those Vile Persons did upon their Accusation cut off his best Friends and became so hatefull to his own Greeks that they talk'd divers times of Revolting and at last Poyson'd him in Babylon amidst his Feasts and Revels which was very Remarkable that he should be Poyson'd there where he had suffered himself and his Army to be first Poysoned by the Vicious Manners of the Persians and thus by his Luxury and Uncleanness he occasioned the Division of that vast Empire which he had rais'd his Great Captains after his Death having each of them erected Monarchies for themselves in those Places where they Govern'd which occasioned the speedier dissolution of the Graecian Monarchy and that it was less taken notice of as not being cemented together under one head so true is it which the Wiseman tells us in the Proverbs That many strong men have been slain and cast down by strange Women nay we may add that Empires and Monarchies have been over-turned by Uncleanness The next remarkable instance we meet with in Justin is that of Dionysius junior the Tyrant of Sicily who was as infamous for Uncleanness as for Cruelty and being expelled by the Inhabitants of Syracusa he was received by those of Locris where having surprizd the Castle he Tyranniz'd also over them Ravish'd the Wives of the Great Men and the young Women before Marriage and would then send them back to their Sweet-hearts The Locrenses being at that time in War with Leophron they vow'd if they came off Conquerers to prostitute their Virgins on the Festival of Venus which having neglected to do Dionysius Circumvented the Citizens thus he advised them in order to perform their Vow to send all their Women with their Richest Apparel to the Temple of Venus and chuse out a hundred of their handsomest Virgins and send them Richly adorn'd to stay a Month in a Brothell-House but beforehand to oblige all their Men by Oath not to touch one of them and likewise to take an Oath that none should be Married 'till all those Virgins were first dispos'd in Marriage The Citizens thinking this a good Contrivance both to absolve themselves from their Oaths and to preserve the Chastity of their Virgins did accordingly Where upon Dionysius sent his Soldiers who dispoiled the Women both of their Honour and Ornaments which so incens'd the Locrenses against him that they likewise drove him out of their City and being received again by the Syracusans he Tyrannized over them in his usual Manner so that they Besieged him and forcing him to lay down the Government he liv'd in Exile at Corinth where he spent his time in Taverns and Bawdy-Houses went in a fordid Habit kept the Meanest and most Rascally Company Jangl'd with Scoundrels and Bawds became a laughing stock to every Body and would walk about in the Shambles to gaze upon the Meat that he was not able to buy and was reduced so low that partly to maintain himself and partly to satisfy his Tyrannical humour he taught a Trivial School and so concluded his Life as Ingloriously as he led it In his 22d book he gives us an Instance of Agathocles another Tyrant of Sicily Son to a Potter who during his youth was a Catamite and as soon as he was of Age became a Common Stallion and a Highwayman but being Valiant and Eloquent he was advanced to Great Commands in the Army and having Committed Adultery with Damasco the General 's Lady he succeeded in his Post after his death and twice attempted the Soveraignty of the Island which at last he obtained yet tho' he was prosperous for a long time and rendered himself Famous by his Victories over the Carthaginians Judgment pursued him at last that he was forc'd to flee from Africk where his two Sons were put to death by the fury of his Enemies and being himself taken with a grievous Disease his Son and Grandson made War upon one another for the Crown wherein the latter succeeded so that Agathocles was forc'd on his Death-Bed to send his Wife and two young Children to Egypt lest they should be cut off by his Grandson and in this Afflicted and Disconsolate Condition he ended his days so true has it always been found that Whoremongers and Adulterers God will Judge In his 24th Book he gives us the History of the Incestuous Amour of Ptolemy Ceraunus King of Macedonia with his Sister and the fatal Consequence of it to them both Ptolemy having a mind to Usurp the Kingdom from her two Sons and to possess himself of her fine City of Cassandria pretended Love to her and that he had no other design in desiring her to Wife but to make her a Queen and that her Children should succeed him and because she her self and her Son Ptolemy suspected him he swore to the Sincerity of his Intentions upon the Altar in Jupiter's Temple whereupon that Incestuous Marriage was contracted and his Sister now his Wife Arsinoe being overjoy'd at her new Title of Queen invited the King her Husband to her City of Cassandria where all things were prepar'd to receive him with the utmost Magnificence and she order'd her Sons to meet him with Crowns on their Heads He Received and Embrac'd them with much seeming Affection but as soon as he came to the Gate of the City he ordered them both to be kill'd and the Castle to be seiz'd their Mother endeavouring in vain to cover them in her Arms and preserve them After this Tragedy as a Just punishment for her consenting to such an Incestuous Marriage she went in Exile to Samothraeia and Ptolemy in a little time after fell by the Sword of the Gauls who cut off his Head and fix'd it upon a Lance. In his 26th Book we have the Story of Aristotimus Tyrant of Epirus who having kill'd and banish'd many of the Nobility The Aetolians who entertained the Exiles sent Ambassadors to demand the Wives and Children of the banished which Aristotimus pretended to grant and as the Matrons had assembled together to go to their Husbands he sent and spoiled them of their Apparrel threw them in Prison kill'd the Infants in the Arms of their Mothers and Ravish'd the Virgins which so incens'd the people against him that under the Conduct of Helematus an old man they Conspir'd against him and cut him off In the Close of that Book he gives us an Account of the Incest of Demetrius King of Macedonia with his Mother-in-Law Arsinoe Queen of Cyrene who had sent for him on purpose to Marry her Daughter and enjoy that Crown but being her self taken with his Beauty she entertained an Incestuous Commerce with him which did so much provoke her Daughter and the people that by her Daughters order he was slain in her Mother s Bed the Incestuous and Impudent Woman endeavouring to preserve him by covering him with her own Body In the 28th Book he likewise gives an Account of a War betwixt Antiochus King of Syria and Demetrius King of Macedonia
was frequent Quarrels amongst the Children of so many different Mothers seeing it's Common to find Children by the same Father and Mother often to disagree and this without doubt begot mutual Broils Contentions and Heats amongst the different Wives every one envying the prosperity or good Fortune of anothers Children An Instance of this we have in Rachel who was so much taken with Reuben's Mandrakes that there 's no doubt but she could have wish'd they had been found by one of her own Sons Hence also we may observe That as the Children did every one love their own Mothers best it must needs occasion Quarrels amongst them It 's not agreed among Interpreters what these Mandrakes were some will have them to be Beautiful Fragrant Flowers and others that they were Beautiful and Delicious Apples which promoted Conception and that therefore they were so much desired by Rachel which if it were so she was however disappointed for having agreed that her Husband should be with Leah that night it occasioned her Rival to have two Sons Successively one after another and also one Daughter But as to the Mandrakes themselves St. Augustine against Faustus tells us That he has seen of 'em Diligently Inquired into their Nature and says they were Apples fine to the Eye and of a sweet Scent but insipid taste but very rare to be had and on that Account alone he thought Rachel did Covet them The sin of Jacob and Leah is also very legible in their punishment by the foul Crimes of their Children Reuben and Dinah Jacob was guilty of Incest with two Sisters and to the great grief of his Soul eternal Reproach of his Family and scandal to the Neighbouring Heathen his Son Reuben committed Incest with his own Concubine Bilhah which by the way was another punishment upon her for consenting to Marry one who had two Wives before and whom she had no reason to think could ever be able to perform Conjugal duty to so many and 't is not improbable that this made her an easy prey to the Tentation Then as to Dinah her being polluted by Schechem the Son of Hamor was another disgrace to Jacob's Family and brought a fresh scandal upon the Church as well as ruin upon the Schechemites whose destruction was occasioned by the Lustful Passion of their Prince in dealing with Jacob's Daughter as with an Harlot which so enraged her Brethren that by a fraudulent Covenant they obliged the Schechemites to Circumcise themselves came upon them while they were Sore and put all the Males to the Sword And thus Dinah was also punished for her Conversing with the Daughters of the Land who were Idolaters and of corrupt manners her Curiosity which is so common to young Maids was fatal to her self and many others neither is there any thing better to be expected from those Profane Festivals Revellings and Banquetings which Josephus thinks the Schechemites were now taken up with And that Dinah either having stole away from her Mother to see how the Daughters of the Land were adorn'd and behav'd themselves in their publick Dances or being so far indulged as to have Liberty to go the Libidinous young Prince being taken with her Beauty and under no restraint but dandled by an Indulgent Father violated her Chastity for which himself his Son and all their Male Subjects quickly after lost their Lives having first been by the Just Judgment of God punish'd in the very Instrument of their Lasciviousness The wound as it 's usual putting them to great pain and making them unable either to resist or fly from Jacob's Armed Sons and Servants and thus also the Good Old Man was punish'd by the Rape of his only Daughter and his bleeding wound ript open afresh by the Treachery and Cruelty of his Children This is another Instance of a People cut off and destroyed for Uncleanness The next thing that occurrs is another affliction to the Good Old Patriarch from the Evil Report of the Sons of his Concubines Zilpah and Bilhah who being the off-spring of an Unlawful Marriage were also of a Lewd Conversation themselves and according to the opinion of some of the Hebrews guilty of Sodomitical Impurities But however that was this is plain from the Sacred Text that they had an ill same and with this Joseph acquainted his Father which occasioned their Conspiracy to kill Joseph and at last to sell him so that here Jacob was remarkably punish'd for his Polygamy The Children of those Concubines being both wicked and haters of his Children by Lawful Wedlock and tho it be not directly to our purpose yet it may not be perhaps unpleasant to the Reader to acquaint him that the Hebrews think Jacob was justly punish'd when made to believe that the blood of a Kid was that of his Son Joseph because he had formerly deceived his Father and made him to believe that he was his eldest Son Esau by putting a Kid's Skin about his Neck c. Our next Instance is in Judah who having left his Brethren and his Father's House and by Consequence the then Church and Lodging with an Adulamite fell in Love with a Canaanitish Woman and Married her he not then exceeding 14 Years of Age himself as Chronologers think not only without his Father's Consent but against it according to the Example of Esau How he was punish'd for this fault the following History acquaints us viz. That having obliged his Son Er to an early and precipitant Marriage like his own who being a Wicked Man and as the Hebrews think guilty of Sodomy or as others of spilling his Seed upon the ground as his Brother Onan did the Lord destroyed him Nor was Judah any happier in his Son Onan abovementioned who being given to his Brother's Widow for a Husband to raise up Seed to his Brother did maliciously spill it on the ground that his Brother's Memory might not be continued Whereas to die Childless had not only a Tendency to the decay and ruin of the Family but was also look'd upon as Reproachful and therefore it is the opinion of Divines that that temporary Law was constituted Deut. 25. 5. The Rabbins according to their fabulous manner alledge That Onan did this because he would not have Thamar's Beauty spoiled by bearing Children but whatever truth there be in that 't is certain that God destroyed him for that Impurity and frustrating the End of Nature which is next akin to Murther if not a species of it seeing it destroyed that which was potentially a Man or Woman But Judah's punishment does not cease here he is plagued with raging Lust in his own advanced years and being a Widower did incestuously pollute his own Daughter-in Law Thoemar whom he took to be a Common Harlot by which he incurr'd a perpetual disgrace and brought an Indelible blot upon his Memory From that History we may plainly also perceive that Adultery was held a Capital Crime even amongst those Canaanites seeing Judah ordered his Daughter-in-Law
both his Sons should be slain in one day and the Scripture tells us that he fell backward and broke his Neek upon the receipt of that fatal News It reach'd also the Wife of one of 'em who died upon the News of her Husband's death and the Arks being taken and it reach'd also their Posterity who were for ever excluded from the Priest's Office and had a perpetual Poverty entailed upon them as a Curse and to make them the more sensible of the dignity from whence they had fallen they were condemned to be a sort of slaves to the High-Priest of the succeeding Family of whom they were to beg a morsel of Bread and Employment so naturally does the Curse of Poverty or of bringing a Man to a piece of Bread follow upon Whoredom and Uncleanness There are some other Instances of lesser note as Saul's forcing his Daughter Michal after she had been married to David to marry another Man which was an act of Unncleaness and Tyranny too and had no doubt its influence amongst others of that Prince's Tyrannical and Impious Acts to hasten ruin upon him The Instance of Abner's going into Rispah Saul's Concubine which Interpreters think he did in an Adulterous manner and not by way of Lawfull Marriage deserves our Remark for hereby Saul suffered in his Fame after his Death and he who had compelled his Daughter to defile her Husband's Bed had this Ignominy and punishment inflicted upon his Son that he saw his Fathers Wife dishonourably defiled and Abner who was guilty of that Villanous Action took occasion because of his Reproof to Revolt from him and to transfer the Kingdom to David and as he went about to effect it fell into the snare which Joab had laid for him and lost his Life We come in the next place to Davids Adultery with Bathsheba a Crime which hath many aggravations to be committed by David a prophet who instructed others in the Law of God and did so grosly break it himself to be committed by David â— King who ought to have defended the Chastity of his Subject and not to have violated it himself to be Commited by David a holy Man who did thereby expose Religion ro be ridicul'd and laid a stumbling block before others to commit the like Crime because of his Example then if we consider the time it was when his Generals and Army were expos'd to the Fury of their Enemy in a Siege when he ought to have been more sollicitous for the honour and dignity of his Crown and for the safety of his Subjects Then if we consider the Person against whom this Crime was committed we find it to be against a Brave Valiant and Faithfull Friend and Subject who would not indulge himself in his Pleasures and Accommodations while the Ark and People of the Lord abode in Tents tho' David who was his Sovereign allowed him nay Commanded and Enticed him to do it which heightned and aggravated the Crime of that Holy man who acted herein Hypocritally and Scandalously to cover his Iniquity and gave occasion to the Israelites to think that as for Personal Conversation they had made but a sorry Exchange betwixt Saul and David for we don't find that Tyrant accused of Personal Uncleanness But the bloody part of the Scene is still to be acted David finding that he could not effect his design by Hypocrisy hath recourse to down-right Violence and Murder his Intrigue to make Vriah drunk which he thought might provoke him to a desire of his Wife having miscarried he resolves to cut him off by the Sword of the Ammonites and that too in a fraudulent manner by ordering him to be set in the front of the Battle and commanding the Men to retire from him that he might be smitten Nay so eager was he to have this Poor Man's life in order to cover his own Uncleanness that he was content to Sacrifice the Lives of many more of his Subjects so that this could be but effected so natural is it for Uncleanness to be the Parent and occasion of Murder The Crime is still further aggravated if we consider how deliberately it was committed how long he continued without Repentance and what a severe Judgment he gave against himself when Nathan the Prophet propounded the Case to him by way of Parable So much for David's Crime we must now consider that of Bathsheba she Wash'd and Bath d her self in open view of the Palace otherwise David could never have seen her from the Roof of his House which argues her to have been very Immodest nor do we find that she made any opposition to the proposal when 't was made to her so little regard had she either to the Law of God or her own and her Husband's Honour It remains then that we come to the punishment inflicted upon both The Judgment pronounced by Nathan against David was That the Sword should never depart from his House that the Lord would raise up evil against him out of his own House that he would take his Wives before his Eyes and give them unto his Neighbour who should lie with them in the sight of the Sun and that the Child which he had begot in Adultery should surely die all which was exactly fullfilled as we shall see in the following Instances The first part of the punishment inflicted was the Death of the Child and how near that went to David may easily be perceived by his afflicting himself with fasting and bying all night upon the Earth while it was sick and there 's no doubt but this part of the punishment reach'd Bathsheba as well as him seeing 't is reasonable to suppose that the Death of a Child for whom she had broke through all ties Divine and Humane must go very near her The next part of the punishment displayed David's Sin in Legible Characters and brought an horrid Disgrace upon his Family viz. The Incest of his Son Amnon with his Daughter 〈◊〉 she Story and Consequence of which iâ— as follows Tamar being a fair Woman Amnon her Brother fell in Love with her but knowing that she was within the forbidden degrees of Consanguinity he found he could not Lawfully enjoy her Before we proceed any further in the History of this affair it is proper to consider that this Damsel's Mother was 〈◊〉 Daughter to Talmai King of 〈…〉 says That David 〈◊〉 this â—ady Captive and being himself Captivaâ—ed with her Beauty defil'd her and begot this Tamar and that persevering in his Love to Maacha tho' a Heathen he made her a Proselyte and did according as it is prescribed by the Levitical Law Deut. 21. viz. Shav'd her Head and Eyebrows cut her Nails c. and took her to Wife Lyranus and some of the later Rabbins say That when Maacha was taken she was with Child of this Tamar by another Husband and this they think favoured by her saying to Amnon Speak unto the King for he will not with-hold me from thee But
because the latter Married Pythia Daughter to the Queen of Epirus whilst his Wife who was Sister to Antiochus was yet alive so fatal hath the Adultery of Princes always been to Kings and Kingdoms In his 30 th Book we have the Instance of Ptolemy King of Egypt who having murdered his own Wife Eurydice that was also his Sister he became so enamour'd on Agathocla the Strumpet that he minded nothing but Revelling and Dancing and thus says Justin the King became not only a Spectator but a Master of Villany and committing Sodomy also with Agathocles a handsome fellow and Brother to the Strumpet above mentioned they and their Mother Evanthe govern'd the King and Kingdom and disposed of all offices In the mean-time Ptolemy died which those vile Women concealed a long time and so shar'd the Royal Treasure and Government with Villains But the matter coming at last to be known the multitude assembled cut off Agathocles and hang'd his Mother and Sister such was the Tragical Exit they brought upon themselves by their uncleanness In his 37th Book we have the instance of Mithridates the great King of Pontus who married his own Sister Laodice in which match he was Justly unhappy for during his long absence a viewing the chief places of Asia she had admitted strangers to his Bad and tho' she feigned a mighty Joy at his return yet she endeavoured to poyson him in order to cover her Unchastity whereof Mithridates being advertised by a Maid he punish'd his Wife by death for her Treachery and tho' he himself became Great and Glorious afterwards by his Victories over the Asiaticks and his Wars with the Romans yet Divine Justice pursued him so that he killed himself in his old Age when he heard that his Son by that Unnatural Marriage had usurp'd the Kingdom In his 38th Book we have the horrid instance of Ptolemy Physcon who after the death of Ptolemy King of Egypt Married his Widow Cleopatra who was his own Sister kill'd her Son by her first Husband the very day of his Marriage and afterwards Divorc'd her self and Ravish'd her Daughter whom he afterwards Married This made him so hatefull to the people that they deserted the City where he dwelt so that finding himself a King without Subjects he was forc'd to invite strangers to reside there And at last became so odious that he fled with the Son that he had begot on his Sister taking her Daughter along with him and with a Mercenary Army made War upon his Sister and his Country and sent for his eldest Son and killed him to prevent the peoples chusing him in his stead The Subjects were so much enraged with these proceedings that they threw down his Statues and Pictures every where which he conceiving to be done by his Sister's advice he cut the Son that he had by her in pieces put them up in a Box and sent them to his Mother on his Birth-day Thus were they mutually plagued and punished for their Incest and a destructive War was kindled betwixt them which took its first rise from their enflamed Lusts and proved fatal to their Subjects as well as to themselves Ptolemy Physcon or the Debauch'd dying a little time after and having been some time before reconciled to his Wife and Sister Cleopatra he left her the Kingdom of Egypt she being compelled by the people to chuse her eldest Son to Govern that Kingdom before she would resign the same she compelled him to Divorce his Beloved Wife and Sister Cleopatra and she being afterwards married to Cyricaenus in Syria those Incestuous matches were punished by a mutual War betwixt the Brethren Gryphus and Cyricaenus and the latter being overcome Gryphina Wife to Gryphus would not be content till his Sister and Wife Cleopatra whom his Mother had made him to Divorce was murdered and Cyricaenus obtaining a Victory over Gryphus in his Turn put Gryphina to death in Revenge Cleopatra the Mother being weary of her Son Ptolemy's Reigning with her jointly in Egypt she stir'd up the people against him took his Wife Selence from him after she had born him two Sons sent him into Exile call'd his younger Brother Alexander to Reign in his stead but he being afraid of her cruelty abandon'd her then the Wicked Woman being afraid that her eldest Son would make War upon her to recover the Kingdom she sent great assistance to Gryphus and likewise gave him Seleuce to Wife Having at the same time recall'd her Son Alexander he understood that she laid snares for his Life and therefore seiz'd and cut her off and he himself was banisht by the people for this parricide Thus were their raging Lusts punished by a mutual War and Raging cruelty against one another And as if Heaven would have Syria and Egypt to read their sin in their punishment they were invaded and plagued by Hierotimus King of Arabia and his Six hundred Sons whom he had begot on Concubines and who attack'd the Syrians and Egyptians with separate Armies and parties We come next to the Roman History where in the very threshold we are presented with an Account that that City and Monarchy was founded by Whoredom The story of Râ—mus and Romulus being born of a Vestal Virgin for whom it was not Lawfull to Marry and that they were the Founders of that City demonstrates the truth of Rome's being Deriv'd from a spurious Original and the City being once Founded Romulus made it a Sanctuary for Vagabonds and a disorderly Rabble who were so much contemned by their Neighbours that they scorn'd to give them their Daughters in Marriage which occasion'd their Ravishing the Sabine Virgins and that brought forth a War which endangered the overthrow of this new Government in its Infancy as Livy gives an Account at large in his first Book Dec. 1. so fatal hath Whordom and Uncleanness always proved to Societies Livy in that same Book and Decad gives us an Account that Kingly Government was overturned at Rome because of a Rape in the manner following The Kings Sons and Kinsmen did often spend their time in Feasting and Treating one another and in their Cups at supper there happened a Discourse concerning their Wives upon which each man launched out in the praises of his own and thence a Quarrel arising Collatinus said it was in vain to talk since it might easily and speedily be known how much his Wife Lucretia excelled the rest adding for they were then in the Camp before Ardea Let us mount our Horses and go see with our own Eyes what kind of Women our Wives are and that shall be the Test which occurs to each man upon this unexpected Visit so that Galloping to Rome they went thence to Collatia where they found Lucretia not imployed like the rest of the Kings Daughters-in-Law viz. spending their time in Banquetting and Luxury but sitting amongst her Maids a Spinning Whereupon it was agreed that her Husband Collatinus came off Conquerer in that dispute and he being pleas'd
Athens but there are divers more observable Particulars as to that matter in his Life written by Plutarch tho' he was continually attended by that excellent person Socrates whose wholsome Instructions had much Influence upon him yet all his Philosophy was not able to reform him We find him accus'd when a Boy of a Suspicion of being a Catamite his Wife Hipparete a virtuous Lady and one that lov'd him entirely abandon'd him at last because of his multitude of Whores and su'd for a Divorce from him but when she presented her self before the Magistrate for that end Alcibiades retook her again by Force He is accus'd of being Luxurious in his Eating Drinking and Amours and was much despis'd by the Athenians because instead of their usual Ensigns upon his Shield he had a Cupid painted upon it with a Thunderbolt in his Hand Aristophon the Painter drew him sitting in the Curtesan Nemea's Arms which much displeas'd the graver Athenians While he was an Exile at Sparta he debauch'd the Wife of Agis King of Lacedemon and had a Son by her And 't is observable that the cause of his being banish'd from his own Country and condemn'd to Death was his having perform'd the debauch'd Mysteries of the Eleusina Sacra by way of Mockery The Injury he did to Agis King of Lacedemon made him unsafe there so that he fled for Security to Tisaphernes the Persian General In a word his whole Life was a continued Series of remarkable Ups and Downs And his Death was no less remarkable the Historian giving us an Account of it in this manner viz. That having retir'd to a small Village in Phrygia with one Timandra a Mistress of his he was at the instance of the Lacedemonians attack'd in his House by some Barbarians who setting it on fire he with much ado escap'd thro' the Flames and was at last slain by their Darts his Mistress Timandra having buried him with as much Decency as her Circumstances would allow Thus did Alcibiades fall ingloriously by his Lusts who had done so many Great and Glorious Actions in the World We have already touch'd upon the Judgments which pursued Dionysius the Lustful Tyrant of Sicily for his Uncleanness but meeting with a further Instance of it in the Life of Timoleon it is thought proper to take notice of it here in the words of Plutarch viz. That all the Mischiefs and Vexations of his former Reign were abundantly repaid and outdone by those Evils and Calamities which he then suffer'd for he liv'd to see the Funerals of his Sons in the prime of their Age the Rapes of his Daughters in the Flower of their Virginity and the Prostitution of his own Sister that became his Wife who being first villanously treated and her Person expos'd to all the Lust and Lewdness of the common Souldiery she was afterwards murder'd together with her Children and their Bodies cast into the Sea Thus was Dionysius punish'd as we may say in Specie for his Lust and Cruelty In the Life of Pelopidas we find this remarkable Passage concerning Archias the Tyrant of Thebes who having render'd himself odious to the People by his Oppression and sent many of them into Exile some of the Chief of those Exiles contriv'd his Ruine under the Conduct of Pelopidas thus Philidas who was Secretary to Archias having invited him and some others to an Entertainment to drink freely and accompany some married Whores he was so much taken up with his Cups and the Expectation of his Female Guests that tho' he had a Letter sent him discovering the Plot against his Life and deliver'd with this Message That it contain'd Matters of Concern and therefore 't was necessary he should read it he answer'd Matters of Concern to morrow And as he was carrousing thus Charon and Molon two of the Conspirators having put on Women's Apparel over their Armour and thick Garlands of Firr and Pine to shade their Faces in this manner came to the Door upon which Archion and his Guests gave an Huzza thinking they had been the lewd Women that they expected but were quickly undeceiv'd and had their Hearts pierced by the Conspirators Swords at the same time when they were pierced with the Darts of raging Lust And thus Thebes was deliver'd from Tyranny In that same Life we have an Account how Divine Justice pursued Alexander the Tyrannical King of Pherea for his Brutish Lust His Wife Thebe Daughter to Jason being enrag'd at him for his Debaucheries and particularly for abusing her younger Brother to his Lust she contriv'd his Death thus She hid her three Brothers in a Room near to his Bedchamber all the other Apartments being fâ—ll of the Tyrant's Night-guards before his Chamber there lay a fierce Dog cham'd which would flye at all but the Tyrant â— Wâ—fe and a Servant that fed him Wâ—â—n Night came Thebe went in alone to his Chamber according to the usual Custom and finding him asleep came out again commanded the Servant to lead away the Dog for the King would take some Rest and then covering the Stairs with Wool brought up her Brothers into his Chamber where they kill'd him and throwing out his Carcass it was trod under foot in great Contempt by the Phereans In the Life of Marcus Caâ—o the Censor we find that the grave Romans thought that not so much as a Marriage or a Night's Lodging for the Procreation of Children nay not a Feast or Drinking-bout ought to be permitted according to every one's Fancy without being censur d and enquir'd into and therefore they chose two Persons one out of the Patricians the other out of the Commons who were to watch correct and punish if any one ran too much after Voluptuousness and therefore Cato tho' he met with much Opposition because of his Severity was prefer'd to that Imployment and the first remarkable thing which we find perform'd by him in that Office was the Expulsion of Lucius Quintus from the Senate because he had to please a Boy whom he kept as a Catamite order'd a condemn'd Person to be executed before him at a Feast He did also throw Manitius out of the Senate because in the presence of his Daughter and in open Day he was a little too sweet upon his own Wife The People were so well pleased with his Behaviour in his Imployment that they erected a Statue for him in the Temple of the Goddess of Health with the following Inscription That this was Cato the Censor who by his good Discipline and Ordinances reclaim'd the Roman Commonwealth when 't was declining and supinely tumbling into Vice Yet we find that this very Man so faâ—ous for the Severity and Uprightness of his Manners not improving that Knowledge which God had given him was overcome by his Lusts even in his Old-age for Plutarch says that in his old days when he was past a Lover's Years he made use of Women and particularly of a young Wench who came privately to him which being discover d
leaps into scalding Oyl to avoid Sodomy 211 David's Amours with Maacha and the Opinions of the Rabbins concerning it 68 David's Adultery and Punishment and Remarks on it 64 65 David's Concubines their uncleanness and punishment 75 Darius's Incest and Punishment 148 225 Decemviri their Government overturned at Rome by the Lust of Appius Claudius 172 Decius Mundus 113 Demetrius Poliorcetes's lust and punishment 209 to 214. The Honours done him by the Athenians 213. They desert him at last 213. His prodigality to his Harlots 211. His vile passion to Damocles ibid. Demetrius of Macedon's lust and punishm 161 Dimacus betray'd by his Catamite 153 Diocles K. of Athens his lust and punishm 143 Dionysius's lust and punishment 157 197 Divorces of Jews our Saviour's opinion of ' em 104 Domitian's lust and punishment 255 Drunkards promoted for their Drunkenness 274 Drunkenness of the Romans 267 268 273 274 E Eastern Natioâ—â— their Vncleanness 50 51 Eating Excess as to quantity 284 Ecclesiastical History Instances from thence 300 Egyptians their uncleanness and punishm 49 50 Elders of Israel attempt to debauch Susanna 103 Eleusina Sacra describ'd 119 Eli's Sons their uncleanness and punishment 61 Esau why he married three Wives his sin and punishment 20 Eurydice's â—ncest and Cruelty 147 F Firmus drank two Buckets of Wine at once 273 Fishes the luxury and niceness of the Romans in them mourn'd for when dead deck'd with Jewels Octavius's Expence about ' em 282 283. Fore-skin why circumcis'd 13 Fornication why so called 307 Schoolmen's Opinion of it 315 Fowl the niceness and luxury of the Romans about ' em 283 Furniture of Houses excessive 292 294 G Galba's uncleanness and punishment 249 Galerius the Emperor's Whoredom eat up alive by Worms 260 Galerius Maximianus his uncleanness and punishment 305 Gallienus's uncleanness and death 2â—9 Games and Plays in the Theatres the expence and folly of 'em 286 Giants the first of them how and what 6 Glaphyra her uncleanness and punishment 99 Gluttony of the Romans 276 279 280 281 Gnosticks their Impurities 302 Great Cities occasions of lewdness many times 2 Grecian Queen her Revenge upon a Centurion that debauch'd her 181 Groves chosen by Idolaters to worship in because of being accommodated to their lustful designs 82 Gryphus Gryphina Cyricaenus and Cleopatra their lust and punishment 164 H Hagarens their Original and Offspring 12 Hair plaited and anointed 296 Ham's seeing his Father's nakedness what 8 Hannibal's Army debauch'd at Capua 175 Heliogabalus a Catamite 307 his lust gluttony and tragical end 258 Herod the Great 100 Herod and Herodias their lust and punishm 106 Hispala a Curtesan discovers the Bacchanalian Rites and more afraid of Men than Gods 184 Holofernes 101 Houses of Domitian and Nero described 293 Houses excessive large 291 I Jacob's Poligamy and Punishment 21 Idols of the Moabites and Zidonians what 80 Idolatry and Vncleanness produce each other 117 Jewels Lollia Paulina's excess in them 297 and of other Roman Ladies 298 Jews 50,000 destroy'd by the lust of Anilaeus 115 Jezebel her uncleanness and punishment 83 Joseph's Chastity Remarks on it 29 Israelites their whoredom and punishment 42 their Luxury the cause of the Plague that swept away 70,000 83 Judah's Incontinence and Punishment 27 Julius Caesar his Vncleanness Sodomy and Punishment 226 to 231 K Kingly Government abolish'd at Rome by Whoredom 166 Kitchins excessive large 29â— L Lacedemonian Women impregnated by their younâ— Men sent home on purpose from the Camp 14â— Laodicè her Incest Adultery and Punishm 16â— Latins defeated by their Whoredom 19â— Laws slavishly dispens'd with and the order oâ— time inverted to please a Prince 21â— Levite's Concubine her uncleanness and punishm 5â—â— Locrians complain of Pleminius Debauches 17â— Looking-glasses excessive dear 299 Lot's Wife why turn'd into a Pillar of Salt according to the Rabbins 1â—â— Lot and his Daughters their sin and punishment 14 15 16 1â— Lucretia ravish'd her Speech to her Husband kills her self 16â— Lucullus's Luxury and Punishment 20â— Ludi Florales what 26â— Salvianus's opinion of ' em 26â— Luxury of the Romans 265 26â— Lycurgus's filthy Laws and Reasons for ' em 189 His Reasons confuted 19â— Lydians order'd by Cyrus to be debauch'd why 138 M Manasses's Vncleanness occasion'd the building oâ— the Temple of Samaria and the Hatred betwixt the Jews and Samaritans 85 86 Mandrakes found by Reuben what 2â—â— Manichees their Impurity 51â— Their Opinion of the Poligamy of the Patriarchs confuted by St. Austin 22â— â—anilius turn'd out of the Senate because too sweet upon his Wife in presence of his Daughter 199 â—anners how generally corrupted at first 4 5 â—arriage why forbidden by Papists and other Sects 130 The Opinion of the Primitive Christians concerning it 314 A second time the Severity of some of the Ancient Christians and Councils against it 316 â—assmissa's Cruelty to his Paramour Sophonisba 178 â—axentius's Whoredom 304 â—aximinus's Drunkenness 273 â—aximus the Emperor 's Adultery and Death 261 â—essalina 240 â—essenians ruin'd by Vncleanness 144 â—idianites their uncleanness and punishment 42 â—inutia a Vestal Virgin put to death for Whoredom 172 Mithridates K. of Pontus his Incest and Punishment 162 N Nero's lusts and punishment from 242 to 249 Nexus a barbarous Custom among the Romans what and how abolish'd 173 Nicolaitans whence so call'd their uncleaness 301 Ninus's effeminacy and lust 135 Nivellius Torquatus knighted for Drinking 270 Nonae Capraticae why so call'd 193 the manner of that Feast ibid. Numa Pompilius allow'd Men to lend their Wives 191 O Ochus's lust and punishment 225 Oppian Law made to restrain the Luxury of the Roman Women Speeches for and against it 17â— Orator sued for displacing a Fold in another Shoulder 29â— Origen why he emasculated himself 3â—â— Oropastes destroy'd by his Concubine 13â— Otho's uncleanness and punishment 250 25â— P Parthenii their Origin 14â— Paulina 11â— Paulus Samosatenus his Vncleanness 30â— Pausanias murders his Paramour slain 202 20â— Penitentiary Presbyter why abrogated at Constantinople 30â— Pericles's Lust and Punishment 19â— Persepolis an unclean City burnt at the perswasion of an Harlot 15â— Persian Ambassadors kill'd for their Lust 14â— Persian Women's Idleness and Immodesty 151 13â— Persian Empire ruin'd by Luxury 14â— Pharaoh's Plague for taking Sarah what â—â—â— Phea call'd Sow for her Lust her punishment 18â— Philip of Macedon's uncleanness and punishm 14â— Philistins their uncleanness and punishment Pictures excessive dear 29â— Platters excessive large and costly 27â— Pleminius's lust and punishment 176 Poligamy our Saviour's Opinion of it 104 Pompey the Great 's lusts and punishments 203 His fondness of Julia promotes his ruin 205 His Revels with Cornelia and fondness of her compleated his ruin 206 Priapus's beastly Worship what 218 262 Priests of Isis 113 Primitive Christians ' hatred of uncleanness 304 â—izes of great value given in the Theatres 288 â—olomy Ceraunus's lust and punishment 159 â—olomy's Incest and Adultery 162 â—olomy Phiscon's Incest and Cruelty 163 â—rrhus's uncleanness slain by a
Woman 200 R â—veal'd Religion why derided by the Beans 123 â—euben ' s Incest and Punishment 32 â—ngs excess in them 297 â—oman Women immodest in their Apparel ibid. â—ome its Church why call'd in Scripture Whore and Mother of Harlots 132 â—ome founded by Whoredom endanger'd at first by Rape 165 â—oofs of Houses movable and chang'd at every course 292 S â—mpson's Whoredom and Punishment 53 c. The Rabbins think the Philistins debauch'd his Wife 53 Objections against the number of Foxes taken by him answer'd 55 â—aracens their original 12 â—ardanapalus's uncleanness and remarkable death 135 137 â—chechem's Whoredom and Punishment 25 â—cythian Women their Message to their Husbands in Asia 139 Married their Servants in their Husbands ' absence 140 Scipio rebukes Massinissa for his lust 176 Seed flux of it in Man and Menstrua in Women why it render'd 'em unfit for publick Worship 41 Seed passing thro' the Fire to Molech what 51 Seleucus King of Assyria parts with his Wife his Son 2â— Servants excess in their number 3â— Sextus Tarquinius his Rape and Punishmeâ— 168 1â— Ships sailing in Wine 2â— Simon Magus the Vncleanness of himself aâ— Followers 3â— Sodomites why they lusted after Strangers aâ— particularly after the Angels â— Solomon's uncleanness and punishment â— whether sav'd or not â— Solon's Vncleanness and impure Laws 1â— Sophonisba Daughter to Asdrubal her scanâ—lous Marriage to Massinissa 1â— her last Message to her Paramour Manissa 1â— Spinctriae what 2â— Spitamenes and his Wife their punishment â— Lust 1â— Statues the Excess of the Romans in them 2â— Suppers excessive for cost 279 2â— Scylla's lustfulness eat up by Lice 2â— Syphax's Marriage with Sophonisba caused War with the Romans 1â— Syria and Egypt remarkably punish'd for thâ—Vncleanness 1â— T Tables the Excess and Expensiveness of theâ— 2â— Tarentum betray'd by an Harlot 1â— Theatres Excess of the Romans therein 2â— their Furniture costly 2â— Theatre of Scaurus of Titus 284 2â— Thebe Daughter to Jason how she aveng'd her self of her Husband for his Adultery 198 Theseus's Lust and Punishment 188 189 Tiberius Caesar's unnatural Lust filthy Inventions and Death 235 to 237 Titus's Vncleanness 254 Trajan's Sodomy c. 259 Troy ruin'd by Lust 145 Tutula her filthy stratagem to defeat the Latins 193 U Vnclean Women made use of to ensnare the People of God fatal to the Contrivers 57 Vncleanness the cause of the Jews ' Captivity 91 Vncleanness People judicially given up to it and why 117 Vncleanness the sorts of it the Trial and Punishment of it under the Law from 35 to 40 Vnnatural Lust discover'd by heterogeneous Births 52 Valentinian the Emperor murder'd for Adultery 260 Vespasian's uncleanness and reformation 254 255 Vestal Nuns their Whoredoms how expiated 175 Victualling houses at Rome under Ground what 306 Virginia kill'd by her Father to save her Chastity his Speech to the Roman Army 170 171 Vitellius's Lust and Punishment Luxury Gluttony c. 252 c. W War occasion'd at Sparta by the Lust of Chelidonis 200 Wenches naked wait at Table 277 Whores and Whoremongers their Character by Solomon 87 Whoredom the cause of Apostacy and of the Deluge 6 â— the Judgments denounc'd against it in thâ— New Testament 122 â— its Original 1 2 â— Wild Beasts vast numbers of 'em in the Theatreâ— 28â— Women that kill'd themselves to avoid being defil'â— 30â— Woman taken in Adultery the reason of our Saviour's acquitting her what he wrote upon thâ— Ground at that time 10â— World Peopled a first and second time by lawfuâ— Marriages â— Y Young man ravish'd his Mother and kill'd his Father and Sisters 31â— Z Zealots in Jerusalem their lustfulness 11â— Zeno the Emperor's lust and punishment burieâ— alive 308 30â— ERRATA PAGE 15 l. 14 read touched p. 16 l. 31 r. a necessity p. 28. l. 8 r. murther p. 29 l. 19 r. Juvenile p. 29 l. 33 r. greater p. 30 l. 26 for but r. that p. 31 l. 18 dele he p. 35 l. 10 r. a Virgin p. 60 l. 3 r. to propagate p. 83 l. 8 r. as to p. 84 l. 34 r. Canaanites p. 112 l. 33 r. with her Hair p. 130 l. 28 r. Marcionites and l. 34 r. to ward p. 132 l. 29 r. he reprâ—sents p. 134 l. 4 r. Justin p. 137 l. 4 r. which with and l. 6 r. my Desires and l. 27 r. Effeminacy p. 142 l. 2 r. of Xerxes p. 144 l. 3 r. as abovesaid and l. 26 r. prevail'd p. 147 l. 31 r. Justice p. 165 l. 14 r. begot p. 171 l. 1 r. upon which p. 178 l. 33 r. Disloyalty p. 192 l. 11 r. and another p. 194 l. 14 r. Bawd p. 252 l. ult r. Day p. 253 l. ult r. Streets AN ESSAY TOWARDS A General History OF WHORING c. THE Original of the Crime which is the Subject of the following Sheets must necessarily be deduced from the Sin of our first Parents for there is no doubt that Lust or the inordinate motions of the Flesh did invade their Souls at the same time when their other Faculties were corrupted And it appears plain that Idleness the lust of the Eye and intemperance of Appetite which ever since have been the forerunners and ushers of bodily uncleanness did precede the Eating of the forbidden Fruit and that as the Natural Consequence of such Antecedents the first thing taken notice of by our Parents after the Fall was their Nakedness whereof they were immediately asham'd and endeavoured to cover it This Nakeness say Commentators that they were so speedily made sensible of was not only that they felt their need of a Cover to their Bodies both for Ornament and Defence against the Injuries of the Air c. but that they were also sensible of the Rebellion of the flesh which doth not only war against the Soul but hath a natural tendency to the dissolution of the Body there being nothing which sooner extinguishes the flame of Life than an immoderate consumption of that Oyl which nature hath provided for its nourishment This impurity of the affections did no doubt exert it self quickly in actions which in our first Parents could not fall under the notion of Whoredom they being married by God himself in the State of Innocence yet there 's little doubt to be made of its having vented it self in an immoderate use of the Marriage bed and thus these impure desires were communicated to their Posterity who were thereby polluted anâ— conceiv'd and brought forth in Iniquity The first direct breach of the Divine Institution of Marriage betwixt one Man and one Woman which we find Recorded was in the person of Lamch one of Cain's Posterity whose two Wives we find mentioned in the fourth of Genesis by which it appears plain that Murder and Whoredom are near a kin had both of 'em their rise from one and the same Family And according to the opinion of some Interpreters did both of 'em center in this Lamech who is thought to have been a bloody
cruel Man as is gathered from this discourse to his Wives in that Chapter viz. I have slain a man to my wounding and a young man to my hurt This bad example of Lamech's digamy did quickly infect the Infant World for we find in the next Chapter That when men began to multiply and that daughters were born unto them the Sons of God saw the Daughters of men that they were fair and they took them Wives of all that they chose It s still to be observed that as Whoredom and Uncleanness began in Cain's Family so there it continu'd and increas'd and by their Contagious Example the Family of Seth which did then contain the Visible Church became also infected and the Members of the Church having more regard to the Beauty and Comeliness of the Women of Cain's Race than to the vertue of those who were of their own Religion their Eyes betrayed their Hearts they lusted after their Beauty and without any consideration of Religion or Laws took them Wives of all that they chose by which Interpreters understand promiscuous Marriages Polygamy unjust Divorces Rapes and all manner of Lewd and Licentious practises which brought the Wrath of Goâ— upon the old World and occasion'd hiâ— saying as in the 3 d verse That his spirit should not always contend with Man The occasion of this General Corruption of Manners is hinted to be thâ— multiplication of Men and particularly oâ— the Women of Cain's Posterity who being under no discipline and wanting thâ— benefit of pious Instruction and good Example became dissolute and wanton and no care being taken to dispose of therâ— duly in Marriage they took all occasion to satisfie their brutal desires for whicâ— their dwelling in Cities whereof Caiâ— was the first Founder amongst multitudes of people gave them great opportunities it being always observ'd that iâ— Great Cities the numbers of dissolute persons makes them to despise Laws anâ— follow such practices as they durst noâ— venture upon in Villages and Countrieâ— where they could be more easily restrained and punisht not that I would be understood to be against the building anâ— maintaining of Cities which increase thâ— Glory Riches and Strength of Nations but would to God that the greâ— Cities of Christendom were not still to justly chargeable with avowed Impuritieâ— of the same nature which a zealous Magistracy might easily prevent It is also the opinion of some of the learned that the Cainites did first build themselves a City that they might strengthen one anothers hands in Cruelty and Uncleanness and follow such practises with all manner of impunity which gave their Women opportunity to pamper and deck themselves that they might be the more agreeable objects of Lust and this might also render them more amiable in the Eyes of the Posterity of Seth who living as 't is presumed a Rural Life for the most part and their Women being kept in order by Laws and Religion and applying themselves to the Affairs of their Families that they might approve themselves meet helps to their Husbands according to the design of God at the first Creation of Woman did not mind the decking and adorning of their Bodies nor the pampering of their Flesh and cherishing their Beauties as the Cainites did and therefore were not so pleasing to the Eye as those lascivious Women who behaved themselves as if God and Nature had design'd them for nothing else but a Man's bed whereas the Divine Goodness appointed that they should be meet-helps in their Religious Conversation Industry Care and Education of Children to all of which those loose practices of the Cainites were diametrically opposite From those unequal Marriages and promiscuous Copulations proceeded a contempt of Laws and Religion amongst the Cainites and an Apostacy from God and Religion amongst many of the Posterity of Seth and it hath been observed amongst all Nations since that when Religion decays uncleanness increases and that a love to Licentiousness hath always been a great cause of Apostacy as is but too too observable in those that are called Deists and Socinians in this present Age most of their New Converts or rather Perverts being people of a loose life especially as to the point of Chastity The next effect of those unclean anâ— beastly Commixtions was an off-spring of Giants so called as some Interpreterâ— think from the vastness of their bulkâ— as being begot in raging Lust or as others because of their Barbarous and Saâ—vagâ— Manners and filling all the World witâ— Rapes Cruelty and Devastation so that bâ— the just Judgment of God the Children oâ— those unlawful Marriages and Promiscuous Copulations became the plague oâ— their Parents and the scourge of Man kind as well as the declared Enemies oâ— Heaven and Religion Whence the olâ— doting Poets took occasion to amuse thâ— World with the fabulous War of the Gianâ— against Jupiter c. Noah not being able by his preaching of Righteousness to reform the World from this horrid Debauchery it provok'd God to bring the Deluge which drown'd that lascivious and wicked Generation of Men who had drown'd themselves in all manner of sensual Impurities with so much obstinacy that when that fatal Flood came it surpriz'd them as eating drinking marrying and giving in marriage Thus then it 's apparent that Whoredom was one of the principal Causes that brought the Wrath of God upon the old World And it deserves our observation that God by his Command to Noah to take only his own Wife and the three Wives of his three Sons into the Ark with him as he did thereby give another Testimony of his honouring and approving of Marriage he did also plainly testifie against Digamy Polygamy and Concubines and that as the World was peopled at first by lawful Marriage it should be also peopled in the same manner a second time To come next to the times after the Flood the â—â—â—st instance of impurity that occurs to us is Ham's deriding his father Noah ' s nakedness by which there are some Interpreters who understand that he not only told it his Brethren but also before Women and Children in a lascivious and filthy manner and took occasion to fall into foolish Jesting and Sarcasms Nay if we give credit to the opinion of Berosus and the Rabbins he inchanted his Fathers Virile parts and unman'd him but however that is this is certain that he discover'd a frothy unclean lascivious temper for which he was severely punisht in his posterity The Canaanites who wallowed also in those fleshly impurities when God destroyed them by the Israelites the posterity of Sem as shall be taken notice of in its proper place From Ham did also proceed Nimrod the Mighty Hunter and cruel oppressor who was the first that laid the foundation of a Tyrannical Government after the Flood so that the observation still holds that Vncleanness Murder and those other Crimes which lay Nations wasteare near a kin and generally the off-spring and product of one and the same
Family That Abraham seem'd to have this Notion appears from his advice given to his beautiful Wife Sarah when he travelled with her into Egypt viz. to say she was his Sister because the Egyptians he supposed would have kill'd him that they might enjoy her Whence we may likewise observe that the Holy Patriarch knew that lustful persons would rather commit Murder than be baulkt in the satisfaction of their Lusts and yet tho the World was at that time so much degenerated it 's plain from this passage that the Egyptians look'd upon Marriage as Sacred and Inviolable otherwise Sarah's calling her self Abraham's Sister could have been no defence of her Husbands life Nay it is manifest from the History that Pharaoh design'd to have taken her to Wife so that those Heathen Egyptians will rise up in Judgment against our Christian Debauchees who think neither Fornication nor Adultery to be Crimes for it 's evident from this passage that both he and his Subjects tho abominably lustful had a great regard to Marriage which it's plain he thought necessary to render his enjoyment of Sarah lawfull There are several other things to be learned from this remarkable instance as that the vanity of matching with none but those of Royal Extract had not then invaded the Thrones of Princes But at the same time it is as plain that it hath been an old and wicked Custom amongst Courtiers and Nobles to be Panders to the lusts of their Monarchs for here we find that Pharaoh's Princes Commended Sarah's Beauty to him which occasioned her being taken into his House and would to God that no such thing had ever been justly chargeable upon the Court of England There are only two Remarks more which I have to make on this Story and shall then proceed to another viz. that God by smiting Pharaoh and his House-hold all of sudden with Plagues did both give a Testimony of his divine displeasure against such lustful practices and of his being a protector of Conjugal Chastity What the nature of this Plague inflicted upon Pharaoh and his houshold was is not agreed upon amongst Interpreters The Hebrews say that it was a Gonorrhoea or Vlcer in his secret parts which prevented his design Josephus thinks it was a Pestilence and sudden Sedition in the Palace Philo Judaeus says it was a Distemper both of Body and Mind and Chrysostom is of opinion that it was some Bodily Plague inflicted upon him just as Sarah was brought to his Bed but however those things be this is certain that Sarah's pollution was prevented and Pharaoh oblig'd to own that it was not lawful to take another Man's Wife The next instance is of Abraham himself who is the first of the Posterity of Seth after the Flood that we find to have been guilty of Digamy it 's plain that the occasion of his taking his Handmaid Hagar to Wife was his VVife Sarah's advice and the Cause of her giving that advice was her own Barrenness advanced age and fear that she should not otherwise have the promised Seed The Causes of Abraham's consenting so easily were no doubt the same and Polygamy being then Common in the World his Practice administred no occasion of Scandal so that his practice of marrying his Maid in those times of Ignorance which God winked at can not afford any argument for Polygamy now and seeing he had his Wife's consent it will far less warrant those lascivious Intrigues which many Masters have now a days with their Maid-Servants But that this practice of the Holy Patriarch was displeasing to God will easily appear from the punishment inflicted upon his Family the Peace of which was immediately broke by Hagar's despising her Mistress assoon as she found her self pregnant with the promised Seed as she vainly believ'd Then Sarah upbraids Abraham with the wrong whereof she her self was the occasion and forc'd him to a breach of that Marriage Bond which by her own advice he had contracted Hagar was also punisht for her unlawful Consent first by being severely dealt with by Sarah who gave her for a Wife to her Husband and then by being thrust out of the Family and expos'd to the World and though she was brought back again for some time till she was delivered of her Son Ishmael yet her abode was of no long continuance for she was thrust out again with this additional affliction that she had her Son to provide for was expos'd to the cruel necessity of seeing him die of thirst as she apprehended and instead of his being the promised Seed she and he were both Ignominiously thrust out from partaking of the Inheritance with Isaac and she was plainly told from Heaven that he should be a wild Man having his hand against every Man and every Man's hand against him which was speedily verified for he became a profane scoffer at Religion and the promise of God which occasioned his expulsion from his Father s Family and the Church His crime is by the Apostle Paul called persecution and his Posterity we find complained of by the Psalmist in the 83. Psalm amongst the other persecutors of the people of God and so they have continued under several denominations to this day as Ishmaelites Hagarens c. of which latter name being ashamed as denoting their Spurious Original they assumed to themselves the Title of Saracens as if they were Sarah's off-spring under which they were formidable to the Christian World for some Ages and continue irreconcilable Enemies to the Christian Religion to this day under the name of Arabians Turks c. Such unseparable Vices are Vncleanness Cruelty and Persecution and so easie and natural is the Transition from an unclean person to become an Apostate and Enemy to true religion Nor is it fit to let it pass unobserved that aâ— he himself was unlawfully begot his Posterity to this day have continued to be a vile and lustful people and it is known to the world that it is now become an Article of their horrid Religion that they place their chief happiness both in this Life and that to come in the enjoyment of those impure pleasures Nor is it fit we should pass over what is commonly observ'd by Divines that the very Ordinance of Circumcision by which the fore-skin was appointed to be cut off was a mark of God's displeasure at Incontinence upon the Instrument of Generation and likewise an evidence that those who expect his favour should mortifie that Corruption and that it only took place upon Males was because the beginning of Generation and consequently of natural Corruption is from that Sex The next dreadful Instance of God's hatred and indignation at VVhoredom and Vncleanness is his raining of Fire and Brimstone upon Sodom Gomorrah Admah and Zeboim c. the cry of their lewdness being such that it seemed to drown the noise of all other Sins at that time This is the first Instance we meet with of Lusts arriving to such a prodigious height as
Modern Interpreters do with more reason think that she only said this to put him off for if they could have been married by Law Amnon would not have pin'd for her but have straightway demanded her of the King who was so indulgent to his Children that he would never have refused it if it could have been Lawfully Granted and therefore Amnon knowing that this could not be done he burned and consumed away in his Unlawfull Love which prevented his sleep disordered his stomach hindered his digestion and occasioned a paleness in his Countenance which made his Friend Jonadab to guess at his Malady and put him upon that fatal Intrigue to satisfy his Lust viz. To feign himself sick and to desire of his Indulgent Father when he came to see him that his Sister Tamar might come and make him some Cakes by which means he should have an opportunity of satisfying his passion and this being accordingly put in Execution he ravish'd her and then his hatred to her became as excessive as ever his Love had been so that tho it was his Interest to have concealed his Villainy both upon the Account of his Reputation and safety His fury was so outragious that as he had forc'd her into his Bed he forc'd her also out of his Chamber which presently divulg'd his own shame The Rabbins according to their fabulous manner alledge that this hatred proceeded from the bitter Reproaches and Words which Tamar made use of against him during the Rape or from his having hurt himself while he struggled with her but the more probable reason is that it proceeded from those stings of Conscience and that perturbation of mind which usually attends such Villainies-and thus Nero hated his Mother Mortally and at last ordered her to be murdered after he had committed Incest with her but in the Case of Amnon there was something of a special Providence God would have David's sin legible in his punishment and therefore that the shame of his Children and Family should be publick nay it 's plain that God deprived him of his ordinary sagacity when he so easily consented to Amnon's desire of having his Sister Tamar to bake him some Cakes which was enough to Minister cause of suspicion that some wicked design lay conceal'd at bottom and in like manner he was deprived of his sagacity when about two years after he consented to Amnon's going to Absalom's Feast at the sheering of his Sheep for he might easily have conceived that his Daughter Tamar who remained desolate in her Brother Absalom's House kept the Memory of the indignity which Amnon had done to her fresh in Absalom's mind and that Absalom being an Ambitious Man might also be prompted to cut off Amnon who was David's Eldest Son that he might make way for himself to succeed but so God would have it that his Judgments denounced upon David's House because of his Murder and Adultery might be Executed and therefore Amnon is not only suffered to go but the rest of the King's Sons so much deprived of their Reason and Courage as that they could not prevent this horrid Fratricide and thus Amnon whom David had spared out of a fond affection tho' he ought to have died by the Law was Justly cut off for his Incestuous Rape and as David's Uncleanness was punish'd by Incest betwixt his own Children so his Murder is punish'd in that same manner by this Fratricide Committed by one of his Sons upon another which was an early presage of Absalom's usurpation by taking the Sword of Justice out of his Father's hand This must without all doubt have been a very sensible affliction to David to have one Son Murdered and another obnoxious to lose his Life by the Law for the said Murder It must needs also pierce him to the heart to hear the Reproaches of the wicked who no doubt upbraided him with the Ungodly Lives of his Children and the want of Discipline in his Family But his affliction did not terminate here being again reconciled to his Son Absalom which his Unwarrantable indulgence made easie to be effected this Unnatural Monster by his Treachery and Flattery stole away the hearts of the People from his Father and then broke out into a formal Rebellion That the People did so readily concur with him is attributed to the perswasions of Achitophel and others who exposing David's personal faults as his Adultery with Bathsheba his Murder of Vriah sparing his Incestuous Son 〈◊〉 and dealing hardly with Absalom for Execuâ—ing Justice upon him did mightily Incense them against him and besides these we find that Absalom himself accus'd him of Male-Administration and a neglect of Justice which by the Just Judgment of God in order to the fullfilling of his threatning That the Sword should never depart from David's House did so take that he was in great danger of losing his Crown and it 's worth our observation that the Person which occasioned him so much trouble and disgrace was his own Son by a Heathen Wife with whom he had contracted Marriage out of a Lustfull principle as has been formerly taken notice of Absalom in the Course of his Rebellion does also commit Incest with his Father's Concubines by the Counsel of Achitophel contrary to the positive Law of God and thus was the threatning accomplish'd upon David of having his own Wives taken from him and given to another who should humble them in the sight of the Sun and of all the People and it is remarkable that this Villainy was Acted upon the roof of the King's House where he himself did first commit Adultery with Bathsheba in his Heart The reason of Achitophel's giving this pernicious advice was that he might do what in him lay to make the breach between David and Absalom Irreconcilable that so he might never be called to an Account for aiding Absalom in this Rebellion and there are others who say that he had also a design of Revenge in it for David's having Debauch'd Bathsheba who it 's probable was this Achitophel's Grand-Daughter As to Absalom's own part in this Villany we have reason to think that he was thereunto prompted by Revenge and Lust both Revenge because his Father had not punish'd Amnon for his Rape upon Tamar his Sister and Lust because we find he was a Vain and Effeminate Person and Excessively proud of his Beauty and Hair which he nourished so prodigiously that at the end of the year when he poll'd it he usually cut off about Two Hundred Shekells which is computed at above six Pound Averdupoize The next thing which in Course we are to take notice of is the punishment inflicted upon Achitophel who gave this pernicious Counsel and upon Absalom who followed it The former tho' his Wicked advice as to the polluting of David's Concubines was obey'd yet finding his Counsel as to the Military part despised took it so much to heart that he thereupon became a deliberate Felo de se and after having set his
Lest we give our honour unto others and our years unto the cruel that is lest we Sacrifice our Reputation and Strength to Harlots who are cruel both in Principles and Practises He adds as further ill Consequences of following Whores Lest strangers be filled with thy Wealth and thy Labours be in the House of a stranger and thou mourn at the last when thy Flesh and thy Body are consumed Then he Exhorts to Conjugal Love and Chastity in the following manner Drink Waters out of thine own Cistern i. e. Content thy self with thine own Wife Let thy Fountain be blessed and rejoice with the Wife of thy youth Let her be as the loving Hind and the pleasant Roe let her Breasts satisfy thee at all times and be thou Ravish'd always with her love Then he concludes with an Expostulation against Whoredom from the mischiefs which attend it thus Why wilt thou be ravish'd with a strange Woman and embrace the Bosom of a stranger for the ways of Man are before the Eyes of the Lord he pondereth all his goings his own Iniquities shall take the wicked himself and he shall be holden with the Cords of his Sins he shall die without instruction and in the Greatness of his Folly he shall go astray That is he is so ensnared by his Lusts that thro' his prodigious folly and madness he shall run on to eternal destruction without repenting for his sins as perhaps he purposed to do In the 6th Chapter he pursues his Exhortation to Chastity by further Arguments from the mischievous Consequences of Whoredom Thus Keep thee from the evil Woman from the flattery of the Tongue of a strange Woman Lust not after her Beauty in thine heart neither let her take thee with her Eye-lids for by means of a Whorish Woman a Man is brought to a piece of Bread and the Adultress will hunt for the precious Life that is draws men to such Courses as destroys both their substance and health He goes on thus That whosoever toucheth his Neighbours Wife shall not be Innocent i. e. shall not be free from guilt shame and punishment He adds That whoso commits Adultery with a Woman lacketh understanding and destroyeth his own Soul a Wound and Dishonour shall he get and his Reproach shall not be wiped away In the 7th Chapter he gives a parabolical Representation of Whoring thus At the Window of my House I look'd thro' my Casement and behold among the simple ones a young man void of understanding passing thro' the Street near her Corner and he went the way to her House in the twi-light in the Evening in the black and dark Night And behold there met him a Woman with the attire of an Harlot and subtil of Heart She is loud and stubborn her feet abide not in her House Now she is without now in the Streets and lieth in wait at every Corner So she caught him and kiss'd him and with an Impudent face said unto him I have Peace-offerings with me this day have I paid my vowâ— or I have been at Church at Prayers Therefore came I forth to meet thee diligently to seek thy face and I have found thee I have deck'd my Bed with Coverings of Tapstery with Carved Works with fine Linen of Egypt c. He goeth after her straightway as an Ox goeth to the Slaughter or as a Foâ—â— to the Correction of the Stocks till a Dart strike thro' his Liver as a Bird hasteth to the Snaâ—e and knoweth not that 't is for his Life Then he adds she hath cast down many wounded Yea many strong Men have been slain by her of which he was a sad instance himself for tho' he was the strongest Man in the World for Understanding and Abilities yet he was very near ruin'd by strange Women In the 9th Chap. he calls the Whore a Foolish Clamorous Simple Ignorant Woman and describes her Practice thus That she sits at the Door of her House on a seat in the high or noted places of the City to call passengers who go right on their ways That is who are going about their business and mind no such things Then he describes her Guests to be simple and those that want understanding And such as know not that they are in the depths of Hell Had the Royal Author lived in our days the Wits of this Age would no doubt have call'd him a Canting Coxcomb and if the Dignity of his Scepter had not set him above it to be sure they would have demanded satisfaction of him but he understood himself better and knew that Whoring which destroyeth Kings as he expresseth it in the 30th Chapter of the Proverbs could be no less fatal to Fops He had given his heart to know madness and folly as much as any of 'em and was not asham'd to declare that he found it to be such and therefore Repented of it It has been observed before that bodily Uncleanness as well as Idolatry had a great share in Provoking God to give the People of Israel and Judah upto Captivity and other publick Calamities which appears plain to any Man that will but peruse the Prophets and particularly Jeremy who Prophesied both before and after they were carried Captives into Babylon viz. In the days of Zedekiah c. In the third Chapter of his Prophecy he bids them lift up their Eyes unto the high places and see where they had not been lain with and charges them with polluting the Land by their Whoredoms and Wickedness In the 5th Chap. God charges them with committing Adultery assembling themselves by Troops in the Harlots ' Houses after they had been fed to the full and that they were as fed Horses in the morning every one Neighing after his Neighbours Wife The very Practice of our City Beaus and modern Gallants and as a Just reward for such Wickedness the Lord says Shall I not visit for these things and shall not my Soul be avenged on such a Nation as this And the Judgments denounced against them are That a Lyon out of the Forest should slay them and a Wolf of the Evening should spoil them a Leopard should watch over their Cities and every one that went ouâ— thence should be torn in pieces meaning that they should be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar a Potent Greedy Watchfull and Cunning Enemy He further tells them that he would bring a Nation upon them from afar whose Language they did not understand who should eat up their Harvest and their Bread which their Sons and Daughters should have eaten their Flocks and their Herds their Vines and their Fig-Trees and impoverish their fenced Cities In the 6th Chapter he pursues his threatnings telling them That their Houses should be turned unto others with their Fields and Wives together as a Just Judgment for their having defil'd other Men's Wives and that the Nations which were to come against them should lay hold on Bow and Spear be Cruel and shew no Mercy May God avert such Judgments
much guilty of Whore-Hunting their Conquerors took their pleasure to Hunt Beasts of a far more harmless Nature We have seen that Uncleanness had a great influence in occasioning the Captivity of Israel and also in bringing down those Judgments upon Babylon which ended in the total destruction of that Famous City and Empire In the lesser Prophets we have also an Account of the destruction of Ninive a Great and Mighty City and sometimes Capital of the Assyrian Empire because of the multitude of her Whoredoms Nahum 3. 4. It 's true that some â—are of opinion that by the Whoredoms here mentioned are chiefly meant their Political Tricks to engage people to submit to their Yoke and Worship their Idols yet it was well known that all those Eastern Nations were very much addicted to bodily Uncleanness and as we have observed before the Assyrians became very Effeminate under the Reign of Semiramis c. And it 's plain from most of the Instances we have already given that Adultery and Idolatry went usually hand in hand it 's also to be observed that this destruction of Ninive is by Chronologers agreed to have preceeded that of Babylon for though Nahum in order of the Bible be placed among the last of the Prophets yet according to Josephus Antio Lib. 9 Cap. 11. he Prophesied in the days of Jotham King of the Jews and the Accomplishment of this Prophesie upon Ninive happened about 115 years after We have done with the old Testament History of the Jews so that we must come next to Josephus who is favourable enough to his Countrymen in respect of their Uncleanness as particularly in the Instance of the Midianitish Women with whom he alledges they contracted Marriages and says expresly That Zimri and Cosbi were Married whereas the Scripture accuses them of down-right Impetuous Lust neither does this Historian Tax the Patriarchs for their Polygamy which perhaps might be occasioned by his being a Pharisee who as it appears by our Saviour's Arguments with some of that Sect upon the subject of Divorce had no Just Notions of those things And therefore it is not to be wondered at that Josephus takes so little notice of the failings of his Countrymen as to this matter Yet some such Instances he has transmitted to Posterity and the first that we meet with for our purpose is that of Archelaus King of the Jews Herod the Great 's Son who Married Glaphyra that had been his Brother Alexander's Wife concerning which he tells us this Remarkable Story That Archelaus upon the sight of this Glaphyra who was Daughter to Archelaus King of Cappadocia was so inflamed with love to her that he presently Divorced his Wife Mariamne and Married her but soon after she came to Judea she dreamt that she saw Alexander her first Husband standing before and accosting her in this manner viz. It had been enough for thee to have Married the King of Libya but not contented therewith thou comest again to mine House Greedy of a third Husband and which is worst of all art now Married to my own Brother I will not conceal nor dissemble this Injury that thou doest me but I will recover thee against thy will and she scarcely liv'd two days after she had related this dream to her Friends so much for her punishment Then as to Archelaus who had been guilty of this Adultery and Incest he himself was sent for to Rome upon an Accusation of the Samaritans who sent Ambassadors against him to Caesar and thereupon the Emperor banisht him to Vienne in France and confiscated all his Goods of which punishments he was also forewarned by a Dream and five days after the Interpretation of it was sent for by Caesar as above It is also observable and not at all Foreign to our purpose that though Josephus does not accuse Herod the Great of Whoredom but seems rather to commend his Chastity in that he held out against the Charms and Sollicitations of that Infamous Wanton Cleopatra yet he tells us that Herod had nine Wives at a time and doted so Impotently upon his Wife Mariamne that when he was sent for to Rome and had some reasons to think that he shou'd never return thence alive he gave orders to his Brother-in-Law Joseph to put Mariamne to Death as soon as he should hear that he was dead being unwilling that any Man should enjoy her after his death and because Joseph discovered this Secret to Mariamne Herod became Jealous of an Unlawful Intimacy betwixt his Brother-in-Law and her especially being influenced to believe some such thing by the Insinuations of his Sister Salome Joseph's Wife who accused her Husband of being too Familiar with Mariamne Whether there was any truth in the accusation or not or whether it was meer malice yet this is certain that Mariamne was at last put to death by her Husband and by her own Mother charged with Disloyalty to him and after her death Herod had so little Government of his passion for her that he would frequently call for her as if she had been alive Then as to his own punishment Josephus tells us that he was cut off by a most loathsome disease Worms having bred in his private Parts which caused insupportable pains an Intolerable Stench and a Troublesome Priapism which was a very suitable punishment for his Incontinence in having nine Wives at a time tho' it should be granted that he was chargeable with no other Acts of Unchastity We come now to the Apocryphal stories of Judeth and Susanna which tho' we believe they are such as may properly be called apocryphal seeing Josephus the Jewish Historian takes no notice of either yet allowing them to be Fables the Moral is good and therefore we shall allow them a place here The first is that of Judith who according to the Author of her Book was a Rich and a Pious Widow of a Comely Personage and Beautiful Countenance and finding her City of Bethulia closely Besieged by the Assyrians and their Water cut off which made the Governours to promise a surrender in sive days if relief did not come in that time she deckt her self with her Richest and finest Ornaments and pretending to be fled from Bethulia because she knew it would fall into the hands of the Assyrians and likewise to put Olofernes in a way to make an easie Conquest of the Jews she Charmed him by her Beauty insomuch that becoming enamoured of her which was her design he was so far besotted that having drunk to excess because of her presence and with an intention to defile her he fell asleep in his Tent where being left alone with her according to his own Command in order to the Accomplishing of his Lustful design she had the opportunity of cutting off his head and carrying it in Triumph to her City of Bethulia upon which the Garrison making a Sally discomfited the Assyrians who were surprized at this strange adventure that had befaln their General and therefore
Vngodly Lusts to be mockers which is as Visible in our modern Beans and Gallants as ever it was in any there being none who do more mock and despise Religion then such and now 't is become Familiar to them to run down Revelation and the Divine Authority of the Holy Scriptures In the 14th of the Revelations and 4th The 144000 who are there said to be singing a new song in Heaven in the Company of the Lamb are describ'd to be such as had not defiled themselves with Women That is such as had not polluted themselves with Unlawfull Lusts but had possessed their Vessels in Sanctification and Honour as Christians are advised to do 1 Thess 4. 4. Not that they had abstain'd from Marriage for that is Honourable and such a state as tends to the preservation of Chastity but they had escaped the pollution which was in the World thro' Lust its true that the Sense of the place is not wholly restricted to a bodily Chastity but includes also a Spiritual Purity Freedom from Idolatry and Communication with false Religions but that it does also relate to bodily Chastistity is unanimously agreed upon by Interpreters It is also observable that the Holy Ghost to testify his hatred of Uncleanness hath represented Antichrist the Anti-christian Church and the Idolatry of that Society under the name of a Whore the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth those that are poyson'd with her Idolatrous Doctrine here presents as having committed Fornication with her and drunk of her Golden Cup full of Abominations and Filthiness of her Fornication Rev. 17. And indeed to any that have read the wicked Lives of many of the Popes and consider the impurity of their Monks and Nuns their contempt of Marriage their Unlawfull Divorces and Dispensations for Unlawfull Marriages It will appear that there 's great reason to call the Church of Rome a Whore in a Literal Sense In the 21st of the Revelations we are told that Whoremongers shall have their part in the Lake which Burneth with Fire and Brimstone and in the 23d we are told That Whoremongers are excluded from the new Jerusalem in Company of Murders Idolaters and Sorcerers So much for the History of Whoredom as far as it is touched in the Old and New Testament either as to the Instances thereof the Judgments inflicted upon the practioners of it the Laws concerning it and the punishments threatned against the Breakers of those Laws both in this World and that which is to come Having finished that part of our History for which the Scripture hath furnished us with materials We come in the next place to profane History for Instances relating to our Subject We have already made use of some Instances from Josephus and other Historians Obiter as they had a Relation to the Scripture passages that we were upon but come now to make use of them intirely for our Collections and think it fit to acquaint the Reader that we must look back again in order of time because 't was thought best to have the Scripture Instances altogether We have formerly made mention of Semiramis in the Account which we gave of the destruction of Babylon all that we have now to add is that Justin Lib. 1. gives this Account of her that after her Husband Ninus's Death she puts on Mans apparrell and feigned her self to be Ninus her own Son who was but a Youth and therefore she was affraid that he would not be able to manage the Scepter Semiramis being a Woman of low Stature and small Voice was easily mistaken for her Son and the better to conceal the fraud she covered her Arms and Legs put a Tiara or round Ornament resembling a Bonnet upon her head and the better to prevent suspicion of a disguise Ordered her Subjects to apparell themselves in that same manner under the Notion of a new fashion so that she pass'd for her Son without any doubt or hesitation and having under this disguise enlarged her Husband's Conquests as was formerly said she conceived that the Greatness of her Actions had put her beyond the reach of Envy and therefore discovered her self which was so far from lessening her that it mightily advanced her Reputation but giving her self up afterwards to Brutish Lusts as was formerly mentioned she became enamoured on her own Son who thereupon killed her and thus she tarnish'd all her former Glory and brought her self to an untimely death by her unnatural Lust after she Reign'd 42 years in Great Honour Her Son Ninus tho' he abhorred his Mothers Incestuous Amours yet being Heir to her Vices as well as her Throne as if he had really changed Sexes as well as Habit with his Mother he became Effeminate and Lustful and spending his time Ingloriously among Women was rarely seen of any men and so concluded his days with Ignominy leaving that unmanly pattern to his successors that they seldom were seen of any of their Subjects and thus the Assyrian Empire which continued near 1300 years was extinguished by the Effeminacy and Lusts of their Princes and People and came to a Conclusion in the Inglorious Reign of Sardanapalus who Reigned as some Authors think when Jonah was sent to Preach Repentance to Ninive but this cannot be relied upon the Learned do so much differ as to the point of Chronology However this is agreed upon by all hands that he was a Lustfull and Effeminate Prince and gave himself so much up to Voluptuousness that he would sit and Spin in a Woman's Habit amongst his Concubines And seeing it is commonly found by Experience that people imitate the bad example of their Princes there 's no great reason to doubt but that the Ninivites amongst whom he resided were tainted with his Vices and became dissolute so that they very well deserved those Judgments denounc'd against them by Jonah and Historians as Justin Pâ—taâ— and Scaliger acquaint us That the wiser part of his Subjects loathing to be Govern'd by such an unmanly Debauchee Rebell'd against him under the Conduct of Arsaces Governor of Media who coming to see him and being admitted to his presence with Great difficulty found him in Woman's Habit Spinning purple upon a Distaff amongst a Company of his Whores to whom he divided their several Tasks of Wool c. And perceiving him to be more Effeminate and Lascivious in his looks than any of the Women he conceiv'd great Indignation that so many Warlike Men should be Governed by a Person who disown'd his Sex and handled a Distaff instead of a Sword so that having acquainted his Companions with what he had seen they Conspired against him Besieged him in Ninive for two years and reduced him to such straits that in a desperate humor he retired into his Palace where having Erected a Funeral Pile and laid all his most precious Moveables upon it he burnt himself with his Wives Children and Pallace which was the only thing wherein he discovered a Manly temper Ordering the
acceptable to the Persians and in their place brought in as many young Men in Womens Habit with orders to punish the Ambassadors for their lasciviousness and accordingly when they begun to handle them as they had done the Women the young men kill'd every one of the Ambassadors with Swords which they had concealed under their Garments In that same Book we have an instance of an abominable Incestuous Intrigue of Eurydice Wife to another Amyntas King of Macedonia and Nephew to the former who falling in Love with her Son-in-Law upon promise of Marriage undertook to murder her Husband and advance her Gallant to the Throne but was prevented by her Daughter who discovered her Mother's Incest and bloody design yet Amyntas for the Love which he bare to the Children that he had by this wicked Woman spar'd her and the Unnatural Beast after his Death murdered her own Sons Alexander and Perdiccas by him tho' for their sakes he had spared her Life and all this mischief she committed that she might wallow without Interruption in her Impure Lusts In his 9th Book he gives us an account of the death of Philip of Macedon â—ather to Alexander the Great which was occasioned partly by his having Divorc'd Olympias on suspicion of Adultery or with an Adulterous design to marry Cleopatra and partly because he had not executed Judstice upon Attalus for having Committed Sodomy upon Pausanias who frequently complained of it but was always dismiss'd with scorn and therefore watching his Opportunity he stabb'd Philip on the day that he was married to Cleopatra as walking betwixt his own Sons afterwards Alexander the Great and Alexander his Son-in-Law Thus this Great Prince who had Conquer'd many Nations and Countries became a Conquest and Victim to his own Lusts and the Lusts of others and occasioned likewise the death of his Paramour Cleopatra Olympias having first murdered her Daughter and then forc'd Cleopatra to hang her self His 10th Book furnishes us with a very remarkable instance of Artaxerxes King of Persia who had 115 some say 160 Sons by Concubines and three only by Lawfull Marriage for which Incontinence he was punish'd in the following manner his Son Darius being by the Indulgence of Artaxerxes admitted to the Throne while he himself was alive contrary to the Custom of the Persians he ungratefully Conspired against his Father's Life and engaged 49 of his Brethren in the Conspiracy The occasion of this Unnatural Plot was yet more vile than the Plot it self which Justin relates thus Artaxerxes having defeated and killed his Brother Cyrus in the War betwixt them he married Aspasia Cyrus his Concubine and her Darius wou'd have his Father to resign to him as well as his Throne which the Indulgent Father promised to do at first but repenting of it afterwards he made her priestess to the Sun that he might have a fair pretence of denying her to Darius because according to the Persian superstition those of that Office must observe perpetual Chastity Darius taking this as a great affront entred into the Conspiracy as abovementioned which being discovered the Incestuous and Unnatural Traitor with all his Associates their Wives and Children was cut off that there might be no memorial left of such a horrid piece of Villainy Thus was Uncleanness justly punish'd both in Father and Children and this Instance is so much the more remarkable that it fell out but a few years before the overthrow of the Persian Monarchy by Alexander the Great which the Lasciviousness and Effeminacy of the Persians made easy to be effected Our next instance is Alexander the Great who tho' in the height of his Youth and Conquests he obtain'd so much Glory by abstaining from Darius his Beautiful Queen and Daughters who were his Captives yet giving himself afterwards up to Impure Pleasures he hath thereby rendred his Infamy as Immortal as his Fame It 's observed of him by his Historian Curtius that he was always more Famous in War than after Victory and that having broke the Power of the Persian Empire he degenerated into those very Manners or rather Vices which made the Persians such an easie Conquest to him That same Author in his 5th Book gives us an Account that Alexander having staid much longer at Babylon than he did at any other place the Corrupt Manners of the Citizens did more prejudice to the Discipline of his Army than any thing they had met with before that time and indeed the Description that Curtius gives us of the abominable Luxury and Impurity which reign'd in that City is sufficient to convince us that the Empire of which that was the Metropolis or at least the most Renowned and Greatest City was ripe for ruin The words of the Historian are as follow There was nothing more corrupt than the manners of that City and nothing more Accommodated to incite and provoke Voluptuousness and Lust The Parents and Husbands permitted their Wives and Daughters to lie with their Guests provided they gave them a Reward Banquets Revells and Plays were the Chief delights of the Kingâ— and Princes of Persia The Babylonians â—ere wholly giv'n up to Wine Drunkenness and the Consequences of it Their Women when they first came in to their Feasts and Banquets were apparelied modestly enough but in a little time after they threw off their upper Garments and in the last place with modesty be it spoken uncover'd their Nakedness nor was this only the practise of the Common prostitutes but of 〈◊〉 Matrons and married Women who esteem'd such promiscuous dalliance a Great piece of Complaisance and Good breeding with which Debauches says our Author that Army which Conquer'd Asia being glutted for 34 days they had doubtless been rendred very unfit for what they under took afterwards if they had not been Reinforc'd by fresh supplies of uncorrupted men from Macedonia c. Our Author gives us another Instance of the Idleness and Luxury of the Persian Women viz. That when Alexander the Great had received Purple and Macedonian Apparel made by his own Sisters in a Present from home be ordered the same to be Presented to Sysigambis the Mother of Darius with this Complement that if she lik'd them he would surnish her with those who shou'd teach her Grand Daughters to make such which presently drew Tears from the Persian Princess there being nothing reckon'd more dishonourable amongst the Persian Women than to Card and Spin which I take to be the meaning of our Author's words to touch Wool How much this differs from Solomon's Character of a good Houswife and whether the handling of Wool had not been more commendable than such Dissolute Revels as we just now mentioned let the World judge But to return to Alexander the Great After he had with great difficulty and danger past the straits of Susis and taken Persepolis the Royal Residence of the Kings of Persia the Lascivious Inhabitants became Executioners of Divine Justice upon themselves and their Impure City for putting on
from that Scandalous Liberty which hath since been objected to them that they knew not what the Name of Adultery meant it may be answer d That it implies a downright Contradiction for if those Ordinances were observ'd the Commonwealth of Sparta must necessarily have abounded with Adultery whether they knew the Name of it or not But it 's probable that seeing such a Choice of Paramours was allow'd them by Lycurgus's Laws they did not reckon lying with their Neighbours Wives Adultery And therefore Geradas might well say That it was as impossible to find an Adulterer in Sparta as to find a Bull with a Neck so long that he could stand at one side of the Mountain Taygetus and drink of the River that run on the other side of it It is also observable that this Practise did not answer the End taken from his Brutish Reason viz. to have strong and healthful Children for we have an Account by this same Author that if they found the Child upon its Birth to be deform'd and of an ill Complexion they order'd it to be cast into a deep Cavern of the Earth near the Mountain Taygetus and that the Women did also bath the new-born Children in Wine thinking it would immediately kill those of a weak Constitution And yet notwithstanding all those Precautions we find that they had weakly Children bred up and those our Author says they employ'd in gathering Sallads and Herbs To conclude this point It is not at all to be wonder'd at that a People who allow'd such Unfaithfulness as to the Marriage-bed should grow so unfaithful in all their other Transactions as the Lacedemonians did which occasion'd their being utterly ruin'd by the Athenians In the Life of Numa Pompilius so much reverenc'd by the Romans for his Piety and accounted the first Instituter of their Religion we find that when a Roman was sufficiently stock'd with Children in case his Neighbour who had none should desire him to accommodate him with his Wife that he also might have the Benefit of Issue from such a fruitful Woman Numa allow'd the Husband either to lend his Wife for a time or to loose the Bonds of Marriage and consign her into the Hands of her Paramour for ever An early Presage that Rome was at last to become the Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth another Instance of those wise Heathens being judicially given up of God to their Uncleanness because they did not improve the Knowledge they had to the Glory of God of whose Being and Attributes they had such clear Ideas In the Life of Solon we have an Account That that great Philosopher and Law-giver was guilty of Unlawful Love towards Boys and that designing to appropriate that Brutish pleasure to such as he call'd Gentlemen he forbad the use of it to Slaves In one of his Laws he permits an Heiress if her Lawful Husband prove impotent to lye with his nearest Kinsman and yet he was so inconsistent with himself that he permitted any one to kill an Adulterer that found him in the Act. We shall conclude this passage with his Account of himself in this Distick I mind a Song a Miss and Glass of Wine These are most men's Delights and these are mine In the Life of Camillus we have an Account how the Latins were defeated by their Lasciviousness and Whoredom when they had reduced the Romans to a very great strait the passage is thus The Latins demanded a certain number of free Maids from the Romans in Marriage the latter looking upon this as a Trick only to gain Hostages and yet being both afraid and unable to carry on the War they durst not positively refuse them whereupon Tutula or Philotis as some call her advis'd the Magistrates to send her and some other beautiful Damosels who were Bond-maids habited like Free-Virgins and while the Latins were in their Dalliances with them they would give them a Signal to fall out upon them Which being agreed on accordingly Tutula in the Night-time set up a lighted Torch upon a wild Figtree hanging up some Clothes on the Tree that hid the Torch from the Latin Camp while it was perceptible to the Romans and accordingly they sally'd surpriz'd and destroy'd the Latins in remembrance of which a Festival was appointed call'd the Nonae Capraticae wherein the People run out of the City in a confused manner calling aloud the most familiar and usual Names as Caius Marcus Lucius and the like as they did at the Sally and the Maid-servants richly adorn'd ran about playing and jesting upon all they met and amongst themselves use a kind of skirmishing to shew they help d in the Conflict against the Latins and in the time of â—â—eiâ— Feasting they sit shaded over with Boughs of wild Figtree Our next Instance is that bold Athenian Gentleman Pericles whose Weak Side was Lasciviousness and therefore he became thâ— Subject of the Railery of the Comick Poets of his time who upbraided him as being the errant'st Whoremonger that ever liv'd charg'd him with dishonest Converse with the Wife of Menippus and of committing Incest with his own Son's Wife His Intrigue with Asparia before Marriage is also much taken Notice of and She is accuâ—'d of being no better than a Bawd or as the Translator expresses it Keeper of a Vaulting-school They did also upbraid him with the Volaries or Birdcages of Pyrilampes who being Pericles's Friend they pretended that he us'd to present Peacocks and fine Birds to Pericles's Misses The Punishments inflicted upon Pericles we find to be that he was not only envied and disturb'd by Tumults and Seditions but disquieted with the Disobedience and Scurrilous Reflections of his own eldest Son depriv'd of him and his youngest Son whom he lov'd entirely by Death and constrain'd at last to repeal his own Law against Bastards enjoying any Inheritance that his Bastard Son should keep up the Name of his Family and he was cut off too at last by Order of the Senate And Pericles himself who had bornt so much in Lust was consum'd tâ— death by a burning Plague his Uncleâ—nnesâ— having fix'd such a Stain upon his Memory as all his great Actions have not been able to wipe off In the Life of Fabius Maximus we have an Account how Tarentum was betray'd to him by means of an Unchast Woman who with her Amours and Flatteries prevail'd upon her Lover a Noble Brutica to betray the Town to the Romans Fabius having sent her Brother who was in his Army into the Town on purpose to manage the Intrigue or according to others she had formerly been Fabius's own Mistress and he permitted her to go and corrupt the Tarentine Governor by her lewd Embraces which occasion'd the taking and cruel destruction of the Town So fatal are Harlots to all Commonwealths where they are suffer'd to remain unpunish'd We have already had occasion to observe how fatal the Impure Amours of Alcibiades was to all Greece and particularly to
by his Son who took Offence thereat the old Man in revenge married a young Woman Daughter to Salonius his own Clark and when his Son ask'd him the reason of it he answer'd him soft and fair Good Son I desire to have many Children and to leave the Commonwealth more such Citizens as thou art In the Life of Pyrrhus we have an Account that his multiplying of Wives with a design to enlarge his Interest had not the happy Effect which he propos'd to himself by it for Lanassa one of his Wives took so great Offence at his Inclination to the rest that she deserted him and married Demetrius King of Macedonia and by that means kindled a War betwixt him and Pyrrhus In that same Life we do also find that Pyrrhus was invited against Sparta by Cleonymus one of the Chief Men there because his Wife Chelidonis falling desperately in Love with Aerotatus that Youngster dishonour'd his Bed and therefore to revenge himself for the Injury he brought Pyrrhus with a great Army against Sparta which occasion'd a great deal of Bloodshed and endanger'd the City however Pyrrhus did not succeed in his Design against it as if Providence would let him see that he was no fit Person to revenge an Injury done to the Marriage Bed who was so very guilty of that same Crime himself and at last he fell by the Hands of a Woman who seeing him engag'd with her Son in the Streets of Argos threw a Tile upon him from the top of an House which made him fall from his Horse and a common Souldier did afterwards cut off his Head In the Life of Sylla we have this Account of him That he us'd to sit on a Chair of State amongst beautiful Women Mimicks Fidlers and such-like Rascally People on whom he squander'd away the Revenues of whole Countries and Cities bestowing on some of them Ladies in Marriage against their Will so as his Gratuities were much more intolerable than his Usurpations He kept company with Actors Actresses and Minstrels drinking with 'em Night and Day He also indulg'd himself in Unnatural Lust with Men particularly Metrobius the Woman-actor But behold the just Judgment of God upon him These lascivious Courses brought him into a Disease which made his Bowels to fester so that at last the corrupted Flesh broke forth into Lice in such prodigious quantities that all the Hands he could employ were not able to destroy 'em so that his Clothes Beds Basons and Meat was polluted with that Contagion He went often into the Baths by day to scoure and cleanse his Body but all in vain the course return'd so quick and with such numerous Supplys as overcame all manner of Riddance so that in fine he who had led an unclean Life dy'd of an abominable and unclean Disease In the Life of Câ—â—non Plutarch tells us that he was lewd and vicious accuses him of Incest with his own Sister and other unclean Practices and at last he died of a Wound as some Authors say which he receiv'd from the Barbarians in a Skirmish his Impurity having fix d a â—â—â—petual stain upon him which all his great Actions could never wipe off In that same Life we meet with a remarkable Passage concerning Pausanias the Lacedemonian who having sollicited a young Lady of Constantinople call'd Cleonice to debauch her her Friends dreading the Power of the Tyrant were forc'd to abandon her to him Cleonice commanded the Servants to put out all the Lights and approaching his Bed silently in the dark she stumbled upon the Lamp which she overturn'd and spilt Pausanias being awak'd by the noise and thinking it had been some Assassin to attack him snatch'd up his Poinard and wounded her mortally after which he never enjâ—y'd himself but was disturb'd in his Thoughts and haunted by her Ghost so that he never had Success in any thing afterwards and was at last slain by order of the Senate in Miâ—â—â—va's Temple whither he had sled for Refuge In the Life of Lucullus we find that there was a stop put to the Careir of his good Fortune and Glory chiefly by means of Clodius his Wife's Brother who was so unnatural a Villain as to commit Adultery and Incest with his own Sister Clodia Lucullus's Wife and stirring up the Fimbrian Army against Lucullus prevented his further Conquests Lucullus himself returning to Rome gave himself up to all manner of Luxury and was at last depriv'd of his Senses by a Philtre or Amorous Potion giv'n him by Callisthenes his Freeman to endear him to himself so that this Great Man was not only ruin'd by the Lasciviousness of himself and others but a stop was thereby put to the Roman Conquests which had otherwise says our Author not been bounded by the Euphrates but by the uttermost parts of the Earth and the Hyrcanian Sea In the Life of Pompey the Great we find that famous General accus'd of unchaste Amours with Flora the Courtesan whom he afterwards resign'd to his Friend Geminius upon which she languish'd and died We find likewise that Sylla to gain over this Great Man to his Party perswaded him to put away his Wife Antistia and to marry Aemilia Daughter-in-law to Sylla who was at that time Wife to another Man by whom she was big with Child This unlawful Marriage was soon after punish'd in part for Antistius Father to Antistia was murder'd in the Senate as a Favourer of Sylla for Pompey's sake and her Mother upon this account made away with her self These were the Tragedies that attended that unhappy Marriage says Plutarch and that there might be nothing wanting to compleat the last Act by Heav'ns even Aemilia her self not long after died at Pompey's in Child-bed These things were the more inexcusable in Pompey because we find that he delighted much in the discovery of Weaknesses of the same Nature in Mithridates when he seiz'd his secret Writings wherein amongst other things he found abundance of wanton Love-Letters betwixt Mithridates and his Concubine Monune He might have taken Warning one would think of the Judgments that pursued Mithridates for his Intemperance seeing when all his Concubines were brought before Pompey he could not but perceive the abominable Crimes into which his lustful Temper had hurried him headlong for most of his Concubines were either the Daughters or Wives of Princes and great Commanders except it was one whom they call'd Stratonice who was Daughter to a Musician and having pleas'd Mithridates by singing before him at a Banquet his lustful Passion was so much rais'd that he immediately took her to Bed with him and in the Morning presented her Father who grumbl'd that he had taken his Daughter without speaking one kind Word to himself with many rich and costly Presents and the Estate of a Nobleman lately deceas'd whereupon the old Fellow was so much transported that putting on his Purple Robes and mounting his Horse he rode through the City crying out All this is mine and so became the Herauld
of his own as well as of Mithridates's Folly and to those that laugh'd at him for the same he said There was no such Wonder in this but rather that he did not throw Stones at all he met he was so much beside himself with Joy Another Piece of Vengeance that pursued Pompey and wherein he might read his Crime in his Punishment was That his Wife Mutia during his absence had dishonour'd his Bed at which he was so nettl'd that he sent her a Bill of Divorce Pompey in pursuit of his Amorous Inclination did likewise commit a piece of notorious Injustice in marrying Julia Daughter to Caesar who had been affianced before and was to be married within a few days to Caepio and to appease Caepio's Anger married his own Daughter to him who had formerly been espoused to Faustus the Son of Sylla Pompey was so much besotted with his Love to Julia that he created abundance of Envy to himself by committing the Government of his Provinces and Legions into the Hands of his Friends as his Lieutenants whilst he himself wantonly rambl'd up and down caressing his Wife throughout all the Delicacies of Italy but he was soon depriv'd of her for she dy'd in Child-bed her Daughter not outliving her many days He afterwards married Cornelia Daughter to Metellius Scipio and Relict of Publius the Son of Crassus a young Lady of great Quality Beauty and Education but this Marriage was very unpleasing to some People who thought that she was a Match more agreeable to his Son and were angry that the Affairs of the City lay neglected while he from whom they expected a Cure to their Distractions went crown'd with Garlands and was revelling in his Nuptial Feasts It 's observable that at the very last his Fondness towards this young Lady and his Fear that her Beauty might expose her to some Dishonour amongst the Parthians was the chief Argument that prevail'd with him not to have recourse thither where in all probability he might have been able to renew the War and recover his Glory after his Defeat in the Pharsalian Plains so that resolving to sail for Egypt and intrust himself with Ptolomy he was by Advice of that young King's Council barbarously and inhumanly murder'd as going ashore in a Boat in order as he thought to a favourable Reception the distressed Cornelia and his Friends beholding this lamentable Tragedy from on board the Vessels where they were Thus fell this Great Man to which it cannot be denied that his Amorous and Sensual Temper did highly contribute Not that I would be understood positively to assert that Uncleanness was the sole procuring Cause of those Tragical Disasters that befel the great Man and others whom I have mention'd or shall mention in the course of this History it being enough for my Design to prove that it was always one of the visible Causes and that it makes good the Assertion of the Wise Man in the Proverbs where speaking of the Harlot or strange Woman in general he says That many strong Men have been slain by her of which there is not a more speaking and demonstrable Instance than this of Pompey who had triumph'd over Asia Africa and Europe and yet was himself a Captive and Subject of Triumph to his own Lusts In the Life of Cato the younger who was not only a great Pretender to Virtue but compar'd with his Contemporaries a glorious Mirror of it We find that he had no true Notions of the Honour of the Marriage Bed nor any just Idea of Chastity as is apparent from the following Instance Quintus Hortensius whom Plutarch calls a Man of singular Worth and approved Virtue propos'd to Cato That his Daughter Porcia who was already married to Bibulus and had already born him two Children might be given to him as a fruitful Field from which he might raise an Offspring For said he tho' this in the Opinion of Men may seem strange yet in Nature it would be honest and profitable for the Publick that a Woman in the prime of her Youth should not lye useless and lose the Fruit of her Womb Nor on the other side would it be convenient she should burthen and impoverish one Man by bringing him too many Children Also by this Communication of Families among worthy Men Virtue would encrease and be diffus'd thro' their Posterity and the Commonwealth would be united and cemented by their Alliances Yet if Bibulus would not part with his Wife altogether he would restore her as soon as she had brought him a Child whereby he might be united to both their Families Cato answer'd That he lov'd Hortensius very well and did much approve of uniting their Houses but he thought it very strange to speak of marrying his Daughter who was already given to another Then Hortensius turning the Discourse acknowledg'd that ' t was Cato ' s own Wife which he desir'd for she was young and fruitful and he had already Children enough To which Cato agreed with the Consent of his Wife Martia and her Father Philip and after the Death of Hortensius took her again for which Caesar reproach'd him as having a mercenary design in his Marriage saying If Cato had need of a Wife why did he part with her And if he had not why did he take her again unless he gave her only as a Bait to Hortensius and lent her when she was young to have her again when she was rich It 's plain from this Instance that Cato was guilty of countenancing Impurity in others if he was not actually guilty of it himself and seeing he was unwilling to take his Daughter from Bibulus and yet as willing to gratifie Hortensius by parting with his own Wife it would argue that he was weary of her and that he would make no Scruple to use other Women seeing he allow'd her to give up her self into the Embraces of another Man But now it remains that we should take notice of the Judgments which pursued this great Man of which without breach of Charity we may look upon this Crime amongst others to have been one of the procuring Causes It 's known to every one that he follow'd Pompâ—y and adher'd to him against Caesar and that after Pompey's Defeat he retir'd to Vtica where having no hopes of retrieving his desperate Affairs he deliberately murder'd himself from which Design all the Endeavours of his Friends were not able to divert him And thus the Divine Vengeance made him the Executioner of Justice upon himself which he ought to have suffer'd by the hands of others for that brutish and unnatural Carriage to his Wife In the Life of Demetrius Poliorcetes we have an account that when this great Prince laid Siege to Megara he was so far transported with a Lustful Passion for Cratesipoliâ— the Widow of Poliperchon a Lady of greater Beauty than Virtue that leaving his Army he went to make her a Visit with two or three of his Intimates but when he came
near the City of Patras where she liv'd he fell into an Ambush of Cassander's Men whenâ—e with great difficulty he escap'd by the swiftness of his Horse And thus he had well nigh made a surrender of his Liberty and Design to the Charms of a lascivious Woman It is also observ'd of this Demetrius that he had many Wives at the same time and notwithstanding his multiplicity of Wives became so enamour'd upon Lamia a beautiful Lady but infamous for her looseness of Conversation that 't was said all other Ladies were amorous of Demetrius but Demetrius was only amorous of Lamia This Lustful Prince was not however satisfied with his variety of Women but did also pollute himself with the unnatural Crime of Sodomy and it 's storied of him that having been lost several days in a Debauch among his Companions and pretending to keep his Chamber afterwards by reason of Indisposition his Father Antigonus came to see him upon his approach to Demetrius's Chamber out bolts a sprightly young Fellow and Antigonus going to his Bed-side and feeling his Pulse Demetrius not knowing well how to excuse himself pretended that he had been ill of a Fever but that he hoped it had now left him Yes reply'd the King I believe it for I just now met it at your Chamber Door alluding to the young Catamite that sprung out of his Chamber His Victories and the Benefits which he bestow'd upon the Athenians put their Invention upon the rack to conferr new-devised Honours and Flatteries upon him and therefore they order'd him a Lodging behind Minerva s Temple in the Apartment of the Virgins the vow'd Votaries of that Goddess which occasion'd the Wits of the Time to say That Minerva had got a dangerous Inmate and That it was not much to the Reputation of her Virgins Chastity to keep company with Demetrius And as for Demetrius himself he was so far from shewing any Reverence to the Goddess with whom he had taken up his Quarters that he gave himself up to the most infamous Liberties and debauch'd the young Women and Matrons of Athens to that degree as 't is a shame for a modest Pen to relate This brutish Youth was so much enrag'd with unnatural Lust that he tempted a beautiful young Man call'd Damocles to that degree as made him to decline all manner of publick Conversation on purpose to avoid his design'd Passion but Damocles going to a private Bath the villainous Demetrius having Information of it surpriz'd him there so that the poor Youth seeing no other way to avoid him leap'd into a boiling Vessel and so became a Martyr to his Virtue Demetrius was not only lustful but profuse and prodigal in his Expences as all lustful Persons are so that having commanded the Athenians to raise 250 Talents for his Service and when they to satisfie his demands had levied it upon the People by distress he gave it as a trifling Sum to Lamia and the rest of his lewd Women to buy them perfum'd Washballs for their Baths And thus were the Athenians punish'd for giving way to the lustful Excesses of this young Prince to whom they were so slavishly obsequious that contrary to their Laws when he desir'd to be enroll'd in the Fraternity of the Priests of Ceres without attending the time commonly allotted which injoyns that the lesser Mysteries should be celebrated in November and the great Solemnity in August following they made an Edict that the Month of March then currant should be accounted November that Demetrius might be then admitted to the lesser Ceremonies and as soon as that was done by another Edict they turn'd that same Month into August which occasion'd Philipedes the Comedian to exercise his Wit upon Stratocles the Inventer of this Trick in the following Couplet thus Prodigious Skill how strangely flattering Fear Into one Month hath crowded all the Year And upon the same Stratocles's proposing that Demetrius should lodge in the Temple of Minerva within the Castle he made the following Lines Stratocles thinks it is no Sin To turn a Temple to an Inn Or with lewd wanton Company To bless Minerva ' s Chastity We come now to treat of the Punishments which Divine Justice inflicted upon this Lecher which were very sharp and severe his Father and he both being dispoil'd of that large Empire which they had erected for themselves out of the Ruins of that of Alexander the Great His Mother and Children and divers of his Wives were made Prisoners and he himself forsaken by the Athenians who had formerly so much ador'd him but now made it a capital Crime for any body so much as to propose a Treaty or Accommodation with him and Alexander King of Macedon miss'd little of having cut him off treacherously It is also remarkable that this lustful Prince was punish'd observably in his Daughter Stratonice who follow'd her Father's pernicious Example The Story is well known to be as followeth Demetrius having married this his beautiful Daughter to Seleucus King of Syria to whom she brought forth a little Son Antiochus Son to Seleuchus by a former Marriage fell so passionately in love with his Step mother Stratonice that he sicken'd upon it and was in danger and not daring to discover the Cause of his Distemper he saw no other Remedy for his hopeless Misfortune but what was to be expected from Despair and Death which he therefore resolv'd upon by abstaining from Diet. Erasistratus the King's Physician quickly discover'd that Love was his Distemper but could not at first discover the Object he therefore diligently waited in his Chamber and when any of the Beauties of the Court came to visit the sick Prince he curiously observ'd the Emotions and Alterations in the Countenance of Antiochus and by that means discover'd Stratonice to be the Object of his Flames for when she came in either with the King or alone Antiochus became mute his Passion smothering his Words a fiery Blush would mount into his Face he would fix his Eyes upon Stratonice and then presently withdraw his stoln guilty Looks his Pulse would be disorder'd a cold Sweat would seize upon him and unable to support the violent Passion he would become sensless and pale Erasistratus having made this Discovery acquainted Seleucus that his Son's Distemper was Love but incurable because it is impossible for him to enjoy the Object of his Passion and as impossible for him to live without it The King demanding why he could not enjoy the Object Erasistratus answer'd Sir because he is in love with my Wife Upon this the King expostulated with the Physician saying How my dear Erasistratus will you not do me the Kindness as to bestow your Wife upon my Son and Successor when there is no other way to save his Life Nay then Sir replied the Physician the Object of the Prince's Love is your own Stratonice Ah my dear Friend answer'd Seleucus may some kind God or Man put the Safety of the Prince upon that Issue I would
she was frequently visited and this gave Terentia Ground of Jealousie Clodius was also accus'd of Incest with his own Sisters and of deflowring several other Women but the Judges being brib'd he was acquitted It appears also plainly enough by Plutarch that Cicero himself was not altogether without Blame as to his Chastity for he put away his Wife Terentia to marry a young Virgin as she alledg'd for the sake of her Beauty or as his own emancipated Slave said for her Riches to satisfie his Debts Not long after this Marriage his Daughter Tullia died for which he prov'd unconsolable and put away his new-married Wife for seeming to rejoyce at her Death but a further Judgment pursu'd him for Antony bearing him an irreconcilable Hatred sent Assassins after him when he fled from Rome and murder'd him in the 64th Year of his age his Hands and Head being cut off and publickly affix'd to the Rostra at Rome In the Life of Artaxerxes King of Persia our Author informs us That that Prince being desperately in love with Atossa one or his own Daughters but concealing his Criminal Passion for fear of his Mother Parysatis the wicked Woman to further some of her own mischievous Designs perswaded him to marry her contrary to the Determinations of the Grecian Sages alledging That he was determin'd by Providence to be a Law to the Persians and he is also accus'd by Heraclides the Cumean and other Historians of having likewise married his second Daughter Amestris The Judgments which pursu'd this lascivious Prince were that he was defeated in his War with the Egyptians and became contemptible in the Eyes of his Subjects upon the account of his unsuccessful Expedition against the Cadusians He was also punish'd by the Controversies amongst his Sons about the Succession and by the unnatural and villainous Amours of his Son Ochus with his Wife Atossa therefore to dash the Hopes of his Son Ochus he proclaim'd Darius the elder Brother his Successor who soon after begg'd of the King that he would give him Aspasia who was formerly Cyrus's beloved Miss but then Concubine to Artaxerxes who tho' he had Three hundred and Sixty most exquisite Beauties in his Seraglio could not endure to part with Aspasia to Darius but being constrain'd to it by the Law he afterwards took her from him and created her Priestess to Diana which bound her to perpetual Chastity upon which account the unnatural Son conspir'd against his Father at the Instance of Tiribazus who bore a mortal Grudge to Artaxerxes for having married his own Daughter Amestris whom he had promis'd him to Wife but the Plot being discover'd Darius was put to death as a just Recompence for his unnatural Lust and Treason After this Ochus by his Interest with Atossa was strengthen'd in his Hopes of Succession found Means to cut off his other two Brothers Ariaspes and Arsames the Grief of which kill'd Artaxerxes And thus was he justly punish'd by and in his own Children because of his horrid Uncleanness leaving his Son Ochus behind who being the wicked Son of a wicked Parent prov'd a Monster of Cruelty Thus we have finish'd Plutarch's select Lives and dare referr it to the Judgment of the Ingenuous Reader whether many of his Heroes have not been foully culpable as to the point of Chastity and as remarkably punish'd for the same We come in the next place to search among the Roman Emperors where we find many remarkable Instances for our purpose and as remarkable Judgments pursuing ' em The first is Julius Caesar who tho' he triumph'd over most part of the then known World yet was himself triumph'd over by his Lusts When he was High-Priest of Jupiter he divorc'd Cossutia a Lady of an Equestrian Family and of a very great Fortune to whom he had been contracted during his Minority and married Cornelia the Daughter of Cinna Nor could all the Arguments of Sylla the Dictator prevail upon him to part with her Whereupon he was suspended his Sacerdotal Dignity and had his Estate sequestred which forc'd him to abscond and shift his Quarters almost every Night tho' sick of a Quartan Ague and with much ado obtain'd his Pardon at last Being thus unfaithful to the Marriage-bed he was punish'd in the same Coin for having afterwards married Pompeia she was accus'd of Uncleanness with Clodius as has been already mention'd who had access to her during publick Worship whereupon he divorc'd her The Lasciviousness of his Mind may be also guessed at by his Dream that he had ravish'd his own Mother which tho' those who pretended to interpret such things told him That it was a Presage that he should arrive at the Vniversal Monarchy yet is a plain Indication of the predominancy of his Lust Suetonius also acquaints us That he divorc'd his Daughter Julia from Servilius Coepio her former Husband one who had stuck the fastest to him of all Men living in his Dispute with Bibulus his Fellow-Consul and married her to Pompey which made him guilty of his Daughter's Adultery and was a horrid piece of Ingratitude at the same time And tho' it 's true he had great Success in his War against the Gauls Germans and Britains yet he was not without Checks from Divine Justice having lost a whole Legion by the Gauls had two of his Lieutenants defeated on the Frontiers of Germany and lost the greatest part of his Fleet upon the Coasts of Britain And in his own Family he was punish'd by the Death of his Mother his Daughter Julia and his Grand-daughter Nor was he without danger of being indicted and tâ—y'd for his Life for his Male-administration during his Consulship and of being utterly ruin'd by Pompey tho' he had the good Fortune to overcome him at last in that decisive Battel on the Pharsalian Plains Suetonius gives us a particular Enumeration of his Amours which have spread his Infamy as far as ever his Fame reach'd His being a Catamite and guilty of Sodomy with Nicomedes King of Bythinia occasion'd many Railleries upon him and expos'd him to the Contempt of his Enemies as when he swagger'd one day in the Senate and said He would run down his Adversaries they reply'd that He would find that an hard Task for a Woman alluding to his being prostituted by Nicomedes They call'd him also The Queen of Bythinia ' s Cuckoldmaker the Bawdyhouse of Bythinia and Nicomedes ' s Stable His Adversary Bibulus said of him when he proscrib'd him That formerly he affected a King but now a Kingdom Octavius a prating Fellow whose Tongue usually got the start of his Wit did one day before a great company when he saluted Pompey by the Name of King give Caesar the Title of Queen Cicero upbraided him with those things in his Epistles and when Caesar in his Plea before the Senate for Nisa Daughter to the said Nicomedes insisted upon the good Offices that King had done him Cicero cut him short saying No more of that let me
next day set forth a Decree declaring That he was married according to the Example of Romulus and Augustus Lollia Paulina being married to a Person of Consular Degree and General of the Army upon hearing that her Grandmother was one of the most beautiful Ladies of her Time he became so enamour'd of the Grandchild that he sent for her out of the Province where she was forc'd her from her Husband took her to himself and in a short time likewise turn'd her off forbidding her for ever after the knowledge of any other Man Cesonia tho' neither handsom nor young and the Mother of three Daughters by another Man he lov'd so passionately that he would often shew her to his Souldiers riding by his side with her Horseman's Coat embroider'd and frequently stark naked to his Familiars Being brought to want Money by those his extravagant Courses he invented new and unheard-of Imposts one was that he exacted from common Prostitutes the Gratuity for one Nights Familiarity and oblig'd married People also to pay a certain Rate for the use of the Marriage-bed He built also a Brothel-house in his own Palace with Apartments suited to the Dignity of the place for Ladies and Gentlemen to enjoy their clandestine Amours and to force a Trade he sent his Officers about to invite both young and old to bring their Mistresses to his Conveniencies of whom when they came he receiv'd his ignominious Toll which there were Persons ready to receive and set down the Names of every Man in a Book as Benefactors to Caesar's Revenue We come now to take notice of the Punishments which befel him It is natural to conceive that those Debauches impair'd his Health so that he never had any either in Body or Mind It was believ'd that his Wife Cesonia had drench'd him with a Philter or Love-potion which depriv'd him of his Senses and almost made him mad so that he never slept above three hours in a Night and then also was disturb'd with troublesome Dreams and Visions at last becoming hateful and intolerable by his Lusts and Cruelty he was cut off by Cassius Cheraea and Cornelius Sabinus Tribunes and other Conspirators as he was going to see the Pyrrhick Dances the one giving him a mortal Wound in the Neck with his Hanger and the other running him quite through the Body This vicious Monster had render'd the Name of the Caesars so odious that the Romans had a mind after his Death to have abolish'd their Memory and lay their Temples in Ashes The next Instance is Claudius Drusus Caesar whose Father Drusus being unlawfully begot the lustful Contagion was it seems by that same means convey'd to the Grandson who in his Youth kept company with none but loose debauch'd Fellows and follow'd their bad Example Livia Medullina died on the very day appointed for her being married to him His Wife Vrgulanilla he divorc'd for notorious Prostitution and every-body knows how unfaithful the infamous Messalina his Cousin-German was to him upon which he solemnly declar'd that he would for the future keep himself a Widower and that he would freely forgive them tho' they should kill him if not Yet soon after he fell in Treaty with Pelina whom he had put away before and then with Lollia Paulina at length he engag'd in an incestuous Amour with Agrippina Daughter to his Brother Germannicus and suborn'd certain persons to move that he might be constrain'd to marry Agrippina as being the only means conducible to perpetuate the Publick Tranquility and that there might be a Toleration also for others to contract Marriages in the same degree which till that time had always been accounted incestuous He was so impatient that he could not stay till the next day to prepare for his Wedding There was none however that follow'd his incestuous Example but a certain Libertine and a chief Centurion of a Legion to both which Weddings he invited himself and his Wife Agrippina for the encouragement of others His Uncleanness was punish'd amongst other things by the loss of his Son Drusus who having toss'd a Pear up into the Air and gaping to catch it again it fell so exactly into his Throat that it choaked him He was so much besotted he sign'd Writings for the settlement of a Dowry upon the Contract of Marriage between his Wife Messalina and her Adulterer Silius being made believe that 't was only a Contrivance found out to delude the Fates themselves and to transfer upon the Head of another Man those Disasters which the Predictions of the Soothsayers and several Prodigies had six'd upon his Person and at last he was poison'd by a Mushroom which Agrippina gave him The next Instance is Nero the Son of Domitius and the wicked Agrippina above mention'd whose future Mischievous Temper his Father predicted when the Nobility came to compliment him upon Nero's Birth viz. That there could nothing proceed from him and Agrippina but what was detestable and would prove pernicious to the Commonwealth Which every man who is acquainted with History knows to have been exactly fulfill'd Suetonius gives this following Account of him viz. That his Petulancy Lust Luxury Avarice and Cruelty he practis'd by degrees and at first conceal'd 'em under the Excuses of Indiscretion and Heat of Youth but yet he could not carry it so but that every-body saw they were rather the Vices of Nature than Age. So soon as it grew duskish away he flew in disguise to Tippling-houses Cooks-shops c. frolicking and scouring about the Streets beating such as were going home late from Supper some little Shops he would also break open and risle and afterwards sell the Spoils In those Quarrels he several times ran the hazard of his Life being once almost bruis'd to death by a Senator whose Wife he would have taken from him in the Street Besides a great number of Pages whom he made use of in his unlawful Pleasures and his Contaminations of married Women he deflower'd Rubria one of the Vestal Virgins and would very fain have married Acte a Slave suborning several Persons of Consular degree to swear that she was of Royal Extraction Sporus a young Boy after he had caus'd him to be gelt he endeavour'd to have altogether transform'd into a Woman and after he had veil'd him married him and settl'd a Dowry upon him with all the Ceremonies of a sumptuous Wedding he kept him at home as his Wife upon which the Wits of those times said It had been well for the World if Domitius his Father had had such a Wife This Sporus he carried about with him in a pompous and costly Habit as if he had been the Empress her-self under the Title of Augusta to all the trading Towns of Greece and soon after shew'd him openly at Rome in the Sigillarian Street and would frequently kiss him as they sate together in the same Litter He sent for a Harlot who was very like his Mother Agrippina and entertain'd her among the rest of his
as many Boys for his detestable Pleasures and gave the Government of his Provinces to Men noted for Vice or Infamy But at last having design'd to cut off Martia one of his Strumpets she together with the Captain of his Guards and his Lord Chamberlain against whom he had the like Design mix'd Poison with his Wine which not being quick enough in its operation they had him strangled by a Wrestler with whom he us'd to exercise himself sometimes at that Sport about the 31st year of his age says Lampridius Eutropius and Onuphrius We come next to Heliogabalus the Emperor who succeeded Macrinus and was called the Roman Sardanapalus His Luxury was so boundless that when he was on the Sea-coasts he would eat nothing but Fowl from the remotest Mountains and when farthest from the Sea would eat nothing but Sea-fish he fed his Lamps with Balsam and filled his Fish-ponds with seented Water he married Aquila Severa a Vestal Virgin tho' by the Roman Law accounted Incest saying That he being a Priest their Offspring must be altogether Heavenly His two Coachmen were his chief Companions and fellow-Debauchees He cut off abundance of the Senators because they would not allow of a Senate of Women whereof his Mother was to be President and to determine all Female Controversies Tho' he was but Twenty two Years old at most he was guilty of all manner of Villanies enough to make those who read his History to blush He became at last so hateful even to his own Guards that he and his Mother were both slain in the Camp and their Corps expos'd to all manner of Indignities from the Populance who first threw them into a Privy and then into the Tiber so vile had their Lusts render'd them in the Eyes of the People This happen'd about the Year 222 according to Eutropius Lampridius and Aurelius Victor The Emperor Trajan falls next under consideration who tho' a Prince excellent for Virtue and Valour compar'd with some that went before him yet Dion and others charge him with Cruelty and Incontinence in the unnatural Love of Boys as also with persecuting the Christians and Excess in Wine As to his punishment the same Authors take notice that he had well nigh perish'd by a dreadful Earthquake and escap'd so narrowly that he was forced to be drawn out of a Window and his great Virtue and Valour have not been able to preserve his Memory from the Ignominy of those Sodomitical Impurities he was guilty of The Emperor Caracalla was a Monster of Cruelty and Incontinence being so impudent as to marry Julia his Father's Widow he also conspir'd the Death of his Father and Brother so inseparable are Cruelty and Incontinence and was at last cut off himself by a Conspiracy of his Officers The Emperor Gallienus says Trebâ—â—â—ius Pollio was a person altogether given to Sloath and Ease his Pleasures and Lusts which drew upon him the Hatred of all Men. When they brought him News that Egypt was lost and that Gaul had revolted he was so unconcern'd because of his sluggish Temper that he made no other Answer but What can't we live without the Flax of Egypt or the Jippoes of Arras And at last was slain by some of his Captains Aurelius Victor gives us this Account of the Emperor Carinus That he gave himself over to all manner of Vice married nine Wives and put several to death upon bare Suspicion which says Vopiscus made his Father afterwards disown him and he was kill'd in 285 by one of his Captains whose Wife he had debauch'd Eutropius and Craesus say of the Emperor Galerius That he divorced his first Wife and married Valeria the Emperor's Daughter persecuted the Christians in a most cruel and barbarous manner and died of an Ulcer in his Genitals that began to swarm with Worms a just and suitable Punishment for his Incontinence Valentinian the Third became so enamonred on a Roman Lady Wife to Maximus a Senator and afterwards Emperor that he sollicited her continually to debauch her but without effect But having won all Maximus's Money and his Ring likewise at Dice he sent the Ring as a Token from her Husband to come to the Palace and when she came thither violated her Chastity the injur'd Lady complain'd of it to her Husband who in revenge contriv'd the Murder of Maximus about the Year 455. Procopius and Baronius have left it on Record concerning the Emperor Maximus That having caused the Emperor Valentinian the third to be kill'd for having ravish'd his Wife he married the Empress Eudoxa by force created his own Son Caesar and married him to the young Eudoxa the Emperor's Daughter One Night in his Amours with the Empress Eudoxa he told her That he kill'd the Emperor her Husband for love of her which so incens'd her that she sent for Genseric King of the African Vandals to deliver her from the Tyrant who abandoning Rome when Genseric enter'd into it he was kill'd by a Souldier and afterwards pull'd in pieces by the Empress and her Servants and thrown into the Tiber about seventy seven days after he began his Reign Thus we have gone through the several Governments and Governours of Rome from its foundation to the Reign of Augustulus the last of those properly call'd Roman Emperors which have afforded us many remarkable Instances of the Tragical Effects of Lust not only upon particular Persons and Families but upon Kingdoms Empires and other Governments and shall shut up this part of our History with an Account of the abominable Worship of Priapus and Berecynthia and the Ludi Florales celebrated among the Romans with so much Solemnity and Impudence that it afforded Subject-matter of Reflection to their Satyrists and Flistorians who ascrib'd the Fall of the Roman Empire chiefly to that Cause Tostatus in his 50th Question upon the 20th of Exodus saith concerning the Heathâ—â—ish Worship of Priapus That it was so obscene that the very mention of it could not but offend chaste Ears They professed in the holding of those Sacrifices that beastly Crime which the most vicious Men will hardly confess upon the Rack The shape says he in which that God was represented was such as Nature hath taught us to hide and the gestures of the Priâ—sts in serving him such as I wonder their Matrons and Virgins in whom were any spark of Modesty could behold it with patience and for the People who came to worship the Sacrifice being ended they all stepped aside into a Thicket which was alwaies planted near the Altar of this God and there like Brute Beasts promiscuously satisfied their Lust thereby as they conceived best pleasing their God which was the cause as it seems that the true GOD commanded that no Groves should be planted near the place of his Worship and if any were that they should be cut down Of the same nature was the Worship of Berecynthia the Mother of the Gods as we find described by St. Augustiâ—e De Civit. Dei lib. 2