will haue them learne to worshippe him Abraham issuing out of the Lande of the Chaldees Ledde wyth him Sara his Wyfe and Loth his Nephewe together wyth all their Familie that was in Haram Instructed in the trueth of GOD according to the Reuelations that hadde béene made to their Predecessors And from thence he went into the Region of Chanaan following the ordinaunce of god The Chananites weare Idolators and a Nation more Dedicated to Vices then any Clymatte of the worlde By which meanes Abraham leauing one Countrey whose People weare nothing worth was ledde into an other where the Inhabytauntes were worsse and all thys by the wyll and ordinaunce of GOD whose Mercye doth in suche sort Dispose his Actions that what hée takes from some by Iustice hée géeues to others by hys mercie In suche sort that the Ende of his Woorks is alwayes good although the wisedome of the world estéeme it contrarie This was one Singuler ill amongest other Wicked thinges whiche the Chaldees hadde that béeinge Blyssed wyth the Presence and Industrye of a Vertuous Personage Preachinge and Teachinge them the Truethe yet they made no accompt of his Doctrine but dispised him and his aduertisementes And therefore God depriued them of that benefite whereof they had made themselues vnworthie by the resistaunce which they shewed agaynst his worde Touching the Cananits as they were the most wicked race of the Worlde so they had not as yet the knowledge of the trueth In which respect it pleased the goodnesse of God to Communicate it to them by the meane of Abraham whom he ledde into their Countrey which benefite torned afterwardes to their great condemnation by reason of their reuoltes stubburnesse and obstinacie by the which they prouoked the Ire of God against them Of the contrarie the fayth and patience of Abraham was well proued amongst this rebellious people the more to make him séeke his succours in God who had drawne him out of the Land of the Chaldees God had determined to giue the Lande of Chanaan to the people whom he had chosen in his presence shewing the greatnesse of his mercie towardes suche as follow him to whom he giues Lande Heritage And of the contrarie to shew his Ire agaynst sinners by the Punishement which he made of the Chananits other nations possessing the said Lande For this cause he willed that Abraham after the passion of many tribulations should dye in that Lande to confyrme to him his promise and to impatronize him of that Region for and in the name of suche as should discend of him And long time after yea when it was impossible to men to occupie that Lande he gaue that inheritaunce to the Children of Israell to shew that he was iust and that his Promises were certaine So that Abraham béeing at Sichem a Towne of Chanaan God appeared to him and Promised to giue the sayde Lande to his séed There Abraham builded an Aulter and dyd Sacrifyce calling vpon the name of the Lorde There he endured great Tribulations in which was established assured testimony of his faith and patience and on the otherside the Lordes goodnes was with him deliuering him of his troubles and communicated that which should happen to his people reuiuing the alliance made with him he assured him that in his seede all nations should receiue blissing and promised that he should haue a sonne by Sara his wife being already aged Thus the familie of Abraham multiplied frō one day to an other which he gouerned by the preaching of the word and all to entertaine them in the obseruation of Gods commaundements and in his feare The Lord then made alliance with him aswell in his owne name as for his successors contayning these capitulations First that Abraham and his for following his truth and the obedience of the same should bée his people and hée would bée their god That the séede of Abraham should serue him and reappose their hope in his promises made to them That they kéepe the Lawes which he calleth Iustice which hée had geuen them Lastly that hée would bée their GOD and protect and defend them in this world and instruct them in the way to obtaine the life of the other world pardoning all their sinnes in fauour and consideration of him which had bene promised for the redemption of man kind and ordayned to surmount the forces of hell and conquere the Deuill In signe whereof hée ordayned that Abraham should bée circumcised together with all the male children discending of him and his whole familie the same seruing as a monument and perpetuall memorie of the alliance made betwene GOD and them and of the spirituall generation of the séede of Abraham whom GOD adopted for his children in the name of him that was promised by meane of which adoption this spirituall people should bée a continuall enemie to the old Serpent and his workes From that time the people of GOD more obserued outward ceremonies then they had done For besides the sacrifices which they made they adioyned circumcision the same seruing them as a marke to declare outwardly the profession of their Religion and that they should worship the only God which had geuen creation and had promised redemption of their sinnes The Author aunswereth a congratulotion sent to him vpon the gift of a Bishoppricke I Haue receiued your Letter and doe refuse the horse you sent me not for that he is vnworthy but because I am curious reseruing such as you are to giue mée good counsell and my other more welthy friendes to minister to my wantes For that aduersitie is truly vsed which expects his remedy of richmen his consolation from such as are wise And béeing in the pension of the Prince for so many offices and now raysed to the commidities of a large Bishoppricke I sée not how I can suffer want nor my friends to wish mée more since to him that is already satisfied there remaynes no necessitie of further prouidence The wiseman is contented and expresseth no want but the mind of the foolish is subiect to care and thoughtes neuer being satisfied though hée flow in fulnesse so that his aboundance bréedes his extréeme pouertie and miserie That man néedeth little that measureth his fill according to the néede of kind and not after the rage of couetous For the nature of man desireth little but our opinion is neuer satisfied yea liuing in the flesh It is hard to suffice the desires of the flesh It is no small perplexitie to a poore man to aske that he wanteth but it is a great paine to the rich man to kéepe that which hée hath too much séeing to gather riches the rich man is all alone but to disperse them he hath too much company This is one other accident that fortune bringes with it that who riseth a foote in authoritie encreaseth most commonly an elne in necessitie for that nowe a dayes our chiefest trauayle resteth not so much to furnish our house as
giue without thankes and to hope for thinges that come not For that where to a benefit is offered vnthankefulnes and to a iust demaunde is added deniall where no recompence followeth due merit of seruice and where that comes not which we hope for Oh in those causes though the harte be driuen to suffer yet the tongue cannot vse scilence You aske me what be the foure thinges that rather dye then are satisfied And I aunswere that how olde so euer men be and their bodies broken with extreame trauelles yet you shall neuer sée their tongue satisfied with speaking superfluous thinges their eares wearie with hearing nouelties their handes cloyed wyth doing wickedly nor their harte cease to desire vanities You aske me what be the thinges which men cannot chuse but féele and are lesse hable to conceale They be these foure Riches loue sorow and euill will For loue is discouered by sighes hatred appeareth in the eyes riches are expressed in the port and countenance and dollor deelars himselfe by complaint so that where some men may for a time dissemble them yet none can long conceale them Where you aske me what be the thinges in a man moste prayse worthie and aboue all other to be estéemed best you shall finde them comprehended in these foure That is too say to be a good christian to be vpright true to be patient and to be secret For that man that in his workes shall expresse the dutie of a good Christian and in iniuries shall vse patience discression in his wordes deliuer simplicitie and truth and haue iudgement to kepe thinges secret such one be bolde to cloaze in your stomacke and lay vp for him the rewarde of an vnfamed affection You aske me who they be that most redelie get frendes as easely loaze them Whervnto vnto I aunswere that they be these foure sortes the riche sort young men such as are mightie and those that are fauored of Princes But soone doth the riche man loaze his frendes when he comes to be pore and sooner is the young man forgotten when he falles into age easelie is the mightie man forsaken when his power is taken from him and soonest of all fals the credit of the courtier when the Prince withdrawes his fauor You aske me what ought to be the condicions of one that entreth Seruice To him I appoynt these foure To be diligent to be patient to be faythfull and to be true For the seruant that can suffer when he is rebuked is iust in the office and charge committed too him diligent to learne that he knoweth not and faythful in things committed to his trust let the master be glad in such a seruant that seruant not doubt of his aduauÌ„cement You aske me what be the things which women desire most holde themselues best contented withall sure I will forbeare to discribe their particuler fancies For that their desires are without limitte and therefore according to my order in the rest I will restraine them into these foure To be gorgiously appareled to be estéemed fayre to goe whether they lyst that men beleue what they say For to a woman no lesse glorious are her garments her beutie her opinion of credit and her libertie then the plumes to the Peacocke who in other respectes is both leoathsome and vnacceptable You aske me with what obseruations we ought to giue when we giue any thing wherunto I aunswere that in administring liberalitie all men are tyed to these foure respects To consider well what we giue to know to whom we geue to vnderstande the cause why we geue and to haue regarde too the time when we geue For it is néedefull we iudge and weigh the value and quantitie of our gyft lest we geue lesse then to suffize the necessitie of him to whom we geue Too know to whom we geue lest there be no merit nor iust necessitie in the person to examine well the occasion why we geue to the ende that it be for good respecte aboue all who obserues not the time giues perhappes to no fruite or commoditie of him that receiueth So that who giues out of these condicions giues not in true liberalitie but as the blinde man who wéening to powre drinke into his dishe powreth it into the ryuer which hath no néede to be licoured Where you aske me what bée the Qualities most necessarie in a Prince helping best to mainteyne his reputation I saye they consist in these foure To haue courage or vertue to suffer a hart to giue a hande to reward and clemencie to pardon All other imperfections ought to be suffered in a prince if there be onely founde in him clemencie to forgeue faltes liberalitie to giue dignities a memorie to adde recompence to seruices and a patience to suffer traueyles and chaunces Where you aske me what thinges a Gentleman ought most to take héede of and where of he is the soonest noted I sende you them comprehended in these foure In Cowardise in Nigardnesse in Lying and in iniustice For the Gentleman that in warre is a Cowarde in his house a Nigarde in his Countrey a Tyrant and in his wordes a Liar much lesse that to such one is due the merit and reputation of a Gentleman séeing he is not worthie to communicate with the felowship euen of the meanest estate in a common weale And where you aske me with what qualities a mayd is to winne her ronoume and estimation I say that it is necessarie she be faire of face honest in life an enemie to libertie and a dispizer of Baudes and dissolute persons For that if in her Face she shewe not a pleasing beautie and in her conuesation bring forth honestie vertue if she be a wanderer after Libertie and delight to whysper and haue intelligence with secret messeÌ„gers her renoume shal runne as a streame that neuer ceasseth till it fall into a puddle that can not eftsoones be repurifyed Thus Sâ—r are your demaundes aunswered though not with such plentie of Eloquence as you looked for yet with that fulnesse of matter as may well suffize for your instruction specially béeing not drawen out of any great volumes or antiquities but compounded of mine owne experience and common reason ¶ Touching the VVarre which a man makes against himselfe IOb complayning in his great affliction confessed that hée was made gréeuous euen to himselfe Meaning that wyth better reason could he not complaine against any then agaynst himselfe for that being contrarie to himselfe he heaped his proper affliction This sort of complayning is so much the more straunge by how much it excéedes the common custome and experience of men in that case For that how déepe so euer any man be entangled with sinne and crime yea though he stande conuict yet will he rather labor to detect others then accuse himselfe And albeit there is nothing more common in this worlde then to fall
to be captaines for that in that realme is seldome stabilitie of peace quiet whose Prince is to much inclined to wars enterprises By these I pray you beleue that if the warres of Jermaine had not begone whilest I was in these parts I had not made my selfe a partie to them hauing alwais this principal purpose to be reputed rather a ciuil gouernour then a follower of Armes I recomend to you chiefly the honor of GOD and establishement of the Church For that that king can not liue in sewertie who prouides not to haue God honored and the ministerie mainteined Let Princes feare God enterteine iustice reuerence the ministers of the Church and defende the poore So shall they be perfect men pleasing to God who for recompence will not suffer them to be forgotten of their frends nor vanquished of their enemies I wishe you also to communicate together in one frendship and fraternitie For that in common weales greater are the harmes that rise by ciuill factions of one neighbour against an other then by the furie of forreine and publike enemies I wishe you to cutte of all occasions of quarrelles to be cherishers of the poore preseruers of the Fatherlesse and protectors of the Wydows For that to none is God wont to minister more sharpe iustice then to such as restraine compassion to the pore suffer the innocent to receiue oppression And because vertue consistes more in workes then in wordes I exhort you to vse modestie in spéeche to be patient to suffer and prouident in your forme of liuing For it cannot but bring great falt and shame to a gouernour to giue prayses to the people of his common weale and in himselfe beare iust occasion of reprehension And therefore to such as manage estates and gouernementes it apperteynes to haue more confidence in their workes then in their wordes For that the common People is more enclined to iudge of that which they sée then to beléeue thinges which they heare In affaires concerning the Senate I would not haue any of you noted of Ambicion Malice Fraude nor Enuie For that to men of honor truth and vertue it is vnséemely to contende more for the Souereigntie and commaundement of a common weale then for the aduauncement and profite of it The Empire of the Greekes hath bene alwayes contrarie to the gouernement of the Romaines aswell in Armes and Lawes as in opinions For the Grecians had a singuler felicitie in eloquent speaking and to vs hath belonged the propertie of wel working By this I exhort you being assembled in the Senate that you bestow not more time to dispute arguing of controuersies then necessarilie apperteines to the true search and decision of the same Since if you will not entangle your iudgementes with passion and affections you shall without long argument be easelie led to reason and conclusion In this respect many wise men haue thought it more expedient that kinges and Emperours should suffer themselues to be gouerned by men learned then to be learned themselues Forbidding them thereby to leaue to their proper opinions of the which for the most parte they ought to be suspicious Let your iudges and such as sitte in office to solicit the affaires of the common weale be wise men skilfull in lawes expert in customes discréete in thinges they haue to iudge and circumspect in their conuersation and forme of lyfe For in instruction of lyfe and manners more good doth the iudge with his good example then with his seuere punishement and to the well gouernement of a common weale more conducible and necessarie is the wise man then he that is too wel learned Therfore in causes of iustice and iudgement haue regarde to minister the Lawes in Ciuill processes and in matters criminall it is good to moderate their rigor For that in the Creation of seuere and cruell Laws the chiefe purpose was rather to kepe men in terror then to haue the Lawes committed to extreame action So that afore the publication of your sentence you ought to cōsider the age of the offender the time the manner the occasion the confederacie and the value of the offence in all which circumstances may be helpes though not to acquite the trespasse yet to qualifye the rigor of the law in the administration and office whereof we ought to deale in the same rate and measure of mercie towards offenders which God vseth with sinners on whom he exerciseth compassion aboue their desertes and punisheth them vnder the merite of their transgressions And as in criminall offences Iudges ought to thinke that God is more offended then men So if it please him to remitte faultes done agaynst his maiestitie it is a good example to warne vs not to execute the Laws extreamely against those that offend others and not vs Lastly I wishe you in cases of quarrell and wrong that if your enemies doe you any iniurie you will forbeare present reuenge For that to pardon many for the offence of one holdes of the office of Christianitie but to chastice many for the falt of one apperteynes properly to Tirantes Yea though in mans nature the dispight of an iniurie encreaseth the desire of reuenge yet there be wrongs wherein often times men finde more sewertie to dissemble them then to reuenge them The SENATE of Rome writeth to TRAIAN their Emperour partly to aunswere to some particulers of his former Letters and withall expressing Documentes necessarie to the instruction of a Prince RIght Souereigne and worthie Emperour Such was the compassion and regarde of thy late Vncle and predecessor Nervus towardes thée that in the very Article and extreame approch of death he made no sorrow for that his children were dead which might haue inherited his possessions but gaue thankes to God for leauing thée to succéede him in the Empire So that albeit too the good Emperour were successors other then thou both more deare in friendship more bounde in seruice and better experienced in pollicie and Warres Yet he vouchsafed to fixe his eye vpon thée onely as in whom he had most opinion and confidence that thou wouldest eftsoones reuiue the vertues and valour of the good Augustus and roote out the insolencies and Tirannies of Domitian When thy Vncle tooke Possession of the Empire he founde the Treasure dispersed the Senate in faction the People in Mutinie iustice ill obserued and the common weale in generall ruine but thou shalt come to great plentie of Riches the Councell voyde of discention the multitude ignorant in commotions the iudges without corruption and the whole state peacible reformed and florishing beséeching thée with the maistie of so large an Empire to succéede also thy Vncle in custome and constitutions séeing that newe Princes vnder cooller to innouate newe lawes do for the most parte commit their common weales to perdition Lyke as the Fourtéene Princes that haue managed the Empire next afore thee were al naturally of Rome and thou the first Straunger
them agaynst the suttleties suggestions and illusions of the deuill So that there is no dout but this people was chosen to be a grayne wherein should be preserued the puritie of the séede of the doctrine the assurance of the mercy of god seruing withal to declare how wonderfull God is in his works to remaine as a mirror to all natiōs to serue honor but one God confounding al other Gods as faulse and of the deuil In effect God saw good to continue the roote and stocke of his truth to his people whom he had chosen to the ende the worlde might know that he drue to him his people by other meanes then did the deuil wyth whom it hath ben alwaies familiar to lay snares and suttle traps to intice the frayltie of men Ouer this people of god Abraham was chosen chiefe and leader as afore him were appointed Seth and Noe. But Abraham being a Chalde and lyuing amongest an Idolatrous Nation God sawe good to make a choyse of him and call him to himselfe cōmaunding him to abandon his countrey and kindred and go whether he would guide him promising to make him great yea euen a mightie ruler ouer a large people All this conteynes as yet nothing but misteries of the diuine wisedome and of workes of iustice and mercie For first God chused for chieftayne of his people a man who may serue for example to all posterities succéeding him for Fayth Loue Obedience Truth Iustice Pacience Charitie knowledge of Sinne and lastly for all whatsoeuer may concerne the Honour and glory of God and his Seruice He was called of God to Serue as an example to his newe People and all others and in whome God would expresse wyth what fauour support and ayde he followeth those that serue and honour him To him all Princes and principall guides of people ought to confyrme and referre their councels actions for God loues such as he as he was But now to retourne to Abraham God commaunded him to forsake his countrey and the Religion of the Chaldees Wherein first of all he shewed how hatefull that people was to him for renouncing his worde yea the more fully to Punishe them he tooke from them the Companie of a Personage which had knowledge of this Diuinitie and frueth of his worde This is it that the Prophete meanes saying Wee haue Ministred Medicines to Babylon and yet shee hath receiued no Cure and after wee haue abandoned her euery one c. Euenso the obstinacie of the Chaldees agaynst the Doctrine of Abraham deserued to bée forsaken as a thing abandoned of the Phisitions Secondly it may be sayd that Abraham was withdrawen from his Countrey for that for the most part God bears vnto his such proportion of fauor that he withdrawes them from il companies consequently from the punishments and corrections which he holdes readie to thunder vpon the heades of the wicked By that meane he drue Lot out of Sodom and preserued Helias in the time of famine shewing in them the great care and speciall prouidence he hath ouer those that serue him Thirdly in this euocation of Abraham is taught how néedeful it is to such as séeke to be of the nomber of Gods People to be deuided and drawne from vices and that they fixe not vppon the abuses of this world séeing they ought to be a People seperate and Subiect to no Communitie or traffyke wyth Sinners and Idolators For that cause the Scripture calleth the Children of God Banished and seperate from all men Esay also Exhorteth the Faythfull to retyre from the Companie of the wicked but specialsy suche as are Gods Seruauntes and Sacrifycators ordeyued to accomplishe the Statutes and Commaundementes of god Abraham issued out of the Region of the Chaldees vppon the assuraunce of Gods Promises to make him a guide leader of a mightie people and wythall to purchase such renoume and fauor that who blessed that people should be blessed who accursed them should partake with the same and that out of his séed should issue he that should bring felicitie and blessing to all the nations and kinreds of the earth This promise is a reuiuing of that which had béene made to Adam and Heua whereof the certayntie séemes to bée so much the more great by how much God assigneth the Séede out of the which should issue the Messias and Sauiour of the Worlde By this may be considered the great rewarde that such may hope for as followe the Lorde béeing called to the obedience of his Commaundements and are withdrawne from the delights and vanities of the worlde to followe bitter thinges and of harde disgestion For as God sheweth the fauor he beareth them chusing them for his seruice and aduaunsing them a-aboue all others So doth he also expresse the perticular care he hath ouer his chosen whom if he aduaunce on one behalfe he doth also priueleadge on an other But notwithstanding all those promises Abraham forbare not to endure much and to beare his Crosse wyth much trouble following alwayes the eternall will to shew that the bountie and iustice of God are pefect in all his workes And albeit he liued in great perplexitie and pouertie and suffered many tribulations and persecutions yet God deliuered him and made him prosper that he was riche mightie and victorious ouer his enemies This is the true Image of the way of God and truth and to it God calles vs wyth milke and delytes as nursses vse to intice little Children to the ende we know that all his wayes are founded vpon mercie and trueth and that he is vpright in his worde to the iust leauing vs to folow him by that way obey him as knowing his will to be readie enclined to our health and benefite the same béeing the true ende and purpose for the which he hath chosen vs to serue his turne of vs. Touching the crosse and persecution which Abraham suffered they weare necessarye to his felicitie For God vseth to proue our fayth to showe by effect what loue wée beare him and what patience and Charitie wée haue shewing wythall how much the worlde is our enemie declaring it selfe for such one in all his actions and that God onely hath created and redéemed vs and onely ministreth all fauour to vs to the ende wée should call him to our ayde in our necessities and confesse him whereby the remorce and féeling we haue of his mercie may enflame vs to yéeld him thanks And that our fayth béeing tryed by the fire of tribulation and temptation the vertue of our patience may encrease and our hope growe stronger dayly to resiste Sinne and the Worlde vnder Assuraunce and Confydence of the Bowntie of God. So that Abraham a man iuste was led in these Accidentes somtimes in glorie and sometimes in tribulation by the Contemplation of whose lyfe all Christians may know how God handleth his chosen and of what Condition hée will chuse them and wyth what courage hée
shall bée prepared at my table and I will béestow you in the height of my glory to the ende you may there haue the fruition of my Diuinitie This truly is a most highe and great mistery for the Apostles to follow Iesus Christ hauing abandoned parentes and friendes countrey and goods yea renounced their proper willes God thought them not worthie of recompence so much for that as for that they perseuered till the ende he sayth not to his Disciples you are onely they that are tempted but you haue remayned wyth me in my temptations Wherin he giues vs to know that in the other worlde none shall haue place at the table of God but such as perseuere in him to the end One of the priueleadges which God giues to his friendes sayth Dauid is that no temptation shall haue power to chaunge their mindes nor any aduersitie be hable to make them giue ouer the good they haue béeginne vntill the ende For that the gyft of constancie is of many desired and of few obteyned And therefore to béeginne a good worke is the custome of good men to pursue and follow it is the office of the vertuous But to leade it to his ende and effect is a pryuileadge mearly appertayning to those that be holy and Religious And to speake the truth wyth what industry so euer we enforce our selues and vnder what wéening so euer we presume yet to resist an ill we are to tender of harte and farre to moueable of condition So that right happy is it with those that shall heare Christ say You are they that haue perseuered wyth mee and therefore you are regenerate and shall enioy wyth mee for euer the perfect ioy and felicity A resolution of certayne famyliar and naturall questions wyth apparant coniectures and tokens of death I Would your importunities were as iust as my excuses are reasonable so should the contencion be easely resolued whether be greater my faultes or your complaints In him that makes request it is easie to find wordes to speake for that he speakes in desire but to whom the sute is made belongs great discretion for that all denials are hatefull not so much by the merit and consideration of the cause as for that the affection of the sutor may be corrupt Which I do not alledge here to the proofe of your fault for that in our friendship should remaine no faction nor yet to iustifie my excuses if they beare not both reason and innocencie Assuring you that séeing it pleaseth you to make a triall of my wit more for exercise then possibilitie of knowledge I wil ioyne my self to your fancie not so much for necessitie as to kéepe vse of my imperfection You aske me wherefore men containe greater corpolencie and substance of body then women I say it procedes of the heate which is more aboundant in the one then in the other For heate being of a nature td encrease and swell giues vnto men a greater perfection in stature and nature then to women whose humors being tempered with cold makes their bodies lesse substantiall and of more infirmities You would know how it hapneth that of foure Elements the fire and the aire are incorruptible and of the contrary the earth and the water are subiect to corruption To this I sayd it is of necessitie that all thinges intangled with corruption are first made colde but the fire cannot suffer cold for that it is an enemie to cold and the aire albeit sometimes bring forth cold yet it is alwayes full of fire Where the earth and water hauing their temperature of cold and heate are subiect to corruption by the nature and qualitie of their composition You aske whereuppon it commeth that oftentimes we shrinke and enter into a cold after we be deliuered of our vrine The reason is this so long as the vrine being hot remayneth yet in the bladder neither the bladder nor the partes about it can féele any cold but the bladder béeing discharged all the sayd partes are eftsones filled with an aire more colde then was the vrine for there is nothing voide in nature And that aire occupying the place of the vrine causeth naturally the shiuering and cold that wée feele You would know how it hapneth that when we fare very cold cōming hastily to the fire to séeke warmth we feele a griefe or ache in our finger endes and warming vs by leasure we haue no mocion of paine This may be aunswered by experience that when we passe out of one countrary into an other mutation is great as may be séene in trées who being plied bowed by litle and litle breake not but strayning them by force they rent in two euen so the heate that is within holdeth the cold out repulsing withall the moysture and so one contrary is resisted by an other The same béeing the cause that receiuing warmth by litle and litle the heat within comes out is not hindred by the cold which causeth the lesse sence or féeling of paine But in receiuing suddenly the warmth of the fire we do by violence draw out a great heat and by the repugnancie that it findes with the cold not fully gone bringes no small paine to the partie You aske me by what reason most women the first and second month that they are with child haue that disordered appetite to eate coales and other strange thinges The reason of that appetite is that nature hath drawne downe all the bloud of the woman to helpe to forme the fruite in her wombe Which bloud being corrupted makes also the stomacke pertaker of his vice and corruption By which occasion the stomacke being pressed with such matter so corrupt requireth all meats that are vaine lothsome ta +king his lust desire to many things according to the qualety or impression of the matter wherewith he is charged For if it abounde with an humor malancholike which is blacke it formeth an appetite to coales such like things if it suffer aboundance of sharpe fleame it bréeds a lust to thinges sharpe and eger the lyke iudgement being proper for all other humors To your demand why women and Eunukes haue their voice so small and shirle I say it procéedes of the quill or pype of their wesand which being strait cannot be enlarged by reason of the humor whereof it is full and heate onely hath power to make it wyder For as we sée out of little and small phyfes come a voice cleare shirle And out of smal trunks the lowdest sownd Euen so is it of the pype of the wesand which by reson of his subtlety is called lowd or shirle You aske me why such as conteine but meane stature are for the most parte more wise then those that haue great bodies That may be by this reason that in a little body the senses spirits are always better vnited cōpact then in a great where in a greater by reason they
with faire Dana it was no other thing as Isidore sayth then a great masse of Golde which he made slyde in to the handes of her kéepers to betray the chastety of that fayre Lady When they make him to transforme himselfe into Amphitrio it was no other thing then the consent that Amphitrio gaue him to lye wyth his wyfe and that for the rewarde of a great summe of money The Metamorpheses that he suffred into a Bull to steale Europa was no more but the Image of a Bul painted on the sayles of the ship wherein Iupiter bestowed her when he toke her away Such like were the transformatiōs of Iupiter wherin may be discerned the simplicitie and great blindnesse of such as worshipped that licencious king for a true God gouernour of heauen and earth he that was the most vnbridled brydled and dissolute man and most drowned in his proper lustes of all other in his time And séeing vpon him they imposed the title of God of al gods by him we may iudge the qualety of the other gods of whom the most part called him father as in déed most of them issued of him as Phoebus the god of science Mars the ruler of battles Mercury the infuser of cloquēce Bacchus the image of epicurity Vulcan the spirit of fier Venus the vaine idoll of loue others there were that wer his parents as Pluto prince of hell Neptune the directer of the waters Ceres the disposer blisser of corne and Diana the figure and example of chastety And so reckoning by degrées they established particuler gods to all thinges that might be imagined estéeming one God to be insufficient to reigne alone to lead the vnuersall worlde within the power of his gouernement yea they adioyned to this Idolatry the worshipping of certaine beasts planets trées by reason of the properties they saw in them the Egiptians as Iueuenal saith were so far drowned in this superstition that they worshipped as gods Onyons Léeks attributing much to their felicity happines who had of those plants in their gardins as the ignorance of those blind people led them to do honor sacrifice to such things as to gods so they held it for religion to giue obedience to them holding such accursed as were not forward in the seruice and ministery of such vaine triffling things M. Varo wryteth that Brasillius the Philosopher found at Rome MMD. CCC Gods which caryeth no smal possiblity of truth séeing the abuse there was so great general that they gaue cerimony worship and sacrifice as to a God to all things wherof they had receiued any benefit or that they supposed had any power to kéepe them in feare Tullus hostillius third king of Rome being vexed with a feuer tertiā which had tourned his complexion to a pale and yellow did sacrifice to his ague the soner to make it to leaue him Flora a publike curtisan a woman whose body was abandoned to all lust allurements of the flesh was canonized honored with an Image or figure for that of al the goodes she had got with the filthy sweat trauel of her body she cōstituted the Senate to be heire they gaue her diuine honor celibrated her feast euery yere wherin as a special cerimony there was liberty to al yoūgmē to be naked to exercise their pleasure with the first woman they founde S. Augustine writeth that the consuls and wise men of Rome tooke councell to abollishe that vile and abhominable custome But albeit for certaine perils and impediments they durst neuer execute it yet to deface the memory of that lewd woman giue greater apparance to their supersticions the named Flora the Goddes of flowers Amid these great darknesses obscurities of ignorance wherin this people of the Gentils was plunged there wer many notwithstanding in whom was some impression of light possessed with those natural iudgments reasons which drew them out of that blindnes as in déede all the schole of philosophy generally acknowledged one author mouer of al things from whom as out of a spring proceeded al the vniuersallity of things were fed enterteind by him as the true soueraigne gouernour of the whole of this knowledge Socrates was not depriued who being at poynt of death sayd he was willing to dye to confesse on onely Lord to whom he had alwaies labored to doe seruice according to the power of his humayne frayelty neuer hauing intention to offende him Aristotle at the article of death recommended himselfe to the soueraigne Creator saying Oh cause of all causes haue pytie on me Plato and Cicero in their treatises of common weales were of the same opinion it was the fayth of Virgill that al procéeded of God and that as wel the heauen and earth as the aire and water are ful of his greatnes acknowledging by that the essence of one onely God. Cicero speaking of the nature of Gods and Varro in his vayne Etimologies being albeit both Pagans and much addicted to their ceremonies scoffed notwithstanding at the feastes and assemblies which the populer sort made to honour their Gods partly through ignorance more by flatterye but most of all for feare It is no néede here to proue by the doctrine of the scripture that all those Gods were but illusions dreames procéeding of the inuention of man and abuse of the Diuell séeing that since the sonne of the euerlasting trueth is appeared wich is the sonne of the onely God all these damnable superstitions are not onely discouered but by the beames of that sonne shining in the myndes and eyes of men they are put to flight and vanished as the clowdes giue place when the sonne approcheth They are falne into ruine as buildings ill foūded and méeting the firme vessel of the word of God their tickle ship driuen by the wind of abuse and deceyt is confounded and swallowed in the golphe of Christian religion Thus much for the first poynt of your demaunde which I doubt not is eyther sufficiently aunswered or at least nothing left doubtfull There resteth now to touch what opinion the Poets and other auncients had of these Gods and the plurality of them As Hesiode Archilachus Horace Menander Esope Apuleius Ouid and many other wryters of great grauety and authority who published not their inuentions and fictions to other effect then to disclose to men the meanes to become more wyse and draw to a more Ciuill fourme of lyfe in the world For which purpose they spred many fictions and fabulous metaphors tending to sundry artes and professions For fables according to the opinion of Apthonius and Hermogenes haue taken their name of Fari in Latine signifying to discourse and speake so that a fable may be taken for a discourse fayned inducing oftentimes vnder an honest recreation and delitfull resemblaunce the readers to consider the morrall sence and doctrine hyd vnder those fabulous discourses which discouering