THE MILESIAN WOMEN. [ 30]
THE Milesian maidens upon a time, were surprized with a verie strong passionate fit of a fearfull melancholicke humour, without any apparant cause that could be rendred there∣of, unlesse it were (as men most conjectured:) that the aire was infected and empoisoned, which might cause that alienation of the mind, and worke a distimperature in their braines, to the overthrow of their right wits; for all on a sudden, every one had a great desire to die, and namely, in a furious rage would needs hang themselves; and in truth many of them secretly knit their neeks in haltars, and so were strangled: no, reasons and remonstrances, no teares of father and mother, no perswasions and comfortable speeches of their friends would serve the turne; but looke what keepers soever they had, and how carefully soever they looked unto them, they [ 40] could find meanes of evasion to avoide and goe beyond all their devices and inventions; in such sort, that it was thought to be some plague and punishment sent from the gods above; and such as no humaine provision could remedie, untill such time as by the advice of a sage and wise citi∣zen, there went foorth a certaine edict, and the same enacted by the counsell of the citie: That if any one more, hapned to hang herselfe, she should be carried starke naked as ever she was borne throw the market place in the view of the whole world: this proclamation being thus ratified by the common-counsell of the citie, did not onely represse for a while, but also staied for alto∣ther, this furious rage of the maidens and their inordinate desire to make themselves away. Thus we may see, that the fear of dishonor, shame & infamy, is a great signe & infallible token of good nature and vertue, considering that they feared neither death nor paine, which are the most hor∣rible [ 50] accidents that men can endure; howbeit they could not abide the imagination of vilannie, shame and dishonor, though it hapned not unto them, untill they were dead and gone.