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…

And Aristotle biddeth that a woman should use less apparel then the law doth suffer. For it is not the goodliness of apparel, nor the excellency of beauty, nor the abundance of gold, that maketh a woman to be esteemed, but modesty, and diligence to live honestly in allthings. This outrageous vanity is now grown so far, that there is no shame taken of it. We read in histories, that when king Dionysius sent to the women of Lacedaemon rich robes, they answered & said, that they shall do us more shame then honour: and therefore refused them. The women in Rome in old time abhorred that gay apparel which king Pyrrhus sent to them, and none were so greedy and vain to accept them. And a law was openly made of the senate, and along time observed, that no woman should wear over half announce of gold, nor should wear clothes of divers colours. But perchance some dainty dame will say and answer me, that they must do something to show their birth and ⟨p. 226⟩blood, to show their husbands riches. As though nobility were chiefly seen by these things, which be common to those which be most vile, as though thy husbands riches were not better bestowed then in such superfluities, as though when thou were christened, thou diddest not renounce the pride of this world, and the pomp of the flesh. I speak not against convenient apparel for every state agreeable: but against the superfluity, against the vain delight to covet such vanities, to devise new fashions to feed thy pride with, to spend so much upon thy carcass, that thou and thy husband are compelled to rob the poor, to maintain thy costliness. Hear how that noble holy woman Queen Esther, setteth out these goodly ornaments (as they be called? when (in respect of saving Gods people) she was compelled to put on such glorious apparel, knowing that it was a fit stale to blind the eyes of carnal fools. Thus she prayed. Thou knowest, O Lord, the necessity which I am driven to, to put on this apparel, and that I abhor this sign of pride, and of this glory which I bear on my head, & that I defy it as a filthy cloth, and that I wear it not when I am alone. Again by what means was Holophernes deceived, but by the glittering show of apparel, which that holy woman Judith did put on her, not as delighting in them, nor seeking vain voluptuous pleasure by them:

And Aristotle byddeth that a woman shoulde vse lesse apparell then the lawe doth suffer. For it is not the goodlynesse of apparel, nor the excellencie of beautie, nor the aboundaunce of golde, that maketh a woman to be esteemed, but modestie, and diligence to liue honestly in althynges. This outragious vanitie is nowe growne so farre, that there is no shame taken of it. We reade in histories, that when king Dionisius sent to the women of Lacedemon riche robes, they aunswered & saide, that they shall do vs more shame then honour: and therefore refused them. The women in Rome in olde tyme abhorred that gaye apparell whiche kyng Pirrus sent to them, and none were so greedy and vaine to accept them. And a law was openly made of the senate, and along time obserued, that no womā should weare ouer halfe anounce of golde, nor should weare clothes of diuers colours. But perchaunce some daintie dame wyll say and aunswere me, that they muste do somthyng to shewe their byrth and