the most part of hir nobles to a banquet such as shee knew to haue bene y â— authors and workers of hir brothers death who being all assembled and set together in an inner Parlour expectinge their cheere the water was let in at a priuy grate and ouerwhelmed them all These thinges they spake of Nitocris adding besids that hauing wrought this feate shee cast hir selfe into an house full of Ashes to escape vnpunished By the rest of the kinges of Aegypt the priestes coulde recyte no glorious acte that shoulde bee accomplished sauing by the noble king Moeris the last and latest of all this crewe To whom they attribute y â— building of y â— great porches belonging to Vulcans temple standing on the North parte of y â— Pallace By the same also was a certaine fenne delued and cast vp wherein were builded certaine mighty Towers called Pyramides of whose bygnesse as also of y â— large coÌ„passe and amplitude of the Poole wee will ioyntely intreate in another place These thinges were done by Moeris the last king The rest consuminge the time of their raygne in silence and obscurity whom for the same cause I will passe ouer and addresse my speache to him who came after them in time and went before them in Dignity namely the worthy Prynce Sesostris Him the Pryestes recounte firste of all the kings of Aegypt to haue passed the narrow Seas of Arabia in longe Ships or Gallyes and brought in subiection to the Crowne all those People that marche a longe the redde Sea From whence retyringe backe againe the same way hee came and gathered a greate power of men and tooke his passage otter the waters into the mayne lande conquering and subduing all Countreyes whether so euer hee went Such as hee founde valiaunte and hardye not refusinge to icoparde their safety in the defence and maynetenaunâ—e of their liberty after the victory obtayned hee fired in theyr countrey certayne smale pyllers or Crosses of stone wherein were ingrauen the names of the kinge and the countrey and how by his owne proper force and puissaunce he had made them yelde Contrarywyse such as without controuersie gaue themselues into his handes or with litle stryfe and lesse bloudshed were brought to relent with them also and in their region he planted Pillers and builte vp litle crosses as before wherein were carued and importrayed the secret partes of women to signifie to the posterity the base and effeminate courage of the people there abyding In this sorte hee trauayled with his at my vp and downe the mayne passing out of Asia into Europe where he made conquest of the Scythians and Thracians which seemeth to haue bene the farthest poynt of his voyage for so much as in their land also his titles marks are apparantly seene and not beyonde Herefro hee began to measure his steps back agayne incamping his powre at the ryuer Phasis where I am not able to discusse whether king Sesostris him selfe planted any parte of his army in that place euer after to possesse y â— countrey or whether some of his souldiers wearyed with continuall perigrination and trauayle toke vp their maÌ„sion place rested there For the people named Colchi seeme to be Aegyptians which I speake rather of myne owne gathering then of any other mans information Howveit for tryall sake coÌ„moninge w t the inhabitants of either nation the Colchans seemed rather to acknowledge remember y â— Aegyptians then y â— Aegyptians theÌ„ affyrming that the Colchans were a remnante of Sesostris army My selfe haue drawne a coÌ„iecture hereof y â— both people are in couÌ„tenance a like black in hayre a like fryzled albeit it may seeme a very feeble gesse the same being also in other nations A better surmise may be gathered of this that y â— people of Aethyopia Aegypt and Colchis only of all men circumcyse cut of the foreskin from their hidden partes reteyning the custome time out of minde For the Phoenicians and Syrians y â— dwell in Palaestina confesse themselues to haue borrowed the maner of circumsicion from the Aegypt 〈…〉 And as for those Syrians y â— dwell neere vnto the ryuers Thermodon and Parthemus and the people called Macrones their next neighbours they tooke the selfe same vse and custome of y â— Colchans Howbeit the Aegyptians and Aethyopians which of them learned it of others it is hard to discerne forasmuch as the custome in both Countryes is of great antiquity Neuerthelesse very good occasion of coniecture is offred vnto vs that it came fyrst from y â— Aegyptians at such time as the Aethyopians had exchaunge of marchaundise with them For the Phoenicians that in like maner haue mutuall trafique which the Grecians leaue of to circumcysse them selues and refuse in that poynte to be conformable to the lawes and statutes of their countrey One thinge more may be alleaged wherein the people of Colchis doe very narrowly resemble y â— customes of Aegypt in so much as these two nations alone work their lynnen dresse theyr flax after y e same sorte in all poyntes respecting each other both in order of lyfe maner of laÌ„guage The flaxe which is brought from Colchis y e Grecians call Sardonick the other coÌ„ming out of Aegypt they terme after the name of the countrey Aegyptian flaxe But to returne to the tytles and emblems that king Sesostris lefte behind him in all regions through y t which he passed many thereof are fallen to decay NotwithstaÌ„ding certaine of them in Syria and Paloestina I beheld with myne own eyes intayled with such posyes as we spake of before and the pictures of womens secretes ingrauen in them Likewise in Iönia are to bee seene two sundry Images of Sesostris himselfe carued in pillers one as we passe from Ephesus to Phocoea another in the way from Sardis to Smyrna Eyther of these haue the forme and figure of a man fiue hands breadth in bignesse bearing in his righte hand a Darte in his left a vowe his harnesse and furniture after the manner of the Aegyptians and Aethyopians Crosse his backe from the one shoulder to the other went a sentence ingrauen in the holy letter of Aegypt hauing this meaning By my owne force did I vanquishe this region Notwithstandinge it is not there specified what he should be albeit els where it is to be seene Some haue deemed this monument to haue bene the image of Memnon not a litle deceyued in opinion This noble and victorious prince Sesostris making his returne to Aegypt came by report of y e priests to a place named Daphnoe pelusiae with an infinite trayne of forraine people out of al Nations by him subdued where being very curteously met welcomed by his brother whom in his absence he had lefte for Viceroy and protectour of the countrey he was also by y e same inuited to a princely banquet him selfe his wife and his children The house where into they were entered
haue done more eloquently in englishe then our Authour hath in Greeke but that the course of his writing beeyng most sweete in Greeke conuerted into Englishe looseth a great parte of his grace Howsoeuer the case standeth Gentlemen if it be not so well as it might be I would it were better than it is wishing the best albeit I can not attayne to the best yet least I condemne my selfe before I neede I wil stay vpon the censure and opinion of others when the time shall come Till when and euer leauing you to God and the good successe of your affayres I ende Your very friende B. R. HER ODOTVS HIS FIRST BOOKE INTITLED CLIO HER ODOTVS beyng of the citye of Halicarnassus in Greece wrote and compiled an history to the end that nether tract of time might ouerwhelme bury in silence the actes of humayne kynd nor the worthye and renowned aduentures of the Grecians and Barbarians as well other as chiefly those that were done in warre might want the due reward of immortal fame The Persian wryters witnes y e first cause of debate controuersie to haue comen by y e people called Phaenices who sayling from the redde sea into this of Greece inhabityng the selfe same regions which at this tyme also they holde and retayne gaue themselues to long vagaries and continuall viages by sea In which season by trade of marchaundise brought from Aegipt and Assyria as in many other countries so also they arryued at Argos Argos at the same tyme was the most noble and famous city in Greece Whither the Phaenices directyng their course after they were come and within the space of foure or fyue dayes had made a good hand and riddaunce of their wares It fortuned certayne women in whose cōpany was the Kings daughter whose name was Io. borne of Inachus to approach the shore in mynde to suruay and contemplate the wealth and substaunce of these outlandish Marchauntes Now in the meane season whiles the womē were busye and attentiue in praising such thinges as their fancy lead them the Phaenises ranne violently vppon them and hauing caught Io with some others they rest exceedingly affryghted and flying through feare incontinently wayghed ancōre and sayled into Aegipt By these meanes the Persians record that Io first came into Aegipt not as y e Phaenices reporte that this was the first cause and beginning of iniuryes It chaunced afterward that certaine Greekes whase names they knew not taking shore lauding at Tyrus in like manner made a rape of the kinges daughter named Europa These were the people of Crete otherwyse called the Cretenses By which meanes yt was cardes and cardes betwene them the one beyng full meete and quit with the other But in processe of tyme the seconde trespasse was also made and committed by the Grecians who passinge in a galley by the riuer Phasis to Aea a city of Colchis and hauing finished the affayres and busines for which they came caryed away Medea daughter to the King whom the noble gentleman her father eftsones reclayminge by an Harold of peace and demaunding punishment and reuenge on the trespasser the Grecians made answeare that as by themselues no correction was done for the rape of Io. euen so would they also in this cause goe voyde of smart and escape scotfree After this in the secōd age ensuing Alexander the sonne of Priamus hauing notise and aduertismēt of these thinges was greatly desyrous to steale and puruay himselfe a wife of the Grecians notfearyng the rigour of Iustice or anye manner pey or chastisment which they before had vtterly refused to beare and sustayne Hauing therfore gotten Helena and conuayed her away it seemed good to the Greekes to clayme by embassage restitution of the rape and iustice on the rauisher vnto whom the stealth of Medea was obiected and answeare made that it was not meete for them to require eyther losse or law which in former tyme would be ruled by neyther Thus the tyme hetherto passed on by mutuall pillage betweene them But of those things which insue and follow Vpon these y e Persians affyrme the Grecians to haue bene the chiefe authors who first inuaded Asia by the power of warre then euer themselues attempted the rule and domiminion of Europa Reputing it the poynt of rude and grose iniury to steale away women and the signe of a greater folly to pursue the losse of them since no wyse man would set ought by those that without their owne assent and free wil could neuer haue bene stolne For this cause the Persians alleadge how lightly they valued the losse of their Ladyes whereas the Greekes on the other syde for one silye danie of Lacedemonia furnished a huge nauy and comming into Asia subuerted and brought to ruine the kingdome of Priamus Since which tyme they haue alwayes thought of the Grecians as of their heauy frendes esteeming themselues somewhat allyed to Asia and the nations of Barbaria but the Grecians to be strangers and alyens vnto them And as touching the course proceding of these things the Persians report on this manner adding hereto that the first cause of tumult and contention betweene them arose by the ouerthrow and destruction of Troy With whose assertions the Phaenices agree not aboute the Lady Io. Whom they flatly denye to haue bene caryed by them into Aegipt in manner of a rape shewinge howe that in theyr abode at Argos shee fortuned to close with the mayster of a Shippe and feelynge her selfe to bee spedde fearynge and doubtinge greatlye the feueritye cruell tyrannye of her Parentes and the detection of her owne follye Shee willynglye toke shyppe and fledde strayght awaye Such are the recordes of the Persians and Phaenicians of the truth wherof I meane not to discusse Onely whom I fynde to haue done the first harme and iniurye to people of Greece of hym I determine to speake proceding orderly w t the declaratiō aswell of small cityes townes of meaner fortune as of those that are populous wel frequented for so much as many cityes which former ages haue knowne right ample and wel peopled are now fallen to a low ebbe and contrariwyse those which in the compasse of our memory were greate haue heretofore bene much lesse wherefore knowing the tenor of humayne felicity to be eftsones varyable and neuer at one stay my purpose is to vse the examples of eyther kynd Craesus a Lidian born descended of Halyattes was King of those countryes that lye within the riuer Halis which flowing from the South part of the worlde betweene the Syrians and the Paphlagonians right against the North wind breaketh into the sea called Euxinam Of al the princes Barbarian of whom we haue vnderstanding this same Craesus was the chiefe that made some of the Greekes tributary and other his friendes he subdued the Iones Aeoles and Dores that dwell in Asia concluding with the Lacedemonians a friendly league
pleasaunt recreation vntill the case was too plaine that the enemies were within the walles Such therfore were the meanes whereby the City Babylon was first of all taken and surprised by warre As touching the power and value whereof we will shewe many testimonies this one especiall and of manyfest euidency The whole coast which is vnder the gouernance of the great King being leuied at a certayne rent to finde the Prince and his armie I meane besides those reuenewes and pensions which euery moneth in the yeare are duely payde and yeelded to the Crowne at the fourth part of thys rent or subsidie is the region of Babylon rated alone the other eyght partes beéing gathered and contributed out of the whole Countrey of Asia so that the puissance and hability of this region is equiualent and matchable to the third part of Asia The seigniorie also and principality of this part which the Persians call a Satrapy that is a Dutchy or Countey doth in great measure exceede all other prouinces that are vnder the protection of the great King For so much as Tritechmas sonne of Artabazus whome the King made his Lieutenant and principall ouer this Countrey had duely rendered vnto him for tribute euery day in the weeke more then eyght gallons of siluer according to the Persian measure called Artaba which exceedeth by three quarts the measure that is vsed in Attica which they call by the name of Medimnus Moreouer he had a stable of couragious and lusty coursers for the saddle besides those which were purposely kept and managed for the vse of warre to these were added eight hundred stalions or stone horses with sixteene thousand maares which were couered by those horses one stalion being reserued and admitted to the couering of twenty maares Besides all this so great a multitude of dogs or mastifes comming of the kinde and breede of India were belonging to him that four great townes standing in the plaine of Babylon stoode at no other reuenue then to find and maintayne a company of curres All whiche things were peculiar and appertinent to him that was the viceroy or president of Babylon In the countrey of Assyria they haue small store of rayne suche graine as the land yeeldeth beeing euermore watered by the floud not after the maner of Nilus in Aegypt which of his owne accord riseth ouer the bankes and giueth moisture to the fields round about but partly by the labour and haÌ„ds of men partly also by brookes and ditches deriuing the water throughout their ground For through all the region of all Babylon euen as in Aegypt also are drawne many trenches and ditches the greatest whereof is nauigable and caryeth ships bearing to that coast where the sunne is at a stand in winter and reacheth from Euphra-‑ reacheth from Euphrates to the floud Tigris neere vnto the which was planted and situated the city Ninus This soyle for corne and all kinde of grayne is the most battle and plentifull of all others being very barren and naked of wood wherein especially the figge tree vine and olyue could neuer prosper or come to any proofe but for seede and tillage so fruitefull and aboundant that it neuer fayleth to yeeld increase two hundred fold and if the ground be very well taken and the yeare fauourable it multiplieth to three hundreth times as much as was cast into the earth The eares of their wheate and barly are more then a handfull broade Likewise y e small seede of Millet or Hirse together with the graiue of India called Sesamum to what exceeding growth and tallnes they arise in this countrey that almost they seeme in manner of mighty trees albeit I assuredly know could iustly affirme yet I will rather keepe silence knowing that those which hath bene already spoken of the greate encrease of their graine are suche that they far surmount aboue the coÌ„mon credit and vsuall course of nature They vse no kinde of oyle but such as is made of the seede Sesamum Palme trees are coÌ„mon with theÌ„ in euery place of the countrey many of the which beare fruite are very fertile Parte of this fruite they turne and employ to foode and sustenaunce making wine and honny of the rest The trees themselues they prune and manure not vnlike theyr figge trees Some of these palmes as they vse also to do in other the Graecians call male trees the fruite wherof they eate not but only bind it to the fruite of the female trees whereof breedeth a small woorme or flye which with her sharpe and forcked nebbe biteth through the fruite of the female palme whereby it commeth to ripenesse and maturity being otherwise wont to drop off and decay before it arriue to full growth and perfection For of the fruite of the male palme is bred and produced this little worme such as come also of a wilde figge tree Let vs now proceede vnto that which next after the city it selfe is in my fancy the straungest mirrour and wonder of the whole region The vessels wherein they are accustomed to passe downe y e streame to Babylon are made circlewise and of round compasse drawne ouer on the outside and couered with leather for the people of Armenia whose countrey lyes aboue the Assyrians hauing hewed smoothed out of willow certaine round vessels very hollow and deepe they cast ouer a paast or couering of leather applying them both to the vse of houshold affayres to contemne licour in such like and also to rowe in and passe the water They haue neither head nor tayle that a man may poynt at with his finger there to be the nose and forepart of the shippe and heere the hinder part or sterne but are contriued into a circulare forme like a buckler or target The bottome of these vessels they matte and fence with strawe or rushes wherevpon laying their chaffer and merchandise they commit themselues to the water Theyr chiefest cariage is small roundlets or firkins of wyne makyng the caske it selfe of the leaues of palme The vessels are gouerned by two seuerall rothers at the which two men continually stande and are attendaunt the one whereof drawes the sterâ—e towardes hym into the shippe the other thrusteth from hym outwarde These kynde of shippes are maruaylous greate and very capable albeit some of them be of smaler making then other The greater sort are of power to carry the waight of fyue thousand talentes In euery of which there is one liue Asse at the least and in the bigger three or foure Beeyng landed at Babylon and hauyng made theyr marte of suche thynges as they broughte they sell also the woodde of theyr Shyppes wyth the strawe rushes and suche lyke loadyng backe theyr Asses with the skinnes which they driue home before them into Armenia forsomuch as to saile vpwards against the course of the riuer it is not possible for them by reason of the swiftnesse and violence of the strcame which is the cause also that they make
being compassed about with dry matter was suddaynely by the treachery of his brother set on fire which he perceiuing toke counsayle with his wife then present how to escape and auoyde the daunger The woman either of a readier wit or riper cruelty aduised him to cast two of his sixe children into the fire to make way for him selfe and the rest to passe time not suffering him to make any long stay he put his wyues counsayle in speedy practise made a bridge through the fire of two of his children to preserue the rest aliue Sesostris in this sorte deliuered frō the cruell treason and malicious deuise of his brother first of all tooke reuenge of his trecherous villany and diuelish intent in the next place bethinking himselfe in what affayres to bestowe the multitude which he had brought with him whome afterwards he diuersly employed for by these captiues were certayne huge and monstrous stones rolled and drawne to the temple of Vulcane Likewise many trenches cut out and deriued from the riuer into most places of the countrey whereby the land being aforetime passable by cart horse was thencefoorth bereaued of that commodity for in all the time ensuing the countrey of Aegypt being for the most parte playne and equall is through the creekes and windings of the ditches brought to that passe that neyther horsse nor wayne can haue any course or passage from one place to another Howbeit Sesostris inuented this for the greater benefite and commodity of the lande to the ende that such townes and cities as were farre remooued from the riuer might not at the fall of the floud be pinched with the penury and want of water which at all times they haue deriued and brought to them in trenches The same King made an equall distribution of the whole countrey to all his subiects allotting to euery man the lyke portion and quantitie of ground drawne out and limited by a fouresquare fourme Heereof the King himselfe helde yeerely reuenewes euery one being rated at a certayne rent and pension which annually he payd to the crowne and if at the rising of the floud it fortuned any mans portion to be ouergone by the waters the King was thereof aduertised who forthwyth sent certayne to suruey y e ground and to measure the harmes which the floud had done him and to leauy out the crowne rent according to the residue of the land that remayned Heereof sprang the noble science of Geometry and from thence was translated into Greece For as touching the Pole and Gnomon which is to say the rule and the twelue partes of the day the Graecians tooke them of the Babylonians This King Sesostris held the Empyre alone leauing in Aethiopia before the temple of Vulcane certayne monuments to the posteritie to wit certayne images of stone one for hymselfe another for his wife beeyng eache of them thirtie cubites the foure images also of hys foure sonnes beeyng each of them twentie cubites apeece In processe of time when the image of King Darius that gouerned Persia should haue bene placed before the picture of Sesostris the priest of Vulcane which serued in the temple woulde in no wise permit it to bee done denying that Darius had euer atchieued the like exploites that Sesostris had done Who besides the conquering of sundrie other nations not inferiour in number to those whiche had beene ouercome by Darius had also brought in subiection the most couragious and valiaunt people of Scythia for whyche cause it were agaynst reason to preferre hymselfe in place before him vnto whome he was inferiour in chiualry whiche bolde aunswere of the priest King Darius tooke in good parte and brooked welynough Sesostris dying the seate imperiall came to hys sonne Pheco who beeyng bereaued of hys sight vndertooke no voyage of warre but remayned quiet in his kingdome The cause he was stricken blynde is sayde to be this At what tyme the waters of the floud increasing by reason of a mightie raging winde had drowned the lowe countreys eyghteene cubites deepe The Kyng inraged at the vnaccustomed swelling of the ryuer tooke hys darte and discharged it into the middest of the waters for whyche hys vnrcuerent facte the fame is that hys sighte incontinente was taken from hym and hee became blynde the space of tenne yeares In the eleuenth yeare there arose a prophecie in the city Butis that the tyme of hys miserie was nowe exspyred and that hys syght shoulde eftsoones bee restored agayne if in case hee washed hys eyes in the water of a woman whych neuer knewe man but her owne husbande For further proofe of thys phetis medicine the Kyng beganne first wyth hys owne wyfe whych working not the effecte he looked for he tryed many others but all in vayne lastly lighting vppon a poore seely woman that had neuer woorshipped more Sainctes then one hee speedely recouered hys sighte agayne and causing all those whome earst he had prooued to be gathered into one citie the name whereof was called Reddclodd he set fire to the towne and consumed them all The King thus healed and freely acquited of hys former miserie began to be deuoute increasing the temples of the gods with giftes of exceeding value All which deserue for theyr excellencie to be had in memorie and chiefly those that he offered in the temple of the Sunne which were these two mighty great stones which the Aegyptians in theyr tongue called Obeli in fashion like a spit or breach 100. cubites long and in breadth 80. Next after hym the kingdome descended to a certayne man of the citie Memphis whose name in the greeke language was Protheus to whome the Aegyptians erected a temple which is yet to be seeue in Memphis very fayre and beautifull garnished wyth rich and singulare giftes On euery side whereof dwell the Phenices a people descended of the Tyrians whereof the place taketh the name and is tearmed the tentes of the Tyrians Within the temple there is standyng the house of Proteus called the court of straunge Venus vnder which name is meant as I deeme Helena the daughter of Tyndarus who as a guest agaynst her wyll kepte resyaunce for a tyme in the court of Protheus and was tearmed the straunge Venus in as much as the other Venus who hath many temples in Aegypt is neuer called by the name of straunge Heereof entring talke with the sacred order of the priestes they discoursed vnto me that Alexander hauing stolne Helena from the Spartanes and speedyng hymselfe homewarde by the sea called Aegeum by constraynte of weather was driuen into the Aegyptian seas and perforce againste his will was cast ashore in Aegypt His ariual was at y e mouth of the floud Nilus called Canobicum at y e porte whiche the inhabitants tearme by y e name of Trachex In this place is situated a temple to Hercules where vnto if any mans seruaunt or vassall flye and get vppon hym the holy markes
The citie taken when Helena could not be founde and the same aunswere was rendered the Graecians as before they gaue credite at length to theyr wordes and sente Menelaus into Aegypt to the courte of Protheus whether beeyng come and declaryng the cause of hys arriuall to the Kyng he gaue him greate entertaynemente restoring vnto him hys Lady with all his treasure without any manner of losse or imbeselment Neuerthelesse Menelaus for all this courtesie and royall vsage which he had receyued at the handes of the King gaue him but a poupe for his labour dooyng to the countrey this iniurie for a farewell For indeuouring to depart thence and wayting a fauourable wynde to fit hys purpose by meanes whereof he stayde a long tyme in Aegypt to knowe the state of hys voyage what fortune should thereafter betide vnto hym he tooke two children of the Aegyptians slewe them and paunched out theyr bowels whereby to take view of his future successe Which beyng knowne and perceyuing hymselfe to be mortally hated and pursued of the inhabitauntes he sped hym thence into the Isles of Africa lying ouer against them from whence also makyng as good haste as he coulde the Aegyptians heard no more tydyngs of hym Of all these things they were partly informed by the knowledge of hystories beeyng much more certayne of such thyngs as were done in theyr countrey Thus farre the priestes of Aegypt proceeding in discoursing of Helena whereto I adde thys surmize of myne owne that if Helena had beene in Troy no doubt for ought that Alexander could haue sayde or done she had beene deliuered to the Graecians For who woulde thynke that Kyng Pryamus wyth the residue of that lignage were so madde that to the ende Alexander might enioy the delighte of hys Lady would imperill theyr owne lyues and theyr childrens with the flourishing estate of so famous a citie In whych fond opinion if in case they had bene at the beginning yet vndoubtedly they woulde haue recanted at length when as many valiaunt souldyers of the Troianes and two or three of the Kings owne sonnes if any credit may be geuen to the poets were most lamentably slaine by the Graecians in fight By these things I am driuen to coniecture that if Helena had beene in their keeping Pryamus to rayse the siege from the walles of hys city woulde willingly haue wrought meanes to restore her agayne Neyther was Alexander heyre apparaunt to the crowne so that his father beeyng crooked wyth age the administration of the kyngdome shoulde rest in hys gouernemente one there was betweene hym and home namely hys brother Hector as well in number of yeares hys elder as in noblenesse of mynde hys better whome it behoued not to smooth vp his brother in hys filthy leachery seeing such imminent perill to threaten not onely himselfe but also the whole kyndred and nation of the Troianes But it was the iust plague of God inflicted vppon them for their wickednesse that they shoulde neyther delyuer Helena whome they had not nor be credyted of the Graecians to whome they fayned not to the ende all men myght learne that they whyche stryke wyth the swoorde shall be beaten with the scabberde being euermore seene that vpon greeuous iniuries the gods alwayes powre downe greeuous reuengements Thus much I thought conuenient to speake of mine owne fancye After the deceasse of Protheus Kampsinitus tooke vppon hym the rule of the countrey who in memorie of himselfe lefte behynde hym certayne porches of stone planted westward agaynst the temple of Vulcane right ouer agaynst the whych stoode two images of fyue and twentye cubites in length One of the which standyng northerly they call sommer and the other lying to the west they tearme winter contrary to all reason and order This King in aboundance of wealth and plenty of coyne so farre excelled all those that came after hym that none coulde go beyonde him no not approch neere vnto hym in that kynde wherefore desirous to possesse hys goodes in safetie hee builte hym a treasurie or iewellhouse of stone one of the walles whereof bounded vpon the outsyde of hys courte In framing whereof the workeman had wrought thys subtile conueyance one stone in the wall hee layde in that sorce that a man might easily at pleasure plucke it in or out which notwithstanding serued so fittingly to the place that nothing coulde be discerned When the building was finished the King caused his treasure to be brought into it minding henceforth to be secure and to lay aside all feare of misfortune In processe of time this cunning artificer lying at the poynt to dye called vnto him his two sonnes and disclosed vnto them in what manner he had prouided for theyr good estate in leauing a secret and most priuy passage into the Kings treasurie whereby theyr whole lyfe myght be lead in most happy and blessed condition In briefe hee shewed them all that was done by hym delyuering them the iust measures of the stone that they mighte not bee deceyued in laying it agayne whych the two yong youthes well marking thought from that tyme forwarde to be of the Kings counsayle if not of hys court and to become the priuy surueyers of hys iewell-house Theyr father beeing dead they made no long delay to put in execution theyr determinate purpose but repayring to the court by night they found the stone which with small force remoouing it from the place they sped themselues wyth plentie of coyne and so departed In shorte space after the Kyng entering hys treasurie and fyndyng the vessels wherein hys money lay to be somewhat decreased was exceedingly amazed not knowing whome to accuse seeyng both hys seales whyche he had set on the dore vntouched and the dore fast locked at hys commyng thyther Howbeit repayring sundrie tymes to beholde hys wealth and euermore perceyuing that it grewe lesse and lesse deuised with hymselfe to beset the place where hys money lay with certayne greens or snares to entrappe the theefe in These subtile merchaunts accordyng to theyr former wont approching the spring head where they had dronke so oft before one of them wente in and groaping for the money was so fast intangled in a snare that for hys lyfe hee wist not how to shifte but seeyng hymselfe in these braakes hee called hys brother to whome he disclosed hys euill happe willing hym in any wise to cut off hys head least beeyng knowne who hee was they both myght bee serued wyth the same sauce His brother hearing hys counsayle to be good did as he bade hym and fitly placing the stone as hee founde it departed home bearyng wyth hym the head of hys slayne brother The nexte day the Kyng opening hys iewell house and espying and headlesse theefe surprised in a ginne was woonderfully astonied seeing euery place safe and no way in the world to come in or out at In this quandary vncertaine what to thynke of so straunge an euent be deuised yet to
go another way to the wood causing the body of the theefe to be hanged out vppon the walles in open view to all that passed by appoynting certayne to attend in that place with straight charge that if they hearde any making moane or lamentation at the sighte thereof they shoulde foorthwyth attache them and bryng them to the Kyng The Mother of these two Breethron not able wyth patiente eyes to beholde the wretched carkasse of her pitifull sonne called the other brother vnto her aduising him by some meanes or other to take awaye hys brothers bodye and burie it threatening moreouer that in case he neglected to accomplishe it wyth speede shee woulde open all hys thefte and treacherie to the Kyng Whome her sonne endeuouring wyth many woordes to persuade and nought auayling so tender was her affection towardes her childe hee set hys wittes abroache to the framing of some subtyle conceyte to beguyle and inueigle the Kyngs watchemen Pannelling certayne Asses whyche hee loaded wyth bottels of sweete wyne hee proceeded forwarde wyth hys carryage tyll suche tyme as hee came agaynste the place where the watche laye where priuily vnstopping one or two of hys bottles the wyne flowed out in greate aboundance whereat fayning as though hee had beene besydes hymselfe hee piteously cryed out tearing hys hayre add stampyng as one vtterlye ignoraunte whyche to reuiedye fyrste The keepers seeyng the wyne gushe but so fast raâ—â—e hastely wyth pottes and cannes to receyue to least all should bee lost but the dryuer who had alreadye cast hys plotte seemed heereat muche more inraged then before tauntyng and raylyng at them wyth most bitter and reuiling woordes Contraryly the watchmen geuing hym very fayre and gentle language hee seemed better contented leadyng asyde hys Asses out of the way to newe girde them and place his carriage in better order Manye woordes grewe betweene them whyles he was addressing hys Asses to proceede on theyr waye till that one of them bolting foorth a merry iest caused hym to laugh hartily so that lyke a good fellowe he bestowed amongst them a bottle of wyne Which courtesie they all tooke in very good parte requesting hym to sitte wyth them for companye and drinke parte of hys owne cost Whereto hee willingly consenting they dranke a carouse euery man hys cannikin tyll the wyne began to runne of the lyes whyche thys coapesmate perceyuing set abroach another bottle and began to quaffe afreshe whyche set my keepers on such a tantarra that beeyng well wetted they set more by three drammes of sleepe then syxe ounees of witte When all was hushe and the watchmen fast asleepe hee tooke the bodye of hys brother and in mockage shauing off the hayre of theyr right cheekes he returned home beyng right gladly enterteyned of hys mother The Kyng seeyng hys deuises no better to proceede but for ought he coulde imagine the theefe still beguyled hym waxed woonderous wrath howbeit determining to leaue nothing vnattempted rather then to let such a villayne escape scotfree he built yet another trappe to catch the foxe in He had at that time abiding in hys courte a goodly gentlewoman his onely daughter whome he tenderly loued from her childhood This Lady he made of his counsayle willing her by the duety of a chylde to a bandon chastity for the time making hirselfe a common stalant for all that would come on condition they shoulde sweare to tell her the subtilest and the sinfullest prancke that euer they had played in all theyr lyfe tyme and who so confessed the facts lately atchieued in imbesileing the Kings treasure and stealing away the theefe him to lay hold on and not suffer to depart The gentlewoman obeying her fathers will kepte open house hauing greate repayre vnto her out of all partes of the countrey Now the theefe whyche knewe full well to what intente the Kyng had done thys desirous to bee at oast wyth hys daughter for a nighte and fearing the daunger that myghte ensue beeyng of a verie pregnaunt and readie witte deuised yet another shifte wherewythall to delude the Kyng he strake off the hande of hys brother that was dead and closely carying it vnder his cloake he repayred to the place where the Kings daughter lay who demaunding hym the question as she had done the rest receyued of him this aunswere that the sinfullest acte that euer he committed was to cut off his brothers head beeing inueigled in a snare in the Kings treasurie but the subtilest in that he had deceyued a sort of drouken asses whome the King had appoynted to watch the body The Lady that had listned to his tale hearing the newes she longed for stretched out her hand to lay hold on him who subtilly presenting her with the hande of his brother which beeing darke she fast griped in stead of his owne hee conueyed himselfe from her and was no more seene The King heereof aduertised was stricken with so great admiration as well of his wit in deuising as his boldnesse in aduenturing that forthwith he caused notice to be geuen throughout all partes of his gouernment that in case the party whiche had done these thinges woulde disclose himselfe and stande to his mercy he woulde not only yeeld him free pardon but also indue and honour him with so princely rewards as were fit for a person of such excellent wisedome My yonker yeelding credite to the Kings promise came foorth in presence and descried himselfe with whome Kampsinitus ioyning his daughter in mariage did him the greatest honour he could deuise esteeming him for the wisest man that liued vpon the earth holding it for certayne that the Aegyptians excelled all others in wisedome amongst whome he iudged none comparable to hym The same King say they whiles he was yet liuing trauelled so farre vnder the ground till he came to the place which the Graecians call the seates infernall where he played at dyce with the goddesse Ceres and sometimes winning sometimes losing he returned againe at length beeing rewarded by her with a mantle of gold In the meane space while Kampsinitus vndertooke this voyage to hell the Aegyptians kept holyday prolonging the celebration till such time as he retyred backe againe which solemne obseruance since our memory hath bene duely celebrated But whether this be the cause of that sacred festiuall I dare not auowe howbeit the priests shewed me a certayne cloake wouen in the space of one daye wherewith once ayeare they attyre some one of theyr petie vicares blinding moreouer hys eyes wyth a myter Beeing in thys sorte attyred they conduct hym to the hygh way that leadeth to the temple of the goddesse Ceres where after they haue placed hym they leaue hym grabling in that place and departe their waye To whome incontinently resorte two wolues conducting the priest to the temple aforesayde whyche is distaunte from the city twentie furlongs where hauing accomplished certayne rytes the wolues leade hym backe agayne to the same place All these thyngs they doubt not to
Syrians at a place named Magdolos he wanne the renowne of the fielde and after the battayle was ended tooke the greate city Caditis And beeyng very neate and fine in hys apparrell he sent a sute of hys brauest array to Apollo in Branchidae a certayne field of the Milesians In the ende after he had held the Kingdome seauenteene yeares hee then died leauing the title of his soueraignety to Psammis his sonne During whose raigne a certayne people called Helus sent messengers abrode into all regions to giue them to vnderstand how by them was deuised a game in Olympus of greater admiration and equitie then by any that euer had vsed that place supposing that the Aegyptians who had the prayse of wisedome aboue all nations could not better or more iustly dispose of these matters then themselues When they were come into Aegypt and had told the cause of their arriuall thither the King assembled such of the Aegyptians as were most excellent for graue and sage advice aboue the rest To whome when the Helians had made discourse of all those things which they had ordeyned in the setting foorth of this noble combate and had asked the Aegyptians if they could deuise anything better after deliberation had of the matter they asked the Helians whether they had inacted that citizens should mayntayne the controuersie against strangers or otherwise who aunswered that it was indifferently lawfull for all to striue of what countrey soeuer he were wherto the Aegyptians replyed that it coulde no wise stande wyth iustice forsomuch as one citizen would shew fauour to another by that meanes by partial dealing do iniurie to those y t came frō farre so that in case they would order y e matter with more equity and for that cause had arriued in Aegypt it were better to make the game for strangers alone not suffering any of the Helians to striue These things the Aegyptians put into theyr heads and sent them packing Psammis hauing raigned full out sixe yeares and making a voyage of warre into Aethyopla incontinently dyed After whome succeeded his sonne Apryes the most fortunatest of all the princes that had ruled before him excepting Psammiti 〈…〉 his great graundfire gouerning the countrey 25. yeares During which time he warred vpon Sydon and fought with the people of Tyrus by Sea Howbeit fortune owing him a despight she payde him home at length the cause where of we withriefely touch at this present deferring a more ample discourse of the same till we come to speake of the affayres of the Punickes When as therefore vndertaking a iourney against the Cyrenians he had suffered great losse of his men the Aegyptians cōtinuing hatred against him denied their allegeaunce rebelled supposing y t he had betrayed their liues on purpose to the end that with more security he might gouerne those y t remained For which cause in great disdayne aswell such as forsooke him returned home as also the friends of these y t had died in the battell stoode at defiance with the king renoūceing all duties of subiection Apryes witting hereof sent Amasis to treate peace with them who when he came in many words had rebuked their disloyalty one of the Aegyptians standing behinde him clapt a Costlet on his head saying hee had done it to make him King Amasis nothing discontent herewith was no soner proclaymed King by the rebells but forthwith he put himselfe in a readinesse to encounter with Apryes Apryes vnderstanding this sent one of the Aegyptians named Patarbemes a man of approued vertue with especiall charge to bring to him Amasis alyue Who arryuing speedely at the place where hee was tolde him the Kinges pleasure Amasis sittinge on horse backe and incouraginge those that were about him commaūded Patarbemes to bring Apryes vnto him Patarbemes once agayne willing him to make speede to the King who had sente for him hee answered that hee woulde come with all speede possible sayinge that the Kinge shoulde haue no cause to complayne of his slacknesse for hee purposed god willing to bee with him shortely and bringe him more company Patarbemes perceiuinge by his maner of speache and dealinges what hee was mynded to doe thought with as much speede as hee coulde to geue notice to the King and being returned Apryes in a great rage for that hee had lefte Amasis behinde him without any woordes by and by commaunded his Nose and his Cares to bee cut of The rest of the Aegyptians that followed the Kinges partes seeing this that so worthy and renowmed a man should without cause suffer so great shame and reproche amongst them without any delay fled ouer to the rebelles and came to Amasis Apryes increasing his fury put in armoure all such as of forrayne countries were hyrelinges in his hoste which hee had of Iönia and Caria aboute thirty thowsande men and marched agaynst the Aegyptians Hee had in the City Saïs a very great gorgeous Pallace The armyes therefore of bothe parties incamped agaynst other at the City Memphis there to abide the lot and euent of the battayle Nowe the people of Aegypt are diuersly addicted amongst whom are to bee marked seuen sundry Trades and kindes of lyuing which are these Priests Souldiers Grasiers Neate-heardes Salesmen Interpreters Maryners so many kindes bee there of this people taken of the Trade or crafte which euery one followeth Likewise the souldiers are called Calasiries and Hermotybies dwelling in certayne regions For the whole countreye of Aegypte is distinguished into certaine territories The coastes of the Hermotybies are these Busiris Saïs Chemmis Papremis and the halfe parte of the Iland Prosopis otherwise called Natho In these quarters are inhabyting of the souldiers Hermotybies 160. thowsande none of the which geue themselues to manuary artes or any trade of gayne but wholly practise the science of armes Moreouer to y e Calasyrians are assigned these regions Thebana Bubastiana Aphthitana Tanitana Mendesia Sebenitana Athribitana Pharbaethitana Thmuitana Thnuphitana Anysia Myecphoritana which tribe possesseth an Iland lying against the City Bubastis The tribes of the Calasyrians when they are mustered to the most yeelde to the warre two hundred and fiftye thowsand men which are neuer trained vp in any thing but in feates of Chiualry the Sonne learning of his father Which custome whether the Greekes tooke from the Aegyptians or borowed it from els where I can not certainely say seeing that in Scythia Persia and Lydia and welnigh all the countreyes of the Barbarians the basest sorte of Cityzens are such as exercise handicraftes and their children of leaste accounte and they best regarded which are leaste conuersante in the same especially such as are employed in the fielde The same maner also doe the Grecians obserue and chiefly the Lacedaemonyans and euen amonge the Corinthyans craftsmen and such others are debased to the lowest degree To these gentlemen souldiers this chiefe honour is assigned aboue all sortes of men sauing those
gaue no gyftes offered no sacrifice esteeming them vnworthy of any reuerence hauing geuen out a false verdite And such as had pronounced him guilty to these as to the most true gods whose Oracles were agreeable to iustice hee perfourmed the greatest honour hee coulde deuise Besides in the City of Saïs hee made a porche to the temple of Minerua a worke of great admiration and farre passing the rest both in heights and bignesse so great is the quantity of the stones that were employed in the building Hee erected besides in the same place diuerse Images of a woÌ„derfull size the pictures of many noysome and pestilent Serpents Hee layde there also many huge stones to the repayring of the temple parte of the which were digged out of the stone quarryes by Memphis other of great quantity brought from the city of Elephantina which is distant from Saïs 20. dayes sayling Moreouer that which is not the least wonder but in my minde to bee reckoned amongst the chiefest hee brought from Elephantina an house framed of one stone in the cariage whereof 2000. choyse men of the Mariners of Aegypt consumed three yeares The roufe hereof on the outside is 21. cubyts longe 14. cubits broad eight cubites highe being on the inside 22. cubytes in length and in height 5. This house is set at the entring into the temple geuing this reason why it was not brought into the church for that the chiefe Mariner when he had gotten it to that place as wearie wyth hys dayes worke tooke respite and breached him selfe whereat the King being very much mooued bad him leaue of work not permitting him to labour any longer Some say that one of those which were busied in heauing of the stone with leauers to haue bene bruised to death by it and that this was the cause why it stoode without the Pallace By the same King were erected sundry temples built by arte very exquisitely and cunningly whereof one hee made sacred to Vulcane before which lyeth a great Image with the face vpwarde in length seuenty fiue feete being spread along vppon a pauement of stone in the selfe same place on eache side this Image stand two carued monuments of stone twenty foote in quantity Like vnto this is another stone in Saïs lying in the selfe same maner In like sorte the great temple in Memphis so gorgeous and beautifull to the sight of all that behold it was the handiwork also of y e same King Amasis In the time of this Kinges gâ—uernmente Aegypt floryshed in all wealth being greatly increased aswell by the ryches which the ryuer yeeldeth as in other reuenewes which the people receyue by the countrey which at the same time was so populous that there were then inhabited 20000 cityes Likewise by this Kinge it was enacted that euerye one should yearely render accounte to the cheife president of the countrey howe and by what maner of trade hee gayned his lyuinge being alwayes prouyding that such as refused to doe it at all or beeinge called to a reckoninge coulde shewe no lawefull meanes howe they spent their tymes should for the the same cause bee adiudged to dye Which lawe Solon borowing of the Aegyptians did publish it in Athens and is by them for the profite thereof most religiously obserued Amasis vppon good affection hee bare to the Grecians besides other benefittes franckly bestowed on them made it lawefull for all such as trauayled into Aegypte to inhabyte the City Naucrates And such as would not abyde in that place hauinge more mynde to seaâ—aring for the vse of Marchaundize to those hee gaue lybertye to Plant aulters and builde churches So that the greatest and most famous Temple in all the land is called the Grecian temple The Cityes of the Greekes by whose charge and expence this temple was builte in Aegypte were these of the countrey of Iönia Chius Teus Phocoea Clazomene amongst the Dorians foure Cities Rhodus Cnydus Halicarnassus Phaselus one City of the people of Aeolia namely Mitylene To these Cityes of Greece is the Temple belonginge by whom also are founde and mayntayned certayne Priests to serue in the same There are other townes besides in Greece that haue some righte to the Temple as hauing contributed some thinge to the vse of the same Howbeit the Temple of Iupiter the people of Aegina built of their owne proper cost No City toke parte with Samos in setting vp the Pallace of Iuno the Milesians alone tooke vppon them to erect the Temple of Apollo Besides these there are no other monuments built by the Grecians which remayne extant in Aegypt And if by fortune any of the Greekes passe into Nylus by any other way then that which serueth to lande from Greece hee is fayne to sweare that hee was constrained agaynst his will byndinge him selfe by oath that in the same Shippe hee wyll speede him selfe into Canobicus another Channell of the Ryuer so called and if by contrarye wyndes hee bee hindered from arryuinge there hee muste hyre caryage by water and so ferry the nexte way to Naucrates In such sorte were the Grecians tyed to that City beinge by reason of their trafique thyther had in principall honoure Nowe whereas the Pallace of Amphiction whiche is nowe at Delphos beeing straungely pearyshed by fyre was gone in hande with a freshe vppon price of three hundred tallentes the people of Delphos which were leauyed at the fourth parte of the charges straying aboute all countryes gathered very much being chiefly assysted by the Aegyptians Amasis the Kinge bestowinge on them a thowsande tallents of Asume and the Grecians that were abyding in Aegypt twenty pound Moreouer with the Cyrenaeans Prynce Amasis entred friendship and strooke a league of fellowship with the same insomuch that he thought meete to enter asâ—yaunce with them taking a wife of that countrey eyther for affection he bare to the women of Greece or in respecte of hys loue to the Cyrenaeans His wife as some say was the daughter of Battus sonne of Arcesilaus as others reporte of Critobulus a man of chiefe credite and regarde amongst those with whome he dwelt His Ladies name was Ladyce a woman of surpassing beautie with whome the King beeing in bed was so strangely benummed and daunted in courage as if he had bene an Eunuch not able to execute any dutie of a man wherat the King himselfe beeing greately agast feeling himselfe frollicke in the company of other women and so faint to hys Lady Ladyce on a time began to taunt her in these tearmes Can it be thou filthy and detestable hagge that by any meanes I should refrayne from doing thee to the most miserable death that can be deuised which hast thus inchaunted and bewitched my body In faith minion I will coniure this diuell of yours and assure thy selfe if thy lucke be not the better thou shalt not liue two dayes to an ende The poore Lady standing stiffely in her owne defence and nothing preuayling to appease his fury
vowed within her selfe to the goddesse Venus that in case it might please her to inable Amasis to performe the duties of an husband and accompany with her the same night she would dedicate an image vnto her at Cyrenae Hir prayers being heard Amasis became so frollicke that before the morning they arose the best contented folkes on the earth euer after that finding hymselfe so apt to enioy the delightes of his Lady that he tooke greatest pleasure in her company and loued her most entirely of all other Ladyce remembring her vowe she had made to Venus thought good to performe it and framing a most beautifull and curious image she sente it to the city Cyrenae which stoode vnperished vnto our dayes being placed by the citizens without the towne The same Ladyce Cambyses King of Persia vanquishing Aegypt vnderstanding what she was sent her without any manner shame or violence into her owne countrey By this King Amasis were many giftes distributed of singulare price and value To Cyrenae he sent the image of Minerua garnished all ouer wyth gilt and his owne personage most curiously shadowed by a Paynter Likewise to the city Lindus he gaue two images of the goddesse Minerua wrought in stone with a linnen stomacher most excellently imbrodered by arte Moreouer to the goddesse Iuno in Samus two pictures expressing her diuine beautie of most exquisite workemanship Which bountie he exercised towards the Samians for the great friendship he bare to their King Polycrates the sonne of Aeaces But to the city Lyndus why he should shewe hymselfe so franke and liberall no other reason serued sauing that the fame wente that the great temple of Minerua in Lindus was builded by y e daughters of Danaus after they were knowne and had escaped the daungers intended against them by the sonnes of Aegyptus These and many other excellente giftes were dispersed and giuen abroade by King Amasis By whome also the city Cyprus which was deemed of all men inuincible and had neuer before beene vanquished by any was conquered taken and brought vnder tribute FINIS The contrey of the author The first cause of discention betvvene the Grecians and Barbarians The rape of Io. and her ariual into Aegipt Europa stolen by the Greeks in reuenge of Io. Medea caried avvay by IasoÌ„ at vvhat tyme he vvonne the golden fleecè at Colchis The rape of Helen vvherof arose the Troyan vvarre By so much the greater is their folly that fight for vvomen by hovv much the greater their liberty is to be vvel ridde of them The pleasaunt history of Craesus sonne of Haliattes the first of the BarbariaÌ„s that coÌ„quered any part of Grece Greece consisted of foure kind of people the Iones Aeoles Dorus LaccdemoniaÌ„s The right Aeres apparant to the crovvne of Lidia vvere the Heraclidans Mernade vver the family and succession of those kinges vvherof Cresus came The royall family of the kinges of Lidia before the Heraclidans came of Lydus of whoÌ„ the countrey was named Lydia The Parentes of the Heraclidans Hercules Iardana By what meanes the empire came to the stocke of Craeâ—ns The best poynt of a Woman to be vnknowne A due revvard of doting The diuil in old tyme a diposer of kingdomes since the Pope Pythia a vvomaÌ„ that serued the deuil in his temple at Delphos gaue out oracles to such as demauÌ„ded them Delphos a city in the couÌ„trey of Phosis one a mouÌ„tayne of Grece called Paâ—nassê° here vvas the famous temple of Apollo vvher the deuil gaue craracles The Actes of Giges vvrought by him in tyme of his raygne The yeares of his raygne 38 Ardyis sonne of Gyges second king of the stocke of the Mernadans The tyme of his raygne 49. yeares Sadiatâ—es 3. king raygned 12. yeares Haliattes king 4. The actes and aduentures of Halyattes The Story of Arion Haliattes rayned 57 yeares Glancus Chius the first that inuented to vvorke in iron Solon trauayling froÌ„ Grece came into Lidia to the court of Craesus of vvhose vvealth and felicity hee gaue iudgement as follovveth The example of an happy Tellus The Gods offended at the insolency of Craesus bereaued him of his deare son Atis The dreame of Craesus as concerninge his sonnes de 〈…〉 Adrastus for killing his brother vvas exiled his couÌ„try A vvylde Bore haunting in Mysia VVhom destenies vvil haue die he shal be the busie vvor ker of his ovvue peril Atis sâ—ayne by Adrastus Adrastus slevv himselfe vpon the tombe of Atis. Apolloin these verses telles the ambassadours vvhat their kinge did that day The meaning of the oracle The sacrifice of Craesus to A pollo his giftes also vvhich he dedicated in the â—aâ—ple Craesus demauÌ„ ded of the oracle vvhether he might make vvarre a gaynst Persia or not A doubtful ansvveare the meaniÌ„g vvherof is expounded in the next page He is somevvhat to hasty that leaps ouer the stâ—le before he comes at it The meaning of this oracle is expressed The originall of the Lacedae monians and Athenians The miracle of the Greeke nation Pi 〈…〉 a 〈…〉 rauntin AtheÌ„s by vvhatdeuise he attay 〈…〉 d the gouernâ—eÌ„t The subtilty of of Pisistratue to attayne the kingdome Pisistratus depriued of his kingdome A deuise made by Pisistratus to recouer the kingdome Pisistratus bani shed out of AtheÌ„s the seâ—d tyme. A propâ—â—cy of Pisistratus â—â—s victory Pisistratus the 3 time king Lycurgus the lavvgeuer of the Lacedaemonians An oracle in the prayse of Lycurgus A deceyptful oracle that fell out othervvise theÌ„ the vvords import An oracle describing the place vvhere Orestes vvas buryed The meanes hovv the tomb vvas diseried The story of Craesus beyng interrupted The vvise couÌ„sayle of Sardanis geuen to king Craesus in his settinge forth agaynst Persia The riot ofth PersiaÌ„s vvheÌ„ce it came The limites of Media and Lydia Th. causes of Craesus his voi age agaynst Persia A prety discourse shevviÌ„g the meanes hovv Craesus Astyages came to be of a kinne The Scythians excellent in shoting The day turned into night Labynetus sonne of Nitocijs The maÌ„ner of makiÌ„ga league betvvene the Lydians and Medes The meaning of this place of Astyages his captiuity is declared more at large The deuyse of Thales Milesius to passe the riuer CoÌ„pare vvith this place the apologi of Cyrus to the ambassadour of Ioma A miracle forshevving the destruction of Sardis The meaning of the miracle The Lydians couragious in battaile and expert in ridiÌ„g A singuler deuise of Harpagus to vanquish the Lydian ryders A horse very fearful of a camel A ariefe discourse of a coÌ„bat fought betveene the Argyues and Lacedaemonians for a piece of ground ThevvynniÌ„g of thcitye Sardis The cause vvhy the vvals of Sardis vvere inuincible Craesus his dumbe sonne spake to saue his father The oracle verifyed Fol. 15. Craesus acknovvlegeth novv the sentence of Solon to true that no man is perfyte happy that maye bee miserable The vvisedom and merciful nature of Cyrus in yeldinge Craesus pardoÌ„ Apollo by a
THE Famous Hystory of HERODOTVS Conteyning the Discourse of dyuers Countreys the succession of theyr Kyngs the actes and exploytes atchieued by them the Lavves and customes of euery Nation with the true Description and Antiquitie of the same IMP. IVSTINVS IVN. AVGVST Deuided into nine Bookes entituled vvith the names of the nine Muses AT LONDON Printed by Thomas Marshe 1584. To the right excellent and vertuous Gentleman Mayster Robert Dormer sonne to the noble Knight Sir Wyllyam Dormer B. R. vvisheth increase of vvorship vvith the fauoure of GOD. PRetily was it aunsweared of Praxiteles right worshipfull who beeyng demaunded whych of both were most to be esteemed the Paynter or the writer of Hystories whether of the two would you choose quoth he to be dumbe and make a signe aptly or to haue the vse of your tongue and tell your tale fitly So that hymselfe beyng a Paynter and the science so greatly regarded as then it was yet beyng made a iudge of two notable sciences he thought meeter to derogate something from his owne arte then to defame a better Such were the dayes then and the people so farre enamoured wyth the Arte of Paynting that to haue skyll in the draught of shadowes and the apt framing of pictures was deemed the best quality that could rest in a Gentleman touchyng whiche wee may well say as dyd Parrhasius who paynting one that ranne in a race and not able to make hym sweate added this for a note No farther then coulours So that Praxiteles with his pencill shall make the signe and being not vnderstoode Herodotus shall tell his tale by meanes whereof that whych wanteth in the one shall be so plentifully supplyed in the other that dyspising the Paynter for setting downe to little we shall suspect the wryter for alleadging to much finding faulte with one for obscuritie and in the other fearing flatterie So lyuely in many things and so euident in all things is the pleasaunt discourse of hystories that a better coūterfayte may be drawne wyth two penfull of incke in Herodotus tale then with two potfull of coulours in Apelles table But to leaue the Paynter to his coulours it was fitly sayde of Cicero that to knowe no more then that which was done in his owne time were still to be a childe meaning that the chiefest parte of wisedome by the which we farthest surmount the boundes of childish ignoraūce is to be well seene in storyes out of the which whether more profite or pleasure redounde to those that reade them it is hard to say For what greater commodity may there be then to fit our-selues with sundry sortes of examples to direct our wits to frame our manners to gouerne the course of our whole lyues an infinite number whereof are offered in stories to the singulare profite of the posteritie Vertue blased with excellency vice defaced with infamy famous cities vtterly destroyed small townes highly aduanced auncient frendship turned to enmity mortall hatred conuerted to amitie free cities brought vnder tribute and suche as were tributarie restored to freedome briefly all things in storyes that may eyther for profite auayle the reader or for pleasure delight hym It is lefte to memory of Scipio Africanus a noble Gentleman of Rome that seeking to ensue the example of Cyrus which was fayned by Xenophon he atchieued that fame of wisedome and valure as fewe had attayned before hym The lyke happened to Selimus prince of the Turkes whose auncetours hating stories he caused the actes of Caesar to be drawne into his mother tongue and by his example subdued a great parte of Asia and Africa And Caesar himselfe had neuer aspired to the type of so great renowne but by following of Alexander reading whose victories he brast out into teares forsomuch as at the same age whereat Alexander had subdued the whole worlde hymselfe had done nothing woorthy memory The delyghte wee receyue by readyng hystories is euery way singulare a soueraigne medicine for the cares of the minde a speedy remedy for the griefes of the body So that Alphonsus Kyng of Spayne lefte by Physicke as incurable recouered his health by readyng Lyuy In which kynde of delightsome veyne sithence of all other Herodotus most excelleth both for the pleasaunt course of the story and the plentifull knowledge cōteyned therein I thought him not vnfit at his first entry into Englande to growe in fauour wyth so noble a Gentleman by whose countenaunce gaynyng credite hee may with lesse shame and greater acceptaunce aduenture into the hands of such as shall reade hym I leaue hym therfore in your worships hands to entertayne as a stranger and as he deserueth to make hym familiar not forgetting to wish hym good fortune as a forreyner and to your selfe increase of fame and the fauour of God to youre lyues ende Your Worships most duty full to commaunde B. R. To the Gentlemen Readers RIght courteous Gentlemen we haue brought out of Greece into England two of the Muses Clio and Euterpe as desirous to see the lande as to learne the language whome I trust you wil vse well because they be women and you can not abuse them because you be Gentlemen As these speede so the rest will followe neyther altogether vnwilling to forsake theyr owne Countrey nor yetouerhasty to arriue into this reposing the ende of theyr counsayle in the proofe of youre courtesie If you lyke them not for the attyre they weare yet bid them welcome for the newes they bring which I confesse are in many poyntes straunge but for the most parte true The first of these hath trauelled through three Countreys of auncient fame Lydia Persia and Assyria making reporte of all suche things as in the same are eyther memorable for antiquity or famous for excellency The second eyther lesse able to trauayle farre or more pleasuring in that Countrey kepte resyaunce in Aegypt where she found the people so witty the countrey so wonderfull all things so straunge and differing from the common course of nature that abiding there shee thoughte Aegypt to haue greater store of myracles then all the world beside Wherefore trauelling to no place but to Aegypt she telleth no news but out of Aegypt howbeit in such exquisite manner that for the countrey the people the princes the lawes the course of all antiquitie hearing her ye will desire no more Neyther of these are braued out in theyr coulours as the vse is now adayes and yet so seemely as eyther you will loue them because they are modest or not mislike them because they are not impudent since in refusing ydle pearles to make them seeme gaudy they reiect not modest apparrell to cause them go comely The truth is Gentlemen in making them newe attyre I was fayne to take example by theyr olde array cutting out my cloth by another mans measure beeyng great difference whether wee inuent a fashion of our owne or imitate a paterne set downe by another Whiche I speake not to this ende for that my selfe coulde
Cilisians and Lisians all the rest were subiect to the Empire of Craesus which were these The Lidians Phrigians Mysians Mariandyns likewyse the Chalibes Paphlagonians Thrasians Oetimans lastlye the Bithynians Carians Iones Dores Aeoles Pamphylians which beyng all subdued and the Gouernement of the Lydians greatly amplified by Craesus there repayred to Sardis beyng then in y e flower of her fortune as well other wyse men out of Greece termed Sophisters as also the most famous Solon one of the citye of Athens who at the instant prayers of his citizens hauinge tempered the common wealth with good lawes vnder coloure of visittinge straunge countreyes willingly for terme of yeares abandoned his natyue soyle that hee might not be forced to break the Lawes which he before had made the Athenians them selues standing bound with a solemne and religious vowe for ten yeares space to obserue these statutes which Solon had inuented aswel then for the maintenance of his lawes as to view and see forraine nations he vndertoke a pilgrimage into Aegipt to King Amasis and from thence to Sardis to the court of Craesus where in gentle and curteous manner beynge entertayned by the Kinge at the thirde or fourth daye after his arriuall he was lead about the treasuryes to view the welth and riches of Craesus beholdyng all the inestimable and blessed iewels that were contayned in them After he had attentiuely beheld and with curious eye surueyed them at his pleasure Craesus began to borde hym on this manner You Gentleman of Athens for asmuche as we hearde greate good wordes of your wisedome beyng for knowledge and experience sake a pilgrim from your countrey wee haue deemd it conuenient to aske you a questiō whether at any time you haue seene the happiest man aliue not mistrusting but that the lotte woulde haue fallen to hym selfe to haue exceeded all others in blessednes Solō not mynding to double as one altogeather vn acquaynted with pleasing phrases deliuered his mynd in free speechin forme as followeth I haue seene O King quoth he Tellus one of my coūtriemen of Athens a man surpassing all others in happye lyfe wherat Craesus wondring earnestlye required what cause made him thinke so highlye of Tellus For as muche sayde hee as in a wel ordered common wealth heehadde children trayned vp in vnitye and honesty euery of which hadde likewyse increase of his owne bodye and yet all liuing And hauing spent the course of his age as wel as a man might Fortune crowned his end with the perpetual renowne of a most glorious death For the Athenians ioyning in battayle with their next neighbours Tellus comming with a fresh supplye and putting his ennemies to flight ended his life in the field whom y e people of Athens in the selfe same place where he had shed his bloud caused to be entombed with immortall honour Solon going forward in a large discourse as touching Tellus was cut of by Craesus with a second demaunde who asked him the second tyme whom in conscience he thoughte next vnto him in full hope that at the least his part had bene next to whom he answeared in the next degree Most mighty Prince I haue alwayes reputed Cleobis and Biton two younge menne of the Countrey of Argos of body so strong and actiue that in all games they wanne the price of whom these thinges are left to memorye The feast of Iuno beynge kept at Argos the mother of these two young men was to bee drawne to the temyle by a yoke of bullocks which whē the houre came beyng strayed and gone out of the way the two young youthes yoked thēselues and halyng the chariot forty fyue furlongs they came to the temple which after they had done in the sight view of the whole multitude in a lucky howre they dyed wherby y e Goddesse gaue vs to vnderstand how much better it was for man to die then liue For when as the people flocking about extolled them to the heauens the men praising y e good nature and intent of the sonnes the women commendinge the blessed chaunce of the mother whom nature had indued with two such children the good old mother almost out-of hyr wyttes for ioy what for the kynd deede of her sonnes and the goodly speech of the people aduauncinge their virtue as shee stoode before the ymage of Iuno besought the Goddesse with earnest prayers to rewarde the kindnes of hir children with the chiefe and most precious blessing that might happen vnto man Her prayer made and both the sacrifyce and feast ended they gaue themselues to rest in the temple but neuer after awaking in the mornīg they were founde dead whom the people of Argos by two carued monumentes placed at Delphos commended to euerlastinge memory for men of rare and excellēt vertue To these men did Solon attribute the next step to perfect happinesse Craesus now beyng throughlye warmed and beginninge to storme why then quoth he thou foolishe straunger of Athens is my wealth so base in thyne eyes that thou demest me not worthy to bee compared with two priuate men of Argos Certes 〈◊〉 king sayd he you demaund of me a question as one not altogeather ignorāt y t the hyghest clymers haue the heauiest falles the terme of mans life be threscore yeares and ten which yeares consist of twentye fyue thousande two hundred dayes omitting to speak of that moneth which is giuen to some yeares in addition for the iust compasse and reuolution of the tyme. Howbeit if in euery other yeare we increase a moneth for the due concordaunce and euen course of times to threscore and ten yeres we must adde 35 monethes conteining in themselues 1500 dayes Be it then in all these dayes which in full cōputation are twenty sixe thousand two hundred and fifty what thing do wee see lyke unto other what rather not flatly vnlike straūge disagreyng from the former so y e mā O Craelus is altogeather wretched and miserable not w tstanding thy selfe art in wealth flourishing and a prince of many people all this I deny not and yet I cannot call thee hym whom thou wouldest be til such tyme as I heare of thy fortunate death For wherein is the rych man better then a begger vnlesse the course of his happines continew to his graue Ther are many rych but few blessed and many of a meane patrimony yet very fortune Two thinges there be wherin the infortunate rich excelleth those who in meaner substaunce haue fortune their frende by whom contrariwyse they are excelled in many The wealthy hath to glutte his desires to pay for his default when it happeneth Both which though fortune haue denyed him y t in baser wealth liueth well yet in this he goeth beyond the other y e want of substaunce kepeth him from ryot care of well doyng frō security in offending the same hauing no small thankes to yeeld to Fortune y t he hath his health that hee is gauled greeued with no calamity
and deuoured in hope the whole gouernment and empyre of Cyrus Wherfore he returned a messeÌ„ger w t a fresh present to Pythia and for euery one their abyding whom he hadde intelligence to be verie many 2. ounces of Gold For which his magnificent bounty the people of Delphos to shew themselues thankefull agayne yeelded hym the chiefe preheminece in counsayling the oracle the principall place in sitting and a perpetuall priuilege of a voice suffragie for any man that should be adopted into the society of Delphos on this maner Craesus powred out his presente vppon the temple of Apollo solliciting the God by a third demaund for that hauing tryed the oracle to be true hee now tooke his pentworthes in aduyse and counsayle His question at this tyme was dyrected only to know how longe hee should enioy the kingdome of Persia whom Pythia answeared in these wordes VVhen seate and Scepter of the Medes vppon a mule shall light To stony Hermus valiant lyde addresse thy speedy flight It shall be then no shame to flye And yeld to such an enemy With these verses Craesus was much more delyghted then with the former assuredly hoping that y e tyme should neuer be wherin a Mule should gouerne the Medes in stid of a man and for the same cause neyther hee nor his heyres should at any tyme be driuen to forsake the kingdome His next care was how make frendes and copartners of those which among thee Grekes were of greattest might noblest mind whoÌ„ by curious enquyry he fouÌ„d to be the LacedaemoniaÌ„s Athenians y t one beyng y t most exceleÌ„t amoÌ„g y â— Dores y â— other in the Nation of the Iones without coÌ„parison chefest Of these 2 nations ther hath ben an auncient and grounded opinion as concerning their virtue Wherof the one toke their begynning and original of Pelaâ—gos the other of Helen or Grece The later of these two neuer altered their soyle but alwayes kept the same place of abode The other making often charge wandred very much For in the tyme of king Deucalion they helde a coast called Phthiotis and vnder Dorus the sonne of Hellen a certayne region bounding vppon the mountaynes Ossa and Pyndus by name Istyaeotis from whence beyng cast out and chased by the Cadmeans they inhabited a place in Pyndus which theycal Macedonus How beit fleeting agayne from thence into Driopis they came at length to Poloponesus were surnamed the nation Doricke What toung or language the Pelagians vsed I cannot certaynly affyrme but by gesse yt seemeth to haue bene the verye same that those Pelasgians vse which somewhat aboue the Tyrrhenians possesse y t city Crotona in time neighbours to them whom the now call Dores at what tyme they peopled a region in Thessalye the like may be gathered by those PelasgiaÌ„s that built the city Plaecia and Sylax and were in league felowship with the Athenians By these I saye wee may rightly coniecture that y e language which was then in vse which the Pelasgians was very grosse and barbarous For the Cretoniatae Platiens differ in speech from those that lye next them but betweene themselues they vse both one toung and euidently declare that they kept the selfe same phrase and manner of talke since their first comming into those countreys So that if al the people of Pelasges were such they also that dwelt in Attica and the rest of the Pelasgian cityes whatsoeuer that chauÌ„ged their name at their first arriual into Hellen forgat also let slip out of memory their mother tounge But the Greekes themselues as I iudge haue without chaunge from the beginning retained the same kynd of language and wheras beyng seuered distinguished from the Pelasgians they wer very weake and feeble in might of a smal and tender beginning they grew to great increase by concurse of many nations and huge multitudes of the Barbarians repayring thither In lyke sort I suppose that the people of Pelasgos beyng barbarous remayned at a stay without amplifyinge and augmenting their strength and gouermnent Craesus therfore had notice that the countrye of Attica was inhabited by these people and at that time iniuriously dealt withall and kept in subiection by Pisistratus the son of Hipocrates who ruled then as a Tyrant at Athens hys father beyng a priuate man and bearyng no rule in the coÌ„mon weale whilst he beheld the games at Olympus yt chaunced hym to see a verye straunge and most wonderfull miracle For hauing prepared sacrifyce to the Goddes the chalderne filled with flesh and water without any fyre vnder it boyled and played in such sort that the water ran ouer the brymmes of the vessayl which thing ChiloÌ„ a Lacedaemonian vewing who then happily was present gaue him counsayle in no wyse to marye a wyfe that was a breeder or of a fruitful wombe and if so be he were already maryed hee willed him to forsake and renounce his wyfe thyrdlye if by her he were indued with a man childe to make ryddaunce therof and conuay it away But Hipocrates geuing litle care to his tale begat afterward Pisistratus who in the broyle and controuersie betweene the inhabiters of y t shore chiefe wherof was Megacles sonne of Alcmaeon and the people of the playne who had to their captayne Lycurgus sprong of Aristolades made a third tumult seeking and affecting a tyrannicall and vnlawful gouernment and gatheryng togeather a company of rebellions and seditious persons vnder preteÌ„ce of ayding the people of the mountains wrought this subtiltye hauing wounded him selfe and hys mules he came flynging amayne into the market place w t his charyot as on new escaped from his enemyes whom they as he fained taking his iorney into y â— couÌ„trey soughte for to haue slayne For this cause he made humble sute and petition to the peoplefor y â— gard and defence of his body hauing tryed himselfe to be a valeaunt Captayne in the voyage and setting forth agaynst Megara at what tyme being generall of the army he toke Nysaea and atchieued other famous valiant actes The people of Athens induced to beleue hiÌ„ appoynted for his sauegard custody certain choise tryed men of the citezens who being armed not w t spears but w t clubs were always wayting attendant on him w t whoÌ„ Pisistratuâ— geuing a violent assault to y â— town chiefe hold of the city toke it by y t means vsurped y t empire of y â— Athenians Neuertheles w tout chauÌ„ge or alteratioÌ„ of magistraties or lawes obseruing stil y t same forme of gouernment he adorned beautified the City in excellent manner But he had not long enioyed yt when as the souldiours of Megacles and Lycurgus came to a truce and conspiring togeather cast him out of the city In this manner did Pysistratus first aspire to the chiefe rule of Athens which he was eftsones constrayned to leaue before his tyrannye had taken roote They
There is also a monumente by them erected the straungest that euer was heard or seene onely excepted the maruaylous works done by the Egyptian◠and Babylonians to witte the tombe of Halyattes father to Craesus The foundation or grounde wherof is of mighty greate stone the rest of the sepulcher of earth and mould cast vp and heaped togeather in forme of a mount finished and brought to perfection by the toyle and payne of certayn day men and hyred labourers beyng holpen therin and assisted by maydes of the countrey In the toppe or highest part of the Tombe ther appeared in our dayes fyue limits or seuerall precinctes and borders declaryng by letters therin ingrauen how much euery one had wrought and done wherby it was euident by measure takē that the greatest part therof was built vp and framed by the labour and handyworke of the maides For y e daughters of y e Lydiās are al prostitute and common vntill such tyme as by the vse of their bodies they haue gayned and collected a dowry wherwith they be placed out geuen in maryage which is at theire owne choyse arbitrement The compasse of the sepulcher was sixe furlonges and two acres about the bredth 13. acres nere vnto the which there passeth a mayne riuer which the Lydians hold opinion to be perpetuall named by them Gygaeus and thus much of the tombe The lawes which the Lydians vse are almost all one with the statutes and ordinaunces of the Grecians saue that they set theyr virgins to open sale and cause them to kepe publique stewes and brothel houses These first of all to our knowledge broughte in vse the coine of siluer and gold instituting shops of mercery and marchaundise and setting vp Tauernes and vittailinghouses They challenge also to themselues the first inuention and deuyse of playes and games which are iointly in vse and obseruation with the Grecians alleaging that togeather at the same tyme they deuysed these thinges and made a drauft and sequestration of theire countreimen whom the sente to inhabite and possesse a part portion of Hetruria The meanes also and occasion they affyrme to haue bene these In the tyme of Atis sonne of kinge Manes there was a great scarsity and dearth of vittayles throughout y e whole land of Lydia In the beginning wherof the Lydians iustained themselues by day laboure and continual toyle but after fyndinge the famyne to encrease they sought other shiftes and deuysed meanes whereby to allay and diminish the greate distresse intollerable rage of hungar whereof arose the gallaunt deuise of playinge at Chesses also dyce playing tenise and such lyke which the Lydians clayme and vendicate as proper to themselues obseruinge this order to delay and forget their hungar one whole day they spent in play and gamīg neuer seeking after any meate another leauing of to disport and recreate themselues they made prouisiō of foode for the maintenance of their bodies In which maner they liued the space of eyghtene yeares But hauing no release of their miserye and perceiuing the dearth penury nothing at all to surcease the king deuyded his people into two parts one of the which he allotted to abyde and stay in their owne countrey commaunding the other to abandon the lande Ouer those that remayned stil in Lydia departed not the listes of their natiue countrey the king himself held the chiefe rule and gouernmēt placing ouer the rest his sonne for their Lord and principal whom he called Terrhenus Furthermore they vnto whom the lot fell to relinquish and leaue the region held their way to Smyrna where hauing built shippes such as were fyttest and most conueniente for caryage they toke the sea to seeke both seates and sustenaunce Vntil such tyme as hauing passed manye nations they came to the Vmbrians wher founding and building vp cityes they made their abode and dwel their to this day Changinge the name of Lydians with the name of theyr kinges sonne whom they had theyr prince and guide beyng after called Tirrhenians But sufficeth it vs to know that the Lydians were subduediand brought in subiection by the Persians It resteth now that wee declare and expresse who that Cyrus was which vanquished the power and subuerted the kyngdome of Craesus Consequently by what meanes the Persians atchieued the principality and rule of Asia wherin I wil alleage that of which the Persians themselues are authors who set downe vnto vs a playne and euident truth not seeking by the vayne florysh and pompe of wordes to augment the noble and valiant actes of theyr famous kynge Cyrus Right wel knowing that alother historyans which make report of the same king are found to vary in three sundrye tales The Assyrians hauing held the dominion of Asia y e higher for terme of 520 yeares the fyrst that made insurrection and rebelled agaynst them were the Medes who behauing themselues manfullye and couragiouslye in the behalfe of their liberty shoke of the yoke of bandage deliuered them selues from the slauery and seruitude of their gouerners whose example also other nations immediatly followed attempted the like in so much y t al the people of the mayne land became free were ruled and gouerned by their owne lawes Til at length they were made thral agayu by these meanes Ther liued in y e countrey of the Medes a man of rare singular virtue named Deioces sonne of Phraortes Who determining to atchieue y e supremisie framed in his head this conceipte The Medes dwelling here and there scattered by villages Deioces in very good credite beforetyme began more strictly and seuerelye to obserue iustice and follow equitye then earst he was accustomed for that he saw the Medes vniuersally addicted to liberty and licentiousnes and assuryng him selfe that iniury and wrong were flatly contrary and repugnant to right The people that dwelt in the same village takinge diligent heede to his manners appoynted hym a iudge to decide their controuersies But hee as hauing an eye to the seate royall and kingdome of the Medes kept the sincere rule of Iustice and swarued not one ynche from lawe and equity Which doing besydes that he reaped no small prayse of his neyghbours and acquayntance he had resort also and repayre to him by those that dwelt in other places and in tyme welny frō all places of y e realme who moued with the good report and fame of hys Iustice came in flockes adhibiting Deioces for an arbitratour in theyr causes hauinge bene foyled and put to the worst by the false sentence and iniurious verdite of others and admitting no man to the lyke office and dutye When the numbers of his Clientes were encreased knowing all causes to be iustly determined and takē vp by him Deioces perceauinge himselfe to bee the onely man for the whole countrey precisely refused ether to abyde any longer there where earst he was wont to administer iustice or at
liberty These thinges sounding in the eares of Astyages Cyrus by a purseuant was cyted vp to appeare at y e court whom he returned backe agayne with this answeare that his meaninge was to come verye spedily and somewhat to sone for his purpose At which newes Astyages imediatlye prepared a power of the Medes ouer whoÌ„ in an ill hower he placed Harpagus generall not mynding the iniurye hee had done vnto hym The army prepared and the Medes Persians meeting in the field they which were not priuye to the purpose of Harpagus began to fight and bicker with the enâ—emy the rest without offer of violence ioyning with them Other there were that with small resistaunce turned their backes to the Persians and fled amayne The host of Astyages beynge in this wyse dispersed and shronke in the wetting newes was broughte thereof to the king who in a greate heate of choller and outrage menacing Cyrus sayd Let the traytour bee assured hee shall not thus escape How be it first of all apprehending the wyse men Magi by whose counsayle hee was brought to let Cyrus depart he hanged them vp euery man not leauing one aliue After this he put in armour the rest of the Medes y t were in the city both young and old with whom beyng present in the fielde After that for a whyle he had abidden the might and power of the Persians he was driuen to flie and in the flyght was taken alyue with the losse and perdition of hys whole army Ouer whom beyng now captiue Harpagus his counsaylour greatlye insulted with open scoffes and reproachful tauntes omittyng nothing y t might gaule and greeue him to the verye hart laying in his teeth the supper wherin he hadde caused hym to seede of his sonnes flesh For which cause hee had now made him of a kynge a vassal Why then quoth Astyages dost thou now challeÌ„ge the dead of Cyrus to thy selfe who alleaginge on the other side that it was his deede and done by hym for that Cyrus was moued ther unto by his letters Astyages aunsweared that of all men he held hym most voyd of wit and goodwill to his countrey The one for that hauing power to be king hymselfe he had yelded it ouer to an other the other in that for malice of one supper he had brought his owne countrey into perpetuall thraldome For had it bene necessarye to haue put ouer the kingdome from hymselfe to an other it had bene much better to haue chosen a Mede then a PersiaÌ„ wheras now the Medes being nothing giltye of that fact were become of rulers slaues and y e Persians that hetherto had liued in bondage were now come to be lordes themselues On this manner king Astyages hauinge the space of 35. yeares borne rule in Media was depryued of his seate by whose cruelty and sore dealing the Medes came in subiection to the Persians after they had held the supremisye of all Asia aboue the floud Halis an hundred twenty eight years sauinge the â—yme that the Scithians obtayned the empyre Afterwardes the Medes repenting themselues of that they had done reuolted from Darius but beyng ouercome in battayle they were agayne perforce driuen to obedience The Persians by whose meanes Cyrus vanquished his graundfather Astyages hauing the chiefe rule and dominion of Asia Cyrus doinge no violence to Astyages kepte him in his house to the houre of his death Such therfore was the byrth and education of Cyrus the meanes wherby he atchieued the kyngdome who not longe after tryumphed ouer kyng Craesus his professed enemy of whom wee spake before by which his victory he wan the ful title possession of all Asia Furthermore the rytes and customes which the PersiaÌ„s vse I fynd to be these First for ymages temples aulters they neuer build any and accompt it great follye and madnes in those that do builde them For this cause as I iudge they think not the Gods to come of the progeny and lmeage of men as the Graetians doe Wherfore making choyse of the kighest and most lofty hyls of the couÌ„trey on the toppes of them they do sacrifyce vnto Iupiter by which name they vnderstand the whole cope and vaute of heauen geuing also lyke honor and reuerence to the Sunne the Moone the Earth the Fyre the Water and the Wyndes imputing to these alone a deuyne nature and deity which from the beginniÌ„g they haue had in honour NotwithstaÌ„ding in course of time they began to buckle and pray to Vrania which maner they drew from the Assyrians and Arabians Venus of the Assyrians is called Militta in Arabia Alitta by the Persians Metra The ceremonies ordayned by them to bee kept and obserued in time of sacrifice are these They neyther set vp any aulter or kyndle anye fyre at all omittinge also to say or tast of the sacrifyce before the immolation Pypes Myters saltcakes they neuer vse But as euerye one is purposed to make oblation to the heauenly powers so leadyng his host or sacrifyce into a fayre and cleaneÌ„ place hee humbleth himselfe in prayer to some one of the Gods hauing his head decked with a nightcap vsuallye worne of the women of Persia bounde about for the most parte and enuyroned with mirtle Beyng alwayes prouided that the party which maketh the offeryng hold it not lawful to pray for hymselfe only or to make supplication for any priuate or peculiar commoditye of his owne but vniuersallye for the whole realme and multitude of the Persians and chiefly for the king The sacrifycer hymselfe being a part and parcell of the whole number so that in praying for all others hee prayeth for himselfe This also cutting and hewing y e halowed beast into small and slender peeces they incontinently boyld it which done makinge diligent inquisition for the softest and smothest grasse they can find and especially trifolly or three leaued grasse they spred thereon the sodden flesh ouer which a Magician yalpeth out a songe of the beginning childhod of y e Gods whichthey accompt a most forceable and valerous incantation Without this Magitian They hold no sacrifice lawful or rightly perfourmed After this the sacrifycer taketh the flesh and applyeth it to what vse it seemeth him good Of all the dayes in y e yeare they obserue with greatest ioy and solemnitye theyr byrth day Wherin then at other tymes they vse larger dyete with greater plentye and aboundaunce of meate in so much that the richer and wealthier sorte set whole oxen camels horses and asses vppon the borde prepared and rosted in a fornace Such as are of meaner ability and substance celebrate their natiuity w t beastes of lesse quantity Litle meat sufficeth them the greatest part of theyr prouision consistiÌ„g in choise chats and iunkettinge dishes And those not verye tothsome and daynty Hereof it commeth that the Persians obiect to the Grecians their short meales quicke dinners for that say they they haue nothing pleasaunt dilicate or
worth eatyng whereby they may be allured to sitte longe at meate Which if they hadde no doubt they woulde quatt theyr Stomakes to the full and seeldome or neuer aryse hungrye Moreouer the Persians generally are verye much geuen to wyne Beyng notwithstanding forbidden by the law to perbreake or vomite in company or to make water wher they may be seene which maner and custome they kepe as yet Commonly when they haue typled so long they see a peece of the deuil they by and by fall into question and consultation of graue and serious matters and loke what is agreed vpon among their cuppes the same thenext day following is propounded by the host of the house where the Senate was held and if in lyke manner they allow and thinke well of it beyng sober they vse it if otherwyse they refuse it On the other side what soeuer in time of sobriety hath bene determined by them the selfe same they ruminate and run ouer a fresh beyng wel mostned with wine If they meete one an other in the way it is no hard matter to know whether they be equalles or superiours ech to other For beyng of like reputation they kysse each other on the mouth If the one be somewhat the others superiour after a more modest and bashfull fashion they kisse on the cheekes If much more set by and of farre greater regard the base and vnnoble falleth flat on the earth in honour and reuerence to the other Behauinge themselues with all dutifull demeanour and curteous vsage towardes them which are nexte dwellers and neyghbours vnto them In the second degree imbracing and making much of those who dwell nere also and border uppon their neighboures and so consequently the nerer euery one is in place to them y e greater he isin friendship and familiarity esteeming theÌ„selues of all men the best To those which are furthest seperate and disioyned from them in distaunce of place they disdayne to shewe the least poynt of ciuility in ful accompt that of al men liuing there is none lyke vnto them selues in any thinge and as euerye man hath nerest propinquity to them in place and neighbourhod so they deeme hym to excell others in vertue and good liuing making least accompt of those that dwell furthest of and most of themselues Furthermore in the tyme of the Medes empyre certayn familyes exercised mutuall gouernment that is were rulers ouer some and ruled by others for the Medes generally weare rulers and chieflly ouer those that dwelt next them who in like sort had the ouersight of such as bordered vpon them to whom also in order was permitted the rule and moderation of others Like to this manner of gouernment was the loue and familaritye that was also of the Pesians alwayes louinge those best that were their neerest neighbours Of all countryes in the world y e Persians are most delighted with forrayne and outlandish maners wherfore leauing their owne countrey vesture they put themselues in Medish attyre deeming it better more seemly theâ—their owne wearyng vpon their hands a kynd of placars or stomacher vsed of the Aegyptians Moreouer they are drawen with all kynd of pleasure delight which they can either inuent theÌ„selues or learne of other learning of the Grecians to be in loue w t beautiful boyes They wed many virgines woo more coÌ„cubynes In the next place to strenght valiaunt courage they make most of him y t hath most childreÌ„ whoÌ„ anually y e kiÌ„g indueth w t a great reward as though he had atchined some notable act Their childreÌ„ from 5. yere old til they come to 20. they trayne bringe vp in 3 principal things in ryding in shoting speaking truth The child neuer coÌ„meth into the fathers sight before he â—e 5 yeare old but is brought vp priuily among the company of women to the end y t if the child dye before he aspyre to that age the father may conceaue no griefe or sorrow for y e same Which custome truly I greatly coÌ„mend as also this y t it be not lawfull for the king for one offence to bereaue a man of hys lyfe nor for any of y t Persians to practise cruelty vpoÌ„ his family beiÌ„g moued therto by one only transgressioÌ„ But breathing vppon the cause if by good aduysemente he founde more and greater faultes committed then dutiesâ— perfourmed then to geue the brydle to hys anger worke hys wil. Besides they are in opinion in y t countrey y t no maÌ„ at anye tyme slew his owne father but that the child so doing vppon examination and tryal had of his byrth is awaies found to be a bastard and changling Thinkinge it a thinge vnpossible that the naturall childe should euer aduenture to brew the destruction of his owne and lawfull syre Whatsoeuer is dishonest to do that also they esteeme vnseemly to speake But of all thinges they accompt it most abhominable to lye and next to that to bee much in debt both for many other respectes and chiefly because they thinke it skarse possible for him that oweth much not to dissemble and lye much if any one be infected with leprosie or otherwyse diâ—â—eined with vncleannes of the body he may not come within thâ— citye or vse the company of any Persian alleaging that for offence and transgression agaynst y t sunne they were punished and attaynted with such diseases And if happily it befall a straunger or forreyuer to be taken with such like sicknesse they banish and expell him the countrey for the same reason also chasting and skaringe all Pigeons and doues out of the circuite and compasse of theyr region It is open blasphamy with the same people not onely repugnant to good maners and ciuility to pisse or spitte into anye brooke or riuer likewyse to wash his handes therein or any such lyke wherof the water may coÌ„ceaue any maner fylth or corruption verye deuoutlye and with great religion yelding worship honour to y t flouds riuers This also is peculier to y t PersiaÌ„s which not marked by them is knoweÌ„ of vs y t all the wordes in theyr language which coÌ„â—ist of 4 or more sillables do commonly end in one letter which letter the Dores cal San the Iones Sigma And if we loke more narrowlye into theire speech and note that wel we shal fynd not onely some but all the names of the Persians to haue their termination and endinge alyke which for y t I know it assuredly I am not afraid to aâ—ouch it constantly being in halfe a doubt in like sort to awarrant beare out the truth of those things which the same people are sayd to obserue about the dead bodyes of their countrimen whom as the rumor is they neuer bâ—ryeor intumulate before such tyme as either by dogges or foules of the aire they are drawen and haled about Which thinges that their wisemen doe whom they call Magi I dare vndoubttedly affyrme because they manifestly do them
which is also called Italicus In the next place are reputed the cityes Bura and Helice whether y e Ionians discomfited in battayle by the Achoeans fledde for succoure next vnto Helice are these Aegion with the people called Rhypes also the Patrenses Pharenses and the city Olenus by the which scowreth the swift and maine riuer Pyrus Last of al Dyma and the Trytaeenses that dwell in the middle tracte of the region These are the 12 seuerall and distinct parcels of Achaea which afore tyme were held and possessed by the Ionians who for the same cause onlye and none other kept the number of twelue Cityes without desyre to multiplye or increase the same Whom precipuallye notwithstandinge and aboue others to call Ionians yt were great madnes since the people Abantes also are of the proper lineage and naturall stocke of Ionia which neuertheles haue estranged themselues from the name of Iones Lykewyse the Minyans intermedled and mingled with the Orchomenians the Cadmaeans Dryopians Phocenses Molossians Arcadyans Pelasgians Dores Epidaurians many other nations confused and ioyned one with another Of which number they that went out of the court or castell of Athens named Prytanêum and reputed themselues the noblest and most principal of the Iones at what tyme being singled from the whole multitude of the Athenians they went to dwel in an other prouince had with them no wiues of their owne in steed whereof they vsed certayne women of Caria whose parentes they had before tyme slayne By reason of which slaughter y e dames of Caria toke a solemne vow which they likewyse caused their daughters diligeÌ„tly to obserue neuer to sit at meate with theyr husbandes nor cal them by their own names For that hauing cruelly murthered their fathers their first husbandes their sonnes they had also haled theÌ„ poore widowes much agaynst their willes to their vnchast and fylthy couches All which thinges were done at the city Miletus in Ionia Furthermore the kinges of Ionia and such as weare aduaunced to the sumpreme regiment of the countreye were partly of Lysia comen of the lyne of Glaucus sonne of Hippolochus and partly selected and chosen out of the Citye Pylus drawing theyr progeny from Codrus sonne of Melanthus Notwithstanding the name and tytle of the Ionians they most willingly holde and embrace of whom wee spake before and in very deede are naturally so how beit not they onely but all the rest which comming of the Athenians kepe and solemnize the festiuall dayes called Apaturia are subiect to the selfe same name Which custome of celebration is vniuersally held and obserued of all besydes the Ephesians and Colophonians who by means of a murder committed are prohibited and restrayned therefro Now it is meete we know that Panyonium is a certayne holy and religious place in Mycale inclyninge to y â— North dedicated by the whole countrey of Ionia to Neptune syrnamed Heliconius Mycale is a promontory or high place lyinge in the firme lande towardes the sea the waâ—e syde wherof pertayneth to the ysâ—e Samus To this mountayne the people called Iones assemble and gather togeather to perfourme the ceremonies of immolation and sacrifyce which they call by the name of the place Panionia It is to be noted also not onely in the solemnity of Ionia but in the feastes religious dayes of al the Graetians how like vnto the name of the Persians they end all in a letter We haue heard then of the cityes of Ionia what how many in number they are it followeth that wee speake of those that are in Aeolia which are these Cumae which is also called Phryconis Larissae Newalle Teuus Cylla Notium Aegyroessa Aegaea Myrina Crynia And these eleueÌ„ were the auncient cityes of Aeolia Hereunto was added in in tyme past Smyrna a city belonging to this regioÌ„ which now hangeth as it were betwene the Ionians and Aeolians and is reckned for part of neit her Otherwyse as we see both the nations had bene equall in the number of cityes All the townes of Aeolia are spred in the mayne in power and dominion going beyond the Iones but in the temperate calmnesse of the ayre comming farre behynde them The occasion meanes wherby they lost Smyrna was this Hauing entertained the Colophonians dryuen from their couÌ„trey by ciuil tumult and sedition the people of Ionia bearyng grudge and malice towardes them lay in diligente wayght to surpryse and take their city Which thinge they did at such tyme as the Smyrneans were busied in the solemnising of Bacchus festiuall which they vsually kept w tout the city The Iones therfore when euerye one went out stale priuely into the city and shuttinge the gates held possession by vyolence Which thinge beyng knowen and spedy helpe yelded from al partes of Aeolia they fel to condition y â— restoring to the Smyrneans all their necessaryes and mouable goods yt shoulde bee lawful for them to hold the city in peace wherunto the contrary part hauing geuen theire consent it was agreed by the eleuen cityes of Aeolia to deuyde the rest betwene theÌ„ eueryone making choyse of their owne citizens Such therfore and so many in number are y â— cityes of the maine excepting those that inhabite Ida which are not referred to the former accompt This also Lesbos is impeopled with fyue sea Cityes planted in ylandes hauing once also possessed the sixte called Arisba with the Methymneans seduced and withdrew from the rest as alied to themselues in kyndred and lyneage There was also a citye founded in Tenedos and an other in the place called the hundred Iles. Now the people of Lesbos and Tenedos with the rest of the Graecians inuyroned by the sea had no cause to bee dismayed or troubled But the other cityes of the land determined to take such part as the Iones did and to follow them Wherefore the ambassadours of both nations in short space landing at Sparta they chose one Pythermus a Phocaean to be the mouth of y t rest and to reueale their suite to the Lacedaemonians who at y t fame of the ambassadours arryuall flockinge together in greate heapes Pythermus stoode forth in many wordes moued the Lacaedemonians to imploy their ayd assistance to succour the rest but they geuing litle eare to his talke w t out purpose to moue one foote in the behalfe of Ionia sente them away Pythermus and his company in this wise repulsed made speedy returne to Ionia Howbeit the Lacedaemonians desyrous to vnderstand the successe of Cyrus and the Graecians sent forth a bragandyne or shippe of espyall to prye and listen how all thinges wente Who beyng sodaynlye driuen to shore at Phocae a spyed one Lacrines the stoutest champyon in the rout of Sardis wher king Cyrus made his abode to geue hym to witt from the Lacaedemonians that he should not endamage or abuse the Grecians any way vnder payne of theyr heauye wrath and displeasure Cyrus hearyng the bold message of Lacrines demaunded
beseeching vs to saue assist him froÌ„ the vyolent cruel hands of his spyteful enraged enemies we albeit dreading the might power of y e Persians yet haue not deliuered him vntil we vnderstoode of thy diuine wisedome what pertained to vs to doe in so doubtful a case Hauing ended his speach he receaued y e like answere as before y e Pactyas was to be yelded into y e hands of the PersiaÌ„s wher w t all Aristodicus being angry of set purpose wrought this fact As he walked about y e temple certain youÌ„g sparrowes other birds y t built there he toke out of their nests sodaynly a voice was hard out of the inner part of y e temple saying thou wicked malicious wretch what makes thee in this sort to spoile y e nests of my innoceÌ„t suppliantes wherunto Aristodicus answeryng o king quoth hee dost thou so greatly fauour and regard those that flye vnto thee for succour and yet biddest the Cumaeans to delyuer Pacty as into the handes of hys enemyes To which the God replying Truly sayd he I bid you all goe to the deuil and neuer hereafter to sollicite this oracle about the restoring of your suppliantes The Cumaeans certifyed of this last answeare determined nether to giue vp Pactyas to be slayn of the Persians nor yet by keeping him stil to bring Cyrus to the subersion and ruine of their citye Wherefore they sent him secretly away to Mytelaeane But Mazares in lyke sort making challenge of him from thence the Mitylinaeans couenaunted vppon a certayne pryce to surrender hym Which notwithstanding I dare not auouch and verifie for that the matter came not to full issue and perfection The people of Cumae vnderstaÌ„dyng in what distresse Pacctyas was at Mytilaene sent a barke to Lesbos where hee went a borde and was spedely landed at Chyus where hauing taken sanctuary in the gardian temple of Minerua he was neuertheles haled out violently by the Chians geueÌ„ to his ennemyes The Peraeans gaue in reward to the citye Chius a certayne field of Mysia named Aetarnaeus right ouer agaynst Lesbos By this meanes was Pactyas in warre with the Persians when oportunity serued to be geuen into the handes of Cyrus Neuerthelesse of the fruites and increase of Atarnaeus for a longe tyme after the people of Chius neyther made any barly cakes to offer to the gods nor wrought any paast of y e meale thereof for iunkets banquetting dishes And in briefe what soeuer the ground yeelded they flatly abolished from the seruice and worship of the gods Pactyas beyng betrayed by the Chians Mazares without further delay lead his army agaynst those that had ministred ayde to hym in gettyng the city and conqueringe the Pryenses he began to wast and depopulate the fieldes of Maeander geuing the whole pray and booty to his souldiours Which done in semblable manner he gaue the onset to Magnesia and lastly attached with extremitye of sicknes finished hys lyfe In whose steed Harpagus who was also a Mede guyded the army This was hee whom king Astiages intertayned with a banket of his sonnes flesh and by whose meanes Cyrus before tyme aspyred to the estate royall To hym the chiefe gouernment of the army was nextly committed who comming into Ionia intrenched many cityes and tooke them For hauing first of all compelled theÌ„ to vse the refuge and defence of their walles he raysed bulwarkes agaynst their townes and with small force caused them to yeelde In which manner he wanne Phocaea the chiefe city of the Iones the people whereof first of all the GreciaÌ„s wanâ—ered on y e sea in long and ample voyages fynding out and discrying both the countreyes themselues Adria Tyrrhenia Iberia Tartessus and the nerest cuâ—â— also and rediest way of nauigation to the same At which tyme they had in vse no beaked or snowâ—ed shippes armed with a pyke or stemme of iron but smaller and lighter vessels driuen with ê oeres apâ—ece These at their first arryual to Tartessus were very welcome to y e king whose name was Arganthonius and by whom the kingdome had bene gouerned 80 yeares liuing by the space of 120. Who made so passyng much of the Phocaeans and shewed them so curteous intertaynment that he left it in their power to chose any part of his kingdome to inhabite wherevnto not able to allure them by any perswations and hearyng by them how the power of Harpagus dayly increased hee gaue them an infinite summe of moneye to inuyron and compasse about their citye with a wall The circuit of their wall beyng no small number of furlongs in scope and compasse framed compacted of greate and huge stones layd togeather w t singuler cunning by this meanes was y e wall of the Phocaeans builded Agaynst whoÌ„ Harpagus incaÌ„ping his power gaue fierse mightye assault to the city giuing them vnderstanding withall that it should suffyce and content him if they would throw downe but one fortres or gardure of their wall for himself to build an house on But the Phocaeans abhorryng nothing more then seruitude losse of liberty required of him one dayes deliberation in the cause and for that whyle to reclayme his armye from the walles Harpagus albeit as he sayd hee verye well knewe what they meant to do neuerthelesse graunted them space to breath and bethinke themselues The army goyng from the city forth with the people of Phocaea with their wiues and children and all their substaunce tooke sea in shippinge besides all the ymages of theyr temples and gyftes offered to the gods sauing those that were of iron or stone or onely paynted and wrought in colours Which done with al their caryage they sayled into Chius Phocaea left desolate without any liuig creature in it was y e next day takeÌ„ by the Persians The people wher of hauing cheapened of y e Chyans y e Iles Oenusiae who refused to sel them fearing least y e mart and custome of marchandize shoulde bee translated from their owne Ile thither departed thence into Cyrnus Where twenty yeares before lead by a certayne prophecye they had founded a city named Aetalia Whyle these things were doyng Argathonius the Tarcesian kyng dyed But y e Phocaeans holdyng their course toward Cyrnus turned out of the waye and came to their old citye where they sâ—ue the garison and power of the Persians planted there by Harpagus for the possession and custody of the Citye Cursinge banning those with most blasphemous and execrable speaches which should seeke to leaue theyr companye and turne behynd Wherewithall taking a fiery wedge of hoat iron they cast it into the sea deepely vowing neuer to returne to their city Phocaea before the iron rysinge from the bottome of the water should â—â—ote aloft and swimme one the toppe Howbeit launchinge towardes Corsica the halfe part of the rowt were moued with a great longing and desire of their countrey and the maners and customes therof insomuch that
lymitation which is from the coaste of Plynthines to the poole named Selbonis wherevnto reacheth an ende of y ◠great mountayne Cassius on this side therefore Aegypte is sixety scheanes which conteyne the number of myles before mentioned For with y ◠Aegyptians such as are slenderly landed measure their groūd by paces they which haue more by furlongs vnto whom very much is allotted by the Persian myle named Parasanga lastly such as in large and ample possessions exceede the rest meete their torritory by Schoenes The measure Parasanga contayneth thirty furlongs the Schoene three score whereby it cōmeth to passe that the lande of Aegypt along the sea is 3600. furlongs from this parte towarde the citie Heliopolis and the middle region Aegypt is very wyde and broade a playne and champion countrey destitute of waters yet very slimie and full of mudde The iourney from the sea to Heliopolis by the higher parte of the region is welnigh of the same length with that way which at Athens leadeth from the aulter of the twelue gods to Pisa and y ◠palace of Iupiter Olympius betwene which two wayes by iust cōputation can hardly bee founde more then fifteene furlonges difference for the distaunce betwene Athens and Pisa is supposed to want of 1500 furlongs fiftene which number in the other of Aegypt is ful complet and perfit trauayling from Heliopolis by the hills you shall finde Aegypt to be straight and narrowe compassed banked on the one side by a mighty hill of Arabia reachinge from the North towardes the South which by degrees waxeth higher and higher and beareth vpwards toward the redd sea In this mountayne are sundry quaries out of the which y t people of Aegypte hewed their stone to builde the Pyramides at Memphis one this side the hill draweth and wyndeth it selfe towarde those places whereof we spake before The selfe same mountayne hath another course from the Easte to the Weste stretching so farre in length as a man may trauayle in two monethes the Easte ende hereof yeldeth frankincense in great aboundaunce likewise one the other side of Aegypt which lyeth towardes Africa there runneth another stony hill wherein are builte certayne Pyramedes very full of grauell grosse Sande like vnto that parte of the Arabian hill that beareth toward the South so that from Helyopolis the wayes are very narrowe not passing foure dayes course by Sea The spate betwene the mountaynes is champion ground being in the narrowest place not aboue two hundred furlongs from the one hill to the other hauing passed this straight Aegypt openeth into a large and ample widenesse extendinge it selfe in great breadth such is the maner and situation of the countrey Furthermore from Heliopolis to Thebs is nyne dayes iourney by water being seuered from each other in distance of place foure thowsand eight hundred and sixty furlongs which amounteth to y ◠number of foure score and one schoenes of the furlongs aforesayd three thowsand and sixe hundred lye to the sea as wee declared before Now from the sea coaste to the city Thebs are 6120. furlonges of playne ground from Thebs to the city Elephantina 820. Of all the region and coūtrey Aegypt whereof wee haue spoken the most parte is borow 〈…〉 ground wherein the waters heretofore haue had their cour 〈…〉 for all the whole bottome which lyeth betwene the two mountaines aboue the city Memphis seemeth to haue bene a narrow sea much like vnto those places that lye about Ilium Teuthrania Ephesus and the playne of Meander if it be not amisse to bring smale things in comparison with greater matters forasmuch as none of those ryuers which held their passage in the places forenamed are worthy to be mentioned where any one of the seuen streames of Nylus are brought into talke there be also other floudes not comparable in bignesse to Nylus which haue wrought straunge effectes and wonderfull thinges in the places where they haue runne amongst whom is the famous ryuer Achelous which flowing through Acarnania into y t sea of the Iles Echinades hath ioyned the halfe parte of the Iles to the mayne and continent In the countrey of Arabia not far from Aegypt there is a certaine arme or bosome of the sea hauing a breach issue out of the red sea the length whereof beginning at the end of y t angle or creeke continuing to y ◠wyde mayne is foure dayes sayle the breadth easy to be cut ouer in halfe a day in this narrow sea the waters ebbe flow raging and roaring exceedingly against a forde or shalow place wherat the streame beateth with great violence such a like creeke I suppose to haue bene in former ages in the lande of Aegypte which brake out from the North sea and continued his course towards Aethyopia like as also the Arabian sea whereof we haue spoken floweth from the south waters towards y t coasts of Syria both which straights welnigh in their furthest corners concur meete together being separrted by no great distaunce of groūd were it then that y t ryuer Nilus should make a vent shed it selfe into the narrow sea of Arabia what might binder but y t in 200000 yeares by y t cōtinuall daily course of y t ryuer the creeke of the salt waters should be cleane altered become dry for I think it possible if in 10000 yeares before me sundry ryuers haue chaūged their courses left the groūd dry whereas first they ran an arme of the sea also much greater then y t may bee dryuen besides his naturall bosome especially by the force of so great a streame as the riuer Nilus by whom diuerse things of greater admiration haue bene brought to passe The reporte therefore which they gaue of the soyle I was easely brought to beleue aswel for that y t country it selfe bringeth credite to the beholders as also y t in the very hills mountaynes of the region are found a multitude of shel fishes the earth likewise sweating out a certaine salt and brynishe humour which doth corrupt and eate the Pyramides Agayne it is in no point like to any of the countryes that lye next vnto it neither to Arabia Lybia nor Syria for the Syrians inhabite the sea coaste of Arabia being of a blacke and brittle moulde which commeth to passe by the greate store of mudde and slimy matter which the ryuer beinge a flote bringeth out of Aethyopia into the lande of the Aegyptians The earth of Lybia is much more redde and sandy vnderneath The moulde of Arabia and Syria drawe neere to a fatte and batile claye beynge vnder grounde very rockye and full of stone Lykewyse for proofe that the Region in tyme past was watery ground the priests alleadged how in the time of kinge Myris his raygne the floud arysing to the heighth of 8. cubits watered the whole countrey of Aegypte lying beneath Memphis scarse 900 yeares being past expired since the death
about these matters The people of the two cities Maerea and Apia that inhabite the borders of Aegypt next vnto Africa esteeming theÌ„selues to be of the linage and nation of the Africans not of the Aegyptians became weary of their ceremonies and religion and would no longer absteyne from the fleshe of kyne and feamale cattell as the rest of the Aegyptians did they sent therefore to the prophecy of Hammon denying themselues to be of Aegypt because they dwelt not within the compasse of Delta neither agreed with them in any thing wherefore they desired y e god that it might be lawful for them without restraint to taste of all meates indiffereÌ„tly but the oracle forbade theÌ„ so to do shewing how all that region was iustly accounted Aegypt which the waters of Nilus ouerranne and couered adding heereto all those people that dwelling beneath the city Elephantina dranke of the water of the same floud This aunswere was giuen them by the oracle Nowe it is meete wee know that Nilus at what time it riseth aboue the banckes ouerfloweth not Delta alone but all the countrey next vnto Africa and likewise the other side adioyning to Arabia couering the earth on both partes the space of two dayes iourney or thereabout As touching the nature of the riuer Nilus I could not bee satisfyed either by the priests or by any other being alwayes very willing and desirous to heare something thereof first what the cause might be that growing to so great increase it shoulde drowne and ouergo the whole countrey beginning to swell the eyght day before the kalends of Iuly and continuing aflote an hundred daies after which time in the like number of dayes it falleth agayne flowyng within the compasse of hys owne banckes tyll the nexte approch of Iuly Of the causes of these thynges the people of Aegypt were ignoraunte themselues not able to tell mee anye thyng whether Nilus had any proper and peculiar vertue different from the nature of other flouds About which matters being very inquisitiue mooued with desire of knowledge I demaunded inoreouer the reason and occasion why this streame of all others neuer sent foorth any miste or vapour such as are commonly seene to ascend and rise from the waters but heerein also I was faynt to nestle in mine owne ignorance desiring to be lead of those that were as blind as my selfe Howbeit certayne Graecian wryters thinking to purchase the price and prayse of wit haue gone about to discourse of Nilus and set downe their iudgement of the nature thereof who are found to varry and dissent in three sundry opinions two of the which I suppose not worthy the naming but onely to giue the reader intelligence how ridiculous they are The first is that the ouer flow of Nilus commeth of none other cause then that the windes Etesiae so named blowing directly vpon the streame thereof hinder and beate backe the waters from flowing into the sea which windes are commonly wont to arise and haue their season a long time after the increase and rising of Nilus but imagine it were otherwise yet this of necessitie must follow that all riuers whatsoeuer hauing a full and direct course against the windes Etesiae shall in like maner swell and grow ouer their bankes and so much the rather by how much the lesse and weake the flouds themselues are whose streames are opposed against the same But there be many riuers as well in Syria as in Africa that suffer no such motion and change as hath bin sayd of the floud Nilus There is another opinion of lesse credite and learning albeit of greater woonder and admiration then the first alleadging the cause of the rising to be for that the riuer say they proceedeth from the Oeean sea which enuironeth the whole globe and circle of the earth The third opinion being more caulme and modest then the rest is also more false and unlikely then them both affirming that the increase and augmentation of Nilus commes of the snowe waters molten and thawed in those regions carying with it so much the lesse credit and authority by how much the more it is euident that the riuer comming from Africa through the middest of Aethiopia runnes continually from the hotter countreys to the colder beeing in no wise probable or any thing likely that the waxing of the waters should proceede of snowe Many sound proofes may be brought to the weakening of this cause whereby we may gesse how grossely they erre whiche thinke so greate a streame to be increased by snowe What greater reason may be found to the contrary then that the windes blowing from those countreys are very warme by nature Moreouer the lande it selfe is continually voyde of rayne and yee being most necessary that within fiue dayes after the fall of snowe there should â—ome rayne where by it commeth to passe that if it snowe in Aegypt it must also of necessity rayne The same is confirmed and established by the blacknesse and swartnesse of the people couloured by the vehement heate and scorching of the sume likewise by the swalowes and kytes which continually keepe in those coastes lastly by the flight of the cranes toward the comming of winter which are alwayes wont to flye out of Scythia and the cold regions to these places where all the winter season they make theyr abode Were it then that neuer so little snow could fall in those countreys by the which Nilus hath his course and from which he stretcheth his head and beginning it were not possible for any of these things to happen which experience prooueth to be true They which talke of Oceanus grounding their iudgement vppon a meere fable want reason to prooue it For I thinke there is no such sea as the Ocean but rather that Homer or some one of the auncient Poets deuised the name and made vse thereof afterwardes in their tales and poetry Now if it be expedient for me hauing refuted and disalowed other mens iudgements to set downe mine owne The reason why Nilus is so great in sommer I take to be this In the winter-time the sunne declining from his former race vnder the colde winter starre keepeth hys course ouer the high countreys of Africa and in these fewe wordes is conteyned the whole cause For the sunne the neerer he maketh his approch to any region the more he drinketh vp the moysture thereof and causeth the riuers and brookes of the same countrey to runne very lowe But to speake at large and lay open the cause in more ample wyse thus the case standeth The bringer to passe and worker heereof is the sunne beeing caryed ouer the hygh countreys of Africa For the spring time with them beeyng very fayre and cleare the land hote and the wyndes colde the sunne passing ouer them workes the same effecte as when it runneth in the middest of heauen in sommer forsomuch as by vertue of his beames gathering water vnto him he
causeth it to ascend into the superiour regions where the windes receiuing it dispearse the vapours and resolue them againe which is chiefely done by the South and Southwest winde that blowe from these countreys beeing stormy and full of rayne Now the water drawne out of Nilus by the sunne doth not in this sort fall downe agayne in showres and drops of rayne but is quite spent and consumed by the heate Toward the ende of winter the sunne drawing towards the middest of the skye in like manner as before sucketh the water out of other riuers which is the cause that being thus drawne vntill much rayne and showres increase them agayne they become fleete and almost drie Wherefore the riuer Nilus into whome alone no showres fall at any time is for iust cause lowest in winter and bighest in sommer forasmuch as in sommer the sunne draweth moysture equally out of all riuers but in winter out of Nilus alone this I take to be the cause of the diuers and changeable course of the riuer Heereof also I suppose to proceede the drynesse of the ayre in that region at such time as the sunne deuideth his course equally so that in the high countreys of Africke it is alwayes sommer whereas if it were possible for the placing and situation of the heauens to be altered that where North is there were South where South is North the sunne towardes the comming and approach of winter departing from the middest of heauen would haue his passage in like sort ouer Europe as now it hath ouer Africke and worke the same effects as I iudge in the riuer Ister as now it doth in Nilus In like maner the cause why Nilus hath no mist or cloude arising from it according as we see in other flouds I deeme to be this because the countrey is exceeding hote and parching being altogether vnfit to sende vp any vapours which vsually breathe and arise out of cold places But let these things be as they are and haue bene alwayes The head and fountayne of Nilus where it is or frō whence it cōmeth none of the Aegyptians Graecians or Africans that euer I talked with could tell me any thing besides a certaine scribe of Mineruas treasury in the city Sais who seemed to me to speake merily saying that vndoubtedly he knewe the place describing the same in this manner There be two mountaines quoth he arising into sharpe and spindled tops situate betweene Syêne a city of Thebais and Elephantina the one called Crophi the other Mophi from the vale betweene the two hilles doth issue out the head of the riuer Nilus being of an vnsearchable deapth and without bottome halfe of the water running towardes Aegypt and the North the other halfe towardes Aethiopia and the South Of the immeasurable deapth of the fountayne the scribe affirmed that Psammetichus King of the Aegyptians had taken triall who sounding the waters with a rope of many miles in length was vnable to feele any ground or bottome whose tale if any suche thyng were done as he sayde made me thinke that in those places whereof he spake were certayne gulfes or whirlepooles very swift violente and raging whiche by reason of the fall of the water from the hilles would not suffer the line with the sounding leade to sinke to the bottome for which cause they were supposed to be bottomlesse Besides this I coulde learne nothing of any man Neuerthelesse trauelling to Elephantina to behold the thing with mine owne eyes and making diligent inquiry to knowe the truth I vnderstoode this that takyng our iourney from thence Southward to y e countreys aboue at lēgth we shall come to a steepe bending shelfe where y e ryuer falleth with great violēce so y t we must be forced to fasten two gables to each side of y e ship in that sort to hale and draw her forward which if they chaunce either to slip or breake y e vessell is by and by driuē backwards by y e intollerable rage violēce of y e waters To this place frō y e city Elephantina is four daies saile whereaboutes y e riuer is ful of windings turnings like the floud Meander and in lēgth so cōtinuing twelue scheanes all which way the ship of necessity must be drawne After this we shall arriue at a place very smooth and caulme wherein is standing an Iland incompassed rounde by the ryuer by name Tachampso The one halfe heereof is inhabited by the Aegyptians the other halfe by the Aethiopians whose countrey is adioyning to the Southside of the Ile Not farre from the Iland is a poole of woonderfull and incredible bignesse about the which the Shepheards of Aethiopia haue their dwelling whereinto after we are declined out of the mayne streame we shall come to a riuer directly running into the poole where going on shore we must take our voyage on foote the space of forty dayes by the waters side the riuer Nilus it selfe beeyng very full of sharpe rockes and craggy stones by the which it is not possible for a vessell to passe Hauing finished forty dayes iourney along the riuer take shipping againe and passe by water twelue dayes voyage till such time as you arriue at a great city called Meroe which is reputed for the chiefe and Metropolitane city of the countrey the people whereof only of all the gods worship Iupiter and Bacchus whome they reuerence with exceeding zeale and deuotion Likewise to Iupiter they haue planted an oracle by whose counsayle and voyce they rule their martiall affayres making warre how oft soeuer or against whomesoeuer they are mooued by the same From this city Meroe by as many dayes trauell as yee take from Elephantina to y e same you shall come to a kind of people named Automoly which is to say traytours or runnagates the same also in like manner being called Asmach which emporteth in the greeke tongue such as stande and attende at the Kings left hand These men being whilome souldyers in Aegypt to the number of eyght thousand and two hundred they reuolted from their owne countreymen and fled ouer to the Aethiopians for this occasion Being in y e time of King Psammetichus dispersed and diuided into sundry garrisons some at the city of Elephantina and Daplinae Pelusiae against the Aethiopians other against the Arabians and Syrians and thirdly at Marea against the Africans in which places agreeably to the order and institution of Psammetichus the Persian garrisons also did lie in munition hauing continued the space of three yeares in perpetuall gard and defence of the lande without shift or release they fell to agreement amongst themselues to leaue their King and countrey and flye into Aethiopia which their intente Psammetichus hearing made after them incontinently and hauing ouertaken the army humbly besought them with many teares not to forsake by suche vnkind and vnnaturall wise their wiues children and countrey gods vnto whose plaint and intreaty a rude roystrell
in the company shewing his priuy members made this aunswere wheresoeuer quoth he these be there will I finde both wyfe and children After they were come into Aethiopia and had offered themselues vnto the King of the soyle they were by him rewarded on this manner Certayne of the Aethiopians that were scarsely sound harted to the King were depriued by him of all their lands and possessions which he franckly gaue and bestowed on the Aegyptians By meanes of these the people of Aethiopia were brought from a rude and barbarous kind of demeanour to farre more ciuill and manlike behauiour being instructed and taught in the maners and customes of the Aegyptians Thus the riuer Nilus is founde still to continue the space of foure monethes iourney by lande and water lesse then in which time it is not possible for a man to come from Elephantina to the Automolians taking hys course and streame from the West part of the world and falling of the sunne Howbeit in this place I purpose to recite a story told me by certayne of the Cyraeneans who fortuning to take a voyage to y e oracle of Ammon came in talke with Etearchus King of the Ammonians where by course of speache they fell at length to discourse and common of Nilus the head whereof was vnsearchable and not to be knowne In which place Etearchus made mention of a certaine people called Namaâ—ones of the countrey of Afrike inhabiting the quicksands and all the coast that lyeth to the east Certayne of these men comming to the court of Etearchus and reporting dyuers strange and wonderfull things of the deserts and wild chases of Africa they chaunced at length to tell of certayne yong Gentlemen of theyr countrey issued of the chiefe and most noble families of all their nation who beeing at a reasonable age very youthfull and valtant determined in a brauery to go seeke straunge aduentures as well other as also this Fiue of them being assigned thereto by lot put themselues in voyage to go search and discry the wildernesse and desert places of Africa to the ende they might see more and make further report thereof then euer any that had attempted the same For the sea coast of Africa poynting to the North pole many nations do inhabite beginning from Aegypt and continuing to the promontory named Soloes wherein Africa hath his end and bound All the places aboue the sea are haunted with wilde and sauage beastes beeing altogether voyde and desolate pestered with sand and exceeding drye These gentlementrauellers hauing made sufficient prouision of water and other vyands necessary for theyr iourney first of all passed the countreys that were inhabited and next after that came into the wylde and waste regions amongst the caues and dennes of fierce and vntamed beastes through which they helde on theyr way to the west parte of the earth In which manner after they had continued many dayes iourney and trauelled ouer a great part of the sandy countreys they came at length to espy certayne fayre and goodly trees growing in a fresh and pleasaunt medowe wherevnto incontinently making repayre and tasting the fruite that grewe thereon they were suddenly surprised and taken short by a company of little dwarfes farre vnder the common pitch and stature of men whose tongue the gentlemen knew not neither was their speache vnderstoode of them Being apprehended they were lead away ouer sundry pooles and meares into a city where all the inhabitauntes were of the same stature and degree with those that had taken them and of colour swart and blacke Fast by the side of thys city ranne a swift and violent riuer flowing from the Weast to the East wherein were to be seene very hydeous and terrible serpents called Crocodyles To this ende drew the talke of Etearchus King of the Ammonians saue that he added besides how the Namasonian gentlemen returned home to theyr owne countrey as the Cyraeneans made recount and how the people also of the city whether they were broughte were all coniurers and geuen to the study of the blacke arte The floud that had his passage by the city Etearchus supposed to be the riuer Nilus euen as also reason it selfe giueth it to be For it floweth from Africa and hath a iust and direct cut through the middest of the same following as it should seeme a very like and semblable course vnto the riuer â—ster Ister beginning at the people of the Celts and the city Pyrene the Celts keepe without the pillers of Hercules being neere neighbours to the Cynesians and the last and vtmost nation of the westerne people of Europe deuideth Europe in the middest and scouring through the coast it is helde by the Istryans people so named and comming of the Milesians it lastly floweth into the sea Notwithstanding Ister is well knowne of many for that it hath a perpetuall course through countreys that are inhabited but where or in what parte of the earth Nilus hath his spring no man can tell forsomuch as Africa from whence it commeth is voyde desert and vnfurnished of people the streame and course whereof as farre as lyeth in the knowledge of men we haue set downe declared y t end of the riuer being in Aegypt where it breaketh into y e sea Aegypt is welny opposite directly set against y e mountaines of Cilicia froÌ„ whence to Synopis standing in y e Euxine sea is fiue daies iourney for a good footemaÌ„ by straight euen way The Ile Synopis lyeth iust against the riuer Ister where it beareth into the sea so that Nilus running through all the coast of Africa may in some manner be coÌ„pared to y e riuer Ister howbeit as touching y e floud Nilus be it hither to spokeÌ„ Let vs yet proceede to speake further of Aegypt both for that the countrey it selfe hath more strange wonders then any nation in the world and also because the people themselues haue wrought sundry things more worthy memory then any other nation vnder the sunne for which causes we thought meete to discourse more at large of y e region people The Aegyptians therefore as in the temperature of the ayre and nature of the riuer they dissent from all other euen so in theyr lawes and customes they are vnlike and disagreeing from all men In this countrey the women followe the trade of merchandize in buying and selling also victualing and all kinde of sale and chapmandry whereas contrarywyse the men remayne at home and play the good huswiues in spinning and weauing and such like duties In like manner the men carry their burthens on their heads the women on their shoulders Women make water standing and men crouching downe and cowring to the ground They discharge and vnburthen theyr bellies of that which nature voydeth at home and eate their meate openly in the streetes and high wayes yeelding this reason why they do it for that say they such things as be vnseemely and yet
to the whole realme and dominion of Aegypt it would please the gods to turne all vpon that head The like vse and custome about the heads of such cattel as are killed in sacrifice and in time of offering for the priest to drinke wine is in all places alike throughout all the churches of Aegypt in so much that it is growne into a fashion in all the whole land that no Aegyptian will taste of the head of beastes sacrificed Howbeit there is choyse and diuersity of sacrifice with thē neyther is the same manner and forme of oblation kept and obserued in euery place Now we will shew and declare which of all the goddesses they chiefly honour and in whose name they solemnize and celebrate the greatest feast Hauing therefore most deuoutely spent the eue or day before the feast in solemne fasting and prayer they sacrifice an Oxe whose hyde incontinently they pull off and take out his entrayles suffering the leafe and fat to remayne within him After that they hewe off the shanke bones with the lower part of the loyne and shoulders likewise the head and the necke which done they farce and stuffe the body with halowed bread hony raysons figges franckincense myrrhe and other precious odours These things accōplished they offer him vp in sacrifice pouring into him much wine oyle and abiding still fasting vntill such time as the offering be finished In the meane space while the sacrifice is burning they beate and torment themselues with many stripes whereby to satisfy and appease the wrath and displeasure of the gods Hauing left off on this manner to afflict and crucifie their flesh the residue of the sacrifice is set before them where with they feast and refreshe their hunger It is a custome receyuen throughout all the region to offer bullocks and calues of the malekinde if in case they be found immaculate and pure according to the forme of their lawe howveit from kine and heiffers they absteyne most religiously accounting them as holy and consecrate to the goddesse Isis whose image is carued and framed like a woman with a paire of hornes on hir head like as the Graecians describe and set foorth Iö Hereof it proceedeth that the people of Aegypt do most of all other beastes worship and reuerence a cowe for which cause none of that nation neither men nor women will eyther kisse a Graecian or so muche as vse hys knife to cut any thing his spit to rost his pot to voyle or any other thing belonging to them disdayning and loathing the very meate that hath bin cut with a Graecians knife for somuch as in Greece they feede of all neate indifferently both male and feamale If an oxe or cowe chaunce to die they bury them on this wise the kine and females they cast into the riuer durying the oxen in some of the suburbes with one of his hornes sticking out of the ground for a token lying on this maner vntill they be rotten At an ordinary and appoynted time there ariueth a ship frō y ◠Ile Prosopitis situate in y t part of Aegypt which is named Delta being in compasse nine scheanes which is 63. miles In this Iland are planted many cities one of the which continually furnisheth and sends foorth the aforesaid ship hauing to name Atarbeehis wherein standeth a faire and goodly temple dedicated to Venus From this city Atarbechis many people are woont to stray and wander into other townes of Aegypt The ship comming to land at euery city takes vp the bones of the dead oxen and caries them all to one place where they are buryed together The law also cōmaundeth the selfesame manner to be kept and obserued in the sepulture and burying of other cattell that dye in the land from the slaughter of the which generally the Aegyptians absteyne Neuerthelesse such as abiding in the prouince of Thebes in the temple of Iupiter Thebanus are inuested with the orders of priesthoode vse the same abstinence from sheepe and slayne goates vpon the aultars of the gods for in Aegypt the same gods haue not the same kinde of diuine honour in euery place and with euery people sauing Isis and Osyris the one a goddesse the other a god which are of all men worshipped alyke This Osyris is of the Aegyptians thought to be Bacchus albeit for some respect they name him otherwise Contrary to these such as are belonging to the pallace of Mendes and are conteyned within the precinct and limits of that sheere withholde themselues from goates and make sacrifice of sheepe The Thebaries therefore and such as following their example eschew and auoyde the slaughter and killing of sheepe testifie themselues to be mooued heerevnto by a law because that Iupiter on a time refusing to be seene of Hercules who greately desired to behold him at his instant prayers cut off the head of aramme and stripping off the fell cast it ouer him and in such manner shewed himselfe to his sonne where of the Aegyptians framing the image of Iupiter made him to haue a rammes head of whome the Ammonians tooke that custome whych are an offpring and braunch growne from two sundry nations the Aegyptians and Aethiopians as well may be seene by their lāguage which is a medley of both tongues who seeme for this cause to haue named themselues Ammonians for that they hold the oracle of Iupiter whome the Aegyptians call by the name of Ammon In this respecte the Thebanes absteyne from the bloud of rammes and sheepe esteeming them as holy and diuine creatures Howbeit one day in the yeare which they keepe festiuall to Iupiter they kill a ramme and taking off the skynne they couer therewith the image wherevnto incontinent they bring the picture of Hercules after which they beate the naked flesh of the ramme for a good season The sacrifice being in this sort accomplished they bury the body in a religious and halowed vessell This Hercules they recken in the number of the twelue gods as for the other Hercules of whome the Graecians make mention the Aegyptians are altogether vnacquainted with him neyther do they seeme at any time to haue heard of him This name I suppose to haue come first from Aegypt into Graece and to haue bene borrowed of them howsoeuer the Graecians dissemble the matter to make the inuention seeme their owne wherevpon I grounde wyth greater confidence for that the yarents of Hercules Amphytrio and Alomaeea are by countrey and lynage Aegyptians Likewise in Aegypt the name of Neptune and the gods called Dioseuri was very straunge and vnheard of neyther would they be brought by any meanes to repute them in the fellowship and company of the gods And it in case they had taken the name of any god from the Graecians it is very credible that as well as of the rest nay aboue the rest they would haue made chose of Neptune and the other were it that at those dayes trade of merchandise and voyaging
by sea were vsed eyther by them into Graece or by the Graecians into Aegypt which I suppose and thinke to haue bene It is therefore most sounding and agreeable to truth that if any thing had bene borrowed by them the name of Neptune rather then Hercules had crept into their manners and religion Besides this the god head and name also of Hercules is of greate coutinuance and antiquity in Aegypt insomuch that by their saying 17000. yeares are passed since the raigne of King Amasis in tyme of whose gouernaunce the number of the gods was increased from eight to twelue whereof Hercules was then one Heere in not contented with a slippery knowledge but mooued with desire to learne the truth I came in question with many aboute the same cause tooke shipping also to Tyrus a city of Phoenicia where I had heard say that the temple of Hercules was founded Being landed at Tyrus I beheld the pallace beautified and adorned with gifts of inestimable price and amongst these two crosses one of tried molten gold another framed of the precious gemme Smaragdus whiche in the night season sent foorth very bright shining beames forthwith falling into parle with the chapâ—â—ines priests of y e temple I demaunded them during what space the chappell had stoode and how long since it was built whose talke and discourse in nothing agreed with the Graecians affirming that the temple tooke his beginning with the city from the first foundation groundley whereof two thousand and three hundred yeares are exspired I saw also in Tyrus another temple vowed to Hercules sumamed Thesius In like sort I made a iorney to Thasus where I light vpon a chappell erected by the Phaenicians who enterprising a voyage by sea to the knowledge and discouery of Europe built and founded Thasus fiue mens ages before the name of Hercules was knowne in Greece These testimonies doplainely prooue that Hercules is an auncient god and of loÌ„g durance For whiche cause amongst all the people of Greece they seeme to haue taken the best course that honour Hercules by two sundry temples to one they shew reuerence as to an immortall god whome they call Hercules Olympius to another as to a chiefe peere and most excellente person amongst men Many other things are noysed by the Graecians albeit very rashly and of slender ground whose fond and vndiscret tale it is that Hercules comming into Aegypt was taken by the Aegyptians and crowned with a garland who were in full mind to haue made him a sacrifice to Iupiter Vnto whose aultare being lead with greate pompe and celerity he remayned very meeke and tractable vntill such time as the priest made an offerto slay him at what time recalling his spirits and laying about him with manfull courage he made a great slaughter of all such as were present stroue against him By which theyr fabulous incredible narration they flatly argue how ignoraunt and vnaquaynted they be with the maners of Aegypt for vnto whome it is not lawfull to make oblation of any brute beast but of swine oxen calues and geese couldethey so farre stray from duty and feare of the gods 〈◊〉 to stayne and blemish their aultars with the bloud of men Agayne Hercules being alone in the hands of so many Aegyptians can it stande wyth any credence or lykelyhoode that of hymselfe he should be able to slay so greate a multitude But let vs leaue these fables and proceede forwarde to the truth Such therefore of thys people as flye the bloudshead and slaughter of goates namely the Mendesians lay for theyr ground that Pan was in the number of the eyght gods which were of greater standing and antiguitie then the twelue The forme and image of the god Pan both the paynters and caâ—uers in Aegypt franie to the same similitude and resemblance as the Graecians haue expressed and set him foorth by making him to haue the head and shankes of a goate not that they thinke him to be so but rather like the other gods Notwithstanding the cause whereby they are mooued to portray and shadow him in such sort is no greate and handsome tale to tell therfore we are willing to omit it by silence sufficeth it that we knowe how as well bucke as dooe goates are no pety saincts in this countrey in somuch that with the Mendesians goateheards are exalted aboue the common sorte and much more set by then any other degree of men of which company some one is alwayes of chiefe estimatioÌ„ at whose death all the quarter of Mendesia is in great sorrow and heauines whereof it commeth that as well the god Pan himselfe as euery male-goate is called in y e Aegyptian speach Mendes In these parts of Aegypt it hapned that a goate of the malekinde in open sight closed with a woman whiche became very famous and memorable throughout all the countrey An hogge is accounted with them an vncleane and defiled beast which if any passing by fortune to touch his next worke is to go washe and dowse himselfe clothes and all in y e riuer for which cause of all their proper and natiue countreymen only such as keepe swine are forbidden to do worship in the temples No man will vouchsafe to weâ— his daughter to a swineheard nor take in marriage any of their discent and issue feamale but they mutually take and yeeld their daughters in mariage betweene themselues Of the number of the gods onely Liber and the Moone are sacrificed vnto with hogges whereof making oblation at the full of the moone for that space also they feede of porke and hogsflesh The reason why the people of Aegypt kill swyne at this time and at all other times boyle in so great despight and hatred against them bycause mine eares glowed to heare it I thought it maners to conceale it Swyne are offered vp to the Moone in this manner the hogge standing before the aultare is first slayne then taking the tip of hys tayle the milt the call the sewet they lay them all together spreading ouer them the leafe or fat that lyeth about the belly of the swine which immediately they cause to burne in a bright flame The flesh remayning they eate at the full of the moone which is the same day whereon the sacrifice is made abhorring at all other times the flesh of swine as the body of a serpent Such as be of poore estate and slender substaunce make the picture image of a hogge in paast or dowe whiche beeing consequently boyled in a vessell they make dedication thereof to their gods Another feast also they keepe solemne to Bacchus in the which towarde supper they sticke a swyne before y e threshold or entry of their dwelling places after which they make restitution thereof to the swinehearde agayne of whom they bought it In all other pointes pertayning to thys feast so like the Graecians as may be sauing that they square
first that euer made the gods to be borne and sproong of certaine progenies like vnto men assigning to euery one a byname proper and peculiar honours sundry crafts and sciences wherein they excelled not leauing so much as the fauour and portraytour of any of the gods secrete and vndeseried As for suche poets as are saide to haue gone before these they seeme to me to haue liued after them The first of these things I meane the names of the natures celestiall to haue bene planted in Greece in such sorte as hath bene declared the priests at Dodona do iustly witnesse Now for this of Hesiode and Homer to be no other wyse then is said I pawne mine owne credit Furthermore of y e oracles in Africke and Greece the Aegyptians blaâ—e this rumor and principally such as are employed in the seruice and ministerie of Iupiter Thebanus by whome it is sayde that certaine men of the Phaenicians comming to Thebes state priuily from thente two women accustomed to minister in the temple of Iupiter one of the which they sold in Lybia the other in Greece by whose meanes and aduise it came to passe that in each countrey the people created an oracle Heereat somewhat abashed and requesting earnestly how and in what manner they came to knowe this they made we aunswere that leauing no corner vnsearched whereby to come to knowledge of their women and not able to finde how they were bestowed newes was brought at length of their plight and condition Thus farre was I certified by the Thebane prelates wherevnto I deeme it conuenient to adde such things as were notified vnto mee at Dodona by the priests there who vndoubtedly affyrme how in times forepast and long ago two blacke pigeons tooke theyr flight from the countrey of Thebes in Aegypt scouring with swift course through the sky one of the which fortuned to light in Africa the other in that part of Greece where Dodona is now situate where pointing vpon a mighty â—all beech she was heard to speake in a voice humane like vnto a man warning the people to erect an oracle or seate of diuination in that place being so thought good and prouided by the destinies Whiche admonition the people taking as well they might to come by the instince and motion of the gods did as they were commauÌ„ded by the done In like manner it fell out that in Lybia the people were stirred vp and inâ—ensed by the other done to the planting and erection of a seate propheticall named the oracle of Ammon being also coÌ„fecrate to the name of Iupiter These things we receiued of the credite and authoritie of the Dodoneans confirmed and established by the generall consenteÌ„ of those that had the â—ase and charge of the temple Of these women priests resident in the temple of Dodona the eldest most auncieÌ„t had to name Promenca the second Timareta the third and yougest Nicandra Neuerthelesse of these matters such is my iudgement If any such religions and holy women were by stealth of the Phenicians transported and caryed away into Lybia and Greece I condecture that the one of these was sold at Thesprotus in that parte of the region which earst was in y e possession of the Pelasgians and is at this present reputed for a portion of Hettus where hauing serued certayne yeares in processe of time she brought 〈…〉 diuine ceremonies of Iupiter vnder some beach tree growing in shoaâ—e coaÌ„stes For what could be more likely conâ—emente then for her to establish some monument in the sacred honour of Iupiter in whose seruice and religion she had bene long time conuersaunt at Thebes in Aegypt Which her ordinance at length grewe into the custome of an oracle The same beeing perfect also in the Greeke language discouered vnto them in what sort the Pheniâ— anâ— had likewise made sale of hir sister to the people of Africa The sacred and deuoute women of Dodona resyaunt in the pallace of the great god Iupiter seeme for none other cause to haue called these Aegyptian pufiâ—s two doues then for that they were come from harbarous countreys whose tongue and manner of pronouncing seemed to the Graecians to sounde like the voyce of bites And whereas they shewe that in time the doâ—e began to vtter playne language and speake like men â—aught else is meant heareby then that she vsed such speech as they knew and vnderstood being so long esteemed to emusate and follow the noyse of birds as she remained in her harbarous kind of speach and pronunciation For how is it credible that a pigeon in deede could haue â—â—urped the voice and vtteraunce of a manâ— and alleadging yet further that it was a blarke doâ—e they argued her more playnely to haue bene a woman of Aegypt the flower of whose beauty is a fayre browne blew â—anned and burnt by the fyery beames of the sunne Agayne the oracles themselues that of Thebes and this of Dodona are welâ—ye in all poyntes agreeable Thspeake nothing of the maner and order of southsaying in the comples of Greece whych any man with halfe an eye may easily discerne to haue bene taken from Aegypt Let it stand also for an â—â—â—ent and vndoubted verity that assemblies at festiuals pompes and pageants in diuine honour talke and communication with the gods by a mediatour or interpretour were inuented in Aegypt and consequently vsed in Greece Which I thinke the rather for that the one is old and of long continuance the other freshe and lately put in practise It is not once in a yeare that the Aegyptians vse these solemne and religious meetings but at sundry times and in sundry places howbeit chiefly and with the greatest zeale deuotion at the city Bubast in y e honour of Diana Next after that at Busiris in the celebration of 〈◊〉 feast where also standeth the most excellent and famous temple of Isis who in the Greeke tongue is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is to wit Ceres Thirdly an assembly is held in the city Sars in the prayse and reuerence of Minerâ—â— Fourthly at Hâ—liopolis in honour of the sunne Fiftly at Batis in remembraunce of Larona In the sixt and last place noâ—hâ— city Papsâ—â—is to the dignity renowne of Mars Moreouer sucâ— of this people as with encyre and affectionate zeale most religiously obserue these astat Bâ—bastis behaue and beare themselues on this maner Certayne shippes being addressed wherein infinite numbers of men and women fayle towards the catâ— in the meane season whiles 〈◊〉 be in voiage on y e water certaine of the womeÌ„ play vpoÌ„ drums taders making a great found noyse y e men on pipes Such as want these implemeÌ„ts clap their hands straine their voice in singing to y e highest degree At what city soeuer they ariue happely some of the women of â—â—tinue their mirth disporâ—on y e timbrels some other raise reuise wold at the daâ—â—es of the city beyond
measure 〈◊〉 trau 〈…〉 â—aunce motionly other cast vp their clothes openly discouer and being anâ—he in shame doing this in all those cities y t are neere adioyning to the riuers â—iâ—iâ— Being assembled gathered together at Bâ—bastis they honouâ— the feâ—â—h day with 〈◊〉 all solemnity making large â—ffringâ— to Diana wherein is greater or 〈◊〉 〈…〉 of grâ—pâ— wiâ—eâ— thâ—â— all the yeare besides To this place by the 〈◊〉 of the countrey are want to repay â—â—7000 〈…〉 en wo 〈…〉 〈◊〉 fides thildreÌ„ and thus they passe the time at Bubastis Now in what maner they solemnize y e sacred day of Isis at y e city Businis we declared before where in the 〈◊〉 age is after y e deeper furnaÌ„ce accomplishment of y e sacrifice to whip â—to 〈…〉 ge theÌ„selues 〈…〉 In mind table wise and y t not one or 〈…〉 many thousandes of â—ache degree both men women â—nouor the lesse by what meanes or where with al they beate vexe their bodies in this sort I may not disclose Howbeit such of the people of Carâ—a as soiourne make their abode in Aegypt stricken with a deeper remorse of sinne in this point of zeale 〈◊〉 go beyond y e Aegyptiâ—â—s in that they hackle slice their forehead with kniues daggers where 〈…〉 it is plainely 〈◊〉 to vnderstande that they come of forreine nations and not of the homeborne naturall people of the land Inlike manner meeting as before at the city Sais there to accomplishe the rites and ceremonies due to the day at the approche and neere poynt of the euening they furnish and beset their houses with torches and lampes which being replenished with pure oyle mingled with salte they giue fire to the weike and suffer them to continue burning till the next morning naming the day by the feast of lampes Such as resort not to this feast do neuerthelesse at their owne homes giue due honour to the night placing in euery corner of theyr house an infinite number of tapers and candles the custome being not only kept at Sais but spread and scattered throughout the whole region But for what ende this night is helde solemne by lighting of lampes a certayne mysticall and religious reason is yeelded which we must keepe secret At Heliopolis and Butis onely sacrifice without execution of any other ceremonies is done to the gods Likewise at Papremis they remyne the same custome of diuine seruice and worshipping as in other places At the sunne going downe certayne chosen men of the priests being few in number and seriously held and busied about the image the most parte standing before the dore of the temple armed with clubs as much as they can weilde ouer against whome on the contrary side other more then a thousand meÌ„ of the number of those that come to worship all strongly furnished prepared with bats in their handes The day before the feast the picture or image framed of wood is by meanes of a few assigned to the ministery and cure of y e woodden god conueyed out of a small temple made of light timber gorgeously gilded into another sacred and religious house being thither drawne by the minister themselues vppon a wayne of foure wheeles wheron the temple itselfe is placed the image also conteined therein Drawing neere to y e temple with their cariage the clubbes standing before the dore wyth threates cruell manaces forbid theÌ„ to enter incoÌ„tineÌ„t y e band of men oueragainst them toÌ„ming with might maine to assist the image and encounâ—â—ing with those that kept the temple laye on suche escapeth without hys crowne crackt in manye places Wherein also I suppose that many men miscarry and came short home albeit they flatly denie that of a wound so taken any man euer perished The homelings and peculiar people of that countrey alleadge this reason of the battell In this temple saye they did sometimes inhabite the mother of the god Mars who seeking at the estate of ripe yeares against the lawe of nature to haue society with his owne mother tooke the repulse and was reiected by her ministers that knew him not whereat the god storming in great rage purchased ayde out of the cities adioynaunt and made way perforce to the greate discomfiture and dammage of those as sought to resist him for which cause they yet solemnize to Mars a feast of broken pates and brused costards enacting moreouer by the vertue of their religion that no man should haue carnall copulation with a woman in the temple neyther attempt to set his foote within the dores of any suche house of religion vnlesse after the fleshly knowledge of women he first wash and cleanse his body wyth pure water whiche custome onely taketh place amongst the Graecians and Aegyptians beeing the vse in other nations to accompany with their women in the churches and palaces of their gods and also presently after such secret actes without any regard of purifying themselues to rush into the houses of diuine honour making no difference betweene men and other brutish and vnreasonable creatures For it is seene say they how other things that haue life and sence meddle themselues each with other euen in such places as the gods were worshipped which if it were a thing so odious and displeasaunt in the eyes of the higher powers no doubt the beastes themselues would eschue and auoyde it whose doings together with their iudgement I flatly disalow Howbeit vnderstand we that as well in these things whereof we haue intreated as in all other the Aegyptians are led with a singular superstition Aegypt also itselfe albeit it abutte and poynt vpon the countrey of Lybia yet is it not ouermuch pestered with beastes Such as the lande bringeth vp and fostereth are reputed holy and by no meanes to be violated or harmed by any some of which haue their nouriture and foode together with the people of y e soyle othersome are more wilde fierce and intractable refusing so gently to come to haud The cause of these things why creatures vnreasonable are so highly honoured of this people I may not without breach of piety reueale which things of set purpose I haue endeuoured to conceale and keepe secrete vnlesse by the necessary course of the history I haue bene brought to the contrary Furthermore about the beastes that breede and multiplye in the region suche is their order Generally they are helde with a most tender and reuerent care for the mayntenaunce and fostering of them in whiche kinde of honour for it is accounted a greate honour with them to haue regard of beastes the sonne euermore succeedeth the father To these brute creatures all such as are resident in the cities of Aegypt performe and pay certayne vowes makyng humble supplication to some one of the gods in whose patronage and protection that beast is which thing they accomplish after this manner Shauing the heads of their sonnes eyther
Philitio who at that time kept sheepe in those places Chephrenes dying yeelded the Kingdome to Mycerinus the sonne of his brother Cheops who eschuing the wicked acts and detestable practises of his father caused the temples to be set open giuing libertie to the people being so long distressed vnder the gouernement of his father and vncle to follow their owne affayres and returne to their auncient custome of sacrifice ministring iustice aboue all the Kings that were before him for which cause none of all the princes that haue borne rule in Aegypt is so greatly praysed and renowmed both for other causes which were wisely taken vp by him in iudgement and chiefly for this that a certayne Aegyptian much complayning that the King had wronged him in deciding his cause he commaunded him to value the losse which he had suffered by him which the partie doing he gaue him so much of his owne goods to make him a recompence Mycerinus in this wise gouerning the common weale with great clemency and seekyng by vertue to aduance his fame was sodeinely daunted by a great misfortune the death of his onely daughter hauing no more children but her which was the first and greatest hart-breake that befell him in his kingdome For which cause being stricken with sorrowe aboue measure and desirous to solemnize her funeralles by the most royall and princely kinde of buryall that could be deuised he caused an oxe to be made of wood inwardly vauted and hollow within which being layde ouer and garnished most curiously with gilt he inclosed therein the wanne and forlorne corpse of his best beloued daughter This royall tombe was not interred and buryed in the grounde but remayned vnto our age in the city Sais in open view standing in a certayne parlour of the Kings pallace adorned and set foorth for the same purpose with most beautifull and costly furniture The custome is euermore in the daye time to cast into the belly of the oxe sweete and precious odoures of all sortes that may be gotten and in the nighte to kindle a lampe which burneth by the tombe till the next daye In a chamber next adioyning are certayne pictures of women that were the concubines of Mycerinus if we may beleeue the talke of those that in the same city of Sais are professours in religion forsomuch as there are seene standing in that place certayne mighty images made of wood twentye or thereaboutes in number the most parte of them bare and naked but what women they resemble or whose pictures they be I am not able to alleadge more then hearesay notwithstāding there were which as touching the gilded oxe and the other images framed this tale that Mycerinus being inamoured of his own daughter dealt vnlawfully with her besides the course of nature who for intollerable greefe hanging her selfe was intombed in that oxe by her father the Queene her mother causing the hands of all her gentlewomen to be cut off by whose meanes she had beene betrayed to serue her fathers lust for which cause say they are these images portrayed to declare the misfortune which they abode in their lifetime But this is as true as the man in the moone for that a man with halfe an eye may clearely perceiue that their hands fel offfor very age by reason that the wood through long cōtinuance of time was spaked and perished whiche euen to our memory were to be seene lying at the feete of those which were portrayed The oxe wherein the yong princesse lay was sumptuously clad and arayed all the body wyth a gorgeous mantle of Phenicia hys head and necke beeyng spanged and layde ouer with braces and plates of golde of a maruaylous thickenesse Betweene hys hornes was set a globe or circle of golde glistering as the sunne Neyther is the oxe standing and borne vp vppon hys feete but kneeleth as it were on hys knees equall in bignesse to a great heighfer The manner is once a yeare to bring this image out of the parlour wherein it is kepte hauyng first of all well beaten and cudgelled a certayne image of one of theyr Sainctes whome in thys case wee thynke it not lawfull for vs to name The talke goeth that the Lady besought the Kyng her father that beeing dead she myght once a yeare beholde the sunne whereof sprang the custome and maner aforesayde After this there befell vnto him another mischiefe that sate as neere hys skirtes as the death of his dilling insomuch that he was readie to runne beyonde hymselfe for sorrowe A prophecie arose in the city of Butis that the tearme of sixe yeares fully exspired the Kyng shoulde ende hys lyfe leauing hys Kyngdome to be ruled of another Whereof the Kyng beeing aduertised and greately greeuing at the rigorous and vniust dealing of the gods sped a messenger to the place where the seate of prophecie was helde to expostulate with the god for what cause since hys father and vnckle who had beene so vnmindfull of the gods shutting vp their temples and making hauocke of the people had liued so long he hymselfe that had dealte better with them and caused these thynges to bee restored agayne shoulde so soone be depriued of the benefite of lyfe to whome aunswere was made that hys dayes were therefore shortened because hee tooke a wrong course and dyd not as he should do beyng appoynted by the celestiall powers that the countrey of Aegypt should suffer miserie and be afflicted by their princes y e space of an hūdred fifty yeares which the two former princes well vnderstanding was neuerthelesse by him neglected and left vnperformed Mycerinus hearing this round reply and perceiuing that his thread was almost spoon set al at reuell making great prouision of lights and tapers which at euentide he caused to be lighted passing the night in exceeding great mirth and princely banquetting letting slip no time wherein he either wandered not alongst the riuer and through the woods and groues of the countrey or entertayned the time in some pleasaunt deuises following all things that might eyther breede delighte or bring pleasure which things he did to the end he might prooue the prophecie false and conuince the god of a lie making twelue yeares of sixe by spending the nightes also as he did the dayes Mycerinus also built a pyre not equall to that which his father had set vp before him beeing in measure but twentie foote square framed quadrangularly and another lower then that of three acres in compasse being built to the middest of the stone of Aethiopia There be of the Graecian writers that suppose thys towre to haue bene erected by a woman of notable fame called Rhodope who misse of their account not seeming to knowe what that Rhodope was of whome they speake Besides it is very vnlikely that Rhodope woulde euer haue enterprised a worke of so great value wherein infinite thousands of talentes were spent before it came to perfection Lastly it was not in the
dayes of this prince that Rhodope flourished but vnder the gouernement of Amasis many yeares passing from the tyme of those princes that planted the pyres to the dayes and age of Rhodope This gallaunt dame was by countrey a Thracian borne the bondmayd of one Iadmon whose abiding was in the land of Samos in the city of the god Vulcane who in the tyme of her bondage was fellowseruant with Aesope the inuenter of fables to whome this smooth minion had a monethes mind and more for which cause being giuen out by y e oracle at Delphos that it mighte be free for any man to slay Aesope that would and take pennaunce for his soule for his faulte committed there was none found that would put him to death but the nephew of Iadmon that came by his sonne who was also named Iadmon whereby we may gather that Aesope was a slaue and vassall to Iadmon The death of Aesope wounded Rhodope with so great feare that she tooke her flight foorthwith into Aegypt accompanyed by one Xanthus a Samian where she set foorth her selfe to the sale of such as rather then Venus should be shut out for a Sainct thought it no idolatrie to worship idols Whiles shee abode in Aegypt shee was redeemed and acquit of her seruitude by one Charaxus who purchased her libertie by a great summe of money This Charaxus was of the countrey of Mitilene sonne of Scamandronymus and brother to Sappho the notable poetresse By these meanes came Rhodope to be free and remayned still in Aegypt where she wanne so great credite and liking of all men that in shorte space she grewe to maruellous wealth beeing such as farre in deede surmounted the degree of Rhodope but yet amounted not to the buylding of a pyre By the tenth parte of whych her substaunce it is easie for any man to gesse that the masse and summe of money which she had gathered was no suche myracle as it is made to be For studying to be famous and remembred in Greece she deuised a worke which had neuer bene imagined or geuen by any other which in remembrance of her selfe she offered in the temple of Delphos Wherefore of the tenth parte of her riches which she sente to the temple she commaunded so many yron spittes to be made which were imployed to the rosting of oxen as the quantitie of the money woulde afoorde that was sente thyther by her These spittes at this present stande behynde the aultare whiche the people of Chios erected iust oueragainst the temple Howbeit such arrant honest women as are fishe for euery man haue in no place the like credite as in the city of Naucrates Forsomuch as this stalant of whome we speake had her fame so bruted in all places as almost there was none in Greece that had not hearde of the fame of Rhodope After whome there sprang vp also another as good as euer ambled by name Archidice whose vertues were blased very farre but not with like fame and renowne as her predecessour with whome Charaxus was so farre gone that retyring home to Mytelene he was almost besides himselfe as Sappho maketh mention inueyghing in verse agaynst hys folly We haue thus far digressed to speake of Rhodope we will now returne to the text agayne Next after Mycerinus ensued the raigne and dominion of Asychis by whome as the priests report was consecrated to Vulcane a princely gallerie standyng to the East very fayre and large wrought with most curious and exquisite workemanship For besides that it had on euery side embossed the straunge and liuely pictures of wilde beastes it had in a manner all the graces and sumptuous ornaments that coulde be imagined to the beautifying of a worke Howbeit amiddest other his famous deedes this purchased him the greatest dignitie that perceyuing the land to be oppressed with debt and many creditours like to be indamaged by great losse he inacted foorthwith that who so borrowed aught vppon credite shoulde lay to pledge the dead body of his father to be vsed at the discretion of the creditour and to be buryed by him in what manner he woulde for a pennaunce to all those that tooke any thing of loane prouiding moreouer that in case he refused to repay the debt he should neyther be buryed in the tombe of his fathers nor in any other sepulchre neyther himselfe nor the issue that should descend and spring of his body This prince desiring to surpasse all that had bene before him left in memorie of himselfe an excellente pyre built all of clay wherein was a stone set ingrauen in these wordes Compare me not to the rest of the pyres which I surmount as farre as Iupiter excelleth the meaner gods for searching the bottome of the riuer with a scoupe looke what clay they brought vp the same they employed to the building of me in such forme and bignesse as you may beholde And this did Asychis imagine to aduance the fame of himselfe to the time to come After whome the scepter was held by one Anysis a blynde man inhabiting in a city called after his owne name Anysis In time of whose raigne Sabbacus King of Aethyopia inuaded Aegypt with a mightie power Where at the poore blinde King greatly affrighted crope priuily away and gayned a priuie couert in the marrishe places of the countrey leauyng the gouernement to Sabbacus his enemie whiche ruled the same 50. yeares whose actes are mentioned to haue beene these If any of the Aegyptians made a trespasse he neuer vsed to do any man to death for his offence but according to y e quantity of his fault to enioyne him to arrere make higher by forreine supply of earth and stone some parte of the city wherein he dwelt for which cause the cities became very high and eminent being much more loftely situated then before For first of all in time of Sesostris such earth as was cast out of the trenches which were made to geue the water a course to the cities that were farre off was employed to the eleuation aduancing of the lowe townes and now agayne vnder this Aethyopian they had increase of fresh earth and grew to be very high and lofty Amongst the rest the noble city of Bubastis seemeth to be very haughty highly planted in which city is a temple of excellent memory dedicate to the goddesse Bubastis called in our speach Diana then the which albeit there be other churches both bigger and more richly furnished yet for the sightly grace and seemelynesse of building there is none comparable vnto it Besides the very entrance and way that leadeth into the city the rest is informe of an Ilande inclosed round about with two sundry streames of the riuer Nilus which runne to either side of the path way and leauing as it were a lane or causey betweene them without meeting take their course another way These armes of the floud are eache of them an hundred foote broade beset on both
and windings leading from one chamber to another did wonderfully amaze and astonish my wits Out of the great haules we go into certaine parlours wherehence the way leadeth in other bedchambers next vnto which are situate diuers secrete lodgings that open into the sixe great haules standing on the contrarie parte of the court all which are coped ouer aboue with wrought and carued stone incompassed also with a wall of most fayre and beautifull stone ingrauen with sundrie sorts of pictures Euery one of the haules are layde with smooth white stone beautified on each side with a goodly course of pillers To one corner of the Laberinth is adioyning a pyre or towre of stone being fortie paces wherein are the pictures of many straunge beastes hewne out and carued of stone To this towre is a way vndermined in the ground Notwithstanding for all the wonders that are to be seene and marked in the Laberinth the poole called Maeris neere bounding vnto the same hath in our iudgemeÌ„t sundry things thereto belonging of farre greater admiration The compasse of this ponde is three thousande sixe hundred furlongs and sixty Schoenes as they tearme them conteyning alltogether as much space as the sea coast of the countrey of Aegypt The length of the poole lyeth North and South being in deapth where it is highest fiftie paees Now that it hath not sprong naturally in that place but rather hath bene wrought and digged by the trauell of men this is an euident proofe for that welnye in the middest of the ponde are planted two mightie towres of stone appearing fiftie foote aboue the water and beeing as much vnder On the toppe of ech towre is a great image wrought of stone sitting in a chaire of maiestie so that the towres conteyne in heigth an hundreth paces An hundreth full paces do make a furlong of sixe acres A pace conteyneth sixe feete or foure cubites A foote is foure times the breadth of the hande The water of Moeris is not naturally flowing from any spring belonging thereto the grounde beeyng exceedyngly patched and drie but is deriued from the riuer the water hauing recourse into the poole euerie sixe monethes by ebbing and flowing The sixe monethes wherein the water is retyring out of the ponde the multitude of fishe which is there taken increaseth the Kings fiske euery day by a talent of siluer and at suche time as it refloweth agayne it bringeth aduantage of twentie pounde a daye Thys poole the inhabitants affyrme searcheth through the vames of the earth and sheddeth his waters into the Syrâ—s or quicke-sands of Africa vndermining a secrete course into the mayne land towarde the countreys of the West fast by the side of an huge mountayne which appeareth ouer the city Memphis Now forsomuch as I could not discerne how all the molde should be bestowed that was cast out of the poole at the firste making thereof being desirous to knowe what was become of it I questioned with the inhabitaunts of those places as touching the same whose answere was that it was employde to the rampeiring of the bankes of Nilus and much of it throwne downe the riuer whose speach obteyned the more credite wyth me for that I remembred the like thing to haue bene done at the city Ninus one of the chiefe cities of Assyria In this city it fell out in auncient time that certayne good fellowes wanting siluer determined to visit the Kings treasurie who at that time was Sardanapalus abounding with infinite summes of treasure which for that it lay safely garded vnder the earth in houses vndermined for the purpose these yonkers aforesayde beginning at their owne houses made a way vnder grounde directly leading to the pallace of the King voyding all the mold which they digged into the riuer Tigris by night which floweth fast by the city vntill they had brought their enterprise to passe After the same manner it fell out in Aegypt in casting the lake of Maeris sauing that the one was digged by night the other by day but in this also the greatest parte of the boyde earth was cast into Nilus and dispersed by the streame And in this manner say the Aegyptians was the poole of Maeris firste made Now when as the 12. Kings of Aegypt had practised equity euery one within his owne territory they drew together at a certaine time to do sacrifice in Vulcans temple where as y e maner was y e last day of y e festiuall the priest ministred wine vnto theÌ„ in certaine chalices of gold reserued for the same vse where happily missing of his number hauing but xi cups for xii princes Psammitichus standing last tooke from his head a brasen costlet and for want of a cup dranke therein In lyke maner fel it out with the rest of the princes that euery one was there presente in his headpeece of brasse In thus doyng it was deemed that Psammitichus meante no crafte or legerdeâ—ayne but had a playne simple meaning Howbeit it could not sinke with the rest but that he did it of purpose and comming in mind of the oracle that was geuen them that whosoeuer dranke of a brasen chalice should vsurpe the whole empyre alone weying his facte and finding that it was committed by errour they thought it not meete to put him to death but depriuing him of the greatest parte of his dominion banished him into the marrish countrey with especiall threates that he should not meddle with any parte of the countrey besides Notwithstanding Psammitichus hauing put to flight Sabbacus the Kyng of the Aethyopians and chased hym into Syria after this conquest was acquit of hys exile and restored agayne by those Aegyptians which are of the tribe of Sais wherefore once agayne vsing gouernement wyth the rest of hys confederates for the olde grudge of the brasen helmet they forced him to take the fennes agayne Recounting therefore with himselfe y e great despight they had wrought him determined eftsoones to reuenge his cause vpon those y t had pursued him speeding a messenger to the oracle of Latona in the citie of Butis which of all the seates of southsaying is of greatest truth aunswere was giuen him to be of good courage he shoulde haue helpe inough by brasen men that shoulde arise from the sea Which prophecie for the strangenesse thereof could hardly sincke into his braines to make him hope for the helpe of brasen souldyders Not long after certayne pyrates of Ionia and Caria proling alongst the seacoastes for their pray were by constraynte of weather driuen vpon the shores of Aegypt where going on lande all in armour of brasse a certayne Aegyptian ranne to Psammitichus in the fennes and for that he had neuer before seene any in the like array he tolde him that certayne brasen men were sproong out of the sea to waste and despoyle the countrey Psammitichus reknowledging the truth of the prophecie foorthwith ioyned himselfe in amitie with the rouers inducing them by great and large
promises to abide with him which being by him in like sorte obteyned with this fresh supply of forreyne ayde and the helpe of such Aegyptians as fauoured his cause he prouided against the rest of the princes Hauing the whole gouernemente alone he made in the city of Memphis certayne porches sacred to the god Vulcane lying vpon the South winde and oueragainst the porches a fayre large haule dedicated to Apis wherein the god Apis at suche time as he appeared was releeued and nourished This place was beset round with stately pillers and ingrauen with sundrie similitudes and imbossements of beastes foules and fishes Wherein also in place of some pillers are planted diuers fayre images of no lesse then twelue cubites in bignesse To these forreiners of Caria and Ionia by whome he was holpen in his warres Psammetichus gaue certayne manner places to dwell in lying on each side of the riuer Nilus called the Tentes whereof beeing possessed he performed all such promises besides that were couenaunted betweene them Moreouer he put vnto them certayne yong impes of the Aegyptians to be instructed in the Greeke language from whome by discent of issue came those which are now interpreters in Aegypt and vse the Greeke tongue A long time did the people of Ionia and Caria inhabite those places lying against the sea somewhat aboue the city of Bubastis situate at the mouth of Nilus which is called Pelusiacum from whence they were afterwardes translated by King Amasis into the city Memphis to gard him against the Aegyptians After the Greekes were thus setled in Aegypt the people of Greece had traffique thither by which meanes such affayres as were atchieued in that countrey from Psammitichus following are certaynely knowne of vs without any errour These were the first that inhabited Aegypt being of a diuers language from the homelings In like manner from whence they fleeted thither the reliques of their ships wherein they came the olde postes and groundreels of their houses were shewed me And these were the meanes whereby Psammitichus obteyned the dominiou of Aegypt As touching the oracle or seate of prophecie we haue made many wordes and will make more as of a thing most worthy to be mentioned This oracle is planted in the temple of the goddesse Latona in a great city named Butis standing against the mouth of Nilus which is called Sebenniticum into the which they haue entry that from the vpper parte of the sea cut against the streame In this city also are the temples of Apollo and Diana and the great pallace of Latona wherein is the place of diuination hauing a gallery belonging to it tenne paces high Heerein suche things as might lawfully be seene and deserued greatest admiration of those I meane to make report In this temple of Latona is a small chappell framed of one stone whose walles beeing of equall heigth were in length forty cubites which semblably was coped ouer the top with another stone beeing foure cubites in thickenesse Wherefore of all those things that were pertayning to the temple there was nothing that deserued greater woonder then this little chappell Next to this is an Ilande called Echemmis standing in the middest of a deepe and wide lake a little besides the chiefe temple whiche the Aegyptians suppose to swimme and to be borne vp of the waters Howbeit I neither sawe it swimme nor mooue maruayling very much if it were true that an Iland should be caryed in the waters In this Ile is planted the temple of Apollo a greate and sumptuous building lykewyse three rewes of aultares and many fayre palme-trees some very kynde and bearing fruite other fruitelesse and barren The Aegyptians also render a cause of the swimming of this Ilande saying thus that at what time Latona which is one of the eyght saints that are of greatest antiquity amongst them dwelt in the city of Butis whereas nowe the oracle is helde she tooke the sauegard of Apollo commended vnto her by his mother Isis and preserued hys lyfe in the same Ilande beeyng at that tyme stedfast and immoueable when as Typhon made so diligente searche in all places to finde out the sonne of Osyris For heere we must vnderstande that thys people imagine Apollo and Diana to be the children of Dionisius and Isis and that Latona was but theyr nourse and bringer vp that delyuered them from perill Apollo in the Aegyptian tongue is called Horus Ceres hath the name of Isis Diana of Bubastis from whence Aeschilus the sonne of Euphorion drew his opinion which alone of all the rest of the poets maketh Diana daughter to Ceres after which euent the Ile say they became loose and was marked to floate and mooue in the water Psammitichus gouerned in Aegypt 54. yeares 29. of the which he spent in the asseige of the great city of Syria which at length he subdued This city is called Azotus which of all the cities that euer wee hearde of susteyned the longest assaulte Insuing the raigne of Psammitichus the gouernemente of the countrey fell to Necus hys sonne by whome first of all was the channell digged that leadeth to the red sea whyche afterwardes was cast afreshe and made deeper by Darius the Persian The length of thys course was foure dayes sayling the breadth such as two reasonable vessels of three oares apeece might well sayle in it together The water which is deriued from Nilus into this channell floweth into it alittle aboue the city Bubastis against a towne of Arabia named Patumon and so continueth hys course vnto the red Sea They beganne first to digge from the playne of Aegypt towardes Arabia for all the countrey aboue the playne is filled and occupyed wyth a course of greate mountaynes neere vnto the citie Memphis wherein are many pittes and quarries of stone wherefore from the roote of thys mountayne is the channell deriued continuing a long course towardes the East vntyll it come to the place where the hyll parteth in twayne whyche distaunce and separation betweene the mountaynes openeth to the South regions and leadeth to the narrow seas of Arabia In the digging of thys course there perished an hundred and twentie thousande of the people of Aegypt When thys enterprise was halfe done Necus brake off and lefte it vnfinished being discouraged by a prophecie that tolde hym that hee toyled for the profite and behoofe of a Barbarian The Aegyptians tearme them all Barbarians which are of a sundry language Necus therefore leauing hys worke vnfinished applyed hys studie to the prouision of warre gathering souldyers and preparing a fleete of warring Shippes some of the which were builte at the North Seas others in the strayghtes of Arabia at the red Sea some tokens whereof are yet to be seene in the same places Thys Fleete he employed in hys affayres continuallie so long as it fitted hym to the vse of warre Forsaking afterwards the Sea and giuing himselfe to battailes by the land where in a conflict with the
shovvre of rained deliuered Craesus from the fire A reason vvhy peace is more to be desired then vvarre Craesus seynge to vvhat passe the oracle had brought him desireth leaue of Cyrus to chide vvith the deuil Apollo his ansvvere to Craesus his accusation Craesus is punished for the fact of Gyges that slue Candaules his mayster Applye to this place theoracle geuen fol. 25. PantaleoÌ„ Craelus his brother by the fathers syde sought to defeat him of the kingdome Of the couÌ„trey of Lydia a briefe narratioÌ„ of such things as therin are vvorthy memory Halyattes his tombe in Lydia The maydes in Lydia get their ovvne dovâ—â—ye by continuall vvhoredome The lavves of the people of Lydia The first coyners of siluer gold A famine in Lydiacontinuing the space of 18 yeares Chesse play dice and teâ—â—se deuised by the Lydians A colonye dravvne sene into Hetruria The people Tyrrheni in Vmbria sproÌ„g of the Lydians The genology of the kinges of Media from Deioces to Cyrus Media held by the Assyrians The pollicy of of Deioces to get the kingdome of Media Nothingvvinâ—e heredite so sonne asiustice and vpright dealyng The buildinge of the famous city Ecbatana The reason vvhy no man might haue accesse to the king of the Medes The seuerall countries of Media are these 6. Deioces raiged â—3 yeares Phraoâ—â—es the 2. King The Persians made subiect to the Medes by Phâ—aortes restored to their liberty by Cyrus Phraortes slayne by the Assyrianâ— the 22 yeare of his raygne Câ—axares 3. The day turned into night The most auncient temple of Venus Asia held by the Scythians 28. yeares Cyaxaresraigned 40. yeares Astyages 4. vn der vvhose raygne is conteyned the famous story of Cyrus The 2. dreams of Astyages conceâ—ning his daughter Harpagus deliuereth the child to the kinges neatheard to lay out in the desert Mitradates moued by his vvife laid out a dead child of his ovvne in sâ—eed of Cyrus Cyrus brought vp by the grasiers vvife Cyrus descryeth his progeni and causeth himselfe to be knovven Cyrus his bold ansvveare to Astiages Harpagus examined about Cyrus Harpagus his sonne slayne â— dressed in a barket Harpagus feeding of his ovvne childe Cyrus by the counsayle of the vvisemen vvas senthome to his parentes Cyrus receiued of his parentes The cause of the fable that Cyrus vvas said to be brought vp of a Bytch Harpaguâ—conuayghed a letter to Cyrus in the belly of an hare The letter The deuyce of lying to moue the Persians to rebellion The Persians rebell Harpagus leading the army of the Medes ioyneth his vvhole povver vvith Cyrus agaynst Astyageâ— Astyages hangeth the vvise men for counsayling him to let Cyrus goe Astyages takeÌ„ captiue Astyages raygned 35. yeares The celebration of their birth day in Persia The regard of good maners The maner of their consultation The people of Greece offer themselues to Cyrus todohomage The difference of speach in Ionia Of the cityes of Aeolia The losse of Smyrna Mazares dyiÌ„g Harpagusvvas made generall in his steed The counsai of Byas to th people of Ionia A discourse the Carians The people of Gâ—ydus their originall An experience vvrought for the tryall of antiquitie It vvere a question if a man should bee taught no language in vvhat tongue hee vvould speake Heliopolis the city of the Sunne The vvisest people in AEgypt The 12 monethes of the yeare first fouÌ„d out by the Aegyptians The names of the 12 gods Aulters Images and Temples inuented by the Aegyptians Menes the first kinge that euer raygned A Egypte for the most parte couered vvith vvater The maner of the Aegyptians measures AEgypt nexte the sea coaste 3600. furlonges The description of the countrey of AEgypt A mountaine The straunge effects of certayne ryuers By vvhat proofeâ— the couÌ„trey of Aegypt is argued to haue bene couered by vvaters In AEgypt it neuer rayneth but their lande is vvatered by the ouerflovve of Nilus The maner of husbandry amongst the AEgyptians Hogs be the best husbands in Aegypt and the vvorst in England A confutation of the opinion of the Iones concerning Aegypt The course of the riuer Nilus The names of the chanels of Nilus Pelusium Canobus Sebennyticum Saïticum Menedesium Bolbitinum Buâ—olicum A story touching the description of Aegypt An oracle in Afrike Hovv much of the land Nilus ouerflovveth The cause and time of the rising of the riuer Nilus sendeth foorth no miste A refutation of the Grecians as touching the same things vvithin fiue dayes after snovve falleth rayne That there is no sea called Ocean The true opinion of these things The cause vvhy the South and Southvveast vvind bring rayne Ister a great riuer in Europe The spring of the riuer Nilus vnsearchable The tvvo mountaynes Crophi and Mophi The City Meroe The souldiers of Aegypt forsooke theyr ovvne countrey The tricke of a knaue A slory touching the spring of Nilus A voyage vndertaken by certayne yong gentlemen A City inhabited by Necromancers The description of the riuer Ister Aegypt the most vvonderfull nation in the vvorld The lavves and customes of the people of Aegypt The daughter bound to nourish her parents in need The good felovvship in Aegypt vvher the good man and his hogs dine together The vse of grayne is very â—lender in Aegypt The manner of casting of account Their letters or charecters Cleannesse in auyre vvithout pride The custome of the priests Their dyer The orders of priesthood The manner of trying the bullocks that are sacrificed vvhether they be cleane or othervvise The order of sacrificing The head of the beast that is sacrificed is accursed A lavv greatly honoured in Aegypt The maner of burying kyne vvheÌ„ they dy The cause vvhy some of the Agyptians vvill kill no sheepe Whence the Ammonians drevv theyr name The name of Hercules taken from the Aegyptians The Kings of Aegypt could make at their pleasure gods The tvvo temples of Hercules in Greece The reason vvhy in some partes of Aegypt they vvil kill no goates A Goate closing vvith a vvoman Hogs of all beasts vvurst accounted of Hogheards of basest account Svvine sacrificed to Liber and Luna Superstition oft times runneth into most filthy deuises Melampus the first founder of this ceremonie in Greece In the time of Herodotus the name of Philosophers vvas straunge The beastly deuises of the paganes Cabiri the three sonnes of Vulcane Dodona somtime the chiefe oracle in Greece The beginning of the pagans gods The beginning of the oracles in Africke and Greece A tale of tvvo pigeons Inuentions of the Aegyptians The feastes of Diana Isis and Minerua The feast of the Sunne The celebration of Latonas feast and Mars The maner of such as repaire to the festiuall of Diana The feast of lampes A combate of priests The cause of this combate The feast of broken pates A reason dravvne from the vse of beastes to defend the maners of men The manner of the Aegyptians touching the beastes of the land The great regard of haukes The nature of catsin Aegypt Mourning for