be admonished of our duties and faults, we ought not then to feek what other men's duties be. For though a man had a companion in his fault, yet fhould he not thereby be without his fault. But this must be only looked on, by what means thou mayeft make thyfelf without blame. For Adam did lay the blame upon thewoman, and the turned it unto the ferpent: but yet neither of them was thus excufed. And therefore bring not fuch excufes to me at this time, but apply all thy diligence to hear thine obedience to thine hufband. For when I take in hand to admonish thy hufband to love thee, and to cherish thee; yet will I not ceafe to fet out the law that is appointed for the woman, as well as I would require of the man what is written for his law. Go thou therefore about fuch things as becometh thee only, and thew thyfelf tractable to thy hufband. Or rather, if thou wilt obey thy husband for God's precept, then allege fuch things as be in his duty to do; but perform thou diligently thofe things which the Law-maker hath charged thee to do: for thus is it moft reasonable to obey God, if thou wilt not fuffer thyfelf to tranfgrefs his law. He that loveth his friend feemeth to do no great thing but he that honoureth that is hurtful and hateful to him, this man is worthy moft commendation: even so think you, if thou canft fuffer an extreme hufband, thou fhalt have a great reward therefore: but if thou loveft him only becaufe he is gentle and courteous, what reward will God give thee therefore? Yet I fpeak not these things, that I would with the husbands to be fharp towards their wives: but I exhort the women, that they would patiently bear the fharpness of their hufbands. For when either parties do their beft to perform their duties the one to the other, then followeth thereon great profit to their neighbours for their example's fake. For when the woman is ready to fuffer a fharp husband, and the man will not extremely entreat his ftubborn and troublesome wife, then be all things in quiet, as in a moft fure haven. Even thus was it done in old time, that every one did their own duty and office, and was not bufy to require the duty of their neighbours. Confider, I pray thee, that Abraham took to him his brother's fon: his wife did not blame him therefore. He commanded him to go with him a long journey: fhe did not gainfay it, but obeyed his precept.

Again, after all thofe great miferies, labours, and pains of that journey, when Abraham was made as lord over

all,

all, yet did he give place to Lot of his fuperiority: which matter Sarah took fo little to grief, that fhe never once fuffered her tongue to fpeak fuch words as the common manner of women is wont to do in these days, when they fee their husbands in fuch roons, to be made underlings, and to be put under their youngers: then they upbraid them with cumbrous talk, and call them fools, daftards, and cowards for fo doing. But Sarah was fo far from fpeaking any fuch thing, that it came never into her mind and thought so to fay, but allowed the wifdom and will of her husband. Yea, befides all this, after the faid Lot had thus his will, and left to his uncle the lefs portion of land, he chanced to fall into extreme peril: which chance when it came to the knowledge of this faid Patriarch, he incontinently put all his men in harness, and prepared himself with all his family and friends, against the hoft of the Perfians. In which cafe, Sarah did not counfel him to the contrary, nor did fay, as then might have been faid, My husband, whither goeft thou fo unadvifedly? Why runneft thou thus on head? Why doft thou offer thyfelf to fo great perils, and art thus ready to jeopard thine own life, and to peril the lives of all thine, for fuch a man as hath done thee fuch wrong? At the leaft way, if thou regardeft not thyfelf, yet have compaffion on me, which for thy love have forfaken my kindred and my country, and have the want both of my friends and kinffolk, and am thus come into fo far countries with thee; have pity on me, and make me not here a widow, to caft me into fuch cares and troubles. Thus might she have faid but Sarah neither faid nor thought fuch words, but The kept herself in filence in all things. Furthermore, all that time when he was barren, and took no pains as other women did, by bringing forth fruit in his house, what did he? He complained not to his wife, but to Almighty God. And confider how either of them did their duties as became them: for neither did he defpife Sarah because she was barren, nor never did caft it in her teeth. Confider again how Abraham expelled the handmaid out of the house, when fhe required it: fo that by this I may truly prove, that the one was pleased and contented with the other in all things: but yet fet not your eyes only on this matter; but look further what was done before this, that Hagar ufed her miftrefs defpitefully, and that Abraham himfelf was fomewhat provoked against her; which muft needs be an intolerable matter and a painful, to a freehearted woman and a chafte. Let not

there

therefore the woman be too busy to call for the duty of her husband, where the fhould be ready to perform her own; for that is not worthy any great commendations. And even fo again, let not the man only confider what belongeth to the woman, and to ftand too earneftly gazing thereon; for that is not his part or duty. But, as I have faid, let either party be ready and willing to perform that which belongeth efpecially to themfelves. For if we be bound to hold out our left cheek to ftrangers,which will fmite us on the right cheek; how much more ought we to fuffer an extreme and unkind husband! But yet I mean not that a man should beat his wife; God forbid that; for that is the greatest flame that can be, not fo much to her that is beaten, as to him that doth the deed. But if by fuch fortune thou chanceft upon fuch an husband, take it not too heavily; but fuppofe thou that thereby is laid up no fmall reward hereafter, and in this life time no fmall commendation to thee, if thou canft be quiet. But yet to you that be men, thus I speak; let there be none fo grievous fault to compel you to beat your wives. But what fay I? your wives! No, it is not to be borne with, that an honeft man fhould lay hands on his maid-fervant to beat her. Wherefore, if it be a great fhame for a man to beat his bond-fervant, much more rebuke it is to lay violent hands upon his free-woman. And this thing may be well understood by the laws which the Paynims have made, which do difcharge her any longer to dwell with fuch an hufband, as unworthy to have any further company with her that doth finite her. For it is an extreme point, thus fo vilely to entreat her like a flave, that is fellow to thee of thy life, and fo joined unto thee beforetime in the neceffary matters of thy living. And therefore a man may well liken fuch a man (if he may be called a man, rather than a wild beast) to a killer of his father or his mother. And whereas we be commanded to forfake our father and mother for our wives' fake, and yet thereby do work them none injury, but do fulfil the law of God; how can it not appear then to be a point of extreme madness, to entreat her defpitefully, for whofe fake God hath commanded thee to leave parents? Yea, who can fuffer fuch defpite? Who can worthily exprefs the inconvenience, that is, to fee what weepings and wailings be made in the open fireets, when neighbours run together to the houfe of fo unruly an hutband, as to a Bedlam-man, who goeth about to overturn all that he hath at home? Who would not think F f that

that it were better for fuch a man to with the ground to open and fwallow him in, than once ever after to be feen in the market? But peradventure thou wilt object, that the woman provoketh thee to this point. But confider thou again, that the woman is a frail veffel, and thou art therefore made the ruler and head over her, to bear the weakness of her in this her fubjection. And therefore ftudy thou to declare the honeft commendation of thine authority; which thou canst no way better do, than to forbear to urge her in her weakness and fubjection. For even as the king appeareth fo much the more noble, the more excellent and noble he maketh his officers and lieutenants, whom if he fhould difhonour, and despise the authority of their dignity, he thould deprive himself of a great part of his own honour: even fo, if thou doft defpife her that is fet in the next room befide thee, thou doft much derogate and decay the excellency and virtue of thine own authority. Recount all these things in thy mind, and be gentle and quiet. Understand that God hath given thee children with her, and art made a father, and by fuch reafon appeafe thyfelf. Doft thou not fee the husbandinen, what diligence they ufe to till that ground which once they have taken to farm, though it be never fo full of faults? As for an example, though it be dry, though it bringeth forth weeds, though the foil cannot bear too much wet; yet he tilleth it, and fo winneth fruit thereof: even in like manner, if thou wouldst use like diligence to inftruct and order the mind of thy fpoufe, if thou wouldst diligently apply thyfelf to weed out by little and little the noifome weeds of uncomely manners out of her mind, with wholefome precepts, it could not be, but in time thou fhouldft feel the pleasant fruit thereof to both your comforts. Therefore that this thing chance not fo, perform this thing that I do here counfel thee: whenfoever any difpleafant matter riseth at home, if thy wife hath done aught amifs, comfort her, and increase not the heavinefs. For though thou shouldeft be grieved with never fo many things, yet fhalt thou find nothing more grievous than to want the benevolence of thy wife at home. What offence foever thou canft name, yet fhalt thou find none more intolerable than to be at debate with thy wife. And for this cause most of all oughtest thou to have this love in reverence. And if reafon moveth thee to bear any burden at any other men's hands, much more at thy wife's. For if the be poor, upbraid her not; if the be fimple, taunt her not,

but

but be the more courteous: for fhe is thy body, and made one flesh with thee. But thou peradventure wilt fay, that she is a wrathful woman, a drunkard, and beaftly, without wit and reafon. For this caufe bewail her the more. Chafe not in anger, but pray unto Almighty God. Let her be admonished and helped with good counfel, and do thou thy beft endeavour, that the may be delivered of all thefe affections. But if thou shouldest beat her, thou shalt increafe her evil affections: for frowardness and fharpness is not amended with frowardness, but with foftnefs and gentlenefs. Furthermore, confider what reward thou shalt have at God's hand: for where thou mighteft beat her, and yet, for the refpect of the fear of God, thou wilt abftain and bear patiently her great offences, the rather in refpect of that law, which forbiddeth that a man fhould caft out his wife, what fault foever fhe be cumbered with, thou fhalt have a very great reward; and before the receipt of that reward, thou shalt feel many commodities. For by this means the fhall be made the more obedient, and thou for her fake fhalt be made the more meek. It is written in a story of a certain ftrange philofopher, which had a curfed wife, a froward, and a drunkard; when he was afked for what confideration he did fo bear her evil manners, he made anfwer, "By this means," said he, "I have at home a schoolmafier, and an example how I fhould behave myfelf abroad: for I fhall," faith he, "be the more quiet with others, being thus daily exercised and taught in the forbearing of her.' Surely it is a fhame that Paynims fhould be wifer than we; we, I fay, that be commanded to resemble angels, or rather God himself, through meeknefs. And for the love of virtue, this faid philofopher Socrates would not expel his wife out of his houfe. Yea, fome fay that he did therefore marry his wife, to learn this virtue by that occafion. Wherefore, feeing many men be far behind the wifdom of this man, my counfel is, that first, and before all things, a man do his best endeavour to get him a good wife, endued with all honefty and virtue: but if it fo chance that he is deceived, that he hath chofen fuch a wife as is neither good nor tolerable, then let the hufband follow this philofopher, and let him inftruct his wife in every condition, and never lay thefe matters to fight. For the merchantman, except he firft be at compofition with his factor to use his interfairs quietly, he will neither fir his fhip to fail, nor yet will lay hands upon his merchandize:

Ff2

even