suffered him to float along the streame in committing him to the mercy of God Whilest in this manner it was borne downe by the streame Mariam the sister of the young infant by her mothers commaund went along the banke on the other side of the riuer obseruing whither at length the basket would be caried and where it did ariue At that time God manifestly declared that nothing is atchieued by mans wisedome but that all things are brought to passe by his omnipotent bountie and that they who for their profit and particular securitie seeke the ruine and destruction of others with neuer so much subtiltie care and diligence yet are they often times deceiued in their expectations againe that they that submit their wils vnto Gods will are warranted from all wrongs by such meanes as were neuer thought on which may most manifestly be perceiued by this child Thermuthis the kings daughter walking along the riuer side espied this basket caried away by the course of the streame presently commaunded certaine swimmers to draw the cradle on drie land and bring it before her who executing her commaund she opened the basket and beheld the child who in that he was faire and well featured did greatly delight her For God so loued and fauoured Moses that he caused him both to be nourished and brought vp by them who for feare least he should be borne had decreed to destroy all the rest of the race of the Hebrewes Thermuthis therefore commaunded them to fetch her some one nurse who might giue the child sucke who refusing the same and all other nurses whatsoeuer that were sent for to suckle him Mariam as if by good fortune and not of set purpose she had light into their company began to speake thus vnto Termuthis In vaine said she O Queene dost thou endeuour whilest thou striuest to giue this babe sucke by any but an Hebrewe nurse for he will not accept it but if thou call vnto thee a nurse of the same nation and agreeable with his nature doubtlesse he will take the nipple This speech of hers being both heard and plausibly accepted the Queene commaunded her to execute the same and to bring her an Hebrew woman that gaue sucke which she diligently performing returned and brought her mother with her whom none of the assistants knew who presenting her breast vnto the child he willingly tooke the dugge so that vpon the Queenes request the nourishment of the child was wholy committed vnto her And by reason of this accident and for that he was cast into the riuer he was called Moses for the Egyptians call water Mo and saued yses so this name composed of these two was imposed on this child who afterwards vvithout exceptions became the wisest man among the Hebrewes according as God had afore prophecled For he was the seuenth after Abraham for he was Amrams sonne and Amram sonne vnto Cathus and he to Leui and Leui to Iacob who tooke his originall from Isaac the sonne of Abraham He had a iudgementriper then became his age for euen amongst his childish delights he shewed himselfe more discreet then all his equals and in whatsoeuer he did it gaue testimony that at such time as he should attaine to mans estate he would mannage mightie things When he was but onely three yeares old God adorned and endowed him with an admirable audacitie He was so faire and amiable that there was not any one how austere and inhumane soeuer he were which but in beholding him would not be astonished and it chaunced also that diuers who encountered him as he was borne thorow the streetes turned themselues about to behold him and intermitted their other affaires onely to looke vpon him for the admirable and innated beautie which vvas in this infant did rauish all those that beheld him Whence it came to passe that Thermuthis in that she had no other issue adopted him for her heir and conducting him vnto her father she presented him before him saying that she was carefull of a successor by reason God had not vouchsafed him to haue any issue For saith she I haue brought vp this infant no lesse excellent in vvit then diuine in beautie and haue receiued him miraculously by the bountie and grace of Nilus whom I haue decreed to adopt my child and to establish him as successor to thee in thy kingdome This said she deliuered the infant into her fathers armes who after he had embraced and hugged him at his breast to giue his daughter the more content he put his Diademe vpon the childs head but Moses pulling it from his head after a childish manner cast it on the ground and spurned it with his feete which act of his vvas supposed ominous to the Realme and daungerous for the King Whereupon the sacred secretarie vvho had foretold that his natiuitie would be the destruction of the Egyptians vvilleth them to kill the child and inforced himselfe to enact it crying out with a loud voyce and speaking vnto the King after this manner O King this child by whose death God promiseth vs securirie hath alreadie confirmed the presage insulting ouer thy kingdome and spurning at thy Diademe Take from the Egyptians that feare which they haue conceiued thorow him by his death and from the Hebrewes that hope vvhich they build on his courage life But Thermuthis hastily conueied and snatched him thence and the King was not ouer forward to lay hands on him by reason that God dispensed all things in that sort in that he had a care of Moses preseruation He was therefore very carefully brought vp and in respect of him the Hebrewes in generall were replenished with good hope but to the Egyptians his education both vvas suspected and grudged at but by reason that if the lad should haue beene slaine there vvas not any one eyther a kinne or adopted or otherwise whatsoeuer that had regard of the estate of the Egyptians they abstained from his slaughter Being therefore thus borne and after this manner brought vp at such time as he increased in years he euidently by his vertue made it knowen vnto the Egyptians that he was borne to abase their pride and to exalt the Hebrewes by this occasion which ensueth The Aethiopians who confine vpon Egypt hauing spoyled and destroyed the country round about them spoiled and made pillage of all the goods of the Egyptians who incensed against them for the wrongs and iniuries which they had offered leuied an armie intending to reuenge them of that disgrace which their enemies had offered them but in the battell they were all put to flight so that some of them were slaine and the rest shamefully flying returned with ignominie worse then death into their owne countrey The Ethiopian made proud with this good fortune instantly pursued them and supposing it a cowaâ—…dly part in them not to take the benefite of their present good fortune and conceiuing an assured hope of
our God giueth vs more courage to suffer then thou hast to punish and so the precept of God remaineth firme in vs. And as he thus spake one tooke holde of his tongue with a hot paire of tongs and he suffering the same torments that his brethren had done and fried in a frying pan he gaue vp the Ghost Sixe of the brethren being now dead by diuersitie of torments onely one of the seuen remained aliue with his mother named Iacob younger in yeeres but not in constancie of minde then the rest of his brethren hee presenting himselfe before the tyrant moued him to compassion both for that he was left alone and the last of his brethren and also that he was to perish wherefore he called the child vnto him and into a place where no instruments of torment were and taking him by the hand he said thus vnto him hoping to winne him by faire speeches By thy brethrens calamitie thou now well hast learned what is prepared for thee if thou disobey me deliuer thy selfe therfore from these torments I will giue thee what honour my kingdome can affoord thou shalt be a Magistrate and generall of my armie and one of my councellors But perceiuing himselfe not to preuaile he caused the young mans mother to be called vnto him who comming and standing neere her sonne the tyrant said thus vnto her Where are now O worthie woman all thy children Behold of such a number if thou please the destinie affoords thee one aduise therefore thy child and mollifie his obstinate minde by wholesome corunsell The mother hauing heard what the king said she enclined her selfe vnto the king which done that the king might not vnderstand her she spake in Hebrew to her child as followeth Pitie thy mother O sonne and comfort thy sorrowfull mother who bare thee nine moneths in my wombe and gaue thee sucke three yeeres and with great industrie haue brought thee vpto this age I pray thee deare sonne consider the heauen and earth and al that in them is and know that God created them all of nothing who also of nothing made mankind Feare not this Ethnicks paines and torments but imitate thy brethren and contemne death that in the day of mercie I may receiue thee and thy brethren againe in heauen As his mother thus admonished him he in the Hebrew tongue requested to be vnbound for that he had a secret to disclose vnto the king who being vnlettered he presently ranne to the torments prepared for there was a frying pan red hot that was prepared for such as were to suffer vnto the which the child comming remembring his brethren beholding also the king he said vnto him Cruell tyrant I now know thee not onely to haue beene cruell against my brethren but euen crueltie itselfe Wretch that thou art who gaue thee this purple and who exalted thee to this kingdom dignitie euen he whom thou in vs dost persecute whose seruants and worshippers thou killest and tormentest for which thy wickednes thy selfe shall suffer eternal fire and torments which shall haue no end Thou art of higher dignitie authority in this world then other men yet he that made other men made thee also of the same nature that they are of al men are borne must die alike He that killeth another sheweth that himselfe may bee killed thou tearest and tormentest thy owne picture and image all in vaine thou in thy furie killest him whom not long since God created like thy selfe and according to the same law thou thinkest all lawfull which thy kingly power can commaund thou pullest out our tongues and tearest our bodies with fleshhookes and consumest vs with fire but they who haue alreadie suffered this haue receiued euerlasting ioy for their reward and thou shalt anuswere for all the punishment inflicted vpon them Thinke not that I expect any fauour at thy hands I will follow my brethren and remaine constant in our law The tyrant hearing thi swas wroth and caused him to be tormented but his mother in torment comforted him and with her kind hands held his head when with violence of the tortures bloud issued out of his mouth nose and priuie parts the tormentors not ceasing till life in him was almost spent but they by Gods appointment gaue ouer and so he tooke strength againe to endure more then any of his brethren had done at last his hands and armes being cut off he lifted vp his eies to heauen and cried O Adonai O Sabaor be mercifull vnto me and receiue me into the companie of my brethren let thy wrath now cease and grant them mercie who by vs doe make intercession to thee hauing said thus his tongue being pulled out he of his owne accord went into the fierie frying pan and so to the great admiration of Antiochus died Behold how euident it is that reason can rule our affections seeing that children hereby shewed more constancie then the tyrant could shew crueltie For it was reasons force that wrought in them that determination to suffer all torments rather then to forsake the way of saluation These constant young men doe fitly resemble inexpugnable towers and them who after a great tempest and shipwracke doe safely enter the harbour of saluation who guiding their course amidst the boysterous waues at last obtaine the wished shoare For euerie one of them strengthened the other by aduice and good counsaile and none of them was like an effeminate person loath to suffer martyrdome None vsed delay herein but one followed an others example Let vs therefore die for our law and imitate the three children whom the Assyrians fury condemned to the fierie furnace whose patience spread their fame euen vnto heauen Whilst thus one of them exhorted the other it came to passe that none of them offended but each one resolute in his religion tooke example of the vertue courage and constancie of their forefather Isaac who vnderstanding that it was Gods will he should be sacrificed he refused not to submit his bodie to his fathers sword Let vs quoth they yeeld our soules to him of whom we receiued both soule and bodie It is a small matter for vs to suffer losse of these members seeing that we shall in lieue of them receiue euerlasting blisse Abraham Isaac and Iacob doe ioyfully expect vs as coheires of their kingdome let vs glorifie that wombe wherein we were for ten moneths space let none of vs be more coward then the other nor none of vs degenerate from the other Wee that were all begotten of one father and sucked of one milke must in all things resemble one another wee had one teacher and one law inuiolate And in this golden bond of concord were these brethren linked togither and none of them mourned to see the other tormented but all reioyced at the others death O children whose dignitie farre surpasseth the royaltie of Kings and Princes whose glory and vertue is
at length they should too lately and vnprofitably repent them of their errour yet that God their establisher should restore Cities to the Citizens and a Temple to his people And that it should come to passe that they should not lose this only one time but also very many times Then did Moses also exhort Iesus that he should lead his army against the Chanaanits promising him that God would be assistant in his actions prophecying besides much good hap vnto the people Since that saith he I go vnto mine ancestors and that God hath prefixed this day and time of my departure I protest before you that liuing as yet and standing in your presence I giue him thanks for the care and prouidence which he hath hitherto had of your affaires not onely in propulsing your aduersaries but also in largely imparting his blessings vnto you and for that he hath alwaies fauourably helpt me whilst I indeuoured by my labour and care to reduce your fortunes to a better state And that which is more it is he that hath giuen both the entrance and the issue making vse of me but as his committee and seruant in all that good which he would should be done vnto his people For all which things I haue thought it requisite that in departing from you I should blesse the power of God who in time to come shall haue the care and charge of you And to acquit my selfe of that debt I leaue you this in remembrance which is that you ought to serue and honour him and reuerence the ordinances which he hath giuen you whereby continuing his fauours towards you he will grant you grace to conserue and keepe this excellent gift Truly that law-maker that were no more then a man would be greatly displeased and highly discontented with those men who should violate his ordinances and should set them at noughts doe not you therefore tempt God who is prouoked vnto anger when those lawes which he himselfe hath established and giuen you shall be contemned and neglected Whilest Moses pronounced these his last words and discoursed vnto the tribes their seuerall destinies the whole multitude brake into teares and the women beating their breasts shewed and expressed the sorrow they had conceiued at his death The children likewise lamented making it knowne that they could not be masters of their owne sorrow because that in their tender yeares they had vnderstood the vertue and famous acts of Moses and betwixt the elder and younger sort there was as it were a conflict who should weepe more bitterly for the one vnderstanding of how worthie a gouernour they were depriued lamented the time to come and the other were perplexed because they should then forsake him before they had sufficiently tasted and made triall how great his vertue was But how great the compassion and complaint of the people was a man may make coniecture by this that then befell the Prophet For although he were assuredly perswaded that a man was not to lament vpon the instant of his death in that it chanced vnto him both according to the will of God and the law of nature yet he beholding the affection of the people could not temperate and restraine himselfe from teares And whilest he was borne thither where he vanished out of their sight all of them followed him wetting their faces and bosomes with flowing teares Then did Moses beckening with his hand warne them from a farre off that they should stand stil and keep their places exhorted them that were neerest him by word of mouth that they should not follow nor prosecute him any further with teares for feare least they should make his departure tragicall and lamentable Onely the Senate led him forth and Eleazar the high Priest and the chiefetaine Iesus And when he was arriued vpon the mountaine called Abarim which is verie hie and scituate neere vnto Iericho and from whence he might discouer the greater part of the land of Chanaan he dismissed the elders and whilest with mutuall embraces he tooke his last leaue of Eleazar and Iesus and discoursed with them a cloud sodainly enuironed him and he was taken away into a certaine valley but in the scripture he writeth that he died fearing least for the excellencie of his vertue they might report that he was rauished and taken away by God The whole time of his life was one hundreth and twentie yeares the third part whereof he spent in gouernment one month onely exempted He died the last month of the yeare the first day of that month which the Macedonians call Dystrus and our countrimen Adar Of all men the wisest that euer was and who in execution of his good counsels had no man to equall him Moreouer in eloquence he was incomparable and in dexteritie and grace to intertaine and perswade the people he had no second and so were his affections alwaies leuelled and limited by his wisedome that he seemed vtterly to want them and that onely he knew the names of those passions which he perceiued to be too actiue in other men In his gouernment he was matchlesse in his prophecies peerlesse so that all the orations that he made seemed to be Oracles For which cause the whole multitude mourned for him during the terme of thirtie daies neither were the Hebrewes euer seased with so extreme griefe as they were at that time when the Prophet died neither did he onely leaue behind him a present desire of him but a great estimation amongst all men who haue euer chanced to read and examine his writings whilst by them they make estimate of his vertues And these are those things which I thought good to be spoken of the death of Moses THE FIFTH BOOKE OF THE ANTIQVITIES OF THE IEWES WRITTEN BY FLAVIVS IOSEPHVS The Contents of the Chapters of the 5. booke 1 How Iesus Generall of the Hebrewes hauing ouercome and slaine the Chanaanites deuided their land amongst the Tribes by Lot 2 How after the death of the Generall the Israelites neglecting the ordinances of their forefathers fell into extreme calamities and thorow a ciuill warre that was raised amongst them there were but 300. of the tribe of Beniamin left aliue 3 How for their impietie the people of Israel were deliuered by God into captiuitie under the Assyrians 4 Their libertie by Cenizus 5 How the people once more were ouercome by the Moabites and exempt from seruitude by Iodes otherwise called Ehud 6 How they were brought vnder the subiection of the Chanaanites and restored to their libertie by Barac 7 How the Amalechites hauing entred the countrey of the Israelites and conquered them possessed and spoyled the same for the space of seuen yeares 8 How Gedeon deliuered the people 9 How some successors of Gedeon waged warre against the neighbour nations round about them 10 Of Sampsons strength and what mischiefes he did in Palestine 11 How the sonnes of Eli the Prophet were slaine in battell by
mounts Carmel and Itabyr and herewith Scythopolis Gadara Gaulanitis Seleucia Gabala and of Moab Essebon Medaba Lemba Orona Telithon and Zara Antona of Cilicia and Pella This last Citie was raced by them because the inhabitants would not promise to conuert themselues to the religion of the Iewes with diuers other of the principall Cities of Syria also which were conquered by them After this king Alexander fell sicke by the meanes of his surfeit and drunkennesse and for the space of three yeeres he was trauailed with a quartane ague This notwithstanding he was alwaies in the campe vntill such time as being wearied with trauels he died in the marches of the countrey of the Gerasens at such time as he besieged Ragaba which is a Castle scituate on the other side of Iordan The Queene perceiuing that he was at deaths dore and that there remained neither hope of life nor recouerie she began to weepe and lament and to beate her breasts because both she and her children were likely now to be left desolate and in these words she bemoaned her selfe vnto him To whom wilt thou leaue both me and thy children in the estate wherein we be or why should we suruiue or liue one after another considering that thou assuredly knowest that the hearts of thy people are estranged from vs Hereupon the king comforted her gaue her this counsaile that if she would assure the kingdome both vnto her and her children she should behaue her selfe according to his direction which was first to conceale his death and not to suffer his men of warre to haue notice thereof vntill such time as she had taken this Castle Which done he aduised her to repaire to Ierusalem in pompe and triumph and that being there she should bestow some authoritie vpon the Pharisees who should recount her praises and obtaine her fauour amongst the people For said he these kind of men are in great estimation and credit with the people and can doe much hurt vnto those they hate and further them 〈◊〉 like sort very mightily towards whom they are well affected For the people easily beleeueth them when they vrge ought against any man notwithstanding it be of enuy and that he himselfe also had incurd the displeasure of the people for their sakes in that hee had offended them When as therefore said he thou shalt arriue in Ierusalem send thou for the chiefest amongst them and pray them to come vnto thee and after you haue shewed them my dead body vse the most plausible speech that you can and giue them permission to dispose of my body how they list whether it be their pleasure to interdict and deny me funerall in that they haue receiued many indignities by me or whether in aâ—…ngment of their displeasure they will offer any ignominy to my body and promise you them that you will doe nothing in the administration or gouernment of the kingdome but by their aduise If in this sort you shape both your manners and discourse towards them it will come to passe that I shall be buried by them with great magnificence which otherwise I could not be by any other meanes because they will offer no outrage to my bodie no although you should permit them and besides that you shall raigne in more assurance and quiet After he had giuen his wife these aduertisements he gaue vppe the ghost after hee had raigned seuen and twentie yeeres and liued for tie and nine CHAP. XXIIII After Alexanders death his wife Alexandra gouerneth the kingdome AFter that Alexandra had taken the Castle of Ragaba she conferred with the Pharisees according to her husbands counsaile and committed vnto their discretion not onely that which concerned her husbands obsequies but also the gouernment of the kingdome whereby she not only appeased the displeasure which before time they had conceiued against Alexander but also obtained their good will and amitie They therefore came and declaimed amongst the people making an oration of the acts and gests of Alexander complaining euery where that they had lost a good king and by the inforced praises that they vsed they incited the people to great griefe and lamentation so that they buried him with more magnificence then any king that raigned before him This Alexander left two sons behinde him the one called Hircanus the other Aristobulus and by his testament committed the gouernment of the kingdome to Alexandra his wife For Hircanus was incapable to manage affaires and rather delighted in peace and quiet and Aristobulus who was the younger was both actiue and fit for gouernment The people were well affected towards Alexandra because she had manifestly expressed how greatly she misliked her husbands misgouernment She appointed Hircanus high priest both in regard of his age as also for that by nature he was composed to peace and quiet and committed all things to the disposition of the Pharisees commanding the people to obey and obserue them She also renued and confirmed that which Hircanus had disanulled and the Pharisees according to the customes of their forefathers had introduced so that she bare the name and the Pharisees the authoritie roiall For they restored such as were banished to their estates and deliuered prisoners and in all things they demeaned themselues like great Lords Alexandra also for her part vndertooke the care of the common weale and kept a great number of souldiers in pay and increased her power in such sort that the tyrants round about her feared her and deliuered her hostages and pledges of peace All the countrey was in quiet onely the Pharisees troubled the Queene perswading her to put those to death who had counsailed king Alexander to put those eight hundreth to death of whom we haue forespoken and they themselues afterwards slew one that was called Diogenes and after him diuers others one by one vntil such time as those in authoritie came vnto the royall pallace accompanied with Aristobulus who seemed to be displeased with that which had hapned and who if the occasion were offered made shew that he would not permit his mother to gouern after that manner and told her that which had hapned and in what dangers they had been to expresse their duety and loyaltie which they ought to their deceased master and how for that cause they had been greatly honoured by him requiring her that she would not vtterly frustrate them of their hopes which they expected in lieu of their seruice that now they that had escaped froÌ„ the danger of their forrain enemies were in their houses murthered like beasts by their priuate maligners without any reliefe or succours from any one They furthermore vrged that if their aduersaries would content themselues with those they had slaine they would endure their misfortunes patiently by reason of the sincere affection they bare vnto their lords but if they must needly as yet suffer the like they required that they might haue licence to depart For that they
vnspeakable None of you were terrefied with feare but you so hastened to your deaths as though you had onely beene to go to blisse and felicitie you were truely brethren who euen by death were linked together God hath greatly in you magnified our nation and in you shewed vs all an example of fortitude whom therefore I thinke he caused to be so many in number as were the daies wherein he created the world so that seuen brethren may resemble the seuen daies wherein in all things were made And why should we so admire this fortitude in these young men when a woman armed her selfe with contempt of death who indeed is not to be called a mother but to be honoured with a higher title then humane frailtie can afford who bare into this world so many triumphs For the mother seeing her children dead was with a kind and godly zeale inflamed also to suffer and no maruaile seeing that the verie bruit beasts if they perceiue violence offred to their young do oppose themselues to perils in their defence and protect them with their wings teeth and talents yea and euerie one that is any way able to make resistance opposeth her selfe to the enemie to defend her young And not onely bruit beasts doe this but euen Bees doe defend not onely their young but also their honie threatning their sting to them that offer to taste thereof and more esteeming the good of their young then their owne liues But this zealous mother directed by the spirit of God and reasons loare hasted that her children might die before her who not being to liue depriued of her children chose rather to see them die ioyfully then to perish in care and sorrow Therefore when al her family had suffered she then the last glorie of them al came to her agony despising the tyrants threats and offering her motherly breast to those torments which her children had suffered O blessed stocke and blessed encrease of the selfesame wombe Why should I not affirme that in all lineaments and feature of the bodie you are like your mother and if this be a commendation in them that beside the shape of bodie receiue nothing else of their mother I will say more of you that you are like your mother in fortitude vertue and religion and that you so in all things resemble her that you are euerie way equall vnto her saue onely herein that she with her eies beheld the immanitie of your torments being also as constant in her owne martyrdome as you in yours She therefore herein excelled you that she suffered seuen torments before she came to suffer in her owne person and feared in euerie one of them least she should be ouercome But O thou example of all women I cannot tel whether thou bare these children in thy wombe or created them who could with drie eies looke vpon them whilst they were torne in peeces yea I say little affirming that thou with patience didst behold these sights for euen thou thy selfe didst exhort them thereunto thou reioycedst to see one of them torne in peeces with fleshhookes the other to be racked vpon the wheele and the third to be bound and beaten thou ioyfully admiredst the others burning and exhortedst the rest not to be terrified herewith and although whilest thou beheldest their torments thy griefe was greater then that which thou hadst in childbirth yet didst thou frame a lightsome and merry countenance as though it had beene one trumphing While they were a killing thou didst laugh and seeing onely one of all thy children left hereat thou didst nothing relent Can I describe how euerie one perished seeing thou their mother didst laugh at their deaths when their sinewes were cut in two their heads fleane their tongues pulled forth by the roots their hands broken their bodies in the fire and cast vpon yron plates red hotte and vpon wheeles and their ribs pulled in sunder and many other torments for the which we want names Neuer was any swanne which by the report of antiquitie sung so sweet a note before her death sweeter then the most melodious harmonie and the most pleasant voice was the funerall verses of those thy children that perished You children were not ouercome by the fabulous Syrens enchauntments who to honour God doubted not to leaue your mother without children And she sprung of noble stocke chose rather to want you all for a short time then to incurre eternall damnation wishing rather that the bodies of her children should be tormented then their soules Well she knew that nothing was more fraile infirme then our bodies which though persecutiō be wanting are often killed with agues and aboundance of blould or fluxes And who is ignorant of shipwracke incident to sailers hazard of life vnto them that trauaile and sodaine death to those that liue in ease Sodaine casualtie by fire and by the hands of theeues and a thousand other waies to dispatch our liues seeing then that our morrall bodies are subiect to so many miseries to bring vs to our ende who would not make choise of a quicke dispatch whereby we loose the goods of this world and gaine life euerlasting O thou most reuerent of all women the credit of thy nation and honour of our religion who like the Arke of Noe didst persist inuiolate amongst such stormie waues for as it withstood the force of the Deluge and being built strongly with firme bords did not suffer any thing within it to perish so thou sufferedst not the tyrant to ouercome the holy Ghost which thou hadst receiued in thy heart Behold of what force and efficacie reason is which often time maketh vs men inferiour to women For neither was Daniel so terrified at the sight of the Lions nor the three children with the firie furnace as this woman was grieued at the death of euery one of her children before she came to her owne agonie What would another woman mother haue done in this case but wept with pitiful lamentations haue cried Ah wretch that I am most vnhappie and miserable of all that breath who therefore bare so many children into this world that their seueral deaths might be so many seueral occasions of my griefe and sorrow she would haue iterated her frequent births and her toyle in her ten moneths bearing them she would haue bewailed her haplesse fortune who brought forth so many deaths and daungers she would haue recounted the milke wherewith she fed them and their meat she had prepared for them the paines she had taken with them how she had caried them in her armes and sung to them and taught them to speake her cares her watchings her feare least any mishap should betide them And with weeping teares would haue said shall I a grandmother embrace your children who a while agoe was a too fruitfull mother and am now depriued of you all If this day I die I haue none to burie me But this handmaide of