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VVOman is the fairest and most a∣miable object in the world, the greatest and most precious gift God has bestowed upon humanity. Because by means of her, the spirit of man is raised to contemplation, and contemplation carries our desires to the knowledg of things divine, we may say with reason therefore, that woman was bestowed upon us, for an earnest, and an essay of the blessings of heaven, and for this perhaps the Flamins loosing their wives were de∣prived
of their sacred office, to demon∣strate that the womans perfection added merit to the sacrifices, and who does not see, for a woman, man forgets himself: nay becomes his own enemy, and if at any time, he fix his eyes upon a beauteous face, his body trembles, and at the same instant burns and freezes, and like those who unexpectedly beholds some divine object, is agitated, and moved with a celestial fury. Finally being recovered, and hav∣ing recollected their spirits, again they reverence women in their thoughts, Love them with their souls, and acknowledg∣ing all that is due to a Deity, offer them∣selves upon the alter of a Ladies heart their victime and sacrifice.
Consider therefore, in what trouble I am involved, since I must blame the no∣blest work of God, and the greatest Mi∣racle on Earth.
But here. I now am against women, who may justly glory in their fortune, that the meanest of all men is chosen to single out, and muster up their defects.
Woman is an imperfect Animal, an errour of nature, and a Monster of our species. If difformed she is a torment to the Eye, if beauteous, a plague to the
heart. If beloved, she becomes a Tyrant, if hated, an inveterate enemy, she knows no mean, distinguishes with no reason, and knows not that Justice hath a being. In her thoughts, she is inconstant, in her desires inordinate, and implacable in her anger. Her Love proceeds from interest, her faith from necessity, and her Chastity from fear; If she speak, she lies, when she smiles, she deceives, and if she weep be∣trayes. Her mouth is ordinarily filled with the honey of flattery; but her breast with the poyson of envy, with her Eyes, she affascinates, with her arms inchaines, with Kisses stupifies, and with the other delights robs the intellect and reason, and transforms men into beasts. a In a word, the tempests of the Sea; the fury of a Torrent, the greediness of fire; the Mi∣series of poverty, and all other evils are smal in Comparison of a woman, who is so great an evil, as cannot be exprest.
a Homer introducing Agamemnon for speaker makes him say, that with all the power and liberty of Imagination, there cannot be conceived or found a more en∣vious, and wicked thing than a women. b Tis the opinion likewise of Menander, who asserts the woman to be a compen∣dium, a center, and a treasury of all Evils, because where Women be, there wicked∣ness abounds like the sands in the Sea.
And therefore St. Jerome c writes that to find a woman inriched with good∣ness, is as rare as a Phaenix.
And the Lawgivers (d) to demonstrate, that 'tis not at all necessary, to have Laws for things, which rarely or never happen, bring for example, that there is no need of having any Laws for good women as being things, which in my opinion, are seen hardly in any age.
Because goodness in a woman is a won∣derfull accident, and against nature, with reason therefore did Plato, e doubt whe∣ther he should assign a place for women among beasts, or rational creatures, in
regard of the imbecilli••ty, imperfection, and malice of their sex.
The Poets representing Pallas for the Goddess of Wisdome, say she was born without a mother only of Jove's brain; to teach us, that wisedome never proceeds from women, who are totally deprived of Counsel and prudence.
And wherefore Sirs, do the most enor∣mous vices, and the greatest sins pass un∣der feminine names, but because women are the Compendium, and center of all that is most wicked, and execrable in the world, and therefore no wonder, if they have merited titles equal to their deserts from the most renowned authors. Horace calls then a deceitful; Apulcius b wick∣ed; Catull, c variable; Plut, d naught and malicious; Sil. Ital. e Imbellis; f Ausonius cunning; g Juvenal Pro∣digal; Euripede a grand Evil, i Aristopha∣nes, Libidinous.
a Homer contentious, b Nicetas ac∣cursed, c Seneca the teachers and fomen∣ters of all baseness.
In a word,
Hear Ariosto, I beseech you, thus he praises the Woman,
And now ••irs, I think I have perfor∣med my obligation. I hope the women will pardon me, if they have taken any offence at my words, (because I was bound to obey herein) speaking evil of a Sex, which g is holy and from whom I have received my being.
But he hath said nothing, that has spo∣ken ill; nor does the Sun loose any of its brightness, though it be cursed by the Ethiopians.
Dira quidem vis est marinorum fluctum. Et vehe∣mens fluvii ferventis, & impetus ignis est dira pa••per∣tas; & alia inumeras, sed nullum immanius est malum muliere. Neque, hujusmodi malum, aut scribi possit. Aut verbis exprimi.
Eur, apud, Stob Serm. 7.
The saurus est malorum mala mulier, vide sententia Ignatii Alb. pag. 22
Hieron. in Epist.
Plato de Leg.
(c) Ea. his F. de Leg.
Mulier si forte dolosa. Lib. 1. Serm.
Quantas Latebras nequissime mulieres.
Quantum praecique multivola est mulier.
Si quid sevendum est mulier mala atque malitiosae. In Mil.
Parrietibus{que} domus inbellis femina servet. Lib. 1.
Callida sed. Medie veneris mihi vindices artem femina.
Pro∣digia non sentit pereuntem femina censum. Sat. 6.
Faeminae omnes urimus Libidince Lisistrata apud Aristoph.
(h) Nullum imanius est malum muliere apud stob. sat. 71
Iliad. Lib. 20. vers. 25.
Maledicta sunt arma muliebria lib. 4. Man. Comm••m:
Dux malorum fae∣mina, & scelarum artifex.
Cicero apud Petron.
Plaut. Aul. Act. 2. Sc. 1. v. 1. 19.
Ariosto's Orlando.
Sexus r. Sanctus est Ambros. Luc.