translating Titus Livius though he was a King I do not hold with age in divers men who for want of discretion and wit was childish again but of perfect men in whom age seemed rather a warrant of their doings For even as he that playeth much upon instruments is not to be commended so well as he that playeth cunningly and artificially so all men that live long are not to be praised so much as he that liveth well For as apples being green are yet sower untill by time they wax sweet so young men without warrant of time and experience of things are oftentimes to be misliked If faults be in old men saith Cicero as many there be it is not in age but in the life and manners of men Some think age miserable because either the body is deprived from pleasure or that it bringeth imbecility or weaknesse or that it is not far from death or calleth from due administration of Common-wealths these four causes saith Cicero make age seem miserable and loathsome What shall we say then of those that in their old age have defended their countries saved their Cities guided the people and valiantly triumphed over their enemies as L. Paulus Scipio and Fabius Maximus men of wonderfull credit in their old years What may be spoken of Fabritius Curius and Cornucanus aged men of great agility of famous memory in their latter days How can Appius Claudius be forgotten who being both old and blind resisted the Senatours to compound with King Pyrrhus for peace though they all and the Consuls of Rome hereunto were much inclined If I should passe from Rome a place where age was much estéemed unto Athens amongst the sage Philosophers if from Athens to Lacedemonia where age altogether bare sway and rule if from thence unto the Ethiopians and Indians where all their lives are ruled and governed by old men If from thence to any part of the world I might be long occupied in reciting the honour and estéemation of age Herodotus doth write that the Aethiopians and Indians do live most commonly a hundred and thirty years The people called Epeii in the Countrey of Aetolia do live two hundred years naturally and as it is by Damiates reported Lictorius a man of that Countrey lived thrée hundred years The Kings of Arcadia were wont to live thrée hundred years the people of Hyperborii lived a thousand years We read in the old Testament that Adam our first father lived nine hundred and thirty years and Eve his wife as many Seth nine hundred and twelve years Seth his son called Enos nine hundred and five Cainan the son of Enos nine hundred and ten Mahalalehel the son of Cainan eight hundred fourscore and fifteen so Enoch the son of Iared lived nine hundred thréescore and five years Enoch his son named Mechuselah lived nine hundred threescore and nine years with divers of the first Age I mean till Noah's time who began the second world after the floud who lived as we read nine hundred and five his son Sem six hundred years and so lineally from father to son as from Sem to Arphaxad from Arphaxad to Sala from Sala to Heber the least lived above thrée hundred years This I thought for better credit and greater proof of old ago to draw out of the Old Testament that other prophane authorities might be beleeved as Tithoniâ—s whom the Poets fain that he was so old that he desired to become a Grashâ—pper But because age hath no pleasure in the world frequenteth no banquets abhorreth lust loveth no wantonness which saith Plato is the only bait that deceives young men so much the happier age is that age doth loath that in time which young men neither with knowledg with wisdome nor yet with counsel can avoid What harm hath happened from time to time by young men over whom lust so ruled that there followed eversion of CoÌ„monwealths treason to Princes Friends betrayed countreys overthrown and Kingdoms vanquished throughout the world Therefore Cicero saith in his book entituled De Senectate at what time he was in the City of Tarentum being a young man with Fabius Maximus that he carried one lesson from Tarentum unto the youth of Rome where Architas the Tarentine said that Nature bestowed nothing upon man so hurtfull to himself nor so dangerous to his Countrey as lust or pleasure For when C. Fabricius was sent as an Embassadour from Rome to Pyrrhus King of Epyre being then the Governour of the City of Tarentum a certain man named Cineas a Thessalian by birth being in disputation with Fabritius about pleasure affirmed that hee heard a Philosopher of Athens affirm that all which we do is to be referred to pleasure which when M. Curius and Titus Coruncanus heard they desired Cineas to perswade King Pyrrhus to yéeld to pleasure and make the Samnites believe that pleasure ought to be esteemed Whereby they knew that if King Pyrrhus or the Samnites being then great enemies to the Romans were addicted to lust or pleasure that then soon they might be subdued and destroyed There is nothing that more hindreth magnanimity or resisteth vertuous enterprises then pleasure as in the Treatise of pleasure it shall more at large appear Why then how happy is old age to despise and contemn that which youth by no means can avoid yea to loath and abhor that which is most hurtfull to it self For Cecellius contemned Caesar with all his force saying to the Emperor that two things made him nothing to estéem the power of the Emperor Age and Wisdome By reason of Age and Wisdome Castritius feared not at al the threatnings of C. Carbo being then Consul at Rome who though he said he had many friends at commandement yet Castriâ—iâ—â— answered and said That he had likewise many years that could not fear his friends Therefore a wise man sometime wept for that man dieth within few years and having but little experience in his old age he is then deprived thereof For the Crow liveth thrise so long as the man doth the Hart liveth four times so long as the Crow the Raven thrice so long as the Hart and the Phoenix nine times longer then the Raven And thus Birds do live longer time then man doth in whom there is no understanding of their years But man unto whom reason is joyned before he commeth to any ground of experience when he beginneth to have knowledge in things he dieth and thus endeth he his toyling Pilgrimage and travel in fewer years then divers beasts or birds do CHAP. XIX Of the manners of sundry People under sundry Princes and of their strange life THe sundry fashions and variety of manners the strange life of people every where thorow the world dispersed are so charactered and set forth amongst the writers that in shewing the same by naming the Countrey and the people thereof orderly their customes their manners their kind of living being worthy of observation I thought briefly to touch and to note
latter days having great care to his countrey when that no man durst refuse Pisistratus came before his door in Arms and called the citizens to withstand Pisistratus For age said he moveth me to be so valiant and stout that I had rather lose my life then my country should lose their liberty What vertue then see we to be in age what wisedome in time what courage in old men The examples of these old men stir and provoke many to imitate their steps insomuch that divers wished to be old when they were yet young to have that honor as age then had Wherefore king Alexander the great espying a young man coloring his hairs gray said It behoves thée to put thy wits in color and to alter thy mind The Lacedemonians a people that past all nations in honouring age made laws in their Cities that the aged men should be so honoured and estéemed of the young men even as the parents were of the children so that when a stranger came unto Lacedemonia and saw the obedience of youth towards age he said In this country I wish onely to be old for happy is that man that waxeth old in Lacedemonia and in the great games of Olympia an old man wanting a place went up and down to sit some where but no man received him but amongst the Lacedemonians not onely the young men but also the aged gave place unto his gray hairs and also the Embassadours of Lacedemonia being there present did reverence him and took him unto their seat which when he came in he spake aloud O you Athenians you know what is good and what is bad for that which you people of Athens said he do professe in knowledge the same doth the Lacedemonians put in practice Alexander being in his wars with a great army in Persia and meeting an old man in the way in the cold weather in ragged and rent cloaths lighted from his horse and said unto him mount up into a princes saddle which in Persia is treason for a Persian to do but in Macedonia comendable giving to understand how age is honoured and old men estéemed in Macedonia and how of the contrary wealth and pride is fostred in Persia for where men of experience and aged men are set nought by there it cannot be that wisedome beareth rule How many in the Empire of Rome ruled the City and governed the people of those that were very aged men as Fabius Maximus who was thréescore years and two in his last Consulship Valerius Corvinus who was six times a Consul in Rome a very old man who lived an hundred and odd years Metellus of like age called to the like function and administration in the Common-wealth being an old man What should I speak of Appius Claudius of Marcus Perpenna of divers other noble Romans whose age and time was the onely occasion of their advancement unto honour and dignity What should I recite Arganthonius who was threescore years before he came unto his Kingdome and after ruled his Countrey fourscore years unto his great fame and great commendations of age To what end shall I repeat Pollio who lived in great credit with the people unto his last years a man of worthy praise of renowned fame who lived a hundred and thirty years in great authority and dignity What shall I speak of Epimenides whom Theompus affirmeth that he lived a hundred and almost thréescore years in great rule and estimation Small were it to the purpose to make mention again of Dandon amongst the Illyrians which Valerius writeth that he was five hundred years before he died and yet of great memory and noble fame Or of Nestor who lived thrée hundred years of whom Homer doth make much mention that from his mouth proceeded sentences swéeter then honey yea in his latter days almost his strength was correspondent to the same That renowned Prince Agamemnon General of all Gréece wished no more in Phrygia but five such as Nestor was with whose wisedome and courage he doubted not but in short time he should be able to subdue Troy Swéet are the sayings of old men perfect are their counsels sound and sure their governance How frail and weak is youth How many Cities are perished by young counsel How much hurt from time to time have young men devised practised and brought to pass And again of age how full of experience knowledg and provision painful and studious is it unto the grave As we read of Plato that noble Philosopher who was busie and carefull for his countrey writing and making books the very year that he died being fourscore and two What shall I say of Isocrates who likewise being fourscore and fourtéen compiled a book called Panathenaicus of Gorgias who being studious and carefull to profit his countrey being a hundred and seven years was altogether addicted to his books and to his study So of Zeno Pythagoras and Democritus it might be spoken men of no lesse wit travell and exercise than of time and age For as Cicero saith the government and rule of Comon-wealths consisteth not in strength of body but in the vertue of mind weighty and grave matters are not governed with the lightnesse of the body with swiftnesse of the foot with external qualities but with authority counsel and knowledge for in the one saith he there is rashnesse and wilfulnesse in the other gravity and prudence As Themistocles and Aristides who though not friends at Athens being both rulers yet age taught them when they were sent Embassadours for the state of Athens to become friends to profit their country which youth could never have done That sage Solon was wont often to brag how that he dayly by reading learning and experience waxed old Apelles that approved painter and renowned Greek in his age and last time would have no man to passe the day idle without drawing of one line Socrates being an old man became a scholler to learn musick and to play upon instruments Cicero being old himself became a perfect Greek with study Cato being aged in his last years went to school to Ennius to learn the Greek Terentius Varro was almost forty years old before he took a Greek book in hand and yet proved excellent in the Greek tongue Clitomachus went from Carthage to Athens after forty years of age to hear Carneades the Philosophers lecture Lucius as Philostratus doth write meeting Marcus the old Emperor with a book under his arm going to school demanded of the Emperour whither he went like a hâ—y with his book in his hand the aged Emperour answered I go to Sextus the Philosopher to learn those things I know not O God said Lucius thou being an old man goest to school now like a boy and Alexander the great died at thirty years of age Alphonsus King of Sicilia was not ashamed at fifty years old to learn and to travel for his knowledge and lest he should lose the use of the Latin tongue he occupied himself in
place and amended it The second day the Shoomaker came again and found fault in the hose then Apelles answered and said that a Shoemaker ought not to judge of any thing but of the shoe Every man that thinketh himself eloquent for that he hath his tongue at will and can shift matters skilfully in his own judgement is not that eloquent man which Cicero speaketh of nor hath those parts of Rhetorick wherewith hee can perswade to good and disswade from evil The eloquent man doth comfort the afflicted he expelleth fear and terrour from men he stoppeth again the stout and insolent This man is able faith Cicero to win towns countreys castles and kingdomes this eloquence in adversity is solace in prosperity an ornament in youth laudable in age delectable in all men profitable Wherefore not without cause did M. Antonius use to say that oftentimes he saw and heard fine tongued men but he never saw nor heard any eloquent man For though saith Cicero we follow Nature as a Captain unless Art be coupled and united to it we follow a rude and barbarous Captain What Captain was Paulus Aemilius being in wars with King Perseus In a certain clear night when the Moon upon the sudden shifted her self from sight and the night became very dark all the souldiers of Paulus yea Paulus himself being their General and Captain were dismaid and quite discouraged thinking it had béen some prodigious show to pregnosticate mishap to come and being ready to yéeld in heart and courage until Sulpitius began to perswade the rude Souldiers with reason opening the causes unto the Souldiers and declaring the effects of the superiour bodies so eloquently that being before dismaid they were by the eloquence of Sulpitius perswaded to fight valiantly and where through fear of that sudden sight and change of the Moon they were ready to yeeld as captives to King Perseus they were moved and stirred by the eloquence of Sulpitius to become Conquerors and Victors over King Perseus in the self same night The like did Pericles sometimes amongst his souldiers of Athens at what time the sun so darkned that great terrour and fear came upon the souldiers he eloquently perswaded his souldiers and told them as he heard of his master Anaxagoras the cause thereof and quite expelled fear from the souldiers by reason and made them bold again through eloquence In Affrick there was in the time of Anascarimis a Philosopher named Afranio who being demanded what he did hear all the days of his life answered to speak well the second time being asked what he taught unto others answered likewise to speak well at the last he was demanded what he knew in any science he said I know nothing but to speak well so that this old Philosopher Afranio learned nothing taught nothing nor knew any thing but to speak well and most certain it is that he that consumeth all the days of his life to learn to speak well and knoweth nothing else but to speak well spendeth his time very well CHAP. X. Of those Kings and Princes and others who had their Pictures and Images for a shew of their deserved Fame erected THe greatest honour that both Gréeks and Gentiles used toward those that deserved well in the Commonwealth was to advance them by pictures painted and images gloriously graven thinking thereby either to inflame thē further to do good or else to discourage thē again from doing evil by banishing and neglecting their pictures which when Favoritus the Philosopher heard that the City of Athens had rejected his picture because Adrian the Emperour was angry with him said I am right glad thereof for better said he had it béen for Socrates to have had his brazen picture broken and thrown away for some shew of displeasure by the Athenians then to be deprived of his life for nothing by the Athenians for the surest estate of all is not to be known Agesilaus therefore King of the Lacedemonians understanding that the inhabitants of every country in all Gréece had decréed to put up the picture of Agesilaus for a memorial of his vertuous and noble acts to be as monuments of his life after death returning then from Egypt unto Gréece being very sick a little before he died he wrote letters unto Gréece that they should make no pictures no images no painted shews no graven work of his person nor yet of his life saying If I have done well in life the vertue thereof is a sufficient monument when I am dead Cato Senior was of that opinion that he had rather that men should ask why hath not Cato his Picture set up then to asks why hath Cato his picture set up A number of sage Philosophers and wise Princes have lothed and utterly neglected this kind of flattery which then was thought to be the greatest fame and commendation of all things to have their pictures in places set up to make mention of honour and dignity which thereby is meant either for restoring of liberty lost or in defending from tyranny or in saving of Cities or for such things done pictures were erected to advance their fame thereby Thus Aristogiton and Armodius because they delivered Athens from the tyranny of Pysistratus had their pictures with great estimation set up of the people of Athens Likewise Marcellus because he subdued Syracusa vanquished the French men at Padua and gave the repulse unto Hannibal at Nola had his picture set up in the Temple of Pallas with an Epigram written in letters of gold unto his great praise and commendation Eutropius saith that Claudius Emperour of Rome had his picture made with a golden Target in his hand because he vanquished the Goths which were about to spoil the county of Macedonia Numa Pomp. the second King of Rome and Servius Tullius the sixth King had their pictures a long time amongst the Romans in great honour and fame Selostris King of Egypt for his martial feats and vertuous acts was honoured in his country with divers pictures Polydamas that strong Champion in the games of Olympia for that he being without weapons and naked slew a terrible Lyon and held fast by the foot a huge great Bull and with the other hand stayed a running Chariot had his picture therefore erected and set up in Olympia In Athens how many pictures were set up of noble men and learned Philosophers as Conon Euogoras Phocion Isocrates and others which were now up and now down as mutable fortune favoured or frowned the state and life of men being uncertain and changeable As Demosthenes having his picture in Athens had this Epigram written round about the picture If Demosthenes had had courage and strength as he had wit and eloquence neither Philip nor his son Alexander nor all Macedonia had ever vanquished Gréece yet this Demosthenes was exiled and banished Athens divers times So hard was it to please the people then which had the chief government in Athens and Rome that for a small
long frequented The force of Grammer chiefly consisteth in Histories and Poetry for Poetry is so commended that both Moses that mighty ruler of the Hebrews and David that wise Prince of Israel the one in reducing the people from Egypt the red Sea opening a way and giving place unto Moses to passe through made Exemetron verses in good méeters to thank God for his good successe and fortune the other with divers Hymns in méeter and swéet songs did asswage the just anger of God for his offences In Poetry Homer and Hesiodus excelled for antiquity the one in setting forth the fame of Mars I mean wars the other in commending the pains and diligence of Ceres which is husbandry though Lynus Orpheus Marcellinus and others were of great antiquity yet not of so great a fame Histories and the profit thereof were found as Plyny writeth by Cadmus Mylesius the first History that was written by any Phylosopher was by Xenophon but the excellent and worthy fame of Historiographers in Gréece afterward was justly noted in Thucidides and Herodotus as it was amongst the Romanes in Livi and Salust Thus from a rude beginning came famous and learned writers As for Rethorick it was first invented by Mercury as Horace saith but as Aristotle and Quintilian do think it was by Empedocâ—es then from time to time from age to age it came unto that perfection at length that Rethorick was as necessary to be taught every where as it was profitable to be used any where The Prince of this faculty in Gréece was Demosthenes who with his eloquence long guided Athens Isocrates Aeschines and others flourished in great fame by this art in Gréece In Rome Cicero and Salust were the fountaines of all sugred eloquence For the beginning of Musicke divers opinions and sundry assertions are made where Musick was first found The Gréeks suppose that Dionisius found first Musick The Hebrews think that Tubal Polibius saith that Musick first was found in Arcadia Solinus saith that it was first in Créet The most do agree and judge that Orpheus and Linus were the inventors of it some again think that Amphyon found Musick but how where and when it was first found it is uncertaine But unto that perfection at length Musick came that the Gréeks thought that man not well learned unlesse he had some skil in Musick As for the golden study of Phylosophy which as Cicero saith searcheth wisedome hateth folly the only seeker of vertues and the scourge of vices some suppose that it was first from the barbarous people brought unto Greece for amongst the ancient Egyptians Philosophy was first studied and opened by Vulcanus Amongst the Persians it was found by them that were called Magi. Amongst the Indians by Gymnosophistes Amongst the Babylonians and Assyrians by the Caldeans which as Laertius doth witnesse were called all wise men This art was sought with great industry and much honoured in all the world for that it contained all sciences and faculties in it self as well the life and manners of men as also the obscure and difficult nature of things with the subtil search of the same in the disputation thereon Great was the contention of the Astrologers who was he that first found the orders and motions of the heavens some attributing the first invention thereof unto Prometheus some unto Belus some unto Atlas as Plini in his seventh book affirmeth wherefore the poets fain that Atlas doth sustain the heavens upon his shoulders some attribute it unto Mercurius some unto Actinus And thus every country contendeth about the antiquity thereof The Egyptians brag of their antiquity upon this subject the Assyrians boast no lesse of their knowledge in this art The course of the Moon was first found by Endimion The eclipse of the same by Anaxagoras Thus first nature sought such means as might set forth her desire by séeking and travelling for knowledge And physick is not so little to be estéemed but it might here well be mentioned considering the common profit thereof and how painfully the same was studied by others in time past Phisick is either healing with diet medicine or sugery In the first Apollo was most honoured in the last Aesculapius was chiefly commended whom the Gréeks supposed to be the first that healed wounds Afterwards Hippocrates born in the Isle of Coos made a law that whosoever recovered health should write his name in the temple of Aesculapius whereby it séemeth that Aesculapius was one of the first Phisitians The first phisitian that ever came to Rome did come from Peloponesus named Archagathus when L. Aemilius and Marcus Livius were Consuls in Rome when he came first to practise phisick there he was called for the rare sight thereof first a butcher at last a murtherer To repeat several hearbs by sundry men found out in this art it were over long But we will touch on nothing but the first inventers and searchers of arts and so come unto Magick which was found as Plini saith by Zoroastes first King of the Bactrians eight hundred years before Illion was builded This saith Plini might have béen better unsought then found for that we see every man desirous to be acquainted with Divels and to be taught of Simon the secret counsels of Divels insomuch that women go unto school with Circes or Calipso to learn sorcery of them The Egyptians had great felicity in this art insomuch that Pharao commanded the priests to shew some feats before him deriding Moses and his doings In presence of Moses they converted a rod into a Dragon which when Moses saw to suppresse vain incantations and to shew how much the one did excel the other he threw his rod unto the ground and it was converted unto a Snake and devoured the Dragon that the Egyptians inchanted Solomon the wise whom at the beginning God so advanced and favoured made and invented ways to expell Divels Eleasalus as Josephu doth write used a ceremony in expelling and conjuring of Divels from any man to put a ring in his nosethrils having a certain herb or a root appointed and named of Solomon within the ring which root with his smel drove out Divels and he conjured them not to return to that man any more This art in short time grew to that credit and at this time is in divers places in such honour that a conjurer is more estéemed then a Preacher There are such branches in this art that do well merit praise for there are divers kinds of these Magicks whereby men say they are able to do any thing and that by it they know all things The first part or rather kind of Magick is called Nigromancy which is a kind of conjuring the dead bodies to tell things to come as at the wars in Pharsalia betwixt Caesar and Pompeius it was foreshewed by the ghost of a dead man unto Sextus the whole chance and event of that war and how his father Pompey should lose his head The second kind of Magick is
man to rule the City of Scadmenna was often moved that he for his age was not méet to govern such a City considering the multitude and number of people that were within that City they thought that a young man should better discharge the office but the wise Emperour perceiving how bent and prone were the youth of that town to have a young man to rule over them answered them after this sort I had rather said he commit the governance of the City to one old man then the governance of so many young men unto the City Better it is that an old man should rule the City then the City should rule the young men meaning no otherwise then that aged men should onely be admitted to be rulers in Cities for that there belongeth unto them experience of things and care of youth Such was the homage and reverence which was amongst the young Romans toward the Senatours or old men of the City as both head and leg did acknowledge the same in doing duty unto age They had this confidence in age that no man might be chosen unto the number of the Senatours before he should be thréescore years of age The like custome had the people of Chalcides that no man before he were fifty years should either â—ear office within their Cities or be sent Embassadour out of their country Amongst the Persians no man could be admitted to be one of the sage rulers which they called Magi unlesse perfect age had brought him thereto perforce Amongst the Indians their wise men which ruled their country which were named Gimnosophistae were ancient for time giveth experience of governance Amongst the Egyptians the like credit was given unto old men that youth meeting them in the way would go out of the way to give place unto age so that their counsellours which were called prophets were counted men of much time and experience even so the Babylonians elected their sage Chaldeans the French men their ancient wise men called Druydes In fine noble Greeks did observe the like order in chusing their rulers and counsellours of aged men as before spoken The Lacedemonian youth were by the law of Licurgus no lesse charged to reverence age then their own parents The Arabians in all places without respect of person preferred their old men before honour dignity or fortune The people called Tartesi had this law so to honour age that the younger might bear no witnesse against the elder The reverence said Chylon that should be shewed unto age by young men ought to be such that they then being young doing obedience unto age they might claim the like when they waxed old of youth Agesilaus King of Sparta being an old man would often go in the cold weather very thin in a torn cloak without a coat or doublet only to shew the way unto young men to be hardy in age by contemning of gay apparell in youth Masinista King of Numidia being more then threescore years of age would lively and valiantly as Cicero saith without cap on head or shoe on foot in the cold or frosty weather in the winter travell and toyl with the souldiers only unto this purpose that young souldiers should be hardned thereby in their youth and practise the same for the use of others when they came to age themselvs Ihero King of Sicilia shewed the like example in his old age being lxxx years to train youth and to bring them up so in young years that they might do the like in their old age For thus judged these wise Princes that all men covet to imitate Princes and Kings in their doings Gorgias the phylosopher and master unto Isocrates the Orator and to divers more nobles of Gréece thought himselfe most happy that he being a hundred years and seven was aswell in his memory as at any time before and made so much of age that being asked why he so delighted in age he made answer because he found nothing in age for which he might accuse it So sayd King Cyrus a little before his death being a very old man that he never felt himselfe weaker than when hee was young The like saying is reported of that learned Sophocles who being so old that he was accused of his own children of folly turned unto the Iudges and said If I be Sophocles I am not a foole if I be a foole I am not Sophocles meaning that in wisemen the senses waxed better by use and exercising the same for we prayse saith Cicero the old man that is somewhat young and we commend again the young man that is somewhat aged The old is commended that hath his wit young and fresh at comandement and the young is praised that is sober sage in his doings When M. Crassus a noble Captain of Rome being a very old man took in hand to war against the Parthians a strong and stout people being by Embassadors warned of his age and admonished to forsake the wars he answered stoutly the Embassadour of the Parthians and said when I come to Seleucia your City I will then answer you Whereupon one of the Embassadors named Agesâ—â—s an aged man stretched forth his hand and shewed the palm of his hand unto Crassus saying Before thou shalt come within the City of Seleucia bristles shall grow out of this hand The stoutness of Marcus Crassus was not so much as the magnanimity of Agesis and yet they both were old men What courage was in Scaevola to withstand that firebrand of Rome Sylla who after he had urged the Senators to pronâ—unce Marius enemy unto Italy he being an old agâ—d man answered Sylla in this sort Though divers be at the commandements of the Senators and that thou art so encompassed with souldiers at thy beck yet neither thou nor all thy souldiers shall ever make Scaevola being an old man for fear of losing some old bloud pronounce Marius by whom Rome was preserved and Italy saved to be enemy unto the City The like history we read that when Julius Caesar had by force of arms aspired unto the office of a Dictator and came to the Senate house where few Senators were together the Emperor Caesar desirous to know the cause of their absence Confidius an aged father of Rome said that they feared Caesar and his souldiers Whereat the Emperor musing a while said Why did not you likewise tarry at home fearing the same Because said he age and time taught me neither to fear Caesar nor yet his souldiers For as Brusonius saith there are young minds in old men for though Milo the great wrestler in the games of Olympias waxed old wept in spight of his decayed limbs bruised bones yet he said his mind flourished and was as young as ever it was before Solon hath immortal praise in Gréece for his stoutness in his age for when Pisistraâ—us had taken in hand to rule the people of Athens and that it was evident enough that tyranny should procéed thereby Solon in his
Cibeles in Phrigia Venus in Ciprus Ceres in Sicilia Again Pan was in reverence amongst the Arcadians Osiris amongst the Egyptians Bacchus in the Isle of Naxus Vulcan in Lemnos In fine blocks and stones dogs and cats oxen and calves were honoured and worshipped as Gods Thus they wandred in this vale of misery like pilgrims far from the countrey that we ought to travel to where that true and living God is the God of salvation and health which is without end to be worshipped He is the God of all men and yet of the fewest worshipped he is the Saviour and yet he is neglected yea and more rejected of us that be Christians then the blocks and stones that were honored of the Gentiles And for proof hereof I mean to shew the severe laws that were both in Athens and Rome the two lights of the world for observing of their Gods and Religion Neither the Philosophers in Athens nor the Senators in Rome nor the Magistrates and Princes of the world then would in any wise permit injuries towards the Gods or suffer any evil report toward their religion in such care were they lest they should offend their Gods and break their laws Certain husbandmen found in the lands of L. Petilius by plowing therein two stones whereupon an Epitaph of Numa Pompilius was written in one in the other were found fourteen books seven latin books entituled Jus pontificum the law of the Priests concerning religion and sacrifices of their Gods these books with great diligence and care were not onely commanded to be kept but also in all points to be observed The other were Greek books entituled Disciplina sapientâ—ae the rule of wisedome which for that they tasted of Philosophy condemned the vain superstitious religions of their Gods Petilius fearing lest by reading of wisedome and Philosophy their folly and religion should be destroyed being then Proe or in Rome at which time Cornelius and Bebâ—us were Consuls by authority of the Senate in open sight of all the City of Rome burned the Greek books For the old and ancient men would have nothing kept within their city that might hinder their Gods For before all things they preferred their Gods and their religions and so honoured their Priests their sacrifices and their vestal Virgins more then they honoured the Emperours and Senators as it appeareth by a History in Valerius that when Rome was taken and conquered by the Gauls and the vestal Virgins were enforced to bear those things away shifting more for the sacrifices and rites of their religion in carrying their books their garments and their Gods then they cared for their countrey friends children and goods Insomuch that L. Alvanius when he saw the vestal Virgins taking pains to maintein the honour of Vesta undefiled her sacrifices unpolluted in saving the ceremonies and religion of their Goddesse from the enemies as one that had more regard and respect to their vain religion then carefull of his wife and children which then being in a Chariot to be carried and conveyed from Rome he commanded his wife and children to come down from the Chariot and to go a foot and placed in their room the vestal Virgins with all their burthens belonging to Vesta their sacrifices and other necessaries and brought them honourably to the countrey of Créet where with great honour they were received and for memory hereof till this time the people of Creet for that they did succour the vestal Virgins in adversity were by the Goddesse Vesta recompensed no lesse for their humanity in receiving of her maids into their town then she gratified Alvanius for his reverence to her religion insomuch that the coach where her Virgins and her sacrifices were carried was afterward more honoured and esteemed than any triumphant or imperial chariot In the self same time and troubles of Rome when the Capitol was besieged with the enemies Caius Fabius perceiving how religion was then estéemed girded himself like a sacrificer and carryed in his hand an host to be offered to Jupiter and was suffered to passe through the middest of his enemies to mount Quirinal where solemnities and sacrifices were done to Jupiter and that being accomplished he likewise went to the Capitol through the middest of the Army with all his company and by this means got the victory over his enemtas more by religion then by strength So much was superstition and idolatry honoured and observed every where that the Persians sailed with a thousand ships to do sacrifice and solemnity to Apollo at Delphos The Athenians slew and destroyed all those that envied or repugned their religion Diagoras was exiled for that he wrote that he doubted whether any Gods were or no and if Gods were what they were Socrates was condemned for that he went about to traduce their religion and speak against their Gods Phidias that noble and cunning workman was no longer suffered at Athens then while he wrought the picture of Minerva in Marble for it was more durable then Ivory which when Phâ—dias thought to draw in Ivory he was threatned with death to vilipend so great a Goddesse and to make her in Ivory which was wont to be honoured in Marble The Romans made a law at the destruction of Canna for that great slaughter of the Romans which at that war happened that the matrons of Rome who bewailed and lamented the deaths of their husbands their childrenâ— their brethren and friends incessantly should not pâ—â—se thirty days in mourning lest the Gods should be angry ascriving all fortunes good and bad to their Gods Wherefore it was decreed by the Senatours that the Mothers and Wives the sisters and the daughters of them that were slain at Canna at the thirty days end should cast away their mourning apparel and banish their tears and come altogether in white garments to do sacrifice to the Goddesse Ceres For it was thought and truly believed among the Gentiles and heathens that the Gods would justly revenge those that would at any time neglect their sacrifices Brennus for that he went to Delphos and spoiled Apollo's temple and neglected his Godhead was plagued grievously and worthily revenged So King Xerxes whose Navies covered the whole Seas whose Armies of men dried up rivers and shadowed almost the whole earth because he sent four thousand souldiers to Delphos to rob Apollo was therfore discomfited in his wars forsaken of his souldiers prosecuted of his enemies and compelled to flee like a vagabond from hill to hill till he came to his Kingdome of Persia to his great infamy and shame The like was in Carthage when the City was oppressed by the Romanes Apollo's temple neglected and he himself not esteemed he revenged the same for the first that laid hand upon him lost his hand and his arm Thus in Delphos and in Carthage did Apollo revenge his injuries His son Aesculapius a great God in divers countreys for that Turulius chief ruler of the Navies of Antonius hewed the Groves which were
who being in sléep dreamed of Buls fighting all night and in the morning he had two horns growing on his head The learned hold opiniâ—n that imagination and vapours of dreams may alter things into some other substance as Caieta and Aenulia two married women became men and Medea by a dream waxed hot in love with Jason and so imagination by operation of natural vapours doth effect things wonderfully as some do by sight assure themselves most certain and some by conjectures affirm things to be true but because imagination is a thing that néedeth at large to be spoken off considering how diversly it worketh in divers men I will in another place speak of it CHAP. XXVII Of the beginning of Marrrriages and the divers manners of the same AFter that God had made the world in full perfection and so beautifull that the Gréeks did call it Cosmos which is fair framing all things for the use of man as well the world as also all that move or grow in the world he then made a woman who should be likewise a further solace to man and as he made the world and all living creatures in it in several proportions in it he framed man like himself to behold the heavens to measure the elements to rule the very Globes and to the end he might multiply the world he said unto Adam after he blessed all things on earth Goe and multiply The multiplication and the use thereof was so divers that divers countries had sundry orders as well in single life as in matrimony And as concerning antiquity of marriage we read in Trâ—gus that noble Historian that Cecâ—ops the first King of Athens before the time of Deucalion first framed and appointed matrimony in Gréece But such were their orders in divers places such was their liberties in matrimony that the Egyptians the Indians and the Thracians might marry as many as they would according to the ability of the man some ten some twelve some more some lesse Again amongst the Scythians the Persians and all Barbary their wives and daughters were common one for another like bruit beasts The Messagetes had this law that it was not to be suffered that any of their country should marry but one wise but it was lawfull for any man to take another mans wife and to make an exchange for so were their wives common to all but married to one In Lybia the people called Augylas and the people called Nasamones had this order in their matrimonies that the Bride the first night after she was married should lie with every guest before she should go to bed to her own husband The Arabians law was that one woman should be married to all her kinsmen and at all times lawfull for any of her kin to challenge and claim her as his wife using this policy to leave a staff at the chamber door to give to understand that one was in bed with her and when the staff was not there then they knew that no body was within and if any were found of another kindred it was adultery and by law he should die Polydorus reciteth a History for the purpose to be noted That there was a Kings daughter of great beauty which had fifteen tall men to her brethren with whom severally oftentimes she did accompany and being almost wearied desirous to take some rest for she was so fair and they so many that always she had company she used this pollicy to make a staff much like to the chamber staff which was as it were a Porter appointed to give notice Afterwards upon a time one of her brethren had left her in the Chamber and was gone out she straight laid the staff at the door thinking thereby somthing to ease her self and to rest from venery but one of her brethren came from the market having left all his brethren there and when he saw the staff at the door went straight to his father and accused his sister of adultery saying that all his brethren were in the market and that there was a fornicator with his sister But the matter being known he was punished by his father for that he slâ—ndered his sister The like liberty in matrimony was sometimes amongst the Medes and with the people called Magi Anthropophagi and with divers others Some of Aethiopia and some of Arabia married their own mothers and sisters Thus people in divers manners did lead their lives and do lead their lites so horribly and filthily that better it were not to know it then to know it But though it be a play and a sport to the ungodly and wicked yet it is a horror and ugly monster to the godly and wise for to know all things profiteth the good Herodotus in his fourth book doth mention certain inhabitants called Poeni approaching the confines of Egypt whose order and law of matrimony was that the King of that country should have the first taste of the Bride before her husband This order was once observed by the ancient Scots that the Lord of the soil should have the virginity of the married woman The Assyrians and Babylonians did sometimes marry those that hired their bodies to all men The people called Cantabri gave money as a dowry with their wives to other men The daughters of the Lydians and the Cyprians might not marry till they had gained by the hire of their bodies as much as should pay their dowry In the mean time did they go from City to City from town to town offering themselves to every man upon the high way and when they had gained sufficiently for their dowry then might they marry and not before And thus were there sundry orders and several laws to maintain the same Some again did lead a life without women as the Esseni which Pliny affirmeth that they live most sober and chast without women all their life time Also certain people of Thrace called Cristae did likewise avoid the company of women The Romans after Rome was built five hundred years and more kept matrimony inviolated till Sputinus a noble Roman because of the barrenness of his wife had a divorcement granted him when Pomponius and Papitius were Consuls in Rome Moses perceiving the Iews much to be given to several vices some to covetousnesse some to lechery for the reformation of domestick quietnesse and because the Iews were desirous of other women either for beauty or for wealth they had a divorcement granted by Moses to mitigate the fury and hardnesse of their hearts which was rather to avoid the tyranny of the Iews which they used towards their first wives and by sufferance then by commandement For as the world in most places was too wicked concerning the liberty of Matrimony so were they in divers Countreys very straight concerning Marriages in so much that the Ethnicks observed that sentence of Catullus the Poet that virginity ought to be ruled by the parents sith one part is the fathers the second is the mothers and
more but four principal games correspondent to the Greeks and coequal to their number The first called Lupercalia brought out of Arcadia by Evander and sacrificed to Pan upon mount Palentine And as Silvanus doth write the sacrifices were made in the moneth of February after this sort The young men of Rome did convene together every one bearing in his hand a scourge or a whip made of Goats skins running one to another and he that was most swift of foot escaped stripes for every one was to run to another in order every one his length before the other and thus they made themselves swifter in running by reason of the stripes for he that was overtaken by the way was sure to feel the blow Every man ran naked to this end that they might be the swifter The women likewise thinking thereby to become more fruitfull and fertil offered themselvs willingly to receive the stripes of the ratling thongs These scourges and whips that they had in their hands made such a noise by reason they were made of dry skins that if made him that ran before to strain himself hearing the noise and fearing the stripes The second game that the Romans used was called Circenses some say it sprung up first among the Romans themselves in a place appointed by Rome environed about with huge and strong walls Here all kinds of pastime and sports were used running with horses and fighting on horseback in the one end In the middest the Champions were placed in arms to fight on foot In the other end wrastlers leapers runners and such like games were appointed so that the place was framed accordingly long and large that they might have room enough in both ends and in the middest This was the chief and the most ancient play among the Romans saving Saturnalia This sport did Janus invent who did reign together with Saturn as Macrobius saith in the memory and monument of Saturn his fellow This play was celebrated in the moneth of December with such mirth pleasure and pastime that it far surmounted all other In this moneth of December every man saluted his friend with rewards tokens presents or with any treasure that they had to pleasure one another And because all things were common in the time of Saturn which was called the Golden World there was such mirth used as would make some men of this time jealous to see it I beleeve nōe of this Age would be content to see his servant in bed with his wife which in Saturn's time was tolerable Some say this play sprung first among the Pelagians some again affirm that it began among the Athenians but how and where it began in other countreys it is no matter but in Rome it was first framed and invented by Janus The fourth play amongst the Romans was called Gladiatoria where the youth of Rome came to learn how to behave themselves among the enemies In this play they did fight one with another at the long Spear the long Sword the Staff and such weapons as then they used in fight for to embolden themselves In this play being naked and without arms they came to fight against their armed enemies By this play were the Romans taught boldly to fight with their enemies and being hardened at home did little esteem wounds and blows abroad Thus games and plays were chiefly estéemed of the Romans who as Cicero in his Offices affirmeth had divers others in Martius field hard by Rome to exercise the young men to practise feats of Chivalry to become ready and prompt in martial affairs which they onely most esteemed CHAP. XXX A Comparison between the love of Men and Beasts IF men be divers in affection one towards another as we daily sée and try by experience how much ought the silly and simple beast which wants use of spéech to be commended that so careth and provideth for its self and his own And though Cicero saith it be common to all living creatures to multiply and to be carefull over those that nature procreated yet men do excel all kind of beasts seeing all things are in subjection to man as well the heavens above and all that shineth therein as the earth beneath and all that live thereon And here I marvel much though the secret working of nature in fierce and raging beasts be tolerable yet in a reasonable man whom saith the Philosopher Nature onely moveth to the best such enmity variance and discord should procéed It is thought that the Eagle and the Swan be not friends that the Dolphin and the Whale cannot agrée and that the Wolf and the Fox are always at variance the same of the Dog and Cat of the Crow and the Kite may be spoken but it is well known that man is most odious to man and though it be spoken Homo homini Deus yet it is proved Homo homini Daemon If Nature made the Lion the most valiant beast in the world to fear the little crowing Cock if Nature do cause the huge and monstrous Elephant to tremble at the sight of a silly simple Shéep and if Nature move the Panther a strong and a strange beast to quake at the presnce of a Hind If Nature work so subtily that the strongest mightiest and valiantest beasts should fear those that are most ancient and most simple how much more might reason rule in us to fear our God and his mighty works which we altogether contemn either forgetting his glory or despising his power though in beasts the heavens have dominion yet said David man by his reason and knowledge of God ruleth the heavens But I will omit to speak further of that and will return to that which I mean a little to discusse I will not speak of the love and affection of man in general but of the love mutual betwixt man and wife betwixt brother and bro-brother And as it is a vertue not to be forgotten so is it a vertue most rare to find for every thing in its own kind is most to be accepted and first to entreat of the excéeding love of the wonderfull affection that men bare towards their wives We read of that noble Roman Antonius Pius who loved so well his wife Faustine that when she died he caused her picture to be made and to be set up before his face in his bed chamber to ease some part of his grief with the sight thereof M. Plancius sayling with his wife to Asia with thréescore sail of ships came very gorgeously to the City of Tarentum where in the middest of his pomp and great glory for that his wife Orestella by sicknesse died he siue himself with a dagger saying two bodies shall possess one grave The like we read of two young men in Plutarch the one named Aemilius the other Cianippus who for méer affection and passing love towards their wives after long torments pangs and pains conceived by inward griefs that their wives were dead did offer their pined bodies a
Panopion and suffered himself to be slain in stead of his master A man would think that greater love could be found in no man then for a man to die for his friend and truth it is But to find such love in beasts towards men is wonderfull indéed Insomuch that in Leucadia a Peacock loved a young Virgin so well that when she died the Peacock also died And Pliny saith that in the City of Seston an Eagle being brought up by a young maid loved the maid so well that it would fly abroad and kill fowls and bring them home to the young maid and when the Virgin died the Eagle flew into that same fire where the maid was appointed to have her dead body burned and also died with her The Persians were wont for favour and affection they baro unto their horses to bury them and the people named Molossi made brave Sepulchres for their dogs Alexander the great made a tomb for his horse Bucephalus so did Antiochus and Caesar likewise Such love and faithfull trust was found in dogs that the great King Masinissa of Numidia never went to bed but had a dosen great dogs in his chamber as his guard to kéep and watch him from his enemies for sure he was that money might not corrupt them friendship might not allure them and threatnings might not fear them There was a Dog in Athens named Caparus unto whom the tuition of the Temple of Aesculapius was committed with all the wealth and treasure therein which in the night being trained away the Temple was robbed the substance and the riches was stoln thence but in the morning the dog found out the falshood thereof and made all Athens privy of the theeves by raving and runing toward them We read in Plini of Ulisses dog which Ulisses left at home when he went with Agamemnon to Phrygia to the wars of Troy and being twenty years absent he found Penelope his wife and his dog faithfull and loving at his return That noble Gréek Lisimachus had a dog named Durides that loved him so well that even at Lisimachus death the dog died also Hiero had another dog that died even so and ran willingly unto that flame of fire where his master did burn to die with him I might well speak of Alcibiades dog which wheresoever he came no man might or durst speak any evill of Alcibiades in presence of his dog Titus Sabinus dog never forsook his master in prison and when any man gave him bread or meat he brought it to his master in prison and when he was thrown into the river Tiber the dog was séen as Fulgotius saith to do what he could to lift up his masters head out of the water thinking his master had béen alive At what time Pyrrhus subdued the City of Argos there was in those wars an Elephant which after he perceived that his master was slain went up and down among the dead souldiers to seek his master which being found dead the Elephant brought his body being dead to a safe place where the Elephant after much mourning died for sorrow The like examples we read in Plini of horses and specially of thrée the one Alexander the great King of Macedonia had the second Julius Caesar Emperour of Rome possessed the third Antiochus King of Syria had these thrée horses suffered no man to ride or touch them but their own master and were so gentle to them that they kneeled to let them mount on their backs Thus beasts did bear fancy to men obey and love them and were most true and trusty to men and did shew such love as neither Seleucus to his son Anâ—â—gonus or Pericles to his son Priasus nor Socrates to his son Lamproces did ever shew How gentle was a Woolf unto King Romulus to nourish him in spight of his Grandfather Amulius How loving was a Bear to Alexander to bring him up against his fathers will King Priamus How kind was a Bitch to King Cyrus to foster him unawares to his Grandfather King Asâ—iages The Bees come to Plato his Cradle to féed him with honey being an infant The little Ants brought grains to féed King Mydas being likewise in his Cradle O what is man said the Prophet David that thou art so mindfull of him that thou hast brought all things in subjection to him beasts of the fields fouls of the ayr and fishes of the Seas all things made to fear and to love him and yet he neither to fear God nor to love himself We read in Quintus Curtius of an Elephant that King Potus of India had which Alexander the great took captive afterward when this Elephant saw the King first he knéeled down and shewed such honour and homage as was marvellous to the beholders It is read in Caelius of a King in Egypt named Merthes that had a Crow taught to carry his letters and how to bring answer in writing home again Plini doth write that a Nightingale loved Stesicorus so well that it would alwaies sing at the beck of Stesicorus to pleasure him Heraclides the Philosopher had a Dragon taught to follow him every where Ajax likewise had in Locresia a Serpent brought up and taught to honour him as his master Agrippina the Empress and wife unto Claudian had a Thrush that never departed from her during the Empresse life Plini hath in his book of natural histories infinit such exaÌ„ples to prove the love that all moving creatures do ow shew to man as the wild Bull in Tarentum the raging bear in Daunia which Pythagoras so tamed that all places all countries and all persons were sure and safe from any danger or hurt by these wild beasts This commeth by no vertue that is in man but onely by that which God made for man that all living creatures fear man and love man so that if comparisons be made it shall be evident that there hath béen more love in beasts towards man then in man towards man yea then brother to brother then the husband toward the wife or the wife toward her huband considering the nature of man and the beast together CHAP. XXXI Of Memory and Oblivion SOme hold opinion that in the ancient time whiles yet the world flourished not in learning that memory then was most set by and estéemed for whatsoever was séen or heard was then committed to memory and not recorded in books But Socrates said after the use of letters were had the vertue of memory decayed for that care which then was by tradition and memory with care and diligence to observe is now by all put in books that now our memory is put in writing and then was it fixed in mind insomuch that the noble Athenian Themistocles passing by Simonides school who as some suppose taught first the Art of memory being demanded whether he would learn the art and faculty of memory answered that he had rather learn how to forget things then to kéep things in memory for I cannot said he
the people of Carthage delighted in falshood practised perjury and used all kind of crafts as the people of Sarmatha were most false in words most deceitfull in déeds and most cruell one towards the other The Scythians being much molested with wars and driven to leave their wives at home in the custody of the slaves and servants having occasion to be absent four years their wives married their servants and brake their former faith with their husbands until with force and power their servants were slain and so they recovered their countreys and wives again Apollonius the chief Governâ—ur of Samos whom the Commons of the countrey from low estate had exalted to dignity to whom they committed the Government and state of Samos was so false of his faith towards his subjects that having their goods lands livings and lives in his own hanâ— he betrayed them to Philip King of Macedonia their most mortal enemy That proud perjurer Cocalus King of Sicily slue King Minos of Créet though under colour of friendship and pretence of communication he had sent for him Cleomines brake promise with the Argives with whom he took truce for certain days and having craftily betrayed them in the night he slue them being sleeping and imprisoned them against his former faith and promise made before Even so did the false Thracians with the Boetians they brake promise violated their faith destroyed their countreys depopulated their cities and having professed friendship and vowed faith became wicked foes and false traytors and all of these received condign punishment But of all false perjurers and unnatural foes Zopyrus amongst the Persians and Lasthenâ— â— amongst the Olinthians to their perpetual Fame shall be ever mentioned the one in the famous City of Babylon deformed himself in such sort with such dissimulation of forged faith that having the rule and government thereof in his hand he brought King Darius to enjoy it through his deceit and was more faithfull to his King then to his Countrey Lasthenes being the onely trust of the Citizens delivered Olinthus their City into the hands of their long and great enemy Philip King of Macedonia What fraud hath béen found always in friendship what falshood in faith the murthering of Princes the betraying of Kingdoms the oppressing of innocents from time to time in all places can well witnesse the same When Romulus had appointed Spu. Tarpeius to be chief Captain of the Capitol the chamber of Rome where the substance and wealth of Rome did remain Tarpeia Spurius daughter in the night time as she went for water out of the city méeting Tatius King of the Sabines though he was then a mortal enemy to Rome and in continual wars with Romulus yet by her falshood and policy he was brought to be Lord of the Capitol Thus Tarpeia was as false to Rome as King Tatius was to Tarpeia for she looking to have promise kept by Tatius did find him as Rome found her she was buried alive by Tatius close to the Capitol which was then called Saturnus Mount and after her death and burial it was named Tarpeiaes Rock untill Tarquinius Superbus did name it the Capitol by finding a mans head in that place There was never in Rome such falshood shewed by any man as was by Sergius Galba who caused the Magistrates of three famous cities in Lusitania to appear before him promising them great commodities concerning the states and Government of their Cities yéelding his faith and truth for the accomplishment of the same whose professed faith allured to the number of Nine thousand young msn picked and elected for some enterprise for the profit of their countrey But when false Galba had spoiled these thrée cities of the Flower of all their Youth against all promise and faith he slue the most part of them sold and imprisoned the rest whereby he most easily might conquer their Cities Men are never certain nor trusty in doing when they are faulty in Faith For as the Sun lighteneth the Moon so Faith maketh Man in all things perfect For Prudence without Faith is Vain-glory and Pride Temperance without Faith and Truth is Shamefacednesse or sadnesse Iustice without Faith is turned into Injury Fortitude into Slothfulnesse The orders in divers countreys for the observation of Friendship and for maintainance of certain and sure love one towards another were Oaths of Fidelity The noble Romans at what time they sware had this order He or she to take a slint stone in their right hand saying these words If I be guilty or offend any man if I betray my countrey or deceive my friend willingly I wish to be cast away out of Rome by great Jupiter as I cast this stone out of my hand And therewith threw the stone away The ancient Scythians to obserbe amity and love had this Law They poured a great quantity of wine into a great Boul and with their knives opened some vein in their bodies letting their bloud to run out one after another into the boul and then mingling the wine and bloud together they dipped the end of their spears and their arrows in the wine and taking the boul into their hands they drank one to another professing by that draught faith and love The Arabians when they would become faithfull to any to maintain love thereby had this custome One did stand with a sharp stone betwéen two and with it made bloud to issue from the palms of both their hands and taking from either of them a piece of their garment to receive their bloud he dipped seven stones in the bloud and calling Urania and Dionisius their Gods to witnesse their covenant they kept the stones in memory of their friendship and departed one from another The like law was among the Barcians who repairing to a Ditch and standing thereby would say as Herodotus affirmeth As long as that hollow place or ditch were not of it self filled up so long they desired amity and love In reading of Histories we find more certainty to have béen in the Heathen by prophane Oaths then truth often in us by Evangelist and Gospel Oaths lesse perjury in those Gentiles swearing by Jupiter or Apollo then in Christians swearing by the true and iiving God more amity and friendship amongst them with drinking either of others bloud then in us by professing and acknowledging Christs bloud When Marcus Antonius had the government of Rome after Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and having put to death Lucullus for his consent therein Volummus hearing of his friend Lucullus death came wéeping and sobbing before Antonius requiring one his knées one grant at Antonius hand which was to send his souldiers to kill him upon the grave of his friend Lucullus and being dead to open Lucullus grave and lay him by his friend Which being denied he went and wrote upon a little piece of paper and carried it in his hand untill he came to the place where Lucullus was buried and there holding fast the
nine just with the number of the Muses thus was the first Harp made by Apollo though some say it was made by Orpheus some by Amphion some by Liâ—s yet it is most like that Apollo made it For in Delphos the picture or effigies of Apollo is there set up having in his right hand a bow and in his left hand the thrée Graces and either of them having in their hands several kind of instruments the first a Harp the second a Pipe the third a Flute In the chapter of the invention of things you shall at large find more concerning musick But now to declare the harmony of musick the mirth and melody that procéeds from musick the love and affection that antient Princes and gravewise men bare to musick Themistocles though he was wise and discréet in other things yet for that as Cicero saith in his first book of Tusculans he refused to hear one play on the Harp in a banquet where he was he then of the wisest men in Athens was thought and judged to be of lesse learning than they supposed him to be For the Greeks judged none to be learned unlesse he were experienced in musick Socrates the father of all philosophy and master of all Philosophers being by the Oracle of Apollo named and judged the wisest man in all the world in his latter years being an old man was taught to play upon the Harp and often found amongst little children he being taunted of Alcibiades for that he found him playing with a little infant called Lamproces answered it is good being to be in good company Even so that wise and discreet Prince Agesilaus king sometime of the Lacedemonians spying one of his men to laugh at him for that he rode upon a long reed with one of his children said hold thy peace and laugh not and when soever thou shalt be a father thou must do as a father We read the like of noble Architas the Tarentine who when he was married having a great number of servants in his house he would play with their children and delighted much in the company of young infants Certainly either of these thrée last mentioned Socrates Ageâ—â—laus or Architas were in those days most renowned for their wisedom and knowledge and yet refused they not the company of young infants That mighty and strong Hercules though he was the son of Jupiter and counted in all the world most famous rather a God taken then a man as Euripides doth testifie would be often found amongst children and young innocent infants playing saying this sentence with a child in his hand I play with children which for the change thereof is so grateful unto me as though I were in the games of Olimpia The self-same famous Hercules went to school to Livius to learn to play upon the Harp to solace him in his sadnesse and to make him merry when he was compelled to mourn In the middest of his triumph went that great Conquerour Alexander likewise to learn musick That divine and godly Prophet David played upon his Harp and served his God with hymns and godly ballads It is written that in the marriage of King Cadmus the son of Agenor who builded Thebes in Boetia the Muses played on instruments In Gréece musick was so esteemed that their sages and wise Philosophers addicted themselves wholly to musick The Arcadians the Lacedemonians and the Thracians though they were people much given to wars severe in dealing hardy in all travels and in learning most inexperienced yet would they acquaint themselves with musick till they were thirty years old The people of Créet brought up their youth in all kind of melody and harmony The most part of the world did learn musick save in Egypt where as Diodorus in his second book affirmeth musick was forbidden least the tender and soft minds of their youth should be inticed to too much pleasure And though some contemn musick with Diogenes and say that it were more profitable to mend manners then to learn musick and some with Alcibiades despise musick who was wont to say that the Thebans were méet men to learn musick for that they could not speak but that the Athenians should hate such wanton tunes for that they spake without instruments Likewise King Pyrrhus being demaanded which was the best musitian Python or Charisius he despising them and their musick preferred a great warriour according to his own mind named Polysperches though these I say with divers others despised musick yet we read again as wise as they as stout as they used much musick as Acaâ—les Alexander the great Nero Silla M. Cato Socrates Cimon Too many might I repeat the learned Jopas whose songs in Virgil are expressed the Salij whose pleasant pamphlets Rome a long while embraced and much estéemed For as musick is delightfully pleasant full of harmony and melody so is musick terrible also and full of life and courage For we read in the old age while yet the world was rain that Aliates King of Lidia in his wars against the Milesians had Musitians for his Trumpetters Pipers and Fidlers as Herodoâ—us in his first book affirmeth to move the people with musick to wars The people of Créet as Gellius writeth had Gitterns and Cithrons playing before them as they went to the field to fight The Parthians used as Plutarchâ—s in the life of Crastus reporteth the beating of drums at their going into field the Ethiopians used songs of divers tunes and dancings before they went to wars the Syrians before they met their enemies would sing ballads to honour the fame of the wars with all kind of dancing to solace themselves the Cimbrians did make melody with dry skins beating the skins with sticks like drum sticks at the very entrance to the enemies Cyrus the great King did with his souldiers sing to Castor and Pollux before he took his voyage to the enemies the Athenians would sing hymns to Iupiter before they would go to the field the first noise and sound that the Lacedemonians had as Thâ—cidides saith instead of Trumpets were Flutes til ' by an Oracle they were warned of Apollo that if they thought to have victory over Moslena they should appoint a man of Athens for their Captain the Athenians being right glad of the Oracle for that the Lacedâ—monians and Athenians were alwaies enemies one to another they sent to Athens for a Captain who appointed to them a lame and a deformed man named Dircaeus in a reproach and mock of the Lacedemonians This Dircaeâ—s being appointed and made Captain over all the people of Sparta he first then invented the trump and taught all the Lacedemonians to sound the trump which was such a terrour to the enemies the people of Messena that at the first sound of the trumpets they fled and so the Lacedemonians got the victory thus was the ancient musick in the beginning so necessary that every country indeavoured to have skil in musick then Mars claimed musick in the field now
Venus onely exerciseth musick in chambers This is that kind of gentle and soft musick the Egyptians forbad the youth to be taught lest from men they would become again women but shall we join the old ancient games the mirth the solace and the plays that they used in those days together with their musick to prove the agility of that time and the activities of that age to be much estéemed amongst the Gréeks and Gentiles The Gréeks had four great games appointed the first in mount Olimpia in Arcadia hard by the City Pisa which Hercules invented first to honour Iupiter this was so famous amongst the Greeks that even as the Romans used to account their time by their Consuls so did the Greeks use to number by the games of Olimpia which was appointed every fifth year Vnto this game came all the youth of the world both on horseback and on foot to do masteries the reward was appointed for the victors a Garland made of Olive leaves for they came not there for money but for mirth and exercise ' insomuch that when Tigranes King Artabanus son heard of the fame thereof and of the Garlands of Olive he said Well worthy were the Greeks to be spoken of that so little estéemed money the Olive was preferred for the chief reward in Olympia This same moved first King Xerxes to wax against the Greeks to his losse and decay The second games were called Pithii and invented of Apollo in memory that he killed the great Serpent Python which was of Iuno sent to kill Latona Apollo his mother Here was appointed for the victors either on foot or on horseback a garland made of Oken leaves Here likewise all the youth of Greece exercised feats practised policies used masteries and proved themselves in any thing that they felt themselves apt to perform as in running leaping wrastling riding swimming or such like as then was used the third was called Isthmia invented of Theseus in the honour of Neptune In this play was appointed for the victors certain garlands made of Pine leaves having the name of Isthmos a place in Achaia where Neptune is worshipped The fourth game is called Nemea which the Argives make in memory of Hercules for that he killed a great fierce Lion in the woods of Nemea according to the name of the play Here do likewise the Argives come to exercise youth and practise feats as the rest do these four plays were long in Greece observed as causes and occasions for men to come together to shew feates and to try qualities the first in Olimpus for Iupiter the second in Delos for Apollo the third in Isthmos a place in Achaia for Neptune the fourth amongst the Argives to Hercules In the first play the garland of victory was made of Olive in the second play the garland of victory was of Oke in the third play they had their garlands of Pine in the fourth play of Poplar and thus then they triumphed in their mirth they joied in their victories they gloried in their garlands while the Lawrel as Ovid said was not known Besides these four famous plays there were divers others as Pyrrhus play which he invented in Creet for the souldiers to exercise themselves in arms wherein he taught divers gestures and sundry postures whence first procéeded the use of wars this was a kind of dâ—ncing in arms as Dionisius Hali in his seventh book saith which was by the people called Curetes maintained in the memory of Pyrrhus Licaon likewise invented other kind of plaies where naked men contrary to Pyrrhus games did use feats of activity Divers other games were had in great estimation in Greece being made and invented of men but the first inventeur of mirth was as Diodorus saith Mercurius which onely was invented to recreate the people and to practise agility and feats of bodies Others there were of lesse name but of as great mirth as divers kinds of playing at the Ball which is an ancient game as it séemeth in Virgil and it was much used sometime amongst the Troyans for when Aeneas immediately after the destruction of Troy came unto Italy he taught the exercise of the ball before he married Lavinia King Latinus daughter and at this day it is much used in divers countries Again for further recreation they used sundry kinds of playing at dice. Herodotus doth witnesse that the old and ancient Lidians did first find out the dice and Ball though Plini doth report that one named Pythus first found the play at the Ball but for the certainty thereof since so many balls there are and the playing likewise is so variable both Plini and Herodotus may well agree for the people of Lydia at a certain time being oppressed with great dearth and so plagued with hunger they invented then divers kinds of games at dice as Herodotus affirms to pass the time in playing to forget huÌ„ger for they fed one day they came together the second day to play thus eating a little one day to satisfie nature they plaied the second day to forget hunger Again there was amongst the ancient Gréeks a play much like unto our chesse play which one Xerxes a wise man first invented to warn a tyrannous prince which he their served to forsake his tyranny and to let him understand by his play that a Prince ought to be vigilant and to use his subjects as his force and strength even as the play is in moving the Pawns the Knights the Bishops for the defence and bulwarks of the King thus as the player I mean Xerxes did shew his master the King the effect of the play how the King was preserved by playing wisely of the men lest they be lost so the tyrant himself understood by the play of Xerxes how dangerous that Princes state is that useth not well his subjects nor discréetly sée and watch for their commodities which is the Princes safety Another play was used then in Gréece either upon the Dice or else closely in hand called Even and odde This play came from Greece unto Rome in the time of Augustus Caesar the second Emperor of Rome as Suetonius doth write in the life of Augustus wrote a Letter unto his daughter in Rome after this sort Daughter I send thee two hundred and fifty Sestercij which I give amongst thy guests to play after supper the Greek play called Even and odde whether it be at Dice or close in hand Le ts likewise were much used for recreation and mirth with divers other sundry games and plays to recreate the mind of man which both the Greeks and Gentiles did practise as well to try their wits as also to use pastime and mirth to draw company together to be merry I leave the Gréeks a while and will speak something of the Roman pastimes and sports which in nothing were inferiour to the Gréeks but rather excelled Gréece and all the world in all qualities And lest I should seem tedious I will speak of no