Philitio who at that time kept sheepe in those places Chephrenes dying yeelded the Kingdome to Mycerinus the sonne of his brother Cheops who eschuing the wicked acts and detestable practises of his father caused the temples to be set open giuing libertie to the people being so long distressed vnder the gouernement of his father and vncle to follow their owne affayres and returne to their auncient custome of sacrifice ministring iustice aboue all the Kings that were before him for which cause none of all the princes that haue borne rule in Aegypt is so greatly praysed and renowmed both for other causes which were wisely taken vp by him in iudgement and chiefly for this that a certayne Aegyptian much complayning that the King had wronged him in deciding his cause he commaunded him to value the losse which he had suffered by him which the partie doing he gaue him so much of his owne goods to make him a recompence Mycerinus in this wise gouerning the common weale with great clemency and seekyng by vertue to aduance his fame was sodeinely daunted by a great misfortune the death of his onely daughter hauing no more children but her which was the first and greatest hart-breake that befell him in his kingdome For which cause being stricken with sorrowe aboue measure and desirous to solemnize her funeralles by the most royall and princely kinde of buryall that could be deuised he caused an oxe to be made of wood inwardly vauted and hollow within which being layde ouer and garnished most curiously with gilt he inclosed therein the wanne and forlorne corpse of his best beloued daughter This royall tombe was not interred and buryed in the grounde but remayned vnto our age in the city Sais in open view standing in a certayne parlour of the Kings pallace adorned and set foorth for the same purpose with most beautifull and costly furniture The custome is euermore in the daye time to cast into the belly of the oxe sweete and precious odoures of all sortes that may be gotten and in the nighte to kindle a lampe which burneth by the tombe till the next daye In a chamber next adioyning are certayne pictures of women that were the concubines of Mycerinus if we may beleeue the talke of those that in the same city of Sais are professours in religion forsomuch as there are seene standing in that place certayne mighty images made of wood twentye or thereaboutes in number the most parte of them bare and naked but what women they resemble or whose pictures they be I am not able to alleadge more then hearesay notwithstāding there were which as touching the gilded oxe and the other images framed this tale that Mycerinus being inamoured of his own daughter dealt vnlawfully with her besides the course of nature who for intollerable greefe hanging her selfe was intombed in that oxe by her father the Queene her mother causing the hands of all her gentlewomen to be cut off by whose meanes she had beene betrayed to serue her fathers lust for which cause say they are these images portrayed to declare the misfortune which they abode in their lifetime But this is as true as the man in the moone for that a man with halfe an eye may clearely perceiue that their hands fel offfor very age by reason that the wood through long cōtinuance of time was spaked and perished whiche euen to our memory were to be seene lying at the feete of those which were portrayed The oxe wherein the yong princesse lay was sumptuously clad and arayed all the body wyth a gorgeous mantle of Phenicia hys head and necke beeyng spanged and layde ouer with braces and plates of golde of a maruaylous thickenesse Betweene hys hornes was set a globe or circle of golde glistering as the sunne Neyther is the oxe standing and borne vp vppon hys feete but kneeleth as it were on hys knees equall in bignesse to a great heighfer The manner is once a yeare to bring this image out of the parlour wherein it is kepte hauyng first of all well beaten and cudgelled a certayne image of one of theyr Sainctes whome in thys case wee thynke it not lawfull for vs to name The talke goeth that the Lady besought the Kyng her father that beeing dead she myght once a yeare beholde the sunne whereof sprang the custome and maner aforesayde After this there befell vnto him another mischiefe that sate as neere hys skirtes as the death of his dilling insomuch that he was readie to runne beyonde hymselfe for sorrowe A prophecie arose in the city of Butis that the tearme of sixe yeares fully exspired the Kyng shoulde ende hys lyfe leauing hys Kyngdome to be ruled of another Whereof the Kyng beeing aduertised and greately greeuing at the rigorous and vniust dealing of the gods sped a messenger to the place where the seate of prophecie was helde to expostulate with the god for what cause since hys father and vnckle who had beene so vnmindfull of the gods shutting vp their temples and making hauocke of the people had liued so long he hymselfe that had dealte better with them and caused these thynges to bee restored agayne shoulde so soone be depriued of the benefite of lyfe to whome aunswere was made that hys dayes were therefore shortened because hee tooke a wrong course and dyd not as he should do beyng appoynted by the celestiall powers that the countrey of Aegypt should suffer miserie and be afflicted by their princes y e space of an hūdred fifty yeares which the two former princes well vnderstanding was neuerthelesse by him neglected and left vnperformed Mycerinus hearing this round reply and perceiuing that his thread was almost spoon set al at reuell making great prouision of lights and tapers which at euentide he caused to be lighted passing the night in exceeding great mirth and princely banquetting letting slip no time wherein he either wandered not alongst the riuer and through the woods and groues of the countrey or entertayned the time in some pleasaunt deuises following all things that might eyther breede delighte or bring pleasure which things he did to the end he might prooue the prophecie false and conuince the god of a lie making twelue yeares of sixe by spending the nightes also as he did the dayes Mycerinus also built a pyre not equall to that which his father had set vp before him beeing in measure but twentie foote square framed quadrangularly and another lower then that of three acres in compasse being built to the middest of the stone of Aethiopia There be of the Graecian writers that suppose thys towre to haue bene erected by a woman of notable fame called Rhodope who misse of their account not seeming to knowe what that Rhodope was of whome they speake Besides it is very vnlikely that Rhodope woulde euer haue enterprised a worke of so great value wherein infinite thousands of talentes were spent before it came to perfection Lastly it was not in the
Harpagus hearynge this dyd hys humble reuerence to the kinge exceedynge ioyous at the fauourable yssue and good euent of his fault and not a litle glad besydes that as a fellow and companion of the kynges mirth and comfort he was inuyted to supper Wherefore departing home he no sooner entred within the dores but with all speede he caused his sonne to be sought out whom beyng of the age of 13. yeares he sent to the court willyng hym to do whatsoeuer he was commaunded by the kynge Hymselfe as one ready to leape out of hysskynne for ioy with mery coun teuaunce and smyling cheere declared to hys wyfe imediatly the whole course and tenour of hys happye successe Hys sonne arryued at the kyngs pallace Astyages incontinently slew and cutting and dismembringe him into small peeces part therof hee commaunded to bee rosted and other part sodden both excellently wel seasoned and relished to be kept in a readines At supper time y e guestes beynge gathered togeather and amonges them Harpagus the kyng hymselfe with the rest were serued with messes of mutton wherewith the borde was generally spred saue only Harpagus before whom were set the partes of his torne and mangled childe except the head the handes and the feete which were seuerally kept and set asyde in a basket Of these lamentable deintyes after Astyages iudging hys guest to haue well fedde hee demaunded hym the question how he lyked hys chere who hauinge auouched hymselfe greatly delighted therewith as the sweetest and most delicat meate that euer he tasted certayne appoynted for the nonce drew nere with the basket conteyning thehead handes and feete who willing hym to open it and choose of those things which were in it what liked him best he discouered y e maūd and beheld the residue of his murthered childe wherewith somewhat abashed yet patiently kept him selfe from open outrage Now Astyages askyng hym whether he knew y e head of that beast of whose flesh he had fed so freshlye hee made him answere yea stood contented with that whatsoeuer his maiesty should do at any tyme. Immediatly he arose from the table and taking the remnauntes of his vnfortunate and wretched bratt framed his steps towardes hys owne house in mynd as I iudge to interre and burye the remnauntes of that accursed and boucherlye acte On this manner did king Astyages take reuenge of his faythful and beloued seruaunt Harpagus After which entringe into deliberation of Cyrus hee called for the wyse men named Magi by whose meanes he came to knowledge of hys dreame to whom after they were come he moued a questiō about the true construing and exposition of hys vision who yeeldyng the same answeare that they dyd before that it behoued the boy if he were liuing to raigne and be kyng Astyages tooke immediatlye theyr talke by the end and goinge forward Of a truthe quoth hee it is most certayne that the Chylde is liuinge and fareth very well And when as in the Countrye where hee was brought vppe the children of his owne village in wayof pastime had made him a king loke what they do that are kynges indeede the selfee same in like maner did hee For appoynting his wayghters his porters his messengers to goe to and froe with other such like dutyes and offices hee bare himselfe amonges them lyke a young prince Now tel me therfore you that haue skill what thinke you of this If the chyld liue say they and haue already borne rule and that not aduysedly or of premeditate purpose but by chaunce destinye Be of good courage then O king wee warrant you hee hath taken his leaue and shal rule no more For some of our prophecies sothsayinges and coniectures come to small effect as meere phantasies and ydle dreames proue very light and fall to nothing Surely quoth the king and I thinke no lesse beynge of this opinion also that for asmuch as hee hath once bene named held for a kyng my dreame hath his end and that wee haue no more need to feare him anye longer Neuerthelesse I leaue it to your wysedome carefullye to cōsider what may befall and geue me such counsayl and aduyse as may be safest both for the maintenaunce of my scepter and for the cōtinuaunce of your owne estates to whom they aunswered It is greatly to be wished and desyred of vs O mightye Prince that thy kyngdome perpetually indure for otherwyse if it should descend or be translated to this boy which is a Persian what could wee loke for that are Medes and aliens then to be held and kept vnder in bondage and slauery Whereas on the other syde vnder thy gouernment whose natural subiectes we holde an accompt ourselues wee are in maner princes ouer them and with thy selfe in great credite and honor By how much y e rather we ought to haue diligent respecte of thy prosperous raygne and at this tyme also to aduertise and warne thee if wee sawe or were priuye to oughte that might bee preiudiciall to thy royall person but for as much as the vision is comen to so slender proofe that in euent it seemeth a tryfle both our selues are in good hope and wil your grace also not to dispayre but to sende home the childe into Persia to his parentes wherat Astyages greatly reioysing calling for Cyrus sayd vnto him My sonne albeit heretofore by meanes of a fond friuolous vision I did thee iniury yet by thyne owne good fortune and happie desteny thou art kept aliue Now thefore ioyfully get thee home to the Persian with those whom I haue appoynted to be thy guydes wher thou shalt fynde a father not like to the heardman Mitradates and a mother much better then thy nourse Cyno With which wordes he toke his leaue of hym and sent hym away When they were come to the house of Cambyses Cyrus was receiued of his parentes who hauing knowledge that he was their sonne kyssed and embraced hym a myllion of tymes holding themselues the most happy and fortunate people in the world for the sodayne and vnhoped recouery of their sweete sonne whom they neuer thoughte to haue seene alyue And curiously demaunding of him how and by what meanes he escaped he made them answeare that til this tyme he neuer knew beyng altogeather ignoraunt of hys kyndred lineage addyng moreouer y t for ought he knew he was the very naturall and lawful child of Astyages his heardmā saue that onely in the way he had intelligēce of his whole misfortune straūge hap by those which were geuen him of Astyages for his safe cōduct into Persia He declared therfore in what sort he was nourished kept vp by the field mans wyfe whom in al his talke he greatly praysed and commended in so much y t alwayes at one ende of hys tale was his swete and dearly beloued Cyno which name his parents hearing to the end y t deliuerance of their sonne mighte seeme more straunge
to the whole realme and dominion of Aegypt it would please the gods to turne all vpon that head The like vse and custome about the heads of such cattel as are killed in sacrifice and in time of offering for the priest to drinke wine is in all places alike throughout all the churches of Aegypt in so much that it is growne into a fashion in all the whole land that no Aegyptian will taste of the head of beastes sacrificed Howbeit there is choyse and diuersity of sacrifice with thē neyther is the same manner and forme of oblation kept and obserued in euery place Now we will shew and declare which of all the goddesses they chiefly honour and in whose name they solemnize and celebrate the greatest feast Hauing therefore most deuoutely spent the eue or day before the feast in solemne fasting and prayer they sacrifice an Oxe whose hyde incontinently they pull off and take out his entrayles suffering the leafe and fat to remayne within him After that they hewe off the shanke bones with the lower part of the loyne and shoulders likewise the head and the necke which done they farce and stuffe the body with halowed bread hony raysons figges franckincense myrrhe and other precious odours These things accōplished they offer him vp in sacrifice pouring into him much wine oyle and abiding still fasting vntill such time as the offering be finished In the meane space while the sacrifice is burning they beate and torment themselues with many stripes whereby to satisfy and appease the wrath and displeasure of the gods Hauing left off on this manner to afflict and crucifie their flesh the residue of the sacrifice is set before them where with they feast and refreshe their hunger It is a custome receyuen throughout all the region to offer bullocks and calues of the malekinde if in case they be found immaculate and pure according to the forme of their lawe howveit from kine and heiffers they absteyne most religiously accounting them as holy and consecrate to the goddesse Isis whose image is carued and framed like a woman with a paire of hornes on hir head like as the Graecians describe and set foorth Iö Hereof it proceedeth that the people of Aegypt do most of all other beastes worship and reuerence a cowe for which cause none of that nation neither men nor women will eyther kisse a Graecian or so muche as vse hys knife to cut any thing his spit to rost his pot to voyle or any other thing belonging to them disdayning and loathing the very meate that hath bin cut with a Graecians knife for somuch as in Greece they feede of all neate indifferently both male and feamale If an oxe or cowe chaunce to die they bury them on this wise the kine and females they cast into the riuer durying the oxen in some of the suburbes with one of his hornes sticking out of the ground for a token lying on this maner vntill they be rotten At an ordinary and appoynted time there ariueth a ship frō y ◠Ile Prosopitis situate in y t part of Aegypt which is named Delta being in compasse nine scheanes which is 63. miles In this Iland are planted many cities one of the which continually furnisheth and sends foorth the aforesaid ship hauing to name Atarbeehis wherein standeth a faire and goodly temple dedicated to Venus From this city Atarbechis many people are woont to stray and wander into other townes of Aegypt The ship comming to land at euery city takes vp the bones of the dead oxen and caries them all to one place where they are buryed together The law also cōmaundeth the selfesame manner to be kept and obserued in the sepulture and burying of other cattell that dye in the land from the slaughter of the which generally the Aegyptians absteyne Neuerthelesse such as abiding in the prouince of Thebes in the temple of Iupiter Thebanus are inuested with the orders of priesthoode vse the same abstinence from sheepe and slayne goates vpon the aultars of the gods for in Aegypt the same gods haue not the same kinde of diuine honour in euery place and with euery people sauing Isis and Osyris the one a goddesse the other a god which are of all men worshipped alyke This Osyris is of the Aegyptians thought to be Bacchus albeit for some respect they name him otherwise Contrary to these such as are belonging to the pallace of Mendes and are conteyned within the precinct and limits of that sheere withholde themselues from goates and make sacrifice of sheepe The Thebaries therefore and such as following their example eschew and auoyde the slaughter and killing of sheepe testifie themselues to be mooued heerevnto by a law because that Iupiter on a time refusing to be seene of Hercules who greately desired to behold him at his instant prayers cut off the head of aramme and stripping off the fell cast it ouer him and in such manner shewed himselfe to his sonne where of the Aegyptians framing the image of Iupiter made him to haue a rammes head of whome the Ammonians tooke that custome whych are an offpring and braunch growne from two sundry nations the Aegyptians and Aethiopians as well may be seene by their lāguage which is a medley of both tongues who seeme for this cause to haue named themselues Ammonians for that they hold the oracle of Iupiter whome the Aegyptians call by the name of Ammon In this respecte the Thebanes absteyne from the bloud of rammes and sheepe esteeming them as holy and diuine creatures Howbeit one day in the yeare which they keepe festiuall to Iupiter they kill a ramme and taking off the skynne they couer therewith the image wherevnto incontinent they bring the picture of Hercules after which they beate the naked flesh of the ramme for a good season The sacrifice being in this sort accomplished they bury the body in a religious and halowed vessell This Hercules they recken in the number of the twelue gods as for the other Hercules of whome the Graecians make mention the Aegyptians are altogether vnacquainted with him neyther do they seeme at any time to haue heard of him This name I suppose to haue come first from Aegypt into Graece and to haue bene borrowed of them howsoeuer the Graecians dissemble the matter to make the inuention seeme their owne wherevpon I grounde wyth greater confidence for that the yarents of Hercules Amphytrio and Alomaeea are by countrey and lynage Aegyptians Likewise in Aegypt the name of Neptune and the gods called Dioseuri was very straunge and vnheard of neyther would they be brought by any meanes to repute them in the fellowship and company of the gods And it in case they had taken the name of any god from the Graecians it is very credible that as well as of the rest nay aboue the rest they would haue made chose of Neptune and the other were it that at those dayes trade of merchandise and voyaging
Bull of so grosse and thicke an hyde that being well dryed they make thereof Darts of exceeding strength and stiffnesse There be also founde to breede in the ryuer certaine beastes much like a Beuer and liue like an Otter which in Aegypt are of great accounte and thought holy In the same degre of sacred honour are all kinde of scale fishe and Eeles Such is also their opinion and reuerence towards birds and fowles of the ayre as wilde Geese such like There is also an other bird of whom aboue all other they think most diuinely called a Phoenix which I neuer saw but protrayed and shadowed in coloures For the coÌ„meth very seldome into that countrey as farre as I could heare say by the Heliopolitans to wit once in 500. yeares and that also when hir parent or breeder dyeth If she be truely drawne by the Aegyptians this is hir forme and bignesse hir feathers partly red and partly yealow glittering like Golde in forme and quantity of the body not much differing from an Eagle Of this Phoenix Aegyptians haue bruted a straunge tale which I can hardly credit saying that the Phoenix flying from Arabia to the temple of the Sunne in Aegypt carieth in hir tallaunts the corps of hir dead sire embaulmed roled in Myrrhe which she accustometh to bury in that place Adding also the maner whereby she inureth hir selfe to cary so great a burthen First she gathers a great quantity of Myrrhe and works it into a lumpe as much as shee canne well beare whereby to make cryall of hir owne strength After this perceyuing hirselfe able to weylde it shee maketh an hole with hir Beake in the side of the balle framing it very hollow and empty within wherein she incloseth the body of hir breeder This done and the hole cunningly filled vp againe she poyseth the whole masse in hir tallaunts and finally she transporteth it to Heliopolis to the temple Pallace of y e Sunne so skilfully handling hir cariage that the Myrrhe body and all waygheth no more then the whole balle did before This they mention as concerning the Phoenix Knowe wee besides that in the region of Thebs in Aegypt there vse to haunte a kinde of Serpents had in dyuine worshippe of body sinale nothing norsome or hurtfull to men These haue two hornes growing out of their heads euermore dying are laide in Iupiters temple vnto whom they are holy and consecrate In Arabia there lyeth a place of no great distaunce from the city Batis whether I went of purpose hauing heard of certayne wynged Serpents there to bee seene And being come I behelde the ribbes and bones of Serpents in number welnigh infinite and not to bee reckoned whereofsome were greater and some lesse The place where the bones are layde is a sinale and narrowe bottome betweene two Mountaynes opening into a wyde and waste champion The speech goeth that out of Arabia at the poynte of the Sprynge many hydious and terrible Serpentes take their flght into Aegypt which y e fowles called Ibides meeting with straight wayes kill and deuour them by which meanes y e soile is rid deliuered of a great plague For this cause y e bird Ibis whereto the Arabians likewyse accorde is had in great price and estimation of the Aegyptians The fashion protrayture of this bird is such hir feathers as black as I eat long shanks like a Crane an hooked beake much about y e bignes of a Daker hen And in this sorte is the fowle bis rightly figured that killeth y e Serpents as they come into y e land There is also another of these which are brought vp liue amongst men hauing a sinale head a slender necke white plumed in all partes of the body sauing in the head necke the hinder parte of y e wyngs and the taile which are of a dark black hue the legges â—yll in all poynts like y e other The Serpents themselues in forme and making and much like to y e pestilent infectious beast Hydra that liueth in y e water They haue wyngs not of feathers but of smothe and naked skin like vnto the wings of a Bat or Reremouse But let it suffice vs hyther to to haue continued y e discourse and hystory of such beastes as with this people are had in chiefe and principall honour exhibiting towards them a certayne religious holy and diuine worship Now it vehoueth vs to know that such of the Aegyptians as dwell in the corne Countrey are most of all conuersant in descrying to the posterity the acts affayres of auncient momory and of all the nation the most famous principall Whose kinde of lyuing is after this maner Thrise euery moneth they cleanse and purifie them selues both vpwards by vomitting downewards by purginge hauinge especiall regarde of their health and welfare euermore supposing all maladies diseases to grow and arise of the meate which they eate For otherwise the Aegyptians are of all men liuing the most sounde and healthfull except y e Libians the cause whereof I iudge to proceede of the immutable constant course of y e yeare which with them neuer varieth but falleth out alwayes alike the greatest cause of defect sicknesse in men arysing of the chaung mutability of y e same Their bread is coÌ„tinually made of fine wheat their wyne for y e most part coÌ„pound of barley the conntry bearing no vynes at all They liue by fish partly raw and dryed agaynst the sunne sometimes powdred with salt Likewise by raw byrds well salted as Duayles Duckes and other smale fowle In like maner of other Creatures that haue neere affinity either with fish or fowle they make their prouision and furniture rosting some and boyleing other The rych and wealthy men of the lande in greate assemblies haue an vsuall custome that by some in the company there shoulde bee caryed about in a smale coffine the liuely expresse image of a deade man one or two cubits in length which hauing shewne and reuealed to all that are presente hee sayth thus Beholde here and amiddest thy pleasure and delighte remember this for such a one after thy death shalt thou bee thy selfe Such is their order in feastes and banquets contenting them selues alwayes with the customes of their owne countrey and refusing to be ruled by straunge and forraine maners Amongst whom are diuerse fashions very conuenient and well appoynted in the number of these an excellente Poeme or Ditty which the Grekes call Lynus And in truth meruayling at other thinges in Aegypt I am not a litle amazed at this whence the name of Lynus should come The Songe they seeme to haue kept retained from all antiquity Lynus in the Aegyptian gibberishe is called Maneros who as they say being the onely sonne of their firste Kinge was surprised and taken away by vntimely death whom the Aegyptians bewayle and lament in