double error and phophaning the contemplatiue doctrine of the heauen which is otherwise of it selfe good and profitable But beside all this I might likewise say that if all things heere belowe were disposed and directed by the gouernance of heauen and the influence of the planets as our naturalists better Philosophers then Christians do maintaine wee should behold nothing saue what were good as being gouerned by good causes And in this case I demand what sould become of those euill influences of the starres vpon which Astrologians do found their predictions Genes 1. I will not heere alleage that which Moses teacheth vs saying that God saw that all things which he had made were good for perhaps they would not beleeue it but let them giue eare to Mercury whom the ancients called the thrice great and supreme in Philosophie Metaphysicks and Theologie For he left written vpon pillars in Egypt as Iamblicus in a long discourse declareth how that all influences of the starres are good Against such as assigne euill to the influences of the stars and if there chance any euill it must be imputed to the indisposed subiect and not to the planets demonstrating this by the brightnes of the sunne which of it selfe is good and yet hurteth the bleare eie because of the badde state thereof Plato also saith Plato in Epimenide God hath made the Moone encreasing and decreasing and hath established the moneths in the yeere and hath taught by a kinde of happie fortune to bring in count the number of them Whereupon ensueth that the earth being most fruitefull conceiueth and engendreth her fruite for the nouriture of man at such times as the windes gently blowe and the raine prosperously droppeth into her lappe But if any euill befall heerein wee must not blame the diuine and celestiall nature but the humane which leadeth an vniust life And the Stoicke Hieracles crieth out in the verses of Pythagoras in these termes Each one through his owne euill ill will be For from the heauenly source no vice doth slow To soile our soules the cause are onely we The blame of mischiefe then on mortals throw And Plato in the sixt booke of lawes and Aristotle in his Politicks do testifie that man hauing attained to the true doctrine becommeth a very diuine and perfect debonaire creature but not hauing beene wel brought vp he be commeth the most cruell of all creatures borne vpon the earth What then remaineth for vs to attribute to the starres I demand of them also who affirme some influences to be euill from whence will they saie that this malice proceedeth Whether from God which commandeth or from the intelligence which mooueth the heauens or from the heauen it selfe Reasons to shew that the influences of the starrs be not euill Surely it cannot come from God who is the soueraigne good the first cause ordaining all things For that is euill or sinne which is done against the will of the creator or which declineth from his iustnes and in nature euill cannot proceed from the spring of goodnes Wherefore it should be too foolish and absurd a thing to thinke that euill should take original from God all-all-good and that from the soueraigne gouernour shoulde proceed the violation of the lawe seeing that his will is his owne lawe it selfe For the intelligence or angel which some saie continueth in the motion of the spheres and to whom some assigne the cause of euill influences I would faine aske them whether this intelligence doth so worke by the commaundement of his Prince which is the eternall and soueraigne gouernour of the world or else against his will and ordinance If it accomplish any thing according to his precept certainely that cannot be bad for nothing is bad but that which is done contrarie to the order established by the prince of Nature But if it operate against his will it might seeme to turne to the scandall of the Omnipotent creator to suffer his seruants so arrogant in rebellion vnpunished For at the beginning he spared not those amongst the angels who exalted themselues in pride And for the rest who persisted in obedience hee in such sort confirmed them that they cannot sinne any more Whereupon also ensueth that the Intelligences being loyall seruants of the Eternall do not cause euill influences neither yet do dispose any thing to euill since they alwaies accomplish the ordinance of the Soueraigne-good Against such as accuse the heauens to be euill And for those who not being able to blame God nor the moouing intelligence doe accuse the heauens as cause of euill influences I desire them to tell me if the heauens be malitious whence commeth their malice Whether haue they beene created euill or else beene depraued by euill manners Or else their nature failing them did they become euill Certainely they were not created euill by the most good woorker Neither haue they beene depraued by manners or a failing nature because they haue no choise in their workes and for that their motions and influences are naturall and inuariable not of freewill as all Philosophers affirme Againe I aske them whether the heauens giue influence as second causes or as instruments If as instruments then sith they neither mooue nor operate but according to the will of the Prince who created them he should remaine in fault which is alreadie confuted But if it be as second causes seeing the worke is performed by that which liueth the error should be referred to the intelligences who mooue them and are ordayned for soules to the spheres to which we haue also satisfied I will farther adde this point That the heauens do worke either by nature or by will If by nature sith the order thereof is established by God the sentence of Aristotle is woorthie the remembrance where saith What we possesse by nature we are therein neither praised nor blamed for the praise belongeth to the worker and the blame cannot be assigned to the order of the soueraigne Good But if the heauens worke freely being guided by an intelligence it must needs follow that being the causes of so many mischiefes which abundantly light on man they are guided by a furious or else by a couetous soule If by a furious seeing there is a certaine planet which as these Astronomers say doth alwaies designe violent influences wherefore is it not consumed with such a sempiternall furie Moreouer why say men that a planet is inflamed sooner in one house then in another What meeteth it in his owne house or in another that disposeth it to signifie euill Againe how is that inflamed with furie which they affirme to bee immutable But if the heauens be led by couetousnes what profit or gaine do they attract from things here below For this couetous desire remayneth onely in themselues And whosoeuer coueteth euill doth it as the Philosophers say because that he is as it were intoxicated and ouercome by inebriating matter But sith the matter of the
but by force Againe how could men exercise the workes of charitie amongst themselues which workes are very much commended vnto them by God to be done towards their neighbors if euery one could at his pleasure excell his companion As then God hath placed and disposed sundry members in one bodie and yet hath not appointed them one selfesame office but to euery one his owne so hath it pleased him to diuide and distribute his goodnes gifts and graces amongst men to the end that they may one serue another as members of one and the same bodie which can not consist without the reciprocall helpe of all So likewise hath he established the sundrie regions of the earth enriching euerie one of them with certaine particular commodities which do often constraine men to helpe and succour one another and to liue in peace without which they woulde like madde beasts ouer-runne and destroy each other as we wretches doe finde true especially in time of warre But wee may well note vpon this point that although the most mightie do by their hate enimities dissensions reuengements and warres contend oftentimes with all their power to stop and hinder the trafficke dealings and transportations of merchandize from one countrey and out of one place to another especially of foode and victuals yet whatsoeuer they may or can doe bee they kings princes or Emperors they cannot for all that make such a stoppe That nothing can stop the intercourse of men but that they will alwaies passe and scape by some meanes maugre all their powers Wherein wee must acknowledge that seeing God hath ordained that those which beare his image shoulde haue communication one with another for the causes aforesaide and that chiefly by the aide of nauigation it is a great presumption in mighty men to oppose themselues against the order of the Omnipotent and against that communion of benefits which hee will haue to bee maintained amongst men Whom he can constraine to obserue his ordinances euen through their owne couetousnes when their charitie faileth making them to despise all dangers that they may supply where neede is though they be forbidden vpon paine of death For such restraint by commandement is so farre from hindring their couetousnes that it doth more inflame it bicause they expect greater gaine then if there were mutual libertie and therefore they cause more ware secretly to passe and by that meanes they put all to hazard yea they would rather open a way vnder ground like moles or else would flie in the aire like birds then leaue such trading so woonderfull is God in all his works and in the gouernment of all nature For when he pleaseth he serueth his owne turne with the affections and euill works of men yea drawing good out of their euill euen against their owne wils And therefore we may very well affirme that seeing God will haue men trafficke togither it cannot choose howsoeuer they enterprise to the contrarie but that this order must be continued For this cause likewise it was not the will of the creator that the waters should so gather themselues into one place that they might not run through the earth but hee ordained that out of the great Ocean which is like the great bodie of the waters and like the wombe out of which they doe all first spring and wherein they are engendred and whereby they are repaired for euer there should issue diuers armes and members by meanes whereof wee haue the Mediterranean seas lakes floods riuers and brookes So also in this distribution and by the meanes of nauigation God hath giuen vs many other meanes to the ende we might behold with our eies many testimonies of his prouidence engrauen in euery part of the vniuers by the disposition of the works of his almightie hand as they who saile vpon the waters are constrained to acknowledge Of the direction that marriners haue by the stars For as he hath appointed the watrie element to serue men to nauigate therin so hath he established the heauē ordained the stars enchased therin to direct them in the midst of the great gulfs deeps of the sea For when the ships are entred very farre into it they that be therein doe cleane lose the sight of lande so that they cannot iudge by the consideration thereof in what place they are nor vpon what side neither to what place they may bend their course to finde a conuenient port but they must take their directions from heauen And for this cause also though that the heauen be in perpetuall motion and that all the planets and starres doe follow it rising and setting in such sort as they doe not alwaies appeere to men yet there are some of another condition For neere to the place which Astronomers take for the pole there are certaine starres which haue their motion and course so disposed that they are alwaies seene at sea being neuer hidden like the rest and among these that is one which is called the Pole-starre which is neuer seene to remooue except a very little out of one place so that it seemeth the whole heauen turneth about this starre As we also maintaine that it hath the like place correspondent thereto directly ouer against it in the other part of heauen with a like appellation of name as we haue heretofore declared in our discourses concerning the celestiall bodies excepting the difference which is put betweene these two poles taken from their opposite situation in heauen and from the starres which are next vnto them which also haue their course and motion like the rest but doe onely differ in this that rising and setting are not attributed vnto them bicause they may be alwaies seen when the spheres are discerned For when the skie is couered with clouds marriners doe finde themselues very much hindred and troubled For then they prooue that which Iob saith concerning the workes of God to wit Iob. 9. that hee commandeth the sunne and it riseth not and he closeth vp the starres as vnder a signet And that he maketh the starre Arcturus Orion and Pleiades and the Climates of the south doing great things and vnsearchable yea maruellous things without number Whereupon we may note that here is especiall mention made of the septentrionall starres as well bicause that they are more seene then the rest as also bicause it is their propertie to bring and to procure raine and tempests if we may credite Astrologers which cause that the heauen cannot be seene Of Charles hi◠waine And bicause that some of these starres are so disposed that they seeme to represent the figure of a chariot with fower wheeles and they are very much glistering aboue others they are commonly called by the name of Charles-waine bicause also they haue three other very bright starres neere to them placed in such order as if they were cart-horses or oxen Indeede some haue called them the Beare seeing them so cōioined togither taking the foure quarters
no difference betweene the condition of God and our owne betweene his eternall essence and that of those things which haue once had a beginning But with a discreete and pleasant answere Saint Augustine resolueth those which demaunde what God did before the fabrication of the world He was busie saith he cutting downe wood in the forrest to burne the rash and curious who remember not what they themselues did yesterday and yet dare inquire what God hath done of eternitie But that I may speake to the most subtile let the best learned among them tell me what they intend by this worde before whereof they inquire Time began with the world If they meane the passing away oftime they deceiue themselues because time tooke beginning with the world And if by the worde they imagine something concerning eternitie they abuse themselues also for therein is neither before nor after For eternitie is an entire being at once altogither without any proceeding Whereby it is euident that their question is nothing Time therefore cannot accord with eternitie nor be eternall seeing eternall hath no processe It is therefore a foolish question why before time was God created not the temporall world as if there had beene some succeeding seasons before any succession did consist for one cannot with any reason imagine any time before the stablishing of the vniuers Yet Aristotle whom the atheists will rather beleeue then the word of truth prooueth no other thing when he enforceth himselfe to declare the eternitie of the world then that time was neuer without the world nor the world without time which the Sages say march in equall pace with the place Wherefore as there is nothing beside place appertaining to place so there is nothing beside time belonging to time And for those which aske why the creator made not his world later I againe request them that setting apart the worke of the vniuers they would assigne me their before after then I will render them a reason why God created not the world sooner or later It is most certaine that they shall be constrained to confesse that before the order entercourse of the Spheres there was neuer any before or after which are the conditions of time And therefore their rash demaund deserueth no other answere except we recount vnto them the pleasant saying of Democritus which is not vnfit for our purpose in this place No man regards that which is before his feete and yet we see many sound the secrets of heauen and curiously seeke after the mysteries of God Of those which take from the world the beginning of time There are others also who disputing more subtilly of these matters agree verie well that the world was made but they will not allow that it had a beginning of time but of his owne creation so that it hath alwaies had a being in some sort which they cannot vnderstand Those found their opinion vpon this pretext to defend that God should not do any action new or of chaunce for feare least men should beleeue that that came suddenly into his minde which before he had not determined to make the world and that he who is immutable in all things should create it through a new-sprong thought Now as they make doubt concerning the time which they would not haue begun with the vniuers let me aske them also why the world was set in that place where it resteth rather then any other where For if they suppose infinite spaces of time before the generation of the vniuers in which it seemeth not that God could rest from worke they may aswell beleeue many spaces of place out of the world wherein if any could affirme that the Omnipotent hath not been idle they should be forced to dreame with the Epicure of innumerable worlds But if they answere me that the thoughts of men are vaine by which they suppose of infinite places sith there is no place out of the world I may tell thē also that they are ill-grounded in the consideration of time sith there was neuer any before the world And therefore as it is no consequence that God framed the vniuers rather by aduenture then by diuine reason not in any other place but in that wherein it is though mans capacitie cannot comprise the same diuine reason by which it was so made So is it no consequence that we should denie that it happened to God by chaunce or by a new imagination when he created the world rather in one certaine time then before seeing that the times precedent how long-soeuer we may imagine them should be equally past away comparing them with eternitie by an infinite space at once and there should be no difference why an auncient time should be preferred before a latter Wherefore we must all beleeue that the world was made with the time and that time tooke beginning with the world Of the will of God in the worke of the Creation and that notwithstanding in making it God chaunged not his eternall counsell nor his immutable will but according to his inscrutable prouidence and bountie innate he would when he pleased compose the large frame of the vniuers full of his image And here the definition which Aristotle maketh of Time serueth to our purpose to wit that it is the measure of motion For if immutable eternitie is easily discerned from Time who perceiueth not that time had neuer beene if some creature had not beene made who might chaunge the created species by moouing For that which giueth time his course is the chaunging of things when they giue place one to another and one succeed another because they cannot consist all at once together Let vs conclude therefore seeing that the holy and most true writings expresse that In the beginning God created heauen and earth we may assure our selues there was nothing before then and that doubtlesse the world was not made in time but with it For that which is done in time is done both before and after some time after I say that which is past and before that which is to come Now before the world there was no creature by the chaungeable motion of which time might haue proceeding Wherefore the world and time haue the same beginning by the will of almightie God and according as is declared vnto vs in his word against which there is no other reason of Sophists which can conclude any reasonable apparance as you ARAM may amply declare in the processe of our discourse Of the nullitie of reasons framed concerning the nature of the world against the creation thereof Chap. 3. ARAM. THis sentence of Simonides the ancient poet is wel woorthie to be celebrated by the mouth of euery Christian man God alone hath the glorie to be supernaturall For what other cause can we inuent of his workes but his onely free-will But what rashnes rendreth man so audacious as to enquire the cause of Gods will seeing it is The will
concerning the reasons making for the creation the historie whereof will put vs altogither out of doubt in that which toucheth the principall arguments of the Philosophers against it if wee doe amplie entreate of their errors when they maintaine that God worketh of necessitie and not of free and franke will which will serue vs to morrow for a subiect to begin the daies discourse The end of the first daies worke THE SECOND DAIES WORKE Concerning the errors of these Philosophers which say that God doth his outward worke of necessitie Chapter 9. ASER. I Thinke companions we were yesterday sufficiently entangled in the discourse of the creation of the world about that which concerneth the doubt that remaineth in many But ere we doe farther enter into the cabinets of God and nature it would not be vnfruitefull if wee yet haue an other pull with the Philosophers about this question Whether of necessity or of free choise and franke will God was prouoked to worke For they supposed that the condition of necessitie was fitter and more conuenient then was the matter of contingence and therefore they appropriate it to God Wherein they thinke verily to want no reasons for their purpose and that these make specially for them That God worketh by his proper substance If the worke of God be of necessitie or voluntarie and not by any borrowed vertue That the effectes of the world are of necessity because they seeme in no wise to proceed of a contingent cause that by the same reason is to be considered the inuariable and necessarie order of thinges to the end that the vniuers be not confounded or troubled Moreouer the Philosophers supposed that it was a very vnfit thing for the diuine vnderstanding to worke of necessity and the diuine will to worke freely considering that it is no lesse perfect then the diuine thought Now though that we concerning these considerations night take out of the quiuer of reasonable discourse arrowes enow against these Sages of the world yet for that this point doth particularly touch the diuinity it may suffice to say with Plato that one cannot picke out so great a mysterie by reasons but seeke to learne the same by oracles For it is sufficient to know that the great lawgiuer recordeth that God spake Genes 1. Psalm 33. and it was done and that with him agreeth the kingly prophet saying he commaunded and it was established to conclude that all the scriptures teache vs the same doctrine But here let vs declare that that which seemeth thus to disturbe the Philosophers is nothing at all For they presuppose a necessarie disposition to bee more perfect then the contingent cause which they haue left to prooue to those that should come afterwards Now I beseech you do we not more esteeme a Prince who directeth euerie thing according to his owne good pleasure then if vrged by nature or any other prouocation constrayning him he should set his hand to any busines Who will blame libertie which as the Prouerbe saith is hardly bought for gold That I say which they themselues thinke to haue beene graunted man for a most singular good What perfection what praise should be attributed to most loftie thoughts if they were euer forced to performe that which is good Liberty profitable for all things What dignitie might appertaine to a great king if he did all things necessitie constrayning him and nothing of a generous heart And seeing by common consent we acknowledge God to be the Prince of the world what glorie and honor should be giuen him for his gouernment for his wisedome for his iustice for his clemencie if of necessity and constraint he were drawne on to maintaine that which is in his tuition What grace what seruice and adoration should we owe him Why is it entred into nature to sacrifice as Aristotle saith Why are we obliged as Auerrois himselfe teacheth to magnifie God the creator in prayers and sacrifices If God doth all things of necessitie what profiteth all this For what cause is it conuenient for vs to pray Prayers are fit for men if God be not appeased by prayer To what ende hath all mankinde in euerie age in all places of euery nation beene addicted to adore a diuinity Surely we may thereof gather that prayers are fit for men and that it is naturally grafted in our minds that God is mooued by them So manie reasons then may well conclude that the author of Nature doth neuer negotiate of necessitie And for that that he worketh by a proper substance that is not of eternitie except in the spiritual worke from himselfe wherof we haue spoken in the 5. of our discourse But for the outward worke he proceeded thereto according to his owne will when it pleased him not constrayned by any causes for hee is the onely and principall cause of all things nor for hope to get any good for that he of himselfe is blessed not hauing neede of any other good God is not subiect to any order of nature Furthermore also the necessarie effects conclude not any necessitie in the prince or in the first cause considering that the second causes which Plato and the other Sages call his seruants doe worke by his commaundement in determined order so that the necessitie that therein is dependeth vpon his commaundement or vpon the order from which he absolueth them according to his owne good pleasure Dan. 3. And thereof came it that the fire burned not the children in the Chaldean furnace that the sunne stayed his course by the space of a day at Iosuahs commandement that it went backe ten lines or ten howres Ios 10. 2. Kings 20. in the time of Ezechias That it was eclipsed at full moone during the passion of Iesus Christ The Peripatetickes Atheists and Epicures will laugh at this and will say scoffingly which of the Philosophers recounteth these things These sellers of lyes which teach the lawes are madde saith Auerrois But herein sith question is made concerning diuine mysteries what haue wee to doe with such contemners of all pietie The sentence wherein we make stay hath beene celebrated by those which could iudge And men doe rather beleeue one that affirmeth then a thousand that denie for negation concludeth nothing And why should we care then though they denie altogither in words that which many witnesses yea and most wise do assure to haue prooued in effect The holy letters testifie it whereto we rather giue credit then to Aristotle and all his schollers And amongst a thousand most famous Philosophers and Christian Martyrs which consent to this doctrine of truth Areopagus of the Athenians is Saint Denis Areopagita so called of the Areopagus or streete of Mars which was a court and assembly among the Athenians first of nine persons elected by the chiefe Magistrates and afterward encreased to the number of fiftie of the most principall as well for learning holines of life and wisedome as also
first thought whereof it produced the second intelligence and knowing it selfe it ingendred the soule or moouer of the first sphere and this moouer knowing also his worke it proceeded to produce another so successiuely the cause being varied in substance and operation diuers effects were produced Which obscure opinioÌ„ might haue some colour if the first and almightie creator were restrained to produce but one effect onely too absurd a thing to be imagined in the father and author of the vniuers seeing that not a particular but an vniuersall effect is answerable vnto him to wit the world onely and the entire estate of all things as wee haue heeretofore sufficiently declared And so it followeth that this vniuers like a body entire in it selfe and diuers in the members thereof was engendred by one onely father and creator and liues by one onely vniuersall life But we will combate against these Philosophers with more strong weapons maintaining against them according to the truth How God came to his worke that the soueraigne maker came to his worke without being tied by any naturall law but free and franke in euery worke as he pleaseth being abundantly full of all vertue and of all manner of bountie and essentiall good will proceeded to his outward worke as these things haue beene declared vnto vs in our precedent discourse But this by the way albeit the maxime of the Peripateticks be though false that the first cause worketh of necessitie and that it is alwaies of one sort which is most true yet doth it not therefore follow that it should produce but one effect seeing that of the sunne which is euer the same and of the earth which being stable changeth not are produced diuers effects without any varietie comming to their nature yea and without any tilling of the ground For herbes flowers and rootes of diuers kindes do grow therein and many other essences are therein produced by power of the sunne But if these Philosophers tell me that diuers effects appeere in these things because that other particular causes doe worke therein togither they haue left the proofe of this point to their children to wit whether this varietie proceedeth from diuers causes or else from the same sunne fruitfull and full of vertue to engender diuers things Then with how much greater reason may the first true and eternall sonne do it being abundantly full of all fruitfulnes light and life How all things are in God For all things were and are in him not as if they were seated in any locall place but are lodged in his thought from whence producing them he is called their father and creator He onely free from the lawes of nature without any matter presupposed produceth all things yea and the matter it selfe altogither full of fertilitie But the second or naturall cause as Philosophers speake requireth the subiect and matter created by God wherewith it worketh And here doth that take place which the Prince of Peripatetickes saith That in common acceptation of the soule it is conuenient that it be made of nothing and therefore also our Diuines affirme that the angels can create no nature at all and that they are creators of things no more then Gardiners of fruits And therefore all those who haue receiued the light of the truth confesse God alone to be father and author of all things contayned in heauen and in earth whether spirituall or corporall visible or inuisible natures And let vs neuer thinke that in so great consonancie of the Vniuers there are many creators nor that there is any more then one onely king and prince nor many things that consist of themselues For so should there be confusion and discordancie in this great world and so consequently easie dissolution Thus much haue we thought conuenient to be knowne concerning the Intellectuall world wherein hauing spoken of the blessed estate of those angels which are not fallen from God my minde is that we say somewhat concerning those who are fallen from their first estate which we call commonly Diuels or euill spirits We will heare you then ACHITOB discourse of them Of diuels and euill spirits Chap. 16. ACHITOB IF we here discourse somewhat by numbers we shall make more easie way to that which we would vnderstand concerning the diuels yea concerning euery creature I say then euery number after the vnitie attaineth to be a perfect and accomplished number within it selfe Now the vnitie alone totally simple doth not passe from it selfe but therein remaineth in indiuisible and solitarie simplicitie bicause it is most fully content with it selfe not hauing neede of any thing being full of his owne riches But euery number being by nature a multitude doth by the benefit of the vnitie become simple bicause it is capable of simplicitie And although euery number the more it departeth from the vnitie the more it falleth into a great multitude hauing in it selfe more disagreeablenesse more parts and composition yet is there no number how neere soeuer to the vnitie being a multitude and made of vnities that is one by nature An excellent theologicall consideration by numbers but by composition Now if we referre this to diuine matters after the manner of Pythagoras and Plato we shall say thus God alone who proceedeth not from any thing and from whom all things proceede is an entire most simple and indiuisible essence and which deriueth all that he possesseth from himselfe and by what reason he subsisteth by the same reason he is wise he is willing he is good and he is iust And we cannot imagine any essence whereof he may consist but the same being which he is But all other things are not the same essence but are through him and therefore an angell is not this vnitie for so should he be God or else there should be sundry Gods which may not be imagined For what should be one but the vnitie alone It resteth then that the angell must be a number which being so on the other side it is one in multitude as euery number commeth of the vnitie by composition and euery number is imperfect bicause it is a multitude that which is perfect being entirely one So then the angell being a number that is a creature he is not the same being it selfe but he is onely an essence to whom the being arriueth by communication to the end that he may subsist Neither is he vnderstanding it selfe but so he vnderstandeth as being by a spirituall nature capable of vnderstanding Those things that betoken imperfection are incident to the angell as he is a multitude or creature But all that which is perfect and of accomplished forme in him is by reason of the vnitie whereof it is composed and which he receiueth bicause that he is conioined with God who is the simple vnitie from whom all being all life and all perfection is deriued to the creature And therefore the philosophers as also the wise Hebrues â—ll the angels separated
which we began to say concerning the principall differences of the circular motion of the heauens Wherefore the first and vniuersall motion of all the spherick world is that which we see is made round about the earth Of the first and vniuersall motion of heauen from the east by south towards the west alwaies with one and the same orderly celeritie and swiftnes and without any ceasing which performeth his course in a naturall day which is diuided into fower and twenty equall howers as is plainly shewed vnto vs by the ordinarie course of the sunne So that the whole heauen and each of those celestiall spheres doe followe the saide daily motion though it be not proper to them but accidentall in that they are the parts of the vniuersal world For as we shal presently see euery sphere hath an other proper and particular motion But this same whereof we speake doth in such sort by accident agree with all the parts of the world that the most thinne and subtile elements especially fire and the superior region of the aire are in like sort caried away therewith So likewise doth the sea though it enuironeth not the earth round about in some sort follow this motion by ebbing and flowing euery naturall day not performing an entire reuolution Wherefore nothing but the earth remaineth vnmooueable bicause of the waight and insensible quantitie of it in respect of the whole world as being the center thereof The stablenesse whereof is very necessarie that so both the vniuersall and each particular motion may be discerned for otherwise there should be a confusion in stead of harmonie And for this cause many haue supposed that this whole Vniuers generally considered is the first very true moouer of the vniuersall motion and not any heauen or particular orb Now for the second kinde of circular motions Of the second kinde of circular motions it is that which is proper to euery of the eight spheres and celestiall orbs which are the parts of the whole heauen from the firmament to the sphere of the moone For each of these spheres as is euidently perceiued by the starres enchased therein which can haue no motion but according to their heauen performeth his owne naturall and peculiar motion contrarie to the first and vpon other poles and axes to wit from the west by south towards the east And the entire reuolutions of those spheres are done and finished in diuers spaces of time to wit of the greater superior more late of the lesse and inferior being next to the elements more soone For the heauen of fixed stars according to the most likely opinion and apparent obseruation of Astronomers performeth his owne reuolution in thirtie sixe thousand common yeeres without bissext whereof each containeth 365. naturall daies Saturne the highest planet in thirtie yeeres Iupiter which hath his circle much lower in twelue Mars in two the Sunne in 365. naturall daies almost one fourth part of a day which make vp the time and space of a yeere For one shall alwaies finde that number of daies being runne out the shadow of the sunne to be such as if you marke it was the yeere before at the very same instant yea to the difference scarce of a minute Of the bissextile day or leap yeere Whereby it commeth that from fowre yeere to foure yeere is reckoned a bissextile day which serueth to make the yeere answerable to the course of the sunne The reuolution of whom Venus and Mercurie do neere approch vnto and for the Moone she maketh hirs in seuen and twentie naturall daies and almost one third part of a day so that in so small time shee maketh as much way in regard of vs as Saturne doth in thirtie yeeres because he is the farthest from and shee the neerest to the earth which causeth her course to be shorter then any other planet Of distances betweene the spheres And this is the consideration which hath giuen occasion to many to cast the distances and spaces which are betweene the spheres saying that there is nineteene times so much distance betweene the Sunne and Moone as is between the Moone and the earth so of the rest Pythagoras himselfe Plinie in his naturall history lib. 2. a man very ingenious counted by his calculation as Plinie relateth that there were 125000. stades or furlongs betweene the earth and the circle of the Moone and that from the Moone to the Sunne there were the double of them and betweene the sunne and signes of the Zodiacke the triple Now a stade or furlong was measured by the ancients to consist of one hundred fiue and twentie common paces or else of seuen hundreth and fiftie feete But so certainly to determine of the dimensions and distances betweene the spheres shoulde me thinketh be too great an enterprise for the capacitie of our spirits Yet may the curious by some infallible reason of Geometrie or rather by imagined coniectures resolue vpon it And to conclude our discourse concerning the motions of heauen we see that though by the rapiditie violence of the continuall motion of the first moouer all the spheres are caried away with it in the space of fower and twentie howers from east by south towards the west returning by north or midnight towards the east A good cause oâ— the motions of the spheres yet neuerthelesse euery one of them hath his proper and particular motion cleane contrarie to the vniuersall that is from the west towards the east Which is chiefly done because that by the reuerberation of these contrarie motions the aire may bee parted and dispersed which otherwise would heape and gather togither and become immooueable and heauie because of the continuall reuolution of the worlde turning alwaies one way And besides these principall differences of the circular motion of the heauens all the planets haue other motions of farther consideration which are called circuits of the great reuolution and which doe concurre in the great yeere which is taken for the time when all the planets shall fully finish their courses togither But we haue said enough concerning this matter considering the entent of our discourse wherefore we wil prosecute as briefly as we may the other particularities seruing for the knowledge of the spheres euen so much as we shall hold needfull for our present historie of heauen and earth Then you shall discourse to vs ARAM of those circles which shew themselues in the sphere and of the diuersitie and disposition of them Of the circles in generall and particularly of the Equinoctiall and Zodiack and of their signes Chapter 19. ARAM. IN the sphere of the world are two kinds of circles demonstrated whereof some are named greater Of the greater and smaller circles of the sphere and some lesser circles They which haue one selfesame and common center with the whole heauen are called greater circles and are one equall to another and do diuide the globe into two
sith it is so much hidden from man Now in that the celestiall bodies and the elements and all creatures haue their proper motion wherein they continue according to the first ordinance established in nature by the soueraigne creator thereof we are much to admire both the cause and effects of such a constancie I intend heere to speake of a neere cause which is a secret amitie ingraffed into euery creature toward his owne nature For there is a loue Euery creature foloweth his owne nature an appetite or vniuersall inclination in all creatures which vrgeth and inciteth them to desire and search that which agreeth with their nature so that there is none so insensible which hath not in it selfe this amitie innate which euer pusheth it to follow the nature thereof and for this cause may we say that all motions proceed from loue And passing further we may contemplate the loue of God as the eternall source of amitie and inclination of all nature and as the first cause of causes and we shall say that in the same loue God louing himselfe proceeded to his worke which hitherto we haue celebrated and do now meane to prosecute For sith that God is the soueraigne good that all goodnes is by nature louing it cannot be but he must likewise loue himselfe exceedingly and consequently loue all that which he iudgeth to be good insomuch as it proceedeth from him who is the supreme good and the limit of all goodnes This loue then not being able to be idle The loue of God is the first of all motions nor yet the good which it loued would manifest both the one and the other first in the creation of the world namely in that of man and then againe in the restauration and reparation of his fall So we learne that the first motion whereupon all the rest depend is the loue of God which proceedeth from his bountie which he would not keepe shut vp nor inclosed in himselfe but would manifest and communicate it with his creatures whom he hath created to the end that he might be glorified in them and by them And as he loueth them for his owne loues sake and for that they were his worke so hath he set in them the seeds of loue both towards him and towardes themselues according to the diuers nature which he hath conferred vpon them It is then this naturall loue which constraineth them by a secret feeling of nature imprinted euen in those essences which haue neither reason nor vnderstanding to take delight in that which is agreeable to their creator and to follow his ordinance tending all to him and to that which he loueth bicause it is good and therefore good being done according to his will and bicause it pleaseth him to iudge it and approoue it for such Whereupon we may conclude that loue and amitie is the good by which all creatures haue an accord and agreement first with God their creator and then one with another and that vpon the same cause their conseruation and perfection doth depend Of the vnion and accord betweene all creatures Wherefore loue must be the bond and vnion of all the world which is an vniuersall peace and concorde betweene God and all his creatures For the diuine prouidence hath so disposed all the order of them that they be all conioined one with another by such loue and amitie that euen they which seeme to be cleane contrarie are allied reconciled and vnited togither by those which haue more correspondencie betweene them In such sort that we may therein behold a very pleasant and perfect harmonie like as in musicke wherein although it seemeth that the notes tunes and sounds be different one to another yet notwithstanding there is such a moderation in them that they yeeld togither a goodly concord and sweete melodie keeping their proportions times and measures As then by such peace and concord the celestiall spheres follow the generall and common course of the first highest and greatest of all within which they are contained and inclosed performing likewise each of them his particular course without endommaging themselues as we haue heretofore made mention so doe all the elements follow the heauen and obserue their order after it euery one in their degree from the highest to the lowest hauing their motions agreeable to their nature And euen as liuing creatures haue their agreements and coniunctions one with another euery one in his degree according to the couenant and participation of nature which they haue togither and as they are either neere to or farre off one from another euen so is it in the agreement and consent of nature which is betweene the celestiall bodies and the elements and all creatures composed of them For this cause as the angels retaine the first degree among liuing creatures and then man the second next them by reason that in his nature he neerest agreeth with the angels and doth neerest approch them so doth the heauen and celestiall fires retaine the first degree among creatures which are without soule and without life in their proper and conuenient motions according as we haue already declared And as man doth in some sort hold the middle place betweene the angels and the most perfect beasts so doth fire betwixt the heauen and the aire and as the aire doth keepe the middle place betwixt the fire and water so the water is a meane betwixt the aire and the earth But these things will claime a fitter place when we come to intreate of the elementarie world Wherefore we will returne to that which onely concerneth the heauenly bodies which forsomuch as we haue saide to be of the number of those creatures which are without life being contrarie to the opinion of the most famous philosophers my minde is that we should consider neerer of this matter bicause that by the excellent politicall and militarie order which is amongst them it seemeth that they are not altogither depriued of life reason and vnderstanding as ARAM we may learne of you Of the life reason and vnderstanding of the celestiall bodies and of the excellent politicall and militarie order which is amongst them Chap. 27. ARAM. THis being true that all creatures haue a certaine motion agreeable to their nature and a naturall loue which euer vrgeth them to seeke and pursue that which is most naturall for them as hath been already related in our antecedent speech it seemeth that this can hardly come to passe but that there must be in them some kinde of soule and life yea euen in those creatures that are most insensible And more I will say that it is not onely to be presumed that they haue some kinde of life but also a naturall vnderstanding which we may properly name inclination sith there is no essence but can follow his proper course and order in his owne nature and peculiar motions For the stones themselues and mettals by a kinde of soule and vegetatiue life doe
by reason the minde may alwaies moderate and correct And taking occasion vpon this matter let vs come to the true Astronomie and Astrologie of Christians which is to contemplate the glorie and greatnes of God by the worke of the heauens as ACHITOB finishing this daies worke you may relate to vs. Of the true Astronomie which the heauens teach vs and especially the sunne in his admirable effects Chap. 32. ACHBTOB IT is not without cause that the prophet saith The heauens declare the glorie of God Psal 19. and the earth sheweth the worke of his hands For thereby he euidently teacheth that the worke of the spheres and their well ordred motion doe demonstrate as with the finger euen to our eies the great and admirable prouidence of God their creator euen as if the heauens should speake to euery one In an other place it is written Eccle. 43. This high ornament this cleere firmament the beautie of the heauen so glorious to behold is a thing full of hough then that the heauens haue neither voice nor speech like men yet when the workmanship of them and the goodly images pourtraied and placed in them do present themselues vnto vs it is as much as if God spake to vs. For sight belongeth to the eies as hearing doth to the eares and that which offereth it selfe to those The heauens are visible words which preach vnto vs God is as the sound is to these Wherefore in very deede we may call not onely the heauens sunne moone and starres but all other creatures also visible words which speake to the eies as those which are in sound and voice doe speake to the eares If likewise we can very well vnderstand dumbe folkes by the signes which they make vs say that they speake by signes why then should we not harken to the language of God speaking by the heauens and by the signes which he hath placed in them For may we not truly say that they speake vnto vs by signes And if we call bookes dumbe teachers bicause they teach by the meanes of writing which they lay before our eies what fairer booke may wee see written in a fairer letter and of more neate impression and printed with goodlier characters then this great booke of the whole vniuers and chiefly of the heauens Againe if it be needefull for vs to seeke out images to represent God that so he might become visible to vs where may we finde them fairer and more liuely and which speake vnto vs a language most easie to be vnderstood if we be not altogether deafe Wherefore it is not without good cause that when God willing to make his greatnes his magnificence and prouidence known to his people saith by Esay Lift vp your eies on high Isay 40. be hold who hath created these things which is he that bringeth out their armies by number and calleth them all by their names By the greatnes of his power and mighty strength nothing faileth This is it in all these considerations that Dauid in the place before alledged after he hath acknowledged that there is no language nor speech where the voice of the heauens is not heard doth further adde that their line is gone foorth through all the earth and their words vnto the ends of the world meaning by this line the magnificent frame and excellent workmanship of them For all is so well made and composed therein by the workmaster that it seemeth to haue been all drawne out by line rule and compasse And when he speaketh of their words he vnderstandeth the marke and impression which is in them by which they preach vnto vs in stead of words And for this cause also he saith before that one day vttereth speech vnto another day and one night teacheth knowledge vnto another night which is as much as if he should say that one day teacheth and preacheth another and the night doth the same bicause that from day to day and from night to night God manifesteth his power and glorie And let vs note Of the excellency of the sunne and true testimonie of the prouidence of God that the prophet proposing vnto vs the heauens thus in generall as true preachers of his diuine prouidence maketh principall and expresse mention of the Sunne bicause it is the most goodly creature the most agreeable most profitable and necessarie for men and for all the rest of the works of God For this cause also euery one giueth more heed vnto it then to all the other celestiall bodies For it is by the course and meanes of the Sunne that we haue ordinarily daies and nights and that they be sometimes longer sometimes shorter and another time equall as hath been already told vs and also that we haue the distinction of yeeres and of the diuers seasons of them as of the spring time summer autumne and winter and of the time fit to sowe plant till the earth and to gather the fruites thereof and generally to performe all other workes necessarie for the life of man And then may very well bee considered the course and compasse of this goodly light which is from the one end of heauen to the other end and how there is nothing that is hid from the heate thereof Shall we let passe in silence the gallant course which euery day it maketh compassing the whole world in the space of fower and twenty howers without being any whit wearie For from the hower that God hath created it it hath neuer desisted from worke day nor night and hath neuer failed one iot neither shal cease so long as the world shal endure And therefore it is also said in Ecclesiasticus The sunne also a maruellous instrument Eccles 43. when it appeereth declareth at his going out the worke of the most high And presently after Great is the Lord that made it by whose commandement it doth runne hastily Then speaking in generall of all the planets and starres It is a campe saith he pitched on high shining in the firmament of heauen the beautie of the heauens are the glorious starres and the ornament that shineth in the high places of the Lord. By the commandement of the holy one they continue in their order and faile not in their watch And who is it except the blinde that beholdeth not this goodly sunne to passe out of his pauilion like a magnificent king that marcheth foorth of his palace Who seeth not the faire countenance that he sheweth to all being as the eie and mirrour of the whole world Who vieweth not his trim locks and the golden haires and yellow beard of his raies by which he spreadeth his light and heate vpon all creatures In such sort that as none can auoide his heate so none can flie from his light For as it is written By the word of the Lord are his works Eccles 42. Eccles 43. The sunne that shineth looketh vpon all things and all the works thereof are full of the
generations it is necessarie that something remaine from which they are drawne in their first originall When then any creature is engendred by another if the forme perish and any thing do remaine it must of necessitie be the matter Nothing can cleane perish which the corruption it selfe doth manifest because that nothing can wholy perish so long as it is corrupted For the apple perisheth and is conuerted into wormes so is the wood into cinders when it is burned so water changeth it selfe into vapors and smoke by the heate of the fire or of the sunne Now all vapor and smoke is something for it can stifle a man and if it be receiued and gathered into a vessell it turneth to drops of water Behold then how manifest it is that in all this vniuers there is a certaine thing hidden vnder euerie forme which is not made by common generation nor yet doth perish by corruption and which like some prime subiect being diuided vnder many and sundry formes wee call as we haue alreadie said the first matter not engendred permanent because it perisheth not but remaineth and consisteth according to the effect thereof And when we compare it to the formes we saie that it is by power the same which they are because that it can receiue all formes so that the matter of a childe being formed is said to be a childe by power and by effect it is the subiect whereof the childe may consist for it is a mixture so fashioned and such as one may see it But when it is compared to the forme of the childe it is simplie called a matter by power for if it were such by effect then were it a childe of it selfe not a subiect of him So then by the consent of all Philosophers there is a certaine grosse matter disfurnished of formes but capable of all though by nature it be depriued of all For which cause also they establish with this matter priuation Of priuation of the changing cause for a beginning of naturall things And mounting higher they consider of a changing or working cause by force whereof the matter being wrought and mollified which is onely in power is at length actually performed euen as waxe being plied and softned by handling and working in the hand is fashioned into diuers formes according to the will of him that doth it Of the finall cause And because that nature doth nothing at aduenture but al for some good purpose thence it is that the finall cause is by some considered as a principle Of the forme And likewise because that the neerest end of the working cause is the forme which it taketh out of the bosome of the matter and that for this intent it worketh and mouldeth it to the end to reduce it to a perfect estate to receiue a forme for these causes Aristotle constituteth the forme for the third principle The which cannot be drawne out of the wombe of the matter except it be first disposed and prepared by conuenient qualities and therefore the Philosophers say that about them the maker bestoweth and emploieth all his labour and all the time of the action to the end that the species may presently appeere in a point moment vnseparable as it were for the wages of his paines But the Peripateticks call the worker the cause rather then a principle And the followers of Plato being more cleere-sighted in sacred mysteries doe teach that although the naturall causes do appeere to vs of themselues forming fashioning Thâ—â— naturalâ— causes 〈◊〉 principles and moulding euerie bodie yet neuerthelesse are they not the prime and first causes of euerie thing that is made but rather instruments of the diuine art to whom they serue and obey euen as the hands of a cunning workeman though they compose place and change the whole matter of an house as wood stone and morter and that nothing besides them may bee seene whereto the fashion of the edifice might bee attributed yet are they knowne of vs to be an instrument obeying and seruiceable to the Idea which being seated in the minde of the Architect he performeth and acteth with his hands in sensible matter the worke which he hath conceiued And for this occasion the Academicks speake of these two causes the instrumental and the exemplarie cause when they intreat of the framing of all things Which me thinketh is often confirmed by the Peripatetickes when this axiom is read in their writings Euerie worke of nature is the worke of Intelligence And both the one and the other do confesse that God hath drawne all things out of the matter But because that for to drawe them out the matter must necessarily be presupposed and the forme which thereof is fashioned must be conceiued as also the power or application and disposition of the said matter Three principles according to Aristotle Thereupon are sprung the three principles of naturall things which Aristotle ordayneth to wit matter forme and priuation Which opinion Pythagoras seemed to leane vnto teaching that in the first production of things there were present the Euen and the Odde for the Euen according to the doctrine of those which doe philosophically discourse by numbers and principally the binarie or number of two signifieth the matter and the vneuen or odde betokeneth the forme Moreouer the degrees of formes and things composed are excellently and harmoniously distributed by the Euen and Odde numbers as by their writings we may easily learne But let vs note that that which the Pythagorians signifie by numbers Plato doth abundantly describe by greatnes and smalnes because all that which is doth retaine a greater or lesse degree of essence and perfection which neuerthelesse is distinguished by euen and odde numbers And if one speake of bodies euery one of them hath a great little or meane quantitie which likewise is by the same numbers limited and distinguished But to leaue the curious disputation concerning these things to the Philosophers and so to grow to the conclusion of our speech concerning the principles of naturall and corruptible things we must call that into our memorie which we haue alreadie declared how that the matter stood in need of a worker and ordayner Now this same is none other Of one alone and onely principle but the alone and onely principle of principles and the cause of causes God omnipotent author of the Vniuers who being a soueraigne worker hath produced out of the subiect by him created all compound bodies From whom likewise it is necessarie that all formes doe flow whether they be drawne out of the bosome of the matter as some Philosophers affirme or proceed without any meanes of the forme-giuer as many learned dispute for he must alwaies be said to be engendring and producing which draweth the matter into an effect by any manner whatsoeuer Moreouer Motion and place set by some for principles some subtile spirits do account among the principles of naturall things
THE THIRD VOLVME OF THE FRENCH ACADEMIE Contayning a notable description of the whole world and of all the principall parts and contents thereof As namely of Angels both good and euill of the Celestiall spheres their order and number of the fixed stars and planets their light motion and influence Of the fower elements and all things in them or of them consisting and first of firie airie and watrie meteors or impressions of comets thunders lightnings raines snow haile rainebowes windes dewes frosts earthquakes c. ingendred aboue in and vnder the middle or cloudie region of the aire And likewise of fowles fishes beasts serpents trees with their fruits and gum shrubs herbes spices drugs minerals precious stones and other particulars most worthie of all men to be knowen and considered Written in French by that famous and learned Gentleman Peter de la Primaudaye Esquier Lord of the same place and of Barree and Englished by R. Dolman LONDINI Jmpensis Geor. Bishop 1601. TO THE RIGHT WORshipfull Sir WILLIAM MOVNSON Knight YOur emploiments Right Worshipfull in sundry hir Maiesties forraine seruices both by sea and land and also for your farther experience and satisfaction in diuers other noble enterprises beeing accompanied with a sharpe and iudicious obseruation of things memorable and the perusing of many excellent and rare writers must of necessitie haue made you not onely expert in matters of war and estate but also most singularlie well read in God his great booke of nature I meane the admirable frame of this Vniuers or whole world Wherein the infinite varieties and sorts of creatures like so many visible wordes doe proclaime and publish vnto man the eternitie infinitie omnipotency wisedome iustice bountie and other essentiall attributes of his dread and soueraigne creatour Wherefore I doe here present vnto your Wor. the discourse ensuing not as a teacher to instruct you in things vnknowne but as a faithfull remembrancer to recall matters to your minde which are there already both by speculation and experience most soundly imprinted It may please you then to accept of this mine homelie translation not so much for mine owne sake who am able to deserue lesse then nothing as for the Authors worthines being a Gentleman as appeareth out of this other parts his learned ACADEMIE most rarely qualified and likewise for the excellencie of this present worke of his both in regard of the method the matter and the scope For the methode is most exact and agreeable to rules of art proceeding from generalles to particulars and from the whole to the parts The matter or subiect is most noble so that if according to Aristotle all arts and sciences doe receiue their perfection from the dignity of the obiect then certes of all others Theologie excepted this science is the most excellent hauing so spacious so beautifull and so fruitfull a fielde to manure as the whole world and all things therein contained Neither is the scope any whit lesse charitable and christian tending partly to the information of mens vnderstandings and the reformation of their errors but most especially ayming at the glorie of the creator vnto whom onely is due all submission and honor Finally considering the authors manner of handling this discourse and the varietie of choise-writers both ancient and of our times which hee alledgeth for confirmation of sundry truthes and for other purposes purging by the fire of his exquisite iudgment the drosse of their opinions from the pure mettall and in all places adorning their gold and siluer with the most orient and inualuable pearles of holy scripture I deemed it in all respects most worthy to shroude it selfe vnder your Wor. patronage London this 28. of March 1601. Your Wor. most readie to be disposed of RICHARD DOLMAN To the Reader MOunt on this worlds maiestike theater Suruey the spheres and euer-burning lamps Pierce through the aire fire earth and water Admire Jehouahs hosts and royall camps Rang'd in batallions and seemely troupes At sight whereof the proudest Atheist droupes Surmount the spheres view those ghostly wights Jnhabiting a world supercelestiall Then stoupe trembling see those ghastly sprights Plung'd aie in deepest firie gulfes infernall And frighted thence looke al the world aroūd What other natures-wonders may be found R. D. Sonnet CE que Dieu fit et fait d'admirable en son monde Ce qu'on en peut auoir de plaisirs et de biens Et d'enseignemens beaux diuins et terriens BARREE icy l'instruit par celeste faconde Mais quel saint trucheman ô Nimphe-Angloise blonde T'apprent ces hauts discours qui rauissent les tiens C'est mon gentil DOLMAN ieune laurier des miens Le qui de des neuf seurs qui en langues abonde O toy heureuse donc d'auoir ce traducteur Comme ta soeur Françoise heureuse est de l' Autheur Mais plus heureuse encor quand par estudes saintes Des grands oeuures de Dieu en ce liure depeintes Si bien cognoistres Dieu qu'au mieux d'ame et de coeur En crainte amour et foy le seruires sans feintes I' attens le temps PIERRE CASTEL The speciall and principall matters handled in this third Tome of the French Academie as it is diuided into seuerall daies works and distinguished by Chapters The first daies worke Page 1 OF the Creation of Heauen and Earth Chap. 1 Page 7 Of time which tooke beginning with the world Chapter 2 Page 12 Of the insufficiencie or nullitie of reasons framed concerning the nature of the world against the creation thereof chap. 3 Page 15 Of the reasons taken from motion and the moouing intelligences against the creation of the world and of the insufficiencie of them chapter 4 Page 20 Of many other deuises which they inuent who pretend to ouerthrow the doctrine of the creation of the world performed by the creator thereof chap. 5 Page 24 Concerning those causes which haue made the Philosophers to erre from the knowledge of truth and of their ignorance concerning God and his works chap. 6 Page 29 Of the authoritie of such witnesses as make the creation and newnes of the world vndoubted chap. 7 Page 34 Of the reasons making for the creation and newnes of the world chapter 8 The second daies worke Page 39 COncerning the errors of those Philosophers which say that God doth his outward worke of necessitie chap. 9 Page 45 Of the reasons which conclude that God proceeded of franke and free deliberation to the worke of the world chap. 10 Page 49 Of one onely principall and first cause of the Vniuers chap. 11 Page 54 Of the space of the sixe daies mentioned in the historie of the creation of the world chap. 12 Page 59 Of the mysteries hidden vnder the number of sixe in the creation of the Vniuers and of the seuenth day of rest chap. 13 Page 64 Of the diuisions of the vniuersall world chap. 14 Page 68 Of the Angelicall and intellectuall world
chap. 15 Page 74 Of diuels and euill spirits chap. 16 The third daies worke Page 80 OF the celestiall or sphericall world chap. 17 Page 86 Of the forme and figure of heauen and of the motion thereof as well generall as particular chap. 18 Page 91 Of the circles ingenerall and particularly of the Equinoctiall and Zodiake and of their signes chap. 19 Page 95 Of the two great circles named Colures and of the fower lesse circles and parallels and of the fiue Zones of the world and immooueable circles chap. 20 Page 101 Of the hower-circles and what is done by them in sunne-dials and of the circles which diuide the 12. houses of heauen chap. 21 Page 106 Of the ascensions and descensions of the stars and of the signes and other arkes of the Zodiake and of the orientall and occidentall latitude of the sun or degrees of the zodiacke chap. 22 Page 109 Of the naturall and artificiall daies and of the nights of their diuersitie and cause chap. 23 Page 112 Of equall and vnequall temporall and artificiall howers of the heights of the sunne aboue the Horizon and of his right and reuerse shadowes chap. 24 The fourth daies worke Page 117 OF the substance and nature of heauen and of the celestiall bodies of their continuance change cha 25 Page 121 Of motions ingenerall of their first cause and of their vnion in all nature chap. 26 Page 125 Of the life reason and vnderstanding of the celestiall bodies and of the excellent politicall and militarie order which is amongst them chap. 27 Page 130 Of the influence and effects of the planets and starres in things here below either to good or euill chap. 28 Page 135 Of the truth which is found in prognostications of Astrologers and how the starres are appointed by God for signes and that from their influences no euill proceedeth chap. 29 Page 140 Of the planet Saturne and how it is not euill nor anie other starre chap. 30 Page 144 Of the planets ingenerall and how they worke in man not in constraining but disposing chap. 31 Page 148 Of the true Astronomie which the heauens doe teach vs and especially the sunne in his admirable effects chap. 32 The fift daies worke Page 152 OF the rising and setting of the sunne and of the prouidence of God which shineth in the commodities of daie and night chap. 33 Page 157 Of the second course and motion of the sunne and moone for the distinction of yeeres moneths and seasons and of the prouidence of God in these things chap. 34 Page 161 Of the image of God and of his light which is proposed vnto vs in the sunne with the felicitie of mans life in changing of light and darkenes chap. 35 Page 166 Of the eclipses of the sunne and moone and of the image which we haue therein of the constancie which is in God and of the inconstancie of men and of humane things chap. 36 Page 171 Of the beginning of naturall and corruptible things chap. 37 Page 176 Of the elements and of things to be considered in them in that they are distinguished by the number of fower chap. 38 Page 180 Of the opinion of those who admit but three elements not acknowledging the elementarie fire chap. 39 Page 185 Of the perfect compositions which are in the nature of all things by which the fower elements may be considered chap 40 The sixt daies worke Page 189 OF the agreement betwixt the elements and planets chapter 41 Page 195 Of the fire and of the aire and of the things engendred in them and of their motions and of the windes cha 42 Page 199 Of thunder and lightning chap. 43 Page 203 Of the true Meteors of Christians and of the supernaturall causes of thunder and lightning chap. 44 Page 208 Of snowes mists frosts frosts yce and haile chap. 45 Page 212 Of comets chap. 46 Page 216 Of cloudes and vapours chap. 47 Page 221 Of the waters sustayned and hanged in the aire and of the rainebow chap. 48 The seuenth daies worke Page 226 OF dewes and raine chap. 49 Page 230 Of the fertilitie caused by dewes and raine and of the prouidence of God therein chap. 50 Page 234 Of the windes and of their kindes and names and of the testimonies which we haue in them of the power and maiestie of God chapter 51 Page 239 Of the fowles of the aire and namely of the Manucodiata of the Eagle of the Phenix and of other wilde fowle chap. 52 Page 243 Of singing birdes and chiefly of the Nightingale and of sundrie others and of their wit and industrie chap. 53 Page 247 Of the Estridge of the Peacocke of the Cocke and of other fowles chap. 54 Page 251 Of the earth and of the situation immobilitie figure and qualitie thereof chap. 55 Page 255 Of earth-quakes chap. 56 The eight daies worke Page 261 OF the sea and of the waters and of the diuision and distribution of them throughout the earth chap. 57 Page 265 Of the flowing and ebbing of the sea and of the power that the moone hath ouer it and ouer all other inferior bodies chap. 58 Page 269 Of salt fresh and warme waters and of other diuersities in them chapter 59 Page 274 Of the commodities which men reape of the waters by Nauigation and of the directions which sea-men doe receiue from heauen and from the starres vpon the sea chap. 60 Page 278 Of the diuision of lands and countries amongst men by the waters and of the limits which are appointed them for the bounds of their habitation chap. 61 Page 283 Of the commodities which are incident to men and to all creatures by the course of the waters thorough the earth chap. 62 Page 287 Of diuers kindes of fishes namely of the whale of the dolphin of the sea-calfe and others chap. 63 Page 291 Of the image that we haue of the state of this world and of men in the sea and in the fishes thereof chap. 64 The ninth daies worke Page 295 OF fruits and of the fertilitie of the earth and the causes thereof and of herbes trees and plants chap. 65 Page 299 Of the vertue that herbes and other fruits of the earth haue in phisick and in food and of the true vse of them chap. 66 Page 304 Of the diuersitie of plants and of their difference and naturall growth and of their parts of the most excellent amongst them chapter 67 Page 308 Of trees and especiallie of the pine the fir-tree the cypress tree and the cedar chap. 68 Page 313 Of trees bearing cinnamom cassia franckincense mirrh and cloues chap. 69 Page 318 Of trees and plants that beare nutmegs ginger and pepper chapter 70 Page 321 Of the date-tree of the Baratha or tree of India of the Gehuph and of brasill chap. 71 Page 326 Of the citron-tree limon-tree orange-tree oliue-tree and pomegranate-tree chap. 72 The tenth daies worke Page 331 OF mallowes wilde-mallowes purple-violets betonie ceterach and Saint Iohns-wort
the acts and power of this Empire But howsoeuer it be wee haue in the doctrine of the spheres most excellent principles and grounds which prepare men to the knowledge of nature and the author thereof yea which aduance them if they can apply this studie to his proper ende in the vnderstanding of the secrets wisdome and prouidence of God so far as the mind of man can pierce thereinto Let vs then companions direct our sight straight towards the place which wee must apprehend to be blessed to wit towards heauen and let vs especially regard God in his workes as the onely limit whereto we shall and must once attaine ACHITOB. The orderly motions of the heauens the goodly workemanship of so many starry pauilions disposed one aboue the other without any inter-annoiāce in their course the accord agreement power vertue and beautie of the elements the situation stabilitie and largenes of the earth in midst of the waters which continually threaten it and yet drowne it not and so many diuers natures and creatures which are which liue which haue sense and vnderstanding in this whole great Vniuers and serue each one in his place all these things I say are like so many interpreters to teach vs God as their onely efficient cause and to manifest him vnto vs in them and by them as their finall cause Therefore pursuing our first intent sufficiently declared in the beginning of our Academick discourse and according to the processe of the talke by vs obserued in our description of the naturall history of the Microcosme or little world let vs here make companions as it were another history of the Macrocosme or great world first entreating of the creation of the world then of the diuision of the same afterwards of the orders of the spheres of their substance natures and motions of the influences and effects of their planets consequently of the elements and lastly of euery essence and creature therein contained not by a particular description of their kindes which would amount to a work almost infinite but onely of the principall of each sort and so much as wee shall hold sufficient to induce euery one of vs and of those which will deigne to heare vs to consider and highly to praise the wisedome of the father and moderator of all these things in the creation conduction gouernance and end of them and by the vnion of their parts with the whole and among themselues we haue enough to refer the euent of our purpose to their beginning and principall scope which is to know God and his prouidence to the end to glorifie him Declare then vnto vs ASER that which you haue learned of the creation of heauen and earth THE FIRST DAIES WORKE OF THE THIRD TOME OF THE FRENCH Academie Of Heauen and Earth Of the creation of Heauen and Earth Chapter 1. ASER. IF all men guided by reason as Plato very wel said haue a custome to inuocate on God in the beginning of their worke In Tim. whether it be great or little how much more conuenient is it that desiring to dispute of the Vniuers if wee retaine any iudgement at all we should call God to our aide It is very difficult to speake as is requisite of the celestiall bodies and of so many diuers motions as they haue and yet not one hinder another but it is a much more high and intricate matter to finde out the workman and father of all this great world And when we shall haue found him it is altogether impossible vulgarly to expresse the cause reason of his works For though as it is the glorie and infinite wisedome of God shineth in this admirable construction of heauen and earth yet our capacitie is too too smal to comprise so great profound effects so much it wanteth that the toong may bee able to make a full and entire declaration thereof And we cannot hold disputation or argument vpon that which doth not offer it selfe vnto our sense and proper reason as is the creation of the world For therein haue we that woonderfull Architect whom Hermes called the great infinite sphere intellectual whose center is all that which is throughout the world created who performing his worke and giuing motion to all the celestiall bodies doth himselfe continue stable Now that which mouing is not it selfe moued surpasseth al discourses speculations humane and philosophicall and appertaineth to a diuine knowledge the which we ought to impetrate through praiers by reuelation of the holy Spirit euen in such sort as all things naturall are inuented and comprehended by reason demonstration and all morall are obtained by arte and vse Praier to God Then of the soueraigne and true God with his eternal Word and holy Spirit which three are one essence one God in Trinitie of persons Exod. 3. whose name is I will be that I will be or I am that I am Almightie Eternall Creator and gouernor of euery soule and bodie in contemplation of whom consisteth the onely good the true felicitie and blessednes of man whom he himselfe hath created to attaine thereunto a liuing creature reasonable by the gift of vnderstanding and free-will Who being iust permitteth not his creature made according to his owne image to remaine vnpunished hauing sinned and being merciful hath not left him without grace who hath giuen both to the good and euill an essence with the stones a life vegetatiue and full of seede with the plants a life sensuall with the beasts and a life intellectuall with the Angels from whom proceedeth all gouernance all goodlines and all order by whom all that is naturall euen from the highest of heauen to the center of the earth doth subsist of whom are the seedes of formes the formes of seedes the mouings of seedes and of formes who being good hath not left regardlesse not onely the sphericall and elementarie world or else the Angels and man but euen the entrailes of the most small and contemptible amongst creatures neither the lightest feather of the birds nor the least flower of the herbe nor leafe of the tree engrauing in each of all these things the workes of his omnipotencie certaine signes of his glorie and maiestie by the couenant and accord of euery of their parts and as it were by I wot not what manner of peace Of him I say father and moderator of all that which is which liueth which hath sense and vnderstandeth let vs request Companions that with the light of his wisedome he will illuminate our vnderstandings and by his holy spirit direct and gouerne our words meetely to discourse of according as mans power is able the works of his al-mighty hand in heauen and in earth according as our intent is The beginning of euerie thing whatsoeuer is of such waight and importance that on the knowledge of the same dependeth all the science thereof for it is impossible that a man can be skilfull in any thing if he be ignorant
of God is cause of all things and by good right must be the cause of all things which subsist For if it had had any cause then must that cause haue preceded and the will of God attended thereupon which were vnlawfull to be imagined Wherefore when it is asked why did God so we must answere bicause it was his will If proceeding farther any enquire why it was his will they demaund after a thing greater and higher then the will of God which cannot be found Yet neuerthelesse haue we sufficient in his word wherewith to satisfie our mindes in meditation of his secrets with all reuerence For they which haue declared them vnto vs penetrating into most hidden mysteries by the light of the holy spirit haue sufficiently reuealed them vnto vs with most splendant cleerenesse But the way of truth is shut vp to the wise of the world and cannot be attained but by the directions of it selfe So that which is greatly to be deplored it often commeth to passe which this Iambicke relateth That the vnderstanding of things giuen by God in long tract of time is cōfounded by mens opinions retaining very little diuinitie truth by reason that it agreeth not with those things which fall within the compasse of our sense The philosophers therefore attributing too much faith to themselues haue blinded themselues through their vaine discourses and haue become guides to the blinde so that falling into the ditch they haue drawne many after them by false arguments and apparant reasons whereof our subiect shall here be to insert the most principall They then who esteeme that nothing is stable or can be stable in such sort reasoning and arguing by sensible things prooue it by the same demonstration that Aristotle hath deliuered Of the demonstration of Aristotle yea and as he hath obserued in his whole discourse natural progression considering that all his consequences proceede from certaine maximes which he supposed to be perfect true amongst the most powerfull inuentions by which they pretend to ouerthrow the creation and framing of the world these Peripatericall reasons of the nature of the world are produced First they beholde the heauens altogither differing from contrarietie Reasons of philosophers against the creation of the world whereupon they conclude that it is not corruptible and by consequēce not made They finde moreouer that those things which haue a beginning doe get vnto themselues a new place nowe heauen not being able to get it selfe a new place they conclude that it could not be created at any time They consider also that all things which are mooued passe into a new place or are mooued round about some thing which remaineth firme as all the spheres are about their center to the end that all disorder might be brought to some vniformitie Likewise they suppose euery new thing to be reduced into the old so that all generation and corruption is made according to the old substance and all motion is gouerned by the firme and stable earth or the vnmooueable center by which principles they coulde not perceiue how the newnes of the world could any way come to passe And forasmuch as the generation of one thing is the corruption of another and that nothing which should be corrupted might precede the world thereupon they ground that it is eternall without a beginning Proceeding farther they suppose that euerie thing which is produced had a fore-being in the matter thereof Therfore they holde that of necessitie the matter must be eternall But the most principall and substantiall argument which they bring and most generally receiued is That of nothing nothing is created whereupon they conclude that the world could not be made bicause nothing did proceede it Now we may easily answere these reasons and trie whether they conclude Three sorts of works and three kinds of workers or not but first let vs suppose as it is most certaine that there be three sorts of works and three kindes of workers For there is the Artificer who presupposeth the nature to wit the stuffe fashion and all the compound There is the naturall agent which requireth before-hand the effect of God to wit the subiect or the matter And there is God the soueraigne worker who hath no neede of any other thing because he is perfect retaining in himselfe all manner of vertue Which three kindes of workers doe fitly accord by a certaine analogie and proportion but doe much differ in comparison one with the other and at the bounds and limits of the one worker cannot be concluded the power of the other For it were an error to proceed from arte to nature as if one should say The arte doth first require the compound the Goldsmith gold the Founder mettall the Carpenter wood and the Mason stones and cement therefore the naturall agent doth also require the compound Answere to the arguments of philosophers And likewise the philosophers deceiue themselues when they imagine that the soueraigne Creator hath neede of a subiect or matter to worke on as is requisite for the naturall agent Also they abuse themselues to teach that forasmuch as herein there passeth a certaine proportion from one contrarie to another it therefore followeth that God and nature doe proceede by one and the selfe-same way But where I pray haue they learned to inuent such conclusions when themselues teach that arte is distinguished from nature and that naturall things appertaine to one kinde of doctrine and the eternall and free-from-motion belong to another For the artificer giueth the artificiall forme and requireth the naturall and the naturall agent fashioneth the substantiall and requireth the materiall which is the worke of the soueraigne But if God should require any thing before-hand to worke with he should also require a former God which must haue produced it and by that reason there should be I wot not what former thing before the first What are then these shewes of arguments They conclude and accord badly when bicause of the passion of a new place which demaundeth that which is newly performed they would thereby exclude the world from generation bicause it getteth not a place But what absurditie shall they finde it if granting them that it hath obtained a place I say it is the same wherein at this present it remaineth For it subsisteth about the center or aboue that of the earth or of the whole vniuers or of the sphere intellectuall whose center as Hermes saith is all that which is euerie where created In that which they farther inferre that euery new thing must be reduced to an olde we grant it them But that olde is the diuine cogitation wherein all things are contained before they be displaied in their proper formes which being created by it selfe it alone doth gouerne and preserue them afterwardes What they moreouer adioine that all naturall transmutation is made of one matter transposed into another we consent to them But this is not requisite
it without any motion in him of noueltie And there is no Philosopher which prooueth the contrarie by any demonstration concerning this newnesse which they presuppose in God but do ful oftentimes contradict themselues And so it is that Aristotle in his booke of the world after hauing in the beginning declared God Prince Gouernour and Creator of this Vniuers doth afterwards denie it proceeding by reasons deriued from sense For thereby hee endeuoureth to demonstrate the eternitie of the worlde and amongst other arguments he vseth this same It is most certaine that the agent either of deliberate purpose or by nature if he be good putteth the good in practise as much as in him possiblie lieth if there be nothing to hinder him Certainly we cōfesse that the good is naturally addicted to communitie But we hold that although the agent by his labour industrie endeuoureth with all his power to get the good and obtaine it yet neuerthelesse in the distribution thereof he bestoweth it in such manner and sort as he pleaseth Why should we not then affirme that the supreme Creator through his immutable and omnipotent will hauing from euerlasting the good for his obiect to the end to put it in practise doth according to his good pleasure proceed to the performance thereof But if any passing farther will argue that the good doth naturally become common heereto mounting much higher then Philosophie doth require we answere That for euer God who is the soueraigne good doth encrease himselfe in his sonne and spirit coeternall by which sonne and through which holy spirite one sole essence and substance he produced of eternitie and continually the exemplaries and Ideas of all thinges by an eternal measure alwaies present being the worke and possession altogither We tell thee then O Epicure that God remained not in sloth idlenes before the Creation of the world Iohn 1. he that by the testimonie of Iesus Christ doth alwaies worke whereof none knoweth but the Creator saue onely the sonne and he to whom the sonne shal haue reuealed him And he which is most blessed in himselfe slept not O Cicero no more then hauing no neede of any thing beside himselfe he framed not this worldly tabernacle for his owne vse with so great beautifulnes but rather for man not foolish or wicked but iust and wise or at least Prouerb 8. that in this terrestriall habitation he might learne wisedome and goodnes to be made at length a woorthy citizen of the celestiall palace This is the delight and pleasure which his sapience receiued in the compasse of the earth and in the sonnes of men as the wiseman saith But neither Aristotle nor Auerrois nor Cicero nor the Epicures and Atheists of our time haue attained to such supreme Philosophie as to vnderstand this language of the holie Ghost Excellent well did that thrise woorthie Mercury the prince and most ancient of all Philosophers acknowledge as the whole worke of his Pymander doth testifie and himselfe also when he saith that God whom some call Nature mixing himselfe with man performed a wonder surpassing the reason of all woonder wherein beholding his owne image he smiled vpon him through great loue and gratifying him as his owne sonne gaue him all his workes to serue him to the ende to reduce to himselfe all things by him with whom he was mixed but himselfe before any thing else because that being purified and acknowledging his diuine race hee might bee made most woorthie of God The eternall omnipotent then had no neede of tooles to frame the worlde with hee I saie that by his onelie commandement performeth all things Neither had he need of helpe to produce formes who is himselfe the Architype and giuer of all formes and replenished with all fecunditie Neither is it a strange thing that the elements should obey him which by his worde onely haue beene setled in their places Neither dwelt he in an hole or a corner nor in darknes whom heauen earth cannot containe nor comprehend and who is all light but within the ample temple of this immēse intellectuall sphere whose cēter is al that which euery where subsisteth There hee inhabiteth those euerlasting ages which no thought except himselfe can comprise It is no maruel therefore if humaine reason be so often deceiued in the search of that which is enclosed in the closets and cabinets of the soueraigne worke-master and reuealed but to very fewe And for the saying of Alcinois that there is nothing beside the world whereinto the world can be dissolued I answere him that we teach not that it must be consumed and brought to nothing though it hath had a beginning of enduring But say it is so God shall haue no need of any thing for this businesse no more then he had neede of a subiect to make and compose his worke of by reason that his creation or dissolution is free and deliuered from the lawes of naturall generation and corruption as we haue heeretofore already declared Neither had he neede of helpe O Auicen who through his proper power and according to his owne good pleasure performeth of his owne liberalitie all things not by nature and necessitie as those imagine to whom the eternall power of God and his loue for which he created the world are hidden as in the processe of our discourse we may more amplie declare But first let vs heare of AMANA concerning those things which haue caused the Philosophers to erre from the truth Concerning those causes which haue made the Philophers to erre from the knowledge of truth and of their ignorance concerning God and his workes Chapter 6. AMANA WE may by our precedent discourse easilie vnderstand what be the strongest engins which the Philosophers haue planted but in vaine against the wals of supernall veritie in this point concerning the creation and we need not thinke it strange that they be deceiued for it is a doctrine not vsurped by humane arrogancie but infused into the harts of the small ones and humble through illumination by the holy spirite which mocketh such as thinke themselues wise scorne all others leauing them in the darknes of their blinded presumption as contrariwise the same spirit directeth conducteth those whom he replenisheth with his owne vertue to contemplate in most cleere brightnes the excellent mysteries of God and nature But to the end that we may partly proceed to the discouery of their ignorance who do arrogantly assume vnto themselues the name of wisedome abusing euen to this day many vnskilfull in the knowledge of pietie by their graue ornate writings being in shew and apparance like somewhat that sauoreth as it were solide entire true profitable though being profoundly examined one may finde therein all cleane contrarie a maruellous repugnancie not only generally betweene them all but euen in the particular writings of each of them I would willingly aske to be resolued of them in this point how is it
of it It is true that Auerrois doth interpret this text of Aristotle concerning heauen But how should the heauen be this Eternall whom all things should enforce themselues to follow considering that it of it selfe is eternall in fauour of whom the elements heauen it selfe and euerie creature doth worke Doth not the doctrine of Aristotle resound in each point that God is the end of all things in desire of whom they are mooued as to the thing loued and desired But leauing this Arabian Auerrois who studieth in all his works to deface marre many other sentences of his master that he may defend that which he imagineth let vs conclude that according as the Philosophers confesse the elements in their being the plants in their life and fruitfulnes the liuing creatures in a better life and in their condition such as it is imitate in emulation the diuine power and perfection and that man endued with the singular gift of libertie and free will doth in the same imitate God and beareth in a better estate and condition then any other thing his image and semblance By such considerations say I is also prooued the freedome and libertie of God alwaies tending to good according to his good pleasure because he contayneth within himselfe that which hee conferreth vpon others And briefly to answere all their reasons heretofore alleaged let vs hold that that Soueraigne perfection which is in God wanteth not in the lowest degree nor for the cause thereof nor yet that his simple vnitie is distributed into a multitude because that in it selfe by infinite power it contayneth all things Neither doth the intellectuall soule degenerate although as they teach it exerciseth the power to feele Proper faculties to be considered in God to strengthen to cause encreasing and to mooue according to his estate For that we may mount to higher considerations God perceiueth with such his senses as the holy Scriptures attribute vnto him He mooueth all other things himselfe remaining stable he giueth them strength and feedeth them with the foode of his wisedome But hee performeth all these things by a meanes by a perfection power which is vnknowne to humane spirits except they be illustrated with his light And there is in him a fertilitie without trauel which is the fountaine of all other things through which he produceth alwaies within himselfe but outwardly he doth it at the pleasure of his will Which because it is the rule of contingence it is not possible nor fit for vs to search out the cause of the first beginning For when we are thereto arriued Aristotle himselfe doth charge to stay for God hath no need of any precedent disposition nor of helpe neither did feare resistance nor was hindered by space he who in commaunding created all things But the causes of things here below the instruments and subiect framed by his word require a precedent disposition haue need of an application attaine succession of time and seeke such helpes as are requisite for such a one as negotiateth by power limited And therefore as we haue alreadie said when they deduce their reasons from these conditionall and naturall workers to him which is free and deliuered from all these things they fall into diuers errors But if by the workes which they contemplate in this Vniuers they do enforce themselues to attaine to the knowledge of the Soueraigne Architect then let them attribute vnto him all these things after a conuenient perfect manner separating from him all that denoteth feeblenes and impotencie in the worker And then they shall see that the supreme things of the Architype accord by a sweete and melodious consonancie to those which are more base and meane all which are comprised in the creator as in a modell and patterne and contemplated by vs here below as in a shadow or trace But this shadow and much more the trace doth want much of him whom they represent And yet by them as by a token or priuie note we attaine to some obscure knowledge of the creator although his workes doe agree with him neither in different proportion or signification nor yet in al and through all in the same reason but onely by a certaine resemblance they represent vnto vs the perfect fashion of supernall things by their most grosse and base nature euerie one in their degree But this is sufficient concerning this subiect now speake we of the authoritie of such witnesses as make the creation of the world vndoubtable which we refer to you ARAM to declare vnto vs. Of the authoritie of such witnesses as make the creation and newnes of the world vndoubted Chapter 7. ARAN AS we haue seene how weake and feeble the arguments of Philosophers against the creation and newnesse of the world are so is it expedient also that being readie for the combat we march in battell against them armed with true and strong reasons and vnder the authoritie of very good and approoued witnesses to the end to make vndoubted to all Manie witnesses of the worlds creation that which wee haue already declared concerning the creation of the Vniuers And first we will recite those who being woorthie of credite haue taught it vs. We haue alreadie seene how that the opinion of Plato concerning this generation of the world accordeth with the doctrine of Moses Mercurius Trismegistus in his Pimandre deliuereth in few words the same sacred mysteries rendring the composition of this Vniuers and of the gouernors thereof and of all things created to be vndoubtable And by the baser elements he aduertiseth vs of the pure workemanship of nature vnited neuerthelesse with the thought of the Creator Which elements he affirmeth to be for this purpose established by the will of God onely and yet in farre woorse condition then before they were in the worker Empedocles of Agrigentum and Heraclitus of Ephesus affirme not once but oftentimes the world to be engendred and corruptible Democritus teacheth that it hath had beginning that it one day must perish and neuer againe be renued Hesiod and Orpheus the Poets sing that it hath beene created Thales one of the seuen Sages affirmeth Hieraclus that this round frame is the worke of God Pythagoras Hieraclus his expounder confesse God creator father of all things To which accord Auicen Arabian Algazel Sarrasin Philo no lesse excellent in doctrine then in Greeke eloquence and Alcinois the Platonist who saith It is necessarie for the vniuersall world to be the perfectly-beautious worke of God And many such other authors the most cōmended for learning whom it would be too lōg tedious to rehearse affirme the same But leauing the testimonies of strangers let vs come to such as haue receiued frō diuine oracles A certaine approbation of the doctrine of Moses by supernatural illumination that which they haue taught vnto vs. We haue heard that which Moses teacheth vs concerning the generation of the world now let vs consider how his
for riches to the ende that pouertie might not induce them to corruption as Androtion in the second and Philocorus in the third booke of the Athenian affaires do write This man then writing to Polycarpus reprehendeth Apollophanes the Sophister in these very words because he would not admit of the eclipse of the sun which came to passe at the death of the Messias I know not with what spirit thou wert led to diuine Of the eclipse of the sunne at the death of Iesus Christ O Apollophanes when with me conteÌ„plating the eclipse which was against the order of nature at the time that Christ suffered turning thy selfe towardes me thou saidst noble Denis these are the changes which come to passe somtime in diuine things If thou caÌ„st conuince this of vntruth For I was preseÌ„t with thee in coÌ„sideration of so great a prodigy with thee I beheld it iudged of it thought it worthie of perpetual admiration But if any will not yet beleeue this most entire philosopher let him harken to that which the astronomers say Esculus very skilfull and learned in this science taught by astronomicall numbers that the sunne went vnder * The â—amme Aries and the moone vnder * The balance Libra when the sunne failed at ful moone and at that time the Iewes according to their custome celebrated the feast of passeouer Moreouer Phlegron one most excelleÌ„t in reckoning the Olympiads in his thirteenth booke testifieth that in the fourth yeere of the two hundred and second Olympiad there was an eclipse of the Sunne much greater then all those that had euer before hapned at which time was the passion of Iesus Christ Recalling of the sunne in Ezechias daies And for the going backe of the sunne in Ezechias reigne as also that which we reade of the deluge of waters with many other miracles contained in holy writ the auncient memorials of the Persians and Chaldeans do make notable mention thereof And thence coÌ„meth it that the Persian priestes do celebrate the memorie of the triple Mithras that is of the sunne as Denis and Strabo witnes which at the foresaid time appeared to performe a triple course or to stay three times from his accustomed progresse into the west retyring againe into the east by a new kinde of returne for ten howers and then returning againe into the west I leaue for this point the other witnesses Philosophers Gentiles Chaldees Egyptians Phenicians Greekes the Sibilles and many Historians brought for proofe of the supernaturall effectes of omnipotent God by Iosephus Aristobulus Tertullian and Eusebius whereof each by their writings may sufficiently instruct And if authoritie doe ought auaile in disputation let then the deposition of so many Sages preuaile in this point in a matter that Aristotle his fautors denie in words onely Most prudently certaine doth Auicen thinke that motion is neither necessarie nor violent but in a meane betwixt both in such sort that it euer resteth at the pleasure of the Prince And therefore it must be graunted that the second causes are so alligated to the first cause that they doe nothing but as the other commaunds them And yet it so gouerneth those things which it hath created and ordayned that it permitteth them to performe their ordinarie proper motions Now because that it seldome hapneth to the contrary and that the order of their first institution perseuereth in many things and that most commonly therefore did Aristotle iudge that it was naturall and necessarie For as he saith in his treatise of naturall hearing That is naturall which commeth to manie and oftentimes And so could he make no farther search by sensible things But the operations of God By the necessitie of effects one must not conclude the necessitie of the cause and the alliance of things here below with the first cause may not be searched out by discourse of reasons but must rather as we haue declared be learnt of oracles Thus is conuinced of nullitie the progresse which is deduced from necessitie appearing in the effects to the necessitie of the cause because that necessitie of the effects dependeth vpon the order established by the first cause And the effects also are not needefull because they are all particular for the worke of nature is not bounded by the vniuersall All but by each particular which the Peripateticks themselues do rather nominate contingence then necessarie But because the most subtile Philosophers do yet debate that they be eternall and that most needefull is the coherence of the subiect with the worker in which the proper essentiall or the quidditie as they terme it is named of the subiect we may reÌ„der them an other reason for this pretended necessity to wit the correspondence of things with the exemplaries or eternall Ideas celebrated by Plato and defended by many sage and great personages God hath produced all things by himselfe as hath alreadie beene showen For this cannot consist considering that the vniuersall is a simple essence which produceth nothing by the second causes nor by the spirits nor by nature but only by himselfe and also the first cause of all things created before euer any soule or any heauen or any other particular thing whatsoeuer was produced To returne therefore from whence we strayed the effect ensueth the ordinance immutable order of the supreme cause if by the same it be not otherwise instituted And whereas the Philosophers adde farther that the will of God hath equall perfection with the thought which operateth of necessitie we confesse that it taketh place but it is in regard of the worke within himselfe wherby he engeÌ„dreth eternally the perfect image of himselfe his word the absolute Idea and true patterne of all things But we say that he displayeth according to his good pleasure the outward effects that from euerlasting the diuine thought hath described in the word Surely I woonder at the Sages of the world who acknowledge that God is most simple and of himselfe most perfect all other strange thing set apart and yet presently as if they had forgot their doctrine thinke that God hath a needfull bond with things heere below as if he could not subsist without them nor yet be blessed And how is he most simple if he hath a necessary bond with other things How is he prince of all things if he be obliged to the seruice of the most basest What dignitie or what condition hath he of a soueraigne gouernour Briefly to conclude this matter let vs take away all necessitie from the Lord in regard of this round frame and let vs not doubt that the order of this Vniuers shall decay or be destroyed if it be so that the creator doth dispose and varie it at his good pleasure for he doth know how euer to direct in order that which he hath once made and ordayned For none neede to feare the spoile of the worke when the work-master sets hand thereto by whose handling it is rather
made perfect then any whit marred But yet before we take any other subiect we must first heare of AMANA the reasons which declare that God proceeded of free-will to his worke Of the reasons which conclude that God proceeded of free and franke deliberation to the worke of the world Chap. 10. AMANA ALthough that by our precedent discourse we may easily iudge such as maintaine that God of eternitie did by necessitie his outward work woorthie rather to be despised then refuted being against the doctrine of diuine oracles yet we will run ouer a few points by which they themselues shall be pearsed with their owne dartes I would therefore first desire them to tell me from whence come the monsters in nature They may say that this proceedeth either by defect or super-abundance of matter or else bicause that the qualities answere not in due proportion or through corruption of the containing part and such other considerations which are subdiuided by phisitions into their species But let me aske them if that the naturall causes worke necessarily why doe they not performe euery thing duly seeing nature as they say wanteth nothing in necessarie things How then doe naturall causes worke of necessitie when they faile They may answere that I would thereupon conclude that they worke by contingence which if I saide what might follow thereon But to leaue all superfluous debate let them remember that it is an olde sentence vsed in schooles that a thing is said to be necessarie in two sorts the one absolutely necessarie and the other conditionally necessarie Wherefore we attribute the first to God alone A thing is said to be necessary two waies and the other to his creatures so as we call them necessary according to the order appointed by the supreme creator Which if the Philosophers denie we will vrge them with the worke it selfe of these causes For it is certaine that if they be faultie and produce monsters it commeth to passe because that order which is deliuered them by nature as they say or rather of the soueraigne creator as truth is doth faile them Now if they faile of the order it then followeth that it was not simply necessarie for them but giuen by the first cause through vertue whereof the rest subordained vnder it do worke from which if the first withdraw it selfe they do not onely faile but become nothing at all And if they may seeme to performe any thing of necessitie this commeth vnto them by reason of the law which hath beene giuen them by the Prince of Nature who giuing lawes to others is no whit for that therto himselfe obliged They may reply that if our doctrine might stand there should be no certaintie of science considering that it should consist of things which otherwise might be whereto Aristotle doth make deniall But we answere that if he intendeth that those things which are knowne should be necessarie according to the order of the vniuers the like may ensue in those things which may happen contrarie to the order according to the disposition of the eternall will Now if they finde too great difficultie herein for their capacitie what neede wee care Let themselues if they thinke good vnloose the knot For fire may well be without burning Dan. 3. The effect may be separated from the cause as indeed it hath beene as we haue heard in the former speech And likewise euerie effect may be separated from the cause which hath produced it yet neuerthelesse the bond remayning by a certaine correspondencie betweene the worker and the subiect that we may vse schoole termes But proceeding farther I would faine learne of these Peripatetickes whence it is that things haue a necessarie couenant They will say that it is by nature as they prooue by experience What truely nature is But what is this their nature Nothing truely but the author of the Vniuers which is the true spirit not erring seeing that as they teach the worke of nature is the worke of the intelligence not erring and by the ordinance whereof all things haue a due course For there is nothing but serueth this supreme worker He stretcheth out saith the prophet the heauens like a curtaine Psalm 104. He looketh on the earth and it trembleth he toucheth the mountaines and they smoke But these naturalists may say what haue we to doe with prophets seeing we hold that none can haue perfect knowledge but in those things which are prooued by demonstration And from whence fetcheth demonstration his originall Is it not from those principles whose termes being knowne we accord to them or prooue them by experience Now if we beleeue demonstrations by principles and experiences it then followeth that there be some things more certaine then demonstrations Oh execrable vice growne olde amongst our people that hauing had this happines to be enrolled in the number of Christians â—anitie of the â—emonstrations â—f Philosophers yet receiue nothing for truth and certaintie if it be not prooued by such demonstrations as Aristotle hath declared and wherewith for all that he is but little aided in his discourse concerning nature For herein he proceedeth alwaies by those maximes that he taketh to be confessed so that the demonstration whereto his disciples giue beleefe is nothing else but a consequence drawne from the place of authoritie or from the foundations by him supposed Wherefore let vs rather beleeue the holy scripture which instructeth vs that many things and especially diuine are knowne through the beames of supernaturall illumination and by the couenant of the holy word with our vnderstaÌ„ding touched by the truth Let Epicures Atheists then maintaine how they list from Aristotle That to knowe What it is to know is to vnderstand by demonstration For vs it is sufficient to hold our instructions from the prophets taught by the diuine oracle who by miracles and prodigies and great sacraments approoue as we haue already heard that which they teach And if we say that knowledge is an vnderstanding by any thing we may take our selues to be wise in beleeuing the doctrine of the holy Ghost not any whit accounting of the Peripateticks who haue only kindled the light of their contemplation by the moouing formes of the vniuers and haue not been able with a pure cogitation to contemplate him who possesseth the highest degree of dignitie amongst all essences as their soueraigne prince and gouernour hauing in the rest rather giuen an artificiall finenesse and base manner of proceeding then any science And this is that which priuily their Master confesseth when he entreateth of the last Analyticks or Resolutions saying that Science is of demonstration and demonstration of the quiddities as he nameth it and by the proper differences of things to vs vnknowne For thereupon it followeth that the principles of demonstration are vnknowne and that from them one may bring no whit or very little demonstration But resuming our principall point of the free That
vs wee will willingly assigne to them according to our fantasie such vertue that if the world were depriued of them we might hope of nothing but darkenes Wherefore the Lord in this order of the creation causeth vs to see the contrarie and how it is in him and by him that the light subsisteth Now of you ASER we may heare of some excellent mysteries concealed vnder the number of the daies of this mundaine fabrication Of the mysteries hidden vnder the number of sixe in the creation of the vniuers and of the seuenth day of rest Chapter 13. ASER. THat all things consisted in numbers and that there was need of the knowledge of them to conceiue the sacred mysteries of God and nature Pythagoras Plato and all other Academicks haue laboriously taught But they haue spoken so superstitiously and so obscurely concerning the mysteries in these numbers that it seemed they woulde euen coÌ„ceale them from those who were deuoted to the study of their doctrine Plato speaketh thus in his Epinomide If we take away number from the nature of men wee leaue them no whit prudent nor capable of science Of the profit and vse of numbers for the minde can comprehend nothing without reason and none can render a reason for anie thing that is ignorant of number The artes likewise this set apart would altogither perish He assureth vs also that number to wit the vnitie which is God is cause of all good but of none ill And he calleth mans soule a number and reasonable measure by which we measure all things which may be vnderstood and put in practise by vs to the end that in our workes we may eschue all error folly and deformitie Now not onely the Philosophers but also many great personages Christians both Greekes and Latins doe testifie vnto vs by their writings that there be many mysteries in numbers Amongst whom Saint Augustine speaketh thus Lib. 11. de ciuâ—â— Dei cha 30. The reason of numbers is not to be despised of vs which how much it is to be esteemed in many texts of Scripture is apparant to those which marke it diligently And it hath not beene spoken in vaine to the praise of God Thou hast ordred al things in number Wisedome 11. waight and measure Now hereupon we must note that the number waight measure wherby all things haue beene numbred poised and measured subsist not properly in the things created no more then the measure by which the cloth is parted into elles or the weights wherewith euerie thing is weighed or the number by which all things are counted doe consist within the things measured poised or numbred but are doubtles without them So then we contemplate the number waight and measure by which God hath disposed all things In God is the member waight and measure out of the creatures And forasmuch as there is nothing besides all things produced but God it is necessary that in him should consist their number waight and measure In him then is the waight without waight for by it the great worker is not poised but remaineth stable giuing all things the power to be mooued and at last to repose themselues And in truth this frame of the whole world duely proportioned and balanced by waight could not sustaine it selfe if it were not poised by the creator and gouernour thereof who likewise hath the measure by which he moderateth and disposeth all that is contayned therein in well ordered iustice according to the state and proper end of euerie of his workes And in him also are the numbers without number because that all things which are in him are the same onely God And as he is the true vnitie he contayneth in himselfe all number giuing all things the power to be numbred For all multitude ariseth from one and nothing can be one making with any others a multitude if by the participation of the highest one it doth not obtaine the state of vnitie And to it also all things created imitating the course of numbers as the true patterne doth the originall and the end of Gods works endeuoure to returne in such sort as they first proceeded We neede not doubt then but that the consideration of numbers doth therewith import much doctrine Wherefore particularly respecting the distinction of the workes of the Vniuers in sixe daies which is the subiect of our discourse wee will note how many haue acknowledged the number of sixe to be full of deepe mysteries The number of sixe full of deepe mysteries First therfore MathematiciaÌ„s teach that six is the first perfect nuÌ„ber because it is coÌ„pounded of certaine parts perfectly added togither as of one two and three for which cause it is called of the PythagoriaÌ„s Gamon or the Marrying number because all the parts thereof set aside doe make it vp Moreouer some parts of it multiplied together to produce it as sixe times one three times two two times three In this consisteth the perfection of the number which is accomplished by all his parts and but few such haue beene found out by Arithmeticians For within the number of an hundred they haue obserued but that of twentie eight to which they haue attributed such proprietie because it consisteth of fourteene seuen fower two and one as within the number of tenne there is but that of sixe which is accomplished by all his parts Saint Hierom entreating of this number where he writeth vpon Ezechiel saith that it contayneth the sacrament of creatures And in truth there could not be inuented any number more proper for the making of the world then this of sixe which consisteth of a double proportion that it doth next containe in it selfe to wit of fower with two which numbers added togither make sixe which can hardly be found in other numbers but such as are of the nature of sixe as the double triple quadruple or square thereof and such like So then sixe resulteth of that double proportion which makes the diapason in Musicke which is the perfectest and most entire harmonie of all the concords For which it seemeth that Pythagoras would applie it to Natiuities and to Mariages and then it doth consequently verie properly fitte the Creation of the world wherein were celebrated the true nuptials and coniunctions of all things Likewise sixe the first perfect number cannot but aptly agree to God the soueraigne and most perfect creator or to his worke wherein there is no defect Genes 2. And therefore when he had finished and accomplished his workes in sixe daies Moses saith Thus the heauens and the earth were finished and all the host of them But if we will farther proceed in the consideration of this number of sixe we shall see how by the triangled or three-square figure thereof it doth properly accord with the creation of the world For the base or foundation is the number of three the point a vnitie and the number of two is the meane betweene both as appeereth in
this figure Now euery worke proceedeth from the three persons in the Godhead to the vnitie from which the outward works performed in time are vnseparable they tend also to an end to which all things addresse themselues and the passage to proceed thither is the number of two which we may properly attribute to the matter first created by God to forme thereof all his workes For the first beginning of the production and order of creatures was the matter which in respect of number representeth the nature of the binarie and seemeth to be reduced to the vnity by the forme which beareth the shape of the ternary so that on euery side of the premised figure of the number of sixe the ternarie tendeth to the vnitie by the binarie And by this consideration we may make way to the most high contemplation of the number of seauen Of the number of seuen and his excellencie attributed to the rest of the Lord. For we make no doubt that when we shall be all reduced to the vnitie as we tooke our originall from it then shall the rest of the sabbaoth ensue that is figured by the seuenth day wherein it is said that God ceased from his workes and which shutteth vp and closeth the course and circle of all daies Now that this number of seauen hath beene much reuerenced by men of ancient times we haue many witnesses For the Iewes because of the sabbaoth as Saint Hierome writeth vpon Esaie did honour it much And Aulus Gellius and Macrobius vpon the dreame of Scipio do shew great mysteries out of this number of seauen which they call full and perfect and attribute great power to it in the sea and amongst men And the Pythagorians as saith Chalcidius commended it for the best most naturall and most sufficient number Moreouer it is composed of three which is the first vneeuen number that cannot be diuided by any numbers for vnitie is no number though it giueth all numbers the power to be numbred and of fowre which is a full euen number the first double number of all others For this cause the number of seuen is oftentimes vsed for vniuersall generall and to signifie perfection Prouer. 24. As it is written The iust shall fall seuen times a day and shall rise againe that is how often or how many times soeuer he falleth Psalm 119. he shall not perish Againe I will praise thee seuen times a day which in an other place is thus spoken His praise is euer in my mouth Psalm 34. And we may finde manie places in holy Scriptures wherein the number of seuen hath customably beene vsed for the vniuersalnes of any thing whatsoeuer and to demonstrate a perfection And so doth saint Iohn in the Apocalyps â—poc 1. writing to the seuen churches and speaking of the seuen spirits which are before the throne of God For it is certaine that he compriseth there all the vniuersall church and proposeth God in his Maiestie accompanied with innumerable blessed angels But among all the great mysteries which the ancients haue acknowledged to be concealed in the seuenth day by which the rest of the Lord is recommended after his worke perfected and finished this is the most notable by which they teach vs â—he true signiâ—â—tion of the â—â—â—baoth day that this Sabbaoth day signifieth the repose of those which rest in the Lord euen as the ioy of the house betokeneth the ioy of those which reioice therein although that not the house it selfe but something else do make them ioyfull and like as the effect being signified by the efficient cause an epistle is called ioyfull to declare the pleasure of those whom it delighteth by reading thereof Likewise when the Scripture recounteth that God rested we must not take it childishly as if he who by an intelligible and eternall worde spake and it was made had trauailed in his worke but vnderstanding by this manner of speech that God ceased from all worke because he no more created any new kindes of creatures we may conueniently referre his rest to the rest of those whom hee himselfe causeth to remaine in eternall rest after that he hath first drawne them to himselfe by faith in this life Whereas also the prophet hauing made mention in each of the sixe precedent daies of the creation of euening and morning doth mention no such matter of the seuenth day it seemeth hee woulde signifie that this Sabbaoth day was ordained to represent the great and last day of euerlasting rest wherein there should be no more anie such distinction of euening and morning nor of day and night as now is but altogither light by which we shall contemplate God face to face in true and perfect felicitie such as eie hath neuer seene eare neuer heard nor euer hath entred into the hart of man Which wee must doubtlesse beleeue was figured to the Iewes by the rest of the Sabbaoth commanded in the law for these names Rest and Sabbaoth in the Hebrew toong full of mysteries signifie both one thing In which matter we may farther note how the sacred historie declareth that man was created the sixt day which was the â—euen of the Lords rest for this agreeth well to the principall thing which the Lord intendeth in his law to wit to admonish man that he was not placed in the world but to returne at length to him who set him there and to seeke his rest in him Thus haue we sufficiently spoken of the subiect which we first entreated of for else if we shoulde fully prosecute the mysteries included in the historie of the creation of the worlde we should haue matter enough to make vp a verie great volume We will therefore proceed to the particular consideration of the famous workes contained in the glorious frame of the world And first we will speake of the diuision thereof that we may afterward discourse with more ease concerning the parts thereof Then AMANA let vs heare you concerning this point Of the diuision of the vniuersall world Chap. 14. AMANA THe learned and venerable antiquitie figureth and maketh the vniuersall world to be one and threefold as signifying and representing though very farre off and much behinde the omnipotent triple-one most wise and most good worker by whom it hath been created Euseb lib. 11. de prepar Euangel Plat in Phedro Of the three worlds formed and ordained For there is the vppermost world of all which Diuines name the Angelicall and philosophers call the intellectuall world which as Plato saith was neuer yet sufficiently praised Then is there the celestiall world or that of the spheres which succeedeth and is next the first and the third and last is the elementarie world which we inhabite vnder the concauitie of the moone Now as this is the world of darknes so is the Angelicall world the world of light and the world betwixt both is tempered with light and darknes The elementarie world is designed to
defend vs that they direct our waies and haue care of vs in all things Psal 34. Genes 24. And therefore Abraham promised his seruant that the angell of God should be his guide on the way And so often and so many times as God would deliuer the people of Israel out of the hands of their enimies Iudg. 2.6 13. he was serued by his angels to performe this deed 2. King 19. Isay 37. as wee read that the angell of the Lord slew in one night an hundred fowerscore and fiue thousand men in the campe of the Assyrians to deliuer Ierusalem from siege But to stande no longer in so cleere a matter Matth. 4. Luk. 22. Matth. 28. Luk. 24. Acts. 1. I will onely adde this that is said that the angels ministred to Iesus Christ after he was tempted in the desert and that they assisted him in his anguish at the time of his passion and that they published his resurrection and his glorious comming Of the number order names and offices of the angels Dan. 7. But to determine of the number and orders of Angels were me thinketh aboue all humane power For Daniel speaking of the Maiestie of the throne of God saith Thousand thousands of Angels ministred vnto him and ten thousand thousands stood before him Psal 68. Apocal. 5. And Dauid singeth the chariots of God are twentie thousand thousand Angels Saint Iohn also maketh mention of ten thousand times ten thousand and a thousand thousand that giue glorie to God Matth. 26. and Iesus Christ himselfe witnesseth that there are many legions In briefe all the Scripture reporteth of an infinite number of Angels seruing God whom he employeth in the protection of his elect and by whom he bestoweth his benefits vpon men and doth his other works And for their orders although they be not noted in expresse text of Scripture yet the different names whereby they are described haue affoorded matter subiect to Saint Denis in his celestiall Hierarchie to Iamblicus in his booke of Mysteries to many other moderne diuines to set downe nine orders and degrees of Angels to wit The Seraphins Cherubins Thrones Dominations Vertues Powers Principalities Archangels and Angels all which are celestiall spirits to whom the Scripture attributeth such and the like names according to the ministrie wherein God commandeth them to serue so applying them to our infirmitie For they are called Angels Ephes 1. Col. 1. because God maketh them his messengers to man and vertues because that by them God declareth the power of his hand and Principalities Dominations Powers Signiories because that by them God exerciseth his empire throughout all the world and his armies Luk. 2. Apocal. 19. because as souldiers are about their Prince and captaine so are they present before God to honor his Maiestie and attend his good pleasure to employ themselues about all things that he gaueth them in charge yea sometimes they are named Gods because that by their ministerie they do as it were in a mirrour represent vnto vs the image of God And we see that S. Dan. 12. 1. Thes 4. Dan 10. 12. Michael is called in Daniel the great Prince or captaine and Archangel in S. Iude. And Saint Paule saith that it shall be an Archangell who shall summon the world with a trumpet vnto iudgement Daniel also declareth that the Angell of the Persians fought and also the Angell of the Greekes against their enimies as if he would shew that God hath sometimes appointed his Angels to be gouernours of countries and prouinces Matth. 18. And Iesus Christ telling how the Angels of little infants do alwaies behold the face of his father declareth thereby that there are certaine Angels who haue them in guard Saint Peter also being miraculously come forth of prison Acts. 12. and knocking at the house wherein the faithfull were assembled they that could not thinke that it was he said that it was his angel Yet for al these considerations I hold it a thing of too difficult enterprise for mortall man to constitute and appoint which are the degrees of honor among the Angels and particularly to distinguish one from another by any name or title and to assigne to euerie one his place his abode and office We will therefore leaue these things for curious heads to dispute vpon Yet will we hold our selues ascertained of that which the holy Scripture doth openly declare vnto vs and which may best serue vs to our comfort and for the confirmation of our faith that is That the Angels Gods creatures are disposers and ministers of his beneficence towards vs that such kind of beleefe is a certaine argumēt against Atheists concerning the prouidence of God Of the blessed estate of the angels And for the blessed estate of these celestiall spirits it is certaine that for as much as they haue no whit swarued frō the light wherein God created them they remaine in blessednes and felicitie from which they shall neuer more fall Now if we demaund what this felicitie is Without doubt it is the vision and contemplation of the glorie and Maiestie of God whose face as we said euen now they alwaies behold and to whom they giue praise without ceasing singing with a loude voice this song as Esay declareth Isay 6. Holy holy holy is the Lord of hostes all the earth is full of his glory For there is no good in the reasonable or intellectual creature through which it may become happy but God only Wherfore the cause of the felicitie and happines of the angels is for that they belong to God in such sort that their nature liueth in him is wise by him reioiceth euerlastingly in so great and ineffable a good without death without error without impediment Against those which deny that there are any angels I know well some men be so fantasticall that they make it a doubt whether there bee any angels or spirits The Sadduces in times past held this opinion that by the word Angel was signified nothing else but the motion that God inspireth into men or the power which he sheweth in his works But there are so many testimonies of Scripture which contradict this madnes and histories both ecclesiasticall and prophane are so replenished with woonderfull actes of inuisible spirits as we daily see come to passe that it is a wonder how such ignorance could be in former ages Error of some Philosophers and yet among many remaineth at this day There haue also beene men of great authoritie who discoursing according to the reasons of Philosophie haue dared to affirme that God the first father and author of all things did onely produce one intelligence or angell because say they being alwaies of one manner hee cannot by any naturall reason produce diuers thinges For this cause therefore they woulde limite the powerfull production of God to one onely intelligence which being created of God had recourse to the
Intelligences bicause say they Of the separated intelligence being separated from the most simple vnderstanding they receiue a certaine composition in an essence and vertue which perfecteth them of a Metaphysicall and supernaturall matter and forme Aug. de ciuit Dei lib. 11. cap. 10. For this point also Saint Augustine teacheth that there is one onely simple good and therefore immutable which is God and that by this good all things haue beene created good but not simple and therefore they are mutable Which is manifest not onely in man Cause of the fall of the angels and man but euen in some part of the angels as this doctor of the church excellently discourseth in the most part of his worke De ciuitate Dei And these are those of whom the scripture teacheth that they haue not remained in the truth but declining from their first state haue ouerthrowne themselues and haue beene made instruments of perdition to many But as we heard by our precedent speech Iohn 2. 2. Peter 2. Iude. some haue been in this error to beleeue that the good angels were nothing else but good inspirations motions which God gaue men so there haue been that thought that the euill diuels were no other but euill affections through the suggestion of our flesh Yea the impietie of our age hath passed farther For there are many Against those which denie that there be any diuels which will not beleeue that there is any God or diuell And it is not long since that certaine talke being mooued betweene a prelate of this kingdome and certaine others concerning the diuel he blushed not to aske them if they had euer seene any one who had sold him spectacles considering he must needes be very olde since they say that he came first into the world Now such contemners of all religion do euidently shew their ignorance and beastlinesse For there was neuer any I will not say Christian but Ethnicke nor Pagan endued with any naturall knowledge and facultie of teaching but hath spoken of diuels and euill spirits and haue by many writings left to posteritie infinite testimonies concerning their nature and maruellous effects Yea the doctrine of the Assyrians Arabians Egyptians and Grecians confirmeth that which our most diuine theologie teacheth vs concerning the euill angels chased from the seruice of God And amongst others Pherecides the Syrian describeth the fall of the diuels and saith that Ophis which signifieth the diuelish serpent was captaine of the rebellious armie Trismeghistus also the glorie of the Egyptians hath touched the same fall And Homer the most excellent Greeke Poet and setter foorth of mysteries singeth in his verses the fall of the first rebell vnder the name of Até goddesse of iniurie and wrong The Theologie also of the Arabians in imitation of the Hebrew confirmeth the same Yea the diuels themselues haue oftentimes confessed their owne fall as many writings testifie and they know who haue trauelled in the searching out of ancient monuments Wherefore this matter needeth not long disputing and it is not our intent to satisfie the curious and fantasticall of our age to whom nothing is pleasant saue new doctrine Creation and fall of the angels and the cause of them But pursuing the Christian truth we say that since the angels haue beene created of God and the diuels haue beene all created angels there is no doubt but they are his creatures but not of the first condition wherein they were at the beginning For they were created good like the other angels and like man but they haue made themselues euill by their rebellion pride and sinne like as our first father fell from his natiue integritie by imitation of them so that of angels they haue made themselues diuels Iohn 8. And therefore it is written of them that they haue not perseuered in the truth that is that they haue not for euer stucke to God who is the onely good of euery reasonable or intellectuall creature Lib. 12. de ciuit Dei cap. 1. as Saint Augustine doth learnedly teach adding moreouer the cause of their fall when hee saith that the creature which may attaine to the gift of blessednes can not do it of it selfe because it is created of nothing but it receiueth this benefite from him by whom it hath beene created Thereupon is concluded Sweete Christian doctrine to acknowledge all our good of God that immutable good is no other thing but the true blessed God and that yet all things which hee hath created are very excellent good bicause they proceed from him but yet they are mutable bicause they haue beene made not of him that is of his owne substance but of nothing Because then the diuels haue beene created by God we must vnderstand that they haue not that malice which now we say is their naturall estate from their first creation but forsomuch as they haue depraued themselues For that which is damnable in them they haue gotten it since they turned voluntarily from God Iohn 8. And therefore it is saide that Sathan speaketh of his owne when hee speaketh a lie because he abode not in the truth Whereby it appeereth that he was once in it And in that he is called the father of lying all excuse is taken from him so that he cannot impute to God that euill wherof himselfe is cause 2. Peter 2. Iude. Wherfore as the diuels haue declined from their first estate God hath not spared them but hath bound them in the deepe with chaines of darkenes to reserue them to the iudgement of the great day who likewise perseuering in their first malice and enuie haue alwaies endeuored shal continue to the end to be instruments of perdition vnto men And therefore all that which the holy scripture teacheth vs concerning them tendeth to this point that we should stande vpon our guards to resist their temptations and not to be surprised by their ambushments arming vs to this effect with all the armour of God as Saint Paule doth thereto exhort vs. Ephes 6. For he that hath a long time iudged them holds them so with the bridle that they cannot annoy those which are firme in faith to resist them nor do any thing without his will and leaue 1. Pet. 5. But hee maketh them serue for a time measured and prefixed for scourges as it pleaseth him in the execution of his iudgements giuing them much power of error in prodigies and miracles to abuse those which turne from the light of truth to follow darknes and embrace lying And thence spring the idolatries of the Pagans and inuocations on diuels which haue caused so many euils to lay holde on man For the purpose of the diuels hath alwaies beene to make themselues to be serued and honored of men to the ende that being associated with them they might likewise be a most prouoking and effectuall cause of the iudgement of God And yet how many doe
hath onely a two-fold motion betwixt the starrie heauen and the first moouer which is onely turned with one motion to the end that in good order all things may bee reduced to the first moouing For as Aristotle in his profound Philosophie saith it is necessary that by most fit agreement and consent euery thing may be reduced to that which is the cause thereof But because Ptolomy Hermes Aratus and other ancients most exquisite beholders of the heauens and of their motions and aspects are contented with the number of nine spheres many therefore reiect the opinion of those which make ten because that nothing maketh for them but onely the motion of Trepidation which say they may be well considered vnder the first moouer put for the ninth sphere Besides which our diuines do yet declare to be a tenth heauen which they call Empyreall vitall flaming and diuine Of the tenth Empyreall heauen into which are receiued the soules of the blessed And it seemeth that Plato and his Academicks especially Plato in his booke of the world doth consent to them But this heauen and throne of God cannot properly be reckoned with the other nine For they bee mooueable but this is stable and immooueable they be of one substance onely and this of another Wherefore we may aptly referre it to the Angelicall and intellectual world whereof we discoursed yesterday And if we may bee permitted againe to discourse by numbers as we haue begun it is certaine that as the number of ten retaineth a double nature because it doth partake with that number whereof it is the end and with that other whereof it is the beginning so the tenth in all the prime kindes of things doth consist of double nature For man which is the tenth kinde of things subiect to corruption at whom the other nine finish is of a corruptible and incorruptible composition So the nine heauens end at the imperiall heauen which in that it is material agreeth with them but in dignitie of matter it doth participate with the supercelestiall throne As likewise they that speake of the nine orders of angels say that they end in Christ their king who holdeth and embraceth in all perfection both the nature of angels and also of God to whom at last all things must be reduced as to him of whom from whom and by whom all thinges consist Now that which heere we speake of the heauens may likewise be learned out of Moses the prince of all Philosophers or rather of the creator of all things himselfe who hath spoken by the mouth of his prophet as also by himselfe For after Moses had praied the Eternall that he woulde be alwaies with him and that he woulde by continuall oracles instruct him as there should be great need that hee might rule such a number of people and that he might giue them the law I will be saith he with thee and will dwell in the midst of thee And according to all those things which I shall shew thee euen so shall you make the forme of the Tabernacle They shall make an Arke of Shittim wood whereof the height and the bredth shall be a cubite and an halfe Such as haue diligently interpreted this text do amongst other mysteries finde therein the nine heauens aptly represented for a cubite is sixe palmes then a cubite and halfe hie and broad are nine palmes And againe when he commandeth that vpon the same arke he shoulde make a crowne of gold which should serue it for a couering and which was of precious stuffe farre aboue that of the arke of wood they would thereby make vs vnderstand that the tenth heauen was figured Which for that cause is not numbred commonly with the other nine but is considered by our vnderstanding to bee the beginning of an other combination and coupling For ten as it doth accomplish the other numbers so is it the originall of the tens so an hundreth finishing the tens beginneth the hundreths So this couering of gold otherwise called propitiatorie crowning the arke was beginning to a better thing for vpon the same were placed the Cherubims and there were obtained the mercifull and fauorable graces of God In such sort likewise the imperiall heauen though it accomplisheth and finisheth the number of the nine heauens yet is it the beginning of spirituall and diuine thinges and retaineth an angelicall nature yet so that it is proportioned to the spheres who are appointed to haue a place Againe wee haue heeretofore heard in the generall diuision of the vniuers how in the partition of the Tabernacle into three speciall parts was very aptly signified that of the world being a threefold-one How also by the seuen lampes of gold ordained to be set to the candlesticke in the arke might fitly seeme to be represented the seuen planets shining in their spheres as likewise by the body of the same candlesticke out of the sides whereof proceeded sixe branches to wit three out of either side might bee particularly denoted the sun which is placed in the midst of the planets wherof there be three on each part in round forme which like cups or vessels receiuing influences from aboue do conferre them on things heere below by which meanes sundry flowers do spring vp But because it woulde be too tedious for vs to compare all that which belonged to the making of the arke with that which is taught vs concerning the spheres wee will come to conclude that there be nine Heauens to wit the first mooueable by which the supreme worker and first moouer of all mooueth all things Then is the starrie heauen or firmament by which the same creator distributeth his power into innumerable instruments to performe such things as he executeth especially by meanes of the seuen planets which haue euery one their heauen according to the order heeretofore declared And vpon which according to our yesterdaies speech the Hebrew doctors and many other diuines do teach that certaine spirits which they call celestiall or separated intelligences do make abode who being before the throne of God reioicing in his presence do behold in his countenance as in a mirrour all things which may be contemplated and at the very becke of the prince of nature do put his will in execution vsing the heauens as instruments by which and according to the number of diuers influences proceeding from all the starres and signes heere below are produced with one concurrence mettals stones plants and liuing creatures But before we more amplie touch these things which respect the nature and admirable effects of the heauens in al creatures we must first entreat of their figure and motion which AMANA shall be the subiect of your discourse Of the forme and figure of heauen and of the motion thereof as well generall as particular Chap. 18. AMANA THat the heauen is generally and particularly of circular forme and altogether round the Latin name Orbis by which the ancients haue commonly called it
the true east and west according as the true place of the sunne declineth more or lesse from the Equinoctiall The arcke then of the Horizon which is betweene the true east and the center of the bodie of the sunne when it is come to the easterne part of the Horizon is called the orientall latitude of the sunne and that which is comprised betweene the direct west and that same center when it is in the west part of the Horizon is called the occidentall latitude of the sunne As also the latitude of the starres is taken from the Zodiacke towards the one or other pole thereof For all stars both fixed and wandring hold their longitude and latitude of the Zodiacke as of the Equinoctiall their declinations ascensions and descensions So that the latitude of the sunne both orientall and occidentall is necessarily northerly one halfe of the yeere and the other halfe it is southerly And likewise the orientall latitude is equall to the occidentall in one day And bicause the variation of each latitude proceedeth of the diuersitie of the sunnes declinations they are therefore such on the septentrionall part as on the meridionall Consequently you must note that in the right sphere the foresaid orientall or occidentall latitude is such without difference as is the declination of the sunne bicause the right Horizon passeth by the poles of the world and sheweth both the one and other But in the oblique sphere those latitudes are greater then the declinations of the sunne and so much the greater and more different as the pole of the world is eleuated aboue the oblique Horizon and the place of the sunne declineth from the Equinoctiall So that the greatest are those of the solstists which doe most decline from the Equinoctiall and besides these there are fower points in the Zodiacke which haue equall latitude both orientall and occidentall that is two on the north side and two on the south side But thus much may suffice concerning this matter for our purpose And that we may not swerue from the substance of our former discourse it will be good for vs to intreate of the daies both naturall and artificiall which are caused by the prime and regular motion of the whole sphere with the nights likewise as you ARAM can manifest vnto vs. Of the naturall and artificiall daies and of the nights of their diuersitie and cause Chap. 23. ARAM. AMongst the most excellent and note-woorthie things which depend vpon the first and vniuersal motion of the whole heauen and vpon that which hath been expounded in our forepassed talke there appeereth next to be handled the vnderstanding of the greatnes and quantitie of the daies and the partes of them called howers as also of the heights of the sunne aboue the Horizon and of the shadowes as well right as oblique Beginning then with the daies you must note that some are called naturall some artificiall daies which with vs are named properly daies though indeede they be but parts of naturall daies and so of nights Of naturall daies Now the naturall day is nothing but the time of the entire reuolution of the bodie of the sunne about the world made by the naturall and proper motion of the vniuersall sphere which reuolution must alwaies begin at the Meridian circle and comprehend the time which is from one noone till the next ensuing But bicause the sunne this while goeth contrarie in his owne peculiar course the point of the Equinoctiall which is vnder the Meridian with the sunne performeth his reuolution sooner then the sunne it selfe Wherefore you must adde to the entire reuolution of the Equinoctiall the ascension being taken in the right sphere from the part of the Zodiacke which the sunne hath passed that while to haue the entire reuolution of the sunne and the true measure of the naturall day For all accidents of ascensions which happen in the right Horizon are common to euery Meridian circle in the right or oblique sphere whereupon ensueth that the true naturall daies are vnequall one to another both bicause of the proper motions of the sunne as also bicause of the said ascensions taken in the right sphere For the sunne by reason of the obliquenes of the Zodiacke declining on either side from the Equinoctiall which onely is the measure of time is irregular in his owne proper motion and performeth not euery naturall day a degree precisely but sometimes a little more sometimes a little lesse And though it should make a degree iust yet would not the ascension in the right sphere be equall For these causes then the true naturall daies are vnequall But this inequalitie is scarcely to be perceiued by vulgar iudgement and sensible obseruation Moreouer it is to be vnderstood that forasmuch as the motions of the planets and the middle coniunctions and oppositions of the sunne moone cannot bee reduced into tables nor calculated but by equall daies and euen reuolutions of times there must be assumed for this cause certaine naturall daies one like alwaies to another which are called middle or meane daies containing each the entire reuolution of 360. degrees of the Equinoctiall and aboue that 59. minutes and almost eight seconds of a degree Which make vp the quantitie of the regular and middle motion of the sunne correspondent to one of the said euen and meane naturall daies according to which daies the tables of the foresaid motions are composed and calculated And by this meanes the proposed terme of an entire yeere is reduced into true natural daies which of Astronomers is called the Equation of the daies Of artificiall daies and nights For the artificiall day thereby is vnderstood that part of the naturall day which the sunne maketh passing from the east by south to the west through the proper and vniuersall motion of the whole world During which time the sunne illuminateth the superior part of the Horizon for which occasion the said part of the naturall day is properly termed day And that which remaineth thereof being comprised betweene the west to the east passage of the sunne is named night during which time the shadow of the earth is aboue the said Horizon in forme of a round Pyramis which doth then depriue that superior part of the light and shining of the sunne whereby the darknes is caused which is called night And also the two twylights that is Of the twylights the cleerenesse which we see before sunne rising and after sunne setting are parts of the night For the true artificiall day beginneth when the sunne is in the east part of the Horizon and endeth when he passeth to the west And these daies and nights are called artificiall bicause that according to the diuers and artificiall situation of the sphere and according to the true place of the sunne in the zodiacke they doe differ in quantitie one from another To vnderstande which varietie you must knowe Of the diuersitie of the daies and nights that in all
and variable motion so that she causeth to be correspondent to man as to the end and image of the whole Vniuers all the loftie members of it All these properties I say are attributed by sundry Astronomers to the planets in regard of the good which they cause to men Againe others acknowledge some of them to be the cause of many euils and those they call ill planets not celestiall For they say that Saturne is foolish niggardly difficult Euilnes of Saturne inducing to dangers fraud mischiefe treasons violence captiuitie banishment losse periurie contumacie wrath hatred of all good feare anguish griefe burials sorrow and losse of children also that he causeth sorceries empoisonings theft maketh Magicians Of Mars they say that he prouoketh to treason warre Of Mars murder boldnes rashnes pride sedition contention rapine ambushments woundings flights disloialties villanies foolish loue easie offending many cogitations ill counsell and that he maketh princes violent cruell inhumane desirous of bloud and slaughter periured deceitfull inconstant cursing and full of all wickednes and that he foresheweth a mishapen and impudent man and that he is pernicious to birthes causing abortiue fruit Finally that in all parts of heauen he menaceth some mischiefe For the rest I passe them heere in silence that I may not bee too tedious in this matter which some Mathematicians and Poets ascribe to other planets making them cause of many other euils according to the diuers constellations where they doe contemplate them But to speake my minde we like Christians must beleeue and not thinke as many naturalists doe who in stead of acknowledging a God do forge to themselues an Idoll of Nature that it should be the planets or starres who like fountaines or Ladies of vertues properties and powers giue influence to men of the foresaide qualities but onely that in disposing their bodies being compounded of the elements vpon which the planets worke they serue to aide them to abound in vertues or vices according as their minde beeing moderatrix of all their actions doth dispose hir faculties to intend good or euill For this cause we say that to those which want the gifts and graces of Gods spirit all things cannot but succeed badly and the influences of the spheres hurt them rather then otherwise yea some more then other some as to the contrarie the minde of the faithful well instructed doth correct the naughtines of the stars deliuereth himselfe from all peruerse inclination This is it that the thrise great Philosopher Mercurius saith entreating of those whom the diuine power whatsoeuer it was had forsaken leauing and abandoning them to the euill as hee speaketh and all that which was sensible in them For thus saith he Of such the forces of anger appetite which being wel directed would cause euery good worke turne into a nature depriued of reason So then we learne that very vaine is the faith that is giuen to the planets to constellations and to foolish diuinations and superstitious prognostications of Astrologians For true Christians feare not the signes of heauen nor their aspects and regards but do wholly depend vpon the grace of God and of his prouidence which turneth all to the good of his elect Against iudiciall astrologie And therefore though wee condemne not true Astrologie namely Astronomie yet must we not approoue the superstition and curiositie which is in many concerning that part of this science called Iudiciall which they holde for a certaine and infallible doctrine by which may be foreseene and knowne the euents of men But let vs rather hold with that which Ieremie teacheth vs Ierem. 10. saying Feare not the signes of heauen according to the gentiles for the customes of the people are vaine Which is as much as if he had said that such curious obseruations full of superstitions are friuolous and false belonging to pagans and idolaters and not to the people of God For this cause also we haue in the bookes of the other prophets many things spoken against the predictions and prognostications of the Chaldees and Babylonians Esay 47. namely in Isay For God which is aboue all nature hath meanes which men cannot perfectly know either by reason of their ignorance or for that those meanes are supernaturall So that it happeneth that things oftentimes succeede cleane contrarie to that which the Astronomers haue forespoken prognosticated Against the casters of natiuities according to their contemplation But I woulde willingly aske them what foundation they can haue when like prophets they enterprise to foretell men good lucks and ill lucks and all euents which they must expect and chiefly to kings princes and other chiefe personages For where doe they finde when God created the stars and planets that he gaue them commission to reueale to Astrologers what should be the nature and complexion of euery one according to the planet vnder which they should be borne And againe how can such iudiciall science haue certaintie seeing there are a thousand men that are borne euery day in the world in one selfesame countrie at one selfesame time hower and instant one sometimes to be a king and another a poore shepherd being neither like in nature nor like in manners but sometimes more contrarie then fire and water For this is much prooued in many twinnes as the scripture giueth vs a notable example in Iacob and Esau For they were borne so close to one another Genes 25. that Iacob helde with his hand the sole of his brother Esaus foote and therefore the name of Iacob was giuen him And by how much the one was humble good and peaceable by so much the other was proud wicked and warlike And who can beleeue that God hath set marks in any of the signes of heauen to signifie to men that which he hath ordained concerning euery one in his eternall counsell which is hidden from the angels themselues Surely whatsoeuer we can learne is through his holy spirit which he communicateth to such as he pleaseth reuealing to them his secrets as heretofore he did to his most faithfull seruants And therefore he that would haue most certaine prognostications must not goe away to seeke and aske them of other more true Astrologians then the prophets and apostles with their writings For they haue surely foretold all that must come to passe in the world to the very consummation of time and chiefly touching the monarchies empires and kingdoms of the earth namely Daniel And I belieue that God hath not created the stars planets more for kings princes other great personages thē for the simple least Too sound true a prognosticatiō haue we against them all in Isay Isay 60. by which he prophesieth that euery kingdome euery nation which serueth not the Lord shall perish So likewise all the blessings and cursings of the lawe Leuit. 26. Deut. 28. are so many most certaine prophesies of all that which good and bad
glorie of the Lorde At noone when it burneth the countrie who may abide for the heat thereof The sunne burneth the mountaines three times more then he which keepeth a furnace with continuall heate it casteth out firie vapors and with the shining beames blindeth the eies Hast thou commanded the morning since thy daies saith the Lord to Iob and hast thou caused the morning to know his place Iob. 38. That it might take hold of the corners of the earth and that the wicked might be shaken out of it For as it is said in another place They are among those which abhorre the light Iob. 24. and knowe not the waies thereof nor continue in the paths thereof The murtherer riseth early and killeth the poore and needie and in the night he is as a thiefe The eie also of the adulterer waiteth for the twylight and saith None eie shall see me and disguiseth his face They dig through houses in the darke which they marked for themselues in the day they know not the light But the morning is euen to them as the shadow of death if one know them they are in the terrors of the shadow of death By which testimonies aptly agreeing with that which is written euerie man that doth euill hateth the light we may know Iohn 3. besides the greatnes of the workes of God which principally shineth in the creation of the Sunne how euen they who would not behold the light thereof but fly from it as much as they may bicause they hate it and feare it as the death cannot for all that auoide it To the ende then that we may reape some profit by this discourse and so finish this daies talke let vs thinke that if the most ignorant and most doltish are inexcusable for their ignorance and ingratitude towards God for the sermons of the heauens which they continually make to all creatures how much more are the learned and chiefly Astronomers and Astrologians if they know not verie well how to vse their science to the glorie of God Of the names of Astronomers and Astrologers and of their true intent For they are called Astronomers because they haue the knowledge of the lawes and rules which the soueraigne creator hath established and ordayned among the starres and their courses and motions according as their name deriued from the Greeke toong importeth as also the name of Astrologie will infer as much seeing that thereby is signified that they vnderstand and can render a reason of the nature and of the effects of the celestiall bodies Wherefore then sith they haue greater knowledge then the ignorant and common people as well by the knowledge as by the obseruations and continuall experience of the effects of the planets they shall be therfore found the more culpable before God if they vnderstand not the language of the heauens thereby to learne how to glorifie him And yet so far are the greater part of them from doing that which we say that contrariwise we see verie many which impute that to the spheres that they should attribute to the spheres-creator and so draw men from God their father by the vanitie of their humaine dreames vnder colour of their Astronomie and Astrologie causing them to stay in regard of the creatures with them and so make them Atheists as they are when they acknowledge none other God but an idoll of Nature And therefore I desire that we may to morrow againe proceed to behold the admirable effects of the Sun being most apparant to all and most easie for to know by which the rudest and most simple may learne to come to God as among other effects is that of the rising and setting of this goodly light For the prouidence of God shineth maruellously in this point as ASER we may learne of you The end of the fourth day THE FIFT DAIES WORKE Of the rising and setting of the sunne and of the prouidence of God which shineth in the commodities of day and night Chapter 33. ASER. IF with vnderstanding we read the bookes of the heauens wee shall verily esteeme the celestiall bodies to bee the chiefe naturall Philosophers Doctors and Astronomers by whom God dayly teacheth vs that principall Astronomie and Astrologie which he will haue vs learne and whereof we must not be ignorant without being conuicted as well the vnlearned as the learned of verie great vnthankefulnes towards him and of more beastly brutishnes then is amongst the bruite beasts For he hath assigned vs teachers and masters which keepe common schoole with vs day and night as by our precedent discourse we haue alreadie vnderstood And yet the greatest part of men yea almost all do no more profit in this schoole then the verie beasts though indeed it standeth continually wide open to all yea and they which should chiefly learne out of this great booke of nature touching the knowledge of the creator of all things are those which oftentimes are farthest to seeke For in liew of committing themselues to be guided by this booke so to approch to God as he pointeth out the path and way to those who haue eies to see and a spirit to vnderstand they rather take occasion therein by the vaine dreames of their own apprehensions to wander from the truth And for this cause Moses Dauid and the other Prophets and seruants of God speaking of the workes of the creation and of the diuine prouidence in them do propound vnto vs but simply those which are the most apparant to al the most easie to be vnderstood because they wil not only teach the most learned who are they which willingly make least profit in their writings but will also instruct the simple and ignorant whō God doth oftentimes make capable of his secrets For which cause likewise these holy fathers speake not of the spheres and heauenly bodies subtilly as Philosophers in their schooles do but rather vulgarly to the ende that the most rude and playnest may vnderstand their philosophy replenished with the doctrine of saluation For it is verie necessarie that euerie one should be instructed therein according to his owne capacitie To pursue then our yesterdaies speech Vtility of the light and heat of the sunne begun concerning the Sunne which the holy Scripture setteth so often before our eies as an vniuersal preacher of the soueraigne Maiesty I pray you let vs first consider what ioy and what good it is that men receiue by it so long as it distributeth his light as wee haue alreadie heard being like the chariot of God to bring it to them Likewise how much pleasure and profit receiue they by his heat Againe do we not see how he hath his determined time to make vs day And how that after he hath lightned one part of the world during such time as was assigned to him by God the creator hee then transporteth his light to the other part And when he hath performed his taske on one side of the world
by winde and such like Whereto we will adde also this opinion of those who attribute the cause of such motions and tremblings either to the drinesse of the earth which is the occasion that it cleaueth and chappeth and by this meanes giues open way to the aire and to the windes which penetrate thereinto or else bicause of the older age thereof to which they esteeme all creatures subiect whereupon it happeneth to it as to old buildings which being ruinous and almost rotten doe fall downe in some places of themselues These are the diuers opinions of men vpon this matter wherin if we desire to take a very short and sure way to attaine to the true cause wee must referre it to the wrath and iudgements of God bicause that what causes soeuer the learned can inuent the Eternall sheweth himselfe very powerful The true cause of earthquakes and the profit that wee may reape thereby and to be feared therein considering that he hath disposed all of them and that they all depend vpon him alone And surely this is a worke of the omnipotent woorthie to be woondred at and which may well cause men to mooue and tremble before his maiestie For if he shewe himselfe terrible and fearefull by deluges of water by haile thunder lightning stormes and tempests he doth no lesse by the motions and shakings of the earth which are in regarde thereof as thunders are in the aire For seeing that the earth is as the foot of the world and that it is assigned to men for their habitation whither is it that they may haue recourse if it quake vnder them and faile to sustaine them Whither shall they retire if she will allow them no more dwelling in hir but will spue them out as the scripture saith For if it be hard for them to flie before fire Leuit. 19. and before water and to finde harbour against windes thunders and tempests whither shall they flie if the earth will not receiue nor beare them And what dread may inuade them when sometimes it quaketh in such sort that it openeth and is swallowed vp as into a bottomlesse pitte as it came to passe when it swallowed Corah Dathan and Abiram and their families Nom. 16. Who will not bee astonished when it riseth vp ouerturning all euen the highest mountaines and hardest rockes and mooueth it selfe in such sort that it maketh houses and buildings dance like rammes and sheepe that would one butte at another wherewith many are vtterly destroied Examples of meruailous earth quakes as it happened in the yeere 1531. in the realme of Portugall which was so shaken by an earth-quake that at Lisbone the chiefe citie thereof there were ouerthrown almost twelue hundred houses besides a great number of others which were greatly spoiled This horrible earthquake continued the space of eight daies and gaue verie furious assaults fiue or sixe times a day And in the time of the Emperour Tiberius twelue cities in Asia were quite ruinated in one night by an earth-quake And Iosephus recordeth that by another Lib. 1 de bello Iud. thirtie thousand Iewes died So Iustine recounteth that by another earth-quake many cities were destroyed an hundred and seuentie thousand persons perished in the raigne of Tigranes in Armenia What causes then soeuer there may be in nature of so many terrible euents yet we must alwaies haue recourse to the Author and Gouernour thereof without whom it can performe nothing and he it is Psal 135. that bringeth earth-quakes out of his treasures as he doth the winds either by his commaundement without a meanes or by his ministers ordayned thereto or else by some power infused into things the which may according to his good pleasure display it selfe in effect to denounce his iudgments on men For he it is of whom the prophet speaketh The earth trembled and shaked and the foundations of the mountaines were mooued and quaked 2. Sam. 22. Psal 18. and the foundations of heauen were bowed and trembled because he was angrie Wherefore wee may verie well conclude Isay 66. Matth. 5. Acts. 7. that as God declareth his magnificence and woonderfull glorie in heauen which is assigned to bee his seat as his word teacheth vs and as we haue heretofore amply discoursed so likewise he doth manifest it no lesse in the earth which is his footstoole when he causeth it to shake and remooue as if being supprised with some great strong feuer it shooke trembled before him Iob. 9. And therefore Iob also saith The Eternall is wise in heart and mightie in strength who hath beene fierce against him and hath prospered He remooueth mountaines and they feele not when he ouerthroweth them in his wrath He remooueth the earth out of her place that the pillers thereof do shake Iob. 26. the pillers of heauen tremble and quake at his reproofe But now let vs note that all that which we haue here deliuered disprooueth not the earth to remaine alwaies firme immooueable in it selfe in so much as it mooueth not out of the place which was appointed to it by God neither doth it swerue neuer so little considering that the moouings and tremblings are not vniuersall but particular onely in some places in such sort that the foundations thereof are not any whit altered And if we consider well of these things the Earth will serue no lesse for a preacher vnto vs then the aire and the fire yea then all heauen to denounce vnto vs the soueraigne maiestie of the Almightie ruling aboue all his workes as I hope to morrow we may haue goodly testimonies entreating of the water which is dispersed throughout the earth and afterwards speaking of the excellent commodities and pretious riches that these two elements doe yeeld to men into which matter you ASER shall enter with your dicourse The end of the seuenth day THE EIGHT DAIES WORKE Of the sea and of the waters and of the diuision and distribution of them throughout the earth Chap. 57. ASER. THE holy Scripture doth certifie vs how that in the beginning the earth was couered ouer with water and that it appeered not in any sort but onely vnder the forme of a great deepe till such time as God commaunded the waters to retire into the channels and places which hee had prepared for their aboade So that then the earth was discouered euen so much therof as was needfull for the habitation and nourishment of men and beasts But this soueraigne creator of the Vniuers would not haue the waters to be gathered all into one place and not to haue their course through the earth but prouiding for euerie commoditie for his creatures he ordained that out of the great Ocean sea which is as the great bodie of the waters there should issue diuers armes and members by meanes whereof we haue the Mediterran seas out of which againe proceed many other waters as lakes flouds riuers and brookes For although that all
Eternall and those great works and woonders which he declareth in the sea and to haue recourse for their deliuerance out of all dangers to the creator and true Lord of the waters and of the windes and of all nature But yet wee must heere consider the obedience that the sea sheweth euen in the greatest furies therof to the commandement which God hath deliuered to it from the first creation thereof For although it be often mooued as we said yet doth it containe it selfe shut vp within the boundes which were appointed vnto it by the ordinance of God as if it were afraide to run out and durst not passe farther as hauing heard and vnderstood that which the creator thereof had commanded and had engrauen it in memorie for euer And therefore we may see that after it hath swollen risen aloft in waues and that it hath menaced the earth as if it would ouerflowe it and couer it againe with the deepe as at the beginning it is neuerthles arrested and beaten backe to returne into the proper gulfes thereof which are assigned for it to lodge in euen by a very little sand onely For what is the sea shore but sand onely which is a kinde of loose earth like the dust and is easily driuen with the winde And yet the word of God which hath giuen commandement to the sea which is so horrible and fearefull a creature being mooued is of such power that this small sand is sufficient to make it keepe within the confines and limits thereof and to breake the furious waues thereof as if he who hath established this ordinance in nature stood in presence vpon the shore side to command it to doe so and that for feare and reuerence of him it returned to hide it selfe in the deepe How much more then should his word and voice mooue the harts of men breaking cleauing and pearsing them thorough if they were not harder then stones and rocks and more senselesse then the waters For this cause the Lord saith by Esaie Isay 66. And to whome shall I haue respect but to him that is afflicted and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words And Ieremie shewing to the people of Israel the malice and rebellion which was in them Ierem. 5. against the Lord their God doth giue them the sea for a patterne and referreth them to learne to obey their creator after the example thereof Let vs learne then that the sea and other waters do not ouer-passe their bounds and limits but when it pleaseth God that they should ouerflow to chastice men by deluges and flouds as it oftentimes commeth to passe through his iust iudgement But it shal bee your office ACHITOB to speake of this point discoursing vpon the ebbing and flowing of the sea whereupon me thinkes the order of our speech doth require that wee should entreat Of the flowing and ebbing of the sea and of the power that the moone hath ouer it and ouer all other inferior bodies Chap. 58. AMANA IF wee do not refer all things to the heauenly disposition of him who hath framed and compassed all with his hand and doth gouerne all by his prudence and sustaineth all with his power it will be very difficult yea impossible for vs to declare the causes and reasons of his works in an humane discourse which are of such authority that they may put a good spirit out of all scruple and doubt Yea euen in the subiect which wee intend now to entreat of to wit the flowing and ebbing of the sea The searching out of which secret did so trouble a certaine great Philosopher some say Aristotle that beeing vpon the shore of Euboea now called Negropont onely to search out and to behold the naturall cause thereof and not beeing able to enforme himselfe sufficiently therein it did so vex him that chafing at nature himselfe and against the water he cast himselfe into the sea saying to it sith I cannot comprehend thee yet shalt thou haue the honor to comprehend mee and keepe mee within thy gulfs and indeed he was heere swallowed by the deepe And certes this ordinary ebbing and flowing of the ocean according to which it goeth commeth spreadeth it selfe abroade and then doth euery day retire without euer fayling in the order thereof must needes be a most wonderfull thing And that which is most admirable therein is that the flowing and ebbing thereof doe follow the course of the moone Of the ebbing and flowing of the sea To which planet likewise is attributed with most apparant reason the cause of this flowing and ebbing she beeing as the regent of the seas and waters by the appointment of the soueraigne creator as is seene by experience and by the agreeablenes of nature which they haue togither For wee must note that as the moone encreaseth or waineth so is it with the state of the flowing of the sea And therefore although that it happen diuersly yet the principall cause of the motion thereof resideth in his planet For betweene the two times that she riseth which is in fower and twenty howers wherein she compasseth the whole earth the sea doth twise flow doth as oftētimes ebbe And when the moone beginneth to mount in the east then doth the floud rise and the sea swell till such time as this planet doth attaine to our right meridian which is in the mid-heauen and that it begin to decline towardes the west at which time the water ebbeth Yet neuertheles all those six howers wherein the moone maketh hir course towards the line of mid-night opposite to our noone-line the floud returneth and increaseth till after it hath passed that line and then it doth ebbe againe till such time as the said regent thereof the moone returne againe aboue our horizon It is most certaine that the floud doth neuer returne iust at that very hower and instant wherein it flowed the day before But this doth proceede likewise from the course of the moone which seruing for these base and inferiour things and not rising euery day at one selfesame instant she doth draw the course of the sea with hir in such sort that the tide is more late and of shorter continuance at one time then at another and yet doth not the distance of time betweene the tides change one whit for it endureth six howers in ebbe and so long time in flowing But here we meane not all manner of howers as our common howers are according to the different situation of places but we meane equall and equinoctial howers by consideration whereof the ebbing and flowing of the sea will be found alwaies of like time as is abouesaide Moreouer from seuen daies to seuen daies the flowing is found different by the same power of the moone for it is but very small the first quarter thereof and till it be halfe round In the second quarter it alwaies encreaseth till full-moone at which time the sea is at hir greatest height From thence
the fire considering also that heat hath but little motion except it attaine to the height thereof whereas otherwise it doth quench it selfe And therefore it is that matter which burneth vnder the earth that ministreth this puissant heat which doth so warme the water And wee may moreouer note that all those waters which boyle so are naturally light and haue some medicinable facultie and propertie And yet they are not to be so much accounted of as that which is fit for common vsage in mens affaires to preserue health What water is best For good water hath neither colour smel nor sauour and is passing cleere and being drunke it abideth not long in the belly such they say is the water of the riuer Euleus which falleth from the mountaine Zager by Susiana whereof the kings of Persia did make prouision in their expeditions and warlike voyages For to the preseruation of health water is no lesse to bee carefully chosen Diuers causes of cold waters and their tasts colours and smelles then aire Now as warme waters are famous for the reasons heretofore deliuered so there are some waters also verie much admired for their great coldnes whereof snowe marble mettals cold aire sudden motion and the great fall from aloft euerie one in his degree may be the cause Againe the sauours or tastes of waters are verie diuers and the principal cause thereof is heat For sodden earth which is of sundry sorts giueth a tast to water according to the quality thereof And the like reason is concerning colours for fine thin clay doth cause the colour of waters but thick clay tarrieth not in water and therefore dieth it not The same cause is also in the difference of smels And alwaies waters that are of a good smel are profitable for creatures but stinking waters cause diseases for as Philosophers say contrarie causes appertaine to contrarie things Good water likewise is lightest as that which fleeteth aboue other water be it in riuers springs or wels From whence it commeth that fresh water floateth vpon sea water which likewise being more massiue and waightie beareth more heauie burdens And amongst fresh waters the water of Rhodanus or Rosne in France swimmeth vpon that of the lake of Geneua passing ouer the midst thereof Also many rare properties and great woonders are written concerning waters with the causes of them as that Of a floud which ran not on the sabboth day which is reported by Iosephus of a certaine floud in Iudea neere Syria which ranne euery day except vpon the Sabbaoth day which was reputed a matter religious and as a myracle although that this might happen and come to passe through a naturall cause if we will so argue to wit that no more water was gathered into this floud by orderly spaces then was sufficient to runne for sixe daies and not for the seuenth in such sort as Phisitions render a like cause concerning the renewings or fits and ceasings of feauers For the world is the great man as man is the little worlde But not stretching this discourse any farther we will onelie note for conclusion thereof that in the diuersitie of the kindes of waters that which is gathered togither in one place is salt Of the diuers appellations of waters is called the sea the fresh water so gathered togither is called a lake if it mooue not at all it is named a marish or fen but if it be somewhat deepe it is a standing poole and if it runne then is it a riuer if it gather through raines or by snowe then is it a torrent or raine-floud and if it spring it is a fountaine which is euer the best water and doth slowliest putrifie For it is least moist and is most concocted by the heauenly heate Also the lightest water doth hardliest corrupt for which cause it is most fit for the maintenance of mans life as approching neerest to the substance of the aire by which we breath We haue said enough then concerning this matter But me thinketh that our succeeding discourse requireth that we should entreate of those commodities which men receiue by waters through nauigation which ACHITOB shall be the subiect of your discourse Of the commodities which men reape of the waters by nauigation and of the directions which sea-men receiue from heauen and from the starres vpon the sea Chap. 60. ACHITOB AMongst such things as are woorthie of consideration in the sea and in other waters we must not passe ouer in silence those goodly commodities and great profits which they bring vnto men by the meanes of nauigations and of the dealings and trafficks which they exercise by them For it is to be noted that euery land and countrey cānot be furnished with al commodities bicause God hath so disposed therof that some abound in those things which othersome do greatly want stand in need of But by meanes of sayling by water all that which can be required may be transported from one countrey to another with very small trouble charges so that one nation may communicate those commodities with another which the creator hath particularly bestowed on them all each granting mutuall helpe to the other by this meanes Wherin surely we may acknowledge the prouidence of God to be verie great manifold Of the prouidence of God in distribution of his gifts For first the Lord hath disposed of his creatures and distributed his treasures according to the diuersity of landes and countries euen in such manner as he diuideth his gifts and graces amongst men For he bestoweth not all either vpon one or vpon two or vpon three or vpon any other certaine number of them And therefore there neuer hath beene nor shall be any one which either could or may surpasse all others so much that hee may haue no need of another or that hath sufficient for himselfe For if one man possessed all he would thinke himselfe to be no more a man but a God rather and would therefore contemne all others Moreouer it is most certaine that if euery one were so well furnished with all things that they might all surpasse one another there would be no humane societie For one would make no account of another but being all puffed vp with pride whereto they are naturally enclined there woulde arise a thousand quarrels and dissensions amongst them as wee ordinarily see to happen amongst the proud mightie puissant and rich For seeing that charitie which should dwell amongst men can take no place how could they be vnited and allied togither in amitie if they were not constrained therto through necessitie and if it be a difficult matter to conioine and maintaine them in peace and mutuall good will what neede soeuer they haue one of another one may easilie iudge what woulde ensue if they had not necessitie for their mistresse to this effect which causeth them to do in spight of al their abilities that which she cannot obtaine of them
we sodainly tost and carried away as with violent waues and horrible whire-winds into the lowest gulfes and deepes of the earth Moreouer as the huge monsters of the sea and the greatest and strongest fishes do eate vp and deuoure the smallest and weakest and as the craftiest entrap the simplest and pray vpon them euen so is it with the men of this world For the mightiest tyrants and the richest strongest and greatest rouers theeues and robbers do pill and take away the substance of the least and feeblest and do consume and deuoure them And they which cannot doe so by force haue recourse to sleights deceits and treasons by which they surprise the simple and meeke And therefore also as the holy Ghost compareth in the Scripture tyrants Soph. 3. Dan. 7. Ezech. 22. Psal 74. Luk. 13. rouers theeues and murderers to woolues beares lyons and such like beasts and the craftie and deceitful to foxes dragons and serpents who do by subtiltie and guile that which they cannot performe by power and force so doth he compare them to huge whales and to the great fishes of the sea So because Nilus a renowned riuer whereof we haue alreadie spoken passeth through the land of Egypt and runneth into the sea by seuen mouthes or armes Isay calleth Pharaoh the king and tyrant of that countrey Isay 27. Leuiathan or Whale which God did strike with his strong hand and his mightie arme ouerwhelming him in the red sea It is also saide for the like consideration in the Psalmes Thou brakest the heads of dragons in the waters Psal 74. Thou brakest the head of Leuiathan in peeces and gauest him for meate to the people in the wildernes Abac. 1. And the prophet Abacuc doth likewise compare the king and tyrant of Babylon to a great fisher who casteth his nets into the sea and causeth the fishes to come into them and so he taketh them But heere we are to note that although there be some kinds of beasts who eate one another yet are they not all of this nature For there are but certaine of them that liue so vpon praie and rapine And amongst them that so liue there are but verie fewe that eate beastes of their owne kinde except great famine constraine them thereto Yea hunger doth inuite them that liue by pray to chase and deuour others rather then their owne kinde For it is necessitie and want of sustenance that driueth them thereto And though especially fishes do least spare their owne kinde yet doe they not eate one another except when hunger constraineth them thereto to preserue their life How men are more cruell then beasts But men most wretched surely haue not all these causes to mooue them against their own kind against their owne flesh and bloud as it is ordinarily seene that they are more cruelly and more fiercely bent one against another then any bruite beasts but contrariwise they shoulde be much better furnished in all their necessities and should liue much more at their ease if they could maintaine good peace and vnitie one with another Wherefore in that they do otherwise it is easie to iudge how much their nature is corrupted peruerse except they be regenerated by the spirite of God For there is no bond of nature whatsoeuer no not that which is kept amongst the brutest beasts as of the female towards her yoong ones or of the male towards the female and such like which men do not shamefully breake and violate But we must herein acknowledge a terrible iudgment furie of God against them bicause of their sin which hath so peruerted and infected the first original nature of the stock of mankinde For when he giueth strength and power to the one for to torment and destroy the other yea to most cruell tyrants and bloudie murtherers who make lesse account of men then of beasts we must learne this doctrine that herein the iust ordināce of the Almightie is very euident by which he punisheth the wicked by the wicked Good doctrine touching the tyrannie of the wicked taketh reuenge vpon his enimies euen by his enimies thēselues as he hath threatned them in his law And therefore there is lesse maruel herein then that God suffreth the small fishes to be eaten by great ones the weakest by the strongest and the simplest by the craftiest as also the gentlest birds by the cruellest and lambes sheepe and other priuate domesticall and harmelesse beasts by woolues beares lyons and other wilde beasts For it is very certaine that the beasts haue not offended their creator nor deserued his wrath through any sinne against him as men haue done who being created in his owne image are fallen from innocencie and holines through their own fault through the corruption of nature which the transgression of Gods ordinance hath brought vpon them And if we cannot make answere for the cause of this nature of vnreasonable creatures but onely that it hath so pleased God who is the master and lord of all these works and who hath prouided for them according to his good pleasure surely also when we can conceiue no other reason for the tyrannie and crueltie of men exercised one vpon another this same reason should then suffice vs. For the onely will of the eternall the which cannot be but iust and reasonable alwaies must euer serue for a reason when wee cannot vnderstand the causes as we would But as I saide euen now this reason manifesteth it selfe sufficiently in his iust iudgements vpon men bicause of their sinnes Now albeit wee holde this sufficiently good in regard of the wicked and of those who oppose themselues and rebell fiercely against the Almightie yet the consideration might seeme to vs to be otherwise in respect of the meeke and of those whome he holdeth not onely for his seruants but also for his beloued children who neuerthelesse are commonly a pray to the wicked as sheepe are to woolues I must indeed confesse that these iudgements of God seeme more strange to humane reason then the other do yet they are not so secret and mysticall but that he manifesteth causes enough not onely by his worde Notable things to be considered in the aduersities of the good but also by common experience For first how much goodnes holines and perfection soeuer can consist in any man yet neuertheles as concerning his flesh he walloweth altogither in sinne and very much naturall corruption in pride arrogancie rebellion and disobedience against God which haue great neede to bee better mortified humbled tamed and brought downe Againe how easie a matter is it for vs to forget our Creator and our owne selues and to abuse all the graces and benefits which we receiue continually at his hand Also seeing that he will be glorified and that his power shall be knowne in the faith constancie charitie and patience of his we should not thinke it strange that he puts them to triall exercising them by diuers
eate and drinke to doe this But if it should please him to doe otherwise there were neither meate nor drinke which could giue any sustenance and conuenient nourishment vnto vs but would rather conuert within vs into deadly poyson to take away our life and hasten our death euen as God doth oftentimes to that effect vse the aire without which we could no more liue then without meate and drinke And therefore when it pleaseth God that we shall liue in health and long time he maketh the aire good and holsome for vs if otherwise it pleaseth him to strike vs with sicknes and to hasten our death he changeth it as if it were impoisoned as we doe very often finde in diuers contagious sicknesses and chiefly in time of pestilence The like also is in victuals drinks and medicines And therefore the Lord menaceth his people by Isaie declaring vnto them that he will take away the staffe of bread and of water that is to say the substance and naturall vertue which he hath giuen them to nourish which is the force that sustaineth them who are sustained as a staffe sustaineth him that is weake and as man cannot liue except he haue both meate and drinke sufficient the prophet hath comprised vnder bread and water all things needfull for nourishment and for the life of man It is therefore in these things that God saith he will take away all power Leuit. 28. Deut. 16. as also Moses doth amply declare in the blessings and curses of the lawe For let vs also note that when God will punish men by dearth and famine he doth not onely make the earth barren as he threatneth but also curseth that little fruit which it beareth yea in such sort that it still diminisheth and hath not the accustomed vertue and power to nourish And therefore when the corne is sowne it yeeldeth not so many eares nor so many graines in the field as is expected and as it seemeth that it should yeeld And afterwards when it is gathered and reaped and that it commeth to be threshed there is yet found lesse corne then was esteemed to be And being laid vp in the barne it consumeth more then of custome carried to the mill it yeelds lesse meale then is looked for yea being kneaden into dough it seemeth to diminish briefly it seemeth to faile being made in paste brought to the ouen and so baked when it is in the binne vpon the table yea in the hand in the mouth in the stomack and in the bellie For it doth not satisfie nourish and sustaine so well as in time of plentie and abundance but they which feede thereof are alwaies hungrie and famished And so we may thinke of all other meates and drinks euen as we finde the contrarie in the blessing of God when through it he giueth fruitfulnes to the earth and abundance of all things according to the testimonie of his word As then we are admonished to haue recourse to him onely to demaund our daily bread and all other things needefull for this life so must wee also doe when wee are visited by sicknesse For hee is the soueraigne and onely phisition who can of himselfe heale vs. It is hee that striketh and giueth remedie which bringeth to the graue and draweth out againe which killeth and raiseth vp againe And therefore hee saith to his people by Moses If thou wilt diligently harken vnto the voice of the Lorde thy God Exod. 15. and wilt doe that which is right in his sight and wilt giue eare vnto his commandements and keepe all his ordinances then will I put none of these diseases vpon thee which I brought vpon the Egyptians for I am the Lorde that healeth thee But although that God alone can doe all things without the aide of any creature and without the vse of any meanes except he please Why God doth serue himselfe with his creatures towards man yet doth he choose out such meanes as he pleaseth to performe his works towards vs and to distribute his gifts and that chiefly for two causes The first is for that he will not haue his creatures remaine idle but serue to his glory and for the good and health of men considering that they were created to that end And the other cause is that it pleaseth him to accommodate himselfe to our infirmitie which is such as we do not thinke that he is neere vnto vs nor that he can or will do it except we haue alwaies some visible signes Although then it is as easie for him to nourish vs without victuales and without drinke as with them and to heale vs without Phisitions and medicines and drugs as hee doth by meanes of them neuerthelesse it is his pleasure to do it by such aides and he will haue vs subiect to this order And therefore let vs thinke that to despise the meanes which he giueth for the maintenance of this life is as much as to despise his commandements like mockers and rebels And if we be such we may not hope for any succours from him seeing we reiect the remedies by which he will giue them vnto vs. But we must alwaies come to this point that although wee cannot receiue the benefits which it pleaseth the most good God to communicate vnto vs except by the meanes ordained by his prouidence thereto yet neuerthelesse we must not attribute this power to any of his creatures but to him onely and must giue him the whole glory considering that he taketh them not for any need which he hath or that without them he could not performe his works but onelie for the aide and supportation of our infirmitie And therefore let vs beleeue that bread wine and all other meates drinkes drugs and medicines haue not any vertue of themselues but so much onely as God infuseth into them and as he thinketh needfull for our good by such instruments as he ordaineth thereto Wherefore men runne in vaine to such aides and especially to Phisitions and apothecaries to be succoured by them except God the soueraigne Phisition do put his hand thereto and except he blesse their arte and labour Of the true vse of phisick and how it is abused Experience certainly doth yeelde vs daily testimonie thereof For it oftentimes hapneth that in stead of helping Phisitions do hurt and in stead of healing do kill And how so Because there are very fewe which addresse themselues to the true and Almightie Phisition and who haue not more confidence in mortall men then in the immortall God as king Asa is accused in the Scripture and punished for this fault with death True it is that some faile in that which they make none account of the ordinarie meanes established by God despising both Phisitions and al the medicines of their arte which is almost as much as to refuse the vsage of those benefits which God giueth vs at need But the greatest number consisteth of those who not onely haue recourse chiefly
vessell and then put into a presse there issueth a licour which being cold is congealed like to new waxe and smelleth passing sweete and is very excellent for olde griefes of the sinewes and ioints engendred through cold Now speake we of Ginger and other spices Of Ginger which for the most part growe in the same regions of Asia and especially in the Indies and Molucca-isles where Nutmegs abound In them there is great quantitie of Ginger which is a roote not of such a plant as may properly be called a tree but rather an herbe considering that it groweth not very high but beareth leaues like a cane or reede which doe wax greene twise or thrise a yeere This roote is very knottie and not aboue three or fower spans deepe in the ground and sometimes so big that it waigheth a pound They that dig vp these rootes do alwaies leaue a space between two knots in the pit and couer it againe with earth as being the seede of this plant to receiue the fruit thereof the next ensuing yeere that is the rootes which shall be newly sprouted In Calecut the greene Ginger is steeped and conserued in sugar or in a kinde of honie that is taken out of certaine cods or husks and is conuaied into Italie where it is much more esteemed then that of Venice For that which is there is made of dry roots artificially mollified Propertie of Ginger and which want much of their vertue and power Moreouer Ginger is very profitable For it helpeth digestion it looseneth the belly moderately it is good for the stomacke and profitable against all things that may dim or blinde the sight It heateth much not at first tasting like pepper For which cause we may not thinke it to consist of so subtile parts the heat would else presently declare it selfe and it would suddenly become hot in act Wherupon Ginger is knowne to be composed of a grosse and indigested substance not drie and earthie but moist and watrie which is the cause that it doth easily corrupt and rot to wit by reason of the superfluous moisture thereof For such things as are very drie or moistned by a digested naturall and moderate humiditie are not subiect to corruption and rottennesse Thence also it proceedeth that the heate which commeth of Ginger doth endure longer then that of pepper For as drie stubble is soone on fire and soone burnt out euen so is the heate that proceedeth from simples and drie drugs But that which issueth from moist ones as out of greene wood doth inflame slowlier and endure longer Of Pepper and the diuers kinds thereof Pepper doth grow abundantly in the Indies especially in the two isles called the greater lesser Iaua It doth grow vpō little trees the leaues whereof resemble much the leaues of a Citron-tree the fruit whereof is no greater then a ball And according to the diuers places where Pepper groweth it is different in kinde yea in one place there are diuers sorts and chiefly round long Pepper Now in some isles as alongst the riuer Ganabara when the inhabitants plant Pepper they burie the roote thereof neere to some other fruit trees and oftentimes neere to yoong palmes or date trees vpon the top whereof the twigs or syons doe at length growe Which the rods and small branches puld from pepper trees doe likewise being planted with the same trees which they imbrace running to the very top of them where the pepper hangs in clusters like the grapes of a wilde vine but closer and thicker And when it is ripe they gather it and lay it in the sunne to drie vpon lattises made of palme trees till such time as it become blacke and wrinkled which is commonly done in three daies And this pepper is round But the trees that beare long pepper do differ from the rest especially in leaues and fruit For the leaues are sharper at the end and the pepper hangeth vpon the tree like clusters of nuts made and heaped with many little graines There is yet another kinde of pepper called Ethiopian pepper or pepper of the Negros which groweth in cods like beanes or pease and the graines thereof are a little lesse then those of blacke pepper Moreouer all pepper is hot in the fourth degree and therefore it burneth and blistereth the bodie so that the vse thereof cannot but be dangerous though it haue many secret properties against the quiuerings and shakings that accompanie feuers which vsually come to one and against the cough and all maladies of the breast There is also a kinde of watrie pepper which groweth neere to slowe waters that runne but softly The stalke thereof is knottie massiue hauing many pits out of which the branches doe growe The leaues of it are like to mints sauing that they be greater softer and whiter The seede is sharpe and strong and groweth vpon little twigs neere to the leaues in manner of grapes It is so named of the places where it groweth and the likenes of taste which it hath with common pepper But we haue spoken ynough concerning spices Let vs now consider of other most rare and singular trees the woonder whereof declareth the author of nature to be exceeding admirable as we may note ARAM by your discourse Of the Date-tree of the Baratha or tree of India of the Gehuph and of Brasill Chap. 71. ARAM. THose Portugals Spanyards and some Frenchmen that in our time haue nauigated through the Atlanticke sea towards the south and from thence towards the cast vnto Calicut Taprobana and other isles of the Indian sea and regions vnknowne to ancient Cosmographers doe make credible report vnto vs of so many diuers singularities which they haue beheld that we should be too vngratefull towards them if so often as we behold any of them in their writings we should not attribute praise vnto them for their laudable curiositie which hath vrged them to such discoueries considering that they are like so many mirrors to represent vnto vs that great Architect of nature who amongst the very Barbarians hath engrauen images of himselfe in euery work of his omnipotencie Now among such trees as they haue written of and which as mee seemeth are worthie of greatest admiration although they bee not altogither so rare as many others the Date-trees require place which are very common in Arabia Egypt and almost in all parts of Africa and in Iudaea as likewise in many Isles of Greece and regions of Europe where they beare no fruit Of the Date-tree which is not so throughout all Africa for the Palmes or Date-trees beare in many places a sweete pleasant and very delicate fruit to eat and this tree is very high and hath the stock thereof very hard bearing no branches but round about the top with the ends of them hanging downe to the ground-wards It buddeth forth many blossomes hanging at certaine fine small stalkes clustred togither in figure like to clusters of saffron but much lesse
and white and of those are formed reddish Dates which haue a very hard long and crested stone within them And there are of these trees male and female which are discerned in that the femall buddeth without blossomes Maruell of the female Palme-tree or flowers And that which is most admirable in this diuersitie of kinde is that the female beeing separated from the male will hang downe hir branches and wither turning hir selfe that way whither her male hath beene caried so that the inhabitants of the countrie fearing to loose hir take of the earth and of the root of the male which they lay about the foot of the female who through this meanes springeth reneweth strength and beareth fruit It is noted in Date-trees that there are some which naturally follow the Sun which way so euer he turneth as many other plants do which hauing a sympathy and secret inclination to this star as acknowledging his virtue and that their vigour is deriued from him do alwaies behold him they themselues loosing colour when hee is far off from them And this is also very wonderfull in the Date tree that beeing dead it reuiueth of it selfe by meanes of the proper rootes thereof which beeing very deepe vnder ground maintained by the radicall humour there do at length spring out of them certaine stalkes which are afterwards sustained by the Sun there nourished and made trees Drinke that distilleth out of the Date-tree bearing fruit as before Moreouer out of the trunck of Date-trees many people especially the Negroes do extract a licour which they vse for beuerage in stead of wine by making a large slit therein with a certaine instrumēt a foot or two aboue the earth And this licour is of the colour of whay very good to drinke and almost asmuch inebriating or as strong as wine for which cause it must bee very oftentimes mixed with water And when it runneth out of the stock it is as sweete as new wine but it looseth that sweetenes from day to day becomming more pleasant to drinke when it tasteth somewhat more tart because it doth then slake thirst best They also draw out of this tree certaine threeds as fine as our threed Tapistry made of Palme trees wherof they make tapistrie worke which serue like other things to couer them which neede not seeme verie strange considering that in many other places they beat the barkes of some trees so hard after they haue wet it that they do draw it out so fine and weaue it so artificially as one would suppose it to be some faire and thin taffata Such as haue sailed to Manicongo and along the coast of Ethiopia do assure vs thereof in their writings For if that cotton commeth from trees and silke is spunne by wormes as all men know what should hinder the foresaid things to be of such ability through the ordinance of God established in nature to the end that men might receiue from these plants that which is needfull for them and which they cannot obtaine by the meanes that are common to others But if any make doubt therof because it is not notoriously known vnto all then must we shut the doore against al things that seeme rare But what shal we say to that which is taught vs by many graue Authors that of the fruit of these trees called the Thebane Date being dried in the sun til such time as it may be ready to be groūd Bread made of Dates men vse to make bread which is a common practise amongst those of that countrey Moreouer for the particular vertues and properties of Dates they are so much different Propertie of Dates as there bee diuers kindes of them for some are drie and binding as those of Egypt others are soft moist and sweete as those that grow in Syria Palestina and Iericho And the rest are in meane betwixt these two kinds and all are hard in digestion and breed headach Some say that two greene dates hauing their stones taken out and then filled vp with powder of Vermilion being eaten doe keepe women with child that they may not abort and that being dried they be good to eate by such as spit blood to such as haue a weake stomacke and are troubled with the bloodie fluxe Now let vs speake of a tree Of a tree seruing for bread oyle wine and vineger that doth much resemble the Date-tree and is no lesse woorthie of woonder then it because it serueth for bread wine oyle and vineger This tree is called by the Arabians Baratha and of some Iansialindi which is as much to say as the Indian tree and the Indians name it Trican and the fruit thereof Nihor or Cocco It is found in many Ilands of India chiefly in Zamat and in the circumiacent Isles where the people liue vpon the fruit of this tree which fruit is as big as a mans head and is that which we terme An Indie Nut. The outtermost barke of this tree is all greene and aboue two fingers thicke amongst which they finde certaine fillets whereof they make cords wherewith the inhabitants of the countrey sowe their boats together Within this barke is another which they burne and beat to dust afterwards they vse this powder as a medicine for their sicke Vnder this second barke againe is a certaine white pith couered which is about a finger thicke and this they eate in stead of bread with flesh and fish And to make it the better they dry it first and then bring it into meale and make verie good bread thereof as the ancients in old time made of Acornes and of chestnuts for want of corne In the midst of this pith they finde a verie cleere sweete and cordiall water which being curdled and conuerted into an oylie substance they boyle it and then this mixture becomes so fat as the best butter that can be made amongst vs. But if they would haue vineger they set this water in the sunne without making it to boyle and it will become cleere and sharpe and as white as milke For their drinking liquor it runs out of the branches in great abundance And two of these trees suffice for the nourishment of an whole family Furthermore their fruit is hot in the second degree and moist in the first Propertie of Indie Nuts There is oyle drawen out of it verie good against the hemorrhoides and which healeth the paines of the reines and of the knees and purgeth the bellie of wormes This Indie-Nut bringeth also mens bodies into a good fat estate and restoreth leane and consumed persons A tree named Gehuph In the Isles of the Malucoes especially in Taprobana doth likewise growe a tree of a meruailous propertie and effect which is named in their language Gehuph and of the Indians Cobban It groweth very high but the leaues thereof are small The barke is all yealow and the fruit big and round like a ball hauing a nut enclosed within it wherein is
end that in each sort of all kindes of creatures wee may haue somewhat wherein to acknowledge in the chiefest manner the infinite power and vnspeakeable bountie of him who hath made all these things for the vse of man It shal be then your charge ASER to begin to entreate concerning simples The end of the ninth daies worke THE TENTH DAIES WORKE Of Mallowes Wilde Mallowes Purple Violets Betonie Ceterach and Saint Iohns-Worte Chapter 73. ASER. THE knowledge of Symples hath alwaies beene had in such estimation amongst the Ancients that many great Monarchs both Grecians and Romaines although they were much troubled in the gouernment of their estates haue neuerthelesse studied how to obtaine this science and to illustrate it For indeed it is not onely pleasant and delectable but also verie profitable and necessarie And for this cause they haue been much commended who haue diligently written bookes concerning plants and concerning the vertues of them And surely we are not a little beholding to their diligence by reason of the commodities that doe thereby redound vnto vs daily for the maintenance of our health which is the thing most to be desired of vs in all the world For so much then as we haue so many goodly volumes amongst vs that all persons may thereby with small trauell become learned in this part of phisicke which is abundantly therein entreated of we wil satisfie our selues to passe away this day in discoursing onely concerning the most singular herbes and rootes which wee could therein note and as we yet do beare in memorie All herbes may be diuided into two kindes one is vnder the name of pot-herbes the other of phisick-herbes although in verie truth there is in all of them yea in many of those which are most common verie apt and proper vertues for the aide and maintenance of health and healing of diseases But omitting those which are vsed in common foode and which are well knowen to euerie man we will onely speake of the most excellent in propertie in respect of their maruellous effects in the nature of men Amongst which although Mallowes be verie common yet are they woorthie of consideration Of Mallowes and of their propertie And we read that the ancients did sow this plant in their gardens of deliberate purpose for in those daies they did eat them like other ordinarie herbes And euen to this day in Italy they are so well ordered by the gardiners that they will grow as big as a shrub yea in sixe or seuen moneths We neede not make heere a particular description of Mallowes for there is none but knoweth them well enough but their vertue is verie admirable for their leaues sod being eaten do take away all hoarsenes and being powned with sage leaues they make a singular plaister for wounds other inflamations they are also very good against bitings of venemous beasts being applied with leekes and onions and the iuice of them dropt in ones eare appeaseth the tingling therein Being sod rootes and all till such time as the decoction bee all verie thicke and clammie they are giuen to women to drinke who are deliuered of their children with great difficultie which helpes them much and the iuice drunke to the quantitie of halfe a pound waight doth profit them as much Their seed also drunke with red wine doth deliuer one from all desire to vomit And their yoong and tender stalkes being eaten with salt vineger oyle as Sparage also are verie healthfull laxatiue Sixe ounces of their iuice being drunke is verie good for melancholie people and for mad-folkes In briefe the Mallow is verie profitable in many things and was for that cause called by the ancients Omnimorbia that is to say good against all diseases Of the wilde Mallowe and the propertie thereof The wilde Mallowe hath no fewer properties and was therefore called by the Greekes Althaea as beeing singular amongst all simples and fit for many medicines the vse thereof beeing very ordinarie in phisick and it is a common hearbe knowne by euery one Beeing sod in wine or in honied water or beaten and applied alone it is good for all wounds against the kings euill against wormes in the eare impostumes inflammation of the breast rupture of the fundament ventosities and shrincking of the sinewes for it resolueth ripeneth breaketh and healeth The leaues thereof incorporated with oile are good to applie to all bitings and burnings by fire the seede and root of this plant haue the same operation with the leafe but they are more subtile and more drying and abstersiue The seede is good against the Dysenteria against spitting of bloud and flux of the bellie and so also is the decoction of the root And both of them serue greatly for difficultie in making water for grauell in the bodie and do breake the stone in the reines I must not faile here to remember amongst the most excellent herbes the purple violet Of the Purple-violet and virtue thereof for because of the admirable virtues which it containeth I will not speake of the rare beautie of the flower thereof nor of the sweete and pleasant smell thereof though it bee to be maruailed at But wee may affirme it to bee as excellent and singular a medicine as may bee found in any part of the world For violets are temperate and very good to alter and change the ill qualitie of humors and to euacuate them They chiefly purge choler and qualifie the vehemencie thereof They are good for paines in the head which proceede from heat they cause sleepines mollifie the pricking of the brest and of the lunges they are profitable against the squinancie against the falling of the pallet in the mouth they chiefly serue against inflammations of the breast and of the side and staunch thirst Being dry they open the liuer cause inflammations to cease and are very fit against the Iaundise Moreouer the iuice of Violets and the sirup that is made of them mollifie the bellie and they bee good to vse in pleurisies to purge And if any one receiue a blow vpon the head he shal be kept from dizzines and other greater inconueniences if soone after he is stroken he drinke the flowers of Violets brayed and vse this drinke for some time It is also a singular and gentle purgation and of no lesse virtue then Cassia if you drinke so much of the infusion of the roots of Violets in white wine as you canne hold in foure fingers after they haue beene beaten in a morter beeing steeped a whole night in wine and afterwards strained through a cleane linnen cloth which drinke you may sweeten by putting sugar therein This secret was taught me by a learned phisition of our time and I haue oftentimes seene the experience thereof Betonie is likewise an hearb that is stored with many great virtues and properties For which cause the Italians Of Betonie and the propertie thereof when they would highly praise any one say in a
sage neither can much difference be marked in them saue in the leaues which are thinner whiter and rougher in wilde then in garden sage This plant is very singular against all cold and flegmaticke diseases in the head and against all paines of the ioints either being taken in drinke or applied in fomentations Wherefore it is very good for them who haue the falling disease or are sicke of the lethargie and for those that haue their members benummed or senselesse It is profitable against defluxions of fleame and maladies in the breast It is good for great bellied women to eate which are subiect to trauell before their time for euery light cause for it keepeth the childe in the wombe and doth quicken it If you giue three or foure ounces of the iuice of sage to them that spit blood that they may drinke it fasting in a morning with honie the blood will presently be staied The vse of sage in pottage and otherwise serueth to sharpen the appetite and cleanse the stomacke being full of ill humors In summe when occasion is to heate drie and binde sage is a very good and fit medicine Of Mints and their property Mints haue likewise many great properties and are very common both in gardens and fields Whereof though there be many kindes for some haue small and crisped leaues others haue the stalke and flower red and others white yet is there no great matter to be made of these differences considering that one selfe same vertue resideth in all Mints beaten and made into a plaister do comfort a weake stomacke It is a soueraigne thing to restore the smell and feeling to those that haue lost it so that it be often held to the nose The leaues thereof dried and brought into powder kill wormes in little children The iuice drunke with vineger stancheth blood with the iuice of a sower pomegranate it restraineth vomitings hickets and the colicke passion Mints laid vpon the forehead asswage the headach and laid vpon too tender dugs that are ful of milk it easeth the paine of them applied with salt it is good for bitings by dogs and with honied water it is good against paines in the eares The water of the whole plant distilled in a glasse-limbecke in a bath of hot water and drunke to the waight of fower ounces staieth bleeding at nose They that loue milke must presently after they haue eaten thereof chew mint leaues to hinder the milke that it doe not curdle in their stomacke if also you sprinkle cheese with the iuice thereof or with the decoction thereof it will keepe from corrupting and rottennesse Now I referre to you ARAM the sequele of this discourse Of Thyme Sauorie Marierom Rue Parsley and Fennell Chap. 75. ARAM. Of Thyme and the propertie thereof AMongst common herbes admirable in their properties Thyme is worthie to be noted Now there are two sorts thereof one bearing sundry twigs laden with verie manie little narrow leaues hauing small heads at the top full of purple flowers and the other is as hard as wood more branched and like vnto Sauorie In propertie it is hot and dry in the third degree And therefore it prouoketh vrine doth heat and being taken in drinke doth purge the intrailes It is good to make one spit out the ill-humours of the lungs and in the breast Fower drams of drie thyme puluerized being ministred fasting to one that hath the gout with two ounces and an halfe of honied vineger doth profit them verie much for it purgeth choler and other sharpe humours It is good also for diseases of the bladder and the waight of a dram being taken with a spoonefull of honied water it is good for such as begin to haue a swollen belly for the sciatica and paine in the reines in the sides and in the breast for inflations and stitches about the forepart of the belly for melancholie persons for those that are troubled in minde and are in continuall fearfulnes if three drams be giuen to them fasting with a spoonefull of honied-vineger it will doe them much good It is profitable also against inflammation of the eies and vehement paines therof and against the goute in the feete being taken with wine The vse thereof is verie good for them that haue but bad sight Out of Thyme there is an oyle extracted of the colour of gold which commeth forth with the water when the herbe being fresh and greene is distilled in a bathe of hot water This oyle smels like a Citron and is verie tart in taste and good for all things which haue need to be heated But we must note that heed must be taken that to all the foresaid purposes blacke thyme be not vsed for it corrupteth the temperature of the person and ingendreth choler And therfore that thyme must be chosen which beareth a carnation flower and that for the best yet which beareth a white flower Sauorie also is an herbe knowen vnto all Of Sauory and hath the same properties and vertues which thyme hath being taken in such manner There are two kindes thereof one is like to thyme somewhat lesse and more tender bearing a bud full of greene flowers enclining to purple The other is greater and more branched which is often found in gardens hauing many boughes that spread about it being round and woodie The leaues thereof are greater then those of thyme somewhat strong and harder which doe here and there grow about the branches in bunches togither after the springing whereof there grow out little buds enuironed with leaues which are much lesse then the other wherein grow small carnation flowers The leaues and flowers of sauorie being made in a garland or chaplet and set vpon the head of such as sleep do waken them Being vsed in a cataplasme with wheat-meale sod together in wine it is verie auaileable against griefe of the sciatica But the vse of sauorie is chiefly good for healthfull persons whether it be in pottage or in sauce or otherwise And it being dryed in the shade and brought into powder may be vsed insteed of spices and so may Thyme and Marierom with maruellous profit for health and strange drugs tbat are hurtfull may be spared as pepper and ginger are being commonly vsed Of Marierom Marierom is so good for all persons so that there are but few people which haue it not either in their gardens or in earth pots the whole plant is verie odoriferous and most profitable in phisicke It is branched with small plyable twigs with long whitish and hairie leaues growing about those twigs It beareth flowers in great number on the top of the stalkes and buds of the colour of the herbe being long and composed of an heape of scales wel compact together out of which groweth a litle graine In propertie it resolueth and is attenuatiue opening and coroboratiue It is excellent against all cold diseases of the head and of the sinewes both outwardly applied and taken in drinke as also
Pimpernell There are three sorts of Pimpernell One groweth very great and hath a long root the leaues are couched round vpon the earth beeing cut and indented about the stalke is square the flowers thick in bunches smal and whitish The next sort is little and hath a red stalke the leaues small not so much cut and thinner dented The third kinde is the most common which is often eaten in sallades and set in gardens The root of the two first kindes wherein all their vertue lieth is very good for paines in the reines and bladder which are caused by the stone For it cleereth the reines of grauell and driueth foorth long kept vrine The iuice also of this root beeing drunke with wine is singular against all poisons and bitings of venemous beasts For which cause some esteeme much of this root to bee vsed against the plague The third kinde of Pimpernell is different in vertue from the former although they be verie like in forme of leaues For it is more restringent in taste and verie nourishing for which cause it may be thought to be of a binding nature Wherefore it stayeth the Dysenteria and other fluxes and the vomiting of cholericke humours It healeth wounds and vlcers and it is of speciall vse in ointments that are made for wounds in the head and for cankers Some phisitions haue much commended it in the cure of pestilent and contagious feuers affirming also that the often vsage thereof is a soueraigne preseruatiue against dangerous diseases Now ASER do you proceed in this our treatise concerning simples Of Night-shade Alkakeng Pellitorie of the wall Fumitorie Angelica and of Maidens-haire Chapter 77. ASER. IT is wonderfull to rehearse the vertues properties which many affirme to vs in their writings to cōsist in the Solanum whereof the Ancients made fower kindes But I will heere make mention of two onely which are verie common Of Nightshade and the properties thereof sith that the rest are seldome found or neuer The first kinde is called Night-shade which is a small little herbe hauing many pits in the stalke thereof out of which grow blacke leaues like to those of Basill but a little greater It beareth white flowers yealow in the midst in fashion of a starre The fruit thereof is round hanging in clusters full of a winie iuice no lesse then Iuniper seede wherein a small white graine is enclosed this fruit is of diuers colours for in some plants it is blacke in others yealow and in some enclining towards a greene Concerning the propertie of this plant the iuice of the fruit thereof as likewise of the leaues mixed with oyle of roses and a little vineger is singular against the headach when it is caused by heat It is good for such as are franticke if one steepe linnen clothes therein and lay them to the forepart of their head In like sort may they be applied to the forehead against hot rheumes that fal downe into the eies It is good also to gargle it against inflammations of the throat and falling of the pallat It is put in ointments to heale sore and grieuous vlcers The leaues thereof beaten with salt and laide on a plaister breake impostumes that grow behinde the eares In briefe when need is to refresh to dry vp or to restraine night-shade is verie conuenient Now for the other kinde of Solanum commonly called Alkakeng Of Alkakeng and the vertue thereof it hath leaues like vnto Nightshade but broader stronger somewhat sharp and not so black the stalke thereof is supple which beeing growne vp enclineth towards the ground The flowers are white out of which rise little bladders as big as a nut and growe sharpe they are composed of eight sides of equall distance one from another And they are at first greene and beeing ripe red within them they containe fruit one graine in each of them beeing fastned to the bottome of the bladder like to the seede of a red grape both sharp and bitter and full of a great number of small white graines within In this fruit also is great vertue not onely to prouoke vrine but also to allay the burning heat thereof For the iuice of it beeing drunke with the iuice of white poppie or of the seed of Melons or of Gourds or with the decoction of Mallowes or with barly water is marueilous singular for the scorching heate of vrine And this plant is so contrarie to adders that laying the roote thereof neere vnto them they are sodainly surprised with so great sleepe that they die therewith The fruite thereof steeped in new wine is very good being laide on the eie lids Some put it in a vessell togither with ripe grapes which they suffer to boyle for certaine daies togither out of which they extract a very profitable wine for such as are troubled with grauell euacuating the grauell marueilously well and clensing the reines being drunke to the waight of fowre ounces And the same fruite taken in drinke healeth the iaundise Of Pellitorie Pellitorie is an herbe very well knowne and hath manie great properties the leaues thereof are rough the stalke redde about which are bitter graines which are fit to lay amongst apparell This plant hath the vertue to refresh and binde for which cause it is singular good to heale greene wounds For if it be laide vpon a wound being halfe beaten and very fresh and be not taken off for three daies togither there shall be no neede to vse any other medicine The waight of three ounces of the iuice thereof being drunke is marueilous good to free vrine that hath long beene holden and the herbe heated vpon a tile and sprinkled with Malmesey and applied to the forehead is very good for such as are troubled with grauell and cannot make water The iuice thereof held within the mouth healeth the toothach The distilled water thereof clenseth and clarifieth the visage the leaues being applied heale burnings swellings and inflammations being fried with fresh butter or capons grease and laide in manner of a serge-cloth vpon the belly they ease the colicke A cataplasme also made of greene pellitorie beaten with crums of bread and oyle of roses or cammomill resolueth impostumes which grow in the dugs And being mixed with goates-grease or kids grease it is good for gouts and fals The iuice likewise mixed in like quantitie of white wine and oile of sweet almonds being newly made alayeth the paines torments of the stone and dropped into the eares with oyle of roses it healeth the paine of them Some minister them to gargle for inflammation in the throat And some giue them for an old cough It is seene by experience that this herbe is abstersiue in so much as it is verie good to expell wormes Of Fumitory Fumitorie is an herbe much branched and tender hauing verie small leaues growing here and there of a white ashie colour and in great number vpon euerie side The flower thereof is purple This plant
and that fill to the third part of the pot or bodie then couer it with the head thereof verie well closed so that no vapour may issue out set it vpon the furnace ouer a moderate fire in such sort that the wine boyle not And to haue verie good Aqua-vitae you must distill it fower or fiue times and more for the more it is rectified the perfecter it will be And in the first distillation it is sufficient to receiue the tenth part of the wine put into the limbeck for the second the halfe for the third another moitie or lesse so that the oftner you distill the lesser you haue but better alwaies Now you may know whether Aqua-vitae haue attained to full perfection by these signes If it arise to the like quantitie of water or verie neere as the liquor put in if being lighted or set on fire it burne al away and leaue not any marke of moysture in the bottome of the vessell if a doth being dipt therein and lighted will not burne at all if a drop of oyle being cast therein sinke to the bottom and if a drop of this water spilt in the palme of your hand doe presently consume and euaporate Now the vertues and properties of this Aqua-vitae are verie many For as it preserueth from all corruption those things which haue beene steeped therein so all corruption being done away it keepeth repaireth mantaineth augmenteth and prolongeth the life of those that receiue it And it doth not onely preserue the naturall heat and mantaine it in vigour but it also regenerateth the vitall spirit quickneth and warmeth the stomacke sharpneth the braine and vnderstanding cleereth the sight repaireth the memorie especially if they vse it who are of a cold temper being subiect to rawnes of stomacke windines and other cold maladies Thus then haue we declared enough concerning the plants and fruits which the earth produceth for the commoditie of man Wherefore we will to morrow consider of the diuersitie of terrestriall creatures created to the same ende that we may be the more induced to glorifie him from whom we receiue all these benefits The end of the tenth daies worke THE ELEVENTH DAIES WORKE Of terrestriall beasts and especially of Serpents namely of the Aspis or Adder and of the Viper Chapter 81. ASER. BEing this day to discourse concerning liuing creatures of the Earth so much as the subiect of our speech doth require for the accomplishment of our worke It behooueth vs to consider that the terrestriall beasts being as it were innumerable in the species yet they consist of two principall kindes to wit of Insect and of perfect beasts They of the first kinde are called of the Latins by this word Insecta because of the incisions which appeere vpon their bodies retayning life in that part which we behold diuided and cut off and they are engendred for the most part of putrefaction but these things agree not with perfect creatures who take their forme in the matrice Now we will here summarily entreat of Insect animals generally and consequently of the most excellent of their kinde whereof some creepe vpon the earth Of Insect beasts as serpents others fly as flies We are first then to note that all insect beasts are wilde and are verie hardly tamed and made milde for they haue their inner senses verie weak whereas such creatures as are made tame and familiar must haue the facultie of imagination and good memorie Moreouer these kindes of beasts haue little blood or none at all as Philosophers hold who finde in them a certaine vitall humour onely which Nature hath giuen them insteed of blood for which cause they are naturally fearfull and feare hindreth creatures from being tamed Likewise they haue commonly but short life and beasts who should be made familiar require time for that purpose Furthermore in this kinde of Insect beasts some are engendred onely of putrefaction as flies others of egs as serpents and also by another manner which is perfected in the matrice by egs as the viper Now in al this kind of beasts they are most admirable which we haue heere named to wit serpents because of their greatnes and puissant effects and hony-flies or bees and silke-wormes also because of their worke But amongst the many kindes of serpents Of the Aspis the Aspis or Adder is very worthie of consideration and much to bee feared for there are three sorts each whereof causeth him that is bitten by them soone to die except he bee quickly and very well succoured One sort is named Ptyas another Chersaea both earth-serpēts and the third is called Chelidonia which abideth about banks of riuers specially of Nilus The Ptyas and Chersaea are of ashie and greene colour drawing a little to the colour of gold But the Chelidonia hath a blacke backe and white belly like to swallowes And both the one and the other sort are of fiue cubits long in the regions of Africa They raise vp their necke when they will cast their venim wherewith when one is attayned their present remedie is speedily to cut away all that which is bitten or else it is hard to saue them from death and yet many speake of diuers remedies and amongst others they commend verie strong vineger aduising that it should be giuen to the patient to drinke euen so much and for so long time till he feele the qualitie in the right side of his flanks for they say that the liuer is first depriued of feeling in such an accident Some vse Opopanax a drug extracted out of Panaces Heracleum which is giuen to drinke in wine mixed with water to cause them vomit the venim alreadie spread throughout the whole bodie And after such vomiting they must take verie good treacle in drinke and apply it also vpon the biting Mattheolus describeth a quintessence In. Diosco◠Lib. 6. composed of Aqua-vitae and some simples and aromaticall drugs which is an excellent remedie of great efficacie when such accidents happen For indeed it is most certaine that waters artificially composed and ingeniously distilled consisting of most subtile parts are in a moment dispersed throughout all the veines and arteries and euerie part of the whole bodie And therefore they cause that the blood and spirits waxe not cold and doe not congeale in those vessels which containe them whereby also the naturall heat comming to augment it selfe doth strongly resist the force of the venim and doth presently surmount it The Viper also is a kinde of serpent it hath a flat head Of the viper and broad neere to the ioint of the necke which is naturally small it hath a quicke eie and a naile in the nosthrill thereof hauing all the rest of the bodie short with the taile also and is of a pale colour Her pace and motion is verie quicke and she beareth her head aloft she differeth from other serpents in that they lay but egs and she bringeth foorth her yoong ones aliue which before
equall power there is engendred so delicate and perfect a mixture of indissoluble vnion composing an accord so faithfully that there is made thereby an incorruptible paste which is permanent to all eternity in the excellencie and goodnes thereof Wherefore gold cannot bee vanquished by iniurie of time and of antiquitie neither can containe in it selfe nor support any excrescence and superfluitie of rust For though it bee put into the water or fire and there remaine for any long space of time yet is it neuer stained neither doth accept any other quality but that which is naturall nor yet doth faile any whit which is the particular priuiledge that it hath aboue other mettalles For they are all subiect to alteration and therefore change and corrupt for a small matter and accept a good or bad qualitie in their originall or end But gold is incorruptible and therefore not subiect to such mutations yea though it bee drawne out in so small wire that it be as fine as threeds in a spiders web and though it be buried in most piercing medicaments as are sublimatum and verdegrease salt and vineger that it remaine two thousand yeeres therein it will not for all that bee corrupted but contrarywise the more refined but all gold hath not one selfe same perfection for their mines and sources are different in goodnes Sometimes also gold is counterfait sophisticate and falsified through the infidelitie or auarice of those who mingle it and multiplie it with other mixtures of mettals of lesse value and lesse pure then it is But pure and refined gold is alwaies perfect by nature in all those qualities which wee haue already touched How gold is found And it is found in diuers manners to wit mixed with sand as in Bohemia on the shore-side amongst the waters neere to Goldebourgh and Risegronde and amongst the stones in mountaines as in Calecut and in the Indies But the first generation thereof is at the top of mountaines in the highest places because that the sun doth there more easily purifie that which retaineth too much earthines in it And when the raine and torrents do flowe downe the mountaines they carry the gold downe with them to the foote thereof where it is gathered amongst the sand or else in waters neere thereunto whither it is driuen by violence of the flouds except perhaps the ground open with those raines and the gold doe there stick as it oftentimes chaunceth And that which is alwaies found in the entrance of the mine is not the finest but the farther you goe the finer and purer it is of better waight and greater value That then which is found in waters and riuers is fished for and is in forme of little graines and in rocks and mountaines it is taken out by deluing and digging Three sorts of gold-mines And therefore there are holden to bee three sorts of gold mines For some are called pendent some iacent and others oblique and running The pendent are those which are found in the superficies of mountaines and haue the earth vnder them They which are iacent or lie are belowe in the fielde and plaine ground carried thither by torrents and stormes of raine And the other that are oblique haue a crosse course whether it bee in that which hangeth or lieth all whereof is driuen by flouds into the next riuers for which cause there are riuers throughout all the world the sand whereof seemeth to bee of azure and gold hauing indeede pure and fine graines of good gold How gold is taken out of mines Now according as the mines are so are there diuers meanes vsed to take out the mettall For in those places which are dry without water they which are expert in the veine of mines hauing true knowledge what may be in that place do cause it to be digged eight or ten foote deepe and as many foote long and broad and as they proceede in their worke they still wash the earth that is digged vp continuing so till such time as they finde the gold which is sometimes so deepe that they are driuen to set vp arches of wood ouer them that the earth may not ouerwhelm them And when the mines are pendent along the mountaines the difficultie is then more great wherefore they also set vp engines to defend them from dangers which are there verie imminent For some to wit those that dig into the rocke are quite hidden therein euen as those that cut stone are within a quarrie others creepe scrambling vp the sharpe rockes with a basket at their backes seeking out the earth of the mine to carrie it to the water others wash the same earth in a sieue by meanes whereof the gold is separated remayning in the sieue after that the earth is runne out by little and little Moreouer out of these mines there issueth a stinking breath or damp which doth oftentimes choake and kill them that worke therein being not able to indure so bad an aire some also are drowned by waters which suddenly gush out of those places where they haue digged when they thinke not of any such thing quickly ouerwhelming them before they can make signe to those that are aboue to helpe them Againe these miserable poore soules are oftentimes affrighted by euill spirits who inhabite in great numbers in those hollow and solitarie places as many haue experimented to their great hurt For sometimes it happeneth that these diuels tumble great stones and whole rockes vpon them throw downe their engines ouerturne their ladders breake their cordage and doe a thousand other mischiefes whereby men are oftentimes slaine Concerning riuers wherein the graines and sands of gold are found the dangers are not so great therein but the paine is no lesse For if the riuer be little the Indians vse to emptie and let it out till it be dry and then take off the bottome thereof and wash it as beforesaid and if the water be verie great they turne it out of the channell which done they goe to gather the gold in the midst of the riuer betwixt the stones and great pibbles so that sometimes there commeth greater profit by this fishing then by washing the digged earth to separate the gold But howsoeuer yet is there great paines alwaies vsed to obtaine the riches of this mettall so much coueted by men and whereof the abuse is verie great as we may in some sort touch after that we haue spoken of other mettals which shall serue AMANA for the subiect of your discourse Of Siluer Amber Iron Lead Brasse and Copper Chap. 94. AMANA THE most noble amongst mettals next to gold is siluer for although that copper in colour and lead in waight do neerest approch vnto gold yet in tenuitie of substance in purenes and fastnes Of siluer siluer is so like vnto it that good siluer may be rightly said to be imperfect gold in substance failing in colour and that by succession of time it is sometimes changed
into gold as in many yeeres space lead turneth into siluer The mines thereof are more ordinarie then gold mines for Fraunce Italy Spaine England Germanie and many other regions of Europe do beare siluer in diuers places as well as the other parts of the world And it is there engendred in fower manners to wit either in the earth which being gathered together and then molten in the fire doth yeeld siluer or in lead wherwith it is often found mingled or in brasse or in stones out of which it is also extracted by fire For in the mountaine called Mons regius stones retaine verie much siluer which being also put into the fire there is found in euerie pound of siluer that runneth out of them halfe an ounce of gold at least Siluer is also many times found to be mixed with copper as in Alsaria neer to the Rhine in the mountaines of Saint Anne and in Meissen for there are stones full of copper in which is great abundance of siluer And when it is separated from lead it leaueth a scumme Of litharge which we call Lithargyrium which is a kinde of impure lead Of quicksiluer retayning some vertue of siluer For quicksiluer though it agree in name with siluer yet it approcheth neerer to gold for it is like vnto it in tenuitie and waight and to siluer in colour onely But for all this it is no mettall but a water condensate not by heat for it is not hardned nor by cold for then it would be a stone or mettall but by some other terrestriall rare and pure portion wherby it commeth to be verie waightie and cold splendent and liquide and is therefore rancked among those mettalline substances which differ but little from water and indeed the mountaines where quicksiluer groweth are verie greene and full of fountaines Of amber Let vs speake now of Amber which wee haue put into the number of mettals Many authors do disagree verie much in the discourse of Amber For some reckon that which is called Electrum amongst pliable and hard mettalline substances others will not acknowledge it to be any other then a gumme of a tree which is verie much like to that of the Pine and Fir-tree producing Rosin and is verie common in Arabia the happie Philemon writeth that in two places of Scythia Amber is digged out of the ground like a kinde of stone and in one place it is white in another yealow But omitting this argument we will follow those who make Amber a mettall whose nature and propertie is in meane betwixt gold and siluer and that such is the true and natural amber as that which we vse in our beads is artificial And it partaketh more of gold then of siluer because it is more pure and perfect and apt to be wrought For if it did consist more of siluer it could not endure the forge and hammer There are vessels made thereof for beautie and profit for good amber doth discouer poysons in these two manners by cracking and making the signe of an arch within For when the rare humiditie thereof commeth to be consumed by the force of venim it cracketh and the colour changing it seemeth that in steed of the great splendor thereof there doth a kinde of staine represent it selfe like vnto an arch Now that this kinde of amber is verie rare it is not because there is not enough to be had in mines but auarice and ignorance of the vertue thereof causeth that the gold is extracted whereby it ceaseth to be amber Concerning Iron it is taken out of the earth Of iron and to make it malleable the masse thereof is when it is taken vp laid to drie in the sunne and that which is earthy doth soften in the raine as that which is moist doth melt by the sun and the most sharp part thereof which is as the venim of it is consumed by the fire The mines of this mettall are common in Europe as in diuers parts of France which are enriched by the forges that are there set vp to bring this minerall substance to his perfection Which by how much the more it is concocted and purged by so much the more is it better in goodnes in such sort as that which is earthy doth at last turne to scales and drosse and the most subtile part thereof doth conuert into steele after it hath beene well purged and a little marble added thereto And this is artificiall steele Of steele For there is in many places naturall steele namely in Persia very good in the Chaldean Isle and neere Damascus whereof the best cemiters in the world are made which cut so well that there is no rasor bee it neuer so well steeled and tempered that hath a more fine and sharper edge For this cause some say that there are some kindes of steele and iron so excellent that waight for waight they are esteemed of greater price then gold Moreouer men may see what art can doe in iron when by much beating thereof and through the power of water iron bee it neuer so thin is made vnfrangible by blowes because that such water by meanes of fire doth consume the terrestriall and waterie excrement which is found in this mettall When then the iron is brought to be most pure most hard and most light then is it most subtile and therefore most strong and resisteth best Lead consisteth of foure kindes For there is black common Of lead low-pricked lead white which is ordinarily called tinne Bisemutum which is of meane quality betwixt black and white and is rare and knowne but to few people though it bee found in the mountaines of Bohemia and the fourth kind is compounded of Stibium The ore of lead is molten in furnaces prepared for that purpose and beeing molten it is let runne through pipes out of the furnace whither the workmen will And whilest it remaineth very hot they cast cleere water vpon it to make the foure arise which waxeth very massiue hard to breake yealow and bright as glasse and this is that which is called litharge of lead But this difference is betwixt white lead and true tinne Of tinne that this doth alwaies grow with siluer the other doth grow of it selfe in such sort that tinne is almost white lead blaunched by siluer Brasse as wee haue already said is made of a matter verie neere approching to that of iron Of brasse and copper and so also is copper But brasse hath this propertie that it neuer rusteth as iron and steele doth and therefore it will continue longer In times past also it was verie vsuall to make armor and bucklers thereof yea and launces likewise witnes Homer who recounteth that Menelaus pursued Paris with a brasen launce Flutes and pipes of organes and other musicall instruments are commonly made of brasse but it doth properly agree with trumpets because it maketh a great noise in dorick musicke and inflameth men to combat
will easily pierce any armor wherein this reason is apparant that the iron or steele is heated by the blowe whereupon it may be penetrated by the subtilitie and hardnes of the diamond Which is also commended for this vertue that being polished it doth greatly glister amongst precious stones for that it resisteth fire for the space of nine daies time without hauing any sense therof and afterwards it remaineth many other daies without being annoyed Which sufficiently declareth that this stone doth coÌ„sist of most subtile parts for otherwise it would haue pores smal holes by which the fire entring it should easily breake The diamond then retayneth a liuely and strong splendor in such sort that it doth not only shine but doth also sparkle and is besides that vnchangeable not being corrupted by iron by moisture by fire by age nor by vse It hath also this property that being tied to the flesh of the left arm it doth hinder withstand the feares of night It is not then without good cause that this stone is so much esteemed by vs and almost by all nations For euen in the Indies in Calicut in Persia in Tartaria and other places where rocks of Diamonds are commonly found they are verie deere and of great trafficke so that they are transported into all places how far remote soeuer they be witnes the isle of Carge which lyeth in the bosome of the Persian-sea where bargaines are vsually made for Diamond stone it remayning yet vncut from the rocke although it be scarce within sixe hundred and threescore miles of that place where it is had And therefore it is no great maruel if diamonds be at so high a price as they are considering that they are so much in request by euerie one wherefore there are some found which are sold for twentie and thirtie thousand crownes a piece and aboue for we our selues know that there is one in the treasurie of our kings which did cost seuentie thousand crownes Wee are to note that in the mountaine of Cugarquel which is neer to the riuer of Goa in the East Indies are the best and finest diamonds of all the world as to the contrarie in the isle of Canada which neighboureth vpon Florida there are found false ones but so faire and well cut by nature that the most subtile Lapidaries are verie much troubled to discerne the one from the other whereupon this Prouerbe did arise Loe there 's a Canada-diamond But I haue said enough hereof Now ACHITOB doe you speake of the nature and propertie of other precious stones Of the Emeraud of the Carbuncle or Rubie of the Saphir of the Iacinth and of the Amethyst Chapter 96. ACHITOB. THE Emeraud hath beene long time holden for the most precious stone of all other as well because of the beautie thereof as by reason of the manie great properties which are naturall thereunto in such sort as the price therof did exceed that of the diamond But as the rarenes of some things make them deere so doth the abundance of other things make them to be lesse esteemed as it came to passe Of the emeraud that the great quantitie of Emerauds which not long since were found in the new-found countries of America hath much abated their price but not their beautie nor vertue which euer remayneth and is most excellent in those which are brought out of the East-Indies for they of Peru are of much lesse woorth The greene Emeraud then is the fairest of all precious stones but yet the most brittle For it sometimes happeneth to breake euen in the act of coiture Being drunke it doth much resist poysons by the nature of the softnes thereof by reason that the abundance of the well concocted humour which is therein doth refresh the spirit by the perspicuitie thereof and so it is profitable to the nature of man and resisteth the force of venim and for so much as it is a stone it retayneth the vertue thereof stable For we may note that all things which are pleasant to the sight are profitable for man whether it be in precious stones or gold or siluer silke or purple but aboue all the Emeraud is faire if that the art therein deceiue not the sight for as well this stone as others are oftentimes counterfeited and falsified in diuers maâ—â—ers Moreouer as the Emeraud is verie soft so is it verie subiect to all casual chaunces for it is corrupted by fire and heat and by the touch of other precious stones which are harder chiefly of the Diamond yea by euerie thing that can giue a blow That which shineth most and almost like the sunne and which refresheth the sight as forrests and greene medowes doe is most to be esteemed But I beleeue there was neuer any mention made of a more rich basin then that of an Emeraud being one of the greatest treasures of Italie which is in the citie of Genoa for it is reported that it was pawned in the necessitie of the common-weale for fourteene hundred thousand ducats thinke then but how much this Emeraud must bee woorth But that which is also said that this is the same platter wherin our Sauiour Iesus Christ did eat the Paschal Lamb in his last supper maketh me to doubt much whether there be any people that vpon one onely stone would lend so great a summe of money The red Carbuncle called the ruby is another precious stone Of the carbuncle called the rubie which is verie beautifull and hath the propertie to quicken the spirite and make it ioyfull Some authors haue made mention of three kinds of carbuncles saying that there be some which shine in the darke others also that shine if water bee powred thereupon and the third kinde is of those whose cleerenes is onely seene in another light to wit by day time or by candle light Theophrastus saith that there are some of the colour of water some of the colour of the Amethyst others of the colour of the Iacinth and some of a red colour which are called Rubies In the Indies these stones are plentifully found and Lewes de Barthema reporteth that the king of Pegum which is a citie in India hath carbuncles called in Greeke Pyropi of such magnitude and splendor that if any one should see the king in a darke place with these stones vpon him he would seeme to shine like a cleere light euen as if he were fired by the beames of the sunne The saphir doth approch neere to the excellencie of the diamond in great hardnes in fairenes of colour Of the saphir beeing of a skie colour and in beawtie and is very good for the sight if it bee not sophisticated It refresheth a man and beeing drunke is profitable for melancholy people and for blowes bitings of scorpions and serpents Albertus Magnus affirmeth that he had twise found by experience that the saphir would heale an anthrax which is a kinde of bile Which may be beleeued considering
the medicinable vertue which is in this stone For as thirst cōmeth through the biting of a certaine snake called Dipsas and as the hand is benummed by the touching of a little fish called Remora so the venemous fire of the Anthrax may bee extinguished by the long touching of the saphir but it must needes bee so big as it may couer the head of the bile Hauing already made mention of the Iacinth and of the amethyst to which there are great properties assigned I will now touch some principall points in them And first wee are to note that the iacinth is commonly of a yealow colour but the best is red yet it is not so big as the other beeing put into the fire it becommeth more obscure and redder and beeing out of the fire it shineth greatly Also this kinde of hyacinth doth differ but little from the carbuncle in estimation of price They that are of the colour of water are counted for base and of no force But Serapio hath written that the good iacinth keepeth men that beareth it out of the peril of thunder and defendeth them from the plague and prouoketh sleepe Albertus Magnus likewise saith that the iacinth doth augment riches and authoritie and that it doth greatly comfort the hart and cause much ioy Now because these things might seeme to be paradoxes to many we will here make a little discourse following the precept of the philosopher who thinketh it sufficient in hard and intricate questions if wee can well auoide and shun absurd doctrine For by this meanes many shal be induced to esteeme more then they do of precious stones and to beleeue the properties which are attributed vnto them if not as true Good reasons of the vertue of stones at least wise yet as possible I say then that the iacinth is of cold temperature for that is almost common to all precious stones and causeth them especiallie the diamond not to receiue fire very easily forsomuch as the coldnes doth greatly helpe the soliditie and subtiltie thereof which maketh that stones do resist fire Besides the iacinth is good for the breath of man either because of the likenes of substance or by cleerenes or through some other mysticall cause whereby repairing and confirming the breath and the spirit it maketh man ioyfull for sadnes is nothing else but the contraction of breath and shortnes and difficultie of the same By such reason then as some haue said that they haue experimented that if any thing doe comfort the heart it doth likewise resist the plague which doth chiefly come through feare and imbecillitie of heart as experience sheweth vs in regard of children women and fearefull people who are sooner taken with this disease then stout and hardie men the Iacinth abolishing these two things feare and faintnes of heart it may I say helpe greatly to resist the plague So also making the heart and the spirit ioyful and by that meanes more capable of good counsell it shall be the easier for man to encrease in authoritie and to augment in richesse For being defended from thunder although that the Iacinth be as we haue said of cold temper which causeth that it will not easily receiue endomagement by fire yet do not we attribute to it therefore that it will preserve a man from being hurt But we may rather say that the spirit of his heart being reioyced by the vertue of this stone may haue the grace to direct him into some place where he may be cleane out of the perill of thunder Concerning the Amethyst Of the amethyst it is also a precious stone and orientall although it be but of a low price in regard of others in it is seene the colour and grace of wine bearing a purple lustre and it is thought to hinder drunkennes if it be tyed to the nauell and to stir vp dreames Now ASER let vs heare you pursue our discourse of stones Of the Chrysolite Topaze Opall Turkesse and of the Agath Chap. 97. ASER. VVHosoeuer will neerely consider vpon that which hath beene written by the Ancients concerning the Chrysolite and Topaze Of the chrysolite shal finde that that which wee call a Chrysolite was their Topaze and contrariwise our Topaze was their Chrysolite This stone is of yellow colour not pure but greenish and is nothing inferiour to the Saphir in hardnes if it be orientall For you must note that the Germaine Chrysolite and many other pretious stones which are found vnder the North cold Septentrionall Zone are not so hard as the orientall because that there the heat is not so sufficient that it may much attenuate the humour which composeth the stone and harden it for the perfect concretion and gathering together is the cause of hardnes which is done when some verie small parts are mixed and conioyned together as commeth to passe in the generation of euerie stone Moreouer the Chrysolite is seldome found without some blacke spots wherewith it is foyled and but for this it is a verie excellent precious stone It is thought greatly to represse lust if it be carried next to ones skin Besides it is of great coldnes whereby this argument is apparant that being laide vpon the toong of one that hath a feuer it appeaseth his thirst Plinie recordeth Hist nat lib. 37. c. 8. that from an Isle called Topazos there was brought a Chrysolite to Queene Berenice mother of king Ptolemey the second which was fower cubites long and that the king of Egypt did afterwards cause a statue to be made thereof in the honor of the Queene Arsinoe his sister and wife which was placed in the gilded Temple that this Prince caused to be erected Of the topaze The Topaze is of a greene colour and softer then the Chrysolite for it is easily brought into dust with a file in lapse of time also it loseth his splendor of it selfe so that although it be verie faire De subt lib. 7. yet none desireth much to weare it Cardanus affirmeth himselfe to haue found that fifteene graines of this stone beeing drunke make a singular remedie for melancholy persons Of the opall Now speake we of the Opall which for varietie of colours is accounted amongst the most precious stones For in it the fire of the Rubie the purple of the Amethyst and the greene sea of the Emeraud shine altogether by a maruellous kinde of mixture There are some which haue a lustre so mixed with all colours that there can no more be seene in a rich tablet nor more liuely Others seeme to sparkle with violet flames changing in manner of a fire made of brimstone or of a fire kindled with oyle Plinie saith that the Greekes did call the Opall Paederos that is to say pastime for little children Hist nat lib. 17. c. 6. .9 because of the great grace and beautie which this stone hath in it For saith he first one would say that there were a greene heauen in a pure