Ince the tyme of all ages, and the creaciō of the
worlde, GOD hath so blessed his creacion, and
meruailous workemanship in manne: as in all
his other creatures, that not onelie his [omnipo-
teucie], is therby set forthe. But also from tyme
to tyme, the posteritee of men, in their ofspring and procrea-
Kyngdomes
continue by
mariage and
cōmon welth[.] cion, doe aboundantlie commonstrate thesame. The state of
all kyngdomes and common wealthes: by procreacion deri-
ued, haue onelie continued on the face of the yearth, thereby
many hundred yeres. How sone would the whole worlde be
dissolued, and in perpetuall ruine, if that God from tymes
and ages, had not by godlie procreacion, blessed this infinite
The dignitee
of man, she-
weth the
worthines of
mariage. issue of mankinde. The dignitée of man in his creacion, she-
weth the worthie succession, maintained by procreation. In
vaine were the creacion of the worlde, if there were not as
manne so excellente a creature, to beholde the creatour, and
his meruailous creacion. To what vse were the Elementes
and Heauens, the Starres and Planettes, all Beastes and
Foules, Fisshe, Plantes, Herbes and trees, if men wer not,
for mannes vse and necessitée, all thinges in the yearth were
made and procreated. Wherein the Stoike Philosophers do
note the excellencie of man to be greate: for saie thei, Que in
terris gignuntur omnia ad vsum hominum creari. To what
vse then were all thynges, if man were not, for whose cause,
vse, & necessitée these thynges were made. If a continuaunce
of Gods procreacion were not, immediatlie a ruine and ende
would ensue of thinges. What age remaineth aboue a hun-
dred yeres? If after a hūdred yeres, no issue wer to be, on the
Godlie pro-
creacion. face of the yearth, how sone wer kyngdoms dissolued, where
as procreacion rooteth, a newe generacion, issue and ofspring,
and as it were a newe soule and bodie. A continuaunce of la-
wes, a permanente state of common wealthe dooeth ensue.
Though the life of manne be fraile, and sone cutte of, yet by
Mariage, man by his ofspryng, is as it were newe framed,
his bodie by death dissolued, yet by issue reuiued. Euen as
Plantes, by the bitter season of Winter, from their flowers
fadyng and witheryng: yet the seede of them and roote, vegi-
table and liuyng, dooe roote yerelie a newe ofspryng or flo-
A similitude. wer in them. So Mariage by godlie procreacion blessed, doth
perpetually increase a newe bodie, and therby a vaste world,
and infinite nacions or people. Xerxes the mightie kyng of
Persia, vewing and beholding his maine and infinite hoste,
wéeped: who beyng demaunded, why he so did. Doleo inquit
post centum annos, neminem ex hijs superesse. It is a pitée-
fulle and dolefull case, that after a hundred yeres, not one of
these noble capitaines, and valiant soldiers to be left.
¶ The obieccion.
But you will saie parauenture, mariage is a greate bon-
dage, alwaies to liue with one.
¶ The solucion.
To followe pleasure, and the beastlie mocions of the
mynde: what libertée call you that, to liue in a godly, meane,
The libertie
in mariage. and Mediocritée of life, with thy spoused wife. There is no
greater ioye, libertée, or felicitée, who so practiseth a dissolute
life: whose loue and luste is kindeled, and sette on fire with a
A brutishe
societie with
harlottes. harlotte, he followeth a brutishe societée. What difference is
there, betwene them and beastes? The beaste as nature lea-
deth, he obaieth nature. Reason wanteth in beastes, manne
then indued with reason, whiche is a guide to all excellencie
how is it that he is not ruled by reason. Whom GOD hath
clothed and beautified, with all vertue and all singularitée:
If a godly conuersacion of life, moueth thée to passe thy daies
without mariage, then must the mocions of thy minde, be ta-
Chastitee
in mariage. med and kepte vnder. Other wise, execrable is thy purpose,
and determinaciō of the life. If thou hopest of loue of a harlot
though thou enioye her otherwise, thou art deceiued. Bac-
chis the harlot, whom Terence maketh mencion of, in the
persone of her self, sheweth the maners of all harlots to An-
tiphila, saiyng.
Quippe forma impulsi nostra nos amatores colunt:
Hec vbi immutata est, illi suum animum alio conferunt.
Nisi prospectū est interea aliquid nobis, deserte viuimus.
For saieth she, the louer anamoured with our loue, and
sette on fire therewith, it is for our beautie and fauour: but
when beautie is ones faded, he conuerteth his loue to an o-
ther, whom he better liketh. But that we prouide for our sel-
ues in the meane season, wée should in the ende liue vtterlie
forsaked. But your loue incensed with one, whose maners
and life contenteth you: so you bothe are linked together,
The loue of a
harlotte. that no calamitée can separate you: who so hopeth loue of a
harlotte, or profite, he maie hope as for the fructe of a withe-
red tree, gaine is all their loue, vice their ioye and delite. In
vertue is libertée, in vertue is felicitee, the state of mariage is
vertuous, there can be no greater bōdage, then to obaie ma-
ny beastly affections, to the whiche whoredome forceth hym
vnto, Loue is fained, cloked amitée, a harte dissembled, ma-
ny a mightie person and wise, hath been ouerthrowen by the
deceiptes of harlottes: many a Citee plagued, many a region
ouerthrowen for that mischief, to obaie many affections is a
greate bondage. Who so serueth the beastlie affections of his
Hercules.
Omphala. mynde to that purpose, he must also as Hercules to Ompha-
la bee slaue, not onely to his owne will and affection: but to
the maners, will, and exspectacion of the harlotte. So serued
Thraso, and Phedria Thais, that Gorgious harlot, Antony
and Iulius Cesar, Cleopatra, this is a bondage, to liue slaue
from reason and all [all] integritee, to a monsterous rablemēt
The harlot-
tes lesson, to
her louers. of vices, who so serueth a harlot, thei must learne this lesson.
Da mihi & affer, giue and bryng.
The women of Scithia, abhorryng the godly conuersa-
cion of mariage, with their housbandes, lefte theim, who in
tyme ware so mightie, that thei repelled theim by force: thei
called mariage not Matrimonie, but bondage. For, the chro-
nicles doe testifie, thei became conquerours ouer many kyn-
ges, all Asia obaied them: thei did builde many a great citee,
and for theire successe, thei might compare with many prin-
The life of
the Amazo-
nes. ces. These women were called Amazones afterwarde, the
order of their life was this, ones in the yere thei would en-
ioye the compainie of a man: if it so were that thei had a man
childe, the father to haue it, if a daughter, then thei possessed
her, and foorthwith burned her right pappe: for thei were all
Archers, and wonderfully excelled therein, but in the ende,
Thalestris. thei came all to ruine. One of them, Thalestris their Quene
in the tyme of Alexander the Greate, came to Alexander,
thinkyng that he had been, some monstrous man of stature:
The offer of
a woman to
Alexander. whom, when she did beholde (for Alexander was of no migh-
tie stature) did contemne hym, and offered him hand to hande
The answer
of Alexander
to the offer. to fight with hym. But Alexander like a wise Prince, saied
to his men, if I should ouercome her, that were no victorie,
nor manhoode againste a woman: and being ouercome, that
were greater shame, then commendacion in all my victories
and conquestes, but afterwarde, there was a greate familia-
ritée betwene them. The adulterer and the adulteris, neuer
prospereth, for many mischiues are reserued, to that wicked
and beastly loue. Sincere loue is not rooted, frendship colou-
red: the sober and demure countenaunce, is moche to be com-
mended in a chaste woman, whose breaste pondereth a chaste
The facte of
the matrones
of Rome. life. The facte of the matrones of Rome, semeth straunge to
be tolde, of Papirius a Senators soonne, beyng taken to the
Senate house, of his father: the childe beyng indued with a
singuler wit, harde many causes in the assemble, talked and
consulted vpō, at his retourne home, his mother was inqui-
sitiue of their consultacion, to heare somewhat. The childe
was commaunded by his father, to vtter no secrete that he
heard, wherevpon of a long tyme, he refused his mothers de-
maunde: but at the laste subtelie, he satisfied his mothers re-
Papirius. quest. Truth it is, my father willed me, to vtter no secret, you
keping my counsaill, I will shewe you, it is concluded by the
Senate house, that euery man shall haue twoo wiues, that
is a straunge matter, saieth the mother: foorthwith she had
communicacion with all the matrones of Roome, that could
doe somewhat in this matter, thei also full willyngly assem-
bled themselues, to let this purpose, to the Senate house, thei
went to vtter, their swollen griues. The Senators were a-
mased at their commyng, but in this matter bolde thei were,
The Oraciō
of a matrone,
to the Sena-
tours. to enterprise that, whiche thei wer greued at. A Dame more
eloquente then all the reste, and of stomacke more hardie, be-
gan in these woordes. Otherwise then right, we are iniuri-
ously handled, and that in this assemble, that now we should
be caste of and neclected: that whereas it is concluded in this
counsaile, that euery manne should haue twoo wiues, more
meter it were, that one woman should haue twoo housban-
des. Straunge it was in the Senators eares soche a request,
whereupon a proofe made how that rumour rose, Papirius
was found the aucthor, who tolde before the Senate, his mo-
ther alwaies inquisitiue to knowe that, whiche he should not
tell, and thereupon he faigned that, whiche he might better
tell. It is to be supposed the Senators mused thereat, and the
matrones of Rome went home ashamed: but their secrete co-
gitacion of minde was manifest, what willingly in hart thei
wished. What greater felicitee can there bee, then in a vnitée
of life, the housebande to liue with his wife. The beastes in
their kinde, doe condemne mannes brutishe affections here-
in: there is no facte that sheweth a man or woman, more like
to beastes, then whoredome.
¶ The obieccion.
But you will saie, many calamitées happeneth in mariage?