Playes written by the thrice noble, illustrious and excellent princess, the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle.

Scene 17.

Enter the Lady Prudence, and her Suter a Divine: The Divine goeth to the place where the Suters plead, and the Assembly about them.

DIvine.

Madam, I should not thus presume, did not my Profession dig∣nifie me to a Spiritual Office, wherefore a fit Suter to a Divine Lady: And since my Sute is holy, by reason Mariage is sacred, despise me not.

Prudence.

Worthy Sir, all of your Profession require a solitary Habitati∣on for studious Contemplation to a holy life, wherein their Thoughts are Consecrated to Devotion, that their Doctrine may flow from a pure Mind, in Eloquent words, to the ears of their Flock, to instruct them with the light of Knowledge, and to lead them into the ways of Truth; whereas Mariage, although it be sacred in it self, yet it is rather apt to disturb than unite, espe∣cially a double Mariage, which are of different Natures: for there are two sorts of Mariages, as a Spiritual, and a Corporal: The first is betwixt the Gods and Mankind; the other is betwixt Man and Woman: The one is by a Consecration and Communion of Spirits, the other is by a Com∣bination and Communication of Persons; wherefore those that are maried to Iove, ought to keep themselves pure in that Unity: As for the mariage of Combination and Communication of Persons, although it is requisite for the continuance of Mankind, and civil Common-wealths, yet to spiritual Ele∣vations is is a great hinderance: for though a woman, especially a Wife, be accounted as a Helper and Comfort to man by her diligent attendance, and loving service, yet women are accounted not only unprofitable in learned Schools, but obstructers to a studious life, for which women are not suffer'd to inhabite in Universities, Schools, or Colleges; indeed we are in a maner banish'd from the sight or entrance thereinto, and men have reason so to do; since learning, especially Divine learning, requires study, and study requires a quiet, solitary, and silent life; and certainly there can be neither solitariness

nor silence where women and children are: for Nature hath made women and children to have restless spirits, unquiet minds, busiless active, and such voluble tongues, as it is impossible they should be silent, whilest life gives them motion; so that a woman is a very unfit companion for Contempla∣tions, wherein there should be no other company but thoughts, which thoughts in a Divine, should be only such as are the Inquirers and Searchers of Ioves divine Mysteries, and Scholars to Ioves divine Schools, and Orators to explain & plead in Ioves divine Laws, and servants to Ioves divine Or∣ders, that they may be Instructers and Intelligencers of Ioves divine Com∣mands: And though women ought to be instructed in Divinity, yet for the most part, women are obstructers and disturbers of Divinity and Divines; besides, the Original Woman was a Tempter to Sin, which all her Effemi∣nate Posterity inherit as a Natural Right and Gift from their great Grand∣mother: And though Divines ought to be industrious to cut off the Intail of that Original Inheritance with their holy Doctrine, quenching the fire of Temptation with the spiritual dew of Divine Instructions, yet ought they not to run themselves into that fire they should quench, serving as fuel to in∣crease it: Wherefore those that dedicate themselves to Ioves Church, ought to live separated from Natures daughters, lest they should yield to hu∣mane frailties, and become slaves to the Effeminate Temptations.

Exeunt.