commemorates these Rebecka who when she saw the seruant of Abraham at the Well where she came to draw water and desiring to drinke answered cheerefully and without delay Drinke sir and I will also draw water for thy Cammells till they haue all drunke their fill Genes 24. The Midwiues feared God and did not according to the command of Pharaoh king of Aegypt but preserued the male-children whom they might haue destroyed Exodâ—s 1. The daughter of Pharaoh comming downe to the riuer to wash herselfe with her handmaid and finding the young child Moses in the arke amongst the bulrushes she had compassion on the infant and said Surely this is a child of the Hebrewes so caused him to be nursed brought vp in her fathers court and after adopted him her sonne Exod. 2. Rahab the strumpet when she knew the spies of Ioshua to be pursued and in danger of death concealed them and returned them safe to the armie Iosh. 2. The messengers that were sent to Dauid in the wildernesse to informe him of the proceedings of his sonne Absolon were by a woman hid in a Well which she couered and by that meanes deluded their pursuers Kings 2.17 When two common Women contended before Saloman about the liuing and dead infant the one had a tender and relenting brest and could not indure to see the liuing child to perish Kings 3.3 The widdow woman of Zerephath entertained Eliah as hir guest and by her he was relieued Kings 3. 17. The Shunamitish woman persuaded with her husband that the Prophet Elisaeus might haue a conuenient lodging in her house to go and come at his pleasure Kings 4. 2. When wicked Athalia had giuen strict command to destroy all the Kings seed Iosaba the daughter of King Ioram tooke Ioas one of the Kings children and by hiding him out of the way preserued his life Kings 4. 11. Esther hauing commiseration of her people when a seuere Edict was published to destroy them all and sweepe them from the face of the earth she exposed her selfe with the great danger of her owne life to the displeasure of King Ahashuerosh purchasing thereby the freedome of her nation and her owne sublimitie Esther 4.5 Women ministred to the Sauiour of the world in his way as he went preaching to the towns and cities Luk. 8. when he walked from place to place preaching and teaching he is said neuer to haue had more free and faithfull welcome than in the house of Martha and Marie Luke 10. Iohn 12. When the Scribes and Pharisees blasphemed at the hearing and seeing the Doctrine and Miracles of Christ a certaine woman giuing deuout attention to his words as extasied with his diuine Sermon burst forth into this acclamation Blessed bee the wombe that bore thee and the brests that gaue thee sucke Luke 11. Christ being in Bethania in the house of Simon the leaper as he sate at the table there came a woman with a box of ointment of Spicknard verie costly and she brake the box and poured it vpon his head and when some said disdaining To what end is this wast for it might haue beene sold for more than 300 pence and giuen to the poore Iesus said Let her alone she hath wrought a good worke on me c. and proceeded Verily I say vnto you wheresoeuer this Gospell shall be preached throughout the whole world this also that she hath done shall bee spoken in remembrance of her The woman of Canaan was so full of naturall pittie and maternall pietie that she counted her daughters miserie and affliction her owne when she said to Iesus Haue mercie vpon me oh Lord the sonne of Dauid for my daughter is vexed with an euill Spirit Math. 15. The women stood by to see the Lord suffer and followed the crosse when he was forsaken of his Apostles Luke 23. Iohn 19. they were carefull likewise to visit him in his sepulchre Math. 28. Luke 24. The wife of Pilat had more compassion of Christ and more vnwilling that he should suffer vpon the crosse than any man of whom the Scripture makes mention Math. 27. Marke 16. Iohn 20. For deeds of charitie and dealing almes to the poore and needie widdowes and orphans they intreated Peter weeping that he would visit Tabitha being dead who mooued with their teeres kneeled and praied at whose intercessions she was restored to life Act. Apost 9. Herod hauing slaine Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword and seeing that it pleased the people he proceeded further to take Peter and put him in prison deliuering him to the charge of foure quaternions of souldiers to be kept but the Angell of the Lord appeared to him in the night tooke off his double chaines and led him out of prison who hauing past the first and second watch the yron gate opened to the Angell and him and finding that which he thought to be a vision to be a reall truth he came to the house of Marie the mother of Iohn whose sirname was Marke where many had seperated themselues to praier Peter knocking a maide whose name was Rhode came to the doore who hearing and knowing Peters voice the Scripture saith she opened not the doore for gladnesse but ran in and told them that Peter stood without at the entrie In which are to be obserued two memorable women for their zeale and pietie namely Rhode the handmaid whose ioy was so great at the verie voice of Peter released from the prison of Herod and Mary her mistresse who was a deuout harboresse and one that gladly entertained the Disciples of Christ into her owne house notwithstanding the persecution to performe their zealous and religious exercises Act. Apost 12. Lydia a dier of purple beleeuing the gospell which Paul preached was baptised with her whole household after which she intreated them in these words If thou thinke me worthie saith she to be a faithfull seruant to my Lord and God vouchsafe to enter my house and abide there and she compelled vs as Luke saith By which is concluded that women haue beene the readie willing and deuout hearers of the word of God Act. Apost 16. Many no question zealous and religious women haue to their power striued to imitate those with their best of industrie Amongst others I might instance one now of a great age as hauing much past that number by which Dauid reckons the yeares of man yet from her youth hath lead a life without any noted staine or blemish deuout in her zeale remarkeable in her charitie beloued of all hated of none a Phisitian to the sicke and Chirurgion to the wounded who with her owne hands hath sent more lame and diseased persons from her gate whole and sound than Lazarus had sores about him when he lay at the rich mans gate vnrelieued she feeding with loaues when that purple glutton would not spare his crummes she doing this out of a widowes mite when he would
was deriued from skipping shadows in a mirror or glasse seeming to leape this way or that Capyromantia That which was apprehended from Brasse Aeromantia That which was begot from a Siue Coschinomantia That which came by Lots Cleromantia That which was gathered from the Aspect or Countenance Phisiognomia The coniecture by the hands Chiromantia That which was collected from Hearbes Batanomantia That which was apprehended from a great big-bellied Vessell into which children were set to looke and tell what they spide therein Gastromantia It is called Augurium or Auguri from Birds and Extispicum from the intrailes of Beasts Phauorinus vpon Gellius sayth that he would haue no faith nor beleefe at all giuen vnto these Diuinations arguing in this manner Either saith he they must presage Prosperitie or Aduersitie and bad or good fortune If they promise good and faile vs we are made miserable in our expectation if prosperitie to come though it happen in the processe of time in the interim time spent in hope of it seemes irksome and tedious if they prognosticate Aduersities and lie yet are wee made wretched in our feares if Miseries to come and lie not wee are first excruciated in our minds before we be once toucht by the hand of Fate by that means doubly suffer Mart. Cappell will allow but two Sybells namely Symachia and Herophila yet our latter authors approue the number of twelue of which though briefly we will speake in order SIBILLA PERSICA SHe was borne in Persia and is said to be the most auntient of all the rest and therefore she weares this character Antiquissium vaticinantium she is figured with her hand crossing her breast her eyes sixt vpward as one contemplating of diuine things holding a booke in her hand open as if she had bin latelie reading and now meditated what she had read shee prophesied of Christ in this manner as likewise of the seauen ages From Adam vnto Noah as well appeares Were a thousand fiue hundred fiftie and six yeares To make vp the first age And from the flood Two hundred ninetie two are vnderstood To Abraham From him Israel to free From Egypt makes fiue hundred adding three Till of King Salomons Temple the first stone Be laid iust yeares foure hundred eighty one Fourteene and full foure hundred yeares there be To Babylons distrest captiuitie The sixt age from that bondage may be seene To make vp iust six hundred and fourteene In which yeare of a Virgin shall be borne The Prince of peace crownd with a wreath of Thorne Him the seauenth age shall follow and extend Till the worlds frame dissolue and Time see end Amalthaea and Marpesia are the names of Sybills as Tybullus accounts them in his second booke Quicquid Amalthaea quicquid Marpesia dixit Heriphile Phoebo grataque quod monuit What Amalthaea said or speake Marpesia was able Or what Heriphile forwarn'd To Phoebus acceptable Politianus reckons vp diuerse of the Phebaiedes or Sybells withall some men skilfull in diuination in these verses Quad veteres prompsere Sybilla Carmen Amalthaea c. Which I thus interpret The antient Sybells did in numbers sing Amongst them Amalthaea who did bring The verse in vse Marpesia rich in fate Herophile next her who doth translate Her birth from Ida. Sabbe of knowne skill Demo and Phigo with Phaennis quill Which writ all truth Carmenta who was held A matron still with Manto that exceld Pythian Phoemonoe who thought it meet To make the proud verse stalke on longer feet Old Glaucus daughter in this art hath striu'd To exceede the rest Deiphoebe longe-liâ—'d Marcia and Bacis Olle doth adorne The trayne iust vnder the Triones borne Lychus most famous iâ— the Attid land Rankt the Dodoniaâ— doâ—es with these must stand This Persian Sybell is of such long standing that it seemes by antiquitie she hath lost her name neither am I willing further to inquire of her than the writers of the former ages were desirous to leaue recorded to posteritie SYBILLA LIBICA SHe is by some called Phoemonoe and held to be the daughter of Apollo sirnamed Prima By all antient writers shee hath the honour to be the first that inuented the heroick verse of her perticular actions much is not left recorded It is reported of a Prefect whose gouerment was ouer Cilicia that he gaue no credit at all to these Oracles and to make proofe whether there was in them any thing worthie admiration or beleefe he inscribed a question which he sealed vp his Aenigma was not known to any saue himself this letter by one of his freed men whom he best loued and most trusted hee sent to the Oracle charging him not to open it till hee had receiued a direct answere to the demand included The messenger hauing made his Orisons offered sacrifice and presented gifts according to the custome of the place petitioned for an answere to his vnknowne request and so layd him downe to sleepe by the altar in the morning being throughly awake he remembered himselfe of a vision that appeared vnto him it seemed vnto him that he saw one of the Sybells standing before the altar who onely spake to him this word Nigrum a blacke and so vanisht With this satisfaction he returnes to his lord and tells him euerie circumstance as it happened withal the short answer that he receiued by vision when the gouernor vnsealing the paper discouered only these words written with his owne hand Album tibi an Nigrum imolabo taurum i. Shall I sacrifice vnto thee a white bull or a blacke to which the answere was giuen a blacke this euer after better possest him of the Oracles The first Oracle that was heard was by certaine sheapheards the chiefe of whom was called Coretas these grasing their flockes in the place where the Temple now stands heard a sound of certaine words vttered by Diuine instinct of which at first they tooke small heede as meerely neglecting them but when by proofe they found all things to happen punctualy according to the prediction they gaue a sacred reuerence to the place which since hath enlarged the fame thereof through all the parts of the world But concerning this Sybell Libica her prophesies concerning Christ were somewhat to this purpose A King a Priest a Prophet all these three Shall meet in one sacred Diuinitie Shall be to flesh espous'd Oh who can scan This mysterie vniting God with man When this rare birth into the world shall come Hee the great god of Oracles strikes dombe Plutarch in his booke Oraculorum defunctione relates this historie Aemilianus the Rhetoritian was the father of Epitherses a doctor in Grammer and a man of approued truth and fidelitie he reports that in his trauell by sea towards Italie hee happened into a ship laden with merchants goods and full of passengers of diuers nations In the euening being iust against the Echinadae they failed afore the wind till with an
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