for all. My swete spouse hath made the payment so habundaunt, that the
lawe can aske nothynge of me but is payed of hym. For as I beleue, he
hath taken all my synnes vpō hym, and hath geuē me in place of them, hys
owne goodes in habundaunce. O my sauer, presentynge thy vertues, thu dost
content the lawe. Whan she wyll reproche me of my synnes, thu dost shewe
her how willyngly in thyne owne fleshe, thu hast taken the dyscharge
of thē, through the coniunctyon of our marryage. Also vpon the crosse
through thy passyon, thu hast made satisfactyon for it. Moreouer thy only
charyte hath geuē me thys, that thu hast for me deserued. Therfor seynge
thy meryte to be myne, the lawe can aske nothynge of me. Than wyll I
feare nomore the iudgement, but with desyre rather than parforce, I do
tarry for the tyme that I shall se my iudge, and heare a iust iudgemente
of hym.
[Sidenote: Psal. 119[unclear].]
[Sidenote: Math. 25.]
[Sidenote: Luce. 13.]
Yet I knowe that thy iudgemēte is so iust, that there is no faulte
therin, & that my infydelyte is worthye to suffer the cruelnesse of
helle. For if I do only consydre my deseruynge, I can se nothynge in it
that can keape me from the fyre of helle. True it is, that the torment
of helle was neuer prepared but for the deuyll, and not for reasonable
men. Neuerthelesse if any man haue set in hys mynde to be lyke to the
deuyll, than ought he as the deuyll to be payed with a lyke rewarde. But
if a man through cōtemplacyon of the sowle, do holde of the, hys Angell
of coūsell, vertue, goodnesse & perfectyō, he is sure to obtayne heauen,
whych is a place of thy deseruynge for hym. Than shall the vycyouse be
ponnyshed with the same, to whom they ioyned themselues. For sith that
they folowed Sathan, they must holde suche place as is for hym and hys
angels prepared.
[Sidenote: Hebre. 1.]
[Sidenote: Luce. 11.]
Now I consyderynge the dyuersyte of both the sortes, am lytle conforted
in spreet by thys. For I can not denye but I am more lyke the deuyll
than the Angell of lyght, wherfor I feare and tremble. For the lyfe of
the Angell is so pure & myne so vnpure, that I am nothynge lyke vnto
hym, thys do I confesse. But to the other I am so lyke in my doynges,
and so accustomed in hys wayes, that of hys payne & tormente I ought to
be partaker. For the cruell synne whych hath bounde me in helle, is so
great and hys force so stronge, that it leteth nothynge to come from
it, neyther feareth it the cōtrary assaulte of any man. But he whych is
in thys kynde stronge, knoweth not how hys strength goth awaye, whan a
stronger than he cōmyth. Synne is stronge whych bryngeth vs to helle.
[Sidenote: Phil. 2.]
[Sidenote: 1. Cor. 15[unclear].]
[Sidenote: Roma. 5[unclear].]
And I coulde neuer yet se, that anye man by meryte or payne takynge,
coulde euer yet vanquyshe that helle, saue only he whych ded the great
assaulte through hys vnspeakable charyte, whan he humbled hym selfe to
the crosse. Wherby he hath ouercomen hys enemye, broken helle and hys
power so that it hath no farther strength to keape anye sowle prysoner,
that hath put her trust in God. Than beleuynge in the great strength that
he hath, I do not set by helle and synne, No not so moche as a strawe.
So that synne can neuer haue holde of me, vnlesse it be for to shewe how
my God is mercyfull, stronge, myghtie, & a pusaūt vanquysher of all the
euyls whych were within my harte. If my synne forgyuē, is the glorye
of my most louynge sauer, I ought also to beleue, that my glorye is
encreased therwith, seynge that I am planted or engrafted in hym.
[Sidenote: Apoca. 5.]
[Sidenote: 1. Cor. 15.]
[Sidenote: Apoca. 21.]
Hys honoure only doth honoure all hys, and hys ryches doth replenysh
euery one of hys with hys goodes. Than deathe, helle and synne are
ouercome by hym. O glottonouse helle, where is thy defence? Thu cruell
vyllayne synne, where is thy tyrannouse power? O deathe where is thy
stynge & vyctorye, whych are so moche spoken of? In steade of deathe, thu
deathe geuyst vs lyfe, and so dost thu contrary to thy wyll. Also thu
synne which couetyst to drawe yche creature to dāpnacyon thu geuest vs a
ladder to reache therby that goodly cytie Hierusalem. Yet woldest thu of
thy cursed nature that our eternall maker shulde lose hys creature. But
through hys loue and grace, the sorye remēbraunce of thy vncomelynesse,
doth cause her by repentaunce to come agayne, and submyt her selfe vnto
God more than euer she dyd. Hys inestymable goodnesse causeth the to lose
the whole labour whych thu takest all the weke.
[Sidenote: Osee. 13.]
[Sidenote: Ioan. 6.]
[Sidenote: Math. 10.]
Therfor helle hath not had all the nomber that he did pretende to haue,
bicause that the solacyouse shaddowe & power of hys passyon, is suche a
myghtye protectyon to the sowle, that she therby nedeth neyther to doubte
deathe, synne, nor helle. Is there anye thynge can pull me backe if God
be wyllynge through hys gyfte of faythe to drawe me to hym? I meane suche
faythe as we must nedes haue to obtayne the hygh graces from aboue, &
also suche faythe as through charyte doth ioyne the humble seruaunt to
hys maker. I beynge ioyned vnto hym, ought to haue no feare of trauayle,
payne, nor sorowe. For who so euer doth wyllyngly suffer anye maner of
deathe or sorowe for the truthe, as ded Christ, he doth feale in suche
torment great consolacyon for hys sowle, knowynge that as for my selfe, I
am weake, and with God I am ryght stronge.
[Sidenote: Roma. 8.]
[Sidenote: 1. Ioā. 4.]
Through hys confort I maye do all thynges. For hys loue is so cōstaūt
& permanēt that it varyeth not for anye worldly thynge. Who can thā
withdrawe me from hys grace? Surely the great heyth of heauen, nor the
deapenesse of helle, nor the breadeth of the whole earthe, neyther deathe
nor synne, whych doth warre euery daye agaynst me, can separate me one
mynute from the great loue & charyte, that my heauenly father through
Iesus Christ hath vnto me. Hys goodnesse is suche, that he loueth me
whych haue not at all tymes loued hym. And if I now loue hym, than shall
I feale hys loue to increase in me. But bycause that my loue is not
worthy to loue hym, I desyre hys loue to be myne the whych I feale suche
as though it were myne owne. Hys desyre is to loue, and through hys loue
he causith my harte to be inflamyd with loue.
[Sidenote: Ioan. 13.]
[Sidenote: Roma. 11.]
[Sidenote: Ephe. 2[unclear].]
And through suche loue he fyndeth hym selfe so welbeloued, that hys owne
dede yeldeth hym wele content, & not my loue or strengthe. Contentynge
hys selfe, hys loue doth increase more in me, than I can of hym desyre,
O true louer, fountayne, or welsprynge of all charyte, and only purse of
the heauēly treasure. Ought I to thynke, or dare I saye what thu art?
Maye I write it, or can anye mortall man comprehende thys goodnesse
& loue? And if thu prēte in anye mānys harte, cā he expresse it? No
surely. For the capacyte of no man can comprehende the vnmesurable
goodnesses whych are in the, for naturall reasō doth shewe vs how there
is no cōparyson betwyne an eternall & a mortall thynge. But whan through
loue the mortall is ioyned with the eternall, the mortall thynge is so
fulfylled with the eternall, that it can not fynde the ende therof. For
it hath in it more good therby, than it can contayne or holde.
[Sidenote: Roma. 8.]
[Sidenote: Eccs. 10.]
[Sidenote: Psal. 118.]
Therfor doth a man thynke, whych hath the loue of God, that he hath all
the goodes in the worlde therwith. Euen as we se the sūne with one only
sparcle of hys lyght doth blynde the eye, and yet doth she witholde her
great lyghte. But aske the eye what he hath seane, and he wyll saye that
he hath beholden the whole bryghtnesse of the sunne. But that is a great
lye. For he beynge dymmed with a lytle sparcle, coulde not se the whole
cleartye therof. And neuertheles he is so contente, that it semith vnto
hym as though he had so moche lyght as the sunne contayneth. Yet if he
had more than the seyde sparcle, he were not able to suffer it. Euen so
the sowle whych through faythe doth fele one sparcle of the loue of
God, doth fynde therwith the heate so great and maruelouse, so swete and
delycyouse, that it is impossyble to her to declare what thynge the same
loue is.
[Sidenote: Phil. 1.]
[Sidenote: 1. Ioā. 4.]
For a lytle threof that she hath felte doth yelde her mynde satisfyed &
desyerynge of more wherof she hath ynough. So doth she lyue languyshynge
& syghynge. The harte doth fele wele, that he hath receyued to moche, but
he hath cōceyued suche desyre in thys to moche, that he alwayes desyerith
to receyue the thynge whych he can not haue, neyther is he worthye to
receyue it. He knowith the good that he hath alredy to be vnspeakeable,
and yet wolde he haue more of that wherof he can not stylle. Truly he
can not fele or thynke the good whych is in hym. Then lyeth it not in
my power, to tell what thynge the loue of God is, sith that I haue no
knowlege of the feruentnesse therof. He that thynketh to haue all thys
loue withyn hys harte, can not truly declare what thynge it is. Happye is
he wych hath suche abundaūce of thys loue, that he maye saye, My God, I
haue ynough of it.
[Sidenote: Iaco. 3.]
[Sidenote: Apoca. 3.]
[Sidenote: Math. 25.]
He whych hath thys loue within hym, dare not moche boaste therof, least
in moche speakynge he lose it, vnles it be to edyfye hys neybour vnto
saluacyon. The impossybylyte than of the declaracyon of thys loue shall
make me to holde my peace. For there is no Saynte so perfyght, if he wyll
speake of the loue of the hygh God, of hys goodnesse, swetnesse, graces,
and of all thynges els whych pertayneth to hym, but lokynge a lowe shall
fynde hymselfe vnworthye, and so stoppe hys mouthe. I than a worme of
the earthe, lesse than nothynge, ought to cease and not to speake of the
incomparable hyghnesse of thys loue. Yet were it to moch vnkyndenesse to
be noted in me, if I had writen nothynge, hauynge that done vnto me whych
wolde satisfye a moche better wytte than myne is. For he that wolde hyde
the goodnesse of God, so good a mastre, shulde commytt a synne worthye to
be ponnyshed with the euerlastynge payne.
[Sidenote: 2. Cor. 12.]
[Sidenote: Roma. 11.]
[Sidenote: Sapi. 17.]
Therfor come, O happye Paule, whych hast tasted so moche of the same
swete honye, beynge blynded for the space of thre dayes, & rapte vp vnto
the thirde hauē. Now I besech the, satisfye my ignoraūce & faulte, & tel
me what in suche vysyon thu hast seane. Harkē thā what he sayth. O the
vnspeakeable hyghnesse of the abūdaunt ryches or treasure both of the
wysdome & knowledge of God. How incomprehēsyble are hys iudgemētes & how
vnsearchable hys wayes vnto our weake wittes? O holye Paule, thy wordes
causeth vs moche to maruayle, that thu hauynge knowledge of so heauēly
secretes, woldest speake no further in them. At the least yet tell vs,
what thynge we maye hope to haue one daye through suche godly loue. Geue
eare and ponder the wordes that he sayth.
[Sidenote: 1. Cor. 2.]
[Sidenote: Esa. 64.]
[Sidenote: Roma. 8.]
[Sidenote: 1. Ioā. 4[unclear].]
Neyther hath the eye seane, nor yet the eare hearde, neyther yet hath it
euer entred into the harte of anye man, what God hath prepared for them
that loue hym. And wolde he speake it no farther? No truly. Yet all thys
that he sayeth here, is for non other purpose, but to prouoke vs ernestly
to loue. He wylleth vs also therin to esteme, that he neyther can declare
nor yet name it, & so to geue forth our hartes to pacyēce & hope of that
thynge whych neuer mā yet coulde se, neyther yet dyscerne, what though
many through loue for it hath dyed. O excellent gyfte of faythe wherof
so moche good cōmyth, that it can sith man to possede the thynge whych he
can not cōprehende. Faythe ioyned with the truthe, bryngeth fourth hope,
wherby perfyght charyte is engēdered. And charyte is God, as thu knowist.
If we haue charyte, thā we haue also God therwith.
[Sidenote: Ioā. 1[unclear].]
[Sidenote: Roma. 12[unclear].]
[Sidenote: 1. Timo. [unreadable].]
Than is God in vs, and we are in hym. And all thys cometh through the
benefyte of faythe. For he dwellith in all men whych haue true faythe.
Thus haue we a greatter treasure thā we cā tell of, or yet anye man
expresse vnto vs. Now to cōclude. Syth that so great an Apostle as
saynt Paule is, wyll speake no further of God & hys inestymable loue,
accordynge to hys ryghtouse exāple and doctryne, I wyll holde my peace
& be stylle, folowynge neuerthelesse hys teachynges. Notwithstādynge
yet though herin I acknowledge my selfe but earthe and duste, yet maye
I not fayle to yelde thankes vnto my eternall lyuynge God, for suche
great graces, and benefytes, as it hath pleased hym to gyue me. Vnto
that euerlastynge kynge of heauen immortall, inuysyble, incōprehensyble,
myghty, and wyse only, be all honoure, prayse, glorye, magnyfycence, and
loue for euer & euer. Amen.
Textes of the scripture.
These .iiii. clauses of the sacred scripture added my lady Helisabeth
vnto the begynnynge and ende of her boke, and therfor I haue here
regestred thē in the ende.
Eccle. 25.
There is not a more wycked heade, than the heade of the serpente. And
there is no wrathe aboue the wrathe of a womā.
Eccle. 25.
But he that hath goten a vertuouse woman, hath goten a goodly possessyon.
She is vnto hym an helpe and pyller, whervpon he restith.
Eccle. 25.
It were better to dwelle with a lyon and dragon, than to kepe howse with
a wycked wyfe.
Eccle. 7.
Yet depart not from a dyscrete and good woman, that is fallen vnto the
for thy porcyon in the feare of the lorde, for the gifte of her honestie,
is aboue golde.
The Conclusyon.
[Sidenote: Appetytes.]
[Sidenote: Synner.]
[Sidenote: The lorde.]
Certayne, & sure am I (most gentyll reader) that all they whych shall
peruse thys godlye boke, shall not therwith be pleased. For amonge
feaders are alwayes sondry appetytes, and in great assemblyes of people,
dyuerse, and varyaunt iudgementes, As the saynge, is, so many heades, so
many wyttes. Neyther fyne paynted speche, wysdome of thys worlde, nor yet
relygyouse hypocresye (whych for pryuate commodyte many men seketh) are
herin to be loked for, And a reason why, For he that is here famylyarly
commoned with, regardeth no curyosyte, but playnesse and truthe. He
refuseth no synner, but is wele contented at all tymes to heare hys
hombly tale. Hyde not thy selfe from me (sayth he) whan thu hast done
amys, but come boldely face to face, and commen the matter with me. If
thy synnes be so redde as scarlet, I shall make thē whyter than snowe.
And though thy factes be as the purple, yet shall they apere so whyte as
the wolle. Esa. 1. For as truly as I lyue (sayth he) no pleasure haue I
in the deathe of a synner, but wyll moch rather that he turne and be
saued. Eze. 33.
[Sidenote: Dauid.]
[Sidenote: S. Iohā.]
If the hombly speche here do to moche offēde, cōsydre it to be the worke
of a woman, as she in the bygynnynge therof, haue most mekely desyered.
And yet of nō other woman, than was most godly mynded. Marke Dauid in the
psalter, whych was a man both wyse and lerned, and ye shall fynde hys
maner in speakynge not all vnlyke to thys. Faythe (saynt Paule sayth)
standeth not in floryshynge eloquence, neyther yet in mannys polytyque
wysdome, but in the grace and power of God. 1. Cor. 2. If the ofte
repetynge of some one sentence, engendereth a tedyouse werynesse to the
reader, lete hym wele peruse the holy workes of S. Iohan the Euāgelyst, &
I doubt it not but he shall fynde there the same maner of writynge. And
hys occasyon is (as all the chefe writers afferme) the necessary markynge
of the preceptes of helthe, or of matter chefely concernynge the sowles
saluacyon. For a thynge twyse or thryse spoken, entereth moche more
depely into the remēbraunce than that is vttered but ones.
[Sidenote: Lady helisabeth.]
[Sidenote: Her first frute.]
[Sidenote: Lybrares.]
And as touchynge the porcyon that my ladye Helisabeth, the kynges most
noble syster hath therin, whych is her trāslacyon. Chefely haue she done
it for her owne exercyse in the frenche tunge, besydes the spirytuall
exercyse of her innar sowle with God. As a dylygent & profytable bee,
haue she gathered of thys floure swetnesse both wayes, and of thys boke
consolacyon in sprete. And thynkynge that other myght do the same, of a
most fre christen harte, she maketh it here cōmen vnto them, not beynge a
nigarde ouer the treasure of God. Math. 25. The first frute is it of her
yonge, tender, and innocent labours. For I thynke she was not full oute
xiiii. Yeares of age, at the fynyshynge therof. She haue not done herin,
as ded the relygyouse and anoynted hypocrytes in monasteryes, couētes
and colleges, in spearynge their lybraryes from men studyouse, and in
reseruynge the treasure contayned in their bokes, to most vyle dust and
wormes. But lyke as God hath gracyously geuen it, so do she agayne most
frely dystrybute it.
[Sidenote: The aged.]
[Sidenote: Youth.]
[Sidenote: Tuters.]
Soch noble begynnynges are neyther to be reckened chyldysh nor babysh,
though she were a babe in yeares, that hath here geuē them. Seldome fynde
we them that in the closynge vp of their wythered age, do mynystre
lyke frutes of vertu. An infynyte swarme beholde we of olde dottynge
bawdes and beastes, that with cōscyences loaden with synne (as S. Paule
reporteth them) taketh euery paynted stocke & stone for their God,
besydes the small breades that their lecherouse chaplaynes hath blowen
vpon. They shall not be vnwyse, that shall marke herin, what commodyte it
is, or what profyght myght growe to a christen cōmen welthe if youth were
thus brought vp in vertu & good letters. If soch frutes come forewarde in
chyldehode, what wyll folowe and apere whan dyscressyon and yeares shall
be more rype and auncyent? A most manyfest sygne of Godlynesse is it in
the fryndes, where youth is thus instytute, and a token of wonderfully
faythfull dylygence, in the studyouse teachers, tuters, and dayly lokers
on.
[Sidenote: Lerned.]
[Sidenote: Clauses added.]
Nobylyte whych she hath gotē of bloude in the hyghest degre, hauynge
a most vyctoryouse kynge to her father, & a most vertuouse, & lerned
kynge agayne to her brother, is not in the earely sprynge dystayned
with wanton ignoraūce, neyther yet blemyshed with the commen vyces
of dyssolute youth, But most Plenteously adourned with all kyndes of
languages, lernynges, and vertues, to holde it styll in ryght course. The
translacyon of thys worke, were euydence stronge ynough, if I had not
els to laye for the matter. But marke yet an other moch more effectuall
and clere, at the whych not a fewe lerned men in Germany haue wondered.
In .iiij. noble languages, Latyne, Greke, Frenche, and Italyane, wrote
she vnto me these clauses folowynge. Whych I haue added to thys boke,
not only in commendacyon of her lerned youth, but also as an example to
be folowed of other noble men and women, cōcernynge their chyldren. The
written clauses are these, whych she wrote first with her owne hande,
moch more fynely than I coulde with anye prentynge letter set thē fourth.
[Sidenote: Latyne.]
_Stultus dixit in corde suo, non est Deus. Illi corrupti sunt, &
abhominabiles in sua impietate, nullus est qui aliquid boni facit._
[Sidenote: Frenche.]
Le foldisoit en sō cœur, il n’a nul Dieu. Ilz sont corumpus & sont
abhominables en leur impiete, il n’a nul qui faict bien.
[Sidenote: Italiane.]
Is stulto disse uel suo core, non v’ e alcuno Dio. Corrutti sono &
abhominabile nella loro impietà, nissuno è buono.
[Sidenote: Greke.]
Ton theon phoboŭ, tous de goneis tima, tous de Philous aeschynou.
The first clause in thre lāguages, latyne, Frenche, and Italyane,
comprehēdeth thys only sentence, as I shewed afore in the Epystle
dedycatory.
[Sidenote: Antichrist Hys clergy.]
The fole sayth in hys harte, there is no God. Corrupt they are, and
abhominable in their wyckednesse (or blasphemyes agaynst God) not one of
them doth good.
The Greke clause is thus to be Englyshed.
[Sidenote: Christiane.]
Feare God, honoure thy parentes, and reuerence thy fryndes.
[Sidenote: The pope.]
[Sidenote: Writers.]
[Sidenote: Women.]
[Sidenote: All sortes.]
Thus haue she geuen vs coūsell, both to go and to come, to leaue and
to take. To declyne from the euyll, and to do that is good Psal. 36.
To flee from the Antichrist & hys great body of synne or blasphemouse
cruell clergy, & to returne to God by a perfyght feare, honoure, and
loue. So lyuely Apothegmes, or breue and quyck sētences, respectynge
christyanyte, haue seldom come from women. I haue serched Plutarchus,
Boccatius, Bergomas, Textor, & Lander of Bonony, whych all wrote of the
vertues and worthy actes of womē. But amonge them all haue I founde no
counsels so necessary to the cōmen welthe of our christyanyte. I denye
it not, but excellent thynges they vttered, and matters of wysdome
wonderfull, concernynge morall vertues. But these most hyghly respecteth
the kyngedome of fayth and regymēt of the sowle, whych Iesus Christ the
eternall sonne of God, from heauen by hys doctryne and death so busyly
sought to clere. Many graue sentences had they concernynge pryuate
causes. But vnyuersally these are for all sortes of people, hygh, lowe,
hayle, sycke, ryche, poore, lerned, & vnlerned, that myndeth to haue
fredome by Christes deadly sufferynges, or to be delyuered frō helle,
synne, deathe, & the deuyll, by the pryce of hys precyouse bloude.
[Sidenote: Guendolena.]
[Sidenote: Cordilla.]
[Sidenote: Cambra.]
[Sidenote: Lawes.]
No realme vndre the skye hath had more noble women, nor of more excellent
graces, than haue thys realme of Englande, both in the dayes of the
Brytaynes, and sens the Englysh Saxons obtayned it by valeaunt conquest.
Guendolena the wyfe of Locrinus the seconde kynge of Brytayne, beynge
vnlaufully dyuorced from hym for the pleasure of an whore, whom he longe
afore had kepte, tryed it with hym by dynte of the swerde, had the
vyctory, and reigned after hym as kynge the space of .xv. yeares, tyll
her sonne Maddan come to laufull age. Cordilla the doughter of kynge
Leyer, and least of all her systers, as her father was deposed, & exyled
out of hys lande, she receyued, conforted, and restored hym agayne to
hys princely honoure, and reigned alone after hys deathe, for the space
of .v. yeares. Cambra the doughter of kynge Belyne, and wyfe to Antenor
than Kynge of France, ded not only excede in bewtie, but also in wysdome.
In so moch that she first instructed the noble men how to buylde cyties,
castels, and other stronge holdes, the cōmē people more comely maners,
and the womē a most semely deckynge of their heades. She made their
cyuyle lawes, whych vpon her name were called. Leges Sycambrorum. She
taught them to sowe flaxe and hempe, to watter it, drye it, dresse it,
spynne it, weaue it, whyten it, and fashyon it, to all maner of vse for
the bodye.
[Sidenote: Martia.]
[Sidenote: Constantia.]
[Sidenote: Agasia.]
[Sidenote: Būdwyca.]
Martia the wyfe of kynge Guythelyne, a lady excedyngly fayre, wyse, &
lerned in all the lyberall scyences, inuented thynges wonderfull by the
hygh practyse of her wytt. After the death of her husbāde she reigned
.vij. yeares as kynge, tyll Sicilius her sonne came to age. She redressed
the commen welthe, refourmed the grosse maners of the people, and made
most honest lawes, called of her name, Leges Martiane. So delyghted the
Frenche kynge Nicanor in the wysdome, lernynge, and comely maners of hys
wyfe Constantia, the doughter of kynge Eliodorus, that he not only holpe
her brother Geruntius in see battayle agaynst the kynge of Orchades, but
also sent hys most dere sonne Priamus into Brytayne to haue the same
selfe bryngynge vp. The Scottysh kynge Finnanus, thought hys pryncely
honour most gloryously increased, as he had obtayned Agasia the doughter
of kynge Blegabridus, to be coupled in maryage with Dorstus hys sonne,
for the manyfolde graces that he behelde in her. What though the seyd
vngracyouse Dorstus, in spyght of the Brytaynes, ded afterwarde vse
her most wyckedly. Bundwyca a womā both hygh of stature, and stomacke,
also of myst noble lynage amonge the Brytaynes, perceyuynge the hauoke
whych the Romanes dayly made in the lande, with great pusaunce of worthy
warryours she inuaded them, slewe them, hynge vp their captaynes, and
folowed the remnaunt of them to the very Alpes of Italy. Where at the
lattre by reason of dayly labours, she syckened and so dyed, euen the
uery glory of women, sayth Ponticus Virunnius.
[Sidenote: Voada.]
[Sidenote: Voadicia.]
[Sidenote: Athildis.]
[Sidenote: Claudia Rufina.]