of Constantinus Copronymus that he was neither Iew Christian nor Pagan but an arrant Atheist Tullus Hostilius the third King of the Romanes that despised his predecessor Numâ—'s sacrifices saying That Religion did but effeminate mens mindes and make them unfit for noble enterprises yet he feigned to himselfe and worshipped two new gods Pavorem Pallorem Feare and Palenesse which he carried about in his own bosome and could not be rid of Lactautious He was slaine with a thunder-bolt and his wife children and all his family were burnt with lightning It was an Atheistical speech of Statius the Poet Primus in or be deos fecit Timor that fear first made gods in the world and that all opinions of a Deity were frivolous being devised by wise men to keep the people in awe and order Theodorus held that there was no difference between good and evill between justice and injustice but what the law of man made he wrote a book also to prove that there was no Deity whereupon he was sirnamed the Atheist Suidas Epicurus denied that there was either God or providence and held that all things came to passe by fate or chance Volate Pope Leo the tenth was so impudent as to make the promises and threats contained in the Word of God things to be laughed at mocking the simplicity of those that believed them and when Cardinal Bembus quoted upon occasion a place out of the Gospel the Pope answered Quantum nobis profuit fabula haec de Christo O what profit hath this fable of Christ brought unto us This Pope having by his Pardons and indulgences scraped together vast summes of money to maintain his courtizans and whores and to enrich his bastards as he was one day at meat news was brought him of the overthrow of the French in Lumbardy which he much rejoyced at and doubled his good chear but before he rose from the table Gods hand struck him with a grievous sicknesse whereof he died within three dayes Pope Julius the third another Atheist a despiser of God and his Word On a time missing a cold Peacock which he had commanded to be kept for him raged and blasphemed God exceedingly whereupon a Cardinal that was present intreated him not to be so angry for such a triste What saith he If God was so angry for eating of an Apple as to thoust Adam and Eve out of Paradise should not I which am his Vâ—car be angry for a Peacock which is of farre more worth then an Apple Francis Ribelius was so profane that he made a mock at all Religion counting it a thing to be laughed at but the Lord struck him with madnesse so that he died mocking at all those that talked of God or made any mention of Gods mercy to him Periers who was the Author of that detestable book called Symbolum Mundi wherein he mocks at God and all Religion was by God stricken with horrible despaire so that though he was strictly guarded by his friends yet watching his opportunity he killed himselfe Anno Christi 1464. the Bishop of Angiers in France prosecuted a rich Citizen in the palace of Paris for saying publickly that he believed that there was neither God nor devil Heaven nor Hell And it came to passe that whil'st the Bishops Lawyer was opening these things against him the house where they were began to tremble very much so that a stone from the roofe fell down amongst them but without hurt to any yet were they so affrighted that all departed for that time The next day when that cause came to be heard againe the house began againe to shake and tremble insomuch as a Summer came forth of its mortise-hole falling downwards two foot and there staid which did so afright the people that they ran away losing and leaving behind them many of their garments God hereby warning them to take heed of such fearful sinnes as these are Eng. de Monstrelit A certain blasphemous wretch carousing in an Inne began to vent his Atheisme swearing that he did not believe that man had any soul which survived his body and that Heaven and Hell were but meer fables and inventions of Priests to get gaine by that for his own part he would sell his soul to any that would buy it then did one of his companions buy it of him for a cup of wine and presently the devil in mans shape bought it of that man againe on the same price and so in the presence of them all laid hold on this soul-seller and carried him away through the aire so that he was never more heard of Disci de Temp. Pherecides a Tragical Poet and Philosopher boasted amongst his scholars of his riches and glory and yet saith he I sacrifice not to the gods nor passe not for any such vanity as Religion But presently after the Lord struck him with a strange disease out of his body issued a slimy and filthy sweat of which was engendred such a number of lice and wormes that they ate out his bowels whereby he died miserably AElian Lib. 4. There lived in Hanmbourg a wicked wretch that despised the Ministery of the Word and Gods Ministers accounting the Sacred Scriptures a vaine thing not worthy of credit yea so farre did his wickednesse prevaile that he endeavoured to diffuse the poison of his Atheisme into others but not long after the Lord found him out in his wickednesse striking him with such terrours of conscience that he fell into extream despaire crying out that his sinnes were past forgivenesse because he had denied the truth and seduced others whereas before he thought that there was no sinne and whereas before he thought that there was no God now he thought that God was so just that he would not forgive him whereupon watching his opportunity he threw himselfe from the roof of an house into a well and not finding water enough to drown him he thrust his head into the bottome of it till he had stifled himself Theat Hist. Anno Christi 1502. there was one Herman Biswick who affirmed the world to be eternal contrary to what foolish Moses had written and that there were neither Angels nor devils hell nor future life but that the soules of men perished with their bodies and that Christ Jesus was a seducer of the people and that the faith of Christians and the Sacred Scriptures were meer vanity For which himselfe with his books were burnt in Holland Theat Hist. There was in our own Nation one Marlin sometimes a student in the University of Cambridge but afterwards a maker of Stage-playes and a notorious Atheist denying God and his Sonne Christ and not only in word blasphemed the holy Trinity but also wrote books against it affirming our Saviour to be a deceiver and Moses to be a conjurer and a seducer of the people and the Sacred Scriptures to be vaine and idle stories and all Religion but a Politick device But God suffered not such profanenesse to
then my selfe Mr. Welch a Suffolk Minister weeping as he sate at table was asked the reason of it he answered that it was because he could love Christ no more Mr. Walls None but Christ. Luthers resolution was such that he affirmed Mallem ruere cum Christo quà m regnare cum Caesare I had rather I were ruined with Christ then that I should reigne as a King without him Saint Basil relates a story of 40. Martyrs who being cast out naked all night in the winter and were to be burned the next day they comforted themselves on this wise Sharp is the winter but sweet is Paradise painfull is the frost but joyfull the fruition that followeth it waite but a while and the Patriarchs bosome shall cherish us After one night we shall lay hold upon eternall life Let our feet feel the fire for a season that we may for ever walk arme in arme with the Angels Let our hands fall off that they may for ever be lifted up to praise the Almighty c. A godly Christian being tormented by Infidels with divers paines and ignominious taunts they demanded of him by way of scorne Tell us what miracles thy Christ hath done to whom he answered Even this that you see that I am not moved with all the cruelties and contumelies that you cast upon me It is said of Luther unus homo solus totius orbis impetum sustinuit that he alone opposed all the world When Eudoxia the Emperesse sent a threatning message to Saint Chrysostome Go tell her saith he from me Nil nisi peccatum timeo that I feare nothing but sin Theodosius the great having in Egypt abolished their heathenish sacrifices and worship upon paine of confiscation and death the people fearing that the omission of their accustomed superstitions would make the river Nilus which they honoured as a God keep in his streames and not water their Land as formerly began to mutiny whereupon the President wrote to the Emperour beseeching him for once to gratifie the people by conniving at their superstition to whom he heroically answered that it was better to continue faithfull and constant to God then to preferre the overflowing of Nilus and the fertility of the earth before piety and godlinesse and that he had rather Nilus should never overflow then that they should raise it by sacrifices and inchantments Soz. Saint Basil being sent to by the Emperor to subscribe to the Arian heresie the messenger at first gave him good language and promised him great preferment if he would turne Arian to whom he answered Alas Sir these speeches are fit to catch little children withall that look after such things but we that are nourished and taught by the holy Scriptures are readier to suffer a thousand deaths then to suffer one syllable or tittle of the Scripture to be altered The messenger offended with his boldnesse told him that he was mad to whom he replied Opto me in aeternum sic delirare I wish I were for ever thus mad Theodor. Melancthon being much disquieted in spirit by reason of the great opposition which the German reformation met with Luther thus encourageth him Seeing the businesse is not mans but Almighty Gods laying aside all care you should cast the whole weight of it upon him why do you vex your self If God hath bestowed his Sonne upon us why are we afraid what tremble we at why are we distracted and sadded Is Satan stronger then he why fear we the world which Christ hath conquered If we defend an evil cause why do we not change our purpose If the cause be holy and just why do we not trust Gods promises Certainly there is nothing besides our lives that Satan can snatch from us and though we die yet Christ lives and reignes for ever to defend his own cause c. Sleid Com. l. 7. Chrysostome speaking to the people of Antioch like himself a man of an invincible spirit against the Tyrants of his times saith thus In this should a gracious man differ from a gracelesse man that he should bear his crosses couragiously and as it were with the wings of faith outsoare the height of all humane miseries He should be like a Rock being incorporated into Iesus Christ inexpugnable and unshaken with the most furious incursions of the waves and stormes of worldly troubles pressures and persecutions Ad pop Antioch He that writes the life of Anselme saith thus of him that he feared nothing in the world more then sinne and that if on the one hand he should see corporally the horrour of sin and on the other the paines of hell and must necessarily be plunged into the one he would chuse hell rather then sinne and that he would rather have hell being innocent and free from sinne then polluted with the filth thereof possesse the kingdome of heaven Mr. Woodman Martyr speaks thus of himself When I have been in prison wearing bolts and shackles sometimes lying upon the bare ground sometimes sitting in the stocks sometimes bound with cords that all my body hath been swolne like to be overcome with paine sometimes faine to lie without in the woods and fields wandring to and fro sometimes brought before the Justices Sheriffes Lords Doctors and Bishops sometimes called Dog Devil Heretick Whoremonger Traitor Theefe Deceiver c. yea and they that did eat of my bread and should have been most my friends by nature have betrayed me yet for all this I praise my Lord God that hath separated me from my mothers wombe all this that hath happened to me hath been easie light and most delectable and joyful of any treasure that ever I possessed Act. and Mon. There were five Monks that were studying to finde out the best means to mortifie sinne One said that it was to meditate on death The second to meditate on judgement The third to meditate on the joyes of heaven The fourth to meditate on the torments of hell The fifth to meditate on the love and sufferings of Christ which indeed is the strongest motive of all Hormisdas a Noble man of Persia famous for Piety was deposed from all his honours and offices because he would not forsake Christ and his truth yet at last was by the King restored to them again yet withall was required to renounce his profession of Christianity to which he bravely answered Si propter ista me denegaturum Christum putas ista denuo accipe If you think that I will deny Christ to keep my offices take them all again Julian the Apostate that subtil enemy of the Church of Christ when his Army was to be paid caused an Altar to be set by him and a table with incense on it requiring every souldier as he came to receive his pay to cast some incense into the fire upon the Altar which many of the Christians understanding it to be interpretive and implicit Idolatry refused to do rather choosing to lose their wages whilest others not knowing the depth of this
and contempt of the Word of God For which cause the Lord sent amongst them such a contagious plague that the living were scarce able to bury the dead and when by this judgement they were not reclaimed the Lord brought upon them the fierce and cruel Nations of the Saxons and Angli out of Germany who though at first they came to help them yet after a while they turned against them and after much blood-shed drave them out of their Countrey into the mountaines of Wales where they remaine unto this day See this more fully in my English Martyrologie Gildes a godly and learned man was at another time raised up by God to exhort the Britanes to repentance and amendment of life but they laughed him to scorn and took him for a false Prophet for which cause the Lord plagued them delivering them into the hands of their enemies on every side In the Reigne of King Edward the third God raised up John Wickliffs to preach repentance to the English to exhort them to turn from their Idolatry and supersticion But his Ministery was contemned and his body and books were burned after his death For which a heavy judgement befell them They slew their lawfull King and set up three Usurpers on a row by which most of the Nobles of the Land were slaine and one halfe of the Commons so that Cities and Townes were decayed and much of the Land turned to a wildernesse Nicholas Hemingius relates a story of a lewd fellow in Denmark Anno Christi 1550. which usually made a mock at Religion and the professors of it and on a time coming into a Church where a godly Minister was preaching by his countenance and gestures shewed a great contempt against the Word but as he passed out of the Church a tile fell upon his head and slew him in the place Anno Christi 1547. one Christopher Turk a Councellour of estate in Germany mocked a godly Noble-man that was taken prisoner saying See what hecomes of these gallants that use to sing when any one wrongs us God is our succour and defence but assoon as the words were out of his mouth God struck him with a grievous disease and being carried to his bed he died in despaire Beards Theat A profane Priest in Misnia that used to mock at the Sacrament of Baptisme and when a woman-childe came to be baptized would wish them that brought it to throw it into the river as he was looking over the bridge of Elbe at the boats that passed by by Gods just judgement he fell over the bridge and was drowned Beard Two schismatical Donatists at Thipasa in Mauritania commanded the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to be thrown to the dogs but immediatly the dogs growing mad fell upon them and rent them to pieces Optat. Melevit l. â— Theopompus a Philosopher being about to insert some of Moses writing into his profane works was immediately stricken with madnesse Joseph Theodectes a Poet that mingled his Tragedies with some of the holy Scriptures was stricken blinde Joseph A husbandman at â—tzsith in Germany being a great despiser of the Word of God on a time railing most bitterly against a godly Minister presently going into the fields to look to his sheep was found dead his body being burnt as black as a coal Luther in Col. Phil. Melancthon relates a story of a Tragedie that was to be acted of the death and passion of Christ But he that acted Christs part on the Crosse was wounded to death by one that should have thrust his sword into a bladder of blood and he with his fall killed one that acted a womans part lamenting under the Crosse His brother that was first slaine seeing this slew the murtherer for which himselfe by the order of justice was hanged February 3. Anno Christs 1652. a Play was acting at Witny in Oxfordshire at the White-Heart-Inne in a great long chamber supported by two strong and substantial beames the place having been formerly a maulting roome the matter of the play was scurrilous and blasphemous containing some bitter taunts against all godly persons under the name of Puritans and at religion it selfe under the name of observing fasting dayes But as they were acting of it it pleased God that the roome wherein the people was fell whereby five were slaine outright and above sixty were hurt and sorely bruised One woman had her leg broken which being cut off she died within three or four dayes besides there were about twelve broken armes and legs and others put out of joynt This is written at large by Mr. John Row a godly Minister and preacher in that place Apian scoffing at Religion and especially at circumcision had an ulcer rose at the same time in the same place Joseph A man in Queen Elizabeths Reigne for compiling a book wherein he had fastened some treasonable dishonours upon the Queen was condemned to die and before his death acknowledged that though he had not done any thing against the Queen which deserved death yet he deserved to die for that he had seduced many of her subjects from hearing the Word of life and though he saw the evil of it and reformed himselfe yet he could never prevaile to reclaime others whom he had seduced and therefore said he The blood of their soules is justly required at my hands He that despiseth despiseth not man but God who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit 1 Thes. 4. 8. CHAP. XLVI Gods judgements upon Dicers and Card-players BY the Elibertine and Constantinopolitan Councils under Justinian Dice-players were punished with Excommunication And the same Emperour made a Law That no man should use Dice-play either in private or publick no nor approve the same by his presence under paine of punishment Cod. l. 3. Tit. 43. Lewis the eighth King of France made a Law that no Cardes or Dice should be made or sold by any thereby to take away all occasion of gaming And surely in these dayes of light under the Gospel all Merchants and Tradesmen should forbear the sale of them lest ministring fuel to the fire of other mens lusts they make themselves guilty of their sinnes In a town of Campania a Jew playing at Dice with a Christian lost a great summe of money to him upon which occasion he belched out most bitter curses against Jesus Christ and his mother the blessed Virgin whereupon the Lord struck him dead immediately in the place and his fellow-gamester the Christian was also stricken with madnesse whereof he died shortly after Blas l. 1. c. 31. Anno Christi 1533. neere to Belissiâ—a in Helvetia three men were playing at Dice on the Lords day and one of them called Ulrick Schraeterus having lost much money at last expecting a good cast brake out into this cursed speech If fortune deceive me now I will thrust my dagger into the very body of God as far as I can and the cast miscarrying he drew his dagger and threw it against heaven
death all these and more do necessarily conclude the divine authority of the Scriptures What words of Philosophers could ever make of a Leopard a Lamb of a viper a child of a Leacher a chaste man of a Nabal a Nadib of a covetous carle a liberal person Besides this real there is also a vocal testimony from God to the Divinity of the Scriptures which yet is heard by none but Gods houshold and is confined to the communion of Saints whose consciences he secretly perswadeth of this truth and sweetly seales it up to them Promised Isa. 52. 6. They shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak c. Joh. 7. 17. If any man will do his will he shall know of the Doctrine whether it be of God c. 1 Joh. 5. 10. He that believeth hath the witnesse in himself 1 Cor. 2. 15. The spiritual man discerneth all things for he hath the mind of Christ and an unction within that teacheth him all things 1 Joh. 2. 20 27. So that he no sooner heareth but believes and is sealed with that holy Spirit of promise Ephes. 1. 13. whose inward testimony of the truth and authority of the Scriptures is ever met by a motion of the sanctified soul inspired by the same Spirit more steadfastly resting it self on that testimony then if he should hear from heaven as St. Augustine did Tolle Lege take and read this book of God or than if some Angel should bring him a Bible and say This is the very Word of God For he might suspect these as delusions of the Devil But the testimony of the Spirit we know to be true Job 14. 17. because he is both a Spirit of truth and a searcher of the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 10. Onely it must be remembred that this inward witnesse must not be brought for confirmation of this Doctrine to others nor for confutation of adversaries But that every one for himself might hereby be certified and satisfied in his conscience that the Sacred Scriptures are the Word of God The Churches testimony without this is but of little value and validity it being meerly informativum et directivum non certificativum et terminativum fidei And whereas St. Augustine saith I should not have believed the Gospel but that the authority of the Church moved me thereto he speaks there of himself as unconverted to the faith and so not acquainted with the Spirits testimony Now no marvel though such be moved by the consent and authority of the Church which is to them an introduction whereby they are better prepared to believe the Scriptures yea inclined at first to think them to be the Word of God and so made willing to read and hear them See this and more in that elaborate piece of my worthy friend called Trapp's Treasury Theopompus the Historian whilest he attempted to insert part of the holy Scriptures into his profane writings by Gods Judgment upon him ran mad Diod. l. 14. Theodates a Tragoedian having intermingled some Scripture-matters with his Tragoedies suddenly lost his sight which was afterwards restored to him upon his prayers when he once came to a sight of his sin Aristaeus One John Ap-howel in Queen Maries daies standing by William Maudon as he was reading on a Primer at Greenwich mocked him after every word with contrary gaudes and flouting speeches unreverently whereupon Maudon said to him John take heed what thou doest thou mockest not me but God in his Word though I be simple that read it Yet went he on in his mocking till Maudon reading Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us the other with a start said suddenly Lord have mercy upon me with that Maudon turning to him said What aileth thee John to which he answered Nothing but that he was afraid Whereof said Maudon Nothing now said the other yet presently after he confessed that at the reading of those words Lord have mercy upon me the hair of his head stood upright with a great fear that came upon him On the next day he ran mad and was bound in his bed and lay continually day and night crying out of the Devil of hell c. See my Eng. Mariyrologâ—e Steven Laâ—cton Archbishop of Canterbury was the first that divided the Scripture into Chapters as now we have them Anno Christi 1220. CHAP. XCVI Servants Slaves THe Scythians having made an eruption into Asia Lorded it there for divers years In the mean time their wives thinking that they had been all slain married their servants that were left to keep their cattel But at last these Scythians being beaten out of Asia by the Medes returned home but then their servants rose in armes against them and after divers fights the victory remained doubtfull at last one told them That fighting against slaves they should not use swords but whips as more proper instruments to subdue their servile nature which advice being well liked against the next encounter they provided them whips with the claping of which their servants were so terrified that they ran away and their Masters remained Conquerours Pez Mel. Hist. The Tyrians having maintained long warres against the Persians were much weakned thereby which occasion their slaves being many in number laying hold of the opportunity to rise up against their Masters and put them all to the sword together with all their children and then seized upon their houses and married their wives onely one of them being more merciful then the rest spared his old Master Straton and his son and hid them Then these Slaves having thus gotten possession of all consulted to choose a King and agreed That he that could first see the Sun rising should be King whereupon this forementioned Slave consulted with his old Master about the businesse who bade him when others looked into the East that he should look into the VVest and accordingly when they were all assembled into the fields and every mans eyes were fixed upon the East he onely looked VVestwards for which his companions scoffed at him but presently he espied the Sun-beams shining upon the high Towers and Chimneys in the City and so challenged the Kingdome His companions would needs know who taught him this wit and at last he told them whereupon fetching out old Straton they not onely gave him his life but made him their King Justin. CHAP. XCVII Sin the fore-runner of Judgments IT brought the flood upon the old world Gen. 6. 5 c. Hell from Heaven upon Sodom Gen. 19. Gods plagues upon Pharaoh Exod. 7. 17 c. Judgments upon Israel Exod. 32. 35. Josu 7. 11. So often in the book of Judges and 1 King 8. 33 c. 2 Chron. 6. 24. Lam. 1. 8. 5. 7. It brought destruction upon Hierusalem See Jewes Before the first destruction of Rome by Brennus and his Gaules the very heathen Writers observe that the people were carelesse of the service of the gods and grown loose and dissolute in matters
up at any rate CHAP. XCIX Education of Children Schoolmasters LYcurgus the Lacedemonian Law-giver commanded all his Citizens to eat their meat in publick at a Common-Hall whither all young children went daily as to a School to learn gravity and temperance where they heard no vain or unseemly speeches but grave and wise discourses about the Government of a Common-Wealth there they learned to sport upon words and to give and take jests without offence Plut. One asking Agesilaus King of Sparta what should be especially taught unto children he answered That which they are most like to make use of when they come to be men Xenoph. Philip King of Macedon seeing the hopefulnesse of his son Alexander chose Aristotle to be his Master who carefully instructed him in most of the liberal Sciences in the study whereof he took such delight that he used to say I had rather have knowledge then to excell in power Just. He so prized Homer's Iliads that in all his wars he carried it in his pocket and laid it under his pillow anights How much more should we prize and carry about us the Sacred Scriptures He loved his Master Aristotle as if he had been his Father and used to say That as we have our being from our Parents so we have our well-being from our School Masters Quint. Curtius Seneca the Master of Nero offering to quit his fortunes to save his life Nero refused to accept thereof and acknowledging his immortal debt for the benefit of his instructions he said He had cause to blush that he who for the reason of his learned merits was of all men dearest to â—im was not by his meanes in so long a time become the richest also Nero's Life The Brachmans in India so soon as their children were capable of instruction used to place them forth to good School-Masters that by them they might be instructed in learning and good manners and might be taught subjection to their Superiours and be trained up by good Examples Alex. ab Alex. The Persians so soon as their children could begin to speak used to place them forth to Schoolmasters to be taught virtue temperance frugality and obedience and would not meddle with them for seven years after left by their indulgence they should do them hurt Xenoph. Amongst the Lacedemonians there was a custome that boyes and youths should never sup but in the company of their Masters from whom they might learn examples of frugality and abstinence Alex. The Inhabitants of Mitylene when they were Lords of the Seas about them if any of their associates revolted from them they inflicted this punishment By forbiddiug them to teach their children letters or the knowledge of the liberal Arts Judging it the greatest punishment that could be to passe their lives in ignorance without learning AElian Julian the Apostate when he perceived that the Christians by reason of their learning easily confuted and overthrew the Idolatries of the Gentiles he enacted a Law That no Christian should train up his sonnes in humane learning thereby judging that if he could bring them to ignorance he could quickly bring them to Idolatry Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it Prov. 22. 6. The rod and reproof give wisdome but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame Prov 29. 15. CHAP. C. Examples about the Memory BEza being above fourscore yeares of age could perfectly say by heart any Greek Chapter in Paul's Epistles or any thing else that he had learned before but forgat whatsoever was newly told him Thuan. obit Doctorum vir p. 384. His memory was like an Inne retaining old guests but having no room to entertain new S. Augustine tells us of his friend Simplicius who being asked could tell all Virgils Verses backwards and forwards and yet he protested that he knew not that he could do it till they tried him Aug. Tom. 7. de anima et ejus Orig. cap. 7. Staupitius who was Tutor to Luther and a godly man in a vain ostentation of his memory repeated Christs Genealogie Matth. 1. by heart in his Sermon but being out about the Captivity of Babylon I see saith he God resisteth the proud and so betook himself to his book for help Mel. Adam in vit Stau p. 20. The Memory of our Bishop Juel was raised by Art to the highest pitch of humane possibility For he could readily repeat any thing that he penned after once reading it and therefore usually at the ringing of the Bell he began to commit his Sermons to heart and kept what he learned so firmly that he used to say That if he were to make a speech premeditated before a thousand Auditors shouting or fighting all the while yet could he say whatsoever he had provided to speak Many barbarous and hard names out of a Calender and fourty strange words Welch Irish c. after once or twice reading at the most and short meditation he could repeat both forwards and backwards without hesitation Sir Francis Bacon reading to him onely the last clauses of ten lines in Erasmus his Paraphrase in a confused and dismembred manner he after a small pause rehearsed all those broken parcels of sentences the right way and the contrary without stumbling See his Life in my first Part of the Marrow of Eccles. Hist. Anthony Wallaeus by the help of the Art of Memory in six weeks space learned by heart the whole Epitome of Pagnine with such excellent successe that thereby he was enabled well to interpret any place of the holy Scriptures and to give a fit reason of it Idem p. 943. Themistocles had such an excellent memory that he knew all the Citizens of Athens and when he met them could salute them by name Plut. CHAP. CI. The Qualities of sundry people IT 's said of the Italians that they are in their lusts unnatural in their malice unappeasable in their actions deceitful They will blaspheme sooner then swear and murther a man rather then slander him Of their women it 's said That they are Magpies at the door Saints in the Church Goats in the garden Devils in the house Angels in the streets and Syrenes in the windowes The Noble-men of Naples of all men under heaven live the most idle and carelesse lives having like the Tyrant Polycrates nothing to trouble them but that they are troubled with nothing As the French in their language want one proper word to expresse Stand so naturally they mislike a setled and fixed posture and delight in motion It 's said of them that Primus impetus est major quà m virorum secundus minor quà m foeminarum That they come on like Powder But end in smoke That they have these three Properties They neither read as they write nor sing as they prick nor speak as they think The Germans are compared to an heavy Bell which is long in raising but being once up it makes a great sound The Low-Countreys