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 yet to you that be men, thus I speak, Let there be none so grievous fault to compel you to beat your wives. But what say I your wives, no, it is not to be borne with, that an honest man should lay hands on his may• servant to beat her. Wherefore if it be a great shame for a man to beat his bond servant, much more rebuke it is, to lay violent hands upon his tree woman. And this thing may be well understand by the laws which the paynims hath made, which doth discharge her any longer to dwell with such an husband, as unworthy to have any further ⟨p. 490⟩pany with her that doth smite her. For it is an extreme point, thus so vile to entreat her like a slave, that is fellow to thee of thy life, and so joined unto thee before time in the necessary matters of thy living. And therefore a man may well liken such a man (if he may be called a man, rather then a wild beast) to a killer of his father or his mother. And whereas we be commanded to forsake our father and mother, for our wives sake, and yet thereby do work them none injury, but do fulfil the law of God. Howe can it not appear then to be a point of extreme madness, to entreat her despitefully, for whose sake God hath commanded thee to leave parents? Yea, who can suffer such despite? Who can worthily express the inconvenience that is, to see what weepings and wailings be made in the open streets, when neighbours run together to the house of so unruly an husband, as to a bedlam man, who goeth about to overturn all that he hath at home? Who would not think that it were better for such a man to wish the ground to open, and to swallow him in, then once ever after to be seen in the market? But peradventure thou wilt object, that the woman provoketh thee to this point. But consider thou again that the woman is a frail vessel, & thou art therefore made the ruler and head over her, to bear the weakness of her in this her subjection. And therefore study thou to declare the honest commendation of thine authority, which thou canst no way better do, then to forbear to utter her in her weakness & subjection. For even as the king appeareth ⟨p. 491⟩so much the more noble, the more excellent and noble he maketh his officers and lieutenants, whom if he should dishonour, & despise the authority of their dignity, he should deprive him self of a great part of his own honour: