The right rule of Christian chastitie profitable to bee read of all godly and vertuous youthes of both sexe, bee they gentlemen or gentlewomen, or of inferiour state, whatsoeuer. Collected and written by one studious to gratifie his freendes, and profit his kindred: first (priuately) for the instruction, forewarning and forearming of certayne younge gentlewomen his neare and deare cosins: and after published by the same, in hope to profit the Church & common wealth, according to his talent. The methode wherof is to bee seene immediatly after the preface to the reader.

The will of God reuealed and to vs declared not only by his word and voyce but also by examples of most horrible plagues, in all the History of the worlde, but most notably in Genesis, a cleare Glasse of Gods gouernment in both his hou∣ses, the World, and the Church, by rewarding the godly, and punishing the wicked:

Gods reuealed will, touchinge Chastitie.

AS God himselfe i•• a chast minde or spirit: so wil hee that all reasonable creatnres do serue him in chastitie, and auoyde all confusions of order by him instituted. Chitraeus in Gen. cap. 34.

The same in effect comprehended in Greeke and Latine verse, by the great and famous Clarke Phil. Melancth: The sense wherof is after set downe in English.

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Casta deus mens est, casta vult mente vocari. Et Castas iussit pondus habere preces.

God beyng a minde bothe chaste and pure, with chaste mindes wilve cauld on: And to persons pure and chaste, with fauour graunts peticion.

Verses declaringe that as Chastitie is the ornament of all other good qualities, so without it, that al other, are con∣temptible and naught set by.

Vt cum de statua facies formosa revulsa est, non decus in reliquo corpore truncus habes. Sic reliqui mores spreti sine honore iacebunt, ni fint ornati laude pudicitiae.

The sence wherof is thus in Englishe, the simititude somewhat altered.

As when the body and the heade, are seperate in twaine, No grace nor beautie in the corps, doth any more remaine: So other guiftes and qualities, that can in any bee, Without the vse of Chastitie, contempned still wee see.

A notable and singular Latine Uerse, which the Author once englished for his sayd Counsins, three sundry waies in sense, though not in wordes, as followeth.

Venter, pluma, Venus, laudem fugienda sequenti.

¶ The first way.

SHee that louts to leade her life, with prayse and commendation, Must slouth subdue and giuttony, and carnall delectation.

The second way. * 2.1

SHee that to perfect happines, will study to attayne, Must laboure vse, and abstinence, and sometime suffer paine.

The third way.

AFter death who makes 〈…〉〈…〉 Must paynefull bee, and temperate, and 〈…〉〈…〉

Bonum biantis consilium, omnibus 〈…〉〈…〉 speculo semetipsos intuentibu•• 〈…〉〈…〉.

IN speculo teipsum contemplare, & sif•• apparebis age quae deceant formam Sin deformis, quod in faci•• minus est, id morum pensato Pulchritudine.

The good and wholesome counself of a naturall wise man, beeinge but a Pagan, worthy to be remembred alwayes of young Gentlefolkes, especially of Gentlewomen, whē they looke in their attyring Glasses, least at the general iudgements Pagans (as Christ * 2.2 sayth) shall arise vp to their conde••∣nation: Englished by the Author, in Prose and Meeter 〈◊〉〈◊〉 applyed to his saide Cousins.

VIew well thy selfe in a Glasse, and if thou appeare faire and beautifull, do such thinges as become a faire and beautifull personage: but if thou seeme soule and yll fauoured, then recompence the foulene•••••• of thy face, with the fairenesse of thy manners.

IN christall Glasse, with 〈…〉〈…〉 beholde thy face and phifu•• And if thou sée by Gods good grace, thy selfe t'excell in beaufie. In vertue and in godlynen endeuour thou likewise, Among them all that line with 〈◊〉〈◊〉, to beare the pricke of price: But if therin to view of eye, thou ••••••st appeare deformde: For recompence, let all thy lyse, with vertues bée ad••i••de.

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Notes

• * 2.1

  S. In cruci∣fiyng his old man, fleshly lust.
• * 2.2

  〈…〉〈…〉