3. The Head indeed hath the precedency and prerogative of noblest operations, and the souls divinest acts, by the benefit of its native temper and constitution, seat of the senses, and other proper instruments fitted for such high employments, and challenge of that excellency; yet notwithstanding, the body, and other parts are animated and enlyued with the very same soul, both for substance, faculties, immortality, activeness, every way: So that if the foot, for instance, had an ear, an eye, an animal spirit, and an organization, as the Philosophers speak, apted for such functions, it would hear, and see, and understand as well as the head. And therefore the head, by a natural instinct, as it were, and sympathy, doth continually & tenderly, with fresh successions of a lively and quickening influence, cherish, and refresh other parts as well as it self. The husband, by the benefit of a more manly body, tempered with natural fitness for the soul to work more nobly in; doth, or ought ordinarily outgo the wife in largeness of understanding, height of courage, staidness of resolution, moderation of his passions, dexterity to manage businesses, and other natural inclinations, and abilities to do more excellently; yet notwithstanding, let him know that his wife hath as noble a soul as himself. Souls have no sexes, as aAmbrose saith. In the better part they are both men. And if thy wives soul were freed from the frailty of her sex, it were as manly, as noble, ⟨p. 246⟩as understanding, and every way as excellent as thine own: Nay, and if it were possible for you to change bodies; hers would work as manlily in thine, and thine as womanly in hers. Let the husband then be so far from insulting over, contemning, or undervaluing his wives worth, for the weakness of her sex; that out of consideration that her soul is naturally every way as good as his own; only the excellency of its native operations, something damped, as it were, and disabled by the frailty of that weaker body, with which Gods wise providence hath clothed it upon purpose, for a more convenient and comfortable, but ingenuous serviceableness to his good; that, I say, he labour the more to entertain and entreat her with all tenderness and honour, to recompense, as it were, her suffering in this kind for his sake.
3. The Head indeed hath the precedency and prerogatiue of noblest operations, and the soules diuinest acts, by the benefit of its natiue temper and constitution, seate of the sences, and other proper instruments fitted for such high imployments, and challenge of that excellency; yet notwithstanding, the body, and other parts are animated and enlyued with the very same soule, both for substance, faculties, immortality, actiuenesse, euery way: So that if the foot, for instance, had an eare, an eye, an animall spirit, and an organization, as the Philosophers speake, apted for such functions, it would heare, and see, and vnderstand as well as the head. And therefore the head, by a naturall instinct, as it were, and sympathie, doth continually & tenderly, with fresh successions of a liuely and quickning influence, cherish, and refresh other parts as well as it selfe. The husband, by the benefit of a more manly body, tempered with naturall fitnesse for the soule to worke more nobly in; doth, or ought ordinarily outgoe the wife in largenesse of vnderstanding, height of courage, stayednesse of resolution, moderation of his passions, dexterity to manage businesses, and other naturall inclinations, and abilities to doe more excellently; yet notwithstanding, let him know that his wife hath as noble a soule as himselfe. Soules haue no sexes, as aAmbrose saith. In the better part they are both men. And if thy wiues soule were freed from the frailty of her sexe, it were as manly, as noble, ⟨p. 246⟩as vnderstanding, and euery way as excellent as thine owne: Nay, and if it were possible for you to change bodies; hers would worke as manlily in thine, and thine as womanly in hers. Let the husband then bee so farre from insulting ouer, contemning, or vnderualuing his wiues worth, for the weakenesse of her sexe; that out of consideration that her soule is naturally euery way as good as his owne; onely the excellencie of its natiue operations, something damped, as it were, and disabled by the frailty of that weaker body, with which Gods wise prouidence hath clothed it vpon purpose, for a more conuenient and comfortable, but ingenuous seruiceablenes to his good; that, I say, he labour the more to entertaine and intreat her with all tendernesse and honour, to recompence, as it were, her suffering in this kinde for his sake.
- aAnima enim sex• non habet. Sed ideo fortasse foemineum nomen accipit, quòd eam violentior aestus carnis angit. De virg. l. 3. fol. 14.
