Selected quad for the lemma: order_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
order_n	law_n	priest_n	priesthood_n	3,386	5	10.8834	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65093	The works of the famous antiquary, Polidore Virgil containing the original of all arts, sciences, mysteries, orders, rites, and ceremonies, both ecclesiastical and civil : a work useful for all divines, historians, lawyers, and all artificers / compendiously English't by John [i.e. Thomas] Langley.; De rerum inventoribus. English	Vergil, Polydore, 1470?-1555.; Langley, Thomas, d. 1581.	1663 (1663)	Wing V596; ESTC R28374	121,672	340

of hallowing of them and their Vestures is declared at large in the book of Exodus As for Noah which made the first Altar Melchisedech Abraham Isaac and Jacob did make their offering rather of a natural devotion then any Priestly authority After that the Levites whom we use to call Deacons were created by Moses to minister and serve Aaron in all the Sacrifices to bear the Ark and Tabernacle the holy Vessels and pitch the Camp and were discharged of all te●●rene affairs Next them were chosen the Ministers which did make ready the sacrifice as Calves Oxen Sheep with such other things at the commandement of the Levites these we may call Sub-Deacons Certain other were elected to light the Tapers and Lamps named Accolites The Sextons or Porters were appointed to keep out all prophane and unclean people And Readers to preach and read the Law and Prophets on their Sabbath dayes There were moreover Chaunters and Singers to sing the P●alms in the Temple whom David and Asaph did institute Conjurers were ordained by Solomon to drive evil spirits our of men All these Offices went by Succession neither was one promoted from one to another Thus was the Levitical Priesthood appointed which was but a sign and shadow of things to come that is Christ in whom resteth the perfection and compleat fulfilling of the Law CHAP. IV. Of our Priesthood how it is double What laying on of hands meaneth CHRIST JESUS our Saviour vhich was King and Priest after the order of Melehisedech in the New Testament hath instituted among us a Priesthood to offer and do the functions of the new Law and it is of two kinds or sorts The one is a spiritual Priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices In this kind Christ offered and gave up himself a consummate oblation for the sins of the whole world as Peter saith Christ died once for our sins he being righteous for us unrighteous that he might give us up to God mortified as touching the flesh but living in the spirit Of this Priesthood be all Christian men which after the example of Christ must offer our prayers thanksgiving and our bodies mottified we be all of the degree of this Kingly Priesthood as Peter and also John in the Apocalyps do bear witnesse The second Priesthood is a Ministery that Christ did ordain following the order of the Law that we might have our teachers to instruct us in the Gospel as the Jews had their Schoolmasters in the Law He did elect twelve Bishops whom he called by a new name Apostles because they were appointed to be Embassadours into all parts of the World with the mighty word of his power to carry the glad Tydings of his Gospel He assigned also 70 Disciples to whom he gave the charge and office of Preaching and teaching which in stead of Aarons Sons should be among us inferiour Priests and Seniours of Congregations and these began the order of our Priests as our Bishops had their original of the Apostles As the Apostles and 70 Disciples which were Ministers and disposers of the Mysteries of God had no other manner of consecrating but onely the vocation and election of Christ into the Office and so was Matthias chosen in the Acts into the room of Judas So were the seaven Deacons chosen to Minister to the poor people of the Congregation And Titus did choose in every Town and City of Creet Priests by the laying on of hands which was a manner of admission without any further Ceremonies whereby Authority was given them over the Congregation and boldnesse to execute earnestly his office with the assistance of the Holy Ghost And therefore in the beginning of the Church when a Bishop was consecrated there was used no other Rites or Ceremonies but onely the people to whom the Election of the Bishop belonged should pray and after the Seniours or Priests by laying on their hands admitted him to that degree Of these Peter was called chief and first because both of his ancient●y and also forasmuch as he was the first Elected A Bishops room is not so much an honour as it is an heavy burden not so much a laud as a load For his duty is not onely to wear a Mitre and Crosier but also to watch over the flock of the Lord vigilantly to teach with the Word diligently with example honestly and in all things to go before them uprightly and lead them in the way of Truth that they may follow the pattern of his godly living and there as it were in a Mirrour behold how they ought to reform and conform their lives And this office of the Bishoprick and Deacons was instituted by the Scripture onely for Priests in the Primative Church and Bishops were all one But the Bishops of Rome following the shadows of the old abrogate law of the Hebrews have ordained a swarm of divers other orders as Potters or Sextons Readers Exorcists Accolites Sub-deacons Deacons Priests Bishops Archbishops as a certain degree one above another whereby they should ascend to the highest dignity Caius Bishop of Rome did begin the Orders first yet some say Iginius did ordain those degrees long before Caius his time And I grant well that Iginius might be the first deviser of them and afterward Caius accomplished the work and brought it to a finall consummation The office of a Priest as Christ ordained it was to teach Baptize and Minister the Sacrament of the Altar and thanksgiving bind and loofe and judge of Doctrines Therefore let them take heed that admit such to be Priests as cannot perform the duty of that ministery For many suppose if they can mumble up a pair of Matins and say Masse they be perfect Priests CHAP. V. The manner of shaving Priests Crowns who may not be Priest what age he must be of THe common and general badge of all Priests is the shaven Crown whereby the Clergy is dissevered from the Laity and be put in remembrance by it how they ought altogether to relinquish and despise all carnal pleasure and worldly treasure and ensue after heavenly things which be eternal This as Beda writeth grew into a custome and was decreed by a constitution to the intent that the thing which was before opprobrious might grow to honour and comelinesse For Peter when he preached at Antioch was scorned and mocked because of his bald head or shaven Crown and it was a contumelious thing both among the Romans and Lombards to be shaven I think the original cause of it did proceed of the Ceremonies of the Nazarens which when they had lived long time as Josephus telleth very devoutly they shaved their heads and sacrificed the hair in the fire to God whereby they signified that they did dedicate themselves wholly to live in Godly perfection Samuel was a Nazaren and Sampson also I suppose that this Rite of the Nazarens came out of Aegypt

where the Priests were customably shaven in token of sorrow and heavinesse for the death of their God Apis. And they were also shaven daily because they should be without filth in their quotidian Sacrifice The signification of the Priests crouns is to declare that they ought to reject terrene and Earthly substance reserving to themselves onely a competent sufficiency Anacletus first forbad Priests to have beards or long hair Siricus decreed that all those men that were twise married or wedded a Widow should be no Priests Anastasius commanded that none that was lame or maimed should be admitted to be a Priest Bonifacius instituted That no man could be a Priest before he were 30 years old for that was the age of Priests in the old Law But the Council of Laterane thought it sufficient if he were 25 years old after the example of the Levites which at that age ministred in the Tabernacle Anacletus also appointed that every Bishop should be installed and consecrated of other ancient Bishops CHAP. VI. Who devised Parishes and Diocesses the Order of Cardinals Notaries and Chamberlains AFter that the Priesthood was ordained both lest the cure should be over-great and also that every man might know what his charge was and ho far his Office extended Dionysius the year of our Lord 267 divided both in Rome and other places Churches Church-yards and Parishes to Curates and Diocesses to Bishops and commanded every man should be contented with his prescript bounds But before that Euaristus appointed titles of Cures to the Priests in Rome whose duty was to christen all that were converted from Paganism to Christian Religion and resorted thithen 〈◊〉 received ●he faith and to bury the dead And afterward Marcellus decreed that there should be 〈◊〉 in number These because they were the chief Priests in Rome and had the prerogative before the rest were named Cardinals and of them without doubt the order of Cardinals sprung first which for as much as they were in daily presence with the Bishop of Rome that then had the primary o● of Christ endome were had in great reputation and reverence And Innocentius the fourth of that name which was about the year of our Lord 1●54 willing to augment and advance their dignity commanded by 〈◊〉 that from thenceforth they should ri●● when they came to the Bishop's Palace and wear a red hat whereby was mean that they ought to be in ●●●endinesse to adventure themselves for the love of Religion and spend their blood in Christ's Cause and Paulus Bishop ordained that they should have Scarlet Robes or Kirtells This order standeth of three sorts for some be Bishops and be in number s●x The Cardinals of Hostia Sabine Portua Tusculane Prenestine and Albane The other were either Priests or Deacons albeit in no certain or speciall number But there is another Order in Rome of Notaries which were appointed by Julius the first of that name to write the Acts of all godl● Martyrs and Confessors and register them for a perpetual example of constant and vertuous living Albeit I think it rather to be the invention and device of Clement which ordained seven Notaries to inroll the notable deeds of Martyrs And Antherius after did more firmly ratifie it Also Leo the first a godly and well disposed man seeing the people repair thither from all parts of the world for pardon appointed certain Officers of the Priests whom he named Chamberlains to keep the Tombs and Sepulchres of the Apostles and Martyrs that they perceiving the holy reverence about the Apostles graves might be more enflamed with devotion But all such Offices be now perverted and turned from that godly purpose to a vain worldly ostentation and pomp and be ready Merchandise in Rome the promotions be so grear CHAP. VII The Prerogatives of the Bishop of Rome and his Election ONe special Prerogative and Priviledg of the Bishop of Rome i● that he may change his name if it seem to him not very pleasant to his ears As to speak merrily if he be a malefacto●● he may call his name Bonifacius if he be a coward he may be called Leo for a Carter Vrbanus and for a cruel man Clemens if nocent Innocentius if ungodly Pius This was the ordinance of Sergius and they say they do it after the example of Christ which changed Simon Barjona his name into Peter and of this it came to passe that every Bishop when he was elected chose the name of one of his predecessours The Bishop of Rome is also born on mens shoulders which custome came of the election of Stephanus the second whom the people for his great vertue and godlinesse with much joy of the election bare on their shoulders The manner of the pomp of bearing was admitted but the imitating and following of his vertue and sincere living was omitted Albeit it might spring of a gentile custome that was among the Romans that every rich man or high Potentate should be born of his servants in a bed The authority to choose the Bishop of Rome belonged first to the Emperour of Constantinople and the Deputy of Italy till the time of the Emperour Constantine which licenced the Cardinals and the people of Rome to elect him This was about the year of Christ 685. A few years after Gregory the third with other his Successours when they were vexed by the Lombards seeing they could not have ready help of the Emperour of Constantinople required ayd of Charls Martelle Pippin and Charls the Great King of France For which benefits Leo the third made and denounced Charlemain Emperour and gave him authority to ratifie and confirm the election of the Bishop of Rome but Nicholas the second rerestrained the election onely to the Cardinals which custome remaineth at this day The great possessions that the Bishop● of Rome have contrary to the example of Christ whose Vicars they name themselves and Peter's poverty their predecessor were given them by 〈◊〉 and L●wi● Emperours And yet notwithstanding all that large benigni●y and kindnesse shewed to him and his Auncestors John the 12th made Oth● King of Germany Emperour and afterward Gregory the third a Ger●●● born for to gratifie the Empero●● his Countryman Decreed that the 〈◊〉 shops of Mogunce Treverance and C●●len the Marquess of Brandenburgh 〈◊〉 County Palatine Duke of Saxony and King of Bohemia should have full power to choose the Emperour about the year of our Lord 1002. Thus the Bishops of Rome have been inhanced in worldly power that they think themselves equal with Princes Kings and Emperours But as it was falsly Usurped so shall it by the Word of God be rooted out and extirpateds as an unprofitable Tree CHAP. VIII The dividing of Priests into sundry degrees A manner of Swearing and Excommunication GRegory sirnamed the Great where before time Priests and chief Priests 〈◊〉 onely used in the Congregation first divided them into

use of Dancing as Livy saith came from the Hetruscans to Rom● which we exercise much on Holidayes as they did not without slander of our Religion and hurt and damage of chastity As for Masks they be so devillish that no honesty can be pretended to colour them Zacharias Bishop of Rome made a decree against it but that availeth nothing At the Kalends of May the Youth as well men as women are wont to go a Maying in the fields and bring home boughs and flowers to garnish their houses and gates and in some places the Churches which fashion is derived of the Romans that use the same to honour their Goddess Flora with such Ceremonies whom they named Goddess of fruits The Christmas Lords rhat be commonly made at the Nativity of the Lord to whom all the houshold and family with the Master himself must be obedient began of the equality that the servants had with their Masters in Saturnus Feasts that were called Saturnalia wherein the Servants have like Authority with their Masters during the time of the said feasts And this furnishing of our bellies with delicates that we use on Fastingham Tuesday what time some eat till they be enforced to forbear all again sprung of Baccbus feasts that were celebrated in Rome with great joy and delicious fare And our Midsummer bone-fires may seem to have come of the Sacrifices of Cer●s Goddess of Corn that men did solemnise with fires trusting thereby to have more plenty and abundance of Corn. Disguising and Mumming that is used in Christmas time in the North parts came out of the Feast of Pallas that were done with Vizors and painted Visages named Quinquatria of the Romans CHAP. III. The manner of anointing Priests Kings them that be Christned confirmed of sore sick WHen Moses had builded the Tabernacle he was commanded to make a confection of holy Ointment wherewith both the Work the Vessels Priests and also Kings which be called to that office or dignity ought to be anointed so that it came to passe that the anointing was the very token and difference whereby Kings were known among the Hebrews as the Emperours in Rome were known by their Purple Roabs Aaron and his Sons were the first anointed Priests and Samuel anointed Saul first King over Israel and so consequently it grew into a custome that Priests and Kings were anointed By which thing is signified that they be specially favoured of God and like as Oyl lyeth aloft on the water or other Liquor so the office of a Priest and dignity of a Prince surmounteth all other degrees of Ministers both in the active and also contemplative life Silvester Bishop of Rome ordained first that all that were Christned Churches and Chalices should be annointed with Oyl Our oyl that is now used is made of Oyl Olive and natural Balm Fabianus commanded that it should be renewed every Munday and Thursday Clement the first ordained that all Children and other that were Christned should be anointed again with Crisme and he instituted also the Sacrament of Confirmation supposing that no man were a perfect Christian if that Rite and Ceremony were by negligence omitted For this cause that the Holy Ghost might more plentifully be given to them by the hands of the Bishop This thing began of the example of the Apostles which sent Peter and John into Samaria to lay their hands on them that they might receive the Holy Ghost It is onely ministred by a Bishop in this wise first he asketh the name of the child and then maketh the sign of the Crosse in the forehead with the Chrisme saying I sign thee with the token of the Crosse and confirm thee with the Crisme of Salvation In the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost that thou may be reple●ished with the Holy Spirit and have everlasting life So 〈◊〉 And then he smiteth the cheek of 〈◊〉 Child softly but if he be of a great age he giveth a sharp stroke that he may remember that mystery saying Peace 〈◊〉 with thee Felix the fourth did institute That such as were in extreams should be anointed following the example of the Apostles which as Mark wi●nesseth cured many diseases by anointing them and S. James speaketh of a like thing in his Epistle CHAP. IV. The beginning of Marriage of Priests when it was forbidden with other Laws touching Marriage MOses the Minister of God among the Israelites which were desirous to augment and amplifie their issue ordained that all men indifferen●ly as well Priests as Lay-people should take wives lest the debarring them from matrimony might be occasion of greater enormity and inconvenience among them Albeit because of the dignity of the ordet of Priesthood he made restraint that they should marry none that was taken prisoner bond-woman or divorced from their former husband and the Bishops might not be married but to Maids As concerning our Priesthood Sylvester the first after the Text of S. Paul commanded that a Priest should marry but one wife and after to live sole alone as Paul had a wife as may appear in his Epistles to the Philipians and Corinthians And Clement Bishop of Alexandria and Ignatius which was in Paul's time witnesse the same Peter and Philip had wifes and daughters whom they bestowed honestly in marriage to husbands And S. Peter seeing his Wife led to death for the profession of Christ with great joy of her constancy said Wife remember the Lord. This order the Greeks and all the East parts of Christendome do use which would not consent to the Councel of Neece wherein it was propounded That the Priests should forsake their Wives and namely Paphnutius the holy and chaste Bishop that came out of the borders of Egypt withstood that Decree very earnestly Stiricius the first forbade the Priests of the West parties and Deacons to marry the year of our Lord 337. He instituted also That he that either wedded a Widow or took a second wife could not be made Priest Pelagius the second enforced the Sub-deacons to forsake their wifes And Gregorius because he thought it violent to divorce them ordained That from his time none should be Sub-deacon unlesse he vowed Chastity before Notwithstanding the Lawes before made took no effect among the Priests of the West parts untill the time of Gregory the seventh which was the year of our Lord 1074. And here Polidore protesteth That the single life of Priests doth more harm to the Religion shame to the Order and grief to honest men then their constrained chastity profieth If they were restored to the liberty and choice it were no prejudice to the Christian Common-wealth and honesty for the Order In the beginning men married their sisters and kinswomen but Moses restrained them of the Hebrews from the first and second degrees and Fabianus forbade the third and fourth which Custome standeth now in effect Theodorus did inhibit first That a

custome is to keep the 30th day or moneth-end with like Obites as were done on the burial dayes Or else it might seem that this keeping of the seventh day was brought up after the same sort among us as in marriages they used in old time to renew their vo●s the 7th day For like as that day was the solemn beginning of encreasing the issue of mankind so the same day of burial is or should be the compleat finishing and end of every thing The Massilians in France passed and spent the dayes of their burials with private oblations and feasting of their kinsfolk without any manner of lamentation or sorrow which thing the English-men at this day use commonly to do In burials the old rite was that the dead corpse was born before and the people followed after as one should say We shall dye and follow after him as their last words to the Coarse did pretend For they used to say when it was buried on this wise Farewell we come after thee and of the following of the multitude they were called Exsequies Albeit they used at Kings and Noblemens Funerals to go before with Tapers which custome we keep still Chalices wherein the blood of Christ is consecrated were at the first of wood and that was the institution of the Apostles which would prevent all occasion of avarice in Priests but Zepherinus afterward commanded that they should consecrate in a vessel of glass Notwithstanding in process that custome was broken And Gratianus decreed that they should say Masse and consecrate with Chalices of silver or gold or else if those might not be gotten in Chalices of Tinne albeit some refer this to Vrban the First Sextus the First commanded that corporaces should be of Linnen cloath onely aud that of the finest and purest and he forbade that any Lay-man should handle the hallowed vessels and namely women were inhibited The hallowing of Priests vestures and altar cloaths with other ornaments of the Church and the diversity of vestures of sundry orders was taken out of the Hebrews Priesthood and used in our Church first by Stephen Bishop of Rome first of that name For at the beginning Priests in their Massing used rather inward vertues of soul then outward apparrel of the body which is ●ather a glorious shew then any godly edifying Sabinianus decreed first that the people should be assembled together to hear service at certain hours of the day by ringing of bells And John the 22 ordained That bells should be tolled every day three times in the evening and that then every man should say three times the Ave-Maria The use of Bells came first of the Hebrews where the high Priest or Bishop had in the skirts of his uppermost vestures little bells to ring when he was in the holy place within the vail And even the Vail Hangings Candlesticks with other Vessels that we use in the Church came also of their Ceremonies The banners that be hanged abroad in Easter time are used to declare the triumph of Christ over death the devill and hell and were taken of the Heathen which in their Victories did bear banners to declare and signifie the conquest of their enemies CHAP. IX Of Vowes going bare-foot Letanies praying for them that sneese crossing the mouth when men yawn WHen we be brought into any extream calamity or dangerous adventure that can by no mans power or provision be relieved the urgent necessity constraining us we fall to prayers and vows-making as when we promise to set up Candles Images of wax or silver with other like supposing thereby to obtain remedy of our grief This custome was borrowed of the Hebrews which used to make such vowes to God and divers other Countries of the Gentiles used that rite to their false gods In like manner going bare-foot was taken up of the Jews fashion which in their sickness and other misfortunes were wont to pray continually 30 dayes forbear wine shave their hair and after go bare-foot to the Temple and make oblation This manner of Vow was so earnestly used in the time of the Emperour Nero when Florus was President of Jewry that Bernice sister to King Agrippa went her self bare-foot to the Temple of Hierusalem to obtain some gentlenesse for her Countreymen at Florus his hands but all in vain for his avarice was so unsatiable that no lowliness could pacifie it Even so we in any of our afflictions sickness or other heaviness make vowes to God and his S●ints and perform them going to the place bare-foot in like manner as the Jews did Supplications were ordained in a great Earthquake by Mamercus Bishop of Vienna in the time of Leo the First These be called of the Greek word Letanies and are commonly named Processions because the people proceed forth along in array two and two together and go from place to place praying loud They be called the less Letanies And Agapetus as it is reported first apoointed them to be sung every Sunday in or about the Church although it seems by Tertullian's words that they have been used from the beginning of the Church and therefore it may be supposed that Mamereus did onely renew the custome Afterward Gregory ordained the great Letanies called septiformis Letania the same time that much people in Rome perished through a great Plague of swelling of the privy members which came of a corrup● ayr that was poyso●ed with Adders and Snakes that were cast out of Tyber at a marvellous high Tide There was another Plague whereby many as they sneesed dyed su●denly whereof it grew a custome that they that were present when any man sneesed should say God help you A like deadly Plague was sometime in yawning wherefore men used to fence themselves with the sign of the Cross both which customes we retain still at this day In all other extern affairs that we go about we use to sign our selves with the token of the Crosse And this hath been the usage from the begining of the Church CHAP. X. Of Images Tythes and who permitted the Clergy to have possessions AT the first there was no Imagery nor Pictures in the Churches but all occasions of Idolatry were withdrawn according to the commandment of the old Law Notwithstanding it crept in among Christians by little and little and men made Images of Christ on the Crosse after the example of Moses which set up brazen Serpent and Abagarus Duke of Edissenians a Nation beyond the River Euphrates sent a Painter to draw the Image of our Saviour Jesus but for as much as he could not behold the brightness of his face Christ laid a napkin on his face wherein he by his divine power printed the resemblance of his visage and sent it by the Painter to the Duke A little napkin was given by him as it is said to a woman that had the bloody flux whose name new Writers say was Veronica and Luke the Evangelist had the Image

about three thousand one hundred fourscore and five years after the Creation of the World Lactantius and Eusebius think it was set forth among other devillish sciences by the evill Spirits and Pliny calleth it of all Arts the most deceitful It is compacted of Physick Superstition and the Mathematical Arts. The Thessalonians especially were accused with the frequent use of this practise the writer of this art was Hosthanes Pythagoras Empedocles Democritus Plate with divers others s●iled into far Countries to learn it wherein Democritus was most famous three hundred years after the City was builded in which time Hippocrates published the Art of Physick The manner to drive out spirits out of men that were possessed with them and Charms to heal corporall maladies King Solomon taught as Josephus witnesseth and he saw it done by Eleazar in his time before Vespasianus then Emperour The manner to heal them was thus He put to the nose of the possessed man a Ring wherein was enclosed a root that Solomon had shewed wherewith he drove out the spirit and the man fell down then he conjured with such Orisons and Exorcisms as were appointed by Solomon to banish the spirit out of the Demoniak The Sages or Wise-men of Persia which in their language be named Magi being wholly addict to the honouring of their falle gods came to such extream folly that they professed openly that they could not onely by the observation of the Stars know things to come but also by other pretensed arts and mumbling of some words they could do and bring to passe any thing that they would By them were invented these 6 kinds of Magick Necromancy which is by raising up of dead men as in Lucane one raised from death told the adventures of the battel of Pharsalus Piromancy that telleth things by the fire and lightning as Tenaquilla the wife of Tarquinius Priscus prophesied that Servius Tullius should be King of Rome because she saw the fire environ his head The finding of this Pliny referreth to Amphiaraus Hieromancy that is a kind of prophecying by the ayr as by flying feeding singing of birds and strange tempests of wind and hail Hidromancie was prophesying by water as Varro writeth that a Child did see in the water the Image of Mercury which in 150 verses told all the chance of War against Mithridates King of Pontus Geomancy was a divination by opening of the earth Chiromancy is a conjecturing by beholding the lines or wrincles of the hands called commonly Palmistry Which vain illusions and false perswasions it becometh all true Christians to eschue and abhor CHAP. XIX Two kinds of Divination Soothsaying casting Lotts and interpreting of Dreams CIcero maketh two kinds of divinations one naturall and another artificiall Natural is that which proceedeth of a certain commotion of the mind that chanceth sometimes to men when they be in dreams or sleeping sometimes when they prophesie in manner of fury and ravishing of mind as Sybilla and divers other religious persons did Of this kind were Oracles of Apollo and Jupiter-Hammon Albeit they were often false because they came of a devillish policy and man's subtlety but such as come of the Holy Ghost and not of a blasphemous madnesse be true The artificiall consisteth in those things which come of conjectures old considerations and observances of the entrails of beasts flying of birds casting of lots The regarding of the bowels of beasts began among the Hetruscians For as it fortuned a man that plowed to raise up a deeper surrow then he was wont to do one Tages suddenly arose out of the earth that taught them all the feats of Soothsaying but Pliny saith one Delphus found it The divinations by looking on the feeding of birds Theresius a Theban devised Caras first marked the chattering of them and Pythagoras observed their flying Orpheus added the divination by other beasts What store we ought to set by such divinations Massolanus a Jew teacheth us When he was in the wars a certain Prophet commanded every man to stand till he had taken a conjecture of the bird that flew by but Massolanus took privily a bow and shaft and killed the bird wherewith the Wisard and divers others were displeased Then he said to them Why dote ye so can the bird which knoweth not of her own death tell us the casual adventures of our Journey For if she had had any foreknowledge she would not have come hither to have been killed of me Casting of Lots Numerius Suffusius devised first at Pr●nest The expounding of dreams Pliny ascribeth to Amphiction but Trogus assigneth it to Joseph son to Jacob. Clement saith the Telmessians found it But all these were invented to seduce men with superstitious errour and for the commodity of them that use it Here endeth the First Book Polidore Virgil. The Second BOOK CHAP. I. The Original of Lawes and who made the first Lawes LAW is a constant and perpetual good thing without which no house no City no Country no estates of men no naturall Creature nor the World it self can consist firm and stable For it obeyeth GOD and all other things ayr water land and men be in obedience to it Chrysippus calleth it a knowledg of all Divine and humane matrets commanding equity and expulsing wickednesse and wrong There be of Laws three kinds one natural that is not onely appropried to man but also it concerneth all other lively things either in the Earth Sea or Ayr. As we perceive in all kinds of living creatures naturally a certain familiarity of male and female procreation of issue and a proclivity to nourish the same the which proceedeth of a natural law engraffed in the hearts of every of them Nature her self that is God was Author of this The second is named the Law that all men use generally through all the World as to shew a man the way to communicate to men the commodity of the Elements Water and Ayr to this kind appertaineth the Law of Arms and it is called in Latine Jus gentium Civil Law is the private Law of every Country or City as of the Romans Lacedemonians and Athenians This consisteth in decrees of Princes Statutes and Proclamations The chief and principal lawes were promulgate by God confirmed after the most pure and perfect manner that naturall equity could devise or conceive and be instable constance and subject to no transmutation After the example of these man hath invented Laws to desend and preserve good men and to punish and keep evil persons in office and good order Such Laws Ceres made first as Diodorus supposeth but others think it was Rhadamantus and afterwards others in divers Countries devised and ordained Laws as in Athens Drac● and Solon in Egypt Mercury in Crete Minos in Lacedemonia Lycurgus in Tyre Tharandus in Argos Phoroneus in Rome Romulus in Italy Pythagoras or after the mind of Dionysius the Arcadians