CHAP. VII. Marcus Aurelius writeth to the amorous Ladies of Rome.

MArk Orator, reading in Rhodes the art of humanity, to you amorous Ladies of Rome, wisheth health to your per∣sons, and amendmēt of your desired liues. It was written to mee that at the Feast of the mother Berecinthia, all you being present to∣gether, made a play of mee, in which you layed my life for an example, and slaundred my Renowne. It is tolde mee that Auilina composed it, Lucia Fuluia wrote it, and thou Toringua did sing it, and you altogether into the Theater did present it.

You brought mee forth painted in sundry formes, with a booke in my hand turned contrary, as a fained Phi∣losopher, with a long tongue, as a bold speaker without measure: with a horn in my head as a common Cuckolde, with a nettle in my hand, as a trem∣bling louer, with a banner fallen down as a coward Captaine: with my beard halfe shauen, as a feminate man, with a cloth before my eyes as a condemned foole: and yet not content with this, another day yee brought mee foorth portracted with another new deuise: Yee made a figure of mine, with feete of straw, the legges of amber, the knees of wood, the thighes of brasse, the belly of horne, the armes of pitch, the hands of mace, the head of yron: the eares of an Asse, the eyes of a Serpent, the heares of rootes •agged, the teeth of a catte, the tongue of a Scorpion, and the forehead of lead in which was writtē in two lines these letters, M. N. S. N. I. S. V. S. which in my opinion signifieth thus: This picture hath not so many mettals as his life hath changes.

This done, yee went to the riuer and tyed it with the head downwarde a whole day, and if it had not beene, for the good Lady Messelyne, I thinke it had beene tyed there till now.

And now yee amorous Ladies, haue written mee a Letter by Fuluius Fabritius, which grieued me nothing but as an amorous man from the handes of Ladies I accept it as a moc∣kery.

And to the end I should haue no leysure to thinke thereon, yee sent to demaund a question of me, that is, if I haue found in my bookes, of what, for what, from whence, when, for whom, and how women were first made.

Because my condition is for to take mockes for mockes, and sith you doe desire it, I will shew it vnto you. Your friendes and mine haue written to mee, but especially your Ambassador Fuluius hath instantly re∣quired mee so to doe. I am agrieued with nothing, and will hold my peace, sauing to your letter onely I will make aunswere.

And sith there hath been none to aske the question, I protest to none but to you, amorous Ladies of Rome, I send my aunswere. And if an ho∣nest Lady will take the demaund of you, it is a token that shee doth en∣uie the office that yee bee of. For of a truth, that Lady which sheweth her selfe annoyed with your paine open∣ly, from henceforth I condemne her that shee hath some fault in secrete: They that bee on the Stage, feare not the roaring of the Bull: they that bee in the Dungeon feare not the shot of the Canon.

Page  748 I will say the woman of good life, feareth no mans slaunderous tongue, The good Matrons may keepe mee for their perpetuall seruant, and the euill for their chiefe enemie. I aun∣swere.

It is expedient you know of what the first women were made. I say that according to the diuersities of Nati∣ons that are in the world, I find diuers opinions in this case.

The Egyptians say, that when the tiuer Nilus brake, and ouerranne the earth, there abode certaine peeces of earth which cleaued together, and the Sunne comming to them, created many wilde beasts, amongst whom, was found the first woman. Note La∣dies, it was necessary, that the floude Nilus should breake out: so that the first woman might bee made of earth.

All creatures are nourished, and bred in the entrailes of their mothers: except the Woman which was bredd without a mother. And it seemeth most true, that without mothers you were borne: for without rule yee liue, and with order yee die.

Truely hee that taketh vpon him a great thing, & hath many cares in his minde, much to muse vpon, needeth much counsell, needeth long experi∣ence, and ought to chuse amongst many women, that thinketh to rule the onely wife by reason.

Bee the beasts neuer so wilde, at length the Lion is ruled by his keeper, the Bull is enclosed in his Parke, the Horse ruled by the bridell, the little hooke catcheth the fish, the Oxe con∣tented to yeelde to the yoake: onelie a woman is a beast, which will neuer bee tamed, she neuer loseth her bold∣nesse of commaunding, nor by any bridle will bee commaunded, The Gods haue made men as men, and beasts as beasts, and mans vnderstan∣ding very high, and his strength of great force: yet there is nothing, be it of neuer so great strength and pow∣er that can escape a woman, eyther with sleight or might.

But I say vnto you amourous Ladies, there is neyther spurre can make you goe, reine that can holde you backe, bridle that can refrayne you, neyther fish-hooke, nor Nette that can take you: and to conclude, there is no Law can subdue you, nor shame restraine you, nor feare abash you, nor chasticement can amende you.

O to what great perill and danger putteth bee himselfe vnto, that think∣eth to rule and correct you: For if you take an opinion, the whole world cannot remoue: who warneth you of any thing, yee neuer beleeue him. If they giue you good counsell, you take it not: if one threaten you, you straight complaine. If one pray you, then are you proude: if they reioyce not in you, then are you spitefull: If one doe forbeare you, then are you bolde, if one chastice you, straight you become serpents.

Finally, a Woman will neuer for∣get an iniury, not bee thankefull for a benefite receyued. Now a dayes the most simplest of all Women will sweare that they doe know lesse then they doe: But I doe sweare, which of them that knoweth least, knoweth more euill then all men: and of a truth the wisest man shall faile in their wisedome.

Will yee know my Ladies, how little you vnderstand, and how much you bee ignorant? that is in maters of great importance yee determine rashly, as if you had studyed on it a thousand yeares: if any resist your counsell, you holde him for a mor∣tall enemie: Hardie is that woman that dare giue counsell to a a man, and hee more bolde that taketh it of a woman: but I returne and say, that Page  749 hee is a foole which taketh it, and hee is a foole that asketh it, but he is most foole that fulfilleth it.

My opinion is, that he which wil not stūble amongst such hard stones, nor pricke himselfe amongst such thorns; nor sting him with so many Nettles: let him harken what I say, and doe as he shal see, speak well, and worke euill. In promising, avow much: but in per∣forming, accomplish little. Finally al∣low your words, and condemne your counsells.

If wee could demaund of famous men which are dead, how they liked in their life time the counsells of Wo∣men? I am sure they would not rise a∣gaine to belieue them, nor to be reui∣ued to heare them.

How was that famous King Philip with Olympia, Paris with Helene, Alex∣ander with Rosana, Aeneas with Dido, Hercules with Deyanira, Hannibal with Tamira, Antonie with Cleopatra, Iulius with Domitian, Nero with Agrippina? And if you will belieue what they suf∣fered with them, aske of me vnhappie man what I suffer amongst you?

Oh ye Women, when I remember that I was borne of you, I loathe my mylife: and thinking how I liue with you, I wish and desire my death. For there is no such death or torment, as to haue to doe with you: and on the contrarie, no such life, as to flye away from you.

It is a common saying among Wo∣men, that men be very vnthankfull, be∣cause we were bred in your entrailes: Wee order you as seruants. Ye say for that ye brought vs forth with perill, & nourished vs with trauell, it is reason that wee should alwayes employ vs to serue you. I haue bethoght me diuers times with my selfe, from whence the desires that man hath vnto Women commeth?

There are no Eyes, but ought to weepe, no heart but should breake, nor spirite but ought to waile, to see a wise man lost by a foolish woman.

The foolish Louer passeth the day time to content his eye, and the dark∣night hee spendeth in tormenting of himselfe with fond thoughts: one day in hearing tydings another day in do∣ing seruices.

Sometimes in liking the darkenesse, and somtimes in loathing of the light, being in company, and solitary liueth: And finally, the poore Louer may that he will not, and would that he may not.

Moreouer, the counsel of his friends auayleth him nothing, nor the infamy of his enemies, not the losse of goods, and the aduenture of honour, the loo∣sing of his life, nor the seeking of his death, neyther comming neer, nor fly∣ing farre, nor seeing with his eyes, nor hearing with his eares, nor tasting with his mouth, nor feeling with his hand: and to conclude, to get victo∣rie, hee is alwayes at strife and warre with himselfe. Then I would ye louers knew, from whence your Loue doeth come, it is thus:

The entrailes whereof we are bredde be Flesh, the breasts that we sucked are flesh, the armes wherein we be fastued bee of flesh, the thoughtes which wee thinke be fleshly, the works which wee doe are fleshly, the men with whom wee liue are of flesh, and the wonder for whom we dye are flesh.

By which occasion commeth, the reuerting of our flesh to flesh, manie free hearted are entangled with these snares of Loue.

It seemeth well (my Ladyes) that yee were engendred in puddles, as be∣fore is mentioned of the Egyptians: the puddles haue no cleare waters to drinke, nor fruite to bee eaten, nor Fish to bee taken, nor yet shippe to sayle in.

My meaning is, that in your liues ye be filthy, and your persons without Page  750 shame in aduersity, weake and feeble in prosperity, full of deceit and guile, false in your words, and deceitfull in your doings, in hating without mea∣sure, in loue extreame, in giftes co∣uetous, in taking vnshamefast: and finally, I say yee are the ground of feare, in whom the Wise men finde perill, and the simple men suffer iniu∣ry.

In you, the wise men holde theyr renowne slaundered, and the simple men their life in penury. Let vs omit the opinion of the Egyptians, and come to the Greekes, which say, that in the deserts of Arabia, the Sunne shineth hotest: and at the beginning there was found one Woman, with one birde called the Phenix, which birde was created on the Water, and the woman engendered by the great heat of the Sunne, and of the powder of trees in this wise.

There was a tree sore eaten with wormes, and vpon a time a blast of Lightning set it on fire, and burnt it: so as among the ashes of that rotten tree, the first woman was made and found.

Although I bee a Romane Philo∣sopher, yet can I not disallow the o∣pinion of the Greeke Philosopher. Of a truth 'ye amorous Dames, you haue your tongues of the nature of fire, and your conditions like the powder of a rotten tree.

According to the diuersity of Beasts, so Nature hath in diuers parts of the body placed their strength: as the Eagle in her byll: the Vnicorne in the horne, the Serpent in the tayle: the Bull in the head, the Beare in his pawes, the horse in the breast, the dog in the teeth, the Bore in the tuske: the Doues in the winges, and the women in their tongues. For of a truth, the flight of their loue is not so high, as the fantasie of your foo∣lishnesse is vaine: the catte scratcheth not so sore with her nayles, as yee doe scratch the foolish men with your im∣portunities.

The dogge hurteth him not so much that hee runneth after, as ye do the sorrowful Louer that serueth you: the life of him is not in so much dan∣ger that catcheth the Bul by the horns as is the fame of him that falleth into your hands.

To conclude, the Serpent hath not so much poyson in his tayle, as ye haue in your tongues. I accept the Ro∣mane Ladies apart, for there are many very noble, whose liues are not tou∣ched with complaint, nor good fames had in suspect. Of such, neyther my Letter speaketh ought, nor my penne writeth: but of those women I speake that bee such, as all the venemous beasts in the world haue not so much poison in their bodies, as one of those haue in their tongues. And sith the Gods haue commaunded, and our fate doth permit, that the life of men cannot passe without women: I ad∣uise the youth, and beseech the aged: I wake the wise, and instruct the sim∣ple, to shunne women of euill name, more then the common pestilence. Reading the auncient Lawes of Plato, I finde written this. We command that all women openly defamed, bee openly banished the City, to the en∣tent that others seeing the sinne puni∣shed, may abhorre the same, for feare to fall in the like paine. The same Law sayde further, Wee com∣maund that they pardon a woman for all her faults shee committeth boldly, in case yee see amendment likewise in her: but wee will that no fault bee pardoned, committed by the tong, For actuall sinne done, is the fraile∣ty of nature, the tongue onely of ma∣lice. O diuine Plato, Master, and measure of all knowledge and science, and prince of all philosophers: when thou in the golden world madest such Page  751 Lawes: In which time there was such scarcitie of those women which were euill, and so great plentie of them that were good: In this case what should wee doe now in Rome, where there bee so many euill openly, and none good in secret?

Women ought naturally to bee shamefast in their face, temperate in their words, wise of wit, sober in their going, honest in their conuersation, pittifull in their correction, warie in their liuing, auoyding companies, faithfull in their promises, constant in their loue.

Finally, shee that will be counted honest, let her not trust to the wise∣dome of the Worldly-pretended-wise: nor commit her Fame vnto the wan∣ton youth: Let euery wise woman take heede what hee is that promiseth her ought. For after the flames of Venus be set on fire, and Cupid shotte his ar∣rowes, the Rich offereth all that hee hath, and the poore all that hee may. The wise man will euer be her friend, and the simple-man, for euer her ser∣uant.

The wise man wil lose his life for her, and the simple will accept his death for her. The old men say, they will be friends to their friends: and the yong men will say, he wil be enemy to theyr enemyes. The aged promising to pay her debts, the other to reuenge her jn∣iuries. Finally, the one because to hide their pouerty, and the other to publish their beautie, leade these fooles losing their liues, and bringing their fame to ende. I will leaue to speake of the good Women, for I minde not to charge them with ought.

I aske you amorous Ladyes, if Pla∣to was amongst you, when ye made a play of my life, and drewe my picture about Rome? No surely, for that I see in your acte now: I doe suspect that to be true, which hath been saide of o∣thers, for there are fewe in Rome that execute the paines of Platoes Law.

One thing yee cannot denie: if I were the worst of all men, at the last ye see the end of my transgressing: but this you cannot denie, that she which is least euill of all you, the naughtines of her life, I could not sufficiently set out in my life.

It is great perill to wise women to be neighboured with fooles, it is great perill to the shamefast to bee with the shameles: it is great perill to the chast to be with the adulterers: great perill it is for the honourable to be with the defamed: For there is no slaundered woman but thinketh euery one defa¦med, or at the least is desirous to haue them so, procureth to haue them slaundered, or saith they bee infamed. And in the end to hide their infamie, they slaunder all the good.

It is long sith I knewe you amorous Ladyes, and you mee. If I speake, I speake: if you knowe, I knowe. If yee holde your peace, I am still: if ye speake openly, I will not talke in se∣crete.

Thou knowest well Auilina, thou diddest compasse the ieast of mee, that Eumedes solde Calues de•rer in the Butchery, then thou diddest innocent Virgines in thy house.

And thou Toringa knowest well, that before mee thou couldest not re∣count all thy Louers on thy fingers, but diddest desire to haue a bushell of peason.

Thou knowest well Lyuia Fuluia, when thou wert (thou knowest with whom) at Bretus, we made agreement with thy husband, thou tookest him a∣side and sayedst: Vnles I may lye out of my house one Night in a weeke, thou shalt not lie quietly in thy house: Thou knowest well Rotoria, that in thy youth thou werte two yeares on the Sea, and diddest compound with the pirate, that no woman shold serue the 100. soldiers, but thou alone in a gally.

Page  752 Thou knowest right wel Enna Curtia that when the Censor came to take thee, hee found v. mens apparrell, the which thou warest in the night season and but one womans attire, where∣with thou wert clothed in the daye∣time.

Thou knowest well Pesilana Fabri∣cia, that Alluines, Metelles, and thou beeing married, demaunded openly what thou haddest gotten in his house with thy friendes in secret: Thou knowest well Camilla, not being con∣tent with thy owne Countrey folke, thou haddest such resorte and haunt of strangers to thee, that thou canst speake all languages.

I will marke them that haue mar∣ked mee, hurt them that haue hurted mee, persecute them that haue perse∣cuted mee, defame them that haue slaundered mee, all other my penne pardoneth, for that they pardoned me in their play. Because my letter be∣gunne with that ye did to my person: therefore I will end it, with that it knoweth of your good names.

And thus I conclude, that a man may escape from all dangers in shun∣ning them: but from women, there is no way but to flye from them.

Thus I end, and beseech the gods that I may see of you that which you would see of mee: and sith yee bee louers, I counsell you, as you haue sent mee the play in a mockery, euen so receyue my aunswere.

Marke now the Rhodian, to the amorous Ladies of Rome.