that Archilogus had for that he wrote in his booke that it was sometime better to caste the buckler away than to die he was banished the confines of Lacedemonia At what time the Citie of Sagunto was destroyed against promise of the people of Carthage The renowmed Romanes though league was broken and peace defied yet the Senators did sende Ambassadours Eabius Maximus with two Tables written the one contaynnig peace the other warres which was sent to Carthage eyther to choose peace or warres the election was theirs though the Romans were iniuried and though they could best defende their owne yet woulde the noble Romans suffer often offences Hardie then were the Romans when Scaeuola went alone armed vnto the tentes of Porsenna King of Hetruria either to kill Porsenna or to be kilde by Porsenna greater fortitude of minde coulde be in no man more valiaunt in heart no man séene than in Cocles who onely resisted the whole armie of of King Porsenna vntill the Citizens of Rome came to take vp the draw bridge and then leapt in all his harnesse from his enimies vnto the middest of the riuer Tiber though hee was sore in diuers places wounded yet neyther his fall hurted him neyther his harnesse preste him neyther water drowned him neyther thousands of his enimies coulde kill hym but swimmed through the riuer Tiber vnto Rome to the great admiration of king Porsenna and excéeding ioye of Rome so that one poore Romane gaue the repulse to the whole armie of a king Ualiaunt was Rome and Romans feared when Popilius was sent Ambassadour to Antiochus the great King of Syria when Antiochus eyther for pryde or pompe of his person or contempt of Popilius refused to aunswere the Romane Embassadour was then presently enforced to aunswere the state of Rome and demaunded of the Embassadour before he might goe out of a litle rounde circle which Popilius made wih his ryding Rodde Then faithfull was Rome when Pomponius a Romane Knight and souldier vnder Lucullus general in the fielde against Mithridates King of Pontus by whome Pomponius being taken as a prisoner sore wounded and mangled The King demaunded if hée woulde helpe him to life woulde he be true to Mithridates to whome the poore wounded Romane aunswered Pomponius wyll be vnto Mithridates as Mithridates wyll be vnto Lucullus so true and faithfull were Romanes as they were stout and valiaunt in so much that Scypio being thréescore yeres almost and being sought of a young souldier to bye a braue Buckler and a fine Target sayd that a true Romane must not trust vnto the lefte hande where the Buckler is or to hyde him selfe vnder a Target but muste truste vnto his ryght hande and shewe him selfe in fielde in open sight This magnanimitie hadde the people of Sithia at what time Darius King of Persia was marching with his armie towarde Scithia they hauing vnderstanding therof like people of great magnanimitie sent certaine Ambassadors to méete Darius to signifie his welcome vnto Scithia by presents sent by the Ambassadors when therefore the Ambassadours mette with King Darius they began to tell their message and opening a priuie place a wallet where theyr presentes were they tooke out a mouse saying Unlesse you créepe like this mouse to some countrey or swymme like this frogge or flie lyke this birde these arrowes shall pierce your hartes the presents were a Mouse a Frogge a Sparrow and fiue arrowes gyuing to vnderstande by the Mouse earth by the Frogge water by the Sparrow flight by the arrowes death rare presentes sent vnto a King simple giftes small charges but it contayned valiauntnesse fortitude and contempt of Darius rather to moue him to warres than to entreate of peace Though Scythia was bare yet was shée stoute though rude and barbarous yet valiant and manful â–ª It is not in the nature of the place or in the number of the persons that magnanimitie conâ—isteth but in the valiant hart and noble minde wherefore Leonides King of Sparta was wont to say vnto his souldiours that he had rather haue one Lion to leade a whole bande of Déers than to haue a whole bande of Lyons ruled and led by one Déere applying his meaning vnto King Zerxes who hauing ten hundred thousand shippes on seas sayling towarde Gréece so many as all Gréece coulde scant receyue so many that diuers riuers and flowdes were dryed vp by his huge armie a proofe sayth Iustine more of his welth then of his magnanimitie Leonides knowing well the maner of Zerxes that he was séene first fled and laste in fielde whose glorious pompe and shew of men was not so famous and terrible at his comming to Gréece as his departure from Gréece was shamefull and ignominious began to perswade the Lacedemonians béeing but foure thousande in number willinglye to liue and to die for the renowne of Sparta in Thermopyla exhorting them to dine as merilye with Leonides their Capitayne as though they shoulde suppe with Pluto but perswasions vnto these that were perswaded were superfluous spurres vnto those that might not be stopt with bridles were néedelesse as in Thermopila well séene and prooued to the noble fame of Leonides and great shame of Zerxes It is not in multitude of men that magnanimitie of menne consisteth but in wise and valiaunt heartes for witte and will ioyned togither sayth Salust make manne valiaunt wherefore Agamemnon that most renowmed Emperour of all Gréece appointed at the siege of Troye woulde often saye that he had rather haue sometime ten wise Naestors then tenne strong Achilles tenne Vlisles then tenne Aiax wisdome in warre auaylâ—th much Plutarch reciteth foure famous and renowmed princes and eyther of these foure had but one eye to the aduansing more of theyr passing port the first was Philippe King of Macedonia and Father vnto Alexander the great whose wisdome in warres whose pollicie in feates whose liberalitie vnto his souldiours whose clemencie and humanitie to his enimies in fine whose successe in his affayres were such that his sonne Alexander after doubted whether the valiauntnesse of hys father woulde leaue anye place to Alexander vnconquered The second was Antigonus King in the same selfe place succéeding after Phillippe whose warres with Mithridates King of Pontus and Pirrhus King of Epire fully set foorth in Plutarch doe yéelde due honour and renowne for his force and magnanimitie The thirde Hanniball Prince of Carthage the whole staye of all Libia for sixtéene yeares the whippe and scurge of Rome and Italye whose name was so terrible for his â—ourage and hardenesse that both Antiochus king of Siria and Prusia king of Bithinia rather for feare than for loue being then but a banished man receyued vnto honour The fourth Sertorius a Roman Prince borne in Sabina whose thundering clang of fame was nothing inferior to y e proudest These were not so famous by their prowesse and chiualry one way as they were
oute of the towne came and offred his schollers vnto Camillus saying by this meanes you maye doe what you will vnto Philiscus for here be theyr children whome I know to redéeme they wyll yéelde vp the towne Camillus hauing regarde to the fame of Rome and loathing much to shewe villanye rewarded the Schoolemayster after this sort hée did set him naked before his schollers fast bounde with his handes on his backe and euery one of the schollers with a rodde in his hand saying vnto the boyes bring him home to your parentes and tell your friendes of his falshoode and the poore boyes hauing a good time to requite olde beatings were as gladde as he was sorrowfull laying on loade girckt him with so manye stripes as loytering Treuauntes maye best be boulde to number vntill they came vnto the Citie where they toulde their parents the cause thereof which wayde the clemeccie and humanitie of Camillus to be such that they gladlye and â–ª willingly yéelded themselues and theyr Citie vnto the handes of Camillus knowing well that he that woulde vse them so being hys enimies and foes coulde not vse them yll by yéelding all vnto his courtesie who might haue had all by tiranny Nowe sith this vertue was often séene in diuers Quéenes Ladies Gentlewomen and others I may not omitte the pilgrimage of their liues We reade of two Quéenes of the Amahones a countrye of Scythia Penthesilaea the first and Hippolite the second the one so valiaunt against the Gréekes at the destruction of the noble Citie of Troy that in open fielde she feared not to encounter face to face with that valiaunt Gréeke Achilles the other so hardye that shée shrinkt not at the force and stoutnesse of that renowmed Champion Theseus which being conuicted by Theseus for hir singuler stoutnesse and courage maried hir whiche certainelye had happened vnto Penthesilia had shée not béene conuicted by Achilles Camilla likewise Quéene of the Volskans beside hir princely profession of sacred virginitie which she vowed vnto Diana was so famous for hir magnanimitie that when Turnus and Aeneas were in wars for the mariage of Lauinia King Latinus daughter she came bellona lyke vnto the fielde resisting the violence and puissaunce of Troyans with the Rutiles as an ayde vnto Turnus That noble Zenobia the famous Quéene of the Palmireians a Princes of rare learning of excelent vertues of most valiaunt enterprises after that hir husbande named Odenatus had died tooke the empire of Syria and attempted the magnanimitie of Romanes that a long time shée withstoode in warres that noble and renowmed Emperour Aurelian by whome the Emperour was woont to saye when it was obiected vnto him that it was no commendacions for a prince to subdue a woman that it is more valiaunt to conquer a woman being so stout as Zenobia than to vanquishe a King being so fearefull as Zerxes The auncient Gréekes as Herodotus doth witnesse were much amazed at the magnanimitie of Artimesia Quéene of Caria after that the king hir husbande died did shewe such fortitude against the inhabitauntes of Rhodes that being but a woman she subdued their stoutenesse shée burned their Nauies wasted theyr wealth vanquished and destroyed the whole I le entered into the Citie of Rhodes caused hyr ymage to be made and set vp for a monument of hir chiualrie and pertuall memorie of hir victorie O renowmed Ladies O worthye women that with feaminine feates merited manlye fame Howe famous Teuca Quéene of the Illiryans gouerned hir subiectes after the death of hir husbande king Argon which being warred on diuers times by the Romanes infringed theyr force broke theyr bonds discomfited their armies to hir perpetuall fame commendacion shée gouerned the people of Illeria no lesse wisely then she defended the puissaunt force of the Romanes stoutly shée liued as histories report as soberly and chastly without the company of man as shée gouerned hir countrie wisly and stoutelye without the councell of man it were sufficient to repeate the auncient histories of two women to prooue fullye an euerlasting prayse and commendacion vnto all women the one written by Herotus in his first booke of Queene Tomyris of Scythia the other mencioned by Valerius and Iustine of Cleopatra quéene sometime of Aegipt The first after that Cirus had trespassed muche in hir kingdome of Scithia killing destroying and burning without regarde to princely clemencie or respect vnto a womans gouernement yet vnsufficed though hée slue the Quéenes owne sonne named Margapites thirsted more and more for bloude that then the valiaunt Quéene being muche moued to reuenge Margapites death waying the gréedie rage of Cirus came Lion lyke to fielde eyther to loose hyr owne life or else to reuenge hir sonnes death prest vnto Cirus more lyke at that time to a grimme Gorgon than to a sillie Scythian slue him in the fielde haled him vp and downe the field cutte of his heade and bathed it in a great Tunne full of bloudde appoynted for that purpose saying Nowe Cirus drinke thy belly full of that which thou couldest neuer haue ynough this valiaunt Tomyris reuenged tyranny requited the death of one Scythian Margapites with the death of two hundred thousand Persians The other Quéene Cleopatra after that Iulius Caesar was murthered by Brutus and Cassius and that Marcus Antonius being by Augustus warred on for his periurie fasâ—oode shewed vnto his Uncle Caesar shée I saie Cleopatra hauing the most part of Arabia and Siria confederated with hir friende and louer Antonius against Augustus being then the seconde Emperour of Rome that shee ayded him a long time vntill that she perceyued that Augustus preuayled and that Antonius was vanquished then least shée shoulde be conquered by Augustus shée conquered hir selfe yéelding rather hyr bodye a praye vnto Serpentes than a subiect vnto Augustus Hanniball could no more but to poyson himselfe rather then to yéelde to Scipio Well let Semiramis with hir valiaunt force and stoutnesse be commended at Babilon where shée raigned fortie yeares a wydowe after King Ninus hir husbandes death Let noble and famous Atalanta with hir Bowes and Speares and feates of armes be praysed in Archadia â–ª Let Hipsicratea that followed hir husbande Kinge Mithridates vnto warres as a Lackie vnknowne be extolled in Pontus Let Helerna Ianus daughter with all hir fortitude be spoken of in Latine And let Delbora be famous amongst the Isralites These women were no lesse famous for theyr pilgrimage then the worthye Conquerours and Champions of the world they were in no point inferiour vnto men in diuers poyntes farre excelling Princes and Kinges eyther the worlde then was very weake or slender or else women then were valiant and stoute And to omitte perticulerly to touch women I will open and declare the nature of Countries the women of Lacena woulde togither with their husbandes go vnto the fielde yea they went souldiour lyke vnto Missenios to fight in
is written in the liues of the fathers that a young man seruing an Hermet being sent of his maister vnto a village harde by where a certen great Usurer and a vicious man being dead was caryed honorably and buried with solempnitie with the Bishop of that Diocesse which when the boy saw hée wept out that so euyll a man so wicked an Usurer should haue such solemne buriall and returning whom hée founde his maister deuoured of a Lion which so mooued him almost to bée beside him selfe saying The wicked Usurer dieth with greate honour and is buried with great pompe that liued all the dayes of his life in sinne and wickednesse My maister being fifty yeres in the wildernesse an Hermet is eaten vp and deuoured of a Lion whiche studied and traueyled to fight with sinne and with the deuyll An angel appeared vnto the boy saying The deuyll can no more hurt thy maister for hée hath done his worst and now thy maister hath conquered the deuyll The deuyll spared the Usurer in his life time that hée might possesse him after his death SOcrates therefore dying héeing constrayned for that hée refused their gods and sayd that hée would rather worship a Dogge than the gods of Athens and to drinke his last draught perceyuing that his wife wept demaunded the cause of her wéeping his wife aunswered and sayd the innocencie of Socrates death is the cause of my wéeping Nay rather sayde Socrates laugh and reioyce at that and wéepe at him that deserued death The like examples haue wée of King Antigonus and Anaxagoras the Philosopher hearing both that their sonnes dyed in the warres the one sayd I knowe I hadde my sonne borne to die the other without vexation or chaunge of countenaunce made him be buried out of hand saying It is no straunge thing to heare of death aswell vnto Princes as vnto poore men happened A Great King being admonished by his Phisitions of death began to lament much his state saying Alasse Myser that I am howe many princelye Pallaces regall Courtes howe manye Kingdomes and countries must I depart from and go vnto those quarters I know not where Howe manye Princes coulde I commaunde to come with mée anye where Howe many Noble men might I cause to go before to prouide my places and seates and nowe not one poore man in all the worlde will beare mée company to my graue saying thou worlde enimie of my soule ¶ THE DEATHES OF CERTEN Noble Princes in english verse ¶ Alexander the great his death WHat sounde assurance is of man what certaine lotte of life When Atrop cuts which Lachese spinnes with cruell cursed knife Hée yesterday renowmed Prince and King of Kinges so braue To daye in mouldred mossie mire layde in his fatall graue Yesterdaye the sonne of Ioue might all commaunde at will To day starcke naked in the earth with wormes his belly full ¶ Iulius Caesars death I Long that ruled Rome at will in middest of Rome am spilde And in the Senate house amongst the Senators I am kilde Who Countries Kingdomes Castles strong who Europe all did quell To Brutus hande and Cassius snares vnwares I Caesar fell With Bodkins Daggers Swordes and Staues I Caesar there was slaine Of fostered foes which friendeshippe fainde as Abel was of Cain ¶ Cirus King of Persea his death WHat Kesar King or Prince thou art that passes here this way Suffer Cirus seauen foote to rest his Corpes in clay Whose gréedie minde and raging race whose fortune frowning wild That Cirus shoulde be in Scithia slaine by Tomyris Quéene in fielde Whose heade was off and bathed in bloode to whome the Quéene spake first Drinke cruell Cirus bloode ynough that long for bloode did thirst ¶ Agamemnon his death WHome tenne yeares warres in Phrigian fieldes nor Troyans force subdue Who me winde nor Seas nor tempest hurt this Clitemnestra slue This famous Prince and Capitaine graunde of all the Géekes in fielde Whome fame in Phrigia so aduaunced his onely spouse him kilde Thus fortune friendly flowed fast and fauored fame to sounde Till frowning fortune foylde the state which fawning fortune founde ¶ King Pirrhus his death HEre Pirrhus Prince of Epire lyes whose force Tarentum knew At Argos was by a woman slaine with a Tilestoone that shée threw ▪ Whom thousande Princes coulde not hurt nor Romanes all annoy Whom shot of Gunnes ne dreadfull dart might Pirrhus Prince destroy This seconde souldier counted was to Alexander King A sielie Argiue woman lo to graue did Pirrhus bring ¶ Hanibal his death THe fostered fame the glory great that was in Carthage coast The honour long that Lybia had againe in time was lost He that was the scurge of Rome and Romanes oft offend He that saued his natiue zoile and Carthage did defende The same at last to Siria fled to craue Antiochus ayde Unto Bithinia thence he went to Prusias King dismayde And there to voyde Flaminius force he poyson dranke did die Thus hauty Hanibal ended life and there his bones do lye ¶ Pompeius death POmpeius fléeing Pharsalia fieldes from Caesar life to saue Whome then Photinus fayned friende to Egypt soyle did laue And there by slaightes of faythlesse frindes for golde and siluer loe Pompeius heade was sent to Rome to Caesar for to shoe His bodie left vnburied lieth in Egypt slimy sandes Who sometime King of Pontus prest and all Armenia landes ¶ Cicero his death WHome Cicero saued off from death the same did Cicero kill Pompilius prowde to please the rage of Mar. Antonius will Whos 's heade was sette in sight to sée Antonius minde to please Whose tongue did Fuluia pricke with pinnes Hir stony heart to ease Who when hée was for Clodius sake exiled Rome to raunge Twentie thousande Romanes mournde in mourning wéedes the chaunge Hée thrée times Consul was in Rome now in Caieta slaine Whose noble name and lasting fame shall styll on earth remaine ¶ Demosthenes death THe sugred sappe the solace long the guyde of Athens then That stoute withstoode king Philips force in spite of Philips men Of whome king Philip in his warres was forcde to say at length Hée feared more Demosthenes tongue then all the Athinians strength Such is the ende of mortall wightes such is the miserie of men That howe to die the time the place he knoweth not where nor when ¶ Achilles his death THe hope of Gréece and countries care Achilles strong of force Like stoute Alcides fought on foote like Mars himselfe on horse But last that ruled Goddes sometimes did then Achilles mooue To walke to Troye to féede desire for Priamus daughters loue Who by a Dart that Paris driude Achilles had his ende Whose worthy actes and marshall feates in Homer well is pende ¶ Hectors death HEctor stoute whose strokes full sterne the Gréekes did girde so grim And foyled foes in Phrigian fieldes death happened thus to him In spoyling of Patroclus king Achilles faythfull friende Came strong Achilles to the place to sée Patroclus ende Then
Marcus Antonius was conuicted by Augustus Caesar the Emperour she had rather to bee ouercomed with Serpentes then subdued by Caesar. With this death was Opheltes Lycurgus sonne kyng of Menea vanquished Again some of wilde Bores and ragyng Lions perished as Anceus kyng of Sâ—mos and Paphages kyng of Ambracia perished in the like miserie the one by a Boore the other by a Lion Some by Dogges as Linus Apollos sonne Plini in his seuenth booke maketh mention of a Quéene in Bythinia named Cosinges kyng Nicomedes wife whom her owne dogges slue and tare in péeces Euripides that learned Greeke commyng in the nighte tyme from Archelaus kyng of Macedonia with whom he had béen at supper was by an ill willer of his mette named Promerus whiche set his dogges to mangle hym vnto death EueÌ„ so were Heraclitus and Diogines bothe Philosophers by dogges likewise deade I maie not forget so greate a Prince as Basilius the Emperour of Macedon which in huntyng emongest his lordes and nobles yea emoÌ„gest thousandes of his Commons he onely meetyng a Harte in the chase was prickt in the legge and so died As for Seleucus kyng of Siriae soone vnto Antiocus surnamed the GOD and Bela kyng of Pannonia thei were bothe throwen by their horses and so died If these mischaunces happen vnto princes in the middest of their glorie and state what is it then but miserie of mortalitie and pilgrimages of Princes sithe nothyng expelleth fate nor can auoide death Some so wearie of life some so fearfull of death that thei threwe them self vnto waters to be drouned others for all diligente feare watchyng for death were moste shamfully notwithstandyng by death preuented Fredericke the Emperour marchyng towardes Ierusalem after that he had taken Cities and Tounes in Armenia in passyng through a little riuer he was drouned Decius that noble and stoute Kyng enforced to take his flighte from the Gothes with whom he then was in warres was drouned in the Marishe grounde Marcus Marcellus after that he had been a Consull in Rome three tymes before the thirde warres betwixte the Romains and the Carthagians was likewise by a shipwracke cast awaie Howe many noble Princes were drouned with Pharo kyng of Aegypte in the redde sea we rede in the sacred scriptures How many again that seas and waters spoiled from life wee reade of whiche altered the names of the seas and waters when thei were drouned with their owne names As by Aegeus kyng of Athens death the sea Aegeum was called By Tirrhenus death king of Lidia the sea was called Tirrhen And so kyng Tyberinus altered the riuer named Aelbula by his death to be the Riuer of Tiber. Againe the Sea HellespoÌ„t by a woman named Helle. The sea Hesperides by the maides called Hesperides So by Icarus and Myrtilus the sea of Icarus and the Sea Myrton were spoken To many wer by waters spoiled as we se daily by experience As for honger diuers Princes againe died yea compelled to eate their owne fleshe as Erisicthon and Neocles a Tyraunt of Scycioma whiche for his cruell tyrannie vnto Athens he tasted of the same feaste hym self It is written in Curtius that Queene SysigaÌ„bis kyng Darius mother died of honger Who so readeth Chronicles shall finde diuers mischauÌ„ces happen vnto princes from tyme to tyme for that thei bee enuied at for Vlixes the Greke leste any ofspryng of Hector should rise in Phrigia to reuenge the falle of Troye and his countrey caste Hectors sonne Astianax ouer the walles a liue EueÌ„ as somtime Lycurgus king of Thracia was of his owne Subiectes throwen headlong vnto the sea for that he first mingled water with wine How many famous and noble princes were stoned and by stones deade as valiaunte Pyrrhus kyng of the Epirotes beyng in warres with Antigonus was slaine by an olde woman with a Tile stone at Argos PyraÌ„der at what tyme the Athenians warred against Eumolpus for that he feared famine hidden the wheat from his souldiours was therefore of theim stoned to death Euen so was Cinna the Romain at the warres betwixte the FreÌ„chemen and Rome for the like thing stoned vnto death stoute Cebrion king Priamus sonne was slaine by a stone of Patroclus at the siege of Troy so was Cignus of Achilles at the same time O vnstedfaste Fortune that little stones should ende so many famous liues of Princes O vnprudente Princes that knowe not how nigh alwaies ye are vnto death How many did God punishe and plague with sodaine death for their offences and misliuyng as Mythridates kyng of Pontus Nicanor the soonne of Parmenio kyng of Macedonia as Curtius in his v. booke dooe write died sodainly Sertorius was slaine sodainly at a banquette by Vpenna The Emperour Heliogabalus was killed vpon his stoole at his easemente and throwen vnto Tiber Carbo a noble Romaine after that sorte while he was easyng hym self vpon his stall was commaunded to bee murthered by Pompeius That renowmed and famous Conquerour Iulius Caesar was in the middest of the Citie of Rome where he was Emperour yea in the Senate house murthered and maÌ„gled of Brutus and Cassius Diuers Consuls in Rome died this death as Fabius Maximus Gurges the Senatour and Manlius Torquatus eueÌ„ at his supper died presently Thus some with Thunderboltes did God likewise punishe as Prince Capaneus slaine at the warres of Thebes Tullius Hostilus kyng of Rome was with a Thunderbolt for his insolencie and pride â—laine Zoroastes king of the Bactrians the firste inuentour of Magique was likewise by that kinde of death ouer taken Pride in princes was the onely cause of their falles in so muche the Poetes faine that the greate monstrous and huge Giaunt named Euceladus for his proude enterprise againste Iuppiter was throwen with a Thunderbolte vnto the bottome of Aetna a fierie and flamyng Mountaine The vncertaine state of Princes the flattrie before and the enuie behinde is seen and tried by their death Who liueth so shorte a tyme as a Prince Who dieth so straunge a death as a prince Who liueth in care Who dieth liuyng but a prince was not Sergius Galba and Commodus the sonne of Marcus surnamed Anbilius twoo Emperours of Rome the one by Otho strangled in the Markette place of Rome the other by Marcia his owne Concubine after he ruled Rome xiij yeres Was not I saie Lentulus beeyng taken in conspiracie with that wicked Cateline slaine and mangled at the commaundement of Cicero who then was CoÌ„sull at Rome Likewise Cethegus Gabinius Ceparius and Stabilius for that thei rebelled with Catelin were appoincted by the Senatours to bée strangled in prison Nothyng so vncertaine as the state of princes nothing more deceiptfull then princes again as well proued by histories For Minoes kyng of Crete trauailyng after Daedalus vnto Sicilia was there of his great freÌ„de kyng Cocalus as
fielde The women of Cimbria woulde kill those that first fledde the fielde though they were nigh friends or kinsemen vnto them The women of Saca had this custome eyther at their mariage to be conquered by theyr husbande 's the first daye or else to be conquerours ouer their husbandes all the dayes of theyr life theyr combat sayth Aâ—lianus was for victorie and not for lyfe The women of Persea woulde méete theyr housbandes and sonnes flying the fielde lifting vp theyr clothes shewyng their priuities saying Whither flée you O Cowardes will you againe enter into your mothers wombes will you créepe into your wiues bellies as they did in the warres betwixt Cirus and his Grandfather Astyages The women of Sparta woulde go vnto the fielde to sée in what place theyr Husbandes and friendes were wounded if it were before they woulde with gladnesse and ioye shewe the same vnto euerye man and burie the bodie solemnely if their woundes were behinde they woulde be so ashamed of the same that they left them vnburied in the fielde The women of Scithia called Amazones liued as conquerours ouer men and not conquered by men vntill Alexander the great destroyed them and theyr countrey which before were so valiaunt that they wayed not to encounter with Hercules in the fielde and after with Theseus in open battayle they blusht not to méete the valiant Gréekes at the destruction of Troye Magnanimitie which was then for defence of countries is nowe tyrannye to destroye that at their banquettes and drinkinges they had their Garlandes on their heades for as the worlde grewe in wealth so it grewe in sumptuousnesse for the triumph of Romulus was farre inferiour vnto the gorgeous triumph of Camillus and yet Romulus was a king Camillus was but an officer Time bringeth thinges vnto perfectioÌ„ In time Rome waxed so wealthy y â— Camillus I say was caried in a chariot al gilded wrought ouer with golde hauing all white horses trimly deckt a crowne of pure golde on his head all the Senatours and Consuls of Rome going a foote before him vnto the Capitoll of the Citie and thence vnto the temple of Iupiter where to honour the triumph further they slue a white Bul as sacrifice vnto Iupiter and thence to bring him triumphantly through the Citie of Rome vnto his owne house euen so in Greece and in Carthage in time grewe vnto suche pompe sumptuous triumphes that there was as much studie to inuent braue shewes and solempne sightes in triumph as there was care and diligence to haue moued the enimies When Epaminondas ruled stately Thebes When Hanniball gouerned proude Carthage when Laeonidas bare sway in warrelike Sparta then Greece and Lybia were acquainted with solempne and braue triumphes In Ninus time triumphes were in Assyria In Arbaces time the triumphes flourished amongst the Meedes In Cyrus time the triumphes were in Persea In Alexanders time it was in Macedonia In Caesars time it was in Rome and thus alwayes from the begynnyng of the worlde triumphes folowed victories And here I meane a litle to entreate of the triumphes of the Romanes whiche farre diuers wayes surmounted the rest whose fame was spred ouer all the worlde And yet imitatyng in all things the Gréekes insomuch that Rome alwayes had Athence as a nource or a paterne to frame their lawes for when their Kings were banished aswell in Athence as in Rome yet they ruled triumphed more by Oratours in Athence by Consuls in Rome then by Kings Therefore as Plini saith they exercised suche feates of armes they practised suche pollicies of warres they vsed suche solempnitie in triumphes that Rome then was noted to be the lampe and lanterne of Mars They had I saye diuers garlandes made onelye for the triumph of warres Plini compteth seuen sortes of garlandes which the Romanes hadde the first made of pure golde appoynted onely for the triumphes of Princes the seconde of Laurell which of all was most auncient in Gréece in Italie appoynted for the triumphes of Pallas souldiours the thirde of all kinde of swéete flowers made appoynted to him that restored Cities vnto theyr liberties againe the fourth made of Oaken leaues to him that defended Citizens from death These two garlandes were of great honour in Rome and specially in Gréece the one Cicero ware in Rome for his inuectiues against the conspiracies of wicked Catelin the other Fabius Maximus did weare for that he saued Rome from the seconde warres of Carthage where Haniball was Capitaine The sift Garlande was appoynted for him that assaulted the walles of the enimies first and entered the towne the sixt for him that first attempted the tentes of the enimies the seauenth bestowed vpon him that boorded first the Name of the enimie These thrée last Garlandes mencioned for the skaling of walles the boording of shippes and attempting the tentes were made all of Golde and giuen by the Princes or Senators to the aforesayde souldiours There was likewise in Rome concerning the triumphes that none might triumph vnlesse he had bene before some officer in Rome as Dictator Pretor Consuls or suche like and if any without they were sent by the Senators had wonne any victories though there conquest were neuer so great and their victorie neuer so famous as Pub Scipio for all his victories in Spaine and Marcus Marcellus for all that he tooke captiue Siracuse bycause they were not sent nor appoynted by the Senators they might in no wise by lawe made clayme triumphes thereby Then Rome florished then Rome was defended from diuers offered iniuries saued from enimies At what time M. Curius triumphed ouer the Samnites Mae Agrippa triumphed ouer the Sabines Pauâ—aemilius ouer the Lygurians Marius ouer the Numidians Pompeius ouer Armenia and Pontus Scypio surnamed Affricanus ouer Carthage and al Lybia Iulius Caesar ouer all Europe and Affrike then Rome was feared of all the worlde and nowe Rome is dispised Then Rome might say Roma vincit nowe Rome may say Roma victa Then Roma armata nowe inermis Then Roma nowe Ruina but time consumeth all things That victorie that was not manfullye gotten and â—aliauntlye wonne by force of armes in the fielde was rather counted among the Romanes tyrannie then victorie for when Lucius Pius in a banquet that he made had filled the people of Sarmatia full of Wine and made them so drunken that all the nobles and captaynes of Sarmatia yéelded them selues as subiectes vnto the Empire of Rome for the whiche Lucius Pius at his returne home to Rome required accordyng to the custome to haue a triumphe done vnto hym for the victorie of Sarmatia whiche when the Senatours had fully hearde of the victorie howe and after what sort Lucius Pius subdued the Sarmatians he was openly beheaded by decrée of all the Senate and a slauÌ„derous Epitaph set vpon his graue to manifest the deceit he vsed in stéede of magnanimitie to deceyue them by Wine which he ought to subdue by
hir father and from present death Plutarch writeth of these two maydes that theyr fames hereby may not be forgotteÌ„ To speak here of them that deliuered men from death from captiuitie from perpetuall prison it were necessarie howbeit short histories are swéete and fewe wordes are pleasaunt therefor I will not speake of Lucullus which being in warres with Mithridates King of Pontus deliuered Cotta from thousandes about him I will not write of Lucilius a Romane souldiour which when he sawe that Brutus at Phillippos was compassed rounde about with enimies he himselfe ranne with fewe souldiours with him amongst the enimies bicause Brutus in the meane while might saue himselfe Neyther will I make muche mention of Quintius Concinnatus being then Dictator in Rome which deliuered Quintus Minutius from the handes of the Sabins and Vulscans but according vnto promise I will touche partlye those that deserued fame an otherwaye for fame is not bound vnto one kinde of qualitie or chaunces but vnto diuers and sundrie vertues Therefore to ioyne with these renowmed conquerers and defenders of countries most excellent and expert Archers which likewise haue done noble actes worthye feates and merueylous thinges as Ilerdes was such an Archer that he woulde kill the flying birdes in the ayre And likewise Catenes coulde doe the like appoynt the flying fowles to dye this doth Curtius in his sixt booke affirme Alexander the sonne of King Priamus when neyther his brother Hector with his courage nor Troilus with force nor all the strength of Phrigia coulde resist that noble Gréeke Achilles hée I saye with his arrowe slue him Acastus wonne immortall renowne for killing of the wilde huge Boare that spoyled Calidonia with his dart Toco a fine souldiour and an excellent Archer is muche commended for that he coulde doe with his bowe Princes in times past were taught to doe feates with archerye for Hercules himselfe was taught of Euritus the science of shooting that he coulde kill any flying foule or swift beast as sometime he killed the birdes called Harpeis and slue the swift Centaure Nessus We reade in the firste of Herodotus that Commodus the sonne of Marcus surnamed Aurelius Emperour sometime of Rome begotten of the Empresse Faustina was so skilfull in shoting that what soeuer he sawe with his eyes the same woulde he kill with his bowe insomuch that vpon a time Herodotus doth witnesse that he slue a hundred wilde beastes with a hundred shot missing nothing at any time euen so the Emperor Domitianus was so expert in his bowe that he coulde shoote when any heald vp his hande betwixt his fingers a great way of The people of Créete passed all men in this facultie The Perseans were so cunning in shooting and throwing of dartes that backewarde as they fledde they woulde spoyle and destroy theyr enimies The Arimaspians excelled the Perseans Againe the Scithians Getes were most famous for thys poynt And thus hauing occasion to trauaile as pilgrimes some slue great wilde Tigers huge Beares terrible Lions and such monstrous beastes that aduaunced the fame of such that attempt the perill ¶ Of diligence and labours AS Horace that auncient Poete affirmeth that the worthyest and greatest vertue is to auoide vice so is it I iudge the greatest commendacion vnto anye man to embrace diligence to eschewe ydlenesse for suche is the vertue of mans minde that rare giftes and excellent talents which God and nature bestowed on man that to sée the excellencie and vertue thereof with externall sight if 〈◊〉 coulde be séene it woulde sayth that deuine and noble Philosopher Plato enflame great desire vncredible loâ—e vnto vertue and woulde on the contrarie kindle such a hatred vnto vice that the sight thereof would feare any beholder thereon When yet sayth Cicero the world was rawe and nothing ripe no lawes made no Citties builded no order set no common welth framed but all thinges confusedly on a heape without deuicions and limittes most like to Poetical Chaos before the elementes were diâ—euered water from earth â–ª and the fire from the ayre then I say we liued brutishlye and beastly without ciuilitie and maner without learning and knowledge but when reason began to rule when Ladye prudence began to practise with pollicie when witte began to search and to séeke by diligence and trauayle the nature of thinges Theâ— diuers men in sundrie countries sought meanes by diligence to profite their countries as Moyses first founde by diligence lettters amongst the Hebrues Menno first founde letters amongst the Egyptians Rhadamanthus amonst the Assirians Nicostrata amongst the Romans Phaenices amongst the Grecians that by diligence and studie of men from time to time raw things waxed rype straunge thinges became familiar and harde and difficult things waxed facill and easie Then Solon made lawes in Athens Licurgus in Lacedemonia Zaleucus in Locresia Ninus in Creete and so orderly all the whole worlde was bewtified with lawes exornated with witte and learning Then began Philo to make lawes vnto the Corinthians Then Zalmosis began to reforme the rude and barbarâ—us Scythians Then Phaleas amongst the Carthaginneans practized pollicie limitted lawes Then I say lawes began to order thinges and reason began to rule that learning and knowledge was sought farre and néere witte exercized pollicie practized and vertue so honoured that well might Tullie saye O Philosophie the searcher of all good vertues and the expeller of all vices Then was that common wealth noted happie that enioyed such a prince to rule as a Philosopher that woulde extoll vertue and suppresse vice rewarde the good and punishe the euill estéeme the wise and learned and neglect the foolish and ignoraunt I will omitte to speak of mightie and famous Princes whose care diligence studie and industrie were such whose numbers were so infinite that I might well séeme to tedious to molest the reader therewith I will recyte the diligence and trauayle of poore men which by theyr studie and labor became lampes and lantornes of the worlde And to begin with Plato and Socrates two base men of birth whose diligence in life time made them most famous now being deade the one the sonne of a poore Citizen of Athens named Ariston the other the sonne of a poore Marbler surnamed Sophroniscus Might not poore Perictione the mother of Plato be glad of such a sonne that the greatest tyraunt in the worlde that prowde prince Dionisius woulde honour and reuerence Plato for hys and knowledge and take him into his Chariote as a Prince and not as a poore Philosopher Might not that poore Midwife named Phanaerata reioyce to haue suche a sonne as Socrates who being prooued of all men best learned counted of all men most auncient taken of all men most modest and grauest and iudged by the Oracle of Apollo to be wisest in all the worlde Howe happie was Elbia How famous was Creithes that noursed two
Priscus wife when she saw the flames playing about Seruius Tullius head she affirmed thereby that he shoulde be king in Rome The thirde is Aeromancy which vseth to prognosticate things by the ayre as by flying fowles and tempest of weather as when it rayned Iron in Lucania it did praesage sayde they the death of Marcus Crassus amongst the Parthians or as Liui writeth when it rained stones in Picen at the seconde warres of Carthage it was to shewe the slaughter and murther that Hanibal shoulde do in Italy The .4 is Hydromancy to iudge things to come by sight of water as Varro doth report of a boy that sawe y e picture or image of Mercury in the water pronouncyng and recityng all the warres of Mithridates King of Pontê° that shoulde folowe in verses There are two other kindes of Magick the one named Giomancy to declare and expounde thinges by the openyng gapyng and moouyng of earth the other Chiromancy to iudge by lines of handes cauled Paulmestry These are they that Cicero maketh mention of in his first booke of diuinations where he saith Cum non sibi sapiunt semitam alijs tamen monstrant viam they wyll teach others that way that they know not them selues They wyll teach others howe to haue money and substaunce and yet they are them selues poore beggers alwayes in the house of Codrus hangyng at the sléeue of Irus There is againe a kinde of Soothsaying whiche was first practized in the lande of Hetruria where a certen husbandman plowed In the fielde called Tarquimen a certen man appeared in â—ight which sprang vp from the grounde which then was plowed named Tages in face and countenaunce much lyke a young childe but in wisedome and discretion farre surmountyng any sage Philosopher This taught all the lande of Hetruria Plini saith that one Delphos first enuented Soothsaying and Amphiraus enuented first Soothsaying by fire Polidorus describeth another sort of Soothsayers which were woont to coniecture and foreshowe by beastes slaine to bée sacrificed whether the heart the lyuer or such lyke did perish as Caesar which when he sacrificed an Oxe vnto Iupiter which had no hart wherby y e Soothsayers prognosticated the infelicity mishap of Caesar. Afterwarde likewise king Zerxes in his wars against the Gréekes a Mare being a stoute warlike beast brought forth a Hare a timorous and fearefull thing whereby they declared the ouerthrowe of Zerxes and his huge armie the flight and cowardnesse thereof Againe there is a kinde of southsaying by lightning thunders and tempestes The follye of men were such that they thought nothing to be in the world but had hidden knowledge concerning mâ—n They woulde take nothing in hande without some Oracles of Iupiter or Apollo They reposed more trust in flying fowles in theyr chirping notes concerning anye attemptes which they tooke in hand then in their owne force and strength They had more confidence in beastes of the fielde they trusted I say more in elementarie sightes In fine there was nothing almost but they had more respect eyther vnto the colour the voyce the proportion and such like toyes than they had in them selues as before mencioned in the worshipping of their Goddes and institution of Religion These foolishe toyes were first obserued amongst y e Chaldeans from Chaldea vnto Greece from Greece vnto Hetruria from Hetruria vnto Rome from Rome vnto all Europe they were scattered Wherefore Moyses that wise Hebrue and the singuler instrument of God for his people commaunded that no man shoulde consult with these wicked and abhominable faculties saying vnto his people You shall not beléeue southsayers neyther shall you trust vnto dreames The Iewes were so aduced to obserue these augurations that they woulde not vnto warre at any time without some warnings and coniectures had by some birde or beast insomuch that one Mossolanus a Iewe borne a wiseman noted in his countrie and making his voyage vnto warres as Iosephus in his first booke of Antiquitie doth write was commaunded and all his hoste to staye vntill a certaine southsayer woulde go to consult and knowe the successe of the warres which then they hadde in hande with a birde harde by the armie which when this wiseman Mossolanus perceyued howe they were enclined and wholy bent to be instructed by diuination he tooke his bowe and an arrowe and slue this birde whereat the souldiours were so amazed and the southsayers so angrie that had not Massolanus perswaded with the people wisely he had bene lyke though he was theyr Capitaine to haue bene by his owne souldiours slaine which after long tumult made and great anger threatened Mosolanus spake after this sort vnto his souldiours Do you thinke that birdes beastes and such like dumbe things can forshew thinges by you which know nothing of them selues for beholde the birde which you trusted most vnto and likewise your southsayers coulde not sée nor knowe to auoyde my purpose when I slue him Do you trust that thing for your liues which is ignoraunt of his owne death O blindenesse of people which yet remaineth in this age And hauing briefly past the inuentors of Sciences in sundrie countries men were much giuen to finde other necessaries for to liue by studious to make thinges profitable for theyr countries carefull to augement the state and life of man vnto such perfections that the Cyclopians were the first workers of Iron worke The Lacedemonians the first inuentors of harnesse speares swordes and bucklers for warres people thereby most renowmed The Atheniaus taught first to plant trées and Uineyardes The Phrigians made first the Chariotes and wagons The Lydians vsed first to dresse woolles And so the people of Caria practised first Bowes arrowes And the Phenitians the Crossebowe Then other perticuler matters were likewise sought out by diuers speciall men in speciall countries for the vse of man as Oyle and honye by Aristeus Keyes by Theodorus the Samian Ships to sayle by Iason Ericthonius Siluer Cadmus Goulde Thus then euery where eche man in his pilgrimage did some thingâ— worthie of memorie Thrason renowmed for his loftie walles and hye towers Danaus for his welles and digging water Cinira for finding out Copper brasse leade and suche other mettell Ceres for sowing of Corne And Baccus for planting the Uine that the worlde in time waxed not so populus one waye but it grewe skilfull in thinges and plentifull of lawes for the redresse and safegarde of man ¶ Of Patience PAtience is such a vertue saith Cato the wise in all aduersities the best medicine to a sickeman or the surest plaister to any sore is pacience it comforteth the heauie it reioyceth the sadde it contenteth the poore it healeth the sicke it easeth the painefull it hurteth no man it helpeth all men therefore sayde the wiseman Byon that the greatest harme can happen vnto man is not to be able to sustaine and absteine For this was Tiberius Caesar much commended of
an olde man woulde often go in the colde weather very thinne in a torne cloake without a coate or doublet onely to shew the way vnto young men to be hardie in age by contemning of pleasure and gay apparell in youth Massinissa king of Numidia being more than thréescore yeares of age woulde liuely and valiauntly as Cicero sayth without cappe on heade or shooe on foote in the colde or frostye weather in the winter time trauayle and toyle with the souldiours onelye vnto thys purpose that young souldiours shoulde be hardened thereby in their youth and practise the same for the vse of others when they came to age them selues Ihero King of Sicilia the like example in his olde age being .lxxx. yeares shewed to trayne youth and to bring them vp so in young yeares that they might doe the lyke in their olde ages For this iudged these wise princes that all men couet to imitate Princes and Kinges in their doinges Gorgias the Philosopher and mayster vnto Isocrates the Oratour and to diuers more nobles of Gréece thought him selfe most happie that he being a hundred yeres and seauen was as well in his sences as at anyetime before made so much of age that being asked why hée so delighted in age made aunswere bycause he founde nothing in age that he might accuse age So sayde King Cirus a little before his death being a very olde man that hée neuer felt him selfe weaker than when he was young The like saying is reported of that learned Sophocles who being so olde that he was accused of his owne children of follie turned vnto the Iudges and sayde If I be Sophocles I am not a foole if I be a foole I am not Sophocles meaning that in wisemen the sences waxed better by vse and exercising the same vnto the vse of yong men for we prayse sayth Cicero the olde man that is somewhat young and we commend againe the young man that is somewhat aged The olde is commended that hath his young fresh witte at commaundement the young is praised that is sober sage in his doings When M Crassus a noble Capitaine of Rome béeing a verye olde man tooke in hande to warre against the Parthians strong and stout people being by Embassadours warned of his age and admonished to forsake warres hée aunswered stoutly the Embassadour of the Partheans and sayde when I come vnto Seleutia your Citie I will aunswere you One of the Embassadours named Agesis an aged man stretched forth his hande and shewed the palme of hys hand vnto Crassus saying Before thou shalt come within the Citie of Seleutia bristles shall growe out of thys hande The stoutnesse of Marcus Crassus was not so much but the magnanimitie of Agesis was as much and yet eyther were olde men What courage was in Scaeuola to withstande that firebrande of Rome Silla which after he had vrged the Senatours to pronounce Marius enimie vnto Italy hée béeing an olde aged man aunswered Silla in this sort Though diuers be at the commaundementes of the Senatours and that thou art so compassed with souldiours at thy becke yet thou nor all thy souldiours shall euer make Scaeuola being an olde man for feare of loosing some olde blood pronounce Marius by whom Rome was preserued and Italy saued to be enimie vnto these The like historie wée reade that when Iulius Caesar had by force of armes aspired vnto the offâ—ce of a Dictator and came vnto the Senate house where fewe Senatours were togither the Emperour Caesar desirous to know the cause of their absence Considius an aged father of Rome sayde that they feared Caesar and his souldiours Whereat the Emperour musing a while sayde Why did not you in likewise tarye at home fearing the same bicause sayde hée age and time taught me neyther to feare Caesar nor yet his souldiers For as Brusonius saith there are young mindes in olde men for though Milo the great wrestler in the games of Olimpia waxed olde and wept in spite of his deade limmes bruised bones yet he sayde his minde florished was as young as euer it was before Solon hath immortall praise in Gréece for his stoutnesse in his age for when Pisistratus had taken in hande to rule the people of Athens and that it was euident ynough that tyranny should procéede therby Solon in his latter daies hauing great care vnto his countrey when that no man durst refuse Pysistratus came before his doore in harnâ—sse and calde the citizens to withstand Pysistratus for age sayd he mooueth mée to be so valiaunt and stout that I had rather lose my life than my countrey should lose their libertie What vertue then wée sée to be in age what wisedome in time what corage in olde men The examples of these olde men stirre and prouoke many to imitate their steps insomuch diuers wished to be olde when they were yet young to haue the honour as age then had wherefore King Alexander the great spying a young man couloring his heares gray sayde It behooueth thée to put wittes in coulour and to alter thy minde The Lacedemonians people that past all nations in honouring age made lawes in their Cities that the aged men shoulde be so honored and estéemed of the young men euen as the parents were of the children that when a straunger came vnto Lacedemonia and sawe the obedience of youth towarde age he sayde In this countrie I wishe onely to be olde for happie is that man that waxeth olde in Lacedemonia for in the great games of Olimpia an olde man wanting a place went vp and downe to sit some where but no man receyued but the Lacedemonians which not onely there young men also their aged gaue place vnto his graye heares but then also the Embassaders of Lacedemonia being there present did reuerence him and toke him vnto their seate which when he came in hée spake a loude O you Athenians you knowe what is good and what is badde for that which you people of Athens sayde hée doe professe in knowledge the same doth the Lacedemonians put in practice Alexander being in his warres with a great army in Persea and méeting an old man by the way in the colde weather in ragged rent clothes lighted from his horse and sayde vnto him Mount vp into a princes saddle which in Persea is treason for a Persean to do but in Macedonia commendable letting to vnderstande how age is honored and olde men estéemed in Macedonia and howe of the contrarie wealth and pride is fostred in Persea for where men of experiences and aged yeares are sette naught by there cannot be that wisdome beareth rule Howe many in the Empire of Rome ruled the Citie gouerned the people of those that were very aged men as Fabius Maximus who was thréescore yeres and two in his last Consulship Valerius Corunnus which was sixe times a Consull in Rome a very olde man which
of their goddesse Thâ—se bookes with great diligence and care were not only commaunded to be kept but also in all pointes to bée obserued The other were Gréeke bookes entituled Disciplina sapientiae the rule of wisedome which for that they tasted of Philosophye and contempned the vaine superstitious religions of their goddesse â–ª Petilius fearing lest by reading of wisedome and Philosophie their folly and religion shoulde bee destroyed being then praetor in Rome at what time Cornelius and Bebius were Consuls by aucthority of the Senate in open sight of all the citie of Rome burned the Gréeke bookes for the olde and auncient men woulde haue nothing kept within their citie that might hinder their Goddes for before all thinges their goddes and their religions they preferred and so honoured their Priestes their sacrifices and their vestall Uirgines before the Emperours and Senatours as it appeareth by a History in Valerius that when Rome was taken and conquered first by the Frenchmen and the vestal Uirgines enforced euery one burthened with sacred things belonging vnto the goddes Uesta to beare those thinges away shifting more for the sacrifices and rites of their religion in carying their bookes their garmentes their goddes and their thinges belonging therevnto they cared for their countreys friendes children and gooddes Insomuch that L. Aluanius when he sawe the Uestall Uirgins taking paines to maintaine the honour of Vesta vndefiled her sacrifices vnpoluted in sauing the ceremonies and religion of their Goddes froâ— the enimies as one that had more regarde and respect to their vaine religion then carefull of his wife and children whiche then being in a Chariot to be caried and conueyed from Rome commaunded by Aluanius to come downe from the Chariot and go a foote where he placed where his wife was and his children the Uestal Uirgins with all their burthens belonging vnto Uesta their sacrifices and other necessaries and brought honorablye vnto the countrie of Créete where with great honor thei were receaued and for memory hereof vntil this time the people of Créete for that they did succour the vestal Uirgines in aduersity Vesta the goddesse recompensed them no lesse for their humanity in receauing of her maydes vnto their towne then she gratified Aluanius for his consideration waying of her religion In so much that the coches where her Uirgines and her sacrifices were caryed was afterwarde more honoured and estéemed than any triumphant or imperiall chariot In the selfe same time and perturbation of Rome when the Capitoll was besieged with the enemies Caius Fabius perceauing how religion was then estéemed girded himselfe like a sacrificer caryed in hande an host to bée offered vnto Iupiter was suffered to passe through the middest of his enemies to mount Quirinal where solempnities and sacrifices were done vnto Iupiter and being accomplished he likewise went vnto the Capitol through the middest of the armie with all his company and by this meanes got the victory ouer his enimies more by religion then by strength So much was superstition and idolatry honored obserued euerywhere that the Perseans sayled with a thousande Nauyes to â—o sacrifice and solempnity vnto Apollo at Delos â–ª The Athenians slue and destroyed all those that enuied oâ— repugned their religion Diagoras was exiled for that hée wrote that hée doubted whether any gods were or no and if gods were what were they Socrates was condâ—mpned for that hée went about to translate their religion and speake against their Goddes Phidias that noble and cunning workeman was no longer suffred at Athens but all the while he wrought the picture of Minerua in marble for that it was more durable than yuorie which when Phidias thought to drawe hir in yuorie he was threatned to death to vilipende so great a goddesse to make hir in yuorie which was woonte to be honored in marble The Romanes made lawes at the distructioÌ„ of Canna for that great slaughter of Romans which at that warre happened that the matrones of Rome bewayled and lamented the deathes of their husbandes their children their brethren and friendes incessantly that they shoulde not passe thirtie dayes in mourning least the Goddes woulde be angrye ascribing all fortunes good and badde vnto their Goddes Wherefore it was decréede by the Senatours that the Mothers and Wiues the sisters and the daughters of them that were slaine at Canna at the thirty dayes ende shoulde cast awaye theyr mourning apparelles and banishe their teares and come altogither in white garments to doe sacrifice vnto the Goddesse Ceres for it was thought and trulye beléeued among the Gentiles and Heathens that the Goddes woulde iustly reuenge those that woulde at any time neglect their sacrifices and religions Apollo for that stout Brennus went to Delphos and spoiled his temple and neglected his godhead was plagued gréeuously and worthyly reuenged euen as king Zerxes whose Nauyes couered the whole Seas whose armies of men dryed vp riuerrs shadowed almost the whole earth for that he sent foure thousande souldiours vnto Delphos to robbe Apollo hée was therefore discomfited in his warres forsaken of his souldiours prosecuted of his enemies and compelled to flée like a vagabonde from hyll to hyll vntyll hée came vnto his kingdome of Persea vnto his great infamie and shame The like in Carthge when the Cittie was oppressed by the Romanes his Temple neglected and hee him selfe not estéemed Apollo reuenged the same for the first that layde hande vppon him lost his hande and his arme Thus in Delphos and in Carthage did Apollo reuenge his iniuries His sonne Aesculapius a great god in diuers countreys for that Turulius chéefe ruler of the Nauyes of Antonius hewed his wooddes which was consecrated vnto his temple Aesculapius reuenged it after this sort When Antonius and Caesar were at warres after that the hoast and armye of Antonius were vanquished and Caesar a victor hée brought Turulius to bée murthered vnto that place in the wooddes where hée neglected Aesculapius Ceres when the citie Mileton was taken by Alexander the great and her Temple therein spoyled and robbed of the souldiours she threw flames of fire into their faces and made as manye blinde as neglected hir godhead and maiestie Dionisius king of Siracusa for that he spoyled the temple of the goddesse Proserpina and robbed this goddesse of her golden garments flouting and scoffing her rites and ceremonies nothing estéeming her sacrifice And againe for that hée commaunded his souldiers to pluck and take away Aesculapius beard in Epidaurus a Citie in Peloponeso in Gréece because his father Apollo had none Hée was brought by the goddes from a king in Siracusa to bée a poore scholemaister in Corinth and wretchedly to ende his life by the iust indignation of the goddesse Proserpina Iuno shewed her anger vpon Fuluius Flaccus for that when he was Censor of Rome hée caused the Marble Tiles to bée brought from the Temple of Iuno in Lacinia vnto the Temple of fortune in
Rome Hée hauing his two sonnes in Illyria at warres the one by the wrath of Iuno slaine the other by her pleasure plagued and tormented vnto death hauing newes hereof dyed for sorowe and gréefe And the Senators knowing the cause restored to the Marble Tiles with Embassadours vnto Lacinia againe The wrath of Iuno was the cause of the vnhappy successe of that noble Consul Varro in the warres of Canna Hercules forgot not to reuenge the contempt and despising of his ceremonies and lawes by Pontitius which once hée and his name receaued as their god but by Appius perswaded who then was Censor in Rome to neglect him was destroyed hée and all his name which was in number aboue thyrtye and Appius for his counsell made blinde Thus the Gentiles and Heathens thought that nothing coulde escape vnreuenged of their gods This made Masinissa king of Numidia to sende back the Iuory téeth that the Maister of his shippes brought from the Temple of Iuno in Meleta vnto Meleta againe This made the Senatours of Rome to sende back againe the money whiche Pleminius the messenger of Scipio tooke away from the Temple of Proserpina vnto Proserpina againe fearing the anger and displeasure of the gods Thus were the people blinded with vaine ceremonies of the Priests Bishops Magistrates Thus were the rude people deceaued by dissimulations of the potentates as Numa Pompilius and the first idolaters that was in Rome would make the people beléeue that hée had warnings and admonions of the Nimph Aegeria to whom hée sayde hée had accesse in the night time to bée instructed in the ceremonies of Rome Licurgus a law setter amongst the Lacedemonians perswaded the people that what lawe soeuer hée made it was done by the oracle of Apollo Zaleucus made the Locresians beléeue that his doinges and procéedinges was done by the counsell of Minerua Pisistratus deceaued the people of Athens through dissimulations by a woman named Phia whom hée dressed like Pallas hée was brought often times by this woman vnto the Castle of Pallas which the rude people thought that shée was Pallas her selfe and iudged therby that Pisistratus might do what hée woulde and haue what hée craued of Pallas Minoes king of Créete was woont euery ninth yere to go vnto a secrete place by him selfe and there a long time staying to consult with Iupiter what law hée shoulde make vnto the people of Créete as hée enformed the people deceaued them craftily Thus wée sée how Licurgus amongst the Lacedemonians Zaleucus amongst the Locresians Pisistratus amongst the Athenians Numa amongst the Romanes and Minoes in Créete haue deceaued the ignoraunt people with counterfaite talking with goddes making them to beléeue that the gods councelled them and warned them to do all things that they did then Thus by craft they inuented false goddes framed ceremonies and obserued vaine orders Sertorius that famous Sabin and Ruler long in Rome was woont vppon the hye Rockes of Lusitania to consult with a white Hart of whome hée was warned to auoyde thinges and to doe thinges to take thinges and to refuse thinges insomuch to blinde the people he woulde attempt nothing vntill he woulde consult in the rocke with this white Hart. L. Silla when at any time he went vnto warres woulde in open sight of the Souldiours embrace a certaine remembraunce a signe which he brought from Delphos with him vnto Italy requiring that to kéepe promise as Apollo had cōmaunded him Scipio would neuer take any publicke affayres in hande before he had gone vnto the Capitoll vnto the secret aulter of Iupiter and there continued a while to deceyue the people Thus were they thought to be the ofspringes of Goddes of the common souldiours which they deceiued with false showes and to this effect that the people woulde flatter and obey them in all thinges And as Liberius did vse to féede Iulius Caesar with flatterie saying that mortall men ought to denie nothing vnto those whome the Goddes doe graunt all so did these fornamed Princes hunt for such honour as Caesar or Alexander had Mahomet a great Prophet amongst the Iewes and a mightye God amongst the Gentiles whose lawes vntill this daye the most part of the worlde obserue had his beginning as aforesayd dessembling with the people that two Dooues that hee taught to come euerydaye vpon his shoulders to féede on certaine graynes of wheate which he alwayes dyd beare in his eares were the holy Ghost and perswading the people that his doings and lawes were appointed by the holie Ghost which dayly came to consult and to make orders amongst the people We reade in dyuers places of the scriptures that the men of Iuda dyd buylde aulters and make ydols vpon euery hie hill and vnder bowes of trées The ydolatrie of the people of Israell with the daughters of Moab vsing their sacrifices and worshipping their goddes that GOD the true Mesias did loath and abhorre Suche ydolatrie I say grewe amongst the Israelites that Ieroboam commaunded two Golden Calues to be made and to bée worshipped saying Beholde ▪ O Israell beholde thy goddes which brought thée out of the lande of Egypt These were they that God most estéemed and they lest regarded it these were his owne people and yet they sought other Gods saying vnto Aaron Make vs gods to go before vs. Manasses king of Iuda erected and made vp aulters vnto Baal to go before him Holofernus sayd that there was no God but Nabuchadonosor Nabuchadonosor commaunded that all people tribes and nations shoulde knéele and worshippe the goulden Image Salomon hauing great wisedome of God that no prince in Israell had the like fell in his latter yeres to ydolatrie to worshippe the Goddes of straunge women Antiochus commaunded ydols to bée worshipped aulters to be erected temples to be made swine to be sacrificed and his owne children to be vncircumcised Thus was ydolatrie maintayned that Calues Dragons Serpentes Sunne Moone all the Starres of heauen were honored and worshipped as Goddes Insomuch that when Saint Paule went to Athens and sawe the Cittie so addicted vnto all kind of ydolatrie his spirite was troubled therein Thus they made vnto themselues Goddes most like vnto those that made them For as they hearde not the true God and sauiour of the world perswading them vnto amendement threatning them of correction Euen so their fayned Gods hauing eares hearde not hauing eyes sawe not hauing handes felt not hauing nostrels smelled not for all the worshipping sacrifices knéeling that they did vnto them O miserable man to forsake him which is the onely sauiour and redéemer of man and to worshippe those gods which worke the onely confusion of man I doubt least some with y e rich glutton make their bellies their gods I feare least some with Simon make money their gods naye I doubt most of all least some make themselues goddes with Lucifer or with Darius king of
the Senatours vnto the market or common Hall of Rome Then the seconde day hée should bée caried by certen young noble men vnto Martius fielde where a Tabernacle was made much like a Towre all of drie Wood and there after much solemnity and ceremonies done hée that succéeded him as an Emperour shoulde first put fire in that worke and then all men busie to sée the body burned And when they had burned him vnto ashes they woulde let an Eagle flée from the top of some high Towre which as they supposed shoulde cary his soule into heauen The Assyrians did vse to annoynt the dead bodyes with honye and waxe and with studie and care to reserue it from any putrifaction Such straunge order of buriall was in India that the women of that countrey thought no greater fame nor worthier renowme then to bée burned and buried togither with their husbandes The Thracians are much to bee commended herein which at the birth of any of their fréendes children they wéepe and waile the misery of and calamity that hée is borne vnto and at the death of any of their fréendes they so reioyce with such mirth and gladnes that they past these werldly miseries that at the buriall therof euen when the corps doth go out of the house they altogither say with one voyce Farre well fréende go before and we folow after And so the corps goeth before and all his fréendes folow after him with trumpets musicke and great mirth for ioy that hée is gone out of this vale of misery Plato that deuine Gréeke and noble Philosopher made the like lawes in Athens that when any of the chéefe officers shoulde die hée appointed that no mournyng wéedes shoulde bée there but all in white apparell and that fiftéene young maides and fiftéene young boyes shoulde stande rounde about the corps in white garmentes while the Priestes commended his life vnto the people in an open Oration then he shoulde bée brought very orderly to the graue all the young children singing their countrey Hymnes they with the auncient men folowyng and the graue shoulde be couered with faire broade stones where the name of the dead with his vertuous commendations and great praise were set vpon the stone The like graue the Italians vse at this day and diuers other countreys And as these others had the like ceremonies to the praise and commendations of the dead So others litle estéemed and regarded such things in so muche that the Perseans were neuer buried vntyll Fowles of the ayre and Dogges should eate some part therof The Massagetes thought it most infamous that any of their fréends should die by sicknesse but if the parentes waxed olde the children and the next kinsmen they had should kyll them and being kylled to eate them vp supposing that their fleshe was more méete for them to eate than of wormes or any other beastes to bée deuoured The people called Tibareni those that they loued best in youth those woulde they hang in age Euen so the Albans certaine inhabitants about mount Caucasus thought it vnlawfull for any to care for the deade but straight buried them as the Nabathaeans doe burie their kinges and and rulers in dunghilles The buriall of the Parthians was nothing else but to commend them vnto beastes of the fielde and foules of the ayre The Nasomones when they burie their friendes they sette them in the graue sitting But of all cruell dealings the Caspians and the Hircanians wich kil their parents their wiues their brethren their kinsemen friends and put them in the hie waye halfe quicke halfe deade for to be deuoured of birdes and beastes The fashion custome with the Issidones rude people of some part of Scithia as Plini in his fourth booke affirmeth is to call their neyghbours and friendes togither where the dead lie and there merili◠singing and banqueting they eate the fleshe of the deade and make the skull of the deade a drinking cuppe all couered with golde to drink with all Againe the people called Hyperborei thinke no better graue for their friendes when they be olde then to bring them to some hie banke of water or great rocke and thence after much feasting eating and drinking in the middest of their mirth their owne friends throw them downe vnto the water headlong To séeke and to search histories to manye such burials might be founde amongst such rude and beastly nations Notwithstanding in diuers regions so estéemed that the greatest infamie the seuerest punishment was for any offender was not to be buried this the Athenians vsed towarde those that were traytours to theyr countrey And the Egiptians if any lyued a misse he shoulde be caried dead to the wildernesse to be deuoured of wild beastes The Perseās likewise brought y e bodies of men condemned to be eaten of dogges The Lybians thinke them most worthy of solemne buriall that died eyther in warrs or were kyld by wyld beastes The Macedonians had great care in burning the dead souldiers that died in fielde Amongst the Gentiles there were certaine daies appointed for mourning after the death of their frends Licurgus lawe amongst the Lacedemonians was that they shoulde mourne but eleuen daies Numa Pompilius decréed that the children after their parentes death the wiues their husbands c. shoulde mourne tenne monethes though by the Senatours it was enacted at the warres in Canna that the Romans shoulde mourne but thirtie dayes Amongst the Egiptians they had a custome to mourne after theyr kinges thréescore and twelue dayes but generallye the most custome was to bewayle the dead nine daies In some places mourning was forbidden at their buriall as at Athens by the lawe of Solon in Locretia in Thracia in Cous in Libia and in diuers other places The diuersitie of mourning was such that amongst the Gréekes they shaued their heades and beardes and threwe it to the graue with the deade Amongst the Lacedemonians when the kinges of Sparta died certaine horsemen were appoynted to trauayle ouer all the whole kingdome certefiyng the death of the king and the women in euery cittie doe beate their brasen pottes and make great heauye noyse for the same The Egyptians doe mourne after this sort they rent their clothes they shut their temples they eate no meate they sméere theyr faces with dirt and thus abstaining from washing their faces thrée score and twelue dayes they lament and bewayle the death of their kinges and friendes The Carthagineans cut their heares of mangle their faces beate their breastes The Macedonians likewise shaue their heares to mourne the death of their fréendes as wée reade of Archelaus king of Macedonia who shaued his heares at the buriall of his friende Euripides The Argiues the Siracusans accompany the dead to the graue in white clothes be spotted with watter and claie The Matrones of Rome threw of their fine apparell their ringes and cheynes and did weare