river in Hell Vers. 361. Solyma So called by the Grecians as by the Hebrews Salem and when David had taken it from the Iebusites Ierusalem which is as much as Jebusalem turning B into R for the better harmony called after the building of the Temple Hierosolyma by the Greeks of Hieron which signifies a Temple in their language Vers. 264. From th' Isthmos This Isthmos lies between Aegypt and the bottom of the Red Sea from whence to Euphrates David extended his conquests inforcing all the Arabians to become his Tributaries Who also overthrew the King of Sophona hard by the eruption of Tygris overcame the Mesopotamians the King of Damascus and drew that City with all Syria under his obedience having before subdued the neighbouring Nations Vers. 267. Th' admiring Queen c. Josephus makes her Queen of Aethiopia and to have bestowed on Solomon that pretious Plant of Balsamum which he after planted in Engaddi but this grew in Canaan in the dayes of Jacob who sent a Present thereof among other fruits of that Countrey into Aegypt The Aethiopian Emperours glory in their descent from Solomon by this Queen in regard whereof they greatly favour the Jewish nation They have a Citie called Saba which lies on the West side of the Arabian Gulf But by the presents which she brought and vicinitie of the Countrey it is more probable that she came from Saba the principall Citie of Arabia the Happy Vers. 271. Canopus Scepter c. Kings of Aegypt of Canopus a principal Citie which stood on that branch of Nilus which is next to Alexandria taking that Name from Menelaus his Pilot there buried by his shipwrackt master Vers. 272. Those Monarchs c. Chaldean Monarchs Babylon the seat of their Empire who as the Persians adored the Sun under the name of Mithra Vers. 274. Sarrana Tyrus so called in that it was built on a rock the Arabians pronouncing Scar for Sar from whence the Tyrian purple takes the name of Scarlet He Cities sacks and houses fills with grones To lie on scarlet drink in pretious stones Virg. Geor. l. c. Not onely Iosephus but the Scriptures make often mention of the ancient amitie between the Iews and Tyrians Vers. 277. Ths land c. See the Note upon V. 275. Act. 1. Vers. 283. Antiochus guilt Antiochus Epiphanes who abrogated their Law and by threatnings and tortures enforced the Iews to Idolatry polluting their Altar with sacrificed Swine Vers. 291. Iönian Gods The Gods of Greece Antiochus being of a Grecian Family and zealous in their Superstitions Vers. 293. Their brothers slew c. Aristobulus the first that ware a Crown of the race of the Asmones upon a false suspicion by the machination of Salome the Queen caused his valiant and affectionate brother Antigonus to be treacherously murdred who before had imprisoned the rest of his brethren and famished his mother After the desperate death of Aristobulus Alexander his brother was removed from a Prison to a Throne who slew his third brother out of a vain suspicion of his aspiring to the Kingdome To conclude from the first King of the Asmones to the last of the Herods no history is so fruitfull in examples of unnaturall Cruelties Vers. 297. Twice vanquished c Pompey was the first of the Romanes that subdued the Iews neither were the Romanes expulsed by any forrein Prince but untill this time maintained their Government It must then be meant by their expulsion of one another in their Civill warres Iuilus Coesar vanquishing Pompey Mark Anthony being his Lieutenant in Syria who gave a great part of the Territories of the Iews to Cleopatra after absolute Lord of the Eastern parts of the Romane Empire in the end overthrown and deprived of all by Augustus Vers. 303. One part by Romane c. Iudea reduced into a Romane Province by Pompey and then governed by Pontius Pilat Vers. 304. The other two by brothers c. Philip and Antipas called also Herod sons to Herod the Great the one Tetrarch of Iturea a Countrey which lies at the foot of Libanus and the other of Galilee to whōm Agrippa succeeded the son of Aristobulus slain by his father Herod with the title of a King bestowed by Coesar Vers 305. From savage Idumaeans Antipater the father of Herod was an Idumoean who in the contention between the two brethren Hircanus and Aristobulus about the Kingdome took part with Hircanus and grew so powerfull that he made a way for his son to the Soveraigntie though he himself was prevented by poyson Vers. 327. That Name Iehova ANNOTATIONS VPON THE THIRD ACT. VErse 47. Brutish Thunder The Philosophers will have two sorts of Lightning calling the one fatall that is pre-appointed and mortall the other Brutish that is accidentall and flying at random Vers. 119. He whom c. Herod Antipas then Tetrarch of Galilee whose father Herod the Great so magnificently reedified the Temple that the glory of the latter exceeded that of the former Verse 122. The land c. Phoenicia the ancient kingdome of Agenor son to Belus Priscus who was reputed a God after his death and honoured with Temples called Bel by the Assyrians and Baal by the Hebrews Verse 142. Whose flouds in Summer swell Nilus which constantly begins to rise with the rising Sunne on the seventeenth of Iune increasing by degrees untill it make all the Land a Lake Not ty'd to laws of other Streams the Sun When furthest off thy streams then poorest run Intemperate heaven to temper midst of heat Vnder the burning Zone bid to grow great Then Nile assists the world lest fire should quell The Earth and make his high-borne waters swell Against the Lions flaming jaws Lucan l. 10. Ver. 187. The free born It was the custome of the Romanes to punish slaves onely with whips but their children and the free with rods Verse 195. The wreathed Thorns in reverence of this crown of Thorns which was platted about the brows of our Saviour the Christians forbare to wear any garlands on their heads in their Festivalls although it were the custome of those Nations among whom they lived Vers. 221. Thou liquid chrystall c. Pilat washt not his hands to expresse his innocencie as a Romane Custome but therein observing the Iewish Ceremony which was that he who would professe himself guiltlesse of a suspected Man slaughter should wash his hands over a Heifer with her head cut off Verse 338. Let it fall c. This imprecation soon after fell upon them in all the fulnesse of horrour and throughout the world at this day pursues them Verse 233. Drag him to the Crosse c. Pilat not onely out of fear and against his conscience but therein infringed a Law lately made by Tiberius in the sudden execution for by the same no offendour was to suffer within ten dayes after his condemnation But he met with a Nemesis soon after turn'd out of his Government by Vitellius for his cruelty inflicted upon the Samaritanes and sent to
you freely hither hast No sudden hurl-windes shall your bodies cast On trembling Earth Behold I with my hands Behinde me bound implore your dire Commands And run to meet your stripes Are you now prone To melting pitty will you punish none But with injustice is your fury slow Vnlesse to those who no offences know We both alike have impiously transgrest You in not punishing a fault confest And I who have the living Lord deni'd Just Judges of a life so sanctified To whom suborned Witnesses have sold Their damned perjuries a Wretch behold And heare his Crime My Countrey Galile To follow Christ I left both Land and Sea Son to the Thunderer his onely Heire From Heaven sent by his Father to repaire And rule th' affairs of Mortals This is He VVhom you have bound who must his Countrey free Rebellious Vassals you have doom'd your King I know the impious Race from whence you spring Your savage manners cruel Ancestors VVhom Nature as her greatest curse abhors Such when the trembling Boy his brethrens hands Their truculent aspects and servill bands Beheld though privy to a better fate Whose providence was to reward their hate Soon after cal'd to Niles seven channel'd Flood He famine from both Lands expel'd with food So your seditious Fathers mutined At Sina's rocks against their sacred Head And there the food of Angels loth'd which fell From Heaven in showres besotted Israel Aegypt and Servitude prefer'd above The Tents of Moses and their Countries love What numbers with prophetick Raptures fill'd Have you and yet not unrevenged kill'd Memphis devouring Desarts Civill wars Oft forreign Yokes Assyrian Conquerars Great Pompeys Eagles sacred Rites profan'd Your Temple sackt with slaughtered Levites stain'd Are all forgot Yet worse attend your Hate O that I were the Minister of Fate I then would teare your guilty buildings down And in a crimson Sea their ruines drown Witnesse you Groves late conscious to our cares Where Christ with tears pour'd forth his funeral praiers How I revenge pursu'd and with their bloud Would have augmented Cedrons murmuring Floud But he for whom I struck reproov'd the blow And following his own Precept cur'd his foe For Malchus rushing on in front of all Perceiving part of his with-out him fall Searcht with his flaming brand the bleeding eare See on the earth revenge subdu'd his feare Who lowdly roaring shook his threatned bands And streight incountred those all-healing hands They to his Head that Ornament restor'd And benefits for injuries affor'd But O blinde Mischief I who gave the Wound Am left at large and he who heal'd it bound O Peter canst thou yet forbeare to throw Thy body on the weapons of the Foe If thou would'st vindicate thy Lord begin First with thy selfe and punish thy own Sin Thou that dar'st menace armies thou that art Fierce as a Midian Tyger of a heart Invincible nor knows what 't is to dread VVith Fortune at the first incounter fled A Fugitive a Rebel one that hath All crimes committed in this breach of faith VVho towring hopes on his own strength erects Nor the selfe-flattering Mindes deceit suspects But his vaine Vertue trust let him in me The sad example of his frailty see From slippery heights how pronely Mortals slide Their heady errors punishing their pride VVhat can I adde to these misdeeds of mine VVho have defil'd the water bread and wine VVith my abhor'd defection O could I Those lips pollute with wilfull perjury But newly feasted with that sacred food Presenting his torne flesh and powr'd-out blood O Piety for this thou Renegate Did Jesus wash thy flying feet of late Not Jordan with two Heads whose waters roule From snow-top Libanus can cleanse thy Soule Not thou Callirhoe nor that ample Lake From whose forsaken shore my birth I take Could'st thou blue Nereus in whose troubled Deep Niles seven large Mouthes their foming currents steep Or that red Sea whose waves in Rampires stood While our Fore-Fathers past the parted Flood These purging streames from thy own Springs must flow Repentance why are thy complaints so slow Raise stormes of sighes let teares in torrents fall And on thy blushing cheekes deep furrows gall O so run freely beat thy stubborn breast Here spend thy rage these blowes become thee best This wretched Cephas for thy crimes I owe What can I for my injur'd Lord bestow My deeds and sufferings disproportion'd are Nor must they in an equall sorrow share Should this Night ever last to propagate Increasing sorrowes till subdu'd by Fate My penitent Soule this wasted flesh forsake Yet can my guilt no reparation make Swoln eyes now weep you then you should have wept Besprinkled my devotion and have kept That holy Watch when interdicted Sleep Your drowsie lids did in his Lethe steep You should have dropt my brains into a Flood Before he at that dire Tribunall stood Ere thrice abjur'd on me his looks he threw Or ere th' accusing Bird of Dawning drew Where shall I hide me in what Dungeon may My troubled Soul avoid the wofull Day Fly quickly to some melancholy Cave In whose dark entrails thou maist finde a grave To bury thee alive there waste thy yeares In chearisht Sorrow and unwitnest Tears PONTIVS PILAT CAIAPHAS TArpaean Jove Mars great Quirinus Sire You Houshold gods snatcht from Troys funerall Fire With greater Zeal ador'd when shall I pay My Vows my Offerings on your Altars lay And see those Roofs which top the Clouds the Beams With burnisht gold inchac'd and blazing Gems Those Theaters which ring with their applause Who on the conquered World impose their Lawes And thee the triple Earths imperious Guide Great-Soul'd Tiberius whether thou reside On Tibers banks ador'd by gratefull Rome Ambitious of his residence for whom She gave the World or Caprae much renown'd For soft delights impoverish the Long-gown'd Farre from my friends farre from my native Soyl I here in honourable Exile toyl To curb a People whom the Gods disclaim Who cover under the usurped Name Of Piety their hate to all Man-kinde Condemne the world in their own vices blinde And with false grounded fear abjure for One All those Immortalls which the Heavens inthrone Their onely Law is to renounce all Laws Their Error which from others hatred draws Fomenting their own discord still provokes Their Spirits to Rebellion who their yokes Have oft attempted to shake-off though they More eas'ly are subdu'd then taught to obey Cleare Justice sincere Faith bear witnesse you With how much grief our swords the Hebrews slew But such as stubborn and inhumane are Vnlesse they suffer would inforce a War And Reason urgeth those who Scepters bear Against their Nature oft to prove severe I go to question what these Prelates would Since they forbear to enter lest they should Their Feast so neare with my unhallowed Floore Their feet pollute Who 's this by such a power In shackles led How reverend his aspect How full of awe these Looks no guilt detect Thou Caiaphas of Solyma
the Prime And Prince of Priests relate th' imputed Crime CAIAPHAS Great Guardian of the Romane Peace whom we Next Caesar honour to be doom'd by thee Our Senate brings th' Infection of these Times Whom we accuse of no suggested crimes Those holy Rites which grave Antiquity First introduced since defended by A long descent this Innovator sought To abolish and a new Religion taught Nor fearing the Recesse of Gods own Seat The Temples ruine sings and Roof repleat With the full Deitie disturbs the Feast Of the seventh Day design'd for sacred Rest Those lawes rejects which Moses pen reveal'd Even those by God with dreadfull thunder seal'd Nor so content with Heaven his furie warres Aspires that Throne and tramples on the Starres Who stiles himself though of ignoble birth His onely sonne who made both Heaven and Earth This Death must expiate he hath judg'd his Cause Who writ in leaves of Marble our ten Lawes PILAT. When Wrath the Nurse of War and thirst of gold Destructive Arts produc'd the better Soul'd No peace nor safety found inforc't to bear Life of it self infirme through common fear Into Societies the scattered drew Who by united forces potent grew Intrenched Cities with high walls immur'd But more by well-digested Lawes secur'd The Crime and Punishment proportion kept And Wrongs like Wolves on their first Authors leapt Justice from each Offence example took And his own weapon the Delinquent strook Spoil seaz'd on Rapine Bloud drew bloud deter'd From doing that which they to suffer fear'd But more then humane plagues attend on those Who God provoke he prosecutes his foes With sure revenge Why should those Hands which tear The clouds with thunder shake the World with fear Their wrath to Man resigne The impious finde Their scourge the terror of th' astonish'd Minde Affrights their peace who feel what they deny And fear an unbeleeved Deity One Day no period to his torment gives To tremble at the Name of Death he lives Still apprehending what then death is worse Long life awarded to prolong his curse But if he have your laws infring'd be you Your selves the judges and his guilt pursue CAIAPHAS Although those ancient Laws which now remain Among us we acknowledge to retain From Romes free bounty yet to you 't is knowne Our curbed Power can death inflict on none You to whom Caesars Fortunes recommend His Rods and Axes sacred Rule defend This guilty Wretch whose practises we feare Of late his place of birth forsaking where The Sea is honour'd with Tiberius Name With troopes of Clients to this City came Who seeds of War among the Vulgar sowes With what injustice Romane Armes impose Their Tribute on a Nation ever free With magick Charmes and Stygian compact he Attracts beliefe denies the dead their rest Of those un-envi'd Mansions dispossest By wicked Spels These prodigies delude The novelty-affecting Multitude Whom for their Lord their loud Hosannas greet And strew the noble Palme beneath his se et Imboldned by these Arts He as his own By birth aspires to Davids ancient Throne When Rome provok'd by his rebellion shall Arme her just Griefe we by the sword must fall Our City sinke in flames our Countrey lye Depopulated But since One must dye To save the Generall sentenc'd by thy breath Let him redeeme his Nation with his death PILAT. Such doubtfull causes grave advice require Here if you please attend while I retire The Pris'ner to the Souldiers care commit On whom this day we will in judgement fit CHORVS OF JEWISH WOMEN YOu lofty towers of Solyma Thou ancient Throne of Soveraign sway To thee the conquered Tribute pay'd From th' Isthmos crown'd with Ebon shade To great Euphrates trembling Streames Arabians scorch'd by Phoebus beames Th' admiring Queen wing'd with thy Fame From her black-peopled Empire came Great Kings ambitious of thy love To joyne with thee in friendship strove Those who Canopus Scepter bore Those Monarchs who the Sun adore And o're the wealthy Orient reigne Sarrana Soveraigne of the Main Now ah a miserable Thrall O nothing but a prey to all This Land t'one God once chastly wed How often hath she chang'd her Head Since they our Temples ruin'd pride With bad presage reedifi'd Since those in forrein bondage born Did with their servile Fates return On us Antiochus guilt reflects Our Fathers Sinnes sit on our necks What durst that wicked Age not do Which could those Altars naked view Oft flaming with celestiall Fire Provoking Heavens deserved ire With their adult'rat Sacrifice For this did Ours so highly prize Th' Iönian Gods by mortals made And incense to those Idols pay'd Since when th' Accurst their brothers slew Wives lesse malitious poyson brew Sons fall by Mothers we have known That which will be beleev'd by none Twice vanquished by Romane Armes Twice have their Conquerours our harmes Remov'd for greater Fortunes change To our proud Masters prov'd as strange Yet this no lesse our grief provokes Our kindred beare divided yokes One part by Romane bondage wrung The other two by Brothers sprung From Savage Idumaeans whom Our Fathers have so oft ore-come O thou the Hope the onely One Of our distresse and ruin'd Throne Of whom with a prophetick tongue To Judah dying Jacob sung The crowned Muse on ivory Lyre His breast inflam'd with holy Fire This oft fore-told That thou shouldst free The People consecrate to thee That thou triumphing shouldst revoke Sweet Peace then never to be broke When free'd Judaea should obey One Lord and all affect his Sway O when shall we behold thy Face So often promis'd to our Race If Prophets who have won belief By our mishaps and flowing grief Of joyfull change as truely sung Thy absence should not now be long Thee by thy Vertue we intreat The Temples Vaile the Mercies Seat That Name by which our Fathers sware Which in our vulgar Speech we dare Not utter to compassionate Thy Kindreds Teares and ruin'd State Hast to our great Redemption hast O thou most Holy and at last Blesse with thy Presence that we may To thee our Vowes devoutly pay THE THIRD ACT. JVDAS CAIAPHAS YOu who preserve your pure integrity O you whose crimes transcend not credit fly Farre from my presence whose invenom'd sight Pollutes the guilty Thou who wrong and right Distinctly canst discern whose gentle brest All faith hath not abandon'd but art blest With children brothers friends nor hast declin'd The sweet affections of a pious Minde Shut up the winding entry of thine eare Nor let the world of such a bargain heare A Sinne so horrible should be to none Besides the desperate Contractors known Wher 's now that mitred Chief where that dire Train Of Sacrificers worthy to be slain On their own Altars I have found my Curse The Sun except my self sees nothing worse Heare without hire O heare the too well known If you seek for a witnesse I am one That can the truth reveal Or would you finde A Villain Her 's a self-accusing Minde That
Rome with his accusers But Tiberius dying before his arrivall he was banished the Citie by Caius who troubled in minde and desperate of restitution slew himself at Vienna in France within two yeares after Vers. 238. If thou be he c. By this place taken out of the Gospel it appeares that divers of the Iews were of the opinion of the Pythagoreans or the Pythagoreans of theirs concerning the transmigration of Soules into other bodies All alter nothing finally decayes Hither and thither still the Spirit strayes Guest to all Bodies out of beasts it flies To men from men to beasts and never dies As pliant wax each new impression takes Fixt to no forme but still the old forsakes Yet it the same so Soules the same abide 'Though various figures their reception hide Ovid. Met. l. 15. Herod conceived that the Soule of Iohn the Baptist by him wickedly murdered was entered into the body of our blessed Saviour And Iosephus in his Oration to his desperate Companions in the Cave of Iotopata Those poore Soules which depart from this life by the law of Nature and obediently render what from God they received shall by him be placed in the highest Heavens and from thence againe after a certaine revolution of time descend by command to dwell in chaste bodies Vers. 249. Slaine for a dancer This daughter of Herodias as Nicephorus writes going over a River that was frozen fell in all but the head which was cut off with the yce as her body waved up and downe underneath Vers. 331. Sadock The Author of the Sect of the Sadduces See the Note upon Vers. 43. Act. 1. ANNOTATIONS VPON THE FOVRTH ACT. VErse 35. To Warre the fatall way The City of Ierusalem is onely on that side assailable there forced and entred by the Babylonians and after by Pompey Vers. 36. Golgotha Mount Calvary a rocky hill neither high nor ample lying then without the North-West wall of the City the publique place of execution Here they say that Abraham would have sacrificed Isaac in memory whereof there now standeth a Chappell as an Altar where the Head of Adam was found which gave the name to that Mount buried in that place that his bones might be sprinkled with the reall bloud of our Saviour which he knew would be there shed by a propheticall fore-knowledge It is said to stand in the midst of the Earth which must needs be meant by the then habitable for what middle can there be in a Sphericall Body V. 49. The Nazarite Not as Sampson by vow nor of that Sect but so called of that City wherein he was conceived and where he inhabited after his returne out of Aegypt Vers. 52. Mixt with the bitter tears of Myrrh Some suppose that this was proffered him by his friends being of a stupifying qualitie to make him lesse sensible of his torments But it appeares by Petronius and Pliny that it was a mixture much used in their delights Whereof Martial The teares of Myrrh in hot Falernum thaw From this the Wine a better taste will draw Epig. l. 14. Strengthning the body and refreshing the Spirits and therefore more likely proffered by his enemies to prolong his sufferings Vers. 81. His inward Robe There be who write that this was woven by the Virgin Mary and we reade in the Scriptures as frequently in Homer and other Authors that women and those of the highest qualitie usually wrought garments for their Children and Husbands Vers. 203. The Center pants c. This Earth-quake proceeded not from the Windes imprisoned in the bowels of the Earth strugling to break forth or from any other naturall cause but by the immediate singer of God Vers. 205. The Sunne affrighted hides c. Miraculous without the interposition of the Moone or palpable Vapours was that defect of the Sunne and unnaturall Darknesse in the sixth houre of the Day which appeareth by the Text to have cover'd all the World and not Iudea alone as some have conjectured Divers Authours have recorded this in their Annals and Histories but none so exactly as Dionysius Areopagita who then resided in Aegypt and was an eye-witnesse Vers. 240. The greedy hollowes of a Spunge c Physicians agree that Vineger being drunk or held to the nose hath in it a naturall Vertue for the stenching of bloud Pliny attributes the like to Hyssop and the better if joyned Neither is it to be thought that the Iews offered this unto IESUS in humanity but rather out of their hatred that by prolonging his Life untill the Evening his legges might have been broken to the increase of his torments Vers. 256. Pale troopes of wandring Ghosts These were the reall bodies of the dead which entred the City from their graves for it was as now their Custome to bury in the fields and seen by day Whereas deluding Spirits assume an Aery thinne and fluxative Body condensed by cold but dissipated by heate and therefore onely appeare in the Night time Which Virgil intimates in the Ghost of Anchises And now farewell the humid Night descends I sent Day 's breath in his too-swift repaire This said like smoak he vanisneth to aire Aen. l. 12. Ver. 259 The cleaving Rocks The Rock of Mount Calvary was rent by that Earth-quake from the top to the bottome which at this day is to be seene the rupture such as Art could have no hand in each side answerable ragged and there where unaccessible to the workman Vers 263. Old Chaos now returnes That confused Masse out of which God created the beautifull World into which it was imagined that it should be againe reduced The aged World dissolved by the Last And fatall Houre shall to Old Chaos hast Stars justling Stars shall in the Deepe confound Their radiant fires the Land shall give no bound To swallowing Seas the Moone shall crosse the Sun With scorne that her swift wheeles obliquely run Dayes throne aspiring Discord then shall rend The Worlds crackt Frame and Natures Concord end Lucan l. 4. But many of our Divines are of opinion that the World shall neither be dissolved nor anihilated strengthning their assertion out of the eighth of the Romanes and other places of Scripture Ver. 238. Th' amaz'd Centurion To this Centurion who professed CHRIST to be the Sonne of God they give the name of Longinus and honour him with the crowne of Martyrdome Vers. 296. The Temples Veile Described by Iosephus to consist of Violet Purple and Scarlet Silke cunningly mixt wrought by Babylonian Needles the colours containing a mysticall sense Such was that of Solomons and of the travelling Tabernacle but that they were powdred with Cherubins This it should seeme was renewed by Herod when he so magnificently repaired the Temple It hung before the Sanctum Sanctorum into which none but the High Priest and that but once in the yeer was to enter violated by Pompey pursued by a miserable Destiny There was an out-ward Veile not unlike the other which separated the Priests