king Dauids messenger when hee sent to demaund her consent vnto him in marriage shee sayde vnto this Prince Embassadour Behold the handmaid of my Lord bee it done to me according to thy word Her consent obtained the Embassadour gaue her a farewell mixed with such ioy and reuerence as if hee had beene loth to detract time to be gone with so great good newes and yet could not but stay a while to doe his dutie but being of that agility that hee could passe so much space in a moment as is betwixt heauen and earth dispatched himselfe wirh that speede that in a trice hee both encreased a ioy in the place where hee was began another in the place from whence hee came Whereupon Loue who is impatient of delaye caused him from whom as well as from his father proceed infinit loue with all his might to pursue this matter the wole Trinitie working miraculously in the wombe of the Virgin gathering of her most pure bloud together framed therof in one instant a perfect body no sooner could that body enioy the soule which was created for it then the emperor his son vnited the whole vnto him a work as worthy praise as wonder so wonderful as reason hauing tyeâ—d it selfe in discourse of this worke leaueth off beginneth to do nothing but wonder for which cause one among the rest being wearied with ouer much musing began to refresh himselfe a little with his Muses In this maner Whom earth the sea the heauens doe worship praise adore King of this threefolde frame the wombe of Marie bore To whom Moone sunne and all do seruice in their turnes Chast bowels be are with fall of grace which from heauen comes Blessed such a mother within whose wombe is closde Her heauenly maker holding from being losde With ease the world and blest for that she had receiude By angels mouth addrest a message she belieude That she conceiuing by the helpe of holy Ghost He should within her lie Whom Gentils wished most But although others lost themselues in the consideration of this diuine mysterie the Virgin no doubt was so perfectly instructed in it that shee sound as much knowledge as she had felt comfort and her comfort was the more because her knowledge was so great and remembring that the higher shee was in calling the more lowly best beseemed her to bee in her carriage shee did alwayes with most humble thoughts attend vpon high conceits neither thinking at any time too well of herselfe for that shee should mother so worthy a prince nor yet so vnwary as to giue any cause why from thence forth hee should disdaine her to bee his mother Among other her comforts she remembred what the Embassador had said vnto her of her cosen Elizabeth whome before shee loued but now she longed to see and if the wayes presented themselues in her imagination very long her desire looked to bee preferred which was in heart also very great and the time of the yeare being both fit and pleasant to trauel in enuited her ernestly to the iorney to a citie called Hebron in the mountaines of Iuda liing southward from Ierusalem 22. miles one of the most famous cities in Palestina for antiquitie and of greatest renown because it was sometime the kings seat The inhabitants of this place were sometime such men or rather monsters as neither eye coulde without horrour beholde nor eare without feare heare speake here was Dauid who slew Goliah the Giant in a single combat with his sling annointed king and ruled all Israell by the space of seauen yeares a place also for this cause had in reuerence by all the worlde for that Adam the first parent of all mankind here is said to haue forsooke the world here also was Iacob the great Patriarke buried his father Isaack who was miraculously in this place coÌ„ceiued by Sara when shee was by natures course past childbearing from hence Abraham issued with 318. of his men and ioyned with him the 3. brethreÌ„ maÌ„bre who gaue name to the valley ioyning vnto it Aner and Escoll pursuing 4. kings conquerors ouerthrew them neare vnto mount Libanus and broght back all the spoile which they had taken out of the richest part of the country and was here also afterward buried A place notoriously 〈◊〉 froÌ„ the beginning of the world with an oak which continued there 400. years after the incarnation of the young prince we spake of it was one of the 46. cities which were allotted vnto the priests to dwel in Hether hastened the virgin if not so well accompayned as noble welthie parents could send their only daughter aswel for her gard as theit own credite yet neither was it likely she wold caresly of her selfe haue strayed so far alone nor her parents suffer her to go without some company being so far froÌ„ the basest blood in Palestina as they were of the best none of the poorest who coulde spare vnto the temple one third part of what they had an other to relieue the poore but her chiefest gard was inuisible and therefore it was inuincible for if euer any princes with child trauelling was choisely attended on least any hurt should befal vnto her or vnto that shee wente with much more was shee and euery thing so well ordered as she neither felt any inconuenience in long vneasie wayes being a yong maiden nor found any 〈◊〉 in her iorney by her burden being lately become a mother for it is not to be thoght that he which came to bring ease for his enemies would breede any paine in his best friendes But no sooner had shee set fooâ—e into her cosens house and saluted her but the child within her cosens wombe be wrayed who shee was and Elizabeth by diuine instinct cried out with a loud voice beginning where the Prince Embassador had ended his salutation and saide vnto her Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe whence is this to mee that the mother of my Lord doth come vnto mee for beholde as the voice of thy salutation sounded in myne eares the infant in my wombe did leape for ioy blessed art thou which didst belieue because those things shall be accomplished which were spoken vnto thee by our Lord. The sunne although it appeare vnto vs to bee in a cloude because there is a cloude betwixt it and vs is not altogether depriued of his power but giueth some light and by his light life where it lighteth and the sonne of iustice hauing builte his glorious throne in the wombe of a virgin where hee did as it were ascend vppon a thinne cloude shall he lease his vertue and not rather worke not of any necessitie as a natural cause of such like qualited effects but voluntarilie as a liberal and free agent of supernaturall graces How may wee thinke woulde hee draw vnto him if hee were once exalted who drewe so mightilie being imprisoned for
mountain in the north part of this for this speciall cause a most sacred land 3. daies iourny from Ierusalem the chiefest citie in the country in a citie of the tribe of Zabulon called Nazareth for the beautie thereof pleasantnesse so called for Nazareth signifieth a flower yet hath it her principall worth in being a garde to her who was for that time the flower not onely of that country but of the whole world at the appearing of which vpon this mountaine the lillies of the vallyes were ashamed of their whitenes the roses in Hiericho blushed wheÌ„ they ordred their leaues to breath out their sweetnes the Cedars of Libanus woulde neuer haue mustred theÌ„selues to make knowne their starelines had not nature coÌ„manded them all to do this honor vnto theiâ— princesse that they also appearing in theâ—r richest beautifullest sweetest comliest attâ—re she might the more easily bee discerned to exceed them all hauing in one what perfection was in them all and what was not The seed of this sacred flower was Iudas sonne to Israel who was grandchilde to Abraham by Isaacke the roote was Iesse the stalke king Dauid and his ofspring the bud Anna wife to Ioachim otherwise called Hely or Eliachim who hauing together from their youth liued in plenty aswell of heauenly grace as worldly goodes onely felt this punishment of God and this reproch of the world they had no issue for which cause Ioachim comming according to his religious custome to offer in the Temple was vpbraided by the priests for his barennes and iudged vnworthy to encrease Gods offeringes whome God thought not worthy to encrease his people which strake so great a sorrow into his hart that forthwith he forsooke his house and friendes and liued as a man forlorne among his shepheatdes His wife also retyred her selfe vnto a priuate kind of life best fitting the humor which now had gotten the maistery in her yet shee frequented the Temple at Hierusalem where shee seasoned all her prayers with this solemne vow that if it would please God to take from her that reproach shee would consecrate her childe vnto him in the Temple and she was the more importunate in this kind of deuotion because shee had heard that one of like name and condition by feruent prayer and such like promise made vnto God obtained her sute she hoped she might if so also God would make her husband Ioachim as glad a Father as Anna the mother of Samuell made her Husbande Elcana How often did Ioachim also accompanie his wandering pensiue thoughts with a little and that scant-settled comfort when hee considered that Sara when shee was past child-bearing had a sonne by Abraham how often would hee increase this comfort with calling to minde that Rachel for whose loue Iocob serued her father Laban fourteene yeares was numbred among the barren vntill shee brought foorth Ioseph Sampson would also offer himselfe many times vnto his thoughts whome his father Manue neuer looked for nor any other because his wife was barren and Samuel the Prophet and last Iudge of Israel borne of a woman who was a long time barren comming to poore Ioachim his made made him thinkè it a thing possible vnto God to giue him also a child if it so pleased him and herewithall he refreshed sometime his spirits vntill his imagination recoyling backe vpon him gaue him to vnderstand that Isaac was promised to Abraham as one from whom should spring the blisse of the whole world Ioseph was ordained to saue the world from being destroyed with famine when the earth yeelded no corne for seuen yeeres together and therefore might it bee a great mystery that hee made a ioyfull mother who had beene barren before whilst Lya Iacobs other wife had brought foorth seuen children the last onely of which being a daughter imported a defect after plenty which Ioseph supplyed And although hee saw that the dissention betwixt the Asamones who were both priests and princes did threaten vtter ruine of their estate being alreadie in subiection to the Romans and vnder the gouernement of Herod an vsurper of the kingdome and therefore looked for a mightier then Samson to deliuer them as hee thought from that temporall bondage yet withall he thought his part to be least in this worke because that worthie which was to make this conquest was to be borne of a Virgin But neither conld he hope for an other Samuel because the Messias approaching neare by all accounts would speake no more so much by others as before hee had done but by himselfe vpon which discourses his sudden ioyes fayling him he fell into his former griefes and perswading himselfe that hee was vnworthie to father any great worthie hee could not thinke that God would extraordinarily open his wiues wombe after she had beene so long a time barren for a childe who should not extraordinarily excell other children wherefore hauing a conceit onely what God of his omnipotencie could doe and not so much as any little hope of that which God of his clemencie would doe he thought his miserie was so great as iustly he could complaine himselfe of it although he was so iust a man as he would not repine against God for it So liued Anna frequenting the temple among saints and Ioachim the fileds among sheep fit places for such as were ordained to bring foorth a Saint-like mother of a sacred Lambes vntill the young Prince who beganne to doe some honour to his mother before shee was his mother sent as solemne an Embassage to her parents to foreshewe her comming into the worlde as hee did afterwarde vnto her herselfe to further his owne For while Ioachim and his wife were at their woonted deuotions a Prince appeared suddainlie vnto them sent from him whose meanest subiect was no lesse then a Prince who tolde them that they shoulde haue a childe who shoulde bring them more ioy then the want of one had bredde them griefe and that the reproach they had sustayned by an infamous barrennesse should be most honourably recompensed with a gracious fruit and therewithall departed So straunge a message brought vnto them by a straunger might haue seemed incredible had it not beene pleasing vnto them but being so welcome newes they perswaded themselues that hee carryed as much truth in his mouth as comlinesse in his person and was so like one who woulde not deceyue them that with most ioyfull mindes they well accepted the message and expected what was promised vnto them meeting therefore at the Temple whither both repaired to giue GOD thankes for what they had heard and embracing each other in signe of great ioy likely to succeede an exceeding greate griefe they returned home to Nazareth where at her appointed tyme Anna was deliuered of a daughter whom her parents named Mary whose gracious priueledges were such as no man is able worthily to expresse them and her perfections so great as the most perfect Angelles did admire them for to which of the
whome did you finde in your watch Did yee finde him because ye did watch or did yee watch him because yee founde him O howe much to you eternall gaine did yee finde him when yee kept your first watch ouer your selues at what time manie of your fellowe Citizens drunke with selfe delight were to their intollerable paine banished their bright and glorious Citie and could neuer againe attaine vnto their former felicitie and because that yee so happâ—ly watched 〈…〉 doe those duties which others sleeping ouershipped yee were admitted to watch 〈◊〉 in his prayse 〈…〉 Holie holie holie Lorde God of 〈◊〉 the earth is full of thy glorie although 〈…〉 hee so gracious in your sight that yee would not stay him or was he of so great might that ye could not He was the purest fountain of grade and the surest fortresse against all griefes But if yee had so iust a cause both of loue and feare why gaue yee him no aunswere vnto his demaund 〈…〉 Loue thought the time too long which was spent in asking the question and desire to finde whom he loued would not let him stay to take an answere But assoone as he had passed from the watch hee found whom he loued for a little inferiour to the angels had he created mankind which through her owne fault was lost and therefore rightly he is saide to find her for vnto Gods Image and likenesse was man made and placed in earth for a time in a Paradise he was plentifullie enriched with all heauenly giftes and created a Prince ouer all earthlie creatures yea the Angels themselues were so made to the seruice of him that from the houre of his birth hath euerie one an Angell attending on him But man not vnderstanding the greatnesse of his owne hoâ—our followed too much his aduersaries him our who beguiling him with faire wordes made him so fond and prodigall that in one instant hee wasted all his patrimonie Man made in the likenesse of God did the diuell ransacke by a cowardly wylinesse and therefore God made in the likenesse of man will restore him againe by a wotthie victorie And now that thou hast found her whom thou louedst thou hast taken such sure holde of her as she cannot goe but wither thou guidest her she cannot rest but where thou remaynest thou hast not onelie brought her into thy mothers house for father and mother was all one with thee in the beginning to expresse that infinite tendernes and loue which thy father had ouer thee thou termest him thy mother but into the chamber also where thou wert begotten keeping nothing secret from her which thou mayst shew she conceiue and adiuring all the daughters of Hierusalem by the goates and harts of the field that they doe not rayse thy loue or cause her to awake before her selfe will A strong loue a strange care doth the diseasing of thy loue deserue so sharpe a punishment as he who doth it shuld be accounted either as a goat whose filthinesse signifieth all wante of grace or as a hart whose fearefulnesse supposeth him voyde of charitie for grace will not dwell with filth and charitie doth expell all feare but what dost thou thinke that euer shee will haue that will to arise or to awake out of thine embracings being so fast ioyned to thee in matrimonie that although yee bee God and man yet ye are not two but one Christ. Great dishonour would it be vnto thee that after so much seeking after her thou shouldest euer suffer her to be diuorced from thee for al which know of how great power thou art will imagine a want of loue in thee to let her goe from thee True it is that by thy proclamation thy warrant of peace in earth auayleth onely such as are of good will but rather supplie theyr peruersnesse with thine effectuall mercy then suffer them to part from thee to their eternall miserie How narrowly didst thou search who wouldest not leaue the most secret corner in the world vnsought howe feruently didst thou loue who to gaine a little something madest thy selfe almost nothing how securely didst thou ioy when thou foundest her to whom thy soule was so surely ioyned thy tears do witnesse it with the which thou doest bewaile her more then thy selfe and bewray thy glad sodaine finding her for her owne safetie But still thy weeping vntill thou art past thy mothers weaning begin now at the last to comfort her with a cheerefull countenance whom thou hast chosen to giue thee this charitable attendance Apply thy selfe to a virgins teate whose breastes contained milke as strangely as her womb conceiued a childe change thy cribbe although sacred with thy first cryes for thy mothers armes in whom are setled thy firmest ioyes shoote vp apace heauenly Impe to mans stature who wert shaped in thy mothers wombe with a mans staydnes and art of more wisedome in thy shortest cloutes then are the grauest sages in their sidest cloakes Runne out thine entended race prouoke al aduerse powers rowse thy selfe as like Lion against thy foes as thou restest like a Lambe amonge thy friendes and shewe as much proofe of thy might against the one as thou hast of thy mildenesse among the other So shall the world in parte bee satisfied that whatsoeuer thou presently sufferest is rather because thou wouldest conceale some secret mysterie then that thou couldest bee compelled by any to fall into this seeret miserie and that thou who couldest commaunde the stately heauens by thy power wouldest not but for some great cause commend so small a hole with thy presence A little hole it was but a most holy place sacred with a more princely presence then are the statelyest pallaces and of no lesse and happie pleasure then is the heaueÌ„liest paradise a place worthy 〈◊〉 prayse where princes dwell without shame where virgins are enamored without sinne where a virgin gaue sucke to the sonne of GOD for so soone as the virgin was deliuered of this prince her breasts beganne to fill and he who of her purest bloud hadde framed the bodye of her princely babe transformed also parte of the reside we into milke for his foode that whence hee had receiued nature hee should also haue his â—â—burishment Nowe may the mount Sinai leaue bragging in the desart of Pharan of the deitie which there gaue a lawe to men by which they might knowe the heauens pleasure Nowe may the Tarpeiaâ— rocke leaue boasting in Roome of her dignitie which receiuing an extraordynarye light from the heauens discouered theyr displeasant Now may the mountaine Morea abate her maiestie in Hierusalem whereuppon stoode the Temple where in an obscure cloude appeared the holyest of all holyes because nowe in a rocke vnder the walles of Bethleem is no Lawe giuen but life a light for to directe not to correct and the holyest of all holyes enclosed in such a cloude as he may both bee seene and handled by his creatures and afterward this rocke was consecrated
the aire that neuer came any winde or raine at the toppe thereof as appeared by that certaine Philosophers left there some caracters in dust which they found in the same maner after a yeare but neither could any bird mount vp vnto the toppe thereof because the aire was too pure for any inferiour creature for which cause the Philosophers which went vp caryed with them spunges full of water through which they might take ayre more agreeable to their nature In these games was nothing worthie praise vnpractised and both warriours were rewarded for their worthy courses and wise men regarded for their wittie discourses These were first deuised by Hercules in honour of his father Iupiter and euerie fift yeeere so precisely obserued that after they were once begun no other account was made of the yeere then from such an Olimpye game or such a yeere after it and these were alwayes vsed in summer when the dayes were at the longest Other games were followed by the Grecians in the worship of other Gods as their Pythiâ—â— in honour of Apollo at Delphos and their Isthmia in honour of Neptune or Palaemon or both neere vnto Corinth The Romanes also beside running with horses and with chariots and fighting naked with swords to this end that being in warres it should bee no wonder vnto them to see woundes had other games as their Saturnallâ— in honour of Saturne which they kept fiue daies in December in feasting sporting and mutuall presenting with gifts and in remembrance of the golden world when Saturne was king they reckoned all things so in common for those fiue dayes as there was neither owner of any substance nor maister of any seruant These were first deuised by Ianus a king of Italy and dedicated yeerely vnto Saturne They had other games which they called Lâ—percals in which the young nobilitie ranne naked vp and downe with such beasts skinnes as were then sacrificed striking euerie one whom they met and women offered themselues in their way hoping by their strokes to haue the easier trauaile if they were with childe or to waxe bigge if they were before barren These were vsed in the honour of Pan and were named Lupercalles either because they offered sacrifice to Pan for the preseruing of their flocks from the wolfe or because they sacrificed dogges to gratifie the wolfe which nursed Romulus and Rhemus or thirdly because the sacrifice was offered at the foote of mounte Palatine in Rome where there was a caue consecrated to Pan which in remembrance that Romulus and Rhemus were there nursed by a wolfe was named Lupercall Some say these games were so called because the sacrifices then offered were to purge the hellish spirits with the bloud of goates and that for this cause the moneth was called Februarie in which these games were vsed Others say they had their name of a mountain in Arcadia called Lycea where they were first inuented and were afterward brought into Italy by Euander the Arcadian king at what time hee was banished out of his owne countrey and hereupon they say the games were performed by naked men because they were deuised in Arcadia when the people were both bare of cloathing and of barbarous condition and so continued also afterward when they were of a more ciuill conuersation Others say that Pan mistaking Hercules for Iole who vpon some occasion at that time slept in he Lions skinne was once so discouered before hee got his wished pray that he departed with nought but shame of his wanton purpose and could neuer after that his conceited euil spâ—ed abide any aparrel in his sports Other some say this naked running vp and down was in remembrance of a worthie victorie which Romulus had ouer certaine theeues who while the people were busie in these sports draue away a great companie of their cattell and Romulus vnderstanding thereof naked as he was vpon some other occasion pursued them and brought back the stoln pray for which cause those which ran thus naked had their faces stayned with bloud and other followed after with wooll dipped in milke to wash them but whatsoeuer was the cause of their sports thus was the course of their life spent After these were other deuised in honour of Ianus who was sometime a king of Italy to whoÌ„ they built a famous temple and set therein his picture which they made with two faces to signifie the concord which was made betwixt Romulus king of the Romanes and Titus Tatius king of the Sabins at what time a bloudy warre being begun to one or others ouerthrow the maidens which were stolne by the Romanes and for reueÌ„ge of which rape the Sabians vowed the vtter ruine of the Romanes came into the fielde and offered themselues to death rather then they would liue to see for theyr cause either their parents slaine on the one side or theyr husbandes whome they now fancyed on the other side This Temple of Ianus the Romanes did leaue open so long as they had any warres abroade with forraine nations either because that going foorth to warre they should also haue a care of their countrey they left behind them as the Idoll looked both forward and backward or else in hope of some extraordinarie helpe by Ianus his protection when they should bee driuen to any extremitie because that the Sabiâ—ns hauing compelled Romulus to take this Temple for his best defence were forced to retyre by a whole water which sprunge in great aboundance from before the Temple against them Many other things are recorded of Ianus which many thinke are to bee applyed to diuers of the same name but hee in whose honour the first of the two moneths which Numa Pompilius Romulus his successor added vnto Romulus his yeere was Ianus king of Italie who built a Citie not far from the place where afterward Rome was built and called it Ianiculum and him they thought they did so gretly honor when they were either ouer lauish in expences or too lasciuious in their sports that when his calends came that is the first day of that month hee seemed the deuoutest in this rite who shewed by his ryot that hee neither deemed it a shame at any time afterward to bee in want nor a sinne to be at all times wanton These as the first in the yeere and other abuses as they fell came the Prince this day to abolish as hee shewed both by the shedding of his precious bloud and the sound of his princely name Yet notwithstanding that he was a prince and therefore freeborne and a priest and therefore to be forborne so soone as his name was giuen him he was sessed by the officers and paid a tribute vnto his owne subiect for as yet the infants of Palestina were not exempted from this taxe and the mother was the more willing to conceale her sonnes deitie because she thought it would nothing derogate from his dignitie being at that time taken for a priuate person not for a prince But not
long after it was blowne abroad that such a prince was borne and princes hastened to do their homage An old prophesie was in Arabia that a starre should rise in Iacob and a rod spring in Israel which should both strike the princes of Moab and destroy the sonnes of Seth with many other so great prerogatiues that the prophet sighed to thinke hee should not liue to see it and the king of Moab was frighted fearing that hee had liued to feele it for the Israelites comming out of the desart of Pharan towarde Palestina encamped themselues neere vnto the riuer Iordan so strongly in middle of the Moabites that Balaac the king of Moab had better courage to fight against them with shrewde wordes then with sharpe weapons and therefore vnderstanding that in Mesopotamia was one who did so forspeake people as they neuer after prospered sent speedily vnto him to come and curse the Israelites but Balaam so was the southâ—ayer called being taught before by diuine inspirations when he came to the top of the mountaine from whence Balaac shewed him the Israelites performed what God and the angell had enformed him and to the great preiudise of Balaac king of the Moabites hee pronounced many blessinges ouer the Israelites and prophesied of this yong prince as is before shewed Hereupon Makida the Queene of Sâ—ba Ethiopia Egâ—pt vnderstanding of Salomon his wisdome wealth worthines large dominions came with exceeding great pompe vnto Ierusalem to see him and presented him with 120. talents of gold many iewels and infinite store of frankencense being perswaded that he was the man who was meant by the prophesie in Arabia for Saba was a prouince in the south side of Arabia and tooke the name of Saba grand-child vnto Abraham by Iecsan whom Abraham had by Caethura as also Madian father vnto Epha and others whom he sent away out of Chanaan afterward called Palestina into the East countries as also he sent Ismael whom hee had by Agar southward not suffering any of them to haue part with Isaac in the lande promised vnto him yet did he not send them away emptie handed but bestowed vpon them great riches apparell and iewels which he had taken from the foure kings whom hee conquered in the rescue of his nephew Lot among which giftes some write that Abraham gaue vnto them mirrhe and frankencense not without some misterie then knowne vnto him and now openly shewed by three princes which came out of the East parts at this time vnto Bethleem of Iuda which iourney they did the more willingly take because probablie their ancestors were also Iewes for the Queene of Saba among other great fauours which she receiued of king Salomon was accepted for his wife and returned into her countrey with childe and carried with her twelue thousand Iewes of euerie tribe one thousand and did them that honor that after a while the chiefest in the countrey vaunted that their fathers were Iewes and â—he sonne which she had by Salomon she crowned king surrendering all her dominions vnto him and of that stocke vnto this day as some say remayneth the great monarch of those coastes commonly called Priest Iohn But the principall motiue of these three kinges their voyage was the sight of a starre which did penetrate so farre into their vnderstanding that by that extraordinarie light and what they had by the prophesie they resolued that the prince was now at the last borne of which had beene so great expectation for although they were men of great learning yet could not their skill attaine to the perfect meaning of the star which appeared vnto them without farther helpe then they could haue by Astronomie wonder they might to see so neere vnto them so bright a shining starre because it was much lower then where exhalations fiered doe appeare blasing like starres and comparable with the Sunne for brightnesse as it receyued no light from the Sunne as other starres doe so neyther did the brightnesse of the sunne drowne the clearnesse thereof as it doeth of other starres where it selfe doth shine and the greater might their wonder bee because that all such tokens as were commonly in all other extraordinarie starres or commets to signifie eyther diseases or death were so farre from this starre that it betokened nothing but health and life and that the authour of life had taken vpon him a new kind of life although perchance in some secondarie sort it might also pretend the death of the prince whose life it shewed as may appeare by some of the presentes which the kinges brought who were both warned by this starre to seeke him and warranted to finde him out yet was it no Angell as many haue thought but a starre as much superior to other starres in brightnesse as inferior in bignesse made of some former matter or created of nothing by him to whome all thinges are possible and afterward eyther resolued into that of which it was made or if created for this purpose the cause thereof ceasing the effect came againe to nothing but it kept such a course as the kinges following it were no more subiect to bee deceiued of their purpose then were the Israelites when trauelling from Egipt vnto the lande of promisse they were guided by a cloude which alway went before them in the daye time and a fierie pillar in the night for the starre neuer ceased to shine but to their greater light nor to conduct them but to their greater comfort wherefore not without the prouidence of the stars guide they entred Ierusalem where they were both confirmed in the truth of their former prophesie and comforted with the shortnes of their following iorney but not without the amasing both of Herod and all the cittie because the last thing which the Iewes had done was an oath sworne to accept Herod for their king which althougb hee had laboured both with curtesie and with crueltie for the space of thirty years little more or lesse hee neuer obtained it of the whole countrie vntill this time The three princes as soon as they came into the cittie demaunded boldely what they doubted not euery man knew a kinges seate fitting best a princes birth and such a birth being commonly celebrated with a publike triumph they demaunded for him by his title not knowing as yet his name where is hee who is borne king of the Iewes wee see his starre in the East and are come with presentes to adore him was it then any wonder that Herod was troubled who wrongfully entered into the soueraigntie and the Iewes touched deepelie who had rashly sworne themselues his subiectes the one hauing iust cause to feare that he should be put down as a tyrant and the others no hope but to bee punished as traytors and although Herod coulde haue beene very well contented neuer to haue heard any thing more concerning this matter yet feare in the ende first encreased a desire to know the rest then to deuise some mischiefe fot a