who although his auncesters also had beene Princes of the Iewes yet was hee but a poore Carpenter and to him they gaue what was most excellent in the whole worlde choosing for her safetie rather a well disposed then a wealthie husbande Ioseph for so was the Carpenter called receyuing her at the Priestes handes was according to the custome of the countrie espoused vnto her at a solemne meeting of their friendes which was done by the taking of their names by such as were in authoritie for the purpose but afterward her parents kept her at home vntill the day came of her marryage during which season they were accounted as husbande and wife and as fast linked as if they had beene marryed And her sonne before hee became her sonne wrought maruailouslie to her contentment in Ioseph least at any time her virginitie shoulde haue beene in ieopardie for who would haue iudged her to haue meant to remaine a Maide which see her take a mate her selfe beeing of tender yeares and her husbande no olde man but Ioseph hauing the same minde that shee had before hee marryed her or perswaded by her after hee was marryed as shee was enformed no doubt by him who wrought it that shee shoulde preuaile with him in that matter did neuer so much as purpose to preiudice her vowe which shee had made of perpetuall virginitie but being moste truly and properly her husband he resolued to behaue himselfe onely as a most constant faithful and chastly louing friend By this meane was the Enchaunter deceyued taking her for no pure maiden being marryed and the worlde satisfied afterwarde when shee was with childe which else woulde haue iudged her to haue done amisse Thus did the Prince conceale from his aduersarie what was doone and left him to iudge as hee lysted of that which was neuer doone and as of himselfe the aduersarie was not of power to enter into the Virgins thoughtes so was hee also restrayned that his knowledge might deceyue him in her deedes And although that hee coulde neuer perceyue that euer shee gaue consent to anye such act yet was shee of such a nature as hee knewe shee might and being maried he thought it so likelie a matter as he hoped he should not by her in any sort be restrayned in his malice yet because he knew the time approached neere of which had beene many prophesies of the end of that wickednes hee had wrought he could doe no lesse then feare and withall bee verie watchfull but the yong Prince beeing more wise then the other was wilie and more cunning to conceile then the other was to conceiue gaue him leaue by some accidents to coniecture his neerest miseries but yet kept him altogether vncertaine of the cheefest misteries The Virgin being in her fathers house retyred in her chamber as shee vsed to bee a Prince of the Emperour his court came vnto her either one of those which was wont to visit her or some of higher qualitie whom shee was most ioyfull to see but when shee heard him salute her after an accustomed manner shee beganne to bee afrayd and to tremble for feare Hayle full of grace saith the Embassadour our Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women And how could shee that was mother of all humilitie not blush to bee told that shee was full of grace howe could shee choose but bee astonished to heare him who or his like was woont alwayes before to speake nothing but truth now say that which she thought was verie farre from the tâ—uth shee doubted not but that her Lord of his kindnesse was continually with her but shee could not resolue her selfe that shee was so gracious a creature in his sight as to bee saluted by this name Full of Grace shee was woont to bee called Marie to which name shee neuer feared to aunswere but now that shee heareth one called full of Grace humilitie would haue assured her that the Embassadour meant some other than her but that shee neither had any thought of any others being in place nor the Prince any power to fixe his eye but vpon her Here therefore made she a stop and stayed vpon this salutation for easily would she haue consented that the woman was most blessed aboue all other women who was full of grace but her humble thoughts would not graunt that shee was this woman Whereupon falling into a verie deepe meditation whereunto this vnwoonted salutation should tend shee changed her colour so often as her imagination varyed making with her or against her which the Embassadour perceiuing hee awaked her as it were out of some troublesome dreame and soluing all her doubts sayd thus vnto her Feare not Mary for thou hast found grace with God behold thou shalt conceiue in thy wombe and shalt beare a sonne and thou shalt cal his name Iesus hee shall bee great and shall bee called the sonne of the most high and our Lord God shall giue him the seate of Dauid his father and hee shall raigne in the house of Iacob for euer and of his kingdome shall bee no end When shee perceiued beeing nowe named that shee was the partie to whome the embassage was to bee deliuered and was also perswaded that her Lord had that care of her that hee would not suffer her easily to bee deceiued either with any fayned shewe of that which was not or false promise of that which could not bee with a modest boldnesse shee demaunded of him how so great a mysterie should bee wrought in her being a thing well knowne vnto his Lord and her that shee did not knowe any man which shee spake with that constancie in her gesture and shamefulnesse in her countenance as the Embassadour might very well coniecture that as she did not mistrust his message so shee meant not to preiudice her vow she had made of perpetuall keeping her selfe a maiden and therefore he returned her this aunswere The holy Ghost shall come vpon thee and the power of the most high shall ouer-shadow thee and therefore that holy one which shall bee borne of thee shall bee called the sonne of God and behold Elizabeth thy cosin shee also hath conceiued a sonne in her old age this monâ—th is the sixt of her who is called barren because no worke shall bee impossible to God This Virgin who had profited so much in vertue as nowe shee was become peerelesse seeing right wel that without any blemish to her honour shee might entertaine such loue as was offered her by him who was of so high renowne as shee might presume hee would not and so absolute as she might be throughly perswaded hee could not doe any thing whereby either repentance should fall to him or any shame redound to her to satisfie the expectation of the Emperour his sonne and all the Princes attendant on them which seemed at this time to mind nothing else then her answere shee yeelded her selfe to her Lords will and with more humilitie then Abigail to
looketh backward is not iudged fitte for the kingdome of God as also hee afterward preached which sentences may haue a more fit place hereafter to bee discussed lette it nowe suffice that they shew howe that the young prince did not in vaine spend his time in making yoakes and ploughes whose principall arrant was for nothing else but that his spouse taking on her his yoake and going stil forward frō vertue to vertue might recouer with a sweet pain what she carelesly lost by a proude sin But Palestina labored all this while vnder a most grieuous yoake so much the more grieuous because they had no hope of any help The 72. seniors who were alwaies of the familie of Dauid and the chiefe princes of the people therfore could beare great sway among thē were al murdered by Herod for he could neuer brooke any of the ancient nobility and Proselithes as himselfe was were in their place The two brethren whose falling out for the Kingdome was Herods falling into it were both put to death first Aristobulus who gaue the first occasion of the ruine of the countrey was poysoned by Pompey afterwarde Hircanus in whome was all the right which was knowne both to the priesthood and to the kingdome was put to death by Herod Alexander eldest sonne to Aristobulus and husband to Alexandra daughter to Hircanus was beheaded at Antioch in Siria Antigonus his other sonne fled with his sisters to mount Libanus where hee bestowed one of them vppon a great Lorde without the mountaine but himselfe was afterwarde taken and after some grieuous torture beheaded by Antony Alexandra daughter to Hireanus Herod did put to death and her daughter Mariamnes who was his owne wife also his own sonnes Alexander and Aristobulus whome hee had by her but before those hee caused Aristobulus who was brother to Mariamnes to bee drowned for he was the onely man whome at that time hee feared as well for his towardlinesse as his title hee hadde to the kingdome Yet to colour his malice hee gaue him all the honour which hee could he displaced Ananelus whome before hee had exalted vnto the priesthood and restored Aristobulus to the high-priesthood by which fact all that stocke thought themselues bound to him he might at his pleasure make him away when he would for before Alexandra had procured Cleopatra the Queene of Egypt to make Antony the Emperour send for him fearing lest that at one time or other hee should be murdered by Herod but when that Herod perceiued that some did worke to get him out of his handes after the first excuse made to Antony that the people would not like well to haue their onely hope from them in a strange countrey by this exalting him hee contented them all and Alexandra ioyed so much to see her sonne made high priest as shee forgot that euer shee had any iust cause to thinke him in any perill Herod seeing all things to goe forward as hee would wish and that nowe hee was trusted with the youth for hee was not past sixteene or seuenteene yeeres of age which was vsed for a colour that he was not before placed in that dignity he practised the more securely what he intended against Aristobulus but as it is thought hee made the more haste because he saw an extraordinary ioy in all the people who were maruailously affected vnto the youth for that in all his actions especially at the Altar in his rich ornaments hee did most liuely represent vnto them his grandfather Aristobulus performed all things with exceeding great maiestie and reuerence Herod resolued to rid him and his owne feare playd with him as he was woont to doe for he cared not sometime if hee were seene to vse some youthfull games in his companie to make him and others thinke how much hee loued him and when they were both somewhat hote vnder pretence of some refreshing hee carryed Aristobulus to a verie pleasant place where were large pondes and men swimming in them amongst whome at Herods verie importunate intreatie Aristobulus went also to swimme and the swimmers hauing gotten him into the water pretended to make him some sport but Herod who was a looker on had all the pleasure for they diued so long and so often and ducked him with them so much that in the end striuing to small purpose hee was drowned by them Then was nothing heard in the country but weeping and lamenting and Herod himselfe although hee wept at the beginning was thought afterwarde to grieue somewhat when hee reflected vpon those commendable parts which were in the youth and hee repeated this fact when Antony by Cleopatra her procurement at Alexandra her suite sent for him to answere for it but before hee went to make his answere hee sent such effectually pleading presents as when hee came all which he swore and forswore was beleeued and contrary to the expectation of the whole world and his own was not only acquited of this cruell murder but also vsed in most friendly and familiar manner The children which Alexander and Aristobulus Herods sonnes by Mariamnes left behinde them were too yong at this time to lay clayme to the kingdome although afterward Agrippa who was sonne to Aristobulus enioyed it But Archelaus shewing himselfe to be Herods son in all things which might vexe the Iews brought them all into such humours as they cared not what King they had so that they might bee freed from Herods kinred and some of them without anye head opposed themselues at Hierusalem agaynst the Romanes as the cheefest authours of their miseries others seeing no possibilitie of withstanding the Romanes who were now become conquerours of all the worlde made suite at Rome to the Emperour Augustus that they might bee altogether vnder the Romanes gouernement Some followed one named Iudas whose father Ezechias had in Herods time troubled the whole countrey and they were the more encouraged to accept him for their King because at Sephoris the cheefest Citie of Galile hee tooke the Storehouse wherein was exceeding much armour with the which hee armed those who followed him Others about Hierico were contented to honour one named Simon with the title of a Kinge hee had serued Herod in his life time and nowe perswaded himselfe that hee had as much right vnto the kingdome as Herod his maister had before him whereupon to shewe some forwardenesse hee burned and spoyled many Pallaces therabout and gaue what was to bee gotten among his souldiours But these factions continued not so longe as that which a shephearde beganne of a huge stature and strengthe his name was Athronges hee had foure bretheren not much inferiour to himselfe whome hee made gouernours of those multitudes which flocked vnto him but in the end some of the brethren being taken the other vpon condition yeelded vnto Archelaus Others hearing a rumor that Alexander one of Herods sonnes whom he had by Mariamnes was yet liuing beleeued it because they much wished it and no honour
the Iewes had diuers kind of sacrifices one which was offered vnto God for the speciall reuerence and loue which men did beare vnto him and this sacrifice was all consumed vppon the altar An other kind of sacrifice was called a sacrifice for sinne and the one part of the oblation was consumed on the altar and the other was to the priestes vse and to be eaten presently by them in the same place vnlesse the offering were made for the sinne of all the people or for the high priest for then it was all consumed with fire no foule were offered in this kind of sacrifice because they could not be deuided except at the purification of women for then was a doue alwaies offered for sinne whatsoeuer was â—o offered to be wholly burnt but the doue offered at that time after it was killed according to the law was wholly vnto the priestes vse A third sacrifice was offered vp either in thanksgiuing vnto God for such his benefites as alreadie they had receiued or to obtaine at Gods hand something which they wanted and this host was diuided into three parts whereof one was consumed with fire vpon the altar another was to the priests vse and all their family and the third part was to theyr vse whose offering it was and none of all these sacrifices might be offered without salt The beasts which were offered in these sacrifices were such as might easily be had in Palestina and such as might bee driuen without any great difficultie as sheepe oxen goates and of theyr kind the foule were such as were in great plentie as turtles and other common doues fishes were altogether excluded from their offerings both in respect they could not be had at all times when men would nor conueniently be brought aliue vnto the Temple and it was not lawfull to offer any dead thing vnto God but neither any quicke thing which had any defect for to this end were the Priests exceeding cunning to feele euery ioynt from the head vnto the feete and to iudge whether any thing were otherwise then well in the beast or foule which was offered and thereupon to accept of it or reiect it after which ceremonie the people washed their handes and layd them vpon the beastes head which was offered and left the rest vnto the priests without medling any further in the sacrifice except that in the third kinde of sacrifice the priest deliuered all the suet and the breast of the beast vnto them whose offering it was who taking it of the Priest lifted it vp before God and deliuering it backe againe vnto the priest the breast was to the Priests vse and also the right shoulder all the rest was to them which made the offeringe but the suet was all consumed with fire for it was as vnlawfull for them to eate any suet of their offerings as of the bloud and therfore they were as curious in offering all the suet as they were in shedding all the bloud a ceremony vsed euen where they might not vse any ordinarie instrument of death for although it was not lawful for theÌ„ to vse any instrument made for the purpose in killing their turtles or doues yet might they not kill them but by shedding their bloud wherefore they wreathed the necke bowed the head backward vnto the winges and with the nayles of their fingers cut the throate of the foule letting it in that sort bleede to death But what mysteire so euer was in killing the turtle doues or pigions in this or in any other sacrifice it cannot bee without some great mysterie that the mayden mother made so poore an offering for a payre of turtles or pigeons were not to be offered in this ceremony but by such as were not able to prouide a Lambe for theyr sacrifice and a turtle beside or a pigeon for theyr sinne and how could shee bee in such want whose parents were of so great wealth that the third parte onely of that which they had was sufficient for them and shee was eyther her fathers sole heyre or at the least had a third part if it bee true that shee hadde other twoo sisters but put the case that shee reaped as yet no profite by her fathers substance as who might yet bee liuing yet some say hee was dead or her mother or that her father if hee were deceased gaue by will twoo thirds of that hee had one to the poore another to the Temple as hee did in his life time and that the maiden mother was then to haue the profits but of the third part of that other third and that not as yet because her mother was liuing yet howe can shee be accounted as poore who so lately receiued so great presents for who can imagine that three Kings would come so farre to present another king with a trifle whose byrth was talked of so magnificently that no one was either before or after iudged peerelesse for might and wisedome but was thought among the Iewes and Gentiles to bee this Prince beside the president which the Queene of Saba gaue vnto them when shee came vnto King Salomon and presented him with exceeding great gifts meant vnto this Prince and for this Prince his sake giuen vnto Salomon because shee thought â—ee had beene the Prince of whome was the prophesie in her countrey and although these three princes their Kingdomes all put together were not to bee accounted of in comparison of the Queen of Saba her dominions yet no doubt they were verie rich as absolute Lords may bee of most fertile rich countries all of theÌ„ bringing gold according to their calling as meÌ„ who knew by the star that they were to appeare before him before whome theyr predecessor could not no doubt they brought it in great aboundance which neither the virgin could refuse beeing an offering of Kings nor spend within the space of a moneth in so poore a cottage but neither could she dispose of it to the poore without great speech of the country and to haue sent it vnto the Temple had beene to certifie them that the three kings had not onely beene with her of which perchance they might haue some knowledge otherwise but also had acknowledged her sonne to be the king of the Iews which whatsoeuer else was to bee disclosed vnto them was as yet to bee kept most secret from them and perchance this was the cause why in her offering shee pretended that pouertie which the better shee thought shee might doe because shee was not bound to offer any thing but was most pure before and in place where shee did not onely touch that which was holy forbidden by the lawe to women before they were purified but handled in most sweete manner that holy one by whome all are made holy So that the question might haue more difficultie why shee offered any thing then why shee did not offer almes yet before that shee parted from the Temple she vnderstood verie well that