her sonne Itis begot by her husband Tereus The Daiedes or Danaes daughters of Danaus for cutting the throats of their husbands and kinsmen the sonnes of AEgiptus The Lemniades or women of Lemnos who in the same Island most cruelly slew their sonnes and fathers Harpalice the daughter of Climenus who killed the childe which her incestuous father begot on her owne body Tullia the daughter of Servius King of the Romans who caused her chariot to be drawne ouer the body of her dead father for the horridnesse of which fact the street in the citie Rome where this was done was called Vicus sceleratus Of those abhorred for Incestuous congresse the most remarkable were Iocasta who had issue by her sonne Oëdipus and Pelopaea by her father Thiestes Harpalice with her Sire Climenus c. Some are to this day made infamous for killing their husbands As Clitemnestra the daughter of Thestius for conspiring with Egistus in the murder of her Lord Agamemnon the son of Atreus Iliona the daughter of Priam for killing her husband Polymnestor K. of Thrace Semyramis Queen of Babylon for the death of Ninus King of Assyria Helena after the death of Paris Deiphebus the sonne of Priam. Agave her husband Lycothersis in Illyria and Deianeira for sending the poysonous Shirt to her Lord Hercules of Lybia c. Others for killing their wiues As the same Hercules his wife Megara the daughter of Creon King of Thebes Theseus Antiopa the Amazon and daughter of Mars Cephalus the son of Deionis or of Mercury Procris the daughter of Pandion by his vaine jelousie c. Fathers for killing their daughters As Agamemnon the great General of the Grecian Army in their famous expedition against Troy who sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to the goddesse Diana Climenus the sonne of Oeneus slew his daughter Harpalice because she killed her child and serued it in vnto him at a banquet Hyacinthus his daughter Spariantides vpon an answer returned from the Athenians Erichthaeus the sonne of Pandion his daughter Colophonia vpon the like occasion Cercyon the sonne of Vulcan his daughter Alopes for committing incest with Neptune AEolus his daughter Canace for the like done with her brother Mallaraeus c. Of mothers that most cruelly and vnnaturally haue murthered their owne children we reade That Medea the daughter of Oâ—tes King of Colchos slew her two sonnes Machareus Pherelus begot by Iason Progne the daughter of Pandion killed her son It is which she had by Tereus Ino the daughter of Cadmus yong Melicertes begat by Athamas the sonne of AEolus Althaea the daughter of Thestius Meleager by Oeneus the sonne of Parthaâ—n Themisto the daughter of Hypseus Plinthius and Orchomenes her two sonnes by Athamas Tyros the daughter of Salmoneus two sonnes begot by Sisiphus the sonne of Eolus Agave the daughter of Cadmus Penthaus the sonne of Echion at the imposition of Liber Pater c. So likewise of Selfe-murtherers Egeus the sonne of Neptune and father of Theseus cast himselfe headlong into the sea from whose death it still retaines the name of Mare Egeum i. the Egean sea Euhemus the sonne of Hercules precipitated himselfe into the riuer Lycorma which is now called Chrysorroas Aiax the sonne of Telamon slew himselfe for the losse of Achilles his armor Lycurgus the sonne of Briantus being strooke with madnesse by Liber Pater laid violent hands vpon himselfe Agrius the son of Parthaon being expulsed from his kingdome by Diomedes King of AEtolia slew himselfe So Ceneus the sonne of Elatus Menicus the father of Iocasta or as some call him Menaetis precipitated himselfe from the walls of Athens Nisus the son of Mars hauing lost his purple locke cast himselfe vpon his sword and so died As likewise Climenus the sonne of Coeneus King of Arcadia after he had committed incest with his daughter Cyniras the sonne of Paphus King of Assyria after hee had committed the like with his owne naturall childe Hercules cast himselfe into the fire and so perished Adrastus with his sonne Hipponous did the like Pyramus the Babylonian slew himselfe for the loue of Thisbe And Oedipus the sonne of Laius destroyed his owne life for hauing incestuous Issue by his mother whose name was Iocasta c. Of Women that so dispairingly died these Hecuba the wife of Priam cast her selfe into the sea as Ino the daughter of Cadmus did the like with her sonne Melicertus Anticlia the mother of Vlysses and daughter of Antolychus strangled her selfe because she heard a false rumour of her sonnes death The like did Stoenobaea the daughter of Iobates and wife of King Praetus for the loue of Bellerephon Evadne the daughter of Philacus because her husband Capaneus was slaine at Thebes cast her selfe into the same funeral fire in which his body was burned AEthra the daughter of Pythaus for the death of her children Iliona for the death of her parents Themisto for her children Erigone for her father Phedra for the incestuous loue borne to her step-sonne Hyppolitus Phyllis for Demophoon Calypso daughter to Atlas for the loue of Vlysses Dido the daughter of Belus for AEneas c. Time would sooner faile me than Historie yet these I haue introduced to this purpose to shew That Atheisme and want of the true knowledge of God hath bin the cause of so many Murthers and Incests hath made so many Parracides and Fratricides and indeed hath beene the ground of all prodigious acts and inhumanities whatsoeuer Something is requisit to be spoken of Idolatry The word is deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Cultus and Colo The definition thereof is Cultus Deo debitus Creaturae exhibitus i. The worship that is due onely to God conferre vpon the Creature An Idol is when any Statue or Image in which either some Deitie or any other thing shall stand for a Power a Patron Protector or Sauiour is represented and worshipped Of which kind was the golden Calfe Basil saith vpon the third of Esay What thing can appeare more vain and ridiculous than for a man to professe himselfe to be the workeman of his God and Maker To shew how abhominable Idolatry was in the eyes of the Almighty I will only quote you one place out of many in the holy Text Take therefore good heed vnto your selues for you saw no Image in the day that the Lord spake to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire that you corrupt not your selues nor make you a grauen Image or representation of any figure whether it be likenesse of male or female the likenesse of any beast that is on the earth or of any feathered fowle that flieth in the aire or of any thing that creepeth on the earth or of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth And lest thou lift vp thine eyes to heauen and when thou seest the Sunne the
Alexander the Great Who sending to the Oracle of Delphos to know what should futurely betide him Answer was returned that his life should continue for a long season if it were not endangered by a Chariot Whereupon the King gaue strict and expresse commandement That all the Chariots within his kingdome should be pluckt in pieces and no further vse to be made of them and that no new ones should be after made neither would hee come neere vnto places that had any reference or relation to such a name Notwithstanding all his preuention hee was soone after slaine by Pausonias who wore at that time a sword which had a Chariot grauen vpon the pommell Dioclesian a man of a base and obscure parentage in Dalmatia serued as a common soldier in France and elsewhere vnder diuers and sundry Emperors Vpon a time reckoning with his Hostesse of the house wherein he was billited who was one of the sooth-saying Druides she told him that he was too penurious and did not beare the noble minde of a Souldier To whom he made answer That hee then reckoned with her according to his poore meanes and allowance and merrily added That if euer hee came to be made Emperor of Rome he would then shew himself much more bountifull To whom first looking stedfastly in his face she replied Souldier thou hast spoken truer than thou art aware of for after thou hast killed one Aper which signifieth a Boare thou shalt be made Caesar semper Augustus and weare the Imperiall Purple Dioclesian smiled and receiued it from her as a deliâ—ement or scoffe because hee had before bated her of her reckoning Yet after that time hee tooke great delight in the hunting and killing of Boares But diuers Emperors succeeding one another and he finding little alteration in his fortune hee was frequently wont to say I still kill the Boares but there be others that eat the flesh Yet in processe of time it happened that a potent man called Aper hauing married the sister of the Emperour Numerianus layd violent hands vpon his brother in law and most traiterously slew him For which facinerous act being apprehended by the souldiers and brought into that part of the Army where Dioclesian was who by reason of his long seruice was had in reputation with the prime Commanders the souldiers now demanding what should be done with the Traitor it was concluded amongst them that he should be at Dioclesians dispose who presently demanding of him his name and he answering Aper without further pause he drew his sword vttering these words And this Aper or Boare shall be added to the rest presently ranne him through the body and slew him Which done the soldiers commending it for an act of justice without further deliberation saluted him by the name of Emperor I haue read in the Chronicle of France concerning one of the French Henries That Gonvarus an Italian Astrologer hauing calculated his Natiuitie wrote vnto him about fiue yeares before the strange disaster of his death happened That the Starres and Planets threatned him in the one and fortieth yeare of his age with a dangerous wound in the head by which he should be strooke either blinde or dead and therefore aduised him to beware of tilts tourneys or any the like violent exercises for the space of that yeare Notwithstanding which in the predicted yeare at the solemne and pompous celebration of his Sisters mariage with the young King of Spaine after hee had three dayes together with great successe and generall applause demeaned himselfe in those Chiualrous exercises of Tilt and Barriers though hee was much persuaded by the Queene and entreated by the Lords after the breaking of many staues to giue ouer yet nothing could preuaile with him insomuch that in the very later end of the day when most of the Spectators were risen and departed out of the Tilt-yard he called to the Count Montgomerie Captain of his Guard earnestly importuning that he would runne one course more with him Which when hee sought by all meanes possible to excuse pretending many vnwilling delayes he tooke a speare and thrust it into his hand compelling him to another encounter in which he was most vnfortunately slaine by a splinter of the staffe that entring at the sight of his beauer pierced his braine and so concluded the great solemnitie with his owne lamentable Tragedie Before this accident happened in the beginning of the triumph one Nostrodanus told vnto diuers of the Kings seruants in secret that the King would be in great danger of death before the Tournament was fully finished And which is most remarkable a Merchants sonne of Paris a childe of about six yeares old not fully seuen being brought thither that day by his father and mother to see the Tilting at euery course the King ranne hee was heard to cry out aloud They will kill the King ô they will kill the King Plato was of opinion That children are no sooner born but they haue one of those Spirits to attend them which doth first copulate and conioyne the soule vnto the body and after being grown vnto some maturitie teach instruct and gouerne them The Academiques held That Spirits behold all mens actions and assist them that they know all our apprehensions and cogitations and when the Soule is deliuered from the Body they bring it before the high Iudge That they are questioned about our good or bad actions their testimonie being much preualent either to excuse or aggrauate That also they are vigilant ouer vs either sicke or in health waking or sleeping and especially in the very article and point of death oftentimes inspiring the parting Soule with a diuination surpassing all humane knowledge For instance Pheceredes Cyrus being vpon his death bed predicted victorie against the Magnesians which fell out accordingly And Possidonius telleth vs That a Rhodian dying nominated six men and told who should die first who second who third and so in order till he came to the last Neither did he any way faile in his prediction Porphirius was of opinion That not one onely but many Spirits or Genij had the charge of one and euery man one hauing care ouer his health another indulgent ouer his beauty and feature another to infuse into him courage and constancie c. But Iamblicus was of a contrarie assertion affirming That many needed not when one being of so pure and refined a nature was sufficient Some haue affirmed Spirits to be of diuers qualities therefore to worke in men according to their owne dispositions diuers effects Affirming That those AEthereall or Fierie stirre vp men to contemplation the Airy to the businesse and common affaires of this life the Waterie to pleasure the Earthy to base and gripple auarice So likewise the Martiall Spirits incite vs to fortitude the Ioviall to prudence the Venereall to lust the Mercuriall to policie and wisedome the Lunarie to fertilitie and plenty
stung him to death Iupiter for his vertue and valour translated him to the starres and at the entreaty of Diana did as much for the Scorpion who had auenged her of her enemie Aristom informeth vs That one Caâ—brisa a citisen of Thebes being issulesse desired the gods to foelicitate him with a sonne and to that purpose made vnto them many Diuine sacrifices To whom Iupiter Mercury and Neptune came and guested for whose entertainment he slew an Oxe humbly petitioning to them for a male issue whom they commiserating at the motion of Mercury the three gods pissed in the hide of the Oxe and commanded him to bury it in the earth Which after the space of forty weeks being opened there was found a male Infant whom they called Vrion ab Vrina Others thinke him to be Arion the Methimnaean so excellent vpon the Harpe who being affrighted by Pyrats cast himselfe into the sea and by the vertue of his Musicke was borne safe to the shore on the backe of a Dolphin But their opinions by the best Authors are altogether exploded Cum tetigit solis radios accenditur astaâ— Discernitque ortu longe fata vivida firmat At quibus artatae frondes an languida radix Examinat nullo gaâ—det maiâ—sve minusve Agricola sidus primo speculatur ab orta The chiefe Star of Canis major or Laelaps is called Alhavâ—r and that of Canis minor or Procion Algomeisa so saith Higinus But Aratus speaketh onely of that which he calleth Syrius Stella the Syrian star which is placed in the middle centre of the Heauens into which when the Sunne hath accesse the heate thereof is doubled by which mens bodies are afflicted with languishment and weakenesse It is called Syrius for the brightnesse of the flame The Latines call it Canicula whence they terme the Dog-dayes Dies Caniculares for so long as the Sunne hath power in it that time is thought to be pestiferous and obnoxious to many diseases and infirmities Some thinke it to be the same Dog which with the Dragon was giuen as a Keeper to Europa which was after bestowed vpon Procris and by her presented to her husband Cephalus who carried him to Thebes to the hunting of that Fox which had done so much hurt to the inhabitants thereof A like fate belonging both to the Dog and the Fox for neither of them could be slain Therefore Iupiter turned the Fox into a stone and placed the Dog in the centre of the Firmament Amphianus a writer of Tragedies relates That the Dog was sent vpon a message to Dolora of whom so soone as he beheld her hee grew greatly enamoured and still was more and more ardently inflamed towards her insomuch that he was enforced to invoke the gods to qualifie his extraordinarie feruor Who sent the North winde Boreas by his cold breath to giue some mitigation to his scorching flames Which hee accordingly did and those gusts are called Etesiae which are bleake North-East windes which blow onely at one time of the yeare Others will haue him to be Mera the Dog belonging to Icarus and his daughter Erigoneâ— of whom I haue before sufficiently spoken Haec micat in Coelo lateri non amplior actus Qua surgit malus qua debet reddere proram Intercepta perit nullae sub imagine formae Puppis demisso tantum stat lucida Coelo The chiefe star of note in the Ship is called Canopos and it is seated in the first oare and it hath place iust by the taile of the greater Dog Which it obtained at the request of Minerva who as they say was the first deuiser thereof making the Sea navigable to man which practise till then was vnknown but in it's scite it is onely visible from the rudder or stearne to the mast Some say that Danaus the sonne of Belus who by many wiues had fiftie daughters and his brother AEgyptus as many sonnes Who had plotted to murther Danaus and all his foeminine issue that hee might solely be possessed of his fathers Empire and therefore demanded his daughters to make them wiues vnto his sons But his malice and mischieuous purpose being discouered to his brother Danaus hee invoked Minerva to his aid who built him this Ship called Argo in which Danaus escaped out of Africa into Argos AEgyptus sent his sons to pursue their Vncle his daughters who arriuing in Argos began to make warre vpon him Whom seeing he was not able to withstand hee gaue his daughters vnto them but with this command That the first night of their marriage they should murther them in their beds Which was accordingly done sauing that the yongest Hipermnestra preserued the life of her husband Linus for which shee had after a Temple reared to her perpetuall honour The other Sisters are said to be tormented in Hell by filling a bottomlesse tub with leaking vessels But most are of opinion That was the Argo in which the greatest part of the prime Princes of Greece by the name of the Argonauts accompanied Iason to Colchos in the quest of the golden Fleece Of which Tiphis the son of Phorbantes and Hymane was said to be the Pilot who was of Boëtia and Argus the sonne of Polibus and Argia or as some will haue it the sonne of Danaus halfe brother to Perseus the Ship-Carpenter or builder who was by birth an Argiue After whose death Ancaâ—â— the sonne of Neptune gouerned the Decke or fore-Castle Lynceus the sonne of Aphareus famous for his quickenesse of sight was the prime Navigator The Boat-swaines were Zetes and Calais sonnes to Boreas and Orithâ—a who were said to haue feathers growing out of their heads and feet In the first ranke of the rowers were seated on the one banke Peleus and Telamon on the other Hercules and Hylas He that gaue the charge to the Rowers and Steersman was Orpheus the sonne of Oegrus but Hercules forsaking his seat in his room came Peleus the son of AEacus c. Oceanum occasu tangit tanto magis arte Thuribulo motae vim Coelo suscipit iam Praecipiti tactu vastis dimittitur vndis Ara is called Sacrarius and Pharumâ— a Signe alwaies opposite to Nauigation and it followeth the taile of the Scorpion therefore is thought to be honoured with a scite in the Firmament because the gods thereon made a solemne conjuration when Iupiter made war against his father Saturne and after left remarkable vnto men because in their Agonalia which were certaine Feasts in which were celebrated sundry sorts of actiuitie and so called because they were first practised in the mountaine Agon in their sports Qinquennalia so called because celebrated euery fift yeare in which they vsed Crownes as witnesses of diuers couenants Their Priests and Prophets also skilled in Diuinations gaue their answers in their Symposia or banquetting houses c. Inde per Ingentes costas per Crura per Harmos Nascitur intacta
now the bus'nesse weepst thou wicked man As fearing to be tortur'd enter than Stay Stay beneath his arme-pits lies obscur'd What in the barge will neuer be endur'd Menippus what Smooth oily Flattery such As in his life time did auaile him much 'T is fit then thou Menippus shouldst lay by Freenesse of speech and too much liberty Thy boldnesse mirth and laughterâ— for is't fit To mocke vs thus thou in that place shouldst sit All that he is possest of let him still About him keepe for they are light and will Rather than hinder helpe our navigation As burdenlesse and fit for transportation And thou ô Rhetorician cast away Thy contradicting Phrases there 's no stay Similitudes Anti-positions too Periods and Barbarismes This thou must do All thy light-seeming words must be throwne by For in the Hold most heauy they will ly I throw them off The fastned cords vnbinde Plucke vp the Ladder 'bout the Cap-stone winde The Cable and weigh Anchor hoise vp Saile And thou ô Steeres-man pre'thee do not faile To looke well to the Helme and that with care Let 's now be merry hauing all our faâ—e But wherefore weepe these sad Ghosts but most thou That of thy huge beard wast dispoyl'd but now Because I held the Soule immortall Fye Beleeue him not ô Hermes 't is a lie 'T is somewhat else he grieues at What Canst tell Because after full Feasts he cannot smell Nor walking late whilest others were at rest Close muffled in his Cloake be made the guest To dissolute Strumpets sneake into his Schoole Betimes and with his suppos'd wisedome foole Yong Schollers cheating them of coine and time Thou that pretendest to be free from crime Is not to thee Death tedious Can it be I hastning to 't when nothing summon'd me But stay What clamor 's that a shore so hye We scarce can heare our selues speake Mercurie 'T is loud indeed but comes from sundry places There is a Crew that arm'd with loud disgraces Brand the dead Lampichus Another strife Growes from the women that reproch his wife And yonder his yong children but late borne Are ston'd by children and in pieces torne Some with loud accents Diaphantus praise The Orator for his elaborate Phrase And funerall Oration well exprest In Sycian for this Crato late deceast The Matrons with Damasia's mother there Howle and lament his losse But not a teare Is shed for thee Menippus thou 'rt more blest Novlulations shall disturbe thy rest Not so for thou within few houres shalt heare Dogs lamentably barking at my Beere The Crowes and Rauens croaking at my graue In hope some good share of my flesh to haue Menippus thou art valiant and now land Passe on fore-right incline to neither hand That path will leade you to the Iudgement Hall Whilest we transport the rest that yonder call Saile prosp'rously ô Mercury wee 'l on As best befits vnto the Iudgement Throne What shall of vs become now here they say Are sundry torments that endure foray Stones AEgles Wheeles in number that surmount Now each must of his life yeeld iust account Bias to one who by reason of the great sorrow he tooke for the losse of his children called vpon Death as desiring to depart out of the world said vnto him Why fond man dost thou call vpon that which though vncalled for will come vpon thee Musonius being demanded Who died best made answer Those that make account of euery present day at their last Theramines was no sooner departed out of an house but it presently fell to the earth When his Friends came about him to gratulate his vnexpected safety he said vnto them beyond their expectation Know you ô men vnto what greater dangers or a more vnfortunate death the gods haue reserued me Intimating That the escape from one disaster was no securitie from falling into another Which happened accordingly for not long after he fell into the hands of the thirtie Tyrants and was compelled to end his life by poyson Seneca Epist. 78. vseth these words Is any man so ignorant but knowes that at one time or other he must die yet when the time commeth many weepe and lament Why dost thou mourne ô Wretch why feare and tremble since all men are tied to that strict necessitie and thou art but to go whither all things before thee are gone To this law thou art borne the same thing happened to thy father thy mother and to all thy predecessors to all before thee and shall to all that must succeed thee c. Spartanus being inâ—idiated by Iphicrates the Generall of the Athenians and surprised by an ambush and demaunded of his Souldiers What in that exigent was to be done made answer What else but that whilest you fly basely I die fighting honorably Such was the spirit of Cato Vticensis who persuaded others to the safety of their liues whilest he prepared himselfe to a voluntarie death Rubrius Flavius condemned vnto death by Nero and being brought to the blocke when the Executioner spake vnto him that he would boldly stretch forth his neck Yes quoth he and I wish thou with as much resolution and as little feare mayst strike off my head I will conclude with this Similitude As all those Starres which rise from the East though they be of great celeritie and vertue yet tend to their setting and according to their diuers Circles some sooner some later hide themselues from our aspect So all the Generation of Mankinde from the East that is by their Natiuitie enter into the world and though here for a season they shine and according to their qualities and degrees giue lesse or greater lustre yet of necessity they must all arriue some early some late at the fall or set of Death according vnto the continuance of that Course which God in his wisedome hath appointed them and by degrees withdraw and hide themselues from the eyes of the World Now hauing sufficiently discoursed of Death I will point you to a contented life out of one of Martials Epigrams not without great elegancie thus deliuered vnto vs Vitam quae faciunt beatiorem c. Blithe Martiall wilt thou vndertake Things which the life more blessed make Th' are these A Fortune competent Not got by labour but descent No thanklesse Field a Fare conuenient No strife at all a Gowne expedient For warmth not trouble a minde quiet Strength purchas'd by a mod'rate diet A healthfull body Prudence grounded On Simplenesse Friendship compounded On Paritie then so to call That no one man may pay for all A Table without Art or Cost A Night so spent it be not lost In Drunkennesse yet that thou dare And boldly call it Free from Care A Bed not sad but chast in sport Sleepe that shall make the night seeme short To wish to be that which thou art And nothing more in whole or
part And then thy last day shall appeare It thou mayst neither wish nor feare I cannot passe Poetry without some Character though neuer so briefe Now what Poets are or at least ought to be Horrace lib. de stat Poet. thus contractedly deliuereth vnto vs Ille bonis faveat concilietur Amice c. The Good he fauors as to them a Friend The Angry swayes loues those that feare t' offend He onely praiseth and desires to tast Those Viands on a thrifty table plac't Iustice he loues and feares the higher Powers Nor cares who lookes on his retyred houres Counsell he honors and dares pray aloud Fortune may court the Wretch and curbe the Proud Of the great respect and honor conferred vpon them in antient times and how those Dignities vnmeritedly are since taken from them and they in succeeding Ages vilified Ovid lib. 3. de Arte Amand. not without great cause thus ingeniously complaineth Quid petitur sacris nisi tantum fama Poëtis c. What more do sacred Poets seeke than Fame Of all our Labours 't is the soueraigne aime Poets of Dukes and Kings were once the care And great rewards propos'd for what was rare A Holy-state and Venerable Stile Was then conferr'd on him who did compile Any braue Worke a name he did inherit And mighty wealth was throwne vpon his merit In the Calabrian mountaines Ennius had His pleasant Gardens Then was Scipio glad To haue but such a Neighbour and to chuse Selected houres to spend vpon his Muse. But now the Bayes are without honour worne For what 's a Poet but a name of scorne Yet let 's not sleepe our Fame since Homer dead Should this day be were not his Iliads read Antonius Mancinellus speaking in the praise of Poets writeth to this purpose By Nature they are strengthened by the power of the Minde inflamed and by Diuine Rapture inspired Rightly therefore did old Ennius call them Holy as those commended vnto vs by the gift and bounty of the gods The Coliphonians claime Homer to be their Citisen the Chij challenge him the Salamines would vsurpe him the Smyrnaeans ingrosse him and three more of the most potent Cities of Greece erected Monuments after his death to eternise him So deare was Ennius to Africanus that he afforded him a Graue amongst the antient and ennobled Family of the Scipio's Theophanes Mylitides receiued a whole City as a Gift which was then held too small a reward for one Poëm Alexander the Great held the richest Casket taken among the spoiles of Darius scarce worthy to preserue the Works of Homer in The same Alexander surprising Thebes preserued a great part of the City onely for Pindarus the Poets sake Those Murtherers who priuatly slew Archilichus Apollo himselfe reuealed and caused his death to be reuenged Sophocles the Prince of the Cothurnate Tragedie being dead at such time when Lysander beguirt the walls of Lacedemon the King was warned in a dream by Liber Pater to afford his Delight for so the god called him an honored sepulchre Poetry is a Study which instructeth Youth delighteth Old-age graceth Prosperitie solaceth Aduersitie pleaseth at home delighteth abroad shortneth the night comforteth the day trauelleth with vs dwelleth with vs c. The greatest Orators made vse of Poëms both for the strengthning of their Causes and ornament of their eloquence as we may reade in Cicero Asinius Hörtensius and others who frequently quoted the ingenious Phrases and graue sentences of Ennius Pacuvius Lucillius Terentius Caecilius c. Euripides the sonne of Muesarchides and Clito his father was no better than a Victualler and his mother got the other part of their liuing by selling of sallads an Herbe-wife as wee call them yet he proued to be the greatest Fauorit that King Archelaus had And Sophocles the Tragicke Poet was graced and honoured by all the Learned of his time and bore the prime office of Magistracie in the city where he liued The Poet Aratus in Grammar the scholler of Menecrates and in Philosophy of Timon and Menedemus flourished in the 124 Olympiad in the time that Antigonus the sonne of Poliarcetes reigned in Macedonia with whom euen to his last expiration he liued in great estimation and honour Aulus Licinius Archias a Poet borne in Antiochia was indeered to the best and greatest Orators in Rome and more particularly graced by the Family of the Luculli He was honored of many Greeke Heroës and had rich Presents sent from their prime Cities but he was especially endeered to Cicero Aristonius a Comicke Poet liued vnder Philadelphus and was Master of the kings Library after Apollonius Arrianus was a Poet in whom the Emperor Tiberius Caesar was much delighted for so Tranquillus reporteth Cyrus Panopolita was greatly honoured by the Empresse Eudoxia Cherilus Samius liued about the 63 Olympiad and was no more than Seruant vnto Herodotus the Historiographer who writing the Expedition of the Greekes against Xerxes was for euery verse in his Poëme rewarded with a piece of gold to the value of 16 shillings foure pence sterling Gorgius borne amongst the Leontini in Sicily was endeared to Critias and Alcibiades in their height of Fortune and to Pericles and Thucidides in the extremitie of his age Caius Manilius was the first that wrot any Astrologicall Poëm in Latine which he dedicated to Augustus Caesar and by him was greatly respected and rewarded Lenaeus a freed-man of Pompeys but after his friend and companion in all his expeditions surviving his Lord because Salust the historiographer had spoken bitterly against him after his death hee inueighed against him in a most sharpe Satyre calling him Lastaurus Lurchon Nebulâ— popinarius and Monstrous both in life and historie and moreouer a manifest Theefe from Cato and diuers other antient Writers Menander a Comicke Poet of Athens who writ fourescore in number had great honours done vnto him by the Kings of AEgypt and Macedon Homerus Iunior liued about the time of Hesiod the son of Andromachus and borne in Byzantium he writ 57 Tragedies and as Zezes in his Commentaries vpon Lycophron affirmes for one of them called Pleiades and dedicated to King Ptolomaeus he was greatly fauoured and royally rewarded Oppianus was of Silicia and borne in a City called Anazarbum The Roman Emperour Severus being inuested before the City and after paâ—le being congratulated both by the Optimates and Plebe he was onely neglected and not thought worthy a salutation by this Oppianus Hee therefore commanded him to be banished into an Island called Melita scituate neere vnto the Adriaticke sea In which place he wrot a noble Poëm Piscibusâ— which after the death of the emperour Severus he dedicated to his sonne Antoninusâ— for which Worke hee was recalled from exile and to recompence his injurie for euery verse in his Poëm he guerdoned him with a piece of gold But soone after returning with his father into his
three Presents bring Myrrhe to a Man and Gold vnto a King Incense to'a God To proue himselfe Diuine In Cana he turn'd Water into Wine Fiue Loaues two Fishes haue fiue thousand fed When surplusage remain'd of meat and bread To the borne-Blinde he shew'd the Suns bright rayes Who on th' vnknowne light did with wonder gaze He caus'd the light on Lazarus to shine After he foure dayes in the graue had ly'ne With his right hand he fainting Peter stay'd But with his word his faith more constant made She that the bloudy Issue had endur'd For many Winters by her Faith was cur'd The palsied man who had been bedrid long Took vp his bed and walkt thence whole and strong He cast out Diuels by his Word sincere He made the Dumbe to speake and Deafe to heare He it was of whom some thinke Virgil prophecied Eclog 4. in these words Vltima Cumaei venit iam Carminis atas The last day 's come of the Cumaean Ryme A great One's now borne from the first of Time The Virgin is return'd with Saturnes Crowne And now a new Birth is from Heav'n let downe He was miraculous in his death Of whom elegant S. Bernard thus speakes How sweetly Lord Iesus didst thou conuerse with men how aboundantly didst thou bestow many blessings vpon man how valiantly didst thou suffer many bitter hard and intollerable things for man hard words hard strokes more hard afflictions O hard hardned and obdure Sonnes of Adam whom so great sufferings so great benignitie so immense an ardour of loue cannot mollifie Againe God loued vs sweetly wisely valiantly sweetly in assuming our Flesh wisely in auoyding sin valiantly in suffering death but aboue all in that Cup which he vouchsafed to taste which was the great worke of our Redemption for that more than all challenges our loue it gently insinuateth our deuotion more iustly exacts it more strictly binds it more vehemently commands it And in another place In the Passion of our Sauiour it behoueth vs three things more especially to consider the Worke the Manner the Cause In the Worke his Patience in the Manner his Humilitie in the Cause his Charitie Patience singular Humilitie admirable and Charitie vnspeakeable And now me-thinks I heare the Redeemer and Sauiour of the World thus speake from the Crosse. Huc me sidereo discendere fecit Olympo His me crudeli vulnere fixit Amor c. Loue drew me hither from the starry Round And here hath pierc'd me with a cruell wound I mourne yet none hath of my griefe remorse Whom Deaths dire Lawes in vaine intend to force Loue brought me to insufferable scorne And platted on my head a crowne of Thorne It was meere loue thy wounded Soule to cure Made me these wounds vpon my flesh t' endure It was my Loue which triumphs ouer all That quencht my thirst with Vineger and Call The loue which I to Mankinde could not hide With a sharpe Speare launcht bloud out of my side Or'e me Loue onely me of Kings the King Doth now insult who hither did me bring For others gaine to suffer this great losse To haue my hands and feet nayl'd to the Crosse. Now what do I for all this loue implore Loue me againe and I desire no more Thinke saith Thomas de Kempis of the dignitie of the Person and greatly lament because God in the Flesh was so contumeliously handled Ecce Altissimus supra omnes infra omnes deprimitur Nobilissmus dehonestatur Speciocissimus sputo inquinatur c. Behold how the most-High aboue all is depressed below all The most Noble is vilified The most Faire spit vpon The most Wise derided The most Mighty bound The most Innocent scourged The most Holy crowned with Thornes The most Gentle buffetted The most Rich impouerished The most Bountifull despoyled The most Worthy blasphemed The most Good despised The most Louing hated The most Knowing reputed foolish The most True not beleeued The most Innocent condemned The most skilfull Physitian wounded The Sonne of God crucified The Immortall subiect to death and slaine The Lord of heauen and earth dying for the redemption of wretched and ingratefull seruants Sic de Cruce suo Christus loquitur Vide Homo qua pro te patior Vide Claâ—es quibus confâ—diâ—r Vide poenas quibus afficior Cum sit tantuâ— dolor exterior Interior planctus est gravior Dum ingratum te sic experior See what I for thee endure Nail'd to the Crosse by hands impure Behold the paines I suffer here Since outward griefe doth such appeare How great then is my griefe within Whilest thou ingrate abid'st in sin Briefely The whole Passion of Christ according to the sentence of Dionysius was for imitation compassion admiration contemplation inflammation and thanksgiuing According to that of Thomas à Kempis It is of diuine Loue the Incendiarie of Patience the Doctrine in tribulation the Comfort It is the solace of dissolution the substance of holy compunction the exercise of internall deuotion the exclusion of desperation the certaine hope of remission the support of sharpe reprehension the expulsion of peruerse cogitation the repression of carnall temptation the consolation of corporall imperfections the contempt of temporall aboundance the abdication of our proper affections the restraint of superfluous necessitie the exercise of honest conuersation the inflammation to amendment of life the induction to coelestial consolation the approbation of brotherly compassion the reparation of diuine contemplation the argumentation of future blessednesse the mitigation of paines present the purgation from the fire future and the great satisfaction for all our sinnes and offences whatsoeuer Briefely the Passion of Christ is of a godly and religious Soule the Mirrhor of our life the Director of the way to heauen the Load-starre of all tempests the shadow and protector and of all Soules in the houre of death the comfort and supporter The Passion of Christ saith Rabanus de laude Crucis sustaines heauen gouerneth the world pierceth hell in the first the Angels are confirmed in the second the people redeemed in the third the Enemie subdued Saint Augustine in his Sermon De Natali Domini saith That the Maker of man was made Man that he which gouerned the Stars should sucke the breast that the Bread should be hungry the Fountaine thirsty the Light should be darkned the Way should be weary the Truth should suffer by false witnesse the Iudge of the liuing and dead should by a mortall man be iudged that Iustice by injust men should be condemned that Discipline it selfe should be scourged the prime Branch crowned with thornes he that made the Tree be hanged on the Tree Strength weakned Health wounded and Life made subiect vnto death Saint Bernard in his first sermon De Nativit Christi vseth these words Vt in Paradiso terrestri quatuor fuere fontes c. As in the earthly Paradise there were foure Riuers which watered the whole earth so in Christ who is our Paradise wee may finde
voluptuousnesse and pleasure yet was neuer knowne to be either diseased in body or disquieted in minde by any temporall affliction whatsoeuer Which being related vnto the Emperour he made this answer Euen hence we may ground that the Soules of men be immortal for if there be a God who first created and since gouerneth the World as both the Philosophers and Theologists confesse and that there is none so stupid as to deny him to be iust in all his proceedings there must then of necessitie be other places prouided to which the Soules of men must remoue after death since in this life we neither see rewards conferred vpon those that be good and honest nor punishments condigne inflicted vpon the impious and wicked Cicero in Caton Maior reporteth That Cyrus lying vpon his death bed said vnto his sonnes I neuer persuaded my selfe ô my Children that the Soule did liue whilest it was comprehended within this mortall body neither that it shall die when it is deliuered from this fleshly prison Anaxarchus being surprised by Nicocreon the Tirant of Cyprus he commanded him to be contruded into a stone made hollow of purpose and there to be beaten to death with iron hammers In which torments he called vnto the Tyrant and said Beat batter and bruise the flesh and bones of Anaxarchus but Anaxarchus himselfe thou canst not harme or damnifie at all The excellent Philosopher intimating thereby That though the Tyrant had power to exercise his barbarous and inhumane crueltie vpon his body yet his Soule was immortal and that no tyrannie had power ouer either to suppresse or destroy it Brusonius Lib. 2. Cap. 3. ex Plutarc Of lesse constancie was Iohannes de Canis a Florentine Physition of great fame for his practise who when out of the Principles of Mataesophia he had grounded the Soule to be mortal with the Body and in his frequent discourses affirmed as much yet when his last houre drew on he began to doubt within himselfe and his last words were these So now I shall suddenly be resolued whether it be so or no. Iohan. Bapt. Gell. Dialog de Chimaerico As ill if not worse Bubracius lib. 28. reporteth of Barbara wife to the Emperour Sigismund who with Epicurus placed her Summum Bonum in voluptuousnesse and pleasure and with the Sadduces beleeued no resurrection or immortalitie of the Soule but God and the Diuell heauen and hell equally diuided From the Philosophers I come now to the Poets Ovid lib. Metam 15. saith Morte carent Animae semperque priore relicta Sede novis domibus vivunt c. The Soules can neuer dye when they forsake These houses then they other Mansions take Phocilides the Greeke Poet Anima autem immortalis insenesibilis vivit per omne tempus i. For the Soule is immortall not subject vnto age but surviveth beyond the date of Time And Menander Melius est corpus quam Animam aegrotare i. Better it is for thee to be sicke in body than in Soule and howsoeuer thy Body fare be sure to physicke thy Soule with all diligence Propert. 4.7 Sunt aliquid manes let hum non omnia fiunt Luridaque evictos effugit vmbra rogas Sp'rites something are Death doth not all expire And the thin Shadow scapes the conquer'd fire The ingenious Poet Tibullus either inclining to the opinion of Pythagoras or else playing with it who taught That the soule after death did transmigrate and shift into the bodies of other persons and creatures we reade thus Quin etiam meatunc tumulus cui texerit ossa Seu matura dies fato proper at mihi mortem Longa manet seu vita c. When these my bones a Sepulchre shall hide Whether ripe Fate a speedy day prouide Or that my time be lengthned when I change This figure and hereafter shall proue strange Vnto my selfe in some shape yet vnknowne Whether a Horse of seruice I be growne Taught how to tread the earth or Beast more dull Of speed the glory of the herd a Bull Whether a Fowle the liquid aire to cut Or into what Mans shape this Spirit be put These Papers that haue now begun thy praise I will continue in those after-dayes Manl. lib. 4. de Astronom is thus quoted An dubium est habitare Deum sub pectore nostr◠In coelumque redire Animas coeloque venire Who doubts but God dwells in this earthly Frame And Soules returne to Haev'n from whence they came And Lucretius we reade thus Cedit enim retro de terra quid fuit ante In terra sed quod missum est ex Etheris oris Id rursum Coeli fulgentia templa receptus c. That which before was made of earth the same Returnes backe vnto earth from whence it came But that which from th' aethereall parts was lent Is vp vnto those shining Temples sent I haue hitherto spoke of the two distinct parts of Man the Soule and the Body A word or two of Man in generall Homo Man is Anima Rationalis or Mortalis A Creature reasonable and mortall Not so denominated ab Humo as Varro would haue it for that is common with all other Creatures but rather of the Greeke word Omonoia that is Concordia or Consensus Concord or Con-societie because that Man is of all other the most sociable The Nobilitie of Man in regard of the sublimitie of his Soule is expressed in Genes 1. Let vs make Man after our owne Image and similitude c. The humility which ought to be in him concerning the substance whereof he was made Genes 2. The Lord made Man of the slime of the earth The shortnesse of his life Psal. 102. My dayes are declined like a shadow and I am as the Grasse of the field The multiplicitie of his miseries Gen. 3. In the sweat of thy browes shalt thou eat thy bread c. Gregory Nazianzen in Oration 10. vseth these words What is Man that thou art so mindefull of him What new miserie is this I am little and great humble and high mortall and immortal earthly and heauenly the first from this world the later from God the one from the Flesh the other from the Spirit Tertullian Apollogetic advers Gentil cap. 48. hath this Meditation Dost thou aske me how this dissolued Matter shall be again supplied Consider with thy selfe ô Man and bethinke thy selfe what thou wast before thou hadst Being Certainely nothing at all for if any thing thou shouldst remember what thou hadst beene Thou therefore that wast nothing before thou wert shalt againe be made nothing when thou shalt cease to be And why canst thou not againe from Nothing haue Being by the wil of the same Workeman whose will was That at the first thou shouldst haue existence from nothing What new thing shall betide thee Thou which wast not wert made when thou againe art not thou shalt be made Giue me if thou canst a reason how thou wert created at first and then thou
that blacke deed For ev'ry one in deepe amasement stood As loth to dip their hands in sacred blood Pray giue me leaue to make a short digression Of a most needfull note to make expression Fitly'inserted here t' auoid confusion Which else might be some maime to the conclusion She was no sooner Partner in the Throne But fearing how her father would bemone Her desp'rat losse shee 's willing that her state He and her friends should all participate And therefore Letters were dispatch'd with speed To signifie how all things did succeed The journall of her trauels she recites With ev'ry circumstance and then inuites Her Father Brother Sister hauing past So many dangers and now come at last To such an eminent fortune they would please To leaue their natiue Soile crossing the seas To giue her a wisht visit since all joyes Pleasures delights and honors seem'd but toyes And idle dreames nay ev'n the Diadem It selfe if not worne in the sight of them Too late this newes was for vpon her losse Immediatly the good man needs would crosse To Delphos then the Sister him pursues Of him or her t' enquire some certaine newes Resolv'd abroad their trauels how to frame So both were absent when these letters came But the glad tydings when the Brother h'ard He for a voyage instantly prepar'd For till he saw her in her state appeare Each day an Age seemes ev'ry houre a yeare Imagin him arriv'd vpon the Coast Where she whose presence he desired most Waits till the Captaine of the Pyrats can Be thither brought who meagre pale and wan Enters but like the picture of Despaire His head browes cheekes and chin o'regrowne with haire His Cloathes so ragg'd and tatter'd that alas No one could ghesâ—e him for the man he was Besides consider but their severall change No wonder each to other seem'd so strange For none of them could haue least expectation To meet there after such long separation Therefore the Queene conceiues not the least doubt But that he was the same he was giv'n out For a meere desp'râ—t Ruffian she doth take him And in the open coâ—â—â—uence thus bespake him Thou of the Seas a Rouer and a Theefe And of these late wâ—ackt Pyrats head and chiefe By the Heav'ns iust doome throwne vpon our borders And for your outrages and base disorders Doom'd vnto lasting durance if this day I shall propose to shee a certaine way By which thou may it thine owne inlargement gaine With all the rest of thine imprisoned traine Wilt thou accept it He who had not seene The Sun of long till then casts on the Queene A stedfast looke and with some admiration Of her rare beauty makes this protestation Angell or goddesse whether 'T is my feare To question which you are for you appeare To be the one or other since that face Had neuer breeding from a mortall Race O but your language tun'd to such a motion Makes me beleeue you' are she who from the Ocean Was thought to be emergent Elce that Maid Who of the braine of Iupiter was said To be conceiv'd not borne although there bred Till Vulcan with an hatchet cleft his head Elce Iuno she that 〈◊〉 Hymens fires The Queene of Marriage and of Chast desires One of these three vnto your lot must fall Who stroue on Ida for the golden Ball. You speake of my inlargement Set me cleare And were 't to coape a Tygre or a Beare With Theseus Minotaure or Perseus Whale That huge sea-Monster who had 〈◊〉 scale Lesse penetrible than brasse set me vpon A fierce Chimaera as Bellerephon Was once implov'd three horrid shapes commixt An Hiena and a Crocodile betwixt But since I needs must into mischiefe runne Your Will is Law and something must be done Yet first beare record you and all your Traine I am no such base Ruffian as to staine My hands in innocent bloud I haue nor skill Nor practise how to rauish rob or kill No Pyrat but a Father much distrest By Neptune's fury shipwrackt in the quest Of a lost Childe whom might I liue to see Death now alas would be new life to mee But that 's past hope In search of her I came Epyre my Countrey Thestor is my name And be you Testates all of you how I A wretched Father Fortunes Martyr dy No sooner had he vttred that last word And ready now to fall vpon the sword But out the Priest steps from amongst the rest And snatcht the weapon from her fathers brest Which forc'd out of his hand she said No father There is no cause why you should die but rather This lustfull Queene Then aim'd to strike her dead Who stands amas'd at what her father sed A Courtier next her the keene point put by When suddenly the Queene was heard to cry O Father I am she you long haue sought And with that word about his necke him caught This when the elder Sister wondring sees Her haire with strugling fell below her knees Seeming to those which did this change behold As were she mantled in a shroud of gold Which made her Sex apparant to their view So by degrees each one the other knew How should my barren Braine or Pen be able T' expresse their joyes which are not explicable For extasies arising from the heart By sudden chance surcharging ev'ry part Of the Soules faculties in most strange fashion Make rapture to proceed from admiration In such a pleasing diffidence they grow They scarce beleeue what they both see and know Of what all are assur'd no one but feares Till joyes affects breed the effect of teares Much would be said but none can silence breake All full of matter but none pow'r to speake In this distraction there 's a rumor growne Of a yong man a stranger and vnknowne Arriv'd at Court who hearing the great fame Of that braue Queene as far as Epire came To visit her At the word Epire they Are startled all the Princesse bids make way To giue him entrance O what expectation Had they then to behold one of their Nation By reason of her Letters the Queene she Might happily conjecture who't might be But the two other could not apprehend What man should be employ'd or who should send Therefore new scruples in their thoughts begin When by a Lord-like Eunuch vsher'd in Hee 's brought into the Presence and soone knowne Because assuming no shape but his owne Then suddenly they all vpon him runne The Sisters cry out Brother Thestor Sonne And all at once their armes about him cast But were so chang'd from that he saw them last To haue retyr'd himselfe was his intent Not vnderstanding what such greeting meant Because the elder Sister at first sight Appear'd to him a strange Hermophrodite Nor of the other could he knowledge haue The Sire so ragged and the Queene so braue But finding them persist in their embraces And
Of Thunder Tempest Meteors Lightning Snow Chasemates Trajections of Haile Raine And so With piercing eyes he hath a deepe inspection Into the Sunne Moone Stars the true direction Of all Stars fixt or wandring Zodiacke Lines Articke and the Antarticke Poles and Signes The courses of the Heav'ns the qualities Their influence their effects and properties And as they haue a vertuall pow'r to know All our inferior bodies here below So of the Sp'rits of Glory or Perdition The Orders Offices and the Condition Briefely There is no Creature God hath made From the first Chaos but it may be said Whether it be abortiue or full growne That to the Angels nature it is knowne Since then so great and so profound 's their skill Infus'd into them by the Makers Will No wonder 't is that they such strange things can Beyond the weake capacitie of Man We onely by things sensible attaine To a small knowledge and with mighty paine And into error we may quickly fall For in it is no certaintie at all Sp'rits cannot erre and be deceiv'd as we Seeing and knowing all things perfectly In their true reall Essence which is meant Onely of Naturall things and hath extent No further For as Angels Creatures bee Th' are limited in their capacitie In all such things as on Gods Pow'r depend Or Mans Free-will their skill is at an end And vnderstand no further than reueal'd By the Creator else 't is shut and seal'd Hence comes it that the euill Angels are So oft deceiv'd when as they proudly dare To pry into Gods Counsels and make show By strange predictions future things to know This makes their words so full of craft and guile Either in doubts they cannot reconcile Or else for cettainties false things obtruding So in their Oracles the World deluding Whose answers either were so doubtfull and So intricate that none could vnderstand Or meerely toyes and lies for their words were By interpointing so dispos'd to beare A double sence and seeming truth to tell Whether or this or that way the chance fell But the good Angels they can no way erre The reason is That they themselues referre Wholly to Gods good pleasure from which Square And perfect Rule they neuer wandring are They iudge not rashly hid things they desire not And after future chances they enquire not Nor further of ought else to vnderstand Than they are limited by his command How many thousand traines hath Sathan layd By which he dayly doth fraile man inuade By entring Contract as a seeming friend Thereby to draw him to more fearefull end Of which the Fathers witnesse for one saith The Diuell with Magitions compact hath Another That all Magicke cov'nants bee Meere superstition and Idolatrie Which growes from a societie combin'd Betwixt the euill Daemons and Mankind If these were not Why should the Ciuill Law Firm'd by th' Imperiall sanction keepe in awe Such damn'd Impostors For the words thus run Many we know abstruse Arts haue begun To put in practise to disturbe the Aire Vpon the innocent Soules these likewise dare Vomit their malice and from the graues call Spirits from rest by Diabolicall And cursed Spells All such as shall rely On things preposterous and contrary To Natures course Gods people to annoy The Churches Curse them and their Arts destroy The like against these selfe-opinion'd fooles Is Articled in the Parisian Schooles Of such like Miscreants 't is in Esay said We haue strooke hands to league with Death and made Cov'nant with Hell How can Man be exempt From this Seducer he that dar'd to tempt The Sonne of God All these will I giue thee If thou wilt prostrat fall and worship mee Of these Compacts and Couenants we finde Two sorts and both blasphemous in their kinde The first When willingly we seeke inspection Into that Art and labour our direction From Magicke bookes or vse their Circles Lines Their superstitious Characters and Signes The second when without maleuolence We search into that art with no pretence Of Curiositie onely we vse it Knowledge to gaine and got not to abuse it And that is dangerous too all Such compact League with the Diuell as in word or act Breathe words vnknowne obscure inserted vainly Or such things as are holy vse prophanely As by obseruing certaine Characters Signes Figures Angles Squares Diameters c. Certaine Dayes Houres Stars Planets Constellations Graines Numbers Instruments of antique fashions And these beyond their naturall operations When Sacraments or any thing that 's holy Shall be abus'd by their ridiculous folly When Images of Wax or such like matter Are cast into a pot and boyl'd in water When certaine Numbers vnknowne Markes or Notes Writ in strange coloured paper he deuotes To superstitious vse When as to Coine Of gold or siluer or of brasse they ioyne Stamps of new Characters and this to bee When such a Planet is in such degree Such Pieces did Pasetis vse to weare What e're he bought he neuer payd too deare Who parting from the Merchant did but name The sum he payd and backe to him it came When holy Ceremonies through the Malicious Are made idolatrous and superstitious When Linnen neuer washt is vs'd and hee Must hold a Wand that 's cut from such a Tree With which he strikes the East and then the West The North or South as to his purpose best That all his Haire shaues off by night or day Thinking thereby to driue the Div'll away That takes dust from a Sepulchre to vse Or from the Graue the Deads bones to abuse Or ought besides that shall seeme retrograde To Reasons course or what 's by Nature made Further Vnto this Cov'nant doth belongâ— All such as stand in their opinions strong To meditate those fond Bookes bearing name From Ada Abelus Enoch Abraham Cyprian Albertus Magnus or Honorius Paulus with those in Magicke still held glorious Who boast ambitiously with great ostent This Art had both it's birth and ornament Either from Adams Custos Razael Or else from Tobits Keeper Raphael Another strange Booke they produce and say 'T was Salomons call'd his Clavicula These Magi by old Sathan thus misguided Another Volume in sev'n parts diuided Stuft with Spels Charmes Oblations all Confusions Of Non-sence and the Diuels meere obtrusions As a Worke learn'd and sacred still prefer To ev'ry curious yong Practitioner All these are but his subtill traines to draw Men from Gods Feare and honour of his Law For in this Art whoeuer striues t' excell He strikes a lasting Couenant with Hell And as in these so likewise in past Ages He wanted not his Astrologomages For most of this prognosticating Tribe Mettals vnto each Planet can ascribe Siluer vnto the Moone to the Sunne was Gold sacred vnto Iove Copper and Brasse To Venus white Lead vnto Saturne Blacke Iron and Steele to Mars nor doth there lacke Amber to Mercury To each of them They
they Cannot endure it puts them to dismay Lactantius tells vs When vpon a season An Emp'ror of his Idoll askt the reason Of some doubt that perplext him a long space He answer'd not the cause was that in place A Christian then was present at that time Who had new blest him with the Crosses signe Good Angels when to man they first appeare Although they strike him with amase and feare Their em affies bee'ng done before they part They leaue him with great joy and cheare of heart As he at whose dread presence Daniel shooke As th' Angell Gabriel whom the Holy-Booke Makes mention of who when he came to bring To the blest Maid a message from heav'ns King Frightfull at first appear'd his salutation But th' end thereof was full of consolation But the bad Spirits bringing seeming ioy The end thereof's disaster and annoy From circumstance might many more arise But these for this place at this time suffice Be it held no digression to looke backe From whence I came inquiring if I lacke No fit accoutrement that may be found Behoofull for the journey I am bound Something I had forgot in my great speed Of Musicke then e're further I proceed I must deriue it from the first of dayes The Spheres chime Musicke to their Makers praise In the worlds first Creation it begunne From the word Fiat spoke and it was done Was sound and sweetnesse voice and symphonie Concord Consent and heav'nly harmonie The three great Orders of the Hierarchie Seruants vnto th' eternall Majestie In their degrees of Ternions hourely sing Loud Haleluiahs to th' Almighty King The Seraphins the Cherubins and Thrones Potestates Vertues Dominations The Principats Arch-Angels Angels all Resound his praise in accents musicall So doe the Heav'ns and Planets much below them Touching the first those that seeme best to know them Thus of their quicke velocitie relate As the supreme and highest agitate Their wheeles with swiftest motion so conclude The lowest finish their vicissitude That is their naturall courses much more soone As first in nine and twenty dayes the Moone The Sun and Venus in one twelue-month theirs And Saturne his in thirty compleat yeares But many thousands must be fully done Before the starry heav'ns their course haue runne Such and so great is mans innate ambition Into all knowledge to make inquisition The depth of Natures hidden wayes to sound Mystries to search and diue in arts profound As if we looke into the first of Time When as the World was in it's youth and prime Ev'n to this latest Age those much commended For deepe conceptions greatly haue contended Almost aboue capacitie indeed Laboriously each other to exceed But as the Fable of Ixion proud Saith he in Iuno's stead embrac'd a Cloud So for the most part those of wits refin'd Building vpon their amplitude of mind And by their owne vaine apprehensions sway'd In their maine course erroneously haue stray'd Either in all mistaking or some part Error for Truth and Ignorance for Art The reason is That in things vndecided By selfe-conceit bee'ng obstinatly guided And not acquiring out the perfect ground What 's finite they with infinite confound What 's humane with diuine what 's wrong with right As out of darknesse striuing to draw light Hence comes so many Sects and Schooles t' arise Amongst the Sophists thinking themselues wise As Pyâ—hagorians Epicures Platonicks Pythonicks Scepticks and Academicks Eleaticks Perepateticks Stoicks too With others more And all these as they doo Differ in names so in opinions and Vpon diuersitie of judgements stand For instance First as touching the foundation Of things that since the Chaos had creation And cause efficient some hold Earth some Fire Some Water others Aire some Sects conspire Vpon the full foure Elements to impose it One names the Heav'ns another saith he knowes it The Stars were workersâ— Atoms this man names Another Number and the former blames Some Musicall consent drawne from the Spheres Some Full some Empty by all which appeares Those things are only quarrel'd with not prov'd For nothing's constant sollid or immov'd In all their doctrines each with other jar And are indeed still in seditious war And therefore God reproues Iob for aspiring And to his hidden wayes too deepe inquiring Thus saying Who is he that doth obscure Knowledge with words imperfect and impure Gird vp thy loines thee like a man prepare I will demand and thou to me declare Where wast thou when I layd the earths foundation If thou hast knowledge giue me true narration Who measur'd it now if thou canst divine Or ouer it what 's he hath stretcht the line Vpon what are the solid Bases made Or who the corner stone thereof first layd When all the Morning Starres as but one-voic't Prais'd me together when all Saints reioyc't Who shut the Sea with dores vp when the same As from the wombe it selfe issu'd and came When for it I the Clouds a cov'ring found And as in swathing â—ands in darkenesse bound And said Thou hitherto shalt haue free way No further thou shalt here thy proud waues stay And after this the secrets doth pursue Of Snow Haile Tempests with the Light and Dew Raine Ice Death Darknesse and so further runnes To th' Pleiades Arcturus and his sonnes Saith Paul In this world none himselfe deceiue To thinke hee 's wise but such vaine phaâ—sies leaue And let him be a foole so to be wise For this worlds wisedome is a meere disguise Of foolishnesse with God Scriptures thus treat The Wise he catcheth in his owne conceit In Esays Prophesie the words thus sound The wisedome of the Wise I will confound The prudence of the Prudent reprehend Where is the wise man Where 's the Scribe now or He of this world the great Inquisitor Hath not God made all the worlds Wisedome Folly Who then dares thinke himselfe or wise or holy What was it that to Socrates first gaue Wisedomes great attribute and honour saue That he confest In all he did pursue He only knew this That he nothing knew What saith the Preacher When I did apply My heart to search out Wisedome curiously And to behold on earth the secrets deepe That day nor night the eyes of man take sleepe Gods entire worke before myne eyes I brought That Man could not finde out the worke he sought Beneath the Sun for which mans busie minde Labors to search but it can neuer finde And though the Wise man thinke it to conceiue He cannot doo 't without th' Almighties leaue When as the Academicks of the rest Of all the Ethnycke Sophists were held best Yet in their then supreme authoritie None durst contest and say So this shall be The Pyrhonicks of no lesse approbation Would not of any thing make attestation But made a doubt in all and held for true Whoeuer humane Science shall pursue No other base he hath whereon to sit Sauing the fraile
trans-shape himself into the likenesse of a Mouse But when the Diuine Iustice thought fit to giue a period to his insolencies being watched by some of his enemies they espied him in the Sunne sitting in a window that belonged to a stoue or hot house sporting himselfe in that shape when comming behind him when he least suspected they thrust their swords through the window and so slew him In like manner that great Magition of Newburg who sould a bottle of hay in stead of an horse being twice apprehended and hauing twice by the Diuels help escaped out of prison the third time hee was forsaken of his great Patron and deliuered vp vnto death I will conclude with the great Archi-Mage of these our later times Cornelius Agrippa who when he had spent the greatest part of his houres and age in the search and acquisition of this blacke and mystical Science yet doubted not to write after this maner The Magitions by the instigation of the Diuell onely in hope of gaine and a little vain-glory haue set their mindes against God not performing any thing that is either good or profitable vnto men but leading them to destruction and errour In whom whosoeuer shall place any confidence they plucke Gods heauy judgments vpon themselues True it is that I being a yong man writ of the Magical Art three bookes in one volume sufficiently large which I entituled Of Hidden Philosophie in which wheresoeuer I haue erred through the vaine curiositie of youth now in my better and more ripe vnderstanding I recant in this Palinode I confesse I haue spent much time in these vanities in which I haue onely profited thus much that I am able to dehort other men from entring into the like danger For whosoeuer by the illusion of the Diuell or by the operation of euill Spirits shall presume to diuine or prophesie by Magicke vanities Exorcismes Incantations Amatories inchanted Ditches and other demoniacall actions exercising blasphemous charmes spels witchcrafts and sorceries or any thing belonging to superstition and Idolatrie all these are fore-doomed to be tormented in eternall fire with Iamnes Mambre and Simon Magus These things this wretched man writ who saw the best and followed the worst For he continued in that execrable studie to his end and hauing receiued a promise from the Diuell that so oft as age came vpon him so oft his youth should be renewed and so liue euer he commanded his owne head to be cut off in hope instantly to reuiue againe But miserable that he was he was cheated in his confidence by that great Deceiuer in whom hee most trusted by which he made both soule and body a sudden though long expected prey to the Diuell There can scarce a sin be imagined more hatefull to God than Magicke by which the Couenant made with him being violated the Sorcerer entreth a new with the Diuell in which open war is proclaimed against God and a treaty of Peace first debated and after concluded with Sathan God himselfe saith by the mouth of his seruant Moses If any turne after such as worke with euill Spirits and after Soothsayers to go a whoring after them I will set my face against that person and will cut him off from amongst his people And againe If a man or woman haue a Spirit of Diuination or Soothsaying in them they shall die the death they shall stone them to death their bloud shall be vpon them Reade Deutronomie cap. 18. vers 10. Let none be found amongst you that maketh his sonne or his daughter to goe through the fire or that vseth witchcraft or a regarder of times or a marker of the flying of Fowles or a Sorcerer or a Charmer or that counselleth with Spirits or a Sooth-sayer or that asketh counsell of the Dead for all that do such things are abhomination vnto the Lord and because of these abhominations the Lord thy God doth cast them out before thee Thus we see as well by the Scriptures themselues as by the Ciuill Lawes of Kingdomes all such as shall separate themselues from God and enter into conuerse and fellowship with Sathan are cursed in the act and ought to be extermined from all Christian Churches and Commonweales The Emblem A Moth or Silk-worme creeping from an old stocke or trunke of a tree and turned vnto a Butter-fly The Motto Ecce nova omnia Behold all things are made new Complying with that which wee reade in Saint Pauls second Epistle to the Corinthians cap. 5. vers 17. Therefore if any man be in Christ let him be a new Creature old things are passed away behold all things become new And Ephes. 4.22 That you cast off concerning the conuersation in times past that Old Man which is corrupt through the deceiuable lusts and be renewed in the spirit of your minde and put on the New Man which after God is created vnto righteousnesse and true holinesse The Emblem is thus exprest Truncus iners eruca fuit nunc alba voluctis Ambrosium Coeli corpore gaudet iter Antea vermis erat mutatio quanta videtis Corporis antiqui portio nulla manet Vestis opes habitus convivia foedera mores Lingua sodalitium gaudia luctus amor Omnia sunt mutanda viris quibus entheus ardor Terrhenae decet hos faecis habere nihil ¶ Thus Paraphrased A meere trunke was the Silke-worme now it flies A white Bird sporting in th' Ambrosiall Skies Before a Worme What a great change is here Of the first shape no semblance doth appeare Garments Wealth Banquets Contracts Mannors Ioy Loue Language Fellowship Change must destroy Such men whom Diuine ardor doth inspire Must of this terrhene drosse quench all desire After which change followeth eternity And of the Saints and Elect it may be said Parva patiuntur vt magna potiantur Smal are the things they suffer in this world compared with the great things they shall receiue in the world to come We reade Dan. cap. 12. vers 2. thus And many of them that sleepe in the dust of the earth shall awake to euerlasting life and some to shame and perpetual contempt and they that be wise shall shine as the brightnesse of the Firmament and they that turne many vnto righteousnesse shall shine as the Starres for euer and euer Moreouer Iob 19. For I am sure that my Redeemer liueth and he shall stand the last on the earth And though after my skinne wormes shall destroy this body yet shall I see God in my flesh whom I my selfe shall see with mine eyes and none other for mee c. AEternus non erit sopor Death shall be no euerlasting sleep Iohn 5.28 Maruell not at this for the houre shall come in which all that are in the graues shall heare his voice and they shall come forth that haue done good vnto the resurrection of life but they that haue done euill vnto the resurrection of condemnation Saint Augustine in one of his books saith Resurgent Sanctorum
the 11 or 12 day of Iune As Adam Bishop of Vienna in his Chronicle Exod. 12. The day of Christs Passion compared with the first day of the Creation According to the computation of the time of the yeare A second reason A probabilitie of the former reason Whether the Moon in her creation were in the full or waine The seuerall offices of the Sun Moon began at one instant Of the Starres and Planets as the Poets haue decipher'd theÌ„ Arcti * Calisto Arctus maior * Lycaon Archas of whom the kingdom of Arcadia took name Arctus minor Agliasthenes qui Naxica conscripsit Serpent Artophilaâ— Coronâ— Eugonasin Lyra. Olor Cepheus Cassiopeia Andromeda Perseus Heniochus Ophincus Anguiteneus Sagiâ—â—â— Aquila Dolphia Equusâ— Deltoton * δ. * For in these dais the fourth part called America was not knowne Cetus Pistrix Eridanus fluvius Lepusâ— Orion Lelaps or Canis maior Procion or Canus minor Argo Philiris vel Centaurus Ara. Hydra Piscis or Notius * A goddesse worshipped among the Egyptians Circulus lâ—cteus or the Galaxia * Mercury in his infancie Of the twelue Coelest Signes Aries Higin de Sign Coelest lib. 3. Hesiodus Pherecides The sea called Hellespont from Helles there drowned Nigidius Taurus Euripides Eratosthenes * As ashamed of the fact Pherecides Athinaeus Therefore called Pluviales These we call the seuen stars Gemini Higinus * The sons of Tindarus Father to Hellen. Cancer The Crab. Pamasis Stars called Asini from Asses Leo. Nigidius This is held by some to be the first of his 12 Labours Some hold Iuno made his skin invulnerable Periandrus Rhodius Virgo Higinus Aratus Pride The 7 Deadly Sinnes The story of Icarius and Erigone Who is also called Bacchus or Dionysius A common Prouerbe in our English tongue The fruits of Drunkennesse Icarius slaine * A prouerbe frequent among Drunkards A remarkable story of a dog InnoceÌ„t bloud spilt neuer goeth vnreuenged Arcturus Virgo Canicula Libra * Higinâ— Arat. Virg. li. Geor. 1. Scorpio Nigidius Sagittarius * The Galaxia which some hold to be the Path which leads to Olympus hall where the gods sit in Counsell Sosythaeus Traged Scriptor Nigidius de Crotone Capricornus * AEgipanes were Beasts like men hauing Goats feet Or wood-gods Epimenides in Ida. Aratus in Phaenom This Goat was called Amalthea Eratosthenes Ovid Met. * A Bird onely breeding in AEgypt Aquarius Aquarius and Hippocoön Quod eius ex oren plurimi Imbres fiunt Aratus Nigidius Hegesinax Aratus in Ihoenom * A mountain so called from her * Canicula into which Mera was translated These winds some call Ecâ—esiae Pisces Aratus Viz. one North the other South The birth of Venus according to most of the Greeke Poets before named Concerning the worlds originall These were the seuerall opinions of diuers Philosophers The World it selfe best Witnesse of the World Vbi motus est nulla Eternitas Time examined to proue a beginning of all things The inuention of letters Sim. Meliâ—us Of Writing Against Pride A needfull obseruation The first erectors of famous Cities Paris Al. Lutetia Carion Chronâ—l * As so first called All these builâ— by seueral men as their Chronicles yet record Of the Ages The first Age. II. III. IV. V. VI. In Hist. Eccl. Grammer The originall of Arts c. Rhetoricke Logâ—cke Art of Memorie Geometry Musicke Physicke Surgâ—rie The Ship The Lyre or Harpe Trumpet Horologie Astrologie Statues and Pictures Vertue of Heâ—bs Lawes Wine City walls Turrets Corne. War Minting Printing Ars tormentaria deuised by a Frier whose name is not knowne Arist. de Intell. Perf. Pbys 1.4.8 56 The argument followed Esse melius quaÌ„ non Esse De Coel 22. Coelâ—m Dei Sedes Procop. against Arist. Quoniam Aristot mare capere non potest Capiat mare Aristotelem Their Reasons confuted by Reason Against vaine Curiositie The Nobilitie of Mans Conceit August de Civ Dei li. 12. ca. 13. The opinion of the Platonists Annus magnus vertens auâ— Mundaâ—us Macr. in Somn. Scip. Ridiculous absurdities Catacl diluvium i. Delug The definition of the World Cap. 1. 4. What the opinions of diuerse Fathers were concerning the World Gregory Chrysostome Sup. Mat. 24. Hom. 4. Hom. 5. Hom. 5. de Poen Lactantius De praem Div. lib. 6. cap. 4. An excellent saying of saint Chrysostome The Poets of the World and the ruin thereof Lib. 1. Lib. 5. de Nat. deor Lib. 2. Of the creatioÌ„ of the World The Philosophers concerning the world Lib. de Coelo The multiplicity of worlds The opinion of Metrodor Met. lib. 1.49 Metaph. 12.28 Aristotles definition of the World Gen. 1. Astron. lib. 1. Ibid. Lib. de Bel. Civ Philosophers concerning the beginning of the World Thal. Milesius The World to haue beginning from Water Anaximenes From Airâ—â— From Fire Opinions contrarie to the â—ormer Atomes Of Atomes some superior others inferior anterior posterior c. Creation from Number Câ—eation from Infinites Lib. 1. Concerning seueâ—all opinions Ser. de Eclips Solâ—â— Euclides Maxâ— ser. 21. Idem serm 22. Epist. 45. Cap. 1. Mat 24. Mark 14. Lib. 2. de par cap. 2. Procop of the Elements Metam lib. 15. The Ages The Golden Age. The Siluer Age. The Brazen Age. The Iron Age. * i. Iustice. Of the Age of Man Met. lib. 1â— Ver Pueritia AEstas Iuvent Virilis AEtas Aâ—tumâ—â—s Hiâ—â—â— senectus Annus or the yeares The Nones Of the number of Nine An. ab Annulo An. Lunaris Solaris An. Annus Magn. Annus Climat Levia Lemâ— cap. 32. lib de occuli naturae miracul Ovid. lib. Met. Lib. Eâ—eg 1. A further illustration concerning the Signes Coelestiall The diuision of the heauen called Culum By reason that the Sun is furthest froÌ„ them Antipodes Stellarum ordo * The Goat and the Kid. * Hercules Or Libra Corona Cignus Pistriâ— Boâ—tes Cignus * Hercules Aquila The Australl Circle Ara. Sagittarius Chyron Virgo Lepus Taurus Trinus Aries Coetus Draco Artophilax Corona Lyra. Atlantiades The death of Orpheus Oâ—r or Cignus Cepheus Cassiopeia Coetus Andromeda Higinus Perseus Aurigâ— * Otherwise câ—lled Amalthea * Hedae Serpentarius Phorâ—â—tus de nat de or spec Aquila Sagitta The sonnes of Tytan Delphinus Pegasus or Equus demidius Deltoton Trigonum Pistrix or the Whale The Floud Eridanus or Padus The Sisters of Phaeton Stella Terrestr Lepus siue Dasippus Higinus The Citie called after the Island Why the Hare was translated into a Staâ—re Orion What Orion portendeth The history of Orion Canis Laelapâ— or Procion Syrius stella Caniculaâ— Palephalus Ovid. in Meâ— Naâ—is Argâ— or the ship These are the fancies of the Poets Aratus Of Danaus AEgiptus So called by sailing or rouing in the Argo Ara the Altar which is also called Thuribulum the Censer Centaurus The death of Chiron the Centaure Hydrâ— How the Crow came to be stellifi'deâ— Pleiadesâ— The Vergiliae Cometa The motion of the Sunne The Bisext or Leape-yeare The Eclipse