foolishly done who to avoid the over much pleasantness which was blamed in his Predecessor betook himself to unheard of severities that he might account business his pastime eminent spirits making the pleasure they take in commanding and exercising authority over others serve instead of Picquet or Lurch that he should be more careful in well governing his own house then in curbing seditions in the City for that Provincialists are more troubled at the immodesty of an Officers favorite then at a foul insolency committed by a Townsman that he should abhor forestalling of Markets and that he should esteem those hisCapital enemies who should propound unto him such unlawful gains and that he should firmly believe that the onely gainful merchandize becoming an honorable Officer was to engage himself deeply in the Traffick of purchasing glory and honor by which rising still to higher preferments he in a short time would abound in wealth and reputation that he should shun prodigallity aâ—…d avarice shameful extreams in Officers that he should set aside one fourth part of the day for the dispatch of civil causes and the other fourt part in deciding criminal affairs the rest in being hospital on which an Officers reputation did wholly depend that he should always have an eye to his Judges hands that he should not resolve any thing in difficult affairs before he were fully possest of the whole business for sudden resolutions were very dangerous in such like cases and that he should always behave himself so therein as if he did rather grieve to have done too little then too much that he should so accommodate his own genius to the nature of those of the Province as to be gentle with those that were pleasant and peaceful and severe with those that were stubborn and seditious that above all things he should curb the insolencies of Sergeants and Marshals-men who in many places are grown so insufferably bold as they have not onely caused wicked scandals to Princes who in all other respects are glorious and happy but have rendred such States hateful where the bridle hath been let loose to such like Rascals wholly made up of insolency for he was ill advised who gave much authority to one who knew not what discretion meant that not to appear foolish he should not acquaint his Prince with every trivial affair nor keep from him the knowledge of things of importance least he might be thought to neglect him that he should believe that wary Judges did threaten more then punish and that he should not forget that Officers govern men who are subject to a thousand imperfections infinitely addicted to errour and not Angels who cannot sin that therefore in his Government he should rather affect to be reputed pleasing then cruel that he should avoid Baals and publique Feasts which do abase the Personages of Officers that in the shameful faults of Noblemen he should be severe against the Delinquents person not touching upon the honour of his Family that he should many times rather wink at carnal faults then seem over desirous to punish them that by wisely appearing pleased he should rather make the world believe that his subjects were good then make them become such through rigour for those that boast they have hanged I know not how many hundred men in their Governments glory in their infamy The XLII ADVERTISEMENT Aâ—…gus makes proffer of himself to the Dukes of Venice to guard the Virginity of their illustrious Commonwealth and his offer is not accepted ARGUS never had any imployment in Pernassus till now since he proved so unfortunate in watching fair Io for though many great Princes would by large salaries have hired him to guard their Ladies honour he hath always refused to take upon him the care of any Ladies reputation having clearly found in Io's unfortunate business that women when they are lewdly inclined or are strongly solicited are not to be secured no not by a thousand Argusses Yet of late days being very needy he offered himself to Andrea Gritti and other Princes of the Venetian State to guard their beautiful liberty so as he might be well paid for his pains and he would bind himself to keep continually ninety eight of his hundred eyes awake to watch over that illustrious Princess Argus was graciously listened unto by Gritti and the rest of the Dukes of Venice who first presented him with a purse full of many millions of Crowns which they said they gave him for the good will that they found in him but that they had no need of his ayd in this affair for their liberty needed not his hundred eyes to guard her honour her own chaste inclination being sufficient to do it assisted by the six eys by the vigilant and dreadful Magistracy of the three State-Inquisitors who wrought so by the sword of justice which they did continually brandish over the heads of the Libenus as that their Liberty though she be exceeding fair was looked upon with chast eyes even by the most ambitiously lustful and coveted with a perfect Platonick love The XLIII ADVERTISEMENT The Florentines in their pastime called the Calcio admit of a Spruce Forreign Courtier who wins the Prize THe Noble Florentines plaid the last Tuesday at the Calcio in the Phebean field which all the Litterati of Pernassus came to see and though some to whom it was a new sight to see many of those Florentine Gentlemen fall to down right cuffs said that that manner of proceeding in that which was but play and sport was too harsh and not severe enough in a real combat yet the Vertuosi took delight to see it for many praised the Gamesters swift running their nimble leaping and their strength others were very well pleased with the invention of the Game which was very good to breed up youth to run leap and wrastle and many believed this to be the cause why it was instituted in that formerly so famous Commonwealth but the quicker sighted Politicians argued from the going together by ears of those young Florentines that some great mysterie lay concealed in that sport for that Common-wealths are fuller of intestine hatred and hidden ranchor of spirit then are Monarchies by reason of the continual flocking to Magistrates and frequent denials which are given to Senators of such places as they desire receiving doubtlesly more distastes thereby one from another then is observed to fall out between people who live in a Monarchy and it being impossible but that some violent passion of anger must burst forth in a liberty full of distastes the Politicians affirmed That the Common-wealth of Florence had done very well and wisely in introducing the Calcio amongst her Citizens to the end that having the satisfaction of giving four or five good round buffets in the face to those to whom they bare ill will by way of sport they might the better afterwards appease their anger An evaporation which if it should be had upon another occasion by
a very ssight occasion is appeased by Apollo YEsterday about eight of the clock a great alarm was sounded in the Gramarian Quarters which made all the Vertuosi run to see what the matter might be and they found that the Schoolmasters Panegyrical writers and Commentarors were fallen so foully together by the ears in Brigadoes as there was much ado to part them The dispute which arose between them was Whether the word Consumptum were to be written with a P or onely with a T. Apollo was much troubled at this dispute not onely for the mean cause of the quarrel but for that Paulus Manutius vvho vvas thought to be a chief actor in this brabble hit Lambino in the face vvho stifly maintained the contrary opinion with a Roman stone vvhereon Consumptum vvas vvritten vvith a P vvherevvith he broke his nose Apollo vvho vvas at first much incensed at the Pedanticks mean folly vvas so highly scandalized at this nevv excess as he commanded the Pretor Urbano to rid Parnassus of that Sottish crevv of Pedants But aftervvards at the intreaties of Cicero Quintillian and others of the chiefest Literati of this Court vvho interceded for those bravvling people saying That those Pedanticks could not fall out for any matter of moment vvho vvere onely acquainted vvith slight affairs his Majestie vvas appeased The LV. ADVERTISEMENT For remeady of many disorders which are found in History a General Assembly of Historians being summoned Apollo publisheth a severe Edict against them and many Historians are reprehended for their errors THe General Assembly of all Historians vvhich vvas intimated some moneths ago by the Censors by express order from Apollo to meet in Delos vvas ended tvvo days ago much to his Maj. satisfaction by reason of the excellent orders that therein vvere established in a business wherein the eternal Fame of those things consist which are composed by gallant men This caused the more general content in all the Vertuosi for that modern Writers have strayed far from those laws which they devoutly promised to observe when they took the oath of Historians before Apollo and because the importance of the business doth deserve it Menante will not grudge to give you the very Edict which was published yesterday morning in his Majesties name by the sound of Trumpet in the Market places and afterwards posted upon all the Colledge gates of this State We Phoebus by the Grace of God Emperor of the fixed Stars King of Planets Prince of the Zodiack Duke of Light Marquis of Generation and Earl of all visible things To all our faithful Vertuosi and well-beloved Literati health We having much to our displeasure found that many modern Historians have much wandred from that way of truth which was walked in to the publique good of others and their private honor by our faithful Pen-men Dionysius Livy Salust Tacitus and many others to the end that future Ages which do so eagerly read History may be sure to find truth from the pens of faithful Writers and not be abused by lies given out unto them by flattering and malicious ignorant Historians do by this our Edict which is to continue for ever call into the memory and give notice to all those who undertake the noble work to eternize by their writings the actions of famous men that they must always remember that being to write not to the present but to those that are to come they publish writings full of that Historical truth which renders the names of sincere Pen men glorious and eternal to future ages And that they should value the blame and threats of such as are justly taxed for their unworthy actions but as dung there being no more woful folly then continually to labor with pen in hand how to shame themselves by writing falsehoods without any advantage to those whom they flatter declaring that to publish false Histories is to assassinate the Vertuosi who read them And therefore our will and pleasure is That those who run into so enormous excesses be irremissably punish'd by the like assassination And because it is apparent that Princes have arrogated so much authority even over the free pens of Historians as not to suffer any thing to be written of them though it be true which is not fully to their satisfaction a pretension which hath so banished historical truth from the pens of writers as the great wits of our choicest Vertuosi being frighted by the base fawnings whereby modern Princes will be flattered the weighty imployment of writing History reserved onely for the choicest Pen-men is now adays to the great shame of the present age and infinite damage of the future fallen in the hands of ignorant people We therefore by reason of this foul disorder are forced to put Princes in mind That their Authority ceasing with their lives they are fools if they believe they are able after their deaths to hinder our Vertuosi from writing the truth of their actions to future times And we do more particularly advertise the same Princes That their valliant carrying of themselves in affairs which require freedom is the cause why our faithful Historians esteeming themelves offended by so much severity out of meer rage of revenge after he lives of such Emperors write rather Invectives then Histories as the Emperors Tiberius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 have to their great shame â—…ound And to obviate the great inconvenience occasioned by their ignorance who in these modern times do 〈◊〉 the worth of History by their Sottish writings oâ—… will and pleasure is and we do expresly command That hereafter no man of what degree oâ—… condition soever he be shall dare to write History unless he be first approved of for purity of language by Iulius Caesar for â—…ence by Livy for policy by Tacitus for the good understanding of Princes interest by Guicchardin And more over under pain of perpetual infamy we do expresly prohibit for the future the writing particular Histories of any whatsoever City unless it be the Metropolis of some Empire Kingdom or great Province And this we do to the end that the precious jewel of Time be not mispent in mean things both by him that writes and by him that reads And for the same reason we ordain That it shall not be lawful for any writer to publish the life of any Commander unless he have commanded in chief in some Armies or had deserved his pay twenty times told won some Provinces besieged and taken some strong holds and have sought two set battels at least in open fields And to take away all abuses that may be committed by ambitious men we declare That those whose lives any one shall undertake to write have the same requisite parts as were in Bellisarius in Narsetes in Godfrey of Bullen in Alexander Fernese And to rid the world as much as may be of a certain arrogant Ambition which is known to reign in many we likewise command That it be not lawful to write any particular History of any
De bono Libertatis Of the which as it appeared in his process he was so capital an enemy as that he was the chiefest cause why the Emperor Charls the fifth did inslave many famous Common-wealths of Europe Apollo having heard the relation decreed That Parenotto should be banished Pernassus for ever as he who had impudently gain-said the Delfick Edict wherein the Litterati are strictly forbidden to write of such things whereof they do not make publike profession For that the vertues of Sobriety Chastity and other honorable moral Sciences were made ridiculous when celebrated by men given to lust and gluâ—…ony and to other vices As if such vertues had not power I enough to drive vice from out the souls of men and in lieu thereof to introduce good and honest life and as if it were 〈◊〉 which wicked men whisper continually up and down the streets that the Liberal Sciences are onely learnt to be made merchandise of and to make men understand them but neither believe nor practise them Perenotto's cause being over an unfortunate Doctor of Law was brought loaded with irons before Apollo who was imprisoned for that not being onely a very excellent Advocate but very skilful in all other choice Sciences either blinded by folly or contaminated by lewdness of mind he from being a gainful Advocate in his Countrey and a well reputed Litterato was become a shameful and wretched Souldier changing by so unhappy a Metamorphosis his pen into a sword his book into harquebuses the defending of men with his mouth to killing them with daggers and the reading of good discipline in a famous University into the desperate exercise of assaulting strong holds Apollo being very much offended with so undeserving a man in much anger said unto him Ah thou Traytor and Rebel to Learning knowest thou not that the woful exercise of war is onely fit for such ignorant people who like so much unuseful flesh are onely good for the â—…bles of war and altogether unworthy to be followed by those to whom their deserving parents have left the rich and honourable patrimony of the Liberal Sciences which some Princes have prohibited in their States for no other reason but that they open the eyes of the blind and enlighten the souls of foolish people making them know the cunning and imposturism which the Princes of the world have used to make an occupation seem profitable and honourable which is so much to be abhorr'd And this being said his Majestie gave sentence That that Doctor should for ever be inhibited admittance into any Library that he should be forbidden the contentments of writing and reading and that for the example of others he should be declared to be ignorant The unifortunate Doctor hearing so sad a sentence pleaded loud for mercy and said That his error not having proceeded out of malice but out of meer ignorance he was a subject fit for his Majesties pitty and that it was not the desire of riches nor the thirsting after mans blood which had made him gird the sword about him and betake him to the mysterie of war but onely that he might purchase glory thereby Apollo was then more incensed and replyed unto the Doctor thus And what glory thou wicked one couldst thou hope for by the unhappy practice of killing men of plundering Countreys burning Cities deflowering Virgins and in murthering them that thou mayest make them consent to so barbarous dishonesty knows thou not that my Litterati are those that with their pen eternize the names of military men knowest thou not that all gloâ—…y won by the sword uniess when taken up for Religion or for the defence of a mans Countrey is false Alchimy and merchandize fit onely for hair-brained fools When the honour which my Vertuosi win by their learning and by handling their pen is always the purest refined gold which will bear the Test. The Doctors cause having received this end Giovan Giorgio Tressino that famous Vicentian Poet came before Apollo and throwing himself down before his feet said Sir Your Majestie knows that unfortunate I to amend the many Inconveniences which are in the Italian Tongue even to this day was the first who when I published my Poem of Italia Liberaia endeavoured to bring the Omicron Eupselon Omega and other Greek Letters which I thought very requisite for that language into my own Tongue so to shun the frequent equivocations which are evidently seen therein for want of such letters in which enterprize having been at great charges I contracted those debts for which I am now imprisoned for men who by natural instinct Veteribus etiam quae â—…sus evidenter arguit stare malunt did not approve of this my new Invention And unless your Majestie put in betwixt my misery and my Creditors rage I who have taken such pains for the service of Learning am like to end my days in the stench of this loathsom Prison Apollo was very sensible of Tressino's misery and asked him Whether he was in case to pay his Creditors any moneys by the moneth To which Tressino answered He could not assign over unto them more then five Crowns a moneth Which Apollo turning towards the Creditors desired them to be contented with But they who would have the whole sum answered discourteously And Apollo asking them Whether or no they were so inhumane as to be paid by the price of blood The Merchants with their wonted incivility answered That he must either resolve to pay the whole debt or that parting with his personal estate he should according to the Laws made against Bankrupts wear a green hat and they vvould be satisfied Apollo was so very angry at this their inhumanity as rising up upon his feet and turning towards Tressino's Creditors Will you then said he be paid by this Vertuoso's shame and loss of honor What Law is that which you alledge which will have men forgo their reputation without which they are not worthy to live and if even amongst the most barbarous Nations which inhabit the earth there be no Law found that a man shoul lose his life for debt how can there be a Law in my State where all exquisiteness of Law is professed which bereaves a man of his honor which is much more dear to man then life What crueller wilde beast can there be what more venemous Asp or Viper then he who regards not his reputation good Lavvs and such as ought to be obeyed do never disrobe a man of his honor but love that those who vvant it should by all means possible endeavor the purchase thereof that they should covet it more then any earthly Treasure and set a greater valuation upon it The Creditors mightily affrighted at these words ran from the Visitation Whereupon Cressino somewhat encouraged told Apollo That if his Majestie would endow him vvith a povver of making Knights he vvas sure his Creditors vvould take the honor of Knighthood from him in full payment of his debts Apollo at the
60. A Literato desires of Apollo the Art of Memory for which he is laught at by his Majesty 118 Advert 61 Juvenâ—…l refuseth a challenge given him by Francisco Berni to contend with him in Satyrical Poetry 119 Advert 62. Domitio Corbulone being severely prosecuted by the Quarantia Criminale a Venetian Magistracy consisting of forty men for some words spoken by him in his Government of Pindo which were formerly declared by Apollo's publick Edict to be Tyrannical is at last acâ—…uitted with much praise 121 Advert 63. The Chaire of private Tranquillity being void by Diogenes the Cynicks promotion to a higher degree Apollo offers it to the famous â—…hilosopher Crates who refuseth it 122 Advert 64. Many people having wasted themselves in keeping great Tables and going gloriously attired desire their Princes to make a Pragmatical Law for the moderation of such expences but obtain not their suit 123 Advert 64. Johannes Bodinus presents Apollo with his six Books of his Commonwealth wherein it being found that he approves of Liberty of Conscience he is sentenced to be burn'd 124 Advert 65. Apollo punisheth a Poet severely for having been so desperate as to blaspheme 129 Advert 66. The Vertuosi of Pernassus visit the Temple of Divine Providence whom they thank for the great charity which she hath shewn to mankind 130 Advert 67. The most excellent Paolo Peruta by order from Apollo declares in the publick Politick Schools what the genuine signification is of that Precept in Policy That to Reigne securely the people must be kept under ib. Advert 68. A Noble born Laconick Senator having committed a great fault the Duke of Laconia thinks it wisdom to pass by it 132 Advert 69. Andrea Alciati finding himself injuriously persecuted in his place of Magistracy flies for help to Apollo but finds none 133 Advert 70. â—…he Lady Victoria Colonna begs of Apollo in name of all the Feminine Sex that such married men as are Adulterers may suffer the like infamy as unchast wives do 135 Advert 71. Cesar having taxed Marcus Brutus of ingratitude in a full Assembly of great Personages they challenge one another 136 Advert 72. Certain subjects desire their Princes that the infinite multitude of Laws which they live under may be reduced to a lesser number and that the Governors of Provinces may be forbidden to publish every day new Proclamations 139 Advert 73. The Vertuosi of Italy beg of Apollo that Philosophy may be treated on in the Italian Tongue and are denied their request 141 Advert 74. Apollo shews unto his Literati the true meaning of the Latine Sentence Homo longus raro sapiens A tall man is seldom wise Advert 75. The Ruota di Parnasso having decided a Point in difference between the Military men and the Literation the Military mens behalf are aware of their error and withdraw their Sentence 143 Advert 76. Aristotle being besieged in his Countrey-House by many Princes is by them forced to revoke his Definition of a Tyrant 144 Advert 77. By Order from Apollo a general Reformation of the world is published by the seven Wise men of Greece and by the other Literati 146 Advert 78. Apollo hearing of the happy alliance of the two illustrious daughters of Charls Emanuel with the two Noble Princes of Mantua and Modena commands that extraordinary demonstrations of joy be made throâ—…ghout his whole Dominions 162 Advert 79. The antient Commonwealth of Rome and the Modern Veneâ—…ian Liberty argue together wâ—…at the true rewards of honour be by which well ordered Commonwealths do acknowledge the worth of their well-deserving Senators 164 Advert 80. The people of Lesbos after Cornelius Tacitus ran away from them chuse Anna Momorancy by Apollos appointment for their Prince 167 Advert 81. The excellent Bâ—…lognian Physitian Jovanni Zecca sels in Pernassus the true Antidote againâ—… the French Pox. 168 Advert 82. The Literati of Parnassus do with great solemnity celebrate the Holy day dedicated to the laudable Lawrel-Leaves 169 Advert 83. Apollo having highly commended the King of Spains Decree That no Advocates nor Proctor should go into the Indies The Doctors of Law quarrel grievously with his Majesty for it 171 Advert 84. The chiefest Literati of Pernassus desire Apollo that Tacitus may re-compose those Books of his Annals and Histories which are lost 172 Advert 85. Apollo being advertised that ignorant men took up arms against Learning puts himself in posture to defend his Verâ—…uosi 173 Advert 86. Justus Lipsius to make amends for his fault in having accused Tacitus is so intent thereupon as he is accused before Apollo to have idolatrized him for which after a seigned punishment he is at last praised and admired by his Majesty 175 Advert 87. The Queen of Italy being much intreated by her chiefest Princes and by Apollo's self to pardon the injuries done by those Italian Commanders who took up arms against her in assistance of Forreign Nations denies to do it 171 Advert 88. The whole generation of sheep send their publike Ambassadors to Apollo by whom they make their desires known that they may be aâ—…d to have sharp teeth and long horns and their desire is laughed at by his Majesty 173 Advert 89. Nicholas Machiavel being banished Pernassus upon pain of death was found hidden in a friends Library for which his former sentence of being burn'd was executed 175 Advert 90. Apollo visits the Prisons and in his visitation dispatches the causes of many Literati accused of sundry faults and imprisoned for debt 177 Advert 91. A great Prince in discharge of a Vow that he had made carries a rich Vessel to the Temple which the Priest receiving with shew of great sadness the Prince desires the reason thereof and receives satisfaction 188 Advert 92. Apollo forbids the Shepherds of Arcadia to fatten hogs any more and being earnestly intreated to revoke that his Decree denies it 189 Advert 93. It being observed that Pero Trasea in company of his son in Law Elvidius Priseo frequented the houses of the chiefest Poetesses of Pernassus he is severely reprehended for it by Apollo ib. Advert 94. A chief Senator of Poland whilst he corrects another Senator who is a friend of his is made aware that he himself is he who goes astray and needs amendment 191 Advert 95. A controversie arising between the Governors of Pindo and of Libetro in point of Iurisdiction Apollo punisheth them both 192 Advert 96. Apollo sentenceth Hanibal Caro to pay his forfeited security for the wounds which he gave Castelvetro 193 Advert 97. Dante Aligieri being assaulted by night in his Countrey-house and ill used by some disguised Vertuosi is relieved by the great French Ronsard 194 Advert 98. All the Princes of the world beseech Apollo that he will insert into their people the love of their Countrey 195 Advert 99. Apollo makes a general hunting of Pismires and Tortoises as being both of them beasts of evil example to mankind 196 Advert 100. Apollo refuseth to receive a Censure presented
him by a Literato which was made upon the Poem of an Italian Vertuosi A TABLE Of the CONTENTS of the Second CENTURY of ADVERTISEMENTS ADVERT 1. THe Province of Phosides doth by her Ambassadors complain to Apollo that his Majesties Officers do not any whit observe their priviledges and are not only not listened to in what they do say but receive a harsh answer 199 Advert 2. Apollo makes use of the unfortunate Count St Paul to frighten the Nobility in Kingdoms from rebelling against their natural Lords at the pressure of forreign Princes 200 Advert 3. Great Euclid for having distasted some powerfull men is cruelly beaten by their Bravoes 201 Advert 4. In a Duel which hapned between an Italian Poet and a Vertuosi of Spain the Spaniard being wounded to death did so gallant an action before he expired as Apollo gave order that he should be solemnly buried at the publick charge ibid. Advert 5. Apollo having used great diligence to come by any of the Idols of Princes proceeds with severity against one who fell inâ—… the Iudges power 203 Advert 6. All the Monarchies of the world affrighted at the over-great power and successful proceedings of the German Commonwealths consult in a general Diet how to keep themselves from being in time oppressed by them 205 Advert 7 The people of Phosides treating how they might rise in Rebellion by reason of the Relation which their Ambassadors made unto them who were formerly sent to Apollo to pray hat their priviledges might be observed the remedy fittest to be applyed to such a disorder is discussed in his Majesties Council 219 Adver 8. A great controversie arising in point of precedency between the Prince of Bisagnano and Dr. Juliano Corbelli of St Marino Apollo refers the consideration thereof to the Congregation of Ceremonies by which it is decided 220 Advert 9. Apollo publisheth a very severe Edict against some Literati who under a cloke of feigned picty cover downright avarice 221 Advert 10. The City Pretor or chief Iustice of Pernassus complains bitterly before Apollo of the Triumviri a Magistracy newly instituted by his Majesty that in an Edict of theirs published against Minius and other Ministers of Princes obscenities they have violated his Iurisdiction 222 Advert 11. The Inhabitants of Phocides fall into open rebellion by reason that the Priviledges of their Country â—…re not observed by Apollo's Officers they are pacified by a Senator and send new Ambassadors to his Majesty 223 Advert 12. Whilst some Poets paralleld the greatness of Rome with that of Naples a dangerous dispute arose between them Apollo to the end that his Vertuosi might know what to say and believe in a business of such importance commits the cause to the Rota of Pernassus who decide it 226 Advert 13. Theodoricus that famous King of Italy having oft-times prest very much to be admitted into Pernassus is a waies denied by Apollo for a very important reason 227 Advert 14. Apollo according to his usual custom of the first day of every month hears the Petitions of such as desire to be admitted into Pernassus 228 Advert 15. At a publick meeting Force contrary to the custom of the Plebeian Court pretending to take place of Reputation that beautiful Lady with excellent resolution finds a remedy for her reputation which was in great hazard 246 Advert 16. Giovan Francisco Pico Count of Mirandola that he might the more quietly attend his studies entreats Monsignor Dino da Mugello Auditor of the Exchequer in Pernassus that the Reformers by reason of the too great noise which they alwaies make in their profession may be removed further from his neighbourhood and is not heard in his desire 247 Advert 17. Tacitus being excluded from out of the most famous Commonwealths of Europe makes a grievous complaint to Apollo and is by them with much honour received again and much made of 249 Advert 18. The blindman of Forli that famous Italian Mountebank being to the wonder of all the Senat of Vertuosi admitted by Apollo into Pernassus is by his Majesty put upon an imployment of importance 250 Advert 19. Luigi Alemanni having in an elegant Oration set forth the praises of the French Nation repented that his action afterward and desired leave of Apollo to make his Recantation but was not permitted so to do 252 Advert 20. Corbulone having with much honour ended his prefixt time of Government in Pindo a Patent to continue the same Iurisdiction for one year longer is graciously sent him by Apollo which he refuseth to accept of 253 Advert 21 Sebastian Veneri Duke of Venice after his admittance into Pernassus desires Apollo that he may have the precedency given him before Hereditary Kings and Monarchs and obtains a favourable Decree from his Majesty 254 Advert 22. Apollo being greatly moved to compassion by seeing a poor souldier who had lost both his hands in the Wars go a begging doth sharply reprehend Princes for their ingratitude to Military men 256 Advert 23. Apollo greatly compassionating the lamentable shipwrack which his Vertuosi make in great Princes Courts to secure their Navigation commands some of the chief Literati of his State to make a Card whereby men may sail by land 257 Advert 24. Ariadeno Barbarossa being driven by a sudden storm splits upon the Scogli Cursolari and Maturino Romagasso Captain of the Guard of the Gulf of Lepanto endeavours his escape when he might have taken him prisoner 262 Advert 25. Epictetus a Stoick Philosopher who finding his Sect to grow much deformed asks leave of Apollo to ground a new Sect of Reformed Stoicks and is rather reprehended by his Majesty then commended 263 Advert 26. The Nobility of the Commonwealth of Achaia not being able any longer to indure the insolency of the Commons who Governed the State send Ambassadors to Apollo to obtain a Prince who may Govern them and receive a gracious answer 265 Advert 27. Apollo having for a just cause removed Gulielmo Budeo from the Lord Treasures place confers the aforesaid place upon Diego Covarruvia a Noble Spanish Literato and Dean of the College of the Grand Sages of this Court though he was much gainsaid therein by the French Monarchy 266 Advert 28. Monsieur Jovanni de la Casa having presented Apollo with his most useful Galateo meets with great difficulties in many Nations in having it observed 269 Advert 29. Apollo finding that wicked men by making use of the sword of Iustice to injure honest men do make his Tribunals become very hatefull to remedy so great a disorder institutes a Committee of the greatest subjects of this State but hath but bad success therein 272 Advert 30. Marcus Brutus desires Lucius Brutus to shew him the perfections of the Conspiracy which he so happily brought to pass against the Tarquins and the Imperfections of that Conspiracy which he so miserably executed upon Cesar. And receives desired satisfaction from him 273 Advert 31. Marcus Cato having to the infinite dislike of Princes writ
the word Libera underneath the Motto Pugna pro Patria which was set upon his Gate is commanded by Apollo to put it out 275 Advert 32. Socrates being found dead in the morning on his bed Apollo useth all possible diligence to learn the true reason of so sudden a death 276 Advert 33. The Hereditary Princes in Parnassus do very much press Apollo that the Emperor Tiberius may be removed from their Classis and placed in that of Tyrants and he defends his cause victoriously before his Majesty 277 Advert 34. Hippocrates having advised Apollo how to prevent the frequent deaths of sick folks occasioned through the ignorance of Physicians and proving unfortunate in that his advice is in great danger of being severely punished by his Majesty 282 Advert 35. Francisco Mauro a Noble Italian Poet having married the most vertuous Lady Laura Terecino is soon after jealous of her and kils her 284 Advert 36. Thais that famous Curtizan of the Comick Poets is at last though after much debate admitted into Pernassus who much to Apollo's satisfaction tels what good she hopes to bring to his Court 286 Advert 37. The Ambassadors of the Province of Marca being sent to this Court in a publick Audience complain unto his Majesty of an unfortunate affair which hath befalne his Inhabitants of that Province for which Apollo provides sufficient remedy with singular demonstration of true love and affection 289 Advert 38. Gonzalvo Ferrante Cordova desires Apollo that the Title of Magno or Great may be confirmed unto him and instead of being granted his request receâ—…ves a very u satisfactory answer 290 Advert 39. Many of the French Nobility intreat their Monarchy that according as the Nobility of Commonwealths doe it may be lawfull for them to use Merchandizing and are by her shamefully denied 293 Advert 40. The Honourable Title of Messere being faln into a miserable condition is shamefully driven out of the Kingdom of Naples and not being received into Rome as it is thought it should be for its last refuge hath its recourse to Apollo who assignes it a very satisfactory abode 295 Advert 41. The Censors of Pernassus having by order from Apollo published a rigorous Edict against Hypocrites are forced to moderate it by reason of a weighty particular discovered unto them by Plato 296 Advert 42. The Immense bulk of the Ottoman Empire which was thought by the wise men to be everlasting doth now of it self so destroy it self as it threatens present ruine 297 Advert 43. The Prince of Helicon desires by an Ambassador of his from Apollo the priviledg of ordaining birthright amongst the Nobles of his State which his Majesty denies to grant 298 Advert 44. The Duke of Alva being accused of cruelty for having with exquisite deligence caused two of the prime subjects of his new Principality of Achaia to be imprisoned slain and afterwards secretly buried in their very prisons defends himself stoutly before Apollo 301 Advert 45. A chief subject of the Province of Macedonia being hired by the Prince of Epire at a great salary when he came to know the right cause why that Pension was given him doth magnanimously refuse it 303 Advert 46. The tenth of June is observed as a sad and mournful day in Pernassus in memory of the unfortunate loss of the Decads of Titus Livy 304 Advert 47. Apollo having appointed Hospitals to every Nation for their fools puts down that of Florence by reason of the few fools that are found amongst the Florentines and adds the revenue thereof to the Lombards Hospital which by reason of the greater number of fools that flock thither was run far in Arrears 305 Apollo's Sea-Captains having in one of their Assemblies made many useful Decrees for their Militia his Majesty orders that they be made known to Courtiers and commands the punctual observancy of them 306 Advert 49. Natalis Comes an Historian is severely punished by Apollo for having said somewhat in an Assembly of the Literati which did hainously offend his Majesty 307 Advert 50. The chief Monarchies of Europe and Asia which now reside in Pernassus fall sick at one and the same instant and not being to be cured by Esculapius Hippocrates or any other able Physician they are restored to their health by a skilful Farrier ib. Advert 51. The Achaians being much incensed against the Duke of Alva for his cruel proceeding against their two Chieftains take up arms and drive him out of their State 309 Advert 52. An Italian Gentleman for having lost much bloud in the service of a great Prince is honoured by him with a Noble Order of Knighthood who being but slightly esteemed of by those of his own Countrey asks Apollo by what reasons he may satisfie those his deriders that he was the more richly rewarded in that he was paid in honour and not in Gold or Silver 311 Advert 53. Apollo finding that his having allowed the use of the 80 part of one grain of hypocrisie to his Vertuosi had wrought very bad effects does not only recall that his favour by publick Edict but thunders out exceeding severe punishments against hypocrites 312 Advert 54. Guiccardine having spoken many things prejudicial to the reputation of the Marquiss of Piscara in an Assembly of divers Vertuosi that renowned Commander doth sufficiently justifie himself before Apollo 314 Advert 55. The Duke of Alva being accused of cruelty for having with exquisite diligence caused two of the prime subjects of his new Principality of Achaia to be imprisoned slain and afterwards secretly buried in their very prisons defends himself stoutly before Apollo 301 Advert 55. Giovan Francisco Pico not being able to reconcile the differences between Plato and Aristotle Apollo commands those two great Philosophers to end the business in a publick Disputation and being therein obey'd they do not notwithstanding part friends 319 Advert 56. Gonsalvo Ferrante Cordua not having obtained the confirmation of his desired Title of Magnus from the reverend College of Historians demands another place in Pernassus of Apollo from whence he is likewise excluded 321 Advert 57. A Barque loaded with inventors of new grievances running shipwrack upon the shore of Lepanto his Majesty treats them well though he do greatly abominate such like men 323 Advert 58. By Letters intercepted which were sent by an express from some Princes to the Lake of Avernus people come to know that the enmities whâ—…ch are seen to reign in the Nations of the world are occasioned by the cunning of their Princes 324 Advert 59. The Prince of the Laconicks Nephew bâ—…ing after his Uncles death to return to a private Fortune shews no well composed minde in making so dangerous a passage 326 Advert 60. Antonio Perez of Aragon having presented Apollo with his Book of Relations his Majesty does not only refuse to receive it but commands it to be presently burn'd 328 Advert 61. Apollo to afford pastime to his Literati makes two useful Scenes be represented upon Melpomene's Theatre in
Majestie that the fundamental Principles of all Academies being excellently good and vertuous the Schollers were at first very studious and diligent in their disputations and all other learned exercises but that this so ardent desire of knowledge did with time so cool in them as also those vertuous exercises that whereas at first Academies were frequented by privat men and held in great reputation by Princes in process of time they grew so forsaken and despised as they had often to the great discouragement of Learning been inhibited as proving rather prejudicial than advantagious And that though many remedies had been applyed to this evil yet none of them had procured the desired operation Wherefore the Italian Academies being much devoted to his Majestie were forced to have recourse to him whom they did humbly beseech that he would be pleased to give them some preservative Medicine against so great corruption These Commissioners were very graciously received and listened to by Apollo who recommended the business to the Reformers of Learning To whom when the Commissioners came they found them so imployed in the important business which they are perpetually troubled with di far delle sancie fuse with making much of nothing as that they excused themselves as not being then at leasure to attend that business Wherefore the Commissioners returned again to Apollo who referred them to the Regio Collateral where the Academies demands were often disputed and discust and yesterday they had for their last answer That all those Gentlemen after much debate and proposals were at last resolved that the saying was true that Omnia orta occidunt aucta senesâ—…unt Wherefore it was impossible to prevent but that a pair of shooes how neat and spruce soever they were at the first should in process of time become torne and ilfavoured That therefore the lovers of Learning should be very diligent in suddenly suppressing whatsoever Academy had swarved too farr from the good Rules of its first Institution and at the same time found new ones to the end that the world little to the credit of the Vertuosi might not be full of unprofitable Academies but might alwaies enjoy the benefit which it receives from good ones The Fifteenth ADVERTISEMENT Anneus Seneca being accused before Apollo of two fowle Vices which were commonly found in all the Sects of Moral Philosophers doth excellently well defend his own Cause and the like of his Associates THe last night to the infinite wonder of all the Vertuosi in Parnassus Anneus Seneca that Prince of Moral Philosophers and one so well beloved by his Majestie was made prisoner various were the discourses which so great a novelty occasioned Some thought that it might be for that his Majestie would have him give a very particular account to the world by what Philosphical precepts he had in so short a time of his serving Nero gotten the worth of seven millions and a half by which so great riches he had cast so fowle a shame upon that poverty and upon that moderation of mind which in his writings he had made so particular profession of A thing so much the more scandalous as by the testimony of many Historians it plainly appeared he had been a frequent cheater of Legacies which he had fowlly extorted from wealthy men Others said that he was imprisoned for the Adultery which some will not stick to say he committed with Agrepina and many were of opinion that it was for having been cause of the Pysonian Conspiracy against Nero wherein it was firmly held that Seneca had not only a hand but that he had so fowlly given himself over to ambition as after so great a fault committed he had suffered himself to be perswaded he might become Emperor Nor were there wanting those who constantly affirmed that Apollo was exceeding angly with this Philosopher for that Nero himself had confest that the wicked Paracide which he had committed was not only done by Sencca's knowledge but by his perswasion not out of any love he bore to his Master but to make him commit so horrid a wickedness that he might ascertain his own so unexhaustable riches which he had accumulated to his own shame and his Masters prejudice But after his examination Seneca found that not only he but all his fellow moral Philosophers were accused for having very much scandalized all men by two fowl vices which they are given unto above above all other men to wit of being revengefull and ingratefull T is said that Seneca acknowledged these accusations to be true but that he nor the rest of moral Philosophers ought not to be blamed for what was laid to their charge since even thereby their goodness did manifestly appear for good men never offend any and consequently since they gave no occasion of being injured it ought not to be held strange if they were more mindfull of injuries received then other men it being common amongst men that they know not how to pardon injuries who best know they never deserved them And that likewise for ingratitude which moral Philosophers were daily seen to use towards their benefactors it was no blockishness in them as was every where affirmed by their illwillers but that therein the candor and great goodness of their souls was clearly discern'd For moral Philosophers being guided in all their actions by their very cautious souls did know by the instinct of Nature that all the good and graces which they in this world did receive from men did proceed from the all-powerful hand of God it was therefore no wonder that they did not own them from men The Sixteenth ADVERTISEMENT Ambassadors are sent from the Colledg of Gardners to Apollo to obtain some Instrument from him whereby they might without any cost or charge cleanse their Gardens of all improfitable hearbs and are laught at by his Majestie AMbassadors from all the Gardners of the world are come to this Court who have acquainted his Majestie that were it either from the bad conditions of their seed the naughtiness of the soyle or from the evil celestial influences so great abundance of weeds grew up in their Gardens as not being any longer able to undergoe the charges they were at in weeding them out and of cleansing their Gardens they should be forced either to give them over or else to inhaunce the price of their Pompions Cabiges and other hearbs unless his Majestie would help them to some Instrument by means whereof they might not be at such excessive charge in keeping their Gardens His Majestie did much wonder at this the Gardners foolish request and being full of indignation answered their Ambassadors that they should tell those that sent them that they should use their accustomed manual Instruments their spades and mathooks for no better could be found nor wished for and cease from demanding such impertinent things The Ambassadors did then couragiously reply that they made this request being moved thereunto by the great benefit which they saw his
had Audience given him yesterday by Apollo To whom he said That he was much disquieted in his mind by reason of divers injuries which he had received from â—…undry of his ill-wishers in a great Prince his Court Dove le persecutio 〈◊〉 sâ—…â—…ssercitano coâ—… artificii di â—…essanta Caraâ—… where persecutions are exercised cunningly and to an excessive height and the more for that he could not be revenged without pulling greater ruine upon himself then what his enemies had occasioned him and yet he found not that he had so vertuous a soul as to put on the generous resolution of pardoning offences Wherefore to free himself from the hellish torment which he continually lived in he addrest himself unto his Majesty humbly beseeching him that he would prescribe him som receit whereby he might cleanse his soul from the many passions of Hatred wherewith it was foully polluted Apollo appeared clearly to commisserate this Gentlemans unhappiness insomuch as he commanded a great bowl of the water of Lethe to be given him to drink so prepared as it should make hateful things be forgotten but should in no sort prejudice the remembrance of benefits received The Gentleman drunk up the water with much greediness which to the great wonder of all men was found to have the vertue onely of making him forget such injuries as he had received from men of a inferior fortune then he was and that those which he had received from his betters were rather more deeply graven in his mind then forgotten Whereupon many began to murmure that that vertue was not found in the Lethean waters which had been so much discourst of by the Poets When his Majestie did assertain them all that the waters of Lethe had as they should ever have the same vertue but that it had not wrought the desired effect in that Gentleman because men nobly born and of generous hearts did usually write injuries received from mean men in sand but over hand blows given by men of power in characters never to be blotted out for that it became Nobility to forget offences out of magnanimity not to pardon them out of necessity The XXVIII ADVERTISEMENT The Duke of Laconia is accused before Apollo to have Idolatrized a Favorite of his for having advanced a faithful Secretary to the highest State-preferments and he defends his cause excellently well THe now Duke of Laconia hath so highly exalted a subject of his for whom he hath a great affection from a low and mean fortune to the highest State-dignities as he hath not only admitted him into the Laconick Senat a preferment ambitiously coveted for the eminency thereof even by great Princes but having infinitely enriched him by giving him great revenues hath made him be as much honoured and respected as highly as any whatsoever Personage of the State This famous Duke was accused before Apollo some few days ago by those who did much envy the advancement of this his servant for idolatrizing a Favorite Apollo being highly incenst against this Prince for so hainous a fault without further informing himself as upon all occasions he is used to do of the truth of the impaachment sent immediately for Luigi Pulci Provost-Marshal of this State and threatned to punish him severely if he did not within half an hour bring the Duke of Laconia a prisoner unto him in the most shameful manner he could devise Pulci did diligently obey for he dragg'd that Prince along immediately before his Majestie loaded with irons Apollo who was presently advertised of this Attachment by an express Messenger gave order that the greatest bel should be rung whereby the Quarantia Criminale should be summoned which was done whither the Duke being brought Apollo having himself acquainted him with the fault which was laid to his charge told him in a very angry manner That he aforded him onely one half hours space to make his defence in And in the interim as if the Prince his case had been altogether desperate he commanded that he should be condemned to eternal infamy who having committed so foul an Indignity as to adore a servant of his own was not worthy to live amongst the vertuous Princes of the Phebean Court. The Duke began then thus to defend himself Most mighty Sir and Father of the Vertuosi I have so arm'd my conscience with the breast-plate of Innocency and have behaved my self so vertuously in all my actions as I am more then certain that I have never deserved ill at your Majesties hands nor am I any whit affrighted at your Majesties anger nor at this precipitate Judgment that the horrible sentence of my Infamy should precede the Cognizance of my cause I onely wonder to see what I thought never to have seen that the foulness of an Impeachment even in the justest of Tribunals as this is should be able so greatly to indanger the reputation of one of my condition But I rest pacified with Gods will who will have the gold of Innocency refined in the fire of Calumny by the Test of Persecution I freely confess unto your Majestie That I have exalted my Friend much more then my accusers have informed against me and in this my action which hath been made by relation to appear so hainous to your Majestie I am onely sorry that I have not shew'd my self so grateful to this my friend as his deserts challenge I should have been And if those who accuse me and other Princes of prodigallity of Giddy-headedness and of poorness of Spirit born to serve servants did not suffer themselves to be blinded with malice and envy when they see a Courtier greatly beloved and rewarded by his Master but would with an unbyassed mind consider the merits of Court Favorites they would stile that vertuous liberality which they now call Vicious Prodigallity those gifts the debt of Gratitude which they term inconsiderate actions and that a vertuous affection to which they attribute the Infamy of Idolatrizing Minions But it appertains not to common men to penetrate Abditos principis Sensus et si quid ocultius parant Tacit. lib. 6. Annal. into the secret of Princes Whence it falls out that ignorant men call Vertuous Gratitude the effect of an abject mind The Principality of Laconia as is very well known to your Majestie is elective wherein the neighbouring Princes have always had a greater stroke then he who was Governor not onely out of the common end of all elective Princes in procuring potent Friends to those of their blood after their own death but by reason of the adherence which Forreign Princes have for no small ends with such Senators as have the prerogative of chusing a new Prince whose followers they work upon by those means which are too well known to all men And your Majestie likewise knows that the Prince of Macedonia had by his subtilty got so great a Power in my State and was so far encreased in strength above all the Grecian Princes as he was not onely
more to say but declared that though Iuvinal baulked the quarrel he suffered not in his honour nor did he do any thing misbecoming an honourable Cavalier Poet for it was not Bernis wit that he feared but his corrupt times too unequal to those of Iuvinals The LXII ADVERTISEMENT Domitio Corbulone being severely prosecuted by the Quarantia Criminale a Venetian Magistracy consisting of forty men for some words spoken by him in his Government of Pindo which were formerly declared by Apollo's publick Edict to be Tyrannical Is at last acquited with much praise THe City of Pindo and all its large Territories being filled by great store of Murderers and dangerous factions by the too much lenity of some of its late Governors which did greatly anoy the peace of good men Apollo to curb the licentiousness of his most seditious Subjects by exemplary punishment sent severe Domitio Corbulone some two months ago to that Government Who so carried himself as in a short space the people of that State were reduced from mighty seditions into a peaceful condition And enquiring of some of his Confidents what the people thought of him they freely told him that his rigorous proceedings against many had so affrighted the Uuniversality as he was hated by all of them Corbulone was overjoyed at this answer and replyed to those his beloved friends in the well-known saying Oderint dum Metuant Let them hate provided they fear This was suddenly reported to Apollo as a capital fault His Majesty liked not this accusation and committed the examination thereof to the Quarantia Criminale for it had been long before published by a Decree from his Majesty That whatsoever Prince were he either legitimate natural or hereditary who should dare to use such insolent and rash words should be held and reputed an abominable Tyrant and that if any Officer should though at unawares let them escape his mouth he should suffer capital punishment Corbulone was therefore cited to appear before the Court which he did the next day where the cause was severely canvast by the Judges And whilst all the people of Parnassus expected to see some rigorous sentence pass upon Corbulone he was by his Majesties approbation gratiously absolved and sent back to his Government with more plenary Aurhority then before For the Judges declared That such words were abominable and altogether Tyrannical in Princes which have the means to be gratious but very honorable in an Officers mouth who hath nothing in his power but the detested lash of Justice That Prince being truely to be admired who could make himself be beloved by his Subjects and reverenced That Officer to be reputed very sufficient who had the genius to make himself be feared and obeyed The LXIII ADVERTISEMENT The Chair of privat Tranquillity being void by Diogenes the Cynicks promotion to a higher degree Apollo offers it to the famous Philosopher Crates who refuseth it THe Cynick Diogenes he who for so many years to the general advantage and his own particular glory had the publick Chair in these Schools wherein his Office was to praise Poverty Solitariness and Peace of mind By whose perswasion Atalus the very King of Treasures put on that admirable resolution of forgoing all his riches and become a Stoick in Parnassus was by reason of his great deserts exalted two months ago to the sublime Dignity of the Muses Arch-Flamming so as so noble a place being void his Majestie bestowed it upon the famous Crates who went yesterday to Apollo and contrary to all mens expectation refused so noble a Chaire saying that the charge of poverty and of the souls peace being greatly injured by Diogenes his promotion to that immense dignity he could not discharge his duty with that fervency with that purity and integrity of heart as the place required For the very first day that he should undertake the imployment he should necessarily be so puft up with ambition and should have so great a desire to obtain the same dignity which his Predecessor had obtained as would drive from out his mind though never so well composed that sincerity which makes an Orator speak from his heart not from his mouth and that the necessity of his ambition and his violent desire arose not from any vice but from that laudable zeal of reputation which is most intense in even the most mortified Vertuosi of Parnassus For if in process of time he should not receive the same honor from his Majsty as Diogenes had done the world would think that the whole had happened not by reason of his humility not for that he preferred a privat life before publick Magistracy quiet before business or poverty before riches but because his Majestie had not found such deserts in him as he had done in Diogenes So as having his soul perturbed by the violence of ambition he could not hope to reap any advantage by exagerating the praises of Humility the contempt of Riches and of the vanity of worldly Greatness it being impossible that any man should be so efficatiously eloquent as to be able to perswade others to that sort of life which the standers by must needs say was abhor'd by the perswader The LXIV ADVERTISEMENT Many people having wasted themselves in keeping great Tables and going gloriously attired desire their Princes to make a Pragmatical Law for the Moderation of such expences but obtain not their suit PEople subject to Princes who live in Parnassus learning by experience that luxury and vanity in apparel are so much increased as that there is no patrimony how great soever which may not be quite consumed in a short time by womens vanity and mens ambition and plainly seeing that bravery was grown to so great a height as a whole portion though very great was not sufficient to buy Jewels for a young maid that was to be married which was the cause why parents could not marry off their daughters It being likewise known that delicacies for the pallat were oflate years so prodigiously doted on as modern gormandizing hath quite ruined those Families which were made great by antient Parcemony They by joynt consent presented themselves all some few daies ago before their several Princes whom they earnestly desired that some remedy might be found out to prevent this their so apparent ruine All the Princes were very well pleased with this their peoples Petition and then it was that they knew it to be true what many have written That peremptory or pragmatical Laws ought only then to be published to the people when they themselves desire them For if they be inacted against their wils they seldom produce good effects the reason is because prodigality never frightens scapethrifts till they have been acquainted with the hideous and dreadful face of poverty All the Princes therefore by common consent caused many excellent pragmatical Laws to be made by understanding men wherein luxuriousness and superfluity being abridged nothing but decency was seen in apparel and men did eat
to Princes to love carrion and to imploy undeserving servant in places of greatest trust is so false as for the least Interest of State they neglect their brethren and wax cruel even against their own children so far are they from doting upon their servants in things wherein the welfare of their State lies Princes do not act by chance as many foolishly believe they do nor suffer themselves to be guided in their proceedings by their passions as we do but whatsoever they do is out of Interest and those things which to privat men appear errors and negligence are accurate politick Precepts All that have written of State-affairs freely confess that the best way to Govern Kingdoms well is to confer places of highest honour and dignity upon men of great merit and known worth and valor This is a truth very well known to Princes and though it be clearly seen that they do not observe it he is a fool that believes they do it out of carelessness I who have long studied a point of so great weight am verily perswaded that ignorant and raw men and men of no merit are preferred by Princes in conferring their chief Offices and honors before learned and deserving men not out of any fault in the Prince but I blush to say it through default of the Vertuosi I acknowledge that Princes stand in need of learned Officers and men of experienced valor But none of you will deny but that they likewise need men that are loyal and faithful And it is evident that if deserving men and men of worth and valor were but as faithful as they are able as gratefull as they are knowing we should not complain of the present disorders in seeing undeserving Dwarfs become great Giants in four daies space and should not bewail the wonder of seeing wild gourds in a short space overtop the best fruit-trees nor to see ignorance seated in the Chair of Vertue and folly in Vallors Tribunal 'T is common to all men to think much better of themselves then they deserve but the Vertuosi do presume so very much upon their own good parts as they rather pretend to add to the Princes reputation by having any honors conferred upon them then to receive credit themselves by his munificence and I have known many so foolishly blown up and inamored of their own worths as they have thought it a greater happiness for a Prince to have an occasion of honouring such a one then good luck for the other to meet with so liberal a Prince So as these men acknowledging all favours confer'd upon them to proceed from their own worth prove so ungrateful to their Princes and benefactors in their greatest necessities as causing themselves to be nauseated as very perfidious men they are abhorred and are causes of this present great disorder why Princes in such as they will prefer to great places and high dignities instead of merit vertue and known worth seek for loyalty and trust that they may meet with thankfulness when they stand in need of it which they rather expect from those who pretending to no merit of their own acknowledge all their good fortunes to proceed meerly from their Princes liberality Periandro having ended his discourse Bias spake thus All of you most wise Philosophers sufficiently know that the reason of the worlds being so depraved is only because mankind hath so shamefully abandoned those holy Laws which God gave them to observe when he bestowed the whole world upon them for their habitation Nor did he place the French in France the Spaniards in Spain Dutch in Germany and bound up the fowl fiend in hel for any other reason but for the advantage of that general peace which he desired might be observed throughout the whole world But avarice and ambition spurs which have alwaies egg'd on men to greatest wickedness causing the French Italians Dutch Grecians and other Nations to pass into other mens Countries have caused these evils which we I wish it prove not in vain endeavor to amend And if it be true as we all confess it is that God hath done nothing in vain and that there is much of mystery in all his operations Wherefore think you hath his Divine Majesty placed the inaccessable Perenian Mountains between the Spaniards and Italians the rocky Alpes between the Italians and Germans the dreadful English Channel between the French and English why the Mediterranean Sea between Africa and Europe why hath he made the infinite spacious Rivers of Euphrates Indus Ganges Tigres Danubius Nilus Rheine and the rest save only that people might be content to live in their own Countries by reason of the difficulties of Fords and passages And his Divine Majesty knowing very well that the harmony of universal peace would be out of tune and that the world would be filled with uncurable diseases if men should exceed the bounds which he had alloted them that he might make the waies to such great disorders the more difficult he added the multitude and variety of Languages to the Mountains Precipices to the violent course of Rivers and to the Seas immenceness for otherwise all men would speak the same Language as all creatures of the same species sing bark and bray after one and the same manner 'T is then mans boldness in boaring through Mountains and in passing over not only the largest and most rapid Rivers but even in manifestly and rashly hazarding himself and all his substance in a little woodden Vessel not fearing to cross the largest Seas therein which caused the ancient Romans not to mention the many other Nations who have run into the same rashness to ruine other mens affairs and discompose their own not being satisfied with their Dominion over whole Italy The true remedy then for so great disorder is first to force every Nation to return home to their own Countreys and to the end that the like mischiefs may not insue hereafter I am of opinion that all bridges built for the more commodious passing over rivers be absolutely broken down and the ways made for passing over the mountains may be quite spoil'd and the mountains be made more inaccessable by mans industry then they were at first made by nature and I would have all navigation absolutely forbidden upon severest penalty not allowing so much as the least boats to pass in over rivers Bias his opinion was very attentively listened unto and after being well examined by the best wits of the Assembly it was found not to be good for all those Philosophers knew that the greatest enmities which are known to reign between Nation and Nation are not natural as many foolishly conceive them to be but are occasioned by cunning Princes who are great masters of the known proverb Divide impera And that that perfection of manners being found in all Nations joyned together which was not to be had in any particular Province men easily learn that exact wisdom by travelling through the world which was
labours redounds much to our shame since the malady which we ought to cure lies not hidden in the veins but is so manifestly known to all men that it self crys aloud for help And yet by all the reasons I have heard alledged methinks you go about to mend the arm when it is the breast that is fistula'd But Gentlemen since it is Apollo's pleasure that we should do so since our reputation stands upon it and our charity to our so afflicted age requires it at our hands let us I beseech you take from off our faces the mask of respect which hath been hitherto worn by us all and let us speak freely The great disorder hath always reigned amongst men which doth domineer so much at the present and which God grant it may not still reign that whilst powerful men by their detestible vices and by their universal reformation have disordered the world men go about to re-order it by amending the faults of private men But the falshood avarice pride and hypocrisie of private men though I must confess them to be hainous evils are not the vices which have so much depraved this our age for fitting punishments being by the law provided for every fault and foul action mankind is so obedient to the laws and so apprehensive of justice as a few ministers thereof make millions of men tremble and keeps them in and men live in such quiet peace as the rich cannot without much danger to themselves oppress the poor and every one may walk safely both by day and night with gold in their hand not onely in the streets but even in the high-ways but the worlds most dangerous infirmities are then discovered when publique peace is disturbed and of this we must all of us confess that the ambition avarice and diabolical engagement which the swords of some powerful Princes hath usurped over the States of those who are less powerful is the true cause and that which is so great a scandal to the present times T is this Gentlemen which hath filled the world with hatred and suspicion and hath defiled it with so much blood as men who were by God created with humane hearts and civil inclinations are become ravenous wilde beasts tearing one another in pieces with all sort of inhumanity For the ambition of these men hath changed publike peace into most cruel war vertue into vice the charity and love which we ought to bear to our neighbours into such intestine hatred as whereas all Lyons appear Lyons to a Lyon the Scotch man appears unto the English the Italian to the German the French to the Spaniard the German Spaniard French and men of all other Nations to the Italian not to be men not brethren as they are but creatures of another species So as justice being oppressed by the unexplicable ambition of potent men mankind which was born brought up and did live long under the Government of wholesome Laws waxing now cruel to themselves lives with the instinct of beasts ready to oppress the weaker Theft which is the chief of all faults is so persecuted by the Laws as the stealing of an egg is a capital fault and yet powerful men are so blinded with the ambition of reigning as to rob another man perfidiously of his whole state is not thought to be an execrable mischief as indeed it is but an noble occupation and onely fit for Kings and Tacitus the master of Policy that he may win the good will of Princes is not ashamed to say In summa Fortuna id aequius quod vallidus sua retinere privatae domus de Alienis certare Regiam laudem esse li. 15. An. If it be true which is confest to be so by all Politicians that people are the Princes Apes how can those who obey live vertuously quiet when their Commanders do so abound in vice To bereave a powerful Prince of a Kingdom is a weighty business which is not to be done by one man alone To effect so foul an intent observe what the thirst of Dominion can do in an ambitious mind they muster together a multitude of men who that they may not fear the shame of stealing their neighbours goods of murthering men and of firing Cities change the name of base Thief into that of a gallant Souldier and valliant commander and that which aggravates this evil is that even good Princes are forced to run upon the same rocks to defend their own estates from the ravinousness of these Harpyes For these to secure their own Estates to regain what they have lost and to revenge themselves of those that have injured them possess themselves of their states and being allured by gain they betake themselves to the same shameful Trade which they did so much abhor before Which hath caused the art of bereaving other men of their Territories become an highly esteemed science and is the reason why humane wit which was made to admire and contemplate the miracles of heaven and wonders of the earth is wholly turned to invent stratagems to plot treasons and hands which were made to cultevate the earth which feeds us into knowing how to handle Arms that we may kill one another This is that which hath brought our age to its last gasp and the true way to remedy it is for Princes who use such dealings to amend themselves and to be content with their own present Fortunes for certainly it appears very strange to me that there should be any King who cannot satisfie his ambition with the absolute command over twenty millions of men Princes as you all know were ordained by God on earth for the good of mankind I therefore say it will not do well onely to bridle the ambition which Princes have of possessing themselves of other mens estates but I think it necessary that the peculiar engagement which some men pretend their swords have over all estates be cut up by the root and I advise above all things that the greatness of Principalities be limitted it being impossible that too great Kingdoms should be governed with that exact care and justice which is requisite to the peoples good and to which Princes are obliged For there never was a Monarchy excessively over great vvhich vvas not in a short time lost by the carelessness and negligence of those that were the Governors thereof Here Periandro ended whom Solon thus opposed The true cause of the present evils which you with much freedom have been pleased to speak of vvas not omitted by us out of ignorance as you peradventure may believe but out of prudence The disorders spoken of by you that the weak were oppressed by those of greater power began vvhen the World vvas first peopled And you know that the most skilful Physician cannot restore sight to one that was born blind I mention this because it is much the same thing to cure an eye that is infirm as to reform antiquated errors For as the skilful Physician betakes himself the
hearing of this foolish request broke forth into loud laughter and told Tressino He vvas sorry to see him still pursue ridiculous novelties Tressino replied That his request was no nevv invention but a thing much used and that the famous Roman Republique and after them many great Lords vvho might very vvell have paid their Creditors vvith ready money paid the obligations of blood and debts due for long and costly service with Lavvrel and the Order of Knighthood Then Apollo smiled again and told Trissino that he built Castles in the arte for he must be another manner of man then he that would sell meer smoak for good Merchandize Tressino being dispatcht Process was read against a base humerous Doctor of the Law whose name the higher Powers will have concealed where it was said That in Governments which he had had he would often in publick audiences with great pride and surquedry behave himself insolently even with noble and honorably conditioned personages saying that he would send them to the Gallies would have their heads taken off and make them be hanged before the Palace Gate The Doctor said in excuse of this his error that he did this to make himself terrible to the people and to make himself be obeyed Apollo after he had put him in mind that good Officers and men of honor made themselves dreadful to the people by an equally rigorous and uncorrupt Justice and not by insolent threats gave order that that Doctor whose genius appeared fitter to command slaves then men of honor should be sent to be Auditor of the Gallies Immediately after Beneventano's cause was heard who shooting at a great Wolf with a gun charged with small hail-shot the Wolf being lightly hurt flew upon him according to his custom and with his teeth tore his left thigh Those that were present at the Visitation wondred very much why he should be questioned who deserved rather to be comforted for the danger he had run and cured of the wounds he had received But Apollo who was not well pleased that one of his Litterati should have committed so great a piece of folly since he had alwaies told his Vertuosi that they must take off their hats to cruel and dangerous beasts and suffer them to pass by quietly or else shoot at them with a musket loaded with ram'd bullets and so lay him flat on his back condemned the Litterato to the usual punishment of imprudency that none should excuse his error none should pitty him and that all men should laugh at him This cause was no sooner ended but Cratippus the Athenian Philosopher appeared at the visitation and the Information against him was That the Duke of Ephesus had given to him his only son to be brought up by him to whom when he came to mature years he relinquisht the Government of his State wherein the young Prince proved as unapt as he proved famous for Philosophy for he was timerous in the handling of arms and incapable of State-affairs and the singular goodness and honesty which he had learnt of Cratippus which would have been greatly admired in a privat man was in him interpreted want of wit That therefore the Philosopher not having instructed that young Prince in such things as were to be known by one who was to govern so numerous a people the Duke of Ephesus re-demanded the sallary he had given him Apollo was mightily displeased with Cratippus his imprisonment and turning to the Duke who was there present told him that he should not blame Cratippus for his sons unapâ—…ss to Government but his own bad choice for that Vertuoso having taught his Pâ—…pel the Science which he did publickly profess had fully discharged his duty And that such a one as he ought to know that Arsenals Armories and State-Councels were Schools for Princes children and that the Scholarship which they ought to learn was the Philosophy the Poetry which was several times every week read in the wise Senat of Venice that Captains Counsellers and Secretaries of State were the best instructers of Princes children and the memory of their Ancesters the glorious actions of such Princes as both in peace and war had done things worthy to be admired and imitated the rods wherewith they ought to be whipt Constantius Albicini was next brought before Apollo whom his Majesty did mightily abominate as one who was publickly known to be a prime finder out of vexatious inventions His process said That he being requested by an avaritious Prince to invent some new way for him how to raise money from his Subjects without offending or angring them advised him to give out that he was likely to be unexpectedly assaulted by his enemies who would possess themselves of his State that therefore it was necessary to fortifie the Metropolitan City to effect the which so requisite work he must proclaim a new Tax which would be easily granted by them who apprehended the danger of their lives goods and honors that then he should in all haste begin the works which he must continue for one year that the second year he should proceed therein more slowly and that the third year he should give it quite over for that the people being accustomed for those two years space to pay such an Imposition would willingly continue the payment of it And because the chief Magistrate of the City had a rich revennue worth forty thousand crowns a year which this covetous Prince did much thirst after he told him that to make himself Master thereof and to invite the Citizens to make a free gift thereof unto him he was only to provide two friends the one of which should stand up in a publick Councel and should advise that it were good and fit to reward the Prince for his excellent Government with freely parting with two years revennue unto him and that the other friend whilst the Proposition was discussing should say openly That to give their suffrages in secret was an action misbecoming a faithful people towards their Prince where the ungrateful and disloyal had opportunity to obscure the fidelity of Loyal Subjects That therefore men should speak their mind alowd and the Votes be so decided for the rabble-rout allured by the shortness of the time would grant that for a few years which they should never regain It was aver'd in the same process that this same Constanso had confest that he had told the same Prince that an exeellent way to get money of his Subjects was to inhibit somewhat which was greatly desired and much used in his State as the extravagancy in aparrel costly Jewels and too exorbitant portions that if any one should afterward desire a dispensation therein it might be granted him but upon a good acknowledgment and upon paying well for the Seals Apollo having heard this wicked mans so great iniquity and wondring that so much rascallity could be found in any one man brake forth into these words Puniendos rerum atrocium Ministros Tacit.
lib. 13. Ann. and then gave sentence that this Divel incarnate should be thrown into the Boat where Melossus Melampus Lisisca and other Poets Dogs were kept by which he was presently torne in pieces and devoured This being over the Commendador Hanibal Caro was brought to the visitation and his Majesty was told that the quarrels between the Commendador and Castelvetro were wel known unto him which could no otherwise be accommodated then by taking security that they should not offend one another After which Castelvetro passing one morning often before the Commendadors house the Poet did so call to mind the injury he had received by that rigorous sentence as by a railing Sonnet which was a thing prohibited he wounded Castelvetro's honor Apollo contrary to all mens beleef commanded that the Commendador should be presently set at liberty and said that Castelvetro deserved to be severely punisht for his being so foolishly adventurous For knowing that he had so hainously offended a revengful man he did foolishly to trust his life upon money-security and so much the rather for that Castelvetro knew that the Marchigiani who were otherwise very gallant men but very bloudy have less patience then discretion Caro's cause being ended Aristides that great Athenian Senator was brought to the Visitation who was imprisoned for having given out great quantity of Corn to the people of Athens in a very hard year Aristides imprisonment appeared altogether unjust to most of the Visitors but Apollo who was of a contrary opinion told them in severe words that in free Countries where people are more jealous of the publick Liberty then in any other sort of Principality in exercising charity men should observe that pious Precept of not letting the right hand know what the left hand did For in all Commonwealths too vain-glorious alms and done out of too much ostentation were very dangerous that therefore he should hereafter forbear to use such charity towards the poor which smelt more of ambition then of any true zeal or piety and which might make men suspect that they were rather done out of a desire of purchasing Principalities on earth then to gain the Kingdom of Heaven Pietro Pomponatio a Mantuan appeared next all besmeared with sweat and very ill acoutred who was found composing a Book wherein by foolish and sophistical arguments he endeavored to prove that the soul of man was mortal Apollo not able to look upon so wicked a wretch commanded that his Library should be presently burnt and that he himself should be consumed in the same flames for that fool deserved not the advantage of books who laboured thereby only to prove that men were beasts Pomponatio cryed out then with a loud voice protesting that he believed the mortality of the soul only as a Philosopher Then said Apollo to the Executioners Let him be burnt only as a Philosopher A Prisoner was afterwards heard who said that he being of Coos had entred bond for one who was not sent thither as Governor by his Prince and who having committed many Larcenaries fled from thence by night wherefore he was forced to pay the whole summe which was laid to the charge of that thief-Officer Apollo wondring at this mans imprisonment turned to the Prince of Coos who was there President and told him that the sure way to have an Officer rule well lay not in his security to stand a Trial but was only grounded upon the Princes good choice That therefore the prisoner who had entred security upon firm belief that his Lord and Master would never have imployed such lewd men in places of such importance should by all means be set at liberty and that the punishment belonging of right to him that had done the fault the Prince should pay his forfeiture who had been so abusive in his charge of whom he might at his leasure repair himself To which the Prince answered that his Officer was a stranger another Princes subject and therefore he could have no right against him Apollo reply'd That he having been so very a fool as to make use of a forreiner whilst he might be served by his own subjects he had no reason to complain of his loss For that Shepherd who was so foolish as to lead other folks sheep to feed ought to blame none but himself if when he brought them back at night to their folds he could neither shear nor milk them This was the end of that imprisoned security which the Prince of Coos liked not though all the Visitors were well pleased with it Tito Strozzi the famous Ferara Poet was the next that appeared imprisoned upon the Suit of Francisco Filelpho who having given him some moneys to deliver to Cintio Geraldi a Creditor of his Strozzo as soon as he had it lost it at play which Filelpho complained of in the Visitation Apollo who knew that Strozzi wanted a leg merrily asked Filelpho whether if a man should have bought a blind horse in his Market of Tolentino the buyer might redemand his money which was ill laid out To which Filelpho answered That whosoever bought a beast that was palpably defective could blame nothing but his own folly If it be so saies Apollo you have judged aright Filelpho in your own cause Filelpho understood then whither his Majesties question tended and being much afflicted answered that he was not ignorant of the common Proverb That one must be carefull how he deals with those that Nature hath markt but that he did not hold it to be alwaies true Know Filelpho said Apollo that Proverbs are nothing else but experimented Sentences approved sayings and I tell you that Mother Nature in procuring men may be fitly said to imitate a conscientious Potter who when he takes his Vessel out of the Furnace if he find any that have holes in them that be not sufficiently baked or that have any other imperfection to the end that unwary people may not take them for good he breaks off one of their ears or gives them some other mark of being amiss And because all men cannot be born equally honest as nor can all the Potters pots come equally perfect out of the Furnace as let a Garden be never so well looked unto and weeded it is impossible but some nettles or other weeds will spring up Dame Nature who greatly hates cheaters and crosbiters to the end that honest men be not deceived by hollow brains crafty pates and half-baked wits as soon as she sees any such born she puts out one of their eys breaks an arm or leg by which evident signs tying a bel about the horses neck that is given to kicking and fastning a board to the oxes horns which use to thrust therewith she admonisheth all men to be aware of such Amalteo's Cause was discust immediately after who was imprisoned for having called Nero's liberality which he used to Cornelius Tacitus when he rewarded him for the praises he had given him with 25 Mules loaded with Gold foolish
spairing of publike moneys to unworthy personages prodigal to such as did deserve well for that they being so hardly drawn from the subjects every Prince who would deserve the name of a good shepherd was bound to give them so much satisfaction as to see that their moneys were not prodigally wasted in hunting tilting feasting in inriching Bawds Buffoons and Flatterers but that they were judiciously laid out for the advantage of publike peace V. That they should for the future confer Dignities and Magistracy to such as were most worthy having respect onely to the merit of the desirer not to any affection of the recommender for that he did truly deserve to be accounted a fool who to honor or advantage another shamed himself and disparaged his own gifts VI. That they should bury their own odd conceits and for ever banish their private passions And to the end that they might put on that excellent resolution which makes Princes so happy and Kingdoms so flourishing of absolutely submitting themselves to the good and publike interest of their people they should totally abandon their own wilful opinion VII That they should appear to be absolute Monarchs of their States in executing the results of their most important affairs but in consulting thereupon onely the heads of a well ordered Aristocracy being sure that four fools who did advise together made better resolves then any the best greatest wit could do alone VIII That making God their example whose Lieutenants Princes were on earth they should pardon Homecide onely out of compassion born to minority in yerrs to the greatness of the offence received more in honor then in life to certain sudden furies which makes a man not master of himself bereaving him of all judgement and reason but not for greediness of money for that Princes could not introduce a more wicked Traffick in their Tribunals then to make merchandize of mens blood That therefore fraudulent Homicides committed out of premiditated malice should by no means be forgiven not onely for not drawing down Gods anger upon them but for the administration of that right justice which they were bound to give unto their subjects for that Princes by pardoning hainous offences purchased onely the praise of being avaritiously and wickedly merciful IX That they should firmly believe themselves to be absolute Lords and Masters of their subjects not as shepherds are of their sheep who may sell them to the shambles but onely utendo not abutendo by using not by abusing them for people imbittered by bad usuage could not live long with that ill satisfaction which is the fruitful mother of bad resolutions X. That they should think the true heaping up of riches consisted in giving content unto their people and in making them of subjects brothers and children and that the excellent art of taking Sturgions with Pilchards was nothing else then to purchase the rich treasure of mens hearts by a wise liberality and to cheapen love by clemency for to fill their coffers with gold raised out of the taxes and exactions as some Princes do was not onely to swell that spleen which did so impare the health of a sound body but did oft times serve as sharp spurs and loud sounding Trumpets to make Foreigners arm themselves that they may make themselves masters of so great wealth XI That in their insolences and extravagancies they should by no means relie upon their subjects love which was as soon lost by using an impertinancy or by a distaste given as it was won by a courteous or liberal action Neither should they build upon their peoples former patience for that the minds and humors of men did change and vary with Times Places ' and Persons That therefore they should not wax proud of their peoples being grosly ignorant or that they were altogether unarmed nor should they presume too much upon them for there was never any Kingdom yet which was not very full of such unquiet ambitious and male-content Nobility as would serve for sure guides to blind people and for learned School-masters who would teach ignorant people the important precept and the seditious doctrine that to come out of the laborinth of the slavery of Monarchy which was governed only by insolency and the irregular fancy of a hair-brained Prince like These 's they must follow the clew of arms which was more dangerous to a Prince for that despair caused in people by such proceedings though they were weak unarmed and ignorant would make them find arms courage and judgement in every corner XII That they should wear the powerful Militia of boundless Empire which the Laws will have Princes to have even over the lives of men for terror of the wicked by their side for the security of such as good but that they should never make use of it that they should freely deliver up such as were guilty to the power of sacred Justice for the ranker of hatred and revenge was never a whit lessened by inflicting cruel torments upon the guilty That therefore to the end that Delinquents might appease their so incensed souls even at the bitter point of death they should let all favour in criminal causes proceed from themselves and that the sword of justice should be onely exercised by their Magistrates XIII That in laying on of Taxes as great caution as could be should be had to such things as tended to the feeding and cloathing of the poor who live out of the sweat of their brows and that they should lay the heavier impositions upon such things as belonged to the delights luxuries and superfluities of the wealthy who living idly upon their rents minded nothing but great gaming and inventing new vices XIV That above all things they should be very careful that all publike provisions should be modestly exacted and by discret parsonages for it hapned oft times that people were more troubled with the condition of him that gathered the taxes and the violent manner of gathering it then with the tax it self XV. That they should use all possible industry in feeding the common people with bred the Nobility with degrees of honour and that to arrive at so happy ends they should suffer free commerce amongst their subjects of selling and buying the fruits and incomes of their lands and the gain of their Traffick but that they should be very careful to fill their State-Magazines with corn and all things necessary for the life of man bought and brought in from foreign parts which was a rich and happy Traffick which paid Princes the use of a hundred for one when by the great plenty occasioned thereby they had lost their principal XVI That for the better content of their Nobility who always thirst after glory and honor they should confer places of Magistracy and other chief dignities onely upon the Noble subjects of their States And that they should keep as from fire from giving them that mortal wound which had caused woful subversions in the greatest Kingdoms
more to deceive men then to please God The X. ADVERTISEMENT The City Pretor or Chief Iustice of Parnassus complaiâ—… bitterly before Apollo of the Triumviri a Magistracy newly instituted by his Majesty That in an Edict of theirs published against Mignus and other Ministers of Princes obsenities they have violated his Iurisdiction APollo having learnt by many sad examples which have hapned that Printing which it is to be believed was at first by Divine Councel suggested into the Cavalier Iohn of Mentz only to facilitate the learning of the most illustrious Sciences to such as are desirous of knowledge is made use of by wicked men not onely as an excellent instrument to staine mens minds with impiety obsceneness and evil speaking but that ambitious men serve themselves thereof for damn'd weapons to make people rebel against their natural Princes Apollo I say by wholsom and Divine Councel as the event hath shewn did many years ago institute the remarkable Magistracy of the Triumviry whose Office it is to send such books as are infected with impiety sedition and such obscenities as corrupt good manners to the Pest-house This Magistracy some three daies ago under pain of grievous punishment sent express command to all favorits bawds flatterers and others whom their Princes do Idolize who live desolutely that they should not dare any more to stir out of dores to the end that these monsters of nature might not to the great scandal of good men be seen to go so vain-gloriously trampling the street upon their pacing horses and in their rich Coaches as if they triumphed over the world who by their lewd manner of living having extorted those rewards from vitious Princes which are only due to deserving men are not worthy to eat bread The City Pretor made a great complaint to Apollo of this novelty accusing the Triumviry of having exceeded the bounds of their Authority and very much intrencht upon his Jurisdiction The Triumviry were immediately sent for by his Majesty who defending their cause exceedingly well said that they had by length of time clearly learnt that certain obscene living books which walked up and down the streets caused greater scandal in well composed minds and free from all pollution then did Machiavil Bodin Aratin and other writers of wickedness and obsceneness which were found hid in many Libraries a disorder which ought the rather to be corrected for that the wicked manners of living men made a much greater impression in mens minds then the filth that was read in dead Authors whose damn'd writings many forbore to read out of meer abhorition of such things many for fear of offending God and of being punisht by men many for that they had not many of those forbidden books or for want of curiosity or love of idleness but that men of holy lives much against their wils and not without offence were forced to read study contemplate and honour these Bawds Flatterets and other Ministers of vitious Princes who neither cared for Gods honor nor their own reputation who were scandalous two leg'd books which were daily seen to walk the streets and that he must be armed with more then humane vertue who would not be contaminated and scandalized to see the sole aspects of these hateful men The XI ADVERTISEMENT The Inhabitants of Phocides fall into open Rebellion by reason that the Priviledges of their Country are not observed by Apollo's Officers they are pacified by a Senator and send new Ambassadors to his Majesty THe Polititians precept is very true That people who have lived long in a half Liberty with large priviledges are very hardly reduced to tollerate whole slavery This is said because the uproars of Phocides occasioned by the not observancy of their priviledges as you heard at large by the last Post have still increased more and more in so much as on the ninth of this present month more incenst then over since such satisfaction as was desired was denied them by Apollo's Officers the Phocidians took up arms and running through the City cryed out Liberty Liberty When the chief Magistrate of Phocides much troubled at such a novelty desired a Parley of the people that were in arms who when they were all assembled in the chief Piazza t is said that the uprightest and most experienced Senator of Phocides spake thus The most dangerous enterprise my most beloved Phocidians which Subjects can undertake is to grow stubborn and rebel against their Prince For Princes are not so merciful as to pardon injuries of so high a nature which though they sometimes forgive they never forget Whence it is that such excesses never pass without their condigne punishment For as it falls out in all offences which are either through wisdom winkt at or pardoned per force they are in their due time and place the more severely revenged by having their vindication retarded to a more opportune time And God deliver us and all other people that suffer such calamities as we do from those cruel revenges which Princes who are offended in State-affairs use after long meditation to take against their disloyal people and rebellion is so far from being forgotten even by most merciful Princes as an amendment of many hundred years loyalty cannot so cancel it cut of exasperated minds but that the memory of such signal injuries are transmitted over to the twentieth generation since by their importance they infuse such diffidence into him that reigns and such suspitions as occasion perpetual odium between the Vassal and the Soveraign Lord from whence afterwards the great disorder ariseth as that natural subjects which are no other then the Princes beloved children and therefore ought to be treated with terms of fatherly love and governed by Laws of Charity are reputed cruel enemies conquered people subjugated by force of arms and therefore according to the politick Precept treated like slaves Which things at last produce that great inconvenience that even lawful Princes grievously moved by such hainous offences against their rebellious subjects become cruel Tyrants I fellow Citizens speak not now as an Officer of the Prince in aggravating the condition of our slavery but as one who would produce peace in this our Country and if you shall not think my councel good I will willingly be one of the first who will joyn with you in your resolution being better contented to err with many then to be wise with a few But before you proceed further in a business of such importance I earnestly intreat you and heartily beg of you even by these tears which fall so abundantly from mine eyes that you will maturely consider that for the most part popular insurrections meet with unfortunate ends Which happens not only because resolutions in so weighty affairs are taken in hot bloud when men are most incenst and when mens minds are most incombred with the foolish passion of fury whereas they ought to be put on in cold bloud and when the mind is most maturely setled
but because upon such like occasions rash and precipitous councels are more willingly imbraced and listned unto then such as are mature and quiet For with people that are up in commotion he is alwaies thought wisest who is most adventurous and he most zealous of his Countries Liberty who adviseth to things most headlong Here beloved Citizens is a business in which consists the total of our safety the good of our children the happiness of our Country which ought to be so dear unto us being all of them things of great importance wherein surely we ought to proceed with much circumspection since repentance will not serve the turn â—…nce the punishment of such a sin is never pardoned but the infamy thereof indures for ever and the danger of punishment grows then greatest when the Prince hath taken a thousand oaths to pardon it For Princes think it no shame nor breach of word to revenge rebellion in their subjects though it be pardoned but great honour and an obligation which they owe unto their honours We know for certain that Apollo will take from us those priviledges which we are bound to defend with the effusion of our blouds and loss of lives great is the injury that is done us and such as ought by no means to be suffered by us who upon other occasions have proved our selves to all the Vertuosi of Parnassus to be resolute the injury his Majesty doth us is notorious and peradventure fit to be rescented but in revenging offences given and in preventing such as are feared we must be sure to proceed so as not to fall upon such resolves as may be more prejuditial to us then the loss of our priviledges which now we go about to defend by force For very foolish and unfortunate is that rescentment which brings with it more loss and shame then the injuries which are desired to be vindicated A most true rule which admonisheth us not to enter upon so dangerous a game without assured hope of overcoming for unpardonable injuries ought either never to be done to any whosoever more especially not to powerful men or upon certainty that they can never be revenged I urge this for that whosoever puts on the fatal resolution of taking up arms against his Prince must be sure to have sufficient forces of himself to resist his Princes power or so ready and lustly forein aids as may secure him from being supprest We my fellow Phocedians know very well our forces are but weak and that no Prince will assist us it therefore appears to me to be a horse-like piece of beastiality when we find our selves fast bound to the Charret to kick against the wheels and so spoyle our legs It is rash folly to doe that which brings with it certain and severe punishment We may truely say we have been assaulted in the streets by those rascally Officers who thirst after the goods of their fellow-subjects who would take from us the rich Jewels of our Priviledges they are armed by the Princes power we unarmed passengers will it not then be unwisely done of us to exasperate them by resistance T is great wisdom willingly to part with our Jewel so to save our lives The minds of Princes who are born and brought up in the ambition of reigning are alwaies in motion are continually working nor are they ever quiet till they get total domination over their subjects and it is an experienced proposition that all things are loosned with the same cords wherewith they were bound and it is very observable upon this our occasion for if it be true that we must all confess that Princes grant priviledges to their people more out of necessity and when forced so to do then out of free will who is he that knows not that it is the same necessity which keeps them from breaking them And doth not every one know that the effect cannot keep on foot when the cause faileth Apollos desire of depriving us of our priviledges ariseth not as we complain from discourtesie not from ingratitude not from falcifying his word but from the alteration of this our afflicted Country Phocides as you all know confined formerly upon the ignorant who are capital enemies to Apollo and his Vertuosi and therefore were we honored with the gift of Priviledges which we now endeavor to defend the which he gave us as it is usual with Princes to do because we had lately of our own accord put our selves under the Dominion of Parnassus we are now by process of time become natural subjects and which hath more impaired our condition then any thing else we are by the Litterati's dilating their Dominions become no longer confiners but inland inhabiters all which things gives us to understand that Princes observe other mens priviledges inviolably as long as the cause why they were granted remains By these things which I have told you my beloved you may know that your taking up arms of rebellion will as they usually do aggrivate their evils who have boldly but unwisely taken them up But before we proceed further in these our tumults I earnestly desire every one of you not to mind so much the just reason which we have to reâ—…sent the apparent injury which is done us as the unfortunate end which this our insurrection will have For men cannot more maturely shun committing errors then by meditating long upon the evils which they may produce And above all things I straitly conjure you all to remember that non tantum est Decora Victoribus Libertas quantum intollerantior servitus iterum victis Tacit. lib. 3. Annal. This Senators perswasions prevailed so much with these inraged people as after a short consultation four Ambassadors were sent to this Court from the Senat and people of Phocides who presenting themselves this morning before Apollo told him that the people of Phocides who were his Majesties most devout servants having learnt at last that nothing can be more foolishly nor more rashly done then for a servant to capitulate with his Master found that the priviledges exemptions and immunities which people owe unto their Princes goodness were nothing but occasions of scandal and seminaries of discord between the Prince and his Vassals that therefore the Phocidians being very unwilling that any thing should fall out between his Majesties love and their loyalty which might hinder their delight in their Soveraign Prince did voluntarily renounce all priviledges immunities and exemptions formerly granted them and that with all the humility that became most devoted Vassals they did only presume to put his Majesty in mind that Princes who did command their subjects lovingly were alwaies faithfully served by them The XII ADVERTISEMENT Whilst some Poets paralleld the greatness of Rome with that of Naples a dangerous dispute arose between them Apollo to the end that his Vertuosi might know what to say and believe in a business of such importance commits the Cause to the Rota of Parnassus who decide it VVE hear
from Pindus by Letters of the tenth of this present month that some Poets speaking before the Perepatetick Portal of the greatness of the City of Rome in comparison of that of Naples Luigi Tansillo let these words fall from his mouth That the Suburbs of Naples was bigger then all Rome which petulant falshood being gainsaid by Caro he gave Tansillo the Poetical lie That the Nobility of Parthenope being thereat much incenst would have used violence to Caro who being succoured by the Marcheggian Poets his Countreymen both parties fell to prohibited Rhimes and even to Sonnets with stings in their tails with which they were likely to have made a bloudy bickering when the City Recorder who was soon advertised of the uprore sent Mutio Iustinopolitano speedily thither who did not only quickly appease the tumult but made both parties pass their words not to offend each other And because the Litterati have formerly taken up arms upon the same occasion and therewith caused bloudy business Apollo to the end that for the future men might know how to speak and believe touching these two great Cities committed the cause to be considered on by the Rota di Parnasso whom he commanded suddenly to fall upon the business and to decide it Wherefore upon several daies hearing of both parties the Rota three daies since publisheth this decission Coram reverendo patre Domino Cino die 10 Maii 1612. Domini unanimes tenuerunt That the City of Naples should alwaies yield for Majesty to the City of Rome and Rome to Naples for pleasantness of situation That Rome should confess there were more people in Naples and that Naples should firmly believe there were more men in Rome That the Wits and Wines of Naples had need to be sent by Sea to Rome to receive perfection in that Court and to be made more pleasing to the pallat of gallant men whereas the Roman only was perfectest at home as one which without ever going out of the City might be said to have travailed all the world over That Naples should be held the Metropolitan amongst all Cities of the Universe for breaking of Colts and Rome for managing of men That there were more Cavaliers in Naples in Rome more Commendums That in Rome they only deserved the title of Cavalier who bore the badg upon their Cloke whereas all the Gentlemen of Naples without having any badg upon the Cloke were deservedly called Cavaliers the Cross which they bore upon their naked skin making them sufficiently worthy of so honourable a prerogative The XIII ADVERTISEMENT Theodoricus that famous King of Italy having ofttimes prest very much to be admitted into Parnassus is alwayes denied by Apollo for a very important reason THe powerful King of Italy Theodoricus from the very first day that he came upon these Confines hath by several Ambassies continually prest Apollo that he might be admitted into Parnassus but still in vain for as oft as the proposal was made he received a favourable denial Which put him at last into such a rage as he had the boldness to burst forth into these blasphemous words That Apollo was partial in admitting such great Princâ—…es into Parnassus who by their vertuous actions had merited eternal fame since many Princes were seen to have glorious places in his Court only because they had governed petty Principalities in Italy and he who for many years had had the whole and sole Government thereof was shamefully kept out When Apollo had heard the complaints of so great a Prince he gave him to understand by the Delfick Chancellor that he should do well to be quiet for to be plain he did not think him worthy admittance into Parnâ—…ssus since the world ought to thank none but him for the horrible Atheism which was of late introduced in many Provinces of Europe for whereas the doubts about Religion risen up amongst Divines were after some dispute cleared and their errors taken away by the Councels which were made capable of declaring what was truth and were all extirpated out of the world by making bonefires of such as were obstinate When he as the head thereof took upon him the protection of the wicked Sect of the Arrians he did not only turn Heresies which require whole Armies to root them out into Interest of State but with unheard of affrontedness he made the whole world see that he made use of heresie to work division amongst people to weaken Princes who were his enemies to have adhearers in his neighbours States to make himself head of new Sects and to steal away the hearts of other mens subjects and that in his heart he had no other esteem of holy Religion but as of a powerful means and excellent way to obtain Government The XIV ADVERTISEMENT Apollo according to his usual custom of the first day of every month hears the Petitions of such as desire to be admitted into Parnassus APollo thinks nothing more unworthy of himself then to retard though for never so little a space the deserved reward of glory from those Vertuosi who by their learned writings have deserved eternal fame Whence it is that his Majesty doth not only give such continual audience as is requisite to such Litterati who have occasion to desire admittance into Parnassus but hath deputed many ages ago the first day of every month for the examination of their writings and persons wherein all other affairs being laid aside he only attends that business 'T is true that not to profane those vertuous places of Parnassus by bringing thereinto such as have not been yet adjudged worthy of so honorable an aboad the solemnity of so famous an action is not cellebrated in his Majesties usual Residence or Palace Royal but without the walls of Parnassus in the famous Phoebean field where yesterday morning being the first day of September great store of Pavillions being erected for his Majestie for the Illustrious Muses Prince Poets and learned Lords of this Court Apollo attended by a glorious Train came very early to the appointed place where without any delay Commencement was given to the business It is not to be believed how great a concourse of Litterati of all professions desirous to purchase so honorable an habitation appeared there that day In so much as his Majesties Guard who are strictly charged to carry themselves civilly to all men had very much to do to keep back the infinite number of those who prest to be admitted into the Audience And though the number of pretenders be infinite yet such are the indowments which are required at their hands who are to be admitted into such an habitation as there are but few that attain their desired ends For in this affair where neither the favour of friends nor yet riches avail any thing his merit who is to be admitted into the fruition of so great a happiness is weighed very censoriously in a just scale Here before he pass further in the narration which he is to
which might ensue thereupon made him aware of his great error which blinded with passion he committed in that his Cause telling him That Princes did then make their Nations great and powerful when they united them to an inferior Nation as the Kings of France had done by the important acquisition of Britany and not to a more numerous and potent Kingdom For in the first case by aggrandizing her Empire men made their Nation Mistriss whereas in the other by lesning her Dominion they made her a slave Whilst King Ferdinando departed the Audience no waies appeased by this his Majesties wise answer to the great admiration of the whole Colledg a Sparrow-Hawk came flying into the Court and lighting upon the publick Chair infused wonder into all the spectators who took it for some prodigious thing which signified some great matter And the Souldiers of the Guard running to drive her out of the Pavillion his Majestie commanded them to let her alone Then the Roman Augures or Southsayers rose up and desired Apollo that they might interpret that Augury Apollo laught at the request of those vain men and told them that futurities were so hidden by immortal God from men as he was a meer fool who pretended he could foretell them by the flying of birds or any such like thing which hapned by chance and that if they would make use of their Art of Augury by their ordinary interessed ends of making ignorant men more obedient and ready in the execution of such things as they desired shewing them that the will of God concurred with mans command they should know that Parnassus was no aboad for such fools as could be whirld about by the holy and sacred pretences of malitious interessed men Apollo having said these things and great silence insuing thereupon the Hawk spake thus That Vertue which is thought to be only peculiar to man is not only known by other Animals but loved by them and greedily imbraced is clearly proved by the aptness which is seen in birds to learn several tunes which they hear sung by others and by their learning to speak like man by the corveting and dancing of four-footed beasts and by other things which they see or are taught the which they do as gracefully imitate as they do easily learn This truth most glorious Prince of the Planets is sufficient to make the wonder cease in all those that hear me why I a savage bird who live by rapine and am therefore thought to have a cruel heart and to be fiercely minded should desire the so happy and blessed aboad of Parnassus To adorn the soul with vertue the desire of good conversation is not only infused by God into men who are indued with an understanding able to know all things but into all sorts and conditions of Creatures And since I very well know that those are only admitted into Parnassus who by their words and acts either have taught or are able to teach holy precepts good doctrine and vertuous things I certainly may with much reason pretend to be thought very worthy to live in these fortunate habitations I know that all these glorious Litterati will grant me that mans subsistence that the good beginnings better progress and best end of all vertuous life depends upon the education which parents give their children this as necessary as badly known Science of breeding up children well is notwithstanding very ill practised by men and very well known by the instinct of nature to bruit animals I if it may stand with your Majesties approbation am come to instruct in Parnassus listen therefore Gentlemen and admire Amongst us birds there is no more immense love then that which children bear to their fathers but I find mans ignorance to be so gross that amongst them the greatest enemies which children have are their fathers For the unbowel'd love which they bear unto them is more prejudicial to them then is their enemies implacable hatred Love even to ones own children hath its bounds and limits which those who exceed occasion ruine to their children and that you may judge of other animals by the example which I shall shew you of us birds we do so affectionately love our young ones as to feed them upon urgent necessity with flesh torne out of our own breasts is not our utmost charity to them but we do notwithstanding as men unfortunately do love them when they are old but by the wise instinct of nature only so long as they must of necessity be fed by us for when we find their claws begin to grow sharp and their wings strong the first fit for prey the other for flying we use the last and most perfect bounds of charity in not loving them any longer not for that that paternal affection which lives in fathers even after their childrens death ceaseth to be amongst birds but because that infinite affection of parents to do what is best and most convenient for their children requires it should be so the love of fathers to their children is not only useful but necessary but only so long as they are not able of themselves to get their living and harmful and directly pernitious if they assist them when they are able by their own labours and industry to live plentifully of themselves For certainly mens children would be very industrious if their parents would only love them till that time which God hath prefixt unto us and that they would do like me who when I see my young ones can fly currantly I shew them hedges full of Sparrows that they may live plentifully So men when their children are become men like themselves should shew them Princes Courts and chief Metropolitan Cities wherein much business is transacted to the end that they might maintain themselves not like idle and unusefull lumps of flesh buried in sloathfulness and total ignorance but by their own vertuous industry Apollo having heard so necessary a lesson for men after having highly praised the Sparrow-hawk and deputed it a safe and honourable place in Parnassus he said Now at last my beloved Vertuosi we find clearly that the immortal God having infused full and perfect wisdom into bruit-beasts for what concerns their preservation and propagation the true Philosophy which makes men wise and to which by continual study and speculation they ought to attend is to observe their natural instincts and diligently to practice them in what concerns themselves for so they might lead their lives happily not by the capriciousness of several sects of Philosophers so far differing in opinion amongst themselves but by living according to holy and prudent natural precepts and as it would be a foul disorder if birds and other bruit animals should feed their children till they grow old in their nests and dens so it must be confest that parents do very ill who taking more care how to accumulate wealth and riches for their children then to leave them the pretious and alwaies permanent patrimony of
a diffâ—…rence between Sea-Navigation and that of Land and these extravagant passages which I see makes me greatly doubt the good success of this our enterprise but patience overcomes all difficulties therefore let us proceed Then a Courtier that was a great Vertuoso displaid his sails his faithful service to a prosperous West wind his Princes favour and by his swolne sails fair words from his Master thinking that he had made a long voyage when he had calculated what way he had made found himself to be just in the same place as he was before he hoisted sail having been still fed in all his long journey his assiduous service with false hopes and expectation not meeting with any real substance But a stranger thing then all this was when they saw both the South and the North wind blow at one and the same time so furiously from the fantastick brain of an extravagant Prince as that the unfortunate Courtiers being molested by two contrary winds knew not which way to turn their Tacklings so as between these two winds many Vertuosi were miserably drowned At this so strange a novelty Columbus cryed out I now find for certain Gentlemen that Navigation by Sea wherein these extravagancies are not met with is so safe a business as it may be compared to travailing by land in a Litter Columbus had no sooner said these things when the whole Committee were aware that certain Courtiers that were Vertuosi lying in the Haven were in great danger of being drown'd in the Court-Sea which was swolne much more then usual raised a great storm the greatest Anchor-Cable-Ropes of the most exquisite Court-patience broke short in two every thing threatned shipwrack and yet the air of the Prince his countenance was very calm the pleasant West wind of his content was only seen to blow the danger appeared plainly no wind of the Princes anger was discerned and yet the Court-Navigators ran hazard of perishing in the Haven Notwithstanding all this in this so inraged Tempest one bold Courtier had courage enough to put out of the Haven and was not only not drowned as every one believed he would have been but that horrible cross wind which would have indangered any other man though never so well experienced proved so prosperous a wind to him as in a short time it brought him to the Haven of great Dignities A thing certainly very strange and which did much astonish the Gentlemen of the Committee who wondred that those tempestuous storms should in Land-Navigation prove prosperous winds to some few which even in the safest Harbours did shipwrack many But it seemed yet more strange when the skie being clear no claps of thunder heard no lightning seen some thunderbolts did notwithstanding fall which burnt two unfortunate Courtiers this unusual accident made the Members of the Committee muse why thunderbolts shot from an incensed Prince should not be preceded by such thunder and lightning whereby to admonish Courtiers to escape them as those are which are shot by the all powerful hand of God against mankind when he is angry with them Soon after a Courtier was seen to be assaulted by a terrible Tempest Persecutions who after having long defended himself from the fury of the high going Sea his Princes anger and from the boysterous winds of cruel calamities that he might keep himself from being swallowed up was forced to throw all his Merchandize overboard and after having spent the main mast of his hope and that his deserts leaked water of dispair split himself upon the Rocks the ingratitude of an not acknowledging Prince Then which appeared very strange the Vessel of this Courtiers service being after so hard an incounter broken and sunk the tempest of Court-persecutions ceased the sea of the Princes anger was appeased the rock which had been the cause of his shipwrack turned to a safe haven the Courtiers sunk ship rose again from underneath the water fairer stronger and better tackle then befored and was again loaded with the Merchandize of his Merits the which he afterwards bartered at dear rates for great dignities and rich revennues This appeared very strange to these Pilats and to the whole Committee neither could they sufficiently wonder how in land-Navigation shipwracks could prove fortunate to Navigators But continuing to make new experiences they commanded a very wary Courtier that he should display the sails of his talent to a wind which blew from the South and he steering his course fortunately full North after many daies sail the Court-Pilat to find where he was took the altitude of the Pole of his desert with his Astralobe and not without much wonder found that though he had still kept the fore-castle his good service directly towards the North his Princes Interests he had sailed Southward The Courtier at first alloted the cause of this disorder to his not having kept the rudder of his soul faithful as he ought to have done towards the North of his Masters service buâ—… when he found both by the Card and by the Compass which he held in his hand that he had alwaies steered the ship of his actions aright he clearly found that the error of his unfortunate voyage was occasioned because the North-star of his Princes mind was turned by malignant men which are alwaies about him towards the South Then Vespucci Gama and the other Pilats desired the Committee that they would give over the business as being a desperate cure and said that nothing made the Navigation by Sea so certain as the immutability of the North-star And that having clearly found by the last unfortunate experience that Princes minds which was the certain North-star of land-Navigation were carried about and diverted by malicious Courtiers to saile on the tempestuous Court-seas was not a resolution to be put on by wise men but by such as were desperate At this instant the Committee saw a spruce neat Courtier who had sailed so prosperously in the Court of Rome and in other Courts for seventy years space together as that he had not only overcome tempestuous storms and boisterous winds of persecution but had even broken the hard rocks which his ship had given against this man pursuing on his voyage prosperously with a most favourable wind was drowned for having only unfortunately falne upon a company of sedges a Catchpoles impertinences an accident which did so astonish the Gentlemen of the Committee as they resolved to make trial only of one other Courtier who was outward bound and then to be quiet They commanded him therefore to put to sea and it hapned that whilst he was sailing in a road which was held by all men to be very safe his ship at unawares gave against a rock and split in pieces the Committee very much blamed the Courtiers ignorance who knew not how to shun that rock but he clearly shewed them that it was not specified in the Card Wherefore all the Pilats fixt their eyes upon the Chairman Ptolomy as if
institutes a Committe of the greatest Subjects of this State but hath but bad success therein THe perfidiousness of wicked men is arrived at that height as that the sacred Seats of Justice erected for the safety of good men and to punish the wicked are made use of to persecute and afflict those that are honest and mean well a disorder which his Majesty is very angry at who can by no means tolerate that through the so much mischief of wicked men the Seats of Justice should become hatefull Wherefore Apollo to try whether the wit of man could find the true Antidote to this raging Poyson chose many moneths agoe some of the best Philosophers skilfullest Politicians and men most esteemed for wisdom that are in the State of Parnassus all which he caused to be shut up in that Apartment which stands by the Delphick Library and straitly commanded them not to stir from thence till they had healed so dangerous a wound by fitting remedies All the Vertuosi of Parnassus thought such a business might be dispatched in a few hours but it was eight months ere these men opened their dores at which time they desired Audience of Apollo whom they told that after having been so long shut up in that place wherein they had diligently examined a thousand opinions and maturely sifted an infinity of applications they could find no expedient means whereby severely to punish false accusations without affrighting true ones The XXX ADVERTISEMENT Marcus Brutus desires Justius Brutus to shew him the perfections of the Conspiracy which he so happily brought to pass against the Tarquins and the Imperfections of that Conspiracy which he so miserably executed upon Caesar. And receives desired satisfaction from him MArcus Brutus who lives still discontented in this Court of Parnassus because that important business which he undertook of recovering the Roman Liberty by the murder of the Tyrant Caesar did not succeed well went the other day to finde out Lucius Brutus whom he earnestly desired to aquaint him with the reason why both of them being spurd on by the same generous thought of reducing their Countrey into Liberty they did so much differ in the effect adding that he should be very much satisfied by knowing the excellency of his Conspiracy and what the faults were of that which he himself plotted against Caesar. Menante who by great good fortune was by when this demand was made assures every one that Lucius Brutus did thus answer his kinsman A good intention is not sufficient Cozen Marcus to reap renown by great actions it must be accompanied by judgment Know then that in purging the Roman Empire from the ill humors of Tyranny wherewith I found her greatly opprest I successfully imitated the art which skilful Physicians use in restoring health to a body that is sick of a Malignant Feaver which had you done you would not only not have committed that great error which caused so many mischiefs to your self and to our whole Country but should have happily acquired that glory which hath made me immortal Know then that when I resolved to restore Liberty to our Country I did first exactly consider the body of the State of Rome in its sick condition the quantity and quality of the humors which she did abound within her sickness of servitude and like a wise Physician I prepared the peccant materials and digested the crude Humors with the syrrop of discontent and bad satisfaction which I dayly sowed in the People of Rome against the Tarquins and the insolency committed against Lucretia proved very lucky to me for the unbridled lust of the Tyrant Tarquin brought the people of Rome to that point of hatred and dispair which I had always desired so that finding the materials of discontent to be excellently well prepared by the water of the common peoples continual exclamations with two onely ounces of laxative syrrope of Roses resolution which I knew how to make by appearing head of the inraged Romans with permition of the sick Commonwealths Militia the bad humors of Tyranny were purged out without the pains of death or any alteration of Tumults in lieu whereof the health of Liberty returned to our Country But you Cozen did not duly consider any of these important particulars For having with a rash resolution given your self over in prey to the zeal of recovering lost Liberty the light of your understanding was so blinded as made you fall into a more cruel servitude and this was when by the immature counsel which you put into action against Caesar in the Capitol you gave the Roman Liberty a strong Purgation compounded of Colloquintida and Antimony and other violent ingred ents with which whilst you thought to evacuate the Crude humors you did infinitely increase that malady which having first wrought your ruine and the like of all your associates occasioned at last that so famous sickness the sad proscription which did kill outright the most excellent Roman Liberty and the Proverb is as true as common that Conspiracies are not made out of curiosity of changing the Prince his Face but for the important interest of changing Tyranny into Liberty And therefore in a business of such concernment a man must confine himself by the Charity which he bears unto his Country within the bounds of the love of Liberty and hatred of the publick Tyrant and among other considerations which ought to be had in a business of so great concernment the chiefest is to consider with exact diligence the means whereby a Tyrant hath possest himself of his Countries Liberty which whilst they continue in their vigour and strength that Citizen wishes no good unto his Country but is rather a cruel enemy thereunto who by plotting against the Tyrants life is cause of greater slavery to his fellow Citizens and of much greater scandals to his Country The Tarquins maintaind themselves in their usurped Liberty by the love which they had cunningly won from the Romans which when by their cruelties libidinousness and avarice they had lost the foundation of their greatness failed and therefore it was not hard for me to restore my Country to her ancient Liberty For I did not drive the Tarquins out of Rome by my Conspiracy till being ready to be thrown headlong down by the publike hatred I gave then a justle But you did not do so for it is evident that Caesar had possest himself of the publike Liberty by the great good opinion he had in his Army of which he had so many years been head and by the miraculous affection of the people of Rome which he had won by his profuse liberality And by killing him whilst he was master of these two powerful means you did nothing else but change Caesar who did study to secure himself in the State onely by his clemency and by his obliging every body into Augustus who having seen the unfortunate end which Tyrants make by using the indulgencies of Pardons thought it a safer way
for the perpetuating of his Dominion to make use of that cruel great Proscription the onely cause whereby after having reigned happily so long he had power to transmit the Roman Empire as Hereditary into the Person of Tiberius The XXXI ADVERTISEMENT Marcus Cato having to the infinite dislike of Princes writ the word Libera underneath the Motto Pugna pro Patria which was set upon his gate is commanded by Apollo to put is out SInce the first day that Marcus Cato one of the Lavii Grandi of this Court built his house in Parnassus he made these words Pugna pro Patria be ingraven and written in gold Letters upon his Portal to the which some few days ago he added Libera which the Princes of this State observing they made great complaints to Apollo protesting that unless that seditious word which might set all the world on fire were rased from off the Portal great mischiefs were likely to arrive in Parnassus And did further very much desire that Cato being the first instituter of that wicked generation of men who that they may appear to the base Plebeians to be lovers of Truth do practice an impertinent Liberty and superstitious pride over men might for the correction and dread of others be severely punisht Cato was immediately sent for by Apollo whom his Majesty blamed for having given just occasion of complaint and rumor to Princes by the addition of that word Cato boldly answered that good men ought not to forbear to do or say any thing that became them and what their Consciences bad them do for the threats of whatsoever Princes that it was a cruel thing and which onely became ignorant and malicious men to cozen others with sentences which were onely specious in words and that he thought it was great impiety to make the common people understand that they were bound to defend that even with their lives and faculties as a thing properly belonging to them wherein they had not the least interest that therefore the word Libera was necessary to declare the full signification of the sentence for as it would be a great folly in one to take upon him to defend the title of a House which he had onely hired so that Country deserved to be defended by teeth and hands even to the effusion of the last drop of blood wherein a man commanded like a Master not that wherein he obeyed like a slave Apollo answered Cato that he was in a great error for it was not onely gross ignorance but tending to sedition to affirm that Princes had not Authority to compel their people to take up Arms and to defend their common Country when they were assaulted by their enemies Cato replyed that he did not deny but that Princes had such Authority but confest he said that there was neither any power or violence which could inforce a man who took up Arms against his will to shoot right forward but that he might let his first shot flye rather towards his friends then towards his enemies To this Apollo answered that Princes had likewise Authority to force their souldiers to shoot justly and to behave themselves couragiously but that they must be good Princes who have this Authority such as by their Liberality and great love shown in their excellent Government did force their subjects to defend their Princes Dominions with the same gallantry and undanted valor as they did their own private Patrimony and that onely avaritious Princes and such as thirsted after their subjects blood were too far from reaping any good by those soldiers whom they forst to go to the wars as that they found them to be cruel enemies That therefore he commanded him to take the word that was added to the Sentence immediately from off his gate which was not onely superfluous for the Reasons which he had given but for that when it was otherwise gallant men understood it to be there though it were not written it not being fitting that the baser sort of people should be acquainted with the great secret that that is onely the freemans Country where he is born the slaves that where he is best accommodated The XXXII ADVERTISEMENT Socrates being found dead in the morning on his bed Apollo useth all possible diligence ta learn the true reason of so suddain a death THis morning Socrates was found dead in his bed who was well when he lay down the last night and his body being exceedingly swoln many do more then suspect that he was poysoned and the Perepateticks bitter enemies to the Socratical sect were very much blamed the rather for that every one knows that Aristotle the Prince of so great a Sect is very well verst in handling poyson The very same morning Socrates his whole family was imprisoned out of which nothing could be got but that some days before Socrates was seen to be very much troubled and seeming to be exceedingly grieved inwardly he oft times cryed out O corrupt world O depraved Age O most unfortunate mankinde Apollo who was exceedingly grieved at the loss of so famous a Phylosopher commanded that his body should be carefully opened and that it should be seen whether any signes of poyson were to be found by his bowels which being done all his intrails were found to be open Whence it was cleerly known that Socrates having taken too much wind of scandal at the great discomposures and infinite misbehaviors which he was necessitated to see in this depraved age did even burst Great were the Obsequies which were made for this noble Pesonage and Marcus Tullius Cicero one who was very affectionate to the Socratical Sect having in an elaborate Oration infinitely praised the truth of so famous a Philosophers Doctrine and his exemplary life did with many tears bewail the sad calamitie of these present times wherein it being under pain of severe punishment forbidden to play the Satyr gallant men who saw things every day committed which ought to be publikely declaimed against were forst to see to say nothing and to burst for vexation The XXXIII ADVERTISEMENT The Hereditary Princes in Parnassus do very much press Apollo that the Emperor Tiberius may be removed from their Classis and placed in that of Tyrants and he defends his cause Victoriously before his Majesty IT is above 1500 year since Tiberius who succeeded Augustus was admitted into Parnassus and had an honorable place alotted him amongst the Legitimate hereditary Princes where he hath lived with such glory and splendor as he hath always been held by the greatest Potentates of Parnassus to be the Prince of wisdom the very picture of vigilancy not onely the Counceller but the Oracle of all those Princes who go about by violence and severity to establish not onely a new Tyranny but the mastery of any newly conquered State For though it be to be confest by all men that Caesar the Dictator was he who laid the first foundations of the Roman Empire and that Augustus raised up the walls
Prince did not consider what he asked for it seemed he did not well know what it imports in a state by rich patrimonies and Pretence of Nobility to put the Bulls horns upon the head and Woolves teeth in the mouths of meek sheep ready to be milkt with both hands and shorn to the very quick when they wanted the pretension of that vain-glorious Nobility which teaching others onely how to command like Lords made the base slavery of obeying known and that those Potentates who had indeavoured to found and maintain a great Nobility in their states by the institution of birth-right were at last aware that they had foolishly made them the heads of those people who when they had wealthy men for their guides and such as were remarkable for their Nobility were dreadful to all Princes and that great Families in all States served onely for Lanterns which in the obscuâ—…est times of revolutions gave light to the common people who walked in the dark Wherefore in States where there was a numerous Nobility it behoved Princes to live with the punctilio of respect which was an unsufferable burthen which those kingdoms wanted where no such impediments being found their possessors might justly and with much reason term themselves true and absolute masters of their States and that there wanted not examples of Noble men in France Flanders and elsewhere who in foul Insurrections made by themselves durst take upon them the Title of Fathers of their Country and the peoples Protectors and who that they might Tyrannise over the people and give Laws even to their natural Princes were not ashamed to guild over their seditious taking up of Arms against their King with the specious and charitable pretence of publick good To this the Embassador answered that the example of the warlike Nobility of France was the only thing which had induced his Prince to desire it so much in his State for he found cleerly that the trechery of those who had made insurrections against their King had been overcome by the glorious French Noblesse and that the noble kingdom of France being armed by a no less numerous then warlike Noblesse had taught the whole world how much a numerous Noblesse imports in a kingdom for 't was they alone who by their unvanquishable swords had quenched the fire of those French Insurrections which in a kingdom that had wanted so great a benefit would have burnt eternally Apollo answered that all this would have been true if the French Insurrections of which he spake had been raised onely by the people but that being apparently kindled by a great many of the Noblesse of that kingdom the Physician would prove very ridiculous who should glory in the cure of a malady of which through his gross ignorance he had been the onely cause and that every wise Prince ought to keep from the fault of nursing up and nourishing Companions and brothers in his kingdom since those Monarchs reigned most securely who put the greatest distance between their greatness and the lowliness of their subjects That it nauseated his Majesty as much as ignorance it self did to see that there should be so arrogant and vain-glorious subjects in one of the chiefest kingdoms of Europe who by the proud pretence of their Nobility durst affirm they were as nobly born as the King himself as if any comparison which was not infinitely ridiculous and hateful could be made between a spindle and the Mast of a Tree between Flyes and Elephants between commanding and obeying And Apollo added that it was this monstrous petulancy which made the Ottoman Emperors hold it the chief means of their security and greatness and that not without reason not to allow any the least shadow of Pretence to Nobility in their Dominions and that those who would see narrowly into the effects which the Noblesse occasion in a kingdom did not so much blame the resolution of those Emperors as some did who understood very little of worldly affairs For those great Princes who in their affairs minded onely substance and not appearance did infinitely abhor the boasting and vain-glory of those things which seemed to be and were not and they abhord to see that a Nobleman who had no experience or was not any ways skild in the affairs either of war or peace should notwithstanding through the sole pretence of his empty Nobility think those qualifications in the Militia to be due to him which a Prince is so necessitated to confer upon the only worth and merit of such Commanders whose hairs were grown gray under a Murrion and who by perpetually wearing of Curasses in actions of war had made their breasts and backs as hard as horn and that that which above all other things made such people hateful was to see them so wilful as not to obey antient Commanders of a less noble extract though they themselves were but young it being certainly an insufferable pretension to desire thorow foolâ—…sh ostentation that the gifts of fortune should be esteemed by a Prince to be indowments of minde In fine Apollo said that he though tit was greater cruelty high inâ—…ustice that the estate should not be equally divided amongst those brothers who had one and the same Father and Mother That he thought it fit some Prerogative should be given to the Primogeniture but that it should be such as should make him appear to be the head of his house not the Master of his Brethren and that the rich and just right of Eldership which Fathers ought to leave in their Families was love and concord between his Children And that it would be both great folly and cruelty to introduce that primogeniture amongst private men which occasioning such scandals in the blood of Princes as might be seen registred in history was onely born withal for the publike peace sake which the people would not enjoy if kingdoms were divided and that Primogeniture being onely advantagious to Princes subjects who were excluded from Paternal Inheritance were necessitated for their subsistance to take pay of them and to be trained up in war by which Princes secured their States that they might be furnisht with the same abundance of Military men as now they had with high injustice and the peoples ill will if they should admit all Brothers to Paternal Inheritances for that was onely the laudable Primogeniture which neither Princes nor Parents but brothers themselves by joynt agreement do erect in their Families when one onely of them betaking himself to propagation all the rest labour to augment the common Patrimony Apollo concluded his answer with this that he absolutely denyed to grant the Prince of Helicon the Primogeniture which he desired because he could no longer behold those horrid Tragedies and cruel machinations which were plotted amongst Brethren in those States where the use of Primogeniture was practised for those who were excluded from paternal Inheritance left no sort of cruelty or trechery unindeavoured to recompence the foul
injustice which was done them Moreover that all Primogeniture being grounded with much loss of blood he feared he should not be able to find out any form of priviledge with so strong and strict proviso's as would be able to keep people excluded from their inheritance from making by a dagger in their hand their Fathers last Will and Testament ineffectual The XLIV ADVERTISEMENT The Duke of Alva being accused of cruelty for having with exquisite diligence caused two of the prime subjects of his new Principality of Achaia to be imprisoned slain and afterwards secretly buryed in their very prisons defends himself stoutly before Apollo SOon after the Duke of Alva had tane possession of the new Principality of Achaia of which you heard at large by our late Letters that severe spirit who being wholly composed of wariness and vigilancy seemed to be indowed by nature with all requisites in a Prince who will with security govern States newly acquired After he had exactly observed the humors and behaviors of some chief men of the State he indeavoured to know who they were who had occasioned those many popular insurrections which had so much indangered the free State of Achaia and at last he found apparently that all the former evils had had their rise from the ambition of two principal men who being wealthy liberal courteous and more ambitious of government then became subjects to be qualities which in any whatsoever corrupted Commonwealth or newly founded principality make him who possesseth them formidable and by those means infinitely beloved by the people the Prince to secure the quiet of his State thought it very necessary to rid the world of so dangerous subjects so as with admirable dexterity and secrecy he got them both into his hands and with necessary resolution made them be put to death and buryed the very hour that they were imprisoned This cruel and resolute action not usually heard of nor seen in a State which never having known what belonged to servitude was not acquainted with those severe resentments which Princes through jealousie of State use to take gave that bad satisfaction to the Nobility which the severity of a new Prince usually doth when it is exercised against those ambitious popular Chieftains who by their seditions abuse Liberty and precipitate it into Tyranny and was of great terror to the common people who though they were much incenst against their Prince yet when they saw their leading men vvere tane from them they neither had courage nor vvit to move but as is usual upon such like occasions changed their insolency into admiration or vvonder their boldness into fear their acting of resentments into complaints by vvord and to threatning that revenge vvhich of themselves they had not vvit to execute The end of their rancor vvas then the making of such appeals to Apollo against their Prince as his Majesty straitly commanded him to make his present appearance in Parnassus and plead his justification against those imputations Alva obeyed and having acquainted his Majesty vvith their tedious conditions shevved him cleerly that to secure himself in the Government of his new Principality he was necessitated to use the wonted remedy of taking off the heads of the seditious people which Apollo seemed to be but little satisfyed with but told Alva that though the death of those two seditious men might be requisite yet he could not approve of the manner for that Princes who in the important resolution of putting any of their subjects to death did not proceed by the rules of known Justice injured their own reputation and interest and that Princes were obliged to make known to all the world the true reason which made them proceed with severity against their subjects and that the Delinquents punishment ought to be publick not onely for the Prince his Justification but to terrifie others and keep them from doing amiss The Prince grew pale to hear Apollo speak thus positively and answered that the aforesaid two persons were so mightily beloved by the People as if they should have been proceeded against by the usual course of Justice and that they had been executed as he acknowledged they should have been in the publike Piazza it was odds but that the People would by violence have taken them from the hands of Justice which disorder though it might have been prevented by guards of armed men yet it was most certain that the publike death of such prime men and who were so dearly beloved by their State would have caused such compunction such alteration in the minds of his Vassals as if not at that instant they would at least at some other time leave nothing unattempted to revenge it Which respects made him keep from purging the body of his State from those malignant humors which it abounded in by approved Medicines for certainly he should have stirred up such store of more pernicious humors as would have much aggravated the malady That it was a trivial politick Precept to frighten the meaner sort of people from committing wickedness by the spectacle of mechanicks in the Piazza's and other publike places but that personages of quality who were beloved by the People and whom Princes put to death onely for the safety of their State their deaths and burials must ensue their imprisonment in secret places for to punish signal men publikely upon scaffolds did not beget fear in men but rage of revenge Apollo then asked the Prince how long it had been since he had learned that Precept the Prince answered that whilst he was a young man he learned it of a Florentine who was his Master in the Politicks Apollo asked him again why he practised the contrary in the memorable and fatal resolution which he took in the business of Prince Egmont and Count Horn Alva boldly answered his Malesty that the interests were different in him who governed a Province as an other mans substitute and in him who was absolute Prince thereof and that Nature had made men wiser in governing their own particular affairs then those of their Masters and that many who seemed to be blinde in the government of other mens States were more then Argus-eyed in their own affairs The XLV ADVERTISEMENT A chief subject of the Province of Macedonia being hired by the Prince of Epire at a great salary when he came to know the right cause why that pension was given him doth magnanimously refuse it THe Prince of Epire who gives great Pensions to the chief Counsellors of divers of his neighbouring Potentates hath for a long time past paid great sums of money yearly to a chief Baron of Macedonia who is very well beloved and hath many followers in that Nation who believing that this the Prince of Epires Liberality proceeded from meer love sincerity of mind to free himself from the superiority of any other Prince which might disturb him in his service that he might be the more able to serve the Prince of Epire to
Seneca much moved with this sharp repremand resolved he would be no longer scorned for spending so immense a wealth only upon his belly and his back divided his whole Estate consisting of three millions and a half into four equal parts wherewith he founded as many publick Hospitals and indowed them with rich Revenues and ordered that the four sorts of fools wherewith the world did abound should be therein commodiously cured The first was to be for those foolish people who throw away their Estates waste their wits and lose their reputations in seeking for the Philosophers Stone fools that are indeed to be pittied for whom all good people ought to pray The second for those ignorant hiddy giddy people who Data opera seek for riches by Exorcisms and Inchantments The third was for the cure of such idle fools worthy of punishment who not caring to know things past by the reading of History foolishly imagin they may arrive at the knowledg of foretelling things to come by Astrology The fourth was for the advantage of such simple folks who having wasted all their Estates and not having one farthing left do notwithstanding still proudly boast of their Noble Families The LXXIX ADVERTISEMENT Some Princes of Pernassus having spent a great mass of wealth in a stinking sort of Merchandise and having thereby incurred great debts are forced to profess themselves Bankrupts and to leave Pernassus IN the Exchange of Pernassus the most important Bankruptship is discovered that ever hapned in the memory of man for it fell not out as usualy between private Merchants but between the most Potent Princes of this State in so much as no payments of monies are made any where and Merchants refuse to pay Letters of Exchange every one standing at a gaze till they see where this business will end which hath drawn along with it the breaking of divers other Merchants who were considerable The rich Indian Fleet almost wholly fraught with Sugars which entred some daies ago into the Gulf of Lepanto was the cause of these so many disorders Some of the chief Princes of Pernassus bought all the Sugar which brought in great store of money and then they provided many Magazines and Ware-houses and made great provisions of Cauldrons and other brass Vessels and were at such an expence with all this as they took up monies at huge high Interest from Merchants at all Marts by exchange and bartering The true end of these Princes was to know for certain whether they could happily compass the difficult business of preserving Turds a business which had been formerly endeavoured by many great men but still unfortunately Many rich Lords were so resolved upon the undertaking of this stinking occupation as they neither spared for cost nor labour to bring this their stinking designto their desired end for they put all their minnions Hephestion idols flatterers and bawds into the great Caldrons which they had prepared to whom they were not ashamed to pay all the most abject and base slavery and obedience These unfortunate Confectioners cover over this scum of people which are so fatal to men of power with the sugar of honourable imployments and highest dignities and though it was clearly seen that by reason of their stinking lewd conditions they did not only not become ever a whit the sweeter in merit and vertue but the more sugar was heaped upon them by those unfortunate Princes the more they stunk in the nostrils of men of honour yet did they daily persist the more in that their woful occupation and the obstinacy of those ill advised Princes was so fatal as the worser they found their business to proceed the more did their diligence and expences increase together with the impossibility and shame of the fowle undertaking those foolish Merchants did still beleeve that the infinite quantity of Sugar and fragrant Musk had power to make the stink of those their shameful favorites sweet and odoriferous But at last though late they found their business impossible to be effected and having consumed all their Sugar they were aware that those their Idols had not only shamefully infected theirCourts by their insufferable stench but had infinitely defamed them who for want of caution had doated upon so unsavory carrion wherefore they quit the enterprise and because the moneys which they had taken up at use were already grown due for fear of their Creditors they have all played least in sight and the more to aggravate so great a disorder we hear that a great King who that he might confectionate a base minnion of his was for certain the first who advised to this miserable Merchandize fell unfortunately off horseback as he fled away and is since dead His Majesty was very much troubled at these disorders and to hinder the like inconveniences for the future hath commanded that on the first day of August a remarkable day since not only the universal Banckrupt but the death of that great King hapned on that day so sad a misfortune should be publickly commemorated and if the example of so great a Monarch could not deter powerful men from the like undertaking it must be granted that this calamity was occasion'd through the same weakness of brain by which privat men are blinded and for avarice undo themselves in pursuit of the Philosophers Stone The LXXX ADVERTISEMENT Certain prime Politicians of Pernassus pray the Ottoman Monarchy to tell them the true reason why she makes short war with her enemies and are by her satisfyed MEnante who for the better satisfaction of his customers to whom he sends his weekly Gasetta's is very diligent in prying into the very secretest passages of Pernassus having discovered the other day that some Politicians of this Court desired Audience of the Ottoman Monarchy was so watchful as when they went to that mighty Queen he went along with them in company and heard Scipio deCastro whom those Politicians call their File-leader beseech her Majesty that she would vouchsafe to acquaint those Politicians that were with him with the true reason wherefore she makes but short war with the Princes who are her enemies even when she was victorious and certain to make greater acquisitions and did prosecute others even to their uttermost ruine I have heard that the Ottoman Monarchy did after no barbarous manner answer them you must know Gentlemen that I never use to lay down Arms when I make war against Nations which though never so great are divided into several Principalities wherein I finde discord and faction to reign till I have totally conquered them as I did in the Grecian Empire whose division into several despoters and the intestine discord which reigned amongst them did I confess throw open the gates unto me and made way for my acquisition of that famous Empire Likewise when I go against a Prince who is abandoned by his friends I never make peace with him till I have fully conquered him as was cleerly seen in the expedition which I
the Torrid Zone did not only not burn through the heat of the Sun as all Philosophy-Schools did hold affirmatively but that it is rather too humid and that it is inhabited by an infinite number of people and it was a novelty which appeared to surpass all human miracles to hear that the Winters were there too cold and rainy when the Sun was perpendicular over the peoples heads By which he clearly found how many falshoods he and other Philosophers had published of the Torrid Zone and how fallacious it was to give positive judgement out of meer conjectures upon the wonders of the all powerful God miraculously fabricated and he was very much pleased to arrive at last at the knowledge of the true cause of the flowing of the River Nile whereof together with many other Philosophers he remembred he had said many foolish things Seneca the Tragedian made use of so great a novelty arrived in Pernassus to his immortal glory boasting every where that being inspired by Divine Poetical fury he had by his famous Verses foretold for above 1400 years ago so great a discovery And some Literati who laughing at him said that Seneca in that his Tragedy spoke but by guess tasted of his Majesties displeasure who thinking that the honour of the Muses was much concern'd by that incredulity made them inhabit for many daies amongst the ignorant Dantz Aligieri won more glory who had affirmatively held in his Verses that the Antartick Pole which had never been seen by any in his daies was un Grand Crosiero These famous Hero's had audience on Tuesday last in the Royal Hall where Apollo was assisted by the Muses who were come thither out of a curiosity to see the faces of those men who had courage enough not to dread the incensed Seas and to plough them up though they were unknown unto them and full of shelves and rocks even in the darkest and most tempestuous night Columbus after having kist the last step of the Royal Throne and the nethermost hem of the Muses garment and made low reverence to the Colledg of Literati said in a stately Oration for him and his Companions that the two glorious Princes Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile having extirp'd the wicked Mahometan Sect from out the Catholick Kingdoms of Spain at the expence of much gold and bloud God was resolved to gratifie them with a gift worthy of so great piety And that therefore his Divine Majesty having debarred the courage and curiosity of men in former times from discovery of the new world had reserved it to remunerate the zeal which he had discovered in those two famous and powerful Princes to his service who being born to propagate the holy Christian Religion amongst Infidels had piously caused it to be planted amongst those Idolaters and that the ever living God having at last permitted men to make discovery of the new world he himself first and then those other famous Pilats that were there with him had so succesfully sailed over all the vast Ocean as after having discovered new and large Provinces and very rich Kingdoms they following the same source which his Majesty had laboured so much in from the East to the West had compassed the whole world about By which their fortunate fate not only Cosmography Astronomy and the Meteors but even Physick and the other praise-worthy Sciences had received singular advantage and that to boot with the curiosity of infinite diversity of Customs and Rites newly discovered by them amongst incredible numbers of people they had also inriched the old world with spices and medicines excellently good for the life of man and with such riches as they had caused Rivers of Gold and Silver to run throughout Europe and great store of pretious stones and that in reward for so great labours they only desired that that eternal fame might be granted to them and to their memory for the purchase whereof they had freely undertaken and happily finished that which appeared so dreadful to men of former times Columbus's Speech was attentively listned unto and it was immediately decreed by his Majesty that these so famous Heroes should be preferred before the Argonauts and that the glorious Ship-Victory with which Mageline had first compassed the world should be placed in heaven amongst the fixt stars and that the names of so illustrious men should be ingraven with indilable Characters in the Tables of Eternity in the Foro Massimo And whilst Nicholas Perinotto the Delphick chief Chancellor held forth the Decree that it might be the more binding Mario Molza appeared in the Royal Hall a cry'd up Poet but very deformed as not having any hair either on his head or face who was yet rendred more monstrous by his having no nose his face full of gum and scabs who pointing with his finger to his wounds said with a lowd voice These which you see Sir in my face are the new Worlds the new Customs and rites of the Indians these are the Jewels Pearls Drugs Astrology Meteors Cosmography these are the Rivers of Gold wherewith these new and unfortunate Argonauts of the French Pox who are come into Pernassus only to add scorn and derision to our mischiefs have enriched and filled the world these are the new receits which they have brought with them to infect mankind with a disease so contagious so cruel and shameful as it is greatly disputed amongst the Learned whether it do more pollute the body or shame reputation These hair-braind men have enrich'd and beautified the world with these Jewels wherewith you see my face blistered and my body wounded these implacable enemies of mankind have corrupted the very generation of man Then turning towards Colombo Molza began to unty his briches but the Muses to keep their eyes from being contaminated with the sight of any obscenity commanded the under Officers to hinder him from so doing which Molza perceiving I said he most Divine Dieties will shew no dishonesty in this august place but the woful calamities and miserable wounds brought by these men from their stately new worlds which are unknown to all former Physick and Chyrurgery And how Signor Christophano would you have men taste the odoriferousness of those Aromaticks which you so much glory to have brought from the Indies if the French Pox wherewith you have so perfumed the world be a capital enemy to the nose I know not with what face you can say that God to reward the merits of your Potent Princes hath bestowed upon them the world which you have discovered when it is much more true that his divine Majesty hath made use of you to transplant the pestiferous French Pox which is so sore a scourge to the libidinous into Europe And how dare you say that you have enrich'd the world with Drugs if Pepper Cynamon and Cloves cost thrice as much now as they did before you did imbitter those Dolci Fichi which I have so highly praised in my Verses with
the Arsnick and Nax Vomica of those tortering plasters and shameful incissions which I dare not name in this place And do you think that your having brought such quantity of Gold and Silver as you speak of from the new world into the old can be termed our felicity when our greatest happiness would have been never to have been acquainted with any of those damn'd mettals which are the chief cause of all our evils But you and your companions may doubly glory first for having put the old world into such confusion with the great store of Gold which you say you have brought with you and then for having brought the new world to a final ruine by introducing the sword But what need hath Europe of so much Gold since all things necessary for human life grow daily dearer and the peoples poverty increaseth every day And not to conceal that which ought to make you odious to his Majesty and to all his Vertuosi it is not any thiâ—…st after honour nor as you have falsely affirmed the desire of that glory which eternizeth mens memories which hath eg'd you on to so dangerous and damnable an enterprise but incited by avarice spur'd on by ambition and driven on by the thirsting after that gold which your Country doth value so lightly is that which made you rashly pass those Hercules his Pillars which wise Antiquity set for bounds to the insatiable curiosity of man and for proof of what I say did not you Signor Christophano compel your Kings of Spain to pay your good deserts by making you be brought prisoner from your Judges and fettered as a publick thief of the Regal Treasure And you Marquiss Pizzaro Did not you play the trick of a special Gentleman to Antabalipa King of Peru in robbing him of the great store of Gold which you found he had And fully to compleat your infamy Did not you rebel against the Emperor your Master An action so much the more shameful for that such bruitishness is seldom seen to fall out amongst the Spanish Nobility For these reasons Sir and for the evil behaviour which these famous Argonauts of Torters have used to the Indians wrought off their legs in the Forges of Gold are so far from receiving any favour from your Majesty as they ought to be cudgeled out of Pernassus as pernitious people and fatal to mankind Molza's discourse appeared to Apollo and to the reverend Colledg of Literati to deserve better consideration then did appear at the first wherefore Colombo was answered in his Majesties name that he should take back the French Pox the Gold and Silver which he found in his Judges and that he and his companions should with all speed quit Pernassus for that he had gained enough and because mans happiness consisted in living in a little world well inhabited by men and not in being Master of many great worlds for the most part uninhabited by men and only fraught with wild beasts The XCI ADVERTISEMENT Sigismond King of Polonia prefers a Paladine to the prime dignities of his Kingdom who proving perfidious the Polack Nobility thinking the publick reputation was concerned in this privat Palatines Misdemeanour revenge themselves severely upon him SIgismund Augustus that famous King of Poland being strangely affectionate to one of the chief of his Nobility raised him to be the greatest richest and most powerful Paladine of his Kingdom but with bad success to his Family For this great Personage were it either through his particular vice of ingratitude or for that the fatal destiny of Princes will have it so and that human mischief requires it that benefits which for their immensity cannot be rewarded should be paid with the wicked coyn of ingratitude or else that it be the particular defect of great men to love like generous animals Liberty above all things and to hate being fettered by the Chain of obligation when this Paladine found that he could expect nothing more from the King nor that the King could confer no more upon him he did not only not stick to shew himself manifestly ingrateful but had the audacity to discover himself upon some important occasions his deadly enemy This man being stained with so enormous a fault was found the night preceding the 14 of this present month dead in his bed stab'd through with many daggers and a Note was left upon his head which advised the Judge not to trouble any body concerning that fault which the Paladines of Warsavia of Uratislavia and of Posna confessed to have committed with their own hands out of justifiable reasons This accident very hainous as well in consideration of him that was slain as of those that slew him was of so much greater wonder in Pernassus in that the Authors of so great a Riot were held to be the dearest and most intimate friends that the slain Paladine had wherefore the aforesaid Note was held to be fictitious but it was afterwards believed to be true by those Paladines being retired into their own Palatinates who were that very day seen in Pernassus Apollo who much loves the peace of Polonia fearing lest it might be disturbed by so sad an accident which had made the chief Lords of that Kingdom take up Arms caused peace immediately to be treated of between the murtherers and the sons of him that was slain who out of such reverence as became them signified unto his Majesty that to give him satisfaction they would readily forget the injury which they had received by their fathers death but that to wipe the tears from off their eyes and to cure their wounded hearts they desired only so much satisfaction as that their enemies might declare whether their miserable father had so much distasted those his friends as did deserve so cruel a resentment this request seemed very reasonable to Apollo who immediately gave order that the Delinquents should have notice given them thereof They returned answer That having long before observed the great ingratitude of that Paladine towards the King his Benefactor they had often severely admonished him to forbear those actions which did so much misbecome such a one as he was but that all being in vain the interest of the publick reputation of the Polack Nobility had forced them with their daggers to revenge the injury which was thereunto done by this ungrateful person When Apollo had read this Justification 't is said he confest that since many riotous excesses were committed out of good intentions and meer punctilio's of honour Judges and Princes must some times not only bear with Delinquents but punish the offended and afterwards sent the Note of Justification to the sons of the slain Paladine who being more vertuously minded then was their father came to Apollo and told him that having considerately reflected upon their fathers demeanors towards his so well deserving King and upon the occasion which had forced those Paladines to bereave him of his life they saw they were compelled to pardon
and customs must believe her to be in all her negotiations clean contrary to what she appears to be outwardly And although amongst the vertues that have been named she hath many enormous vices yet she hath the good fortune to have all things in her held vertues and admired for such wherefore many wise Princes think it an honour to them to imitate her even in her vices She is of a strong constitution which makes many men think her to be long-liv'd She suffers only in having her members so far distant a thing which doth infinitely weaken so great a body And though by the assistance of the Genoweses and her alliance with the Duke of Savoy she endeavours to unite them yet does she but little good therein by reason of the diversity of Interest of these two Potentates But so great a Princess is prejudiced by nothing more then by her own Spanish State-Ministers which she makes use of in all great imployments wherein they carry themselves so proudly and with such hateful haughtiness as they will not be only honoured as men but even adored as Gods An impertinency which hath made the Spanish Government tedious and nauseous not only to the Italians and Flemmish but even to the very Spaniards themselves All that behold so powerful a Queen wonder to see that she should all her life-time be troubled with Leeches and those for the most part of Genua And some of them are so great as good big Eels And it is not known whether her not shaking them off proceeds from impotency from negligence or from the destiny of great Princes to whom it is alwaies fatal to have these ugly animals suck out their very life-bloud This potent Princess being come into the Royal Hall before Apollo made her left arm be untied by some of her servants and shewing it naked to Apollo and the whole College of Literati spake thus Lord and Father of Learning this which you see is that stinking issue of Flanders which the French Germans and some Italian Princes who seem to be my friends and that unbowel'd beyond-sea Renegado made in me so many years ago for the jealousies they had of me I confess that the before named Princes had reason to be jealous of me when after the death of Henry the second they saw France falne into the calamity of infant Kings and that I in their minority sought to sow discord in that Kingdom Now that there is no more cause for these suspitions and that I do not blush to say it I have been sentenced to pay charges in the great contention which I had with the French and particularly with that mad Prince of Bearne I desire your Majesty that so troublesom an issue may be closed up since every one sees that it is become so inraged a canker by reason of the abundance of humors that have confluence thither as I wish to God it may not prove my ruine I did not pass into Italy meerly out of mine own ambition nor had I so immoderate a thirst as my enemies affirm to command it all Every one knows that I was called in and haled by meer force by the Italian Princes own selves to free them from the fear of being Lorded over by the French And there is none in Europe that does not know that I lose so much of my principal every year in the States which I hold in Italy as they serve but to weaken and oppress me Happy had it been for my Spanish Palace which I would have tiled over with Silver and Massie Gold if I had never medled with the Italians a double-dealing people full of fallacies and interests and who are only good to Imbarque people in dangerous businesses without bisket and then to abandon them in their greatest necessities professing nothing more openly then to take Crafish out of their holes with other mens hands And I strangely wonder why Italy which as every one knows hath suffered her self to be overrun by all Forreign Nations should now make such profession of chastity to me as she cannot see me move never so little but she is afraid I should bereave her of the honour of her Liberty And though the greatness which the Kingdom of France is at present in does secure Italy and all the aforesaid Princes from the fear they have of my power yet if your Majesty shall be so pleased I am ready to give security to every one de non offendendo provided this my so troublesome issue may be closed up The Issue was forthwith by order from his Majesty very diligently considered by the Politick Physitians and having held a careful Council thereupon they said That it being clearly seen that the Spanish Monarchy was affected with a continual ardent thirst of Rule she had need of that issue by which those gross humors might be purged away which fell upon her stomack from Peru and occasioned that unquenchable thirst And these able Physitians considered that if the aforesaid Monarchy had not had that issue it was apparently dangerous that the pernitious humors of Peru might mount to the head of Italy to the manifest ruine of her so principal Members which remain as yet unviolated And that the Monarchy of Spain might fall into a Dropsie of Universal Monarchy For which inconveniences they said excellent provision was had by this issue of Flanders which ought to be kept open whilst Peru did subminister such pernitious humors to the Kingdom of Spain She was much displeased with this resolution wherefore greatly incenst she said Sir If by the malignity of others I must so shamefully consume away by administring oyntment to this Canker which my enemies term a diversive issue others who least believe it may pechance bring clouts to it The meaning of this was soon understood by the French English and Italians who reply'd That they feared nothing less For they sent but the scum of their States to Flanders whereas the Spaniards spent their gold and very life-bloud therein For to secure themselves from the formidable power of Spain and from the Spaniards ambition which they found had no Orison the English French Germans and Italians were forced answerable to Tacitus his Aphorism Consiliis Astu res externas moliri armaprocul habere A Secretary of Monsieur de Guise is punisht for having spoken amiss MOnsieur de Guise his Secretary speaking yesterday with some French Barons of the late Tumults in France as he mentioned his Masters party called it the holy League which when Apollo heard he caused him to have the Strappado given him thrice in publick and made him be told he might learn to put a difference between a Holy League and a devillish Rebellion The Spaniards endeavour the getting of Savioveda but in vain SInce the ill advised Princes of Italy made use of the Spanish Pickax to take the French nail out which was fixt in the Table of Millan which Ax entred so far into the Table it self as it
books not constrained by any necessity at all And that they must all know that Prince Battori had attained to this elegancy of the Latine Tongue not out of any ambition to shew himself learned nor out of a vertuous curiosity to know many things but out of the necessity he was put to of correcting for his credit's sake that simple boyish misconstruction which he committed in Gender Number and Case then when in the Hungarian War he made that fatal resolution of taking up arms against the Turks that he might adhere to the Emperor of Germany of whom having so strong and lively pretences upon the Principality of Transilvania he should have stood in more fear then of threescore and ten Ottoman Emperors The French are freed out of the Mad-mens Hospital by the Spaniards SOme two daies ago did Apollo now at last cause to be releas'd out of the Mad-mens Hospital a great number of French that had lain there many years During which time in their raging fits they had committed both against themselves and their friends many lamentable trespasses and had given cause sufficient for tears to all Europe Now because by Affidavit formally given in to the Court of the most illustrious Physicians or Medici of Florence who have alwaies been assisting in the cure of the dangerous malady of that Nation it was made fully to appear that they were recovered they have been dismiss'd But before their departure out of Pernassus his Majesty sent for them and told them That for the future they should understand how to enjoy so flourishing and potent a Kingdom with more discretion then formerly they had and that above all things they should remember that for the recovery of their healths they had been wholly obliged to the Spaniards who with only appearing armed in France and particularly in Paris had returned some brains into the beetle-heads of those Frenchmen that formerly had played such mad pranks in France Many and hearty thanks did then these Frenchmen return to his Majesty and said they should be so far mindful of the wholsom counsel he gave them that in measuring the distances of places they would hereafter accustom themselves to make use of the Italian mile that so they might avoid that woful name of League But as for the recovery of their brains they were altogether beholding for that to their most generous and ever victorious King Henry the fourth who with the splendor of his valour had opened the eyes of the French that had been foully blinded with Spanish hypocrisie Besides that the Spaniards which had been the first authors of that lamentable French Tragedy had so cunningly gotten a trick to make way for themselves in France with their glittering and most beloved double Pistolets that they had made both the foolish and the wise too to run out of their wits Some for examples sake are made a spectacle to the people APollo to his singular discontent was informed that the greater part of modern Princes do not for the subduing of their enemies make use according to the custom of the antient Heroes of open force but sometimes of fraud In the exercise of which they so much preval that only by the powerful means thereof they have made shift to bring their most important enterprises to pass Whence it is that the first weapon which these draw against their enemies is that so shamefull one of corrupting the Loyalty of their discontented Subjects and of stirring up the Nobility to rebellion Wherefore to remedy such grievous disorders about thirty years ago his Majesty gave command that the most unfortunate the Count St. Paul the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Guise should be brought in a wheele-barrow by Iohn Francesco Lottini privy Register of moral Precepts in this Court and set under the Porch of the Delphick Temple Whereupon these three great Princes with their hands fingerless and all pittifully mangled looking as if the dogs had gnawn them were shewn by Lottini to the people that went in and out of the Temple To whom with a loud voyce thus he spake Ye faithful Vertuosi devoted to Learning and sacred Morality take example by the so wretched calamity of these unfortunate Princes deprived of the use of their hands which God send you ever to enjoy and learn to know what comes of it when men will be perswaded to be so simple as to draw Crabs out of their holes with their own hands for the benefit of others A discovery made that the Spanish Officers are wholly concern'd in their own profits THree daies ago about one a clock at night forty Carts of Hay were seen to enter the Royal Palace of the Spanish Monarchy and because the unseasonableness of the time filled with jealousie the French the Venetians and other Potentates that live in perpetual jealousie of so formidable a Princesse's greatness with exact diligence inquiry was made whether the Carts carried any thing prejudicial under the hay And the Spies brought in word that under the hay were hidden chests full of mattocks spades and pickaxes And because these are tools that belong to Pioneers the French were resolved to stand to their arms and the Venetians would needs lanch out those Gallies that were in their Arsenal when it was resolved that before they would discover themselves they should do well to be informed whether the Spaniards had brought any other quantity of those instruments or whether they expected any from some other place And they were assured that neither formerly had they received any nor for the future did they expect any And the Spies added That as soon as those chests were taken down they were not carried into the Royal Magazine but all the Grandees of Spain and the prime Officers of that mighty Monarchy suddenly divided amongst them those mattocks those spades and those pickaxes with which the next morning very early with all speed they fell to digging of ditches to drawing of channels to making of banks and to loading the earth with a thousand Aqueducts every one with so much labour and diligence drawing the water to his own Mill as they had brought the publick affairs to such a sad condition that the Mills of the Commonalty of Spain could grind no longer for want of water Maximilian the Emperor is advertised of the tumults sprung up amongst his Sons THis last night there came in three Posts to the Emperor Maximilian the second and instantly it was divulged that they brought news how Matthias the Arch-Duke had taken up arms against his brother Rodulphus the Emperor with which he seditiously claimed the Kingdoms of Hungary of Bohemia of Austria and the absolute Soveraignty over other Provinces These unhappy tidings infinitely troubled the Emperors mind for he very well knew that the discord arisen amongst his Sons afforded to the enemies of the House of Austria that contentment which they so much desired to see Whereupon yesterday morning very early he presented himself before Apollo
and with tears trickling down his cheeks he desired to know when the disasters of the House of Austria long since begun by a cruel Conspiracy of all Germany against it would come to an end and for what demerit such bitter punishments were inflicted upon his Family To this demand Apollo answered after this manner Great Emperor the persecutions and all the troubles of your Family will then cease when it shall wholly give over those ambitious thoughts of desiring to dominier over Hungary and Transilvania which thoughts have put Germany into such jealousies that to secure her antient Liberty from the power of your House she studies nothing else but how to keep it down For the Germans fearing much greater mischiefs from your acquisitions then from the Turks victories are absolutely resolved rather to lose Vienna then to take in Buda And then will the potent Conspiracy begun against you be dissolved and all Germany heartily affect your Arch-Dukes when laying aside their present ambition they shall make it appear to all men that they desire to be the other German Princes equals not their Superiors The Doggs in the Indies are grown Wolves VPon the twelfth of this moneth about mid-night came to Apollo a Post sent from Lisbon in all hast and told him that he had brought news of very great concernment from the West Indies Very early next morning all the Literati ran to the Palace-Royal to know what was the news And the Spaniards were the first who with much carefulness demanded if there were discovered in the Indies some second Monte diâ—…otossi or some new Rio della Plata whither they would fain go and there sow the Holy Word of God The French were very inquisitive to know whether there were any new World found that by making the Spaniards so very potent might perfect the ruine of the old But it was taken for a very bad signe to see Apollo after he had read the Letters grow exceeding sad and that muffled up in a thick cloud he fell a weeping bitterly For which novelty every one conceived that the Post had brought very unhappy news Whilst then the place was full of Literati and every sort of Vertuosi which much afflicted were there waiting to know the cause of his Majesties so evident sadness after many claps of Thunder and infinite store of Lightning they heard a dreadful voice which spake thus Fast be mortified cloath your selves in sack-cloth sprinkle your selves with ashes eat your bread mingled with tears O ye that inhabit the earth and with prayers appease the wrath of God with a contrite heart and a pure spirit beseech him that of his infinite mercy he would vouchsafe to free that part of mankind as dwels in the old world from those portentous novelties which for certain have hapned in the new At such terrible news the Vertuosi for very grief fell a swouning and believing that the West Indies had either been consumed by fire or drowned by water were much afraid of the same disasters For which all the people of Pernassus being in a terrible fright with abundance of tears sighs and howlings whose like was never heard cried out Mercy mercy and humbly intreated his Majesty that he would reveal to his devoted Subiects what those mischiefs were from which they were to beseech Almighty God that they might be freed Then from the same Royal Seat was heard a second voice giving them all to understand that the Dogs which the Spaniards had transported into the Indies to preserve the Flocks from Wolves were grown Wolves themselves and that so ravenous ones as in devouring sheep they surpassed in greediness and cruelty the very Tigres After so unhappy tidings there was heard a publick lamentation of all the Literati every one bitterly complaining that the Dogs which had charge of the Sheep should become such greedy Wolves that they devoured the Flocks â—…o what Guardians shall the Shepheard here-after trust their Flocks the Guardianship of Dogs which have been so faithful to their Shepheards being no longer secure And why came there into the world the species of Sheep the most unfortunate of all animals since they must be a prey both to Wolves their enemies and to Dogs their friends Whilst all the Nations in Pernassus for the great affright they were in look'd as if they would sink into the ground only the Flemings and the rest of the Low-countrey-men were observed to go up and down Pernassus undaunted encouraging every one to cheer up and not to be out of heart saying there was no calamity threatned to any man which may not be happily avoided by stout resolutions proceeding from spirits unmoved Whereupon the Flemmings cry'd aloud to every one that likewise in their Countrey the dogs whom the Spanish Shepheards had set to keep the Flemmish Flock were grown to be such ravenous wolves that with savage cruelty they devoured the sheep and had consumed all the Flemmish flock if by the resentment of that couragious resolution which is known to all the world they had not taken a course â—…or it That therefore if those mischiefs which are reported to have â—…en out in the new world should happen in the old every one ought to know that the true way for chastiâ—…g of those dogs which have a scurvy quality of worrying sheep was to give them some Low-countrey Nux vomica and make them burst as they deserved The Spanish Monarchy visits the Queen of Italy and there passe between them Complements full of kindenesse SO great was the affright which the most illustrious Queen of Italy was in when she perceived that the most puissant Kings of France at that time become Lords of the Kingdom of Naples pretended to the Soveraignty over the Dutchy of Millan And though they made a shew of continuing in their antient amity yet did they very cruelly lay snares both against her life and reputation and all this with such bitterness of minds enraged that what with the machinations of money what with the crafty wiles of the pen they held up even in peace a cruel war for many years Now whilst the heart-burnings and jealousies betwixt these two Queens were at the fiercest and their minds were observed to be poysed with the most deadly feud the Monarchy of Spain beyond all expectation went with a Train worthy her greatness to give the Queen of Italy a visit who entertained her with such demonstrations of honour and of intimate affection that all the Literati who in the face both of the one and the other Princess took more notice of the motions and dispositions of the mind then of their fine verbal Complements knew for certain that there was grown between them a perfect and real reconciliation Nay never since the memory of man did there happen in Pernassus any peace or concord which did more astonish the Vertuosi there and make them more curious to know the true cause of so strange a thing And because the Philosophers
the Poets and other Literati of whatsoever Science are but dim-fighted in the art of discovering the true ends of those wary resolutions which great Princes take they made their recourse to the University of the Politicians whose peculiar profession it is by the light of that knowledge which they have of all Potentates interests to know how to penetrate into the abditos Principâ—…m recessus quicquid occultius habent From whom they received this answer That the Queen of Italy to secure her Liberty from the Arms of so potent a Nation was inforced to joyn with the Spanish Monarchy but that perceiving how she also having gotten into her hands the Kingdom of Naples and the Dutchy of Millan did with more earnest ambition with more profound artifices and with more fraudulent machinations than the French themselves put in for the Soveraignty of all Italy and that to compass this end in the minority of Henry the second 's Sons she endeavoured to embroil France and how for the base Panders of her vast ambition and for Agents for the common bondage of Italy she made use of some principal but indiscreet Italian Princes she began to hate her so extreamly that by every sort of flight the one sought the ruine of the other but that since by the unfortunate end which at last the business of Savioneda came to the Monarchy of Spain plainly perceived that the purchase of all Italy was not feasible and a business utterly to be despaired of she gave over that ambition of being Mistress of it all to whâ—…h she was before wholly addicted and observing that the greater part of her troubles in Flanders and elsewhere had sprung from those ambitious thoughts she perceived there was no better way for the setling of her own affairs then to let others live in quiet And because she palpably found that without the friendship the favour and aid of the Italian Princes it was not possible for her quietly to possess the Kingdom of Naples and the Dutchy of Millan she was desirous with that visit to pacify the troubled mind of that Queen A Policy which the â—…oliticians called a very good one For what manner of men would begin to rouse up themselves if the Spaniards should but make as if they would fall upon Brescia Bâ—…rgamo Turino and Genoua when for offering to take in that poor petty Town of Savioneda there were contrived against them and that by those from whom it was least expected such machinations that the Quail â—…ad bin caught in the Trammelli and could not have avoided falling into the Spaniels mouth had she not couragiously resolved to make a breach in the net and so to save her life by getting out at a torne mesh The Monarchy of Spain throws her Physician out of the window THis morning the Monarchy of Spain having sent for her Physician in ordinary presently after she her self with her own hands threw him out of the window of her Royal Palace So that the poor wretch having all his bones broken to fitters died immediately An accident which seemed so much the stranger in that the Physician was held by all the Court to be a very honest man and in the exercise of his profession admirable Diverse were the discourses made upon so notorious a novelty But Apollo desiring to know the true cause of this hideous resentment from the Spanish Monarchy her self she told him how about forty years ago by some fittes that she had and by other signes which were discovered she was afraid that in process of time she should catch some dangerous French disease or other of the Royal House of Bourbon and to provide agaâ—…nst the mischief she foresaw she ask'd counsel of her Physician who prescribed her a tedious fulsom and chargeable Purge of divers Oyles of holy Leagues of insurrections of people of Rebellions of Nobles of Cauteries and other very painfull Medicines in which she had wasted her stomack weakened her strength and quite lost her appetite And that the infinite store of Syrops and the many Medicines taken with so much anguish had procured nothing but the acceleration of the malady which had it not been for that unlucky and unseasonable Purge would perhaps never have come Besides that the continual and ravenous leeches which were applyed to many parts of her body had so suck'd out the best vital bloud of hâ—…r Spanish Gold that by reason of her weakness of constitution she was not able to evacuate those bad humours of Flanders which have so much oppressed her For which disorders all occasioned by the exceeding bad counsel of that indiscreet Doctor she was so vex'd at him that she seriously swore to him that if to free her from future infirmities he ever prescribed her a purge again she would throw him out of the window And that perceiving the Low-Countrey Ach which at this present she feels in her shoulders to be an absolute French Pox she had asked counsel of the same Doctor how she might be rid of it Who unmindfull of his former errors very simply prescribed her the other purge for all the world just like the first and that hereupon overcome with passion throwing him out of the window she was desirous to punish him for his first fault in his second And she conceived that he had deserved the misfortune because he had not learn'd by that case which had proved so unlucky to her Spaniards to know that purges made before the time for evils that are but feared work not those good effects which the Physician believes and the Patient desires The Cardinal of Toledo's Summa is not admitted into the Library of Pernassus THe most Illustrious and right reverend Francisco Cordouese Cardinal of Toledo a Personage of exemplary life an exquisite Divine and a prime Philosopher one that while he lived did more honour to Gods word in the Pulpit than any other Preacher whatsoever appeared some few daies agone in Pernssus being met at the borders of this State by Alexander de Hales and by Monsignor Cornelio Musso Bishop of Bitonto and entertained all the way at his Majesties charge This honoured Literato presented his Writings to the reverend College of the Vertuosi and those which treated of Philosophy were not only praised but admired as likewise the Commentaries which he had made upon the Subjects of Divinity were received by all the sacred Wrâ—…rs with extraordinary applause and presently they were carried in a sumptuous Urne under a Canopy into the Delphick Library and with the name of so great an Author consecrated to Eternity Only his Summa though very learned was not received by those Vertuosi who plainly said there was such a multitude of these kinds of Summaries and Collections in his Majesties Library that some of them seemed superfluous For an infinite number of the greatest Divines had with such diligence handled matters appertaining to private mens câ—…nsciences that they had put to arbitrement the salvation of mens souls