shee had offered almes at whose death a sword of griefe should pierce her owne soule For among others which expected the redemptioÌ„ of Israel one whose name was Simeon dwelling in Hierusalem father vnto Gamaliel as some write and sonne vnto Hillel who was one of the twoo chiefe maisters of the Scribes and Pharyses men of great learning and right vnderstanding vntill opposing themselues against the Sadduces who were accounted heretickes among the Iewes they fell by two much precisenesse into most absurd superstitions This Hillel liued 120. yeeres and flourished not long after the Machabees he was of the tribe of Iuda and no doubt instructed his sonne Simeon how neere hee was who was to come to redeeme Israel for which cause Simeon made alwayes his prayer vnto God that hee might see his Sauiour before hee dyed which was promised vnto him and this day of the virgins purification performed for comming according vnto his custome into the Temple and seeing the mayden mother and her sonne hee tooke the childe with exceeding great ioy in his armes and as one who after a long time had obtained his hearts desire hee beganne with a voyce which was no lesse then an 100 yeere old to sing this little Hâ—mme Now lettest thou thy seruant Lord depart According to thy word in peace Because mine eyes haue seene which ioyes my hart Thy sacred health my soules release Which thou prepared hast before all peoples face A light to light the rest renowne to Iacobs race Had this beene else where the mayden mother vsed vnto such matters would either haue beene very little or nothing mooued but her sonne being at that time and in that place descryed it made her greatly amazed much more did it astonish others who could not but knowe that the three Kings came to Hierusalem to seeke such a childe and poore Ioseph among the rest maruailed not a little who was accounted by the people father of the childe and for that cause is so called in the same sacred hystorie which before had shewed how that the Maiden mother conceyued this childe by the holie Ghost without the companie of man But old Simeon draue her out of that maze by drawing her into a farre deeper muse for afterwarde taking aduauntage of his owne gray haires and her greene yeeres hee blessed her and gaue her as much cause of griefe in prose as hee had giuen of ioy before in verse and tolde her that her sonne should bee the ruine although also the raysing of manie in Israel and that he shoulde be a signe which shoulde bee contradicted alluding perchaunce vnto that which the Oracle sayde vnto Achas king of Iudah The Lorde shall giue you a signe behold a virgin shall conceiue and bring forth a sonne But in that Simeon sayde that this signe shoulde bee contradicted hee woulde insinuate eyther a troublesome life or else a scandalous death as that eyther his doctrine woulde bee little esteemed of where hee preached or that his manner of death shoulde bee such as beeing suffered by him shoulde in malicious mynded men derogate from the worthinesse which others attribute vnto him For aptlie dooth the conclusion of Simeons speech vnto the virgin folâ—ow And a sworde of griefe shall pierce thy soule and manie secrete thoughts be reuealed And no sooner had Simeon done his deuotion but a religious widow of 84. yeares and aboue a hundred yeeres old daughter vnto Phanuel of the tribe of Aser came not vnto the Temple for she was neuer from thence spending there all her life in fasting and prayer but vnto the maiden mother and hauing done her dutie vnto the yong prince shee spake of him for she had before the spirit of prophecie vnto all such as looked for the redemption of Israel And after these things were finished they returned into Galile vnto their citie Nazareth from whence they parted when they came to Bethleem These ceremonys being finished which satisfied the Iewes law a new solemnitie was also begun which should abolish the Gentiles loosenesse for as by the princes his birth the sports made in December in honour of Saturne were afterwarde turned to celebrate his natiuitie who was to bring again vnto the worlde such tymes or rather better then in which Saturne raigned and as by the effusion of his moste precious bloud the first day of the yeare had a newe consecration which was before performed with vain pastimes in honour of Ianus so now in Februarie wherein they vsed their lupercals either to purge the vnclean spirits or to please themselues with vnseemly sports both the virgin was purified because she would not haue it knowne howe litle she needed it and the yong prince was offered who doubted not afterward to make himself a most gratefull sacrifice thereby to chaunge these senselesse superstitions into a moste sacred solemnitie likely to teach them also some newe kinde of tryumph in March in which Moneth theyr priestes which song and daunce marched vp and downe in the streetes in armour But before the virgin and her spouse had disgested these sodaine ioyes which hapned vnto them in the Temple new dangers were set before them insomuch as that their owne experience might sufficiently haue taught them if they could not haue told before that mourning is alwayes at one end of myrth Ioseph his iealousie swallowed vppe his first ioy hee had in his spouse their grieuous winter iourney made him bewayle her wombes groth their gladnesse at this childes birth was checked with an inconuenient abode the shepheards congratulation was soone choked with the childs circumcision the kings oblation of golde and frankensence was not perfected without mirrhe and now that they haue beene at the Temple and heard what ioy these made which did but see him who was theirs a message commeth which to shew the more hast commeth by night and vrgeth Ioseph to arise and take the childe and the childs mother and flye into Egypt for that Herod would make search after the childe to kill him The message being deliuered vnto Ioseph he lost little time but rose and tooke the childe and his mother by night and went into Egypt where they remained not onely vntill the massacre was ended but also vntill that Herod was dead Then were many Oracles vnderstood and one principall prophesie was fulfilled that the Lorde should ascend vppon a light cloude and should enter into Egypt and the Idols of Egypt should bee ouerthrowne and the heart of Egypt should languish in the middle thereof for when the sonne of God became a man he was in some sort hidden that his glorie was not seene and the flesh which hee tooke was likened vnto a light cloude either because flesh is of it selfe no more lasting then is a thin cloude which with euery little winde is dissolued or else because he was of no lesse power when he was in that cloude then he was before At his comming into Egypt some affirme that all the Idols in Egypt fell downe
as some say that in the eating what delicious meate soeuer the eater desired hee found the tast thereof in his mouth certaine it is that it was a most pleasant food and although it would not remaine aboue one day vncorrupted except onelie when they gathered to keepe for their Sabboath dayes victuall yet not without a speciall miracle it continued in this pot many hundred yeares Aaron his rod was here likewise kept which was set in the tabernacle with twelue other by the florishing of which his election to the Priesthood was manifested vnto the people and he preferred before the other twelue princes which stoode in contentiou with him In this Temple stoode also two other Cherubins of Oliue couered with gold 10. cubites high their winges spread in bredth euery one fiue cubits they looked both towarde the east on each side of the arke stoode one so that they filled the whole bredth of the Temple with their winges couered with them the toppe of the Arke The dores stoode alwaies open and before the entrance hong such a vaile as hung before the dores of the outmost Temple Foure hundred yeares and more continued this Temple in this glorie vntill Sedechias who was left king of the Iewes by Nabuchadonosor king of the Chaldees rebelled against him encouraged perchance by mistaking the Oracle that hee should neither be slain in fight nor see Babilon for which cause Nabuchadonoser pressing the Cittie with famine forced him his children with others to flie by night and vnderstanding so much afterward by his espials followed them and tooke them in the chase and when they were brought before him hee slew Sedechias his children in their Fathers sight then put out his eyes and led him captiue to Babilon whether before hee had carried Ioachim otherwise called Ieconias who was nephew to this Sedechias and king of the Iewes and had yeelded himselfe vnto Nabugodonosor The victorie obtained against Sedechias the Chaldees returned to Ierusalem and tooke the spoile of the Temple and afterward burned it down to the ground for which cause and other abuses offred by Nabuchodonosor and his childreÌ„ vnto those holy thinges which belonged vnto the Temple himselfe liued abroad seauen years amongst beasts eating nothing but what they eate nor hauing any other defence against hard weather then what they had and his grandchild in short time lost his life and left his kingdome to the Medes and Persians who setting the Iewes at libertie gaue them leaue to build their Temple againe but not in that ample maner as before it was being enformed by those who were bad neighbours to the Iewes that the maiesty and strength thereof would encourage them to reuolte from their obedience but neither had they been able to perform it if they might haue had licence hauing beene in captiuity seauenty yeares and spoiled of all their substance yet had they to helpe them vntil it was built thirty talentes yearely allowed them by king Darius whereof 20. were for the setting it vp and tenne for their sacrifice and all the vessels which were remaining of the spoile which Nabuchodonosor carried out of the first temple were restored vnto them Being this second time builte it continued aboue fiue hundred yeares but it was many times in danger of vtter ruine as by Alexander the greate king of Macedon who in his voiages in which he conquered all those east partes of the world came with a full resolution to spoile Ierusalem and the temple although at the sight of Iaddus the high Priest attired in his priestly ornaments he altered his purpose and allighted from his horse and worshipped him on his knees saying that in the same attire God appeared vnto him and encouraged him in his valourous enterprise It was also in daunger when Antiochus called Epiphanes did tyranize ouer them for they were oppressed sometime by one somtime by an other and in the end became subiect to the Romaines who were contented they shold obserue the rights of their law but appoynted Herod a stranger to bee their king yet was he much worse welcome then acquainted in the countrey for hee had borne office before in some part thereof vnder Antipâ—ter his father but hee was willing in what hee could to win them vnto him and for that cause hee circumcised himselfe and became a Iew in profession who was an Idumean by birth framed a new temple of square white stone some 25. cubits long some 4â— with breadth thicknes correspondent which appeared a farre off like vnto a mountain of snow where it was not couered with gold when it was al framed he pulled down the other set vp this for the Iewes would not suffer him to destroy the old temple vntill they see a new readie to bee erected in the place thereof which was so goodly a thing that it was reuerenced by the heauens for neuer fell any raine in the day time while men were at worke about it but onely in the night some small showres lest their worke should be hindered It was much bigger then was that which Salomon built for the people in time had enlarged the mountaine with earth which they raised 400. cubits high but Herod altogether obserued the same order in the temple the courts sauing that he enclosed one court round about the temple which was curiously paued with all manner of rich stone and compassed it with double walkes diuided with white marble pillars one stone in a pillar 25. cubits hie out of which were some gates opening toward euerie quarter In the east part hung such spoyles as the Iews had taken from barbarous nations dedicated vnto the temple where also Herod placed such as himselfe had taken from the Arabians but in the south side were the principall walkes for they were diuided with such pillars as the other were but where the other were double in this side they were triple and the middle much higher then the other two yet all made so stately as it was a wonder to behold them and into this court might any whosoeuer enter He made also the entrance out of one court into another with stayres for out of this court the Iewes did ascend fourteene steps round about the temple vnto a plaine which contained ten cubits in breadth from which they ascended againe fiue steps to come to the porch wherein were the gates by which they entred into their court which they called holy and into which no Gentiles might come vppon paine of death and because no man should pleade ignorance being deprehended past his limits this law was written both in Greeke and Latin and hung in a table at the foote of the lower stayres that all the Gentiles might reade it Euerie Alien which shall presume to enter into the holy place lette him die which lawe was so straightly obserued that the Romanes who were their rulers dared not to goe any farther then the first Court but neither could the Iewes enter into
whome did you finde in your watch Did yee finde him because ye did watch or did yee watch him because yee founde him O howe much to you eternall gaine did yee finde him when yee kept your first watch ouer your selues at what time manie of your fellowe Citizens drunke with selfe delight were to their intollerable paine banished their bright and glorious Citie and could neuer againe attaine vnto their former felicitie and because that yee so happâ—ly watched 〈…〉 doe those duties which others sleeping ouershipped yee were admitted to watch 〈◊〉 in his prayse 〈…〉 Holie holie holie Lorde God of 〈◊〉 the earth is full of thy glorie although 〈…〉 hee so gracious in your sight that yee would not stay him or was he of so great might that ye could not He was the purest fountain of grade and the surest fortresse against all griefes But if yee had so iust a cause both of loue and feare why gaue yee him no aunswere vnto his demaund 〈…〉 Loue thought the time too long which was spent in asking the question and desire to finde whom he loued would not let him stay to take an answere But assoone as he had passed from the watch hee found whom he loued for a little inferiour to the angels had he created mankind which through her owne fault was lost and therefore rightly he is saide to find her for vnto Gods Image and likenesse was man made and placed in earth for a time in a Paradise he was plentifullie enriched with all heauenly giftes and created a Prince ouer all earthlie creatures yea the Angels themselues were so made to the seruice of him that from the houre of his birth hath euerie one an Angell attending on him But man not vnderstanding the greatnesse of his owne hoâ—our followed too much his aduersaries him our who beguiling him with faire wordes made him so fond and prodigall that in one instant hee wasted all his patrimonie Man made in the likenesse of God did the diuell ransacke by a cowardly wylinesse and therefore God made in the likenesse of man will restore him againe by a wotthie victorie And now that thou hast found her whom thou louedst thou hast taken such sure holde of her as she cannot goe but wither thou guidest her she cannot rest but where thou remaynest thou hast not onelie brought her into thy mothers house for father and mother was all one with thee in the beginning to expresse that infinite tendernes and loue which thy father had ouer thee thou termest him thy mother but into the chamber also where thou wert begotten keeping nothing secret from her which thou mayst shew she conceiue and adiuring all the daughters of Hierusalem by the goates and harts of the field that they doe not rayse thy loue or cause her to awake before her selfe will A strong loue a strange care doth the diseasing of thy loue deserue so sharpe a punishment as he who doth it shuld be accounted either as a goat whose filthinesse signifieth all wante of grace or as a hart whose fearefulnesse supposeth him voyde of charitie for grace will not dwell with filth and charitie doth expell all feare but what dost thou thinke that euer shee will haue that will to arise or to awake out of thine embracings being so fast ioyned to thee in matrimonie that although yee bee God and man yet ye are not two but one Christ. Great dishonour would it be vnto thee that after so much seeking after her thou shouldest euer suffer her to be diuorced from thee for al which know of how great power thou art will imagine a want of loue in thee to let her goe from thee True it is that by thy proclamation thy warrant of peace in earth auayleth onely such as are of good will but rather supplie theyr peruersnesse with thine effectuall mercy then suffer them to part from thee to their eternall miserie How narrowly didst thou search who wouldest not leaue the most secret corner in the world vnsought howe feruently didst thou loue who to gaine a little something madest thy selfe almost nothing how securely didst thou ioy when thou foundest her to whom thy soule was so surely ioyned thy tears do witnesse it with the which thou doest bewaile her more then thy selfe and bewray thy glad sodaine finding her for her owne safetie But still thy weeping vntill thou art past thy mothers weaning begin now at the last to comfort her with a cheerefull countenance whom thou hast chosen to giue thee this charitable attendance Apply thy selfe to a virgins teate whose breastes contained milke as strangely as her womb conceiued a childe change thy cribbe although sacred with thy first cryes for thy mothers armes in whom are setled thy firmest ioyes shoote vp apace heauenly Impe to mans stature who wert shaped in thy mothers wombe with a mans staydnes and art of more wisedome in thy shortest cloutes then are the grauest sages in their sidest cloakes Runne out thine entended race prouoke al aduerse powers rowse thy selfe as like Lion against thy foes as thou restest like a Lambe amonge thy friendes and shewe as much proofe of thy might against the one as thou hast of thy mildenesse among the other So shall the world in parte bee satisfied that whatsoeuer thou presently sufferest is rather because thou wouldest conceale some secret mysterie then that thou couldest bee compelled by any to fall into this seeret miserie and that thou who couldest commaunde the stately heauens by thy power wouldest not but for some great cause commend so small a hole with thy presence A little hole it was but a most holy place sacred with a more princely presence then are the statelyest pallaces and of no lesse and happie pleasure then is the heaueÌ„liest paradise a place worthy 〈◊〉 prayse where princes dwell without shame where virgins are enamored without sinne where a virgin gaue sucke to the sonne of GOD for so soone as the virgin was deliuered of this prince her breasts beganne to fill and he who of her purest bloud hadde framed the bodye of her princely babe transformed also parte of the reside we into milke for his foode that whence hee had receiued nature hee should also haue his â—â—burishment Nowe may the mount Sinai leaue bragging in the desart of Pharan of the deitie which there gaue a lawe to men by which they might knowe the heauens pleasure Nowe may the Tarpeiaâ— rocke leaue boasting in Roome of her dignitie which receiuing an extraordynarye light from the heauens discouered theyr displeasant Now may the mountaine Morea abate her maiestie in Hierusalem whereuppon stoode the Temple where in an obscure cloude appeared the holyest of all holyes because nowe in a rocke vnder the walles of Bethleem is no Lawe giuen but life a light for to directe not to correct and the holyest of all holyes enclosed in such a cloude as he may both bee seene and handled by his creatures and afterward this rocke was consecrated
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
the Iewes had diuers kind of sacrifices one which was offered vnto God for the speciall reuerence and loue which men did beare vnto him and this sacrifice was all consumed vppon the altar An other kind of sacrifice was called a sacrifice for sinne and the one part of the oblation was consumed on the altar and the other was to the priestes vse and to be eaten presently by them in the same place vnlesse the offering were made for the sinne of all the people or for the high priest for then it was all consumed with fire no foule were offered in this kind of sacrifice because they could not be deuided except at the purification of women for then was a doue alwaies offered for sinne whatsoeuer was â—o offered to be wholly burnt but the doue offered at that time after it was killed according to the law was wholly vnto the priestes vse A third sacrifice was offered vp either in thanksgiuing vnto God for such his benefites as alreadie they had receiued or to obtaine at Gods hand something which they wanted and this host was diuided into three parts whereof one was consumed with fire vpon the altar another was to the priests vse and all their family and the third part was to theyr vse whose offering it was and none of all these sacrifices might be offered without salt The beasts which were offered in these sacrifices were such as might easily be had in Palestina and such as might bee driuen without any great difficultie as sheepe oxen goates and of theyr kind the foule were such as were in great plentie as turtles and other common doues fishes were altogether excluded from their offerings both in respect they could not be had at all times when men would nor conueniently be brought aliue vnto the Temple and it was not lawfull to offer any dead thing vnto God but neither any quicke thing which had any defect for to this end were the Priests exceeding cunning to feele euery ioynt from the head vnto the feete and to iudge whether any thing were otherwise then well in the beast or foule which was offered and thereupon to accept of it or reiect it after which ceremonie the people washed their handes and layd them vpon the beastes head which was offered and left the rest vnto the priests without medling any further in the sacrifice except that in the third kinde of sacrifice the priest deliuered all the suet and the breast of the beast vnto them whose offering it was who taking it of the Priest lifted it vp before God and deliuering it backe againe vnto the priest the breast was to the Priests vse and also the right shoulder all the rest was to them which made the offeringe but the suet was all consumed with fire for it was as vnlawfull for them to eate any suet of their offerings as of the bloud and therfore they were as curious in offering all the suet as they were in shedding all the bloud a ceremony vsed euen where they might not vse any ordinarie instrument of death for although it was not lawful for theÌ„ to vse any instrument made for the purpose in killing their turtles or doues yet might they not kill them but by shedding their bloud wherefore they wreathed the necke bowed the head backward vnto the winges and with the nayles of their fingers cut the throate of the foule letting it in that sort bleede to death But what mysteire so euer was in killing the turtle doues or pigions in this or in any other sacrifice it cannot bee without some great mysterie that the mayden mother made so poore an offering for a payre of turtles or pigeons were not to be offered in this ceremony but by such as were not able to prouide a Lambe for theyr sacrifice and a turtle beside or a pigeon for theyr sinne and how could shee bee in such want whose parents were of so great wealth that the third parte onely of that which they had was sufficient for them and shee was eyther her fathers sole heyre or at the least had a third part if it bee true that shee hadde other twoo sisters but put the case that shee reaped as yet no profite by her fathers substance as who might yet bee liuing yet some say hee was dead or her mother or that her father if hee were deceased gaue by will twoo thirds of that hee had one to the poore another to the Temple as hee did in his life time and that the maiden mother was then to haue the profits but of the third part of that other third and that not as yet because her mother was liuing yet howe can shee be accounted as poore who so lately receiued so great presents for who can imagine that three Kings would come so farre to present another king with a trifle whose byrth was talked of so magnificently that no one was either before or after iudged peerelesse for might and wisedome but was thought among the Iewes and Gentiles to bee this Prince beside the president which the Queene of Saba gaue vnto them when shee came vnto King Salomon and presented him with exceeding great gifts meant vnto this Prince and for this Prince his sake giuen vnto Salomon because shee thought â—ee had beene the Prince of whome was the prophesie in her countrey and although these three princes their Kingdomes all put together were not to bee accounted of in comparison of the Queen of Saba her dominions yet no doubt they were verie rich as absolute Lords may bee of most fertile rich countries all of theÌ„ bringing gold according to their calling as meÌ„ who knew by the star that they were to appeare before him before whome theyr predecessor could not no doubt they brought it in great aboundance which neither the virgin could refuse beeing an offering of Kings nor spend within the space of a moneth in so poore a cottage but neither could she dispose of it to the poore without great speech of the country and to haue sent it vnto the Temple had beene to certifie them that the three kings had not onely beene with her of which perchance they might haue some knowledge otherwise but also had acknowledged her sonne to be the king of the Iews which whatsoeuer else was to bee disclosed vnto them was as yet to bee kept most secret from them and perchance this was the cause why in her offering shee pretended that pouertie which the better shee thought shee might doe because shee was not bound to offer any thing but was most pure before and in place where shee did not onely touch that which was holy forbidden by the lawe to women before they were purified but handled in most sweete manner that holy one by whome all are made holy So that the question might haue more difficultie why shee offered any thing then why shee did not offer almes yet before that shee parted from the Temple she vnderstood verie well that
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