For the second point. The duetie which we owe them doth straitly commaund vs to see them well brought vp. For what be young maidens in respect of our sex? Are they not the seminary of our succession? the naturall frye, from whence we are to chuse our naturall, next, and most necessarie freindes? The very selfe same creatures, which were made for our comfort, the onely good to garnish our alonenesse, the nearest companions in our weale or wo? the peculiar and priuiest partakers in all our fortunes? borne for vs to life, bound to vs till death? And can we in conscience but carefully thinke of them, which are so many wayes linked vnto vs? Is it either nothing, or but some small thing, to haue our childrens mothers well furnished in minde, well strengthened in bodie? which desire by them to maintaine our succession? or is it not their good to be so well garnished, which good being defeated in them by our indiligence, of whom they are to haue it, doth it not charge vs with breache of duetie, bycause they haue it not? They are committed and commended vnto vs, as pupilles vnto tutours, as bodies vnto heades, nay as bodies vnto soules: so that if we tender not their education duetifully, they maye vrge that against vs, if at any time either by their owne right, or by our default, they winne the vpper roome and make vs stand bare head, or be bolder with vs to.
They that write of the vse of our bodies, do greatly blame such parentes, as suffer not their children to vse the left hand, as well as the right, bycause therby they weaken their strength and the vse of their limmes: and can we be without blame, who seeke not to strengthen that, which was once taken from vs, and yet taryeth with vs, as a part of vs still: knowing it to be the weaker? Or is there any better meane to strengthen their minde, then that knowledge of God, of religion, of ciuil, of domesticall dueties, which we haue by our traine, and ought not to denie them, being comprised in bookes, and is to be compassed in youth?
That some exercise of bodie ought to be vsed, some ordinarie stirring ought to be enioyned, some prouision for priuate and peculiar trainers ought to be made: not onely the ladies of Lacedæmon will sweare, but all the world will sooth, if they do but wey, that it is to much to weaken our owne selues by not strengthning their side. That cunning poet for iudgement in matter, and great philosopher for secrecie in nature, our well knowen Virgill, saw in a goodly horse that was offered vnto Augustus Cæsar an infirmitie vnperceaued by either looker on or any of his stable, which came as he said by some weaknes in the damme, and was confessed to be true. Galene and the whole familie of Physicians ripping vp our infirmities, which be not to be auoided, placeth the seminarie and originall, engraffed in nature, as our greatest and nearest foes. And therfore to be preuented by the parentes, thorough considerate traine, the best and fairest meane, to better weake nature: so that of duety they are to be cared for. And what care in duetie is greater, then this in traine?
Naturall Towardnesse.
3. Their naturall towardnesse which was my third reason doth most manifestly call vpon vs, to see them well brought vp. If nature haue giuen them abilities to proue excellent in their kinde, and yet thereby in no point to let their most laudable dueties in mariage and matche, but rather to bewtifie them, with most singular ornamentes, are not we to be condemned of extreme vnnaturallnes, if we gay not that by discipline, which is giuen them by nature? That naturally they are so richly endowed, all Philosophie is full, no Diuinitie denyes, Plato[56] and his Academikes say, that all vertues be indifferent, nay all one in man and woman: sauing that they be more strong and more durable in men, weaker and more variable in wymen. Xeno and his Stoikes though they esteeme the ods betwene man and woman naturally to be as great as the difference, betwene an heauenly and an earthly creature, which Plato did not, making them both of one mould, yet they graunt them equalitie and samenesse in vertue, though they deliuer the strength and constancie ouer vnto men, as properly belonging vnto that side. Aristotle and his Peripatetikes confessing them both to be of one kinde, though to different vses in nature, according to those differences in condition, appointeth them differences in vertue, and yet wherin they agree: alloateth them the same. When they haue concluded thus of their naturall abilities, and so absolutely entitled them vnto all vertues, they rest not there, but proceede on further to their education in this sorte. That as naturally euery one hath some good assigned him, whervnto he is to aspire, and not to cease vntill he haue obtained it, onlesse he will by his owne negligence reiect that benefit, which the munificence of nature hath liberally bestowed on him: so there is a certaine meane, wherby to winne that perfitly, which nature of her selfe doth wish vs franckly. This meane they call education, whereby the naturall inclinations be gently caryed on, if they will curteously follow, or otherwise be hastened, if they must needes be forced, vntill they ariue at that same best, which nature bendeth vnto with full saile, in those fairer, which follow the traine willingly, in those meaner, which must be bet vnto it. And yet euen there where it is sorest laboured, it worketh some effecte vnworthy of repentaunce, and is better forced on in youth, then forgon in age: rather in children with feare, then not in men with greife. Now as the inclinations be common to both the kindes, so they deuide the meane of education indifferently betwene both. Which being thus, as both the truth tells the ignorant, and reading shewes the learned, we do wel then perceaue by naturall men, and Philosophicall reasons, that young maidens deserue the traine: bycause they haue that treasure, which belongeth vnto it, bestowed on them by nature, to be bettered in them by nurture. Neither doth religion contrarie religious nature. For the Lorde of nature, which created that motion to continue the consequence of all liuing creatures, by succession to the like, by education to the best, appointing either kinde the limittes of their duetie, and requiring of either the perfourmaunce therof, alloweth all such ordinarie and orderly meanes, as by his direction in his word may bring them both from his appointment to their perfourmaunce, from the first starting place, to the outmost gole: that is vnto that good, which he hath assigned them, by such wayes, as he hath willed them: so that both by nature the most obedient seruant, and by the Lorde of nature our most bountifull God, we haue it in commandement not onely to traine vp our owne sex, but also our female, seeing he hath to require an account for naturall talentes of both the parties, vs for directing them: them for perfourmance of our direction.
Excellent effectes.
4. The excellent effectes of those women, which haue bene verie well trained, do well declare, that they deserue the best training: which reason was my last in order, but not my least in force, to proue their more then common excellencie. This is a point of such galancie, if my purpose were to praise them, as it is but to giue precept, how to make them praiseworthie, as I might soner weary my selfe with reckening vp of writers, and calling worthie wymen to be witnesses in their owne cause then worthely to expresse their weight and worth, bycause I beleeue that to be most true, which is cronicled of them. I will not medle with any moe writers to whom wymen are most bound, for best speaking of them, and most spreading of their vertues, then with one onely man a single witnes in person, but aboue all singularitie in profe: the learned and honest Plutarch, whose name emporteth a princis treasure, whose writings witnes an vnwearied trauel, whose plaine truth was neuer tainted. Would he so learned, so honest, so true, so sterne, haue become such a trumpet for their fame, to triumph by, so haue gratified that sex, whom he stood not in awe of: so haue beutified their doings, whom he might not haue medled with, so haue auaunced their honour, to hasard his owne sex, by setting them so hie, if he had not resolutely knowne the truth of his subiect? he durst be so bould with his owne Emperour the good Traian, to fore his scholer, in his epistle to him before his booke of gouerning the comon weale, as to say and call his booke to witnes thereof, that if he went to gouerne, and ouerthrew the state, he did it not by the authoritie of Plutarch, as disauowing his scholer, if he departed from his lessons. And would that courage haue bene forced to frame a false argument? or is so great a truth not to haue so great a credit? howsouer some of the lighter heades haue lewdly belyed them, or vainly accused them: yet the verie best and grauest writers thinke worthely of them, and make report of them with honour. Ariosto and Boccacio will beloth to be tearmed light, being so great doctours in their diuinitie, yet they be somwhat ouer heauie to wymen, without any great weight as in generall the Italian writers be, which in the middest of their louing leuities still glaunce at their lightnes, and that so beyound all manhoode, as they feele their owne fault, and dispaire of reconcilement, though they crie still for pardon. As those men know well, which will rather meruell, that I haue red those bookes, then mistrust my report, which they know to be true. In all good and generally authorised histories, and in many particuler discourses, it is most euident, that not onely priuate and particular wymen, being very well trained, but also great princesses and gallant troupes of the same sex haue shewed fourth in them selues meruelous effectes of vertue and valure. And good reason why. For where naturally they haue to shew, if education procure shew, is it a thing to be wondered at? Or is their singularitie lesse in nature, bycause wymen be lesse accustomed to shew it, and not so commonly employed, as we men be? Yet whensoeuer they be, by their dealinges they shew vs that they haue no dead flesh nor any base mettle. Well, I will knit vp this conclusion and burne day light no longer, to proue that carefully, which all men may see clearely, and ther aduersaries grieue at, bycause it confutes their follie, which vpon some priuate errour of their owne, to seeme fautles in wordes, where they be faithles in deedes, blame silly wymen as being the onely cause why they went awrie.
That yong maidens can learne, nature doth giue them, and that they haue learned, our experience doth teach vs, with what care to themselues, them selues can best witnes, with what comfort to vs, what forraine example can more assure the world, then our diamond at home? our most deare soueraine lady and princesse, by nature a woman, by vertue a worthy, not one of the nyne, but the tenth aboue the nyne, to perfit in her person that absolute number, which is no fitter to comprehend all absolutnes in Arithmetike, then she is knowne to containe al perfections in nature, all degrees in valure, and to become a president: to those nyne worthy men, as Apollo[57] is accounted to the nyne famouse wymen, she to vertues and vertuous men, he to muses, and learned wymen: thereby to proue Plutarches conclusion true, that oppositions of vertues by way of comparison is their chiefe commendation. Is Anacreon a good poet, what say you to Sappho? Is Bacis a good prophet, what say you to Sibill? was Sesostris a famouse prince, what say you to Semiramis? was Seruius a noble king, what say you to Tanaquill? was Brutus a stowt man, what say you to Porcia? Thus reasoneth Plutarch,[58] and so do I, is it honorable for Apollo a man to haue the presidencie ouer nyne wymen, the resemblers of learning? then more honorable it is for our most worthy Princesse to haue the presidencie ouer nyne men, the paragons of vertue: and yet to be so familiarly acquainted with the nyne muses, as they are in strife who may loue her best, for being best learned? for whose excellent knowledge and learning, we haue most cause to reioyce, who tast of the frute: and posteritie to praise, which shall maintaine her memorie: though I wish their memorie abridged, to haue our tast enlarged: our prouing lengthened, to haue their praising shortened: to be glad that we haue her, not to greue, that we had her: as that omnipotent god, which gaue her vnto vs, when we had more neede of such a prince, then shee of such a people, will preserue her for vs, I do nothing dout, that we both may serue him, she as our carefull soueraine, to set forth his glory, we as her faithfull subiectes, to submit our selues to it.
If no storie did tell it, if no state did allow it, if no example did confirme it, that yong maidens deserue the trayning, this our owne myrour, the maiestie of her sex, doth proue it in her owne person, and commendes it to our reason. We haue besides her highnes as vndershining starres, many singuler ladies and gentlewymen, so skilfull in all cunning, of the most laudable, and loueworthy qualities of learning, as they may well be alleadged for a president to prayse, not for a pattern to proue like by: though hope haue a head, and nature be no nigard, if education do her dutie, and will seeke to resemble euen where presidentes be passing, both hope to attaine to, and possibilitie to seeme to. Wherefore by these profes, I take it to be very clear, that I am not farre ouershot, in admitting them to traine being so traineable by nature, and so notable by effectes.
The ende of learning in yong maides.