THE HEROICALL DEVISES OF M. CLAVDIVS PARADIN Canon of Beauicu Whereunto are added the Lord Gabriel Symeons and others Translated out of Latin into English by P. S. LONDON Imprinted by William Kearney dwelling in Adlingstreete 1591. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL THE RENOWMED CAPTEINE Christopher Carleill Esquier chiefe Commander of her Maiesties forces in the Prouince of Vlder in the Realme of Ireland and Seneshall there of the Countries of Clandeboy the Rowte the Glins the Duffre and Kylultaugh RIGHT Worshipfull being mindfull of the saying which the auncient poet Hesiod vseth whereby he doth iustly admonish as imitating the earth to recompence benefites with increase though I dispaire to requite your manie curtesies affoorded me so must be checked of that dumbe creature yet I intende to imitate the the rockes and answer so loud a voice with a resounding Echo and though in comparison of the voice I speake but the last sillable yet I hope your Worship regarding rather my good meaning than my gift will affoord your patronage to this little booke shrowd it vnder the protection of your Heroicall spirit where I doubt not it shall obtaine fauour and thereby find passage without repulse seeing also it containeth in it that which most men desire both delight to the eye and harmonie to the eare pleasure to both and offence to none I haue the rather presumed to hope of your Worships good acceptance for two causes the one for that I see the like to haue ben done in the same booke being in French and Latin by verie honorable and vertuous personages to whom in mine account your Worship is nothing inferior For to omit al discourse and to touch only the bare names of some things managed by your selfe Let the sundrie great proofes of your martiall seruices and worthie aduentures as well by land as by sea witnes what your deserts haue bene which the Spanish west India with losse and griefe Muscouia or Russia with worthy commendation France the Low Countries and Ireland with renowmed fame haue with generall voice and consenting occurrencie euen from them all to both farre and neere sounded emblased wherein can not be forgotten your zeale alwaies shewed towards Christs Gospell besides manie other your rare vertues accōpanied with a cherefull liberalitie and a most curteous affabilitie towards all men whereof my selfe among the rest haue sufficiently tasted from time to time The other for that sometimes I haue noted your Worship to be well delighted with the substance nature of this worke as well in your beholding of some other mens Emblemes which haue bin worthie personages as also in your deuising setting downe some from your owne conceit which if I coulde haue recouered as once I was promised and shewed some of them by one of your seruantes who is now in Irelande I had here adioined them vnto the others And so fearing I haue ben somewhat too tedious I humbly take my leaue in recommending my labor to your good fauour and my selfe to do you seruice in any thing I may be able London the third of Ianuarie 1591. Your Worships most humble to command William Kearney To the most worthie knight Theodot of Marze Lord of Belleroche Lassenaz c. Claudius Paradin sendeth greeting AS varietie of pictures yeeldeth great pleasure and recreation vnto man so likevvise the profit and commoditie that is reaped from them is not to be had in little regard or estimation forasmuch as by the vse of them vexations both of bodie and minde vvhich are othervvise intollerable are easily mollified and assvvaged The truth hereof hath beene at all times vvell knovvne to our auncestors and amongst them especially to great kings princes and potentates vvhich carrying at all seasons in their hautie and heroicall minds an expresse patterne image of vertue haue hereby continued a perpetuall memorie of the same being verie apt in his ovvne nature to decay and be forgotten The first and originall cause of this practise vvas this that diuerse men according to the diuersitie of their speciall conceites and inuentions vvere giuen to represent and expresse the same vvith sundrie formes and pictures as it stood most vvith ech mans fansie good liking These their deuises being thus set dovvne in picture are tearmed their armes for that they vvere painted in their armes and in their bucklers targets or other militarie furnitures for they tooke great pleasure to commende and beautifie in any sort that thing in the vvhich they reposed a great hope of their securitie and in their vvarres vvhere death vvas alvvaies present before their eyes they desired continually to carrie about them these deuises vovving as it vvere therby as vvel to die as liue vvith these monuments and memorials of vertue This commendable practise grovving by little little vvas at length augmented vvith the addition of certaine short and pithie sentences for the better information of such as vvere learned vvhich being ioyned vvith the former deuises are vsed by certaine noble personages vntill this present age as it appeareth manifestly in the sumptuous buildings and stately Courtes of great kings and princes vvhich are so copiously enriched vvith such Emblemes and monuments that this practise seemeth to be more esteemed in these our daies than in anie former ages Wherefore vvhen I considered all these things vvith my selfe and vvithall at the vnestimable benefit commoditie of these pictures I thoght it not altogither vnprofitable to bestowe sometime in coupling and gathering together of such amongst the rest as either were chiefely commended vnto vs by our ancestors or are specially vsed amongest great men at this day or else are founde in the olde histories to be most memorarable of principal note regard And in so doing as the olde Aegiptians vvere wont to expresse their intentes and meanings by their Hierographicall letters so hope I by this meanes to stirre vp diuerse men to the apprehension and loue of vertue and for that cause I haue hereunto the rather added certaine scholies or briefe notes for the better vnderstanding of such matters vvhich othervvise seme to containe some difficultie And vvhereas right Noble Sir you are alvvaies giuen according to the naturall disposition of your ancestors to al good knowledge vertuous exercise I am emboldned to offer vnto you this small packet of Deuises as a pledge of the good vvill and affection that I haue to do you seruice assuring my selfe that you vvill take no lesse pleasure in perusing of them than you haue alvvaies had delight to see vertue in any sort reuerenced or exalted DEVISES Nullis praesentior aether God is more fauourable to none The letter TAV saith Hierome vpon Marke being one of the Hebrew Alphaber Hierome in Eze. 9. is a most healthfull and sacred letter and also a true note or type of the crosse it selfe because that this letter in the holie tongue signifieth a marke Some partly who mourned ouer the abhomination of Ierusalem to bee
wicked and vncleane As the Bittle is bred and nourished in the excrements and dong of a horse but beeing in the middest of roses dieth so these youths that are so nice giuen ouer to carnall pleasure the studie of godlinesse and other good vertues delighteth them not desiring rather to be polluted with the filthie dong of carnall pleasure and wickednes in a martiall Ensigne is a perpetuall monument of the protection of the kingdome of France Eng. de Monst Etiam fortunam Yea fortune too M. Sergius a Romane knight after that hee had many times fought with Hannibal Plinie and being taken captiue by subtitltie had escaped his hands at last in a skirmish lost his right hand whereupon hee was constrained to fight with his lefte hande in foure other battels But when hee perceiued that hee coulde not vse the one hand so aptly as the other he caused an yron hand to bee made and set fast to his right arme The which he so luckilie valiantly vsed after in field that he ouercame discomfited twelue armies in France that were sworne enemies to the Romanes For which cause Plinie writeth that hee knoweth not anie other that is to bee preferred before Sergius in prowes and manhoode who vanquishing the violence of his fortune made himselfe worthie of all the praise and honor of those victories Sic sopor irrepat So sleepe came vpon him Wee reade it written in the French Chronicles that one Gontranus king of Burgundie being vppon a time wearie with hunting Annals of France and falling on sleepe his seruants watching by him in a certain field by a riuer side running hard by there came out of the kings mouth a little beast and assaied to passe ouer the riuer VVhich when the kinges seruant sawe he drew out his sword whervpon as on a bridge the little beast passed ouer the riuer went into a hole or caue that was in a hill ouer against it From whence she came foorth againe by and by and going ouer againe by the sword as by a bridge went againe into the kings mouth VVhen the king awaked he told his man the like dreime that he had seene to wit that he went ouer a riuer vpon an yron bridge and so into a caue vnder a hill where he sawe great treasure hidde When his man heard that he tolde him in order what had happened when he was on sleepe So the king caused the inner parte of the hill to bee opened whereout he digged abundance of golde and siluer which he bestowed vpon the poore and needie and also gaue much to the vse of diuerse Churches And also with the same treasure he caused the coffine of Saint Marcell neere to Chalon at Saona where he was thought to be buried Caecus amor prolis Loue of parents to their children is blind or voide of reason The Ape is sayde to loue his young ones so vnmeasurablie Plinie that whilest hee clippeth them in his armes more then reason would hee after killeth them with griping them so fast to him In like manner many parents are wont to be so lauish in the nice education of their children that with their too much cockering of them at the last they bring them to naught Supplicio laus tuta semel Hee that was worthie of praise was one free from punishment It is recorded of a certaine Indian that was of such dexteritie in throwing of a dart that he could cast it a great way off thoâ—ugh a ring of small compasse VVherefore â—hen he was commanded by king Alexander to shew his cunning before him hee coulde not by anie meanes bee perswaded to doe it For the which cause hee was condemned by the kings sentence to die And beeing asked therefore he would not do so small a matter for the kings pleasure answered that hee feaâ—ed least hee should happilie misse of his vsuâ—all custome of throwing When Alexander sawe that he did it not so much for rebellion â—s for feare and shame hee commanded the condemned man to be set at libertie wondering at his disposition which was verie desirous of glorie desiring rather to die than to diminish or discredit the fame and excellenti of his knowledge and cunning Omnis caro foenum All flesh is grasse If this people which before all other nations vainely vexed and troubled the whole world that they might still increase and adâ—ance their owne power and glorie make immortall as it were had at the last vsed â—ome good and wholesome councell and looâ—ed into their own state that they might earnestly and deeply at the length haue weighed that the symbole and author and father as it â—ere Ouid. Seruius Romulus which was a bundell of haie â—anged vpon a pik or lance meant they had â—euer sustained so many and so great vexation both of bodie and minde especially beholding so sodaine an alteration of humane affaires and most of all of those things which belong properly to this fleshly and earthlie â—ody whose mutabilitie and inconstancie the Prophet compareth to greene grasse and faâ—â—ing floures Esay 40 Tolle vpluptatum stimulos Take awaie the prickes of pleasures As we are wont to vse a flap made of the eied or starred feathers of a pecocke to beate awaie Iâ—â—s S. Ierome so wee ought to driue from vs to purge our selues of pleasure and all kinde of fleshly lust with great watchfulnes c re Paix outragée se rend vengée Foolish peace is wont alwaies to render vengeance The Persians in the daies of Zeno the Emperour suffered due punishment for their deserts for the host of the Persians had thought by subtiltie to rushe headlong vpon Caesars Ensignes where vppon conditions of peace concluded of betwixte both the nations Procop. did hang and was shewed and to rende them in peeces But ere they were aware the Persian king with his children and the chiefe of his armie were taken in a trench which the Romanes had prepared And also not long after all the rest of the armie that were left by policie were discomfited and not one left which was not destroied Rerum Sapientia custos Wisdome the preseruer of all things The most gracious Dutches of Berie Margaret by name expressed the singular affection her hart in this Embleme of two serpents putting foorth both their heades out of the boughes of an Oliue tree shewing that the true gouernment of all things is best helde fast and holden vp by the mast of wisedome and pollicie Discite iustitiam moniti Learne iustice by admonition Whither so euer Basanus king of the Scicambrians Diocles sonne went he commanded alwaies a sword to be carried before him on the top wherof was fastned a rope or halter and that for a testimonie of inuiolate iustice For he was a king besides that hee was famous in all other vertues that was also a diligent censor and keeper of iudgement and equitie insomuch that hee spared not in his owne sonne
dedicate by Virgill the sonne of Pollio to Iulius Caesar concerning the commet which appeared after his death Behold the starre of Dioneus Caesar the star wherin the corns reioice their fils And whereby eke the Grapes do take their die on shadie hils Donec totum impleat orbem Till he replenish the whole world The increase of the moone in the daies of the most famous king Henry the second king of France was most strange and prodigious In the holy scriptures the moone many times doth signifie the Church wherto may be added the consent of Paulus Aemilius in the histonie of Pope Calixtus the second whose name before was Guido the sonne of William Earle of the Heduans or Burgundians who the day before his pontificall creation saw in a vision a Starre carried by a childe from the side of the Moone Furthermore the Moone is alwaies subâ—ect to alteration 〈◊〉 both increaseth and decreaseth at certcine houres and times In like maner may wee see the Church of God militant and neuer continuing in one and the same state but one while mainteined and defended of Christian Princes an other-while tyrannized put to flight and sent in funder with factions of heretiques whereby it commeth to passe that it is neuer free from vexation and trouble in this life Wherto notwithstanding the Maiestie of God the King himselfe and his sonne Iesus Christ haue promised certeine helpe and defence vntill it being gathered vnder one God one King and one law the most louing vnitie immensitie of the whole flocke acknowledging one onely pastor may appeare Immensi tremor Oceani The trembling feare of the Ocean Sea Lodouicus the eleuenth King of France when he was about to institute the order of Saint Michaell as they call it in the yeare of our Lord 1469. for a Cognizance or Simbole he ensigned them with a golden chaine lineked togither with cockle-stones and double knots with circles of gold in the midst whereof was a knob or mushrome as it were a promontorie with the golden image of Saint Michael hanging downe vppon their brestes Which last he did being prouoked thereto by the example of king Charles the seuenth his father who vsed the same image for his ensign in wars taking the beginning of his manguration at Rothomage Which custome was begun afterwardes confirmed amongst many kings through a notable miracle or vision as they superstitiously dreame of S. Michael appearing in the battell by the bridge of the citie of Orleance who expulsed droue away the English men and set the Citie free from their siege The chaine therefore is a type or figure of this order a signe of vertue concord and of a perpetuall league or couenant of amitie and friendship to be continued amongst them also a cognizance or badge of those that deserued well and of the victorie obteined By the gold he would haue to be vnderstood magnanimitie prowesse and honours By the cockles their mutuall equalitie or common condition of fortune imitating herein the order of the Romane Senators who vsed to weare cockles vpon their sleeues by the tying of them togither with a double knot he would represent the indissoluble couenant made betwixt him and the rest and that with no friuolous signification Last of all by the image he would shuld be declared the victorie and triumph which Michaell had ouer the diuell whom he ouercame The reason of which signe doth greatly appertaine as well to the regiment and maiestie of a kingdome as also to strike feare and terrour into the enemy And how many he thought good to be admitted into the societie of this order he himselfe declared to wit 36. as it were patrones of the kingdome amongst whome he would be counted the first or chiefest And therefore the same time that he ordeined this order to be celebrate he named fifteene lordes whom for honours sake and prerogatiue of their names it is not conuenient to omit with silence The first therefore were these Charles Duke of Guienne Iohn Duke of Burbon and Auergne Lewis of Luxenburg Earle of Saint Paul and Constable of France Andrew Lauallius lord of Loheac Marshall of France Iohn Earle Sanserre lord of Bueile Lewis Beaumont lord of Forest and Plessis Lewis Destouteuille lord of Torcy Lewis Lauall lord of Chastillon Lewis bastard of Burbon Earle Rosillon Admirall of France Anthonie Chaban Earle of Dammartin chief Steward to the King Iohn bastard of Armignia Earle of Comingies Marshall of France gouernour of Dolphine George Trimoille lord of Craon Gilbert Chaban lord of Curton Seneshall of Câ—â—cone Charles lord of Crussol Seneschal of Poicton Taneguius of Castell gouernor of the prouinces of Rossillon and Sardinia Vltus aâ—o 〈◊〉 He hath reuenged his 〈…〉 quarrell by the example of Tâ—o Lewis the 12. King of France as Duke of Orleance by discent and earle of Blofie gaue the Porcupine in his ensigne with which simbole togither with the image of a Wolfe the auncient Citie of Blofie was wont to blaze their ensignes This is to be seene grauen in many stones and walls Plinie Which beast nature hath so studiously furnished with weapons that she may resist al those that withstand her especially dogges against whom she throweth her prickes like violent arrowes The interpretation of which portraiture the stately houses of a certaine noble citizen in that citie doe declare at the entrance whereof vnder the Porcupine these verses are found ingrauen in stone These Dartes are peace to humble men but warre to proud indeed For why both life and death also from our woundes do proceed Non sine causa Not without cause The iust and vpright ad ministration of iustice with the due punishment of the wicked is a thing so necessarie to kingdomes people and Countries that if they should bee taken away the companies and societies of men would soone fall to decaie and bee destroyed Wherefore Rulers and Magistrates may righthe chalenge the sworde to themselues with publike and priuate honours as warranted by the word of God that they may bee not onclie a helpe and a comfort to the godlie and meeke but also a feare and terrour to the wicked Therefore is the moste wholesome dectrine of the Apostle Saint Paule to bee imbraced Rom. 13. Wilt not thouâ— saith hee feare the powers Doe well then and thou shalt haue praise thereby for hee is the minister of God for thy good But iâ— thou doest euill feare for hee carrieth not the sworde for naught for hee is the minister of God to reuenge in wrath to him that doth euill Therefore bee ye subiect of necessitie not onelie for feare of anger but also for conscience sake For this cause therefore doe ye paâ—e tribuâ—e they are the nâ—inisters of God sâ—â—uing for that purpose Giue therefore to all men that which is due tribute to whom tribute belongeth feare to whom feare apperteineth and honour to whom honour belongeth Plus oultre Hee conceiueth hope to proceed further Charles the fift
forme of a blasing starre glittering on euerie side with arrowes as it were in fashion of a round circle for a continuall admonition to implore and call for Gods direction and mightie arme in this his voyage and iourney Vnica semper auis But alwayes one Phenix in the world at once Like as the Phenix wherof there is but one at any time to be seene Theoph. is a rare bird so all good precious things are hard to be found These armes the famous and renowmed woman the Lâ—dy Helionora of Austria vsed which was the widow of Francis king of France ΑΠΑΑÎΩΣ Without all falshood or deceipt The french arming sword in the hands of an armed man with the inscription of this Greeke word ΑΠΑΑÎΩΣ doth at this day in the place of the armes which the Lord Constable vsed signifie faith Riens ne Ì est plus Plus ne Ì est riens I haue no more ioy no more comfort remaineth to me Valentina of Milan sometime Dutchâ—sse of Orleans had great cause to passe her dayes in great heauinesse and mourning both for the death of her husband Lewis â—â—other to king Charles the sixt as also for the same kings vnfortunate phrensie whereof we spake before in the handling of his aâ—mes which vsed to come on him at certain times and when it tooke him he knew not any of his friends no not the queene his wife but only this Dutchesse Valentina whom he called when he was in this extremitie his sister Whereupon there was a rumour blowne abrode that the Duke the father of this Valentina hauing sometimes bene ouerladen with drinke had caused some poyson or charmed potion to be giuen him which report this Valentina tooke verie grieuously yea so grieuously indeede that in place of all consolation and ease of her mourning she vsed for her cognizance an earthen pitcher in fashion like a water pot on the mouth whereof was the character of this letter S. signifying perhaps these words concerning the same Dutches SolaÌ„ saepe seseipsaÌ„ sollicitari suspiraréque that is being alone shee accustomed to mourne and to sigh with her selfe togither with these words subioyned Nil mihi praeterea Praeterea mihi nil Which is nothing remaineth to me nothing haue I more The which emblemes with the like inscriptions are to be seene described in many places in the Franciscan friers church at Bloyes and in the same Dutches chappell where she lieth buried in a tombe of brasse and also in the porch or entrie on euery side of the quite of the same church Pour vn aultre non To none other Andreas Lauallus the french Admiral was wont to giue for his ensigne a burning Ore which is yet to be seene in the suburbes of the cittie Melus It is also a signification of feruent and dutifull zeale towards the king and countrie and especially in that iourney that they tooke by sea through the great Occean Fata viam inuenient Fortune shall shew the way This simbole of the Labirinth which the Lord of Boisdaulphin archbishop of Ambrune vseth may perchance signifie that we are lead by the grace of God to finde the way that leadeth to eternall life the same giuing the thread as it were of his holy precepts into our hands which when we haue once taken hold of and do follow we turne away from the dangerous wandrings and feareful by wayes of this world Quid non mortalia pectora cogis Filthy loue constraineth men to commit all wickednesse Cleopatra taking it grieuously Plinie and also in great disdaine that Marcus Antonius should make triall so oft of her loue vpon a time at a banquet and merrie meeting whether it were to giue him occasioÌ„ neuer to be distrustfull any more after or for some other cause she began to delight him verie voluptuously after her old fashion that she vsed namely with diuers and sundrie garlands of flowers whose leaues were all besprinckled with poyson Some of the which she wearing vpon her head picked them out and brusing them a little cast them into his cuppe or goblet perswading him to drinke it off But whilest he was about to do it she putting her hand to it said thus Oh my sweete heart Antonius I surely am the woman which if I could liue without thee haue now a iust occasion to do that which by your curious trials you seeme to feare And hereby we may see what may be the audacitie and impudent boldnes of a shamelesse woman In sibilo aurae tenuis In the muttering of the gentle aire Musicke is of it owne nature an enimie to melancholy and therefore is able to qualifie any furie that riseth of a vehement melancholie Wherefore she is able also to driue away heauines and dulnesse which proceed of blacke choler being ouerwhelmed and suffocate with flegme With the which one hath recorded that once he saw a man sore troubled and so sound and fast on steepe that you could by no meanes get a word of him but onely by a harpe sounding in his eares at the pleasant harmonie whereof he lifting vp his head laughed answered to their demands Which thing is an argument that there is no small affinitie betwixt Musicke and the soule Elizeus the prophet hath plainely declared the same vnto vs 4. King 2 when to call againe his propheticall spirite and to make supplication to God for a remedie of his people that then were like to perish with extreme thirst he commanded one that had skill to play on the harpe to be called for vnto him and in that sort obtained at the hands of God that which he desired in his prayers and supplications And what say you to Dauid the Musitian who is now dead rotten 1. King 17 Did not he comfort and recreate King Saul his soule being vexed with an euill spirite when as so long as he played vpon his harpe the wicked spirite left to molest him Therefore this consonant musicke hath a certaine diuine grace in it for as much as it doth not onely restore helth to bodies that are sicke but alâ—o stiâ—reth vp the soule to contemplation comforteth the same and maketh it heauenly as it were wherefore it is an enimie euen to the verie diuels which doubtlesse are nothing else than desperation deiection of the soule feare and an obstinate desolation Finally as in Musicke of different voices there is made tunable musicke so of men also that are of one minde there may be made a consent of contrary natures and manners which God accepteth aboue all other things that may be obserued or kept Finem transcendit habendi He passed the ordinarie meanes of getting and possessing riches The wicked couetousnesse of Calephas Baldacensis chiefe bishop of the Mahomets law wrought a verie euil end for himselfe for being taken in wars Haalon prince of Tartaria commanded him to be handled according to bis insaciable greedinesse that is that insteede of his daintie dishes nothing should be set before