A discourse of auxiliary beauty. Or artificiall hansomenesse. In point of conscience between two ladies.

* 1.1TIs true, nothing lesse becomes Christians than pride, since they professe to follow the example of an humble Saviour, who was content for our sakes to have the beauty of his * 1.2 face marred, and to appear without forme or comelinesse, to expiate the spirituall deformi∣ties, which sin hath brought on our souls, and bodies too; Yet since Christ came to repair nature, and not to destroy it; since his main design is to reforme our inward decayes, with∣out any wast or reproach to our outward com∣linesse; since to be godly, it is not necessary to be ugly, nor doth deformity adde any thing to our devotion, I see no reason, why we

should imagine, that Gods mercy to our soules, denies us due care and consideration of our bodies: Or that, while he forbids us to be proud, by an overvaluing of our selves or any thing we have, beyond our, and their due proportion, that he requires us to be so abject and neglective of the outward man, as not to know, value and use the gifts he hath given us, for his glory, and our com∣fort of life; which none can thankfully and rightly do, who doth not see, or dare not use what God in nature or art hath afforded to them. So that it is not pride, but justice and gratitude, that ownes and improves to right ends the fruits of Gods bounty: Not a resting in them, or boasting of them, as our chief blessings and happinesse, but referring them as subordinate to superiour ends; It doth not grieve God to see us pleased with our selves, and what we use of his creatures, provided we abuse them not: There may be humble self-complacencies, without pride; Nor have we cause but to joy in our selves, and what we do, at all times and in all things, except then when our conscience tells us we offend God.

Nor may the least suspicion of pride fall upon many women, who while they modestly use help to their complexions, are the more humbled and dejected, under the defects they find of native beauty, or lively colour:

The remedying of which by artificiall ap∣plications, can be no more temptation to pride, than the use of crutches or spectacles, to those that are lame and dim sighted; or the appli∣cations of other delights and ornaments to our outward man or senses, with an humble agnition of Gods bounty and indulgence, to either our necessities or infirmities.

Nor may it more justly be taxed for pride and arrogancy, because in the matter of beau∣ty we challenge to our selves something as contributive to handsomenesse, which is not ours by a native, personall and individuall title; since many things belong to the use and service of mankind which are forain and be∣sides himself, not as usurped by his arrogancy, but as accumulated upon him, by the Crea∣tors bounty, who is willing mankind should serve themselves of all his creatures various excellencies, in their strength, weight, light, sweetnesse, warmenesse, tinctures, beauties, and colours; not onely to necessity and playn∣nesse, but also curiosity and gaynesse.

Otherwise, I know neither your LaP, nor any others who are so severe censurers of all externe helps to beauty, would be so partiall to your selves in other things, as to allow your selves without any blame or guilt of pride, many ornamentall actions as well as materials, both private and publick, whereby

to set off your self in a far different posture of neatnesse and handsomenesse, of beauty and majesty, beyond what you have or are in the native desolation and simplicity of your persons.

Else, why do you (without any scruple) chuse such stuffes, such colours, such Taylours, such laces, such tires, such fashions, as you fancy best become you; You never are jea∣lous of scarlet, crimson, or purple tinctures in your clothes, wherein you please your self at present, more than in any other deader colours, as best becoming you: Onely you are scared with the least touch of such orient colours on your face, though they become you never so much, and though you think you need them not a little: Can such tin∣ctures and colours of light be honorable and gracefull to your body, and onely shamefull and disparaging to your face, when they are but the simple juice or extract of some inno∣cent hearb, leaf, flower or root? Of which no other use (in food or physick) can be made, as we see in many things of Natures store where∣of no other benefit can be made, but the ex∣tracting and commmunicating of their tinctures and colours, whereto Nature doth invite Art, and ingenuity.

Nor is indeed any thing (as I have heard) more easy and cheap, than those applications,

which advance or quicken the ruddy life of the face, which is done with very little ex∣pense of time, without others paines or our own labour; and no doubt both may, and very oft is used, to very sober ends, by hum∣ble minds, who venerate God in this, as all his creatures, whereof he hath given man the use and command, in all honest and virtu∣ous waies.

And however God challenges his own right and propriety, where wicked minds sacrifice to their own net, and glory in Gods flax, and wine, and oyle, and corne, as if it were their own * 1.3 merit or acquisition; forbidding us ungrate∣fully or excessively to use these his gifts to his dishonor, and the detriment of our soules, while we pamper our bodies, and our sensuall lusts; yet where the heart is pure and grate∣full to God, he no where commands, nor expects, we should neglect the body, (which is Gods too) in the culture of it, for neutri∣ment or ornament, for necessity or decency, so farre as we make these, no hinderance of holinesse, and no designed occasion to sin.

Nor do I see any reason, why this help to complexion or beauty in the face, may not be used, as farre short of any sinfull pride, as any other adorning your LaP useth; who though plentifully furnished with Natures

stock of beauty, (of which (like the rich mans barns) your La ^ps face hath great store laid up for many years) yet as I think you are not proud or conceited of it, to any in∣gratefull neglect or affront to God the giver; So nor do I believe, you are so great an un∣dervaluer or slighter of it, as not to preserve it tenderly, and thriftily; but fence it against Sun, dust, aire, and fire, by masks, fannes, scarfes and hoods; yea, if you find any decayes by wrinckles, or roughnesse, by freckles, or tanne, you speedily indeavour by unguents and washes, by forehead cloths, and cere-cloths to clear and smooth your skin, to recover your fresh and orient colour; and to fetch back that Angell, which seems to have fled, or to be flying from your face; which even sober and modest women are as loth to let go, as Jacob was that Angell, with which he wrestled; because they think it (and not un∣justly) a great blessing among these little momentary ones, which our dust is capable of.

Yet in thus doing indeavouring and de∣siring to preserve or recover your beauty, neither your own heart, nor any others tongue is so cruelly austere, as to smite you or accuse you for any pride, or arrogance, nor yet for any inordinate esteem of this fading blossome, beauty: And truly since your plenty and

liberty exempts you from all envy of others handsomenesse, why should you deny your ptty and charitable indulgence to those, that do want native colour, or forbid them the ingenuous use of artificiall complexioning, which may innocently relieve them, without any sin or shame? since God and Nature have as it were offered such helps, which are ob∣vious, cheap, easy, and every way safe. I do not believe your LaP wishes all your neighbours poor, that they may the more value, set off and admire your riches: There may be greater pride in the want of charity, and in severe censuring of others for pride in that, which they use as from God, so in his fear, and to his glory; It is good to look to the became in our own eyes of rashnesse and censoriousnesse, which is an high arro∣gating of Gods judiciall power, and ascending up to his Throne or Tribunall, before we quar∣rell too earnestly with the mote in an others eye.

§. Why should any be judged of Pride for that, wherein he ownes and venerates God? praysing him for his bounty, and keeping within his bounds: Since Gods eye hath been good to poor mortals, not onely in native gifts, but in artificiall and adven∣titious supplyes, why should any Christians eyes be evill? Repining at, or disdayning

anothers benefit; who want, what God hath not denyed; which is, as if one should grudge them a plank to save themselves, who have made shipwrack: Tis possible for Diogenes his Cynicall slovenlinesse to trample on Platoes splendid garments with more pride, than Plato wore them. Nor is it any strange effect of pride, to deny others that which may make them any way our peers, or rivalls in hand∣somenesse: which is as strong a leaven to puffe the mind, as any thing, and no lesse fer∣mentive, when naturall, than when artificiall; And indeed artificiall helps of beauty carry with them their own antidote, while they are monitors of our wants and infirmities, which (like the swallowing down the stone) keep us from surfeiting of the cherries we eat.

We read no where in Scripture, that the beauty and bravery of colours, is either forbid∣den or reproved, unlesse unseasonably worn, when God calls for sackcloth and blacknesse of faces; Lydia a seller of purple (whose dy or * 1.4 finer tincture was of more worth than the substance or stuffe it self) yet is not forbidden when she was converted to be a Christian, ei∣ther to dy, or to sell any more of that rich and orient colour.

Since other diseases or distempers inci∣dent to our faces are industriously to be cured without any thought or blame of pride, as

flushings, rednesse, inflammations, pimples, freckles, ruggednesse, tanning and the like; what hinders, that palenesse, sadnesse, and deadnesse may not be remedied? since God hath given to mankind not onely bread to strengthen, and wine to cheer mans heart; but also oyle and other things proper to make him a serene and cheerfull countenance: And * 1.5 where oyle is not used, other things may be, according to that virtue and property is in them to such an end; Against which honest liberty, I see nothing wars so much as prejudice, and a kind of wontednesse to think the contrary, because they never knew how innocent, as well as convenient, the use of such helps is to sober minds, and more pallid looks.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Answ.
• * 1.2

  Isa. 53.
• * 1.3

  Hos. 2. 5.
• * 1.4

  Acts 16. 14.
• * 1.5

  Ps. 104. 17