about these matters The people of the two cities Maerea and Apia that inhabite the borders of Aegypt next vnto Africa esteeming theÌ„selues to be of the linage and nation of the Africans not of the Aegyptians became weary of their ceremonies and religion and would no longer absteyne from the fleshe of kyne and feamale cattell as the rest of the Aegyptians did they sent therefore to the prophecy of Hammon denying themselues to be of Aegypt because they dwelt not within the compasse of Delta neither agreed with them in any thing wherefore they desired y e god that it might be lawful for them without restraint to taste of all meates indiffereÌ„tly but the oracle forbade theÌ„ so to do shewing how all that region was iustly accounted Aegypt which the waters of Nilus ouerranne and couered adding heereto all those people that dwelling beneath the city Elephantina dranke of the water of the same floud This aunswere was giuen them by the oracle Nowe it is meete wee know that Nilus at what time it riseth aboue the banckes ouerfloweth not Delta alone but all the countrey next vnto Africa and likewise the other side adioyning to Arabia couering the earth on both partes the space of two dayes iourney or thereabout As touching the nature of the riuer Nilus I could not bee satisfyed either by the priests or by any other being alwayes very willing and desirous to heare something thereof first what the cause might be that growing to so great increase it shoulde drowne and ouergo the whole countrey beginning to swell the eyght day before the kalends of Iuly and continuing aflote an hundred daies after which time in the like number of dayes it falleth agayne flowyng within the compasse of hys owne banckes tyll the nexte approch of Iuly Of the causes of these thynges the people of Aegypt were ignoraunte themselues not able to tell mee anye thyng whether Nilus had any proper and peculiar vertue different from the nature of other flouds About which matters being very inquisitiue mooued with desire of knowledge I demaunded inoreouer the reason and occasion why this streame of all others neuer sent foorth any miste or vapour such as are commonly seene to ascend and rise from the waters but heerein also I was faynt to nestle in mine owne ignorance desiring to be lead of those that were as blind as my selfe Howbeit certayne Graecian wryters thinking to purchase the price and prayse of wit haue gone about to discourse of Nilus and set downe their iudgement of the nature thereof who are found to varry and dissent in three sundry opinions two of the which I suppose not worthy the naming but onely to giue the reader intelligence how ridiculous they are The first is that the ouer flow of Nilus commeth of none other cause then that the windes Etesiae so named blowing directly vpon the streame thereof hinder and beate backe the waters from flowing into the sea which windes are commonly wont to arise and haue their season a long time after the increase and rising of Nilus but imagine it were otherwise yet this of necessitie must follow that all riuers whatsoeuer hauing a full and direct course against the windes Etesiae shall in like maner swell and grow ouer their bankes and so much the rather by how much the lesse and weake the flouds themselues are whose streames are opposed against the same But there be many riuers as well in Syria as in Africa that suffer no such motion and change as hath bin sayd of the floud Nilus There is another opinion of lesse credite and learning albeit of greater woonder and admiration then the first alleadging the cause of the rising to be for that the riuer say they proceedeth from the Oeean sea which enuironeth the whole globe and circle of the earth The third opinion being more caulme and modest then the rest is also more false and unlikely then them both affirming that the increase and augmentation of Nilus commes of the snowe waters molten and thawed in those regions carying with it so much the lesse credit and authority by how much the more it is euident that the riuer comming from Africa through the middest of Aethiopia runnes continually from the hotter countreys to the colder beeing in no wise probable or any thing likely that the waxing of the waters should proceede of snowe Many sound proofes may be brought to the weakening of this cause whereby we may gesse how grossely they erre whiche thinke so greate a streame to be increased by snowe What greater reason may be found to the contrary then that the windes blowing from those countreys are very warme by nature Moreouer the lande it selfe is continually voyde of rayne and yee being most necessary that within fiue dayes after the fall of snowe there should â—ome rayne where by it commeth to passe that if it snowe in Aegypt it must also of necessity rayne The same is confirmed and established by the blacknesse and swartnesse of the people couloured by the vehement heate and scorching of the sume likewise by the swalowes and kytes which continually keepe in those coastes lastly by the flight of the cranes toward the comming of winter which are alwayes wont to flye out of Scythia and the cold regions to these places where all the winter season they make theyr abode Were it then that neuer so little snow could fall in those countreys by the which Nilus hath his course and from which he stretcheth his head and beginning it were not possible for any of these things to happen which experience prooueth to be true They which talke of Oceanus grounding their iudgement vppon a meere fable want reason to prooue it For I thinke there is no such sea as the Ocean but rather that Homer or some one of the auncient Poets deuised the name and made vse thereof afterwardes in their tales and poetry Now if it be expedient for me hauing refuted and disalowed other mens iudgements to set downe mine owne The reason why Nilus is so great in sommer I take to be this In the winter-time the sunne declining from his former race vnder the colde winter starre keepeth hys course ouer the high countreys of Africa and in these fewe wordes is conteyned the whole cause For the sunne the neerer he maketh his approch to any region the more he drinketh vp the moysture thereof and causeth the riuers and brookes of the same countrey to runne very lowe But to speake at large and lay open the cause in more ample wyse thus the case standeth The bringer to passe and worker heereof is the sunne beeing caryed ouer the hygh countreys of Africa For the spring time with them beeyng very fayre and cleare the land hote and the wyndes colde the sunne passing ouer them workes the same effecte as when it runneth in the middest of heauen in sommer forsomuch as by vertue of his beames gathering water vnto him he
fearing least they should be abused by the inordinate lust of such as dresse them alleadging moreouer that a Saliner sometimes working such abuse vpon y â— dead body of a woman was taken in the maner and his villany discryed by one of his owne company If it fortune any one either of the Aegyptians or of forraine countries to be drowned and cast on shore the City in whose borders he is founde must sustaine the charge of the funeralles which in honorable maner must be executed and the body buried in the sacred and holy Monumentes Being not lawfull for his friends and allies any whit to intermeddle or touch the dead but the Preists assigned to the worship of the ryuer Nylus intoumbe and bury him so nicely and solemnly as if it were the body of a god The customes of Greece they will in no wise follow vtterly estraunging themselues from all orders borowed and deryued from other Nations Albeit Chemmis a great City in the Prouince of Thebs not farre from the City Nëa wherein standeth the Temple of Perseus senne of Danäe builte fouresquare and incompassed rounde aboute wyth a Springe or Groue of Date trees hauing also a large entry of stone on each side whereof are placed two Images of passing greatnesse within the pallace is contayned y e carued monument of Perseus whom the Chemmyts auouch often times to appeare vnto them out of the earth and not seldome in the church at which time they stude his supper which he was woâ—â—s to weare two cubytes in length affyrminge that at such times as that is seene the yeare proueth very fertile and prosperous throughe out all Aegypt This towne I say hath ordayned certayne games of exerâ—ise in the honour of Perseus after the maner of Greece These being dmaunded of mee why Perseus should appeare to them alone and for what cause in the celebration of their games they dissented from the rest of y e Aegyptians they made answere that Perseus was issued of theyr city adding moreouer that Danaeus and Lynaeus were also CheÌ„mmyts and sayled into Greece in blasing whose Pedagree they came at leÌ„gth to Perseus who comming into Aegypt for the selfe same cause as the Grecians testify namely to fetch the heade of Gorgon out of Africk came also to them and called to remembraunce his kinred and linage of whom hauing taken acquayntaunce and hearing his mother to speake of the name of Chem he instituted a game of all exercises which according to his appointment and first ordinaunce they obserue till this day These are the maners of those that lye aboue the Fennes such as dwell in the Maryses differ not from the rest neither in other things nor in estate of mariage euery one inioying the priuate fellowship of his owne wyfe in semblable maner to the Grecians Notwithstanding for the easie prouision of their foode and sustenaunce other thinges haue bene soughte out and deinied by them For in time of the floude when the ryuer ouergoeth the countrey there arise in the water great plenty of syllyes which the people of Aegypt call Lotos These they reape and dry them in the Sunne The seede whereof growing in the middest of the flower somewhat like vnto Popy seede they boyle after which they kneade it into cakes bake it for breade The roote of this is very rothsome pleasant good to eate being of forme very rounde in bignesse like an aple There is also another kinde of lyllyes much like to roses which in like maner haue their growth in the water from whose roote springs a bud vnlike to the former bearing fruite in maner likenesse of an hony Combe herein are contayned certayne smale kernells resembling the stone of an Olyue not vnfit for sustenance and coÌ„monly eaten of the Aegyptians aswell fresh as wythered The selfe same people when the season of the yeare serueth are busily conuersant in gathering a kinde of Rush called Byblâ—s the top whereof they crop turne it into vse of foode the residue being much about one cubyte in length they partly eate partly sell Such as be desirous to make fine and delicate meate of this Rush vse to cast it into an Ouen broyle it some there be that lyue only by fish which hauing taken they incontinently draw them parch them in the Sunne like stockfish and being well dryed they eate them The coÌ„mon sorte of fish vsed among them breede not in y e ryuer but in pooles being of this nature Toward the time of spawning they leaue the fennes make repayre generally to y e sea the male fishes in maner of captaines leading the ranke These male fishe as they passe still onwarde shed theyr seede by the way which their femals following after immediatly deuour and thereof shortly after breede theyr spawnes Now at the pointe of breede the femals forsaking y e salt waters stower backe agayne to the maryses to their accustomed haunte leadinge the males that follow after them and in swiming backe agayne they voide spawne being very smale cornes like the graynes of mustard seede which lightinge vpon the male fishe in the tayle of the rancke are swallowed vp and deuoured by them Not one of these litle graynes but will grow to a fishe as well may bee seene by those that escape the males and are vndeuoured which being nourished by the waters growe to smale Frye Such of these fishes as are taken swimminge to the sea are founde to haue the left side of theyr heads very much worne and gauled and in comming from the sea the right side the cause being this that both in going and comming they continually grate agaynst the shore and bancks of the ryuer as a direction to them in passinge to and fro least that â—loting in the middest of the streame they chaunce to stray and wander out of the right course At such time as the ryuer Nilus beginneth to swell all the lowe places in the couÌ„trey and Ponds neere adioyning to the ryuer doe likewise increase being then to bee seene great store of younge Fry in euery litle puddle whereof these should breede this seemeth to be a probable cause That the yeare before at the fall and decrease of the water the fish which together with the ryuer departe them selues leaue behinde them their spawne in the mudde which at the rysing of the nexte floude being eftsones moystned by the waters recouer vertue and growe to bee fish As touchinge which thinges let it seeme sufficient thus much to haue spoken The Aegyptians that keepe in the fenne countrey vse a certaine oyle made of a tree which the Apothecaryes call Palmachri These trees that springe naturally in Greece the Aegyptians accustome to plant and set by the banckes of Pooles and ryuers which is the cause that they beare fruite but very strong and rancke of sauoure The fruite being gathered some of them bruise it against the fyre other some frie it in a pan
and deuoured in hope the whole gouernment and empyre of Cyrus Wherfore he returned a messeÌ„ger w t a fresh present to Pythia and for euery one their abyding whom he hadde intelligence to be verie many 2. ounces of Gold For which his magnificent bounty the people of Delphos to shew themselues thankefull agayne yeelded hym the chiefe preheminece in counsayling the oracle the principall place in sitting and a perpetuall priuilege of a voice suffragie for any man that should be adopted into the society of Delphos on this maner Craesus powred out his presente vppon the temple of Apollo solliciting the God by a third demaund for that hauing tryed the oracle to be true hee now tooke his pentworthes in aduyse and counsayle His question at this tyme was dyrected only to know how longe hee should enioy the kingdome of Persia whom Pythia answeared in these wordes VVhen seate and Scepter of the Medes vppon a mule shall light To stony Hermus valiant lyde addresse thy speedy flight It shall be then no shame to flye And yeld to such an enemy With these verses Craesus was much more delyghted then with the former assuredly hoping that y e tyme should neuer be wherin a Mule should gouerne the Medes in stid of a man and for the same cause neyther hee nor his heyres should at any tyme be driuen to forsake the kingdome His next care was how make frendes and copartners of those which among thee Grekes were of greattest might noblest mind whoÌ„ by curious enquyry he fouÌ„d to be the LacedaemoniaÌ„s Athenians y t one beyng y t most exceleÌ„t amoÌ„g y â— Dores y â— other in the Nation of the Iones without coÌ„parison chefest Of these 2 nations ther hath ben an auncient and grounded opinion as concerning their virtue Wherof the one toke their begynning and original of Pelaâ—gos the other of Helen or Grece The later of these two neuer altered their soyle but alwayes kept the same place of abode The other making often charge wandred very much For in the tyme of king Deucalion they helde a coast called Phthiotis and vnder Dorus the sonne of Hellen a certayne region bounding vppon the mountaynes Ossa and Pyndus by name Istyaeotis from whence beyng cast out and chased by the Cadmeans they inhabited a place in Pyndus which theycal Macedonus How beit fleeting agayne from thence into Driopis they came at length to Poloponesus were surnamed the nation Doricke What toung or language the Pelagians vsed I cannot certaynly affyrme but by gesse yt seemeth to haue bene the verye same that those Pelasgians vse which somewhat aboue the Tyrrhenians possesse y t city Crotona in time neighbours to them whom the now call Dores at what tyme they peopled a region in Thessalye the like may be gathered by those PelasgiaÌ„s that built the city Plaecia and Sylax and were in league felowship with the Athenians By these I saye wee may rightly coniecture that y e language which was then in vse which the Pelasgians was very grosse and barbarous For the Cretoniatae Platiens differ in speech from those that lye next them but betweene themselues they vse both one toung and euidently declare that they kept the selfe same phrase and manner of talke since their first comming into those countreys So that if al the people of Pelasges were such they also that dwelt in Attica and the rest of the Pelasgian cityes whatsoeuer that chauÌ„ged their name at their first arriual into Hellen forgat also let slip out of memory their mother tounge But the Greekes themselues as I iudge haue without chaunge from the beginning retained the same kynd of language and wheras beyng seuered distinguished from the Pelasgians they wer very weake and feeble in might of a smal and tender beginning they grew to great increase by concurse of many nations and huge multitudes of the Barbarians repayring thither In lyke sort I suppose that the people of Pelasgos beyng barbarous remayned at a stay without amplifyinge and augmenting their strength and gouermnent Craesus therfore had notice that the countrye of Attica was inhabited by these people and at that time iniuriously dealt withall and kept in subiection by Pisistratus the son of Hipocrates who ruled then as a Tyrant at Athens hys father beyng a priuate man and bearyng no rule in the coÌ„mon weale whilst he beheld the games at Olympus yt chaunced hym to see a verye straunge and most wonderfull miracle For hauing prepared sacrifyce to the Goddes the chalderne filled with flesh and water without any fyre vnder it boyled and played in such sort that the water ran ouer the brymmes of the vessayl which thing ChiloÌ„ a Lacedaemonian vewing who then happily was present gaue him counsayle in no wyse to marye a wyfe that was a breeder or of a fruitful wombe and if so be he were already maryed hee willed him to forsake and renounce his wyfe thyrdlye if by her he were indued with a man childe to make ryddaunce therof and conuay it away But Hipocrates geuing litle care to his tale begat afterward Pisistratus who in the broyle and controuersie betweene the inhabiters of y t shore chiefe wherof was Megacles sonne of Alcmaeon and the people of the playne who had to their captayne Lycurgus sprong of Aristolades made a third tumult seeking and affecting a tyrannicall and vnlawful gouernment and gatheryng togeather a company of rebellions and seditious persons vnder preteÌ„ce of ayding the people of the mountains wrought this subtiltye hauing wounded him selfe and hys mules he came flynging amayne into the market place w t his charyot as on new escaped from his enemyes whom they as he fained taking his iorney into y â— couÌ„trey soughte for to haue slayne For this cause he made humble sute and petition to the peoplefor y â— gard and defence of his body hauing tryed himselfe to be a valeaunt Captayne in the voyage and setting forth agaynst Megara at what tyme being generall of the army he toke Nysaea and atchieued other famous valiant actes The people of Athens induced to beleue hiÌ„ appoynted for his sauegard custody certain choise tryed men of the citezens who being armed not w t spears but w t clubs were always wayting attendant on him w t whoÌ„ Pisistratuâ— geuing a violent assault to y â— town chiefe hold of the city toke it by y t means vsurped y t empire of y â— Athenians Neuertheles w tout chauÌ„ge or alteratioÌ„ of magistraties or lawes obseruing stil y t same forme of gouernment he adorned beautified the City in excellent manner But he had not long enioyed yt when as the souldiours of Megacles and Lycurgus came to a truce and conspiring togeather cast him out of the city In this manner did Pysistratus first aspire to the chiefe rule of Athens which he was eftsones constrayned to leaue before his tyrannye had taken roote They
worth eatyng whereby they may be allured to sitte longe at meate Which if they hadde no doubt they woulde quatt theyr Stomakes to the full and seeldome or neuer aryse hungrye Moreouer the Persians generally are verye much geuen to wyne Beyng notwithstanding forbidden by the law to perbreake or vomite in company or to make water wher they may be seene which maner and custome they kepe as yet Commonly when they haue typled so long they see a peece of the deuil they by and by fall into question and consultation of graue and serious matters and loke what is agreed vpon among their cuppes the same thenext day following is propounded by the host of the house where the Senate was held and if in lyke manner they allow and thinke well of it beyng sober they vse it if otherwyse they refuse it On the other side what soeuer in time of sobriety hath bene determined by them the selfe same they ruminate and run ouer a fresh beyng wel mostned with wine If they meete one an other in the way it is no hard matter to know whether they be equalles or superiours ech to other For beyng of like reputation they kysse each other on the mouth If the one be somewhat the others superiour after a more modest and bashfull fashion they kisse on the cheekes If much more set by and of farre greater regard the base and vnnoble falleth flat on the earth in honour and reuerence to the other Behauinge themselues with all dutifull demeanour and curteous vsage towardes them which are nexte dwellers and neyghbours vnto them In the second degree imbracing and making much of those who dwell nere also and border uppon their neighboures and so consequently the nerer euery one is in place to them y e greater he isin friendship and familiarity esteeming theÌ„selues of all men the best To those which are furthest seperate and disioyned from them in distaunce of place they disdayne to shewe the least poynt of ciuility in ful accompt that of al men liuing there is none lyke vnto them selues in any thinge and as euerye man hath nerest propinquity to them in place and neighbourhod so they deeme hym to excell others in vertue and good liuing making least accompt of those that dwell furthest of and most of themselues Furthermore in the tyme of the Medes empyre certayn familyes exercised mutuall gouernment that is were rulers ouer some and ruled by others for the Medes generally weare rulers and chieflly ouer those that dwelt next them who in like sort had the ouersight of such as bordered vpon them to whom also in order was permitted the rule and moderation of others Like to this manner of gouernment was the loue and familaritye that was also of the Pesians alwayes louinge those best that were their neerest neighbours Of all countryes in the world y e Persians are most delighted with forrayne and outlandish maners wherfore leauing their owne countrey vesture they put themselues in Medish attyre deeming it better more seemly theâ—their owne wearyng vpon their hands a kynd of placars or stomacher vsed of the Aegyptians Moreouer they are drawen with all kynd of pleasure delight which they can either inuent theÌ„selues or learne of other learning of the Grecians to be in loue w t beautiful boyes They wed many virgines woo more coÌ„cubynes In the next place to strenght valiaunt courage they make most of him y t hath most childreÌ„ whoÌ„ anually y e kiÌ„g indueth w t a great reward as though he had atchined some notable act Their childreÌ„ from 5. yere old til they come to 20. they trayne bringe vp in 3 principal things in ryding in shoting speaking truth The child neuer coÌ„meth into the fathers sight before he â—e 5 yeare old but is brought vp priuily among the company of women to the end y t if the child dye before he aspyre to that age the father may conceaue no griefe or sorrow for y e same Which custome truly I greatly coÌ„mend as also this y t it be not lawfull for the king for one offence to bereaue a man of hys lyfe nor for any of y t Persians to practise cruelty vpoÌ„ his family beiÌ„g moued therto by one only transgressioÌ„ But breathing vppon the cause if by good aduysemente he founde more and greater faultes committed then dutiesâ— perfourmed then to geue the brydle to hys anger worke hys wil. Besides they are in opinion in y t countrey y t no maÌ„ at anye tyme slew his owne father but that the child so doing vppon examination and tryal had of his byrth is awaies found to be a bastard and changling Thinkinge it a thinge vnpossible that the naturall childe should euer aduenture to brew the destruction of his owne and lawfull syre Whatsoeuer is dishonest to do that also they esteeme vnseemly to speake But of all thinges they accompt it most abhominable to lye and next to that to bee much in debt both for many other respectes and chiefly because they thinke it skarse possible for him that oweth much not to dissemble and lye much if any one be infected with leprosie or otherwyse diâ—â—eined with vncleannes of the body he may not come within thâ— citye or vse the company of any Persian alleaging that for offence and transgression agaynst y t sunne they were punished and attaynted with such diseases And if happily it befall a straunger or forreyuer to be taken with such like sicknesse they banish and expell him the countrey for the same reason also chasting and skaringe all Pigeons and doues out of the circuite and compasse of theyr region It is open blasphamy with the same people not onely repugnant to good maners and ciuility to pisse or spitte into anye brooke or riuer likewyse to wash his handes therein or any such lyke wherof the water may coÌ„ceaue any maner fylth or corruption verye deuoutlye and with great religion yelding worship honour to y t flouds riuers This also is peculier to y t PersiaÌ„s which not marked by them is knoweÌ„ of vs y t all the wordes in theyr language which coÌ„â—ist of 4 or more sillables do commonly end in one letter which letter the Dores cal San the Iones Sigma And if we loke more narrowlye into theire speech and note that wel we shal fynd not onely some but all the names of the Persians to haue their termination and endinge alyke which for y t I know it assuredly I am not afraid to aâ—ouch it constantly being in halfe a doubt in like sort to awarrant beare out the truth of those things which the same people are sayd to obserue about the dead bodyes of their countrimen whom as the rumor is they neuer bâ—ryeor intumulate before such tyme as either by dogges or foules of the aire they are drawen and haled about Which thinges that their wisemen doe whom they call Magi I dare vndoubttedly affyrme because they manifestly do them
gods they might likewise offer the most flight and swifte creature that lyueth on the earth K. v. Herodotus his second Booke entituled Euterpe AFter the death of the most noble vertuous King Cyrus there succeeded him in y e empyre a son of his named Cambyses born of Cassandana daughter to Pharnasphus who dying long tyme before y e king hir spouse was greatly bewayled by him and his whole empyre The younge prince Cambyses makinge none other accounte of y e Iönes then of his lawfull seruauÌ„ts left him by the due right and title of inheritaunce went in expedition against the Aegyptians preparing an army aswell out of other countreys as also out of the regions borders of Greece which were vnder his gouernment The Aegyptians before such time as Psammeâ—ichus held the supremicy thought them selues to haue bene the first and moste auncient people of y e world This king in time of his raigne and gouernaunce in Aegypt for the great desire hee had to know by what people the earth was first inhabited wrought an experience whereby the Aegyptians were broughte to thinke that the Phrygians were the most old auncient people of the earth and them selues to be nexte in antiquity to them For Psammetichus by all meanes indeuouringe to know who they were that first and before al others came into the world finding himselfe hardly satisfied with ought he could heare practised a deuise and feate of his owne braine Two young infants borne of base parentes hee gaue to his Sheepheard to bring vp nourish in this maner He gaue coÌ„maundement y t no man in their presence or hearing should speake one word but that being alone in a solitary deserte cabyne farre from all company they should haue milke and other foode brought mynistred to them in due conuenient time Which thinges were done commaunded by him to the intent y t when they left of their childish cries began to prattle and speake plainly he might know what speach laÌ„guage they would first vse which in processe of time fell out and happened accordingly For being of y e age of two yeares it chaunced that the sheepheard who was their Nourice bringer vp approching neere to the dore of the Cottage entring in both the litle brats sprawling at his feete stretching forth their hands cryed thus Beccos Beccos which at the first hearing the Pastour noted only and made no words but perceyuing him selfe alwayes saluted after one sort and y t euermore at his entraunce the children spake y e same word the matter was opened to y e king at whose coÌ„maundement he brought the children and deliuered them vp into his hands whom when Psammetichus also himselfe had heard to chat in the same maner he made curiouse search what people vsed y e word Beccos in their language in what meaning they toke it Whereby he came to know y t the word was accustomably vsed by y e people of Phrygia to signifie bread For which cause the Aegyptians came into opinion y t the Phrygians were of greater time longer continuance then them selues Of all which matter the maner of doing thereof I was credibly informed by the priestes of y e god Vulcane abiding at Memphis Howbeit many fond fables are recited by the Grecian writers that Psammetichus geuing y e children to certaine women of the country to sucke bring vp caused their tongues to bee cut out y t they might not speake to them Thus much was rehearsed by them of y e trayning vp education of the infants Many other things also were told me by the holy and religious Chaplaynes of y e god Vulcane with whom I had often conference at Memphis Moreouer for y e same occasion I toke a iourney to Thebs Heliopolis which is to wit y e city of y e Sunne to y e end I might see whether they would iumpe all in one tale agree together For the Heliopolitans are sayd to bee the most prudent witty people of all y e Aegyptians Notwithstanding of diuine heauenly matters as touching their gods loke what they told me I am purposed to conceale saue onely their names which are manifestly knowne of all men of other matters I meane to keepe silence vnlesse by the course of the Hystory I shall perforce bee broughte into a narration of the same In all their talke of mortall and humane altayres they did rightly accord consent one with an other saying this that y t Aegyptians first of all others fouÌ„d out the circuite compasse of y t yeare deuiding the same into 12 seuerall moneths according to y t course and motion of the starres making in my fancy a better computation of the time then the Grecians doe which are driuen euery thirde yeare to adde certaine dayes to some one moneth whereby the yeares may fall euen become of a iust coÌ„passe Contrarywise the Aegyptians to three hundred dayes which they parte distribute into twelue moneths making addition of fyue odde dayes cause the circle and course of their yeares to fall out equally alwayes a like In like maner the Aegyptians first inuented and vsed the surnames of the twelue gods which y t Grecians borowed drew from them The selfe same were the first founders of Aulters Images Temples to the gods by whom also chiefly were carued the pictures of beasts and other creatures in stone which thing for y t most parte they proue confirme by lawfull testimonyes good authority to this they ad besides y t the first king y t euer raygned was named Menes vnder whose gouernaunce all y â— lande of Aegypt except the prouince of Thebes was wholly couered ouerwhelmed with water and y t no parte of the ground which lyes aboue the poole called Myris was then to be sene into which poole from the sea is 7. dayes sayling And truly as concerning y â— country they seemed to speake truth For it is euident to all men who hauing neuer heard thereof doe but onely beholde it how that parte of Aegypt whereat the Grecians are wont to arryue is gayned ground and as it were the gyft of the ryuer Likwise all the land aboue the poole for the space of thrâ— dayes fayleing whereof notwithstanding they spake nothing at all Besides there is another thing from whence no smale profe may be borowed to wit the very nature and quality of the Aegyptian soile which is such that being in voyage towards Aegypt after you come within one dayes sayling of the lande at euery sounde with the plummet you shall bringe vppe great store of mud and noysome filth euen in such place as the water is eleuen ells in depth whereby it is manyfest that so farre y â— ground was cast vppe and left bare by the waters The length of Aegypt by the sea coaste is 423. miles and a halfe according to our
promises to abide with him which being by him in like sorte obteyned with this fresh supply of forreyne ayde and the helpe of such Aegyptians as fauoured his cause he prouided against the rest of the princes Hauing the whole gouernemente alone he made in the city of Memphis certayne porches sacred to the god Vulcane lying vpon the South winde and oueragainst the porches a fayre large haule dedicated to Apis wherein the god Apis at suche time as he appeared was releeued and nourished This place was beset round with stately pillers and ingrauen with sundrie similitudes and imbossements of beastes foules and fishes Wherein also in place of some pillers are planted diuers fayre images of no lesse then twelue cubites in bignesse To these forreiners of Caria and Ionia by whome he was holpen in his warres Psammetichus gaue certayne manner places to dwell in lying on each side of the riuer Nilus called the Tentes whereof beeing possessed he performed all such promises besides that were couenaunted betweene them Moreouer he put vnto them certayne yong impes of the Aegyptians to be instructed in the Greeke language from whome by discent of issue came those which are now interpreters in Aegypt and vse the Greeke tongue A long time did the people of Ionia and Caria inhabite those places lying against the sea somewhat aboue the city of Bubastis situate at the mouth of Nilus which is called Pelusiacum from whence they were afterwardes translated by King Amasis into the city Memphis to gard him against the Aegyptians After the Greekes were thus setled in Aegypt the people of Greece had traffique thither by which meanes such affayres as were atchieued in that countrey from Psammitichus following are certaynely knowne of vs without any errour These were the first that inhabited Aegypt being of a diuers language from the homelings In like manner from whence they fleeted thither the reliques of their ships wherein they came the olde postes and groundreels of their houses were shewed me And these were the meanes whereby Psammitichus obteyned the dominiou of Aegypt As touching the oracle or seate of prophecie we haue made many wordes and will make more as of a thing most worthy to be mentioned This oracle is planted in the temple of the goddesse Latona in a great city named Butis standing against the mouth of Nilus which is called Sebenniticum into the which they haue entry that from the vpper parte of the sea cut against the streame In this city also are the temples of Apollo and Diana and the great pallace of Latona wherein is the place of diuination hauing a gallery belonging to it tenne paces high Heerein suche things as might lawfully be seene and deserued greatest admiration of those I meane to make report In this temple of Latona is a small chappell framed of one stone whose walles beeing of equall heigth were in length forty cubites which semblably was coped ouer the top with another stone beeing foure cubites in thickenesse Wherefore of all those things that were pertayning to the temple there was nothing that deserued greater woonder then this little chappell Next to this is an Ilande called Echemmis standing in the middest of a deepe and wide lake a little besides the chiefe temple whiche the Aegyptians suppose to swimme and to be borne vp of the waters Howbeit I neither sawe it swimme nor mooue maruayling very much if it were true that an Iland should be caryed in the waters In this Ile is planted the temple of Apollo a greate and sumptuous building lykewyse three rewes of aultares and many fayre palme-trees some very kynde and bearing fruite other fruitelesse and barren The Aegyptians also render a cause of the swimming of this Ilande saying thus that at what time Latona which is one of the eyght saints that are of greatest antiquity amongst them dwelt in the city of Butis whereas nowe the oracle is helde she tooke the sauegard of Apollo commended vnto her by his mother Isis and preserued hys lyfe in the same Ilande beeyng at that tyme stedfast and immoueable when as Typhon made so diligente searche in all places to finde out the sonne of Osyris For heere we must vnderstande that thys people imagine Apollo and Diana to be the children of Dionisius and Isis and that Latona was but theyr nourse and bringer vp that delyuered them from perill Apollo in the Aegyptian tongue is called Horus Ceres hath the name of Isis Diana of Bubastis from whence Aeschilus the sonne of Euphorion drew his opinion which alone of all the rest of the poets maketh Diana daughter to Ceres after which euent the Ile say they became loose and was marked to floate and mooue in the water Psammitichus gouerned in Aegypt 54. yeares 29. of the which he spent in the asseige of the great city of Syria which at length he subdued This city is called Azotus which of all the cities that euer wee hearde of susteyned the longest assaulte Insuing the raigne of Psammitichus the gouernemente of the countrey fell to Necus hys sonne by whome first of all was the channell digged that leadeth to the red sea whyche afterwardes was cast afreshe and made deeper by Darius the Persian The length of thys course was foure dayes sayling the breadth such as two reasonable vessels of three oares apeece might well sayle in it together The water which is deriued from Nilus into this channell floweth into it alittle aboue the city Bubastis against a towne of Arabia named Patumon and so continueth hys course vnto the red Sea They beganne first to digge from the playne of Aegypt towardes Arabia for all the countrey aboue the playne is filled and occupyed wyth a course of greate mountaynes neere vnto the citie Memphis wherein are many pittes and quarries of stone wherefore from the roote of thys mountayne is the channell deriued continuing a long course towardes the East vntyll it come to the place where the hyll parteth in twayne whyche distaunce and separation betweene the mountaynes openeth to the South regions and leadeth to the narrow seas of Arabia In the digging of thys course there perished an hundred and twentie thousande of the people of Aegypt When thys enterprise was halfe done Necus brake off and lefte it vnfinished being discouraged by a prophecie that tolde hym that hee toyled for the profite and behoofe of a Barbarian The Aegyptians tearme them all Barbarians which are of a sundry language Necus therefore leauing hys worke vnfinished applyed hys studie to the prouision of warre gathering souldyers and preparing a fleete of warring Shippes some of the which were builte at the North Seas others in the strayghtes of Arabia at the red Sea some tokens whereof are yet to be seene in the same places Thys Fleete he employed in hys affayres continuallie so long as it fitted hym to the vse of warre Forsaking afterwards the Sea and giuing himselfe to battailes by the land where in a conflict with the
haue done more eloquently in englishe then our Authour hath in Greeke but that the course of his writing beeyng most sweete in Greeke conuerted into Englishe looseth a great parte of his grace Howsoeuer the case standeth Gentlemen if it be not so well as it might be I would it were better than it is wishing the best albeit I can not attayne to the best yet least I condemne my selfe before I neede I wil stay vpon the censure and opinion of others when the time shall come Till when and euer leauing you to God and the good successe of your affayres I ende Your very friende B. R. HER ODOTVS HIS FIRST BOOKE INTITLED CLIO HER ODOTVS beyng of the citye of Halicarnassus in Greece wrote and compiled an history to the end that nether tract of time might ouerwhelme bury in silence the actes of humayne kynd nor the worthye and renowned aduentures of the Grecians and Barbarians as well other as chiefly those that were done in warre might want the due reward of immortal fame The Persian wryters witnes y e first cause of debate controuersie to haue comen by y e people called Phaenices who sayling from the redde sea into this of Greece inhabityng the selfe same regions which at this tyme also they holde and retayne gaue themselues to long vagaries and continuall viages by sea In which season by trade of marchaundise brought from Aegipt and Assyria as in many other countries so also they arryued at Argos Argos at the same tyme was the most noble and famous city in Greece Whither the Phaenices directyng their course after they were come and within the space of foure or fyue dayes had made a good hand and riddaunce of their wares It fortuned certayne women in whose cōpany was the Kings daughter whose name was Io. borne of Inachus to approach the shore in mynde to suruay and contemplate the wealth and substaunce of these outlandish Marchauntes Now in the meane season whiles the womē were busye and attentiue in praising such thinges as their fancy lead them the Phaenises ranne violently vppon them and hauing caught Io with some others they rest exceedingly affryghted and flying through feare incontinently wayghed ancōre and sayled into Aegipt By these meanes the Persians record that Io first came into Aegipt not as y e Phaenices reporte that this was the first cause and beginning of iniuryes It chaunced afterward that certaine Greekes whase names they knew not taking shore lauding at Tyrus in like manner made a rape of the kinges daughter named Europa These were the people of Crete otherwyse called the Cretenses By which meanes yt was cardes and cardes betwene them the one beyng full meete and quit with the other But in processe of tyme the seconde trespasse was also made and committed by the Grecians who passinge in a galley by the riuer Phasis to Aea a city of Colchis and hauing finished the affayres and busines for which they came caryed away Medea daughter to the King whom the noble gentleman her father eftsones reclayminge by an Harold of peace and demaunding punishment and reuenge on the trespasser the Grecians made answeare that as by themselues no correction was done for the rape of Io. euen so would they also in this cause goe voyde of smart and escape scotfree After this in the secōd age ensuing Alexander the sonne of Priamus hauing notise and aduertismēt of these thinges was greatly desyrous to steale and puruay himselfe a wife of the Grecians notfearyng the rigour of Iustice or anye manner pey or chastisment which they before had vtterly refused to beare and sustayne Hauing therfore gotten Helena and conuayed her away it seemed good to the Greekes to clayme by embassage restitution of the rape and iustice on the rauisher vnto whom the stealth of Medea was obiected and answeare made that it was not meete for them to require eyther losse or law which in former tyme would be ruled by neyther Thus the tyme hetherto passed on by mutuall pillage betweene them But of those things which insue and follow Vpon these y e Persians affyrme the Grecians to haue bene the chiefe authors who first inuaded Asia by the power of warre then euer themselues attempted the rule and domiminion of Europa Reputing it the poynt of rude and grose iniury to steale away women and the signe of a greater folly to pursue the losse of them since no wyse man would set ought by those that without their owne assent and free wil could neuer haue bene stolne For this cause the Persians alleadge how lightly they valued the losse of their Ladyes whereas the Greekes on the other syde for one silye danie of Lacedemonia furnished a huge nauy and comming into Asia subuerted and brought to ruine the kingdome of Priamus Since which tyme they haue alwayes thought of the Grecians as of their heauy frendes esteeming themselues somewhat allyed to Asia and the nations of Barbaria but the Grecians to be strangers and alyens vnto them And as touching the course proceding of these things the Persians report on this manner adding hereto that the first cause of tumult and contention betweene them arose by the ouerthrow and destruction of Troy With whose assertions the Phaenices agree not aboute the Lady Io. Whom they flatly denye to haue bene caryed by them into Aegipt in manner of a rape shewinge howe that in theyr abode at Argos shee fortuned to close with the mayster of a Shippe and feelynge her selfe to bee spedde fearynge and doubtinge greatlye the feueritye cruell tyrannye of her Parentes and the detection of her owne follye Shee willynglye toke shyppe and fledde strayght awaye Such are the recordes of the Persians and Phaenicians of the truth wherof I meane not to discusse Onely whom I fynde to haue done the first harme and iniurye to people of Greece of hym I determine to speake proceding orderly w t the declaratiō aswell of small cityes townes of meaner fortune as of those that are populous wel frequented for so much as many cityes which former ages haue knowne right ample and wel peopled are now fallen to a low ebbe and contrariwyse those which in the compasse of our memory were greate haue heretofore bene much lesse wherefore knowing the tenor of humayne felicity to be eftsones varyable and neuer at one stay my purpose is to vse the examples of eyther kynd Craesus a Lidian born descended of Halyattes was King of those countryes that lye within the riuer Halis which flowing from the South part of the worlde betweene the Syrians and the Paphlagonians right against the North wind breaketh into the sea called Euxinam Of al the princes Barbarian of whom we haue vnderstanding this same Craesus was the chiefe that made some of the Greekes tributary and other his friendes he subdued the Iones Aeoles and Dores that dwell in Asia concluding with the Lacedemonians a friendly league
at a priuye signe to fall to feasting tipling and quaffing betweene themselues aboue measure Which thing he deuysed to the intent the Sardian embassadours beholding so greate plentye and aboundance of grayne and vewing the people in such wise to disport them selues with al kynde of pleasure and delight might make report therof to y e kinge his soueraigne which fell out accordynglye For the ambassadours taking diligent view of all thinges they saw and dispatching their ambassage to Thrasibulus made speedy recourse to Sardis And as I am geuen to vnderstand hereof onelye proceeded a conclusion of peace betwene them For Halyattes supposinge the Milesians to bee oppressed with greate want and penury of grayne at the returne of hys legates hard other newes then hee looked for After this a league was established betweene them of mutuall hospitality and fellowship and in steed of one temple Halyattes caused 2 other to be sumptiuously built at AssessuÌ„ beyng after restored to hysful and perfect strength Such was then the maner of the warre that Halyattes mayntayned agaynst the people of Miletus Periander the some of Sypselus who aduertised Thrasibulus of the oracle was king of Corinth in whose raigne there happened by report of hys people with whom also y e cityzens of Lesbos do iustly accord a miracle right straunge and wonderful Arion Methimnaeus sitting on the backe of a Dolphine by safe and easy conduite arryued at Taenaros hauing the name to bee the most excellent and skylfull musition on the harpe of those â—ymeâ—â— by whom also chieflye was inuented named and taught the kynde and forme of verse called Biâ—hyrambus The fame is how this Aryon hauing a loÌ„g tyme bene resident in the court of Periander was greatly desyrous to passe the Seas into Italye and Cicilie wher beyng growen in wealth and flowinge with infinite summes of money was lead by a desire of retyring backe into hys owne countreye and determyne to in ship himselfe at Tarentum for the speciall credite and good lyking he had to the men of his owne nation hyred a Corinthian barck to returne in which hauing a gall of pleasant wynde and beinge nowe without kenne of Lande the Maryners were all in mind to haue borded Aryon to enioy his money which thing y e pore harper perceyuing freely offred to depart from his wealth if therewith satisfyed they would shew mercy on him selfe and spare his life How beit finding theÌ„ cruelly bent not to bee moued with anye tears but y t either he must kil himselfe be buried on y e laÌ„d or fling hiÌ„selfe hedloÌ„g into y e mids of y e sea he besought theÌ„â—sibly y t since it semed them best to deale so roughly w t him they would graunt him liberty in his richest aray to sing a song wherto they gladly yeldiÌ„g as beyng not a little ioyful to lend their eares to the chiefest and most famous musitioÌ„ then liuing on the earth He weÌ„t from them apart into the middest of the shippe wher hauing decked his body w t most pretious and costlye furniture he framed his voyce to the sweete and melodious verse named Orthium which no soner had he brought to an end but al his pompe glorious arayment he threw himselfe headlonge into the Sea the shipmen held on their course to Corinth Arion receyued by a Dolphin was in perfect safety landed at Taenaros froÌ„ whence so arrayed as he was he framed his steps towarde Corinth to the seate and pallace of the king wher hauing entred a discourse of his strauÌ„ge case incredible fortune y e king supposing him to ouer reach coÌ„mitted him immediatly to close ward wher no maÌ„ might haue accesse vnto hiÌ„ After that diligent serch was made for the mariners who beyng apprehended and curiouslye questioned with about Arion made answere that his abode was aboute Italy and how at their comming from thence they leaft him in florishing estate at Tarentum at which words Arion preseÌ„tly appearing draue them into such a quandarye that hauing no colour of excuse they were compelled perforce to confesse the truth These thinges are verifyed by the men of Corinth and Lesbos Ther is yet to be seene at Taenaros a huge massy monumeÌ„t wrought of brasse Arion sitting on y e back of a Dolphin Howbeit Haliattes prince of Lydia hauing entred the warre with the Milesians gouerned the kingdome 57 yeares finished his dayes who second of that linage after the due recouerye of his strength offred at Delphos a piece of siluer plate of value incomparable and a smal dish of yron curyously wrought a thinge no lesse wonderful to behold then ought that hath bene dedicated in the temple of Apollo being the handy worke of Blaucus Chius who first found out the meane to worke in yron After the death of Haliattes the sceptor descended vnto Craesus his sonne beyng then at the age of thirtye and three yeares This Kyng mynding to haue a fling at the Grecians began first of all and encountred with the people of Ephesus who beyng inuyroned by hym with a siege gaue theyr Citty to the Goddesse tying a rope from the temple of Diana to the walles of the Towne Betweene the olde citye that was besieged and the Temple was the space of 7. furlonges These were the first that Craesus began to quarel with amonges the Grecians After this he began by piecemeale to be doyng with the seuerall cityes of Ionia Aeolia pretending agaynst each diuerse and sundrye causes some very weighty and of due regard other meeretrifles and very friuolous Now when he had subdued the Grecians in Asia and made them tributory to his seat hee determined to furnish a nauy agaynst the inhabitauntes of the Isles To the framing wherof when all things were in readynesse some say that Bias Prienaeus other that Pittacus Mitylaeneus comming to Sardis was demaunded of the Kinge what newes in Greece who shaped him such an answeare that it gaue him small courage to proceede in his enterprise The people of the Isles O King sayd hee haue made prouision of a thousande horses in full purpose to come agaynst thee and thy citye Sardis Craesus thinking he had spoken truth Would God quoth he it might once take them in the brayne to war on horsebacke against the sonnes of the Lydians who taking his talke by the end proceeded saying Most noble Prince it is thy desire to meete with these Sea fishes flooting on shore and what dost thou think they more greedy wish and long after then to take thee and thy Lidyans waueryng and tossing in the water to gleike the one the other syde for so many Grecians become subiect pentionarye to thy kingdome Wherwith Craesus verye much delighted for that he seemed to haue spoken wisely chaunged his mynd and made a friendly league with the people of Ionia that held the Isles in processe of tyme hee became conquerour of al those which are within the ryuer Halis For besydes the
thy deafe brother I make non acouÌ„t thy life is my happines thy death my misery To which words the youÌ„g prince answered Deare father I hold you excused if prouoked by a dreame so rare you be much more diligent watchful ouer mee yet in my faÌ„cy you coÌ„ceaued it not aright It is needful then y t sitheÌ„ce your grace hath mist the blanke I lay open vnto youthe true meaning and sence of the dreame This sleepy fantasie say you hath manased my death by y â— poynt of yron But why in this voyage ther be no hands whom I neede to dread neither any head of yron which you ought to feare had I either bene to dye by a touth or such lyke some cause ther were of doubting the worst how beit yt is the yron head that denounceth my death For asmuch theÌ„ as we haue not to deale at this time w t men ther semeth vnto me no iust cause of absence but y t togeather with the rest I may enter y t chase Thou hast wonne me my child quam Craesus I can no longer resist wherfore as vanquished by thee I frankly yeeld and leaue it in thy power to proceede w t them on hunting which wheÌ„ he had spokeÌ„ he called for Adrastus the Phrygian who appearing in presence was in these words assailed by hiÌ„ Sir Adrastus at what time you were afflicted w t misery defiled w t impurity I yelded supply to your waÌ„ts repurged your wickednes hauing receaued you of a strauÌ„ger into myne own house which things I do not obiect you as vnthankfull for my bountye or vnmyndfull of my curtesye But in that it behoueth you to deserue well of mee y t haue dealt so frendly with your selfe I am in mynd to commit vnto thy tender care the safeconduit and diligent garde of my sonne who is going to hunt least by fortune you encounter with any theues or robbers that mynd your destruction Besydes it is thy parte to atchieue renowne by valiant and worthye aduentures as a thing natural to thy linage and conuenieÌ„t for thy streÌ„gth To whoÌ„ Adrastus answeared were it in my choise O king quoth he I woulde not moue one fote out of thy court for y t I deeme it not meete for one in my case so miserable to kepe company with the happy and fortunat from doing wherof I haue hetherto alwayes refrayned my selfe But for as much as it semeth good to your gracious highnes whom I ought to gratify and shew my selfe thankefull for so great and infinite benefytes receaued I am ready her in to obay your wil. And for that you haue put me in trust with the health and welfare of the noble gentleman your sonne I auouch and vndertake his safe and prosperous returne Adrastus hauing ended his talke all thinges beynge in a readynes w t approued men and youthes of syngular courage likewyse houndes and chaunters of the best kynd they marched on their way Now when they were come to the hyll Olympus they began to tract and sent the beast whom hauyng spedily disloged they flocked about him lyke bees with their darts on euery side threatned his death In this gredy assault y â— strauÌ„ger lately clensed from blondshed whom they called Adrastus discharged his dart at the Bore and deceyued of his ayme in stid of him strake the sonne of Craesus who beyng wounded to death by y â— yron point fulfilled his fathers vision Immediatly one of the route retyred spedily to the court in short space arryuing at Sardis declared vnto y â— king the great misfortune death of his sonne wherw t the woeful father greatly affrighted yet much more sorrowed for this that his sonne was slayne by the hands of him who by his meanes had bene lately sanctifyed and clensed from slaughter And in the middes of his anguish calling vpon the sanctifyinge God Iupiter made a piteous complaynt of the wrong done vnto him by a stranger Inuocating like wyse the Goddes of hospitality and friendship The one for because he entertayned a guest not knowing that he nourished the manqueller of his sonne the other because hee had found him whoÌ„ he appointed to be y t tutor defender of his child a most pernicious and deadly enemy Scarsly had he ended his prayers but the Lydians were at hand with the dead corse after whom immediatly folowed Adrastus who beynge comen in presence and standynge before the wan gastly carcas of Atis stretching forth his armes besought y t king to slea him preseÌ„ly vpon y â— body of his sonne alleadgiÌ„g y t what for his former distres euil misfortue in slayng his cleanser there was no cause why any longer he shoulde liue Craesus albeit in great dolour vexation of mynd yet maued with pitty toward Adrastus sayd thus Thou hast aboundantly satisfyed mee O straunger in that by thyne owne voyce thou hast craued death Neyther art thou y e cause of this heauy chaunce saue that vnawares thou hast done it but some one of the Gods which foreshewed vnto me what was to come After this Craesus caused his soÌ„ to be honourably and magnificially buryed But Adrastus sonne of Gordius nephewe to Mydas the fatall enemye of his brother and his frend when all was hush at the sepulcher and euery man had yelded him pardon yet beynge greuously afflycted gauled in coÌ„science slew hymselfe miserably vppon thecoffine For y e cruel mishap destenie of his beloued Atis Craesus bitterly wailed lameÌ„ted y e space of 2 yeares which griefe he aftewards ended at what time the gouernement of the Medes whas translated from Astyages son of Cyaxares to the valiant king Cyrus sprong of Cambyses that the state of the Persians begaÌ„ to encrease Reuoluing castyng with himselfe what meanes he might vse to atchieue y e gouernment of Persia before it grew to be bigger In this quaÌ„dary it came into his brain to make trial of y e profecies as wel of those in Greece as y e other in Affrica dispatchiÌ„g messeÌ„gers euery way som to Delphos others to Dodona thyrdly to Amphiaraê° Trophoniê° Ther were also y t put theÌ„selues in voyage to BraÌ„chidae in y e borders of Miletus these were the oracles of Greece wherunto Craesus sent for counsayle others trauayled into Africa to the oracle of Ammon to the same entent purpose Al had this ende to require y e senteÌ„ce aduyse of y e Gods y t if they were fouÌ„d to accord agree in truth nextly he might sollicite then as touching his own affayres whether they thoughte it expedient for him to goe in expedition agaynst y e PersiaÌ„s HerevpoÌ„ beyng fully resolued he gaue his ambassadours stratly in charge y t taking a note of the day of their egresse and setting forth from Sardis they should kepe iust accompt of the tyme following euery day question w t the oracle demaunding of it what Craesus son of Haliattes king of y t
tyme was not long after but hys aduersaryes renewed their quarel and fell at varyaunce and debate a fresh wherwith Megacles being tyred dispatched an harrold of peace to Pisistratus offring him his daugher in meryage with condition of the kingdome Which hee not refusing they deuysed a meanes to restore him againe in myfancy very fonde and ridiculous especially yf these men beyng of the number of the Athenians who had the name to be the most wyse and prudent people of the Graetians pleased themselues onely with a deuise so foolish and base There lyeued in the Trybe of Paean a woman named Phya of stature foure cubits high wanting three fingers furnished with seemly beauty whom hauing arayed in coÌ„pleite harneis they placed in a Charyot gallantly attyred to the shew in which habite as she passed through y â— streets of the citye there ranne some before hir cryinge ye people of Athens receyue willingly Pisistratus againe whom Minerua esteeming worthy the greatest honor amongest men hath in her owne person brought back into the tower The citezens supposing it had bene the Goddesse indede bowed themselues and honouryng her admitting agayne Pisistratus for their liefe soueraygne Pysistratus hauinge in such sort recouered the kingdome vppon a couenant made with Megacles toke his daughter to wife But hauing 2 yosig youthes to his sonnes and hearyng moreouer the whole lineage of Alcmaeon to be atteinted and guilty of an hainous cryme agaynst y â— Goddesse vnwilling for that cause to haue any children by his new wife accompanied with her vnlawfully and agaynst nature which beyng a long tyme by her concealed and kept secrete at last eyther vppon demaund or of her owne free will she reuealed it to her mother who also made her husband acquaynted with the matter Megacles taking in ill part the slaunder contumelie done hym by Pysistratus brought him in displeasure hatred with y â— souldiours which thing he perceiuing fled y â— couÌ„trey and came to Eretria to aske counsayle of his sonnes Amongest whom the sentence of Hyppias seeming to be the best wher by he was incited once again to lay clayme to the kingdom they made a gathering throughout all cityes with whom they had any smal acquayntance many of the which made liberall contribution especially the Thebans In fyne to comprise the matter in breefe y e time was come al things were in a readines for his returne For ouâ— of Pâ—â—oponnesus there resorted to him certaine Arguies marching vnder pay a captayne of Naxos named Lygdamis who of his owne accord made offer of his seruice being very wel furnished w t men and money which gaue theÌ„ great alacrity and encouragmeÌ„t to go forward in their attempts In so much as setting forth from Eretria the II. yeare after his flighte from Athens fyrst of all he toke the citie Marathon in Attica wher hauing incaÌ„ped his army there repayred to him diuers seditious felowes out of the city out of al y â— tribes very many who liked better a tyrannical empyre theÌ„ a free state Whlst Pisistratus leuied many for his affaires held himselfe at Marathon y â— Athenians which kept within the city made light of the matter vntil such tyme as hearing him to be dislodged froÌ„ thence to draw towardes y e citye they put themselues in array and went forth to encounter hym Wherfore with might and mayne they valiauntye set forward to mayntayne and defend their liberty agaynst the enemy Likewyse Pisistratus and hys confederates came fiercely agaynst the city till both the armyes met ioyntlye in one fielde where approachinge neere vnto the Temple of Mynerua Pallenis and disposinge all hys Armye in order there came vnto him Amphilytus Acarnen a prophet who being inspired with a deuine motioÌ„ vttered this oracle in verse The bayte is layed the nets are cast The fish inclosde shall play apace VVhen Phoebe from the glistring Skyes In view reueales her golden face Which Pisistratus perceiuing to be a prophecye of hys good successe immediately gaue the â—â—cet and encountered y â— Athenians which were come forth of the city who hauing then newly dyned and beyng partly set to dice partly taken with sleepe welny without resistaunce he put them to flight and wanne the field Neuertheles in the pursuite he found out a way how nether the Athenians might be spoyled in such sort neyther yet ioyne themselues and come togeather agayne to his further trouble Wherefore hauing caused certayne of his seruauntes to mount on horsebacke he sent them spedely after the people to bid theÌ„ bee of good courage and euery one to depart to his own house Whervnto the willingly obaying Pisistratus raygned the thyrd tyme in Athens establishing fortifyiÌ„g the tyranny as wel by supply of forrayne power as by reuenues of hys money which he leuyed partly from his owne countrey men and in part also from the riuer Strymon In like manner the children of those men that yeelded not the fyrst but bare the brunt of the battell he toke in hostage and sent them ouer to Napos which Isle after he had conquered brought in subiection he committed the gouernment administratioÌ„ therof to Lygdanus hauing heretofore also halowed purged the Isle Delos according to the oracle which hee clensed in this sort Out of all those places that weare with in the view and prospect of the temple he caused the corses and deade Bodyes to be digged vp and buryed in another place of the Island In this wise some if the Athenians beyng slayne in battayle other fled away togeather with the houshold and family of Megacles Pisistratus obtained y t seat roial whom Craesus vnderstode at the same tyme to beare rule in Athens He heard moreouer that the Lacedaemonians hauing escaped a scowring were triumphant conquerous ouer y â— Tegeates For in the raygne of Leon and Hegesicles princes of Sparta the Lacedaemonians hauing right good euent in al their enterprises and affaires were commonly repulsed and fayled by the Tegeates The selfe same before tyme were the most disordered and lawlesse people of the Graetians vsing no coÌ„munity or felowship eyther betwene themselues or with straungers Notwithstanding they were reduced to a more orderlye kynd of gouernment by Lycurgus a maÌ„ of approued virtue amongest the people of Sparta Who comming to the oracle at Delphos and being entered into the teÌ„ple Pithya saluted him in these termes VVelcome vnto my pallace noble knight Beloued of Ioue and those that rule aboue For God or man to blase thee out aright In doubtful waues my wandering mynd dothmoue Yet to the first by force I do enclyne And deme thy state not earthly but diuyne Some are of opinion y t the lawes and statutes which are now in force with the Lacedaemonians were vttered told him by Pythia Howbeit themselues affyrme that Lycurgus beyng both tutor and vucle to young Leobotuâ— Kynge of the Spartans brought these ordinances
that no violence should be shewed how peruerslie soeuer he behaued himselfe This charge geuen he caused his Camels to proceede forward agaynst the Lydian ryders to this ende for that a horse is very much afrayd of a Camell and can neither away with the sight of him nor abyde his smel Which pollicy he founde out to defeate Craesus of his greattest hope whose chiefest confideÌ„ce he knew to be placed in the streÌ„gth and virtue of his horsemen Asigne of battayle beyng geueÌ„ and the armies comming to the close the Lydian coursers what with the sight and sent of the camels fledd backe and retyred violently which clean discouraged Craesus and put him out of hope But the Lydians nothing abashed therat as hauing learned the cause alyghted spedily and buckled with the Persians on foote tyll at length manye fallyng on ether side they were forced to flye and gard them selues with the walles of the city beyng inuyroned by the PersiaÌ„s with a siege which siege Craesus supposing to put of and delay for a long time sent other messengers from y e walles to his freyndes and confederates hauinge by the first set downe and prefyned the fift moneth ensuinge for the tyme of their assembly Contrariwise by these he requested and desyred mature and speedy ayde beyng held at a baye and inclosed within the walles and gates of hys citye The messengers vndertoke a speedy course as well to other nations as to the Lacedemonians his assured frendes It fortuned that at the same tyme there fell a strife and contention betwene the men of Sparta and Argos about a certayne field called Thyrea which grounde albeit properly belonging to the Arguies was vnlawfullye helde backe and retayned by the Spartans For what land soeuer in the mayne bendeth and inclyneth toward the West as farre as Malea is peculier and appertinent to the Argiues with the tytle also and dominion of certayne Isles in the number wherof is reckoned Cythera Therfore the people of Argos gathering an army for the recouerye of theire owne territory and freedome they fel to condition for the matter to be tryed out by coÌ„bratry of three hundred choise men on eyther syde consenting and agreeing that the right of the lande should follow the victorers Prouiding moreouer that both the armyes should forsake the field and retyre home least beynge presente they might be moued to succour y e part that was most distressed The couenant ratifyed and confirmed betwene them they departed each to theyr owne cityes The partyes syngled out and delected from both armyes remayning behynd gaue byter assault each to other continued the combate til such tyme as of sixe hundred there were left but three men alyue the battayle beynge interupted and broken of by the nere approach and comming of the euening The remayneÌ„tes were these Two of the Argyues Aleinor and Chromius who in manner of conquerours hastened their steps to Argos one of the Lacedaemonians named Othryades who dispoyling the deade bodyes of the Argyues caried their weapons to his tentes keping himselfe in his due order and array The next day the cause beyng known the people of both Cityes were present in y e field laying equall clayme to the victory The Argyues for that the men on their syde escaped and remayninge aliue were more in number The Lacedaemonians for that the Argyues fled the field and their men onely abode behynde taking the spoyle of his slayne enemyes Incontinently fallyng from sowre woordes to sad blowes many were lost on both partes and the conquest atchieued by the Lacedaemonians Since which time the people of Argos shauing their heads wheras of necessity before time they nourished their hayre made a law with a solemne and religious vowe neuer to suffer their lockes to grow or their women to weare gold before they had recouered the field of Thyrea On the other side the Lacedaemonians decreed from that tyme forward to goe long headed contrary to their former vse custome But Othryades the onely suruiuour of 300. Spartans moued with shame and greefe that the rest of hys coÌ„pany were vanquished by the Argyues w t his owne handes ended his owne lyfe in the field of Thyrea Whyle these thinges were fresh at Sparta the Lydian herauld arryued to intreat ayde and helpe for Craesus whoÌ„ they hauing heard thought meete without delay to assyste and succoure him Wherâ—â—ore puttynge themselues in a readines and being at the point to take shipping to Sardis there came another messenger with newes that the wall bulwarke of the Lydians was scald and Craesus himselfe takeÌ„ alyue Wherat the Lacedaemonians greatly greued esteeming themselues to haue suffered no small losse altered the intent of their purposed voyage Furthermore the conquest and winning of Sardis was in this sort Cyrus hauing layne at a siege the space of 14. dayes sent coursers about his army and propounded a great reward to him that first scaled y e city wall which beyng oftentimes in vayne enterprysed by the whole armye when the rest were quiet a certain Mardane by name Hyraeades sought speedy meanes to ascend and clymbe the wall on that part which was naked and vndefended of the Lydians neuer fearyng or suspecting least the citye should be taken on that side which for the roughnesse and craggines therof was demed inuincible On which syde onely Meles first kynge of Sardis had not lead hys bastard sonne Leo The wise men of Telmisses holding opinion that vppon what part of the walles soeuer this Leo passed they shoulde become inexpugnable and not to be vanquished Meles therfore by all partes of the citye walles wherby any daungerous assault mighte laye to the Towne lead and trayned hys vnlawful sonne omitting that syde only which lieth toward Tmolus for that he thought it to be of power and strength sufficient agaynst the vyolent charge and counterpease of the enemy From this part the Mardane Hyraeades hauinge marked a Lydian descending the day before to recouer his helmet thither tombled downe considered with hymselfe and began to attempt the lyke After whom followed other of the Persians who consequently wer pursued by the rest in great routes and multitudes By which meanes y e citye Sardis was taken and sacked Amids this distresse and 〈…〉 eame misery ther chauÌ„ced to Craesus a verye rare and straunge miracle hauinge a dumbe sonne of whom wee made mention before hee toke greate care and wroughte all meanes possible whyle hys kingdome flourished to recure his malladye approuinge and trying aswell other thinges as also the aduyse and sentence of the oracle To whose demaund Pythia made this aunswere Thou vnaduysed Lydian King what makes thee take such care To yeeld vnto thy silent sonne the freedome of his toung The gayne God wot is not so greate thou mayst it wel forbeare The day drawes on when he shall speake for which thou nedes not long Now the walles beynge taken a certayne souldiour of y e Persians came vyolently towards
Craesus to haue done him to death not supposing him to haue bene the king Whom he perceyuinge neuerthelesse regarded not the daunger making no difference whether hee perished by sword or otherwyse The dumbe sonne seeyng the imminent perill of the King hys father and fearynge his death brake out in these wordes sayinge Hold thy handes Good fellow slay not king Craesus Which beyng the first wordes that euer he spake hee had alwaies after the ready vse and practise of his toung Thus Craesus and hys city Sardis after he had raygned 14. years and abiden so many dayes siege fell into the hands and power of the Persians hauing lost a great kingdome accordyng to the voyce and sentence of the oracle beyng in this sort apprehended he was brought to king Cyrus who causing his hands feete to be clogged with great waighty giues of yron set him in y e midst of a woodpile made for the nonce accōpanied w t 14. children of the Lydians determinīg to offer these first fruites to y e Gods ether for perfourmāce accōplishment of some vow or for profe or tryall whether any of the Gods vnto whose honor seruice he vnderstode Craesus to be greatly addicted woulde saue deliuer hī frō y e fyre These things are cōmonly spred reported of Cyrus In this most yrksome lamentable case whiles y e kynge of y e Lydiās stode on y e heape or pyle of fagots he bethought hymselfe of the words and saying of Solon who lead by the diuine instinct of some heauenly influence had told hym before that in the number of the liuinge there was no man so singular that might be named happy Wherof beyng admonished in his mynd and fetching from the bottom of his hart a deepe and streyning sigh by report wept bitterly three sundrye tymes cryed out aloude vppon the name of Solon which Cyrus hearing willed the interpreters to aske hym whom he called vppon To whom Craesus made no an sweare at all vntil such tyme as beynge compelled by constraynt he sayd I named him whom I had rather then al the wealth in the worlde hee had lykewyse talked with all those who beynge placed in the hyghest degree of honoure haue the chiefe gouernment of the kingdomes on Earth which woordes for that hee vttered not halfe playnlye and to the cleare and perfyt vnderstanding of those which were attentyue and listened vnto hym they vrged him a fresh to make a recytall therof agayne At whose instant and importunate halinge beynge now constrayned to begynne his speech anew he told them how a long tyme synce Solon an Athenian arriued at his court who beholding his infinite treasure aboundance of wealth made verye light accompt thereof as a thinge of smal and base value in so much that whatsoeuer he had spokē and pronounced of hym the same in due measure had fallen out and comen to euent Which thinges neuerthelesse were not peculiarly spoken by hym but generally of the whole nation and company of men and chiefly of those which please themselues here on earth in a pleasaunt dreame and singular cōtentment of happy blisse Whyles Craesus spake these thinges and the fagottes had taken fyre on euery syde Cyrus vnderstandynge by the expositers of the Lydian toung what he had said was moued with compassion knowinge himselfe also to bee but a man who was now in hand to frye another to death by fyre that of late dayes was nothinge inferiour to himselfe in power and prosperitie And fearing vengeaunce for the same and consydering the instable course and fickle flower of mans affayres commaunded with all diligence the fyre to be extinguished and Craesus with the rest of his company to bee set free But they stroue in vain the fyre hauing taken such vehement holde that it seemed vnquencheable and not to bee ouercome In this place the Lydians recounte that Craesus knowing kyng Cyrus his minde to be chaunged seeing euery man endeuoure to abate the rage and furie of the flame howbeit nothing at all profiting he lyfted vp his voyce cryed to Apollo for succour that if euer any giftes offered by him had ben pleasaunt in his sight he would acquite and deliuer him from this presēt daunger As he was pitifully shedding his teares in plainte and lamentation to the God sodainly the skye being faire the weather smoth and calme the daye was ouercaste and shadowed with the darke vale of dimme and duskie cloudes which breakynge out into maine showres cleane put out and quenched y e fire Herby Cyrus perceiuing that Craesus was a vertuous mā and reuerenced the Gods he saued him from the fyre demaunded him the question saying Tell me now O Craesus whose counsaile was it to inuade my country and became of my friend myne enemy Certes quoth hee G Kinge I haue done this to mine owne great losse and thy gayne the God of the Graecians incyting and leading me hereto who was the cause that I warred agaynst thee For no man is so franticke to desire warre rather then peace when as in tyme of concorde the sonnes bury the fathers but in warre the father carieth the sonne to hys graue Howbeit it seemed good to the God to bringe these things to passe which hauinge saide Cyrus placed him by and hadde hym in great honour and reuerence and stedfastlye beholding him greatly wondred with the rest of his company All which while Craesus in a deepe muse and profound studye sat stil without speaking any worde But sodainly lifting vp his head and vewing the Persian souldiers spoyling and ryflyng the citye Whether shall I speake my mynd noble Cyrus sayde hee and vtter that I thinke or holde my peace at this present and say nothinge But beyng lycenced to speake freely and without feare he asked him saying Wherin is al this company so busily cōuersaunt or what seeke they to do of a truth quoth Cyrus naught else but to pole and dispoile the city and make a hand of thy riches and treasure To whom Cresus answeryng neyther do they wast my city mighty prince sayd he nor consume my goods for the righte of these thinges is no longer myne but they are thy goods which they trayle and lugge aboute and al this wealth pertayueth to thee vpon which wordes the king aduysinge hymselfe drewe Craesus asyde from the company and demaunded of him what he thought meet to be done in this case Who replyed saying For asmuch as it hath pleased the Gods to make mee thy ser 〈…〉 I hold it my duty whatsoeuer I shal perceiue more then thy selfe to make thee priuy and a counsaile therto The Persians quoth he are a croked generation and of nature peruerse and stubburne yet neuertheles verye bare and beggerly whom if in this sort thou securely permit to ryg and ransacke cityes and recouer store plentye of wealth I feare me that as euery one groweth to greattest aboundaunce hee will sonest slipp
the city Ninus aswell to take reuenge of his fathers death as to vanquish and destroy the citye But in the meane tyme whyle hee foyled the Assyrians in the field and held them at bay within the citye hee was of a sodaine incountered with an huge army of the Sâ—ythians lead and guided by Madyis their kinge successor to his father Protothias Who hauinge driuen the Symmerians out of Europe brake from thence into Asia and beynge in quest and persute of those whom they had flighted in battel came into Media The distauÌ„ce betweene y e two riuers Maeotis Phasis eueÌ„ vnto the countreye of Colchis is 30. dayes iorney for a light footman but betwene Colchis the land of the Medes the way is short the trauell easye one onely region lying betwene them which is the countrey of the people called Saspires which after wee haue passed the next stepp is into Media NotwithstaÌ„ding the ScythiaÌ„s toke not this course but fetcht a compasse about another waye towardes the vpper regions leauing the mount Caucasus on their ryght hand The Medes entring battell with the Scithians were by them vanquished and lost the tytle and superiority of all Asia Wherfore the Sâ—ythiaÌ„s surprising y e dominioÌ„ of Asia went from thence the next way into Aegipt but arryuinge in Siria Palaestina they were met by Psammitiâ—hus Prince of the Aegyptians by whose gentle intreaty and greate rewardes they were stayed from goyng anye further wherefore retyring backe agayne after they were come to y e citye Ascalon in Syria many of them passed by quietly without offer of damage or iniury howbeit some drouping behynd rifled the chappel of Venus Vrania beyng of greatest standing and antiquity amonges all the temples that were euer erected to that Goddesse for the Pallace of Venus in Cyprus toke oryginal of this as the Cyprians themselues testify The temple also extant at Cythera was built by y e Phaenicians which were a progeny and ofspring of the Syrians But the Goddesse moued with wrath agaynst those that wrought the spoile and pillage of her temple punished both themselues and all those which came of them with the feminine sicknes Which thing the Scythians also graunt who are easily brought to confesse that the cause was such and none other why they are tainted and infected with this disease Neither is it hard for those that trauayle into Scythia with their owne eyes to behold them which are thus diseased whom the Scythians call Enareas that is execrable and accursed Asia therfore was held by this people 28. yeares for which tyme proudly and iniuriously exercysing gouernment they made wast and hauocke of al. For beside the ordinary pension of tribute they exacted so much of euery one seuerally as theyr pleasure was to rate them at Wherwith also hardly satisfied they committed spoyle and robberye throughout all the countrey Wherfore Cyaxares and his people the Medes intertaining the most part of them with sumptuous feastes and all sortes of delicious and dayntye fare watching their time when the Scythians were ouerladen with drinke they set vppon them and flue them By which meanes recoueryng the empyre with all that they had before they toke also the citye Nynus The which in what sort it was by them taken and howe they brought vnder their rule all the AssyriaÌ„s saue only Babylon it shall else where be declared Nowe when as Cyaxares had raygned 40. yeares and reclaymed the kyngdome from the Scythians he ended his life Astyages hys soÌ„ne ruled in his stede of whose loynes issued a goodly gentlewoman named Mandâne whom hyr father on a night dreamed to haue let her vryne in so great aboundaÌ„ce y t to it filled the whole citye and couered Asia w t a maine floud The meaning wherof after he had learned of the Magi who had skil to lay opeÌ„ interprete dreames atteynted with exceeding feare hee resolued to marye his daughter beyng now of ripe yeares to none of the noble bloud of y e Medes which might seeme worthy of her persoÌ„ but to a certayne Persian named Cambyses whoÌ„ he knew to be of a good house and of nature remisse and quiet Albeit with him selfe in farre lesse accompt then a meane maÌ„ of the Medes The same yeare he had placed his daughter with Cambyses hee saw another vision no lesse straunge then the former wherein ther seemed vnto hym out of the wombe of his daughter to grow a vyne that ouerspread shadowed all Asia and hauing knowledge what it meant immediatly sent for his daughter from Persia where shee abode to whom beyng greate with childe and neere the tyme of her deliuery hee assygned a strayght and diligent watch in full purpose to destroy that whatsoeuer shee had brought forth into the world beynge geuen him to vnderstand by the wyse Magi the interpretors of dreames that the yssue of his daughter should raygne in hys â—leed Which thing Astyages carefully noting presentlye at the byrth of Cyrus sent for Harpagus his most familiar and faythfull counsayler and the onely solicitor and dealer in al his affayres To whom hee sayde on this manner My good and trusty seruaunt Harpagus I straightlye warne thee not to neglect y e charge I shal lay vpon thee nor in any wyse to delay the speedye dispatch and accomplishment of the same Beware thou dost not deceiue me and take hede least reposing thy trust in other to do it for thee thou bee a cause vnto thy selfe of grieuous reuenge Take this litle bratte of my daughter Mandâne and tary it home with thee to thyne house and slay it which done take order also by some secrete meanes to see it buryed to whom hee answered Most noble Prince your maiesty at no time enioyned ought to Harpagus that he scorned to doe and shall hee from henceforth neglect your hestes Be it your wil and pleasure I shall do it it is my dutye deuoyre to perfourme it Which hauing sayd the young infant was deliuered into hys handes in a rych and coastlye mantle whom hee receyuing departed home to his own house the teares trickling downe his cheekes for sorrow Whether beyng comen hee opened to his wyfe all the wordes that had passed betwene himselfe and the king who began to demaund him in these wordes And what then my lord are you mynded to do Certes quoth he albeit I am commaunded by Astyages yet whyle I liue wil I neuer be brought to commit so detestable a villany be he neuer so madd and tenne hundred times more enraged then he is at this present both for that this pore seely brat is of myne owne kyndred and allyance and then because Astiages himselfe is now olde and without issue of a man child After whose whose death if by fortune his daughter should aspyre to y t crowne whose sonne I am charged to bereaue of his life what else could I hope for but the most cruel and miserable death that coulde bee deuysed
miraculous they blazed abroad y ◠Cyrus was brought vp cherished of a bitch wherof consequently sprang and arose a fayned tale Cyrus growing in yeares and approaching nere to mās estate waxed of all equals the most valiant and hardye in passinge fauour goodwill with al men whō Harpagus oft tymes vrged by sundry gyftes and presentes to take reuenge of his graundfather Astyages For seynge that by himselfe beynge a priuate man ther was no waye to repay the iniury done him by the king Cyrus beyng now at ripe and mature age he thought good to make him who had all one cause to haue all one quarell Furthermore hee wrought this at what tyme Astyages through the peuishnes of age dealt very cruelly and lyke a tyraunte with the Medes Harpagus clawing fauour and insinuatynge himselfe with the Peeres of the realme perswaded thē to depryue Astyages of the supreme dignity and make choyse of Cyrus for their high and soueraigne Prince And seing his pretended treason pretily well to fadge goe forward willyng to make Cyrus of counsayle which thing for that all the wayes into Persia were intercluded garded by watch and warde was hard to be done he came in mynd of thys conceipt hauing finely and cunningly drawen out the garbedge of an hare he conueied into her belly a letter wherin was set forth and declared hys whole mynd which togeather with the hare and nets deliuerynge to an huntsman one of hys owne housholdseruauntes whom he especiallye trusted he sent into Persia geuīg him in charge to deliuer it into Cyrus hys owne handes and to request hym to cutt vp the hare secretely by hymselfe and without company The fellow faythfully executing his maysters will toke y e hare to Cyrus who opening her belly found the letter enclosed which he vnfolded and read in these termes Thou sonne of Cambyses whom no doubte the Gods tender and regard for otherwyse thou haddest neuer moūted to so great estate take vengeance now of Astyages the seeker of thy vtter spoyle and destruction For by his desire thou haddest dyed the death but by y e fauour of the Gods by means of me thou remaynest alyue All the course of which thy bagicall and vnhappye fortune I doubt not but thon knowest of olde as also the villanye and execrable wickednes done to mee by Astyages in that my selfe refusinge to kil the gaue the ouerinto the handes of his neathearde Now therfore if thou wilt listē to me the whole kingdome of the Medes shall be subiect to thy power Seke first of al to allure the myndes of the Persians to slippe choller and rebell which done put thy selfe in voyage agaynst the Medes in full hope and assurance to enioy the crowne For be it my selfe or any other of the nobles of Media whom y e king shall assygne to come forth agaynst thee and geue the battell wee haue all geuen handes with one consent to rebate the power of the Medes and ioyninge auncientes to march vnder one banner to the vtter ouerthrowe and depriuation of that cruell and malicious tyraunt The account is cast the reckning made and nothinge wantinge but that which we earnestly with for and shortlye for thy quicke and speedy arriuall The letter read and perused Cyrus cast with him self what sleight or art he might now vse to induce and moue the Persians to sedition and fynding one not altogeather vnfyt for his purpose hee determined to make tryall therof indytinge a letter in such wordes as hee thought best after this he summoned a generall concourse and meeting of the Persians wher opening the letter he signifyed to them that Astyages had apoynted him lieuetenaunt or principall of Persia For which cause you Persians sayd he I will and commaunde you to resort hether euery man furnished and prouided of his hooke or bill which charge geuen he brakevp the assembly Now it is meete wee knowe that many sorts of people are contayned vnder the generall name of Persians Certayne wherof Cyrus callyng togeather intysed them to rebell which were such that of them all the rest depended The names of the people be these The Arteatians Persians Pasargadians Meraphians Masians of which number the Pasargadians are the most noble and renowmed amonges whom is the stocke and familye of the Achaemenides out of the which the kinges of Persia are alwayes chosen and elected There be also other Persians besydes these as the Parthelians Derusians Germanians addicted to the trade of tillage and manurynge the ground Other also that haue principall regard of grasinge and feedyng cattel to wit the Dayans Mardians Drophicians Sagartians All which ready prest with their sicles hedging billes Cyrus toke and lead into a field of 18. or 20 furlonges exceedyngly ouergrowen and pestered with bushes which in one dayes space they cleane cut vp and caried away Wherfore the next day following hee commaunded them to be present agayne euery man handsomly and well arayed Himselfe in the meane season gatheryng togeather whole heards of goats sheepe and oxen all that his father had hee slew them to make prouision of a sumptuous and magnificent banquet wherwith to feast and entertayne the whole host and company of the Persians The next day insuing when as Cyrus had commaunded the Persians were assembled and comen togeather he caused them to sit downe in a great and large field where as mery as crickets they fell freshly to those chats which in great plenty and aboundance were set before them At after dynner Cyrus demaūded of them whether of the two they rather wished the labour past or the pleasure present To whom they replyed that there was no comparison or equality betweene them for as no payne and misery was absent from the one so no pleasure and felicity was wanting to y e other Which their answeare Cyrus takyng hold of presentlye went forwarde saying My frendes and countriemen of Persia euen so it fareth with you and at such choyse and electiō you now stand For geuing your consent to obay and follow me both these and many other infinite cōmodityes shal redound vnto you without the toylsome yoke of seruitude and slauerye but refusing my coūsayle a whole sea of miseryes do dayly threaten you not vnlyke the toyle and wretchednesse that yester day you abode Be ruled then by me and attaine your freedome for both I my selfe am prouyded by deuyne lotte and appoyntment of the Gods by whose meanes you should enter into this paradise of blessednesse and you in nothinge especially in martial courage were euer accompted inferiour to the Medes What resteth thē but that in defyaūce to Astyages and the tytle of the Medes you cast of the yoke of seruitude and become free The Persians long since moued with disdayne to see thēselues ouertopped and kept vnder by the Medes hauing y e oportunity of a captayne with handes and feete as they say vowed themselues to obay Cyrus and recouer their
causeth it to ascend into the superiour regions where the windes receiuing it dispearse the vapours and resolue them againe which is chiefely done by the South and Southwest winde that blowe from these countreys beeing stormy and full of rayne Now the water drawne out of Nilus by the sunne doth not in this sort fall downe agayne in showres and drops of rayne but is quite spent and consumed by the heate Toward the ende of winter the sunne drawing towards the middest of the skye in like manner as before sucketh the water out of other riuers which is the cause that being thus drawne vntill much rayne and showres increase them agayne they become fleete and almost drie Wherefore the riuer Nilus into whome alone no showres fall at any time is for iust cause lowest in winter and bighest in sommer forasmuch as in sommer the sunne draweth moysture equally out of all riuers but in winter out of Nilus alone this I take to be the cause of the diuers and changeable course of the riuer Heereof also I suppose to proceede the drynesse of the ayre in that region at such time as the sunne deuideth his course equally so that in the high countreys of Africke it is alwayes sommer whereas if it were possible for the placing and situation of the heauens to be altered that where North is there were South where South is North the sunne towardes the comming and approach of winter departing from the middest of heauen would haue his passage in like sort ouer Europe as now it hath ouer Africke and worke the same effects as I iudge in the riuer Ister as now it doth in Nilus In like maner the cause why Nilus hath no mist or cloude arising from it according as we see in other flouds I deeme to be this because the countrey is exceeding hote and parching being altogether vnfit to sende vp any vapours which vsually breathe and arise out of cold places But let these things be as they are and haue bene alwayes The head and fountayne of Nilus where it is or frō whence it cōmeth none of the Aegyptians Graecians or Africans that euer I talked with could tell me any thing besides a certaine scribe of Mineruas treasury in the city Sais who seemed to me to speake merily saying that vndoubtedly he knewe the place describing the same in this manner There be two mountaines quoth he arising into sharpe and spindled tops situate betweene Syêne a city of Thebais and Elephantina the one called Crophi the other Mophi from the vale betweene the two hilles doth issue out the head of the riuer Nilus being of an vnsearchable deapth and without bottome halfe of the water running towardes Aegypt and the North the other halfe towardes Aethiopia and the South Of the immeasurable deapth of the fountayne the scribe affirmed that Psammetichus King of the Aegyptians had taken triall who sounding the waters with a rope of many miles in length was vnable to feele any ground or bottome whose tale if any suche thyng were done as he sayde made me thinke that in those places whereof he spake were certayne gulfes or whirlepooles very swift violente and raging whiche by reason of the fall of the water from the hilles would not suffer the line with the sounding leade to sinke to the bottome for which cause they were supposed to be bottomlesse Besides this I coulde learne nothing of any man Neuerthelesse trauelling to Elephantina to behold the thing with mine owne eyes and making diligent inquiry to knowe the truth I vnderstoode this that takyng our iourney from thence Southward to y e countreys aboue at lēgth we shall come to a steepe bending shelfe where y e ryuer falleth with great violēce so y t we must be forced to fasten two gables to each side of y e ship in that sort to hale and draw her forward which if they chaunce either to slip or breake y e vessell is by and by driuē backwards by y e intollerable rage violēce of y e waters To this place frō y e city Elephantina is four daies saile whereaboutes y e riuer is ful of windings turnings like the floud Meander and in lēgth so cōtinuing twelue scheanes all which way the ship of necessity must be drawne After this we shall arriue at a place very smooth and caulme wherein is standing an Iland incompassed rounde by the ryuer by name Tachampso The one halfe heereof is inhabited by the Aegyptians the other halfe by the Aethiopians whose countrey is adioyning to the Southside of the Ile Not farre from the Iland is a poole of woonderfull and incredible bignesse about the which the Shepheards of Aethiopia haue their dwelling whereinto after we are declined out of the mayne streame we shall come to a riuer directly running into the poole where going on shore we must take our voyage on foote the space of forty dayes by the waters side the riuer Nilus it selfe beeyng very full of sharpe rockes and craggy stones by the which it is not possible for a vessell to passe Hauing finished forty dayes iourney along the riuer take shipping againe and passe by water twelue dayes voyage till such time as you arriue at a great city called Meroe which is reputed for the chiefe and Metropolitane city of the countrey the people whereof only of all the gods worship Iupiter and Bacchus whome they reuerence with exceeding zeale and deuotion Likewise to Iupiter they haue planted an oracle by whose counsayle and voyce they rule their martiall affayres making warre how oft soeuer or against whomesoeuer they are mooued by the same From this city Meroe by as many dayes trauell as yee take from Elephantina to y e same you shall come to a kind of people named Automoly which is to say traytours or runnagates the same also in like manner being called Asmach which emporteth in the greeke tongue such as stande and attende at the Kings left hand These men being whilome souldyers in Aegypt to the number of eyght thousand and two hundred they reuolted from their owne countreymen and fled ouer to the Aethiopians for this occasion Being in y e time of King Psammetichus dispersed and diuided into sundry garrisons some at the city of Elephantina and Daplinae Pelusiae against the Aethiopians other against the Arabians and Syrians and thirdly at Marea against the Africans in which places agreeably to the order and institution of Psammetichus the Persian garrisons also did lie in munition hauing continued the space of three yeares in perpetuall gard and defence of the lande without shift or release they fell to agreement amongst themselues to leaue their King and countrey and flye into Aethiopia which their intente Psammetichus hearing made after them incontinently and hauing ouertaken the army humbly besought them with many teares not to forsake by suche vnkind and vnnaturall wise their wiues children and countrey gods vnto whose plaint and intreaty a rude roystrell
a little and vary heerein For the manner of Greece is in this banquet to weare about their neckes the similitude of a mans yard named Phallum wrought and carued of figtree in stead whereof the Aegyptians haue deuised small images of two cubites long whiche by meanes of certayne strings and coardes they cause to mooue and stirre as if they had sence and were liuing The cariage of these pictures is committed to certayne women that beare them too and fro through the streetes making the yard of the image which is as bigge as all the bodye besides to daunce and play in abhominable wise Fast before these marcheth a piper at whose heeles the women followe incontinent with sundry psalmes sonets to y e god Bacchus For what cause that one member of the picture is made too big for the proportion frame of y e body and also why that only of all the body is made to mooue as they refused to tell for religion so we desired not to heare for modesty Howbeit Melampus sonne of Amytheon was falsly supposed to haue bin ignoraunt in the ceremonies of Aegypt in the whiche he was very skilfull cunning By whom the Greekes were first instructed in the due order and celebration of Bacchus feast whome they worshipped by the name of Dionysius in many other ceremonies and religious obseruations pertayning to the same NotwithstaÌ„ding something wanted in this description which was after added and in more perfect and absolute manner set downe by certayne graue and wise men called Philosophers which liued in the secondage after him Most euident it is that the picture of Phalli 〈…〉 worne of the Graecians in the feast of Baccâ—â—s was found out and deuised by him whose discipline in this point the Graecians obserue at this day This Melampus was 〈◊〉 of rare wisedome well seene in the art of diuination and southsaying the author and first founder to the Graecians as well of other things which he had learned in Aegypt as also of such statutes and obseruances as belong to the feast of Dâ—onysius only a few things altered which he thought to amend For why to thinke that the Graecians and Aegyptians fell into the same forme of diuine worship by haâ— hazard or plaine chaunce it might seeme a very hard and vnreasonable gesse siâ—â—ence it is manifest that the Greekes both vse the selfeâ—ame custome and more then that they kept it of olde Much lesse can I be brought to say that either his fashion or any other hath bene translated and deriued from Greece into Aegypt I rather iudge that Melampus comming from Phaenicia into Beoâ—ia accompanyed with Cadmus and some other of the Tyrians was by them made acquaynted with all such rites and ceremonies as in the honour of Dionysius are vsed by the Greekes True it is that the names by which the gods are vsually called are borrowed and drawne from the Aegyptians for hearing them too be taken from the Barbarians as the chiefe inuenters and deuisers of the same I haue found not only that to be true but also that for the most parte they are brought out of Aegypt For setting aside Neptune and the gods called 〈◊〉 as before is declared lunâ— Venus Th 〈…〉 is the Graces the Nymphes Nereides all the names of the gods and goddesses haue bene euermore knowne and vsurped in Aegypt I speake no more then the Aegyptians testify which aâ—ouch sincerely that neyther Neptune nor the gods Dioscuri were euer heard of in their land These names I iudge to haue bene deuised by the Pelasgians except Neptune whose name I suppose to be taken from the people of Africa for somuch as from the beginning no nation on the earth but only the Africanes vsed that name amongst whome Neptune hath alwayes bene reuerenced with celestiall and diuine honours whome the Aegyptians also denie not to be albeit they shewe and exhibite no kinde of diuine honour towardes him These and suche like customes which we purpose to declare haue the Greekes borrowed of the Aegyptians neuerthelesse the image of Mercury who is framed with the secret member porrect and apparent I rather deeme to haue proceeded from the maners of the Pelasgians then from the vsuall and accustomed wont of Aegypt and principally to haue growne in vse wyth the Athenians whose fact consequently became a paterne and example to the rest of the Graecians For the selfe same soyle was ioyntly held and inhabited both of the Athenians which were of the right lignage of Hellen and likewise of the Pelasgians who for the same cause began to be reckoned for Graecians Which things are nothing maruaylous to those that are silfull and acquaynted with the worship and religion whych the Graecians yeeld to the three sonnes of Vulcane named Cabiri which diuine ceremonies are now fresh in Samothracia and were taken and receyued from the Pelasgians The cause is that those Pelasgians whome we said before to haue had all one territorie with the Athenians dwelt sometime also in Samothracia by whome the people of that soyle were taught and indoctrined in the ceremonies appertinent to Bacchus First therefore the people of Athens following the steps of the Pelasgians caused the picture of Mercury to be carued in suche sorte as we haue heard For authority proofe why the image should be thus framed the men of Pelasgos recited a mysterie out of holy bookes which is yet kept and conserued in the religious monuments of Samothracia The selfeâ—ame in prayer and inuocation to the heauenlye powers made ablaâ—ion of all creatures indifferentlye and wythout respect whyche I came to knowe at Dodona geuing no names at all to the gods as beeyng flatly ignoraunte howe to call them Generally they named them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gods in that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is they disposed and placed in order all the countreyes and regions on earth In tract of tyme the names and appellations of the powers diuine vsed in Aegypt grew also in knowledge with the Greekes â—nsuing which the name also of Dionysius otherwise called Bacchus came to light albeit long after that time and in later dayes A small time exspired the Greekes counsayled with the oracle in Dodona to the same ende and purpose This â—hayre of prophecy was in those dayes the only and most auncient seate in the land of Greece whether the Pelasgians repayring demaunded the oracle if the surnames of the gods receiued and taken from the Barbarians might be lawfully frequented in Greece whereto aunswere was geuen that they shoulde be reteined for whyche cause yeelding sacrifice to the gods such names were helde by the men of Pelasgos and lastly obserued of y e Graecians Howbeit what original or beginning the gods had or whether they were euermore time out of mind finally what forme figure or likenesse they bare it was neuer fully and perfectly knowne till of late dayes For Hesiodus and Homer which were not passing 400. yeares before vs were the
first that euer made the gods to be borne and sproong of certaine progenies like vnto men assigning to euery one a byname proper and peculiar honours sundry crafts and sciences wherein they excelled not leauing so much as the fauour and portraytour of any of the gods secrete and vndeseried As for suche poets as are saide to haue gone before these they seeme to me to haue liued after them The first of these things I meane the names of the natures celestiall to haue bene planted in Greece in such sorte as hath bene declared the priests at Dodona do iustly witnesse Now for this of Hesiode and Homer to be no other wyse then is said I pawne mine owne credit Furthermore of y e oracles in Africke and Greece the Aegyptians blaâ—e this rumor and principally such as are employed in the seruice and ministerie of Iupiter Thebanus by whome it is sayde that certaine men of the Phaenicians comming to Thebes state priuily from thente two women accustomed to minister in the temple of Iupiter one of the which they sold in Lybia the other in Greece by whose meanes and aduise it came to passe that in each countrey the people created an oracle Heereat somewhat abashed and requesting earnestly how and in what manner they came to knowe this they made we aunswere that leauing no corner vnsearched whereby to come to knowledge of their women and not able to finde how they were bestowed newes was brought at length of their plight and condition Thus farre was I certified by the Thebane prelates wherevnto I deeme it conuenient to adde such things as were notified vnto mee at Dodona by the priests there who vndoubtedly affyrme how in times forepast and long ago two blacke pigeons tooke theyr flight from the countrey of Thebes in Aegypt scouring with swift course through the sky one of the which fortuned to light in Africa the other in that part of Greece where Dodona is now situate where pointing vpon a mighty â—all beech she was heard to speake in a voice humane like vnto a man warning the people to erect an oracle or seate of diuination in that place being so thought good and prouided by the destinies Whiche admonition the people taking as well they might to come by the instince and motion of the gods did as they were commauÌ„ded by the done In like manner it fell out that in Lybia the people were stirred vp and inâ—ensed by the other done to the planting and erection of a seate propheticall named the oracle of Ammon being also coÌ„fecrate to the name of Iupiter These things we receiued of the credite and authoritie of the Dodoneans confirmed and established by the generall consenteÌ„ of those that had the â—ase and charge of the temple Of these women priests resident in the temple of Dodona the eldest most auncieÌ„t had to name Promenca the second Timareta the third and yougest Nicandra Neuerthelesse of these matters such is my iudgement If any such religions and holy women were by stealth of the Phenicians transported and caryed away into Lybia and Greece I condecture that the one of these was sold at Thesprotus in that parte of the region which earst was in y e possession of the Pelasgians and is at this present reputed for a portion of Hettus where hauing serued certayne yeares in processe of time she brought 〈…〉 diuine ceremonies of Iupiter vnder some beach tree growing in shoaâ—e coaÌ„stes For what could be more likely conâ—emente then for her to establish some monument in the sacred honour of Iupiter in whose seruice and religion she had bene long time conuersaunt at Thebes in Aegypt Which her ordinance at length grewe into the custome of an oracle The same beeing perfect also in the Greeke language discouered vnto them in what sort the Pheniâ— anâ— had likewise made sale of hir sister to the people of Africa The sacred and deuoute women of Dodona resyaunt in the pallace of the great god Iupiter seeme for none other cause to haue called these Aegyptian pufiâ—s two doues then for that they were come from harbarous countreys whose tongue and manner of pronouncing seemed to the Graecians to sounde like the voyce of bites And whereas they shewe that in time the doâ—e began to vtter playne language and speake like men â—aught else is meant heareby then that she vsed such speech as they knew and vnderstood being so long esteemed to emusate and follow the noyse of birds as she remained in her harbarous kind of speach and pronunciation For how is it credible that a pigeon in deede could haue â—â—urped the voice and vtteraunce of a manâ— and alleadging yet further that it was a blarke doâ—e they argued her more playnely to haue bene a woman of Aegypt the flower of whose beauty is a fayre browne blew â—anned and burnt by the fyery beames of the sunne Agayne the oracles themselues that of Thebes and this of Dodona are welâ—ye in all poyntes agreeable Thspeake nothing of the maner and order of southsaying in the comples of Greece whych any man with halfe an eye may easily discerne to haue bene taken from Aegypt Let it stand also for an â—â—â—ent and vndoubted verity that assemblies at festiuals pompes and pageants in diuine honour talke and communication with the gods by a mediatour or interpretour were inuented in Aegypt and consequently vsed in Greece Which I thinke the rather for that the one is old and of long continuance the other freshe and lately put in practise It is not once in a yeare that the Aegyptians vse these solemne and religious meetings but at sundry times and in sundry places howbeit chiefly and with the greatest zeale deuotion at the city Bubast in y e honour of Diana Next after that at Busiris in the celebration of 〈◊〉 feast where also standeth the most excellent and famous temple of Isis who in the Greeke tongue is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to wit Ceres Thirdly an assembly is held in the city Sars in the prayse and reuerence of Minerâ—â— Fourthly at Hâ—liopolis in honour of the sunne Fiftly at Batis in remembraunce of Larona In the sixt and last place noâ—hâ— city Papsâ—â—is to the dignity renowne of Mars Moreouer sucâ— of this people as with encyre and affectionate zeale most religiously obserue these astat Bâ—bastis behaue and beare themselues on this maner Certayne shippes being addressed wherein infinite numbers of men and women fayle towards the catâ— in the meane season whiles 〈◊〉 be in voiage on y e water certaine of the womeÌ„ play vpoÌ„ drums taders making a great found noyse y e men on pipes Such as want these implemeÌ„ts clap their hands straine their voice in singing to y e highest degree At what city soeuer they ariue happely some of the women of â—â—tinue their mirth disporâ—on y e timbrels some other raise reuise wold at the daâ—â—es of the city beyond
the most part of hir nobles to a banquet such as shee knew to haue bene y â— authors and workers of hir brothers death who being all assembled and set together in an inner Parlour expectinge their cheere the water was let in at a priuy grate and ouerwhelmed them all These thinges they spake of Nitocris adding besids that hauing wrought this feate shee cast hir selfe into an house full of Ashes to escape vnpunished By the rest of the kinges of Aegypt the priestes coulde recyte no glorious acte that shoulde bee accomplished sauing by the noble king Moeris the last and latest of all this crewe To whom they attribute y â— building of y â— great porches belonging to Vulcans temple standing on the North parte of y â— Pallace By the same also was a certaine fenne delued and cast vp wherein were builded certaine mighty Towers called Pyramides of whose bygnesse as also of y â— large coÌ„passe and amplitude of the Poole wee will ioyntely intreate in another place These thinges were done by Moeris the last king The rest consuminge the time of their raygne in silence and obscurity whom for the same cause I will passe ouer and addresse my speache to him who came after them in time and went before them in Dignity namely the worthy Prynce Sesostris Him the Pryestes recounte firste of all the kings of Aegypt to haue passed the narrow Seas of Arabia in longe Ships or Gallyes and brought in subiection to the Crowne all those People that marche a longe the redde Sea From whence retyringe backe againe the same way hee came and gathered a greate power of men and tooke his passage otter the waters into the mayne lande conquering and subduing all Countreyes whether so euer hee went Such as hee founde valiaunte and hardye not refusinge to icoparde their safety in the defence and maynetenaunâ—e of their liberty after the victory obtayned hee fired in theyr countrey certayne smale pyllers or Crosses of stone wherein were ingrauen the names of the kinge and the countrey and how by his owne proper force and puissaunce he had made them yelde Contrarywyse such as without controuersie gaue themselues into his handes or with litle stryfe and lesse bloudshed were brought to relent with them also and in their region he planted Pillers and builte vp litle crosses as before wherein were carued and importrayed the secret partes of women to signifie to the posterity the base and effeminate courage of the people there abyding In this sorte hee trauayled with his at my vp and downe the mayne passing out of Asia into Europe where he made conquest of the Scythians and Thracians which seemeth to haue bene the farthest poynt of his voyage for so much as in their land also his titles marks are apparantly seene and not beyonde Herefro hee began to measure his steps back agayne incamping his powre at the ryuer Phasis where I am not able to discusse whether king Sesostris him selfe planted any parte of his army in that place euer after to possesse y â— countrey or whether some of his souldiers wearyed with continuall perigrination and trauayle toke vp their maÌ„sion place rested there For the people named Colchi seeme to be Aegyptians which I speake rather of myne owne gathering then of any other mans information Howveit for tryall sake coÌ„moninge w t the inhabitants of either nation the Colchans seemed rather to acknowledge remember y â— Aegyptians then y â— Aegyptians theÌ„ affyrming that the Colchans were a remnante of Sesostris army My selfe haue drawne a coÌ„iecture hereof y â— both people are in couÌ„tenance a like black in hayre a like fryzled albeit it may seeme a very feeble gesse the same being also in other nations A better surmise may be gathered of this that y â— people of Aethyopia Aegypt and Colchis only of all men circumcyse cut of the foreskin from their hidden partes reteyning the custome time out of minde For the Phoenicians and Syrians y â— dwell in Palaestina confesse themselues to haue borrowed the maner of circumsicion from the Aegypt 〈…〉 And as for those Syrians y â— dwell neere vnto the ryuers Thermodon and Parthemus and the people called Macrones their next neighbours they tooke the selfe same vse and custome of y â— Colchans Howbeit the Aegyptians and Aethyopians which of them learned it of others it is hard to discerne forasmuch as the custome in both Countryes is of great antiquity Neuerthelesse very good occasion of coniecture is offred vnto vs that it came fyrst from y â— Aegyptians at such time as the Aethyopians had exchaunge of marchaundise with them For the Phoenicians that in like maner haue mutuall trafique which the Grecians leaue of to circumcysse them selues and refuse in that poynte to be conformable to the lawes and statutes of their countrey One thinge more may be alleaged wherein the people of Colchis doe very narrowly resemble y â— customes of Aegypt in so much as these two nations alone work their lynnen dresse theyr flax after y e same sorte in all poyntes respecting each other both in order of lyfe maner of laÌ„guage The flaxe which is brought from Colchis y e Grecians call Sardonick the other coÌ„ming out of Aegypt they terme after the name of the countrey Aegyptian flaxe But to returne to the tytles and emblems that king Sesostris lefte behind him in all regions through y t which he passed many thereof are fallen to decay NotwithstaÌ„ding certaine of them in Syria and Paloestina I beheld with myne own eyes intayled with such posyes as we spake of before and the pictures of womens secretes ingrauen in them Likewise in Iönia are to bee seene two sundry Images of Sesostris himselfe carued in pillers one as we passe from Ephesus to Phocoea another in the way from Sardis to Smyrna Eyther of these haue the forme and figure of a man fiue hands breadth in bignesse bearing in his righte hand a Darte in his left a vowe his harnesse and furniture after the manner of the Aegyptians and Aethyopians Crosse his backe from the one shoulder to the other went a sentence ingrauen in the holy letter of Aegypt hauing this meaning By my owne force did I vanquishe this region Notwithstandinge it is not there specified what he should be albeit els where it is to be seene Some haue deemed this monument to haue bene the image of Memnon not a litle deceyued in opinion This noble and victorious prince Sesostris making his returne to Aegypt came by report of y e priests to a place named Daphnoe pelusiae with an infinite trayne of forraine people out of al Nations by him subdued where being very curteously met welcomed by his brother whom in his absence he had lefte for Viceroy and protectour of the countrey he was also by y e same inuited to a princely banquet him selfe his wife and his children The house where into they were entered
being compassed about with dry matter was suddaynely by the treachery of his brother set on fire which he perceiuing toke counsayle with his wife then present how to escape and auoyde the daunger The woman either of a readier wit or riper cruelty aduised him to cast two of his sixe children into the fire to make way for him selfe and the rest to passe time not suffering him to make any long stay he put his wyues counsayle in speedy practise made a bridge through the fire of two of his children to preserue the rest aliue Sesostris in this sorte deliuered frō the cruell treason and malicious deuise of his brother first of all tooke reuenge of his trecherous villany and diuelish intent in the next place bethinking himselfe in what affayres to bestowe the multitude which he had brought with him whome afterwards he diuersly employed for by these captiues were certayne huge and monstrous stones rolled and drawne to the temple of Vulcane Likewise many trenches cut out and deriued from the riuer into most places of the countrey whereby the land being aforetime passable by cart horse was thencefoorth bereaued of that commodity for in all the time ensuing the countrey of Aegypt being for the most parte playne and equall is through the creekes and windings of the ditches brought to that passe that neyther horsse nor wayne can haue any course or passage from one place to another Howbeit Sesostris inuented this for the greater benefite and commodity of the lande to the ende that such townes and cities as were farre remooued from the riuer might not at the fall of the floud be pinched with the penury and want of water which at all times they haue deriued and brought to them in trenches The same King made an equall distribution of the whole countrey to all his subiects allotting to euery man the lyke portion and quantitie of ground drawne out and limited by a fouresquare fourme Heereof the King himselfe helde yeerely reuenewes euery one being rated at a certayne rent and pension which annually he payd to the crowne and if at the rising of the floud it fortuned any mans portion to be ouergone by the waters the King was thereof aduertised who forthwyth sent certayne to suruey y e ground and to measure the harmes which the floud had done him and to leauy out the crowne rent according to the residue of the land that remayned Heereof sprang the noble science of Geometry and from thence was translated into Greece For as touching the Pole and Gnomon which is to say the rule and the twelue partes of the day the Graecians tooke them of the Babylonians This King Sesostris held the Empyre alone leauing in Aethiopia before the temple of Vulcane certayne monuments to the posteritie to wit certayne images of stone one for hymselfe another for his wife beeyng eache of them thirtie cubites the foure images also of hys foure sonnes beeyng each of them twentie cubites apeece In processe of time when the image of King Darius that gouerned Persia should haue bene placed before the picture of Sesostris the priest of Vulcane which serued in the temple woulde in no wise permit it to bee done denying that Darius had euer atchieued the like exploites that Sesostris had done Who besides the conquering of sundrie other nations not inferiour in number to those whiche had beene ouercome by Darius had also brought in subiection the most couragious and valiaunt people of Scythia for whyche cause it were agaynst reason to preferre hymselfe in place before him vnto whome he was inferiour in chiualry whiche bolde aunswere of the priest King Darius tooke in good parte and brooked welynough Sesostris dying the seate imperiall came to hys sonne Pheco who beeyng bereaued of hys sight vndertooke no voyage of warre but remayned quiet in his kingdome The cause he was stricken blynde is sayde to be this At what tyme the waters of the floud increasing by reason of a mightie raging winde had drowned the lowe countreys eyghteene cubites deepe The Kyng inraged at the vnaccustomed swelling of the ryuer tooke hys darte and discharged it into the middest of the waters for whyche hys vnrcuerent facte the fame is that hys sighte incontinente was taken from hym and hee became blynde the space of tenne yeares In the eleuenth yeare there arose a prophecie in the city Butis that the tyme of hys miserie was nowe exspyred and that hys syght shoulde eftsoones bee restored agayne if in case hee washed hys eyes in the water of a woman whych neuer knewe man but her owne husbande For further proofe of thys phetis medicine the Kyng beganne first wyth hys owne wyfe whych working not the effecte he looked for he tryed many others but all in vayne lastly lighting vppon a poore seely woman that had neuer woorshipped more Sainctes then one hee speedely recouered hys sighte agayne and causing all those whome earst he had prooued to be gathered into one citie the name whereof was called Reddclodd he set fire to the towne and consumed them all The King thus healed and freely acquited of hys former miserie began to be deuoute increasing the temples of the gods with giftes of exceeding value All which deserue for theyr excellencie to be had in memorie and chiefly those that he offered in the temple of the Sunne which were these two mighty great stones which the Aegyptians in theyr tongue called Obeli in fashion like a spit or breach 100. cubites long and in breadth 80. Next after hym the kingdome descended to a certayne man of the citie Memphis whose name in the greeke language was Protheus to whome the Aegyptians erected a temple which is yet to be seeue in Memphis very fayre and beautifull garnished wyth rich and singulare giftes On euery side whereof dwell the Phenices a people descended of the Tyrians whereof the place taketh the name and is tearmed the tentes of the Tyrians Within the temple there is standyng the house of Proteus called the court of straunge Venus vnder which name is meant as I deeme Helena the daughter of Tyndarus who as a guest agaynst her wyll kepte resyaunce for a tyme in the court of Protheus and was tearmed the straunge Venus in as much as the other Venus who hath many temples in Aegypt is neuer called by the name of straunge Heereof entring talke with the sacred order of the priestes they discoursed vnto me that Alexander hauing stolne Helena from the Spartanes and speedyng hymselfe homewarde by the sea called Aegeum by constraynte of weather was driuen into the Aegyptian seas and perforce againste his will was cast ashore in Aegypt His ariual was at y e mouth of the floud Nilus called Canobicum at y e porte whiche the inhabitants tearme by y e name of Trachex In this place is situated a temple to Hercules where vnto if any mans seruaunt or vassall flye and get vppon hym the holy markes
Philitio who at that time kept sheepe in those places Chephrenes dying yeelded the Kingdome to Mycerinus the sonne of his brother Cheops who eschuing the wicked acts and detestable practises of his father caused the temples to be set open giuing libertie to the people being so long distressed vnder the gouernement of his father and vncle to follow their owne affayres and returne to their auncient custome of sacrifice ministring iustice aboue all the Kings that were before him for which cause none of all the princes that haue borne rule in Aegypt is so greatly praysed and renowmed both for other causes which were wisely taken vp by him in iudgement and chiefly for this that a certayne Aegyptian much complayning that the King had wronged him in deciding his cause he commaunded him to value the losse which he had suffered by him which the partie doing he gaue him so much of his owne goods to make him a recompence Mycerinus in this wise gouerning the common weale with great clemency and seekyng by vertue to aduance his fame was sodeinely daunted by a great misfortune the death of his onely daughter hauing no more children but her which was the first and greatest hart-breake that befell him in his kingdome For which cause being stricken with sorrowe aboue measure and desirous to solemnize her funeralles by the most royall and princely kinde of buryall that could be deuised he caused an oxe to be made of wood inwardly vauted and hollow within which being layde ouer and garnished most curiously with gilt he inclosed therein the wanne and forlorne corpse of his best beloued daughter This royall tombe was not interred and buryed in the grounde but remayned vnto our age in the city Sais in open view standing in a certayne parlour of the Kings pallace adorned and set foorth for the same purpose with most beautifull and costly furniture The custome is euermore in the daye time to cast into the belly of the oxe sweete and precious odoures of all sortes that may be gotten and in the nighte to kindle a lampe which burneth by the tombe till the next daye In a chamber next adioyning are certayne pictures of women that were the concubines of Mycerinus if we may beleeue the talke of those that in the same city of Sais are professours in religion forsomuch as there are seene standing in that place certayne mighty images made of wood twentye or thereaboutes in number the most parte of them bare and naked but what women they resemble or whose pictures they be I am not able to alleadge more then hearesay notwithstāding there were which as touching the gilded oxe and the other images framed this tale that Mycerinus being inamoured of his own daughter dealt vnlawfully with her besides the course of nature who for intollerable greefe hanging her selfe was intombed in that oxe by her father the Queene her mother causing the hands of all her gentlewomen to be cut off by whose meanes she had beene betrayed to serue her fathers lust for which cause say they are these images portrayed to declare the misfortune which they abode in their life-lifetime But this is as true as the man in the moone for that a man with halfe an eye may clearely perceiue that their hands fel offfor very age by reason that the wood through long cōtinuance of time was spaked and perished whiche euen to our memory were to be seene lying at the feete of those which were portrayed The oxe wherein the yong princesse lay was sumptuously clad and arayed all the body wyth a gorgeous mantle of Phenicia hys head and necke beeyng spanged and layde ouer with braces and plates of golde of a maruaylous thickenesse Betweene hys hornes was set a globe or circle of golde glistering as the sunne Neyther is the oxe standing and borne vp vppon hys feete but kneeleth as it were on hys knees equall in bignesse to a great heighfer The manner is once a yeare to bring this image out of the parlour wherein it is kepte hauyng first of all well beaten and cudgelled a certayne image of one of theyr Sainctes whome in thys case wee thynke it not lawfull for vs to name The talke goeth that the Lady besought the Kyng her father that beeing dead she myght once a yeare beholde the sunne whereof sprang the custome and maner aforesayde After this there befell vnto him another mischiefe that sate as neere hys skirtes as the death of his dilling insomuch that he was readie to runne beyonde hymselfe for sorrowe A prophecie arose in the city of Butis that the tearme of sixe yeares fully exspired the Kyng shoulde ende hys lyfe leauing hys Kyngdome to be ruled of another Whereof the Kyng beeing aduertised and greately greeuing at the rigorous and vniust dealing of the gods sped a messenger to the place where the seate of prophecie was helde to expostulate with the god for what cause since hys father and vnckle who had beene so vnmindfull of the gods shutting vp their temples and making hauocke of the people had liued so long he hymselfe that had dealte better with them and caused these thynges to bee restored agayne shoulde so soone be depriued of the benefite of lyfe to whome aunswere was made that hys dayes were therefore shortened because hee tooke a wrong course and dyd not as he should do beyng appoynted by the celestiall powers that the countrey of Aegypt should suffer miserie and be afflicted by their princes y e space of an hūdred fifty yeares which the two former princes well vnderstanding was neuerthelesse by him neglected and left vnperformed Mycerinus hearing this round reply and perceiuing that his thread was almost spoon set al at reuell making great prouision of lights and tapers which at euentide he caused to be lighted passing the night in exceeding great mirth and princely banquetting letting slip no time wherein he either wandered not alongst the riuer and through the woods and groues of the countrey or entertayned the time in some pleasaunt deuises following all things that might eyther breede delighte or bring pleasure which things he did to the end he might prooue the prophecie false and conuince the god of a lie making twelue yeares of sixe by spending the nightes also as he did the dayes Mycerinus also built a pyre not equall to that which his father had set vp before him beeing in measure but twentie foote square framed quadrangularly and another lower then that of three acres in compasse being built to the middest of the stone of Aethiopia There be of the Graecian writers that suppose thys towre to haue bene erected by a woman of notable fame called Rhodope who misse of their account not seeming to knowe what that Rhodope was of whome they speake Besides it is very vnlikely that Rhodope woulde euer haue enterprised a worke of so great value wherein infinite thousands of talentes were spent before it came to perfection Lastly it was not in the
dayes of this prince that Rhodope flourished but vnder the gouernement of Amasis many yeares passing from the tyme of those princes that planted the pyres to the dayes and age of Rhodope This gallaunt dame was by countrey a Thracian borne the bondmayd of one Iadmon whose abiding was in the land of Samos in the city of the god Vulcane who in the tyme of her bondage was fellowseruant with Aesope the inuenter of fables to whome this smooth minion had a monethes mind and more for which cause being giuen out by y e oracle at Delphos that it mighte be free for any man to slay Aesope that would and take pennaunce for his soule for his faulte committed there was none found that would put him to death but the nephew of Iadmon that came by his sonne who was also named Iadmon whereby we may gather that Aesope was a slaue and vassall to Iadmon The death of Aesope wounded Rhodope with so great feare that she tooke her flight foorthwith into Aegypt accompanyed by one Xanthus a Samian where she set foorth her selfe to the sale of such as rather then Venus should be shut out for a Sainct thought it no idolatrie to worship idols Whiles shee abode in Aegypt shee was redeemed and acquit of her seruitude by one Charaxus who purchased her libertie by a great summe of money This Charaxus was of the countrey of Mitilene sonne of Scamandronymus and brother to Sappho the notable poetresse By these meanes came Rhodope to be free and remayned still in Aegypt where she wanne so great credite and liking of all men that in shorte space she grewe to maruellous wealth beeing such as farre in deede surmounted the degree of Rhodope but yet amounted not to the buylding of a pyre By the tenth parte of whych her substaunce it is easie for any man to gesse that the masse and summe of money which she had gathered was no suche myracle as it is made to be For studying to be famous and remembred in Greece she deuised a worke which had neuer bene imagined or geuen by any other which in remembrance of her selfe she offered in the temple of Delphos Wherefore of the tenth parte of her riches which she sente to the temple she commaunded so many yron spittes to be made which were imployed to the rosting of oxen as the quantitie of the money woulde afoorde that was sente thyther by her These spittes at this present stande behynde the aultare whiche the people of Chios erected iust oueragainst the temple Howbeit such arrant honest women as are fishe for euery man haue in no place the like credite as in the city of Naucrates Forsomuch as this stalant of whome we speake had her fame so bruted in all places as almost there was none in Greece that had not hearde of the fame of Rhodope After whome there sprang vp also another as good as euer ambled by name Archidice whose vertues were blased very farre but not with like fame and renowne as her predecessour with whome Charaxus was so farre gone that retyring home to Mytelene he was almost besides himselfe as Sappho maketh mention inueyghing in verse agaynst hys folly We haue thus far digressed to speake of Rhodope we will now returne to the text agayne Next after Mycerinus ensued the raigne and dominion of Asychis by whome as the priests report was consecrated to Vulcane a princely gallerie standyng to the East very fayre and large wrought with most curious and exquisite workemanship For besides that it had on euery side embossed the straunge and liuely pictures of wilde beastes it had in a manner all the graces and sumptuous ornaments that coulde be imagined to the beautifying of a worke Howbeit amiddest other his famous deedes this purchased him the greatest dignitie that perceyuing the land to be oppressed with debt and many creditours like to be indamaged by great losse he inacted foorthwith that who so borrowed aught vppon credite shoulde lay to pledge the dead body of his father to be vsed at the discretion of the creditour and to be buryed by him in what manner he woulde for a pennaunce to all those that tooke any thing of loane prouiding moreouer that in case he refused to repay the debt he should neyther be buryed in the tombe of his fathers nor in any other sepulchre neyther himselfe nor the issue that should descend and spring of his body This prince desiring to surpasse all that had bene before him left in memorie of himselfe an excellente pyre built all of clay wherein was a stone set ingrauen in these wordes Compare me not to the rest of the pyres which I surmount as farre as Iupiter excelleth the meaner gods for searching the bottome of the riuer with a scoupe looke what clay they brought vp the same they employed to the building of me in such forme and bignesse as you may beholde And this did Asychis imagine to aduance the fame of himselfe to the time to come After whome the scepter was held by one Anysis a blynde man inhabiting in a city called after his owne name Anysis In time of whose raigne Sabbacus King of Aethyopia inuaded Aegypt with a mightie power Where at the poore blinde King greatly affrighted crope priuily away and gayned a priuie couert in the marrishe places of the countrey leauyng the gouernement to Sabbacus his enemie whiche ruled the same 50. yeares whose actes are mentioned to haue beene these If any of the Aegyptians made a trespasse he neuer vsed to do any man to death for his offence but according to y e quantity of his fault to enioyne him to arrere make higher by forreine supply of earth and stone some parte of the city wherein he dwelt for which cause the cities became very high and eminent being much more loftely situated then before For first of all in time of Sesostris such earth as was cast out of the trenches which were made to geue the water a course to the cities that were farre off was employed to the eleuation aduancing of the lowe townes and now agayne vnder this Aethyopian they had increase of fresh earth and grew to be very high and lofty Amongst the rest the noble city of Bubastis seemeth to be very haughty highly planted in which city is a temple of excellent memory dedicate to the goddesse Bubastis called in our speach Diana then the which albeit there be other churches both bigger and more richly furnished yet for the sightly grace and seemelynesse of building there is none comparable vnto it Besides the very entrance and way that leadeth into the city the rest is informe of an Ilande inclosed round about with two sundry streames of the riuer Nilus which runne to either side of the path way and leauing as it were a lane or causey betweene them without meeting take their course another way These armes of the floud are eache of them an hundred foote broade beset on both
onely that are busied in the seruice of the Sainctes that to euery one of them is allotted twelue portions of singuler good grounde exempt free from all kinde of Tribute and Pension and seuerall to their owne vse and behoofe Each plot of grounde contayning euery way an hundred cubyts by the Aegyptian measure A cubyt amongst the Aegyptians is equall to that which they vse in Samos A thowsand of each company aswell of the Calysirians as Hermatybians did yearely geue attendaunce to garde and defend the Kinges body To whom besides the profite reuennewes of their land were certayne Farme-places geuen to each man one Moreouer for their lyuery fiue pound of tosted bread two pounde of Beefe and a gallon of wyne which were duely serued to them euery day When as therefore Apryes on the one side with his stipendaries and on the other side Amasis with an huge army of the Aegyptians were come into the City Memphis they closed bartaile where the hyred souldiers of Apryes acquited them selues very valiauntly till at the length being fewer in number they were put to flight Apryes was perswaded that neither god nor the diuell coulde haue ioynted his nose of the Empyre hee seemed so surely to haue strengthned it to him selfe Neuerthelesse in this fight hee was foyled taken a liue and caried to his owne courte in Saïs where Amasis kept him more like a Prynce then a prysoner for the time that hee lyued At length the Aegyptians murmuring againste him that hee did not well to reserue a liue a mortall enemy both to himselfe and the whole country he delyuered vp Apryes into their handes Whom they immediatly toke strangled buried him in the sepulcher of his father in the temple of Minerua neere vnto a certayne Oratory at the lefte hand as you enter in Being the vse with the people of Saïs to burie all such as out of their tribe haue attayned to the kingdome within the temple For the toumbe of Amasis is placed vppon the other side of the Oratory contrary to the Sepulcher of Apryes and his Progenitours Likewise in one place of this Temple is a fayre Chamber builte of stone beautyfied with sundry Pyllers ingrauen like vnto Palme-trees being otherwyse very sumptuously and royally garnished In the middest of the Chamber are two mayne Posts betwene the which standeth a Cophine There is also a toumbe in the same the name whereof I may not descry without breache of Religion At Saïs in the Temple of Minerua beneath the Churche and neere vnto the walle of Minerua in a base Chappell are standinge certayne greate brooches of stone whereto is adioyninge a lowe place in manner of a Dungeon couered ouer wyth a stone curiously wroughte the Vaute it selfe being on euery side carued with most exquisite arte in biggnesse matchinge with that in Delos which is called Trochoïdes Herein euery one counterfayteth the shadowes of hys owne affections and phantasies in the nyghte season which the Aegyptians call Mysteryes touchinge which god forbid I should aduenture to discouer so much as they vouchsafed to tell mee In lyke manner of the Decrees of Ceres which the Grecians terme 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to say the publishinge of Lawes and Ordynances of these matters I dare not bee very francke in speakinge no further then religion wyll permit This is certayne that the Daughters of Danaeus were the firste that brought this custome oute of Aegypte and made it knowne to the women of Pelasgos But afterwardes mislyked of the Dores it was vtterly abolyshed and lefte off in all the Countrey of Peloponnesus sauinge of certayne Arcadians whom the people of Peloponnesus lycensed to contynewe in the Countrey by whome the same order was retayned Apryes being dead Amasis raygned in his steede being of y e Tribe of Saïs and trayned vp in a City named Suph In the first entraunce of his raygne the Aegyptians set lyght by him and had him in greate contempte being spronge of no Noble house but arysinge of the common troup of the popular sorte Whose goodwill Amasis soughte to reconcile rather by pollicy then seuerity Being therefore infinitely riche he had amongest other his treasure a Basen of cleane Golde wherein both him selfe and his Guestes were wont to washe their Feete This Bason hee caused to bee beaten into the forme Image of a god and set it vp in a fit place of the City The Aegyptians repayringe to the place bowed themselues in great reuerence vnto the Image which Amasis hauing learned by his friendes assemblinge the people tolde them that of the same Basen wherein him selfe and many other of the Aegyptians had bene wonte to vomite pysse washe their feete and all such base exercises was framed the god that they so greatly honoured saying that his owne present estate was not much vnlyke vnto that Bason for albeit before time he had bene one of the basest degree of the people yet now being their Kinge hee ought of ryghte to bee had in honour Whereby the Aegyptians weare so allured that they thought it meete afterwards to obeye their Prynce Who afterwards obserued this Custome in dealinge with the affayres of the realme from the morninge vntill the places of assembly and common meeting were filled hee sat vppon all matters that were brought before him spending the rest of the day amongst his companyons in swilling drinking such broade and vnseemely iesting as if hee had bene some common rybauld or Vyce of a playe Whereat his friendes aggrieuinge rebuked him in these or such like termes Most worthy Prince it is a great blemish to your name to liue so wickedly more meete it were for you to sit in a Throne of maiesty and decide the causes of your subiects whereby the Aegyptians might knowe them selues to bee gouerned by a worthy Prince and your fame bee increased throughout all the lande To whom hee answered They that owe the Bowe knowe best when to bend it which being alway bent becommeth so weake that it is altogether vnfit for those that shoulde vse it euen so it fareth with those that â—yreing themselues with continuall paynes geuing no intermission to their cares they are sodenly bereaued either of their right minde or their perfit members This king whiles hee lyued without honour was geuen to bibbing and scoffing without measure neuer greatly minding his affayres and as ofte as hee wanted to serue his turne and to yeelde supply to his pleasures he sought mayntenance by filching and stealing whereof if happily hee were at any time attached his maner was to stand stoutly in deniall of the thing and defiance of y e person for which cause being many times brought to the Oracles and places of southsaying hee was sometime conuicted by them and at other times acquited Wherefore hauing attayned to the kingdome which of the gods soeuer had acquited him of theft he had no regard to their temples did no honour to them
vowed within her selfe to the goddesse Venus that in case it might please her to inable Amasis to performe the duties of an husband and accompany with her the same night she would dedicate an image vnto her at Cyrenae Hir prayers being heard Amasis became so frollicke that before the morning they arose the best contented folkes on the earth euer after that finding hymselfe so apt to enioy the delightes of his Lady that he tooke greatest pleasure in her company and loued her most entirely of all other Ladyce remembring her vowe she had made to Venus thought good to performe it and framing a most beautifull and curious image she sente it to the city Cyrenae which stoode vnperished vnto our dayes being placed by the citizens without the towne The same Ladyce Cambyses King of Persia vanquishing Aegypt vnderstanding what she was sent her without any manner shame or violence into her owne countrey By this King Amasis were many giftes distributed of singulare price and value To Cyrenae he sent the image of Minerua garnished all ouer wyth gilt and his owne personage most curiously shadowed by a Paynter Likewise to the city Lindus he gaue two images of the goddesse Minerua wrought in stone with a linnen stomacher most excellently imbrodered by arte Moreouer to the goddesse Iuno in Samus two pictures expressing her diuine beautie of most exquisite workemanship Which bountie he exercised towards the Samians for the great friendship he bare to their King Polycrates the sonne of Aeaces But to the city Lyndus why he should shewe hymselfe so franke and liberall no other reason serued sauing that the fame wente that the great temple of Minerua in Lindus was builded by y e daughters of Danaus after they were knowne and had escaped the daungers intended against them by the sonnes of Aegyptus These and many other excellente giftes were dispersed and giuen abroade by King Amasis By whome also the city Cyprus which was deemed of all men inuincible and had neuer before beene vanquished by any was conquered taken and brought vnder tribute FINIS The contrey of the author The first cause of discention betvvene the Grecians and Barbarians The rape of Io. and her ariual into Aegipt Europa stolen by the Greeks in reuenge of Io. Medea caried avvay by IasoÌ„ at vvhat tyme he vvonne the golden fleecè at Colchis The rape of Helen vvherof arose the Troyan vvarre By so much the greater is their folly that fight for vvomen by hovv much the greater their liberty is to be vvel ridde of them The pleasaunt history of Craesus sonne of Haliattes the first of the BarbariaÌ„s that coÌ„quered any part of Grece Greece consisted of foure kind of people the Iones Aeoles Dorus LaccdemoniaÌ„s The right Aeres apparant to the crovvne of Lidia vvere the Heraclidans Mernade vver the family and succession of those kinges vvherof Cresus came The royall family of the kinges of Lidia before the Heraclidans came of Lydus of whoÌ„ the countrey was named Lydia The Parentes of the Heraclidans Hercules Iardana By what meanes the empire came to the stocke of Craeâ—ns The best poynt of a Woman to be vnknowne A due revvard of doting The diuil in old tyme a diposer of kingdomes since the Pope Pythia a vvomaÌ„ that serued the deuil in his temple at Delphos gaue out oracles to such as demauÌ„ded them Delphos a city in the couÌ„trey of Phosis one a mouÌ„tayne of Grece called Paâ—nassê° here vvas the famous temple of Apollo vvher the deuil gaue craracles The Actes of Giges vvrought by him in tyme of his raygne The yeares of his raygne 38 Ardyis sonne of Gyges second king of the stocke of the Mernadans The tyme of his raygne 49. yeares Sadiatâ—es 3. king raygned 12. yeares Haliattes king 4. The actes and aduentures of Halyattes The Story of Arion Haliattes rayned 57 yeares Glancus Chius the first that inuented to vvorke in iron Solon trauayling froÌ„ Grece came into Lidia to the court of Craesus of vvhose vvealth and felicity hee gaue iudgement as follovveth The example of an happy Tellus The Gods offended at the insolency of Craesus bereaued him of his deare son Atis The dreame of Craesus as concerninge his sonnes de 〈…〉 Adrastus for killing his brother vvas exiled his couÌ„try A vvylde Bore haunting in Mysia VVhom destenies vvil haue die he shal be the busie vvor ker of his ovvue peril Atis sâ—ayne by Adrastus Adrastus slevv himselfe vpon the tombe of Atis. Apolloin these verses telles the ambassadours vvhat their kinge did that day The meaning of the oracle The sacrifice of Craesus to A pollo his giftes also vvhich he dedicated in the â—aâ—ple Craesus demauÌ„ ded of the oracle vvhether he might make vvarre a gaynst Persia or not A doubtful ansvveare the meaniÌ„g vvherof is expounded in the next page He is somevvhat to hasty that leaps ouer the stâ—le before he comes at it The meaning of this oracle is expressed The originall of the Lacedae monians and Athenians The miracle of the Greeke nation Pi 〈…〉 a 〈…〉 rauntin AtheÌ„s by vvhatdeuise he attay 〈…〉 d the gouernâ—eÌ„t The subtilty of of Pisistratue to attayne the kingdome Pisistratus depriued of his kingdome A deuise made by Pisistratus to recouer the kingdome Pisistratus bani shed out of AtheÌ„s the seâ—d tyme. A propâ—â—cy of Pisistratus â—â—s victory Pisistratus the 3 time king Lycurgus the lavvgeuer of the Lacedaemonians An oracle in the prayse of Lycurgus A deceyptful oracle that fell out othervvise theÌ„ the vvords import An oracle describing the place vvhere Orestes vvas buryed The meanes hovv the tomb vvas diseried The story of Craesus beyng interrupted The vvise couÌ„sayle of Sardanis geuen to king Craesus in his settinge forth agaynst Persia The riot ofth PersiaÌ„s vvheÌ„ce it came The limites of Media and Lydia Th. causes of Craesus his voi age agaynst Persia A prety discourse shevviÌ„g the meanes hovv Craesus Astyages came to be of a kinne The Scythians excellent in shoting The day turned into night Labynetus sonne of Nitocijs The maÌ„ner of makiÌ„ga league betvvene the Lydians and Medes The meaning of this place of Astyages his captiuity is declared more at large The deuyse of Thales Milesius to passe the riuer CoÌ„pare vvith this place the apologi of Cyrus to the ambassadour of Ioma A miracle forshevving the destruction of Sardis The meaning of the miracle The Lydians couragious in battaile and expert in ridiÌ„g A singuler deuise of Harpagus to vanquish the Lydian ryders A horse very fearful of a camel A ariefe discourse of a coÌ„bat fought betveene the Argyues and Lacedaemonians for a piece of ground ThevvynniÌ„g of thcitye Sardis The cause vvhy the vvals of Sardis vvere inuincible Craesus his dumbe sonne spake to saue his father The oracle verifyed Fol. 15. Craesus acknovvlegeth novv the sentence of Solon to true that no man is perfyte happy that maye bee miserable The vvisedom and merciful nature of Cyrus in yeldinge Craesus pardoÌ„ Apollo by a
shovvre of rained deliuered Craesus from the fire A reason vvhy peace is more to be desired then vvarre Craesus seynge to vvhat passe the oracle had brought him desireth leaue of Cyrus to chide vvith the deuil Apollo his ansvvere to Craesus his accusation Craesus is punished for the fact of Gyges that slue Candaules his mayster Applye to this place theoracle geuen fol. 25. PantaleoÌ„ Craelus his brother by the fathers syde sought to defeat him of the kingdome Of the couÌ„trey of Lydia a briefe narratioÌ„ of such things as therin are vvorthy memory Halyattes his tombe in Lydia The maydes in Lydia get their ovvne dovâ—â—ye by continuall vvhoredome The lavves of the people of Lydia The first coyners of siluer gold A famine in Lydiacontinuing the space of 18 yeares Chesse play dice and teâ—â—se deuised by the Lydians A colonye dravvne sene into Hetruria The people Tyrrheni in Vmbria sproÌ„g of the Lydians The genology of the kinges of Media from Deioces to Cyrus Media held by the Assyrians The pollicy of of Deioces to get the kingdome of Media Nothingvvinâ—e heredite so sonne asiustice and vpright dealyng The buildinge of the famous city Ecbatana The reason vvhy no man might haue accesse to the king of the Medes The seuerall countries of Media are these 6. Deioces raiged â—3 yeares Phraoâ—â—es the 2. King The Persians made subiect to the Medes by Phâ—aortes restored to their liberty by Cyrus Phraortes slayne by the Assyrianâ— the 22 yeare of his raygne Câ—axares 3. The day turned into night The most auncient temple of Venus Asia held by the Scythians 28. yeares Cyaxaresraigned 40. yeares Astyages 4. vn der vvhose raygne is conteyned the famous story of Cyrus The 2. dreams of Astyages conceâ—ning his daughter Harpagus deliuereth the child to the kinges neatheard to lay out in the desert Mitradates moued by his vvife laid out a dead child of his ovvne in sâ—eed of Cyrus Cyrus brought vp by the grasiers vvife Cyrus descryeth his progeni and causeth himselfe to be knovven Cyrus his bold ansvveare to Astiages Harpagus examined about Cyrus Harpagus his sonne slayne â— dressed in a barket Harpagus feeding of his ovvne childe Cyrus by the counsayle of the vvisemen vvas senthome to his parentes Cyrus receiued of his parentes The cause of the fable that Cyrus vvas said to be brought vp of a Bytch Harpaguâ—conuayghed a letter to Cyrus in the belly of an hare The letter The deuyce of lying to moue the Persians to rebellion The Persians rebell Harpagus leading the army of the Medes ioyneth his vvhole povver vvith Cyrus agaynst Astyageâ— Astyages hangeth the vvise men for counsayling him to let Cyrus goe Astyages takeÌ„ captiue Astyages raygned 35. yeares The celebration of their birth day in Persia The regard of good maners The maner of their consultation The people of Greece offer themselues to Cyrus todohomage The difference of speach in Ionia Of the cityes of Aeolia The losse of Smyrna Mazares dyiÌ„g Harpagusvvas made generall in his steed The counsai of Byas to th people of Ionia A discourse the Carians The people of Gâ—ydus their originall An experience vvrought for the tryall of antiquitie It vvere a question if a man should bee taught no language in vvhat tongue hee vvould speake Heliopolis the city of the Sunne The vvisest people in AEgypt The 12 monethes of the yeare first fouÌ„d out by the Aegyptians The names of the 12 gods Aulters Images and Temples inuented by the Aegyptians Menes the first kinge that euer raygned A Egypte for the most parte couered vvith vvater The maner of the Aegyptians measures AEgypt nexte the sea coaste 3600. furlonges The description of the countrey of AEgypt A mountaine The straunge effects of certayne ryuers By vvhat proofeâ— the couÌ„trey of Aegypt is argued to haue bene couered by vvaters In AEgypt it neuer rayneth but their lande is vvatered by the ouerflovve of Nilus The maner of husbandry amongst the AEgyptians Hogs be the best husbands in Aegypt and the vvorst in England A confutation of the opinion of the Iones concerning Aegypt The course of the riuer Nilus The names of the chanels of Nilus Pelusium Canobus Sebennyticum Saïticum Menedesium Bolbitinum Buâ—olicum A story touching the description of Aegypt An oracle in Afrike Hovv much of the land Nilus ouerflovveth The cause and time of the rising of the riuer Nilus sendeth foorth no miste A refutation of the Grecians as touching the same things vvithin fiue dayes after snovve falleth rayne That there is no sea called Ocean The true opinion of these things The cause vvhy the South and Southvveast vvind bring rayne Ister a great riuer in Europe The spring of the riuer Nilus vnsearchable The tvvo mountaynes Crophi and Mophi The City Meroe The souldiers of Aegypt forsooke theyr ovvne countrey The tricke of a knaue A slory touching the spring of Nilus A voyage vndertaken by certayne yong gentlemen A City inhabited by Necromancers The description of the riuer Ister Aegypt the most vvonderfull nation in the vvorld The lavves and customes of the people of Aegypt The daughter bound to nourish her parents in need The good felovvship in Aegypt vvher the good man and his hogs dine together The vse of grayne is very â—lender in Aegypt The manner of casting of account Their letters or charecters Cleannesse in auyre vvithout pride The custome of the priests Their dyer The orders of priesthood The manner of trying the bullocks that are sacrificed vvhether they be cleane or othervvise The order of sacrificing The head of the beast that is sacrificed is accursed A lavv greatly honoured in Aegypt The maner of burying kyne vvheÌ„ they dy The cause vvhy some of the Agyptians vvill kill no sheepe Whence the Ammonians drevv theyr name The name of Hercules taken from the Aegyptians The Kings of Aegypt could make at their pleasure gods The tvvo temples of Hercules in Greece The reason vvhy in some partes of Aegypt they vvil kill no goates A Goate closing vvith a vvoman Hogs of all beasts vvurst accounted of Hogheards of basest account Svvine sacrificed to Liber and Luna Superstition oft times runneth into most filthy deuises Melampus the first founder of this ceremonie in Greece In the time of Herodotus the name of Philosophers vvas straunge The beastly deuises of the paganes Cabiri the three sonnes of Vulcane Dodona somtime the chiefe oracle in Greece The beginning of the pagans gods The beginning of the oracles in Africke and Greece A tale of tvvo pigeons Inuentions of the Aegyptians The feastes of Diana Isis and Minerua The feast of the Sunne The celebration of Latonas feast and Mars The maner of such as repaire to the festiuall of Diana The feast of lampes A combate of priests The cause of this combate The feast of broken pates A reason dravvne from the vse of beastes to defend the maners of men The manner of the Aegyptians touching the beastes of the land The great regard of haukes The nature of catsin Aegypt Mourning for