the aire that neuer came any winde or raine at the toppe thereof as appeared by that certaine Philosophers left there some caracters in dust which they found in the same maner after a yeare but neither could any bird mount vp vnto the toppe thereof because the aire was too pure for any inferiour creature for which cause the Philosophers which went vp caryed with them spunges full of water through which they might take ayre more agreeable to their nature In these games was nothing worthie praise vnpractised and both warriours were rewarded for their worthy courses and wise men regarded for their wittie discourses These were first deuised by Hercules in honour of his father Iupiter and euerie fift yeeere so precisely obserued that after they were once begun no other account was made of the yeere then from such an Olimpye game or such a yeere after it and these were alwayes vsed in summer when the dayes were at the longest Other games were followed by the Grecians in the worship of other Gods as their Pythiâ—â— in honour of Apollo at Delphos and their Isthmia in honour of Neptune or Palaemon or both neere vnto Corinth The Romanes also beside running with horses and with chariots and fighting naked with swords to this end that being in warres it should bee no wonder vnto them to see woundes had other games as their Saturnallâ— in honour of Saturne which they kept fiue daies in December in feasting sporting and mutuall presenting with gifts and in remembrance of the golden world when Saturne was king they reckoned all things so in common for those fiue dayes as there was neither owner of any substance nor maister of any seruant These were first deuised by Ianus a king of Italy and dedicated yeerely vnto Saturne They had other games which they called Lâ—percals in which the young nobilitie ranne naked vp and downe with such beasts skinnes as were then sacrificed striking euerie one whom they met and women offered themselues in their way hoping by their strokes to haue the easier trauaile if they were with childe or to waxe bigge if they were before barren These were vsed in the honour of Pan and were named Lupercalles either because they offered sacrifice to Pan for the preseruing of their flocks from the wolfe or because they sacrificed dogges to gratifie the wolfe which nursed Romulus and Rhemus or thirdly because the sacrifice was offered at the foote of mounte Palatine in Rome where there was a caue consecrated to Pan which in remembrance that Romulus and Rhemus were there nursed by a wolfe was named Lupercall Some say these games were so called because the sacrifices then offered were to purge the hellish spirits with the bloud of goates and that for this cause the moneth was called Februarie in which these games were vsed Others say they had their name of a mountain in Arcadia called Lycea where they were first inuented and were afterward brought into Italy by Euander the Arcadian king at what time hee was banished out of his owne countrey and hereupon they say the games were performed by naked men because they were deuised in Arcadia when the people were both bare of cloathing and of barbarous condition and so continued also afterward when they were of a more ciuill conuersation Others say that Pan mistaking Hercules for Iole who vpon some occasion at that time slept in he Lions skinne was once so discouered before hee got his wished pray that he departed with nought but shame of his wanton purpose and could neuer after that his conceited euil spâ—ed abide any aparrel in his sports Other some say this naked running vp and down was in remembrance of a worthie victorie which Romulus had ouer certaine theeues who while the people were busie in these sports draue away a great companie of their cattell and Romulus vnderstanding thereof naked as he was vpon some other occasion pursued them and brought back the stoln pray for which cause those which ran thus naked had their faces stayned with bloud and other followed after with wooll dipped in milke to wash them but whatsoeuer was the cause of their sports thus was the course of their life spent After these were other deuised in honour of Ianus who was sometime a king of Italy to whoÌ„ they built a famous temple and set therein his picture which they made with two faces to signifie the concord which was made betwixt Romulus king of the Romanes and Titus Tatius king of the Sabins at what time a bloudy warre being begun to one or others ouerthrow the maidens which were stolne by the Romanes and for reueÌ„ge of which rape the Sabians vowed the vtter ruine of the Romanes came into the fielde and offered themselues to death rather then they would liue to see for theyr cause either their parents slaine on the one side or theyr husbandes whome they now fancyed on the other side This Temple of Ianus the Romanes did leaue open so long as they had any warres abroade with forraine nations either because that going foorth to warre they should also haue a care of their countrey they left behind them as the Idoll looked both forward and backward or else in hope of some extraordinarie helpe by Ianus his protection when they should bee driuen to any extremitie because that the Sabiâ—ns hauing compelled Romulus to take this Temple for his best defence were forced to retyre by a whole water which sprunge in great aboundance from before the Temple against them Many other things are recorded of Ianus which many thinke are to bee applyed to diuers of the same name but hee in whose honour the first of the two moneths which Numa Pompilius Romulus his successor added vnto Romulus his yeere was Ianus king of Italie who built a Citie not far from the place where afterward Rome was built and called it Ianiculum and him they thought they did so gretly honor when they were either ouer lauish in expences or too lasciuious in their sports that when his calends came that is the first day of that month hee seemed the deuoutest in this rite who shewed by his ryot that hee neither deemed it a shame at any time afterward to bee in want nor a sinne to be at all times wanton These as the first in the yeere and other abuses as they fell came the Prince this day to abolish as hee shewed both by the shedding of his precious bloud and the sound of his princely name Yet notwithstanding that he was a prince and therefore freeborne and a priest and therefore to be forborne so soone as his name was giuen him he was sessed by the officers and paid a tribute vnto his owne subiect for as yet the infants of Palestina were not exempted from this taxe and the mother was the more willing to conceale her sonnes deitie because she thought it would nothing derogate from his dignitie being at that time taken for a priuate person not for a prince But not
by any art be described his glorious throne no eye is able to behold his profound wisedome no vnderstanding is able to comprehend his authoritie no power is able to resist hee liueth in light inaccessible hee ruleth with maiestie incomparable and because his verie name is ineffable too much presumption it were to attempt to set â—oorth the worthinesse of his nature In his workes hee hath shewed himselfe so prouident as all may iustly admire him so good as all may aboue all loue him so sweet as all may ioy sufficiently in him but for any inferiour vnto him selfe perfectly to know him wâ—ere to limit his perfections which are beyond all bounds because they are infinite With this Emperour liued the aboue mentioned Princes without any tediousnesse desire of change or any kinde of sorrow being incapable of any thing but happinesse vntill a maruailous rare and rigorous seeming accident befell them for their Emperour hauing one onely sonne equall vnâ—o his father in power might and authoritie and in no one poynt of perfection degenerating from him from both whome for the infinite likenesse betwixt them proceeded an infinite loue hee deputed him to a publike shamefull and a painefull death which did so amaze the Princes attendant whose loue was no lesse vnto him then vnto his father that might they haue beene suffered they would all haue sustained that punishment to haue saued their Prince but their offer was refused for the sentence was irreuocable The motiue of this vnnaturallâ—seeming iudgement was an exceeding great loue which hee bare vnto a Lady his adopted daughter who was so enchaunted by her owne folly as of a most comely and beautifull creature shee became so mishapen and so vgly that shee was loathsome euen vnto her selfe This enchauntment was by eating an apple of which her father before had giuen her warning shee should not taste vpon perill of that which should ensue thereof but her pride was so great that ingratefull to so good a Lord and disobedient to so carefull a father shee followed the motion which was made vnto her by a false though a fayre spoken enemie and eate thereof contrarie to her father his commaundement The Enchantment was so deuised that hauing taken effect it should not bee dissolued but by the death of the onely sonne of an Emperour who should exceede all the princes in the world in giftes both of bodie and minde he should bee peerelesse for his birth riches beautie wisedom and might whose father should neuer know any woman nor his mother any man and should in the very selfe same instant both haue and want both father and mother The liking by any such prince of such an vnlouely Lady being vnlike and the birth of anie such prince or other seeming impossible made the Enchanter secure that this his work should endure for euer The Enchanter himselfe was one of more malice then might but yet of more might then an vnrulie assailed could well resist Hee was sometime a prince of the Emperour his court among princes a prince being endewed with farre more excellent gifts then any his fellow princes and exalted vnto that honor as hee was reputed the chiefest vnder his Lord and Maister but bearing himselfe so proudly against his maker hee found by too late an experience that hee who bestowed those graces vpon him could also againe bereaue him of them and because hee had once abused them with intollerable pride hee should euer after be abridged of them to his eternal pain To reuenge which disgrace hee assayed the Ladye the Emperour his daughter and wonne her loue so farre foorth as shee gaue more credite vnto him then vnto her father and would do more at his request then at her fathers commaundement for although she seemed at the first to haue a small liking vnto his motion yet with faire promises and too farre aboue his power to performe in the ende hee made her giue a consent vnto her vtter ouerthrow had not the Emperour his sonne being deputed by his Father thereunto vndertaken to release her by the losse of his owne life The ransome being appointed to be disbursed infinitely exceeding that which was to bee redeemed too gracious for so vngracious a creature and too bountifull for her who wilfully made herselfe bondslaue by selling outright a royall and reall good for a proud imaginatiue Godhead a great difficultie arose in what manner it should be paid for the prince being of so excellent a nature that he was not capable of the smallest annoyance and in so strong a hold that hee could not sustaine the least harme much lesse the losse of his life it was needfull he should both take vppon him a nature and abide in such place as in which and where he might effect his desire Here loue which maketh euery one it possesseth to conforme themselues vnto their loue quicklie determined what was in doubt and make this conclusion that hee should take vppon him the same nature of which his sister was and her peruersenes onely excepted hee should in all thinges bee like vnto her which conceit loue made so conformable vnto his former counsell as the more hee thought vppon it the fitter the meanes seemed to bring his purpose to a good passe For first he thoght that hereby hee might in a most louelie manner enioy her companie whome hee so entirely loued without giuing any cause of ielousie to her ouerdiligent keeper Secondly hee thought that the keper taking him for his captiue might the more easily be ouertaken by his carelesnes Thirdly he thought this nature fittest for his purpose that shee whome hee loued being of the same nature might the better gesse at the torture hee should suffer for her sake because by the shedding of his blood hee was to worke her safety and fancy him the sooner who would aduenture so far to win her loue who was not worthy of a good looke Wisedome therefore guiding the sterne as carefully as loue seemed continually to fill the sayles the prince proceedeth with no lesse policy then speede and searching who of vnworthies was least vnworthy for no one was worthy to mother such a sonne hee founde a maiden so farre exceeding all the rest that he thought it both needles to seeke any further shee was so fitte for his purpose and impossible to finde her peere she was so pure a creature shee was descended of a princely race but liued very obscurely and although she were espoused to a mate yet meant she to remaine a maiden A princely ofspring was fittest to conceiue such a maiesty and a poore maiden meetest to cloake so high a mystery of her he determined to bee borne without a Father who before all beginnings was begotten without a mother This maide dwelt in Palestina the chiefest Prouince of Syria enuironed with Syria and Arabia on the east side on the south with the desart of Pharam and Egypt on the west with the Mediterranean sea and on the North with
king Dauids messenger when hee sent to demaund her consent vnto him in marriage shee sayde vnto this Prince Embassadour Behold the handmaid of my Lord bee it done to me according to thy word Her consent obtained the Embassadour gaue her a farewell mixed with such ioy and reuerence as if hee had beene loth to detract time to be gone with so great good newes and yet could not but stay a while to doe his dutie but being of that agility that hee could passe so much space in a moment as is betwixt heauen and earth dispatched himselfe wirh that speede that in a trice hee both encreased a ioy in the place where hee was began another in the place from whence hee came Whereupon Loue who is impatient of delaye caused him from whom as well as from his father proceed infinit loue with all his might to pursue this matter the wole Trinitie working miraculously in the wombe of the Virgin gathering of her most pure bloud together framed therof in one instant a perfect body no sooner could that body enioy the soule which was created for it then the emperor his son vnited the whole vnto him a work as worthy praise as wonder so wonderful as reason hauing tyeâ—d it selfe in discourse of this worke leaueth off beginneth to do nothing but wonder for which cause one among the rest being wearied with ouer much musing began to refresh himselfe a little with his Muses In this maner Whom earth the sea the heauens doe worship praise adore King of this threefolde frame the wombe of Marie bore To whom Moone sunne and all do seruice in their turnes Chast bowels be are with fall of grace which from heauen comes Blessed such a mother within whose wombe is closde Her heauenly maker holding from being losde With ease the world and blest for that she had receiude By angels mouth addrest a message she belieude That she conceiuing by the helpe of holy Ghost He should within her lie Whom Gentils wished most But although others lost themselues in the consideration of this diuine mysterie the Virgin no doubt was so perfectly instructed in it that shee sound as much knowledge as she had felt comfort and her comfort was the more because her knowledge was so great and remembring that the higher shee was in calling the more lowly best beseemed her to bee in her carriage shee did alwayes with most humble thoughts attend vpon high conceits neither thinking at any time too well of herselfe for that shee should mother so worthy a prince nor yet so vnwary as to giue any cause why from thence forth hee should disdaine her to bee his mother Among other her comforts she remembred what the Embassador had said vnto her of her cosen Elizabeth whome before shee loued but now she longed to see and if the wayes presented themselues in her imagination very long her desire looked to bee preferred which was in heart also very great and the time of the yeare being both fit and pleasant to trauel in enuited her ernestly to the iorney to a citie called Hebron in the mountaines of Iuda liing southward from Ierusalem 22. miles one of the most famous cities in Palestina for antiquitie and of greatest renown because it was sometime the kings seat The inhabitants of this place were sometime such men or rather monsters as neither eye coulde without horrour beholde nor eare without feare heare speake here was Dauid who slew Goliah the Giant in a single combat with his sling annointed king and ruled all Israell by the space of seauen yeares a place also for this cause had in reuerence by all the worlde for that Adam the first parent of all mankind here is said to haue forsooke the world here also was Iacob the great Patriarke buried his father Isaack who was miraculously in this place coÌ„ceiued by Sara when shee was by natures course past childbearing from hence Abraham issued with 318. of his men and ioyned with him the 3. brethreÌ„ maÌ„bre who gaue name to the valley ioyning vnto it Aner and Escoll pursuing 4. kings conquerors ouerthrew them neare vnto mount Libanus and broght back all the spoile which they had taken out of the richest part of the country and was here also afterward buried A place notoriously 〈◊〉 froÌ„ the beginning of the world with an oak which continued there 400. years after the incarnation of the young prince we spake of it was one of the 46. cities which were allotted vnto the priests to dwel in Hether hastened the virgin if not so well accompayned as noble welthie parents could send their only daughter aswel for her gard as theit own credite yet neither was it likely she wold caresly of her selfe haue strayed so far alone nor her parents suffer her to go without some company being so far froÌ„ the basest blood in Palestina as they were of the best none of the poorest who coulde spare vnto the temple one third part of what they had an other to relieue the poore but her chiefest gard was inuisible and therefore it was inuincible for if euer any princes with child trauelling was choisely attended on least any hurt should befal vnto her or vnto that shee wente with much more was shee and euery thing so well ordered as she neither felt any inconuenience in long vneasie wayes being a yong maiden nor found any 〈◊〉 in her iorney by her burden being lately become a mother for it is not to be thoght that he which came to bring ease for his enemies would breede any paine in his best friendes But no sooner had shee set fooâ—e into her cosens house and saluted her but the child within her cosens wombe be wrayed who shee was and Elizabeth by diuine instinct cried out with a loud voice beginning where the Prince Embassador had ended his salutation and saide vnto her Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe whence is this to mee that the mother of my Lord doth come vnto mee for beholde as the voice of thy salutation sounded in myne eares the infant in my wombe did leape for ioy blessed art thou which didst belieue because those things shall be accomplished which were spoken vnto thee by our Lord. The sunne although it appeare vnto vs to bee in a cloude because there is a cloude betwixt it and vs is not altogether depriued of his power but giueth some light and by his light life where it lighteth and the sonne of iustice hauing builte his glorious throne in the wombe of a virgin where hee did as it were ascend vppon a thinne cloude shall he lease his vertue and not rather worke not of any necessitie as a natural cause of such like qualited effects but voluntarilie as a liberal and free agent of supernaturall graces How may wee thinke woulde hee draw vnto him if hee were once exalted who drewe so mightilie being imprisoned for
maidenly chastitie and that at one and the selfe same time she was both a pure virgine and a perfect mother And thou diuine Ladie most happie of all to be his mother who was thy maker O how well did those wordes of the Angell fit thee when hee said thou wert ful of grace being presently to be fraught with God Behold now thy sweet infant borne into the world who was nine monethes borne in thy wombe Looke where hee lyeth for whose sight thou hast so much longed embrace him at libertie in thine armes whom thou haddest imprisoned in thy bowels O how well did he prouide for thy comfort who picked out so solitarie a place where thou wert not likely to haue much companie that thou mightest haue thy fill in looking on him embracing him and kissing him whom although thou seest lie crying in the manger thou knewest hee was thy Lord and maker and no lesse admirable in the sight of Angels then amiable in thine Thou neither needest to rise by night nor yet to range by day to seeke whom thy soule doeth loue nor to aske of any watchman whether they did see him for they which came through the citie vnto thee at night would without any demanding demonstrate vnto thee where thy loue did lie He sought thee he found thee he tooke such hold of thee as hee meaneth still to haue thee thy lappe must bee his board thy bosome his bed and betwixt thy breasts doth he resolue to build his nest Pouertie much hated by others ought to bee honoured by thee for that this meane estate hath brought thee more profite then could a princely port O happie want which compelleth thee vnto thy harts wish for now that he hath not where els to lie thy lest arme must be a boster vnder his head and thy right arme a border round about his bodie Now that hee hath not where els to liue thy cottage must bee his court thy company his comfort He is the center of thy thoughtes about which they rowle He is the loadstone of thine eies from which they cannot roue He is the rocke against which thy speeches breake driuen by a violent passion he is the rest which thy thoughts best brooke diuided by a new affection the which are as often supplyed by teares as thy wordes by them being neither able to speake that which thou couldest nor to thinke that which thou wouldest for thou wert both ouertaken in thy wordes with thine owne gladnesse and ouercharged in thy thoughtes with thy sonnes greatnesse yet speake what thou mayest thinke that which thou mayest not speake and in the ende let thy loue-teares witnesse that thou art as farre vnable to vtter thy thoughts as thou art from thinking the vttermost Proceed then blessed virgin to embrace thy princely babe presse him in thy bosome who hath pierst thy breast let him neuer passe from thy hand who hath possessed thy heart but seeing hee being thy Lord hath taken on him the person of a child and vouchsafed to be thy sonne thou being his maiden feare not to vse both the priuiledges of a nurse and the preheminence of a mother But O most sacred babe heauens blisse helles bane worthie of all praise because the worker of our peace shall wee congratulate thy comming into the worlde or grieue that thou art become so short a word the largest heauens were lately to little for thee and now a little hole can do more then lodge thee A short word but a sweet worth more of thine owne desire then of our desert for if thine owne loue driue thee it was thy goodnes if ours drew thee it was thy gift But tell vs sweet babe in whome affection hath fully supplyed the defect of thy tongue as yet an instrument onely of a lamentable sound as thine eyes were fountaines of sorrowfull teares tell vs why hast thou loosed from the right hande of Maiestie to arriue in a restlesse hauen of miserie Was it to recouer againe the right which once was passed by thee and inrolled in a most faythfull record The heauen of heauens to the Lorde but the earth hee hath giuen to the sonnes of men and therefore wouldest thou of an omnipotent God become an impotent man yea and contented to bee accounted and that in scome king of the Iewes who wert the true king both of the Iewes and of the Gentiles or rather was it to right the wrong done vnto the Ladie whō thy father adopted to his daughter thou tookest for thy sister and to redeeme her from her vnmercifull conquerour who had bereft her of her matchlesse beautie and whatsoeuer else nature and grace could bestow vpon her importunated other by her suit or rather inchaunted by thy selfe thy loue towarde her being without limit and her losse of thee being infinite Tell vs sweete babe who arte an eternall worde although nowe too young to speake tell vs what caused thee to descende from thine vnspeakeable dignitie in which thou wert the onely food of Angels vnto an irreparable infamie because thou art nowe become the meate of beastes for as an infallible truth hath reuealed vnto vs. All flesh is grasse and grasse is beasts feeding In my bedde by night I sought whom I loued I sought her but I could not find her Inough sweet babe since that loue hath no higher cause all this thou diddest because thou diddest loue 〈◊〉 thou diddest loue because thou diddest Well do I conceiue thee to haue beene in thy bed that is at thy quietest repose but what nightes were those where we supposed to haue bin one continuall day or what darkenes could grieue thee who art the brightnes of thy fathers glorie Care which contrarie to the nature thereof made thee looke many thousande yeeres yonger then thou art did perchaunce contrarie also to the nature of the place seeme to bring a night where the Sunne neuer vsed to goe downe or cause thee to bee hidden in a cloude who art the light of heauen that not without some cause thou mayest say in the night in thy bedde tho◠soughtest whom thou louedst but what when thou couldest not find her in thy bed I will rise and go round about the Citie through the streetes and open places will I seeke whome I loue I sought her but I could not find her But what among all those glorious companie couldest thou not finde thy loue If heauen bee not woorthie to holde thy loue howe shall the earth yeelde her vnto thee But it seemeth by thine intended course that hell it selfe shall not escape thy search But when thou couldest not finde her in the Citie The watch found me which kept the Citie sawe yee whom my soule doth loue And when I had a little passed them I founde whome I loued I helde her and will not let her goe vntill I haue brought her into my mothers house and into her chamber who bred me O worthie Citizens of the heauenly Hierusalem for whome did yee watch Or
long after it was blowne abroad that such a prince was borne and princes hastened to do their homage An old prophesie was in Arabia that a starre should rise in Iacob and a rod spring in Israel which should both strike the princes of Moab and destroy the sonnes of Seth with many other so great prerogatiues that the prophet sighed to thinke hee should not liue to see it and the king of Moab was frighted fearing that hee had liued to feele it for the Israelites comming out of the desart of Pharan towarde Palestina encamped themselues neere vnto the riuer Iordan so strongly in middle of the Moabites that Balaac the king of Moab had better courage to fight against them with shrewde wordes then with sharpe weapons and therefore vnderstanding that in Mesopotamia was one who did so forspeake people as they neuer after prospered sent speedily vnto him to come and curse the Israelites but Balaam so was the southâ—ayer called being taught before by diuine inspirations when he came to the top of the mountaine from whence Balaac shewed him the Israelites performed what God and the angell had enformed him and to the great preiudise of Balaac king of the Moabites hee pronounced many blessinges ouer the Israelites and prophesied of this yong prince as is before shewed Hereupon Makida the Queene of Sâ—ba Ethiopia Egâ—pt vnderstanding of Salomon his wisdome wealth worthines large dominions came with exceeding great pompe vnto Ierusalem to see him and presented him with 120. talents of gold many iewels and infinite store of frankencense being perswaded that he was the man who was meant by the prophesie in Arabia for Saba was a prouince in the south side of Arabia and tooke the name of Saba grand-child vnto Abraham by Iecsan whom Abraham had by Caethura as also Madian father vnto Epha and others whom he sent away out of Chanaan afterward called Palestina into the East countries as also he sent Ismael whom hee had by Agar southward not suffering any of them to haue part with Isaac in the lande promised vnto him yet did he not send them away emptie handed but bestowed vpon them great riches apparell and iewels which he had taken from the foure kings whom hee conquered in the rescue of his nephew Lot among which giftes some write that Abraham gaue vnto them mirrhe and frankencense not without some misterie then knowne vnto him and now openly shewed by three princes which came out of the East parts at this time vnto Bethleem of Iuda which iourney they did the more willingly take because probablie their ancestors were also Iewes for the Queene of Saba among other great fauours which she receiued of king Salomon was accepted for his wife and returned into her countrey with childe and carried with her twelue thousand Iewes of euerie tribe one thousand and did them that honor that after a while the chiefest in the countrey vaunted that their fathers were Iewes and â—he sonne which she had by Salomon she crowned king surrendering all her dominions vnto him and of that stocke vnto this day as some say remayneth the great monarch of those coastes commonly called Priest Iohn But the principall motiue of these three kinges their voyage was the sight of a starre which did penetrate so farre into their vnderstanding that by that extraordinarie light and what they had by the prophesie they resolued that the prince was now at the last borne of which had beene so great expectation for although they were men of great learning yet could not their skill attaine to the perfect meaning of the star which appeared vnto them without farther helpe then they could haue by Astronomie wonder they might to see so neere vnto them so bright a shining starre because it was much lower then where exhalations fiered doe appeare blasing like starres and comparable with the Sunne for brightnesse as it receyued no light from the Sunne as other starres doe so neyther did the brightnesse of the sunne drowne the clearnesse thereof as it doeth of other starres where it selfe doth shine and the greater might their wonder bee because that all such tokens as were commonly in all other extraordinarie starres or commets to signifie eyther diseases or death were so farre from this starre that it betokened nothing but health and life and that the authour of life had taken vpon him a new kind of life although perchance in some secondarie sort it might also pretend the death of the prince whose life it shewed as may appeare by some of the presentes which the kinges brought who were both warned by this starre to seeke him and warranted to finde him out yet was it no Angell as many haue thought but a starre as much superior to other starres in brightnesse as inferior in bignesse made of some former matter or created of nothing by him to whome all thinges are possible and afterward eyther resolued into that of which it was made or if created for this purpose the cause thereof ceasing the effect came againe to nothing but it kept such a course as the kinges following it were no more subiect to bee deceiued of their purpose then were the Israelites when trauelling from Egipt vnto the lande of promisse they were guided by a cloude which alway went before them in the daye time and a fierie pillar in the night for the starre neuer ceased to shine but to their greater light nor to conduct them but to their greater comfort wherefore not without the prouidence of the stars guide they entred Ierusalem where they were both confirmed in the truth of their former prophesie and comforted with the shortnes of their following iorney but not without the amasing both of Herod and all the cittie because the last thing which the Iewes had done was an oath sworne to accept Herod for their king which althougb hee had laboured both with curtesie and with crueltie for the space of thirty years little more or lesse hee neuer obtained it of the whole countrie vntill this time The three princes as soon as they came into the cittie demaunded boldely what they doubted not euery man knew a kinges seate fitting best a princes birth and such a birth being commonly celebrated with a publike triumph they demaunded for him by his title not knowing as yet his name where is hee who is borne king of the Iewes wee see his starre in the East and are come with presentes to adore him was it then any wonder that Herod was troubled who wrongfully entered into the soueraigntie and the Iewes touched deepelie who had rashly sworne themselues his subiectes the one hauing iust cause to feare that he should be put down as a tyrant and the others no hope but to bee punished as traytors and although Herod coulde haue beene very well contented neuer to haue heard any thing more concerning this matter yet feare in the ende first encreased a desire to know the rest then to deuise some mischiefe fot a
of one by nature and of another by the law Hereof Ioseph is said in one petigree to bee the son of Iacob and in another petigree the son of Hely as being the naturall son of Iacob and called the son of Hely because Iacob had hâ—m by Helies wife whom Hely left a widow and without any children for Hely and Iacob were brethren of one wombe although of diuerse fathers that is to say of Mathaâ— who was father vnto Iacob and Mathat who was father vnto Hely But although it be most true that the yong prince did descend of the princes of the Iewes and that he was of the familie of Dauid yet these petigrees of Ioseph proue nothing but that the prince his mother was of the tribe of Iuda because Ioseph who in these petigrees is proued to be of that name did espouse her it being a thing vnlawful among the Iewes that any shuld match but in their own tribe but neither doth this proue that this prince was of the tribe of Iuda because notwithstanding diuerse tribes should not ioyne togither in mariage the tribe of Iuda and Leui might and therefore the the proofe that Ioseph was of the tribe of Iuda and of the family of Dauid sheweth notâ—â—ng for the yong prince but that hee did by his mother discend either of the tribe of Iuda or of the tribe of Leuy For this cause many take the seconde petigree for the petigree not of Ioseph but of the yong prince by his mothers auncesters Thus beginneth that petigree Iesus was entring into his 30. yeare who was thought to be the son of Iâ—seph who was the sonne of Hely that is to say Iesus was accounted the sonne of Ioseph but he was the sonne of Hely by Mary daughter to Hely otherwise called Heliachim or Ioacâ—im for all is one name among the Iewes and although by this account the Prince should haue but one King among his auncesters yet hee had manie absolute Princes and gouernours of the people descending from Zorobabel vnto Iamnes otherwise called Ioannes Hircanus who not brooking the miserie in which hee and his people lyued through the oppression of the Syrians at the beginning of Antiochus Epiphanes his raigne who forced them to doe manie thinges agaynst their lawes slewe himselfe for which fact all his wealth was confiâ—cate which was a cause that the familie of Dauid liued afterwarde somewhat obscurely But in these petigrees appeareth a verie intricate difficultie For if Salathiell and Zorobabel mencioned in the seconde petigree are the same which are mencioned in the first why doth not the seconde petigree name the princes auncestours from king Dauid by king Salomon as the first doth but by Nathan an other of Dauids sonnes by Bersabe king Salomon his mother Againe if Salathiel and Zorobabel mentioned in the second petigree are not the same which are mencioned in the first petigree how came they which are reckoned in the second petigree to be princes of the people and their posterity vntill Iamnes slue himselfe A sacred history affirmeth that Zorobabel who is saide to descend from Iechonias the last king of the Iewes by Salathiel did carrie the people home out of Babylon where they had beene captiues And other hystories of authoritie continue this gouernment by Mosullam or Misciola Zorobabels sonne and such as are reckoned in the seconde petigree to bee the prince his ancesters The difficultie will bee easilie solued if we may say that Salathiel and Zorobabel mencioned in the one petigree were the same which are mentioned in the other and that Salathiel was not sonne vnto Iechonias but vnto Neri And this is agreeable vnto the Oracle which said that Iechonias should be barren and one who should neither prosper nor haue anie ofspring which shoulde sit in the throne of Dauid or haue any authoritie euer after in Iudah Which shoulde not haue beene true if hee shoulde haue children to succede him and to say that a man is barren or that the sonne dooth not succeed his father when the sonne hath not that pompe and maiestie which his father had is to say that most men are barren and few sons succeed their fathers so we may say that neither Salomons sonne did succeed him from whom ten tribes fell and followed Ieroboam nor Ioachas succeed his father Iosias because that Pharaoh king of Egypt within three moneths after tooke him sent him into Egypt where he died prisoner nor Ioachim brother to Ioachas who after that he had for a space paide to Pharaoh a yeerly tâ—ibute of a 100. talents of siluer and one of gold paide tribute for the space of three yeeres to Nabuchodonosâ—r king of Chaldea and rebelling against him was taken and slaine and throwne out of Hierusalem and lay vnburied according to the Oracle which sayd that hee should haue no other then the buriall of an Asse Nor his sonne Iechonias who was within three moneths after caried prisoner into Chaldea least perchance he should by some meanes haue reuenged his fathers death yet notwithstanding is this Iechonias sayde to haue sitten in the throne of Dauid and Zorobabel and his children hauing authoritie in Iudah as Kinges although for some cause they woulde not bee called Kings it is euident the Oracle being of infallible truth that Salathiel father to Zorobabel was not naturall sonne to Ieconias but to Neri and accounted the sonne of Ieconias as descending of Ieconias his wife who was left to Neri the next of kinne to Ieconias and to raise seed to Ieconias who according to the Oracle was barren Some woulde seeme to solue this difficultie by saying that Salathiel was the naturall sonne of Ieconias and adopted by Neri after Ieconias his death but why then were the princes his auncestors reckoned from King Dauid by Nathan the other beeing both a more true and more honourable petigree By this pedigree also is shewed how the prince was high priest for Onias the high priest hauing one onely daughter and one sonne hee gaue his daughter in marriage vnto Tobias otherwise called Mathathias Siloa who was grandfather vnto Iamnes the last prince which the Iewes had immediately before the Machabees and one of the yong prince his anncestors but his sonne Onias some call him Ananias and say that hee was not his sonne but his brother fledde from Hierusalem into Egypt where by Philomater the King of Egypt his lycense hee built in Hieropolis a Temple like vnto the temple in Hierusalem and there ended his life in scisme Onias the Father hadde also twoo brethren who after they hadde brought him out of the high-priesthood were themselues as they bribed Antiochus Epiphanes the King of Siria nowe one of them high priest nowe another and in the ende both shutte out and slaine Some doe say that those three brethren were sonnes to Simon who was high Priest and sonne vnto that Onias which fled into Egypt but whosoeuer they were all perished and oue succeeded them in that dignitie whose name
Antipas who claimed the kingdom by his fathers will which was made when hee was in health and would haue disprooued his Fathers last will because it was made when hee was in great extremitie of sicknes and knew not what hee did but Nicholas of Damascus Archelaus his orator knowing before whom he pleaded answered that it was a sufficient argument that Herod knew what he did because he left his will in all things to Caesars wisedome and after he had laid the blame of al the murders and misdemeaners of Archelaus vppon them which aunswered him as being rebellious and sactious people against their prince Archelaus came to Caesar and vpon his knees offered himselfe vnto him whome Caesar took vp and promised that he would doe nothing against Herods last will onely he would haue him refraine the name of a king for a while which he doubted not but that hee would quicklie deserue The cause of this strife betwixt these two brethren for the kingdome was Herods their fathers rashnes who in his life time appointed now one then an other almost all his sonnes for kinges first hee ment that the kingdome should descend from him vnto his sonnes Alexander Aristobulus whome he had by Mariamnes grandchild to Hircanus ' the last king of the Iewes but his eldest son Antipater whom he had by Doris a base woman being prouoked oftentimes by the contemptuous speeches of the princes for whose mothers loue his mother was reiected deuised how he might both take reuenge vpon thē and aduance himselfe whereof first hee wrought meanes by the discredite of the princes to come a little into his Fathers fauour which when hee had gotten so farre as his Father put him before the two princes in the right of the kingdome hee vsed matters in that sort that Herod hauing by his sleight and his friends put Mariamnes to death now also by his false suggestions murdered his two sonnes which he had by her then was Antipater honoured as a king by all for Herod gaue ouer vnto him the gouernement of the countrie in such manner as he kept vnto himselfe little more then the bare title of a king which Antipater also thought was too much yet first he stirred vp his father what he coulde against Archelaus and Philip two other of his brethren thē sought meanes to poison his Father which being perceiued by Herod hee presently chaunged his former will by which hee had giuen the kingdome to Antipater and being offended with Archelaus and Philip by Antipaters meanes hee made Antipas his successor in this kingdom but before hee dyed hauing manifest proofe of Antipaters treasons against him he repented too late his cruelty which now he mistrusted was without cause against Mariamnes her children and accounting all which proceeded from Antipater to haue beene false accusations to further himselfe in the kingdome he chaunged his will and deuided the countrie into foure partes made foure Tetrarches ouer it but the chiefest part he left to Archclaus whome he set downe in his last wil for his successor if Caesar shold think him meet and not aboue fiue dayes before his death caused Antipater to be executed and buried obscurely for as he had many causes for which hee thought hee might worthily haue put him to death before so would he not vpon any of them execute him without Caesars consent to whome hee had signified by letters what Antipater had attempted and wrought against him and how that in his treasons he had vsed the helpe of Acme who attended vpon Iulia the Empresse to which letters Caesar aunswered that Acme being found guiltie at Rome was executed as she had deserued and that Antipater was now at his Fathers discretion to order him as hee would which was no small comfort vnto him in the extremitie of his sicknes wherefore hee determined that Antipater should die which intention vpon this occasion was put in execution When Herod beeing in an extreame fitte of his sicknesse would haue slaine himselfe and was hindered by Achiabus who was his nephew Achiabus notwithstanding hee had preuented the stroake gaue so great a skritch that all in the pallace thought Herod had beene dead And Antipater who was not farre off although a prisoner hearing those newes dealt with his keeper to lette him goe at libertie as not doubting to gette the kingbome within a shorte time and to the end he might perswade the more easily hee promised great gifts both then and for afterward But this keeper either for feare of Herod or for little loue to Antipater went presently to Herod and declared his sonnes attempt for which Herod in his rage commaunded him presently to bee slaine so that now remained the other twoo willes which Herod made to bee tryed which of them were of force but Caesar decided the controuersie and the two brerhren vppon this conclusion returned from Rome to Palestina where Archelaus as well before as after his voyage did so little degenerate from his father that gladde were they who were out of his dominion which was the cause why Ioseph auoyded his owne countrey and went directly to Nazareth with his charge from whence euerie yeare for deuotion sake they went to Hierusalem to the Temple especially at the feast of Easter for many feasts did the Iewes obserue and no one passed them without great solemnitie Some of them might not bee celebrated but in Hierusalem some againe might bee obserued els where wheresoeuer the Iewes dwelt Their Sabaoth they did celebrate euerie seuenth day a daye solemne from the beginning of the world sanctified by God himselfe and called the sabaoth because then hee ceased from creating the world and the complements thereof wherefore the Iewes alwayes except when they were in Egypt and all theyr auncestors kept the seuenth day holy in remembrance that after sixe dayes in which all things were created God rested the seuenth day which although perchance when they were in Egypt they minded not and in time forgot it being so long in bondage where they could not vse that honour vnto God vpon that day as theyr fathers had taught them yet were they assured that was the day when they were in the wildernesse by the myracle which chaunced so oft vnto them that in the end they did by theyr murmur seeme to contemne it for when they wanted victuall in the desart God sent down vnto them like raine a food which because they knewe not else what to call it they called it Manna which woord was in euerie mans mouth when they first saw it and signifieth what is this it fell sixe dayes and the seuenth nothing fell but vppon the sixt day it fell in greater aboundance then any other day that the people might gather sufficientlye to serue them the same day and the next Vpon this which they called sabaoth it was not lawfull for them to doe anye worke no not to prouide or dresse any meate for their sustenaunce for confirmation of which they did see