A Lytle and bryefe treatyse, called the defence of women and especially of Englyshe women, made agaynst the Schole howse of women [by Edward More] |
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Edwarde More to hym that wrothe the booke called the Schole howse of women. |
 | A Lytle and bryefe treatyse, called the defence of women |  |
Edwarde More to hym that wrothe the booke called the Schole howse of women.
If thy name were knowen, that wrytest in thys sorte,By womenkind vnnaturally, gyuyng euil reporte,
(Whom al men ought both yong & old, defend with all theyr might,
Considering what they do deserue, of euery lyuing wyght
As in there trauayle taken, sometymes with losse of lyfe,
To brīg such wretches to this world, which make not only strife
But beyng come to perfyte age, can skant gyue & aforde,
Unto theyr dāmes yt gaue thē suck, so much as one good word.)
ywys thou shulde exiled be, from women more and lesse,
And not without iust cause, thou must thy selfe confesse,
Onles as in thy booke, so now thou lyst to lye,
Where are nothinges but rayling iestes of the pore femynye.
Thy booke intytled is the Scholehouse of women,
A tedious thyng for them to reade, not pleasant vnto men:
The style therof declareth no lesse, but that thou art right sage,
And lyued hast so longe perdye, that now thou dotest for age,
Lesse meruayle then it is, that if thy othe be spent.
And of eche one reiected arte and hated as the lent:
Though thy melancoly, thau canst not els assuage,
No kynde of way but only thus, on women for to rage.
Pean to be a folysh worke, thou dost testyfye
Whych lyke a learned poet, by the fygure onomatopei,
Trāsformed thou hast into pecock, as proude of hys longe tayle,
Marck I pray the well, how much there thou doest fayle,
Pean is more lyke in sounde in our mother tonge
To pehen then pecock, whose tayle is not so longe,
Nor set with sundry colors, nor of so pleasaunt hewe,
That she doth boast & brag theryn, is not thys ryght kewe?
All men that learned be, allowe the in no case,
All women eke that wytty be haue cause to curse thy face
All maydens that vyrgynytye, do couet styll to kepe,
Through thy accusacyons, haue now iust cause to wepe
I meane in matrymony, hauyng of god the awe
May well deryde & mock thy folyw & lewde pranck
Wherin, I dare be bold to say, thou had more payne then thank
In married men such feare there is, and such contynuall awe
That moost of them beleue ywys they be of moyses lawe
And fynaly to conclude, the beste and eke the wourst,
For thys thy foolysh entrepryse, may hold the well accurst.
Repent therfore repent I say, acknowledge ones thy fact,
Recant I rede the, & confesse, thy lewde & synfull act,
Which doth not hurte to one, but all of eche degree
Haue cause to bend theyre browes therat, as oftn as they it see
Although to call it in agayne, it be now past thy hand
yet to recant ease thou shalte fynd, I wyl thou vnderstand
For yf that Iudas perdan had asked by and by
Of god he had obtayned it, as scriptures testifye
Now to conclude and make an end, I wyll apply my wytt
In writing for good women all as is moost meete and fitt.
Finis.
| A Lytle and bryefe treatyse, called the defence of women | |