THE HEROICALL DEVISES OF M. CLAVDIVS PARADIN Canon of Beauicu Whereunto are added the Lord Gabriel Symeons and others Translated out of Latin into English by P. S. LONDON Imprinted by William Kearney dwelling in Adlingstreete 1591. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL THE RENOWMED CAPTEINE Christopher Carleill Esquier chiefe Commander of her Maiesties forces in the Prouince of Vlder in the Realme of Ireland and Seneshall there of the Countries of Clandeboy the Rowte the Glins the Duffre and Kylultaugh RIGHT Worshipfull being mindfull of the saying which the auncient poet Hesiod vseth whereby he doth iustly admonish as imitating the earth to recompence benefites with increase though I dispaire to requite your manie curtesies affoorded me so must be checked of that dumbe creature yet I intende to imitate the the rockes and answer so loud a voice with a resounding Echo and though in comparison of the voice I speake but the last sillable yet I hope your Worship regarding rather my good meaning than my gift will affoord your patronage to this little booke shrowd it vnder the protection of your Heroicall spirit where I doubt not it shall obtaine fauour and thereby find passage without repulse seeing also it containeth in it that which most men desire both delight to the eye and harmonie to the eare pleasure to both and offence to none I haue the rather presumed to hope of your Worships good acceptance for two causes the one for that I see the like to haue ben done in the same booke being in French and Latin by verie honorable and vertuous personages to whom in mine account your Worship is nothing inferior For to omit al discourse and to touch only the bare names of some things managed by your selfe Let the sundrie great proofes of your martiall seruices and worthie aduentures as well by land as by sea witnes what your deserts haue bene which the Spanish west India with losse and griefe Muscouia or Russia with worthy commendation France the Low Countries and Ireland with renowmed fame haue with generall voice and consenting occurrencie euen from them all to both farre and neere sounded emblased wherein can not be forgotten your zeale alwaies shewed towards Christs Gospell besides manie other your rare vertues accōpanied with a cherefull liberalitie and a most curteous affabilitie towards all men whereof my selfe among the rest haue sufficiently tasted from time to time The other for that sometimes I haue noted your Worship to be well delighted with the substance nature of this worke as well in your beholding of some other mens Emblemes which haue bin worthie personages as also in your deuising setting downe some from your owne conceit which if I coulde haue recouered as once I was promised and shewed some of them by one of your seruantes who is now in Irelande I had here adioined them vnto the others And so fearing I haue ben somewhat too tedious I humbly take my leaue in recommending my labor to your good fauour and my selfe to do you seruice in any thing I may be able London the third of Ianuarie 1591. Your Worships most humble to command William Kearney To the most worthie knight Theodot of Marze Lord of Belleroche Lassenaz c. Claudius Paradin sendeth greeting AS varietie of pictures yeeldeth great pleasure and recreation vnto man so likevvise the profit and commoditie that is reaped from them is not to be had in little regard or estimation forasmuch as by the vse of them vexations both of bodie and minde vvhich are othervvise intollerable are easily mollified and assvvaged The truth hereof hath beene at all times vvell knovvne to our auncestors and amongst them especially to great kings princes and potentates vvhich carrying at all seasons in their hautie and heroicall minds an expresse patterne image of vertue haue hereby continued a perpetuall memorie of the same being verie apt in his ovvne nature to decay and be forgotten The first and originall cause of this practise vvas this that diuerse men according to the diuersitie of their speciall conceites and inuentions vvere giuen to represent and expresse the same vvith sundrie formes and pictures as it stood most vvith ech mans fansie good liking These their deuises being thus set dovvne in picture are tearmed their armes for that they vvere painted in their armes and in their bucklers targets or other militarie furnitures for they tooke great pleasure to commende and beautifie in any sort that thing in the vvhich they reposed a great hope of their securitie and in their vvarres vvhere death vvas alvvaies present before their eyes they desired continually to carrie about them these deuises vovving as it vvere therby as vvel to die as liue vvith these monuments and memorials of vertue This commendable practise grovving by little little vvas at length augmented vvith the addition of certaine short and pithie sentences for the better information of such as vvere learned vvhich being ioyned vvith the former deuises are vsed by certaine noble personages vntill this present age as it appeareth manifestly in the sumptuous buildings and stately Courtes of great kings and princes vvhich are so copiously enriched vvith such Emblemes and monuments that this practise seemeth to be more esteemed in these our daies than in anie former ages Wherefore vvhen I considered all these things vvith my selfe and vvithall at the vnestimable benefit commoditie of these pictures I thoght it not altogither vnprofitable to bestowe sometime in coupling and gathering together of such amongst the rest as either were chiefely commended vnto vs by our ancestors or are specially vsed amongest great men at this day or else are founde in the olde histories to be most memorarable of principal note regard And in so doing as the olde Aegiptians vvere wont to expresse their intentes and meanings by their Hierographicall letters so hope I by this meanes to stirre vp diuerse men to the apprehension and loue of vertue and for that cause I haue hereunto the rather added certaine scholies or briefe notes for the better vnderstanding of such matters vvhich othervvise seme to containe some difficultie And vvhereas right Noble Sir you are alvvaies giuen according to the naturall disposition of your ancestors to al good knowledge vertuous exercise I am emboldned to offer vnto you this small packet of Deuises as a pledge of the good vvill and affection that I haue to do you seruice assuring my selfe that you vvill take no lesse pleasure in perusing of them than you haue alvvaies had delight to see vertue in any sort reuerenced or exalted DEVISES Nullis praesentior aether God is more fauourable to none The letter TAV saith Hierome vpon Marke being one of the Hebrew Alphaber Hierome in Eze. 9. is a most healthfull and sacred letter and also a true note or type of the crosse it selfe because that this letter in the holie tongue signifieth a marke Some partly who mourned ouer the abhomination of Ierusalem to bee
harme and so it fareth in euerie point with those that contend in the place of exercise and in the handling of the staffe wherein they contend for strength where no not the ouercommet himselfe carrieth awaie the victorie without greate forcing and strayning of his members Consultori pessimum Iuill councell is worst to the councell giuer It is most certaine that the punishment which another deserueth by committing of offence doth alwaies returne vpon the head of the first counceller Wee may daille see this in standards Ensignes of warre whereby we muster or gather souldiers together to their voiage and in battell arme our selues by them as our guides against the enemie for they abide the first onset and renting in peeces Nay rather the authors of battels and strife in al dissensions and variances are worthier of the sorer punishment and the lawes themselues command that seuerer punishment be inflicted vppon them than vpon the fighters themselues And to the present purpose belongeth that which Aulus Gellius writeth of the wicked dealing of the Hetrurian southsaiers Au. Gel. For they beeing called vpon by the Romanes that they should in open assemblie consulte about Horatius Cocles image that was striken with lightning as they were priuie enemies of the Romanes after that they had decreed that the image should be carried into a more desert place where the Sunne could not come to it at al to benefit it When accusation of this their deuice was made and their falshood and trecherie in this case made knowen they were killed the image it selfe was translated with a great deale more honor into Vulcans court or hall Wherfore the young youth turning this false diuination into a more plausible interpretation for the common wealth because as good lucke woulde haue it it fell out happilie for the common wealth went crying vp down the Citie and in great choler as it were broke forth into these speeches Euill councell is worst to the councell giuer Vis nescia vinci Force that cannot bee ouercome with force Plutarch writeth that Scylurus of Chaeroâ—ea lying vpon his deathbed Plutar. offred to his 80. sonnes one by one a bundle of dartes or arrowes to be broken in peeces The which when they went about to do and could not preuaile and had answered that it was vnpossible their father vntied the bundle and taking them euerie one out one after another broke them with great facilitie and ease teaching them thereby that they were inuincible vnable to be ouercome as long as they continued in peaceable league and quietnes togither but if they were once drawne one from another by dissention and sedition they would easily fall into captiuitie and into their enimies hands That which Plinie noteth not much vnilke to this might hither be adduced Plinie of the stones of Scyrus lying in one of the Cyclades which being whole swome vpon the toppe of the water but being broken they suncke by and by Therefore let this simbole of darts fast ioyned togither in a bundle and also of the forenamed stones signifie thus much that leagues of what couenants soeuer are inuincible if you vse prudence for the band of the same Quis contra nos If God be with vs who can be against vs. Saint Paul when he was in the Iland of Malta a Viper light vpon his hand Acts. 28. yet receiued he no hurt thereby although the Barbarians thought otherwise but shooke off the Viper into the middest of the fire whereof we may see that they to whom Gods mercie is readie at hand nothing can hurt or annoy Maturè Speedily Looke for what reason Titus Vespasian the Emperor in times past vsed an Anker with a Dolphin fish for his cognizance or armes for the same as I thinke Pope Paul the third vsed a Camelion with a Dolphin Meaning thereby that the like slow celerity or hast making is alwayes to be kept in any manner of thing Lex publica Principis ignes A publike law is the fire of the Prince The burning firebrands which the Romaines were wont to carrie before their princes as we may see in most of the monuments and coynes of ancient kings whereof Herodian maketh mention Herodian where he writeth of the diuination of Gordianus Caesar do plainly signifie that Princes Emperors captaines and pretors vnto whom authoritie vnder the king was committed to determine causes ought to shine before all others in the brightnesse of vertue and equitie In se contexta recurrit Being platted togither it cleaueth fast The Psalmist making mention of the vnmeasurable bountifulnesse and liberalitie of Gods grace pietie clemencie and prouidence saith Benedices coronae anni benignitatis tuae Psal 64. thou crownest the yeare with thy goodnesse and thy steppes droppe fatnes Whereby he giueth vs to vnderstand that a yearely renuing and a successiue and continuall returning of plentiousnesse of all commodities and yearely profites is giuen vs from the Lord in all abundance where also by the figure of a serpent the yeare is to be vnderstood according to the monuments of the Egyptians which they vsed in steed of letters Pythone peremto The serpent being slaine The power of the Romaine empire began then to decay when the honor that the souldiers were wont to haue by the authoritie of ancient lawes decreased by little and little in so much that the Egle in their martiall ensignes yeelded to the Woolfe to the minotaure to the horse and to the wild bore The Dragon had the last place whom Claudianus famously setteth forth in many of his verses Claud. the similitude whereof signifieth continuall watchfulnesse Caelo imperium iouis extulit ales The Egle hath lifted vp the gouernment of the Empire to the heauens The Egle hath alwayes bene the chiefest ensigne amongst the Romaines the which euen at this day belongeth to the holy Empire And this Caius Marius after that he had attained to the honour of the second Consulship dedicating an Egle altogither to his legions or armies according to Plinie his relation preferred before all other ensignes Plinie And the Egle because she is formidable and to be feared before all other birds and as though as it is commonly said she is counted for the king of all birds was chosen for a simbole or ensigne to signifie a people or nation which hath subdued all other whatsoeuer But this also is true that in the Romanes ensignes the Egle was wont to carrie the similitude of lightning either as a bird dedicated to Iupiter or as carrying his armes and ensignes formost or finally because as Plinie saith she is neuer touched with lightning Infestis tutamen aquis A defence or safegard in the dangerous waters Seruius Galba the Emperor signified by this simbole Dion as wel his own actâ—s as his ancestorâ— Therfore he purtrayed a dogge bowing himselfe downe from the forepart of the ship like as though he would leape downe wherby he declared great vigilancie
wicked and vncleane As the Bittle is bred and nourished in the excrements and dong of a horse but beeing in the middest of roses dieth so these youths that are so nice giuen ouer to carnall pleasure the studie of godlinesse and other good vertues delighteth them not desiring rather to be polluted with the filthie dong of carnall pleasure and wickednes in a martiall Ensigne is a perpetuall monument of the protection of the kingdome of France Eng. de Monst Etiam fortunam Yea fortune too M. Sergius a Romane knight after that hee had many times fought with Hannibal Plinie and being taken captiue by subtitltie had escaped his hands at last in a skirmish lost his right hand whereupon hee was constrained to fight with his lefte hande in foure other battels But when hee perceiued that hee coulde not vse the one hand so aptly as the other he caused an yron hand to bee made and set fast to his right arme The which he so luckilie valiantly vsed after in field that he ouercame discomfited twelue armies in France that were sworne enemies to the Romanes For which cause Plinie writeth that hee knoweth not anie other that is to bee preferred before Sergius in prowes and manhoode who vanquishing the violence of his fortune made himselfe worthie of all the praise and honor of those victories Sic sopor irrepat So sleepe came vpon him Wee reade it written in the French Chronicles that one Gontranus king of Burgundie being vppon a time wearie with hunting Annals of France and falling on sleepe his seruants watching by him in a certain field by a riuer side running hard by there came out of the kings mouth a little beast and assaied to passe ouer the riuer VVhich when the kinges seruant sawe he drew out his sword whervpon as on a bridge the little beast passed ouer the riuer went into a hole or caue that was in a hill ouer against it From whence she came foorth againe by and by and going ouer againe by the sword as by a bridge went againe into the kings mouth VVhen the king awaked he told his man the like dreime that he had seene to wit that he went ouer a riuer vpon an yron bridge and so into a caue vnder a hill where he sawe great treasure hidde When his man heard that he tolde him in order what had happened when he was on sleepe So the king caused the inner parte of the hill to bee opened whereout he digged abundance of golde and siluer which he bestowed vpon the poore and needie and also gaue much to the vse of diuerse Churches And also with the same treasure he caused the coffine of Saint Marcell neere to Chalon at Saona where he was thought to be buried Caecus amor prolis Loue of parents to their children is blind or voide of reason The Ape is sayde to loue his young ones so vnmeasurablie Plinie that whilest hee clippeth them in his armes more then reason would hee after killeth them with griping them so fast to him In like manner many parents are wont to be so lauish in the nice education of their children that with their too much cockering of them at the last they bring them to naught Supplicio laus tuta semel Hee that was worthie of praise was one free from punishment It is recorded of a certaine Indian that was of such dexteritie in throwing of a dart that he could cast it a great way off thoâ—ugh a ring of small compasse VVherefore â—hen he was commanded by king Alexander to shew his cunning before him hee coulde not by anie meanes bee perswaded to doe it For the which cause hee was condemned by the kings sentence to die And beeing asked therefore he would not do so small a matter for the kings pleasure answered that hee feaâ—ed least hee should happilie misse of his vsuâ—all custome of throwing When Alexander sawe that he did it not so much for rebellion â—s for feare and shame hee commanded the condemned man to be set at libertie wondering at his disposition which was verie desirous of glorie desiring rather to die than to diminish or discredit the fame and excellenti of his knowledge and cunning Omnis caro foenum All flesh is grasse If this people which before all other nations vainely vexed and troubled the whole world that they might still increase and adâ—ance their owne power and glorie make immortall as it were had at the last vsed â—ome good and wholesome councell and looâ—ed into their own state that they might earnestly and deeply at the length haue weighed that the symbole and author and father as it â—ere Ouid. Seruius Romulus which was a bundell of haie â—anged vpon a pik or lance meant they had â—euer sustained so many and so great vexation both of bodie and minde especially beholding so sodaine an alteration of humane affaires and most of all of those things which belong properly to this fleshly and earthlie â—ody whose mutabilitie and inconstancie the Prophet compareth to greene grasse and faâ—â—ing floures Esay 40 Tolle vpluptatum stimulos Take awaie the prickes of pleasures As we are wont to vse a flap made of the eied or starred feathers of a pecocke to beate awaie Iâ—â—s S. Ierome so wee ought to driue from vs to purge our selues of pleasure and all kinde of fleshly lust with great watchfulnes c re Paix outragée se rend vengée Foolish peace is wont alwaies to render vengeance The Persians in the daies of Zeno the Emperour suffered due punishment for their deserts for the host of the Persians had thought by subtiltie to rushe headlong vpon Caesars Ensignes where vppon conditions of peace concluded of betwixte both the nations Procop. did hang and was shewed and to rende them in peeces But ere they were aware the Persian king with his children and the chiefe of his armie were taken in a trench which the Romanes had prepared And also not long after all the rest of the armie that were left by policie were discomfited and not one left which was not destroied Rerum Sapientia custos Wisdome the preseruer of all things The most gracious Dutches of Berie Margaret by name expressed the singular affection her hart in this Embleme of two serpents putting foorth both their heades out of the boughes of an Oliue tree shewing that the true gouernment of all things is best helde fast and holden vp by the mast of wisedome and pollicie Discite iustitiam moniti Learne iustice by admonition Whither so euer Basanus king of the Scicambrians Diocles sonne went he commanded alwaies a sword to be carried before him on the top wherof was fastned a rope or halter and that for a testimonie of inuiolate iustice For he was a king besides that hee was famous in all other vertues that was also a diligent censor and keeper of iudgement and equitie insomuch that hee spared not in his owne sonne
she endeuoured to expresse her godly affections for there is as you may see here a sepulchre and out of it a shining dart beutified with greene boughes Restat ex victore Orientis That onely resteth of all his victories in the East What time Philip surnamed Augustus was king of France Of Monstrelet Saladinus Sultanus king of Babilon of Damascus and of Egypt lay at the point of death at Ascalon he appointed that as soone as he was dead his shirt should be carried by his steward thorough out all the cittie of Ascalon hauing a speare thrust thorow the middle of it that the cryer should with a loud voice proclaime as followeth He that of late the mightie raines of East did rule at will Now dead doth onely this conuey into the darkish hell Let euerie mightie man take this for a most infallible token that when death comes he spareth neither king nor Caesar and that he shall depart out of this world as naked as the poorest and vilest creature doth Autor ego audendi I am the author of being bold This flaming sword that Carolus Borbonius the Cardinall vsed for his ensigne vnder the title of saint Andrew signifieth the true sword of the gouernors of the church and 〈◊〉 the holy ghost Ephes 6. which sword as Paul saith representeth the word of God Non quae super terram Not those things which are vpon the earth The food of the spirite is that heauenly bread Exod. 16 or the sacrament of the bodie blood of Christ prefigured vnder the tipe of Manna which in former age was sâ—nt downe from heauen to be meate to the Israelites This signe or simbole the Cardinall of Turnon vseth at this day Ab insomni non custodita Dracone The golden apples were not kept of the vigilant Dragon It was to small purpose or none at all that the Dragon watched so carefully for Hercules neuerthelesse came and stole away the golden apples that were in the garden of Hesperus three daughters By the which is signified that vertues and famous exploits are euerie where to be found The same effigie the Cardinall of Ferrara vseth Non quà m diu sed quà m benè It forceth not how long a thing be in doing but how well it be done The most part of men hold opinion that Thomas of Aquine inuented the Philosophicall knife but by continuall obseruation of the planets was made so perfite thorow the vertue and force thereof that it cut a thicke and hard Anuell euen in the middest By this we must vnderstand that in performing of any matter whatsoeuer as it should be we must not respect the long tract of time that we spend in it so that by line and leuill as they say we finish all our actions Whereupon Suetonius recordeth that Augustus Caesar vsed this prouerbe Sat citò si sat bene Sueton. which is any thing is done soone enough if it be done well enough Quà Proceres abiere pii Which way our godly forefathers haue gone We reade in holy scripture that the Prophet Elias was caried thorow the aire in body King 2. and soule in a firie chariot By the same Metaphor true and vnfained worshippers ascend euen vnto the heauens in spirite and feruent meditation and that is the cause wherefore we are perswaded that the mindes and soules of godly men and women are inriched recreated with great and heauenly consolations Ouid. Hereunto also alludeth the Poet Ouid when he maketh mention of Pythagoras vpon these words To God in minde he had accesse And looke what nature hid From fleshly eyes the same with sight Of heart he hath espied Hoc Latio restare canunt Men say that this is yet extant in Rome When the Romaine Consuls went abroad there were certaine men appointed to go before them adorned with triumphant crownes Plinie and garlands and with bundles of yong and tender rods hauing two Pollaxes in their hands signifying by this spectacle the triumphes of that most noble region of Italie and the whole gouernment of the world and also that the Romaines by their great wisedome peace and affection to the common weale purchased to themselues no litle praise and dignitie But the iron wreathes chaines which you see holding the speares and staues that they cannot fall one from another doe signifie the bondage and captiuity wherewith from that time to this day Italy is brought to ruine by the wickednes of sedition and ciuill dissention Arbitrii mihi iuramei The raine of will is in my owne hands The ancient Alanes Mehodius Burgundians anâ— Sueuians vsed as Methodius recordeth 〈◊〉 carrie before them in their martiall ensignâ—â— a car which cannot by any meanes be restraâ—ned of her libertie by which embleme they insinuated their owne desire that they had 〈◊〉 their will and libertie Mihi terra lacúsque Both the land and water is my owne Such was the estimation of Augustus Caesar towards his friend Maecenas Dion that he committed vnto him the gouernement of his countrey as well by land as by sea wherefore â—e caused the shape of a frogge to be drawne for his cognizance Except peraduenture he would signifie those frogs in Syriphie which as Plinie saith are mute and without voice Plinie â—or so it may represent a close and hidden secret and also a faithfull concealing of things commited to ones fidelitie Which vertue this Maecenas so practised that Augustus Caesar himselfe for that cause highly reuerenced him Eutrop. had him in great admiration for the hatred that he bore them that vsed enuiouslie to giue priuie scoffes and taunts vnder pretence of vnfained friendship ΦΩΣ ΦΕΡΟΙ ΗΔΕ ΤÐΛΗÎΗΠThe raine bow doth bring faire weather The most faire and bountifull queene of France Katherine vsed the signe of the raine bow for her armes which is an infallible signe of peaceable calmenes and tranquillitie Vltorem vlciscitur vltor The reuenge lighteth vpon the reuenger Charles the sixt of that name king of France Frossard whilest he sought the satiffying of his owne wilfulnes in going about to reuenge his friend Oliuerius Cliffonius his constableâ— cause against one Peter Craonius had a very infortunate end as it was foretold him the which thing doth most certainely fall out 〈◊〉 as many as runne headlong to reuenge especially other mens causes It chanced thaâ— he leuied an armie to go into the prouincâ— of the Britones to the intent he might 〈◊〉 reuenged of the Lieutenant there because he seemed to defend Petrus Craonius cause And so as he was going thorow the forrest 〈◊〉 thicket of the Mansensians or Caenonians there met him in the middle betwixt twâ— trees a certaine strange man pretending great pouertie need and taking the kingâ— horse by the bridle caused him to stay thâ—â— with loud voice said vnto him Oh king 〈◊〉 thou wilt follow my counsaile go no furtheâ— forward but rather turne backe againe foâ— there are of thy owne