lifting up the Cup and drunk both together there is nothing that can part us And Herodotus writeth almost the same of them for having put Wine in an earthen Vessel they mix their own blood with it They that make the League with a little knife or sword make a gash in their bodies then they dip their Seax Arrows Pole-Ax and Sword in the Cup which done they use many Imprecations and afterwards drink up the Wine not only they who make the League but their Followers of the chief Rank The same is witnessed also by Pomponius Mela but it is needless to heap up Testimonies in a thing so evident And that this Custom generally spread over GERMANY may be gathered out of another Author of good Reputation The Germans saith he in their Drinking-Festivals embracing each other cut the Veins of their foreheads and the blood that falls into the Cup they stir about with the Wine and drink it off thinking they have attained the highest piece of Friendship when they have tasted one anothers blood After this sort of drinking they anoint their Heads with the oyl of Roses or Hony to allay Vapours but for want of that they use Wine and Spikenard When they were to consult of matters of weight and importance besides the inspection of Beasts Intrails they especially observed the neighing of Horses For this purpose the whitest that could be pickt out were kept at the publick charge in Groves and Parks set apart from them These were never set to Common work but drew the Holy Chariot which was followed by the Priest and King or Prince of the City Their Presages of all others carried the greatest credit both with Priest People and Prince for they looked on themselves as the Servants of the Gods but their Horses as their Intimates This Custome continued longest in Pomerania as Saxo Grammaticus and Cranzius observe where they had this custome of consulting them When a War was designed against any Province they set up before the Temple three rows of Spears over every Spear two other ran cross-way then the Horse was led out by the Priest who used many Prayers upon the occasion when the Horse came to the ranks if he passed them with his right foot forward and not left then they counted it a good Omen but if but once in passing them he put his left before his right then they desisted from their Enterprizes From this great opinion they had of Horses perhaps saith Mr. Cainbden the Dukes of Saxony gave a Horse for their Arms. To try before hand what would be the issue and event of War they used some way or other to get a Prisoner of that Nation with whom they were to make War when they had taken him they chose out one of their own Country men to fight with him and having armed both Champions with the distinct Weapons of their own Nation they reckoned by him that was Conqueror which side would carry away the Victory In matters of moment which could not otherwise be decided they used among themselves to refer the Controversie to combat Thus Handing Prince of Saxony and Helgo King of Denmark fought about the right of the possession of Juteland in which combat Hunding was slain and the Saxons upon agreement made before delivered the Country to the Danes So our Historians mention the like between our Edward and Canute the Dane This was a very ancient Custome of the Saxons as appears by those Reasons given why they retained it even under Christianity it self amongst which this is one Because they had received it from their Ancestors in the Island Scandia This was called Kamp-fight and he that fought it Kampffet I have spoken before how the Saxons counted it the highest ignominy in the World to die by Age or Disease and this was generally the opinion of all the Northern Nations Cicero writes of the Cimbrl that about to die in Battel they rejoyced exceedingly but made heavy moans in time of Sickness And Lucian admires this Theology of theirs Certè populi quos despicit Arctus Felices errore suo quos ille timorum Maximus haud urget lethi metus indè ruendi In serrum mens prona viris animaque capaces Mortis ignavum reditura parcere vitae Happy the Northern Lands in their mistake Whom Death the Prince of Terrors cannot shake Headlong these Men on naked Swords dare run Their Souls ne'r shrink at Death which they might shun They think it base to hoord up life and vain To husband that which spent returns again Strabo writes the same of the Massagetes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They who die of Sickness they sling them out as wicked and worthy to be devoured of Beasts And certainly the Saxons had the same opinion that it was a kind of wickedness to die idlely otherwise they had never invented a Hell for it as I have shewn they did Herodotus writes of the Massagetes that it was esteemed so ignominious a thing to die of Sickness that Ancient men were sacrificed to the Gods by their nearest Relations This Custome the Saxons used for all Woden's Followers named Diars were offered to him before their death Nior aff Niogard holt sidan wen macht thet ypperste Blodsostet t Swerige och bleff en masdzmatt ofmer thet Ibans daghar war har godh tiidh sa at folcket meente han radde for abr och fridh Bthi hans tiidh dodde bort the maste Diat orh mordo alle offcade til odhan och sedan brende Niord bleft dodh aff Soot och sat agh offta till odhan for an han dodde sedan hrende the Swenska honom och honom begrete Nlord of Niogard afterward that is after the death of Woden had the full power of ordering the Sacrifices In his dates all things prospered so that the People looked on him as advanced for their honour and quiet In his time all the Diars were sacrificed to Woden and afterwards burned Nlord in his Old age before he died provided that himself should be offered to Woden afterwards the Swedes burst him and wept for him The similitude of Customes where other circumstances likewise agree hath been alwaies looked upon as a proper Argument to prove a near Relation of the People themselves This likeness of Manners between the Saxons and Getes in the foregoing Instances may serve a little to evidence from whence the Saxons took Original and because it may not seem a new Invention I shall close up all I have said upon this subject with the Law of Edward the Consessor wherein the Getes there called Gutes and the English are confessed to be one and the same People De illis qui possunt debent de jure cohabitare remanere in Regno Britanniae Britones verò Armorici cum venerint in regno isto suscipi debent in regno protegi sicut probi cives De corpore regni hujus exierunt quondam de
He that shall put out an Oxes eye shall pay five pence a Cows one shilling Of yearly Barley every Season shall be given 6 pound c. Here wanteth something Of a yoke of Oxen borrowed If a Boor shall hire a yoke of Oxen and hath Corn enough he shall pay the whole hire with Corn but if he want sufficient Corn he shall pay half in Corn and half in other goods Of Church Dues Every one shall pay his Church-dues at that place where he resided in the midst of winter Of him of whom Pledg is required If at any time a Pledg is required of a person accused and he hath not to lay down in pledg before his cause is heard and another will lay down pledg for him upon condition that the other may be in his custody till he receiveth his goods laid down for him and the second time the accused be forced to give Pledg and the party that first engaged will not again be security and so his cause fall it shall not be restored to the Surety what he laid down in the first cause Of the departure of a Boor keeper of the Peace A Boor that is keeper of the Peace if he leaves his house and goes to another place to dwell in he shall have power to carry with him his Overseer his Smith and a Nurse Of them who possess Lands He that possesseth 20 hides of land and is going to another place shall leave behind him 12 hides ready sown he that holdeth 10 shall sow six hides he that hath 3 hides and is a departing shall leave half an one sown If any one hath hired Roods of land of the Lord and hath plowed them and the Lord not content with the rent and service requireth more work and duty than was bargained for the Tenant shall not be bound to hold on those conditions unless the Lord give him an House neither shall he be prohibited plowing Of a Boor keeper of the Peace banished If a Boor keeper of the Peace shall be banished for any misdemeanour his house shall not be a refuge for him Of Wool A sheep shall not be sheared until Midsummer or the Fleece shall be redeemed with two pence Of the estimation of Men. Out of the estimation of the head of a Man that whilst he lived is valued at 200 s. there shall be substracted 30 s. to recompence his death to the Lord out of the estimation of the head of a Man valued at 600 s. 80 shall be substracted out of the estimation of the head valued at 1200 shillings an hundred and twenty shillings shall be substracted Of Maintenance to be allowed Out of 10 hides of land for maintenance shall be given 10 fats of Hony 300 loaves 12 gallons of Welch-Ale 30 gallons of small Ale 2 grown Oxen or 10 Weathers 10 Geese 20 Hens 10 Cheeses 1 gallon of Butter 5 Salmons 20 pound of Fodder and an hundred Eeles Of estimation by the head If any one be required to pay to the valuation of his head and being about to swear confesseth what in words before he denied nothing shall be demanded of him for penalty before he pay the whole value of his head Of a Robber that hath been Amerced the price of his head and is taken A Robber having been punished the price of his head and taken if he escape the same day the intire penalty shall not be again required if he was taken about night but if theft was committed before the foregoing night they shall pay who took him before as they can agree with the King or his Justices Of a Welch Servant killing a free English man If a Welch Servant shall kill an English man his Master shall deliver him into the hands of the Lord or the dead man's Relations or redeem him with 60 s. But if he will not part with mony let him free his Servant and let the friends of the slain sue for the value of his life If the freed Servant hath friends that will uphold his cause if not let him look to himself It is not required of a Free-man to pay with Servants unless he will redeem with a price the penalty of Capital enmity nor for a Servant to pay with Free-men Of things stolen and found with another Goods stolen and found with another if if he that vents them being called to an account will not take upon him the goods or the sale of them and yet confesseth that he sold some other goods to the party then it is the part of the Buyer to confirm by oath that he sold those very goods and no other Of the death of a God-father or God-son If any one kill a God-son or his God-father let him pay the same to the Relations as he doth to the Lord to satisfie for his death and his payment for the proportion of the value of the slain is to be more or less according as if payment were to be made to a Lord for his Servant But if the dead party the King received at the Font let satisfaction be made to him as well as to the Relations But if his life was taken away by a Relation substraction must be made of the mony to be paid to the God-father as it useth to be done when mony is paid to the Master for the death of his Servant If a Bishop's Son be killed let the penalty be half BUt this King INA is more especially celebrated by the Monkish Writers of those times for a great favourer of a Monastick life and a supporter of its Interest as well by his own profession of the same as by large Revenues and great Priviledges granted to its maintenance and honour But the chief of all his works was his stately Church at Glastenbury a place so renowned for its ancient Sanctity as being the first Seat of Christianity in this Island that our Ancestors called it The first Land of God The first Land of Saints in Britain The beginning and foundation of all Religion in Britain The Tomb of Saints The Mother of Saints The Church founded and built by the Lord's Disciples In the first planting of Faith in this Island there had been built as hath been shewn in the foregoing History by Joseph of Arimathea Philip or some of their Disciples a little Cell or Chappel for the exercise of Religion by those Primitive Apostles This being by this time decayed was afterwards repaired or rather a new one built in the same ground by Devi Bishop of St. Davids which also exposed to ruine was again kept up at the cost and charges of twelve Men coming from the North. But now NIA having well settled his Kingdom demolished that ruinous building and in the room of it erected a most stately and magnificent Church dedicating it to CHRIST and his two Apostles Peter and Paul guilding it throughout with gold and silver after a most sumptuous manner Upon the highest coping thereof he caused to be written in large Characters
but let all die To th' unborn Child that in the Womb doth lie But Antoninus had his thoughts more taken up with contriving his Fathers death than the destruction of his Enemies having once or twice attempted to kill him with his own hands and to gain the affection of the Souldiers he indulged them in all sorts of liberty and loosness so that Severus perceiving the unreclaimable nature of his Son more overcome with Grief than any other malady died at York His last words were these A troubled Common-wealth I found as my entrance every where but now I leave it in peace and quietness even among the Britains An Old man and infirm in my Feet I leave to mine Antonines an Empire if they prove good strong and stable but if bad weak and unsteady When Severus and his Son Bassianus were at York that famous Law was made Touching the Interest and right that Masters have to the Goods and Possessions of their Servants Signed by Severus and Antoninus His Body was conveyed to Rome in great pomp and attendance of the Governours of Provinces through which it passed although others report it was burnt here in Britain and the Ashes only carried in a Golden Urne and laid up in the Sepulchre of the Antonines He Reigned seventeen years eight months and odd daies and was made a God by the Romans By reason to some The way of Deifying their Emperours may be unknown I have thought it convenient to give a summary account of it here but first by way of Instruction The Romans were in general a sort of rude and ignorant People made up of the conflux of the worst of the Neighbour People of that State who either out of Guilt having committed some notorious Crimes in their own Cities that deserved death by their Laws or Discontent for want of preferment or promotion among their own People fled out of Revenge to that Asylum or place of Resuge which Romulus had set up for the same purpose to draw People to his new-built City so that they had no Gods in common but every one had his peculiar Deity if such People had any as he received and learnt in his own Country insomuch that the Worship of the City was various and uncertain which with those Gods AEnaeas brought from Troy made up a promiscuous sort of Idolatry but of these Romans we shall speak more fully in the Chapter relating to their Antiquities Thus it continued all Romulus his Reign the People being rather given to War than any Civil exercise of Religion all of them enquiring into the success of their Battles by various and different Auguries which every man had properly to himself Numa succeeding Romulus and being a superstitious Prince much addicted to the Ceremonies of Religion perceived it necessary for the supporting of his Kingdom to introduce some sort of Uniformity in Religion Now this he could not do without pretending to some extraordinary Divine Revelations every man judging that Religion and God to be the best in which he was born and to which he was naturally most devoted to accomplish his private ends and desire Numa feigns himself to have an intimate Communication and interest with the Goddess EGERIA and by the wonderful sanctity of his life fully perswades and possesses the People with the truth of his divine Intercourse with her insomuch that he establisht a set Form of Worship which he had learnt from the Etruscans a People infinitely given to Rites and Ceremonies which took their name from Care a City of Etruria After these proceedings he accomplishes the certain number and order of the Gods built Temples offered and instituted particular sacrifices to them taught them the Lines of Heaven and Earth how to exercise their Augury and having establisht all things in a firm and steady method dies who by the prosperity and felicity of his Reign fixes the People in an absolute belief of the Truth of those things he had before through his great pains and industry taught them Upon the division of these Romans they had a respect to the distinct and different dignities of Gods by Title and Place the better to advance the perpetual remembrance of their own promotions and so claimed a right to particular Gods that others might not own From this they successfully preserved the memory thereof by Images like the Parents and Sons as the most Honourable memorial of their descent from such Mighty and Noble Progenitors For those that were the first Authors of Images to themselves without being promoted to it by Merit were esteemed Upstarts and all such as had no Images were accounted Ignobly born Thus we see how by this strait of difficulty they despaired and some quite pin'd away for want of Honour amongst whom it often happens whose pride and ambition will not admit of content to be born from the loyns of Men but of Gods None therefore could obtain the priviledge of being Dignified after this manner but such as were promoted by the Senate to ride publickly in the Curule Chair which was the primary Dignity appertaining to such lofty Promotions By this 't is evident that the Right of Nobility went by favour of the Senate as well as Merit from whence we may gather how early and from what Root the honour of Antiquity took its first Rice and Original which must be occasioned out of the sence of Gratitude for some worthy Exploit done to the credit of the State or particular respect to such Persons and the benefit of Successours whose zeal to Religion and the eminency of whose Spirit had so fortunately raised them above the ordinary level of Mankind For this very cause Janus Saturn and others who by their several Projects Inventions and Labours had contributed to the improving and augmenting the Comforts of this Life in their perpetual Remembrance after they departed hence were translated under the sublime notion and title of GODS having no other way in those daies of gratifying the Deserts of the deceased or supporting of the honour of their otherwise fading Memories than by Heaven and Immortality But many in successive Ages although they had not so good a Title took upon them the same pretences for as their Merits were less so their Pride and Ambition was greater Flattery making doubtless amends in a considerable manner for the former This made Alexander the Great who was rather destructive and injurious than beneficial to Mankind taking the measure of his Worth from the vain applause of his Followers and the esteem of his own Actions from their greatness not goodness write to the Cities of Greece that they would admit him into the Society of their Gods What entertainment his Follies found may be seen from the scoff of Anaxarchus Eudamonicus who did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 deride Alexander for Deifying himself and from the Reply of the Lacedaemonians replied 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If Alexander will be a God let him be a God
him sufficient amends for the unkindness she had shewn him at his death First By fixing the Empire afterwards in his Family Secondly Leaving his Name to his Successours as the greatest title of Honour Majesty it self was capable of Thirdly and lastly By the appearance of a Star after his death which the Common people thought to be his Soul placed there by the especial favour of the Gods to upbraid the Senate of Ingratitude and Inhumane actions After the death of Julius young Octavius whom Caesar made his Heir came to Rome to demand of Antony his Inheritance left him by his Father Julius but finding by Antonies Delaies that there was little good to be done he told the People He intended it not for himself but as a Donative to be distributed amongst Them which procured Him the Love and Antony the Curses and Hatred of the People Antony after the defeat given him by Hirtius and Pausa repaired to Lepidus perswading the good natur'd General to march with his Army into Italy proposing to him the Empire as the ends of his labour but Octavius understanding their intentions thought it his best way to bring himself into the League also meaning under this pretended Friendship only to stay till time should present him with a fitter opportunity of ruining both which very soon happened for Antony after he had overthrown Brutus and Cassius makes over with what haste he could into AEgypt to assure his dearest Cleopatra of the truth and constancy of both his Love and good Fortunes Octavius soon catcht hold of the opportunity this their separation offered him for having lately found by experience what advantages Antony had over him by joyning with Lepidus was resolved for the future to allow them no such odds over him wherefore for some private Reasons best known to himself suddenly seizes Lepidus in his Camp deposes him from a share in the Government and confines him to Rome as a single Person Once again the Empire was laid at stake but Antony proved the unfortunate Gamster for consulting more his Love than his Reason Cleopatra than his old Captains determined to venture All in a Sea-battle wherein he was overthrown by the good Fortune and Conduct of Octavius Thus being acquitted of all Competitors he enters Rome in a Triumphant manner where by his Vigilancy Wisdom and Gentleness he firmly established though against the grain and humour of the Roman People the greatest Empire that ever was Of their Religion some of their GODS and manner of Worship WHAT GODS were worshipped in Rome or what publick forms of Adoration were used there before the death of Romulus few or no Authors have delivered unto us most referring the establishment of Religion and its Ceremonies to Numa Pompilius who is called by Arnobius In Religionibus comminiscendis Artifex ingenious in coyning or devising Religions But suppose we should grant that the Romans as a Savage multitude of Thieves and Out-Laws had but few or no notions of a Deity before the death of Romulus yet that then Religion took root amongst them which was something before NUMA's coming to the Crown may be gathered from the words of Plutarch in Remulo to this purpose When the People began to Mutiny and cry out that the Fathers had murthered Romulus and seemed resolved to take Revenge upon them for so Inhumane an action Julius Proculus a man eminent amongst the Fathers Kinsman and of unsuspected Loyalty to Romulus coming out into the Market-place the Multitude there present swore solemnly That in his Journey he met Romulus whose Countenance seemed more divine and glorious than ever and his Armour more glittering than formerly Whereupon he began thus to Reason the case with him What Injury O King or what was it in your mind that first moved you to expose us to the sury clamour and accusations of our Adversaries and leave your poor Orphans City in a General mourning and confusion To which the King answered O Proculus 'T is the pleasure of the GODS that I am sent from Heaven understanding the prosperous Fate of my City and their will that I return thither again therefore be of good chear and comfort and charge the Romans that they worship Valour and Prudence and by so doing they shall propagate their Dominion and become a potent People and I QUIRINUS will be their Indulgent and propitious God Moved by these words and the Authority of the person the People were suddenly appeased and from that time forward called upon ROMULUS as their God in which words are comprehended the very definition and nature of Religion it self viz. First The Duty of the People Secondly The benefit resulting from it Thirdly The promise of being their God Fourthly The general belief of the People with their Obedience to the Civil Magistrate immediately ensuing the same Thus at first was the foundation of Politick Theolopy laid at Rome on which NUMA who succeeded next in the Government built so large and happy a superstructure For he more out of a deep reflection on the death of Romulus than any inbred or natural inclination to Peace or Religion made it his business to instruct the People rather in Sacred Matters than encourage them to enlarge their Territories by Warring on their Neighbours for having arrived to the same height of Glory was exposed to the like Envy and consequently to the same Fate also unless he could lay greater Ties and Obligations on the Consciences of his boisterous Subjects than his Royal Prerogative For finding by late experience that no Earthly power was so sacred or secure but Ambition when opportunity presented would strike at nor any Government permanent or successful without some establisht Religion which makes deeper impressions in mens minds than the Civil Power can by proposing after death such large Rewards and such severe Punishments he made it his business to alienate their minds from their Wars and accustome them a thing easily done considering it was new and strange unto them to Religious exercise giving out withal to the People understanding the easiness of their Nature by the reception of Proculus his story That the Laws which he delivered them were made by the Nymph AEgeria moreover telling them That all success imaginable should attend them if they religiously observed those Institutions and Losses and strange Calamities ensue upon violation and neglect of the same Plato it seems approves of such pretentions as mighty necessary for all Legislators and therefore laies it down as a Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That all Laws about Divine Matters must be setcht from the Delphick Oracle which Opinion being throughly confirmed in them by the continual success they had in the Wars under their succeeding Kings they grew at last not only Religious but extreamly Superstitious which may be seen from the tedious Catalogue of the Gods they worshipped exceeding as Varro reporteth in number thirty thousand With what zeal did they Deifie the extravagant Passions and phrenzies of their
their Deities the Religion and Worship of the Saxons their Runick or Magical Writings their Habits Customes Laws and Constitutions upon the time of their entrance into Britain with some Remarks all along shewing the exact Coherence of the Saxon with the Getick Nation in many weighty points and material circumstances the relation whereof I hope will not be unprofitable or unpleasant to the Reader WODEN WHAT strange and monstrous Opinions the Saxons conceived of WODEN may be gathered out of most of their Authors who seldom mention his Name without some excessive Encomium of his Person or miraculous relation of his Magical performances whether it were that in those Ages the pretending to supernatural assistances was indispensably necessary to the Conducting of People from their own Countries and establishing them in New ones or whether Woden was no more than an ordinary Leader and his Actions made miraculous after his death certain it is none of all the Saxon Nation ever attained to so great Reputation being worshipped in all places and by all Sexes and saluted with the highest title of Divinity Den almegiste aas and hin almatke aas that is the Omnipotent Asian and the Asian maker of all things By what degrees he arrived to this Honour I will relate as it falls to my hand out of the Saxon Authors themselves Snorro Sturlaeson writes thus of him WODEN was a happy and glorious Warriour in all his Battles he alwaies came off Conquerour and every one believed that by a particular favour of the Gods Victory was inseparably entayled upon his Person and from thence derived to his Followers For this was his constant custome when ever he sent out any to War or intrusted them with matters of moment to lay his hand on their Head after the manner of Consecration which Ceremony performed they thought themselves sufficiently blest and beyond the reach of any misfortune whatsoever In Dangers they invoked his Name as a ready help in times of necessity placing in him their whole trust and confidence In the same Author this story is told of him Being once at War with the Scythians called Uaner it happened that both Parties tired out agreed to give each other Hostages The Scythians sent Niord Sirnamed the Rich and his Son Froi Woden on the other side sent Heimer a good Commander and Mimer a wise Counseller Heimer obtained the Kingdom of the Scythians but did nothing without the Advice of Mimer but Mimer dying the Scythians perceived by change of Affairs that all had been managed by his Wisdom insomuch that wanting some prudent Counseller they sent to Woden to redemand one Quasir whom with the other Hostages they had sent and to give him something in lieu of Quasir they cut off Mimers Head and sent it to Woden who no doubt knew how to use it who embalming it by Magick Incantation made it vocal so that it would reveal all hidden and secret Mysteries Besides this he had a way to call up the Ghosts of deceased Persons and at his pleasure shut them up in Hills and Rocks whence he was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dronga Drotten and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honga Drotten Lord of the Hobgoblins Upon his death he commanded that all his Limbs and Members should be marked with nine Scars which were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Geirs Dode and that they should sacrifice to him such as were taken in War as a most pleasant offering and attonement to him After his death he appeared to many especially in Battle wherein he promised Victory Others he invited to Ualhalden that is the Palace of Hell according to this the Goths sacrificed to him not only the Vulgar sort of People but Princes and Kings nay some of their lesser Gods while living as will afterwards appear And they believed that after death they were to go into Wodens Hall and there drink Ale with him and his Companions in the Skulls of their Enemies To this end they imagined a certain Goddess called DYSER employed by Woden to convey the Souls of the Valiant into his drunken Paradice And methinks I see the Danish King LOTH BROCK in his Fur-Leather Breeches for so his name importeth in as good Verses as Ale could inspire hugging himself with the hopes of Full-pots in the World to come 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We have stood true to Snick and Snee And now I laugh to think In Wodens Hall there Benches be Where we may sit and drink There we shall Tope our bellies-full Of Nappy-Ale in full-brim'd Skull And as if he were impatient till he arrived at this Immortal drinking where like a Good-fellow he doubts not but to bear up for the first place hear what breathings and pantings he hath after it and how his bowels yearn to be at it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Methinks I long to end I hear the Dyser call Which Woden here doth send To bring me to his Hall With Asians there in highest Seat I merrily will quaff Past-hours I care not to repeat But when I die I 'le laugh Having given you a taste of their Heaven and the Joys thereof you shall next hear what their Hell was we are like to find little good eating or drinking there a very uncomfortable place to the Saxons Thus it is They supposed a Goddess Hel which name we yet retain to signifie the place of Punishment who by Woden received Dominion over the Infernal Regions To her were conveyed the Souls of such as were not designed for the Blessings of the other Paradise What they were and what miserable attendance they had assigned them by this Inhospitable Goddess according to their Edda is as follows Hel tastade hann i Niflheim og ollum Sottdaudum Monum med og Elledaudum hun a thar mykia Bolstad og eru Garder hennar forhonar haffer og grindur storar Eliud ver heitur salut hennar hungur diskur Sultur kniffur Ganglate heiter hennar Chreell gunglott Awbatt Fallande forrad Chrokulout kor Seeng Blikande bol Arsale hennar hun er bia halff enn halff med horunds lit thui er hun andken Helldur gnupleit og grimleit He that is WODEN sent Hell into Nifleheim and gave her power over nine Worlds that she should distribute places among them who were sent unto her namely those that died of Diseases or Old age There she hath many high Towns and great strong Cullices her Palace is called Eliud her Dishes Hunger her Knife Sultur Want Her Serving-man Ganglate that is Slow-back her Waiting-woman Gaugiot that is Lazy her Threshold Falland forrad that is Steep destruction her Bed Ror that is Pining-sickness her Blankets Blicand bol that is shining Curse Hell her self on one side is Blew on the other the colour of a Mans-skin all over she looks fierce and dismal so that she may easily be known This was the place assigned for all who died not in Battle but staid till Sickness and Old age carried them away And we
see that their punishment is much proportionable to the way of their idle living hunger lazy Servants and lingring sickness We read in the Danish History of one Harald Hildetand who took great pains to avoid coming to this place for being blind lame and Bed-rid and fearing that he might die either through his sickness or Age he commanded himself to be carried into Battle in his Charriot where he died with these hopes that lifting but a finger might be construed fighting and might bring him to Wodens Hall The Edda hath these words Odinn heitur all Fader thui hanner fader alira guda hann heiter og Walfader thui hanns oska Syner eru aller their er I vall falla Cheim Skipar hann wallholl og wingolff og heita their tha Einheriar Odin is called All fader because he is Father of all the Gods and Walfader that is the Father of Slaughter because they are his beloved Sons who fall in Battle whom he takes to himself into his Palace called Walholl and Wingolf where they are called Einheriar that is the only Hero's Thus we see what we read of the Scythians in Roman and Greek Authors is found true of the Saxons who descended from them who bred up in the same Religion could not but equal them in Valour and let History speak never so much in the praise of the Scythians as to their contempt of Death the same or greater Honour is due to our Ancestours who so much despised all other deaths besides dying in the Field that they gave them the Nick-name of Kerlina dond and established the honour of Fighting well with the rewards of another World Besides this place of Punishment that I have spoken of they had another for perjured Persons Robbers Murtherers and such like Malefactors who deserved more active and pungent Tortures These were sent to a place where one Nidhogg Commanded a most ingenious contriver of all sorts of Torments who drest them up according to the qualities of their Offences boyling some roasting others c. with great exactness proportioning their punishments to the demerit of their Offences But to return to WODEN He is said as to his form and visage to have been of a chearful and pleasant Countenance to his Friends merry jocund and facetious of such admirable Eloquence and sweetness of discourse that he charmed the Hearers and forced belief To his Enemies he was fierce and by a certain kind of Magick would take away their senses and strike Panick-fears into them In his Conflicts with them by certain charms he could blunt the edges of their Swords that his own Souldiers without either Shield or Armour like ravening Wolves or Mad-dogs wou'd overrun slay and make havock of them without danger to themselves And this sort of furious Onset was called Berserker besides he had such an admirable way of deceiving the sight that he could transform himself into various shapes Sometimes as though he held his breath he would fling his Body on the ground which there lying as dead would turn into various figures sometimes of a Bird sometimes of a Fish sometimes a Serpent When he awaked he would constantly aver he had been in forraign Countries and had exact knowledge of what passed in them He could squench Fires raise Tempests stop Inundations and with one word call up Winds at his pleasure He had two Ravens whom he taught the use of Language who flying into far distant places would bring back true intelligence of new Affairs This Fable the Edda thus interprets Hraffnat their sitia a Urlum hans og seigia t eitu honum oll tydende thang et their heyra og sia their heita suo hugin og Munni Cha sender hann umm daga ad fiuga umm heim a lann og koma their astur ad dagver dat ma ale that aff verdut hann margra Cydenda viis thuit kalla menn hann hraffnagud Two Ravens sitting on his shoulders whisper in his ears all new Occurrences they either hear or see One is called Hugtnn that is the Mind the other Munni that is Memory Odin sends forth these every day betimes that they should flie the World over and at Dinner-time return By these he receives information and therefore he is called Rafnagud that is the God of Ravens From hence the old Danish Kings bore in their Escutcheons two Ravens and Hungar the first Dane that entred England in his Royal Standard carried this Bird which Standard upon that account called Reafan was thought impossible to be taken and drew much People after it no doubt as consecrated to this Rafnagud or God of the Ravens WODEN saith the same Author introduced the way of composing Verses in numbers and such Rythms as are now used in the Teutonick Dialect differing in this point from all other Languages in the World whatsoever for that the last words of the Verses answer to one another exactly in sound And this he did with such pleasing cadences that mixing them in his common discourse he wonderfully allured the Hearers and is reputed the Inventer of Poetry among the Saxons and the Founder of that Tribe called Scalders which like the Bardi among the Britains made it their business to set forth in Verses and sing to the People the noble Actions of their Progenitors Tacitus of the Germans saies They celebrate in old Verses which among them is the only way of Annals and Records their God Tuisto and his Son Mannus the beginners and Founders of their Nation The same custome the Saxons and Getes first used in Scandia as Mr. Sheringham learnedly proves who when any Person had done some notable service for his Country they composed his History briefly in Verses and ingraved them upon Rocks and massie Stones in great and legible Characters such as the Gothick are This Custome of ingraving upon Stone they brought with them into Germany as appears from many Inscriptions few whereof are now legible in Denmark Swedeland and Saxony I shall only instance in one which time hath not quite defaced About the City Visby saith Wormius there is a stony Rock which preserves the Memory of the Entrance of the Goths in these Characters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the Year two thousand five hundred entred HELGO with his Goths Saxo Grammaticus writeth thus of the Getes in Denmark The Atchievments of their Ancestours they composed in Verse in their Mother Tongue and took care to engrave them in Rocks and Stones And the Arch-Bishop of Upsal giving an account from what Authors he composed the History of his Country hath these words From the beginning of the Gothick Kingdom there was alwaies found in the People a great ambition after Honour and Glory wherefore they composed Verses and Rithms in their own Tongue of the worthy Deeds of their Ancestours and frequently sung them upon great Festivals that they might invite their Youth to the emulation of their Actions and that these Verses by length of time might not perish they took care
Convension Destroy the worship of Idols raze their Temples establish the Manners of your Subjects in the great Purity of good living by exhorting terrifying encouraging correcting and by showing the Examples of Good works that you may find him your Rewarder in Heaven whose name and knowledg you shall extend upon Earth for he shall make your Name more glorious to Posterity whose Honour you endeavour to advance and preserve in your Nation So formerly Constantine a most Pious Emperour freeing the Roman Commonwealth from the preverse worship of Idols submitted himself and It to our Almighty LORD Jesus Christ and applied himself and his Subjects with his whole mind unto GOD from whence it came to pass that he transcended his Predecessours as much in Fame as he exceeded them in good works And now therefore let your Majesty make all possible haste to disperse the knowledg of one GOD the Father Son and Holy Ghost to Kings and their Subjects that you may in commendation and merit pass the Ancient Kings of that Nation And by how much you endeavour to wipe away the sins of others by so much you may rest more secure of your own offences before the dreadful examination of Almighty God Our most Reverend Brother Augustine Bishop well taught in the rules of Monastick life filled with the knowledg of the Holy Scripture and endued through God's grace with good works whatsoever he shall advise you willingly hear devoutly perform and carefully lay up in your memory because if you shall hear him in that which he speaks for God Almighty the same Almighty God will the sooner hear him intreating for you But if which God forbid you should neglect his words when do you think Almighty God will hear him for you whom you neglected to hear for God With all your mind therefore joyn your self with him in the fervency of Faith and assist him relying on that power which God has given you that he may make you partakers of his Kingdom whose Faith you have received and endeavoured to preserve in your Kingdom Furthermore we would that your Majesty should understand that as we know in Sacred Writ out of the words of our Almighty Lord that the end of this present World is at hand and that the Kingdom of the Saints shall come of which there shall be no end But the end of the World drawing near many things shall happen which before were not viz. alterations of the Air terrours from Heaven and contrary to the course of Seasons Tempest Wars Famine Pestilences Earth-quakes in divers places all which shall not come to pass in our daies but all of them shall certainly follow our daies If therefore you shall find any of these things happen in your Land let your mind in no sort be disturbed because these signs concerning the end of the World are therefore sent before that we should be careful of our Souls mistrustful of the hour of death that we may be found in good works prepared for the Judg at his coming These things I have spoken to you in short Most Excellent Son that when the Christian Faith shall be increased in your Kingdom my discourse also may be inlarged towards you then 't will be more proper to speak more when the joyes for the perfect conversion of the whole Nation shall be multiplied in your breast We have sent you also some small Presents which will not be small unto you when you shall receive them from us with the benediction of the blessed Apostle Peter Almighty God preserve and perfect in you that Grace he hath begun and extend your life to the course of many years and after long time receive you into the Congregation of his Heavenly Country Let the Grace of Heaven my Royal Son keep your Highness safe Given the tenth of the Kalends of July in the nineteenth year of our Lord Mauritius Tiberlus Augustue Emperour after the Consulship of the same eighteenth year Indiction the fourth i. e. in the year of Christ 161. Gregory To Virgilius Bishop of Arles He commends to him Bishop Augustine HOW great kindness ought to be shewn to Brethren coming of their own accord may be gathered from hence that to shew our charity they are most commonly invited by us and therefore if it should so fall out that our common Brother Bishop Augustine should come unto you let your charity as it ought receive him with all tenderness and affection and cherish him with the benefits of your consolation and teach others how fraternal charity ought to be respected And because it falls out that those that are furthest off commonly are informed first of what ought to be corrected if he shall make mention to your Brotherhood of any enormities committed either by Priests or others sitting with him by diligent search and scrutining examine all things and behave your selves so strict and careful in those things that offend God and provoke him to anger that for the example and amendment of others punishment only may strike the guilty and that false judgment afflict not the innocent Given the tenth day of the Kalends of July Indiction the fourth Bede after this saich Afflict not the Innocent here in the end and so goes on God keep you safe Most Reverend Brother Given the tenth day of the Kalends of July our Lord Mauritius Tiberius Augustus being Emperour in the nineteenth year after the Consulship of the said Lord the eighteenth year Indiction the fourth i. e. in the year of Christ 601. Gregory To Melltus Abbot in France He gives Command to be sent to Augustine about the conversion of that Nation AFter the departure of our Congregation which is with you we were in great suspence because we could hear nothing of the happiness of your Journey but when it shall please Almighty God to bring you to our most Reverend Brother Bishop Augustine tell him I have a long time carefully considered of the condition of the English and am of opinion that the Temples of the Idols in that Nation ought by no means to be destroyed but only the Idols themselves that are in them Let holy water be provided and sprinkled about those Temples let Altars be built and Reliques kept in them For if those Churches are Elegantly built it is necessary they should be taken from the worship of Devils and appropriated to the service of the true God that whilst the people see their Churches are not destroyed they may put away their Errors from their hearts and knowing and worshipping the True God may more familiarly resort to those places they were wont to frequent And because many Oxen were wont to be slain in the sacrifice of Devils some other solemnity ought to be introduced instead of it that on the day of Dedication or Birth-day of the Holy Martyrs whose Reliques are there laid up let them make Arbors to themselves of the Branches of Trees about those Churches that were formerly Temples and let them celebrate the
same with Hadrians First the number of Miles which Spartianus hath truly reckoned to be eighty Now between Edinborough and Dunbritton there is not half that distance but if they shall object and say How that Eutropius hath reckoned the Length but thirty five Miles and Victor thirty two yet never the more doth this agree with the distance between the Friths of Edinborough and Dunbritton Let them consider therefore that the mistake might arise from hence Suppose the true number of Miles which are eighty two be written thus according to the Custome of the Romans LXXXII how easie is it to be supposed that the L being blotted or worn out it might be read according to Victor XXXII and Eutropius XXXV the last 1 having something remaining though defaced And that which fully perswadeth me that such an Errour hath been committed by the Transcribers in this case is that other Authors read it one hundred thirty two Miles the first numeral L being confused they took it for a C so instead of reading LXXXII viz. Eighty two miles they read thus CXXXII viz. One hundred thirty two miles And this seemeth not only easie but also necessary to be supposed how else can the contradictions of eighty thirty two and one hundred thirty two be otherwise reconciled The next Argument is the Authority cited by Mr. Cambden for this opinion to which he annexeth his own First Hector Boetius Severus saith hé commanded Hadrian's Wall to be repaired with Bulwarks of Stone and Turrets placed at such convenient distance as that the sound of a Trumpet though against the Wind might be heard one against another And in another place our Chronicles report That the Wall begun by Hadrian was finisht by Severus Also Hierom Surita a most Learned Spaniard writes That the Fence of Hadrian was extended farther by Septimius Severus Guidus Pautirolus affirmeth That Severus did but re-edifie and repair the Wall of Hadrian being fallen down But the Authority of Bede puts the Question beyond dispute where he writes of the Romans a little before their quitting the Island his words are these Moreover the Romans because they thought this also might serve their Allyes in some stead whom they were forced to leave placed a Wall of strong Stone from Sea to Sea directly between the Cities which had been built there for fear of the Enemy where Severus also in times past had made a Rampire Where is that Wall of Stone but between Solway-Frith and Tinmouth and where else could Severus his Wall be The Inhabitants upon this Wall to make a small digression talk much of a Brazen Trunck whereof they found Pieces now and then artificially set in the Wall ran between every Tower and Fortress and served to convey Intelligence the Noise being carried through the hollow Pipe from Tower to Tower according as they found themselves in different places assaulted The like miraculous device of the Towers in Bizantium Xiphiline relates out of Dion in the Life of Severus But since the Wall now lieth along and no Pipe remaineth there many Tenants hold Farms thereabouts of the King in Cornage that is that they should give Intelligence to the Neighbours of the Enemies approaching by winding of a Horn which some think had the first original from an Ancient Custome of the Romans Mr. Speed will needs have this Wall built by Severus of Stone and Mortar although Bede proveth to the contrary He groundeth his opinion upon an Inscription found in the Ruines of one of his Works near unto the River Ure in the County of Richmond IMP. CAES. L. SEPTIMIO PIO PERTINACI AUGU IMP. CAESARI M. AURELIO A PIO FELICI AUGUSTO BRACCHIO CAEMEN TICIUM VI NERVIO RUM SUB CURALA SE NECI NON AMPLISSI MIO PERIL VISPIUS PRAELEGIO But this I think is not sufficient to prove his Assertion Cement and things Cemented being not of the signification alwaies as Lime and Mortar But thus much for the present of SEVERUS his WALL I shall take further notice of it as it was altered and repaired by succeeding Emperours Whilest these things were doing and the Peace lasted it happened that the Empress Julia discoursing with the Wife of Argento a Caledonian cast out a Scoff against the loosness of the British Women who promiscuously consorted with divers Men whom the British Lady thus confidently answered Much honester do we Britains fulfil the work of Nature than you Romans we with the Gallantest men accustome openly you with the Basest in Corners And now it was about the year of Grace 211 that Severus took upon him the Name of BRITANNICUS MAXIMUS causing that Inscription to be stamped on his own and his Sons Coyns and to record to Posterity the Glory of these Atchievments sometimes as appeareth by his Coyns was formed a Trophy erected upon Spoyls with two Captives the Motto under VICT. BRIT sometimes a winged Victory graving a Shield hung upon that Tree which is the Meed of Conquerours and the words Victoriae Britannicae Spartianus saith that he assumed these Titles not so much for his other Atchievments in Britain as the Wall he had built which great work being now accomplished and himself returned Victor into the Province having as he thought establisht a lasting Peace began to ponder in his mind according to the Superstitions of those times what Omen would next occur to him It happened that an AEthiopian that followed the Camp of a great repute for his scurrile Wit among the Souldiers and whose Jests were much celebrated by them ran to him with a Crown of Cypress whom the Emperour in great rage commanded to be taken away touched with such dismal presages as his black Visage and Cypress Crown yet the Fellow undaunted and still pursuing his fawning Jest cried out Thou hast been All and hast conquered All Now thou art a Conquerour be a God Afterwards going to York and desirous to perform Divine Service by the errour of a Country Priest he was carried into the Temple of Bellona where the Sacrifices proved black and sooty which he refusing to offer and hastning home by the negligence of the Sacrificers the Beasts got loose and followed the Emperour even unto his Palace These Prodigies were looked on as the presages of his death which in a while after ensued for he had not long been in the Province but the Northern Nations taking advantage of his absence and sickness and the negligent proceedings of his Son Antonine who had the Command of his Army brake the Peace and rose up in Arms to defend their Liberties which so incensed the testy Old man wearied out with Labours and Infirmity that he sent his Son against him strictly commanding him to spare neither Age nor Sex using to that purpose these Verses taken out of Homer Nemo manus fugiat vestras caedemque cruentam Non foetus gravidâ Mater quem gestat in alvo Horrendam effugiat caedem Let none escape your hands