being compassed about with dry matter was suddaynely by the treachery of his brother set on fire which he perceiuing toke counsayle with his wife then present how to escape and auoyde the daunger The woman either of a readier wit or riper cruelty aduised him to cast two of his sixe children into the fire to make way for him selfe and the rest to passe time not suffering him to make any long stay he put his wyues counsayle in speedy practise made a bridge through the fire of two of his children to preserue the rest aliue Sesostris in this sorte deliuered frō the cruell treason and malicious deuise of his brother first of all tooke reuenge of his trecherous villany and diuelish intent in the next place bethinking himselfe in what affayres to bestowe the multitude which he had brought with him whome afterwards he diuersly employed for by these captiues were certayne huge and monstrous stones rolled and drawne to the temple of Vulcane Likewise many trenches cut out and deriued from the riuer into most places of the countrey whereby the land being aforetime passable by cart horse was thencefoorth bereaued of that commodity for in all the time ensuing the countrey of Aegypt being for the most parte playne and equall is through the creekes and windings of the ditches brought to that passe that neyther horsse nor wayne can haue any course or passage from one place to another Howbeit Sesostris inuented this for the greater benefite and commodity of the lande to the ende that such townes and cities as were farre remooued from the riuer might not at the fall of the floud be pinched with the penury and want of water which at all times they haue deriued and brought to them in trenches The same King made an equall distribution of the whole countrey to all his subiects allotting to euery man the lyke portion and quantitie of ground drawne out and limited by a fouresquare fourme Heereof the King himselfe helde yeerely reuenewes euery one being rated at a certayne rent and pension which annually he payd to the crowne and if at the rising of the floud it fortuned any mans portion to be ouergone by the waters the King was thereof aduertised who forthwyth sent certayne to suruey y e ground and to measure the harmes which the floud had done him and to leauy out the crowne rent according to the residue of the land that remayned Heereof sprang the noble science of Geometry and from thence was translated into Greece For as touching the Pole and Gnomon which is to say the rule and the twelue partes of the day the Graecians tooke them of the Babylonians This King Sesostris held the Empyre alone leauing in Aethiopia before the temple of Vulcane certayne monuments to the posteritie to wit certayne images of stone one for hymselfe another for his wife beeyng eache of them thirtie cubites the foure images also of hys foure sonnes beeyng each of them twentie cubites apeece In processe of time when the image of King Darius that gouerned Persia should haue bene placed before the picture of Sesostris the priest of Vulcane which serued in the temple woulde in no wise permit it to bee done denying that Darius had euer atchieued the like exploites that Sesostris had done Who besides the conquering of sundrie other nations not inferiour in number to those whiche had beene ouercome by Darius had also brought in subiection the most couragious and valiaunt people of Scythia for whyche cause it were agaynst reason to preferre hymselfe in place before him vnto whome he was inferiour in chiualry whiche bolde aunswere of the priest King Darius tooke in good parte and brooked welynough Sesostris dying the seate imperiall came to hys sonne Pheco who beeyng bereaued of hys sight vndertooke no voyage of warre but remayned quiet in his kingdome The cause he was stricken blynde is sayde to be this At what tyme the waters of the floud increasing by reason of a mightie raging winde had drowned the lowe countreys eyghteene cubites deepe The Kyng inraged at the vnaccustomed swelling of the ryuer tooke hys darte and discharged it into the middest of the waters for whyche hys vnrcuerent facte the fame is that hys sighte incontinente was taken from hym and hee became blynde the space of tenne yeares In the eleuenth yeare there arose a prophecie in the city Butis that the tyme of hys miserie was nowe exspyred and that hys syght shoulde eftsoones bee restored agayne if in case hee washed hys eyes in the water of a woman whych neuer knewe man but her owne husbande For further proofe of thys phetis medicine the Kyng beganne first wyth hys owne wyfe whych working not the effecte he looked for he tryed many others but all in vayne lastly lighting vppon a poore seely woman that had neuer woorshipped more Sainctes then one hee speedely recouered hys sighte agayne and causing all those whome earst he had prooued to be gathered into one citie the name whereof was called Reddclodd he set fire to the towne and consumed them all The King thus healed and freely acquited of hys former miserie began to be deuoute increasing the temples of the gods with giftes of exceeding value All which deserue for theyr excellencie to be had in memorie and chiefly those that he offered in the temple of the Sunne which were these two mighty great stones which the Aegyptians in theyr tongue called Obeli in fashion like a spit or breach 100. cubites long and in breadth 80. Next after hym the kingdome descended to a certayne man of the citie Memphis whose name in the greeke language was Protheus to whome the Aegyptians erected a temple which is yet to be seeue in Memphis very fayre and beautifull garnished wyth rich and singulare giftes On euery side whereof dwell the Phenices a people descended of the Tyrians whereof the place taketh the name and is tearmed the tentes of the Tyrians Within the temple there is standyng the house of Proteus called the court of straunge Venus vnder which name is meant as I deeme Helena the daughter of Tyndarus who as a guest agaynst her wyll kepte resyaunce for a tyme in the court of Protheus and was tearmed the straunge Venus in as much as the other Venus who hath many temples in Aegypt is neuer called by the name of straunge Heereof entring talke with the sacred order of the priestes they discoursed vnto me that Alexander hauing stolne Helena from the Spartanes and speedyng hymselfe homewarde by the sea called Aegeum by constraynte of weather was driuen into the Aegyptian seas and perforce againste his will was cast ashore in Aegypt His ariual was at y e mouth of the floud Nilus called Canobicum at y e porte whiche the inhabitants tearme by y e name of Trachex In this place is situated a temple to Hercules where vnto if any mans seruaunt or vassall flye and get vppon hym the holy markes
as they call them in token that hee yeeldeth hys whole alleageaunce to the god of that place it is not lawfull for any man to touch him which order was kept inuiolate vnto our agea The seruauntes of Alexander hearing of the lawes of this temple forsooke their Lorde and fled vnto it and in humble manner submitting themselues before the god they accused their mayster whose death they all desired shewing in what manner he came by Helena the great iniury he had wrought to her husband Menelaus The same playnt also they framed before the priests of Hercules and the chiefe gouernour of the port named Thonis Thonis hauing hard the accusatiō of these poore suppliants sent in all haste to the King in these wordes Knowe you noble Prince that a fewe dayes since a certayne straunger of the Troiane lignage hauing committed a most villanous acte in Greece by entising away the wife of him that had geuen him entertaynement is by force of tempest dryuen vpon our coastes we desire therefore to knowe your hignesse pleasure whether we shall geue him free passage into his countrey or bereaue him of that he hath and sende him awaye To which newes the King returned an aunswere saying The person you speake of of what nation soeuer hee bee whiche hathe wrought this despitefull treacherie to his hoste see you apprehend and bring to my court to the ende I may heare what he can say for himselfe Whereat Thonis without any farther deliberation tooke this yong gallaunt of Troy strayned hys ships and brought him with the Lady Helena and the rest of his retinue to the city Memphis where the King at that tyme made his place of abiding Beeing arriued at the Court the King asked Alexander in these wordes Yong gentleman what are you and from what countrey are you landed heere in Aegypt Alexander who was not to seeke of an aunswere with a comely grace made aunswere to the King descrying both his countrey and lynage the place also from whence hee was arriued and to what coastes he directed his course And where then quoth the King had you this goodly geutlewoman for she seemeth to be a woman of no common bloud whereat my youth somewhat mammering before he coulde cast the plot of his excuse was betrayed by his seruaunts who in humble inanner on their knees disciphered to the King the whole discourse of his treason The vassals hauing ended their speeche Protheus turned hymselfe to Alexander and tucked hym vp with thys rounde tale my friende sayde hee were it not for the reuerence I owe to straungers with whome my custome is not to deale by rigour I woulde surely pipe yee such a daunce for the wicked villanie wherewith thou hast abused thyne hoast in Greece that all vnthankefull wretches shoulde take example by thee how to vse those that shewe them courtesie in a forraigne lande Ah vnkynde wretche as thou arte is thys the best requitall thou makest the Grecian for hys noble vsage towarde thee to bereaue hym of his mate the most comfortable companyon of all hys daies and not contente therewyth lyke an arraunt theefe thou hast despoyled hys goodes the best and principall treasures of hys house Thou mayest blesse the tyme tenne thousande tymes that the Aegyptians yeelde suche honoure to straungers and packe thee hence from my presence wyth the rest of thy mates swearyng by my crowne that if hencefoorth thou bee seene within the borders of Aegypt I wyll account thee as myne enemye As for thy minion and the goodes thou hast broughte I shall reserue tyll suche tyme as the Grecian shall come to reclayme them By these meanes sayd the priestes came Helena into Aegypt whereof also Homer hymselfe seemed not to bee ignoraunt but of purpose rather for that it fell not out so fittingly for hys verse hee chose the other declaring notwythstandyng that some such fame as thys was bruted abroade whyche appeareth manifestly in hys Illiads where making mention of the voyage of Alexander he affyrmeth that by meanes of a contrarye wynde hee was tossed by sea and recouered the lande at the city Sydon in Phaenicia reade the verses that are framed by hym in the prayse of Diomedes in whych place these lynes are founde There were the cloakes of gorgeous hue so braue and princely dight Made by the dames of Sydony sold to the seemely wight Kyng Pryams sonne that stale hymselfe a wyfe of royall race Queene Helene hyghte retyryng home vnto his natyue place Touching the same in his Odyssea in these verses This poyson quycke and valerous whych Polydamna gaue The wyfe of Thonis Helen brought and carefully dyd saue Great store whereof in droughty soyle of scorched Aegypt groe Some soueraigne good and othersome the cause of present woe In like maner to Telemachus Menelaus speaketh in this vvise And when I sought to leaue the land of Aegypt and retyre God hyndred whome I left vnserued by vowes and sacred fyre In these verses Homer confesseth that he knewe of the wandering of Alexander into Aegypt forsomuch as the countrey of Syria is bounding vpon Aegypt and the people Phaenices vnto whome the city Sydon is belonging are resyaunt in Syria As well these therefore as also the place it selfe are no small proofe nay rather a most valerous argumente that the verses wherein it is sayde that Alexander conueying Helen from Greece in three dayes space wyth a prosperous gale and quyet sea arryued at Troy were rather intruded by some other poet then inuented by Homer who contrarywyse in hys Illiads maketh mention of his errour by sea To leaue Homer and come to the affayres of the Troianes being desirous to vnderstand of what truth these things were which are bruted to haue beene done by the Greekes at Troy I sollicited the matter with the priestes of Aegypt who tolde me in such manner as themselues beforetime had beene aduertised by Menelaus After the flight of the Lady Helen there assembled in the cause of y e kings brother Menelaus a puissant armie of the Graecians who embarking themselues into Teucria and incamping in theyr coastes sent in ambassage to the city Troy certayne of theyr chiefe peeres and nobles amongst whome was Menelaus brother to the Kyng Beeyng entered the city they made clayme of the Lady Helena with the goodes and treasures shee tooke wyth her requyring also a sufficient satisfaction to be made for the iniurie Wherevnto the Troianes aunswered that they spente their speech in vaine to rechallenge eyther women or goodes of them which they neuer sawe alledging that the thyngs they challenged were surprised by the Aegyptians neyther was it reason why they shoulde beare the faulte of others and make restitution of that which they neuer had Howbeit the Greekes imagining they had spoken it in derision to shift off the siege for the tyme bent theyr whole force agaynst the towne continuing the siege and batterie so long tyll they had brought it to vtter ruyne and subuersion
Syrians at a place named Magdolos he wanne the renowne of the fielde and after the battayle was ended tooke the greate city Caditis And beeyng very neate and fine in hys apparrell he sent a sute of hys brauest array to Apollo in Branchidae a certayne field of the Milesians In the ende after he had held the Kingdome seauenteene yeares hee then died leauing the title of his soueraignety to Psammis his sonne During whose raigne a certayne people called Helus sent messengers abrode into all regions to giue them to vnderstand how by them was deuised a game in Olympus of greater admiration and equitie then by any that euer had vsed that place supposing that the Aegyptians who had the prayse of wisedome aboue all nations could not better or more iustly dispose of these matters then themselues When they were come into Aegypt and had told the cause of their arriuall thither the King assembled such of the Aegyptians as were most excellent for graue and sage advice aboue the rest To whome when the Helians had made discourse of all those things which they had ordeyned in the setting foorth of this noble combate and had asked the Aegyptians if they could deuise anything better after deliberation had of the matter they asked the Helians whether they had inacted that citizens should mayntayne the controuersie against strangers or otherwise who aunswered that it was indifferently lawfull for all to striue of what countrey soeuer he were wherto the Aegyptians replyed that it coulde no wise stande wyth iustice forsomuch as one citizen would shew fauour to another by that meanes by partial dealing do iniurie to those y t came frō farre so that in case they would order y e matter with more equity and for that cause had arriued in Aegypt it were better to make the game for strangers alone not suffering any of the Helians to striue These things the Aegyptians put into theyr heads and sent them packing Psammis hauing raigned full out sixe yeares and making a voyage of warre into Aethyopla incontinently dyed After whome succeeded his sonne Apryes the most fortunatest of all the princes that had ruled before him excepting Psammiti 〈…〉 his great graundfire gouerning the countrey 25. yeares During which time he warred vpon Sydon and fought with the people of Tyrus by Sea Howbeit fortune owing him a despight she payde him home at length the cause where of we withriefely touch at this present deferring a more ample discourse of the same till we come to speake of the affayres of the Punickes When as therefore vndertaking a iourney against the Cyrenians he had suffered great losse of his men the Aegyptians cōtinuing hatred against him denied their allegeaunce rebelled supposing y t he had betrayed their liues on purpose to the end that with more security he might gouerne those y t remained For which cause in great disdayne aswell such as forsooke him returned home as also the friends of these y t had died in the battell stoode at defiance with the king renoūceing all duties of subiection Apryes witting hereof sent Amasis to treate peace with them who when he came in many words had rebuked their disloyalty one of the Aegyptians standing behinde him clapt a Costlet on his head saying hee had done it to make him King Amasis nothing discontent herewith was no soner proclaymed King by the rebells but forthwith he put himselfe in a readinesse to encounter with Apryes Apryes vnderstanding this sent one of the Aegyptians named Patarbemes a man of approued vertue with especiall charge to bring to him Amasis alyue Who arryuing speedely at the place where hee was tolde him the Kinges pleasure Amasis sittinge on horse backe and incouraginge those that were about him commaūded Patarbemes to bring Apryes vnto him Patarbemes once agayne willing him to make speede to the King who had sente for him hee answered that hee woulde come with all speede possible sayinge that the Kinge shoulde haue no cause to complayne of his slacknesse for hee purposed god willing to bee with him shortely and bringe him more company Patarbemes perceiuinge by his maner of speache and dealinges what hee was mynded to doe thought with as much speede as hee coulde to geue notice to the King and being returned Apryes in a great rage for that hee had lefte Amasis behinde him without any woordes by and by commaunded his Nose and his Cares to bee cut of The rest of the Aegyptians that followed the Kinges partes seeing this that so worthy and renowmed a man should without cause suffer so great shame and reproche amongst them without any delay fled ouer to the rebelles and came to Amasis Apryes increasing his fury put in armoure all such as of forrayne countries were hyrelinges in his hoste which hee had of Iönia and Caria aboute thirty thowsande men and marched agaynst the Aegyptians Hee had in the City Saïs a very great gorgeous Pallace The armyes therefore of bothe parties incamped agaynst other at the City Memphis there to abide the lot and euent of the battayle Nowe the people of Aegypt are diuersly addicted amongst whom are to bee marked seuen sundry Trades and kindes of lyuing which are these Priests Souldiers Grasiers Neate-heardes Salesmen Interpreters Maryners so many kindes bee there of this people taken of the Trade or crafte which euery one followeth Likewise the souldiers are called Calasiries and Hermotybies dwelling in certayne regions For the whole countreye of Aegypte is distinguished into certaine territories The coastes of the Hermotybies are these Busiris Saïs Chemmis Papremis and the halfe parte of the Iland Prosopis otherwise called Natho In these quarters are inhabyting of the souldiers Hermotybies 160. thowsande none of the which geue themselues to manuary artes or any trade of gayne but wholly practise the science of armes Moreouer to y e Calasyrians are assigned these regions Thebana Bubastiana Aphthitana Tanitana Mendesia Sebenitana Athribitana Pharbaethitana Thmuitana Thnuphitana Anysia Myecphoritana which tribe possesseth an Iland lying against the City Bubastis The tribes of the Calasyrians when they are mustered to the most yeelde to the warre two hundred and fiftye thowsand men which are neuer trained vp in any thing but in feates of Chiualry the Sonne learning of his father Which custome whether the Greekes tooke from the Aegyptians or borowed it from els where I can not certainely say seeing that in Scythia Persia and Lydia and welnigh all the countreyes of the Barbarians the basest sorte of Cityzens are such as exercise handicraftes and their children of leaste accounte and they best regarded which are leaste conuersante in the same especially such as are employed in the fielde The same maner also doe the Grecians obserue and chiefly the Lacedaemonyans and euen amonge the Corinthyans craftsmen and such others are debased to the lowest degree To these gentlemen souldiers this chiefe honour is assigned aboue all sortes of men sauing those
haue done more eloquently in englishe then our Authour hath in Greeke but that the course of his writing beeyng most sweete in Greeke conuerted into Englishe looseth a great parte of his grace Howsoeuer the case standeth Gentlemen if it be not so well as it might be I would it were better than it is wishing the best albeit I can not attayne to the best yet least I condemne my selfe before I neede I wil stay vpon the censure and opinion of others when the time shall come Till when and euer leauing you to God and the good successe of your affayres I ende Your very friende B. R. HER ODOTVS HIS FIRST BOOKE INTITLED CLIO HER ODOTVS beyng of the citye of Halicarnassus in Greece wrote and compiled an history to the end that nether tract of time might ouerwhelme bury in silence the actes of humayne kynd nor the worthye and renowned aduentures of the Grecians and Barbarians as well other as chiefly those that were done in warre might want the due reward of immortal fame The Persian wryters witnes y e first cause of debate controuersie to haue comen by y e people called Phaenices who sayling from the redde sea into this of Greece inhabityng the selfe same regions which at this tyme also they holde and retayne gaue themselues to long vagaries and continuall viages by sea In which season by trade of marchaundise brought from Aegipt and Assyria as in many other countries so also they arryued at Argos Argos at the same tyme was the most noble and famous city in Greece Whither the Phaenices directyng their course after they were come and within the space of foure or fyue dayes had made a good hand and riddaunce of their wares It fortuned certayne women in whose cōpany was the Kings daughter whose name was Io. borne of Inachus to approach the shore in mynde to suruay and contemplate the wealth and substaunce of these outlandish Marchauntes Now in the meane season whiles the womē were busye and attentiue in praising such thinges as their fancy lead them the Phaenises ranne violently vppon them and hauing caught Io with some others they rest exceedingly affryghted and flying through feare incontinently wayghed ancōre and sayled into Aegipt By these meanes the Persians record that Io first came into Aegipt not as y e Phaenices reporte that this was the first cause and beginning of iniuryes It chaunced afterward that certaine Greekes whase names they knew not taking shore lauding at Tyrus in like manner made a rape of the kinges daughter named Europa These were the people of Crete otherwyse called the Cretenses By which meanes yt was cardes and cardes betwene them the one beyng full meete and quit with the other But in processe of tyme the seconde trespasse was also made and committed by the Grecians who passinge in a galley by the riuer Phasis to Aea a city of Colchis and hauing finished the affayres and busines for which they came caryed away Medea daughter to the King whom the noble gentleman her father eftsones reclayminge by an Harold of peace and demaunding punishment and reuenge on the trespasser the Grecians made answeare that as by themselues no correction was done for the rape of Io. euen so would they also in this cause goe voyde of smart and escape scotfree After this in the secōd age ensuing Alexander the sonne of Priamus hauing notise and aduertismēt of these thinges was greatly desyrous to steale and puruay himselfe a wife of the Grecians notfearyng the rigour of Iustice or anye manner pey or chastisment which they before had vtterly refused to beare and sustayne Hauing therfore gotten Helena and conuayed her away it seemed good to the Greekes to clayme by embassage restitution of the rape and iustice on the rauisher vnto whom the stealth of Medea was obiected and answeare made that it was not meete for them to require eyther losse or law which in former tyme would be ruled by neyther Thus the tyme hetherto passed on by mutuall pillage betweene them But of those things which insue and follow Vpon these y e Persians affyrme the Grecians to haue bene the chiefe authors who first inuaded Asia by the power of warre then euer themselues attempted the rule and domiminion of Europa Reputing it the poynt of rude and grose iniury to steale away women and the signe of a greater folly to pursue the losse of them since no wyse man would set ought by those that without their owne assent and free wil could neuer haue bene stolne For this cause the Persians alleadge how lightly they valued the losse of their Ladyes whereas the Greekes on the other syde for one silye danie of Lacedemonia furnished a huge nauy and comming into Asia subuerted and brought to ruine the kingdome of Priamus Since which tyme they haue alwayes thought of the Grecians as of their heauy frendes esteeming themselues somewhat allyed to Asia and the nations of Barbaria but the Grecians to be strangers and alyens vnto them And as touching the course proceding of these things the Persians report on this manner adding hereto that the first cause of tumult and contention betweene them arose by the ouerthrow and destruction of Troy With whose assertions the Phaenices agree not aboute the Lady Io. Whom they flatly denye to haue bene caryed by them into Aegipt in manner of a rape shewinge howe that in theyr abode at Argos shee fortuned to close with the mayster of a Shippe and feelynge her selfe to bee spedde fearynge and doubtinge greatlye the feueritye cruell tyrannye of her Parentes and the detection of her owne follye Shee willynglye toke shyppe and fledde strayght awaye Such are the recordes of the Persians and Phaenicians of the truth wherof I meane not to discusse Onely whom I fynde to haue done the first harme and iniurye to people of Greece of hym I determine to speake proceding orderly w t the declaratiō aswell of small cityes townes of meaner fortune as of those that are populous wel frequented for so much as many cityes which former ages haue knowne right ample and wel peopled are now fallen to a low ebbe and contrariwyse those which in the compasse of our memory were greate haue heretofore bene much lesse wherefore knowing the tenor of humayne felicity to be eftsones varyable and neuer at one stay my purpose is to vse the examples of eyther kynd Craesus a Lidian born descended of Halyattes was King of those countryes that lye within the riuer Halis which flowing from the South part of the worlde betweene the Syrians and the Paphlagonians right against the North wind breaketh into the sea called Euxinam Of al the princes Barbarian of whom we haue vnderstanding this same Craesus was the chiefe that made some of the Greekes tributary and other his friendes he subdued the Iones Aeoles and Dores that dwell in Asia concluding with the Lacedemonians a friendly league
hys hand she priuely placed behynd the same dore from whence Gyges afterwardes arysing bereaued Candaules of his life and obtayned both hys wyfe and his kingdome Whereof also Archilocus Parius who was liuing at the same tyme maketh mention in a verse named lambie Trimeter To bee short Gyges proclaymed himselfe kyng and was established in the gouernment by the oracle from Delphos For when as the Lydidians greatly disdayning at the heauy lotts of Candaules arose and were all in armoure they came to agreement w t them that mayntayned the cause of Gyges that wherehe was pronouÌ„ced kyng by y e oracle he should raygne in peace if otherwyse the supreme authority should bee restored to y e bloud of Hercules Counsayle beynge demaunded of the oracle the gouernment and principall authoritye was assygned to Gyges Albeyt Pythia miÌ„gling hony w t gall threatned a reuenge to come vpon y e son of Gyges nephewes nephew or fift in line all discent from himselfe which sayng neither the Lydians nor their princes any thing regarded vntil such tyme as the end had confirmed it Gyges beynge in full possession of the kyngdome sent many giftes to Delphos to the Temple of Apollo whereof the greater part were framed of siluer and besides the siluer a mightye summe of Gold How beit amonges diuerse his presentes one is most worthy memory to wit 6 dishes of golde offred by hym wayghing thirty talentes which were safely garded in the close treasurye of the Corynthians Albeit to speake truth the treasure wee speake of was not proper to the people of Corinth but rather to Cypselus the sonne of Aetion In this manner was Gyges the first king of the Barbarians of whom we haue notice that presented any gyftes at the temple of Delphos saue only Mydas sonne to the noble Gordius and king of Phrigia For Mydas also consecrated a sumptuous chayre of estate wherin he was accustomed to sit and administer iustice very princely and beautiful to behold which was kept and coÌ„serued in the same place where y e golden dishes of Gyges lay The gold and siluer offred by Gyges was termed by the people of Delphos Gygeum or Gygades taking the name of the geuer Beyng setled in hys emperiall dignitye he warred agaynst Myletus and Smyrna and toke the city Colophon by force of armes neither any other act besides this was atchieued byhim albeithe raigned thirty eyght years we wil therfore passe froÌ„ him to hys some named Ardyis who as heire apparaunt to the crowne succeeded his father in the state royall Ardyis conquered the Prienensis and inuaded Miletus in the tyme of whose raygne the people called Cymmerians dispossessed of their owne seats by the Scithians surnamed Nomades came into Asia and adueÌ„turing vpon Sardis the seate of prince Ardyis toke the Citye excepting onely the towre and chiefe castle of defence Ardyis hauyng ruled the kingdome forty nyne yeares then left yt afterward vnto hys Sonne and Heire called Sadyattes who gouerned the same the space of twelue yeares After him the Scepter descended to Halyattes who ioyned battayle with Cyaxares sonne of Beioces and hys people the Medes banishing the Cymmerians out of Asia Moreouer by the same was the Citye Smyrna surprised lying neere vnto Colophon lykewyse the famous Citye Clazomenae valyauntlye assayled wherfore notwithstandynge his noble courage was daunted and he was forst to depart destitute of his hope other thinges also were done by hym in tyme of hys warfare verye worthye of memory which are these following In his warre with the Milesians left vnto hym by hys father he practised thys meanes in beâ—ieging the Citye In time of haruest the grayne beyng ready for the sickle he sent in his army marching with the sound of fluites and pypes which beyng comen into the fieldes of the ennemye their houses they left vntouched onely wasted the trees and fruictes of the region which done they eftsoones retyred to the place from whence they came For the Milesians hauing intelligence of their ennemyes approach forsooke theyr city and dwelling houses and fled to the Sea so that it behoued not the ennemy to stay there hys dryft and purpose in not spoyling the mansion places of his aduersaryes was onele this that the Milesians hauing place wherin to dwell might returne agayne from the Sea to till and sow the grounde which might geue him occasion to râ—enter with his power and bring their labours to none effect In this manner hee inuaded the countrey for terme of xi yeares wherein the Milesians suffred two notable foyles The first in Lemeneium a place so called in their owne countrey The second in a certayne field named Meander Sixe of these eleuen yeares did Sadyattes the sonne of Ardyis raygne in Lidya and beginning the Milesian warre troubled his enemyes by perpetuall inuasions and often conflictes For other fyue years hys sonne Halyattes main tayned the quarel receyued of his father In all the tyme of this warre none of the people of Ionia gaue succour to the Milesians saue onely the inhabitauntes of Chios who hauing before tyme bene ayded by them in the battayle which they fought with the Erythaeans shewing mutuall goodwil sent them now a supply in their like extremityes In the xii yeare Halyattes despoyling the fieldes in lyke sort as before it chaunced that whyle the corne was on fyre a great tempest arose caried the flames violently to y e temple of Minerua surnamed Assessia burnt y e pallaice of y e Goddesse welnigh to the ground Which thing at that present was lightly regarded of hym but being with his army returned to Sardis he fell sicke and beyng much enfeebled with the vehemency of his maladye whether of his owne heade or by the counsayle of others moued thervnto sent to Dephos to the God for the recouery of his health welfare when the messengers were come Pythia refused to geue them answeare before they had repaired the temple of Miuerua which the fyer had consumed at Assessum This I heard with myne owneares at Delphos whyle I there soiorned Hereunto y e Milesians adde besydes y e Periander the sonne of Cypselius hearing what answeare Haliattes had geuen hym by the oracle in all hast possible dispatched a messenger to Thrasibulus theÌ„ King of Miletus his faythful familiar frend to admonish him to workesome deuyse how to delyuer himselfe hys countrey from the perpetual molestation of his enemyes Halyattes hauing receiued these nowes sent incontinent to Miletus for composition of a truce till such tyme as the temple was renewed and erected agayn The ambassadoures being arriued Thrasibulus which knew the cause of their coÌ„ming and vnderstoode the purpose of Halyattes framed this deuise what Corne soeuer was in the city ether of his owne or in the possession of others he commaunded it all to bee brought into the Market place and there to be layed in one heape This done he gaue in especial charge to all the citye
the coller and become of a true subiect a trayterous rebell Wherefore yf thou wilt follow my counsayle do this Place at euery gate of the city certayn of thy gard with precise commaundemēt that no goods be caryed out of the Citye pretending of the tenth parte therof to make an oblation and sacrifice to Iupiter which doing thou shalt neyther purchase their displeasure by takyng away the wealth and themselues acknowleging the intent to bee good wil easily condiscend and bee pleased therwith This counsayle greatly lyked king Cyrus wherfore hauinge in lyke sorte disposed and setled his Garde as Craesus had warned him to him selfe he speake in termes as followeth My good Craesus whereas thou art-a kinge and by nature framed both to do well and speake wysely aske of me what seemeth thee good and it shalbe geuen thee My soueraygne Lorde quoth Craesus I shall esteeme my selfe hyghlye benefyted by your Grace yf by your maiestyes leaue and sufferaunce I may sende these my letters to the Gods in Greece Demaundinge whether it were lawful for him in this order to double with his freyndes But Cyrus requesting to know the cause y t set him so farre out of fauour with Apollo hee brake out and rypt vp the matter from the begynning declaryng vnto him the Oracles which were geuen and chiefly hys offeryngs wheron he presumed to denounce warre agaynst Persia After a large rehersal made as touching all these thinges he returned to his former sute requestyng the Kinge that it might be lawful for him to challenge the God for these matters and cast them in his teeth To whom Cyrus smylyng sayd Not this onely O Craesus but what else soeuer shalbe gaunted to thee and not at this tyme alone but as oft as it shall lyke thee to make petition Leaue obtayned he forthwith dispatched certayne men of the Lydyans to Delphos with charge that laying the gyues at the entry of the temple they shoulde question with Apollo yf hee were not ashamed to delude and cousyne Craesus with his fraudulent and deceitful Oracles making him to assaulte the Persians in hope to vanquish the power of Cyrus of which his hoped victory these were the first fruites commaunding them therw t to shew him the manacles with the which beyng first captiue he had bene chayned Moreouer to aske him whether the Graecian Gods had a priuilege and peculiar liberty aboue the rest to bee ingrate and vnthankful to their friendes The Lydians arryued at Delphos and declaryng theyr messuage Pythia made them aunsweare on this maner The necessary euent of fatall dedestiny it is vnpossible for the Gods themselues to auoyd Craesus layeth the disloyalty of the fift age before him y t is to say of his great graūdfathers father who beyng squyre of the body to y e Heraclidans was induced by the fraud deceypt of a woman to kill his Lorde and was after inuested with his dignity which nothing appertayne◠to him Notwithstandinge Apollo by al meanes endeuouringe to cause the fal of Sardis to light on the posterity of Craesus not vpon himselfe for all this could not prolōg or alter the inchaungeable race of destenye but dispensinge therewith as much as might be in some part he requyted his curtesy by deferryng the battery and conquest of Sardis for terme of three yeares It is meete therefore that Craesus knowe how his seat imperiall came three years later to ruine then was determined and appoincted by fatall necessity Agayne it was no small benefite that he saued him from frying at a stake for as touthing the oracle he hath no cause to cōplain being forewarned by Apollo that furnishinge an armye against Persia he should ouerturne and destroy a great Empyre Of this sayinge if in case he had bene better aduysed it was his part to haue enquyred of Apollo what empyre he meant whether his owne gouernment or the kingdome and principality of Cyrus But the prophecy beyng neither sufficiently pondered by himselfe nor sought to be discussed if any thing happened otherwyse then he would and wished for let him thanke hym selfe and not blame the God Now for that he aleageth besydes the sentence of Apollo as concerning the Mule it was better sayd by the God then considered by him For by the Mule was kyng Cyrus vnderstode whose parents were of dyuers nations and his mother of a more noble progeny and lineage thē his father The one beyng a Mede daughter to Astyages kynge of y e Medes The other a Persian and in homage and subiection to the Medes who beyng a man of base account and verye meane regard neuerthelesse crept into fauour and wedded the daughter of his soueraygne liege The Lydians thus aunsweared by Pythia made their spedy regresse to Sardis declaring to Craesus what they had hearde Wherby he came to confesse that the blame rested in his owne folly and was vniustly and without cause imputed to Apollo It suffyceth therfore to haue spoken this of the dominion and rule of Craesus ann by what meanes hee first vanquished subdued Ionia Furthermore besides those which before are mentioned many other notable presentes were offered by this king which are yet apparant to be seene in Greece For at the Citye Thebs in Boaetia there is a table of three feete all of Gold dedicated vnto Apollo Ismenius Certayne young heighfers also wroughte of Gold with sundry pillers of the same kynde Lykewyse in the entrey and porch of the temple there is to be seene an huge sheyld of solide golde All which were extant and remayning euen vntil our age Albeit by length of tyme many were consumed and brought to decay As for the gyftes he bestowed at Branchidae as farre as we can learne they were nothinge inferiour to them in value which were sent to Delphos Notwithstanding as wel those which hee presented at Delphos as also the other that were geuen to the temple of Amphiaraus were of his owne propre and hereditary substaunce the first fruites of his fathers possessions as for the rest which in lyke maner he consecrated were of the wealth and substaunce of his enemy who before Craesus aspyred to the crowne was of the secte and faction of Pantaleon For this Pantaleon also had to father Halyattes and was brother to Craesus but by sundrye women the mother of Craesus beynge of Caria the other of Ionia no soner was Craesus indued with the soueraygntye but hee toke his enemy y t constantly withstode him drawing hym asyde into a fullers shoppe he bereft hym of his life whose goods before hand vowed to the immortal Gods hee made consecration of in those places wherereof wee spake before And thus much as concerning his liberalitie and magnificency vsed toward the Gods Now as touching the countrey of Lydia there is nothing therof recounted worthy admiration like as of other regions saue that only out of the hyll Tmolus are digged small peeces of gold in manner of grauel
all to intermedle and deale with anye causes alleagynge y e it was smally to hys profite to spend whole dayes in determination and arbitrement of other mens causes omitting the care of his owne houshold and priuate affayres Wherfore robbery spoyle vyolence and all kynde of villany beyng now more freely and with greater impunity in eeuery place committed then euer before the Medes assemblyng a general counsayle begaÌ„ to deliberate and consult as touching the state and condition of theircommon weale Where as I am brought to thinke the friends and familiars of Deioces consideratlye and ofset purpose spake in this sence It cannot be say they that in this corruption lewdnes of manners we should long enioy and abide in our countrey Goe to then let vs appoynt and ordayne ouer vs a kinge that our laude may bee gouerned by good lawes wherby it may be free for euery man quietly to dispose of hys owne affayres and haue no cause to feare lest by the aâ—homination and outrage of wicked and pernicious maners we be cast out and dispossessed of our owne seats By which woordes the Medes indured to couch submit themselues to a kyng they began to consider whom they might electe and chose for the soueraygne lord of their libertye Which there doubt the name remembrance of Deioces straight wayes cut of who by general consent and one voyce of the whole multitude was named and approued kynge And beyng aduaunced to the chiefest dignity he coÌ„maunded forthwith a pallace to be erected and built vp seemly for the maiesty and magnificient estate of a prince Moreouer y e choyse should be made of stronge and likelie men for the gard and preseruation of his body Which the people of the Medes willing to gratify him by their proue and ready obedieÌ„ce immediatly perfourmed raysing a mighty and sumptuous court notably fenced and garnished for his safe abode situated also in y e part of the countrey which he best fancyed leauing it free and his owne liberty to select and picke out of the whole countrey of y e Medes such as he thought meete for the defence and care of hys health Deioces in full autority and power of a kyng compelled them also to founde a city which beyng by them accordingly furnished fortifyed they might haue y e lesse regard of their smal homely cotages which thinge the people willingly agreeynge to he enuyroned and fensed in a citye with stronge and mighty walies which is now called Ecbatana where one wall â—oundeth vpon an other in such manner that the onely compasse of the one cleane encloseth and whollye conteyneth the other euery one in lyke maner excedinge each other in height Whereunto the nature of the place gaue no small aduauntage as hauinge his reise and rearynge towardes the pitch of a hyll How bee it farre more greate was the helpe of art and industry of man hauing wrought seuen seueral closurs and countermures nere adioyning the one to the other In the last circuit wherof was the pallace of the king togeather with the treasure of the city The scope compasse of the last and greatest incloseth welny as much space or more as the wall of Athens The batlement of the first wall is coloured with whyte the seconde with blacke the third with redde the fourth also with blew or skye coloured the fyft with yellow the two last beyng coped with battlementes the one of siluer the other of gylt The pallace of the king beyng as we haue heard strengthned and corroborated with defence and munition he commaunded the rest of the people to dwell assyde on euerye part rounde aboute prouiding moreouer that no maÌ„ at any time should haue accesse or entraunce to his person but that all thinges should be done by messages to and fro in so much that the king seldome or neuer came vnder view or sight to any Aboue this it was held neyther seemely nor lawful for any man to laugh or spit in presence of the prince or anye other These thinges are therefore practised and obserued by the Medes that those which wer his equalles before of approued courage and valiancy might not haue any cause by seyng hym to be greeued at his dignity and consequentlye to brew treasoÌ„ against hispersoÌ„ but coÌ„trarily being abridged of his sight coÌ„pany y t might come into opinion y t the king was no part of his people but a maÌ„ singled sequestredfroÌ„ y e rest of the multitude â—erew t Deiocos hauinge garnished and set forth his maiesty in perfyte manner autorized setled himselfe in his empyre he ministred iustice w t great rygor and seuerity They which were in plea controuersye one with an other put their causes in wrytinge and by a messenger sent them in to the king which wheÌ„ he had determined he subscribed his iudgement and sent them back agayne executing iustice on this manner In other thinges he held another order yf happily he had intelligeÌ„ce of any that had done wroÌ„g or iniury toan other sending for him he put him to a payne accoring to the measure of his offence to which end he had dispersed diuers espyalles to prye and watch throughout the whole Realme Thus the whole nation of the Medes fell to the rule gouernment of Deioces wherof himselfe was the only principal Appertinent to the tytle and seate of the Medes are thus many seuerall peoples The Busans Paratacenians Struchates Arizantyns Budyans Magians All which were vnder the soueraignty of the Medes After y e decease of Deioces whose raygne continued the terme of 53. yeares his sonne Phraortes tooke vppon him the gouernmente Who not content to be kynge of the Medes alone moued warre vppon the Persians and made them subiect to the power of Media and hauing the rule and dominion of both nations the people of the which were mighty and valyaunt he subdued also Asia muadynge dyuers other countryes now one and then another tyll at length hee came to geue assault to the Assyrians I meane those that whylom were chiefe of al the rest but at that instant renounced and forsaken of all theire Subiectes by rebellion Neuerthelesse of themselues in very good estate Agaynst whom Phraortes vnder taking a voiage the 22. yerre of his raygne was slayne in battel and the most parte of his armye put to the swoord After whose death Cyaxares hys sonne and Nephew to Deioces came to the crowne who hadde the name to be of greater prowesse and might in warre then any of his auncestors Wherfore he distinguished into â—andes trowpes the people of Asia and fyrst of all arranged his army into an order of Spearemen horsemen and bowmen whereas before all were confused and out of aray This is hee who warred with the Lydians at such time as the day was turned into night and who hauinge purchased the fauour of all Asia that lyeth about the ryuer Halis mustered a power of men agaynst
the city Ninus aswell to take reuenge of his fathers death as to vanquish and destroy the citye But in the meane tyme whyle hee foyled the Assyrians in the field and held them at bay within the citye hee was of a sodaine incountered with an huge army of the Sâ—ythians lead and guided by Madyis their kinge successor to his father Protothias Who hauinge driuen the Symmerians out of Europe brake from thence into Asia and beynge in quest and persute of those whom they had flighted in battel came into Media The distauÌ„ce betweene y e two riuers Maeotis Phasis eueÌ„ vnto the countreye of Colchis is 30. dayes iorney for a light footman but betwene Colchis the land of the Medes the way is short the trauell easye one onely region lying betwene them which is the countrey of the people called Saspires which after wee haue passed the next stepp is into Media NotwithstaÌ„ding the ScythiaÌ„s toke not this course but fetcht a compasse about another waye towardes the vpper regions leauing the mount Caucasus on their ryght hand The Medes entring battell with the Scithians were by them vanquished and lost the tytle and superiority of all Asia Wherfore the Sâ—ythiaÌ„s surprising y e dominioÌ„ of Asia went from thence the next way into Aegipt but arryuinge in Siria Palaestina they were met by Psammitiâ—hus Prince of the Aegyptians by whose gentle intreaty and greate rewardes they were stayed from goyng anye further wherefore retyring backe agayne after they were come to y e citye Ascalon in Syria many of them passed by quietly without offer of damage or iniury howbeit some drouping behynd rifled the chappel of Venus Vrania beyng of greatest standing and antiquity amonges all the temples that were euer erected to that Goddesse for the Pallace of Venus in Cyprus toke oryginal of this as the Cyprians themselues testify The temple also extant at Cythera was built by y e Phaenicians which were a progeny and ofspring of the Syrians But the Goddesse moued with wrath agaynst those that wrought the spoile and pillage of her temple punished both themselues and all those which came of them with the feminine sicknes Which thing the Scythians also graunt who are easily brought to confesse that the cause was such and none other why they are tainted and infected with this disease Neither is it hard for those that trauayle into Scythia with their owne eyes to behold them which are thus diseased whom the Scythians call Enareas that is execrable and accursed Asia therfore was held by this people 28. yeares for which tyme proudly and iniuriously exercysing gouernment they made wast and hauocke of al. For beside the ordinary pension of tribute they exacted so much of euery one seuerally as theyr pleasure was to rate them at Wherwith also hardly satisfied they committed spoyle and robberye throughout all the countrey Wherfore Cyaxares and his people the Medes intertaining the most part of them with sumptuous feastes and all sortes of delicious and dayntye fare watching their time when the Scythians were ouerladen with drinke they set vppon them and flue them By which meanes recoueryng the empyre with all that they had before they toke also the citye Nynus The which in what sort it was by them taken and howe they brought vnder their rule all the AssyriaÌ„s saue only Babylon it shall else where be declared Nowe when as Cyaxares had raygned 40. yeares and reclaymed the kyngdome from the Scythians he ended his life Astyages hys soÌ„ne ruled in his stede of whose loynes issued a goodly gentlewoman named Mandâne whom hyr father on a night dreamed to haue let her vryne in so great aboundaÌ„ce y t to it filled the whole citye and couered Asia w t a maine floud The meaning wherof after he had learned of the Magi who had skil to lay opeÌ„ interprete dreames atteynted with exceeding feare hee resolued to marye his daughter beyng now of ripe yeares to none of the noble bloud of y e Medes which might seeme worthy of her persoÌ„ but to a certayne Persian named Cambyses whoÌ„ he knew to be of a good house and of nature remisse and quiet Albeit with him selfe in farre lesse accompt then a meane maÌ„ of the Medes The same yeare he had placed his daughter with Cambyses hee saw another vision no lesse straunge then the former wherein ther seemed vnto hym out of the wombe of his daughter to grow a vyne that ouerspread shadowed all Asia and hauing knowledge what it meant immediatly sent for his daughter from Persia where shee abode to whom beyng greate with childe and neere the tyme of her deliuery hee assygned a strayght and diligent watch in full purpose to destroy that whatsoeuer shee had brought forth into the world beynge geuen him to vnderstand by the wyse Magi the interpretors of dreames that the yssue of his daughter should raygne in hys â—leed Which thing Astyages carefully noting presentlye at the byrth of Cyrus sent for Harpagus his most familiar and faythfull counsayler and the onely solicitor and dealer in al his affayres To whom hee sayde on this manner My good and trusty seruaunt Harpagus I straightlye warne thee not to neglect y e charge I shal lay vpon thee nor in any wyse to delay the speedye dispatch and accomplishment of the same Beware thou dost not deceiue me and take hede least reposing thy trust in other to do it for thee thou bee a cause vnto thy selfe of grieuous reuenge Take this litle bratte of my daughter Mandâne and tary it home with thee to thyne house and slay it which done take order also by some secrete meanes to see it buryed to whom hee answered Most noble Prince your maiesty at no time enioyned ought to Harpagus that he scorned to doe and shall hee from henceforth neglect your hestes Be it your wil and pleasure I shall do it it is my dutye deuoyre to perfourme it Which hauing sayd the young infant was deliuered into hys handes in a rych and coastlye mantle whom hee receyuing departed home to his own house the teares trickling downe his cheekes for sorrow Whether beyng comen hee opened to his wyfe all the wordes that had passed betwene himselfe and the king who began to demaund him in these wordes And what then my lord are you mynded to do Certes quoth he albeit I am commaunded by Astyages yet whyle I liue wil I neuer be brought to commit so detestable a villany be he neuer so madd and tenne hundred times more enraged then he is at this present both for that this pore seely brat is of myne owne kyndred and allyance and then because Astiages himselfe is now olde and without issue of a man child After whose whose death if by fortune his daughter should aspyre to y t crowne whose sonne I am charged to bereaue of his life what else could I hope for but the most cruel and miserable death that coulde bee deuysed
as might controll and ouersee the rest bynding euery man with a seuerall dutye Among this company of litle wagges ther vsed to play a young boy the sonne of Artembares a man of great calling and principal respect among the Medes whō Cyrus for that he refused to obay his authority and do as hee bade hym caused the other boyes to take and lay hold on which they doing he beat him spightfully without measure The boy taking it heauily to be thus abused was no soner escaped from them but he rāne home crying to the city where his father dwelled and complayned of the wrong vyolence done to hym by Cyrus albeit not callīg him Cyrus for as yet he had not that name but the sonne of Astyages heardman Artembar es transported with choller in a rage toke his sonne by the hande and lead him to the kynge where declarynge the intollerable misusage of hys child opened his coate shewed hys shoulders sayng Is it meete O kyng that we be thus abused by the wretched brat of thy heardmā Astyages willing to gratifye Artembares and do him honour by reuenging his sonnes quarel caused the heardmas boy to be sent for who bryng come Astyages castyng towardes hym a sterue and frowning loke began in this wyse why syrra quoth hee you litle punion is it for so base a brat as thy selfe borne of a beggerly vassall to scourge and whip in such sort a childe sprong of a noble house whose father is one of the peeres and chiefe men of my realme The boy beholdyng the king with a bold and stedfast countenaunce aunsweared thus Why my Lord quoth he that which I haue done I haue done by iustice for our towne boyes in whose crew this was appoynting me their king as the meetest of them all to beare rule this fellow would not obay me and thought scorne to do as I bad him for which cause according to hys due desert I sharply punished him and if I for so doyng be worthy to be beaten here I am do with me what thou wilt Whyles the boy spake these wordes Astyages his hart began to rise for he seemd to himself to acknowledge the coūtenaunce of the boy callynge to mynde the forme and signes of his face besydes his stately and liberal gesture the terme also of his yeares hit so pat with the time of his casting out that he verily thought hym to be his yong nephewe Wherat some what astonied he remained silent for a space hardly at the length returning to himselfe being desirus to send away Artembares to the end he might talke alone with the heardman he spake thus My meanyng is O Artembares quoth he in such sort to deale in this matter that you shall thinke your selfe satisfyed and your sonne haue no cause to complayne With which wordes Artembares taking hys humble leaue of the king Cyrus was lead into an inner par lour Astyages beyng now alone with the heardman began to parle with hym where he had the boy or how he came by hym Who thinking it best to stand to hys tacklinge affirmed stoutly that he was his own sonne and that his mother was liuing with hym at home at his house To whom the king castyng an angry smyle Certes quoth hee good fellow thou art not thyne owne freynd to runne wilfullye into the briers and to be cause vnto thy selfe of a terrible death and presently making a signe to hys gard to lay hold on him they toke him in purpose to haue lead hym awaye But the miserable neatheard oppressed with extremity and driuē to so nere a strayght resolued with hymselfe abandoning all fayned allegations to seeke refuge by confessynge the truth wherfore openyng the whole matter from the first head and begynning he fell downe on his knees and humblye craued pardon of the kyng Astyages hearyng hym without glose or colour to speake as it was made light of his fault and let him goe sending certaine of his court for Harpagus against whom hys stomacke was inflamed with greate wrath and indignation to whom appearing in prefence hee spake as followeth Tell me Harpagus in truth quoth he by what death didst thou murder y e childe that I gaue vnto thee begotten borne of my daughter Mandâne who seeing Mitradates the heardman present thought it not best to dissēble and conceale the matter by fayning least he were taken vp for triping and conuicted of a lye but framing this aūswere he sayd My soueraigne lord and King after I had receiued the Infant at your graces hand I cast in my head the best way fittest meanes to obey and fulfill your wil and that in such sorte also that auoydinge your Maiestyes displeasure I might neyther be a minester of bloudshed to your princely selfe nor to your noble daughter For which consideratian I wrought thus Sendinge for this heardman grasier of your maiesties Neat I gaue into his handes the new borne brat with a weighty and precise cōmaundement from your gratious highnesse to put him to death and in so saying I spake no more then truth for so much as your pleasure was it should be so In this sort I committed vnto him the babe with an earnest and carefull charge to lay it out in the desert chases of the wilde and inhabitable rockes mountaines adding a hundred thousād threats of the most cruell and pestilent death in the worlde if in case he should let or in y e least point refuse to perfourm it with diligence Which done by him and the infant beyng dead of my most assured and trusty seruauntes I sent some to behold the child hauing nowe expyred and breathed forth hys last blast who fynding it cold and without sence layd it in the earth and buryed it This standes the case O king and by this death the child perished Now as touching this discourse of Harpagus his talke was directed and grounded on a flat and sincere truth But Astyages makinge no semblaunce of anger of that which had happened began and told him fyrst of the heard mans confession procedinge orderlye with the rest till at length he came to say thus For that the childe liueth and by the benefyte offortune and fauour of the Gods hath escaped death I greatly reioyce as beyng disquieted with no smal anguish and torment of conscience to consider the villany and wicked treeson wrought agaynstyt and beyng often challenged by my daughter for the priuy murder and concealed death of hyr child I was not a litle gauled and astlicted in thought But in that fortune hath turned all to the best send me hether thy sonne to bee a playfellow and companion to my litle nephew and see thou come thy selfe backe agayne and accompany me at supper For the truth is I am in purpose to do sacrifyce to the Gods immortall for the safe recouery of the child to whom the honour and chiefe prayse of this gracious and fortunate happe doth esspecially belong
liberty These thinges sounding in the eares of Astyages Cyrus by a purseuant was cyted vp to appeare at y e court whom he returned backe agayne with this answeare that his meaninge was to come verye spedily and somewhat to sone for his purpose At which newes Astyages imediatlye prepared a power of the Medes ouer whoÌ„ in an ill hower he placed Harpagus generall not mynding the iniurye hee had done vnto hym The army prepared and the Medes Persians meeting in the field they which were not priuye to the purpose of Harpagus began to fight and bicker with the enâ—emy the rest without offer of violence ioyning with them Other there were that with small resistaunce turned their backes to the Persians and fled amayne The host of Astyages beynge in this wyse dispersed and shronke in the wetting newes was broughte thereof to the king who in a greate heate of choller and outrage menacing Cyrus sayd Let the traytour bee assured hee shall not thus escape How be it first of all apprehending the wyse men Magi by whose counsayle hee was brought to let Cyrus depart he hanged them vp euery man not leauing one aliue After this he put in armour the rest of the Medes y t were in the city both young and old with whom beyng present in the fielde After that for a whyle he had abidden the might and power of the Persians he was driuen to flie and in the flyght was taken alyue with the losse and perdition of hys whole army Ouer whom beyng now captiue Harpagus his counsaylour greatlye insulted with open scoffes and reproachful tauntes omittyng nothing y t might gaule and greeue him to the verye hart laying in his teeth the supper wherin he hadde caused hym to seede of his sonnes flesh For which cause hee had now made him of a kynge a vassal Why then quoth Astyages dost thou now challeÌ„ge the dead of Cyrus to thy selfe who alleaginge on the other side that it was his deede and done by hym for that Cyrus was moued ther unto by his letters Astyages aunsweared that of all men he held hym most voyd of wit and goodwill to his countrey The one for that hauing power to be king hymselfe he had yelded it ouer to an other the other in that for malice of one supper he had brought his owne countrey into perpetuall thraldome For had it bene necessarye to haue put ouer the kingdome from hymselfe to an other it had bene much better to haue chosen a Mede then a PersiaÌ„ wheras now the Medes being nothing giltye of that fact were become of rulers slaues and y e Persians that hetherto had liued in bondage were now come to be lordes themselues On this manner king Astyages hauinge the space of 35. yeares borne rule in Media was depryued of his seate by whose cruelty and sore dealing the Medes came in subiection to the Persians after they had held the supremisye of all Asia aboue the floud Halis an hundred twenty eight years sauinge the â—yme that the Scithians obtayned the empyre Afterwardes the Medes repenting themselues of that they had done reuolted from Darius but beyng ouercome in battayle they were agayne perforce driuen to obedience The Persians by whose meanes Cyrus vanquished his graundfather Astyages hauing the chiefe rule and dominion of Asia Cyrus doinge no violence to Astyages kepte him in his house to the houre of his death Such therfore was the byrth and education of Cyrus the meanes wherby he atchieued the kyngdome who not longe after tryumphed ouer kyng Craesus his professed enemy of whom wee spake before by which his victory he wan the ful title possession of all Asia Furthermore the rytes and customes which the PersiaÌ„s vse I fynd to be these First for ymages temples aulters they neuer build any and accompt it great follye and madnes in those that do builde them For this cause as I iudge they think not the Gods to come of the progeny and lmeage of men as the Graetians doe Wherfore making choyse of the kighest and most lofty hyls of the couÌ„trey on the toppes of them they do sacrifyce vnto Iupiter by which name they vnderstand the whole cope and vaute of heauen geuing also lyke honor and reuerence to the Sunne the Moone the Earth the Fyre the Water and the Wyndes imputing to these alone a deuyne nature and deity which from the beginniÌ„g they haue had in honour NotwithstaÌ„ding in course of time they began to buckle and pray to Vrania which maner they drew from the Assyrians and Arabians Venus of the Assyrians is called Militta in Arabia Alitta by the Persians Metra The ceremonies ordayned by them to bee kept and obserued in time of sacrifice are these They neyther set vp any aulter or kyndle anye fyre at all omittinge also to say or tast of the sacrifyce before the immolation Pypes Myters saltcakes they neuer vse But as euerye one is purposed to make oblation to the heauenly powers so leadyng his host or sacrifyce into a fayre and cleaneÌ„ place hee humbleth himselfe in prayer to some one of the Gods hauing his head decked with a nightcap vsuallye worne of the women of Persia bounde about for the most parte and enuyroned with mirtle Beyng alwayes prouided that the party which maketh the offeryng hold it not lawful to pray for hymselfe only or to make supplication for any priuate or peculiar commoditye of his owne but vniuersallye for the whole realme and multitude of the Persians and chiefly for the king The sacrifycer hymselfe being a part and parcell of the whole number so that in praying for all others hee prayeth for himselfe This also cutting and hewing y e halowed beast into small and slender peeces they incontinently boyld it which done makinge diligent inquisition for the softest and smothest grasse they can find and especially trifolly or three leaued grasse they spred thereon the sodden flesh ouer which a Magician yalpeth out a songe of the beginning childhod of y e Gods whichthey accompt a most forceable and valerous incantation Without this Magitian They hold no sacrifice lawful or rightly perfourmed After this the sacrifycer taketh the flesh and applyeth it to what vse it seemeth him good Of all the dayes in y e yeare they obserue with greatest ioy and solemnitye theyr byrth day Wherin then at other tymes they vse larger dyete with greater plentye and aboundaunce of meate in so much that the richer and wealthier sorte set whole oxen camels horses and asses vppon the borde prepared and rosted in a fornace Such as are of meaner ability and substance celebrate their natiuity w t beastes of lesse quantity Litle meat sufficeth them the greatest part of theyr prouision consistiÌ„g in choise chats and iunkettinge dishes And those not verye tothsome and daynty Hereof it commeth that the Persians obiect to the Grecians their short meales quicke dinners for that say they they haue nothing pleasaunt dilicate or
of certayne Grecians that stode about him what maner of fellowes the Spartans were and how manye in number which after he vnderstode he made hym this answeare Verily my friend sayde he I neuer stode in awe or feare of those which in the middest theyr citye haue avoyde place wherby mutuall othes fayned vowes and protestations they defraude cosine each other whom if the Gods spare me life I wil one day cause to leaue of the regarde of other mens miseryes and bewayle theire owne Which wordes were vttered by Cyrus in mockage and derision to all the Grecians for hauing such wyde and wast marketplaces for open sale and marchaundise For the Persians neyther haue any such place for exchauÌ„ge and chapmandry neyther are troubled at any tyme with buyinge or selling After this leauing the rule and gouernment of Sardis to one Tabalus a Persian and hauing in like maner geueÌ„ one Pactyas a man of the countrey of Lydia in charge with the goods of Craesus and the rest of the Lydians accompanied with Craesus he toke hys voyage toward Ecbatana the chiefe citye of the Medes and hauing no greate regarde of Ionia albeit they were fyrst to bee dealt withall as scanning more sedious in his heade touching the Babilonians Bactrians Sacans Aegiptians all which he determined to assayle by warre hee sent agaynst the Iones some other of of his capteynes Being newly departed from Sardis Pactias caused the Lydians to rebell from Tabalus and the Persians and hauing in hys custodye all the wealth and tresure of Sardis he toke sea and leauied a power of hyred souldiours procuring the helpe and supply of all the cityes lying on the shore Who beyng moued by his earnest intreaty ioyned with him and remouing hys tentes to Sardis forced Tabalus to take the tower for hys defence and sauegarde where he planted his army in a siege against him Tydings hereof beynge brought vnto Cyrus who was yet in his iourney he turned himselfe vnto Craesus and spake on this maner When wil it be O Craesus quoth he that I shall be quiet haue nothing to do wil the Lydiaus neuer leaue of to trouble me and themselues in such wyse were I not best to make slaues of them and kepe them vnder by miserable thralldome and bondage For in this that I haue already done I am not vnlike to hym that hauing slayne the father taketh pity on the children Forasmuch as I haue led thee awaye captyue beynge more then a father to the Lydians and restored to themselues theyr city againe So that I cannot but greatly maruayle what cause mighte moue them so sodaynly to cast of obedience and become disloyall Craesus fearyng least in his fury he would haue beateÌ„ down and defaced the city began thus and sayde most worthye Cyrus thou hast spoken very well and wisely yet neuer thelesse it behoueth thee to moderate thyne anger and not to suffer a citye of so great fame and antiquity to be wholly ouerthrowen whiche the Gods doe knowe is all togeather innocent both of the former offences that were done agaynst thee of the presente treason which is now in hand the first trespasse o kinge I did my selfe and I smart for it the second hath Pactyas done and let him feele the price of it But to the Lydians noble prâ—â—ce shew mercy compassyon and fynd some meanes by infeebling their strength to preuent their courage and to take from them all occasion of treason heareafter Commaund therfore that no man amonges them be founde to keepe any war like weapons in his house ordayninge besides that auorde their coats they weare cloakes drawing on their feete pumpes and buskins inioyne them to bringe vp their children in playing on the cithren in singing in keping of tauernes and vintninge houses and vndoubtedlye thou shalt see that of valiant men and warlike people they will shortely become effeminate and like vnto women y t there shal be no cause to feare least euer hereafter they rise agaynst thee These things Craesus put into his head thirking it better for the Lydians to liue in this sort then to bee comonly solde for salues and vassals knowing that if in case he had not framed a very reasonable deuyse he could neuer haue remoued Cyrus from his purpose It is also to bee thought that he feared least the whole nation of the Lydians should be cleane rooted out and destroied by the PersiaÌ„s if escaping this at any tyme hereafter they sought to rebel Cyrus right glad at the counsayle and deuyse of Craesus gaue him promise to do thereafter wherfore callinge vnto him Mazares a captayne of the Medes hee warned him to charge the Lydians with the accomplishmeÌ„t and perfourmance of all those thinges that Craesus had told hym with a straight coÌ„maundement to let none of those escape vnsold for bondmen which had accompanied the Lydians in the assault of Sardis As for Pactyas the principall he commauÌ„ded himto be taken and brought aliue Which thinges after he had left to the discretion of Mazares hee proceeded immediatly towardes Persia his natiue countrey Nowe Pacyas hauing knowledge that the army drew nere raysed the syege and fled to Cumae whom Mazares spedily arriued at Sardis and hearing him w t the rest of his company to be vanished away Fyrst of al bound the Lydians diligeÌ„tly to perfourme all those things that Cyrus had commauÌ„ded In the next place sending messengers to Cumae to wil them to render and yeld vp Pactyas The Cumaeans toke counsayle togeather decreed to send Branchyde to y e God inguiring of him what was best to be done For as much as in y e place rested an oracle very auncient of long continuance which seÌ„blably y e people also of sonia Aeolia did vse and frequent This prophecy was situate in a certayne field of the Milesiâ—ns about the hauen Panormus whether y e Cumaeans at this time sent for aduise in their affayres demauÌ„ding what they might do in this case y t might seme most acceptable and approued to the gods Answere was made y e Pactyas should be restored to y e Persians which the people hearyng and thinking it wisedome to obay the oracle were fully mynded so to do Howbeit the more part of theÌ„ bendyng inclyning hereto one Aristodiâ—us borne of Heraclides a man of no small accompt amongs theÌ„ either for y t hee beleued not y e oracle or mistrusted y e messengers y t were sent vnto it earnestly w t stood it tooth naile in no wise suffring y e Cumaeans to obay the voyce suggestion of y e God whervpon it came to passe y e other messengers were sent the seconde tyme to wit y e priestes religious meÌ„ of the citye Aristodicus himselfe making one of the company who beyng come to the place where the god held his seate humbly besought hym in these wordes Ther came vnto vs O king a certayne Lydian named Pyctyas prostrate in all humility pitifully crauing
about these matters The people of the two cities Maerea and Apia that inhabite the borders of Aegypt next vnto Africa esteeming theÌ„selues to be of the linage and nation of the Africans not of the Aegyptians became weary of their ceremonies and religion and would no longer absteyne from the fleshe of kyne and feamale cattell as the rest of the Aegyptians did they sent therefore to the prophecy of Hammon denying themselues to be of Aegypt because they dwelt not within the compasse of Delta neither agreed with them in any thing wherefore they desired y e god that it might be lawful for them without restraint to taste of all meates indiffereÌ„tly but the oracle forbade theÌ„ so to do shewing how all that region was iustly accounted Aegypt which the waters of Nilus ouerranne and couered adding heereto all those people that dwelling beneath the city Elephantina dranke of the water of the same floud This aunswere was giuen them by the oracle Nowe it is meete wee know that Nilus at what time it riseth aboue the banckes ouerfloweth not Delta alone but all the countrey next vnto Africa and likewise the other side adioyning to Arabia couering the earth on both partes the space of two dayes iourney or thereabout As touching the nature of the riuer Nilus I could not bee satisfyed either by the priests or by any other being alwayes very willing and desirous to heare something thereof first what the cause might be that growing to so great increase it shoulde drowne and ouergo the whole countrey beginning to swell the eyght day before the kalends of Iuly and continuing aflote an hundred daies after which time in the like number of dayes it falleth agayne flowyng within the compasse of hys owne banckes tyll the nexte approch of Iuly Of the causes of these thynges the people of Aegypt were ignoraunte themselues not able to tell mee anye thyng whether Nilus had any proper and peculiar vertue different from the nature of other flouds About which matters being very inquisitiue mooued with desire of knowledge I demaunded inoreouer the reason and occasion why this streame of all others neuer sent foorth any miste or vapour such as are commonly seene to ascend and rise from the waters but heerein also I was faynt to nestle in mine owne ignorance desiring to be lead of those that were as blind as my selfe Howbeit certayne Graecian wryters thinking to purchase the price and prayse of wit haue gone about to discourse of Nilus and set downe their iudgement of the nature thereof who are found to varry and dissent in three sundry opinions two of the which I suppose not worthy the naming but onely to giue the reader intelligence how ridiculous they are The first is that the ouer flow of Nilus commeth of none other cause then that the windes Etesiae so named blowing directly vpon the streame thereof hinder and beate backe the waters from flowing into the sea which windes are commonly wont to arise and haue their season a long time after the increase and rising of Nilus but imagine it were otherwise yet this of necessitie must follow that all riuers whatsoeuer hauing a full and direct course against the windes Etesiae shall in like maner swell and grow ouer their bankes and so much the rather by how much the lesse and weake the flouds themselues are whose streames are opposed against the same But there be many riuers as well in Syria as in Africa that suffer no such motion and change as hath bin sayd of the floud Nilus There is another opinion of lesse credite and learning albeit of greater woonder and admiration then the first alleadging the cause of the rising to be for that the riuer say they proceedeth from the Oeean sea which enuironeth the whole globe and circle of the earth The third opinion being more caulme and modest then the rest is also more false and unlikely then them both affirming that the increase and augmentation of Nilus commes of the snowe waters molten and thawed in those regions carying with it so much the lesse credit and authority by how much the more it is euident that the riuer comming from Africa through the middest of Aethiopia runnes continually from the hotter countreys to the colder beeing in no wise probable or any thing likely that the waxing of the waters should proceede of snowe Many sound proofes may be brought to the weakening of this cause whereby we may gesse how grossely they erre whiche thinke so greate a streame to be increased by snowe What greater reason may be found to the contrary then that the windes blowing from those countreys are very warme by nature Moreouer the lande it selfe is continually voyde of rayne and yee being most necessary that within fiue dayes after the fall of snowe there should â—ome rayne where by it commeth to passe that if it snowe in Aegypt it must also of necessity rayne The same is confirmed and established by the blacknesse and swartnesse of the people couloured by the vehement heate and scorching of the sume likewise by the swalowes and kytes which continually keepe in those coastes lastly by the flight of the cranes toward the comming of winter which are alwayes wont to flye out of Scythia and the cold regions to these places where all the winter season they make theyr abode Were it then that neuer so little snow could fall in those countreys by the which Nilus hath his course and from which he stretcheth his head and beginning it were not possible for any of these things to happen which experience prooueth to be true They which talke of Oceanus grounding their iudgement vppon a meere fable want reason to prooue it For I thinke there is no such sea as the Ocean but rather that Homer or some one of the auncient Poets deuised the name and made vse thereof afterwardes in their tales and poetry Now if it be expedient for me hauing refuted and disalowed other mens iudgements to set downe mine owne The reason why Nilus is so great in sommer I take to be this In the winter-time the sunne declining from his former race vnder the colde winter starre keepeth hys course ouer the high countreys of Africa and in these fewe wordes is conteyned the whole cause For the sunne the neerer he maketh his approch to any region the more he drinketh vp the moysture thereof and causeth the riuers and brookes of the same countrey to runne very lowe But to speake at large and lay open the cause in more ample wyse thus the case standeth The bringer to passe and worker heereof is the sunne beeing caryed ouer the hygh countreys of Africa For the spring time with them beeyng very fayre and cleare the land hote and the wyndes colde the sunne passing ouer them workes the same effecte as when it runneth in the middest of heauen in sommer forsomuch as by vertue of his beames gathering water vnto him he
measure 〈◊〉 trau 〈…〉 â—aunce motionly other cast vp their clothes openly discouer and being anâ—he in shame doing this in all those cities y t are neere adioyning to the riuers â—iâ—iâ— Being assembled gathered together at Bâ—bastis they honouâ— the feâ—â—h day with 〈◊〉 all solemnity making large â—ffringâ— to Diana wherein is greater or 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of grâ—pâ— wiâ—eâ— thâ—â— all the yeare besides To this place by the 〈◊〉 of the countrey are want to repay â—â—7000 〈…〉 en wo 〈…〉 〈◊〉 fides thildreÌ„ and thus they passe the time at Bubastis Now in what maner they solemnize y e sacred day of Isis at y e city Businis we declared before where in the 〈◊〉 age is after y e deeper furnaÌ„ce accomplishment of y e sacrifice to whip â—to 〈…〉 ge theÌ„selues 〈…〉 In mind table wise and y t not one or 〈…〉 many thousandes of â—ache degree both men women â—nouor the lesse by what meanes or where with al they beate vexe their bodies in this sort I may not disclose Howbeit such of the people of Carâ—a as soiourne make their abode in Aegypt stricken with a deeper remorse of sinne in this point of zeale 〈◊〉 go beyond y e Aegyptiâ—â—s in that they hackle slice their forehead with kniues daggers where 〈…〉 it is plainely 〈◊〉 to vnderstande that they come of forreine nations and not of the homeborne naturall people of the land Inlike manner meeting as before at the city Sais there to accomplishe the rites and ceremonies due to the day at the approche and neere poynt of the euening they furnish and beset their houses with torches and lampes which being replenished with pure oyle mingled with salte they giue fire to the weike and suffer them to continue burning till the next morning naming the day by the feast of lampes Such as resort not to this feast do neuerthelesse at their owne homes giue due honour to the night placing in euery corner of theyr house an infinite number of tapers and candles the custome being not only kept at Sais but spread and scattered throughout the whole region But for what ende this night is helde solemne by lighting of lampes a certayne mysticall and religious reason is yeelded which we must keepe secret At Heliopolis and Butis onely sacrifice without execution of any other ceremonies is done to the gods Likewise at Papremis they remyne the same custome of diuine seruice and worshipping as in other places At the sunne going downe certayne chosen men of the priests being few in number and seriously held and busied about the image the most parte standing before the dore of the temple armed with clubs as much as they can weilde ouer against whome on the contrary side other more then a thousand meÌ„ of the number of those that come to worship all strongly furnished prepared with bats in their handes The day before the feast the picture or image framed of wood is by meanes of a few assigned to the ministery and cure of y e woodden god conueyed out of a small temple made of light timber gorgeously gilded into another sacred and religious house being thither drawne by the minister themselues vppon a wayne of foure wheeles wheron the temple itselfe is placed the image also conteined therein Drawing neere to y e temple with their cariage the clubbes standing before the dore wyth threates cruell manaces forbid theÌ„ to enter incoÌ„tineÌ„t y e band of men oueragainst them toÌ„ming with might maine to assist the image and encounâ—â—ing with those that kept the temple laye on suche escapeth without hys crowne crackt in manye places Wherein also I suppose that many men miscarry and came short home albeit they flatly denie that of a wound so taken any man euer perished The homelings and peculiar people of that countrey alleadge this reason of the battell In this temple saye they did sometimes inhabite the mother of the god Mars who seeking at the estate of ripe yeares against the lawe of nature to haue society with his owne mother tooke the repulse and was reiected by her ministers that knew him not whereat the god storming in great rage purchased ayde out of the cities adioynaunt and made way perforce to the greate discomfiture and dammage of those as sought to resist him for which cause they yet solemnize to Mars a feast of broken pates and brused costards enacting moreouer by the vertue of their religion that no man should haue carnall copulation with a woman in the temple neyther attempt to set his foote within the dores of any suche house of religion vnlesse after the fleshly knowledge of women he first wash and cleanse his body wyth pure water whiche custome onely taketh place amongst the Graecians and Aegyptians beeing the vse in other nations to accompany with their women in the churches and palaces of their gods and also presently after such secret actes without any regard of purifying themselues to rush into the houses of diuine honour making no difference betweene men and other brutish and vnreasonable creatures For it is seene say they how other things that haue life and sence meddle themselues each with other euen in such places as the gods were worshipped which if it were a thing so odious and displeasaunt in the eyes of the higher powers no doubt the beastes themselues would eschue and auoyde it whose doings together with their iudgement I flatly disalow Howbeit vnderstand we that as well in these things whereof we haue intreated as in all other the Aegyptians are led with a singular superstition Aegypt also itselfe albeit it abutte and poynt vpon the countrey of Lybia yet is it not ouermuch pestered with beastes Such as the lande bringeth vp and fostereth are reputed holy and by no meanes to be violated or harmed by any some of which haue their nouriture and foode together with the people of y e soyle othersome are more wilde fierce and intractable refusing so gently to come to haud The cause of these things why creatures vnreasonable are so highly honoured of this people I may not without breach of piety reueale which things of set purpose I haue endeuoured to conceale and keepe secrete vnlesse by the necessary course of the history I haue bene brought to the contrary Furthermore about the beastes that breede and multiplye in the region suche is their order Generally they are helde with a most tender and reuerent care for the mayntenaunce and fostering of them in whiche kinde of honour for it is accounted a greate honour with them to haue regard of beastes the sonne euermore succeedeth the father To these brute creatures all such as are resident in the cities of Aegypt performe and pay certayne vowes makyng humble supplication to some one of the gods in whose patronage and protection that beast is which thing they accomplish after this manner Shauing the heads of their sonnes eyther
the most part of hir nobles to a banquet such as shee knew to haue bene y â— authors and workers of hir brothers death who being all assembled and set together in an inner Parlour expectinge their cheere the water was let in at a priuy grate and ouerwhelmed them all These thinges they spake of Nitocris adding besids that hauing wrought this feate shee cast hir selfe into an house full of Ashes to escape vnpunished By the rest of the kinges of Aegypt the priestes coulde recyte no glorious acte that shoulde bee accomplished sauing by the noble king Moeris the last and latest of all this crewe To whom they attribute y â— building of y â— great porches belonging to Vulcans temple standing on the North parte of y â— Pallace By the same also was a certaine fenne delued and cast vp wherein were builded certaine mighty Towers called Pyramides of whose bygnesse as also of y â— large coÌ„passe and amplitude of the Poole wee will ioyntely intreate in another place These thinges were done by Moeris the last king The rest consuminge the time of their raygne in silence and obscurity whom for the same cause I will passe ouer and addresse my speache to him who came after them in time and went before them in Dignity namely the worthy Prynce Sesostris Him the Pryestes recounte firste of all the kings of Aegypt to haue passed the narrow Seas of Arabia in longe Ships or Gallyes and brought in subiection to the Crowne all those People that marche a longe the redde Sea From whence retyringe backe againe the same way hee came and gathered a greate power of men and tooke his passage otter the waters into the mayne lande conquering and subduing all Countreyes whether so euer hee went Such as hee founde valiaunte and hardye not refusinge to icoparde their safety in the defence and maynetenaunâ—e of their liberty after the victory obtayned hee fired in theyr countrey certayne smale pyllers or Crosses of stone wherein were ingrauen the names of the kinge and the countrey and how by his owne proper force and puissaunce he had made them yelde Contrarywyse such as without controuersie gaue themselues into his handes or with litle stryfe and lesse bloudshed were brought to relent with them also and in their region he planted Pillers and builte vp litle crosses as before wherein were carued and importrayed the secret partes of women to signifie to the posterity the base and effeminate courage of the people there abyding In this sorte hee trauayled with his at my vp and downe the mayne passing out of Asia into Europe where he made conquest of the Scythians and Thracians which seemeth to haue bene the farthest poynt of his voyage for so much as in their land also his titles marks are apparantly seene and not beyonde Herefro hee began to measure his steps back agayne incamping his powre at the ryuer Phasis where I am not able to discusse whether king Sesostris him selfe planted any parte of his army in that place euer after to possesse y â— countrey or whether some of his souldiers wearyed with continuall perigrination and trauayle toke vp their maÌ„sion place rested there For the people named Colchi seeme to be Aegyptians which I speake rather of myne owne gathering then of any other mans information Howveit for tryall sake coÌ„moninge w t the inhabitants of either nation the Colchans seemed rather to acknowledge remember y â— Aegyptians then y â— Aegyptians theÌ„ affyrming that the Colchans were a remnante of Sesostris army My selfe haue drawne a coÌ„iecture hereof y â— both people are in couÌ„tenance a like black in hayre a like fryzled albeit it may seeme a very feeble gesse the same being also in other nations A better surmise may be gathered of this that y â— people of Aethyopia Aegypt and Colchis only of all men circumcyse cut of the foreskin from their hidden partes reteyning the custome time out of minde For the Phoenicians and Syrians y â— dwell in Palaestina confesse themselues to haue borrowed the maner of circumsicion from the Aegypt 〈…〉 And as for those Syrians y â— dwell neere vnto the ryuers Thermodon and Parthemus and the people called Macrones their next neighbours they tooke the selfe same vse and custome of y â— Colchans Howbeit the Aegyptians and Aethyopians which of them learned it of others it is hard to discerne forasmuch as the custome in both Countryes is of great antiquity Neuerthelesse very good occasion of coniecture is offred vnto vs that it came fyrst from y â— Aegyptians at such time as the Aethyopians had exchaunge of marchaundise with them For the Phoenicians that in like maner haue mutuall trafique which the Grecians leaue of to circumcysse them selues and refuse in that poynte to be conformable to the lawes and statutes of their countrey One thinge more may be alleaged wherein the people of Colchis doe very narrowly resemble y â— customes of Aegypt in so much as these two nations alone work their lynnen dresse theyr flax after y e same sorte in all poyntes respecting each other both in order of lyfe maner of laÌ„guage The flaxe which is brought from Colchis y e Grecians call Sardonick the other coÌ„ming out of Aegypt they terme after the name of the countrey Aegyptian flaxe But to returne to the tytles and emblems that king Sesostris lefte behind him in all regions through y t which he passed many thereof are fallen to decay NotwithstaÌ„ding certaine of them in Syria and Paloestina I beheld with myne own eyes intayled with such posyes as we spake of before and the pictures of womens secretes ingrauen in them Likewise in Iönia are to bee seene two sundry Images of Sesostris himselfe carued in pillers one as we passe from Ephesus to Phocoea another in the way from Sardis to Smyrna Eyther of these haue the forme and figure of a man fiue hands breadth in bignesse bearing in his righte hand a Darte in his left a vowe his harnesse and furniture after the manner of the Aegyptians and Aethyopians Crosse his backe from the one shoulder to the other went a sentence ingrauen in the holy letter of Aegypt hauing this meaning By my owne force did I vanquishe this region Notwithstandinge it is not there specified what he should be albeit els where it is to be seene Some haue deemed this monument to haue bene the image of Memnon not a litle deceyued in opinion This noble and victorious prince Sesostris making his returne to Aegypt came by report of y e priests to a place named Daphnoe pelusiae with an infinite trayne of forraine people out of al Nations by him subdued where being very curteously met welcomed by his brother whom in his absence he had lefte for Viceroy and protectour of the countrey he was also by y e same inuited to a princely banquet him selfe his wife and his children The house where into they were entered
The citie taken when Helena could not be founde and the same aunswere was rendered the Graecians as before they gaue credite at length to theyr wordes and sente Menelaus into Aegypt to the courte of Protheus whether beeyng come and declaryng the cause of hys arriuall to the Kyng he gaue him greate entertaynemente restoring vnto him hys Lady with all his treasure without any manner of losse or imbeselment Neuerthelesse Menelaus for all this courtesie and royall vsage which he had receyued at the handes of the King gaue him but a poupe for his labour dooyng to the countrey this iniurie for a farewell For indeuouring to depart thence and wayting a fauourable wynde to fit hys purpose by meanes whereof he stayde a long tyme in Aegypt to knowe the state of hys voyage what fortune should thereafter betide vnto hym he tooke two children of the Aegyptians slewe them and paunched out theyr bowels whereby to take view of his future successe Which beyng knowne and perceyuing hymselfe to be mortally hated and pursued of the inhabitauntes he sped hym thence into the Isles of Africa lying ouer against them from whence also makyng as good haste as he coulde the Aegyptians heard no more tydyngs of hym Of all these things they were partly informed by the knowledge of hystories beeyng much more certayne of such thyngs as were done in theyr countrey Thus farre the priestes of Aegypt proceeding in discoursing of Helena whereto I adde thys surmize of myne owne that if Helena had beene in Troy no doubt for ought that Alexander could haue sayde or done she had beene deliuered to the Graecians For who woulde thynke that Kyng Pryamus wyth the residue of that lignage were so madde that to the ende Alexander might enioy the delighte of hys Lady would imperill theyr owne lyues and theyr childrens with the flourishing estate of so famous a citie In whych fond opinion if in case they had bene at the beginning yet vndoubtedly they woulde haue recanted at length when as many valiaunt souldyers of the Troianes and two or three of the Kings owne sonnes if any credit may be geuen to the poets were most lamentably slaine by the Graecians in fight By these things I am driuen to coniecture that if Helena had beene in their keeping Pryamus to rayse the siege from the walles of hys city woulde willingly haue wrought meanes to restore her agayne Neyther was Alexander heyre apparaunt to the crowne so that his father beeyng crooked wyth age the administration of the kyngdome shoulde rest in hys gouernemente one there was betweene hym and home namely hys brother Hector as well in number of yeares hys elder as in noblenesse of mynde hys better whome it behoued not to smooth vp his brother in hys filthy leachery seeing such imminent perill to threaten not onely himselfe but also the whole kyndred and nation of the Troianes But it was the iust plague of God inflicted vppon them for their wickednesse that they shoulde neyther delyuer Helena whome they had not nor be credyted of the Graecians to whome they fayned not to the ende all men myght learne that they whyche stryke wyth the swoorde shall be beaten with the scabberde being euermore seene that vpon greeuous iniuries the gods alwayes powre downe greeuous reuengements Thus much I thought conuenient to speake of mine owne fancye After the deceasse of Protheus Kampsinitus tooke vppon hym the rule of the countrey who in memorie of himselfe lefte behynde hym certayne porches of stone planted westward agaynst the temple of Vulcane right ouer agaynst the whych stoode two images of fyue and twentye cubites in length One of the which standyng northerly they call sommer and the other lying to the west they tearme winter contrary to all reason and order This King in aboundance of wealth and plenty of coyne so farre excelled all those that came after hym that none coulde go beyonde him no not approch neere vnto hym in that kynde wherefore desirous to possesse hys goodes in safetie hee builte hym a treasurie or iewellhouse of stone one of the walles whereof bounded vpon the outsyde of hys courte In framing whereof the workeman had wrought thys subtile conueyance one stone in the wall hee layde in that sorce that a man might easily at pleasure plucke it in or out which notwithstanding serued so fittingly to the place that nothing coulde be discerned When the building was finished the King caused his treasure to be brought into it minding henceforth to be secure and to lay aside all feare of misfortune In processe of time this cunning artificer lying at the poynt to dye called vnto him his two sonnes and disclosed vnto them in what manner he had prouided for theyr good estate in leauing a secret and most priuy passage into the Kings treasurie whereby theyr whole lyfe myght be lead in most happy and blessed condition In briefe hee shewed them all that was done by hym delyuering them the iust measures of the stone that they mighte not bee deceyued in laying it agayne whych the two yong youthes well marking thought from that tyme forwarde to be of the Kings counsayle if not of hys court and to become the priuy surueyers of hys iewell-house Theyr father beeing dead they made no long delay to put in execution theyr determinate purpose but repayring to the court by night they found the stone which with small force remoouing it from the place they sped themselues wyth plentie of coyne and so departed In shorte space after the Kyng entering hys treasurie and fyndyng the vessels wherein hys money lay to be somewhat decreased was exceedingly amazed not knowing whome to accuse seeyng both hys seales whyche he had set on the dore vntouched and the dore fast locked at hys commyng thyther Howbeit repayring sundrie tymes to beholde hys wealth and euermore perceyuing that it grewe lesse and lesse deuised with hymselfe to beset the place where hys money lay with certayne greens or snares to entrappe the theefe in These subtile merchaunts accordyng to theyr former wont approching the spring head where they had dronke so oft before one of them wente in and groaping for the money was so fast intangled in a snare that for hys lyfe hee wist not how to shifte but seeyng hymselfe in these braakes hee called hys brother to whome he disclosed hys euill happe willing hym in any wise to cut off hys head least beeyng knowne who hee was they both myght bee serued wyth the same sauce His brother hearing hys counsayle to be good did as he bade hym and fitly placing the stone as hee founde it departed home bearyng wyth hym the head of hys slayne brother The nexte day the Kyng opening hys iewell house and espying and headlesse theefe surprised in a ginne was woonderfully astonied seeing euery place safe and no way in the world to come in or out at In this quandary vncertaine what to thynke of so straunge an euent be deuised yet to
Philitio who at that time kept sheepe in those places Chephrenes dying yeelded the Kingdome to Mycerinus the sonne of his brother Cheops who eschuing the wicked acts and detestable practises of his father caused the temples to be set open giuing libertie to the people being so long distressed vnder the gouernement of his father and vncle to follow their owne affayres and returne to their auncient custome of sacrifice ministring iustice aboue all the Kings that were before him for which cause none of all the princes that haue borne rule in Aegypt is so greatly praysed and renowmed both for other causes which were wisely taken vp by him in iudgement and chiefly for this that a certayne Aegyptian much complayning that the King had wronged him in deciding his cause he commaunded him to value the losse which he had suffered by him which the partie doing he gaue him so much of his owne goods to make him a recompence Mycerinus in this wise gouerning the common weale with great clemency and seekyng by vertue to aduance his fame was sodeinely daunted by a great misfortune the death of his onely daughter hauing no more children but her which was the first and greatest hart-breake that befell him in his kingdome For which cause being stricken with sorrowe aboue measure and desirous to solemnize her funeralles by the most royall and princely kinde of buryall that could be deuised he caused an oxe to be made of wood inwardly vauted and hollow within which being layde ouer and garnished most curiously with gilt he inclosed therein the wanne and forlorne corpse of his best beloued daughter This royall tombe was not interred and buryed in the grounde but remayned vnto our age in the city Sais in open view standing in a certayne parlour of the Kings pallace adorned and set foorth for the same purpose with most beautifull and costly furniture The custome is euermore in the daye time to cast into the belly of the oxe sweete and precious odoures of all sortes that may be gotten and in the nighte to kindle a lampe which burneth by the tombe till the next daye In a chamber next adioyning are certayne pictures of women that were the concubines of Mycerinus if we may beleeue the talke of those that in the same city of Sais are professours in religion forsomuch as there are seene standing in that place certayne mighty images made of wood twentye or thereaboutes in number the most parte of them bare and naked but what women they resemble or whose pictures they be I am not able to alleadge more then hearesay notwithstāding there were which as touching the gilded oxe and the other images framed this tale that Mycerinus being inamoured of his own daughter dealt vnlawfully with her besides the course of nature who for intollerable greefe hanging her selfe was intombed in that oxe by her father the Queene her mother causing the hands of all her gentlewomen to be cut off by whose meanes she had beene betrayed to serue her fathers lust for which cause say they are these images portrayed to declare the misfortune which they abode in their lifetime But this is as true as the man in the moone for that a man with halfe an eye may clearely perceiue that their hands fel offfor very age by reason that the wood through long cōtinuance of time was spaked and perished whiche euen to our memory were to be seene lying at the feete of those which were portrayed The oxe wherein the yong princesse lay was sumptuously clad and arayed all the body wyth a gorgeous mantle of Phenicia hys head and necke beeyng spanged and layde ouer with braces and plates of golde of a maruaylous thickenesse Betweene hys hornes was set a globe or circle of golde glistering as the sunne Neyther is the oxe standing and borne vp vppon hys feete but kneeleth as it were on hys knees equall in bignesse to a great heighfer The manner is once a yeare to bring this image out of the parlour wherein it is kepte hauyng first of all well beaten and cudgelled a certayne image of one of theyr Sainctes whome in thys case wee thynke it not lawfull for vs to name The talke goeth that the Lady besought the Kyng her father that beeing dead she myght once a yeare beholde the sunne whereof sprang the custome and maner aforesayde After this there befell vnto him another mischiefe that sate as neere hys skirtes as the death of his dilling insomuch that he was readie to runne beyonde hymselfe for sorrowe A prophecie arose in the city of Butis that the tearme of sixe yeares fully exspired the Kyng shoulde ende hys lyfe leauing hys Kyngdome to be ruled of another Whereof the Kyng beeing aduertised and greately greeuing at the rigorous and vniust dealing of the gods sped a messenger to the place where the seate of prophecie was helde to expostulate with the god for what cause since hys father and vnckle who had beene so vnmindfull of the gods shutting vp their temples and making hauocke of the people had liued so long he hymselfe that had dealte better with them and caused these thynges to bee restored agayne shoulde so soone be depriued of the benefite of lyfe to whome aunswere was made that hys dayes were therefore shortened because hee tooke a wrong course and dyd not as he should do beyng appoynted by the celestiall powers that the countrey of Aegypt should suffer miserie and be afflicted by their princes y e space of an hūdred fifty yeares which the two former princes well vnderstanding was neuerthelesse by him neglected and left vnperformed Mycerinus hearing this round reply and perceiuing that his thread was almost spoon set al at reuell making great prouision of lights and tapers which at euentide he caused to be lighted passing the night in exceeding great mirth and princely banquetting letting slip no time wherein he either wandered not alongst the riuer and through the woods and groues of the countrey or entertayned the time in some pleasaunt deuises following all things that might eyther breede delighte or bring pleasure which things he did to the end he might prooue the prophecie false and conuince the god of a lie making twelue yeares of sixe by spending the nightes also as he did the dayes Mycerinus also built a pyre not equall to that which his father had set vp before him beeing in measure but twentie foote square framed quadrangularly and another lower then that of three acres in compasse being built to the middest of the stone of Aethiopia There be of the Graecian writers that suppose thys towre to haue bene erected by a woman of notable fame called Rhodope who misse of their account not seeming to knowe what that Rhodope was of whome they speake Besides it is very vnlikely that Rhodope woulde euer haue enterprised a worke of so great value wherein infinite thousands of talentes were spent before it came to perfection Lastly it was not in the
sides the banckes with fayre braunched trees ouershadowing y e waters with a coole pleasant shade The gate or entry of the city is in heighth 10. paces hauing in the front a beautifull image 6. cubites in measure The temple it selfe situate in the middest of y e city is euermore in sight to those y t passe to and fro For although y e city by addition of earth was arrered made higher yet y e temple stāding as it did in y e beginning neuer mooued is in maner of a lofty stately tower in open cleare viewe to euery parte of y e city Round about the which goeth a wall ingrauen with figures protraitures of sundry beasts The inner temple is enuironed with an high groue of trees set and planted by the hande and industrie of men in the whiche temple is standing an image The length of the temple is euery way a furlong From the entrance of the temple Eastward there is a fayre large causey leading to the house of Mercury in length three furlongs and foure acres broade all of faire stone hemmed in on each side with a course of goodly call trees planted by the hands of men and thus as touching the description of y ◠temple Likewise they make mention in what maner they shifted their hands of y ◠Aethiopian prince who admonished in his sleepe by a vision hastned his flight to depart y ◠countrey There seemed vnto him one standing by his bedside willing him in any wise to assemble together y ◠priests of Aegypt to cut thē all asunder by y ◠waste which the King pondering in his mind said thus I wel perceiue that y ◠gods would picke a quarrel agaynst me that by the doing of some villany or other I might either incur their hatred or the displeasure of men but since the time of my rule in Aegypt which by y ◠oracle was prefined is nowe exspired I will kindle no moe coales then I may well quenche wherewith departing y ◠countrey he left the gouernement to y ◠seed of the Aegyptians retired himselfe into his owne lande For abiding beforetime in Aethiopia the oracles which the Aethiopians vse gaue out to the King that he shoulde beare rule 50. yeares in Aegypt which time being finished Sabbacus sore troubled with y ◠strange sight of his dreame of his own proper wil departed the listes of the countrey Insuing whose flight y ◠blinde King forsaking his nest in the fennes came out shewed his head againe exercising gouernemēt as he had done before hauing wonderfully inlarged the Iland where he lay with addition of ashes fresh earth For whosoeuer of the Aegyptiās came vnto him either with grayne or other prouision his manner was to giue him in charge that vnwitting to the Aethiopian prince who then withheld frō him the right of his kingdome he should present him with a loade or two of ashes This Ile before y ◠time of Amyrtaeus was vnknowne to any mā named in y ◠Aegyptiā lāguage Elbo being in bignes 10. furlōgs Next after whome the title ro all was resigned ouer to a certaine priest called Sethon seruing in y ◠temple of the god Vulcane by whom the souldyers of Aegypt were abused had in contempt as men vnfit not seruing for his purpose Wherefore beside other slaunderous tauntes reuiling words wherby he sought at all times to greeue thē he bereaued thē also of such lāds and reuenues as had bene graunted vnto them by the former Kings for which cause after that Senacherib King of the Arabians Assyrians had inuaded Aegypt with a mighty power they refused to yeeld him ayd assistāce in his warres The priest driuen to this sudden blanke not knowing howe to shift withdrewe himselfe into a close parlour where complayning himselfe before his god he shewed what great imminent perils were like to befall him As he was in this sort powring out his teares pitiful complaints before his image he fell asleepe where there seemed to appeare vnto him the straunge forme of his god willing him to be of good comfort and meete his enemies in the field not fearing the euent of battayle forsomuch as he would send him sufficiēt aide to assist and succour him Maister parson taking hart of grace by this blessed vision tooke with him such of the Aegyptians as were willing to follow him incamped in Pelusia on which side only Aegypt lieth open and may be inuaded by forreine power in whose cause not one of the souldiers would mooue a foote to followe him out of dores but pedlers tinkers common gadders that strayed here there about the countrey Being arriued at the place before named in y ◠night season there came into the tents of their aduersaries an huge multitude of field mice which gnawed their quiuers but in sunder their bowstrings the braces off their shields y ◠in y ◠morning being disfurnished of their armour they betooke thēselues to flight not without the losse of many souldiers Herehence is it y ◠the picture of y ◠same prince grauen of stone is seene standing in y ◠temple of Vulcane with this title inseription Learne by me to feare God Thus far went the Aegyptians their priests in describing the cōtinual succession of their kings gouernours alleadging that frō the first King vnto this priest of Vulcane before mentioned were 341. generations Three hundred generatiōs conteine ten thousand yeares forsomuch as to three progenies of men are assigned an hundred yeares so y ◠the residue of the progenies which were 41. are valued at 1340. yeares Likewise they affirmed y ◠in the course of ten thousand three hundred and forty yeares there appeared no god in Aegypt vnder the proportion shape of a man neyther coulde any such thing be mentioned to haue falne out vnder the gouernance of any of their princes howbeit within the tearme of yeares aforenamed these strange alterations were marked in y ◠Sunne at foure sundry times Two sundry times it was seene to rise frō that place where it is now wont to fall and in like maner to set in those regions frō whēce it now ariseth which also came to passe two seueral times Iusuing which things there was no change in y ◠countrey no alteration in any poynt neither as touching the effects course of the riuer nor for any maladies death or inconueniences in the lande In like sorte before Hecataeus the writer of monuments by whome in the city of Thebes a rehearsall was made of the whole discent of his stocke kindred fetching his progeny frō the xvi god the priest of Iupiter did this as also to my selfe that made no relation of mine alliance leading vs into a large chappel or house of praier they shewed vs both the number of our auncetry according to our own account Wherin also stood
gaue no gyftes offered no sacrifice esteeming them vnworthy of any reuerence hauing geuen out a false verdite And such as had pronounced him guilty to these as to the most true gods whose Oracles were agreeable to iustice hee perfourmed the greatest honour hee coulde deuise Besides in the City of Saïs hee made a porche to the temple of Minerua a worke of great admiration and farre passing the rest both in heights and bignesse so great is the quantity of the stones that were employed in the building Hee erected besides in the same place diuerse Images of a woÌ„derfull size the pictures of many noysome and pestilent Serpents Hee layde there also many huge stones to the repayring of the temple parte of the which were digged out of the stone quarryes by Memphis other of great quantity brought from the city of Elephantina which is distant from Saïs 20. dayes sayling Moreouer that which is not the least wonder but in my minde to bee reckoned amongst the chiefest hee brought from Elephantina an house framed of one stone in the cariage whereof 2000. choyse men of the Mariners of Aegypt consumed three yeares The roufe hereof on the outside is 21. cubyts longe 14. cubits broad eight cubites highe being on the inside 22. cubytes in length and in height 5. This house is set at the entring into the temple geuing this reason why it was not brought into the church for that the chiefe Mariner when he had gotten it to that place as wearie wyth hys dayes worke tooke respite and breached him selfe whereat the King being very much mooued bad him leaue of work not permitting him to labour any longer Some say that one of those which were busied in heauing of the stone with leauers to haue bene bruised to death by it and that this was the cause why it stoode without the Pallace By the same King were erected sundry temples built by arte very exquisitely and cunningly whereof one hee made sacred to Vulcane before which lyeth a great Image with the face vpwarde in length seuenty fiue feete being spread along vppon a pauement of stone in the selfe same place on eache side this Image stand two carued monuments of stone twenty foote in quantity Like vnto this is another stone in Saïs lying in the selfe same maner In like sorte the great temple in Memphis so gorgeous and beautifull to the sight of all that behold it was the handiwork also of y e same King Amasis In the time of this Kinges gâ—uernmente Aegypt floryshed in all wealth being greatly increased aswell by the ryches which the ryuer yeeldeth as in other reuenewes which the people receyue by the countrey which at the same time was so populous that there were then inhabited 20000 cityes Likewise by this Kinge it was enacted that euerye one should yearely render accounte to the cheife president of the countrey howe and by what maner of trade hee gayned his lyuinge being alwayes prouyding that such as refused to doe it at all or beeinge called to a reckoninge coulde shewe no lawefull meanes howe they spent their tymes should for the the same cause bee adiudged to dye Which lawe Solon borowing of the Aegyptians did publish it in Athens and is by them for the profite thereof most religiously obserued Amasis vppon good affection hee bare to the Grecians besides other benefittes franckly bestowed on them made it lawefull for all such as trauayled into Aegypte to inhabyte the City Naucrates And such as would not abyde in that place hauinge more mynde to seaâ—aring for the vse of Marchaundize to those hee gaue lybertye to Plant aulters and builde churches So that the greatest and most famous Temple in all the land is called the Grecian temple The Cityes of the Greekes by whose charge and expence this temple was builte in Aegypte were these of the countrey of Iönia Chius Teus Phocoea Clazomene amongst the Dorians foure Cities Rhodus Cnydus Halicarnassus Phaselus one City of the people of Aeolia namely Mitylene To these Cityes of Greece is the Temple belonginge by whom also are founde and mayntayned certayne Priests to serue in the same There are other townes besides in Greece that haue some righte to the Temple as hauing contributed some thinge to the vse of the same Howbeit the Temple of Iupiter the people of Aegina built of their owne proper cost No City toke parte with Samos in setting vp the Pallace of Iuno the Milesians alone tooke vppon them to erect the Temple of Apollo Besides these there are no other monuments built by the Grecians which remayne extant in Aegypt And if by fortune any of the Greekes passe into Nylus by any other way then that which serueth to lande from Greece hee is fayne to sweare that hee was constrained agaynst his will byndinge him selfe by oath that in the same Shippe hee wyll speede him selfe into Canobicus another Channell of the Ryuer so called and if by contrarye wyndes hee bee hindered from arryuinge there hee muste hyre caryage by water and so ferry the nexte way to Naucrates In such sorte were the Grecians tyed to that City beinge by reason of their trafique thyther had in principall honoure Nowe whereas the Pallace of Amphiction whiche is nowe at Delphos beeing straungely pearyshed by fyre was gone in hande with a freshe vppon price of three hundred tallentes the people of Delphos which were leauyed at the fourth parte of the charges straying aboute all countryes gathered very much being chiefly assysted by the Aegyptians Amasis the Kinge bestowinge on them a thowsande tallents of Asume and the Grecians that were abyding in Aegypt twenty pound Moreouer with the Cyrenaeans Prynce Amasis entred friendship and strooke a league of fellowship with the same insomuch that he thought meete to enter asâ—yaunce with them taking a wife of that countrey eyther for affection he bare to the women of Greece or in respecte of hys loue to the Cyrenaeans His wife as some say was the daughter of Battus sonne of Arcesilaus as others reporte of Critobulus a man of chiefe credite and regarde amongst those with whome he dwelt His Ladies name was Ladyce a woman of surpassing beautie with whome the King beeing in bed was so strangely benummed and daunted in courage as if he had bene an Eunuch not able to execute any dutie of a man wherat the King himselfe beeing greately agast feeling himselfe frollicke in the company of other women and so faint to hys Lady Ladyce on a time began to taunt her in these tearmes Can it be thou filthy and detestable hagge that by any meanes I should refrayne from doing thee to the most miserable death that can be deuised which hast thus inchaunted and bewitched my body In faith minion I will coniure this diuell of yours and assure thy selfe if thy lucke be not the better thou shalt not liue two dayes to an ende The poore Lady standing stiffely in her owne defence and nothing preuayling to appease his fury
vowed within her selfe to the goddesse Venus that in case it might please her to inable Amasis to performe the duties of an husband and accompany with her the same night she would dedicate an image vnto her at Cyrenae Hir prayers being heard Amasis became so frollicke that before the morning they arose the best contented folkes on the earth euer after that finding hymselfe so apt to enioy the delightes of his Lady that he tooke greatest pleasure in her company and loued her most entirely of all other Ladyce remembring her vowe she had made to Venus thought good to performe it and framing a most beautifull and curious image she sente it to the city Cyrenae which stoode vnperished vnto our dayes being placed by the citizens without the towne The same Ladyce Cambyses King of Persia vanquishing Aegypt vnderstanding what she was sent her without any manner shame or violence into her owne countrey By this King Amasis were many giftes distributed of singulare price and value To Cyrenae he sent the image of Minerua garnished all ouer wyth gilt and his owne personage most curiously shadowed by a Paynter Likewise to the city Lindus he gaue two images of the goddesse Minerua wrought in stone with a linnen stomacher most excellently imbrodered by arte Moreouer to the goddesse Iuno in Samus two pictures expressing her diuine beautie of most exquisite workemanship Which bountie he exercised towards the Samians for the great friendship he bare to their King Polycrates the sonne of Aeaces But to the city Lyndus why he should shewe hymselfe so franke and liberall no other reason serued sauing that the fame wente that the great temple of Minerua in Lindus was builded by y e daughters of Danaus after they were knowne and had escaped the daungers intended against them by the sonnes of Aegyptus These and many other excellente giftes were dispersed and giuen abroade by King Amasis By whome also the city Cyprus which was deemed of all men inuincible and had neuer before beene vanquished by any was conquered taken and brought vnder tribute FINIS The contrey of the author The first cause of discention betvvene the Grecians and Barbarians The rape of Io. and her ariual into Aegipt Europa stolen by the Greeks in reuenge of Io. Medea caried avvay by IasoÌ„ at vvhat tyme he vvonne the golden fleecè at Colchis The rape of Helen vvherof arose the Troyan vvarre By so much the greater is their folly that fight for vvomen by hovv much the greater their liberty is to be vvel ridde of them The pleasaunt history of Craesus sonne of Haliattes the first of the BarbariaÌ„s that coÌ„quered any part of Grece Greece consisted of foure kind of people the Iones Aeoles Dorus LaccdemoniaÌ„s The right Aeres apparant to the crovvne of Lidia vvere the Heraclidans Mernade vver the family and succession of those kinges vvherof Cresus came The royall family of the kinges of Lidia before the Heraclidans came of Lydus of whoÌ„ the countrey was named Lydia The Parentes of the Heraclidans Hercules Iardana By what meanes the empire came to the stocke of Craeâ—ns The best poynt of a Woman to be vnknowne A due revvard of doting The diuil in old tyme a diposer of kingdomes since the Pope Pythia a vvomaÌ„ that serued the deuil in his temple at Delphos gaue out oracles to such as demauÌ„ded them Delphos a city in the couÌ„trey of Phosis one a mouÌ„tayne of Grece called Paâ—nassê° here vvas the famous temple of Apollo vvher the deuil gaue craracles The Actes of Giges vvrought by him in tyme of his raygne The yeares of his raygne 38 Ardyis sonne of Gyges second king of the stocke of the Mernadans The tyme of his raygne 49. yeares Sadiatâ—es 3. king raygned 12. yeares Haliattes king 4. The actes and aduentures of Halyattes The Story of Arion Haliattes rayned 57 yeares Glancus Chius the first that inuented to vvorke in iron Solon trauayling froÌ„ Grece came into Lidia to the court of Craesus of vvhose vvealth and felicity hee gaue iudgement as follovveth The example of an happy Tellus The Gods offended at the insolency of Craesus bereaued him of his deare son Atis The dreame of Craesus as concerninge his sonnes de 〈…〉 Adrastus for killing his brother vvas exiled his couÌ„try A vvylde Bore haunting in Mysia VVhom destenies vvil haue die he shal be the busie vvor ker of his ovvue peril Atis sâ—ayne by Adrastus Adrastus slevv himselfe vpon the tombe of Atis. Apolloin these verses telles the ambassadours vvhat their kinge did that day The meaning of the oracle The sacrifice of Craesus to A pollo his giftes also vvhich he dedicated in the â—aâ—ple Craesus demauÌ„ ded of the oracle vvhether he might make vvarre a gaynst Persia or not A doubtful ansvveare the meaniÌ„g vvherof is expounded in the next page He is somevvhat to hasty that leaps ouer the stâ—le before he comes at it The meaning of this oracle is expressed The originall of the Lacedae monians and Athenians The miracle of the Greeke nation Pi 〈…〉 a 〈…〉 rauntin AtheÌ„s by vvhatdeuise he attay 〈…〉 d the gouernâ—eÌ„t The subtilty of of Pisistratue to attayne the kingdome Pisistratus depriued of his kingdome A deuise made by Pisistratus to recouer the kingdome Pisistratus bani shed out of AtheÌ„s the seâ—d tyme. A propâ—â—cy of Pisistratus â—â—s victory Pisistratus the 3 time king Lycurgus the lavvgeuer of the Lacedaemonians An oracle in the prayse of Lycurgus A deceyptful oracle that fell out othervvise theÌ„ the vvords import An oracle describing the place vvhere Orestes vvas buryed The meanes hovv the tomb vvas diseried The story of Craesus beyng interrupted The vvise couÌ„sayle of Sardanis geuen to king Craesus in his settinge forth agaynst Persia The riot ofth PersiaÌ„s vvheÌ„ce it came The limites of Media and Lydia Th. causes of Craesus his voi age agaynst Persia A prety discourse shevviÌ„g the meanes hovv Craesus Astyages came to be of a kinne The Scythians excellent in shoting The day turned into night Labynetus sonne of Nitocijs The maÌ„ner of makiÌ„ga league betvvene the Lydians and Medes The meaning of this place of Astyages his captiuity is declared more at large The deuyse of Thales Milesius to passe the riuer CoÌ„pare vvith this place the apologi of Cyrus to the ambassadour of Ioma A miracle forshevving the destruction of Sardis The meaning of the miracle The Lydians couragious in battaile and expert in ridiÌ„g A singuler deuise of Harpagus to vanquish the Lydian ryders A horse very fearful of a camel A ariefe discourse of a coÌ„bat fought betveene the Argyues and Lacedaemonians for a piece of ground ThevvynniÌ„g of thcitye Sardis The cause vvhy the vvals of Sardis vvere inuincible Craesus his dumbe sonne spake to saue his father The oracle verifyed Fol. 15. Craesus acknovvlegeth novv the sentence of Solon to true that no man is perfyte happy that maye bee miserable The vvisedom and merciful nature of Cyrus in yeldinge Craesus pardoÌ„ Apollo by a
shovvre of rained deliuered Craesus from the fire A reason vvhy peace is more to be desired then vvarre Craesus seynge to vvhat passe the oracle had brought him desireth leaue of Cyrus to chide vvith the deuil Apollo his ansvvere to Craesus his accusation Craesus is punished for the fact of Gyges that slue Candaules his mayster Applye to this place theoracle geuen fol. 25. PantaleoÌ„ Craelus his brother by the fathers syde sought to defeat him of the kingdome Of the couÌ„trey of Lydia a briefe narratioÌ„ of such things as therin are vvorthy memory Halyattes his tombe in Lydia The maydes in Lydia get their ovvne dovâ—â—ye by continuall vvhoredome The lavves of the people of Lydia The first coyners of siluer gold A famine in Lydiacontinuing the space of 18 yeares Chesse play dice and teâ—â—se deuised by the Lydians A colonye dravvne sene into Hetruria The people Tyrrheni in Vmbria sproÌ„g of the Lydians The genology of the kinges of Media from Deioces to Cyrus Media held by the Assyrians The pollicy of of Deioces to get the kingdome of Media Nothingvvinâ—e heredite so sonne asiustice and vpright dealyng The buildinge of the famous city Ecbatana The reason vvhy no man might haue accesse to the king of the Medes The seuerall countries of Media are these 6. Deioces raiged â—3 yeares Phraoâ—â—es the 2. King The Persians made subiect to the Medes by Phâ—aortes restored to their liberty by Cyrus Phraortes slayne by the Assyrianâ— the 22 yeare of his raygne Câ—axares 3. The day turned into night The most auncient temple of Venus Asia held by the Scythians 28. yeares Cyaxaresraigned 40. yeares Astyages 4. vn der vvhose raygne is conteyned the famous story of Cyrus The 2. dreams of Astyages conceâ—ning his daughter Harpagus deliuereth the child to the kinges neatheard to lay out in the desert Mitradates moued by his vvife laid out a dead child of his ovvne in sâ—eed of Cyrus Cyrus brought vp by the grasiers vvife Cyrus descryeth his progeni and causeth himselfe to be knovven Cyrus his bold ansvveare to Astiages Harpagus examined about Cyrus Harpagus his sonne slayne â— dressed in a barket Harpagus feeding of his ovvne childe Cyrus by the counsayle of the vvisemen vvas senthome to his parentes Cyrus receiued of his parentes The cause of the fable that Cyrus vvas said to be brought vp of a Bytch Harpaguâ—conuayghed a letter to Cyrus in the belly of an hare The letter The deuyce of lying to moue the Persians to rebellion The Persians rebell Harpagus leading the army of the Medes ioyneth his vvhole povver vvith Cyrus agaynst Astyageâ— Astyages hangeth the vvise men for counsayling him to let Cyrus goe Astyages takeÌ„ captiue Astyages raygned 35. yeares The celebration of their birth day in Persia The regard of good maners The maner of their consultation The people of Greece offer themselues to Cyrus todohomage The difference of speach in Ionia Of the cityes of Aeolia The losse of Smyrna Mazares dyiÌ„g Harpagusvvas made generall in his steed The counsai of Byas to th people of Ionia A discourse the Carians The people of Gâ—ydus their originall An experience vvrought for the tryall of antiquitie It vvere a question if a man should bee taught no language in vvhat tongue hee vvould speake Heliopolis the city of the Sunne The vvisest people in AEgypt The 12 monethes of the yeare first fouÌ„d out by the Aegyptians The names of the 12 gods Aulters Images and Temples inuented by the Aegyptians Menes the first kinge that euer raygned A Egypte for the most parte couered vvith vvater The maner of the Aegyptians measures AEgypt nexte the sea coaste 3600. furlonges The description of the countrey of AEgypt A mountaine The straunge effects of certayne ryuers By vvhat proofeâ— the couÌ„trey of Aegypt is argued to haue bene couered by vvaters In AEgypt it neuer rayneth but their lande is vvatered by the ouerflovve of Nilus The maner of husbandry amongst the AEgyptians Hogs be the best husbands in Aegypt and the vvorst in England A confutation of the opinion of the Iones concerning Aegypt The course of the riuer Nilus The names of the chanels of Nilus Pelusium Canobus Sebennyticum Saïticum Menedesium Bolbitinum Buâ—olicum A story touching the description of Aegypt An oracle in Afrike Hovv much of the land Nilus ouerflovveth The cause and time of the rising of the riuer Nilus sendeth foorth no miste A refutation of the Grecians as touching the same things vvithin fiue dayes after snovve falleth rayne That there is no sea called Ocean The true opinion of these things The cause vvhy the South and Southvveast vvind bring rayne Ister a great riuer in Europe The spring of the riuer Nilus vnsearchable The tvvo mountaynes Crophi and Mophi The City Meroe The souldiers of Aegypt forsooke theyr ovvne countrey The tricke of a knaue A slory touching the spring of Nilus A voyage vndertaken by certayne yong gentlemen A City inhabited by Necromancers The description of the riuer Ister Aegypt the most vvonderfull nation in the vvorld The lavves and customes of the people of Aegypt The daughter bound to nourish her parents in need The good felovvship in Aegypt vvher the good man and his hogs dine together The vse of grayne is very â—lender in Aegypt The manner of casting of account Their letters or charecters Cleannesse in auyre vvithout pride The custome of the priests Their dyer The orders of priesthood The manner of trying the bullocks that are sacrificed vvhether they be cleane or othervvise The order of sacrificing The head of the beast that is sacrificed is accursed A lavv greatly honoured in Aegypt The maner of burying kyne vvheÌ„ they dy The cause vvhy some of the Agyptians vvill kill no sheepe Whence the Ammonians drevv theyr name The name of Hercules taken from the Aegyptians The Kings of Aegypt could make at their pleasure gods The tvvo temples of Hercules in Greece The reason vvhy in some partes of Aegypt they vvil kill no goates A Goate closing vvith a vvoman Hogs of all beasts vvurst accounted of Hogheards of basest account Svvine sacrificed to Liber and Luna Superstition oft times runneth into most filthy deuises Melampus the first founder of this ceremonie in Greece In the time of Herodotus the name of Philosophers vvas straunge The beastly deuises of the paganes Cabiri the three sonnes of Vulcane Dodona somtime the chiefe oracle in Greece The beginning of the pagans gods The beginning of the oracles in Africke and Greece A tale of tvvo pigeons Inuentions of the Aegyptians The feastes of Diana Isis and Minerua The feast of the Sunne The celebration of Latonas feast and Mars The maner of such as repaire to the festiuall of Diana The feast of lampes A combate of priests The cause of this combate The feast of broken pates A reason dravvne from the vse of beastes to defend the maners of men The manner of the Aegyptians touching the beastes of the land The great regard of haukes The nature of catsin Aegypt Mourning for