dayes To abstaine from Flesh they account it meritorious and yet to eat Fish Caueare Almonds Figs and other lustfull viands they professe it lawfull Our Sauiour notwithstanding warrants vs to eate Flesh saying that which goeth into the mouth defileth not a man And this hee proues by a forcible reason because that whatsoeuer entreth into the mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out I condemne not the true vse of Fasting with bread and water in them who finde their bodies carnally bent or so full of grosse humours that they breathe vp into their heads like cloudie and foggie vapours to ecclipse and darken their vnderstanding wills and memories those noble Organs of the Soule if they cannot otherwise without such mortification subdue their fleshly longing desires and fall to feruent Prayers Likewise I commend Fasting to all the vnmarried and lazie Persons who haue liued without much exercise faring well and lying in downie beds Such indeed haue reason aboue others to embrace Abstinence as a Iewell least their Gluttonic with ease should fill their veines with too much blood least their spleene grow to a bigger proportion then is fitting least through oppilations and obstructions feuers the small poxe the plurisie the greene sicknesse the consumption and chefly the Scuruie that vnsuspected Guest and hardly discerned Traitouresse at the first approch to the wisest Physician doe seize vpon them as their slaues neuer to bee redeemed But to make it a point of Religion and to perswade men that Fasting can satisfie Gods iustice or appease his wrath iustly conceiued against vs for sinne is the Doctrine of Diuels and a marke of Antichrist To the cleane all things are cleane as the Apostle said And the Elders of the Church ought not to clog and burthen the consciences of their yonger brethren with such yokes of mens inuentions and Traditions as Touch not taste not handle not which as Saint Paul againe saith bee things of no value sith they belong to the filling of the Flesh. For it is the soule and not the Flesh which good Christians ought to keep pure and vndefiled Which moued that ancient Father Tertullian who liued within lesse then two hundred yeares after Christ to auerre that the Apostles imposed no burthen of set and solemne Fasting but left it to our libertie as euery man saw his occasion The fourth marke of Antichrist is manifested that he must be a mysterie the mysterie of Iniquitie hee must sit in the Temple of God For the expounding of which place Saint Chrysostome deliuers a notable Commentarie Antichrist saith bee being seated in the Church and possessing the chiefest places of the Church is to hold all that in shew which the true Church of Christ holds in truth that is hee shall haue Churches Scriptures Bishops Priests Baptisme and the Communion c. Hee is a mysterie that is close and hidden vntill the Prophesie be winded to the bottome For as Saint Paul wrot before the time of his reuealiâ—g must come their must needes fall out a departure from the Faith and then that Man of Sinne should bee knowne which had abused the world with lying signes and deceits The fist marke is expressed out of the Reuelation of Saint Iohn where Antichrist is termed the Where of Babilon the Beast the false Prophet all signifying the same hauing his power from the Spirituall Dragon which fought with Michael and his Angels By the name of Whore wee must note that none is called by that name but one which had beene once an honest woman The Church of Rome was once pure but afterwards by pride and ambition grew to be impure as now wee see her domineering Head sitting in the great Citie on the seuen Hills adored aboue all which is called God As on the Triumphall Arch engrauen in Lions 1555. was proclaymed Oraclo vocis mundi moderaris habenas Et merito in terris diceris esse Deuâ— By thy Tongues mightie Oracle The World thou gouern'st all On Earth thee without obstacle Of right a God wee call The sixt marke of Antichrist is taken out of Saint Paul that he began mystically to worke in his time But that which then with-held and let his reuealing did let and hinder vntill the splendour and glorie thereof that is the Maiestic of the Roman Empire was taken out of the way which afterwards in fulnesse of time came to passe when the Imperiall Seat was translated from Old Rome to New Rome which Constantine called after his own name Constantinople In Saint Pauls time hee oâ—ept on his feet and hands like an Infant about three hundred yeares after hee grew to his stripling age But about the yeere 666. which is the number assigned in the Reâ—elation hee was in his strength and euer since vntill my time he shewed himselfe in his owne colours a mightie Potentate with a Triple Crowne and vnder colour of Saint Peters keyes he arrogates to himselfe a higher Power then Nabuchadonozor the Caesars or the great Turke euer presumed to haue heere on Earth As long as the Roman Emperors liued in the great Citie the Bishops stood inawe and followed their bookes not carking for the vanities of the world But when the Place by the Emperours absence became an habitation for his Holinesse then that Barre which with-held his discouerie was also taken out of the way so that now all men of Iudgement may clearely see the mysterie of Iâ—iquitie manifestly discouered The seuenth marke of Antichrist is the great wonder and maruell which Saint Iohn had when he saw this vnlookt for alteration which he would not haue confessed if in his vision he had beheld an Heathen Antichrist or any Infidell Tyrants For hee had sufficient triall of their Tyrannies But when he saw in the Temple of God a Reuerend Prelate attired in Purple and Scarlet with Imperiall Ornaments and Princely Authoritie which Christ forewarned his Apostles to take heede of hee could not choose but wonder The eight marke of the Antichrist is that his Sect shall magnifie him with one consent and with one mind In this they glorie and in all their communications you shall heare them brag of Catholicke Antiquitie and of the Popes succession neuer heeding Saint Pauls prophecie that before the discouerie of Antichrist a generall defection of the Faith was necessarily to come nor yet giuing credit to Saint Iohn that the Church was to flye into a Desert This very ostentasion passed of the Iewes that they crucified the Lord of life and persecuted the Apostles as the Founders of a new Religion Vpon this did the Romane Idolators insist and by Antiquitie defended their idle Opinions The ninth marke of Antichrist is apparantly deciphered by his vaunting of Miracles a token which our Sauiour deliuers that there should arise false Christs and false Prophets which should doe great wonders and signes so that if it were possible they should deceiue the very Elect if it were possible The like
and in the neerest places adioyning vnto Rome that no Ecclesiasticall Policie could stand on foote nor erect publicke Churches and consequently no Mitred Bishops to solemnize or order the affaires of that spiritual Common-wealth in any complete forme no more then at this day we see in France a few places onely by their Ciuill Warres tolerated Specially in Paris the chiefe Citie they of the Reformed Religion cannot haue any but by permission about two leagues from the Citie they are allowed their Diuine Seruice The like though not so openly those ancient Christians were tolerated to enioy priuately in their Houses as in hugger-mugger at Rome the Capitall Seate of that Empire In processe of time Constantine the Great attained to the Empire who for some causes and principally because he would bee a neerer Neighbour to the Northerne Nations and also to the Persians who infested his State with sundry inrodes and hostile inuasions he was constrained to remoue the Imperiall Seate to Constantinople leauing the Bishop of Rome some power at old Rome whereby in his absence hee might as a Reuerend Prelate with his graue and Christianly exhortations retaine the Citizens in their Alleageance In this sort these good Bishops continued loyall to their Prince and subiect to their Command and to their Successours in the Empire vntill the yeere of our Lord 606. about which time after a great contention for the Primacie betwixt them and the Patriarch of Constantinople which then was called New Rome Phocas by the murther of his Lord and Master Maurice the Emperour hauing gotten the Soueraigntie made Boniface the Third Supreme Bishop aboue all other Bishops and to that end sent forth a Decree that all the Churches in his Empire should obey him as their Soueraigne Bishop which Iurisdiction he held onely in Spiritull matters After this the Emperour Iustine Iustinians Sonne raigned who sent Longinus as his Deputy into Italy to settle the confused state thereof after the expulsion of the Gothes who altered the forme of Gouernment in Rome and abrogated the Senate and Consulary Dignities which till that time continued and carried with it a glimpse of the ancient Maiestie of the Romane State and in steed of them appointed one Principall Gouernour whom he called an Exarch or Viceroy This innouation ministred an occasion to the Lumbards to enter into Italie And then the Citie of Rome felt new troubles But at last Theodoricus King of the Goths by the Popes Counsell remoued from Rome and erected Rauenna to be the Head Citie of his Kingdome and there keeping his Royall Court gaue room to the Popes to flourish in Rome Sometimes they tooke part with the Emperour some other times with the Lumbards accommodating their fortunes warily to the strongest parties liking Thus they continued vntill the Emperour Heraclius his time who being oppressed by the Persians Saracens and Arabians vnder Mahomet was so farre from looking into the affaires of Italy and into the Popes aspiring designes that he found much adoe to defend his neerer territories from those bloudy Enemies and Infidels The Popes watchfull to take aduantage partly by their Religious carriage among the common people and partly by Rewards got themselues to be equall in Power with the Kings of the Lumbards And then Pope Gregorie finding himselfe reasonable strong assaulted Raâ—enna the chiefe Citie of Italie and tooke it But being presently expulsed out of it by Astulfus King of the Lumbards hee was reseized thereof againe by succours sent vnto him from Pipin King of France After Astulfus death the Pope falling at ods with Desiderius the sonne of Astulfus hee sent for aide to Charles the Great King Pipins Sonne who in proper person came into Italie tooke Desiderius Prisoner augmented the Popes Dominion and at his motion crowned himselfe Emperour of the West at Rome At which time he againe to requite his good will enacted that from thenceforth the Bishop of Rome as Christs Vicar should neuer more bee subiect to any Earthly Potentate And whereas before that time they were themselues confirmed Bishops by the Emperour at Constantinople now by this new Emperour of the West they began to be of themselues and by their wits got the Emperours to be inuested at their hands This Pope was Leo the third And this notable Accident and alteration fell out about 801. yeares after Christ. After Leo his decease Pope Paschale after the example of his Predecessour Leo who had wrested the nomination of the Pope from the people of Rome and also the confirmation from the Emperour at Constantinople caused those Priests of the Citie who had elected him as the next neighbours to be enobled with a glorious Title and to be called Cardinalls Thus in lesse then two hundred yeares after their Supremacie obtayned from Phocas in spirituall matters the Popes aspired to a Supremacie in temporall affaires not so much for their hypocriticall holinesse as indeed for the Dignitie and repute of the Place and Seat their Citie of Rome hauing beene the Lady of the world and the eyes of all men being fixt on that Place brought at length most Princes of Christendome as Factions grew betwixt them to make profitable vse of their friendship either to appease their Aduerfaries or vnder colour of their Excommunications and Saint Peters keyes to oppresse one another Yea and that which was most strange as Machiauell obserues in his Florentine Historie King Iohn of England vpon the dissention betweene him and his Subiects yeelded himselfe at the Popes dispose when hee durâ—â— not shew his face in Rome by reason of the Factions of the Orsini and Columneses and of the Guâ—â—ses and the Gibellines but was faine to translate the Papacie to Aâ—inion in France Whereby our Politicians may gather this remarkable Rule that things which seeme to bee and are not such in very deâ—d are more feared or regarded afarre off then at home by reason of the vncertaine knowledge which strangers haue of other mens states Thus may all good Christians note by what meanes the Church of Rome arriued to her Greatnesse and how like a Foxe by little and little the Pope crept vp to the double Supremacie which Saint Peter and the blessed Apostles neuer once dreamed nor would our Sauiour Christ by any meanes accept of the Temporall Sword For hee vtterly defied the Deuill when hee motioned vnto him of an Earthly Kingdome And when some purposed afterwards to make him King he forsooke that Coast. To conclude this point of the Popes Supremacie Pope Hildebrand whom some call Gregory the seuenth after much contestation with the Emperour and his Gibellines was the first which triumphed ouer him about one thousand yeeres after Christ. Of whom an ancient Historiographer thus testifieth To this man only doth the Latin Church ascribe that she is free and pluckt out of the Emperours hands By his meanes she stands enriched with so much wealth and Temporall Power By his meanes shee stands inriched with so much wealth and
reforming the depraued liues of your Dependants haue had your Pallace enstiled the Baudie-court as bad as Messalinaes or Queene Iones of Naples who for their strange lusts were commonly called the Salt-bitches The Nunneries by your inspiration cannot saue their credit Yea the Pope himselfe by your conuinence or rather by your allowance doth openly tolerate Courtezans and Stewes in his Holy Citie and by them reapes a yeerely Tribute which I may no longer endure in any which pretend themselues free of my Court. And whereas you claime prescription of time and many hundred of yeeres to warrant these enormities you may aswell alledge that the wearing of Codpieces which men vsed in ancient times ought still to be continued Because the World before Linus and Orpheus conuerted them did eate Acornes like Sauages will you haue men to returne to their old vomits This is like the Iewes Opinion They will not belieue Christian Religion because the Law of Moses was the more ancient The Papists in all their Disputations relye vpon Antiquitie for all that Paul tels them that there must be an Apostasie and a generall departure from the Faith before the Sonne of Perdition bee made knowne Speake no more of Antiquitie for without Truth and the Scripture it is but an old doting Sinne. Nunquam sera est ad bonos more 's via The way to good manners is neuer too late Repent of your light-heeld trickes for perhaps there is mercie in store You heare what a mistaking fell out at the reading of your Desteny Let Apelles in steed of that idle Verse engraue these regenerated lines on the forefront of your Pallace The Comicke Muse makes this report Shee loues no more dishonest sport For now she finds that at her birth She was ordain'd for harmelesse mirth If hereafter I heare of any lasciuious prankes practized by your countenance in your Palace I will discard you from my Court and accept of the chast Lady Sapho in your place The Sabboth Day which the very Iewes and Turkes doe obserue holy and reuerently sacred you haue hitherto profaned in licensing your women debauchedly to daunce the Cushion kissing Daunce with Roysters and Ruffians yea and with Hob Dick and Hick vntill the vertuous and magnanimous Prince Charles of Great Brittaine made a late Statute at Oxford to restraine such vnlawfull sport on that Sanctified Day How many Religious persons vnder colour of your wanton Genius infused into their changeable phantasies haue plaid the parts of rutting Bucks How many of them haue taken sacred Orders and made Vowes impossible to be kept in their thoughts for if a mans wandring fancy longs after his neighbours Wife it is Adulterie though hee neuer performe the deed and these pollutions onely they couer vnder your Maske of holy wantonnesse It is not long agoe that a Protestant being to marrie with a Papists Daughter the Parents liked so well of the Match in regard of neighbourhood and the vniting of their Mannors which bounded neere to the other that the parties should be Contracted The Maide desired first that she might consult with a Frier her Confessor who was instantly sent for With him shee went into the Garden and hauing declared the agreement the Frier made a difficult matter of it in respect of their dinersities of Religion But the Conclusion was that her Wombe must be first sanctified by his deuout person which she contradicting he pronounced her a lost sheepe out of the Catholicke Flocke Vpon which words of his shee departed from him and grew in such detestation of that hypocriticall dangerous Religion that she became a reformed Christian and by opening the cause to her Parents shee likewise wonne them to be conuerted But these Examples are rare Where one such sadgeth wee finde many on the contrary seduced by this secret whispering and diuing into the affections of the simpler sort so that your Comicall beginnings end in Melpomenes Tragedies How many idle Comedies haue you permitted vnder your name to entrap ingenuous and soft natured people Knauery once discouered you will say may be euer after the more easily auoyded as the burnt-child will take â—eed of the fire But you know Lady euerie one is not an industrious Bee to sucke the choisest floure and to make vse of what they find Most men are enclined to embrace the worst A wittie Comedie I confesse represents the liuely Actions of fraile persons if the Lookers on were endued with the like equall discretion to discerne true Gold from Alchymie Those Caueats I wish you to imprint in your flexible braine and not to suffer your giddie-headed Giâ—les to gad abroad without some staid person to ouer-see and curbe their naturall disposition After Apollo had thus ended his Discourse to the intent that some good effect should ensue after his admonitions and knowing how exemplary and vsefull the presence of graâ—e Personages serued to reclayme lewd people hee cashiered Catullus and in his rome appointed Iohn Floriâ— Deane of the Princesse Thaliaes Chappell as a Reward for his care and paines in the apprehension of Mariana CHAP. VI. The Author of the Nunnes discouery at Lisbon exhibites a complaint to Apollo against Father Foster the Frier Confessor to the English Nunnery at Lisbone for committing carnall copulation with sundry of them Apollo makes a Discourse of Auricular Confession adiudgeth Foster to Ixions wheele and suppresseth all Nunneries AT the second Sessions of Parliament holden at Parnassus in Lent last 1626. according to the antient stile the said Informer framed a heynous Accusation against Frier Foster Confessour of the Nunnarie at Lisbone that he being an old man almost destitute of natures heat had vnder colour of sanctifying them deflowred some of them To this the Frier answered that for all his old age hee might haue a Colts tooth in his head that yet notwithstanding he entred not into these venereous encounters of doting lust but as a considerate Confessour supplying the place of a Master of a Family and of a Physician to purge those Nunnes of their superfluous and depraued humours who were so full of the Greene Sicknes that he feared an incurable Melancholie or Lunacie as bad as Sauls might possesse them if hee had not taken some paines in his owne proper person to helpe their indispositions or acting at fit times these deedes of Charitie in meere pittie and commiseration Apollo hauing heard the Accusation and the weake defense of Frier Foster to let the wauering-minded Christians of his Court vnderstand the true vse of Auricular Confession discoursed as followeth There is no Discipline nor Tradition inuented by man but may bee corrupted for some sinister respect or other to the end that the Elect of God may know how all things deuised by worldlings shall perish with the world and that no Law nor Custome though for a time it seeme neuer so vsefull can long stand except it bee firmely grounded on the Scripture Witnesse this Tradition of the Confession in the Eare an excellent
hee care for the Church of God Thus in admonishing the Clergie to satisfie themselues with one wife the Apostle leaues the Temporall to their choise who accounted it in those times one of their chiefest felicities to haue many children And therefore in regard of their Custome of their hot Climate being farre more vnfit for procreation of children then the cold Countries as also for that their wiues were busied in giuing sucke themselues two or three yeeres vnto their little Ones Saint Paul meddles onely with the Clergy-mens marriage which laudable custome none contradicted vntill the Manichees and Ebienites first beganne to taxe them for Marriage So we reade that Saint Gregory Bishop of Nazianzen had a Sonne called Gregorie who succeeded him in his Bishopricke Saint Ierome a Bishop of Africke had a Daughter called Leontiâ— who was martyred by the Arrians Saint Athanasius writing to Dragontius saith that he knew many Bishops vnmarried and Monkes married as also hee saw Bishops married and many Monkes singlemen The sixt generall Councell kept at Trulla did much detest this Antichristian Policie against Priests Marriage and therefore made this Constitution For as much as we are informed that a Canon hath beene lately enacted by the Romane Church that no Priest or Deacon shall haue to doe with a Wife Wee following the Apostles Orders and Discipline doe order that the lawfull Marriage of Priests be for euer vsefull and auaileable And a little after they yeeld the reason why they did it lest say they we bee compelled to dishonour Marriage which was first instituted by God and sanctified by his presence What greater euidence will my friend Becket expect then these Primitiue Lights If these will not satisfie his curious Iudgement but that he yet relies on the Decree of the Romish Church let him belieue the Deuill himselfe out of the heard of Swine confessing the Truth of my allegations euen your famous Canonist Cardinall Panormitane continencie saith hee in clericis Secularibus in Secular Clergy-men is not of the substance of their Order nor of the Law diuine because otherwise the Greeke Church should sinne nor could their custome excuse them It followes and I doe not onely belieue that the Church hath power to make such a Law but I likewise belieue that such a Statute were expedient for the health of their Soules that all that were willing might marrie seeing that Experience teacheth how a contrary effect ensues out of that Law of Continencie seeing they liue not spiritually nor are they cleane but defiled with vnlawfull copulation to their most grieuous sinning whereas they might liue chastly with their owne wiues If this mans authoritie who was one of your principall Darlings seemes but a Conceit in your Saint-like vnderstanding yet me thinkes my Lord the Pope vpon your discreet motion might mitigate his rigour and tolerate with vs to marrie as well as hee tolerates the Iewes and Stewes at Rome What stirres and tumults haue lately ensued vpon this Edict in the Church of Saint Dauid in Wales our friend Giraldus Cambrensis who is our Coaetaneus with many honest Clergy-men can assure you For when you sent this Canon vnder colour of your Metropolitane Visitation that whole Diocesse withstood not onely this Canon but also your owne Prerogatiue pretended from the Romish Church clayming themselues as heeretofore for the keeping of their Easter to liue according to the Rites of the Greeke Church at Constantinople to which place as the Seat of the Romane Empire appointed by Constantine they appealed for the deciding of all doubts Insomuch that our King Henry the Second was faine to intreate for aide from the Lord Rice Prince of South Wales to bring in your Visitation of Canterbury If these cloudes of witnesses serue not to confirme the truth of my Poeme which you terme a Libell let vs then bee dispenced withall to keepe prettie Wenches in corners and these to be dignified with the old Titles The Lords Concubine the Priests Leman and the Knaâ—es Whore Apollo reuerseth the Popes Canon made against the Marriage of the Clergie and to that purpose sends out a Proclamation APollo well noting the speeches of Walter de Mapes and the great inconuenience which the Prohibition of Marriage to the Clergie had wrought in the Christian Church with the Consent of al his Parliament assembled at Parnassus reuersed that Canon whereof Saint Paul had prophesied that it was the doctrine of deuils to forbid Marriage and withall caused this Proclamation to bee fixed in all places subiect to his populous Iurisdiction Of late there rose a Sect of Caiphas kind Which great renowme with Pen tongue assign'd To Wedlock-bands and with a large extent Confirm'd the same to be a Sacrament Yet ne'rethelesse by quirks and tricks they push As if they found a knot within a rush Forbidding it to all the Clergy-men A doctrine sure come from the Deuils deâ— But what 's the fruit Their bodies Lust inflames That they doe burne as scorcht in Aetnaes flames Enamoured they wish for cruell death To end their watchfull cares and wearied breath Their mind runnes all on Loue. Loue moues the braine To muse vpon sweet Beauty dy'd in graine This is the vpshot of their rash made vowes Vnlesse the Baudy-house which Rome allowes Like to a lakes doe ease their pampred reines Or like a Horse-leach suck their puft vp veines Returne then Marriage to thy free estate Repent yee Shauelings ere it be too late Vse lawfull meanes and leaue of stolne pleasure Account of Marriage as the Churches treasure Christs easie yoke yee need not stand in awe Dissolues old vowes and for Dianaes Law Christs easie yoke yeelds Priests a freer life That one man be the Husband of one wife CHAP. IX Apollo vpon Information giuen him by the Greek Church of Images erected by the Pope in the Westerne Churches and of Inuocations on Saints confuteth these Idolatrous Traditions both by the Testimony of the Scripture and by the Positions of the Primitiue Church THe Greeke Church seeing that by no perswasions the Pope would condiscend to abolish Idols grauen Images out of the Romane Church but that still he suffered euen in the chiefe Temples at Rome the Pictures of the Virgin Mary and of many other Saints to bee worshiped and called vpon with Prayers and Oblations they resorted to Parnassus on Good Friday last shewing to Apollo that the Popes not satisfied by their cunning practises and treasons to defeat them of the Primacie belonging to Constantinople as to the Head Citie of New Rome but likewise they set vp Charles of France about the yeere 801. to inuest himselfe in the Empire of the West and so by their Confederacie to compel all Christendome to wander after the strange Beast of the seuen hilled Citie which now grew to such a height that his voice stood peremptory as a Law Idolatry he accounted the Mother of Deuotion The Romish Church were summoned to answere these Accusations who made
but the Bishops â—iming vp to the highest place by the golden Ladder About the yâ—re 605. he obtained the spirituall suprâ—â—â—â—y at the hands of the Tyrant Phocâ—â— and in the yeere 801 he got his Temporall power ouer all things that may be called God And the most part of these popes which sithence haue beene elated to that eminent seat came in by indirect wayes and for Money as Platina and other Papists haue obserued so that if the succession of the keyes were bequeathed to Rome Simony hath made that place vacant aboue 800. yeeres agoe We doe therefore order and decree that if any Clergy-man doe buy a Bishoprick hee shall lose it and be vtterly banished out of our Iurisdiction If any Patron receiue the least gratuity of a Minister hee shall for euer forfeit that Presentation to the Bishop And now for these poore widdoweâ— wee adiudge that the Patrons shall restore such moneyes as their Husbands gaue for their Benehces twice so much of currant English money CHAP. 3. Vpon a Bill of Complaint exhibited by Aeschines andâ—apinian â—apinian aâ—aiust Rewards vâ—equally câ—â—ferre oâ— persons of meane desert and escent Apollo proâ—ounceth a pereâ—ptory Dooâ—ne AT the great Assembly held at Parnassus on the fourth of â—une last 1626. theâ—e was exhibited a Bill of Complaint by Aechine Deane of the Lycea Colledge at Aâ—hens by Paâ—inâ—an the famous Lawyer Aduocate to the Lady Thermis on the behalfe of the Students of the Empire of Greece That wheras Rewards ought to be confeâ—red on the vertuous which wore out many nights in cares and thoughts how they might increase Trade lately decaied how they might cut off superfluous suits of Lâ—w whereby Charity might heat mens hearts as in the Golden Age and Iustice flourish without the least pollution now to their great grief they fouÌ„d many Offices bestowed on one man which might serue sundry more sufficient persons and which worke some of those of the meanest ranke to sit in the supremest places whilest that many generous Spirits of Noble descent and of brauer flames adorned with multiplicities of knowledge whom as Scaliger wrote of Picus Mirandula the Muses themselues would pronounce to be of that immortall race adiudged from Heauen to passe for great and wonderfull Spâ—sits whiles these lay contemned without any preferment at all For which cause they humbly begged at his Maiesties hands that some course might be taken whereby Rewards should bee thenceforth conferred more equally on men of good desert and of Noble descent Apollo at these ominous tidings as it were with Commotion of mind estranged some what from that sweet composition of gracious manners which he was wont to deliuer with a voice more fearefull then ordinary sounded out these Verses following which argue that his Maiesty tooke great indigâ—â—tion at the contents of the Bill exhibited Why keepes one man three Offices alone Another yet deseruing more hath none Eyther the Starres shoot out some crooked rayes On this low world or Fortune on it playes Or else the Ayry Prince this busines guides For surely God more equally diuides More Offices then one 't is great pitty That any in Countrey hold or Citty One Charge and yet I am no puritan Will serue one man and that a carefull man Graces and Muses twelue in number are Which for their Troupes looke equally to share A Prince had need to marke and well to know On whom he doth great Offices bestow In Horses race men looke into the Siâ—es Like Crow like Egge The gracious Grace inspires Heere Apollo stopt and about halfe a quarter of an houre after renewed his speech in this manner Sith with the Parents seed their manners slow And in the Sonnes deriu'd by Birth doe grow Why doe some Lawyers prey on Labours hires This Lesson they haue conu'd from Clownish Sires Those Clowns their Sires which hating HeaueÌ„lâ— right Them from their Birth defil'd with Earths delight Whereby their Sonnes so trained vp at first By natures kinde commit that act accurst T is seldome seene that one of Noble Race Peruerts Tribunall Seates by trickes so base T is seldome seene that one of Noble bloud B trayes his King or sels his Countries good If one among a thousand such you finde Some Treacher him seâ—uced of Clownish kind If any Lawyers play the Tyrants part Thundring out fines to make the vertuous smart Or proue notorious for deceit and bribes They are descended of base Clownish Tribes Nothing more base then is the Ruling Clowne Not Antichrist for fraud can put him downe No change of manners though he change his weed He what his father wore doth neuer heed Whiles that such Moles in nought but Earth delight They snort in ease and snatch at others right Nobles like Planets moâ—e with noble thought A Royall Virgin forth our Sauiour brought The Commons should be ruled the Nobles rule Lawes rule them both as Bits the Horse and â—â—ule Peeres plac't in Office by their peerelesse King Are iust least blots they to their Honour bring The vulgar Sort fit for Mechanick Trade May helpe their country with the Plough and Spade CHAP. 4. Hugh Broughton vpon some discontentment taken in seeing his inferiours promoted to eâ— ineâ—t places before himselfe complaineth vnto Apollo that Florio Deane of Thaliaes Chappell prophaned the sacred name of the Letany by singing the same intermixt with triuiall toyes Apollo causeth Florio to repeat his Letany HVgh Broughton a very learned Diuine and an admirable Linguist specially in the Hebrew and Chaldaick tongues hauing for a long time awaited in Apolloes Court for some place of preferment and seeing many persons whom he thought to be farre beneath him in knowledge or at least that his penny was as good siluer as theirs exalted to promotion grew about this time of the Moone maruellously discontent and chiefly for that Signior Florio a new commer into Parnassus had beene lately promoted to be Deane of the Lady Thaliaes Chappell a place of honour more fit for a Cabalisticall Rabbine as himselfe was then for a Nouelist Italian hee fumed he fietted to see the world thus runne on wheeles verifying those words of Seneca that there was neuer as yet any great wit without som touch of madnes oâ— folly Hugh Broughton thus peâ—plext less his swohâ—e conceits like the embotteled ane for want of vent might burst their bodily instruments repayred oâ— the â—f teenth of May last 1626. vnto Apollo complayning that Fiorio Deane of Thalâ—aes Chappell had 〈◊〉 is Princes Birth day sung a strange morall Letany more agreeable to a Sceltonical Dogrell Rimer which shootes verses at â—andome then to the reuerend Prelate of the Comicall Court Which fault of 〈◊〉 he aggrauated by fetching the Genealogy of the word Letan not onely from the Greeke sâ—uâ—râ—d Dialects of the Attiâ—kes the Dorickes the Ionâ—â—kes the Aeolickes and other exotick pronunciations but also from the misticall Thalmuds of the Iewes wherein he surpasled most of the Phoebean Academy Apollo woÌ„dred much aâ— this
bee sent for Sir Francis Drake Sir Martin Furbisher Sir Henry Middleton and Sir Thomas Button As soone as they were come into his Maiesties presence he related vnto them that vpon a Petition exhibited vnto him by many poore Widowes of the City of London and of other Cities Towns in Great Britaine how their Husbands perished in their voyages to the East Indies by the distemperature of the climate in passing so often vnder the Tropickes and the burning Zones they therfore desired eyther that he should dissolue the East Indie Company or finde out a more conuenient passage to these Countries where the Spices grew which their Country men wanted Otherwise they must of necessity continue still vnmaried or liue in daily feares to lose their succeeding Husbands who for their reliefe would hazard their liues as the others had formerly done For such was their ineuitable Fate they said that none would aduenture on Sailers Widowes but men of the same vocation Vpon which clamors of these distressed Creatures his Maiestie being moued to pitty and commiseration required them to yeeld their seuerall censures by what passage the English Nation might traffique into those Lands of Spiceries with lesse perils and losses of Sailers Sir Francis Drake first deliuered his opinion that the moderne Cosmographers agreed vpon foure waies to the East Indies Two imaginary by the Northeast which Pliny mentioned Sir Hugh Willowby attempted and the Hollanders prosecuted vpon the North of Muscouy to Noua Zembla Waygate and the Riâ—er Ob but all in vaine and by the North-west which Sir Martin Furbisher first entred into and Sir Thomas Button sithence pursued but without fortunate successe The other two waies to â—aile into the Lands and Ilands of Spices were famous which himselfe had past The one through the Streights of Magellan the other by the Cape of good Hope Of these he liked those of Magellan and now the rather for that Tierra del fuego which is the South part of those Streights is lately found out by certaine Hollanders to be an Iland And that himselfe had beene driuen by foule weather as farre as 57. degrees of Southerly latitude where he found some Ilands and in all likelihood an open passage about the 60. degree which the Hollanders tried to be true now stiling the same Lameers Streights This way hee approued lesse dangerous then the other specially to the Molucca Ilands so that they would begin their voyage about the end of August from England that they might arriue there by the end of December which falls out to be the first of Iune or end of May in these Streights Sir Maurice Abbot contradicted Sir Francis Drake and said that the greatest comfort in such long voyages was to be sure of fresh victuals which they could not bee assured of by those Southwest Streights To this Sir Francis Drake answered that for Wood Water Fish and Fowle they might haue enough on this side and neere the Streights that they might be relieued in distresse at the Riuer of Amazous by their Countrymen where Captaine North Captaine Parker and Captaine Christmas had planted whereof the two last liued there of late foure years in despite of the Spaniards whom they wearied out of the Country with the helpe of the Natiues for all that they came with 1500. men to surprize them Being past the Streights they might haue fresh victuals in abundance at the Iland of Mocha in the height of 38. degree which is subiect to the States of Arauco deadly enemies to the Spamards and but fiue or sixe leagues from that Centinent Or else they may get some with ease at the Iland of Saint Maries twenty or thirty leagues further If the Trade be to the Moluccaes they may spare two moneths voyage this way and also they shall meet with Salomons Iles and many rich places vpon the Coast of New Guinea which affoord plenty of victuals Gold Pearles and Spice Sir Henry Middleton much misliked this Southwest way because of the vncertainty of prouision and the solitarinesse of the voyage whereas hee was sure all the way by the Cape of good Hope at Sancta Helena Soldana at the Iland of Madagascar to be stored with necessaries vntill he came to his iourneyes end Further hee said as also the East India Company confirmed the very same to be true that they had small doings now to the Moluccaes For their Trade lay about laua maior where they had a Factory at Bantam and to Serrat in Cambaia to Sumatra and the Persian Gulfe After some altercation betwixt these last afore-specified Apollo commanded Sir Martin Furbisher to declare his opinion touching the Northwest passage which hee accordingly did prouing that the most part of Meta incognita where hee had beene seemed by all probability to bee broken lands and Ilands and that if he had had sufficient store of prouision hee would haue aduentured through in despite of the mountaines of Ice which threatned to immure him in And that hee much maruelled at their slownesse of late which finding the passage cleere and open in a farre more temperate climate then where he had beene did notwithstanding misse to finde it out Sir Thomas Button much incensed to bee taxed for slownesse who had busied himselfe all the daies of his life in warrelike actions hauing beene at the sacking of Cales and imployed in Ireland against the Spaniards in Hispaniola at the voyage of Algiere and many other Sea voyages for answere said That if Sir Martin Furbisher had wintred in the 58. degree in America which experience taught to be as the 63. degree of Europes coldnes hee would not haue beene so briefe to impute slownesse vnto him As for the Passage hee verily beleeued as Sir Martin did it lay open And that hee would haue done his endeuour to haue sailed through For in Hudsons Bay hee saw two very likely passages towards the Northwest to enter in but that hee was otherwise authorized and commanded to goe on Southwestwards to the bottome of Hudsons Bay so that hee durst not but follow the tenor of his Commission Yet notwithstanding he hoped that he had not spent his time in vaine during his voyage in those angry climates For first he discouered that those Seas could not bee sailed through but in Iune Iuly and August being alwaies subiect to foggs ice stormes and sudden windes The sunne seldome seene so that the best Nauigator can hardly obserue the certaine height thereof Onely his chiefest comfort during his abode there was that the dayes were very long with very short nights though otherwise the want of cleernesse to obserue either sunne or starre were able vtterly to ouerthrow the whole voyage Further he noted that Trumpets might not be spared but most necessary to be had of such as passe in those Seas For if two ships went together they would quickly lose one another by reason of the thicke mist though they went so neere as they might hallow one to the other
by their Wooll to Compose Stuffes of Serges Perpetuanaes Paropous or the like or else by Commerce and Traffique to exchange some of their superfluous wares with Forraigners for some of their superfluities Now in trading to these remote Countries questionlesse some of these goods are exported to counteruaile those Wares which Strangers might otherwise to the preiudice of the Kingdome import and bring in Before the Londoners and the Hollanders did set out Fleetes to the East Indies the Turkes vsed to share with the Portingalls in those Commodities which now the Protestants trade for Heretofore they paid at Lisbone Aleppo or Alexandria for euery pound of Pepper two shillings whereas now they pay but three pence in the East Indies for Mace foure shillings sixe pence which now stands them but in nine pence Cloues at Lisbone or Aleppo foure shillings sixe pence and now but tenne pence Nutmegs there two shillings here but foure pence Indico foure shillings here twelue pence the pound Likewise they paid for raw Silkes out of Persia twelue shillings but now they pay at the Persian Gulfe not eight shillings the pound Whereby a good Commonwealths-man may obserue what Gaine there may redound to Great Britaine if this rich Trade be graced and followed And if they transport no coine out of this Kingdome but Spanish Reals Dolers or outlandish monyes carying also some of their Tinne Carzeyes and Broad cloathes to the Persian Gulfe where they are best vendible there is no question but this Kingdome will become much inriched For the sound of Denmarke the Hans-townes and France will returne vs more money then they haue need to bring into the Indies But first I could wish Aesculapius to call a consultation of his best experimented Physicians and to lay downe a dietary for their healths for a Northerne man taken out of his naturall Element and placed but for a small while in those fiery Climates will quickly droope And now in the interim vntill this consultation bee concluded out of the experience of such as trauelled into those parched Countries I wish them to ballast their ships with Turneps as a Defensatiue against the Scuruy to carry along with them the salt or iuyce of Scuruygrasse well sodden and stopt vp in glasses and aboue all the iuyce of Lemons Item to bring along with them good store of White wine Vineger to mingle with water a liquor which preserued Sir Francis Drake in his long voyage round about the world Item to vse Cider and such cooling drinkes more then Wines or Aqua vitae sauing at times of excessiue heat when the body becomes fainty and the spirits are withdrawne into the outward parts Then a little draught of their hot waters or a cup of Sacke will refresh nature although they sweat neuer so much For it is found out by experience that the moisture which lies within the body is exhaled and forced into the exteriour parts and that the inward part then forsaken of that moist comfortable humour and being cold gladly receiueth a sudden restoratiue to repaire those annoyances which the violence of that vnusuall heat hath extracted Item to feed betimes in the morning and not at noone when the Sunne is vehemently hot or else late in the euenings once or twise a day as their stomackes serue them To winde vp this discourse in a word I exhort our East India Merchants to beare in minde these few verses If Englishmen which Indias Coast doe range May not haue Spice for English goods exchange Farre be it from a Christian to transport Our Treasure hence into an Heathnish Port. 'T is better with plaine cheere to make our Feasts Then with repentance late to welcome Guests While these Aâ—isoes I to England giue The Hollanders I meane not to forgiue Beware lest whilst great bulkes of Ships yee raise In hope of Gaine yee reape not more dispraise How many men by Feuers to our cost Bred of Suns heat and salt meates haue we lost Cùm sine Thesauri massâ nec Aromata vendat India nec mutet quae sua Terra refert Absit vt hunc Belli Neruâ—m Mercator auarus Tranferat aâ—t ditet Regna inimica Deo QuaÌ„ satius foret absque dapuÌ„prandere patellis Excidio Patriae quam saturare gulam Dum tibi vaticinor non Belgis parco cauete Ne Nautas moles amplific ando ratum Diminuatis opum spe manducare salita Accelerat rabiem Sole calente Febris CHAP. 9. Apollo sends for some of the Merchants Aduenturers of euery seuerall Company out of Great Britaine graceth them with his countenance and promiseth them the continuance of his Fauours AFter this businesse of the East India Trade was thus recommended and blest by his Maiestie with all auspicious graces bonis auibus and with sailes of comfort velis secundis committed to Neptunes protection His Imperiall Maiestie sent for the other Aduenturers to forraigne Countries out of Great Britaine some of the Moscouy Company some of the Turky Merchants some of the French Trade of the Sound of the Dutch of the Greenland Company some of the Virginian of the Summer Ilands of the Riuer of Amazons of Guiny and Binny and of other Aduenturers he caused some to appeare before him charging them to follow their Trades without any more feare of Moorish or Dunkirk Pirates And particularly he charged the Aduenturers into these last recited Coasts to pursue their enterprizes to saue their Country that wastfull expence of Tobacco which yearely would bee exported out of their Country if they did plant that weed in those hot places specially at the Amazons and at the vppermost part of the Riuer of Gambra in Guiny about the 13. Degree not a Moneths saile out of England they should reape a rich haruest of Tobacco besides in this last they might get Hides Elephants teeth Cotton yarne yea and perhaps meet with another Golden Fleece if it be true as some report that the King of Morocco hath his fine Gold in exchange of Sale from People inhabiting not farre from this Riuer of Gambra All these hopefull Proiects did his Maiestie lay before our Britaines exhorting them to become more industrious to cast by the hideous coat of Pouerty and with an vndaunted courage to saile into the vttermost Ocean Impiger extremos currit Mercator ad Indos Per mare pauperiem fugiens per saxa per ignes CHAP. 10. Apollo to make the Golden Fleece a complete Catholike Restoratiue to the State of Great Britaine commands the seuen wise men of Greece to declare out of their experience some more meanes for the inriching of that State which they seuerally performe NOtwithstanding all these profitable proiects and more then reall appearances of the Golden Fleece Apollo in another Assembly held at Pindus by reason of the violent Summers heat which infested the populous City of Parnassus in a Speech reiterating that as yet the Scales were not eqâ—all for the benefit of Great Britaine his Imperiall Highnesse concluded that