Like as ſick or feble
bodies cannot abyde any
great panges or fittes, or old
cracked ſhippes anye great vvalues or vvindes: ſo diſturbed
and maymed common vvealthes are ſone ouerturned
and caſt vnder foote, by
ſoden and ſtraung mutations. Seing therfor that by
frovvning fortune, and Gods vvrath, for thoffences
of thinabitantes, Englande is of late both in honour
and poſſeſſions, not a lytle maymed, Yea, takinge a
fall through the negligence of the Nurce halfe made
a creple: It is neceſſary for all good men, & the dutie
of all faithful Subiectes, to haue an eye to it, that it
runne not vpon the rockes, and make a ſhipp vvrake.
And as in great Cities, great hede is geuen, that neither
by negligēce of the Citezins, nor malice of euvil
vvillers, it be cōſsumed by fyre, or hurt by any other
caſualtie: So in common vvelthes muſt it be prouided,
that no fyre brandes of the Sedicion be caſt into the
houſes of mens hartes, to impayre thobedience of
good Subiectes, to kindle the harts of the frovvard,
and to deſtroy honeſt, godly, and comly order. For
mans nature being ſuch, as it can hardly be brought
to ſtupe, and eaſely ſtirred vp to diſturbe: All occaſions
muſt be cut of, vvherby the euyll may be encoraged
to caſt of the yocke of obedience, and the ſimple
brought into doubt vvhat thei ought to follovv.
Happening therfore not longe agone to rede a lytle booke B
ſtrangely vvritten by a Stranger, to proue
that the rule of VVomen is out of Rule, and not in
a cōmon vvelth tollerable: And vvaying at the firſt
vvhat harme might come of it, and felying at the laſt
that it hath not a lytle vvounded the conſcience of
ſome ſymple, and almost cracked the dutie of true
Obedience: I thought it more then neceſſary to lay
before mens eyes the vntruth of the argument, the
vvekenes of the proufes, and the abſurditie of the
vvhole. In the ſifting vvherof, I mynd to vſe ſuche
modeſtie: that it ſhall appere to all indifferent men,
that I ſeke to defend the cauſe, and not to deface the
mā, Seing this errour roſe not of malice but of zele:
and by loking more to the preſent crueltie, that thē
vvas vſsed: then to the incōuenience that after might
follovv. VVherin ſurely his doyng is ſomvvhat to
be pardoned: conſideryng the grief that like a good
member of that bodie vvhich then ſuffered, he felte
to his great ſorrow and trouble. For lvke as the eye
being ful of teares, is the more vnable to ſe: So is the
mind full of ſorrovv much the les hable to iudge. As
vve ſe in Euripides Polymneſtor being for his mordering
of Polidor exremeli puniſhed of Hecuba ād
other vvemē (who pricked out his eyes vvith pins)
cryeth out not only agayn them that hurt hym, but
agaynſt the vvhole ſexe that neuer came nere him.
And in Hippolit vvho for the fault of his Stepdame
Phedra, curſſeth the vvhole kind. So this Authour
ſeyng the tormentes of Martyres, the murdrynge of
goodmen, Thimpriſſonment of Innocentes, The racking
of the gyltles, The baniſhying of Chriſt, The receiuyng
of Antechriſte, the ſpoyling of ſubiectes,
The mayntenaunce of ſtraungers, The mouing of
vvarres, The loſſe of Englandes honour, the purchaſing
of hatred, vvhere vve had loue, the procuring of
trouble vvhere vve had peax, The ſpending of treasure
vvhere it vvas nedeles, and to be ſhort all out of
ioynt: He could not but miſlike that regiment from
vvhence ſuch frutes did ſpring. Only in this he vvas
not to be excuſed (onles he allege ignoraunce) that
he ſvvarued from the hypothesis to the thesis that is frō
the particuler queſtion to the generall, as though all
the gouernment of the vvhole Sexe vvere againſt
nature, Reaſon, Right, and Lavve: becauſe that the
preſent state then through the faulte of the perſone,
and not of the Sexe, vvas vnnaturall, vnreaſonable,
vniuſt, and vnlavvful. If he had kept him in that particular
perſon: he could haue ſaid nothing to muche,
nor in ſuch vvyſe as could have offended any indifferent
man. And this againe vvould haue been conſidered:
that if the queſtion vvere to be handled, yet
vvas it not mete to bring it into doubt at that time,
vvhen it could not, nor yet can be, redreſſed (vvere it
neuer ſo euill,) vvithout manifeſt and violent vvrōg
of thē that be in place. For if it vver vnlavvful (as he
vvill haue it) that that Sexe ſhould gouerne: yet is it
not vnlavvfull that they ſhould enherit, as hereafter
vve ſhal proue. And in this point their enheritaūce
is ſo lynked with the empyre: that you cā not pluck
from them thone vvithout robbing thē of thother.
This doubt might better haue been moued vvhē the
Sceptre vvas or ſhalbe in the hand of the male. And ſo if
it vvere founde euill (as I am perſvvaded it ſhal
neuer be) it might vvithout the vvronging of any be
reformed. But novve being ſtablyſhed by lavve, cōfirmed
by cuſtome, and ratefied by common cōſent
of all the orders in the Realme: It can be no equitie
to take it from them, nor any colour of the honeſtie or
godlines to moue any plea againſt them. If nature
hath geuen it them by birth: hovve dare vve pulle it
from them by violence? if God haue called thē to it
either to ſaue or to ſpille: vvhy ſhould vve repine at
that vvhich is Gods vvyland order? ar vve vyſer thē
he in beſtovving it: or ſo bolde to alter that he purpoſe
ſhould come of it? if he hable vvomen: ſhal vve
vnhable them? if he ment not they ſhould miniſtre:
he could haue prouided other. Therefore the ſafeſt
vvaye is, to let him do his vvill, vvhiche can do beſt,
vvhiche can ſee plainly that vvill follovve it, vvhere
vve blyndly geſſe and do but grope at it. Per me Reges
regunt ſaith vviſdom in the perſon of God, by him
reigne they and not by vs. It is his appoyntment and
not ours, for though vveſomtyme haue the election
to chuſe or refuſe this perſon or that (as it is in ſome
cōmō vvelthes) yet becauſe vve be not our ovvn but
his: nor haue our hartes in our hāds to ordein vvhat
vve liſte, but muſt as vvaxe yelde to his vvurking:
Therefore it is more agreable to his dutie, and a greate
deale leſſe ieopardie, to honor his choiſe, rather thē
to preferre our ovvn. Placeth he a vvoman vveake in
nature, feable in bodie, ſofte in courage, vnſkilfull in
practiſe, not terrible to the enemy, no Shilde to the
, vvel, Virtus mea (ſaith he) In infirmitate . My
ſtrengthe is moſte perſight vvhen you be moſte
vveake, if he ioyne to his ſtrengthe: ſhe can not be
vveake. If he put to his hande ſhe can not be feable,
if he be vvith her vvho can ſtande againſt her? Thou
ſhalt not take vvith the any great povver (ſaith he to
Gedeon) leſt you think to ouercome your enemies
by your ovvn ſtrength, and provves, and not by my
vvurking and might. It is as eaſy for him to ſaue by
fevve as by many, by vveake as by ſtrong, by a vvoman
as by a man. Yea his moſte vvōderfull vvorkes
are alvvayes vvrought in oure moſte vveakenes, as
infinite examples and teſtimonies do ſhevve. Yet
meane I not to barre pollicie: vvhē vvithout breatch
of Gods ordinaunce it may haue place, for pollycie
is Gods gifte eyther geuen man immediately of God,
or gottē by ſtudy, experience, and practiſe, or vvōne
by quickneſſe of vvit. But vvhen God chuſeth him
ſelfe by ſending to asking, vvhoſe ſucceſſion is ruled
by enheritaunce and lyneall diſcent, no heires male:
It is a plain argument, that for ſome ſecret purpoſe
he myndeth the female ſhould reigne and gouerne,
if vve conſider the vvorkes of God: vve ſhall fynde
throughout the vvhole ſcripture: that vvhere vvas
leaſt helpe of man or any vvorldly meanes: there
vvrought he greateſt vvonders and brought thinges
to a moſte happy ende. In the making and framing of
the heauen the earth and all that in them is conteyned,
vvho put his hande to helpe? vvhat felovve
had he ſo excellent a vvorke? did he not himſelf
vvithout any tovvardnes of matter, any helpe of any
meanes, either of aungels or man?
reference to Christianity
reference to ancient classical mythology
reference to government
word used to describe a man
word used to describe a woman
punishment for a crime
family members by blood, including family members by marriage
transliterated ancient Greek alphabet into Latin alphabet
Eurip. in Hecu.
Idem in Hipp.
Vve may not vvithſtade god
Proue. 6.
2. Cor. 12.
Iud. 17.
Iud. 5.
Pollicie gods gift.
God vvorketh in vveaknes.
Gen. 1.