Petrarchs seven penitentiall psalms paraphrastically translated: With other Philosophicall Poems, and a Hymne to Christ vpon the Crosse. Written by George Chapman |
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A good woman.
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 | Petrarchs seven penitentiall psalms |  |
A good woman.
A woman good, and faire (which no dame can
Esteeme much easier found then a good man)
Sets not her selfe to shew, nor found would be:
Rather her vertues flie abroad then she.
Dreames not on fashions, loues no gossips feasts,
Affects no newes, no tales, no guests, no ieasts:
Her worke, and reading writs of worthiest men:
Her husbands pleasure, well taught childeren:
Her housholds fit prouision to see spent,
As fits her husbands will, and his consent:
Spends pleasingly her time, delighting still,
To her iust dutie, to adapt her will.
Vertue she loues, rewards and honors it,
And hates all scoffing, bold and idle wit:
Pious and wise she is, and treads vpon
This foolish and this false opinion,
That learning fits not women; since it may
Her naturall cunning helpe, and make more way
To light, and close affects: for so it can
Courbe and compose them too, as in a man:
And, being noble, is the noblest meane,
To spend her time: thoughts idle and vncleane,
Preuenting and suppressing: to which end
She entertaines it: and doth more commend
Time spent in that, then houswiferies low kinds,
As short of that, as bodies are of minds.
If it may hurt, is powre of good lesse great,
Since food may lust excite, shall she not eate?
Esteeme much easier found then a good man)
Sets not her selfe to shew, nor found would be:
Rather her vertues flie abroad then she.
Dreames not on fashions, loues no gossips feasts,
Affects no newes, no tales, no guests, no ieasts:
Her worke, and reading writs of worthiest men:
Her husbands pleasure, well taught childeren:
Her housholds fit prouision to see spent,
As fits her husbands will, and his consent:
Spends pleasingly her time, delighting still,
To her iust dutie, to adapt her will.
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And hates all scoffing, bold and idle wit:
Pious and wise she is, and treads vpon
This foolish and this false opinion,
That learning fits not women; since it may
Her naturall cunning helpe, and make more way
To light, and close affects: for so it can
Courbe and compose them too, as in a man:
And, being noble, is the noblest meane,
To spend her time: thoughts idle and vncleane,
Preuenting and suppressing: to which end
She entertaines it: and doth more commend
Time spent in that, then houswiferies low kinds,
As short of that, as bodies are of minds.
If it may hurt, is powre of good lesse great,
Since food may lust excite, shall she not eate?
She is not Moone-like, that the Sunne, her spouse
Being furthest off, is cleare and glorious:
And being neare, growes pallid and obscure:
But in her husbands presence, is most pure,
In all chast ornaments, bright still with him,
And in his absence, all retir'd and dim:
With him still kind and pleasing, still the same;
Yet with her weeds, not putting off her shame:
But when for bed-rites her attire is gone,
In place thereof her modest shame goes on.
Not with her husband lies, but he with her:
And in their loue-ioyes doth so much prefer
Modest example, that she will not kisse
Her husband, when her daughter present is.
When a iust husband's right he would enioy,
She neither flies him, nor with moods is coy.
One, of the light dame sauours, th' other showes
Pride, nor from loues ingenuous humor flowes.
And as Geometricians approue,
That lines, nor superficies, do moue
Themselues, but by their bodies motions go:
So your good woman neuer striues to grow
Strong in her owne affections and delights,
But to her husbands equall appetites,
Earnests and ieasts, and lookes austeritles,
Her selfe in all her subiect powres applies.
Since lifes chiefe cares on him are euer laid,
In cares she euer comforts, vndismaid,
Though her heart grieues, her lookes yet makes it sleight,
Dissembling euermore, without deceit.
And as the twins of learn'd Hippocrates,
If one were sicke, the other felt disease:
If one reioyc't; ioy th' others spirits fed:
If one were grieu'd, the other sorrowed:
So fares she with her husband; euery thought
(Weightie in him) still watcht in her, and wrought.
And as those that in Elephants delight,
Neuer come neare them in weeds rich and bright;
Nor Buls approch in scarlet; since those hewes,
Through both those beasts, enrag'd affects diffuse:
And as from Tygres, men the Timbrels sound
And Cimbals keepe away; since they abound
Thereby in furie, and their owne flesh teare:
So when t'a good wife, it is made appeare,
That rich attire, and curiositie
In wires, tires, shadowes, do displease the eye
Of her lou'd husband; musicke, dancing, breeds
Offence in him; she layes by all those weeds,
Leaues dancing, musicke; and at euery part
Studies to please; and does it from her heart.
As greatnesse in a Steed; so dignitie
Needs in a woman, courbe, and bit, and eie,
If once she weds, shee's two for one before:
Single againe, she neuer doubles more.
Being furthest off, is cleare and glorious:
And being neare, growes pallid and obscure:
But in her husbands presence, is most pure,
In all chast ornaments, bright still with him,
And in his absence, all retir'd and dim:
With him still kind and pleasing, still the same;
Yet with her weeds, not putting off her shame:
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In place thereof her modest shame goes on.
Not with her husband lies, but he with her:
And in their loue-ioyes doth so much prefer
Modest example, that she will not kisse
Her husband, when her daughter present is.
When a iust husband's right he would enioy,
She neither flies him, nor with moods is coy.
One, of the light dame sauours, th' other showes
Pride, nor from loues ingenuous humor flowes.
And as Geometricians approue,
That lines, nor superficies, do moue
Themselues, but by their bodies motions go:
So your good woman neuer striues to grow
Strong in her owne affections and delights,
But to her husbands equall appetites,
Earnests and ieasts, and lookes austeritles,
Her selfe in all her subiect powres applies.
Since lifes chiefe cares on him are euer laid,
In cares she euer comforts, vndismaid,
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Dissembling euermore, without deceit.
And as the twins of learn'd Hippocrates,
If one were sicke, the other felt disease:
If one reioyc't; ioy th' others spirits fed:
If one were grieu'd, the other sorrowed:
So fares she with her husband; euery thought
(Weightie in him) still watcht in her, and wrought.
And as those that in Elephants delight,
Neuer come neare them in weeds rich and bright;
Nor Buls approch in scarlet; since those hewes,
Through both those beasts, enrag'd affects diffuse:
And as from Tygres, men the Timbrels sound
And Cimbals keepe away; since they abound
Thereby in furie, and their owne flesh teare:
So when t'a good wife, it is made appeare,
That rich attire, and curiositie
In wires, tires, shadowes, do displease the eye
Of her lou'd husband; musicke, dancing, breeds
Offence in him; she layes by all those weeds,
Leaues dancing, musicke; and at euery part
Studies to please; and does it from her heart.
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Needs in a woman, courbe, and bit, and eie,
If once she weds, shee's two for one before:
Single againe, she neuer doubles more.
| Petrarchs seven penitentiall psalms | |