honour of his great Majesty which continued for the space of an hundred and fourescore dayes which time being expired he made a second feast for the people that were found in the pallace of Shushan which continued seven dayes in the Court of the Garden of the Kings Pallace under an hanging of white greene and blew clothes fastened with cords of fine linnen and purple in silver rings and pillars of Marble the beds were of gold and of silver upon a pavement of porphyre and marble and alablaster and blew colour and their drinke was filled in vessels of gold and they changed vessell after vessell and there was royall wine in abundance according to the power of the King and their drinking was by order no man was compeld for the King had given a charge to all the officers of his house that every man should drinke according to his owne pleasure The Queene Vasthi made also a feast for the women in the royall house of the King now it happened that upon the seventh day which was the last of the feast that Ahasuerus being merry with Wine commanded the seven chiefe Eunuches that waited in his presence to bring the Queene before him with the Crowne Royall upon her head that he might shew the Princes and the People her beauty for shee was exceeding faire to looke upon but the Queene refused to come at the Kings sending for wherefore he was very angry and his wrath was kindled in him then the King said to thē wise men who knew the times and had experience in the Law and the Iudgements who were next him and saw the Kings face and sate the first in the Kingdome whose names were Carshena Shethar Admatha Tarshis Meres Marsena and Memucan what shall we doe unto the Queene according to the Law because shee hath refused to doe the Kings pleasure by the Commission of the Eunuches To which Memucan stood up and answered the Queene Vasthi hath not in this act of disobedience done evill unto the King onely but to all the Princes and to all the people of the Empire for this act of the Queene when it shall come abroad unto the women they shall by her example despise their husbands and say King Ahasuerus commanded the Queene Vasthi to be brought before him but she denyed to come So also shall the Princesses of Persia of Media and Chaldea say unto the Princes their Husbands which shall be the occasion of much despitefulnesse and wrath Obedience sheweth nurture but rebellion corrupt nature and whosoever obey their Superiours instruct their Inferiours The humble and obedient gaine honour but the stubborne and obstinate reproofe obedience formeth peace establisheth common weales and prevents disorders for obedience to the Law is the mainetenance of the Law c. Now therefore if it please the King let a Royall decree passe from him and let it be written amongst the Lawes of Persia and Media not to be transgressed that Queene Vasthi come no more into his presence but let the King dispose of her estate to her Companion who is better and more obedient then she which Decree when it shall be published through all your large Dominions the women shall give unto their husbands all due worship and honour which saying much pleased the King and the Princes and he did after the words of Memucan publishing unto all Nations and Languages that every man had power to beare rule in his owne house after these things when the Kings wrath was appeased those that ministred unto him said let them seeke for the King beautifull young Virgins and Officers be appointed through all his Provinces to bring them unto the pallace of Shushan and the maide that shall best please the King let her raigne in the stead of Vasthi and the saying pleased the King There was at that time in the City of Shushan a Iew whose name was Mordecai which implyeth bitter or Contrition who was the sonne of Iair the sonne of Shimei the sonne of Kish a man of Iemini who had beene carryed away in the captivity from Ierusalem with Ieconia King of Iudah by Nebuchadnezzar King of Babell who then had in his tuition Esther whom some call Hester or Hadassah his Vnckles daughter who was an Orphant without Father or Mother and was very faire and beautifull now when many Virgins were brought together into the pallace under the hand of Hege one of the Kings Eunuches Esther was found amongst them and the Maide pleased him and shee found favour in his sight Therefore hee caused her things for purification to bee given her speedily and seven comely maides out of the King house to attend her but shee did not shew this to her kindred or people for Mordecai had charged her to the contrary Now when the course of Esther the daughter of Abthail the Vnckle of Mordecai came that she should goe into the King shee desired nothing but what Hege gave unto her and she found favour in the eyes of all that beheld her who was taken in unto the King who loved her above all the women so that he set the Crowne of the Kingdome upon her head and made her Queene in the stead of Vasthi and made a great feast unto all his Princes and his servants and called it the feast of Esther after her name and gave rest unto all his Provinces and great gifts according to the power of a King In these dayes when Mordecai sate in the Kings gate too of the Kings Eunuches whose names were Bigthan and Teresh which kept the doore of the Chamber conspired together and intended to lay hands on the King Ahasuerus which was knowne unto Mordecai and he told it to Queene Esther and she certified the King thereof in Mordecha's name And when inquisition was made it was found to be so therefore they were both hanged on a tree and this was written in the Chonicles in the presence of the King After all these things it pleased the great King Ahasuerus to exalt Haman the sonne of Hammedatha the Agagite and set his seate above al the Princes that were with him insomuch that all the Kings servants that were at his the gate at his going out and comming in bowed unto him and did him reverence for so the King had commanded Mordecai onely bended not the knee nor made unto him any obeysance To whom the Kings servants said why transgressest thou the Kings commandement but he harkned not unto them therefore they told Haman of Mordecai and withall that he was of the nation of the Iewes Which when he understood he was full of indignation and wrath and thinking it too little to lay his hands on Mordecai onely he sought to destroy all the Iewes which were in the dominions of Ahasuerus and to sweepe them from the face of the earth and to that purpose hee came unto the King and said There is a people scattered and dispersed
amongst the nations throughout all the Provinces of thy Kingdomes and their lawes are diverse from all other people neither observe they their Kings lawes nor is it his profit to suffer them Therefore let it be written that they be destroyed and I will pay ten thousand tallents of silver by the hands of them thâ—t take charge of the businesse to bring into the Kings treasury To whom the King taking the Ring from his finger and giving it unto Haman said let the silver be thine and the people thine to doe with them as it shall seeme good in thine eyes Then were the Kings Scribes called and they writ according to all things which Haman did dictate unto them unto the Captaines and Chiefe Officers in every Province and the Letters were sealed with the Kings Signet and sent by Posts into all the Provinces to roote out kill and destroy all the Iewes young and old children and women in one day namely the thirteenth of the moneth Adar which is the twelfth moneth and to spoyle them as a prey and the Posts compelled by the Kings Commandement went forth and the writing was given at the pallace of Shushan and the King and Haman sate drinking together but the Iewes that were in the City were all at that time in great perplexity and trouble Which when it was related unto Mordecai he rent his cloathes and put on sacke-cloth and ashes and went into the middest of the City and cryed out with a great cry and a bitter and then came before the Kings gate but was not suffered to enter being clothed in sacke-cloth and in every Province and place where the Commission was read there was great sorrow and fasting and weeping and mourning and many of the Iewes lay in sacke-cloth and ashes then Esthers maids and the Eunuches told all these things unto her for which she was very heavy and sent rayment to cloathe Mordecai and to take his sack-cloth from him but he received it not then the Queene called Hatach the Eunuch and gave him a commandement to goe unto Mordecai and to know of him what and why such things were so Hatach went forth and met him at the gate to whom Mordecai punctually related all that had happened even to the least circumstance and gave him the coppy of the writing to shew unto Esther and charged her by him that she should goe in to the King and make humble supplication for her and her people Now when the Eunuch had delivered unto her the Coppy of the Commission and all that Mordecai had said unto him shee commanded him to returne unto him and say that whosoever man or woman came to the King into the inner Court not being called there is a law of his that all such shall dye except him to whom the King shall hold up his golden Scepter that he may live Now saide shee I have not beene called to come before the King these thirty dayes so hee certified Mordecai of all the words which Queene Esther had spoken who said that they should answer her againe thus Thinke not with thy selfe that thou shalt escape in the Kings house more then all the rest of thy Nation for if thou holdest thy peace at this time comfort and deliverance shall appeare to us from some other place and person but thou and thy Fathers house shall assuredly perish yet who knoweth but thou art come into the Kingdome for such a purpose Then Esther commanded him to go backe againe to Mordecai and answer hiâ— thus goe and assemble all the Iewes in Shushan and fast yee for me and neither eate nor drinke any thing for the space of three dayes and nights I also and my Maides will fast likewise and afterward I will goe in to the King which is against the Law and if I perish I perish which having heard Mordecai departed and did according to all that the Queene had commanded him And on the third day she put on her Royall apparell and stood in the Court of the Kings pallace within over against the house and the King sate upon his throne of Majesty who when hee saw Esther the Queene standing in the Court shee found favour in his sight and he held out the golden Scepter that was in his hand so shee drew neere and touched the toppe of the Scepter to whom the King spake and saide what wilt thou Queene Esther and what is thy request It shall be granted thee even to the halfe of my kingdome Who humbly bowing unto him said if it please your high Majesty let the King and Haman come this day unto the banquet that I have prepared for them To whom the King answered goe and cause Haman to make haste that he may come to the banquet of Queene Esther at which when they were sate the King said what is thy request I speake it againe it shall bee performed even to the halfe of my Kingdome To whom she replyed If I have found favour in the sight of the King and that it please him to grant my request let the King and Haman come to the banquet that I shall to morrow make ready and then I will declare what my petition is to the King So Haman departed thence joyfully but when he found Mordecai standing in the gate and that hee stood not up nor mooved unto him he was mightily incensed against him Notwithstanding for that time hee refrained himselfe and when he came home hee sent and invited his friends in the presence of Zeresh his wife and Haman told to them of the glory of his riches and the multitude of his children and all the honours to which the King had exalted him and that hee had set him above all the Princes and servants of the King adding moreover that Esther the Queen suffred no man to come unto the banquet with the King save himselfe and to morrow saith he I am invited but all this doth nothing please mee whilst I see stubborne Mordecai sit at the gate of the pallace Then said Zeresh his wife and all his friends unto him let there be made a tree of fifty cubits high and to morrow speake unto the King that Mordecai may be hanged thereon then shalt thou goe joyfully with the King to the banquet and the motion pleased Haman who caused the gibbet to be erected Now it happened that the same night that the King slept not quietly and therefore commanded the Bookes of the Chronicles to be read before him in which it was found written what Mordecai had told of Bigthan and Teresh the Kings Eunuches keepers of the doore who sought to lay violent hands on the King Which having heard hee demanded what honour or what dignity had beene done unto him for that service to whom it was answered by his servants that nothing at all had beene done for him He thinking it most unworthy his imperiall dignity to receive so great a benefit as
his life and not to reward it asking what one of note was in the Court now Haman was newly come into the Inner Court of the Kings pallace to speake unto him that Mordecai might be hanged on the tree which he had prepared for him and his servants said Haman standeth in the Court and the King said let him come in who no sooner appeared before him but Ahasuerus spake unto him and said what shall be done unto the man whom the King will honour then Haman thinking in his heart to whom would the King doe honour more then to my selfe answered To him whom the King will honour let them bring forth Royall apparell such as the King useth to weare and the Horse on which hee rideth and let the Crowne Royall be set upon his head and let the rayment and the Horse be delivered by the hand of one of the Kings most noble Princes and let them apparel the man whom the King will honour and cause him to ride upon the Horse through the City and proclame before him saying thus shall it be done unto the man whom the King will honour Then said the King to Haman goe speedily and take the rayment and the Horse as thou haste saide with the royall Crowne and doe so unto Mordecai the Iew and see that thou let nothing faile of what thou hast spoken which how unpleasing it was to the Agagite may be easily conjectured since he was made the Minister and servant to doe such grace and honour to the man whom of all the men living he most hated but man purposeth and God disposeth who confoundeth the wicked in the mallice of their hearts and recompenseâ—h the innocence of the Righteous and upright man as well in the justice of his cause as to give the world a testimony how he never suffreth the innocent to fall nor the godly to perish Wee finde by proofe infallible that envy ayming at others still woundeth her selfe shee is blinde and can doe nothing but dispraise vertue she is the slime and Impostume of the soule a venome a poyson which consumeth the flesh and dryeth up the marrow in the bones it is a sicknesse growing from other mens happinesse shee barketh at the starres and spurnes at that which she cannot reach she is imagined by the Poets to dwell in a darke cave to be pale leane and looking a squint full of gall never rejoycing but in other mens harmes ever unquiet and continually tormenting her selfe shee maketh the body to be ill disposed and is called the feaver-hepticke of the Spirit and may be thus distinguished from hatred the one is secret the other is open and as griefe is a disease of the body so is shee a sickenesse of the soule Shee alwayes waites at vertues elbow but glory in the end erecteth that which envy in the beginning seekes to depresse as may appeare by the sequell For Haman whether pleased or displeased was forced to take the rayment and the Horse and brought him mounted through the streetes of the City and proclamed before him thus shall it be done to him whom the King will honour which done Mordecai went againe to the Kings gate but Haman hasted home to his house mourning and his head covered and told unto Zeresh his wife and to all his friends what had befalne him to whom after some pause they replyed If Mordecai be of the seede of the Iewes before whom thou hast begunne to fall thou shalt not prevaile against him but shall assuredly fall before him and whilst they were yet talking with him came the Kings Eunuches and invited him unto the banquet So the King and Haman sate downe with Queene Esther and the King said againe unto her what is thy petition that it may be given to thee and what is thy request who answered and said if I have found favour in thy sight O King and if it so please his high Majesty let my life be given me at my petition and the lives of my people at my request For wee are sold I and my people to be destroyed to be slaine and to perish but if wee were sold for servants and handmaides I should have held my tongue and beene silent although the adversary could not profiâ— the King so much by his mallice as hee should hinder him by the losse of my people Then King Ahasuerus saide unto Queene Esther who is he or where is hee that presumeth to doe thus who answered againe the adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman at which words Haman was startled and sore afraid before the King and the Queene then the King arose from the banquet of wine in his wrath and who knoweth not but that the anger of a Prince is like the lightning from the East and the threats of a King like the noyse of thunder and went into the Pallace Garden and Haman stood up to the Queene to make request for his life for his heart failed him because he saw there was a mischiefe prepared for him from the King Who when heÌ„ returned from the Garden into the house where they had drunke wine Haman was falne upon the bed where the Queene sate at which hee being incensed said and will he force the Queene also before me in the house which words were no sooner uttered but those which were attendants on the King covered Hamans face which was the manner of the Persians when any one was out of the Princes favour then Harbonah one of the chiefe Eunuches saide in the presence of the King behold there standeth yet the tree in Hamans house fifty cubits high which Haman had prepared for Mordecai that spake good for the King who said let him be hanged thereon so they hanged Haman on the tree which he had prepared for Mordecai and then the Kings wrath was appeased The same day did King Ahasuerus give the house of Haman to Queene Esther and Mordecai came and stood before the King for the Queene had told him of what neere alliance he was unto her and the King tooke off his Ring which he had before taken from Haman and gave it unto Mordecai and Esther set him over the house of Haman and shee spake yet more before the King and fell prostrate at his feete weeping and besought him that he would utterly abolish all those wicked decrees of Haman the Agagite and those inhumane devices which he had imagined against her people and the King held his golden Scepter towards her and shee arose from the earth and stood before him and said if it please the King and that it may be acceptable unto him let it be written that those Letters of Haman the sonne of Ammedatha be revoked which he wrote concerning the destruction of my Nation throughout all the Kings Provinces for how shall I suffer to see the evill that shall come unto my people or how can I indure the depopulation of my Kindred And the King said unto
the Queene and to Mordecai behold I have given Esther the house of Haman whom they have hanged upon the tree because hee presumed to lay hands upon the Iewes write ye also for them as it liketh you in my name and seale it with my Ring for the writings are written in my name and sealed with my Ring may no man revoke Then were the Kings Scribes called who wrote according to al that Mordecai did dictate unto them unto the Iewes and to the Princes and Captaines and Governours of the Provinces which were from India even unto Aethiopia an hundred and seven and twenty Provinces and unto every Province in such Letters and Language as was used amongst the people that lived therein which having sealed with the Kings Ring he sent them by posts on Horsebacke and those that rode upon beasts of price as Dromidaries and Mules in which the King granted liberty to the Iewes that in what Cities soever they were resident to assemble themselves together and stand for their lives and to roote out and destroy all the power of that people and that province which vexed them both men women and children and to make spoile of their goods so the posts went forth to execute the Kings Commandement and the decree was given in Shushan the pallace Then Mordecai went out from the King in Royall apparell of blew and white and with a great Crowne of gold upon his head and with a garment of fine linnen and purple and the Iewes in the City rejoyced and were glad to whom was come light and joy and gladnesse and honour and in all and every Province and in all and every City and place where the Kings Commandement and Decree was read there was great rejoycing a feast and a good day and many of the people of the Land became Iewes for the feare of the Nation fell upon them Now when this Decree grew neare to be put in execution in the day that their enemies hoped to have power over them It is worthy observation that Gods great providence turneth the joy of the wicked into sorrow and the teares of the godly into gladnesse for the Iewes gathered themselves together into their Cities throughout all the Dominions of King Abasuerus to lay hands on such as sought their dammage and no man durst withstand them for the feare of them fell upon all the people and the Rulers of the Provinces Princes Captaines and Officers of the King Exalted the Iewes did them honour and showed them friendship for the feare of Queene Esther and Mordecai was upon them For he still grew in favour power and honour greater and greater Thus the Iewes smote all their enemies with the sword with slaughter and destruction and what seemed pleasing in their owne eyes unto all those who had conspired their death by the instigation of wicked Haman At Shushan they slew five hundred men as also the ten sonnes of Haman but they laid not their hands on the spoyle and their number was brought unto the King Who said unto Queene Esther thy people have slaine in Shushan the pallace five hundred men and the ten sonnes of Haman what have they done in the rest of the Provinces and what is thy petition further that it may be given thee or what is thy request moreover that it may be performed unto thee then said Esther if it please the King let it be granted also that they may hang upon the tree Hamans ten sonnes and the King gave present order that it should be so done The Iewes also that were in Shushan assembled themselves upon the foureteenth day of the moneth Adar and slew of their enemies three hundred men but they laid not their hands on the spoyle and the rest of the Iewes that were in the Kings provinces assembled themselves and stood up for their lives and slew them that hated them seventy and five thousand but on the spoyle laid they no hand So they kept solemne the foureteenth and the fifteenth dayes of the moneth Adar which was the twelfth moneth in memory of their great deliverance by the hand of Esther which dayes were turned unto them from sorrow unto joy and from mourning into a glad season to keepe them as dayes of solemnity and feasting in which they sent presents every man unto his neighbour and gifts to the poore Thus raigned shee a blessed Mother in Israel and Mordecai was the second man in the Kingdome next to Ahashuerosh who was great amongst the Iews and accepted of his Brethren who procured the wealth of his people and spake peaceably unto all his seede and whose dignity and honours done unto him by the King are written at large in the Booke of the Chronicles of the Kings of Medâ—a and Persia. OF THE THREE WORTHIE WOMEN AMONG THE HEATHEN Whose Names are Bunduca Penthisilaea Artimethia BVNDVCA HOw much O Brittaine are we bound to thee Mother and Nurse of magnanimity Of which thou from antiquity hast lent Vnto all ages famous president Witnes this British Queen whose masculine spirit Shall to all future glorious fame inherit Beyond all tongues or pens who may be proud Not thunders voyce can speake it self more loud Of whom although our moderne Authors wrote But sparingly least they should seeme to dote Too much upon their Natives forraigne inke Hath beene so lavish it would make man thinke Her valour inexpressible Tacitus Made her his ample theame and to discusse Her gifts were Dio's labour Xiphiline With many others made her acts divine As above all womans performance farre To whom I onely leave this Character This British Queen whom just incensment fires Against the Roman Monarchy conspires And her revenge more hotly to pursue Of their best souldiers fourescore thousand slew Whose name all other glories might transcend Had not adverse fate crost her in the end THE FIRST OF THE THREE WOMEN WORTHIES AMONGST THE HEATHEN CALLED BVNDVCA THis Bunduca cald also by severall Authours Boodicia Boudicea Voadica and Bowndvica was the dowager Queen of Prasutagus King of the Iceni a Province which contained foure shires in England and was one of the prime of the Sceptarchy who all the time of his raigne remained in amity with the Romans and was reckoned amongst their sociall Kings who having disposed of his kingdome to Nero Caesar then Emperour and to his owne two daughters intending that having Caesar their guardian and in hope of his favour towards them receiving a childs part that they should be Queenes of their owne shires or co-partners after their Mother which being ratified by his last will and testament he deceased But the daughters poore Ladies found but a sorry partnership where the Lion was to make the partition For Neroeâ— Captaines and Officers exercised intollerable violence throughout the Kingdome and not the least upon them for the Pallace of Prasutagus their Father as also his great Riches which were abundant and long in gathering together with his
finisht lasted threescore and eighteene yeares with sixe moneths added Pliny writeth that King Cleopes consumed upon the workemen in one of them one thousand and eight hundred talents in nothing else but Leekes Onions and Garlike by which may easily be conjectured how great and prodigious his expense was in their meate when their sallets cost him so much the scituation thereof tooke up eight acres of ground which unheard of prodigality so exhausted his treasure and drew him to that penury that he was forced to prostitute the fairest of his daughters to supply his present necessities Herodotus in his Eutirpe speaketh of diverse others too long to recite in this place one of which but the least was erected by the famous strumpet Rhodope once the Mistresse of Esopus samius still knowne to us in his excellent fables with the great riches shee gathered together by her Meretrician practise of these Lucan speaketh in his eight Booke as also Martiall in these words Barbara Pyramidum sileat Miracula memphis A second Wonder was that excellent structure built at the charge of Ptolomeus the great in the Isle of Pharos for no other use but to continue a lampe all the night long to direct Navigators in their course and how to avoide the rockes shelves and Quicke-sands frequent in those places It is said to have cost eight hundred talents of which Sostratus was the famous Architector in the most eminent place whereof he left his name inscribed In the rancke of these miraculous Edisicees are numbred the walls of Babilon either first renued or royally repaired by Queene Semiramis in height two hundred foote and in breadth fifty upon the top Chariots might meete without jetting one against the other they had moreover three hundred Towers and more should have had but that the Marishes and Fennes were of the one side a sufficient defence for the City In this worke three hundred thousand workemen were for some yeares imployed at once Herodatus writeth that these walls were two hundreth cubits in height and fifty cubits in thicknesse and that there were an hundred gates of brasse that mooved upon hinges the swift River of Euphrates running through the Towne To the former is added the magnificent Temple of Diana in Ephesus to which all Asia contributed towards the buildings which was ere it was fully perfected the space of two hundred and twenty yeares the foundation whereof was laid in a Marish or Fenny ground because it should not be subject to any earth-quake it was in longitude three hundred twenty and five foote according to the standard and in latitude two hundred and twenty being supported by two hundred and seven and twenty Collumnes every one of those pillars being at the charge of a severall King of which number twenty seven were curiously and most artificially carved and graven of which glorious worke Câ—esiphon is nominated to be the prime overseer A fifth Wonder was the Colossus at Rhodes being the figure or Image of Apollo made of Brasse and of that magnitude that it bestrided a small arme of the Sea betweene whose legges ships might saile without vayling their maine tops it was in height threescore and ten cubits which after it had stood by the space of fifty and sixe yeares was utterly demolisht by an earthquake one of his thumbes a man could scarcely fadome and his fingers were like large statues yet not one joynt about it which was not proportionably suiting with the size thereof this Colossus was lined with stones of an extraordinary bignesse with smaller intermixed amongst them it was twelve yeares in composing and the charge thereof amounted to three hundred talents The chiefe Artifex was Chares Lyndius the Scholler of Lysippus The Souldan of Aegypt invading Rhodes Laded Nine hundred Camels with the brasse thereof from this Colosse The Rhodians were called Colossians and the Island it selfe Colossicula A sixth to these was the Image of Iupiter which Phidias the most excellent Artist made of Ivory Gold and other precious materialls for the Aelians of which Propertius the excellent Poet speakes lib. I. in these words Nam neque Pyramidum sumptus ad sidera ducti Nec Iovis Elaei caelum imit at a Domus For not the least of the great Pyramids Even to the starres elate Nor the Elean house of love Which Heaven did imitate Some ranke with this the Pallace of Cyrus King of the Medes and Persians all the stones whereof were simmond with gold whereas others are done with plaister of which Memnon was the Architector but having occasion to speake of this sixth wonder though I make a small deviation I hope no Iudiciall Reader but he will say it is somewhat to purpose It thus followeth Amongst the Grecians there was a generall Law enacted of which every particular province tooke notice that whosoever should rob the statue of any of their heathen gods or any Temple dedicated unto him it was held sacriledge in the highest degree and he must imiaedtely upon his apprehension forfeit his hands to be cut of it so fell out that the senate of Elis having a purpose to erect the Image of Iupiter sent to the Arerpagita who were the optimates of Athens to borrow of them the most excellent Artist Phidias who was at that time the choyse and prime workeman of the World they willing to further so pious a worke for so they thought it as to make a god assented to the motion and delivered Phidias unto them but upon condition that they should returne him backe the worke being perfected every way as sound and compleate as they received him from them or else to forfeit an hundred Talents Which contract being drawne and concluded upon betwixt these two famous Cities Phidias is sent to undertake the worke and finisheth it which was done with such inimitable Art that it begot in them infinite admiration insomuch that they ambitiously covetous to engrosse so excellent a peece to themselves knowing it was not to be paralleld through the world and presuming that he who had done that was able to compose the like or perchance a better having now before him so faire a president therefore to prevent all such doubts and feares they laid unto his charge that he having received from them such a quantity of gold and so much Ivory with sundry other costly and precious materialls had detained a great part of them not bestowing all upon the same and therefore reserving somewhat to his owne peculiar use had incurred the due penalty belonging to a sacrilegious person for which he was convented convicted and by the Senate condemned so that Manus tanquam sacrilego praeciâ—erunt they cut off his hands as a punishment imposed on him who had committed sacriledge and so sent him backe handlesse unto the Athenians Who with great sorrow and pitty commiserating the wretched estate of their dismembred Country man