Sophie Squires
Page 1: Locked Letters
Page 2: Women’s Text(tiles)
Page 3: Embroidering History
Page 4: Statement
Full text as used in my piece. Exant Text transcription I used as my source found here.
JANE ANGER
her Protection
for Women.
To defend them against the
SCANDALOUS REPORTES OF
a late Surfeiting Lover, and all other like
Venerians that complaine so to bee
overcloyed with womens
kindnesse.
Written by Ja: A. Gent.
At London
Printed by Richard Jones, and Thomas
Orwin. 1589.
her Protection
for Women.
To defend them against the
SCANDALOUS REPORTES OF
a late Surfeiting Lover, and all other like
Venerians that complaine so to bee
overcloyed with womens
kindnesse.
Written by Ja: A. Gent.
At London
Printed by Richard Jones, and Thomas
Orwin. 1589.
________________________________
To all Women in generall,
and gentle Reader whatsoever.
FIE on the falshoode of men, whose minds goe oft a madding, & whose tongues can not so soone bee wagging, but straight they fal a railing. Was there ever any so abused, so slaundered, so railed upon, or so wickedly handeled undeservedly, as are we women? Will the Gods permit it, the Goddesses stay theyr punishing judgments, and we ourselves not pursue their undoinges for such divelish practises? O Paules steeple and Charing Crosse. A halter hold al such persons. Let the streames of the channels in London streates run so swiftly, as they may be able alone to carrie them from that sanctuarie. Let the stones be as Ice, the soales of their shooes as Glasse, the waies steep like Ætna, & every blast a Whyrl-wind puffed out of Boreas his long throat, that these may hasten their passage to the Devils haven. Shal Surfeiters raile on our kindnes, you stand stil & say nought, and shall not Anger stretch the vaines of her braines, the stringes of her fingers, and the listes of her modestie, to answere their Surfeitings? Yes truely. And herein I conjure all you to aide and assist me in defence of my willingnes, which shall make me rest at your commaundes. Fare you well.
Your friend,
Ja. A.
Ja. A.
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they think we will not write to reprove their lying lips.
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If we will not suffer them to smell on our smocks, they will snatch at our petticoats; but if our honest natures cannot away with that uncivil kind of jesting, then we are coy. Yet if we bear with their rudeness and be somewhat modestly familiar with them, they will straight make matter of nothing, blazing abroad that they have surfeited with love, and telling the manner how
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if we clothe ourselves in sackcloth, and truss up our hair in dishclouts, Venerians will nevertheless pursue their pastime. If we hide our breasts, it must be with leather, for no cloth can keep their long nails out off our bossoms
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At the end of men's fair promises there is a Labyrinth, and therefore ever thereafter stop your ears when they protest friendship, lest they come to an end before you are aware whereby you fall without redemption. The path which leads thereunto, is Mans wit, and the mile's ends are marked with these trees, Folly, Vice, Mischief, Lust, Deceit, and Pride. These to deceive you shall be clothed in the raiments of Fancy, Virtue, Modesty, Love, True meaning, and handsomness
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Now being come to Lust: he will fall a railing on lascivious lookes, & wil ban Lecherie, & with the Collier will say, the devill take him though he never means it. Deceit will geve you faire words, & pick your pockets: nay he will pluck out your hearts, if you be not wary. But when you heare one cry out against lawnes, drawn-workes, Periwigs, against the attire of Curtizans, & generally of the pride of al women: then know him for a Wolfe clothed in sheepes raiment, and be sure you are fast by the lake of destruction. Therfore take heed of it, which you shall doe, if you shun mens flattery, the forerunner of our undoing.
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If we will not suffer them to smell on our smocks, they will snatch at our petticoats; but if our honest natures cannot away with that uncivil kind of jesting, then we are coy. Yet if we bear with their rudeness and be somewhat modestly familiar with them, they will straight make matter of nothing, blazing abroad that they have surfeited with love, and telling the manner how
------------
if we clothe ourselves in sackcloth, and truss up our hair in dishclouts, Venerians will nevertheless pursue their pastime. If we hide our breasts, it must be with leather, for no cloth can keep their long nails out off our bossoms
------------
At the end of men's fair promises there is a Labyrinth, and therefore ever thereafter stop your ears when they protest friendship, lest they come to an end before you are aware whereby you fall without redemption. The path which leads thereunto, is Mans wit, and the mile's ends are marked with these trees, Folly, Vice, Mischief, Lust, Deceit, and Pride. These to deceive you shall be clothed in the raiments of Fancy, Virtue, Modesty, Love, True meaning, and handsomness
------------
Now being come to Lust: he will fall a railing on lascivious lookes, & wil ban Lecherie, & with the Collier will say, the devill take him though he never means it. Deceit will geve you faire words, & pick your pockets: nay he will pluck out your hearts, if you be not wary. But when you heare one cry out against lawnes, drawn-workes, Periwigs, against the attire of Curtizans, & generally of the pride of al women: then know him for a Wolfe clothed in sheepes raiment, and be sure you are fast by the lake of destruction. Therfore take heed of it, which you shall doe, if you shun mens flattery, the forerunner of our undoing.
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Wee are contrary to men, because they are contrarie to that which is good: because they are spurblind, they cannot see into our natures, and we too well (though we had but halfe an eie) into their conditions, because they are so bad: our behaviours alter daily, because mens vertues decay hourely
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Our tongues are light because in honest reprooving men’s filthy vices, and our good counsel is termed nipping injurie in that accordes not with their foolish fancies are boldnesse rash forgiving noddies nipping answeres or dispositions naughie for not agreeing with their vilde mindes and our furie dangerous because it will not beare with their knavish behaviours if a frownes be so terrible and our anger so deadly, men are too foolish in offering occasions of hatred. Which shunned a terrible death is prevented.
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But let us graunt that Cletemnestra Adriana Delilah and just about was spotted with crimes shal not Nero with others innumerable & therefore unnameable joine hands with them and leave the daunce?
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The creation of man and woman at the first, hee being formed In principio of drosse and filthy clay, did so remaine until God saw that in him his workmanship was good, and therfore by the transformation of the dust which was loathsome unto flesh, it became purified. Then lacking a help for him, GOD making woman of mans fleshe, that she might bee purer then he, doth evidently showe, how far we women are more excellent then men. Our bodies are fruitefull, wherby the world encreaseth, and our care wonderful, by which man is preserved. From woman sprang mans salvation. A woman was the first that beleeved, & a woman likewise the first that repented of sin. In women is onely true Fidelity: (except in her) there is constancie
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But if they shal avow that women are fooles, we may safely give them the lie: I would that ancient writers would as well have busied their heades about disciphering the deceites of their owne Sex, as they have about setting downe our follies: and I wold some would call in question that nowe, which hath ever bene questionlesse: but sithence all their wittes have bene bent to write of the contrarie, I leave them to a contrary vaine
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Our tongues are light because in honest reprooving men’s filthy vices, and our good counsel is termed nipping injurie in that accordes not with their foolish fancies are boldnesse rash forgiving noddies nipping answeres or dispositions naughie for not agreeing with their vilde mindes and our furie dangerous because it will not beare with their knavish behaviours if a frownes be so terrible and our anger so deadly, men are too foolish in offering occasions of hatred. Which shunned a terrible death is prevented.
-----------
But let us graunt that Cletemnestra Adriana Delilah and just about was spotted with crimes shal not Nero with others innumerable & therefore unnameable joine hands with them and leave the daunce?
----------
The creation of man and woman at the first, hee being formed In principio of drosse and filthy clay, did so remaine until God saw that in him his workmanship was good, and therfore by the transformation of the dust which was loathsome unto flesh, it became purified. Then lacking a help for him, GOD making woman of mans fleshe, that she might bee purer then he, doth evidently showe, how far we women are more excellent then men. Our bodies are fruitefull, wherby the world encreaseth, and our care wonderful, by which man is preserved. From woman sprang mans salvation. A woman was the first that beleeved, & a woman likewise the first that repented of sin. In women is onely true Fidelity: (except in her) there is constancie
-----------
But if they shal avow that women are fooles, we may safely give them the lie: I would that ancient writers would as well have busied their heades about disciphering the deceites of their owne Sex, as they have about setting downe our follies: and I wold some would call in question that nowe, which hath ever bene questionlesse: but sithence all their wittes have bene bent to write of the contrarie, I leave them to a contrary vaine