firmament Hee is called for his loue to Musicke the Musical Signe and is beautified with nine bright stars according to the number of the Muses Andromedae vero radiat quae stella sub ipsa Albo fulget AEquus tres Hormo sed latera AEquus Distingunt spatijs The Horse is called Equus dimidius because his fore-parts are onely seene and the rest concealed Aratus saith that he was made a Star Because that in the top of the Heliconian mountaine striking a rocke with his right hoofe he brought forth water which after grew to a Well dedicated to the Muses and the liquor thereof called Hypocrene But Euripides would confer this honour vpon Menalippe the daughter of Chiron who according to the Centaure her fathers shape was halfe Mare halfe Maid She being stuprated and growing great as ready to be deliuered fled into the Mount Pelion to secure her selfe from the displeasure of her father and being pittied by the gods was lifted vp amongst the Signes bearing an Equinall shape but her hinder parts for modesties sake are altogether obscured and concealed Est etiam propriore deum cognoscere signo Deltoton si quis donum hoc spectabile Nili Divitibus veneratum vndis in sede notarit Aboue the head of the Ram not far from the feet of Andromeda bordereth that Signe which the Greekes for the resemblance that it hath to the letter Delta call Deltoton but the Latines in regard of the propernesse of the forme name it Triangulum a Triangle Some say it is the figure of AEgypt proportioned out in Stars in Trigono or three angles The channell also of Nilus as some say disposeth it selfe after the same forme It was placed where it now shines by Mercury at the command of Iupiter Diverso posita Boreae vicina legenti Auster Pistrix agit Vnder Aries and Pisces and aboue the Floud Padus or Eridanus is Pistrix or the Whale placed in the region of the starry Heauen This is said to be the Sea Monster sent to Cepheus by the enuy of the Nereides because Cassiopeia and Andromeda preferred their owne beauties before theirs who was slaine by Perseus Planxere ignotes Asiae Phaetondides vndis Eridanus medius liquidis interjacet Astris The Floud placed beneath the Whale in the region of the heauen to which the right foot of Orion is extended of Aratus and Pherecides is called Eridanus Padus and therefore there seated because it directeth his channell and course towards the parts Meridionall But Hesiod giueth his reason and saith It was so honoured for Phaeton the sonne of Phoebus and Climene who ascending the Chariot of his father and being lifted so exceeding high from the earth through feare fell from his seat being also strook with a bolt by Iupiter into the floud Padus or Eridanus when by that meanes all things were set on fire and began to burne all the springs and riuers of the earth were let loose to extinguish the same Which made such a deluge that it ouerflowed the whole face of the earth by which means all mankind was said to perish sauing Deucalion and Pyrrha The sisters of Phaeton after extreme weeping and lamenting for their brother were changed into Poplar trees and their teares hardned into Amber They were called Heliades and their names Merope Helie AEgle AEgiale Petre Phoebe Cherie Diosippe Cignus also K. of Liguria a neere kinsman of theirs in his depth of lamentation for Phaeton was metamorphised into a Swan from whom al Swans borrow their sad mournfull notes Some thinke this floud to be Nilus which is also Gyon and therefore stellified because it directeth his course from the Meridian It consisteth of many stars and lieth iust beneath the star called Canopus or Ptolomaea and toucheth some part of the Argoe or Ship It appeareth very low insomuch that it seemeth almost to touch the earth for which cause it is stiled Stella terrestris c. Sic vtrumque oritur sic occidit in freta sidus Tu parvum Leporem perpende sub Orione Lepus the Hare hath place beneath the feet of Orion and his Dog for those that feigned him to be an Huntsman so fashioned it that the Hare lieth beneath his feet Some deny that so great and noble a Hunter as Orion should spend his time in the chase of so fearefull and wretched a beast as the Hare Callimachus in speaking of the praise of Diana accuseth him for taking too much delight in killing Hares Some affirme she was translated into the Heauens by Mercury as Aratus in his Phenom for her extraordinarie velocitie and swiftnesse or else for her fruitfulnesse bringing forth some young and hauing others still immature in her belly for so Aristotle reporteth of her It is said also That in the antient times in the Island called Hiera there were no Hares at all but that a yong man of that City got a yong Liueret from a forreine countrey and brought it vp being a female till it was deliuered of young ones By whose example others making him their president fell into the like care of breeding them who in short time increased into a great multitude but the city being distressed by a narrow streight siege they were inforced to deuoure them all whom before they had so indulgently cherished Yet was the figure of the Hare after placed in the Firmament to put men in minde That no man ought to take too much pleasure in any thing least the losse of it after might breed their greater sorrow Tela caput magnisque humeris sic baltheus ardet Sic vagina ensis pernici sic pede fulget Orion who is also called Incola shineth before the Bull and deriueth his name ab Vrina or the inundation of waters He riseth in the Winter season disturbing both earth and sea with shoures and tempests The Romans call him Iugula because he is armed with a sword and sheweth bright and terrible in the splendor of his stars who if he appeare portendeth faire weather if hee be obscured stormes and tempest Hesiod maketh him the sonne of Neptune and Euriale to whom his father gaue that vertue to walk as stedfastly vpon the sea as the land Who comming to Chios comprest Merope the daughter of Oenopion for which iniurie Oenopion surprised him and put out his eyes banishing him from his confines Hee after comming to Lemnos by Apollo was restored to his sight and returning to Chios to auenge himselfe vpon his enemie the father of Merope who by the people of his Citie was hid in the earth him Orion not finding trauelled ouer into Creet where hunting and making hauocke of the Game was reprehended by Diana To whom he made answer That ere he departed from that Island he would not leaue one beast liuing vpon the mountains For which arrogant language Tellus or the Earth being much displeased sent a Scorpion of an vnmeasurable greatnesse which
saith Saint Bernard is of his belly the Lechers of his lust and the Couetous mans of his gold And Saint Augustine By Liberalitie mens vices are couered but by Couetousnesse they are layd open to the world Ardua res haec est opibus non tradere mores Et cum tot Croesos viceris esse Numam i. A difficult thing it is for any man that is rich not to submit his minde and affections vnto his money and passing many a Croesus in wealth to beare a modest temperature with Numa It is better to be the Sheepe than the Sonne of an auaritious man saith Diegenes the one he loueth and tendreth for the increase the other he neglecteth and hateth for the expence Though according to Apollonius the common excuse of the rich man is That he gathereth and hoordeth for the vse of his children so insatiate is his desire as being neuer satisfied that the obtaining of what he would haue is but the beginning to him of the desire of hauing According to that of Boëthius lib. 2. Metr 2. Si quantas rapidis flatibus incitus Pontus versat Arenas c. If with so many sands as seas vp cast When they are stirr'd with some tempestuous blast Or wert thou furnisht as the skies with starres When neither fog nor cloud their lustre barres Or wert thou by th' abundant horne of Plenty Supply'd with all things leauing no place empty Yet humane nature couetous of gaine Would not forbeare to murmur and complaine Although to it heav'ns liberall hand should lend More gold than it could study how to spend Though Honour grace the name and Pride the backe 'T will say all 's little something yet doth lacke Gaping Desire vncircumscrib'd by Lawes Still yawnes with open and vnsatiate jawes What bridle or what curbe can we then finde To restraine this rapacitie of minde Whenas the more we drink the more we thirst Our aime to get is greater than at first Such pest in mans vnlimited nature breeds That still the more he hath the more he needs Auarice is defined to be a vice in the soule much like vnto a Dropsie in the body by which a man coueteth per fas nefas to extort from others without right or reason And againe violently and injustly it with-holdeth from others what truly belongeth vnto them without equitie or conscience It is also a penurious and niggardly sparing to giue but a readinesse nay greedinesse to receiue whatsoeuer is brought neuer examining whether it be well or ill attained Vsurie and Extortion bred from Auarice saith one makes the Nobleman morgage his lands the Lawyer pawne his Littleton the Physition sel his Galen the Souldier his sword the Merchant his Ship and the World it 's peace This hellish Vice in mine opinion is as bitterly reproued as ingeniously obserued by Petronius Arbiter in one of his Satyrs Part of his words be these Orbemjam totum victor Romanus habebat Qua mare quaterrae qua sidus currit vtrumque The Roman Victor had the whole world won As far as seas flow or the earth doth run Or either Pole could from aboue suruey Yet with all this not sated was but they The Ocean must with burden'd Ships oppresse Wandring in toilesome search where they could guesse Any remote place was If they were told It yeelded Mines and they might fetch thence gold And now although they were in league before Hostilitie's proclaim'd and for that Oare Arm'd Vessels rigg'd all dangers are held good To purchase wealth howeuer bought with bloud Pleasures in vse are sleighted because knowne We doat on forrein things despise our owne And in another place to the like purpose Nor is lesse rapine in the campe for there Generals when they of gaine and profit heare Fly to the noise and madly snatch at gold Nay ev'n the Roman people's to be sold The very seats on which the Patriots sit In open Court are bought nor can we quit Old men from Auarice since each one striues Vertue once free to binde in golden gyues Pow'rs turne to prey and Place to purchase pelfe There 's nothing free scarce Maiestie it selfe Couetousnesse robbeth a man of the title of Gentry because it together delighteth it selfe in sordid Ignobilitie Vsurie the eldest and most fruitfull-breeding daughter of old Auarice was so much at one time despised and hated in Rome that Appian in his first booke of Ciuill warres commemorateth vnto vs That there was a great penaltie imposed vpon any noble Citisen who would shew himselfe so degenerate as to contract her for it is said of her That she bringeth forth her children before they be begotten besides she is most hated of those whom shee seemeth most to gratifie And according to that of the Poet Turpia Lucra Faenoris velox Inopes vsura trucidat The filthy and base gaine of Increase and the swift returne of Vsurie murdereth the Poore and Needy But I am confident that whosoeuer he be that shall grinde the faces of the Poore in this world the Diuell shall grate vpon his bones in the world to come O but saith one Gold guideth the globe of the earth and Couetousnesse runnes round about the Centre Auri sacra fanes quid non This putteth me in remembrance of the Poet Balbus which lately came to my hand and I haue read thus Aurum cuncta movet superi flectuntur ab Auro Gaudet Aurato Iupiter ipse Thoro. Which as neere as I can I haue thus faithfully rendred Gold can do all things gods with it are fed And Iove himselfe lies in a golden bed With Gold the Temples shine the Altars too In it men trust for it can all things doo Gold helps in Peace is preualent in Warres It raiseth Armies it compoundeth jarres The Romuleian Patriots redeem'd With Gold their Capitoll 'T is so esteem'd And beares with it such potencie and sway That vnto it Aire Earth and Seas obey What other high Pow'r need we loue or feare Pallas away and Iuno come not neare Mars hence◠Diana with thy modest looke Come not in sight thy presence wee 'l not brooke Gold only dwells in Temples and doth raigne And at it's Altars are fat Offrings slaine He that hath Gold the very Starres may buy And can the gods leade in captiuity Gold raiseth War and Discord can appease It plowes deepe furrowes in the vnknowne seas It breakes downe Citadels such pow'r it claimes And folds vp Cities in deuouring flames Take Gold away the yong Maid would not be So soone depriv'd of her Virginitie Take Gold away yong men would be more stay'd And their indulgent Parents more obey'd Take Gold away sincere Faith would be vow'd Yong wiues more chaste and Matrons be lesse proud Youth would not be to Fashion so deuote Nor Age on Riches more than Vertue dote Yet hath it a pow'r op'ratiue to infuse Raptures and Enthusiasma's to the Muse. To giue vs Gold would any be so kinde A golden veine he in our Verse should
there is a God or beleeue him to be what he is not or knowing despise him by which they become as negligent in Humane actions as carelesse of Diuine From hence arise wicked cogitations blasphemous speeches and nefarious proiects al which are abhominable in the sight of God and man as in all their refractorie courses professing no reuerence or regard of the Creator by which they can haue no commerce with any thing that is essentially good or honest In Athens a strict Edict was made That all such as were proued to be Divum Contemptores i. Scorners or Despisers of the gods should be conuented before the Areopagitae and beeing conuicted their goods were sold at a publique out-cry and their irreligions grauen vpon pillars to make their persons odible Those also who aimed their iniuries and insolencies against their Parents Countries or any superiour Magistrates were not onely branded with infamie but their bodies punished with great seueritie Of the former Iuvenal thus speakes Sunt qui infortunae iam casibus omnia ponunt Et nullo credunt mundum rectore moveri Natura volvente vices lucis anni Atque ideo intrepid◠quaecunque altaria tangunt Some all the Power to Chance and Fortune giue And no Creator of the world beleeue Say Nature guide's the Sun's course and the yeare These touch the holy Altars without feare What may we thinke then of Cheopes King of Egypt remembred by Herodotus who caused all the Temples throughout his Prouinces to be fast shut and barred vp left any of his people should offer diuine sacrifice vnto the gods We reade likewise of Diagoras melius before spoken of who flourished in the eightie eighth Olympiad This Man because he persuaded the People from the worship of their gods was not onely banished Athens the city wherein he taught but after his confinement a Talent was proposed for a reward to him that would kill him These and the like were no doubt altogether ignorant That man was created for the seruice of God and That there can be no surer signe of the imminent ruine of a Kingdome and Commonweale than Contempt of Religion of which saith Basil no Creature is capable but Man onely Where no Religion resteth there can be no vertue abiding saith Saint Augustine Therefore the first Law that ought to be imposed on man is The practise of Religion and Pietie for if wee did truely apprehend the vertue thereof from thence the Voluptuous man would suppresse his pleasures the Couetous man acquire his wealth the Proud man deriue his felicitie and the Ambitious man his glory being the Bodies health and the Soules happinesse and indeed the onely mean to fill the empty corners of the heart and satisfie the vnlimited affects of the Desire Iosephus Langius reporteth That diuers learned and religious men supping together by appointment a profest Philosopher or rather a prophane Atheist had intruded himselfe among them who in all his arguing and discourse spake in the contempt of Religion and the Soules future felicitie often vttering these words Coelum Coeli Domino Terram autem dedit filijs hominum i. Leaue Heauen to the Lord of heauen but the Earth he gaue to the sons of men At length he was strooke with an extraordinarie iudgement being tormented at once in all the parts and members of his body so that he was forced to exclaime and cry ô Deus ô Deus ô God ô God Which the rest obseruing one of them vpbraided him in these words Thinkest thou ô Naturall man to contemne so great a Deitie and to vilifie his holy Ordinance and escape vnpunished Whom another thus seconded Do'st thou now begin to distrust thy philosphy and to call vpon and complain vnto him whom til now thou either wouldst not or didst not know Why do'st thou not suffer that Lord of heauen to rest quietly in that heauen which he hath made but that thou thus importunest him with thy clamours Where is now thy Coelum Coeli Domino c. Lucian of whom I before gaue a short Character was sirnamed Samosatensis because borne in Samosata a city scituate not far from Euphrates he was called Blasphemus Maledicus and Atheos He liued in the time of Traianus Caesar and was at first an Aduocate or Lawyer and practised at Antioch a city in Syria but it seemes not thriuing by his parsimonious and close-fisted Clients he forsooke that profession and retyred himselfe though to a lesse profitable yet a more pleasing study namely to be a follower of the Muses Volaterranus reports of him That hee was a Christian but after prooued a Renegade from that Faith and being demanded Why he turned Apostata his answer was That he had gained nothing by that profession more than one bare syllable added to his name being christened Lucianus where before his name was plaine Lucius His death as the best approued Authors relate of him was wretched and miserable for walking late in the euening hee was assaulted by band-dogs and by them worried and torne in pieces A most condigne punishment inflicted vpon him because in his life time he spared not to snarle against the Sauiour of the world And me-thinkes the Epitaph which hee composed vpon his owne Timon of Athens syrnamed Misanthropos i. Man-hater might not vnproperly be conferred vpon himselfe Hic iaceo vita miseraque Inopique solutus Nomen ne quaeras sed male tale peri. Here do I lie depriv'd of life Most miserable and poore Do not demand my name I dy'de Remember me no more Superfluous it were to make much forreine inquisition abroad seeing so many domesticke iudgements at home Far be it from me to iudge but rather to feare that many of them haue beene made remarkable among vs by reason of Irreligion and Atheism I forbeare to nominate any both for the dignitie of their places and greatnesse of their persons yet hath it beene no more than a nine dayes wonder to see the losse of heads the breaking of necks from horses some pistolled when they haue beene least prepared some stab'd with their own poniards others prouiding halters for their owne necks a sonne thrusts his sword through the womb of the mother which conceiued him one brother insidiates the life of another the husband hath killed his wife the wife slaine her husband and both of them their children the master his seruant the seruant his master the mistresse her maid the maid her mistresse And what can all these be but the fruits of the neglecting of the Lord God and the contempt of his Sabboth Much to be lamented it is that these things should be so frequent amongst Christians nay our owne kingdome when euen the Ethnicke Poets in their writings haue exprest not only an honour due to their gods but euen vnto the daies dedicated vnto their memories Plautus vseth these words Quod in diuinis rebus sumas sumptus sapienti lucro est c. i. That which a
delude man and draw him from the worship of the true God The Image of AEsculapius honored among the Epidaurians and after brought to Rome as one of the twelue tables testifieth was with a Greeke Inscription long kept in the Family of the Maffaeans and wrought diuers strange wonders I will for breuities sake expresse but one or two of them and those verbatim by transcription from Hieronimus Mercurialis a learned Physitian In those daies saith he one Cato a Roman brought this word to a blind man from the Oracle That he should present himselfe before the altar of that Image and there kneeling should remooue himselfe from the left side to the right and putting his fiue fingers first vpon the eyes of the Idoll and then vpon his owne hee should receiue his sight which was accordingly done amidst a great confluence of people who highly applauded the miracle Again one Iulian vomiting bloud continually and despairing of all humane helpe had answer from the Oracle That he should present himself before the altar of AEsculapius and to take thence the nuts of a Pine apple and eat them with honey for three daies together which doing he recouered his pristine health Diodorus Siculus makes mention of an oblation made to Gerion and Iolaus by the children of the Leontinians which whoso neglected was either strook with blindnesse deafnes numnesse lamenesse or the like but hauing performed all the ceremonies required at the Altar they instantly recouered their health againe In Castabula if we will beleeue Strabo there was a temple dedicated to Diana Persica to which all such virgins as vowed perpetuall chastity might familiarly walke vpon hot irons or tread vpon burning coles and neuer feele heate or fire The like he reporteth to be in the city of Feronia scituat at the foot of the mountaine Saractes where all the Votaresses belonging to that Shrine may do the like which shewes the malice and ambition of these malevolent Spirits which would vsurpe the power of the Almighty Besides their Oracles haue a great apparance of truth and for most part such as put any confidence in them they would take vnto their protection but the contemners of their superstitious rites they would seuerely punish Aristides a potent gouernor in Smyrna when a mighty and prodigious earthquake was neere at hand was fore-warned by the Image of Esculapius to go vp vnto the mountain Atis and there to offer sacrifice Which he accordingly did and was no sooner got vp to the middle part of the ascent but in the region below hapned such a terrible shake of the earth that villages and cities were demolished only the mountain Atis in which by that prediction he was secured felt at that time no such calamitie Plutarch and Liuy both write That Camillus hauing distrest the Veians made a solemne sacrifice to Iuno Veientana and besought her to be still propitious vnto the Romans saying further that if she so pleased they would transport her statue to Rome At which request the image opened her armes and embracing Camillus told him That with much willingnesse she accepted his deuotion The Athenians gaue diuine honour to Pan the god of sheepheards because meeting their Embassador Philippides in the Parthenian groues hee promised them his assistance in the great battell of Marathon fought against the Persians Cleomenes King of Sparta sacrificing to Iuno demanded what successe he should haue against the Argiues with whom he was at that time in opposition Whereupon a flame of fire suddenly issued from betwixt the breasts of the goddesse which omen was by the Haruspices or Soothsayers thus interpreted That hee should not wholly conquer the city he should surprise and consume with fire but the prime citadel he should not enter And so it hapned Annibal and Amilcar great Captains of the Carthaginian army besieging Agrigentum the souldiers ruined and demolished all the antient sepulchres that stood without the city to make their rampiers fortifications the better to secure themselues against the enemy within the city But comming neere vnto that famous monument in which Theron was interred and to leuel that as they had done the other the antient structure seemed to be touched with fire from heauen and many Daemons and spirits were seene not only to stand as champions in defence of the place but with vnresistable fury to set vpon and assault the whole army till the one halfe at least perished in the conflict among the rest Annibal himselfe expired To appease whose implacable fury Amilcar sacrificed an Infant to Saturne and cast certain priests from an high rocke precipitating them into the sea to qualifie the wrath of Neptune Natalis Comes tels vs That one Pegasus transporting the image of Dionysius otherwise called Bacchus from Eleutheria a city in Boetia into the Prouince of Attica the Athaenians suffered it to passe by them negligently without doing vnto it any reuerence or ceremony For which contempt they were plagued with a disease in their secret parts to be released of which Pegasus consulted with the Oracle which inioyned them to erect a sumptuous temple to that Idoll in the city of Athens which was held in great adoration for many yeares after Athenaeus remembers vnto vs That when the Iapitae took down the Images from the Temples of their gods with this scoffe and taunt added That their places should be preserued for some other that were more potent and powerfull in the execution of this a sudden fire fell from aboue which so terrified astonished them that they not onely instated them in their former places but from that time forward held them in much more feare and reuerence Herodotus speakes of one Artabanus a great Persian General who because he had the statue of Neptune in contempt was by the reason of a sudden inundation himselfe with the greatest part of his Army drowned The same Author witnesseth what a seuere Reuenger Apollo was of any affront or iniurie offered vnto him who when Carthage was oppressed by the Romanes and his image there erected being despoyled of that golden garment which was then vpon it the very hand which snatched it from his shoulders was after found amongst the spoiles of the citie In Hallicarnassus at all such Solemnities when any Sacrifice was to be offered vnto Iupiter Ascraeus an whole heard of Goats made a voluntary presentment of themselues before the Altar and when the rest of the superstitious ceremonies were finisht they all departed of themselues saue onely one which voluntarily staied behinde to be offered by the Priest Caelius reporteth that in Daulia there was a Temple dedicate to Minerua to which there belong certaine Dogs or rather Diuels who when any of the Argiue nation came to present their Deuotions would fawne vpon them in signe of a free and louing welcome But if any Barbarian or stranger entred the place they would fly in their faces as ready to plucke them
hornes shew lowring or cloudy towards the earth it portendeth tempest Aratus saith also If the Boreall horne of the Moone seeme any thing streightned it promiseth a North winde or if the Australl horne be any thing erected it signifieth a South winde forthwith to ensue But the quartile of the Moone is the most certain Index of wind and weather According to that of Virgil Sin ortu quarto namque is â—ertissimus author An Emblem IT presenteth an Ideot who hauing a straw sticking out of either shooe is persuaded by some waggish boyes That they are no other than gyues and fetters which hee conceiuing to be such casteth himselfe vpon the ground in great griefe and vexation as one by reason of these bonds not able to remoue out of the place The Motto Stultitia ligamur non compedibus which seemeth to be borrowed from Ecclesiastes 10.2 The heart of the Wiseman is in his right hand but the heart of the Foole is in his left hand And also When the Foole goeth by the way his heart faileth and he telleth to all that he is a Foole. Hâ—rac lib. 1. Epistol ad Mecen writeth thus Virtus est vitium fugere sapientia prima Stultitia carnisse It is a vertue to fly vice and we Count him most wise that is from folly free There are diuers sorts of folly Saint Augustine saith There is none greater in the world than to esteem the World which esteemeth no man and to make so little account of God who so greatly regardeth all men And Saint Gregory tells vs That there can be no greater folly than for a man by much trauell to increase riches and by vaine pleasure to lose his soule It is folly to attempt any wicked beginning in hope of a good and prosperous ending Or for a man to shorten his life by ryot and disorder which by temperance and abstinence might be better prolonged Folly is a meere pouerty of the minde The heart of a Foole saith Syrach is in his mouth but the mouth of a Wise man is in his heart Gregorie saith Sicut nec auris escas nec guttur verba cognoscit ita nec stultus sapientiam sapientis intelligit i. As the eare relisheth not meat nor the throat can distinguish the sound of words so neither can the Foole vnderstand the wisedome of the Wiâ—e And Seneca the Philosopher telleth vs Inter câ—tera mala hoc quaque habet stultitia quod semper incipit vivere i. Amongst many other euills this also hath Folly That it alwaies beginneth to liue But saith S. Augustine Amongst all Fooles he is the most Foole that knoweth little and would seeme to vnderstand much But I come now to the Emblemaâ—ist who thus declares himselfe Spiritus excelso se tollit in Astra volatu At Caro compedibus deprimor inquit humi Tu quid vincla voces age nunc videamus inepta Morio vel stramen compedis instar habet Vile Lucrum popularis Honos fugitiva voluptas Haeccine sint pedibus pondera iusta tuis Prô viles Animas devotaque Crura Catenis Vincîmur nervus nec tamen villus adest ¶ Thus paraphrased The Soule with swift wings to the Stars would fly The Flesh saith Fetter'd on the ground I lye What call'st thou bands looke on that Foole hee 'l say The straw that 's in my shooe hinders my way Base Gaine Vulgar Applause each fading Sweet Are those the Shackles that should gyue thy feet O wretched Soules ô Legs to Fetters deare We thinke our selues bound when no bonds are neare The morall Allusion gathered from hence beareth this Motto O demens ita servus homo est Grounded from that of Seneca Epistol 51. Non ego ambitiosus sum sed nemo aliter Romae potest vinere non ego sumptuosus sed vrbs ipsa magnas impensas exigit c. I am not ambitious but no man otherwise can liue in Rome I am not prodigall but without great expences in the city there is no liuing It is not my fault that I am angry or luxurious for I haue not yet setled the course of my life These things are to be attributed vnto my Youth not me But why doe wee so deceiue our selues Likewise the same Philosopher Epist. 58. in the conclusion thereof Inter causas malorum nostrorum est quod vivimus ad exempla nec ratione componimur sed consuetudine abducimur c. Amongst the causes of those euills which happen vnto vs one is That wee liue by Example not gouerned by Reason but carried away by Custome That which we see few doe wee will not imitate but that which many practise as if that were most honest which is most frequent According with that of the Poet Iuvenal Satyr 14. Dociles imitandis Turpibus pravis omnes sumus But to leaue further enforcing the Argument and come to the Author whom we reade thus Multa quidem totam putrantur inepta per vrbum Cumque petis causam Mos jubet ista ferunt Anne igitur stolidi nos string at opinio vulgi Regulanum vita factio plebis erit Stamine sic fragili vel stramine Morio vinctus Vah sibi compedibus crura sonare putat Serviles vilesque sumus prô vincômur immo Vincîmur miseri causaque nulla subest ¶ Thus paraphrased Follies through all the City frequent be If aske the cause Custome 't is layd on thee Shall the vaine humors of the vulgar Sect Prescribe vs rules our liues how to direct The Ideot with a straw or weake thread bound Thinkes weighty fetters at his heeles to sound Seruile we are so made by our owne Lawes To thinke our selues gyv'd when indeed 's no cause A Meditation vpon the former Tractate TRue God true Life From By In whom all things That truly liue haue Life from Thee it springs God Good and Fayre From By In whom what breeds Goodnesse or Beautie all from Thee proceeds From whom to Turne is to fall Miserably In whom to Trust is to stand Constantly By whom to Hold is to rise Instantly Whose Faith vnto good Actions vs accites Whose Hope to Prayer and Thanksgiuing inuites Whose Charity Vs vnto Him vnites Who to all wretched sinners hath thus spoken Aske haue Seeke finde but Knocke and I will open Whom none can Lose that to the Right doth leane None Seeke but Cal'd none Find but he that 's Cleane To Know whom is to Liue Serue whom to Raigne Praise whom the Soules eternall Blisse to gaine Thou art the God all potent Keeper alone Of all that hope in Thee without whom none Can safety find or be from danger free O! Thou art God and there is none saue Thee In Heauen aboue or in the Earth below Inscrutable things and wonders great wee know Thou work'st of which no number can be made Praise Honour Glorie More than can be said Belong to thee Thou in thy Counsels darke First mad'st the World and after Moses Arke To patterne it
much happier were that man On whom the prouidence of Heav'n would daine A gracious looke These words were spoke so plaine The Prince o're-heard them and commanded both To come to Court The silly men were loth Fearing they 'had spoke some treason Brought they were Into a stately roome and placed there In two rich chaires and iust before them spread A table with two bak'd meats furnished Both without difference seeming alike faire One cram'd with Gold other nought saue Aire For these they two cast lots To him that said He that trusts Heav'n that man is only made Hapned the Gold To the other that said Well Shall he thriue that trusts man th' empty fell The Emperor made this vse on 't Lords you see What a great Traine hourely depends on me I looke on all but cannot all preferre That in my seruice merit Nor do I erre 'T is their fate not my fault such onely rise By me on whom Heav'n bids me cast mine eyes How comes it that a Poet shall contriue A most elaborate Worke to make suruiue Forgotten Dust when no King shall expire But he brings fuell to his funerall fire No Optimate falls from the Noble throng But he records his Elegeicke Song In mourning papers and when all decayes Herse Shewes and Pompe yet That resounds his praise Of euery Match and Royall Combination His Pen is ready to make publication When all proue ag'd forgotten and blowne o're His Verse is still as youthfull as before And sounds as sweetly though it now seeme dead To after-Times it shall be euer read What 's Gentry then Or Noblesse Greatnesse what The Ciuill Purple or the Clergy Hat The Coronet or Mitre Nay the Crowne Imperiall What 's Potencie Renowne Ovations Triumphs with victorious Bayes Wisedome or Wealth Can these adde to thy dayes Inquire of Roman Brutus syrnam'd Iust Or Salomon the Wise they both are Dust. Learn'd Aristotle Plato the Diuine From Earth they came and Earth they now are thine Where are the Worthies where the Rich or Faire All in one common bed involved are Mans Life 's a Goale and Death end of the race And thousand sundry wayes point to the place From East the West the North the South all come Some slow some swift-pac'd to this generall Doome Some by the Wars fall some the Seas deuoure Certaine is Death vncertaine though the Houre Some die of Loue others through Griefe expire Beneath cold Arctos these they by the Fire The Torrid Zone casts forth forc'd to endure The scorching and contagious Calenture Some the Spring takes away and some the Fall Winter and Sommer others and Death All. Consider well the miserie of Man And weigh it truly since there 's none but can Take from his owne and others thousand wayes But yet not adde one minute to their dayes For now the Conqueror with the Captiue's spread On one bare Earth as on the common Bed The all-commanding Generall hath no span Of ground allow'd more than the Priuat man Folly with Wisedome hath an equall share The Foule and Faire to like Dust changed are This is of all Mortalitie the end Thersites now with Nereus dares contend And with Achilles He hath equall place Who liuing durst not looke him in the face The Seruant with the Master and the Maid Stretcht by her Mistresse both their heads are laid Vpon an equall pillow Subiects keepe Courts with Kings equall and as soft they sleepe Lodging their heads vpon a turfe of grasse As they on Marble or on figur'd Brasse Blinde Homer in the graue lies doubly darke Against him now base Zoylus dares not barke To him what attributes may we then giue And other Poets by whom all these liue Who as their putrid flesh is long since rotten So in their Sepulchres had lay'n forgotten Like common men had not their Muse high-flying Kept both these Worthies and themselues from dying How in these dayes is such a man regarded No not so much as Oile or Inke rewarded Yet shall a Sycophant or ballading Knaue If he but impudence and gay cloathes haue Can harpe vpon some scurrilous Iest or Tale Though fifteene times told and i th' City stale Command a Great mans eare perhaps be able To prefer Sutes and elbow at his table Weare speaking pockets boast Whom he doth serue When meriting men may either beg or starue Past Ages did the antient Poets grace And to their swelling stiles the very place Where they were borne denomination leant Publius Ovidius Naso had th' ostent Of Sulmonensis added and did giue The Dorpe a name by which it still doth liue Publius Virgilius likewise had th' addition Of Maro to expresse his full condition Marcus Annaeus Lucanus Seneca Bore title from his city Corduba Caius Pedo was styl'd Albinovanus Aurelius Olympius Nemesianus Some from the nature of their Poëms Thus Caius Lucilius was call'd Satyrus So Livius Andronicus Epicus And Lucius Accius syrnamed Tragicus c. Some from their seuerall Countries because they Were forrein borne Terens from Africa Is Publius Terentius Afer read Titus Calphurnius Siculus as bred In Sicily So many others had And that for sundry causes meanes to add Vnto their first for with their worth encreast Their stiles the most grac'd with three names at least◠Our moderne Poets to that passe are driuen Those names are curtal'd which they first had giuen And as we wisht to haue their memories drown'd We scarcely can afford them halfe their sound Greene who had in both Academies ta'ne Degree of Master yet could neuer gaine To be call'd more than Robin who had he Profest ought saue the Muse Serv'd and been Free After a seuen yeares Prentiseship might haue With credit too gone Robert to his graue Marlo renown'd for his rare art and wit Could ne're attaine beyond the name of Kit Although his Hero and Leander did Merit addition rather Famous Kid Was call'd but Tom. Tom. Watson though he wrote Able to make Apollo's selfe to dote Vpon his Muse for all that he could striue Yet neuer could to his full name arriue Tom. Nash in his time of no small esteeme Could not a second syllable redeeme Excellent Bewmont in the formost ranke Of the rar'st Wits was neuer more than Franck. Mellifluous Shake-speare whose inchanting Quill Commanded Mirth or Passion was but Will. And famous Iohnson though his learned Pen Be dipt in Castaly is still but Ben. Fletcher and Webster of that learned packe None of the mean'st yet neither was but Iacke Deckers but Tom nor May nor Middleton And hee 's now but Iacke Foord that once were Iohn Nor speake I this that any here exprest Should thinke themselues lesse worthy than the rest Whose names haue their full syllable and sound Or that Franck Kit or Iacke are the least wound Vnto their fame and merit I for my part Thinke others what they please accept that heart Which courts my loue
part And then thy last day shall appeare It thou mayst neither wish nor feare I cannot passe Poetry without some Character though neuer so briefe Now what Poets are or at least ought to be Horrace lib. de stat Poet. thus contractedly deliuereth vnto vs Ille bonis faveat concilietur Amice c. The Good he fauors as to them a Friend The Angry swayes loues those that feare t' offend He onely praiseth and desires to tast Those Viands on a thrifty table plac't Iustice he loues and feares the higher Powers Nor cares who lookes on his retyred houres Counsell he honors and dares pray aloud Fortune may court the Wretch and curbe the Proud Of the great respect and honor conferred vpon them in antient times and how those Dignities vnmeritedly are since taken from them and they in succeeding Ages vilified Ovid lib. 3. de Arte Amand. not without great cause thus ingeniously complaineth Quid petitur sacris nisi tantum fama Poëtis c. What more do sacred Poets seeke than Fame Of all our Labours 't is the soueraigne aime Poets of Dukes and Kings were once the care And great rewards propos'd for what was rare A Holy-state and Venerable Stile Was then conferr'd on him who did compile Any braue Worke a name he did inherit And mighty wealth was throwne vpon his merit In the Calabrian mountaines Ennius had His pleasant Gardens Then was Scipio glad To haue but such a Neighbour and to chuse Selected houres to spend vpon his Muse. But now the Bayes are without honour worne For what 's a Poet but a name of scorne Yet let 's not sleepe our Fame since Homer dead Should this day be were not his Iliads read Antonius Mancinellus speaking in the praise of Poets writeth to this purpose By Nature they are strengthened by the power of the Minde inflamed and by Diuine Rapture inspired Rightly therefore did old Ennius call them Holy as those commended vnto vs by the gift and bounty of the gods The Coliphonians claime Homer to be their Citisen the Chij challenge him the Salamines would vsurpe him the Smyrnaeans ingrosse him and three more of the most potent Cities of Greece erected Monuments after his death to eternise him So deare was Ennius to Africanus that he afforded him a Graue amongst the antient and ennobled Family of the Scipio's Theophanes Mylitides receiued a whole City as a Gift which was then held too small a reward for one Poëm Alexander the Great held the richest Casket taken among the spoiles of Darius scarce worthy to preserue the Works of Homer in The same Alexander surprising Thebes preserued a great part of the City onely for Pindarus the Poets sake Those Murtherers who priuatly slew Archilichus Apollo himselfe reuealed and caused his death to be reuenged Sophocles the Prince of the Cothurnate Tragedie being dead at such time when Lysander beguirt the walls of Lacedemon the King was warned in a dream by Liber Pater to afford his Delight for so the god called him an honored sepulchre Poetry is a Study which instructeth Youth delighteth Old-age graceth Prosperitie solaceth Aduersitie pleaseth at home delighteth abroad shortneth the night comforteth the day trauelleth with vs dwelleth with vs c. The greatest Orators made vse of Poëms both for the strengthning of their Causes and ornament of their eloquence as we may reade in Cicero Asinius Hörtensius and others who frequently quoted the ingenious Phrases and graue sentences of Ennius Pacuvius Lucillius Terentius Caecilius c. Euripides the sonne of Muesarchides and Clito his father was no better than a Victualler and his mother got the other part of their liuing by selling of sallads an Herbe-wife as wee call them yet he proued to be the greatest Fauorit that King Archelaus had And Sophocles the Tragicke Poet was graced and honoured by all the Learned of his time and bore the prime office of Magistracie in the city where he liued The Poet Aratus in Grammar the scholler of Menecrates and in Philosophy of Timon and Menedemus flourished in the 124 Olympiad in the time that Antigonus the sonne of Poliarcetes reigned in Macedonia with whom euen to his last expiration he liued in great estimation and honour Aulus Licinius Archias a Poet borne in Antiochia was indeered to the best and greatest Orators in Rome and more particularly graced by the Family of the Luculli He was honored of many Greeke Heroës and had rich Presents sent from their prime Cities but he was especially endeered to Cicero Aristonius a Comicke Poet liued vnder Philadelphus and was Master of the kings Library after Apollonius Arrianus was a Poet in whom the Emperor Tiberius Caesar was much delighted for so Tranquillus reporteth Cyrus Panopolita was greatly honoured by the Empresse Eudoxia Cherilus Samius liued about the 63 Olympiad and was no more than Seruant vnto Herodotus the Historiographer who writing the Expedition of the Greekes against Xerxes was for euery verse in his Poëme rewarded with a piece of gold to the value of 16 shillings foure pence sterling Gorgius borne amongst the Leontini in Sicily was endeared to Critias and Alcibiades in their height of Fortune and to Pericles and Thucidides in the extremitie of his age Caius Manilius was the first that wrot any Astrologicall Poëm in Latine which he dedicated to Augustus Caesar and by him was greatly respected and rewarded Lenaeus a freed-man of Pompeys but after his friend and companion in all his expeditions surviving his Lord because Salust the historiographer had spoken bitterly against him after his death hee inueighed against him in a most sharpe Satyre calling him Lastaurus Lurchon Nebulâ— popinarius and Monstrous both in life and historie and moreouer a manifest Theefe from Cato and diuers other antient Writers Menander a Comicke Poet of Athens who writ fourescore in number had great honours done vnto him by the Kings of AEgypt and Macedon Homerus Iunior liued about the time of Hesiod the son of Andromachus and borne in Byzantium he writ 57 Tragedies and as Zezes in his Commentaries vpon Lycophron affirmes for one of them called Pleiades and dedicated to King Ptolomaeus he was greatly fauoured and royally rewarded Oppianus was of Silicia and borne in a City called Anazarbum The Roman Emperour Severus being inuested before the City and after paâ—le being congratulated both by the Optimates and Plebe he was onely neglected and not thought worthy a salutation by this Oppianus Hee therefore commanded him to be banished into an Island called Melita scituate neere vnto the Adriaticke sea In which place he wrot a noble Poëm Piscibusâ— which after the death of the emperour Severus he dedicated to his sonne Antoninusâ— for which Worke hee was recalled from exile and to recompence his injurie for euery verse in his Poëm he guerdoned him with a piece of gold But soone after returning with his father into his
to the manner of the Nazarites hauing a most cleare forehead a face without wrinckle or spot a beard somwhat thicke and neuer shorne of the same colour with the haire of his head not long but parted in the middle of a plaine and mature aspect his eyes somewhat greene and cleare his nose and mouth no way to be reprehended whom a moderate blush doth sweeten in rebuking terrible in admonishing gentle and gratious his looke pleasant with a referued grauitie who was neuer knowne to laugh but sometimes to weepe of stature spread and straight his armes and hands delectable to behold in discourse graue excellent and modest beautifull aboue the Sonnes of Men. Pliny writeth thus In the time of the Emperour Tiberius the quaking of the earth was much greater than euer before By which saith another twelue Cities in Asia with infinite other famous and goodly Buildings were subuerted and ruined Of the rending the Vaile of the Temple Iosephus before named giueth faithfull testimonie Of the cruell and bloudy massacre performed by Herod on the harmelesse Innocents mention is made by Philo a Iew an Historian of great authoritie in his Abridgement of Times where hee saith Herod commanded many Children to be slaine and among them his owne Sonne because hee had heard That the Christ a King promised vnto the Hebrewes was about that time borne This Philo liued in the time of the other Herod called the Tetrarch The historie of those slaughtered Innocents is more amply discoursed by Macrobius a Latine Historiographer Dion likewise in the life of Octavian Caesar hath these words The Emperor Augustus hauing heard of Herods barbarous inhumanitie against his owne Childe and others said openly I had rather be an Hog in Herods family than a Sonne Plinius Secundus being Proconsull of Asia in an elegant epistle writ vnto Traian the Emperor demanded of him How hee would haue the Christians punished For saith he they arise at certain houres in the night and assemble themselues to sing Hymnes and Songs of praise and thankesgiuing to Iesus Christ whom they honour as their God They make solemne Vowes to do no euill or harme to other men They steale not they are no Adulterers they will neither falsifie their oath nor promise they deny nothing that is left in their charge c. And this testimonie hee gaue of them who was an Infidell and an Idolater and liued sixty yeares after the Passion of our Sauiour Vnto whose Letter the Emperor Traian returned this answer For asmuch as they be accused for none other euill doing or abuse let them in no case be punished or afflicted with any seuerity or rigor neither make any further inquisition against them Neuerthelesse when they shall be brought before thee do thy vtmost endeauour with all humanity to persuade and draw them from their Religion but if they constantly persist therein and will in no wise forsake it yet see that thou offâ—rest them not the least iniurie His Nephew Adrian succeeded him in the Imperiall Purple who as AElius Lampridius reporteth at his first inauguration permitted them freely to exercise their Religion and hee himselfe with diuers of his Nobilitie worshipped Christ vnto whose honour they caused Temples to be erected Yet afterwards hee fell from that Religion prouing a cruell and mercilesse Persecutor for he was persuaded That if hee should seeme to fauour or any way conniue at their Sect the whole World would be conuerted to the Faith and so the superstition and idolatry of the Gentiles be vtterly ouerthrowne Yet Petrus Crinitus writeth in the life of Saturninus that an Epistle was sent from Severinus the Consull vnto the same Adrian wherein he declared vnto him That there were many Christians in Egypt among whom some called themselues Bishops and others Deacons and Priests of which not any was found idle but all deuoutly employed in some religious Exercise as in visiting and relieuing the Sicke Lame and Blinde That all of them liued by their labours were of courteous and gentle behauiour and worshipped one onely who as they said had been crucified by the Iewes It is also deliuered vnto vs by the histories of those times That Seranus Eranius Embassador to the same Emperor wrot vnto him from the Prouince where he was then imployed informing him That the great crueltie in persecuting the Christians being accused of nothing else saue their Constancy in the Religion which they professed and could not iustly be charged with any other crimes or misdemeanors deserued mitigation Vpon which information the Emperour inhibited Minutius Tondanus then Pro-Consull in Asia from condemning any Christian for the profession of his Faith vnlesse he were otherwise conuicted of some criminall or capitall offence It is a thing worthy remarke in Alexander Seuerus who after many bloudy Persecutors succeeding in the Empire began much to fauour them and suffered them to haue sundry Oratories and Temples in the Citie who notwithstanding hee was a meere Ethnyck and vntutered in the Christian Faith yet as AElius Lampridius reporteth of him when diuers Cookes and Tauerners had petitioned vnto him complaining of the Christians saying That they had taken their lodgings and houses from them in which they made exercise of diuers superstitions and hypocrisies and that they obserued a Religion quite contrarie from that which was then in vse with the Romans The Emperour to their complaint made this following answer â—â—hinke saith hee it is more conuenient and necessarie that God should be in those places deuoutly honored than your affaires and prophane vocations be vainly followed As worthy an obseruation is that of Maximinus successor to Severus and companion with Dioclesian in the Empire about two hundred yeares after our Redemption part of the copy of one of his Letters I will acquaint you with being to this effect Caesar Maximinus Invincible Great High-Priest of Germany AEgypt Thebes Sarmatia Persia Armenia Carpia and victorious besides ouer the Medes and for his Conquests named Nine times Emperour Eight times Consull Father of his Countrey c. At the beginning of our Empire we commanded all things to be done according to the conformitie of our Lawes the publique discipline of Rome still conserued In which we gaue expresse commandement vtterly to abolish and extinguish the Christian Religion allotting death with torture to the Professors thereof enioyning them to obserue those antient Customes and Laws established by our Predecessors But since they voluntarily rather expose their bodies to all manner of tortures than to renounce that faith which they professe without any will or intent to honour and adore any of our Roman gods We therefore now mindefull of our wonted grace and clemencie purpose to expresse the same towards these Christians freely permitting them to haue places for their Assemblies and to erect Temples in which to offer vp their Sacrifices and Prayers Which licence and faculty we grant vnto them vnder condition That they shall attempt nothing against our Publique-weale and Religion and
foure Fountaines the first is the fountaine of Mercy to wash away our sinnes by the waters of Remission the second is the fountaine of Wisedome to quench our thirst with the waters of Discretion the third is the fountaine of Grace to water the plants of good Works with the springs of Deuotion c. Twelue most grieuous and intolerable sufferings of Christ are obserued from the Euangelicall historie his Agonie sad and bloudy than which spectacle nothing since the Creation of the World hath beene more admirable Secondly That for so vile a price hee should be sold and deliuered vp to his wicked and bloud-thirsty enemies by one of his owne Disciples 3. That with his hands bound hee should be led like a captiue through the publique street 4. That like a slaue hee should be so inhumanely scourged 5. That his browes should be pierced with Thornes 6. That hee should be affronted with so many contumelies and injuries as his face spit vpon his cheekes buffetted his head strooke with a rod his party-coloured Vesture and hee brought to be arraigned at the Bar for a Malefactor 7. That he was held more vile and vnworthy than the murtherer Barabas 8. That vpon his wearie and bruised shoulders he should be forced to beare that Crosse on which he was to suffer 9. That hee was adiudged to suffer so long and lingering a death 10. That when he was nothing but sorrow and anguish and paine all ouer yet he should be so scornefully derided of his enemies 11. That he beheld his most innocent Mother present in all his torments 12. That when his most holy body hung in the Aire and Sunnes meridian heate bloudy all ouer the fountaines of his veines being emptied and his bowels dried vp demanding but a little water they offered him gall and Vineger Who euer heard such things Who euer suffered the like things Bonaventure in his sixtieth Sermon De Tempore obserueth his sufferings to be vnspeakeable from ten circumstances First the Nobilitie of the Sufferer 2. The sensibilitie of the patient Members 3. The atrocitie of the punishment 4. The crudelitie of the Afflicters 5. The iniquitie of the Iudges 6. The multiplicitie of the torments 7. The vilitie of the place 8. His societie forsaking him 9. The diuturnitie of the paine 10. The varietie of his contumelies The multiplicitie and vniuersality of his torments may appeare by that which is spoken He was afflicted in his whole body he was bound vnto a pillar and scourged all ouer he suffered in euerie member by it selfe in his head by being strook with a Reed and wearing a crowne of Thornes in his eyes by being blinded and bâ— his often weeping in his cares by the peoples acclamations and loud blasphemies in his face by buffets and spitting in his tast by drinking vineger and gall in his hands and feet by the nailes strook thorow them by which he was fastned to the Crosse. The meditation wherof ought to begin in compassion of his grief and sufferings to make vs the more inflamed with the loue of Him so mercifull a Redeemer At whose death wee reade in the Euangelist Saint Matthew That from the sixth houre there was darkenesse ouer all the land vnto the ninth houre And Verse 21. The Vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake and the stones were clouen and the graues did open themselues and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the graues after his resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared vnto many c. Now concerning this great Eclipse and Earthquake there be diuers testimonies out of Ethnyck writers Phleganius a Greek Author of whom Suidas maketh oft mention hath these words In the fourth yere of the two hundred and fourth Olympiad which was in the eighteenth yeare of the reigne of Tiberius Caesar in which our Sauiour suffered there was an eclipse of the Sun the greatest that had euer before been seene or found to be recorded in writing which continued from the sixt vnto the ninth houre and during this Eclipse the trembling of the earth was so great in Asia and Bithynia that infinite structures of great magnificence and strength were vtterly demolished Concerning this Eclipse you may reade Bellarmine lib. 2. De Septem verbis thus Saint Mathew saith there was darknesse ouer the face of the earth from the sixth houre to the ninth And Saint Luke cap. 23. And the Sunne was darkned Three difficulties saith he are here to be explained First that the Sun vseth to be deficient in his light by reason of the interposition of the new moon when she is directly interposed betwixt it and the earth which could not happen at the death and passion of our Sauior because it was not then conioyned with the Sunne which hapneth in the new Moone onely but was opposed to the Sunne as being in her plenitude or fulnesse for then was the feast of Easter among the Iewes which according to their Law beginneth the fourteenth day of the first moneth Againe If in the Passion of Christ the Moone were conioyned with the Sun yet the darkenesse could not continue the space of three houres that is from the sixt houre to the ninth for the totall Eclipse of the Sunne cannot endure long especially if it be obscured all ouer so that it shadoweth the whole body of the Sun and that his dimnesse cannot properly be called Darkenesse for the Moone is moued with more swiftnesse than the Sunne in it's owne proper motion and for â—hat cause cannot obumbrate the Sunne but for a short season for it quickely giueth place leauing the Sunne free to his owne proper lustre Lastly It can neuer happen that by reason of the conjunction with the Moone the Sunne can leaue the world in vniuersal darkenesse for the Moone is much lesse than the Sun nay not so great in compasse and quantitie as the earth and therefore by the interposition of it's body the Moone cannot so shadow the Sun to leaue the whole earth in darknesse Now if any shall obiect and say That the Euangelist spake onely of the vniuersal land of Palestine that likewise may be very easily refuted First By the testimonie of Dionisius Areopagita who in his Epistle to holy Polycarpus affirmeth That he himselfe beheld that defection of the Sun and the horrible darkenesse then spred ouer the earth being at the same time in the city of Heliopolis which is scituate in AEgypt Moreouer Phlegon a Greeke Historiographer and a Gentile saith That in the fourth yeare of the two hundred and fourth Olympiad a great and remarkable defect of the Sun was obserued the like neuer before seene for the day at the sixth houre was turned into tenebrous night insomuch as the Starres were visibly seene in the Firmament And this Historian liued in Greece and far remote from Iudaea Origines against Celsus
confidently beleeued his wife soon after died leauing him her vniuersall heire of great possessions and mighty summes of money which both emboldened and strengthened him in his diabolicall proceedings so that by the assistance of Sergius the Monke hee now openly proclaimed himselfe a Prophet and sent of God to prescribe new lawes vnto the Nations And hauing before made himselfe skilfull in all their Lawes the better to countenance and corroborate this his Innouation he thought to accord with the Iewes in some points to continue them his friends and in some things with the Christians lest he should make them his enemies He likewise complied with diuers Heretiques with the Macedonians he denied the Holy-Ghost to be God with the Nicolaitans he approued the multiplicitie of Wiues c. On the other side he confessed our Sauiour Christ to be an holy man and a Prophet and that the Virgin Mary was an holy and blessed woman whom in his Alcaron he much extolled With the Iews he held circumcision with many other of their ceremonies Besides his Religion gaue all the abhominable vices of the flesh free scope and libertie which drew vnto his new Sect much confluence of people from many Nations and Languages to be his abettors and followers His booke he called the Alchoran and lest his diuellish impieties and absurd impostures should be examined and by that meanes discouered hee made it a penaltie of death for any man To argue or make difficultie of any Tenent contained therein making protestation That they ought to be supported maintained by Armes and not by Arguments His first attempt was To set vpon the confines of Arabia Heraclius being then Emperor who held his seat at Constantinople at the same time Boniface the first was Pope and Honorius his successor The newes of this great insurrection comming to the Emperors eare he prepared to suppresse it with all speed possible and to that end he entertained into his Pay the Scenites a warre-like people of Arabia who before had in their hearts much fauoured Mahomet by whose aid in the first bloudy Conflict he was victorious and dispersed this new Sect and had hee followed his present fortune he had quite abandoned it from the face of the earth But supposing them by this first defeat sufficiently disabled and himselfe secured hee failed to keepe promise with the Scenites and detained their pay who in meere despight that they had bin deluded and so injuriously dealt with ioyned themselues with Mahomets dis-banded Forces and by reason of his former râ—putation elected him their Captaine and Generall growing in time to that strength and boldnesse that they attempted diuers places in the Roman Empire entring Syria and surprising the great city Damas inuading Egypt Iudaea with the bordering prouinces persuading the Saracins and people of Arabia That the Land of Promise solely appertained vnto them as the legitimate successors vnto their father Abraham and Sarah from whom they deriued their Name Thus animated by the successe in these wars he was suddenly puft vp with a vain glorious ambition to conquer and subdue the whole world His next expedition therefore he aimed against the Persians a Nation at that time very potent and held to be inuincible His first aduenture succeeded ill for his army was defeated but after hauing re-allyed his forces in his second attempt fortune so fauoured him that hee compelled them to embrace his Religion Briefly and to auoid circumstance after he had run through many hazards and prosperously ouercome them he was poysoned and dyed according to Sabellicus in the fourtieth yere of his age And because he had told his complices and adherents That his body after his death should ascend into heauen they kept it for some dayes vnburied expecting the wonderment so long till by reason of the infectious stench thereof none was able to come neere it At length they put it into a chest of iron and carried it to Mecha a City of Persia where it is stil adored not onely of the people of the East but the greatest part of the world euen to this day And so much concerning the Impostor Mahomet With which relation the most approued Authors agree as Platina in the liues of the Popes Blondâ—â— in his booke of the declining of the Roman Empire Baptista Ignatius in the Abridgement of the Emperours the Annals of Constantinople Nauclerus Antoninus and others And now when I truly consider the stubborne Atheist the misbeleeuing Mahumetan and stiffe-necked Iew it putteth mee in minde of that of the Psalmist Is it true ô Congregation Speake ye iustly ô sonnes of men iudge ye vprightly yea rather ye imagin mischiefe in your hearts your hands execute crueltie vpon the earth The Wicked are strangers from the wombe euen from the belly haue they erred and speak lies Their poyson is euen like the poyson of a Serpent like the deafe Adder that stoppeth his eares which heareth not the voice of the Inchanter though he be most expert in charming Breake their teeth ô God in their mouthes breake the jawes of the yong Lions ô Lord let them melt like the waters let them passe away when he shooteth his arrows let them be broken let them consume like a Snaile that melteth and like the vntimelâ— fruit of a woman that hath not seene the Sunne c. Amongst Theodore Beza's Epigrams those which by a more peculiar name he inscribeth Icona's I reade one of Religion in the manner of a Dialogue Quae nam age tam lacero vestita incedis amictu Religio summiver a patris sorholes c. What art thou in that poore and base attyre Religion The chiefe Father is my Sire Why in a robe so thread-bare course and thin Fraile Riches I despise which tempt to sin Vpon what Booke do'st thou so fix thine eyes My Fathers reue'rend Law which I much prise Why do'st thou go thus with thy breasts all bare It fits those best that Truths professors are Why leaning on a Crosse Because indeed It is my welcome rest none else I need But wherefore wing'd Because I looke on high And would teach men aboue the starres to fly And wherefore shining It becomes me well Who all grosse darknesse from the minde expell What doth that Bridle teach vs To restraine All the wilde fancies of the brest and braine But wherefore Death do'st thou beneath thee tread Because by me ev'n Death it selfe lies dead This shewes the qualitie and estate of true Religion and the Professors thereof which is builded on the Messiâ—â— whom the peruerse and obstinate Iewes will not euen to this day acknowledge Concerning which I obserue an excellent saying from Gregorie Pap. The Iewes saith hee would neither acknowledge Iesus Christ to be the Sonne of God by the words and testimonie of his Heralds and fore-runners the Prophets not by his infinite Miracles and yet the Heauens knew him who leant him a bright star to light him into the world The Sea knew him who against
Of the prioritie and degrees that Diuels haue amongst themselues of their Fall number motion and excellencie of knowledge so much hath beene spoken as may with safetie and without prophanenesse be held sufficient And to proue that there is Daemoniacall Magicke needs not be questioned as may be gathered by the antient Philosophers Tresmegistus Pythagoras Plato Psellus Plotinus Iamblicus Proclus Chalcidius and Apuleius And of the Perepateticks Theophrastus Ammonius Philoponus Avicenna Algazel and others Saint Clement witnesseth That this Art was deuised before the Floud and first by Diuels deliuered vnto the Gyants and that by them Cham the sonne of Noah was instructed For thus he writeth They taught That the Diuels by Art Magicke might be obliged to obey men which was done by charmes and incantations and as out of a forge or furnace of mischiefe all light of pietie being substracted they filled the world with the smoke of that vngodly practise For this some other causes was the Deluge brought vpon the world in which all mankinde was destroyed sauing Noah and his family who with his three sonnes and their wiues were onely preserued Of which sonnes Cham to one of his sonnes called Nisraim taught this Diuellish Art from whom the AEgyptians Babylonians and Persians deriue their progenie The Nations called him Zoroaster in whose name diuers Magicall bookes were divulged c. It is said that hee comprehended the whole Art in an hundred thousand Verses and after in a great whirle-winde was hurried away aliue by the Diuell from the middest of his Schollers as Suidas reporteth Apuleius ascribeth to the Persians the inuention of two-fold Magick for they beleeued in two gods as the Authors Lords of all things one good whom they stiled Ormusda and thought him to be the Sunne Another euill whom they called Arimanes or Pluto From these they deriued a double Magicke one which consisted altogether in superstition and the adoration of false gods the other in the inuestigation and search of the obscurities of hidden Nature to acquire the secrets thereof Hence some diuide this abstruse Art into Theurgia White Magicke and Goetia Blacke Magicke or the Blacke Art otherwise called Necromantia The effects of the first they conferre vpon the good Angels and the effects of the other vpon euill affirming the one to be lawfull the other vnlawfull for so Scotus Parmensis with diuers other Platonickes haue affirmed But that they are both most blasphemous and impious heare what Cornelius Agrippa an Archimagi himselfe writeth these be his words This Theurgia vnder the names of God and his good Angels doth comprehend and include the fallacies of the euill Daemons and though the greatest part of the ceremonies professe puritie of minde and bodie with other externall complements yet the impure and vncleane Spirits are deceiuing powers and vndermine vs that they may be worshipped as gods To which he addeth The Art Almadel the Art Notarie the Art Paulina the Art of Reuelations and the like full of superstitions are so much the more pernitious and dangerous by how much they appeare to the Vnlearned Diuine and gratious Hence came that Decree in the Parisian Schoole That for God by Magicke Art to compell his Angels to be obedient to Incantations this to beleeue is an error That the good Angels can be included in gems or stones or shal consecrate or make holy any figures Images or garments or to doe any such things as are comprehended in their wicked Arts to beleeue is an errour For by what can these Spirits which they vse in their exorcismes be thought or called good when they desire to be adored as gods and to haue sacrifices made vnto them than which treason against the Diuine Majestie there is nothing in them more alien and forrein they as much abhorring and detesting it as the euill Angels pursue and seeke after it Goetia in the Greeke tongue signifieth Impostura or Imposture euen as Necromantia commeth of Nechros Mortuus which is dead and of Manteia which is Diuinatio as much to say as a diuination from the Dead But from definitions I will proceed to historie In the yeare 1558 in a Village belonging to Thuringia not far from the towne â—ena a certaine Magitian being apprehended and examined confessed publiquely that hee learned that hellish Art of an old woman of Hercyra and said that by her means he had often conference with the Diuell and from him had the skill to know the properties and vertues of diuers herbes and Simples which helped him in the cure of sundry diseases and infirmities Artesius a grand Magitian so speaketh of the Art as if there were no difference at all betwixt white and blacke Magicke first he proposeth the Characters of the Planets Rings and Seales how and vnder what constellation they ought to be made Next what belongs to the art of Prediction and telling things future especially by the flight of Birds Thirdly how the voices of brutish Animals may be interpreted and vnderstood adding the Diuination by Lots from Proclus Fourthly hee shewes the power and vertue of Herbs Fiftly what belongs vnto the attaining of the Philosophers stone Sixtly how things past future and present may be distinguished and knowne Seuenthly by what rites and ceremonies Art Magicke may be exercised Eightly by what means life may be prolonged where he tells a tale of one that liued one thousand twenty and fiue yeares c. The mention of these things are not that the least confidence or credit should be giuen vnto them but to shew by what cunning and subtill snares the Diuell workes to intrap and intangle poore Soules in his manifold deceptions and illusions In this Goeticke and Necromanticke Magicke it is obserued by D. Thom. Gulielmus Parisiensis Scotus Gerson Abulensis Victoria Valentia Spinaeus Sprangerus Navarra Grillandus Remigius and others That it is the foundation of a secret or expresse compact with the Diuell by the force of which miserable men pawne and oblige their soules vnto him He interchangeably submits himselfe to them as their Vassall he is present as soone as called being asked he answers being commanded hee obeyes not bound vpon any necessitie but that he may thereby intricate and indeare vnto him the soules of his Clients to destroy them more suddenly and vnsuspectedly For the Magitian hath onely a confidence that he hath empire ouer the Diuell who againe counterfeiteth himselfe to be his seruant and Vassal Eutichianus Patriarch of Constantinople recordeth this Historie In the time of the Emperour Iustinianus saith hee there liued in Adana a city of Cilicia one Theophilus who was by office the Steward of the Church hee was so beloued and gratious in the eyes of all men as that hee was held to be worthy of an Episcopall dignitie Which notwithstanding he most constantly refused and afterward being vnmeritedly accused by such as emulated his honest life sincere carriage
yeare 1548 the Chancellor caused his Ring in the publique market place to be layd vpon an Anvil and with an iron hammer beaten to pieces Mengius reporteth from the relation of a deare friend of his a man of approued fame and honestie this historie In a certain towne vnder the jurisdiction of the Venetians one of these praestigious Artists whom some call Pythonickes hauing one of these Rings in which he had two familiar Spirits exorcised and bound came to a Predicant or preaching Frier a man of sincere life and conuersation and confessed vnto him that hee was possessed of such an inchanted Ring with such Spirits charmed with whom he had conference at his pleasure But since he considered with himselfe that it was a thing dangerous to his Soule and abhominable both to God and man he desired to be clearely acquit thereof and to that purpose hee came to receiue of him some godly counsell But by no persuasion would the Religious man be induced to haue any speech at all with those euill Spirits to which motion the other had before earnestly solicited him but admonished him to cause his Magicke Ring to be broken that to be done with all speed possible At which words the Familiars were heard as it were to mourne and lament in the Ring and to desire that no such violence might be offered vnto them but rather than so that it would please him to accept of the Ring and keepe it promising to do him all seruice and vassallage of which if he pleased to accept they would in short time make him to be the most famous and admired Predicant in all Italy But he perceiuing the Diuels cunning vnder this colour of courtesie made absolute refusall of their offer and withall conjured them to know the reason why they would so willingly submit themselues to his patronage After many euasiue lies and deceptious answers they plainly confessed vnto him That they had of purpose persuaded the Magition to heare him preach that by that sermon his conscience being pricked and galled he might be weary of the Ring and being refused of the one be accepted of the other by which they hoped in short time so to haue puft him vp with pride and heresie to haue precipitated his soule into certaine and neuer-ending destruction At which the Church-man being zealously inraged with a great hammer broke the Ring almost to dust and in the name of God sent them thence to their own habitations of darknesse or whither it pleased the higher Powers to dispose them Of this kinde doubtlesse was the Ring of Gyges of whom Herodotus maketh mention by vertue of which he had power to walke inuisible who by the murther of his Soueraigne Candaules maried his Queene and so became King of Lydia Such likewise had the Phocensian Tyrant who as Clemens Stromataeus speaketh by a sound which came of it selfe was warned of all times seasonable and vnseasonable in which to mannage his affaires who notwithstanding could not bee forewarned of his pretended death but his Familiar left him in the end suffering him to be slain by the Conspirators Such a Ring likewise had one Hieronimus Chancellor of Mediolanum which after proued to be his vntimely ruine Concerning the mutation or change of Sex which some haue attributed to the fallacies of the Diuell it is manifest that they haue been much deceiued therein since of it many naturall reasons may be giuen as is apparant by many approued histories Phlegon in his booke De Mirabil Longev telleth vs That a virgin of Smyrna called Philotis the same night that she was maried to a yong man those parts which were inuerted and concealed began to appeare and shee rose in the morning of a contrarie sex As likewise That in Laodicea a city of Syria one AEteta after the same manner rose from her husbands side a yong man and after altered her name to AEtetus at the same time when Macrinus was President of Athens and L. Lamia and AElianus Veter were Consuls in Rome In the time that Ferdinand the first was King of Naples one Ludovicus Guarna a citisen of Salern had fiue daughters of which the two eldest were called Francisca and Carola either of which at fifteene yeares of age found such alteration in themselues that they changed their foeminine habits and names also the one being called Franciscus the other Carolus In the reigne of the same King the daughter of one Eubulus being deliuered vnto an husband returned from him altered in her sex sued for her dowerie and recouered it Amatus Lucitanus testifieth that in the town of Erguira distant some nine leagues from Couimbrica there liued a Nobleman who had a daughter named Maria Pachecha who by the like accident prouing to be a yong man changed her habit and called her selfe Manuel Pachecha Who after made a voiage into the Indies and became a valiant souldier attaining to much wealth and honour and returning married a Lady of a noble Family but neuer attained to haue issue but had an effoeminat countenance to his dying day The like Livy remembreth of a woman of Spoleta in the time of the second Punicke war But a story somewhat stranger than these is related by Anthonius Torquinada That not far from the city Beneventum in Spain a Countrey-man of a meane fortune married a wife who because she was barren vsed her very roughly insomuch that shee lead with him a most discontented life Whereupon one day putting on one of her husbands suits to disguise her self from knowledge she stole out of the house to proue a more peaceable fortune elsewhere and hauing been in diuers seruices whether the conceit of her mans habit or whither Nature strangely wrought in her but she found a strange alteration in her selfe insomuch that she who had been a wife now had a great desire to do the office of an husband and married a woman in that place whither she had retyred her selfe Long she kept these things close to her selfe till in the end one of her familiar acquaintance trauelling by chance that way and seeing her to be so like vnto that woman whom hee before knew demanded of her If she were not brother to the wife of such a man who had forsaken his house so many yeares since To whom vpon promise of secrecy she reuealed all according to the circumstances before rehearsed Examples to this purpose are infinite let these suffice for many A strange Tale is that which Phlegon the freed-man of Hadrianus reporteth of which he protests himselfe to haue bin eye witnesse Philemium saith he the daughter of Philostratus and Charitus fell deepely inamoured of a yong man called Machates who at that time ghested in her fathers house Which her parents tooke so ill that they excluded Machates from their family At which she so much grieued that soone after she died and was buried Some six moneths after the yong man returning
shooes could water tred And neuer hasard drowning The like fame Another that Othimius had to name Behinde him left Hadingus King of Danes Mounted vpon a good Steed by the raines Th' Inchanter tooke and crosse the main sea brought him Safe whilest in vaine the hot pursuer sought him Oddo the Danish Pyrat by the aid Of the like Sp'rits whole Nauies durst inuade And with his Magicke Charmes could when he please Raise mighty stormes and drowne thâ—m in the seas At length by one of greater practise found Aiming at others Wracke himselfe was drown'd Some Authors vnto this accursed Tribe Of watry Daemons Deluges ascribe And flux of waters Such we reade were knowne Whilest Damasus was Pope when ouerthrowne Were many cities in Sicilia And By Historiographers we vnderstand The like chanc'd in Pope Alexanders dayes In Italy afflicting diuers wayes Both losse of beasts and great depopulation In Charles the fifts time by an Inundation Happend in Holland Zeeland Friseland these Had their maritime shores drown'd by the seas In Poland neere Cracovia chanc'd the same And in one yeare if we may credit Fame In Europ besides Townes and Cities then Perisht aboue fiue hundred thousand men To these belong what we call Hydromantia Gastromantia Lacomantia Pagomantia Touching the Spirits of the Earth there bee Of diuers sorts each knowne in his degree As Genij the Domesticke gods and those They Lares call Spectars Alastores Larvae Noone-Diuels Syluanes Satyrs Fawnes And they frequâ—nt the Forrests Groues and Lawnes Others th' Italians F'oletti call Paredrij there are too yet these not all Now what these Genij are Philostratus Eunapius Athenaeus Maximus With all the other Platonicks profest Them to be Sp'rits of men before deceast Who had they liv'd a good life and vnstain'd By licence of th' Infernall Pow'rs obtain'd In their owne houses to inhabit still And their posteritie to guard from ill Such they call'd Lares But all those that lead Liues wicked and debosht they being dead Wandred about the earth as Ghosts exil'd Doing all mischiefe such they Larvae stil'd And of this kinde that Spirit we may guesse Remembred in the booke of Socrates Who in the shape oâ— Moses did appeare The space togetheâ— of one compleat yeare I' th Isle of Creet persuading with the Iewes There liuing That he such a meanes would vse That if they met at a fixt day with ease He would traject them dry-foot through the seas To which they trusting by appointment meet All who that time were resident in Creet And follow their false Captaine lesse and more Ev'n to the very margent of the shore Then turning tow'rds them in a short oration Bespeakes them thus O you the chosen nation Behold as great a wonder from my hand As your fore-fathers did from Moses Wand Then with his finger points vnto a place 'Twixt them and which a Creeke ran no great space And seeming shallow All of you now fling Your selues saith he and follow me your King Into this sea swim but to yonder strand And you shall then arriue vpon a land From whence I will conduct you ev'ry man Dry-foot into a second Canaan He plungeth first they follow with one minde In hope a second Palestine to finde But hauing past their depths the rough windes blew When this Seducer straight himselfe withdrew Leaues them to ruin most of them bee'ng drown'd Some few by fish-boats sav'd he no wherâ— found With these the Spectars in some points assent Bee'ng tow'rds Mankinde alike maleuolent Whose in-nate malice nothing can asswage Authors of death depopulation strage By Origen they are Alastares nam'd By Zoroaster bloudy and vntam'd Concerning which the learned mens opinion Is That Abaddon hath of them dominion What time Iustinian did the Empire sway Many of these did shew themselues by day To sundry men both of good braine and sence After which follow'd a great Pestilence For to all such those Spectars did appeare It was a certaine signe their death drew neare King Alexander of that name the third That reign'd in Scotland if Boethius word May be beleev'd by match himselfe ally'de With England tooke Ioanna to his Bride Sister to the third Henry She bee'ng dead And issuelesse he after married Marg'ret his daughter Did on her beget Prince Alexander David Margaret These dying in their nonage and she too With sorrow as most thinke the King doth woo Iolanta the faire daughter as some say Vnto the great Earle of Campania Being as 't seemes most ardently inclin'd After his death to leaue some heire behind In the mid Reuels the first ominous night Of their espousals when the roome shone bright With lighted tapers the King and the Queene leading The curious Measures Lords and Ladies treading The selfe same straines the King looks backe by chance And spies a strange intruder fill the dance Namely a meere Anatomy quite bare His naked limbes both without flesh and haire As we decipher Death who stalks about Keeping true measure till the dance was out The King with all the rest afrighted stand The Spectar vanisht and then strict command Was giv'n to breake vp reuels each 'gan feare This Omen and presage disaster neere If any aske What did of this succeed The King soone â—fter falling from his Steed Vnhappily dy'de After whose death ensuing Was to the land sedition wracke and ruin The Syluanes Fawnes and Satyrs are the same The Greekes Paredrij call the Latines name Familiar Spirits who though in outward shew They threat no harme but seeme all good to owe Poore ambusht mankinde though their crafty Mines And snares do not appeare by ev'dent signes Yet with malicious hate they are infected And all their deeds and counsels are directed To make a faire and flatt'ring preparation Vnto the bodies death and soules damnation And of these Spirits as Macrobius saith The mount Pernassus in aboundance hath Neere to mount Hecta And Olaus writes The like appeare most frequently by nights And verbally deliuer kinde commends To men from their deceast and shipwrackt friends Vsing their helpe one Iohn Teutonicus By Acromaticke Magicke sported thus This Iohn was knowne a bastard and yet had Great fame for learning who in Halberstad Had for his worth admittance to a place Where none but the Nobilitie had grace To be in Commons yet it seemes so great Was his repute with them he sate and eat But yet with small content the yong men proud Of their high noble births much disallow'd His company and tooke it in great scorne To sit with one though learn'd yet basely borne And whether they were serv'd with flesh or fish His bastardy was sauce still in his dish But skil'd in hidden Arts I will thought he Some sudden means deuice henceforth to free My selfe from all their scoffes and taunts Hee then Inuites vnto his chamber those yong men Who most seem'd to oppose him feasts
them there Where seemes no want of welcome or of cheare The table drawne and their discourse now free Iohn asks of them if they could wish to see Their fathers present they desire him too 't Prouing to finde if he by Art can doo 't He bids them to sit silent all are mute When suddenly one enters in a suâ—e Greasie before him a white apron ty'de His linnen sleeues tuckt vp both elbowes hide He stands and eyes them round and by his looke None there but needs must guesse him for a Cooke Which of you know this fellow now saith Iohn What say you Sir whom he so gaseth on He soone reply'de on whom he fixt his eye Aske you who knowes him Mary that do I Hee 's of my fathers kitchen Nay Siâ— rather Iohn answer'd him this is your owne deare father For when that noble Sir whose name you beare Was trauel'd on some great affaire else-where This well fed Groome to whom you ought to kneele Begot you then all ouer head to heele It seemes your mother knew not drosse from Bullion That in a great Lords stead embrac'd a Scullion He chases the Sp'rit doth vanish in the while The rest seeme pleas'd and in the interim smile When suddenly in middle of the roome Is seene a tall and lusty stable-Groome A frocke vpon him and in his left hand A Curri-combe the other grasps a wand And lookes vpon a second Here I show him Amongst you all saith Iohn doth any know him I must saith one acknowledge him of force His name is Ralfe and keepes my fathers horse And kept your mother warme too doubt it not The very morning that you were begot Her husband bee'ng a hunting The Youth blusht The rest afraid now were with silence husht Then to the third he brought a Butler in And prov'd him guilty of his mothers sin A Tailor to the fourth So of the rest Till all of them were with like shame opprest Teutonicus this seeing Nay quoth hee Since I am likewise stain'd with bastardie You shall behold my father Soone appeares A well-flesht man aged some forty yeares Of graue aspect in a long Church-man's gowne Red cheekt and shauen both his beard and crowne By his formalities it might be guest He must be a Lord Abbot at the least Who disappearing This man I confesse Begot me of his smooth fac'd Landeresse Saith Iohn and somewhat to abate your pride Iudge now who 's best man by the fathers side Some vext and other turn'd the jest to laughter But with his birth did neuer taunt him after Of many such like things Authors discusse Not only sportiue but miraculous We reade of one in Creucemacon dwelling In this prestigious kinde of Art excelling Who by such Spirits helpe could in the aire Appeare an Huntsman and there chase the Hare With a full packe of dogs Meaning to dine A teeme of horse and cart laden with wine He eat vp at one meale and hauing fed With a sharpe sword cut off his seruants head Then set it on his shoulders firme and so As he was no whit dammag'd by the blow In Saxonie not from Torgauia far A Nobleman for raising ciuill war Had been confin'd and forfeiting his wealth Was forc'd to liue by rapine and by stealth He riding on the way doth meet by chance One of these Sp'rits submisse in countenance In habit of a Groome who much desires T' attend his Lordship Who againe requires What seruice he can do I can quoth he Keepe an horse well nothing doth want in me Belonging to a stable I for need Can play the Farrier too So both agreed And as they rode together ' boue the rest His Lord giues him great charge of one choice beast To tender him as th'apple of his eye He vowes to doo 't or else bids let him dye Next day his Lord rides forth on some affaire His new-come seruant then to shew his care This much lov'd Iennet from the stable shifts And to a roome foure stories high him lifts There leaues him safe The Lord comes home at night The Horse of his knowne Master hauing sight Neighs from aboue The Owner much amas'd Knowing the sound vp tow'rd the casement gas'd Calls his new seruant and with lookes austere Asks him by what means his good Steed came there Who answers Bee'ng your seruant I at large Desirous was to execute your charge Touching your horse for since you so well like him Loth any of the rest should kicke or strike him I yonder lodg'd him safe But little said The Nobleman and by his neighbours aid For to his house he now must ioyne the towne With cords and pullies he conuey'd him downe This Lord for some direptions being cast Into close prison and with gyues bound fast In vnexpected comes his Groome to see him And on condition promiseth to free him If he forbeare to signe him with the Crosse Which can saith he be to you no great losse Likewise refraine t' inuoke the name of God And you shall here no longer make aboad This bee'ng agreed he takes vpon his backe Gyv'd as he was and chain'd nothing doth lacke His noble master beares him through the aire Who terrify'de and almost in despaire Cries out Good God ô whether am I bound Which spoke he dropt the pris'ner to the ground Ev'n in an instant but by Gods good grace He light vpon a soft and sedgy place And broke no limbe Home straight the seruant hyes And tells them in what place his Master lies They to his Castle beare him thence forth-right Which done this seruant bids them all Good night Arlunus a more serious tale relates Two noble Merchants both of great estates From Italy tow'rd France riding in post Obserue a sterne blacke man them to accost Of more than common stature who thus spake If to Mediolanum you your journey take Vnto my brother Lewis Sforza go And vnto him from me this Letter show They terror'd with these words demand his name Both what to call him and from whence he came I Galeatius Sforza am saith hee And to the Duke deliuer this from mee So vanisht They accordingly present The Letter to the Prince The argument Was this O Lewis of thy selfe haue care The French and the Venetian both prepare T' inuade thy Dukedome and within short space From Millan to extirpe thee and thy Race But to my charge deliuer truly told Three thousand Florens of good currant gold I 'le try if I the Spirits can attone To keepe thee still invested in thy Throne Farewell The Letter was subscribed thus The Ghost of'thy brother Galcatius This though it seem'd a phantasie vnminded With selfe-conceit Prince Lewis Sforza blinded Soone after was by all his friends forsaken His City spoil'd himselfe surpris'd and taken One other to your patience I commend And with the close thereof this Tractat end A Youth of Lotharinge not meanly bred Who was by too much liberty mis-led His boundlesse
an arme broken or some other as great a mischiefe Wherein may be obserued That these Spirits of what condition soeuer aboue all things aime at Diuine worship which is onely due vnto the Creator Not that they are ignorant that it belongs solely to him but that in their inexpressible malice knowing themselues to be Rebels and quite excluded from Grace they would likewise draw Man to accompany them in eternall perdition Therefore all the Saints of God since Christ established his Church here amongst the Gentiles haue endeauoured to draw the Nations from Idolatry It is read of Saint Iames That when many Diuels were sent vnto him by one Hermogenes to assault him hee returned them bound and disarmed That Saint Bartholmew destroied the Idol of Asteroth who was worshipped in India and shewed moreouer that their great Alexikakon was a meere figment and imposture So the Apostles Simon and Iude strooke dumbe those Spirits that spake in the Oracle to Varada chiefe Generall ouer Xerxes his Armie and after restoring to them their liberty of speech they caused that their deceit and vanitie did easily appeare For Vâ—rada demanding of them What the euent of the war would proue they answered him That it would be long and dangerous and not onely vnprofitable but full of dammage and great losse to both parties On the contrary the Apostles deriding the vanitie of the Idoll informed him That the Indian Embassadors were vpon the way humbly to desire peace of him vpon any conditions whatsoeuer Which finding â—o be true Varada commanded those lying and deceitfull Images to be immediatly cast into the fire and burned and had then slaine an hundred and twenty of those idolatrous Priests had not the Apostles earnestly interceded for them I could here cite many examples to the like purpose but let these suffice for the present The Alastores are called by Origen Contra Celsum Azazel by Zoroaster Carnifices or Butchers and Alastares No mischiefe is hid or concealed from them and these are neuer seene but they portend some strange disaster As in the time of the Emperour Iustinian such Spirits were seene openly in humane shape to intrude into the society of men after which a most fearefull pestilence followed and whosoeuer was touched by any of them most assuredly died By which contagious Pest the great city Constantinople was almost vnpeopled and as Paulus Diacon witnesseth the people saw an Angell in the dead of the night go along with them compassing the city and walking from street to street and from dore to dore and so many knocks as the Spectar by the Angels command gaue at the doore of any house so many persons of that family were vndoubtedly found dead in the next morning Cardanus reporteth That there is an antient family in Parma named Torrelli to whom an old Seat or Castle belongs which for the space of an hâ—ndred yeres together was haunred with one of these Alastores who so oft as any of the houshold were to depart the world would shew it selfe in a chimny of the great hall A noble and illustrious Lady of the same Family reported That a yong virgin lying dangerously sicke in the same house the Spectar according to custome appeared and when euery one expected hourely the death of the Virgin shee presently beyond all hope recouered and a seruant who was at that time sound and in health fell sicke vpon the sudden and died Some few dayes before the death of Henry the seuenth Emperor he being feasted in a castle at Mediolanum belonging to one Viscont Mathaeus at mid-day there appeared before them a man armed of a mighty gyantly size to the great amasement of them all and three days after in the same place and at the same houre two armed champions on horse-backe who performed a braue combat for the space of an entire houre and then suddenly disappeared to the wonder and terror of all the Spectators To Cassius Parmensis lying in his bed appeared a man of an vnusuall stature with staring haire and a rough and disordered beard terrible in aspect at the presence of which being strangely troubled he started out of his bed and asked him who he was Who answered I am thy Malus Genius and so vanished Cassius knockes calls to his seruants that attended without asks them if they saw any to go in or come out of his chamber They protest Not any He museth to himselfe and lyeth downe againe The Daemon appeares the second time but with a countenance much more horrible Againe hee knockes and commands his seruants to bring lights They enter nothing appeares The rest of the night hee spends in doubtfull and sollicitous cogitations The dawning of the day scarse appeared when Lictors were sent from Caesar to apprehend him and take away his life Of the Lamiae or Larvae I ghesse that to be one which appeared to Dion of Syracuâ—a who looking out at his chamber window in the night by reason of a noise he heard spied an old hag habited and lookt as the Poets describe the Eumenides or Furies with a great broom sweeping the Court. At which being wonder-strook he called vp some of his houshold and told them of the Vision desiring them to accompanie him in his chamber the remainder of the night which they did and neither saw nor heard any thing afterward But ere the morning one of Dions sonnes cast himself out of a window into the same court who was so sore bruised that he died of the fall and hee himselfe within few dayes after was slaine by Callippus Drusus being Consull and making war in Germany a seeming woman of extraordinary aspect met him one day vpon his march and saluted him with these words O insatiate Drusus whither art thou now going and when dost thou thinke thou shalt returne since thou art now at the period both of thy life and glory Which fell out accordingly for within few dayes after Brutus expired of an incurable disease Iacobus Donatus a Patrician of Venice as Cardanus reporteth from whose mouth he receiued this discourse sleeping one night with his wife in an vpper bed where two Nurses lay with a yong childe his sole heire in the lower which was not a full yeare old he perceiued the chamber doore by degrees first to be vnlocked then vnbolted and after vnhatcht one thrust in his head and was plainly seene of them all himselfe his wife and the Nurses but not knowne to any of them Donatus with the rest being terrified at this sight arose from his bed and snatching vp a sword and a round buckler caused the Nurses to light either of them a taper and searcht narrowly all the roomes and lodgings neere which he found to be barred and shut and he could not discouer where any such intruder should haue entrance At which not a little wonder-strooke they all retyred to their rests letting the lights still burne in the chamber The
out of that Desart they fixed their eyes vpon three strange humane shapes of a fearefull and vnmeasurable stature in long loose gownes and habited after the manner of Mourners with blacke and grisly haire hanging ouer their shoulders but of countenance most terrible to behold Who calling and beckoning to them both with voice and gesture and they not daring to approch them they vsed such vndecent skipping and leaping with such brutish and immodest gestures that halfe dead with feare they were inforced to take them to their heeles and runne till at length they light vpon a poore countrey-mans cottage in which they were relieued and comforted Sabellicus deliuereth this discourse The father of Ludovicus Adolisius Lord of Immola not long after his decease appeared to a Secretarie of his in his journey whom he had sent vpon earnest businesse to Ferrara The Spectar or Sylvan Spirit being on horse-backe attyred like an huntsman with an Hawke vpon his fist who saluted him by his name and desired him to entreat his sonne Lodowicke to meet him in that very place the next day at the same houre to whom hee would discouer certaine things of no meane consequence which much concerned him and his estate The Secretarie returning and reuealing this to his Lord at first he would scarse giue credit to his report and jealous withall that it might be some traine laid to intrap his life he sent another in his stead to whom the same Spirit appeared in the shape aforesaid and seemed much to lament his sonnes diffidence to whom if hee had appeared in person hee would haue related strange things which threatned his estate and the means how to preuent them Yet desired him to commend him to his sonne and tel him That after two and twenty yeares one moneth and one day prefixed he should lose the gouernment of that City which he then possessed And so he vanished It happened iust at the same time which the Spectar had predicted notwithstanding his great care and prouidence That Philip Duke of Mediolanum the same night besieged the City and by the helpe of Ice it being then a great frost past the Moat and with ladders scaled the wall surprised the city and tooke Lodowicke prisoner Fincelius remembreth vnto vs That in the yeare 1532 a Nobleman of his country had commanded a countreyman a Tenant of his with whom he was much offended either to bring home to his Mannor house a mighty huge Oke which was newly felld betwixt that and Sun-set or he should forfeit his time and the next day be turned out of his cottage The poore husbandman bringeth his cart to the place but looking vpon the massie timber and finding it a thing vnpossible to be done he sits down wrings his hands and falls into great lamentation When presently appeared before him one of these Spirits in the shape of a laboring man and demanding him the cause of his sorrow he was no sooner resolued but If that be all saith the Diuell follow me and I will saue thee the forfeiture of thy Leafe Which he no sooner said but he tooke the huge Oke boughes branches and all and threw it vpon his shoulder as lightly as if it had beene a burthen of Firres or Broome and bearing it to the house cast it crosse the gate which was the common entrance into the house and there left it The Gentleman returning towards night with his friends from hawking spying the doore barricadoed commanded his seruants to remoue the tree But forcing themselues first to stir it then to hew it with axes and lastly to set it on fire and finding all to be in vaine the master of the Mannor was inforced to haue another doore cut out in the side of his house to let his Ghests in for at the backe gate hee had vowed not to enter hauing before made a rash Oath to the contrarie By the aid of these Spirits as Caspinianus giueth testimonie the Bulgarians gaue the Romans a great ouerthrow in the time of the Emperour Anastasius The like the Huns did to the French King Sigebert defeating him notwithstanding the oddes of his great and puissant Armie Of this kinde those were said to be who when the Poet Simonides was set at a great feast came like two yong men and desired to speake with him at the gate Who rising in haste from the table to know their businesse was no sooner out of the roome but the roofe of the hall fell suddenly and crushed all the rest to pieces he onely by this meanes escaping the ruin Those Spirits which the Greekes cal Paredrij are such as haunt yong men maids and pretend to be greatly in loue with them yet many times to their hurts and dammage Mengius speaketh of a Youth about sixteene yeares of age who was admitted into the Order of Saint Francis whom one of these Spirits did so assiduately haunt that hee scarce could forbeare his company one instant but visibly he appeared to him sometimes like one of the Friers belonging to the house sometimes one of the seruants and sometimes againe he would personate the Gouernour Neither was he onely seene of the Youth himselfe whom he pretended so much to loue but of diuers of the Domesticks also One time the Youth sent this Spirit with a Present of two Fishes vnto a certaine Monke who deliuered them to his own hands and brought him backe a commendatorie answer The same Mengius in the selfe same booke speaketh likewise of a faire yong Virgin that dwelt in a Noblemans house of Bonnonia and this saith he happened in the yere 1579. haunted with the like Spirit who whithersoeuer she went or came stirred not from her but attended on her as her Page or Lackey And if at any time vpon any occasion her Lord or Lady had either chid or strooke her he would reuenge that iniury done to her vpon them with some knauish tricke or other Vpon a time hee pretending to be extremely angry with her catched her by the gowne and tore it from head to heele which shee seeming to take ill at his hands hee in an instant sowed it vp so workeman-like that it was not possible to discerne in what place hee had torne it Againe she being sent downe into the cellar to draw wine he snatcht the candle out of her hand and cast it a great distance from her by which occasion much of the wine was spilt this he confest he did only to be reuenged on them who the same day before threatened her Neither could he by any exorcismes be forced to leaue her company till at length shee was persuaded to eat so often as she was forced to do the necessities of nature and thereby she was deliuered from him Another of these Paredrij haunted a Virgin of the same City who was about the age of fifteene yeares who would doe many trickes in the house sometimes merrily and as often vnhappily
the 11 or 12 day of Iune As Adam Bishop of Vienna in his Chronicle Exod. 12. The day of Christs Passion compared with the first day of the Creation According to the computation of the time of the yeare A second reason A probabilitie of the former reason Whether the Moon in her creation were in the full or waine The seuerall offices of the Sun Moon began at one instant Of the Starres and Planets as the Poets haue decipher'd theÌ„ Arcti * Calisto Arctus maior * Lycaon Archas of whom the kingdom of Arcadia took name Arctus minor Agliasthenes qui Naxica conscripsit Serpent Artophilaâ— Coronâ— Eugonasin Lyra. Olor Cepheus Cassiopeia Andromeda Perseus Heniochus Ophincus Anguiteneus Sagiâ—â—â— Aquila Dolphia Equusâ— Deltoton * δ. * For in these dais the fourth part called America was not knowne Cetus Pistrix Eridanus fluvius Lepusâ— Orion Lelaps or Canis maior Procion or Canus minor Argo Philiris vel Centaurus Ara. Hydra Piscis or Notius * A goddesse worshipped among the Egyptians Circulus lâ—cteus or the Galaxia * Mercury in his infancie Of the twelue Coelest Signes Aries Higin de Sign Coelest lib. 3. Hesiodus Pherecides The sea called Hellespont from Helles there drowned Nigidius Taurus Euripides Eratosthenes * As ashamed of the fact Pherecides Athinaeus Therefore called Pluviales These we call the seuen stars Gemini Higinus * The sons of Tindarus Father to Hellen. Cancer The Crab. Pamasis Stars called Asini from Asses Leo. Nigidius This is held by some to be the first of his 12 Labours Some hold Iuno made his skin invulnerable Periandrus Rhodius Virgo Higinus Aratus Pride The 7 Deadly Sinnes The story of Icarius and Erigone Who is also called Bacchus or Dionysius A common Prouerbe in our English tongue The fruits of Drunkennesse Icarius slaine * A prouerbe frequent among Drunkards A remarkable story of a dog InnoceÌ„t bloud spilt neuer goeth vnreuenged Arcturus Virgo Canicula Libra * Higinâ— Arat. Virg. li. Geor. 1. Scorpio Nigidius Sagittarius * The Galaxia which some hold to be the Path which leads to Olympus hall where the gods sit in Counsell Sosythaeus Traged Scriptor Nigidius de Crotone Capricornus * AEgipanes were Beasts like men hauing Goats feet Or wood-gods Epimenides in Ida. Aratus in Phaenom This Goat was called Amalthea Eratosthenes Ovid Met. * A Bird onely breeding in AEgypt Aquarius Aquarius and Hippocoön Quod eius ex oren plurimi Imbres fiunt Aratus Nigidius Hegesinax Aratus in Ihoenom * A mountain so called from her * Canicula into which Mera was translated These winds some call Ecâ—esiae Pisces Aratus Viz. one North the other South The birth of Venus according to most of the Greeke Poets before named Concerning the worlds originall These were the seuerall opinions of diuers Philosophers The World it selfe best Witnesse of the World Vbi motus est nulla Eternitas Time examined to proue a beginning of all things The inuention of letters Sim. Meliâ—us Of Writing Against Pride A needfull obseruation The first erectors of famous Cities Paris Al. Lutetia Carion Chronâ—l * As so first called All these builâ— by seueral men as their Chronicles yet record Of the Ages The first Age. II. III. IV. V. VI. In Hist. Eccl. Grammer The originall of Arts c. Rhetoricke Logâ—cke Art of Memorie Geometry Musicke Physicke Surgâ—rie The Ship The Lyre or Harpe Trumpet Horologie Astrologie Statues and Pictures Vertue of Heâ—bs Lawes Wine City walls Turrets Corne. War Minting Printing Ars tormentaria deuised by a Frier whose name is not knowne Arist. de Intell. Perf. Pbys 1.4.8 56 The argument followed Esse melius quaÌ„ non Esse De Coel 22. Coelâ—m Dei Sedes Procop. against Arist. Quoniam Aristot mare capere non potest Capiat mare Aristotelem Their Reasons confuted by Reason Against vaine Curiositie The Nobilitie of Mans Conceit August de Civ Dei li. 12. ca. 13. The opinion of the Platonists Annus magnus vertens auâ— Mundaâ—us Macr. in Somn. Scip. Ridiculous absurdities Catacl diluvium i. Delug The definition of the World Cap. 1. 4. What the opinions of diuerse Fathers were concerning the World Gregory Chrysostome Sup. Mat. 24. Hom. 4. Hom. 5. Hom. 5. de Poen Lactantius De praem Div. lib. 6. cap. 4. An excellent saying of saint Chrysostome The Poets of the World and the ruin thereof Lib. 1. Lib. 5. de Nat. deor Lib. 2. Of the creatioÌ„ of the World The Philosophers concerning the world Lib. de Coelo The multiplicity of worlds The opinion of Metrodor Met. lib. 1.49 Metaph. 12.28 Aristotles definition of the World Gen. 1. Astron. lib. 1. Ibid. Lib. de Bel. Civ Philosophers concerning the beginning of the World Thal. Milesius The World to haue beginning from Water Anaximenes From Airâ—â— From Fire Opinions contrarie to the â—ormer Atomes Of Atomes some superior others inferior anterior posterior c. Creation from Number Câ—eation from Infinites Lib. 1. Concerning seueâ—all opinions Ser. de Eclips Solâ—â— Euclides Maxâ— ser. 21. Idem serm 22. Epist. 45. Cap. 1. Mat 24. Mark 14. Lib. 2. de par cap. 2. Procop of the Elements Metam lib. 15. The Ages The Golden Age. The Siluer Age. The Brazen Age. The Iron Age. * i. Iustice. Of the Age of Man Met. lib. 1â— Ver Pueritia AEstas Iuvent Virilis AEtas Aâ—tumâ—â—s Hiâ—â—â— senectus Annus or the yeares The Nones Of the number of Nine An. ab Annulo An. Lunaris Solaris An. Annus Magn. Annus Climat Levia Lemâ— cap. 32. lib de occuli naturae miracul Ovid. lib. Met. Lib. Eâ—eg 1. A further illustration concerning the Signes Coelestiall The diuision of the heauen called Culum By reason that the Sun is furthest froÌ„ them Antipodes Stellarum ordo * The Goat and the Kid. * Hercules Or Libra Corona Cignus Pistriâ— Boâ—tes Cignus * Hercules Aquila The Australl Circle Ara. Sagittarius Chyron Virgo Lepus Taurus Trinus Aries Coetus Draco Artophilax Corona Lyra. Atlantiades The death of Orpheus Oâ—r or Cignus Cepheus Cassiopeia Coetus Andromeda Higinus Perseus Aurigâ— * Otherwise câ—lled Amalthea * Hedae Serpentarius Phorâ—â—tus de nat de or spec Aquila Sagitta The sonnes of Tytan Delphinus Pegasus or Equus demidius Deltoton Trigonum Pistrix or the Whale The Floud Eridanus or Padus The Sisters of Phaeton Stella Terrestr Lepus siue Dasippus Higinus The Citie called after the Island Why the Hare was translated into a Staâ—re Orion What Orion portendeth The history of Orion Canis Laelapâ— or Procion Syrius stella Caniculaâ— Palephalus Ovid. in Meâ— Naâ—is Argâ— or the ship These are the fancies of the Poets Aratus Of Danaus AEgiptus So called by sailing or rouing in the Argo Ara the Altar which is also called Thuribulum the Censer Centaurus The death of Chiron the Centaure Hydrâ— How the Crow came to be stellifi'deâ— Pleiadesâ— The Vergiliae Cometa The motion of the Sunne The Bisext or Leape-yeare The Eclipse