d the chief amongs all the Women, who at his
comming in would not rise, but kept her place, nor vouchsafing
to doe any reuerence or honor vnto hym, and the like she bad the
rest: in this wyse sitting vpon the ground with vnlosed tongue
and liberty of speach, stoutly she answered the tyrant's demaund
in this manner: "If there were in thee, Aristotimus, any manly
prudence, wisedome, or good discretion, truly thou wouldest not
commaund vs poore imprisoned women to write vnto our husbands,
but rather suffer vs to goe vnto them, and vse more moderate
wordes and myld behauiour, than wherewith of late thou diddest
entertaine vs, by scoffing, mocking, and cruelly dealyng with
vs, and oure pore children: and if now thou being voyd of all
hope, doest seeke to persuade by our meanes likewise to deceiue
our husbands, that be come hither to put theyr Lyues in Peryll
for our deliveraunce, I assure the thou vainly begilest thy
selfe, for wee henceforth do purpose neuer to bee deceyued of
the: wee require thee also to thinke and stedfastly beleeue,
that our husbands heades bee not so mutch bewitched with Folly,
as despysing their Wyves and Chyldren, Neglecting their duetyes
towards them, wyll, being in this forwardnesse, abandon their
preseruation and geeve ouer the Liberty of theyr countrey: think
also that they little esteme or wey the regard of vs, and theyr
children, in respect of the great contentation they shal attaine
by vnyoking the liberty of theyr countrey from thy pride and
intollerable bondage, and which is worst of al, from that
tyranny which neuer people felt the like: for if thou were a
king as thou art a tyrant, if thou were a Gentleman borne of
noble kind as thou arte a slaue, proceding from the deuil, thou
wouldest neuer execute thy cursed cruelty against a feble kind,
such as women be, and werest thou alone ioyned in singular
combat with my valyant and dere beloued husband, thou durst not
hand to hand to shew thy face: for commonly it is seene, that
the Courtly Ruffyan backed on wyth such mates as he is himself,
careth not what attempt he taketh in hand, and stares with hayre
vpright, loking as though he would kil the deuyll, but when he
is preast to seruyce of the field, and in order to encountre
with his Prynce's foe, vpon the small sway by shocke or push
that chaunceth in the fight, he is the first that taketh flyght,
and laste that standeth to the face of hys ennimy. Such kind of
man art thou, for so long as ou