charge of my labouring quill In his third booke as hauing prepared and armed men against vnarmed women he proposeth to them the like precepts and instruction with all the defensible weapons needfull against the ambushes and inticements of men and thus begins Arma dedi Danais in Amazonas arma supâ—rsunt Quae tibi dem turbae Penthisilaea tuae The Greekes I haue giuen armes to who now stand Ready to incounter the Amasonian band Others within mine armorie remaine For thee Penthisilaea and thy traine Goe equally accoâ—tred to the warre And let such conquour as most fauoured are Of Carine Dione and the Boy that flyes Round'bout the world still hood-winckt of his eyes It were no iustice to arme men in steele 'Gainst naked women bare from head to heele Oh too much oddes there were in combat then And so to conquour a great shame for men And so much of the Amasons I now proceede to other Magnanimous and braue spirited virgins Of warlike Women and those of Masculine vertue I Know not better how to expresse the boldnes of women than by shewing you the feare of men nor can I more plainly illustrat the valor of one sex than by putting you in mind of the cowardise of the other It is well obserued of an Italian who writes himselfe of Lucca concerning the passion of Feare of which there are three sorts commendable the first is naturall feare by which we auoid the iniuries of men preuent the inconuenience of postelent sickenes with such like casualties and arme our selues against want dearth and necessitie The second is ciuile Feare wherein we feare to transgresse the law or incurre penaltie are timorous to doe ill because it is ill when we dare not depraue what 's good or derrogate from our own reputation The third is a more supernatural Feare in which by our loue towards God and our neighbour we feare to offend the higher Maiestie and next that feare the terror of eternall death and damnation by the first we preserue our bodies by the second our honours by the last our soules But those other abiects the feares I purpose heare to exemplifie onely such as proceed from Effeminacie and Cowardise It is read of Pysander of Greece that being aliue he feared least his soule had alreadie forsaken his bodie Likewise of one Artemon who was of that hare-hearted disposition that he mooued not abroad without Targets of brasse borne ouer him like cannopies least any thing should fall from aloft and beate out his braines or if he rid it was in a horse-litter seeled and crosse-bard with gads of steele and plates of yron for which hee was called Peripharetes Sabellicus writes that Cassander so feared Alexander that long time after his death comming to Delphos to behold the goodly statues there errected at the verie sight of his old maisters effigies hee fell into such a timerous feauer that his verie bones daunced in his skinne and longtime it was ere they could constantly settle themselues in their owne places This was that Cassander who had caused Olimpias the mother of Alexander to be so cruelly butchered It is related of St. Valleir duke of Valentinois in Fraunce that being condemned â—o death for not disclosing the treasons of the duke of Burbon iust at the instant when the executioner should haue strooke off his head the king sent him his gratious pardon but all in vaine the feare of the blow before it came had dispatched him of life Hereof hath growne a prouerbe to any man that hath a strong apprehension of feare they will say hee hath La fieure de saint Vallier i. the feauer of Saint Vallier Another thing is recorded of a fellow that was so affraid of the name of Hercules that he hid himselfe in caues and rockes though he knew not of any quarrell betwixt them at length stealing from the obscure cauerne where he had denned himselfe to see if the coast were cleere casting his eye by chance on the one side and espying Hercules who came that way by chance his life blood sinking into his heeles he shooke them a little and died in that feauer I could recite terrors and vaine feares which haue arise from nothing that haue terrified whole citties of Grecians armies of Romans and multitudes of other nations but these particulars shall suffice for my purpose is not too farre to effeminate men nor too much to embolden women since the most valiant man that is is timerous ynough and the modestest woman that is may bee made sufficiently bold But to the purpose in hand Debora a warlike woman was a Prophetesse and iudged Israell by whose counsell and courage they were not onely freed from the inroads and incursions of the neighbour nations but many times returned from the field with rich spoyles and glorious conquests of her you may reade more at large in the Iudges Ianus was an antient king of Italy hee entertained king Saturne when by his sonne Iupiter he was chased out of Creet Because he was a prouident and wise prince the Romans pictured him with two faces and receiued him into the number of their gods they attributed to him the beginning and end of things celberating to his honour the first moneth Ianuarie which tooke the denomination of Ianus from his name one face looked vpon the yeare to come the other looked backe on the yeare past in his right hand hee had a golden key which opened the Temple of Peace in his left a staffe which hee strooke vpon a stone from whence a spring of water seemed to issue out he is thus described by Albricus the Philosopher in his booke de Deorum Imaginibus This Ianus left behind him a beautifull faire daughter whose name was Helerna shee sucded her father in his kingdome which was scituate by the riuer Tiber and was a woman of Masculine spirit and vertue shee raigned ouer men without the counsell or assistance of men she subdued nations by her valour and conquered Princes by her beautie of whom may bee truely spoken as Propertius lib. 2. writes of the queene Penthisilaea Ausaferox ab equo quondam oppugnare sagittis c. Penthisilea from her steede When her high courage rose Durst with her shafts and warlike darts The Darnish fleete oppose No sooner was her beauer vp And golden caske laid by But whom by force she could not take She captiu'd with her eye Camilla and others THis Camilla was queene of the Volscians who euen in her cradle gaue manifest tokens of her future vertue and valour for in her infancie shee was neither swathed in soft cloathing nor wrapt in silken mantle not attended by a tender nurse nor fed with curious dainties or farre fetcht delicats but fostered by her father Metabus with the milke of hinds and wild goates her court was a forrest and her pallace a darke and obscure caue Hauing somewhat outgrowne her infancy she tooke no pleasure in rattles puppets
shall serue for many Of Witches that haue eyther changed their owne shapes or transformed others WHether this be possible in Nature or no or whether it hath any time been suffered by the Diuine permission hath beene a Question as well amongst the Theologists as the Philosophers It is no businesse of mine at this present to reconcile their Controuersies my promise is onely to acquaint you with such things as I haue eyther read or heard related which if they erre in any thing from truth blame not me but the Authors Concerning Lycantropia or men that change themselues into Wolues Doctor Bordinus generall Procurator for the king relates That a Wolfe setting vpon a man hee shot him with an arrow through the thigh who being wounded and not able to plucke out the shaft fled to his house kept his bed being found to be a man and the arrow after knowne by him that shot it by the Lycantropies confession Those that are the diligent Inquisitors after Witches report in a booke intituled Malleum Maleficarum That a countreyman was violently assaulted by three great Cats who in the defence of himselfe wounded them all dangerously and these were knowne to be three infamous Witches who were after found bleeding and by reason of their hurts in great danger of death Petrus Mamorius in his booke de Sortilegis affirmes that he saw the like in Sabaudia Henricus Coloniensis in Libello de Lamijs affirmes for an vndoubted truth as also Vlrichus Molitor in his booke dedicated vnto Sigismund Caesar in a Disputation before the Emperour confidently witnesseth That he saw of these Lycantropi which haue transhaped themselues at Constantinople accused conuicted condemned and vpon their owne confession deliuered vnto death These the Germans call Werwolff the Frenchmen Loups Garous the Picards Loups Warous i. diuerse Wolues The Greekes call them Lukanthrâ—pous or Mormolukias the Latines or the Romans call them Versipelles i. Turne-coats or Turne-skinnes as Plinie in these transmutations hath obserued Franciscus Phoebus Fecensis Comes in his booke de Venatione i. of Hunting sayth That by the Garouz is signified Gardez vous i. Guard or looke to your selues Pomponatius and Theophraâ—tus the Princes of the Philosophers in their age most constantly affirme the transmigration of Witches into Wolues Gasper Peucerus an approued learned man and the cousin german to Philip Melancthon held these things to be meere fables till by Merchants of worthie reputation and credit hee was better informed from certaine proofes brought him from Liuonia of such that for the same fault were vpon their owne confessions adiudged to death These and greater are confirmed by Languetus Burgundus Agent for the Duke of Saxonie with the king of France as also by Herodotus Neurios who affirmes these conuersions and transhapes to be most frequent in Liuonia In the Historie of Iohannes Tritemius you may reade Anno 970. of a Iew called Baianus the sonne of Simeon who could transforme himselfe into a Wolfe at his owne pleasure Of the like to these Herodotus Homer Pomponius Mela Solinus Strabo Dionisius Afer M. Varro Virgil Ouid and many others haue written long before these times as likewise Epanthes remembred by Plinie and Agrippas in his Olimpionicis who speakes of 〈◊〉 Demaenetius Parrhasius translated into a Wolfe Or who so would be better confirmed let him reade Olaus Magnus of the Nations of Pilapia Narbonia Fincladia and Augermania or else Saxo Gramaticus Fincelius and Gulielmus Brabantius And therefore those things are not altogether incredible which Ouid speakes of Lycaon who included much truth in many Fables who in his Metamorphosis thus sayes Territus ipse fagit noctusque silentia ruris Exululat frustraque loqui conatur c. Frighted he flyes and hauing got The silence of the shades Thinking to speake he howles and then The neighbour flockes inuades So much for monsterous Wolues I come now to meere Witches Saint Augustine in this booke de Ciuitate Dei Lib. 18. cap. 17. and 18. tells of diuers hostesses or Inkeepers practised in these diabolicall Arts who put such confections into a kind of Cheese they made that all such trauellers as guested with them and eate thereof were presently metamorphosed into labouring beasts as Horses Asses or Oxen all which they imployde either in drawing or bearing of burdens or else let them out for Hackneyes to gaine profit by-their hyre and when their worke was done and they had made of them what benefit they could they restored them to their pristine shape Ranulphus and Willielmus de Regibus lib. 20. relates a Historie of two such Witches that liued in the road-way to Rome A Minstrell or Pyper trauelling that way tasted of this cheese and was presently changed into an Asse who notwithstanding hee had lost his shape still retained his naturall reason and as one Bankes here about this citie taught his Horse to show trickes by which he got much money so this Asse being capable of what was taught him and vnderstanding what he was bid to doe showed a thousand seuerall pleasures almost impossible to be apprehended by any vnreasonable creature to all such as came to see him and payde for the sight insomuch that he was sold by these Witches to a neighbour of theirs for a great summe of money but at the deliuerie of him sayth one of the Witches Take heede neighbour if you meane to haue good of your beast that in any case you leade him not through the water The poore transhaped Pyper this hearing apprehends that water might be the meanes to restore him to his former humane figure purposing in himselfe to make proofe thereof at his next best opportunitie Carefull was the new merchant of the charge giuen and watered him still in a paile but would neuer let him drinke from the riuer but the maister trauelling by the way and to ease his beast alighting and leading him in his hand the Asse on the sudden broke his bridle ran out of sight and leaped into the next riuer he came neere where leauing his saddle and furniture behind he waded out in his owne shape the man pursues him with all the speede he can and followes him the way he tooke the first hee meetes is the Pyper and askes him if he saw not such a kind of beast and describes him to a haire The fellow acknowledgeth himselfe to haue beene the same Asse he bought of the Witch the maister wondereth and relates this to his Lord his Lord acquaints this nouell to Petrus Damianus a man of approoued knowledge and wisedome and numbred amongst the greatest schollers of his age he examines the Maister the Pyper the Witches and such as saw him leape into the riuer a Beast and returne a Man and informes Pope Leo the seuenth thereof All their examinations and confessions were taken and a disputation of the possibilitie thereof held in the presence of the Pope before whom the truth thereof was acknowledged and recorded The same Historie is
houre so did the mother who came thither on purpose to reforme her sonne but he being hot and too forward in the action and she ouercome either by the inticements of the diuell the weakenesse of her Sex or both gaue herselfe vp to Incestuous prostitution the young man knowing no otherwise but that hee had inioyed the maid Of this wicked and abhominable congression a woman child was begot of whom the mother to saue her reputation was secretly deliuered and put it out priuately to nourse but at the age of seuen yeares tooke it home When this child grew to yeares the most infortunate sonne fell in loue with his sister and daughter and made her his vnhappie wife what shall I thinke of this detestable sinne which euen beasts themselues abhor of which I will giue you present instance Aristotle in his historie Annimal who was a diligent searcher into all naturall things affirmes that a Cammell being blinded by his keeper was brought to horse his damme but in the action the cloth falling from his eyes and he perceiuing what he had done presently seised vpon his keeper and slew him in detestation of the act he had committed and to reuenge himselfe vpon him that had betraied him to the deed The like the same author reports of a horse belonging to a king of Scythia who could by no meanes be brought to couer his damme but being in the same fashion beguiled and the cloath falling away and perceiuing what hee had done neuer left bounding flinging and galloping till comming vnto an high rocke hee from thence cast himselfe headlong into the sea If then this sinne be so hatefull in bruite beasts and vnreasonable creatures how much more ought it to be auoided in men and women and which is more Christians Cyborea the mother of Iudas Iscariot THis that I now speake of is remembred by Ranulphus Monke of Chester Ierome and others There was a man in Ierusalem by name Reuben of the Tribe of Isachar his wife was called Cyborea The first night of their marriage the woman dreamed that she was conceiued of a sonne who should bee a traytour to the Prince of his owne people she told it to her husband at which they were both sad and pensiue The child being borne and they not willing to haue it slaine and yet loath to haue it prooue such a monster to his owne nation they in a small boat cast it to sea to try a desperate fortune this vessell was driuen vpon an Island called Iscariot where the Queene of that place had then no child This babe being found she purposed to make it her owne and put it to be nobly nurced and educated calling his name Iudas and Iscariot of the Island where he was taken vp But not long after shee was conceiued of a sonne who prouing a noble and hopefull gentleman Iudas whose fauour in court began to wane and his hope of inheritance which but late flourisht now quite to wither he plotted against his life and priuately slew him but fearing least the murder might in time bee discouered and hee compeld to suffer according to the nature of the fact hee fled thence to Ierusalem where he got into the seruice of Pontius Pilatus and found meanes to be protected by him being then in the cittie deputie gouernour for the Romans Iudas because their dispositions were much of one condition grew into his especiall familiaritie and fauour The Pallace of Pilot hauing a faire bay window whose prospect was into Reubens Orchard he had a great appetite to eate of some of those ripe apples which shewed so yellow and faire against the sunne This Iudas vnderstanding promist him to fetch him some of that fruit and mounting ouer the orchard wall he was met by his father who rebuking him for the iniurie Iudas with a stone beat out his braines and vnseene of any conueyed himselfe backe Reubens death was smothered and the murderer not knowne Cyborea being a rich widdow Pylate made a match betwixt her and his seruant Iudas who being marryed to his mother was now possest of his owne fathers inheritance Not long this incestuous couple had liued together but Cyborea being vpon a time wondrous sad and melancholy and Iudas demanding the cause she began to relate to him her many misfortunes First of her dreame then of her sonne in what manner he was put to sea then how she lost her husband being slaine and the murderer not found and lastly how by the authoritie of Pilat she was now compeld to match against her will who had protested to her selfe a lasting widdowhood By these circumstances Iudas most assuredly knew that he had slaine his father and had marryed his mother which acknowledging to her she persuaded him to repent him of these great euills and to become a Disciple of Iesus who was then an eminent Prophet amongst the Iewes It shall not be amisse to speake a word or two of Pilate It is said that a king whose name was Tyrus begat him on a Millers daughter Pyla whose father was called Atus who from his mother and grandfather was called Pylatus at foure yeares of age he was brought to his father who by his lawfull wife had a prince iust of the same age These were brought vp together in all noble exercises in which the prince hauing still the best Pylat awaited his opportunitie and slew him loath was the king to punish him with death least he should leaue himselfe altogether Issulesse therefore hee sent him an hostage to Rome for the payment of certaine tribute which was yearly to be tendred into the Roman treasurie Liuing there as hostage he assotiated himselfe with the son to the king of France who lay pledge in Rome about the like occasion and in a priuate quarrell was also slaine by Pylat The Romans finding him of an austere brow and bloodie disposition made him gouernour of the Island called Pontus the people were irregular and barbarous whom by his seueritie he reduced to all ciuill obedience for which good seruice he was remooued to Ierusalem bearing the name of Pontius from that Island there hee gaue sentence against the Sauiour of the world Tiberius Caesar being then Emperour was sicke of a grieuous maladie who hearing that in Ierusalem was a Prophet who with a word healed all infirmities whatsoeuer hee sent one Volutianus to Herod to send him this man but Christ was before condemned and crucified There Volutianus acquainted himselfe with one Veronica a noble Ladie of the Iewes who went with him to Rome and carried with her the lynnen cloth which still bore the impresse and likenesse of Christs visage vpon which the Emperour no sooner looked but he was immediately healed The Emperour then vnderstanding the death of this innocent and just man caused Pylat to be brought to Rome who being called before Caesar the historie saith he had at that time vpon him the roabe of our Sauiour which was called Tunica
whose feature Hercules being much delighted he hosted there longer than his purpose which Iolaus taking ill Amalthaea out of a horne in which she had hoarded some quantitie of money furnisht Hercules with all things needfull which some strangers taking especiall notice of they rumord it abroad and from thence first grew the Prouerbe But to returne to our Amalthaea Cumana This was she by whose conduct Aeneas had free passage into hell as Virgill expresseth at large in his sixt booke She brought to Tarquinius Priscus those three bookes of Prophesies of which two were burnt and one preserued By which computation comparing the time betwixt Aeneas and Tarquin she could liue no lesse than fiue hundred yeares nor is it altogether incredible since when Liuia the daughter of Rutilius Terentia of M. Cicero and Clodia of Aulus the first liued ninetie seauen yeares the second a hundred and thirtie the third a hundred and fifteene after the bearing of fifteene children Gorgias Leontius the tutor of Isocrates and many other learned men in the hundred and seauenth yeare of his age being asked Why he desired to liue any longer answered Because he felt nothing in his body by which to accuse age Herodotus Pliny Cicero and others speake of one Arganthonius Gaditanus who raigned fourescore yeares being sixtie yeares of age before he came to his crowne Solynus and Ctesias with others auerre that amongst the Aethiopians a hundred and thirty yeares is but a common age and many arriue vnto it Hellanicus testates that the Epians a people of Aetolia attained to two hundred whom Damiates exceedes naming one Littorius that reached to three hundred the like we reade of Nestor I will conclude with Dondones whom Pliny affirmes suruiued fiue hundred yeares yet neuer stooped with age More liberallie speakes Zenophon who bestowes on one of the Latin Kings eight hundred and six hundred vpon his father but I will forbeare further to speake of her age and come to her Oracle Vnto the Assyrian Monarchy we assigne One thousand yeares two hundred thirty nine When thirty six successions shall expire The last his glories pompe shall end in fire Thence to the Meades it transmigrates and they Shall in nine full successions beare chiefe sway Three hundred yeares shall memorise their deeds Wanting iust eight The Persian then succeedes In th' vniuersall Empire which must last Fourteene Kings raigns and then their sway be past Ouer to Greece but ere their light blow out Two hundred fiftie yeares shall come about Adding fiue moneths The Monarchy now stands Transferd on Macedonia who commands The world but Alexander by him is guided The spatious earth but in his death diuided Amongst his captaines Macedon one ceaseth Asia another Syria best pleaseth A third Aegypt a fourth thus lots are cast Two hundred eighty eight their pompe shall last And then expire Great Rome shall then looke hye Whose proud towers from 7. hills shall braâ—e the skye And ouerlooke the world In those blest dayes Shall come a King of kings and he shall raise A new plantation and though greater farre Than all the Monarches that before him are In maiestie and power yet in that day So meeke and humble he shall daine to pay Tribute to Caesar yet thrice happy he That shall his subiect or his seruant be After the death of Alexander the kingdome of Macedonia was successiuelie inioyed by fifteene Kings and indured a hundred fiftie seauen yeares and eight moneths Asia and Syria were gouerned by nineteene Kings and lasted two hundred eightie nine yeares Aegypt was possest by tenne Ptolomies and lastlie by Cleopatra and it continued two hundred eightie eight yeares These Kingdoms fayling the Romans gained the chiefe predominance Of this Sybell S. Isiodore Virgill and Ouid writ more at large she writ her Prophesie in leaues of trees and then plac't them ouer the Altar which when the wind mooued or made to shake they had no efficacie but when they remained firme and without motion they receiued their full power and vertue therefore Dante the famous Italian Poet thus writes Come la neue al sole se distilla Cosi al vento nelle foglie leue Si perdea la sententia de Sibille I cannot here pretermit Ouids expression of this Sybell who when Aeneas hauing receiued from her that great curtesie to enter hell and to come safe thence and for that would haue sacrificed to her done her diuine adoration she thus answered him Nec dea sum dixit nec sacrifuris honore c. I am no goddesse goddesse sonne 't is true Nor are these diuine honours to me due I had beene such and darknesse not haue seene Had I a prostitute to Phoebus beene For whilst he courts my loue and day by day Hopes with large gifts mine honour to betray Aske what thou wilt oh bright Cumaean maide It shall be granted thee Apollo said I willing that my dayes should euer last Prostrate vpon the earth my selfe I cast And graspt as much dust as my hand could hold Let me then liue said I till I haue told So many yeares as there are bodies small Lockt in this hand The god could not recall Nor I vnsay I had forgot in truth To insert in my rash boone All yeares of youth Euen that too to haue yielded to his will I might haue had but I am virgin still Haue to this houre remaind my happier dayes Are all forespent Decrepit age now layes His weake hand on me which I must endure Long time to come seauen ages I am sure Are past nor shall my thread of life be spuune Vntill the number of these sands be runne The houre shall be when this my body here Shall small or nothing to the sight appeare This time and age haue power to doe and when I shall not louelie seeme as I did then Nay doubtlesse Phoebus will himselfe deny That e're he cast on me an amorous eye Saue by my voice I shall no more be knowne But that the Fates haue left me as mine owne Ouid hath fabulated that she was changed into a Voyce the word Sybilla importing Vox She prophesied much of the Roman warres and the successe of their Empire SIBILLA HELLESPONTICA SHe hath the denomination of Marrinensis and as most Authours affirme deriues her selfe Ex agro Troiano from Troy in Asia She sung of the warres betwixt the Troians and the Greekes I will be briefe with her because I feare I haue beene too tedious in the former her Prophesie of Christ I haue included in these few lines When Atlas shoulders shall support a starre Whose ponderous weight he neuer felt before The splendour of it shall direct from farre Kings and Wisemen a new light to adore Peace in those dayes shall flourish and stearne warre Be banisht earth lost mankind to restore Then shall the Easterne Monarches presents bring To one a Priest a Prophet and a King And so much for Sybilla Hellespontica SYBILLA PHRIGIA SHe was called
Vates Ancirrae and as most will haue it this was Cassandra the daughter of King Priamus and Hecuba their femall issue are thus numbred Creâ—sa Cassandra Ilione Laodice Lycaste Medesicastis Polixena Climene Aristomache Xenodice Deimone Metioche Pisis Cleodice and Medusa Amongst which she onelie attained to the spirit of Prophesie and predicted of the destruction of Troy but her Augurie was neuer credited Appollodorus as also Higinus giues this reason Appollo inflamed with her beautie promist if she would prostitute herselfe to his pleasure he would inspire her with the spirit of Diuination which he accordinglie performed but she failing in her promise to him he in reuenge of that iniurie caused that her Prophesies howsoeuer true should neuer haue credit which makes her in her diuination thus complaine The world to Troy I fitlie may compare Erected first by Neptune and the Sonne These two the aptest Heirogliphicks are For water and for fire The buildings donne Laoâ—edon their right the gods denyes For which by water Troy was first destroid So was the world for mans false periuries In the great Deluge where but eight inioyd The benefit of life Troy happy were If it by water could forewarned be So were the worldâ— but oh too much I feare In their like fatall ruin they agree Troy must be burnt to ashes woe the while My mother in her wombe conceiu'd a brand To giue it flame he that shall many a mile Trauell by water to bring fire to land Lust is the fuell Lust and other sinnes Are the combustible stuffe will bring to nought The worlds great fabricke since from them begins All desolation first to mankind brought The world like Troy must burne they both before Suffered by water so they must by fire We Prophesie these things what can we more But after our predictions none inquire Vnlesse in scorne This doth Cassandra greeue To speake all truth when none will truth beleeue The better to illustrate this Oracle know that Laomedon about to build the walls of Troy borrowed much coine of the Priests of Neptune and Phoebus to accomplish the worke vpon promise of due payment when the walls were finished But breaking his faith and denying restitution of those summes lent the gods inraged at his periurie Neptune brought vp his waues so high that he in a deluge vtterly destroied the citie whilst Apollo by the scorching of his beames made the vpper countries barren For the burning of Troy it happened after the ten yeares siege elaboratly described by Virgill in his Aeneidos when Aenaeas discourses the whole desolation of the citie to Dido in which he speakes of the prince Chorebus to bee much inamoured of Cassandra who rescued her when shee was dragd by the haire from Apollo's altar and was slaine in the attempt The death of Cassandra is thus reported by Hyginus in Fabulus When the spoiles and prisoners of Troy were diuided amongst the Princes of Greece Cassandra fell by lot to the archduke and generall Agamemnon with whom he safely arriued in Mycene of which place he was king and gouernour But Clitemnestra the daughter of Tindarus sister to Hellen and wife to Agamemnon being before their landing possest by Oeaces or as some call him Cethus the brother of Palamides that Cassandra was the prostitute of Agamemnon and had supplanted her from his loue which lie he had forged to be reuenged of the Generall for his brothers death before Troy Clitemnestra therefore surprised with iealosie complotted with Aegistus the sonne of Thiestas to murder them both the first night they lodged in the Pallace which was accordingly performed but Electra the daughter of Agamemnon stole thence her brother Orestes then but an infant who else had perished with his father and conueyed him to be safe kept to one Sihophius of Phocis who had before bin married to Astichaea the sister of Agamemnon he brought him vp to manhood till Orestes found fit oportunitie to reuenge himselfe on the two Regicides his mother and Aegistus SIBILLA EVROPAEA SHe is said to be Incertae patriae as no man knowing from what perticular region to deriue her and therefore is knowne by no perticular name nor by the antient Historiographers numbred amongst the ten only amongst the twelue she hath place as may appeare by this her Prophesie When the great King of all the world shall haue No place on Earth by which he can be knowne When he that comes all mortall men to saue Shall find his owne life by the world orethrowne When the most just iniustice shall depraue And the great judge be judged by his owne Death when to death a death by death hath giuen Then shall be op't the long shut gates of Heauen SIBILLA TIBVRLINA IT seemes she deriues her selfe from the riuer Tiber she is otherwise called Albunaea of the cittie Alba which was erected before Rome as also Italica and by some Alburnea It is reported that the Romans going about to deifie Augustus Caesar demaunded aduise of this Sybill who after three daies fast standing before the altar where the Emperour himselfe was then present after many hidden words miraculously spoke concerning Christ vpon the sudden Heauen opened and Caesar saw a beautifull Virgin standing before the Altar who held in her armes as louely an infant at this apparition Caesar afrighted fell on his face at which instant was heard a voice as from Heauen saying This is the altar of the Sonne of God In which place was after built a Temple dedicated to the Virgin Marie and called Ara Caeli i. The altar of Heauen This Policronicon affirmes and for the truth thereof citeth saint Augustine lib. 18. cap 24. There is little more remembered of her life sauing that in her bookes she prophesied of the comming of the Sauiour of the world much after this manner Seuen wonders of the world haue bin proclaimed But yet a greater than these are not named The Egyptians high Pyramides who seem'd To meet the starres a worke once much esteem'd The Tower of Pharos The miraculous wall That Babylon begyrt The fourth wee call Diana's Church in Ephesus Fame sings ' Thad fix and thirtie Pillers built by kings As many Next to these Mausolus Tombe Than which the Earth supporteth on her wombe No brauer structure Next to these there was The huge Colossus that was cast in Brasse Of height incredible whom you may espye Holding a lampe fiftie seauen cubits hye Bestriding an huge riuer The seuenth wonder Was of great Ioue that strikes with trisulck thunder His Statue caru'd in Yuorie and contriu'd By Phideas the best workeman then suruiu'd What at these trifles stands the world amaz'd And hath on them with admiration gaz'd Then wonder when the troubled world t' appease He shall descend who made them that made these Of these Wonders briefly to make her diuination the more plaine Of these Pyramides there were diuerse of which the greatest tooke vp eight acres of ground parted into
say nothing sir for all the time of the feast mine eyes were stedfastle â—ixt vpon you my deare husband for what other mens beauties are it becoms not a married wife to inquire Cornelia the wife of Aemilius Paulus when a great lady of Campania came to her house and opening a rich casket as the custome of women is to be friendly one with another shee shewed her gold rings rich stones and iewels and causing her chests to be opened exposed to her view great varietie of costly and pretious garments which done she intreated Cornelia to doe her the like curtesie and to shew her what iewels and ornaments she had stored to beautifie her selfe which hearing she protracted the time with discourse till her children came from schoole and causing them to be brought before her turned vnto the Lady and thus said These be my iewells my riches and delights nor with any gayer ornaments desire I to be beautified Filij bonae indolis parentum lauta supellex Viz. No domesticke necessaries better grace a house than children wittie and well disposed Many haue bin of that continence they haue imitated the Turtle who hauing once lost her mate will euer mourne but neuer enter into the fellowship of another Therefore Ania Romana a woman of a noble familie hauing buryed her first husband-in her youth when her friends and kindred continuallie layd open the sollitude of widdowhood the comfort of societie and all things that might persuade her to a second marriage she answered It was a motion to which she would by no meanes assent for saith she should I happen vpon a good man such as my first husband was I would not liue in that perpetuall feare I should bee in least I should loose him but if otherwise Why should I hazard my selfe vpon one so badde that am so late punisht with the losse of one so good It is reported of Portia Minor the daughter of Cato That when a woman who had marryed a second husband was for many vertues much commended in her presence Peace saith she That woman can neither bee happy well manner'd nor truely modest that will a second time marry But I hold her in this to be too censorious yet the most antient Romans onelie conferred on her the Crowne of modestie and continence that was contented with one matrimonie as making expression of their vncorrupted sinceritie in their continewed widdowhood Especiallie such were most discommended to make choice of a second husband who had children left them by the first resembling their father To which Virgill in the fourth booke of his Aeneid seemes elegantly to allude Dido thus complaining of the absence of Aenaeas Siqua mihi de te suscepta fuisset Ante fugam soboles c. Had I by thee but any issue had Before thy flight some pretie wanton lad That I might call Aeneas and to play And praâ—e to me to driâ—e these thoughts away And from whose smiling countenance I might gather A true presentment of the absent father I should not then my wretched selfe esteeme So altogether lostâ—â—â— I now seeme Plutarch much commends the widdowhood of Cornelia the illustrious mother of the Gracchi whose care hauing nobly prouided for her children familie after the death of her husband she exprest her selfe euery way so absolute a matron that Tiberius Gracchus of whom we spake before was not ill counselled by the gods by preseruing her life to prostrate his owne for she denied to marry with king Ptolomeus and when he would haue imparted to her a diadem and a scepter she refused to be stiled a queene to keepe the honour of a chast widdow Of the like puritie was Valeria the sister Messalar who being demaunded by her kindred and deerest freinds why her first husband dead she made not choice of a second answered that she found her husband Seruius to liue with her still accounting him aliue to her whom shee had euer in remembrance A singular remarkeable sentence proceeding from a most excellent matron intimating how the sacred vnitie in wedlock ought to be dignified namely with the affections of the mind not the vaine pleasures of the body This was proued in the daughter of Democion the Athenian who being a virgin and hearing that Leosthenes to whom she was contracted was slaine in the Lemnian wars and not willing to suruiue him killed her selfe but before her death thus reasoning with her selfe Though I haue a bodie vntoucht yet if I should fall into the imbraces of another I should but haue deceiued the second because I am still married to the first in my heart Not of their minds was Popilia the daughter of Marcus who to one that wondered what should be the reason why all feminine beasts neuer admitted the act of generation but in their time and when they couet issue and woman at all times desires the companie of man thus answered the reason is onely this Because they are beasts The wife of FVLVIVS THis Fuluius the familiar and indeered friend of Augustus Caesar heard him priuatly complaine of the great solitude that was then in his house since two of his grand-children by his daughter were taken away by death and the onely third that remained was for some calumnies publisht against the Emperour now in exile so that he should bee forced to abandon his owne blood and constitute a sonne in law and a stranger to succeed in the Imperiall purple and therefore he had many motions in himselfe and sometimes a purpose to recall the yong mans banishment and to restore him to his fauour and former grace in the court This Fuluius hearing went home and vpon promise of secresie told it to his wife shee could not containe her selfe but makes what speede she can and tells this good newes to the Empresse Liuia Liuia she speeds to Augustus and briefly expostulates with him about the banishment of her grand-child what reason he had not to restore him to his former honors and why he would preferre a stranger before his own blood with many such like vpbraidings The next morning Fuluius comming as his custome was into the Presence and saluting the Emperour Augustus cast an austere looke vpon him and shaking his head sayd onely thus You haue a close brest Fuluius by this he perceiuing his wife had published abroad what he had told her in secret posts home with what speede hee can and calling his wife before him ô woman sayth he Augustus knowes that I haue reuealed his secret therefore I haue a resolution to liue no longer to whom she replied Neither is that death you threaten to your selfe without merite who hauing liued with me so long and knowne my weakenesse and loquacitie had not the discretion to preuent this danger to which you haue drawne your selfe by tempting my frailetie but since you will needs die it shall be my honour to precead you in death which she had no sooner
spoke but snacht out his sword and with it slew her selfe A noble resolution in an heathen Ladie to punish her husbands disgrace and her owne ouersight with voluntarie death and a notable example to all women that shall succeede her to be more charie in keeping their husbands secrets all which I would wish to follow the counsell of the comick Poet Philippides who when king Lysimachus called him vnto him and vsing him with all curtesie spake thus What of the things that are within or without me shall I impart vnto thee ô Phillippides he thus answered Euen what thou pleasest oh king so thou still reseruest to thy selfe thy counsells This puts me in mind of king Seleucus Callinicus who hauing lost a battaile against the Galatians and his whole armie being quite subuerted and disperced casting away his crowne and and all regall ornaments was forced to flie onely attended with two or three seruants and wandering long through many deserts and by-pathes as fearing to be discouered and growing faint with hunger he came to a certaine ruinate cottage where he deâ—ired bread and water the maister of the house not onely affoorded him that but whatsoeuer else the place could yeeld or the suddennesse of the time prouide with a large welcome In the interim of dinner fixing his eyes vpon Seleucus face he knew him to be the king and not able to containe his owne ioyes nor conceale the kings dssimulation after dinner the king being redie to take horse and bidding his host farewell hee replied againe And farewell ô king Seleucus who finding himselfe discouered reached him his hand as to imbrace him beckning to one of his followers who at the instant at one blow strooke off his head so that as Homer Sic caput estque loquentis ad huc cum puluere mistum These were the fruits of vnseasonable babling for this fellow had he kept his tongue till the king had beene restored to his former dignities might haue receiued large rewardes for his hospitallitie who suâ—ered an vnexpected death for his loquacitie Aretaphila ARetaphila Cyrenaea is deseruedly numbered amongst the heroick Ladies she liued in the time of Mithredates and was the daughter of Aeglatur and the wife of Phedimus a woman of excellent Vertue exquisit Beautie singular Wisedome and in the managing of common-welthes businesse and ciuill affaires ingeniously expert this Ladie the common calamities of her countrie made eminent for Nicocaentes the tyrant hauing vsurped the principallitie ouer the Cirenaeans amongst many other of his inhumane butcheries slew Menalippus the Priest of Apollo and assumed to himselfe the sacred office and dignitie In the number of these noble citisens hee caused Phedimus the husband of Aretaphila to be iniuriously put to death married her against her will who as well distrest with her priuate discontents as suffering in the publique calamitie meditated a remedie for both and by aduise of some of her neerest allies attempted to poyson the king but the proiect being discouered was preuented and vpon that ground Calbia mother to Nicocrates a woman of an implacable spirit and prone to any thing wherin there might be blood and slaughter first condemned her to insufferable torture and next to violent death but the tyrant her sonne in regard of the extraordinarie loue he bore vnto her being the more relenting and humane of the two was pleased to put her cause first to examination and after to censure In which triall shee answered boldly and with great courage in the defence of her owne innocence but being by manifest proofes conuicted in so much that her purpose could not be denied she then descended so low as to excuse herselfe alleaging that indeed apprehending the greatnesse of his person and that she was in degree no better to him than an handmaide and fearing least some other more accomplisht beautie might steppe betwixt him and her to insinnuate into his fauour and grace shee therefore had prepared an amatorious confection minding only to continue his loue not to betray his life and if her womanish weakenesse had in any kind through ignorance transgrest the bounds of loyaltie she submitted her selfe to his royall clemencie whose approoued judgement shee made no doubt knew how to distinguish betwixt folly and malice Notwithstanding these smooth euasions Nicocrates fully possest of the truth gaue her vp into the hands of his mother to be tormented who as shee is before charractered being a harsh and mercilesse woman left nothing vnattempted that torture could deuise to wrest from her a capitoll confession but Aretaphila with wonderous patience and constancie induring whatsoeuer the beldame could inflict vpon her Calbia grew as wearie in punishing as she in suffering insomuch that Nicocrates was in some sort persuaded of her innocencie commanded her release seeming sorrowfull for the torments she had indured so that his former loue conquering his suspition he began to studie a new reconcilement and excusing his too much credulousnesse renewed his antient familiaritie and custome But she not forgetting her former rackes and strapadoes now began to meditate vpon his death another way she had a daughter of exquisite feature and the tyrant had a brother called Leander a wilde-headed yong man and apt for any innouation or hair-braind attempt shee wrought so far with her and so inwardly with him that by the consent of the king a match was concluded betwixt them All these things falling out according to her wishes her daughter by the mothers instigation wrought so farre vpon his rashnesse in priuate and the mother gaue him such incouragement withall that putting him in hope to inioy the soueraignetie to himselfe they persuaded him to supplant his brother This tooke such prosperous effect that he suborned a seruant of his called Daphries who attending his opportunitie slew the tyrant Aretaphila not with this contented whose reuenge aymed to extirpat the whole familie of the tyrant and whose goodnesse to free her countrie from all seruitude instigated the citisens against Learchus for the murder of her king and second husband drawing him into the compasse of that publike hate that he was forced to flie as a traitour and a fratricide neither was she satisfied whilst he yet liued therefore by her wit and policie and the industrie of one Anabas hee was at length subtlely surprised by which the citie receiued her pristine libertie and freedome For which the people would haue done her diuine honours as to a goddesse which shee vtterly refused They next proceeded to justice vpon the delinquents where Calbia was iudged to the fire and burnt a liue and Leander to be sowed in a sacke and so cast into the Sea both which executions were accordingly performed The people then once againe assembled and prostrated themselues before her ioyntly beseeching her either to take vpon her the primacie and chiefe gouernment or at least to be a gracious assistant to the magistrates and princes with her directions and counsell both which shee vtterly refused
downe The king beginning to dallie with them and playing with their cheekes neckes and brests the rest willingly suffered him shee onely strooke his hand aside and if hee offered but to touch her in the least part she presently cried out and told him he should not do it vnpunished The king much delighted with this vnexpected coynesse since at euerie offer of his shee fled his embraces which was against the custome of the Persians hee more ardently fixt his affection vpon her and turning to the souldier who first presented them thus sayd This Phocean onely thou hast brought me chast and vncorrupted the rest both in beautie and behauiour are impostures and from thencefoorth she was solicited and beloued of the king aboue all others with whom he had before or after conuerst with and from that time a mutuall affection grew betwixt them so great that it increased as farre as the modest and absolute confirmation of marriage conformable to the custom of the Graecians In so much that the loue of the king to Aspasia was not rumoured in Iönia solely but through all the spatious prouinces of Greece euen Peloponesus was filled with the bruit therof to the glorie of the great King who after his familiar acquaintance with her was neuer knowne to haue vsed the companie of any other woman And now began the vision of Aspasia concerning the Doue to be much spoken of and of the goddesse that appeared to her to whom she dedicated after a goodly statue called the image of Venus beautified with many rich jewells withall the picture of a Doue to which she made daylie supplications sacrifices and oblations still imploring the fauour of the goddesse To her father Hermotimus shee sent many rich and vnualued presents making him of a subiect almost vnparraleld for wealth vsing in the processe of her life as witnesse as well the Persian as Graecian Ladies a wonderous modestie and continence Hormus sometimes of Thessaly was sent from Scopa the junior who was of Scicily with an admirable rich Iewell to Cyrus for a present Who hauing shewed it to many all wondering at the cost and workemanship and prowd of so rich a gemme presently after dinner repaired to the chamber of Aspasia and finding her asleepe cast himselfe vpon the bed by her without disturbing her rest who waking and espying the king so neer began to embrace him according to her accustomed manner who presently taking the jewell from the casket showed it to her vsing these wordes This I bestow on thee as a gift worthie the daughter or mother of an Emperour which I charge thee to weare for my sake in a carkanet about thy neck To whom she wisely consideratly answered And how dare I be the possessor of so great a treasure which rather becomes the maiestie and estate of your mother Parasatides therefore I intreat you send it to her for I without this ornament can present you with a neck sufficiently beautifull The king much pleased with her answer daily and howerly more and more increased his loue towards her and what she said and did sent in a letter to his mother with the iewell inclosed For which she was not only much graced and fauored by the Princesse but after by Cirus rewarded with many rich gifts of value inestimable all which she modestlie sent backe with this message These things ô king may be vsefull to thee that hast the charge of such infinites of men when my greatest riches is to be solely beloued of thee with these and the like she tyed the King in inseparable bonds of affection towards her For without all competitorship in the beauty of face feature of body integritie of life and noblenesse of mind she was aboue all those of her time admirable But after Cyrus being slaine in battaile by his brother and his whole army ouerthrowne she likewise fell into the hands of the enemy whom the king Artaxerxes with singular care and diligence caused to be sought and brought before him as one whose name and vertues he held in great respect and estimation and being presented before him bound hee grew wondrous angry commanding all such to prison as were the authours of her least durance withall commanding a costlie and magnificent roabe to bee cast about her which she with many teares and much sorrow refused till shee was compeld to it by the king still taking to heart and lamenting the death of Cyrus But thus adorned according to the Persian state shee appeared in the eyes of all men the fairest of women especiallie in the kings much surprised with her extraordinary beautie still persuading her to race out the memorie of Cyrus dead and in his roome to admit of Artaxerxes liuing which slowly and at length though late he obtained respecting her aboue all other his wiues and concubines Soone after his Eunuch Teridates dyed more than a child and scarce full man the most beautifull youth in Asia and of the king the most beloued who so much lamented his death that all the principalities and nations vnder him seemed to participate of his griefe yet none that durst be so bold as to come into his presence or minister to him any words of comfort Three dayes being past in these lamentations and sorrowes Aspasia in a funerall habit and with her eyes fixt vpon the earth appeared before the king who no sooner espyed her but demanded the cause of her comming To comfort thee said she ô king if thou beest so pleased else to returne to the place of sorrow from whence I came At which seeming to reioyce the king intreated her to her chamber whether he would presentlie repaire to whom she obeyed And hauing put on a roabe of the Eunuches so much bewayled and in that casting her selfe vpon her bed she gaue the king such content that he commanded her till the dayes of mourning were past neuer to appeare to him but in that habit she more preuailing with him than all his Princes wiues subiects and seruants about him still liuing in his most especiall grace and fauour And so farre Aelianus The Matrons of Lacedemon in all battailes fought against the common enemy as many of their husbands sonnes or allyes as they found slaine they vsed to search what wounds they had about them if the greater number were in the face or breast with great ioy and solemnitie they bore them to bee intombed in the monuments of their ancestours but if on the contrary those on their backs exceeded the number of the former surprised with shame and sorrow they eyther left them to the common buriall or gaue them such priuate interment as if they wisht their memories to haue perisht with their bodies This historie Aelianus in his twelfth booke records This discourse for the rarenesse of it I hold not impertinent to insert amongst the women most illustrious Chares Mitylenus in his tenth booke of Histories thus writes Zariadres the yonger brother of Hystaspes
fell vpon the same sword and in her death mingled her blood with his Aristides writes a historie to the like effect In the celebrations of Bacchus feasts Arnutius who was likewise a man of knowne temperance from his birth was for the like contempt alike punished by the god of Healths This Roman touched with the like distemperature in the darke vitiated by force his daughter Medullina she also by his ring knowing the incestuous be thought a greater mischiefe for hauing a second time besotted him in the dregges of the grape and crowning him with Vine leaues like a Bacchinall slew him at the altar Excuse me Reader I illustrat not these as they are parrasides but as without respect of time person or place they thought no reuenge great ynough to be inflicted on the corrupters of their virginities Erixo ARchelaus the Tyrant vsing many tyrannies vpon the Cyraeneans ouer whom hee vsurped but more by the euill instigation of one Laarchus whom he had entertained as his familiar friend and counsellor was at length supplanted by this Laarchus whom he most trusted and as some thinke poysoned Archelaus left behind him a sonne after his grandfathers name Battus Falix called Battus who because he was weake of body and lame of his feet his mother Erixo in whose guardianship he was was by that meanes held in more respect and reuerence being a woman of approoued humanitie and goodnes Lâ—archus notwithstanding she had the loue and hearts of all the cittisens yet he inioyed the power and by the helpe of his mercenarie souldiers vsurped the dominion ouer all But apprehending in himselfe that his tyrannie could not last long without better supporture he sent to this chast dowager to treat with her of marriage proposing to her as a maine article to make her sonne Battus copartner with him in his regencie About this motion shee consulted with her brothers pretending a seeming consent They debated with Laarchus but somewhat protractedly about the matter in which interim shee priuately sent to the vsurper one of her damosells with a message That notwithstanding her brothers as vnwilling the match should goe forward had made needlesse delaies yet her purpose was so fixt vpon the motion especially since it concerned the generall good that she wholly submitted herselfe to his seruice in so much that if it pleased him to vouchsafe to come priuatly in the night she would yeeld her honor intirely vp into his hand vpon which beginning a good successe would doubtles follow for then in vaine her brothers and kindred should oppose themselues against that to which the publike good occasion place opportunitie all things necessarie inuited them This message was plausible to Laarchus who apprehended at once the imbraces of a beautious lady a principalitie and a countinuance therof Briefly the night was betwixt them appointed and hee in regard of her honour to come priuatly and vnattended all which she reueal'd to her eldest brother Poliarchus making him solely of her counsell who at the time of their appointed meeting hid himselfe in his sisters chamber Laarchus comes singly according to promise and is admitted by Erixo and in the midst of his hopes ready to cast himselfe into her imbraces is transpierst and slain his body cast ouer the walls Battus proclaimed Prince and pristine libertie restored to the long opprest Cyraenians This Poliarchus did in reuenge of Archilaus death husband to his chast sister Erixo There were then about the cittie many soldiers belonging to Amasis king of Aegipt by whose assistance Laarchus had bin long terrible to the people these complained to the king accusing Poliarchus and Erixo of the murder of Laarchus But as he was about to inuade the Cyraenians his mother happily died and so hindered that expedition Polyarchus and Erixo notwithstanding purposed a voluntarie iournie into Aegipt to purge themselues of all accusations commenced against them in which iourney Critola a woman of great reuerence and very aged as hauing beene the wife of Battus Felix would needs accompanie them These appearing before Amasis so well pleaded their owne cause that their iniuries appeared to him much to surmount their reuenge so that imbrasing Erixo he commended her fortitude and temperance and with princely gifts sent them back into their owne countrie A Woman of the cittie Pergamus MIthridates king of Pontus hauing diuerse waies opprest the Galatians as by sending to the citie by way of inuitation to Pergamus for diuerse of the chiefe citisens and then vniustly detaining them This wrought such an impression to supplant the tirant in the hart of Toredorix Tetrarch of Tosipporus that he made a combination wherein many noble gentlemen of qualitie were ingaged all which had vowed the tyrants death Their plot being discouered and they in the attempt surprised were all commaunded to death in the midst of the execution Mithridates remembred a beautiful yong man of extraordinarie shape and feature that was one in the conspiracie but half despairing whether hee were yet aliue hee sent in hast that if the hang man had not done his office vpon him to reprieue him to his mercie This yong mans name was Bepolitanuâ— whose turne being come and he presenting himselfe to the block it happened at that time hee had on a rich and pretious garment of purple embrothered with gold of which the executioner being greedie and carefull to keepe it from blood thereby to make the better sale of it he spent so much time in disposing his head this way and that way not for the prisoners ease but for his own aduantage till the messengers appeared from the king and called aloude to make stay of iustice by which meanes Bepolitanus his garment was as much beneficiall to his life as the kings mercie and couetousnesse that hath beene the destruction of many was the meanes of his vnexpected safety The executioner in his greedinesse making good the old english Adage All couet all loose To leaue circumstances and come to the matter The bodie of Toredorix was cast out and by the kings edict denied all rights of buriall with a grieuious penaltie imposed vpon any such as should contradict the kings writ This notwithstanding dismaid not a faire Pergamaean damosell with whom Toredorix had beene in familiaritie to accomplish the vowed office of a louer and a friend who in the night watched the opportunitie to take thence the bodie and bestow on it a faire interment but being taken by the souldiers in the performance of this last memorable dutie and brought before the tyrant either her beautie so much mooued him or her teares so farre preuailed with him as that his bodie was not onely left freely to her dispose but to recompence her loue and loyaltie shee had a faire and competent dower allotted her out of the lands and goods of the trespassor Stratonica OF Stratonica Galatia may boast as breeding a Ladie scarce matchable before her time or since in her condition she being the wife of
owne death namely to see thee die When accommodating all things for the present execution shee no sooner saw her dead but she gentlely layd her out and with great modestie couered her Then she besought Megisto on her knees to haue a care of them in their deaths that nothing immodest or vncomely might bee done to their bodies which graunted she not only with courage but seeming ioy vnderwent her last fate till she expired nor was there any spectator there present to whom the memorie of the tyrant was neuer so hatefull from whose eyes and hearts this obiect did not extract teares and pittie In Megisto is exprest the Magnanimitie of spirit but in these following I will illustrate Fortitude in action The Turkes busied in the siege of some townes in Catharo Vluzales Carocossa two of no meane place and eminence among them wrought so farre with the great Admirall that he deliuered into their charge the managing of threescore gallies with munition and men in number competent to make incursions into the bordering Islands then vnder the state of Venice These two Turkish captaines land their forces before Curzala a citie that giues name to the countrie with purpose to inuest themselues before it which Antonius Contarinus then gouernour of the cittie vnderstanding like a timerous and fearefull coward taking the aduantage of the night fled with his souldiors thence not leauing the â—owne any way defensible which the cittisens vnderstanding all or the most followed after The towne thus left to the weake guard of some twenty men about fourescore women the Turks giue them a bold and fierce assault when these braue viragoes chusing rather to dye like souldiers than like their husbands runne like cowards some maintaine the Ports others defend the walls and with that noble resolution that what with fire stones scalding water and such like muniments then readiest at hand so opposed the assailants that many of the Turks in that conflict were slaine and all repulst retyring themselues with purpose some rest giuen to the souldiours to salute them with a fresh alarum But fortune was so fauourable to these Amazonian spirits that a mighty tempest from the North so tost and distrest the Turks gallyes that they were forced to abandon the Island with dishonour leauing to the besieged a memory worthy to outliue all posteritie Of Dido Cesara Gumilda and Ethelburga OF Dido queene of Carthage all Authours agree to haue falne by the sword and to haue died by her owne bold and resolute hand but about the cause that mooued her thereto diuerse differ Ausonius is of opinion That her husband Sychaeus being dead shee did it to preserue her viduall chastitie and so free hir selfe from the importunities of Hyarbus king of Getulia of his mind is Marullus and of these Remnius or as some will haue it Priscianus in the Geography of Dionisius writing De scitu orbis i. the Scituation of the world Contrary to these is the Prince of Poets he whom Scalliger cals Poeta noster Pub. Virgilius who ascribes her death to an impatience of griefe conceiued at the vnkind departure of Aeneas which though it carry no great probabilitie of truth yet all the Latin Poets for the most part in honour of the authour haue iustified his opinion as Ouid in his third booke De fastis his Epistles Metamorph. and others workes so likewise Angelus Polytianus in his Manto with diuers others Iustine in his eighteenth booke of Hystor speaking of the first erecting of Carthage saith That where they began to digge with purpose to lay the first foundation they found the head of an Oxe by which it was predicted that the cittie should be futurelie fertill and commodious but withall full of labour and subiect to perpetuall seruitude therefore they made choice of another peece of earth where in turning vp the mould they chanced vpon the head of a horse by which it was presaged their collony should in time grow to be a warlike nation fortunate and victorious In what manner she dyed I referre you to Virgill and will speake a word or two of her sister Anna the daughter of Belus She after the death of her sister forsaking of the cittie of Carthage then inuested with siege by Hyarbus fled to Battus king the Island Melita but making no long soiourne there she put againe to sea and fell vpon the coast of Laurentum where being well knowne by Aeneas she was nobly receiued but not without suspition of too much familiaritie betwixt them in so much that iealousie possessing Lauinia the wife of Aeneas she conceiued an irreconcilable hatred against Anna in so much that fearing her threatned displeasure she cast her selfe headlong into the riuer Numicus and was there drowned for so Ouid reports in his booke de Fastis But touching the illustrious Queene Dido vnder her statue were these verses or the like engrauen in a Greeke character interpreted into Latine by Ausonius and by me in the sacred memorie of so eminent a queene thus englisht I am that Dido looke vpon me well And what my life was let my visage tell 'T is faire and smooth what wrinckle can you find In this plaine Table to expresse a mind So sordid and corrupt Why then so vneuen And blacke a soule should to a face be giuen That promiseth all vertue Virgill where Begott'st thou those ill thoughts that brand me here With lust and incest Neuer I protest Was that Aenaeas whom thou calst the best Of men in Lybia Neuer saw I land One Troian on the Carthaginian strand Because Sychaeus my first husband dead To keepe my sacred vowes to him I fled Th' imbraces of Hyarbus am I made A prostitute to nothing to a shade He came in armes to force me and compell Me a chast widdow to another hell A second marriage 'T is the gods aduise No woman can be chast that marryeth twice To auoide that sinne I slew my selfe ô why Couldst thou ô Maro then comment a lye With lust to brand my memory When heauen knowes To saue mine honour I my life did lose Giue faith to History you that Readers are Before this fabling Poesie since that far Transcends the bounds of truth for Poets can Make the high gods much more corrupt than man So much touching queene Dido and as farre as probabilitie can to acquit her of all incontinence One Paulus an historiographer in his fifth booke remembers vs of Cesara a queene of Persia who hauing some light of the Gospell trauelled as farre as Constantinople in Greece to be further instructed onely attended by a few priuat followers who being satisfied in all the fundamentall points of her faith she with her small traine was christened The Persian Sophy hauing notice thereof sent embassadours to the Emperour to know the reason why he deteined his queene wishing him to returne her safe vpon such easie sommons Cesara being in presence when this embassie was deliuered desired the Emperour that she
but his wife also The manner how she came to be his queene was as followeth Before his time it was not lawfull but punishable amongst the Persians to marry into that proximitie of blood but Cambyses surprised with the loue of his sister and hauing resolued by what meanes soeuer to make her his wife yet to colour his purpose he sent for those honorable persons who were stiled the kings Iudges being selected men for their wisedomes and of great place and qualitie as those that inioy their offices Durante vita vnlesse some capitall crime bee prooued against them besides they are the expounders of the lawes and to their causes all matters of doubt and controuersie are referred These being cōuented the king demanded of them Whether they had any one law amongst so many which licenst a man that had a will so to doe to contract matrimony with his sister to whom the Iudges thus ingeniously answered We haue indeed no law which giues licence for a brother to marry with a sister but we haue found a law oh Soueraigne which warrants the king of Persia to doe whatsoeuer liketh him best Thus they without abrogation of the Persian lawes soothed the kings humour and preserued their owne honours aud liues who had they crost him in the least of his disseignes had all vndoubtedly perisht This hee made the ground for the marriage of the first and not long after hee aduentured vpon the second The younger of these two who attended him into Aegypt he slew whose death as that of her brother Smerdis is doubtfully reported The Graecians write that two whelps one of a Lyon the other of a Dog were brought before Cambises to fight and try maisteries at which fight the young Lady was present but the Lyon hauing victorie ouer the Dog another of the same litter broke his chain and taking his brothers part they two had superioritie ouer the Lyon Cambises at this fight taking great delight shee then sitting next him vpon the sudden fell a weeping this the king obseruing demaunded the occasion of her teares she answered it was at that obiect to see one brother so willing to helpe the other and therefore she wept to remember her brothers death and knew no man then liuing that was ready to reuenge it and for this cause say the Greekes she was doom'd to death by Cambises The Aegyptians report it another way That she sitting with her brother at table out of a sallet dish tooke a lettice and pluckt off leafe by leafe and shewing it to her husband asked him Whether a whole letice or one so despoiled shewed the better who answered a whole one then said shee behold how this lettice now vnleaued looketh euen so hast thou disfigured and made naked the house of king Cyrus With which words he was so incensed that he kickt and spurnd her then being great with child with that violence that she miscarryed in her child-birth and dyed ere she was deliuered and these were the murderous effects of his detestable incest Of Lyuia Horestilla Lollia Paulina Cesonia c. IT is reported the Emperour Caligula that he had not onely illegall and incestuous conuerse with his three naturall sisters but that bee after caused them before his face to be prostituted by his ministers and seruants thereby to bring them within the compasse of the Aemilian Law and conuict them of adultery He vitiated Liuia Horestilla the wife of C. Pisonnius and Lollia Paulina whom he caused to be diuorced from her husband C. Memnius both whose beds within lesse than two yeares he repudiated withall interdicting them the companie and societie of man for euer Caesonia he loued more affectionatly insomuch that to his familiar friends as boasting of her beautie he would often shew her naked To adde vnto his insufferable luxuries he defloured one of the vestall virgins Neither was the Emperour Commodus much behind him in diuelish and brutish effeminacies for he likewise strumpeted his owne sisters and would wittingly and willingy see his mistresses and concubines abused before his face by such of his fauorites as hee most graced hee kept not at anie time lesse than to the number of three hundred for so Lampridius hath left recorded Gordianus iunior who was competitor with his father in the Empire kept two and twentie concubines by each of which he had three or foure children at the least therefore by some called the Priamus of his age but by others in dirision the Priapus The emperour Proculus tooke in battaile a hundred Sarmatian virgins and boasted of himselfe that he had got them all with child in lesse than fifteene dayes this Vopiscus reportes and Sabellicus But a great wonder is that which Iohannes Picus Mirandula relates of Hercules as that hee lay with fiftie daughters of Lycomedes in one night and got them all with child with forty nine boyes onely fayling in the last for that prooued a guirle Iocasta APollodorus Atheniensis in his third booke De deoroum Origine records this history After the death of Amphion king of Thebes Laius succeeded who tooke to wife the daughter of Menocoeas called Iocasta or as others write Epicasta This Laius being warned by the Oracle that if of her he begat a sonne he should prooue a Patricide and be the death of his father notwithstanding forgetting himselfe in the distemperature of wine he lay with her the same night she conceiued and in processe brought forth a male issue whom the king caused to be cast out into the mountaine Cytheron thinking by that meanes to preuent the predicted destinie Polybus the heardsman to the king of Corinth finding this infant bore it home to his wife Periboea who nourced and brought it vp as her owne and causing the swelling of the feet with which the child was then troubled to be cured they grounded his name from that disease and called him Oedipus This infant as he increased in yeares so hee did in all the perfections of nature as well in the accomplishments of the mind as the body insomuch that as well in capacitie and volubilitie of speech as in all actiue and generous exercises he was excellent aboue all of his age his vertues beeing generally enuied by such as could not equall them they thought to disgrace him in something and gaue him the contemptible name of counterfeit and bastard this made him curiously inquisitiue of his supposed mother and she not able in that point to resolue him hee made a iourney to Delphos to consult with the Oracle about the true knowledge of his birth and parents which forewarned him from returning into his countrey because he was destinied not onely to be the deathsman of his father but to adde misery vnto mischiefe he was likewise borne to be incestuous with his mother Which to preuent and still supposing himselfe to be the sonne of Polybus and Peribaea he forbore to returne to Corinth and hyring a charriot tooke the way
answered If with one finger thou put out one of mine eyes with these two I will put out both yours This was but wantonnesse betwixt them and appeared better in their action than in my expression and though I speake of a blind King hee lost not his eyes that way Herodotus relates that after the death of Sesostris king of Aegypt his sonne Pherones succeeded in the kingdome who not long after his attaining to the principalitie was depriued of his sight The reason whereof some yeeld to bee this Thinking to passe the riuer Nilus either by inundations or the force of the winds the waters were driuen so farre backe that they were flowed eighteene cubites aboue their woonted compasse at which the king inraged shot an arrow into the riuer as if he would haue wounded the channell Whether the gods tooke this in contempt or the Genius of the riuer was inraged is vncertaine but most sure it is that not long after hee lost all the vse of sight and in that darknesse remained for the space of tenne yeares After which time in great melancholly expired hee receiued this comfort from the Oracle which was then in the cittie Butis That if hee washt his eyes in the vrine of a woman who had beene marryed a full twelue moneth and in that time had in no wayes falsified in her owne desires nor derogated from the honour of her husband he should then assuredlie receiue his sight At which newes beeing much reioyced and presuming both of certaine and sudden cure he first sent for his wife and queene and made proofe of her pure distillation but all in vaine he sent next for all the great Ladies of the Court and one after one washt his eyes in their water but still they smarted the more yet hee saw no whit the better but at length when hee was almost in despaire he happened vpon one pure and chast lady by whose vertue his sight was restored and he plainely cured who after hee had better considered with himselfe caused his wife withall those Ladies sauing she onely by whose temperance and chastitie hee had reobtaind the benefite of the Sunne to bee assembled into one cittieâ— pretending there to feast them honourably for ioy of his late recouerie Who were no sooner assembled at the place called Rubra Gleba apparrelled in all their best iewells and chiefest ornaments but commaunding the cittie gates to be shut vpon them caused the cittie to be set on fire and sacrificed all these adulteresses as in one funerall pile reseruing onely that Lady of whose loyaltie the Oracle had giuen sufficient testimony whom he made the partaker of his bed and kingdome I wish there were not so many in these times whose waters if they were truely cast by the doctors would not rather by their pollution put out the eyes quite than with their cleerenesse and purity minister to them any helpe at all Laodice IVstine in his 37 booke of History speakes of this Laodice the wife and â—ister to Mithridates king of Pontus After whose many victories as hauing ouerthrowne the Scythians and put them to flight those who had before defeated Zopyron a great captaine of Alexanders army which consisted of thirtie thousand of his best souldiours the same that ouercame Cyrus in battaile with an armie of two hundred thousand with those that had affronted and beaten king Philip in many oppositions being fortunately and with great happines stil attended by which he more and more flourisht in power and increased in maiestie In this height of fortune as neuer hauing knowne any disaster hauing bestowed some time in managing the affaires of Pontus and next such places as he occupyed in Macedonia he priuately then retyred himselfe into Asia where he tooke view of the scituation of those defensed citties and this without the iealousie or suspition of any From thence he remooued himselfe into Bythinia proposing in his owne imaginations as if hee were already Lord of all After this long retirement hee came into his owne kingdome where by reason of his absence it was rumoured and giuen out for truth that he was dead At his arriuall he first gaue a louing and friendly visitation to his wife and sister Laodice who had not long before in that vacancie brought him a young sonne But in this great ioy and solemnitie made for his welcome hee was in great danger of poyson for Laodice supposing it seemes Mithridates to be dead as it before had beene reported and therefore safe enough had prostituted her selfe to diuers of her seruants and subiects and now fearing the discouerie of her adulterie shee thought to shaddow a mightie fault with a greater mischiefe and therefore prouided this poysoned draught for his welcome But the king hauing intelligence thereof by one of her handmaides who deceiued her in her trust expiated the treason with the bloods of all the conspirators I reade of another Laodice the wife of Ariarythres the king of Cappadocia who hauing six hopefull sonnes by her husband poysoned fiue of them after she had before giuen him his last infectious draught the youngest was miraculously preserued from the like fate who after her decease for the people punisht her crueltie with death succeeded in the kingdome It is disputed in the greeke Commentaries by what reason or remedy affection once so diuelishly setled in the brest or heart of a woman may bee altered or remooued or by what confection adulterous appetite once lodged and kindled in the bosome may bee extinguished The Magitians haue deliuered it to bee a thing possible so likewise Cadmus Milesius who amongst other monuments of history writ certaine tractates concerning the abolishing of loue for so it is remembred by Suidas iu his collections And therefore I would inuite all women of corrupted breasts to the reading of this briefe discourse following A remarkeable example was that of Faustina a noble and illustrious Lady who though she were the daughter of Antonius Pius the Emperour and wife to Marcus Philosophus notwithstanding her fathers maiestie and her husbands honor was so besotted vpon a Gladiator or common fencer that her affection was almost growne to frensie for which strange disease as strange a remedie was deuised The Emperour perceiuing this distraction still to grow more and more vpon his daughter consulted with the Chaldaeans and Mathematicians in so desperat a case what was best to bee done after long consideration it was concluded amongst them that there was but onely one way left open to her recouerie and that was to cause the fencer to be slaine which done to giue her a full cuppe of his luke-warme blood which hauing drunke off to goe instantlie to bed to her husband This was accordingly done and she cured of her contagious disease That night was as they said begot Antoninus Commodus who after succeeded in the Empire who in his gouernment did so afflict the Commonweale and trouble the Theatre with fensing and prises and
many other bloody butcheries that he much better deserued the name of Gladiator than Emperour This that I haue related Iulius Capitolinus writes to Caesar Dioclesianus Were all our dissolute matrons to be cured by the like Phisicke there would no question be amongst men lesse offendors and among women fewer patients that complained of sicke stomackes Phaedima CAmbises hauing before vnnaturally slaine his brother Smerdis by the hands of his best trusted friend Praxaspes but after the death of the king for the horridnes of the fact the Regicide not daring to auouch the deed to the people least it might preiudice his owne safetie One Smerdis a Magician whose eares Cambises had before caused to be cut off tooke this aduantage to aspire to the kingdome and beeing somewhat like in fauour to the murdered Prince who was by the souldiours generally beleeued to liue it purchast him so many abettors such as were deluded with his impostures that he was generally saluted and crowned Emperour This was done whilest the greatest part of the Nobilitie were absent and none since admitted into the pallace much lesse into the presence least the Magitian might bee vnviserded and the deceit made palpable The greater feares and doubts still inuironing the Princes because Praxaspes not daring to iustifie the murder kept it still lockt in his own breast The Magitian in this interim was not onely possest of all the Kings Pallaces and Treasures but he inioyed all his wiues and concubines amongst which was a beautifull Lady called Phaedima the daughter of Otanes a man of great power amongst the Persians This Lady first of all the rest most indeered to Cambyses and now since to the counterfeit Smerdis Otanes apprehends to bee the first instrument by which to discouer the truth He therefore by a secret messenger sends to his daughter to know by whom she nightly lay whether with Smerdis the sonne of Cyrus or with some other to whom she answered that it was altogether vnknowne to her who was her bedfellow because shee yet had neither seene Smerdis the sonne of Cyrus nor that man whatsoeuer he was into whose imbraces she was commanded He then sent her word that if she her selfe could not come to the sight of him to demaund of Atossa the daughter of Cyrus and brother to Smerdis who doubtlesse could decipher him in euery true lineament To which the daughter returnes him That she was separated both from the societie and sight of Atossa for this man whatsoeuer he is as soone as hee had possest himselfe of the Empire commanded all the women into seuerall lodgings neither could they haue any discourse or intercourse at all together This answer made Otanes the more and more suspitious and desirous with any danger to finde out the truth he aduentured a third message to Phaedima to this purpose It behooues you ô daughter being descended from noble ancestours to vndergoe any hazzard especially at the request of your father when it aimes at the generall good of the common-weale and kingdome if that imposter bee not Smerdis the brother of Cambises as I much feare it becoms him neither to prostitute and defile your body nor to mocke and abuse the whole estate of Persia vnpunished therefore I charge you as you tender my loue your owne honour and the Empires weale that the next night when you are called vnto his bed you watch the time when he is soundliest asleepe and then with your fingers gently feele both the sides of his head if thou perceiuest him to haue both his eares presume then thou lodgest by the side of Smerdis the sonne of Cyrus but if on the contrary thou findest his eares wanting then thou lyest in the bosome of Smerdis that base Magitian To this she replyed by letter Though I truely apprehend the danger should I be taken seeking of such things as hee perhaps knowes wanting which can be no lesse than death yet for your loue and the common good I will vndergoe the perill and with this briefe answer gaue satisfaction to her father But greater content he receiued from her when hauing discouered and layd open whatsoeuer her father suspected she sent him a faithfull relation of euery circumstance These things discouered by Phaedima Otanes makes a coniuration amongst the Princes all vowing the supplantation of this vsurper who in the interim the more to confirme the people in their errour he sent to Praxaspes promising him honours and treasures but to pronounce him once more before the people to bee the true and legitimate heire This charge Praxaspes vndertakes the multitude from all parts of the cittie were by the Magi assembled and he mounted vnto the toppe of an high Turret the better to be heard silence being made and attention prepared Praxaspes begins his oration in which hee remembers all the noble acts of Cyrus with the dignitie of his blood and progenie and passing ouer Cambises to come to speake of his brother Smerdis contrary to the expectation of the Magitian with teares began to commemorate the death of the Prince murdered and made away by his infortunate hand Then told them whom in his stead they had voyced into the Sacred Empire namely a groome and one of low and base descent one that for cousenages and forgeries had lost his eares a Magitian a Coniurer one that had long deluded them with his diuelish sorceries a slaue not worthy at all to liue much lesse to raigne and gouerne so noble a people and as a further confirmation that dying men speake true these words were no sooner ended but he casts himselfe off from the toppe of the Turret and slew himselfe After this the Pallace was assaulted by the Princesse the imposter slaine and all his adherents put to massacre Of the sequel of the history the succession of Darius c. you may further reade in Herodotus But concerning Phaedima onely for whose sake I haue introduced the rest I know not whether I haue indirectly brought her into this catalogue because she was so noble a meanes of so notable a discouerie yet considering she was one of the wiues of Cambises and he being dead so suddenly changing her affection to another and after being inioyed by him of what condition soeuer to betray him all these circumstances considered I giue hir free liberty to bee ranked amongst the rest Begum Queene of Persia. ABdilcherai a braue and valiant Prince of Tartaria taken prisoner by Emirhamze Mirize eldest sonne to the king of Persia in a battaile betwixt the Persians and Tartarians was sent to the king into Casbia where his captiuity in regard of his birth and valour was so easie that hee rather seemed a denison than a forreiner a Prince of the blood than a captiue hee not long soiourned there but he insinuated himselfe into the loue of the Queene Begum wife to the then king of Persia who spent their time together in such publike daliance not able to containe themselues within
as if the last dissolution had beene then present when were seene â—wo Eagles pearched vpon the top of the Pallace presaging the two great Empires of Europe and Asia Young Alexander being growne towards manhood it happened that walking abroad with Nectenabus in the presence of his father Philip the young prince requested the Astrologian to instruct him in his art To whom Nectenabus answered that with all willingnes he would and comming neere a deepe pit Alexander thrust the Magitian headlong into that discent by which sudden fall hee was wounded to death yet Nectenabus calling to the prince demanded for what cause he had done him such outrage Who answered I did it by reason of thy art for ignoble it were in a prince to studie those vaine sciences by which men will vndertake to predict other mens fates when they haue not the skill to preuent their owne To whom Nectenabus answered Yes Alexander I calculated mine owne destinie by which I knew I should bee slaine by mine owne natural son To whom the prince in derision thus speake Base Negromancer how canst thou bee my father seeing that to the mightie king Philip here present I owe all filiall dutie and obedience to whom Nectenabus rehearsed all the circumstances before related from the beginning and as he concluded his speech so ended his life How the husband vpon this information behaued himselfe towards his wife or the sonne to his mother I am not certaine this I presume it was a kind of needfull pollicie in both the one to conceale his Cuckoldrie the other his Bastardie so much of Olimpias concerning the byrth of her son Alexander I will proceede a little further to speake of her remarkable death being as maiestically glorious as the processe of her life was in many passages thereof worthily infamous Iustine in his historie relates thus Olimpias the wife of Philip and mother of Alexanâ—â—r the Great comming from Epirus vnto Macedonia was followed by Aeacidaâ— king of the Molossians but finding herselfe to be prohibited that countrey whether annimated by the memorie of her husband incouraged with the greatnesse of her sonne or mooued with the nature of the affront and iniurie as shee receiued it I am not certain but she assembled vnto her all the forces of Macedonia by whose power and her command they were both slaine About seuen yeares after Alexander was possest of the Kingdom neither did Olimpias raigne long after for when the murders of many princes had been by her committed rather after an effeminate than regall manner it conuerted the fauour of the multitude into an vnreconcilable hatred which fearing and withall hauing intelligence of the approch of Cassander now altogether distrusting the fidelitie of her owne countriemen shee with her sonnes wife Roxana and her nephew young Hercules retired into a cittie called Picthium or Pictua in this almost forsaken societie were Deidamia daughter to king Aeacidas Thessalonice her owne daughter in law famous in her father king Philips memorie with diuers other princely Matrons a small traine attending vpon them rather for show and state than either vse or profit These things being in order related to Cassander he with all speede possible hastens towards the cittie Pictua and inuests himselfe before it compassing the place with an inuincible siege Olimpias being now oppressed both with sword and famine besides all the inconueniencies depending vpon a long and tedious warre treated vpon conditions in which her safe conduct with her traines being comprehended she was willing to submit her selfe into the hands of the conqueror at whose mercie whilest her wauering fortunes yet stood Cassander conuents the whole multitude and in a publike oration desires to be counselled by them how to dispose of the queene hauing before subborned the parents of such whose children she had caused to be murdered who in sad and funerall habits should accuse the crueltie and inhumanitie of Olimpias Their teares made such a passionate impression in the breasts of the Macedonians that with loude acclamations they doomed her to present slaughter most vnnaturally forgetting that both by Philip her husband and Alexander her sonne their liues and fortunes were not onely safe amongst their neighbour nations but they were also possessed of forreine Empire and riches from prouinces till their times scarce heard of but altogether vnknowne Now the queene perceiuing armed men make towards her and approch her to the same purpose both with resolution and obstinacie shee attired in a princely and maiesticke habit and leaning in state vpon the shoulders of two of her most beautifull handmaides gaue them a willing and vndaunted meeting which the souldiers seeing and calling to mind her former state beholding her present maiestie and not forgetting her royall offspring illustrated with the names of so many successiue kings they stood still amased without offering her any further violence till others sent thether by the command of Cassander through pierced her with their weapons which she incountered with such constancie that shee neither offered to euade their swords auoid their woundes or expresse the least feare by any effeminat clamour but after the maner of the most bold valiant men submitted her selfe to death in her last expiration expressing the inuincible spirit of her son Alexander in which she likewise showed a singular modestie for with her disheueled haire shee shaddowed her face least in the struggling betwixt life and death it might appeare vnseemely and with her garments couered her legges and feeteâ— least any thing about her might be found vncomely After this Cassander tooke to wife Thessalonice the daughter to king Aridaeus causing the sonne of Alexander with his mother Roxane to bee kept prisoners in a Tower called Amphipolitana Romilda ABout the time that the Hunnes came first into Italie and expelled the Longobards they layd siege to the cittie Anguilaea and in a hot assault hauing slaine the duke Gysulphus his wife the dutchesse Romilda making the Towne defensible brauely and resolutely maintained it against the enemie But as Cacana king of the Anes approched neer vnto the walls incouraging his souldiers to hang vp their scaling ladders and enter Romilda at the same time looking from a Cittadel cast her eie vpon the king who as he seemed vnto her with wonderous dexteritie behaued himselfe and with an extraordinarie grace became his armes This liking grew into an ardencie of loue for shee that at first but allowed of his presence now was affected to his person in so much that in the most fierce assaults though within the danger of their crosse-bows and slings she thought her selfe secure so she had the king her obiect This fire was alreadie kindled in her brest which nothing could qualifie in so much that impatient of all delay shee sent vnto her publike enemie priuate messengers That if it pleased the king being as she vnderstood a batchilor to accept her as his bride she would without further opposition surrender vp the towne
peaceably into his hands these conditions are first debated next concluded and lastly confirmed by oath on both sides The towne is yeelded vp and Cacana according to his promise takes Romilda to wife but first he makes spoyle of the towne kills manie and leads the rest captiue The first night he bedded with his new reconciled bride but in the morning abandoned her vtterly commanding twelue Hunnes and those of the basest of his souldiers one after another to prostitute her by turnes that done hee caused a sharpe stake to bee placed in the middle of the field and pitched her naked bodie vpon the top thereof which entering through the same made a miserable end of her life at which sight the tyrant laughing said Such a husband best becomes so mercilesse an harlot This was the bloodie and miserable end as Polycronicon saith of Romilda But better it happened to her two beautifull and chast daughters who fearing the outrage of the lustfull and intemperat souldiors tooke putrified flesh of chickens and colts and hid it raw betwixt their breasts the souldiors approaching them tooke them to be diseased as not able to come neere them by reason of the smell by which meanes they preserued their honours for the present and they for their vertues sake were after bestowed vpon gentlemen of noble qualitie The same Authour puts me in mind of another Adulteresse who to her guilt of inchastitie added the bloody sin of murder Our moderne Chroniclers remember vs of one Ethelburga daughter to king Offa and wife to Brithricus king of the West-Saxons who aiming at nothing so much as her own libidinous delights that she might the more freely and securely inioy them by many sundry treasons conspired the death of her husband but hauing made many attempts and not preuailing in any the diuell to whom she was a constant votaresse so farre preuailed with her that she neuer gaue ouer her damnable purpose till she had not onely dispatcht him of life by poyson but was the death also of a noble young gentleman the chiefe fauourite of the king and one whom in all his disseignes he most trusted These mischiefes done and fearing to be questioned about them because she had incurd a generall suspition she packt vp her choicest iewells and with a trustie squire of hers one that had beene an agent in all her former brothelries fled into France where by her counterfeit teares and womanish dissimulations she so farre insinuated into the kings breast that the wrinckles of all suggestions were cleared and shee freely admitted into the kings court and by degrees into his especiall fauour so rich were her iewells so gorgeous her attire so tempting her beautie being now in her prime and withall so cunning and deceitfull her behauiour that all these agreeing together not onely bated the hearts of the courtiers but attracting the eyes of the great Maiestie it selfe in so much that the king sporting with her in a great Bay window the prince his son then standing by him he merrily demanded of her If she were instantly to make election of a husband whether she would chuse him or his sonne to whom shee rashly answered That of the two she would make choice of his son The king at this somwhat mooued and obseruing in her a lightnesse of behauiour which his blind affection would not suffer him before to looke into thus replied Haddest thou made election of mee I had possest thee of my sonne but in chusing him thou shalt inioy neither So turning from her commaunded her to be stripped out of her jewells and gay ornaments and presently to be shriuen and sent to a monasterie where she had not long beene cloystred but to her owne infamie and the disgrace of the religious house she was deprehended in the dissolute imbraces of a wanton and leaude fellow for which she was turned out of the cloyster and after died in great pouertie and miserie In memorie of whom there was a law established amongst the West-Saxons which disabled all the kings wiues after her either to be dignified with the name of queene or vpon any occasion to fit with him in his regall throne yet this woman though she died poorely yet died as it is said penitently therefore me thinkes I heare her leaue this or the like memorie behind her An Epitaph vpon Ethelburga Queene of the West-Saxons I was I am not smild that since did weepe Labour'd that rest I wak't that now must sleepe I playde I plaie not sung that now am still Sawe that am blind I would that haue no will I fed that which feedes wormes I stood I fell I â—ad God saue you that now bid farewell I felt I feele not followed was pursude I war'd haue peace I conquer'd am subdude I moou'd want motion I was stiffe that bow Belowe the earth then something nothing now I catcht am caught I trauel'd here I lie Liu'd in the world that to the world now dye This melancholly it is not amisse to season with a little mirth In some other countrie it was for I presume ours affoards none such but a common housewife there was who making no conscience of spouse-breach or to vitiate her lawfull sheets had interteined into her societie a swaggering companion such a one as amongst vs we commonly call a Roring boy This lad of mettall who sildome went with fewer weapons about him than were able to set vp againe a trade-falne cutler had to maintaine his mistresses expenses and his owne riots committed a robberie and likewise done a murder and being apprehended for the fact iudged condemned and according to the law in that case prouided hanged in chaines the gybbet was set neere to the common hie-way aud some mile distant from the cittie where this sweete gentlewoman with her husband then inhabited who because in regard of the common fame that went vpon them she durst neither giue her Loue visitation in prison bee at his arraignement or publike execution her purpose was as affection that breedes madnesse may easilie beget boldnesse vnknowne to her husband or any other neighbour to walke in the melancholly euening and to take her last leaue of him at the gallows Imagine the night came on and she on her iourney It happened at the same time a traueller beeing a footeman whose iourny was intended towards the towne as purposing to lodge there that nightâ— but being alone and darkenesse ouertaking him he grew doubtfull of the way and fearefull of robbing therefore hee retired himselfe out of the road and lay close vnder the gybbetâ— still listning if any passenger went by to direct him in the way or secure him by his companie as he was in this deepe meditation the woman arriues at the place and not able to containe her passion breaks out into this extasie And must I needes then goe home againe without thee at which words the trauellor starting vp in hast No by no meanes quoth hee I shall bee
early to attend the king who was that day to bee entertained by the earle his father in law All things were noblie prouided and Edgar royally receiued and set to dinner some write that Ethelâ—old had caused a kitchin maid to put on his wiues habit and sit at the kings Table but I find no such matter remembered in my Author the truth is the king about the middest of dinner cald for the Earle Orgarus and demanded of him whether he had a wife or no if he had why he might not haue her companie knowing it was a generall obseruation in England that without the wiues entertainement there could be no true and heartie welcome The earle replied that at that time he was an vnhappie widdower he then demaunded whether he had any children to continue his posteritie to which he answered heauen had onely blest him with one daughter a plaine damosell yet the sole hope of his future memorie The king was then importunate to see her and commanded her to be instantly brought vnto his presence which put Ethelwold into a strange agonie yet still hoping she had done as hee had late inioyned her when shee contrarie to his expectation came in apparelled like a bride in rich and costly vestures her golden haire fairely kembed and part hanging downe in artificiall curles her head stoocke with jewells and about her neck a chaine of diamonds which gaue a wonderous addition to that beautie which naked of it selfe without any ornament was not to bee paraleld a contrarie effect it wrought in the king and her husband To Edgar she seemed some goddesse at least a miracle in nature to Ethelwold in regard of his feare a furie or what worse hee could compare her to O fraile woman in this one vanitie to appeare beautifull in the eyes of a king thou hast committed two heinous and grieuous sinnes Adulterie and Murder for accordingly it so fell out Edgar was as much surprised with her loue as incensed with hate against her lord both which for the present he dissembled neither smiling on the one nor frowning on the other In the afternoone the king would needes hunt the stagge in the forrest of Werwelly since called Hoore-wood In the chace by the appointment of Edgar Earle Ethelwold was strooke through the bodie with an arrow and so slaine the king after made Elfritha his bride and queene The Earle had a base sonne then present at the death of his father of whom the king asked how hee liked that manner of hunting to whom he answered Royall sir what seemeth good to you shal be to me no way offensiue from that time forward he was euer gratious with the king And Elfritha thinking to make attonement with heauen for the murder of her husband or rather as Ranulphus saith for causing Edward to whom she was step-mother to be slaine that her owne sonne Egelredus might raigne builded an Abbie for Nunnes at Worwell where she was after buried Gunnora IN the time that Agapitus was Pope Lewis king of Fraunce the sonne of Charles caused William Longa Spata the second duke of Normandie to bee treacherously slaine this William was sonne to Rollo The Lords of Normandie with this murder much insenced watched their aduantage and surprised the king in Rhothemage where they committed him to safe custodie till he had promised and sworne to yeeld vp Normandie to Richard sonne and immediate heire to William the late murdered duke and moreouer in what place soeuer the king and the yong duke should haue meeting to conferre that Richard should weare his sword but king Lewis neither to haue sword nor knife about him This Richard being yong was called Richard the Old he had besides another attribute giuen him which was Richard without Feare because he was neuer known to be dismayde at any thing but a third aboue these was that he pretended to be wonderous religious He was duke two and fiftie yeares and tooke a Ladie to his bed from Denmarke whose name was Gunnora by whom he had fiue sonnes and two daughters the eldest of which was married to Etheldredus king of England her name was Emma and shee was called the flower of Normandie Concerning this bold yet religious duke it is reported by Marianus lib. 2. Henricus Ranulphus and others that besides many other testimonies of his sanctitie this one made him most eminent A Monke of Andoenus in Rothomage a town in Normandie going one night to meete with his sweet heart his way lay ouer a bridge and vnder that bridge was a deepe foord or riuer it so happened that mistaking his footing hee fell into the water and there was drowned He was no sooner dead but there came to carrie away his soule an Angell and a Fiend these two contended about it the one would haue it so would the other great was the controuersie betwixt them at length they concluded to put the case to duke Richard both to stand to his arbitrement much pleading there was on both sides at length the duke gaue sentence That the soule should be restored againe to the bodie be placed againe vpon that bridge from whence he had falne and if then he would offer to goe from thence to his sweet heart the diuell should take him but if otherwise he because he was a Church-man should be still in the Angels protection This was done and the Monke left his way to the woman and fled to the church as to a sanctuarie whether the duke went the next day and found the Monkes clothes still wet and told the Abbot euerie circumstance as it fell out therefore the Monke was shriuen did penance was absolued and reconciled This I haue read which I persuade no man to beleeue This duke liued with the faire Gunnora long time dishonestly and without marriage had by her those children aforesaid but at length by the persuasion of the nobilitie and intercession of the cleargie he tooke her to wife The first night after the marriage when the duke came to her bed she turned her backe towards him which she had neuer done till that time at which hee maruelling demaunded of her the reason why she did so To whom she answered before I was your strumpet and therfore as a seruant was tide to doe your pleasure in althings but now I am your wife and made part of your selfe therefore henceforth I claime with you an equall soueraigntie and will doe what mee list bearing my selfe now like a princesse not like a prostitute This I am easily induced to beleeue for how soone do honoures change manners Iuuenall in his sixt Satire speaking of marriage thus sayth Semper habet lites aeternaque iurgia lectus c. The marriage bed is sildome without strife And mutuall chidinges hee that takes a wife Bargaines for mightie trouble and small rest Sleepe growes a stranger then whilest in her brest She lodgeth Passion Selfe-will Anger Feare And from her eyes drops many a
feigned teare c. Somewhat to this purpose spake Terentius in his Adelphis Duxi vxorem quam ibi non miseriam vidi c. I made choice of a wife with iudgement sound What miserie haue I not therein found Children are borne they proue my second care They should be comforts that my corsiues are For her and them I studie to prouide And to that purpose all my times's applyde To keepe her pleas'd and raise their poore estate And what 's my meede for all but scorne and hate And so much for Gunnora It seemes the Emperor Valentinianus was neither well read in Iuuenall nor Terrens He when his wife commended vnto him the beautie of the Ladie Iustina tooke her to his bed and for her sake made a law That it should be lawfull for any man to marrie two wiues It is read of Herod the Great that he had nine wiues and was diuorsed from them all only for the loue of Mariamnes neice to Hircanus for whose sake he caused himselfe to bee circumcised and turned to the faith of the Iewes he begot on her Alexander and Aristobulus on Dosides Antipater on Metheta Archelaus on Cleopatra Philip and Herodes Antipas he that was afterward called Tetrarch one of the foure princes Aristobulus that was Herodes sonne begotten on Beronica the daughter of his own Aunt called Saloma he begot the great Agrippa Aristobulus Herod that was strooke by the Angell also on the aforesaid Beronica hee begot two daughters Mariamnes Herodias who was after Philips wife that was Vncle to Aristobulus neuerthelesse whilest Philip was yet aliue Herodias became wife to his brother Herod At length there fell debate betwixt her Mariamnes and Saloma Herods sister Herod by the instigation of Saloma slew Hyrcanus the Priest and after Ionathas the brother of Mariamnes who against the law hee had caused to be consecrated Priest at the age of seuenteene yeares After that he caused Mariamnes to bee put to death with the husband of his sister Saloma pretending that Hyrcanus and Ihonathas had adulterated his sister After these murders Herod grew madde for the loue of Mariamnes who was held to bee the fairest Ladie then liuing innocently put to death He then tooke againe his wife Dosides and her sonne Antipater to fauour sending Alexander and Aristobulus the sons of Mariamnes to Rome to be instructed in the best litterature whom after hee caused to be slaine And these were the fruites of Adulterous and Incestuous marriages Of Women that haue come by strange Deaths THere are many kinds of deaths I will include them all within two heades Violent and Voluntarie the Violent is when either it comes accidentally or when we would liue and cannot the Voluntarie is when we may liue and will not and in this wee may include the blesseddest of all deaths Martyrdome I will begin with the first and because gold is a mettall that all degrees callings trades mysteries and professions of either Sex especially acquire after I will therefore first exemplifie them that haue dyed golden deaths Of the Mistresse of Brennus Of Tarpeia and Acco a Roman Matron OF Midas the rich king and of his golden wish I presume you are not ignorant and therefore in vaine it were to insist vpon his historieâ— my businesse is at this time with women Brennus an Englishman and the yonger brother to Belinus both sonnes of Donwallo was by reason of composition with his brother with whom hee had beene competitor in the kingdome disposed into France and leading an armie of the Galls inuaded forreine countries as Germanie Italie sacking Rome and piercing Greece In so much that his glorie stretched so farre that the French Croniclers would take him quite from vs and called him Rex Gallorum witnesse Plutarch in his seuenteenth Paralel This Brennus spoyling and wasting Asia came to besiege Ephesus where falling in loue with a wanton of that cittie he grew so inward with her that vpon promise of reward shee vowed to deliuer the cittie into his hands the conditions were that he being possest of the Towne should deliuer into her safe custodie as many jewells rings and as much treasure as should counteruaile so great a benefit to which he assented The towne deliuered and he being victor shee attended her reward when Brennus commanded all his souldiers from the first to the last to cast what gold or siluer or iewells they had got in the spoyle of the cittie into her lap which amounted to such an infinite masse that with the weight thereof she was suffocated and prest to death This Clitiphon deliuers in his first booke Rerum Gallicar to answere which Aristides Melesius in Italicis speakes of Tarpeia a noble Virgin or at least nobly descended and one of the keepers of the Capitoll she in the warre betwixt the Sabines and the Romans couenanted with king Tatius then the publike enemie to giue him safe accesse into the mountaine Tarpeia so hee would for a reward but possese her of all the gold and iewells which his souldiers the Sabines had then about them This shee performing they were likewise willing to keepe their promise but withall loathing the couetousnesse of the woman threw so much of the spoyle and treasure vpon her that they buried her in their riches and she expired amiddest a huge Magozin But remarkable aboue these is the old woman Acco or Acca who hauing done an extraordinarie courtesie for the cittie of Romeâ— they knew not better how to requite her than knowing her auaritious disposition to giue her free libertie to goe into the common treasurie and take thence as much gold as she could carrie The wretched woman ouerioyed with this donatiue entered the place to make her packe or burden which was either so little she would not beare or so great she could not carrie and swetting and striuing beneath the burden so expired The like though somthing a more violent death died the Emperour Galba who in his life time being insatiate of gold as being couetous aboue all the Emperours before him they powred moulten gold downe his throat to confirme in him that old Adage Quâ—lis vita finis ita The like was read of the rich Roman Crassus Of such as haue died in child-byrth THough of these be infinites and dayly seene amongst vs yet it is not altogether amisse to speake someting though neuer so little which may haâ—e reference to antiquitie Volaterranus remembers vs of Tulliota the daughter of Marcus Cicero who being first placed with Dolobella and after with Piso Crassipides died in child-bed The like Suetonius puts vs in minde of Iunia Claudilla who was daughter to the most noble Marcus Sillanus and wife to the Emperor Caius Calligula who died after the same manner Higinus in his two hundred threescore and fourth Fable tells this tale In the old time sayth he there were no midwiues at all and for
transpierst himselfe and fell downe dead vpon the body of Aristoclaea Of no such death dyed Democrita whose history next ensueth Alcippus the Lacedemonian had two daughters by his wife Democrita He hauing with great iustice and integritie managed the affaires of the weale publike more for the common good than any peculiar gaine or profit of his own was affronted by an opposite faction which emulated his goodnesse and being brought before the Ephori it was deliuered to them in a scandalous and lying oration how and by what meanes Alcippus intended to abrogate and adnichilate their lawes for which he was confind from Spatta neither could his wife daughters who willingly offered themselues to attend vpon his aduersity be suffered to associate him but they were deteined by the power and command of the publike magistrate Moreouer an edict was made That neyther the wife was capable of inheritance nor the daughter of dower out of their fathers goods notwithstanding they had many sutors of such noble gentlemen as loued them for their fathers virtues It was likewise by the enemy most enuiously suggested to the Senat that the two Ladies might be debard from marriage their reason was that Democrita was heard often to wish and withall to presage that she should see children borne of her daughters who would in time reuenge the wrongs of their grandfather This being granted and shee euery way circumscribed both in her selfe her husband and issue euery way confind she expected a publike solemnitie in which according to the custome the women of the cittie with the virgins houshold seruants and infants had meeting but the matrons and wiues of the nobilitie kept their night-festiuall in a conclaue or parlor by themselues Then she guirt her selfe with a sword and with her two daughters secretlie conueyd her selfe into the Temple attending the time when all the matrons were most busie about the ceremonies and mysteries in the conclaue then hauing made fast the doores and shut vp the passages and heaped together a great quantitie of billets with other things combustible prouided for the purpose but especially all that sweete wood that was ready for the sacrifice of that solemnitie she set all on fire which the men hastening to quench in multitudes she before them all with a constancie vndaunted first slew her daughters and after her selfe making the ruins of this Temple their last funerall fire The Lacedemonians hauing now nothing left of Alcippus against which to rage they caused the bodies of Democrita and her daughters to be cast out of the confines of Sparta For this ingratitude it is said by some that great earth-quake happened which had almost ouerturned the cittie of Lacedemon from Democrita I come to Phillis Demophrâ—â— the sonne of Theseus and Phadra the halfe brother of Hippolitus returning from the warres of Troy towards his countrey by tempests and contrarie winds being driuen vpon the coast of Thrace was gently receiued and affectionately entertained by Phillis daughter to Lycurgus and Crustâ—â—ena then king and queene of that countrey and not onely to the freedome of all generous hospitalitie but to the libertie and accesse vnto her bed He had not long soiourned there but he had certaine tydings of the death of Muestham who after his father Theseus was expulsed Athens had vsurped the principalitie pleased therefore with the newes of innouation and surprised with the ambition of succession he pretending much domesticke businesse with other negotiations pertaining to the publike gouernment after his faith pawned to Phillis that his returne should be within a moneth hee got leaue for his countrey therefore hauing calked and moored his ships making them seruiceable for the sea he set saile towards Athens where arriued he grew altogether vnmindfull of his promised faith or indented returne Foure moneths being past and not hearing from him by word or writing she sent him an Epistle in which she complaines his absence then persuades him to call to mind her more than common curtesies to keepe his faith ingaged to her and their former contract to make good by marriage the least of which if he refused to accomplish her violated honour she would recompence with some cruell and violent death which she accordingly did for knowing her selfe to bee despised and vtterly cast off she in her fathers Pallace hung her selfe From Phillis I proceede to Deiaâ—eira Iâ—piter begat Hercules of Alcmena in the shape of her husband Amphitrio ioyning three nights in one whom Euristius king of Micena at the vrgence of his stepmother Iuno imployd in all hazardous and fearefull aduentures not that thereby he might gaine the greater honour but by such meanes sooner perish but his spirit was so great and his strength to eminent that from foorth all these swallowing dangers he still plunged a victor amongst these difficulties was that combat against Achelous a Flood in Aetolia who transhapt himselfe into sundry figures for the loue of Deianeira daughter to Oeneus and Althaea king and queene of Calidon and sister to Meleager he whom no monsters nor earthly powers could tame by the conquest of Achelous wonne Deianeira for his bride But he whom all tyrants and terrours were subiect to submitted himselfe to effeminacie and the too much dotage vpon women for when Euritus king of Oechalia had denied him his daughter Iöle before promist him the citty taken and the king slaine he tooke her freely into his embraces with whose loue he was so blinded that at her imperious command hee layd by his clubbe and Lions skinne the trophyes of his former victories and which was most vnseemely for so great a conquerour put on a womanish habit and blusht not with a distaffe in his hand to spinne amongst her damsells In briefe what slauerie and seruitude soeuer he had before suffered vnder the tyranny of Omphale queene of Lydia of whom he had begot Lamus he indured from her which Deianeira hearing in a letter she layes open to him all his former noble acts and victories that by comparing them with his present deboishtnesse it the better might incourage him to returne to the first and deterre him from the last But hauing receiued newes of Hercules calamitie by reason of the poisoned shirt sent him by her seruant Lychas dipt in the blood of the Centaure Nessus in which she thought there had beene the vertue to reuoke him from all new loues and establish him in his first for so Nessus had persuaded hir when in her transwaftage ouer the flood Euenus he was slaine by the arrow of Hercules dipt in the poyson of Lerna when she I say heard of the death of her husband and that though vnwillingly it happened by her meanes shee dyed by a voluntarie wound giuen by her owne hand Not such was that which followes The Ionians through all their Prouince being punisht with a most fearfull and horrible pest in so much that it almost swept the cittie and countrey and had it longer continued
alwayes can the purple violet smell Or Lillies bloome in whitenesse that excell The fragrant rose whose beautie we desire The leaues once falne shewes but a naked brire O thou most faire white heires come on apace And wrinckled furrowes which shall plow thy face So likewise Petronius Arbiter in one of his Satyres Quod solum formae decus est cecidere Capillae The onely beautie of her shape her haire Fell from her head her beautie to impaire Summer succeedes the Spring her Autumne chaceth And them sad Winter with his snow disgraceth Deceitfull Nature all these youthfull ioyes Thou gau'st vs first thou art the first destroyes Now the fruits and effects of this fraile beautie especially where a faire face meeteth with a corrupted mind I will next shew you by historie Achab by the persuasion of his faire wife Iesabell was the death of many of the Prophets of the Lord. Dalila was the confusion of Sampson the Strong Strange women brought Salomon the Wise to Idolatrie and to forget God Ioram a king of Israell at the instigation of Athalia committed many horrible outrages Helena's beautie was the occasion of that infinite slaughter betwixt the Greekes and Troians Pelops succeeding in the kingdome of Phrygia made warre vpon Oenomaus the father of Hyppodamia because being surprised with her beautie she was denyde him in marriage Another Hyppodamia the wife of Perithous was the occasion of that great Centauromachia or battaiâ—e betwixt the Centaures and the Lapithes for which Propertius calls her Ischomache of the greeke word Isco which signifieth Habeo and Mache Pugna his words are these Qualis Iscomache Lapithae genus Heroinae Centauris medio grata rapina mero Such as Iscomache that was Of the Lapythaean line She whom the Centaures would haue rapt Amidst their cups of wine Pericles for his loue to Aspasia made warre against the Samians For Chrisaeis the daughter of Chrises Priest to Apollo vitiated by Agamemnon a plague was sent amongst the Greekish host which ceased not till she was returned backe to her father for so writes Tortellius Lauiniaes beautie the daughter of King Latinus and the Queene Amata was cause of the combustion betwixt Turnus and Aeneas so saith Pontanus lib. 4. de Stellis Lysimachus the sonne of Agathocles poysoned his owne sonne Agathocles by whose fortunate hand he had receiued the honour and benefit of many glorious victories at the instigation of his wife Arsinoe the sister of Ptoloâ—teus Vollateran Iphis a youth of exquisite feature strangled himselfe because he was despised by the faire but cruell Anaxarite Archilâ—â—us king of Macedon was slaine by a young man called Crateua because hauing first promised him his faire daughter he after bestowed her vpon another The Poet Archilocus called Iambographus because Lycambes denyde him his daughter in marriage writes against him such bitter Iambicks that hee despaired and hanged himselfe therefore Ouid thus writes Post modo si perges in te mihi liber Iambus Tincta Licambaeo sanguiâ—e tela dabit If thou pursu'st me still my booke Iust vengeance shall implore And in Lambickes weapons yeeld Dipt in Lycambes gore Iustine in his 27 booke relates That Seleneus Callinicus king of Syria for exiling Berenice his steppe-mother sister to Ptolomaeus was by the same Ptolomaeus inuaded and prosecuted by armes Deiphebus after the death of Paris hauing marryed Hellen to which infortunate match her beautie had inuited him was by her treacherie not onely murdered but his body hackt and mangled being almost made one vniuersall wound Tortellius reports of one Euander the nephew of Pallas king of the Arcadians at the persuasion of his mother Nicostrate slew his owne father Orestes the sonne of Agamemum slew Pyrrhus the sonne of Achilles being surprised with the beautie of Hermione daughter to Menalâ—us and Helena Pteleras king of the Thebans was slaine by king Craeon being betrayde by his owne Polydices Cleopatra was the cause of that bloody warre betwixt Ptolomaeus Philopaser and her owne father Alexander king of Syria Idas and Lyncaeus the sons of Aphareus and Arbarne fought a great battaile neere to Sparta about the two faire daughters of Leucippus Phebe and Ilaira against Castor and Pollux both which were slaine in that battaile and perisht not by shipwracke as some write in the pursuite of Paris by sea for the rape of their sister Hellen Liuie lib. 36. writes of Antiochus who warring against Rome was so taken with the beautie of a Chalcidonian damsell that neglecting all warlike discipline to spend his time in dalliance with his wanton hee became a shamefull and dishonourable prey to the enemy Octauia the sister of Augustus being repudiated by Anthony was the occasion of a ciuill and intestine war The Poet Lucretius growing mad for the loue of a faire damsell dranke poyson and so dyed Tullia incited Tarquinius Superbus to kill her owne father Seruius Tullius Martia the strumpet caused Autonius Commodus the Emperour whose Concubine she was to bee slaine by a souldiour with whom shee had many times had lustfull congression Tytus Corrancanus being sent on embassie to Teuca queene of the Illyrians because hee spake to her freelie and boldlie she caused him to be put to death against the lawes of kingdomes and nations Liuius and Florus Vollateranus writes of one Rhodoricus king of the Gothes who because he stuprated the daughter of Iulianus who was Prefect in the Prouince of Tingitana the father of the rauisht virgin brought in the Moores and raised a warre which before it was ended was the death of seauen hundred thousand men Chilpericus the sonne of Clotharius was slaine by the instigation of his wife Fridegunda in his returne from hunting Luchinus a Count of Italy warred vpon Vgolinus Gonzaga because hee had adulterated his faire wife Isabella Vollateran Otratus king of Bohemia accused of sloath and cowardise by his wife Margarita for entering league with Rodulphus Caesar raised warre betwixt them in which her husband was defeated Gandulphus the Martyr for but counselling his wife to a more chast and temperate life was murdered betwixt her and the adulterer Of warres and many other mischiefes of which faire women haue beene the originall Ouid elegantly deliuers in 2 Eleg. thus concluding Vidi ego pro â—iuea pugnantes coniâ—ge tauros Spectatrix animos ipsa innenca dabat For a white heyfer I haue seene bulls sight Both gathering rage and courage from her sight At the building of Rome Romulus to people the cittie and get wiues for his souldiers caused them to rauish the Sabine women and damsells for which warre grew betwixt the two nations Of which Proper lib. 2. Cur exempla petam Gracum Tu criminis auâ—hâ—r Nutribus duro Romule lacte lupae c. What neede I from the Greekes examples aske Thou Romulus by a fell she-wolfe nurst To rape the Sabines
fire Vpon whose smooth brow cannot â—it a frowne She can make flints seeme feathers bare boords downe I will now trouble thy patience gentle Reader with a discourse that hath in it more mirth than murther and more sport than spight and yet a touch of both A mad fellow newly married had onely one yong child by his wife of some quarter old whom he deerely and tenderly loued as being his first but he was much giuen to good fellowship and shee altogether addicted to sparing and good huswiferie still when he vsed to come merrie from the tauerne where he had beene frollicke with his boone companions she being as sparing of his purse as prodigall of her tongue for she was little better than a skold would often vpbraide him with his expences that what hee wasted at the Tauerne were better bestowed at home that he spent both his mony time and that being so often drunke it was preiudiciall both to his bodie and estate with many such matron-like exhortations but alwaies concluding her admonitions with a vow That if euer he came home againe in that pickle shee would happen what could come fling the child into the moat for the house was moated about It hapned about some two daies after that he reuelling till late in the euening in a cold frostie winters night and she hauing intelligence by her scouts where he was then drinking and making no question but he would come home flustred she commanded her maide to conueigh the infant to the further part of the house and to wrap the cat in the blankets and put it in the cradle and there to sit and rocke it presently home comes the husband shee falls to her old lesson and beginnes to quarrell with him and he with her Ill words begot worse and much leaud language there was betwixt them when the woman on the sudden stepping to the cradle hauing spyde her aduantage I haue long sayth she threatned a mischiefe and that reuenge I cannot worke on thee come dogs come diuells I will inflict vpon the brat in the cradle and instantly snatching it vp in her armes ran with it to the moate side and flung it into the middle of the water which the poore affrighted man following her and seeing leauing to pursue her and crying saue the child ô saue the child in that bitter cold night leapt vp to the elbowes in water and waded till hee brought out the mantell and with much paine comming to the shore and still crying alas my poore child opened the cloathes at length the frighted cat crying mewe being at libertie leapt from betwixt his armes and ran away the husband was both amased and vexed the woman laught at her reuenge and retyred her selfe and the poore man was glad to reconcile the difference before she would yeeld to allow him either fire or dry linnen Considering this me thinkes it was not amisse answered of a gentleman who being persuaded by a friend of his not to marry with such a gentlewoman to whom hee was a suitor his reasons alleadged were because she had no quicke and voluble tongue neither was she of any fine witte or capacitie to whom he instantly replyde I desire to haue a woman to bee my wife that shall haue no more tongue to answer mee to a question than yea or nay or to haue more wit than to distinguish her husbands bed from another mans Another woman hauing a husband who customably came drunke home and shrinking from his stoole or chaire would oft fall vpon the floore and there lie along stil when she cald him to bed he would answer her Let me alone the tenement is mine owne and I may lye where I list so long as I pay rent for the house Some few nights after comming home in the like tune and sitting asleepe in a chaire before the chimney his wife being gone to bed presently the man falls into the fire the maide cryes out to her Mistresse Oh mistresse my master is falne and lyes in the fire euen in the midst of all the fire shee lay still and turning her on the other side sayd so long as hee payes rent for the house he may lye where he please But to more serious businesse for I haue now done sporting Of English Viragoes And of Ioan de Pucil OF Guendoline the wife of king Locrine and daughter to Corinaeus duke of Cornwall I shall take more occasion to speake at large in the discourse of the beautifull Estreld Elphleda was sister to king Edward before the conquest sirnamed the fourth she was wife to Etheldredus duke of Mercia who assisted her husband in the restoring of the citie of Chester after it had beene destroyed and demolished by the Danes encompassing it with new walls he was generall to the king in all his expeditions against the Danes in the last battaile that he fought against them at a place cald Toten Hall in Staffordshire hee gaue them a mightie auerthrow but a greater at Wooddensfield where were slaine two kings two Earles and of the souldiours many thousands which were of the Danes of Northumberland In this battaile were the king and Elphleda both present Soone after this victorie Etheldredus dyed and she gouerned many yeres after him in all Mercia or middle England except in the two cities of London and Oxford which the king her brother reserued to himself She builded many cities and townes and repayred others as Thatarne Brimsbury the bridge vpon Seuerne Tamwoorth Liechfield Stafford Warwicke Shrewsbury Watrisbury Edisbury in the Forrest besides Chester which is since vttery defaced and destroied Also shee built a cittie and a castle in the North part of Mercia which then was cald Runcofan and after Runcorn Thus farre Ranulphus William de regib with others giue her this noble character This Lady hauing once assayde the throwes of childbirth would neuer after bee drawne to haue any carnall societie with her husband alleaging that it was not sitting or seemely for a woman of her degree being a princesse a kings daughter and a kings sister to inure herselfe to such wanton embraces wherof should ensue so great paine and sorrow She tamed the Welchmen and in many conflicts chased the Danes after whose death the king tooke the prouince of Mercia intirely into his owne hand disinherited her daughter Elswina whom he led with him into West-Saxon Henricus lib. 5. hath left this Epitaph as a memoriall ouer her Tombe Oh Elphlede mightie both in strength and mind The dread of men and victoresse of thy kind Nature hath done as much as nature can To make thee maide but goodnesse makes the man Yet pittie thou should'st change ought saue thy name Thou art so good a woman and thy fame In that growes greater and more worthie when Thy feminine valour much out-shineth when Great Caesars acts thy noble deeds excell So sleepe in peace Virago maide farewell Much to this purpose hath Treuisa expressed
these verses in old English Maud the daughter of Henrie the first was married to Henrie the fourth Emperour of that name after the death of her husband she bore the title of Maud the Empresse her father in his life time swore all the nobilitie to her succession but he being dead many fell from their oathes of alleagence adhering to Stephan Earle of Bulleine who by the sisters side was neaphue to the deseased king He notwithstanding he had before sworne to her homage caused himselfe to be crowned at London vpon a Saint Stephens day by William Archbishop of Canturburie one that had before past his oath of alleagence to the Emperesse Much combustion there was in England in those dayes betwixt Maude and Stephan and many battails fought in which the successe was doubtfull the victorie sometimes inclining to the one and againe to the other the circumstances rather would become a large Chronicle than a short tractat I will therefore come to that which sorts best with my present purpose This lady tooke the king in battaile and kept him prisoner at Bristoll from Candlemas day to Hollyrood day in haruest for which victorie the people came against her with procession which was approoued by the Popes legate From Bristoll she came to Winchester thence to Wilton to Oxford to Reding and Saint Albons all the people acknowledging her their queene and soueraigne excepting the Kentishmen onely shee came thence to London to settle the estate of the land whether came the wife of king Stephan for her husbands deliuerie vpon condition that Stephan should surrender the kingdome vp entirely into her hands and betake himselfe euer after to a sequestred and religious life But to this motion the Emperesse would by no meanes assent the Cittisens likewise intreated her that they might vse the fauourable lawes of S. Edward and not those strict and seuere statutes and ordinances deuised established by King Henry her father neither to this would the bold-spirited Lady agree For which the people began to withdraw their affections from her purposed to haue surprised her of which she hauing notice left all her houshold proâ—ision and furniture and secretly conueighed her selfe to Oxford where she attended her forces who were by this time dispersed and diuided But taking with her her Vncle Dauid king of Scots shee came before Winchester laying a strong siege to the bishops tower with was defended by the brother of king Stephan But now obserue another female Warrior The wife of the imprisoned King being denyed his freedome now takes both spirit armes and associated with one William Iperus came with such a thundring terror to rayse the siege that the hardie Empresse to giue way to her present furie was from strength forced to flye to stratageme for finding her powers too weake to withstand the incensed Queene she counterfeited her selfe dead and as a Corse caused her bodie to be conueyed to the citie of Glocester and by this meanes escaped But Robert her brother was there taken prisoner and committed to safe custodie Then the Queene imployed herselfe on the one part for the release of her husband and the Empresse on the other for the enfranchisement of her brother at length after long debating of the businesse it was determined by the Mediators on both sides that Stephan should be restored to the Kingdome and Duke Robert to his Lordship and Earledome and both as they had disturbed the peace of the Land so now to establish it To this the Earle would not assent so that all that yeere there was nothing but spoyle manslaughter direptions and all manner of violence robbing of the rich and oppression of the poore The King vpon Holy-Rood day was released and besieged the Empresse in the citie of Oxford from Michaelmas day to mid-Winter where being oppressed with famine she tooke the aduantage of the Frost and Snow and attyring her selfe all in white escaped ouer the Fennes and came to the castle of Wallingford And so much shall suffice to expresse the magnanimitie and warlike dispositions of two noble and heroicke English Ladies A French Ladie comes now in my way of whom I will giue you a short character In the minoritie of Henry the sixt when France which was once in his entire possession was there gouerned by our English Regents the famous duke of Bedford and others Charles the Dolphin styled after by the name of Charles the seuenth being a Lord wihout land yet at that time maintaining what hostilitie he was able whilest the English forraged through France at their will and commanded in all places at their owne pleasure the French in vtter despaire of shaking off the English yoake there arose in those desperate times one Ioane Are the daughter of Iames Are and his wife Isabel borne in Damprin This Iames was by profession a Shepheard and none of the richest Ioane whom the French afterwards called Ioane de Pucil whilest she was a yong maid and kept her fathers sheepe would report to diuerse That our blessed Ladie S. Agnes and S. Katherine had appeared vnto her and told her That by her meanes France should regayne her pristine libertie and cast off the yoke of English seruitude This comming to the eare of one Peter Bradicourt an eminent captaine then belonging to Charles the Dolphin hee vsed meanes that she should be sent to haue conference with his maister who soiourned then in Chynon in his lowest of deiection and despaire of hope supplie or comfort In her iourney thither shee came to a towne called Faire-boys where taking vp her Inne a place which shee had neuer before seene shee desired a souldier to goe to a secret by-corner where was a heape of old yron and from thence to bring her a Sword The souldier went according to her direction and searching the place amidst a great quantitie of old tongs shouels hand-yrons and broken horse-shooes found a faire bright sword with fiue Flower-delyces vpon either side engrauen This Sword with which she after committed many slaughters vpon the English shee gyrt to her and so proceeded to Chynon to giue the Dolphin meeting Being there arriued Charles concealed himselfe amongst many others whilest she was brought into a faire long gallerie where he had appointed another to take his place and to assume his person she looking vpon him gaue him neither respect nor reueâ—ence but sought out Charles among all the other in that assemblie and pickt him from amongst the rest to whom making a low obeysance she told him that to him only was her businesse The Dolphin at this was amased the rather because she had neuer before seene him and was somewhat comforted by reason that she shewed cheare and alacritie in her countenance they had together long and priuat conference and shortly after she had an armie giuen to bee disposed and â—irected by her Shee then bespake her selfe armour Cap a Pe bearing a white Ensigne displaide before her in which was
beautie more pleasing him than any of his choise damosells selected out of his many prouinces in so much that he hastned the marriage which was with no small pompe according to the manner of the Persians Nitetis lying in the kings bosome and knowing how much she was indeered to him as now not casting his eye or affection vpon any other began to call to remembrance her fathers death and what a plaine and smooth way lay open to her to be reuenged on him that slew him and forgetting the honors she had receiued by Amasaes meanes in preferring her to be quenne of Persia not rating that good equal with the ill she receiued in the shedding of her fathers blood she opened to Cambises all the whole imposture withall importuned him to reuenge the death of her father Aprias The king as much pleased with her plaine and seeming simplicitie as incensed with so great an iniurie done to him by Amasa as well to reuenge her father as his owne wrongs with an inuincible armie inuaded Aegypt Dinon in his booke of the Persian Historie and Lynceas Naucratica in his Aegyptian Historie they agree that Nitetis was sent to Cyrus and that by him shee was the mother of Cambyses and that after the death of Cyrus the Armie with which he went against Amasa and inuaded Aegypt was to reuenge the wrongs of a mother and not a wife Bersane SHe as Curtius and Gellius both assent was the widdow of one Damascus of that singular aspect that Alexander the great became enamoured of her aboue all other so that when neither the rare beautie of Darius his wife and daughters could tempt him nor the whorish blandishments of Thais and others corrupt him indeede where his modestie and temperance is preferred before many other princes almost all yet with her he was intangled For those that write of him affirme that he was neuer knowne to enter into the familiar embraces of any saue his owne wife and this Bersane whom he made one of the Queenes women It is not to be questioned but that Berseba shee was a goodly faire woman and of extraordinarie feature which pierced so deepe into the brest of that most wise king and prophet Dauid that all religion and sanctitie set apart he for her loue committed the two most heinous and horrible sinnes of adulterie and murder for he caused her husband Vriah to be slaine and after married her a great blemish to his former holinesse of whom Strozza Pater thus writes Ille sacri vates operis Iesseia proles Praefecit populo quem Deus ipse suo Bersabeae captus forma The Psalmist borne of the Iesseian Line The famous Author of that worke Diuine Whom God made Ruler o're his people he Dotes on the feature of faire Bersabe Lycaste one of the daughters of Priam was faire aboue measure insomuch that Polydamus the sonne of Anthenor whom hee begot of Theano the sister of Hecuba of a Concubine made her his wife There was another Lycaste that we reade of who for her perfection in all degrees of comelinesse had the name of Venus bestowed vpon her The wife of Candaules THis Candaules whom the Grecians call Myrsilus was king of the Sardians and descended from Alcaeus the sonne of Hercules hauing a wife whom he affectionately loued and therefore iudging her to be the fairest of women could not containe his pleasures but comming to one Gyges the sonne of Dascylus a seruant of his to whom hee vouchsafed his greatest familiaritie hee to him extolls the beautie of his wife aboue measure and because sayth hee I would haue thee truly know that she is no otherwise than I haue reported her and that mens eares naturally are more incredulous than their eyes I will deuise a meanes that thou shalt see her naked To whom Gyges replyde O royall sir What words be these you speake that which rather sauours of a man distract than well counsailed and aduised women that put off their garments with them put off their modestie therefore it was well determined and proâ—ided by our fathers wherein they proposed vnto vs honest rules and examples among which this was one That euerie man should haue inspection into his owne and guide himselfe by that compasse I verily beleeue she is matchlesse aboue all other women and deseruedly to merit that character you haue giuen her but withall I beseech you that you will not persuade me to any thing which is not lawfull At these words the king seemed to be displeased and replyde Be confident ô Gyges and neyther distrust me in so persuading thee nor my wife who is altogether ignorant of what I intend since from neyther of vs any damage or detriment no not so much as the least displeasure can arise for first I haue deuised that she shall not know nor once suspect that thou hast beheld her for I will order it that thou shalt be secretly conueyed into the chamber and vnseene behold euerie passage of her making vnreadie and comming to bed Now when thou hast freely surueyed her in euerie part and lineament and spyest her backe towards thee conuey thy selfe out of the roome onely in this be carefull that at thy remoouing shee cast no eye vpon thee This done the next morning giue me thy free and true censure Gyges that could by no meanes auoid his importunitie was prepared against the time The king according to his accustomed houre conueyes himselfe into his câ—aâ—ber and so to bed the queene soone after entring despoyles her selfe of all 〈◊〉 vesture and ornaments euen to her nakednesse all which Gyges was spectator of who no sooner spyed her backe turned to goe towards bed but Gyges ships from the place where he was hid which was not so cunningly done but he was espyed by the queene shee demanding the reason of it from her husband and â—â—â—â—ertifying the truth but with what modestie he could excusing it she neyther seemed to be angry nor altogether well pleased but in her silence meditated reuenge for amongst the Lydians and almost all those barbarous nations it is held great inciuilitie and immodestie to behold a man much more a woman naked The next morning by such seruants as she best trusted she caused Gyges to be sent for who misdoubting nothing that had past as one that had many times free accesse vnto her instantly came she causing her seruants to withdraw themselues thus bespake him Two wayes are proposed thee ô Gyges and one of them instantly and without least premeditation to make choyse of Eyther thou must kill Candaules and that done be possest of me and with me the Crowne of Lydia or instantly dye for thy doome is alreadie determined of because thou shalt know that in all things it is not conuenient to obey the king or search into that which thou oughtest not to know There is now a necessitie that eyther hee that counsailed thee to this must perish or thou that obeyedst him
against all Law or Iustice to behold me against reason or modestie naked Gyges at these words was first wonderously amazed but after recollecting himselfe entreated her not to compell him to so hard an exigent as to the choyse of eyther But finding that necessitie that he must be forced to one or the other to kill the king or to be slaine by others he rather made choyse to suruiue and let the other perish and thus answered her Since generous Ladie you vrge me to an enterprise so much opposite to my milder nature and disposition propose some safe course how this may be done Euen sayth she in the selfe-same place where he deuised this mischiefe against himselfe namely his bed-chamber where to thee I was first discouered Therefore prouiding all things necessarie for so determinate a purpose and the night comming on Gyges who knew no euasion but to kill his maister or dye himselfe awaited his best aduantage and hauing notice when Candaules was asleepe followed the queene into her chamber and with a Ponyard by her prouided for the purpose stabbed him to the heart by which hee attayned both the queene and kingdome Of this historie Archilochus Parius makes mention in his Iambicks who liued about the same time affirming That Gyges was by the Oracle of Delphos confirmed in the kingdome after the Faction of the Heraclides had opposed his soueraigntie Rowan and Estrilda ROwan was a maid of wonderfull beautie and pleasantnesse daughter to Hengest a captaine of the Saxons Of this Ladie Vortiger then king grew so enamored that for her sake hee was diuorced from his wife by whom hee had three sonnes for which deed the greatest part of the Brittaines forsooke him therefore hee by the instigation of Rowan still caused more and more Saxons to be sent for vnder pretence to keepe the Land in subiection But the Brittaines considering the dayly repayre of the Saxons came to the King and told him the danger that might ensue entreating him whilest it waâ— yet time and to preuent a future miserie to expell them the Land But all in â—aine for Vortiger was so besotted in the beautie of his faire wife by whose counsaile he was altogether swayed that he would in no wise listen to the counsaile of his subiects Wherefore they with one vnited consent depriued him of his Crowne and dignitie making Vortimerus his eldest sonne king in his stead Who was no sooner crowned but with all expedition he raysed an armie and pursued the Saxons and in foure maine battailes besides conflicts and skirmishes became victorious ouer them The Saxons and their insolencies thus supâ—â—est and the king now gouerning the Land in peace after he had reigned seuâ—â— yeeres was by this Rowan in reuenge of the disgrace done to her king deposed and her countreymen disgraced most trecherously poysoned Locrin the eldest sonne of Brute chased the Hunnes which inuaded the realme of England and so hotely pursued them that many of them with their king were drowned in a riuer which parteth England and Scotland and after the name of the king of the Hunnes who there perished the riuer is to this day called Humbar This king Locrin had to wife â—â—â—â—doline a daughter of Coriâ—eus duke of Cornwall by whom he had a sonne calâ—â—d Madâ—n He kept also a Paramour called the beautifull Ladie Estrilda by whom hee had a daughter called Sabrina Locrine after the death of Corineus of whom he stood in awe diuorsed himselfe from his lawfull wife and tooke to his embraces his faire concubine mooued with this iniurie Guendoline retired herselfe into Cornewall where she gathered a great power fought with her husband slew him in battaile and after caused him to be buried in Troy-nouant That done she caused the faire Estrilda with her daughter Sabrina to be drowned in a riuer that which parts England and Wales which still beares the name of the yong Virgin and is called Seuerne These her dessignes accomplished for so much as Madun her yong sonne was but in his pupillage and not of capacitie or age to gouerne the Land by the common sufferage of all the Brittons she was made Protectoresse and Ladie Regent of the kingdome which to the comfort of the subiects and the weale of the kingdome she discreetly gouerned for the space of fifteene yeares and therefore her memorie might fitly haue beene rancked amongst the most Illustrious women Her sonne comming to age and yeares of discretion shee to him resigned the Scepter The Faire ladie of Norwich ANd now because wee traffique altogether with Historie it shall not bee amisse sometimes to mingle Seria Iocis as shall appeare by this discourse which I haue often heard related A knight both of same and memorie and whose name is still vpon record beeing eminent and of note with Henrie the fift as personally with him in all the warres in France after the king had both conquered and quieted the Land this noble Englishman retyred himselfe into his countrey He had a Ladie that was of such beautie that she attracted the eyes of all beholders with no common admiration in briefe I cannot speake of her feature sufficiently as being farre beyond the compasse of my penne and therefore I put her into the number of my Faire ones This ladie with her husband residing in the cittie of Norwich He after so many troubles and torments purposed a more sequestred life and next the solace he had in the beautie and vertues of his wife to take a course meerely contemplatiue and thought out of the aboundance of his wealth to doe some pious deeds for the good of his soule hee therefore erected in the cittie and neere to the place where his house stood a goodly Church at his owne charge and betwixt them a Religous house that entertained twelue Friers and an Abbot allowing them demeanes competent for so small a brother-hood In this couent there were two Frier Iohn and Frier Richard these were still at continuall enmitie and especiall notice taken of it amongst the rest which by no mediation could be truely reconciled but omitting that it was custome of the knight and his ladie dayly to rise to morning Mattins and she being affable and courteous to all it bred a strange inciuile boldnesse in Frier Iohn for she neuer came through the cloyster but he was still with duckes and cringes attending her which she suspecting nothing simply with modest smiles returned thankes to him againe which grew so palpable in the Frier that as farre as they durst it was whispered in the couent Briefly after these incouragements as he constered them it bred in him that impudencie that he presumed to write a letter to her in which he layde open a great deale of more than necessarie loue This letter with great difficultie came to her hand at which the ladie astonished as not dreaming that such leaudnesse should come from one that professed chastitie and not knowing whether it might be a tricke
in the citie shee hyred a messenger to run to him in all hast and counterfeiting a suddaine passion to tell him his house was on fire and many or most of his elaborate Pieces burnt to ashes At which Praxitiles amased and strangely mooued broke forth into this language But is the Picture of Cupid safe and reserued from combustion by which she found that to be his maister-piece and therefore due to her by promise This Phrine neuer vsed the hot Bathes as other of her profession accustomed to doe onely at the Feasts of Ceres and Neptune shee would in the sight of all the Grecians in her loose garment and hayre disheuelled about her shoulders walke downe to the Sea side and there wash her selfe And from her as Athenaus in his Dypnos Lib. 13. cap. 22. affirmes Apelles drew that admirable and vnmatched Peece called Venus Emergeus i. Venus swimming or rising out of the waters Of which Ausonius composed an Epigram with this inscription In venerem Andiomenen Emersam Polagi nuper genitatibus vndis Cipria Apellai Cerne laboris opus Behold faire Cipria from her natiue Brine Flunging Apelles a braue worke of thine Who shaking off her golden curles late drown'd Raynes the salt-sea-drops from her shoulders round Her hayres yet danke 'bout her white wrists she winds Which wreath'd she in her silken hayre-lace binds Pallas and Iuno said this haâ—ing seene We yeeld the Palme to thee faire beauties Queene Praxitiles the Statuarie before spoken of drew from her the Picture of Venus Cnidia and vnder the Table of Loue which was giuen to adorne the Theatre he caused these verses to be inscribed Praxitiles pinxit prius est quem passus amorem Deprompt sit proprio pectore qui Archetipum Loue which himselfe hath suffred and best knew From his owne breast this piece the Painter drew This Picture of Loue some say was placed in Thespia a free towne in Boetia neere Helicon and dedicated to the Muses which others take to be a citie in Magnesia neere Thessalie but her golden Picture made by Praxitiles was hung in Delphos aboue the Marble Statue of Mercurie and betwixt that of Archidamus king of the Lacedemonians and Philip of Amintas hauing this inscription Phrine Epicleis Thespia This when Crates Ciâ—icus beheld he said This Table is dedicated to expresse the intemperance of the Grecians as Alcaetus witnesseth Lib. 20. depositâ—rum in Delphis Apollodorus in Lib. Amicarum speakes of two Phrines the one was called Saperduis the other Clausigelos of Kleo i. Lugeo to mourne and Gelos i. Risus Laughter Herodicus sayth Lib. 6. Obiâ—â—gatorâ—m That she was called by the Orators Seâ—tus because she rifled and despoyled her Clients and the other Thespica This Phrine grew exceeding rich and made offer to begirt Thebes with a new wall so that vpon the chiefe gate they would make this inscription This Alexander the Great demolished which Phrine the Courtesan at her owne charge erected for so writes Calistratus in his booke Amicarum Tiâ—â—cles Coâ—â—â—â—i writ of her infinite riches in his Neâ—ra as likewise Amphis in Noâ—acula Ariâ—â—igiton in an Oration against Phrine affirmes That her proper name was Mâ—esarete Of her Posidippus Comicus writ more at large in Ephesia There was one Timandra daughter to Tyndarus and Laedia the sister of Cliâ—â—innestra but Pliny speakes of a notorious strumpet of that name beloued of Aleibiades the Athenian for whom being dead she erected a famous Sepulcher shee was with her friend Atcis opprest in battaile by Lysander Equall to her in beautie was Campaspe by some called Pancasta a wanton of extraordinarie feature and much affected by the excellent Painter Apelles she was prisoner to Alexander the Great and at his earnest intercession bestowed on him by the Macedonian Conqueror Glicerin or Glicera and others THis Glicera was sirnamed Thespiâ—nsis of the cittie where shee was borne Praâ—iâ—â—les the Painter much doted on her beautie and gaue her a Table in which Cupâ—d was most curiously pouâ—â—â—yde which after her death shee bequeathed as a legacie to the cittie Sâ—â—yrus reports That Stilpâ— beeing at a banquet with her and reproouing her as a great corrupter of the youngmen of Thespis she answered We are ô Sâ—ilpo of one and the same error guiltie alike For it is said of thee That all such as conuerse with thee and participate of thy precepts thou corruptest with thy amatorious and vnprofitable Sophismes small difference then there is to bee traduced by thee a Philosopher or by me a professed Prostitute She was a great fauourite of the Poet Menander Hipperides in an oration against Manlithaus as also Theopompus affirmes That Harpalus after the death of Pythâ—nice sent for Glicera to Athens who comming to Tarsus was receiued into the kings palace whither much confluence was assembled bowing their knees to her and saluting her by the name of Queene neyther would they suffer Harpalus to assume the Diademe till shee were likewise crowned and in Rhossus where his statue was erected in brasse she caused hers to be placed for so Clearchus writes in his historie of Alexander as likewise Catanaeus Clearchus obserues of her that when any faire young lad appeared before her shee vsed to say Then doe boyes appeare most beautifull when they most resemble the lookes and gestures of women She was affected by Pansia Sicionius a famous Painter Harpalus the Macedonian hauing robbed Alexander the Great of much treasure flying to Athens sollicited there Pythonica and by many great gifts woon her to his embraces she dying he profusely lauished many talents vpon her obsequies and as Possidonius in his Histories affirmes not onely with the artificiall skill of many of the best artists and workemen but with organs voyces and all kinds of musicall harmony decorated her funerall Dyoâ—â—rchus writes That whosoeuer shall crauell towards Athens by the sacred way called Elusinis there hee shall behold a goodly temple built in state height and compasse exceeding all others which who so shall considerately peruse hee shall guesse it either to bee the cost of Miltiades Pericles Ciâ—â—â— or of some other Athenian equally with them illustrious and especially of such a one that for merit towards the common weale might commaund a voluntarie contribution from the publike treasurie Theopompus in an epistle to Alexander thus carpes at the intemperance of Harpalus Consider quoth he and inquire of the men of Babylon with what superfluous charge hee hath interred his strumpet Pythonicâ— who was but handmaid to Bachis the she-musitian and Bachis the seruant of Syâ—â—â—e Threissa who from the cittie of Aegina transported her bawdries into Athens shee being not onely of the third rancke and degree of seruants but of baudes for with more than two hundred Talents charge he hath dedicated vnto her two sumptuous monuments to the admiration of all men when it hath not beene knowne the like honour or cost to haue beene bestowed by him or any other in memorie of any
braue souldier or of such as perished in Cilicia for the Empire and libertie of whole Greece shee onely hauing perdurable monuments raised to her as well in Babilon as in Athens Temples and Altars with sacrifices offered her by the name of Venus Pythonica With other such vpbraidings he complained on him to Alexander of whom Alexis in Licisca likewise speakes as also that after her death hee tooke to his bed the beforenamed Glicera Next her followers Irene That Ptolomaeus that placed garrisons in Ephesus and was the sonne of king Philadelphos had a beautifull mistresse called Irene she when Ptolomaeus was â—ssaulted by â—he Thracians in the cittie of Ephesus and to shun their violence fled into a Chappell consecrated to the goddesse Diana would not in that distresse forsake him but entred the place together and when the souldiers role open the gates vpon them to kil the king she remoued not her hand from the ring of the doore but with her owne blood sprinkled the altar till the souldiers likewise falling vpon her shee expired in the armes of the slaughtered king As noble was that of Danae Philarchus remembers one Sophron of Ephesus to haue had in his delights Danae daughter to Leontius of the Sect of the Epicures a man well seene in the speculations of Philosophie To her trust were all the domesticke affaires of the house committed euen by the consent of his wife Laodice who at length perceiuing his loue to encline to Danae shee purposed at her next best opportunitie to make away with her husband This being found out by Daâ—ae and in great secrecie reuealed to Sophron he gaue at the first no credit to the report yet at her importunacie hee promised within two dayes to consider of the matter and in that time to deliberate what was best to bee done in the preuention of such a mischiefe and in that interim conceales himselfe in the citie by which Laodice finding her purpose to be discouered she accused Danae for his murther and instantly without further processe by the helpe of her friends and seruants hurryed her to the top of a high Pâ—omontorie from thence to throw her headlong who seeing imminent death before her eyes fetching a deepe sigh she thus said I meruaile 〈◊〉 now that the gods haue so small honour done to them in regard of their iniustice since I am thus punisht for sauing the life of my friend and this Laodice is thus honoured that would haue tooke away the life of her husband Agathoclaea WArres hauing beene long continued betwixt Ptolomey of Aegypt and Antiochâ—s of Syria insomuch that Ptolomaeus was by his embassadors rather by feare than necessitie as it were enforced to sollicite a peace notwithstanding Antiochâ—s inuading Aegypt tooke from him many townes and ciâ—ies of consequence which proffer drawing Ptolomey to the field hee gaue him a braue affront and foyle and had he taken the aduantage of the preseâ—t fortune had payd him home with an irrecouerable ouerthrow but Ptolomy wholly deuoted to effeminacie and luxurie onely contented with what hee had recouered of his owne and pursuing no further aduantages made choyse of a dishonorable peace before a iust warre and so concluded all dissention with an vnalterable league And being free from all forraine invasions he began domesticke troubles at home For being giuen ouer to bâ— owne appetite and beâ—orted to his insatiate pleasures he first began with 〈◊〉 both his sister and wife causing her to be slaine that hee might the more freely enioy the societie and fellowship of his most rare and beautifull mistresse Agaâ—hoclea so that the greatnesse of his name and the splendor of his maiestie both set apart he abandoned himselfe solely to whoredomes by night and to banquets and all profusenesse of riot by day And now libertie being growne to law the boldnesse of the strumpet for no better my Author styles her cannot be contayned within the walls of the kings house which the ouer doâ—agâ— of the king the extraordinarie graces and honoâ—s conferred for her sake on her brother Agathocles together with her owne ambitions growing euery day more and more to greater insolence made still more manifest Next there was her old mother called 〈◊〉 a cunning Hagge I may tearme her who by reason of her double issue Agathocles and Agathoclea had a great hand with the king or rather a great power ouer him Therefore not contented with the king alone they possesse the kingdome also They ride abroad in all state to be seene are proud to be by all saluted and with such great traynes to be attended Agathocles as if sowed to the kings elbow was not seene without him but with a nod or word swayed and gouerned the citie The gifts of all militarie honors as the Tribunes Prefects and Captaines all these were appointed by the women neyther was there any in the kingdome that had lesse power than the king himselfe who long sleeping in this dreame of maiestie hauing giuen away all that was essentiall in a king he fell sicke and dyed leauing behind him a child of fiue yeeres old by his afore-murthered wife and sister Laodice But his death was by these fauorites long concealed whilest they had by all couetous rapine snatched what they might out of the kings treasurie by this to strengthen a faction of the most base and desolate subiects that by mony thus ill got and deboisht souldiers thus leuied they might set safe footing in the Empire but it fell out farre otherwise for the kings death and their dissigne was no sooner discouered but in the rude concourse of the multitude the Minion Agathocles was first slaine and the two women the mother and the daughter were in reuenge of murdered Laodice hanged vpon gybets being now made a skorne to euerie man that was before a terror to all the pupillage of the infant and the safetie of the realme to his vse the Romans most noblie after tooke to their protection Cleophis ALexander the Great after many glorious conquests entring into India that hee might contermine his Empire with the Ocean and the vtmost parts of the East and to which glorie that the ornaments of his armie might suit the trappings of his horses and the armour of his souldiers were all studded with siluer and his maine armie of their Targets of siluer as Curtius writes he caused to be called Argyraspides In processe by gentle and pleasurable marches they came to the cittie Nisa the cittisens making no opposition at all trusting to the reuerence due to Liber Pater by whom they say the cittie was first erected and for that cause Alexander caused it to bee spared passing those fruitfull Hills where grapes grow in aboundance naturally and without the helpe of art or hand of man hee thence passed the Dedalian mountaines euen to the prouinces and kingdome of the queene Cleophis who hearing of his victories and fearing his potencie thought rather to affront
what difference and oddes there was in the appearance of two such high and noble persons which hauing read she returned him onely this short answere Well and these people about mee shall be old likewise when I am This Iulia to a noble Senator of stayd grauitie giuing her counsell to frame her selfe after her fathers graue and sober behauiour she presently replyde Though my father doth not remember that he is an Emperour yet I cannot forget that I am an Emperours daughter It is further remembered of her that beginning to haue gray haires with the soonest and before she was old as her maides and gentlewomen were kembing her head the Emperour came in suddenly vpon her and espyde them picking and plucking the white haires vp by the rootes which still stucke vpon their garments the Emperor for that present said nothing but not long after amongst many other discourses taking occasion to speake of old age he demaunded of his daughter Whether she had rather in the processe of a few yeares haue a reuerent white head or to be directly without any haire at all she answered She had rather to haue a white head Why then said he doe thy damosells all they can to make thee cleane bald before thy time Augustus much greeued with her licenciousnesse and seeing it subiect to no reformation he banished her the Court and with her her daughter Iulia his grandchild who tooke something too much after the mother and after that Agrippa whom hee had once adopted his heire but after for his intemperance and bruitish and luxurious riots cast out of his fauor Whensoeuer mention was made of any of these three hee would recite a verse out of Homer which imports thus much What 's now my sorrow would haue beene my pride If I as some might issuelesse haue di'de He vsed not to call any of those three by any other names than Vlcers or rotten Impostumes Cankers and such like for hee vsed much more patiently to take the deaths of his friends than their dishonours Hee further prouided by his last will That whensoeuer either Iulia his daughter or Iulia his grandchild expired their bodies should not rest beneath his monument One thing of her I had almost forgot Vpon a time comming to visite and doe her dutie to her father she perceiued his eyes to be much offended with the gawdinesse of her attire as sauering of immodestie the next day taking occasion to reuisite him she changed her habit into a comely ciuill and matronly garbe and in that sort came to embrace her father Caesar who had the day before suppressed his greefe was not now able to conteine his ioy but broke out into these tearmes ô how much more decent and seemely are these ornaments for the daughter of Augustus to whom shee instantly replyde Indeed this day I apparelled my selfe to please the eyes of a father but my yesterdayes habit was to content the eyes of a husband She when some that knew of her frequent inchastities demanded how it was possible she should bring forth children so like her husband considering her so often prostitution with strangers answered Because I neuer take in passenger till my ship haue her full fraught and lading Macrâ—b lib. 2. cap. 5. Satur. And so much for Iulia. Phileterus speaking of those wantons that liued afore his time and were now dead scoffes them thus Nonne Cercope iam egiâ— annerum â—ria millia c. i. Hath not Cercope alreadie liued three thousand yeares and proceeding and rough haired Diopethiâ— and a second Teleâ—is ten thousand for Theâ—lite none knowes or can remember when she was borne Was not This dead when she should haue prostituted her selfe and come vnder Ionias and Neaera are now dead and rotten so is Philace Of Siphâ—â— Galinas and Corâ—nas I speake not Of Nais I hold my peace because her teeth are now no grinders Sinope and Phanostrate with others are remembred by Demosthenes in his oration against Androtioâ—es Herdicus Grateticus speakes of this Sinope in his Commentaries and sayth That when she grew into yeares she was called Abidus shee was no question a famous strumpet in her youth for Antiphaâ—es speakes of her in many of his Comedies in Arâ—ade in Horlicomâ— in Medicatrice in Piscante in Neottide So likewise Alexis in Cleobulina and Calicrates in Moscione Of Phanostrate Appollodorus writes That shee was a prostitute in Athens and that of her ranke were many others and was called Phâ—herophile of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Pediculus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Porta Propter quod pediculos cum staret in limine Porta queritabat Menander in Adulatore hee numbers these wantons Chrisis Coronis Antecyra Ischades and Nanniculum whom hee calls Formosum valde Exceeding faire Quintus Curtius in his tenth booke of the life of Alexander the Great writes That after many honourable Conquests hauing alreadie subiected sundry Nations to his iurisdiction beeing now in India where all his attempts were prosperous and his designes successefull proud of his victories and thinking himselfe to be Fortunes minion insomuch that despising the off-spring from whence hee came hee caused himselfe to be called the Sonne of Iupiter Being puffed vp with these thoughts and swelling in all ambitions hee betooke himselfe to all voluptuous delicacies and of them to the most tempting riots of wine and women insomuch that lulled in all effeminacie he so farre forgot both his high maiestie and that commendable temperance for which he was before all his predecessors renowned that he sent as farre as Athens for a notorious strumpet branded in her life though famous for her beautie called Potonice on whom the king was so much besotted that hee not onely gaue her most princely and magnificent gifts in her life time but after her death caused a Tombe to be erected ouer her bodie on which structure the king bestowed thirtie Talents It were strange if our English Chronicles should not affoord some or other to haue correspondence with these Harlotta or Arlotta THis Historie is recorded by an Historiographer of ancient times who writes himselfe Anonymus or without name by Gulielm Malmesbury Vincentius Ranâ—lphus Fabian Polydore and others As Robert duke of Normandie and father to William the Conqueror rid through the towne of Falois he beheld a beautifull Virgin a Skinners daughter playing and dancing amongst other Virgins with whose feature beeing on the suddaine surprised he so farre preuayled by his secret messages and gifts that shee was priuately conueyed into the dukes chamber and there lodged and put in a bed to await his comming who glad of such a purchase without much circumstance made himselfe readie for the businesse intended The chamber cleared and the place voyded and he readie to accomplish his desires she rent her smocke from the chinne to the footâ— to make the freer way for the Prince and hee demanding the reason of her so doing shee made him this prettie and readâ—â— answere It were neyther fit nor
them with garlands vpon their heads of which whilest some are called apart others still returne for their passages to and fro are distinguished by small cords or strings which direct strangers vnto such women to whom they are most addicted But of these not any returne to their houses after they haue once tooke vp their seats till some clyent hath cast some coyne or other into her lappe be it neuer so small or great and haue had carnall companie with her in a sequestred place of the Temple which done hee is to say So much I did owe thee ô goddesse Melitta Nor was any woman to refuse the money that was offered her whatsoeuer it were because it was to be employed in their supposed pious vses Neyther was it lawfull for a woman to refuse any man but she was compelled to follow him that cast the first coyne into her apron This beeing done it was lawfull for her to mingle her selfe in prostitution with whom she pleased The fairest and most beautifull were for the most part soonest dispatcht but others that haue beene vgly and deformed haue beene forced to sit in the Temple some one some two some three yeeres and vpwards before they could meet with any by whose helpe they might giue satisfaction to the Law returne to their owne houses and make vse of their free libertie The like custome though not in euerie particular was in Cyprus Amongst the Caunians a people in Coria there was a yeerely conuention of yong men and women to the like purpose as the same Author in the same booke affirmes Aelianus de var. Histor. lib. 4. sayth That the Lydian women before their marriage presented themselues for gaine till they had purchased to themselues a competent dowrie but hauing once selected a husband they from that time liued in all continence and chastitie From this generalitie I come to particulars and first of Thais Shee was a strumpet of Corinth whose beautie bewitched all the Atticke youth Her the Greeke Poet Menander in his workes most celebrated of whom shee was called Menandraea Clitarchus specifies vnto vs That shee was much beloued of Alexander the Great at whose request after the conquest of Cyrus all the Imperiall Pallaces in Persepolis with the greatest part of the citie were set on fire and burned downe to the earth This strumpet after the death of Alexander was marryed to the first Ptolomey of Aegypt by whom she had two sonnes Leontiscus and Lagus with one daughter called Irene whom Solon king of Cyprus after tooke to wife Lamia was a Courtizan of Athens and entyred to Demetrius a lord of many Nations insomuch that in his Armour and Crowne with his Imperiall Diademe he was often seene publikely to enter her roofe to conuerse with her and eate at her Table It had beene lesse dishonour for so great a person to haue giuen her meeting more priuately In this one thing Diodorus the Minstrell was preferred before Demetrius who being diuerse times sent for to this Courtezans house refused to come This Lamia was wont as Aelianus Lib. 12. reports to compare the Greekes to Lyons and the Ephesians to Wolues Gnathana was of the same countrey and borne in Athens of whom it is thus remembred A noble fellow drawne as farre as the Hellespont by the attractiue fame of her beautie shee gaue him both meeting and entertainment of which he growing proud and somewhat insolent vsing much loquacitie and superfluous language being in the heat of wine and lust shee asked him Whether as he pretended he came from the Hellespont To whom he answered He did She replyed And doe you know the name of the chiefe citie there He told her Yes She then desired him to giue it name Hee told her it was called Sygaeum By which shee ingeniously reproued his verbositie since Syga of which Greeke word the citie takes denomination signifieth silence and taciturnitie Of her prompt and wittie answeres the Poet Machon sets downe many for shee was held to bee wondrous facetious and scoffing and exceedingly beloued of the Poet Diphilus Lynceus likewise remembers many things concerning her Pausonius Lacus beeing dauncing in her presence in doing a loftie tricke aboue ground and not able to recouer himselfe hee fell headlong into a Vessell that stood by See sayth she Lacus in cadum incidit i. The Poole hath powred himselfe into the Vessell Lacus not only signifies a Poole but a Vessell which receiueth the wine when it is pressed Another offering her a small quantitie of wine in a great and large Bole and told her withall That it was at least seuenteene yeeres old Truly answered she it is wondrous little of the age Two young men in the heat of wine quarrelling about her and going to buffets to him that had the worst shee thus said Despayre not youth Non enim Coronarium est certamen sed Argenteum i. This was a prize for Money onely not for a Garland When one had giuen her faire daughter who was of the same profession a piece of Gold valued at a pound and had receiued no more than labour for his trauaile and bare lookes for his money to him she said Thou for this pound art made free of my daughter as those that are admitted into the schoole of Hyppomachus the maisterwrastler who oft times see him play but seldome prooue his strength admire his skill but neuer trie his cunning Many such with great elegancie came frequently from her for as Lynceus sayth of her shee was Concinna admodum vrbana Aristodemus in his second booke Ridiculorum memorab relates That when two men had bargained for her at once a souldier and a meane fellow the souldier in great contumelie called her Lacus or Lake Why doe you thus nick-name me sayth she because you two flouds fall into me Lycus and Liber Lycus is a riuer not farre from Laodicea which sometimes runneth vnder the earth and in many places bursteth vp againe Shee writ a booke which shee called Lex Conuinalis imitating the Philosophers of those times who had compiled workes of the like subiect The proiect of her booke was how her guests ought to behaue themselues at Table towards her and her daughter The like Law Callimachus composed in three hundred and three and twentie Verses Rhodope was a Curtesan of Aegypt one that by her prostitution came to such a masse of wealth that she of her own priuate charge caused to be erected a magnificent Pyramis equalling those that were raised by the greatest Princes Sapho calls her Dorica and makes her the mistresse of her brother Charaxus vpon whom he spent and consumed all his fortunes euen to the vtmost of penurie of whom Ouid thus writes Arsit inops frater c. Aelianus and others report her for a woman most beautifull who bathing herselfe in a pleasant and cleere fountaine in her garden her handmaides attending her with all things necessarie vpon a sudden an Eagle sowsing downe snatched
pittied her grauitie or suspected her innocence did not cause her to be instantly strangled according to the rigor of her sentence At the importunacie of the daughter he gaue her leaue to visit and comfort her mother but narrowly searcht before her entrance into the prison least shee should carrie with her any food or sustenance to her reliefe rather desiring she should perish by famine and dye that way than himselfe to haue any violent hand in her execution The daughter hauing dayly accesse to the mother who now had past ouer more dayes than the keeper thought was possible by nature and wondering in himselfe how she should draw her thred of life out to that length without any meanes to maintaine it hee casting a more curious eye vpon the young woman and watching her might perceiue how shee first drew out one breast and after another with her owne milke relieuing her mothers famine At the noueltie of so strange and rare a spectacle being amazed he carryed newes thereof to the Triumvir he to the Praetor the Praetor he related it to the Consuls they brought it before the Senate who to recompence what was good in the daughter pardoned all that was before thought ill in the mother For what will not loue deuise or whither true zeale not penetrate What more vnheard or vnexpected thing could be apprehended than for a mother to be fed from the breasts of her daughter Who would not imagine this to be against nature but that we see by proofe true naturall pietie transcends all bounds and limits The like of this we may read of in Plinie of another young marryed woman who when her father Cimon was afflicted with the same sentence and subiect to the like durance prolonged his life from her breasts for which she deserues to be equally memorized Our Parents in no dangers or necessities are to be by vs abandoned and that by the example of Aeneas in whose person Virgil thus speakes as to his father Anchises Aeneid 2. Eia age chare pater ceruici imponere nostrae Ipse subibo numeris nec me labor iste grauabit c. Come my deare father and get vp for see No burthen to my shoulders you can bee No weight at all and hap what can betide One danger or one safetie wee 'l abide Sabellic lib. 3. cap. 6. remembers vs of Rusticana a noble Matron of Rome and the daughter of Synnarchus who with his brother Boetius the famous Philosopher being put to death by Theodoricus king of the Gothes Shee after the Tirants miserable end was the cause that all his Statues in Rome were demollished and ruined purposing vtterly if it were possible to extirpe his memorie that was the inhuman murderer of her father for which fact of hers being called in question before king Totila who succeeded him she was so far from excuse or deniall that she approued the deed with all constancie whose noble magnanimitie resolution prooued more auailable to her saftie than any timerous euasion could haue done for he not only dismissed her vnpunished but highly applauded and commended Fulgos. Sabellicus and Egnatius writing of Alboinus king of the Longobards who at his first enterance into Italie hauing subdued and slaine Turismundus whom some call Cunimundus sonne to Cunimundus king of the Gepidanes and after taken his daughter Rosamunda to wife the Historie sayth hee made a bole of her fathers skull in which one night hauing drunke somewhat lauishly he caused it to be filled with wine and sent to Rosamunda then in her chamber with this message Commend me to my Queene and say I command her to drinke with her father The Ladie though shee knew him to be slaine by the Longobards receiuing his death by a common casualtie and chance of war and by this assuring her selfe that he fell by the hand of her husband betwixt filiall dutie and coniugall loue being for a time destracted the bond of affection towards her father preuailed aboue those nuptiall fetters in which she was tyde to her Lord in so much that to reuenge the death of the one she resolued to take away the life of the other to bring which about she deuised this proiect she had obserued one Hemegildus a noble man amongst the Lumbards to bee surprised with the loue of one of her waiting gentlewomen with whom she dealt so far that when her maid had promised to giue this Hemegildus meeting in a priuate and darke chamber she her selfe supplyde the place of her seruant after which congression she caused lightes to be brought in that he might know with whom he had had carnall companie and what certeine preiudice he had therein incurred protesting withall that vnlesse he would ioyne with her in the death of the king shee would accuse him of rape and outrage The Lumbard to preuent his own disaster vndertooke his soueraignes death which was accordingly betwixt them performed The murder done they fled together to Rauenna she preferring the reuenge of a slaughtered father before the life of a husband the title of a Queene State Soueraigntie or any other worldly dignitie whatsoeuer Something is not amisse to be spoken in this place concerning the loue of mothers towards their children which as Plutarch in his Grec Apotheg saith was excellently obserued in Themistocles Prince of the Athenians who was wont to say That hee knew no reason but that his young sonne whom his mother most dotingly affected should haue more power and commaâ—nd than any one man in Greece whatsoeuer and being demanded the reason hee thus answered Athens sayth he commands all Greece I Themistocles haue predominance ouer Athens my wife ouer-swayes me â—nd my sonne ouer-rules his mother Olympias the mother of Alexander caused Iollaes graue to be ript vp who was Butler to her sonne and his bones to be scattered abroad raging against him in death on whom in his life time shee could not be reuenged on for the death of her sonne to whom this Iollas was said to haue ministred poyson Agrippina the mother of Domitius Nero by all meanes and industrie possible labouring to confirme the Empire vnto her sonne enquired of the Chaldaeans and Astrologers Whether by their calculations they could find if he should liue to be created Caesar who returned her this answer That they found indeed by their Art that he should be Emperour but withall that he should be the death of his mother To whom she answered Inter-ficiat modo Imperet i. I care not though he kill me so I may but liue to see him raigne Sab. lib. 3. cap. 4. The same Author tells vs that in the second Punick warre the Romanes being ouerthrowne with infinite slaughter in the battailes fought at Thrasiamenus Cannas many that were reported to be assuredly dead escaping with life after their funeralls had beene lamented returning home vnexpectedly to their mothers such infinite ioy oppressed them at once that as if sinking beneath too
yoake and supplying the place of those beasts drew her in time conuenient vnto the place where the sacred Ceremonies were according to the custome celebrated The Oblations ended and she willing to gratifie their filiall dutie besought of the goddesse That if euer with chast and vndefiled hands she had obserued her Sacrifice or if her sonnes had borne themselues piously and religiously towards her that she would graunt vnto them for their goodnesse the greatest blessing that could happen to any mortall or humane creatures This prayer was heard and the two zealous sonnes drawing backe their mother in her Chariot from the Temple vnto the place where she then soiourned being wearie with their trauaile layd them downe to sleepe The mother in the morning comming to giue her sonnes visitation and withall thankes for their extraordinarie and vnexpected paines and trauaile found them both dead vpon their Pallets by which she conceiued That there is no greater blessing to be conferred vpon man than a faire death when Loue good Opinion and Honor attend vpon the Hearse These I must confesse are worthie eternall memorie and neuer-dying admiration But hath not the like pietie towards their parents beene found in women I answer Yes How did Pelopea the daughter of Thiestes reuenge the death of her father Hypsipile the daughter of Thoas gaue her father life when he was vtterly in despaire of hope or comfort Calciope would not lose her father or leaue him though hee had loâ—t and left his kingdome Harpalice the daughter of Harpalicus restored her father in battaile and after defeated the enemie and put him to flight Erigone the daughter of Icarus hearing of the death of her father strangled her selfe Agaue the daughter of Cadmus slew the king Lycotharsis in Illyria and possest her father of his before vsurped Diademe Xantippe fed her father Nyconus or as some will haue it Cimonus in prison with milke from her breasts Tyro the daughter of Salmoneus to relieue her father slew her owne children Who will be further resolued of these let him search Hyginus And so much shall suffice for filiall dutie towards their Parents Of Sisters that haue beene kind to their Brothers THe Poets and Historiographers to impresse into vs the like naturall pietie haue left diuerse presidents to posteritie Innumerable are the examples of fraternall loue betwixt Brother and Brother To illustrate the other the better I will giue you a tast of some few Volater lib. 14. cap. 2. de Antropo relates how in that warre which Cai. Cornelius Cinna Tribune beeing expelled the citie with Caius Marius and others commenced against the Romans there were two brothers one of Pompeyes armie the other of Cinnaes who meeting in the battaile in single encounter one slew the other but when the Victor came to rifle the dead bodie and found it to be his owne naturall brother after infinite sorrow and lamentation he cast himselfe into the fire where the slaughtered carkasse was burned M. Fabius the Consull in the great conflict against the Hetrurians and Veientians obtained a glorious victorie when the Senate and the people of Rome had with great magnificence and cost at their owne charge prepared for him an illustrious triumph hee absolutely refused that honour because Q. Fabius his brother fighting manfully for his countrey was slaine in that battaile What a fraternall pietie liued in his breast may be easily coniectured who refused so remarkable an honour to mourne the losse of a beloued brother Valer. cap. 5. lib. 5. Wee reade in our English Chronicles of Archigallo brother to Gorbomannus who being crowned king of Brittaine and extorting from his subiects all their goods to enrich his owne Coffers was after fiue yeeres deposed and depriued of his Royall dignitie in whose place was elected Elidurus the third sonne of Morindus and brother to Archigallo a vertuous Prince who gouerned the people gently and iustly Vpon a time beeing hunting in the Forrest hee met with his brother Archigallo whom hee louingly embraced and found such meanes that he reconciled him both to the Lords and Commons of the Realme that done he most willingly resigned vnto him his Crowne and Scepter after hee himselfe had gouerned the Land fiue yeeres Archigallo was re-instated and continued in great loue with his brother reigning ten yeeres and was buried at Yorke after whose death Elidurus was againe chosen king What greater enterchange of fraternall loue could be found in brothers To equall whom I will first begin with the sisters of Phaeton called by some Heliades by others Phaetontides who with such funerall lamentation bewayled the death of their brother that the gods in commiseration of their sorrow turned them into Trees whose transformations Ouid with great elegancie expresseth Lib. 1. Metamorph. as likewise Virgil in Cutice their names were Phaethusa Lampitiae Phebe c. Antigone the daughter of Oedipus when her brother Eteocles was slaine in battaile shee buried his bodie maugre the contradiction of the Tyrant Creon of whom Ouid Lib. 3. Tristium Fratrem Thebana peremplam Supposuit tumulo rege vetante soror The Theban sister to his Tombe did bring Her slaught'red brothers Corse despight the king Hyas being deuoured of a Lyon the Hyades his sisters deplored his death with such infinite sorrow that they wept themselues to death And for their pietie were after by the gods translated into Starres of whom Pontanus Fratris Hyae quas perpetuus dolor indidit astris Thus you see how the Poet did striue to magnifie and eternize this Vertue in Sisters No lesse compassionat was Electra the daughter of Agamemnon on her brother Orestes and Iliona the issue of Priam when shee heard the death of young Polidore Stobaeus Serm. 42. out of the Historie of Nicolaus de morib gentium sayth That the Aethiopians aboue all others haue their sisters in greatest reuerence insomuch that their kings leaue their succession not to their owne children but to their sisters sonnes but if none of their issue be left aliue they chuse out of the people the most beautifull and warlike withall whom they create their Prince and Soueraigne Euen amongst the Romans M. Aurelius Commodus so dearely affected his sister that being called by his mother to diuide their fathers Patrimonie betwixt them hee conferred it wholly vpon her contenting himselfe with his grandfathers reuenue Pontanus de Liber cap. 11. I will end this discourse concerning Sisters with one Historie out of Sabellicus li. 3. c. 7. the same confirmed by Fulgosius lib. 5. cap. 5. Intaphernes was say they one of those confederat Princes who freed the Persian Empire from the vsurpation of the Magician brothers and conferred it vpon Darius who now being established in the supreme dignitie Intaphernes hauing some businesse with the king made offer to enter his chamber but being rudely put backe by one of the groomes or waiters he tooke it in such scorne that no
lesse reuenge would satisfie his rage than to cut off his eares and nose of which the king hauing present notice his indignation exceeded the others rage for he gaue commandement That for this insolence and outrage done in the Pallace and so neere his presence that not onely Intaphernes the Delinquent but all the male issue of his stocke and race whatsoeuer should be layd hold vpon and after to the dread and terror of the like offendors by mercilesse death tast the terror of the kings incensement The Sentence of their apprehension was performed and their execution hourely expected when the wife of Intaphernes cast her selfe groueling before the Court gate with such pittifull eiulations and clamours that they came euen to the eares of Darius and much penetrated him being vttered with such passionate and moouing accents able to mollifie the Flint or soften Marble Imprest therefore with her pittious lamentations the king sent vnto her That her teares and clamours had so farre preuayled with him that from the condemned societie they had ransomed one and one onely to continue the memorie of their Name and Familie chuse amongst them all whose life she most fauoured and whose safetie with the greatest affection desired but further than this to graunt her his Sentence was vnalterable None that heard this small yet vnexpected fauour from the king but presently imagined she would either redeeme her husband or at least one of her sonnes two of them beeing all that shee had then groning vnder the burthen of that heauie Sentence But after some small meditation contrarie to the expectation of all men shee demaunded the life of her brother The king somewhat amased at her choyse sent for her and demaunded the reason Why shee had preferred the life of a brother before the safetie of such a noble husband or such hopefull children To whom shee answered Behold O king I am yet but young and in my best of yeeres and I may liue to haue another husband and so consequently by him more children But my father and mother are both aged and stricken in yeeres and should I lose a Brother I should for euermore be depriued of that sacred Name At which words the king exceedingly moued to see with what a fraternall zeale they were spoken he not onely released her brother but added to his vnexpected bountie the life of her eldest sonne Of Matrimonie and Coniugall Loue. IT was inserted in Platoes Lawes That what man soeuer liued a Batchelor aboue fiue and thirtie yeeres of age was neyther capable of Honor nor Office Alexand. ab Alex. lib. 4. cap. 8. Licurgus the Law-giuer amongst the Lacedemonians as the same Author testifies to shew the necessitie of Marriage made a Decree That all such as affected singlenesse and sollitude of life should be held ignominious They were not admitted to the publique Playes but in the Winter were compelled to passe through the Market-place naked and without garments The Law of the Spartans set a fine vpon his head first that married not at all next on him that married not till hee was old and lastly on him they set the greatest mulct that married an euill wife or from a strange Tribe Stobae Sermon 65. Fulgosius calls these Iudgements Cacogamia and Opsigawiâ— lib. 2. cap. 1. So laudable and reuerent was Marriage amongst the Lacedemonians procreation of children and fertilitie of issue That whosoeuer was the father of three children should be free from Watch and Ward by day or by night and whosoeuer had foure or vpward were rewarded with all Immunities and Libertie This Law was first confirmed by Q. Metellus Numidicus Censor after approoued by Iulius Caesar and lastly established by Augustus Memorable are the words of Metellus in a publike Oration to the people If wee could possibly be without wiues O Romans saith he wee might all of vs be free from that molestation and trouble but since Nature incites vs and necessitie compells vs to this exigent That wee can neither liue with them without inconuenience nor without them at all more expedient it is therefore that we ayme at the generall and lasting profit than at our owne priuate and momentanie pleasure Bruson lib. 7. cap. 22. The Athenians the Cretans the Thurians all in their Statutes and Ordinances encouraged Marriage and punished the obstinacie of such as tooke vpon them the peeuishnesse of singlenesse and sollitude either with amercement or disgrace To that purpose was the Law Iulia instituted that incited young men in their prime and flourishing age to the marriage of wiues propagation of issue and education of children and that such should be encouraged by rewards and the opposers thereof to be deâ—erred with punishments Tiberius Caesar depriued one of his Quaestorship because he diuorced himselfe from his wife hauing beene but three dayes married alledging That hee in whom there was such lightnesse could not be profitable for any thing Claudius Caesar caused the Law Papia to be abrogated giuing men of threescore yeeres and vpwards the free libertie to marrie as at those yeares of abilitie to haue issue Theodoretus lib. 1. cap. 7. and Sozomenus lib. 1. cap. 10. both write That in the Nicene Councell when certaine of the Bishops would introduce into the Church a new Decree before that time not knowne namely That all Bishops Prelates Priests Deacons and Spirituall or Religious men should be made vncapable of Marriage as also all such as in the time of their Laitie before they booke the Ministerie or any seruice of the Church vpon them should be separated from their wiues of whom they were then possest One Paphnuâ—ius Confessor who was likewise Bishop of a citie in the vpper Thebais stood vp and with great feruencie opposed the motion yet a man of approoued chastitie and great austeritie of life who though he were mightily opposed yet at length so farre preuailed with the Synod of the Fathers that it was definitiuely concluded That though the marriage of Priests were interdictedâ— and singlenesse of life inioyned them yet all such as had wiues were dispensed withall till death made a separation betwixt them Pius the second Pope of that name being a man of vnquestioned prudence and grauitie weightie in his words and discreet in all his actions was often heard to say That he held it more conuenient and consonant both to reason and Religion that their wiues should be restored to Priests than taken from them For the wise Bishop well vnderstood that the restraining them from lawfull marriage was the occasions of their falling into many great and grieuous sinnes which by the former legall and regular course might be preuented and if the libertie of Marriage were againe admitted peraduenture many of those sinnes might in time decrease and be forgotten into which by that restraint they were subiect hourely to fall Fulgos. lib. 7. cap. 2. This short discourse shall serue for the necessitie of Marriage which is euer the most pleasing and contented when it is made
deliberation priuately to her selfe which graunted and beeing retyred shee first writ in a short Scedule these words Let none report that the wife of Pandoerus harboured so little loue as to out-line him Which Note leauing vpon the Table she tooke a sword then hanging in the chamber with which she immediately dispatcht her selfe of life and so expired following him in death with whose life shee could be no longer delighted Ibidem Equall in all Matrimoniall pietie with this Ladie was Cecilia Barbadica Veneta who after the death of her husband Philippus Vedraminus by no counsaile comfort or persuasion could be woon either by her kindred or friends to taste the least food whatsoeuer or giue answer to any word that was spoken to her in which silence and consumption shee after some few dayes of vnspeakable sorrow breathed her last Egnat lib. 4. cap. 6. Petrus Candianus after the decease of his first wife espoused a second called Walberta the daughter of Vgon one of the Princes of Italie who liued with him in all obedience with a religious obseruation of true coniugall loue and pietie neuer forsaking him in any disaster but attended him with her young sonne in law Vitalis The Duke her husband being after slaine by the Venetians in a seditious mutinie Vitalis escaped the furie of the Massacre and fled but shee stayed to abide the vtmost danger with the bodie of her dead husband meditating all posible meanes to reuenge the death of her husband vpon the Conspirators but her womannish inabilitie not preuayling shee likewise secretly left the citie and followed her sonne Vitalis in whose societie shee fled to Adeleta the wife of Otho the German Emperour who at the same time resided in the citie Placentia but after long vaine intercession seeing her hopes and purposes quite frustrate she retyred againe to her owne citie where she liued a sad and solitarie life still inuoking the name of Petrus Candianus with whose name in her mouth she not long after deceased Egnat the remembrancer of the former Historie speakes likewise of Franciscus Foscarus another Duke of Venice who married a second wife out of the noble Family of the Nanae with whom he conioynedly liued long and had by her hopefull issue But the Senate in his age depriuing him of the Principalitie with the griefe thereof he retyred himselfe into the most antient house of his owne Family and there after three dayes died Whose bodie when the Fathers would haue had brought forth to a solemne and Princely Funerall because he had once beene their Duke and Soueraigne she shut her gates against them blaming their former ingratitude alledging she had both wealth and will sufficient without them to bestow vpon him the latest rites due to a worthie and royall husband And though the Fathers were instant vpon her first with entreats and after menaces yet she constantly persisted in her resolution not suffering them once to approach the place much lesse to take thence the bodie where she had carefully bestowed it still exclayming on the Senates mallice and the Common-weales ingratitude who to their former wrongs went about to adde this new iniurie not to leaue him in death to her whom they had so periuriously in life forsaken Notwithstanding these exclamations they shut her vp in her chamber and perforce tooke thence the bodie all the Fathers attending vpon the Hearse vpon which they bestowed a solemne and a pompous Funerall The greater their counterfeit sorrow was outwardly the greater was her inward and essentiall griefe still more more weeping euery succeeding day adding to her teares to thinke that her Princely husband should in his death be for any courtesies at all beholding to his enemies desiring that he whom from his Principalitie they had degraded and compelled to a priuate life might onely by her and from her haue had a priuate Funerall with whose choyse affection and rare Coniugall pietie I haue broke off to enter vpon a new Proiect. De Laenis or of Bawdes FRom the honor of Women I now come to the disgrace and shame of their Sex in which I will striue to bee as briefe as I know the verie name to bee to all chast mindes odious Sotades Marionites Cinedus that is one abused against nature or addicted to preposterous Venerie was a Poet and writ most bawdie and beastly Iambicks in the Ionicke tongue which he intituled Cinaedi in which were described the formes and figures of seuerall new deuised Lusts and before that time vnheard-of prostitutions Of whom Martiall thus sayes Nec retro lego Sotadem Cinaedum Neither doe I read Sotades Cinaedus backeward For as Valeterran Lib. 17. Antropoph relates his verses were all to bee read backeward least their included nastinesse might appeare too plaine and palpable Tranquil reports of Tiberius Caesar That hee had built Cellers and Vaults in which all kind of lusts and monstrous congressions were practised in his presence which would offend any modest eare but to heare related The Emperour Domitian succeeded if not exceeded him in those detestable and diuillish abhominations Hee as Suetonius affirmes deuised that which was called Clinopales i. The wrestling in the bed he was often seene to bath himselfe and swimme in the companie of the basest and most common strumpets hee stuprated his brothers daughter yet a Virgin after shee was contracted to another man Cratinus Atheniensis the Comicke Poet was so dissolutely addicted both to Wine and Venerie that hee hung his chamber round with Glasses the better to discouer himselfe in his own vnnatural and beastly prostitutions The like some of our scandalous Grammarians most falsly would asperse vpon Horace Suet. confers the like vpon Tiberius as likewise Gyrald Dial. 6. Historiae Poetarum Elephantis Philaenis and Astianassa writ bookes of the seuerall wayes of Congression with the pictures of them inserted but of them I shall speake further in the title of the Poëtesses but before I come to those shee-monsters in particular I will remember some few men infamous in the like kind Erasmus in Chiliadib speakes of one Clobulus a most wicked He-bawde who kept in his house two most infamous strumpets whose bodyes he prostituted for money to all strangers and what the whoores could not extort from them hee himselfe would robbe them of from whence came the prouerbe Clobuli ingum which was still in vse when two knaues of like dishonestie were seene to haue friendship and socitie together Timaeus apud Erasmun speakes of one Cymarus a Selenusian Bawde who all his lifetime promised to leaue his ill gotten goods to the Temple of Venus in whose seruice he had got them but at his death they were all squandred and lost by the direption of the multitude One Cippius counterfeited himself to sleepe and snort that others with the lesse feare or doubt might haue free intercourse and carnall societie with his wife an argument that hee was not haunted with the fiend called Iealosie
accordingly done and she appeared before him all stayned and sprinkled with blood for she had not yet changed her habite at which hee grew at the first amased demaunding the cause of her repaire thither She desired her seruant might be likewise admitted who attended at the doore of his Tent for hee had that about him by which he should be better informed His entrance was graunted but being suspected by the guard because they perceiued him hide something folded vp in his garments they searcht him and found a head cut off but by reason of the palenesse of the face which was disfigured with the clottered and congealed bloud the countenance thereof could hardly be discerned The seruant was brought in with the head still dropping blood in his hand At which the king more wondering desired by her to be better certified concerning the Nouell to whom she boldly replyed Loe here ô Alexander the end of thy many troubles and feares the head of the great Captaine Spitamenes who though my husband yet because hee was thine enemie I haue caused his head to be cut off and here present it vnto thee At the horridenesse of these words the king with all that stood by were abashed euerie one glad of the thing done but in their hearts detesting the manner of the deed The Ladie still expecting an answer Alexander after some pawse thus replyed I must confesse Ladie the great courtesie and infinite benefit receiued from you in presenting me the head of an Out-Law a Traytor and one that was to mee a great obstacle and an hinderance in the smooth passage to my intended Victories but when I vnderstand it to be done by the hands of a woman nay a wife the strange horridenesse of the fact takes away all the thankes and reward due to the benefit I therefore command you instantly to depart the Campe and that with all speed possible for I would not haue the sauage and inhumane examples of the Barbarians contaminate and infect the mild and soft temper of the noble Grecians With which words she was instantly hurried from his presence As noble a president of Iustice in a Prince as it was an abhorred example of crueltie in a most vnnaturall wife Q. Curt. lib. 8. de Alexandri Histor. From a remorselesse wife I come now to as obdurate a step-mother Pelops hauing married Hyppodamia the daughter of Tantalus and Eurianassa had by her two sonnes Thiestes and Atreus and by the Nymph Danais a third sonne called Crisippus to which he seemed outwardly better affected than to the former on whom king Laius of Thebes casting an amorous eye at length stole him from his father But Pelops with his two sonnes by Hyppodamia made warre vpon Laius tooke him prisoner and recouered Crisippus and when hee truly vnderstood that loue was the cause of his rape hee was attoned with Laius and an inuiolable league of amitie combined betwixt them Whilest the Theban yet soiourned with Pelops Hyppodamia persuaded with Atreus and Thiestes to conspire against the life of Crisippus as one that aymed at the succession in the kingdome but not preuayling she meditated with her selfe how to despoyle him of life with her owne hands when hauing conueyed the sword of Laius out of his chamber when he was fast sleeping she came to the bed of Crisippus and transpierced him as he lay leauing the sword still in his bodie and left the place vndiscouered accusing the Theban for his death but the youth not fully dead recouered so much spirit as to discouer the murtheresse for which king Laius was acquitted and she from her husband receiued condigne punishment for her immanitie and murther Dosythaeus in Pelopedis Progne to reuenge the rape of her sister Philomela vpon her husband Tereus king of Thrace feasted him with the bodie of his owne sonne Itis of which you may read at large in Ouids Metamorphosis Some women haue beene so vnnaturall as to betray their fathers After Troy was vtterly subuerted and despoyled king Diomede one of the most valiant amongst the kings of Greece in the returne towards his countrey being by stormes and tempests violently cast vpon the coast of Thrace where Lycas the sonne of Mars then reigned and according to the bloodie custome of the countrey sacrificed all such strangers as landed vpon his Continent his daughter Callirhoe surprised with the loue of king Diomede not onely released him from durance but betrayed the life of Lycus her father into his hands notwithstanding hee most trecherously left her for which ingratitude and vrged with remorse of conscience for proouing so vnnaturall vnto him from whom she had her being by strangling her selfe shee despairingly expired Iuba lib. 3. Libicorum Paralleld with this is that which wee reade of Calphurnius Crassus an illustrious Roman and sent by M. Regulus against the Massilians to take in a most defensible Castle called Garaetium but by the crosse disaster of fortune being surprised in the siege thereof and reserued the next day to be sacrificed to Saturne being in despaire either of rescue or life Besalia daughter to the king who was then possest of the Port falling in loue with Calphurnius not onely deliuered vp vnto him the keyes of the Castle that hee might freely escape with life but betrayed vnto him the libertie and life of her father but after being most degenerately forsaken by him she desperately slew her selfe Hegesinax lib. 3. rerum Africarum I am wearie with setting downe these immanities in women and Polihimnia now inuites me to a new argument Of Women strangely preserued from death and such as haue vnwillingly beene the death of their Fathers NIceas Maleotes as Plutarch in his thirteenth Paralell testates reports That when Hercules for the loue of Iole the daughter of Cacus inuaded Oechalia and shee abhorring the embraces of him who had before slaine her father retyred herselfe for safetie into the strongest Cittadell in her countrey in which beeing straightly besieged by Hercules and the Fort readie to be surprised taken she hauing no way to escape and vnwilling to stand to the mercie of so louing an enemie mounted vp into the highest Turret of the Castle and from thence cast her selfe headlong downe towards the Earth but the wind gathering vnder her loose garments so extenuated the fall that she came to the ground without any hurt at all by which miraculous fortune shee inioyed a desperate life and Hercules a most desired mistresse Answerable vnto this is that which Theophilus Italicorum tertio relates The Romans in the Etrurian warre instituted Valerius Torquatus Generall of their forces hee hauing beheld Clusia the daughter of the Tuscan king grew innamoured of the Virgin◠and sent Embassadors to demaund her of her father but shee not willing to make any contract with her countries enemie and her father as loth to contradict his daughter the motion and offer of Torquatus was peremptorily denied at which inraged hee begyrt
the citie with a strong and fearefull siege ingaging the defendants to all dangers and difficulties in so much that Clusia timerous of surprisall and preferring death before captiuitie threw her selfe from the highest part of the wall to destroy her selfe in the open view and face of the enemie but either as the former late mentioned fauoured by the windes or as my Author tels me greatly supported by the hand of Venus or whether the pittious Earth vnwilling to hurt or harme such faire and well featured limbes and therefore with more than accustomed courtesie fauorably receiued her into her lappe I am not certaine but the Ladie to the wonder of all the beholders was taken vp whole and sound without wound or the least-astonishment and from thence conducted to the Tent of the Generall who beecause he made but offer to violate her chastitie the euer nobly minded Romans not onely tooke from him the charge of the armie alleaging that hee that could not gouerne his owne affections was not fit to command others but confined him into the Island Corsica adiacent neere to the continent of Italie Not much lesse strange was that of Perhibaea the daughter of Accathous who when Telamon the sonne of Aeacus and Eudeides came into the cittie of Euboea where shee then soiourned with her father and tooke her at that aduantage that shee was by him devirgined and deflowred his name or person not being knowne by her or any and so priuily escaped and fled away by night Accathous after perceiuing her by assured tokens to bee growne bigge with child and suspecting it to be done by some one of his citisens or subiects hee was thereat so incensed that banishing all pietie or paternall pittie he deliuered her into the hands of one of his captaines commaunding him either to kill her with his sword or cast her into the Sea the souldier vndertakes the imposition of his soueraigne vpon him with many vowes and protestations to performe his pleasure with all strictnesse and seueritie but by the way commiserating her wretched fortune and loth to be the destroyer of such youth and beautie created for better vse comming neere the Sea-shore and spying a ship there at Anchor he sold her to the cheefe marchant for a summe of money returning to the father with an assured relation of his daughters death The marriners presently with this faire purchase hoysed sayle and a faire and gentle gale fauouring them they attained vnto the port of Salamine and there harboured where purposing to make sale of their marchandise they exposed them to the publique view amongst the rest they set a price on the Princesse Perhibaea Telamon who was duke of Salamine and then resiant in the cittie tooke his attendants with him and hearing of this new marchant went downe to the Key to take the first view of his goods and prouide himselfe of such things as he wanted amongst all the faire Perhibaea pleased him best whose face he well knew and still remembred what had past betwixt them hee bargained for her payd downe her price conducted her to his pallace and there acquainted her with the true passage of all his former proceedings Within few moneths shee brought him a sonne which he called Aiax and this was that Aiax Telamon who at the siege of Troy betwixt the two armies combatted with bold Hector in the plaine of Scamander you shall reade this historie in Aretades Guidius in his second booke inscribed Insulis The next that insues hath correspondence with this Lucius Trocius had a beautifull young daughter called Florentia shee was stuprated by the Roman Calphurnius and when the act came to the knowledge of her father deliuered to the trustie executioner to bee cast into the Sea who in the same manner was by him pittied and sold to a marchant his ship beeing then bound for Italie where she being exposed to publique sale was seene knowne and bought by Calphurnius by whom hee had a sonne called Contruscus I proceede to such as haue vnwittingly beene the death of their parents Euenus the sonne of Mars and Steropes by his wife Alcippa the daughter of Oennemanus had a beautifull female issue whom hee called Marpissa who had vowed perpetuall virginitie her Idas the sonne of Aphareus rauished and stole away which her father hearing prosecuted him euen vnto his owne countrey but in vaine for not able to ouertake them and returning without her in greefe of his lost daughter whom he so deerely loued hee threw himselfe into the riuer Lycormus and was there drowned some thinke that by his death the flood lost his name and was euer after called Euenus Dosithae lib. 1. rerum Italicarum Anius king of the Etruscians hauing a rarely featured damosell to his daughter called Salia whose virginitie he had vowed to Diana and therefore admitted no suitors though many great and rich offers were made vnto her at length as shee was sporting abroad amongst other virgins shee was espyed by one Calthetas a hopefull young gentleman and ennobled by his familie who at the first sight of her was so extaside with her beautie that maugre all feare of pursuit or danger hee snatcht her vp in his armes and vsed such meanes that hee got her safe within the walls of Rome Her father following the rauisher but not ouertaking him was strucke into such a deepe sorrow that desparate of all comfort or counsell hee violently cast himselfe into the next Foord that parted Rome and his owne Kingdome which euer since that time still beares the name of Anius Calihetus had by Salia two braue sonnes Latinus and Salinus who were famous in their noble nad flourishing issue insomuch that some of the best and greatest families in Rome were proud from them to deriue their ancestrie This historie is recorded by Aristides Milesius by Alexander and Polihistor lib. tertio Italicorum Of Clamorous Women commonly called Skoulds CNeius Pompeius to make his faction the stronger by his friend Munatius sent to Cato that hee would bee pleased of his two Neeces to contract the one of them to himselfe the other to his sonne by whome Cato sent word backe to Pompeius That though he as a friend tooke gratefully the free profer of his friendship and allyance yet beeing a man hee had euer kept himselfe from beeing intricated in the snares of women but hee protested hee would adhere vnto him in a more firme league of amitie than could be contracted by kindred if hee would studie any thing conducent and profitable for the common-weale but against the publique good hee would neither giue nor take hostages calling his neeces who as some write were his daughters giuen so in matrimonie no better than pledges of much future inconuenience especially in matters of state where the common-weale is distracted and diuided Eras. 5. Apotheg Socrates was wont to say that hee had patiently suffered three torments Grammer Pouertie and a skoulding Wife Xantippe two of
which he had prettily well euaded namely Grammer and Pouertie but the morositie of a Skould hee could neuer put off Anton. Parle 2. Meless Serm. 34. The like may be sayd of Sausarion the Comicke Poet equally tormented with a bitter and rayling wife Pittacus Mitelenus hauing married the sister of Draco the sonne of Penthilius a proude insolent and rayling woman persuaded a deere friend of his to marrie with the other sister for if hee were neuer so much giuen to wrath and anger shee would teach him sufferance and patience Laertius when Georgias the Sophist at the solemnitie of the Olimpicke games had made an elabourat Oration Concerning concord and to persuade men to vnitie one Melanthius in the conclusion or catastrophe thereof spake aloude This man persuades all Greece to peace who hauing but one wife and three maides at home yet his house is neuer without clamour and dissention and with all his smooth and filed phrases cannot make his owne peace Erasm. 6. Apotheg Mar. Pacuvius vpon a time sayd weeping to his familiar friend and neighbour Actius alias Arius Deere friend saith he I haue a tree in my garden in my minde the most prodigious and vnhappie that euer the earth produced or gaue sappe vnto for vpon that my first wife hanged her selfe and after that the second and now but this morning my third and last to whom Arius his neighbour replyde I wonder you beeing a learned man and approoued for your wisedome should be any way greeued at these successes and chances Dij boni inquit quot tibi dispendia arbor iste suspendit i. Oh you gods how many of thy dammages and losses hast thou hanged vpon that tree and proceeded thus Deere friend giue me some of those grafts and scientes tha I may plant them in my orchard or garden Valerius records this in an epistle to Rufinus As also Cicero reports the like of a Sicilian in 2. de Orat. and Gyraldus Dial. 8. Histor. Poetarum Euen Cato Censorius could not escape a brawling and crabbed wife though he married her from an ignoble stocke and familie Guid. Bitturn sayth That Hadrianus had a wife called Sabina hard peruerse vntoward rude in her behauiour towards her husband and worthie to be repudiated and her bed and societie abandoned Alphonsus king of Naples demaunding of one Antonius Panormita What noble Neapolitane gentlemen were delighted in Hunting or whether any late Writer had published any Treatise concerning the goodnesse and excellencie of Dogges To whom Panormita answered I beseech thee ô king rather aske this knight pointing to one that was then in presence who can better resolue you who for the space of fortie yeeres hath beene continually so conseruant amongst such creatures that euerie night he beddeth with a Canicula which word as it signifieth a Brach or Bitch so it is taken for a detractor or snarling slanderer as also for a Dogge-fish and proceeded Therefore hee ô king can best describe vnto you their natures and conditions This knight of Naples whose name for his honors sake is concealed onely smiled at the taunt giuen by Antonius well apprehending that by Canicula hee intended his wife a woman barkingly clamorous most contentious and bitter Pontanus Gregorius Hamburgensis a famous and eloquent Lawyer amongst all the German practisers the most approoued when all his busie imployments were ended in the Court of Caesar where hee was stayed some two moneths or thereabouts and as wee say in our English phrase the Terme being done and hee returning home to his owne house not farre from the Towne of Nurimburch where hee then dwelled hee met with a friend and neighbour who after some familiar salutes past betwixt them told him That his wife was liuing and in good health at home to whom shaking his head he made this short reply Si vxor viuit saene obij i. If my wife be liuing then am I but dead thereby intimating that the morositie of a curst wife is no better than a dayly death to her husband Aeneas Sylu. Lib. 3. Commentar de reb Cestis Alphonsi Thisponius the Lawyer and of the learned Councell to king Alphonsus hauing at one time three hundred pieces of Gold stolne from him which was part of the Dower of a peruerse and peeuish wife whom hee had lately married for which being wondrous sad and pensiue in the presence of the king Alphonsus looking vpon him and seeming to commiserate his sadnesse broke out into these tearmes O how happie a man were Thisponius if the theeues had stolne away his wife and left the Gold behind them Panormita Lib. 1. de Gestis Alphons Euripides the most excellent of the Greeke Tragicke Poets had two wiues the name of the first was Cherile or as Suidas calls her Charine the daughter of Mnesilochus by whom hee had three sonnes Mnesiloches the Actor or Stage-player Mnesarchides the Marchant and the third Euripides the Orator yet partly for suspition of adulterie and by reason hee led with her an vnquiet life after so hopefull an issue shee was diuorced from him After this separation hee married another called Melitto who being apprehended in adulterie with Ctesiphon the Player hee was so branded for a Cuckold and so taunted and ieasted at by the Comicke Poets in the publique Theatre that he was forced to leaue the citie and to remoue himselfe into Macedonia where hee spent the remainder of his life in the Court of king Archelaus Gell. Lib. 15. cap. 20. Athenaeus Lib. 13. Arnus Tarquinius and Tullia liued together in perpetuall discord and dissention by reason of her vntoward and crabbed condition Adrianus Berlandus tells vs of an Inne-keeper or Host a pleasant and frolicke fellow who when a guest of his complained vnto him that he could not endure such noyse and clamour for his wiues tongue neuer ceased walking finding fault with this thing then that besides there was no cessation of her perpetuall brawling and chiding with her maids and seruants To whom the merrie Host replyed And I pray my friend is this a iust cause for your impatience or discontent What doe you thinke of me then that for two and thirtie yeeres space haue had this noyse and clamour continually in mine eares night and day without ceasing and yet you see with what sufferance I beare it and cannot you endure it for the space of a few minutes By which words hee not onely gaue present satisfaction to his guest but conuerted his wiues anger into laughter Seruius Tullius king of the Romanes conferred his two daughters vpon the two Tarquius Aruns and Superbus of seuerall dispositions were the men and of sundrie conditions the women as they were opposite in humour they were as vnfitly disposed To Aruns a man of a quiet and mild temper Tullia a Ladie bold and daring was giuen on Superbus a Prince haughtie and insolent the other beeing a modest and meeke Ladie was bestowed Disparitie of mindes could not brooke the
inequalitie of manners Therefore bold and bloodie Tullia poysons her faire and gentle-conditioned Aruns the other modest and mild-tempered sister is made away by the proud and ambitious Superbus the best are lostâ— the worst left They two contract an incestuous Marriage Pride with Crueltie and Immanitie with Ambition Murther is the ground or cause and Treason and Vsurpation the prodigious effect shee complots the death of her owne naturall father and hee the ruine of his liege Lord and Soueraigne shee a Parricide hee a Regicide The king is betwixt them slaine ouer whose dead bodie shee caused her Chariot to be drawne Her cheekes blushed not when the wheeles of her Waggon were stained with her fathers blood And so much to giue Tullia a short character the most insolent of Wiues and the worst of Daughters Of a lower voice softer spirit and more temperate condition were these wiues following Chilonia the wife of Cleombrotus king of Sparta and daughter of Leonides who had before soueranised when in those ciuile combustions the sonne in law had expulsed the father and compelled him into exile shee neuer ceased to importune her husband till shee had called him home from banishment But in processe of time when Fortune had turned her Wheele and Leonides in those dissentions hauing got the better had confined Cleombrotus shee was an hourely intercessor for the repeale of her husband but finding her father to bee obdure and her suit by him not listened too though she might in all pleasure and ease haue happily spent her age in her owne cittie with her father shee rather made choise to be a faithfull companion in all distresses with her husband Fulgos. lib. 6. cap. 7. Anaxandrides the sonne of Leontias marryed with his sisters daughter whom hee exceedingly loued but because shee was barraine and that by her he had no issue the Ephori made suit vnto him to be diuorsed from her and would haue compelled him vnto it but when he had absolutely denied to condiscend with them in that point they made another request vnto him That hee would take vnto him another wife more fruitfull least the most fortunate issue of Euristaeus might in him bee extinguished Hee therefore at their intreaties tooke to him a second wife namely Perinetades the daughter of Demarmenus and so brought her home to his house where which is strange the two women liued together peaceably without emulation or enuie His last wife brought him a sonne whom hee called Cleomenes and not long after his first wife before barraine made him the fortunate father of three sonnes the first Dorieâ—s the second Leonides the third Cleombrotus but Cleomenes the eldest by the second wife succeeded in the Soueraigntie Herodot Lib. 5. Thesca the sister of Dionisius beeing marryed to Polixenus who hauing entred into a Coniuration with other noble gentlemen to supplant the Tyrant but fearing discouerie fled for his best safetie Vpon whose flight Dionisius calls his sister into question as one that must of necessitie be priuie to his escape To whom shee boldly thus answered Thinkest thou ô Dionisius thy sister to be a woman of that seruile and degenerate condition that had shee knowne the least purpose of his retyrement shee would not haue made her selfe a companion in all his Nauigations and Trauaile Erasm. Apotheg Lib. 5. Caius Caligula the Emperour hauing found Herod the husband to Herodias Tetrarch of Galilee engaged in a reuolt from the Empire with Artahanus king of the Parthians amerced him in a great summe of money for that defect and till it was leuied and payed into the Treasurie gaue him in custodie to king Agrippa whom he had found loyall vnto him and in whose fidelitie hee much trusted Hee after banished Herod into Lyons a citie of France with an irreuocable doome of exile imposed vpon him but vnderstanding Herodias to be sister to the wife of Agrippa whom hee much fauoured out of Herods mulct or fine hee proportioned her a large Dower reserued in the hands of Agrippa to her vse as not dreaming shee would haue beene a companion with him in his confinement To which extraordinarie grace from the Emperour shee thus replyed You ô Emperour as best becomes your Maiestie speake like a royall and munificent Prince but the Coniugall Bond of Loue and Pietie in which I am tyed to a husband is to me an impediment that I am not capable of this great Largesse and vnmerited bountie Vnmeet it is that I who haue beene a partaker with him in all his prosperous and flourishing fortunes should now forsake him and not be a companion with him in the worst that disaster or aduersitie can inflict This noble answere Caligula tooke in such scorne and high displeasure to see himselfe in magnanimitie and greatnesse of spirit to be exceeded by a woman that hee banished her with her husband Herod and the bountie before bestowed on her hee conferred vpon her brother in law Agrippa Ioseph in Antiquitatibus Cleomenes the sonne of Anaxandrides and Perinetades but lately spoken of being expulsed from Sparta by Antigonus king of Macedonia fled for refuge to Ptolomeus king of Aegypt whither his wife would haue followed him but dissuaded by her parents notwithstanding a strict guard was set ouer her yet in the night shee beguiled her keepers and hauing prouided a Horse for the purpose posted with all possible speed to the next Port Towne that was least suspected where hyring a shippe with all the Coyne and Iewels shee had then about her shee sayled into Aegypt and there spent the remainder of her dayes with him in his vncomfortable exile Fulgos. lib. 6. cap. 7. I haue but one more gentle Reader to trouble thy patience with at this present Blanca Rubea Patauina the wife of Baptista a Porta betaking her selfe into the same free priuiledged Towne of which Bassianus was then Gouernour and whither her husband for his safetie was retyred in the yeere of our Redemption 1253 when Aâ—â—iolinus the Tyrant hauing lost Padua and bending all his forces to the surprisall of Bassiâ—â—â—â— compassing that at length by fraud and stratagem which by opposition and violence hee could neuer haue accomplished in the entring of which Towne Baptista was slaine and Blanca Rubea being armed and fighting boldly by his side till shee saw him fall was notwithstanding her masculine valour taken prisoner by a souldier and presented to the Tyrant who gazing on her rare feature much more beautified by the rich armour shee then had on grew exceedingly enamoured on this manly Virago and first with faire enticing blandishments hee courted her loue but finding no possibilitie to satiate his libidinous affections that waye where faire meanes fayled hee purposed force which to auoid and to preuent the dishonour intended her shee cast her selfe out from an high Bay-window two stories from the ground where being taken vp halfe dead with much difficultie shee was recouered No sooner was shee well able
least amongst the Magitians as hauing his art or rather diabolicall practise from his father hereditarie confesseth that in all his life time in his great familiaritie and acquaintance amongst them he neuer knew any one that was not in some part mishapen deformed The same Author with whose opinion Wicrius Hippocrates and others assent affirms that all those Demoniacks or Witches after they haue had commerce and congresse with the Deuill haue about them a continuall nastie and odious smell of which by the ancient writers they were called Faetentes by the Vasconians Fetelleres à Faetore i. Of stench insomuch that women who by nature haue a more sweet and refreshing breath than men after their beastly consocietie with Sathan change the propertie of nature and grow horrid putred corrupt and contagious For Sprangerus witnesseth who hath taken the examination of many they haue confessed a thing fearefull to be spoken to haue had carnall copulation with euil and vncleane spirits who no doubt beare the smell of the inâ—isible sulphure about them Now concerning this Magicke what reputation it hath beene in amongst men which in effect is no better than plaine Witchcraft in women we may reade in Nauclerus and Platina That all the Popes inclusiuely from Siluester the second to Gregorie the seuenth were Magicians but Cardinall Benno who obserued all the Bishops that way deuoted numbers but fiue Siluester the second Benedict the ninth Iohn the twentieth and one and twentieth and Gregorie the seuenth Of these Augustinus Onuphrius one of the Popes chamber that from the Vatican and the Liues of the Popes there registred made a diligent collection speakes of two only Siluester the second and Benedict the ninth one of them was after expelled from the Papacie Siluester lying vpon his death bed desired his tongue to be torne out and his hands to be cut off that had sacrifised to the Deuill confessing that he had neuer any inspection into that damnable Art till he was Archbishop of Rhemes These are the best rewards that Sathan bestowes vpon his suppliants and seruants how comes it else so many wretched and penurious Witches some beg their bread some die of hunger others rot in prisons and so many come to the gallowes or the stake It is reported of a gentleman of Mediolanum that hauing his enemie at his mercie held his steeletto to his heart and swore that vnlesse he would instantly abiure his faith and renounce his Sauiour had he a thousand liues he would instantly with as many wounds despoile him of all which the other for feare assenting to and he hauing made him iterate ouer and ouer his vnchristianlike blasphemies in the middle of his horrible abiuration stabd him to the heart vttering these words See I am reuenged of thy soule and bodie at once for as thy bodie is desperate of life so is thy soule of mercie This vncharitable wretch was an apt schollar to the grand Deuill his master who in the like manner deales with all his seruants who after he hath made them renounce their faith blaspheame their maker and do to him all beastly and abhominable adoration such as in their owne confessions shall be hereafter related he not only leaues them abiects from Gods fauour whose diuine maiestie they haue so fearefully blasphemed but deliuers them vp to all afflictions and tribulations of this life and all excruciations and torments in the world to come Horrible and fearefull haue beene the most remarkeable deaths of many of the professors of this diabolicall Art for whom the lawes of man hath spared as a terror to others the hand of heauen hath punished I will onely giue you a tast of some few Abdias Bab. Episcopus lib. 6. Certam Apostol writes That Zaroes and Arphaxad two infamous Magitians amongst the Persians with their exorcismes and incantations deluding the people in the houre when Simon and Iude suffered martyredome were stroke with lightning from heauen and so perisht Lucius Piso in the first booke of his Annals speakes of one Cinops a prince amongst the Magitians who at the prayer of S. Iohn the Euangelist was swallowed vp in a riuer Olaus Magnus lib. 2. cap. 4. de gentib Septentrional tells vs of one Methotis who by his prestigious iuglings had insinuated into the hearts of the people and purchast that opinion and authoritie amongst them that he was called The high and chiefe Priest to the gods who was after torne to peeces by the multitude from whose scattred limbes such a contagion grew that it infected the ayre of which much people perished Hollerus the Magitian was staine Oddo the Dane was besides his skill in Magicke a great pyrat it is written of him Wierius li. 2. ca. 4. that without ship or boat he would make his transmarine passage ouer the Ocean and by his Inchanâ—ments raise stormes to shipwrecke the vessells of his enemies hee was after notwithstanding swallowed in the sea and there most wretchedly perished D. Iohn Faustus borne at Kuneling a Village neere Cracouia was found dead by his bed side his face blasted and turned backward in the Dukedome of Wittenberch at which time the house wherein he died was shaken with a tempest and horrible Earthquake The Earle Matisconensis a practitioner in the same diuellish studie sitting at Dinner amongst many Lords Barons Captaines and others was snatcht from the Boord by Deuils and in the sight and view of all the people three times hurried swiftly round about the citie being heard to cry Succurrite Succurrite i. Helpe Helpe of him Hugo Cluniacensis writes more largely A Priest at Noremberch searching for hidden Treasure in a place where the Deuill had directed him found it guarded by a Spirit in the semblance of a great blacke Dogge in the search of which the Earth fell vpon him and buryed him aliue And this happened in the yeere 1530. Wierius A Magician of Salsburch vndertooke to call all the Serpents together within a mile of the place and bring them into one Pit digged for the purpose in the trayne of which came after the rest a great Serpent supposed to be the Deuill and twining about him cast him in amongst the rest where they together perished The like vntimely deaths wee reade of Appion Grammaticus Iulian Apostata Artephius Robertus Anglicus amongst the Heluetians Petrus Axonensis sirnamed Conciliator Albertus Teutonicus Arnoldus de villa noua Anselmus Parmensis Pycatrix Hispanus Cicchus Ascalus Florentinus and many others Commendable therefore it was in the French king who when one Friscalanus Cenomannus a man excellent in this Science came to shew diuerse prestigious feats and trickes before him for which he expected reward amongst others he caused the Linkes of a Golden Chayne to be taken asunder and remooued them to diuerse remote places of the chamber which came of themselues to one place and were instantly ioyned together as before Which the king seeing and being thereat astonished he commanded him instantly from
commemorates these Rebecka who when she saw the seruant of Abraham at the Well where she came to draw water and desiring to drinke answered cheerefully and without delay Drinke sir and I will also draw water for thy Cammells till they haue all drunke their fill Genes 24. The Midwiues feared God and did not according to the command of Pharaoh king of Aegypt but preserued the male-children whom they might haue destroyed Exodâ—s 1. The daughter of Pharaoh comming downe to the riuer to wash herselfe with her handmaid and finding the young child Moses in the arke amongst the bulrushes she had compassion on the infant and said Surely this is a child of the Hebrewes so caused him to be nursed brought vp in her fathers court and after adopted him her sonne Exod. 2. Rahab the strumpet when she knew the spies of Ioshua to be pursued and in danger of death concealed them and returned them safe to the armie Iosh. 2. The messengers that were sent to Dauid in the wildernesse to informe him of the proceedings of his sonne Absolon were by a woman hid in a Well which she couered and by that meanes deluded their pursuers Kings 2.17 When two common Women contended before Saloman about the liuing and dead infant the one had a tender and relenting brest and could not indure to see the liuing child to perish Kings 3.3 The widdow woman of Zerephath entertained Eliah as hir guest and by her he was relieued Kings 3. 17. The Shunamitish woman persuaded with her husband that the Prophet Elisaeus might haue a conuenient lodging in her house to go and come at his pleasure Kings 4. 2. When wicked Athalia had giuen strict command to destroy all the Kings seed Iosaba the daughter of King Ioram tooke Ioas one of the Kings children and by hiding him out of the way preserued his life Kings 4. 11. Esther hauing commiseration of her people when a seuere Edict was published to destroy them all and sweepe them from the face of the earth she exposed her selfe with the great danger of her owne life to the displeasure of King Ahashuerosh purchasing thereby the freedome of her nation and her owne sublimitie Esther 4.5 Women ministred to the Sauiour of the world in his way as he went preaching to the towns and cities Luk. 8. when he walked from place to place preaching and teaching he is said neuer to haue had more free and faithfull welcome than in the house of Martha and Marie Luke 10. Iohn 12. When the Scribes and Pharisees blasphemed at the hearing and seeing the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ a certaine woman giuing deuout attention to his words as extasied with his diuine Sermon burst forth into this acclamation Blessed bee the wombe that bore thee and the brests that gaue thee sucke Luke 11. Christ being in Bethania in the house of Simon the leaper as he sate at the table there came a woman with a box of ointment of Spicknard verie costly and she brake the box and poured it vpon his head and when some said disdaining To what end is this wast for it might haue beene sold for more than 300 pence and giuen to the poore Iesus said Let her alone she hath wrought a good worke on me c. and proceeded Verily I say vnto you wheresoeuer this Gospell shall be preached throughout the whole world this also that she hath done shall bee spoken in remembrance of her The woman of Canaan was so full of naturall pittie and maternall pietie that she counted her daughters miserie and affliction her owne when she said to Iesus Haue mercie vpon me oh Lord the sonne of Dauid for my daughter is vexed with an euill Spirit Math. 15. The women stood by to see the Lord suffer and followed the crosse when he was forsaken of his Apostles Luke 23. Iohn 19. they were carefull likewise to visit him in his sepulchre Math. 28. Luke 24. The wife of Pilat had more compassion of Christ and more vnwilling that he should suffer vpon the crosse than any man of whom the Scripture makes mention Math. 27. Marke 16. Iohn 20. For deeds of charitie and dealing almes to the poore and needie widdowes and orphans they intreated Peter weeping that he would visit Tabitha being dead who mooued with their teeres kneeled and praied at whose intercessions she was restored to life Act. Apost 9. Herod hauing slaine Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword and seeing that it pleased the people he proceeded further to take Peter and put him in prison deliuering him to the charge of foure quaternions of souldiers to be kept but the Angell of the Lord appeared to him in the night tooke off his double chaines and led him out of prison who hauing past the first and second watch the yron gate opened to the Angell and him and finding that which he thought to be a vision to be a reall truth he came to the house of Marie the mother of Iohn whose sirname was Marke where many had seperated themselues to praier Peter knocking a maide whose name was Rhode came to the doore who hearing and knowing Peters voice the Scripture saith she opened not the doore for gladnesse but ran in and told them that Peter stood without at the entrie In which are to be obserued two memorable women for their zeale and pietie namely Rhode the handmaid whose ioy was so great at the verie voice of Peter released from the prison of Herod and Mary her mistresse who was a deuout harboresse and one that gladly entertained the Disciples of Christ into her owne house notwithstanding the persecution to performe their zealous and religious exercises Act. Apost 12. Lydia a dier of purple beleeuing the gospell which Paul preached was baptised with her whole household after which she intreated them in these words If thou thinke me worthie saith she to be a faithfull seruant to my Lord and God vouchsafe to enter my house and abide there and she compelled vs as Luke saith By which is concluded that women haue beene the readie willing and deuout hearers of the word of God Act. Apost 16. Many no question zealous and religious women haue to their power striued to imitate those with their best of industrie Amongst others I might instance one now of a great age as hauing much past that number by which Dauid reckons the yeares of man yet from her youth hath lead a life without any noted staine or blemish deuout in her zeale remarkeable in her charitie beloued of all hated of none a Phisitian to the sicke and Chirurgion to the wounded who with her owne hands hath sent more lame and diseased persons from her gate whole and sound than Lazarus had sores about him when he lay at the rich mans gate vnrelieued she feeding with loaues when that purple glutton would not spare his crummes she doing this out of a widowes mite when he would
dayes affected it for seldome doth Adulterie but goe hand in hand with Murther From the Sinne I come to the Punishment Amongst the Israelites it was first punished with Finâ—s as may be collected from the historie of Thamar who being with child by Iudas hee threatened her to the stake and had accordingly performed it had shee not shewed by manifest tokens that he himselfe was the author of her vnlawfull issue Genes 38. The Aegyptians condemned the Adulterer so deprehended to a thousand Scourges the Adulteresse to haue her Nose cut off to the greater terror of the like Delinquents Diodor. Sicul. Lib. 2. cap. 2. Coel. Lib. 21. cap. 25. By Solons Lawes a man was permitted to kill them both in the act that so found them Rauis In Iudaea they were stoned to death Plat. Lib. 9. de Legibus punisheth Adulterie with death The Locrenses by tradition from Zaluces put out the Adulterers eyes The Cumaei prostituted the Adulteresse to all men till shee died by the same sinne shee had committed Alex. ab Alex. Lib. 4. cap. 1. It was a custome amongst the antient Germans for the husband to cut off his wiues haire so apprehended to turne her out of doores naked and scourge her from Village to Village One bringing word to Diogenes That a fellow called Dydimones was taken in the Act Hee is worthie then saith hee to be hanged by his owne name for Didymi in the Greeke Tongue are Testiculi in English the Testicles or immodest parts By them therefore from whence he deriued his name and by which he had offended he would haue had him to suffer Laert. Lib. 6. Hyettus the Argiue slew one Molurus with his wife apprehending them in their vnlawfull congression Coelius Iulius Caesar repudiated his wife for no other reason but because P. Clodius was found in his house in womans Apparrell And being vrged to proceed against her hee absolutely denyed it alledging That hee had nothing whereof to accuse her but being further demanded Why then hee abandoned her societie hee answered That it was behoofefull for the wife of Caesar not onely to be cleare from the sinne it selfe but from the least suspition of crime Fulgos Lib. 6. cap. 1. Augustus banished his owne Daughter and Neece so accused into the Island called Pandateria after into Rhegium commanding at his death That their bodies being dead should not be brought neere vnto his Sepulchre To omit many Nicolaus the first Pope of that name excommunicated king Lotharius brother to Lewis the second Emperour because hee diuorced his wife Therberga and in her roome instated Gualdrada and made her Queene Besides he degraded Regnaldus Archbishop of Treuers and Gunthramus Archbishop of Collen from their Episcopall dignities for giuing their approbation to that adulterate Marriage And so much for the punishment I will conclude with the counsaile of Horace Lib. 1. Satyr 2. Desine Matronas sectarier vnde laboris Plus haurire mali est quam ex re decerpere fructum est Cease Matrons to pursue for of such paine Thou to thy selfe more mischiefe reap'st than gaine Sisters that haue murdred their Brothers AFter the vntimely death of Aydere his brother Ismael succeeded him in the Persian Empire who arriuing at Casbin was of his sister receiued with ioy and of the people with loude acclamations and beeing now possessed of the Imperiall dignitie the better as hee thought to secure himselfe hauing power answerable to his will after the barbarous custome of the Turkish tyrannie he first caused his eight younger brothers to be beheaded stretching his bloodie malice to all or the most part of his owne affinitie not suffering any to liue that had beene neere or deere to his deseased brother so that the â—â—ttie Casbin seemed to swimme in blood and ecchoed with nothing but lamentations and mournings His crueltie bred in the people both feare and hate both which were much more increased when they vnderstood hee had a purpose to alter their forme of religion who with great adoration honour their prophet Aly into the Turkish superstition his infinite and almost incredible butcheries concerne not my proiect in hand I therefore leaue them and returne to his sister whose name was Periaconcona who when this Tyrant was in the middest of his securities and the sister as hee imagined in her sisterly loue and affection vpon a night when he was in all dissolute voluptuousnesse sporting amidst his concubines she into whose trust and charge he had especially committed the safetie of his person hauing confederated with Calilchan Emirchan Pyrymahomet and Churchi Bassa the most eminent men in the Empire admitted them into the Seraglio in womans attyre by whom with her assistant hand in the middest of his luxuries hee was strangled an act though happily beneficiall to the common good yet ill becomming a sister vnlesse such an one as striued to paralel him in his vnnaturall cruelties Turkish Histor. Equall with this was that of Quendreda who after the death of Ranulphus king of Mercia his young sonne Kenelme a child of seuen yeares of age raigning in his stead whose royall estate and dignitie beeing enuied by his sister shee conspired with one Heskbertus by whose treacherous practise the king was inticed into a thick forrest there murdered and priuatly buried his bodie long missed and not found and the conspirators not so much as suspected But after as Willielm de regib li. 1. and de Pontificibus lib. 4. relates a Doue brought in her bill a scroule written in English golden letters and layde it vpon the Altar of Saint Peter which being read by an Englishman contained these words by which the place where the bodie lay was discouered At Clent in Cowbach Kenelme Keneborne lyeth vnder Thorne heaued by weaued that is in plainer English At Clent in Cowbach vnder a thorne Kenelme lyeth headlesse slaine by treason Some say it was found by a light which streamed vp into the Ayre from the place where his bodie lay couered His hearse being after borne towards his sepulchre to be a second time interred with solemne Dyrges sung by the Churchmen Quendreda sitting then in a window with a Psalter in her hand to see the funerall solemnely passe by whether in skorne of the person derision of the ceremonie or both is not certaine but she began to sing the Psalme of Te Deum laudamus backeward when instantly both her eyes dropped out of her head with a great flux of blood which stained her booke and it was after kept as a sacred relique in memorie of the diuine iudgement What need I trouble you with citing antiquities how this sinne ought to be punished on earth when we see how hatefull it is in the eyes of Heauen besides to insult vpon the bodies of the dead is monstrous and euen in things sencelesse to be punished Ausonius remembers vs of one Achillas who finding a dead mans skull in a place where three sundrie wayes
deuided themselues and casting to hit it with a stone it rebounded againe from the skull and stroke himselfe on the forehead his words be these Abiecta in triuijs inhumati glabra iacebat Testa hominis nudum iam cute caluicium Fleuerant alij fletu non motus Achillas c. Where three wayes parted a mans skull was found Bald without haire vnburied aboue ground Some wept to see 't Achillas more obdure Snatcht vp a stone and thinkes to hit it sure He did so At the blow the stone rebounds And in the face and eyes Achillas wounds I wish all such whose impious hands prophane The dead mans bones so to be stroke againe Of Mothers that haue slaine their Children or Wiues their Husbands c. MEdea the daughter of Oeta king of Colchos first slew her young brother in those Islands which in memorie of his inhumane murther still beare his name and are called Absyrtides and after her two sonnes Macareus and Pherelus whom she had by Iason Progne the daughter of Pandion murthered her young sonne Itis begot by Tereus the sonne of Mars in reuenge of the rape of her sister Philomele Ino the daughter of Cadmus Melicertis by Athamas the sonne of Aeolus Althea the daughter of Theseus slew her sonne Meleager by Oeneus the sonne of Parthaon Themisto the daughter of Hypseus Sphincius or Plinthius and Orchomenus by Athamas at the instigation of Ino the daughter of Cadmus Tyros the daughter of Salmoneus two sonnes begot by Sysiphus the sonne of Aeolus incited thereto by the Oracle of Apollo Agaue the daughter of Cadmus Pentheus the sonne of Echion at the importunitie of Liber Pater Harpalice the daughter of Climenus slew her owne father because he forcibly despoyled her of her honor Hyginus in Fabulis These slew their Husbands Clitemnestra the daughter of Theseus Agamemnon the sonne of Atreus Hellen the daughter of Iupiter and Laeda Deiphebus the sonne of Priam and Hecuba hee married her after the death of Paris Agaue Lycotherses in Illyria that she might restore the kingdome to her father Cadmus Deianira the daughter of Oeneus and Althea Hercules the sonne of Iupiter and Alcmena by the Treason of Nessus the Centaureâ— Iliona the daughter of Priam Polymnestâ—r king of Thâ—â—ce Semyramis her husband Ninus king of Babylon c. Some haue slaine their Fathers others their Nephewes and Neeces all which being of one nature may be drawne to one head And see how these prodigious sinnes haue beene punished Martina the second wife to Heraclius and his Neece by the brothers side by the helpe of Pyrrhus the Patriarch poysoned Constantinus who succeeded in the Empire fearing least her sonne Heraclius should not attaine to the Imperiall Purple in regard that Constantinus left issue behind him two sonnes Constantes and Theodosius which he had by Gregoria the daughter of Nycetas the Patritian notwithstanding hee was no sooner dead but shee vsurped the Empire Two yeeres of her Principalitie were not fully expired when the Senate reassumed their power and called her to the Barre where they censured her to haue her Tongue cut out least by her eloquence shee might persuade the people to her assistance her sonne Heraclius they maimed of his Nose so to make him odious to the multitude and after exiled them both into Cappadocia Cuspinianus in vita Heraclij A more terrible Iudgement was inflicted vpon Brunechildis whose Historie is thus related Theodericus king of the Frenchmen who by this wicked womans counsaile had polluted himselfe with the bloud of his owne naturall brother and burthened his conscience with the innocent deaths of many other noble gentlemen as well as others of meaner ranke and qualitie was by her poysoned and depriued of life for when he had made a motion to haue taken to wife his Neece a beautifull young Ladie and the daughter of his late slaine brother Brunechildis with all her power and industrie opposed the Match affirming that Contract to be meerely incestuous which was made with the brothers daughter shee next persuaded him that his son Theodebertus was not his owne but the adulterate issue of his wife by another at which words he was so incensed that drawing his sword hee would haue instantly transpierst her but by the assistance of such Courtiers as were then present shee escaped his furie and presently after plotted his death and effected it as aforesaid Trittenhemius de Regib Francorum and Robertus Gaguinus Lib. 2. Others write that hee was drowned in a Riuer after hee had reigned eighteene yeeres Auentinus affirmes That presently after hee had slaine his brother entring into one of his cities hee was strucke with Thunder Annal. Boiorum Lib. 3. But this inhumane Butcheresse Brunechildis after shee had beene the ruine of an infinite number of people and the death of ten kings at length moouing an vnfortunate warre against Lotharius to whom shee denyed to yeeld the kingdome shee was taken in battaile and by the Nobilitie and Captaines of the Armie condemned to an vnheard of punishment She was first beaten with foure Bastoones before shee was brought before Lotharius then all her Murthers Treasons and Inhumanities were publikely proclaimed in the Armie and next her Legges and Hands being fastened to the tayles of wild Horses pluckt to pieces and disseuered limbe from limbe Anno 1618. Sigebertus Trittenhemius Gaguinus and Auentinus And such bee the earthly punishments due to Patricides and Regicides Touching Patricides Solon when hee instituted his wholesome Lawes made no Law to punish such as thinking it not to be possible in nature to produce such a Monster Alex. Lib. 2. cap. 5. Romubus appointing no punishment for that inhumanitie included Patricides vnder the name of Homicides counting Manslaughter and Murther abhorred and impious but the other impossible Plutarchâ— in â—â—amulo Marcus Malleolus hauing sâ—aine his mother was the first that was euer condemned for that fact amongst the Romans his Sentence was to be sowed in a Sack together with a Cock an Ape and a Viper and so cast into the Riuer Tiber a iust infliction for such immanitie The Macedonians punished Patricides and Traitors alike and not onely such as persoâ—ally committed the fact but all that were any way of the confederacie Alex. ab Alex. Lib. 3. cap. 5. and all such were stoned to death The Aegyptians stabbed them with Needles and Bodkins wounding them in all the parts of their bodie but not mortally when bleeding all ouer from a thousand small orifices they burnt them in a pyle of Thornes Diodor. Sical Lib. 2. cap. 2. de rebus antiq The Lusitanians first exiled them from their owne confines and when they were in the next forraine ayre â—toâ—ed them to death Nero hauing slaine his mother Agrippinâ— by the hand of Anicetes had such terror of mind and vnquietnesse of conscience that in the dead of the night he would leape out of his bed horribly affrighted and say when they that attended him demanded
golden heapes weighed by the pound Or if a thousand Oxen plow my ground What profits me my house although it stand On Phrigian collumns wrought by curious hand Dig'd first and fetcht from the Tenarian Mine Or else Caristus whether brought from thine Or woodes beneath my roofe planted for state Which seeme the sacred groues to imitate My golden beames and floores with marble pau'd Or my Pearle-shinining vessalls so much crau'd From th' Ericthraean shores what all my pryde In wooll that 's in Sydonian purple dyde Or what besides the vulgar sets on fire Who still most enuie where they most admire These but the temporall gifts of Fortune are And 't is no pompe can free my thoughts from Care Rewards due to Philosophers Orators and poets IN what honour all Philosophers haue beene of old with Princes and Emperours lyes next in me to speake of as Agathe Pithagoricus with Arcesilaus king of Macedon Plato with Dionisius Aristotle with Philip Alexander Xeno Citteius the sonne of Mnasenus with the Athenians Theophrastus honoured by Demetrius Psaleraeus with golden statues Posidonius entyred to Cneius Pompeius Magnus Ariston to Iulius Caesar Zenarchas to Augustus Appollonius Tyanaeus to Bardosanes king of Babylon Dion Prusienis to the Emperour Traianus Arrius to Alexander Heliodorus to Adrianus Sopater to Constantinus Magnus wiâ—h infinite others of which it is not necessarie now to insist Plutarch remembers vs in the life of Alexander That hee hauing taken ten of these Gymnosphists that were the cause of the falling off of the Sabbea a people of Arabia who had done many outrages to the Macedonians because they were esteemed Phylosophers and famous for their readie and accute answeres he therfore to those ten propounded ten seuerall questions with this condition that hee who answered the worst of them should bee first slaine and so in order the rest and of this hee made the eldest iudges Of the first he demanded Whether in his iudgement he thought there to be more men liuing or dead who answered Liuing because the dead are not The second Whether the Earth or the Sea harboured the greater Monsters Resp. The Earth because the Sea is but part thereof The third What beast of all creatures was the most craftie Resp. That which to man is best knowne The fourth Why did the Sabbae reuolt from Macedon Resp. That they might either Liue well or Dye ill The fifth Whether the day was before the night or the night before the day Resp. The day for one day was before another The sixth What was the best way to make a man generally beloued of all Resp. To be the best man and no tyrant The seuenth How might a man bee made a god Resp. By doing that which a man is not able to doe The eigth Whether is Life or Death the stronger Resp. Life because it beareth so many disasters The ninth hee demanded How long hee thought a man to liue Who answered Iust so long as he desired not to see Death When the king turning to the iudge bad him giue iust sentence hee sayd that one had answered more impertinently than another then sayth the king thou art the first that oughtest to die for so iudging But he replyde Not so ô king because it was your owne condition that he should suffer first that made the worst answere This sayd the king dismissed them bounteously and royally rewarded If then for ambiguous answeres to such slight and yet doubtfull questions Alexander thought them worthie of such gifts and presents with what Memories what Praises what Crownes Collumnes and Statues ought we to dignifie and celebrate the names of queene Zenobia Amalasuntha Aspatia Fuluia Morata and others This Salomon the wisest not only of kings but of men well knew when hauing made proofe of the wisedome of Nicaulis Queene of Aethiopia he sent her backe into her countrey so liberally furnished and so royally rewarded What I haue spoke of these may be pertinently applyde to our women studious in Diuinitie Oratorie and Sophistrie and laboriously practised in all other liberall Arts and Sciences Nor can I more fitly in my mind conclude this worke than as I begun with goddesses so to end with good women Onely of the honour due to Poetesses because it belongs something to mine owne profession I will borrow my conclusion from Ouid in his last Elegie of the first booke Amorum the title is Ad iuuidos quod fama poetarum sit perennis Quod mihi liuor edax ignauos obijcis annos Ingenij que vocas carmen inerte meum Why eating Enuie dost thou as a crime Obiect vnto me Sloath and mispent time Tearming the Muse and sacred Numbers vaine The fruitlesse issue of an idle braine I am not woon to spend my youth in warre By which our predecessors famous are It tempt's not me to search the brabling laws Or at the barre to quarrell in a cause These studies mortall are and transitorie When mine shall purchase me eternall glorie Whil'st Ida stands or Tenedos hath name Or Symois streames shall run so long thy fame Meonides shall liue whil'st graine shall grow Which men with sythe or sicle reape or mowe Whilst vineyards grapes and these grapes yeeld vs wine Famous Ascraeus euen so long shall thine Battiades the whole world shall impart For what he wants in wit he hath in art No losse can chance to thy Cothurnate straine Oh Saphocles nor Aratus thy vaine The honours by the Muses you haue wunne Shall last if not outlast both Moone and Sunne Whil'st ther 's a craftie Seruant or hard Sire Fat Bawde or merrie Whoore men shall admire Menander thee Ennius although obscure And weightie Accius you shall both indure All shall reade Varro that but heare of Greece In him the first ship lancht to fetch the fleece Then shall Lucretius thy bright fame decay When all the world shall perish in one day Whil'st Rome triumphant o're the world shall bee So long ô Maro shall the world reade thee Whil'st Cupid shall beare shafts or amorous fire So long Tibullus shall thy Muse respire Gallus in the East and Gallus in the West With faire Lycoris whom he loued best Shall both be famous Whil'st there 's Tree or Stone Or Plant or Hearbe or Ground to tread vpon When Flints consume and when the Plow shal wast And be forgot yet Numbers still must last Vnto the Muse euen Monarchies must yeeld And glorious Tpiumphs purchast in the field To her yeeld Tagus with thy golden shine You Terrhene are and onely she diuine Let then the vulgar what is vile admire That nothing else saue â—anthie drosse desire Gold hair'd Apollo with full hand shall bring My flowing cup fill'd from the Muses spring And crown'd with myrtle I shall now be sung And be made frequent in each louers tongue Enuie the liuing sole detracts but Fate Concluding life she likewise ends her hate And then her rancour is no longer fed When liuing Honor shall maintaine vs