John Trapp on Proverbs 31:26

Verſ. 26. She openeth her mouth with wiſdome] Her mouth is not alwayes open, but duly ſhut, and diſcreetly opened: her words are few, true, and ponderous; the ſtream and current of her conference tends either to wiſdom or kindneſs, that is, to duties either of piety or charity. The Jeſuites forbid Women to ſpeak of God and his wayes, either in good ſort or in bad: and to meddle only with the diſtaff. But the good Women in both Teſtaments, Abigail, Hannah, Heſter, the Virgin Mary, Priſcilla, Lois, &c. never heard of this new doctrin. Tatianus tells us, that in the Primitive Church every Age and Sex among the Chriſtians, were Chriſtian Philoſophers: yea that the very Virgins and Maids, as they ſate at their work in wool, were wont to ſpeak of Gods Word.Hiſt. Eccleſ. lib. 34 cap. 37. And Nicephorus writes, that the Chriſtians, even as they laboured or journied, were wont to ſing Pſalmes: and that thereby there was at a certain time a Jew converted. It were ſurely a great grace (ſaith Lambert the Martyr) if we might have the Word of God diligently and often ſpoken, and ſung unto us in ſuch wiſe, that women and children might underſtand it. Then ſhould it come to paſſe,Act. & Mon. fol. 1015. that Crafts-men ſhould ſing Spiritual Pſalms ſitting at their work, the Husband-man at his Plow, the good Huſwife at her Wheel, as wiſheth St. Hierome.

And in her tongue is the law of kindneſſe] It is worthy the mark (ſaith the Chronicler) that Edward the firſt, and his Grand-ſon Edward the third, the beſt of our Kings, Daniel 262. had the two beſt Wives: Ladies of excellent vertue, that drew evenly with them in all the courſes of Honour, that appertained to their ſide. The firſt of theſe Edwards being traiterouſly wounded (whiles hee was yet Prince) in the Holy-Land (as they called it) by the poyſoned knife of an Aſſaſſine,Speed 646. Cavid. in Middleſex. f. 432. the Lady Elinor his Wife extracted the Poyſon with her tongue, licking daily, whilſt her Husband ſlept, his rankling wounds, whereby they perfectly cloſed, and yet her ſelf received no hurt. So ſoveraign a medicine is a Wives tongue, annoynted with the vertue of kindneſſe and affection.