For the second, excellent was the answer of those
Lacedemonian wiues; who being immodestly suited,
made this reply:
Surely, we should giue way to your
request, but this you 〈◊〉〈◊〉 for is not in our power to gra••••:
for when we were Maids, wee were to be disposed of by
our parents; and now bring wi••es, by our husbands.
At
such time as the Inhabitants of
Tyre came to
Lacede∣••••••;
suspecting them to be Spyes, they threw them
into prison; whose wiues, hauing got leaue to visit
and comfort them in their captiuity, changed gar∣ments
with them, and according to their Countries
guise, vailed their faces, by which meanes the men
escaped, leauing their wiues restrained: which deep∣ly
perplexed all the
Lacedemonians. No lesse coniugall
loue sh
••wed
Alcesta to her
〈…〉〈…〉 to
her
Prot••esilaus; Pant••ia to her
Susi••••; Arte••i••••a to
her
Mausolus; Zenobia to her
Oedenat••••.
These were good wiues, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 cals the
highest grounds of humane felicity. Nothing being
more amiable than an honest woman, saith Theog••i••;
nothing conferring more ioy to man, saith sententi∣ous
Xistus.
For the third, what singular mirrors of viduall con∣tinency,
and matron-like modesty were Cornelia, Ve∣truria,
Liuia, and that most Christian widdow Salui∣••a,
to whom S. Hierom directed many sweet and
comfortable Epistles. These you might haue sound
attired in graue funerall garments, (as memorials of
their deceased husbands) of modest behauiour, reue∣••end
presence, publishing to the world a contempt of
the world, in their outward appearance.
Now, what may you suppose did those Pagan La∣dies
hold to be the absolute end, whereto this tender
care of their Estimation chiefly aspired, and wherein it
cheerefully rested? It was not riches, nor any such
temporall respect: for these they contemned, so their