to range
in. Farther, he set up two sturdy champions to stand perpetually on the
guard, that reason might make no assault, surprise, nor in-road: anger,
which keeps its station in the fortress of the heart; and Just, which
like the signs Virgo and Scorpio, rules the belly and secret members.
Against the forces of these two warriors how unable is reason to bear up
and withstand, every day's experience does abundantly witness; while let
reason be never so importunate in urging and reinforcing her admonitions
to virtue, yet the passions bear all before them, and by the least offer
of curb or restraint grow but more imperious, till reason itself, for
quietness sake, is forced to desist from all further remonstrance.

But because it seemed expedient that man, who was born for the
transaction of business, should have so much wisdom as should fit and
capacitate him for the discharge of his duty herein, and yet lest such
a measure as is requisite for this purpose might prove too dangerous
and fatal, I was advised with for an antidote, who prescribed this
infallible receipt of taking a wife, a creature so harmless and silly,
and yet so useful and convenient, as might mollify and make pliable
the stiffness and morose humour of man. Now that which made Plato
doubt under what genus to rank woman, whether among brutes or rational
creatures, was only meant to denote the extreme stupidness and Folly of
that sex, a sex so unalterably simple, that for any of them to thrust
forward, and reach at the name of wise, is but to make themselves the
more remarkable fools, such an endeavour, being but a swimming against
the stream, nay, the turning the course of nature, the bare attempting
whereof is as extravagant as the effecting of it is impossible: for
as it is a trite proverb, _That an ape will be an ape, though clad in
purple_; so a woman will be a woman, a fool, whatever disguise she takes
up. And yet there is no reason women should take it amiss to be thus
charged; for if they do but righdy consider they will find it is to
Folly they are beholden for those endowments, wherein they so far
surpass and excel man; as first, for their unparalleled beauty, by the
charm whereof they tyrannize over the greatest tyrants; for what is
it but too great a smatch of wisdom that makes men so tawny and
thick-skinned, so rough and prickly-bearded, like an emblem of winter
or old age, while women have such dainty smooth cheeks, such a low
gende voice, and