had the principall charge vnder him who put him in a golden cage and cast him on a chariot meaning to carry him to Bactria then seeing that Alexander approached caused him to bee killed with darts and Iauelins and left him dead in the midst of the way Such was the end of a king so mighty in people in possessions and reuenews who called him selfe Lord of all the world from the East vnto the West hauing raigned onely sixe yeres in all delicacies exceeding the common magnificence of Princes Which luxurious maner of liuing was cause of his vtter ouerthrow as humane things being variable haue their fatall inclination so ordained by the diuine prouidence to fall then when they are mounted highest and that the Lords thinke themselues to be most assured sleeping therefore in carelesnes and ouerweening conceits For he suffered himselfe to slide so farre into deliciousnes and superfluous riches that he slept alwaies in a chamber betweene two great chambers most richly furnished in such sort that the Kings bed being sumptuously spred in his chamber and couered with a vine of gold in manner of a grate or lettis enriched with precious stones gathered togither in manner of hanging clusters of grapes the beds head was placed towards the wal of one of the great chambers in which ther was fiue thousand talents of gold and this great roome was called the kings beds head whereunto right opposite was the wall of the other great chamber against his beds foote in the which there was alwaies three thousand talents of siluer and was called the kings beds foote which summes are esteemed after our maner to be worth thirty millions of Crownes Going to war he caried with him in his host for his pastime and delight cccxxxix women as Concubines singers dauncers and such as were skilfull in all kinde of Musicke xlvj workmen to set flowers in order and to make garlands nosegaies chapelets and other sweete smelling things cclxxvij cookes xxix potters making euery day vessels of earth to serue the kitchin xiij bakers of tarts and such other licorous and delicate bakemeates Cellerers cupbearers bruers and minglers of wines makers of spiced cupps and of all artificiall lycours and drinkes xvij of th one sort and lxx of the other Perfumers and makers of sweete smelling sauours and odours both wet and dry xl If then the king of Persia vsed so much delicacy being in warr and nourished himself with so many delights in the field what did he wheÌ„ he remained in peace at Persepoli or in Babylon a city abounding in all superfluities and in all vices that proceed of great plenty Yet notwithstanding in the flower of his fortune he being dronken with prosperity and aboundance of goods was spoyled of his riches which had bin heaped togither by many kings his predecessours losing his life and his kingdome which was clymed to the top of the worldy power and felicity where ariseth the spring of pride arrogancy ouerweening and extreme insolency And there is the slippery path whereon standeth the enuy of fortune and where soueraigne felicity falleth headlong into great calamity By this so magnificent victory ouer him ALEXANDER brought vnder his obedience almost al the countries of the East and transported the Monarchy out of Asia into Europe So the Macedonians tooke away the Empire of the East from the Persians and the Parthians from the Macedonians by the conduct of Arsaces a Captaine of an vncertaine birth but of a most approued vertue and no lesse memorable amongst them then Cyrus among the Persians and Alexander among the Macedonians by whose name they called the succeeding Kings because of the reuerence which they bare vnto him They became so mighty that for a time they ruled ouer all Asia possessing not onely the vnmeasurable plaines but also the abrupt dounfals of the mountaines and placing the bounds of their Empire where either the heate or the cold staied them with snowes or immoderate and burning heates They possessed eighteene kingdomes deuiding in this maner their prouinces as hauing respect to the two Seas that is the red Sea towards the South and the Caspian toward the North where of eleuen which were called the superiour or higher began at the confines of Armenia and at the bankes of the Caspian Sea extending euen to the Scythians Thother seauen were termed the inferiour or lower They seemed to diuide the world with the Romaines th one ruling in the East and thother the West Their dominion from ARSACES to ARTABANVS endured cccc yeres which was brought backe againe into Persia by ARTAXERXES and after cccxviij yeres was taken againe from the Persians by the Arabians or Sarazens Amongest whom the CALIPHES residing at Bagdet raigned in the East ccccxviij yeres after them the first TVRKS from the yere of Christ M.L.I. vntill M.cc.xj when the Tartarians came out of their countrey who in a little time seised on the greatest part of the north the East the south of whoÌ„ came the inuincible TAMBERLAN who made the whol habitable earth afraid And since they being retired the Persians who are reputed the ciuâ—lest people of the East being ingenious valiant and there are amongst them excelleÌ„t Philosophers Physitions Astrologers very good Artisans in all misteries occupations Their king is called SOPHI which is as much to say as wise and the Interpreter of God because that ISMAEL the first that was so named vnder the colour of expositions new ceremonies brought in by him into the religion of Mahomet got no longe time since a great Empire in the East hauing driuen away the race of Vsun-Cassanus king of Persia to whom he was allied by his mothers side and made many Princes and Lords of the East his vassals or tributaries The chiefe prouinces vnder his obedience were Armenia the great Persia Media Assyria with iiij capital or head Cities Tauris in Armenia Samach in Persia Scyras in Media Bagdet which was somtimes Babylon in Assyria There are gentlemen amongst them after the maner of Italy France Spaine which vse barded horses in the wars vnto which they go welarmed bearing great lances and good cymeters being also very good archers The Sophi is opposite on the one side to the Ottoman to the Zagathain on thother Thus haue the kingdoms of Asia of the East varied But before we go out of this quarter we must speak of the MAGES which were far different from other natioÌ„s in their religion wisdom They had no temples Images nor altars neither was it permitted by their law to make any esteeming them fools which had them accounting it impiety to inclose the Gods within wals which ought to haue al open free whose temple and house was the whol world For this cause they perswaded Xerxes warring in Greece to burne al the Temples which he should find there And when they would sacrifice they went vp into high mountaines where it was not lawful for him that
Italie aboue al others both for whitenesse and waight saith that nature hath shewed her selfe so friendly towards the Italians that she hath not onely made them excellent in lawes gouerment of states and maners of life customes and fashions but also hath giuen them corne and many other thinges more excelent then they are in other countries In such maner hath euery countrey his particuler gifts and singularities so distributed by the diuine prouidence which is carefull of the vniuersall good of the world that it cannot perseuer in his perfection without such variety to the end that the one hauing neede of the other they might communicate togither succour ech other OF THE VARIETY AND AL teration in Man BVt the Varietie and alteration is greater in man then in any other thing as soone as he is borne he beginneth to dye and his end dependeth of his beginning During the time while he liueth from his infancy euen til his old age he hath neuer the same things in him neither is the same but is stil renewed subiect to change as wel in his body his heare flesh bloud bones as in his minde changing his maners customes opinions appetites pleasures sorrowes feares and hopes Wee learne forget and remember the sciences Wee receaue food into our bodies and cast out the excrement by the waies and conueiances prepared for that purpose alwaies repairing the incommodities of such egestion by new norishment and by respiration or breathing of the aire The little children are foolish and old men are dotards others are either alwaies foolish or now and then at the least Others become madd either in continual feuers or by some other accident others with too much drinking lose the vse of their reason Some are naturally more heauy and dull others more quicke and ingenious others wiser better conditioned But seeing that they do al participate of one reasonable soule haue their bodies made of the selfe same matter it is a maruel from whence should come such variety as we see particulerly in euery one from his birth and generally thoroughout the nations Wherein it seemeth that nature taketh pleasure to supply the indigence of man not only producing euery one more apt for one thing then another as learning armes and the other liberal and mechanicall Arts but also making the people borne in diuers parts of the habitable earth to differ in inclinations and complexions MANY learned men haue assaied to render a reason of this so admirable a diuersitie First the natural Philosophers are of opinion that it proceedeth of the mingling of the fower humours of which mens bodies are compounded the which according as they agree or disagree one with another do change the cōplexions in disposing the natures diuersly according to their predominant qualities But principally according to the proportion of the hart being the fountaine of the vitall spirits and of the bloud and gouernor of the affections as it is diuersly affected or altered also by the disposition of the melancholick humour which is mother of the arts and of al good inuentions vnto whom they attribute all the dexterity perseuerance and perfection in them From thence comes it according to this opinion that men are merry sad diligēt slouthful tractable opiniatiue gratious merciful enuious fearful audatious foolish light wise true false lyers quarelours deceauers with the other like and ordinary affections of men more or lesse according as one humor exceedeth another To this healpeth much the corrupted estate of cōmon weales the talke which is held both openly secretly and that from their youth few do think on remedying of it by good noriture disciplin and studies Whereunto the Physitians do adde eating and drinking with exercise shewing that they are sufficiently seruiceable to the disposition of maners Besides the waters windes and aire enuironing and that there is great difference in the places which are inhabited So that commonly the Spaniards are proud and haughty Egiptians light Africans disloyal Englishmen and Scots couragious Greekes crafty and subtill Italians wise and warie Frenchmen bold and hardy And thence is it that amongst the Scithians there was neuer but one Philosopher and in Athens haue ben many THE ASTROLOGERS affirme all these inferiour natures to be gouerned and disposed by the superiors And that by the mouing of heauen all things here below are engendred and distroyed or enter changed one into another Moreouer that by the reuolutions and influences of the Plannets assisted with the other starres there commeth such a diuersitie of bodies and mindes vnto men some being stirred vp to one action others moued to another euen as shippes in the sea by the windes so that they cannot of them selues either moue or stirre any waies Likewise the humors of the bodies to be moued by the irradiations of the starres of whom they receiue diuers dispositions which the soule representeth afterward in her actions Insomuch that in their opinion none can learne any art or disiplin whatsoeuer nor become excellent therein if he haue not the original and cause of his excellency from the heauen and constellations They say moreouer that howsoeuer the pouertie situation nature and customes of countries lawes and statutes of gouernment religions and maners of people do often contrarie their fatall destiny neuerthelesse that the destiny bee it to good or euill doth ordinarilye returne to his course and accommodate it selfe as neere as is possible to his first order not denying notwithstanding but that by good education and laudable exercises it may greatly be holpen euen as it commeth to passe in grounds which by care and diligence are made more fertile but being left wast do soone returne to their first nature SOME auncient Philosophers considering that in the minds of men do appeare the seeds of al disciplines with some knowledge of God of vertue and of vice without any former teaching or institution haue thought that the reasonable soules were taken and extracted from the Godhead And that before they came downe from heauen to the earth which place is contrary to their diuine and immortall nature they were full of vniuersall intelligences and of sciences which they forgot by the contagion of the body as soone as they came to dwell therein But that afterwards by care study and exercise they recouered the remembrance of them Thinking these first sparkes and faculties of the minde to be quickned and reuiued againe by learning and vse which for that respect they called remembrance That discoursing teaching learning prouiding numbring inuenting iudging and other actions of the vnderstanding soule did not proceed of any elementarie matter in any sort disposed affected or ordered by the heauenly bodies but of a more noble and sempiternall coming from without and being separable from the bodie as the eternall from the corruptible THE CHRISTIANS being better instructed in the trueth haue not sought the cause of this variety either in complexions or constellations nor yet posted it ouer
cyment and rubbed ouer with fine plaister which when it is drie they write what they will on them There bookes are not made by leaues but they stretch them forth many cubits in length and bring them into square peeces ioined in such sort with cyment or soder that they are easie to turne and seeme to be made of bordes or tables of wood and wheresoeuer they are opened there appeare twosides written in maner of two pages as much there is vnderneath if they be not stretched out in length because that vnder one leafe are many leaues written The letters and characters are like vnto hookes ginnes files starres and other such formes where with they write in lines after our fashion representing in some sort the auncient maner of the Egiptians and Ethiopians and they paint between the lines figures of liuing creatures namely of men as is aforesaid as of Kings and princes reciting their acts They write also their Lawes sacrifices ceremonies obseruations of the starres and of husbandrie Both the vpper and vnder side is of fine workmanship and such as when they are foulded vp they seeme nothing different from ours They make little table-bookes also of bordes of figtree to write common things on which they can easilie deface againe The said Martyr saith also that there haue bin found in Darienna bookes made of the leaues of trees sowed together and that at Mesira they vse figures by which they signifie their affaires aswell as by writing Moreouer that in Hispaniola there is found a tree called Coppeia whose leafe is as fit to write on as paper with a needle or pin or a pointed sticke and that it is to be thought that this is the tree in the leaues of which the Chaldees the first inuentors of Letters did write their conceits before the vse of letters was inuented The leafe will abide writing on both sides aswell as our paper it is about twelue fingers broad and almost round thicker then double parchmine and verie tough When it is wet the letters appeare white in the greene leafe but when it is dried it becoms white and hard as a woodden borde but then the letters are yellow it is neuer marred nor defaced for wetting if it be not burnt Paulus Venetus writeth that in the prouince of Arcadan which is subject to the great Cham there are neither letters nor characters but that men there make their contracts and obligations by little bordes or tablets which they diuide in the midst and compare afterwardes together and confer their markes and signes one with the other and so doe acknowledge the cause of such contracts The simple people of the new found land not knowing the vse of Letters did maruaile much to see that Christians by meanes of them vnderstood one an other and thought that the written leaues did speake by their commandement and reported their secrets in such sort that they touched and caried them with feare as if there had bin some spirite in them and that they had spoken by some diuinitie and not by industrie of man THE most cōmon kind of writing which we vse at this day in these parts is with black Inke which heretofore was made of the sweat of bathes and furnaces but now of gaules gum Arabick and ryndes of pomgranats being all steeped in water of victriol or copperis beaten into pouder There is vsed also red ynke made either of Vermilion or of the shauings or fylings of Brasell steeped in strong Lye being yet warme and putting a little Alum to it and Azure made of some blew stone or earth yelow of goldsand or pouder Also one may write with the iuyce of Mulberies Cheries and other such fruicts And that with pennes made of reedes or canes such as Erasmus vsed or of brasse gold or siluer or of goose-feathers swans peacockes or ostriches Without speaking of the subtilities of writing with Cyphers which Princes vse and notes which Cicero inuented or with Alum where the letters do not appeare nor can not be read except they be dipt in water or with salt Armoniack iuyce of an orenge limon citron or onyon to be discouered onelie when they are held neere the fire or with grease cinders and coales But the maner to write by imprinting hath excelled all the rest in readynes and diligence dispatching more worke in a day then many speedie or swift writers are able to doe in a yeare And since it commeth in so fitlie to our purpose we will intermeddle here a little and say briefly as much as we shall think fit for this present discourse of that which we haue heard and learned of the most expert touching this so rare so profitable and admirable Art to the end that if by warres or other humaine mischiefes and casualties the vse thereof should at any time be left off yet it should not bee altogether lost but be faithfully kept and preserued by bookes as it hath saued and preserued manie bookes TO MAKE Characters for imprinting it is requisite first to haue ponchions of steel softned by the fire on the which they graue with coūter-ponchions hardned or grauing yrons steeled the white which is within the letters perfecting and smoothing the bodies of them with fyles where they are eminent or vneuen not at the right ends but at the contrarie after they wet these ponchions in water to harden them and then polish them and do strike them into little peeces of fine copper that haue bin in the fire which being so engrauen do naturally represent the forme of the letters which the artisans do call striking of the matrices Then do they iustify their matrices on moulds of yron and in the white therof make their castings with lead tinglasse antimony and other mixed maters to the end to harden them and that they may endure the longer The Letters being thus cast made are put in a great case or box of wood ful of little boxes in to which they are distributed according to their seuerall sorts From whence the Compositors hauing layd before them the writing which they are to imprint do take thē one by one dispose them by pages and formes which they put again into other chasies or frames of yron with one or two crosses locked or shut fast with furnitures of wood Then the gouernour of the Presse taketh these last chasies or fourmes and laieth them on the marble of his Presse then beateth them with balles of wood filled with woll couered with white leather and soaked or rubbed with ynke well mixed and distributed placing the leafe that is to be printed on a double tympan or parchmin hauing a wollen cloth betwixt them and a moyst linnen cloth to keepe the leafe from mackling and putting downe the frisquet of parchmin which couereth the white or margent of the leafe he maketh the traine of the presse to roule which resteth on the cariage till it come vnder the vice or spindle vnto which the plattin is fastned and
sacrificed to pray onely for himselfe but hee must also pray for the prosperity of the king and generally of all the Persians being himselfe by this means comprised in the praier Euery one of thē when they would sacrifice brought his offering into a place that was not contaminated then hauing his attire on his head made for the most part of mirtle he called on that God to whom he sacrificed They would neither pisse spit nor void their noses into the riuers but reuerenced them aboue all things They suffered their dead bodies to be bitten praied on by doggs and birds before they would bury them others anointed them ouer with waxe then put them into the earth They and the Egyptians did not burne them because the Persians said it was not fit that a God should feed on a dead man the Egyptians thought the fire to be a liuing creature eating cōsuming whatsoeuer he seased on dying with his meat whē he was ful in their Law it was not permitted to cast the dead bodies to birds and beasts to deuoure them or to any liuing Creatures and therefore they embalmed them with salt that they should not be eaten of wormes The Egyptians would neuer kill any thing that had life The Mages killed with their handes euery liuing creature sauing man whom also the DRVIDES of Gaule did not spare to kill and sacrifice diuining by southsayings as the MAGES whom they resembled in many thinges shewing themselues so cerimonious in obseruing of Magick that they seemed to haue taught it to the Persians and not to haue learned it of them as Pliny sayth These Mages gaue out that the Gods appeared vnto them and foretold them of things to come affirming that the aire was full of spirits which did subtilly insinuate themselues into mens eyes that there were two princes namely one good God which they called Herosmades and the other euill whom they termed Arinan They clothed themselues with white garments liued of herbes cheese and course bread slept on the ground caried canes or reades in steed of staues They assembled in a holy place to communicate and talke togither Their authority was so great that Cambises when he went out of Persia left the gouernment of his house to one of them who in the absence of the king conspired with a brother of his against him and went about to make himselfe king Their Magicke consisted wholy in the religion and seruice of the Gods To whom they offered praiers vowes and sacrifices as if they onely were exalted beleeuing the resurrection of men and that they should be immortall Aristotle witnesseth that they were auncienter then the PROPHETS of Egypt Clearehus affirmeth that the BRACHMANES or GYMNOSOPHISTS of India came from thē ZOROASTER without doubt was the first inuentor whom somethinke by the etimologie of his name to haue bin an obseruer of the starres and to haue vnderstood natural things Plato in his first Alcibiades saith that the Magick of ZOROASTER is a knowledge of diuine mysteries which was wont to bee taught vnto the children of the kings of Persia to th end they might learne by example of the whole worlds common wealth to gouerne their owne And in his Charmides he sayth that the Magick of ZAMOLSIS was the physick of the minde causing it to vse temperance as the other is cause of bodily health Pithagoras Empedocles Democritus and the same Plato sayled and went far to learne it and hauing learned it did celebrate it at their retourne and kept it secret and many other vertuous amongest the auncients haue trauailed carefully therein getting great authority and reputation thereby For obseruing by it the meruailes hidden in the secretes of the world in the bosome of Nature and mysteries of God they haue discouered the concords of the world and agreement of the heauen with the earth accommodating the superiour thinges to the inferiour after they had once knowen their vertues howe they agree in doing and suffering which the Greekes call Sympathies and Antipathies which hath moued Plotinus to call such MAGES making profession of naturall MAGICKE the ministers of Nature It is at this day much vsed in CHINA and CATHAY which are Countries inhabited by most ingenious and industrious people where they are not permitted to come to Offices and Honours in the Common wealth without being learned namely in this MAGICKE which signifieth to speak simply according to the auncient Persian language perfect and soueraigne wisedome and MAGVS an expounder and obseruer of the diuinity Sithence that men haue abusiuely transferred this name to inchaunters who do wickedly abuse the simple making them beleeue that they know the secret and future things by strange words by signes and characters by diuelish deceits and impostures and other superstitious obseruations of Necromantie Geomantie Hydromantie Aeromantie Pyromantie such other of long time reproued both by diuine and humane lawes Wherhence may be vnderstood that there are two sorts of MAGICK th one natural thother superstitious The natural in contemplating the vertues of celestial and terrestiall things considering the conuenances contrarieties discouereth the powers which are hidden in nature mingling th one with thother in due proportion vnder certain constellation and applying the actiue to the passiue draweth them one to another by the similitude of nature So the elements do draw th one the other so the loadstone draweth the yron to it amber the chaffe and brimstone fire the sunne many flowers leaues the Moone waters Mars the winds many herbes drawe vnto them many liuing creatures and haue meruailous secret properties by the which this Magicke naturally worketh great miracles The other superstitious Magick is by inuocation of euil spirits which is a manifest Idolatry and hath alwaies bin forbidden by wel ordered common weales Such were the MAGICIANS of PHARAO which counterfeited diuelishly whatsoeuer MOSES ARON diuinely had wrought til such time as the rod of MOSES turned into a serpent did eate vp theirs which they had tourned also into serpents Such was SIMON MAGVS and such the Pythonisse was that called vp the soule of Samuel the prophet such also was Circe such a one was Medea Plutarch writeth that the spirit of Antony being bound by magicall verses and loue drenches that his liberty being lost he was fixed in the face of Cleopatra The Euthydemus of Plato compareth Oratorie and Magicke or Enchauntery togither and sayth that as Oratory is a delighting and appeasing of the Iudges and assemblies of men so that Enchanting is an asswaging of vipers spiders scorpions other venimous and cruel beastes as also of diseases The vanity of this superstitious Magick appeared especially in the Emperour Nero who gaue him selfe to it as much as euer any man did hauing neither want of goods of power nor of vnderstanding and desiring nothing more then to command the Gods and the dead Notwithstanding after he had called vnto him Tyridates king of Armenia
persons appointed for diuine seruice POLICIE conducteth the affaires of peace and warre in the which would not be found any iustice or fidelitie without the feare of God and loue towards men which are especially commaunded in all Religions Wherfore in all Lordships both auncient and moderne the first care hath alwaies bin of Religion and diuine seruice and such as haue had the chargethereof haue alwaies bin reputed the chiefest in aucthoritie much honoured and well intertained being both they and their children exempted from subsidies and militarie labours The PRIESTS or PROPHETS of Egipt inioâ—ed a third part of the reuenew of the kingdom and had great credit both with the king with the coÌ„mon people aswel for that they had the care of diuine things were very learned and teachers of others as because they were called by the king to giue counsaile in great affairs foretelling of future things which they knew by the Sacrifices and by the starres The Roialtie was mingled with sacrificing and none could be king but he were also a PRIEST as Plato saith in his Politiks The CHALDEES in Assyria and Media had such aucthoritie as the Egiptian priests in Egipt being reputed most skilfull and expert in Astrologie by which they did prognosticate of things to come and by sooth-sayings and sacrifices turned away euill fortunes and made good to come The BRACHMANES amongst the Indians held the chiefe place to whom great honour was borne and great giftes were giuen as to men that were acceptable to the Gods and thought to know whatsoeuer was done in Hell They foretold at the beginning of the yeare droughts raines windes and diseases And they indure still at this present in those parts perseuering in the cerimonies of their auncient Religion and holding the chiefe places in honour calling themselues BRAMINS which go before the NAIRES that is to say the Nobles The King of Calecut is their high Priest and head of his Religion going for this cause before all the kings of India and being called SAMORY that is God in earth The MAGES gouerned the Religion and estate of the Persians with such aucthoritie that they interprised sometimes to vsurpe the kingdom during Cambyses his absence in his voiage of Egipt and to make one of them king It was the custome also that the king of Persia should learne their Magicke without the which he might not raigne The DRVIDES of Gaule being ministers of Religion and of iustice discoursed of the starres and of their mouings of the nature of things and immortalitie of soules as also of the diuine aucthoritie and prouidence being greatly respected of all the rest and verie well intertained At Rome the SACERDOTES ARVSPICES AVGVRES FLAMINS SODALES and virgins VESTALES which kept the eternall fire the high Priest and inferiour Priests super-intendeÌ„ts of their cerimonies sacrifices and supersticions had knowledg of the Ciuil law and managed the publike affaires The first kings of Rome were sacrificers and the Emperours to make their greatnes aucthoritie more venerable called themselues high Priests The PRIESTS both men and women ordained both in Greece and elswhere to see to the obseruation of the pagan Religion founded on Oracles were in great aucthoritie and receiued mightie offerings The Roialtie in Lacedemon was a superintendence in warre and preheminence in sacrifices The LEVITES in Iurie separated from the other Iewes to exercise sacrificing and the office of Priesthood in the race of AARON receiued dueties of inestimable value The THALISMANS PARACADIS CADIS Priests and Iudges in the Law of Mahomet MENITSSMARLS and IMANS were wel priuiledged freed from all subsidies At the beginning the CALIPHES in that religion were Kings and Priests one in Bagdet another in Caire Sithence the Sultans haue taken the royal aucthoritie and haue brought in the MVPHTIS accounted as Patriarches in steed of the CALIPHES super-intendents of the Religion and iudging soueraignly in matters of the Law by which are not onely occained the praiers and diuine ceremonies but also the politike and militarie affaires They haue power to retract the ordinances of the Sultans and sentences of their Diuans or Counsailes which are not conformable or seeme repugnant to the ALCORAN Euery Mahometan Prince keepeth one alwaies neere about him or in his principal Citie with great pension The great CHAM of the Tartarians Zauologues keepeth his at â—â—â—â—rcand The SOPHI at Tâ—â—ris There are also in Africk at Fez Caroan â—â—â—â—â—ssen and elswhere The TVRK beareth vnto his greater reuerence then to any man of his Empire The ECCLESIASTICAL persons throughout Germanie Fraunce Poland England and Hungarie hold at this day the chiefe places in the counsaile of Kings and administration of iustice Among the seuen Electors of thempire there are three Ecclesiastical Amongst the Peeres of Fraunce there are six The chiefest of the Counsaile in Poland are the Archbishops and Bishops The Emperour is confirmed consecrated by the POPE The French king consecrated by the Archbishop of Rheimes The king of England by the Archbishop of Canterbury The king of Poland by the Archbishop of Gâ—esâ—e For considering that the Archbishops and Bishops are established amongst the people as messengers of God and interpreters of the Law and will of God to their aucthoritie being great in it selfe haue bin added great honours in the common wealth to the end that the publike couÌ„sailes and constitutions should by their presence be made more venerable The POPE commaundeth ouer the temporall of the Church called S. Peters patrimonie as king and is reuerenced by the rest of the Latin Christendome as head and chiefe of the Religion in those places where he is acknowledged for such But before we make an end of this matter we will set downe the agreements and differences which were betweene the Egiptian Priestes and the Chaldees Mages Brachmanes and the Druides The EGIPTIANS and BABYLONIANS dwelling in spacious plaines and hauing nothing to hinder them from the whole view of the Heaueri bestowed great studie in obseruation of the starres in the which both th one and the other were most skilful and expert The Egiptians said that the CHALDEES came out of Egipt and had learned Astrologie of them The MAGES and BRACHMANES agreed in sobrietie and austeritie of life and the Brachmanes were thought to haue discended of the Mages There was also the like similitude betweene the MAGES and DRVIDES namely those of great Britaine that they seemed to haue deliuered Magick to the Persians and not to haue learned it of them The bodies of the MAGES when they were dead were left to the doggs and birds to pray vpon before they were buried The BRACHMANES voluntarily ended their liues by fire The CHALDEES and EGIPTIANS had faire great and magnificent Temples The MAGES had no temples altars nor images The Mages were common both to the Persians and Parthians The CHALDEES to the Assyrians and Medes The EGIPTIANS and the PERSIANS beleeued the Resurrection and that men beeing raised from the dead
below The Egiptians Babylonians Indians Mages and Druides applied themselues to such contemplation as hath bin shewed heretofore Then the GREEKS purposely obscuring their writings with numbers and figures to thend that by being too much communicated they should not be dispised of the vulgar sort or wrapping them vp in couers of fables or vsing measured verses to make them more durable by the delectation of fables and sweetnesse of verses And when as they that were skilfull in such thinges and all such as were ought seen in any thing would arrogantly be called Sophoi that is to say wisemen PITHAGORAS was the first who by singular modestie tooke the name of a Philosopher signifying a louer of wisedom For comming one day to Phliunta and hauing learnedly and grauely talked with Leon Prince of the Phliases about certaine affaires This Lord admiring the vnderstanding and eloquence of PITHAGORAS demaunded of him what Art he professed by whom he was aunswered that he was not skilfull in any Art but that he was a Philosopher Leon wondering at the noueltie of this name asked him what Philosophers were and what difference there was betweene them and others PITHAGORAS said that the life of man seemed vnto him to resemble one of those assemblies which were made at the publike playes of GREECE where some by strength agilitie and exercise of bodie or by running of horses sought the price of the victorie and the glorie proposed in races others went thither to make their profite in buying and selling but that there were some of a more generous spirite which neither sought applause nor gaine but came thither onely to see Euen so men in this life as in some famous faire comming thither and being of different nature and disposition some sought after honour others after profit and others which are the fewer and rarer sort omitting or lettle esteeming all these thinges considered diligently the nature of thinges whome hee termed louers of wisedome that is to say Philosophers And as in these assemblies it was a goodly thing to see and beholde without seeking after gaine so that in this life contemplation and knowledge is to bee preferred aboue all other occupations But PITHAGORAS was not onely the inuentour of the name but also brought first as hath bin said this learning into GREECE which he augmented and beautified much instructing his followers called after him PITHAGOREANS by whom he was singularly respected and no lesse honoured of others thorough out the worlde euen the memorye of him remaining at this present most renowmed and reuerenced thoroughout all nations and will alwaies so remaine as long as learning endureth Being borne at Samos after hee had much profited in learning he went first into Egypt after into Babylon to learne the course of the starres and the nature of the worlde And returned afterwardes by Crete and Lacedemon where he learned the Lawes of Minos and Lycurgus which were then in great veneration and finally hauing knowen all the foresaide thinges hee came to Crotona where hee withdrewe the people by his authority from luxuriousnes and idlenesse whereunto they were giuen to good maners and honest life hauing learning for the women separate from that which was for men and for children diuers from that which was for parents For he taught women how they ought to liue chast to be obedient and seruiceable to their husbands and to children how they ought to be modest and to learne knowledge and to all people he gaue counsaile to liue soberly as a thing of which all vertues had their beginning After hee had dwelled twenty yeeres at Crotona hee went to Metapont where he dyed and the inhabitants of Metapont after his decease had him in such reuerence that they consecrated his house as a temple and worshipped him as a God In this time also were those seuen which were called and reputed the wise men of Greece namely Solon Thales Pittacus Bias Cleobulus Chilon and Periander all which except Thales were either Law-makers or gouernours of states and got that renowne and reputation of wisedome for being onely well skilled in matter of gouernment and such thinges as are in the common vse of men The other learned men of this age and they also which succeeded them were Astrologers naturall Philosophers and Physicians as Democritus Heraclitus Hippocrates Empedocles Parmenides Melissus and in the same age are also reckoned Stesichorus Simonides Alceus Sapho Theognis Anacreon Archilochus Alcmeon and Epicharmus who were Poets Epimenides a deuinor of Candie Anacharsis the Scythian Charondas and Zaleucus Law-makers Daniel Aggee Zachary Ieremy and Sophonie prophets of the Hebrues SOLON gaue Lawes to the Athenians whereby he got great reputation and excelled in al knowledge especially in Poetry wherunto if he had wholy giuen himselfe he had bin no lesse reckoned of then Homer and Hesiodus or any other of the most excellent auncient Poets as Critias witnesseth in Platoes Timeus He being desirous to trauaile went into Egypt to the king Amasis and from thence came backe vnto Sardis to CRESVS the riche and mighty king of Lydia who for this cause thought himselfe the most happy man of the world But hauing caused his treasures and worldly felicity to be shewed to SOLON he asked him his opinion who without flattery aunswered him that none ought to be iudged happy before his ende Because that many in this present life after great felicities fall into extreme miseries calamities as eft soones it befel vnto Cresus who being ouercome in war and made captiue by CYRVS was bound and set on a pyle to be burnt Then he remembring the speech of SOLON named him thrice with sighing and CYRVS vnderstanding the reason thereof had remorse thinking how he being a man made an other to be burned quicke in the fire which not long sit hence was no lesse happy then him selfe So fearing the diuine punishment and considering that there is nothing stable in humain things he commaunded that the fire should be forthwith extinguished and Cresus be vnbound By this meanes came Solon to the knowledge of Cyrus and by his wife aduertisment saued the life of Cresus EPIMENIDES was a familiar friend of Solons and holpe him to make his Lawes he was excellent in inuenting of diuers new things and excelling in diuination He foretold the comming of the Persians into Greece a long time before they came and that they should retourne without doing any thing THALES a famous natural Philosopher and Astrologer was the first amongst the Greekes that diuided the yere into ccclxv daies and found out the pointes of the Solstices and Equinoxes the little beare and the starres about him He foretold the eclipse of the sunne in the raigne of Astyages the vncle of Cyrus by his mothers side and kept back his citizens the Milesians from entring into league with Cresus against Cyrus which counsail was the cause of their safety after the victory Aristotle in his Politicks writeth of him that he foresaw by Astrology the
Athens to spend there the rest of his life in learning And whereas in any one particuler science one shall hardly attaine to any excellency though he vse no other exercise all his life he excelled in whatsoeuer he would apply himselfe vnto and neuer vndertooke to intreate of anything but he brought it almost to his soueraigne perfection wherein he was much holpen by the quicknes of his wit and sharpenes of his vnderstanding his inclination to learning and perseuerance the excellent learning of his master Plato whose auditor he was by the space of xx yeres the happines of that age wherein he was borne ful of good bookes and rich in all arts and the liberality of his scholer Alexander who supplied him with goods to come to his intention Many debate who was euer of greatest vnderstanding amongst men the which is difficult to be decided Notwithstanding if we consider it wel we shall not finde any more admirable then ARISTOTLE for the excellency of the workes which he hath composed and the worthynes of the matters of which he hath intreated PLATO hath not giuē himselfe so much to natural Phylosophy as ARISTOTLE but hath bin very curious of Moral and Politick and excellent in Metaphysick Thone hath intreated of the creation of the world of the figures qualities motions of the foure elements of which the world is compounded He set downe three principles God the Idea or for me and the first matter being the nurse of all generation Thother goeth about to proue that the world is eternall setting downe also three principles yet different from thother namely matter forme and priuation He disputeth of place of voide of time of motion of generation and corruption of the foure elements of mutations happened in the aire he hath declared the birth liues figures parts inclinations affections and actions of all liuing creatures His scholer Theophrastus hath shewed the natures causes and reasons of plants other things growing on the earth Both of them haue written of the soul. But PLATO speaketh more certainly of the immortality therof then ARISTOTLE PLATO hath discoursed of a perfect common wealth of lawes and of vertues largely ARISTOTLE also hath composed many books in Morall philosophy deducing al the parts thereof euen to the Economick Moreouer he hath gathered the institutions and disciplines of the Common weales and kingdomes of his time and of such as florished before him Thone and thother haue shewed the changes which happened in them and the meanes how to remedy them As concerning Logick Aristotle attributeth to himselfe the inuention and perfection thereof He hath also spoken of Rhetorick and of Poesie so exactly that there is none found better in these professions Moreouer PLATO hath written in dialogues in the which commonly he bringeth in SOCRATES assuring nothing but disputing much of things both affirmatiuely negatiuely enquiring of all things and asking the opinion of the assistants or standers by without saying his owne or resoluing of anything Which maner of writing hath great efficacy and maketh things more intelligible as if they were then doing and were not taken from else-where obseruing the dignity of the persons introduced accomodating of apt speach vnto euery one according to the variety which causeth an exceeding pleasure In doing wherof he hath folowed an elegant maner of writing magnificent ful of maiesty and grauity both in words and sentences enriched with translations allegories and other colours of Rhetorik without obseruing any certaine methode of teaching But ARISTOTLE hath endeuoured to write methodically hee expresseth himselfe according as the matter requireth properly without any exquisite ornament of words That which he vndertaketh to treate off he pursueth it from the beginning vnto the end not digressing any waies leaueth nothing vndecyded Many haue blamed him for hauing made himselfe purposely obscure and ambiguous in many places and that he did it of craft fearing least some should handle him in such sort as he had handled others PLATO is more copious ARISTOTLE more pithy Thone hath mingled many strāge opinions in his books as of the transmigration of soules out of one body into another of the communion of wiues of children and of goods Thother hath more conformed himself to cōmon life to ciuil actiōs Th one hath chiefly stood on intelligible things thother on things sēsible Th one hath searched throughout for Ideas formes thother made but a iest therof as of the former opinions which he hath sharply reprehēded notwithstanding many haue bin of opinion that there was no differēce between thē in sentences but in words only haue assaied to reconcile them Finally the Greeks reckoned the one diuine and his doctrine hath bin much honoured both whiles he liued and after his decease Thother hath bin held for a wonderfull man of great iudgment and incomparable knowledge singularly respected and reuerenced of all that haue sithence giuen themselues to learning In briefe ARISTOTLE learned all the good which he knew of PLATO and it was a meruailous great happines vnto him to haue bin both a scholler of the most excellent philosopher that hath euer bin knowen and Master of the greatest King of the world It were not reasonable here to omit DEMOSTHENES who was a diligent hearer of Plato and a friend vnto Aristotle being so accomplished in eloquence that he is accounted the law and the rule of peroring and speaking well There is such force in his words and he hath so well disposed them that one cannot well add any thing to them or take ought from them It is not possible in those causes which he hath handled and in the Orations which he hath written wisely to inuent or subtilly to expresse any thing but he hath well vnderstood it Neither on the contrarie to find any thing more stately more graue or more beautified then that which he hath said and written For he was so studious and laborious that euen till the fiftieth yeare of his age there was neuer found any Artisan in Athens more diligent to rise early then he And although he had many imperfections of nature as being subiect to stammering in his speach short breathed and timerous he ouercame by diligence and industrie all his hinderances And vsed himselfe in such sort that there was no Oratour in his time albeit there were then many excellent that pronounced more cleanly and distinctly or spake longer and bolder then he Moreouer he was no smal personage but had while he liued great authoritie throughout Greece being feared and redoubted by the king of Macedon honoured by the great Signor of Persia who managed long the affaires of Athens where he was borne By reason whereof he well vnderstood matters of state the mutations which happen in Lordships and the causes wherehence they proceede and there is not any thing necessarie for publike gouernment but some apparance therof is found in him his counsailes tending not onely vnto profit but to honour and
more pleasant in such sort that one woulde thinke that he obtained that which he intreateth by force And albeit by his vehemencie he transporteth the Iudge yet seemeth he not to be drawne himselfe but to followe of his owne accorde Moreouer there is such authority in whatsoeuer he saith that it seemeth a shame to gainsay him not bringing with him the diligence of an aduocate but the testimonie of a witnes or of a Iudge all these things notwithstanding flowing from him without constraint or labour amongst the which each of them striuing particularly yet with great difficultie excelleth each other And there appeareth in his speach a happie facilitie goodly to heare Wherfore he was not without cause accounted by those of his time to raigne in iudgements and hath gotten amongst posteritie the name not of a man but of eloquence Plinie giueth such testimonie of him But what errour were it for me saith he to omit thee M. Tullie or what excellent praise shall I giue thee but euen that which hath bin bestowed on thee by the common voice and vniuersall suffrage of all the people of this nation in taking out of all thy life the works onely of thy Consulship when you spake the Tribunes refused the law Agrarie that is to say their foode and sustenance When you perswaded they pardoned Roseius the authour of the law Theatral When you perored and pleaded it was permitted vnto the children of banished persons to seeke for honours and magistracies Catiline flyeth from thy wisdome Thou hast proscribed and banished Mark Anthony I salute thee the first that hath bin called the father of the Countrie the first that hath deserued in a gowne the triumph of the Crowne of lawrell by speaking well parent of the Latine language and elegancie and as Cesar the Dictator was wont to say of thee hauing the prerogatiue of all triumphes for asmuch as it is more to haue aduaunced the bounds of the Romain learning then of the Empire The same Plinie writeth thus of M. VARRO The statue of him alone whiles he liued was placed by Asinius Pollio in the librarie which he first of all others erected of the spoiles gotten of the enemies which I esteeme no lesse glorie proceeding of a principall Oratour and Citizen in that multitude of good witts that then was and giuing this crowne to him alone then when Pompey the great gaue him the nauale Crowne for hauing wel behaued himselfe in the warre against the pirates where he was his Lieutenant Cicero dedicating to him his first Academick saith Thou hast declared the age of the Countrie the descriptions of time the rights of holy things and of Priests the discipline of peace and of warre the situation of Countries and places the names kinds offices and causes of all both diuine and humane affaires bringing great light to our Poets and generally to Latine words and letters and hast in many places begun Philosophie enough to awaken men though little to teach them And in his second Philippick M. Varro saith he would that this place should be the house of his studies what matters were handeled therein and what written The rights of the people of Rome the monuments of the auncestours the reason and doctrine of all wisdome And writing vnto him in his Epistles he saith I haue alwayes esteemed you a great personage especially that in these troubles are almost alone in quiet and receiue the fruites of learning which are great considering and treating of things the vtilitie and delectation whereof ought to be preferred before all the actions and pleasures of theis others Surely I account this abode which you make at Tusculum to be the true life and would willingly leaue all riches to all men that it might be permitted me without any hinderance to liue after this maner Lactantius dareth to affirme that there was neuer any more learned amongst the Greeks and Latins S. Augustine calleth him the sharpest of all men and without doubt the most learned who hath read so many things that it is a wonder he had any leasure to write of ought and yet hath written so much that it is scarce credible that any one could read it all for he wrote CCCCXC books Also who hath more curiously searched out this then Marcus Varro or more learnedly found it or more attentiuely considered it or more subtilly distinguished it or written more diligently and fully of it who albeit he be not so sweete in speach aboundeth notwithstanding aswell in knowledge and sentences as in all doctrine which we call secular and they liberall he can aswell teach the studious of things as Cicero delight the curious of words Cicero in his booke of the world giueth such testimonie of P. NIGIDIVS This personage was adorned with all liberall arts and a diligent searcher of things which were hidden and folded vp in nature And I account thus of him that after the noble Pythagorians whose discipline was in a maner extinct hauing florished many yeares in Italie and Sicilie he hath renewed it The same Cicero saith of SERVIVS SVLPITIVS a Lawier his admirable incredible and almost diuine knowledge in exposition of the lawes and declaration of right and equitie shall not be forgotten If all those which euer in this Citie had vnderstanding of the Lawes were assembled together in one place yet were they not comparable to Seruius Sulpitius for he was not so well seen in law as in Iustice wherefore he referred alwaies to facilitie and equitie the deeds proceeding of the rule of right and of the Ciuile Law And did not take so much paines to set downe the actions and pleadings of causes as to take away the doubts of matters and difficulties of controuersies The same Cicero of GALLVS AQVILIVS an other Lawier I say one could not to much esteeme the aucthoritie of such a man whose wisdome the people of Rome hath knowen in taking heed to himselfe and not in deceauing of others Who did neuer seuer the reason of Law from Equitie who so many yeares hath readily imployed his wit labour and fidelitie for the good of the people of Rome who is so iust and so good that he seemeth to be a Lawier by nature and not by discipline so learned and prudent that he seemeth to be not onely a naturall knowledge but also a certain goodnesse of the ciuile Law whose vnderstanding is so good and such his fidelitie that whatsoeuer is drawen from thence is found to be pure and cleere Before this time the Latine Poesie was rude which was then polished and brought to perfection especially by VERGIL whom Quintilian witnesseth among all the Heroicke poets both Greeks and Latins to haue come neerest vnto Homer in whom notwithstanding he acknowledgeth that there was more of nature These are the most notable personages that florished then both in armes and learning But IESVS CHRIST defaced all their excellencie who in the raign of Augustus discending out of Heauen here on earth and clothing
himselfe with the shape of a man was borne of the Virgin and came forth of her wombe both visible Man and God inuisible promised by the Law and the Prophets the master of trueth and cleanser of Idolatrie correctour of malice and renewer of our depraued nature to th end to restore such as beleeued in him to their auncient puritie and innocencie corrupted by the forfaiture of the first man He gaue sight to the blind speach to the dumbe straight going to the lame healed incurable diseases cast out euill spirits fedd with fiue loaues and two fishes fiue thousand persons turned water into wine went safely on the waters as on the land commaunded the sea the winds and the tempests raised the dead to life and liued himselfe againe after he had bin wrongfully crucified and killed by the Iewes By which miracles he shewed himselfe to be the sonne of God establishing his Church and christian Religion in steed of the Mosaical and Pagan Which hath alreadie endured more then fifteene hundred yeares and shall neuer haue end hath passed alreadie to the Antipodes and hath bin manifested to the East and West Indians yea euen amongst the sauages lately discouered towards the South which before were vnknowen to all antiquitie and among the farthest people of the North by meanes of the Sueuians and Moscouites In somuch that at this day we may affirme that his word hath bin heard in all parts of the habitable earth as he had ordained vnto his Disciples enduing them with the grace of the holy Spirite and power to do miracles as he had done before and with the gift of tongues with perseuerance pacience and constancie against all torments and persecutions A thing indeed admirable and the like whereof neuer hapned to any King Law-maker or Philosopher Grecian or Barbarian who contented themselues to set downe and cause to be receiued in their countrie and language the institutions and Lawes which they esteemed good and profitable But Iesus Christ not as a mortall man seruing himselfe with poore fishermen for his Disciples whom he would haue from that time forward to bee fishers of men hath manifested his Gospell by them thorough out the whole world and before all people inioyning them to shew from him the true way of saluation and of beleeuing in GOD the Creatour of all thinges Such was the progresse and aduauncement which they made in their ministerie that in a little time they induced the Nations by their preaching to leaue their auncient idolatries and to receiue Christ as GOD they established schooles and auditories of the Christian doctrine and then were Temples buylt to the Apostles and Martyrs in the most famous Cities of the world at Rome Alexandria and Antioche thorough out Egipt and Lybia Europe and Asia Beginning then when the Romain power was come to his soueraign greatnes and glorie vnder Augustus the peaceable ruler of innumerable Nations when the kingdom of Egipt was extinguished which had endured almost time out of mind and the nation of the Iewes brought vnder bondage and subdued and the Lordships of the Syrians Cappadocians Macedonians Bythinians Grecians Illyrians Africans Spaniards and Gaules were vnder the Romaine Seigniorie which we must think did so fall out by the diuine prouidence of God to the end to make the same worke the more easie which otherwise must needes haue bin verie difficult if all these Nations had remained in diuision and discord But by meanes of the vnion of them vnder one great Monarchie they accomplished with lesse feare and danger their proposed enterprise God preparing them their way and brideling the harts of the superstitious by the terrour of that most mightie Empire Cornelius Tacitus writeth that such had bin the perswasion of men that it was contained in the auncient learning of the Priests that about this time the East should preuaile and that such as came out of Iewrie should raigne which was verified in the spirituall raigne of Iesus Christ whose Ghospell doctrine and religion hath bin preached thorough out the world God then seeing malice infinitely increased and the worshipping of false Gods dispersed thorough all the whole world in such sort that his name was alreadie almost out of the memorie of men and that the Iewes themselues to whom onely his diuine mysteries had bin reuealed and promises made of his holy alliance giuen ouer to vaine superstitions hauing left the true Religion whereunto they refused to returne being reprehended and admonished by the Prophets at this time ordained for the redemption he sent his sonne the Prince of the Angells vnto men to thend to diuert them from wicked and vaine worships and to induce them to know and to reuerence the true God bringing back their soules from folie vnto wisdom from iniquitie to iustice and from impietie to a right beleefe Such and so notable at this time was the mutation both in gouernment and in Religion BVT as the Romains were climed to the top of humane power and wisdome by labour industrie so were they straightwaies corrupted by riches and ouermuch libertie degenerating from the former integritie prowesse learning and eloquence Whereof I can not render any better reason then by their owne authours men of good credit and aucthoritie To thend saith Seneca that ye may vnderstand how much the witts of men do euery day decay and by I know not what iniquitie of nature and procliuitie vnto vice eloquence is gon backe All whatsoeuer the Romain eloquence hath to oppose vnto proud Greece it florished in the time of Cicero All the good wits which brought any light vnto our studies were borne then Sithence that time it hath alwaies impaired either by the loosenes of the time which is most pernitious vnto good wits or that the reward which was proposed for so goodly a thing being lost all the trauaile and paines hath bin bestowed on dishonest exercises or els by some destinie whose enuious law is perpetuall ouer all things so that being come to the highest they returne to the lowest faster then they went vp The good wits of slouthfull youth doe languish and do not applie themselues to any honest exercise Slouth and negligence and dexteritie in things that are pernitious which is worse then either sleepe or negligence haue possessed their mindes The delight of singing and dauncing holdeth the effeminate and of dressing their haire and fitting their speach vnto womanish daliances and exceeding of women in corporal delicacies and tricking themselues with vncleane cleanlynes which is the brauerie of our youth Who is there among the yong folkes ingenious or studious enough or rather man enough Being softned and effeminated they remaine of necessitie as when they were first borne corrupting the chastitie of others and negligent of their owne The Gods will not suffer so much euill as that eloquence should come to such people which I would neuer so much admire if she did not make choise of the minds on which she bestowed her selfe Cornelius
Tacitus writing of famous Oratours saith Tell me the cause why we are so farre from the former eloquence since it is but six score yeares from the death of Cicero to this present And a little after who knoweth not that eloquence and the other arts are fallen from their auncient glorie not for want of men but by the slouthfulnes of youth and negligence of parents and ignorance of teachers and forgetfulnes of the auncient customes Which euils being first begun in the Citie haue bin eft soones dispersed thorough Italie and all the prouinces The eloquent men of this time commit foule and shamefull faults in euery woord of their ordinarie speach shutting vp eloquence into little sence and smal sentences as if she were banished from her kingdome Whereas in times past being richly deckt with all arts she filled the breasts now being clipt and curtailed she remaineth without ornament without honour and as if she were without ingenuitie and is learned but as some base discipline This we account to be the chiefe and principall cause why we are so far gon backe from eloquence And the same author againe in the xvij of his Annales saith Before the affaires of the people of Rome were written with like eloquence libertie but sithence the battaile of Actium that the benefit of peace required all things to be reduced vnder the power of one then ceased these great witts and the trueth was vtterly lost first by ignorance of the state of the common wealth which was strange vnto them then by flatterie or hatred of those that ruled Plinie in his second booke I meruaile saith he that the world disagreeing and being diuided into kingdoms that is to say into parts so many persons haue imploied themselues to search out things which are so difficult to find In such sort that at this day euery one in his countrie knoweth some thinges more truely by the bookes of such as were neuer there then by aduertisement of the originaries And now that we inioy so happie a peace and haue an Emperour that taketh so great pleasure in the sciences and in new inuentions men are so far off from inuenting any new thing that they scarce learne the inuentions of the auncients The rewards were not then bestowed in greater abundance by the greatnes of fortune and yet more men imployed themselues in searching out of these things not expecting any other reward then to help their posterie But mens maners are waxen old and not the rewards And the sea being open on all sides and safe landing in all coasts many do nauigate but it is to gaine and not to learne whiles the mind being blinded and altogether giuen ouer to auarice doth not consider that it may more surely and safely be done by learning The same Authour saith in his thirteenth booke As the world is communicated by the maiestie of the Romaine Empire who would not think the life of man accomodated by the intercourse of things and by the societie of a happie peace And yet notwithstanding there are found but few which know that which the auncients haue left So much the greater was their studie and their industrie more fertile About a thousand yeares past shortly on the beginning of Letters Hesiodus gaue precepts vnto husbandmen who hath bin followed of many which hath increased husbandrie amongst vs for as much as it is good to consider not onely that which hath bin sithence inuented but also that which the auncients inuented before the memorie whereof is lost by our sluggishnes whereof we can alleage no other causes then those that are publick of the whole world Surelie other customes are come in sithence and mens witts are busied about other exercises They are onely giuen to questuarie and gainfull arts Before the Empires of nations were shut vp in themselues and therefore were they constrained by the necessitie of fortune to exercise the gifts of the mind Innumerable Kings were honoured by the Arts and preuailed by them thinking by them to obtaine aide and immortalitie wherefore both the rewards and works abounded The inlargment of the world and plentie of things hath bin hurtfull to posteritie Sithence the Senatour began to be chosen by his reuenew the Iudge to be made by the reuenew and that nothing hath so much commended the Magistrate and Captain as his reuenew Since that corrupting bribes were authorized the purchase of offices became very gainful that the only pleasure was in possessing much the prises of life are vanished and the arts called liberall of the great benefit of libertie haue fallen out to the contrarie and men haue begun to profit onely by seruitude and slauerie some worshipping of it in one sort and some in an other yet all notwithstanding aspiring to the same hope of profiting The chiefest haue rather respected the vices of another then their owne vertues Wherfore pleasure hath begun to liue and life is perished And the same in his xxv booke I can not sufficiently admire the diligence of the auncients who haue left nothing vnsearched and vnexperimented not retayning to themselues that which they knew to be profitable to posteritie on the contrarie we indeuour to hide and to suppresse their labours to depriue those good things of life which are gotten by others So certainly do they hide it which know any thing being enuious of others And â—eaching it vnto none do think thereby to authorize their knowledge So far are these maners from inuenting any new thing wherwith to be helpful to life the chiefest and soueraine labour of good wits being come vnto this to reserue to themselues the deeds of others and to let them perish Which is not to say that there haue not bin sithence any learned and eloquent men but that they are much differing from the former in proprietie puritie facilitie and elegancie of speach not comparable to them in vnderstanding iudgement and knowledge As in Italie Seneca called by the Emperour Claudius sand without lyme and a besome vnbound The two Plinies the Vnkle accounted the most learned of his time and the Nephew a famous Oratour who were men of great credit and authoritie Tacitus and Suetonius Historiographers Lucan Persius Sylius Italicus who was Consul the last yeare of Nero Statius Iuuenal and Martial Poets Cornelius Celsus exercised in all sciences Quinctilian a Rhetorician Aulus Gellius Iulius Hyginus an Astrologer Polemon and Scaurus Grammarians Aburnius Valens Tuscianus Vindius Verus Vlpius Marcellus Arrianus Tertullianus Saluius Iulianus L. Volusius Mecianus Papinianus and his auditours Vulpianus Tarnucius Palernus Macer Terentius Clementius Menander Arcadius Rufinus Papyrius Fronto Anthius Maximus Hermogenianus Africanus Florentinus Triphonius Iustus Callistratus Venuleius Celsus Alphenus Sabinus AElius Gordianus Triphonius Proculus Modestinus Pomponius and Africanus all excellent Lawiers In GREECE ASIA and ALEXANDRIA of EGIPT Plutarch and his nephew Sextus Musonius Apollonius Tyanaeus of CHALCEDONIA Lucian Galen the Physician Epictetus the Stoick Fauorinus Arrianus Herodianus and
thereon it wil bee founde by true reason of Cosmography that they neuer possessed the twelfth part of the earth ZENON the first authour of the secte of the Stoickes ymagined an vniuersall forme of gouernement tending to this that all men should not liue by townes peoples and nations being separated by particular lawes rightes and customes but that they should account themselues fellow citizens and that there was but one sorte of life as there is but one world no otherwise then as if it were but one flocke feeding vnder one shepheard in common pastures PLATO also wished that there were on earth but one king as there is in heauen but one God to th end that the humaine gouernement might therein resemble the diuine which Lord of the world as a true shepheard of mankind should loue al men indifferently as his naturall subiectes maintayning them with good maners lawes iudgements and assured entercourse both by sea and lande so great a prince not bearing enuy to any person and hauing no occasion to enlarge his frontiers by ambition which would be the cause of ceasing so many enmities warres slaughters spoiles and robberies happening amongst men through the pluralitie and dissentions of gouernements Which matters being by them grauely and magnificently propounded are much more easie to bee wished then effected considering the diuersity of tongues dissimilitude of maners and customes varietie of sects and vanity of opinions that raigne amongest men and make them to lose that loue which is wished amongest them hindering the establishing of one vniuersall common wealth of all and consequently a Monarchie of people so much differing in estimation of diuine and humaine right and the religion and seruice of God One man alone can not possesse all the earth the greatest part of it being drowned by the sea and in some places where it is vncouered of waters being vnhabitable thorough excessiue heate or cold And if he should possesse it hee would straight forget himselfe in so great authoritie and libertie and become proud beyond measure waxing tyrannicall and insupportable as it happened to Cambyses to Nero to Sesostris to Attila to Tamberlan and to Alexander the great who thorough extreeme ouerweening would be accounted and called the sonne of God and for his insolencie was poisoned by his most familiar friends and as it happened to OCTAVIAN AVGVSTVS who suffered Temples to be consecrated to him and diuine honours to be giuen him in his life time Considering also that there is a certaine measure and proportion of greatnes in Townes Cities and States euen as in liuing creatures plantes and instruments which when it exceedeth loseth his nature and vse As it befell vnto this ROMAINE EMPIRE which being clymed vp to an incomparable greatnesse and inestimable wealth did fall est soones into great calamities and was finally ouerthrowen as others had bin before it which we wil compare togither setting downe their similitudes and differences A COMPARISON OF THE ROMAIN Empire with the Assyrian Median Persian Macedonian and Parthian AMongest the great auncient kingdomes the ASSYRIAN was excellent in nobility mighty in armes large in compasse of land and in continuance admirable which being augmented by Belus Ninus and Semiramis and enlarged by the spacious countries of Asia was the first that amongest all other Empires which it farre exceeded obtayned the name of an established Monarchie and for the space of a thousand three hundred and threescore yeres vnder thirtie eight kinges florished greatly After followed that of the MEDES which vnder nine kings continued CClxj yeres well gouerned in peace and warre Then raigned the PERSIANS who hauing added Egypt vnto their dominion and increased their strength and riches when they had prospered two hundred and thirtie yeres they lost their state vnder Darius their fourteenth king From that time forwarde the MACEDONIANS by the successe and conduct of Alexander obtained the rule ouer Asia which they lost one hundred and twenty yeres after giuing occasion by their ciuill dissentions to the Parthians in the East and to the Romaines in the West to increase and grow great Then the Romaines towardes the West seasing the Macedonian Seigniorie which though it were great indeed yet was but weake by the diuision of the princes who had parted it betweene them established the greatest and fairest Empire that euer was For if all the famous Monarckes amongest the straungers bee compared vnto the Romaine Emperours there will not bee founde any amongest them that haue done greater thinges either in peace or warre or that haue more enlarged their Empire and longer maintained it The AssyriaÌ„s went not out of Asia The Medians endured only cclx yeres the Persians hauing ouercome the Medes obtained almost al Asia but when they assailed Europe they little preuailed And the Persians being ouerthrowen the Macedonian Empire was greater then al the former but it endured but a whiles For incontinently after the death of Alexander being deuided into many Lordships it was easily supplanted by the Romaines And although it were very â—arge yet it went not into spacious Africk sauing where it reacheth vnto Egypt neither possessed all Europe being bounded on the north with the countrey of Thrace and towards the West with the Adriaticke sea But the ROMAIN EMPIRE extended into Europe Asia and Africk from the Orcades and Thule on the one side Spaine and Mauritania on the other euen to the hill Caucasus and the riuer Euphrates and the higher Ethiopia trauersing the countrey of Egypt and of Arabia euen to the East sea being the first and only which to this present hath made the East and West his limits and hath endured longer then any other excepting the Assyrian Touching the PARTHIAN which was at the same time when the Romain opposed against it being encreased with the ruines of the Macedonian in the East as the Romain was also in the west albeit it was very great and terrible vnto all the East as comprehending eighteene kingdomes betweene the Caspian and the red sea and being far stretched out towarde the Indies and famous by many ouerthrowes which it had giuen to the Romaines as namely by the death of Crassus and shameful retreat of Antonius yet obtained it but one part of Asia and receaued some kings from Rome which being begon by Arsaces endured only cccclxiij yeres vnder twenty and seanâ—n kings And the second PERSIAN also was of no greater circuit which was set vp by the Persian Artaxerxes hauing ouercome in three battailes and in the end slaine Artabanus the last king of the Parthians and ended cccxiij yeres after it was restored being ouerthrowen vnder Hormisdas the xxviij king by the Arabians THE BIRTH OF ROME AND CONTI nuance thereof compared to the foure Ages of mans life AS the Astrologers say that cities haue their reuolutions and prefixed times of continuance which is knowen by the situation of starres at the day of their natiuities For this cause Tarucius a Romaine in the time of Cicero and of