so fortunate as to break their Chain and recover their liberty A certain blackness in the Cradle has been observed to give beginning and rise unto the most perfect Beauties and there are no sort of men that have shined with greater Glory in the world than such whose first days have been sullied and a little overcast 1. Themistocles by reason of the Luxury and Debauchery of his life was cast off and disowned by his Father his Mother over-grieved with the villanies he frequently committed finished her life with an Halter notwithstanding all which this man proved afterwards the most noble person of all the Grecian Blood and was the interposed pledge of hope or despair to all Europe and Asia Patrit lib. de Reipub. instit 4. tit 6. p. 208. 2. C. Valerius Flaccus in the time of the second Punick War began his youth in a most profuse kind of luxury afterwards he was created Flamine by P. Licinius the chief Pontiff that in that employment he might find an easier recess from such vices as he was infected with addressing his mind therefore to the care of Ceremonies and sacred things he made Religion his Guide to Frugality and in process of time shewed himself as great an example of Sanctity and Modesty as before he had been of Luxury and Prodigality 3. Nicholas West was born at Putney in Surrey bred first at Eaton then at Kings College in Cambridge where when a youth he was a Rakehel in grain for something crossing him in the College he could find no other way to work his revenge than by secret setting on fire the Master's Lodgings part whereof he burnt to the ground Immediately after this little Herostratus lest the Colledge liv'd for a time in the Country debauched enough for his conversation But he seasonably retrenched his wildness turned hard Student became an excellâ—nt Scholar and most able Statesman and after smaller promotions was at last made Bishop of Ely and often employed in foreign Embassies Now if it had been possible he would have quenched the fire he kindled in the College with his own tears and in expression of his penitence became a worthy Beneâ—actor to the House and rebuilt the Master's Lodgings firm and fair from the ground No Bishop in England was better attended with Menial Servants or kept a more bountiful House which made his death so lamented anno 1533. 3. Polemo was a youth of Athens of that wretched Debauchery that he was not only delighted in vice but also in the very infamy of it Returning once from a Feast after Sun-rise and seeing the Gate of Xenocrates the Philosopher open full of Wine as he was smeared with Ointments a Garland on his head and cloathed with a loose and transparent Garmâ—nt he enters the School at that time thronged with a number of learned men not content with so uncivil an entrance he also sate down on purpose to affront a singular eloquence and most prudent precepts with his drunken follies His coming had occasion'd all that were present to be angry only Xenocrates retaining the same gravity in his countenance and dismissing his present Theam bâ—gan to discourse of Modesty and Temperance which he presented so lively before him that Polemo affected therewith fiâ—st laid aside the Crown from his head soon after drew his arm within his Cloak changed that Festival Merriment that appeared in his face and at last cast off all his Luxury By that one Oration the young man received so great a cure that of a most licentious person he became one of the greatest Philophers of his time 5. Fabius Gurges was born of a Noble Family in Rome and left with a very plentiful estate by his Father but he spent all in the riots of his first youth which he left many brands upon and occasioned then to himself the sirname of Gurges But afterwards relinquishing the unbridled lusts of his first age he arrived to that temperance that he was thought worthy by the people of Rome to have the office of Censorship committed to him and no man more fit than he to inspect the manners of the City 6. Titus Vespasianus while he was young and before he came to the Empire gave just causes of censure for his cruel covetous riotous and lustful way of living insomuch that men reputed and also reported him to be another Nero. But having arrived to the Empire he made himself conspicuous for the contrary virtues His Feasts were moderate his Friends select and choice persons necessary members of the Common-wealth his former minions he endured not so much as to look upon Queen Berenice whom he was known to love too well he sent away from Rome from no Citizen did he take any thing by violence and from the Goods of Aliens he abstain'd if ever any did and yet was he inferiour to none of his Predecessors in Magnificence and Bounty when he took upon him the supreme Pontificate he protested it was only upon this account that he would keep his hands pure and innocent from the blood of any wherein he made good his word and in all things he demeaned himself with that integrity and innocency that he was worthily stiled Delitiae humani generis the very darling of mankind 7. Agis while yet a youth was brought up in all kind of delights that such of his age are used to be affected with but as soon as ever he was come to be King of Sparta though yet but a young man with an incredible change of mind and manners he renounced all the pleasures of his former life and bent his mind wholly unto this to recal Sparta unto its priâ—tine frugality that was extremely debauched and corrupted with the manners of the Greeks and Barbarians This honest endeavour of his proved the occasion of his death 8. Cimon the Son of Miltiades in his youth was infamous amongst his people for his disorderly life and excesses in drinking and they looked upon him as resembling in his diâ—position his Grandfather Cimon who by reason of his stupidity was called Coalemus that is the Sot Stesimbrotus saith of him that he was neither skilled in Musick nor instructed in any other liberal Science and far removed from the Attick Acumen and smartness of wit Some say he had too private familiarity with his Sister Elpenice and others that he publickly married her and liv'd with her as his wife besides his being deeply in love with Aristeria and Mnestra c. yet this man was afterwards so improv'd that a singular generosity and sincerity appear'd in his manners and merited to have this as part of his just praise that whereas he was no whit inferiour to Miltiades in valour nor to Themistocles in prudence he was more innocent than both of them He was not in the least below either of them in the Art Military but in his administration in time of peace he exceedingly surpassed them both 9. Thomas Sackvil afterwards
age the then Consuls were L. Crassus and Q. Scaevola his eloquence had then the approbation of the whole people of Rome and which is more of the Consuls themselves who were more judicious than all the rest What he had so well begun in his early youth he afterwards so perfected in his maturer age that he was justly reputed the best Orator of his time and perhaps never excelled by any but his own Pupil M. Tullius Cicero 12. Alexander gave manifest presages of his future greatness while he was yet in his first youth when a Horse called Bucephalus of extraordinary fierceness was brought to King Philip and that no man was found that durst bestride him young Alexander chanced at that time to come to his Father and with great importunity obtain'd leave to mount him whom he rode with that art and managed with such singular skill in his full cariere and curvetting that when he descended his Father Philip embracing him with tears said Son seek out a greater Kingdom for that I shall leave thee will be but too little for thee The greatness of his mind he had before discovered for when he was a Boy at School and that there he was told of a victory his Father had newly obtain'd If said he sighing my Father conquer all what will be left for me when they that stood by replyed That all these would be for him I little esteem said he of a great and large Empire when I shall be deprived of all means for the gaining of Glory 13. Herod the first Son of Antipater Prefect of Galilee when he was not above fifteen years of age contrary to the manner of those of his age left the School and put himself into Arms wherein the first proof he gave of himself was that he set upon Ezekias the Captain of an Army of Thieves who molested all Syria and not only routed his Forces but slew the Leader himself shewing by this beginning that except in cruelty he would prove nothing inferiour to any of the Kings his Predecessors 15. C. Martius Coriolanus in the Latine War which was made for the restitution of Taâ—quinius to his Kingdom shewed an admirable boldness though then very young for beholdiâ—g now a Citizen of Rome beaten down and now ready to be slain by the Enemy he ran into his assistance and gave him life by the death of him that pressed so eagerly upon him for which act of valour the Dictator put a Civick Crown upon his young Hâ—ad an honour that persons of a mature age and great virtue did rarely attain unto He afterwards prov'd a person of incomparable valour and military virtue 15. Adeodatus the Son of S. Augustine before he was fifteen years of age was of so prodigious a wit that his Father saith of him Horrori mihi erat istud ingenium he could not think of it but with astonishment for already at that age he surpassed many great and learned men he also verified the saying of Sages Ingenium nimis mature magnum non est vitale such early sparkling wits are not for any long continuance upon earth for he lived but a few years 16. C. Cassius when very young hearing Faustus the Son of Sylla magnifying the tyranny that his Father exercised in Rome was so moved at it that he gave him a blow upon the face in publick the matter was so heynous that both it and the persons came before Pompey the great whâ—re though in so great a presence the young Câ—ssius was â—o far from being terrified that on the contrary he cryed thus out to his Adversary Go to Faustus said he repeat again those words wherewith I was before so far provoked by thee that I may now also strike thee a second time By this action he gave a notable instance how jealous he would afterwards prove of the Roman Liberty for it was he who with Brutus conspired against Iulius Caesar and slew him as the invader of it and after died with the reputation of being Romanorum ulâ—imus the last true Roman 15. Ianus Drusus that famous Scholar had a Son so singular that from fifteen years old to twenty when he died he wrote excellent Commentaries on the Proverbs and other Books that were not unacceptable amongst the Learned that looked upon them 18. Edburg the eighth Daughter of King Edward in her childhood had her disposition tryed and her course of life disposed by her Father in this manner he laid before her gorgeous Apparel and rich Jewels in one end of a Chamber and the New Testament and Books of Princely Instructions in another wishing her to make her choice of which she liked she presently took up the Books and he her in his Arms and kissing her said Go in God's name whither he hath called thee and thereupon placed her in a Monastery at Winchester where she virtuously spent her whole life after 19. Lewis Duke of Orleance was owner of the Castle at Crucy his Constable was the Lord of Cawny whose Wife the Duke's Paramour had a child not certain which was the Father whereupon Cawny and his Wife being dead a controversie arose the next of kin to Cawny claiming the Inheritance which was four thousand Crowns per annum This controversie depending in the Parliament of Paris the child then eight years old though both instructed by his Mother's Friends to save his Mother's credit and to enjoy so ample an inheritance himself as Cawny's Child yet being asked answered openly to the Judges My heart giveth me and my noble courage telleth me that I am the Son of the noble Duke of Orleance more glad am I to be his Bastard with a mean living than to be the lawful Son of that cowardly Cuckold Cawny with his thousand Crowns inheritance The next of kin had the estate and the young Duke of Orleance took him into his Family who after proved a most valiant and fortunate Warriour against the English in the days of Henry the Sixth and is commonly called the Bastard of Orleance 20. Theodoricus Meschede a German Physician had a Son of the same name who at the age of fifiteen years surpassed in Eloquence and Learning many of those who had gained to themselves fame and reputation thereby He wrote to Trithemius and other learned men of that age almost numberless Epistles upon divers subjects with that Accuracy and Ciceronian Eloquence that for his wit dexterity and promptitude in writing and disputation he became the wonder and admiration of those he had any conversation with CHAP. II. Of such as having been extreme Wild and Prodigal or Debauched in their Youth have afterwards proved excellent Persons THose Bodies are usually the most healthful that break out in their youth and many times the Souls of some men prove the â—ounder for having vented themselves in their younger days Commonly none are greater enemies to Vice than such as formerly have been the slaves of it and have been
and it bestows those blows with that blindness and prodigality and oftentimes sullies the last hours of it very minious with that blackness that we count those happy men that have felt least of her frowns In which respect 1. Lucius Matellus may well pass for one of these fortunate persons for he was one of the Quindecimviri that is one of the fifteen men appointed for the keeping of the Sibylline Oracles and to see that sacrifice and all Ceremonial Rites were duely performed he was General of the Horse twice Consul chief Pontiff the first that shewed Elephants in his Triumph and a person in whom all those Ten Ornaments met which may befal a most happy Citizen In a most flourishing City for he was a stout warrior good Orator fortunate Leader performed great matters being personally present had ascended to the greatest honours was very wise a complete Senator had attained great riches by honest means left many Children and was most eminent in the most celebrious City 2. Quintus Metellus by incessant degrees of indulgent Fortune from the day of his birth to that of his death at last arrived to the top of a most happy life He was born in a City that was the Princess of the World and was born of noble Parents he had rare gifts of the mind and a sufficiency of bodily strength to undergo labour and travel he had a Wife conspicuous at once for her chastity and fruitfulness he had born the Office of a Consul been General of an Army and had gloriously triumphed he had three Sons of Consular degree one whereof had been Censor and also triumphant and the fourth was a Pretor he had three Dunghters bestowed in Marriage whose Children he had with him How many Births and Cradles how many of his Descendants at man's estate how many Nuptials what Honours Governments and what abundant Congratulations did he behold in his Family And all this felicity at no time interrupted with any Funeral any sighs or the least cause of sadness Look up to Heaven it self and you shall scarce find the like state in that place seeing our greatest men have assigned mourning and grief to the Gods themselves The last act of his life was agreeable to all the rest for having lived to a great age he expired by a gentle and easie way of death amongst the kisses and embraces of his dearest Relations and when dead was born upon the shoulders of his Sons and Sons in Law through the City and by them laid upon his Funeral fire 3. The very same day that Philip King of Macedon had the City of Potidaea surrendred up to himself there came a Messenger that brought him word of a great Victory that Parmenio his General had obtained over the Illyrians Another brought him news that his Horse had won the Prize and Victory at the Olympick Games And then came a third to acquaint him that Olympias his Queen was delivered of a young Prince which afterwards proved the unconquerable Alexander 4. It is a rare happiness of the Family of St. Lawrence Barons of Hâ—ath in Ireland that the Heirs thereof for four hundred Years together have always been of age before the death of their Fathers Clarks Mirr cap. 104. pag. 493. 5. Polycrates of Samos was a petty Kieg but a Minion of Fortune had such a Series of Prosperity in all his Affairs that he was advised by Amasis King of Egypt and his Alley to apply some remedy to his over-great Fortune and that he might have some occasion of trouble exhorted him to cast away what he most esteemed in such manner as he should be sure never more to hear of He therefore threw into the Sea that precious Emerald of his which he used as his Signet but not long after it was sound in the belly of a Fish that was dressed for his Table 6. And to shew us that there is a kind of recurrency of remarkable Accidents one Anderâ—â— a Townsman and Merchant talking with a friend on Newcastle-Bridge and fingering his Ring before he was aware let in â—all into the River and was much troubled with the loâ—â— thereof until the same was found in a Fish caught in the River and restored unto him 7. It is said of the Emperor Antoninus Pius that his Affairs had so good success that he never repented him of any thing he did that he was never denyed any thing he asked and that he never commanded any thing wherein he was not obeyed And being asked by a Senator who marvelled at these things the reason of them Because said he I make all my doings conformable to Reason I demand not any thing which is not rightful I command not any thing which redoundeth not more to the benefit of the Commonwealth than to mine own profit 8. That was a marvellous happy Accident that fell out to a Rower in a Tyrian Vessel he was cleansing of the Deck when a Wave took him on the one side and struck him into the Sea and soon after a contrary Wave hoisted him up into the Ship again so the lamentations of his misfortune were mixed with congratulations for his safety 9. L. Sylla might well be sirnamed The Happy for whereas he had attained the Dictatorship with many hazards and therein had put to death two thousand six hundred Knights of Rome had slain ten Consuls proscribed and exiled so many and forbid so many others the Rights of Burial yet when he had voluntarily resigned the Dictatorship and devested himself of so great a Power all Rome beheld him securely walking in the Market-place and no man attempted to revenge upon him so great miseries as he had occasioned to that City 10. Arnulphus Duke of Lorrain when he had dropp'd his Ring into the Mosella had it restored to him again from the belly of a Fish 11. Matthias King of Hungary caused his Money and other things to be stamped with the Figure of a Crow carrying a Ring with an Emerald in her bill whereof I find this to be the reason having upon some occasion laid his Ring with an Emerald in it besides him a Crow came and snatched it away the King followed the Crow shot her with a Pistol Bullet and thereby became again the Master of his Ring 12. Timotheus a General of the Athenians had Fortune so favourable and propitious to him that in every War he had an easie and assured Victory So that his Rivals in Glory at that time envying his great prosperity painted Fortune casting Cities and Towns into his lap as he lay sleeping besides it Timotheus once beholding this Emblem said If I take Cities while I sleep what think you shall I do when I am awake 13. Xanthus writes of Alcimus King of the Lydians that he was a Prince of a singular both Piety and Clemency that thereupon he not only had an uncommon prosperity in the matters relating to his Person but
how they have been rewarded 119 Chap. 17. Of the envious Nature and Disposition of some men 120 Chap. 18. Of Modesty and the Shame-faced Nature of some men and women 122 Chap. 19. Of Impudence and the shameless Behaviour of divers persons 124 Chap. 20. Of Iealousie and how strangely some have been affected with it 125 Chap. 21. Of the Commiseration Pity and Compassion of some men to others in time of their Adversity 127 Chap. 22. Of the deep Dissimulation and Hypocrisie of some men 128 The THIRD BOOK CHap. 1. Of the early appearance of Virtue Learning Greatness of Spirit and Subtlety in some Young Persons 130 Chap. 2. Of such as having been extream Wild and Prodigal or Debauched in their Youth have afterwards proved excellent Persons 132 Chap. 3. Of Punctual Observations in Matters of Religion and the great regard some men have had to it 134 Chap. 4. Of the Veracity of some Persons and their great Love to Truth and hatred of Flattery and Falshood 137 Chap. 5. Of such as have been great Lovers and Promoters of Peace 139 Chap. 6. Of the signal Love that some men have shewed to their Country 140 Chap. 7. Of the singular Love of some Husbands to their Wives 142 Chap. 8. Of the singular Love of some Wives to their Husbands 144 Chap. 9. Of the Indulgence and great Love of some Parents to their Children 147 Chap. 10. Of the Reverence and Piety of some Children to their Parents 149 Chap. 11. Of the singular Love of some Brethren to each other 152 Chap. 12. Of the singular Love of some Servants to their Masters 154 Chap. 13. Of the Faithfulness of some men to their Engagement and Trust reposed in them 157 Chap. 14. Of the exact Obedience which some have yielded to their Superiours 159 Chap. 15. Of the Generosity of some Persons and the Noble Actions by them performed 161 Chap. 16. Of the Frugality and Thriftiness of some men in their Apparel Furniture and other things 164 Chap. 17. Of the Hospitality of some men and their free Entertainment of Strangers 165 Chap. 18. Of the blameless and innocent Life of some Persons 167 Chap. 19. Of the choicest Instances of the most intire Friendship 168 Chap. 20. Of the Grateful Disposition of some Persons and what returns they have made of Benefits received 171 Chap. 21. Of the Meekness Humanity Clemency and Mercy of some men 174 Chap. 22. Of the light and gentle Revenges some have taken upon others 177 Chap 23. Of the Sobriety and Temperance of some men in their Meat and Drink and other things 179 Chap. 24. Of the Affability and Humility of divers Great Persons 181 Chap. 25. Of Counsel and the Wisdom of some men therein 182 Chap. 26 Of the Subtilty and Prudence of some men in the Investigation and discovery of things and their Determinations about them 184 Chap. 27. Of the Liberal and Bountiful Disposition of divers Great Persons 186 Chap. 28. Of the Pious Works and Charitable Gifts of some men 189 Chap. 28. Of such as were Lovers of Iustice and Impartial Administrators of it 192 Chap. 30. Of such Persons as were Illustrious for their singular Chastity both Men and Women 195 Chap. 31. Of Patience and what power some men have had over their Passions 199 Chap. 32. Of such as have well deported themselves in their Adversity or been improved thereby 200 Chap. 33. Of the willingness of some men to forgive Injuries received 201 Chap. 34. Of such as have patiently taken free Speeches and Reprehensions from their Inferiors 203 Chap. 35. Of the incredible strength of Mind wherewith some Persons have supported themselves in the midst of Torments and other Hardship 205 Chap. 36. Of the Fortitude and Personal Valour of some famous Men. 207 Chap. 37. Of the fearless Boldness of some Men and their desperate Resolutions 210 Chap. 38. Of the immoveable Constancy of some Persons 213 Chap. 39. Of the great Confidence of some Men in themselves 214 Chap. 40. Of the great reverence shewed to Learning and Learned Men. 216 Chap. 41. Of the exceeding intentness of some Men upon their Meditations and Studies 218 Chap. 42. Of such Persons as were of choice Learning and singular Skill in the Tongues Chap. 43. Of the first Authors of divers famous Inventions 222 Chap. 44. Of the admirable Works of some curious Artists 224. Chap. 45. Of the Industry and Pains of some Men and their hatred of Idleness 229 Chap. 46. Of the Dexterity of some men in the instruction of several Crâ—atures 230 Chap. 47. Of the Taciturnity and Secrecy of some men instrusted with privacies 232 Chap. 48. Of such who in their raised Fortunes have been mindful of their low beginnings 233 Chap. 49. Of such as have despised Riches and of the laudable poverty of some illustrious persons 234 Chap. 50. Of such Persons as have preferred Death before the loss of thâ—ir Liberty and what some have endured in the preservation of it 237 Chap. 51. Of such as in highest Fortunes have been mindful of humane frailty 238 Chap. 52. Of such as were of unusual Fortune and Felicity 239 Chap. 53. Of the Gallantry wherewith some Persons have received death or the message of it 241 The FOURTH BOOK CHap. 1. Of Atheists and such as have made no account of Religion with their Sacrilegious actions and the punishments thereof 361 Chap. 2. Of such as were exceeding hopeful in youth but afterwards improved to the worse 363 Chap. 3. Of the rigorous Severity of some Parents to their Children and how unnatural others have shewed themselves towards them 364 Chap. 4. Of the degenerate Sons of illustrious Parents 366 Chap. 5. Of undutiful and unnatural Children to their Parents 368 Chap. 6. Of the Affectation of divine Honours and the desire of some men te be reputed Gods 370 Chap. 7. Of unnatural Husbands to their Wives 372 Chap. 8. Of such Wives as were unnatural to their Husbands or evil deported towards them 373 Chap. 9. Of the deep hatred some have conceived against their own Brethren and the unnatural actions of Brothers and Sisters 374 Chap. 10. Of the Barbarous and Savage Cruelty of some men 376 Chap. 11. Of the bitter Revenges that some men have taken upon their enemies 379 Chap. 12. Of the great and grievous oppressions and unmercifulness of some men and their punishments 382 Chap. 13. Of the bloody and cruel Massacres in several places and their occasions 384 Chap. 13. Of the excessive Prodigality of some Persons 385 Chap. 14. Of the Prodigious Luxury of some men in their Feasting 387 Chap. 15. Of the Voraciousness of some great Eaters and the Swallowers of Stones c. 390 Chap. 16. Of great Drinkers and what great quantities they have swallowed 391 Chap. 17. Of Drunkenness and what hath befallen some men in theirs 393 Chap. 18. Of the Luxury and Expence of some Persons in Apparel and their Variety therein and in their other Furniture 395 Chap. 19. Of Gaming
and afterwards to the Lord Chamberlain Hastings by the commandment of King Richard the Third to the Bishop of London was put to her open penance going before the Cross in procession upon a Sunday with a Taper in her hand in which she went in countenance and pace demure so Womanly and albeit she was out of all array save her Kirtle only yet went she so fair and lovely namely while the wondring of the people cast a comely red in her cheeks that her great shame wan her much praise amongst those that were more amorous of her body than regardful of her Soul Many also that hated her manner of Life and were glad to see sin corrected yet they more pityed her penance than rejoyced therein She liv'd till she was old lean wither'd and dryed up nothing left but rivel'd skin and hard bone and in such poverty that she was constrained to beg of many who had begg'd all their time if she had not been 27. Phryne was a most beautiful Woman but a Strumpet it is said of her that once at Athens fearing in a cause of hers to be condemn'd in pleading for her self she bared her breasts and disclosed some part of her beauties to the Eyes of her Judges who were so enchanted thereby that they pronounc'd her guiltless though at the same time they ordained that thenceforth no Woman should be permitted to plead her own cause The same Phryne being once at a publick Feast where it was customary to have a Queen amongst them and the rest were bound to do what they saw her to begin it fell out that Phryne was Queen she therefore put her hand into a bason of cold Water twice and therewith washed her Fore-head the rest that had painted their Faces had their Artificial beauties turn'd into deformity by the Water and so were expos'd to the laughter of the company but Phryne whose beauty was native and beholden to nothing of Art appear'd by this touch of the Water to be rather improv'd then any way impaired 28. Atalanta excell'd all the Virgins of Peloponesus for beauty she was tall of stature her Hair was yellow not made so by Art but Nature her face was Rosie colour'd and very lovely yet was there something therein so Majestick and severe that no timorous or dissolute Person could love her or scarce endure to fix his Eyes upon her Her appearance in company was very seldom and even that render'd her yet more amiable and admirable in the estimation of all Men She was exceeding swiâ—t of Foot and knew so well how to use her bow that when Hylaeus and Rhaecus two dissolute young Men came with purpose to attempt her Chastity in her solitudes she sent two Arrows to their hearts which made them resign up their lust together with their lives 29. Lais was a famous and renowned Curtizan so beautiful that she enâ—lamed and set on fire all Greece with the love and longing desire of her After the love of Hippolochus had seized on her she quitt the Mount Acrocorinthus and flying secretly from an army of other Lovers she went to Megalopolis unto him where the Women upon very spight envy and jealousie in regard of her surpassing beauty drew her into the Temple of Venus and stoned her to death whereupon it is called to this day The Temple of Venus the Murderess 30. Helena that beautifull Grecian who caus'd so much blood to be shed before the Walls of Troy and ten years siege to be laid to that City is thus described by Dares the Phrygian who was present in that War She was saith he yellow hair'd full Ey'd exceeding fair of Face and well shap'd in her body a small Mouth her Legs exactly fram'd and a Mole betwixt her Eye-brows As to her disposition it was open and ingenuous and her deportment courteous and obliging to all sorts 31. Polyxena saith Dares was very â—air tall beautiful in her features her Neck was long her Eyes sparkling her Hair yellow and long her Body exactly shaped throughout her fingers small and long her Legs streight her Feet as neat as could be wish'd and in the whole such a one as for beauty excell'd all the Women of her time Besides which she was plain hearted bountiful and affable to all Persons 32. Panthea was a noble Lady taken Prisoner by Cyrus King of Persia Araspes one of his Favorites and Minions made a report to him that she was a Person of extraordinary and wonderful beauty and therefore worthy to be looked upon and visited but such was the Chastity and gallantry of that Prince that he thus reply'd if so said he I ought the rather to forbear the sight of her for if by your perswasion I should yeild to go and see her it may so fall out that she her self may induce me to repair unto her even then when I shall not have such leisure and to sit with her and keep her company neglecting in the mean time the weightiest affairs of the state 33. There were divers places wherein there were famous contests amongst the Women who amongst them all should bear away the prize for beauty At the Feast of Ceres Eleusina near the River Alphens there was one of these contentions and there it was that Herodice was adjudg'd to be the most beautiful of all the rest of the pretenders Those Women that were the contenders were called Chrysophorae the reward was a Crown of Myrtle to her who was pronounced to have the prelation CHAP. XVIII Of the Majesty and Gravity in the Countenance and Behaviour of some Persons THe Sophiti a people of India have the stature and comeliness of the body in such estimation that in their infancy they made such discrimination of their Children this way as to bring up none but such as they judg'd to have such a Nature and Limbs as did presignifie a good stature of body and a convenient strength as for the rest supposing their Education would prove but labour in vain they put them to death And amongst them and the Aethiopians likewise they made choice of such to be their Kings as were most remarkable for stature and strength c. Nor hath Nature it self seemed to ordain it otherwise seeing that for the most part persons of Illustrious Fortunes have a Character of Majesty imprinted upon them very different from the common sort We read how 1. Pyrrhus the King of Epirus assaulting Argos was there slain by the fall of a huge stone cast upon him from the top of an House his Soldiers being retreated he was found dead by Zotypus who taking off his Helmet with the greater facility to cut off his Head was so terrified with the Majesty of his Royal countenance which even in death it self had not forsaken him that he went his way not daring to execute the villany he intended But his covetousness prevailing over his fears he at last returned yet so timerously set his
life But when his Brother return'd from Sicily he caught and committed this pleasant person to the care of Physicians by whom he was cured yet affirming that he never liv'd so happily and pleasingly as being altogether freed of trouble and yet in the mean time enjoyed many pleasures 19. A young man troubled with Hypochondriack melancholy had a strong imagination that he was dead and did not only abstain from meat and drink but importun'd his Parents that he might be carried unto his Grave and buried before his â—lesh was quite putrefied By the counsel of Physicians he was wrapped in a winding sheet laid upon a Bier and so carried upon mens Shoulders towards the Church But upon the way two or three pleasant Fellows suborned to that purpose meeting the Herse demanded aloud of them that followed it whose body it was that was there coffin'd aud carried to burial They said it was a young man's and told them his name Surely replyed one of them the world is well rid of him for he was a man of a very bad and vicious life and his Friends have cause to rejoyce that he hath rather ended his days thus than at the Gallows The young man hearing this and vexed to be thus injured rowsed himself upon the Bier and told them that they were wicked men to do him that wrong which he had never deserved that if he was alive as he is not he would teach them to speak better of the dead But they proceeding to deprave him and to give him much more disgraceful and reproachful language he not able longer to endure it leaped from the Herse and fell about their ears with such rage and fury that he ceased not buffeting with them till he was quite wearied and by this his violent agitation the humours of his body altered he awakened as out of a sleep or trance and being brought home and comâ—orted with wholsome diet he within a few days recovered both his pristine health strength and understanding 20. In our memory saith Lemnius a noble person fell into this fancy that he verily believ'd he was dead and had departed out of this life insomuch that when his Friends and Familiars besought him to â—at or urged him with threats he still refus'd all saying it was in vain to the dead But when they doubted not but that this obstinacy would prove his death and this being the seventh day from whence he had continued it they bethought themselves of this device They brought into his room which on purpose was made dark some personated fellows wrappâ—d in their sheets and such grave cloaths as the dead have these bringing in meat and drink began liberally to treat themselves The sick man sees this and asks them who they are and what about They told him they were dead persons What then said he do the dead eat Yes yes say they and if you will sit down with us you shall find it so Straight he springs from oâ—t his Bed and falls too with the rest Supper â—nded he â—alls into a sleep by vertue oâ— a liquor given him for that purpose Nor are such persons restored by any thing sooner than sleep 21. A noble woman though both her Husband and her self were white was yet delivered of a child of the colour of an Aethiopian whom when she was like to suffer as an Adulteress Hippocrates is said to have delivered by explaining the causes of such things and by shewing the picture of an Aethiop in the Chamber where she and her Husband lay and with which it seem'd the â—ancy of the woman had been strongly affected 22. Horace tells of a Noble Argive who in an empty Theatre believ'd he saw and heard I know not what rare Tragedians But that being cured by the care of his Friends he complain'd that they had extorted from him a mosâ— delightful pleasure and had taken from him a grateful errour of his mind Fuit haâ—d ignâ—bilis Argis c. saith the Poet. Who though he heard rare Tragedies of Wit And in an empty Theatre did sit And give applause in other things express'd All well good Neighbour kind man to his Guest A courteous Husband and one who would not Be raging mad at the breaking of a pot Knew hâ—w to shun a prâ—cipice had wit To 'scape a Well and pâ—ss an open pit This man recovered by the helps of art And care of Friends us'd sadly to complain Friends I 'm not sav'd by this your love but slain Robbed of that sweet delight I then did find In the so grateful errour of my mind 23. There was a Lady a Kinswoman of mine who used much to wear black patches upon her face as was the â—ashion amongst young women which I to put her from used to tell her in jest that the next child she should go with whiles the solicitude and care of those patches were so strong in her fancy should come into the world with a great black spot in the midst of its forehead and this apprehension was so lively in her imagination at 〈◊〉 time she proved with child that her Daughter was born marked just as the Mother had fancied which there are at hand witnesses enough to confirm but none more pregnant than the young Lady her self upon whom the mark is yet remaining 24. Pisander a Rhodian Historian laboured under such a melancholy fancy that he was in continual fears lest he should meet his own Ghost for he verily believ'd even while he was alive that his soul had deserted his body Such another person as this was in Ferrara saith Giraldus who could by no means be perswaded by Nicholaus Leonicenus his Physician that it was impossible â—or bodies to walk up and down without their souls he approv'd of such reasons as was propounded granting all the premises but ever when they went about to infer the conclusion he would then cry out he denied the whole of it 25. Menedemus a Cynick Philosopher fell into that degree of melancholy that he went up and down in the dress of a fury saying he was sent as a messenger from Hell to bring the Devils an account of the sins of all Mortals CHAP. II. Of the Comprehensiveness and Fidelity of the Memories of some Men. NExt unto that of Reason man is not endowed with a choicer and more necessary faculty than that of memory the treasury and safe repository of all the Arts and Sciences of all the Axioms and Rules which we have heaped up and with great study labour and long experience laid together for the better conduct and Government of life in this our mortal state It is confessed it is a delicate and frailer part of the soul and first of all others that receives the injurious impressions of age yet how long it hath been retained in some in its wonted vigour how heightned and improved in others see in the following instances 1. Avicenna an excellent Physician and Philosopher read over
do it He asked him again and again but he persisted in his denial he therefore takes him up into a high part of the House and threatens to throw him down thence unless he would promise to assist them but neither so could he prevail with him whereupon turning to his companions We may be glad said he that this Merchant is so young for had he been a Senatour we might have despaired of any success in our suit 3. When Alcibiades was but yet a child he gave insâ—â—nâ—e of that natural subtlety for which he was afterwards so remarkable in Athens â—or coming to his Unâ—le Pâ—ricles and â—inding him sitting somewhat sad in a retiring Room he asked him the cause of his trouble who told him he had been employed by the City in some publick Buildings in which he had expended such sums of money as he knew noâ— well how to give account of You should therefore said he think of a way to prevent your 〈◊〉 câ—llâ—d to accouâ—â— And thus that great and wise 〈◊〉 being dâ—stitute of counsel himself made me of this wâ—ich was given him by a child for he involved Athens in a foreign War by which means they were not at leisure to consider of accounts 4. Themistocles in his childhood and boyage bewrayed a quick spirit and understanding beyond his years and a propensity towards great matters he used not to play amongst his equals but they found him employing that time in framing Accusatory or Defensive Orations for this and that other of his Schoolfellows And therefore his Master was used to say My Son thou wilt be nothing indifferent but either a great Glory or Plague to thy Country For even then he was not much affected with Moral Precepts or matters of accomplishment for urbanity but what concern'd providence and the management of affairs that he chiefly delighted in and addicted himself to the knowledge of beyond what could be expected from his youth 5. Richard Carew Esquire was bred a Gentleman Commoner at Oxford where being but fourteen years old and yet three years standing in the University he was called out to dispute ex tempore before the Earls of Leicester and Warwick with the matchless Sir Philip Sydney Ask you the end of this contest They neither had the better both the best 6. Thucydides being yet a Boy while he heard Herodotus reciting his Histories in the Olympicks is said to have wept exceedingly which when Herodotus had observ'd he congratulated the happiness of Olorus his Father advising him that he would use great diligence in the education of his Son and indeed he afterwards proved one of the best Historians that ever Greece had 7. Astyages King of the Medes frighted by a dream caused Cyrus the Son of his Daughter Mandane as soon as born to be delivered to Harpaâ—us with a charge to make him away He delivers him to the Herdâ—man of Astyages with the same charge but the Herdsman's wife newly delivered of a dead child and taken with the young Cyrus kept him instead of her own and buried the other instead of him When Cyrus was grown up to ten years of age playing amongst the young Lads in the Country he was by them chosâ—n to be their King appointed them to their several Oâ—â—ices some for Builders some for Guards Couâ—tiers Messengers and the like One of those Boys that played with them was the Son of Aâ—â—embaris a Noble Person amongsâ— the Mâ—des who not obeying the commands of this new King Cyrus commanded him to be seised by the rest of the Boys and that done he bestowed many stripes upon him The Lad being let go complain'd to his Father and he to Astyages for shewing him the bruised Shoulders of his Son Is it thus O King said he that we are treated by the Son of thy Herdsman and slave Astyages sent for the Herdsman and his Son and then looking upon Cyrus How darest thou said he being the Son of such a Father as this treat in such sort the Son of a principal person about me Sir said he I have done to him nothing but what was fit for the Country Lads one of which he was chose me their King in play because I seemed the most worthy of the place but when all others obeyed my commands he only regarded not what I said for this he was punished and if thereupon I have merited to suffer any thing I am here ready to do it While the Boy spake this Astyages began to take some knowledge of him the figure of his â—ace his generous deportment the time of Cyrus his exposition agreeing with the age of this Boy he concluded he was the same which he soon after made the Herdsman to confess But being told by the Magi that now the danger was over for having played the King in sport they believed it was all that his dream did intend So he was sent into Persia to his Father not long after he caused the Persians to revolt overcame Astyages his Grandfather and transferred the Empire of the Medes to the Persians 8. Thomas Aquinas when he went to School was by nature addicted to silence and was also somewhat more fat than the rest of his Fellow-Scholars whereupon they usually called him the dumb Ox but his Master having made experiment of his wit in some little Disputations and finding to what his silence tended This dumb Ox said he will shortly set up such a lowing that all the world will admire the sound of it 9. Origines Adamantius being a young boy would often ask his Father Leonidas about the mystical sense of the Scriptures insomuch that his Father was constrain'd to withdraw him from so over early a wisdom Also when his Father was in prison for the sake of Christ and that by reason of his tender age for he was but seventeen and the strict custody of his Mother he could not be companion with him in his Martyrdom he then wrote to him that he should not through the love of his children be turned from the true faith in Christ even in that age discovering how undaunted a Preacher Christianity would afterwards have of him 10. Grimoaldus a young noble Lombard was taken with divers others at Forum Iulii by Cacanus King of the Avares and contrary to sworn conditions was lead to death perceiving the perfididiousness of the Barbarians in the midst of the tumult and slaughter he with his two Brothers brake from amongst them but he being but a very youth was soon overtaken by the pursuer was retaken by a Horseman and again by him led to death But he observing his time drew his little Sword slew his Guardian overtook his Brethren and got safe away By this his incredible boldness he shewed with what spirit and wisdom he would after both gain and govern the Kingdom of Lombardy 11. Q. Hortensius spake his first Oration in the Forum at Rome when he was but nineteen years of
she was by him well beaten with Myrtle Rods. And for that reason the women when they dress up and adorn the Chapel or Shrine of their goddess Bona they never bring home for that purpose any branches of the Myrtle Tree and yet otherwise take pleasure to make use of all sorts of branches and flowers in that solemnity 3. At Argos there were two of the principal Citizens who were the heads of opposite Factions one to another in the Government oâ— the City the one was named Nicostratus and the other Phaulius Now when King Philip came to the City it was generally thought that Phaulius plotted and practised to attained unto some absolute principality and soveraignty in the City by the means of his wife who was a young and beautiful Lady in case he could once bring her to the Kings bed and that she might lie with him Nicostratus was aware of as much and smelling his design walked before Phaulius his door and about his house on purpose to discover his intentions and what he would do therein He soon found that the base Phaulius had furnished his wife with a pair of high Shooes had cast about her a mantle and set upon her head a Chaplet after the Macedonian fashion Having thus accoutred her after the manner of the Kings Pages he sent her secretly in that habit and attire unto the Kings lodging as a Sacrifice to his lust and an agrument of an unparallel'd villany in himself who could endure to be the Pander in the prostitution of his own Wife 4. Periander the Corinthian in a high sit of passion trod his Wife under-foot and although she was at that time with child of a boy yet he never desisted from his injurious treatment of her till such time as he had killed her upon the place Afterwards when he was come to himself and was sensible that what he had done was through the calumniating instigation of his Concubines he caused them all to be burnt alive and banished his son Lycophron as far as Corcyra upon no other occasion than that he lamented the death of his Mother with tears and outcryes 5. Nero the Emperour being once incensed against his Wife Poppaea Sabina gave her such a kick with his foot upon the belly that she thereupon departed this life But though he was a man that seemed to be born to cruelty and blood yet he afterwards so repented himself of this act that he would not suffer her body to be burnt after the Roman manner but built the funeral pile for her of odours and perfumes and so ordered her to be brought into the Iulian monument 6. Herod the Sophist being offended with his Wife Rhegilâ—a for some slight fault of hers commanded his freed man Alcimedon to beat her She was at that time eight months gone with Child or near upon so that by the imprudence of him who was imployed to chastise her She received some blows upon her belly which occasioned first her miscarriage and soon after her death Her Brother Bradeas a person of great nobility cited her Husband Herodes to answer the death of his Sister before the Senate of Rome where if he had not it is pity but he should have received a condign punishment 7. When M. Antonius was overcome at Actium Herod King of Iudaea believing that he was in danger to lose his Kingdom because he had been a fast friend to Antonius determined to meet Caesar Augustus at Rhodes and there endeavour to assure his favour to him Having resolved upon his journey he committed the care and custody of his Wiâ—e to Sohemus his friendâ— giving him withall thus much in command That in case he should hear of his death by the way or at the place wither he was intended that then he should not fail forthwith to kill Mariamne his Wife yielding this only reason of his injunction that it might not be in the power of any man to enjoy so great a beauty after his decease Mariamne had extorted this secret from Sohemus and at Herod's return twitted him with it Herod caused Sohemus unheard to be immediately put to death and not long after he also beheaded Mariamne his beloved Queen and Wife 8. Amalasuenta had raised Theodahitus at once to be her Husband and King of the Goths but upon this proviso that he should make oath that he would rest contented with the title of a King and leave all matters of Government to her sole dispose But no sooner was he accepted as King but he forgat his Wife and benefactress recalled her enemies from banishment put her friends and relations many of them to death banished her self unto an Island in the Vulsiner lake and there set a strong guard upon her At last he thought himself not sufficiently safe so long as Amalasumha was alive and thereupon he dispatched certain of his instruments to the place of her exile with order to put her to death who â—inding her in a bath gave her no further time but strangled her there CHAP. VIII Of such Wives as were unnatural to their Husbands or evil deported towards them IN Italy there grows an herb they call it the Basilisco it is sweet scented enough but withal it hath this strange property that being laid under a stone in a moist place in a few dayes it produces a scorpion Thus though the Woman in her first creation was intended as a meet help for man the partner of his joyes and cares the sweet perfume and relish of his dayes throughout his whole pilgrimage yet there are some so far degenerated from their primitive institution though otherwise of exteriour beauty and perfection enough that they have proved more intolerable than Scorpions not only tormenting the life but hastning the death of their too indulgent Husbands 1. Ioan Gandchild to Robert King of Naples by Charles his son succeeded her Grandfather in the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily Anno 1343. a woman of a beautiful body and rare endowments of nature She was first married to her Cousin Andrew a prince of Royal extraction and of a sweet and loving disposition but he being not able to satisfie her wantonness She kept company with lewd persons at last she grew weary of him complaining of his insufficiency and caused him in the City of Aversa to be hung upon a beam and strangled in the night time and then threw out his Corpse into a Garden where it lay some dayes unburied It is said that this Andrew on a day coming into the Queens chamber and finding her twisting a thick string of silk and silver demanded of her for what purpose she made it she answered to hang you in which he then little believed the rather because those who intend such mischief use not to speak of it before-hand but it seems she was as good as her word 2. Cicero put away his wife Terentia for divers reasons as because she had made small
and to celebrate the wisdom and goodness of the great Creator who hath not been so liberal in his impartments to our Progenitours but that he hath reserved something wherewith to gratifie the modest inquiries and industrious researches of after-times 1. That there were any such men as Antipodes was in former times reckoned a matter so ridiculous and impossible that Boniface Archbishop of Mentz happening to see a Tractate written by Virglius Bishop of Saltzburg touching the Antipodes not knowing what damnable Doctrine might be couched under that strange name made complaint first to the Duke of Bohemia and afterwards to Pope Zachary Anno 745. by whom the poor Bishop unfortunate only in being Learned in such a time of ignorance was condemned of Heresie Even S. Austin and Laâ—tantius and some other of the ancient Writers condemn this point of the Antipodes for an incredible ridiculous fable and venerable Bede esteemed it for no better 2. The famous King Ethelbert had this Epitaph set upon him which in those daies passed with applause Rex Ethelbertus hic clauditur in Polyandro Fana pians certus Christo meat absque Meandro King Ethelbert lies here Clos'd in this Polyander For building Churches sure he goes To Christ without Meander 3. And how low Learning ran in our Land amongst the native Nobility some two hundred years since in the Reign of King Henry the sixth too plainly appears by the Motto on the sword of the Martial Earl of Shrewsbury which was Sum Talboti pro occidere in imicos meos the best Latin that Lord and perchance his Chaplains too in that Age could afford 4. Rhemigius an Interpreter of St. Paul's Epistles Commenting upon these words A vobis diffamatus est sermo tells us that diffamatus was somewhat improperly put for divulgatus St. Paul being not very solicitous of the propriety of words Whereupon Ludovicus Vives demands What shall we say to these Masters in Israel who know not that St. Paul wrote not in Latin but in Greek 5. It appears by the rescript of Pope Zacchary to Boniface a German Bishop that a Priest in those parts baptized in this form Baptizo te in nomine patria filia spiritua sancta And by Erasmus that some Divines in his time would prove that Hereticks were to be put to death because the Apostle saith Haereticum hominem devita which it seems they understood as if he had said De vitâ tolle 6. Du Pratt a Bishop and Chancellour of France having received a Letter from Henry the eighth King of England to King Francis the first of France wherein amongst other things he wrote Mitto tibi duodecem Molossos I send you twelve Mastiff Doggs the Chancellour taking Molossos to signiâ—ie Mules made a Journey on purpose to Court to beg them of the King who wondring at such a Present to be sent him from England demanded the sight of the Letter and smiling thereat the Chancellour finding himself deceived told him that he mistook Molossos for Muletos and so hoping to mend the matter made it worse 7. The ignorance of former Ages was so gross in the point of Geography that what time Pope Clement the sixth had elected Lewis of Spain to be the Prince of the Fortunate Islands and for his aid and assistance therein had Mustered Souldiers in France and Italy our Country-men were verily perswaded that he was chosen Prince of Britain as one of the Fortunate Islands And our very Leiger Embassadours there with the Pope were so deeply settled in this opinion that forthwith they with-drew themselves from Rome and hasted with all speed into England there to certifie their friends and Country-men of the matter 8. The head of Nilus was to the Ancients utterly unknown as witnesseth Herodotus Strabo and Diodorus Siculus to which Ovid alludes Nilus in extremum fugit perterrituâ— orbem Occuluitque caput quod adhuc laâ—et Nile sled for fear to the Worlds utmost bound And hid his head which cannot yet be found But saith Pererius upon Genesis as many other things are found out unknown to the Ancients so likewise amongst others the head-spring of Nilus and that in vast Marishes near the Mountain of the Moon not far from the famous Promontory of Good Hope where is the utmost bound of the Continent according to the Latitude of the Globe of the earth Southward 9. It is very observable and indeed admirable that neither Herodotus nor Thucydides nor any other Greek Author contemporary with them have so much as mentioned tâ—e Romans though then growing up to a dreadful power and being both Europeans And for the Gauls and Spaniards the Grecians as witnesseth Budaeus in his Book De Asse were so utterly ignorant of them that Ephorus one of the most accurate Writers took Spain which he calls Iberia to be a City though the Cosmographers make the circuit of it to contain above 1136 French Miles 10. The Ancients held that under the middle or burning Zone by reason of excessive heat the earth was altogether uninhabitable but it is now made evident by experience that there is as healthful temperate and pleasant dwelling as any where in the World as appears by the relations of Benzo Acosta Herbert and others 11. They were also altogether ignorant of the New World which is known to us by the name of America or the West Indies till such time as it was discovered by Christopher Columbus a Genoan Anno 1492. 12. Arch-Bishop Parker in his Antiquitates Britannicae makes relation of a French Bishop who being to take his Oath to the Arch-bishop of Canterbury and â—inding the word Metropoliticae therein being not able to pronounce it he passed it over with Soit pour dict Let it be as spoken And others of the Clergy when they had most grossly broken Priscians head being taken in the fact their common defence was those words of St. Gregory Non debent verba coelestis oraculi subesse regulis Donati The wordâ— of the Heavenly Oracles ought not to be subject to the Rules of Donatus 13. King Alfred in his Preface upon the Pastorals of St. Gregory which he translated into English saith That when he came first to his Kingdom he knew not one Priest on the South side of the River Humber that understood his service in Latin or that could translate an Epistle into English 14. Archelaus King of Macedon was so ignorant in the things of nature that upon an Eclipse of the Sun amazed with fear he caused the Gates of the Palace to be shut up and the hair of his son to be cut off as he used in solemn mournings A further survey of the ignorance of the Ancients may be taken from a re-collection of some of the instances of the newly discovered Phaenomena at least if we believe Mr. Glanvile which are scattered as he saith under the heads of the Arts and Instruments which are as follow In
amongst them that was stirred up by vision whose name was Cangius and it was on this manner There appeared to him in a dream a certain person in Armour sitting upon a white Horse who thus spake to him Cangius it is the will of the Eternal God that thou shortly shalt be the King and Ruler of the Tartars that are called Malgotz thou shalt free them from that servitude under which they have long groaned and the neighbour Nations shall be subjected to them Cangius in the morning before the seven Princes and Elders of the Malgotz rehearses what he had dreamed which they all at the first looked upon as ridiculous but the next night all of them in their sleep seemed to behold the same person he had told them of and to hear him commanding them to obey Cangius Whereupon summoning all the people together they commanded them the same and the Princes themselves in the first place took the Oath of Allegiance to him and intituled him the first Emperour in their language Chan which signifies King or Emperour All such as succeeded him were aâ—ter called by the same name of Chan and were of great Fame and Power This Emperour freed his people subdued Georgia and the greater Armenia and afterwards wasted Polonia and Hungary 5. Antigonus dreamed that he had sowed Gold in a large and wide field that the seed sprang up flourished and grew ripe but that streight after he saw all this golden harvest was reaped and nothing left but the worthless stubble and stalks and then he seemed to hear a voice that Mithridates was fled into the Euxine Pontus carrying along with him all the golden harvest This Mithridates was descended of the Persian Magi and was at this time in the Retinue of this Antigonus King of Macedonia his Country of Persia being conquered and his own Fortunes ruined in that of the publick The dream was not obscure neither yet the signification of it The King therefore being awaked and exceedingly terrified resolves to cut off Mithridates and communicates the matter with his own Son Demetrius exacting of him a previous oath for his silence Demetrius was the Friend of Mithridates as being of the same age and by accident he encounters him as he came from the King The young Prince pities his Friend and would willingly assist him but he is restrained by the reverence of his oath Well he takes him aside and with the point of his Spear writes in the sand Fly Mithridates which he looking upon and admonished at once with those words and the countenance of Demetrius he privily flies into Cappadocia and not long after founded the famous and potent Kingdom of Pontus which continued from this man to the eighth descent that other Mithridates being very difficulty overthrown by all the Power and Forces of the Romans 6. The night before the Battel at Philippi Artorius or as others M. Antonius Musa Physician to Octavianus had a dream wherein he thought he saw Minerva who commanded him to tell Octavianus that though he was very sick he should not therefore decline his being present at the Battel which when Caesar understood he commanded himself to be carried in his Litter to the Army where he had not long remained before his Tents were seised upon by Brutus and himself also had been had he not so timely removed 7. Quintus Catulus a noble Roman saw as he thought in his depth of rest Iupiter delivering into the hand of a child the Ensign of the Roman People and the next night after he saw the same child hug'd in the bosome of the same God Whom Catulus offering to pluck from thence Iupiter charged him to lay no violent hands on him who was born for the Weal and preservation of the Roman Empire The very next morning when Q. Catulus espy'd by chance in the street Octavianus then a child afterwards Augustus Caesar and perceiving him to be the same he ran unto him and with a loud acclamation said Yes this is he whom the last night I beheld hug'd in the bosome of Iupiter 8. Iulius Caesar was excited to large hopes this way for he dreamed that he had carnal knowledge of his Mother and being confounded with the uncouthness of it he was told by the Interpreters that the Empire of the World was thereby presaged unto him for the Mother which he beheld subject unto him was no other than that of the Earth which is the common Parent of all men 9. Arlotte the Mother of William the Conquerour being great with him had a dream like that of Mandane the Mother of Cyrus the first Persian Monarch namely that her bowels were extended and dilated over all Normandy and England 10. Whilst I lived at Prague saith an English Gentleman and one night had sate up very late drinking at a Feast early in the morning the Sun-beams glancing on my face as I lay in my bed I dreamed that a shadow passing by told me that father was dead At which awaking all in a sweat and affected with this dream I rose and wrote the day and hour and all circumstances thereof in a Paper-book which Book with many other things I put into a Barrel and sent it from Prague to Stode thence to be conveyed into England And now being at Nuremberg a Merchant of a noble Family well acquainted with me and my Relations arrived there who told me that my father dyed some two months past I list not to write any lies but that which I write is as true as strange when I returned into England some four years after I would not open the Barrel I sent from Prague nor look into the Paper-book in which I had written this dream till I had called my Sisters and some other Friends to be witnesses where my self and they were astonished to see my written dream answer the very day of my fathers death 11. The same Gentleman saith thus also I may lawfully swear that which my Kinsmen have heard witnessed by my Brother Henry whilst he lived that in my youth at Cambridge I had the like dream of my mothers death where my Brother Henry lying with me early in the morning I dreamed that my mother passed by with a sad countenance and told me that she could not come to my Commencement I being within five months to proceed Master of Arts and she having promised at that time to come to Cambridge when I related this dream to my Brother both of us awaking together in a sweat he protested to me that he had dreamed the very same and when we had not the least knowledge of our mothers sickness neither in our youthful affections were any whit affected with the strangeness of this dream yet the next Carrier brought us word of our mothers death 12. Doctor Ioseph Hall then Bishop of Exeter since of Norwich speaking of the good offices which Angels do to Gods servants Of this kind saith he was that
at Lambeth were dasht one against another and were broke to pieces the snafts of two Chimneys were blown down upon the roof of his Chamber and beat down both the Lead and Rafters upon his Bed in which ruine he must needs have perished if the roughness of the water had not forced him to keep his Chamber at Whitehall The same night at Croyden a retiring place belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury one of the Pinnacles fell from the Steeple beat down the Lead and Roof of the Church above twenty foot square The same night too at the Metropolitical Church in the City of Canterbury one of the Pinnacles upon the Belfrey Tower which carried a Vane with this Archbishops Arms upon it was violently struck down but born a good distance from the Steeple and fell upon the Roof of the Cloister under which the Arms of the Archiepiscopal See it self were engraven in stone which Arms being broken in pieces by the former gave occasion to one that loved him not to collect this inference That the Arms of the present Archbishop of Canterbury breaking down the Arms of the See of Canterbury not only portended his own fall but the ruine of the Metropolitical Dignity by the weight thereof Of these he took not so much notice as he did of an accident which happened on St. Simon and Iude's Eve not above a week before the beginning of the late long Parliament which drew him to his final ruine On which day going to his upper Study to send some Manuscripts to Oxon he found his Picture at full length and taken as near unto the life as the Pencil was able to express it to be fallen on the floor and lying flat upon its face the string being broke by which it was hanged against the Wall At the sight whereof he took such a sudden apprehension that he began to fear it as an Omen of that ruine which was coming towards him and which every day began to be threatned to him as the Parliament grew nearer and nearer to consult about it These things occasioned him to look back on a former misfortune which chanced on the 19. of Septemb. 1633. being the very day of his translation to the See of Canterbury when the Ferry-boat transporting his Coach and Horses with many of his Servants in it sunk to the bottom of the Thames CHAP. III. Of the famous Predictions of some men and how the Event has been conformable thereunto SOcrates had a Genius that was ever present with him which by an audible voice gave him warning of approaching evils to himself or friends by dehorting as it always did when it was heard from this or that counsel or design by which he many times saved himself and such as would not be ruled by his counsel when he had this voice found the truth of the admonition by the evil success of their affairs as amongst other Charmides did I know not whether by such way as this or some other as extraordinary the ministry of good or evil Spirits some men have come to the knowledge of future events and have been able to foretel them long before they came to pass 1. Anno Christi 1279. there lived in Scotland one Thomas Lermouth a man very greatly admired for his foretelling of things to come He may justly be wondred at for foretelling so many ages before the union of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland in the ninth degree of the Bruces blood with the succession of Bruce himself to the Crown being yet a Child and many other things which the event hath made good The day before the death of King Alexander he told the Earl of March that before the next day at noon such a tempest should blow as Scotland had not felt many years before The next morning proving a clear day the Earl challenged Thomas as an Impostor he replied that noon was not yet past about which time a Post came to inform the Earl of the Kings sudden death and then said Thomas this is the tempest I foretold and so it shall prove to Scotland as indeed it did 2. Duncan King of the Scots had two principal men whom he employed in all matters of importance Mackbeth and Banquho these two travelling together through a Forest were met by three Witches Weirds as the Scots call them whereof the first making obeysance unto Mackbeth saluted him Thane that is Earl of Glammis the second Thane of Cauder and the third King of Scotland This is unequal dealing said Banquho to give my friend all the honours and none unto me to which one of the Weirds made answer That he indeed should not be King but out of his loins should come a Race of Kings that should for ever rule the Scots And having thus said they all vanished Upon their arrival to the Court Mackbeth was immediately created Thane of Glammis and not long after some new service requiring new recompence he was honoured with the Title of Thane of Cawder Seeing then how happily the prediction of the three Weirds fell out in the two former he resolved not to be wanting to himself in fulfilling the third He therefore first killed the King and after by reason of his Command amongst the Souldiers he succeeded in his Throne Being scarce warm in his seat he called to mind the prediction given to his Companion Banquho whom hereupon suspecting as his Supplanter he caused to be killed together with his whole posterity only Fleance one of his Sons escaping with no small difficulty into Wales freed as he thought of all fear of Banquho and his issue he built Dunsinan Castle and made it his ordinary Seat afterwards on some new fears consulting with his Wizards concerning his future estate he was told by one of them that he should never be overcome till Bernane Wood being some miles distant came to Dunsinan Castle and by another that he should never be slain by any man which was born of a Woman secure then as he thought from all future dangers he omitted no kind of libidinous cruelty for the space of eighteen years for so long he tyrannized over Scotland But having then made up the measure of his iniquities Mackduffe the Governour of Fife with some other good Patriots privily met one evening at Bernane Wood and taking every one of them a bough in his hand the better to keep them from discovery marched early in the morning towards Dunsinan Castle which they took by storm Mackbeth escaping was pursued by Mackduffe who having overtaken him urged him to the Cambat to whom the Tyrant half in scorn returned that in vain he attempted to kill him it being his destiny never to be slain by any that was born of a Woman Now then said Mackduffe is thy fatal end drawing fast upon thee for I was never born of a Woman but violently cut out of my mothers belly which so daunted the Tyrant though otherwise a valiant man that he
was easily slain In the mean time Fleance so prospered in Wales that he gained the affection of the Princes Daughter of the Country and by her had a Son called Walter who â—lying Wales returned into Scotland where his descent known he was restored to the Honors and Lands of his House and preferred to be Steward of the House of Edgar the Son of Malcolme the Third sirnamed Conmer King of Scotland the name of Steward growing hence hereditary unto his Posterity From this Walter descended that Robert Steward who succeeded David Bruce in the Kingdom of Scotland the Progenitor of nine Kings of the name of Stewart which have reigned successively in that Kingdom 3. Oliver a Benedictine Monk of Malmesbury was much addicted to the Mathematicks and to Judicial Astrology a great Comet happened to appear in his â—â—e which he entertained with these expressions Venisti Venistâ— multis matribus lugendum malum Dudum te vidi sed multò jam terribilius Anglicae minans prorsus excidium Art thou come Art thou come thou evil to be lamented by many mothers I saw thee long since but now thou art much more terrible threatning the English with utter destruction Nor did he much miss his mark herein for soon after the coming in of the Norman Conqueror deprived many English of their lives more of their Laws and Liberties This Oliver dyed 1060. five years before the Norman Invasion and so prevented by death saw not his own prediction performed 4. Agrippa the Son of Aristobulus was accused to Tiberius Caesar and by his command cast into bonds standing thus bound amongst others before the Palace gates by reason of grief he leaned against a Tree upon which there sate an Owl A certain German that was also in bonds beholding the Bird inquired of a Souldier what Noble man that was who told him that it was Agrippa a Prince of the Jews The German desired he might be permitted to come nearer to him it was granted when he thus said Young man this sudden and unexpected mutation of Fortune doth torment and perplex thee but in a short time thou shalt be freed of these bonds and raised to a dignity and power that shall be the envy of all these who now look upon thee as a miserable person know also that whensoever thou shalt see an Owl pearch over thy head after the manner of this now present it shall betoken to thee that thy fatal end draweth nigh All this was fulfilled for soon after Tiberius dyed Caius succeeded who loosed the bonds of Agrippa and placed the Crown of Iudaea on his head there he reigned in great splendour when one day having ended a Royal Oration he had made to the people with great acclamation and applause turning back his head he spyed the fatal Owl sitting over his head whereupon he was seised with torments of the belly carried away and in few days dyed 5. When Flavius Vespasianus made War in Iudaea amongst the noble Captives there was one called Ioseph who being cast into bonds by his order did nevertheless constantly affirm that those shackles of his should in a short time be taken off by the same person who had commanded them to be put on but by that time he should of a private man become Emperour which soon after fâ—ll out for Nero Galba Otho and Vitellius the Emperors being slain in a short space Vespasian succeeded and commanded Iosephs setters not to be unlocked but for the greater honour to be broken off 6. Manahem a Jew an Essaean beholding on a time Herod the Ascalonite at School amongst the rest of the youth saluted him King of the Jews Herod supposing he either mocked or knew him not told him he was one of the meanâ—r sort Manahem smiling and giving him a gentle blow or two Thou shalt reign said he and prosperously too for so is the pleasure of God and remember then these blows of Manahem which may admonish thee of mutable Fortune but I foresee thou wilt be unmindful both of the Laws of God and man though otherwise most fortunate and illustrious Herod lived to fulfil all this 7. Iudas of the Sect of the Essaeans amongst the Jews being not used to fail in his predictions when he beheld Antigonus the Brother of Aristobulus the Brother of Aristobulus to pass by the Temple of Ierusalem of whom he had predicted that he should that day be slain in the Tower of Strato he turned to his friends wishing that himself might dye since he was alive The Tower of Strato said he is six hundred furlongs off so that my prediction is not possible to be fulfilled on this day as I pronounced but scarce had he finished his discourse when news comes that Antigonus was slain in a Cave that was called the Tower of Strato and thus the prediction was fulfilled though not well understood by him who was the Author of it 8. While Iulius Caesar was sacrificing Spurina a Soothsayer advised him to beware of the Ides of March when therefore they were come and that there was no visible appearance of danger Caesar sent for Spurina Well said he the Ides of March are come and I see nothing in them so formidable as thy caution to me would seem to import They are come indeed said Spurina but they are not past that unhappy accident which was threatned may yet fall out nor was he mistaken for upon the same day Iulius was slain in the Senate house by Brutus and Cassius and the rest of their Complices 9. When Vitellius the Emperour had set forth an Edict that the Mathematicians should at a certain day depart the City and Italy it self there was a Paper affixed to a publick place wherein was writ that the Cha daeans did predict good Fortune for before the day appointed for their departure Vitellius should no where be found nor did it miscarry in the event Vitellius being slain before the day came 10. Proclus Larginus having in Germany predicted that Domitian the Emperour should dye upon such a day was laid hold upon and for that cause sent to Rome where when before Domitian himself he had affirmed the very same he was sentenced to death with order to keep him till the day of his prediction was past and then that on the next he should dye in case what he had foretold of the Emperour proved false but Domitian was slain by Stephanus upon the very day as he had said whereupon the Soothsayer escaped and was enlarged with great honour 11. Ascletarion was one singularly skilled in Astrology and he also had predicted the day and hour of Domitians death and being asked by the Emperour what kind of death he himself should dye I shall shortly said he be torn in pieces by Dogs the Emperour therefore commands that he should be slain forthwith publickly burnt and to mock the vanity and temerity of his Art he ordered that the ashes of his body should be
that Cardinal Franciotto Vrsin being put by Clement mounted to the See Apostolick After Clement was Pope Pompeius obtained of him many graces and honours but assuring himself that nothing could be denied him he was one time importunate in some such matter which the Pope judged to be unjust and inconsistent with his Holiness honour to grant so that Pompey failing of his expectation herein began to reproach the Pope and to tell him that it was by his means that he was Pope His Holiness answered him that it was true and prayed him to suffer him to be Pope and that he would not be it himself for in proceeding in this manner he took that from him which he had given him 2. Robert Winchelsea Archbishop of Canterbury was banished by King Edward the First but afterwards restored again by him and all the Rents that had been sequestred during his absence repaid him whereby he became the richest Archbishop that had been in that Seat before Wherefore often recording his troubles he would say Adversity never hurteth where no iniquity over-ruleth 3. The Emperour Frederick the Third when he heard of the death of a great Noble man of Austria who lived ninety three years most wickedly in fleshly pleasures and yet never once in all that time afflicted with grief or sickness he said This proveth that which Divines teach That after death there is some place where we receive reward or punishment when we see often in this World neither the just rewarded nor the wicked punished 4. When Theopompus was King of Sparta one was saying in his presence That it now went well with their City because their Kings had learned how to govern The King prudently replied That it rather came to pass because their people had learned to obey shewing thereby that popular Cities are most injurious to themselves by their factious disobedience which while they are addicted to they are not easily well governed by the best of Magistrates 5. Dionysius the Elder reproving his Son for that he had forcibly violated the chastity of the Wife of one of the Citizens of Syracuse asked him amongst other things If he had ever heard that any such thing had been done by him No said the Son but that was because you had not a King to your Father Neither said Dionysius will you ever have a King to your Son unless you give over such pranks as these The event proved that he then said the truth For when this young man succeeded his Father he was expelled the Kingdom of Syracuse for his evil behaviour and manner of life 6. Aristippus having lost all his Goods by shipwrack was cast naked upon the shore of Rhodes where yet by reason of his Learning he found such estimation that neither he nor his Companions were suffered to want any thing that was convenient for them When therefore some of his company were about to return home they asked him if he would command them any thing Yes said he tell my relations from me that I advise them to procure such riches for their children as a tempest at Sea has no power over shewing thereby how precious Learning is which no storms of adverse Fortune can take away from us 7. Cineas was in great honour with Pyrrhus King of Epirus and he made use of him in all his weighty affairs professing to have won more Cities by his Eloquence than by his own Arms. He perceiving Pyrrhus earnestly bent upon his Expedition into Italy one time when he was at leisure and alone Cineas spake thus to him The Romans O Pyrrhus have the reputation of a warlike people and command divers Nations that are so and if God shall grant us to overcome them what fruit shall we have of the Victory That 's a plain thing said Pyrrhus for then saith he no City will presume to oppose us and we shall speedily be Masters of all Italy the greatness vertue and riches of which is well known to you Cineas was silent a while and then having said he made Italy our own what shall we then do Sicily said he is near reaching out its hand to us a rich and populous Island and easie to be taken It is probable said Cineas but having subdued Sicily will that put an end to the War If God said Pyrrhus give us this success these will be but the Praeludia to greater matters for who can refrain from Africa and Carthage which will soon be at our beck And these overcome you will easily grant that none of those that now provoke us will be able to resist us That 's true said Cineas for it is easie to believe that with such Forces we may recover Macedon and give the Law to all Greece But being thus become Lords of all what then Pyrrhus smiling Then said he good man we will live at our ease and enjoy our selves in compotations and mutual discourses When Cineas had brought him thus far And what hinders said he but that we may now do all these seeing they are in our power without the expence of so much sweat and blood and such infinite calamities as we go about to bring upon our selves and others 8. He was a wise man that said Delay hath undone many for the other World Haste hath undone more for this Time well managed saves all in both 9. A Christian Matron being imprisoned by the Persecutors fell in labour there the extremity of her pains enforced her to cry out extremely whereupon the Keeper of the Prison reproached her and said he If you are not able to bear the pains of child-birth to day what will you do to morrow when you come to burn in the flames Today said she I suffer as a miserable Woman under those sorrows that are laid upon my sex for sin but to morrow I shall suffer as a Christian for the Faith of Christ. 10. Sir Francis Walsingham Secretary of State in Queen Elizabeths Reign towards the latter end of his life wrote to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh to this purpose We have lived enough to our Country to our Fortunes and to our Soveraign it is high time we begin to live to our selves and to our God In the multitude of affairs that passed through our hands there must be some miscarriages for which a whole Kingdom cannot make our peace And being observed to be more melancholy than usual some Court-humorists were sent to divert him Ah! said Sir Francis while we laugh all things are serious about us God is serious when he preserveth us and hath patience towards us Christ is serious when he dyeth for us the Holy Ghost is serious when he striveth with us the holy Scripture is serious when it is read before us Sacraments are serious when they are administred to us the whole Creation is serious in serving God and us they are serious in Hell and Heaven and shall a man that hath one foot in the grave jest and
334 Robberies and Thefts 420 S. SCoffing and Scorn 119 Sea-meâ—â—amous 486 Secrecy 232 Seditions appeased 603 Servants love to Masters 154 Sepulchres violated 62 Sepulture hardly obtained ibid. Sex changed 52 Shamefacedness 122 Sight and Seeing 99 Slothfulness 403 Smelling the Sense 104 Sleepers long 594 Sleep walked in 592 Sobriety 179 Solitude loved 575 Stage Players 502 Statuarie famous 501 Stature and Tallness 34 Stratogems 6â—â— Strength very great 37 Study very hard â—â—8 Stupidity 404 Swiftness 44 Swimmers and Divers under Water 504 T. TAst the Sense 183 Teeth their Number 20 Temperance 179 Thefts very bold 420 Time well spent 229 Torments born 205 Touch the Sense 101 Tongue 21 Trances and Raptures 595 Treachery 447 Treasures found 604 Tributes and Taxes 418 Truth loved 137 V. VAlour and Courage 297 Unavoidable Fate 455 Unchastity 452 Unfortunate men 459 Unmerciful men 382 Voice and Speech 21 Voluptuous men 451 Voracity and Greediness 390 W. WAlkers in their sleep 592 Warnings of death 455 Wishes and desires 1â—7 Witches and Witchcraft 5â—◠〈◊〉 unnatural 373 Wives 〈◊〉 good 144 Works of Art 224 Work of 〈◊〉 189 Wise sayings 646 Witty speeches 649 Wives well beloved 142 X. XErxes his folly 407 Y. YOuth hopeful 130 Youth wild reclaimed 132 Youth hopeful declined 363 Youth restored 51 Z. ZOpyrus his fact 155 Zoroastres how born 4 ADVERTISEMENT BY reason of the Authors Absence some Errors have passed the Press though few such as make any considerable Alteration of the Sence or that may not easily be Corrected by 〈◊〉 Pen of the Reader FINIS Lib. 4. c. 1. p. 179 180.181 Hist. of the Netherlands pag. 91. Clark's mir cap. 104. p. 497. Barthol Hist. Anatomic Cent. 1. Hist. 1. page 1.2 Sennert pract Med. lib. 4. part 2 § 5. cap. 8. p. 359. Barthol Hist. Anat. Cent. 1. Hist. 1. p. 2. Sennert prax l. 4. par 2. § 5. c. 8. p. 359.360 Barth Hist. Anat. Cent. 1. Hist. 1. p. 3. Salmas responâ— ad Beverov de calculo p. 198. Barth Hist. Anat. Cent. 1. Hist. 1. p. 3. Barth Hist. Anat. Cent. 1. Hist. 1. p. 4.5 Nâ—edh disquisit Anat. cap. 3. p. 84. Schenck observat l. 1. p. 13. obs 1. Weinrich de Monstris c. 26. p. 62. Sennert pract Med. l. 4. part 2. § 5. cap. 8. p. 359. Ovid Epist. l. 1. Ep. 21. Schenck observ lib. 4. p. 575. obs 8. Donat. Hist. Med. Mir. lib. 2. c. 22. p. 240. Schenck observ lib. 4. p. 577. obs 9. Zuing. Theatr vol. 2. lib. 4. p. 357 col 2. Donat. Hist. Med. Mir. lib. 2. c. 22. p. 239. Zacut. Lusit praxis Medic. admirand lib. 2. obs 157. p. 276. Donat. Hist. Med. Mir. lib. 2. c. 22. p. 241. †Lâ—ps de constant lib 2. c. 1â— p. 172. Ovid Metaâ— l. 6. p. 101. Sennert prax Med. lib. 4. par 2. § 4. c. 7. p. 311. Schâ—â—k obs lib. 4. obs 21. p. 537. Barth Cent. 2. Hist. 100. p. 76. Rosse Arcan Micrososm lib. 3. cap. 3. p. 76. Addit ad Doâ—at per Greg. Hâ—rit lib. 7. cap. 2. p. 659. Iohns Nat. Hist. Cent. 16. cap. 5. p. 334. Konaman de Mir. Mort. par 3. c. 34. p. 117. Addit ad Donat. per Greg. Hâ—râ—i lib. 7. cap. 2. p. 663. Ad. Donat. lib. 7. pâ—â— Hâ—st cap. 2. p. 664. Zâ—â—ch qu. Medico-legal lib. 4. tit 1. qu. 10. p. 235. Karnman de Mir. Mort. par 3. cap. 36. p. 18. Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 7. c. 16. p. 164. Solin cap. 4. p. 181. Zuing. Theatr Vol. 2. lib. 5. pag. 414. col 1. Plut. parel p. in Cicerone Solin c. 4. p. 180. Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 7. c. 8. p. 160. Zuing. Theatr vol. 2. l. 1. p. 270. col 2. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 7. c. 16. p. 164. Solin c. 4. p. 181. Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 7. c. 9. p. 160. Schenck obs Med. lib. 4. obs 15. p. 580. Hâ—yl Cosm. p. 336. Baker chr p. Schenck obs Med. lib. 4. obs 15. pag. 580. Zuin. Theat vol. 2. lib. 1. p. 270. col 2. Schenck obs p. 580. Zuin. Theat vol. 2. l. 1. p. 270. col 2. Schenck obs p. 580. Sennert prax Med. l. 4. part 2. § 6. cap. 8. p. 419. Schenck obs Med. p. 580. Plin. Nat. Hist. lib. 7. c. 3. p. 158. Zuin. Theat vol. 2. l. 1. p. 270. col 1. Camerar horae subcisiv Cen. 1. c. 55. p. 241. Schenck obs Med. lib. 5. obs 1. pag. 674. Zuin. Theat vol. 2. l. 1. p. 270. col 1. Barth Hist. Anat. Cen. 2. Hist. 8. p. 159. Barth Ibid. Cent. 2. Hist. 8. p. 157. Val. Max. l. 1. c. 8. p. 30. Zuin. Theâ—t vol. 2. l. 1. p. 270. col 1. Zuing. Ibid. p. 270. Senn praâ— Med. l. 4. par 2. § 6. c. 8. p. 419. Barth Hist. Anat. Cent. 1. Hist. 1. p. 6.7 Id. Cent. â— Hist. 99. p. 307. Rosse Arcan Microcosm l. 3. c. 7. § 7. p. 89. Camerar Hor. Subcis Cen. 2. c. 67. p. 275. Iohâ—st Nat. Hist. Cent. 10. c. 5. p. 334. Schenck obs Med. l. 1. obs 1. p. 7. Barth Hist. Aâ—at Cent. 1. Hist. 66. p. 103. Lemnius de Natur. Mir. lib. 1. cap. 8. p. 38. Camer hor. subcis Cent. 1. cap. 54. p. 240. Barth Hist. Anat. Cent. 1. Hist. 10. p. 20. Barth Hist. Anat. Cen. 1. Hist. 10. p. 19. Barth Hist. Anat. Cent. 1. Hist. 4. p. 10 11 12. Sâ—nnert pract Med. l. 4. par 2. § 4. cap. 10. p. 326. Camer hor subcisâ—v Cen. Schenck obs Med. l. 4. obs 1. p. 543. Camer hor. subcis Cent. Schenck obs Med. l. 4. obs 1. p. â—54 Zuin. Theat Vol. 2. l. 2. p. 305. col 2. Paraeus de Monstris l. 24. Lithgow's Travels par 2. p. 52.53 P. Orosii Hist. l. 5. c. 6. p. 190. Fabrit obs Chirurg Cen. 3. obs 55. p. 239. Lycosth de prodigiis p. 582. Iohnst Nat. Hist. Class 10. c. 5. p. 334. Dr. Henry More 's Immort of thâ— Soul l. 3. c. 7. p. 173. Clark's Mir. c. 63. p. 249. Aul. Gell. Noct. Attic. l. 19. c. 9. p. 511. Tibul. l. 1. Eleg. 8. Horat. l. 4. â—dâ— 11. Plin. Nat. Hist. l. 7. c. 51. p. 184. Schenck obs Med. l. 6. ob 1. p. 721. Valer. Max. l. 1. c. 8. p. 32 Schenck observ lib. 6. obs 1. p. 721 Epiph. Ferd. casus Med. casus 81. p. 259. Bak. Chron. p. 360. Schenck obs Med l. 6. obs 1. p. 721. Alex. l. 4. c. 20. fol. 233. Zuin. Theat vol. 2. l. 7. p. 561. Plut. in Camil p. 135. Sabel l. 9. c. 4. Zuin. Theat vol. 2. l. 7. p. 561. Zuin. Theat vol. 2. l. 7. p. 561. Zuin. Theat Ibid. Zuin. Theat Ibid. Crantz l. 2. Saxon. c. 20. Zuin. Theat vol. 2. l. 7. Zuin. Theat Ibid. Treasury of Ancient modern times l. 4. c. 12. p. 330. Heyl. Cosm. p. 734. Plin. l. 7. c. 53. p. 186. Suet. p. 105. p. 55. in Augustâ— Alex. ab Alex dies Gen. l. 4. c. 20. fol. 233. Idem Ibid. fol. 233. Idem ut sup fol.
about with a stony bark CHAP. IV. Of such persons as have made their entrance into the World in a different manner from the rest of mankind MIlle modis morimur uno tantum nascimur saith Tully we die a thousand ways but we are born but one But certainly as there is a marvellous diversity of accidents through which Man arrives to his last end So also curious Nature hath in a various manner sported her self in the birth of some And howsoever she brings most of us into the World as it were in a common Road yet hath she also her by-paths and ever and anon singles out some whom she will have to be her Heteroclites and so many exceptions from the general rule 1. Zoroastres was the only Man that ever we could hear of that laughed the same day wherein he was born his brain also did so evidently pant and beat that it would bear up their hands that laid them upon his head An evident presage saith Pliny of the great Learning which he afterwards attained unto 2. M. Tullius Cicero is said to have been brought into the World by his Mother Helvia upon the third of the Nones of Ianuary without any of those pains that are usual in child-bearing 3. Such as were born into the World with their feet forward the Latines were wont to call Agrippae and Agripina saith Pliny hath left in writing that her Son Nero the late Emperour who all the time of his Reign was a very enemy to mankind was born with his feet forwards 4. Some children are born into the World with Teeth as M. Curius who thereupon was sirnamed Dentatus and Cn. Papyrius Carbo both of them great Men and right honourable Personages In Women it was look'd upon as of ill presage especially in the days of the Kings of Rome for when Valeria was born toothed the Soothsayers being consulted answered that look into what City she was carried to Nurse she should be the cause of the ruine and subversion of it Whereupon she was conveyed to Suessa Pomeria a City at that time most flourishing in Wealth and Riches and it proved most true in the end for that City was utterly destroyed 5. Some are cut out of their Mothers Womb such was Scipio Affricanus the former so also the first of those who had the sirname of Caesar thus saith Schenckius was that Manilius born who entred Carthage with an Army and so saith Heylen was that Mackduffe Earl of Fife who slew Mackbeth the usurping King of Scotlaâ—d and so Edward the Sixth of England 6. Anno 959. Buchardus Earl of Lintzgow Buchorn and Monfort a person of great bounty to the Poor chosen Abbot of Sangal and confirmed therein by Otho the Great was vulgarly call'd unborn because he was cut out of his Mothers Womb. 7. Gebhardus the Son of Otho Earl of Bregentz was cut out of his Mothers Womb and was consecrated Bishop of Conslantia Anno 1001. 8. I saw saith Horatius Augenius a poor Woman of a â—leshy and good habit of body who for nine months had an exulceration of the Ventricle and for twenty days space vomited up again all that she eat or drank as soon as she had taken it of this Disease she died and dissecting her womb we took out thence a living boy who by my direction had the name of Fortunatus given him at his Baptism and he is yet alive 9. I my self saith Cornelius Gemma have cut out of the Womb six living Children from six several persons 10. Amongst many strange examples appearing upon record in Chronicles we read of a Child in Saguntum that very year wherein it was forced and razed by Hanibal which so soon as it was come forth of the Mothers Womb presently returned into it again 11. Iohannes Dubravius hath observ'd of Lewis the Second King of Hungary and Bohemia that there were four things wherein he was over hasty That he became great in a very small time that he had a beard too soon that he had white hairs before he was past seventeen years of age and that he was over forward in his birth for he came into the World without any of that skin which is call'd Epidermis which yet he soon after got the Physiâ—ians lending their assistance to that which Nature had not time to finish he died in the 21. of his Age Anno 1526. August the 29. 12. When Spinola besieg'd the City of Bergopsoma a Woman who was near her count going out to draw water was taken off in the middle by a Cannon-bullet so that the lower part of her feâ—l into the water such as were by and beheld that misfortune ran to her and saw there a child moving it self in the bowels of the Mother they drew it forth and carried it into the Tents of Don Cordua kept it with all care being afterwards brought thence to Antwerp the Infanta Isabella caused it to be baptiz'd and gave it the name of Albertuâ— Ambrosius one of her Father's Captains 13. Anno 1647. Iacobus Egh in the City of Sarda in Bâ—lgia had a Bull which he fed tying him in a Close near his house but provok'd by the boys he brake his bonds and ran to the Cows the Herdsman endeavoured with his staff to return him to his former place the bull being incens'd with his blows ran upon him and with his horns bore him to the ground his Wife being now in the last month of her count seeing the danger of her Husband ran in to his assistance the bull with his horns hoisted her up into the Air the height of one story and tore the belly of the woman from the wound in her belly forthwith came the birth with its secundine and was thrown at some distance upon a soft place was carried home diligently look'd after by a Midwife and upon the first of September baptiz'd had his Fathers name given him and is yet alive the Man liv'd 36. hours the woman but 4. the bull was slain the day after by the command of the Magistrates 14. Gorgias a gallant Man of Epirus slipt from the Womb in the Funerals of his Mother and by his unexpected crying caused them to stand who carried the Bier affording thereby a new spectaâ—le to his Country having his birth and cradle in the Cossin of his Parent In one and the same moment a dead woman was deliver'd and the other was carried to the Grave before he was born 15. Fnâ—cho Arista the first King of Navarr being dead Garsias his Son succeeded who being one day in the Village of Larumbe was surprized â—y some Moorish Robbers assaulted and slain they wounded Vrracha his Queen in the Belly with a Lance the Thieves put to flight the Queen at the wound was deliver'd of a Son and died the child to all Mens wonder was safe and was nam'd Sancius Garsia he was well educated by a noble person prov'd a gallant Man and
succeeded his Father in the Kingdom Anno Domini 918. 16. The Wife of Simon Knâ—uter of Weissenburgh went with child to the ninth month and then falling into Travail her pains were such as that they occasioned her death and when the assistants doubted not but that the child was dead also in the Womb they dispos'd of the Mother as is usual in the like occasion but after some hours they heard a cry they ran and found the Mother indeed dead but deliver'd of a little Daughter that was in good health and lay at her feet Salmuth saith he hath seen three several women who being dead in Travail were yet after death delivered of the Children they went with CHAP. V. Of what Monsters some Women have been delivered and of praeternatural births IT is the constant design of provident Nature to produce that which is perfect and complete in it's kind But though Man is the noblest part of her operation and that she is busied about the framing of him with singular curiosity and industry yet are there sundry variations in her mintage and some even humane medals come out thence with different Errata's in their Impressions The best of Archers do not always bore the white the working brains of the ablest Politicians have sometimes suffered an abortion nor are we willing to bury their accidental misses in the memory of their former skilful performances If therefore Nature through a penury or supersluity of materials or other causes hath been so unfortunate as at sometimes to miscarry her dexterity and Artifice in the composition of many ought to procure her a pardon for such oversights as she hath committed in a few Besides there is oftentimes so much of ingenuity in her very disorders and they are dispos'd with such a kind of happy unhappiness that if her more perfect works beget in us much of delight the other may affect us with equal wonder 1. That is strange which is related by Buchanan It had saith he beneath the Navel one body but above it two distinct ones when hurt beneath the Navel both bodies felt the pain if above that body only felt that was hurt These two would sometimes differ in opinions and quarrel the one dying before the other the surviving pin'd away by degrees It liv'd 28. years could speak divers Languages and was by the King's command taught Musick Sandy's on Ovid Metam lib. 9. p. 173. 2. Anno 1538. There was one born who grew up to the stature of a Man he was double as to the Head and Shoulders in such manner as that one face stood oppositâ— to the other both were of a likeness and resembâ—â— each other in the beard and eyes both had the â—ame appetite and both hungred alike the voice of both was almost the same and both loved the same Wife 3. I saw saith Bartholinus Lazarus Colloredo the Genoan first at Hafnia after at Basil when he was then 28. years of Age but in both places with amazement This Lazarus had a little Brother growing out at his breast who was in that posture born with him If I mistake not the bone called Xyphoides in both of them grew together his left foot alone hung downwards he had two arms only three fingers upon each hand some appearance there was of the secret parts he moved his hands ears and lips and had a little beating in the breast This little Brother voided no excrements but by the mouth nose and ears and is nourish'd by that which the greater takes he has distinct animal and vital parts from the greater since he sleeps sweats and moves when the other wakes rests and sweats not Both receiv'd their Names at the Font the greater that of Lazarus and the other that of Iohannes Baptista The natural Bowels as the Liver Spleen c. are the same in both Iohannes Baptista hath his eyes for the most part shut his breath small so that holding a Feather at his mouth it scarce moves but holding the hand there we find a small and warm breath his mouth is usually open and always wet with spittle his head is bigger then that of Lazarus but deform'd his hair hanging down while his face is in an upward posture Both have beards Baptista's neglected but that of Lazarus very neat Lazarus is of a just stature a decent body courteous deportment and gallantly attir'd he covers the body of his Brother with his Cloak nor could you think a Monster lay within at your first discourse with him He seemed always of a constant mind unless that now and then he was solicitous as to his end for he feared the death of his Brother as presaging that when that came to pass he should also expire with the stink and putrefaction of his body and thereupon he took greater care of his Brother then of himself 4. Lemnius tells of a Monster that a certain Woman was deliver'd of to which Woman he himself was Physician and present at the sight which at the appearing of the day fill'd all the Chamber with roaring and crying running all about to find some hole to creep into but the Women at the length stiâ—led and smother'd it with pillows 5. Iohannes Naborowsky a noble Polonian and my great friend told me at Basil that he had seen in his Countrey two little Fishes without scales which were brought forth by a Woman and as soon as they came out of her Womb did swim in the Water as other Fish 6. Not many years agoe there liv'd a Woman of good quality at Elsingorn who being satisfied in her count prepared all things for child-birth hired a Mid-wife bought a Cradle c. but her big belly in the last month seemed to be much fallen which yet not to lessen the report that went of her she kept up to the former height by the advantage of cloaths which she wore upon it Her time of Travail being come and the usual pains of labour going before she was deliver'd of a creature very like unto a dormouse of the greater size which to the amazement of the Women who were present with marvellous celerity sought out and found a hole in the Chamber into which it crept and was never seen after I will not render the credit of these Women suspected seeing divers persons have made us Relations of very strange and monstrous births from their own experience 7. Anno Dom. 1639. our Norway afforded us an unheard of example of a Woman who having often before been deliver'd of humane births and again big after strong labour was delivered of two Eggs one of them was broken the other was sent to that excellent person Dr. Olaus Wormius the ornament of the University in whose study it is reserv'd to be seen of as many as please I am not ignorant that many will give no credit to this story who either have not seen the Egg or were not present when the Woman was deliver'd of it In