the Greek and Roman ages, that honoured their fex by great examples of meekness, prudence, and chastity: and which I do the rather mention, that the honour ftory yields to their virtuous conduct may raise an allowable emulation in thofe of their own sex, at least, to equal the noble character given them by antiquity. I will begin with §. LXXVII. PENELOPE, wife to Ulyffes, a woman eminent for her beauty and quality, but more for her fingular chastity. Her husband was abfent from her twenty years; partly in fervice of his country, and partly in exile; and being believed to be dead, she was earnestly fought by divers lovers, and preffed by her parents to change her condition; but all the importunities of the one, or perfuafions of the other, not prevailing, her lovers feemed to use a kind of violence, that where they could not intice, they would compel : to which the yielded, upon this condition; That they would not press her to marry, till fhe had ended the work she had in hand: which they granting, the undid by night what he wrought by day; and with that honeft device the delayed their defire, till her worthy husband returned, whom he received, though in beggars clothes, with an heart full of love and truth. A conftancy that reproaches too many of the women of the times, who, without the excuse of such an absence, can violate their hufbands beds. Her work fhews the industry and employment, even of the women of great quality in thofe times; whilft thofe of the prefent age defpife fuch honest labour, as mean and mechanical. §. LXXVIII. THEOXENA, a woman of great virtue, being in a place encompaffed by the armies of the king of Macedonia, finding fhe could not efcape their hands, rather than fall under the power of his foldiers to be defiled, chose to die: and therefore flying into the fea, delivered her life up in the waters; thereby chufing death, rather than fave her life with the hazard of her virtue, §. LXXIX. PANDORA and PROTOGENIA, two virtuous daughters of an Athenian king, feeing their country like to be over-run by its enemies, freely offered their lives in facrifice, to appease the fury of their enemies, for the preservation of their country. §. LXXX. HIPPARCHIA, a fair Macedonian virgin, noble of blood (as they term it) but more truly noble of mind, I cannot omit to mention; who entertained fo earnest an affection for Crates, the Cynical philofopher, as well for his severe life as excellent discourse, that by no means could her relations nor fuitors, by all their wealth, nobility and beauty, diffuade her from being his companion: upon which ftrange refolution, they all betook themselves to Crates, befeeching him to fhew himself a true philofopher, in perfuading her to defift: which he strongly endeavoured by many ar guments; but not prevailing, went his way, and brought all the little furniture of his houfe, and fhewed her: This (faith he) is thy husband; that, the furniture of thy houfe: confider on it, for thou canft not be mine, unless thou followest the same course of life: (for, being rich above twenty talents, which is more than fifty thousand pounds, he neglected all, to follow a retired life :) all which had fo contrary an effect, that fhe immediately went to him, before them all, and faid, I feek not the pomp and effeminacy of this world, but knowledge and virtue, Crates; and chufe a life of temperance, before a life of delicacies: for true fatisfaction, thou knoweft, is in the mind; and that pleasure is only worth feeking, that lafts for ever. Thus was it, he became the constant companion both of his love and life, his friendship and his virtues; travelling with him from place to place, and performing the public exercises of inftruction with Crates, wherever they came. She was a moft violent enemy to all impiety, but efpecially to wanton men and women, and those whofe garb and conversation shewed them devoted to vain pleasures and paftimes: effeminacy rendering the like perfons not only unprofitable, but pernicious to the whole world. Which the as well made good by the example of her lung industry, temperance, and feverity by their intemperance and folly: for ruin of health, estates, virtue, and lofs of eternal happiness, have ever attended, and ever will attend, fuch earthly minds. §. LXXXI. LUCRETIA, a most chafte Roman dame, whose name and virtue is known by that tragedy that follows them. For Sextus, the fon of Tarquin the Proud, king of Rome, hearing it was her custom to work late in her chamber, did there attempt her, with his fword in his hand, vowing he would run her through; and put one of his fervants in the pofture of lying with her, on purpose to defame her, if the would not yield to his lufts. Having forced his wicked end, fhe fends for her father, then governor of Rome, her husband and her friends, to whom having revealed the matter, and with tears lamented her irreparable calamity, fhe flew herself in their prefence; that it might not be faid Lucretia out-lived her chastity, even when she could not defend it. I praise the virtue, not the act. But God foon avenged this, with other impieties, upon that wicked family; for the people hearing what Sextus had done, whofe flagitious life they equally hated with his father's tyranny, and their sense of both, aggravated by the reverence they conceived for the chafte and exemplary life of Lucretia, betook themselves to their arms; and headed by her father, her husband, Brutus and Valerius, they drove out that Tarquin family: in which action the hand of Brutus avenged the blood of Lucretia upon infamous Sextus, whom he flew in the battle. §. LXXXII. CORNELIA, alfo a noble Roman matron, and fifter to Scipio, was efteemed the most famous and honourable perfonage of her time, not more for the greatness of her birth, than her exceeding temperance. And hiftory particularly mentions this, as one great instance of her virtue, for which she was so much admired, to wit, That she never was accustomed to wear rich apparel, but fuch apparel as was very plain and grave; rather making her children (whom her inftructions and example had made virtuous) her greatest or naments naments: a good pattern for the vain and wanton dames of the age. §. LXXXIII. PONTIA was another Roman dame, renowned for her fingular modefty: for though Octavius attempted her with all imaginable allurements and perfuafions, the chofe rather to die by his cruelty, than be polluted by his luft. So he took her life, that could not violate her chastity. §. LXXXIV. ARRIA, wife to Cecinna Pætus, is not lefs famous in ftory for the magnanimity fhe fhewed, in being the companion of her husband's difgraces, who thrust herself into prifon with him, that the might be his fervant; and fhewed him firft by death to be revenged of the tyrant. §. LXXXV. POMPEIA PLAUTINA, wife to Julianus the emperor, commended for her compaffion of the poor, used the ufed the power her virtue had given her with her husband, to put him upon all the juft and tender things that became his charge, and to diffuade him from whatsoever seemed harsh to the people: particularly, fhe diverted him from a great tax his flatterers advised him to lay upon the people. §. LXXXVI. PLOTINA, the wife of Trajan, a woman, (faith a certain author) adorned with piety, chastity, and all the virtues that a woman is capable of. There are two inftances; one of her piety, the other of her chastity. The first is this; When her husband was proclaimed emperor, fhe mounted the Capitol after the choice; where, in a religious manner, the faid, Oh that I may live under all this honour, with the fame • virtue and content that I enjoyed before I had it!' The fecond is this: Her husband being once exiled, fhe caused her hair to be cut fhort, as the men wore it, that with lefs notice and danger fhe might be the companion of his banishment. §. LXXXVII. POMPEIA PAULINA, a Roman lady of youth and beauty, defcended of the most noble families of Rome, fell in love with Seneca, for the excellency of his doctrine, and the gravity and purity of his manners. They married, and lived great examples to gether gether to both their fexes. So great was her value for her husband, and fo little did fhe care to live when he was to die, that the chose to be the companion of his death as fhe had been of his life: and her veins were cut as well as his, whilst she was the auditor of his excellent difcourfes: but Nero hearing of it, and fearing left Paulina's death might bring him great reproach, because of her noble alliance in Rome, fent with all hafte to have her wounds clofed, and if it were poffible to fave her life: which, though as one half dead, was done, and she against her will lived; but always with a pale hue, and wan complexion of face, to tell how much of her life was gone with Seneca her dearest friend, philofopher, and husband. §. LXXXVIII. Thus may the voluptuous women of the times read their reproof in the character of a brave Heathen; and learn, that folid happiness confists in a neglect of wealth and greatnefs, and a contempt of all corporal pleasures, as more befitting beafts than immortal fpirits and which are loved by none but fuch, as not knowing the excellency of heavenly things, are both inventing and delighting, like brutes, in that which perifheth; giving the preference to poor mortality, and spending their lives to gratify the lufts of a little dirty flesh and blood, that fhall never enter into the kingdom of heaven:' by all which their minds become darkened, and fo infenfible of more celeftial glories, that they do not only refuse to enquire after them, but infamously fcoff and defpife those that do, as a foolish and mad people: to that ftrange degree of darkness and impudence this age has got. But if the exceeding temperance, chastity, virtue, industry, and contentedness of very Heathens, with the plain and neceffary enjoyments God has been pleased to vouchfafe the fons and daughters of men, as fufficient to their wants and conveniency, (that they may be the more at leisure to answer the great end of their being born) will not fuffice, but that they will exceed the bounds, precepts, and examples, both of Heathens and Chriftians; anguifh and tribulation |