Mathathias tooke vpon him the name of a king neuer before vsed since their captiuitie in Babilon and dying without issue a yeere after hee beganne his raigne leaft his wife according to their lawes as well as his kingdome vnto his brother Alexander who had by her two sonnes the elder was named Hircanus who after his fathers decease during his mothers widowhood was high priest and after her death was also king of the Iewes the yonger who was called Aristobulus aspiring to the kingdome by force of armes made his elder brother to yeeld it vnto him and to content himselfe with the high priesthood which also not long after hee demaunded in like sort as he had demaunded the kingdome Wherefore Hircaâ—â— beeing too weake to resist his forces fledde for ayde vnto Pompey a noble Romane well experienced in wars and had alreadie beene a 〈◊〉 of many Kings who â—ay with a great armie at that time in 〈◊〉 a principall citie of Siria bordering vpon the north side of Palestina This did Hircaâ—â—s partly because not long before had beene a great league of friendship concluded and kept betwixt the Iewes and the Romanes and partly by the perswasion of one in some credite with him whose name was Anâ—ipater hee was no Iew but of Idumea or as some say of Ascalon one of the fiue Dutchies of the Philistins neere vnto the middle earth sea and some to one of those Idolatrous priests which belonged to Apollo or some other which kept his temple and was stolne away by the theeues of Idumea whence because his friends were either not able or not willing to redeeme him he remained vntill in the ende hee was one of their cheefe leaders and in a 〈◊〉 betwixt them and the Iewes taken prisoner but beeing found by Alexanderâ—ing â—ing of the Iewes to be both valiant and wiâ—e he was made gouernor of Idâ—mea in which office he behaued himselfe so well as the Arabians â—ought his friendship and to confirme it gaue him to wife a noble woman of their country named Cyprâ—s and for his sake were euer after readie to ayde the Iewes vntill some priuate quarrelles chanced to be betweene them and when hee returned againe to Palestina he alwaies fauoured Hircanus eldest sonne to Alexander and encouraged him to maintaine his right against Aristobulus his yonger brother Nicholas of Damascus who when neede was pleaded before Caesar for Herod and Arthelâ—â—â— laboured to shew that this Antipater was descended of the kings of Palestinâ— fetched his pedigree from the chiefest of those Iewes which returned after their captiâ—â—itie from Babilon but if Antipater or his children were the first which would seeke to gentilzie a base bloud Nicholas will not be the last which will find it Pompey hauing giuen Aristobulus the ouerthrow carryed him away captiue to Rome although hee restored Hircanus to his kingdome yet he made the Iewes tributarie to the Romanes left Antipater as a president ouer the countrey who because hee was in yeeres committed Galile which contained al the north end of Palestina vnto his sonne Herod and Iudea which contained all the South part vnto his sonne Phaselus himselfe ruling onely in Samaria which was the heart of the countrey which when Antigonus Aristoâ—â—lâ—s his sonne perceiued and conceiued small hope of any helpe from the Iewes to recouer the dignitie which his father lost he requested ayde of the Parthians who comming with a great power set vp Antigonus in Hircanus his rome and led away Hircanus prisoner also Phaselus but Antigonus to the end that Hircanus should neuer after be capable of the high preisthood disfigured him by cutting or biting off his eares and Phaselus hearing that his brother had escaped hoping that he would reuenge his death beate out his owne brains against a stone Antipater not long before was poysoned by Malchus a Iew and Herod escaping although verie hardly trauailed with great paine to Rome notwithstanding the time of the yeere was vnseasonable for so long a iourney where declaring vnto Augustus Caesar and vnto the Senate what had chanced in Palestina he was created in the capitoll king of the Iewes and returning with a great power of men after much bloudshed against Antigonus whom Antony Emperour of the East by an agreement made betwixt him and Augustus Emperour of the west against which Antony Tully thundred out in vain to his cost so many phillipics after he had whipped and crucified him caused to be heheaded and established Herod in the kingdom of the Iewes But although many were so besorted with Herod as to take him to be the Prince of which they had so many prophesies yet many others which see the seepâ—er â—ayle in Iudas his familie and knew that hee who was promised vnto them should not onelye come when the 〈◊〉 fayled but be also of that family and of Dauidâ— stocke expected dayly when he would shew himselfe and set them at libertie who liued vnder Herod in too much sauery but Marie and Ioseph kept al things most secret awaking themselues often with the consideration of this heaueÌ„ly misterie waiting the wished time of her happie deliuery And when the virgin had made prouision not such as princes commonly affect but such as their pouerty could conucnieÌ„thy afford she gaue her self wholy to the meditation of that which had 〈◊〉 ofteÌ„ broken her sleep without any trouble bereaued her of her senseâ— without any paine and poore Ioseph was as forward in will although he were not sâ— highly fauoured as his wife when suddenly did a speach arise which wrought in him an vnspeakable 〈◊〉 and would also haue amased her had she not beene well armed against all weather Augustus Caesar sole Emperour both in the East and West hauing ouercome Anthonie at Acâ—â—um in Greece as at other times before so now sendeth order to the Presidents of euerie pâ—ouince to gether the tribute due vnto him the maner wherof was in Palestina as it seemeth at that time to take the names of the people not where they dwelled but where was the portion of land alotted to the tribe of which they were and as neare as they could in the citie which principally belonged to that family which exquisite course of eâ—acting the tribute hath giuen a probable cause of suspition that this was the first description which was made of Palestina by cause afterward we read that one of the tribe of Iudah and of the familie of Daâ—id borne in 〈◊〉 belonging vnto the same tribe and familie and brought vp in a citie of Zabulon paied tribute in 〈◊〉 a Citie of Nepthalim But whether this were the first description of Palestina or no it is not materiall Ioseph being of the tribe of Iudah and of the family of Dauid was forced to depart from Nazareth toward his country there to giue vp his name and to pay the tribute demaunded which was ordinarily euerie fiue yeares for euery man two grotes sterling or foure groates as
king Dauids messenger when hee sent to demaund her consent vnto him in marriage shee sayde vnto this Prince Embassadour Behold the handmaid of my Lord bee it done to me according to thy word Her consent obtained the Embassadour gaue her a farewell mixed with such ioy and reuerence as if hee had beene loth to detract time to be gone with so great good newes and yet could not but stay a while to doe his dutie but being of that agility that hee could passe so much space in a moment as is betwixt heauen and earth dispatched himselfe wirh that speede that in a trice hee both encreased a ioy in the place where hee was began another in the place from whence hee came Whereupon Loue who is impatient of delaye caused him from whom as well as from his father proceed infinit loue with all his might to pursue this matter the wole Trinitie working miraculously in the wombe of the Virgin gathering of her most pure bloud together framed therof in one instant a perfect body no sooner could that body enioy the soule which was created for it then the emperor his son vnited the whole vnto him a work as worthy praise as wonder so wonderful as reason hauing tyeâ—d it selfe in discourse of this worke leaueth off beginneth to do nothing but wonder for which cause one among the rest being wearied with ouer much musing began to refresh himselfe a little with his Muses In this maner Whom earth the sea the heauens doe worship praise adore King of this threefolde frame the wombe of Marie bore To whom Moone sunne and all do seruice in their turnes Chast bowels be are with fall of grace which from heauen comes Blessed such a mother within whose wombe is closde Her heauenly maker holding from being losde With ease the world and blest for that she had receiude By angels mouth addrest a message she belieude That she conceiuing by the helpe of holy Ghost He should within her lie Whom Gentils wished most But although others lost themselues in the consideration of this diuine mysterie the Virgin no doubt was so perfectly instructed in it that shee sound as much knowledge as she had felt comfort and her comfort was the more because her knowledge was so great and remembring that the higher shee was in calling the more lowly best beseemed her to bee in her carriage shee did alwayes with most humble thoughts attend vpon high conceits neither thinking at any time too well of herselfe for that shee should mother so worthy a prince nor yet so vnwary as to giue any cause why from thence forth hee should disdaine her to bee his mother Among other her comforts she remembred what the Embassador had said vnto her of her cosen Elizabeth whome before shee loued but now she longed to see and if the wayes presented themselues in her imagination very long her desire looked to bee preferred which was in heart also very great and the time of the yeare being both fit and pleasant to trauel in enuited her ernestly to the iorney to a citie called Hebron in the mountaines of Iuda liing southward from Ierusalem 22. miles one of the most famous cities in Palestina for antiquitie and of greatest renown because it was sometime the kings seat The inhabitants of this place were sometime such men or rather monsters as neither eye coulde without horrour beholde nor eare without feare heare speake here was Dauid who slew Goliah the Giant in a single combat with his sling annointed king and ruled all Israell by the space of seauen yeares a place also for this cause had in reuerence by all the worlde for that Adam the first parent of all mankind here is said to haue forsooke the world here also was Iacob the great Patriarke buried his father Isaack who was miraculously in this place coÌ„ceiued by Sara when shee was by natures course past childbearing from hence Abraham issued with 318. of his men and ioyned with him the 3. brethreÌ„ maÌ„bre who gaue name to the valley ioyning vnto it Aner and Escoll pursuing 4. kings conquerors ouerthrew them neare vnto mount Libanus and broght back all the spoile which they had taken out of the richest part of the country and was here also afterward buried A place notoriously 〈◊〉 froÌ„ the beginning of the world with an oak which continued there 400. years after the incarnation of the young prince we spake of it was one of the 46. cities which were allotted vnto the priests to dwel in Hether hastened the virgin if not so well accompayned as noble welthie parents could send their only daughter aswel for her gard as theit own credite yet neither was it likely she wold caresly of her selfe haue strayed so far alone nor her parents suffer her to go without some company being so far froÌ„ the basest blood in Palestina as they were of the best none of the poorest who coulde spare vnto the temple one third part of what they had an other to relieue the poore but her chiefest gard was inuisible and therefore it was inuincible for if euer any princes with child trauelling was choisely attended on least any hurt should befal vnto her or vnto that shee wente with much more was shee and euery thing so well ordered as she neither felt any inconuenience in long vneasie wayes being a yong maiden nor found any 〈◊〉 in her iorney by her burden being lately become a mother for it is not to be thoght that he which came to bring ease for his enemies would breede any paine in his best friendes But no sooner had shee set fooâ—e into her cosens house and saluted her but the child within her cosens wombe be wrayed who shee was and Elizabeth by diuine instinct cried out with a loud voice beginning where the Prince Embassador had ended his salutation and saide vnto her Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe whence is this to mee that the mother of my Lord doth come vnto mee for beholde as the voice of thy salutation sounded in myne eares the infant in my wombe did leape for ioy blessed art thou which didst belieue because those things shall be accomplished which were spoken vnto thee by our Lord. The sunne although it appeare vnto vs to bee in a cloude because there is a cloude betwixt it and vs is not altogether depriued of his power but giueth some light and by his light life where it lighteth and the sonne of iustice hauing builte his glorious throne in the wombe of a virgin where hee did as it were ascend vppon a thinne cloude shall he lease his vertue and not rather worke not of any necessitie as a natural cause of such like qualited effects but voluntarilie as a liberal and free agent of supernaturall graces How may wee thinke woulde hee draw vnto him if hee were once exalted who drewe so mightilie being imprisoned for
for to make Statues hee would haue none dedicated either to him selfe or vnto anye other then vnto him who shoulde saue all mankinde aud vnto Peace for hee had reade the Sibilles which promised sâ—ch a prince and prophesied of the whole course of his life among the which being ten of great fame all virgins and of diuerse places one which was called â—umana of her cittie where shee was borne in the lesser Asia named Cumâ— disciphering his birth constitution and his name gaue forth this oracle Then vnto mortall men the sonne Of an Omnipotent Father shall come He shal be like vnto a mortall man Clothed with flesh with natures two but one In 6. letters is containde his name Foure vowels two none remember this same Eight 8 tens one hundred 〈◊〉 times 8. Declare his name vnto the faithles streight Ι 10 Η 8 Σ 200 Ο 70 Î¥ 400 Σ 200 888 These Oracles as they were with much maruaile receyued so were they giuen with much maiestie the manner thereof is thus set downe by one who writte of Sibella surnamed Cumea because she forsooke Babilon in Chaldea and liued in a towne called Cumea in Campania a Prouince of Italie In Cumea was a Church of great praise because it was of a strange bignes and of as greate price because it was of one stone in the middle whereof were 3. large vessels of the same stone wherein this Sibill vsed to bath her selfe and afterwarde being attyred with some precious robe shee went into a more secret place in the same temple in the middle of which was a seate like vnto a princes throne shee spake of future thinges as if they had beene present But Apollo who was accounted most cunning in reading riddles after that hee had beene a long time ashamed to shew himselfe and to the daunting of the whole world had many yeeres beene dumbe being fayrely entreated by Augustus Caesar and in the end importunated with a sacrifice of an hundred Oxen to tell the cause of such an extraordinarie silence hee made him this answere A Iew a child in shew a God in power Who rules all other Gods commandeth me Hence to depart and dwell in hellish bower Hereafter silence must thine answere be Hereupon Augustus returning to Rome erected presently in the capitoll an Altar with this â—â—scription The Altar of the first begotten of God for he was conuinced with these Oracles and conceiued no reason why this child could not as well cause these accidents which befell them in Rome both in the heauens and in the capitoll as haue power so long before to pâ—tte the Oracle to silence Great shame it might haue beene for the Iewes that Gentiles should giue such credite to euill spirits if they had beene carelesse of diuine inspirations 〈◊〉 a prisoner in Babilon a Prophet among his people after that hee had foretold them in how short a time they were to returne to Hierusalem hee added also that 69. weekes after hee should come whom they expected vnderstanding a yeere for euerie day in the week which mount to 483. yeeres at the which time the Prince was borne Israel by being whose children they were distinguished from other nations lying vpon his death-bed after that hee was 147. yeeres of age called all his sonnes vnto him and blessed them foreshewed what should befall vnto all their families and among the rest of Iudas who was his fourth sonne hee prophesied in this sort Iudas thy brethren shall prayse thee thy hands shall be vpon the necks of thine enemies and thy fathers children shall adore thee The scepter shall not bee taken from Iudas neither shall there bee a ruler who shall not be of his stocke vntil he come which is to bee sent and he shall be the expectation of the Gentiles These notwithstanding and diuers other tending thereunto some were as forward as the Gentiles and began to haue a great opinion of themselues Theodas a Iew hearing that as mightie a Prophet as Moyses should about that time be raised hee perswaded himselfe that he could as well diuide the riuer of Iordane with his word as Moyses did the red sea with his waâ—d with which brags hee seduced many but going to shewe the people this idle slight he and many of his followers were slaine Iudas of Galile knowing also that about that time a Prince should be borne who should redeeme the Iews and that none but themselues should eate the labor of their hands deuised how he might compâ—â— this conceit imperiously gaue a commandemeÌ„t vnto the people not to pay tribute vnto Caâ—sar which many obeyed euen to the suffering of exquisite torments and cruell death in so much as children not without wonder would abide great torture rather then yeeld to accept Caesar for theyr Lord but in the end he with his followers failed of their purpose Others seeing Herod confirmed in the kingdom assured themselues that he was the prince which was so long before promised vnto them because now first did the scepter faile in the familie of Iudas for wheÌ„ Nabuchodonosor carryed Ioachim king of the Iewes captiue into Babilon he left no prince ouer them but one of the same familie called Sededechias vncle vnto Ioachim Sedechias afterward rebelling against him being carried away also into Babilon none was accepted for king or ruler ouer the Iewes vntill their returne out of captiuitie at which time Zarobabel who was of the kings family took vpon him the gouernment of them but would not be called king either because he was tributarie vnto the Medeâ— and Persianâ— who since the Iewes their captiuity had conquered Chaldea all the countries thereabout or els because perchance he did not directly descend froÌ„ the later kings of the Iews for diuers had 〈◊〉 tributaries both to the Egiptians and Chaldes who notwithstanding both were and were called kings Also when Antiochus Epiphanes King of the Sirians made war vpon the Iewes and preuailed somtime by falshood sometime by force against them he vsed the victorie with such cruelty that hee caused them to eate meate forbidden by their lawes yea and offer sacrifice vnto Idols which he set in their temple as also in other places where were new altars erected for that purpose But hauing brought their Princes to so low an estate as they were accounted of no more then priuate men yet before he could set vp a Prince ouer them Mathathias who by some small right was high Priest and also of the tribe of Iudas for those twoo tribes and onely those might marrie together gathering such vnto him as would rather leaue their liues then liue against their lawes resisted Antiochus his power and his children following their fathers example remained high Priests and Princes ouer the people so that the scepter still remained in the familie of Iudas till Herod vsurped the crowne into which by these meanes he inâ—roched Aristobulus grand-child vnto Simon the last suruiuing brother of the Machabees sonnes of
perfection should not only become an obiect to euery mans sense but accounted also as an abiect in euery mans sentence Lament O heauens your losse and earth ioy in your gaine if it bee to be iudged your gaine that he who was begotten a prince in heauen and in al points comparable to the mightiest Emperour should be borne in so poore an estate in earth at hee seemed a companion onely for the meanest begger Princes hauing choise of Pallaces remoue sometime from one vnto an other where they neither brooke the diminishing of their port nor abate the least portion of their pleasure but this Prince hath remooued himselfe from a large stately and a glorious pallace where hee had much companie most noble pure beautifull and sure vnto him vnto a narrow homely and base place where heâ— findeth small companie of such condition but for the most part poore impure deformed and false vnto him He remoued from a pallace at the building whereof was neither any noyse heard of any toole nor any noysomenesse complayned of for any toyle it was with one onely word made and made so firme that vnlesse that word be again vnsayde it is an eternall frame From hence hee remooued not to anie other Pallace any house no not to a poore mans cottage but to a caue not in Babilon not in Rome not in Hierusalem citties famous either for soueraintie or sanctitie no nor in Bethlehem which was the least of a thousande in Iudah but in a rocke without the towne walles â—either as if hee had meant to haue made an escape from the world or else if the world had made a scorne of him The Caruer was iudged passionate who wished his woorke transformed into his owne nature keeping the shape which hee had giuen it Runne Iewes and Gentiles beholde your creature who had power not onelie to wish but also for the loue of you to worke himselfe into your natures which argued a passion of more intention and also of more perfection in that the Caruer wished it more for his owne pleasure then for his workes preferment and what your Creator hath wrought was to his owne paine and onelie for his workes profite for the compassing of which he thought thâ—t this present condition place and companie so fit as hee woulde not haue accepted any other had it beene offered for a more wealthie condition woulde perchaunce haue obtained a more conuenient place and hauing a more conuenient place the virgin must haue had more companie or if she had refused them she would haue incurred a suspition either to haue offended by some shamefull fact or else in tended some crueltie against her selfe and her infant And companie being admitted vnto her labour the midwife at the least if not all the rest woulde haue beene priuie vnto this misterie which was as yet to be kept most secrete For the virgins labour was not such as other womens labourâ— are nor the childe in that maner borne that other childen are for neither did she feele anie pain in her deliuerie nor he leaue lesse integritie in her bodie then hee founde that kinde of paine beeing the rewarde onelie of sinne of which hee acquitte her and corruption of bodie not without concupiscence which neuer was acquainted with her so that in all poynts shee was as pure and perfect a virgin after this natiuitie as shee was the firste day after her owne Such a mother onelie became Gods sonne to haue and such a sonne was none but a uirgin worthie to conceiue So was the Oracle fulfilled which spake of a gate in the East which should euer bee shut through which no man shoulde passe because the Lorde God of Israel had entered by it and it shoulde remaine shut for the Prince who was therein to make his seate and to passe in and our thorow it So was the figure verified which being a bush flaming with fire and not consuming foreshewed a virgin should conceiue a childe in her wombe without any corruption So was the expectation both of heauen and earth in part satisfied because he now beganne to runne his race like a giant although hee seemed but a weake infant who tooke vpon him to right the earths wrongs and to repayre the heauens ruines But the higher powers the heauenly spirits not able to containe themselues from communicating the cause vnto the earth of her ioy which was not more sodaine then secret for no doubt al the world at this time reioyced although they knewe not whereat left theyr Princely pallace for a time and descended into a plaine neere vnto a tower whereabout Iacob once â—ed his sheepe a mile distant from Bethleem where they founde three poore shepheards verie prouidently watching ouer theyr flocke in a field where neither the cattell could lacke meate to fill them nor their keepers foode to refresh them beeing as fertile of Oliues to the ease of the one as it was of grasse to the vse of the other where one of the Princes saluted these shepheards but with a kinde of reuerence vnto that shape for their maister his sake who lately had vouchsafed it and was as perfect in a peasant as in a Prince beside that by their office and abilitie they made the representation of him the more liuely whom they entirely loued but the shepheards perceiuing a light beyond all their night obseruations to shine so bright and in the middest thereof a stately prince such as neither day nor night they had euer seâ—ne the like were so much affrighted therewith that the prince thought it high time to harten them againe and spake vnto in this manner Feare yee not for beholde I bring you newes of great ioy which shal be vnto all people for this day is borne vnto you in the cittie of Dauid a sauiour who is Christ our Lord this is your signe yee shall find the infant wrapped in clothes and laide in a maunger which said he ioyned himselfe vnto the rest of his company and for exceeding great ioy began to sing with them this or the like Canticle Chorus 1. All glorie and praise be to God on high 2. And peace on earth to men of a good will 1. Such glorie as endures eternally 2 Such peace as none but ill wild men can spill 1. Glorie to God the which shall neuer cease And vnto good wild men eternall peace 2. The heauens are full of glorie which is Gods The earth brings peace twixt those which were at ods 1. Glory peace the ornaments of heaueÌ„ The Lord of both to men in earth hath giuen 2. God will this glory shall continue still And peace twixt heauen earth if so meÌ„ wil Chor. 1-2 Glory be to him therfore who made this peace And blessed earth which gaue so good encrease The shepheardes when they had consulted vppon what they had hearde and leene they concluded to goe vnto Bethleem to trie the truth of those their gladde tidinges whether wheÌ„ they were come they
long after it was blowne abroad that such a prince was borne and princes hastened to do their homage An old prophesie was in Arabia that a starre should rise in Iacob and a rod spring in Israel which should both strike the princes of Moab and destroy the sonnes of Seth with many other so great prerogatiues that the prophet sighed to thinke hee should not liue to see it and the king of Moab was frighted fearing that hee had liued to feele it for the Israelites comming out of the desart of Pharan towarde Palestina encamped themselues neere vnto the riuer Iordan so strongly in middle of the Moabites that Balaac the king of Moab had better courage to fight against them with shrewde wordes then with sharpe weapons and therefore vnderstanding that in Mesopotamia was one who did so forspeake people as they neuer after prospered sent speedily vnto him to come and curse the Israelites but Balaam so was the southâ—ayer called being taught before by diuine inspirations when he came to the top of the mountaine from whence Balaac shewed him the Israelites performed what God and the angell had enformed him and to the great preiudise of Balaac king of the Moabites hee pronounced many blessinges ouer the Israelites and prophesied of this yong prince as is before shewed Hereupon Makida the Queene of Sâ—ba Ethiopia Egâ—pt vnderstanding of Salomon his wisdome wealth worthines large dominions came with exceeding great pompe vnto Ierusalem to see him and presented him with 120. talents of gold many iewels and infinite store of frankencense being perswaded that he was the man who was meant by the prophesie in Arabia for Saba was a prouince in the south side of Arabia and tooke the name of Saba grand-child vnto Abraham by Iecsan whom Abraham had by Caethura as also Madian father vnto Epha and others whom he sent away out of Chanaan afterward called Palestina into the East countries as also he sent Ismael whom hee had by Agar southward not suffering any of them to haue part with Isaac in the lande promised vnto him yet did he not send them away emptie handed but bestowed vpon them great riches apparell and iewels which he had taken from the foure kings whom hee conquered in the rescue of his nephew Lot among which giftes some write that Abraham gaue vnto them mirrhe and frankencense not without some misterie then knowne vnto him and now openly shewed by three princes which came out of the East parts at this time vnto Bethleem of Iuda which iourney they did the more willingly take because probablie their ancestors were also Iewes for the Queene of Saba among other great fauours which she receiued of king Salomon was accepted for his wife and returned into her countrey with childe and carried with her twelue thousand Iewes of euerie tribe one thousand and did them that honor that after a while the chiefest in the countrey vaunted that their fathers were Iewes and â—he sonne which she had by Salomon she crowned king surrendering all her dominions vnto him and of that stocke vnto this day as some say remayneth the great monarch of those coastes commonly called Priest Iohn But the principall motiue of these three kinges their voyage was the sight of a starre which did penetrate so farre into their vnderstanding that by that extraordinarie light and what they had by the prophesie they resolued that the prince was now at the last borne of which had beene so great expectation for although they were men of great learning yet could not their skill attaine to the perfect meaning of the star which appeared vnto them without farther helpe then they could haue by Astronomie wonder they might to see so neere vnto them so bright a shining starre because it was much lower then where exhalations fiered doe appeare blasing like starres and comparable with the Sunne for brightnesse as it receyued no light from the Sunne as other starres doe so neyther did the brightnesse of the sunne drowne the clearnesse thereof as it doeth of other starres where it selfe doth shine and the greater might their wonder bee because that all such tokens as were commonly in all other extraordinarie starres or commets to signifie eyther diseases or death were so farre from this starre that it betokened nothing but health and life and that the authour of life had taken vpon him a new kind of life although perchance in some secondarie sort it might also pretend the death of the prince whose life it shewed as may appeare by some of the presentes which the kinges brought who were both warned by this starre to seeke him and warranted to finde him out yet was it no Angell as many haue thought but a starre as much superior to other starres in brightnesse as inferior in bignesse made of some former matter or created of nothing by him to whome all thinges are possible and afterward eyther resolued into that of which it was made or if created for this purpose the cause thereof ceasing the effect came againe to nothing but it kept such a course as the kinges following it were no more subiect to bee deceiued of their purpose then were the Israelites when trauelling from Egipt vnto the lande of promisse they were guided by a cloude which alway went before them in the daye time and a fierie pillar in the night for the starre neuer ceased to shine but to their greater light nor to conduct them but to their greater comfort wherefore not without the prouidence of the stars guide they entred Ierusalem where they were both confirmed in the truth of their former prophesie and comforted with the shortnes of their following iorney but not without the amasing both of Herod and all the cittie because the last thing which the Iewes had done was an oath sworne to accept Herod for their king which althougb hee had laboured both with curtesie and with crueltie for the space of thirty years little more or lesse hee neuer obtained it of the whole countrie vntill this time The three princes as soon as they came into the cittie demaunded boldely what they doubted not euery man knew a kinges seate fitting best a princes birth and such a birth being commonly celebrated with a publike triumph they demaunded for him by his title not knowing as yet his name where is hee who is borne king of the Iewes wee see his starre in the East and are come with presentes to adore him was it then any wonder that Herod was troubled who wrongfully entered into the soueraigntie and the Iewes touched deepelie who had rashly sworne themselues his subiectes the one hauing iust cause to feare that he should be put down as a tyrant and the others no hope but to bee punished as traytors and although Herod coulde haue beene very well contented neuer to haue heard any thing more concerning this matter yet feare in the ende first encreased a desire to know the rest then to deuise some mischiefe fot a
others say that onely one in euerie Temple as at the departure of the Israelites from Egypt one dyed in euerie house some write that onely those fell downe which wer at Heliopolis in Thebais whether the virgin went with her sonne to dwell certaine it is that a huge great tree was not farre from the Citie whose fruit leaues or barke did heale many diseases and no other cause was euer giuen thereof then that it receiued this vertue myraculously when the yong prince passed by it at his first comming at what time it bowed downe vnto the ground and was dispossessed of an euill spirite which was woont there to bee honoured by the Egyptians and all this is no wonder to those who read that Dagon the Idoll which the Philistins adored was founde first lying vpon the ground before the Arke of God which they took in a battell from the Iewes and had placed it in Dagons temple at Asoâ—â—s and the second time the body of the Idoll was in his place as they had set it vp againe but the head and hands were off and lay before the arch If the arch were of such vertue being a thing made of wood made by Moses at Gods commaundement to keep the law which he gaue vnto the Israelites that an Idoll could not stand in the presence therof how coulde any Idols stande in the presence of an arch made without mans hand and where God himselfe was personally present For into Egypt came now neither Abraham Iacob Moses nor Ieremie but one who was greater then euer was any of the patriarks or prophets and therefore no wonder if Egypt felt such an alteration as neuer before That this yong prince dwelt in Heliopolis a worthy fountaine not far from thence witnessed wherein it is said the virgin washed the yong prince and such things as she vsed about him it was in a garden where grewe nothing but that which was most precious For in the gardeÌ„ was nothing but Balsam it had no other water but of that fountain to water it the garden being afterward made greater the inhabitants thereabout digged a greater place for the watering thereof near vnto the other little fountaine perswading themselues that there was some speciall vertue therein for this purpose and that their Well which they digged being neare vnto it might be the better for it but they all were deceyued of their expectation vntill they made certaine Pipes by which they conueyed water out of the little fountane into their Well and mingled it with other water which sprung fast by it in remembraunce of which both that place and the place where the virgin dwelled were had in great reuerence by the heathen people for they sawe a manifest signe that his bodie gaue vertue vnto that fountain when as the water which was digged close by it had no such vertue in it This sequell perchance made the Egyptians to reflect the more vpon their Idols fall both in their Temples and elsewhere and called to minde what they had beene before also informed by one who although he were a Iew and stoned to death by his owne countrymen in Egypt because hee foretolde them they should all die by sworde and famine which descended into Egypt after the destruction of their Temple by the Chaldees yet he was highly esteemed of by all the Egyptians for that by his prayers hee deliuered all that coast where he came from Cocatrices pernitious water serpents from Aspides which were so wily that if at any time the enchanter were about to charme them thereby to take away their force in hurting them they woulde lay one of their eares so close to the ground and stop the other so fast with their taile that the enchanter could not in any sort preuaile against them The Oracle which this prophet gaue them was that when a virgin should bring forth a sonne their Idols should be destroied which being beleeued by the priests they erected in the most secret place of their teÌ„ple the Image of a virgin with a child in her arms adored it which Ptolomeus their K. for Alexander the great made Ptolo. K. of Egypt after him the K. of Egypt were called Ptolome as before they all called Pharao when hee demaunded what it meant they sayde as before is shewed and that their predecessors had left such a tradition amonge them and that they beleeued it and no doubt that Image did stand still in their temple for the honor they bore vnto the Prophet whom after the Iewes had stoned the Egyptians buried close by theyr Kings but afterward Alexander the Great translated his body with exceeding great pompe vnto Alexandria that by the presence thereof those Serpents shoulde auoyde which by no other pollicie hee could ouercome notwithstanding that hee had brought other kind of sepents out of Greece to destroy them But after that this blessed virgin and her childe were come into Egypt Herod returning from Rome as most men affirme either from making complaint of his sonnes Alexander and Aristobulus or from aunswering to theyr complaints made vppon him to the Emperor and not knowing this yong prince where to finde but mistrusting onely that hee was some where about Bethlcem sent to murder all the infants which were in Bethleem neere about so that Beniamin as some doe thinke bordering vpon that part of Iuda lost also some of their infants according to the olde prophesie A voyce of weeping and howling was heard in Rama Rachel bewayling her children and would not bee comforted because they were not that is to say because shee was spoyled of them for Beniamin was the yongest sonne of Rachel and the yongest of the twelue patriarches some doe thinke that Rama was a towne betwixt Bethleem and Hebron and that Zacharias vpon ryot of this murder conuayed away his sonne for which hee was afterward slaine himselfe Some say that this Rama was a towne in Arabia whose name was vsed to shewe how farre in a short time this crueltye was spred abroade Some do thinke that Rama signified nothing but the vehemencie of the crye which might very well bee for 14000. infants were slain in this massacre and as some do thinke onely the infants of Iuda and that Rachel is by the Prophet sayd to lament her children not because that anie of the tribe of Beniamin were slaine but because that shee lay buried neere vnto the place where this murder was principally doone which was doone vpon all of twoo yeeres old to fiue yeeres old as some haue thought because the childrens bones which were after seene seemed to bee of a greater growth then twoo yeeres others who thinke that children were bigger at that time then they were in a short time after say all were slaine which were of two yeeres and vnder which also some do limit saying that none were slaine who were vnder 40. dayes olde because Herod vnderstood that the Prince was borne when the three Kings