strong Swell'd her vext Unitie into a Throng Charming Confederates their mixt Powers to reach To storm the Fort for Shee had made the Breach Till the Fresh Host possest of everie Part Whil'st Gouts secure thy Joints the Rest thy Heart Thy over-number'd Corps at last did fall No one sick Patient but an Hospital M. LL. TO THE MEMORY OF My dear Friend and Tutor Mr. JOHN GREGORY I 'L not accuse thy Fall that well-plac'd Fate Made thee th' Desire of th' Age no more the Hate 'T is just it wants what it contemns that They Wander unpitied who despise the way Fools their own Sentence still and Judgement are They beg their Ill and suffer that false Pray'r Nor will we pity Thee since what thy Minde In its Restraint and Prison could not finde Press'd with its Body and the Time it now Free'd from th' ungratefull Loades does clearly know Truth 's thy Possession and what e're begun Of Knowledge here ends how in Vision Errour and Wonder cease and that Pure Fire Which when it cover'd lay and shaded here Thou could'st not fully by its languishing Faint Ray discover the True Face of things As colours are not judg'd i th' Twilight where Wants Darkness to be hid and Light t' appeare Shines out unclouded now and does enjoy All its High Essence dares a Bright Full Day Of Knowledge where Pure Unmix'd Light does streā No false Refraction nor Errours in the Beam No Doubtfull Colour that Veyl of Shade and Light Disguises things no Distance breaks the sight But that Unbounded Glory that Certain Light Commands all Objects Sure and Infinite Let it not wrong thy Memory that we Admiring what thou Now art doe pass by Thy Knowledge Here as if 't were wanting no What Man could find Thou need'st not Dye to know Language was thine and what that Language frames Thou wert not seen onely in Empty Names Those the Materialls of thy Knowledge were But not the Work Thou onely enter'dst there Where Others rest and loaden with their rich Prey Thou brought'st home thence Arts numerous as They. 'T were idle to recount them by thine own Remains th' hast left us they are greater known Then by our Faint Report 'T is They must raise Trophies that will outlive all Lesser Praise For to the same Duration Sacred be The Aged Relique and the Memory R. GOODRIDGE UPON THE DEATH Of my Loving Friend Mr JOHN GREGORIE SUre it must needs bee so or els I shou'd Think Providence but little understood The State of things when a dull sensless Tree Stand's and outlive's a Jewish Pedigree But Man whose Knowledg might new Worlds create And so compose a wiser Book of Fate Him the least breath must scatter into Air As if his dust not yet compacted were For I don't speak of one whose Destinie Was but to make a Sermon and so die Such as the Law deliver in a Cloud Thicker then God at first did and as loud Such as blaspheme by Preaching ne're have don Until their Comments make an Alkaron Who scare the Turk from beeing Christian And Indians fear they then should put off Man Hee search't Religion's Source Gospel and Law From Moses in the Flags to Christ in Straw And was so skill'd in these Antiquities That hee could almost tell where Moses lie's Who was †'T is the opinion of a Learned man that Melchisedeck was not called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 becaus hee had no Father and Mother but becaus it was not known who his Father and Mother were Melchisedeck's Father Rectifie A Jew ev'n in 's own Genealogie Who saie's hee die'd too soon that had liv'd o're All Ages whatsoever were before And knew so much of Language that alone Hee might have sav'd all Nations in their own Idiome and Dialect though there never fell A Cloven Tongue or other Miracle Great Citizen of the World though thou die'dst here Yet thus wee prove thou wert born Every where And like the Sun too didst thou never sleep But when wee call'd it Night thou still didst keep Thy journey on till with as large an Eie Thou viewd'st the Univers as much as hee But thou could'st not endure alass to run O're the same Circle still so having don Surveying this our Globe thou went'st to see * Galileans probably conjectured all the Planets were inhabited Worlds What other worlds did do aswel as wee Thus art thou fled and left us here to bee Sad Ruines of an Universitie VVhat Ignorant Malice could not reach unto Nor War it self thy single Fate did do The World began at Noon but thy bright Raie More glorious Sun did set at thy Mid-daie Now wee do'nt mourn our State for at thy Fall 'T is fit this Kingdom perish World and all Our heap of Stones at Christ-Church prove's to bee But a more spatious Monument to thee And when wee purifi'd from this Age shall name And dedicate a Temple to thy Fame Wee 'l call this Island thine which is no less Famous for thee then it 's unhappiness When Cities Temples burnt shall bee forgot And Sacrilege too the prais of thee shall not Parents shall hither bring their Sons of Years To paie their Tribute in a Sea of Tears And pointing to thy Tomb crie There are found Oxford and Gregorie in one yard of Ground Fr. Palmer Upon the much deplored Deceas of Mr John Gregorie Chaplain of CHRIST-CHURCH HEnce Exclamations on Disastrous Fate Let none here call the Stars unfortunate Or rail at Lachesis The Soul that 's gon Scorn's such a whining Celebration And dare's that Autor whosoe're hee bee To search into the Stars so far as hee Since Life was lent him 'till hee had a view Of all the Mysteries that Nature knew And had a perfect Knowledg of each Art That either Rome or Athens could impart 'T was time now Learning 's banisht to suspend His labor and to get to his Journei's end Should this so sad Intelligence bee sent The Hebrews and Chaldeans would lament The Syrians and Arabians though so far VVould send to know this an Ambassador But vain and fruitless would their Labor bee VVhen none could give an Answer t' it but Hee Hee so admir'd of all that had alone Diversitie of Tongues for 's Portion So fluent so redundant in them all That each which hee had got seem'd Natural The Pious Fates gave him a lingring Death Fearing all Arts might perish in one breath But fearing too that if hee should live long All Nations would again becom one Tongue They added this Confusion to the world And thus together too his Ashes hurl'd Asscend Departed Saint to bee a Guest To Dialogue with Abram and the rest Thou hadst most Tongues but know thy Joie's excess Is far more now then Angels can express Epitaphium Joannis Gregorii NE premas Cineres hosce Viator Nescis quot sub hoc jacent Lapillo Graeculus Hebraeus Syrus Et qiu Te quovis vincet Idiomate At nè molestus sis Ausculta caussam
2.10 c. We may know this as we doe some other things the better by the contrary But then first of all it is to be observed That in Capitall causes as in the case of Suspension Lapidation or the like just violences against Natures course it was forbidden both by the Roman and the Jewish Law to make any Lamentation at all for any such miscariages of Dissolution By the Roman De his qui not inf L. Liberorum Sect. Non Solum The Jewish is under the Title Sanhedrin C. 6. fol. 46. b. in the Mishna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That these are not to be lamented by the Lamentation of Mourners but only in the heart that is saith the Glosse that they are not to be mourned over by any sumptuous or solemne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but by the closest Rite of funerals c. Col. 2. Their Buriall too is as negligently appointed and leaving them in little better condition then that of an Asse fol. 46. a. This is to tell the reason why the Blessed Virgin and the other Women which stood a farre off as the other Gospells or neare that is as neare as they could for the Souldiers were not to make any solemne usuall shew of Lamentation The Mother of Jesus must needs be reduced to the Extreamest state of sadnesse and contristation If the Face and Countenance of the Action were too little yet these words Woman behold thy Sonne could not chuse but turne her heart within her as God said once of himselfe Hos 11.8 And yet though No sorrow were like to hers Lament 1.12 She would be terrible in these praises This was the reason why She and the other Women stood 'T is no such wonder of the other Women But She stood up still in a resolute and almost impossible coâ—â—liance with the Law For you are not to take it so as if the word Standing there were an Expression of Course 'T was necessary And they might not he downe in that case as some of the Masters ignorantly paint the story They were to stand as by the wrong posture to free the Company from any suspicion of Mourning for a Malefactour 'T is true indeed that we read of Mary Magdalen and the other Mary sitting over against the Sepulchre and they sate there to mourne over the dead And therefore they sate but this was after leave obtained of the Governour to bury the body This leave vouchsafed and the Law discharged the two Maries might sit downe and weepe over the Sepulcher in the open and usuall manner Now from this behaviour of the Jewish mourners Sitting and Silence the same words use to be said of a dead City or Country As Esa 47.5 The daughter of the Chaldeans is bid to sit downe silent and get her into darkenesse and be no more the Lady of Kingdomes So Lament 2.10 The Elders of the daughter of Sion sit downe upon the ground and keep Silence So here And she being desolate shall sit upon the ground The words are spoken of the Daughter of Sion the speciall part of Jerusalem and here meant of the whole City and Countrey The prophecy pointed at a nearer desolation but might possibly have an influence upon the last destruction thereof by Titus Vespasian I am sure as if it had been so the Reverses both of the Father and of the Sonne made for the memory and celebration of this conquest are imprinted with the fullest expressions and commentary upon these words In stead of the daughter of Sion a silent Woman Sitting upon the ground and leaning her backe to a Palme-tree with this Inscription Judaea Capta Note here that the Reverses made to commit victories to memory were alwayes written upon with some representation of proper respect unto the Place conquered as in a very ancient Coyne of Augustus Caesar Brasse The Face is double This Inscription Jean Poldo de â— ' Antiquite de la caâ—e de Nâ—sâ—es Imp. Divi. F. that is not Imperatores Divi Fratres as the Antiquary of Nismes Imperatores with a single P is false writing in the Medals but Imperator Divi Filius for Augustus Caesar is principally meant though Julius be â—â—ere The Reverse a Crocodile enchained to a Palme-tree the Inscription Col. Nem. that is Colonia Nemausensium or the Colonie of Nemausium now called Nismes in Languedoc The devotion of the Reverse is to celebrate the absolute victory of Augustus over all Aegypt after the Battaile at Actium The Palme-tree is common to Aegypt with Judaea the Crocodile almost proper And 't is signall in both these that the conquered should be fastned to the Palme-tree which is the Embleme of victory But it is more to be considered that no conquered City or Country besides this of Judaea I could observe none especially before the Times of Titus is expressed upon the Coynes by a woman sitting upon the Ground I know that the posture of sitting is a Ceremony of Roman Lamentation too But to call a Flourishing City The Lady of Kingdomes Es 47.6 or the Princesse among the Provinces Lam. 1 1. And to expresse a taken or destroyed City by a woman sitting upon the Ground is cleare Hebrew Phrase or if it were not onely theirs yet it was theirs first and must be learned from them And therefore I must needs thinke that the Emperours Reverse was contrived out of this Prophecy And when I consider how great a man the Jew Josephus was in the Emperours Court and that he served him presently and famously in the Action before the Walls of Jerusalem I continue to imagine who it was that had a hand in the Device To save this Interpretation harmelesse I must confesse here that I finde in one of Vespasians Reverses Silver A woman standing upon the Ground and leaning her selfe to a Palme-tree with the very same Inscription Judaea capta This put me to some wonderment at the first But when I tooke notice that her hands were bound I perceived that the minde of the Reverse was not to expresse the Desolation of the Place but the Captivity of the People CHAP. V. The Kingdome of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Mat. 11.12 This is a Strange Phrase if it should be exacted by our manner of expressing The Greeke word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and must not be passively rendred as Beza would have it but as Erasmus and the English rightly And so the Syriacke and the Arabick are to be understood But for the manner of the Speech it is to be referred unto this Tradition of the Elders Talmud in Jema C. 4. fol. 30. a. Two men had an inheritance divided betwixt them by equall portions and 't is said of one of them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he carried away his owne part and his fellowes too therefore they called him Ben Hamtsen or The Sonne of violence untill the day of his death c. By The Kingdome of Heaven is plainly meant The Inheritance of
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Majim Or if it were found that these Orgia were first or most celebrated at Maiuma the sea side of Gaza 't is possible that the place might give name to the celebration Which hath the more colour Metaphrast Ms in Archiv Baroc Feb. 25. for that in the Tetrampodus or Quatrefois of that City upon an Altar of stone there stood a marble statue of Venus representing the figure 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of a naked woman c. as Marcus Diaconus in vita Porphyrii Gazcorum Episcopi otherwise the Authors owne derivation must be taken If the Prophet may at all be understood in the sense of the Midbar it foundeth not much unlike to that which the Emperour Julian told the Antiocheans in his Misopogon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There 's none of you all saith he but can willingly spend upon your private banquetings and feasts and I well know how much many of you can throw away upon the Maiuma but for your owne or the Cities safety no man offereth up any thing either in private or in publike The word of Amos is Wo to them that are at ease in Zion c. The stretch themselves upon their Couches and eate the Lambes out of the flocke and that chaunt to the sound of the Violl c. That drinke wine in bowles c. But they are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph CHAP. XXII The meaning and Considerations of Light in Scripture GOD is Light and in him there is no darkenesse at All John 1. The Reflexion of this Originall Glory shining upon the dust the dust became Light that is man for so the Ancients termed him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Phavoâ—inus we call a man light but the opacous body of sinne interposing it selfe betwixt this borrowed Light and the Fountaine cast a shadow the shadow of death The darknesse being so thicke and so exceeding that if we regard what the Master of the Sentences hath said the Sunne it selfe shined 7 times brighter before the fall then ever it did since To bring the world out of that darkenesse into this Marvellous Light the day spring from on high was to visit us To prepare for this day there first appeared a Burning and a shining Light John 1. but he was not that Light but came before to beare witnesse of the Light Soone after Jesus Iulii Schiller praefat in Vranograph Christian p. 6. Col. 2. that is as in the China Tongue it signifieth the rising Sunne that Sunne of Righteousnesse himselfe arose with healing in his wings Malac. 3. It was then the longest Night in all the yeare and it was the midst of that and yet there was day where he was for a glorious betokening Light shined round about this Holy Child So the Tradition and so the Masters describe the Night-peice of this Nativity At his Transfiguration a greater Light shined about him His face was brighter then the Sun and his very Clothes whiter then the Light Till now the Father of Lights himselfe dwelt in the thicke darkenesse never shewing himselfe but in a Cloud but in these last dayes he is God manifest 1 Tim. 3.16 and in the Brightnesse of his glory Heb. 1. I doe not finde saith Venerable Bede among so many Angels that were sent before the Law that ever any were seene with a Light shining about them Now a Light shineth about S. Peter in the prison and about Saint Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a very great Light Nay a Light shined about the Shepheards too And though it were then the dead of the Night yet the word was brought by the Angell bodie Natus est c. This day is borne to you c. Therefore also at the setting of this Sunne which was the Reverse part of the Mystery darkenesse fell upon the Earth the Naturall Sunne eclipsed in the midst of Heaven and therefore the Moone making it more then Midnight in the subterraneous position all of the colour of Saturne the signifier of blacknesse who rising from the Horoscope beheld these two Eclipses in a square Malignant aspect Not so onely for in the selfe same day which is more perhaps then you have heard of there happened a naturall defection of the Moone in the 11 of Libra beginning at Hierusalem about 6 in the Evening in so much that the Sun was no sooner gone downe but the Moone appeared in the East Eclipsed of more then halfe her Light So that as the Light was taken from that day so darkenesse was added to that Night and within the space of 6 houres the Sunne was once unnaturally and the Moone twice Eclipsed The Calculation and Figure of this Lunar Eclipse you may see if you will in Chronologia Catholica Henrici Buntingii fol. 237. b. 238. a. See also Sethus Calvisius in Tiberius Caesar ad An. post Ch. n. 33. to the 3 day of April As our Lord himselfe so his Gospell also is called Light and was therefore anciently never read without a burning Taper etiam sole rutilante 't is Saint Hieromes Testimony though it were Lighted in the Sunne Supposing therefore out of Albumazar that every Religion is governed by some Planet as the Mahumetan by Venus the Jewish by Saturne c. Some Astrologers did not inconveniently to attribute the Christian to the Sunne Not the Gospell but the Preachers of it also are called Lights Vos estis Lux Mundi ye are the Light of the World and the first Preacher of Repentance was said to be Lucerna ardens c. a burning and a shining Light The carefull Church perceiving that God was so much taken with this outward symbole of the Light could do no lesse then goe on with the Ceremony Therefore the day of our Lords Nativity was to be called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Epiphany or appearing of the Light and so many Tapers were to be set up the Night before as might give Name to the Vigil Vigilia Luminum And the Ancients did well to send Lights one to another whatsoever some thinke of the Christmas Candle The receiving of this Light in Baptisme they call'd not usually so but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Illumination which further to betoken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eucholog fol. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A. the rites were to celebrate this Sacrament 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. with all the Tapers lighted c. as the Order in the Euchologue The Neophytus also or new convert received a Taper lighted and delivered by the Mystagogus which for the space of seven dayes after he was to hold in his hand at Divine Service sitting in the Baptistery Who perceiveth not that by this right way the Tapers came into the Church mysteriously placed with the Gospell upon the Altar as an embleme of the truer Light It was imitated againe by the white garment received at the same time in Baptisme as the Emperours expound it in Theodesian's Code Coelestis Lumen Lavacri
hapned an Eclips of the Sun so great an one as that the Stars appeared This Eclips by Astronomical Calculation is found to bee the second daie of Julie in the year before Christ 463 at which time as Crusius calculateth the Sun was Eclipsed in the 6 of Leo half an hour after 5 in the afternoon the digits of the Eclips were 9 and four third parts therefore almost one fourth part of the Sun was visible respecting the Horizon of Athens but in Thrace the Eclips was well nigh total so that the Stars were seen This therefore was that Eclips which Thucydides saith was seen in the first year of the Peloponnesiack war In the fourth Year of the same War the same Autor saith that Donius Rhodius wan the Prize in the Olympicks and this was the fourth year of the 87 Olympiad and that was the 460 year before Christ If therefore the 87 Olympiads bee multiplied by 4 they becom 348 Julian years which if they bee added to 460 the total will bee as before 808 years or the 202 Olympiad before the Passion of Christ Again Thucydides reporteth that in the 19 year of the Peloponnesiack War the Moon was Eclipsed and this was as Diodorus Siculus relateth in the fourth year of the 91 Olympiad That Eclips of the Moon as Crusius calculateth fell out upon the 27 daie of August in the 445 year before the Passion of Christ If therefore 90 Olympiads bee multiplied by 4 they make up 360 Julian years to which also must bee added the three first years of the 91 Olympiad and then they are 363 which added to 445 make up 808 years before the Passion of our Saviour which falleth with the 3173 year of the World and is the Aera of the Olympiads CHAP. VIII Aera Vrbis Conditae THe Italians by an old custom used to account their years from the time of their first Plantation yet in this the lesser towns were more happie then the Mother Citie Rome her self not having attein'd to know her own begining til Cato's time who considering the absurditie searched the Censor's Tables and bringing down the account to the first Consuls got within a little of Vrbs Condita It rested onely to make good the Interval from the Regifugium to the Palilia so the Aera of the first foundation is called from the Rites done to Pales Pastorum Dea the Shepherds Holiedaie as wee may call it celebrated the same daie the Citie was built Propertius Lib. 4. Vrbi festus erat dixere Palilia Patres Hic primus coepit moenibus esse dies The Interval as Cato found it amounted to 243 years Terence Varro who at the same time studied the point reckoned one year more and from thence saith Scaliger in factiones duas res discessit there became two sides one for the Catonian Palilia the other for the Varronian though Petavius that Scaligero-mastix affirmeth that the former was not Cato's opinion and Sethus Calvisius demonstrateth that they were both but one This Epilogism was found out by Tarutius or as hee is more rightly called Taruntius Firmanus a great Astrologer of those daies who at the solicitation of Varro cast the Nativitie of Rome which to recover hee first of all tried for the Founders Horoscope To attain to this hee entred into a consideration of the main actions of his life and becaus hee had understood by Tradition that there hapned an Eclips when Romulus was conceived in the womb hee went the Hermetical waie as that is called to finde out the Nativitie by the conception After consultation with the Stars and a due comparison of this with what was otherwise known 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee confidently pronounced this Judgment That Romulus was conceived in the first year of the second Plutar. in Roma Olympiad the 23 daie of the Egyptian moneth Choeac at the third hour of the daie the Sun beeing then totally Eclipsed That hee was born the one and twentieth of the Moneth Thoth about the Sun rising That the Foundation of Rome was laied the ninth daie of Pharmuth between two and three a clock in the morning the Moon beeing then in Jugo So the Astrologer Otherwise the Tradition was which also Taruns considered that the Foundation of Rome was laid in the third year of the sixth Olympiad the Sun and Moon then beeing in an Ecliptical conjunction which defection was noted by Antimachus the Teïan Poet. For the first Eclips as his Tables which are said to bee those of Hipparchus directed him it fell out in the first year of the second Olympiad upon the 23 daie of the Moneth Choeac which answereth to the 24 of June at three a clock in the morning Yet according to Tyche Ptolomie's and the King Alphonsus their Tables the latitude was then so great that there could bee no Eclips at that time So Sethus Calvisius and others Nicolas Muller pretended that this Eclips could not bee found out by the Prutenick Tables but by the Frisian which hee was then about his own and more elaborate hee promiseth to account for it Calvisius answereth that the Prutenick Tables according to Copernicus his Hypotheses were most exactly performed and that hee doubted Muller could not stand to his word Yet since that Muller hath calculated this Eclips and found it to bee by his Frisian Tables according as the Astrologer set down Henrie Bunting findeth it in the second year of the second Olympiad one year later then the Astrologer And this may seem to bee nothing out of the waie For Dionysius Halicarnassius reporteth that Romulus as hee came not into the world so hee went not out without an Eclips Now Romulus reigned 37 years at which verie time the Sun was Eclipsed upon Saturdaie the 26 of Maie about 7 of the clock in the afternoon the Sun then setting at Rome and the greatest absurditie Calvisius could finde in this was that it setteth off but 18 years for the age of Romulus at the building of Rome which as hee think's could not make him mature enough for the importance of this undertaking but considering all other circumstances agree so well the Acception is unjust enough For the other Eclips pretended to bee at the Foundation of the Citie Nicolas Muller findeth that also in his Frisian tables yet confesseth it could not bee seen at Rome but in Asia 't was visible hee saith and so might bee known to Antimachus And this maketh somthing for the Astrologer who as Cicero citeth him found the Moon at the Foundation in Jugo that is as Solin may seem to interpret it in Libra the rather becaus the Poët Manilius saith that Rome was built in Libra So Petavius but Solinus though hee knew not what hee said yet saith too That the Sun was then in Taurus which is demonstrated by Bunting and moreover that it was in the twentieth degree and therefore the more learned Scaliger and his Calvisius interpret the Astrologers in Jugo to bee the same which is now said in
introduced for the contrarie adding also Ammianus Marcellinus an Autor as hee saith beyond all exception which wee denie not onely this wee have found that both hee and the rest are by Fuller in this matter misinterpreted as hee that diligently readeth shall bee readie to testifie For the situation thus much For the circuit and compass thereof the Prophet Jonah describeth it to bee a great Citie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jonae 3. even in the eies of God of three daies journie Diodorus saith that the sides thereof were inaequilater the longest sides containing 150 furlongs in length the shortest 90. According to which dimension of the parts the whole circuit must bee 480 furlongs which divided by eight set off for the Quotient 60 the number of English miles measuring the compass of this citie The words of Diodorus are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. where the Autor having discoursed upon the immens and ample circuit of Ninus addeth That the Founder failed not of his purpose for after him saith hee never anie erected the like Citie whether wee respect the greatness of the Compass or the stateliness of the Walls for the Walls were in height one hundred foot and so thick that three Charriots might ride upon the breadth together Hee addeth also that the walls were beset with a thousand and five hundred Towers each of them erected to the height of two hundred foot So far Diodorus whom after ages may for ever gratifie for this pretious monument of Antiquitie which hee alone seemeth to have preserved for the illustration of that which the Holie Ghost in Scripture more then once inculcate's concerning this vast and mightie Ninive That Citie of Babel and this of Ninive by a fatal vicissitude held up the Assyrian Monarchie till the time of Daziavesh the Mede and Cyrus the Persian It suffered manie overthrows before it received it's last two famous the one by the irruption of the River Tigris which at an inundation broke out upon the wall and threw down twentie furlongs thereof which destruction notwithstanding the stream of Interpreters run's otherwise yet let the Learned inquire whether it were not plainly foretold by the Prophet Nachum in those words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is And with an Inundation passing by hee shall make a full end Nachum c. 1 versu 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Septuag Chronologie seemeth to denie this interpretation but each man must consider that the time of this Prophet or his Prophecie is not determinate by anie autoritie of Antiquitie and therefore in the Moderns can bee but conjectural That the River made this ruine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Diodorus is a pregnant witness The second destruction was undertaken and ended by Nebuchadonosor the King of Babel as the Jews in their Chronologie testifie So Rabbi Saadias upon the Prophet Daniel And indeed this Citie was too great to bee destroied at once beeing as wee have said 60 miles in compass The Reader at the first sight may judg it incredible Hee should saie twelve thousand See Joha Leo Affricanus were not Alcaire in Egypt at this daie extant to correct his unbelief a place as Buntingius hath noted no less in circuit and so populous that there once died of the Plague in one daie twentie thousand The Prophet Jonah writeth that in the citie of Ninive by the testimonie of God himself were more then one hundred and twentie thousand persons which could not discern between their right hand and their left If there were so manie children then at the proportion the inhabitants were almost innumerable The Tomb of Ninus was almost as admirable as the Citie but of that in his Life It may now bee said of Ninive which once was of a great Citie in Strabo Magna Civitas magna Solitudo The greater Ninive was the greater are her ruines for now The rejoicing Citie that dwelt carelesly that said in her heart I am and there is none besides mee how is shee becom a desolation a place for beasts to lie down in everie one that passeth by her shall hiss and wag his head Zephan 2.15 Against this Citie prophecied Jonah Nachum Zephanie c. It is at this daie falsely called Mosall and at that place Nestorius his Sectaries have taken their Shelter that Heretick of Constantinople condemned by a Synod at Ephesus c. Arbelitis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ir. Bel. Next unto Adiabene is Arbelitis so called from the most antient citie Arbela which notwithstanding what Strabo hath said of the son of Athmoneus I would diligently derive of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ir Bel that is the Citie of Belus who was no doubt the first founder thereof after the death of Nimrod At Arbela was that bloodie battel between Darjavesh and the great Alexander for the Empire of the world as the common tale goe's but Arrian in the description of this expedition affirmeth the contrarie from the testimonie of two eie-witnesses Ptolemaeus and Aristobulus adding that the battel was pitcht at Gaugamela the same thing Plutarch hath observed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Scaliger giveth the reason of this mistake Becaus saith hee Arbela was famous and therefore better deserved to carrie awaie the credit of such a victorie then Gaugamela a poor obscure Village which before him Arrian hath said Solinus Arrianus in expeditione Alexandri Strabo lib. 16. Geog. Scaliger in lib. de emendatione temporum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gaugamela intestina Cameli significans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gaugamela saith hee is no citie but a village and but a little village the place no waie famous and bearing but a homely name And therefore hee saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Whereas hee saith that Gaugamela is known but by a homely name it deserv's further enquirie Scaliger saith that the word Gaugamela is in the language of the place as much as the inwards of a Camel which signification the word indeed will bear in the Assyrian tongue but for what reason The learned Critick answer's That som of the Antients have said that a Camel's Inwards were there interred Causabon in his notes upon Strabo deriveth it from Geh and Gamal Geh signifying an eminent high place but Strabo himself hath given the best and the most antient Etymon who setteth down that it was called Gaugamela that is saith hee the Hous of a Camel and this will hold for so Gaugamele might with a facile error bee written for Naugamela there beeing no difference between Gimel and Nun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but a smal apex or excrescence which oft-times escape's the Printers diligence and more often might the Transcriber's haste and seeing it was Naugamela from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Nauh Gamal it signifieth properly and aptly the hous or habitatio of a Camel The reason of this imposition is well rendred by Strabo becaus saith hee Darius the son of Hystaspis bestowed that place of rest and