THE VIRTUOUS LADY. BY THOMAS FULLER. T 10 describe a holy state without a virtuous lady therein, were to paint out a year without a spring: we come therefore to her character. She sets not her face so often by her glass, as she composeth her soul by God's word. Which hath all the excel lent qualities of a glass indeed. 1. It is clear; in all points necessary to salvation, except to such whose eyes are blinded. 2. It is true; not like those false glasses some ladies dress themselves by. And how common is flattery, when even glasses have learnt to be parasites ! 3. It is large; presenting all spots cap-à-pie, behind and before, within and without. 4. It is durable; though in one sense it is broken too often (when God's laws are neglected), yet it will last to break them that break it, and one tittle thereof shall not fall to the ground. 5. This glass hath power to smooth the wrinkles, cleanse the spots, and mend the faults it discovers. She walks humbly before God in all religious duties. Humbly; for she well knows that the strongest Christian is like the city of Rome, which was never besieged, but it was taken; and the best saint without God's assistance would be as often foiled as tempted. She is most constant and diligent at her hours of private prayer. Queen Catharine Dowager never kneeled on a cushion when she was at her devotions: this matters not at all; our lady is more careful of her heart than of her knees, that her soul be settled aright. She is careful and most tender of her credit and reputation. There is a tree in Mexicana which is so exceedingly tender, that a man cannot touch any of his branches but it withers presently. A lady's credit is of equal niceness, a small touch may wound and kill it; which makes her very cautious what company she keeps. The Latin tongue seems somewhat injurious to the feminine sex; for whereas therein "amicus" is a friend, "amica" always signifies a sweetheart; as if their sex, in reference to men, were not capable any other kind of familiar friendship, but in way to marriage which makes our lady avoid all privacy with suspicious company. of Yet is she not more careful of her own credit than of God's glory; and stands up valiantly in the defence thereof. She hath read how at the coronation of King Richard the Second, Dame Margaret Dimock, wife to Sir John Dimock, came into the court, and claimed the place to be the king's champion, by the virtue of the tenure of her manor of Scrinelby in Lincolnshire, to challenge and defy all such as opposed the king's right to the crown. But if our lady hears any speaking disgracefully of God or religion, she counts herself bound by her tenure (whereby she holds possession of grace here, and reversion of glory hereafter) to assert and vindicate the honor of the King of Heaven, whose champion she professeth to be. One may be a lamb in private, wrongs, but in hearing general affronts to goodness, they are asses which are not lions. She is pitiful and bountiful to people in distress. We read how a daughter of the Duke of Exeter invented a brake or cruel rack to torment people withal, to which pur pose it was long reserved, and often used in the Tower of London, and commonly called (was it not fit so pretty a babe should bear her mother's name?) the Duke of Exeter's Daughter. Methinks the finding out of a salve to ease poor people in pain had borne better proportion to her ladyship than to have been the inventor of instruments of cruelty. She is a good scholar, and well learned in useful authors. Indeed, as in purchases a house is valued at nothing, because it returneth no profit, and requires great charges to maintain it; so, for the same reasons, learning in a woman is but little to be prized. But as for great ladies, who ought to be a confluence of all rarities and perfections, some learning in them is not only useful, but necessary. In discourse, her words are rather fit than fine, very choice, and yet not chosen. Though her language be not gaudy, yet the plainness thereof pleaseth, it is so proper, and handsomely put on. Some, having a set of fine phrases, will hazard an impertinency to use them all, as thinking they give full satisfaction, for dragging in the matter by head and shoulders, if they dress it in quaint expressions. Others often repeat the same things, the Platonic year of their discourses being not above three days' long, in which term all the same matter returns over again, threadbare talk ill suiting with the variety of their clothes. She affects not the vanity of foolish fashions; but is decently apparelled according to her state and condition. He that should have guessed the bigness of Alexander's soldiers by their shields left in India, would much overproportion their true greatness. But what a vast overgrown creature would some guess a woman to be, taking his aim by the multitude and variety of clothes and ornaments which some of them use: insomuch as the ancient Latins called a woman's wardrobe, "mundus," a world; wherein notwithstanding was much "terra incognita," then undiscovered, but since found out by the curiosity of modern fashion-mongers. We find a map of this world drawn by God's spirit, Isaiah iii. 18, wherein one and twenty women's ornaments (all superfluous) are reckoned up, which at this day are much increased. The moons, there mentioned, which they wore on their heads, may seem since grown to the full in the luxury of after ages. Thus She is contented with that beauty which God hath given her. If very handsome, no whit the more proud, but far the more thankful: if unhandsome, she labors to better it in the virtues of her mind; that what is but plain cloth without may be rich plush within. Indeed, such natural defects as hinder her comfortable serving of God in her calling may be amended by art; and any member of the body being defective, may thereby be lawfully supplied. glass eyes may be used, though not for seeing, for sightli ness. But our lady detesteth all adulterate complexions, finding no precedent thereof in the Bible save one, and her so bad, that ladies would blush through their paint, to make her the pattern of their imitation. Yet there are many that think the grossest fault in painting, is to paint grossly, (making their faces with thick daubing, not only new pictures, but new statues,) and that the greatest sin therein, is to be discovered. In her marriage she principally respects virtue and religion, and next that, other accommodations, as we have formerly discoursed of. And she is careful in match, not to bestow herself unworthily beneath her own degree to an ignoble person, except in case of necessity. Thus the gentlewomen in Champaigne in France, some three hundred years since, were enforced to marry yeomen and farmers, because all the nobility in that country were slain in the wars, in the two voyages of King Louis to Palestine: and thereupon ever since by custom and privilege, the gentlewomen of Champaigne and Brie ennoble their husbands, |