exfiaind. man is better, than a good woman, that is, filch a one, that is after¬ wards a caufe of Infamy, and by whole fociety difgrace may arife.
The fenfe is,it is better to hold commerce with a wicked man, or to deal with him , than to have to do with a dcceitfull woman 5 For though in (hew, and at firft appearence {he may feernto be good,and honorable, and in outward behaviour difcpvers no wickednefie, or deceit, yet afterward you (ball find her inqonftant, falfe, captious , fraudulent, and full of impofture ; fo that If any man deceive ano¬ ther, the fraud and impofture of a man, is rig^teoufneffe , compa¬ red with the wickednefie of a woman. The like forms of fpeech are found frequently in the Scripture. So God in Ezechiel aggra¬ vates the wickednefie of Jerufalem very much,& faith that fire hath x** juftified Sodom and Samaria , whereby he condemns her for to be . more wicked , and that fhe exceeds thofe nations in impiety , and wicked a&ions, that the Sodomites and Samaritans compared to her , ^ Plate may feem to be juft.So in the wickednefie of opinions, and in afiert- ing any pernicious fe dangerous and more impious than another, that fome Hereticks may be accounted Orthodox , and to teach the right faving truth compared with others ; that eftablifh more abfurd impious blaf- Qnewanh phemous execrable do&rines : which is grown to a proverb. This man is a godly and holy man in refpe&of that : as much as to fay , that though they be both Knaves and ungodly, yet if you would meafure them both by the rule of equity , and fquare of Juftice , one may be accounted innocent , and to be pardoned , in refpeft of the other’s wicked enormities. So one man is morefuperftitiOus than another , and farther from the true religion and piety, and worftupofGod.
So want of knowing truth doth fools delude,
And errourfrom the right way doth exclude ,
All thofe that doubt ; f ome here do mijj e f me there, Allfuch by feeming truth s f educed are.
Hoy at. Li. Ser¬ mon.
Ignorance of truth begets er‘ rors.
So errour involvs a man as well as it doth a woman , and wick¬ ednefie lays hold of them both, but the woman is more deteftable and execrable for her wickednefie. Therefore the wickednefie of a man is better than a woman doing good , and as the Dutch pro¬ verb runs ,De deuchtvan Een Vrotiwe is Ergher dan Een Mans boofheyt ,
By
I
278 '■ °f anEgge. Book IIII.
/ - ; - - - - - - — - — — — — — "7 ' - - - -
By which proverb they aggravate the malice of that fex , that if you (hould compare vices with vices, and examine the frauds, im- poftures, fallacies and devices of them both, thofe that are com¬ mitted by women are farr more pernicious and heavy, than fuch as are a&ed by men.
CHAP. XIV. v
wherefore amEggat both ends ^whereby >at the long and narrower end it will fl and, (like theTole artick and antartickyannot be broken between your fingers $r both hands clof ? d together ^although you pref sit : wherfore fteeped in jharp Vineger> it will grow [oft like a trattable and [oft mem¬ brane $ U(llyy whythe fame Egg fteeped in ^4 quavit^^ that is in [pints of wine , it will be con fumed like iron by Aquafortis,
An E?ge mil melt in Vinegar
the Tophus is next toGyp- ^Terask
whit wiU men lean.
v>
lUhumm eat the bones.
A [mile [tom worms.
sz.a,
IF you fteep an egg in the (harpeft Vineger four days, or rather feven days, as the acrimony of tlieliquoi is, you fhail find the ihell of it grow fo like a tender skin, that you may draw it through a ring a man wears on his finger. By the fame reafon and effetf, an egg ioked in Aquavits, will be copiumed and come to nothing, as I nave proved. As alfo a flint wet with V ineger, and the Gravel- ftone called Topbu), wherewith the Mafons rough-caft walls , and make Cifterns, which the Dutch call Teras , will melt in it and be refolved into powder, for both liquors have a penetrating confir¬ ming fiery force, that eats and confumes all folia bodies,whereby it come to pafs,that thofe who ufethefe things in too great abundance, as alfoSaltand Cummin-feed immoderately, grow lean and dry, and are wholly confirmed , for they hinder the growth of young people, and that they cannot grow tall and comely. They wafte the native moyfture, by help whereof the body fprings up to a de¬ cent proportion. So Salt biting burning nitrous humours do eat up the membranes in the body, the flefh, Mufcles, Nerves, Solid- bones, and thofe that arc as hard as (tones , as the teeth , and the OfjaTetrofa of the head ; and as Catterpillars feed on (talks, and herbs, and as Wormes feed on wood, Ruft eats iron, they eat and make them rotten; Moreover a raw egg, is fo (olid and firme, long- wayes at the two ends, that the (trongeft man cannot break it : let any man try it, and he fhall find it is no fiction for unlefle you bend it fomething to one fide, it will notyeeld though you prefle it never fo hard with your hands, nor will it break by the hardeft thruft againftit : for that (belly force will make fuch refi¬ nance , that it cannot be broken , or the frame of it diflolved , though a man put all the force he hath to it , and prefle his hands together with all his might. For it is fo defended by the fides, that it fupports it felfe every way, nor doth it become pliable, that it may be thruft or bowed inward; So poles , beames , peiees of wood , iron fet an end , upward , vfi will
Chap. 1 5.
Of the force of the UVoon, £fc.
279
willjbear vaft weights, and never bend nor be crooked by them.
Country Farmers wives are not ignorant of this that on market dayes come to the Cities, and bring vidlualsto fell to Towns, for they do not fet their eggs in their panniers lying down or incli¬ ning, which way they will commonly fall ot thcmfelves, but they fet them upright, fo that the narrower end, for it is copped at both ends, ftands higheft, which they do for this 'reafon, that they may not break, ard may bear a weight lying on them, upon which
parts alfo an Eee put into Salt water' will Rote, and fo will Am- inE F . fiote in brine,
bergreecc. '
CHAP. XV.
The Moon by a wonderfull force of Nature , every Moneth , otkerwif t than the reji of the Stars do , fearcheth all the found parts of mans body fecretly , and undifeerned , but the fick parts manifefily , and not without fenfeor pain, and fayes in them fometmes two, fometimes three dayes .
By the way , whether a Vein may fafely be opened in that part that the Planet governs at that time .
THe beginning and increafe of things, and the univerfe do de- pe stars ruh monftrate that the Stars do by their influence govern inferi- inf?nou? our bodies, f or the nature of things is not idle, iluggilh, and {loth- 1 full, but lively, quick, agil, prompt, effe&ual, and hath great force given unto her by God, by whofe word all things flourifh andfubfift. Nor is the exceeding beautifull frame of the heavens cen. K made onely to feed our eyes, and to gaze upon ; as alfo the moti- Pfdm 3 r. ons , continued order, and difpofition of the heavens : but that we might receive fome profit, and help thereby. For God, befides Earthly bodies delight and contemplation that wc enjoy by this great work abun- t0
dantly, hath created all things for ufe 5 and hath made all plants, ?he nature of Seas, Rivers, Mettals, Jewels, Stones, and all things elfethat are th'msjubjcttti dug forth of the earth, or adorn the fuperficies of it, and diftin- guilhitwith variety, and very bodies of men, and the humours fromthestart. in them, fubje&tothe Stars: So that from the Stars they feel fome motion,impullion,and effects. But the Spirit of God one¬ ly doth move and agitate the minds of men that are loofc and free from all mortall concretion, and were infpired by Him, and they have no commerce or fociety with the Stars, unleffe perhaps feme- times they are drawn afide to corporeal delights by content and confpiring with the body fwhen reafon is againft it) whofe mini- fiery and help every mans mind and Soul is forced to make ufe of.
But fince the Moon is a Planet that is more converfant, and next
" O# /ffjt 9 nf
unto man, and moft near to the Earth, fhe more than the reft em- c 7 ploys her forces upon mans body, and runs through every part by a peculiar vertue and effect, fometimes not without moft bitter fenfe or torment. For if there beany fault that lyeth hid in any part, that part is moft cruelly fhaken and torn with pains, the
force
28o
Of the force of the Moon,