Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-04-20
FIRST BLAST OF TRUMPET.
Against the "Monstrous Regiment OF
Women" Reiqnns in Europe.

From his refuge at Dieppe, John
Knox. looking toward England, saw
the fires of Smithfield mounting ever
to high Heaven, and. casting about for
the right thing on which to blame this
burning OF Protestant martyrs, he Sc
lected the regiment or rule. of women.
raised his trumpet To his lips. and sent
forth one of those harsh peals which
only those certain that they are right
can blow. There We're at the time five
women in whose laps the destiny of
Europe lay. Catherine de Medici was
ascendant in France; Marie of Lor-
raine was Queen Resef,t of Scotland
fer the baby girl who WIS later to be
Mary Queen of Scots: Mary Tudor.
"Bioedy Nary was drenching Eng
land with Protestant sacrifices, and
Elizabeth was but forforn hope. The
other four were. or would surely be-
come Catholics Yet it was not their
being Catholic that John Knox called
to aeeount-it was their being women.
Il ann assured" he wrote, that
God hath .grevealed unto some in this
our age that it is more than a monster
in nature that woman shall reign
and have empire above man. i
l say that of necessity it is that this
monstriferous empire of women
(Which amongst all enormities that
this day do abound upens the face of
the whole earth is most detestable and
damnable) be openly revealed ami
plainly declared to the world.
To promote a woman to bear rule,
superiority. dominion. or empire above
any realm. nation, or city is repugnant
to nature, eontumely to God, thing
most contrarious to his revealed will
and approved ordinance, and. finally, it
Is the subversion of good order, of all
equity and justice'i-good strong man
reasons. every one of them, but he
essays to make his case stronger yet
"AHd first. where that | affirm the
empire of woman to besa thing repug-
nant To nature. lgmeap rot only that
God. by the orders Of his creation. iiath
spoil@d woman of authority and do
miiiion, but also that man hath seen,
proted, and pronounced just cause
that it should so be. Man, | say, in
many other cases blind, doth in this
case see very clearly For the causes
10 50 nnanifest fhat they cannot be hid.
For who can deny that it be repugnant
to nature that the blind shalf be APP
pointed to lead and conduct such as do
see" :
Would to Godr he cries, wrestling
with the weight of proof. "the exam
pies were rot SO manifest to the fur
Their declaration of the imperfections of
women, OF their natural weakness and
nordinate appetites, | might adduce
historic PROOF some women have died
for sudden joy, some for Impotence to
have murdered themselves'-bu he is
a little skittish of this line of argu-
mcnt, for he adds in his sombre way
This part of nature is not my most
sure foundation and goes on to say
chat it is enough for him that men
have determined that it is a thing most
repugnant to nature that women rule
and govern over men,
SO pluch for John Knox, the man OF
the sixteenth century. His editor, the
man of the nineteenth, takes occasion
to say, "if in the happiest moment OF
his happiest DREAM. John Knox could
have foreseen our good and revered
Queen Victoria reigning in the hearts
of millions of her subjects, his tract
would never have been written
Or if it had been written, il would
not have been written about. the
monstrous regiment of women, but
about the monstrous votes for wo-
men. IN. Y. Post.