[print edition page number: 68]

Joan Sharp

A Defense of Women, Against the Author of the Arraignment of Women^[1]

From Esther Sowernam, Esther Hath Hanged Haman (1617)

An idle companion was raging of late,
Who in fury ’gainst women expresseth his hate.
He writeth a book, an Arraignment he calleth,
In which against women he currishly bawleth.
He deserveth no answer but in ballad or rhyme,                         5
Upon idle fantastics^[2] who would cast away time.
Any answer may serve an impudent liar,
Any mangy scab’d^[3] horse doth fit a scal’d^[4] squire.
In the ruff of^[5] his fury, for so himself saith,
The blasphemous companion he shamefully playeth.              10
The woman for a “helper” God did make, he doth say,
But to “help to consume and spend all away.”
Thus, at God’s creation to flout and to jest;
Who but an atheist would so play the beast?
The scriptures do prove that when Adam did fall                      15
(And to death and damnation was thereby a thrall),^[6]
Then woman was a “helper,” for by her blessed seed,
From hell and damnation all mankind was freed.
He saith women are froward,^[7] which the rib doth declare,
For like as the rib, so they crooked are.  [68]                                20
The rib was her subject for body^[8] we find,
But from God came her soul and dispose^[9] of her mind.
Let no man think much, if women compare,
That in their creation they much better are.
More blessings therein to women do fall                                      25
Then unto mankind have been given at all.
Women were the last work,^[10] and therefore the best,
For what was the end, excelleth the rest.
For woman’s more honor, it was so assign’d,^[11]
She was made of the rib of metal refin’d.^[12]                               30
The country doth also the woman more grace,
For Paradise is far the more excellent place.
Yet women are mischievous (this author doth say),
But scriptures to that directly say nay.
God said, “’twixt the woman and serpent for ever,                    35
Strong hatred he would put, to be qualified never.”^[13]
The woman being hateful to the serpent’s condition,
How excellent is she in her disposition!
The serpent with men in their works may agree,
But the serpent with women? That never may be.                     40
If you ask how it happens some women prove nought,^[14]
By men turn’d^[15] to serpents they are over-wrought.^[16]
What the serpent began, men follow that still,
They tempt what they may to make women do ill.
They will tempt and provoke and follow us long;                       45
They deceive us with oaths and a flattering tongue.
To make a poor maiden or woman a whore,
They care not how much they spend of their store.
But where is there a man that will anything give
That woman or maid may with honesty live?                              50
If they yield to lewd counsel, they nothing shall want,
But for to be honest,^[17] then all things are scant. [69]
It proves a bad nature in men doth remain:
To make women lewd, their purses they strain.
For a woman that’s honest they care not a whit,                        55
They’ll say she is honest because she lacks wit.
They’ll call women whores, but their stakes they might save:
There can be no whore, but there must be a knave.
They say that our dressing and that our attire
Are causes to move them to lustful fire.                                         60
Of all things which are, we evermore find
Such thoughts do arise as are like to the mind.
Men’s thoughts being wicked, they wrack on^[18] us thus
That scandal is taken, not given by us.
If their sight be so weak and their frailty be such,                       65
Why do they then gaze at our beauty so much?
Pluck away those ill roots whence sin doth arise;
Amend wicked thoughts, or pluck out the eyes!
The humors of men, see how froward they be?
We know not to please them in any degree.                                70
For if we go plain, we are sluts (they do say);
They doubt of our honesty if we go gay.^[19]
If we be honest and merry, for giglots^[20] they take us;
If modest and sober, then proud they do make us.
Be we housewifely^[21] quick, then a shrew he doth keep;        75
If patient and mild, then he scorneth a sheep.^[22]
What can we devise to do or to say,
But men do wrest all things the contrary way?
’Tis not so uncertain to follow the wind
As to seek to please men of so humorous^[23] mind.                   80
Their humors are giddy, and never long lasting;
We know not to please them, neither full nor yet fasting. [70]
Either we do too little, or they do too much;
They strain our poor wits, their humors are such.
They say women are proud; wherein made they trial?               85
They mov’d^[24] some lewd suit, and had the denial.
To be crossed in such suits, men cannot abide,
And thereupon we are entitled^[25] with pride.
They say we are cursed and froward by kind;^[26]
Our mildness is changed where raging we find.                         90
A good Jack (says the proverb) doth make a good Jill,
A curst, froward husband doth change women’s will.
They use us (they say) as necessary evils;
We have it from them, for they are our devils.
When they are in their rages and humorous fits,                       95
They put us poor women half out of our wits.
Of all naughty women, name one (if you can);
If she proved bad, it came by a man.
Fair Helen forsook her husband of Greece;
A man called Paris betrayed that peace.^[27]                                100
Medea did rage and did shamefully murder;
A Jason was cause which her mischief did further.^[28]
A Cressid was false and changed her love;
Diomedes her heart by constraint did remove.^[29]
In all like example the world may see:                                         105
Where women prove bad, there men are not free.
But in those offences they have the most share;
Women would be good, if serpents would spare.
Let women and maids whatsoever they be
Come follow my counsel, be warned by me.                             110
Trust not men’s suits; their love proveth lust;
Both hearts, tongues, and pens do all prove unjust.
How fair they will speak and write in their love,
But put them to trial, how false do they prove?
They love hot at first, when the love is a stranger,  [71]               115
But they will not be tied to rack and to manger.^[30]
What love call you that when men are a wooing
And seek nothing else but shame and undoing?
As women in their faults I do not commend,
So wish I all men their lewd suits they would end.                  120
Let women alone, and seek not their shame;
You shall have no cause then women to blame.
’Tis like that this author against such doth bawl,
Who by his temptations have gotten a fall.
For he who of women so wickedly deemeth                              125
Hath made them dishonest, it probably seemeth.
He hath been a traveler (it may be well so),
By his tales and reports as much we do know.
He promiseth more poison against women to thrust;
He doth it for physic,^[31] or else he would brust.^[32]               130
Thus I bid him farewell till next we do meet,
And then as cause moveth, so shall we greet.