beasts fish foules and all other creatures vegetatiue and sensatiue Tertullian hee speakes of three hundred Ioues or Iupiters counted by M. Varro Therefore it was not permitted amongst the Romanes to adore any other gods or goddesses than such as were approoued and allowed by the Senate In the books of the high Priest it was thus written Let no man bring in an innouation of any new gods or aliens to be priuately adored vnlesse they be publikely approoued onely such as haue from antiquitie beene held Celestiall and vnto whom Temples and Alters haue beene consecrated let none else haue diuine worship The Heathen of old amongst their goddesses counted these Pâ—dicitia Concordia Mens Spes Honor Clementia and Fides that is Bashfulnesse Concord the Mind Hope Honour Clemency and Faith Pliny writes of a Temple in Rome dedicated to Honour Certaine liuing creatures and other things were in the old time reuerenced as gods The Trogloditae as the same authour testifies worshipped a Tortoise The Aegyptians had in honour gaâ—licke and onyons they haue the Crocodile likewise in diuine adoration to whom they offer sacrifice but the Ombytae chiefly a people of that countrey by whom he is held most sacred and if it so happen that their children be by him deuoured the parents reioyce imaginiug they are specially beloued of the gods that are thought worthy to beget food to please their appetits Serpents are honoured by the Phoenicians In Gadeâ—a a citie of Spayne two Temples were erected the one to Age the other to Death to one as the mistresse of Experience to the other as a quiet harbour or cessation from all miseries and calamities In other cities were the like instituted to Pouertie and to Fortune lest the one should afflict them and that the other should fauor them Floods likewise and riuers were esteemed as deities some portraide in the figure of men and others in the semblance of beasts Amongst the Lacaedemonians as Plutarch relates Temples were edified one to Feare another to Laughter a third to Death The Aeyptians worshipped the Sunne and Moone the Goddesse Ibis a cat an eagle and a goate The Syrians adored a doue the Romanes a goose by reason that by cackling of geese the Capitall was preserued from the sacke Amongst the Thessalians it was held an offence Capitall to kill a Storke Those that inhabite the Island Syrene honour the fish called Pharos those that dwell in Moeotis the fish Oxiringus In Ambracia a Lyonesse because in times past a Lyonesse ceased vpon a Tyrant and tore him to pieces by which they were restored to their ancient liberties Those that liue by Delphos a Wolfe who by scraping vp the earth discouered a great quantitie of gold buried and till then concealed The men of Samos a Sheepe the Argiues a Serpent the Islanders of Tenedos a Cow with calfe after whose conception they tender her as much seruice as to a woman young with child A Dragon in Alba a groue iuft opposite against Iunoes Temple was honoured by the Spartane virgins to which at certaine times they went and fedde him from their hands The Aeyptians had Aspes likewise in great worship which they fostered and brought vp together with their children The Thebanes honored a Sea-Lamprey There were gods called Medioxum dei or middle gods of which Plautus in his Cistellaria makes mention Ita me dij deoeque superi et inferi mediorum as the gods and goddesses supernall or infernall or those betwixt them both c. He speakes likewise of Dij potellarij such as had power ouer the dishes that were vsed in sacrifices to which Ouid hath reference in this verse Fert Missos Vestae pura patella cibos The cleane platter presents those cates sent to Vesta And Plautus in another place Dij me omnes magni minuti patellarij c. There be others called Semones who haue domination ouer as much as lyes open from the middle region of the ayre to the earth and they are called by vs semi-dei or halfe-gods Fulgentius calls those Semones that for the pouertie of their desert are not worthy a place in the heauens Amongst whom he reckons Priapus Hippo and Vertumnus In Italy there were diuers others called Dij municipates as belonging to priuate men in citties not called into any publicke office as amongst the Crustuminians Delventinus amongst the Narnienses Viridiarius amongst the Astrulanians Ancharia amongst the Volcinienses Nortia But now of the Goddesses in order Of the Goddesses Coelestiall and first of IVNO IVNO is the daughter of Saturne the Queene of the gods and chiefe of those that are called Coelestiall The wife and sister of Iupiter Goddesse of Power and Riches and soueraignesse of marriage and all coniugall contracts The Festiualls kept in her honour were called Herea which was a nâ—me appropriated to her owne person so Enneus saith as Cicero cites him in his first booke of offices Vos ne velit an me regnare Hera Will the mistresse haue you to raign or me where some take Hera for fortune One of hir Priests as Virgill testates was Calibe of whom he thus speakes Fit Calibe Iunonis anus templique sacerdos The old woman Calibe was priest in Iunoes Temple Ouid in his 2. booke Metamorph. nominates Alcinoe Ante tamen cunctos Iunonis templa colebat Proque viro quinullus er at veniebat ad Aras Alcinoe before the rest did Iunoes Temple grace And for a man for men were none had at her altar place She was honoured most in the Citie of Carthage the chiefe cittie of Affrica of which Virgill in his first booke Aeneiad thus speakes Quam Iuno fertur terris magis omnibus vnam Post habita Coluisse Samo Which onely saith he Iuno is reported to prefer before all other countries euen Samos it selfe Statius in his first booke Theb. saith that shee was much honoured in the citie called Prosimna but in Samos an Island compast in with the Icarian sea shee was chiefely celebrated as said to be there nourced in her infancie In Argos and Micene two chiefe cities of Achaia shee was likewise much honoured as their Queene and Patronesse for so Horace affirmes lib. 1. Carmin Ouid in his 6 booke De fastis saith that the people called Phalisci haue her in great adoration calling them Iunonicolâ— as those that honour Iuno Of her chastitie maiestie her brawling and chiding with Iupiter her reuenge vpon his strumpets and bastards diuers things haue beene diuersely commented of which I will insist vpon some fewe Iuno hauing in suspition Semele the daughter of Cadmus and Hermione to haue beene often prostituted by Iupiter shee changed her selfe into the shape of her nource Beroe persuading her that shee should beg of him That he would grace her so much as to lie with her in the same state and maiestie with which he bedded Iuno that as his power and potencie was great aboue all so her embracings and wantonnings might be remarkeable aboue others which he vnwillingly
Argus the sonne of Aristor whose hundered eyes Mercurie by the commaundement of Iupiter hauing charmed asleepe he cut off his head and so slewe him In these destractions she past the Ionian sea which from her beares the name though Theopompus and Archidamus rather are of opinion that that Sea tooke his denomination from Ionius an eminent man of Illyria from thence she came to Haemus and transwafted thence to a gulfe of Thracia which by her was called Bosphorus There were two Bosphori the one called Cimnerius the other Thracius so much Prometheus speakes in his Escilus she past thence into Scythia and traiecting many seas that deuide and run by Europe and Asia came at length into Aegypt and by the bankes of Nilus reassumed her humane shape and this hapned neere the cittie Iaxe so called of Io after which she brought forth Epaphus as Strabo writes in a cauerne or denne in Eubaea by the Aegean sea shore which place is to this day called Aula Bouis That she past all these Seas in the shape of a Cow the meaning is that the ship wherein she sayled had the image of a Cow carued vpon the sterne and therefore was so called By Argus with so many eyes was intended Argus a wise and prouident king of the Argiues whom Mercury hauing slaine released her from his seruitude After all her transmarine nauigations being the most beautifull of her time she was espoused to Apis king of the Aegyptians and by reason she taught them in that countrey the profitable vsurie arising from agriculture was esteemed by them a goddesse whose statue her son Aepaphus after he had builded Memphis the great cittie caused to be erected Some more ingeniouslie and diuinelie withall say that Isca by which name the first woman and wife of Adam was called imports no more than Isis whom the Aegyptians honored as the great and most antient goddesse and mother of mankinde for the Latines and Greekes corrupt the pronuntiation and aetimologie of the word speaking Isis for Issa or Isca Therefore as Isca is the wife of our great grandfather Adam so by the auncient tradition of the Aegyptians Isis was the wife of Offidis whom the Latines call Osirides transferring the Aegyptian Euphony to their owne Idioma or proper forme of speech Ate. Ate whom some call Laesio is the goddesse of Discord or Contention and by Homer termed the daughter of Iupiter Ate prisca proles quae le serit omnes Mortales Ate the ancient offspring that hath hurt and harmed all Mankinde He calls her a certaine woman that to all men hath been obnoxious and perilous alluding no doubt to the parent of vs all Eue that first transgressed and by some reliques of truth with which he was inlightned for he sayth Filia prima Iouis quaeque omnes perdidit Ate Perniciosa As much to say Pernitious Ate the eldest daughter of Iupiter who hath lost vs all In another fable hee alludes to the same purpose where he sayth Iupiter notwithstanding he was the most wise of all mortalls yet was in daies of old tempted and deceiued by his wife Iuno And this Homer hath plainly deliuered that the beginning of euill came first from a woman and by her the wisest of men was beguiled Hesiod in his booke of Weekes and Daies is of the same opinion and writes to the same purpose but in another kind of fable from the old tradition For saith he From Pandora a woman of all creatures the fairest and first created by the gods all mischiefes whatsoeuer were disperst through the face of the whole earth And though Palephatus in his fabulous narrations and Pleiades Fulgentius in his Mythologicis otherwise interpret Pandora yet Hesiodus is still constant in the same opinion as may appeare in these verses Namque prius vixere Homines verum absque labore Absque malis morboque grani tristique senecta At mulier rapto de poclo tegmine sparsit Omne mali genus morbos curasque molestas Which I thus interpret Man liu'd at first from tedious labours free Not knowing ill or grieuous maladie Nor weake and sad old age till woman mad Snatcht from the pot the couer which it had Sprinkling thereby on mankind euery ill Trouble disease and care which haunts vs still Therefore the same authour in his Theogonia as Cyrillus testifies in his third booke against Iulian and in the beginning of the booke calls women Pulchrum malum The faire euill Pandora Of her thus brieflie the better to illustrat the former Hesiod tells vs that Promaetheus vpon a time offered two oxen to Iupiter and hauing separated the flesh of either from the bones in one of the skinnes including all the flesh without bones in the other all the bones without any part of the flesh and artificiallie making them vp againe bad Iupiter make choice of these which he would haue imployed in his sacrifices who chused that with the bones and taking it in great rage to be thus deluded he to be reuenged tooke away all fire from the earth thereby to inflict the greater punishment vpon mankind But Prometheus by the assistance of Minerua ascended heauen and with a dryed cane or reed kindled at the chariot of the sunne vnknowne to Iupiter brought fire downe againe vpon the earth which Horace expresseth in these words Audax Iapeti Genus Ignem fraude mala gentibus intulit The bold issue of Iapetus By his bad fraud brought fire againe among the Nations This when Iupiter vnderstood he instantlie commanded Vulcan to fashion a woman out of clay who being the most subtle and best furnisht with all kind of arts so indued by the gods was therefore called Pandora Pausonias tearmes her the first created of that sex she was by Iupiter sent to Prometheus with all the mischiefes that are included in a boxe which he denying she gaue it to Epimetheus who taking off the couer or lid and perceiuing all these euills and disasters to rush out at once he scarce had time to shut it againe and keepe in Hope which was lowest and in the bottome The purpose of the Poets in this as I can guesse is that since Pandora signifies all arts all sciences all gifts it imports thus much for our better vnderstanding That there is no mischiefe or euill happens to man which proceedes not from a voluptuous life which hath all the arts to her ministers and seruants for from them kings were first instituted and raised to their honoures by them were plots stratagems supplantations and dangerous innouations attempted with them grew emulation and enuie discord and contention thefts spoiles warres slaughters with all the troubles cares vexations and inconueniences belonging and heriditarie to mankinde Of the Marine Goddesses IN these as in the former I will studie to auoid all prolixitie because I am yet but at the start of the race and measure in my thoughts the tediousnesse of the way I am to run before I can
He that is idle and would businesse haue Let him of these two things himselfe prouide A Woman and a Ship no two things crane More care or cost to suite the one for pride Th' other for tackles they are both like fire For still the more they haue they more desire And this I speake by proofe from morne to noone Their labour and their trauells haue none end To wash to râ—b to wipe and when that 's done To striue whore nothing is amâ—sse to mend To polish and expolish painâ— and staine Vnguents to daube and then wipe out againe c. Now what generall censures these fantasticke garbes and meere importunities incurre if any demaund I answere What lesse than weakenesse of the braine or loosenesse of life This iest following though it be old yet me thinkes it is pittie it should dye vnremembered A gentleman meeting in the streets with a braue gallant wench and richly accommodated seeing her walke with her brests bare almost downe to the middle laying his hand vpon them demaunded of her in her eare whether that flesh were to bee sold who skornefully answered No to whom he modestly replyed Then let me aduise you to shut vp your shop-windowes I will end this monitorie counsell with an Epigram out of Ausonius which beares title of two sisters of vnlike conditions Delia nos miramur est mirabile qoud tam Dissimiles estis c. Wee wonder Delia and it strange appeares Thou and thy sister haue such censure past Though knowne a whore the habit 's chast she woares Thou saue thy habit nothing whorish hast Though than chast life she hath chast habit sought Her Manners her thy Habit makes thee nought In memorie of Virgin chastitie I will cite you one historie out of Marullus lib. 4. cap. 8. The monument of Aegiptae the daughter of Edgar king of England a professed Virgin in her life time beeing opened after shee had many yeares lyen in the graue all her bodie was turned into dust sauing her wombe and bowells and they were as fresh and faire without any corruption as at the first day of her interment Those that stood by wondering at the obiect one Clerke amongst the rest broke foorth into these tearmes Wonder not to see the rest of the bodie to taste of putrifaction and the wombe still sound and perfect which neuer was contaminated with the least stayne or blemish of lust Of her Bishop Danstan thus speakes Worthie is her remembrance to be honoured vpon Earth whose chast life is celebrated amongst the Saints in Heauen O great reward due to Virgin chastitie by which such felicitie is attayned that their soules are not onely glorified in Heauen but their bodies are not subiect to corruption on earth But because the Theame I am next to speake of is of Virgins giue me leaue to begin with the best that euer was since the beginning for Beautie Chastitie and Sanctitie nor shall it be amisse to speake a word or two concerning her Genealogie MARY the Mother of CHRIST was the daughter of Ioachim of the Tribe of Iuda her mothers name was Anna the daughter of Isachar of the Tribe of Leui. Here as S. Hierome obserues is to be noted That Anna and Emeria were two sisters of Emeria came Elizabeth the mother of Iohn Baptist also Anna was first marryed to Ioachim and had by him Mary the mother of Christ and was after espoused to Cleophas by whom she had Mary Cleophe who was marryed to Alphaeus From them two came Iames the lesse surnamed Alphaeus Symon Canâ—â—â—aus Iudas Thaddaus and Ioseph otherwise called Barsabas Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall Historie Lib. 2. cap. 2. sayth That Iames the lesse was called the Brother of our Lord because hee was the brother of Ioseph the husband of Mary but his opinion is not altogether authenticall Also Anna was espoused to Salome and had by him Mary Salome after marryed to Zebedeus and had by him Iâ—mes the greater and Iohn the Euangelist Ioseph the husband of Mary was the brother of Cleophas It is also obserued That in the one and fortieth yeere of the reigne of Augustus Caesar in the seuenth moneth which is September in the eleuenth day of the Moone which is the foure and twentieth day of the moneth on a Thursday Iohn Baptist was conceiued and two hundred threescore and fifteene dayes after on a Fryday was borne So that he was the fore-runner of Christ both in his Conception his Birth his Baptisme his Preaching and his Death A woman goeth with child two hundred threescore and sixteene dayes for so long by computation was Christ in the wombe of the blessed Virgin though all women goe not so long with child as S. Augustine obserues Lib. 4. de Ciuitate Dei cap. 5. So that Christ was longer in the wombe by a day and more than S. Iohn Baptist. Iohn also was borne when the dayes began to shorten and wane and Christ when the dayes began to waxe long Concerning these Antiquities I conclude with a sentence of S. Augustines Against Reason sayth hee no sober man will dispute against the Scripture no Christian man contest and against the Church no religious man oppose And so I proceed to the Historie Of MARY the Blessed Virgin LEt it not be held vnnecessarie or appeare out of course amongst these Virgins to insert a historie memorable for the â—arenesse thereof to all posteritie Iohannes Wyerius in his booke intituled de Prestigijs demonum hath collected it out of Suidas In the time that Iâ—stinianuâ— was Emperour there was a prince amongst the Iewes whose name was Theodosius He hauing great acquaintance and familiaritie with one Philippâ—s a Christian a bancker or one that dealt in the exchange of money for hee was called Philippus Argentarius this Philip did often sollicite and exhort him to leaue his Iudaisme and be a conuertite and turne to the Christian religion to whom he aunswered Indeed he must ingeniosly confesse he made no question but that Iesus whom the Christians adored was the same Messias of whom the holie Prophets foretold yet he could not bee persuaded to relinquish the honours and profits that he had amongst his owne nation and giue himselfe vp to a name which they knew not or at least would not acknowledge yet that he beleeued so of Christ he was not onely persuaded by the Oracles of the holie Prophets but he found it approoued by a certaine mysterie namely a writing most charily still kept amongst the Iewes in a place most safe and secret where their choise records with the especiallest care and trust are reserued which was of this nature It was a custome amongst the Iewish nation at what time the holie Temple was yet standing in Ierusalem to haue continually the number of twentie two chiefe and selected Priests iust so many as there bee letters in the Hebrew language or bookes of the old Testamenâ— and so often as any one of these was taken away by death immediately another was elected to succeed in his place and being chosen in a booke kept
fortitude that they after grew vnresistable Answerable to the facunditie and eloquence of the Poet Tyrtaeus was that of Amesia a modest Roman Ladie who being of a great crime accused and readie to incurre the sentence of the Praetor shee in a great confluence stept vp amongst the people and without any Aduocate pleaded her owne Cause so effectually and strongly that by the publique Suffrage shee was freed and acquit from all aspersions whatsoeuer Which shee did with such a manly yet modest constancie that from that time forward shee was called Androgine Valer. Maxim Lib. 8. cap. 3. Equall to her was Hortensia the daughter of Q. Hortensius shee when the Roman Matrons had a grieuous fine imposed vpon them by the Tribunes and when all the Lawyers and Orators were afraid to â—aâ—e vpon them the patronage of their Cause this discreet Ladie in person pleaded before the Triumuirate in the behalfe of the women which shee did boldly and happily for as one hereditarie to her fathers eloquence shee preuailed so farre that the greatest part of the mulct imposed vpon them was instantly remitted Differing from their Modesties was that of Caia Affrania the wife of Lycinius Bructio a woman prompt and apt for all contention and discord and in all troubles and controuersies still pleaded her owne Cases before the Praetor Not that shee wanted the helpe of an Aduocat but rather to expresse her owne impudence whose common rayling and loquacitie before the Bench grew to that scandall that it almost stretcht to the iniurie of the whole Sex insomuch that if any woman were iustly taxed with boldnesse or irregularitie shee in the way of a Prouerbe was branded with the name of Affrania Her spleene extended euen to Caius Caesar Tertius as likewise to M. Seruilius the Consull My Author leaues her with this Character That it is much better to enquire when such a Monster dyed than curiously to be inquisitiue when or of whom she was borne Val. Max. Lib. 8. cap. 3. From Orators I come to Sophists and from Declamers to Disputants It is reported of Caecilia the chast Roman Virgin being married against her will to a noble gentleman called Valerianus when they were left together in the Bride-chamber shee with her strong reasons and prompt arguments discoursed and disputed with him in the patronage and defence of her Virginitie prouing vnto him from the Scriptures how iustly vowed Chastitie is more acceptable in the eyes of the great Maker than Marriage insomuch that notwithstanding his heat of youth meeting with a tempting and prouoking beautie the conuenience of opportunitie time and place with the lawfulnesse of the act established by the Ceremonies of the Church yet he at her intercession not onely abstained from that time to offer her any force or violence but euer after both betwixt themselues vowing lasting Virginitie She likewise when Tiburtius the brother to Valerianus contended with her in disputation refuted the Opinions then generally held concerning the idolatrous worship of the false Pagan godsâ— so that hauing conuinced him with vndenyable Propositions hee turned a zealous Conuertiâ—e to the true Christian Faith Catherina Alexandria vnder the Tyrannie of Maxentius argued with all the best and cunningest Sophists of those dayes stoutly and constantly maintaining the Faith of the Gospell and sillogistically refuting all their schismaticall Opinions causing many of them to deliuer vp their names to the sincere profession of Christianitie In her appeared how the wisedome of the world gaue place and submitted to the Diuine knowledge insomuch that notwithstanding all the Sillogisticall cunning and Sophisticall Dilemmaes in which they were elaborately practised they were forced to yeeld and submit to the authoritie of a plaine Virgins tongue her wit and reason being illuminated with Diuine knowledge from aboue Marull Lib. 5. cap. 6. Guido Bit. in his Catalogue of Philosophers reports Diodorus Socraticus to haue had fiue daughters all Disputants and skilfull in Logicke Hypparchia the sister of Megocles and wife to Crates Cynicus shee with one Sophisme put to silence Theodorus surnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Quod faciâ—nâ— Theodorus non diceretur iniuste facere idem si faciat Hypparchia non diceretur iniuste facere i. That which Theodorus doing he is not said to doe vniustly If Hypparchia doe the same shee is not said to doe vniustly To which when hee granted shee added this But Theodorus beating himselfe is not said to doe vniustly Ergo If Hipparchia beat Theodorus shee cannot doe vniustly To this Theodorus made no answere but in snatching vp his Cloake and leauing the place hee taunted her in a Greeke lambicke Verse which was to this purpose Why shee being a woman would trouble her selfe with such Disciplines as are solely appertaining vnto men thus saying Radios apud Telas reliqui femina To whom shee replyed Thinkest thou I haue beene ill counsailed if that time which I might haue past vpon the Loome or Distasse I haue spent in the attaining of the liberall Arts and Disciplines Of Debora of the Tribe of Ephraim her wisedome and her Propheâ—ies in which she excelled the holy Scriptures giues ample testimonie as likewise of Mary the sister of Moses Anna the Prophetesse and others I procced to such as haue beene studied and practised as well in Theologie as Philosophie Of Women studious in Diuinitie TAbiola a Roman matron was verie laborious in the reading and vnderstanding of the sacred Scriptures she was frequent in the old Prophets the Gospells and the Psalmes of Dauid which shee had almost ad vnguem and by roat her continuall reading practised her in a more perfect knowledge shee was of that reuerent respect amongst the learned that Saint Ierome vouchsafed to dedicate a booke vnto her intituled de Vesta Sacer dotali Marcella Romana for her industrie in the Scriptures in which she was zealously trauelled was in many of Saint Ieromes Epistles saluted by name Hee writ a booke to her De mundi Contemplu i. Of the contempt of the world another of the ten names by which God is called amongst the Hebrewes a third of our Faith and the doctrine of the Heretikes a fourth of Blasphemie against the holie Ghost a fifth of the studie of Theophilus bishop of Alexandria with diuers others The same Saint Ierome witnesseth of Eustochium the daughter of one Paula a Roman matron who was excellently practised in the Greeke and Latin Dialects as also in the Hebrew Charracter in so much that shee in her time was called The new Prodigie of the World she gaue her studie cheefly to meditation vpon the Scriptures in so much that shee read the Psalmes of Dauid familiarlie and without the least hesitation Anastatia the scholler to Crisogâ—nus the Martyr and wife of Publius Romanus who faining a counterfeit disease sequestred himselfe from her and quite abandoned her bed shee writ certaine Epistles to her Maister and Tutor Crisogonus in which shee complained
mouth cloased or sealed vp Atergatis A goddesse honoured by the Syrians so saith Strabo That beyond Euphrates is the great citie Bambice whom some call Edessa others Hierapolis in which Atergatis the Syrian goddesse hath diuine reuerence Drias or Bona dea was adored by the Roman Matrons as also by the ordinarie women of lesse state and qualitie to whose sacrifices no man could bee at any time admitted of her Tibullus speakes Sacra bonae maribus non adeunda deae Her name was Drias the daughter or as some will haue it the wife of Fannus who was of that modest Temperance and Continencie that she so much retyr'd her selfe from the sight of all men that she neuer walked abroad nor was at any time seene in publicke A great aspertion and calumnie still liues vpon the Sepulchre of Pub. Claudius a noble man of Rome in that he was so impudent and irreligious as to violate her rights and ceremonies For in her Temple as Iuuenall amongst others remember of him he adulterated Pompeia the daughter of Quintus Pompeius and niece to Sylla Nota bonae secreta deae Bubona and Carna is the goddesse of oxen and heards of cattell all such she takes to her charge but Carna was called Dea Cordinis The goddesse of the henge or hooke on which the doore or gate hangeth or mooueth Ouid in his first booke de Fastis thus writes Prima dies tibi Carna datur dea cardinis haec est Numine clausa aperit claudit aperta suo The first dayes Carnaes She of doores The goddesse is and guide She by her power ope's closed gates And shuts such as stand wide The Antient writers affirme that shee was held to haue predominance ouer the intrails and all the interiour parts of man or woman to whom they made their orisons that shee would keepe and preserue their harts liuer lungs and bowels free from anguish and the disease of consumption To her Brutus erected a Temple Dicè and Deuerra Dicè was one that had power ouer the Tribunall or seat of iudgement she had imployment in taking vp quarrells ending strifes compounding law-cases and deciding all contentions whatsoeuer Her ministers were called Dioastae quasi litem diremptores as much in our english tongue as if we should call them Peace-makers Deuerra was a goddesse too and held in reuerence for no other reason than that she preserued them from ominous night-birds called Scopae Empanda She had the charge of all such things as were negligentlie left open where she tooke the charge it was held to be more safe than vnder locke and key Feronia She is a goddesse of the wods memorated by Virgill in these words Et viridi gaudens Feronia luco Feronia reioycing and taking pleasure in the greene groaues Flora. She was first a strumpet in Rome of extraordinarie fame state and beautie who by her prostitution attain'd to such an infinite wealth that she at her owne proper charge not onelie repayred but new built a great part of the walles of Rome After her death she constituted the people of Rome for her heire for which bountie they caused her to be deified and offered vnto her diuine honours Her feasts were called Floralia Of her Ouid thus speakes in his fifth booke Fastorum Hunc mens impleuit generoso Flore maritus Atque ait arbitrium tu dea Floris eris Tro and Thor. These are the names of a goddesse and a god spoken of in the historie of Saxo Gramaticâ—s Furina Is the goddesse of theeues her sacrifices are kept in the night as best affecting deedes of darkenes The Etruscians call her the goddesse of lots such as are drawne for the taking vp of controuersies Hippona She hath the gouernment and protection of Horses whom hostlers and groomes of stables haue in great adoration her picture is still in the place where their horses stand of her Iuuenall speakes in his eighth Satyre Horchia is a goddesse worshipped in the cittie of Etruria as the genius of the same place From her the village by called Horchianus takes name Lauerna She is ouer theeues who make supplication to her for good and rich booties as that she would charme the houshold with sleepe keepe the dogges from barking and the doore hâ—nges from creeking to defend them from shame and keepe them from the gallowes Horace in his first booke of Epistles Pulchra Lauerna Da mihi fallere da sanctum iustumque videri Viz. Oh faire Lauerna grant me that I may cosine and deceiue but grant me withall that I may appeare to the world a iust man and an holy Mania was a goddesse and mother of the Lares or houshold gods to whom children were vsed to be offered in sacrifice for the safetie of their familiar friends that were in trauell by land or sea or in any feare of danger But Iunius Brutus in his consullship altered the propertie of that oblation and changed the innocent liues and blood of infants into the heads of garlicke and poppie which serued in the stead thereof Medetrina Mellonia Mena Murcea c. Medetrina she was the medicinall goddesse and was called so à Medendo she had power in the ministring of Physicke her solemnities were called Medittinatia So likewise Mellonia was thought to be goddesse and chiefe Patronesse of honie Mena had predominance of some secrets belonging to women Murcea was she that was worshipped by such as were lazie idle and sloathfull Nundina She was a goddesse amongst the Romans taking her denomination of the ninth day called â—ies Lustricus In that day children had their names giuen them as Macrobius relates the males on the ninth day the females on the eight day after their birth Pecunia likewise was numbred among their goddesses Pitho Razenna Robigo Rumilia Pitho was thought to be the goddesse of eloquence the Latines called her Suada Razenna was one amongst the Etruscians who was to rule in wedlocke and marriages Robigo and Robigus were a two sex deitie of whom the Romans were opinionated that they could preserue their sheaues and vnthresht corne from being mustie or mouldie Their festiualls were called Robigalia Rumilia was the the protectresse of sucking infants as ancient writers are of opinion for Ruma signifies mamma a dugge and therefore sucking lambes are called Subrumi Runcina belongs to the gardens and is said to be the goddesse of weeding her the poore women weeders haue in great reuerence Seia Segesta Tutilina c. Seia the ancients report to bee the goddesse of sowing and Segesta had her name from the binding vp of the sheaues both these had their Temples in Rome in the time of Pliny Tutilina and Tutanus were gods so called of Tutando preseruing or keeping safe Ennius calls them Aeuilernos and Aeuilogros as much as Euer liu'd and euer in the perfectnes and strength of their age because it was in full power and vigor not subiect to mutabilitie or capable of alteration In naming of gods we
with the Seminarie and vitall powers of the Sunne makes them as new soules The Tetra that is the number of Foure supplying the bodie for she giues nothing after death who receiues towards generation The Sunne takes nothing from but receiues againe the mind which he giues the Moone both receiues and giues and composeth or makes and diuides when shee makes she is called Lucina when shee deuides Diana So of the three Parcae Atropos is placed about the Sunne as the beginning of this new birth Clotho is carried about the Sunne to collect and mingle Lachesis the last her office is vpon the Earth but these are riddles rather to trouble the braine than profit the vnderstanding Parcae the mother of these three sisters is said to bee the daughter of Necessitie doubtles the Ethick writers held these to bee most powerfull goddesses because all things borne or that had subsistance were thought to bee vnder their iurisdiction and power and therefore they were imagined by some to bee the daughters of Iupiter and Themis because as the Pithagorians taught Ioue gaue to euerie one a bodie and forme suitable to the merits or misdeeds of their former life or else because the diuine Wisedome allotted to euerie soule rewards or punishments as their good deedes or badde deserued the cause of which diuision the antient writers not truely vnderstanding appropriated all to Fate and the Parcae FVRIAE or the EVMEMIDES THose whom the Poets call Furiae Virgill tearmes the daughters of Night and Acheron Therefore Galtreus in his twelfth booke de Alexand. calls them by a fit Epithite Noctiginae Ego si dea sum qua nulla potentior inter Noctigenus si me vestram bene nost is alumnam If I a goddesse be of whom Amongst the night-borne none More potent is it 's well you knew Mee for your nurce alone By the same law Mantuan calls them Achecontiginae as borne of Acheron they are called by Lucan amongst the infernals Canes dogges Stigiasquae Canes in luce superna Destiluana In the vpper light I will forsake the Stigian dogges meaning the sisters Amongst mortalls they are called Furiae because they stirre vp and spur on rage and malice in the hearts of men They are called also Eumenides by an Antiphrasis in a contrarie sence for Eumenis signifieth Benevolens or well wishing therefore Ouid Eumenides tenuere faces de funere raptas Their temples and foreheads in steede of haire are sayd to crawle with snakes and serpents as witnesseth Catullus Statius Mantuanus in Appollon and others By Virgill they are called Dirae Vltricesque sedent in Limine dirae Lactantius in his sixt booke de Vero Culâ—u writes after this manner There be three affections or passions which precipitate men into all violent and facinerous actions therefore Poets calls them Furies Ire which couets reuenge Couetousnesse which desires riches and Lust whose itching appetite is after all vnlawfull pleasure The first of these Furies is called Alecto discouered by Virgill where he tearmes her Luctifica as making strife and contention The second is Tesiphone or Tisiphone the daughter of Acheron whom Ouid thus deliniates Nec mora Tesiphone madefactam sanguine sumit Importuna facem fluidoque cruore madentem Induitur pallam tortoquae incingiter angue Egrediturquae domo luctus comitatur cuntem Et pauor terror trepidoque insaniae vultu Importunate Tesiphone without delay makes speed And snatcheth vp a smoking brand which burning seemes to bleed A garment on her backe she throwes All gore about her wast A gyrdle of a wreathed snake In curl'd knots she makes fast So foorth she goes sad Mourning she Attends her at the gate Vpon her steps grim Terror Feare And troubled Madnesse waite Claudian in his booke of the praises of Stilico calls the third daughter of Acheron and Night Megaera so likewise Mantuan de Calam temporum lib. 2. The sacreds that were made to these were by such as hauing escaped any dangerous desease or pestilent sickenesse had bin spared by the Fates and their sacrifices were onely done with a sad silence The priests were called Hesichidae of a Heroë called Hesicho to whom before the solemnitie a Ramme was still offered as Polemo witnesseth in that worke he writ to Eratosthenes It was held a prophanation saith he for any of the meaner sort of people to haue accesse to these ceremonies onely to these Hesichides whose familie was onely acceptable to these seuere goddesses and in all their oblations had the principall prime place and precedence Their chappell is neere to Cidonium by the Nine ports All such as sacrificed to them were in blacke vestures and they were alwaies celebrated in the night season as it is manifest by Apollonius Indutam obscuram per noctem vestibus atris By night their sable habits they put on To them was slaine and offered a cole-blacke ewe and great with young readie to yeane neither was there any wine vsed in their sacrifices which were called Nephalia Now because no man should haue hope to hide and conceale his owne guilt and wickednes to the three seuere judges of Hell were giuen these three ministers which some cal by the name of Erinnae which signifies the prickes and stings of Conscience the parents of which they were borne importing so much for there is no greater torture or deeper piercing than a mans owne sentence against himselfe And compendiously to shut vp all the antient writers would by these signifie vnto vs That to a good and just man only all things are safe that innocencie and integritie alone make men feareles and constant against all the mutabilities of fortune since the like torments of Mind troubles of Conscience still attend on all such as are impure and dishonest Thus hauing past ouer the goddesses Coelestial Marine and Infernal the goddesses Selectae Terrestrial and others least my discourse might grow too tedious by appearing dull and heauie and besides in regard that my purpose is aimed at many or most of that sexe of what estate and condition soeuer to make my worke more succinct and compendious and to spare you some reading and my selfe more labour I will deliuer you a multiplicitie of histories tales in few namely in a short Epitome giue you the arguments of all the Fables in Ouids Metamorphosis which for your better content I shall expresse to you in verse and with that conclude my first booke called Clio. An abstract of all the Fables in the fifteene bookes of Ouids Metamorphosis as they follow in the Poëm CHaos into foure elements deuided Each one into their seuerall place is guided And for their sundrie creatures Roomth prepare Th' inhabitants of th' Earth Sea Heauens and Aire Of earth and water man is first begot And the foure ages next succeede by lot Gold Siluer next third Brasse the fourth of yron In last of which the Giants seed inuiron The spatious earth and are become the head Of Nations of their spilt blood
the field Where his blood dropt a purple Hicinth grew In memorie that Aiax Aiax slew Troy sact by th' Argiues Hecuba the Queene Turnes to a she dogge keeping still her spleene Her sad distaster all the gods lament Aurora sheddes most teares still discontent For Memnons death Aeneas leauing Troy To Anius comes a prince depriu'd all ioy Because his daughters were made house-doues sad That he of them no greater comfort had Thence past he diuers shores and sundrie nations With wonders fil'd and various transformations Till piercing Italy yet free from scar With the bold Turnus he beginnes new war He sends to importune Diomedes ayd By Venulus whose fellowes were all made Light feathered birds th'imbassador deni'd And back returning by a riuers side Spies a wilde Oliue which before had bin A louely sheapheard but now chang'd for sinne Aeneas shippes are in the hauen burn'd But pitied by the gods to sea-nymphes turn'd Ardea to a bird more strange than these Himselfe into a god cal'd Indiges Him other kings succeed and 'mongst the rest Liu'd vnder Proca that faire nymph who best Can skill of Gardens vnto whom resorted The fresh Vertumnus and Pomona courted He in an old wiues shape to her relates The tale of Anaxarites how the fates For her obdurenesse turn'd her into stone Pomona listning and they both alone He to his youthfull shape againe retires And in the Garden quensht his amorous fires In processe vnder Numitor the king Where carst cold waters slid now warme bathes spring Him Romulus succeeding is created The god Quirinus and his wife instated The goddesse Ora ' Him Numa next insues Who of the birth of Croton asking newes He chanc't on pebles who in all mens sight Once being blacke were chang'd to perfect white He likewise heard Pythagoras declame All the transhapes beneath the heauenlie steame Aegaeria next king Numaes death deploring Not comforted at all with thy restoringâ— Hippolitus nor yet to heare thee tell Thy change she wept her selfe into a well Nor is this to be wondred since we see Thy Lance oh Romulus a flourishing tree And Cyppus to weare hornes hauing gone so far We end with Iulius Caesar made a starre Explicit lib. primus Inscripus CLIO THE SECOND BOOKE inscribed EVTERPE Of the Muses the Sybells the Vestalls the Prophetesses the Hesperides the Graces c. THE bodies of all reasonable creatures as Ficinus saith are naturallie pregnant as hauing in them the seedes of issue so likewise is the mind both still procreating and bringing forth as we see at such a time the heire appeares after the teeth breake forth of the gummes at such an age the beard growes vpon the chinne and in time alters and changes colour and still the naturall faculties are in action If then the body be so fertill how much more is the nobler part of man the Soule and the Mind plentifullie furnisht with these seedes that long for production as the instinct of manners of arts of disciplines and such like which are generated in the breast and in their fit and due time haue their seasonable birth For no sooner are we past the cradle but we begin to affect few things good honest or profitable but none at that age acquires after things vnknown It is therefore a consequent that there is borne with vs and bread in vs certain notions of those outward things the forms of which we apprehend and their practise study to imitate This euerie man if he will but obserue may by experience find in himselfe For if we recollect our selues to apprehend any probleme or mysticall doubt which is not within the compasse of our present capacitie after deepe consideration and mature deliberation all the barres and rubbes of our fantasie and sences being remooued we retyre our selues into a more priuate and inward contemplation and then most subtillie reasoning with our selues we shall by degrees perceiue the clowd to vanish and the truth appeare in full glorie and splendour Therefore when we present our selues vnto schoole-masters the braine fashioneth in it selfe many Ideas without rule or example which like a rank and well manur'd field hath in it the seedes and grounds of many fruitfull sciences these if a skilfull man take in hand bring oft times a croppe aboue expectation Thus much Plato exprest in many places but in his Theage most plainelie No man saith he hath of me learnt any thing though from me many a one hath gone the more learned And as Socrates saith Me tâ—m exhortanâ—e tum bono demone suggerente By my exhortations and the good Angels suggestion With this short preparation we come now to the Muses of these innate seeds the glorius and euer-during fruit Hesiod pronounces them to be the daughters of Iupiter Memorie in his Theogonia From hence it seemes the men of Gnydos had a custome to select sixtie graue and vnderstanding men out of the prime of the nobilitie and to commit vnto them the affaires of the Common-wealth and such they called Amnemodes or remembrancers Alcmaeon and some few others call them the daughters of Earth and Heauen Pindarus in one of his Hymnes thus speakes to one of them Incipe vero Coeli filia Aristarcus and Mimnerca if we may beleeue Eustathius determine that the Muses were before Iupiter interpreting the word Musa the knowledge of the soule which is a thing no lesse diuine than the soule it selfe To him Homer assents calling it The celeritie of knowledge Plato in Cratilo deriues it from diligent search and inquisition to whom Pharnutus in his booke intituled Of the nature of the gods subscribes Of the same opinion is Suidas They are therefore saith he deriued from Inquirie being the originalls and causes of all sciences and disciplines others as Cassiodorus because they conteine in them a conueniencie and concordance of arts or to conclude as Diodorus writes They were therefore called Musae because they comprehend the art of modulation or tuning with a consent or agreeing of all other disciplines Diuers authors much differ about their number Varro as Seruius witnesseth of him allowes onelie three Ina which is bred by the motion of the water a second begot by the sprinkling of the ayer a third meerelie arising from the sound of the voyce Augustine speakes of a cittie which Gyraldus names Sicion the primates of which of three seuerall famous worke-men bespake three effigies or images of the Muses to bestow as a gift vpon the Temple of Apollo and which of them could expresse the greatest art and most exquisite workemanship he to be the best payd for his paines It so hapned that their three labours were equallie beautifull and so esteemed in so much that all the nine pieces pleasing generallie they were all bought and dedicated to the Temple To euery of which the Poet Hesiod after gaue a seuerall Embleme or Motto Not saith he because Iupiter had begot nine Muses but that three artificers had forged three apeece and therefore
and Euterpe according to Fulgentius we first in Clio acquire sciences and arts and enterprises and by them honour and glorie that obtained in Euterpe we find pleasure and delectations in all such things as wee sought and attained which agree with Plutarchs words from Crysippus I take something to my selfe which is appropriate to Euterpe that she hath in her that which instructs men in ciuilitie and decencie For Euterpe imports to vs nothing else but the ioy and pleasure which we conceiue in following the Muses and truely apprehending the mysteries of discipline and science Therefore with Oppianus in his Halieuticis I conclude Laboreum sequitur gaudium i. Ioy still followes labour And so much of Euterpe THALIA IT is a position That the lawfull Platouicke banquet doth refresh both the body and the mind such a one exprest Athenaeus in his Dipnosophistae which signifies Cenaesapientum A supper or feast of Wise men which is a discourse at table both of pleasure and profit and of such is the Muse Thalia ladie and mistresse For there is nothing that doth better delight the body refresh the mind or make cheerefull the countenance than a banquet of that condition and purpose Aristotle saith That man is composed of a body which is an earthie masse consisting of spirit humour and of a mind which includes two things namelie Sence and Reason from which all honest pleasure doth arise and flow if it be temperatelie and moderatelie gouerned And Galen saith That in a modest and well disposed banquet all these occurre and meete For who knowes not but by such meanes the members are nourisht the humours renewed the spirit refresht and the reason after a sort watered By this we haue a cessation from labour a retyrement from care for the body sollace for the braine incouragement Take away the hillarities and mirth of feasting and banquetting the nutriment of loue the communitie of friendship and the sollace of life is by such a restraint opprest and by degrees adnichilate for the communion and societie of life is the scope at which moderate banquets ayme and not the lauish inuitation to healthing and intemperate drinking which Plutarch in Symposiacis seemes to approoue in these words speaking of the Muse Thalia For that which belongs to surplusage of meate and superfluitie of drinke concernes not Thalia who makes a man sociable in his banquets who otherwise of his owne condition is churlish and froward Therefore is Thalia deriued of Caliazein which as the Greekes giue the etimologie is Conuenire to meete according to appointment well and contentedlie to please the pallat and satisfie the appetite and not to gormondise and exceede in surfet Therefore the counsell of Varro is that all such banquetters be either musicall or learned and not to exceede the number of the Graces or the Muses at most From such a feast are to be excluded all such as are full of spleene or prone to anger but such whose affabilitie is smoth and apt for the time and place voyde of all loquacitie and superfluous language that rather sweeten than distast the company let such be welcome guests to her table but the gluttenous and fat dishes of Sardanapalus let them be as hatefull as cates saust with poyson and such belly gods appeare to thee as dogges and serpents Fulgentius and Epicharmus Comicus saith that this Muse is the most of all the rest fauourable and gracious to Poets because they loue to meete familiarlie and fare daintilie to expell sorrow as they would doe shame and melancholie as they would doe madnesse and this they doe with an Antipharmacum composed of neat and briske wine which doth smooth and enlighten a wrinkled and clowdie countenance for Thalia will at no time suffer a Poet to droupe in spirit or his fame to wither as Virgill saith Nostra nec erubuit siluas habitare Thalia Our Thalia blusht not to dwell euen in the woods amongst vs. She is the third in ranke who hath a denomination of dallein that is Still springing and growing greene Cornutus saith That from that denomination she renewes and re-inspires the decayed life of a Poet or else because at their free and jouiall meetings she persuades them to friendlie and honest conuersation without brawles or riot or lastly as others will haue it in regard the Poets fame once deseruedlie got shall outlast time and liue with eternitie Many bestow on her the inuention of the Comedie some make her the first teacher of Agriculture and others to be the mother of Palephatus who writ much concerning plantation and inoculating besides fiue bookes Incredibilium or things past beliefe Therefore the papers of Palephatus grew into an adage or prouerbe because his bookes had no credit giuen vnto them Much is spoken of him by Coelius in his Antiquae Lection But of her there is nothing left saue this to speake That whosoeuer shall imbrace the Muses shall purchase to themselues immortalitie Therefore Pindarus in Olimpijs calls Poems The purchases of diuine fame and glory immortall Plutarch in Quest. 14. and in Symposiac lib. 9. will haue Thalia Calliope and Clio to be conuersant in things serious graue and philosophicall in diuine things to haue speculation and lastlie to measure all things iustlie and weigh them in an euen ballance equallie He that can doe this is not onelie worthy to be reckoned amongst the best of men but to be numbered euen in the catalogue of the gods of whose memorie no age shall euer be silent MELPOMENE BY sweete modulation all things are mooued Plato in his dialogue de Furore calls her the daughter of Iupiter and voyce of Appollo nor without merit if we but retire our selues and looke backe into the originall of things Her name deriued from the Greeke dialect importing Caâ—ere to sing and Concentum facere to make consent or concord which includes the temperature and modulation of the whole world For what is better moderated or kept within a more due proportion than melody For as the many limbes and members of the body though they haue diuers place and motion and haue sundry gifts and offices yet all their faculties are directed to one businesse as hauing one scope and ayme so the varietie that ariseth from diuers voyces or strings all agree and meete to make one melody which as Plutarch writes in his booke de Musica signifies a member of the body And that euery creature liuing is delighted with harmonie Plato doth gather because celestiall spirit from which the world first tooke life had his first liuelie being and existence from musick Strabo writes that the elephants are made gentle by the voyce and the beating of the timbrell or the tabor And Plutarch in Symposiac That many bruit beasts are much affected to and delighted in musicke Nam video c. For I see saith he creatures wanting reason are much pleased with harmony as the Hart with the pipe and the Dolphin with the harpe and voyce
who is not onely a friend of Poets but the companion of Kings as Hesiod saith Calliopeque haec excellentissima est omnium Haec enim reges venerandos comitatur Hee makes her the mother of Orpheus and to inspire him as Vrania did the Poet Musaeus Clio Homerus Polyhimnia Pyndarus Erato Sapho Melpomene Thamyras Terpsichore Hesiodus Thalia Virgilius Euterpe Pub. Ouidius Thus the nine Muses who haue reference and hold correspondence with the nine coelestiall sounds make one harmonie and consent by inspiring nine illustrious Poets Amongst them Calliope is held to be the most antient Antient likewise is Poesie whose inuention is giuen to Calliope as to the Championesse that defends the standard of the Muses Besides Orpheus some say she had two other sons Ialmus and Hymenaeus of whom we spake before Hymenaeus was beloued of Thamiras who was the first Poetiser of vnchast venerie She is also said to haue a sonne called Cymothon by Oeagrus some also make the Syres the daughters of Calliope others of Melpomene Venus because Orpheus the sonne of Calliope discouered Adonis whom she had deliuered to Proserpina to be six moneths concealed gaue him to be lacerated and torne in pieces by the Thracian women But now to search what was chieflie aymd at by the Poets in this Muse Calliope It appeares that by her they apprehended the sweetnesse and modulation of song as taking her denomination à bona voce of a good and tunable cleere voice therefore she is called Vox deae clamantis The voyce of the calling goddesse from which they gaue her the dominion ouer the persuasiue art of Rhetoricke and Poetrie The generall tractat of the Muses ayming onelie at this That the first thing requisite is to haue a will to knowledge and learning the second to be delighted in that will the third to be constant in that wee delight the fourth to attaine to that in which wee are constant the fift to commemorate that which we haue attained the sixt to make similitude and compare what we haue commemorated the seauenth to iudge of those likes which we haue made and compared the eighth to make elections of such things as thou hast iudged the last eloquentlie to speake and facundiouslie to delate of that thing of which before thou hast made election So much Fulgentius And those no doubt that haue long and much exercised themselues in these disciplines and haue beene the deuout adorers of the Muses the daughters of Iupiter and practised themselues as well in the gentler sciences as the hidden mysteries of Philosophie shall not onelie by their endeauours attaine to the perfection of fame and glorie but purchase to themselues incredible ioy pleasure content and delectation A word or two of the Muses in generall and so conclude with them They are held to be the soules of the Spheares Vrania of the starrie Heauen and of that spheare which is called Aplanes Polyhimnia of Saturne Terpsichore of Iupiter Clio of Mars Melpomene of the Sonne Erato of Venus Euterpe of Mercury Thalia of Luna These eight Muses are referred to the eight Tones of the spheares from all which Calliope not till now named amongst them ariseth and is begot these being neere to the body that is first mooued which is said to be next to the seat of the supreame deitie are said by Hesidus to daunce about the Altar of Iupiter But because diuerse and sundry are the studies of these Muses therefore by their influence the minds of mortall men are inspired with sundry and diuerse delectations which as the Pythagorians thinke descend downe vpon them from these spheares Those ouer whom the Moone hath predominance participate of the nature of Thalia and are therefore delighted with comick lasciuiousnesse and wantonnesse Those whom the spheare of Saturne gouernes or Polyhimnia being of a drie and cold temperature they are wondrous retentiue in the remembrance of things long past For the dispositions of the mind and constitutions of the body haue a consonance to the nature of that planet vnder which they were borne therefore some are delighted with one study some another according to the aspects of the planet For example if Mercury be in a good and pleasing aspect he begets eloquence facunditie and elegancie of speech besides skill and knowledge in many things but especiallie in the Mathematicks the same being in coniunction with Iupiter they are bred Philosophers and Diuines beeing ioyn'd with Mars in his happy aspect it makes men skilfull Physitians and fortunate but in his bad aspect such as prooue vnskilfull vnluckie and sometimes theeues and robbers which commonlie happens when he is scorcht with the planet of the Sunne Being in coniunction with Venus thence proceedes Musitians and Poets ioyn'd with Luna warie merchants and diligent and thriftie husbands with Saturne it infuseth men with prediction and prophesie But let this little serue to illustrate the rest so from the Muses we come to the Sybells Of the SYBELLS ISiodorus saith that the word Sybilla is a name of place and office and not of person It is deriued of Syos which signifies Deus God and Beele as much as to say Thought So that Sybell comprehends a woman that had gods thought For as a man that prophesieth is called a Prophet so a predicting woman is called a Sybill Of their number the antient writers much differ Aelianus in his booke De varia Historia thus speakes There were foure Sybells Erithraea Samia Aegyptia and Sardinia Others to these adde six more to make the number tenne amongst which are numbred Cymaea and Iudaea with the three Bachides one of Greece a second of Athens a third of Arcadia It seemes he had forgot to reckon the tenth Aretine in his booke De aquila volante agrees with Isiodorus In the Etimologye of the word Tanto sâ—na quanto a dire mente dâ—uina He likewise numbers tenne the first saith he was of Persia the second of Libia the third was named Delphita being borne in the Island of Delphos and neere to the Temple of Apollo who prophesied of the warres of Troy the fourth was called Omeria and was of Italy the fift Erythraea and borne in Babylon she composed a booke which in the Greeke tongue was intituled Vasillogra the sixt was called Sanâ—a or rather Samia as borne in the Isle Samos the seauenth Cumana of the cittie Cuma whose sepulchre as Isiodorus writes is in Sicilie she brought certaine bookes to Tarquinius Priscus which spake of the Roman succession and what should futurelie betide them prescribing them the Ceremonies to be vsed in their sacrifices the eight Ellespontiaca who likewise prophecied of the warres of Troy the ninth Phrigia the tenth and last Alburnea who prophecied many things concerning the Sauiour of the world And so farre Aretine The opinion of Iohannes Wyerius in his booke De prastigijs Demonum is to this purpose That the diuell in the theaâ—re of this world might put a face of honestie
foure angles each equally distant eight hundred eightie foot and in heigth twentie fiue A second foure angles euerie one containing by euen spaces seuen hundred thirtie and seuen foot A third comprehended three hundred sixtie three foote betwixt euerie angle A fourth errected by Rhodope the strumpet the mistresse of Aesop by the money which she got by her trade Herodotus speakes of a Pyramis made by Cleopys king of Aegypt of stones fetcht from Arabia whose length was fiue furlongs the breadth ten paces He erected a second more magnificent which was not finisht in twentie yeares vpon which he spent so much treasure that hee was forc't to prostitute his daughter a most beautifull young virgin to supply his owne necessitie Pliny reports that in this structure he impolyed so many workemen that they eate him 1800 talents in onyons and garlicke 2. The tower of Pharos built by Ptolomaeus in that Isle which serued as a lanthorne to direct nauigators by sea in the night he spent vpon it 5300 Talents Sostrata was the Architectour as appeares by the inscription of his name vpon the Cittadell 3. The wals of Babylon were built by Semiramis they were as Hermodorus writes in thicknesse fiftie cubits in heighth two hundred within the compasse of which were an hundred Ports hauing brasen gates that all moou'd vpon hinges they were beautified with three hundred Turrets and Chariots might meete vpon the toppe of them and haue free passage without impediment 4. The Temple of Diana of which I haue spoken before was in length 425 foote in breadth 220 It was beautified with 127 Collumns 5. The tombe of Mausolus built by Artimesia queene of Caria was in height 25 Cubits it was compast with 36 collumns it contained from the South to the North 33 foote the whole compasse contained 1411 That part which lay towards the East was perfected by Scopas that which was towards the North was ended by Briax that towards the Meridian by Tymothaus that which butted vpon the West by Leocares 6. The Colossus of the Sun which bestrid the riuer Rhodes betwixt whose legges shippes without vailing their top sailes came into the harbour was of that vastnesse that a man with his spread armes could not compasse his thumbe euery finger being as bigge as a common statue After it had stood six and fiftie yeares it was emolisht by an earthquake The Souldan of Aegypt hauing inuaded Rhodes with the broken brasse thereof laded thence 900 cammells The chiefe workeman was Chares Lindius the scholler of Licippus 7. The image of Iupiter to which some equall the pallace of Cyrus king of the Meades built by Memnon the stones of which were simmented together with gold But I leaue further to speake of these and proceed to the next Sybill SIBILLA AEGYPTIA SHe was called Agrippa not numbered amongst the tenne but hath place amongst the twelue she prophesied vpon the number of Three and on this manner Sacred's the number Three as Sybells tell Betwixt three brothers the Heauen Sea and Hell Were cast by lot The Earth as all men write In their diuisions is called Tripartite Ioue three waies striking hath his Trisulc Thunder Neptun's allowd his Trident to keepe vnder The mutinous waues Three fatall sisters spinne Our thread of life Three Iudges punish sinne Euen monsters are described so Gerion weares Three heads Grim Cerberus as many beares Sphinx hath three shapes of Bird of Beast of Maid All three in wings in feete in face displaid Chimaera is Triformd the monstrous creature Scilla 's of dogges fish and a womans feature The Erynnaes Harpyes Gorgons three-fold all The Sybells Trifatidicae we call Diuining from the Tripos Orpheus Lyre Sings that 't was made of water earth and fire Three Charites three Fates three Syrens bee Number the Muses they are three times three She 's triple-Hecat's cald Diana stilde Triuia The ground of Musicke was compild But on three Chords at first and still exprest By voice by hand by breath In the Phisicks rest Three principles God World and Creature fram'd Creator Parent Issue these are nam'd In all production Into Three we cast Mans age two legges next three then foure at last Phisitians three things to obserue are sure First to preserue preuent and then to cure Three gouernements are famous in Romes state That of the Tribunes and Triumuirate Three sorts of people they distinguish can The Senat Souldior and the common Man In the taking height of starres w'obserue these Three First Distance then the Forme next Qualitie But which of vs obserues that sacred Tryne Three persons in one Godhead sole diuine That indiuiduall essence who dares scan Which is shall be and ere the world began Was in eternitie When of these Three One of that most inscrutable Trinitie The second person Wisedome shall intombe All maiestie within a Virgins wombe True Man true God still to that blest Trine linckt True light shall shine and false starres be extinct SIBILLA ERYTHRAEA SHe is the twelfth and last borne in Babylon of the Assirian nation and daughter to Berosus a famous Astrologian She writ in Greeke a booke called Vafillogra which some interpret Penalis scriptura which as Eugenius in his Res de Sicilia testates was transferred into Latin She prophesied of all the Greekes that came to the siege of Troy designed the places whence and how long they should continue there In those bookes she speakes of Homer and that he should write of those wars partially according to his affection and not truth In the same volume she prophesied of Christ after this manner The times by the great Oracle assignd When God himselfe in pittie of mankind Shall from the Heau'n descend and be incarnate Entring the world a lambe immaculate And as himselfe in wisedome thinkes it meete Walke in the earth on three and thirtie feet And with six fingers all his subiects then Though a king mightie shall be fishermen In number twelue with these warre shal be tride Against the diuell world and flesh their pride Humilitie shall quell and the sharpe sword With which they fight shal be the sacred Word Establisht vpon Peter which foundation Once layd shall be divulg'd to euerie nation The onely difficultie in this prophesie is Trentra tre piede which signifies thirtie three yeares and Mese dito six fingers intimating the time of six moneths And thus I take leaue of the Sybells Of the Virgins VESTALLS FEnestella in his booke intituled de Sacerdotijs Romanis proposeth Numa Pompilius to bee the first that deuised the forme of this Vestall adoration though the first institution thereof was held to be so antient that Aeneas transferred it from the Troians to the Albans as Virgill witnesseth in these words Vestamque potentem Aeternumque aditis adfert penetratibus ignem To this goddesse Vesta whom some call the Earth others the Mother of the gods Fire perpetuallie burning was consecrated and to this obseruation and coustome certaine virgins pickt out of the
she frees the bodie from a thousand paines and diseases deliuers the subiect from the crueltie of the tyrant makes the begger equall with his prince She to all good men is acceptable and welcome only dreadfull to the wicked who haue a presage and feare of punishments to come Alcidâ—â—â—us writ an excellent booke in the praise of Death hauing a large and copious argument in which he stroue to expresse with what an equall sufferance and modest patience she was to be entertained Of the same argument writes Plutarch in Consolator for life is nothing els but a light lent vs by the Creator of all mankind which if it be redemanded of vs ought no more grudgingly to be paid back than comming to a friends house to bee merrie in the morning and hauing feasted there all the day to returne to our home at night or to pay back what wee borrow to the owner For there is no iniurie done to vs if God demaunde that back at our hands which hee hath before but lent vs. Now from the daughter to come backe to the mother and know what is allegorically meant by Night These pests mischeifes before commemorated are therfore sayd to be her sonnes and daughters because the ignorance and mallice of man which is indeed the night of the mind is the parent and nurse of all calamities incident to vs yet may some of their violences by wisedome be mitigated though not frustrated of their ends namely Age Loue Fate Death and the like who though they be in perpetuall motion their speed may bee slackned though not stayd and their pace slowed though not quite stopt She was called the most Antient because before the Heauens and the Sunne were created there was no light extant which is said to proceede from the lower parts of the earth in regard that the Sunne compassing the world when he lights the Antipodes with his beames the earth shadowes them from vs which shaddow is nothing else than Night She is called the mother of all as being before the birth of any thing The word Nox is deriued à Nocendo of hurting or harming the reason is as some Phisitions hold opinion because the corrupt humors of the night are infectious and dangerous especially to men any way diseased of which there is continuall experience in all such as haue either woundes or aches or agues or feauers or the like to all such weakenesses or imperfections the humors of the Night are still most hurtfull and obnoxious And so much breifly what morally can be gathered by that which hath bin fabulously commented of Night That Sleepe could not fasten on the eyes of Iupiter it is intended not to bee conuenient for him that hath the charge protection of the whole Vniuerse to whose care and foresight the administration and guidance of all things are committed should so much as slumber or wincke at all neither doth the diuine Nature need any rest to repaire and comfort his troubled spirits when he is not capable of either labour or discommoditie And Lethe is called the sister of Somnus in regard that by our naturall repose wee for the time forget all paine anguish or trouble Because he comes to many creatures and at the same time he is said to be winged in regard the humor of the Night encreaseth the vapours of the stomach ascending to the higher parts of the body which after by the frigiditie of the braine descend againe lower and more coole by which Sleepe is begot hee is therefore not vnproperly called the sonne of Night which Night calls me now to rest with the finishing of this second booke called EVTERPE Explicit Lib. 2. THE THIRD BOOKE of Women inscribed THALIA Treating of Illustrious Queenes Famous Wiues Mothers Daughters c. Containing the Histories of sundry Noble Ladies GOrgias held opinion that Women were not to be honored according to their forme but their fame preferring actuall vertue before superficial beautie to incorage which in their sex funerall orations were allowed by the Roman Lawes to be celebrated for all such as had beene either presidents of a good and commendable life or otherwise illustrious for any noble or eminent action And therefore least the matrons or virgins in Rome the one should diuert from her stayed grauitie or the other from her virgins professed integritie the vse of Wine was not knowne amongst them for that woman was taxed with immodestie whose breath was knowne to smell of the grape Pliny in his naturall historie saith That Cato was of opinion That the vse of kissing first began betwixt kinsman and kinswoman howsoeuer neere allide or farre off onelie by that to know whether their wiues daughters or neeces had tasted any wine to this Iuuenall seemes to allude in these verses Paucae adeo cereris vittas contingere digna Quarum non time at pater oscula As if the father were iealous of his daughters continence if by kissing her he perceiued she had drunke wine But kissing and drinking both are now growne it seemes to a greater custome amongst vs than in those dayes with the Romans nor am I so austeare to forbid the vse of either both which though the one in surfets the other in adulteries may be abused by the vicious yet contrarilie at customarie meetings and laudable banquets they by the nobly disposed and such whose hearts are fixt vpon honour may be vsed with much modestie and continence But the purpose of my tractate is to exemplifie not to instruct to shew you presidents of vertue from others not to fashion any new imaginarie forme from my selfe and that setting so many statues of honour before your eyes of Beautie Noblenesse Magnanimitie Bountie Curtesie Modestie Temperance and whatsoeuer else in goodnes can be included each heroick and well disposed Ladie or woman lower degreed and vnderâ—qualified may out of all or some of these at least apprehend some one thing or other worthie imitation that as the best of Painters to â—â—law one exquiâ—it Veâ—us had set before him a hundred choise and selected beauties all naked to take from one an eye another a lippe a third a smile a fourth a hand and from each of them that speciall lineament in which she most excelled so hauing in these papers as many vertues exposed to your view as the Painter had beauties all left as naked to your eies you may make like vse of it draw from one a noble disposition bountie and curtesie the ornaments of great Ladies from others temperance sobrietie and gouernement things best beseeming matrons the married wiues coniugall loue and sinceritie the virgins chast life and puritie and euerie of you fashion her selfe as complete a woman for vertue as Apelles made vp the purtraiture of his goddesse for beautie I need not speake much of the worth of your sex since no man I thinke that remembers hee had a mother but honours it the renowne of which â—ome by their vertues haue as much
downe The king beginning to dallie with them and playing with their cheekes neckes and brests the rest willingly suffered him shee onely strooke his hand aside and if hee offered but to touch her in the least part she presently cried out and told him he should not do it vnpunished The king much delighted with this vnexpected coynesse since at euerie offer of his shee fled his embraces which was against the custome of the Persians hee more ardently fixt his affection vpon her and turning to the souldier who first presented them thus sayd This Phocean onely thou hast brought me chast and vncorrupted the rest both in beautie and behauiour are impostures and from thencefoorth she was solicited and beloued of the king aboue all others with whom he had before or after conuerst with and from that time a mutuall affection grew betwixt them so great that it increased as farre as the modest and absolute confirmation of marriage conformable to the custom of the Graecians In so much that the loue of the king to Aspasia was not rumoured in Iönia solely but through all the spatious prouinces of Greece euen Peloponesus was filled with the bruit therof to the glorie of the great King who after his familiar acquaintance with her was neuer knowne to haue vsed the companie of any other woman And now began the vision of Aspasia concerning the Doue to be much spoken of and of the goddesse that appeared to her to whom she dedicated after a goodly statue called the image of Venus beautified with many rich jewells withall the picture of a Doue to which she made daylie supplications sacrifices and oblations still imploring the fauour of the goddesse To her father Hermotimus shee sent many rich and vnualued presents making him of a subiect almost vnparraleld for wealth vsing in the processe of her life as witnesse as well the Persian as Graecian Ladies a wonderous modestie and continence Hormus sometimes of Thessaly was sent from Scopa the junior who was of Scicily with an admirable rich Iewell to Cyrus for a present Who hauing shewed it to many all wondering at the cost and workemanship and prowd of so rich a gemme presently after dinner repaired to the chamber of Aspasia and finding her asleepe cast himselfe vpon the bed by her without disturbing her rest who waking and espying the king so neer began to embrace him according to her accustomed manner who presently taking the jewell from the casket showed it to her vsing these wordes This I bestow on thee as a gift worthie the daughter or mother of an Emperour which I charge thee to weare for my sake in a carkanet about thy neck To whom she wisely consideratly answered And how dare I be the possessor of so great a treasure which rather becomes the maiestie and estate of your mother Parasatides therefore I intreat you send it to her for I without this ornament can present you with a neck sufficiently beautifull The king much pleased with her answer daily and howerly more and more increased his loue towards her and what she said and did sent in a letter to his mother with the iewell inclosed For which she was not only much graced and fauored by the Princesse but after by Cirus rewarded with many rich gifts of value inestimable all which she modestlie sent backe with this message These things ô king may be vsefull to thee that hast the charge of such infinites of men when my greatest riches is to be solely beloued of thee with these and the like she tyed the King in inseparable bonds of affection towards her For without all competitorship in the beauty of face feature of body integritie of life and noblenesse of mind she was aboue all those of her time admirable But after Cyrus being slaine in battaile by his brother and his whole army ouerthrowne she likewise fell into the hands of the enemy whom the king Artaxerxes with singular care and diligence caused to be sought and brought before him as one whose name and vertues he held in great respect and estimation and being presented before him bound hee grew wondrous angry commanding all such to prison as were the authours of her least durance withall commanding a costlie and magnificent roabe to bee cast about her which she with many teares and much sorrow refused till shee was compeld to it by the king still taking to heart and lamenting the death of Cyrus But thus adorned according to the Persian state shee appeared in the eyes of all men the fairest of women especiallie in the kings much surprised with her extraordinary beautie still persuading her to race out the memorie of Cyrus dead and in his roome to admit of Artaxerxes liuing which slowly and at length though late he obtained respecting her aboue all other his wiues and concubines Soone after his Eunuch Teridates dyed more than a child and scarce full man the most beautifull youth in Asia and of the king the most beloued who so much lamented his death that all the principalities and nations vnder him seemed to participate of his griefe yet none that durst be so bold as to come into his presence or minister to him any words of comfort Three dayes being past in these lamentations and sorrowes Aspasia in a funerall habit and with her eyes fixt vpon the earth appeared before the king who no sooner espyed her but demanded the cause of her comming To comfort thee said she ô king if thou beest so pleased else to returne to the place of sorrow from whence I came At which seeming to reioyce the king intreated her to her chamber whether he would presentlie repaire to whom she obeyed And hauing put on a roabe of the Eunuches so much bewayled and in that casting her selfe vpon her bed she gaue the king such content that he commanded her till the dayes of mourning were past neuer to appeare to him but in that habit she more preuailing with him than all his Princes wiues subiects and seruants about him still liuing in his most especiall grace and fauour And so farre Aelianus The Matrons of Lacedemon in all battailes fought against the common enemy as many of their husbands sonnes or allyes as they found slaine they vsed to search what wounds they had about them if the greater number were in the face or breast with great ioy and solemnitie they bore them to bee intombed in the monuments of their ancestours but if on the contrary those on their backs exceeded the number of the former surprised with shame and sorrow they eyther left them to the common buriall or gaue them such priuate interment as if they wisht their memories to haue perisht with their bodies This historie Aelianus in his twelfth booke records This discourse for the rarenesse of it I hold not impertinent to insert amongst the women most illustrious Chares Mitylenus in his tenth booke of Histories thus writes Zariadres the yonger brother of Hystaspes
might giue them their answer which granted Returne said she my humble duty and vassaladge to my Lord the King and tell him withall That vnlesse he receiue my faith and renouncing his false Idolls beleeue in the onely true God he can claime no interest at all in me The messenger dispatcht and this short answer returned to the Sophy he leuied an army of forty thousand men and comming into Greece the Emperour and he came vnto a peacefull enterview at which by the mediation of this royall and religious Empresse the Sophy with all his princes and souldiers there present receiued the Christian faith and after the interchange of many Princely and magnificicent gifts returned with his wife into his own countrey Another noble history I thinke not amisse to be here inserted which is recorded by one Willielmus de reg lib. 20. Gunnilda the daughter of Canutus and Emma who being accused of adultery by her husband Henry the Emperour who to iustifie his accusation had prouided a champion in stature a giant and for his presence and potencie much feared she notwithstanding relying vpon God and her owne innocence put her life vpon the valour of a priuat young gentleman of England whoÌ„ she brought with her to the same purpose These Champions adventuring their liues fought a braue and resolute combat but in the end the victory inclined to the Empresse her aduerse champion being vanquished confest his treasons and she was noblie acquit but after by no intreaties or intercessions made by the Emperour or others shee could bee wonne vnto his embraces but abiuring his bed and vowing an austere and sequestred life she retired her selfe into a Monasterie Three royall presidents of three vâ—matchable queenes the first for Magnanimitie the second for Religion and deuotion and the last for Chastitie To these I will yet adde another Willielmus de Regibus in his first booke writes that king Iue betooke his kingdom of the West-Saxons to his cosin Ethelardus and vndertooke a pilgrimage to Rome the occasion of his iournie was this The queene Ethelbnrga had often counselled her husband the king to forsake the pride and riches of the world and to haue a respect to his soules health especially now in the latter dayes of his life but not able to preuaile with him she bethought her selfe of a queint stratagem after they had left their royal pallace where they had but latly feasted in all pompe pleasure and delicacies and remoued into another house she caused him to whose charge the place from whence they departed was committed to take downe all the hangings make foule and and filthy euerie roome and chamber nay in the verie place where the king had but the other day sported with his queene was lodged a sow and pigges with all the loathsomenesse that could be deuised this done according to her commaund she by a wile inticed the king to the place thus strangely disguised The king wondering at this sudden change stood amased to whom she thus spoke I pray you my Lord where be now these rich hangings and curtaines either for state or ornament Where is all the glyttering pompe aâ—d rich array tending to nothing else saue gluttonie and luxurie Alas how suddenly are they all vanished Shall not my Lord this beautie of ours so fade and this fraile flesh euen so fall a way This with other her words to the like purpose tooke such impression in the kings brest that he resigned his kingdome to his Nephew and betooke himselfe to a religous and Monasticke life after his vowed pilgrimage The queene Ethelburga went to the Abbey at Berking in which place her sister had beene before Abbesse and there spent the remainder of her life in deuotion and penitence Polycrita THere arose great warres betweene the Milesians and Naxians kindled by the adultrate practise of the wife of Hypsicreon a Milesian who violating her coniugall vowes by throwing her selfe into the lustfull imbraces of Promedon a Naxian then her guest and fearing the iust anger of her husband and withall the punishment due to her adultrate sinne fled with him into Naxos from whence being againe demanded but denied this priuate wrong turned to a publique ruin for deuouring warre accompained with many calamities preyed vpon both their countries But as this Beacon was first fired by a womans lewdnesse so was it at last extinguished by a womans vertue Diognetus who had the command of those Erythraeans which came in ayde of the Milesians had committed to his custodie a certaine strong hold scituated against the citie Naxos who hauing taken from the Naxians a prize of women and free virgins he was deepely stroke in loue with one Polycrata whom he led with him not as a captiue but as his wife It chanced that the Miletians celebrated a generall festiuall day Polycrita besought Diognetus to make her so far indebted to his fauour as to suffer her to send her brothers part of those iuncates then at the table which willingly he granted she secretly writ vpon the leaden table of the marchpane what shee had proiected withall charging the bearer to intreat her brothers not to let any participate therof saue themselues when they had heard the writing which contained thus much in effect Take hold vpon the opportunitie which occasion thrusts into your hands this night you may seise the Castle for the enemie will lie downe in wine and sleepe in a presumptious securitie They shew it to the chiefe commanders of Naxos who vniting themselues giue the affrighted vnweaponed Miletians a sudden and vnexpected assault and hauing slaughtred many possesse themselues of the castle But by Polycritas intercessiue intreaties surprised Diognetus scapes with life And for this noble exploit of hers the glad citisens running to meete her with shoutes and acclamations euery one bearing in his hand a Garland to receiue her with those wreathes of honor Polycrita was so farre extaside that her sudden ioy vshered a sudden death for as she stood amased at the gate she instantly fell downe exanimated in which gate she was buried and her sepulchre called The tombe of Enuie because it is supposed that Fortune grew so enuious of her merits that thus she robd her of her life that so she might cheat her of her deserued honors And thus much speakes the histories of the Naxians Aristotle affirmes Polycrita was no captiue but onely that Diognetus hauing seene her hee grew so far enamoured of her that to enioy her he proferred her any thing that was in his power to giue She promises to yeeld to his desire if he will grant her the fruition of one boone which when hee had confirmed to her by oath shee demanded Delium to be surrendred vp for the castle was so called Diognetus being so much inchanted with her beautie and moreouer bound by the religion of his vow deliuered vp to her and the cittisens the castle Delium Of Queenes and other Ladies for diuers vertues memorable WEe reade
but his wife also The manner how she came to be his queene was as followeth Before his time it was not lawfull but punishable amongst the Persians to marry into that proximitie of blood but Cambyses surprised with the loue of his sister and hauing resolued by what meanes soeuer to make her his wife yet to colour his purpose he sent for those honorable persons who were stiled the kings Iudges being selected men for their wisedomes and of great place and qualitie as those that inioy their offices Durante vita vnlesse some capitall crime bee prooued against them besides they are the expounders of the lawes and to their causes all matters of doubt and controuersie are referred These being cōuented the king demanded of them Whether they had any one law amongst so many which licenst a man that had a will so to doe to contract matrimony with his sister to whom the Iudges thus ingeniously answered We haue indeed no law which giues licence for a brother to marry with a sister but we haue found a law oh Soueraigne which warrants the king of Persia to doe whatsoeuer liketh him best Thus they without abrogation of the Persian lawes soothed the kings humour and preserued their owne honours aud liues who had they crost him in the least of his disseignes had all vndoubtedly perisht This hee made the ground for the marriage of the first and not long after hee aduentured vpon the second The younger of these two who attended him into Aegypt he slew whose death as that of her brother Smerdis is doubtfully reported The Graecians write that two whelps one of a Lyon the other of a Dog were brought before Cambises to fight and try maisteries at which fight the young Lady was present but the Lyon hauing victorie ouer the Dog another of the same litter broke his chain and taking his brothers part they two had superioritie ouer the Lyon Cambises at this fight taking great delight shee then sitting next him vpon the sudden fell a weeping this the king obseruing demaunded the occasion of her teares she answered it was at that obiect to see one brother so willing to helpe the other and therefore she wept to remember her brothers death and knew no man then liuing that was ready to reuenge it and for this cause say the Greekes she was doom'd to death by Cambises The Aegyptians report it another way That she sitting with her brother at table out of a sallet dish tooke a lettice and pluckt off leafe by leafe and shewing it to her husband asked him Whether a whole letice or one so despoiled shewed the better who answered a whole one then said shee behold how this lettice now vnleaued looketh euen so hast thou disfigured and made naked the house of king Cyrus With which words he was so incensed that he kickt and spurnd her then being great with child with that violence that she miscarryed in her child-birth and dyed ere she was deliuered and these were the murderous effects of his detestable incest Of Lyuia Horestilla Lollia Paulina Cesonia c. IT is reported the Emperour Caligula that he had not onely illegall and incestuous conuerse with his three naturall sisters but that bee after caused them before his face to be prostituted by his ministers and seruants thereby to bring them within the compasse of the Aemilian Law and conuict them of adultery He vitiated Liuia Horestilla the wife of C. Pisonnius and Lollia Paulina whom he caused to be diuorced from her husband C. Memnius both whose beds within lesse than two yeares he repudiated withall interdicting them the companie and societie of man for euer Caesonia he loued more affectionatly insomuch that to his familiar friends as boasting of her beautie he would often shew her naked To adde vnto his insufferable luxuries he defloured one of the vestall virgins Neither was the Emperour Commodus much behind him in diuelish and brutish effeminacies for he likewise strumpeted his owne sisters and would wittingly and willingy see his mistresses and concubines abused before his face by such of his fauorites as hee most graced hee kept not at anie time lesse than to the number of three hundred for so Lampridius hath left recorded Gordianus iunior who was competitor with his father in the Empire kept two and twentie concubines by each of which he had three or foure children at the least therefore by some called the Priamus of his age but by others in dirision the Priapus The emperour Proculus tooke in battaile a hundred Sarmatian virgins and boasted of himselfe that he had got them all with child in lesse than fifteene dayes this Vopiscus reportes and Sabellicus But a great wonder is that which Iohannes Picus Mirandula relates of Hercules as that hee lay with fiftie daughters of Lycomedes in one night and got them all with child with forty nine boyes onely fayling in the last for that prooued a guirle Iocasta APollodorus Atheniensis in his third booke De deoroum Origine records this history After the death of Amphion king of Thebes Laius succeeded who tooke to wife the daughter of Menocoeas called Iocasta or as others write Epicasta This Laius being warned by the Oracle that if of her he begat a sonne he should prooue a Patricide and be the death of his father notwithstanding forgetting himselfe in the distemperature of wine he lay with her the same night she conceiued and in processe brought forth a male issue whom the king caused to be cast out into the mountaine Cytheron thinking by that meanes to preuent the predicted destinie Polybus the heardsman to the king of Corinth finding this infant bore it home to his wife Periboea who nourced and brought it vp as her owne and causing the swelling of the feet with which the child was then troubled to be cured they grounded his name from that disease and called him Oedipus This infant as he increased in yeares so hee did in all the perfections of nature as well in the accomplishments of the mind as the body insomuch that as well in capacitie and volubilitie of speech as in all actiue and generous exercises he was excellent aboue all of his age his vertues beeing generally enuied by such as could not equall them they thought to disgrace him in something and gaue him the contemptible name of counterfeit and bastard this made him curiously inquisitiue of his supposed mother and she not able in that point to resolue him hee made a iourney to Delphos to consult with the Oracle about the true knowledge of his birth and parents which forewarned him from returning into his countrey because he was destinied not onely to be the deathsman of his father but to adde misery vnto mischiefe he was likewise borne to be incestuous with his mother Which to preuent and still supposing himselfe to be the sonne of Polybus and Peribaea he forbore to returne to Corinth and hyring a charriot tooke the way
themselues thus merilie answered him Non capta afferimus fuerant quae capta relictis We bring with vs those that we could not find But all that we could catch we left behind Meaning that all such vermine as they could catch they cast away but what they could not take they brought along Which riddle when Homer could not vnfold it is sayd that for verie griefe hee ended his life This vnmatchable Poet whom no man regarded in his life yet when his workes were better considered of after his death hee had that honour that seuen famous citties contended about the place of his birth euerie one of them appropriating it vnto themselues Pindarus the Poet makes question whether he were of Chius or Smyrna Simonides affirmes him to be of Chius Antimachus and Nicander of Colophon Aristotle the Philosopher to bee of Iüs Ephorus the Historiographer that hee was of Cuma Some haue beene of opinion that he was borne in Salamine a cittie of Cipria others amongst the Argiues Aristarchus and Dyonisius Thrax deriue him from Athens c. But I may haue occasion to speake of him in a larger worke intituled The liues of all the Poets Moderne and Forreigne to which worke if it come once againe into my hands I shall refer you concluding him with this short Epitaph An Epitaph vpon Homer prince of Poets In Colophon some thinke thee Homer borne Some in faire Smyrna some in Iüs Isle Some with thy byrth rich Chius would adorne Others say Cuma first on thee did smile The Argiues lay claime to thee and aâ—er Thou art their countrie-man Aemus saies no. Strong Salamine sayth thou tookest life from her But Athens thou to her thy Muse dost owe As there first breathing Speake how then shall I Determine of thy countrie by my skill When Oracles would neuer I will trie And Homer wilt thou giue me leaue I will The spations Earth then for thy countrie chuse No mortall for thy mother but a Muse. Doris the sister of Nereus the Sea-god was by him stuprated of whome he begot the Nimphes called Nereides Ouid in his sixt booke Metamorph. telleth vs of Philomela daughter to Pandion king of Athens who was forced by Tereus king of Thrace the son of Mars and the Nimph Bistonides though he had before married her owne deere and naturall sister Progne the lamentable effects of which incest is by the same author elegantly and at large described as likewise Beblis the daughter of Miletus and Cyane who after she had sought the imbraces of her brother Caumus slew her selfe Mirrha daughter to Cyniras king of the Cyprians lay with her father and by him had the beautifull child Adonis Europa the mother and Pelopeia the daughter were both corrupted by Thyestes Hypermestra inioyed the companie of her brother for whom shee had long languished Menephron most barbarously frequented the bedde of his mother against whom Ouid in his Metamorph. and Quintianus in his Cleopol bitterly inueigh Domitius Calderinus puts vs in mind of the Concubine of Amintor who was inioied by his sonne Phaenix Rhodope the daughter of Hemon was married to her father which the gods willing to punish they were as the Poets feigne changed into the mountaines which still beare their names Caeleus reportes of one Policaste the mother of Perdix a hunts-man who was by him incestuously loued and after inioyed Lucan in his eight booke affirmes that Cleopatra was polluted by her own brother with whom she communicated her selfe as to a husband Nictimine was comprest by her father Nictus king of Aethiopia Martiall in his twelfe booke writing to Fabulla accuseth one Themison of incest with his sister Pliny lib. 28. cap. 2. speakes of two of the Vestalls Thusia and Copronda both conuicted of incest the one buried aliue the other strangled Publius Claudius was accused by M. Cicero of incest with his three sisters Sextus Aurelius writes that Agrippina the daughter of Germanicus had two children by her brother Claudius Caesar Cornelius Tacitus sayth that she often communicated her body with her owne sonne Nero in his cups and heat of wine he after commanded her wombe to be ripped vp that he might see the place where he had lien so long before his byrth and most deseruedly was it inflicted vpon the brutish mother though vnnaturally imposed by the inhuman sonne Aâ—silaena is worthily reprooued by Catullus for yeelding vp her body to the wanton imbraces of her vncle by whom shee had children Gidica the wife of Pomonius Laurentinus doted on her sonne Cominus euen to incest but by him refused she stangled her selfe The like did Phedra being dispised by her sonne Hippolitus Dosithaeus apud Plutarch speakes of Nugeria the wife of Hebius who contemned by her sonne in law Firmus prosecuted him with such violent and inueterate hate that she first solicited her owne sonnes to his murder but they abhorring the vilenesse of the fact she watcht him sleeping and so slew him Iohn Maletesta deprehending his wife in the armes of his brother Paulus Maletesta transpierst them both with his sword in the incestious action Cleopatra daughter to Dardanus king of the Scithyans and wife to Phinaeus was forced by her two sonnes in law for which fact their father caused their eyes to be plucked out Plutarch reports of Atossa that shee was doted on by Artaxerxes insomuch that after hee had long kept her as his strumpet against the lawes of Persia and of Greece to both which he violently opposed himselfe he made her his queene Curtius writes of one Sisimithres a Persian soldier that had two children by his mother Diogenian also speaking of Secundus the Philosopher saith that he vnawars to them both committed incest with his mother which after being made knowne to them she astonished with the horror of the fact immediately slew her selfe and he what with the sorrow for her death and brutishnesse of the deed vowed neuer after to speake word which he constantly performed to the last minute of his life Manlius in his common places reportes from the mouth of D. Martin Luther that this accident happened in Erphurst in Germanie There was saith he a maid of an honest familie that was seruant to a rich widdow who had a sonne that had many times importuned the gyrle to leaudnesse insomuch that shee had no other way to auoide his continuall suggestions but by acquainting the mother with the dissolut courses of the sonne The widdow considering with herselfe which was the best course to chide his libidinous purpose and diuert him from that leaud course plotted with the maid to giue him a seeming consent and to appoint him a place and time in the night of meeting at which he should haue the fruition of what he so long had sued for shee herselfe intending to supplie the place of her seruant to schoole her son and so preuent any inconuenience that might futurely happen The maid did according to her appointment the sonne with great ioy keepes his
would haue left their places and habitatious desolate they therefore demanded of the Oracle a remedie for so great a mischiefe which returnd them this answer That the plague should neuer cease till the young man Menalippus and the faire Cometho were slaine and offered in sacrifice to Dianae Tryclaria and the reason was because hee had strumpeted her in her Temple And notwithstanding their deaths vnlesse euery yeare at the same season a perfectly featured youth and a virgin of exquisite-beautie to expiate their transgression were likewise offered vpon the same altar the plague should still continue which was accordingly done and Menalyppus and the faire Cometho were the first dish that was serued vp to this bloody feast The same author speakes of the daughter of Aristodemus in this manner The Messenians and the Lacedemonians hauing continued a long and tedious warre to the great depopulation of both their nations those of Missene sent to know the euent of the Oracle at Delphos and to which partie the victorie would at length incline Answer is returned That they shall bee conquerors and the Lacedemonians haue the worst but vpon this condition To chuse out of the family of the Aepitidarians a virgin pure and vnblemisht and this damsel to sacrifice to Iupiter This Aristodemus hearing a Prince and one of the noblest of the familie of the Aepitidarians willing to gratifie his countrey chused out his onely daughter for immolation and sacrifice which a noble youth of that nation hearing surprised both with loue and pittie loue in hope to inioy her and pitty as grieuing she should bee so dismembred he thought rather to make shipwracke of her honour than her life since the one might bee by an after-truth restored but the other by no earthly mediation recouered And to this purpose presents himselfe before the altar openly attesting that she was by him with child and therefore not onely an vnlawfull but abhominable offering in the eyes of Iupiter No sooner was this charitable slander pronounced by the young man but the father more inraged at the losse of her honour now than before commiserating her death being full of wrath he vsurpes the office of the priest and with his sword hewes the poore innocent Lady to peeces But not many nights after this bloody execution the Idaea of his daughter bleeding and with all her wounds about her presented it selfe to him in his trouble and distracted sleepe with which being strangely mooued he conueighed himselfe to the tombe where his daughter lay buried and there with the same sword slew himselfe Herodotus in Euterpe speakes of one Pheretrina queene of the Baccaeans a woman of a most inhumane crueltie she was for her tyranny strooke by the hand of heauen her liuing body eaten with wormes and lice and in that languishing misery gaue vp the ghost Propert. in his third book speaks of one Dyrce who much grieued that her husband Lycus was surprised with the loue of one Antiopa caused her to be bound to the horns of a mad bull but her two sonnes Zethus and Amphion comming instantly at the noyse of her lowd acclamation they released her from the present danger and in reuenge of the iniurie offered to their mother fastned Dyrce to the same place who after much affright and many pittifull and deadly wounds expired Consinge was the queene of Bithinia and wife to Nicomedes whose gesture and behauiour appearing too wanton and libidinous in the eyes of her husband hee caused her to be woorried by his owne dogges Plin. lib. 7. Pyrene the daughter to Bebrix was comprest by Hercules in the mountaines that diuide Italy from Spaine she was after torne in pieces by wild beasts they were cald of her Montes Pyreneae i. The Pyrenean mountaines Antipater Tarcenses apud Vollateran speakes of one Gatis a queene of Syria who was cast aliue into a moate amongst fishes and by them deuoured she was likewise called Atergatis Sygambis was the mother of Darius king of Persia as Quintus Curtius in his fourth booke relates she dyed vpon a vowed abstinence for being taken prisoner by Alexander yet nobly vsed by him whether tyred with the continuall labour of her iourney or more afflicted with the disease of the mind it is not certaine but falling betwixt the armes of her two daughters after fiue dayes abstinence from meate drinke and light she expired Semele the mother of Bacchus a Theban Lady and of the royall race of Cadmus perisht by thunder Pliny in his second booke writes of one Martia great with child who was strooke with thunder but the infant in her wombe strooke dead onely shee her selfe not suffering any other hurt or dammage in which place he remembers one Marcus Herennius a Decurion who in a bright cleare day when there appeared in the sky no signe of storme or tempest was slaine by a thunderclappe Pausanius apud Vollateran saith that Helena after the death of her husband Menelaus being banished into Rhodes by Megapenthus and Nicostratus the sonnes of Orestes came for rescue to Polyzo the wife of Pleopolemus who being iealous of too much familiaritie betwixt her and her husband caused her to be strangled in a bath others write of her that growing old and seeing her haires growne gray that face growne wythered whose lustre had beene the death of so many hundered thousands shee caused her glasse to be broken and in despaire strangled herselfe The like Caelius lib. 6. cap. 15. remembers vs of one Acco a proude woman in her youth and growne decrepid through age finding her brow to be furrowed and the fresh colour in her checkes quite decayed grew with the conceit thereof into a strange frenzie some write that she vsed to talke familiarly to her owne image in the Mirhor sometimes smile vpon it then againe menace it promise to it or slatter it as it came into her fancie in the end with meere apprehension that she was growne old and her beautie faded shee fell into a languishing and so died Iocasta the incestuous mother to Aeteocles and Polynices beholding her two sonnes perish by mutuall wounds strooke with the terrour of a deede so facinorous instantly slew her selfe So Bisaltia a mayd dispised by Calphurnius Crassus into whose hands she had betraide the life of her father and freedome of her countrie fell vpon a sword and so perished Zoe the Emperesse with her husband Constantius Monachus both about one time died of the Pestilence Gregorius Turonensis writes of one Austrigilda a famous Queene who died of a disease called Disenteria which is a flux or wringing of the bowells Of the same griefe died Sausones sonne to Chilperick Serena the wife of Dioclesian for verie griefe that so much Martyres blood was spilt by her husbands remorseles tyrannie fell into a feauer and so died Glausinda daughter to the king of the Gothes
was slaine in the battaile after much sorrow for his death sitting in her owne house and spying him vnexpectedly comming towards her safe and in health she was so ouercome with sudden ioy that not able to rise and giue him meeting she died as she sate in her chaire Most strange it is that ioy should make speedier way to death than sorrow these mothers Zoe remembered by Valerius Maximus lib. 9. cap. 12. So much I hope shall suffice for women that haue died strange deaths for I had rather heare of many to liue well than that any one should die ill I onely intreate patience of the curteous Reader that as I haue begun this booke in sadnesse so he will giue me leaue to conclude it in jest Some no doubt though not iustly will taxe me for my too much intermixtion of historie and say there bee many things inserted not pertinent to my proiect in hand which might better haue beene left out than put in They in my conceit doe but dally with me and put such a tricke vpon me as gentleman did vpon a countrey hosteler My Tale is but homely but it hath a significant Morrall This traueller often vsing to a thorowfare Inne was much annoyed by reason that betwixt his chamber and the stable where he commonly vsed to see his horse drest and meated there lay great heapes of â—ullenâ— dounge in 〈◊〉 way which much offended him and being willing either to be rid of thâ—â— inconuenience or punish him that might remedie it hee tooke occasion to aske the hosteler what dounghill that was which was so offensiue Hee answered him his master kept great store of pullen about the house and that was all Hennes doung Hennes doung saith the gentleman I haue a peece of land at home I would it were all there if thou canst helpe me to any quantitie of it being sure that it is such I will giue thee twentie shillings a loade for as much as thou canst prouide and fetch it away with mine owne carriage The fellow hearing this promised within a moneth to furnish him with twentie loade at least at the same price The match was made and the gentleman after breakefast tooke horse and departed The hosteler bespeakes all such soyle as the Towne could affoord or the next Villages by and made such a huge heape as annoyed the whole yard knowing the gentleman to haue beene euer a man of his word who came according to the time appointed The hosteler is glad to see him and tells him he hath prouided him of his commoditie and withall brings him to the place where it lay like a laysâ—all The gentleman seemes wondrous glad of this new merchandise and drawes out certaine peeces out of his pocket as if he meant to giue him present payment but withall asked him Art thou sure all this is Hens-doung vpon my life it is saith the hosteler expecting still to finger the gold But replyde the gentleman art thou sure there is no cockes doung amonst it ô lord yes saith the hosteler how can it be else why then quoth the gentleman I pray thee make thy best of it good friend for if there be the least cockes doung amongst it it will doe me no pleasure I will not giue thee three farthings for it all Thus was the hosteler notwithstanding his former cost forced to remooue all that muckhill and make the yard cleane at his owne charge with much addition of mockerie and laughter If for a little quantitie of cockes doung you cauell at all the rest here included the better judgements I hope will impute it as to my simplicitie so to your ouer curiositie Another maine thing is to be feared wherein I must of force incurre the censure of some or other namely Why amongst prophane histories I haue inserted Martyres and to confirme their truth haue brought Authors that haue beene held superstitious I answere to all in generall I haue onely specified such things as I haue read and for mine owne opinion I keepe it reserued But because I now come to a conclusion I will end this booke thus briefly in regard that women die and so many die and that they die at all I will giue you a womans reason why it is so Because they can liue no longer Explicit lib. quartus Inscriptus MELPOMENE THE FIFTH BOOKE inscribed TERPSICHORE Intreating of Amazons and other Women famous either for Valour or for Beautie A Question may be demanded Why vnder the Muse Terpsichore I personate the Bold and the Beautifull the Warrelike and the Faire she being the Muse to whom measures and daunces are solely peculiar as being of them the onely and first inuentresse I answer and I hope not impertinently that considering euery circumstance I know not how to commend them to a more fit Mecaenas or Patron for of what doth all your martiall discipline consist but vpon time number measure distance and order and all these in Choreis Tripudijs i. daunces especially are obserued In daunces we keepe time to the musicke so in marching or drilling our eares are attentiue to the voice of the captaine or generall In the figures of the one and files of the other number is necessarily obserued so is measure distance and order for in these they haue an equall correspondence Now concerning faire women whom in all Maskes at the Court Cittie or elsewere doe your gallants picke out but the virgins or Ladies most beautifull nay euen at Wakes or weddings in the countrie the fairest lasse is continually called out to daunce be it but to the harpe taber or bag-pipe Amongst the souldiers were celebrated the Pirhick daunce in armour first instituted by king Pyrrhus of Epire so likewise the Matachine or sword daunce what measures haue beene deuised for the exercise of faire Ladies Custome deriued from all Antiquitie still makes frequent amongst vs. It was vsed amongst the Iewes witnes Herodias and is still continued in Spaine Fraunce and England A second doubt is whether the magnanimous or the exquisitly featured whether Fortitude or Pulcritude ought to haue precedence and first place It is a maxime amongst the Phisitions Plus necat gula quam gladius i. surfets haue beene the destruction of more men than the sword so I am of opinion That beautie hath beene the ruine of more citties the depopulation of more kingdomes and destruction of more men than the sword But in this place since the courage of the mind and excellence of forme contend for the vpper hand I take it from Feature to bestow it on Magnanimitie and spirit since the deeds of the one liue to all posteritie but the frailtie of the other is subiect to euery small infirmitie Therefore Ouid in his booke dearte Amandi thus writes Forma bonum fragile est quantumque accedit ad annos Fit minor Grada carpitur ipse suo c. Form's fraile good as time runnes on it wasts And the more spends it selfe the more it hasts Nor
the hands of Achilles or as the most will haue it by Neoptolimus shee was the first that euer fought with Pollaxe or wore a Target made like an halfe Moone therefore she is by the Poets called Peltigera and Securigera as bearing a Target or bearing a Poleaxe Therefore Ouid in his Epistle of Phaedra Prima securigeras inter virtute puellas And Virgill in his first booke of Aeneid Ducit Amazonidum lunatis Agmina peltis Penthisilaea fureus medijsque in millibus ardet Penthisilaea mad leades foorth Her Amazonian traine Arm'd with their Mooned shieldes and fights Mid'st thousands on the plaine These Amazons indured till the time of Alexander and though Isiodorus Eth. 14. saith that Alexander the Great quite subuerted their nation yet Trogus Iustine Q. Curtius and others are of a contrarie opinion and affirme that when Alexander sent his Embassadors to demand of them tribute otherwise his purpose was to inuade their territories their queene Minithra or as some writers terme her Thalestris returned him answer after this manner It is great wonder of thy small iudgement ô king that thou hast a desire to wage warre against women if thou being so great a conqueror shouldest be vanquished by vs all thy former honours were blemished and thou perpetually branded with shame and infamie but if our gods being angerie with vs should deliuer vs vp into thy mercie what addition is it to thine honor to haue had the masterie ouer weake women King Alexander it is sayd was pleased with this answere granting them freedome and sayd Women ought to be courted with faire words and flatterie and not with rough steele and hostilâ—tie After this she sent to the king desiring to haue his companie as longing to haue issue by him to succeed the father in magnanimitie and vertue to which hee assented Some write she stayd with him in wonderous familiaritie fourteene dayes but Trogus in his second booke sayth fortie dayes and when she found her selfe with child by him tooke her leaue and departed into her owne countrey Virgill amongst these Amazonians numbers Harpalice Aenid lib. 1. Vel qualis equos Therissa fatigat Harpalice Such as the Thracian Harpalice was That horses tired Valerius Flaccus lib. 6. speakes of one Harpe Qua pelta vacat iamque ibat in Harpea Hee aym'd at Harpe where her shield lay void These Amazons were by the Scythians called Aeorpata which is as much as Viricidae or man-killers For Aeor signifies Vir a man and Pata Occidere to kill Their habits and manners Curtius thus describes lib. 5. de gestis Alexandri Their garments couer not their bodies round their right side is still bare towards their brest their vpper roabe which is buckled or buttoned aboue descends no lower than the knee one of their brests they reserue safe and vntouched with which they giue sucke to their infants the right brest they burne off that with the more facilitie they may draw a Bowe thrill a Dart or charge a Launce Stephanus Byzantius writes that they are called by the Greekes Sauropatidae because they are said to feede vpon Lysards which in their language they call Saurae Herodotus writes of them many things needlesse here to insert onely one is worth the obseruation To incourage their valour and that there should be no coward amongst them they haue a law That no Virgin shall be capable of a husband or enter into familiar congresse with man before she hath brought from the field the head of an enemie slaine with her owne hand which hath beene the cause that so many of them haue died old wrinkled beldames that neuer knew what belonged to the interchange of carnall societie Of other Scythian women that had a purpose it seemes in some kind to immitate these Amazons it is thus remembred by Strabo and others The warlike Scythians in their third Asian expedition being absent from their wiues the space of seuen yeares they supposing their husbands rather to haue beene defeated and lost than deteined with the tedioufnesse of so long and lingring a warre married themselues to their slaues and seruants such as were onely left at home to keepe their heards flockes and other cattell The Scythians after the expiration of their warre returning into their countrie were opposed by their owne vassalls and repelled from their territories as strangers and inuaders and not such as came to repossesse their owne wiues and fields after many skermishes and conflicts the victorie still remaining doubtfull and incertaine the Scythians were aduised to change their manner of fight and because their opposition was against the basest of slaues not the noblest of enemies therefore to suit their weapons according to the persons and laying by the noble armes of a souldier to encounter them not with weapons but with whips not with steele but with scourges and other like instruments of the terrors of base and seruile feare This counsell was generally approoued and followed so that the next time their slaues affronted them in battaile they met them with the commanding lookes of maisters not of equall enemies and shaking these whips and scourges with the sight therof their seruants were so terrified that instantly they betooke themselues to seruile and ignoble flight conquering them as slaues whom they could scarce oppose as enemies all such of them as they tooke they put to tortures and death Their wiues knowing themselues guiltie both of adulterie to their beds and treason to their liues some slew themselues with the sword others strangled themselues with the halter all in conclusion brauely and resolutely with selfe hands finished their owne liues leauing their husbands lustie widdowers with free libertie to make choice of honester wiues After this accident the Scythians had peace euen to the time of king Lanthinus Higinus addes vnto the number of those Amazons these following Ociale Dioxippe Iphinome Xanthe Hypothoe Orthrepte or Otrere Antioche Laomache Glauce Agaue Theseis Climene and Polidora Calaber besides these reckons vp twelue but by diuerse and doubtfull names Of the name of these Amazons Ouid writes in the latter end of his second booke de Arte amandi hauing writ his two first bookes wherein he hath ingeniously proposed all the wayes plots and stratagems by which men may captiuate women to their wishes and attract them to their desires as if he had done his worke as worthily as wittingly which indeede he hath he thus insultingly concludes Me vatem celebrate viri mihi dicite laudes Cantetur toto nomen in orbe meum c. Call me your Poet crowne my head with Bayes And let the whole world descant on my praise I gaue you armes god Vulcan gaue no more To Thetis sonne conquer as he before And he that shall his Amazon subdue Strooke with the darts he from my quiuer drew Vpon his warlike spoyles thus let him write Naso my master taught me first to fight Behold yong Wenches likewise trace my skill They are the next
hee O Diogenes worthie thy iust taxation to accompanie with a woman with whom many others haue had commerse Againe being by others calumniated for his often repayre and publike recourse to her in regard of her common prostitution and therefore the greater blemish to his more austere profession hee thus satisfied them This is the difference betwixt me and the rest of her Clyents I onely enioy Lais all others are enioyed by her When Demosthenes the famous Orator of Athens desired to haue had companie with her and shee for one nights lodging demanded of him a thousand Drachmaes affrighted with the name of so great a summe he thus replyed I purpose not to buy repentance so deare A young man much taken with her beautie came to Diogenes the Cinicke and asked him this question What if a man should marrie with Lais Who presently answered For a young man it is much too soone and for an old man it were farre too late Concerning her I haue read an elegant Epigram of an old man desirous of companie with her at any rate and her wittie answere to him Canus rogabat Laidis noctem Myron Tulit repulsam protinus Causamque sensit caput fuligine Fucauit atra Candidum c. White-headed Myron did of Lais craue To haue one night and he her price would pay Which she deny'd But why he could not haue His purpose he perceiu'd his head was gray He knew his age betray'd him therefore hee Dyes his hayre blacke and did his suit renew She seeing face and head to disagree And them comparing with considerate view Thus sayes Why do'st thou vrge me thus the rather Since but eu'n now I did denie thy father Nimphodorus Syracusa in his booke De admirabil writes That Lais came into Sicily from Hycaris the most defenced citie of that countrey but Strattis in Macedon or Pauson affirmes her to be of Corinth in these words Dic vnde sunt ductae puellae Venere nuper ex Megara Corinthiae Decus Lais Ingens Aelian de Varia Histor. Lib. 10. sayth That Lais casting her eyes vpon a young man of Cyrenaea called Eubatas neuer left solliciting him by all womanish enticements till shee had made him promise her marriage but the solemnization not to be performed till hee had returned Victor from the Olympicke Games in which hauing had good successe but fearing to hazard the embraces of a strumpet he tooke her Picture onely and carryed it to his citie of Cyrena boasting by the way that hee had marryed and borne thence Lais. Which she hearing and enraged at the skorne thereof writ to him this or the like Letter O false and periured man Whose lust hath no satietie Since nothing please thee can Saue changes and varietie O thou alone Constant to none In nothing settled saue Impietie Our Sex why do'st thou blame Tearme women sole offenders 'T is you that past all shame Are still your owne commenders That care nor feare To whom you sweare Cease iudging and be now suspenders Phillis was chast and faire Demophoon false and cruell Sapho thought Phaon rare And he tearm'd her his Iewell But Traytors they Their Loues betray Poore we can oft fore-see but not eschew ill Falser than eyther thou As foulely hast betray'd me But I le beware thee now As Heauen I hope shall ayd me All thy procurements And slye allurements Hence-forth shall neuer more persuade me Thy Oathes I hold as Lyes As skorne thy craftie smiling Thy shape a meere disguise Thy practise but beguiling All thy protests As scoffes and ieasts And thy faire words no better than reuiling Poysons I le thinke thy Kisses And from mine keepe thee fastings Thy torments count my blisses Thy breathings feare as blastings And thanke my fate I now can hate Thee whom I now abandon euerlasting It is moreouer reported of her That being of purpose conueyed into the bed of Xenocrates by the meanes of his schollers whom hee had instructed in all austeritie and strictnesse of life but she by no whorish blandishments able to corrupt his temperance his schollers asking her the next morning How shee sped shee told them They had lodged her with a Statue or an Image but no man Tymaeus in his thirteenth booke of Histories sayth That she was beaten to death with woodden foot-stooles by certaine women of Thessalie in iealousie and madnesse because she was beloued of a beautifull young man called Pausonias on whom some of them doted This was done at a sacrifice in one of the Chappels of Venus for which cause the place was euer after called The Groue of wicked or vniust Venus Her Sepulcher was neere vnto the riuer Paeneus in Thessalie which runnes betwixt the two great mountaines of Ossa and Olympus and vpon her Tombe-stone this inscription was grauen Roboris inuicti ac animi sit Graecia quamuis Victa tamen formae paruit illa suae Laiais ipse parens Amor est aluitque Corinthus At nunc ipsa tenet inclita Thessalia Though Greece of vnmatcht strength and courage bee It obey'd Lais to thy shape and thee Loue was thy father thee Corinthus bred Who now in stately Thessaly lyest dead This notwithstanding some will not allow her to haue beene educated in the Cranaeum which is a place of exercise in the citie of Corinth Phrine SHe for her beautie was emulated by Lais and was a prostitute in Thespis a citie of Boetia who being for some capitall crime conuented before the Senate and notwithstanding she had a famous Aduocate to plead in her behalfe fearing some harsh and seuere censure she trusting to her beautie bethought her of this proiect before the Sentence was pronounced shee cast off her loose and vpper garments and without any word speaking as farre as womanish modestie would suffer her exposed her bodie naked to the Iudges O Beautie thou canst more preuayle than the tongues of a thousand Orators With her rare forme and extraordinarie feature the old gray-beards were so taken that where before their purpose was to inflict vpon her some seuere punishment they changed their austeritie into loue and pitie and dismissed her without mulct or fine Therefore the famous Orator and Grammarian Quintilian thus speakes The admirable beautie of so compleate a Fabricke more preuayled with the Senate than all the Rhetoricall eloquence of the Aduocate Hyppariâ— Vpon this occasion an Edict was published That from thence-forward no Clyent whatsoeuer should be in presence whilest their Cause was in pleading least either pitie or affection to the person should sway the ballance of Iustice and equitie It is further remembred of her That Praxitiles the most excellent Painter of his time for some courtesies shee had done him or some fauours grac't him with promised to giue her the best and most curious Table in his worke-house but shee by no persuasion or cunning able to wrest from him which amongst so many had the prioritie shee bethought her of this sleight watching a time when the Painter was abroad
in the citie shee hyred a messenger to run to him in all hast and counterfeiting a suddaine passion to tell him his house was on fire and many or most of his elaborate Pieces burnt to ashes At which Praxitiles amased and strangely mooued broke forth into this language But is the Picture of Cupid safe and reserued from combustion by which she found that to be his maister-piece and therefore due to her by promise This Phrine neuer vsed the hot Bathes as other of her profession accustomed to doe onely at the Feasts of Ceres and Neptune shee would in the sight of all the Grecians in her loose garment and hayre disheuelled about her shoulders walke downe to the Sea side and there wash her selfe And from her as Athenaus in his Dypnos Lib. 13. cap. 22. affirmes Apelles drew that admirable and vnmatched Peece called Venus Emergeus i. Venus swimming or rising out of the waters Of which Ausonius composed an Epigram with this inscription In venerem Andiomenen Emersam Polagi nuper genitatibus vndis Cipria Apellai Cerne laboris opus Behold faire Cipria from her natiue Brine Flunging Apelles a braue worke of thine Who shaking off her golden curles late drown'd Raynes the salt-sea-drops from her shoulders round Her hayres yet danke 'bout her white wrists she winds Which wreath'd she in her silken hayre-lace binds Pallas and Iuno said this haâ—ing seene We yeeld the Palme to thee faire beauties Queene Praxitiles the Statuarie before spoken of drew from her the Picture of Venus Cnidia and vnder the Table of Loue which was giuen to adorne the Theatre he caused these verses to be inscribed Praxitiles pinxit prius est quem passus amorem Deprompt sit proprio pectore qui Archetipum Loue which himselfe hath suffred and best knew From his owne breast this piece the Painter drew This Picture of Loue some say was placed in Thespia a free towne in Boetia neere Helicon and dedicated to the Muses which others take to be a citie in Magnesia neere Thessalie but her golden Picture made by Praxitiles was hung in Delphos aboue the Marble Statue of Mercurie and betwixt that of Archidamus king of the Lacedemonians and Philip of Amintas hauing this inscription Phrine Epicleis Thespia This when Crates Ciâ—icus beheld he said This Table is dedicated to expresse the intemperance of the Grecians as Alcaetus witnesseth Lib. 20. depositâ—rum in Delphis Apollodorus in Lib. Amicarum speakes of two Phrines the one was called Saperduis the other Clausigelos of Kleo i. Lugeo to mourne and Gelos i. Risus Laughter Herodicus sayth Lib. 6. Obiâ—â—gatorâ—m That she was called by the Orators Seâ—tus because she rifled and despoyled her Clients and the other Thespica This Phrine grew exceeding rich and made offer to begirt Thebes with a new wall so that vpon the chiefe gate they would make this inscription This Alexander the Great demolished which Phrine the Courtesan at her owne charge erected for so writes Calistratus in his booke Amicarum Tiâ—â—cles Coâ—â—â—â—i writ of her infinite riches in his Neâ—ra as likewise Amphis in Noâ—acula Ariâ—â—igiton in an Oration against Phrine affirmes That her proper name was Mâ—esarete Of her Posidippus Comicus writ more at large in Ephesia There was one Timandra daughter to Tyndarus and Laedia the sister of Cliâ—â—innestra but Pliny speakes of a notorious strumpet of that name beloued of Aleibiades the Athenian for whom being dead she erected a famous Sepulcher shee was with her friend Atcis opprest in battaile by Lysander Equall to her in beautie was Campaspe by some called Pancasta a wanton of extraordinarie feature and much affected by the excellent Painter Apelles she was prisoner to Alexander the Great and at his earnest intercession bestowed on him by the Macedonian Conqueror Glicerin or Glicera and others THis Glicera was sirnamed Thespiâ—nsis of the cittie where shee was borne Praâ—iâ—â—les the Painter much doted on her beautie and gaue her a Table in which Cupâ—d was most curiously pouâ—â—â—yde which after her death shee bequeathed as a legacie to the cittie Sâ—â—yrus reports That Stilpâ— beeing at a banquet with her and reproouing her as a great corrupter of the youngmen of Thespis she answered We are ô Sâ—ilpo of one and the same error guiltie alike For it is said of thee That all such as conuerse with thee and participate of thy precepts thou corruptest with thy amatorious and vnprofitable Sophismes small difference then there is to bee traduced by thee a Philosopher or by me a professed Prostitute She was a great fauourite of the Poet Menander Hipperides in an oration against Manlithaus as also Theopompus affirmes That Harpalus after the death of Pythâ—nice sent for Glicera to Athens who comming to Tarsus was receiued into the kings palace whither much confluence was assembled bowing their knees to her and saluting her by the name of Queene neyther would they suffer Harpalus to assume the Diademe till shee were likewise crowned and in Rhossus where his statue was erected in brasse she caused hers to be placed for so Clearchus writes in his historie of Alexander as likewise Catanaeus Clearchus obserues of her that when any faire young lad appeared before her shee vsed to say Then doe boyes appeare most beautifull when they most resemble the lookes and gestures of women She was affected by Pansia Sicionius a famous Painter Harpalus the Macedonian hauing robbed Alexander the Great of much treasure flying to Athens sollicited there Pythonica and by many great gifts woon her to his embraces she dying he profusely lauished many talents vpon her obsequies and as Possidonius in his Histories affirmes not onely with the artificiall skill of many of the best artists and workemen but with organs voyces and all kinds of musicall harmony decorated her funerall Dyoâ—â—rchus writes That whosoeuer shall crauell towards Athens by the sacred way called Elusinis there hee shall behold a goodly temple built in state height and compasse exceeding all others which who so shall considerately peruse hee shall guesse it either to bee the cost of Miltiades Pericles Ciâ—â—â— or of some other Athenian equally with them illustrious and especially of such a one that for merit towards the common weale might commaund a voluntarie contribution from the publike treasurie Theopompus in an epistle to Alexander thus carpes at the intemperance of Harpalus Consider quoth he and inquire of the men of Babylon with what superfluous charge hee hath interred his strumpet Pythonicâ— who was but handmaid to Bachis the she-musitian and Bachis the seruant of Syâ—â—â—e Threissa who from the cittie of Aegina transported her bawdries into Athens shee being not onely of the third rancke and degree of seruants but of baudes for with more than two hundred Talents charge he hath dedicated vnto her two sumptuous monuments to the admiration of all men when it hath not beene knowne the like honour or cost to haue beene bestowed by him or any other in memorie of any
from him grew the adage which Cicero vsed in an epistle to Fabius Gallus Non omnibus dâ—rmio i. I sleepe not to all men Lucilius apud Beroaldum Catullus remembers vs of the Bawde Silo and Guido of one Bitraphus that made his wife basely mercenarie Cai. Ticinius Minternensis prouoked his wife to inchastitie for no other reason than to defraud her of her ioynter Gemellus one of the Tribuns in Rome a man of a noble familie yet was of that corrupt and degenerat condition that he made his owne Pallace no better than a common stewes in so much that in the Consullship of Metellus and Scipio hee suffered two great Ladies Mutia and Fuluia innobled both waies in their families with the noble child Saturnius to be vitiated in his owne house Clemens Alexandrinus Lib. 3. Stromatum and Euseb. Lib. 4. haue left remembred that the Arch-heriticke Nicolaus hauing a faire wife and beeing reprooued of Iealosie by the Apostles to show himselfe no way guiltie thereof hee brought her into the publique assembly offering her freely vp to the prostitution of any man whatsoeuer more in my mind offending in his too much remisnesse than before in his ouer great strictnesse Nay least this detestable sinne should want a countenancer euen from royaltie Lycosthenes in his Theater of Humaine life tells vs of Henricus Rex Castalionensis who shamed not to bee a Bawde to his owne Queene you may reade further of him in the Spanish historie by the title of Henrie the Vnable Now of She-Bawdes and of them briefly Plutarch in the life of Pericles reports That Aspatia his sole delight made her house a Stewes in which the bodies of the fairest young Women were made common for money It is reported that Callistion sirnamed Proche being hyred to lye with a common fellow or bond-man and by reason of the hot weather beeing naked she espyed the markes and skarres of blowes and stripes vpon his shoulders to whom she sayd Alas poore man how came these he willing to conceale his base condition answered That being a child hee had skalding hot Pottage poured downe his necke I beleeue it sayth shee but sure they were Calues Pottage or made of Calues flesh promptly reproouing his quallitie because slaues eate Pottage made of Veale and the things with which they were lashed and skourged were made of Calues-skinnes Erasm. Apotheg 6. Dipsas is the name of an old Bawde in one of Ouids Elegies whom for instructing his mistresse in the veneriall trade he reprooues in these verses Est quaedam quicunque volet cognosere lenam Audiat est quaedam nomine Dipsas as anus If any man an old Bawde list to know 'T is the crone Dipsas she is titl'd so Of the Bawde Quartilla I haue before giuen you a true character from Petronius Arbiter Tacitus lib. 17. puts vs in minde of Caluia Crisalpina who was the schoole-mistresse of Neros Lures a fit tuteresse for such an apt and forward pupile In my opinion to be wondered at it is that these beeing past their owne actuall sinnes wherein too much sacietie hath bred surfet or the infirmitie of age or disease a meere disabilitie of performance yet euen in their last of dayes and when one foot is alreadie in the graue they without any thought of repentance or the least hope of grace as if they had not wickednesse ynough of their owne to answere for heape vpon them the sinnes of others as not onely intycing and alluring Virgins and young wiues to that base veneriall trade and the infinite inconueniences both of Soule and bodie depending thereupon but to weare their garments by the prostitution of others and eate their Bread and drinke Sacke and Aqua-vitae by their mercenarie sweat and so base an vsurie and vncomely a trauell of their bodies as is not onely odious in the eyes of Man but abhominable in the sight of Angells This apprehension puts mee in mind of what Cornelius Gallius writes in a Periphrasis of old Age which I hold not altogether impertinent to be here inserted These be his words Stat dubius tremulusque senex semperque malorum Credulus stultus qua facit ipse timet Laudat preteritos presentes despicit annos Hot tantum rectum quod facit ipse 〈◊〉 c. What he speakes of the old man may be as well appropriated to the aged woman his Verses I thus English The trembling old man he is doubtfull still And fearefull in him selfe of that knowne ill Of which hee 's author and in this appeares His folly to be cause of what he feares Past yeeres heâ—l praise the present hee 'l despise Nought saâ—e what 's his seemed pleasing in his eyes It after followes Hae sunt primitiae c. Of Death these the first fruits are and our fâ—thers Declining towards the Earth she her owne gathers Into her selfe though with a tardie pace We come at length the colour of the face Our habit nor our gate is still the same Nor shape that was yet all at one place ayme For the loose garments from one shoulders slides And what before too short seem'd now abides A trouble to our heeles we are contracted As if of late in a new world compacted Decreasing still our bones are dride within As seemes our flesh shrunke in our wither'd skin We haue scarce libertie on Heau'n to looke For prone old Age as if it in some booke Meant to behold his face lookes downe-ward still Prying where he th'indebted place might fill From whence he first was borrowed and the same Matter returne to Earth from whence it came We walke with three feet first as infants creepe Next crawle on foure as if the ground to sweepe We follow our beginning all things mourne Till to their generation they returne And fall vpon the brest where they were nurst ,That goes to nothing which was nothing first This is the cause that ruinous Age still beates Th' Earth with th'staffe he leanes on and intreates A place to rest in as if he should say With often knocking mother giue me way At length into thy bosome take thy sonne Who faine would sleepe now all his labour 's done Let this suffice as a short admonition to these old corrupters of Youth De Gulosis Vinolentis i. Of Women addicted to Gluttonie and Drunkenesse OF these there are not many left to memorie the reason as may bee coniectured is because to seeme the more temperat being inuited to publique Feasts and Banquets many of them will dyne at home before they come eating in priuat and drinking in corners Of men for their incredible voracitie there are presidents infinite I will giue you onely a tast of some few and those not altogether common and with them to compare some women I will passe ouer Eriâ—iethon remembred by Ouid Ctaesias by the Poet Annaxilas Morichus obserued by Aristophanes Melanthius by Suidas Theagines by Raues Textor who at one meale eate vp a
that all her meanes and substance was consumed and wasted by her impious and sacrilegious husband who most vnnaturally deteined her in prison This deuout woman for the Faith and ministring to the Saints was arraigned and condemned to the fire where shee publikely suffered a most glorious Martyrdom of her Volateran makes mention Giliberta Anglica was borne in Maguns or Mens in Germanie where shee was beloued of a young scholler for whose sake and least their priuat and mutuall affection should at length come to the eares of her parents all virginall modestie and womanish feare set aside she put her selfe into a yong mans habit fled from her fathers house and with her deere friend and paramour came into England where as well as to his obseruance and loue shee gaue her selfe to the practise of the Arts and to attaine to the perfection of Learning At length the young man dying finding her selfe entred into some knowledge and desirous to bee further instructed as one hauing a wondrous prompt and acute braine shee still continued her habite and withall her laborious studie as well in the Scriptures as other humane Learnings At length comming to Rome shee read publiquely in the Schooles where shee purchased her selfe a great and frequent Auditorie And besides her singular wisedome shee was much admired and beloued for her seeming sanctitie and austeritie of life and after the death of Leo the fift elected and confirmed in the Papall Dignitie for thus writes Volaterran Sigebertus Platina and others that haue writ the Liues of the Roman Bishops shee is remembred likewise to this purpose by Boccatius in his booke de Claris Mulieribus But Sabellicus Lib. 1. Aeneadis calls her Ioanna Anglica i. Ioane English who in her minoritie dissembled her Sex and so habited trauailed as farre as Athens and there studied with infinite gaine and profite insomuch that comming to Rome few or none could equall her in Disputation or Lectures which begot her such reuerence and authoritie with all men that shee was by a generall Suffrage elected into the Papacie and succeeded Leo the fourth Rauisius in Officina tit 6. Others will not allow that euer any such woman was Pope and excuse it thus There was one Bishop of Rome who was a decrepit and weake old man He by reason of age not being well able to manage his temporall affaires and domesticke businesse receiued into his Pallace as a guide and gouernesse a woman called Ioanna his sister or neere kinswoman this woman tooke vpon her great pride and state and vsurped vpon the infirmitie of her brother insomuch that hauing the command of all things and being auaricious by nature no businesse was dispatched but by her nor any thing concluded without her for which shee was both hated and scorned and therefore vpon her that vsurped the authoritie of the Pope they likewise bestowed his stile and nick-named her Pope Ioane This I haue not read but I haue heard some report it From her I come to Rosuida borne in Germanie and by Nation a Saxon shee liued vnder Lotharius the first and was of a religious place called Gandresenses in the Diocesse of Hildesemensis shee was facundious in the Greeke and Roman Tongues and practised in all good Arts shee composed many Workes not without great commendation from the Readers one especially to her fellow Nunnes and Votaresses exhorting them to Chastitie Vertue and Diuine worship Shee published six Comedies besides a noble Poeme in Hexameter Verse of the Bookes and Heroicke Acts done by the Otho Caesars Shee writ the Liues of holy women but chiefely a Diuine Worke of the pious and chast life of the blessed Virgin in Elegeicke Verse which began thus Vnica spes Mundiem Cranzius Lib. 6. cap. 20. Metrapoleos Fulgos Lib. 8. cap. 3. Elizabetha Abbesse of Schonaugia zealously imitated the practise and studies of this Rosuida which shee professed in the citie of Triers Shee writ many things in the Latine Tongue of which shee was diuinely admonished and inspired from aboue besides many persuasiue Epistles to her Couent of Sisters and others full of great conceit and elegancie A Booke also that was entituled A path to direct vs the way to God besides a Volume of many learned Epistles full of great iudgement and knowledge Fulgos. Lib. 8. cap. 3. and Egnat ibidem Constantia the wife of Alexander Sforza is deseruedly inserted in the Catalogue of women famous and excellent in Learning Shee from her child-hood was so laborious in the best Disciplines that vpon the suddaine and without any premeditation she was able sufficiently to discourse vpon any argument eyther Theologicall or Philosophicall besides shee was frequent in the Workes of S. Hierome S. Ambrose Gregorie Cicero and Lactantius For her extemporall vaine in Verse shee was much admired in which shee was so elegantly ingenious that shee attracted the cares of many iudicious schollers to be her dayly Auditors And this facilitie is reported to be innate and borne with her as proceeding with such smoothnesse and without the least force or affectation Her daughter Baptista succeeded her both in fame and merit beeing accepted and approoued for one equally qualified with her mother Constantia Therefore Politianus in Nâ—tricia doubts not to ranke her amongst the best learned and most illustrious women Baptista Prima the daughter of Galeatinus Malatesta Prince of Pisauria and after the wife of Guido Montefelcrensis Earle of Vrbin made many commendable proofes of her wit and learning for shee held many disputations euen with those that were best practised and grounded in the Arts from whence shee came off with no common applause Shee writ a Volume in Latine which shee titled The Frailetie of mans Life with other prayse-worthie bookes De vera Religione i. Of true Religion Fulgos Lib. 8. cap. 3. Isota Nauarula Veronensis deuoted her life wholly to the studie of all humane knowledge and withall to the contemplation of Diuine Mysteries to which shee added the honour of perpetuall Chastitie Shee writ many eloquent Epistles to Pope Nicolaus Quintus as also to Pius the second being sufficiently seene as well in Theologie as Philosophie Amongst other Workes shee composed a Dialogue in which it was disputed which of the two of our Parents Adam and Eue sinned first or more offended in the beginning Egnat and Fulgos. Lib. 8. cap. 3. Alpiades a Virgin who much desired to be instructed in the true Faith was inspired from aboue with a miraculous knowledge in the Scriptures Rauis in Offic. Of Women excellent in Philosophie and other Learning FRom Theologie I descend to Philosophie Nicaula Queene of Saba trauelled from the farthest part of Aethiopia vp to Hierusalem to prooue the wisedome of Salomon in darke Problemes and hard Questions which when he had resolued and satisfied her by his diuine wisedome inspired into him from aboue she returned into her countrey richer by her gifts more benefited by her knowledge and fruitfull as
inspired from aboue and to speake as from the mouthes of the gods some were Holy as Ennius some Diuine as Homer others Prophets as hauing the name of Vates conferred vpon them and amongst these may bee numbred the Sybills the Priests of Apollo and such as belonged to all the other Oracles Of the Poets there were many sorts and such as writ in diuerse kinds yet all these imitated at least if not equalled by women There were such as were called Physiologi that Poetised in Physicke as Palephatus Atheniensis Pronopides Xenophanes Coliphâ—nius and others there were Poetae Mathematici that writ of the Mathematickes as Ma. Manilius Thales Milesius Aratus Solensis c. Poetae Medici as Thaletas Cretenses Damocrates Seruilius Andromachus Cretensis c. Poetae Vates or Prophets as Moyses Dauid Hieremias Isaiah c. Poetae Theologi as Salomon Dante 's Alegerius Florentinus and amongst the Heathens Linus Chalcedensis Pyerius Thamyras Amphion Orpheus c. There are besides Ethici Impudici Historici Mechanici Epici Heroici Eliogeographaei Satyrici Epigrammatographi Comici Tragici Mimographi Histrionici Melopaei Lyrici Melâ—fi Iambici Himnographi and amongst these not any whom some ingenious women in one age or other hath not facetiously imitated I am loath to dwell too long in the Proeme I will now giue you their names with a particular of their workes who haue beene in many or most of these eminent Poetriae or Women Poets Of the Sybills the Muses Priests and Prophetesses included amongst those whom wee called Vates I haue alreadie spoken at large I now proceed to others Theano Locrensis was so called as borne in the citie of Locris she writ Hymnes and Lyrick Songs she was also a Musicall Poetesse such as were called Melicae There was a second of that name the wife of Pithagoras a Poetesse besides a third called Thuria or Metapontina daughter of the Poet Lycophron a Pythagorist and wife of Caristius or Brantinus Crotoniata Teste Suida Nicostrata was otherwise called Carmentis skilfull both in the Greeke and Latine Dialect of a quicke and nimble wit and conuersant in diuerse kinds of Learning Sulpitia liued in the time of the Emperour Domitianus her husbands name was Galenus or Gadenus with whom shee liued in most conioyned wedlocke for the space of fifteene yeeres Some fragments of her Poetrie I haue read inserted amongst the Workes of Ausonius Of her Martial in one of his Epigrams Lib. 10. thus writes Oh molles tibi quindecim Calene Quos cum Sulpitia tua ingales Indulsit Deus peregit annos c. O those soft fifteene yeeres so sweetly past Which thou Calenus with Sulpitia hast In iugall consocietie no doubt A time by the Gods fauoured and pickt out O euerie Night nay Houre mark'd by thy hand With some rich stone fetcht from the Indian strand What warres what combats haue betwixt you beene But to your Bed and Lampe not knowne or seene Of any Happie Bed and Tapers grace Made of sweet Oyles whose smoake perfumes the place Thrice fiue yeeres thou hast liu'd Calenus thus Reckoning by that account thine Age to vs So to compute thy yeeres is thy great'st pride No longer to haue liu'd than with thy Bride Were Atropos at thy entreats content To giue thee backe one day so sweetly spent Thou at a higher rate would'st prise that one Than foure times Nestors Age to liue alone This Epigram hath expressed the loue of Calenus to Sulpitia the husband to the wife but in 35. of the same booke her pious Loue chast Muse and Beautie the same Author hath most elegantly illustrated his words be these Omnes Sulpitiam legant puellae Vno quae cupiunt viro placere Omnes Sulpitiam legant mariti Vnae qui cupiunt placere nuptae c. All women reade Sulpitia such as can In their desires betake them to one man All husbands reade Sulpitia such whose life Can be contented with one single wife Shee neuer spake of mad Medeas sinne Nor why Thyestes Banquet was seru'd in It neuer with her pure thoughts could agree A Scilla or a Biblis there could bee Saâ—e chast and pious Loues she did not write Yet mixt with modest pleasures and delight Her Verses who shall reade and reade againe And sift them well shall find them without staine Such were the words diuine Egeria spake The wife of Numa when shee did betake Her selfe to sollitude Had Sapho beene Tutor'd by her her Poems read and seene More chast sh' had beene with greater Art endu'd Or had rude Phaon these together view'd And both their beauties well obseru'd and noted He that left her had on Sulpitia doted c. Seneca speakes of one Michaele a shee Centaure who in an Elegant Poem instructed the Thessalians in the Remedie of Loue whom Ouid in his Remedium Amoris is said to haue imitated Aristophanes as also Suidas speake of one Charixena the Author of many excellent Workes amongst others shee writ a Poeme called Crumata Caelius Lib. 8. cap. 1. speakes of Musaea an Epigrammatist in which kind shee was eminent besides shee composed sundrie Lyrickes Textor remembers vs of one Moeroe who besides her other Workes is most celebrated for a Hymne to Neptune Manto was the daughter of Tyresia the Prophetesse of her the famous cittie Mantua tooke name shee was not onely a Poetesse but famous for her Diuinations for by the entrailes of beasts shee could predict and fore-tell things to come Textor Cornificia was the sister of the Poet Cornificius and famous for many excellent Epigrams Luccia Mima as Plinie reports of her was a writer of Comedies in which practise shee continued no lesse than an hundred yeeres Amongst the Poets Cassandra the Prophetesse daughter to Priam and Hecuba is also numbred Archilas Hermonaicus as Camelion saith writes of a Poetesse called Megalostrate beloued of the Poet Alcman hee that first deuised the amatorious Verse in which was expressed all lasciuious intemperance which some attribute to Thamyris as their first inuentor shee Amatores vel ipsis colloquijs ad se trahere potuit i. Shee with her verie discourse could attract louers shee was tearmed Flana Megalostrate Athenae Lib. 13. cap. 16. Polla Argentaria was wife to the famous Poet Lucan and hath a merited place in this Catalogue of whom Martial thus speakes Haec est illa dies quae magni conscia partus Lucanum populis tibi Polla dedit This day of that great birth made conscious is Which gaue him to the world and made thee his Shee was reputed to be of that excellent learning that shee assisted her husband in the three first bookes entituled Pharsaliâ— Her Statius Lib. 2. Sylu. thus remembers Haec Castae titulum decusque Polla Shee likewise writ excellent Epigrams As much as Staâ—ius of her Plin. Secundus speakes of his wife Calphurnia Fulgos. Lib. 8. cap. 3. Aspasia Milesia the beloned of Pericles
in the treasurie for that onely purpose expressely to write downe his owne name and the names of both his parents with the dayes punctually set downe of the decease of the one and the succession of the other Now in the time that Christ was conuersâ—nt in Iudaea and yet had not shewed himself to the world nor preached the Word openly to the people it happened that one of the Priests of the foresaid number dyed neyther after many voyces and sundrie nominations was any agreed vpon or thought fit to be ascribed into his place At length was propounded IESVS the sonne of the Carpenter Ioâ—eph for so they tearmed him a man though young yet for the sanctitie of his life his behauiour and doctrine aboue all the rest commended This suffrage standing as hauing generall approbation from all it was thought conuenient to send for his mother for his father Ioseph was late dead into the Consistorie onely to know their names and to register them in the aforesaid booke She therefore being called and diligently questioned of her sonne and his father thus answered That indeed she was the mother of IESVS and brought him into the world of which those women are testates that were present at his birth but that he had no father from Earth in which if they desired to be further instructed shee could make it plainely appeare For being a Virgin and then in Galilee the Angell of God sayth shee entred the house where I was and appearing vnto me not sleeping but thus as I am awake he told me That by the Holy-Ghost I should conceiue and bring foorth a sonne and commanded me that I should call his name IESVS Therefore beeing then a Virgin by that Vision I conceiued I brought foorth IESVS and I still remaine a Virgin vnto this day When the Priests heard this they appointed faithfull and trustie Midwiues with all diligence and care to make proofe whether Mary were a Virgin or no they finding the truth most apparant and not to be contradicted deliuered vp to the Priests That shee was a Virgin pure and immaculate Then they sent for those women that were knowne to be at her deliuerie and were witnesses of the Infants comming into the world all which did attest and iustifie That shee was the mother of the same IESVS With these things the Priests amazed and astonished they presently entreated Mary that shee would freely professe vnto them what his Parents were that their names according to custome might be registred amongst the others To whom the blessed Virgin thus answered Certaine I am that I brought him into the world but know no father that he hath from the Earth but by the Angell it was told me That hee was the Sonne of GOD Hee therefore is the Sonne of GOD and me This the Priests vnderstanding they called for the Booke which being layd open before them they caused these words to be inscribed Vpon such a day deceased such a Priest borne of such and such Parents in whose place by the common and vnite suffrage of vs all is elected Priest IESVS the Sonne of the liuing GOD and the Virgin MARY And this Booke Theodosius affirmed by the especiall diligence of the most noble amongst the Iewes and the chiefe Princes was reserued from the great sacke and destruction of the citie and Temple and was transferred into the citie of Tiberias and there kept a long time after Sâ—idas testifies That hee hath heard this discourse from honest men who deliuered it to him word by word as they themselues haue heard it from the mouth of Philippus Argentarius This most blessed and pure Virgin Mary the mother of our Lord and Sauiour was borne of the holy Matron S. Anne in the yeere of the World 3948 and in the yeere before Christ fifteene Of him Claâ—dian thus elegantly writes â—n one of his Epigrams Proles vera Dei â—unctisque antiquior Annis Nâ—â—c geniâ—â—s qui semper er as True Sonne of God older than Time that hast Thy byrth but now yet from beginning wast Author of Light and Light before all other Oh thou that art the parent of thy mother And by thine equall-aged father sent From Heauen vnto this terrhene continent Whose word was made Flesh and constrain'd to dwell In the straight prison of a Virgins cell And in a narrow angle to remaine Whose power no limit can no place conteine Who being borne did'st now begin to see All these great workes created first by thee The worke and workeman of thy selfe not skorning Tâ—obey those wearie houres of Eu'n and Morning Of which th' art Lord and tell each minute ore Made by thy Wisdome for mans vse before And took'st on thee our shape onely to show To vs that God we did till then not know c. Petronilla WHen Peter the Apostle had by his Faith cured all infirmities and diseases and in all places yet he suffered his daughter Petronilla to bee grieuously afflicted with a Feauor and being demanded why hee that had cured others did not helpe her he answered Because hee knew her sickenesse to be most behoofefull for her soules health for the weaker she was in bodie she was so much the stronger in Faith setling her cogitations on the ioyes of Heauen and not the pleasures of the world desiring of God that she might rather die a chast Virgin than to be the wife of the Consull Flaccus by whom she was at that time most earnestly sollicited whose prayer was heard for she dyed of that sicknesse and the Consull was preuented of his purpose who had long insidiated her chastitie Marull lib. 4. cap. 8. The like we reade of Hillarius Pictauiensis Episcopus who hauing long trained vp his daughter Appia in chastitie and sanctitie of life fearing least time might alter her vowes and tempt her with the vaine pleasures of the world hee besought the giuer of all graces that hee might rather with ioy follow her to her graue than with sorrow to her marriage bed which was accordingly granted as the same Author testifies Eustochium the daughter of Paula a noble matron of Rome is celebrated by Saint Hierom for the onely president of Virginall chastitie Tora the virgin was of that chast and austere life that hauing tooke a vow and once entered her profession shee neuer put on her backe any new garment or so much as changed her shooes Maria Aegyptiaca liued the life of an Hermit in the sollitude of an vnfrequented desart some write of her that as often as she was seene to pray shee seemed to be lifted vp from the Earth into the Ayre the heigth of a cubit Columba a Virgin of Perusina is reported to be of that chastitie and abstinence that she neuer tasted any other food than the bare fruits of the Earth from the yeares of her discretion till the houre of her death