The xvijth Chapitre.
ARAGNE OF ASIA was a woman of the country, that is to meane, of noo greate stocke borne, and she was doughter to Colophonia, a dyare of woole; and albe it she was descendyd of a basse stocke, yet is she by dyuers notable vertewes in hyr worthy to be commendyde. Sum auncyent wryters thynke she was the fyrste that founde the vse to weife lynnyne clothe, and to make and knytt nettes to catche fyshe and fowlle. And when hyr sonne, whose name was Closter, was comen to age, she taught hym so to dye and stayne coloures that noo peynture coulde haue amendyd it. Whereby it is thoughte, as I haue sayde, she was the fynder of that crafte; and surely, this in a woman is not to be despysede. Now she had not oonely the exercyse of weyuynge in Epheis where she dwelte, but euery wher aboute hyr hyr scyens was praysede so muche that she fell in so greate pryde that she comparede with the goddesse Pallas with hyr cunnynge. And when she coulde not well susteyne to be ouercomen by Pallas, by desperation she toke a halter and hangde hyrself, whiche gaue place to thiese poetes to feyne. For as the name of Aragne dothe goo nyghe the name of that worme callyde a spywnar, whiche allways is weuynge wondersly the coppewebbes, they say that Aragne by the pyte of the goddes was conuertid into a spynnar and styll occupyede aboute the arte or craft of spynnynge. And sum say, all thoughe she put the halter aboute hyr necke, yet by the helpynge of other she was lett to hange hyr self and constraynede allways to weeue, as it is sayde nowe. If ther be any so insolent to weene hymself to precelle all other in any craft, lett Aragnes aunswer therunto whether that she myght by pryde torne the heuyn and so drawe all sciences to hyrselfe, or whether God was so benygne to hyre prayers that, as who shulde say, he shuldnot take cure of noo more but vppon hyr oonely, to make hyr moste cunnynge in hyr crafte. Surely, so to beleue is to beleue an exedynge foly, for that etemall wysdome not alonely to one wytte, but to dyuers hathe and dothe geue variete of sciences, as hym semythe best, in suche wyse that those, that do flee idlenes by exercyse of naturall mouynge, do cum to wounders knowledge, not after one fortune nor sorte, but by diuers. And if this be true, as it is in deede, what can lett but that science oone hathe, another may haue; and for oone to thynke hymself more cunnyng then he is, in deede is sygne of a verey folyshe and vnwytty wytte. I wolde to God we hadd no more to laughe at then thys Aragne. But ther be many in suche madnesse that, whyles they be in pryde, they enhaunce theymselfe aboue other and make that Aragnes is the lesse to be laughte at, hauynge so many felowes.