of 29. dayes which amount iust vnto the number of the 11. daies which in euery one of the 19 years do waÌ„t in that other reckning for in 19. years of 12. months in the year according to the Iewes account the sun had gotten 19. times 11. daies which amount to two hundred and nine dayes and these monthes added one sometime to some third and sometime an other to some second yeare of the nintenth amount to as manie dayes so that in the 19. yeare the yeere of the sunne and the yeere of the moone by the Iewes account did perfectly agree The day of their Neomenia that is ahe first day of the moone was kept holyday but so as any man might worke therein and those which would not might bee present at the sacrifice then offered extraordinarily with sounde of trumpets and other musicke to the ende that hauing consâ—crated to Gods honour the first of their time as first fruites God would prosper theÌ„ in all the month following These were the ordinarie feasts which continued from the beginning of the yeere to the ende the Sabaoth euerie seuenth day and the calends or Neomeniâ— euerie first day of the moone The solemnitie of their Phâ—se or passeouer by which they would both shew themselues gratefull for a good turne and instruct all their posteritie how graciously God delt with them in Egypt the night before they tooke their iourney from thence when he slew the first begotten both of men and beast from the highest to the lowest of euery kind or as some thinke not onely the first begotten for a second sonne although hee were not absolutelie the auncientest of his house yet hee might bee the auncientest in the house whereat that time he was for in euerie house one laye dead and passed ouer onely the housen in which were the Hebrewes at the sight of a sign made like vnto a T. vppon the posts of their doores with the bloud of a lambe or a kid the same night killed and eaten in the house was obserued the fourteenth day of the first moone in the yeare and that Moone they did alwayes account the first in the yeare whose firste daye was nearest vnto the Equinoctiall in the Sommer spring time for before this solemnitie was instituted they accounted their beginning of their yeare at the other Equinocticall according to the custome of the Egyptians which account they did not altogether afterward neglect but vsed it in their secular affayres as they vsed this other in their diuine ceremonies and called the one a holy yeare and the other a secular yeare This holy yeare was instituted by God himself and promulgated by Moses and was obserued in remembrance that in this moneth they were brought froÌ„ Egypt this feast was celebrated in this maner Vpon the 14. day of that moone at the sunne set or before they had ready a lambe or a kid of a yeare old or vnder cleare from all disease both in the skin and body and after that it was offered vnto God which the Priests did by lifting it vp before God it should be killed rosted eaten in the same house and if they were not sufficient in the house to eate a lambe or a kidde they should call in their neighbours alwayes prouided that they were Iews or at the least Proselites that is circuÌ„cised if they were Gentiles before which was a great helpe vnto the poore who were not able to buy a lambe or a kidde they might not cast away anie part of the lambe or kidde but after they had washed the entrailes they put them in again and rosted it whole from the heade vnto the feete neyther might they breake any bone thereof or seeth any part they were to eate it with vnleauened bread and wild lettuse they had staues in their handes and shooes on their feet a thing not vsed in their feasts for at feasts they sat barefoote whereby they woulde signifie that they did eat in haste and were readie to bee gone and therefore they did not sit but stood at this feast wherefore when wee reade of some who did rise to wash others feete after this feast it is not to be vnderstoode that they did rise immediately after this feast for they were vp and stoode at it although the phrase might beare it when anie newe thing is attempted but they did rise from the supper which was vsually made after this feast this being instituted to fulfill a ceremonie rather then to fill the bellie and the same custome continued a long time after that the thing it selfe was vsed of which this was partly a figure if any of the lambe or kidde remayned not eaten it was to bee burned the next morning if the householde were verie great that a lambe could not satisfie their hunger it was not lawfull for them to kill any more then one in this ceremonie but they might afterward eat what they would to satisfie them Yet some haue thought that no moe nor fewer then ten persons might be at the eating of a lambe This holy day began when the lambes or kiddes beganne to bee offered andx ended when the euening was come yet they might eate of the lambe vntill midnight notwithstanding that the same euening an other feast was begun which continued 8. dayes and was called the feast of vnleauened bread because it was not lawfull for theÌ„ to haue any other in the house all that time It was also called Phase as the former feast was by the same name wer the sacrifices called which were offered in those dayes of the feast and the like conditions were required of puritie in those which eate of them for as they were commaunded vnder paine of death to eate their pascall lambe so might they not eate it if they had contracted any vncleannesse by touching any dead body wherfore in such case it was lawfull for them to keepe the next moneth and keepe this feast then according vnto their rites prescribed In this feast of their Phase they kept the first day and the last so holy that in them they might doe no other work then dresse meate vpon the second day vnlesse it were the sabaoth they gathered of the ripest of the barley and after they had scorched the sheafe in the fire they grinded the corne brought the quantity of 4. pouÌ„d weight which they mingled with oyle offered it with frankensence as the first fruits of the earth partly in remeÌ„brance that at such a time they came froÌ„ Egypt partly in thanksgiuing vnto God for their increase which the priests took and throwing some of the flower and oyle into the fire also all the frankensence they kept the rest of the flowre and the oyle to their owne vse The cause why their phase had so short a solemnitie and their feast of sweete bread so long is for that their first phase was no longer and they eate of vnleaueâ—ed bread a long time and this order did they alwayes keept
weekely that what Manna they gathered vpon the sixt day was as good vpon the seuenth day as when they gathered it wheras the Manna which was gathered vppon any other day was eaten with wormes by the next morning and this their sabaoth day is our Saturday By this name of sabaoth also they call the weeke and accounted the morrow after the sabaoth the first of the sabaoth and so forward vnto the sixt of the sabaoth which because then they prepared theyr victuall readie to be eaten the next day they called the Parasceue of the sabaoth and generally they called all their feates sabaoths But there was one sabaoth among them which many doubt what kinde of holyday it was they called it a seconde first sabaoth Some say it was a sabaoth which fel next after another holiday Some do say it was a sabaoth which fell the next day before another holiday Some say that that word first doth not signifie any order in number but in dignitie that meaning of the second first Sabaoth may bee of a Sabaoth which was a chiefe Sabaoth but not so great as another might be such were the Sabaoths which lighted within the Octaues of some great feast and were called great Sabaoths but when the first day of the feast being no doubt greater then the other lighted vppon a Sabaoth that Sabaoth was greater then if the second daye of the feast should light vpon the Sabaoth and if there were any difference betwixt the solemnitie of the first day of the feast and the last day then may such a Sabaoth being the Octaue of a feast be accounted the second chiefest Sabaoth because none could bee greater then that but one vppon which should fall the first day of the feast So that the second first-sabaoth may bee sayde to bee the second chiefe Sabaoth that is either a Sabaoth within the Octaues of a feast or else the Octaue it selfe if it fell on a Sabaoth day The Sabaoths as also all other their feasts beganne the euening before the day and continued vntill the euening of the same day the euening was then thought to beginne when the shepheards starre appeared and to euery day belonged but one euening so that when it is sayd from euening to euening they celebrated their feasts it is to be vnderstood from the begining of the first to the beginning of the next euening for then was it lawfull for them to worke A greater difficultie it is how farre the Iewes might walke vpon this Sabaoth for as they were restrayned from dressing any meate which vppon all other holydayes they might except theyr day of expiation So likewise it was lawfull for them to walke but with in certaine limits which some haue thought did extend vnto twoo mile and prooue it by tradition from the Iewes some saye it did extend but vnto two thousand cubits and prooue it by the order which the Iews obserued in the wildernesse because they fixed their tents so farre from the tabernacle whether no doubt they repayred vppon the Sabboath others because that an infallible truth hath reuealed that the mount Oliuet was a sabaoth dayes iourney from Hierusalem which mount was scantly two hundred foot from the Cittie doe thinke that this was their stint and they doe confirme it by the tradition of the Iewes who affirme that their Rabbins so taught them but how much or how little so euer it was no doubt the Iewes were as precise in obseruing it as in other things belonging vnto the Sabaoth which rather then they would not most strictly obserue they would offer themselues to bee slaine as once it chaunced at Sea where a Iewe holding the sterne as soone as hee perceiued the sunne set vpon Friday at night left it and lay prostrate vpon the ground not without amazâ—ng all other in the shippe who thought that they had beene in some desperate dannger of theyr liues but when they vnderstood that hee did it for Religion sake as who would do no worke vpon the sabaoth day then new begun one ranne to him with a sword and threatned to kil him if he tooke not againe the sterne in hand but his threates were in vaine for the Iewe would not worke vntill he was sure the Sabaoth was past And in the hystorie of the Machabees it is shewed that a thousand suffered themselues to bee slaine by Antiochus his souldiers who knew the Iewes would not strike that day in their owne defence which when Mathathias perceiued aud conceiued that if they did keepe their Sabaoth so strictly in this point that all the Iewes might bee slaine without any battaile hee exhorted the rest not to stande vpon any nice points which grewe rather vpon too much scrupulousnesse then vpon the true meaning of the law So that when the next sabaoth came and the souldiers assaulted them as they did before thinking to haue murdered them without â—â—istaunce the Iewes did not onely defend themselues but also offended their enemies and gaue them a bloudie ouerthrow and thought it no breach of their sabaoth when they sawe by the contrarie obseruation that both the people and their lawe would quicklie haue an ende And other solemnitie was among the Iews which they called the feast of Neomenia that is the feast of the new Moone or the first day of the Moone for the Iewes reckoned their Moneths from the first appearing of the moon vntil it did appeare again after once it left to appeare for the discrying of which they had euery where in their sinagogues that is to say their places where they met togither at their deuotions a high tower into which one did ascende with a trumpet in his hand at the sunne set next day after they knewe the coniunction of the sunne and the Moone and as soone as he saw the Moone hee sounded his trumpet by which he gaue all the Iews in that place to vnderstande the beginning of the new moneth this account did they alwayes obserue concerning the moone without any respect either to her natural course which is from west toward the east and in 27. daies and 8. houres returneth to the same point from whence it went or to the time in which it doth appear in her violent course from the east to the west for that time is no more than 28. daies but alwaies to her coniunction with the sun which is once in 29. daies 12 houres and because those od 12 houres should breed no confusion they added to euery second month 1. day so that the first month was alwaies of 29. dayes the second of 30. and in this sort they did account 12. monthes in the yeeare But because in a short time according vnto this account a coÌ„fusion might be of times this yeare of 12. months thus reckoned wanting 11. daies euerie yeare of the course of the sunne to accorde their yeares with the yeare of the sunne in 19. yeares they added 7. months 6 months of 30. daies one
and in the fore-part thereof hung plate of gold somewhat ouer his fordhead tyed with a skie-coloure silke ribband behind his head in which plate of gold were engrauen words of this signification The holy of the Lord but the word which signified the Lord was expressed with these foure caracters by which no man euer knew howe to spell it rightly or at the least were afrayde to speake it yet some presumed to call it Iehouah from this plate backward went rounde about on both sides of his head a triple crowne of golde wrought and embossed much like vnto the Henbane leafe In these ornaments the high Priests offred sacrifice that same day at the altar which stood in the Court which was called the Priestes court and at all other times when they offered sacrifice and the reason why hee did not in this glorious attire enter into the most holy place was because hee entred at that time to sacrifice for the sinnes of the people for which hee went in in a more humble sort and all the people that daye did fast but afterwarde in token of ioy that all were cleansed from their sinnes hee attired himselfe as is declared and proceeded to a second sacrifice in the place where the inferiour Priestes did offer euerie day according to the order taken for the purpose but their ornaments were no other then such as the high Priest did weare when hee entred into the holyest place of all holyes This dayly sacrifice which they offred in the Court was a lambe a yeere olde or vnder which was without spot that is without any deformitie or disease either in skin or limbe with somewhat more then a pecke of flower a pottle of wine and as much of the best oyle and this was offered morning and euening beside all other sacrifices whatsoeuer or whensoeuer they were offered and this was the second office of the Priests in the Temple the third was to change the bread of proposition which stood in the Temple next vnto the Court Westward which was but once in a weeke the fourth was to trimme the lampes in the golden candlesticke in the same place and this was also doone morning and euening The fift was to offer vp incense at the Altar called the Altar of Incense or the golden Altar which stood in the same Temple right before the doore by whâ—ch the high Priest entred into the inmost Temple which office was performed euerie day morning and euening wheâ— Zacharias because he would not beleeue what was sayd vnto him by the Angell was bereaued of the vse of his owne tongue so that the B. virgin might gesse at her welcome onely by the entertainement onely which hee gaue her and was not to looke for any lip-ceremonies of him who could not in that maner bid himselfe welcome but had it not beene that truth could not haue beene contrary to it selfe he who had sette a locke vpon his lips vntil his child should be named would haue giuen Zacharias his tongue as free passage to haue ioyed in his libertie as his heart had often felt paine for his incredulitie and not haue let the father make so many dumbe shewes of his inward griefe who caused both the mother and the son in her wombe to make so many open signes of their vnspeakable mirth but his word being past standeth still for a law yet so farre forth as his lips could doe heartie loues message he omitted not what kinred inuited him vnto and the custome of the countrey allowed him to doe acknowledging that in his mind which he could not vtter as hee would with his mouth and because she was one whose company could not bee too much desired it was no small corasiue vnto him that he could not giue her that entertainement which shee deserued but both hee and his wife did their endeuour to let their guest vnderstand that although neither the place nor the companie were able to giue her condigne entertainement yet that both the place and the companye were at her commaundement and shee as one who had her minde well fraught with hâ—militie thinking too much homage could not bee exhibited vnto her childe nor too little honour vnto her selfe required their forwardnesse with as friendly but humble thankes minding in no one poynt to be wanting vnto her coosens if at any time they should stand in need of her seruice The dayes of her abode with them seemed to them both too short their discourses euery day waxing sweeter then other and the nightes were iudged too long although they promised still they would bee shorter which both cut off their talke too soone and kept them too long asunder hauing very ample and pleasing themes to delate vpon in the day time and nothing but dreames of their day talke in the night time Elizabeth would discourse vnto her coosen how the Angell appeared to Zacharias in the Temple what hee promised and how farre forth his promise was performed with hope that he which punished an others false heart in his tongue would not haue his owne tongue blemished with any falshoode for no doubt Zacharias did seeke by all meanes possible to animate his amated wife when hee sawe her in her dumpes for his dumbnesse and for such cause woulde not sticke to write that at the least in Tables which hee coulde not vtter with his tongue which shee laboured as a most gratefull lesson vntill shee had perfectly learned his fortunate misfortunes and perceyuing howe greatlie his incredulitie had displeased the Angell shee often intimated to her Coosen as at her first meeting howe blessed shee was who had beleeued the Oracle And the virgin when her warrant was sufficiently signed with her coosens silence required her with as straunge a storie in respect of the maner but of a farre more noble pleasaunt and profitable a matter For although her Coosen had supernaturally some notice thereof yet was shee very farre from the knowledge of many circumstances belonging therevnto Entring therefore into the discourse of her annunciation she vsed few wordes as became a Maiden but such as might fitly proceed from the grâ—â—â—est Mation leauing off when shee sawe her time with a full period of her 〈◊〉 speach and giuing a greater appetite of knowing how in the end she sped beside infinite other matters which continually came into her minde both of her sonnes greatnesse in himselfe and his goodnesse toward others for being his mother therefore not without iust cause iudging herselfe to haue the second right in him she thought it fit she should giue place to no more then one in the commendations of him one thing onely seemed to afflict those poore women in the highest of their happinesse that they might talke of perchance and feele but could neither see nor here those sacred babes which made them both so blessed mothers yet did they often embrace and kisse them in their mindes whome they were sure they had inclosed within their sanctified wombs But
some say beside what 〈◊〉 ordinarie taxes were sometime exacted by the Emperour as his treasure wasted And most gladly would Ioseph at this time haue doubled the tax that he might haue stayed at Nazareth for Winter being but half gone and therefore at the sharpest and the virgin almost all gone out her time and therefore at the biggest it did not onely moue him to extreame melancholie but menaced also an irreparable miserie for Ioseph pitying as hee loued and louing without limit pitie caused that in him which because he enioyed his loue loue could not so that now he began to languish with thinking that she whom he so intirely loued should be subiect to so perilous an accident as not hauing many daies to reckon to her deliuerie she should be compelled to trauaile no few dayes iourney But shee who was alway aswell fraught with ioy as she was full of grace and assured that neither foule weather could wrong her nor long waies weary her to doe her any harme hauing him in her wombe who was to commaund both the earth and the heauens comforted her husbande in such sort as she both acquieted his minde and quickned againe his spirits that now he beganne to haue an assured hope hee should bring her happily to the ende of a hard iourney in which after that he had once set forward hee wayted more vpon her lookes then he looked vnto his owne wayes more then necessarie care commanded him for her easier trauaile thinking not any thing did more then dutie which either exhibited that which might ease her or prohibited that which might displease her Three dayes iourney was Nazareth from Hierâ—salem but all circumstances considered very likelie they made it aboue foure from whence they went to Bethleem for although that Hierusalem were the chiefe Citie and all the kings were of the tribe of Iuda after king Saul yet was Hierusalem in that portion of land which fell by lot to Benâ—amin Bethleem was a Citie sixe miles south from Hierusalem possessed by Caleb at the Iewes first entrance into Palestina he was a prince of the tribe of Iuda and one of the twelue Princes sent by Moyses from the desart to take view of Palestina and also one of the two which brought all glad tydings to enconragâ—â— the people wherefore he onely and Iosâ—â—e who was the other of all the Iewes who were aboue twentie yeeres of age when these two returned backe to Moyses entred into this land the rest being all dead in the wildernes for murmuring against God who had promised to bring them thither It was also the more famous for one called Abessan who liued in the time that the people were gouerned by Iudges himself was iudge 7. yeeres he married froÌ„ thence out of his house 30. daughters tooke home vnto him 30. wiues for his 30. sons This Citie was sometime called Ephrada and the whole countrey about it as some doe say because that Ephradâ— Caleb his wife was there buried but others doe shew that it was so called in Iacob the patriarch his time and it kept that name vntill a great plentie of corne came after that dearth which caused Noenn and her husband and houshold to goe and dwell in the countrie of the Moabites and after this plentifull time it beganne to bee called Bethleem which is as much to say as the house of bread but when as that king Dauid was their annoynted king of the Iewes for there was he first annoynted by Samuel and because he was there borne and brought vp as also his father grandfather and other his ancestors it was called after his name as the worthiest of them all the Citie of Dauid The soyleround about it was comparable vnto the most fruitfull part of Palestina the Citie stood vpon the top of a reasonable high hill which what it lacked in breadth it had in length the going vppe vnto it was only on the west side and that not werie easie because it was somewhat steepe Hither came Ioseph aâ—d Mary not so welcome as wearie yet not so hardly vsed as they were well contented they enquired from one end of the Citie to the other neither for loue nor mony could they bee entertained euerie house perchance in the Citie hauing some guest might also haue some colour for their discurtesie but any little corner in a house at such a pinch could not but haue beene accounted great hospitalltie they looked not for the best they sought a meane host but the verie worst cottage would not bee opened vnto them this fauour onely did they finde that being come in at the one gate they might without any trouble goe out at the other where by good fortune nature wrought that in beasts which nurture could not work in men A yong womaÌ„ tired with trauel for in mans conceit it had beene more fit to haue been with hir midwife in some house then to be wandering in the streets with her husband moued people to so little piâ—tie as the beastes were thereof ashamed and freely gaue them such house-roome as themselues enioied for not farre from the East gate of the Citie was an hollow place in a rocke either by nature or art made fit for the receite of cattell wherein was a maunger where stoode an Oxe and an Asse and into this rocke entered the wearied couple in the coldest time of Winter where they neither had other companie nor comfort then is alreadie shewed no bed was made to ease them no boord was spred to refresh them Some little what did poore Ioseph prouide in the towne to vittail theÌ„ and somwhat perchaunce had he from the beasts to lay vnder them he got some light that they might see aswel as feele what they wanted And when they perceiued the incoÌ„ueniencie of the place to be such as they knew not where to make any little fire they resolued themselues that patience and contentment must be their best fare with which after they had spent halfe the night and the virgin perceiued her houre was come to be deliuered she applied her self vnto her wonted deuotions Ioseph being warned thereof hastened to make ready such cloutes as he brought with him when in a moment did he appeare in the world who was before all worldes and his mother taking him in hiâ— armes swadled him in as good order as either her skill or her clothes would suffer her and laide him in the maunger betwixt the Oxe the Asse who with their breath qualified the coldnesse of the aire round about him her selfe also being readie to comfort him what she could least that he should suffer any inconuenience by taking cold Wonder O ye heauens be astonished O earth he who was prince both of heauen and earth seemeth to haue forsaken heauen to lyue in earth Was it euer heard since the beginning of the world that one of such a nature as neither any sense could discerne any portraiture nor any science discouer his least
the aire that neuer came any winde or raine at the toppe thereof as appeared by that certaine Philosophers left there some caracters in dust which they found in the same maner after a yeare but neither could any bird mount vp vnto the toppe thereof because the aire was too pure for any inferiour creature for which cause the Philosophers which went vp caryed with them spunges full of water through which they might take ayre more agreeable to their nature In these games was nothing worthie praise vnpractised and both warriours were rewarded for their worthy courses and wise men regarded for their wittie discourses These were first deuised by Hercules in honour of his father Iupiter and euerie fift yeeere so precisely obserued that after they were once begun no other account was made of the yeere then from such an Olimpye game or such a yeere after it and these were alwayes vsed in summer when the dayes were at the longest Other games were followed by the Grecians in the worship of other Gods as their Pythiâ—â— in honour of Apollo at Delphos and their Isthmia in honour of Neptune or Palaemon or both neere vnto Corinth The Romanes also beside running with horses and with chariots and fighting naked with swords to this end that being in warres it should bee no wonder vnto them to see woundes had other games as their Saturnallâ— in honour of Saturne which they kept fiue daies in December in feasting sporting and mutuall presenting with gifts and in remembrance of the golden world when Saturne was king they reckoned all things so in common for those fiue dayes as there was neither owner of any substance nor maister of any seruant These were first deuised by Ianus a king of Italy and dedicated yeerely vnto Saturne They had other games which they called Lâ—percals in which the young nobilitie ranne naked vp and downe with such beasts skinnes as were then sacrificed striking euerie one whom they met and women offered themselues in their way hoping by their strokes to haue the easier trauaile if they were with childe or to waxe bigge if they were before barren These were vsed in the honour of Pan and were named Lupercalles either because they offered sacrifice to Pan for the preseruing of their flocks from the wolfe or because they sacrificed dogges to gratifie the wolfe which nursed Romulus and Rhemus or thirdly because the sacrifice was offered at the foote of mounte Palatine in Rome where there was a caue consecrated to Pan which in remembrance that Romulus and Rhemus were there nursed by a wolfe was named Lupercall Some say these games were so called because the sacrifices then offered were to purge the hellish spirits with the bloud of goates and that for this cause the moneth was called Februarie in which these games were vsed Others say they had their name of a mountain in Arcadia called Lycea where they were first inuented and were afterward brought into Italy by Euander the Arcadian king at what time hee was banished out of his owne countrey and hereupon they say the games were performed by naked men because they were deuised in Arcadia when the people were both bare of cloathing and of barbarous condition and so continued also afterward when they were of a more ciuill conuersation Others say that Pan mistaking Hercules for Iole who vpon some occasion at that time slept in he Lions skinne was once so discouered before hee got his wished pray that he departed with nought but shame of his wanton purpose and could neuer after that his conceited euil spâ—ed abide any aparrel in his sports Other some say this naked running vp and down was in remembrance of a worthie victorie which Romulus had ouer certaine theeues who while the people were busie in these sports draue away a great companie of their cattell and Romulus vnderstanding thereof naked as he was vpon some other occasion pursued them and brought back the stoln pray for which cause those which ran thus naked had their faces stayned with bloud and other followed after with wooll dipped in milke to wash them but whatsoeuer was the cause of their sports thus was the course of their life spent After these were other deuised in honour of Ianus who was sometime a king of Italy to whoÌ„ they built a famous temple and set therein his picture which they made with two faces to signifie the concord which was made betwixt Romulus king of the Romanes and Titus Tatius king of the Sabins at what time a bloudy warre being begun to one or others ouerthrow the maidens which were stolne by the Romanes and for reueÌ„ge of which rape the Sabians vowed the vtter ruine of the Romanes came into the fielde and offered themselues to death rather then they would liue to see for theyr cause either their parents slaine on the one side or theyr husbandes whome they now fancyed on the other side This Temple of Ianus the Romanes did leaue open so long as they had any warres abroade with forraine nations either because that going foorth to warre they should also haue a care of their countrey they left behind them as the Idoll looked both forward and backward or else in hope of some extraordinarie helpe by Ianus his protection when they should bee driuen to any extremitie because that the Sabiâ—ns hauing compelled Romulus to take this Temple for his best defence were forced to retyre by a whole water which sprunge in great aboundance from before the Temple against them Many other things are recorded of Ianus which many thinke are to bee applyed to diuers of the same name but hee in whose honour the first of the two moneths which Numa Pompilius Romulus his successor added vnto Romulus his yeere was Ianus king of Italie who built a Citie not far from the place where afterward Rome was built and called it Ianiculum and him they thought they did so gretly honor when they were either ouer lauish in expences or too lasciuious in their sports that when his calends came that is the first day of that month hee seemed the deuoutest in this rite who shewed by his ryot that hee neither deemed it a shame at any time afterward to bee in want nor a sinne to be at all times wanton These as the first in the yeere and other abuses as they fell came the Prince this day to abolish as hee shewed both by the shedding of his precious bloud and the sound of his princely name Yet notwithstanding that he was a prince and therefore freeborne and a priest and therefore to be forborne so soone as his name was giuen him he was sessed by the officers and paid a tribute vnto his owne subiect for as yet the infants of Palestina were not exempted from this taxe and the mother was the more willing to conceale her sonnes deitie because she thought it would nothing derogate from his dignitie being at that time taken for a priuate person not for a prince But not
that what feast they did celebrate in remembrance of that which chaunced but once or for one day they did keepe but one day solemne for it and for that which chanced many dayes they kept their Octaues and therefore they celebrated also their feast of Penticost in one day because the fifteth day after they were come into the wildernes God did appeare vnto them vpon the mount Sinai and gaue them the law so that this fifteth day was not accounted after the eating of the Lamb but after the offring of the first fruits in the Temple which was the thirde day after the eating of the Lambe in which day they entred into the wildernesse In the feast of Penticost they offered wheate corne euerie one two loaues but with leauen of foure pound weight a loafe at what time also they offered other sacrifices vnto God for his benefites but some of the cattell when the priestes had lifted them vp were to the priests vse and all the bread because it was not lawfull to sacrifice any leuen vnto God In their seuenth month of their yeere which they called their holy yeere they had 4 solemnities First they celebrated the first daye of the moneth as in all other moneths with the sound of Trumpets and other musicke with this onely difference that in remembrance of the sacrifice of the ramme which hung by the hornes in the brambies on the top of the mountaine Morea was offered in place of Isaac whom by Gods commandement Abraham had sacrificed had he not beene at that time countermanded the Iews did in this solemnitie sound their rammes hornes thanking God for Isaac his deliuerie and hoping of like fauour whensoeuer they should bee in like affliction The second feast in this moneth was the day of Expiation which was as strictly obserued as the sabaoth It was celebrated in remembrance of Gods mercie towarde them after they had fallen into Idolatrie at mounte Sinai where they adored the golden calfe of which mercye they had a manifest signe when Moses as that day brought vnto them the tables wherein the law was written the seconde time for when it was written Moyses offended with their Idolatrie brake the tables which he had receiued of God Vpon this day only did the high Priest no mā but hee enter into the holyest place of the Temple with the bloud of a calfe and a goat prayed for the people that their sins might be forgiuen thē x which he confessed before God laying his hand vpon the head of a quick goat afterward he caused it to bee carried away into the wildernes wherby he would signifie that al their sins were forgiuen them Then attiring himself in his rich ornaments for when he went into the holiest place hee wore no other then the ordinarie Priests did weare when they offered sacrifice he offred at the common Altar a great sacrifice and this feast was alwaies vpon the 10. of the 7. month but it began vpon the 9. day at night whē also al the people begā their fasting which they did continue all the next daye this fast began so soone in respect of the solemnitie thereof as far exceeding all other fasts of which they had in euery of the twelue moneths some beside their ordinarie feasts euery weeke which were vpon the second fift of their sabaoth that is to say vpon munday and Thursday Vpon the fifteenth of the same moneth they did celebrate the feast of the Tabernacles in remembrance that they dwelled in Tabernacles at theyr return from Egypt this feast continued 7. dayes of which the first onely was holy from work and not the last because the next day after the last of the feast they did celebrate another holyday which they caled the Meeting for a special worship of god thanksgiuing vnto him for his benefits on which it was not lawfull for them to do any worke except such as was necessarie for their foode and two such dayes they would not haue together because it seemed inconuenient for the poore who got their liuing by their handie labour by which custome it appeareth that the opinion of those was not improbable who thought that the first day of the feast of vnleuened bread was neuer kept vppon Friday but when it so fell it was put off vnto the sabaoth lest two dayes should come together in which the people might not worke and that accordingly the eating of the Lambe was transferred a day longer for that yeere which whether it were lawfull or no it is a verie great difficultie to define but not materiall in this place whether it were so or no because in some things they would do often as themselues listed but the like feast as that was of their meeting was also celebrated vpon the last day of their feast of vnleauened bread which nowe in this feast of the Tabernacles they could not so well doe because that the solemnitie of this feast of Tabernacles consisted in dwelling abroade in tabernacles where they could not conueniently meete for euerie houshold set vp a tabernacle not so large as they would but to serue their own cōpanie they set them vp in such order as tabernacles are nowe vsed the couering was of linnen perchance some skins ouer the linnen to keepe out the weather and the poorer sort who were not able to make such prouision made their Tabernacles with bowes Great sacrifice was offred in this feast of the Tabernacles all the time of the feast the people carried in their hands bows of mirtle willowes citron and palm-tree with their fruit hanging on them wherby they would shew how that they were brought out of a barren desart into a verie fruitfull country where was great plentie of all things this feast they called the feast of Scenopegia to signifie that they dwelled for this time in Tabernacles not that they might not goe forth at their pleasure but because there was their principall abode for that time At this feast was their seuenth yeere alwayes ended which they accounted frō seuenth to seuenth frō their time of their entrāce into Palestina In euery 7. yeere they did neither sow nor set nor gather any thing as their own in particular but al the fruits which the earth of it self did yeeld were cōmon for as well Gentiles as Iewes and for this cause God gaue them treble increase of all things in the sixth yeere also all those Iewes which were sold to any Iew were in this yeere sette at libertie and no debt dew to a Iew by a Iew could bee demaunded and yet they were forbidden to withdraw theyr loane from their poore neighbours when this yeere approached In this yeere the Booke of the lawe was read vnto the people and this was the solemnity of the seuenth yeere After the same manner they did account euery fiftie yeere which they did proclaim in the seuenth moneth of the 49 yeere with sound of Trumpet to bee a yeere of Iubile that