Courtesy is that virtue whereby a wife taketh occasion to testify her acknowledgement of her husbands superiority by some outward obeisance to him. Rebekah, so soon as she saw Isaac, whom she had taken for her husband, lighted from her Camel and came to him on foot, which was a kind of obeisance. This is not so to be taken as if no difference were to be made betwixt the carriage of a servant, or child, and a wife: or as if a wife should bow at every word that she speaketh to her husband. Though in the kind and extent of many duties the same things are required of wives which are required of children and servants, because God hath made them all inferiors, and exacted subjection of all: yet in the manner and measure of many duties there is great difference: as in this, the obeisance of children and servants ought to be more submissive, and more frequent. Yet because God hath placed authority in the husband over his wife, she is every way to testify her reverend respect of her husband, and therefore at some times, on some occasions (as when he is going on a journey for a time from her, or when he returneth home again, or when she hath a solemn and great suit to make unto him, or when he offereth an especial and extraordinary favour unto her, or (as I have observed such wives as know what beseemeth their place, and are not ashamed to manifest as much) when she sitteth 1down or riseth up from table) to declare her reverence by some obeisance. This cannot but much work on the heart of a good and kind husband, and make him the more to respect his wife, when he beholdeth this evidence of her respect to him. Yea it cannot but be a good pattern to children 2and servants, and a motive to stir them up to yield all submissive obeisance both to her husband and to her self. ⟨p. 280⟩For it may make them thus to reason with themselves, shall 3we scorn or think much to yield that to our father or master which our mother or mistress thinketh not much to yield to her husband? shall-she bow to him, and shall not we much more bow to her? Thus a wives honouring of her husband by yielding obeisance to him, maketh both him and her self to be more honoured of others.
Courtesie is that vertue whereby a wife taketh occasion to testifie her acknowledgement of her husbands superiority by some outward obeysance to him. Rebekah, so soone as she saw Isaak, whom she had taken for her husband, lighted from her Camell and came to him on foot, which was a kinde of obeysance. This is not so to be taken as if no difference were to be made betwixt the carriage of a seruant, or childe, and a wife: or as if a wife should bow at euery word that she speaketh to her husband. Though in the kinde and extent of many duties the same things are required of wiues which are required of children and seruants, because God hath made them all inferiours, and exacted subiection of all: yet in the manner and measure of many duties there is great difference: as in this, the obeysance of children and seruants ought to be more submissiue, and more frequent. Yet because God hath placed authority in the husband ouer his wife, she is euery way to testifie her reuerend respect of her husband, and therefore at some times, on some occasions (as when he is going on a iourney for a time from her, or when he returneth home againe, or when she hath a solemne and great sute to make vnto him, or when he offereth an especiall and extraordinary fauour vnto her, or (as I haue obserued such wiues as know what beseemeth their place, and are not ashamed to manifest as much) when she sitteth 1downe or riseth vp from table) to declare her reuerence by some obeysance. This cannot but much worke on the heart of a good and kinde husband, and make him the more to respect his wife, when he beholdeth this euidence of her respect to him. Yea it cannot but be a good patterne to children 2and seruants, and a motiue to stirre them vp to yeeld all submissiue obeysance both to her husband and to her selfe. ⟨p. 280⟩For it may make them thus to reason with themselues, shall 3we scorne or thinke much to yeeld that to our father or master which our mother or mistresse thinketh not much to yeeld to her husband? shall-she bow to him, and shall not we much more bow to her? Thus a wiues honouring of her husband by yeelding obeysance to him, maketh both him and her selfe to be more honoured of others.
- 11. A wivelike courtesy worketh a good respect in her husband to her.1. A wiuelike courtesie worketh a good respect in her husband to her.
- 22. It maketh her husband be honoured of others.
- 33. It bringeth honour to her self.3. It bringeth honour to her selfe.
