Vates Ancirrae and as most will haue it this was Cassandra the daughter of King Priamus and Hecuba their femall issue are thus numbred Creâ—sa Cassandra Ilione Laodice Lycaste Medesicastis Polixena Climene Aristomache Xenodice Deimone Metioche Pisis Cleodice and Medusa Amongst which she onelie attained to the spirit of Prophesie and predicted of the destruction of Troy but her Augurie was neuer credited Appollodorus as also Higinus giues this reason Appollo inflamed with her beautie promist if she would prostitute herselfe to his pleasure he would inspire her with the spirit of Diuination which he accordinglie performed but she failing in her promise to him he in reuenge of that iniurie caused that her Prophesies howsoeuer true should neuer haue credit which makes her in her diuination thus complaine The world to Troy I fitlie may compare Erected first by Neptune and the Sonne These two the aptest Heirogliphicks are For water and for fire The buildings donne Laoâ—edon their right the gods denyes For which by water Troy was first destroid So was the world for mans false periuries In the great Deluge where but eight inioyd The benefit of life Troy happy were If it by water could forewarned be So were the worldâ— but oh too much I feare In their like fatall ruin they agree Troy must be burnt to ashes woe the while My mother in her wombe conceiu'd a brand To giue it flame he that shall many a mile Trauell by water to bring fire to land Lust is the fuell Lust and other sinnes Are the combustible stuffe will bring to nought The worlds great fabricke since from them begins All desolation first to mankind brought The world like Troy must burne they both before Suffered by water so they must by fire We Prophesie these things what can we more But after our predictions none inquire Vnlesse in scorne This doth Cassandra greeue To speake all truth when none will truth beleeue The better to illustrate this Oracle know that Laomedon about to build the walls of Troy borrowed much coine of the Priests of Neptune and Phoebus to accomplish the worke vpon promise of due payment when the walls were finished But breaking his faith and denying restitution of those summes lent the gods inraged at his periurie Neptune brought vp his waues so high that he in a deluge vtterly destroied the citie whilst Apollo by the scorching of his beames made the vpper countries barren For the burning of Troy it happened after the ten yeares siege elaboratly described by Virgill in his Aeneidos when Aenaeas discourses the whole desolation of the citie to Dido in which he speakes of the prince Chorebus to bee much inamoured of Cassandra who rescued her when shee was dragd by the haire from Apollo's altar and was slaine in the attempt The death of Cassandra is thus reported by Hyginus in Fabulus When the spoiles and prisoners of Troy were diuided amongst the Princes of Greece Cassandra fell by lot to the archduke and generall Agamemnon with whom he safely arriued in Mycene of which place he was king and gouernour But Clitemnestra the daughter of Tindarus sister to Hellen and wife to Agamemnon being before their landing possest by Oeaces or as some call him Cethus the brother of Palamides that Cassandra was the prostitute of Agamemnon and had supplanted her from his loue which lie he had forged to be reuenged of the Generall for his brothers death before Troy Clitemnestra therefore surprised with iealosie complotted with Aegistus the sonne of Thiestas to murder them both the first night they lodged in the Pallace which was accordingly performed but Electra the daughter of Agamemnon stole thence her brother Orestes then but an infant who else had perished with his father and conueyed him to be safe kept to one Sihophius of Phocis who had before bin married to Astichaea the sister of Agamemnon he brought him vp to manhood till Orestes found fit oportunitie to reuenge himselfe on the two Regicides his mother and Aegistus SIBILLA EVROPAEA SHe is said to be Incertae patriae as no man knowing from what perticular region to deriue her and therefore is knowne by no perticular name nor by the antient Historiographers numbred amongst the ten only amongst the twelue she hath place as may appeare by this her Prophesie When the great King of all the world shall haue No place on Earth by which he can be knowne When he that comes all mortall men to saue Shall find his owne life by the world orethrowne When the most just iniustice shall depraue And the great judge be judged by his owne Death when to death a death by death hath giuen Then shall be op't the long shut gates of Heauen SIBILLA TIBVRLINA IT seemes she deriues her selfe from the riuer Tiber she is otherwise called Albunaea of the cittie Alba which was erected before Rome as also Italica and by some Alburnea It is reported that the Romans going about to deifie Augustus Caesar demaunded aduise of this Sybill who after three daies fast standing before the altar where the Emperour himselfe was then present after many hidden words miraculously spoke concerning Christ vpon the sudden Heauen opened and Caesar saw a beautifull Virgin standing before the Altar who held in her armes as louely an infant at this apparition Caesar afrighted fell on his face at which instant was heard a voice as from Heauen saying This is the altar of the Sonne of God In which place was after built a Temple dedicated to the Virgin Marie and called Ara Caeli i. The altar of Heauen This Policronicon affirmes and for the truth thereof citeth saint Augustine lib. 18. cap 24. There is little more remembered of her life sauing that in her bookes she prophesied of the comming of the Sauiour of the world much after this manner Seuen wonders of the world haue bin proclaimed But yet a greater than these are not named The Egyptians high Pyramides who seem'd To meet the starres a worke once much esteem'd The Tower of Pharos The miraculous wall That Babylon begyrt The fourth wee call Diana's Church in Ephesus Fame sings ' Thad fix and thirtie Pillers built by kings As many Next to these Mausolus Tombe Than which the Earth supporteth on her wombe No brauer structure Next to these there was The huge Colossus that was cast in Brasse Of height incredible whom you may espye Holding a lampe fiftie seauen cubits hye Bestriding an huge riuer The seuenth wonder Was of great Ioue that strikes with trisulck thunder His Statue caru'd in Yuorie and contriu'd By Phideas the best workeman then suruiu'd What at these trifles stands the world amaz'd And hath on them with admiration gaz'd Then wonder when the troubled world t' appease He shall descend who made them that made these Of these Wonders briefly to make her diuination the more plaine Of these Pyramides there were diuerse of which the greatest tooke vp eight acres of ground parted into
Insutilis a garment without seame which whilest it was about him nothing could be obiected against him to his least dammage or disgrace this was three times prooued and he still came off vnaccused but when by the aduise of this Veronica and other Christians the garment was tooke off he was then accused for causing guiltlesse men to be slaine for erecting statues of strange nations in the Temple against the ordinances of the Iewes that with mony wrested and extorted from the holie treasures hee had made a water-conduit to his owne house that he kept the Vestiments and sacred roabes of the Priests in his owne house and would not deliuer them for the seruice of the Temple without mercenarie hire of these and other things being conuicted he was sent to prison where borrowing a knife to pare an apple he slew himselfe his bodie after was fastned to a great stone and cast into the riuer Tiber. Of Adulteresses FRom the Incestuous I proceede to the Adulteresses Aulus Gellius in his first booke de Mortibus Atticis cites these words out of Varroes Menippea The errours sayth he and vices of the wife are either to be corrected or indured he that chastiseth her makes her the more conformable he that suffers her makes himselfe the better by it thus interpreting Varroes meaning That husbands ought to reproue the vices of their wiues but if they bee peruerse and intractable his patience though it preuaile not with them yet much benefits himselfe yet are not their insolencies any way to be incouraged because it is a dutie exacted from all men to haue a respect to the honour of their houses and families Besides such as will not be reformed by counsell are by the Lawes to be punished Caesar sued a diuorse from his wife because she was but suspected of adulterie though no manifest guilt could be prooued against her Lysias the famous Orator declaimed against his wife in a publike oration because he was iealous of her spouse-breach But much is that inhumane rashnesse to bee auoided by which men haue vndertooke to be their owne justicers and haue mingled the pollution of their bdes with the blood of the delinquents Cato Censorius reckons such in the number of common executioners and counts them little better than bloodie hangmen For saith he impious abhominable it is for any man to pollute his hands in such vnnaturall murder hee may with as much justice violate the ordinances of the common-weale or with as great integritie prophane the sacreds of the gods Sufficient it is that we haue laws to punish the judges to examine and sentence all such transgressors Nero the most barbarous of princes after that by kicking and spurning he had slain his wife Poppaea in his anger though he was altogether composed of mischief yet when he recollected himselfe truely considered the vildnesse of the fact he not onely with great sorrow bewailed her death to make what amends he could to the dead bodie before outraged but hee would not suffer her coarse to bee burned in the Roman fires but caused a funerall pile of all sweet and oderiferous woods fetcht from the furthest parts of the world to bee erected sending vp her smoke as insence offered vnto the gods and after caused her ashes in a golden vrne to be conserued in the famous sepulchre of the Iulian familie Neither is this discourse aimed to persuade men to too much remisnes in wincking at and sleeping out the adulteries of their wiues A most shamefull thing it was in Antonius the best of the Caesars to extoll his wife Faustina for the best of women and most temperate of wiues when it was most palpably knowne to all men how in Caieta she commonly prostituted her selfe to Players and Minstrells L. Sylla that was surnamed Happie was in this most infortunat because his easie nature was persuaded that his wife Metella was the chastest of matrons when her knowne loosenesse and notorious incontinence was ballated vp and downe the cittie Disgracefull it was in Philip king of Macedon who hauing conquered diuers nations and subdued many kingdomes yet could not gouerne one wife at home who though he had manifest probabilitie of her loosenesse and riots yet suffered with all patience her insufferable insolencies and being violently thrust out of her bed-chamber by her and her maides dissembled the iniurie to his friends excusing the wrong and seeming to laugh at the iniurie In like manner Clodius the Emperour excused his wife Messalina being taken in adulterie this libertie grew to boldnesse and that boldnesse to such a height of impudencie that from that time forward she tooke pride to commit those luxuries in publike which at first she not without blushes aduentured on in priuat It is related of her that before the faces of her handmaides and seruants she dissolutely I might say brutishly cast her selfe into the imbraces of one Sâ—lius not content with secret inchastitie vnlesse she had a multitude to witnesse her abhominable congression of whom the most excellent of the Satyrists thus speakes Quid priuata domus quid fecerit Hippia curas Respice riuales diuorum Claudius audi Quae tulerit Doost thou take care what 's done at home Or Hippia doost thou feare Behold the riualls of the gods What Claudius he doth beare The sacred institution of marriage was not onely for procreation but that man should make choice of a woman and a woman to make election of a husband as companions and comforters one of another as well in aduersitie as prosperitie Aristotle conferres the cares and businesses that lie abroad vpon the husband but the domesticke actions within doores he assignes to the wife for he holds it as inconuenient and vncomely for the wife to busie herselfe about any publike affaires as for the man to play the cotqueane at home Marriage as Franciscus Patricius sayth becomes the ciuile man to which though hee be not compelled by necessitie yet it makes the passage of life more pleasing and delightfull not ordained for the satisfying of lust but the propagation of issue Aelius Verus one of the Roman Emperours a man giuen to all voluptuousnesse when his wife complained vnto him of his extrauagancies as neuer satisfied with change of mistresses and concubines hee thus answered her Suffer me ô wife to exercise my delights vpon other women for the word Wife is a name of dignitie and honour not of wantonnesse and pleasure The punishment of a woman taken in adulterie as Plutarch in his Quest. Grec relates was amongst the Cumaeans after this manner Shee was brought into the market-place and set upon a stone in the publique view of all the people when shee had certaine houres sat there as a spectacle of scorne shee was mounted vpon an Asse and led through all the streetes of the cittie and then brought backe againe and placed vpon the same stone euer after reputed notorious and infamous and had the name of Onobatis i.
Mistresse of Pisistratus 248 Of Nitâ—tis 249 Of Bersaâ—e 250 Of the wife of Candaules 251 Rowan and Estrilda 252 The faire Lady of Norwich 253 Of Calirrhoe daughter to Boetius 256 Of the wiues of Cabbas and Phaillus c. 257 The daughters of Danaus and the sonnes of Aegyptus 259 Of Manto 260 The wife of Agetas c. 261 A Vicars daughter 262 A faire wittie Wench ibid. Of women deformed 264 The Contents of the sixt Booke inscribed Erato Treating of Chast women and Wantons A Discourse concerning Chastitie and Wantonnesse 267 Of Mary the blessed Virgin 271 Of Petronilla the daughter of S. Peter and other chast Virgins 273 Of chast Wiues and first of Penelope 276 The Historie of a woman of Casa Noua 280 Of Edeltrudis Editha and others 282 Of Wantons 284 Of common Strumpets Concubines and priuate Mistresses 285 Of such as merited the name of Honest Whores 286 Of Lais. 289 Of Glicerium alias Glicera others 293 Of Agathoclea 295 Of Cleophis 296 Callipigae Alogunes Cosmartidenes Audia c. 297 Iulia the daughter of Augustus Caesar. 298 Harlotta the mother to William the Conqueror 300 Of diuers Wantons belonging to sundry famous men Poets and others 301 Of famous Wantons 304 Of Mista and others 308 Of Wantons conuerted 312 The Contents of the seuenth Booke inscribed Polihymnia or Memorie Entreating of the Pietie of Daughters Mothers Sisters and Wiues A Discourse concerning Lyes Ieasts and wittie Sayings 313 Of Pious Daughters 319 The loue of Mothers to their Children 321 Friendship betwixt women 323 The loue of Sisters towards their Brothers 324 Of Matrimonie and Coniugall loue 327 Times forbidden in Marriage 328 Ceremonies before Marriage 329 Of Contracts 330 Of Nuptiall Dowers ibid. Of Nuptiall Gifts or Presents ibid. Of Nuptiall Ornaments Pompe Feasts and Epithalamions c. 332 A description of the Bride comming from her Chamber 333 The Bridegroomes first appearing 334 The Nuptiall Offering ibid. The Nuptiall Song 335 The entrance into their Bedchamber ibid. Sacred Auguries and Nuptiall Expiations 337 The Coniugall Loue of Women to their Husbands 339 Of Bawds 343 Of Age. 345 Of women addicted to Gluttonie or Drunkennesse 346 Of women beloued of diuerse creatures 349 Of women excellent in Painting Weauing c. 350 Of women contentious and bloudie 353 Of women strangely preserued from death and such as haue vnwillingly bin the deaths of their Parents 358 Of Clamorous women commonly called Skoulds 360 Of Tullia and her sister 362 Examples of Patience in women 363 Varietie of discourse concerning women 364 The daughters of Apollo ibid. The Syrens ibid. Women that haue dissembled their shape to good purposes or to bad 365 Women that haue changed their Sex 366 The Contents of the eight Booke inscribed Vrania Entreating of Women euery way Learned Of Poetresses and Witches A Discourse of Astrologie 369 Of famous Astrologians 370 Of women Orators that haue pleaded their owne Causes or others 373 Of women studious in Diuinitie 375 Of women excellent in Philosophie and other Learning 377 A discourse of Poetrie 383 Of women excellent in Poetrie 384 Of Minerua and others 387 Of Sapho 388 Of Cleobule Lindia other Poetesses 394 Of Telesilla Poetria 396 Of Perhilla c. ibid. A discourse of Witches 399 How the Deuill rewards his seruants 400 The wretched ends of sundry Magicians ibid. Seuerall sorts of superstitious Iugling 401 Of Cyrce Medea and other Witches remembred by the Poets 403 Of Witches transported from one place to another by the Deuill 406 Of Witches that haue either changed their owne shapes or transformed others 409 Lycantropia 410 A Piper transformed into an Asse 411 Other miraculous transformations ibid. Of shee Deuils 412 A Witch of Amsterdam 414 A Witch of Geneua 415 Examples of strange kinds of Witchcraft 416 Witches called Extasists 417 Diuerse things to be obserued in Witches 419 The Contents of the ninth Booke inscribed Calliope Entreating of Women in generall with the Punishments of the Vitious and Rewards due to the Vertuous interlaced with sundry Histories A Discourse of Death 419 Of women rauished 421 Of Handmaids Nurses Midwiues and Stepdames 424 The punishment of Incest in the sister of Leucippus 429 The punishment of Adulterie 432 Sisters that haue murthered their Brothers 434 The punishment of Fratricides 435 Of Mothers that haue slaine their Children and Wiues their Husbands ibid. Punishment due to Regicides 436 Punishment of vniust Diuorce 437 Whoredome punished 438 Loquacitie punished 439 Lying punished ibid. Periurie punished 440 Prodigalitie and Excesse punished 441 Witchcraft punished 444 Honor and Reward due to Fortitude 449 Honor and Reward due to Temperance 450 Reward due to Fertilitie or many Children illustrated in diuerse Histories 451 Of Beautie and the Reward thereof 453 A Conuertite rewarded 458 Of Cura or Care 462 Rewards due to women Philosophers Orators or Poetesses 463 FINIS TABVLAE NINE BOOKES OF VARIOVS HISTORIE ONELIE concerning Women Inscribed by the names of the nine Muses The first booke which is CLIO treating of the Goddesses Coelestiall Terrestriall Marine and Infernall BEFORE wee enter into a particular tractate of these Goddesses it shall not bee amisse to speake something of the opinions setled in sundry Nations concerning them Who were their first Adorers and Worshippers the multiplicitie of their gods and what seuerall rights and customes obseruations and Ceremonies they vsed in their Oblations and Sacrifices The Aethiopians are said to bee the most ancient and the first beginners of Diuine adoration as Diodorus is of opinion Imagining in themselues and verely beleeuing some of their gods to bee euerlasting and others to participate of a mortall and corruptible nature The Phoenicians they deliuered admirable and strange things concerning their gods and the first beginning and Creation of things aboue all others hauing in Diuine worship Dagona and Chamas The Atlantides a people of Affrica they are confident that the generation of the gods proceeded from them and the first that raigned amongst them they called Coelum which is heauen The Augitae another nation in the Affricke Continent acknowledged no other deityes than the Ghosts of such noble persons as were deceased to whose sepulchers they vsuallie repayred to demand answers of all such things wherein they doubted The Theologie of the Phrygians was not much different from theirs The Persians neither erected Statues nor Altars they worshipped the Heauen which they called Iupiter the Sunne by the name of Mithra the Moone Venus the Fire the Earth the Winds and the Water Isiodorus saith the Graecians first honoured Cecrops whom they stiled Iupiter and were the first deuisers of Images erecters of Altars and offerers of sacrifice The Iewes as Cornelius Tacitus relates apprehended but one diuine power and that onely they acknowledged The Germans of old as the same author affirmes were of opinion That the gods could not bee comprehended within walles nor haue any humane shape appropriated vnto them measuring their incomprehensible power by the magnitude of the heauens Now
prophet of Elusina shee was called Sciras The solemnisation of her feastiuals were called Panathenea There were certaine wreastling contentions which Theseus in Athens first instituted to this goddesse as Plutarch hath deliuered She had likewise her Quinquatria yearely celebrated which were kept sacred fiue daies after the blacke day and therefore so called the blacke day was immediatly after the Ides In her sacrifices it was their custome to offer a Goat because as Plinie hath left recorded The biting of the goat is preiudiciall to the Oliue tree whose fruit Minerua best loueth the verie licking of the rinde with their tongues makes it barren Shee slew the beast Alcida a monster that from his mouth and nosthrils breathed fire Aelianus writes that when Alexander brought his armie against Thebes amongst manie other prodigies that the image of Minerua sirnamed Atalcomineides was burnt by a voluntarie flame no fire being neere it At Assessum she had two Temples from that place she was called Minerua Assessia From other places where shee was worshipt she tooke the name of Pallenides and Pedasia Alea from her temple amongst the Tegeates Tutelaris she was called by the inhabitants of Chios and honoured as an Oracle amongst the Aegyptians she had only a porch amongst the Seians In some places her statues were couered with gold in others they were of plaine stone She had a Temple in Sigeum three others Sciradis Aegis and Crastiae she was by some called Minerua Vrbana and Minerua â—sliadi Herodotus writeth that when Xerxes transported his armie into Greece passing by Troy and being perusing the antiquities thereof vpon his departure thence at the altar of Minerua hee sacrificed a thousand oxen in one day Manie things are fabled of her by Poets as of her contention in weauing with Arachne which I purposely refer to her storie as it falls in course She is the Hierogliphick of Wisedome and therefore the Poet Martianus writes that she was borne without a mother because that in women there is scarce anie wisedome to be found In a Hymne vpon Pallas hee is thus read Hanc de patre ferunt sine matris saedere natam Prouida consilia quod nescit curia matrum Of father therefore without mother borne Because learn'd courts the womens counsell scorne The Maclies and the Auses are two nations that border vpon the spacious Fenne Tritonides Their virgins in the yearely feast of Minerua in celebrations of their rights to the goddesse diuide themselues into two armies and fight one part against the other with stones clubs and other weapons of hostilitie such as perish in the conflict they hold to bee no true and perfect Virgins because not protected by the goddesse But shee that hath borne herselfe the most valiant in the conflict is by common consent of the rest richly adorned and beautified with the best armour according to the manner of the Greekes her head beautified with a Corinthian crest or plume and seated in a Chariot drawn through the Tritonian Fenne They haue it by tradition that Minerua was the daughter of Neptune and the Fenne before named and being reproued by her father shee tooke it in such scorne that shee vtterly reiected him and gaue her selfe to Iupiter who adopted her his daughter Zaleâ—cus when hee commended his lawes to the â—ocrenses to make them the better obserued by the people told them Minerua had appeared to him and did dictate and propose to him whatsoeuer he had deliuered to them The most famous of Poets Homer hee made Minerua a companion with Vlysses in all his trauels in whom hee personated the most wise man amongst the Grecians who freed him from all daungers labours and ship-wreckes and brought him in safetie to his Countrie Parents Queene Sonne and Subiects thereby intimating That by Wisedom and Knowledge all difficult things may be easily vndergone This is that winged horse Pegasus by which Perseus subdued so manie monsters This is that shield of Pallas to which the Gorgons head being fastned turnes the beholders to stone amazing the ignorant and vnlearned Agreeable to this is Homers first booke of his Odissa the argument I giue you thus in English Pallas by Ioues command from heauen discends And of the Paphian Mentor takes the shape In which she to Telemachus commends Such Greekes as from reuenging Hellens rape Were home returnd Nestor amongst the rest And Menelaus vrging him to inquire Of them who in the warres at Troy did best And whose heroick acts did most aspire But of Vlysses chiefely to learne newes What course he takes or what attempt pursues Againe in the second booke Vnknowne to fierce Antinous and his mates Telemachus from court in secret steales On him Ioues daughter bright Minerua waites And taking Mentors shape her selfe conceales He by the goddesse Vrgence straight prepares For such a voyage instantly prouiding All needfull helpes apt for such great affaires Their ship made readie vnto Pallas guiding He trusts himselfe by helpe of saile and care They put to sea and loose the sight of shore Vlysses suffering ship-wrecke and cast naked vpon the shore of Pheacus he was assisted further by her as followes in the sixt and seuenth arguments The wearied Greeke all naked steps on shore Whether Nausiaca discends to play With other Virgins as it was before Their custome vp the Greeke starts spying day With a faire flocke of Ladies him beside Vp by the rootes he teares the hearbes and grasse Thinking with them his nakednesse to hide And so proceedes vnto the queenelike lasse Pallas his patronesse moues her to pittie She giues him both her chariot and attire So to Mineruas Temple neere the citie He 's proudly drawne guarded by many a squire Thus in her altars sight being lodg'd that night He striues with insence Pallas to requite Minerua takes a Virgins shape vpon her And to the citie first Vlysses brings But after to aspire him to more honour Into the Pallace th' ancient seate of kings Arete wife to Alicinous first demaunds Where he receiu'd those garments and what fate Brought him that way the Princesse vnderstands The vtmost that Vlysses can relate Therefore the Queene accepts him as her guest The night persuades they part to seuerall rest In all his negotiations and trauels Pallas was still his assistant for Wisedome neuer forsakes anie man in necessities in so much that after hee had freed his court of his wiues vnruly sutors hauing slaine them all and was now peaceably possest of his kingdome she was still constant to him in all his extremities Which I will conclude with the foure and twentieth argument of Homers Odisse and the last booke Tartaream vocat in sedem Cillenius vmbras The mutinous Ghosts of the sad wooers slaine Mercurie forceth to the vaults belowe What Time th'heroick spirits thronging complaine That Agamemnon should be murdred so These being yong men of chiefe beautie and age Why they so presse in heapes demand the cause And are resolu'd 'mongst whom
the field Where his blood dropt a purple Hicinth grew In memorie that Aiax Aiax slew Troy sact by th' Argiues Hecuba the Queene Turnes to a she dogge keeping still her spleene Her sad distaster all the gods lament Aurora sheddes most teares still discontent For Memnons death Aeneas leauing Troy To Anius comes a prince depriu'd all ioy Because his daughters were made house-doues sad That he of them no greater comfort had Thence past he diuers shores and sundrie nations With wonders fil'd and various transformations Till piercing Italy yet free from scar With the bold Turnus he beginnes new war He sends to importune Diomedes ayd By Venulus whose fellowes were all made Light feathered birds th'imbassador deni'd And back returning by a riuers side Spies a wilde Oliue which before had bin A louely sheapheard but now chang'd for sinne Aeneas shippes are in the hauen burn'd But pitied by the gods to sea-nymphes turn'd Ardea to a bird more strange than these Himselfe into a god cal'd Indiges Him other kings succeed and 'mongst the rest Liu'd vnder Proca that faire nymph who best Can skill of Gardens vnto whom resorted The fresh Vertumnus and Pomona courted He in an old wiues shape to her relates The tale of Anaxarites how the fates For her obdurenesse turn'd her into stone Pomona listning and they both alone He to his youthfull shape againe retires And in the Garden quensht his amorous fires In processe vnder Numitor the king Where carst cold waters slid now warme bathes spring Him Romulus succeeding is created The god Quirinus and his wife instated The goddesse Ora ' Him Numa next insues Who of the birth of Croton asking newes He chanc't on pebles who in all mens sight Once being blacke were chang'd to perfect white He likewise heard Pythagoras declame All the transhapes beneath the heauenlie steame Aegaeria next king Numaes death deploring Not comforted at all with thy restoringâ— Hippolitus nor yet to heare thee tell Thy change she wept her selfe into a well Nor is this to be wondred since we see Thy Lance oh Romulus a flourishing tree And Cyppus to weare hornes hauing gone so far We end with Iulius Caesar made a starre Explicit lib. primus Inscripus CLIO THE SECOND BOOKE inscribed EVTERPE Of the Muses the Sybells the Vestalls the Prophetesses the Hesperides the Graces c. THE bodies of all reasonable creatures as Ficinus saith are naturallie pregnant as hauing in them the seedes of issue so likewise is the mind both still procreating and bringing forth as we see at such a time the heire appeares after the teeth breake forth of the gummes at such an age the beard growes vpon the chinne and in time alters and changes colour and still the naturall faculties are in action If then the body be so fertill how much more is the nobler part of man the Soule and the Mind plentifullie furnisht with these seedes that long for production as the instinct of manners of arts of disciplines and such like which are generated in the breast and in their fit and due time haue their seasonable birth For no sooner are we past the cradle but we begin to affect few things good honest or profitable but none at that age acquires after things vnknown It is therefore a consequent that there is borne with vs and bread in vs certain notions of those outward things the forms of which we apprehend and their practise study to imitate This euerie man if he will but obserue may by experience find in himselfe For if we recollect our selues to apprehend any probleme or mysticall doubt which is not within the compasse of our present capacitie after deepe consideration and mature deliberation all the barres and rubbes of our fantasie and sences being remooued we retyre our selues into a more priuate and inward contemplation and then most subtillie reasoning with our selues we shall by degrees perceiue the clowd to vanish and the truth appeare in full glorie and splendour Therefore when we present our selues vnto schoole-masters the braine fashioneth in it selfe many Ideas without rule or example which like a rank and well manur'd field hath in it the seedes and grounds of many fruitfull sciences these if a skilfull man take in hand bring oft times a croppe aboue expectation Thus much Plato exprest in many places but in his Theage most plainelie No man saith he hath of me learnt any thing though from me many a one hath gone the more learned And as Socrates saith Me tâ—m exhortanâ—e tum bono demone suggerente By my exhortations and the good Angels suggestion With this short preparation we come now to the Muses of these innate seeds the glorius and euer-during fruit Hesiod pronounces them to be the daughters of Iupiter Memorie in his Theogonia From hence it seemes the men of Gnydos had a custome to select sixtie graue and vnderstanding men out of the prime of the nobilitie and to commit vnto them the affaires of the Common-wealth and such they called Amnemodes or remembrancers Alcmaeon and some few others call them the daughters of Earth and Heauen Pindarus in one of his Hymnes thus speakes to one of them Incipe vero Coeli filia Aristarcus and Mimnerca if we may beleeue Eustathius determine that the Muses were before Iupiter interpreting the word Musa the knowledge of the soule which is a thing no lesse diuine than the soule it selfe To him Homer assents calling it The celeritie of knowledge Plato in Cratilo deriues it from diligent search and inquisition to whom Pharnutus in his booke intituled Of the nature of the gods subscribes Of the same opinion is Suidas They are therefore saith he deriued from Inquirie being the originalls and causes of all sciences and disciplines others as Cassiodorus because they conteine in them a conueniencie and concordance of arts or to conclude as Diodorus writes They were therefore called Musae because they comprehend the art of modulation or tuning with a consent or agreeing of all other disciplines Diuers authors much differ about their number Varro as Seruius witnesseth of him allowes onelie three Ina which is bred by the motion of the water a second begot by the sprinkling of the ayer a third meerelie arising from the sound of the voyce Augustine speakes of a cittie which Gyraldus names Sicion the primates of which of three seuerall famous worke-men bespake three effigies or images of the Muses to bestow as a gift vpon the Temple of Apollo and which of them could expresse the greatest art and most exquisite workemanship he to be the best payd for his paines It so hapned that their three labours were equallie beautifull and so esteemed in so much that all the nine pieces pleasing generallie they were all bought and dedicated to the Temple To euery of which the Poet Hesiod after gaue a seuerall Embleme or Motto Not saith he because Iupiter had begot nine Muses but that three artificers had forged three apeece and therefore
Of which Pindarus and Virgill are manifest witnesses Inter Delphinus Arion Which Arion Plutarch in his Conuiuium thus elegantlie describes Quod mare nonnomit quis nescit Ariona tell us Carmine currentes ille tenebat aquas Sepe sequens Agnam c. Which I thus english What sea what earth doth not Arion know Whose verse could make the waters ebbe or flow His voyce hath cald the woolfe backe from pursuite Of the mild lambe and made his howlings mute Oft at his voyce the sillie lambe hath staid Whilst on his life the fierce wolfe might haue praid Oft in one shade the hare and hound hath lyne Both listning to a musicke so diuine The Lionesse and Ewe together are Attentiue both but neither fierce nor iarre The prating crow to Pallas owle is ny And quarrels not the doue the hawke sits by Oft Cinthia hath he set thine heart on fire And made thee sweare his was thy brothers Lyre All the Sicilian cities are at ones And Italy is rapt with thy Lyrick tones Bound homewards good Arion shipping takes With all the store his art or musicke makes He feard to see the wind and waters rise But there more comfort than a shipbord lyes Behold the captaine with his sword in hand With all that guiltie crew at his command Inguirt him round he well nigh dead with feare Intreates them their rude violence to forbeare Or if so madlie they his death desire He first may take some comfort of his Lyre They grant him leaue and smile at his delay He takes his chaplet of the still-greene Bay A chaplet which euen Phoebus might haue tryde Then don's a roabe in Tyrian purple dyde And as the swanne that dying sweetlie sings So he betakes him to his voyce and strings And from th'inuiron of these marine knaues Downe suddenlie he slips into the waues The crooked Dolphin takes him on her backe To saue Arion from the present wracke She swimmes he sits and playes vpon his Lyre And payes with musicke the swift Dolphins hyre But to leaue to speake of vnreasonable creatures In man there is a peculiar reason aboue the rest by which his mind is made pliant and tractable to this modulation for it insinuates into his bosome soonest For none is of so rude and rough hewne a disposition that yeelds not an attention to melodie and is not captiuated and surprised with the rauishing sounds of Melpomene In the monuments of antient writers there are obserued fiue seuerall sorts of songs the first Suphronistiche such were the songes that were vsed to bee relisht in the eares of Clitemnestra and all such singers are called Sophronistai according to the Greekes the second were Encomiastice Laudatory in which the prayses of the most excellent men were celebrated and such were soong by Achittas the third Drinetiche or Cantus Lugubris the mournefull song the fourth Orchematiche or Saltatoria the dauncing dyttie the fifth Pianiche such as is in Homers Isliads and is called Poâ—ean or Poâ—an such were Hymnes to Apollo not only in a plague time that the Pest should cease but for the cessation of warre or any other present mischeife then immediat whatsoeuer Melpomene is likewise the chiefe and hath the prime precedencie in the Tragedie as Virgill in the verse before remembred Melpomene tragico c. Therefore it was the custome in all the Tragedyes of old to annexe to the end of euerie act a Chorus with some sad and mournfull song and the neerer they grew to the catastrophe or conclusion the songs were set to the more passionate tunes and soong with the more sorrowfull accent expressing an augmentation of griefe both in countenance and gesture Some of the great Authors conferre vpon her the inuention of Rhetorick of which opinion was Pharnutus who doth etimologise Melpomene from Molpe which signifies the Sweetenesse of the voice for one of the chiefest ornaments in an Orator is first Action then a constancie in Voyce Motion Gesture beseeming and comly Most certaine it is that all these things commented of Melpomene either concerning the deriuation of her name or her inuention of arts meete in this one center to which so many lines ayme to signifie to vs a well spoken learned and eloguent man from whose lipps issue all foecunditie and sweetenes And that he may attaine to this elegancie which so much graceth an Orator behooues him take counsell of M. Cicero that is to ioyne Wisdome with his Eloquence and substance and matter to his pronuntiation and phrase by which practise he may proue to the Common-wealth a most necessarie and profitable member Lastly Fulgentius teacheth that by this Muse is meant a maid giuen to meditation as first Clio begets a will secondly Euterpe a desire to prosecute that which the will is bent vnto thirdly Thalia to be delighted in that which wee haue acquired fourthly Melpomene to meditate vpon that in which we are delighted And so much for meditation or the fourth of the Muses TERPSICHORE IN the fift place succeedes Terpsichore whose name is deriued à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 delecto and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 tripudium that is delighting in dauncing This Muse hath no lesse reference to Musick than Melpomene her elder sister the one gouerns the voice and hath predominance ouer songs the other ouer dauncing and measures They are by the great writers much commended who therefore make the Muse the inuentresse of them being the daughter of Iupiter the originall of dauncing they deriue from the high heauens from the order of the starres and planets from their motion their going forward and returne backeward which euen at the first creation began in an harmonaicall measure of the coelestiall bodies Of Daunces there be sundrie kindes some tooke name from the song and such was called Emmeleia that was held to be Tragicall a second was called Cordax Comica or a countrie daunce of such Arriamnus in his Indian commentaries remembers vs some bestow the inuention of such vpon the Satires others affirme that Bacchus by his Orgyan leapings or daunces brought the Tyrhenians the Indians and Lidians all warlike nations to his subiection Therefore those that were called Siccinastae they conferre on him or some of his fellowes and adherents though the Sicinni were the people of Creete amongst whom that kind of measure was most celebrated In what estimation these were of old may be easily imagined when no sacrifice was offered at Delos but daunces were the chiefe in all their superstitious ceremonies The Brachmani a people of India morning and euening in their adoration of the Sunne frequently vse them Amongst the Aechiopians the Thratians the Aegyptians the Scythians their sacreds are not solemnised without them as first instituted by Orpheus and Musaeus Some daunc't in the honour of Mars The Lacedemonians had them in continuall practise so likewise the Thessalians in so much that the most wise Socrates after hee was growne in yeares practised to daunce and not only gaue such
owne death namely to see thee die When accommodating all things for the present execution shee no sooner saw her dead but she gentlely layd her out and with great modestie couered her Then she besought Megisto on her knees to haue a care of them in their deaths that nothing immodest or vncomely might bee done to their bodies which graunted she not only with courage but seeming ioy vnderwent her last fate till she expired nor was there any spectator there present to whom the memorie of the tyrant was neuer so hatefull from whose eyes and hearts this obiect did not extract teares and pittie In Megisto is exprest the Magnanimitie of spirit but in these following I will illustrate Fortitude in action The Turkes busied in the siege of some townes in Catharo Vluzales Carocossa two of no meane place and eminence among them wrought so farre with the great Admirall that he deliuered into their charge the managing of threescore gallies with munition and men in number competent to make incursions into the bordering Islands then vnder the state of Venice These two Turkish captaines land their forces before Curzala a citie that giues name to the countrie with purpose to inuest themselues before it which Antonius Contarinus then gouernour of the cittie vnderstanding like a timerous and fearefull coward taking the aduantage of the night fled with his souldiors thence not leauing the â—owne any way defensible which the cittisens vnderstanding all or the most followed after The towne thus left to the weake guard of some twenty men about fourescore women the Turks giue them a bold and fierce assault when these braue viragoes chusing rather to dye like souldiers than like their husbands runne like cowards some maintaine the Ports others defend the walls and with that noble resolution that what with fire stones scalding water and such like muniments then readiest at hand so opposed the assailants that many of the Turks in that conflict were slaine and all repulst retyring themselues with purpose some rest giuen to the souldiours to salute them with a fresh alarum But fortune was so fauourable to these Amazonian spirits that a mighty tempest from the North so tost and distrest the Turks gallyes that they were forced to abandon the Island with dishonour leauing to the besieged a memory worthy to outliue all posteritie Of Dido Cesara Gumilda and Ethelburga OF Dido queene of Carthage all Authours agree to haue falne by the sword and to haue died by her owne bold and resolute hand but about the cause that mooued her thereto diuerse differ Ausonius is of opinion That her husband Sychaeus being dead shee did it to preserue her viduall chastitie and so free hir selfe from the importunities of Hyarbus king of Getulia of his mind is Marullus and of these Remnius or as some will haue it Priscianus in the Geography of Dionisius writing De scitu orbis i. the Scituation of the world Contrary to these is the Prince of Poets he whom Scalliger cals Poeta noster Pub. Virgilius who ascribes her death to an impatience of griefe conceiued at the vnkind departure of Aeneas which though it carry no great probabilitie of truth yet all the Latin Poets for the most part in honour of the authour haue iustified his opinion as Ouid in his third booke De fastis his Epistles Metamorph. and others workes so likewise Angelus Polytianus in his Manto with diuers others Iustine in his eighteenth booke of Hystor speaking of the first erecting of Carthage saith That where they began to digge with purpose to lay the first foundation they found the head of an Oxe by which it was predicted that the cittie should be futurelie fertill and commodious but withall full of labour and subiect to perpetuall seruitude therefore they made choice of another peece of earth where in turning vp the mould they chanced vpon the head of a horse by which it was presaged their collony should in time grow to be a warlike nation fortunate and victorious In what manner she dyed I referre you to Virgill and will speake a word or two of her sister Anna the daughter of Belus She after the death of her sister forsaking of the cittie of Carthage then inuested with siege by Hyarbus fled to Battus king the Island Melita but making no long soiourne there she put againe to sea and fell vpon the coast of Laurentum where being well knowne by Aeneas she was nobly receiued but not without suspition of too much familiaritie betwixt them in so much that iealousie possessing Lauinia the wife of Aeneas she conceiued an irreconcilable hatred against Anna in so much that fearing her threatned displeasure she cast her selfe headlong into the riuer Numicus and was there drowned for so Ouid reports in his booke de Fastis But touching the illustrious Queene Dido vnder her statue were these verses or the like engrauen in a Greeke character interpreted into Latine by Ausonius and by me in the sacred memorie of so eminent a queene thus englisht I am that Dido looke vpon me well And what my life was let my visage tell 'T is faire and smooth what wrinckle can you find In this plaine Table to expresse a mind So sordid and corrupt Why then so vneuen And blacke a soule should to a face be giuen That promiseth all vertue Virgill where Begott'st thou those ill thoughts that brand me here With lust and incest Neuer I protest Was that Aenaeas whom thou calst the best Of men in Lybia Neuer saw I land One Troian on the Carthaginian strand Because Sychaeus my first husband dead To keepe my sacred vowes to him I fled Th' imbraces of Hyarbus am I made A prostitute to nothing to a shade He came in armes to force me and compell Me a chast widdow to another hell A second marriage 'T is the gods aduise No woman can be chast that marryeth twice To auoide that sinne I slew my selfe ô why Couldst thou ô Maro then comment a lye With lust to brand my memory When heauen knowes To saue mine honour I my life did lose Giue faith to History you that Readers are Before this fabling Poesie since that far Transcends the bounds of truth for Poets can Make the high gods much more corrupt than man So much touching queene Dido and as farre as probabilitie can to acquit her of all incontinence One Paulus an historiographer in his fifth booke remembers vs of Cesara a queene of Persia who hauing some light of the Gospell trauelled as farre as Constantinople in Greece to be further instructed onely attended by a few priuat followers who being satisfied in all the fundamentall points of her faith she with her small traine was christened The Persian Sophy hauing notice thereof sent embassadours to the Emperour to know the reason why he deteined his queene wishing him to returne her safe vpon such easie sommons Cesara being in presence when this embassie was deliuered desired the Emperour that she
answered If with one finger thou put out one of mine eyes with these two I will put out both yours This was but wantonnesse betwixt them and appeared better in their action than in my expression and though I speake of a blind King hee lost not his eyes that way Herodotus relates that after the death of Sesostris king of Aegypt his sonne Pherones succeeded in the kingdome who not long after his attaining to the principalitie was depriued of his sight The reason whereof some yeeld to bee this Thinking to passe the riuer Nilus either by inundations or the force of the winds the waters were driuen so farre backe that they were flowed eighteene cubites aboue their woonted compasse at which the king inraged shot an arrow into the riuer as if he would haue wounded the channell Whether the gods tooke this in contempt or the Genius of the riuer was inraged is vncertaine but most sure it is that not long after hee lost all the vse of sight and in that darknesse remained for the space of tenne yeares After which time in great melancholly expired hee receiued this comfort from the Oracle which was then in the cittie Butis That if hee washt his eyes in the vrine of a woman who had beene marryed a full twelue moneth and in that time had in no wayes falsified in her owne desires nor derogated from the honour of her husband he should then assuredlie receiue his sight At which newes beeing much reioyced and presuming both of certaine and sudden cure he first sent for his wife and queene and made proofe of her pure distillation but all in vaine he sent next for all the great Ladies of the Court and one after one washt his eyes in their water but still they smarted the more yet hee saw no whit the better but at length when hee was almost in despaire he happened vpon one pure and chast lady by whose vertue his sight was restored and he plainely cured who after hee had better considered with himselfe caused his wife withall those Ladies sauing she onely by whose temperance and chastitie hee had reobtaind the benefite of the Sunne to bee assembled into one cittieâ— pretending there to feast them honourably for ioy of his late recouerie Who were no sooner assembled at the place called Rubra Gleba apparrelled in all their best iewells and chiefest ornaments but commaunding the cittie gates to be shut vpon them caused the cittie to be set on fire and sacrificed all these adulteresses as in one funerall pile reseruing onely that Lady of whose loyaltie the Oracle had giuen sufficient testimony whom he made the partaker of his bed and kingdome I wish there were not so many in these times whose waters if they were truely cast by the doctors would not rather by their pollution put out the eyes quite than with their cleerenesse and purity minister to them any helpe at all Laodice IVstine in his 37 booke of History speakes of this Laodice the wife and â—ister to Mithridates king of Pontus After whose many victories as hauing ouerthrowne the Scythians and put them to flight those who had before defeated Zopyron a great captaine of Alexanders army which consisted of thirtie thousand of his best souldiours the same that ouercame Cyrus in battaile with an armie of two hundred thousand with those that had affronted and beaten king Philip in many oppositions being fortunately and with great happines stil attended by which he more and more flourisht in power and increased in maiestie In this height of fortune as neuer hauing knowne any disaster hauing bestowed some time in managing the affaires of Pontus and next such places as he occupyed in Macedonia he priuately then retyred himselfe into Asia where he tooke view of the scituation of those defensed citties and this without the iealousie or suspition of any From thence he remooued himselfe into Bythinia proposing in his owne imaginations as if hee were already Lord of all After this long retirement hee came into his owne kingdome where by reason of his absence it was rumoured and giuen out for truth that he was dead At his arriuall he first gaue a louing and friendly visitation to his wife and sister Laodice who had not long before in that vacancie brought him a young sonne But in this great ioy and solemnitie made for his welcome hee was in great danger of poyson for Laodice supposing it seemes Mithridates to be dead as it before had beene reported and therefore safe enough had prostituted her selfe to diuers of her seruants and subiects and now fearing the discouerie of her adulterie shee thought to shaddow a mightie fault with a greater mischiefe and therefore prouided this poysoned draught for his welcome But the king hauing intelligence thereof by one of her handmaides who deceiued her in her trust expiated the treason with the bloods of all the conspirators I reade of another Laodice the wife of Ariarythres the king of Cappadocia who hauing six hopefull sonnes by her husband poysoned fiue of them after she had before giuen him his last infectious draught the youngest was miraculously preserued from the like fate who after her decease for the people punisht her crueltie with death succeeded in the kingdome It is disputed in the greeke Commentaries by what reason or remedy affection once so diuelishly setled in the brest or heart of a woman may bee altered or remooued or by what confection adulterous appetite once lodged and kindled in the bosome may bee extinguished The Magitians haue deliuered it to bee a thing possible so likewise Cadmus Milesius who amongst other monuments of history writ certaine tractates concerning the abolishing of loue for so it is remembred by Suidas iu his collections And therefore I would inuite all women of corrupted breasts to the reading of this briefe discourse following A remarkeable example was that of Faustina a noble and illustrious Lady who though she were the daughter of Antonius Pius the Emperour and wife to Marcus Philosophus notwithstanding her fathers maiestie and her husbands honor was so besotted vpon a Gladiator or common fencer that her affection was almost growne to frensie for which strange disease as strange a remedie was deuised The Emperour perceiuing this distraction still to grow more and more vpon his daughter consulted with the Chaldaeans and Mathematicians in so desperat a case what was best to bee done after long consideration it was concluded amongst them that there was but onely one way left open to her recouerie and that was to cause the fencer to be slaine which done to giue her a full cuppe of his luke-warme blood which hauing drunke off to goe instantlie to bed to her husband This was accordingly done and she cured of her contagious disease That night was as they said begot Antoninus Commodus who after succeeded in the Empire who in his gouernment did so afflict the Commonweale and trouble the Theatre with fensing and prises and
but something grounded in yeares and because she spake boldly in the defence of her Faith first with barbarous crueltie they beat out her teeth then without the â—ittie they prepared a huge pile threatning to burne her instantly vnlesse shee would renounce her Christianitie but shee seeming to pause a little as if she meant better to consider of the matter when thy least suspected leapt suddenly into the fire and was there consumed to ashes Ammomarion a holy Virgin after the suffering of many torments vnder the same tyrant gaue vp her life an acceptable sacrifice for the Gospell Mercuria a vertuous Woman and one Dionisia a fruitfull and child-bearing Martyr after they were questioned about their faith and in all arguments boldly opposed the iudges were first rackt and tortured till they were past all sence of feeling that done they caused them to be executed Theodosia was a virgin of Tyrus about the age of eighteene years she comming to visite certaine prisoners at Cesaria who were called to the barre and because they stood stedfastly in the defence of the Gospell prepared themselues to heare the most welcome sentence of death pronounced against them which Theodosia seeing gently saluted them comforted them and persuaded them to continue in their constancie withall humbly desired them to remember her deuoutly in their prayers which she knew would be acceptable to him for whose loue they so freelie offered vp their liues The officers this hearing dragd her before the President who at first despising her youth began to talke with her as to a child but finding her answers modest and weightie began further to argue with her but seeing himselfe vnable to hold argument as being conuinced in all things hee grew into such a malitious rage that he first caused her to be scourged before his face euen till the flesh gaue way to discouer the bones but this not preuailing hee commanded her instantly to be dragged from thence and from an high place to be cast headlong into the sea I will conclude this discourse of Martyrs with one of our owne moderne stories Our english chronicles report that Maximus the Emperour hauing held long warre with one Conon Meridock a resolute and bold Brittaine hauing in many bloody conflicts sped diuersly sometimes the victory inclining to one side and then to another but in conclusion to the losse of both their hostilitie was by mediation at length attoned and a firme peace establisht betwixt them that done Maximus made warre vpon the Galls and inuading a Prouince then called America but since Little Brittaine he wonne it by the sword and after surrendered it to Conon to hold it for euer as of the Kings of great Brittaine This Conon Meridock was a Welch-man and from hence it may bee That all that nation assume to themselues the name of Brittons This eminent captaine being onely furnisht with souldiours for the present warres but wanting women to maintaine future issue to him was sent S. Vrsula with eleauen thousand virgins to bee espoused to Conon and his knights But being met at sea by the the Pagan pyrats because they would neither change their faith nor prostitute themselues to their barbarous and beastly lusts they were all by these inhuman wretches cut to peeces and cast ouer board and therefore in mine opinion not vnworthily reckoned amongst the Martyrs From these I will proceede to others Aristoclaea OF all the deaths that I haue read of this of Aristoclaea me thinkes exceedes example with which howsoeuer her body was tormented her soule could not be greeeued for neuer woman dyed such a louing death Plutarch in his Amatorious narrations hath thus deliuered it Aliartes is a cittie of Boetia in which was borne a virgin so beautified and adorned with all the gifts and perfections of nature as she seemed vnparaleld through Greece her name was Aristoclaea the sole daughter of Theophanes To her there were many sutors but three especially of the noblest families of the cittie Strato Orchomenius and Calisthenes Aliartius Of these Strato being the richest he seemed the most indeâ—red to her in affection for he had first seene her at Lebedaea bathing her selfe in the fountaine Hercyne from whence hauing a basket vpon her arme which she was to vse in the sacrifice to Iupiter he tooke a full view of her in her way to the Temple yet Calisthenes he fed himselfe with the greater hopes because he was of more proximitie and neerer to the virgin in allians betwixt these two Orchomenius stood as a man indifferent Her father Theophanes vpon their importunities doubtfull and not yet hauing determined on which to conferre his daughter as fearing Stratoes potencie who in wealth and nobilitie equalled if not anteceded the best in the cittie he therefore put it off to one Trophonius to be decided but Strato most confident in his owne opinion and strength tooke the power to her disposing from Trophonius and gaue it vp freely into her owne will The damsell in a confluence of all her kindred and friends gathered for that purpose and in the sight of her suitors was publikely demaunded of which of them she made choice who answered of Calisthenes Strato taking this in an irreconcilable disgrace and in the greatnesse of his spirit not able to disgest an iniurie as he tooke it of that nature dissembling his spleene and some two dayes after meeting with Theophanes and Calisthenes hee gaue them a friendly and an vnsuspected salutation desiring still a continuance of their antient loue and friendship that since what many couet one can but enioy he could content himselfe with his owne lot howsoeuer desiring that their amitie might remaine perfect and vnchanged these words came so seemingly from the heart that they with great ioy did not only entertain his loue and voluntarie reconcilement but in all curtesie gaue him a solemne inuitation to the wedding which he as complementally entertained and vpon these tearmes they parted Strato subornes a crew of such as he might best trust and addes them to the number of his seruants these hee ambushes in diuers places selected for his purpose but all to be ready at a watch-word Calisthenes bringing Aristoclaea towards the fountaine called Cissoâ—ssa there to performe the first Sacreds belonging to marriage according to the custome of her auncetors Strato with his faction ariseth and with his owne hands ceiseth vpon the virgin on the other side Calisthenes hee catcheth the fastest hold he can to keepe her Strato and his pull one way Calisthenes and his another thus both contending in the heat of their affection but not regarding her safetie whom they did affect she as it were set vpon the racke of loue pluckt almost to peeces betwixt them both expired Which seeing Calisthenes hee was suddenlie lost neither could any man euer after tell what became of him whether he punisht himselfe by some extraordinarie death or betooke himselfe to voluntarie exile Strato openly before his owne people
and wife to Athanagildus was slaine by Chilperick the sonne of Clotharius at the instigation of his strumpet Fredegunda so saith Volateranus Sextus Aurelius writes that the Emperour Constantius sonne to Constantius and Helena caused his wife Fausta by whose instigation he had slaine his sonne Crispus to die in an hot scalding bath Herodotus speakes of Lysides otherwise called Melissa the wife of Periander who at the suggestion of a strumpet caused her to be slaine which makes Sabellicus amongst others to wonder why for that deede onely he should be numbered amongst the seuen wise men of Greece Marcus Cecilius in his seuen and twentieth booke vpon Pliny accuseth Calphurnius Bestia for poysoning his wiues sleeping Plinie in his fourteenth booke nominates one Egnacius Melentinus who slew his wife for no other cause but that shee had drunke wine and was acquited of the murder by Romulus Auctoclea the daughter of Sinon and wife of Laertes king of Ithaca when by a false messenger she heard her sonne Vlysses was slaine at the siege of Troy suddenly fell downe and died The mother of Antista seeing her daughter forsaken by Pompey the great and Aemilia receiued in her stead ouercome with griefe slew her selfe Perimele a damosell was vitiated by Achelous which her father Hyppodomus tooke in such indignation that from an high promontorie he cast her headlong downe into the Sea Hyppomanes a prince of Athens deprehending his daughter Lymone in adulterie shut her vp in a place with a fierce and cruell horse but left no kind of food for one or the other in so much that the horse opprest with hunger deuoured her hence came that Adage fathered vpon Diogineanus More cruell than Hyppomanes Gregorius Turonensis remembers one Deuteria fearing least her yong daughter now grown ripe and marriageable who might bee deflowred by the king Theodebertus cast her headlong into the riuer that runs by the citie Viridunum where she was drowned Orchamus finding his daughter Leucothoe to be vitiated by Appollo caused her to be buryed aliue Lucilla the daughter of Marcus Antonius and Fausta as Herodian reports was slaine by the hand of her brother Commodus against whom she had before made a coniuration Lychione the daughter of Dedalion because she durst compare hirself with Diana was by the goddesse wounded to death with an arrow at the celebration of whose exequies when her body was to be burnt her father likewise cast himselfe into the fire Hylonome the shee Centaur seeing her husband Cillarius slaine in the battaile betwixt the Centaurs and the Lapithes fell vpon his sword and so expired Anmianus and Marcellus lib. 16. haue left recorded that Mithridates king of Pontus being ouercome in battaile by Pompey committed his daughter Dyraptis to the safe custodie of the Eunuch Menophilus to bee kept in a strong Cittadell called Syntiarium which when Manutius Priscus had straitly besieged and the Eunuch perceiued the defenders of the Castle dismaide and readie to submit themselues and giue vp the fort hee drew out his sword and slew her rather than she should be made a captiue to the Roman Generall Sextus Aurelius writes of the Empresse of Sabina the wife of Adrian who hauing suffered from him many grosse and seruile iniuries gaue her selfe vp to a voluntarie death when shee considered shee had supported so inhumane a tyrant and such a contagious pest to the common weale Pontus de Fortuna speakes of a Virgin amongst the Salattines called Neaera who greeuing that a yong man to whom shee was betrothed had forsaken her and made choice of another caused her vaines to be opened and bled to death Cleopatra after the death of Anthony least shee should bee presented as a captiue to grace the triumphs of Augustus gaue her arme to the byting of an Aspe of which shee died for in that manner was her picture presented in Rome of whom Propertius lib. 3. thus speakes Brachia spectaui sacris admorsa colubris Neaera and Charmione were the two handmaides of Cleopatra These as Plutarch others report of them would by no persuasion suruiue their queen and misteresse who perceiuing as they were gasping betwixt life and death the crowne to be falne from the temples of their dead Ladie raised themselues from the Earth with the small strength they had left and placed it right againe on her fore-head that shee might the better become her death which they had no sooner done but they both instantly fell downe and breathed their last an argument of an vnmatchable zeale to the princesse their Ladie Monima Miletia and Veronica Chia were the wiues of Mithridates who vnderstanding of his tragicall fall and miserable end gaue vp their liues into the hands of the Eunuch Bochides Monima first hanged her selfe but the weight of her bodie breaking the cord she grew somewhat recouered and fell into this acclamation O execrable power of a diadem whose command euen in this small sad seruice I cannot vse which words were no sooner spoke but she offered her throate to the sword of the Eunuch who instantly dispatched her both of life and torment Veronica dranke off a chalice of wine tempered with poyson which dispersing into her vaines and keeping her in a languishing torment her death was likewise hastned by the Eunuch Bochides A strange madnesse possest the Virgins of Milesia these as Aelianus and others haue writ gaue themseues vp to voluntarie deaths many or the most strangling themselues this grew so common amongst them that scarce one day past in which some one or other of them were not found dead in their chambers To remedie which mischiefe the Senators of the citie made a decree That what maide soeuer should after that time lay violent hands vpon her selfe the body so found dead should be stript naked and in publike view dragd through the streetes freely exposed to the eyes of all men The impression of which shame more preuailing than the terrour of death none was euer after knowne to commit the like outrage vpon themselues Phaedra the steppe-mother to Hyppolitus her son in law and wife of Theseus when shee could not corrupt the yong man her son in law to make incestuous the bed of his father despairing hung her selfe yet before her death she writ certain letters in which she accused Hippolitus to his father of incest which after prooued the speedie cause of his death Amongst many strange deaths these of two mothers are not the least remarkable most strange it is that sudden ioy should haue as much power to suffocate the spirits as the power of lightning The rumor of the great slaughter at the Lake of Thrasimenes being published one woman when beyond all hope she met her sonne at the cittie gate safely returned from the generall defeates cast herselfe into his armes where in that extasie of ioy shee instantly expired Another hearing her sonne
Conger stirring vp the fire skimming the Kettle and doing other such Cooke-like offices for his particular diet the king clapt him vpon the shoulder and said I neuer read ô Poet that Homer when hee was writing his famous Worke called the Iliades could euer find so much spare time as to kindle a fire set on water and skimme a Conger To whom he presently answered Neither remember I O king that I euer read in that Homer the Prince of Poets that Agamemnon in all the time of the tenne yeeres siege of Troy had such vacancie as thou hast now to prie into the Boothes of his souldiers and neglecting the publike affaires to busie himselfe to know how euerie priuate man cookt his owne diet This was a modest passage betwixt him that contended to act noble deedes and him that the king knew could giue them full expression Erasmus lib. 6. Apoth speakes of the Orator Crassus That when one Piso beeing accused by Sylus for some words speaking had incurred a Censure and Crassus being then the Aduocate of Piso found that Sylus his testimonie proceeded meerely from mallice and enuie after the Sentence was past Crassus thus spoke to Sylus It may be saith he this Piso notwithstanding this accusation was mooued or angry when he spake those words who answered as reuerencing his authoritie Sir It may be so It may be too Sylus said he thou didst not at that time rightly vnderstand him who againe answered It was like ynough And it may be said Crassus againe somewhat hastily That Piso neuer spoke those words which thou sayest thou heardest who answered vnaduisedly And it may be so too At which the Auditorie fell into a great laughter Piso was acquit and Sylus punisht by the reuersement of Iudgement It pleased a king of France who had heard a great fame of the learned Scotus to send for him and to seat him at his Table which was a grace not common with expectation it seemes to heare from him some extraordinarie rare discourse answerable to the fame was giuen of him The scholler seeing such rarietie and varietie set before him onely intended that for which he came and eat with a good and sound stomacke Which the king a prettie while obseruing interrupts him thus Domine qua est differentia inter Scotum Sâ—tum i. Sir What is the difference betwixt a Scot and a Sot To whom he without pause replyed Mensa tantum i. The Table onely the king playing vpon his name and hee taxing the kings ignorance A great Earle of this kingdome was sent ouer by Queene Elizabeth to debate concerning State-businesse and ioyned with him in commission one Doctor Dale a worthie and approoued scholler To meet with these from the Spaniard were sent amongst other Commissioners Richardetti that was Secretarie to K. Philip. These meeting about State-affaires question was made In what Language it was most fit to debate them Richardetti standing vp and belike hauing notice that our Embassadour was not well practised in the French Tongue thus said In my opinion it is most fit that this businesse about which wee are met be discoursed in French and my reason is because your Queene writes her selfe Queene of France At which word vp start the Doctor and thus replyed Nay then rather let it be debated in the Hebrew Tongue since your king writes himselfe King of Ierusalem These may appeare digressions I will onely because this is a womans booke end this argument with the answere of a woman remembred by Petrarch Azo the Marquesse of Este was eminent for many extraordinarie blessings both of Nature and Fortune But as these were neuer perfectly enioyed without some difficultie and trouble so it prooued in him for hauing a beautifull Ladie to his wife he grew extreamely suspitious of her faith and loyaltie He hauing by her a young sonne and heire then in the Cradle looking earnestly vpon him hee fetcht a deepe sigh of which shee demaunding the cause he thus said I would God wife this infant were as certainly mine as it is assuredly thine to confirme which to mine owne wishes and desires I would willingly part with the greatest moietie of my meanes and fortunes To whom shee answered Let this be neither griefe to your heart nor trouble to your mind for of this doubt I wil instantly resolue you and taking the infant from the Cradle and holding it in her armes she thus said No man sir I hope makes question but this child is mine to which words he assenting she thus proceeded Then to cleere all former doubts and suspitions Receiue him freely from my hands as my guife and now you may presume he is only and absolutely yours Whether she equiuocated or no I am not certaine only this I am most sured of That she hath left a precedent behind her to all succeeding wiues how their iealous husbands may be best confirmed in their suspected issue I feare I haue bin somewhat to long in the Preamble I will therefore now proceede to the matter And first of Filiall pietie ascending from Daughters to their Parents Of Pious Daughters OF Sonnes that haue beene remarkably gratefull to their Parents for their birth and breeding the Histories are many and the examples infinite as of Coriolanus to his mother celebrated by Tully in Lelio Dionisius Halicarnasseus Plutarch Pliniâ— Gellius Appianus c. as likewise of Lucius Manlius Torqâ—atus of M. Coâ—â—a Caius Flaminius Cimon remembred by Iustine lib. 2. Cleobis and Bithon Amphinomus and Anapus recorded by Herodotus and Solinus the sonne of Croesus c. Yet should I vndertake to write them all at large they cannot exceed that Pietie of which I haue read in women Suetonius and Cicero in an Oration pro Caelio speaking of Claudia one of the Vestall Virgins thus report of her Shee seeing her father in his triumphant Chariot riding through the streets of Rome and by the Tribunes of the people who enuied his glorie pluckt and haled from his seat she with a wondrous dexteritie and a masculine audacitie frâ—ed him from the hands of the Tribunes and their Lictors and maugre all their opposition lifted him vp into his Chariot nor forsooke him till shee saw him in all magnificent pompe receiued into the Capitoll insomuch that it was questioned amongst the Romans which of them merited the greater triumph hee for his vertue and valour in the Forum or shee for her zeale and pietie in the Temple of Vesta nor can it yet be decided which may claime a iust prioritie the Father for his victorie or the daughter for her goodnesse Plinie lib. 7. cap. 36. and Solinus speake of another Roman Ladie of a noble Family who when her mother was condemned at the Iudgement-Seat by the Praetor and deliuered vp to one of the Triumviri to be committed to strait prison and there for her offence to be priuately executed But the keeper of the Gaole commiserating the Matron so sentenced eyther because he
great a burden betwixt their kisses and embraces they suddenly expired Aruntius the Roman being proscribed by the Triumuirat his wife would neddes haue him take her deerely beloued sonne along with him to associat and comfort him in his trauels who when they had gone a ship-boord intending for Sicilia and crost by an aduerse tempest could neither proceede on in their voyage nor returne to any safe landing such was their fate that they perished by famine which the mother vnderstanding more for the greefe of her sonne whom she her selfe proscribed than for her husband exiled by the Triumuirat slew her selfe The matrons of Carthage in the third Punick warre when the choysest of all the noble young men of the cittie were selected to bee sent as hostages into Sicilia with weeping and lamentation followed them to the water side and kept them hugged in their strict embraces not suffering them to goe aboord but when they were forcibly plucked from them and sent vnto the ships they no sooner hoysed saile but many of these wofull and lamenting mothers opprest with the extreamitie of sorrow cast themselues headlong into the Sea and there were drowned Sabel lib. 3. cap. 4. The wife of Proclus Naucratides hauing a wilde and misgouerned sonne addicted meerely to voluptusnesse and pleasure and withall to Cockes Horses Dogges and such like pastimes his mother did not only not reproue him in this licensiousnesse but would be still present with him to helpe to feed his Cockes dyet his Horses and cherish his Dogges for which being reproued by some of her friends as an incourager of his vnstayd and irregular courses to whom shee answered No such matter hee will sooner see then into himselfe and correct his owne vices by conuersing with old folkes than keeping company with his equalls Niobes sorrow for her children Auctoliaos death at the false rumor of her sonne Vlysses his Tragedie Hecubaes reuenge vpon Polymnestor for the murder of her yong sonne Polydore and Tomiris queene of the Massagets against Cyrus for the death of her sonne Sargapises are all rare presidents of maternall pietie nay so superaboundant is the loue of mothers to their children that many times it exceedes the bounds of common reason therfore Terens in Heuton thus saith Matres omnes filijs In peccato ad iutrices auxilio in patres Solent esse i. All mothers are helpers in their childrens transgressions and ayd them to commit iniuries against their fathers Therefore Seneca in his Tragedie of Hippolitus breakes out into this extasie Oh nimium potens Quanto parentes sanguinis vinclo tenes Natura quam te colimus inuiti quoque Nature oh Too powerfull in what bond of blood thou still Bind'st vs that parents are commanding so Wee must obey thee though against our will So great was the loue of Parisatis the mother of Cyrus the lesse to her sonne that he being slaine her reuenge vpon the murtherers exceeded example for she caused one of them whose name was Charetes to be ten daies together excruciated with sundrie tortures after commanded his eyes to be put out and then moulten lead to be powred downe into the hollow of his eares the second Metroclates for the same treason shee commaunded to be bound fast betwixt two boats and to be fed with figges and honey leauing him there to haue his guts gnawne out by the wormes which these sweet things bred in his intrailes of which lingring torment he after many dayes perished the third Metasabates she caused to be flayed aliue and his bodie to be stretched vpon three sharpe pikes or stakes and such was his miserable end a iust reward for Traitors Fulgos. lib. 5. cap. 5. tels vs That Augustus Caesar hauing subdued Cappadocia and taken the king Adiatoriges prisoner with his wife and two sonnes after they had graced his triumphs in Rome hee gaue command That the father with the eldest sonne should be put to death now when the ministers designed for that execution came to demand which of the two brothers was the elder for they were both of a stature they exceedingly contended and either affirmed himselfe to be the eldest with his owne death to repriue the others life this pious strife continuing long to the wonder and amasement of all the beholders At length Dietenius at the humble intercession of his mother who it seemes loued him some deale aboue the other gaue way though most vnwillingly for the younger to perish in his stead Which after being knowne and told to Augustus hee did not onely lament the innocent young Princes death but to the elder who was yet liuing with his mother he gaue great comforts and did them after many graces and fauours so great a reuerence and good opinion doth this fraternall loue beget euen amongst enemies Neither was this Queene to he taxed of seueritie or rigor to the youngest since it was a necessitie that one must dye it was rather a Religion in her hoping to leaue her first-borne to his true and lawfull inheritance Now least I should leaue any thing vnremembred that comes in my way that might tend to the grace and honor of the Sex there is not any vertue for which men haue beene famous in which some women or other haue not beene eminent namely for mutuall loue amitie and friendship Marul Lib. 3. cap. 2. tells vs of a chast Virgin called Bona who liued a retyred life in a house of religious Nunnes Shee had a bedfellow vnto whom aboue all others shee was entired who lying vpon her death-bed and no possible helpe to be deuised for her recouerie this Bona being then in perfect health of bodie though sicke in mind for the infirmitie of her sister fell vpon her knees and deuoutly besought the Almightie that shee might not suruiue her but as they had liued together in all sanctitie and sisterly loue so their chast bodies might not be separated in death As shee earnestly prayed so it futurely happened both died in one day and were both buried in one Sepulchre being fellowes in one House one Bed and one Graue and now no question ioyfull and ioint inheritors of one Kingdome Thus farre Marrull But now to returne a little from whence wee began Some sonnes haue beene kind to their parents as in Sicilia when the mountaine Aetna began first to burne Damon snatcht his mother from the fire Aeneas in the fatall massacre of Troy tooke his father vpon his backe his sonne Ascanius in his hand his wife Creusa following him and passed through the sword and fire Wee reade likewise in Hyginus of Cleops and Bilias whom Herodotus calls Cleobis and Bython who when their mother Cidippe the Priest of Iuno Argyua should be at the Temple at the appointed houre of the Sacrifice or failing to forfeit her life but when she came to yoake the Oxen that should draw her Chariot they were found dead her two sonnes before named layd their neckes vnder the
betwixt equals Therefore Ouid. Lib. Epist. Heroid thus writes Quam male inequales veniunt ad aratra iuuenci Tam premitur magnâ— coniuge Nupta minor Non honor est sed onus c. Which though not verbum verbo yet the intent of the Author I giue you thus in English Vnsightly doe the vnmatcht Heifers draw Nor can the Plough goe euen then such the Law Of Wedlocke is to preuent Nuptiall strife There must be paritie 'twixt man and wife Then needes the one the other must oppresse The husband great in power the wife much lesse It is no honor but a burthen rather To ioyne and not be equall this we gather From th'vneuen yoake for so you cannot strike The furrow straight if match match with thy like From the conueniencie or rather necessitie of Marriage I will speake briefly of the times granted and allowed for the ceremonie or limitted and forbidden amongst other Nations as also of some proemes or preambles before the consummation It was religiously obserued among the Romans that no marriage was suffered to be celebrated in the month of May in which the Lemuria were kept solemne which were in remembrance of Remus to the pacification of his ghost or shaddow nor whilest the Feralia nor the Parentalia were solemnised The first was to appease the gods for dead soules as our All-soules-day the others were feasts made at burialls of their fathers brothers or ancestors neither any day that was held impure nor when the Ancylia were obserued nor vpon any feastiuall or holy-day nor in the month of Iune till after the Ides neither did the Romans in their espousalls neglect Auguries and Presages if either there were earth-quake or a troubled firmament they held it fatall and therfore deferred it to a more quiet Earth or lesse turbulent Heauen A Crow they hold to predict a fortunate Omen and an inuiolate league of future faith and loyaltie betwixt the bride and bridegroome for such is the societie of Crowes that if one dye the other which is widowed neuer chuseth other mate the like is remembered of the beast called a Loz or Lynx aboue all other the quickest sighted as also of the Turtle Alex. ab Alex. lib. 2. cap. 5. No betrothed Virgin could marrie amongst them vpon any of their holy dayes or such as they called feastiuall but a widow had that libertie so it were done in priuat and without any solemne ceremonie the reason pretended was Because to a widow there could be no force offered as to a Virgin and therefore it was no violent but a meere holy-day labour Vpon this Verrius Flaccus tooke occasion apud Verronem in these words Fossas veteres festis diebus licet tergere Nouas facere non licet Old ditches on the feast-dayes they might skower But to digge new the law admits no power The Persians were onely permitted to contract matrimonie in or before the Sommer equinoctiall but not after The Dapsolites once a yeare make a solemne conuention of all the men and women that are disposed to marriage in one day in which after their great feast the women retyre themselues and lay them downe vpon their seuerall pallats the lightes being all put out the men according to their number are admitted in the darke where without any premeditate choyse but meere lot and chance euerie man chuseth her whom he first lightes on and diuirginates her and be shee faire or foule euer after holds her as his wife Stobae Sermon 42. Amongst the Carmanians no man is suffered to marrie before hee hath presented the head of an enemie to the king About the Lake Meotes there is a people called Laxamataeâ— amongst whom no Virgin contracts matrimony before she hath subdued an enemie There is a law amongst the Armenians that Virgins are first prostituted in an old Temple dedicated to the goddesse Anetes whose picture was of sollid gold which Antonius after sacriligiously as they held it tooke away according to the gaine of their compression it was lawfull for any man to chuse a wife where he pleased Amongst the Ciprians the Virgins before marriage dayly repayre to the Sea-shore and there companie with strangers till they haue got such a competent summe as may make vp their mariage dower The Phoenicians doe the like in the cittie of Syca but their prostitution is in the Temple of Venus but the surplusage that ariseth aboue the dower returnes towards the repayring of the Church The Carthagenians obserue the like custome The Lydian Virgins before they were suffered to lye with their husbands made themselues for a certâ—ine time common to any man till tyred with sacietie they came gentle and quiet to their beds and from that time forward vowed chastitie but if any one was found euer after to transgresse the bounds of temperance she was punished with all rigor and crueltie Aelian lib. 4. de Var. Hist. Lycurgus hauing prescribed a certaine age before which time it was not lawfull for young men and maides to haue carnall companie being demaunded the reason answered Because the issue that proceedes from those of ripe yeares and growne strength is likewise able and perfect but the hastie and vntimely generation is still subiect to weakenesse and infirmitie Plutarch in Laconic Of Contracts before marriage and of Dowries amongst whom they were allowed and by whom forbidden IT was a custome amongst the Grecians and Lacedemonians when a yong man and a Virgin were contracted to eate of bread together that had bin deuided by a sword Romulus the first erector of the citie Rome caused the couenant of marriage to bee performed betwixt them by a reciprocall receiuing of bread and water There was after his time no stipulation or nuptiall league fully confirmed without fire water placed at the threshold of the doore where they should enter both these they both were inioyned to touch with the water the new bride was after sprinckled as if by that ceremonie they were coupled ioyned in an inexpiable couenant and inseparable bond of affection these two being the cheefe elements of nature on which the life of man in our common food most essentially exist Amongst the Indians vnlesse both the husband and wife annointed their bodies all ouer with a gum or oyle distilling from certaine trees growing by the riuer Phaâ—is the matrimonie was not to be allowed The Persians and the Assirians onely ioyned their right hands in contract so likewise the antient Germanes accounting that the onely firme pledge of their loue and loyaltie Amongst the Galatians in their espousalls the bridegroome drunke to the bride in a cup of Greekish wine in other places of milke which shee pledged him by this ceremonie intending that their nuptialls were not onely firmely contracted by that mutuall loue equall societie coniugall loyaltie marriage concord but like food and dyet should alwayes bee common betwixt them Alex. ab Alex. lib. 2. cap. 5. Concerning nuptiall Dowries by some nations
sweetes Oh may Lucina when her childing growes Be present and release her painefull throwes Prooue fruitfull as the Vine let Bacchus fill Her cup to th'brim with iuices that distill From his choice Grapes the husband in all places Skatter ripe Nuts with Ribbands and with Laces The Altars hang and deck since he hath got To lodge with him a Virgin without spot A Flower a Vertue Glorie of man-kind And of her Sex the pride ô may you find Long dayes of ioy nights shortned in your rest And as your parents are in you liue blest In your faire Issue you are happie then Harke harke to this the Fates cry all Amen Ingressus in cubiculum i. Their entrance into their bed-chamber Being entred and the bed with all things fit Vpon the side therof a while they sit When left alone they talke and ioy and smile She whil'st she can the time seekes to beguile Till suddenly her cheekes are all bewept To loose so soone what she so long hath kept And oft she casts her eye vpon the place Where she 's to wrestle and she hides her face But thinking on 't nor dares to enter in Doubting what 's lawfull still to be a sin He with such gentle force compells the lasse As would not breake her were she made of glasse So loath he is iâ— hurâ— her yet he throwes Her softly downe and to her side then growes Venus begins to teach them a new trade The marriage queene here playes the chambermaid Iuno her selfe who 's now officious growne And there attends to teach them warres vnknowne Th'whilst he seekes for babyes in her eyes Feeles her white neck and yuorie brests that rise Like two white snowie Hills and still doth praise All that he feeles or touches then thus says Oh fresh and flowrishing Virgin now my Bride And are you growne at length thus neere my side Of all my hopes the store-house and the treasure My long expected now my latest pleasure My sweet and deerest wife this could not be Nor happen thus but by the gods decree And will you now tht power of Loue withstand At this she turnes and stayes his forward hand Trembling to thinke on that which was t' ensue Or prooue the thing which yet she neuer knew 'Twixt Hope and Feare she thus replyesâ— Oh faire And louely Youh list to a Virgins praier By thee I inâ—reat by those which got thee such Thy parents loe I onely begge thus much Pittie my teares put me to no affright I onely craue repriue but for this night With that she seemes intranc't and prostrate lyes Hath not one word to vtter more nor eyes To see her selfe vnuirgin'd winckes lyes still And since he needs must lets him act his will Betwixt them two they quench their amorous Fires She what she feares he hath what he desires I dare proceede no further with the Author whose conceit I haue borrowed but his words not altogether imitated those that haue read him I make no question will say I haue broke off and shooke hands with him in good time and as farre as I haue gone hand in hand with him rather added to his inuention than any way derogated from his stile or detracted from his conceite therefore I pause and now proceede to the Nuptiall Pompe vsed amongst forreine nations according to my promise Pausonias hath left related That it was the custome amongst the Grecians for the bride to bee placed betwixt her betrothed husband and one of her next of kindred and so in a Chariot which was called by them Parochus to be drawne thorow the streetes the Axel-tree thereof at her comming home was taken off and burned before the gates of her house to signifie that she must euer after be an housewife and keepe within as a faithfull and industrious ouerseer of their domesticke affaires and businesse It was the fashion in other Prouinces of Greece that those of lower degree I meane the brides when they were conducted home to their husbands a young Boy went before them hung round with Oaken leaues and Acornes bearing on his arme a wicker Basket full of bread who all the way cryed aloud Efugi malum inueni bonum i. I haue shunned the bad and found or made choyse of the good As she enters the doores there the bridegroome stands readie to receiue her the children demaund wall-nuts which are cast vnto them in aboundance Amongst the Rhodians the bride is called from her fathers house by the common Cryer by him conducted to the bed of her betrothed The Romans obserued another custome Their brides were not to touch the ground or pauement with their feet but were snatched vp in their armes and borne vpon their shoulders and as if shee were rapt and forcibly against her will hurried to her bedchamber so Plutarch affirmes others adde That their haire was braided combed with a peece of a souldiers speare intimating that they were now valiantly and resolutely to enter a new warr and skirmish Amongst the Lusitanians she was not permitted either to walke her selfe or be led to her nuptiall Chamber but the yong men came and with pretended rudenesse and force snatched her from the armes of her mother as if according to the Roman custome shee were rauished thence before them went a piper one that sung an Hymenaean song all her alliance and kindred attended her of whom one bore a Distaffe with Towe another a Spindle next her a young man and a maide that had their parents liuing one lighting them with a taper whose staffe was made of a Pine-tree and with these ceremonies shee was conducted to her bride-bed Sacred Auguries and Nuptiall Expiations c. THe Auspices or Auguries were Southsayers and such as vsed to handfast or contract marriages and these were still consulted with as well in vndertaking Warres as propounding Nuptialls as also in most of their publique enterprises or priuate imployments these diuined either from the voyces or by the flying of birds The women supt with their husbands the first night in their beds as they lay together which seemed to be an inuitation of the gods Because Iupiters banquets are as some report after the same manner celebrated for he still feasted in his bed and Iuno and Minerua sitting in chaires or vpon benches Valer. lib. 2. cap. 1. The Athenians at their bridalls had the roome fumed with the skin of a blacke dogge burned in the fire his pâ—iuie parts were buried vnder the threshold of the doore at the outward gate was hid in the Earth the snowt of a Wolfe these they held to expell all Effacinations and Witch-crafts from the house others vse a Fish called Stella Marina or the Sea-starre which sprinckled with the blood of a Wolfe preserued the marriage couple from all dangers or disasters Cynxia and Gamelia Iuno were deuoutely celebrated in Hymenaean contracts In all their sacrifices they tooke from the entrailes the Gall of the beast and
honour consume the remainder of their liues in great discontent sorrow and anguish Of this custome Cicero remembers vs Tusc. Quest. lib. 5. Vaeler Maxim lib. 2. cap. 1. Alex. ab Alex. Aelianus Egnatius and others This funerall ceremonie as Fulgos. lib. 2. cap. 6. is continued amongst them vnto this day alluding to this purpose is that of Propert. lib. 3. Foelix eo is lex funeris vna maritis c. Which I thus paraphrase in English You Easterne Husbands in your funerall Lawes Most happie and their first inuentors wise In which you are more famous then because On you the blushing morning first doth rise When Death hath with his last mortiferous wound The Husband strucke his last Rites to prepare A pious troupe of Wiues engirt him round Drying their moist cheekes with their scatt'red haire Who striue which shall associate him in fate And bed with him together in the flame To liue beyond him is a thing they hate And he once dead life is to them a shame She that can die with him hath her desire And leapes with ioy into the funerall fire The like is obserued by a people of Thrace that inhabite a little aboue the Crestonaeans They likewise are delighted with pluralitie of wiues who after the decease of their husbands enter into the like contention as the women of India and she that is Victoresse as if glorying in some great conquest adorned in her best and richest ornaments is with great ceremonious pompe amongst all her kindred and allyes conducted vnto the place where his bodie is to be interred where being slaine by her next of kinne as the best office he can doe her she is buried in the same graue with her husband Herod lib. 5. The wiues amongst the Geates repayre to their husbands Sepulchre and holding all life tedious and burthensome without them offer their bodies willingly either to the sword or to the fire The custome of the Catheoreans was That when the Bride chose her husband she made a couenant with him at his death to be burnt in the same Pile Alex. ab Alex. lib. 1. cap. 25. The women amongst the Herulians a people that inhabite beyond the riuer of Danubius repayre to the graues of their husbands and iust ouer-against them strangle themselues Which marriage-loue appeares the more strange because the men are of that barbarous and inhumane incontinence that they hold it no shame to leaue the societie of their women and haue congression with brute beasts Bonifacius in his Epistle vnto king Ethelbaldus as Gulielm Malmsbur lib. 1. cap. 64. de Anglia relates it sayth That the Winedi are the worst and the most nastie people among the Germans yet their wiues are of that incomparable zeale and pietie toward their husbands that shee is held to be the most laudable and prayse-worthie that with her owne hand kills her selfe to burne with him in his last funerall fire From the generalitie of women I descend to particulars Admirable was the loue of Phila towards her husband king Demetrius and haughtie and magnanimous her spirit who receiuing newes of his defeat in battaile and that his whole armie being dispersed and scattered he was retyred into Cassandria dranke poyson and so died The wife of Straton Prince of Sydonia when the citie was straitly besieged by the Persians her greatest care was least the person of her husband should fall into the hands of the mercilesse enemie which she purposed to preuent by death When therefore shee heard they had skaled the walls and were readie to be instantly possest of the towne and seize vpon the person of her husband she snatcht from him his sword with which she first â—lew him and then laying out his bodie with as much comelinesse as the shortnesse of the time would permit after fell vpon the same sword thus by voluntarie death preuenting the dishonor of captiuitie Fulgos. lib. 4. cap. 6. Fannia the daughter of Arria the younger wife to Poetus Patauinus before remembred in her braue and heroick death with her husband was the Spouse of Heluidius Priscus who followed him in all his exile euen to his vnfortunate and most vniust death she was the third time confined from the reigne of Tiberius Nero to the death of Domitian Plinie with infinite prayses applauds the incomparable vertues of this Fannia with both the Arriaes in Lib. 9. in his Epistle to Quadratus and in his seuenth to Genitor and Priscus Triaria was the noble and chast wife of L. Vitellius brother to Aul. Vitellius the Emperor who as Hypsicrataea followed Mithridates in all his combustious warres so she neuer forsooke her husband but was present with him in all those ciuile dissentions against Vespasian And the night when Vitellius her Lord with a great armie of souldiers inuaded and entred the citie Terecyna shee presented her selfe in the middest of the slaughter not onely daring but doing equally with the most valiant killing on all sides till shee had hemmed her selfe in with dead bodies slaine by her owne hand so bold and magnanimous a spirit had the coniugall loue to her husband imprest in her Her memorie is made famous by the same Author Antonia Flaxilla by some called Archona when her husband Priscus was found guiltie of the Pysonian Faction and for that cause exiled by Nero and when shee might haue enioyed all the plentie and abundance in Rome left all the pleasures and delights of the citie to accompanie her desolate Lord in his penurious and vncomfortable banishment Her example Egnatia Maximilla imitated who likewise associated her husband Gallus guiltie of the same Conspiracie with Priscus Fulgos. lib. 6. cap. 7. From Iacobus the sonne of Vsson Cassannus amongst many other Captaines that reuolted there was one eminent in that Rebellion called Pandoerus who had a most beautiful young wife her age exceeded not sixteene yeeres to whom he was ardently and in conioyned loue affected He being by her often earnestly entreated to forbeare all conflicts with the enemie but by no meanes either mooued by her teares or perswaded with her intercessions and prayers persisting resolute for a present encounter shee then begged of him That before he hasarded himselfe to the extremitie of danger hee would first take away her feares by transpiercing her with his sword which when he likewise denyed he presently left her and gaue signall of battaile in which conflict he was vanquished and slaine his Tent rifled his wife surprised and committed into the hands of one of the chiefe Captaines belonging to the king who pittying her teares and sorrow to which her feature and beautie gaue no common lustre made instant suit vnto her to make her his wife Shee whilest shee could put him off with all possible delayes but after perceiuing that what hee could not compasse with her good will hee purposed to attaine vnto by compulsion and force shee craued onely some few houres of
in despight or disgrace of her first purposed to cast herselfe from Leucate a high promontorie in Epyre downe into the Sea which she after did yet before she would attempt it she first in an Epistle thought by all the allurements of a womans wit to call him backe againe into his countrey which Ouid in her behalfe most feelingly hath exprest And since it lies so fitly in my way for the opening of the Historie I thus giue it English Ecquid vt aspecta est c. I st possible as soone as thou shalt see My charracter thou knowst it comes from mee Or else not reading of the authors name Could'st thou haue knowne from whence this short worke came Perhapes thou maist demand Why in this vaine I court thee that professe the Lyricke straine My lou 's to be bewept and that 's the reason No Barbit number suits this tragicke season I burne as doth the corne-fields set on fire When the rough East winds still blow high and higher Now Phaon the Typhoean fields are thine But greater flames than Aetnaes are now mine No true disposed numbers flow from hence The emptie worke of a distracted sence The Pirhian gyrle nor the Methimnian lasse Now please me not the Lesbians who surpasse Vil's Amithon vile Cidno too the faire So Atthis that did once appeare most rare And hundreds more with whom my sinn's not small Wretch thou alone inioyest the loues of all Thou hast a face and youth too fit for play Oh tempting face that did'st mine eyes betray Take Phoebus Faith vpon thee and his bow And from Apollo who can Phaon know Take hornes and 'bout thy temples wreaths of vine What 's he can say but th' art the god of Wine Phoebus lou'd Daphne Bacchus Gnosis bright Yet neither she nor she could Lyrickes write The nine Muse-sisters of my verse dispose And what my numbers are the whole world knowes Nor can my countrey-man Alcaeus more Than I though he in age stand rank't before Nor though his name sound louder can he raise Or from his Lyre or Country greater praise If niggard Nature haue denide things fit Yet what I want in shape I haue in wit My statur's low but know my name is high And bruited through all regions farre and nigh I am not faire what therein doe I lacke Andromida pleas'd Perfeus yet she blacke The whitest Doues with mingled colours make And the blacke Turtle will the Greene-bird take If none can be thought worthie of thy loue But such as shall thy like in beautie proue Young man despaire thou art for euer free None such ere was none such shall euer bee When first thou readst my Verses thou didst say I onely pleas'd and I was faire that way That I became my phrase and none so well Then did I sing wee louers all must tell And I remember thou 't is still my pride At euery Note didst on my lippes diuide Nay euen those kisses pleas'd thee wondrous well But most of all when I beneath thee fell My wantonnesse contented thee ' boue measure My nimble motion and words apt for pleasure Then when in confus'd rapture we both lay Fulnesse of ioy depriu'd all vse of plaâ— Now the Sicilian girles are thy new spoyle I le be of them and leaue the Lesbian sayle You Nisean mothers and faire daughters bred In Sicilie let him be banished From forth your earth nor let the many Lyes The smoothnesse of his false tongue can deuise Beguile your simple truth what to you â—e Speaks now h' hath spoke a thousand times to me And goddesse Erecina thou that do'st The barbarous rude Sicania honor most Aduise thy Poetesse by thy wit diuine And giue me counsell since thou know'st I am thine Can Fortune in this bitter course still run Vowes she to end those Ills she hath begun Six yeeres are past since my abortiâ—e grâ—nes Mourn'd and my teares wet my dead parents bones My needie brother as a second crosse Dotes on a strumpet suff'ring shame with losse Turn'd Pyrate prooues the Seas with sayle and oare And badly seekes wealth lost as ill before Because my faithfull counsaile that course rated My guerdon is that I by him am hated And least my endlesse torments should find ease My yong irregular daughter addes to these The last and great'st cause why I thus miscarrie Thou art my Barke still sayles with winds contrariâ— Behold my erst well-ord'red Locks mis-plac'd And those that in times past my temples grac'd Neglected are as if they were not mineâ— No precious gemmes vpon my fingers shine My habit 's vile my haire no Crispin weares Nor smell my Locks of sweet Arabian teares Whom should I seeke to please since â—ee's absent That was sole author of mine ornament My soft heart is with easie shafts imprest There 's still new cause to lodge loue in my brest Either because the Sisters three had force When I was borne to spin my thread so course Or this my studies in the Arts constraine Since soft Thalia doth infuse my braine What wonder if a youth of the first chinne Surprise me yeres which man to man might winne I was afraid least faire Aurora thou For Cephalus would'st steale him and I now Am still in feare for surely this had past But that thy first loue holds thee still so fast If Phoebus that spyes all things thee had seene Phaon in lasting slumbers cast had beene Venus had rapt him into heauen by this But that she fear'd Mars would haue made him his Thou that no child and yet scarce man appeares Best age the pride and glorie of thy yeares Returne vâ—to my bosome since of thee I beg not loue but that thou lou'd would'st bee Lo as I write teares from mine eyes amaine Still drop behold how they my paper staine Thy parting had beene gentler in words few Had'st thou but sayd Sweet Lesbian lasse adue Thou took'st with thee no parting kisse no teares I little dream't I was so neere my feares Of thine saue wrong I nothing haue no more Thou let that mooue thee all my loue dost store I gaue thee no command nor had that day Vnlesse some such Do not forget me pray By Loue that neuer can forsake that brest By our nine sacred sisters I protestâ— He 's gone when some but who I know not sayd For a long space both words and teares were stayd Mine eyes had banish't teares and greefe my tongue Through cold my heart vnto my ribs was clung My greefe retyr'd I gaâ— to beat my brest To teare my haire nor blush to walke vndrest Like carefull mothers who with loude exclaimes Beare their dead children to their funerall flames Charaxus walkes by lang hing too and fro And from my extasie his pleasures grow And which more shame vnto my sorrow giues Askes why this woman weepes her daughter liues But Shame and Loue are two the people stare To see my garments torne and brests vnbare Thou
be instructed in that horrible Art he shall not find it more truely and punctually discouered by any of the Latine Poets Gunthrune was a Witch of a strange diuellish condition who by her incantations was the death of many creatures as well beasts as men yet beeing dead there was no wound or marke of death appearing about them Sagana Veia and Folia were professors of the selfesame diuellish Art and are remembred by Tacitus Iuuenal and Horace these were said to haue had hand in the death of the noble child Varus It shall not be amisse to insert amongst these what I haue heard concerning a Witch of Scotland One of that countrie as by report there are too many being for no goodnesse by the Iudges of Assise arraigned conuicted and condemned to be burnt and the next day according to her iudgement brought and tied to the stake the reeds fagots placed round about her and the executioner readie to giue fire for by no persuasion of her ghostly father nor importunitie of the sherifes she could be wrought to confesse any thing she now at the last cast to take her farewell of the world casting her eye a tone side spied her onely sonne and calls to him desiring him verie earnestly as his last dutie to her to bring her any water or the least quantitie of licour be it neuer so small to comfort her for she was extreamely a thirst at which he shaking his head said nothing she stil importuned him in these words Oh my deere sonne helpe me to any drinke be it neuer so little for I am most extreamely drie oh drie drie to whom the young fellow answered by no meanes deere mother will I do you that wrong For the drier you are no doubt you will burne the better Of Witches transported from one place to another by the Deuill THe difference betwixt Witches or to define what Magae are and what Lamiae were but time mispent the rather because it hath beene an argument so much handled in our mother tongue I will onely rehearse vnto you some few particular discourses concerning Witches out of Danaeus Bodinus Wierius Grillaneus Italus and others all agree that some haue made expresse couenant with the deuill by Bond and Indenture sealed and deliuered others by promise and oath onely as likewise that all such haue secret markes about them in some priuate place of their bodies some in the inside of the lip some in the haiâ—e of the eye browes some in the fundament some in the inside of the thigh the hollow of the arme or the priuie parts Albertus Pictus an Aduocate in the Parlement of Paris reported he had seene one in the castle of Theodoricus who had a plaine marke vpon the right shoulder which the next day was taken off by the Deuill Claudius de Fagus the kings procurator affirmed the like of one Ioanna Heruilleria Concerning the transportation of Witches through the aire Paulus Grillandus an Italian Doctor of the law that writ the histories of many Witches saith That a countrie villager not far from Rome vpon a night spying his wife daube her selfe with a certaine vnguent and instantly leape out at the window after her stay from him some three or foure houres had prouided against her returne a good cudgell with which he so soundly entertained her that he forced her to confesse where she had beene but would not grant her free pardon till she had made him promise to bring him to the sight of all these nouelties and vnbeleeueable passages by her related the match was concluded she forewarned him that he must in no wise vse the name of God by the way vnlesse it were in scorne or blasphemie with other such horrible instructions The night came they were both annointed when presently two rough goats appeared at the window vpon which they being mounted were instantly hurried through the aire into a place where were an infinit multitude of people men and women and in the middest one that seemed to be prince and soueraigne of the rest to whom euery of them did obeisance and adoration she bid her husband stand in a remote place till she had likewise done her worship which she accordingly performed This done they all danced together in a circle or ring not as our custome is face to face but backe to backe the rest may be coniectured least if any should be apprehended one might appeach the other After their dance was ended the tables were couered and furnished she calls to her husband to sit downe amongst the rest and bids him welcome he begins to feed but finding the meat to haue no â—elish in regard it was not well seasoned he calls aloud for salt and many times before it came it was brought at length which he seeing before he tasted it he thus said Hor laudato sui Dio per è venuto questo sale i. Now God be thanked that the salt is come these words were no sooner spoken but Men Meat Tables Deuills Witches all were vanished in an instant he was left alone naked almost frosen with cold ignorant in what place or whether to trauel for shelter day came he spies sheepheards and askes them where he is they tell him in the principalitie of Beneuent vnder the iurisdiction of the Pope aboue an hundred miles from Rome He was forced to beg rags to couer him and bread to releeue him being eight daies before he could reach to his cottadge he accuseth his wife she others who were all after deliuered to the fire burnt aliue The liâ—e historie the same author relates of a young damosell inticed by an old Witch to this damnable assemblie in the Duchie of Spoletum in the yeare of grace 1535. The like confession of these assemblies dances and banquets and after all their common carnall societie women with he-Deuills and men with she-spirits was extorted from a Witch of Lochinum another of Lions both suffered by fire and their arraignements confessions iudgements and executions published by Danaeus in the yere 1474. Of these meetings banquets dances and congressions Friscalanus the before named Magitian gaue ample testimonie to Charles the ninth king of France Saluertes the President speakes of a Witch called Beronda who being brought to the stake accused a great ladie of France for being one of that damned societie but she obstinately denying it the Witch thus said Haue you forgot since our last meeting when you were appointed to carrie the Challice of poison Olaus Magnus li. 3. ca. 11. saith that many of these conuenticles are made in the North and are frequent in the mount Atlas as likewise Mel. lib. 3. Solinus lib. 38. cap. 44. and Plinie lib. 5. cap. 1. Infinit are the Histories to this purpose Antonius de Turquemada a Spaniard saith That a Magitian would needs persuade his friend to be a spectator of this wicked assemblie all things being prepared for the purpose in the middest
Turetranus who in the Delphinaâ— saw a Witch burned aliue whose storie he thus relates She was maidseruant to an honest citisen who comming home vnexpected and calling for her but hearing none to answere searching the roomes he found her lying all along by a fire which she had before made in a priuate chamber which seeing he kickt her with his foot and bid her arise like a lasie huswife as she was and get her about her businesse but seeing her not to mooue he tooke a tough and smart wand and belabored her verie soundly but perceiuing her neither to stirre nor complaine he viewing her better and finding all the parts of her bodie vnsensible tooke fire and put it to such places of her bodie as were most tender but perceiuing her to haue lost all feeling was persuaded she was dead and called in his next neighbours telling them in what case he found her but concealing vnto them the shrewd blowes he had giuen her the neighbors left the house the master and mistresse caused her to be laid out so left her and went to their rest but towards the morning hearing some bodie to stir and groâ—ne in the chamber they found their seruant remooued and laid in her bed at which the good man much amased asked her in the name of God being laâ—e dead how came she so soone recouered to whom she answered Oh master master why haue you beaten me thus the man reporting this amongst his nighbours one amongst the rest said if this be true she is then doubtlesse a Witch and one of these Extasists at which the Master growing suspitious vrged her so strictly that she confessed though her bodie was there present yet her soule was abroad at the assemblie of diuers Witches with many other mischiefes for which she was held worthie of death and iudged At Burdegall in the yere 1571 when there was a decree made in France against the strict prosecution of Witches an old Sorceresse of that place amongst many horrid and fearefull things confessed by her she was conuicted and imprisoned where D. Boletus visited her desiring to be eye-witnesse of some of those things before by her acknowledged to whom the Witch answered That she had not power to do any thing in prison But desirous to be better satisfied concerning such things he commanded her for the present to be released and brought out of the Gaole to another lodging where she in his presence hauing annointed her bodie with a certaine vnguent from the crowne to the heele naked fell into a sodaine apoplex appearing to them as dead depriued of all sence or motion but after fiue houres returning to her selfe as if she awaked out of a dreame she related many things done neere and farre off in that interim of which sending to know the truth they found her to erre in nothing this was confirmed to Bodinus by an Earle of great honour who was then present when this thing was done Olaus Magnus in his historie saith That those things are common in the Northren parts of the world and that the friends of those Extasists diligently keepe and safeguard their bodies whilest their Spirits are abroad either to carrie rings tokens or letters to their friends though neuer so farre off and bring them answers backe againe with infallible tokens of their being there Many I could here produce to the like purpose I will end with S. Augustine lib. de Ciuitate Dei 18. who affirmes the father of Prestantius hath confest himselfe to haue beene transported with such extasies that when his Spirit hath returned to him againe he hath constantly affirmed that he hath beene changed into an horse and in the companie of others carried prouision into the campe when in the meane time his bodie was knowne to lie at home in his chamber breathlesse and without moouing and this hath reference to Liranthropia i. The changing of men into beasts So much spoken of by the antient writers and now so frequent in the Orientall parts of the world Some obserue as Strangerus Danaeus and others that no Witch can weepe or sâ—ed a teare Others as the Germans in some parts that a Witch cannot sinke nor drowne in the water and therefore to trie them being suspected they cast them into moates and riuers They can do nothing in prison neither will they confesse any thing till the Deuill hath quiâ—e forsaken them I meane in his power to helpe them not in his couenant to inioy them They are all penurious and needie neither haue they the least power of the Iudges they haue art to hurt others but none any way to benefit themselues There is not any of them but weares the Deuills marke about her They neuer looke any man or woman stedfastly in the face but their eyes wander of the one side or other but commonly they are deiected downward they answer pertinently to no question demanded them They all desire to see the Iudges before they come to their arraignement being of a confident opinion that if they behold them first the Iudges haue no power to condemne them but if they be first brought to the place all their Sorceries are vaine and of no validitie Others are remembred by D. Adamus Martinus Procurator of Laodâ—num prooued vpon the famous Witch Beibrana whom hee sentenced to the stake But these shall suffice for this present for CALLIOPE now pluckes me by the elbow to remember her Explicit Liber Octauus Inscriptus VRANIA THE NINTH BOOKE Inscribed CALLIOPE Intreating of Women in generall with the Punishments appertaining to the Vitious and Rewards due to the Vertuous WHEN I enter into a true consideration of how many seuerall Affections Dispositions Actions and Passions in Women I haue had occasion to speakeâ— of the Good and Bad Famous and Infamous Vertuous and Dishonest Illustrious and Obscure next of all Ages from the Cradle to the Graue the Swathband to the Winding sheetâ— then of all Estates Degrees and Callings from the Empresse in the Court to the Shepheardesse in the Village when I next ponder with my selfe that all these are gathered to the Earth from whence they came and that wee who are yet breathing doe but hourely tread vpon our Graues lingring and prolonging a few vncertaine minutes and must necessarily follow and that our liues are but a Circular motion or a Circle drawne by a Compasâ— ending where it first began being but as the wheeles of a Clocke wound vp and as we mooue in the passage of our life like the Hand of a Dyall point first to one houre then a second so to a third still shewing our yeeres in our growth that any man may reade what a Clocke it is with vs by our Age but when the Plummets and Weights haue forced our Wheeles so often about till there is no more Lyne left then wee cease both motion noyse and being Next that all know they must die but none the time when they shall die and
foure angles each equally distant eight hundred eightie foot and in heigth twentie fiue A second foure angles euerie one containing by euen spaces seuen hundred thirtie and seuen foot A third comprehended three hundred sixtie three foote betwixt euerie angle A fourth errected by Rhodope the strumpet the mistresse of Aesop by the money which she got by her trade Herodotus speakes of a Pyramis made by Cleopys king of Aegypt of stones fetcht from Arabia whose length was fiue furlongs the breadth ten paces He erected a second more magnificent which was not finisht in twentie yeares vpon which he spent so much treasure that hee was forc't to prostitute his daughter a most beautifull young virgin to supply his owne necessitie Pliny reports that in this structure he impolyed so many workemen that they eate him 1800 talents in onyons and garlicke 2. The tower of Pharos built by Ptolomaeus in that Isle which serued as a lanthorne to direct nauigators by sea in the night he spent vpon it 5300 Talents Sostrata was the Architectour as appeares by the inscription of his name vpon the Cittadell 3. The wals of Babylon were built by Semiramis they were as Hermodorus writes in thicknesse fiftie cubits in heighth two hundred within the compasse of which were an hundred Ports hauing brasen gates that all moou'd vpon hinges they were beautified with three hundred Turrets and Chariots might meete vpon the toppe of them and haue free passage without impediment 4. The Temple of Diana of which I haue spoken before was in length 425 foote in breadth 220 It was beautified with 127 Collumns 5. The tombe of Mausolus built by Artimesia queene of Caria was in height 25 Cubits it was compast with 36 collumns it contained from the South to the North 33 foote the whole compasse contained 1411 That part which lay towards the East was perfected by Scopas that which was towards the North was ended by Briax that towards the Meridian by Tymothaus that which butted vpon the West by Leocares 6. The Colossus of the Sun which bestrid the riuer Rhodes betwixt whose legges shippes without vailing their top sailes came into the harbour was of that vastnesse that a man with his spread armes could not compasse his thumbe euery finger being as bigge as a common statue After it had stood six and fiftie yeares it was emolisht by an earthquake The Souldan of Aegypt hauing inuaded Rhodes with the broken brasse thereof laded thence 900 cammells The chiefe workeman was Chares Lindius the scholler of Licippus 7. The image of Iupiter to which some equall the pallace of Cyrus king of the Meades built by Memnon the stones of which were simmented together with gold But I leaue further to speake of these and proceed to the next Sybill SIBILLA AEGYPTIA SHe was called Agrippa not numbered amongst the tenne but hath place amongst the twelue she prophesied vpon the number of Three and on this manner Sacred's the number Three as Sybells tell Betwixt three brothers the Heauen Sea and Hell Were cast by lot The Earth as all men write In their diuisions is called Tripartite Ioue three waies striking hath his Trisulc Thunder Neptun's allowd his Trident to keepe vnder The mutinous waues Three fatall sisters spinne Our thread of life Three Iudges punish sinne Euen monsters are described so Gerion weares Three heads Grim Cerberus as many beares Sphinx hath three shapes of Bird of Beast of Maid All three in wings in feete in face displaid Chimaera is Triformd the monstrous creature Scilla 's of dogges fish and a womans feature The Erynnaes Harpyes Gorgons three-fold all The Sybells Trifatidicae we call Diuining from the Tripos Orpheus Lyre Sings that 't was made of water earth and fire Three Charites three Fates three Syrens bee Number the Muses they are three times three She 's triple-Hecat's cald Diana stilde Triuia The ground of Musicke was compild But on three Chords at first and still exprest By voice by hand by breath In the Phisicks rest Three principles God World and Creature fram'd Creator Parent Issue these are nam'd In all production Into Three we cast Mans age two legges next three then foure at last Phisitians three things to obserue are sure First to preserue preuent and then to cure Three gouernements are famous in Romes state That of the Tribunes and Triumuirate Three sorts of people they distinguish can The Senat Souldior and the common Man In the taking height of starres w'obserue these Three First Distance then the Forme next Qualitie But which of vs obserues that sacred Tryne Three persons in one Godhead sole diuine That indiuiduall essence who dares scan Which is shall be and ere the world began Was in eternitie When of these Three One of that most inscrutable Trinitie The second person Wisedome shall intombe All maiestie within a Virgins wombe True Man true God still to that blest Trine linckt True light shall shine and false starres be extinct SIBILLA ERYTHRAEA SHe is the twelfth and last borne in Babylon of the Assirian nation and daughter to Berosus a famous Astrologian She writ in Greeke a booke called Vafillogra which some interpret Penalis scriptura which as Eugenius in his Res de Sicilia testates was transferred into Latin She prophesied of all the Greekes that came to the siege of Troy designed the places whence and how long they should continue there In those bookes she speakes of Homer and that he should write of those wars partially according to his affection and not truth In the same volume she prophesied of Christ after this manner The times by the great Oracle assignd When God himselfe in pittie of mankind Shall from the Heau'n descend and be incarnate Entring the world a lambe immaculate And as himselfe in wisedome thinkes it meete Walke in the earth on three and thirtie feet And with six fingers all his subiects then Though a king mightie shall be fishermen In number twelue with these warre shal be tride Against the diuell world and flesh their pride Humilitie shall quell and the sharpe sword With which they fight shal be the sacred Word Establisht vpon Peter which foundation Once layd shall be divulg'd to euerie nation The onely difficultie in this prophesie is Trentra tre piede which signifies thirtie three yeares and Mese dito six fingers intimating the time of six moneths And thus I take leaue of the Sybells Of the Virgins VESTALLS FEnestella in his booke intituled de Sacerdotijs Romanis proposeth Numa Pompilius to bee the first that deuised the forme of this Vestall adoration though the first institution thereof was held to be so antient that Aeneas transferred it from the Troians to the Albans as Virgill witnesseth in these words Vestamque potentem Aeternumque aditis adfert penetratibus ignem To this goddesse Vesta whom some call the Earth others the Mother of the gods Fire perpetuallie burning was consecrated and to this obseruation and coustome certaine virgins pickt out of the
noblest families were chosen as directors and chiefe ouerseers of that Order by whose negligence if by chance at any time that sacred Fire was extinguished thier iudgement was to bee beaten to death with strokes by the hand of the chiefe Priest or Flamin Valerius Maximus reports that the same judgement was executed vpon the same negligence by P. Licinius Crassus then in the high Priesthood All such as were found guiltie of incest were condemned to bee buried aliue nor was it lawfull as Labeo Antistius writes for any vnder six yeares or aboue ten to be admitted into that seruice besides she must not be the onely child of her father and mother neither must shee haue a lisping or stammering tongue bee deafe of her eares nor marked with any blemish about her bodie neither such an one whose parents one or both haue liued in seruitude or haue bin conuersant in any base offices neither such a one whose sister hath beene elected into the Priesthood all these are excused from the seruice of Vesta neither she whoâ—e father is a Flamin a South-sayer or one of the Decemuirie in the sacrifices or of the Septemuirate in the banquets There is likewise a dispensation with the daughters of kings and priests as vncapable of this ministerie neither can that mans child be admitted that hath not a knowne house and an abiding place in Italie for so Capito atteius writes so likewise the children of all such are restrained as haue the number of Three or more By the edict of the Praetor that no Virgin Vestall or Dialis which belongs to the sacrifices of Iupiter shall be compelled to any thing these be the words of the Praetor by the mouth of the crier Through all my iurisdiction I wil not vrge or force an oath from the Vestall Virgins nor from the Flamin Dialis in the chusing of the Vestall these things were obserued There is a caution by the law called Lex Pâ—pia That by the approbation of the chiefe Priest and by his special appointment twenty virgins were selected out of the people but this ordinance with many other were abrogated and abolisht by Time in so much that it was sufficient if any of free parents and honestlie descended petitioned or made meanes to the high Priest she might without more difficultie enter her oath and be admitted into the sacred order being receiued by him as one snatcht and taken violently from the hands of her enemies The words he vsed were these This vestall Priest whom I enter into this holy office according to the institution of the best law I receiue by the name of Amata to make her intercessions for the Nobilitie and people of Rome It was a custom to admit them all by the name of Amata because she that was first chosen by king Numa was so called and with these ceremonies shee was as it were hurried to the Temple of Vesta In Labeons commentaries it is thus found recorded The Vestall virgin is incapable to be made heire of any man or woman that dies intestate her goods likewise after her death returne to the common treasurie Pomponius Latus in his booke de Sacerdotijs agrees with Fenestella That Aeneas first brought the Vestal fire from Troy into Italy and Lauinium being built he there erected a Temple to her honour After this Ascanius consecrated another in a part of the hill Alba beneath which or at the foote thereof was a thick groue in which Mars vitiated Illia the mother of Romulus These Ministers of Vesta were tied to an oath of perpetuall virginitie for it was a custome amongst the Latines to make choice of the most noble and chast virgins After many yeres Romulus deuised all the chast ceremonies belonging to that Order and as Varro declares to vs created three score Priests to those publique seruises selected by their Tribes and Families but of the most noble vnblemisht stocks amongst the Romans The temple of Vesta is built round and is scituat betwixt the Capitoll and the Pallace in this is kept the perpetuall Fire for the Etimologie of Vesta is nothing else but purus ignis i. pure Fire Some are of opinion that in that Temple are kept the remenbrances of many both sacred and secret monuments some strange and vnknowne euen to the Priests and Virgins Some speake of two toonnes of no great quantitie the one continually shut the other open emptie some of the Virgins haue reported that the Palladium that fell from Heauen and was receiued into Troy is there still to be seene The first Virgins appointed by Numa were foure Gegania Berenia Camilla Tarpeia two others were added by Seruius Tullius Their vowes of virginitie were vnalterable for thirtie yeares In the first ten yeares they were to learne the ceremonies and to be as ministers and handmaides in the rest she was to gouerne and instruct others and the thirtie yeares expired she had libertie if she pleased to marrie If any of these Vestalls had wantonly offended she was to bee chastised by the Priest but such as were found incestuous were punished after this manner Being first bound she was laid vpon a beere like a coarse alreadie deceased and so carried through the midde Forum to the port or gate called Collina for there betwixt two walls is the graue of the vnchast Vestalls still apparant there is a caue hollowed vnder the earth the descent is with a ladder by the mouth which is of no great widenesse in this vault is a bed readie prepared a light burning with bread milke and oyle these things being all made readie for the purpose the delinquent is set downe her bands loosed and her head couered the high Priest whispering certaine secret things in her eare the other priests turning their faces from her which is no sooner done but shee is let downe into the cauerne earth throwne vpon her the graue filled and shee stifled aliue and that day on which this execution is done there is a generall silence and sadnesse through the whole cittie OPPIA SHe was one of the Vestall virgins who being taken in whordome and the fact manifestlie prooued she was conuented conuicted and had her doome to bee buryed aliue Vpon whom Strozzafilius inscribed this Epitaph Vestalis virgo laesi damnata pudoris Contegor hoc viuens Oppia sub tumulo I Oppia once a Vestall that For sinne my iudgement haue Condemn'd for lust am liuing shut And couered in this graue Claudia There were two of that name as Liuy in his 22 booke reports who were addicted to the ceremonies of Vesta Fonteia was the sister of Marc. Fonteius who being a Prefect or gouernour amongst the Galls was accused before the Senat of iniustice and misgouernment as transgressing the lawes and edicts of the Romans Marcia was a Vestall virgin and one that attended vpon the sacred ceremonies she was condemned of incest and as Oppia was before her buried aliue Minutia also a minister of Vestaes sacrifices