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
and wife to Athanagildus was slaine by Chilperick the sonne of Clotharius at the instigation of his strumpet Fredegunda so saith Volateranus Sextus Aurelius writes that the Emperour Constantius sonne to Constantius and Helena caused his wife Fausta by whose instigation he had slaine his sonne Crispus to die in an hot scalding bath Herodotus speakes of Lysides otherwise called Melissa the wife of Periander who at the suggestion of a strumpet caused her to be slaine which makes Sabellicus amongst others to wonder why for that deede onely he should be numbered amongst the seuen wise men of Greece Marcus Cecilius in his seuen and twentieth booke vpon Pliny accuseth Calphurnius Bestia for poysoning his wiues sleeping Plinie in his fourteenth booke nominates one Egnacius Melentinus who slew his wife for no other cause but that shee had drunke wine and was acquited of the murder by Romulus Auctoclea the daughter of Sinon and wife of Laertes king of Ithaca when by a false messenger she heard her sonne Vlysses was slaine at the siege of Troy suddenly fell downe and died The mother of Antista seeing her daughter forsaken by Pompey the great and Aemilia receiued in her stead ouercome with griefe slew her selfe Perimele a damosell was vitiated by Achelous which her father Hyppodomus tooke in such indignation that from an high promontorie he cast her headlong downe into the Sea Hyppomanes a prince of Athens deprehending his daughter Lymone in adulterie shut her vp in a place with a fierce and cruell horse but left no kind of food for one or the other in so much that the horse opprest with hunger deuoured her hence came that Adage fathered vpon Diogineanus More cruell than Hyppomanes Gregorius Turonensis remembers one Deuteria fearing least her yong daughter now grown ripe and marriageable who might bee deflowred by the king Theodebertus cast her headlong into the riuer that runs by the citie Viridunum where she was drowned Orchamus finding his daughter Leucothoe to be vitiated by Appollo caused her to be buryed aliue Lucilla the daughter of Marcus Antonius and Fausta as Herodian reports was slaine by the hand of her brother Commodus against whom she had before made a coniuration Lychione the daughter of Dedalion because she durst compare hirself with Diana was by the goddesse wounded to death with an arrow at the celebration of whose exequies when her body was to be burnt her father likewise cast himselfe into the fire Hylonome the shee Centaur seeing her husband Cillarius slaine in the battaile betwixt the Centaurs and the Lapithes fell vpon his sword and so expired Anmianus and Marcellus lib. 16. haue left recorded that Mithridates king of Pontus being ouercome in battaile by Pompey committed his daughter Dyraptis to the safe custodie of the Eunuch Menophilus to bee kept in a strong Cittadell called Syntiarium which when Manutius Priscus had straitly besieged and the Eunuch perceiued the defenders of the Castle dismaide and readie to submit themselues and giue vp the fort hee drew out his sword and slew her rather than she should be made a captiue to the Roman Generall Sextus Aurelius writes of the Empresse of Sabina the wife of Adrian who hauing suffered from him many grosse and seruile iniuries gaue her selfe vp to a voluntarie death when shee considered shee had supported so inhumane a tyrant and such a contagious pest to the common weale Pontus de Fortuna speakes of a Virgin amongst the Salattines called Neaera who greeuing that a yong man to whom shee was betrothed had forsaken her and made choice of another caused her vaines to be opened and bled to death Cleopatra after the death of Anthony least shee should bee presented as a captiue to grace the triumphs of Augustus gaue her arme to the byting of an Aspe of which shee died for in that manner was her picture presented in Rome of whom Propertius lib. 3. thus speakes Brachia spectaui sacris admorsa colubris Neaera and Charmione were the two handmaides of Cleopatra These as Plutarch others report of them would by no persuasion suruiue their queen and misteresse who perceiuing as they were gasping betwixt life and death the crowne to be falne from the temples of their dead Ladie raised themselues from the Earth with the small strength they had left and placed it right againe on her fore-head that shee might the better become her death which they had no sooner done but they both instantly fell downe and breathed their last an argument of an vnmatchable zeale to the princesse their Ladie Monima Miletia and Veronica Chia were the wiues of Mithridates who vnderstanding of his tragicall fall and miserable end gaue vp their liues into the hands of the Eunuch Bochides Monima first hanged her selfe but the weight of her bodie breaking the cord she grew somewhat recouered and fell into this acclamation O execrable power of a diadem whose command euen in this small sad seruice I cannot vse which words were no sooner spoke but she offered her throate to the sword of the Eunuch who instantly dispatched her both of life and torment Veronica dranke off a chalice of wine tempered with poyson which dispersing into her vaines and keeping her in a languishing torment her death was likewise hastned by the Eunuch Bochides A strange madnesse possest the Virgins of Milesia these as Aelianus and others haue writ gaue themseues vp to voluntarie deaths many or the most strangling themselues this grew so common amongst them that scarce one day past in which some one or other of them were not found dead in their chambers To remedie which mischiefe the Senators of the citie made a decree That what maide soeuer should after that time lay violent hands vpon her selfe the body so found dead should be stript naked and in publike view dragd through the streetes freely exposed to the eyes of all men The impression of which shame more preuailing than the terrour of death none was euer after knowne to commit the like outrage vpon themselues Phaedra the steppe-mother to Hyppolitus her son in law and wife of Theseus when shee could not corrupt the yong man her son in law to make incestuous the bed of his father despairing hung her selfe yet before her death she writ certain letters in which she accused Hippolitus to his father of incest which after prooued the speedie cause of his death Amongst many strange deaths these of two mothers are not the least remarkable most strange it is that sudden ioy should haue as much power to suffocate the spirits as the power of lightning The rumor of the great slaughter at the Lake of Thrasimenes being published one woman when beyond all hope she met her sonne at the cittie gate safely returned from the generall defeates cast herselfe into his armes where in that extasie of ioy shee instantly expired Another hearing her sonne
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
to Vrania and from Memorie we are drawne vp to Heauen for the best remembrancers as Pliny saith comprehend the whole world or vniuerse in which the heauens are included and all the secrets therein as much as by inuestigation can be attaind to haue the full and perfect knowledge for the most secret and hidden things are contained in the Heauens aboue and therefore such as are expert in them cannot be ignorant of these lesse and more easie to be apprehended below Plutarch of Vrania thus speakes Plato as by their steppes hath trac'd all the gods thinking to find out their faculties by their names By the same reason we place one of the Muses in the Heauens and about coelestiall things which is Vrania for that which is aboue hath no need of diuersitie of gouernment hauing one vniuersall directresse which is Nature where therfore there be many errors excesses transgresses there the eight remaining are to be transmitted and one particular Muse still reserued one to correct this fault and another that Vrania therefore according to Plutarch hath predominance in things coelestiall which by how much they are aboue things terrestriall in excellence they are so much the more difficult Some stretch the influence of the starres to Zoriasta's magicke in which he was popularlie famous nay more his name by that art enobled notwithstanding the annalls testifie that he was subdued and slaine in battell by Ninus Pompey the great was curiouslie addicted to these diuinations yet his potencie fayl'd him and he dyed a wretched death in Aegypt Howbeit by these instances it is not to be inferred as the mysticallest and powerfull part of the Mathematicall desciplines The inuentions of Manilius most indirectlie conferres it vpon Mercury Plato in Epinomide would haue all that contemplate Astrologie to begin in their youth such is the excellencie of the art and the difficultie to attaine vnto it for these be his words Be not ignorant that Astrologie is a most wise secret for it is necessarie that the true Astronomer be not that man according to Hesiod that shall onelie consider the rising and setting of the starres but rather that hath a full inspection into the eight compasses or circumferences and how the seauen are turned by the first and in what order euery starre mooues in his owne spheare or circle in which he shall not find any thing which is not miraculous If therefore the prayse of Astronomy be so great What encomium then is Vrania worthy who first illustrated the art This onelie shal suffice that by her is meant coelestiall Astrologie so cald of the Heauen for as Pharnutus saith The intire vniverse the ancients cald by the name of Heauen So by this meanes Vrania is acknowledged to be frequent in all sciences below and speculations aboue whatsoeuer Her Etimologie importing Sublimia spectantem that is Beholding things sublime and high Of her Ouid thus Incipit Vrania fecere silentia cunctae Et vox audiri nulla nisi illa potest Vrania first began to speake The rest themselues prepar'd To heare with silence for but hers No voyce could then be heard She is then receiued from the Heauen either because all nations and languages beneath the firmament haue some learned amongst them or that such as are furnisht with knowledge she seemes to attract and carry vpwards or to conclude because glorie and wisedome eleuate and erect the mind to the contemplation of things heauenlie Fulgentius saith That some of the Greeke authours haue left written that Linus was the son of Vrania but it is elsewhere found that she was called Vrania of her father Vranus otherwise stil'd Caelum whom his sonne Saturne after dismembred Xenophon in Sympos remembers that Venus was called Vrania speaking also of Pandemius of both their Temples and Altars the sacrifices to Pandemius were called Radiouorgaraera those to Venus Agnotaera Some as Lactantius Placidas call Heleneuae that menacing star Vrania In a word that coelestiall Muse called Astrologia or Vrania intimates nothing else than after mature iudgement to deliberate what to speake what to despise to make election of what is vsefull and profitable and to cast off what is friuolous and impertinent is the adiunct of a mind coelestial and a wisedome inculpable Most true therefore is the sentence of Plato who tells vs that Vrania is she that first attracts the eyes of our mind to sublime things aboue and if it were possible would drawe our selues after CALLIOPE THere are two things in the mind chieflie predominant Knowledge and Disposition which as Plato saith are in continuall and restlesse motion Knowledge which by the Sophists vnder a colour of truth is abused with things false and erroneous and Disposition or Affection which tempted by the popular Poets vnder a bait of delight and pleasure swallowes the hooke of many perturbations and distractions those Orators that are meerelie superficiall and not seene in the grounds of wisedome corrupted with idle and vaine reasons they delude the knowledge and with vnnecessarie curiosities precipitate the affection From Sophists we must altogether beware as pestiferous and infectious from Poets and Orators in some kinds but not in all cases Plato confineth Sophisters euery where and from all places and Poets too but not all such onelie as comment false and scandalous tales of the gods nor these from all places but from the citties onelie that is from the societie of young men and such as are ignorant prone to perturbation and not capable of the allegoricall sence included admitting onely such as speake well of the gods sing diuine Hymnes and brauelie register the acts of noble and illustrious persons Such is the practise that Calliope teacheth her Poets which practise as Ficinus witnesseth is nothing but the rapture of the soule with a transmigration into the maiestie of the Muses This Poesie rouseth vs from the sleepe of the body to the awaking of the mind from the darkenesse of ignorance to the light of knowledge from death to life and from dull obliuion to a contemplation diuine and heauenlie But where the wit failes there is no helpe to be expected from the inuention for it is not within the compasse of mans capacitie to compasse deepe and great matters in a moment for all knowledge is inspired from aboue And since Poetrie comes not by fortune nor can be attained to by art it must consequentlie be a gift from the gods and Muses For when Plato names the god he intends Appollo when the Muses he vnderstands the soules of the spheares for Iupiter is the mind of the deitie who extasies and illuminates Appollo Appollo the Muses the Muses the Poets the Poets inspire their interpreters the interpreters make impression in the Auditours By diuerse Muses diuers soules are enlightned as it is in Tymaeus that sundry soules are attributed to sundry spheares The Muse Calliope is a voyce resulting or rebounding from the sound of the other spheares and of the rest the most excellent
vpon all those Tragedies which he aym'd to execute vpon mankind he instituted his Enthusiastae and his Pytheâ—â— Oracles which were in vse almost amongst all nations in so much that their superstitions and prophanations had crept in amongst the people of god so that Moyses made a law that all such as repayred to these iugling sorcerists should be stoned to death Amongst these are counted some of the Sibells though not all as hirelings of the diuell for the conseruation and confirmation of his kingdome for out of their bookes the Romans were drawne into many lunacies and frenzies as besides many other it is manifest in Zozimus who recites many of their verses full of tradition and superstitions meerelie vnlawfull though the two Sibells Erythraea and Cumana in heroicke poems prophesied of Christ and sung and declared his prayses which as some coniecture they did by the sight of the prophesies of Esaias and Dauid These oracles lasted to the comming of our Sauiour but then surceast through all the parts of the world There were also a kind of sorcerists which some call Leâ—â—res the word importing the spirits and ghosts of such as perÌ„isht before their times or abortiuelie for from such they fathered their predictions and prophesies Of this kind there were many in Germany as Wyerius relates who were of long continuance and such were called Albae mulieres or the white women which in their moderne tongue implies as much as the white Sybells and this sort of people was ominous to women with child and to infants sucking at their mothers breasts and in their cradles These though in times of old they were most frequent and common when the world attributed too much to the iugling illusions of the deuill yet since the Sauiour of the world and our onelie patron hath supplanted him by the more pure and feruent preaching of the Gospell these mockeries and fallacies by which he cheated the vnlettered multitude of their faith and god of his honour are meerelie adnichilated in so much there is scarce left to posteritie the least memorie of their wicked traditions Of such as these it seems S. Hierom took especiall notice when in an epistle writ to Paula vpon the death of Blesilla he thus speakes Quae causa est vt saepe Dimuli Trimuli vbera lactantes c. i. What is the reason that children of two and three yeares of age and such as sucke at the breast should be corrupted by deuils The Ethnicks custome was to giue names to such according to the diuersitie of their actions there were some called Hecataea as sent from Hecate others by the Italians Tolleâ—ae or Empedusae But this may appeare a digression from our Sybills therefore I thus proceede with them Petrus Crinitus in his twentieth booke De honesta disciplina speaking of the Sybells the Branchi and the Delphick prophetesses alleadges Gallius Firâ—â—anus Hieronimus and other antient writers extracting from their opinions which way and by what means these oracles were imagined to be possest with the spirit of diuination These of that order as Plato and Iamblicus haue learnedlie related either from the gods or spirits say they are inspired with that illumination by which they discerne the fundamentall causes of things and can presage and foresee such euents as shall succeede Iamblic in his booke to Porphirius saith thus The Sybell of Delphos two seuerall wayes conceiues the spirit by which shee prophesies either by a soft breath or else by fire proceeding from the mouth of a certain den or caue before the entrance of which she seates her selfe vpon a three-footed or foure-footed stoole of brasse in which place the diuine power either by whispering in her care or by some other infused blast inspired into her giues her the facilitie of vttering her predictions The Branchae sitting vpon an axeltree held in her hand a wand consecrated to some deitie or other and either washt her selfe in some sacred fountaine or receiued some influence from the vapour of fire and by this means were made repleate with diuine splendour These Branchae deriue themselues from Branchus the sonne of Apollo vpon whom his father bestowed the gift of diuination to which Statius assents so Strabo in these verses makes him a Priest of the Temple of Apollo Phebus from Branchus axeltree His Prophet did inspire Who with a thousand Ambages Hath set the world on fire Colephonius Zenophanes hath denyed that there can be any diuination at all but Democritus hath approoued it of the same argument Chrysippus hath wriâ— two bookes one of Oracles another of Dreames Diogines Babilonius publishe one De diuinatione Antipater two Possidonius fiue Panaetius the scholler of Antipater doubted whether there were any beleefe at all to be giuen to that art or no. Cicero is of opinion that it hath onelie power ouer such things as happen accidentallie or by chance Of diuination there be two sorts one of art as by the entrails of beasts or by casting of lots the other of nature as by dreames and visions in both the coniectures made by vaticinations aime at more than they can accomplish and intend further than they can proceede Further this art is by the Greekes called Mantices that is the knowledge of things to come the first inuenters thereof were the Aegyptians and Chaldaeans by their obseruations of the starres The nations of the Cilici the Pysidauri and the inhabitants of Pamphilia neere vnto these predicted by the singing and flights of birds The Magi among the Persians had many assemblies of purpose onely to augurate and to diuine but all such are condemned of ignorance and want of art who presage meerely by concitation and rapture without the helpe of reason and coniecture Sagire signifies to perceiue acutely or sharpely therefore they are called Sagaces that know much he that is sayd Sagire viz. to know before things come to passe is sayd Presagire that is to presage It is called Diuination when it extends to a higher degree of prediction But when by diuine instinct as in the Sibells the minde is as it were transported and extaside in rapture it is then called Furâ—r or furie Amongst the Ligurians a people of Thrace it was aâ—custome for their Priests before they would demaâ—nd any thing from the Oracle to glut and gorge themselues with superfluous excesse of wine The Clarij contrarie to these in their superstitions vsed to quaffe great quantitie of water The Diuination that was made by water was called Hydromantia That which was made by an Axe or Hatchet was stiled Axinomantia That which was made by a Skin in which water was moued too and fro from whence a soft and gentle voice of presage was heard to breath was called Leâ—â—â—omantia That which did consist of certaine points and markes fixed in the Earth Geomantia That which was gathered from Figures and imaginarie shapes shining in the fire Pyromantia The Diuination by smoke was called Capnomantia That which
full of trees and all the rest of the land of Libia desolate and barren neere to which hill a people called Gnidani inhabit whose wiues vse to weare strings about their garments made of small thongs of leather and so many sundrie men as they haue carnall societie withall so many knots they tye vpon these strings she that can shew the most being the most respected and honoured amongst the rest as aboue the others beloued But now to find out what by these Graces was first intended They are called the daughters of Iupiter and Eurinome which implies nothing els than the fertilitie of the fields and the abundance of fruits all which plentie ariseth from the benefit of peace signified in this word Eunomia For where law and equitie haue predominance there violence oppressions robberies and direptions are exiled the fields smile the houses flourish the Temples of the gods are both repaired and honoured and all places filled with splendour and ornament Neither are these the sole blessings of Eurinome or Eunomia or of Autonoe by which is meant Prudentia Wisedome without the helpe of Iupiter which includes the Diuine clemencie by which the aire and the earth are both reconciled vnto vs the one in his temperature the other in increase They are called the children of the Sunne and Aegles as knowing the Sunne to be the chiefe planet in the gouernance of the elements without whose heat and incouragement no hearbe or plant can attaine to any ripenesse and perfection They are tearmd conioynd and vnseparable sisters by reason of the threefold profit arising from agriculture the first from the fields the second from the trees the third from the creatures nor are their names vnfitlie conferred vpon them Thalia is a pleasant budding or burgening Aglaia is splendour and Euphrasine glâ—dnesse All these commodious delights arising to the lord of the soyle by his industrious tillage and manuring the earth And therefore is Aglaia called the wife of Vulcan because there is a refulgence arising from all arts whatsoeuer Others haue preferred Pasithaea in the place of Aglaia in that she signifies heards flocks or such cattell as belong to tillage out of whose labours or increase there groweth pleasure or profit They are nominated the goddesses of Benefits and good Turnes the reason is in regard that without the fertilitie of the earth no man can be liberall or munificent nor rich which is the foundation of all bountie They are vpheld to be virgins because the most honest and conscionable vsurie is bred from the earth without sallerie or brokage at the first demonstrated vnto vs by the antient Poets habited and well apparrelled vnlesse iniurie oppression and vsurie in these latter times leaue them despoyled and naked HORAE or the Houres OF the parents or names of the Houres there is small doubt or none at all since all the Poets from the first to the last agree that they were the daughters of Iupiter and Themis amongst whom was Hesiod in his Theog in these words Inde Themim rursus ducit sibi quae parit Horas Eunomiamque Dicensque c. By marrieng Themis he begat the Houres Eunomia Dyrce and Irene faire And flourishing still these sisters haue the powers To ripen all mens actions by their care Orpheus not onelie assents with him in their names but addes also That they were borne in the Spring time Pausonias in Boetic introduceth other nameâ— and forreine from these one he calls Carpo another Thalote of the third he conceales the name Ouid calls them the porters to the gates of heauen They are deciphered to haue soft feete to be the most slow paced of all the goddesses yet euer to pruduce some thing new for so Theocritus repâ—â—ts of them Homer in his Isliads tells vs that they are not onelie placed to keepe the gates of heauen but haue power at their pleasure ouer faire or foule weathers calling it an open skie when the ayre is faire and cleare and a shut heauen when the welkin is darke and cloudie as may appeare in these words Sponte sores Coeli patuerunt c. The gates of Heauen did of themselues stand wide Those which the virgin howers are set to keepe As their great charge The Poles they likewise guide With all the vpper Regions From the deepe The showers exhal'd they store and when they please The borrowed rayne pay backe into the Seas They are called Horae of the Greeke word which signifies Custodire or to keepe and therefore said to be the guardians of heauens gates as hauing power to admit of our deuotions and giue them accesse vnto the gods or otherwise if they be not faithfull and sincere to exclude them at their pleasures hauing moreouer alwayes beene and still continue great fauourers and prosperers of all such as are laborious and studious They are called the daughters of Iupiter and Themis because as the Graces import nothing els but the hilaritie and gladnesse that ariseth from the increase of the earth so these Houres signifie the fruit it selfe for the Greeke word Carpo is Fructus properlie then they are said to be the attendants of the Graces as the Graces are still the handmaids of Venus for the fruits of the earth are the increase as that plenty still followes delight and therefore they all equipage together as being by the Poets neuer separate Besides the names of the Howers are thus properlie Englisht Law Iustice and Peace The abundance of all things is the companion of Vertue and Honestie but Scarcitie and Death are the pages to Irreligion and Impietie for there is not a cleerer mirrour in which may truelier be discerned the malice or gratitude of men towards the gods and consequentlie of their punishment and pitie towards men than in the alterations of the Seasons which the antient writers the better to signifie vnto vs made the Houres the Porters to heauen gates and gaue them power ouer the clouds both in the mustering of them or dispersing them And so much for the Houres AVRORA or the Morning HEsiodus in Theog tearmes her the daughter of Hyperion and the nymph Thya and sister to the Sunne and Moone Others deriue her from Tytan and Terra they call her the way-leader to the Sunne as Lucifer the day-starre is stil'd her henshman or vsher for so saith Orpheus in an hymne to Aurora Homer in an hymne to Venus allowes her roseat fingers a red or ruddie colour and to be drawne in a golden chariot Virgill sometimes allowes her foure horses sometimes but two and those of a red colour Theocritus describes them white or gray according to the colour of the morning Lycopheon in Alexandra brings her in mounted vpon Pegasus Pausonias in Laconic writes that she was doatinglie besotted of the faire young man Cephalus as likewise of Orion in which Homer agrees with him Apollodorus makes her the mother of the winds and the starres Hesiod is of the same opinion that by prostrating her selfe to
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
would haue left their places and habitatious desolate they therefore demanded of the Oracle a remedie for so great a mischiefe which returnd them this answer That the plague should neuer cease till the young man Menalippus and the faire Cometho were slaine and offered in sacrifice to Dianae Tryclaria and the reason was because hee had strumpeted her in her Temple And notwithstanding their deaths vnlesse euery yeare at the same season a perfectly featured youth and a virgin of exquisite-beautie to expiate their transgression were likewise offered vpon the same altar the plague should still continue which was accordingly done and Menalyppus and the faire Cometho were the first dish that was serued vp to this bloody feast The same author speakes of the daughter of Aristodemus in this manner The Messenians and the Lacedemonians hauing continued a long and tedious warre to the great depopulation of both their nations those of Missene sent to know the euent of the Oracle at Delphos and to which partie the victorie would at length incline Answer is returned That they shall bee conquerors and the Lacedemonians haue the worst but vpon this condition To chuse out of the family of the Aepitidarians a virgin pure and vnblemisht and this damsel to sacrifice to Iupiter This Aristodemus hearing a Prince and one of the noblest of the familie of the Aepitidarians willing to gratifie his countrey chused out his onely daughter for immolation and sacrifice which a noble youth of that nation hearing surprised both with loue and pittie loue in hope to inioy her and pitty as grieuing she should bee so dismembred he thought rather to make shipwracke of her honour than her life since the one might bee by an after-truth restored but the other by no earthly mediation recouered And to this purpose presents himselfe before the altar openly attesting that she was by him with child and therefore not onely an vnlawfull but abhominable offering in the eyes of Iupiter No sooner was this charitable slander pronounced by the young man but the father more inraged at the losse of her honour now than before commiserating her death being full of wrath he vsurpes the office of the priest and with his sword hewes the poore innocent Lady to peeces But not many nights after this bloody execution the Idaea of his daughter bleeding and with all her wounds about her presented it selfe to him in his trouble and distracted sleepe with which being strangely mooued he conueighed himselfe to the tombe where his daughter lay buried and there with the same sword slew himselfe Herodotus in Euterpe speakes of one Pheretrina queene of the Baccaeans a woman of a most inhumane crueltie she was for her tyranny strooke by the hand of heauen her liuing body eaten with wormes and lice and in that languishing misery gaue vp the ghost Propert. in his third book speaks of one Dyrce who much grieued that her husband Lycus was surprised with the loue of one Antiopa caused her to be bound to the horns of a mad bull but her two sonnes Zethus and Amphion comming instantly at the noyse of her lowd acclamation they released her from the present danger and in reuenge of the iniurie offered to their mother fastned Dyrce to the same place who after much affright and many pittifull and deadly wounds expired Consinge was the queene of Bithinia and wife to Nicomedes whose gesture and behauiour appearing too wanton and libidinous in the eyes of her husband hee caused her to be woorried by his owne dogges Plin. lib. 7. Pyrene the daughter to Bebrix was comprest by Hercules in the mountaines that diuide Italy from Spaine she was after torne in pieces by wild beasts they were cald of her Montes Pyreneae i. The Pyrenean mountaines Antipater Tarcenses apud Vollateran speakes of one Gatis a queene of Syria who was cast aliue into a moate amongst fishes and by them deuoured she was likewise called Atergatis Sygambis was the mother of Darius king of Persia as Quintus Curtius in his fourth booke relates she dyed vpon a vowed abstinence for being taken prisoner by Alexander yet nobly vsed by him whether tyred with the continuall labour of her iourney or more afflicted with the disease of the mind it is not certaine but falling betwixt the armes of her two daughters after fiue dayes abstinence from meate drinke and light she expired Semele the mother of Bacchus a Theban Lady and of the royall race of Cadmus perisht by thunder Pliny in his second booke writes of one Martia great with child who was strooke with thunder but the infant in her wombe strooke dead onely shee her selfe not suffering any other hurt or dammage in which place he remembers one Marcus Herennius a Decurion who in a bright cleare day when there appeared in the sky no signe of storme or tempest was slaine by a thunderclappe Pausanius apud Vollateran saith that Helena after the death of her husband Menelaus being banished into Rhodes by Megapenthus and Nicostratus the sonnes of Orestes came for rescue to Polyzo the wife of Pleopolemus who being iealous of too much familiaritie betwixt her and her husband caused her to be strangled in a bath others write of her that growing old and seeing her haires growne gray that face growne wythered whose lustre had beene the death of so many hundered thousands shee caused her glasse to be broken and in despaire strangled herselfe The like Caelius lib. 6. cap. 15. remembers vs of one Acco a proude woman in her youth and growne decrepid through age finding her brow to be furrowed and the fresh colour in her checkes quite decayed grew with the conceit thereof into a strange frenzie some write that she vsed to talke familiarly to her owne image in the Mirhor sometimes smile vpon it then againe menace it promise to it or slatter it as it came into her fancie in the end with meere apprehension that she was growne old and her beautie faded shee fell into a languishing and so died Iocasta the incestuous mother to Aeteocles and Polynices beholding her two sonnes perish by mutuall wounds strooke with the terrour of a deede so facinorous instantly slew her selfe So Bisaltia a mayd dispised by Calphurnius Crassus into whose hands she had betraide the life of her father and freedome of her countrie fell vpon a sword and so perished Zoe the Emperesse with her husband Constantius Monachus both about one time died of the Pestilence Gregorius Turonensis writes of one Austrigilda a famous Queene who died of a disease called Disenteria which is a flux or wringing of the bowells Of the same griefe died Sausones sonne to Chilperick Serena the wife of Dioclesian for verie griefe that so much Martyres blood was spilt by her husbands remorseles tyrannie fell into a feauer and so died Glausinda daughter to the king of the Gothes
and howsoeuer the euent prooue the reward of the victorie is nothing but the dammage arising from the fight manifest Their answer went before which their resolution as suddenlie and swiftlie pursued after for their army and their answer almost arriued together whose celeritie in march and resolution in purpose when Vexores vnderstood he forsooke his tents and all prouision for warre and betooke himselfe to a base and dishonourable flight They pursued him to the Aegyptian fennes but by reason of the marishes and vncertaine ground their further passage was prohibited Retyring thence they ouerranne Asia and subdued it vnder their predominance imposing on the Nations a small tribute rather in acknowledgement of the title than to be gainers by the victory the enemy rather suffering disgrace than oppression fifteene yeares they continued in Asia rather to settle the estate than to extort from the inhabitants From thence they were called by the wickednesse of their wiues from whom they receiued word That vnlesse they instantly repayred home they would seeke issue from the neighbour nations for they would not suffer the posteritie of the antient Scythians to bee in the women extinct Asia was for many yeares tributarie to the Scythians Trogus and Iustine say for a thousand and fiue hundred yeares which ended in Ninus king of Assyria In this interim two princely youthes among the Scythians Plinos and Scolopitus being by the optimates and chiefe of the people expulst from their families drew to their societie a mightie confluence and inuaded Cappadocia planting themselues neere to the riuer Thermedon and being by conquest possest of the Prouince of Themisciria there hauing for many yeares made spoyle of the neighbour nations by the conspiracie of the multitude who were opprest with their insolencies they were betraide and slaine Their wiues by reason of their exile halfe in despaire boldly tooke armes and first retyring themselues and making their owne confines defensible after grew to the resolution to inuade others Besides they disdained to marry with their neighbours calling it rather a seruitude than Wedlock A singular example to all ages Thus they augmented their seigniories and establisht their common-weale without the counsell or assistance of men whose fellowship they began now altogether to despise and to communicate their losse to make the widdowes of equall fortune with the wiues they slew all the men that yet remained amongst them and after reuenged the deaths of their husbands formerlie slaine vpon the bordering people that conspired against them At length by warre hauing setled peace least their posteritie and memory should perish they had mutuall congression with their neighbour nations The men children they slew the female they nourced and brought vp not in sowing and spinning but in hunting and practise off armes and horsemanship and that they better might vse their launces and with the more ease at seauen yeares of age they seared or rather burnt of their right breasts of which they tooke the name of Amasons as much as to say Vnimammae or Vrimammae i. those with one breast or with a burnt breast There were of them two queenes that ioyntly held the soueraigntie Marthesia and Lampedo these diuided their people into two armies and being growne potent both in power and riches they went to warre by turnes the one gouerning at home whilest the other forraged abroad and least there should want honour and authoritie to their successes they proclaimed themselues to be deriued from Mars in so much that hauing subdued the greater part of Aeurope they made incursions into Asia and there subdued many fortresses and castles where hauing built Ephesus with many other citties part of their army they sent home with rich and golden spoyles the rest that remained to maintaine the Empire of Asia were all with the queene Marthesia or as some write Marpesia defeated and slaine In whose place of soueraigntie her daughter Orythia succeeded who besides her singular valour and fortunate successe in warre was no lesse admired for her constant vowe of virginitie which to her death she kept inuiolate The bruite of their glorious and inuincible acts reaching as farre as Greece Hercules with a noble assembly of the most Heroicke youthes furnisht nine ships with purpose to make proofe of their valor two of foure sisters at that time had the principalitie Antiope and Orythia Orythia was then imployde in forreine expeditions Now when Hercules with the young Heroes landed vpon the Amasonian continent the queene Antiope not iealous of the least hostility stood then with many of her ladies vnarmed on the shore who being suddainly assaulted by the Graecians were easily put to rout and they obtained an easie victorie in this conflict many were slaine and diuers taken amongst whom were the two sisters of Antiope Menalippe surprised by Hercules and Hyppolite by Theseus hee subdude her by armes but was captiuated by her beautie who after tooke her to his wife and of her begot Hyppolitus Of her Seneca in Agamemnon thus speakes Vidit Hyppolite ferox pectore emedio rapi Spolium sagittas The bold Hyppolite did see that day Her breast despoyld and her shafts tane away Of Menalippe Virgill thus Threicean sexto spolianit Amazona Baltheo Hauing relation to the golden belt of Thermedon which was numbered the sixt of Hercules his twelue labours He receiued that honour and she her libertie Orythia being then abroad and hearing of these outrages and dishonours done at home that warre had beene commenced against her sister and Theseus prince of Athens borne thence Hyppolite whom she held to be no better than a rauishor impatient of these iniuries shee conuented all her forces and incited them to reuenge inferring that in vaine they bore Empire in Europe and Asia if their dominions lay open to the spoyles and rapines of the Grecians Hauing incouraged and persuaded her owne people to this expedition she next demanded ayd of Sagillus king of the Scythians to him acknowledging herselfe to be descended from that nation showes the necessitie of that warre and the honour of so braue a victorie hoping that for the glorie of the Scythian nation his men would not come behind her women in so iust an enterprise the successe of which was vndoubtedly spoyle for the present and fame for euer Sagillus with these motiues incouraged sent his sonne Penaxagoras with a great armie of horsemen to ayd Orithea in this warre but by reason of a discention that fell in the campe the prince of Scythia withdrew all his auxiliarie forces and with them retired into his countrey by reason of which defect the Amazons were defeated by the Grecians yet many of them after this battaile recouered their countries After this Orythea succeeded Penthisilaea shee that in the ayd of Priam or as some say for the loue of Hector came to the siege of Troy with a thousand Ladies where after many deeds of chiualrie by her performed she was slaine by
behold the feathers of the Iay or Parrat with the admirable varietie of the Feasant and Peacock What Rose in the cheeke can counteruaile the Rose of the garden or what azure veine in the temples the blew flower of the field Come to outward habit or ornament what woman doth better become the richest attyre though fetcht from the farthest parts of the world than the Panther his staynes and the Leopard his pleasing and delightfull spots Are not the Fishes as beautifull in their siluer-shining skales and the terrible Dragon as glorious in his golden armour as women apparrelled in cloth of Bodkin or Tissue What is she that exceeds the Doue or Swan in whitenesse or the Pyne or Cedar in straitnesse Let me heare her voyce that can compare with the Nightingale in sweetnesse or behold that eye that can looke vpon the Sunne with the Eagles Why should you faire ones then be prowd of any thing that are by other creatures exceeded in all things Besides eâ—en the choysest beautie amongst you being once enioyed is the lesse esteemed Souldiers hauing vanquisht their enemies hang vp their armes Sea-men that haue attayned their harbour fold vp their sayles The choysest dainties are loathsome to such as haue filled their stomacks and Wine is a burthen to him that hath satiated his thirst Nobilitie of birth is a thing honorable but you are not beholding to your selues for it but your ancestors Riches and Plentie are excellent but they are the gifts of Fortune therefore subiect to change and casualtie Prayse and Honor is venerable but withall vnstable Health is precious but subiect to sicknesse and infirmitie Strength an excellent gift and blessing but neither free from age nor disease Beautie is admirable aboue all and yet subiect to all onely Learning Knowledge Art and Vertue are aboue the enuie of change or mallice of Fortune Neither are you women solely beautifull We reade in Martial lib. 1. of a boy called Achillas of admirable feature of Acanthus whom the gods at his death in memorie of his exquisite forme changed into a flower that still beares his name Amongst the Romans Scipio surnamed Demetrius and amongst the Greekes Alcibiades carryed the Palme from women who as Plutarch in his life reports of him was not onely wondered at in his youth but admired in his age his grace and comelinesse still growing with him Formosum pastor Coridon ardebat Alexim The shepheard Coridon doted on the faire Alexis Saxo Gramaticus speakes of Alphus the sonne of Gygarus whose haires exceeded the brightnesse of Siluer Amaratus was changed into a sweet-smelling flower after his death Calentius speakes of Amphimâ—don thus Formosum Phiale prius arserat Amphimedonta Amphimedon Phiales maxima cura fuâ—t Phiale was enamored of Amphimedon the faire Amphimedon of Phiale became the greatest care Antinous Bithinieus was a youth of that admirable beautie and feature that Adrian the Emperour was enamoured of him in whose memorie he erected a Temple in Mantinea and built a cittie by the riuer Nilus he caused his effigies to be stamped vpon his owne coine therefore Hieronimus as Vollaterranus reports calls him the Emperour Adrians concubine Asterius was the sonne of Ceres a yong man of a singular forme but altogether abstenious from the loue of women whom Ouid in Ilium remembres Astur is celebrated by Virgil Sequitur pulcherimus Astur Astur equo fidens versicoloribus armis The fairest Astur follows next in field Astur that trusts vnto his horse ans particoloured shield Atis the Phrigian youth was for his fairenesse beloued of the mother of the gods Virgill speakes of Auentinus in these words Victoresque ostentat equos satus Hercule pulcro Pulcher Auentinus Faire Auentinus he that of faire Hercules was borne Boasts of his conquering steedes Batillus was the fauourite or sweet-heart of Anacreon the Poet of whom Pontanâ—s de Stellis Amatum a vate Batillum Pictum oculis fuscumque coma roseumque labellis The Poet of Batillus was enamoured With painted eyes browne haire and lips like Roses red By the way Sure there was a great dearth of beautie in those dayes amongst women when boyes and catamites were so doted on by men Bellerephon was not onely affected by Sthenobaea the wife of Pretus king of the Argiues but doted on by Venus Of Castor and Pollux the two faire Tindarides Ouid. lib. 6. thus writes At gemini nondum Coelestia sidera fratres Ambo conspicâ—i niue candidioribus ambo Vectabantur equis The two twinne brothers not as yet accounted 'Mongst the coelestiall starres conspicuous bâ—th Vpon two steeds whiter than snow were mounted c. The yong boy Cestus Martiall thus commends Quanta tua est probitus c. How great thy honesty thy fame as rare Oh sweete child Cestus thou that may'st comparâ— With Theseus sonne did bright Diana see Thee naked once inamoured she would be And tyce thee to some pleasant â—iuers brim There strip her selfe and teach thee how to swim Democles an Athenian youth was of that pulchritude that he was called by all men Pulcher Democles and that which seldome meets with beautie of that rare temperance that when king Demetrius plucked him to haue made him a prostitute to his vnlawfull and beastly lusts to shun his embraces he leaped into a caldron of seething hot liquor and there drowned himselfe Plutarch in Demetrio Diadumenus the cup-bearer to Augustus was of that admirable feature that in the contention which was made at Elis he carried the palme both from men and women Volateran For no other cause was Ganimede sayd to fill Nectar to Iupiter than for his eligancie of forme Galetes was a youth of that excellent feature and so indeered to Ptolomaeus that when diuerse malefactors and for great crimes were led to execution onely at his entreatie hee spared their liues Hypoclides the sonne of Thysander as Herodotus relates was excellent aboue all the Athenians for wealth and beautie Of Hyas the sonne of Atlas and Aethra Ouid 5. de Fast. Nondum stabat Atlas humeros oneratus Olimpo Cum satus est forma conspiciendus Hias Olimpas weight did not as yet Great Atlas backe adorne When as the louely Hyas of Conspicuous shape was borne Hylas the sonne of Hyadamus was not onely indeered to Hercules but doted on by the nymphs called Driades Iulus the sonne of Aeneas and Creusa was taken for Cupid the sonne of Venus Iuuencus was the minion of Catullus as Lygurinus was to Horace so likewise Lycus of whom he thus speakes Et Lycum nigris oculis nigroque Crine decorum Lycus rare Both for his blacke eyes and his blacke sleeke haire Some thing more freely he speakes of the Pulchritude of Nearchus in Carm. and his Odes Of Nireus the sonne of Caropus and Alaga Homer speakes at large as Horace likewise in Carm. and Epedo Tibullus commends his Marathis Maximinus that his head being mangled and bloodie yet notwithstanding in death it looked admirable Marcellus the sonne of
much hated in regard of enmitie betwixt him and his father Clodius for Cicero was of Miloes faction Titus had long and dearely loued the faire Terentia but vnderstanding that his friend Appius was likewise exceedingly inamoured of her hee left his owne suit and earnestly sollicited the ladie in his behalfe who was easily persuaded to the motion hauing long before cast an affectionate eye vpon Appius but durst make no expression thereof much fearing the displeasure of her father Titus so well managed the businesse for his friend that hee brought him priuily into the house of Cicero where the two louers had mutuall conference her father comming home by accident and finding them together in the heate of his impatience excluded him and lockt her vp in safe and close custodie Which the poore Ladie tooke so to heart that shee fell into an extreame feauer and languishing daily her father now when it was too late desired to know what he might doe to minister vnto her the least comfort shee onely besought him that before her death shee might take her last and louing leaue of Appius who was instantly sent for at his sudden comming in shee was extaside with his sight and expired in his embraces which the noble youth perceiuing hee drew out a short dagger which hee then wore about him and in the presence of her father and his owne deere friend slew himselfe A more comicall conclusion hath that which I shall next tell you An old Vicar in the countrey hauing a wonderous faire wench to his daughter it happened that a young scholler that for want of meanes had left the Vniuersitie was preferred to the seruing of a Cure somewhat neere him by which hee had opportunitie to woo the maid and after had the parents consent to marrie her It happened not long after this young man had a Parsonage bestowed vpon him by his patron the father and the sonne meeting vpon a time at a market towne with diuers gentlemen of the countrey being at dinner amongst other discourse cauelling about an argument they fell into controuersie which should bee the better man many rough words passed in so much that the gentlemen were forced to come betwixt them and keepe the peace The old man he stood vpon his grauitie and the name of father the young man pleaded That in regard he was a Parson and the other but a Vicar that he was the better of the two This raised the vprore afresh which the gentlemen had much adoe to appease at length the young man demaunded audience but for a few words in which sayth he if I doe not conuince him and make it plaine and palpable before you all that I am the worthier of the two for name place and antiquitie I will yeeld him prioritie and precedence for euer after The words of Name and Antiquitie the old man heard with much impatience at length audience being granted and silence obtained Now yong knaue sayth the old Vicar what canst thou say for thy selfe I onely desire answered the young man to be resolued in one question propound iâ— sayâ—h the other Marrie thus sayth he When the world was distroyed in the generall deluge all saue eight Parsons tell me Where were the Vicars then The old man was blanke the gentlemen smiled and the young man carried it so that euer after the sonne tooke place of the father and the faire daughter of the mother I will onely remember you of a faire young gentlewoman a countrey woman of mine and so conclude with my Faire ones A gallant newly come to his lands became a suitor to a proper young Virgin her fathers onely child and heire Hee hauing had conference with her father conditions on both sides were debated the match concluded and the day of marriage appointed the father and the sonne in law riding abroad one morning to take the ayre the antient gentleman was mounted on an easie paced Mare which he kept his owne saddle this beast the young gallant was so enamored of that hee offered to buy her at any rate though neuer so vnreasonable but the old man entreated him to hold him excused because the beast was easie and gentle fitting his age and being disfurnished of her hee knew not how to come by the like therefore his resolution was neyther to depart from her for loue nor money The gentleman grew so obstinate to haue her and the other so selfe-will'd to keepe her that at length the sonne in law told him plainely That if hee would not sell him his Mare he would not marrie his daughter The father at this grew into choller and told him If he respected his child no better but set her so slight he bad him come when he sent for him and vpon these short tearmes they parted A fortnight passed in this discontent at length the young gallant better aduising with himselfe and the gentlewomans beautie still sticking in his stomacke he began to recant his former obstinacie and purposely tooke horse to renew old acquaintance and giue her fresh visitation and comming something neere the house it was the young gentlewomans fortune to spye him from a bay window who instantly steps downe to the gate meaning her selfe to play the porter Three or foure times hee knockes at the gate but no bodie answered at length hee rapt so loud that shee opened the wicket and asked him Who he was and what he would haue He seeing it was she smilingly answered It is I sweet-heart doe you not know me Not I indeed replyed she for to my remembrance I neuer saw you before To whom he againe answered I am such a man and by these and these tokens I can put you in mind that you cannot chuse but know me Oh I crie you mercie it is true indeed saith shee I now very well remember you You are hee that came a wooing to my fathers Mare so clapt to the gate and left him and neuer after would giue him the least entertainment Of Women Deformed IT is remembered of the Poet Hypponax by Plinie Lib. 36. cap. 5. to be of that vnhappie shape vnseemely presence and vncomely countenance so deformed both in face and feature that he became a generall scorne to all insomuch that two famous Painters Bubulus and Anterinus drawing his picture and setting it out to sale had pensill'd him in such ridiculous and vnfashionable manner that the Table begot laughter from all such as passed by and beheld it Which Hypponax hearing hee so persecuted the poore Painters in his bitter Iambicks and inuectiue Satyres that despayring they hanged themselues Then blame me not if I be sparing in ripping vp the deformities of women least they prosecute me as seuerely with their rayling tongues as the Poet did the Painters with his Satyricall penne It is an argument therefore that I desire to be briefe in Athenaeus Lib. 9. tells vs That Anacharsis the Philosopher sitting at a Banquet with his wife who was a wondrous blacke
some that were about him that the next night a lustie young wench was brought to his bed one that feared not the robustious violence of youth much lesse to encounter the imbesillitie of sicke and weake age I know not with what queasie stomach the patient relished his phisicke but early in the morning he gaue content to his shee Apothecarie who was conueyed out of the house vndiscouered The next day diuers of his friends comming to comfort him they found him sadly weeping and by no meanes could they weane him from that extasie at length the one of them who was priuie to the former nights passage began to compassionate with him and told him hee was sorie for his extreame heauinesse and as knowing the cause sayd No doubt but God was mercifull and wished him not to despaire but bee of comfort and with ghostly counsell persuaded him to take nothing to his heart because hee hoped all would bee well The old man told him hee vnderstood not his meaning but desired him to be more plain that he might know to what purpose his language did inâ—end His neighbour answered him againe Sir I haue beene acquainted with you long haue knowne your continence and strictnesse of life and withall your abstinence from women and I am sorie that your last nights businesse should be the occasion of this melancholly and these teares To whom the sicke but pretily well recouered man thus replyde Neighbour you much mistake the cause of my sorrow I neither greeue nor weepe for the good wholsome phisicke I had the last night but I now vex and torment my selfe that I haue so idly spent mine age there being such a pleasure vpon earth aboue all that I haue hetherto inioyed that I neuer had the grace to know it sooner and trie what it was before this time If then Lust can strike this stroke and haue this efficacie in age ô how much should wee pittie youth readie dayly and hourely to run into this dangerous inconuenience Of these Wantons there bee two sorts Meretrices and Scorta that is Whores and common Women such as either for Lust or Gaine prostitute themselues to many or all The second are Concubina or Pâ—llices Concubines to kings and princes or such as wee call the priuate Mistresses to great men The last are as our Accidence teacheth like Eduardus or Gulielmus proper names to this man or that The first like Homo common to all men both degrees sinners but not in the like kind I haue read of a third sort but know not what consonant or agreeing name to conferre vpon them I haue heard of some that haue beene called honest whores It may bee those that I shall speake of were such and because they are the strangest I will begin with them first Dosithaeus lib. 3. Lydiacorum tells vs that the Sardians hauing commenced warre with the Smyrnaeans inuested themselues before the cittie of Smyrna and hauing begyrt them with a straight and difficult siege those of Sardis it seemes being hot fellowes sent their Embassadors into the citie to this purpose That vnlesse they would send them their wiues to adulterate at their pleasures they would not onely race their citie and leuell it with the earth but kill man woman and child and so extirpe their memorie This message bringing with it not onely terror but horror much perplexed the besieged and betwixt the distractions of perpetuall infamie and most certaine death not able what to determine and hauing sat long in counsaile but nothing amongst them concluded a yong lustie Virago one that was hand-maid or bond-woman to Philarchus desired to be admitted into the Senate And being called in amongst them to know what shee had to say shee told them That vnderstanding to what miserable exigent they were driuen shee had deuised so pleased them to be swayed by her direction a meanes not onely to deliuer themselues from skorne their wiues from dishonor their children from the reproach of bastardie and their liues and goods from spoyle but to subiect the barbarous enemie into their hands with a noble and memorable victorie No maruell if to such a proiect they gaue attention when greedily demanding By what meanes the least of these proposed blessings might be accomplished she thus counsailed them Send saith she to these lustfull Sardinians and tell them you will in all points satisfie their desires At the time appointed let me with the rest of your slaues and vassals be attyred in the habits of our ladies and mistresses for no question being deckt in their ornaments and iewels wee shall appeare not onely free women but sufficiently beautifull Now in the night when we are fast lodged in their embraces and they dreaming of no further dangers than their present delights and that you thinke wee haue sufficiently cooled their hot courages arme your selues against the Sardinians whom if they offer to rise and arme themselues at the Alarme giuen wee will keepe still fast lockt in our armes till what wee haue left of them being naked you your selfe dispatch being armed This counsaile was followed and accordingly tooke effect In memorie of this the Feast called Elâ—theria i. of Free-women is yeerely celebrated in Smyrna in which the maid-seruants attyred in their mistresses habits sit at the Table and are waited on by them whom they attend all the yeare after Aristides Milesius lib. 1. Italicorum parallels this Historie thus Atepomarus king of the Gaules infesting the Romans with warre and hauing compelled them to the like exigent demanded the like horrible conditions of peace namely to adulterate their wiues but being in the same manner aduised by their hand-maids and hauing intelligence giuen them by one Retana the chiefe of that counsaile when the Gaules were sunke in sleepe and lust they set vpon them in the night and gaue them a braue defeat from whence the Feast of the Handmaids tooke beginning which is celebrated amongst the Romans euen to this day A Tale something like vnto these I haue beene told of a Mistresse that in some sort did as much to saue her maids honestie but whether to the same commendable purpose of that I am somewhat doubtfull In some great citie it was I cannot say London that a citisen of good reckoning hauing a faire wife kept diuerse prentices and maid-seruants in his house one of those busie young fellowes had cast a wanton eye vpon her that ruled the rost in the kitchin and longing as much to be in her bookes as out of his time and waiting many nights for opportunitie to find her in some remote place or darke entry it happened that one night hee dogg'd her at the heeles she hearing him to tread softly after her to escape him stept vp a payre of stayres iust as her mistresse came downe The prentice groping in the darke catcht hold vpon his mistresse and without any word speaking began to proportion his worke according to the shortnesse of his time The
approoued by others interdicted Lycurgus and Solon because they would not haue the Virgins oppressed by the couetousnesse of men forbad by their lawes that any man should demaund a dower with his wife a necessarie and profitable decree by which he was condemned that being a long suitor to the daughter of Pysander and promising her marriage in her fathers life time repudiated the contract after his death because he dying poore her dower did not answere his expectation Aelian lib. 6. de Var. Histor. Amongst the Hetruâ—ians it was held base and ignoble and absolutely forbidden by their inscribed statutes for a man to send tokens or gifts to her whom he affected accounting them no better than bribes or mercenarie hire not fit to bee thought on in such a sacred commixion where nothing should bee meditated saue sincere loue and coniugall pietie The Aegyptians were so opposite to demaunding of portions with their wiues that they called all such as receiued them no better than slaues to them and their dowries Now touching bridall gifts and presents It was an antient custome amongst the Greekes that the father the day after the solemnisation of the marriage sent to the bride some spousall offerings which they called Epaâ—lia dora they were vshered by a beautifull yong lad attyred in a long white vesture reaching to his heele bearing in his hand a bright burning taper in order followed after him all such young men and maides youthfully attyred that brought the presents one presented Gold another Gemmes a third a Basin and Ewre with other Plate-dishes a fourth Boxes of Alablaster full of sweet Oyles and Vnguents a fift rich Sandals or Slippers with other necessaries belonging as well to the whole house as to their priuat bed-chamber Alex. ab Alex. lib. 2. cap. 5. Solon to this marriage-offering allowed onely three sorts of garments for the Bride to bring with her besides such small gifts as were tendered by the kindred friends and houshold seruants A damosell of Lacaena being poore and demanded What Dower she had to bring to her husband and to marrie her with answered That which was left mee as an inheritance from mine ancestors namely Vertue and Modestie Ingeniously inferring that there is no more commendable Dower to be expected in marriage than Chastitie and vncorrupt Manners The daughters of C. Fabritius Cn. Scipio and Manius Curius because their fathers left them not portions sufficient to bestow them according to their byrth and qualitie had their Dowers allotted them from the common Treasurie There was a Law amongst the Romans That no Virgins Dower should exceed the summe of ten thousand pieces of Siluer But after that limitation was taken away and brought to fortie thousand and vpward Insomuch that Metulia because the Dower of which she possest her husband amounted to fiue hundred thousand pieces had a sirname bestowed vpon herâ— beeing euer after called Dotata In ancient times the husbands wooed their Brides with a Ring of Iron without any Stone or Gemme but meerely circular and round by that denoting the parsimonie of diet and frugalitie in liuing Homer the Prince of Poets hauing no wealth with which to bestow his daughter vpon a thriftie citisen gaue her onely an Epithalâ—mium with certaine Cyprian Elegies for so Pindarus and Aedianus lib. 9. affirme The Carthaginians gaue no Portions with their Virgins but were onely at the charge of the Nuptiall feasts which grew to be immoderate and wastfull Amongst the Indians none can clayme a greater Dower with his wife than the price of a yoake of Oxen neither can he marrie out of his owne Tribe The Assyrians brought their noblest Virgins into the marketplace and their prices there publikely proclaymed by the Cryer whosoeuer wanted a wife and would reach to the summe propounded might there be furnished and he that had not readie money if he could put in good securitie it was held sufficient The like custome was amongst the Babylonians in which they obserued this order They first set out to sale the most ingenuous and beautifull and those at an high rate and when they were put off they brought forth the worser featured euen vnto the degree of deformitie and then the Cryer proclaymes That who will marrie any of them he shall haue so much or so much to recompence her foulenesse or lamenesse And this money which sells them is collected from the ouerplus of the price of the other so that the beautie of the faire ones helpes to bestow and dispose of the foule The Massâ—lienses would not suffer any man to receiue with his wife more than an hundred pieces of Gold Amongst the Cretans halfe the brothers estate was conferred vpon the sister to make her a Dowrie The antient Germans when they had made choyse of such with whom they meant to marrie at their proper charge prouided them of Dowries Which custome euen to these later times hath beene continued amongst the Celtiberians who dwelt in a part of the Pyrenes a Prouince which is now called Biskay Fulgos. lib. 2. cap. 1. And with the Dower which he sent he was tyed to present her likewise with a Horse bridled a Sword a Targuet and an Armour with a yoake of Oxen. And these were held to be the most assured Pledges of Coniugall loue without which no Nuptials were legally solemnized Alexand. ab Alex. lib. 2. cap. 5. Idem lib. 4. cap. 8. Of Nuptiall Ornaments Pompe Feasts Epithalamions c. AMongst the Greekes the Bride was crowned with water-Mints or Cresses her head was kembed with a piece of a Lance or Speare of a Fencer with which some man had beene slaine it was called Caelibaris which imported that the new-married Bride should bee as conioynedly commixt with her husband in mutuall affection as that Speare was inward in the trans-pierced bodie when it was drawne from the wound A strange Aenigma it appeares to me howsoeuer it is so recorded Her hayre was parted the one way and the other leauing a seame in the middest that her forhead and face might be the plainlyer discouered Some interprete it as an Embleme that she might be the breeder of a warlike and valorous issue or else that by that ceremonie she should euer acknowledge her selfe obsequious to the will and pleasure of her husband Alexand. ab Alex. lib. 2. cap. 5. In other places of Greece the Brides heads were couered with a Veyle to signifie her bashfulnesse and modest shame It was of Clay-coloured Silke by which colour the Matrons of the most temperate life and modest carriage denoted vnto the world their continence and vertue Amongst the Athenians the Bridegroome kept his Bride concealed and couered at home in the place where she was after to be devirgined the doores of the house were adorned with white Wooll and crowned and beautified with Lawrel which were first touched by the Bride who annointed the posts and daubed the thresholds with Swines grease or the fat of Wolues to preuent all
honour consume the remainder of their liues in great discontent sorrow and anguish Of this custome Cicero remembers vs Tusc. Quest. lib. 5. Vaeler Maxim lib. 2. cap. 1. Alex. ab Alex. Aelianus Egnatius and others This funerall ceremonie as Fulgos. lib. 2. cap. 6. is continued amongst them vnto this day alluding to this purpose is that of Propert. lib. 3. Foelix eo is lex funeris vna maritis c. Which I thus paraphrase in English You Easterne Husbands in your funerall Lawes Most happie and their first inuentors wise In which you are more famous then because On you the blushing morning first doth rise When Death hath with his last mortiferous wound The Husband strucke his last Rites to prepare A pious troupe of Wiues engirt him round Drying their moist cheekes with their scatt'red haire Who striue which shall associate him in fate And bed with him together in the flame To liue beyond him is a thing they hate And he once dead life is to them a shame She that can die with him hath her desire And leapes with ioy into the funerall fire The like is obserued by a people of Thrace that inhabite a little aboue the Crestonaeans They likewise are delighted with pluralitie of wiues who after the decease of their husbands enter into the like contention as the women of India and she that is Victoresse as if glorying in some great conquest adorned in her best and richest ornaments is with great ceremonious pompe amongst all her kindred and allyes conducted vnto the place where his bodie is to be interred where being slaine by her next of kinne as the best office he can doe her she is buried in the same graue with her husband Herod lib. 5. The wiues amongst the Geates repayre to their husbands Sepulchre and holding all life tedious and burthensome without them offer their bodies willingly either to the sword or to the fire The custome of the Catheoreans was That when the Bride chose her husband she made a couenant with him at his death to be burnt in the same Pile Alex. ab Alex. lib. 1. cap. 25. The women amongst the Herulians a people that inhabite beyond the riuer of Danubius repayre to the graues of their husbands and iust ouer-against them strangle themselues Which marriage-loue appeares the more strange because the men are of that barbarous and inhumane incontinence that they hold it no shame to leaue the societie of their women and haue congression with brute beasts Bonifacius in his Epistle vnto king Ethelbaldus as Gulielm Malmsbur lib. 1. cap. 64. de Anglia relates it sayth That the Winedi are the worst and the most nastie people among the Germans yet their wiues are of that incomparable zeale and pietie toward their husbands that shee is held to be the most laudable and prayse-worthie that with her owne hand kills her selfe to burne with him in his last funerall fire From the generalitie of women I descend to particulars Admirable was the loue of Phila towards her husband king Demetrius and haughtie and magnanimous her spirit who receiuing newes of his defeat in battaile and that his whole armie being dispersed and scattered he was retyred into Cassandria dranke poyson and so died The wife of Straton Prince of Sydonia when the citie was straitly besieged by the Persians her greatest care was least the person of her husband should fall into the hands of the mercilesse enemie which she purposed to preuent by death When therefore shee heard they had skaled the walls and were readie to be instantly possest of the towne and seize vpon the person of her husband she snatcht from him his sword with which she first â—lew him and then laying out his bodie with as much comelinesse as the shortnesse of the time would permit after fell vpon the same sword thus by voluntarie death preuenting the dishonor of captiuitie Fulgos. lib. 4. cap. 6. Fannia the daughter of Arria the younger wife to Poetus Patauinus before remembred in her braue and heroick death with her husband was the Spouse of Heluidius Priscus who followed him in all his exile euen to his vnfortunate and most vniust death she was the third time confined from the reigne of Tiberius Nero to the death of Domitian Plinie with infinite prayses applauds the incomparable vertues of this Fannia with both the Arriaes in Lib. 9. in his Epistle to Quadratus and in his seuenth to Genitor and Priscus Triaria was the noble and chast wife of L. Vitellius brother to Aul. Vitellius the Emperor who as Hypsicrataea followed Mithridates in all his combustious warres so she neuer forsooke her husband but was present with him in all those ciuile dissentions against Vespasian And the night when Vitellius her Lord with a great armie of souldiers inuaded and entred the citie Terecyna shee presented her selfe in the middest of the slaughter not onely daring but doing equally with the most valiant killing on all sides till shee had hemmed her selfe in with dead bodies slaine by her owne hand so bold and magnanimous a spirit had the coniugall loue to her husband imprest in her Her memorie is made famous by the same Author Antonia Flaxilla by some called Archona when her husband Priscus was found guiltie of the Pysonian Faction and for that cause exiled by Nero and when shee might haue enioyed all the plentie and abundance in Rome left all the pleasures and delights of the citie to accompanie her desolate Lord in his penurious and vncomfortable banishment Her example Egnatia Maximilla imitated who likewise associated her husband Gallus guiltie of the same Conspiracie with Priscus Fulgos. lib. 6. cap. 7. From Iacobus the sonne of Vsson Cassannus amongst many other Captaines that reuolted there was one eminent in that Rebellion called Pandoerus who had a most beautiful young wife her age exceeded not sixteene yeeres to whom he was ardently and in conioyned loue affected He being by her often earnestly entreated to forbeare all conflicts with the enemie but by no meanes either mooued by her teares or perswaded with her intercessions and prayers persisting resolute for a present encounter shee then begged of him That before he hasarded himselfe to the extremitie of danger hee would first take away her feares by transpiercing her with his sword which when he likewise denyed he presently left her and gaue signall of battaile in which conflict he was vanquished and slaine his Tent rifled his wife surprised and committed into the hands of one of the chiefe Captaines belonging to the king who pittying her teares and sorrow to which her feature and beautie gaue no common lustre made instant suit vnto her to make her his wife Shee whilest shee could put him off with all possible delayes but after perceiuing that what hee could not compasse with her good will hee purposed to attaine vnto by compulsion and force shee craued onely some few houres of
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
Neoptolemus the sonne of Achilles and Deiadamia rap't Lanissa the niece of Hercules Aiax the sonne of Telamon did the like to Tecmessa of whom Horace Mouit Aiacem Telemone satam Forma captiuae dominum Tecmessae Captiue Tecmessas beautiegaz'd vpon Insnar'd her lord the sonne of Telamon Aiax Oilaeus rauished Cassandra Nessus the Centaure Deineira the wife of Hercules sister to Meleager and daughter to Oeneus and Althea king and queene of Calidonâ— Tleoptolemus stole Axiothia from Ephira a citie of Peloponessus hee was the sonne of Hercules and Astioche he was first a suitor to Hellen and came to the siege of Troy with nine shippes and was after slaine by the hand of king Sarpedon Hypodamia the daughter of Atracius and wife of Perithous suffered the like violence by the Centaures being heated with Wine and Lust especially by Euritus of whom Ouid lib. 12. thus speakes Euritus Hyppodamea alij quam quisque probabat Aut poterat rapiunt Euritus rap't Hyppodame and after him the rest By his example did the like and snatcht where they lik't best The great enmitie betwixt the Grecians and Barbarians though it might seeme to arise by reason of the distance of countries and difference of manners yet most probable it is that their inueterate hate and irreconsilable malice tooke first originall from diuerse rapes committed on either part for first the Phoenician Merchanrs exposing their commodities to publique sale in the citie of Argis when Iö the kings daughter amongst other damosells came downe to the Key to take view of what marchandise she best liked to furnish her selfe according to her womanish fancie the Merchants beeing extreamely surprised with her beautie seised both her and the rest of her attendants and stowing them vnder hatches hoised saile and transported them into Aegypt Not long after the Cretenses awaiting the like opportunitie stole away Europa the daughter of the king of the Tyrians and bore her into Creet in requitall of the former rape The Heroes of Greece next sailed in the great Argoe to Cholcos pretending their iourney for the golden fleece and raped thence Medea the daughter of Areta after whom sending Embassadors into Greece to redemand his daughter they returned him answere That the barbarous Phoenicians had made no restitution nor satisfaction at all for the rape of Io neither would they for Medea After that Paris the son of Priam rather to reuenge the iniurie done to his Aunt Hesione than for any loue or affection to Spartan Hellen stole her from Lacedemon and brought her to Troy in Asia The Princes of Greece redemanding her answere was returned That since they made no restitution of Europa nor of Medea nor Hesione neither would they of Hellena which was the originall of that memorable siege of Troy and the destruction of that famous citie Herodotus Lib. 1. Thrasimenes being enamored of the faire daughter of Pisistratus and his affection dayly more and more encreasing he gathered to himselfe a societie of young men and watching the Ladie when shee came with other young damosells to offer sacrifice according to the custome of the countrey by the Seaside with their swords drawne they set vpon the companie that attended her and hauing dispiersed them snatched her vp and hurrying her aboord sailed with her towards Aegina But Hyppias the eldest sonne of Pisistratus beeing then at Sea to cleere those coasts of Pyrats by the swiftnesse of their Ores imagining them to be of the fellowship of the Sea robbers pursued them boorded them and tooke them who finding his sister there brought her backe with the rauishers Thrasimenes with the rest of his faction being brought before Pisistratus not withstanding his knowne austeritie would neither doe him honour nor vse towards him the least submission but with bold and vndaunted constancie attended their sentence telling him That when the attempt was first proposed they then armed themselues for death and all disasters Pysistratus admiring their courage and magnanimitie which showed the greater in regard of their youth called his daughter before him and in the presence of his nobilitie to recompence his celsitude of minde and spirit freely bestowed her vpon Thrasimenes by which meanes he reconciled their opposition and entertained them into new faith and obedience no more expressing himselfe a Tyrant but a louing and bountifull father and withall a popular citisen Polinae lib. 5. The daughters of king Adrastus were rauished by Acesteneutrix as Statius lib. 1. hath left remembred Euenus the sonne of Mars and Sterope married Marpissa daughter to Oenemaus and Alcippa whom Apharetas espying as she daunced amongst other Ladies grew innamoured of and forcibly rapt her from her companie Plutarch in Paral. Hersilia with the Sabine Virgins were likewise rap't by Romulus and his souldiers at large described by Ouid. Lib. de Arte Amandi 1. Lucrece the chast Roman Matron was stuperated by Sextus Tarquinius of whom Seneca in Octauia thus saith Nata Lucreti stuprum saeui passa Tyranni Eudoxia being left by Valentinianus was basely rauished by the Tyrant Maximus who vsurped in the Empire for which shee inuited Gensericus out of Africke to auenge her of the shame and dishonour done vnto her Sigebertus in Chronicis The same Author tells vs of Ogdilo Duke of Boiaria who forced the sister of king Pepin for which iniurie done to her the king opprest him with a cruell and bloudie warre Of Handmaids Nurses Midwiues and Stepdames PLecusa was a Handmaid to Diana whom Martial Lib. 1. thus remembers Et cecidit sectis Icla Plecusa Crinis Lagopice is another Lib. 7. remembred by the same Author Cibale was the maid-seruant to a poore man called Similus remembred by Virgil in Morete Phillis Troiana was the Handmaid to Phoceus as Briseis was to Achilles Plinie Lib. 36. cap. 27. makes Ocrisia the Damosell to the Queene Tanaquil so Horace makes Cassandra to Agamemnon Gyge as Plutarch relates was such to Parysatis Queene of Persia and mother to Cyrus Thressa was maid-seruant to Thales Milesius who as Theodoricus Cyrenensis affirmes when shee saw her maister come home durtie and myrie as being newly crept out of a Ditch chid him exceedingly for gazing at the starres to finde those hidden things aboue and had not the foresight to see what lay below at his feet but hee must stumble Herodotus in Euterpe calls Rhodope the famous Aegyptian strumpet the Handmaid of Iadmon Samiâ—s a Philosopher Elos was a Damosell to king Athamas from whom a great citie in Achaia tooke denomination and was called Aelos Lardana as Herodotus affirmes was at first no better than a seruant from whom the noble Familie of the Heraclidae deriue their first originall Titula otherwise called Philotis was a Roman Virgin of the like condition and is remembred for such by Plutarch in Camillo as also by Macrob. Lib. 1. Saturnalium Proconnesia is remembred
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
settled an enmitie against all Vices your publike enemies as hee did against the Persians the forraine inuaders you shall vndoubtedly after the Battaile of the Mind constantly fought against all barbarous temptations be ranked equall with him in all his triumphs It is likewise recorded of Isaus an Assyrian Sophist who in his youth being giuen to all voluptuousnesse and effeminate delicacies but comming to riper vnderstanding assumed to himselfe a wonderous continencie of life and austeritie in all his actions insomuch that a familiar friend of his seeing a beautifull young woman passe by and asking him If shee were not a faire one To him hee answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Desij laborare de oculis i. I am no more sicke of sore eyes To another that demanded What Fish of Fowle was most pleasant to the taste hee replyed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. I haue forgot to looke after them and proceeded I perceiue that I then gathered all my Fruits out of the Garden of Tantalus insinuating vnto vs that all those vaine Pleasures and Delights of which Youth is so much enamored are nothing else but shadowes and dreames such as Tantalus is said to be fed with Of seuerall degrees of Inchastities and of their Punishments PHilip of Macedon making warre against the Thebans Aeropus and Damasippus two of his cheefe captaines had hyred a mercenarie strumpet and kept her in one of their tents which the king hearing he not onely cashiered them from their commaunds but banished them his kingdome Polynaeus lib. 4. In Germanie Chastitie and Modestie is held in that reuerent respect that no meane Artificer though of the basest trade that is will entertaine a Bastard into his seruice or teach him his science neither in the Accademies will they permit any such to take degree in schooles though it be a strange seueritie against innocent children who gaue no consent to the sinnes of their parents yet it is a meane to curbe the liberties of men and women deterring them from the like offences Aeneus Siluius lib. 1. of the sayings and deeds of king Alphonsus tells vs of one Manes Florentinus who being taken in forbidden congression with a strumpet was adiudged to pennance which was not altogether as our custome in England is to stand in a white sheete but naked all saue a linnen garment from his wast to his knees after the fashion of Bases the Priests comming to strip him in the Vestrie would haue put vpon him that roabe to couer his shame which hee no way would admit but was constantly resolued to stand as our phrase is starke naked but when the church officers demanded of him If he were not ashamed to shew his virile parts in such a publike assemblie especially where there were so many Virgins married Wiues and widow Women he answered Minime gentium nam pudenda haec quae peccauerunt ea potissimum dare panas decet i. By no meanes quoth he most fit it is that those shamefull things that haue offended and brought me to this shame should likewise doe open penance Pontius Offidianus a knight of Rome after he had found by infallable signes his daughters virginitie to be dispoyled and vitiated by Fannius Saturnius her schoole-maister was not content to extend his iust rage vpon his seruant and punish him with death but hee also slew his daughter who rather desired to celebrat her vntimely exequies than follow her to her contaminated Nuptialls Val. lib. 6. cap. 1. Pub. Attilius Philiscus notwithstanding in his youth hee was compelled by his master to prostitute his owne bodye to vnnaturall lusts for bruitish and vnthriuing gaine yet after prooued a seuere father for finding his daughter to haue corrupted her virginall chastitie hee slew her with his owne hand How sacred then may wee imagine and conceiue puritie and temperance was held in Rome when such as had professed base prostitution in their youth became iudges and punishers therof euen vpon their owne children in their age Val. Max. lib. 6. c. 1. Appius Claudius Regillanus the most eminent amongst the Decemviri so doted on Virginia the daughter of Virginius a Centurion who was then in the campe at Algidus that he suborned a seruant of his to seise her claim her as his bondwoman and bring the cause to be decided before him needs must the businesse passe on his side beeing both the accuser and the iudge The father being certified of these proceedings by Icilius a hopefull young gentleman before contracted vnto her leauing his charge abroad repaires to the citie and appearing before the iudgement seat sees his owne lawfull daughter taken both from himselfe and betrothed husband and conferred vpon another as his slaue and bondwoman The iudgement being past he desires leaue to speake with his daughter apart it was granted him by the Court who slew her with his owne hand then taking vp her bodie and lifting it vpon his shoulders posted with that lamentable burden to the campe and incited the souldiers to reuenge Liuie Volater lib. 14. cap. 2. Antropol Quintus Fabius Seruilianus hauing his daughters chastitie in suspition first deliuered her to death and after punished himselfe with voluntarie banishment The punishment of these inchastities is by the Poets to the life illustrated in the fable of Titius the sonne of Terra who intending to stuperate Latona was by Apollo slaine with an arrow and being thrust down into Hell and chained to a rocke his Liuer and Heart is perpetually tyred on by a rauenous Vulture who still renewes his inceasible torments Virgill lib. Aeneid 6. vnder the person of Titius would pourtray vnto vs the vnquiet conscience which though sometimes it may be at a seeming peace yet the torment by beeing still renewed dayly increaseth and gnawes the heart-strings of all such persons as to themselues are guiltie Of Witches and the Punishment due to them VIncentius cites this following Historie from Guillerimus in Specul Histor. lib. 26. cap. 26. which also Iohannes Wyerius Ranulphus and others commemorats an English woman that dwelt at a towne called Barkley in England being a Witch yet not being much suspected liued in indifferent good opinion amongst her neighbours and beeing feasting vpon a time abroad and wonderous pleasant in companie shee had a tame crow which she had brought vp that would be familiar with her and sit vpon her shoulder and prate to her in the best language it could she at this feast the Table being readie to be drawne sported with her which spake to her more plainely than it vsed some wordes which shee better than the rest of the companie vnderstood at which suddenly her knife dropped out of her hand her colour changed the blood forsooke her cheâ—kes and shee looked pale readie to sinke downe and fetching some inward suspires and grones shee at length broke forth into this language Woe is mee my plow is now entred into the last furrow for this day I shall heare of some great
losse which I must forciblly suffer The rest wondring at her sudden change from myrth to passion next at her alteration of looke and lastly at her mysticall language when her words were scarce ended but a messenger rushed hastily into the roome and told her that her eldest sonne with all the whole familie at home were found suddenly dead which she no sooner heard but ouercome with sorrow she fainted and beeing recouered and conducted to her owne house she tooke her bed and presently caused the onely two children she had liuing to be sent for the one a Monke the other a Nunne who presently came to visit her and know her pleasure to whom with a pensiue and destracted heart the teares running from her eyes she thus speake Alas my children behold me your mother and commiserat my wretched and distressed estate whose fate hath beene so maleuolent and disastrous that I haue hetherto beene a wicked professor of diabolicall Witchraft hauing beene a mistresse of that Art and a great persuader to those abhominations now all the refuge I haue to flie to is your religious zeale and pietie in this despaire for now is the time that the Deuils will exact their due Those that persuaded me to this mischiefe are readie to demand their Couenant Therefore by a mothers loue I charge you and by your filiall dutie I coniure you since the Sentence of may Soules perdition is irreuocable that you will vse your best endeuour and industrie for the preseruation of my Bodie This therefore I enioyne you in stead of a Winding-sheet sowe my Bodie in the skinne of a Hart or Bucks Leather then put me in a Coffin of Stone which couer with Lead and after bind it with Hoopes or Barres of Iron to which fasten three strong Chaynes If my Bodie thus coffin'd lye three dayes quiet burie me the fourth day though I feare the Earth for my manifold Blasphemies will scarce giue entertainment to my Bodie For the first two nights together let there be fiftie Psalmes sung for me and as many Masses for so many dayes which said shee gaue vp her last breath Shee dead the brother and sister were carefull to performe the mothers last Will and did all things accordingly The first two nights when the Quires of Church-men sung Psalmes about the Bodie the Deuils with much ease broke open the Church doores which were bolted barr'd lockt and propt and broke two of the Chaynes by which the Coffin was fastened but the third remained stedfast The third night about the time when the Cocke begins to crow the foundation of the Temple seemed to shake with the noyse of the Deuils who clamoured at the doore one of the rest taller in stature and more terrible in countenance than his fellowes knocked with more violence than those which attended him till hee had broken the doore to shiuers when stalking to the Coffin he called the woman by her name aloud and bad her arise and follow him to whom the dead bodie answered I cannot for these Chaynes To whom he answered Those shall be loosed to thy mischiefe when tearing them asunder as they had beene Linkes made of Rushes hee snatched vp the Coffin and carried it to the Church doore where stood readie a blacke Sumpter-horse loudly neighing whose hoofes were diuided like Eagles tallons vpon which he layde the bodie hurried it away with seeming ioy whilest all the Quirristers looked on and so vanished Her shrikes and eiulations were heard foure miles off Let this one suffice for many I come now to Temporall Punishments The Iudges called Areopagitae when they deprehended a Witch and were to deliuer her to death if shee were with child stayed the execution till shee were deliuered of her Infanâ— because they would not punish the innocent with the delinquent Aelian de var. Histor. Lib. 5. The Law to punish Witches amongst the Persians was to bring them to a place where their heads were beaten to pieces betwixt two Rockes So suffered Gyge the handmaid to Parisatides the mother of Cyrus Plutarch in Artaxerxes Charles the seuenth king of France or the Frenchmen caused Prince Egidius de Raxa Marshall of France to be first hanged then burnt because hee confessed himselfe to be a Witch and professor of Magicke and withall to haue beene the death of an hundred and twentie children and women great with child A Witch of Auerne was burnt aliue for killing young infants and salting their flesh and putting them into Pyes and baking them for publike sale Fulgos. Lib. 9. cap. 2. Iohaâ—nes Bodinus Lib. Mag. Demonomaniae 4. cap. 5. tells vs That there is a Law sacred in France That if any Magician or Witch or Soothsayer or Mathematician that shall goe beyond the true rules of Astrologie or expounder of Dreames shall frequent the Court be he neuer so great in fauour or potent in office he shall be immediately degraded from all his honours and put to the racke and torture And this Law is fitting saith he to be writ in golden characters vpon euery Court gate because there is no greater Pest extant either to Prince or people than this viperous brood therefore aboue our Christian Princes hee commends the Ethnick kings In the time of Marius an Inchantresse whose name was Martha who pretended to fore-tell to the Roman Senat the successe of the Cimbrian warre was banished Plutarch in Mario Claudius Caesar condemned a knight of Rome to death and forfeited all his goods to the people because he wore about him a Cocks egge as a Charme to dispence with Religionâ— and that all the causes which hee had in controuersie should in despight of the Iudges passe of his side Euen fellowes that were scarce of any name or opinion in the world that were but suspected of Negromancie were condemned to death vnder Tiberius Caesar. The Emperor Caracalla adiudged all such as but vsed inchanted hearbes to the curing of Agues and Feauers Spartian in Caracalla The Scripture saith Thou shalt not suffer a Witch to liue Bodinus contrarie to Wyerius who will scarce beleeue there be any such accounting all those Iudges as condemne them to the Stake or Gallowes no better than Executioners and Hangmen hee shewes diuerse probable Reasons why they ought not to liue The first is Because all Witches renounce God and their Religion now the Law of God saith Whosoeuer shall forsake the God of Heauen and adhere to any other shall be stoned to death which punishment the Hebrewes held to be the greatest could be inflicted R. Maymon Lib. 3. The second thing is That hauing renounced God and their Religion they curse blaspheme and prouoke the Almightie to anger The Law saith Whosoeuer shall blaspheme their sinne shall remaine with them and whosoeuer shall take his name in vaine or in contempt shall be punished with death The third thing is That they plight faith and make couenant with Deuil adore him and sacrifice vnto him as
Apuleius testifies of Pamphila Larissana a Witch of Thessalie as likewise a Witch in the Laodunensian suburbes in the month of May 1578. who blushed not to doe the like before many witnesses now the Law saith Who that shall but incline or bow downe to Images which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be punished with death The Hebrew word Tistaueb and the Chaldaean Fisgud which all our Latine Interpreters translate Adorare imports as much as to incline or worship now these Witches doe not onely incline vnto him but inuoke and call vpon him A fourth thing is which many haue confessed That they haue vowed their children to the Deuill now the Law saith God is inflamed with reuenge against all such as shall offer their children vnto Moloch which Iosephus interpretes Priapus and Philo Satanus but all agree that by Moloch is signified the Deuill and malignant spirits A fifth thing is gathered out of their owne confessions That they haue sacrificed Infants not yet baptized to the Deuill and haue kild them by thrusting great pinnes into their heads Sprangerus testifies that he condemned one to the fire who confessed that she by such meanes had been the death of one and fortie children A sixt thing is That they doe not only offer children in the manner of sacrifice against which the Holy Ghost speakes That for that sinne alone God will extirpe and root out the people but they vow them in the wombe A seuenth is That they are not themselues blasphemers and Idolaters only but they are tied by couenant with the Deuill to allure and persuade others to the like abhominations when the Law teacheth That whosoeuer shall persuade another to renounce his Creator shall be stoned to death An eight is That they not onely call vpon the Deuill but sweare by his name which is directly against the Law of God which forbids vs to sweare by any thing saue his owne Name A ninth is That adulterous Incests are frequent amongst them for which in all ages they haue been infamous and of such detestable crimes conuicted so that it hath almost growne to a Prouerbe No Magician or Witch but was either begot and borne of the father and daughter or the mother and sonne which Catullus in this Distick expresseth Nam Magus ex Matre gnato gignatur oportet Si vera est Persarum impia Relligio Intimating that if the impious Religion of the Persians were true Witches of necessitie should be the incestuous issue of the mother and sonne or else è contra A tenth They they are Homicides and the murtherers of Infants which Sprangerus obserues from their owne confessions and Baptista Porta the Neapolitan in his booke de Magia Next That they kill children before their Baptisme by which circumstances their offence is made more capitall and heinous The eleuenth That Witches eat the flesh of Infants and commonly drinke their blouds in which they take much delight To which Horace seemes to allude when he saith Nue pransae Lamiae vinum puerum extrahat Aluo Nor from the stomacke of a Witch new din'd Plucks he a yet ' liue Infant If children be wanting they digge humane bodies from their sepulchres or feed vpon men that haue been executed To which purpose Lucan writes Laqueum nodosque nocentes Ore suo rupit pendentia corpora carpsit Abrasit cruces c. The Felons strangling Cord she nothing feares But with her teeth the fatall Knot she teares The hanging bodies from the Crosse she takes And shaues the Gallowes of which dust she makes c. Apuleius reports That comming to Larissa in Thessaly he was hyred for eight pieces of Gold to watch a dead body but one night for feare the Witches of which in that place there is abundance should gnaw and deuoure the flesh of the partie deceased euen to the very bones which is often found amongst them Also Murther by the Lawes of God and man is punishable with death besides they that eat mans flesh or deliuer it to be eaten are not worthie to liue Cornel. Lib. de Sicarijs A twelfth is That they kill as oft by Poysons as by Powders and Magick Spells now the Law saith It is worse to kill by Witchcraft than with the Sword Lib. 1. de Malific A thirteenth is That they are the death of Cattell for which Augustanus the Magician suffred death 1569. A fourteenth That they blast the Corne and Graine and bring barrennesse and scarcitie when there is a hoped plentie and abundance A fifteenth That they haue carnall consocietie with the Deuill as it hath beene approued by a thousand seuerall confessions Now all that haue made any compact or couenant with the Deuill if not of all these yet vndoubtedly are guiltie of many or at least some and therefore consequently not worthy to liue And so much for the Punishment of Witches and other knowne malefactors I come now to the Rewards due to the Vertuous and first of some noble Ladies for diuerse excellencies worthie to be remembred Of Tirgatao Moeotis Camiola Turinga and others TIrgatao a beautifull and vertuous Ladie was ioyned in marriage to Hecataeus king of those Indians that inhabite neere vnto the Bosphor which is an arme of the Sea that runneth betwixt two coasts This Hecataeus being cast out of his kingdome Satyrus the most potent of these kings reinstated him in his Principalitie but conditionally That he would marrie his onely daughter and make her Queene by putting Tirgatao to death But he though forced by the necessitie of the time and present occasion yet louing his first wife still would not put her to death according to the couenant but caused her to be shut in his most defenced Castle there to consume the remainder of her life in perpetuall widowhood The Ladie comforted with better hopes borne to fairer fortunes deceiued the eyes of her strict keepers and by night escaped out of prison This being made knowne to the two kings the sonne in law and the father they were wonderfully perplexed with the newes of her flight as fearing if shee arriued in her owne countrey she might accite the people to her reuenge They therefore pursued her with all diligence and speed but in vaine for hiding her selfe all the day time and trauelling by night through pathlesse and vnfrequented places at length she arriued amongst the Ixomatae which was the countrey of her owne friends and kindred But finding her father dead she married with him that succeeded in the kingdome by which meanes now commanding the Ixomatae she insinuated into the breasts of the most warlike people inhabiting about Moeotis and so leuied a braue Armie which she her selfe conducted She first inuaded the kingdome of Hecataeus and infested his countrey with many bloudie incursions she next wasted and made spoyle of the kingdome of Satyrus insomuch that they both were forced with all submisse
deliuerers of her people And so much for the Legend But Richardus Diuisiensis sayth That being awed by Earle Godwin and for the feare of hasarding his life and kingdome Edward was compelled by threats and menaces to the marriage of Editha Moreouer Polydore reports That for the hate he bore her father who had not long before most trayterously slaine his brother Alphred hee caused himselfe to be diuorced from her seising her goods and dower to his owne vse and pleasure Ranulphus and one that writes himselfe Anonimos as willing to conceale his name say That shee was disrobed of all her Queene-like honors and confined into the Abbey of Warnwell with only one maid to attend her and so committed to the strict custodie of the Abbesse William of Malmesbury and Marianus Scotus haue left remembred That hee neyther dismissed her his bed nor carnally knew her but whether it was done in hatred to her kindred or purpose of Chastitie they are not able to determine Robert Fabian confesseth as much in his Chronicle Part. 6. cap. 210. Howsoeuer the effects of that abstenious life were not onely preiudiciall but brought lamentable effects vpon this distracted kingdome namely Innouation and Conquest for Edward dying without issue England was inuaded and opprest by the Normans and the people brought to that miserie that happie was that subiect that could say I am no Englishman And in this agree Matthew Paris Capgraue Fabian and Polydore As I hold it not necessarie for marryed folke to tye themselues to this strict kind of abstinence so I hold it not conuenient for any such as haue to themselues and in their soules taken vpon them the strict life of Virginitie to be compelled to an enforced marriage as may appeare by this discourse following recorded by Gulielm Malmsburien Simeon Danelmens Matthew Paris Roger Houeden Capgraue c. Henry the first of that name king of England and crowned in the yeere of Grace 1101 was by the instigation of Anselme once a Monke of Normandie but after by William Rufus constituted Archbishop of Canterburie marryed vnto Maude daughter to Malcolme the Scottish king she hauing taken a Vow and being a profest Nunne in the Abbey of Winchester Much adoe had the King her father the Queene her mother her Confessor Abbesse or the Bishop to alienate her from her setled resolution or persuade her to marriage but being as it were violently compelled thereunto she cursed the Fruit that should succeed from her bodie which after as Polydore affirmes turned to the great misfortune and miserie of her children for afterwards two of her sonnes William and Richard were drowned by Sea Besides her daughter Maude who was afterwards Empresse prooued an vnfortunate Mother and amongst many other things in bringing forth Henry the second who caused Thomas Becket to be slaine it thus happened All forraine warres being past and ciuile combustions pacified in the yeere of our Lord 1120 Henry the first with great ioy and triumph left Normandie and came into England But within few dayes following this great mirth and iollitie turned into a most heauie and fearefull sorrow for William and Richard his two sonnes with Mary his daughter Otwell their Tutor and Guardian Richard Earle of Chester with the Countesse his wife the Kings Neece many Chapleines Chamberlaines Butlers and Seruitors for so they are tearmed in the storie the Archdeacon of Hereford the Princes play-fellowes Sir Geffrey Rydell Sir Robert Maldvyle Sir William Bygot with other Lords Knights Gentlemen great Heires Ladyes and Gentlewomen to the number of an hundred and fortie besides Yeomen and Mariners which were about fiftie all these sauing one man which some say was a Butcher were all drowned together and not any one of their bodyes euer after found Many attribute this great Iudgement to the heauie Curse of Queene Maude others censure of it diuersly Howsoeuer in this King as Polydore sayth ended the Descent and Lyne of the Normans Of this Anselme before spoken of there are diuerse Epistles yet extant to many women in those dayes reputed of great Temperance and Chastitie as To Sister Frodelina Sister Ermengarda Sister Athelytes Sister Eulalia Sister Mabily and Sister Basyle To Maude Abbesse of Cane in Normandie and Maude the Abbesse of Walton here in England Hee writ a Treatife about the same time called Planctus a missae Virginitatis i. A bewayling of lost Virginitie So farre Iohn Bale And so much shall serue for Chast Wiues in this kind being loth to tyre the patience of the Reader Of Women Wantons DIon the Historiographer in Tiberio sayth that Lyuia the wife of Augustus Caesar beholding men naked sayd to the rest about her That to continent women and chast matrons such obiects differed nothing from statues or images for the modest heart with immodest sights ought not to be corrupted The vnchast eye more drawes the poyson of sinne from beautie which is Gods excellent workemanship from which the chast and contrite heart deriues the Creators praise and glorie But my hope is that in exposing vnto your view the histories of these faire Wantons you will looke vpon them should I strip them neuer so naked with the eyes of Lyuia that is to hold them but as beautifull statues or like Appelles his woman not better than a picture of white Marble I haue heard of a man that liuing to the age of threescore and ten had led so austere a life that in all that time he neuer touched the bodie of a woman and had proposed to himselfe to carrie that Virginall vow with him to his graue but at length being visited with sickenesse and hauing a faire estate purchased with his small charge and great husbandrie and therefore willing to draw out the thread of his life to what length he could hee sent to demaund the counsell of the Phisitians who hauing well considered the estate of his bodie all agreed in this that since the phisick of the soule belonged not to them but onely the phisick of the bodie they would freely discharge their duties and indeed told him that this present estate was dangerous and they found but onely one way in art for his cure and recouerie which was in plaine tearmes To vse the companie of a woman and so tooke their leaues and left him to consider of it Loath was the old man to loose his Virginitie which hee had kept so long but more loath to part with his life which he desired to keepe yet longer and hauing meditated with himself from whom he was to depart and what to leaue behind him namely his possessions his money his neighbours friends and kindred and whether hee was to remooue to the cold and comfortlesse graue he resolued with himselfe to prolong the comfort of the first and delay as long he could the feare of the last Therefore hee resolued rather than to be accessorie to the hastening his owne death to take the counsell of the doctors It was therfore so ordered by