Mamillia The second part of the triumph of Pallas: wherein with perpetual fame the constancie of gentlewomen is canonised, and the vniust blasphemies of womens supposed ficklenesse (breathed out by diuerse iniurious persons) by manifest examples clearely infringed. By Robert Greene Maister of Arts, in Cambridge.

Mamillia to the yong and vertuous Virgin the Ladie Modesta.

I Remember Madam that when as my grandfather Lewes Gōzaga was new∣ly created Duke of Neuers, that diuers of his friends to shew their dutifull af∣fectiō, offered him sundry rich presents most méete for so high a personage and amongst the rest a certaine Musition presented vnto his hands a scrole wherein were pricked two or thrée curious points of cunning descant, desiring the Duke to accept of his simple gift, sith therein was compre∣hended all his riches and skill, to attaine the which, he had passed diuers countries and most dangerous perils. The Duke wisely weighing with himselfe, that nothing was more precious than that which was purchased with daun∣ger, accepted the gift as a most precious Iewell. Conside∣ring which, Madame, and finding my selfe so greatly in∣debted to your Ladiship for the great curtesie and good en∣tertainmēt you shewed me in Saragossa, as my insufficiency shall neuer be able to requite it, I thought good least happi∣ly I might be thought vngratefull, or counted so obliuious as to forget a good turne, in stead of precious iems and rich iewels to present your Ladiship, with a casketful of friend∣ly counsell, which so much the more is to be esteemed charie chafre, by how much the more I haue bought the proofe and

experience of the same with paine and perill. And if Ma∣dame you shall take it as a caueat to auoide the alluring snares of Cupids flatteries, both I shall be glad my wri∣ting tooke so good effect, & you haue cause hereafter to thank me for my counsell.

That lasciuious Poet Ouid, Madam Modesta, whome iustly we may terme the foe to womankind, hath not only prescribed in his bookes de arte Amandi a most monstrous Method to all men, wherby they may learne to allure sim∣ple women to the fulfilling of their lust, and the loosing of their owne honor, but also hath set downe his bookes de re∣medio amoris, to restraine their affections from placing their fancies but for a time vpon any Dame, which bookes are so sauced with suche blasphemous descriptions of wo∣mens infirmities, as they shewe that with the Satire hée could out of one mouth blow both hote and cold. Yea Iuue∣nall, Tibullus, Propertius, Calimachus, Phileta, Anacreon, and many other authors haue set downe caueats for men, as armours of proofe to defende themselues from the allu∣ring subtilties of women. But alas, there is none contrari∣wise which hath set downe any prescript rules wherewith women should guide themselues from the fained assault of mens pretended flatterie, but hath left them at discouert to be maimed with the glozing gunshot of their protested per∣iuries, which séemeth repugnant to nature. For if the sillie Lambe had more néede of succour than the lustie Lyon, if the weake and tender vine standeth in more néed of props than the strong oakes, women sure, whom they count the weake vessels, had more néede to be counselled than con∣demned, to be fortified than to be feared, to be defenced thā both with Nature and Art to be assaulted. But this their iniurious dealing were a sufficient caueat, if women were wise, to cause them beware of mens pretended pollicies, and not to be inticed to that traine whereunder they know a most perillous trap to be hidden. The beastes will not

come at the Panther for all his faire skinne, because by in∣stinct of Nature they know he is a murtherer: the fish wil not come at the baite though neuer so delicate, for feare of the hidden hooke? neither can the glistring feathers of the bird of Egypt cause the sillie Larke to kéepe her companie, sith she knew her for her mortall enemie. Yet we simple women too constant and credulous, God knowes to deale with such trothlesse Iasons, yéelde our heart and hand, our loue, life and liberties to them, whom we know cease not only publikely to appeach vs of a thousand guiltles crimes, but also secretly séek with forged flatterie to scale the Fort, and to sacke both honour and honestie. But Madam, omit∣ting womens foolish simplicitie in trusting too much mens subtill flatterie, séeing it is as well giuen by Nature for the woman to loue as for the man to lust, I will first define what loue is, namely a desire of beautie: and beautie ac∣cording to the minde of sundrie writers is of thrée sorts, of the minde, of the bodie, and of the spéech, which if they con∣curre in one particular person, and especially that of the minde, sufficiently furnished with vertues & requisit qual∣lities, such a one ought a Gentlewoman to choose: but the chance is as hard as to finde out a white Ethiopian. Sith then it is so difficult among infinite Scorpions to find out one sillie Eele, amidst a whole quarrey of flint to choose out one precious iemme, and amongst a thousande lusting lea∣chers one loyall louer, and so hard to descrie the true ster∣ling from the counterfeit coyne, and the precious medicine from the perillous confection: I will as well as I can point you out the crue of those cogging companions, which outwardly professe themselues to be trustie louers, and in∣wardly are rauening Wolues and troathlesse leachers. There are some, Madam, of this dissembling troup, which rightly may be termed Masquers, some hypocrites, some Poets, some Crocodiles, some Scorpions, and the Genus to all these forepassed Species is flatterers. The Masquers are they, Madam, which couertly vnder the colour of curtesie

shrowde a pestilent and péeuish kinde of curiositie: their countenance shal be graue though their cōditions be with∣out grace, and when they sée anie Gentlewoman addicted to be curteous, honest, wise, and vertuous, they wil straight with the Polipe chaunge themselues into the likenesse of euerie obiect, knowing that it is impossible to intise the birds to the trap, but by a stale of the same kind. They car∣rie in outward shew the shadow of loue, but inwardly the substance of lust, they haue a fine die though a course thréed, and though at the first they shrinke not in the wéeting, yet that poore Gentlewoman shal haue cause to curse her peni∣woorth which tries them in the wearing: shée shall finde them whom she though to be Saints to be Serpents, that those who in wooing are Doues, in wedding to be diuels, that in the fairest grasse lies hid the foulest Snake, in the brauest tombe the most rotten bones, & in the fairest coun∣tenance the fowlest conditions: those whom I terme to be hypocrites, are they who pricked forward with lust to fixe their fléeting fancie vppon some sillie dame, whom nature hath beautified both with the shape of beautie and substance of vertue, iudging that it is naturally giuen to women to be desirous of praise, séeke to call them to the lure with re∣counting their singular quallities, and extolling their per∣fections euen aboue the skies, flourishing ouer their flatte∣rie with a Rhetoricall glose of fained dissimulation, the poore mayd whō they cal their mistresse, they like counter∣feites cannonize for an earthly goddesse, comparing her for her beautie to Venus, for her wit to Minerua, for her chasti∣tie to Diana, & yet this vertue the chéefest thing they séeke to spoile her of: her eyes are twinkling starres, her téeth pearles, her lips corall, her throate Iuorie, her voice most musicall harmonie: yea shée is so perfect in all pointes, as they maruell how so heauenly a creature is shrowded vn∣der the shape of mortalitie: these I say who haue honie in their mouth and gall in their heart, are such hypocriticall

flatterers as they séeke with sugred words and filed spéech to inueigle the sillie eyes of wel meaning Gentlewomen, when as inwardly they scoffe at the poore maids which are so blinde as not to sée their extréeme follie and grosse flatte∣rie. Pratling Poets I call those who hauing authoritie with Painters to faine, lie, and dissemble, séek with Syrens songs and inchanting charms of diuellish inuention, to be∣witch the mindes of young and tender virgines, vnder the colour of loue to draw them to lust, painting out in Songs and Sonets their great affection, and deciphring in fained rimes their forged fancie: they be taken in the beames of her beautie as the Bée in the Cobweb, they are singed at the sight of her faire face, as the Flie at the Candle, they suffer worse paines than Sisiphus, more tormentes than Tantalus, more griefe than Ixion: they are plunged in Plu∣toes pitte, and so drowned in distresse, that vnlesse the sillie maide by selling her fréedome, and loosing both honour and honestie giue a salue to their surmised sore, they shall ende their daies in hellish miserie: yea to decypher their sor∣rowes more narrowly, they are so ouergrowne with grief, as in all their bodie they haue no place whole, but their heart, nothing at quiet but their minde, nor nothing frée but their affection, they are indéede so passionate in their penne, and such inckpot louers, that the poore maid which by trusting too much is charmed with their magicall in∣chantments, shall finde their firmest fancie was but forged follie, their loue was but tickling lust, and that the hot∣nesse in their chase was but to make shipwracke of her cha∣stitie. The nature of the Crocodill, Madame, is with gréeuous grones and trickling teares to craue helpe as one in distresse, but who so commeth to succour him is present∣ly deuoured: so Madame, those kinde of louers whome I terme Crocodiles, are they which when neither flatterie can preuaile, nor supposed curtesies is of force to scale the Fort of their inuincible honestie, then (knowing that gen∣tlewomen

are pitifull and wholie framed of the moulde of mercie) they fall with the Crocodill to their fained teares, seeking with dissembled sighes and sobs, with wéeping and wayling, with distressed crie, and pitifull exclamations, to mooue hir to take pitie of their plaint, whome after with gréedie gripes they bring to vtter decay and ruine. But Madame, as the iuice of the hearbe Baaran drieth faster than it can be pressed out, and as the water of the fountaine Sibia can no faster be powred into brasse but it turneth in∣to mettall, so there is nothing in the world that drieth soo∣ner than a louers teares, nor no sicknesse sooner inwardly salued than a louers sorrow, their care may soone be cured, because it commeth not from the heart, and their mourning soone amended, sith it no whit mooueth the minde: yet they can so cunningly counterfeit the shadowe of a perplexed patient, and haue trickling teares and farre fetcht sighes so at their commaund, that few well meaning and pitifull maides can escape the traine of their alluring subtilties. Scorpions Madame, are they which sting with their taile, and séeke with despightfull termes to abuse the credite of Gentlewomen: these be those kinde of louers which ha∣uing neither comelinesse of person nor cōditions of minde, neither wit, wisedome, beautie, or learning, nor any other good qualitie to purchase them credite or winne them the fauour of women, but are vtterly reiected as vnsauerie, salting neither woorth the tasting nor eating, séeke then with blasphemous reproches and iniurious rayling to call the fame of honest Gentlewomen in question, then they condemne them of inconstancie, comparing them to Ca∣melions, Polipes, and wethercocks, affirming their fancies to be fléeting, their loue to be light, and their choise wholy setled in chaunge: that they bée malicious, deceitfull, in∣chaunting Syreus, craftie Calipsoes, as subtill as Serpents, as cruell as Tygres, and what not? and the cause of this their vniust accusing commeth not through any iniurie

offered them by Gentlewomen, but that they themselues are so imperfect both in minde and bodie, that both by na∣ture and arte they may iustly be appeached of want. Ha∣uing now Madame though not eloquently yet truly set downe before your face in plaine collour the Anatomie of such licentious louers as séeke with alluring baites to in∣trap the mindes of chast maydens, sith loue is the labe∣rinth which leadeth vs to be deuoured of these incestuous monsters, let vs learne to flie it as warily as wyse Vlys∣ses did the Mermaides. Anacreon who spake by experi∣ence and writ by proofe, calleth loue a tyrant, mischéeuous, cruell, hardie, vnkinde, foule, vngratious, cursed, wicked, and the cause of all mischiefe. Loue of beawtie sayeth he is the forgetting of reason, the father of frenzie, the distur∣ber of the minde, the enemie to health, the sincke of sor∣rowe, the garden of griefe, and to conclude, a confused chaos of miserie: so that if it might be séene with bodilie eyes, or be an obiect to our exteriour senses, the Basiliske is not more feared, nor the Cockatrice more auoided than lothsome loue would be eschewed and detested. What fol∣lie is it for that woman which is frée to become captiue, which is at libertie to become a perpetual slaue to another man, who hauing the choise in her own hand to liue at her own lust, will willingly yéeld herselfe subiect to be directed at another mans pleasure? But this affection of loue natu∣rally traineth & entrappeth young mindes, and especially of women, wherfore they had néede to take the more héede least happily it stealeth vppon them, for commonly it com∣meth vpon such as will not seeke meanes to preuent, but careleslie receiue it as a sweete & pleasant thing, not kno∣wing what and how perilous a poyson lyes hid vnder that pleasant face. Let her therefore that will auoide this fran∣ticke & foolish affection, giue no more eare vnto y^e alluring charmes of y^e fained louer than vnto the song of an inchan∣ting sorcerer, let her consider that as it is proper to the

Camelion to change, to the Fox to be wilie, to the Lyon to be hautie, and to the Hiena to be guilefull, so it is the pro∣pertie of louers to dissemble, that when he doth most frie in fancie, then he doth most frize in affection, when he faineth Etna he proueth Caucasus, when hée complaineth of care then is he most secure, when he waileth outwardly then he laugheth inwardly, like to the stone Ceraunon, which whē it burneth most feruently, being broken distilleth most cold liquor. The ende also of these louers affection is to be con∣sidered, which is not for her vertue, wisedome, or honestie, but either allured by her beautie which she enioyeth, or her riches that she possesseth. The skinne of the Ermelyn is de∣sired and the carkasse despised, the horne of the Vnicorne most preciously receiued and his flesh reiected, the hoofe of the Leopard is the thing that hunters séekes or else hée is contemned, so the beautie and riches of a woman is highly regarded, but her vertue and honestie lightly estéemed, that as the taste being once glutted thinketh the swéet wine so∣wer, or as the finest delicates to a full stomacke séemeth but course cates, so he that buildeth his loue vppon beautie of the bodie and onely regardeth riches when the beautie is faded, his loue decreaseth or being satiate with pleasure loatheth the plentie, or if wealth want, his loue pineth with extréeme penurie. But put case the minde is alrea∣die caught in the snares of Cupid, and hath yéelded her self as a vassall vnto Venus, let vs finde a remedie to draw her out of this perillous Laborinth. I remember the saying of Dant, that loue cannot roughly be thrust out but it must easilie créepe, and a woman must séeke by litle and litle to recouer her former libertie, wading in loue like the Crab whose pace is alwaies backward, calling to her remem∣brance that if her louer be faire, he will be proud of his per∣son, if rich, his substance procureth statelinesse, if of noble parentage, it maketh him disdainfull: that the stone Echi∣tes is most pleasaunt to the eye, but most infectious to be

handled, that the hearbe called Flos Solis is beautifull to behold but deadly to be tasted, that the fairest face hath oft times the falsest heart, and the comeliest creature most currish conditions: who more faire than Paris, yet a troth∣lesse traitor to his loue Oenone. Vlisses was wise, yet wa∣uering, Eneas a pleasant tongue, yet proued a parasiticall flatterer, Demophoon demure and yet a dissembler, Iason promiseth much yet performed little, and Theseus addeth a thousand othes to Ariadne, yet neuer a one proued true. Consider the hearbe of India is of pleasant smell, but who so commeth to it féeleth present smart, the Goorde leafe profitable, the séede poyson, the rinde of the trée Tillia most swéete and the fruite most bitter, the outward shew of such flattering louers full of delight, but the inward substance sawsed with despight. Call also to minde their often periu∣ries, their vaine oathes, falsified promises and inconstan∣cie, their protestations, pilgrimages, & a thousande dissem∣bled flatteries, and if thy louer be infected with any parti∣cular fault, let that be the subiect whereon to muse, know∣ing that many vices are hidden vnder the coloured shape of vertue, if he be liberal thinke him prodigall, if eloquent a babler, if wise inconstant, if bolde rash, if timerous a da∣stard, if he be well backt thinke it is the taylers art & not natures workemanship, if a good waste attribute it to his coate that is shapt with the Spanish cut, if wel legd think he hath a bumbast hose to couer his deformitie, yea driue all his perfections out of thy minde, and muse vpon his in∣firmities, so shalt thou leade a quiet life in libertie and ne∣uer buy repentance too deare, and though hée countes thée cruell because thou art constant and doest refuse to yéeld to thine owne lust, thinke it no discredite: for mustie caskes are fit for rotten grapes, a poysoned barrell for infectious liquour, and crueltie is too milde a medicine for flattering louers. Thus Madame, you haue heard my counsel which I haue learned by proofe and speake by experience, which if

you willingly accept, I shall thinke my labour well besto∣wed, and if you wisely vse, you shall thinke your time not ill spent, but if you do neither, my well wishing is neuer the worse, and so fare you well.

Yours to command, Mamillia.