expectation of the obiect so much desired the messenger is summond who appeares before them with his bagge at his backe or rather vpon his necke he is commanded to discouer this strange creature so often spoken of but till then in that place not seene the sackes mouth is opened out flyes the mastiffe amongst them who seeing so many ougly creatures together thought it seemes he had beene amongst the beares in Paris garden but spying Lucifer to be the greatest and most ill-fauoured amongst them first leapes vp into his face and after flyes at whomsoeuer stood next him The diuels are disperst euery one runnes and makes what shift he can for himselfe the sessions is dissolued the bench and bale-docke cleered and all in generall so affrighted that euer since that accident the very name hath beene so terrible amongst them as they had rather entertaine into their darke and sad dominions tenne thousand of their wiues then any one man who beares the least character of a cuckold But hauing done with this sporting I proceede to what is more serious Of Women remarkeable for their loue to their Husbands IT is reported of the wiues of Wynbergen a free place in Germany that the towne being taken in an assault by the Emperour and by reason the cittisens in so valiantlie defending their liues and honours had beene the ouerthrow of the greatest part of his army the Emperour grew so inplacable that he purposed though mercy to the women yet vpon the men a bloody reuenge Composition being granted and articles drawne for the surrender of the towne it was lawfull for the matrons and virgins by the Emperours edict to carry out of their owne necessaries a burden of what they best liked The Emperour not dreaming but that they would load themselues with their iewels and coyne rich garments and such like might perceiue them issuing from the Ports with euery wife her husband vpon her backe and euery virgin and damsell her father or brother to expresse as much loue in preseruing their liues then as the men had before valour in defending their liberties This noble example of coniugall loue and pietie tooke such impression in the heart of Caesar that in recompence of their noble charitie hee not onely suffered them to depart peaceably with their first burdens but granted euerie one a second to make choice of what best pleased them amongst all the treasure and wealth of the cittie Michael Lord Montaigne in his Essayes speakes onely of three women for the like vertue memorable the first perceiuing her husband to labour of a disease incurable and euery day more and more to languish persuaded him resolutelie to kill himselfe and with one blow to be ridde of a lingring torment but finding him to be somewhat faint-hearted she thus put courage into him by her owne noble example I quoth she whose sorrow for thee in thy sicknesse hath in some sort paraleld thy torment am willing by one death both to giue date vnto that which hath for thy loue afflicted me and thy violent and vnmedicinable torture So after many persuasiue motiues to incourage his fainting resolution she intended to dye with him in her armes and to that purpose least her hold by accident or affright should vnloose she with a cord bound fast their bodies together and taking him in her louing imbraces from an high window which ouerlooked part of the sea cast themselues both headlong into the water As pious an affection shewed that renowned matron Arria vulgarlie called Arria mater because she had a daughter of the name shee seeing her husband Poetus condemned and willing that hee should expire by his owne hand rather than the stroake of the common hangman persuaded him to a Roman resolution but finding him somewhat daunted with the present sight of death she snatcht vp a sword with which she transpierst her selfe and then plucking it from her bosome presented it vnto her husband onely with these few and last words Poete non dolet Hold Poetus it hath done mee no harme and so fell downe and dyed of whom Martial in his first booke of Epigrams hath left this memory Casta suo gladium cum traderet Aria Poeto Quem dedit visceribus traxerat illa suis Si qua fides vulnus quod feci non dolet inquit Sed quod â—u facies hoc mihi Poete dolet When Aria did to Poetus giue that steele Which she before from her owne breast had tane Trust me saith she no smart at all I feele My onely wound 's to thinke vpon thy paine The third was Pompeia Paulina the wife of Seneca who when by the tyrranous command of Nero she saw the sentence of death denounced against her husband though she was then young and in the best of her yeares and he aged and stooping notwithstanding so pure was her affectionat zeale towards him that as soone as she perceiued him to bleed caused her owne vaine to be opened so to accompany him in death few such presidents this our age affordeth Yet I haue lately seene a discourse intituled A true narration of Rathean Herpin who about the time that Spinola with the Bauarians first entred the Pallatinate finding her husband Christopher Thaeon apoplext in all his limbes and members with an inuincible constancie at seuerall iournies bore him vpon hir backe the space of 1300 English miles to a Bath for his recouerie These and the like presidents of nuptiall pietie make me wonder why so many Satyrists assume to themselues such an vnbridled libertie to inueigh without all limitation against their Sex I happened not long since to steale vpon one of these censorious fellowes and found him writing after this manner I wonder our forefathers durst their liues Hazzard in dayes past with such choise of wiues And as we reade to venture on so many Me thinkes he hath enow that hath not any Sure either women were more perfect then Or greater patience doth possesse vs men Or it belongs to them since Eu's first curse That as the world their Sex growes worse and worse But who can teach me Why the fairer still They are more false good Oedipus thy skill Or Sphinx thine to resolue me lay some ground For my instruction good the like is found Mongst birds and serpents did you neuer see A milke white swan in colour like to thee That wast my mistresse once as white as faire Her downie breasts to touch as soft as rare Yet these deepe waters that in torrents meete Can neuer wash the blackenesse from her feete Who euer saw a Dragon richly clad In golden skales but that within he had His gorge stuft full of Venome I behold The woman and me thinkes a cup of gold Stands brim'd before me whence should I but sip I should my fate and death tast from thy lip But henceforth I le beware thee since I know That vnder the more spreading Misceltow The greater Mandrake thrines whose shrieke presages Or ruin or
whose feature Hercules being much delighted he hosted there longer than his purpose which Iolaus taking ill Amalthaea out of a horne in which she had hoarded some quantitie of money furnisht Hercules with all things needfull which some strangers taking especiall notice of they rumord it abroad and from thence first grew the Prouerbe But to returne to our Amalthaea Cumana This was she by whose conduct Aeneas had free passage into hell as Virgill expresseth at large in his sixt booke She brought to Tarquinius Priscus those three bookes of Prophesies of which two were burnt and one preserued By which computation comparing the time betwixt Aeneas and Tarquin she could liue no lesse than fiue hundred yeares nor is it altogether incredible since when Liuia the daughter of Rutilius Terentia of M. Cicero and Clodia of Aulus the first liued ninetie seauen yeares the second a hundred and thirtie the third a hundred and fifteene after the bearing of fifteene children Gorgias Leontius the tutor of Isocrates and many other learned men in the hundred and seauenth yeare of his age being asked Why he desired to liue any longer answered Because he felt nothing in his body by which to accuse age Herodotus Pliny Cicero and others speake of one Arganthonius Gaditanus who raigned fourescore yeares being sixtie yeares of age before he came to his crowne Solynus and Ctesias with others auerre that amongst the Aethiopians a hundred and thirty yeares is but a common age and many arriue vnto it Hellanicus testates that the Epians a people of Aetolia attained to two hundred whom Damiates exceedes naming one Littorius that reached to three hundred the like we reade of Nestor I will conclude with Dondones whom Pliny affirmes suruiued fiue hundred yeares yet neuer stooped with age More liberallie speakes Zenophon who bestowes on one of the Latin Kings eight hundred and six hundred vpon his father but I will forbeare further to speake of her age and come to her Oracle Vnto the Assyrian Monarchy we assigne One thousand yeares two hundred thirty nine When thirty six successions shall expire The last his glories pompe shall end in fire Thence to the Meades it transmigrates and they Shall in nine full successions beare chiefe sway Three hundred yeares shall memorise their deeds Wanting iust eight The Persian then succeedes In th' vniuersall Empire which must last Fourteene Kings raigns and then their sway be past Ouer to Greece but ere their light blow out Two hundred fiftie yeares shall come about Adding fiue moneths The Monarchy now stands Transferd on Macedonia who commands The world but Alexander by him is guided The spatious earth but in his death diuided Amongst his captaines Macedon one ceaseth Asia another Syria best pleaseth A third Aegypt a fourth thus lots are cast Two hundred eighty eight their pompe shall last And then expire Great Rome shall then looke hye Whose proud towers from 7. hills shall braâ—e the skye And ouerlooke the world In those blest dayes Shall come a King of kings and he shall raise A new plantation and though greater farre Than all the Monarches that before him are In maiestie and power yet in that day So meeke and humble he shall daine to pay Tribute to Caesar yet thrice happy he That shall his subiect or his seruant be After the death of Alexander the kingdome of Macedonia was successiuelie inioyed by fifteene Kings and indured a hundred fiftie seauen yeares and eight moneths Asia and Syria were gouerned by nineteene Kings and lasted two hundred eightie nine yeares Aegypt was possest by tenne Ptolomies and lastlie by Cleopatra and it continued two hundred eightie eight yeares These Kingdoms fayling the Romans gained the chiefe predominance Of this Sybell S. Isiodore Virgill and Ouid writ more at large she writ her Prophesie in leaues of trees and then plac't them ouer the Altar which when the wind mooued or made to shake they had no efficacie but when they remained firme and without motion they receiued their full power and vertue therefore Dante the famous Italian Poet thus writes Come la neue al sole se distilla Cosi al vento nelle foglie leue Si perdea la sententia de Sibille I cannot here pretermit Ouids expression of this Sybell who when Aeneas hauing receiued from her that great curtesie to enter hell and to come safe thence and for that would haue sacrificed to her done her diuine adoration she thus answered him Nec dea sum dixit nec sacrifuris honore c. I am no goddesse goddesse sonne 't is true Nor are these diuine honours to me due I had beene such and darknesse not haue seene Had I a prostitute to Phoebus beene For whilst he courts my loue and day by day Hopes with large gifts mine honour to betray Aske what thou wilt oh bright Cumaean maide It shall be granted thee Apollo said I willing that my dayes should euer last Prostrate vpon the earth my selfe I cast And graspt as much dust as my hand could hold Let me then liue said I till I haue told So many yeares as there are bodies small Lockt in this hand The god could not recall Nor I vnsay I had forgot in truth To insert in my rash boone All yeares of youth Euen that too to haue yielded to his will I might haue had but I am virgin still Haue to this houre remaind my happier dayes Are all forespent Decrepit age now layes His weake hand on me which I must endure Long time to come seauen ages I am sure Are past nor shall my thread of life be spuune Vntill the number of these sands be runne The houre shall be when this my body here Shall small or nothing to the sight appeare This time and age haue power to doe and when I shall not louelie seeme as I did then Nay doubtlesse Phoebus will himselfe deny That e're he cast on me an amorous eye Saue by my voice I shall no more be knowne But that the Fates haue left me as mine owne Ouid hath fabulated that she was changed into a Voyce the word Sybilla importing Vox She prophesied much of the Roman warres and the successe of their Empire SIBILLA HELLESPONTICA SHe hath the denomination of Marrinensis and as most Authours affirme deriues her selfe Ex agro Troiano from Troy in Asia She sung of the warres betwixt the Troians and the Greekes I will be briefe with her because I feare I haue beene too tedious in the former her Prophesie of Christ I haue included in these few lines When Atlas shoulders shall support a starre Whose ponderous weight he neuer felt before The splendour of it shall direct from farre Kings and Wisemen a new light to adore Peace in those dayes shall flourish and stearne warre Be banisht earth lost mankind to restore Then shall the Easterne Monarches presents bring To one a Priest a Prophet and a King And so much for Sybilla Hellespontica SYBILLA PHRIGIA SHe was called
feigned teare c. Somewhat to this purpose spake Terentius in his Adelphis Duxi vxorem quam ibi non miseriam vidi c. I made choice of a wife with iudgement sound What miserie haue I not therein found Children are borne they proue my second care They should be comforts that my corsiues are For her and them I studie to prouide And to that purpose all my times's applyde To keepe her pleas'd and raise their poore estate And what 's my meede for all but scorne and hate And so much for Gunnora It seemes the Emperor Valentinianus was neither well read in Iuuenall nor Terrens He when his wife commended vnto him the beautie of the Ladie Iustina tooke her to his bed and for her sake made a law That it should be lawfull for any man to marrie two wiues It is read of Herod the Great that he had nine wiues and was diuorsed from them all only for the loue of Mariamnes neice to Hircanus for whose sake he caused himselfe to bee circumcised and turned to the faith of the Iewes he begot on her Alexander and Aristobulus on Dosides Antipater on Metheta Archelaus on Cleopatra Philip and Herodes Antipas he that was afterward called Tetrarch one of the foure princes Aristobulus that was Herodes sonne begotten on Beronica the daughter of his own Aunt called Saloma he begot the great Agrippa Aristobulus Herod that was strooke by the Angell also on the aforesaid Beronica hee begot two daughters Mariamnes Herodias who was after Philips wife that was Vncle to Aristobulus neuerthelesse whilest Philip was yet aliue Herodias became wife to his brother Herod At length there fell debate betwixt her Mariamnes and Saloma Herods sister Herod by the instigation of Saloma slew Hyrcanus the Priest and after Ionathas the brother of Mariamnes who against the law hee had caused to be consecrated Priest at the age of seuenteene yeares After that he caused Mariamnes to bee put to death with the husband of his sister Saloma pretending that Hyrcanus and Ihonathas had adulterated his sister After these murders Herod grew madde for the loue of Mariamnes who was held to bee the fairest Ladie then liuing innocently put to death He then tooke againe his wife Dosides and her sonne Antipater to fauour sending Alexander and Aristobulus the sons of Mariamnes to Rome to be instructed in the best litterature whom after hee caused to be slaine And these were the fruites of Adulterous and Incestuous marriages Of Women that haue come by strange Deaths THere are many kinds of deaths I will include them all within two heades Violent and Voluntarie the Violent is when either it comes accidentally or when we would liue and cannot the Voluntarie is when we may liue and will not and in this wee may include the blesseddest of all deaths Martyrdome I will begin with the first and because gold is a mettall that all degrees callings trades mysteries and professions of either Sex especially acquire after I will therefore first exemplifie them that haue dyed golden deaths Of the Mistresse of Brennus Of Tarpeia and Acco a Roman Matron OF Midas the rich king and of his golden wish I presume you are not ignorant and therefore in vaine it were to insist vpon his historieâ— my businesse is at this time with women Brennus an Englishman and the yonger brother to Belinus both sonnes of Donwallo was by reason of composition with his brother with whom hee had beene competitor in the kingdome disposed into France and leading an armie of the Galls inuaded forreine countries as Germanie Italie sacking Rome and piercing Greece In so much that his glorie stretched so farre that the French Croniclers would take him quite from vs and called him Rex Gallorum witnesse Plutarch in his seuenteenth Paralel This Brennus spoyling and wasting Asia came to besiege Ephesus where falling in loue with a wanton of that cittie he grew so inward with her that vpon promise of reward shee vowed to deliuer the cittie into his hands the conditions were that he being possest of the Towne should deliuer into her safe custodie as many jewells rings and as much treasure as should counteruaile so great a benefit to which he assented The towne deliuered and he being victor shee attended her reward when Brennus commanded all his souldiers from the first to the last to cast what gold or siluer or iewells they had got in the spoyle of the cittie into her lap which amounted to such an infinite masse that with the weight thereof she was suffocated and prest to death This Clitiphon deliuers in his first booke Rerum Gallicar to answere which Aristides Melesius in Italicis speakes of Tarpeia a noble Virgin or at least nobly descended and one of the keepers of the Capitoll she in the warre betwixt the Sabines and the Romans couenanted with king Tatius then the publike enemie to giue him safe accesse into the mountaine Tarpeia so hee would for a reward but possese her of all the gold and iewells which his souldiers the Sabines had then about them This shee performing they were likewise willing to keepe their promise but withall loathing the couetousnesse of the woman threw so much of the spoyle and treasure vpon her that they buried her in their riches and she expired amiddest a huge Magozin But remarkable aboue these is the old woman Acco or Acca who hauing done an extraordinarie courtesie for the cittie of Romeâ— they knew not better how to requite her than knowing her auaritious disposition to giue her free libertie to goe into the common treasurie and take thence as much gold as she could carrie The wretched woman ouerioyed with this donatiue entered the place to make her packe or burden which was either so little she would not beare or so great she could not carrie and swetting and striuing beneath the burden so expired The like though somthing a more violent death died the Emperour Galba who in his life time being insatiate of gold as being couetous aboue all the Emperours before him they powred moulten gold downe his throat to confirme in him that old Adage Quâ—lis vita finis ita The like was read of the rich Roman Crassus Of such as haue died in child-byrth THough of these be infinites and dayly seene amongst vs yet it is not altogether amisse to speake someting though neuer so little which may haâ—e reference to antiquitie Volaterranus remembers vs of Tulliota the daughter of Marcus Cicero who being first placed with Dolobella and after with Piso Crassipides died in child-bed The like Suetonius puts vs in minde of Iunia Claudilla who was daughter to the most noble Marcus Sillanus and wife to the Emperor Caius Calligula who died after the same manner Higinus in his two hundred threescore and fourth Fable tells this tale In the old time sayth he there were no midwiues at all and for
but something grounded in yeares and because she spake boldly in the defence of her Faith first with barbarous crueltie they beat out her teeth then without the â—ittie they prepared a huge pile threatning to burne her instantly vnlesse shee would renounce her Christianitie but shee seeming to pause a little as if she meant better to consider of the matter when thy least suspected leapt suddenly into the fire and was there consumed to ashes Ammomarion a holy Virgin after the suffering of many torments vnder the same tyrant gaue vp her life an acceptable sacrifice for the Gospell Mercuria a vertuous Woman and one Dionisia a fruitfull and child-bearing Martyr after they were questioned about their faith and in all arguments boldly opposed the iudges were first rackt and tortured till they were past all sence of feeling that done they caused them to be executed Theodosia was a virgin of Tyrus about the age of eighteene years she comming to visite certaine prisoners at Cesaria who were called to the barre and because they stood stedfastly in the defence of the Gospell prepared themselues to heare the most welcome sentence of death pronounced against them which Theodosia seeing gently saluted them comforted them and persuaded them to continue in their constancie withall humbly desired them to remember her deuoutly in their prayers which she knew would be acceptable to him for whose loue they so freelie offered vp their liues The officers this hearing dragd her before the President who at first despising her youth began to talke with her as to a child but finding her answers modest and weightie began further to argue with her but seeing himselfe vnable to hold argument as being conuinced in all things hee grew into such a malitious rage that he first caused her to be scourged before his face euen till the flesh gaue way to discouer the bones but this not preuailing hee commanded her instantly to be dragged from thence and from an high place to be cast headlong into the sea I will conclude this discourse of Martyrs with one of our owne moderne stories Our english chronicles report that Maximus the Emperour hauing held long warre with one Conon Meridock a resolute and bold Brittaine hauing in many bloody conflicts sped diuersly sometimes the victory inclining to one side and then to another but in conclusion to the losse of both their hostilitie was by mediation at length attoned and a firme peace establisht betwixt them that done Maximus made warre vpon the Galls and inuading a Prouince then called America but since Little Brittaine he wonne it by the sword and after surrendered it to Conon to hold it for euer as of the Kings of great Brittaine This Conon Meridock was a Welch-man and from hence it may bee That all that nation assume to themselues the name of Brittons This eminent captaine being onely furnisht with souldiours for the present warres but wanting women to maintaine future issue to him was sent S. Vrsula with eleauen thousand virgins to bee espoused to Conon and his knights But being met at sea by the the Pagan pyrats because they would neither change their faith nor prostitute themselues to their barbarous and beastly lusts they were all by these inhuman wretches cut to peeces and cast ouer board and therefore in mine opinion not vnworthily reckoned amongst the Martyrs From these I will proceede to others Aristoclaea OF all the deaths that I haue read of this of Aristoclaea me thinkes exceedes example with which howsoeuer her body was tormented her soule could not be greeeued for neuer woman dyed such a louing death Plutarch in his Amatorious narrations hath thus deliuered it Aliartes is a cittie of Boetia in which was borne a virgin so beautified and adorned with all the gifts and perfections of nature as she seemed vnparaleld through Greece her name was Aristoclaea the sole daughter of Theophanes To her there were many sutors but three especially of the noblest families of the cittie Strato Orchomenius and Calisthenes Aliartius Of these Strato being the richest he seemed the most indeâ—red to her in affection for he had first seene her at Lebedaea bathing her selfe in the fountaine Hercyne from whence hauing a basket vpon her arme which she was to vse in the sacrifice to Iupiter he tooke a full view of her in her way to the Temple yet Calisthenes he fed himselfe with the greater hopes because he was of more proximitie and neerer to the virgin in allians betwixt these two Orchomenius stood as a man indifferent Her father Theophanes vpon their importunities doubtfull and not yet hauing determined on which to conferre his daughter as fearing Stratoes potencie who in wealth and nobilitie equalled if not anteceded the best in the cittie he therefore put it off to one Trophonius to be decided but Strato most confident in his owne opinion and strength tooke the power to her disposing from Trophonius and gaue it vp freely into her owne will The damsell in a confluence of all her kindred and friends gathered for that purpose and in the sight of her suitors was publikely demaunded of which of them she made choice who answered of Calisthenes Strato taking this in an irreconcilable disgrace and in the greatnesse of his spirit not able to disgest an iniurie as he tooke it of that nature dissembling his spleene and some two dayes after meeting with Theophanes and Calisthenes hee gaue them a friendly and an vnsuspected salutation desiring still a continuance of their antient loue and friendship that since what many couet one can but enioy he could content himselfe with his owne lot howsoeuer desiring that their amitie might remaine perfect and vnchanged these words came so seemingly from the heart that they with great ioy did not only entertain his loue and voluntarie reconcilement but in all curtesie gaue him a solemne inuitation to the wedding which he as complementally entertained and vpon these tearmes they parted Strato subornes a crew of such as he might best trust and addes them to the number of his seruants these hee ambushes in diuers places selected for his purpose but all to be ready at a watch-word Calisthenes bringing Aristoclaea towards the fountaine called Cissoâ—ssa there to performe the first Sacreds belonging to marriage according to the custome of her auncetors Strato with his faction ariseth and with his owne hands ceiseth vpon the virgin on the other side Calisthenes hee catcheth the fastest hold he can to keepe her Strato and his pull one way Calisthenes and his another thus both contending in the heat of their affection but not regarding her safetie whom they did affect she as it were set vpon the racke of loue pluckt almost to peeces betwixt them both expired Which seeing Calisthenes hee was suddenlie lost neither could any man euer after tell what became of him whether he punisht himselfe by some extraordinarie death or betooke himselfe to voluntarie exile Strato openly before his owne people
and wife to Athanagildus was slaine by Chilperick the sonne of Clotharius at the instigation of his strumpet Fredegunda so saith Volateranus Sextus Aurelius writes that the Emperour Constantius sonne to Constantius and Helena caused his wife Fausta by whose instigation he had slaine his sonne Crispus to die in an hot scalding bath Herodotus speakes of Lysides otherwise called Melissa the wife of Periander who at the suggestion of a strumpet caused her to be slaine which makes Sabellicus amongst others to wonder why for that deede onely he should be numbered amongst the seuen wise men of Greece Marcus Cecilius in his seuen and twentieth booke vpon Pliny accuseth Calphurnius Bestia for poysoning his wiues sleeping Plinie in his fourteenth booke nominates one Egnacius Melentinus who slew his wife for no other cause but that shee had drunke wine and was acquited of the murder by Romulus Auctoclea the daughter of Sinon and wife of Laertes king of Ithaca when by a false messenger she heard her sonne Vlysses was slaine at the siege of Troy suddenly fell downe and died The mother of Antista seeing her daughter forsaken by Pompey the great and Aemilia receiued in her stead ouercome with griefe slew her selfe Perimele a damosell was vitiated by Achelous which her father Hyppodomus tooke in such indignation that from an high promontorie he cast her headlong downe into the Sea Hyppomanes a prince of Athens deprehending his daughter Lymone in adulterie shut her vp in a place with a fierce and cruell horse but left no kind of food for one or the other in so much that the horse opprest with hunger deuoured her hence came that Adage fathered vpon Diogineanus More cruell than Hyppomanes Gregorius Turonensis remembers one Deuteria fearing least her yong daughter now grown ripe and marriageable who might bee deflowred by the king Theodebertus cast her headlong into the riuer that runs by the citie Viridunum where she was drowned Orchamus finding his daughter Leucothoe to be vitiated by Appollo caused her to be buryed aliue Lucilla the daughter of Marcus Antonius and Fausta as Herodian reports was slaine by the hand of her brother Commodus against whom she had before made a coniuration Lychione the daughter of Dedalion because she durst compare hirself with Diana was by the goddesse wounded to death with an arrow at the celebration of whose exequies when her body was to be burnt her father likewise cast himselfe into the fire Hylonome the shee Centaur seeing her husband Cillarius slaine in the battaile betwixt the Centaurs and the Lapithes fell vpon his sword and so expired Anmianus and Marcellus lib. 16. haue left recorded that Mithridates king of Pontus being ouercome in battaile by Pompey committed his daughter Dyraptis to the safe custodie of the Eunuch Menophilus to bee kept in a strong Cittadell called Syntiarium which when Manutius Priscus had straitly besieged and the Eunuch perceiued the defenders of the Castle dismaide and readie to submit themselues and giue vp the fort hee drew out his sword and slew her rather than she should be made a captiue to the Roman Generall Sextus Aurelius writes of the Empresse of Sabina the wife of Adrian who hauing suffered from him many grosse and seruile iniuries gaue her selfe vp to a voluntarie death when shee considered shee had supported so inhumane a tyrant and such a contagious pest to the common weale Pontus de Fortuna speakes of a Virgin amongst the Salattines called Neaera who greeuing that a yong man to whom shee was betrothed had forsaken her and made choice of another caused her vaines to be opened and bled to death Cleopatra after the death of Anthony least shee should bee presented as a captiue to grace the triumphs of Augustus gaue her arme to the byting of an Aspe of which shee died for in that manner was her picture presented in Rome of whom Propertius lib. 3. thus speakes Brachia spectaui sacris admorsa colubris Neaera and Charmione were the two handmaides of Cleopatra These as Plutarch others report of them would by no persuasion suruiue their queen and misteresse who perceiuing as they were gasping betwixt life and death the crowne to be falne from the temples of their dead Ladie raised themselues from the Earth with the small strength they had left and placed it right againe on her fore-head that shee might the better become her death which they had no sooner done but they both instantly fell downe and breathed their last an argument of an vnmatchable zeale to the princesse their Ladie Monima Miletia and Veronica Chia were the wiues of Mithridates who vnderstanding of his tragicall fall and miserable end gaue vp their liues into the hands of the Eunuch Bochides Monima first hanged her selfe but the weight of her bodie breaking the cord she grew somewhat recouered and fell into this acclamation O execrable power of a diadem whose command euen in this small sad seruice I cannot vse which words were no sooner spoke but she offered her throate to the sword of the Eunuch who instantly dispatched her both of life and torment Veronica dranke off a chalice of wine tempered with poyson which dispersing into her vaines and keeping her in a languishing torment her death was likewise hastned by the Eunuch Bochides A strange madnesse possest the Virgins of Milesia these as Aelianus and others haue writ gaue themseues vp to voluntarie deaths many or the most strangling themselues this grew so common amongst them that scarce one day past in which some one or other of them were not found dead in their chambers To remedie which mischiefe the Senators of the citie made a decree That what maide soeuer should after that time lay violent hands vpon her selfe the body so found dead should be stript naked and in publike view dragd through the streetes freely exposed to the eyes of all men The impression of which shame more preuailing than the terrour of death none was euer after knowne to commit the like outrage vpon themselues Phaedra the steppe-mother to Hyppolitus her son in law and wife of Theseus when shee could not corrupt the yong man her son in law to make incestuous the bed of his father despairing hung her selfe yet before her death she writ certain letters in which she accused Hippolitus to his father of incest which after prooued the speedie cause of his death Amongst many strange deaths these of two mothers are not the least remarkable most strange it is that sudden ioy should haue as much power to suffocate the spirits as the power of lightning The rumor of the great slaughter at the Lake of Thrasimenes being published one woman when beyond all hope she met her sonne at the cittie gate safely returned from the generall defeates cast herselfe into his armes where in that extasie of ioy shee instantly expired Another hearing her sonne
pourtrayde the picture of the Sauiour of the world with a flower-de-lyce in his hand and so marched to Orleance Her first exploit was fortunately to raise the siege and releeue the towne From thence shee passed to Reames tooke the cittie and caused the Dolphin there to proclaime himselfe king and take vpon him the crowne of France She after tooke Iargueux a strong towne and in it the Earle of Suffolke with many other braue English gentlemen She fought the great battaile of Pathay with good successe in which were taken prisoners the lord Talbâ—â— the skourge and terror of the French nation the lord Seales the lord Hungerfâ—rd with many others both of name and qualitie she tooke in Benueele Mehun Trois and diuers other townes of great import and consequence at length in a camisado or skirmish she was taken prisoner by sir Iohn of Entenburch a Burgonian captaine and sent to Roan The French Cronicles affirme that the morning before she was surprised she tooke the sacrament and comming from Church told to diuerse that were about her that she was betraide her life sold and should shortly after be deliuered vp vnto a violent death For sir Iohn gaue a great sum of money to betray her The English comming to inuest themselues before Mondidier Ioan was aduised to issue out by Elaâ—ie and skirmish with them who was no sooner out but he shut the gates vpon her being taken she was sent to Peter Bishop of Beuoise who condemned her to the fire for a sorceresse which iudgement was accordingly executed vpon her in Roane in the market place Twentie six yeares after Charles the king for a great summe of money procured an annichilation of the first sentence from the Pope in which she was proclaimed a Virago inspired with diuine instinct in memorie of whose vertuous life and vniust death he caused a faire crosse to â—ee erected iust in the place where her bodie was burned I returne againe to the English Fabian and Harding speake of Emma sister to the Norman duke called Richard who for her extraordinarie beautie was called The flower of Normandie she was married to Ethelred king of England By her heroicke spirit and masculine instigation the king sent to all parts of the kingdome secret and strict commissions That vpon a certaine day and hour assigned all those Danes which had vsurped in the land and vsed great crueltie should be slaughtered which at her behest and the kings commaund was accordingly performed which though it after prooued ominous and was the cause of much miserie and mischiefe yet it shewed in her a noble and notable resolution Of queene Margaret the wife of Henrie the sixt her courage resolution and magnanimitie to speake at large would aske a Volume rather than a compendious discourse to which I am strictly tyed And therefore whosoeuer is deâ—irous to be further instructed in the successe of those many battailes fought against the house of Yorke in which she was personally present I referre them to our English Chronicles that are not sparing in commending her more than womanish spirit to euerlasting memorie With her therefore I conclude my female Martiallists And now me thinkes I am come where I would be and that is amongst you aire Fones Of Faire Women IT is reported of a king that for many yeeres had no issue and desirous to haue an heire of his owne bloud and begetting to succeed in the Throne vpon his earnest supplication to the diuine powers he was blessed with a faire sonne both of beautie and hope And now being possest of what he so much desired his second care was to see him so educated that hee might haue as much comfort of him in his growth as hope in his infancie hee therefore sent abroad to find out the most cunning Astrologians to calculate of his natiuitie that if the starres were any way maleuolent to him at his birth he might by instruction and good education as farre as was possible preuent any disaster that the Planets had before threatened A meeting to that purpose being appointed and the Philosophers and learned men from all parts assembled after much consultation it was concluded amongst them That if the infant saw Sunne or Moone at any time within the space of ten yeeres hee should most assuredly be depriued the benefit of sight all his life time after With this their definitiue conclusion the father wondrously perplexed was rather willing to vse any faire meanes of preuention than any way to tempt the crosse influence of the starres Hee therefore caused a Cell or Caue to be cut out of a deepe Rocke and conueying thither all things necessarie for his education hee was kept there in the charge of a learned tutor who well instructed him in the Theorie of all those Arts which best suited his apprehension The time of ten yeeres being expired and the feare of that ominous calculation past ouer the day was appointed when his purpose was to publish his sonne to the world and to shew him the Sunne and Moone of which he had often heard and till then neuer saw entire and to present vnto his view all such creatures of which he had beene told and read but could distinguish none of them but by heare-say They brought before him a Horse a Dogge a Lion with many other beasts of seuerall kindes of which he onely looked but seemed in them to take small pleasure They shewed him Siluer Gold Plate and Iewels in these likewise hee appeared to take small delight or none as not knowing to what purpose they were vsefull yet with a kind of dull discontent he demanded their names and so past them ouer At length the king commanded certaine beautifull virgins gorgeously attyred to be brought into his presence which the Prince no sooner saw but as recollecting his spirits with a kind of alacritie and change of cheare he earnestly demanded What kind of creatures they were how bred how named and to what vse created To whom his tutor ieastingly replyed These be called Deuills of which I oft haue told you and they are the great tempters of mankind Then his father demanded of him To which of all these things he had beheld he stood affected best and to whose societie hee was most enclined who presently answered O Father I onely desire to be attended by these Deuils Such is the attractiue power of beautie which women cannot fully appropriate to themselues since it is eminent in all other creatures Who wonders not at the beautie of the Sunne the glorie of the Moone and the splendor of the starres the brightnesse of the morning and the faire shutting in of the euening Come to the flowers and plants what artificiall colour can be compared to the leaues of the Marigold the Purple of the Violet the curious mixture of the Gillyflower or the whitenesse of the Lilly to which Salomon in all his glorie was not to be equalled You that are prowd of your haire
feasted Mecenas being of a corrupt and licentious disposition and much taken with her beautie could not containe himselfe but he must needs be toying with her vsing action of plaine Incontinence in the presence of her husbandâ— who perceiuing what he went about and the seruants it seemes for modestie hauing withdrawne themselues from forth the chamber the Table â—ot yet being taken away Cabbas to giue Meâ—enas the freer libertie caâ—ts himselfe vpon the bed and counterâ—eits sleepe Whilest this ill-managed businesse was in hand one of the seruants listning at the doore and hearing no noyse but all quiet with soft steps enters the chamber to steale away a flaggon pot that stood full of wine vpon the Table Which Cabbas espying casts vp his head and thus softly said to him Thou rascall Doest thou not know that I sleepe onely to Mecenas A basenesse better becomming some Ieaster or Buffoon than the noble name of a Roman In the citie of Argis grew a contention betwixt Nicostratus and Phaillus about the management of the Common-weale Philip of Macedon the father of Alexander comming then that way Phaillus hauing a beautifull young wife one esteemed for the verie Paragon of the citie and knowing the disposition of the king to be addicted to all voluptuousnesse and that such choyse beauties and to be so easily come by could not lightly escape his hands presently apprehends that the prostitution of his wife might be a present Ladder for him to climbe to the principalitie and haue the entire gouernment of the citie Which Nicostratus suspecting and many times walking before his gates to obserue the passage of the house within hee might perceiue Phaillus fitting his wiues feet with rich embrodered Pantofles iewels about her hayre rings on her fingers bracelets about her wrists and carkanets vpon her arme in a Macedonian vesture and a couering vpon her in the manner of a Hat which was onely lawfull for the kings themselues to weare And in this manner habited like one of the kings pages but so disguised that she was scarce knowne of any he submitted her to the king There are too many in our age that by as base steps would mount to honor I could wish all such to carrie the like brand to posteritie Chloris was the daughter of Amphion and the wife of Neleus the sonne of Hyppocoon as fruitfull as beautifull for she brought twelue sonnes â—o her husband of which ten with their father were slaine by Hercules in the expugnation of Pylus the eleuenth called Periclemenes was transformed into an Eagle and by that meanes escaped with life the twelfth was Nestor who was at that time in Ilos Hee by the benefit of Apollo liued three hundred yeeres for all the daies that were taken from his father and brothers by their vntimely death Phoebus conferred vpon him and that was the reason of his longeuitie Aethra the daughter of Pytheus was of that attractiue feature that Neptune and Aegeus both lay with her in the Temple of Minerua but Neptune disclayming her issue bestowed it on Aegeus who leauing her in Troezene and departing for Athens left his sword beneath a huge stone enioyning Aethra That when his sonne was able to remooue the stone and take thence his sword she should then send him to him that by such a token he might acknowledge him his sonne Theseus was borne and comming to yeeres she acquainted him with his fathers imposition who remooued the stone and tooke thence the sword with which hee slew all the theeues and robbers that interposed him in his way to Athens Danae the daughter of Acrisius and Aganippe had this fate assigned her by the Oracle That the child shee bore should be the death of her father Acrisius which hee vnderstanding shut her in a Brazen Tower restrayning her from the societie of men but Iupiter enamoured of her rare feature descended vpon her in a shewer of Gold of which congression Perseus was begot whom Acrisius caused with his mother to be sent to sea in a mast-lesse boat which touching vpon the Island Seriphus was found by a fisher-man called Dyctis who presents the desolate Ladie with her sonne to king Polydâ—ctâ—s He surprised with her beautie marryed her and caused her sonne Perseus to be educated in the Temple of Minerua and after made attonement betwixt them and Acrisius But Polydectes dying at the funerall games celebrated at his death in casting of a mightie stone being one of the exercises then vsed Perseus whose hand fayled him cast it vnawares vpon the head of Acrisius and slew him against his owne purpose making good the will of the Oracle Acrisius being buried Perseus succeeded his grandfather in the citie Argos Helena was first rauished by Theseus and afterwards by Paris shee had these suitors Antiochus Ascalaphus Aiax Oeleus Antimachus Aeoeus Blanirus Agapenor Aiax Telamonius Clyrius Cyanaeus Patroclus Diomedes Penelaeus Phaemius Nyraeus Polypates Elephenor Fumetus Stenelus Tlepolemus Protesilaus Podalyrius Euripilus Idomenaeus Teliotes Tallius Polyxenus Protus Menestaeus Machaon Thoas Vlysses Philippus Meriones Meges Philoctetes Laeonteus Talpius Prothous but she was possest by Menelaus Aâ—ge was the faire daughter of Aleus and comprest by Hercules and deliuered of her sonne in the mountaine Parthenius at the same time Atalanta the daughter of Iasius exposed her sonne begot by Meleager vnto the same place these children being found by the shepheards they called the sonne of Hercules Telephus because he was nursed by a Hart which fed him with her milke they called the sonne of Meleager Parthenopaeus of the mountaine Auge fearing her fathers displeasure fled into Moesia to king Teuthrus who for her beauties sake hauing himselfe no children adopted her his heire These following are the fiftie faire daughters of Danaeus with the fiftie sonnes of Aegiptus whom the first night of their marriage they slew Idea killed Antimachus Philomela Pantheus Seilla Proteus Philomone Plâ—xippus Euippe Agenor Demoditas Chrysippus Hyale Perius Trite Enceladus Damone Amintor Hypâ—thoe Obrimus Mirmidone Mineus Euridice Canthus Cleo Asterius Arcania Xanthus Cleopatra Metalces Philea Phylinas Hyparite Protheon Chrysothemis Asterides Pyraule Athamas her name is lost that slew Armoasbus Glaâ—cippe Niâ—uius Demophile Pamphilus Antodice Clytus Polyxena Egiptus Hecabe Driantes Achemantes Echominus Arsalte Ephialtes Monuste Euristhanes Amimone Medamus Helice Euideus Amoeme Polidector Polybe Iltonomus Helicta Cassus Electra Hyperantus Eubule Demarchus Dâ—plidice Pugones Hero Andromachus Europone Atlites Pyrantis Plexippus Critomedia Antipaphus Pyrene Dalychus Eupheno Hyperbius Themistagora Podasimus Palaeno Ariston Itâ—â— Aâ—tilochus Erate Endemon Hypernâ—nestra was the onely Ladie that in that great slaughter spared her husband Lyncaeus What should I speake of Antigona the sister of Polinices Electra the daughter of Clytemnestrà Hermione of Helen Polyxena of Hecuba Iphigenia of Agamemnon Erigone Merope Proserpina Amimone Oenone Calisto Alope the daughter of Cercyon and Theophane of Bysaltis both stuprated by Neptune Thâ—onoe and Zeutippe
death immediately another was elected to succeed in his place and being chosen in a booke kept in the treasurie for that onely purpose expressely to write downe his owne name and the names of both his parents with the dayes punctually set downe of the decease of the one and the succession of the other Now in the time that Christ was conuersâ—nt in Iudaea and yet had not shewed himself to the world nor preached the Word openly to the people it happened that one of the Priests of the foresaid number dyed neyther after many voyces and sundrie nominations was any agreed vpon or thought fit to be ascribed into his place At length was propounded IESVS the sonne of the Carpenter Ioâ—eph for so they tearmed him a man though young yet for the sanctitie of his life his behauiour and doctrine aboue all the rest commended This suffrage standing as hauing generall approbation from all it was thought conuenient to send for his mother for his father Ioseph was late dead into the Consistorie onely to know their names and to register them in the aforesaid booke She therefore being called and diligently questioned of her sonne and his father thus answered That indeed she was the mother of IESVS and brought him into the world of which those women are testates that were present at his birth but that he had no father from Earth in which if they desired to be further instructed shee could make it plainely appeare For being a Virgin and then in Galilee the Angell of God sayth shee entred the house where I was and appearing vnto me not sleeping but thus as I am awake he told me That by the Holy-Ghost I should conceiue and bring foorth a sonne and commanded me that I should call his name IESVS Therefore beeing then a Virgin by that Vision I conceiued I brought foorth IESVS and I still remaine a Virgin vnto this day When the Priests heard this they appointed faithfull and trustie Midwiues with all diligence and care to make proofe whether Mary were a Virgin or no they finding the truth most apparant and not to be contradicted deliuered vp to the Priests That shee was a Virgin pure and immaculate Then they sent for those women that were knowne to be at her deliuerie and were witnesses of the Infants comming into the world all which did attest and iustifie That shee was the mother of the same IESVS With these things the Priests amazed and astonished they presently entreated Mary that shee would freely professe vnto them what his Parents were that their names according to custome might be registred amongst the others To whom the blessed Virgin thus answered Certaine I am that I brought him into the world but know no father that he hath from the Earth but by the Angell it was told me That hee was the Sonne of GOD Hee therefore is the Sonne of GOD and me This the Priests vnderstanding they called for the Booke which being layd open before them they caused these words to be inscribed Vpon such a day deceased such a Priest borne of such and such Parents in whose place by the common and vnite suffrage of vs all is elected Priest IESVS the Sonne of the liuing GOD and the Virgin MARY And this Booke Theodosius affirmed by the especiall diligence of the most noble amongst the Iewes and the chiefe Princes was reserued from the great sacke and destruction of the citie and Temple and was transferred into the citie of Tiberias and there kept a long time after Sâ—idas testifies That hee hath heard this discourse from honest men who deliuered it to him word by word as they themselues haue heard it from the mouth of Philippus Argentarius This most blessed and pure Virgin Mary the mother of our Lord and Sauiour was borne of the holy Matron S. Anne in the yeere of the World 3948 and in the yeere before Christ fifteene Of him Claâ—dian thus elegantly writes â—n one of his Epigrams Proles vera Dei â—unctisque antiquior Annis Nâ—â—c geniâ—â—s qui semper er as True Sonne of God older than Time that hast Thy byrth but now yet from beginning wast Author of Light and Light before all other Oh thou that art the parent of thy mother And by thine equall-aged father sent From Heauen vnto this terrhene continent Whose word was made Flesh and constrain'd to dwell In the straight prison of a Virgins cell And in a narrow angle to remaine Whose power no limit can no place conteine Who being borne did'st now begin to see All these great workes created first by thee The worke and workeman of thy selfe not skorning Tâ—obey those wearie houres of Eu'n and Morning Of which th' art Lord and tell each minute ore Made by thy Wisdome for mans vse before And took'st on thee our shape onely to show To vs that God we did till then not know c. Petronilla WHen Peter the Apostle had by his Faith cured all infirmities and diseases and in all places yet he suffered his daughter Petronilla to bee grieuously afflicted with a Feauor and being demanded why hee that had cured others did not helpe her he answered Because hee knew her sickenesse to be most behoofefull for her soules health for the weaker she was in bodie she was so much the stronger in Faith setling her cogitations on the ioyes of Heauen and not the pleasures of the world desiring of God that she might rather die a chast Virgin than to be the wife of the Consull Flaccus by whom she was at that time most earnestly sollicited whose prayer was heard for she dyed of that sicknesse and the Consull was preuented of his purpose who had long insidiated her chastitie Marull lib. 4. cap. 8. The like we reade of Hillarius Pictauiensis Episcopus who hauing long trained vp his daughter Appia in chastitie and sanctitie of life fearing least time might alter her vowes and tempt her with the vaine pleasures of the world hee besought the giuer of all graces that hee might rather with ioy follow her to her graue than with sorrow to her marriage bed which was accordingly granted as the same Author testifies Eustochium the daughter of Paula a noble matron of Rome is celebrated by Saint Hierom for the onely president of Virginall chastitie Tora the virgin was of that chast and austere life that hauing tooke a vow and once entered her profession shee neuer put on her backe any new garment or so much as changed her shooes Maria Aegyptiaca liued the life of an Hermit in the sollitude of an vnfrequented desart some write of her that as often as she was seene to pray shee seemed to be lifted vp from the Earth into the Ayre the heigth of a cubit Columba a Virgin of Perusina is reported to be of that chastitie and abstinence that she neuer tasted any other food than the bare fruits of the Earth from the yeares of her discretion till the houre of her death
Amata was a professed Virgin who in fortie yeares space neuer set foot ouer the threshold of that Cloyster wherein she had confined her selfe in which time she neuer tasted food saue bread and roots Sara liued in the time of Theodosius the elder she made a Vow neuer to lodge beneath any roofe but inhabiting the banke of a certaine riuer remoued not from that place in threescore yeeres The like is read of Syluia a Virgin the daughter of Ruffinus a Prefect or Ruler in Alexandria who betooke her selfe to sollitude for the space of threescore yeeres in which time she neuer washt any part of her bodie saue her hands nor reposed her selfe vpon any bed saâ—e the ground It is reported by Edward Hall Iohn Leisland Iohn Sleyden and others of S. Ebbe Abbesse of Collingham That to preserue her owne and her sisters Chastities and keepe their Vowes inuiolate because they would seeme odible to the Danes who had done many outrages both against Law and Religion and then tyrannized in the Land shee cut off her owne nose and vpper lippe and persuaded all the other Nunnes to doe the like for which act the Danes burnt the Abbey with all the Sister-hood Fulgos. Lib. 4. cap. 3. speakes of Ildegunda a German Virgin borne in Nassau who after many temptations to which shee feared her beautie might subiect her in the yeere 1128 shee changed her habit and got to be entertained in a Priorie neere vnto Wormes called Schuna beu Heim in which she liued long by the name of Ioseph in singular continence and modestie still conuersing amongst the learnedest and best approued schollers euen till the time of her death neyther was she then knowne to be a woman till comming to wash her bodie her Sex was discouered In the same Monasterie and amongst that Couent liued Euphrosyna a Virgin of Alexandria by the name of Smaragdus as also one Marina who called her selfe Marinus both dissembling their Sex Gunzonis daughter to the duke of Arboa was possessed by an euill spirit but after by the prayers of holy men being recouered she vowed perpetuall Virginitie And after being demanded in marriage by Sigebertus king of the Frenchmen she was deliuered vnto him by her father who debating with her concerning his present purpose she humbly desired to be excused by his Maiestie in regard she had alreadie past a pre-contract The king demanding To whom she answered She was a betrothed Spouse to her Redeemer At which the king being startled forbore to compell her any further but suffered her to take vpon her a religious life shee preferring her Virgin Chastitie before the state and title of a Queene And these shall suffice for Religious Virgins I now proceed to others that grounded their vertue on meere moralitie Baldraca was a Virgin but of meane parentage and of a deiected fortune yet to her neuer-dying honor and president to all ages to come notwithstanding she was not able to supply her selfe with things needfull and necessarie eyther for sustenance or ornament neyther by threats or menaces promises of worldly honors or promotion shee could not be tempted to prostitute her selfe to the Emperour Otho Saxo Gramaticus writes of Serytha the daughter of Synaldus king of the Danes to be of that modestie that when the fame of her beautie had attracted a confluence of many suitors to the Court of her father yet she could neuer be woon eyther to conuerse with or so much as to looke vpon any of them Tara was a French Ladie of a noble and illustrious Familie shee liued in the time of Heraclius who when her father Hagerticus and her mother Leodegunda would haue compeld her to marrie she fell into that excesse of weeping that with the extraordinarie flux of teares she grew blind soone after Dula was a Virgin famous for her Chastitie who chose rather to be slaine by the hand of a Souldior than to be despoyled of her Virginitie Statyra and Roxana were the sisters of Mithridates king of Pontus who for the space of fortie yeeres had kept their Vow of Virginitie inuiolate these hearing the sad fate of their brother and fearing to be rauished by the enemie at least to fall into their captiuitie by taking of poyson finished both their dayes and sorrowes Plutarch writes of one Roxana drowned in a Well by Statyra It is reported of an Hetrurian Damosell taken by a Souldior who to preserue her Virginitie leapt off from the bridge Ancisa into the riuer Arnus of whom Benedictus Varchius hath left this memorie in one of his Epigrams Perdâ—ret nitactum ne Virgo Etrusca pudorem In rapidas sese praecipitanit aquas c. Th' Hetrurian Girle her Honor still to keepe Precipitates her selfe into the Deepe And from the bottome three times being cast Vp into th' ayre as loth that one so chast Should there be swallow'd she as oft sinkes downe Her modest face her martyrdome to crowne And shame the lustfull world What shall we say Of the chast Eucrece famous to this day She for one death is call'd the Romans pride To saue her Fame this Tuscan three times di'de Bernardus Scandeonus Lib. 3. Classe 34. Histor. Patâ—ninae writes That when Maximilian the Emperour made spoyle of the Paduan territories diuerse of the countrey people leauing the villages emptie fled into the citie amongst whom was one Isabella a Damosell of Rauenna who being seized on by some of the Venetian souldiors that then had the charge of the citie and surprized with her beautie drew her aside with purpose to haue dishonored her but finding no other meanes to shun the violence of their lust shee from the bridge cast her selfe headlong into the riuer Medoacus where shee was drowned and afterwards her bodie being drawne out of the riuer was buryed vnder a banke without any other ceremonie belonging to a Funerall Martia the daughter of Varro was of that admirable continence and chastitie that being most excellent in the Art of Painting shee not onely alienated and restrayned her Pensill from limning any thing that might appeare obscene or shew the least immodestie but shee was neuer knowne to delineate or draw the face of a man Rauis in Officin The like is reported of Lala Cizizena alike excellent in Painting and as remarkable for her Virgin Chastitie Britonia a beautifull maid of Crete giuing her selfe wholly to Hunting and the Chase to shun the importunities of king Minos who layd traynes to vitiate her threw her selfe into a riuer and was drowned Daphne the daughter of Amiela retyred her selfe both from walled cities and all publike societie and was at length entertained into the fellowship of Diana frequenting the Laconian fields and Peloponnesian mountaines Of her Leucippus the sonne of Oenemaus was enamored who hauing attempted diuerse wayes to compasse his will but not preuayling in any he bethought himselfe what course Iupiter tooke
braue souldier or of such as perished in Cilicia for the Empire and libertie of whole Greece shee onely hauing perdurable monuments raised to her as well in Babilon as in Athens Temples and Altars with sacrifices offered her by the name of Venus Pythonica With other such vpbraidings he complained on him to Alexander of whom Alexis in Licisca likewise speakes as also that after her death hee tooke to his bed the beforenamed Glicera Next her followers Irene That Ptolomaeus that placed garrisons in Ephesus and was the sonne of king Philadelphos had a beautifull mistresse called Irene she when Ptolomaeus was â—ssaulted by â—he Thracians in the cittie of Ephesus and to shun their violence fled into a Chappell consecrated to the goddesse Diana would not in that distresse forsake him but entred the place together and when the souldiers role open the gates vpon them to kil the king she remoued not her hand from the ring of the doore but with her owne blood sprinkled the altar till the souldiers likewise falling vpon her shee expired in the armes of the slaughtered king As noble was that of Danae Philarchus remembers one Sophron of Ephesus to haue had in his delights Danae daughter to Leontius of the Sect of the Epicures a man well seene in the speculations of Philosophie To her trust were all the domesticke affaires of the house committed euen by the consent of his wife Laodice who at length perceiuing his loue to encline to Danae shee purposed at her next best opportunitie to make away with her husband This being found out by Daâ—ae and in great secrecie reuealed to Sophron he gaue at the first no credit to the report yet at her importunacie hee promised within two dayes to consider of the matter and in that time to deliberate what was best to bee done in the preuention of such a mischiefe and in that interim conceales himselfe in the citie by which Laodice finding her purpose to be discouered she accused Danae for his murther and instantly without further processe by the helpe of her friends and seruants hurryed her to the top of a high Pâ—omontorie from thence to throw her headlong who seeing imminent death before her eyes fetching a deepe sigh she thus said I meruaile 〈◊〉 now that the gods haue so small honour done to them in regard of their iniustice since I am thus punisht for sauing the life of my friend and this Laodice is thus honoured that would haue tooke away the life of her husband Agathoclaea WArres hauing beene long continued betwixt Ptolomey of Aegypt and Antiochâ—s of Syria insomuch that Ptolomaeus was by his embassadors rather by feare than necessitie as it were enforced to sollicite a peace notwithstanding Antiochâ—s inuading Aegypt tooke from him many townes and ciâ—ies of consequence which proffer drawing Ptolomey to the field hee gaue him a braue affront and foyle and had he taken the aduantage of the preseâ—t fortune had payd him home with an irrecouerable ouerthrow but Ptolomy wholly deuoted to effeminacie and luxurie onely contented with what hee had recouered of his owne and pursuing no further aduantages made choyse of a dishonorable peace before a iust warre and so concluded all dissention with an vnalterable league And being free from all forraine invasions he began domesticke troubles at home For being giuen ouer to bâ— owne appetite and beâ—orted to his insatiate pleasures he first began with 〈◊〉 both his sister and wife causing her to be slaine that hee might the more freely enioy the societie and fellowship of his most rare and beautifull mistresse Agaâ—hoclea so that the greatnesse of his name and the splendor of his maiestie both set apart he abandoned himselfe solely to whoredomes by night and to banquets and all profusenesse of riot by day And now libertie being growne to law the boldnesse of the strumpet for no better my Author styles her cannot be contayned within the walls of the kings house which the ouer doâ—agâ— of the king the extraordinarie graces and honoâ—s conferred for her sake on her brother Agathocles together with her owne ambitions growing euery day more and more to greater insolence made still more manifest Next there was her old mother called 〈◊〉 a cunning Hagge I may tearme her who by reason of her double issue Agathocles and Agathoclea had a great hand with the king or rather a great power ouer him Therefore not contented with the king alone they possesse the kingdome also They ride abroad in all state to be seene are proud to be by all saluted and with such great traynes to be attended Agathocles as if sowed to the kings elbow was not seene without him but with a nod or word swayed and gouerned the citie The gifts of all militarie honors as the Tribunes Prefects and Captaines all these were appointed by the women neyther was there any in the kingdome that had lesse power than the king himselfe who long sleeping in this dreame of maiestie hauing giuen away all that was essentiall in a king he fell sicke and dyed leauing behind him a child of fiue yeeres old by his afore-murthered wife and sister Laodice But his death was by these fauorites long concealed whilest they had by all couetous rapine snatched what they might out of the kings treasurie by this to strengthen a faction of the most base and desolate subiects that by mony thus ill got and deboisht souldiers thus leuied they might set safe footing in the Empire but it fell out farre otherwise for the kings death and their dissigne was no sooner discouered but in the rude concourse of the multitude the Minion Agathocles was first slaine and the two women the mother and the daughter were in reuenge of murdered Laodice hanged vpon gybets being now made a skorne to euerie man that was before a terror to all the pupillage of the infant and the safetie of the realme to his vse the Romans most noblie after tooke to their protection Cleophis ALexander the Great after many glorious conquests entring into India that hee might contermine his Empire with the Ocean and the vtmost parts of the East and to which glorie that the ornaments of his armie might suit the trappings of his horses and the armour of his souldiers were all studded with siluer and his maine armie of their Targets of siluer as Curtius writes he caused to be called Argyraspides In processe by gentle and pleasurable marches they came to the cittie Nisa the cittisens making no opposition at all trusting to the reuerence due to Liber Pater by whom they say the cittie was first erected and for that cause Alexander caused it to bee spared passing those fruitfull Hills where grapes grow in aboundance naturally and without the helpe of art or hand of man hee thence passed the Dedalian mountaines euen to the prouinces and kingdome of the queene Cleophis who hearing of his victories and fearing his potencie thought rather to affront
yoake and supplying the place of those beasts drew her in time conuenient vnto the place where the sacred Ceremonies were according to the custome celebrated The Oblations ended and she willing to gratifie their filiall dutie besought of the goddesse That if euer with chast and vndefiled hands she had obserued her Sacrifice or if her sonnes had borne themselues piously and religiously towards her that she would graunt vnto them for their goodnesse the greatest blessing that could happen to any mortall or humane creatures This prayer was heard and the two zealous sonnes drawing backe their mother in her Chariot from the Temple vnto the place where she then soiourned being wearie with their trauaile layd them downe to sleepe The mother in the morning comming to giue her sonnes visitation and withall thankes for their extraordinarie and vnexpected paines and trauaile found them both dead vpon their Pallets by which she conceiued That there is no greater blessing to be conferred vpon man than a faire death when Loue good Opinion and Honor attend vpon the Hearse These I must confesse are worthie eternall memorie and neuer-dying admiration But hath not the like pietie towards their parents beene found in women I answer Yes How did Pelopea the daughter of Thiestes reuenge the death of her father Hypsipile the daughter of Thoas gaue her father life when he was vtterly in despaire of hope or comfort Calciope would not lose her father or leaue him though hee had loâ—t and left his kingdome Harpalice the daughter of Harpalicus restored her father in battaile and after defeated the enemie and put him to flight Erigone the daughter of Icarus hearing of the death of her father strangled her selfe Agaue the daughter of Cadmus slew the king Lycotharsis in Illyria and possest her father of his before vsurped Diademe Xantippe fed her father Nyconus or as some will haue it Cimonus in prison with milke from her breasts Tyro the daughter of Salmoneus to relieue her father slew her owne children Who will be further resolued of these let him search Hyginus And so much shall suffice for filiall dutie towards their Parents Of Sisters that haue beene kind to their Brothers THe Poets and Historiographers to impresse into vs the like naturall pietie haue left diuerse presidents to posteritie Innumerable are the examples of fraternall loue betwixt Brother and Brother To illustrate the other the better I will giue you a tast of some few Volater lib. 14. cap. 2. de Antropo relates how in that warre which Cai. Cornelius Cinna Tribune beeing expelled the citie with Caius Marius and others commenced against the Romans there were two brothers one of Pompeyes armie the other of Cinnaes who meeting in the battaile in single encounter one slew the other but when the Victor came to rifle the dead bodie and found it to be his owne naturall brother after infinite sorrow and lamentation he cast himselfe into the fire where the slaughtered carkasse was burned M. Fabius the Consull in the great conflict against the Hetrurians and Veientians obtained a glorious victorie when the Senate and the people of Rome had with great magnificence and cost at their owne charge prepared for him an illustrious triumph hee absolutely refused that honour because Q. Fabius his brother fighting manfully for his countrey was slaine in that battaile What a fraternall pietie liued in his breast may be easily coniectured who refused so remarkable an honour to mourne the losse of a beloued brother Valer. cap. 5. lib. 5. Wee reade in our English Chronicles of Archigallo brother to Gorbomannus who being crowned king of Brittaine and extorting from his subiects all their goods to enrich his owne Coffers was after fiue yeeres deposed and depriued of his Royall dignitie in whose place was elected Elidurus the third sonne of Morindus and brother to Archigallo a vertuous Prince who gouerned the people gently and iustly Vpon a time beeing hunting in the Forrest hee met with his brother Archigallo whom hee louingly embraced and found such meanes that he reconciled him both to the Lords and Commons of the Realme that done he most willingly resigned vnto him his Crowne and Scepter after hee himselfe had gouerned the Land fiue yeeres Archigallo was re-instated and continued in great loue with his brother reigning ten yeeres and was buried at Yorke after whose death Elidurus was againe chosen king What greater enterchange of fraternall loue could be found in brothers To equall whom I will first begin with the sisters of Phaeton called by some Heliades by others Phaetontides who with such funerall lamentation bewayled the death of their brother that the gods in commiseration of their sorrow turned them into Trees whose transformations Ouid with great elegancie expresseth Lib. 1. Metamorph. as likewise Virgil in Cutice their names were Phaethusa Lampitiae Phebe c. Antigone the daughter of Oedipus when her brother Eteocles was slaine in battaile shee buried his bodie maugre the contradiction of the Tyrant Creon of whom Ouid Lib. 3. Tristium Fratrem Thebana peremplam Supposuit tumulo rege vetante soror The Theban sister to his Tombe did bring Her slaught'red brothers Corse despight the king Hyas being deuoured of a Lyon the Hyades his sisters deplored his death with such infinite sorrow that they wept themselues to death And for their pietie were after by the gods translated into Starres of whom Pontanus Fratris Hyae quas perpetuus dolor indidit astris Thus you see how the Poet did striue to magnifie and eternize this Vertue in Sisters No lesse compassionat was Electra the daughter of Agamemnon on her brother Orestes and Iliona the issue of Priam when shee heard the death of young Polidore Stobaeus Serm. 42. out of the Historie of Nicolaus de morib gentium sayth That the Aethiopians aboue all others haue their sisters in greatest reuerence insomuch that their kings leaue their succession not to their owne children but to their sisters sonnes but if none of their issue be left aliue they chuse out of the people the most beautifull and warlike withall whom they create their Prince and Soueraigne Euen amongst the Romans M. Aurelius Commodus so dearely affected his sister that being called by his mother to diuide their fathers Patrimonie betwixt them hee conferred it wholly vpon her contenting himselfe with his grandfathers reuenue Pontanus de Liber cap. 11. I will end this discourse concerning Sisters with one Historie out of Sabellicus li. 3. c. 7. the same confirmed by Fulgosius lib. 5. cap. 5. Intaphernes was say they one of those confederat Princes who freed the Persian Empire from the vsurpation of the Magician brothers and conferred it vpon Darius who now being established in the supreme dignitie Intaphernes hauing some businesse with the king made offer to enter his chamber but being rudely put backe by one of the groomes or waiters he tooke it in such scorne that no
from him grew the adage which Cicero vsed in an epistle to Fabius Gallus Non omnibus dâ—rmio i. I sleepe not to all men Lucilius apud Beroaldum Catullus remembers vs of the Bawde Silo and Guido of one Bitraphus that made his wife basely mercenarie Cai. Ticinius Minternensis prouoked his wife to inchastitie for no other reason than to defraud her of her ioynter Gemellus one of the Tribuns in Rome a man of a noble familie yet was of that corrupt and degenerat condition that he made his owne Pallace no better than a common stewes in so much that in the Consullship of Metellus and Scipio hee suffered two great Ladies Mutia and Fuluia innobled both waies in their families with the noble child Saturnius to be vitiated in his owne house Clemens Alexandrinus Lib. 3. Stromatum and Euseb. Lib. 4. haue left remembred that the Arch-heriticke Nicolaus hauing a faire wife and beeing reprooued of Iealosie by the Apostles to show himselfe no way guiltie thereof hee brought her into the publique assembly offering her freely vp to the prostitution of any man whatsoeuer more in my mind offending in his too much remisnesse than before in his ouer great strictnesse Nay least this detestable sinne should want a countenancer euen from royaltie Lycosthenes in his Theater of Humaine life tells vs of Henricus Rex Castalionensis who shamed not to bee a Bawde to his owne Queene you may reade further of him in the Spanish historie by the title of Henrie the Vnable Now of She-Bawdes and of them briefly Plutarch in the life of Pericles reports That Aspatia his sole delight made her house a Stewes in which the bodies of the fairest young Women were made common for money It is reported that Callistion sirnamed Proche being hyred to lye with a common fellow or bond-man and by reason of the hot weather beeing naked she espyed the markes and skarres of blowes and stripes vpon his shoulders to whom she sayd Alas poore man how came these he willing to conceale his base condition answered That being a child hee had skalding hot Pottage poured downe his necke I beleeue it sayth shee but sure they were Calues Pottage or made of Calues flesh promptly reproouing his quallitie because slaues eate Pottage made of Veale and the things with which they were lashed and skourged were made of Calues-skinnes Erasm. Apotheg 6. Dipsas is the name of an old Bawde in one of Ouids Elegies whom for instructing his mistresse in the veneriall trade he reprooues in these verses Est quaedam quicunque volet cognosere lenam Audiat est quaedam nomine Dipsas as anus If any man an old Bawde list to know 'T is the crone Dipsas she is titl'd so Of the Bawde Quartilla I haue before giuen you a true character from Petronius Arbiter Tacitus lib. 17. puts vs in minde of Caluia Crisalpina who was the schoole-mistresse of Neros Lures a fit tuteresse for such an apt and forward pupile In my opinion to be wondered at it is that these beeing past their owne actuall sinnes wherein too much sacietie hath bred surfet or the infirmitie of age or disease a meere disabilitie of performance yet euen in their last of dayes and when one foot is alreadie in the graue they without any thought of repentance or the least hope of grace as if they had not wickednesse ynough of their owne to answere for heape vpon them the sinnes of others as not onely intycing and alluring Virgins and young wiues to that base veneriall trade and the infinite inconueniences both of Soule and bodie depending thereupon but to weare their garments by the prostitution of others and eate their Bread and drinke Sacke and Aqua-vitae by their mercenarie sweat and so base an vsurie and vncomely a trauell of their bodies as is not onely odious in the eyes of Man but abhominable in the sight of Angells This apprehension puts mee in mind of what Cornelius Gallius writes in a Periphrasis of old Age which I hold not altogether impertinent to be here inserted These be his words Stat dubius tremulusque senex semperque malorum Credulus stultus qua facit ipse timet Laudat preteritos presentes despicit annos Hot tantum rectum quod facit ipse 〈◊〉 c. What he speakes of the old man may be as well appropriated to the aged woman his Verses I thus English The trembling old man he is doubtfull still And fearefull in him selfe of that knowne ill Of which hee 's author and in this appeares His folly to be cause of what he feares Past yeeres heâ—l praise the present hee 'l despise Nought saâ—e what 's his seemed pleasing in his eyes It after followes Hae sunt primitiae c. Of Death these the first fruits are and our fâ—thers Declining towards the Earth she her owne gathers Into her selfe though with a tardie pace We come at length the colour of the face Our habit nor our gate is still the same Nor shape that was yet all at one place ayme For the loose garments from one shoulders slides And what before too short seem'd now abides A trouble to our heeles we are contracted As if of late in a new world compacted Decreasing still our bones are dride within As seemes our flesh shrunke in our wither'd skin We haue scarce libertie on Heau'n to looke For prone old Age as if it in some booke Meant to behold his face lookes downe-ward still Prying where he th'indebted place might fill From whence he first was borrowed and the same Matter returne to Earth from whence it came We walke with three feet first as infants creepe Next crawle on foure as if the ground to sweepe We follow our beginning all things mourne Till to their generation they returne And fall vpon the brest where they were nurst ,That goes to nothing which was nothing first This is the cause that ruinous Age still beates Th' Earth with th'staffe he leanes on and intreates A place to rest in as if he should say With often knocking mother giue me way At length into thy bosome take thy sonne Who faine would sleepe now all his labour 's done Let this suffice as a short admonition to these old corrupters of Youth De Gulosis Vinolentis i. Of Women addicted to Gluttonie and Drunkenesse OF these there are not many left to memorie the reason as may bee coniectured is because to seeme the more temperat being inuited to publique Feasts and Banquets many of them will dyne at home before they come eating in priuat and drinking in corners Of men for their incredible voracitie there are presidents infinite I will giue you onely a tast of some few and those not altogether common and with them to compare some women I will passe ouer Eriâ—iethon remembred by Ouid Ctaesias by the Poet Annaxilas Morichus obserued by Aristophanes Melanthius by Suidas Theagines by Raues Textor who at one meale eate vp a
reward and before all Iustly to be preferr'd That which we call Libertie Life our Parents Children Wealth Our Countrey Reputation Honor Health By this are kept though by the bad despis'd ,All that is good in Vertue is compris'd Moreouer all that are Noble Vertuous Learned Chast and Pious haue their places allotted them aboue when on the contrarie their soules are buried lower in the locall place of torment than their soules that are hayd to sleepe in the graue At the blessednesse of the good and future glorie assigned vnto them Lucan most elegantly aymed at Lib. 9. de Bello Ciuili where hee thus writes Ac non in Pharia manes iacuere fauilla Nec cinis exiguus tantam compescuit vmbram c. Which I thus English In th' Pharian flames the bright Soule doth not sleepe Nor can so small a Dust and Ashes keepe So great a Spirit it leapes out of the fire And leauing th'halfe-burnt members doth aspire And aymes vp to the place where Ioue resides And with his power and wisdome all things guides For now no ayre his subtile passage barres To where the Axle-tree turnes round the starres And in that vast and emptie place which lyes Betwixt vs and the Moone the visible Skyes Th' halfe-godded Soules inhabite such are nam'd There whom bright fierie Vertue hath inflam'd And were of pious life their hopes are faire Made Citizens and Free-men of the Aire And such redeem'd from all that was infected Are now within th' eternall Orbes collected This somewhat more illustrated by the Tragicke Poet Seneca in Hercule Oeteo thus saying Nunquam Stigias fertur ad vndas Inclita Virtus c. To the darke and Stigian shades Vertue when it seeming fades Is neuer borne Then O you chast And valiant though your yeeres may wast No limit Time to that can giue It Death suruiues then euer liue The cruell Fates can clayme no due Nor the blacke Stigian waues in you But when wasted Age hath spent The vtmost minute Time hath lent Then Glorie takes in charge the Spirit And guides it to the place of Merit Let these serue for an encouragement to Vertue and the attayning vnto all commendable Arts and Disciplines by which the Bodie is honoured and the Soule glorified And thus I take leaue of the Female Students in Theologie and Philosophie and now consequently come to the Poetesses may the Muses be fauourable to me in their relation Of Poetrie Horace sayth Et prodesse solent delectare Poetae In Poets there is both pleasure and profit who are for the most part I meane the best studious for the pleasingest phrase and most moouing eloquence From hence it grew that those of the first age first introduced common ciuilitie and humane moralitie amongst men reducing them from irregular and bruitish conditions into a mutuall and well gouerned societie for by pleasant and delightfull language refined from the vulgar Barbarisme they first drew the eares of the ruder people to attention from attention to instruction and by instruction to practise so that in processe of time by their smooth and gentle persuasions illustrated with facunditie and eloquence they brought them from voluptuousnesse to temperance from the fields into houses from liuing in villages to build walled cities and by degrees from edifying of houses for themselues to erect Temples to the gods by whose adoration it impressed a reuerent feare to offend them and so consequently reduced them from rudenesse to a more formall regularitie They were the first that taught them shame and feare shame to seeme bruitish to humanitie feare to appeare inhumane before a deitie They moderated the ferocitie of their mindes by smooth orations profitable documents and learned writings and the more to insinuate into their dull vnderstanding when prose seemed vnto them lesse delightfull they deuised verse and still as one kind grew stale or common they apprehended new and thus that eloquence that before lay loose and skattered was first contracted within feet and number Then when the vulgar seemed lesse capable of deepe Sophismes tending to moralitie and ciuile gouernement and therfore their grauer doctrines appeared to their eares harsh and vnpleasant they dealt with them as carefull fathers vse to doe with their vntoward children when things profitable will not still them they seeke to please them with toyes so the Poets when wholesome foode would not tast their mouths they deuised sweet meates to realish their pallats finding out merrie and delightfull tales best agreeable with their itching eares comprehending notwithstanding golden truths in leaden fables They after instituted good wholesome laws to incourage the good and deiect the bad to raise the vertuous and well disposed to honor and to punish the euill doer either with pennance or shame then came the industrious man to bee first distinguished from the sloathfull and the thriftie from the prodigall things were no more made common euerie man eate of his owne labour and what he earned he might call his owne Hence first grew Industrie without which no common-weale nor publike state can stand And these and much greater were the first fruits of Poetrie now in this age so much despised the vse whereof was antient the apprehension diuine the practise commendable and the name reuerent There is a sympathie and correspondence betwixt Poetrie and Rhetoricke Appollo is god of the first and Mercurie the Mecenas of the second which the ancient writers the better to signifie vnto vs say That Apollo acquainted Mercurie with the Muses and Mercurie in requitall first inuented the Harpe and gaue it to Apollo being the instrument to which the Muses most delighted to sing as if they more plainely would haue sayd A Poet cannot be excellent vnlesse he be a good Rhetorician nor any Rhetorician attaine to the heigth of eloquence vnlesse he hath first layd his foundation in Poetrie They are two excellencies that cannot well exist one without the other Poetrie is the elder brother and more plaine in his condition Rhetorick the younger but more craftie in his profession hence it comes Poets are so poore and Lawyers so rich for they haue made a younger brother of the elder and possesse all the land Besides as much as Apollo is excellent aboue Mercurie as being God of Light of Musicke of Physicke of Arts c. and the other God of Bargaining Buying Selling of Cousening Theeuing and of Lyes so farre doth the first claime due prioritie aboue the second They may be thus distinguished Poets in that which outwardly appeares fabulous colour and shaddow golden truths to their owne painefull studies and labour and to the pleasure and profit of others But many Orators vnder seeming truths apparrell scandalous fictions aymed onely to their owne benefit to the impouerishing of others and many times stripping them out of a faire inheritance I speake of some not all and I honour the Law because I liue vnder it Poets they were the first teachers and instructers the people held them to bee
as shee was otherwise learned shee is likewise numbred amongst the Poets some of whose Verses are remembred by Athenaeus Hedyle was the mother of Hedylogus Samius who by the same Athenaeus Lib. 4. Dypnoph hath allotted him a place amongst the Poets shee was the daughter of Moschina Attica that writ Iambickes This Hedyle composed a Poeme inscribed Scilla shee made another called The Loues of Glaucus Sosipatra as Eugapius apud Volaterran relates was a woman practised in many kinds of Disciplines and so excellent in all her studies that shee was said to be educated by the gods Thymele was a Poetesse that first introduced Dances into the Scene which the Greekes from her call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. The place which is onely free for the Actors Of her Martial thus speakes Quae Thymele spectas derisoremque Latinum Suidas writes That Thymele was an Altar frequently vsed in the Theatres which from her borrowed the name Hildegardis Moguntina was eminent both for Learning and Pietie insomuch that from her verie childhood shee seemed inspired from aboue Eugenius the third in the Councell held at Tryer where Doctor Bernard was then present approoued her Workes shee flourisht in the yeere of Grace 1188. Of Clitagora Lacedemonia Aristophanes speakes much but Strabo in Homerica Iliade more of Hesteia Alexandria Auyle writ Epigrams against Themistocles with Verses vpon Birds which are read vnto this day Myrtis Authedonia in a Poeme expressed the death of the Damosell Ochne who had beene before the destruction of the Heroe Ennostus Praxilla Syconia flourished in the 32 Olympiad whom Antipater Thessalus giues the first place vnto amongst the nine Lyricke Poets Shee writ Dithycambi and a Worke which was called by her Metrum Praxillium Shee called Adonis from Hell to demand of him what was most beautifull in Heauen who answered The Sunne the Moone Figges Apples and Cucumbers That and such like was the subiect of her Poeme of which grew a Prouerbe against Lunatikes and mad men euery such was called Praxillaes Adonis Nossis the Poetresse was the composer of Greeke Epigrams and is by Antipater numbred with Praxilla amongst the Lyrickes Myro Byzantia shee writ Elegies and such as the Greekes call Melae or Musicall Poemes shee is said to be the mother of Homer and reckoned one of the seuen Pleiades the daughters of Atlas shee was the wife of Andromachus an illustrious Philosopher Pamphilus her Statue was erected which as Facianus witnesseth was made by Cephisiodotus Damophila was the wife of the Philosopher shee was a friend to Sapho and louer whom in all her Poemes shee striued to imitate Her Hymnes were sung at the sacrifices which were celebrated to Diana Pergaea after the manner of the Aeolians and Pamphilians Shee writ moreouer certaine bookes which shee titled Libri Amatorij Of Minerua c. MInerua the daughter of Iupiter was for no other reason numbred amongst the gods but for her excellencie and cunning in Poetrie and other good Arts of which shee is said to be the first inuentresse From her the antient Athenians haue borrowed the immortalitie of their name Next her wee reckon the Corinnaes There were three of that name The first called Corinna Thebana or Tanagraea shee was the daughter of Archelodorus and Procratia and scholler to Myrtis shee in seuerall contentions fiue sundrie times bore away the Palme from Pindarus Prince of the Lyricke Poets shee moreouer published fiue bookes of Epigrams of her Propertius speakes The second was called Corinna Thespia shee is much celebrated in the bookes of the antient Poets especially by Statius The third liued in the time of Augustus and was to Ouid much indeered but of her wantonnesse than her Muse there is more memorie extant I come to speake next of Erinna who was sirnamed Teia or as some will hane it Telia of the Island Telos not farre distant from Gnidon shee flourished in the time of Dion of Syracusa and published an excellent Poem in the Doricke tongue comprised in three hundred Verses besides diuerse other Epigrams her stile was sayd to come neere the maiestie of Homers she dyed when she was but ninteene yeares of age Damophila was a Greeke Poetesse and the wife of Pamphilus shee was Cousin-german and companion with Sapho Lyrica Poetria shee writ many Poems that were called Poemata Amatoria because their argument was meerely of loue one Poem shee writ in the praise of Diana for so much Theophrastus in the life of Appolonius remembers of her Hyppatia was a woman of Alexandria the daughter of Theon the Geometritian and wife to Isidorus the Philosopher shee flourished in the time of the Emperour Arcadius shee writ certaine bookes of Astronomie and was frequent in diuerse kinds of Poetrie shee purchased her selfe much fame for her learning in so much that shee ingrossed a great confluence of Auditors in the citie of Alexandria where she professed Suidas apud Volaterran Sapho ELianus affirmes her to be the daughter of Scamandronius Plato of Ariston Suidas and other Greeke writers deliuer to vs that there were two of that name the one called Erixia a much celebrated Poetesse who flourished in the time of the Poet Alcaeus of Pittachus and Tarquinius Priscus who first deuised the vse of the Lyre or Harpe with a quill some giue her the honor to bee the inuentor of the Lyricke verse the other was called Sapho Mitelaena long after her who was a singer and a strumpet shee published many rare and famous Poems amongst the Greekes and therefore had the honour to bee called the tenth Muse the reason why she fell in loue with Phaon Pliny attributes to the vertue of an hearbe but Babtista Egnatius a later writer and exquisite both in the Greeke and Latin tongues in trasferring this fable from the originall into the Romon tongue as likewise others of his opinion conclude that Phaon was of the profession of such as get their liuing by transporting passengers from one side of a riuer vnto another a plaine Ferrie-man and that it happened vpon a time that Venus comming to the place where he kept his passage without demaunding any hyre he gaue her a free transportage not knowing to whom it was hee did that courtesie no way suspecting she had beene a goddesse This Venus tooke so gratefully that shee thought to requite his freenesse with a bountie farre transcending the value of his paines Shee therefore gaue him an Alablaster box full of a most pretious vnguent teaching him how to apply it with which he no sooner annoynted his face but hee instantly became of all mortall creatures the most beautiful of whom the Lesbian damsels grew inamoured but espesially hee was ardently and most affectionately beloued of Sapho Phaon hauing occation to passe from Lesbos into Cicilie shee was tortured in soule for his absence intimating that it was done
deuided themselues and casting to hit it with a stone it rebounded againe from the skull and stroke himselfe on the forehead his words be these Abiecta in triuijs inhumati glabra iacebat Testa hominis nudum iam cute caluicium Fleuerant alij fletu non motus Achillas c. Where three wayes parted a mans skull was found Bald without haire vnburied aboue ground Some wept to see 't Achillas more obdure Snatcht vp a stone and thinkes to hit it sure He did so At the blow the stone rebounds And in the face and eyes Achillas wounds I wish all such whose impious hands prophane The dead mans bones so to be stroke againe Of Mothers that haue slaine their Children or Wiues their Husbands c. MEdea the daughter of Oeta king of Colchos first slew her young brother in those Islands which in memorie of his inhumane murther still beare his name and are called Absyrtides and after her two sonnes Macareus and Pherelus whom she had by Iason Progne the daughter of Pandion murthered her young sonne Itis begot by Tereus the sonne of Mars in reuenge of the rape of her sister Philomele Ino the daughter of Cadmus Melicertis by Athamas the sonne of Aeolus Althea the daughter of Theseus slew her sonne Meleager by Oeneus the sonne of Parthaon Themisto the daughter of Hypseus Sphincius or Plinthius and Orchomenus by Athamas at the instigation of Ino the daughter of Cadmus Tyros the daughter of Salmoneus two sonnes begot by Sysiphus the sonne of Aeolus incited thereto by the Oracle of Apollo Agaue the daughter of Cadmus Pentheus the sonne of Echion at the importunitie of Liber Pater Harpalice the daughter of Climenus slew her owne father because he forcibly despoyled her of her honor Hyginus in Fabulis These slew their Husbands Clitemnestra the daughter of Theseus Agamemnon the sonne of Atreus Hellen the daughter of Iupiter and Laeda Deiphebus the sonne of Priam and Hecuba hee married her after the death of Paris Agaue Lycotherses in Illyria that she might restore the kingdome to her father Cadmus Deianira the daughter of Oeneus and Althea Hercules the sonne of Iupiter and Alcmena by the Treason of Nessus the Centaureâ— Iliona the daughter of Priam Polymnestâ—r king of Thâ—â—ce Semyramis her husband Ninus king of Babylon c. Some haue slaine their Fathers others their Nephewes and Neeces all which being of one nature may be drawne to one head And see how these prodigious sinnes haue beene punished Martina the second wife to Heraclius and his Neece by the brothers side by the helpe of Pyrrhus the Patriarch poysoned Constantinus who succeeded in the Empire fearing least her sonne Heraclius should not attaine to the Imperiall Purple in regard that Constantinus left issue behind him two sonnes Constantes and Theodosius which he had by Gregoria the daughter of Nycetas the Patritian notwithstanding hee was no sooner dead but shee vsurped the Empire Two yeeres of her Principalitie were not fully expired when the Senate reassumed their power and called her to the Barre where they censured her to haue her Tongue cut out least by her eloquence shee might persuade the people to her assistance her sonne Heraclius they maimed of his Nose so to make him odious to the multitude and after exiled them both into Cappadocia Cuspinianus in vita Heraclij A more terrible Iudgement was inflicted vpon Brunechildis whose Historie is thus related Theodericus king of the Frenchmen who by this wicked womans counsaile had polluted himselfe with the bloud of his owne naturall brother and burthened his conscience with the innocent deaths of many other noble gentlemen as well as others of meaner ranke and qualitie was by her poysoned and depriued of life for when he had made a motion to haue taken to wife his Neece a beautifull young Ladie and the daughter of his late slaine brother Brunechildis with all her power and industrie opposed the Match affirming that Contract to be meerely incestuous which was made with the brothers daughter shee next persuaded him that his son Theodebertus was not his owne but the adulterate issue of his wife by another at which words he was so incensed that drawing his sword hee would haue instantly transpierst her but by the assistance of such Courtiers as were then present shee escaped his furie and presently after plotted his death and effected it as aforesaid Trittenhemius de Regib Francorum and Robertus Gaguinus Lib. 2. Others write that hee was drowned in a Riuer after hee had reigned eighteene yeeres Auentinus affirmes That presently after hee had slaine his brother entring into one of his cities hee was strucke with Thunder Annal. Boiorum Lib. 3. But this inhumane Butcheresse Brunechildis after shee had beene the ruine of an infinite number of people and the death of ten kings at length moouing an vnfortunate warre against Lotharius to whom shee denyed to yeeld the kingdome shee was taken in battaile and by the Nobilitie and Captaines of the Armie condemned to an vnheard of punishment She was first beaten with foure Bastoones before shee was brought before Lotharius then all her Murthers Treasons and Inhumanities were publikely proclaimed in the Armie and next her Legges and Hands being fastened to the tayles of wild Horses pluckt to pieces and disseuered limbe from limbe Anno 1618. Sigebertus Trittenhemius Gaguinus and Auentinus And such bee the earthly punishments due to Patricides and Regicides Touching Patricides Solon when hee instituted his wholesome Lawes made no Law to punish such as thinking it not to be possible in nature to produce such a Monster Alex. Lib. 2. cap. 5. Romubus appointing no punishment for that inhumanitie included Patricides vnder the name of Homicides counting Manslaughter and Murther abhorred and impious but the other impossible Plutarchâ— in â—â—amulo Marcus Malleolus hauing sâ—aine his mother was the first that was euer condemned for that fact amongst the Romans his Sentence was to be sowed in a Sack together with a Cock an Ape and a Viper and so cast into the Riuer Tiber a iust infliction for such immanitie The Macedonians punished Patricides and Traitors alike and not onely such as persoâ—ally committed the fact but all that were any way of the confederacie Alex. ab Alex. Lib. 3. cap. 5. and all such were stoned to death The Aegyptians stabbed them with Needles and Bodkins wounding them in all the parts of their bodie but not mortally when bleeding all ouer from a thousand small orifices they burnt them in a pyle of Thornes Diodor. Sical Lib. 2. cap. 2. de rebus antiq The Lusitanians first exiled them from their owne confines and when they were in the next forraine ayre â—toâ—ed them to death Nero hauing slaine his mother Agrippinâ— by the hand of Anicetes had such terror of mind and vnquietnesse of conscience that in the dead of the night he would leape out of his bed horribly affrighted and say when they that attended him demanded
from an impudent Strumpet hee wrought her to be a repentant Conuertite Her Brasen forhead melted at his fierie zeale and all those skales of Immodestie like a Maske plucked off fell from her face and shee appeared to him in her former simple and innocentious life When further questioning with her of her birth and countrey shee freely confessed vnto him That shee was borne in the North countrey her father a gentleman once of faire Reuenue but being impouerished by peeuish Suites in Law her mother first and hee whether by age or griefe shee knew not soone after died Shee being an Orphant and left distressed loth to begge of those whom her Parents had before relieued finding charitie there cold and willing rather to appeare base any where than where shee was knowne sold such small things as shee had to come vp to London with the Carriers where shee was no sooner allighted at her Inne but shee was hyred by this Bawd altogether vnacquainted with her base course of life who by degrees trayned her to such base prostitution but withall protested with teares that course of life was hatefull vnto her and had shee any friend or kinsman thaâ— could propose her any meanes to relinquish that Trade which in her soule she detested she would become a new woman desiring that one moneth of her leaudnesse might be forgot for from that houre shee protested Chastitie all her life time after Her apparant teares and seeming penitence much perswading with the gentleman he protested If it lay in him he would otherwise dispose of her according to her wishes and withall charging her That if hee sent vnto her within two or three dayes with money to acquit her of the house that shee would attyre her selfe as modestly as shee could possibly not bringing with her any one ragge that belonged to that abhominable house or any borrowed garment in which she had offended but instantly to repaire vnto him at his first sending and this being agreed betwixt them for that time they parted The gentleman wonderous carefull of his vndertaking because shee was now his new creature came to a Matron-like gentlewoman a kinswoman of his afarre off with whom and her husband hee had familiar acquaintance and by that meanes daily accesse to the house who had prettie fine children and were of a faire reuenue and told her there was a ciuile maid a kinswoman of his lately come out of the countrey who wanted a seruice whom if shee pleased to entertaine it might prooue a great good to her and no lesse courtesie to him Briefely the motion was accepted shee sent for according to appointment and after he had tutored her in all things which shee should answere accepted and entertained Her modest behauior and faire carriage with her tender loue and diligence about the children woon her in short time a good opinion of her maister a greater affection from her mistresse and a generall loue of the whole household insomuch that within lesse than a yeere shee was raysed from a Chambermaid to be Waiting-gentlewoman and the onely bosome friend of her mistresse who falling sicke euen to death readie to expire her last so much doted on her new seruant that shee sent for her husband and besought him if it stood with his good liking so to dispose of himselfe after her decease to make that woman his wife and mother to his children for one more louing and carefull hee should not finde and search England thorow and thorow The gentlewoman soone after dyes hee is left a widower and the charge of the whole house committed to our new Conuertite with the bringing vp of his children Which shee executed with such fidelitie that hee casting a more curious eye vpon her youth and beautie and withall remembring his wiues last words not knowing for the present how better to dispose of himselfe Time Place and Opportunitie all things furthering her preferment hee contracted himselfe vnto her and they were soone after married But before any of these late passages happened I must remember you that instantly vpon the preferment of this young woman the gentleman who brought her this fortune aduentured all his meanes vpon a Voyage which miscarryed for the shippe wherein hee sayled was taken by the Spaniard and hee almost a tweluemoneth kept prisoner in Lisbone But at length by what meanes I know not being ransomed he came for his countrey but so poorely and deiected that hee was ashamed to shew himselfe to any of his friends for hauing tryed some and finding their charitie cold hee was loth to make proofe of the rest insomuch that hee walked by Owle-light without a Cloake and scarce had honest ragges to couer him from nakednesse or hide him from shame It happened that iust vpon his returne the old gentleman died too and left her possessed of eight hundred a yeere during the minoritie of the children but the thirds howsoeuer and withall so great and good opinion he had of her that he made her full Executor Now iust as shee followed the Herse to the Church hauing diuerse suitors before her husbands bodie was scarce cold this gentleman by chance comming by like the picture of the Prodigall as I before relate him to you shee casting her eye aside had espyed him and presently apprehended him to be the man he was and whispering a seruant in the eare willing to be truly satisfied bad him to fall into discourse with him to enquire his name his Lodging with other questions as she directed him and so proceeded to the Funerall but in any case to speake nothing as from her The seruant fell off from the Trayne and did as he was commanded and without suspition of him that was questioned brought her true word how all things stood The next morning by her appointment came a gentleman very early to his Lodging shee hauing taught him his Lesson before hand who desired to speake with him and first asked him his name which though loth he told him the other proceeded that if he were the same man he pretended he had heard of his worth and noble qualities and withall of his casualties at Sea and not willing that any gentleman should groane beneath so great a burthen told him there was a hundred pounds bad him furnish himselfe with apparrell and other necessaries and so was readie to take his leaue The other extasied with so great a courtesie from a stranger whom hee had not seene before enforced him backe to know what reason he had to be so charitable entreating him to consider what hope he had of future satisfaction or at least to resolue him what securitie he demanded The other answered That for the first his courtesie was grounded vpon his worth his satisfaction was in his acknowledgement and his securitie in that he knew him honest and told him some three dayes after he would call vpon him when hee was habited like himselfe to entreat his further acquaintance and so presently left him