Page:The Arraignment of Lewd, Idle, Froward, and Unconstant Women (1622).djvu/23

 if a womans face gliſter, & her geſture pierce the Marble wall; or if her Tongue be ſo ſmooth as Oyle, and ſo ſoft as Silke, and her words ſo ſweet as Honey; or if ſhe were a very Ape for wit, or a bagge of Gold for wealth; or if her Perſonage haue ſtolne away all that Nature can affoord, and ſhe be deckt vp in gorgeous apparrell: then a thouſand to one but ſhee will loue to walke where ſhee may get acquaintance; and acquaintance bringeth familiaritie, and familiaritie ſetteth all follies abroach; and twenty to one, that if a woman loue gadding, but that ſhe will pawne her honeſty to pleaſe her fantaſie.

Man muſt be at all the coſt, and yet liue by the loſſe; a man muſt take all the paines, and women will ſpend all the gaines: A man muſt watch and ward, fight and defend, till the Ground, labour in the Vineyard; and looke what he getteth in ſeuen yeeres, a woman will ſpread it abroad with a Forke in one yeere, and yet little enough to ſerue his turne, but a great deale too little to get her good will: Nay, if thou giue her neuer ſo much, and yet if thy perſonage pleaſe not her humour, then will I not giue a halfe-penny for her honeſtie at the yeeres end: For then her Breſt will be the harbourer of an enuious heart, and her heart the ſtore-houſe of poyſoned hatred: her head will deuiſe villany, and her hands are readie to practiſe that which her heart deuiſeth.

Then who can but ſay, that Women ſprung from the Deuill, whoſe heads, hands, hearts, minds and ſoules are euill? for women are called the hooke of all euill, becauſe men are taken by them, as Fiſh is taken by the hooke. For women haue a thouſand wayes to entice thee, and ten thouſand wayes to deceiue thee, and all ſuch fooles as