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0> < ei%e&der> <'ile(esc> < i le) m > < i le>Fem&le *re-eminence<# i le> <&+ hor>%einrich ,orneli+s -gri!!&<#&+ hor> <d& e>1./0<#d& e> <edi or>(&niel 0leem&nn<#edi or> <s!onsor>1rench *ress<#s!onsor> <'+nder>Uncle *enn23&gs<#'+nder> <res!) m >,om!il& ion done 32 (&niel 0leem&nn<# i le) m > <!+3lic& ion) m > <!>*+3lished &s & !ro4ec 'or <n&me>Illinois ) & e Universi 2<#n&me> <n&me>*+3lishing )e5+ence<#n&me> co+rse6 <n&me>E78 9::" Forensic ;i3liogr&!h2 &nd -rchiv&l Edi ing.<#n&me> <!+3lisher>1rench *ress<#!+3lisher> <dis ri3+ or>1rench *ress<#dis ri3+ or> <!+3*l&ce>7orm&l6 I<<#!+3*l&ce> <&ddress>100 7 Universi 2 ) 6 7orm&l6 Illinois<#&ddress> <&v&il&3ili 2 s & +s= 'ree> <#&v&il&3ili 2 s & +s> <d& e>(ecem3er 96 =019<#d& e><#!><#!+3lic& ion) m > <so+rce(esc> <3i3l>< i le>Fem&le *re-ememinence<# i le> 32 <&+ hor>%einrich ,orneli+s -gri!!&<#&+ hor>. <!+3*l&ce><ondon<#!+3*l&ce> " <!+3lisher>T. >. &nd ?. (<#!+3lisher>6 <d& e $hen=1./0>1./0<#d& e>. <ex en >I<#ex en >6 <ex en >9/<#ex en > Tr&nsl& ed 32 <edi or role= r&nsl& or>%enr2 ,&re><#edi or> @ !re'&ce 32 <edi or role= r&nsl& or>%enr2 ,&re<#edi or>.<#3i3l> <#so+rce(esc> <edi ori&l(ecl> <!> <correc ion me hod=m&rA+!> >emoved i &lics<#correc ion me hod> <#edi ori&l(ecl> <encoding(esc><& rel=BlicenseB hre'=Bh !"##cre& ivecommons.org#licenses#32s&#C.0#B><img &l =B,re& ive ,ommons <icenseB s 2le=B3order-$id h"0B src=Bh !"##i.cre& ivecommons.org#l#32-s&#C.0#88x91.!ngB #><#&><3r #>This $orA is licensed +nder & <& rel=BlicenseB hre'=Bh !"##cre& ivecommons.org#licenses#32-s&#C.0#B>,re& ive ,ommons - ri3+ ion-)h&re-liAe C.0 In ern& ion&l <icense<#&>.<#encoding(esc> <#'ile(esc> <# ei%e&der> < i le*&ge> <docTi le> < i le*&r 2!e=m&in>Fem&le *re-eminence<# i le*&r >

< i le*&r 2!e=&l >D>6 The (igni 2 &nd Excellence o' h& )ex6 &3ove he ?&le.<# i le*&r > < i le*&r 2!e=&l > (ecl&m& ion on he 7o3ili 2 &nd *reeminence o' he Fem&le )ex<# i le*&r > <#docTi le> <32line>;2 %einrich ,orneli+s -gri!!&<#32line> <'ig+re> <he&d>%?<#he&d> <'ig(esc>*rin ers Drn&men +sed 32 %?<#'ig(esc> <#'ig+re> <docIm!rin >*rin ed & <n&me 2!e=!l&ce><ondon<#n&me> 'or <n&me>T.T.<#n&me><d& e>1/0.<#d& e> <d& e>1/0.<#d& e> <#docIm!rin > <# i le*&ge> < ex > <'ron > < i le*&ge rend=>om&n> <#docTi le> <div 2!e= i le !&ge><3od2> <! n=1>Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, true to his personality, was one of the first not only to state that women were equal to men, but that they were superior to men as well, defying all orthodoxy of his time scientific, philosophical, and theological. Thus, his <title>Declamation on the Nobility and Preeminence of the Female Sex,</title> published originally in the !th Century with my "ersion translated in !#$, is of immense interest in that it is one of the earliest %nown texts in the early modern period as it is a wor% written in the bac%drop and in response to the long tradition of misogyny in &estern culture dating bac% e"en to Ancient 'reece. (receded by Christine de (i)an in her defense against misogynism in the *enaissance in her boo%, <title>The City of the Ladies</title>, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa dedicated his wor% to +argaret of Austria, the current go"ernor of the ,etherlands.<-p> <! n==>.t should be noted that Agrippa was a highly contro"ersial figure in his lifetime. He made quite an impression on people. /n one hand, he was a magician who wrote the most comprehensi"e boo% on magic of his time with <i><title>De occulta hiloso hia libri tres / Three !oo"s of #ccult Philoso hy,<-title><-i> but on the other hand, he wrote a boo% critici)ing all forms of human %nowledge, including magic in <i><title>De incertitudine et $anitate scientiarum et artium, at%ue excellentia &erbi Dei, declamatio in$ecti$a / #n the 'ncertainty and &anity of the (rts and Sciences) (n *n$ecti$e Declamation.<-title><-i> According to the Catholic +ncyclo edia, he was a nominal Catholic, but sympathi)ed openly with +artin 0uther and the (rotestant *eformation. Agrippa is often %nown for his own paradoxes in much of his life. .ndeed, some scholars ha"e speculated that <i>Declamation on the Nobility and Preeminence of the Female Sex</i> was written as a satire or paradox to confound his readers or to showcase his theories in argument and counterarguments, though his arguments were ta%en at face "alue by contemporary readers and scholars in Agrippa1s lifetime. .n the edition which . transcribed, for example, it is a gift to 2atherine, the 3ueen of 'reat 4ritain, the wife of 2ing Charles .. and one of the last Catholic 3ueens of 'reat 4ritain.<-p> <! n=9>.t was translated by a 5+. H. Care6 who . ha"e found to be a famous figure in his own generation but obscured by the passing of generations. .t is written by 0ois '. 7chwoerer in <i><title>The *n,enious -r. /enry Care, 0estoration Publicist</title></i> that Hentry Care was an

important figure in se"enteenth century 'reat 4ritain. As a writer, Care catered to the most contro"ersial sub8ects of his time9 religion and politics. .n this regard, Care showcased either a con"enient change of heart or outright flip:flopping as, in his early career, Care wrote treatsies attac%ing Catholics, High Anglicans, Tories, and Catholic 7uccession. Howe"er, as soon as 2ing Charles .., himself a de"out unad"ertised Catholic, too% the throne, Care changes his "iewpoint on Catholicism and politics and counted the ;u%e of <or%, one of his former political enemies, as a patron and friend in his later wor%s. Thus, his enemies had accusations of him being a shiftless turncoat some weight behind them as Care appears not to ha"e written his wor% solely out of con"iction but based on the direction the wind was currently shifting. *egardless, as shown, <i><title>Female Pre1 +minence</title></i>, Care was regarded as an excellent writer and translator, the text going so far as to credit Care, not Agrippa, with excellent poise and wit, which struc% me as odd when . was transcribing the text. .t turns out that Car was "ery influential and talented. +archamont ,edham, a famous contemporary of his, was noted to ha"e a writing style similar to Care1s own, and ;aniel ;efoe, an author that is considered famous e"en to this day among literary scholars, claims to ha"e been indebted to Care.<-p> <! n=C>Agrippa deals with the general academic attitude of his time. Thus, his arguments are mostly grounded in philosophy, history, and 4iblical scholarship-theology. Agrippa therefore begins his text praising 'od and basing his arguments on theology and the 4ible, ta%ing for granted the existence of 'od and His omniscience. He counters arguments that women were created inferior to men with the assertion that they were created not only equal to men, but superior to them in mind and spirit. .n the full text, which . did not ha"e the time to transcribe her, Agrippa mentions numerous historical e"ents when men pro"ed to be sa"age and women to be superior, citing the history of Ancient *ome, 'reece, and .srael.<-p> <! n=:>. belie"e that this is worth publication because it differs from other feminist texts that are more widely %nown. +ost students ha"e heard of the first, second, and third 5wa"es6 of feminism, but this text predates all feminists and feminist literature that we most often associate with women1s liberation and equal rights. Also of importance is the fact that Agrippa was a male defending women and asserting the deficiencies in his own gender, a rare occurrence for the intelligentsia of his time. &here other men were writing beha"ioral manuals for how women should beha"e, Agrippa was praising the "irtues of women and how men were inferior in spirit based on theological and historical examples. .t is important that students and scholars ali%e study his wor% because, often, people in our age are biased towards e"ents that too% place in the =$th and = st Centuries without much contemplation of the wor% of writers in the past li%e Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. .t should also be noted that Agrippa was one of the few opposing an attitude that has dominated intellectual thin%ing since the dawn of the &estern &orld. Helena &o8c)ac% writes, 5Ancient texts that influenced &estern >uropean thought and law for many centuries, and which are still studied and re"ered today, such as Homer1s *liad, ?irgil1s (eneid, the /ld Testament, the pontifications of Aristotle, (lutarch, Hippocrates, (hilo, Cicero, all mention and in some cases @8ustify1 the sub8ection of women to men.6 <-p> <! n=.>&hether it is was scientific, medical, religious, philosophical, or political, it was ta%en for granted that women should hold a position that is subordinate to men either because of spiritual or physical faults that lay within the female sex or because it1s 5how it always was6. Ander >nglish Common 0aw, a woman lost much of her so"ereignty o"er hserself. Her possessions, excluding clothes and 8ewelry, belonged to her husbandB and she could not sell contract, sue, or be sued. Though the husband controlled her property, he could not sell it without her concern. This and similar rights were often sub"erted by later laws and court rulings. >"en in the *enaissance, women lost many of the few rights they retained as men went out to ma%e their fortunes, lea"ing the women at home and separating public life from home life. >ducation was barred from most women as they were deemed not competent enough to learn. The 4ible was often interpreted to support the claim that women were mean to be subser"ient to men and were spiritually wea%er than men, being used to lure

men into sin. This was the norm in the world in which Cornelius Agrippa was grew up in and li"ed in. He should not ha"e been exposed to many teachers or priests who argued against this con"entional wisdom. Thus, Agrippa1s wor% is worthy of study and republishing because it is one of the few feminist wor%s of its time. Also, it gi"es insight into the time it was written in as it used the "ery methods used to argue for female inferiority, such as theology, history, and philosophy to argue for women1s superiority o"er men. <-p> <! n=/>. made "ery few modifications to the main text. The language is fairly modern >nglish and easy to understand for college and high school students, and . felt there was little need for moderni)ing the spelling or language of the text. There are some clear early modern spelling and grammar con"entions, but this does not ma%e the text difficult to read. The only aspect of the text that . remo"ed was the italici)ation of the text. . had a difficult time differentiating between the words that were and were not italici)ed and, in the end, . decided that the italics distracted from the ideas presented in the text itself. . found this fairly challenging to transcribe, but . was able to accomplish my transcription by magnifying the si)e of the text and using modern translations of the texts as a guide whene"er . ran into a section or word that . wasn1t sure about. . chose to include the translator1s preface, the praises to the translator himself, and the letter to 3ueen 2atherine of 'reat 4ritain in order to include the historical context as well as to include the figures in"ol"ed within the text itself such as +argaret of Austria and Henry Care. . ha"e found these details deser"ing of preser"ation in order to better study the history behind this particular edition of Agrippa1s wor% and how it was recei"ed well: enough to deser"e reprinting in >nglish.<-p>

<l3><#l3> <he&d rendcen er><div 2!e=dedic& ion> <3>The E!is le (edic& or2.<#3>

T/ H>* +ost >xcellent +a8esty, <b>

2ATH>*.,> ,<b>
1

4y the 'race of 'od, 3A>>, of 'reat 4ritain, Crance, and .reland, Dc. <#he&d rend>
<! n=8>+adam,<-p> <! n=E>His little Champion, who long hath 4ra"Ed the &orld in <our ,oble 7exes ;efence, being Arri"Ed in <our +a8esties ;ominions, and taught to spea% the >nglish ;ialect, is with all Humility prostrated at <our *oyal Ceet. The /riginal Tratise was 'racEd with the propitious *egards of a 'reat (rincess, The .llustrious +argaret of Austria, afterwards >mpressB whence this mean Translation deri"es, an ambition, not to ta%e shelter under any less than 7o"eraign (atronage. <et is not <our +a8esties 'reatness, so much as 'oodness, respected in this Humble AddressB that serious primiti"e ;e"otion, exemplary ?irtue, and other excellent >ndowments, that render <ou more truely 'lorious, than all the magnificnet Ad"antages of <our +ost .llustrious 4irth and Cortune. To <our +a8esty this ;iscourse is necessitated to AppealB for Etis <our bright ,ame alone, that can, being stampt thereon,
1 Queen Katherine- Consort to Charles II; born in Portugal of the House of Braganza; devout Roman Catholic

Fli%e <our *oyal ConsortEs >ffigies on CoynG ma%e it pass Currant in the opinion of the &orldB who no longer will be scandali)Ed at the Title, nor thin% the Author too 0a"ish in &omens (raise, when they *eflect on <our +a8esty, that 'reat >xample of Cemale (re:eminence, and >xcellency, that ha"e out: done the mosr daring Hyperbolies, and not only Hustified, but 7urpassEd in 0ife and +erit, whate"er can be said in the behalf of <our +ost 'lorious 7ex. <-p> That <our +a8esty, >ncircled with all Happiness, may long remain a (resident of (iety to this ;egenerous Age, and find as many to .mitate as Admire <our *oyal ?irtues, is the (rayer of <our +a8esties<-p> +ost Humble,<-p> 0oyal, and /be:<-p> dient 7ub8ect,<-p> H. Care.! <-p><-di" type>

<3>The Tr&nsl& ors *re'&ce.<#3> <l3><#l3> <! n=10>.n this giddy Age wherein each extra"agant opinion finds a welcome, and Conceits more wilde than any 4edlam:phrensie, ha"e been entertainEd with )eal, and promoted with passion, an innocent (aradox may fairly hope for (ardon at least, if not Applause. <-p> 7ince F .G Tyranny, F=.G .n8ustice, FI.G Agliness, and FJ.G Colly it self, ha"e not wanted their respecti"e Ad"ocates amongst the 0earned, . see small reason why Asserting the (re:eminence of the Cemale 7ex, should too se"erely be censured. F .G (raised by (olycrates, and Hisocrates. F=.G 4y 'lauco. FI.G 4y (acoKKnus. FJ.G 4y >rasmus.<-p> <l3><#l3> <! n=11>4ut Etis un8ust to debar *eaders of that tic%ling delight they ta%e in finding faults, it being oftentimes all the consideration they ha"e for laying out their +oney. The 7tationers humour and mine agree, 0et them but buy the 4oo%, and then Fbeing their ownG use it as they please. . shall not therefore waste time, either in Courting or Huffing the *eader, Ffor both wayes are now commonly used to surpri)e his good opinion,G but only endea"our to gi"e an .mpartial Account of the Author, and ;esign of the ensuing ;iscourse. <-p> <l3><#l3> <! n=1=>To say much of the noble Agrippa", were to put an Affront on the *eader, Fif he pretend at all to traffic% in the Commonwealth of 0earningG by supposing him a stranger to that +an, who was 8ustly admirEd as the (rodigy of his Age, for all %ind of 7cience. That "ast progress he made, Tam +arte quam +ercurio, in Arms no less than ArtsB the Titles and Honours he acquirEdB the respect paid him by most of the 'randees, and famous +en, his ContemporariesB and those +onuments of 0earning, wherewith he hath obligEd (osterityB all spea% him a (erson abo"e the ordinary le"el of +an%indB to be ran%t only amongst those few noble HeroesB <-p> <l3><#l3> <lg><l>3ueis meliore 0uto finxit prLcordia Titan.<-l> <l>&hom Titan with a gentle *ay,<-l>
! " Henr# Care- $ell-%no&n &riter and translator; %no&n for &riting on controversial issues and s&itching sides on them Heinrich Cornelius 'gri((a- (hiloso(her) occultist) and &riter; he is %no&n for having controversial vie&s and is the author of this &or%

<l>Hath moulded of a purer Clay.<-l> MCf. Hu"enal, N.?. IJ:O.P<-lg> <l3><#l3> <! n=19>ETis true, Fli%e all great &itsG he too% no little pleasure in stemming the impetuous Tide of popular opinion, as if nothing had been impregnable against the puissance of his parts. Hence he made that desperate FO.G /nset, to pro"e in particular, what 7olomon was content to affirm in the lump, That all things are ?anityB and with an excess of 'allantry undertoo% singly to duel all Arts and 7ciences. FO.G His 4oo% of the "anity of all Arts and 7ciences.<-p> ,or was this present >ssay any other than a sally of the same 'enerosity, that delights to engage on disad"antages, and bra"ely to assist the wea%er party. After so many slanderers Fli%e ungratefull +ules, turning their brutish heels to %ic% those (aps whence they recei"Ed their first ,utrimentG had dipt their %een (ens in 'all, and fillEd their blac% +outhes with Calumnies, to sully the *epute of this fair 7ex, our Author was too noble, not to thin% himself concernEd in its ?indicationB Common Hustice, no less than point of Honour, obliging all to succour oppressed .nnocency. Hereupon the 'enerous Agrippa enters the 0ists, to assert the Honour of the Cemale (arty, against the immerited obloquies of the +ale, which he chooses to attempt, not after the low, timerous method of an Apology, the shallow .n"ecti"es of the Ad"ersaries being unworthy the refute of his (enB but li%e a politic% 'eneral, carrying the &ar into the enemies Countrey, startles them with an expected .n"asion, and lets them %now this noble 7ex ought to be the ob8ect of their "eneration, nor contempt, being in all respects their superiour. <-p> <! n=1C>How prudently this ;esign was underta%en, or how well performEd, . shall not fore:stall the *eaders opinion, so far as to determineB but must confess my self pleasEd with that ;i"ersion . met with in reading the /riginalB and thereupon to ha"e attempted the Translation, not without some Additions, and "ariation, to render it more smooth and gratefull to the present Age, thin%ing . could scarce better de"ote my "acant hours, than to the ser"ice of that sweet 7ex, which e"ery one deser"ing the ,ame of +an, cannot but lo"eB and to whom, whoe"er hath not forgot he had a +other, is obligEd to pay a re"erential esteem. <-p> <et is it no part of our ;esign to flatter &omen, but to put some chec% to the rude, undeser"Ed reproaches, cast on them by the +en9 To acquaint the fair 7ex with its natural ;ignity, that they may scorn to act any thing unworthy of themsel"es9 to treat them with "ariety of real Fnot *omantic%G >xamples of true (iety, exact Chastity, sincere, unalterable Affection, and other rare, sublime qualitiesB whence inspirEd with a generous emulation, they may stri"e ti out:"ye these ancient Heroinaes, and transcend the excellent (atterns here recommendedB finding, that it is ?irtue alone that can embalm their +emories, and render them still fresh and amiable, e"en then when Age or 7ic%ness ha"e plowEd their Caces with wrinc%led furrows, and swept away the spar%ling 'lories of their >yes. <-p> To conclude9 .f the captious &orld shall a while lay aside its usual se"erities, and "ouchsafe any Acceptance of these our inconsiderable pains, Fnow confusedly huddled up in hast,G we shall use our utmost endea"ours in the second >dition to deser"e that fa"our, by some further Additions and >mbellishments.<-p> <l3><#l3> <l3><#l3> <l3><#l3> <l3><#l3> <lg><3><l>To %is Ingenio+s Friend<#l> <l>?r. %. ,&re"<#l> <l>Dn his *&ins in Tr&nsl& ing6 &nd<#l> <l>>e'ining his 5+&in (isco+rse<#l> <l>o' Fem&le *re-eminence.<#l><#3>

<l>ETis bra"ely done, dear CriendQ thus to >ngage<-l> <l>Cor the Cair 7ex, in this detracting Age,<-l> <l>&hen "ipErous Tongues so "irulently throwe<-l> <l>?enome at thise to whom their 0i"es they owe,<-l> <l>And each base Copp poor &omens Hudge doth sit,<-l> <l>&ho thin%s *ailing at them pro"es him a &it,<-l> <l>And therefore ;ams Eum, They2r all 3hores, heeEl cry,<-l> <l>ThoughEs +other and his 7ister both stand by9<-l> <l>,or want there 7quires oEthE 3uill to wound their ,ame,<-l> <l>And with foul .n% 4espatter their bright Came.<-l> <l>4ut as when *oyal (hLbus shews his Cace,<-l> <l>Those 7porads "anish which usurpt his placeB<-l> <l>7o all these blac%:mouthEd screeching 4irds of ,ight,<-l> <l>And by your 4oo% put to eternal Clight9<-l> <l><our 4oo%B Cor what you modestly do call<-l> <l>Translation, if with the /riginal<-l> <l>.t be comparEd, Etwill easily be %nown,<-l> <l>That the far better part on it is your own.<-l> <l><ou adde, correct, and so the &hole *efine,<-l> <l>That Etis no more AgrippaEs now, but thineB<-l> <l>He laid the (lot, but you the 0anguage bring,<-l> <l>And gi"Et a ;ress as glorious as the 7pring9<-l> <l>Choice &ords composEd in (eriods, that surpri)e<-l> <l>The >ar with most harmonious Cadencies,<-l> <l>7uch charming stile, which Crance it self admirEd,<-l> <l>&as thought tEha"e "anisht when 0o"e:;ay expirEdB<-l> <l>/ur >nglish (rose seemEd sun% e"er since then,<-l> <l>4ut now thereEs hopes youEl 4uoy it up agen9<-l> <l>Cor such fair 4lossomes in your <outh, presage<-l> <l>,o common Cruit from your maturer Age. <-l> <l3><#l3> <l>4ut what dost aim atR Ffor . must profess,<-l> <l>.n this Attempt, Etwill pu))le one to guessG<-l> <l>&eary of retail:0o"e, by this ;esign,<-l> <l>;ost thou intend to Court all &oman%indR<-l> <l>TE ingross their Ca"our, and ambitiously,<-l> <l>Affect 0o"es uni"ersal +onarchyR<-l> <l>/r do thy flames which to some one Aspire,<-l> <l>Transport thee, the whole 7ex thus to admireR<-l> <l>&hat eEre it bem unto thy pains and wit,<-l> <l>All 0adies must confess themsel"es in ;ebtB<-l> <l>And to thee, whence such /rnament they find,<-l> <l>TheyEr most ungratefull if they pro"e not %ind.<-l> <l>Their 7now:white Hands thy welcome 4oo% shall hold,<-l> <l>And sometimes wrapEt up in some sil%en Cold,<-l> <l>.n their sweet 4osomes suffer it to *est,<-l> <l>FAhQ whoEl not en"y it when Etis so 4lestRG<-l><-lg> <+><3>< i le><he&d rendcen er>Fem&le *re-eminence Dr The Excellenc2 o' h& )ex

-3ove he ?&le<# i le><#he&d rend><#3><#+> <! n=1:>Almighty 'od, to whose efficacious &ord all things owe their original, abounding in his own glorious >ssence with infinite goodness and fecundity, did in the beginning Create +an after his own li%eness, +ale and Cemale, created he themB the true distinction of which 7exes, consists merle in the different site of those parts of the body, wherein 'eneration necessarily requires a ;i"ersity9 for both +ale and Cemale he impartially* endued with the same, and altogether indifferent form of 7oul, the &oman being possessed of no less excellent Caculties of +ind, *eason, and 7peech, than the +an, and equally with him aspiring to those *egions of 4liss and 'lory, where there shall be no exception of 7ex. Cor though at the last Trumpets+ uni"ersal Alarm, when our recollected bodies shall start up ama)ed, to find themsel"es released from their (risons of ;ar%ness ,, we may perhaps appear in our respecti"e proper 7exes, yet shall we not then either need or ma%e use of 7ex, but are promised by him who is Truth itself, a Con"ersation resembling that of blessed Angels in Hea"en. Hence Etis e"ident, that as to the essence of the 7oul between +an and &oman, there can no (re:eminence at all be challenged on either side, but the same innate worth and dignity of both the .mage of their Creator being stamped as fairly, and shiningly as brightly in one, as the otherB whereas in all other respects the noble and delicate Ceminine *ace, does most to infinity excel that roughewn, boisterous %ind, the +ale. <-p> <! n=1.>This may at first seem an odd Assertion, and extra"agantly (aradoxical, but will appear a certain Truth, when we ha"e pro"ed it Fwhich is our present underta%ingG not with empty flourishes of words, or gaudy (aint of *hetoric, nor with those "ain 0ogical ;e"ices, where:with 7ophisters too frequently in"eigle unwary understandings, but by the Authority of the most Appro"ed Authors, unquestioned Histories, and e"ident *easons, as li%ewise with Testimonies of holy &rit, and 7anctions of both Ci"il and Canon 0aws. 7ince ,ames are signs of things, and that all matter presents itself to us clothed in words, the 0earned ha"e ad"ised us in all ;iscourses, Cirst, To consider diligently the ,otations or appellations of those things whereof we intend to Treat, which if we reduce to practice in our present 7ub8ect, we may obser"e, that &oman was made at first so much more excellent than +an, by how much she had gi"en her a ,ame more worthy than heB the word Adam, signifying but >arth, whereas >"e, is interpreted 0ifeB whence it seems, &oman is no less to be preferred before +an, than 0ife itself before sordid and contemptible >arth. ,or let any wea% heads fancy this Argument lame or in"alid, because from names it passes 8udgment on things, since it must be ac%nowledged, that the All: wise Contri"er both of names and things, well %new the things before he imposed names on themB and therefore Fit being impossible he should be decei"edG did undoubtedly bestow on them such fit and apposite names, as might best express their intrinsic ,atures and ;ignity. ,or is it only the holy Tongue that intimates this 7exEs (re:eminence, the 0atins too seem "ery express in asserting it, among whom &oman is named +ulier, quasi +elior, as much as to say, 4etter, or more worthy than +an. And in our >nglish 0anguage, although <-p> <l,><l><i>Some little 3its at 3oman rail and ban,</l> <l>S4earin, she2s called so, %uasi 4oe -an5 </l> <l>6et such 4ain Deri$ation are to blame, Since 7od himself -an2s hel meet name. </l> <l>3omen romote our 8oys, arta"e our 4oes, </l> <l>!ut 4e men 4or" our o4n, and their rethro$es-.. </l></i></l,>
* + , . /enesis 10!- 1o /od created man%ind in his o&n image) in the image of /od he created them; male and female he created them Revelation .01-! 'ngels sound 2rum(ets; ushering in the 3nd of the $orld Prisons of 4ar%ness- mortal bodies; no& stained b# 5riginal 1in Rethroves- an archaic &ord or miss(elling; no definition available 'n unrecorded ballad

<! n=1/>ETis too great a derogation from the %nown prudence and piety of our Ancestors, to imagine them as once so in8urious and impious, as to brand this noble 7ex with a ,ame, diametrically thwarting that Character which Hea"en itself had gi"en of its ,ature. &e may with much more probability, Fthe only Compass to fail by in an /cean of >tymologiesG suppose the word, &oman, to be deri"ed, quasi &oe man, she being the 0oadstone of +anEs ;esires, and the sole adequate /b8ect of his Affections, whom he is to woe, court, and settle his 0o"e onB or else from &ith +an, abbre"iated in the pronunciation, intimating the need +an has of her presence and company, and his dull heartless condition without her. 7ociety is the 0ife of 0ife, and &omen the 0ife of 7ociety, compared with whom all other pleasures and di"ersions are but flat and melancholyB whereof the (rotoplast, e"en while he was in his state of .nnocency, and had a 'arden of pleasure for his Habitation, was not insensibleB of whom thus a minor (oet, <-p> <l,><i><l>(dam alone in Paradise did ,rie$e,</l> <l>(nd thou,ht +den a Desert 4ithout +$e,</l> <l>'ntil 7od ityin, his Lonesome State,</l> <l>Cro4ned all his 3ishes 4ith a Lo$ely -ate.</l> <l>No reason then had man to fli,ht or flout her, </l> <l>3ho could not li$e in Paradise 4ithout her.6 </l></i></l,> <! n=18>Howe"er if we shall not be allowed the pri"ilege of contri"ing for the Honor of the Cemale 7ex, such ad"antageous >tymologies, yet let us at least affirm from the mysterious 0earning of the Cabalists, that the &omanEs ,ame in the original 0anguage, has a much nearer Affinity with the ineffable Tetragrammation, or sacred ,ame of the ;i"ine >ssence, than the +anEs which bears no *esemblance there to either in Characters, Cigure, or ,umber. <-p> <! n=1E>4ut wa"ing Fat presentG this abstruser mode of proof, as a matter read by few, understood by fewer, and requiring a more ample >xplication, than our leisure, no less than the *eaders patience, can here allow of, we proceed from words to things, and come to in"estigate and display Cemale >xcellency, not barely from the ,ame, but in *eality from its intrinsic worth and proper >ndowmentsB for long Tangling about ,ominals, while 7ubstances fleet by unregarded, may argue some smattering in 'rammar, or 7ophistry, but no great stoc% of solid or useful 0earning. <-p> <! n==0>0et us then Fas we are commandedG search the 7criptures, and dating our ;iscourse with the &orldEs original, examine what ;ignity was alotted to &oman abo"e +an, by order of Creation. &e %now that all things made by the Almighty Architect, may not unfitly be branched into these two *an%s, some remaining e"er incorruptible, others sub8ect to corruption and mutationB in the Creation of both which, ;i"ine &isdom proceeds in a +ethod of ;issension and Ascension, beginning with the more noble of the one, and concluding with the most noble of the other. >ssences, immaterial Angels and 7ouls, Ffor so the great 7t. Augustine17 contends, that the 7oul of our first (arent was created together with the Angels, before the production of his bodyG then the incorruptible bodies, as the Hea"ens, and those "ast numbers of glorious 7tars, wherewith the same are embroidered, as also the >lements, incorruptible too, but obnoxious to "arious mutations, of which last he composed all other things liable to corruption, beginning with the meanest, and so proceeding upwards again by se"eral degrees of dignity, to the perfection of the Ani"erseB so as first +inerals were brought forth, then sprouted up ?egetables, (lants, Herbs and Trees, afterwards (lant:AnimalsB then 0i"ing Creatures in order, creeping, swimming, flying, and four:footed, and last of all he formed our first (arents, after his own similitude, first the +an, and then the &oman, in whom was completed the Hea"ens and the
6 17 'n unrecorded ballad 1t 'ugustine of Hi((o- Influential *th Centur# Christian theologian

>arth, and all the glory of them, for after her Creation the great Creator rested, as ha"ing nothing more honorable to frameB and so well resented the pleasure of ha"ing finished this glorious wor% so happily, that he instituted a day of each se"en to celebrate its Cesti"al. &oman then being the last 11 of Creatures, the end, complement, and consummation of all the wor%s of 'od, what .gnorance is there so stupid, or what .mpudence can there be so affronted, as to deny her a (rerogati"e abo"e all other Creatures, without whom the &orld itself had been imperfect, it being impossible the same should be completed, but in some Creature most perfectB and absurd to dream, that .nfinite &isdom would conclude so noble a Cabric, with a thing any way tri"ial or defecti"e9 for the whole Ani"erse being Created by 'od, as an entire and perfect Circle, it was required the same should be made up, and finished in such an exact and absolute particle, as might with a most strict Tie unite and glue together the first of all things with the last. Thus the &oman in relation to time indeed was formed last, but in respect of ;ignity, first of all concei"ed in the di"ine .dea, Fas Etis written, 4efore the Hea"ens were created . chose herBG the >nd, according to the Catholic Creed on (hilosophers, being e"er first in .ntention, though last in execution9 but &oman was the >nd, and last wor% of 'od, and introduced into the &orld, not unli%e a 3ueen into her *oyal (alace, (aradise her +etropolitan *esidence, being fitted and prepared before:hand for her *eception and >ntertainment, where the +an seemed only her Harbinger or Attendant. ;eser"edly therefore does e"ery Creature lo"e, and pay respect and homage to her, who is of all Creatures the 3ueen, perfection and gloryB for which cause the wise +an says, He glorifies the 'enerosity of the &oman, ha"ing society with 'od, the 0ord of all has lo"ed her. <-p> <! n==1>4ut further, in reference to the place of her Creation, how much &oman does surpass +an in ;ignity, sacred /racles liberally inform us, witnessing her to be Created in (aradise, a place no less noble, than pleasant and delightfulB but the +an out of (aradise, in a rural Cield, with irrational 4rutes. And therefore as great (ersonages, of noble >xtraction, though by the malice of Cortune reduced to >xtremities, retain still some mar%s of 'randeur, and a +ean different from the ?ulgar, so &oman carries yet an Air of (aradise, something that spea%s her sublime dissent, her .nclinations being generally more pious and de"out, and her Countenance Angelical, and Fas accustomed to that sublime place of her first 4irthG she en8oys this peculiar pri"ilege, that loo%ing downwards, though from ne"er so high a precipice, she is not sei)ed with that di))iness or dimness of sight, which frequently in such accidents happens to +en. As also if a +an and woman together chance to be exposed to danger by &ater, Fdepri"ed of all external aid or assistanceG you may behold her a long time floating on the Crystal 7uperficies, the compassionate >lement seeming unwilling to contract the guilt of destroying so much >xcellencyB while the +an straight sin%s, and Fli%e other gross bodiesG tends to the bottom, as his proper Center. ,ow that the dignity of the place of ,ati"ity conduces not a little to the ennobling a person, both the Ci"il 0aws1!, and sacred Canons plainly intimate, and the Custom of all ,ations confirmsB and that not only in +en, but in all other Animals, yea inanimate Creatures, esteeming each so much more generous and noble, as they come from a more worthy place. Thus .saac commands his Hacob not to ta%e a &ife of the 0and of Canaan, but of the then more renowned Country, +esopotamia of 7yria9 not unli%e which is that in Hohn, where (hilip relating, that he had found Hesus of ,a)areth, ,athaniel1" Fthat true .sraeliteG nimbly queries, .f any thing good could come thenceR <-p> <! n===>4ut to proceedB as in order and place, so also in matter of her Creation, &oman far exceeds +an. Things recei"e their "alue from the matter they are made of, and the excellent s%ill of their ma%er9 (ots of common Clay must not contend with China:;ishes, nor (ewter Atensils "ie dignity with those of 7il"er. /ne 0ine drawn by Appelles1* his exquisite (encil, is more to be esteemed, than whole
11 In the Boo% of /enesis) 3ve is created out of 'dam8s rib) ma%ing her the final creation of /od 1! 3uro(ean la& &hich is based on late Roman la& 1" 9athaniel- an '(ostle of :esus 1* '((elles- reno&ned (ainter in 'ncient /reece

(ortraitures performed by the slubbering hands of "ulgar Artists. &oman was not composed of any inanimate or "ile dirt, but of a more refined and purified substance, enli"ened and actuated by a *ational 7oul, whose operations spea% it a 4eam, or bright *ay of ;i"inity. +an was ta%en out of the >arth, which of its own nature, with the co:operation of Celestial .nfluxes, is wont to bring forth li"ing Creatures9 but &oman, abo"e all .nfluence of the Hea"ens, or aptitude of ,ature, without any assisting "irtue, or co:operating power, was formed miraculously by 'od himself, out of that *ib ta%en from dormant AdamEs side whereby +an became maimed and imperfectB and thence e"er since, as a ,eedle that has suffered the +agnetic Touch, stands always trembling Etil it loo%s full on its belo"ed ,orthB so He can ne"er rest, will by ta%ing a &oman, and .ncorporating her with himself, he retrie"es that loss, and render himself again entire and perfect. The rare Art exercised in rearing this Cemale:Cabric, is not obscurely intimated by the ;i"ine Historian, in his /riginal 0anguage, where 'od is said to ma%e +an, but to ha"e built &omanB that implying but common wor%, this, much curiosity, and contri"ance9 insomuch +an seems little more than the production of ,atureB &oman, the more immediate handiwor% of the 'od of ,ature. And therefore for the most part &oman is more susceptible of, and replenished with di"ine splendor and irradiance, than +an, of which her incomparable ,eatness, and charming 4eauty, may be a pregnant e"idenceB for 4eauty is nothing but the brightness or radiancy of ;i"ine 0ight, shining in created >ssences, and casting on us its glorious *eflections from fair bodies, as illustriously as our wea% eyes are capable without da))ling to behold it. And this most frequently chooses to reside in &oman, rather than +anB whence she becomes beyond all expression amiable and delightful, her Clesh tender and delicate, her Color bright and clear, her Hair most becoming, her 0oc%s FCupidEs Cetters, and the only Threads wherewith he strings his 4owG soft, long, and glittering, her Countenance more August and +a8estical, her 0oo%s more sprightly, "i"id and 8ocundB a snow:white ,ec%, and large smooth high Core:headB 7par%ling >yes, armed with irresistible 'lances, and yet tempered with a lo"ely grace and cheerfulness, Arched o"er with stately >ye:brows, Fhalf +oons, that boast more Conquests, than the proud Tur%ish >nsignsG which being di"ided with a beseeming, plain, and equal distance, her well proportioned ,ose leads to her pretty +outh, and that displaying with an amorous 7mile, the rosy (ortals of its soft ruddy 0ips, disco"ers a *ow of inestimable (earl, her fine small Teeth, e"en, and out:"ieing ."ory for whiteness, yet fewer in number than +ans, as ha"ing less occasion to use them, being neither great >ater, nor 4iter. Then her modest Chee%s, whose Colors are so purely mixed, that 0ilies and *oses seem there to contend for 7uperiority, and her pretty round Chin, beautified with a 0o"e:dimpleB a ?oice she has most sweet and enchantingB 4reasts which seem two 7pheres of 7now, or swelling +ountains of ;elightB long Arms, little Hands, interwo"en with a curious 0abyrinth of A)ure ?einsB long slender Cingers, nimble Hoints, and all parts of her body plump, 8uicy, and attracti"e. 4esides, her 'ate is so modest, her +otions decent and natural, her 'esture more free and noble, her Air more ta%ing and complacent, and the whole Corm, Habit, and 7ymmetry of her person, graced with such innumerable Charms, as without in8uring truth, we may affirm, That in the whole 7eries of Creatures there is nothing so much to be admired, or miracle so deser"ing to be seen, since in her alone all that ha"e not their eyes bleared with pre8udice or en"y, may clearly see, the great Creator Fwho is the Countain of all that is good and amiableG has epitomi)ed the 4eauty of all his other wor%sB for those perfections which 7par%le here and there in them, are collected and constellated in her, whom we may call, a ;raft of the whole Creation in +iniature, or a Copy of that "ast ?olume done in exquisite 7hort:hand. Hence all Creatures admire, lo"e, and almost adore herB for so FK 0ib. 7. ,at. Hist.G (liny1+ Fthat great Cler% of ,ature ClosetG relates, That the 0ion which spares no other Creature, trembles at a &oman, and hardly proffers her that "iolence which usually he does to +anB as if ,ature had taught that sa"age Animal the *espect due to so fair a presence. ,or is it only the Conceit of fond /pinion, but a "ery credible Truth, That e"en 7piritual ,atures, incorporeal >ssences, and ;emons, ha"e many times been enamored on &omen with wonderful passionB for omitting those 7tories (oets
1+ Plin# the 3lder- reno&ned Roman statesman &ho lived in the 1st Centur# ' 4

tell us, of the Amours of their fabulous ;eities, as Apollo and ;aphne, ,eptune and 7almonea 1,, or rampant Hercules with his three &enches, Hebe, 1- Cole, and /mphale1., Dc. The holy 7cripture seems to intimate no lessB as in 'enesis 16 we find, That the 7ons of 'od seeing the ;aughters of +en were fair, too% of them for their &i"es9 to which we might add, Fif it be not thought too ApocryphalG the ill spirit Asmodeus!7, who so 8ealously Courted the 0ady, that he destroyed all his *i"als, in the History of Tebit. .ndeed these sacred *oll are frequent in recommending this di"ine /rnament, 4eauty, and furnish us with "arious >xamples of its power and excellency. Thereby it was Abigail preser"ed her churlish HusbandEs 0ife and fortune, from the fury of incensed ;a"id !1B for thus the *oyal Curtain accosts her, *eturn in peace, RRR Rheard thy usiRR, and honored thy face, For as other ?ersions render it, Accepted thy person.G All beauty is either intellectual, "ocal, or corporealB in each of which this 0ady is recorded to ha"e been eminently accomplished, being both prudent in mind, eloquent of speech, and beautiful in person, for which excellent perfections, ;a"id after ,abalEs!! decease accepted her for one of his &i"es. HesterEs 4eauty was a means to deli"er her people out of the 8aws of destruction, to which proud Haman had de"oted them. And fair HudithEs!" Charms infatuating the besotted 'eneral, preser"ed her ,ation from a *uin which seemed ine"itable. After those "arious temptations and tedious affliction of holy Hob, Hea"en Fas if it could now bestow a better earthly *eward on such a stupendous and inimitable (atienceG blessed him with three ;aughters so sweet, fair and attracti"e, that they surpassed those 'races (oets fable of, and the whole &orld F4an%rupt of such other >xcellencyG could not produce their (arallels. &ho reading the 0egends of the sacred ?irgins, can but admire in them that transcendent 4eauty, which the church "ouchsafes to celebrate with such solemn >ulogies of Honor and especially that immodest ?irgin, the blessed +ary !*, whose 4eauty is said to be so exactly tempered with Chastity and Holiness, that though it capti"ated all hearts, yet is ne"er tempted any to folly, so much RR in thought. ,or is 4eauty only esteemed amongst +en, but 7eems also to be particularly regarded e"en by 'od himself, Fas indeed how can he but respect his own *eflections.G<-p><-body>

1, 11. 16 !7 !1 !! !" !*

' list of Roman deities Hebe- /ree% goddess of #outh 5m(hale- daughter of Iardanus) either a %ing of ;#dia) or a river-god /enesis ,01-. 'smodeus- ' demon found in the Boo% of 2obit) &hich is included in the Catholic Bible) but not in Protestant Bibles 4avid- King of Israel; an im(ortant figure in the 5ld 2estament 9abal- a businessman in the 5ld 2estament &ho offended 4avid and &as saved b# his daughter8s (leading to 4avid :udith- a female 5ld 2estament hero &ho assassinated an 'ss#rian general) saving her hometo&n 2he Blessed <irgin =ar#- =other of :esus; (articularl# venerated b# Catholics) 5rthodo> Christians) and 'nglicans

<he&d rendcen er>Index<#he&d rend> Adam, S, $, Appelles, =, Angeles, S, , , Asmodeus, I, Catholic Creed, Ci"il 0aw, = Chastity, J Clare, Henry, J, ! ;a"id, J, ;eities Apollo and ;aphnes, I, Cle and /mphale, I 'enesis, Hebe, I Hester, J Hesus, = Hudith, J, 2atherine, 3ueen, J, +ary, J +esopotamia, =, ,abal, J, ,athaniel, =, ,ati"ity, =, (liny, I

<he&d rendcen er><3><+>1orAs ,i ed<#+><#3><#he&d rend> 4ryant, Arthur. 9in, Charles **. 0ondon9 0ongmans, 'reen and Co., SI . 5Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa of ,ettesheim.6 CATH/0.C >,C<C0/(>.;A. &eb. http9--www.newad"ent.org-cathen-$ =I c.htm Faccessed ,o"ember , =$ IG. Hordan, Constance. 5Ceminism and Humanists9 The Case of 7ir Thomas >lyotEs ;efense of 'ood &omen Constance Hordan.6 *enaissance 3uarter. ?ol TI!, ,o. =.