flying foules Mulcasses king of Thunis after he was deâ—riued of his kingdome in his returne out of Almaigne being without hope that the Emperour Charles the fift vvould helpe him at â—ll hee spent one hundred crownes vpon a Peacock dressed for him P. Iouius Maximilian the Emperour deuoured in one day forty pounds of flesh and drunke an â—ogshead of vvine Geta the Emperour for three dayes together continued his feastiual and his delicates vvere brought in by the order of the Alphabet Astydamas beeing inuited by Ariobarzaâ—es to a banquet eate vp al that alone which vvas prouided for diuers guests Vopisc There vvas a contention betweene Hercules and Lepreas vvhich of them both should first deuoure an Oxe in which attempt Lepreas vvas ouer-come afterwards hee chalenged him for drinking but Hercules vvas his maister Aelianus Aglais vvhose practise was to sounde the trumpet deuoured at euery meale tvvelue poundes of flesh with as much bread as tvvo bushels of wheate vvould make and three gallons of vvine Philoxenes a notorious glutton vvished he had a necke like a Crane that the svveetâ— meate vvhich he eate might bee long in going downe Rauisius Lucullus at a solemne and costly feast he made to certaine Embassadors of Asia aâ—mong other things he did eate a Griph boiâ—led and a Goose in paste Macrob. Salust in his inuectiue against Cicero aâ—mongst many graue matters vvhereof he accused him he spake of his wanton excesse as hauing poudred meats from Sardinia anâ— wines from Spayne Lucullus tooke great paynes himselfe iâ— furnishing of a feast and when he was askeâ— vvhy he was so curious in setting out a banâ—quet hee aunswered That there was as greaâ— discretion to be vsed in marshalling of a feast 〈◊〉 in the ordering of a battaile that the one mighâ— be terrible to his enemies and the other acceptable to his friends Plut. In Rhodes they that loue fish are accounted right curteous and free-harted men buâ— he that delighteth more in flesh is ill though of and to his great shame is reputed a bond slaue to his belly Aelianus Sergius Galba was a deuouring and glutâ—tonous Emperour for he caused at one banquet 7. thousand byrds to be killed Suet. Xerxes hauing tasted of the figges of Aâ—hence sware by his Gods that hee vvoulde â—ate no other all his life after and went forthâ—vith to prepare an Army to conquer Greâ—ia for no other cause but to fill his belly full of the figges of that Country Plut. Plato returning out of Sicill into Greece told his schollers that he had seen a monster meaning Dionisius because hee vsed to eate â—wice a day Idem Aristotle mocking the Epicures sayd that â—pon a time they vvent all into a temple together beseeching the Gods that they wold gyue them necks as long as Cranes and Heâ—ons that the pleasures and tastes of meates might be more long complayning against Nature for making their necks too short The Sicilians dedicated a Temple to Glutâ—ony and erected images to Bacchus Ceâ—es the God and goddesse of vvine corne Pausanias M. Manlius in times past made a booke of diuers vvayes hovv to dresse meate and another of the tastes sauces and diuers meanes of seruices vvhich were no sooner published but by the decree of the Senate they were burned and if hee had not fled speedily â—nto Asia he had been burned with them There was a lawe in Rome called Fabia bâ— which it was prohibited that no man shoulâ— dispend in the greatest feast hee made abouâ— an hundred Sexterces Aul. Gellius The law Licinia forbad all kindes of sauce at feastes because they prouoke appetite are cause of great expence Idem The lawe Ancia charged the Romaines tâ— learne all kinde of sciences but cookerie The law Iulia vvas that none should bee 〈◊〉 hardie as to shutte theyr gates vvhen theâ— vvere at dinner that the Censors of the Citâ—tie might haue easie accesse into theyr houâ—ses at that time to see if their ordinary werâ— according to their ability Macrob. Nisaeus a tyrant of Syracuse vvhen he vnderstood by his Soothsayers that he had noâ— long to liue the little time hee had left heâ— spent in belly-cheere and drunkennesse anâ— so dyed Rauisius Mar. Anthonius set foorth a booke of hyâ— drunkennesse in which hee prooued thosâ— prancks he played when hee vvas ouercomâ— with vvine to be good and lawfull Plut. Darius had written vpon his graue thys inâ—scription I could drinke good store of wine beare it well Rauisius Ptolomey vvho in mockery vvas calleâ— Philopater because hee put to death his Father and mother through wine and women dyed like a beast Valer. Lacydes a Phylosopher by too much drinking fell into a palsie whereof he dyed Aruntius a Romaine beeing drunken deflowred his own daughter Medullina whom she forthwith killed Plutarch Tiberius Caesar vvas preferred to a Pretorshyp because of his excellencie in drinking Diotimus was sirnamed Funnell or Tunnell because he gulped downe wine through the channell of his throate vvhich was powred into a Funnell the end whereof was put into his mouth vvithout interspiration betweene gulpes Rauisius In the feast of Bacchus a crowne of golde vvas appoynted for him that coulde drinke more then the rest Agron the King of Illyrium fell into a sicknesse of the sides called the Plurisie by reason of his excessiue drinking and at last died thereof Cleio a vvoman was so practised in drinking that shee durst challenge all men and vvomen what soeuer to try maisteries who could drinke most and ouercome all Cleomenes king of Lacedemonia beeing disposed to carouse after the manner of the Scythians dranke so much that hee became and continued euer after sencelesse Cyrillus sonne in his drunkennes wickedly slevv that holy man his father his mother great with child he hurt his two sisters and deflowred one of them August Androcides a Gentleman of Greece hearing of Alexanders excesse in drunkennesse vvrote a letter to him wherein was a Tablet of gold with these words thereon ingrauen Remember Alexander when thou drinkest wine that thou doost drinke the blood of the earth Those of Gallia Transalpina vnderstanding that the Italians had planted Vines in Italy came to conquer theyr Countrey so that if they had neuer planted Vines the French-men had not destroyed the Countrey Liuius Foure old Lombards being at banquet together the one dranke an health rounde to the others yeeres in the end they challenged two to two and after each man had declared how many yeeres old he was the one dranke as many times as he had yeeres and likewise his companion pledged him the one vvas 58. the second 63. the third 87. the last 92. so that a man knoweth not vvhat they did eate or drinke but he that dranke least dranke 58. cups of vvine P. Diaconus Of thys euill custome came the lawe that the Gothes made that is VVee ordaine and commaund vppon paine of death that no olde men vpon payne of death shoulde drinke to one anothers health at the
abused by her drunken Father knowing by his Ring shee tooke of from his finger that it was hee shee killed him at the Altar Plut. Of Sorrow This vexation of mind and sicknes of the bodie is a perturbation altogether contrarie to pleasure from whence doth spring repentance sadnesse freating lamentation carefulnes affliction mourning and desperation this is the last of the perturbations of the minde beeing in number foure A Certaine Nun vvas mother to P. Lombardus maister of the sentences Gratianus who when shee sawe them such notable men sayd she could not repent to whom her Confessor said Only sorrow because thou canst not sorrow P. Mar. The Iewes thought Ecclesiastes to bee Salomons repentance Idem Origen repenting himselfe being sorrie for that hee did in his adolescencie sayde I expounded the Prophet Abdias allegoricallie whose history I vnderstoode not Aeschines the Orator being as he was alwayes sicke did neuer complaine of the Spleene that did grieue him on the other part he did much lament for any sorow that otherwise happened vnto him Plutarch Telemachus helde this his greatest griefe that Iupiter had ended the race of his Father in him not giuing him a brother Homer King Xerxes when he saw that Ochus lay in waite for his brethren to put theÌ„ to death died for griefe thereof Plantius the Numidian looking vpon hys dead wife tooke such griefe to his hart that casting himselfe vpon the dead body he rose no more but was stifled vvith sorrow Diodorus the Logitian dyed for sorrovve because he was not able to aunswer the questions of Stilpo Laertius M. Coriolanus being banished Rome became enemy to her but his mother Veturia comming vnto him vpbraiding him with his fault he found his error layd dovvne his armes went out of the field and dyed vvith greefe of minde Liuius Homer dyed with suddaine sorrovve because he could not aunswer a question which a Fisherman propounded vnto him Plu. The Romaine Matrons bewailed the death of Brutus one whole yeere as a cheefe defender of theyr chastities Eutrop. Torquatus the younger being banished froÌ„ his Fathers house for greefe thereof slevve himselfe There was great contention betweene Sophocles and Aeschilus about versifying in which by the iudgement of those that were present Sophocles was preâ—erred vvhich Aeschilus tooke so greeuously that he fledde forthwith into Sicilia where hee lyued obscuâ—ely and in the end died miserably The lyke is written of Calchas a Soothsayer at his returne from Troy being ouercom of Mopsus one of his owne profession Homer Niceratus for that Antimachus verses vvritten in the prayse of Lisander vvere by him more esteemed then his although by iudgement of the learned Niceratus were better hee was so greeued that hee forsooke his studies but Plato by counsell turned his minde and of a dissolute made him a diligent studient in Poetry Themistocles mother for very griefe conceiued that her sonne in his youth vvas gyuen to all kinde of vvickednesse hanged her selfe P. Rutilius vvhen hee heard that his Brother desiring to be made a Consul in Rome had taken the repulse for very angush of minde dyed By the lawes of the twelue tables of Rome all sorrovve and vveeping at funeralls vvas forbidden Lepidus by a long griefe conceiued of the misbehauiour of his vvife shortned his own dayes Dioxippus before Alexander onely vvith a club challenged Corrhagus beeing all armed to enter combat with him vvhen â—ee had smitten Corrhagus speare out of his hand hee closed vvith him and laying fast hold vpon his armour hee threw him down then sette his foote vpon his necke and gored him through the body with his svvord for vvhich acte Alexander hated him whervpon Dioxippus tooke inward thought gaue such scope vnto inward force of fantasie that hee pyned and consumed away with griefe of minde Timanthes when hee had finished the picture of Iphigenia in colours set foorth Calchas to bee sorrowfull for the same but Vlisses more sad and to make her Father Agamemnon seeme most sorrowfull he painted him with his face couered The Poets faine Prometheus to bee tyed vpon the top of the Mountaine Caucasus an Eagle to be gnawing of his hart whereby they signifie no other thing but the great sadnes of Prometheus gotten by contemplating the starres and Planets The poesie of the Pythagorians vvas The hart should not be eaten Caesar neuer feared Anthony Dolobella or any other that was of a merry countenaunce but rather doubted sadde mellancholie persons such as Brutus and Cassius vvas Crassus was called Gelastos for that he was once seene to laugh in his life Anaxagoras Clazomenius vvas noted that hee neuer was seene to laugh or smyle from the day of his byrth Aristoxenus did vvonderfully bridle himselfe from laughter Heraclitus was at such defiance with mirth that hee wept continually and Democritus alwaies laughed Laertius Bibuâ—us hearing of the death of both hys children in one day lamented their losse that one day and no more Anaxagoras hearing tell that his sonne was dead aunswered It is no meruaile for I begot a mortall body P. Varro remained so sorrowful in his hart to see himselfe ouercome of his enemies his vvife suddainely dead that all the time he after liued he neither combed his head slept in bed nor dined at the table Liuius The Romaines were so sorrowfull for the death of Augustus Caesar that they vvished hee had neuer beene borne or being borne neuer dyed Eutropius Of Lying This contrary to truth nature maketh that seeme very good which is euill and causeth the tongue to become a member of iniustice when it vttereth more or lesse then is indeed vnder this vice are contained Deceipt Dissimulation Crâ—â—t Hipocrisie Idolatry and cousenage THrough a lye Ioseph was cast into pryson and Saint Chrisostome sent into banishment The Egyptians ordained death to lyers so dyd the Scythians and Garamantes The Persians and Indians depriued him of all honour and farther speech which lyed The Gymnosophists and Chaldeans barred lyers all companies and dignities and condemned them to remaine in perpetuall darknes without speaking The very wormes did eate the tongue of the cousoner Nestorius in his lyfe time Nicephorus Popiel King of Poland had euer this wishe in his mouth If it be not true I would the Rats might eate mee vvhich came to passe for he was so assayled by theÌ„ at a banquet that neyther his guards nor fire nor water could defend him from them Munster Some write that an Archbishop of Magunce died the lyke death The Emperor Traiane sirnamed the good Prince tooke away from the sonne of Cebaâ—us the kingdom of Dacia which we terme at this day Transiluania and Valachia onely because he caught him in a lye and â—old him that Rome could not permit a lyer to possesse a kingdome After that one had reade vnto Alexander the great History out of Aristobulus wherin he had intermingled certaine counterfaite prayses he â—â—ong the booke into the Ryuer saying The writer
therwithall drawing forth his sword he ran Aper thorough who being his Father in law had trecherously slaine him Eutrop. M. Antonius an Orator fled froÌ„ the wrath of Marius into a Farme-house the Keeper vvhereof receiued him gently hyd hym sending his seruant to a Tauerne for wine oftner then he vvas wont the Vintner asked him why he came so often for wine he told him secretly that it was for Antonius vvho sent word to Marius was by a Captaine of his slaine who brought his head to Marius Decimus Brutus one of the conspirators against Caesar put to flight by Anthony in his escape was taken of theeues and asking vvho was Lord of that place they told him Camillus vvhose name he much esteeming desired to be brought to him vvho when he saw him made him faire presence but priuily sent to Anthony who coulde not abide to see him but willed Camillus to kil him Attilus the eldest sonne of Anthony vvaâ— betrayed by his Schoolemaister Theodorus vvho tooke a goodly iewell from his neckâ— vvhen he was killed the which being required and denied of him he was hanged Of Names The qualities of the minde whether they bee good or euill especially in great personages commend a perpetuall memory to theyr prosperitie eyther of theyr honourable fame or vile infamie therefore the auncients gaue certaine names to the true deseruers of both IT vvas a sure signe that Adam should be Lord of all creatures when at the first he could call them all by theyr names Amb. The Stoicks were great searchers for the originall of vvords and names The Troians for theyr nobilitie gentry were called Dardans for theyr fearefulnesse Phryges and for theyr valour Troians The first of the Fabij was sirnamed Pictor for his excellencie in the Art of paynting vvhen he had paynted the vvalls of the temple of Health he writ thereon his name leauing behind him a memory that he had been â— paynter Titus Manlius the vvorthiest of all the Senators killed one of the French-men which prouoked him to fight hand to hande and â—heÌ„ he had slaine him he pluckt off a chaine of golde which his enemie wore about hys necke and put it about his owne whereof both hee and his posteritie were called Torquatij Prophets are called Seers because they see the misteries of the Gospell Vrbanus Mar. Valerius going to fight with a French man a Crow lighted vpon his right arme sate there still afterwarde when they came to handy gripes the same Crowe smote the Frenchman vpon the eyes that hee coulde not see by meanes whereof he was slayne Valerius was afterward sirnamed Coruinus In the old Testament foure mens names were gyuen them before theyr byrth Ismaell Isaack Sampson Iosias in the new only Iohn and Christ. Romulus was called Quirinus of a Speare for that vveapon he vsed and the Knights of Rome were called Quirites that is speare men Aristippus was called Metrodidactos because he was taught of his mother Calliope was named Calliopea for her exâ—cellencie and Penelope Penelopea for thâ— sweetnes of her voyce Adam was buried in the same place vvheâ— Christ his Crosse vvas set vp and therefoâ—â— it was called Caluarie because the originaâ—â— and head of mankind was buried there Augustine Paris lay the first night with Helena in the Ile of Cranae and aftervvards called it by her name Helena Colossians are denominated froÌ„ the great Colossus in Rhodes a statue of brasse being once one of the worlds seauen wonders The Heathens called the Christians SarmeÌ„titios and Semiassios because they were tyed to halfe-penny stakes and burned to death with shrubbes Aborigines are home-bred people the Athenians were so called in token whereof they dyd weare Grashoppers in theyr hats Diodorus The riuer Tygris is so called for his svvift current Iustine Valentinianus the Emperour vvas called Funarius for that before he vvas chosen holding a roape or corde in his hand fiue strong â—ouldiers were not able to pull it from hym â—â—â—â—linus VVithin twenty yeeres Italy had 9. Emâ—erours which raigned by succession the â—ne was slaine of the other by occasion the â—ast was called Augustulus that is little noble or little full of maiestie the diminution of the name vvas an euident signe that the gouernaunce of the Augustus shoulde fayle â—n Italy Agathias The Romaines had certaine Senators called Pedarij Senatores who beeing slovve of counsell pronouncing theyr sentence did followe the footesteps of other Counsellers saying after theÌ„ therefore were so called Fenestella There were two Emperours in Rome vnlike in name much more in manners the one of them was named Nero the cruell the other Anthonie the meeke the which ouernames the Romaines gaue them the one of meeke because he could not but pardon the other of cruell because hee neuer ceased to kill The name of Knight or Gentleman the Romaines did neuer admit eyther consent to intitle those that coulde gather much riches but such as had beene famous for being at the victorie of many battailes Cicero Prince Charles for his great happy victory ouer the Southerne people vvas afteâ— sirnamed Martell the Maule because heâ— broke and battered the force of them lyke â— maule or hammer of yron Cato was not first a sirname but a name oâ— merrite for the auncient Romaines called him Cato that was wise by much experience Of this name vvere two famous Cato Censorius and Cato of Vtica Ionathan for his valour was named Iebonathan Sergius Orata Licinius Muraena tooke theyr sirnames of fishes for that one of them greatly loued the Gylthed the other the Lamprey Petrarch Nemrod the first tyrant was called Oppressor hominum an oppressor of men Cicero was called Pater patirae the louer of his Countrey The sea of Icarus was so called for that Icarus was there drowned The sea Aegeum of Aegeus king of Athence who drowned himselfe therein Mare TyrrhenuÌ„ of Tyrrhenus King of Lidia Hellespont by a vvoman named Helle. Tyberinus altered the riuer which was beâ—ore named Albura to the name of Tyber 〈◊〉 his death Hesperides the daughter of Atlas gaue the Hesperian sea his name Mare Myrtoun by Myrtilus whom Oenomaus cast therein That which we call Euxinus the Sea that beginneth at Bospherus was first called Axenos that is Inhospitalis because the inhabitants did kill and eate the passengers but after being made ciuill was called Euxinus The Romaines if theyr Emperour vvere couragious they woulde call him another Caesar if vertuous Octauian if fortunate Tiberius if rash Caligula if cruell Nero if mercifull Traiane or Anthonius Pius if beautifull Titus if idle Domitian if patient Vespasian if temperate Adrian if religious Aurelianus if sage and vertuous Aurelius Of Contemplation Contemplation hath three degrees the first is an election choosing of good before euill the second is as it were an habite or inioying thereof indeed the last consisteth altogether in the mind of man froÌ„ which the true example of all vertues doe flow In it