The Theatre of the VVorld THE Theatre OF THE WORLD IN The which is discoursed at large the many miseries and frailties incident to mankinde in this mortall Life With a Discourse of the Excellency and Dignity of Mankinde all Illustrated and Adorned with choice Stories taken out of both Christian and Heathen Authors very delightful and profitable for any Judicious READER Being a Work of that Famous French Writer Peter Bovistau launay in three distinct Books formerly translated into Spanish by Baltazar Peres del Castillo and now into English By Francis Farrer Merchant London Printed for Sam. Ferris at his shop in Cannon-street neer London-stone 1663. To the Lady SIBBEL BOTELER my ever honoured Mother Madam THough You have and I am sure may claim a Maternal intrest in several hopefull industrious and obedient Sons the Delight the Prop and Honour of your Age Yet none of them hath been more experimentally sensible of the adverse stroke of Fortune and thereby more apprehensive of the various Miseries which attend mankinde upon the stage of this World then my self If I should have penned mine own tragick story it would have appeared sad enough but casting mine Eye upon several works worthy esteem I found none more agreeable to most mens especially mine own condition or any more fit for publick contemplation in these latter ages then this which is aptly stiled as I have found the world to be a meer Theatre where every man acts his part And indeed I could find no way more fit to Vindicate my life from suspitions of Idleness and the Aspersions of uncharitable Tongues then to produce this Translation as a witnesse of my reall desires and intentions to pass those too many spare hours days nay years which God hath been pleased to inflict as a tryal not in a vitious mispending but rather in a modest humble and virtuous contemplating enjoying and improving of time which I conceive ought to be employed first to Gods glory secondly for the good of mankinde in general and thirdly for purchasing present private good and future blisse As for the subject it is in other languages very learnedly set forth and fear I have rather ignorantly abused then voluntarily misused it having been bred a negotiating Merchant And not an Industrious or judicious Scholler which am confident to your self with all that know me and I hope to those that know me not will cause a favourable construction for what errours may therein be committed Dear Madam though to your many extraordinary and more then common blessings and favours I am not able to return any thing but what otherways Low love duty and obedience yet let me request an acceptance of this small mite of my endeavours upon which It you are pleased but to cast a smile I shal be joyful and withal perswaded that having your judicious Approbation there will be no moderate or charitable person but will accept the discourse though they may not applaud the stile of him who now a ever he hath done subscribes himself Your Dutifull and Obedient Son Francis Farrer The Authour to the Courteous Reader wisheth Health and Happinesse DEsiring friendly Reader with some speciall service to gratifie the favourable entertainment thou didst vouchsafe to a former translation called Chelâ—donio and other works of ours amongst many and various cogitations and purposes which offered to my view none did appear more worthy the speculation and the contemplation of a Christian Commonweale than this present Treatise taken for the most part out of St. Augustines Book de civitate Dei In the which he doth mannage a feirce warre against all Infidels and enemies of the Christian Faith and puts to confusion and conquers those Pagans with their own weapons the which gave me boldnesse to take so great a charge on my shoulders trusting by the grace of God to bring to light in our vulgar Tongue a work that may in some measure serve for a sâ—eild against the Assaults of many new Sects and Opinions which doe spring and increase throughout the whole world in these our dayes But here I will not trespasse upon thy patience to put thee to consider how many Books and how many Greek as well as Latine and French Authours it was necessary to read and â—ur 〈…〉 to bring to effect so difficult a designe although from this work I have not gathered so necessary a fruit as to understand the full intention of good St Augustine which in this Book rather then in others his works appeares more intricate to be found out yet from a continual and much Reading of Greek Latine and French Authors I at length produced this which I call The Theatre of the World adorned with the best and most commendable Sentences of them Therefore not to take from any the honour due to them gentle Reader thou mayest believe that the Treatise I present to thy view is the choice conceptions of other mens works the which if thou shouldest call it health or making spoiles of other mens labours would be taken for no offence And indeed it s no other but the gathering together of Sentences with great toyle giving to understand that such like Treatises as this is which are in a manner Satirical and Anotomies of Vice ought to be set forth with Examples and Sentences of Superiours rather thâ—n with a lofty stile or a high manner of writing or speaking Object And now I doe well believe theâ—e will not want some delicate Paliate that wil say its true here are things worth our Reading but amongst the Roses you have put sharp Thornes and prickles Here are many things very rough and rigerous and much severity and bitterness used in them Answ To such galled Horses that will not stand the currying and are skittish when their delights and desires are touched in the least who will keep a liberty to themselves of doing evil think that none dare nor can reprove them Let me intreat these men before they passe further in perusall of this Treatise to read and call to remembrance with what Authority and rigour the Antient Fathers of the Church as St. Ambrose St. Jerome St. Augustine Origines Tertullian Eusebius Lactantius and others did reprove the Vices and Sins of their times also with what a bold heat â—f zeal did St Bernard write to Pope Eugenius With what rage doth he rise up against scandlous Prelates in that Sermon which he made in the Synod concerning spiritual â—astors and in his three and thirtieth Sermon upon the Songs when he comes to strike so home in the reprehension of Vices that he makes sin appear to be an Imposthume of all filthy and abominable corruptions crying and complaining against the great Pompes and delights and the vast expenses which the Bishops in his time lived at leaning the poore sheep of Jesus Christ to suffer and his Churches to fall to the ground What pricks would it be to their Consciences to consider the curse that fell upon Ananias and
many with the sword poysons and pure fear some doe drown strangle and destroy themselves others are torne in peices with the teeth of cruel and savage Creatures some have been wounded and killed by pecking of birds and others have been meat for fishes and worms all this considered no man knows what end he shall make or by which of these means his dissolution shall be for when he deems himself most firm healthy and strong then he is most subject to fall and the saddest change is then nearest and then approaching towards him death the separation of soul and body which is most fearfull and of all things most terrible Therefore to work upon our apprehension what sight what spectacle is more worth our view and contemplation then to see a man cast upon his sick bed tormented with the pangs of death and afflicted to the height therewith what a horror what a change is there in all the joynts and parts of his body what an alteration there is the feet grow cold the face turnes yellow the eye-strings break and the eyes sink in the mouth and lips shrink up the tongue grows black the teeth chatter their sweat is more cold then ice proceeding from mortall griefs and are the most evident signes of the conquest of death over nature for when the soul comes to separate from its so dearly beloved companion when these two so antient friends and consorts comes to take the last farewell embraces there is no joynt or limbe of nature remaines whole or in order but they all break besides there is the furious assaults of the devills the wicked angels the fearfull visions and representations which they make to the soul and conscience of the poore dying man its certain there is no invention no false Machination which they do not attempt to beguile and deceive him striving sometimes to make us believe that we have lived well that we might assuredly believe and securely rest upon this false opinion and not strive but neglect by a hearty repentance to obtain the mercy of God other whiles he sets before us an infinite number of foule and wicked transgressions which we have committed in our life times to cause us to dispaire and distrust our Gods grace and loving-kindnesse that is the houre in which that cursed one Sathan bestirs himself imploys al his force sharpens his weapons burnishes his Armes Insinuates secret Ielousies against the power of God at that instant of time he strives to disturb the soul the health and the peace of men then he animates and strengthens himself more then ever for by how much the nearer he knows he is to the end of his Kingdome by so much the more he rageth and grows feirce for which cause he useth at that houre the same practice he did at the time our Saviour Jesus Christ was on the earth when he drew neare to any that were possessed with Devils they never gave greater scriks tormented or afflicted themselves more furiously then when he came neere them and that because they knew that the houre was come that they must be commanded out of their habitations and forced out of the persons where they abode for this cause the Royall Prophet David so much lamented the death of his son Absolom saying I would I had dyed for thee oh my son considering then he dyed full of wicked vices and inormous sins and rebellions with which he passed that his sad and last houre Those that have gone through that passage the gate of death have swallowed that thorne with the which they have been strangled What is become of their fantastical Pride What is become of all their Pomps and Trophies Where is their Riches Delights and Pastimes Where are the Majesties the Excellencies and Dignities What is become of all the Gallantries Courrage and Inventions of them They are vanished away like a shaddow as the Psalmist expresses They are perished like a Garment devoured with Mothes and the Prophet Esayas sayth Serpents Dragons and Wormes have eaten consumed and destroyed them Let us consider a little man lying in his grave contemplate with me his condition there whoever beheld a more fearfull spectacle or stinking Monster is there any thing more horrible unsavory and vile then man being dead and consuming in the earth see here the Majestie the Excellency the Dignity of this world layed in the dust behold here the delicious and nice feeder the esteemed and honored even to kissing the feet and hands how a suddain and unexpected change hath altered his condition and made it so abominable that it cannot be so closely masked decked and honored with stately Sepulchers of Marble or Porpherie with glorious Statues of Brasse Pirameds Epetaphs Mournings and other Honourable Pompes but it may manifestly appear that under all this there is a gastly stinking and deformed Corps which few would desire to see come neare or remember there is none of the greatest and mightiest Lords of the Earth of whom it may not be said what Solomon in his book of Wisdome writes What profit have they reaped of their Pride What fruit have they gathered or carried with them of their great riches all these things are passed like a shaddow like an Arrow shot at the marke like the smoak which is dispersed with the winde like the memory of a Guest in an Inn which hath stayed but one day there le ts now leave the miserable body in its grave le ts not molest that quiet repose it hath for a short time in that little caverne of earth where it lyeth as in a bed of Down But now here follows the ultimate and most dangerous tryall and passage of this our humane Tragedie that which David so much dreaded that he prayed exceeding earnestly to God that he would not enter into judgment with his servant for at that instant that the soul departs from the body she must of necessity appear before the face of Almighty God in Judgment what fear what horror think you shall he carry with him that is overclouded with vice and wickedness what moment can be more frightfull what minute ought to be more feared contemplated and profoundly considered My members all tremble ther 's hardly a haire of my head but stands upright when I seriously Meditate thereof this is the Journey which the Prophet writes of that the Lord will make when he saith He will descend like lightning all hearts shall wax faint become foolish and melt away and all the world shall tremble with fear in that day their griefs troubles and afflictions shall exceed the paines of a woman in travell in this day the Lord will come full of wrath and anger to destroy the earth and roote out the wicked thereof the Sun shall be darkned and the Moon and Stars shall withdraw their Light his irefull fury shall break the hinges destroy the foundations of the earth le ts hearken also to the words of Saint Matthew in the language
detestable iniquities Is there any thing more usefull and necessary then water in this life for neither men nor beast can passe without it to wave a large discoursing what an Ornament it is to the beautifying the Globe of the Earth and how that it is the most ancient and powerfull Element of all the Four as Isidore and Pliny writs it will undermine and pull down great Hills and Rocks it is predominant in the Earth it quencheth the fire and being exhaled and converted into vapours it pearceth into the Region of the Aire above where it ingenders and multiplieth that it may distill and come down again and causeth the Earth to produce all things yet many times the Earth hath been for mans sake punished with it and often hath tasted the rigour of this Element especially when that great quantity of waters drowned all the earth that there fell from the poares veines of the Heavens such streames for forty dayes which by their inundations prevailed 15. Cubits above the highest Mountaine and destroyed all Creatures except what was preserved in the Arke with good Noah How often hath Egypt been drowned by the inundation of the River Nilus How many thousand men have been devoured and destroyed in the waters How many have been buryed in the Bowels of fishes what greater testimony of the fury of this Element can be desired then that particuler deluge of Greece when the water devoured the Mayor part of Ibesalie in so much that they expected a second general destruction of Mankind according to the threatning rage fury and malice of it what a torment scourge and damage did the Romans find in the year 1530. by reason of the supernaturall overflowing of the River Tiber that covered the highest Towers c. of the City beside the losses of the Bridges Gold Silver Wheat Barly Moveables Furniture rich Hangings of Silke Gold and Silver which it carryed a way and Oyles spoyled and many other things with which were valued at above three Millions and there were drowned above three thousand Persons little and great men and women all destroyed in this imindation and by the force and fury of the waters as all modern Writers do affirme Garpa Contar in his Book of the four Elements writes that Valencia a City of Spain was at the point to be overwhelmed with all the Citizens thereof it 's not many years since and if it had not been succoured by extraordinary meanes and diligence it had been utterly destroyed by the fury of the swelling waters and if we should particularize and cast into reckoning the great losses and damages by extraordinanary Flouds Raines Hailes and Snowes in five or six thousand yeares which is the Worlds age it were never to make an end what thing is there in nature more admirable then Fire by vertue and operation of which all our stately Bankets Feasts and ordinary food is prepared and made savory to our Palats it preserves the life of many Creatures by meanes thereof all mettals are Colinated and made plyable for mans use it overcomes and softens stones c. with which we build Stately Palaces and Houses yet for all these and many other benefits which every hour we receive thereby how many famous Cities do we see destroyed made desolate and consumed to ashes by the furious rage of fire the most ancient testimony that can be produced to this effect is the holy writ which avers how that God Rained Fire and Brimstone from Heaven upon the Cityes of Sodome and Gomorrah The final destruction of the whole Earth we read and do believe shall be by fire and that the fury of this Element shall be the principal executioner of the Eternal Justice of God so the Prophets do declare and the Apostles affirme unto us if I would write and set down here in order the great number of famous Cityes which have been ruinated and destroyed throughout the World by reason of cruel Warres fire and sword as well in our dayes as in former time it would be an exceeding Tragick Story those that are curious and desirous to read and understand such things let them read the twelfe Book of Strabo also Rufino in the Apendix of Eusebus and the Triparty History of Amiano Marcelino and they shall find examples how there hath issued Fire Brimstone and Flames out of the tops of Mountaines the Bowells of the earth have consumed great Cityes with all their people In time of Lucius Marcius and Sextus Julius Consalls there brake forth so great a fire from a Cave betwixt two Mountaines that it burnt up and destroyed many Towns and Villages also with its fury it scortched and choaked the greatest part of the inhabitants thereof I could spend much time to relate the Storyes of very many famous Persons which have felt the fury and been suddenly destroyed by Rayes Thunders and Lightnings as Zoroastes King of the Backtrians Captain in the War of Thebes Ajax after the destruction of Troy the Emperour Anastasius in the 27. year of his Raigne with many other Emperours and Kings and Captains who dyed being smitten and consumed to ashes by the rage and fury of fiâ—y flashing lightning The Aire is a thing so necessary for the conservation of life that there is no Creature can live a moment without it yet often it hapneth to be so pernicious and cruel an enimy to Mankind when it corrupts and taints so that the greatest part of the Pestilences and raging sickness which I have spoken of have proceeded from the putrifaction and corruption of the Aire The Earth which is more affable and kind then all the rest the general Mother of us all for being born it nurses maintains sustaines us and at last receives and wraps us in her Bosome againe as if she were carefull to provide us a bed wherein to repose and take our last sleep in till God shall be pleased to call and set us before his Divine Majesty in that great day of his Judgement yet it is continually producing venomous poysons and unwholsome fruits by means of which our lives are many times cut short and brought to untimely ends how often hath it hapned by Earthquakes many Townâ— Villages and strong Fortifications have been overthrown how often hath she opened her mouth and swallowed up Cities Townes Men and whole heards of Catle so that no appearance or hardly memory hath remained of them but as the Spainyard saith aqui fue Troyo here was a famous City once now Corn fields in the dayes of Mithridates there was an Earthquake so stronge and furious that besides the sinking downfall of many Cities and Townes there were stifled overwhelmed and destroied above a hundred thousand Persons In the Reign of Constantine Son of the Emperor or Constantine the great there were in Asia sunk and swallowed up into the most hidden Bowells of the Earth so many Townes that the Historians could hardly give account of their number in the dayes of Isocrates and
of Christ As the lightning riseth fourth of the East and in a moment sets in the West even so shall the comming of the son of man bee there shall be in those dayes great tribulations such as was not since the beginning of the world untill this time nor ever shall be Mat. 24. The Sun shall become dark the Moon shall give no more light the Stars shall fall from Heaven the Waves of the Sea shall swell roare and make a noise that men shall fall down deadwith feare thereof the Powers of heaven shall be shaken Wo unto them saith he that are with Childe and give suck in those dayes For as in the dayes of Noah before the floud they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage untill the day that Noah entred into the Arke and knew not till the floud came and took them away So also shall the comming of the Son of man be then shall all the tribes of the Earth mourn and many shall run and hide themselves in the holes and caverns of the earth they shall say unto the mountains fall upon us to the hills cover and hide us from the face of the Judge that sits upon the Throne Blow the Trumpet in Sion sound an alarum in my holy mountain saith the Prophet Joel let all the Inhabitants of the earth tremble for the day of the Lord commeth and is nigh at hand a day of gloominesse a day of clouds and thick darknesse all the inhabitants of the world shall be burned fire shall scorch and consume the face of the Earth and burning flames shall destroy it His throne saith Daniel Dan. 7. 10. was like flames of fire and the wheeles of his Charriot like burning coales a feirce stream issued and came forth from before him this shall be the forerunner and discoverer of his Campe now after this irefull vengeance of God is executed and fulfilled against the four Elements the dead shall come forth out of their Graves and monuments by the wonderfull Command Power and Providence of God and the bones with the other parts of the body shall seek and finde out its proper Veines and Nerves with the Flesh which hath rotted in the Earth all those which have been devoured by cruell ravenous Beasts and Birds of the Heaven all those which the Sea hath swallowed up and Fishes devoured all that which hath been turned into vapours by the Ayre and all those which the Fire hath consumed shall be reduced to its first being and turn to its first proper shape and essence all the blood that hath been unjustly shed by Thieves Robbers Murderers bloody Tyrants Mercenary and Corrupted Judges it shall all appear there not one drop thereof shall be wanting from Abel which was the first that was slain to the last hair of the head of any of them which cannot perish If it was a strange dreadfull and extraordinary thing to see how willingly the bruit Animals left the Earth the natural and common Mother fosterer and cherisher of all Creatures flying from the anger and vengeance of Almighty God to put and inclose themselves in the Arke of Noah as if they begged succour from him as if they had had some foresight of the approach of Gods wrath upon the world How much more fearfull a spectacle shall it be to see poore miserable and wretched sinners to appear before the dreadfull Tribunal of Gods Justice where all the Books shall be opened I mean that God and all the world will plainly see the inormous Crimes and Offences of which our Consciences are full and with which our hearts and soules are cankered that which now we so closely mask and hide shall then be made manifest to all If the vaile of the Temple rent the earth trembled the Sun hide his face at the injury done to Christ crucified With what face with what shame with what horrour shall a multitude of impudent carelesse and unhappy sinners look upon that just Judge whom not only every day but every moment they have offended blasphemed and with a thousand sensuall and deceiptfull fooleries displeased If the sight of one Angel alone doth astonish us so that its insufferable as St. John affirms who not being able to behold so great a brightnesse fell down with his eyes towards the Earth as if he had been dead And Esayas after he had seen an Angel confesseth That all the joynts of his body were loosned with feare The children of Israel meerly out of exceeding dread said to Moses Speak thou to us and we will hear thee for we cannot suffer this voice which comes from heaven it makes us ready to dye with feare although the speech of Angels have been so very gracious and milde on some occasions how shall miserable sinners abide or endure the terrible voice the exceding glory of the Majesty of God seated in the Throne of his Power when he shall say what the Prophets writ The houre is come to avenge me of my Adversaries now will I satisfie my anger for they shall know that I am Lord of all I will go forth and meet them in the way and like a Beare robbed of her Whelps teare them in peices although I have long kept silence been patient and hitherto passed by your iniquities Henceforth I will cry out like a woman in travel I will kill and destroy at once I will consume all Plants and fruits make the fruitfull hills deserts dry up the Rivers Fountaines and Lakes turne darknesse into light I called to them and they would not hear stretched forth my hand unto them and they would not take notice they dispised my councel and contemned my correction I also will laugh at their destruction and scoffe when I avenge my self on them when they call upon me in their troubles I will stop mine ears and will not hear them and when they seek me they shall not finde me If the heavens are impure in his sight and the very Angels are faulty before the rigour of his Divine justice what shall betide us poore miserable wretches what shall we finde who are a clod of earth a small Cottage of Clay whose foundation is in the dust and laden with the blame of original sin before we were delivered from our mothers wombe and if the Just shall hardly be saved what shall become of the wicked and unjust the number of which is to great for as the holy Scripture teacheth us there are many called but few chosen especially in such a strict and dangerous time as this is when the secrets of all hearts shall be manifestly laid open Here the great Monarchs and Princes shall give an account of the great taxes which unreasonably they have exacted of their Subjects but especially Usurpers and Tyrants who have much more to answer for besides the multitude of Gods poore sheep which in stead of shearing they have slain the innocent blood which they have caused to be spilt Here our Merchants Shopkeepers and