Gynaikeion: or, Nine bookes of various history. Concerninge women inscribed by ye names of ye nine Muses. Written by Thom: Heywoode.

Of warlike Women, and those of Masculine vertue.

I Know not better how to expresse the boldnes of women, than by shewing you the feare of men, nor can I more plainly illustrat the valor of one sex than by putting you in mind of the cowardise of the other. It is well obserued of an Italian (who writes himselfe of Lucca) concerning the passion of Feare,* 1.1 of which there are three sorts commendable; the first is naturall feare, by which

we auoid the iniuries of men, preuent the inconuenience of postelent sickenes, with such like casualties, and arme our selues against want, dearth, and neces∣sitie. The second is ciuile Feare, wherein we feare to transgresse the law or in∣curre penaltie, are timorous to doe ill because it is ill, when we dare not de∣praue whats good or derrogate from our own reputation. The third is a more supernatural Feare, in which by our loue towards God and our neighbour, we feare to offend the higher Maiestie, and next that, feare the terror of eternall death and damnation; by the first we preserue our bodies, by the second our ho∣nours, by the last our soules. But those other abiects the feares I purpose heare to exemplifie,* 1.2 onely such as proceed from Effeminacie and Cowardise. It is read of Pysander of Greece, that being aliue, he feared least his soule had alrea∣die forsaken his bodie. Likewise, of one Artemon who was of that hare-hearted disposition, that he mooued not abroad without Targets of brasse borne ouer him like cannopies, least any thing should fall from aloft and beate out his braines; or if he rid, it was in a horse-litter seeled and crosse-bard with gads of steele and plates of yron, for which hee was called Peripharetes. Sabellicus writes that Cassander so feared Alexander, that long time after his death com∣ming to Delphos to behold the goodly statues there errected, at the verie sight of his old maisters effigies, hee fell into such a timerous feauer, that his verie bones daunced in his skinne, and longtime it was ere they could constant∣ly settle themselues in their owne places. This was that Cassander who had caused Olimpias the mother of Alexander to be so cruelly butchered. It is re∣lated of St. Valleir duke of Valentinois in Fraunce, that being condemned ••o death for not disclosing the treasons of the duke of Burbon, iust at the instant when the executioner should haue strooke off his head, the king sent him his gratious pardon, but all in vaine, the feare of the blow before it came, had dispatched him of life. Hereof hath growne a prouerbe, to any man that hath a strong apprehension of feare, they will say hee hath La fieure de saint Vallier, i. the feauer of Saint Vallier. Another thing is recorded, of a fellow that was so affraid of the name of Hercules, that he hid himselfe in caues and rockes, though he knew not of any quarrell betwixt them, at length, stealing from the obscure cauerne where he had denned himselfe, to see if the coast were cleere, casting his eye by chance on the one side and espying Hercules who came that way by chance, his life blood sinking into his heeles, he shooke them a little and died in that feauer. I could recite terrors and vaine feares which haue arise from nothing, that haue terrified whole citties of Grecians, armies of Romans, and multitudes of other nations, but these particulars shall suffice, for my purpose is not too farre to effeminate men, nor too much to embolden women: since the most valiant man that is, is timerous ynough, and the modestest woman that is may bee made sufficiently bold.* 1.3 But to the purpose in hand: Debora a warlike woman was a Prophetesse and iudged Israell; by whose counsell and courage, they were not onely freed from the inroads and incursions of the neighbour nations, but many times returned from the field with rich spoyles and glorious conquests: of her you may reade more at large in the Iudges. Ianus was an antient king of Italy, hee entertained king Saturne when by his sonne Iupiter he was chased out of Creet: Because he was a prouident and wise prince, the Romans pictured him with two faces, and receiued him into the number of their gods, they attributed to him the beginning and end of things, celberating to his honour the first moneth Ianuarie, which tooke the denomi∣nation of Ianus from his name, one face looked vpon the yeare to come, the

other looked backe on the yeare past; in his right hand hee had a golden key which opened the Temple of Peace, in his left, a staffe which hee strooke vpon a stone, from whence a spring of water seemed to issue out; he is thus descri∣bed by Albricus the Philosopher in his booke de Deorum Imaginibus. This Ianus left behind him a beautifull faire daughter, whose name was Helerna,* 1.4 shee suc∣ded her father in his kingdome, which was scituate by the riuer Tiber, and was a woman of Masculine spirit and vertue: shee raigned ouer men without the counsell or assistance of men, she subdued nations by her valour, and con∣quered Princes by her beautie, of whom may bee truely spoken as Propertius lib. 2. writes of the queene Penthisilaea:

Ausaferox ab equo quondam oppugnare sagittis, &c.

Penthisilea from her steede, When her high courage rose, Durst with her shafts and warlike darts, The Darnish fleete oppose: No sooner was her beauer vp, And golden caske laid by: But whom by force she could not take, She captiu'd with her eye.

Camilla and others.

THis Camilla was queene of the Volscians, who euen in her cradle gaue ma∣nifest tokens of her future vertue and valour, for in her infancie shee was neither swathed in soft cloathing, nor wrapt in silken mantle, not attended by a tender nurse, nor fed with curious dainties or farre fetcht delicats, but foste∣red by her father Metabus with the milke of hinds and wild goates,* 1.5 her court was a forrest, and her pallace a darke and obscure caue. Hauing somewhat out∣growne her infancy, she tooke no pleasure in rattles, puppets, or timbrells, in which children for the most part delight, neither did she inure her hands to sowing, spinning, or any such like womanish chares: her cloathing was the skinnes of wild beasts, her exercise hunting, her practise shooting, her armes the bow and quiuer, her drinke the fountaine water, and her foode venison. To this absteinous life shee added the strict vow of chastitie. At length warre being commenst betwixt Turnus and Aeneas, she adhered to the Rutilian faxi∣on, and to those warres brought a regiment of braue and gallant horse, which she in person commanded. Her magnanimitie Virgill in the latter end of his seauenth booke thus sets downe,

Hos superaduenit, volsca de gente Camilla, Agmea agens equitum & florentes are cateruas.

To their supply Camilla came, The gallant Volscian Lasse, Who brauely did command the horse With troupes that shin'd in brasse.

Of the like condition was Maria Puteolana,* 1.6 so called of Puteolum a cittie of Campania, she was of a warlike condition and an inuincible courage, and flou∣risht in the age of Francis Petrarch: she is described to bee most patient of la∣bour, and vntyred with trauell, moderate in diet, but altogether abstinent from wine, sparing of words, neuer boasting, but alwayes daring: The needle,

the wheele, and the distaffe shee vtterly abiured; horse, armour, the bow, the speare, and the target, aboue all other delights shee embraced; shee vsed to walke whole nights without the least sleepe, and trauell whole dayes together without rest; if necessitie at any time compelled her eyes to winke, or her bodie to lie downe, the earth was her bed, and her shield her pillow; she abandoned the societie of women, her continuall conuersation was with captaines and commanders, which though it carried a face of boldnesse and (as some tearme it) impudencie, yet it is apparant to all men in what a soue∣raigne respect she held her chastitie and honour, which shee maintained with∣out the least blemish vnspotted vnto the end; from ribauld talke or dis∣course that tended to immodestie she refrained, all affected habit that sauou∣red of pride, or might be imputed to lightnesse she detested; she was onely a∣dicted to chiualrie, to be accounted valiant and vertuous that was her honou∣rable ayme, and such her memorable end. Bona was a ladie of Lombardie,* 1.7 and was sirnamed Longabarba, and not impertinently ranked with these, shee was a woman warrior, and liued in the yeare of grace 1568, shee was the wife of Brunorius Parmensis a worthie and renowned souldier, her virgin youth was continually exercised in hunting and the chase, she attended her husband in all his hostile expeditions, not as a partner of his pleasures but a companion in his dangers, she kept not the cittie when he was in the campe, nor lodged in tent when he lay in the field, nor crept she more close to him in bed than shee stood fast by him in battaile; after many great seruices performed, and glori∣ous victories atchiued, he fell into the displeasure of Alexander king of Sicilie, who cast him into prison; but this noble Ladie Bona, good both in name and conditions, neuer left solliciting the Emperour and other Christian princes both by petitions and friends, till she had purchased him a safe and honourable release. The next Virago that comes in place is Atalanta,* 1.8 Apollodorus Athenien∣sis lib. 3. de deorum origine, thus compiles her historie: Of Lycurgus and Cleophile (or as some will haue it, Eurinome) were borne Ancaeus, Epochus, Amphidamus, and Idaeus; of Amphidamus, Melamian a sonne and Antimalie a daughter, whom Euristhaeus married: of Iasus and Clymene the daughter of Mimia, was Atalanta borne, whose father desirous of masculine issue, cast her out to a desperate for∣tune, whom a she beare finding, fed her with her milke, till certaine huntsmen coursing that way, and chancing vpon so sweete and beautifull an infant, tooke her home, and sawe her fairely and liberally educated. She being growne to mature age, notwithstanding she was solicited by many suitors, tooke vpon her the strict vowe of Virginitie, and arming her selfe after the manner of Diana, solely deuoted her selfe to hunting and the chace; and increasing in beautie as she did in yeares, she was ambushed by two Centaures Rhaecus and Hyllaeus, who insidiating her virgin chastitie, shee with two shafts transpierst them and left them dead in the place. The next heroick action which made her famous, she came with all the noble youthes of Greece to the hunting of the Calido∣nian boare, and was the first that drew blood of the beast in the presence of Mele••ger prince of Aetolia, and all the other braue Heroes, of whom Putanus lib. 3. de Stellis thus speakes:

Qualis in Aetolum campis Meleagria virgo, Strauit aprum, &c,

As did the Meleagrian guirle, Who in the Aetolian plaine,

Layd flat the foaming boare, and was The formost of the traine That gaue him bold incounter, and As ignorant of feare, Noct her sharpe arrow, and the string Pluct close vp to her eare: The first that day in field that blood From the sterne monster drew: Bearing the honour, spoyle, and palme, From all that princely crew.

Of the loue of Meleager to her, and of his death, I either haue or shall find occasion to speake elsewhere. Her next achiuement by which she purchased her selfe honour, was her contention in the sports of Peleus. It shall not bee a∣misse to tell you what these sports or pastimes were, They were the twelue in number that were celebrated amongst the Greekes, Acastus the sonne of Peleus instituted them in honour of his father. Zethaes the sonne of Aquilo o∣uercame in that which was called Dolichodromus, which signifies a race of twelue furlongs. Calais his brother had the best in the Diantus, which was a race of two furlongs. Castor the sonne of Iupiter was victor in the Stadium, which was a place of running or exercise as wel for men as horse; the word sig∣nifies a furlong or a measure of ground;* 1.9 there be of them three sorts, one of Ita∣lie containing 615 feete, which amounteth to 125 paces; the second is called Olimpicum, which exsists of 600 feete, which is an hundred and twentie paces; the third Pythicum, conteining 1000 feete, which comes to 200 paces. A∣bout these Stadia, Plinie and Diodorus differ: in the discription of Sicily, eight of these furlongs make an Italian mile, conteining 1000 paces, and euerie pace fiue feete. Pollux carried away the prise called Cestus, which signifies a marri∣age belt or gyrdle which the husband vsed to tye about the wast of his bride, and vnloose the first night of their wedding. Telamon the sonne of Aiax had the praise in Disco, or casting the bullet or the stone. Peleus in wrestling. Mele∣ager the sonne of Oereus in casting of the dart. Cignus the sonne of Mars, slew Pilus the sonne of Diodatus. Bellerophon was the most eminent for riding the horse. And Iolaus the sonne of Iphicles, for mannaging the chariot. Hercules o∣uercame in many things, but Atalanta in al. Not long after this comming, to the knowledge of her parents, and being by them persuaded to marrie; to preuent the loathed embraces of a husband, trusting to her owne incomparable swift∣nesse, she deuised a race, in which she proposed her selfe the prise of the victor, but the vanquished were mulcted with the losse of their heads: after the slaughter of many princes, Melanion (before spoken of) inflamed with her loue, receiued of Venus three golden apples, which he let fall one after another in the swiftnesse of their course, she by stooping to take them vp slackened her speed, and by loosing the race became his prise and bride. Some write that they ran in chariots and armed, trusting to the swiftnesse of their steeds, not the veroci∣tie of their owne feet. The manner of their running is elegantly described in Ouid, of which I will guie you present expression. Hesiod, Naso, and others will not allow Atalanta to be the daughter of Iasus, but Schoeneus; Euripides deriues her from Menalus, making her the bride of Hyppomanes the sonne of Megaraeus, grand-child of Neptune, not of Melamion. The manner of their course is thus set downe, Metamorph. lib. 10.

Signa tubae dederuns, &c.

The signalls giuen, whilest both prepared stand* 1.10 Now, on they goe: their heeles but kisse the sand And leaue no print behind, you would suppose They might passe seas, and yet their nimble toes Not mingle with the billowes: or extend Their course ore ripe eares, yet the stalks not bend. On all sides the young men (spectators) cry, Well runne Hippomenes (who seemes to flye More swiftly than their voyces) if thy meed Be worth thy toyle, now, now, tis time to speede. Clamour and shoutes incourage both: her pace She sometimes slackes to looke backe on his face, His labour made it liuely on the way, Which forc't her oft when she might passe him, stay; She outstrippes him tho, but halfe against her will, And feeles his dry breath on her lockes play still, Which her speede cast behind. The course is long, He seemes to faint, and she appeares more strong. The bold Neptunian Heroe from his hand One of those golden apples on the strand Before her bowles; she stoopes amaz'd, and wonne With th'riches of the iewell, is out-runne, Stooping to take it vp: he now gets ground, Whilst lowd appla••siue shoutes the people sound: At which, her slacknesse she redeemes, and time Lost in that small delay, she as a crime Now in her speed corrects, and like the wind Flyes towards the goale, and leaues the youth behind. Againe he drops another, and againe She for the second stoopes, whilst hee amaine Striues for the start, and gets it; but her pace She still maintaines, being formost in the race. The last part of the course lyes plaine before. He now begins faire Venus to implore, And the third fruit pluckt from the golden tree, He further casts, yet where she needes must see The apple shine, 'twas throwne out of the way, The ground vneuen, to mooue the more delay: The warlike lasse though tempted with the show, Doubts in her selfe to take it vp or no. Venus persuades in fauour of her knight, And made it weightie, which before seemd light: Which as from th'earth she labours to diuide, He gaines the goale and her for his faire bride.

It is said by Palephatus, Appollodorus, Ouid, and others, That for their ingrati∣tude to Venus, he was turned into a Lion, and she into a Lionesse. The probabi∣litie is, that being in the chace they retyred themselues into a caue which pro∣ued

to be a denne of Lions, where they were torne to pieces and deuoured. They being mist by the people, who after saw two Lions issue from that place, the rumour grew that they were transform'd into beasts of that shape. This Atlanta had by Me••amion or Hyppomanes, or as some write by Mars, Parthenopaeus, who after made warre vpon the Thebans.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Of Feares.
• * 1.2

  Examples of Feare.
• * 1.3

  Debora.
• * 1.4

  Helerna.
• * 1.5

  Metabus.
• * 1.6

  Maria Pu∣teolana.
• * 1.7

  Bona Lon∣gabarba.
• * 1.8

  Atalanta.
• * 1.9

  Three sorts of Furlongs.
• * 1.10

  The race of Hippomenes and Atlanta.