and beast Albeit I cā rather take it to be an imitacion of y e olde Romayne feastes whiche thrise in the yere had sacrifices for the prosperous successe of their corne one Vinalia for their wynes the other Robigalia for all their grayne least it should be mildued The third Floralia for all their fruites These vayne superstitious old bishoppes of Rome turned to a godly vse and trāsposed their feastyng into fastyng that the rather at the contemplacion of oure praiers and fasting God might prosper the increse of al the fruites to the sustentacion of his creatures The .iiii. Chapiter ¶ Watches were turned into fastes fastyng of Fridaies and Wednesdaies namyng the daies of the weke in sundry wise IT was the maner from the begynnyng of oure christen faith that for so much as it pleased our sauioure to be borne in the night priestes dyd ryse in the nighte season and song the houres canonical otherwyse named the Matyus the laye people was accustomed on those sainctes euens that were any solemne feastes to watch at the tombes of Martyr spraiyng and singyng holy psalmes Which thing the testimony of Plinie doeth well approue wher he writeth in a pistle to Traiane how that much nomber of people was slaine in whom he could neuer espye any faulte sauyng that afore daye at certayne tymes and feastes they arose and song of cōmendacion of Christ whom they called God But as tyme is corrupter of al thynges worldely in processe as deuocion beganne to abate in stead of hymnes they song dissolute balades praier was turned into wanton daliaunce The youth went about lyght amorous companye the eldest personnes practised baudry women were not ashamed to geue them selues to be corrupted in al kynd of whordome Vpō this occasion the olde fathers seyng least it myght growe to a further in conuenience turned the Vigilles into fastyng dayes Notwithstandyng the priestes vsed their ordinarye tymes of seruyse as they were wont to do and suche feastes were called by the name of Vigilles and obserued with no lesse reuerence then the faste of Lent This remedy was prouided after sainct Hieromes tyme whiche died the yere of oure Lorde cccc.xxii when Bonifacius the seconde was bishoppe of the sea of Rome The lyke custome was also obserued among the Egyptians whiche on the euens of theyr hyghe feastes fasted and after thei had slepte thei offered a cowe all suche night sacrifices and obseruances for like causes wer by a perpetuall lawe in Grece abrogated by Diagundas a Thebane The faste of wednesdaie and Fridaie was cōmaunded by the fathers bicause on the one daie Christ was crucified and on the wednesdaie Iudas purposed in his minde to betray him as Apolonius the eloquent oratoure supposed Siluester the first bishoppe of Rome abhorryng the memorial of the vain Gentile godes decreed that the daies of the weke whiche had afore the names titles of the Sonne Moone Mars Mercury Iupiter Venus and Saturne should be called the first second third fourth fifth sixte seuenth ferie in semblable maner as the Iewes coumpted their daies frō the Sabboth daie He did also call y e firste ferie Dominicus dies that we name Sonday and called Saturday Sabbatum of the olde holy daie and rest of the Hebrues al these thynges wer dooen at the sute of Constantine then Emperour Albeit the Apostles afore that tyme had consecrated the Sondaie to the Lorde bicause that daie he rose from death the Iewes Sabboth was turned into it as maie appere by the decree of Pius that ordained the Easter to bee kepte on the Sundaie and therfore I thynke Siluester did but onely renewe thesame acte of the Sundaie It was the inuencion of the Egiptians y t the daies wer firste named after the seuen planetes as Diodorus recordeth Sācte Gregory was the authour that neither fleshe nor any thyng that hath affinitee with it as chese milke butter egges should bee eaten on suche daies as were fasted Wee haue also a maner vsage of hallowyng the table and meate afore wee bee set that begonnen of the imitacion of Christ whiche vsed thesame fashiō ouer the fiue loues in the wildernesse and at Emaus also he did insemblable wise consecrate the table in the presence of his disciples so was the fourme of saiyng grace after supper taken like wise of the custome that Christe commonly kept at his suppers The maner to reade apart of the Bible at dyner tyme hath been of long continuance and did proceade of the Godly doctryne that Christe instructed his disciples in at all tymes but namely at his last supper wherein he treated of y e perfecciō of al y e misteries of our religiō And thus our fathers to kepe in memory suche an holsom instituciō did bryng in this maner of readyng the scripture at meate or meale tyme. ⧠The .v. Chapiter ¶ The originall of holy daies Paschall candelles birthe daies LYKE as the Iewes had in their law whiche was but onely a shadawe of thynges too come holy daies appoyncted for the execucion of the misteries of their religion whom thei in one generall terme named Sabboth dais of the rest and vacasiō that thei had from bodely labours semblably our fathers haue ordaigned festiuall daies in the new testament wherein Christen men all profane businesses and eiuil maters laied aparte might wholy apply and bend themselfes to Godly and spirituall meditacions As the perusyng and readyng of scriptures heryng of deuoute sermons renderyng honor to God by sacrificyng praiyng and well dooyng bee woorkes fete and conuenient for the holy daie and also reuerencyng the memoriall of sainctes on suche daies as bee assigned to that purpose is on the holy daie laudable For oblacion is onely due to God as Paule Barnabas did openly testifie at Listra For whē he had commaunded by the power of the worde of God that the man whiche was lame from his mothers wombe should arise and walke the people for wonder and maruaile of the miracle would haue dooen sacrifice to them but thei renting their clothes departed out of the prese and with sharpe woordes rebuked their enterprise as a thyng vnmete to bee dooen to any mortall man or worldly creature Firste of all the feaste of Easter was instituted by y e Apostles and prescribed by Pius the first to be solemnised on the Sondaie Afterward as it chaunsed that alteracion of that matter arose Victor that was bishop of Rome aboute the hundred nynetie and sixe yere of our lord decreed that it should altogether bee kepte and celebrated on the Sondaie frō the fourtene daie of the firste moneth that was Marche vntill y e .xxii of the same least our ordre coumpte should agree with the Iewes whiche kept it somewhat soner then that appoyntemente speaketh of albeeit many foreyne bishoppes at the firste refused that cōstitucion bicause thei thought it not out of
to these monthes Ianuary August DeceÌ„ber euery of them .ii. daies And to April Iune SepteÌ„ber NoueÌ„ber he gaue to eche of theÌ„ one day In this maner Iulius Caesar accoÌ„plished y e yere perfectely accordyng to the course of the sunne of the .vi. houres euery .iiii. yere amouÌ„teth a day whiche causeth leape yere as we cal it in latine it is named bissextus because euery forth yere we couÌ„te twyse the .vi. calend of Marche ¶ The monthes haue their name because they measure the space and course of the Moone Thus the yere hath .xii. monthes wherof April Iune SepteÌ„ber and NoueÌ„ber haue .xxx. daies all y e rest hath .xxxi. dayes sauyng February whiche hath but xxviii in the yere be .lii. wekes and a day Daies there be CCC.lxv .vi. houres The calendes nones ides hath theyr appellacions of y e maner of rekenyng of the Romaynes CaleÌ„des were named of callyng for at euery chauÌ„ge the chiefe rular of y e sacrifices called rex sacrificulus called to an asseÌ„bly in the Capitoly or place of Rome all them of the couÌ„tree and sheweth theÌ„ theyr festiual daies and what it was lawful to do y e monthe The Nones had y e name because thei were the .ix. day froÌ„ the ides whiche ides be y e midde daies of euery moÌ„th and had theyr appellacion of the Hetruscanes terme iduare that signifieth to deuide or seperate in y e middes This fashion of countyng the month endured to the CCCC.l. yeare of the cytie was kepte secrete among the byshops of theyr religion tyl y e tyme that C. Slauius P. Sulpitius Auerrio and P. Sempronius Sophullongus then beyng Consuls against the mynde of the Senatours disclosed al theyr solemne feates published theÌ„ in a table that eueri man might haue perseueraunce of them The Prime wherby we fynde the coniunction of the moue and all mouable feastes as Lent Easter Whytsondaye with other lyke was inuented by the great clarke sainct Barnarde ¶ The .v. Chapiter ¶ Who ordeyned the houres dyals clockes deuidyng the day and night HOVRES whiche beyng in noÌ„ber xxiiii accomplishe the space of a day night were so named of the soÌ„ne whiche in the Egyptians language is called horus They at the fyrst were appointed but twelue of this occasyon Hermes Trismegistus perceiuyng a certayne beast consecrated to theyr God Serapis to make water or pisse .xii. tymes in the day of equall distaÌ„ce supposed therfore that y e day ought to be deuided into .xii. houres This noÌ„ber dyd continue long but afterwarde y t day parted in .xxiiii. houres Anaximeneâ— a Milesian found in Lacedemony the fyrst dyal that declareth the houres by y e shadow of the Gnomon It was long afore they were vsed in Rome for as Plinie writeth in the .xii. tables there was onely rehersed the risyng goyng doune of the sunne a fewe yeares after Noone or midday was added whiche the Bedel or common crier dyd denounce This was but onely on cleare daies when they might perceyue the course altitude of the soÌ„ne The fyrst dyal was set vp on a pyller openly whiche stode behynd the coÌ„mon pulpite or barre called rostra at y e cost of M. Valerius Messala then Consuls in the fyrst battail Punike The water dial was vsed fyrst in Rome by P. Scipio Nasica y e ix c yere of the cytie to deuide y e houres of the day night Albeit it was inueÌ„ted by Câ—esibius of Alexandria Afterwarde clockes made of metall were inuented by subtyl wittes and saÌ„d dials were imagined whose authours be yet vnknowen In some places the clockes strike .xxiiii. houres by order in other some as in the West partes of the worlde it smiteth twyse in the day .xii. houres in suche order that the .xii. houre is at noone and at midnight whiche is more coÌ„modiouse for the rekeners then the other The daies whiche be rekened in sundry wyse of diuerse nacions began in Egypt where the yere monthes were also deuised they take all the space from midnight to midnight for one day and the Romaynes vsed the same maner For as Plutarche writeth the suÌ„ne risyng is the beginnyng of all affayres functions the night is a tyme of counselyng apparaunce and they had assigned to euery houre a soÌ„dry ministry as Martial in his Epigramme declareth The day vvas deuided in sundry vvise That euery hour had a seueral office The .ii. first serued for salutacion The third for lavvyers alteracion Tvvo next vvere spente in labours diuersly The sixt men might them selfes rest quietly The seuenth of vvorkes vvas resolution The eight vvas for vvrestlers and in conclusion The nynth vvas limitted for mennes repast And so furth the other of time vvas made no vvast ¶ The Babilonians called the space betwene the Sunne risynges a day The Atheniens named all that was betwene the goynges doune a daye The Vmbrians counte theyr day fro noone to noone but coÌ„monly the day is called the space from mornyng tyl night The night was diuided into iiii watches whereof euerye one as Hierom wytnesseth conteyned thre houres The .vi. Chapiter ¶ Who set furth bookes fyrst or made a library Printyng paper parchement arte of memory BOOKES whiche coÌ„teyne the monumentes of ingeniouse wyttes and be a regestre of all valiaunt prowesse in Grece were fyrst published as Laertius thinketh by Anaxagoras as Gellius sayeth it was Pisistratus that made the fyrst booke exhibited it to be redde openly Notwithstandyng Iosephus declareth y t the Hebrues and priestes of Egypte and Chaldee set furth bookes fyrst The Atheniens seriously multiplied y e noÌ„bre of bookes whiche Xerxes caried froÌ„ thence into Persie Seleucus kyng of Macedony caused them many yeres after to be conueighed to Athens again After that Ptolomeus kyng of Egypt gathered together vii C.M. bookes whiche were all brent in the former battaile of Alexandria Neuertheles Strabo recordeth that Aristotle dyd institute the fyrst lybrary and left it to Theophrast his disciple taught the kynges of Egypte howe they should order theyr lybrary Theophrast left it to Meleus of him Scepsis receyued it There was also a lybrarye at Pargamus verye auncient In Rome Asinius Pollio had the fyrste lybrarye whiche was occasyon that good wyttes emploied great and graue study in learnyng to the ample furtheraunce and commoditee of the common wealth of the cytie There be at this day many in Italy but the most famouse is the liberary whiche Frederike Feltrius duke of Vrbine dyd cause to be edified Truely the coÌ„modite of lyberaries is right profitable and necessary but in coÌ„parison of the craft of Printyng it is nothyng both because one manne may Prynte more in one day then many men in many yeres could write And also it preserueth bothe Greke Latine auctours fro the dauÌ„ger of corrupcion It was found in Germany at Magunce
by one I. Cuthenbergus a knight he found moreouer y e Inke by his deuise that Printers vse .xvi. yere after Printyng was fouÌ„d whiche was y e yere of our lord M. CCCC.lviii one CoÌ„radus an Almayne brought it into Rome Nicolas Iohnson a Frenchemanne dyd greatly polishe and garnishe it And now it is dispersed through y e whole world almost Before y e vse of Paper men vsed to wryte in leaues of date trees and somtymes on the barke of trees Afterwarde they wrote y e publique writynges in plates or shetes of leade their priuate matters in tables waxe for tables as Homer testifieth were afore y e siege of Troy Paper was deuised by king Alexander as Varro affyrmeth it was made of a kynd of fenne rishes that grewe in the marishe groundes of Egypte But Plinie sayeth it was vsed in the tyme of kyng Numa y t reigned CCC yeres afore Alexander his bookes whiche were found in a chest of stone in fyld by L. Pitilius a Scribe were writen in paper In processe of tyme paper that we vse nowe was inuented it is made of lynen clothe beaten together in mylles made for that vse Parchement as Varro wytnesseth was found in Pargamus albeit the writers of Hebrewe stories as Iosephus sheweth vsed parchement they wrote also in goate skynnes shepe skynnes in olde tyme as Herodotus declareth There be diuerse maner of papers as paper royal paper deinye blottyng paper matchauÌ„tes paper The vsage of writyng by caractes is very auncient and was found by Tyrotullius freman as Eusebius supposeth and Iulius Caesar vsed it muche in secrete and preuy counsels The arts of memorye was founde by Simonides in Thassalye For what tyme he was boden to a banket at a noble mannes house called Scopa it chaunsed that he was sente for to speake with .ii. yong men at the gate and straight waye the bankettyng house fel and destroyed al the gestes Then he because he remembred in what order and place euery man sate deliuered euery man his frende to be buried By that facte bothe he perceiued the order of the art of memory and what commoditee came to the remembraunce of man by suche places and images as bee conteyned in that feate In memory eâ—celled Cyrus kyng of Persye whiche could call euery man in his hoost by name Cyneas the ambassadour of Pyrrhuâ— the day after he came to Rome saluted euery order of nobles by their proper names Mithridates could speake xâ—ii languages Iulius Caesar could wryte reede endite and heare a tale al at ones Adrianus the emperour could do the same The .vii. Chapiter ¶ The beginnyng of warre with other thynges concernyng the same CHIVALRY wherein is declared the manly corage of noble captaynes was deuised as Tully sayeth by Pallas as Diodorus thynketh the maner of warre was found out by Mars Albeit Iosephus telleth that Tubalcain whiche was afore the flud dyd fyrst practise feates of armes whereby it appeareth that y e vse of warres is of great antiquitie but it is vncertayne who was the fyrst warrior Afore the findyng out of weapons menne vsed to fight with theyr fistes feete and bityng And thus beganne battaile as Lucretius writeth Handes gripen fote tothe nail VVere first vveapons vsed in batail Afterwarde they beganne to fight with staues and clubbes And therfore they assigne to Hercules a staffe and a Lyons skynne For men in the beginnyng vsed staues to reuenge their iniuries and quarels couered theyr bodyes with skynnes of wylde beastes in stead of armoure Palamedes ordered and set men fyrst in aray appointed watches and wardyng to be kepte and watche woordes in the battaile of Troy At the same tyme Synon excogitated bekons and fyres Plinie saieth that the Pheniciens inuented fyrst the polycies of warre Diodorus affyrmeth that Mars forged fyrst weapons and armed souldiers with theÌ„ and therfore the findyng out of theÌ„ is attributed to him but the instrumentes of warre were fouÌ„d by diuers men at sundry tymes Helmettes swordes and speares the Lacedemonians founde yet Herodotus supposeth the tergattes and salettes to be the inuencion of the Egyptians and so to haue comen into Grece The haberion was deuised by Midius Messenius shyldes by Pretus and Acrisius as they fought together ¶ Legge harnes and cristes of salettes were inuented by the Cariens Iauelynes Etolas Dartes with thonges or strynges by Etolus sonne to Mars billes by the Thraciens iustyng speares and morespikes by Tyrrhenus they were vsed first in the siege of Capua that Fulgius Flaccus laied to it penthesilea imagined poulaxes and Piseus huntyng staues bowe and shaftes sithes Iupiters sonne inueÌ„ted although Diodorus ascribeth the inuencion of theÌ„ to Apollo Notwithstandyng Artapanus whoÌ„ Eusebius reciteth saieth that the inuencion of Armour began by Moses whiche beyng very young acheued the first hardy enterprise against the Ethiopians Of all enginnes of warre the Cretians founde firste the crosse bowes the Sirians quarelles or boltes and the Phaeniciens found brakes and slinges howbeit Vegetius holdeth opinion that Baleares a people whiche dwell in the Spanishe seas ordained slinges Cranes or vernes to wynde vp great weightes were the deuise of Ctesyphon The rammar called in latyn Aries wherwith walles be ouerthrowen was made by Aepeus at Troy Thei sought a tertise called in latyn Testudo too myne walles Artemon Clazemonius instituted But of all other that euer were deuised to the destruction of man the goÌ„nes be most deuilishe whiche was perceiued by a certaine Almaine whose name is not knowen After this sorte it chaunced that he had in a morter pouder of brimstone that he had beateÌ„ for a medicine and couered it with a stoone and as hee strooke fyre it fortuned a sparke to fal into the pouder by and by there roase a greate flame oute of the morter and lyfte vp the stoone wherewith it was couered a greate heyght And after hee had perceiued that he made a pipe of yron and tempered the pouder and so finished this deadly engyn and taught the Venetians the vse of it when they warred against the Genuates whiche was in the yere of our lord M.ccc.lxxx For this inuencion he receiued this benefit that his name was neuer knowen lest he might for thys abhomynable deuise haue bene cursed and euil spoken of whilest the worlde standeth The waye to reclayme and ryde horses after y e iudgement of Plinie Bellerophon taught fyrst whiche rodde the swyfte Pegasus into a mountain of Libie called Chimera as Diodorus suppose it was Neptune Brydels bittes horseharnes or trappers the Peletronians a nacion of Thessalie found and as some thinke the cast to breake wyld horses was lerned of theÌ„ Also the Numidians rode their horses without sadles Cartes with two horses and waggons the Phrigians vsed fyrst chariotes Richthonius diuised fyrst in Grece fightyng on horsebacke the Centaures
Dionisius But the Hebrues as Iosephus witnesseth vsed biyng and sellyng in the tyme of Noe Ioseph was sold to marchauntes caried into Egypte The Lidians were fyrst mercers cariers abrob of stuffe as factours and brokers do with vs. The .xii Chapiter ¶ Who instituted stewes diyng of heare barbours with other thinges VENVS which was begotten of the froth of the sea as Poetes fame was a common harlot and brothel of her body and had many children by sundry men as by Mars she had Harmonia by Mercury Hermaphroditus by Iupiter Cupido by Anchises Aeneas And bycause she alone wold not seme to be an hore she ordeyned in Cypres that women did prostitute thē selfes for mony to al that came And Iustine telleth that the maner of the maides of Cypres was to get their mariage good by suche fylthy baudry And to helpe furth the matter one Melāpus brought out of Egypt into Grece the rites of Bacchus sacrifices wherein men vse to company dissolutely with women in the nyght in suche wyse that it is shame for christen menne to speake of muche like oure shewes or daunces called maskes in Englande bonefyres as they be vsed in some partes of the realme But Spu. Posthumius Albinus and Q. Martius abolyshed those feastes I would all maskes and bonefyres were likewise banished from among vs christians Albeit cōmon women wer long afore Venus tyme. For it appeareth in Genesis that Iudas sōne to Iacob medled w t Thamer his doughter in law bycause he supposed she had bene an hoore by reason of her apparel But to let that passe yet it is pytie to se among christen men stewes baudrye maynteyned as though it were for a cōmon weale honorable matrimony so neglected polluted without any feare of God This is a doctrin of the deuil if there be any In Moses lawes an aduontrer was stoned to death and in Grece in Rome and in Arabia and diuerse other countries he was punished by deathe among christiēs it reigneth vnpunished God wyl strike ones for al therfore let the ministers of the law prouide a godly remedy I would wishe that women would folowe the pagane Lucretia or Hebrue Susanna and men Ioseph Medea found the diyng and coloryng of heare and our women of England haue not forgotten it and beside that make their foreheades by theyr medicines broder then God made them with other enormities wherein some of the phisicians be greatly to blame that teache suche thynkes to y e frayle creature They be ashamed of Gods creacion handy worke in thē selues or els they would nor amend it Barbours to shaue and roūd were instituted by the Abantes bycause theyr enemies in warre shoulde haue no occasion to plucke them by y ◠heare P. Ticinius Mena brought them into Rome the CCC.liiii yeare of the buildyng of the cytie afore they were vnshauen Africanus was wonte to be shauen euery day There be many other thynges whose auctours for antiquitie can not be knowen some bicause of the negligence of men that wyl not write suche thinges As no man can tel who beganne clockes belles the shypmans compasse the gonnes styrops cappes or bonettes for that is but newely inuented bycause in olde tyme men wente bare heade water mylles organnes claricymbals talowcandels reclaimyng of haukes rynges with many other whiche for the auncientie or ouersight of men be in extreme obliuion ¶ The ende of the abrydgement of the third booke The fourth booke The fyrst Chapiter ¶ The beginnyng and encrease of Christes religion CHRISTES religion wherin onely resteth y e whole hoope of our saluacion beganne of the Hebrues whiche were so named of Heber and liued very deuoutly afore there was any law written onely by a natural inclinacion highe corage excited to ensue trueth and iustice The fyrst that called on the name of God was Enos then Enoche Noe And afther him Abraham Isaac and Iacob whiche bycause he had sene God was named Israel and of him the Hebrues were surnamed Israelites Of the issue and linage of his .xii. sonnes there came .xii. tribes or generations of Iewes euery tribe bering the name of one of thē Iob also was a perfecte godly man albeit an heathen and Ioseph was a myrroure of chastitee To these men the wyl promises and reuelacions of God were shewed fyrst Notwithstandyng thei dyd not long perseuer in that perfect innocencye of liuyng but partly for theyr corruptible poysoned nature prone to vice and partly by reason of the acquayntaunce that they had w t the Egyptians a kind of people very supersticiouse geuen to muche Idolatry fel from the puritie into suche extreme blindnes of hart ignoraūcie of God idolatry that they differed in nothyng from the Gentiles heathen But God as he is al mercyful and long sufferyng after CC.v. yeares that Israel came into Egypt and cccc xxx yeares after Abrahams goyng thither by the valiaunt captayn Moses deliuered thē out of the thral dome and bōdage that they were in brought them through the red sea wyldernes into the land of promise the fruitful land of Canaan And yet they vnkyndly forgat all those benefites and returned to their old wretchednes and sinful abhominacions Last of all God cōsideryng y t neither lawe of nature nor lawe written nor his great benefytes nor preachyng of sundry prophetes whom thei most truelly muthered could turne them from theyr stefnecked and stubburne obstinacy To shewe al kyndnes possible sente his onely begotten sonne equal to him in essencial power to be incarnate of a pure mayde that at the laste they might by his example and prechyng haue an obedient heart towarde their creatour whiche was borne the yere of the world .v. thousande C.xcix and the .xli. yere of the reigne of Augustus Caesar of the virgyn Mari to be oure sauiour and intercessour for vs afore the iudgement seate of the father as his name Iesus doth pretend vnto vs. He by his example teachyng and miracles shewed the pathe of saluacion but they enuiousely dyd persecute him to the vile death of y e crosse neuerthelesse by his diuine power he roase the third day in the .xviii. yere of Tiberius the emperour his reigne and after .xl. daies he ascended to the right hande of God leauyng power and auctoritie with his Apostles to establishe the cōmon welth religion of christians and the .x. day after his ascencion he sent the holy ghost into their heartes to strēgthen and teache thē al trueth This was .xxxiii. yeres thre monthes after his incarnaciō Thus oure religion had it oryginall and the Apostles by their preachyng amplified enlarged it very muche For Peter fyrst preachyng to the Iewes in Hierusalem of the cruel murther that they had cōmitted against Christ Iesus conuerted and baptised in
caurse or amisse to kepe that feaste after the precident of saincte Ihon the Apostle whiche renued euer the rite of the Iewes in the feast of Easter THE custome of hallowyng Paschall candelles on Easter euen was commaunded by Zozinus to bee frequented in euery churche THE maner of kepyng holy the birthe daie of euery manne was muche vsed in Rome albeit the Persians had that vsage afore theim for there it is the fashion that euery manne after his habiliteâ— should with many obseruances and greate dentie feastes worship the daie of their birthe and of theim the Romaines receiued that supersticion ⧠The .vi. Chapiter ¶ Of the institucion of holy daies and canonisyng AS you haue hearde y e sanct Ihon the Apostle did celebrate the feast of Easter eueÌ„ so the other Apostles as it is saied wer authores not onely of the same Easter feast but also ordained those daies wherin our sauiour had doen any mistery concernyng out saluacion or informacioÌ„ should be kept holy and to the entent thei might be more reuerenced of their posteritee thei themselfes kepte theim duryng their life very deuoutly as the Sondaies Aduent the Natiuitee CircuÌ„cision and Epiphanie of our Lorde the Purificacion of our lady called Candelmas Lente Palme Sondaie Maundy Thursdaie when Christ after supper washed his disciples feete Goodfridaie Easter the Ascension and Witsondaie As for the feaste of Pentecost was afore vsed of the Hebrues for .l. daies after that the laÌ„be was sacrificed in Egipt y e law written by the handes of God was giuen by Moses in the Mount Oreb in the wildernes of Sinay And .l. daies after the death of Christ whiche like a lambe was offered of the Iewes for our Paschal the Apostles receiued y e lawe of the spirite The feast of transfiguracion came also of the Iewes for like as Moses his face was transposed into a perfect brightnes after he had commoned with GOD in the Mounte so nowe after the shadowe and vaile wer taken awaie by Christ his comyng it pleased God to shewe to his disciples his transfiguracion as a declaracion of the shadowe past and a figure or significacioÌ„ of the immortalite to come In consideracion wherof the holy fathers perceiuyng the vse of suche holy daies coÌ„firmed and ratified theim by a decree made in the couÌ„saill had at LioÌ„s in FrauÌ„ce furthermore commaunded that suche daies as either our holy sainctes departed this life orels wrought ani miracle or did any notable deede to y e encrease of our religioÌ„ should be kept holy bycause christen people mighte haue more oportunitee too heare the woorde of God and more deuoutely serue hym in an vniforme ordre THEN were instituted the feastes of saincte Stephen Inuocentes Siluester IhoÌ„ Baptist the Apostles daies Conuersion of Paule our lady daies Laurence Michell Martyne and generally of all sainctes whiche was the constitucion of Bonifacius the fourth For he caused that the teÌ„ple whiche Marcus Agrippa did edifie in honoure of all the Romaynes Idolles as the name Pantheon doth pretende was by the license of Phocas then Emperoure turned into the churche of all Hallowes and consecrated the twelfe daie of Maie and Gregory the fourth afterward willed it too bee kepte the firste daie of Nouember THE festes of the inuencion and exaltacion of the crosse and Corpus Christi daie were dedicated by Vrbane the fourthe and denounced for holy daies Siluester at the suâ—e and instance of the Emperouâ—â— Constantine assigned the daie of ad Vincula sancti Petri called commonly Lammas in memoriall of Peters paines persecucion and punishment that he suffered for the religion Felix y e first of purpose to magnifie the gloriouse commendacion of Martyres made a statute that yerely oblacioÌ„ should be had in memoriall of theim and Gregory would that Masse should bee saâ—ed ouer their bodies whiche thing Vigilantius thought woorthy to bee reiected refused albeit the reporte goeth that Anacletus was of this coÌ„stitucion the first authour The same Felix instituted firste that the daie whereon any temple was dedicated should bee hallowed of that village or toune and made also a lawe that suche churches as menne doubted of whether thei wer consecrated or no should be hallowed again And Felix the fourth did ordain that bishoppes onely should dedicate them and that the same dedicacion daie should bee kepte holy yerely afterwarde THE fashioÌ„ to deifie menne that had dooen any benefites to the common wealth is one of the moste auncient vsages that I reade of For antiquitee euen froÌ„ the beginnyng was accustomed to make goddes of their kynges whiche either by aboundaÌ„ce of benefites or notable qualites and prowes had wonnen the heartes of their coÌ„mons And specially the Romaynes did that with greate pompe of circumstaunces and many obseruaunces as I did declare afore in the thirde booke out of Herodiane Of theim our bishoppes learned as by a paterne their rite of canonisyng sanctes and the yerely sacrifices that Gregory and Felix appoyncted coÌ„cerned nothyng els but too declare that those Martyres were sainctes and of the housholde of God Last of all AlexaÌ„der the third ordained that no suche diuine solemnitee should be giuen to any man openly without he wer canonised and admitted to bee a saincte by the bishoppe of Rome his bulle bicause no manne should chose hymself any priuate sainct or committe any peculiare Idolatry ⧠The .vii. Chapiter ¶ Institucion of yere daies or Obites and the maner of Mournyng FVNERAL exequies that be dooen ouer ded bodies were the institucion of Pelagius albeeit Isidorus ascribeth the originall of it to the Apostles and he hymself did augmente the rites that wee vse in this tyme. Ambrose supposeth that it proceaded of the custome of the Hebrues whiche lamented Iacob fourty daies and Moses the space of thirty daies for that tyme is sufficient for the wise to wepe in It was also y e vsage of auncient Romaines to mourne For Numa Pompilius assigned oblacions to the infernall goddes for the ded and did inhibite that a childe vnder the age of three yeres should bee bewayled and that the elder sorte should be mourned no mo monethes then he had lyued yeres But commonly the loÌ„gest tyme of a widowes mournyng was but tenne monethes and if any were maryed within the space agayne it was coumpted a greate reproche wherefore NVMA ordaygned that suche as had mourned vp afore the daie limited should offer a cowe that was greate with calfe for an expiacion Neuerthelesse if that rite wer vsed now a daies and namely in Englande we should haue smal store of veales there be so many that mary within y e tyme prescribed Plutarch writeth that the womeÌ„ in their mournyng laied a parte all purple gold and sumpteous apparell wer clothed bothe thei and their kinsfolk in white apparell like as theÌ„ the ded body was wrapped in white
clothes The white coloure was thought fittest for the dedde bicause it is clere pure and syncer and leaste defiled and when the tyme of their wepyng was expired thei put on their other vestures Of this ceremonie as I take it the Frenche quenes toke occasion after the death of their housebandes the kynges too weare onely white clothyng and if there bee any suche widdowe she is commonly called the white quene The Iewes ended their mournyng after .xxx. daies and Englishe men kepe the same rite The mournyng garmentes for the moste parte bee altogether of blacke colour and thei vse to weare theim a whole yere continually onlesse it bee bicause of a generall triumphe or reioysyng or newe magistrate chosyng orels when thei bee toward mariage But the custome of mournyng is no other thyng then mere supersticion specially if womeÌ„ or men haue a â—ouryng loke and a laughyng herte For all suche lameÌ„tacioÌ„ helpeth nothyng the dedde corps or solle of the deceased and disquieteth sore the liuyng THE maner of washyng ded bodies and specially of noble men and anoyntyng theÌ„ was receiued of our auncetrie whiche vsed to washe the bodies of the dedde and it was the office of theim that wer nerest of his kyndred to dooe it Solle Masse daie that is the second daie of Nouember was begon by Odilo that was Prouoste or Prouinciall of the Monkes of Cluniacenses order vpon the occasion that he heard about Aetna the mouÌ„tain of Sicilie oftentymes great wepyng lamentacion criyng whiche he supposed to bee the yellyng of eiuill spirites that bewailed bicause the solles of dedde menne wer taken from theim by the peticions and sacrifices of wel disposed christen people therfore he perswaded his coueÌ„te in the tyme of Ihon bishop of Rome to make a generall obite of all solles the daie next after the feast of al sainctes Aboute the yere of our lorde M and twoo our fathers receiued it as a godly institucioÌ„ full of pitiful charitee thus by processe of this Monkes supposicion sprong muche vain supersticion ⧠The .viii. Chapiter ¶ Of the seuenth daie thirty daie old maner of buriall hallowyng chalices priestes garmentes with other thynges HORATIVS the Poete and Seruius write that the Romaynes vsed customably y e nynth daie after the buriall to renewe the sacryfices and solemne rites of the funerall whiche thei named in latyne Nouemdialis of this we in our religioÌ„ haue gathered the fashion of kepyng the seueÌ„th daie with exequies and other ordinary oblacions And in England the custome is to kepe the thirty daie or moneth mynde with like Obites as were dooen on the buriall daies Or els it mighte seme that this kepyng of the seueÌ„th daie was brought vp after thesame sort emong vs as in mariages thei vsed in old tyme to renewe their vowes the seuenth daie For like as that daie was the soleÌ„ne beginnyng of encreasyng the issue of mankynde so thesame daie of burial is or should be the complet finishyng and ende of euery thyng The Massiliens in Fraunce passed and spente the daies of their burialles with priuate oblacions and feastyng of their kinsefolke without any maner lameÌ„tacion or sorowe whiche thyng the Englishe at this daie vse commonly to dooe In burials the old rite was that the â—ded corps was borne afore and the people folowed after as one should saie we shall dye and folowe after hym as their laste woordes to the coarse did pretende For thei vsed too saie when it was buried on this wise fare well wee come after thee and of the folowyng of y e multitude thei were called exequies Albeeit thei vsed at kynges and noble mennes funeralles to goo afore with tapers â–ª whiche custome we kepe still CHALICES wherin the bloud of Christe is consecrated were at the first of woode and that was the institucioÌ„ of the Apostles whiche would preuent all occasioÌ„ of auarise in priestes but Zepherinus afterward commaunded that thei should consecrate in a vessel of glasse NotwithstaÌ„dyng in processe that custome was broken And Gratianus decreed y t thei should saie Masse and consecrate with chalices of siluer or golde orels if those mighte not bee gotten in chalices of tynne albeit some referre this to Vrbane the firste Sextus the firste commaunded that the corporaces should bee of linen clothe onely and that of the finest and purest and he forbade that any laye manne should handle the hallowed vessels and namely womeÌ„ wer inhibited The hallowyng of priestes vestures and altare clothes with other ornameÌ„tes of the churche and the diuersitee of vestures of sundry orders was taken out of the Hebrues priesthod vsed in our churche fyrst by Steuen bishop of Rome fyrst of that name For at the beginnyng priestes in their massyng vsed rather inwarde vertues of solle then outward apparel of the body whiche is rather a gloriouse gase then any godly edifiyng Sabinianus decreed fyrst that the people should be assembled together to heare seruice at certayne houres of the day by ringyng of belles And Iohn the .xxii. ordeined that belles should be tolled euerye daye thrise in y e euenyng that then euery maÌ„ should say thrise the Aue maria The vse of belles came fyrst of the Hebrues wher y e high priest or bishop had in the skyrtes of his vppermoost vestures litle belles to ryng when he was in the holy place within y e vaile And euen the vayle hangynges candelsteckes with other vessels that we vse in the churche came also of theyr ceremonies The baners that be hanged abroad in the easter tyme may be vsed to declare the triumph of Christ ouer death the deuil and hel were taken of the heathen whiche in their victories did beare baners to declare signifye y e coÌ„quest of their enemies The .ix. Chapiter ¶ Of vowes goyng barefoote Letanies praiyng for them that neese crossyng the mouth when men yawne WHen we be brought into any extreme calamytie or dauÌ„gerouse adueÌ„ture y t can by no mans power or prouision bee releued the vrgent necessytie coÌ„strainyng vs we fal to praiers and vowes makyng as when we promise to set vp caÌ„dels Images of waxe or siluer w t other lyke supposyng therby to obteine remedy of our grief This custome was borowed of the Hebrues whiche vsed to make suche vowes to God diuerse other couÌ„tries of the GeÌ„tiles vsed y e ryte to their false gods In like maner goyng barefoote was taken vp of the Iewes fashion whiche in their sickenes other misfortunes were woÌ„t to pray coÌ„tinually .xxx. dayes forbeare wyne shaue their heare and after go barefoote to the temple make oblacion This maner of vowe was so ernestly vsed in the tyme of y e emperour Nero when Florus was president of Iurye y e Bernice sister to kyng Agrippa went her selfe barefote to the teÌ„pte of Hierusalem to obteine some
oure lord M.ccc.lxviii they were no priestes nor consecrated persons but wer men of the laye sort geuen addicted to praiers had the name of Iesuites bycause the name of Iesus should be often in their mouth they be muche like to our bedemen in England The secte of new Hermites began in Vrbine a cytie in Italy in the coūtre of Vmbria where Polidor Vergile was borne and was the deuise of one Petrus an Hetruriane and they had in the same cytie a goodly hospital or guylde hal The Bonhomes were instituted in England by Edmunde sonne of Rychard erle of Cornewel whiche was brother to Henry the .iii. and was elected kyng of the Romanes heyre apparant to the Empyre by the princes electours aboute the yere of oure Lorde M.CC.lvii The special head place of that religion was Astrige wher the noble kyng Henry the .viii. hath nowe a goodly Palace This Edmund brought the blood of our sauiour as it was sayd into the realme The .v. Chapiter ¶ The original of sacred knightes and white secte WHILEST the cytie of Ierusalem afore our christenmen had cōquered it in y e yere of our lord M.xcix. was in subieccion to the Saracēs the Latine christians that liued ther tributaries purchased a lycence to buylde nere vnto the holye sepulchre dwellyng houses and among other they made an hospital of our lady to receyue the straunge pilgrimes and appoincted a prouost to entertain thē This was in Siluester the fyrst hys tyme the yere of our Lorde .ccc.xiiii. and renewed the yere of Chrst M.ccc xcvii in the tyme of Celestine the .iii. bishop of Rome After the paterne of this house was deuised a like house of virgyns in me mortal of Mari Magdalen to receiue the women that resorted thether It beganne in the .ii. Vrbanes daies the yere of our Lorde M. lxxxxix Notwithstandyng because the multitude of latine pilgrimes waxed very great they builded thre hospitals of s Ihō Baptiste as some saye albeit some thynke it was of Iohn Eleemosinarius that was the patriarke of Alexandria in the reigne of the emperour Phoca This secte one Gerardus adourned with a white crosse in a black vesture grand captain of these knightes was Ramundus when Clement the .v. had the sea of Rome about the yere of our Lorde M.ccc.x yet some affirme that the beginnyng of them was in the .iii. Alexanders dayes the yere of Christ M.c.lxxix and they be called of y e order of s Iohn or knightes of the Rhodes because thei wāne the Rhodes from the Turkes which afterwarde they lost againe in Ianuary in the yere of oure saluacion M. CCCCC.xxiii albeit they dyd long defend it manfully The templers order was begon in Gelacius the .ii. his daies in the yere of Christes incarnacion M.C.xxviii by Hugo Paganus and Gaufradus de sancto Alexandro they were named templers bycause they kept in a parte of the buyldynges neare to the temple they kepte Barnardus rule in their liuyng But Clement the .v. deposed thē partly for that they renoūced the faith conspired w t the Turkes partly forother notable crimes The order of Tentonickes or dutch Lordes beganne in Hierusalem by a Dutche manne whose name is not knowen Their office was to fight against the enemies of Christes crosse it began in the dayes of Clement the third the yere of Christes incarnacion M.C.xc. Petrus Fardinandus a Spaniarde began the order of sainct Iames knightes that lyued after s Austens rule vnder Alexander y e .iii. and in the yere of our lord M. c.lx.iii the same bishoppes daies ¶ Sāctius a kyng ordeyned the factions of Calatrauean knightes which professed the rule of y e Cisterciences Of the same profession be they of the order of Iesus Christes knightes whiche were instituted by Iohn the xxii bishop of that name in Portingale to resist the Saracens Alexandrians brotherhod of knightes in the realme of Castel y t begonne in Gregories tyme the .ix. aboute the yere of oure saluacion M.CC.xl. but who was auctor of thē is vncertaine Iames kyng of Aragonia dyd foūd ii sectes of knightes one named of s Mari de Mercede of those the office was to raunsom suche as were taken prisoners in warres against the Turkes The other sect is called Montasian knightes and they were a redde crosse both these orders Gregory the xi did alowe the yere of our lord M. The order of Minimes or lest brethren were founded by one Franciscus Paula a Silician after the example of Frauncisse his Mmorites The Apostolike brethren begāne in the yere of our lord M.cclx by the institucion of Gerardus Sagarelus in the toune named Perma in Lōbardie in the tyme of Alexander the fourth The whyt sect sprong vp in the Alpes descended into Italye hauyng apriest for their captayn But Bonifacius perceiuyng they should do no good to his honourable estate if they continued caused their captain to be headed at Viterbium as attainted of some heresie the yere of our lord M. cccc They wer a great nomber dyd no other thyng but lamēt the state of mākynd bewayle the sinnes of the people Theren as of this fashion both men women were called the whit sect because they weare whyte clothyng The .vi. Chapiter ¶ The Niniuites Assirians Antonians and Ceretanes NO lesse supersticion is in the fraternite of the Niniuites although they auaunce thē selues to haue receyued their maner of liuyng of y e Apostles for the end of their doynges is to worke their owne saluacion by dedes satisfactory to God wher in dede they derogate the effecte and power of Christes blod The rites be specified with outward holines as often assēblyng to praier hiryng of chauntry priestes supportyng pouertie be clothed in sackcloth and scourge one another w t whippes Of this painted penaunce they call them selues Niniuites as though they appeaced Gods wrathe in the same wyse as they of Niniuie dyd where in deede they had heartie cōtricion for their offēces these haue but pretenced holines and penitence they beganne vnder Clement the .iiii. the yere of our lorde a thousand two hundreth threscore and fiue The maner of theyr whyppyng came of the Romayne sacrifices and Lupercalia whereof I spake afore for thei vsed the same custome of a supersticious opinion Or if a manne wold be curious in boultyng out the original of their beatyng it may appeare to haue proceded of an obseruaūce of the Egyptiens For y e vsage was there that whilest they offered a cow with many ceremonies to their gret Idole as Herodotus witnesseth during y e burnyng therof they shuld one beate another miserably with wandes or roddes The title of their fraternitie came of the Romaynes whiche had diuers felowshyppes as Sodales Titii and Fratres Aruales that sacrificed to Ceres Goddesse of corne Another sort there is not onely idle but also