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IN this chapter we meane to talke of Chastety, and that which is called in Latin Pudicitia together, because in signification they are almost one, and therefore not seldome they are confoun∣ded. Such affinitie they haue that howe to expresse this worde Pudicitia in English otherwise I knowe not, then by the name of Chastety. Hereby is perceaued the barrennes of our toung
whiche oftentymes geues to many thinges one appellation. Well, in sense there is a difference. For by Chastety is vnderstoode a generall chastisment of all the troublesome perturbations.
And therefore doth Varro take a chaste man, both for him that is reli∣gious, and godly man: and also for him whiche is an abstinent man, and him which is of good conuersation.
Againe, we take him or that to be chaste whiche is pure and vncorrupte. And therefore we say him to haue chast eares, which cannot abide to heare that which is dishonest. And he is saide to to talke chastly which talketh properly of any thing, whose wordes are pure without affectation, or vsuall in com∣mon spéeche, or approued of the beste. Nowe, Pudicitia is more stricte, and dothe not stretch, so farre because it is referred onely to the vnpollutinge of the boddye, as the thinge whiche in no case wyll suffer the boddye to be de∣filed. So that it séemeth to be a kinde of Chastety. For Chastety is the rule
or patrone howe a man maye leade an honest and vertuous conuersation. But Pudicitia is onely about Veneriall matters. Bothe of these vertues haue brought greate renowne to men, as women: but espetially they adorne women, and in tyme paste to bee en∣dued with Chastitie, (for that shall com∣prehende the other) hath bene thought no small commendation.
Which appeareth by the great care, whiche in tymes past women haue had of keeping theyr good name, supposing them selues, hauing that to be well e∣nough, though they had nothing, and againe without that, though they had all thing, yet was it coumpted of them as nothing.
This made Lucretia not for to care for this worlde, after that her boddie was once defiled. We reade of cer∣taine Spartane Virgins, in nomber fif∣tie, being sent for theyr health sake, to the Messanians, among whome af∣ter they had soiorned a whyle, they were marueylouslye prouoked vnto whore∣dome, but they calling into minde the
pretiousnesse of Maidenhoode, rather choase to bée slaine, then once would, condescende to theyr desires: so that of those fiftie, not one was founde which woulde yéelde her selfe to the luste of the Messanians. We reade also of a The∣ban mayde, which being much allured vnto copulation by Nicanor, in whose power she was, for he had brought The∣bes and all the inhabitantes thereof into seruitude, rather then she would graunt vnto his wicked request, tooke a sworde and slewe her selfe.
Methridates a king of Pontus, being o∣uercome of the Romanes, kept him selfe cloase from the sight of all men, and be∣cause his daughter named Diripentina, was troubled with sicknesse, and there∣fore coulde not depart with him, he com∣mitted her vnto the custodie of one Me∣nophilo an Eunuche, which kept a castle named Gynorium. It happened that by the carefulnesse and diligence of Meno∣philo, she recouered her selfe. Nowe the Romanes persecuting Methridates, came and besieged his castle, gouerned by the Eunuch: which perceyuing that
his power was not long to kéepe the castle from his enemies, and againe callinge to minde the vnmercifulnesse of his aduersaries, whiche without all pittye woulde misuse all suche as came in theyr clawes, espetially those of whome Methridates did make most acoumpte: and aboue all tendringe the honestie of Diripentina, was in minde, that of them the Romanes should neuer haue theyr wyll. And therefore tooke a sworde, and killed her whose Chastetie was his care, and after∣warde berefte him selfe of lyfe.
The chastety of the wiues of the Ten∣torians was wonderfull, for after that C. Marius had subdued and slaine theyr husbandes, and they by theyr sute could not obtaine to bée ascribed among the Vestall virgins, shortly after, eache of them tooke anhaulter, and so (doub∣tinge least they shoulde not kéepe them selues frée from the assaultes of carnall men) honge them selues.
Pythagoras had a daughter excellent well learned, which dyd not onely pro∣fesse chastetie in common scholes, but
also all her lyfe tyme most chastely be∣haued her selfe, and neuer knewe man. Great was the modestie of Armenia, wife vnto Tygranes. For being once at a banquet with her husbande, at the house of King Cyrus, where euerye boddie much commended Cyrus for his comlynesse of person, her husbande after they were returned home, asked her what shée thought of Cyrus maie∣stie in countenaunce. Truely aun∣swered shée, I am able to saye no∣thing, for I neuer caste mine eyes from you all the banquet whyle. But that example whiche followeth is more strange. Hiero a Syracusane king, reprehended of one of his acquaintance, because of his stinking breath: aunswe∣red that before that tyme, he neuer knewe so much: being returned home, be fell a chiding with his wyfe, because shee neuer woulde séeke remedie there∣fore, or at the least geue him to vn∣derstande of the same. His wife aun∣swered him in this manner. Haue pati∣ence my husbande, for truely, I alwayes
dyd perswade my selfe, that all men had the same disease, else be assured you shoulde haue had intelligence, and also be cured therof.
The effectes of chastitie haue bene ve∣rye strange. Aemylia a virgin was iudged of the Romanes to be scarce ho∣nest, which when it came to her eares, shée prayed vnto Vesta after this maner: Vesta, thou preseruer of this noble cittie Rome, if I for this thirtie yeares, which tyme I haue geuen mine attendance a∣bout thy rites, and ceremonies, If I saye, I haue bene faithfull vnto thée, as becommeth a virgin, geue some token of the same, that all the Romanes maye witnesse what I am. When she had thus prayed, she cast one of her gar∣mentes, bounde vp together vppon the altar, which without any fyre was en∣flamed and burnte, so that afterwardes they neuer brought newe fire, but they founde some continually vppon the al∣tar. Claudia lykewise, another of the virgins of Vesta, being supposed to bée incontinent, and by any meanes could not bring the rude multitude from
iudging sinisterly of her, by the lyke miracle purged her selfe, and proued that she was for conuersation honest. For on a tyme a ship loaden with hollye things, pertayning to the goddesse Idea, so was grounded in Tyber, that by no strength it coulde be set a floate. Claudia hearing of the same, with speede came to the riuer, and there, with bended knees and humblenesse of harte, besee∣ched Vesta, that as shee knew her cleare from all fellowship of man, so it might be knowne to all men, that shee was a pure and vnspotted virgin. Her prayer tooke effecte. And that ship which by the force of many could not be remoued followed her, and shee drewe the same with great facilitie out of the riuer. So that her accusers were ashamed of them selues, and shee was obeyed as a princesse, & reuerenced as a goddesse all her life tyme. Such hath bene the force of this vertue. We wyll recite one ex∣ample more, as much talked of as the other. Tuscia, one of the same order of Vesta, heard very much to her defa∣mation: and therefore shoulde be ex∣pelled
the colledge of virgins (for none might sacrifice vnto Vesta, but such as were knowne to bée of good conuersa∣tion) which dyd not a lyttle trouble her. And because her conscience bare her witnesse, that the rumor raysed was false (as the other aboue recited Aemylia and Claudia) shée beséeched Vesta in pittifull sort, that her innocencie might by some way or other, be made knowne vnto all the worlde: espetially, that if to her profession, shée had behaued her selfe, shée prayed that without spylling one drop, she might carrie a fyue full of water from Tyber vnto Vestas chap∣pell: which thing shée obtayned, and not shéeding so much as one droppe in a thing full of hoales shée carried water. So that these women, these chaste wo∣men maye aunswere vnto those conti∣nent men brought forth in the former chapter. Yet wyll I ad vnto those vir∣gins the example of one or two men, whiche haue bene no lesse wondered at then the former. Scipio for his chasti∣tie was so praysed, that euen the moste wicked, and fardest from all considera∣tion
of honestie, namely pirates, came a long, and a perilous viage to honor him, which all the worlde dyd so com∣mende. Such as he was, such was his friendes. And therefore that made his déere friend and familiar Laelius so to be praysed. It is reported of him that in all his lyfe he neuer knew but one wo∣man, and that was his wife. A strange thing in those dayes (I wyll not saye in our tyme.) The chastitie of Ptolomeus Tryphon was such, that he woulde not so much as talke with a woman, least by her bewtie hée should bée allured vn∣to Venerie. And therefore on a tyme perceauing a bewtifull dame to come towardes him, for communication sake: Hée sayde vnto her, that his sister warned him from speaking vnto any fayre woman, and therefore desired her to holde him excused. He might bée iudged, by his wordes of some not to bée very wyse: but whatsoeuer his wordes séeme to bée, his meaninge was good, and woulde as muche as in him laye, shunne all occasions of future griefe. And thus muche for
this part of Temperance.
Chastetie▪
Pudicitia.
Lucretia.
Spartanae virgines.
Nicanor.
Methrida∣tes.
Dirapen∣tina.
Menophilo.
Tentorian women.
Pythagoras daughter.
Armenia. Tigranes.
Cyrus.
Hiero Syra∣cusanus.
Effectes of Chastitie. Amylia.
Claudia.
Tuscia.
Scipio.
Laelius.
Ptolomeus Tryphon.