named Sipians The meruellous effectes of fire are most woonderous and most straungest ¶ Of the worlde and of the soule of man with diuers and sundrie opinions of the Philosophers about the same AMongst diuers Philosophers and learned men grewe a great controuersie of the beginning of the worlde some of the best affirming that it had no beginning nor can haue ende as Aristotle and and Plato applying incorruption and perpetuall reuolution to the same Some with Epicurus thought the world shoulde be consumed Of this opinion was Empedocles and Heraclitus Some of the other side did iudge with Pithagoras that so much of the worlde shoulde be destroyed as was of his owne nature Thus helde they seuerall opinions concerning the making the beginning the ending and the numbers of the worlde Thales sayde there was but one worlde agréeing with Empedocles Democritus affirmeth infinite worldes and so iudged Metrodorus the Philosopher worldes to be innumerable What child is of this age but smileth at their folly reasoning largly one against another in applying the cause and the effect of thinges vnto their owne inuentions And as they haue iudged diuersly of the worlde concerning the frame and nature thereof so were they as farre from the true vnderstanding of the creation of man Some grosly thought that mankinde had no beginning Some iudged that it had a beginning by the superiour bodyes And for the antiquity of mankind some iudge Egypt to be the first people some Scythia some Thracia some this countrey and some that countrey with such phantasticall inuentions as may well appeare vnto the most ignoraunt an errour And alas howe simple are they in finding out the substaunce of the soule what it shoulde bée where it shoulde be and by what it shoulde bée some say that there is no soule but a naturall moouing as Crates the Theban some iudge the soule to bée nothing else but fire or heate betwéene the vndeuidible partes Others thought it an ayre receyued into the mouth tempered in the heart boyled in the lights and dispersed through the body Of this opinion was Anaxagoras and also Anaximenes Hippias iudged the soule of man to be water Thales and Heliodorus affirme it to be earth Empedocles is of opinion that it is hote blood about the heart so that they varye in sundry opinions attributing the cause thereof eyther to the fire or else vnto water eyther vnto the earth or vnto the ayre and some vnto the complexion of the foure Elementes others of earth and fire others of water and fire Some againe reason that the substaunce of the soule is of fire and of the ayre And thus of approued Philosophers they shewe themselues simple innocentes How ignoraunt were they in defining the soule of man so far disagréeing one with an other that Zenocrates thinketh againe the soule to be but a number that mooues it selfe which all the Egyptians sometime consented vnto Aristotle himselfe the Prince of all Philosophers and his maister Plato shewed in this their shifting reason which both agrée that the soule is a substaunce which mooueth it selfe Some so rude and so farre from perfection in this poynt that they thought the heart to bée the soule some the braine Howe ridiculous and foolishe séemeth their assertion vnto this age concerning the soule and as childishly they dispute reason againe about the placing of the same where and in what place of the bodie the soule resteth For Democritus iudgeth the heade to be his seat Parmenides in the breast Herophilus in the ventricles of the braine Strato doth thinke that the soule was in the space betwéene the eie browe yea some were so foolishe to iudge it to be the eare as Zerxes king of Persea did Epicurus in all the breast Diogines supposed it to be in a hollowe vaine of the heart Empedocles in the bloode Plato Aristotle and other that were of the best and truest philosophers iudged the soule to be indifferent in all partes of the bodye Some supposed of the wisest that euery péece and parcell of the bodie hadde his proper soule In this againe they were much in séeking a proper seate for the soule deceyued euen as before they erred shamefully and lied manifesty about the essence and substaunce of the soule so now were they most simplye beguiled in placing the soule as you haue hearde And now after I haue opened their seuerall opinions concerning what the soule is and where the soule is you shall here likewise heare whither the soule shall go after death according vnto the Philosophers which as diuersly vary and disagrée in this as you before hearde their diuersitie of opinions concerning the substance the place And first to begin with Democritê° who iudgeth y e soule to be mortall that it shall perish with the body to this agrée Epicurê° Plini Pythagoras iudged that the soule is immortall and when the body dieth it fléeth vnto his kinde Aristotle is in this that some partes of the soule which haue corporall seates must dye with the body but that the vnderstanding of the soule which is no instrument of the body is perpetuall The people called Drynda were of this iudgement that soules should not discende vnto Hell but shoulde passe vnto another worlde as the Philosophers called Essei which suppose that the soules of the dead do liue in great felicity beyonde the Ocean Seas The Egyptians auntient people iudged with Pythagoras that the soules of men shoulde passe from one place vnto another and then to enter vnto another man againe The Stoicks are of that opinion that the soule forsaketh the body in such sort that the soule which is diseased in this life and aduaunced by so vertuous death together with the body but they iudge it if it bée adurned with noble and heroicall vertues that it bée accompanied with euerlasting natures Diuers of the Pagans holde that the soule is immortal but yet they suppose that reasonable soules enter into vnreasonable bodyes as into Plantes or Trées for a certen space There were againe some friuolous Philosophers as Euripides and Archelaus which say that men first grew out of the earth in maner of Hearbes lyke vnto the fables of Poets which faine that men grew of the sowen téeth of Serpentes Some againe very childishly affirme that there bée nine degrées of punishment or rather nine Mansions in Hell appointed and prepared for the soule The first seate is appointed for young Infantes The seconde for idiotes and fooles I feare that place wyll bée well filled The thirde for them that kyll them selues The fourth for them that bée tormented with loue The fift for those that were founde gyltie before Iudges The sixt appointed for strong men and champions The seuenth is a place where the soules bee purged The eight seate is where the soules beyng purged do rest The ninth and last is the pleasaunt fielde Elisâ—us And to
foorth his hande and sayde Haue mée recommended vnto Alexander and bryng him this my right hande and tell him that Bessus kylled Darius whom thou didst sée dying Which when it was tolde by Polystratus vnto Alexander hée much lamented his death caused his body to bée brought with great honour and precious clothes and with all solempnitie that might bée made vnto his mother named Sisigambis Thus worketh clemency and humanity that those two famous Princes Alexander and Darius two mortall enemies alwayes and yet not forgetting eche others courtesie at deathes doore either of them in loue with the other For their humanitie one to another Darius at his death repeating Alexanders gentlenesse towardes him and Alexander requiting Darius gentlenesse being dead The greatest fame or commendation that may happen vnto any man is to bée counted gentle and curteous therein are diuers vertues knitted and ioyned in fréendship as pitie mercy wisedome and affability with others so that the property of those men are alwayes though they can hurt yet neuer to hinder It is proper to an euill man to offende so is the nature of the good and gentle to forgiue Pisistratus shewed both wisedome and curtesie vnto certaine dronkardes who hauing in theyr drinke vsed wanton spéech vnto his wife and being sober the next morning came to Pisistratus to aske him forgiuenesse for theyr lewde talke vnto his wife hée gently sayde learne to be more sober another time I knowe my wife was not out of hir house yesterdaye excusing his wife wisely and pardoning them gently Howe gently dyd Alexander Seuerus vse Camillus though he rebelled against him and by sleight thought to be Emperour of Rome and for that being condemned to die by the Senate yet he was pardoned by Alexander Howe courteous was Fabius Maximus to forgiue Marsius one of his chiefe Capitaines his treasons and snares that he vsed against his mayster Fabius with the enimies Such gentlenesse did Zerxes the great shewe vnto certaine Gréekes who were as espialles to vew the hoste and power of King Zerxes sent from Athens and being taken and brought before the king he not only gently dismissed them without any punishment but shewed them courteously all his hoste and force of souldiours The greatest victorie is lightly alwayes gotten by gentlenesse as Alphonsus King of Aragon by gentlenesse wonne Careta Marcellus wonne Siracusa Metellus Seluberia as you haue hearde before mencioned Plutarch resiteth a passing historie of great curtesie and humanity in king Belenus towarde his sonne Antigonus who being maried to a fayre woman fell in loue with his fathers wife for his mother was deade and his father maried the daughter of Demetriê° King of Macedonia named Estrabonica a younge woman of excellent beautie for this therefore the Kings sonne languished in loue that he was lyke to die vnknowne vnto his father which when his fâ—ther knewe of hée caused his owne wife to be maried vnto his sonne Antigonus rare clemencie and great gentlenesse for a manne to giue his wife to please his friends Pittie accompanieth this excellent vertue clemencie that we reade in holy scriptures that diuers good men ceassed not to bewayle and wéepe euer the state of their enimies I néede not here to recite Pericles the Athenian who willed that the deade souldiours shoulde be buried in the warres of Peloponesus nor of Hanibals curtesie in the warres of Carthage for the buriall of Romane enimies But Moyses that man of God brought with him from Egypt the boanes of Ioseph Tobias and Machabeus mercifull men commended likewise solemne buriall for the deade souldiours And Iehu King of Israell caused his enimie Iezabelem to be honorably buried but as white is better discerned by the blacke than by any colour else so shall humanitie and gentlenesse most appéere excellent in reading the title of tyranny where by conferring both togither the excellencie of the one is manifest the terrour of the other is odious The gentlenesse and pittie that our Sauiour Iesus Christ shewed vnto Marie Magdelen the lewde woman vnto the prodigall childe vnto Peter that denied him vnto the Théefe that hanged with him vnto Daniell in the denne to Susanna in the fire to Ionas in the water was nothing else but examples left for our learning â–ª to be gentle one vnto another euen as Iesus Christ was vnto vs all thus ending as Cicero sayde of Caesar that Caesar extolling Pompeius being deade and setting vp his pictures did extoll his owne name so that the clemencie that menne vse to shewe vnto others doth aduance their owne fame ¶ Of sober and temperate Princes and where temperaunce and sobrietie vvere most vsed SO much was this noble vertue of temperaunce estéemed with auntient people that they thought the greatest plesure the happiest life was to abstaine from desired meate and drinke So muche was this sobrietie of life commended of learned Philosophers that Anacharsis that famous Scithian was woont to write about the painted pictures of Princes this little lesson Rule lust Temper tongue And bridle the bellie Whereby the Philosopher diligentlye perswaded Princes to be temperate of life to be sober in talke and to abstaine from filthy féeding For to subdue appetites to vanquishe luste to suppresse pleasure is a worthie conquest He is a worthie Uictour a famous conquerour a puissaunt Prince that can ouercome his owne affections for euen as Fishes are taken with hookes so men sayth Plato are alured with pleasure It is the greatest vertue that can be in man sayth the Poet to abstaine from pleasure To auoyde these baytes these swéete pleasures wise Princes haue lothed banquetting and drinking in so much that Iulius Caesar that famous Emperour of Rome for his singuler sobrietye and passing temperaunce the verye lampe and lantorne of Europe for his abstinence the onely mirrour of Italy who by ouercomming of himselfe ouercame all Europe Of this Emperour woulde Cato of Vtica say though he was a mortall enemie vnto Caesar for that Caesar vsed the companie of Cato sister Seruâ—lia that one sober Caesar should subdue Rome his abstinence was such sayth Plim that most rare or neuer woulde this Emperour drinke wine Agesilaus king of the Lacedemonians passing through the countrey of Thasius being met with the nobles and saluted the people with diuers dainties and rare banquets to welcome the king vnto the countrie notwithstanding he touched not their daineties fedde onely with breade and drinke to satisfie the expectations of the Thasians And being earnestly requested and humblye sought and in maner enforced least he shoulde séeme vngratefull not to eate their meates he commaunded his footemen and slaues Helotes to féede if they woulde on suche â–ª chéere saying that princes might not so pamper theÌ„ selues with damtie chéere and wines but with abstinence and temperancie The one is incident sayde he vnto vice and shame the other a nource vnto vertue and fame for in eating and drinking lyeth hidden that sucking Serpent named
black garments at the buriall of their fréendes but I burne candle in the day time to write of such infinite ceremonies that the Gentiles had at their burials Therfore better to ende with few examples then to wéery the reader with too many histories for this cause sith all men knowe that all people haue their seuerall maners as well liuyng as dying for coÌ„tinuaunce of time and distaunce of ground alter the same ¶ Of Spirites and visions SUndrye and many thinges happen by courses of nature which timorous and fearfull men for want of perfection in their sences suppose to bée spirites Some so féeble of sight that they iudge shadowes beastes bushes and such like to bée spirites Some so fearefull of hearing that they thinke any sounde noyse whistlings and so foorth to bée some bugges or deuyls Hereby first spread so many fables of spirites of gobblins of bugges of hagges and of so many monstrous visions that olde women and aged men schooled their families to beléeue such things who iudged it sufficient aucthorities to aleadge the olde tales tolde by their parentes in their aged yeres The Gentiles because they were giuen much vnto idolatry and superstition did credite vaine and foolish visions which oftentimes by suggestion of deuils and by fonde fantasies conceaued did leade their liues by perswasion of spirites either in attemptyng any thing or in auoyding any thing for Suetonius doth write that when Iulius Caesar stayed in a maze at the riuer Rubico in Italy with waueryng mind musing what were best to passe the water or no there appeared a comely tall man piping on a Réede vnto whome the souldiours of Caesar flocked about to heare him and specially the trumpetters of whom hée sodainely snatched one of their trumpettes and leapt foorthwith into the riuer Rubico and straight sounded out with a lustie blast a larum wherewith Caesar was mooued and sayde good lucke mates let vs go where the Goddes doe warne vs. It is written in Plutarch where Brutus was determined to transport his armie out of Asia vnto Europe being in his tent about midnight he saw a terrible monster standing fast by him without anye wordes wherewith he being sore afrayde ventured bouldelye and demaunded of hym what hée was vnto whome he aunswered and sayde I am thy euill ghost which at Philippos thou shalt sée againe where when Brutus came being vanquished by Augustus Caesar remembring the wordes of his forséene vision to auoyde the hands of his enimies slue himselfe to verifie the same The like happened vnto C. Cassius which by the like sight was enforced to kill himselfe for he was warned that the murther of Caesar shoulde bée reuenged by Augustus his Nephew Sightes were so séene amongst the Gentiles and so feared and estéemed that all the actions of their liues were thereby ordered Tacitus as Fla. Vapiscus reporteth when it was tolde him that his fathers grâ—â—e opened of it selfe and seing as he thought his mother appering vnto him as though she had bene aliue knew well that he should shortly after die made himselfe redy thervnto There appeared vnto one Pertinax as I. Capitolinê° â–ª reporteth thrée dayes before hée was slaine by a thrust a certen shadow in one of his fishepondes with a naked sword in hand thretning to kill him Neyther may we so little estéeme the authoritie of graue and learned men in diuers of their assertions concerning sightes and visions though diuers fables be aleaged aduouched for truth with simple and ignorant men We reade in the sacred scriptures diuers sights séene diuers visions appearing and sundrie voyces hearde Wée reade that King Balthasar being in his princely banquettes sawe a hande writing vpon the wall ouer against where he sat at table what his ende shoulde be It is reade in the thirde chapter of the seconde of the Machabes that a horse appeared vnto Heliodorus which was seruaunt vnto Seloucus king of Assyria as hée was about to destroye the temple at Ierusalem and vpon the horse séemed to bée a terrible man which made towards him to ouercome hym and on eche side of him were two young men of excellent beautie which with whippes scourged Heliodorus The like appeared vnto Machabeus a horseman in shining armoure all of golde shaking his speare to signifie the famous victorye that Macabeus shoulde obtain Many such like visions in scriptures we reade of but lette vs returne vnto the Athenians who thought when Miltiades addressed his people against y e Perseans hearing terrible noyse with sight of certen spirites before the battayle to haue victorie ouer the Perseans iudging those sightes and visions to be the shadowe of Par. Likewise the Lacedemonians before they were vanquished in the battayle at Leuctris their armour mooued and made excéeding great noyse in the Temple of Hector so that at that time the doores of the Temple of Hercules being faste shutte with barres opened sodaynely of theyr owne accorde and the armour which hong fastened on the wall were founde lying vppon the grounde Plini writeth in the warres of the Danes and Appianus affirmeth in the warres at Rome what signes and woonders what miserable cryes of men clashing of armour running of horses were harde in so much that the same day that Caesar fought this battayle with Cn. Pompeius the crye of armie the sounde of trumpets were hearde at Antioch in Syria but I wyll omit to speake of such things and take in hande to entreate of spirites which were both séene and hearde of wise and learned men and of visions supposed of the wisest to be the soules of dead men for Plutarch writeth in the life of Theseus that diuers and sundry men which were in the battayle of Marathonia against the Medians affirmed that they saw the soule of Theseus armed before the host of Gréekes as chéefe generall and captaine running and setting on the barbarous Medians which the Athenias afterward for that cause onely honoured him as a God It is reported by historiographers that Castor and Pollux haue béene séene often in battayles after death ridyng on white Horses and fightyng against their enemies in campe in so much Plutarch testifieth that they were séene of manye in the battayle againste Torquinius Hector besought Achilles after hée was slaine by him not to throw his carkasse to bée deuoured of dogges but rather to deliuer his body to bée buried vnto his olde father Priamus and his mother Hecuba Euen so King Patroclus appearing in like maner after death vnto Achilles desired him to bestow vpon his body all funeral solemnities Virgil testifieth how Palinurus and Deiphobus appeared vnto Aeneas the one being his shipman the other his brother in law There wandryng ghostes neuer ceassed vntyll suche exequies were done vnto them as Aeneas had promised It is thought that the Witch Phetonissa of Endor raised the soule of Samuel at the commaundement of King Saul to foreshew the successe
oute of the towne came and offred his schollers vnto Camillus saying by this meanes you maye doe what you will vnto Philiscus for here be theyr children whome I know to redéeme they wyll yéelde vp the towne Camillus hauing regarde to the fame of Rome and loathing much to shewe villanye rewarded the Schoolemayster after this sort hée did set him naked before his schollers fast bounde with his handes on his backe and euery one of the schollers with a rodde in his hand saying vnto the boyes bring him home to your parentes and tell your friendes of his falshoode and the poore boyes hauing a good time to requite olde beatings were as gladde as he was sorrowfull laying on loade girckt him with so manye stripes as loytering Treuauntes maye best be boulde to number vntill they came vnto the Citie where they toulde their parents the cause thereof which wayde the clemeccie and humanitie of Camillus to be such that they gladlye and â–ª willingly yéelded themselues and theyr Citie vnto the handes of Camillus knowing well that he that woulde vse them so being hys enimies and foes coulde not vse them yll by yéelding all vnto his courtesie who might haue had all by tiranny Nowe sith this vertue was often séene in diuers Quéenes Ladies Gentlewomen and others I may not omitte the pilgrimage of their liues We reade of two Quéenes of the Amahones a countrye of Scythia Penthesilaea the first and Hippolite the second the one so valiaunt against the Gréekes at the destruction of the noble Citie of Troy that in open fielde she feared not to encounter face to face with that valiaunt Gréeke Achilles the other so hardye that shée shrinkt not at the force and stoutnesse of that renowmed Champion Theseus which being conuicted by Theseus for hir singuler stoutnesse and courage maried hir whiche certainelye had happened vnto Penthesilia had shée not béene conuicted by Achilles Camilla likewise Quéene of the Volskans beside hir princely profession of sacred virginitie which she vowed vnto Diana was so famous for hir magnanimitie that when Turnus and Aeneas were in wars for the mariage of Lauinia King Latinus daughter she came bellona lyke vnto the fielde resisting the violence and puissaunce of Troyans with the Rutiles as an ayde vnto Turnus That noble Zenobia the famous Quéene of the Palmireians a Princes of rare learning of excelent vertues of most valiaunt enterprises after that hir husbande named Odenatus had died tooke the empire of Syria and attempted the magnanimitie of Romanes that a long time shée withstoode in warres that noble and renowmed Emperour Aurelian by whome the Emperour was woont to saye when it was obiected vnto him that it was no commendacions for a prince to subdue a woman that it is more valiaunt to conquer a woman being so stout as Zenobia than to vanquishe a King being so fearefull as Zerxes The auncient Gréekes as Herodotus doth witnesse were much amazed at the magnanimitie of Artimesia Quéene of Caria after that the king hir husbande died did shewe such fortitude against the inhabitauntes of Rhodes that being but a woman she subdued their stoutenesse shée burned their Nauies wasted theyr wealth vanquished and destroyed the whole I le entered into the Citie of Rhodes caused hyr ymage to be made and set vp for a monument of hir chiualrie and pertuall memorie of hir victorie O renowmed Ladies O worthye women that with feaminine feates merited manlye fame Howe famous Teuca Quéene of the Illiryans gouerned hir subiectes after the death of hir husbande king Argon which being warred on diuers times by the Romanes infringed theyr force broke theyr bonds discomfited their armies to hir perpetuall fame commendacion shée gouerned the people of Illeria no lesse wisely then she defended the puissaunt force of the Romanes stoutly shée liued as histories report as soberly and chastly without the company of man as shée gouerned hir countrie wisly and stoutelye without the councell of man it were sufficient to repeate the auncient histories of two women to prooue fullye an euerlasting prayse and commendacion vnto all women the one written by Herotus in his first booke of Queene Tomyris of Scythia the other mencioned by Valerius and Iustine of Cleopatra quéene sometime of Aegipt The first after that Cirus had trespassed muche in hir kingdome of Scithia killing destroying and burning without regarde to princely clemencie or respect vnto a womans gouernement yet vnsufficed though hée slue the Quéenes owne sonne named Margapites thirsted more and more for bloude that then the valiaunt Quéene being muche moued to reuenge Margapites death waying the gréedie rage of Cirus came Lion lyke to fielde eyther to loose hyr owne life or else to reuenge hir sonnes death prest vnto Cirus more lyke at that time to a grimme Gorgon than to a sillie Scythian slue him in the fielde haled him vp and downe the field cutte of his heade and bathed it in a great Tunne full of bloudde appoynted for that purpose saying Nowe Cirus drinke thy belly full of that which thou couldest neuer haue ynough this valiaunt Tomyris reuenged tyranny requited the death of one Scythian Margapites with the death of two hundred thousand Persians The other Quéene Cleopatra after that Iulius Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and that Marcus Antonius being by Augustus warred on for his periurie fasâ—oode shewed vnto his Uncle Caesar shée I saie Cleopatra hauing the most part of Arabia and Siria confederated with hir friende and louer Antonius against Augustus being then the seconde Emperour of Rome that shee ayded him a long time vntill that she perceyued that Augustus preuayled and that Antonius was vanquished then least shée shoulde be conquered by Augustus shée conquered hir selfe yéelding rather hyr bodye a praye vnto Serpentes than a subiect vnto Augustus Hanniball could no more but to poyson himselfe rather then to yéelde to Scipio Well let Semiramis with hir valiaunt force and stoutnesse be commended at Babilon where shée raigned fortie yeares a wydowe after King Ninus hir husbandes death Let noble and famous Atalanta with hir Bowes and Speares and feates of armes be praysed in Archadia â–ª Let Hipsicratea that followed hir husbande Kinge Mithridates vnto warres as a Lackie vnknowne be extolled in Pontus Let Helerna Ianus daughter with all hir fortitude be spoken of in Latine And let Delbora be famous amongst the Isralites These women were no lesse famous for theyr pilgrimage then the worthye Conquerours and Champions of the world they were in no point inferiour vnto men in diuers poyntes farre excelling Princes and Kinges eyther the worlde then was very weake or slender or else women then were valiant and stoute And to omitte perticulerly to touch women I will open and declare the nature of Countries the women of Lacena woulde togither with their husbandes go vnto the fielde yea they went souldiour lyke vnto Missenios to fight in
liued a hundred and odde yeares Metellus of lyke age called to the like function and administration of common welth being an olde man What should I speake of Appius Claudius of Marcus Perpenna of diuers other noble Romanes whose age and time was the onlye occasion of their aduauncement vnto honour dignity What shoulde I resite Arganthonius who was thrée score yeres before he came vnto his kingdome and after ruled his countrey fourescore yeares vnto his great fame and great commendations of age To what ende shall I repeate Pollio who liued in great credite with the people vnto his last yeres a man of worthy prayse of renowmed fame which liued a hundred and thirtie yeres in great aucthoritie and dignitie To speake of Epimenides whome Theopompus affirmeth that hée liued a hundred and almost théescore yeres in great rule and estimation small it were to the purpose to make mention againe of Dandon amongst the Illirians which Valerius writeth that he was fiue hundred yeres before he died and yet of great memorie and noble fame Nestor which liued thrée hundred yeres of whom Homer doth make muche mention that of his mouth proceeded foorth sentences swéeter than honey in hys latter dayes yea almost his strength corespondent vnto the same That renowmed Prince Agamemnon Generall of all Gréece wished no more in Phrigia but fiue such as Nestor was which with their wittes and with their courage hée doubted not but in short time he were able to subdue Troye Swéete are the sayinges of olde men perfite are their councelles sounde and sure their gouernaunce Howe frayle and weake is youth How many Cities are perished by young councell Howe much hurt from time to time haue young men deuised practised and brought to passe And againe of age how full of experience knowledge prouision painful studious vnto the graue as we reade of Plato that noble Philosopher which was busie and careful for his countrey writing and making bookes the verye yere that hée died being fourescore and two Of Isocrates which likewise being fourescore and fourtéene compiled a booke called Panathenaicus of Gorgias which made the lyke studious carefull to profite his countrie I saye a hundred and seuen yeres was altogither adicted to his bookes to his studie So of Zeno Pithagoras and Democritus might be spoken men of no lesse wit trauaile and exercise than of time and age For as Cicero sayth the gouernement and rule of common wealthes consisteth not in strength of bodye but in the vertue of the minde wayghtie and graue matters are not gouerned with lightnesse of the bodie with swiftnesse of the foote with externall qualities but with authoritie councell and knowledge for in the one saith he there is rashnesse and wilfulnesse in the other grauitie and prudence As Themistocles Aristides who though not friendes then at Athens both rulers yet age taught them when they were sent Embassadours for the state of Athens to become friends to profite their countrie which youth coulde neuer haue done That sage Solon was woont often to bragge howe that he daylye by reading learning and experience waxed olde Apelles that approued painter and renowmed Gréeke in his age and last time woulde haue no man to passe the daye ydle without learning of one line Socrates being an olde mar became a scholler to learne musicke and to playe vpon instrumentes Cicero being olde himselfe became a perfite Gréeke with studie Cato being aged in his last yeres went to schoole to Enneus to learne the Gréeke Terentins Varro was almost fourtie yere olde before he tooke a Gréeke booke in hande and yet prooued excellent in the Gréeke tongue Clitomachus went from Caâ—thage vnto Athens after fourtie yeres of age to heare Carneades the Philosophers lecture Lucius as Philostratus doth write méeting Marcus the olde Emperour with a booke vnder his arme going to schoole demaunded of the Emperour whether he went lyke a boye with his booke in his hande the aged Emperour aunswered I go to Sextus the Philosopher to learne those thinges I knowe not O God sayde Lucius thou being an olde man goest to schoole now like a boye and Alexander the great died in thirtie yeres of age Alphonsus King of Cicilia was not ashamed at fiftie yeres olde to learne and to trauayle for his knowledge and least hée shoulde lose the vse of the latten tongue hée occupied him selfe in translating Titus Liuius vnto hys vulgar tongue though he was a King I doe not holde with age in diuers men which for want of discretion and witte waxe childishe againe but of perfite men in whome age séemed rather a warraunt of their doinges For euen as he that playeth much vpon instrumentes is not to be commended so well as he that playeth cunningly and artificially So as all men that liue long are not to be praysed as much as he that liued well For as apples béeing gréene are yet sowre vntill by time they waxe swéete so young men without warraunt of time and experience of thinges are to be misliked If faultes be in olde men sayth Cicero as manye there bée it is not in age but in the life and maners of men Some thinke age miserable bicause eyther the bodie is depriued from pleasure or that it bringeth imbecilitie or weakenesse or that it is not farre from death or quite called from due administration of common wealthes these foure causes sayth Cicero make age séeme miserable and lothsome What shall wée saye then of those that in their olde age haue defended their countries saued their Cities guided their people and valiauntly triumphed ouer their enimies as L. Paulus Scipio and Fabius Maximus men of woonderfull credite in their olde yeres What may be spoken of Fabritius Curius and Coruncanus aged men of great agilitie of famous memorie in their last dayes Howe might Appius Claudius be forgotten who being both olde and blinde resisted the Senatours to compounde with king Pirrhus for peace though they and all the Consulles of Rome herevnto were much enclined If I shoulde passe from Rome a place where age was much estéemed vnto Athens amongst the sage Philosophers if from Athens to Lacedemonia where age altogither bare swaye and rule if from thence vnto the Aethiopians and indians where all their lines are ruled and gouerned by olde men if from thence vnto any part of the worlde I shoulde trauile I might be long occupied in reciting the honour and estimation of age Herodotus doth write that the Aethiopians and Indians doe liue most commonly a hundred and thirtie yeres The people called Epeij doe liue in the countrey of Aetolia two hundred yeres naturally and as it is by Damiates reported Lictorius a man of that countrey liued thrée hundred yeares The kinges of Arcadia were woont to liue thrée hundred yeres The people of Hyperborij lyued a thousande yeres We reade in the olde
and ende of the battayle of the Philistines It is read in Lucan the Poet of a Witch named Erictho dwelling in Thessalia that reuiued and restored to life a late souldiour dead at the request of Sextus Pompeius to know the ende of the warres at Pharsalia One History I must repeat which Plutarch reciteth in the life of Cimon that one Pausanias after hée had taken the Citie of Bizance being in loue with a fayre damosell named Cleonices a mayde of noble parentage he commaundyng her father whiche durst not resist him to sende his daughter vnto him to vse at his pleasure which when the mayde came hée being fast a sléepe in his bed the Uirgin being shamefast and fearefull putting out the candle commyng in the darcke towarde Pausanias stumbled at the stoole which with the fall sodenly waked Pausanias from sléepe thinking some foe or mortall enemie of his to bée there hauing his sword harde by slue the Uirgine but she being so slaine woulde neuer after suffer Pausanias to take any quiet rest but appearing vnto him alwayes saying Recompence the iniurie and wrong thou diddest vnto me by equity and iustice folowing him as he fled from place to place from Bizance vnto Thracia from Thracia againe vnto Heraclea from Heraclea vnto Sparta where he famished for hunger Matthaewe in his seuentéene Chapt. beareth recorde that Moyses and Elias after they were dead many hundred yeres before Christes incarnation yet appeared bodyly and ghostly in mount Tabor vnto Christe where they spake and communed with our Lorde and Sauiour The soule of Lazarus did not onely appeare as Iohn saith in his second chap. but came againe both body and soule in a true token of our sure resurrection but as the appearing of those sightes at Gods appointment were most true so it is most horrible to geue credite that the soules of men after death do either by visions or by bodyly apparaunce but the deuyll is well beaten in experience of thinges knoweth best how he may deceaue the wisest sometime for he is subtill and crafty If the Mariner know when stormes and tempest arise if the Phisition iudge of one by the Urine the state daunger of the patient if the skilfull Astronomer can many yeres before exactly foretel the Eclipse of the Sunne moone if in fine the practized souldiour knoweth straight where the victory shall happen No maruaile it is that the deuill an olde souldiour can forshew things to come And make thinges apparant of nothing What made Theodoricus to espie the terible and threatning countenance of Symmachus which hée slue before in a fishes heade being brought before him on the table at supper at the which sight he fell for feare in a grieuous sickenesse and so died the Diuell What caused one Bessus of whome Plutarch maketh mention in his booke de sera muminis vindicta after that he had kild his owne father and a long while hyding himselfe as a murtherer at last being by the Deuill mooued to throw downe a swallowes neast with his speare and killing the young swallowes hée was of the company about him misliked for his cruelnesse vnto poore birdes and taunted of his companions for his tyranny therein but he aunswered and excused himsefe saying why shoulde I not kill those that accused me of my fathers death and cryed out vppon me a long while that I shoulde kill my father They which were present being amazed at his taulke toulde the king thereof which caused him to be apprehended and examined by that euidence he confessed the murther These are the driftes of diuelles the shiftes of Satan at all times and in all countries Paulina the chast wife of Saturnius a Romane was of such excellent beautie of such noble parentage and of such godlye life that when Decius Mundus a young knight of Rome who being so enamored with hir beautie with diuers compassions a long time to none effect for neyther golde nor treasure coulde alure this sober and chast Paulina to consent to sinne he perceauing how shée was bent to temperancye and to renounce all filthy lust gaue him selfe willing to die in the meane time the deuill practised a feat with Ide a mayde which dwelt in house with Mundus father to bring this purpose to passe this mayde knowing well the constancie and honest life of Paulina and how religious shée was to serue the Goddesse Isis inuented this fraude shée went and talkt with some of Isis Priestes opening the whole matter in secret vnto them promising a great rewarde to faine that their God Anubis had sent for Paulina to lie and to accomplishe loue with him This being done by the elder Priestes hir husbande Saturnius was verye ioyfull that the great God Anubis had vouchsafed to sende for his wife shee being as glad boasted and bragged of the same amongest her neighbours vnto the temple of Isis where likewise Anubis was worshipped Paulina was sent by hir husbande very braue and gorgeous where the young and lustie knight Mundus by the aduice of the Priestes hidde himselfe vntill Paulina came which embrasing hir in the darcke accompanied with hir till hee had satisfied lust all the night Then in the morning the matter being knowne she rent hir heares and clothes and tolde hir husband Saturnius how shée was delt withall hir husbande then declareth the whole matter vnto the Emperor Tiberiê° who hauing through knowledge by diligent examination did hang the Priestes the mother of y e mischiefe Ide coÌ„maunded the ymage of Isis to be â—unke in the riuer of Tiber and banished Mundus out of Rome so that vnder the couler and pretence of holinesse diuers Matrones and maydes were deâ—â—owred mens wiues and daughters as Ruffinus testifieth of a certaine Priest in Alexandria in Egypt named Tirannus who vsed such shiftes and practised such feats to haue his desire accomplished his lust satisfied with such women and maidens as he thought good saying that the great God Saturne whose Priest he was sent for them to come vnto the temple to Saturnus and there vntill his wickednesse was knowne he vsed vnder pretence of the great Saturne which was honoured in that Citie his filthy lust horible life Wée read the like almost of Numa Pompilius that he bare the people of Rome in hand that he had familiar company with y e Goddesse Aegeria bicause he might purchase y e more credite auctority vnto his lawes orders These are the workes and shiftes of wicked men which deceaued alwayes the rude people with vaine religion and superstitious holinesse which the deuyll the father of lyes did bewitch and allure them to beléeue fantasticall visions to be the soules of dead men the deuyls appearing them selues like men letting them to vnderstand that they were the soules of such men as they appeared like vnto as Romulus the first King and founder of Rome appeared after his death walkyng vp and downe by Atticus house
vnto Iulius proculus charging him to erect him vp a Temple in that place where hée walked saying that hée was now a god and that his name was Quirinus Remus likewise king Romulus his brother appearing vnto Faustulus and to his wife Laurentia somtime his nource complayning of his miserable death desiring them to make labour that the same day wherin hée was slaine might bée accompted amongst their Holydayes for that hée was canonized amongst the goddes Wée reade in Lucan how that the soules of Silla and Marius two famous and renowmed Romanes were alwayes walking and appearing vnto men before they were purged by sacrifice for the deuyls made the people beléeue when the bodies shoulde bée buryed with all funerall due therevnto belonging the soules shoulde haue rest to practise superstition amongst them as you hearde a little before What complaint made Hector and King Patroclus vnto Achilles What request made Palinurus and Deiphobus vnto Aneas which Homer and Vergil write of for the buriall of their bodies Suetonius writyng of the liues of Emperours sheweth how Caligula sometime Emperour in Rome after he was dead being halfe burned and buried for that hée wanted due solempnity of buriall appeared in the Gardens of Rome called Lauriani to the kéepers troublyng and molestyng them very much vntyll his sisters caused him to be taken vp and commaunded he shoulde bée throughly burned and solemnly buried There was in Athens by report an excellent faire house to sale for that no man durst dwell within it for about midnight continuallye there was hearde sounde noyse clashing of armour and clattering of chaines and there appeared an image or shape like an olde man leane and lothsome to beholde with a long bearde staring heares and feattered legges This house hauyng a péece of paper vppon the doore written of the sale therof for that no man woulde venture to dwell Athenodorus a Philosopher returnyng from Rome where hée aboode a long time with the Emperour Augustus Caesar vnto Athens and reading the writing vpon the doore hée hired the house and commaunded his seruaunt to make his bed in the highest chaumber in the house where hée setleth him selfe to marke and beholde things that woulde happen being thus in study first hée hearde the sounde and ratling of chaines and then hée an olde man begging towarde him to folow the Philosopher went after him with his candle in his hande into an inner court where the image left him alone and vanished Athenodorus tâ—e next morning caused the rulers of the Citie to digge vp that place where they founde diuers bones of dead men these were commaunded by the Philosopher to bee burned solemnly which afterwarde was quiet and styll without either noyse or sight Thus the deuyll soweth the séede of supersticion and maketh oftentimes his aungels to worke miracles What straunge workes did that coniurer Bileam bring to passe by the meanes of deuyls What woonders wrought that wicked Appolonius by the helpe of Satan What maruayles showes and sightes did Simon Magus vse by the industry of false spirites What did not Pharoes sorcerers oftentimes attempt by perswasion of deuils marke their ende and iudge of their life the one breaking his necke the other drowned in the red Sea and so the rest ended their liues miserably To many haue béene and I feare are yet that geue credite vnto such vaine illusions and phantasticall sightes ¶ Of dreames and warnings AMongst the Gentiles dreames were so obserued that the vaine superstition noting of the same was the whole trust and hope of their countries friendes and liues that when the kings of India take theyr rest they are brought to bead with all kinde of melodie and harmonie euerye man knéeling vpon his knées beséeching Morpheus the God of sléepe to reueale those thinges vnto their King that shoulde be commodious and profitable vnto the subiectes They thought themselues well instructed when eyther by Oracles they were perswaded or else by visions suggested King Pirrhus knewe well that hys dying daye was at hande when hée besieged the Citie of Argos and sawe in the market place a brasen Woolfe and a Bull which the Argyues for memory of thinges past and auncient monumentes had put vp for he by an Oracle had to vnderstande at what time he shoulde sée a Bull and a Woolfe fighting togither hée shoulde then prepare himselfe to die Alexander the great after that the Oracle of Iupiter Ammonius was pronounced that hée shoulde be vnconquered hée doubted not but to subdue the whole worlde and so trusted more vnto the Oracle of Iupiter than he mistrusted the mutability of Fortune tooke vpon him the conquest of all the world attempting nothing at al without some Oracle or dreame hadde warned him therevnto for before the great conquerour Alexander had séene Hercules in his sléepe reaching out of the wall his hand promising hym his ayde and helpe in his warres hée had not so boldely attempted so hye an enterprise without feare and dreade of his enimies Unto Hanibal after long perturbation of minde with great industrie and studie how he might annoye and destroye the Romane Empire appeared a young man of woonderfull beawtie who warned him that Iupiter sent him as a Capitaine before Hanibal into Italy whereby straight hée was encouraged the rather to take the charge in hande hoping thereby to enioye triumphant victorie ouer hys enimies Caesar that mightie Prince and Monarch and the first Emperour that euer possessed Rome thought in his sléepe that hée committed fornication with his mother which when it was opened by Southsayers that it was the earth that was his mother and that hée shoulde suppresse all the Princes of the earth vnder him euen as he thought in his sléepe of hys mother he was hée was enflamed thereby to rayse warres and most cruelly allured to murther eyther perswading himselfe to be subiect vnto all men or else a conquerer ouer all the worlde After that noble and renowmed Gréeke Themistocles was exiled from Athens and banished quite the confines of Gréece hauing doone such seruice and honour vnto his countrie as Plutarch worthilye mentioneth for the subduing of prowde Zerxes king of Persea the great enimie of all Gréece béeing in great perill and daunger of life in straunge countrie hée séemed to sée in his sléepe a Dragon creaping vpward from his belly towarde his face which assone as the Dragon touched his face he was chaunged as he thought vnto an Eagle and caried by the Eagle a great way thorough the ayre vnto a strange countrie where the Eagle gaue him a goldeÌ„ staffe in hand so left him wherby streight he was enformed that he was not onely deliuered from all daungers but also shoulde be sought for of all Gréece to the encrease of fame and augmentation of honour Brutus cleane contrarie after much good successe and prosperous fortune after he murthered Caesar at length he was in his slepe by a
at the long Speare the long Sworde the staffe and such as then they vsed in fight for to embolden them selues in that play being naked without armes against they came to fight with their armed enemies Thus by this play were the Romanes taught boldly to fight with their enemies and hardned at home litle to estéeme woundes and strokes abrode Thus games and playes were chéefely estéemed of the Romanes though diuers others as Cicero in his office affirmeth the Romones had in Martius féelde harde by Rome to exercize the youngmen to practize feates to become redy and prompt in marshall offayres which they onely most estéemed A comparison betweene the loue of men and beastes IF men bée diuers in affection one towardes another as wée dayly sée and trye by experience howe much ought the siely and simple beast which wanteth vse of speach to bée commended that so careth and prouideth for him his And though as Cicero saith that it is common vnto all liuing creatures to multiplie and to be carefull ouer those that nature procreated to differ in no part from a beast therin yet by reason we are to excell all kinde of beastes all things in subiection vnto man aswell the heauens aboue and all that shineth therin as earth beneath and all that liue thereon And hence I maruayle much though thd secrete working of nature in fearce and raging beastes bée tollerable yet in a reasonable man in whom saith the Philosopher nature onely mooueth vnto the beast suche enimitie variaunce and discorde shoulde procéede It is thought that the Eagle and the Swanne be not fréendes the Dolphin and the Whale can not agrée the Woolfe and the Foxe at variaunce so of the Dogge and the Cat of the Crowe and the Kite may be spoken but it is well knowen that man is most odious vnto man and though it be spoken Homo homini Deus yet is it prooued Homo homini Daemon If nature made the mighty Lion the most valiaunt beast in the worlde to feare the little crowyng Cock If nature do cause the huge and monstrous Elephant to tremble at the sight of a sielie simple Shéepe And if nature mooue the Panther a strong and a straunge beaste to quake at the presence of a Hinde If nature worke so subtilly that the strongest mightiest and valiauntest beast shoulde feare the most innocent and most simple beast howe much more might reason rule in vs to feare our God and his mightie workes which wée altogether either forget his glory or despise his power Though in beasts the heauens haue dominion yet saide Dauid man by reason and feare of God ruleth the heauens But I wyll omit to speake further of that and wyl returne to that which I meane a litle to discusse I wil not speake of the loue and affection of men generall but of the loue mutuall betwixt man and wife betwixt brother and brother And as it is a vertue not to be forgotten so is it a vertue most rare to finde for euerye thing in his owne kinde is most to bée accepted And first to entreate of the excéeding loue of the woonderful affection that men bare towarde their wiues Wée reade of that noble Romane Anthonius Pius who loued so well his wife Faustine that when shée died he caused her picture to be made and to be set vp before his face in his bed chamber to ease some part of his gréefe with the sight therof M. Plaucius sayling with his wife vnto Asia with thréescore Nauayes came very gorgeously vnto the citie of Tarentum where in the middest of his pompe and great glory for that his wife Orestella by sicknesse dyed he slue him selfe with one dagger saying Two bodyes shall possesse one graue The like wée reade of two young men in Plutarch the one named Aemilius the other Cianippus which for méere affection and passing loue towardes their wiues after long tormentes panges and paynes conceyued by inwarde griefes that their wiues were dead to solace their sadnes and to ende their woofull hap offered their pined bodyes a sacrifice vnto death for a pledge of their true and faithfull loue What meanes doth loue séeke to saue it selfe to auoyde gréefe and lastyng paine and to bée acquainted with ease and pleasure to embrace death How rufully the Gréeke Poet Antimachus bewayled the death of his wife Lisidides in such mourning verses woofull plaintes that whosoeuer read them hée should bée as redy to wéepe in reading the dolefull Epitaph of Lisidides as was Antimachus her husband sorowfull of hir death Pericles was so louing vnto his wife being a noble capitaine of Athens and so chaste that when Sophocles spied a marueylous beautifull young man saying Behold a passing fayre young man Pericles aunswered and saide Not onely the heart and the handes of a Magistrate must bée chaste but also his eyes must refuse the sight of any but his wife It is read that Pericles being at Athens hée was founde kissing and making much of his wife and being from Athens he was found more sad to depart from his wife then vnwilling to die for his countrie Orpheus loued so well his wife Euridices that as the Poettes faine he feared not the power of King Pluto to redéeme his wife with hazarde and daunger of his owne bodie Innumerable are they that deserue the like fame so that these fewe maye bée a sufficient proofe of others And now a fewe examples to prooue the like good will and loue from the wiues shewed towarde their husbandes as hithervnto you heard the great loue of husbandes toward their wiues Alcestes a noble Quéene of Tessalie at what time King Admetus hir husbande shoulde die hauing by an Oracle giuen an aunswere that if any woulde die for the King he should liue which when all refused his wyfe Quéene Alcestes offred hir selfe to die to saue hir husbandes life Iulia the wife of Pompeius the great and onely daughter to that famous and renowmed ▪ Iulius Caesar Emperour of Rome shée was no lesse obedient vnto hir father Caesar then shée was louing vnto hir husbande Pompeius who though they both were enimies one vnto an other yet shée shewed hir a louing daughter vnto hir father and a true wife vnto hir husbande and so true that when shée sawe hir owne Pompeius comming blouddy from the fielde as his apparell made a shewe a great way of shée supposing that hir husband was slaine béeing great wyth childe trauayled straight and died before Pompeius hadde yet come in The loue of Artimesia Quéene of Caria towarde hir husbande king Mausolus is as well declared by the sumptuous Tombe and gorgeous glistering graue which she made for him when hée died compted for the excelencie therof one of the seauen woonders as also truelye verified by cerimonies at his death in making the skull of hys heade hir drinking cuppe in drinking all the ashes of his bodie as suger vnto
is written in the liues of the fathers that a young man seruing an Hermet being sent of his maister vnto a village harde by where a certen great Usurer and a vicious man being dead was caryed honorably and buried with solempnitie with the Bishop of that Diocesse which when the boy saw hée wept out that so euyll a man so wicked an Usurer should haue such solemne buriall and returning whom hée founde his maister deuoured of a Lion which so mooued him almost to bée beside him selfe saying The wicked Usurer dieth with greate honour and is buried with great pompe that liued all the dayes of his life in sinne and wickednesse My maister being fifty yeres in the wildernesse an Hermet is eaten vp and deuoured of a Lion whiche studied and traueyled to fight with sinne and with the deuyll An angel appeared vnto the boy saying The deuyll can no more hurt thy maister for hée hath done his worst and now thy maister hath conquered the deuyll The deuyll spared the Usurer in his life time that hée might possesse him after his death SOcrates therefore dying héeing constrayned for that hée refused their gods and sayd that hée would rather worship a Dogge than the gods of Athens and to drinke his last draught perceyuing that his wife wept demaunded the cause of her wéeping his wife aunswered and sayd the innocencie of Socrates death is the cause of my wéeping Nay rather sayde Socrates laugh and reioyce at that and wéepe at him that deserued death The like examples haue wée of King Antigonus and Anaxagoras the Philosopher hearing both that their sonnes dyed in the warres the one sayd I knowe I hadde my sonne borne to die the other without vexation or chaunge of countenaunce made him be buried out of hand saying It is no straunge thing to heare of death aswell vnto Princes as vnto poore men happened A Great King being admonished by his Phisitions of death began to lament much his state saying Alasse Myser that I am howe many princelye Pallaces regall Courtes howe manye Kingdomes and countries must I depart from and go vnto those quarters I know not where Howe manye Princes coulde I commaunde to come with mée anye where Howe many Noble men might I cause to go before to prouide my places and seates and nowe not one poore man in all the worlde will beare mée company to my graue saying thou worlde enimie of my soule ¶ THE DEATHES OF CERTEN Noble Princes in english verse ¶ Alexander the great his death WHat sounde assurance is of man what certaine lotte of life When Atrop cuts which Lachese spinnes with cruell cursed knife Hée yesterday renowmed Prince and King of Kinges so braue To daye in mouldred mossie mire layde in his fatall graue Yesterdaye the sonne of Ioue might all commaunde at will To day starcke naked in the earth with wormes his belly full ¶ Iulius Caesars death I Long that ruled Rome at will in middest of Rome am spilde And in the Senate house amongst the Senators I am kilde Who Countries Kingdomes Castles strong who Europe all did quell To Brutus hande and Cassius snares vnwares I Caesar fell With Bodkins Daggers Swordes and Staues I Caesar there was slaine Of fostered foes which friendeshippe fainde as Abel was of Cain ¶ Cirus King of Persea his death WHat Kesar King or Prince thou art that passes here this way Suffer Cirus seauen foote to rest his Corpes in clay Whose gréedie minde and raging race whose fortune frowning wild That Cirus shoulde be in Scithia slaine by Tomyris Quéene in fielde Whose heade was off and bathed in bloode to whome the Quéene spake first Drinke cruell Cirus bloode ynough that long for bloode did thirst ¶ Agamemnon his death WHome tenne yeares warres in Phrigian fieldes nor Troyans force subdue Who me winde nor Seas nor tempest hurt this Clitemnestra slue This famous Prince and Capitaine graunde of all the Géekes in fielde Whome fame in Phrigia so aduaunced his onely spouse him kilde Thus fortune friendly flowed fast and fauored fame to sounde Till frowning fortune foylde the state which fawning fortune founde ¶ King Pirrhus his death HEre Pirrhus Prince of Epire lyes whose force Tarentum knew At Argos was by a woman slaine with a Tilestoone that shée threw ▪ Whom thousande Princes coulde not hurt nor Romanes all annoy Whom shot of Gunnes ne dreadfull dart might Pirrhus Prince destroy This seconde souldier counted was to Alexander King A sielie Argiue woman lo to graue did Pirrhus bring ¶ Hanibal his death THe fostered fame the glory great that was in Carthage coast The honour long that Lybia had againe in time was lost He that was the scurge of Rome and Romanes oft offend He that saued his natiue zoile and Carthage did defende The same at last to Siria fled to craue Antiochus ayde Unto Bithinia thence he went to Prusias King dismayde And there to voyde Flaminius force he poyson dranke did die Thus hauty Hanibal ended life and there his bones do lye ¶ Pompeius death POmpeius fléeing Pharsalia fieldes from Caesar life to saue Whome then Photinus fayned friende to Egypt soyle did laue And there by slaightes of faythlesse frindes for golde and siluer loe Pompeius heade was sent to Rome to Caesar for to shoe His bodie left vnburied lieth in Egypt slimy sandes Who sometime King of Pontus prest and all Armenia landes ¶ Cicero his death WHome Cicero saued off from death the same did Cicero kill Pompilius prowde to please the rage of Mar. Antonius will Whos 's heade was sette in sight to sée Antonius minde to please Whose tongue did Fuluia pricke with pinnes Hir stony heart to ease Who when hée was for Clodius sake exiled Rome to raunge Twentie thousande Romanes mournde in mourning wéedes the chaunge Hée thrée times Consul was in Rome now in Caieta slaine Whose noble name and lasting fame shall styll on earth remaine ¶ Demosthenes death THe sugred sappe the solace long the guyde of Athens then That stoute withstoode king Philips force in spite of Philips men Of whome king Philip in his warres was forcde to say at length Hée feared more Demosthenes tongue then all the Athinians strength Such is the ende of mortall wightes such is the miserie of men That howe to die the time the place he knoweth not where nor when ¶ Achilles his death THe hope of Gréece and countries care Achilles strong of force Like stoute Alcides fought on foote like Mars himselfe on horse But last that ruled Goddes sometimes did then Achilles mooue To walke to Troye to féede desire for Priamus daughters loue Who by a Dart that Paris driude Achilles had his ende Whose worthy actes and marshall feates in Homer well is pende ¶ Hectors death HEctor stoute whose strokes full sterne the Gréekes did girde so grim And foyled foes in Phrigian fieldes death happened thus to him In spoyling of Patroclus king Achilles faythfull friende Came strong Achilles to the place to sée Patroclus ende Then
one of the conspiratours and beeyng digged vp teared his bodie in smale péeces and beyng torne in péeces gaue it to the birdes of the aire Suche anger was in Marcus Antonius towarde Cicero that he was not contented of Ciceros death but commaunded his heade to bee sette before hym on the Table to feede his wrathfull harte and gréedie eyes and his wife Fuluia shewed her anger pulled out his toungue pinned it vnto her Bonnette and weare it on her heade in token and open shewe of her cruell and Tigrishe harte The noble romaine Maetellus was muche inflamed for to shewe suche hatred and anger vnto Pompeius for at what tyme Pompeius the greate was appointed by the Senatours of Rome to succéede Maetellus in his office of proconsulship in Spaine Maetellus perceiuyng that he was discharged and Pompeius charged they brake for verie anger all the furnitures of warres he destroied all the victualles he famished the Elephantes he permitted his Souldiours te doe what iniurie they coulde againste Pompeius so muche was his anger againste Pompeius that to hinder onely Pompeius he iniuried his natiue citie of Rome The propretie of anger is to hurte diuers in seekyng to offende one As hee is not wise that can not be angrie so is hee moste wise that can moderate anger The fame and renoume that both Themistocles and Aristides in vanquishyng their anger one towardes an other for beyng sent both as embassadours for the state of Athens trauailyng ouer a high hill like wise men that subdued affection and conquired anger Themistocles saide vnto Aristides shall we both burie our anger in this hill and go as frendes and not as enemies and there though the cause was greate at Athens they became frendes one vnto an other forgetting and forgeuing one anothers fault Anger and wrath are the only poisons of the words wher hidden hatered doeth proceade for to norishe the one is to feede the other Therfore it is written that hidden hatered priuate wealth and young mennes counsell hath been the verie cause of diuers destructions Manlius Torquatus after he had conquered Campania and triumphed ouer the Lateus retournyng vnto the Citie with noble fame and renoumed victories though the Senatours and Elders of the Citie mette hym in a triumphe and honour of his victories yet the younge men of Rome more disdainefull then courteous more odious then louyng more willyng to haue his death then desirous of his life kept them rather his enemies lurkyng in Rome towardes hym then frendes the cause is knowen in Valerius Hidden hatered whiche beare swaie in diuers places enuie and malice whiche procede from anger and maintained with hidden hatered is all the mischief of the world I wil omit to speak of Caligula whose anger and hatred was suche that he wished Rome but one necke that with one stroke he might strike it of Neither I will recite Heliogabalus whiche emoÌ„gest writers is named the beast of Rome and not the Emperour of Rome The histories of Catelin Silla and Appius for their hatered and anger towardes their countrey and natiue citie are extante in Plutarch and Salust by this anger and wrath proceded inuectiues and decleratioÌ„s and then enuie and malice beganne to builde their bowers by their chief CarpeÌ„ter anger then one mischief and vengeaunce doeth alwaies depende of the other And because anger is the onely cause of all euill and mischief I will speake of those two monstrus Gorgons as thinges incident and alwaies hidden in anger I meane enuie and malice and therfore I applie to Enuie and Malice whiche might be spoken here ¶ Of Periurie and Faithe and where either of these were honored and esteemed SIthe Faithe is the foundation of Iustice and Iustice the chiefe meanes as Aristotle saieth to preserue a publique weale for we se after muche fomyng and frettyng of seas after clustryng cloudes after longe lowryng lookes there doe often appere calme weather cleare aire and gentle countenaunce whiche to obserue and to maintaine Iustice is the worker therof and to note how faithfull and iuste some haue been and how wicked and false others shewed them selues for the commoditie and benefite of that one and for the discommoditie and iniuries of the other good it were to shewe the examples thereof There are not so many vertuous in one but there bee as many vices in an other For some from foes become frendes as Clodius and Cicero twoo greate enemies a long tyme and yet in tyme twoo faithfull frendes Tiberius likewise and Affricanus from mortall foes grewe to bee suche perpetuall frendes that Affricanus gaue his onelie daughter Cornelia in marriage vnto Tiberius Euen so some again from frendes became foes yea from tried frendship vnto mortall enemitie as Dion of Siracusa of his moste assured frende as he thought with whom alwaies before he founde frendshippe and faithe was slain and cruelly killed of Callicrates Polimnestor likewise though kyng Priamus supposed greate trust and confidence in hym that he committed his owne soonne Polidorus vnto his custodie yet falsely slue hym and murthered hym though beside frendshippe he was his nigh kinseman How well saieth Socrates that faithefull frendes doe farre excell Gold for in daunger faithe is tried and in necessitie freindes are knowen Suche is the secrete force of Faithe and suche is the hidden subtiltie of falsehode that the praise and commendations of the one shall bee seen and proued in a historie of Sextus Pompeius soonne and heire vnto Pompeius the Greate the slaunder and shame of the other shall bee manifestly knowen by Hanibal Arâ—â—lâ—ar sonne of Carthage The Faithe and Iustice of Pompeius at what tyme he had appoincted a banquette for Augustus Caesar â–ª and Marcus Antonius vpoÌ„ the seas was well tried for beyng moued of diuers at that tyme to reuenge his fathers death Pompeius the greate and specially often stirred by his frende â–ª and Maister of the Shippe Menedorus to requite olde malice for killyng of Pompeius to destroie Caesar and Antonius whiche Sextus in no waies would suffer saiyng that Faithe and Iustice ought not to bee tourned vnto periurie and falshed for as it is periurie to omitte faithe and promise made vnto these Emperors so this is tyraÌ„nie and not iustice to reuenge my fathers death vpon innoceÌ„cie And true it was that Augustus Caesar was then but a boie brought vp in Schoole in Apulia when his vncle Iulius Caesar vanquished Pompei And as for Marcus Antonius rather a freinde he was vnto Sextus Father then a foe and therefore no lesse Faithfull was Sextus in performyng then iuste in waiyng innocencie Farre vnlike vnto falâ—e Haniball whiche vnder pretence of peace with the Romaines sente Embassadours vnto Rome to entreate thereof where thei were honourablie receiued but well requited he the courtesie of Rome toward his Embassadours For wheÌ„ that noble Romain Cornelius came from Rome as an Embassadour vnto Haniball his welcome was suche â–ª
weepyng and sobbyng before Antonius requiryng on his knees one graunt at Antonius hand to sende his Souldiours to kyll hym vpon the graue of his frende Lucullus and beyng dead to open Lucullus graue and to laie hym by his frend Which beyng denied of the emperour then went and wrote vpon a little peece of paper caried it in his hande vntill he came wher Lucullus was buried and there holdyng fast the paper in one hand and with his dagger in the other hande slue hym self vpon the graue holdyng the paper close beyng dead where this sentence he wrote Thou that kneweste the faithefull freÌ„dship betwixt Volumnius Lucullus ioyne our bodies together being dead as our mindes were alwaies one beyng a liue The like historie is written of Nisus when his faithfull frende Eurialus was slaine in the warres betwixt Turnus and Aeneas he hauyng vnderstandyng therof vnknowen vnto Aeneas and vnto the reste of the Troians wente vp and doune the fielde tomblyng and tossyng dead carkeses vntill he founde out Eurialus bodie whiche after longe lookyng and embrasyng of his deade frende drewe out his swearde and heald it in his hande a little while saiyng as my bodie shall neuer departe from thy bodie so shall I neuer feare to folowe thy ghoost and laiyng the Pommel of his swearde on the grounde fell vpon his swearde hauyng the bodie of his frende Eurialus betwixt his armes This loue was greate betwixt Princes whiche might liue honorably to die willingly A strange thing for men that so loue their frendes to waie their deaths more then their one liues Orestes faithe and frendship towarde Pylades was suche that beeyng come vnto a straunge Region named Taurica to diminishe the dolors to asswage the grief and to mitigate the furious flames of Orestes bicause he slue his mother Clitemnestra and beyng suspected that they came only to take awaie the Image of Pallas their goddesse in that countrey The kyng vnderstandyng the matter made Orestes to be sente for to be brought before hym to haue iudgement of death For Pylades was not mencioned nor spoken of but onely Orestes he it was that should steale their Goddes awaie vnto Gréece Orestes therefore beyng brought and his felowe Pylades with him The king demaunded whiche of theÌ„ both was Orestes Pylades that knewe his frende Orestes should die sodainly steapt forth and said I am he Orestes denied it and said he was Orestes Pylades again denied that and saide that it was euen hee that was accused vnto the kyng thus the one deniyng and the prouyng either of theim moste willyng to die for the other The kynge dismaide at their greate amitie loue pardoned their faultes muche extemed their companie and greatlye honoured their naturall loue and faithe so many like histories vnto this there be that then Princes woulde die for their frendes euen that greate conquerour Alexander would haue died then presently with his frend Haephaestion had not his counsell letted hym he loued aliue so well that he was called of all men an other Axander in so muche so estemed his frende when SisigaÌ„bis king Darius mother had saluted HaephaestioÌ„ in stede of Alex. being therewith angrie with her error he said blushe not to honour Haephaestion as an other Alexander What was it that Anaxogoras waÌ„ted that prince Pericles could get for him Whether went Aeneas that Troian duke at any tyme without Achates with him was ther nothing that Pomponius had but Cicero had part of it Scipios freÌ„dship neuer wanted vnto Cloelius Though Rome could alter state though fortune could change honor yet could neither Rome nor fortune alter faithe or chaunge frendes After the Senators had iudged Tib. Gracchus for diuers seditions in the citie to die his frend Blosius hauyng knowledge thereof came and kneled before the Senators besought Laelius whose counsaill the Senators in all thinges folowed to be his frende saiyng vnto the reste after this sorte O sacred Senate and noble counsailers if yet remaine in the citie of Rome any sparcle of iustice if there be regard vnto equitie let me craue that by lawe which you iniuriously applie vnto an other and sithe I haue committed the offences and factes of Gracchus whose coÌ„maundement I neuer resisted whose will to accomplish I will duryng life obaie lette me die for Gracchus worthely whiche am moste willyng so to do let him liue iustly whiche so ought moste truly Thus with vehement inuectiues against him self crauing death most earnestly vnto Blosius and life worthely vnto Gracchus made the Senatours astonied with his rare desire of death saiyng the Capitoll had béen burned by Blosius if Gracchus had so commaunded but I knowe that Grachus thought nothyng in harte but that whiche he spake by tongue vnto Blosius and that which hée spake by tongue vnto Blosius that Blosius neuer doubted to doe and therefore I deserue rather death than hée The faith and loue betwixt Damon and Pythyas was so woondered at of King Dionisius that though hée was a cruell Tiraunt in appoynting Damon to die yet was he most amazed to sée the desire of Pithias the constant fayth the loue and friendeship professed in Damons behalfe striuing one with an other to die enforced in spite of tiranny to pardon Damon for Pythyas sake Theseus and Perithous became such faythfull friendes that they made seuerall othes one vnto an other neuer during life to be departed neyther in affliction paine punishement plague toyle or trauayle to be disseuered insomuch the Poetes faine that they went vnto the kindome and region of Pluto togither I will not speake of the great loue of that noble Gréeke Achilles toward King Patroâ—lusâ— Neyther will I recite the Historie of that worthy Romane Titus towarde Gisippus In fine I will not report Palemon and Arceit Alexander and Lodowicke whose ende and conclusion in loue were such as are worthy of memorie famous in writing ¶ Of enuie and malice and so of tiranny AS malice drinketh the most part of her owne poyson so enuie saith Aristotle hurteth more the enuious it selfe than the thing that it enuieth Like as the slouthfull in warre or Darnell amongst Wheate so is the enuious in a Cittie not so sad of his owne miseries and calamities as hée lamenteth the hap and felicitie of others Wherfore the wise Philosopher Socrates calleth enuie serram animae the sawce of the soule for that it cutteth the hart of the enuious to see the prosperitie of others For as it is a greefe to the good and vertuous man to see euyll men rule so contrarily to the euil most harme is it to sée the goodman liue Therfore the first disturber of common wealth and last destroyer of good states the beginning of all sorowes the ende of all ioyes the cause of all euyll and the onely let of all goodnesse is enuie How prospered Gréece how florished Rome how quiet was the whole world before enuie began to
daughter Sempronius Ceruius Sulpitia Plini lib. 7. cap. 35. Claudia Hippo. Timoclea Teutonica The fiftie virgins of Sparta Patritius lib. â—â— Aspasia Isis. Numa Pompilius Alexander Cato Dauid Gellius lib. 2. cap. 4. Zeno. Egyptianâ— Romanes Persea Lacedemonians Athenians Themistocles Sparta Pythagoras Messius lib. 28. cap. â— zeno Alexander Plutarch in vita Alex. 〈◊〉 Plutarch in Caesars life Calisthenâ—s Seneca Neuius Chius Phocion 39. Linus Brusonius lib. 1. cap. 5. Secundus Papyrius Demetius the philosopher Euripides Cato Leaena Anaxarchus Pompeius Val. lib. 3. cap. 3. Isocrates Tiberius Metellus Tantalus Agesilaus Phocion Zenocrates Fabritius M. Curio Pompeius Atticus The Senate â–ª Val. lib. 5. Fabius M. Alphonsus Alexander Erasmus lib. 4. Aroth Antilochus Lisander Artaxerxes Sinaetes Cirilus Alexander A Student of Paris Epaminondas P. Aemilius M. Agrippa Affricanus Cirus Curtius in vita Alexander Alexander Iustinus lib. 20. Phryne Rhodope Aâ—talus Antigonus Artaxerxes Plutarch in vita eius Iulius Caesar Alexander Ihero Ninus Cimon Flaminius Aelianus lib. 10. Aristides Zelopidaâ— Aelianus lib. 11. Epaminondas â–ª Diogines Aelianus lib. 9. Archelaus Agesilaus Frederike Romans Perseans Heraclid in Polit. Indians Egypt Herod lib. 2 Agesilaâ—â— Masinissa Ihero Gorgias Cirus Sophocles Crassus Agesis Scaeuola Considius Solon Alexander Valerius Cor. Mettellus Appius Clau. Pollio Epimonides Dandon Naestor Plato Isocrates Gorgias Zeno. Pythagoras Democritus Themistocles Aristides Solon Appelles Socrates Cicero M. Cato Paulus Scipio Fabius Curius Fabritius Coruncanus Appius Epeij Lictorius Hyperboreij Noah Sem. Tithonius C. Fabritius Cineas Egypt Aeâ—hiopia Sythiaâ— Amazis Parthians Arabia BabiloniaÌ„s Lesbians Sibarites Arcadia Boetians Bactrians Agragentins Lacedemostians Minerua Lydia Thracia Psilli Certa Pigmaei Ophiophagi Anthropophagi Monopods Arimaspi Pandorae Selenetidae Sorbotae Trogloditâ— Massagetes Carthaginean BabiloniaÌ„s Caspians Lesbians Corinthians T. Hostilius An. Martius Tor. Priscus Tul. Seruius Appius Cladius Plini lib. 21 Cap. 103. Auernus Salmacis Maeander Melas Cephisus Silia Apustidamus Auaria â–ª Albula Cydnus Euphrates Ganges Nilus Tigris Tagus Hermus Pactolus Idaspes Arimaspus Styx Phlegeton Lethes Acheron Cocytus Gabiensis Charecena Hirpinis Iheropolis Ciborus Sipilis Nea a town of Phâ—gia Thrasimenos Egnatia Pithagoras Thales Democritus Empedocleâ— Crates Anaxagoras Aristotle Herophilus Strato Empedocles Epicurus Pithagoras Essâ—i Aegiptians Stoiks Pagans Nine mansions for soules in hell The Planets placed in mannes bodye Diagoras Thales Clâ—anthes Numa â–ª Vesta Mars Bona Dea. Floâ—â— Ceres Minera Berecynthia Valesius Calabria â–ª Sibilla L. Pâ—â—â—liâ—s Valerius lib. 1. Caius Fabius Val. lib. 1. Perseans Athenians Phidias Apollo Brennus Zerxes Asculapius Turulius Ceres Proserpina Hercules Masinissa Pleminius Numa Licurgus Zaleucus Pisistratus Minoes Sertorius L. Silla Scipio Astric Reg. 4 Reg. â—2 Nabuchodonosor Salamon Antiochus Some honour their bellies as Goddes Darius The Peacock vnto Iuno Sparta Athens Thracia Argiui The Greekâ— Parmenio Plini Lib. 7 Cap. 59 Maxies â–ª Anases Maca. Euboians Caligula Sparta Demonax Aristippus â–ª Rhetus Panis Midas Diodorus â–ª Lib. 2 Pyramides Ceopes Cephus Micerinus The orders of the Aegiptians buriâ—â— Ethiopians Scythians Romans Merodianus Lib. 4 Assirians Indeans Thracians Athinians Massagetes Tibareni Albans Nabathaei Parthians Nasomones Caspians Hircanians Issidones Hiperborei Triton appeared vnto Caesar. Plutarch in the life of Brutus Brutus slue himâ—selfe Cassius slue him selfe Tacitus maketh himselfe redy to die by the sight of his mother Pertinax Balthasar savv a hand vvriting in a vvall Heliodorus savv a horseman thretning him Athenians Lacedemonians Theseus appeared after death Castor and Pollux appeâ—ared after death Hector appeared after death Patroclus Palinurus Deiphobus Phetonissa supposed to rayse the soule of Samuell Pausanias Theodoricus vvas ouer coâ—â—py a 〈◊〉 Bessus vvas betraied by Svvallovvâ—â— â–ª Paulina Mundus Tyrannus Numâ— Pompilius Romulus a God after death Cicero lib. 1 de legibus Remus canonized a God Silla and Marius seene after death Caligula Bruso lib. 6 Cap. 8. Pirrhus Plutarch lib. 27 Alexander Hannibal Caesar. Themistocles Brutus L. Silla Eumenes Zerxes Midas Plato Brutus Agamemnon Caesar. Alexander Alcipiades Philip. Au Caesar. Plutarch lib. 38. Nero. Dionisius Darius Tiberius Hanibal Vaspasianus Agrippa zoroastres Telephus Romulus Cirus Alexander Iupiter Ammonius Nicippus Cossicius Tiresias Ceneus Iphis. Anaxogoras ZenophaÌ„tus L. Pomponius Antonia Mermecides Aegiptians Indians Thracians Scithians Perseans Barbarians Massagets Libians Arabians Meedes Magi. Antropophagi Ethiopians Arabians Poeni Scottes Assirians Babilonians Lidians Ciprians Rome Moises Catullus Athens Rome Boetia Locrecia Lusitania Sparta Galatia Carmenia â—aeotis Socrates Pompeius Romulus Theseus Numa Licurgus Hanibal Scipio Alcibiades Martius Macoriolanus Pericles Fabius Maxcimus Silla Lysander Pompeius Agesilaus Alexander Caesar. Nicias and Crassus Demosthenes and Cicero Augustus Orpheus Amphion Dionisius Apollo Tubal Lirus Themistocles Socrates â—lianus 12. Agesilaus Architas Hercules Lidians Creeâ— Parthians Cimbrians Dircaeus Sparta â—â—st lib. 4 Olimpia Pithij Isthmia Nemaea Pirrhus Plini lib. 7. Licaon The Lidians inuented Diceplayâ— Zerxâ—eâ— game Luparcalia Circenses Saturnalia Gladiatoria The Lion feareth the Cock. Anthonius Pius Marcus Placius Cyanippus â—milius Antimachus Orpheus Alcestes Iulia. Artimesia Laodamia Ipsicratea Paulina Portia Sulpitia Valerig lib 6. Cap. 7 Aemilia Penelope Lucrecia Tomyris Ageus Panopion Caparus Durides Alexanders horse Caesars horse Antiochus horse Romulus Cirus Porus. Merthes Lib. 10. Cap. 29. Stesicorus Themistocles Simonides Seneca â–ª Aeliâ—s â–ª Ciâ—us Scipio Caesar. Horâ—ensius Carmidâ—s Cineas Hermonius Mythridates Lucullus Esdras Portius Orbilius Messala Caluisius Atticus Bamba Thracians Demosthenes Heraclitus Hipparchion Ruffinus Cassius Seuerus Lion The Goates of Creete Frogges of Aegypts Swine â— sea Snaill Mise Auntes Alexander Philopomen Ladislaus Antiochus ConstantinÌ„us Conradus L. Vectius Rosimunda Carolus Aâ—istobulus Hanibal Themistocles Aratus Iugurtha Syphax Henaicus Aristonicus Phalaris Perillus. Alcibiades Achaeus Bomilchar Iusti â–ª lib. 2. Policrates Leonides Hanno â–ª Diomedes Licinius Neocles Metius Hippolitus Laocon Cleopatra Opheltes Linus Cosinges Euripides Basilius Seleucus Bela. Fredericke â–ª Decius Marcellus Aegeus Tirrheus Tyberinuâ— â–ª Icarus Myrtilus Erisicthon Sisigania Pyrrhus Pyrander Cebrion Cygnus Mythridates Nicanor Sertorius Heliogabalus Carbo Caesar. Gurges Manlius Capaneus Tullius Hostilius Galba Commodus Lentulus Minoes Alebas Spu â–ª Constantine Alphonsius Arnulphus Honirificus Silla Pitha Apollo Saba Cornelia Pittacus Plato Socrates Architas Tirtaeus Xenophon Diogenes Galba Mecaenas Demosthenes Archias Metellus disâ—imulation Alexander Philippe Alcibiades Tarquinius Conon Antigonus Lysander Sardanapalis Hercules Clodius Euclides Semiramis Iusti. lib. i. Pelagia Marina Euphrosina Clisthenes Phliasia Chiron Thetis Achilles Vlixes Dissimulation Aristotle Hortenfius Darius Ciceronis lib. â— Tusc. Artaxerxes Brusonius lib. ii Cap. xli Lisimachus Ptholemie Iulius Caesar. Cambyses Saguntus Vespasian Cap. 57. Athens Alexander Doda Perusia Hymmi The fieldes of Piceni Stratonicus Alphonsus Gnefactus Hanibals sleightes Cirus craft Sicyonius Pysistratus Darius The lion The Elephant The Panther The Harte The Beare The Rauen. The Ducke The Doue The Swallow The Cranes of Cicilia Agesilaus Dion Socrates Socrates Alexander Brutus Antheus Cleoboea Cleonimus Valerius Torquatus Progne Nero. Darius Attila Xerxes Herodotusâ— lib. 7. Tomiris Beronice Poll. a. Tiberius Antigonus Socrates Phocioâ— Solon Ninus
also a water called Albula that healed gréene woundes In Sicilia the riuer called Cydnus was a present remedy vnto any swelling of the legges Not farre from Neapolis there was a Well whose water healed any sicknesses of the eyes The lake Amphion taketh all scurâ—es and sores from the body of any man What shoulde I declare the natures of the foure famous floods that issue out of Paradice the one named Euphrates whom the Babylonians and Mesopotamians haue iust occasion to commende The seconde is called Ganges which the Indians haue great cause to praise The thirde called Nilus which the countrey of Egypt can best speake of And the fourth is called Tigris which the Assyrians haue most commodity by Here might I be long occupied if I shoulde orderly but touch the natures of all waters The alteration of the Seas and the woonders that therof appeare as ebbing and flowing as saltenesse swéetenesse and all things incident by nature vnto the Seas which were it not that men sée it dayly practiseth the same hourelye and marke thinges therein continuallye more woonders woulde appeare by the seas then skant reason might be aleaged for sauing that God as the Prophet sayth is woonderfull in all his workes The fiue golden Riuers which learned and auncient writers affirme that the sandes thereof are all glistering gemmes of golde as Tagus in Ispaigne Hermus in Lydia Pactolus in Asia Idaspes in India and Arimaspus in Scythia these I say are no lesse famous through their golden Sandes which their weltering waues bring vnto lande in these foresayde countreys then Permessus in Boetia where the Muses long were honoured or Simois in Phrygia where Venus was conceyued by Anchises To coequat the number of these fiue last and pleasaunt riuers there are fiue as ougly and painfull as Styx in Arcadia whose property is to kil any that will touch it and therfore founde of the Poets to be consecrated vnto Pluto for there is nothing so harde but this water wyll consume so colde is the water thereof Againe the riuer of Phlegeton is contrary vnto this for the one is not so colde but the other is as whâ—t and therfore called Phlegeton which is in English fiery or smoky for the Poets faine likewise that it burneth out in flashing flames of fire Lethes and Acheron two riuers the one in Affrica the other in Epire the one called the riuer of forgetfulnesse the other the riuer of sadnesse The fift called Cocytus a place where mourning neuer ceaseth These fiue riuers for their horror and terrour that procéeded from them for the straunge and woonderous effectes therof are called infernall lakes consecrated and attributed vnto King Pluto which Virgil at large describeth Diuers welles for the straungenesse of the waters and for the pleasauntnesse thereof were sacrificed vnto the gods as Cissusa a Well where the nources of Bacchus vsed to wash him and therfore consecrated vnto Bacchus so Melas vnto Pallas Aganippe vnto the Muses so foorth not molesting the reader further with natures of water but briefely I meane to touch the straunge nature of the earth Plini affirmeth that there was neuer man sicke in Locris nor in Croton neyther any earthquake euer hearde in Licia after an earthquake they had fourtie fayre dayes By Rome in the fieldes called Gabiensis a certaine plotte of ground almost two hundred akers would tremble and quake as men rode vpon him There are two hilles of straunge natures by the floudde called Indus the nature of the one is to drawe any yron vnto it insomuch as Plini saith that if nailes be in any shooes the ground of that place draweth the sole of There is a piece of grounde in the Citie Characena in the countrey of Taurica where if anye come wounded hée shall bée straight healed And if any enter vnto diuers places as in a place called Hirpinis where the temple of Mephis is builded or in Asia by Iheropolis they shall incontinently die Againe there are places by the vertue of grounde in that place that men may prophesie Diuers where we reade that one péece of grounde deuoured another as the hill Ciborus and the Citie harde by called Curites were choked vp of the earth Phaegium a great mountaine in Aethiopia and Sipilis a hie hill in Magnesia with the Cities named Tantalis and Galanis There is a great rocke by the Citie Harpasa in Asia which may be moued easie with one finger and yet if any man put all his strength therevnto it will not stirre To speake of mount Aetna in Sicilia of Lypara in Aeolia of Chimaera in Lycia of Vesbius and Aenocauma fiue fierie mountaines which daye and night bourne so terrible that the flame therof neuer reasteth If anye man will sée more of these merueylous and woonderous effectes of Elementes let him reade the seconde booke of Plini where he shall haue aboundance of the like examples There he shall sée that in some places it neuer rayned as in Paphos vpon the temple of Venus In Nea a towne in Phrigia vpon the Temple of Minerua and in diuers places else which is the nature of the grounde About Babilon a fielde burneth daye and night In Aethiopia certaine fieldes about mount Hesperius shine all night like stars as for earthquakes and woonders that thereby happened I will not speake for that it is forced of matter but of those strange groundes that neuer alter from such effectes afore mentioned beside the mettalles the stones the hearbes the trées and all other thinges are so miraculous and straunge that Plini in diuers places doth speake of And as for fire it is to great a woonder that the whole worlde is not burned thereby sith the Sunne the Starres the Elementarie fire excell all miracles in kéeping the same from damage and hurt vnto manne if God had not preuented yea appoynted that the heate of the Sunne should not kindle strawes stubbles trées and such like which the heate thereof as we dayly sée burneth stones leade and the moste hardest substaunce out sith speciallye that fire is in all places and is able to kindle all thinges insomuch that the water Thrasimenos burneth out in flames which is vnnaturall and straunge that fire kindleth in water And likewise in Egnatia a Cittie of Salentine there is a stone which if any woode touche it will kindle fire In the Well called Nympheus there is a stone likewise whence flames of fire from the stone it selfe burneth the water A greater woonder it is that the fire should be kindled by water and extinguished by winde Fire flashed about the heade of Seruius Tullius being then a boye in sléepe which did prognosticate that hée shoulde be a king of the Romanes Fire shined about the head of L. Marcius in Spaine when he encouraged his souldiours to reuenge manfullye the deathes of those noble and famous Romanes