Archaioplutos OR THE RICHES OF Elder ages Proouing by manie good and learned Authours that the auncient Emperors Kings were more rich and magnificent then such as liue in these daies Heereto is annexed the honours of the braue Romaine Souldiours With the seauen Wonders of the Worlde Written in French by Guil. Thelin Lord of Gutmont and Morillonuilliers and truely translated into English Patere aut Abstine AT LONDON Printed by I. C. for Richard Smith and are to be sold at his shop at the West doore of Paules 1592. To the Right Honourable and vertuous Lord Gilbert Lord Talbot the honourable Earle of Shrewesburie Knight of the most noble order of the Garter c. The fulnesse of content in all his heroycall desires I Offer to your Honour the paines of a Noble Frenchman how vnskilfully by me turned into English I leaue to your wonted honourable consideration who beeing enriched with so many singuler perfections will not frowne on the good endeuours of an humble well-willer I haue no meane whereby to excuse my boldnes but onelie this a reuerend and vnfained affection to your honour with forward zeale in duetie to doe anie thing you shall commaund me if this may excuse me it is as much as I desire and which heereafter I wil better imploy my selfe to deserue Your honours humble affectionate An Monday One of the Messengers of her Maiesties Chamber To the courteous Reader IF thys harshe and vnpleasant translation courteous Gentlemen may passe wyth your wonted kind acceptance expect a worke from the Presse very shortly more aunswerable to your humours namely the sweet conceited Historie of Orlando Amoroso Though farre inferiour to that already extant of Orlando Furioso doone by so rare a Scholler of the Muses yet what wants in cunning good wyll shall supply to compleat Orlandos vvhole Historie together A. M. A briefe extract of certain Histories wherin is declared that the Emperours and Kings of elder tymes were more rich and magnificent then such as liue at thys day taken from the Volumes of sundry good Authors The tryumph of Salomons Temple and what the making thereof valued WEE reade in the first Booke of the Chronicles the twentie two chapter that Dauid saide to Salomon My Son comfort thy selfe plucke vp thy hart and be strong dreade not neither be discouraged For according to my pouertie haue I prepared for the house of the Lord such dispence as shall be needfull to make vp the same to wit an hundred thousand Talents of Golde and a thousand thousand Talents of Siluer which is one Million with three thousand Talents of Gold of Ophir of the best choise Thys sum is infinite and not to be numbred An hūdred thousand Talents of gold doe value three-score thousand Millions of Crownes The Million of Talents of siluer valueth sixe hundred Millions of Crownes according to the estimate of Budaeus in hys Booke of Coynes Where speaking of the tryumphes of Caesar he saith that he caused to be brought into the publique Treasurie three-score and fiue thousand Talents of siluer which valued nine and thirty Millions of Crownes He maketh also the like mention where he speaketh of Cyrus King of Persia who tooke Craesus and his treasure amounting to fiue hundred thousand Talents of siluer which value three hundred Millions of Gold It is written in the second Chapter of the third booke of Kings that in the time of Salomon he had so much siluer out of Iudea as there was not any account made thereof The shyps belonging to Salomon king Hyram went by three and three yeerely to Tharsus whence they brought great quantitie of Gold and siluer in so much that as the Text saith there was such store of gold and siluer in Ierusalem as the King esteemed therof no otherwise then of stones the Vessels and all the vtencelles together of the house of Lybanon was of fine Gold Iosephus in his seauenth booke of Antiquities witnesseth that Dauid when he deceassed left greater riches then any other King were he Hebrewe or Gentile which was hydden within his Sepulchre as also in the Coffer or Vessell monumentarie wherin the bones and ashes of the Kinges were wont to be kept so that his treasure was verie hard to be found Likewise in the ninth Booke of the Euangelicall preparation he sayth that hee hath read in Eupolemus an auncient Historian that the King of Tyre and of Phoenicia with many other beside were tributaries to King Dauid from whom hee conquered these Treasures by force of Armes and by the Diuine fore-pointment the place was shewen him where the Temple shoulde be builded But because hee had soyled his hands with blood-shed in warre it was told him that he should not builde the fore-saide Temple Wherefore he prepared so great aboundance as he could of gold siluer brasse stones Tymber of Cipres and Cedar and sent it into the Ile which hee called Urpha situate in the Red-sea which was wonderfully stored with Mines of Gold and from whence was brought an innumerable quantitie After his deceasse Salomon wrote Letters to the King of Egipt named Uafres after this manner Salomon King of Iudea to Vafres his friende King of Egipt perpetuall health Knowe that by the grace of God and from King Dauid my Father this kingdome is discended vnto me he in his life time gaue mee in charge that I should builde a Temple to the Creator of heauen and earth for which cause I haue written to thee that thou wouldest giue me comfort and assistance in this busines Therfore I require thee to send me Maisters of Masons Stone-cutters Carpenters and workmen who may erect for me the said Temple These Letters receiued by the King of Egipt were in this manner answered I sende thee eyght score thousand men such as are expert chiefe in erecting of buildings euen such as thou hast required of me Like Letters wrote Salomon to Suron King of Tyre receiuing like aunswere and like number of Maisters in workes and buildings This History written by Eupolemus an Historian Gentile agreeth in euery part with the holy Scripture as in the fift Chapter of the thirde booke of the Kinges and there is no other difference but onely that concerning Tyre where he calleth the king of Tyre Suron the Scripture nameth hym Hyram Iosephus in the eyght Booke of his Antiquities saith that these two Epistles or Letters of King Salomon and King Hyram were in his tyme intirely sound and perfect both in Tyre and in Iudea Eupolemus passeth further and sayth that all the gold which was imployed about the Temple the Colloms and Vessels of Gold amounted to foure Millions and sixe hundred thousand Crownes The siluer for the nayles and other thinges valued twelue hundred and thirtie two Talents After the work-men were contented they of Egypt sent home into theyr Countrey as also the men of Tyre the sum that was gyuen to each one for his paines was tenne Talents of Gold The dispence of the Temple
seeme incredible yet the number and conformitie of Histories doe plainely iustifie them The Romaines for these great exployts of Armes graunted them yet other honours preheminences as the power of publique iudgement seating them in the yuorie Chaire called Curialis which was the seat of the Ediles and Pretors as it was permitted to Scipio oftentimes they yeelded to souldiours the greatest authorities according as it was lawfull for the people to doe it beeing a degree of estate subiect to the liberty of the Fathers conscript and of the people It was lawful for the Captaines to erect tryumphal statues and to clothe or deck them as if they had beene Consuls The Senate permitted by manner of reward and congratulation that they might bring to the Temples the Armes spoiles of the enemies vanquished by them in Battaile and these things were named Manubiae that is to say the booties gotten from the enemies The Romaines had another laudable custome which was to giue to the chyldren of such as had been slaine in warre like wages as they gaue their Fathers when they liued and to the old Souldiours which had long time followed seruice they would giue so much good and substantiall lande as they might very wel liue thereon suffering them to dwell in Citties and Prouinces that had beene conquered euen as themselues pleased to like or chuse In this sort the Citty of Ciuill was made by Caesar a Romaine Colonie from which tearme we may easily deriue our french saying of a newe habitation or transmigration of people Cordo◠was also made a Colonie by this meane and infinite other in dyuers Prouinces In breese the Romaines neuer left any good turne vnrewarded and without great priuiledge for which cause was founde amongst them the most valiant men that euer haue beene in any Nation because each one stroue to attaine these degrees onelie by vertue I leaue many other sorts of rewards which the Romaines vsed in case of Armes in that I imagine I haue spoken sufficiently notwithstanding it is a thing certaine that if they haue gone beyond all other Nations in reknowledging remunerating such good actions it cannot likewise be denyed but in learning punishment of disorders they haue doone much more For if any one were not acquainted with honour and vertue yet shame and feare of punishment with-helde him from doing any vile deede were it thorow necessity or in hope of gaine because the paines were so great rigorous against such as did badly For if they lost any honour wherto they had been called or that they had been whipped euen to the blood they were thrust into yrons as they had beene slaues and if they had fled leauing their Captaines in the battaile they were eyther thrust vpon a spyt or otherwise extreamely handled and so according to theyr offence was the punishment inflicted Titus Liuius writeth that a Squadron of Appius Claudius to whom hee had in charge the keeping of a certaine place forsooke it and lost it which he being desirous to punish yet notwithstanding mercifullie it was graunted him to sunder them in tenne to a company afterward Lots were cast and they to whom the chaunce happened were punished with death for safetie of the other Iulius Frontinus sayth that Marcus Antonius dyd the like to a Band of hys which had not defended his Rampiers but suffered the enemies to set them on fire They vsed sundrie other punishments to to their disobedient Souldiours whereof would aske a long tyme to speak wherfore onely I say that as in those times there was no default in honoring rewarding goodnesse so likewise was there no defect in punishing wickednesse Of the seauen Wonders or Meruailes of the World SVch as haue read the auncient Historians Oratours and Poets haue founde mention made in sundrie of their writings of seauē Meruailes or Wonders of the World which were in diuers and contrary places All they that haue written doe agree on sixe but about the seauenth they hold variable opinions and likewise there is difference in placing one before another Notwithstanding I intende first to speake of the walles of Babilon which are placed in number of these Meruailes and that for good cause because the greatnesse of the place and compasse of ground dooth seeme incredible Let vs leaue to speake of the diuersitie of tongues which was there where Nemrod builded the Tower of Babell whereby the Citty first tooke name The walles we now speake of according to the most soundest opinion as of Trogus Pompeus and Iustin in the first Booke of his abridged Hystories was founded by the famous Queene Semiramis Mother to Ninus Diodorus Scicilianus in his third booke Amianus Marcellus in his 23. booke Paulus Orosius in his second booke maintaineth the same with the greatest part of the Authours among the Gentiles yet notwithstanding S. Austine in his first booke of the Cittie of GOD and Iosephus in the sixt booke of his Antiquities say that they were builded by Nemrod being ay ded by his proude and mighty Giants but were it the foundation or reparation which Semiramis did it suffiseth that she was greatly ennobled thereby The plot of this Citty was a plaine on the one side the other passed by the Riuer of Euphrates the draught or figure of thys Cittie was in a Quadrangle the wals maruailous high and wrought with very cunning workmanship the thing it selfe was of stone ioyned with white lyme and Morter which grew in the Quarries of the Country especially in the great Lake of Iudea where sometime stoode Sodome and Gomorha named Asphaltida or Mare mortuum which casteth forth earth like Pitch or Glewe the very strongest that can be found The Historians doe disagree about the height and largenes of the compasse of the wals which might easilie happen by reason of the diuers measures they made Plinie sayth the circuite of the walles was three-score thousand paces so that one of the squares was fifteene miles-long hee saith likewise that they were two hundred foote in height one of which feete exceedeth by three singers the measure of the Romaine foote in thicknesse they were fifty foote of the same measure which in trueth is a thing very admirable Diodorus the Scicilian sayth in his thyrd booke that the walles of this Citty had in compasse three hundred and three-score Stades euerie Stade containing in length sixe-score fiue paces and that they were so broade or large as sixe Chariots might passe thereon along together without the one hindring the other The bridges rocks Towers and Gardens Semiramis caused to be made were to very wonderfull astonishment and it is found written that shee had in daily pay to this worke three hundred thousande men of all the Kingdomes that were subiect to her Quintus Curtius adioyneth heereto eight Stades more in length and an hundred cubits more in height but Paulus Orosius faith in his seconde booke that they were foure-hundred and foure-score Stades long which amount
Aulus Gellius in his second booke say that to spoyle this villaines desire of renowne it was forbidden vnder great and greeuous paine that none should write his name to the ende he might faile of the fame and glory he expected But thys serued to small purpose for Solinus and Strabo say that he was named Erostratus of him came the Prouerbe that when anie one would be famous for a vicious acte they would say This is the renowne of Erostratus Againe it may bee spoken for a notable thing that the same day the Temple was burnt Alexander the great was borne who conquered all Asia Heereof are Authours Plutarch in the life of Alexander and Cicero in his seconde Booke of the nature of the Gods there it is reported in many places likewise in the booke of Diuination and it is said that while the Temple burned the Sages prognosticated the destruction of all Asia as afterwarde it happened by Alexander Some say the Temple was re-edified againe farre more great and excellent then it was before and that the Maister of the work was named Democrates The sixt Wonder of the World COncerning the sixt meruaile it was the Idoll or Image of Iupiter Olimpus which was in his Temple in Achaia betweene the Citties of Elis and Pisa the place being named Olimpia and likewise the Temple because of Iupiter Olimpus of whom Strabo in his eyght booke and Pomponius Mela in his seconde booke say that thys statue or Image which was in the Temple was renowned as well for the perfection and admirable workmanship as also for the greatnesse thereof It was made of Porphire some say Iuory by the hande of Phidias the most excellent Engrauer and Image-maker that euer was Plinie in hys thirty fiue and thirtie sixe bookes makes mention of it so doe manie other beside Strabo sayth the excellencie thereof was in the greatnesse and that which makes it more admirable is that it was of Porphiry cut in an infinite number of peeces It is saide that Phidias was toucht with one onely imperfection which was that hee had not well compassed the proportion of the Image with the Temple because it was in such sort placed and so huge as when one considered what might be the height thereof ifhe were vnderneath vpon hys feete he would imagine nothing more could be contained within the Temple Notwithstanding the renowne of this Image was highly aduaunced and made the Temple more known then otherwise it would haue beene because in that place was the sports and Games called Olimpia hence it came that they accounted the yeeres by Olimpiades whereof they madè fiue yeeres in fiue yeres The games were first instituted by Hercules afterward when they had left them off they were restored and re-established by Emonies after some Authours by Sphyron four or fiue yeeres after the destruction of Troy according to Eusebius there beginneth the yeere of the sâ—st Olimpiade The seauenth Wonder of the World LAstly for the seauenth wonder some say that it was the Tower in the Ile of Pharos neere to the Cittie of Alexandria in Egipt Pharos was a little Ile long and straite seated on the coast of Egipt directly against the mouth of Nylus which in times past as saith Pomponius Mela in his second booke and Plinie in his fift was altogether inclosed with firme Lande and afterwarde to the times of the selfe same Authours it was embraced wyth the mayne Sea saue onely a bridge wherby they passed from the one Ile to the other In this firme Land is the great Cittie of Alexandria builded by Alexander the great which Cittie was afterwarde a Colonie to Iulius Caesar. In this Ile called Pharos after the name of a great Pilot to Menelaus who was there buried the Kings of Egipt caused to be builded a Tower of Marble meruailous in height and work-manship vpon a Mountaine enuironed with water The laboure thereon bestowed was such as it cost eyght hundred Talents which value foure hundred and four-score thousand Crownes according to the computation of Budaeus and it was builded for no other purpose then to alight a fire in the night on the top thereof for guyde and direction to the shyppes that came to take port there Thys Tower according to the most great opinion was builded by Ptolomeus Philodelphus King of Egipt and the chiefe Archetect that made it was named Sistrates as we are certified by Plinie in his fiue and thirty Booke Caesar in his Comentaries greatly commendeth the height worke of thys Tower and sayth it was called Pharos taking name of the Ile so saith Amianus Marcellinus in his first booke treating of the Historie of thys Tower and Solinus in his Polyhistor in the end of the thirty foure Chapter that al Towers which were made afterward were named Pharos after this one as was the Pharos of Messina and else where Againe I thinke that the fires which are ordinarily carried in Ships to guide them in the night from others by thys occasion are named Pharos Thus thys Tower is the last of these seauen VVonders albeit that by many it is not placed among the number of them but in sted thereof is named the high grounded Gardens of Babilon whereof already wee haue spoken Lactantius Firmianus holdeth so saith that these Gardens were vppon the Arches and Towers admirable in greatnes with a number of Fountaines the forme of which building is amply set downe by Diodorus the Scicilian Caelio the Rhodian discoursing on the seauen Wonders agrees not that this seauenth is the Tower of Pharos or the high hanging Gardens but the Obelisque of Semiramis which was made after the same fashion and structure of the Piramides for it began so in a Quadrangle and finished in a sharpe point nor was there any difference between the Obelisque and the Piramides but that the Obelisque was onely of one peece and therfore could be nothing so high as the Piramides It is found written that certaine of them were so great as Towers and of a very faire stone there is one at this day in Rome named Caesars Needle which was brought out of Egipt and is a very meruailous thing to beholde as well for the greatnesse and to consider the manner howe it was brought thether Of the Obelisque of Semiramis which Caelio as I haue said numbreth amongst the seauen Meruailes it is iustified in wryting that it was an hundred fifty foote high as also four and twenty foote broade in a quadrangle so that the whole compasse thereof was ninety foote And this stone so beeing whole sound was taken from the Mountaines in Armenia and by the commaundement of Semiramis brought into Babilon Caldea but in trueth when we consider how it was drawne carried and lifted vp it seemeth altogether a matter incredible if the tymes of antiquitie had not like thinges or more strange whereof we are truely certified by Authours worthy of credite and other very great Obelisques which the
according to Budaeus amounted to twentie seauen Millions nine hundred thousande Crownes of the Sunne and twelue hundred thirtie-two Talents of siluer which come to seauen hundred thirty seauen thousande Crownes of the Crowne Yet is not comprised in this sum what was giuen to three-score and ten thousande Labourers of whoÌ„ mention is made in the 5. chapter of the 1. Booke of the Kings nor of 3000. three hundred Maisters that ruled and ouer-sawe the worke nor the charges offraights and carriages nor how much the brasse and yron cost nor what rewarde was giuen to eyght 〈◊〉 thousande men more sent him for handy-crafts men by the King of Egipt Wherfore we may well imagine that Salomons Temple was a worke of wonder and the cost thereon bestowed inestimable It is written in the second booke of the Chronicles the fourth Chapter That all the Vessels Basons Candlesticks Censors Lampes Organes and other musicall instruments of the Temple the Alsar the Ports the Tables and Hindges were of pure gold Wee reade likewise in the first Booke of the Chronicles the nine and twentith chapter that the Princes and Fathers of the linage of Israell also the Captaines of thousands and hundreds offered willingly and gaue for the seruice of the house of God fiue thousands Talents and ten thousand peeces of Golde tenne thousand Talents of siluer eighteene thousande Talents of Brasse and one hundred thousande Talents of yron And they with whom precious stones were found gaue them to the Treasure of the house of the Lord. Salomon caused to be made three hundred Shieldes of fine Golde that is to say couered with Gold framed in fashion of Plates accounting each Plate worth sixe hundred sicles which value two thousand and foure hundred Crownes of the Sunne Three hundred Targets which are little light Shieldes of the purest purified Gold and placed them in the house of Lybanon Eupolemus adioynes heereto a thousande Shieldes of Gold It is written in the tenth Chapter of the third Booke of the Kings that Salomon made a great seate royall of Iuorie and couered it with the best Gold And the seate had sixe steps and the top of the seate was round behind and there were Pommels on either side of the seate And there stoode twelue Lyons on the steppes sixe on a side there was neuer like worke seene in any Kingdome Salomon sacrificed at one time to God two and twentie thousand Oxen and an hundred twentie thousand Sheepe His ordinary expence day by day was thirtie quarters of fine Manchet flower and three-score quarters of other meale ten stalled Oxen and twentie out of the Pastures an hundred sheepe besides Hartes Buckes Wilde-goates and Capons And Salomon had fortie thousande stalles of Horsses for Chariots and as many Heards of Horsses he had likewise twelue thousand Horse-men according as it is written in the thyrd Booke of the Kings the fourth Chapter The riches of Darius QUintus Curtius Plutarch Strabo and other Historians haue supposed written that Alexander the great after his conquest of Darius king of Persia found in the Treasurie of his conquered enemie twenty-nine thousand talents which valued an hundred and eight Millions of Crownes of the Crowne So choysely and deerely did Darius account ofhis pleasure in the night as he lodged in a Chamber betweene two great Hals hys bedde beeing spred foorth very sumptuously and couered with a Vine of Gold in manner of an Arbour enriched with Grapes hanging thereon which were most curious and costly precious stones The richnes of the very pillow of his bed was woorth fiftie thousande Talents which doe amount to thirtie Millions of Crownes When Alexander gained the battaile against him in Cilicia he was then but fiue twenty yeeres old and sent his Lieuetenant Parmeâ—o to the Citty of Damas where Darius had with-drawne a greâ— part of the afore-named Treasure there he found foure hundred and twenty-nine Ladies his Concubines well skild in Musique which hee brought with him into his Hoast for his delight and pastime with sixe and forty workmen that wrought vpoÌ„ flowers making curious Trammels and Chaplets for Ladyes most odoriferous two hundred three-score and seauenteene Cookes twenty Potters that made Pots other necessaries of earth for the daily vse of the Kitchine nine chiefe Maisters of the Paistrie three-score ten sluggerds of one sort and seauenteene of an other whose labour was to mixte the Aromatique wines to blende and temper the sweet delicious licquors and most arteficiall drinkes thorow bagges and such like fit for the purpose forty other work-men that made sweet odours sauours both dry and licquid If then the King of Persia had so much store of delights in warre when he was prepared to a fight so full of hazard danger what may we imagine he had at other times and in what aboundance of pleasures he lyued when he held hys assured quiet in Babilon a Citty exceeding in all superfluities and vices yet florishing abounding plentifully in wondrous wealth Herodotus in the third booke of hys Historie deuided the Realme of Persia into twenty Gouernements or Prouinces the principall was the Kingdom of Lydia wherof the rich Craesus was King that afterwarde was vanquished by Cyrus and brought into captiuitie Plinie speaking of the estate of the Persians in his tyme sayth that the Empire of the Persians which as then was translated to the Parthians contained eyghteene Kingdomes Herodotus in the Booke before named sheweth by iourneyes lodgings that from Sardis beeing in Lydia to Susa which was the chiefe seate and aboad of the Kings was full three Monthes iourney Quintus Curtius sayth that in two Citties of Persia to wit Susa Persepolis Alexander found an hundred three-score ten thousand Talents of siluer in one heape which himselfe tearmed a summe innumerable an hundred thousande Talents valued three-score Millions of Crownes The sayd Darius had one of the fayrest women in the world to hys Wife who was likewise taken with her two daughters ten thousand Talents he woulde haue giuen for to haue them againe and one halfe of hys Countrey which would not be graunted yet Alexander intreated them very honourablie and wythout any reproche Hee neuer afterward sawe his wife and daughters but once and in short while after himselfe was traiterously slaine by Bessus who had the principal charge vnder him The liberalitie of Alexander the great to his men of warre ALexander the great after his conquest and returne out of Asia beeing aduertised that hys Souldiours and men of warre were indebted by hys seruice caused their debts to be payde and bringing money into the midst of hys Campe according to the affirmation of each one how much he owed so much in ready pay was deliuered them the sum amouÌ„ted to sixe Millions of Crownes He was studious of great knowledge hauing euer-more vnder the pillowe of hys bed the poesie of Homer He wrote a Greeke Epistle to Aristotle which is reported by Plutarch
stand in greatest neede of your ayde and succour Let it then be your pleasure to take from me this charge and commaunde your Officers to make seasure on all and deliuer it into your hande to whom it appertaineth otherwise I shall fall downe vnder this burthenous and oppressing loade For I see the time is come when I ought recall to me my sences the neerest parts of my vnderstanding is not to be troubled with anie contrary thoughts These wordes spake Seneca onely to escape death yet Nero caused him be put to death as of long time hee had practised and sought the occasion to doe it Pallas a seruaunt to Nero in little while after he was at liberty knew himselfe to be worth three thousande times Sestertiaes as saith Cornelius Tacitus which value seauen Millions fiue hundred thousand crownes Suetonius speaking of the great prodigalitie of Nero sayth that the King Tyridates of Armenia came to see him in the Cittie of Rome to whom Nero gaue ordinarilie daie by daie for maintenaunce of his estate eyght hundred thousand Sestertiaes which amount to twenty thousand Crownes of the Crowne and gaue him at his departure thence two Millions fiue hundred thousand Crownes Cornelius Tacitus in the seauenteenth Booke of his Histories saith that during the fourteene yeeres while Nero was Emperour hee spent in vnreasonable gyfts and liberalities two and twentie thousand times Sestertiaes which amount to fiue and fiftie Millions of Crownes Galba the Emperour that succeeded him would haue made recall from such to whom Nero so prodigally had giuen the goods of the Empire and so haue left theÌ„ the teâ—thes but he found that they had spent all and followed their Maister in 〈◊〉 The prodigalitie of Tyberius SUetonius reciteth that Tyberius the successour of Augustus guyded by violent auarice and tyrannie gathered in twenty three yeeres while hee was in the Empyre seauen and twentie thousand times Sestertiaes which summe was asterward spent in one yeere by Calligula his next succeeder The aforesaid summe amounteth to three-score seauen Millions fiue hundred thousand Crownes of the Crowne Seneca in his Booke of Consolation speaking of the Emperor Calligula of his prodigalitie sayth that at one feast or banquet hee caused to be spent and hundred tymes Sestertiaes which value two hundred and fiftie thousand Crownes of the Crowne Of a Ladie called Lollia Paulina PLinie in the ninth Booke of his naturall Historie saith that hee sawe in Rome at a meane banquet a Ladie named Lollia Paulina who somtimes was wife to the Emperour Calligula that had her head her necke her breast and her hands couered with Pearles and Emeraldes knit and curiouslie laced together The least value heereof was iudged woorth foure hundred times Sestertiaes which is a Million of Crownes of the Crowne Of the houses that Calligula and Nero caused to be built about the Cittie of Rome PLinie in his sixe thirty booke saith We haue seene the Cittie of Rome to be enuironed and as it were walled about wyth houses by the two Emperours Calligula and Nero. But albeit theyr houses were full of cost great expence yet the Theater of Scaurus a Romaine Cittizen surmounted the excesse of theyr prodigalitie and yet it was made but for one Moneth onelie no longer then the tyme as the Playes endured This peece of workmanship defaced the magnificence and memorie not onely of the afore-named houses but beside it was found to be more sumptuous as also of farre greater statelines pompe cost then any building whereof memory is left The Scene of the Theater consifted of three Stages whereon were three hundred and three-score Marble pyllers of Africa They that were vnder-neath were also of one peece beeing eyght and thirty foote in height the Scence was crosse-parted with Marble and the Stage in the middest all of Glasse neuer was any thing so much talked of and wondred at The plaine place where the people were appointed was able to containe foure-score thousand persons three thousande Images of Copper did beautifie and adorne the place for Playes For the rest such was the wonderfull riches of apparell Tapistries of Gold Tables and auncient renowmed Pictures as the true report thereof would seeme incredible Suetonius and Plinie speaking of the golden house of Nero which commonlie was called the house of Golde saith that there were within the Galleries three Stages beeing each of them a thousand paces long Also there was a Ponde so great as it seemed to be a Sea enuironed with buildings resembling in euery poynt a goodly Cittie Of the Treasure foundâ— in Tolosa IN the Cittie of Tolosa as Strabo sayth was founde fifteene thousande Talents in golde and siluer beside the vessels which amount to nine Millions of Crownes So likewise reciteth Posidonius and there were founde the hallowed Nets wherewith neuer anie man fished to preuent that the rich Pyllers should not be discouered The Romaines sold the fish of these Nets after they had subiected the Countrey notwithstanding they were dedicated to the Gods the Merchants by this occasioÌ„ found the Gold which therein had beene cast in a mighty masse or heape Cicero in his third Booke of the nature of the Gods sayth that it was decreed by the Senate that punishment should be inflicted on such as had taken away the treasure from the Tolosians Iustin in his two and thirty Booke sayth that it was Cepio a Consul of Rome who had committed this sacriledge and that all they of his companie which shared or had portion in thys Gold dyed very miserably Hee sayth more-ouer that among thys Treasure was found beside an hundred and ten thousand pounds of Gold and fifteene hundred thousand pounds of siluer which is as it were a treble summe to that before named Aulus Gellius in the third booke of hys Uigillia Attica sayth that when any one fell into some notorious or detestable mis-fortune or dyed an euill death they would presently say vnto him Hee tooke parte of the bootie in Tolosa Of the condemnation of Gabinius CIcero sayth in one of his Orations that Gabinius a Cittizen of Rome was condemned in tenne thousande Talents to the Common-wealth which doe amount to the summe of sixe Millions of Crownes Of the Emperour Adrian ADrian the Emperour gaue to to his Legionaries three thousand tymes Sestertiaes which are seauen Millions and fiue hundred thousande Crownes Budaeus sayth that in the life of Adrian is made mention howe hee gaue vnto them tenne Millions of Golde The reuenue of Crassus CRassus a Cittizen of Rome had as his reuenue yeere by yere according to the description of Plinie two hundred and fiftie thousand Crownes The reuenue of the Kingdome of Egipt STrabo a Greeke Authour in the seauenteenth booke of his Cosmographie and discription of the worlde declareth that the reuenue of the Kingdome of Egipt which afterwarde was brought into a Prouince by Augustus valued in the tyme of Ptolome sirnamed the Fluter twelue thousande and fiue
taking sixe-score and fiue paces to euerie Stade to three-score miles agreeing with Plinie Strabo in his sixteene booke affirmeth that they contained in length three hundred eightie fiue Stades and so large as so manie Chariots might passe ouer them as we haue already named without hindering each others way Beside these Authours declare a meruailous thing that the Gardens were vppon the Arches and Towers hauing Trees in them of wonderfull height Iulius Solinus confirmeth the same with Plinie and other Authours Some of these Writers record that without they were enclosed with Ditches full of water beeing so broade and deepe as an indifferent Riuer In thys Citty were an hundred Gates of Mettall very strange and for conclusion what-soeuer is written cōcerning the height and largenes of these walles is to be credited because in trueth it was the proudest Cittie in the worlde and long time held the vniuersall Monarchie which is no meane argument of the greatnesse declared by Aristotle in the thyrde Booke of hys Pollitiques saying that if any one were taken at one side by the enemie they which dwelt on the other side could not heare thereof in three daies space The second Wonder of the Worlde NExt in the seconde place and for the second Wonder of the VVorlde I poynt out the huge Colossus of the Sun which was in Rhodes being the statue or figure of a Man offered by the Gentiles to the Sunne some say to Iupiter It was made of Mettall the greatnes incredible the height as if it were a wondrous Tower so that it was to be admired howe it was there framed and erected Plinie who discourseth on all thinges sayth that it was seauentie cubits high and albeit for the making there were many good workmen busied about it yet vvas it twelue yeeres in perfecting and cost in value three hundred Talents he that vndertooke this worke was Cares the Indian the scholler of Lysippus This statue was so vnreasonable great as it seemed the earth could not long tyme vphold it because according to Plinie Paulus Orosius it stoode but sixe and fifty yeres at the end of which time it fell by reason of a great trembling of the earth After the fall and the tyme named by Plinie many went to see this meruailous thing and few men were found saith he that coulde fadome or embrace the great fingers of this statue so that the very least of the fingers were bigger thē any other statue it selfe Yet speaketh he of an hundred other Colosses of lesse quantitie which likewise were in Rhodes but they are nothing to our purpose vnlesse some one perhaps will say because of the one great the other lesser the Rhodians should be named the Colossenses or Colossians Yet that opinion is not approued by Erasmus for he saith that the Colossians to whom S. Paule wrote were people of a Cittie in Phrigia named Colossas Returne we then to thys meruailous Colossus I say that it remained there ruined on the earth a long time euen vntil Pope Martin the first which was in the yeere six hundred when the Infidels and the Soldane of Egipt theyr Captaine came vpon the Rhodians and according as Platina writes in the life of Pope Martin and Anthonie Sabellicus in the third part of his booke they report that he found the Reliques of this Colossus and that nine hundred Camels were loden away with the Mettall thereof The other Colosses that were in Rhodes and other places not so great wee will not speake of them because in thys discourse wee must onely intreat on seauen Wonders of the World The third wonder of the world FOR the third I think meete to set downe the Piramides of Egipt which in truth if that which so many learned Historians haue written may be tearmed trueth was a thing very admirable These Piramides were certaine buildings which began in forme of a Quadrangle or foure square ascended so vp to the highest in large proportion according to the maner of a poynted Diamond yet were they of such greatnes and height containing such so many stones and in such perfection as it is very hard to be set downe but more hard to cause each one giue credite thereto notwithstanding they are so authorised by Authours both Christians and Gentiles and them that are the best approoued as none can deny what they haue written These Piramides then are like high Towers finishing at the top spire and sharpe the Etimologie of the name commeth of Pyr in Greeke which is to say fire because it seemeth that the highest of these building doe flash out flames of fire Amongst all other Piramides the Historians make particuler mention of three that were in Egipt neere the Cittie of Memphis which at this day is the Caire and the Ile that foundeth Nilus named Delta one of which three is placed in ranck among the seauen Meruailes of the world for it is saide that at the making thereof continually and dailie laboured three hundred and three-score thousand men for the space of twentie yeres together Many doe affirme this and particulerlie Plinie speaking amply thereof in his thirtie sixe booke and twelfth Chapter and for hys assuraunce alleadgeth twelue sounde Authours Beside Diodorus in his first Booke Strabo in his last booke Pomponius Mela in his first booke Herodotus in his seconde booke Amianus in his second booke and many other Some say that the plot and foundation of this Piramides spred foorth and couered eyght daies iourney of ground let me leaue to your imagination what space that may be Some other say seauen dayes iourney but the least yeeldeth to sixe and as much or rather more in height Plinie sayth that each square contained eyght hundred foure-score and three foote the stones were of Marble brought out of Arabia and Pomponius Mela saith that the most part of thē were three foote large Heereby may we easily gather that so many thousand men might be imployed some to carry stones some to hew and cut them and others to place them beside the multitude that wrought in the yron workes and about other necessary occasions Of the other Piramides it is thus saide the least of the two was made by the vanitie of the Kings of Egypt which were the richest in all the world as well by the fertility of the earth as also that in this Countrey no person possessed any thing in proper but the King onely And this was since the time that Ioseph the sonne of Iaacob councelled Pharao to preserue the Corne for 7. yeres aboundance regarding the time of famine during which space by the meanes of thys Corne hee had all the Countreyes his Vassailes Thinke then whether these Kinges were rich or no when they made theyr Subiects attend on them like seruaunts And the Historians say that the Kings in thys respect caused these Piramides to be builded because they would giue to eate to their people that laboured as also least they should leaue their riches
Kings of Egipt cause to be made Plinie in his sixt booke eyght and ninth chapters shewes the maner of drawing these stones forth of the Quarries and Mines of stone Of these Piramides Obelisques Statues and Colosses maketh mention the learned Polyphius in the beginning of his Hypne-rotomachia Of the great Treasure found in Pouilla IN the time of Robert Guâ—scardo in Pouilla was found a statue of Marble which had about the head in manner of a Garlande a circle of brasse wherein was engrauen these Latine wordes Calendis Maii oriente Sole aurum caput habebo Which is to say In the Calends of Maie at the rising of the Sunne I shall haue a heade of golde Robert searched long to know the signification of these words yet coulde hee not find any one to instruct him in the true vnderstanding vntill at last there was a Saraâ—en well skilled in the Magique Arte being prisoner to Robert hauing â—st demaunded his liberty in recompence of the interpretation he offered todisclose the wordes written on the statue His deliueraunce being graunted by the Duke Guyscardo he declared them in this manner to wit On the day of the Calendes of May at the rysing of the Sun he obserued and marked the place where the shadow of the statues heade finished on the ground and there he commaunded theÌ„ to dig very deepe by which meanes should be vnderstoode the meaning of the word Robert caused a deepe digging to bee made in the appointed place where in little while was discouered and founde a mightie masse of Treasure which gaue him good principall ayde in his meruailous enterprises And for the Saracen beside other recoÌ„pences he receiued of Robert the recouery of his liberty was the most ioyfull thing which in al the world could happen to him These three last discourses were translated out of the diuers Lessons of Pierre Messie and Antonie du Verdier Sieur de Vaupriuaz An aduertisement to the Reader A Man can hardly haue knowledge of the estate of the Romaine Empire nor lykewise of the Kingdomes Signories and principalities that are in Greece and Asia vnlesse he vnderstande their moneyes manners and behauiour in speech which hath bred heer-to-fore a generall error and confusion For they that haue written an hundred times Sestertiaes meant and signified an hundred times an hundred thousand Sestertiaes the which custome and kinde of speeche hath brought the Interpreters and Translatours of good Authours since within a thousande yeeres into great doubt and errour There were some that imagined and thought them to be the same indeede and therfore spake thereof indifferently others there were that either vnderstood them not or else could not comprehend theÌ„ and so by reason of their weakenes doubting there hath ensued very great disference and alteration But the verie trueth is that this manner of speech came in vse by abbreuiation of the language for when they woulde signifie a great sum to cut short the word they would say an hundred times Sestertiaes in sted of saying an hundred times an hundred thousand Sestertiaes And foure hundred tymes Sestertiaes in sted of four hundred times an hundred thousande twelue times Sestertiaes meaning twelue thousande Sestertiaes c. To know summarily the declaration and meaning of the summes contained in the Histories I haue according to the account of Budaeus gathered the notes and abridged them as followeth to be knowen after our owne English money or after the value of the French Crownes THE As valueth foure small French Deniers not so much as an English farthing Thys As is the very least peece of coyne or currant Money that is In signification according to the Latine it is taken for a pound weight consisting of twelue ounces In diuision of solid thinges as of Lande or inheritance it is likewise takeÌ„ for the whole part or portion There is required sixe Sextans to make or value an As. A Sextan is a coyne lesse then that which is called a Quadran by the third part It likewise is a certaine poyse or weight being two ounces after some called Obolus after other the sixt part of a pound It is the sixt part of any measure summe or quantity that is deuided into 12. parts It is somtime likewise taken for 2. inches Also the sixt parte of Iugerum which is so much grounde as one yoke of Oxen wyll eare in a day It containes in length two hundred and forty foote and in bredth one hundred and twenty foote which multiplied riseth to 28800. It may bee vsed for our English Acre of grounde which neuerthelesse containeth more c. or for a furlong Obolus is also a small peece of Coyne but variable according to the CouÌ„try in France it is a little brasse peece the sixt parte of a Souse with vs in England it is a half-penny Yet Iunius taketh it for a penny and farthing of our money It is also a weight containing three Carrets that is halfe a Scruple It is sometime vsed as Obolus terrae fyue foote in breadth and tenne in length which containes siftie foote square A Quadran in coyne is a brasen piece called Triunx or Teruntius the fourteenth part of Denarius or as wee in England count the fourth parte of a penny which is our farthing It is the fourth part of an As that is three ounces and a quarter Also the fourth part of any nuÌ„ber or measure or three inches It is vsed diuers waies as Quadrans operae Col the fourth part of a daies work Ex quadrante haeredem facere Ulpian to make heire of the fourth part Quadrans vini Cels. sixe ounces of Wine after Budaeus After Physitians foure ounces and a halfe Four Quadrans or Quadrins value an As. The Libella or little booke as it is tearmed is a coyne likewise valuing one As. Of this coyne there were two sorts one the tenth part of Sestertius another the tenth part of Denarius Of English money it is no more theÌ„ three farthings It is taken some time for a pound weight Sesquiobolus valueth not halfe a Souse french It is diuersly taken in other Countreyes but in England it is likewise no more then three farthings Also it is a poyse containing three parts of a Scruple The little Sestertius valueth ten Deniers a halfe This coyne was among the Romaines whereof Denarius contained foure and is so called quasi Semitertius for it contained two and a halfe of the brasen coyne called As and is marked with this figure H. S. Of English money it is estimated woorth two pence I meane the little Sestertius The Drachma valueth three french Souses or Sols whereof there be three-score in a French Crowne It is otherwise called three Shillings and sixe pence of this peece there is mention made in the Gospell of S. Mathew This Drachma is a coyne figured with a Bullocke counterpoysing an olde sterling Groate of eyght pence to the ounce It was diuersly taken by the name of Solidus