The oracion of Lucius Valerius agaynst Catos.

IF priuate men onely had ta∣ken in hand to perswade or disswade that that we de∣sire, I for my part, thinking there had ben enough saied on both sides, wold with silence haue abidden your iudgementes. But now that so Page  [unnumbered] graue a man, as the Consule Marcus Portius, not onely with his authori∣tee (which though he had not spoken, had yet ben of great importaunce) but also with a longe exact and well han∣dled oracion hath impugned our re∣quest. I am constreigned, with a few woordes to answere hym, though he hath consumed mo wordes in womens correction, than in disswadyng our purpose, and all to the ende, that he wolde bryng in doubt, whether the thyng by him reproued, proceded of the women voluntarily, or by our pro∣curement. Wherfore I shall defende the matter, but not our selfes: whom the Consule hath burdeyned more in woordes than in deede. He calleth this companie of women, sometyme a sedicion, and sometyme a rebellion: that the wiues, in the time of a peace∣able florisshyng and fortunate com∣mon wealth, shoulde openly desyre Page  [unnumbered] the abrogacion of a law, made against theim in the terrible sharpe tyme of warres. I know, that to aggrauate the matter, both these and other such woordes are gathered. And we all know Marcus Cato to be, not onely a graue oratour, but also sometyme ve∣ry bitter: not withstandyng that he is gentill of nature. But for all that, what noueltee haue these wyues at∣tempted in commyng by companies abrode to pursue their owne cause? Came they neuer abrode before? I will turne ouer thyne owne bokes of Originalles against the, and see there, how often tymes thei haue done this, and all to the profyte of the common wealth. And to beginne, First whan Romulus reigned, the Capitoll beyng already taken by the Sabines, and thei feightyng with baners displaied in the middest of the high strete: was not the battaile staied by the womens Page  [unnumbered] rennyng betweene both armies? And after the expulsion of kynges, whan the army of the Volsci were incam∣ped within fiue myles of this towne, vnder the leadyng of Marcus Corio∣lanus, did not the women turne backe that army, that els had destroied this citee? And whan this towne was ta∣ken by the frenche men, dyd not the matroues of theyr owne free will, o∣penly geue the golde, wherwith the citee was redeemed? Yea and (to passe ouer these antiquities) euen in the last warres, whan most neede of money was, dyd not the widowes re∣leeue the Treasoury with their owne money? And whan the new goddes were fet home to helpe vs in our great neede, went not the matrones to the sea syde, to receiue the mother of the goddes? He will perchaunce saie, the causes are not lyke. In dede I meane not to compare the causes together.

Page  [unnumbered]For it suffiseth me to proue this no new thyng. And where in thynges indifferently belongyng as well to men as to women, no man hath won∣dered at theyr comyng abrode: why doe we now meruayle, they shoulde so dooe in a matter of their owne? And what (I praie you) haue they done? Helas we are verie hearde of hearyng: if whan maisters disdeigne not to heare the requestes of theyr slaues, we shall refuse to here our ho∣nest wiues. But now to come to the matter, wherin the Consules oracion tendeth vnto two pointes. First, it shal be against his wil, that any law shuld be abrogate: and specially, that a law, whiche concerneth the restreinct of womens excesse, shulde be annulled. So that the fyrst part of the Con∣sules oracion seemeth a common de∣fence of all lawes: and the other a∣gaynst superfluitee, seemeth agreable Page  [unnumbered] to his seuere customes. Wherfore it I allege not the vanitee that is in both these poyntes, it were to be fea∣red, lest some of you myght be per∣swaded to an errour. For like as I confesse, that none of those lawes, whiche were made, not of the neces∣sitee of a certayne tyme, but for the perpetuall profite to endure for euer, ought in no wise to be annihilate: on∣lesse it be suche, as eyther experience condemneth, or some state of the com∣mon wealth declareth to be vnprofi∣table. Euen so doe I see those lawes that speciall tyme hath ben the occa∣sion of, to bee mortall (if I maie so call them) and mutable as tymes are. For those that are made in peace, the warre many tymes doth breake: and the peace likewise them that are made in warre. As in guidyng of a shippe, the caulme requyreth one thyng, and the storme an other. So that these Page  [unnumbered] thynges beyng of diuerse natures, I wolde know, of whether kinde thinke you this law to be, that we doe abro∣gate? Is it one of those auncient kyngely lawes, made at the founda∣cion of this towne? Or (in the second degree) is it any of them, written in the .XII. tables by the .X. men, crea∣ted to prescribe lawes? without the whiche (beecause our auncetours thought the honour of women not possible to bee conserued) we also shoulde feare, that with the breakyng hereof the shamefastnesse and holy∣nesse of our wyues shoulde perisshe? Who knoweth not this to bee a new law, made .XX. yere agoe, in the time of Quintus Fabius and Titus Sem∣pronius Consules, without the which the matrones, hauyng liued so many yeres with excellent customes: why should it be feared, vpon the takyng awaie of this law, that thei shoulde Page  [unnumbered] fall to so disordinate expenses? In deede, if this law had ben made to bridell the excesse of women, it might bee suspected, that the breche of it might reuoke their lasciuiousenesse. But why it was made, the tyme it selfe doth well declare. Annibal in Italy had wonne the battaile at Can∣nas, and hauyng gotten Tarentum, Arpos, and Capua, it seemed he was commyng with his armie to Rome, Our subiectes rebelled. There were no souldiours to furnishe the armie. None to defende the nauie. No mo∣ney in the Treasoury. The slaues were bought to arme the galeis, on condicion their maisters shoulde bee paied for them after the warre. At the selfe same tyme, corne, and all other thynges, that the warre required, be∣yng lackyng, the publicanes vnder∣toke the prouysion. We paied out gallie slaues of our owne purses, e∣uery Page  [unnumbered] man after the rate of his taxyn• we gaue al our gold and syluer to the publike, the Senatours being the first that beganne so to do. The widowes and orphanes brought theyr money to the Treasoury, and a certaine pro∣porcion was prescribed: aboue the rate wherof, no persone might kepe in his house, golde or syluer, or any coyned money of syluer or brasse. It is much like, that the matrones shuld be than so decked with ornamentes and excesse, that the law Oppia was necessary to bridell them. Whan (the sacrifice of Ceres beyng deferred, and the matrones all occupied in mour∣nyng) the Senatours commaunded theim to cease their doule, within XXX. daies. Who knoweth not, that because it was requisite, all the pri∣uate money shoulde bee conuerted to the publike vse, that the very pouer∣tee and miserie of the citee hath writ∣ten Page  [unnumbered] this law to continue so longe as the cause, wherfore it was made, shuld endure? For it those thynges shoulde be obserued for euer, that by the Se∣nate was decreed, are by the people commaunded through the necessitee of that tyme: why doe we repaie money to priuate men? why doe we pledge our publike reuenues for present mo∣ney? why dooe we not bie slaues to sende into the warres? why dooe not we that be priuate, fynde galey men, as we dyd than? All other degrees, and all men doe feele the amendement of our astate: our wyues onely shall not atteygne the fruite of our publike peace and prosperitee? we men weare purple embrodered, beyng magistrates and priestes: and our sonnes like wise weare gownes of purple garded: the like wherof is permitted vnto the ma∣gistrates of our Colonies, and to our burgeses enfraunchesed: as here in Page  [unnumbered] Rome the basest sort of magistrates, euen the strete maisters, haue theyr gownes garded. and not the quycke onely haue this preheminence, but the dead also may be burnt in purple: and shall we kepe the vse thereof onely from our wiues? And beyng laufull for the that art a man, to haue purple in the coueryng of thy bed: wilt thou not suffre the mother of thy house to weare a garment therof? Shall thy horse bee better apparayled than thy wyfe? Mary in purple, which wea∣reth and will consume, (though not rightfull) yet I see some cause of spa∣ryng: but in golde, wherin beside the workemanshyp, can be no losse, what euill can there be? But rather a store beneficiall, as well to the publike as to the priuate behofe, proued by ex∣perience? He saieth, that whan the women haue it not, there can bee no priuate enuie betwene theim. But Page  [unnumbered] truely they are all in sorow and dis∣pleasure, to see those ornamentes per∣mitted vnto the wiues of our subiectes the latines, which are prohibited vn∣to our owne: and seeyng those decked with golde and purple, ride about the towne, and them selfes folow a foote, as though the empyre were in their citees, and not in ours. Such thynges are enough to sterre mens hertes: and what trow you than it will doe vnto simple women, whiche will be moued with a little? Thei haue no part, nei∣ther in magistrates, nor in priest∣hod, nor in triumphes, nor in armes, nor in guyftes, nor in the spoyles of warre. The onely glory of women is their clenlines, their ornamentes and apparayle: wherein thei reioyce and triumph. Which thynges our aunce∣tours called the womens worlde. And what other thyng can they leaue of whan they mourne, but purple and Page  [unnumbered] gold? Or whan thei leaue mournyng▪ what els can thei take againe? In the time of reioysyng, or of supplicacions, what can they adde but their better apparaile? what though the law Op∣pia were abrogate, should it no more be in your powers, to forbidde your doughters, your wiues, your sisters, and as many as be vnder your rule, the thynges that the law now forbid∣deth? The women will neuer thinke them selfes ridde out of seruitude, as longe as ye kepe their derest thynges from them. And thei abhorre that li∣bertee, that is like vnto widowhead, or the death of their parentes or chil∣dren. Thei had rather the rule of their apparayle were in your power, than in the lawes. And you ought to haue them in your protection and defence, and not in seruitude▪ that ye might ra¦ther be called fathers or housbandes, than masters. The Consule euen now Page  [unnumbered] vsed greuouse termes, callyng this the womens sedicion and rebellion: as though it were to be feared, they should take the holy hill or the Auen∣tine vpon them, as the obstinate peo∣ple somtime did. Neuerthelesse, what so euer ye shal determine: thei simple soules must abide it. Wherfore the greatter your power is, so muche the more temperately ought ye to vse it. ¶These thynges beyng spoken both with and agaynst the law: the next daie the nombres of women encreased abrode, and all in a flocke besette the dores of the Brutij, whiche were the Tribunes, that resisted the purpose of their Colleagues: and wolde not de∣part thense, till these Tribunes re∣lented vnto theim. Whervpon there rested no more doubt, but that all the Tribes wolde abrogate the law. So that .XX. yeres after it was made, it was annulled.