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Cyrus the great, after he had conquered Babylon, and subdewed
204 The first booke teachyng
Riche king Crœsus with whole Asia minor, cummyng tryumph-
antlie home, his vncle Cyaxeris offered him his daughter to
wife. Cyrus thanked his vncle, and praised the maide, but for
mariage he answered him with thies wise and sweete wordes, as
Xen. 8. Cy- // they be vttered by Xenophon, o kuazare, to
ri. Pæd. // te genos epaino, kai ten paida, kai dora
boulomai de, ephe, syn te tou patros gnome
kai [te] tes metros tauta soi synainesai, &c., that is to say:
Vncle Cyaxeris, I commend the stocke, I like the maide, and
I allow well the dowrie, but (sayth he) by the counsell and
consent of my father and mother, I will determine farther of
thies matters.
Strong Samson also in Scripture saw a maide that liked him,
but he spake not to hir, but went home to his father, and his
mother, and desired both father and mother to make the
mariage for him. Doth this modestie, doth this obedience,
that was in great kyng Cyrus, and stoute Samson, remaine in
our yongmen at this daie? no surelie: For we liue not
longer after them by tyme, than we liue farre different from
them by good order. Our tyme is so farre from that old
discipline and obedience, as now, not onelie yong ientlemen, but
euen verie girles dare without all feare, though not without
open shame, where they list, and how they list, marie them
selues in spite of father, mother, God, good order, and all.
The cause of this euill is, that youth is least looked vnto, when
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