amiable, comely, and perchaunce not
altogether barrayne of good erudition and learninge: she could
play vpon the instruments, sing, daunce, make and compose witty,
and amorous Sonets, and the more her company was frequented, the
more amiable and gracious the same was esteemed. But bicause she
was unshamfast and lesse chaste, she was voyde of honest
regarde. Sutch as bee dishonest, do not onely hurt themselues,
but gieue cause to the common people to mutter and grudge at
their parentes education, at their husbands gouernment and
institution of their Children, causing them most commonly to
leade a discontented and heauy lyfe. Thinke you that Augustus
Caesar (albeit he was a victorious Emperour, and led a triumphant
raygne) liued a contented life when he saw the two Iuliae, one of
them his daughter, the other his Niece, to vse them selues like
common strumpets, constrained through their shameful acts to
pin, and close vp himselfe, shunning the conuersation of men,
and once in minde to cut his Daughter's Vaynes to let out hir
Lusty bloud? Was not he wont (the teares trickling downe his
Princely Face) to say, that better it was neuer to haue children
and to be deade without them, than to haue a fruteful wife and
children so disordred? He termed his Daughter to be a Carrion
lumpe of fleshe, full of stenche and filthinesse. But if I list
to speake of women of this age, from noble to vnnoble, from an
Emperor's Daughter to a Ploughman's modder, whose liues do frame
after Iulia hir lore, my pen to the stumpes would weare, and my
hande be wearied with writing. And so likewise it would of
numbres no doubt in these dayes that folow the trace of Lucrece
line, that huswifely and chastly contriue the day and nightes in
pure and Godly exercise. But of the naughty sorte to speake,
(leauing to voyde offence, sutch as do flourish in our time)
I will not conceale the Empresse Messalina, that was Wyfe to the
emperour Claudius, not only vnworthy of Empresse degree, but of
the title of Woman: who being abused by many, at length arriued
to sutch abhominable lust, as not contented with dayly
adulterous life, would resort to the common stewes, where the
ruffians and publike harlots haunted, for little hire, and there
for vilest price with eche slaue did humble herselfe: and at
night not satisfied, but weared, returned home to hir Palace,
not ashamed to disclose hir selfe to any that list to looke vpon
hir: and for victory of that beastly game,