bounty should stil be joyned with sinceritiâ— their smiling face shews that gifts should be given freely they are stil young because the remembrance of a good turne should never grow old they have winged feet to shew that good turns should be done quickly biâ— daâ— qui cito dat 5. They that will be bountifull must take heed they exceed not lest they make themselves as naked as the Graces are painted there is a meane in all things and no man should go beyond his strength he may be bouâ—tifull that hath Euronyme for his wife that is large possessions and patrimonies as the word signifieth 6. There be many unthankfull people who are content still to receive benefits but never returne any these are they that strip the Graces of their garments and have reduced free hearted men to povertie 7. The Graces are called in the Greek Charites 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from joy or from health and safety and they still accompany the Muses Mercurie and Venus to shew that where learning eloquence and love are conjoyned there will never be wanting true joy health and contentment 8. I thinke by the three Graces may be meant three sorts of friendship to wit honest plâ—asant and profitable honest and pleasant friendships which are grounded on vertue and delight looke towards us because they both aime at our good but profitable freindship lookes from us as aiming more at her owne gaine then our weale which as Seneca saith is rather traffick then freindship but all friendship should be naked and without guile and hypocrisie like the Graces still young and cheerefull and still nimble and quick to help 9. By the three Graces I suppose also may be meant the three companions of true love of which Aristotle speaks to wit 1. good will or benevolence 2 concord or consent of minds idem velle et idem nolle 3. bountie or beneficence these three like three Grace look one upon another and hold each other by the hands these ought to be nâ—ked pure still young and where these three are found to wit good will concord and bountie there shall not be wanting the three Graces that is 1. Thalia a flourishing estate 2. Agalia honor or glory 3. Euphresyne true joy and comfort for these are the handmaides of love 10. Faith hope and charitie are the three divine Graces pure and unspotted virgins daughters of the great God sincere and naked without guile looking upon one another and so linked together that here in this life they cannot be separated one from the other but their positure is somewhat different from the other Graces for of the other two look on us the third hath her back to us but in these three divine sisters one only looketh to us to wit charitie the other two faith and hope fix their eyes from us upon God faith is Aglaia the glory and honor of a Christian hope is Euphrosyne that which makes him joyfull we rejoyce in hope and charitie that is Thalia which would make our Christian state flourish and abound with all good things if wee would admit of her companie amongst us but by reason there is so little charitie I doubt me there is as little faith and hope for reject or admit of one you reject and admit of all CHAP. VIII H HARMONIA See CADMUS HARPIAE See BOREAS HEBE SHe was the daughter of Juno begot without a father only by eating of lettuce for Juno being invited to a feast by Apollo into Jupiters house shee presently conceived by feeding upon lettuce and bare this Hebe who for her beauty was made Jupiters cup bearer till she disgraced her self by a fall in Jupiters presence at a feast where shee discovered her nakednesse by which means shee lâ—st her office and Ganymed was chosen in her room The INTERPRETER 1. BY Juno is meant the air by Apollo the Sun by Hebe the fertility of thâ— earth which is caused by the air being warmed with the Sun and refreshed with cold and moist exhalations which is meant by the lettuce 2. By Hebe is meant the Spring by Ganymed the Winter both are Jupiters cup-bearers both moisten the earth Hebe is beautifull because the Spring is pleasant but when Hebe falls Ganymed succeeds so when the pleasant time of the yeer is gone Winter follows 3. I think rather that Heâ—e was the daughter of Jupiter and Juno for Jupiter being the heaven and Juno the air by the influence of heaven upon the air is caused both serenity and fertility in this inferiour world 4. Jupiter would have none to serve him but such as were beautifull as Hebe and Ganyâ—hed neither would God be served in the Tabernacle by such as had any deformity or blemish much lesse can they be fit to serve him who have deformed and maimed soules God is beauty it self Christ was the fairest amongst the sons of men and he will have hiâ— sister and spouse to be all fair and for this cause hee hath redeemed his Church that shee might be without spot or wrinkle or any such thing 5. Though Hebe had disgraced her self yet Jupiter married her afterward to Hercules by which is intimated that youth is accompanied with strength and vigour of body 6. Hebe was the sister of Mars to signifie that warrs doe accompany youth and fertilitie or richnesse of soyl 7. Hebe had a temple erected to her at Corinth which was a sanctuary for sugitives and idle persons so idlenesse and wantonnesse abound mosâ— in those Countries which are blessed with a temperate air and a fruitfull soile 8. Hebe was wont to be painted in the form of a childe clothed with a rich garment of divers colours and wearing garlands of flowers on her head by this they represented the nature of the Spring which is the infancie and beauty of the yeer clothed with partie coloured fields and meadowes and graced with delightfull and fragrant flowers 9. Adam was created beautifull both in body and soule therefore God delighted in him and made him his servant but by his fall hee discovered his nakednesse in the fight of God and Angels therefore was rejected and banished from Gods presence and that earthly heaven in which hee was but afterward God taking pitie of him married him to Christ the true Hercules who only by his power subdued all the monsters of the world 10. Though Junâ— was at the feast with Apollo in Jupiters own house yet shee conceived not till shee ate lettuce this may signifie that the influence of heaven and heat of the Sun are but universall causes and do not work without the concurrence of the secondary and that the matrix is unapt to conceive if there be not a due proportion in it of heat and cold for if it be too hot it corrupteth the seed so excessive heat is a main cause of sterility 11. Jupiter would be served by young Hebe and young Ganymed to signifie that God will be served by us in our youth which
is the prime of our life therefore young men are not made for themselves and their own pleasures but to serve God Remember thy Creator in the dayes of thy youth And remember young man that thou must come to judgement Josiah in his youth served the Lord. 12. Hebe fell in her younger yeers and when shee was at a feast youth and feasting are dangerous tenâ—ations and occasions of falling young peoples feet are slippery youth is more apt to fall then old age which made David pray Lord remember 〈◊〉 the sins of my youth And that feasting is the occasion of much falling is too apparent for it made Job goe to sacrificing when his children went to feasting and doubtlesse if they had not first fallen then in sin the house had not fallen then on them Therefore let all especially youth beware of feasting and drinking which drinking matches and merry-meetings were fitly from the ancient Greâ—ks from Hebe called Hebetria 13. If Jupiter did not spare his own daughter which hee had of Juno but thrust her out of her office and drove her from his presence when she fell then let not the children of God think that they are more priviledged from punishment when they fall then others are â—ay judgement oftentimes begins at Gods own house and hee will correct every son whom he receiveth he neither spared the Angels nor Adam that were his sons by creation hee spared not Christ his onely begotten son by an inâ—fsible generation much lesse will hee spare them that are his sons onely by adoption Qui flagellat unicum sine peccaâ—o â—kin relinquet adopâ—ivâ—m cum peccato saith Augustine 14. Hercules was not married with Hebe till hee was received into heaven and his spirit placed among the starrs so whilest our sou's are in this earthly tabernacle they are deprived oâ— that true beautie youth vigour and alacrity which they shall enjoy in heaven 15. In that Juno conceived not till she had eat of the lettuce by this perhaps they did intimate that lettuce accidentally is the cause of fecundity for as Dioscorides Mattheolus and othâ—rs shew lettuce or the seed thereof is good against the Gonorrhoea and also against nocturnall pollution in sleep which are hinderances to procreation 16. In that Jupiter removes Hebe from her office and his presence wee see in what slippery places Princes favourites are and how suddenly the affections of Princes are altered Steâ— quicunque volet lubens aulae culmine lubâ—ico me dulcis saâ—â—â—eâ— quies HECATE SHe was the daughter of Night or of Hell and the queen of hell of a huge stature and deformed face having snakes in stead of hairs and serpents for feet shee was accompanied with dâ—gs and had three heads to wit of a horse of a dog and of a man or of a wild hog as some think shee is called Luna Diana Proserpina Hecate Juno Lucina The INTERPRETER HEcaâ—e is so called either from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is an hundred because she hath a hundred waies of working upon sublunary bodies or because of the hundred-fold increase of grain which Proserpina or the earth yeeldeth or from the hecaâ—ombe or 100 sacrifices that were offered to her or from the 100 yeeres walking about the river Sâ—yx of those soules whose bodies are unburied Cenium eâ—rant annoâ— volitantque haec littora circum or from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is one of the titles of Apollo whose sister Hecate was and hee is so called from shooting his darts or rayes afar off 2. Hecate was said to be accompanied with dogs by which are meant the Furies and by these the tortures of an evill conscience which most of all howle and rage in the night time of which Hecate is queen Visaeque canes ululare per umbram Adventanie dea therefore her sâ—crifices were performed in the night and she was howled or called upon in the night by her priâ—sts Nocturnisque Hecateâ—riviis â—riviis ululata per urbes and her sacrifices were black by all which the Poets elegantly signifie the terrours that accompany the guilt of sin chiefly in the night for then it was that Job complains hee was affrighted with visions and terrified with dreams and David saith that his sould refused comfort in the night 3. Hecate was said to be the goddesse or protectrix of witches because witches doe work most in the night and the time of darknesse is most fit for such works of darknesse and for such as are the servants of the prince of darknesse 4. Rich men were wont at night when they were going to bed to place a table for Hecate in the high wayes which they furnished with lupins mallowes leeks and other mean and savourlesse cates which the poor in a confused manner snatched all away while the rich men were asleepe hence arose those Proverbs Hecaâ—ae coena for a meane and beggarly supper as also for a tumultuary or confused Feast And Anus digna Hecatae sacris for a miserable beggarly or poor woman Rich men now adayes use when they are ready to sleep their long sleep or to die to bequeathe some small share of their ill gotten goods to the poor and as it fared with these rich Romans so doth it now with our rich cormorants the wealth which they have with much care and pains been scraping together all their life is oftentimes dissipated and snatched away by strangers and wee see that the poor are more beholding to rich men in their death then in their life 5. Hecate is called Trivia because shee hath the charge of high-wayes because the high-waies are discernable by the Moon-light which in the dark are not easily found out and because the high-wayes are barren or fruitlesse hence Hecate is said to be a perpetuall virgin 6. Hecate was said to affright and terrifie men by which I suppose the Poets meant that fear and terrours proceed from an evill conscience 7. Hecate was the name of a cruell woman who delighted in hunting and in stead of killing or shooting beasts murthered men sure shee had been a fit wife for that mighty hunter Nimrod 8. The common conceit is that Hecate is so called whilest shee is in hell Luna while shee is in heaven and Diâ—na on the earth but I could never finde the reason of this conceit therefore I doe suppose that the Moon hath these three names from her divers affections or aspects for in the full shee is Luna quasi Lucens una giving light alone for then the Starres shine not though some of then are seen So shee is called also Lucina and Diana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the light of the Moon is a speciall gift of God Her other name Proserpina which is a serpendo hath relation to her increase and decrease for her light as it were insensibly creeping comes and goes But the third name Hecate was given to signifie the change in which shee affords us no light at all but then seems to be the Queen of hell or
quickly vanisheth Divitiarum Et formae gloria fluxa fragilis Aen. 1. and whereas the learned Poet makes Juno petitioning Aeolus to send out the winds against Aenaeas hee shews that the wind is something else then the bare moving of the air and that it is an exhalation raised out of the earth and waters without which the air could not be so violently moved 7. Juno was the goddesse of marriage therefore called Pronuba and jugalis from jugum or the yoke that was put over the new married couple There was at Rome an altar dedicated to Juno juga in the street called Jugarius because at this altar they were joyned and here their feet were fettered whence the Poet calls marriage Vinela jugalia but because they thought her power not sufficient they joyned an help to her whom they called Hymen and the god of marriage in one hand hee bare a torch in the other a red vail called flammeum with which the bride was covered to hide her blushing these two might signifie the two properties that ought to be in women to wit fervent love represented by the torch and modestie shadowed out in the vail and it is observable that when the parties who were to be married offered sacrifice to Juno they flung away the gall behind the altar to shew that in marriage there ought to be no gall or bitternesse 8. I finde that Juno had her education from the hours and was nourished by the Ocean and Thetis or as some say the sea-Nymphs to shew that Navigation and Time or opportunity beget riches or that the airy exhalations are begot of and nourished by moisture 9. As Juno signifieth the air Vnlcan was her son because the fire is begot of air oftentimes But as Juno signifieth wealth Mars was her son for wealth begets quarrels pride and warres But as Juno was the goddesse of marriage Hebe was her daughter because in our youâ—â— and vigour wee are fittest for marriage 10. Juno's temple was open roofed and by Numa's law no whoâ—e must enter into it to shew that marriage must not be performed in dark corners but publickly and that marriage ought to be honourable among all men and the bed undefiled 11. Juno shed her milk rather then shee would be nurse to Hercules of which milk the Poets â—eign lilies received their whitenesse and the milkie way in heaven called Galaxia had its originall thence which as Aristotle 1. Meteor c. 8. tels us is a bright whitenesse proceeding from the beams of the lesseâ— starres reslected on a cleer cloud others hold it to be no Meteor but however Juno in this may paint out unto us wanton mothers who will rather lose and spill the milk which nature hath given them then nurse their own children which the wildest beasts will not doe 12. Juno was said to have the government of kingdoms because wealth commands and rules all things that is able to make a maid the wise and sister of Jupiter therefore not without cause was shee so much adored and called upon by maids that were to marry under the names of Imerduca Domiduca Vnxia Ciâ—xia for it is wealth that can bring in and bring home anoint and gird the maid with a wedding girdle and without that shee may sit long enough without house ointment or husband but if shee be rich shee shall not want a Jupiter to woo her who will rather abuse himself to take on him the shape of a cuckow then misse her ' Shee is Populonia the goddesse of the common people and Curetis the souldiers goddesse for wealth is that they fight for this is the rich mans Soticena or Sâ—spitatrix or Opipena that is his saviour and helper but as Juno was a weak help to others who could not help her selfe when Hercules wounded her so riches will prove such helps in the end when the dying wretch shall say to his bags Miserable Comforters are ye all JUPITER HEe was the son of Saturne and Ops and was born in Creta at the same birth with Juno and was brought up on mount Ida by the Curetes privatly â—or fear his father should find him who was devouring his own children but afterward be drove his father out of his kingdom and divided the world with his two brothers Neptune and Pluto be toke heaven for himself the sea fell to Neptune hell to Pluto be used to change himself into many shapes and took â—nno his own sister to wife The INTERPRETER 1. JUpiter is so called quasi juvant pater because he is a helping father and Diespiter the father of the day and in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from life for it is he that gives life to all things by this name they understood that divine power by which all things are moved and preserved as may be seen in the Epithets given to him by Virgil and the other poets as also by the descriptions of him in Orpheus and others and by the ancient pictures which they made of him for they placed him in a throne to shew his immutabilitie they crowned him to shew his authoritie they clothed him with garments representing light and Rimes of fire and all besparkled with Starrs to show his heavenly nature and divine glory they put a pair of globes in one hand the one of amber the other of gold to signifie that both the globes of heaven and earth are in his power in the other hand there is a violl or citron intimating that he is the cause of that admirable harmony that is in the world his throne is covered with a garment of peacocks tailes to signifie his providence and omniscience he hath the look of an ancient man because he is the ancient of dayes his sandals or shoos are green and he treads upon Neptunes Trident to shew that sea and land are subject to him They paint him sometimes with the thunder in his hand to show that he is the punisher of impietie sometime they paint him with a scepter in one hand and a circle in the other signifying that he is that great King who rules the world for which cause they place the eagle by him who is the king of birds they give him sometimes the image of victorie in his hand because conquests and victories are from him sometimes they make all his upper parts naked his lower parts clothed to shew that he discovers himself to the Angels and blessed souls which he doth not to us mortalls who see nothing of him but his lower parts and these clothed because here wee see him onely in his effects and works and some of his attribuâ—â—â— but obscurely and in a dark speech as the Apostle faith 〈◊〉 Celtae or ancient Galles worshiped Jupiter under the shape of an oake and so the Romans used to crown Jupiters image with oaken leaves to shew that he who gave being to all things doth also feed them for akorns were the first food of the old world And for the same cause was he worshiped
publick and houshold gods also Lares hostitii gods to drive away their enemies Lares marini gods of the sea Lares viales gods of high wayes Lares querquerulani gods of the oaks or woods neither was there any place in the world which had not these pettie gods besides their great gods But what pretty gods were these whom a man must rescue out of the flames of Troy or else they had been burned Therefore not without cause doth S. Austin De Civit. lib. 1. c. 3. laugh at the Romans who made these conquered gods their protectors who thought that by their help they subdued the world that could not help themselves when they were subdued by the Grecians as hee proves out of Virgil whom hee callâ— the greatest most excellent and best of all Poets What better are the new Romanists in multiplying to themselves tutelar saints forsaking the fountain of living waters and digging to themselves cisterns that will hold 〈◊〉 water LATONA See APOLLO and DIANA LETHE THis was a river in hell of which whosoever drank he forgâ—â— all forepast actions and sufferings The INTERPRETER 1. THe Platonists which held the souls existence long before their bodies affirmed that the souls before their entrance into their bodies drunk of this river that they might not think of or remember the happinesse they had lost which had been a continuall torture to their life this opinion Virgil followeth Aeâ—ad 6. But I think that by this fiction may be meant that the Saints who depart from hence forget all forepast miseries for what happinesse or rest can there be in the glorified soules if they should remember the miseries disgraces and wrongs which they have suffered or the sins which they have committed here Surely even in this life if it were not for sleep and oblivion our condition should be most miserable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How sweet is oblivion of evils saith Orestes in Euripides 2. The river Lethe is in Africa running by the Citie Berenice which is swallowed up by a great gulfe and runs under the ground many miles then breaks out not far from Berenice which gave occasion to the country people to think that this river sprung out of hell 3. They that went to the cave of Trophonius to consult with the oracle used to drink of two rivers the one was Lethe at the entring in that they might forget their forepast affairs the other was the river Mnemosine or memorie which they were to drink at their coming out that they might remember what there they had seen and heard I wish that they who run so eagerly to Church to the Sermon would drink of Lethe when they goe in and lay aside thinking upon worldly businesses and that they would drink Mnemosâ—ne at their coming out and remember carefully what they have heard but 't is farotherwise with them for they drink Mnemosâ—ne when they goe in and have their mindes altogether busied with wordly affairs but when they come home they remember no more then if they had drunk of Lethe with those which Securos latices longa oblivia posans 4. There were said to be four rivers in hell to wit Lethe Acheron Plegeion Cocytus This world may be called hell being compared with heaven which we lost by sin in this hell or sinfull condition in which wee live there are first the river Lethe or forgetfulnesse of our duty to God for which cause wee are urged with so many memento's in Scripture Secondly Acheron or the losse of that spirituall joy of conscience and comfort of the holy Ghost of which sinfull men are deprâ—ved Thirdly Phlegeâ—on the fire of lusts and anger with which wee are inflamed Fourthly Cocyâ—â— sorrow or groaning for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to lament and this ariseth from Styx which signifieth sadnesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LUNA LUCINA SHee was the daughter of Hyperion and Thia the wife of the Air of whom shee begot the Dew and she was the sister of Phoebus or the Sun The INTERPRETER 1. LUna is called the daughter of Hyperion either because hee was the first Astronomer that found out her divers motions or because her motion is far above this aeriall world in which wee breathe Shee is the daughter of Thia because her originall is immediately from God shee is the wife of the air because by her influence and the Airâ— frigiditie Dew is engendred in the night shee is the sister of Phoebus because amongst all the starres shee is likest in light and beauty to the Sun and in magnitude also according to our appearance Some call her the daughter of the Sun because perhaps shee hath her light from him 2. The Poets give her a partie-colouredgarment to shew her various aspects and doe sacrifice black bull to her to shew how black and horned shee appears after the change But to declare her brightnesse in the full they gave her a coach drawn with white horses and whereas they ascribed four horses to the Sun but only two to the Moon by this they intimated that the Suns motion is far swifter then the Moons in respect the orâ—â— in which hee moves is far more capacious then that of the Moons 3. They held her to be both male and female because of her active quality of heat and the passive quality of moisture therefore men did sacrifice to her in womens apparell and women in the habit of men Her masculine power is seen in moving the inferiour bodies her feminine in receiving light 4. Luna is the same with Lucina because by her light and influence shee helpeth child-birth shee is painted with a torch in one hand and arrows in the other to shew the servent and sharp pains of women in child-birth and that shee is the light and torch of the night shee is painted sometimes with wings to shew the swiftnesse of her motion and sometimes all covered with a vail I think to intimate her eclipses and obscuritie in the conjunction The Egyptians in their hieroglyphicks represented the Moon by a white skinned man having an hawks head to signifie that the Moons whitenesse or light proceeded not from her self but from the Sun of which the hawk was the embleme and dedicated to the Sun either because of her high flying or quick sight 5. The Romans used to wear half-moons upon their shooâ— either to shew their originall from the Arcadians who did brag that they were more ancient then the Moon or else to signifie the inconstancie of wealth honours and all humane glory which waxeth and waineth with the Moon And perhaps from the Romans the Turks have borrowed the same custome of wearing half-moons in their colours 6. The Moon in her eclipse looketh red and the foolish Gentiles thought that it was for shame she looked thus as blushing at the madnesse of the witches who thought by charms to bring her down from heaven according to that Carmina vel coelo pâ—ssunt dedusere Lunam and therefore they used to beat brasen