the face you know the man so by these as by Titles you know the contents of that division It was composed by Mahomet their Prophet with the help of Abdalla a Jew Sergius a Nestorian Monk who for embracing the Heresies of Arrius Cedron Sabellinâ—s and others was banished from Constantinople and comming into Arabia fell acquainted with Mahomet whom though formerly circumcised he baptized and taught to misinterpret many places of the Scriptures out of which false glosses of theirs they coined a new Religion neither wholly Jewish or wholly Christian but rejecting in both what they disliked and this newest Religion from him was called Mahumetisme So Pomponius Laetus Joan. Baptista Egnatius c. But the Glossers of the Alcoran and their Book Azar which is a History of Mahomet authentique among the Moores as the Gospel among us Christians say that those that helped Mahomet in compiling his Alcoran were two Sword-Cutlers Christian slaves unto one of Mecca who knew much confusedly of the new Testament and out of their imperfect informations he gleaned what served his turn not looking for antecedents subsequents or coherence any where So observes Joannes Andreas Maurus who was once an Alfaqui or Bishop among the Moores of the City of Sciatinia in the Kingdom of Valentia and afterwards Circ An. 1487. a Christian Priest and probable it is that the composers of that rapsody of errours were illiterate persons because they contradict all philosophy sciences History and Reason the Alcoran being a Fardel of Blasphemies Rabinical Fables Ridiculous Discourses Impostures Bestialities Inconveniences Impossibilities and Contradictions To speak a word of the chief Author Mahomet his peâ—son he was born about the year 600 not to mention any paâ—ticular yeare I find Authors so differ about it and I want room heâ—e to reconcile them or shew reason for adâ—ering to any one some say in Itrarip a Village of Arabia others in the City of Mecca others in Medina Alnabi of obscure parentage some that name his Father call him Abdalla a Pagan pâ—rhaps mistaken him for one of his Tutors such make his Mother a Jewess and of ill repute whom they call Emina So uncertain was the beginning of this Impostor Baudier saith that his Father dying and his Mother being left very poor she not able to keep him committed him to an Uncle but he casting him off young Mahomet was a prey to Theeves who put him in chaines among other slaves and in that quality being set to sale a rich Merchant named Abdemonople bought him he dying Mahomet by marriage of his mistresse the Merchants wife not effected as was thought without Witch-craft attained to much riches whereupon leaving the exercise of Merchandize he became a Captain of certain voluntary Arabians that followed the Emperour Heraclius in his Persian Wars who falling into a mutiny for that they were denyed the military Garment and incensing the rest of their Nation with the reproachful answer given them by the Treasurer which was that they ought not to give that to Dogs which was ordained for the Roman Souldiers a paâ—t of them chose Mahomet for their Ring-leader but being disdained by the better sort for the basenesse of his birth to avoid ensuing contempt he gave it out that he attained not to that honour by military favour but by divine appointment That he was sent by God to give a new Law unto man and by force of armes to reduce the world to his obedience then wrested he every thing to a divine honour even his naturall defects calling those fits of the falling sicknesse wherewith he was troubled holy trances and that Pigeon which he had taught to feed out of his Ear on pease the holy Ghost So went he on to feign his messages from heaven by the Angel Gabriel and to composse his Alcoran A man of a most infamous life he was Bonsinus writes that he permitted adultery and Sodomy and lay himselfe with beasts and Mr. Smith in his Confutation of Mahumetism arraigns him of Blasphemy Pridâ— lyes Sodomy Blood Fraud Robbery for he was a common Thief usually robbing the Caravans of Merchants as they travelled as entitles him Heir apparent unto Lucifer no lesse then 12000. falshoods being contained in his fabulous Alcoran To particularize a little what higher blasphemy could he be guilty of then to prefer himselfe as far before Christ as he was above Moses He also denyes the divinity of our Saviour and affirms that the Holy Ghost is not distinct in peâ—son but onely an operative virtue of the God-head that inspires good motions Many other absurdities he is guilty of concerning the Trinity as not comprehending that glorious mysterie The Alcoran impugnes both the divine Law and naturall Reason at once in that assertion lib. 4. Cap. 2. viz. That at the end of the world a Trumpet shall blow and the Angels in Heaven and men on Earth shall fall downe dead and at the second sounding rise again So it makes the Angels mortal when who knows not that the Angels are Spirâ—ts having no bodies so cannot die for death is nothing but the separation of the soul from the body Adams sinne was the cause of his death and his posterity whence it followes had he not sinn'd neither he nor we had dyed And surely the good Angels being not guilty of the cause of death sin must be exempt from the effect Lucifer and the evill Angels that sinn'd with him by their Pride were deprived of the glory of heaven and cast into the bottomlesse pit for ever but not condemned to die because they were spirits And if the Devils that sinned dyed not how is it that the Alcoran saith that the Angels that sinned not shall die Another fable concerning Angels is in the first Chaper lib. 1. Sc. That God sent two Angels called Harod and Marod as Judges to do justice in the City of Babylon where in a Cave for soliciting a Ladies chastity they hang by the eye-lids and must so hang till the day of judgement and the woman was transformed into the morning star O divine Metamorphosis It 's like Mahomet might have heard somewhat of the story of Susanna and the Elders and so ignorantly shuffled it into this But to follow his Text I would ask a Moorish Astrologer whether the morning star be not more ancient then the City of Babylon how then could an inhabitant of that City be turned into that star And I would know of their Divines why if the Angels have bodies the Alcoran in many places contradicting it selfe calls them Roch Spirits if they be spirits and uncorporeal how were they capable of knowing women or hanging by the eye-lids If they be Corporeal where abouts in Babylon may one see them hanging and why doth the Alcoran confesse them to be Spirits Another ridiculous assertion of the Alcoran concerning Angels is s. 1. cap. 1. and l. 2. c. 1. c. viz. That God made man of all sorts and colours of earth and being formed for some
perpetuall snow to quench my fires And slake my parch'd soul with continuall Ice Iff. Dear Madam get him in Nym. O that I could Mâ—r. Or might I still thirst TANâ—ALUS with thee So I might alwaies bath in thy cool River For O I burn I burn the dog-star rules me And feeds his raging fires on all my joynts Nym. Wilt in to rest Mir. 'T is dog-daies every where And Affrâ—ck Here ye BELIDES here powre On me kind sisters your perpetuall â—ialls There is an impious nation that is said To stuffe with human flesh their greedy womb O they expect me and are now devouring My roasted Liver all my members broile And ready be â—HYESTES for thy Table Nym. Page try to lift him up softly O softly Mâ—r. O I am stifled in hot glowing brasse I low shut up in dire PERILLUS Bull. Away Dragons you scald me with He struggles your breath Nym. Stay yet Mâ—r. Nought see I'fore mine eyes but flames And towring Pyramids of eternall fire What food can serve such flames alas what mines Of Bitumen and Sulphur have I in me That thus my loyns consume without a pile Iff. Alas this talking heightens his distemper Nym. It does come try to bear him quickly in Once well he will forgive it Mir. I melt I melt Ah! mine own selfe am mine own funerall fire FLORADELLA MAHOMET-ALLYBEG BUngling Puppies could not twitch hard enough When once they 'd got him down What will you do now Step on or back or alter the whole maâ—hin Of the contrivement Mah. On my fair These little difficulties indear great actions To noble minds they are weak soules fall or stumble At rubs cast in their way to â—ry their sâ—â—ength The peace I know by this time is patcht up And the bold factious Troops disbanded all The Town anon will swarm with idle Souldiers That will like fish lie basking in the Sun And die when all the water their element Is let out from them I 'me for ELCHEE first Flo. I for OLYMPA and EARINA Mah. Presse hard For liberall lones of money plate or Jewells Or any of their fine superfluities They 'l help t' augment the heap Possesse them strongly That I intend to rescue the brave Prince And SOFFIE Flo. You 've instructed me enough Mah. Keep hid the Serpent Lure with the Dove No Treason is like that goes mas'kd like love CHORUS WHat is it Heavens you suffer here As if that vices malice were unbounded All vertues Laws inverted are And the just be by the unjust confounded 'T is punishable to speak reason Now reason and loyaltie are out of fashion And Tyranny and Treason Have all the vogue in this besotted Nation He that our great Palladium was No lesse our strength and bulwark then our glory A pray to rampant malice lies Whose fall almost the doers selves makes sorry His innocent issue suffer too Not laid so close up as a priz'd treasure But to shew what their rage can do And that reason ruleth not their acts but pleasure His noble friends that whilst they wore I' th field his purple could deaths selfe have daunted Men that a crime then death fear more Suffer for crimes wherewith they 'r unacquainted Some to strickt bounds confined are Some to remote all judg'd without due tryall The cause fond jealousie and fear Strange state that fears such subjects as are loyall Whilst they that mean the rape o' th state Swim in smooth oyle and wallow in all riot Intit'ling their black deeds to fate And put bad men in armes to keep good quiet O whither doth the precipice Of evill hurry men of base condition Made drunken with unjust successe They all the world grasp in their vast ambition Seest thou not JOVE rebellions scope ' Lesse thy quick vengeance stopps their sudden rising They 'l like their elder brothers hope To depose thee too and dare heavens surprising Hear O JOVE hear their blasphemies How all their wickednesse on thee they father Cheating the world with pious lies Saying their rules from thy instinct they gather Dost thou not hear it boldly said JOVE bids us break all antient laws a sunder At the dire speech ASTRAE fled Or hearing it why sleeps so long thy Thunder Was it not worth one bolt to save Him who the world thy truest copy deem'd Whom all good men in reverence have Who thy laws highly as we his esteem'd Whom wilt not tempt when these they see The great prosperitie of evill secures Away from down-trod right to flee When wrong with the fair bait successe allures So would it be but that there are A wiser few that know on high there fitteth O' th world an upright Governour And every thing is best that he permitteth We know a punishment it be To evill to prosper nor shall long endure The wicked's false prosperitie Though justice slowly moves she striketh sure Act IIII. ABBAS BELTAZAR COme BELTAZAR how have you us'd your power Bel. May 't please your Majestie a mutuall league Offensive and defensive we could not Obtain but upon tearmes too low for us The â—urk is yet too high and stands upon Rendition of those Townes you hold of his Which would disfurnish you of many men Fit for your other wars so'a Truce is all We 've made but so long 't may be call'd a peace 'T is for three years Abb. ' These truces yet in war Are only like the well daies in an Ague Short intervalls of health that flatter us Into debauch and make the next fit worse Nor should we suffer a disorder follow To save a war because that war 's not sav'd But only put off to our disadvantage But how took our stout Captains their casheering Bel. full heavily and mutter'd mutiny EMANGOLY here at the Town was met With your arrest and seisure of his places Which he seem'd to put off with no more trouble Then he would do his Armes after a march Or a hard charge to take a nap of sleep Abb. Cunning dissembler How took ELCHEE His banishment from Court Bel. As a school-boy That has plaid treuant and hears his Master's angry Abb. There 's hopes of him but th' other is quite lost ABBAS FATYMA BELTAZAR WHat 's that my FATYMA Fat 'T is a petition From a poor subject wrong'd by a great Lord. Too strong for him to struggle with at Law Nor has he wherewithall to pay for justice Bel. The case holds in himselfe and his aside brave Son Abb. Our justice FATYMA shall be given not sold. T was wisely done who ere he be to send it â—y thy hand sweet of all the deerest to me T is granted Fat Heaven will pay the early mercy Abb. Take you the scrowle BELTAZAR and see right done ABBAS FATYMA BUt child thou shew'st thy selfe as unconcern'd At all the pleasures of the Court and seemst A discontent Fat Alas Sir how can I Relish these toyes when my poor Father pines And raves mewd up in Prison Is the daughter Fit for a Court and
the Sea saying Quia esse nolunt bibant seeing they will not eat they shall drink These men died not because the Pullets would not feed but because the Devil foresaw their death he contrived that abstinence in them So was there no natuâ—all dependence of the evâ—nt upon the sâ—gn but an artificiall contrivance of the sign unto the Event An unexpected way of delusâ—on and wheâ—eby he more easily led away the incircumspection of their beliefe And perhaps their own despair â—nervated them and rendred them the more easily their enemies prey as Machbed the usurper of the Kingdom of Scotland and murderer of his Master King Duncan about the year of our Lord 1040. being told by some witches that he should never be slain by any man born of a woman was regaâ—dlesse of dangers till comming to charge Mackduffe Governour of Fife fâ—ghting for the right heir Malcolm Conmor understanding that he was cut out of his mothers womb she dying before her delivery and so not naturally born he was so daunted thâ—rewith as though otherwise a man of good performance he was easily slain by Mackduffe So strongly do the Devills amphibolous oracles or riddles work with them in whom they gain credit commonly to their overthrow This Tripudary Soothsaying seems to have its originall from the Lycians who to know future Events went to the Fountain sacred to Apollo into which they cast baits of which the fishes neglect was a sign of ill luck as the contrary of good 4. Augurium This kind of soothsaying was said to be invented by Cara King of Caria a Province in Anatolia west of Lycia It was called Augurium ab avium garriâ—u from the chirping and chattering of birds The Colledge of the Augures at Rome was first appointed by Romulus himself being very expert in South-sayâ—ng There were at first but three Augures of each Tribe one So Pomp. Laetus The word Augure by the Trope Synecdoche signifying all sorts of divining Servius Tullius the sixth Roman King when he divided Rome into four Tribes or Wards added the fourth Augure all elected out of the Patritij or Nobility Quintus Oneius Ogulinus being Tribunes got five others to be chosâ—n out of the Commonalty at which the Senate decreed that the number should never exceed nine notwithstanding Sylla being Dictator added six more the eldest was called Magister Collegij or Rector of the Colledge The custome was that if any other Priest was convicted of any notorious offence he should be dâ—scharged of his Office and another constituted but the Augures for no crime could be dismissed When he divined he sat upon a Tower in a clear day holding in his hand a crooked staffe called Lituus in his Sootâ—-â—aving Robe called Laena and in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 à calefaâ—iendo fâ—om heating because it was well lined within being garded on the out-side with purple and crimson gards his head was covered and face towards the East so his back was West his right hand South and his left Northward He quartered out the Heaven with his staffe into certain Templa or Regions observing in which the Birds did appear then killing his sacrifice and muttering certain prayers called Effata he pronounced sentence Nothing was confirmed without two lucky tokens one after another nor was any thing gain-sayed by the appeaâ—ance of one onely evil token Although Plutarch tells us in vit Pyrr that when Antipater Lysimachus and Pyrrhus met to be sworn upon the sacrifices to articles of peace betweene them there were three beasts brought to be sacrificed a Goat a Bull and a Ram of which the Ram fell down dead of himself before he was touched whereat the standers by derided but the South-sayer Theodotus perswaded Pyrrhus not to swear saying that this Omen dâ—d threaten one of the three Kings with suddain death for which cause Pyrrhus concluded no peace The distinctions of south-sayings have been taken some from the event thence called Prospera or Adversa some from the manner of their appearing and that was either wished called Impetrativa or unwished or Oblitiva some from the diversity of things that offered themselves in time of divining and so there were five distinct sorts Observations first Of Thunder Second Of flying or chattering of Birds third of Crummes cast to Pullets Fourth Of Quadrupeds which either should crosse the way or appear in some unaccustomed place Fifth Of those casualties whereby the Gods testifie their anger to us called Dira because thereby Dei ira nobis innotescit as falling of salt towards us at the Table shedding of wine upon our Cloathes bleeding so many drops c. as also voyces heard none know whence or unnatural to the to the speakets as the Buls crying in the second Punick War Cave tibi Râ—ma and such voices as Cadmus heard when he overcame the Serpent Val. Maximus gives you many of those Pâ—odigies and Iosephus among the signs of the distruction of Jerusalem and Lucan recounting the Omens that threatned Rome with civil wars So Iulius Caesars death was divined by the clattering of the Aâ—mour in his house and the poysoning of Germanicus by the sounding of a Trumpet of its own accord an Owl schreeching in the Senate house was deemed ominous to Augustus and a company of Câ—owes accompanying home Seianus with great clamours unlucky to that high Favourite so was the shole of Ravens that hovered over the French Host at Cressy a little before our King Edward 3d and his brave Sonne the black Prince engagâ—d and routed it too much observed by some there present So as Homer sings Iliad l. 12. The Trojans storming the wall or Rampirâ— which the Greeks had cast up to secuâ—e their Ships saw an Eagle trusse a Serpent but the Serpent so stung her that she let her fall among them which Omen daunted most of them especially Polydimus but how causelesly appeared by Hectors slighting the Augury and his successe that day though afterwards in the grosse the Omen proved true They also observed what Objects they met fasting and stumbling at the Threshold at going forth and a thousand such fooleries so because Brutus and Cassius met a Blackmore and Pompey had a dark or sad coloured Robe on at Pharsalia these must needs be presages of their overthrow which are scarce Rhetorical sequels concluding metaphors from realities and fâ—om conceptions metaphorical inferring realities again But I am too tedious for more of this I refer you to Cicero de divinatione Fenestella Pomponius Laetus L. Florus L. Ampleius Godwin D' Juigne c. Of the Indian Sooth-sayers or Gymnosophistae Plutarch tells us Alexander took ten whose discreet answers to his hard Questions argued their wit no less then their judgement The Brittish Bards were accounted very cunning and the Aegyptian Barchmans most famous so that Pythagoras left his Country to converse with them nay his thirst and passion after this excellent commerce was so admirable that he made nothing of circumcising himself
Dart by Molpadia in memory whereof the Pillar which is joyned to the Temple of the Olympian ground was set up in her honour However it 's certain the war was ended by agreement for a place adjoyning to the Temple of Theseus bears record of it being called Orcomosium because the peace was there by solemn Oath concluded and the sacrifice also doth truly verifie it which they made to the Amazons before the feast of Theseus time out of mind That of the Poets that the Amazones made war with Theseus to revenge the injury he did to their Queen Antiopa in refusing her to marry Phaedra seems but fiction though indeed after the death of his Amazonian Queen he married Phaedra whose violent lust was the ruine of his noble Sonne by his Heroine Lady to wonder expressed by Seneca in his excellent Tragedy Entituled Hippolitus What ever was the cause of the War it was so well managed as it seemed not the enterprise of a Woman so Plutarch Others Epitomizing the story of the Amazones say they were a Race of warlike women in Cappadocia managing couragious Horses expert themselves and instructing their Daughters in military exercises and became so famous and formidable that in the end it drew on the courage of Hercules together with the desire of Hippolita's rich Belt to assail them and that Hippolita and Manalippe sisters to the Queen Antiope challenged Hercules and Theseus to single Combat and were at last to their eternall credits hardly vanquished Hercules say they slew Antiope and took Hippolyta prisoner whom he gave to Theseus his companion as the reward of his merit in that service In this War he so weakned their forces as they became a prey to their Neighbours who after a while extinguished in those parts both their name and Nation Penthesilea with the remainder flying her Country assisted Priamus in the warrs of Troy for the innate hatred which her nation bore to the Greeks of which Virgil. Ducit Amazonidum lunatis agmina peltis Penthesilea furens mediisque in millibus ardet Aurea subnectens exertae cingula mammae Bellatrix audetque viris concurrere Virgo Aeneid 1. Penthesilea on the numerous Bands Rusht with her Crescent-shielded Amazons A golden Bend swathing her seared Breast Bold maid that durst with armed men conteâ—t She was there slain by Achilles or by Pyrrhus his son Pliny reports that she was the first that invented the Battellaxâ— Plutarch saies part of the Amazones did inhabit on the side of the Mountain Caucasus that looketh towards the Hyrcanian Sea And Plato affirms that there was a Nation of Amazons in his time in Sarmatia Asiatica at the foot of Caucasus from whence it should seem their Queen Thalestria came into Hircania unto Alexander that she might have a Daughter by him who participating of both their spirits might conquer and deserve the world But Strabo doubts by the uncertainty of Authors though in the story of no Nation do Historians punctually agâ—ee and the unlikelinesse thereof that there ever were any such women And Palephates writes that the Amazones were a People couragious and hardy who wore linnen shashes on theâ—r heads and gowns to their heeles as now the Turkes do suffering no hair to grow on their faces and therefore in contumely were by their Enemies called women This opinion may be made yet more probâ—ble by that of Plutarch in vit Pomp. viz. that in the battell that Pompey fought with the Albanians by the River Abas there were certain Amazones on the barbarous Generall Cosis his side who came from the Mountains that run along the River Thermodon for after the Victory the Româ—ns spoiling the dead found Targets and Buskins of the Amazons but not one womans body Goropius a late Author conceives them to be the wives and sons of the Sarmatians who invaded Asia together with their Husbands and after planted in Cimbria which he endeavours to prove by ceâ—tain Dutch Etymologies This conceit some will have arise from what others write viz. that they were called Sauromatides from their feeding much upon Lizards in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Francis Lopez and Vlrichus Schimdel find them in the Rivâ—r Orellana in America called thereof the River of Amazones and Edward Lopez affirms that there are of these in Monomotapa in Africa ninteen degrees Southward of the line the strongest guard of that Emperour as the East Indian Portugalls acknowledge Some of the antients place Amazones in Lybia among whom were the Gorgons under their Queen Medusa subdued by Perseus Cael. l. 6. cap. 12. Silius Ital. l. 2. The Moderns send us to the Islands of Japan next to the Taupinamboaus to find women that burn their right breasts not to hinder their combating Possidonius agrees with Strabo l. 4. Geogra in making mention of a certain Iland of the Ocean near to the River Loir which some think to be Noirmoustier near Poictou where were women that permitted no men amongst them but went by Troopes to acccompany with the Samnite Gauls and after conception returned to their I le So D' Juigne 5. Phineus Harpyes Phineus the son of Agenor some make King of Phoenicia some of Thrace some of Paphlagonia but most of Arcadia he having pulled out the eyes of Crambus and Orythus his Sons by Cleopatra otherwise called Harpalyce his first wife daughter to Boreas and Orythia at the instigation of their Step-mother Idaea the daughter of Dardanus King of Scythia was himself stâ—uck blind by the divine Vengeance for his unnaturall cruelty the ravenous Harpyes being sent to devour his food and contaminate his Table but the Argonautes in their Journey to Colchos being curteously entertained by Phineus a Prince of their blood and â—lliance he having likewise informed them concerning their voyage and given them a Pilot sent the Calaisâ—nd â—nd Zetes the winged Issue of Boreas now reconciled for the â—njury done to his innocent Nephewes to chase them away who pursuing them as far as the Strophades two small Ilands â—n the Ionian Sea now called Strivalii were there commanded by Iris to doe no further violence to the Doggs of Jupiter whereupon they desisted and the Ilands of their return were named Strophades a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conversio being before called Plotes So the Fable of which Virgil. Strophades Graio stant nomine dictae Insulae Ionio in magno quas dira Celaeno Harpyaeque colunt aliae Phineïa postquam Clausa domus mensasque metu liquere priores Tristius haud illis monstrum nec saevior uila Pestis ira Deûm stygiis sese extulit undis Virginei volucrum vultus faedissima ventris Proluvies uncaeque manus pallida semper Ora fame Aeneid l. 3. Isles I' th' Ionian Sea in Greek Call'd Strophades did dire Celaeno seek And th' other Harpyes when they 'd frighted flown Phineus barr'd gates and Table once well known No Monster 's worse then they a fiercer Plague The wrath of Gods ne'r rous'd from Stygian Lake They 're