alwayes can the purple violet smell Or Lillies bloome in whitenesse that excell The fragrant rose whose beautie we desire The leaues once falne shewes but a naked brire O thou most faire white heires come on apace And wrinckled furrowes which shall plow thy face So likewise Petronius Arbiter in one of his Satyres Quod solum formae decus est cecidere Capillae The onely beautie of her shape her haire Fell from her head her beautie to impaire Summer succeedes the Spring her Autumne chaceth And them sad Winter with his snow disgraceth Deceitfull Nature all these youthfull ioyes Thou gau'st vs first thou art the first destroyes Now the fruits and effects of this fraile beautie especially where a faire face meeteth with a corrupted mind I will next shew you by historie Achab by the persuasion of his faire wife Iesabell was the death of many of the Prophets of the Lord. Dalila was the confusion of Sampson the Strong Strange women brought Salomon the Wise to Idolatrie and to forget God Ioram a king of Israell at the instigation of Athalia committed many horrible outrages Helena's beautie was the occasion of that infinite slaughter betwixt the Greekes and Troians Pelops succeeding in the kingdome of Phrygia made warre vpon Oenomaus the father of Hyppodamia because being surprised with her beautie she was denyde him in marriage Another Hyppodamia the wife of Perithous was the occasion of that great Centauromachia or battaiâ—e betwixt the Centaures and the Lapithes for which Propertius calls her Ischomache of the greeke word Isco which signifieth Habeo and Mache Pugna his words are these Qualis Iscomache Lapithae genus Heroinae Centauris medio grata rapina mero Such as Iscomache that was Of the Lapythaean line She whom the Centaures would haue rapt Amidst their cups of wine Pericles for his loue to Aspasia made warre against the Samians For Chrisaeis the daughter of Chrises Priest to Apollo vitiated by Agamemnon a plague was sent amongst the Greekish host which ceased not till she was returned backe to her father for so writes Tortellius Lauiniaes beautie the daughter of King Latinus and the Queene Amata was cause of the combustion betwixt Turnus and Aeneas so saith Pontanus lib. 4. de Stellis Lysimachus the sonne of Agathocles poysoned his owne sonne Agathocles by whose fortunate hand he had receiued the honour and benefit of many glorious victories at the instigation of his wife Arsinoe the sister of Ptoloâ—teus Vollateran Iphis a youth of exquisite feature strangled himselfe because he was despised by the faire but cruell Anaxarite Archilâ—â—us king of Macedon was slaine by a young man called Crateua because hauing first promised him his faire daughter he after bestowed her vpon another The Poet Archilocus called Iambographus because Lycambes denyde him his daughter in marriage writes against him such bitter Iambicks that hee despaired and hanged himselfe therefore Ouid thus writes Post modo si perges in te mihi liber Iambus Tincta Licambaeo sanguiâ—e tela dabit If thou pursu'st me still my booke Iust vengeance shall implore And in Lambickes weapons yeeld Dipt in Lycambes gore Iustine in his 27 booke relates That Seleneus Callinicus king of Syria for exiling Berenice his steppe-mother sister to Ptolomaeus was by the same Ptolomaeus inuaded and prosecuted by armes Deiphebus after the death of Paris hauing marryed Hellen to which infortunate match her beautie had inuited him was by her treacherie not onely murdered but his body hackt and mangled being almost made one vniuersall wound Tortellius reports of one Euander the nephew of Pallas king of the Arcadians at the persuasion of his mother Nicostrate slew his owne father Orestes the sonne of Agamemum slew Pyrrhus the sonne of Achilles being surprised with the beautie of Hermione daughter to Menalâ—us and Helena Pteleras king of the Thebans was slaine by king Craeon being betrayde by his owne Polydices Cleopatra was the cause of that bloody warre betwixt Ptolomaeus Philopaser and her owne father Alexander king of Syria Idas and Lyncaeus the sons of Aphareus and Arbarne fought a great battaile neere to Sparta about the two faire daughters of Leucippus Phebe and Ilaira against Castor and Pollux both which were slaine in that battaile and perisht not by shipwracke as some write in the pursuite of Paris by sea for the rape of their sister Hellen Liuie lib. 36. writes of Antiochus who warring against Rome was so taken with the beautie of a Chalcidonian damsell that neglecting all warlike discipline to spend his time in dalliance with his wanton hee became a shamefull and dishonourable prey to the enemy Octauia the sister of Augustus being repudiated by Anthony was the occasion of a ciuill and intestine war The Poet Lucretius growing mad for the loue of a faire damsell dranke poyson and so dyed Tullia incited Tarquinius Superbus to kill her owne father Seruius Tullius Martia the strumpet caused Autonius Commodus the Emperour whose Concubine she was to bee slaine by a souldiour with whom shee had many times had lustfull congression Tytus Corrancanus being sent on embassie to Teuca queene of the Illyrians because hee spake to her freelie and boldlie she caused him to be put to death against the lawes of kingdomes and nations Liuius and Florus Vollateranus writes of one Rhodoricus king of the Gothes who because he stuprated the daughter of Iulianus who was Prefect in the Prouince of Tingitana the father of the rauisht virgin brought in the Moores and raised a warre which before it was ended was the death of seauen hundred thousand men Chilpericus the sonne of Clotharius was slaine by the instigation of his wife Fridegunda in his returne from hunting Luchinus a Count of Italy warred vpon Vgolinus Gonzaga because hee had adulterated his faire wife Isabella Vollateran Otratus king of Bohemia accused of sloath and cowardise by his wife Margarita for entering league with Rodulphus Caesar raised warre betwixt them in which her husband was defeated Gandulphus the Martyr for but counselling his wife to a more chast and temperate life was murdered betwixt her and the adulterer Of warres and many other mischiefes of which faire women haue beene the originall Ouid elegantly deliuers in 2 Eleg. thus concluding Vidi ego pro â—iuea pugnantes coniâ—ge tauros Spectatrix animos ipsa innenca dabat For a white heyfer I haue seene bulls sight Both gathering rage and courage from her sight At the building of Rome Romulus to people the cittie and get wiues for his souldiers caused them to rauish the Sabine women and damsells for which warre grew betwixt the two nations Of which Proper lib. 2. Cur exempla petam Gracum Tu criminis auâ—hâ—r Nutribus duro Romule lacte lupae c. What neede I from the Greekes examples aske Thou Romulus by a fell she-wolfe nurst To rape the Sabines
c. The same author lib. 2. speakes of one Tiburna Saguntina the wife of one Marhus a braue and bold female warrior Zenobia queene of the Palmyrians after the death of her husband Odenatus tooke vpon her the imperiall regencie and made tributarie the kingdome of Syria neither feared shee to take armes against the Emperour Aurelianus by whom she was ouercome and led in triumph but when it was obiected to Caesar as a dishonour and reproach that he had triumpht ouer a woman he answered It was no disgrace at all being ouer such a woman as excelled most men in Masculine vertue Of whom Pontanus thus speakes Qualis Aethiopum quondam sitientibus aruis In fuluum regina gregem c. As did the Aethiopian queene In the dry fields of old Incounter with the yellow heards whose rough haires shin'd like gold Opposing the sterne Lions paw Alone and without ayde To see whom wrestle men aloofe stood quaking and afraid Such 'tweene two warlike hosts appeares This Amasonian Queene Zenobia with her strong bow arm'd And furnisht with shafts keene Hypsicrataea the wife of Mithridates was still present with him in battaile and left him in no danger cutting her haire short least it should offend her when she put on her beauer Artimesia queene of Caria after the death of her husband was admired through Greece who not onely in a nauall expedition ouercame the inuading Rhodians but pursued them euen vnto their owne coasts and tooke possession of the Island amidst whose ruines she caused her owne glorious statue to be erected of whom Herodotus thus writes I cannot wonder sufficiently at this warlike queene Artimesia who vnforced and vncompeld followed the expedition of Xerxes against Greece out of her owne manly courage and excellencie of spirit She was the daughter of Lydamus her father was of Halicarnassus her mother of Creete shee furnished fiue shippes of her owne charge with Halicarnassaeans Coeans Nisirians and Calidnians in the great sea fight neere Salamine to behold which battaile Xerxes had retired himselfe and stood but as a spectator Iustine lib. 2. saith There was to bee seene in Xerxes womanish feare in Artimesia manly audacitie for shee demeaned herselfe in that battaile to the admiration of all men of whose ships the king taking especiall notice but not knowing to whom they belonged nor in whose management they then were one spake to the king and said Great Lord behold you not how brauely the queene Artimesia beares her selfe this dayâ— the king would not at first beleeue that such resolution could bee in that Sex at length when notwithstanding her braue seruice hee perceiued his nauie beaten and put to flight he sighing thus said All my men this day haue shewed themselues women and there is but one woman amongst them and she onely hath shewed herselfe a man Many of the most illustrious persons dyed that day as also of the Meades amongst whom was the great captaine Aria Begnes the sonne of Darius and brother of Xerxes Cleopatra queene of Aegypt the daughter of Dionisius Auletes after the death of Iulius Caesar hauing taken Antonius in the bewitching snares of her beautie shee was not contented with the kingdomes of Aegypt Syria and Arabia but she was ambitious to soueraignise ouer the Roman Empire in which though she fayled it shewed as inuincible a spirit in the attempt as shee exprest an vnmatched courage in the manner of her voluntary death Cyrus the Persian inuading the Messagets and Scythians of which Tomyris then raigned queene she sent against him her onely sonne Spargapises with a puissant army to beat him back againe beyond the riuer Araxes which he had late with a mightie host traiected But the young man not inured to the stratagems and policies of warre suffered his souldiours in the height of wine and surfets to be inuaded his tents rifled his army defeated and himselfe taken prisoner by Cyrus To whom the queene sent to this purpose Thou hast surprised my sonne by fraud not strength by deceit not warre be now counselled by me Returne me the Prince and with the honour to haue vanguisht the third part of my people vnpunished depart out of my countrey which if thou dost not I vow by the Sunne the Lord and God to which the Messagets giue due adoration that I will quench thy thirst beest thou neuer so much insatiate of blood This message being deliuered to Cyrus he regarded it not but held it as the vaine boast of a franticke woman But Spargapises the sonne of Tomyris being awaked from the drowsinesse of wine and perceiuing into what mischiefe he was falne intreated Cyrus he might be released from his bonds to which the Persian granted who no sooner found his legges vnbound and his hands at libertie but he instantly catcht hold of a weapon with which he slew himselfe The queene hauing intelligence of the death of her sonne and withall that Cyrus gaue no heed to her admonition collected a puissant armie of purpose to giue him battaile who inticed him by a counterfeit flight into certaine straits of her countrey where hauing ambusht her men she fell vpon the Persians and made of them an infinite slaughter to the defeating of their whole host In this strange and bloody execution Cyrus himselfe fell whose body Tomyris caused to be searcht for and being found filled a vessell with blood into which commanding his head to be throwne shee thus insultingly spake Of human blood in thy life thou weart insatiate and now in thy death thou mayst drinke thy fill The fashions of the Messagets are after this manner described by Herodotus Their habit and their food is according to the Scythians they fight as well on horsebacke as on foot being expert in both they are both archers and lanciers in all their weapons armour or caparisons vsing gold and brasse in the heads of their speares their quiuers their daggers and other armour they were brasse but whatsoeuer belongs to the head or to the belt is of the purest gold the breast-plates of their horses and what belongs to their trappings and caparisons are buckled and studded with brasse but that which appertaines to the headstall or raines is of gold of yron and siluer they haue small vse or none as being rare in their countrey but gold and brasse they haue in aboundance Euery man marrieth a wife but not to his owne peculiar vse for they keepe them in common for what the Greeks in this kind remember of the Scythians they do not it is customable onely amongst the Messagets if any man haue an appetite to a woman he onely hangs his quiuer vpon the next bough prostitutes her in publike without taxation or shame There is no limit proposed to terminate their liues when any growes old his neighbours about him make a generall meeting and with great ceremony after the manner of a sacrifice cause him to be slain with
braue souldier or of such as perished in Cilicia for the Empire and libertie of whole Greece shee onely hauing perdurable monuments raised to her as well in Babilon as in Athens Temples and Altars with sacrifices offered her by the name of Venus Pythonica With other such vpbraidings he complained on him to Alexander of whom Alexis in Licisca likewise speakes as also that after her death hee tooke to his bed the beforenamed Glicera Next her followers Irene That Ptolomaeus that placed garrisons in Ephesus and was the sonne of king Philadelphos had a beautifull mistresse called Irene she when Ptolomaeus was â—ssaulted by â—he Thracians in the cittie of Ephesus and to shun their violence fled into a Chappell consecrated to the goddesse Diana would not in that distresse forsake him but entred the place together and when the souldiers role open the gates vpon them to kil the king she remoued not her hand from the ring of the doore but with her owne blood sprinkled the altar till the souldiers likewise falling vpon her shee expired in the armes of the slaughtered king As noble was that of Danae Philarchus remembers one Sophron of Ephesus to haue had in his delights Danae daughter to Leontius of the Sect of the Epicures a man well seene in the speculations of Philosophie To her trust were all the domesticke affaires of the house committed euen by the consent of his wife Laodice who at length perceiuing his loue to encline to Danae shee purposed at her next best opportunitie to make away with her husband This being found out by Daâ—ae and in great secrecie reuealed to Sophron he gaue at the first no credit to the report yet at her importunacie hee promised within two dayes to consider of the matter and in that time to deliberate what was best to bee done in the preuention of such a mischiefe and in that interim conceales himselfe in the citie by which Laodice finding her purpose to be discouered she accused Danae for his murther and instantly without further processe by the helpe of her friends and seruants hurryed her to the top of a high Pâ—omontorie from thence to throw her headlong who seeing imminent death before her eyes fetching a deepe sigh she thus said I meruaile 〈◊〉 now that the gods haue so small honour done to them in regard of their iniustice since I am thus punisht for sauing the life of my friend and this Laodice is thus honoured that would haue tooke away the life of her husband Agathoclaea WArres hauing beene long continued betwixt Ptolomey of Aegypt and Antiochâ—s of Syria insomuch that Ptolomaeus was by his embassadors rather by feare than necessitie as it were enforced to sollicite a peace notwithstanding Antiochâ—s inuading Aegypt tooke from him many townes and ciâ—ies of consequence which proffer drawing Ptolomey to the field hee gaue him a braue affront and foyle and had he taken the aduantage of the preseâ—t fortune had payd him home with an irrecouerable ouerthrow but Ptolomy wholly deuoted to effeminacie and luxurie onely contented with what hee had recouered of his owne and pursuing no further aduantages made choyse of a dishonorable peace before a iust warre and so concluded all dissention with an vnalterable league And being free from all forraine invasions he began domesticke troubles at home For being giuen ouer to bâ— owne appetite and beâ—orted to his insatiate pleasures he first began with 〈◊〉 both his sister and wife causing her to be slaine that hee might the more freely enioy the societie and fellowship of his most rare and beautifull mistresse Agaâ—hoclea so that the greatnesse of his name and the splendor of his maiestie both set apart he abandoned himselfe solely to whoredomes by night and to banquets and all profusenesse of riot by day And now libertie being growne to law the boldnesse of the strumpet for no better my Author styles her cannot be contayned within the walls of the kings house which the ouer doâ—agâ— of the king the extraordinarie graces and honoâ—s conferred for her sake on her brother Agathocles together with her owne ambitions growing euery day more and more to greater insolence made still more manifest Next there was her old mother called 〈◊〉 a cunning Hagge I may tearme her who by reason of her double issue Agathocles and Agathoclea had a great hand with the king or rather a great power ouer him Therefore not contented with the king alone they possesse the kingdome also They ride abroad in all state to be seene are proud to be by all saluted and with such great traynes to be attended Agathocles as if sowed to the kings elbow was not seene without him but with a nod or word swayed and gouerned the citie The gifts of all militarie honors as the Tribunes Prefects and Captaines all these were appointed by the women neyther was there any in the kingdome that had lesse power than the king himselfe who long sleeping in this dreame of maiestie hauing giuen away all that was essentiall in a king he fell sicke and dyed leauing behind him a child of fiue yeeres old by his afore-murthered wife and sister Laodice But his death was by these fauorites long concealed whilest they had by all couetous rapine snatched what they might out of the kings treasurie by this to strengthen a faction of the most base and desolate subiects that by mony thus ill got and deboisht souldiers thus leuied they might set safe footing in the Empire but it fell out farre otherwise for the kings death and their dissigne was no sooner discouered but in the rude concourse of the multitude the Minion Agathocles was first slaine and the two women the mother and the daughter were in reuenge of murdered Laodice hanged vpon gybets being now made a skorne to euerie man that was before a terror to all the pupillage of the infant and the safetie of the realme to his vse the Romans most noblie after tooke to their protection Cleophis ALexander the Great after many glorious conquests entring into India that hee might contermine his Empire with the Ocean and the vtmost parts of the East and to which glorie that the ornaments of his armie might suit the trappings of his horses and the armour of his souldiers were all studded with siluer and his maine armie of their Targets of siluer as Curtius writes he caused to be called Argyraspides In processe by gentle and pleasurable marches they came to the cittie Nisa the cittisens making no opposition at all trusting to the reuerence due to Liber Pater by whom they say the cittie was first erected and for that cause Alexander caused it to bee spared passing those fruitfull Hills where grapes grow in aboundance naturally and without the helpe of art or hand of man hee thence passed the Dedalian mountaines euen to the prouinces and kingdome of the queene Cleophis who hearing of his victories and fearing his potencie thought rather to affront
yoake and supplying the place of those beasts drew her in time conuenient vnto the place where the sacred Ceremonies were according to the custome celebrated The Oblations ended and she willing to gratifie their filiall dutie besought of the goddesse That if euer with chast and vndefiled hands she had obserued her Sacrifice or if her sonnes had borne themselues piously and religiously towards her that she would graunt vnto them for their goodnesse the greatest blessing that could happen to any mortall or humane creatures This prayer was heard and the two zealous sonnes drawing backe their mother in her Chariot from the Temple vnto the place where she then soiourned being wearie with their trauaile layd them downe to sleepe The mother in the morning comming to giue her sonnes visitation and withall thankes for their extraordinarie and vnexpected paines and trauaile found them both dead vpon their Pallets by which she conceiued That there is no greater blessing to be conferred vpon man than a faire death when Loue good Opinion and Honor attend vpon the Hearse These I must confesse are worthie eternall memorie and neuer-dying admiration But hath not the like pietie towards their parents beene found in women I answer Yes How did Pelopea the daughter of Thiestes reuenge the death of her father Hypsipile the daughter of Thoas gaue her father life when he was vtterly in despaire of hope or comfort Calciope would not lose her father or leaue him though hee had loâ—t and left his kingdome Harpalice the daughter of Harpalicus restored her father in battaile and after defeated the enemie and put him to flight Erigone the daughter of Icarus hearing of the death of her father strangled her selfe Agaue the daughter of Cadmus slew the king Lycotharsis in Illyria and possest her father of his before vsurped Diademe Xantippe fed her father Nyconus or as some will haue it Cimonus in prison with milke from her breasts Tyro the daughter of Salmoneus to relieue her father slew her owne children Who will be further resolued of these let him search Hyginus And so much shall suffice for filiall dutie towards their Parents Of Sisters that haue beene kind to their Brothers THe Poets and Historiographers to impresse into vs the like naturall pietie haue left diuerse presidents to posteritie Innumerable are the examples of fraternall loue betwixt Brother and Brother To illustrate the other the better I will giue you a tast of some few Volater lib. 14. cap. 2. de Antropo relates how in that warre which Cai. Cornelius Cinna Tribune beeing expelled the citie with Caius Marius and others commenced against the Romans there were two brothers one of Pompeyes armie the other of Cinnaes who meeting in the battaile in single encounter one slew the other but when the Victor came to rifle the dead bodie and found it to be his owne naturall brother after infinite sorrow and lamentation he cast himselfe into the fire where the slaughtered carkasse was burned M. Fabius the Consull in the great conflict against the Hetrurians and Veientians obtained a glorious victorie when the Senate and the people of Rome had with great magnificence and cost at their owne charge prepared for him an illustrious triumph hee absolutely refused that honour because Q. Fabius his brother fighting manfully for his countrey was slaine in that battaile What a fraternall pietie liued in his breast may be easily coniectured who refused so remarkable an honour to mourne the losse of a beloued brother Valer. cap. 5. lib. 5. Wee reade in our English Chronicles of Archigallo brother to Gorbomannus who being crowned king of Brittaine and extorting from his subiects all their goods to enrich his owne Coffers was after fiue yeeres deposed and depriued of his Royall dignitie in whose place was elected Elidurus the third sonne of Morindus and brother to Archigallo a vertuous Prince who gouerned the people gently and iustly Vpon a time beeing hunting in the Forrest hee met with his brother Archigallo whom hee louingly embraced and found such meanes that he reconciled him both to the Lords and Commons of the Realme that done he most willingly resigned vnto him his Crowne and Scepter after hee himselfe had gouerned the Land fiue yeeres Archigallo was re-instated and continued in great loue with his brother reigning ten yeeres and was buried at Yorke after whose death Elidurus was againe chosen king What greater enterchange of fraternall loue could be found in brothers To equall whom I will first begin with the sisters of Phaeton called by some Heliades by others Phaetontides who with such funerall lamentation bewayled the death of their brother that the gods in commiseration of their sorrow turned them into Trees whose transformations Ouid with great elegancie expresseth Lib. 1. Metamorph. as likewise Virgil in Cutice their names were Phaethusa Lampitiae Phebe c. Antigone the daughter of Oedipus when her brother Eteocles was slaine in battaile shee buried his bodie maugre the contradiction of the Tyrant Creon of whom Ouid Lib. 3. Tristium Fratrem Thebana peremplam Supposuit tumulo rege vetante soror The Theban sister to his Tombe did bring Her slaught'red brothers Corse despight the king Hyas being deuoured of a Lyon the Hyades his sisters deplored his death with such infinite sorrow that they wept themselues to death And for their pietie were after by the gods translated into Starres of whom Pontanus Fratris Hyae quas perpetuus dolor indidit astris Thus you see how the Poet did striue to magnifie and eternize this Vertue in Sisters No lesse compassionat was Electra the daughter of Agamemnon on her brother Orestes and Iliona the issue of Priam when shee heard the death of young Polidore Stobaeus Serm. 42. out of the Historie of Nicolaus de morib gentium sayth That the Aethiopians aboue all others haue their sisters in greatest reuerence insomuch that their kings leaue their succession not to their owne children but to their sisters sonnes but if none of their issue be left aliue they chuse out of the people the most beautifull and warlike withall whom they create their Prince and Soueraigne Euen amongst the Romans M. Aurelius Commodus so dearely affected his sister that being called by his mother to diuide their fathers Patrimonie betwixt them hee conferred it wholly vpon her contenting himselfe with his grandfathers reuenue Pontanus de Liber cap. 11. I will end this discourse concerning Sisters with one Historie out of Sabellicus li. 3. c. 7. the same confirmed by Fulgosius lib. 5. cap. 5. Intaphernes was say they one of those confederat Princes who freed the Persian Empire from the vsurpation of the Magician brothers and conferred it vpon Darius who now being established in the supreme dignitie Intaphernes hauing some businesse with the king made offer to enter his chamber but being rudely put backe by one of the groomes or waiters he tooke it in such scorne that no
Apuleius testifies of Pamphila Larissana a Witch of Thessalie as likewise a Witch in the Laodunensian suburbes in the month of May 1578. who blushed not to doe the like before many witnesses now the Law saith Who that shall but incline or bow downe to Images which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be punished with death The Hebrew word Tistaueb and the Chaldaean Fisgud which all our Latine Interpreters translate Adorare imports as much as to incline or worship now these Witches doe not onely incline vnto him but inuoke and call vpon him A fourth thing is which many haue confessed That they haue vowed their children to the Deuill now the Law saith God is inflamed with reuenge against all such as shall offer their children vnto Moloch which Iosephus interpretes Priapus and Philo Satanus but all agree that by Moloch is signified the Deuill and malignant spirits A fifth thing is gathered out of their owne confessions That they haue sacrificed Infants not yet baptized to the Deuill and haue kild them by thrusting great pinnes into their heads Sprangerus testifies that he condemned one to the fire who confessed that she by such meanes had been the death of one and fortie children A sixt thing is That they doe not only offer children in the manner of sacrifice against which the Holy Ghost speakes That for that sinne alone God will extirpe and root out the people but they vow them in the wombe A seuenth is That they are not themselues blasphemers and Idolaters only but they are tied by couenant with the Deuill to allure and persuade others to the like abhominations when the Law teacheth That whosoeuer shall persuade another to renounce his Creator shall be stoned to death An eight is That they not onely call vpon the Deuill but sweare by his name which is directly against the Law of God which forbids vs to sweare by any thing saue his owne Name A ninth is That adulterous Incests are frequent amongst them for which in all ages they haue been infamous and of such detestable crimes conuicted so that it hath almost growne to a Prouerbe No Magician or Witch but was either begot and borne of the father and daughter or the mother and sonne which Catullus in this Distick expresseth Nam Magus ex Matre gnato gignatur oportet Si vera est Persarum impia Relligio Intimating that if the impious Religion of the Persians were true Witches of necessitie should be the incestuous issue of the mother and sonne or else è contra A tenth They they are Homicides and the murtherers of Infants which Sprangerus obserues from their owne confessions and Baptista Porta the Neapolitan in his booke de Magia Next That they kill children before their Baptisme by which circumstances their offence is made more capitall and heinous The eleuenth That Witches eat the flesh of Infants and commonly drinke their blouds in which they take much delight To which Horace seemes to allude when he saith Nue pransae Lamiae vinum puerum extrahat Aluo Nor from the stomacke of a Witch new din'd Plucks he a yet ' liue Infant If children be wanting they digge humane bodies from their sepulchres or feed vpon men that haue been executed To which purpose Lucan writes Laqueum nodosque nocentes Ore suo rupit pendentia corpora carpsit Abrasit cruces c. The Felons strangling Cord she nothing feares But with her teeth the fatall Knot she teares The hanging bodies from the Crosse she takes And shaues the Gallowes of which dust she makes c. Apuleius reports That comming to Larissa in Thessaly he was hyred for eight pieces of Gold to watch a dead body but one night for feare the Witches of which in that place there is abundance should gnaw and deuoure the flesh of the partie deceased euen to the very bones which is often found amongst them Also Murther by the Lawes of God and man is punishable with death besides they that eat mans flesh or deliuer it to be eaten are not worthie to liue Cornel. Lib. de Sicarijs A twelfth is That they kill as oft by Poysons as by Powders and Magick Spells now the Law saith It is worse to kill by Witchcraft than with the Sword Lib. 1. de Malific A thirteenth is That they are the death of Cattell for which Augustanus the Magician suffred death 1569. A fourteenth That they blast the Corne and Graine and bring barrennesse and scarcitie when there is a hoped plentie and abundance A fifteenth That they haue carnall consocietie with the Deuill as it hath beene approued by a thousand seuerall confessions Now all that haue made any compact or couenant with the Deuill if not of all these yet vndoubtedly are guiltie of many or at least some and therefore consequently not worthy to liue And so much for the Punishment of Witches and other knowne malefactors I come now to the Rewards due to the Vertuous and first of some noble Ladies for diuerse excellencies worthie to be remembred Of Tirgatao Moeotis Camiola Turinga and others TIrgatao a beautifull and vertuous Ladie was ioyned in marriage to Hecataeus king of those Indians that inhabite neere vnto the Bosphor which is an arme of the Sea that runneth betwixt two coasts This Hecataeus being cast out of his kingdome Satyrus the most potent of these kings reinstated him in his Principalitie but conditionally That he would marrie his onely daughter and make her Queene by putting Tirgatao to death But he though forced by the necessitie of the time and present occasion yet louing his first wife still would not put her to death according to the couenant but caused her to be shut in his most defenced Castle there to consume the remainder of her life in perpetuall widowhood The Ladie comforted with better hopes borne to fairer fortunes deceiued the eyes of her strict keepers and by night escaped out of prison This being made knowne to the two kings the sonne in law and the father they were wonderfully perplexed with the newes of her flight as fearing if shee arriued in her owne countrey she might accite the people to her reuenge They therefore pursued her with all diligence and speed but in vaine for hiding her selfe all the day time and trauelling by night through pathlesse and vnfrequented places at length she arriued amongst the Ixomatae which was the countrey of her owne friends and kindred But finding her father dead she married with him that succeeded in the kingdome by which meanes now commanding the Ixomatae she insinuated into the breasts of the most warlike people inhabiting about Moeotis and so leuied a braue Armie which she her selfe conducted She first inuaded the kingdome of Hecataeus and infested his countrey with many bloudie incursions she next wasted and made spoyle of the kingdome of Satyrus insomuch that they both were forced with all submisse
whose feature Hercules being much delighted he hosted there longer than his purpose which Iolaus taking ill Amalthaea out of a horne in which she had hoarded some quantitie of money furnisht Hercules with all things needfull which some strangers taking especiall notice of they rumord it abroad and from thence first grew the Prouerbe But to returne to our Amalthaea Cumana This was she by whose conduct Aeneas had free passage into hell as Virgill expresseth at large in his sixt booke She brought to Tarquinius Priscus those three bookes of Prophesies of which two were burnt and one preserued By which computation comparing the time betwixt Aeneas and Tarquin she could liue no lesse than fiue hundred yeares nor is it altogether incredible since when Liuia the daughter of Rutilius Terentia of M. Cicero and Clodia of Aulus the first liued ninetie seauen yeares the second a hundred and thirtie the third a hundred and fifteene after the bearing of fifteene children Gorgias Leontius the tutor of Isocrates and many other learned men in the hundred and seauenth yeare of his age being asked Why he desired to liue any longer answered Because he felt nothing in his body by which to accuse age Herodotus Pliny Cicero and others speake of one Arganthonius Gaditanus who raigned fourescore yeares being sixtie yeares of age before he came to his crowne Solynus and Ctesias with others auerre that amongst the Aethiopians a hundred and thirty yeares is but a common age and many arriue vnto it Hellanicus testates that the Epians a people of Aetolia attained to two hundred whom Damiates exceedes naming one Littorius that reached to three hundred the like we reade of Nestor I will conclude with Dondones whom Pliny affirmes suruiued fiue hundred yeares yet neuer stooped with age More liberallie speakes Zenophon who bestowes on one of the Latin Kings eight hundred and six hundred vpon his father but I will forbeare further to speake of her age and come to her Oracle Vnto the Assyrian Monarchy we assigne One thousand yeares two hundred thirty nine When thirty six successions shall expire The last his glories pompe shall end in fire Thence to the Meades it transmigrates and they Shall in nine full successions beare chiefe sway Three hundred yeares shall memorise their deeds Wanting iust eight The Persian then succeedes In th' vniuersall Empire which must last Fourteene Kings raigns and then their sway be past Ouer to Greece but ere their light blow out Two hundred fiftie yeares shall come about Adding fiue moneths The Monarchy now stands Transferd on Macedonia who commands The world but Alexander by him is guided The spatious earth but in his death diuided Amongst his captaines Macedon one ceaseth Asia another Syria best pleaseth A third Aegypt a fourth thus lots are cast Two hundred eighty eight their pompe shall last And then expire Great Rome shall then looke hye Whose proud towers from 7. hills shall braâ—e the skye And ouerlooke the world In those blest dayes Shall come a King of kings and he shall raise A new plantation and though greater farre Than all the Monarches that before him are In maiestie and power yet in that day So meeke and humble he shall daine to pay Tribute to Caesar yet thrice happy he That shall his subiect or his seruant be After the death of Alexander the kingdome of Macedonia was successiuelie inioyed by fifteene Kings and indured a hundred fiftie seauen yeares and eight moneths Asia and Syria were gouerned by nineteene Kings and lasted two hundred eightie nine yeares Aegypt was possest by tenne Ptolomies and lastlie by Cleopatra and it continued two hundred eightie eight yeares These Kingdoms fayling the Romans gained the chiefe predominance Of this Sybell S. Isiodore Virgill and Ouid writ more at large she writ her Prophesie in leaues of trees and then plac't them ouer the Altar which when the wind mooued or made to shake they had no efficacie but when they remained firme and without motion they receiued their full power and vertue therefore Dante the famous Italian Poet thus writes Come la neue al sole se distilla Cosi al vento nelle foglie leue Si perdea la sententia de Sibille I cannot here pretermit Ouids expression of this Sybell who when Aeneas hauing receiued from her that great curtesie to enter hell and to come safe thence and for that would haue sacrificed to her done her diuine adoration she thus answered him Nec dea sum dixit nec sacrifuris honore c. I am no goddesse goddesse sonne 't is true Nor are these diuine honours to me due I had beene such and darknesse not haue seene Had I a prostitute to Phoebus beene For whilst he courts my loue and day by day Hopes with large gifts mine honour to betray Aske what thou wilt oh bright Cumaean maide It shall be granted thee Apollo said I willing that my dayes should euer last Prostrate vpon the earth my selfe I cast And graspt as much dust as my hand could hold Let me then liue said I till I haue told So many yeares as there are bodies small Lockt in this hand The god could not recall Nor I vnsay I had forgot in truth To insert in my rash boone All yeares of youth Euen that too to haue yielded to his will I might haue had but I am virgin still Haue to this houre remaind my happier dayes Are all forespent Decrepit age now layes His weake hand on me which I must endure Long time to come seauen ages I am sure Are past nor shall my thread of life be spuune Vntill the number of these sands be runne The houre shall be when this my body here Shall small or nothing to the sight appeare This time and age haue power to doe and when I shall not louelie seeme as I did then Nay doubtlesse Phoebus will himselfe deny That e're he cast on me an amorous eye Saue by my voice I shall no more be knowne But that the Fates haue left me as mine owne Ouid hath fabulated that she was changed into a Voyce the word Sybilla importing Vox She prophesied much of the Roman warres and the successe of their Empire SIBILLA HELLESPONTICA SHe hath the denomination of Marrinensis and as most Authours affirme deriues her selfe Ex agro Troiano from Troy in Asia She sung of the warres betwixt the Troians and the Greekes I will be briefe with her because I feare I haue beene too tedious in the former her Prophesie of Christ I haue included in these few lines When Atlas shoulders shall support a starre Whose ponderous weight he neuer felt before The splendour of it shall direct from farre Kings and Wisemen a new light to adore Peace in those dayes shall flourish and stearne warre Be banisht earth lost mankind to restore Then shall the Easterne Monarches presents bring To one a Priest a Prophet and a King And so much for Sybilla Hellespontica SYBILLA PHRIGIA SHe was called
who for her elegant feature and extraordinarie beautie and withall because the costlie ornaments with which she vsed to attire herselfe exceeded the precise custome of her Order she was brought within suspition of lust and inchastitie for which being cal'd into question and not able legallie to acquit her selfe she was brought within the compasse of the law and for her supposed offence had both the sentence and execution due to the like delinquents Iustin in his 43 booke commemorates this historie Aeneas after many tedious trauells landing in Italie was by marrieng Lauinia the daughter of King Latinus made partner with him in the Kingdome for which marriage warre was commenst betwixt them two of the one partie and Turnus King of the Rutilians on the other In which combustions Turnus being slaine and Latinus yeelding to Fate Aenaeas both by the right of victorie and succession became Lord of both the Kingdome and poeple erecting a cittie called Lauinium in remembrance of his wife Lauinia In processe he made warre against Mezentias king of the Etruscians whom hauing slaine Ascanius the sonne of Aenaeas succeeded in the principalitie Ascanius leauing Lauinium built the cittie Alba which for three hundred yeares space was the capitall cittie of that Kingdome After many discents the regall honours were conferred vpon Numitor and Amulius These two Princes emulous of each others greatnesse Amulius the younger hauing opprest his brother Numitor surprised also his sole daughter Rhaea who was immediate heire to her fathers honours and regall dignities all which he couetous to ingrosse to himselfe and fearing withall least from her issue might in time descend some one that might punish his insolencies and reuenge her and her fathers iniuries deuised with himselfe how to preuent both and fearing least by putting her to death he might incurre a generall hate amongst the people in whose loue hee was not as yet fullie setled he apprehended as his safest course to shadow her vow of virginitie to be elected into the sacred seruice of Vesta Being thus confin'd into the groaue celebrated to Mars whether begot by Mars himselfe as was then beleeued or otherwise adulterouslie conceiued it is vncertaine but she was deliuered of two sonnes This being knowne to Amulius increased his feares who commanded the infants to be cast foorth and Rhaea to bee loaden with yrons vnder whose seuere sentence expiring she yeelded to Fate The two children ready to perish were miraculouslie nourced by a she wolfe and after found by the shepheard Faustulus were by him brought vp and called Remus and Romulus and so much of Rhaea Tranquillus and Cornelius Tacitus both of them remember one Rubria a Vestall virgin who was forceably deflowred by Nero. Another whose name was Pompilia because by her inchastitie she prophaned the sacred orders of Vesta was buryed aliue the same death for the like offence suffered Cornelia Floronea the Vestall was conuicted of whoredome but she to preuent one death made choice of another For taking to her selfe a braue Roman spirit shee with her owne hands boldlie slew her selfe Posthumia taxed for her two curious habit and gaudinesse in attire as much transcending the custome of that more strict Order was suspected of Lust and accited before the Senate and there arraigned she wittilie and noblie answered to whatsoeuer could be obiected against her so that being found guiltlesse she was absolued by the sentence of the high Priest or Archflammin Sextilia sped not so well as this Posthumia for she being suspected of inchastitie and found culpable suffered according to the law made for the punishment of the like offenders The like suffered Tutia the Vestall for her vnlawfull prostitution Plutarch in Gracchis in the Catalogue of these consecrated virgins numbers Licinia And Pliny relates that when Clodius the Emperour was in opposition with his wife Messalina that sinke of lust and most incontinent of women when their differences could be no wayes decided Messalina sent to Vbidia one of the most reuerent amongst the Vestalls by whose mediation attonement was made betwixt her and the Emperour The vestfall fire vpon a time going out and it being imputed to their inchastitie Aemilia with these words besought the goddesse Oh Vesta thou that art the protectour of this famous cittie Rome as I haue truelie and chastlie almost for thirtie yeares space celebrated thy sacrifices so either at this present crowne my puritie with fame or before this multitude brand my lust with infamy These words were no sooner spoken but casting her mantle vpon the Altar the fire instantlie brake foorth where before there was nothing in place saue cold embers by which prodigie her innocent life was protected Claudia the Vestall was of no lesse remarkeable chastitie who when a barke laden with the sacreds of the goddesse stucke fast in the riuer Tyber and by no human strength could be loosed from the sand she thus openlie protested before the people If quoth she ô goddesse I haue hitherto kept my chastitie vndefiled vouchsafe these may follow me when fastning a cord to the stearne of the ship she without any difficultie drew it along the riuer Tuscia likewise suspected of incontinence by the like wonder gaue testimonie of her innocence who inuocating Vesta in these words If saith she ô mother of the gods I haue offered thy sacrifices with chast and vndefiled hands grant that with this sieue I may take vp water from the riuer Tyber and without shedding the least droppe beare it vnto thy Altar which when she had obtained and accordinglie performed with lowd acclamations of the multitude she was absolued and her austere life euerafter held in reuerence The attributes of Modestie and Temperance are greater ornaments to a woman than gold or iewells and because all perfections cannot be in one woman at one time this Modestie is that which supplyes all things that are wanting It is a dower to her that hath no portion not onelie an ornament to deformitie but in blacknesse it impresses a kind of beautie it illustrates the ignobilitie of birth supplying all those defects wherein fortune hath beene scanting And so much shall suffice for the Vestalls Of the Prophetesses COncerning these Prophetesses I will onely make a briefe catalogue of some few whom the antient writers haue made most eminent We reade of Hyrtia the daughter of Sesostris king of Aegypt most skilfull in diuination who to her father foretold his Amplitude and Monarchy Volatteranus in Georg. writes of one Labissa a diuining woman that was eminent for many predictions in Bohemia whom succeeded her daughter Craco as well in skill as in fame Plutarch in Mario speakes of one Martha whom Marcius most honourablie circumducted in a horse-litter and at her appointment celebrated many sacrifices her the senate with a generall suffrage for her approued skill in augurie rewarded with libertie making her a free woman of the cittie Polyxo is the name of
king Deiotarus and barren and knowing how desiroâ—s her husband was to haue issue from his owne loynes to succeede in the kingdome sollicited him and that with great importance to select some beautifull Ladie whom he best fancied and by her to raise his posteritie which the king ouercome with so vnexpected a curtesie and therefore vnwilling to wrong her bed refusing she of her owne accord out of many captiue virgins chused one who seemed to excell all the rest in feature and modestie and suiting her in all respects like a princesse presented her to the king as a jewell to be receiued from her hand This Virgins name was Electra by whom Deiotarus had faire and fortunate issue to whom Stratonica was a second mother and sawe them educated with as much magnificence and state as if they had beene borne of her bodie and shee giuen them sucke from her owne brests Her example is memorable but since her time by few that I can reade of immitated Valeria and Cloelia TArquinus Superbus being expulsed the kingdome because his sonne Sextus had stuprated the faire Lucretia wife to Collatine to reobtaine his principalitie hee insinuated vnto his aide Porsenna king of the Tuscans These with an infinite armie besieged Rome insomuch that the cittisens were not onely wearied with long warre but opprest with famine therefore knowing Porsenna as well in warre as peace to be a prince eminent both for justice and humanitie they made choise of him to arbitrate and determine all controuersies betwixt Tarquine and them This motion being offered by the Romanes Tarquine refused to stand to any such comprimise not allowing Porsâ—â—â—â— a lawfull iudge in regard of their late league commensed This Porsenâ—â— not well relishing treated with the Romans about a peace conditionally that they should restore backe certaine lands before taken from the Etruscians and of them put him in peaceable possession and till this were performed to send him tenne young men and as many virgins of the noblest families for hostage which was accordinglie done and he dismist his armie These virgins walking by the riuer side which parted the campe and cittie for though he had sent away the greatest part of his armie he had not yet raised his tents two of the chiefe the one Cloelia the other Valeria daughter to the Consull Publicola persuaded the rest and by persuading so farre preuailed that they were all resolued to passe the riuer when stripping themselues naked and holding as well as they conuenientlie could their cloathes aboue their heads they ventured ouer that vnknowne passage full of whirlepooles and where there was no stedfast footing and what by wading and swimming to all mens wonders got safe to shore and presented themselues to their fathers and friends who though they admired their boldnesse and commended their resolutions yet disallowing the Act it selfe as those that in their faith and honour would not be outbid by any they sent them backe to king Porsenna and submitted their rashnesse to be punisht at his pleasure These virgins being presented before him he demanded of them Which she was that first animated and incouraged the rest to so rash and dangerous an enterprise when Cloelia beckning to the rest to keepe silence tooke all the iniurie contempt or whatsoeuer they pleafed to call it vpon her selfe protesting the rest innocent and she of what would be obiected the sole authour Porsenna obseruing and withall admiring her vndanted courage caused presently a horse furnished with rich trappings to be broughtâ— which he gaue to Cloelia in recompence of her magnanimous attempt sending them all in his regall curtesie back to their friends and parentsâ— Vpon this horse giuen to Cloelia by Porsenna some haue grounded that she first past the riuer on horsebacke sounding the way for the rest which others deny onely that the king thought to gratifie her manly courage with the meede of a souldier Her statue on horsebacke is erected in Via sacra This some confer vpon Cloelia others on Valeria Olympias ALexander hauing caused himselfe to be called the sonne of Iupiter writ to his mother in this maneer King Alexander the sonne of Iupiter Hamon to his mother Olimpias sends health to whom with great modestie she thus rescribed Deare sonne as you loue me insteed of doing me honour proclaime not my dishonour neither accuse me before Iuno besides it is a great aspertion you cast vpon nice to make me a strumpet though to Iupiter himselfe A great moderation in a woman who for no swelling title or vaine ostentation could be woon to loose the honour to be called a Loyall and chast wife Troades AMongst those frighted Troians that fled from the fearfull ruins of subuerted Troy some by the violence of outragious tempests were driuen vpon the coasts of Italy where landing at certaine ports neere to the riuer Tygris they made vp into the countrey the better to acquaint themselues with the conditions of those places In which interim the women began to apprehend that they had better farre to take vp an abiding place in any land than againe to commit themselues to the mercilesse furie of the seas Wherefore with one ioynt consent they agreed to make that their fixed habitation seeing all hope of their former losses at Troy were vtterly desperate Hauing thus conspired together with all possible expedition they burnt the shippes in this exploit one Roma is reported to be chiefe which being done they ran to meet their husbands making to their Nauie to quench it fearing their anger for their rash enterprise some of them embracing their husbands others their friends and acquaintance they tempred their amorous kisses with such persuasiue Rhetoricke that soone allayd the angry tempest of their husbands furie From these as some haue writ the custome of kissing at salutations by the Roman women to their kinsmen first tooke Originall The Troianes now tyed by necessitie and likewise finding the inbahitants so louing and curteous they much applauded this deede of the women and dwelt there with the Latines The Phocides AFter an implacable war betwixt the Thessalians and the Phocenses which had long lasted with much slaughter on both sides those of Thessaly bringing their army through the Locrenses inuaded the men of Phocis on all sides making a decree to kill all that were of age and the women and children to beare away captiue Diaphantes the sonne of Bathillius with his two colleagues then gouerning the cittie he persuaded the besieged boldlie and valiantlie to issue out and giue the enemy battaile but with this caution That all their wiues daughters and children euen to one soule should be brought into a place circled and compast in with all manner of dry wood and matter combustible and the dores by which they entered to be shut after them and so guarded and if the day were lost and they perisht in battaile the pile to bee kindled and all their bodies to be burned at once This being not onely proposed
might giue them their answer which granted Returne said she my humble duty and vassaladge to my Lord the King and tell him withall That vnlesse he receiue my faith and renouncing his false Idolls beleeue in the onely true God he can claime no interest at all in me The messenger dispatcht and this short answer returned to the Sophy he leuied an army of forty thousand men and comming into Greece the Emperour and he came vnto a peacefull enterview at which by the mediation of this royall and religious Empresse the Sophy with all his princes and souldiers there present receiued the Christian faith and after the interchange of many Princely and magnificicent gifts returned with his wife into his own countrey Another noble history I thinke not amisse to be here inserted which is recorded by one Willielmus de reg lib. 20. Gunnilda the daughter of Canutus and Emma who being accused of adultery by her husband Henry the Emperour who to iustifie his accusation had prouided a champion in stature a giant and for his presence and potencie much feared she notwithstanding relying vpon God and her owne innocence put her life vpon the valour of a priuat young gentleman of England whoÌ„ she brought with her to the same purpose These Champions adventuring their liues fought a braue and resolute combat but in the end the victory inclined to the Empresse her aduerse champion being vanquished confest his treasons and she was noblie acquit but after by no intreaties or intercessions made by the Emperour or others shee could bee wonne vnto his embraces but abiuring his bed and vowing an austere and sequestred life she retired her selfe into a Monasterie Three royall presidents of three vâ—matchable queenes the first for Magnanimitie the second for Religion and deuotion and the last for Chastitie To these I will yet adde another Willielmus de Regibus in his first booke writes that king Iue betooke his kingdom of the West-Saxons to his cosin Ethelardus and vndertooke a pilgrimage to Rome the occasion of his iournie was this The queene Ethelbnrga had often counselled her husband the king to forsake the pride and riches of the world and to haue a respect to his soules health especially now in the latter dayes of his life but not able to preuaile with him she bethought her selfe of a queint stratagem after they had left their royal pallace where they had but latly feasted in all pompe pleasure and delicacies and remoued into another house she caused him to whose charge the place from whence they departed was committed to take downe all the hangings make foule and and filthy euerie roome and chamber nay in the verie place where the king had but the other day sported with his queene was lodged a sow and pigges with all the loathsomenesse that could be deuised this done according to her commaund she by a wile inticed the king to the place thus strangely disguised The king wondering at this sudden change stood amased to whom she thus spoke I pray you my Lord where be now these rich hangings and curtaines either for state or ornament Where is all the glyttering pompe aâ—d rich array tending to nothing else saue gluttonie and luxurie Alas how suddenly are they all vanished Shall not my Lord this beautie of ours so fade and this fraile flesh euen so fall a way This with other her words to the like purpose tooke such impression in the kings brest that he resigned his kingdome to his Nephew and betooke himselfe to a religous and Monasticke life after his vowed pilgrimage The queene Ethelburga went to the Abbey at Berking in which place her sister had beene before Abbesse and there spent the remainder of her life in deuotion and penitence Polycrita THere arose great warres betweene the Milesians and Naxians kindled by the adultrate practise of the wife of Hypsicreon a Milesian who violating her coniugall vowes by throwing her selfe into the lustfull imbraces of Promedon a Naxian then her guest and fearing the iust anger of her husband and withall the punishment due to her adultrate sinne fled with him into Naxos from whence being againe demanded but denied this priuate wrong turned to a publique ruin for deuouring warre accompained with many calamities preyed vpon both their countries But as this Beacon was first fired by a womans lewdnesse so was it at last extinguished by a womans vertue Diognetus who had the command of those Erythraeans which came in ayde of the Milesians had committed to his custodie a certaine strong hold scituated against the citie Naxos who hauing taken from the Naxians a prize of women and free virgins he was deepely stroke in loue with one Polycrata whom he led with him not as a captiue but as his wife It chanced that the Miletians celebrated a generall festiuall day Polycrita besought Diognetus to make her so far indebted to his fauour as to suffer her to send her brothers part of those iuncates then at the table which willingly he granted she secretly writ vpon the leaden table of the marchpane what shee had proiected withall charging the bearer to intreat her brothers not to let any participate therof saue themselues when they had heard the writing which contained thus much in effect Take hold vpon the opportunitie which occasion thrusts into your hands this night you may seise the Castle for the enemie will lie downe in wine and sleepe in a presumptious securitie They shew it to the chiefe commanders of Naxos who vniting themselues giue the affrighted vnweaponed Miletians a sudden and vnexpected assault and hauing slaughtred many possesse themselues of the castle But by Polycritas intercessiue intreaties surprised Diognetus scapes with life And for this noble exploit of hers the glad citisens running to meete her with shoutes and acclamations euery one bearing in his hand a Garland to receiue her with those wreathes of honor Polycrita was so farre extaside that her sudden ioy vshered a sudden death for as she stood amased at the gate she instantly fell downe exanimated in which gate she was buried and her sepulchre called The tombe of Enuie because it is supposed that Fortune grew so enuious of her merits that thus she robd her of her life that so she might cheat her of her deserued honors And thus much speakes the histories of the Naxians Aristotle affirmes Polycrita was no captiue but onely that Diognetus hauing seene her hee grew so far enamoured of her that to enioy her he proferred her any thing that was in his power to giue She promises to yeeld to his desire if he will grant her the fruition of one boone which when hee had confirmed to her by oath shee demanded Delium to be surrendred vp for the castle was so called Diognetus being so much inchanted with her beautie and moreouer bound by the religion of his vow deliuered vp to her and the cittisens the castle Delium Of Queenes and other Ladies for diuers vertues memorable WEe reade
his children though an impression of the fathers face by which the adulterer might easily bee knowne Minos therefore to conceale his owne discontents and as much as in him lay to hide his wiues shame whom he endeeredly affected caused the infant to be carryed into a remote mountaine and there by the Kings heardsmen to be fostered But growing towards manhood he likewise grew intractable and disobedient to those to whose charge he was committed The king therefore confinde him into a deepe caue digd in a rocke of purpose not to curbe his fierce and cruell disposition but rather incourage it for whosoeuer at any time hee feared or whatsoeuer he was that had offended him he sent him to this Minotaure on some impertinent message or other by whom hee was cruelly butchered The caue was called Labyrinthus and therfore described with so many intricate blind Meanders in regard of the difficultie of his returne with life who was seene to enter there Therefore when Theseus came to Minos hee sent him to be deuoured by this Minotaure of which Ariadne hauing notice being enamoured of Theseús she sent him a sword by which he slew the monstrous Homicyde and that was the clew so often remembred by the Poets which guirded Theseus out of the Labyrinth Canace Canusia Valeria Tusculana MAcareus and Canace were brother and sister the sonne and daughter to Aeolus king of the winds for so the Poets feigned him because the clouds and mists rising from the seauen Aeolian Islands of which he was king alwaies pretended great gusts and tempests hee is reported to be the sonne of Iupiter and Alceste daughter to Hyppotes the Tyrian of whom he had the denomination of Hippotides This Macareus and Canace hauing most leaudly and incestuously loued one another couering their bedding and boosoming vnder the vnsuspected pretext of consanguinitie and neerenesse in blood It could no longer be conceald by reason Canace at length brought forth a sonne which as she would secretly haue conueyed out of the court by the hands of her trustie nurse who had beene before acquainted with all their wicked proceedings the infant by crying betrayed it selfe to the grand-father who searching the nurse examining the matter finding the incest and miserably distracted with the horridnesse of the fact instantly in the heat of his incensed anger caused the innocent infant to be cut in pecces and limbe by limbe cast to the dogges and before his face deuoured This Macareus hearing tooke sanctuarie in the Temple of Apollo but Canace by reason of her greenenes and weake estate not able to make escape and shunne the violence of her fathers threatned furie he sent her a sword and withall commanded her to punish her self according to the nature of the fact Which she receiuing writ a passionate letter to her brother in which she first besought him to haue a care of his safety and next to cause the bones of the slaughtered infant to be gathered together and put into an vrne with hers this hauing done with the sword sent her by her father she transpierst her selfe and so expired The like we reade of Canusia daughter of Papirius Volucris who being found with child by Papirius Romanus her own naturall brother when the heinousnesse of the fact came to the knowledge of the father he sent to either of them a sharpe sword with which they as resolutely slew themselues as they had before rashly offended The like successe of her incestuous affection had Valeria Tusculana who as Plutarch relates by the counsell of one of her handmaids comming priuately in the night into the armes of her father and the deede after made knowne to Valerius he in detestation of the act slew her with his owne hand Iulia the Empresse THese abhominable sinnes that haue beene punisht in inferiour persons haue in great ones beene countenanced Sextus Aurelius and Aelius Spartianus both testifie That Antonius Caracalla Emperour doting vpon his stepmother Iulia was often heard to say in her presence I would if it were lawfull at length apprehending his purpose to these his words she made this reply What you list to doe 〈◊〉 Emperour you may make lawfull Princes haue power to make lawes but are not 〈◊〉 to keepe any by which words imboldned he tooke her to his bed whose sonne Geâ—a but a while before he had caused to be slaine Herodotus remembers vs of one Opaea the stepmother to Scithes king of the Scythians who likewise tooke her to his bed and made her his queene So Berenices the sister of Ptolomaus Euergetes was made partner both of his bed and kingdome Arsinoe the sister of Ptolomaeus Philodelphus became his concubine The like did Herod Antipas vnto Herodias the wife of his brother Philip. We reade also of one Leucon who slew his brother Oxilochus king of Pontus for the loue of his wife whom he after marryed Faustina the sister of Marcus Antonius Emperour became her brothers paramour on whom he begat Lucilla whom he after gaue in marriage to his brother L. Antonius Theodoricus king of the Frenchmen marryed the daughter of his owne brother whom he before had slaine And Pontanus remembers vs of one Iohannes Ariminensis who espoused his owne sister Phillip the brother of Alphonsus the tenth king of Spaine forcibly married Christiana daughter to the king of Dacia his owne brothers wife all Christianitie and Religion set apart Volaterranus remembers vs of one Stratonice who being deuilishly doted on by Antiochus Soter king of Syria his owne father at his importunitie gaue her vp into his sonnes incestuous embraces Virgill in his tenth booke speakes of Casperia stepmother to Anchemolus the sonne of Rhatus king of the Marhubians who was by him adulterated These prodigious acts haue beene incouraged by kings drawing their presidents from Iupiter who vitiated Ceres and marryed his sister Iuno when in my opinion the industrie of the Poets in illustrating the escapes of Iupiter and the other gods was aymed at no other end than to manifest vnto all men That such deities were not worthy adoration that were callumnised with so many whoredomes adulteries and incests The sisters of Cambises THese might seeme fearfull enough before related but I will giue you a short tast of some more abhominable I haue shewed the examples of Lust but these following are besides lust polluted with vnheard of tyranny Herodotus in his third booke speaking at large of the life and acts of Cambyses the great Persian king and sonne of Cyrus relates that hauing shewed his puissance abroad in Aegipt Greece and other places to the terror of the greatest of the world he caused his innocent brother Smerdis to be secretly made away by the hand of his most trusted Praxaspes The next inhumanitie which he purposd to exemplifie vnto the world was the death of his sister who followed him in his Campe to Aegipt and back againe being not only his sister by parents
feigned teare c. Somewhat to this purpose spake Terentius in his Adelphis Duxi vxorem quam ibi non miseriam vidi c. I made choice of a wife with iudgement sound What miserie haue I not therein found Children are borne they proue my second care They should be comforts that my corsiues are For her and them I studie to prouide And to that purpose all my times's applyde To keepe her pleas'd and raise their poore estate And what 's my meede for all but scorne and hate And so much for Gunnora It seemes the Emperor Valentinianus was neither well read in Iuuenall nor Terrens He when his wife commended vnto him the beautie of the Ladie Iustina tooke her to his bed and for her sake made a law That it should be lawfull for any man to marrie two wiues It is read of Herod the Great that he had nine wiues and was diuorsed from them all only for the loue of Mariamnes neice to Hircanus for whose sake he caused himselfe to bee circumcised and turned to the faith of the Iewes he begot on her Alexander and Aristobulus on Dosides Antipater on Metheta Archelaus on Cleopatra Philip and Herodes Antipas he that was afterward called Tetrarch one of the foure princes Aristobulus that was Herodes sonne begotten on Beronica the daughter of his own Aunt called Saloma he begot the great Agrippa Aristobulus Herod that was strooke by the Angell also on the aforesaid Beronica hee begot two daughters Mariamnes Herodias who was after Philips wife that was Vncle to Aristobulus neuerthelesse whilest Philip was yet aliue Herodias became wife to his brother Herod At length there fell debate betwixt her Mariamnes and Saloma Herods sister Herod by the instigation of Saloma slew Hyrcanus the Priest and after Ionathas the brother of Mariamnes who against the law hee had caused to be consecrated Priest at the age of seuenteene yeares After that he caused Mariamnes to bee put to death with the husband of his sister Saloma pretending that Hyrcanus and Ihonathas had adulterated his sister After these murders Herod grew madde for the loue of Mariamnes who was held to bee the fairest Ladie then liuing innocently put to death He then tooke againe his wife Dosides and her sonne Antipater to fauour sending Alexander and Aristobulus the sons of Mariamnes to Rome to be instructed in the best litterature whom after hee caused to be slaine And these were the fruites of Adulterous and Incestuous marriages Of Women that haue come by strange Deaths THere are many kinds of deaths I will include them all within two heades Violent and Voluntarie the Violent is when either it comes accidentally or when we would liue and cannot the Voluntarie is when we may liue and will not and in this wee may include the blesseddest of all deaths Martyrdome I will begin with the first and because gold is a mettall that all degrees callings trades mysteries and professions of either Sex especially acquire after I will therefore first exemplifie them that haue dyed golden deaths Of the Mistresse of Brennus Of Tarpeia and Acco a Roman Matron OF Midas the rich king and of his golden wish I presume you are not ignorant and therefore in vaine it were to insist vpon his historieâ— my businesse is at this time with women Brennus an Englishman and the yonger brother to Belinus both sonnes of Donwallo was by reason of composition with his brother with whom hee had beene competitor in the kingdome disposed into France and leading an armie of the Galls inuaded forreine countries as Germanie Italie sacking Rome and piercing Greece In so much that his glorie stretched so farre that the French Croniclers would take him quite from vs and called him Rex Gallorum witnesse Plutarch in his seuenteenth Paralel This Brennus spoyling and wasting Asia came to besiege Ephesus where falling in loue with a wanton of that cittie he grew so inward with her that vpon promise of reward shee vowed to deliuer the cittie into his hands the conditions were that he being possest of the Towne should deliuer into her safe custodie as many jewells rings and as much treasure as should counteruaile so great a benefit to which he assented The towne deliuered and he being victor shee attended her reward when Brennus commanded all his souldiers from the first to the last to cast what gold or siluer or iewells they had got in the spoyle of the cittie into her lap which amounted to such an infinite masse that with the weight thereof she was suffocated and prest to death This Clitiphon deliuers in his first booke Rerum Gallicar to answere which Aristides Melesius in Italicis speakes of Tarpeia a noble Virgin or at least nobly descended and one of the keepers of the Capitoll she in the warre betwixt the Sabines and the Romans couenanted with king Tatius then the publike enemie to giue him safe accesse into the mountaine Tarpeia so hee would for a reward but possese her of all the gold and iewells which his souldiers the Sabines had then about them This shee performing they were likewise willing to keepe their promise but withall loathing the couetousnesse of the woman threw so much of the spoyle and treasure vpon her that they buried her in their riches and she expired amiddest a huge Magozin But remarkable aboue these is the old woman Acco or Acca who hauing done an extraordinarie courtesie for the cittie of Romeâ— they knew not better how to requite her than knowing her auaritious disposition to giue her free libertie to goe into the common treasurie and take thence as much gold as she could carrie The wretched woman ouerioyed with this donatiue entered the place to make her packe or burden which was either so little she would not beare or so great she could not carrie and swetting and striuing beneath the burden so expired The like though somthing a more violent death died the Emperour Galba who in his life time being insatiate of gold as being couetous aboue all the Emperours before him they powred moulten gold downe his throat to confirme in him that old Adage Quâ—lis vita finis ita The like was read of the rich Roman Crassus Of such as haue died in child-byrth THough of these be infinites and dayly seene amongst vs yet it is not altogether amisse to speake someting though neuer so little which may haâ—e reference to antiquitie Volaterranus remembers vs of Tulliota the daughter of Marcus Cicero who being first placed with Dolobella and after with Piso Crassipides died in child-bed The like Suetonius puts vs in minde of Iunia Claudilla who was daughter to the most noble Marcus Sillanus and wife to the Emperor Caius Calligula who died after the same manner Higinus in his two hundred threescore and fourth Fable tells this tale In the old time sayth he there were no midwiues at all and for
these verses in old English Maud the daughter of Henrie the first was married to Henrie the fourth Emperour of that name after the death of her husband she bore the title of Maud the Empresse her father in his life time swore all the nobilitie to her succession but he being dead many fell from their oathes of alleagence adhering to Stephan Earle of Bulleine who by the sisters side was neaphue to the deseased king He notwithstanding he had before sworne to her homage caused himselfe to be crowned at London vpon a Saint Stephens day by William Archbishop of Canturburie one that had before past his oath of alleagence to the Emperesse Much combustion there was in England in those dayes betwixt Maude and Stephan and many battails fought in which the successe was doubtfull the victorie sometimes inclining to the one and againe to the other the circumstances rather would become a large Chronicle than a short tractat I will therefore come to that which sorts best with my present purpose This lady tooke the king in battaile and kept him prisoner at Bristoll from Candlemas day to Hollyrood day in haruest for which victorie the people came against her with procession which was approoued by the Popes legate From Bristoll she came to Winchester thence to Wilton to Oxford to Reding and Saint Albons all the people acknowledging her their queene and soueraigne excepting the Kentishmen onely shee came thence to London to settle the estate of the land whether came the wife of king Stephan for her husbands deliuerie vpon condition that Stephan should surrender the kingdome vp entirely into her hands and betake himselfe euer after to a sequestred and religious life But to this motion the Emperesse would by no meanes assent the Cittisens likewise intreated her that they might vse the fauourable lawes of S. Edward and not those strict and seuere statutes and ordinances deuised established by King Henry her father neither to this would the bold-spirited Lady agree For which the people began to withdraw their affections from her purposed to haue surprised her of which she hauing notice left all her houshold proâ—ision and furniture and secretly conueighed her selfe to Oxford where she attended her forces who were by this time dispersed and diuided But taking with her her Vncle Dauid king of Scots shee came before Winchester laying a strong siege to the bishops tower with was defended by the brother of king Stephan But now obserue another female Warrior The wife of the imprisoned King being denyed his freedome now takes both spirit armes and associated with one William Iperus came with such a thundring terror to rayse the siege that the hardie Empresse to giue way to her present furie was from strength forced to flye to stratageme for finding her powers too weake to withstand the incensed Queene she counterfeited her selfe dead and as a Corse caused her bodie to be conueyed to the citie of Glocester and by this meanes escaped But Robert her brother was there taken prisoner and committed to safe custodie Then the Queene imployed herselfe on the one part for the release of her husband and the Empresse on the other for the enfranchisement of her brother at length after long debating of the businesse it was determined by the Mediators on both sides that Stephan should be restored to the Kingdome and Duke Robert to his Lordship and Earledome and both as they had disturbed the peace of the Land so now to establish it To this the Earle would not assent so that all that yeere there was nothing but spoyle manslaughter direptions and all manner of violence robbing of the rich and oppression of the poore The King vpon Holy-Rood day was released and besieged the Empresse in the citie of Oxford from Michaelmas day to mid-Winter where being oppressed with famine she tooke the aduantage of the Frost and Snow and attyring her selfe all in white escaped ouer the Fennes and came to the castle of Wallingford And so much shall suffice to expresse the magnanimitie and warlike dispositions of two noble and heroicke English Ladies A French Ladie comes now in my way of whom I will giue you a short character In the minoritie of Henry the sixt when France which was once in his entire possession was there gouerned by our English Regents the famous duke of Bedford and others Charles the Dolphin styled after by the name of Charles the seuenth being a Lord wihout land yet at that time maintaining what hostilitie he was able whilest the English forraged through France at their will and commanded in all places at their owne pleasure the French in vtter despaire of shaking off the English yoake there arose in those desperate times one Ioane Are the daughter of Iames Are and his wife Isabel borne in Damprin This Iames was by profession a Shepheard and none of the richest Ioane whom the French afterwards called Ioane de Pucil whilest she was a yong maid and kept her fathers sheepe would report to diuerse That our blessed Ladie S. Agnes and S. Katherine had appeared vnto her and told her That by her meanes France should regayne her pristine libertie and cast off the yoke of English seruitude This comming to the eare of one Peter Bradicourt an eminent captaine then belonging to Charles the Dolphin hee vsed meanes that she should be sent to haue conference with his maister who soiourned then in Chynon in his lowest of deiection and despaire of hope supplie or comfort In her iourney thither shee came to a towne called Faire-boys where taking vp her Inne a place which shee had neuer before seene shee desired a souldier to goe to a secret by-corner where was a heape of old yron and from thence to bring her a Sword The souldier went according to her direction and searching the place amidst a great quantitie of old tongs shouels hand-yrons and broken horse-shooes found a faire bright sword with fiue Flower-delyces vpon either side engrauen This Sword with which she after committed many slaughters vpon the English shee gyrt to her and so proceeded to Chynon to giue the Dolphin meeting Being there arriued Charles concealed himselfe amongst many others whilest she was brought into a faire long gallerie where he had appointed another to take his place and to assume his person she looking vpon him gaue him neither respect nor reueâ—ence but sought out Charles among all the other in that assemblie and pickt him from amongst the rest to whom making a low obeysance she told him that to him only was her businesse The Dolphin at this was amased the rather because she had neuer before seene him and was somewhat comforted by reason that she shewed cheare and alacritie in her countenance they had together long and priuat conference and shortly after she had an armie giuen to bee disposed and â—irected by her Shee then bespake her selfe armour Cap a Pe bearing a white Ensigne displaide before her in which was
pourtrayde the picture of the Sauiour of the world with a flower-de-lyce in his hand and so marched to Orleance Her first exploit was fortunately to raise the siege and releeue the towne From thence shee passed to Reames tooke the cittie and caused the Dolphin there to proclaime himselfe king and take vpon him the crowne of France She after tooke Iargueux a strong towne and in it the Earle of Suffolke with many other braue English gentlemen She fought the great battaile of Pathay with good successe in which were taken prisoners the lord Talbâ—â— the skourge and terror of the French nation the lord Seales the lord Hungerfâ—rd with many others both of name and qualitie she tooke in Benueele Mehun Trois and diuers other townes of great import and consequence at length in a camisado or skirmish she was taken prisoner by sir Iohn of Entenburch a Burgonian captaine and sent to Roan The French Cronicles affirme that the morning before she was surprised she tooke the sacrament and comming from Church told to diuerse that were about her that she was betraide her life sold and should shortly after be deliuered vp vnto a violent death For sir Iohn gaue a great sum of money to betray her The English comming to inuest themselues before Mondidier Ioan was aduised to issue out by Elaâ—ie and skirmish with them who was no sooner out but he shut the gates vpon her being taken she was sent to Peter Bishop of Beuoise who condemned her to the fire for a sorceresse which iudgement was accordingly executed vpon her in Roane in the market place Twentie six yeares after Charles the king for a great summe of money procured an annichilation of the first sentence from the Pope in which she was proclaimed a Virago inspired with diuine instinct in memorie of whose vertuous life and vniust death he caused a faire crosse to â—ee erected iust in the place where her bodie was burned I returne againe to the English Fabian and Harding speake of Emma sister to the Norman duke called Richard who for her extraordinarie beautie was called The flower of Normandie she was married to Ethelred king of England By her heroicke spirit and masculine instigation the king sent to all parts of the kingdome secret and strict commissions That vpon a certaine day and hour assigned all those Danes which had vsurped in the land and vsed great crueltie should be slaughtered which at her behest and the kings commaund was accordingly performed which though it after prooued ominous and was the cause of much miserie and mischiefe yet it shewed in her a noble and notable resolution Of queene Margaret the wife of Henrie the sixt her courage resolution and magnanimitie to speake at large would aske a Volume rather than a compendious discourse to which I am strictly tyed And therefore whosoeuer is deâ—irous to be further instructed in the successe of those many battailes fought against the house of Yorke in which she was personally present I referre them to our English Chronicles that are not sparing in commending her more than womanish spirit to euerlasting memorie With her therefore I conclude my female Martiallists And now me thinkes I am come where I would be and that is amongst you aire Fones Of Faire Women IT is reported of a king that for many yeeres had no issue and desirous to haue an heire of his owne bloud and begetting to succeed in the Throne vpon his earnest supplication to the diuine powers he was blessed with a faire sonne both of beautie and hope And now being possest of what he so much desired his second care was to see him so educated that hee might haue as much comfort of him in his growth as hope in his infancie hee therefore sent abroad to find out the most cunning Astrologians to calculate of his natiuitie that if the starres were any way maleuolent to him at his birth he might by instruction and good education as farre as was possible preuent any disaster that the Planets had before threatened A meeting to that purpose being appointed and the Philosophers and learned men from all parts assembled after much consultation it was concluded amongst them That if the infant saw Sunne or Moone at any time within the space of ten yeeres hee should most assuredly be depriued the benefit of sight all his life time after With this their definitiue conclusion the father wondrously perplexed was rather willing to vse any faire meanes of preuention than any way to tempt the crosse influence of the starres Hee therefore caused a Cell or Caue to be cut out of a deepe Rocke and conueying thither all things necessarie for his education hee was kept there in the charge of a learned tutor who well instructed him in the Theorie of all those Arts which best suited his apprehension The time of ten yeeres being expired and the feare of that ominous calculation past ouer the day was appointed when his purpose was to publish his sonne to the world and to shew him the Sunne and Moone of which he had often heard and till then neuer saw entire and to present vnto his view all such creatures of which he had beene told and read but could distinguish none of them but by heare-say They brought before him a Horse a Dogge a Lion with many other beasts of seuerall kindes of which he onely looked but seemed in them to take small pleasure They shewed him Siluer Gold Plate and Iewels in these likewise hee appeared to take small delight or none as not knowing to what purpose they were vsefull yet with a kind of dull discontent he demanded their names and so past them ouer At length the king commanded certaine beautifull virgins gorgeously attyred to be brought into his presence which the Prince no sooner saw but as recollecting his spirits with a kind of alacritie and change of cheare he earnestly demanded What kind of creatures they were how bred how named and to what vse created To whom his tutor ieastingly replyed These be called Deuills of which I oft haue told you and they are the great tempters of mankind Then his father demanded of him To which of all these things he had beheld he stood affected best and to whose societie hee was most enclined who presently answered O Father I onely desire to be attended by these Deuils Such is the attractiue power of beautie which women cannot fully appropriate to themselues since it is eminent in all other creatures Who wonders not at the beautie of the Sunne the glorie of the Moone and the splendor of the starres the brightnesse of the morning and the faire shutting in of the euening Come to the flowers and plants what artificiall colour can be compared to the leaues of the Marigold the Purple of the Violet the curious mixture of the Gillyflower or the whitenesse of the Lilly to which Salomon in all his glorie was not to be equalled You that are prowd of your haire
they could not be forced with their rude feet to leaue the least character of violence vpon limbes so faire and exquisitely fashioned The same Author remembers vs of Seritha and Signis the first a virgin of incomparable splendor to whom one Otharus was a robustious suitor the other was the daughter of one Sygarus who paralleld the first and was importunately sollicited by Hyldegislaeus Teutonicus Bryseis was so faire that she endeered vnto her loue the noblest of the Greekes Achilles who though she was but his damosell or handmaid yet he was enamored of her aboue all his other women of whom Horace Prius Insolentem Serua Bryseis niueo colore Mouit Achillem His maid Bryseis with her colour white Insolent Achilles mooued to delight Of her Ouid likewise speakes lib. 2. de Arte Amandi Fecit vt in capta Lyrneside magnus Achilles Cum premeret mollem lassus ab hoste torum This great Achilles of his Loue desired When with the slaughter of his enemies tyred He doff'd his Cushes and vnarm'd his head To tumble with her on a soft day-bed It did reioyce Bryseis to embrace His bruised armes and kisse his bloud-stain'd face Those hands which he so often did imbrew In bloud of warlike Troians whom he slew Were now imploy'd to tickle touch and feele And shake a Lance that had no point of steele Thargelia Milesia was of that excellent aspect that as Hyppias the Sophist testifies of her shee was marryed by course to foureteene seuerall husbands for so he writes in a Treatise entituled De inscripta Congregatione in which besides her character of beautie he giues her a worthie attribute for her wisedome in these words Perpulcra sapiens Anutis was the wife of a noble person called Bogazus and sister to Xerxes by the fathers side Shee as Dinon writes in his Persicke historie in the chapter entituled De prima Coordinatione in these words Haec vt pulcherrima fuit omnium mulierum quae fuerant in Asia c. Shee saith hee as shee was the fairest of all women in Asia so of them all shee was the most intemperate Timosa as Philarchus in his Lib. 19. contends was the mistresse of Oxiartes who in the accomplishments of nature anteceded all of her age shee was for her beautie thought worthie to be sent as a present from the king of Aegypt to the most excellent queene of king Statyra but rather for a wonder of nature than a president of chastitie Theopompus in his fiftie sixth booke of Historie records That Zenopithia the mother of Lysandrides was the fairest of all the women in Peloponnesus Shee with her sister Chryse were slaine by the Lacedemonians at the time when Agesilaus in an vprore and mutinous sedition raysed gaue command That Lysandrides as his publike enemie should be banished from Lacedemon Patica Cipria was borne in Cyprus Philarchus remembers her in his tenth booke of Historie Shee attending vpon Olympias the mother of Alexander was demanded in marriage by one Moâ—imus the sonne of Pythioa But the Queene obseruing her to be of more beautie in face than temperance in carriage O vnhappie man said shee that chusest a wife by the eye not by counsaile by her beautie and not behauior Violentilla was the wife of the Poet Stella shee for all accomplishments was much celebrated by Statius of her Lib. 1. Syll. he thus speakes At tu pulcherrima forma Italidum tandem casto possessa marito Thou of our Latium Dames the fair'st and best Of thy chast husband art at length possest Agarista as Herodotus calls her was the daughter of Clisthenes the Syconian shee was of that vnexpressable forme that her beautie attracted suitors from all parts of Greece amongst whom Hypocledes the sonne of Tisander is numbred From Italie came Smyndrides Sibarites Syritanus and Damnasus From the coast of Ionia Amphimnestrus Epidamnius Aetolus and Meges From Peloponnesus Leocides Amianthus Archas Heleus Laphanes Phidon son to the king of the Argiues From Attica Megacles the son of Alâ—menon From Etruria Lysanius From Thessalie Diacrides and Cranomius From Molossus Alcon in number 20. These came into Greece to expresse themselues in many noble contentions because Clistthines the son of Aristonius and father of Agarista had made proclamation that he only should inioy the Virgin who could best expresse himself in noble action and valour Hyppodamia was daughter to Oenemaus king of Aelis and of such attractiue beautie that she likewise drew many princely suitors to her fathers court though to the most certain danger of their liues Caelius writes that Marmax was the first that contended with her in the charriot race and failing in his course was slaine by the tyrant the Mares with which hee ran as some write were called Parthenia and Eripha whose throats Oenemaus caused to be cut and after buried After him perished in the same manner Alcathus the son of Parthaon Eurialus Eurimacus Crotalus Acrius of Lacedemon Capetus Licurgus Lasius Chalcodas Tricolonus Aristomachus Prias Pelagus Aeolius Chromius and Eritheus the son of Leucon Amongst these are numbered Merimnes Hypotous Pelops Opontius Acaruan Eurilachus Antomedon Lasius Chalcon Tricâ—ronus Alcathus Aristomachus and Crocâ—lus Sisigambis as Q. Curtius relates was inferiour to no ladie that liued in her age yet notwithstandig Alexander the Great hauing ouercome her husband Darius in battaile was of that continence that he onely attempted not to violate her chastitie but became her guardian and protected her from all the iniuries that might haue beene done to a captiue Plutarch writes of a Roman Ladie called Praecia of that excellent shape and admired feature as she indeered Cethegus vnto her so farre that he enterprised no dissigne or managed any affiaire without the aduise and approbation of the beautifull Praâ—cia So precious likewise was the faire Roxana in the eies of Alexander that hauing subdued all the Easterne kingdomes and being Lord of the world yet from being the daughter of a mercinarie souldier and a Barbarian he tooke her into his bosome and crowned her with the Imperiall Diademe Aegina the daughter of Aesopus king of Boetia for her excellent pulchritude was beloued of Iupiter of whom Ouid Aureus in Danaen Aesopida luseritignis In Gold faire Danae had her full desire But with th'Aesopian Girle he play'd in fire So likewise Antiopa the daughter of Nycteis and wife of Lycus king of Thebes was for the rarenesse of her forme comprest by him of whom hee begot Zethus and Amphion O what a power is in this beautie It made the Cyclops Poliphemus turne Poet who as Ouid in his Lib. 13. thus writes in the prayse of his mistresse Galataea Candidior folio niuei Galataea ligustri c. Oh Galataea thou art whiter farre Than leaues of Lillies not greene Medowes are More flourishing thy stature doth appeare Straighter than th'Elmes than Glasse thou art
against all Law or Iustice to behold me against reason or modestie naked Gyges at these words was first wonderously amazed but after recollecting himselfe entreated her not to compell him to so hard an exigent as to the choyse of eyther But finding that necessitie that he must be forced to one or the other to kill the king or to be slaine by others he rather made choyse to suruiue and let the other perish and thus answered her Since generous Ladie you vrge me to an enterprise so much opposite to my milder nature and disposition propose some safe course how this may be done Euen sayth she in the selfe-same place where he deuised this mischiefe against himselfe namely his bed-chamber where to thee I was first discouered Therefore prouiding all things necessarie for so determinate a purpose and the night comming on Gyges who knew no euasion but to kill his maister or dye himselfe awaited his best aduantage and hauing notice when Candaules was asleepe followed the queene into her chamber and with a Ponyard by her prouided for the purpose stabbed him to the heart by which hee attayned both the queene and kingdome Of this historie Archilochus Parius makes mention in his Iambicks who liued about the same time affirming That Gyges was by the Oracle of Delphos confirmed in the kingdome after the Faction of the Heraclides had opposed his soueraigntie Rowan and Estrilda ROwan was a maid of wonderfull beautie and pleasantnesse daughter to Hengest a captaine of the Saxons Of this Ladie Vortiger then king grew so enamored that for her sake hee was diuorced from his wife by whom hee had three sonnes for which deed the greatest part of the Brittaines forsooke him therefore hee by the instigation of Rowan still caused more and more Saxons to be sent for vnder pretence to keepe the Land in subiection But the Brittaines considering the dayly repayre of the Saxons came to the King and told him the danger that might ensue entreating him whilest it waâ— yet time and to preuent a future miserie to expell them the Land But all in â—aine for Vortiger was so besotted in the beautie of his faire wife by whose counsaile he was altogether swayed that he would in no wise listen to the counsaile of his subiects Wherefore they with one vnited consent depriued him of his Crowne and dignitie making Vortimerus his eldest sonne king in his stead Who was no sooner crowned but with all expedition he raysed an armie and pursued the Saxons and in foure maine battailes besides conflicts and skirmishes became victorious ouer them The Saxons and their insolencies thus supâ—â—est and the king now gouerning the Land in peace after he had reigned seuâ—â— yeeres was by this Rowan in reuenge of the disgrace done to her king deposed and her countreymen disgraced most trecherously poysoned Locrin the eldest sonne of Brute chased the Hunnes which inuaded the realme of England and so hotely pursued them that many of them with their king were drowned in a riuer which parteth England and Scotland and after the name of the king of the Hunnes who there perished the riuer is to this day called Humbar This king Locrin had to wife â—â—â—â—doline a daughter of Coriâ—eus duke of Cornwall by whom he had a sonne calâ—â—d Madâ—n He kept also a Paramour called the beautifull Ladie Estrilda by whom hee had a daughter called Sabrina Locrine after the death of Corineus of whom he stood in awe diuorsed himselfe from his lawfull wife and tooke to his embraces his faire concubine mooued with this iniurie Guendoline retired herselfe into Cornewall where she gathered a great power fought with her husband slew him in battaile and after caused him to be buried in Troy-nouant That done she caused the faire Estrilda with her daughter Sabrina to be drowned in a riuer that which parts England and Wales which still beares the name of the yong Virgin and is called Seuerne These her dessignes accomplished for so much as Madun her yong sonne was but in his pupillage and not of capacitie or age to gouerne the Land by the common sufferage of all the Brittons she was made Protectoresse and Ladie Regent of the kingdome which to the comfort of the subiects and the weale of the kingdome she discreetly gouerned for the space of fifteene yeares and therefore her memorie might fitly haue beene rancked amongst the most Illustrious women Her sonne comming to age and yeares of discretion shee to him resigned the Scepter The Faire ladie of Norwich ANd now because wee traffique altogether with Historie it shall not bee amisse sometimes to mingle Seria Iocis as shall appeare by this discourse which I haue often heard related A knight both of same and memorie and whose name is still vpon record beeing eminent and of note with Henrie the fift as personally with him in all the warres in France after the king had both conquered and quieted the Land this noble Englishman retyred himselfe into his countrey He had a Ladie that was of such beautie that she attracted the eyes of all beholders with no common admiration in briefe I cannot speake of her feature sufficiently as being farre beyond the compasse of my penne and therefore I put her into the number of my Faire ones This ladie with her husband residing in the cittie of Norwich He after so many troubles and torments purposed a more sequestred life and next the solace he had in the beautie and vertues of his wife to take a course meerely contemplatiue and thought out of the aboundance of his wealth to doe some pious deeds for the good of his soule hee therefore erected in the cittie and neere to the place where his house stood a goodly Church at his owne charge and betwixt them a Religous house that entertained twelue Friers and an Abbot allowing them demeanes competent for so small a brother-hood In this couent there were two Frier Iohn and Frier Richard these were still at continuall enmitie and especiall notice taken of it amongst the rest which by no mediation could be truely reconciled but omitting that it was custome of the knight and his ladie dayly to rise to morning Mattins and she being affable and courteous to all it bred a strange inciuile boldnesse in Frier Iohn for she neuer came through the cloyster but he was still with duckes and cringes attending her which she suspecting nothing simply with modest smiles returned thankes to him againe which grew so palpable in the Frier that as farre as they durst it was whispered in the couent Briefly after these incouragements as he constered them it bred in him that impudencie that he presumed to write a letter to her in which he layde open a great deale of more than necessarie loue This letter with great difficultie came to her hand at which the ladie astonished as not dreaming that such leaudnesse should come from one that professed chastitie and not knowing whether it might be a tricke
him by faire meanes than by foâ—ce by policie than power for knowing her selfe to bee a woman of extraordinarie state and beautie she by her Embassadors sollicited an interuiew which Alexander graunting she appeared before him with such a Queenelike maiestie and her accomplishments of naâ—ure so helpâ— with the ornaments of are for she was adorned with the richest and best shining stones of India thâ—â— her glorie so captiuated the heart of the conquerour that they came to treat of composition shee proposing to him That it were no honour for so magnificent a victor so famous through the world for his conquests oueâ— men to insult vpon the weake spoyles of a woman iâ—ured to no other armes than the armes of a sweet and louing bedfellow yet if for the ransome of her Empire hee would accept of her loue and seruice in that kind shee was there in person at his command his subiect and seruant Her beautie with this submission wrought such impression in the king that it was concluded betwixt them and by both parties agreed That her honour should bee the ransome of her Empire In conclussion they louingly lay together and so ended these threatned hostilities in an amorous peace her bodie he left tainted but her kingdome vntouched She was that night with child by him of a sonne whom after his fathers name she called Alexander hee inherited the kingdome after her but by the Indians from that time forward in regard of her prostitution she was called The kings whore Callipygae SO much were the Grecians giuen to all voluptuousnesse and pleasure that amongst others diuers Chappels and Temples were dedicated to Venus Callipyga the word importing Quasi pulchras habens nates i. She that hath faire buttocks the originall of that superstition as Aegenaeus relates was this A countrey Farmer beeing the father of two beautifull young Virgins these two concluded betwixt themselues which should haue the prioritie in beautie But modestie forbidding them to dispute it with open faces they concluded betweene themselues to come to a place adioyning to the high-way and there to expose their backe-parts naked to all such as passed by and so by the most voices to bee censured Amongst many others a noble young gentleman of the next citie by accident passing that way and somewhat astonished at so vnwonted an obiect enquired the reason thereof and by one of the spectators being presently resolued he as suddenly gaue the Palme to the elder and intimating by that he saw what the rest might proue grew greatly enamoured and returning to his fathers house surprised with melancholly was of his brother demanded the cause hee after some few bashâ—ull denialls still vrged with the others importunacies discouered to him the whole circumstance of the businesse The brother deâ—iâ—ous to be further instructed was by the louer conducted to the place and obiect which made him first grow enamorated whither he was no sooner brought but he grew presently inflamed with the loue of the yonger and gaue his censure on her part These two had an old Senator to their father who much obserued his children of him they demanded these Virgins in marriage but he proposing to them matches more honourable they would no way assent But wonne at length with their importunacies hee sent in their behalfe to the Fâ—â—mer to demand his daughters in marriage An Enterview was granted the parties agreed a marriage concluded and after consummate with satisfaction on all sides From which time euer after the two young marryed wiues were called Callipygae Of these Gerâ—ldas Megapelitanus in his Iambicks to this purpose speakes These two liued in Syracuâ—a who by their marriage hauing attayned to wealth sufficient erected a famous Chappell to Venâ—â— whom they styled Dea Callipygae These diuers other cities of Greece â—â—ter them imitated This Historie Archeâ—aâ—s likewise in his Iambicks records Alogunes Cosmartidenes Andia YOu shall read in the Historie taken out of Ex Ctesiae â—ersicis That Artaxerxes being dead Xerxes his sonne succeeded the legitimate heire by his wife Damaspia who dyed the same day with her husband therefore to be registred amongst the women most mastrious after their deaths the Eunuch Bagorazus caused both their bodyes to be borne into Persia and there to bee intombed amongst their ancestors It is remembred of this Emperour Artaxerxes that he had by seuerall concubines seuenteene bastards amongst these was Secundianus borne of Alogunes hee by treason succeeded Xerxes hauing before slaine his brother this Alogunes was borne in Babylon By another concubine of the same cittie called Cosmartidenes hee had two sonnes Ochus and Arsites this Ochus by supplanting his brother Secundianus raigning some few months succeeded him in the Empire Xerxes had issue likewise by one Andia a Ladie of the same nation Bagapaeus and Parisatis who was the mother of one Cyrus and another Artaxerxes Xerxes the Persian Emperour yet liuing gaue to his second sonne Ochus the Prefect-ship ouer the Hircanians Likewise Parisatis to wife daughter to Xerxes and naturall sister to Ochus This Ochus was after called Dariaeus who in all his counsells and proiects neuer did any thing without the aduise of his sister queene before his aspiring to the Empirie hee had issue by his wife Parisatis two children a daughter called Amistris and a sonne Arsaca who after changed his name to his grandfathers and was called Artaxerxes after his instalment she brought him a sonne called Cyrus after him Artostes and so to the number of thirteene of all which onely the fourth sonne called Oxendras suruiued the rest perished in their minoritie These were concubines of Persia. Iulia. IT is remembred of Augustus Caesar whose daughter this Iulia was that hee established a law which was called Lex Iulia concerning adulterers after what processe persons so offending should be punished being conuicted and found guiltie It happened that a young gentleman of Rome being accused of the same fact with the Emperours daughter Iulia before named Augustus grew into such furie that not able to conteine himselfe he fell vpon the gentleman and gaue him many violent and sound buffets till the supposed offendor cryed out ô Emperour where is your Iustice you haue made a law concerning these matters why am I not then iudged by that At which words it so repented him of his rashnesse that all that day and night he forbore to tast any food At a certaine sword-playing or such like pastime solemnised in the great Roman Theatre Lyuia the mother and Iulia the daughter had turned the eyes of all the multitude vpon them twaine and that by reason of the difference of their habits and their attendants Lyuia being matron-like attired was accompanied with aged Senators and Ladies of approued modestie and grauitie Iulia on the contrarie loosely and wantonly habited had in her traine none but butterflie-pages wild fashion-mongers and fantasticke gallants which obserued by Augustus he the next day admonished her by letters To obserue
and Helicon Aboue others most magnified by Ouid Metamorph. lib. 6. is Arachne Lydia the daughter of Idmones whose mother was borne in the small citie Hypepis shee hauing by many degrees exceeded all mortall women and that without difficultie durst compare with Minerua her selfe who for her boldnesse and pertinacie she turned into a Spyder Her controuersie with Pallas is with great elegancie expressed in Ouid. Alexander of Macedon and Octauius Augustus the one wore a Garment woauen by his Mother the other a Mantle by the hands of his Wife These Ladies had sequestred places in some part of their Pallaces and kept their handmaids and damosells at worke of which these two potent and mightie Queenes disdayned not to bee the dayly Directoresses and Ouer-seers Alexand. ab Alex. cap. 4. lib. 8. Part of the Wooll which Tanaquil spunne with her Distaffe Spindle and Slippers were long time reserued as sacred Reliques in the Temple of Ancus Martius as also a Kingly Garment or Imperiall Roabe woauen quite through with Rayes and Flames of Gold wrought with her owne hand in which Seruius Tullius oft went in state and sat in the high Iudgement-Seat in the Capitoll Varro apud eundem By the Law called Pagana all women were forbidden to spinne or draw out any thread in the streetes or the common high-wayes because they held it ominous to the prosperitie of the Graine sowne in the Earth or the Fruits blossomed or growing vpon the Trees as the same Author testifies Ausonius speakes of one Sabina not onely excellent in this Science but a Poet withall which he left to posteritie in one of his Epigrams Siue probas Tyrio textam sub tegmine vestra Seu placet inscripti commoditus tituli c. Which is thus Englished If thou affect'st a purple Roabe Woauen in the Tyrian staine Or if a Title well inscrib'd By which thy wit may gaine Behold her workes vnpartially And censure on them well Both one Sabina doth professe And doth in both excell And thus I take leaue of weauing for Memorie now transports me to another Argument Of Women Contentious and Bloodie TExtor in his Officine remembers vs of one Kailla who was of that barbarous and inhuman crueltie that being at dissention with her husband Vazules she hauing banished all coniugall pietie and pittie caused his eyes to be digged out of his head spending the remainder of his age in vncomfortable darknesse These subsequent stories of flintie and obdure hearted women though I could willingly haue spared them out of this worke that the world might almost be induced to beleeue that no such immanities could euer haue place in the smooth soft bosomes of women yet in regard I haue promised briefly to run ouer all Ages Features Affections Conditions and Degrees though they might perhaps haue beene thought well spared by some yet I make no question but they might be challenged at my hands by others The rather I present them and with the more confidence vnto your view because though their actions to the tender brested may seeme horrid and feareful and therfore the hardlier to purchase credit yet the testimonie of the Authors being authenticke and approoued will not onely beare me out as their faithfull remembrancer but in the things themselues fasten an inherent beleefe I proceed therfore Cyrce the Witch slew the king of Sarmatia to whom shee was married and vsurping the regall Throne did much oppresse her subiects of her Sabellicus writes more at large Clitemnestra was the wife of Agamemnon Archduke or Generall of the Gretians at the siege of Troy she by the helpe of Aegistus with whom she adultrated slew her husband of this Virgill speakes lib. 11. Seneca in Agamemnonae and Iuvenall in Satyr Danaus the sonne of Belus had fiftie daughters who were espoused to the fiftie sonnes of Aegistus these made a coniuration in one night to kill all their husbands which they accordingly did all saue the yongest Hypermnestra who spared the life of her husband Lynceus Senec. Hercul Fur. Alexander Phaereus a tyrant of Thessaly when hee had shewed his wife naked to a certaine Barbarian she tooke it so impatiently that she cut his throat sleeping Ouid in Ibin Volaterranus reports that Albina daughter to a king of Syria had two and thirtie sisters who all in one night slew their husbands who beeing exild their countrey landed in Brittaine and that of this Albina this Kingdome first tooke the name of Albion Laodice was the wife of Antiochus king of Syria who caused himselfe to be cald God She poysoned her husband because of his too much familiaritie with Berenice the sister of Ptolome Fabia slew Fabius Fabriclanus that shee might the more freely inioy the companie of Petronius Volentanus a young man of extraordinarie feature with whom shee had often before accompanied Agrippina poysoned her husband Tiberius Claudius the Emperor Lucilla the wife of Antonius Verus Emperor poysoned her husband because she thought him too familiar with Fabia Galeotus prince of Forolinium married with the daughter of Ioannes Bentiuolus of whom being despised and finding her selfe neglected she hyred certaine cut-throat Phisitians who slew him in his chamber Andreas the sonne of Carolus king of Pannonia was slaine by his wife Ioanna Queene of Cicily for no other reason but that he was idle and held vnprofitable to the weale publique Althaea sorrowing that her two brothers Plexippus and Toxeus were slaine by her sonne Meleager shee burned that Brand of which the fatal Sisters had made a prediction That his life and health should continue as long as that was preserued Ouid Trist. lib. 1. Bocat in Geneol Agaue a Theban woman slew her sonne Penthâ—us because he would not honour the feast of the Bachinalls with the rest of the Menades Virgill in Culice Ericthaeus taking armes against Eumolpus and hauing an answere from the Oracle That he should haue a certaine victorie if he would sacrifice his only daughter to the gods by the persuasion of his wife Praxitha gaue her vp to slaughter Euripides apud Plutarch Elearchus one of the kings of Creet at the persuasion of his second wife Phronima commaunded his onely daughter by the hand of one Themisones to bee cast into the riuer and there drowned Herodot Polidice betrayde her father king Pletera to Creon king of Thebes and caused him to bee slaine as likewise Nisus being besieged by Minâ—s by the treason of his daughter lost that purple hayre which was the stay of his soueraigntie Ouid Metam and Seruius Tiphon Aegiptius as Berosus Seneca Diodorus and others relate slew his brother Osiris then raigning in Aegypt and gouerning iustly which done hee caused him to be cut into twentie six pieces and to euerie one of the conspirators gaue a part the better to secure him of their fidelities but Isis their sister after she had lamented the
writ many learned and elaborate workes in either tongue at length in the yeare of our Lord 1555 in the moneth of October being of the age of twentie nine yeares she dyed in Hedelburgh Saint Hâ—lena may amongst these be here aptly registred for thus Stow Harding Faâ—ian and all our moderne Chroniclers report of her Constantius a great Roman Consull was sent into Brittaine to demaund the tribute due vnto Rome immediately after whose ariuall before he could receiue an answer of his Embassie Coill who was then king dyed therefore the Brittaines the better to establish their peace dealt with the Roman Embassador to take to wiâ—e Helenâ— the daughter of the late deceased king a young Ladie of an attractiue 〈◊〉 adorned with rare gifts and indowments of the Mind 〈◊〉 Learning Vertâ—â— the motion was no sooner made but accepted so that Constantius hauing receiued the Brittish tribute returned with his new bryde to Rome and was after by the Senat constituted chiefe ruler of this kingdome After twentie yeares quiet and peacefull gouernement which was thought her wisedome Constantius dyed and was buried at Yorke in his time was Saint Albon martyred at Verolam since called Saint Albones as Iohn Lidgate Monke of Burie testifies who in English heroicall verse compiled his Historie Constantius sayth hee the younger succeeded his father Constantius as well in the kingdome of England as diuers other Prouinces a noble and valiant Prince whose mother was a woman religious and of great sanctimonie this young Prince was borne in Brittaine and prooued so mightie in exploits of warre that in time hee purchased the name of Magnus and was stiled Constantine the Great a noble protector and defender of the true Christian Faith In the sixt yeare of his raigne he came with a potent armie against Maxentius who with greeous tributes and exactions then vexed and oppressed the Romans and being vpon his march hee saw in a Vision by night the signe of the Crosse shining in the Ayre like fire and an Angell by it thus saying Constantine in hoc signo vinces i. Constantine in this signe thou shalt conquer and ouercome with which beeing greatly comforted be soone after inuaded and defeated the armie of Maxentius who flying from the battaile was wretchedly drowned in the riuer Tiber. In this interim of his glorious victorie Helena the mother of Constantine being on pilgrimage at Ierusalem there found the Crosse on which the Sauiour of the world was crucified with the three nayles with which his hands and feete were pierced Ranulphus amplifies this storie of Helena somewhat largelier after this manner That when Constantine had surprised Maxentius his mother was then in Brittaine and hearing of the successe of so braue a conquest shee sent him a letter with great thankes to heauen to congratulate so faire wished a Fortune but not yet being truely instructed in the Christian Faith she commended him that he had forsaken idolatrie but blamed him that hee worshipped and beleeued in a man that had beene nayled to the Crosse. The Emperour wrote againe to his mother That she should instantly repaire to Rome and bring with her the most learned Iews and wisest Doctors of what faith or beleefe so euer to hold disputation in their presence concerning the Truth of religion Helena brought with her to the number of seuenscore Iewes and others against whom Saint Siluester was only opposed In this controuersie the misbeleeuers were all nonplust put to silence It hapned that a Iewish Cabalist among them spake certain words in the eare of a mad wild Bull that was broke loose and run into the presence where they were then assembled those words were no sooner vttered but the beast sunck down without motion and instantly dyed at which accident the iudges that sat to heare the disputation were all astonished as wondering by what power that was done To whom Siluester then spake What this man hath done is onely by the power of the deuill who can kill but not restore vnto life but it is God onely that can slay and make the same bodie reuiue againe so Lyons and other wilde beasts of the Forrest can wound and destroy but not make whole what is before by them perished then saith hee if hee will that I beleeue with him let him rayse that beast to life in Gods name which hee hath destroyed in the Deuils name But the Iewish Doctor attempted it in vaine when the rest turning to Siluester said If thou by any power in Heauen or Earth canst call backe againe the life of this beast which is now banished from his bodie wee will beleeue with thee in that Deitie by whose power so great a miracle can be done Siluester accepted of their offer and falling deuoutly on his knees made his prayers vnto the Sauiour of the world when presently the beast started vp vpon his feete by which Constantius was confirmed Helena conuerted and all the Iewes and other Pagan Doctors receiued the Christian Faith and were after baptised and after this and vpon the same occasion Helena vndertooke to seeke and find out the Crosse. Ambrose and others say she was an Inne-keepers daughter at Treuerent in France and that the first Constantius trauailing that way married her for her beautie but our Histories of Brittaine affirme her to be the faire chast and wise daughter of king Coil before remembred The perfections of the minde are much aboue the transitorie gifts of Fortune much commendable in women and a Dowrie farre transcending the riches of Gold and Iewels Great Alexander refused the beautifull daughter of Darius who would haue brought with her kingdomes for her Dower and infinite Treasures to boot and made choyse of Barsine who brought nothing to espouse her with saue her feature and that shee was a Scholler and though a Barbarian excellently perfect in the Greeke Tongue who though poore notwithstanding deriued her pedigree from kings And vpon that ground Licurgus instituted a Law That women should haue no Dowers allotted them that men might rather acquire after their Vertues than their Riches and women likewise might the more laboriously imploy themselues in the attaining to the height of the best and noblest Disciplines It is an argument that cannot be too much amplified to encourage Vertue and discourage Vice to persuade both men and women to instruct their Mindes more carefully than they would adorne their Bodies and striue to heape and accumulate the riches of the Soule rather than hunt after Pompe Vaine-glorie and the wretched Wealth of the world the first being euerlastingly permament the last dayly and hourely subiect to corruption and mutabilitie Horace in his first Epistle to Mecaenas sayth Vitius Argentum est Auro virtutibus Aurum Siluer is more base and cheape than Gold and Gold than Vertue To encourage which in either Sex Plautus in Amphit thus sayes Virtus praemium est optimum virtus omnibus Rebus anteit profecto c. Vertue 's the best
deuided themselues and casting to hit it with a stone it rebounded againe from the skull and stroke himselfe on the forehead his words be these Abiecta in triuijs inhumati glabra iacebat Testa hominis nudum iam cute caluicium Fleuerant alij fletu non motus Achillas c. Where three wayes parted a mans skull was found Bald without haire vnburied aboue ground Some wept to see 't Achillas more obdure Snatcht vp a stone and thinkes to hit it sure He did so At the blow the stone rebounds And in the face and eyes Achillas wounds I wish all such whose impious hands prophane The dead mans bones so to be stroke againe Of Mothers that haue slaine their Children or Wiues their Husbands c. MEdea the daughter of Oeta king of Colchos first slew her young brother in those Islands which in memorie of his inhumane murther still beare his name and are called Absyrtides and after her two sonnes Macareus and Pherelus whom she had by Iason Progne the daughter of Pandion murthered her young sonne Itis begot by Tereus the sonne of Mars in reuenge of the rape of her sister Philomele Ino the daughter of Cadmus Melicertis by Athamas the sonne of Aeolus Althea the daughter of Theseus slew her sonne Meleager by Oeneus the sonne of Parthaon Themisto the daughter of Hypseus Sphincius or Plinthius and Orchomenus by Athamas at the instigation of Ino the daughter of Cadmus Tyros the daughter of Salmoneus two sonnes begot by Sysiphus the sonne of Aeolus incited thereto by the Oracle of Apollo Agaue the daughter of Cadmus Pentheus the sonne of Echion at the importunitie of Liber Pater Harpalice the daughter of Climenus slew her owne father because he forcibly despoyled her of her honor Hyginus in Fabulis These slew their Husbands Clitemnestra the daughter of Theseus Agamemnon the sonne of Atreus Hellen the daughter of Iupiter and Laeda Deiphebus the sonne of Priam and Hecuba hee married her after the death of Paris Agaue Lycotherses in Illyria that she might restore the kingdome to her father Cadmus Deianira the daughter of Oeneus and Althea Hercules the sonne of Iupiter and Alcmena by the Treason of Nessus the Centaureâ— Iliona the daughter of Priam Polymnestâ—r king of Thâ—â—ce Semyramis her husband Ninus king of Babylon c. Some haue slaine their Fathers others their Nephewes and Neeces all which being of one nature may be drawne to one head And see how these prodigious sinnes haue beene punished Martina the second wife to Heraclius and his Neece by the brothers side by the helpe of Pyrrhus the Patriarch poysoned Constantinus who succeeded in the Empire fearing least her sonne Heraclius should not attaine to the Imperiall Purple in regard that Constantinus left issue behind him two sonnes Constantes and Theodosius which he had by Gregoria the daughter of Nycetas the Patritian notwithstanding hee was no sooner dead but shee vsurped the Empire Two yeeres of her Principalitie were not fully expired when the Senate reassumed their power and called her to the Barre where they censured her to haue her Tongue cut out least by her eloquence shee might persuade the people to her assistance her sonne Heraclius they maimed of his Nose so to make him odious to the multitude and after exiled them both into Cappadocia Cuspinianus in vita Heraclij A more terrible Iudgement was inflicted vpon Brunechildis whose Historie is thus related Theodericus king of the Frenchmen who by this wicked womans counsaile had polluted himselfe with the bloud of his owne naturall brother and burthened his conscience with the innocent deaths of many other noble gentlemen as well as others of meaner ranke and qualitie was by her poysoned and depriued of life for when he had made a motion to haue taken to wife his Neece a beautifull young Ladie and the daughter of his late slaine brother Brunechildis with all her power and industrie opposed the Match affirming that Contract to be meerely incestuous which was made with the brothers daughter shee next persuaded him that his son Theodebertus was not his owne but the adulterate issue of his wife by another at which words he was so incensed that drawing his sword hee would haue instantly transpierst her but by the assistance of such Courtiers as were then present shee escaped his furie and presently after plotted his death and effected it as aforesaid Trittenhemius de Regib Francorum and Robertus Gaguinus Lib. 2. Others write that hee was drowned in a Riuer after hee had reigned eighteene yeeres Auentinus affirmes That presently after hee had slaine his brother entring into one of his cities hee was strucke with Thunder Annal. Boiorum Lib. 3. But this inhumane Butcheresse Brunechildis after shee had beene the ruine of an infinite number of people and the death of ten kings at length moouing an vnfortunate warre against Lotharius to whom shee denyed to yeeld the kingdome shee was taken in battaile and by the Nobilitie and Captaines of the Armie condemned to an vnheard of punishment She was first beaten with foure Bastoones before shee was brought before Lotharius then all her Murthers Treasons and Inhumanities were publikely proclaimed in the Armie and next her Legges and Hands being fastened to the tayles of wild Horses pluckt to pieces and disseuered limbe from limbe Anno 1618. Sigebertus Trittenhemius Gaguinus and Auentinus And such bee the earthly punishments due to Patricides and Regicides Touching Patricides Solon when hee instituted his wholesome Lawes made no Law to punish such as thinking it not to be possible in nature to produce such a Monster Alex. Lib. 2. cap. 5. Romubus appointing no punishment for that inhumanitie included Patricides vnder the name of Homicides counting Manslaughter and Murther abhorred and impious but the other impossible Plutarchâ— in â—â—amulo Marcus Malleolus hauing sâ—aine his mother was the first that was euer condemned for that fact amongst the Romans his Sentence was to be sowed in a Sack together with a Cock an Ape and a Viper and so cast into the Riuer Tiber a iust infliction for such immanitie The Macedonians punished Patricides and Traitors alike and not onely such as persoâ—ally committed the fact but all that were any way of the confederacie Alex. ab Alex. Lib. 3. cap. 5. and all such were stoned to death The Aegyptians stabbed them with Needles and Bodkins wounding them in all the parts of their bodie but not mortally when bleeding all ouer from a thousand small orifices they burnt them in a pyle of Thornes Diodor. Sical Lib. 2. cap. 2. de rebus antiq The Lusitanians first exiled them from their owne confines and when they were in the next forraine ayre â—toâ—ed them to death Nero hauing slaine his mother Agrippinâ— by the hand of Anicetes had such terror of mind and vnquietnesse of conscience that in the dead of the night he would leape out of his bed horribly affrighted and say when they that attended him demanded
entreaties by embassadours to sue vnto her for peace to which she assented hauing before as hostage of their truce receiued Metrodorus the sonne of Satyrus But the two kings falsified to her their faith and honor for Satyrus dealt with two of his subiects whom hee best trusted with whom he pretended hainous displeasure for which flying and retiring themselues to her for refuge they there attend a conuenient opportunitie to insiderate her life They submitting to her her Court becomes their sanctuarie Satyrus sends to demand the offendors shee by her Letters entreats and mediates their peace and pardon These attend their next occasion the one pretends priuate conference with her and bowing submissely to her as she enclines her bodie to attend him the other inuades her with his Sword her fortunate Belt kept the Steele from entring Clamor is made her seruants enter the traytors are apprehended and confesse all that before had passed betwixt Satyrus and them Therefore shee commands his sonne Metrodorus the Hostage to be slaine and the two conpirators with him gathers another Armie and inuades the Bosphorean Tyrant Shee punisheth his perfidiousnesse with Rapes Murthers Combustions and all the calamities of warre till Satyrus himselfe oppressed with miseries and surcharged with griefe expired whom Gorgippus his sonne succeeded in the Principalitie but not with any securitie till he had acknowledged his Crowne as giuen to him by her and with many costly and rich gifts compounded for his peace Polyb. Lib. 8. This Ladie hath a merited name for an inuincible courage and a masculine spirit No lesse worthie to be remembred is Comiola Turinga her historie is thus reported In that great Nauie which Peter king of Sicilie sent against Robert king of Naples in the aid of the Lyparitanes with other Princes and Noblemen there was in that fleet one Roland bastard brother to king Peter The Sicilians being defeated by the Neapolitans Roland amongst many other gentlemen was surprised and cast into prison Now when the friends and kinsmen of all such captiues had beene carefull of their release and almost all of them were ransomed thence king Peter blaming the flouth and cowardise of his subiects the Sicilians neglected his brother and would entertaine no discourse that tended to his redemption Whereupon he was put into a more close prison no better than a Dungeon where he was debarred the benefit of light and shortened of his diet where he spent his time in discontent and miserie This extremitie of his with the Dukes slacknesse in his release comming to the eare of a beautifull young widow of Messana who had a large Dower from her parents and was left infinitely rich by her husband shee pittying his distressed estate and withall being somewhat enamored of his person sent to him priuately by such as she best trusted to know of him If he would accept her as his wife if she did instantly pay downe his ransome The motion being made he seemed ouer-ioyed thanked the Heauens for their diuine assistance and with great willingnesse accepted of the motion They are contracted by Proxie and shee payes readie downe two thousand ounces of Gold for his freedome This done and Roland comming backe to Messana he was so farre from acknowledging the Contract that he would not so much as see her or confesse himselfe obliged vnto her in the smallest courtesie who had it not beene for her charitable loue and pietie might haue languished in an vncomfortable durance all the dayes of his life Comiola Turinga at this ingratitude much grieued for she had not onely payd downe so great a summe but that which most afflicted her was that the fame of her marriage being all ouerspread the Contract being denyed and by Roland abiured must at least redound to her perpetuall scorne if not to the disparagement of her fame and vertue To salue both with what conuenience she could she was aduised to accite him into the Ecclesiasticall Court by Processe and to plead the forenamed Contract and which shee could easily doe prooue it by witnesse Which the friends and kindred of Roland hearing persuaded him to shun the common fame which went of his ingratitude to reconcile the tongues of euill speakers and to preuent all controuersies and troubles in Law to accept of her as one that best deserued him With much adoe he accepts of the motion A publike confluence of friends and kindred at an appointed day are assembled where when the bastard expected to heare her and her friends sollicite him concerning the mariage she in that publike conuention first ript vp her courtesies and with what a charitable and chast purpose she had done them next she laid open his barbarous ingratitude not to acknowledge them and lastly his corrupt and dishonest heart in lying to God and her by denying a contract past in the presence of so many witnesses therefore shee told him shee now renounced both contract clayme or interest in him accounting it a dishonor vnto her to cast her selfe away vpon one perfidious and a coward As for marriage she had now contracted her selfe to single chastitie and all the wealth shee had shee vowed to the seruice of God and his Church and so left him with a kind of noble disdaine being by all that saw and heard her constant resolution as much commended for her courage as he condemned for his mutabilitie and cowardise Fulgos. Lib. 5. cap. 3. If Lucius Aemulius Regillus in a Nauall fight hauing defeated Hanniball then Generall for the king Antiochus was brought into the Temple of Apollo by the Senate where first hauing all his braue seruice rehearsed by the Herald or Cryer with how puissant a Nauie he had fought how many of the enemies shippes hee had foundred in the Sea and how many taken and brought to Rome for which by the consent of the Fathers hee was graunted a Triumph Liu. Lib. 8. de Bello Macedon and Volater Lib. 13. cap. 3. Anthrop If Aurelius Alex. Emperor for fighting against the Persians and vanquishing the king Artaxerxes whom Herodian in his Historie calls Artaxaces for this Act alone after a large and learned Encomiastick Oration made of the excellencie of his Valour had likewise a publike Triumph allowed him by the Senate Volater Lib. 23. If Leocritus the Athenian and sonne of Protarchus being but a priuate souldier vnder the Generall Olimpiodorus at the assault of Pyraeum then guarded and defenced by Demetrius the sonne of Antigonus because hee was the first that mounted and broke into the Rampier then called Musaeum in entring which hee was slaine yet for this onely braue Act of Resolution had all Militarie Honours done to his Bodie his Shield with his name engrauen thereon with his valiant Enterprise inscribed as a thing sacred to perpetuall memorie and dedicated to Iupiter the Deliuerer Pauson Lib. 1. What prayse what admiration and condigne Honours may this magnanimous Queene Tyrgatao Meotis clayme who not in one but many battailes opposed two