Page:The whole familiar colloquies of Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam.djvu/345

THE ASSEMBLY OR PARLIAMENT OF WOMEN. 341 emperor had a parliament of men to consult of their common affairs, so his mother Augusta should have her parliament of women to trans- act the affairs of their own sex ; which the men, either by way of drollery or distinction, called the little senate. This precedent, which has been omitted for so many years, the present posture of our affairs obliges us to revive. Neither let any one be scrupulous, because the apostle Paul forbids a woman to speak in the assembly that he calls a church ; for he speaks of an assembly of men, and this is an assembly of women. Otherwise, if women must always hold their tongues, to what purpose did Nature give them, which are as voluble as men's, and a voice that is shriller ? although they make a hoarser sound, and thereby resemble asses more than we do. But this ought to be the care of us all, to manage our debates with that gravity, that the men may not call our assembly a conventicle, or by some other more scandalous name, and they are used to be forward enough to be scurrilous in their lan- guage to us ; although, if one might estimate their parliaments accord- ing to truth, they will appear more womanish than the assemblies of women themselves.

We see monarchs have done nothing but fight for these I do not know how many years. The students of divinity, priests, bishops, and people are at daggers-drawn, and there are as many opinions as there are men in the world, and they are more inconsistent in them than we women ourselves are. One city does not agree with another, nor one neighbour with another. If the supreme administration were entrusted in our hands, I am mistaken if the world would not be managed at a better rate than now it is. Perhaps it may not become our female modesty to charge such noble personages with folly ; but I suppose I may be allowed to recite what Solomon has written in the thirteenth chapter of his Proverbs : " There is always contention among the proud, but they that do everything by counsel are governed, by wisdom."

But that I may not detain you any longer with a tedious pream- ble, to the end that all things may be carried on decently and without confusion, in the first place it will be necessary to consider who shall be allowed as members, and who shall be excluded. For too great a company will make it look more like a mob and a riot than a grave assembly ; and if we take in too few, it will seem to be something tyrannical. Therefore I humbly conceive that no virgin is to be admitted as a member ; because many things may happen to be debated that are not proper for them to hear. Ju. But how shall we be able to know who are virgins and who are not 1 Will you allow all those to be virgins that pass for such 1 Go. No ; but my meaning is, that none but married women be admitted among us. Ju. But there are virgins among those that are married ; such as have fumblers for their husbands. Co, Well, but this honour shall be allowed to a married state, that all that have been married shall be allowed to be women. Ju. Under your favour, if you exclude none but virgins, we shall still have too great a number.

Co. Well, then, those shall be excluded that have been more than thrice married. Ju. For what reason 1 Co. Because they ought to have their quietus est, as being superannuated. And I am of opinion that we ought to do the same by those that are upwards of seventy years