Desiderius Erasmus

“ Had not your mother bene contented to lose that flower of hir virginitie, surely we had not had this flower of your beautie. So that in case (as I hope) our mariage be not barren, for the losse of one virgine we shall paye God manye.
Ma. But they saye chastitie is a thing wherein God is much delighted.
Pam. And therefore doe I desire to couple my selfe in mariage with a chast mayden, that with hir I may leade a chaste life. As for our mariage it shall rather be a mariage of our minds, than of our bodies, we shall increase vnto Christ, we shall increase vnto the cōmon welth. ”

“ It went to your heart to heare the good aduertisements of your father, here you must often tymes take in good parte, euen the stripes of dronkardes, and madbraines, you coulde awaye with no maner of worke, when you were with your friendes, to helpe towardes your lyuing, but in this place what trouble, what continuall watcking are you faine to sustaine?
Lu. From whence (and God will) coms this new prating preacher.
So. Now I praye thee, haue this also in thy minde. The flower of beautie, which is the baite that allureth men to loue thee, in shorte time it shall fade, and decaye. ”

“ They that resort vnto thee, doe not take thee for their loue, but rather for their luste, see howe thou hast debased thy selfe wretched Woman. Christ helde thee so deere, that hee vouchsafed to redeeme thee with his most precious bloud, to the ende, thou mightest partake with him in his heauenlye kingdome. And thou makest thy selfe a cõmon Gonge, or muckhill wherevnto fowle and filthy, scalde, and scuruie, doth at their pleasure resort, to shake off their filth and corruption. ”

“ But why do you not againe take from hir, hir soule, and serue hir as they saye, with the same sause.
Pam. The happiest in the worlde, were I, if I could make that exchaunge (I meane) that hir minde might come dwell in my brest, in sorte as mine hath wholye dwelled in hir body.
Ma. But wil you giue me leaue now eftsones a while to play the Sophister his part with you?
Pam. Nay the Sophistresse parte.
Ma. Is it possible that one and the same bodie both haue the soule and be without the soule.
Pam. Not both togither or at one time.
Ma. When the soule is awaye, then the body (you say) is deade. ”

“ And yet, whatsoeuer shal mischaunce vnto vs two, yours shoulde be but the one halfe thereof, the greater parte I will alwaies take vnto mine owne selfe. So that if anie good thing doe happen vnto vs oure pleasure shall be dubble if anye euill betide vs, you shall haue but the one halfe of the griefe, and I the other. As for my selfe, if God so woulde, it were vnto me a pleasure, euen to ende my life in your armes.
Ma. Men can better sustaine and beare with yt which chaunceth according to the common course and rule of nature. ”

“ And do not take into your counsaile, this blind affection borne towardes my person, but rather reason, for that which affection decerneth is liked for a reasō, but that which reason auiseth is neuer mislyked.
Pam. Certes thou speakest like a wittie wench; wherefore I intende to followe thy counsayle.
Ma. You shall not repent you thereof, but how he sirha there is now fallen into my minde a doubt, which vexeth mée sore.
Pam. Away with all such doubtes for Gods sake.
Ma. Why will you haue me marry my selfe to a dead man. ”

“ Whye not, euen as by drinking of wine moderately, we learn by little and little to forbeare wine vtterlye, which of these two seemeth vnto thée to be more temperat, he that sitting in the mids of many daintie dishes, abstaineth from them all, or he which forbeareth intemperauncie, hauing none occasiō to moue him vnto the same? ”

“ Verily by my consent the latter shal haue the praise of chastitie, that other of mad follie.
Pam. Why? those which by vowe haue abiured matrimonye doe they not after a sort gelde themselues?
Maria. Verily it séemeth so.
Pam. Thus you sée, it is no vertue to forbeare womens companie.
Maria. Is it no vertue?
Pam. Marke me this, if it were simplye a vertue to forbeare the companie of a woman, then shoulde it be also a vice to vse the companie of a woman, but sometime it befalleth that it is sin to refuse the acte, and a vertue to vse it. ”

“ What meane you by that you speak of him that dwelleth within?
Pam. Verily, I meane your well disposed and vertuous minde, whose beawtie alwayes encreaseth with age.
Ma. What, your sight is yet more pleasant than Linx, if you can espie that, through so many couerings.
Pam. Yea certes with my mind I doe right well espie your minde: moreouer (I saye) in those children which God shall sende vs, wée shall as it were, ware yong againe.
Maria. But in the meane time virginitie is lost. ”

“ Now our age, substance, estimation, and bloude are as well betwéene vs two, as betwéene both our parentes in a maner equall. Lastly that which in friendship is the chiefe thing, your maners séemeth not the worste to square vnto my minde and liking, for it maye bee that a thing is simply and of it selfe right excellent and yet not apt and méete for some vse. ”

“ Why? I say not that the wench murthereth bicause she is beloued, but bicause she loueth not againe the party which loueth hir: for (truth it is) she is guilty of murther, which might saue a mans life and will not.
Ma. I put case a yong man cast his loue vpon one, which he ought not to loue, or maye not lawfully obtaine, as an other man hys wyfe, or a Virgine, which hath professed continuall chastitie, shall she loue him againe, so to preserue and saue hir louer? ”

“ Either take an husband (so doing we wyll contribute some thing to preferre you) eyther else get you into some godly Colledge or Monestery which receyueth those that haue done amisse, vpon promise of amendment, or at the leastwyse departing from this place, betake your selfe into the seruice of some vertuous and well disposed Matrone. ”

“ That soule which after a sort gouerneth the bodye of a liuing creature being in suche case is improperly called the soule, for in very dede it is a certaine small portion of the soule, which remaineth behind, euen as the sauor of Roses tarieth still in the hande of him, which bare them, when ye very Roses themselues be done away. ”

“ Pam. What shall he doe: the gods fore let him. I will prognosticate none euill vnto one, whome I beare good will.
Ma. Yet tell me I pray you, I will take no conceit of it.
Pam. Then will I tell you if you shall disdaine this louer, who doubtlesse is not vnworthie your loue, verily I beleue, that same boy (peraduenture at the cōmaundement of his mother) wyll thirle into your heart a launce embrued with to bad a poyson, wherby you shal set your affection miserably vppon some hoblout, who shall not loue you any whit againe. ”

“ Hast not thou of thine accorde renounced & forsaken all naturall affections and loues, your father, mother, brethren, sistrene, aunt, great aunt, & whomsoeuer beside nature hath linked vnto thee for they in verye deede, are full euill ashamed of thee, and thou darest not once come into their sight. ”

“ Secondly, you wil not denie but he which reaueth the soule, wherein consisteth life, is a murtherer.
Ma. I consent.
Pam. You will I am sure graunt me this lykewyse, which most graue and credible Authors haue affirmed, & by the consent and iudgement of all ages hath bene holden truth and allowed, (I meane) that the soule of a man is not where he liueth, but where he loueth. ”

“ What, so proper a wench with so vnsightly a péece?
Pam. He had a head made like a sugar lofe, the heare thereof growing as it were by stitches and that knotted, vnkempt, full of scurfe and nittes, and a good parte of hys Alopecia is a disease that causeth the heare to pill off. scalpe was bared by the disease called Alopecia, his eies sunk into his head, his nosethrils wide & turning vpwardes, a mouth like an Ouen with rotten téeth, and a stamering tongue, a scuruy beard, a hunch backe, a belly like a tode, and legges as right as a paire of horse hāmes. ”

“ Pam. Bicause (pardie) the soule or minde is in heauen, where it hath that which it vehemently loueth, & is not present with the body.
Ma. And what is next? what conclude you vpon this?
Pam. Askest thou what O cruell? euen this necessarily followeth, my selfe to be deade, and thy selfe to bée a murtherer.
Ma. Why, where is your soule become and God wil? ”

“ But howe commeth this newe holinesse vpon you, who were wont to be amongst all the little goods, yet one of the least, for no man repaired hither, eyther oftener or at more vntimely howres, than your self? ”

“ Euen as I doe with a Verye pewling and faint voice.
Ma. But not long since, when I hearde you checking with mine other suter, your voice was not very fóeble pardie. Moreouer I beséech you tell me this, doe ghostes vse to walke; are they clad in garments; doe they eftsoones sléepe.
Pam. Yea more than all that, they practise the acte of kinde, but after their owne maner.
Ma. Now by the faith of my bodye you are a pleasaunt trifler.
Pam. But what will you saye, if I proue this by substantiall and strong reasons (I meane) my selfe to be dead, and you to be a murtherer. ”

“ On the other side agayne, the same children bringeth infinite pleasures, and oftentimes requiteth the parentes naturall paines to the vttermost, with great ouerplusse.
Ma. Then to lead a barren life in marriage is a great miserie. ”