Selected quad for the lemma: kingdom_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
kingdom_n	disciple_n	know_v	mystery_n	1,896	5	9.7001	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75719	Theatrum chemicum Britannicum· Containing severall poeticall pieces of our famous English philosophers, who have written the hermetique mysteries in their owne ancient language. / Faithfully collected into one volume, with annotations thereon, by Elias Ashmole, Esq. Qui est Mercuriophilus Anglicus. The first part.	Vaughan, Robert, engraver.; Cross, Thomas, fl. 1632-1682.; Ashmole, Elias, 1617-1692.	1652 (1652)	Wing A3987; Thomason E653_1; ESTC R205904	256,178	516

THEATRVM CHEMICVM BRITANNICUM CONTAINING Severall Poeticall Pieces of our Famous English Philosophers who have written the Hermetique Mysteries in their owne Ancient Language Faithfully Collected into one Volume with Annotations thereon By ELIAS ASHMOLE Esq Qui est Mercuriophilus Anglicus THE FIRST PART Serpens et Bufo gradiens suꝑ terrā Aquila volans est nostrū Magistoriū LONDON Printed by J. Grismond for NATH BROOKE at the Angel in Cornhill MDCLII TO All Ingeniously Elaborate Students In the most Divine Mysteries of Hermetique Learning THe Subject of this ensuing Worke is a Philosophicall account of that Eminent Secret treasur'd up in the bosome of Nature which hath been sought for of Many but found by a Few notwithstanding Experienc'd Antiquity hath afforded faithfull though not frequent Discoveries thereof Past Ages have like Rivers conveied downe to us upon the floate the more light and Sophisticall pieces of Learning but what were Profound and Misterious the weight and solidity thereof sunke to the Bottome Whence every one who attempts to dive● cannot easily fetch them up So that what our Saviour said to his Disciples may I hope without offence be spoken to the Elected Sons of Art Unto you it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdome of God but to others in Parables that seeing they might not see and hearing they might not understand Our English Philosophers Generally like Prophets have received little honour unlesse what hath beene privately paid them in their owne Countrey nor have they done any mighty Workes amongst us except in covertly administring their Medicine to a few Sick and healing them For greater Experiments then what it performes in Physick they never publikely made shew of Thus did I O. one of the first foure Fellowes of the Fratres R. C. in curing the young Earle of Norfolke of the Leprosie and Doctor B. in carrying off the virulency of the Small-pox twice from Queen Elizabeth insomuch that they never appeared But in Parts abroad they have found more noble Reception and the world greedy of obteyning their Workes nay rather then want the sight thereof contented to view them through a Translation though never so imperfect Witnesse what Maierus Hermannus Combachius Faber and many others have done the first of which came out of Germanie to live in England purposely that he might so understand our English Tongue as to Translate Norton's Ordinall into Latin verse which most judiciously and learnedly he did Yet to our shame be it spoken his Entertainement was too too course for so deserving a Scholler How great a blemish is it then to us that refuse to reade so Famous Authors in our Naturall Language whilst Strangers are necessitated to Reade them in Ours to understand them in their Own Yet think the dignity of the Subject much more deserving then their Paines If this we do but ingeniously Consider we shall judge it more of Reason that we looke back upon then neglect such pieces of Learning as are Natives of our owne Countrey and by this Inquisition finde no Nation hath written more or better although at present as well through our owne Supinenesse as the Decrees of Fate few of their Workes can be found John Leland tooke very much paines even at the yeilding up of the Ghost of our English Learning to preserve its latest but weakest ' cause almost spent Breath and from him John Bale with John Pitts who indeed is but Bale's Plagiary hath left us a Catalogue of the Writers of this Nation and that 's neere all Yet Posterity for this is deeply obliged What punishment then did their pestilent Malice deserve who rob'd us of their whole Workes A Juditious Author speaking of the Dissolution of our Monasteries saith thus Many Manuscripts guilty of no other superstition then Red letters in the Front were condemned to the Fire and here a principall Key of Antiquity was lost to the great prejudice of Posterity Indeed such was Learnings misfortune at that great Devastation of our English Libraries that where a Red letter or a Mathematicall Diagram appeared they were sufficient to intitle the Booke to be Popish or Diabolicall Our English Nation hath ever beene happy for Learning and Learned men and to illustrate this I hope it will not prove distastfull As first the Druydae the famous and mysterious Druydae that were Priests D●viners and Wise men and took their Originall and Name from Druys Sarronyus the fourth King of the Celts styled Sapientum Augurum Doctor who dyed Anno Mundi 2069. Next the Bardi who celebrated the Illustrious Deeds of Famous Men which they ingenio●sly dispos'd in Heroique Verse and sung them to the sweete Melody of the Harpe Amongst other Testimonies hereof receive Chaucer's The old gentle Brittons in her dayes Of divers aventures maden Layes Rymed first in her Mother Tongue Whych Layes with her Instruments they songe These Philosophers had their Name from Bardus Druydus the 5 King of the Celts who was the first Inventor of Verses as Berosius tells us and dyed An. Mundi 2138. Neither of these Sects of Philosophers used any writing indeed it was not lawfull for such was the Policy and Curiosity of Elder Ages to defend their Learning and Mysteries from the Injury of Ignorant Interpretations that they delivered them to Posterity by Tradition only Caesar testifies and t is a noble Testimony That the Learning of the Druydi was first invented in Britaine and thence transf●rr'd into France and that in all his time those of France came over hither to be Instructed Agricola in Tacitus preferrs the Britaines before the Students of France notwithstanding that they were of a docible Wit and apt to Learne in that they were curious in attaining the Eloquence of the Latin Tongue As for Magick Pliny tells us It flourished in Britaine and that the People there were so devoted to it yea with all Complements of Ceremony a man would think that even the Persian learned his Magick thence A Germane Poet sayes that when the World was troubled with Pannonick Invasions England flourished in the knowledge of all good Arts and was able to send of her Learned Men into other Countries to propogate Learning and instances Winifrid alias Boniface the Devonshire Man and Willebroad the Northerne Man that were sent into Germany Nay more England was twice Schoole-Mistris to France for so saith Peter Ramus viz. First by the Druydae who taught them their Discipline and afterwards by Alcunius in Charles the Great 's time through whose perswasions the Emperour founded the University of Paris For the Saxons it is not to be denied but that many of them after their conversion to Christianity were exceedingly Learned and before that much addicted to Southsaying Augury Divination by the Neighing of Horses c. And t is worth the Enquiry there being more in it then we ordinarily apprehend why they in Generall worshiped Herthas i. e. Dame Earth for a Goddesse and honoured Mercury above all the Gods of the Germanes whom