[print edition page number: 23]

Aemilia Lanyer

To the Virtuous Reader (1611)^[1]

[print edition page number: 23]
Often have I heard that it is the property^[2] of some women not only to emulate^[3] the virtues and perfections of the rest, but also by all their powers of ill speaking to eclipse the brightness of their deserved fame. Now contrary to this custom, which men I hope unjustly lay to their charge, I have written this small volume, or little book, for the general use of all virtuous ladies and gentlemen of this kingdom and in commendation of some particular persons of our own sex, such as for the most part are so well known to my self and others, that I dare undertake Fame dares not to call any better. And this have I done to make known to the world that all women deserve not to be blamed, though some forgetting they are women themselves, and in danger to be condemned by the words of their own mouths, fall into so great an error as to speak unadvisedly against the rest of their sex. Which if it be true, I am persuaded they can show their own imperfection in nothing more and therefore could wish (for their own ease, modesties, and credit) they would refer such points of folly to be practiced by evil-disposed men, who forgetting they were born of women, nourished of women, and that if it were not by the means of women they would be quite extinguished out of the world and a final end of them all, do like vipers deface the wombs wherein they were bred, only to give way and utterance to their want of discretion and goodness. Such as these were they that dishonored Christ, his apostles, and prophets, putting them to shameful deaths. Therefore, we are not to regard any imputations that they^[4] undeservedly lay upon us, no otherwise than to make use of them to our own benefit as spurs to virtue, making us fly all occasions that may color their unjust speeches to pass current,^[5] especially considering that they have tempted even the patience of God himself, who gave power to wise and virtuous women to bring down their pride and arrogancy, as was cruel Cesarus by the discrete counsel of noble Deborah, judge and prophetess [24] of Israel; and resolution of Jael, wife of Heber the Kenite;^[6] wicked Haman, by the divine prayers and prudent proceedings of beautiful Hester;^[7] blasphemous Holofernes, by the invincible courage, rare wisdom, and confident carriage of Judith;^[8] and the unjust judges by the innocency of chaste Susanna;^[9] with infinite others, which for brevity’s sake I will omit. As also in respect it pleased our lord and savior Jesus Christ without the assistance of man, being free from original and all other sins from the time of his conception till the hour of his death, to be begotten of a woman, born of a woman, nourished of a woman, obedient to a woman. And he healed women, pardoned women, comforted women, yea, even when he was in his greatest agony and bloody sweat, going to be crucified, and also in the last hour of his death, took care to dispose of a woman.^[10] After his resurrection, he appeared first to a woman, sent a woman to declare his most glorious resurrection to the rest of his disciples.^[11] Many other examples I could allege of diverse faithful and virtuous women, who have in all ages not only been confessors,^[12] but also endured most cruel martyrdom for their faith in Jesus Christ. All which is sufficient to enforce all good Christians and honorable-minded men to speak reverently of our sex and especially of all virtuous and good women. To the modest censures of both which, I refer these my imperfect endeavors, knowing that according to their own excellent dispositions they will rather cherish, nourish, and increase the least spark of virtue where they find it, by their favorable and best interpretations, than quench it by wrong constructions.^[13] To whom I wish all increase of virtue and desire their best opinions. [25]

Eve’s Apology in Defense of Women^[14]
From Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum (1611)

Now Pontius Pilate is to judge the cause
Of faultless Jesus, who before him stands;^[15]
Who neither hath offended prince, nor laws,
Although he now be brought in woeful bands.
O noble governor,^[16]make thou yet a pause,                   5
Do not in innocent blood imbrue^[17] thy hands;

But hear the words of thy most worthy wife,

Who sends to thee, to beg her savior’s life.^[18]

Let barb’rous cruelty far depart from thee,
And in true justice take affliction’s part;                        10
Open thine eyes, that thou the truth may’st see.
Do not the thing that goes against thy heart,
Condemn not him that must thy Savior be;
But view his holy life, his good desert.^[19]

Let not us women glory in men’s fall,                             15

Who had power given to overrule us all.

Till now your indiscretion sets us free,
And makes our former fault much less appear;
Our mother Eve, who tasted of the tree,
Giving to Adam what she held most dear,                     20
Was simply good, and had no power to see;
The after-coming harm did not appear: [26]

The subtle^[20] serpent that our sex betrayed

Before our fall so sure a plot had laid.

That undiscerning ignorance perceiv’d                           25
No guile, or craft that was by him intended;
For had she known of what we were bereaved,^[21]
To his request she had not condescended.^[22]
But she (poor soul) by cunning was deceiv’d;
No hurt therein her harmless heart intended:                30

For she alleged^[23] God’s word, which he^[24] denies,

That they should die, but even as gods be wise.

But surely Adam can not be excused;
Her fault though great, yet he was most to blame;
What weakness offered, strength might have refused,     35
Being lord of all, the greater was his shame.
Although the serpent’s craft had her abused,
God’s holy word ought all his actions frame,

For he was lord and king of all the earth,

Before poor Eve had either life or breath,^[25]          40

Who being framed^[26] by God’s eternal hand,
The perfect’st man that ever breathed on earth;
And from God’s mouth received that strait^[27] command,
The breach whereof he knew was present death;
Yea, having power to rule both sea and land,                  45
Yet with one apple won to lose that breath

Which God had breathed in his beauteous face,

Bringing us all in danger and disgrace.

And then to lay the fault on patience back,
That we (poor women) must endure it all. [27]                   50
We know right well he did discretion^[28] lack,
Being not persuaded thereunto at all.
If Eve did err, it was for knowledge sake;
The fruit being fair persuaded him to fall:

No subtle serpent’s falsehood did betray him;          55

If he would eat it, who had power to stay^[29] him?

Not Eve, whose fault was only too much love,
Which made her give this present to her dear,
That what she tasted, he likewise might prove,^[30]
Whereby his knowledge might become more clear;         60
He never sought her weakness to reprove
With those sharp words which he of God did hear;

Yet men will boast of knowledge, which he took

From Eve’s fair hand, as from a learned book.

If any evil did in her remain,                                             65
Being made of him, he was the ground of all.^[31]
If one of many worlds^[32] could lay a stain
Upon our sex, and work so great a fall
To wretched man by Satan’s subtle train,^[33]
What will so foul a fault amongst you all?                      70

Her weakness did the serpent’s words obey,

But you in malice God’s dear Son betray,

Whom, if unjustly you condemn to die,
Her sin was small to what you do commit;
All mortal sins^[34] that do for vengeance cry              75
Are not to be compared unto it.
If many worlds would altogether try
By all their sins the wrath of God to get,

This sin of yours surmounts them all as far

As doth the sun another little star.  [28]                   80

Then let us have our liberty again,
And challenge^[35] to your selves no sovereignty.
You came not in the world without our pain,^[36]
Make that a bar against your cruelty;
Your fault being greater, why should you disdain     85
Our being your equals, free from tyranny?

If one weak woman simply did offend,

This sin of yours hath no excuse nor end,

To which (poor souls) we never gave consent.
Witness thy wife, O Pilate, speaks for all,                   90
Who did but dream, and yet a message sent
That thou should’st have nothing to do at all
With that just man which, if thy heart relent,
Why wilt thou be a reprobate with Saul^[37]

To seek the death of him that is so good,              95

For thy soul’s health to shed his dearest blood?