Feminine Valor Eminently Discovered, Poem – Epilogue
WHat former Age did ever want a Quill
Drencht with the dew of high Parnassus hill?
Those Bastard gifts of nature to record,
But ah! cannot our ill taught times afford
One to give vertue juster praise? (a)Not the nine worthies, but the nine women worthies. See Haywood.Ye Nine,
Have ye no quicker fancy now then mine
To limn the praises of that weaker Sex
Exactly as beseems an (b)Read the English …positer.Artisex
Where's now that nimble tongue, Apollos vein,
Or had we one could match blind Homers strein,
Or but that (c)Q Horatius.wanton Poet who to flatter,
One (d)An Handmaid of Rome.Lalage sweet Poems once did (e)He sung them to the Gittar under her window in a cold frosty night.chatter.
Here's now a subject worth his pains, who sings
Had need carouse of all the (f)Both before and behind the forked Hill.Muses springs:
A saint-like sort of Females as before,
Earths broad Horrison till now ne're bore.
(g)He does not mean as Lucifer fell, not Vulcan when he broke his ships, but as woman should do.From heaven are fallen, O let's not be dull
To write their worth whereof the West is full.
New natur'd are they and their grace divine,
Come let's embalm their faces, and eke enshrine
Their worth with honour, which doth claim the bays
And round their heads, let's deck the Daphnean bays.
If constancy that golden garland wreath'd
Which mortals none yet wore that ever breath'd,
In (h)See Sir John Mandevil, where he speaks of a People in Africa that use to rost Geese in the sun: and the Author, could not fancy a place of greater danger.sun-burnt times of danger, but he lost
This sacred jem, wherewith this crown's imbost
Sometime or other: O what cause had we
To spread the praise of female constancy?
Yet such a train of vertues do attend
This (i)Alluding to Vicars in his translation of Virgils Aeneids, where he makes Turnus call I…urna, Sister Coachman, &c.Lady leader, as I should not spend
Some pain of speaking of her retinue,
I should deny her what I know is due:
Not one but hand in hand me thinks she goes
Linkt to all vertues following her in rows:
An injury it were should I describe
The mistress by her self which it doth ride,
Born not by few but such a train of Graces
As did the (k)Charites, or the Adamites that go naked.three, but see they'd hide their faces:
Cease now (l)A S…cilian much celebrated for his constancy to Pi…kins.Agathocles to speak the praise
Of thy (m)His wife Mrs. Agathocles.Theogina, for our late dayes
Have overmatcht thy mate for constancy;
Yea constant (n)Who this Camnia should be I cannot justly say, I guess her to be the Lady mentioned in the first edition of some years travels, sister to the Persian Emperor whose head was cut off, and sent to her brother upon a spears point with her hair about her shoulders.Camnia or (o)A Gentlewoman of Thebes in the County of Bonia.Antiope:
I must search further for a parable,
Or else our all past females will excel:
Vertue in those was single, shew me one
Like ours hold vertue all and I have done.
If here Corvina, Sapho, or that Queen,
Zenobia for their learning would be seen
So far as ere the Bard past (p)A Poet, Godfather to the Author.Aristarchus,
Or foolish Bavius was outstript by Marcus:
Our (q)For the right understanding of this. See the Mirror of Knight.christal wits be (r)See Mrs. Susan Brotus de Margar.pearl'd with gifts divine
Those ruder rugged spirits do out-shine.
If Great Gorgonia or Evanders mother
Endowments now would shew beyond all other, Trasilla
And prove their eminence in pious zeal,
O let our Matrons only but appeal
To heavens high Chancellor▪ where they may not boast
If ere himself were conquer'd by an hoast
Of praying females, where every hour
Heaven be not forc't his mercy down to showr:
No strangers are they at the throne of Grace,
But vow to pray until they see his face;
Which being hidden hath eclipst this Ile,
As when the glorious Sun's withdrawn a while:
Doth noble Portia or (s)A Popish Roman Dame that stabd her self for one Raph. See the Knight of the burning Pest.Lucretia strive
For chastity this praise us to deprive.
Modesty forbids you vaunt, hark how Diana
Prefers our females far beyond (t)She whom the two wicked elders would grope while she sent out her maids to fetch her some sope.Susanna:
Who though the (u)It seems this whore is an Hermophrodite else the feat could not be done.crimson whore seek to deflowr,
And spoyl this Virgin vertue every hour.
Let each day testifie how they refuse
Her whorlsh proffers, and do rather choose
To sacrifice their blood to Christ their Bride,
Then with Romes Idols to be (u)To stuprifie is not found in the English Expositers, but familiarly used by this Author.stuprifide.
This makes Romes beasts to foam with rage
'Cause we hold fast that knot of Marriage
With Christ our Husband, and will not defile
Our milk-white garments with his whoredoms vile.
Dost thou (x)A Poetess that whipt and stript Domitian the Emperour, because he sent the Philosophers from Constable to Constable.Sulpitia fret for this their glory,
And for thy verity relat'st a story
Which needs must lay a claim unto that Rose
That joys our females temples to inclose?
Their persons yet their hearts do bend
As circle lines do to one center tend.
Religion reformed is all their scope
Which not one few or most but all do hope:
Ones griefs not anothers joy, but all
Do live and die together, rise and fall,
So closely are they joyn'd by union… tie,
That all resolve to live, and all to die.
'Mongst them not one (y)Tarpeia was a Nun that dealt between the Sabines and the Geese, about delivering up the Capitol. She was the first woman that ever was prest to deathTarpeia ere betray'd
Their strength through bribes or else with fear dismay'd.
Blush then to see our (z)Not the Popish Cathedral, nor the prophane Dramatique. but that Western C…rus the Poet mentions in Corum solitus savive …agellis. Meaning the Beadle.Corus so combin'd
That all seem better one, then more defin'd.
How strangely frugal still Dame Nature seem'd
Pinching her gifts till now, these may be deem'd
Her darling unto others being bereaved
Of those choice *Some Copies have it doweets.dowries to our sex bequeath'd,
But flesh and blood ne'r gave a legacy
To match the graces we in them descry:
None but that sacred story must produce
A Saint to challenge my undaunted Muse.
'Mongst Mary's three 'twas chiefly given in charge
VVith ne'r forgotten praises to enlarge,
The Sacred Bible with her praise that cast
Perfuming Nard on Christ, 'twas called wast:
Not one but many matrons there we see
VVho rather then to Baal they'l (a)Make a curtsey or a leg.bend a knee,
A set of martyred matrons chose to be,
As earths contemners joyntly do contend
Who most in oyntment shall on Christ expend
Whole mannors, large possessions lost, are gain
In their account, Christs honour to maintain.
Did Mary wash with tears? 'twas much with blood,
These steep the parched earth as doth (b)He means the floud of Deucalion and Pyrrha who also threw stones in imitation of these Matrons.a flood.
O precious balm sweat from a soul perfum'd
With grace till body be again resum'd.
This like an (c)That is to say the smell of a perfum'd soul is an excellent preservative against black patches.Ordure shall the world fill
And keep your glory pure and spotless still:
But Jael thinks at last this palm to win
By valour greater far then feminin:
Ours truly warlike are, she took the odds
VVhen Sisera lay sleeping, ours with clodds,
(d)So Diomedes and Aeneas in Homer, Entellus and Dares in Virgil of whom Mr. Vicars sings. They bang'd each others hides And made redoubled thwak… sound on their sides.Stones, swords or fists, can fight on equal terms,
A handful scorns to fly from (e)See Coriats Trophy in his Crudities, where he describes these bloud-thirsty Myrmidons whom no mortal could ere subdue on equal terms, but by some shift or other.Summer swarms.
This Amazon-like train vows ne'r to stoop
Being fled from Venus unto Mars his troop,
VVhere they with tumors, tost, Truths (f)Lasciva est Pagina vita proba eststandard bear,
And Sions downfaln breaches strive to rear:
They stop the gap themselves, where judgement flies
Praying in Moses turn with tear-swoln eyes,
Nor fancy, frenzy, or blind passion,
Or ought but pious resolution
Moves them with constant courage thus to hold,
Right tutoring reason makes them bold.
VVhy speak I more then this, to most 'tis known
(g)The gray Mare is the better Horse.The weaker vessels are the stronger grown.
The vine which on the pole still lean'd his arms,
Must now bear up and save the pole from harms.
How many man-like spirits have been steel'd
By these she helpers being like to yeeld.
How have some to courage been exhorted,
How often others by them been supported?
I this deblason coat that makes the crest
Is (h)Inconstancies a vice. She that loves more then once, loves twice.constancy of vertues all the best:
A vertue which till now was never known
In womens breasts, till now was never shewn:
Their choice was Mary's (Christ) then 'tis not strange
Their motto's this (Our choice admits no change.)
Worlds wanton wooers may rend Josephs coat
From him, but him from Christs, hell cannot doo't:
A sweeting solace have they in their crosses,
We keep our Christ, what matter is't for losses?
Go on, heavens saints, like to those Roman Dames
(i)A School-mistris in Rome that taught children the Horn-book.Cornelia, (k)He does not mean that they should eat fi…e as Portia did, but rather fight.Portia, and the rest whose names
Shall wear out time, who first began
To make a Pagan state a Christian one:
Your praise is great who cannot abide
That Babels (l)So Juvenal says of her, Lassata viris nondum satiata, Sat. 6.tired whore her self should hide
Under Christs garments, or be fostered longer
Within the Kingdom to some now grown stronger
By opposition fill'd with detestation
Of (m)These locusts are a kind of Cantharides which the whore of Babylon uses to take for proneness.Romish Locusts near to deaths damnation▪
Rejoyce then travelling women thy time near grows
To be delivered from the painful throws
Of twice two tiring Summers that do make
Our bowels yearn to (n)Though the belly have no ears yet it should seem it hath eyessee our hearts to ake:
The Judge already set on bloody room
And murdered Saints cry lowdly for her doom,
How long Lord, how long shall this whore wallow
In guiltless blood, and threaten still to swallow
Each day a deeper draught; O make her drunk
With vials of thy plagues; let her be sunk
As low as hell with vengeance from above
Judg'd to the persecutors of thy Dove;
Mean while continue pure, the lilly scorns
To be defiled tho behedg'd with thorns.
The husbandman's at hand and he must needs
Gather the rose or else destroy the weeds.
Come Lord to thy garden and do pity
The wilde Bore routs thy plants in every City:
Hedge us within the pales of thy defence
So shall thy plants be safe from violence.
Farewel rare paramours, I must confess
Vertues perfection claims a purer dress,
Stand fast a while, the nuptial chambers sweeping
To welcome those to joy that now stand weeping.
The Epilogue.
SIrs, if you are set on edge, you must excuse
Our Author says, the sharpness of his Muse.
Because he vows, and stands to't, that no wines
Do grow in th' West, he thought for lack of Vines.
Next to ground apples, be loves nought before
The milk-maids courtesie behind the door,
When for a tale of love, or last nights dream,
She pays him with two kisses, and sowr cream.
Besides as he remembred, 'a did think,
That 'a put verguice into once his Ink,
But wonder't should be stale, for by the sun,
He swore 'twas scarce two years since he begun.
Truth 'twas the Stati'ners fault, that was too nice,
To bate at first ten shillings in the price!
If y'are displeas'd he vows to write no more,
But Satyrs (I'ad forgot) against the whore,
And you his friends howere he does not fear
But to prefer'em to a judges ear,
And reason; for to me, he did protest
They'd make as good neck verses as the best.
Pray don't provoke him, for you know not what
An inrag'd fancy may attempt; that's flat
He'll write Iambicks, and then if that you
Do hang your selves, mechance he'll do so too.
Faith, do not trust him; for who justly can
Value the loss, that such a worthy man,
Would bring upon the Commonweal of wit
Should he but undergo a fate unfit?
Wer't not for him Apollo would be sad,
And th' Muses want of mirth, poor girls, run mad.
But 'gainst the Proverb, while he lives I'le swear,
The God will laugh more then bare once a year:
Now much good do't ye, 'tis th… Authors will;
Beshrew you if you did not laugh your fill.
But lest this mirth should cease, pray write ye too,
And then perchance we'll laugh as much at you.
Lusimus Octavi 8 Sive G. D.
FINIS.
End of the text · James Strong, Feminine Valor Eminently Discovered (1674)