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

Lais.

THis Lais (as Aristophanes Bizantius relates) was a strumpet of Corinth: she was called Axine, for her ferocitie and rudenesse of manners. Her, all the prime and noblest Heroes of Greece frequented, and extasied with her beautie, came dayly in troupes to visit her. Athenaeus in his Dipnosoph. speakes of her countrey, behauiour, and sepulchre, reporting her to be so beautifull, that the most exquisite Painters of Greece came frequently to her, and besought her to bare her necke, breasts, and other parts of her bodie before them: For when they were to limne any extraordinarie Piece, (wherein was to be expressed Iuno, Venus, Pallas, or any well-shaped god∣desse, or woman) her faire feature or lineaments might be their example. Shee had a great emulation with Phrine the Courtizan, for they liued both in one age. Aristippus the Philosopher (sirnamed Cyrenaicus) about the sea∣son that the Feasts were celebrated to Neptune, did yeerely for the space of two moneths together associate himselfe with this Lais. Diogenes meeting him vpon a time: O Aristippus (sayth hee) thou keepest companie with a common strumpet, be rather a Cinicke of my Sect, than a Philosopher of such loose and dissolute behauiour. To whom Aristippus answered, Appeares it to thee, ô Diogenes, a thing absurd to dwell in an house which others haue before inhabited? who answered, No: Or to sayle in the same Ship (sayth Aristippus) in which diuerse passengers haue before-time put to sea? Againe hee answered, Neither: Nor doe I thinke it (replyes hee) O Diogenes, worthie thy iust taxation, to accompanie with a woman with whom many others haue had commerse. Againe, being by others calumniated for his often repayre and publike recourse to her (in regard of her common prostitution, and therefore the greater blemish to his more austere profession) hee thus satisfied them: This is the difference betwixt me and the rest of her Clyents; I onely enioy Lais, all others are enioyed by her. When Demosthenes (the famous Orator of Athens) desired to haue had companie with her, and shee for one nights lodging deman∣ded of him a thousand Drachmaes; affrighted with the name of so great a summe, he thus replyed: I purpose not to buy repentance so deare. A young man, much taken with her beautie, came to Diogenes the Cinicke, and asked him this question, What if a man should marrie with Lais? Who pre∣sently answered, For a young man it is much too soone, and for an old man it were farre too late. Concerning her, I haue read an elegant Epigram, of an

old man desirous of companie with her at any rate, and her wittie answere to him:

Canus rogabat Laidis noctem Myron, Tulit repulsam protinus, Causam{que} sensit, & caput fuligine Fucauit atra Candidum, &c.

White-headed Myron did of Lais craue To haue one night, and he her price would pay: Which she deny'd. But why he could not haue His purpose, he perceiu'd, his head was gray: He knew his age betray'd him, therefore hee Dyes his hayre blacke, and did his suit renew. She seeing face and head to disagree, And them comparing with considerate view, Thus sayes, Why do'st thou vrge me thus? the rather, Since but eu'n now I did denie thy father.

Nimphodorus Syracusa in his booke De admirabil. writes, That Lais came into Sicily from Hycaris, the most defenced citie of that countrey: but Strattis in Macedon. or Pauson. affirmes her to be of Corinth, in these words:

Dic vnde sunt ductae puellae Venere nuper ex Megara Corinthiae Decus Lais Ingens.

Aelian. de Varia Histor. Lib. 10. sayth, That Lais casting her eyes vpon a young man of Cyrenaea, called Eubatas, neuer left solliciting him by all wo∣manish enticements, till shee had made him promise her marriage, but the solemnization not to be performed till hee had returned Victor from the Olympicke Games: in which hauing had good successe, but fearing to ha∣zard the embraces of a strumpet, he tooke her Picture onely, and carryed it to his citie of Cyrena, boasting by the way, that hee had marryed and borne thence Lais. Which she hearing, and enraged at the skorne thereof, writ to him this or the like Letter:

O false and periured man, Whose lust hath no satietie, Since nothing please thee can, Saue changes and varietie: O thou alone, Constant to none, In nothing settled saue Impietie.

Our Sex why do'st thou blame? Tearme women sole offenders? 'Tis you, that past all shame, Are still your owne commenders; That care nor feare To whom you sweare, Cease iudging, and be now suspenders.

Phillis was chast and faire, Demophoon false and cruell, Sapho thought Phaon rare, And he tearm'd her his Iewell: But Traytors they Their Loues betray, Poore we, can oft fore-see, but not eschew ill.

Falser than eyther, thou As foulely hast betray'd me, But Ile beware thee now: As Heauen I hope shall ayd me, All thy procurements, And slye allurements, Hence-forth shall neuer more persuade me.

Thy Oathes I hold as Lyes, As skorne, thy craftie smiling, Thy shape a meere disguise, Thy practise but beguiling; All thy protests, As scoffes and ieasts, And thy faire words no better than reuiling.

Poysons Ile thinke thy Kisses, And from mine keepe thee fastings; Thy torments, count my blisses; Thy breathings, feare as blastings. And thanke my fate, I now can hate Thee, whom I now abandon euerlasting.

It is moreouer reported of her, That being of purpose conueyed into the bed of Xenocrates, by the meanes of his schollers, whom hee had instructed in all austeritie and strictnesse of life: but she by no whorish blandishments able to corrupt his temperance, his schollers asking her the next morning, How shee sped? shee told them, They had lodged her with a Statue or an Image, but no man. Tymaeus in his thirteenth booke of Histories sayth, That she was beaten to death with woodden foot-stooles, by certaine women of Thessalie, in iealousie and madnesse, because she was beloued of a beautifull young man called Pausonias, on whom some of them doted: This was done at a sacrifice, in one of the Chappels of Venus: for which cause, the place was euer after called, The Groue of wicked or vniust Venus. Her Sepulcher was neere vnto the riuer Paeneus in Thessalie, which runnes betwixt the two great mountaines of Ossa and Olympus; and vpon her Tombe-stone this inscription was grauen:

Roboris inuicti, ac animi sit Graecia quamuis Victa tamen, formae paruit illa suae, Laiais, ipse parens Amor est, aluit{que} Corinthus At nunc ipsa tenet, inclita Thessalia,

Though Greece of vnmatcht strength and courage bee, It obey'd Lais to thy shape, and thee: Loue was thy father, thee Corinthus bred, Who now in stately Thessaly lyest dead.

(This notwithstanding) some will not allow her to haue beene educated in the Cranaeum, which is a place of exercise in the citie of Corinth.