onely said What an ill thing is it that men cannot foresee when they should put on an helmet before they go abroad And at another time being kicked by one If an Asse should kick me said he should I spurne him again And when another had wronged him he said I would have smitten thee but that I am angry Nicolas of Johnvile being condemned by the Papists to die for the cause of God as he was carried in a Cart to execution his own father coming with astaffe would have beaten him but the officers not suffering it were about to strike the old man The son calling to them desired them to let his father alone saying he had power over him to do in that kinde what he pleased but Christ was dearer to him then the dearest friend on earth Act. Mon. Aristippus an Heathen went of his own accord to AEschines his enemy saying Shall we not be reconciled till we become a table-talke to all the countrey and when AEschines answered that he would most gladly be at peace with him Remember then said Aristippus that although I be the elder and better man yet I sought first unto thee Thou are indeed a far better man then 〈…〉 said AEschines for I began the quarrel but thou the reconcilement Julius Caesar being extreamely defamed by Clavus the Oratour and Catullus the Poet Yet afterwads when truth setled shamefastnesse on their foreheadâ— and repentance in their consciences Caesar was satisfied with it and seeing Calvus desire his friendship but durst not intreat it he in an expresse letter offered it unto him and for Catullus he invited him to supper the same day that he published his Poeme against him Suet. Augustus Caesar was also of the same disposition For when as Timagines an Historian wrote against him together with his wife daughters and all his family he onely sent to him advising him to use his tongue and pen with more moderation especially towards him and his friends For Augustus had bred him up but he still persevering and the Emperour being enforced to take notice of it by way of punishment he onely sent to him to retire himself out of the City of Rome into the countrey Seneca King Henry the sixth was of that meek disposition that being wounded in the side by a Ruffian whilest he was a prisoner in the Tower when afterwards he was restored to his Kingly estate he freely forgave him the fact and another like Ruffian striking him on the face he punished with this onely reprehension Forsooth you are to blame to strike me your anointed King Oaths he used none but in weighty matters his affirmation was forsooth and forsooth Sp. Chron. p. 86â— Austin when the Donatists upbraided him unworthily with the impietie and impurity of his former life Look said he how much they blame my fault so much I commend and praise my Phisician See his Life in my first Part. A fellow objecting to Beza his youthly Poems This man said he vexeth himself because Christ hath vouchsafed to me his grace See his life in my first Part. Be ye not stothful but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises Heb. 6. 12. Vince animos ir ámque tuam qui caeter a vincis CHAP. XV. Examples of Gods judgements upon Apostates and backsliders TRue grace is not like a slight staine but a durable die and graine-colour which can never be washed out the gates of hell cannot prevaile against the faith of Gods elect so that though they may lose the lustre of their graces yet not the graces themselves but a see will still remaine in them The reason then why some glorious professors do fall like starres from heaven is because they were never fixed in the true Orbe They had a name only that they lived but were dead Rev. 3. 1. they had an evil heart of unbelief in them and therefore they depart away from the living God Heb. 3. 12. They began in hypocrisie and so end in Apostasie But that the danger misery of such persons may more manifestly appear unto us lay to heart these texts Examples following Foretold 2 Thes. 2. 3. Exod. 32. 8. 1 Tim. 4. 1. Mat. 24. 12. Complained of Jer. 8. 5. Prov. 2. 13. Esa. 31. 6. Jer. 7. 24. and 2. 21. and 6. 28. 1 Tim. 1. 19. Threatened Ps. 125. 5. Heb. 10. 38 39. Mat. 10. 33. 2 Pet. 2. 1. Prov. 14. 14. It 's sometimes partial as Peters Mat. 26. 74 75. Aarons and the Israelites Exod. 32. 1 c. Rehoboams and Judah 2 Chron. 12. 1 6. Manasses 2 Chron. 32. 2 12 c. Sometimes total Heb. 3. 12. and 6. 6. and 10. 39. as Judas Acts 1. 18. Demas 2 Tim. 4. 10. Diotrephes 3 Joh. 9. Hymeneus and Alexander 1 Tim. 1. 20. Hymeneus and Philetus 2 Tim. 2. 17. Alexander 2 Tim. 4. 14. Other examples Ieroboam the sonne of Nâ—bat fell from the service of God and his true worship and erected two golden calves in Dan and Bethel and when the Prophet prophesied against his Idolatry he stretched forth his hand against him which was immediately dried up But not taking warning hereby shortly after the Lord struck his sonne Abijah with siknesse whereof he died 1 Kings 14. Then was he assaulted by Abijam King of Judah and though Jeroboams Army was twice so big yet was he overthrown and lost five hundred thousand of his men besides some of his Cities and not long after himselfe was stricken by God that he died Jehoram King of Iudah though he had been religiously educated by his father Iehosaphat and had seen his zeal in purging out Idolatry and maintaining the pure service of God yet marrying Athalia the daughter of Ahab he turned an Idolater and caused the men of Judah to run a whoring after strange gods whereupon the Arabians and Philistines rose up against him wasted his countrey robbed him of his treasures took away his wives and murthered all his children save Jehoahaz his youngest sonne After which the Lord smote him with an incurable disease in his bowels so that after he had lived two yeers in grievous torments his guts fell out of his belly and he died 2 Chron. 21. Joas King of Judah who had been preserved and religiously educated by that godly High Priest Jehojadah after his death this Joas Apostatized from the service of God and fell to Idolatry For which God raised up the Syrians against him who came with a small army against a mighty host yet did they prevaile against Joas slew his Princes and carried away a great spoile to Damascus and shortly after the Lord struck Joas with grievous diseases and his own servants conspiring against him slew him the people not affording him a burial amongst the Kings 2 Chron. 24. Amaziah King of Judah began his reigne well pretending much zeal for the service of God but after a while having overcome the Edomites he brought home their gods worshipped and burned incense
ones the daughter of my people is become cruel like Ostriches in the wildernesse Lam. 4. 3. CHAP. XXXII Examples of fond Parents and the miseries that they have brought upon themselves thereby FOrbidden Deut. 13. 8 9. Prov. 19. 18. 13. 24. 29. 17. Scriptural Examples Eli 1 Sam. 2. 22 29. David to Adonijah 1 Kings 1. 6. to Absalom 2 Sam. 18. 33. How severely God punished Eli for his indulgence to his wicked sonnes See it in 1 Sam. 2. 27 c. 3. 11 c. David also who cockered Absalom and Adonijah above all the rest of his children was most afflicted by them one breaking out into open rebellion wherein he died the other usurping the Crowne before his fathers death which cost him his life also 2 Sam. 15. 1 King 1. 5 c. A certaine woman in Flanders contrary to the will of her husband used to feed her two sonnes with money to maintaine their riot yea to furnish them she would rob her husband but presently after her husbands death God plagued her for this her foolish indulgence for from rioting these youngsters fell to robbing for the which one of them was executed by the sword and the other by the halter the mother looking on as a witnesse of their destructions Ludo. Vives A young man in our owne Nation as he was going to the gallows desired to speak with his mother in her eare but when she came instead of whispering he bit of her eare with his teeth exclaiming upon her as the cause of his death because she did not chastise him in his youth for his faults but by her fondnesse so imboldened him in his vices as brought him to this wofull end Seleucus marrying Stratonica the daughter of Demetrius shortly after Antiochus the sonne of Seleucus fell in love with his stepmother and not daring to discover it for feare of the displeasure of his father he pined a way from day to day at last one of his Physicians found out the cause of his disease and acquainted his father therewith who out of indulgence to his sonne calling his Nobles and people together said I have decreed to make Antiochus my sonne King of all my superior Provinces and to give him Stratonica for his wife and Queen and if she scruple the unlawfulnesse of the marriage I desire you that are my friends to perswade her that all things are honest and just that a King shall decree for the publick profit Plut. Andronicus one of the Greek Emperours doted with such extream impotency of partial affection upon his Nephew young Andronicus that in comparison of him he disregarded not only the rest of his Nephews but his own children also being unwilling to spare him out of sight either day or night but when this young man was stept further into yeares besides a world of miseries and molestations created to his Grand-father in the mean time at last he pressed without resistance upon his Palace with purpose to surprise his person though the old Emperout intreated him with much affectionate eloquence that he would reverence those hands which had oftentimes so willingly embraced him and those lips which had so oft lovingly kissed him and that he would spare to spill that blood from which himselfe had taken the fountaine of life yet for all this he caused the old Emperour to be polled shaven and made a Monk and not only so but also the very Anvile of much dunghill-scorne and vilest indignities untill the workmanship of death had finished the sorrowful businesse of a wretched lfie Turk Hist. Austine upon a terrible and dreadfull accident called his people together to a Sermon wherein he relates this dolefull story Our Noble Citizen saith he Cyrillus a man mighty amongst us both in work and word and much beloved had as you know one onely sonne and because but one he loved him immeasurably and above God and so being drunke with immoderate doting he neglected to correct him and gave him liberty to do whatsoever he list Now this very day saith he this same fellow thus long suffered in this dissolute and riotous courses hath in his drunken humour wickedly offered violence to his mother great with childe would have violated his sister hath killed his father and wounded two of his sisters to death Adfrat in Eremo Ser. 33. Chasten thy sonne betimes and let not thy soul spare for his crying Prov. 19. 18. CHAP. XXXIII Examples of Brethrens love each to other THey ought to love one another Prov. 17. 17. 1 Pet. 3. 8. Rom. 12. 10. Heb. 13. 1. It 's an excellent thing Psal 133. 1. Scriptural examples Jobs children Job 1. 13. Lazarus Martha and Mary John 11. 19 c. Joseph Gen. 43. 29 c. 45. 14. Joab and Abishai 2 Sam. 3. 27 30. Judah Gen. 37. 26. In the beginning of the reigne of Darius King of Persia one of his Nobles called Intaphernes conspired against him which being discovered to Darius he caused him and all his kindred to be cast into prison But Intaphernes wife exceedingly weeping and houling Darius gave her leave to choose any one of the prisoners whose life she would have spared whereupon amongst them all she chose her brother and Darius asking her why she â—…se her brother rather then her husband or son she answered Because if God please I may have another husband and children but my Parents being dead I cannot have another brother This so pleased Darius that he granted her the life not only of her brother but of her son too Herod Darius King of Persia being dead left two sons Ariamenes or as some call him Artabazanes and Xerxes these both claimed the Kingdome but brotherly love so prevailed with them that they were contented to stand to the judgement of the Persian Nobles yet in the interim Xerxes being in Persia performed all the offices of a King and Ariaments coming out of Media Xerxes sent great presents to him commanding the messengers to tell him Thy brother Xerxes presents thee with these gifts and if by the consent and suffrage of the Nobles he be declared King he promises thee the chiefest place next unto himself To which Ariamenes returned this answer Truly I willingly accept of these gifts yet claim the Sovereignty to belong to me but will reserve the next place of dignity for my brother Xerxes The Persian Nobles referred the determination of this controversie to their Uncle Artabanus who having heard both sides determined for Xerxes because Ariamenes was borne to Darius whil'st he was a private person Xerxes after he was a King the mother of Ariamenes was the daughter of Gobrias a private woman the mother of Xerxes was Atossa a Queen Ariamenes hearing this judgement without any distemper of spirit rose up worshipped his brother and taking him by the hand placed him in the Kingly throne and ever after was very obsequious to him Plut. Herod And he fell upon his brother Benjamins neck and wept and
is an entrance into the third surrounded with the Royal buildings large curious and costly Without on the North side stands the Sultan's Cabinet in form of a sumptuous Summer-house where he often solaceth himself with variety of Objects and from whence taking barge he passeth to the delightful places of the adjoyning Asia In this Seraglio also are many stately roomes appropriated to the seasons of the year which are called Rooms of fair Prospect into which the Sultan goeth sometimes alone but more usually with his Concubines for his recreation Within a fine little Court adorned with very many delicate Fountaines is the Chamber wherein he gives audience to Ambassadours c. one part whereof is spread with very sumptuous Carpets of Gold and Crimson velvet embroydered with very costly Pearles upon which the Grand Signeur sitteth the walls of the room are covered with fine white stones having divers sorts of leaves and artificial flowers curiously wrought upon them which make a glorious shew A little Room adjoynes to it the whole inside whereof is covered with silver plate hatched with Gold the floor being spread with rich Persian Carpets of Silk and Gold There are belonging to the Sultan's lodgings very fair Gardens of all sorts of Flowers and Fruits that can be found in those parts with many very pleasant Walks enclosed with high Cypresse Trees on both sides and Fountains in such abundance that almost in every Walk there are some of them Besides the former roomes which are very many for the Sultan's own use there are also the womens lodgings wherein the Queen the Sultanaes and all the King's women do dwell and they have in them Bed-chambers dining roomes withdrawing roomes and all other kind of Roomes necessary for women In another place there are divers Roomes and lodgings for all the principal and inferiour Officers so well furnished that nothing is wanting that is fit and necessary Amongst which are two large Buildings one his Wardrobe the other his Treasury with very thick walls Iron windowes and Iron doores In the Seraglio are Roomes for Prayer Bagnoes Schooles Butteries Kitchins Stillatories Swimming places places to run horses in wrestling places Butts to shoot at and all the commodities that may adorn a Prince's Court. There is also an Hospital for such as fall sick in the Seraglio in which there are all things necessary for diseased persons And another large place wherein is kept Timber Carts c. to have them neer hand for the use and service of the Seraglio Over the Stables there is a Row of Roomes wherein is kept all the Furniture for the horses which is of an extraordinary value For the Bridles Petorals and Cruppers are set so thick with Jewels of divers sorts that they cause admiration in the beholders and exceed Imagination The Grand Signior's Bed-chamber hath the walls covered with stones of the finest China metal spotted with flowers of divers colours which make a very dainty shew The Antiportaes were of cloth of Gold of Bursia and their borders of Crimson Velvet embroidered with gold and Pearles The posts of his Bedstead were of Silver hollow and instead of knobs on the tops there were Lions of Crystal the Canopie over it was of cloth of Gold and so were the Bolsters and Matteresses The floor was covered with very costly Porsian Carpets of Silk and Gold and the Pallats to sit on and Cushions were of very rich cloth of Gold In the Hall adjoyning is a very great Lanthorn round and the barres of silver and gilt set very thick with Rubies Emeralds and Turkesses The panes were of very fine Crystal which made a very resplendant shew There was also a Bason and Ewre to wash in of Massie Gold set with Rubies and Turkesses In Constantinople is a Piazza in which is raised upon four Dice of fine Metal a very fair Pyramid of mingled stone all of one piece fifty Cubits high carved with Heroical Letters resembling the Agulia of Rome in whose top were the enclosed ashes of Julius Caesar In the same Piazza also is a great Pillar of brasse made with marvellous Art in form of three Serpents wreathed together with their mouthes upward CHAP. CVII Hyspaan described THe City of Hyspaan in Persia was formerly called Hecatompolis by reason of its hundred gates It 's compassed with a strong wall and is in circuit as much as a man may well ride on horseback in a day It 's a very strong City and is excellently watered with deep channels of running springs conveyed into it from the Coronian Mountaines which are as a wall inaccessible about it On the North side is a very strong Castle which is compassed about with a wall of a thousand and seven hundred yards in compasse On the West side of the City are two Seraglio's one for the King the other for his women Palaces of great State and Magnificence the Walls whereof glister with polished Marble and pargeting of divers colours and all the Palaces are paved with curious checkered work and covered with curious Carpets wrought with Silk and Gold the windowes are made of Marble Porphery and Alabaster the Posts and Doores of Massie Ivory checkered with glistering black Ebonie so curiously wrought in winding knots as may easilier stay then satisfie the wondering eye of the spectator Near the Palace is a stately Garden spacious and large beautifully adorned with a thousand sundry kinds of Fruit-trees plants and flowers of all sorts to delight the beholders There are in it a thousand Fountains and a thousand Brooks and as the Father of them all a pretty River which with a mild stream and delightful murmur divides the Garden from the Kings Palace Casan described Casan is the chiefest City in Parthia It is seated in a goodly plain having no Mountaines within a daies joutney of it It wanteth neither Fountaines Springs nor curiously pleasant Gardens It aboundeth with all necessaries for the life of man It 's greatly frequented with all sorts of Merchandize especially out of India The Citizens are very industrious and curious in all manner of Sciences especially in weaving girdles and shashes in making Velvets Satins Damasks excellent Persian Carpets of a wonderful finenesse Here you may buy all manner of Drugs and Spices as also Turkesses Diamonds Rubies and Pearles as also all sorts of Silk raw and wrought For there is more silk brought into Casan in one year then there comes broad cloth into London This City is much to be commended for Civil Government For an idle person is not suffered to live amongst them the child that is but six years old is set to labour no ill rule disorder or riot is suffered there They have a Law amongst them whereby every person is compelled to give his name to the Magistrate withal declaring by what course he liveth and if any tell untruly he is either well beaten on the feet or imployed in publick slavery The Grand Cairo described The Grand Cairo in Egypt is accounted one of
wherein he declared that the next day after he had embraced the Gospel his Lice which before did so abound were all gone not one remaining and that God so stirred up the hearts of good people to pity and provide for him that he was fed with white bread and wholesome food Act. Mon. Fanius who was burnt for Religion in the City of Ferrara in Italy all the time of his burning a most fragrant and odoriferous smell came to all that were present and so pleased their senses that they were much refreshed thereby Act. Mon. One Laremouth alias Williamson Chaplaine to the Lady Anne of Cleave a Scotchman being imprisoned for the true Religion he heard a voice saying to him Arise and go thy wayes whereto when he gave no great heed at first the second time it was so said upon this as he fell to prayer it was said to him the third time likewise which was about halfe an hour after whereupon he rising up immediately part of the prison-wall fell down And as the Officers came in at the outward gate of the prison he leaping over the ditch escaped And in the way meeting a begger changed his coat with him and coming to the Sea-shoare he found a vessell ready to go over into which he entered and escaped Act. Mon. In the massacre of Paris one Merline a godly Minister flying and hiding himself in an Hay mow was nourished for a fortnight together by an Hen which constantly came and layed an Egge by him every day during all that time Act. Mon. Since the beginning of these Civill wars 40. honest men in Cornewall were condemned to be hanged by Sir Richard Greenvile for not assisting him against the Parliament and when they came to be executed the sixt man brake a new halter wherewith he should have been hanged and after that another and after that two others twisted together which miracle of Gods mercy did so astonish the adversaries that they let him and all the rest depart in safety At that time when P. Rupert plunderd the town of Bolton in Lancashire amongst others that were cruelly slaine by his party there was one William Isherwood and his wife both slain Felice their daughter being then eleven weeks old lay pitifully crying at the breast of her dead mother But and it pleased God that an old woman the wife of one Ralph Holme of the same towne aged above seventy yeares who had not given suck above twentie yeares before seeing and hearing the childe compassioned took it up and having neither food for her self nor for the infant in that commoÌ„ calamity to still the child laid it to her breast and behold the goodness of God who provides for the young ravens that cry the childe sucking milke came into her breasts wherewith she nourished it to the admiration and astonishment of all beholders This is attested by three godly Ministers and divers others of good credit who were eye-witnesses of the same St. Augustine being to visit and instruct the people of a certaine place and having a guide to direct thâ—â— way and conduct him thither did notwithstanding by Gods especiall providence mistake the common and usuall road and ignorantly fell into a by-path whereby he escaped the bloody hands of some Donatists who knowing of his journey way-laid him to have taken away his life Possidonius in vit ejus See his Life in my first part The same Father preaching to the Congregation and forgetting the argument which at first he proposed fell upon a confutation of the errours of the Manichees which he never intended and by that meanes converted one Firmus his auditor who afterwards came and fell downe at St. Augustines feet weeping and confessing that he had lived a Manichee many yeares and now by Gods mercy and this Sermon was converted to the true Catholick belief eodem A godly man passing through his last sicknesse whereof he died with extraordinary calmnesse of conscience and absolute freedome from temptations some of his Christian friends observing and admiring the singularity of his soules quiet at that time especially questioned with him about it He answered that he had sted fastly fixed his heart upon that sweetest promise Esa. 26. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose minde is stayed on thee because hâ— trusteth in thee And his God had graciously made it fully good unto his soul. Bolton Thomas Whittel a blessed Martyr in Queen Maries dayes was by the wicked suggestions of some Popish incarnate Devills drawn to subscribe to their hellish Doctrine But considering in cold blood what he had done was horribly vexed and felt a hell in his conscience and Satan ready to devoure him which terrible desertion and trouble of minde made him quickly returne with more constancy and fortitude and afterwards by Gods great mercy he proved a most invincible and immoveable Martyr Act. and Mon. James BainhaÌ„ being at the stake in the middest of the flaming fire his legs and his arms being half consumed spake these words O ye Papists behold ye look for miracles and here now you may see one for in this fire I feele no more paine then if I were in a bed of down but it is to me as a bed of Roses Act. and Mon. Iohn Lambert as he was burning in Smithfield when his legges were quite consumed with the fire lifted up his hands his fingers ends flaming like Torches and his heart abounding with comfort cried out None but Christ none but Christ. Act. and Mon. A young man in Wittenberg being kept short by his father was tempted by the Devill to yeeld himselfe body and soule to him upon condition to have his wish satisfied with money which he assented unto and confirmed it by an obligation written with his owne blood whereupon suddenly decaying in his health he was brought to Luther to be examined about the cause unto whom at length he uttered the whole matter which when Luther had heard he brought him into the Congregation where together with the Church he prayed so fervently for him that the Devill at last was forced to bring the bond and throw it in at the window bidding the young man to take it again unto him Act. and Mon. About the yeare 1556. in the town of Weissenstein in Germany a Jew for theft that he had committed was condemned in this cruell manner to be executed He was hanged by the feet with his head downwards betwixt two dogs which constantly snatcht and bit at him The strangenesse of the torment moved Jacobus Andreas a grave and learned Divine to go to behold it Coming thither he found the poor wretch as he hung repeating verses out of the Hebrew Psalms wherein he cryed out to God for mercy Andreas hereupon took occasion to counsell him to trust in Jesus Christ the true Saviour of mankinde The Jew embracing the the Christian faith requested but this one thing that he might be taken downe and be Baptized though
up at any rate CHAP. XCIX Education of Children Schoolmasters LYcurgus the Lacedemonian Law-giver commanded all his Citizens to eat their meat in publick at a Common-Hall whither all young children went daily as to a School to learn gravity and temperance where they heard no vain or unseemly speeches but grave and wise discourses about the Government of a Common-Wealth there they learned to sport upon words and to give and take jests without offence Plut. One asking Agesilaus King of Sparta what should be especially taught unto children he answered That which they are most like to make use of when they come to be men Xenoph. Philip King of Macedon seeing the hopefulnesse of his son Alexander chose Aristotle to be his Master who carefully instructed him in most of the liberal Sciences in the study whereof he took such delight that he used to say I had rather have knowledge then to excell in power Just. He so prized Homer's Iliads that in all his wars he carried it in his pocket and laid it under his pillow anights How much more should we prize and carry about us the Sacred Scriptures He loved his Master Aristotle as if he had been his Father and used to say That as we have our being from our Parents so we have our well-being from our School Masters Quint. Curtius Seneca the Master of Nero offering to quit his fortunes to save his life Nero refused to accept thereof and acknowledging his immortal debt for the benefit of his instructions he said He had cause to blush that he who for the reason of his learned merits was of all men dearest to â—im was not by his meanes in so long a time become the richest also Nero's Life The Brachmans in India so soon as their children were capable of instruction used to place them forth to good School-Masters that by them they might be instructed in learning and good manners and might be taught subjection to their Superiours and be trained up by good Examples Alex. ab Alex. The Persians so soon as their children could begin to speak used to place them forth to Schoolmasters to be taught virtue temperance frugality and obedience and would not meddle with them for seven years after left by their indulgence they should do them hurt Xenoph. Amongst the Lacedemonians there was a custome that boyes and youths should never sup but in the company of their Masters from whom they might learn examples of frugality and abstinence Alex. The Inhabitants of Mitylene when they were Lords of the Seas about them if any of their associates revolted from them they inflicted this punishment By forbiddiug them to teach their children letters or the knowledge of the liberal Arts Judging it the greatest punishment that could be to passe their lives in ignorance without learning AElian Julian the Apostate when he perceived that the Christians by reason of their learning easily confuted and overthrew the Idolatries of the Gentiles he enacted a Law That no Christian should train up his sonnes in humane learning thereby judging that if he could bring them to ignorance he could quickly bring them to Idolatry Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 22. 6. The rod and reproof give wisdome but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame Prov 29. 15. CHAP. C. Examples about the Memory BEza being above fourscore yeares of age could perfectly say by heart any Greek Chapter in Paul's Epistles or any thing else that he had learned before but forgat whatsoever was newly told him Thuan. obit Doctorum vir p. 384. His memory was like an Inne retaining old guests but having no room to entertain new S. Augustine tells us of his friend Simplicius who being asked could tell all Virgils Verses backwards and forwards and yet he protested that he knew not that he could do it till they tried him Aug. Tom. 7. de anima et ejus Orig. cap. 7. Staupitius who was Tutor to Luther and a godly man in a vain ostentation of his memory repeated Christs Genealogie Matth. 1. by heart in his Sermon but being out about the Captivity of Babylon I see saith he God resisteth the proud and so betook himself to his book for help Mel. Adam in vit Stau p. 20. The Memory of our Bishop Juel was raised by Art to the highest pitch of humane possibility For he could readily repeat any thing that he penned after once reading it and therefore usually at the ringing of the Bell he began to commit his Sermons to heart and kept what he learned so firmly that he used to say That if he were to make a speech premeditated before a thousand Auditors shouting or fighting all the while yet could he say whatsoever he had provided to speak Many barbarous and hard names out of a Calender and fourty strange words Welch Irish c. after once or twice reading at the most and short meditation he could repeat both forwards and backwards without hesitation Sir Francis Bacon reading to him onely the last clauses of ten lines in Erasmus his Paraphrase in a confused and dismembred manner he after a small pause rehearsed all those broken parcels of sentences the right way and the contrary without stumbling See his Life in my first Part of the Marrow of Eccles. Hist. Anthony Wallaeus by the help of the Art of Memory in six weeks space learned by heart the whole Epitome of Pagnine with such excellent successe that thereby he was enabled well to interpret any place of the holy Scriptures and to give a fit reason of it Idem p. 943. Themistocles had such an excellent memory that he knew all the Citizens of Athens and when he met them could salute them by name Plut. CHAP. CI. The Qualities of sundry people IT 's said of the Italians that they are in their lusts unnatural in their malice unappeasable in their actions deceitful They will blaspheme sooner then swear and murther a man rather then slander him Of their women it 's said That they are Magpies at the door Saints in the Church Goats in the garden Devils in the house Angels in the streets and Syrenes in the windowes The Noble-men of Naples of all men under heaven live the most idle and carelesse lives having like the Tyrant Polycrates nothing to trouble them but that they are troubled with nothing As the French in their language want one proper word to expresse Stand so naturally they mislike a setled and fixed posture and delight in motion It 's said of them that Primus impetus est major quà m virorum secundus minor quà m foeminarum That they come on like Powder But end in smoke That they have these three Properties They neither read as they write nor sing as they prick nor speak as they think The Germans are compared to an heavy Bell which is long in raising but being once up it makes a great sound The Low-Countreys
are so careful of their parents that when they grow old and unable to help themselves the young ones feed them and when their wings fail them in passing the Sea the young ones take them on their backs and carry them over But this is remarkable The Town of Delph in the Low-Countries is so seated for the feeding and bringing up of these Birds that it 's hard to see an house wherein they breed not In which Town upon the third of May Anno Christi 1536. a great fire happening when the young Storks were grown pretty big the old ones perceiving the fire to approach their nests attempted to carry away their young ones but could not they were so weighty which they perceiving never ceased with their wings spread to cover them till they perished in the flames Belg. Com. Wealth p. 63. In the year 1404. some women of Edam in the Low-Countries going in Barks to their cattel in Purmermâ—â—r did often see at the ebbing of the water a Sea-woman playing up and down whereat at first they were afraid but after encouraging one another made with their Boats towards her and the water now not deep enough for her to dive in they took her by force drew her into the Boat and carried her to Edam where in time she grew familiar and fed of ordinary meats and being sent to Harleus lived some fifteen years but never spake seeking often to get again into the water Belg. Com. Wealth p. 102. The Lady Marguerit of Holland Countesse of Hausberg was miraculously delivered of 364 children at one birth whereof Eras. Rot. Lod. Vives and many other famous Authors make mention Also Albertus Crantzius and others write That about thirty seven yeares after the like happened to the Lady Marguerit daughter to the Earl of Holsteine which were all Baptized Also Martin Cromer in his Chronicles of Poland writes That in Cracovia Anno 1269. the Wife of the Earl Buboslas was delivered of thirty six children all living Belg. Com. VVealth p. 127. It 's most strange yet true that the Arms of the Duke of Rohan in France which are Fusils or Lozenges are to be seen in the wood or stones through all his Countrey so that break a stone in the middle or lop a bough off a tree and you shall behold the grain thereof by some secret cause in nature Diamonded or streaken in the fashion of a Lozenge And in VVarwickshire the Armes of the Shugburies which are Stars are found in the stones in their own Manour of Shugbury so that break the stone where you will and there is the exact fashion of a star in the end of it This I have oft seen and have many of the stones Groenland in the Hyperborean Sea was discovered Anno 1380. it hath in it the Monastery of St. Thomas situate on the North-East part thereof at the foot of a Mountain where there is a River so hot that it serves for to boyl their meat and other such purposes as fire doth with us Isac Chron. p. 275. The River Hypanis in Scythia every day brings forth little bladders out of which come certain flies which are thus bred in the morning fledge at noon and dead at night Fit Emblemes of the vanity and short life of man Clitumnus is a River in Italy which makes all the Oxen that drink of it white Fulk Meteor Lib. 4. The River Melas in Boeotia makes all the sheep that drink of it black Plin. The Fountain of Jupiter Hammon is cold in the day-time and hot at midnight The Fountain of the Sun hath its water extream cold and sweet at noon and boiling hot and bitter at midnight Plin. lib. 2. c. 103. August There is a River in Palestine called the Sabbaticall River which runs with a violent and swift stream all the week but every Sabbath it remaines dry Joseph de bel Jud. l. 7. c. 24. In Idumaea is a Fountain called the Fountain of Job which for one quarter of the year is troubled and muddy the next quarter bloody the third green and the fourth clear Isiod The River Astaces in the Isle of Pontus uses sometimes to overflow the fields after which whatsoever sheep or milch cattel feed thereon give black milk Plin. l. 2. c. 103. Furius Camillus being Censor in Rome the Lake Albanus being environed with Mountains on every side in the time of Autumne when other Lakes and Rivers were almost dry the waters of this Lake after a wondrous manner began to swell and rise upwards till at last they were equal with the tops of the Mountains and after a while they brake thorow one of those Mountains overflowing and bearing all down before them till they emptied themselves into the Sea Plut. About the year 105. in the Reign of Trajan who raised the third Persecution on the 22. of October there fell out one of the most terrible Earthquakes that ever was First there arose furious and violent winds which tare up trees by the roots made birds fall to the earth uncovered houses and overthrew many then followed thunder and lightning which made the night like noon-day then fearfull Thunderbolts which brake down stately buildings and slew many men The Sea was wonderfully troubled after which came such a violent heat that men not able to endure it stript themselves and hid themselves under ground the skie was so dark and dust so great that one could not see another so that shocking together many fell down dead Many Cities were ruinated much people perished many Mountains and hills sunk and became plaines many Rivers were dryed up Fountains and springs brake out where never was any before Almost all the houses in Antioch were demolished Dion The River d ee in Meriâ—â—â—â—â—hshire in Wales though it run through Pimble-Meer yet it remaineth intire and mingles not its streams with the waters of the Lake Camb. Brit. And a River in Spain burieth it self in the earth and runneth under ground fifteen miles together whereupon the Spaniards brag that they have a Bridge whereon ten thousand Cattell feed daily A poor woman in Holland being great with child and near to the time of her delivery For the space of fifteen daies before the same the child in her womb was heard almost continually to cry and lament the which many worthy persons for the greater approbation of the truth went daily to hear and have testified the same Neth Hist. Divers women brought a young woman in Ireland almost naked to the house of Mr. Creighton Minister of Virgikea in the County of Cavan to whom an Irish Rebel came upon the way these women being present requiring her to give him her money swearing that else he would presently kill her and withall drew his sword The young woman answered You cannot kill me except God give you leave and his will be done Hereupon the Rogue thrust three times at her naked body with his drawn sword and yet could not pierce her skin upon which miracle