The second tome of homilies of such matters as were promised, and entitled in…The second tome of homilees of such matters as were promised, and intituled in…

But it will be here objected and said of some nice and vain women, that all which we do in painting our faces, in dying our here, in embalming our bodies, in decking us with gay apparel, is to please our husbands, to delight his eyes, and to retain his love towards us. O vain excuse, and most shameful answer, to the reproach of thy husband. What couldest thou more say to set out his foolishness, then to charge him to be pleased and delighted with the devils tyre? Who can paint her face and curl her here, and change it into an unnatural colour, but therein doth work reproof to her maker, who made her? As though she could make her self more comely then God hath appointed the measure of her beauty. What do these women, but go about to reform that which God hath made? not knowing that all things natural is the work of God, and things disguised and unnatural be the works of the devil. And as though a wise and Christian husband should delight to see his wife in such painted & flourished visions, which common harlots mostly do use, ⟨p. 223⟩to train therewith their lovers to naughtiness, or as though an honest woman could delight to be like an harlot for pleasing of her husband. Nay, nay, these be but vain excuses of such as go about to please rather others, then their husbands. And such attires be but to provoke her to show her self abroad, to entice others a worthy matter. She must keep debate with her husband to maintain such apparel, whereby she is the worse housewife, the seldomer at home to see to her charge, and so to neglect his thrift, by giving great provocation to her household to waste and wantonness, while she must wander abroad to show her own vanity, and her husbands foolishness. By which her pride, she stirreth up much envy of others which be so vainly delighted as she is. She doth but deserve mocks & scorns, to set out all her commendation in Jewish & Ethnic apparel, and yet brag of her Christianity. She doth but waste superfluously her husbands stock by such sumptuousness, and sometimes is the cause of much bribery, extortion, and deceit in her husbands occupying, that she may be the more gorgeously set out to the sight of the vain world, to please the devils eyes, & not gods, who giveth to every creature sufficient & moderate comeliness, wherewith we should be contented if we were of God.

But it wil be here obiected and said of some nyce and vaine women, that al which we do in paintyng our faces, in dying our heere, in embawming our bodyes, in decking vs with gay apparell, is to please our husbandes, to delyght his eyes, and to retayne his loue towardes vs. O vayne excuse, and most shameful aunswere, to the reproche of thy husband. What couldest thou more say to set out his foolishnes, then to charge him to be pleased and delyghted with the deuyls tyre? Who can paint her face and curle her heere, and chaunge it into an vnnaturall colour, but therein doth worke reprofe to her maker, who made her? As though she coulde make her selfe more comely then God hath appointed the measure of her beawtie. What do these women, but go about to refourme that whiche God hath made? not knowing that all thinges naturall is the worke of God, and thinges disguysed and vnnaturall be the workes of the deuill. And as though a wyse and Christian husbande shoulde delyght to see his wife in such painted & florished visions, which common harlottes mostly do vse,