Most fruitful [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martyr Vermil Florentine, professor of divinity,…Most fruitfull [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martir Vermil Florentine, professor of deuinitie,…

Plutarch also bringeth an other reason, because women are weak, and therefore they have need of many & sundry patrons, wherefore when they are married to strange men, if they should be evil handled by their husbands, as often times they are, they have all their kinsfolks easily for Patrons: but if they be wives to their own kinsfolks, and happen to be evil entreated of them, they should then have very few to defend their cause. For other kinsfolks would not be so ready, for their sakes to fall out with their own kin, which they would not be grieved to do with strangers.

Plutarch also bryngeth an other reason, bycause women are weake, and therefore they haue neede of many & sundry patrones, wherefore when they are maryed to straunge men, if they shoulde be euyll handled by their husbandes, as often tymes they are, they haue al their kynsfolkes easely for Patrones: but if they be wyues to their own kynsfolkes, and happen to be euil entreated of them, they should then haue very fewe to defende their cause. For other kynsfolkes woulde not bee so ready, for their sakes to fall out with their own kynne, which they woulde not be greued to doo wyth straungers.

But now that I am in hand with Plutarch, I remember that which he hath written in the sixth problem,¹ and I think it is […] unprofitable to declare it, although it seem to disagree from that which Augustine writeth in his .xv. book De civitate dei .xvi. chapter of the matrimony of Brothers and Sisters children. For he affirmeth there, that before his time, the same was lawful, although those kinds of marriages seemed very rare, because men after a sort ⟨image 29⟩eschewed to contract with persons so nigh: but he saith that the licence was afterward taken away. Which I surely can not perceive in the Roman laws, which were publicly received & allowed: which yet were used thorough out Africa. Wherefore it may seem obscure to some of what laws Augustine speaketh, whereby he saith that in his time those kinds of matrimonies were prohibited. But we must understand, that in his time the law of Theodosius the elder was of force, who was the first among the Emperors that I know of, which prohibited matrimony of this degree. Which also Aurelius Victor and Paulus Diaconus do testify. And that is found at this day written in the book called Codex Theodosianus, concerning incestuous marriages, by these words. Let this sentence remain concerning them, whosoever from henceforth shall defile himself with the marriage of his cousin German, or of his sisters daughter, or of his brothers daughter, or of his wives daughter, lastly of all whose marriage is forbidden and condemned. But that law is not in these days found in the Digests, neither in the book of the Code, nor in the Authentics. Which nevertheless Clother the king followed, as it is red in the laws of the Almains, entitled of unlawful marriages, yea and it is confirmed by the ecclesiastical Canons and decrees in Gracian. 35. Question the second and third, also by the counsel of Agathen in the 61. Canon. And Gregory the first in the same place is found to be of the same opinion in the chap. Quaedam ex Romana, &c. This answereth to the sixth interrogation of Augustine Bishop of Canterbury, and affirmeth that those which be joined by the degree of cousin Germans, ought to abstain from contracting of matrimony one with an other. Yea and long before Gregory his time, Ambrose hath in his 66.