The Touch of God Makes Her Strong: Femininity in the Eyes of Bishop Aylmer In writing his work A Harborowe

for Faithfull and Trewe Subjectes, Bishop John Aylmer mightve faced a problem: how to convince the men of England to obey a female ruler without upsetting the current binary definitions of gender. After all, if he was too radical in his defense of Elizabeth as a female and a ruler, than his packet would fail to garner support for the new monarch. It seems the answer to this problem comes in creating a delicate balance by asserting that though Elizabeth is a woman, she is a different kind of woman. She is not an exception to the follies of her gender, but her royal blood gives her what common women lack: the support and strength of God. God has chosen Elizabeth to be the ruler of England, and so her weakness is complemented and accounted for in Gods strength. He provides her with attributes that will make her a great ruler despite her gender. Alymer never denies Elizabeths gender; in actuality, he takes time to describe how womanly and virtuous she is. But he builds a strong argument for the support of Elizabeths reign by coupling her femininity with religion. From this combination, an image is created of women as vessels directed by God to show or support a mans strength. Aylmer asserts that though women are weak, they are strong when God is behind them; through this strength, women can be helpful and good rulers for men and mankind. If there is one image that Aylmer goes to lengths to preserve, it is that of the woman as naturally weak and generally inferior to man. One of the most definite points he makes is that in general, women ought to be subservient to men. He writes ...whereby apeareth that to be true, which we said before: that a woman as a wife must be at commauudement, but a woman as a magistrate may lawfullye commande (4). The language used in that statement makes it clear that under no circumstances is a wife to disobey her husband. The use of the word must makes

Paper written by C.Blanchett, October 2012. May not be copied without proper credit given

the first part of the sentence a command. In contrast, the second part of the sentence, describes the right of a female ruler to require obedience from her subjects. Because she is royal, and therefore superior in status, she can dare to step outside the established gender role. But even as the second half of the sentence supports the idea of a female in power over men, it is phrased as permission. She may give orders to her subjects. She is only allowed to be in the superior position because a masculine power allows her to. The image of woman as inferior to man is continued even when Aylmer begins to speak of Elizabeth. Even royal women must get help to compensate for their failings as a woman. When introducing the idea of having to accept a woman as ruler, Aylmer writes, Placeth he a woman weake in nature, feable in bodie, softe in courage, unskilfull in practise, not terrible to the enemy, no Shilde to the frynde, wel, Virtus mean (faith he) In infirmitate pficitur. My strengthe is most perfect when you be moste weake, if he joyne to his strengthe: she can not be weake... (1). In this quote, Aylmer makes it clear that it is a womans natural disposition makes her less strong than a man, and that it is only with divine intervention that she can overcome these setbacks. He uses the word weake repeatedly, establishing it as the defining characteristic of a woman. This sentiment is subtly implied in the rest of the passage through rhetoric and imagery. Women are described as soft in courage and not terrible to the enemy, meaning that they instinctively lack the emotional and mental fortitude to be competent rulers. They are also weak in body, as implied by the image of a shield. Shields, sturdy and heavy, symbolize the strength one must possess in order to protect others. A woman, who is feable in the words of Aylmer, is not strong enough to hold such an instrument by herself; she needs

Paper written by C.Blanchett, October 2012. May not be copied without proper credit given

masculine intervention. When speaking of female rulers, this intervention comes in the form of God. It is with this perception of women and the source of their strength that Aylmer introduces the image of the female chosen by God to help mankind. The goal of creating such an image was to get men to excuse Elizabeths weaknesses as a woman. Because she was picked by divine power to be ruler of England, she has Gods power and purpose behind her and will use it to rule in a way that will help her subjects and, more importantly, her male government. Aylmer drives this point home through giving examples of two women who, through divine influence, did good for their kingdoms and, just as importantly, their male rulers. The first example, which is recurring throughout the work, is of the figure Deborah from the Bible. Aylmer describes God using Deborah as a vessel through which he rescues men from their mistakes and shortcomings. The first passage in which Deborah is mentioned reads, What helpe was in a sorte of pore men, compassed aboute with enemies, mountaynes, and seas...He saved his people by the hande of a woman poore Deborah. He advanced them and overthrewe the enemies by a poor shepherde and his fling. He cut the head of the proude captayne Olophernes by the hande of a weake woman (2). As seen in earlier examples , there is the assertion that the woman holds no strength of her own. Deborah is described as weake and poore, even though she is a savior. However, the most telling rhetoric of the quote is the repeated use of he. Through reiterating the masculine pronoun, Aylmer illustrates the belief that Deborah could only be brave, could only be strong, because God was acting through her. There is no power in her femininity. Deborah does not even truly commit the courageous deed of beheading Olophernes. God does, because Deborah was using his power and acting on his authority. Being Gods vessel is what

Paper written by C.Blanchett, October 2012. May not be copied without proper credit given

makes her an effective woman in power. This is more clearly described later when Aylmer writes, Deborah (saieth the scripture) judged the people of Israell, and the people resorteth unto hir, she delyvered them out of thraldome and set them at libertie...She sent Baracke to the warre...if she had not bene: both Baracke and al his souldiers, lyke white lyvered warriars had geven backe and marred all... (4). Deborah is able to be more courageous than Baracke and inspire him to battle because the strength of God overpowers her natural female weakness. She is a woman of faith whom God has chosen. The concept of God choosing a woman to imbue with his strengths is seen in no more clear, or relevant, example than the one Aylmer gives of Elizabeths mother, Anne Boleyn. He describes Queen Anne as an almost saint-like figure who God chose for the good of England and Henry VIII: Was not Quene Anne the mother of this blessed woman, the chief, first, and only cause of banyshing the beast of Rome...but if God had not given Quene Anne favour in the sight of the kynge, as he gave to Hester in the sight of Nabucadnezar...the Quene, whiche God had endewed with wisdome that she coulde, and gyven hir the minde that he would do it. Seeing then that in al ages God hath wroughte his most wonderfull workes, by most base means: and shewed his strength by weakness... (3). Anne is described as not only God-sent to Henry, but also as the vessel through which God does good for England. However, she is only able to have the strength to banysh Rome because God gave her attributes a normal woman was not thought to possess. She is given wisdom and a mind, implying that she had neither before God bestowed them upon her. Underneath Gods gifts however, she is still only a woman which, as Aylmer always points out in his examples, a base weakness. God gives her what are seen as more masculine traits only because she must be strong support for Henry and guide him to Gods will.

Paper written by C.Blanchett, October 2012. May not be copied without proper credit given

Though A Harborowe for Faithfull and Trewe Subjectes is a well-thought out support of Elizabeth as Queen of England, Aylmer creates such a strange ideological balance in describing his support of Elizabeth. He creates an image of her as a competent ruler, but never denies that her femininity is a weakness. On the one hand, Aylmer seems to praise Elizabeths gender, citing it as advantage, especially in terms of her moral demeanor. Worshipfully, he writes, For she that in al her lyfe, hath lived upon her owne, so humbly without pride, so moderately with out prodigalitie, so maydenly without pompe... (11). With this, he highlights the good parts of the female gender, such as virtue and demureness. But on the other hand, he reassures men that she, as a woman must be weake in nature and unskilfull in practise, is not making any real decisions. If she shuld judge in capitall crimes: what daunger were there in her womannish nature? none at all. For the verdict is the 12 mennes, whiche passe uppon life and deathe, and not hers (6). He shadows what he sees as the flaws in having a female ruler with the logic that God covers any feebleness in her that might be present. By the end of Aylmers work, it is clear that support of Elizabeth only goes as far as she can be controlled by a masculine force, whether it be the male members of Parliament or the omnipotent power of God.

Paper written by C.Blanchett, October 2012. May not be copied without proper credit given