The praise and dispraise of women very fruitfull to the well disposed minde, and delectable to the readers therof. And a fruitfull shorte dialogue vppon the sentence, know before thou knitte. C. Pyrrye.

Here beginneth the Disprayse of VVomen.

MY penne prolong no longer time, cut of this longe delaye: And now beginne to writ in time, of that, that I shall say.

Take thou some paine a litle space, ne be thou ought ashamde: When thou ofttimes in secret place, with great despite art blamde.

Of this thou maist assure thée, none will thy truth dissame: Saue onely those that pricked be, and giltie of the same.

Spare not to speake, spare not to write, spare not in wordes to tell: Spare thou no time for to endite, an ougely Monster fell.

This Monster is the woman kinde, whose ougelye shape and port: I meane to paint, writ thou my minde, not forcing her report.

This woman kinde I know right well, is comelie to the eye: Of perfect shape she beares the bell, I can it not denie.

But in her fained couert brest, stronge poison she doth hide: And in her harte, as in a cheft, a deadly stinge doth bide.

Which geues an helples hurtfull wounde, as hath ben brought to passe: Much like the snake that vnder grounde, doth lie, and lurke in grasse.

She doth annoy by sodden sight, vnlesse thou can beware: And kepes the still in wofull plight, once caught within her snare.

Her poison is so swete and pure, and of suche strength and force: That who so doth that same deuoure, is brought vnto his corse.

Take hede therfore seke to discerne, b•• this that foloweth plaine;

With earnest minde see thou do learne, this monster to refraine.

For why? she is most proude, seruile, cruell without measure: Reason and lawe she doth exile, to haue her wicked pleasure.

She doth all thinges without forsight, all godly end despise: In all extremes she doth delight, suche is her wonted guise.

Temperate doinges she forceth not, from vertuous men retyre: Her loue to thee is feruent hote, her hate is deadly Ire.

When flouth her slouggish limes do shake she lieth as a stone: Or when a toye her head doth take, she hasteth to be gone.

When myrth and ioye is gone and past, graue visage comes in place: And makes her like a winters blast, with frowarde frouning face.

When she by myrth doth seeke pleasure, all sadnes set a part: Her iocond ioye doth wante measure, nought then may gréeue her harte.

Then wanton willes talke doth growe, and laughing with excesse: Both, from her fained harte do flowe, Both are without redresse.

Now bolde she is, now doth she feare, now séemes she mad, now wise: Now she doth laugh with pleasaunt there, now teares fal from her eyes.

Now she will haue it thus to be, chaunce what may chaunce therebyt Now from her selfe doth dissagre, beginninge to reply.

It shall not be as I had thought, no, no, it is not fit: An other waye yet haue I sought, such is her wandering wit.

Vnconstancie in her doth raigne, she wauerith full of chaunge.

Oft blabbing, talkatiue and vaine double tounged which semeth straunge.

Desiring honor, full of threttes, disdainfull, wishing bloud. Still chatchyng what an other gettes couetous, nothing good.

Complaining oft, a lyar, enuious, quicke to beleeue a tale, Vnpacient, often tedious, oft dronken with good ale.

Oft times she vseth Magickes arte, with baudry her selfe defile, She hath a supersticious hart, she is waywarde, rash and vile.

Disceytfull vsing wicked wayes, fine mouthed for daintie meate. Riotouse, full of wanton playes, nought may her minde entreat.

She deckes and trims her selfe at ease, her face to beautifie: To frame her talke all men to please, her wittes she doth applye.

Hatefull anger she beares in minde, till time do serue her tourne: Some sharpe reuenge for him to finde, who causeth her so to burne.

She is vnthankeful, without faith, bolde, spitefull, of frowarde life, In her all goodnesse waxeth colde, she euer stirreth strife.

Oftimes if ought deserued be, before thee it is set: And spoke againe, againe to thee, as though thou didst forget.

If she offend in any thinge, she commonlie doth vse: By loftie lookes and hie speakinge, her gilty faulte to excuse.

She scoldeth, grudgeth, and reiect, all frendship in disdaine: For nought at all doth she respect, but onlye priuate gaine.

She sekes to mocke and flatter much, yea priuelie to defame:

She reprehendeth (beware of such) craftly thy good name.

She filles she common peoples eares, with triflinge talke and vaine: Augmentinge whatsoeuer she heares, her mischiefes to maintaine.

She fayneth that to come to passe, which neuer was in deede: That not to be which euer was, eche put in others steede.

Her tonge she teacheth to intent, meete causes to deceaue: And once made fitte for such intent, deceite doth neuer leaue.

Her forginge fayned countenaunce, is redie at her will: In earnest game a daliaunce, to weepe or laugh her fill.

From deceite thou can not flee, her craftes thou can not shonne: Such is the hurtefull policie, that she by sleight hath wonne.

Though she comit an heynous deede, and thou perhaps in place: Denienge stil she will proceede stubbornly to thy face.

What shall I say, thou must beleeue, (seme it neuer so straunge) All that she speakes, and not beleeue, if ought her minde doe chaunge.

Examples playne and manifest, doe teach, it to be true: For while all vice out of her brest, from time to time doth growe.

By reading histories thou shalt finde what cruell bloudy factes: Committed were by woman kinde, delighting in such actes.

Reade Ouid, Virgill, vnderstande in them it doth appeare: How Medea with bloudyhande, murdered her children deare.

How Paris stole the Grecian rape, to Troy, and how that she,

Who was in dede of comlye shape) did willingly agree.

And how the Grecians sought the way, to haue her home againe. And there by moued warre to Troye, which warre tenne yeres did raigne.

How Scilla her fathers house forsooke, what moued her to doe soe: Her fathers purple heare she toke and gaue it to his foe.

How Biblis wicked loue did swell, to Cavvnus her brother: How she was tourned into a well, hight Biblis and no other.

How Deianira to her feare, a poysoned cote did sende, How he therby with euell there, his wretched life did ende.

How Hippodame did deceaue, her gentle louinge Father: By marienge without his leaue, causing his death rather.

Because he was by spitefull fate, appointed for to die, That day that she receaued her mate, such was his destenie.

And how Lauania (to be shorte) most doubtfull warre did sende: Among the youthfull Troyan sorte, which came to vnhappie ende.

And how Rebecca with a wile, her sonne and eke her feare: Did quite deceaue and cleane begile, though they most simple were.

How Herodias with cruell harte, did wish Iohn Baptist death: And caused him by deadly smarte, to yelde vp liuinge breath.

Also how Eue from ioyfull place, (alas, alas, the while) Her posteritie did deface, and cast into exile.

Those and sondry more we finde, teachinge vs to beware;

In trustinge of this monstrous kinde, whose mischiefe is not rare.

In time therfore take hede and learne, this monster to eschewe, And eke with wisdome to diserne, her wicked witles hew.

If thou wilt liue in quietnes, expelling out of minde: All wicked worldlie wretchednes, or if thou seeke to finde.

A blisfull happie state of life, and longe therin to dwell, Beware a woman full of strife, auoide her vile counsell.

The fearefull byrde him selfe doth keepe, from hauke his deadlie foe: From raueninge woulfe, the seely shepe, from cruell dogge, the Roe.

From deceitfull nettes the wilie harte, with spedie flight doth ronne: Why sekest not thou in like parte, craftie women to shonne.

The affection of the Cocodrill, is in her subtile eyes: She sekes by arte how to begile, if ought she doe deuise.

When teares fal trincling from her eyne faire wordes when she doth faine: Then doth she most of al encline, some mischiefe to obtaine.

Trust not her diuers chaunge of hewe, trust not her spotted faith, Trust not her coulored vertue, (I rede of one that saith.)

A glasse doth wante the sharpe and forme, whiche semeth to appeare▪ And eke a womans faith is torne, though she thy eyes do bleare.

Both good and godly men there were, in olde and auncient time, Most stout of heart, exempt from feare, and voyd of heynous crime.

Which by their strength huge monsters flewe, and made wilde giauntes tame.

Stronge cities eke they ouerthrewe, and so encreased their name.

Yet those by sleight were vanquished, of womans deadly hate: And lamentably finished, their liues of cruell facte.

Who hath not reade of Herculous, whose spitefull enuious wife: Did cause him ende remediles, his fatall threde of life.

By geuinge him a cote to weare, sprincled with poyso•• ••••onge: Which semed his tender partes to teare, wherby he su••••red wronge.

Whereby also the wretche alacke, soone yelded liuing breath: The putting it vpon his backe, did cause vntimelie death.

Of Sampson stronge what néede I speake, the scriptures plainlie shewe: How Dalilahe her minde did breake, desirous for to knowe.

Where his chiefe strēgth did most depend, and when he had her tolde: She brought him to most wretched ende, selling his life for gold.

Both Dauid, Lot, and Salomon, I strike cleane out of minde: With thousandes more that I could name deceaued by woman kinde.

If such as those could not auoyde, their subtile craftie bandes: But with theyr pestilence were anoyde, can we escape their handes.

No no, for why as I doe here, and as I plainlie see: They are as bad as eare they were, or worse if worse may be.

A thousand waies ne do I faine, her wittes she doth extend: With labor, trauell, and great paine, her beautie to amend.

Her shinning forhead by arte she sekes, with golden roule to bind:

With purple culler on her chekes, and if it want by kinde.

She gouerneth her steppes by art, her heare by arte doth place, She tempereth her eyes by arte, her bodye and her face.

She seekes by art her selfe to paint, because she would be faire: Her greisly shape she doth anoint, in hope of some repaire.

She calleth to remembraunce, how she may bring to passe: To frame her froward countenaunce, by looking in a glasse.

And with her lips she simpereth, abrode as the doth goe: Her shoulders eke she tempereth, her fingar and her toe.

It is her common wonted vse, with naked brest to walke: Which thinge (in faith) is dangerous, for in fewe wordes to talke.

It meaneth nought at all but this, (marke well what I rehearse:) That where her poison planted is, with greater stroke may perce.

I am compelled now perforce, to draw vnto some ende: For if I speake til I be whorce, or if my penne I spende,

Vnto the stalke to write my minde, which busly could deuise: To speake more of this hatefull kinde, yet would it not suffice.

Such is her craft and her deceite, such be her wicked wayes: Which she doth kepe till death by sleight, doe ende her hurtfull dayes.

What thing in earth is found more rare, then is a cole blacke swan, Whom auncient writers doe compare, vnto a good Woman.

Eke Salomon saith thus to thee, (whose wordes be wise and sounde)

A good godlie Women saith he, is scarsly to be founde.

Take hede and loke before thou clime, lest sodenly thou slippe: Take hede (I say) whiles thou hast time, lest thou doe fele the whippe.

Take hede, beware, be not to rashe, lest thou perhaps repent: When thou doost fele the scorge and lashe to late thou maist lament.

Like as the litle foolish flye, his pastime seketh out: When he the candell doth espye, and fleing rounde about.

At length the seely wretche doth close, him selfe in fyre flame: And so his wretched life doth lose, in seking of his game.

Euen so if thou wilt not beware, but willinglie be entrapt: Within the Womans wilie snare, wherin when thou art wrapt.

Thou maist not well escape againe, no way is left to saue: Till thou be brought to deadlie paine, to thine vntimely graue.

Let this that I haue said suffice, and print it in thy brest: So shalt thou be reputed wise, so shalt thou liue at rest.

So shalt thou not at all repent, such well bestowed time, So shalt thou ioy when some lament, by voyding sinne and crime.

So shalt thou liue in happie mirth, and happlye ende thy life: So shalt thou happly boast the byrth, which is exempte from strife.

So shalte thou this life once past, in ioy and blisse remaine, So shalt thou haue for thy repast, all pleasure voyde of paine.

¶ Here endeth the dispraise of Women.

Notes

• Virgil.
• Ouid. Meth. lib. 8.
• Ouid. Meth. lib. 19.
• Ouid.
• Gene. 28.
• Math. 14.
• Gene. 3.
• Iudges. 16.
• Gene. 19.
• 3. Reg. 11.