her sonne Itis begot by her husband Tereus The Daiedes or Danaes daughters of Danaus for cutting the throats of their husbands and kinsmen the sonnes of AEgiptus The Lemniades or women of Lemnos who in the same Island most cruelly slew their sonnes and fathers Harpalice the daughter of Climenus who killed the childe which her incestuous father begot on her owne body Tullia the daughter of Servius King of the Romans who caused her chariot to be drawne ouer the body of her dead father for the horridnesse of which fact the street in the citie Rome where this was done was called Vicus sceleratus Of those abhorred for Incestuous congresse the most remarkable were Iocasta who had issue by her sonne Oëdipus and Pelopaea by her father Thiestes Harpalice with her Sire Climenus c. Some are to this day made infamous for killing their husbands As Clitemnestra the daughter of Thestius for conspiring with Egistus in the murder of her Lord Agamemnon the son of Atreus Iliona the daughter of Priam for killing her husband Polymnestor K. of Thrace Semyramis Queen of Babylon for the death of Ninus King of Assyria Helena after the death of Paris Deiphebus the sonne of Priam. Agave her husband Lycothersis in Illyria and Deianeira for sending the poysonous Shirt to her Lord Hercules of Lybia c. Others for killing their wiues As the same Hercules his wife Megara the daughter of Creon King of Thebes Theseus Antiopa the Amazon and daughter of Mars Cephalus the son of Deionis or of Mercury Procris the daughter of Pandion by his vaine jelousie c. Fathers for killing their daughters As Agamemnon the great General of the Grecian Army in their famous expedition against Troy who sacrificed his daughter Iphigenia to the goddesse Diana Climenus the sonne of Oeneus slew his daughter Harpalice because she killed her child and serued it in vnto him at a banquet Hyacinthus his daughter Spariantides vpon an answer returned from the Athenians Erichthaeus the sonne of Pandion his daughter Colophonia vpon the like occasion Cercyon the sonne of Vulcan his daughter Alopes for committing incest with Neptune AEolus his daughter Canace for the like done with her brother Mallaraeus c. Of mothers that most cruelly and vnnaturally haue murthered their owne children we reade That Medea the daughter of Oâ—tes King of Colchos slew her two sonnes Machareus Pherelus begot by Iason Progne the daughter of Pandion killed her son It is which she had by Tereus Ino the daughter of Cadmus yong Melicertes begat by Athamas the sonne of AEolus Althaea the daughter of Thestius Meleager by Oeneus the sonne of Parthaâ—n Themisto the daughter of Hypseus Plinthius and Orchomenes her two sonnes by Athamas Tyros the daughter of Salmoneus two sonnes begot by Sisiphus the sonne of Eolus Agave the daughter of Cadmus Penthaus the sonne of Echion at the imposition of Liber Pater c. So likewise of Selfe-murtherers Egeus the sonne of Neptune and father of Theseus cast himselfe headlong into the sea from whose death it still retaines the name of Mare Egeum i. the Egean sea Euhemus the sonne of Hercules precipitated himselfe into the riuer Lycorma which is now called Chrysorroas Aiax the sonne of Telamon slew himselfe for the losse of Achilles his armor Lycurgus the sonne of Briantus being strooke with madnesse by Liber Pater laid violent hands vpon himselfe Agrius the son of Parthaon being expulsed from his kingdome by Diomedes King of AEtolia slew himselfe So Ceneus the sonne of Elatus Menicus the father of Iocasta or as some call him Menaetis precipitated himselfe from the walls of Athens Nisus the son of Mars hauing lost his purple locke cast himselfe vpon his sword and so died As likewise Climenus the sonne of Coeneus King of Arcadia after he had committed incest with his daughter Cyniras the sonne of Paphus King of Assyria after hee had committed the like with his owne naturall childe Hercules cast himselfe into the fire and so perished Adrastus with his sonne Hipponous did the like Pyramus the Babylonian slew himselfe for the loue of Thisbe And Oedipus the sonne of Laius destroyed his owne life for hauing incestuous Issue by his mother whose name was Iocasta c. Of Women that so dispairingly died these Hecuba the wife of Priam cast her selfe into the sea as Ino the daughter of Cadmus did the like with her sonne Melicertus Anticlia the mother of Vlysses and daughter of Antolychus strangled her selfe because she heard a false rumour of her sonnes death The like did Stoenobaea the daughter of Iobates and wife of King Praetus for the loue of Bellerephon Evadne the daughter of Philacus because her husband Capaneus was slaine at Thebes cast her selfe into the same funeral fire in which his body was burned AEthra the daughter of Pythaus for the death of her children Iliona for the death of her parents Themisto for her children Erigone for her father Phedra for the incestuous loue borne to her step-sonne Hyppolitus Phyllis for Demophoon Calypso daughter to Atlas for the loue of Vlysses Dido the daughter of Belus for AEneas c. Time would sooner faile me than Historie yet these I haue introduced to this purpose to shew That Atheisme and want of the true knowledge of God hath bin the cause of so many Murthers and Incests hath made so many Parracides and Fratricides and indeed hath beene the ground of all prodigious acts and inhumanities whatsoeuer Something is requisit to be spoken of Idolatry The word is deriued from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. Cultus and Colo The definition thereof is Cultus Deo debitus Creaturae exhibitus i. The worship that is due onely to God conferre vpon the Creature An Idol is when any Statue or Image in which either some Deitie or any other thing shall stand for a Power a Patron Protector or Sauiour is represented and worshipped Of which kind was the golden Calfe Basil saith vpon the third of Esay What thing can appeare more vain and ridiculous than for a man to professe himselfe to be the workeman of his God and Maker To shew how abhominable Idolatry was in the eyes of the Almighty I will only quote you one place out of many in the holy Text Take therefore good heed vnto your selues for you saw no Image in the day that the Lord spake to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire that you corrupt not your selues nor make you a grauen Image or representation of any figure whether it be likenesse of male or female the likenesse of any beast that is on the earth or of any feathered fowle that flieth in the aire or of any thing that creepeth on the earth or of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth And lest thou lift vp thine eyes to heauen and when thou seest the Sunne the
three Presents bring Myrrhe to a Man and Gold vnto a King Incense to'a God To proue himselfe Diuine In Cana he turn'd Water into Wine Fiue Loaues two Fishes haue fiue thousand fed When surplusage remain'd of meat and bread To the borne-Blinde he shew'd the Suns bright rayes Who on th' vnknowne light did with wonder gaze He caus'd the light on Lazarus to shine After he foure dayes in the graue had ly'ne With his right hand he fainting Peter stay'd But with his word his faith more constant made She that the bloudy Issue had endur'd For many Winters by her Faith was cur'd The palsied man who had been bedrid long Took vp his bed and walkt thence whole and strong He cast out Diuels by his Word sincere He made the Dumbe to speake and Deafe to heare He it was of whom some thinke Virgil prophecied Eclog 4. in these words Vltima Cumaei venit iam Carminis atas The last day 's come of the Cumaean Ryme A great One's now borne from the first of Time The Virgin is return'd with Saturnes Crowne And now a new Birth is from Heav'n let downe He was miraculous in his death Of whom elegant S. Bernard thus speakes How sweetly Lord Iesus didst thou conuerse with men how aboundantly didst thou bestow many blessings vpon man how valiantly didst thou suffer many bitter hard and intollerable things for man hard words hard strokes more hard afflictions O hard hardned and obdure Sonnes of Adam whom so great sufferings so great benignitie so immense an ardour of loue cannot mollifie Againe God loued vs sweetly wisely valiantly sweetly in assuming our Flesh wisely in auoyding sin valiantly in suffering death but aboue all in that Cup which he vouchsafed to taste which was the great worke of our Redemption for that more than all challenges our loue it gently insinuateth our deuotion more iustly exacts it more strictly binds it more vehemently commands it And in another place In the Passion of our Sauiour it behoueth vs three things more especially to consider the Worke the Manner the Cause In the Worke his Patience in the Manner his Humilitie in the Cause his Charitie Patience singular Humilitie admirable and Charitie vnspeakeable And now me-thinks I heare the Redeemer and Sauiour of the World thus speake from the Crosse. Huc me sidereo discendere fecit Olympo His me crudeli vulnere fixit Amor c. Loue drew me hither from the starry Round And here hath pierc'd me with a cruell wound I mourne yet none hath of my griefe remorse Whom Deaths dire Lawes in vaine intend to force Loue brought me to insufferable scorne And platted on my head a crowne of Thorne It was meere loue thy wounded Soule to cure Made me these wounds vpon my flesh t' endure It was my Loue which triumphs ouer all That quencht my thirst with Vineger and Call The loue which I to Mankinde could not hide With a sharpe Speare launcht bloud out of my side Or'e me Loue onely me of Kings the King Doth now insult who hither did me bring For others gaine to suffer this great losse To haue my hands and feet nayl'd to the Crosse. Now what do I for all this loue implore Loue me againe and I desire no more Thinke saith Thomas de Kempis of the dignitie of the Person and greatly lament because God in the Flesh was so contumeliously handled Ecce Altissimus supra omnes infra omnes deprimitur Nobilissmus dehonestatur Speciocissimus sputo inquinatur c. Behold how the most-High aboue all is depressed below all The most Noble is vilified The most Faire spit vpon The most Wise derided The most Mighty bound The most Innocent scourged The most Holy crowned with Thornes The most Gentle buffetted The most Rich impouerished The most Bountifull despoyled The most Worthy blasphemed The most Good despised The most Louing hated The most Knowing reputed foolish The most True not beleeued The most Innocent condemned The most skilfull Physitian wounded The Sonne of God crucified The Immortall subiect to death and slaine The Lord of heauen and earth dying for the redemption of wretched and ingratefull seruants Sic de Cruce suo Christus loquitur Vide Homo qua pro te patior Vide Claâ—es quibus confâ—diâ—r Vide poenas quibus afficior Cum sit tantuâ— dolor exterior Interior planctus est gravior Dum ingratum te sic experior See what I for thee endure Nail'd to the Crosse by hands impure Behold the paines I suffer here Since outward griefe doth such appeare How great then is my griefe within Whilest thou ingrate abid'st in sin Briefely The whole Passion of Christ according to the sentence of Dionysius was for imitation compassion admiration contemplation inflammation and thanksgiuing According to that of Thomas à Kempis It is of diuine Loue the Incendiarie of Patience the Doctrine in tribulation the Comfort It is the solace of dissolution the substance of holy compunction the exercise of internall deuotion the exclusion of desperation the certaine hope of remission the support of sharpe reprehension the expulsion of peruerse cogitation the repression of carnall temptation the consolation of corporall imperfections the contempt of temporall aboundance the abdication of our proper affections the restraint of superfluous necessitie the exercise of honest conuersation the inflammation to amendment of life the induction to coelestial consolation the approbation of brotherly compassion the reparation of diuine contemplation the argumentation of future blessednesse the mitigation of paines present the purgation from the fire future and the great satisfaction for all our sinnes and offences whatsoeuer Briefely the Passion of Christ is of a godly and religious Soule the Mirrhor of our life the Director of the way to heauen the Load-starre of all tempests the shadow and protector and of all Soules in the houre of death the comfort and supporter The Passion of Christ saith Rabanus de laude Crucis sustaines heauen gouerneth the world pierceth hell in the first the Angels are confirmed in the second the people redeemed in the third the Enemie subdued Saint Augustine in his Sermon De Natali Domini saith That the Maker of man was made Man that he which gouerned the Stars should sucke the breast that the Bread should be hungry the Fountaine thirsty the Light should be darkned the Way should be weary the Truth should suffer by false witnesse the Iudge of the liuing and dead should by a mortall man be iudged that Iustice by injust men should be condemned that Discipline it selfe should be scourged the prime Branch crowned with thornes he that made the Tree be hanged on the Tree Strength weakned Health wounded and Life made subiect vnto death Saint Bernard in his first sermon De Nativit Christi vseth these words Vt in Paradiso terrestri quatuor fuere fontes c. As in the earthly Paradise there were foure Riuers which watered the whole earth so in Christ who is our Paradise wee may finde
Vertent comes we shall againe Be borne as heretofore on earth remaine Iust the same time and leade the selfe same liues Haue the same Neighbours marry the same Wiues Get the same children haue that house that land We now enioy liue vnder the command Of the same Soueraigne see iust iudgement done On Malefactors who shall after run Into like forfeit by that Iudge be try'de And dye againe where they before-time dy'de To buy to sell to build all that we see Here done once was and shall hereafter be And to reduce all parcels to one summe So the past Cataclisme must againe come Yet these most fabulous assertions tho They sweetned Plato with a many mo Reputed wise were by them that respected Reason ' boue Will exploded and reiected In that reputing the Professors Fooles And their Positions hist out of the Schooles The Iewish Rabbins likewise held them vaine And I leaue this to touch an higher straine Nihil notum in Terra Nihil Ignotum in Coelo Bern. Theologicall Philosphicall Poeticall Historicall Apothegmaticall Hierogriphicall and Emblematicall Obseruations touching the further illustration of the former Tractate COncerning the three diuisions of the World Sublunarie Coelestiall and Super-Coelestiall as also what a true correspondence the Arke of Tabernacle of Moses had vnto them being a small yet a most curious model of the greater and most admirable Fabricke hath beene sufficiently discoursed And therefore as well to auoyd prolixitie as other impertinent circumstances I purpose with no iterations to trouble or tempt the patience of the Reader but rather proceed to the illustrating and inlarging of such things as haue been meerely epitomised and little more than mentioned in the premisses and first to define vnto you what the Wold is Mundus or the World is in the Hebrew Language Holam which implyeth thus much Quod iam per aliquot secula subsistat In quo rerum ortus interitus sitâ—ed Which is to subsist and continue for certaine Ages and in which shall be the birth and destruction of things The word in the Originall directly reprouing all such as are of opinion That it hath alwaies beene and shall euer last The Greekes call it Cosmos which signifieth Ornament Which the Latines for the perfect and absolute elegancie thereof call Mundus i. Cleane because than it there is nothing more neatly polished or more rarely beautified for so saith Pliny Possidonius in Meteor calleth that Mundus or the World which consisteth of Heauen and Earth Coelestiall and Terrestrial natures or of gods and men and of those things which were created for their vse Some call it Muudus quasi Ornatus Muliebris a Womans Ornament or Munitus i. Defenced Others à Mouendo i. Mouing because Mundus is that kind of Ornament which women carefully put on in the morning and carelesly throw aside at night Mundus Muliebris as Vlpian will haue it is per quod Mulier mundior fit That by which a woman is made more faire and spectable Amongst which necessaries he reckoneth vp her Myrrhor her Matula her Vnguents boxes of Ointments c. Of this vaine World which men so much doat on heare what Gregorie in one of his Homilies saith Ecce Mundus qui diligitur fugit i. Behold the World of which they are so much besotted passeth away from vs. The Saints whose memories are only remaining vnto vs did scorne it when it was most flourishing they had long life constant health riches in plenty fertilitie in Issue tranquilitie in peace yet when in it selfe it most flourished in their hearts it most withered But now when the World begins to grow old and barren in our hearts it is still greene and burgeoning Death mourning and desolation beguirts vs on all sides yet we hood-wink'd by the blinde will of Concupiscence are in loue with the bitternesse thereof we follow it flying vs we leane vnto it shrinking from vs we catch hold vpon it falling with vs. Chrisostome wee may reade thus As when wee see a very aged man we presently coniecture that his end is neere but yet we cannot presume of the day of his death when that shall be so when we truly consider the World and from how long it hath been we know the end thereof cannot be far off yet of the time when this dissolution shall be wee are altogether ignorant Againe in another place As all men assuredly know that they shall die by seeing others daily to depart the world yet thinke not of their owne ends nor how soone they shall follow them so wee certainely know that the World shall one day bee consumed yet scarcely will we giue beleefe to our knowledge Elsewhere he vseth these words As it is a much easier thing and sooner done by man to pull downe than to build to ruin than to erect as in all structures it is commonly seene it is not so with God for he with more facilitie maketh than marreth buildeth than casteth downe sooner iustifieth than destroyeth For he made the whole frame of the World with all the Creatures therein in six dayes and yet that onely city Iericho he was seuen dayes in destroying You may finde it thus in Lactantius Who can be so foolish or idle to make any thing friuolous and for no vse by which hee can neither receiue pleasure nor profit He that buildeth a house doth not build it only to be a house and to be called so but hee hath a further purpose to make it habitable for some or other to dwell therein The Ship-wright that maketh a ship doth not spend all that labour and art that it may onely be called a Ship but his intent is to make it fit for nauigation So he that models or fashions any Cup or Vessell doth not doe it onely to the end that it shall retain the name of such a thing but to be imployed in those necessarie vses for which the like things are framed So of all other things there is nothing made for shew only but some seruice Euen so the World was created by the Almightie not onely to be meerely called so and retaine the name neither did he frame his Creatures for the World it selfe as if it either needed the heate or light of the Sunne the breath of the windes the moisture of the clouds or nourishment from those things which it selfe yearely produceth but he made all those things for the vse of man and that man in it should magnifie and glorifie his Name I conclude these with that remarkable saying of S. Chrisostome vpon Mathew Habemus pro Mare Mundum c. We haue for the Sea the World for the Ship the Church for our Mast the Crosse for the Sailes Repentance for our Pilot Christ for the Winde the Holy-Ghost c. Diuers of our antient Poets made no question of the dissolution of the World but that as it had a beginning so consequently it must haue an end Though
They haue found out a thousand wayes to die Then came the Brasen Age worse than the two former yet not altogether so wicked as the last of which Ovid Met. lib. 1. makes mention Tertia post illas successit ahaenea proles Saevior ingenijs c. The third succeeds the Brasen Issue stil'd More cruell in their natures and more vild More apt to horrid Armes than those forepast And yet not all so wicked as the last The Iron Age is the last of which the soâ—e Poâ—t in the selfe same booke makes this description de Duro est vltimâ— Ferro c. The fourth of Iron into whose veines are crept All those grand mischiefes that beforeâ— time slept Truth Modestie and Faith together fled As banisht from the earth into whose sted Came Craft Deceit Fraud Iniurre and Force And that than which there 's nothing can be worse Base Auarice for not the Earth could breed Out of her plenteous crop enough to feed Insatiate Mankinde but that they must dare To rip her reuerend bowels vp nor spare To teare her brest and in the Stigian shade What she had long hid boldly to inuade And dig vp wealth the root of all things bad By this means wounding Iron at first was had Made to destroy they then discouer'd Gold More hurtfull far though of a purer mold Then War strengthned by both doth armed stand Shaking a weapon in each bloudy hand All liue on spoile the guest is not secure In his Hosts house nor is the Father fure Protected by the Son ev'n Brothers â—arre True loue and friendship is amongst them rare The husband doth insidiate the wife And she againe seekes to supplant his life The rough brow'd Step-dame her yong step-Step-son hugs Temp'ring for him meane time mortiferous drugs The Sonne after his Fathers yeares enquires And long before the Day his death desires Goodnesse lies vanquisht Piety betray'd Vertue is trod on and the heav'nly Maid Astraea now a better place hath found And left the Earth in bloud and slaughter drown'd So much for the Ages of the World It will be no great deuiation to speake a word or two concerning the Age of Man Servius Tullius King of the Romans called those Pueri i. Laddes or Youths who were vnder seuenteene yeares and from thence to forty six Iuniâ—res as those that were fit to be exercised in warre and from the six and fortieth yeare they were called Seniores and then exempted from Armes Varro diuided Mans Age into Infancie Adolescencie the strength of Youth and Old-Age and them retracted into their parts the first Viridis i. Greene the second Adulta i. Growne the third Praecepti i. Stooping It was also diuided into fiue Sections and euerie one contained fifteene yeares the first were called Pueri ex Puritate Children by reason of their puritie and innocence of life the second to thirty Adolescentes from their growth and encrease the third Section gaue them the title of Iuviues ab adiumenta because they were able then to assist in the wars vntill the forty fifth yeare At threescore yeares they were stiled Seniores i. Elder men And in the fift and last Section all their life time after they were called Senes Hippocrates as Censorinus Lib. de Die Natal affirmeth maketh seuen degrees of the Age of man the first endeth in the seuenth yere the second in the fourteenth the third in the one and twentieth the fourth in the fiue and thirtieth the fift in the two and fortieth the sixth in sixty and the seuenth to the end of his life c. Galen in his booke De Deâ—â—nit Medic. will allow but foure Iuvenum Vigentium Mediorum Senum And these are not vnaptly compared with the seasons of the yeare as Ovid with great elegancie doth thus set it downe Quod non in species secedere quatuor Annum Aspicis AEtatis per agentem imit amina nostrae The Yeare thou seest into foure seasons castâ— Suting our Age which is to come or past Infancie and Childehood is represented in the Spring Youth in Sommer the middle or intermediate betwixt Strength and Weaknesse to Autumne and Old-Age to cold and feeble Winter Concerning which we thus reade the before-named Author Nam tener lacteus Puerique similimus aevâ— c. The new Spring comes to which we may compare Children that feed on milke and tender are The yong and springing grasse the season tells For weake and without strength it growes and swells Sweetning the Farmers hopes all things are greene The fields looke pleasant floures are each where seene And decke the Meads in a discoloured suit The branches only bud but beare no fruit Spring into Sommer passeth now the yeare More strong and potent doth like Youth appeare No Season of more vigor and abilitie More ardent or abounding with fertilitie Youths feruor being somewhat now allay'de Ripe Autumne in his course begins to'inuade And mildely doth 'twixt Youth and Age beare sway His head part blacke but somewhat mixt with gray Then comes old Winter with a palsied pace His haire or white or none his head to grace You may also trace him thus Met. lib. 2. Verque novum stabat cinctum florente corona c. Now Spring stood there a fresh wreath girt his braine And Sommer naked in a crowne of graine Autumne from treading grapes in torne attyre And rugged Winter new come from the fire I will conclude this with Pliny lib. 10. cap. 23. As no man saith he knoweth when the Storkes come till they be come and no man can tell when they remoue and depart till they be vtterly gone because they come and goe priuately in the dead of night when no man can take notice or be aware of either so no man can perceiue his age to come till it be vpon him nor his youth going till it be quite gone And as hee that hath sung much is not to be approued but he that hath sung skilfully so he is not to be commended that hath liued long but he onely that liued well I conclude the premisses with Plato's Yeare The yeare is called Annus which Festus would deriue from the Greeke word Enos But others would haue it a meere Latine word as Atteius Capito so Macrobius lib. 1. Saturn witnesseth of him who thinkes it so called of the circle or compasse of Time of An which is Circum and Nonus which signifieth the Nones Which word may for the vnderstanding of some need a little explanation They are called Nones of Novenus as Denus quasi decimus of the number nine Rutilius writeth That thereupon the Romanes called their Faires Nondinae because that for eight dayes together the Husbandmen were employed in ploughing tilling sowing or reaping but euery ninth day was a day of intermission either for conuerse in the City or hearing of their Lawes read and expounded They are called the Nones of euery month because from
much happier were that man On whom the prouidence of Heav'n would daine A gracious looke These words were spoke so plaine The Prince o're-heard them and commanded both To come to Court The silly men were loth Fearing they 'had spoke some treason Brought they were Into a stately roome and placed there In two rich chaires and iust before them spread A table with two bak'd meats furnished Both without difference seeming alike faire One cram'd with Gold other nought saue Aire For these they two cast lots To him that said He that trusts Heav'n that man is only made Hapned the Gold To the other that said Well Shall he thriue that trusts man th' empty fell The Emperor made this vse on 't Lords you see What a great Traine hourely depends on me I looke on all but cannot all preferre That in my seruice merit Nor do I erre 'T is their fate not my fault such onely rise By me on whom Heav'n bids me cast mine eyes How comes it that a Poet shall contriue A most elaborate Worke to make suruiue Forgotten Dust when no King shall expire But he brings fuell to his funerall fire No Optimate falls from the Noble throng But he records his Elegeicke Song In mourning papers and when all decayes Herse Shewes and Pompe yet That resounds his praise Of euery Match and Royall Combination His Pen is ready to make publication When all proue ag'd forgotten and blowne o're His Verse is still as youthfull as before And sounds as sweetly though it now seeme dead To after-Times it shall be euer read What 's Gentry then Or Noblesse Greatnesse what The Ciuill Purple or the Clergy Hat The Coronet or Mitre Nay the Crowne Imperiall What 's Potencie Renowne Ovations Triumphs with victorious Bayes Wisedome or Wealth Can these adde to thy dayes Inquire of Roman Brutus syrnam'd Iust Or Salomon the Wise they both are Dust. Learn'd Aristotle Plato the Diuine From Earth they came and Earth they now are thine Where are the Worthies where the Rich or Faire All in one common bed involved are Mans Life 's a Goale and Death end of the race And thousand sundry wayes point to the place From East the West the North the South all come Some slow some swift-pac'd to this generall Doome Some by the Wars fall some the Seas deuoure Certaine is Death vncertaine though the Houre Some die of Loue others through Griefe expire Beneath cold Arctos these they by the Fire The Torrid Zone casts forth forc'd to endure The scorching and contagious Calenture Some the Spring takes away and some the Fall Winter and Sommer others and Death All. Consider well the miserie of Man And weigh it truly since there 's none but can Take from his owne and others thousand wayes But yet not adde one minute to their dayes For now the Conqueror with the Captiue's spread On one bare Earth as on the common Bed The all-commanding Generall hath no span Of ground allow'd more than the Priuat man Folly with Wisedome hath an equall share The Foule and Faire to like Dust changed are This is of all Mortalitie the end Thersites now with Nereus dares contend And with Achilles He hath equall place Who liuing durst not looke him in the face The Seruant with the Master and the Maid Stretcht by her Mistresse both their heads are laid Vpon an equall pillow Subiects keepe Courts with Kings equall and as soft they sleepe Lodging their heads vpon a turfe of grasse As they on Marble or on figur'd Brasse Blinde Homer in the graue lies doubly darke Against him now base Zoylus dares not barke To him what attributes may we then giue And other Poets by whom all these liue Who as their putrid flesh is long since rotten So in their Sepulchres had lay'n forgotten Like common men had not their Muse high-flying Kept both these Worthies and themselues from dying How in these dayes is such a man regarded No not so much as Oile or Inke rewarded Yet shall a Sycophant or ballading Knaue If he but impudence and gay cloathes haue Can harpe vpon some scurrilous Iest or Tale Though fifteene times told and i th' City stale Command a Great mans eare perhaps be able To prefer Sutes and elbow at his table Weare speaking pockets boast Whom he doth serue When meriting men may either beg or starue Past Ages did the antient Poets grace And to their swelling stiles the very place Where they were borne denomination leant Publius Ovidius Naso had th' ostent Of Sulmonensis added and did giue The Dorpe a name by which it still doth liue Publius Virgilius likewise had th' addition Of Maro to expresse his full condition Marcus Annaeus Lucanus Seneca Bore title from his city Corduba Caius Pedo was styl'd Albinovanus Aurelius Olympius Nemesianus Some from the nature of their Poëms Thus Caius Lucilius was call'd Satyrus So Livius Andronicus Epicus And Lucius Accius syrnamed Tragicus c. Some from their seuerall Countries because they Were forrein borne Terens from Africa Is Publius Terentius Afer read Titus Calphurnius Siculus as bred In Sicily So many others had And that for sundry causes meanes to add Vnto their first for with their worth encreast Their stiles the most grac'd with three names at least◠Our moderne Poets to that passe are driuen Those names are curtal'd which they first had giuen And as we wisht to haue their memories drown'd We scarcely can afford them halfe their sound Greene who had in both Academies ta'ne Degree of Master yet could neuer gaine To be call'd more than Robin who had he Profest ought saue the Muse Serv'd and been Free After a seuen yeares Prentiseship might haue With credit too gone Robert to his graue Marlo renown'd for his rare art and wit Could ne're attaine beyond the name of Kit Although his Hero and Leander did Merit addition rather Famous Kid Was call'd but Tom. Tom. Watson though he wrote Able to make Apollo's selfe to dote Vpon his Muse for all that he could striue Yet neuer could to his full name arriue Tom. Nash in his time of no small esteeme Could not a second syllable redeeme Excellent Bewmont in the formost ranke Of the rar'st Wits was neuer more than Franck. Mellifluous Shake-speare whose inchanting Quill Commanded Mirth or Passion was but Will. And famous Iohnson though his learned Pen Be dipt in Castaly is still but Ben. Fletcher and Webster of that learned packe None of the mean'st yet neither was but Iacke Deckers but Tom nor May nor Middleton And hee 's now but Iacke Foord that once were Iohn Nor speake I this that any here exprest Should thinke themselues lesse worthy than the rest Whose names haue their full syllable and sound Or that Franck Kit or Iacke are the least wound Vnto their fame and merit I for my part Thinke others what they please accept that heart Which courts my loue
display'd From whom they receiue names as Day-Stars some Nocturnal others but the most part come Styl'd by his course Orientall those we call That moue from his Vp-rise they from his Fall Are Occidental Other Stars put on Names from the South and the Septentrion The Potestates their pow'r or'e things Inferior To mannage and dispose from the Superior Of all aboue 's immediately receiue Ev'n so the Sun shines only by his leaue The light it giues is but a shadow meere Of His that is so ' vnspeakeably cleere In Glory that all Glory doth transcend Which Humane Eye can no way comprehend And so his borrow'd lustre doth disperse To Men to Beasts and the whole Vniuerse The Potestates with things below dispense Without all tyrannie or violence The Sunne doth shine with amitie and loue On all alike and with the Starre of Iove Bee'ng in conjunction Mans minde it inflames With honour and to purchase glorious names Inspires with magnitude and claritie And these without all force or tyrannie By speculation in the Sun we see The glorious Trinity in Vnitie We from the Body or the Substance gather The Diuine Essence of th' Almighty Father In his bright Splendor we the Sonne include Who is the sole and onely Pulchritude The third proceeding persons God as great We see it plainly figured in his Heat Our Sauiour when he would exemplifie To vs his Fathers Power and Majestie Did it by this bright Planet Perfect be As is your Father that 's in Heav'n saith he Who causeth that his Sonne alike doth rise Vpon the Good and Bad. We must deuise In the next place how we may mak 't appeare The Principates with Venus Star cohere As she from all antiquitie hath been Styl'd by th' imagin'd name of Beauties Queene Because by obseruation euerie creature Borne vnder her she doth endow with feature Faire shape Good-grace and Amabilitie All which to her disposures best agree Ev'n so the Principates striue to bring neare To God himselfe whose Image they do beare All Soules beneath their charge make them to be Partakers of his Diuine Claritie For than Gods Image nothing is more bright Or more to ougly darkenesse opposite As the Platonicks vnder Venus name Including Loue make him the cause this Frame Was first by God built which from Chaos rude Was brought by him to this rare pulchritude Than which nothing more louely can be thought Whose gouernment 's as rare as comely wrought And that there 's nothing can more ougly be Than is Confusion and Deformitie So by the Principates as many hold Empires and States are gouern'd and controll'd Kingdomes well mannag'd They are like a border To guard without and what 's within to order Lest Fire or Sword or any mutinous storme Where they preserue should study to deforme 'T is to their office pertinent by right To keepe all things in Beauty and good plight These Principates are Dukes and Captaines styl'dâ— Yet are they not alone listed and fyl'd Vnder these Titles The Dominion claimes And Potestates the honour of these names The Principate for his rare Pulchritude The Domination for his Magnitude And for his Claritie the Potestate Antesignani writers nominate And vnto them these great names hauing shar'd Iupiter Sol and Venus are compar'd Iove because his infusion doth assure The most compleat and perfect temperature Venus because from her coelestiall place She doth dispose of beauty and good grace The Sun set 'gainst the Potestates so bright Because he is the Lord that gouernes Light The concordance that the Arch-Angels haue With Mercury doth now by order craue The place succeeding Intermediate Th' are 'twixt the Angell and the Principate From the superior Classes these receiue Their Diuine Mandates which beeng done they leaue The execution of his sacred will Vnto the Angels their Attendants still Moreouer as th' Arch-Angels eminent In place are seldome in Embassage sent Vnlesse some weighty matter to declare But by their ordination th' Angels are More frequently employ'd 'twixt God and Man Ev'n so who Mercury shall truly skan Will finde That Them he in that kinde comes neere For to what Star or Planet whatsoe're He doth apply himselfe their strength their state Their force he doth so liuely imitate As if he alter'd nature to the end That his owne influence might on theirs depend Therefore the Poets did on him confer The name of Hermes or Interpreter Vnto the gods Of him one Author writes Bee'ng in conjunction with the Sun he'accites To heate and drowth he in the Moone breeds cold With Saturne he makes wise with Mars Men bold And when he doth to Venus rise or set They 'twixt them two Hermophrodites beget Besides this Star as wisely one relates Seldome to Man himselfe communicates As by the eyes of Mortals rarely seene The Poets tell vs That he oft hath been Sent to the gods on embassy as when To Somnus in his darke Cimerian den To call thence Morpheus and to Maia ' his mother And often betwixt one god and another But to Man seldome Now we must deuise To know what apt coherences may rise 'Twixt Angels and the Moone Th' are lowe'st and least And in their later ranke conclude the rest Next they the true proprietie retaine Belonging to all Spirits And againe That sacred name is fitly to them giuen Because they are more often sent from heauen Than others of more eminent degree Hauing conuerst with men familiarly Besides all mundane businesse and affaires Committed are vnto their charge and cares All these conditions plainly't doth appeare Miraculously vnto the Moone adhere For she of all the Planets is the last In a degree below the others plac't As bringing vp the Number She is then An errant Star next Planet to vs Men. Thirdly the neerer that she hath her station The more her influence and operation Hath power on earth and the more various she Is in her change the more effects there be Proceeding from her Nauigators steere Their course by her as she or fills her Spheere Or empties it Astrologers enqueere From her in their conjectures sicke and craz'd Are as she works either cast downe or rais'd By her the spacious Ocean ebbs and flowes By her the skilfull Gard'ner plants and fowes So of the rest and in this sympathee The Moone thus with the Angels doth agree That when from the superior Stars she'hath ta'ne Her influ'ence she deliuers it againe Into Mans seuerall parts there reignes as Queene Such a faire correspondence haue the prime And chiefe of Angels with the Heav'ns sublime Or those which we call highest Like condition The middle Ternion hath and disposition With the mid Heav'ns for so at first 't was cast And the third Chorus with the third and last For as the first and supreme Heav'ns are sway'd By one sole motion so it may be sayd The supreme Angels of the highest Throne Haue their
Sunne Is that the Dog Menippus Sure the same Vnlesse I erre both in his face and name What meanes that inso'lent habit he is in Hauing an Harpe Club and a Lions skin I 'le venture on him notwithstanding all Haile good Menippus 't is to thee I call Whence cam'st thou now I pray thee and how i st For in the City thou hast long been mist. I am return'd from hauing visited The Cavernes and sad places of the Dead Whereas the Ghosts infernall liue and moue But separated far from vs aboue O Hercules Menippus I perceiue Dy'de from amongst vs without taking leaue And is againe reduct You iudgement lacke Hell tooke me liuing and return'd me backe But what might the chiefe motiue be I pray To this thy new and most incredible way Youth and Audacitie both these combin'd Inciting me such difficult steps to find Desist ô blest man thy cothurnate stile And from these forc'd Iambicks fall a while Giuing me reason in a phrase more plaine First what this habit meanes and then againe The reason of this voiage late attempted Since 't is a way that cannot be exempted From feare and danger in it no delight But all astonishment and sad affright Serious and weighty was the cause ö friend Which vrg'd me to the lower Vaults descend But to resolue thee what did moue me most 'T was to aske counsell of Tyresia's Ghost Of him Thou mock'st me 'T is indeed a thing To me most strange thou to thy friend should sing Thy minde in such patcht Verses But be that No wonder man for I of late had chat With Homer and Euripides below Since when but by what meanes I do not know I am so stuft with Verse and raptures rare As that they rush out of my lips vnware But tell me on the earth how matters runne And in the city hath of late been done There 's nothing new Menippus As before They rape extort forsweare with thousands more Oppresse heape Vse on Vse O wretched men Most mise'rable It seemes they know not then What against such that in those kindes proceed Amongst th' Infernalls lately was agreed The Sentence is denounc'd which Lots did tye And they by Cerberus can no way flye What saith Menippus Is there ought that 's new Of late determin'd which we neuer knew By Iove not one but many to betray Which to the World Philonides none may I shall incur the censure of impiety To blab the secrets of the lower Diety By Rhadamant Menippus do not spare To tell thy Friend who knowes what secrets are Bee'ng in the secrets of the gods instructed How these affaires are mannag'd and conducted Thou do'st impose things difficult and hard Safe no way as all vtterance debar'd Yet for thy sake I 'le do 't 'T is then decreed That all such money-Masters as exceed In Avarice and Riches in their power Abstrusely keepe like Danaë in her Tower c. Further of that Decree blest man forbeare Till thou relat'st what gladly I would heare The cause of thy discent and who thy guide Each thing in order what thou there espy'de And likewise heard Most likely 't is that thou Whom for approued iudgement most allow Curious in objects sleightly wouldst not passe All that there worthy thy obseruance was To thy desire I then thus condiscend For what is it we can deny a friend When bee'ng a childe I gaue attentiue care To Homer first and next did Hesiod heare Who of the demi-gods not onely sung But of the gods themselues with Pen and Tongue Their Wars Seditions with their Loues escapes Whoredomes Oppressions Violences Rapes Reuenges and Supplantings where the Sonne Expells the Father and next Incests done Where Sisters to the Brothers are contracted And those approv'd in Poëms well compacted I thought them rare they did me much accite And I perus'd them with no small delight But when I now began first to grow Man And had discretion I bethought me than How quite from these our Ciuill Lawes do vary And to the Poets taught quite contrary Namely That mulct and punishment is fit For the Adult'rous such as Lust commit Of Rapine or Commotion who is cause Hath a iust Fine impos'd him by the Lawes With hesitation here I stood confounded As ignorant in what course to be grounded I apprehended first the gods aboue Would neither whore nor base contentions moue And leaue example to be vnderstood By men on earth but that they thought it good Againe That when the Law-giuers intent Was to teach vs another president To th' former quite oppos'd he would not doo That 'gainst the gods but thinking it good too I doubted then and better to beâ—instructed My speedy apprehension me conducted To the Philosophers into whose hands I gaue me freely to vnloose those bands Which gyv'd me then I bad them as they pleas'd To deale with me so they my scruples eas'd And shew me without circumstances vaine The path to good life simplest and most plaine These things advis'd I to the Schooles proceed As was my purpose ignorant indeed I tooke a course repugning my desire As flying smoke to run into the fire For such with my best diligence obseruing I nothing found but Ignorance they sweruing From what I sought and ev'ry thing now more Litigious and vncertaine than before So much that I an Ideots life prefer Before a prating vaine Philosopher One bids That I in nothing should keepe measure But totally addict my selfe to pleasure Because Voluptuousnesse and Delicacy Include the soueraigne felicitie Another he persuades me to all paine Trauell and labor saith I must abstaine From all things tastefull and my selfe enure To Hunger Thirst late Watching and endure All meagrenesse no contumely fly But run into contempt assiduately An in myne eare indulgently rehearses Those accurate and much applauded Verses Of Hesiod touching Vertue which display A steepe Hill and to that the difficult way Attain'd to by Sweat onely One will teach To'abandon Wealth thrust Riches from our reach And if already of good Meanes-possest To hold it vile indifferent at best Come to another contradicting this He saith the worlds Wealth is the soveraigne blisse Now for the World of their opinions what Should I dilate at all when all is flat Foolerie of their Idaea's Instances And Bodies such as haue no substances Their Atoms and their Vacuum such a rabble Of varying names as that I am not able In their origi'nall natures to expresse them Though I for fashion sake did once professe them Of all Absurds the most absurd reputed Was That of Contraries they still disputed And Pro's and Contra's not to be refuted So forcibly and pregnantly that hee Who maintain'd Hot in such and such degree When in the same another Cold suggested Both were so confident that I protested I knew not which was which nor durst be bold To distinguish Cold from Heate or Heate from Cold.
he joine the heate of Zeale with the light of Knowledge as in the Sacrifices Fire and Salt were euer coupled The fift dayes worke was of Fishes to play in the Seas and the Fowles to fly and soare towards Heauen So the fift step in a New Creature is To liue and reioyce in a sea of Troubles and fly by Prayer and Contemplation towards Heauen On the sixth day God made Man now all those things before named being performed by him Man is a new Creature They are thus like a golden Chaine concatinated into seuerall links by Saint Peter Adde to your light of Knowledge the firmament of Faith to your Faith seas of repentant Teares to your Teares the fruitfull Trees of good Workes to your good Workes the hot Sun-shine of Zeale to your Zeale the winged Fowles of Prayer and Contemplation And so Ecce omnia facta sunt nova Behold all things are made new c. Further concerning the Angels Basil Hom. sup Psal. 44. saith The Angels are subject to no change for amongst them there is neither Child Yong-man nor old but in the same state in which they were created in the beginning in that they euerlastingly remaine the substance of their proper nature being permanent in Simplicitie and Immutabilitie And againe vpon Psal. 33. There is an Angel of God assistant to euery one that beleeues in Christ vnlesse by our impious actions wee expell him from vs. For as Smoke driueth away Bees and an euill sauour expelleth Doues so our stinking and vnsauory sinnes remoue from vs the good Angell who is appointed to be the Keeper and Guardian of our life Hier. sup Mat. 13. Magna dignitas fidelium Animarum c. Great is the dignitie of faithfull Soules which euery one from his birth hath an Angell deputed for his Keeper Bernard in his Sermon super Psalm 12.19 vseth these words Woe be vnto vs if at any time the Angels by our sinnes and negligences be so prouoked that they hold vs vnworthy their presence and visitation by which they might protect vs from the old Aduersarie of Mankinde the Diuell If therefore wee hold their familiarities necessarie to our preseruations wee must beware how wee offend them but rather study to exercise our selues in such things in which they are most delighted as Sobrietie Chastitie Voluntarie Pouertie Charitie c. but aboue all things they expect from vs Peace and Veritie Againe hee saith How mercifull art thou ô Lord that thinkest vs not safe enough in our weake and slender walls but thou sendest thine Angels to be our Keepers and Guardians Isidor de Sum. Bon. It is supposed that all Nations haue Angels set ouer them to be their Rulers but it is approued That all men haue Angels to be their Directors He saith in another place By Nature they were created mutable but by Contemplation they are made immutable in Minde passible in Conception rationall in Stocke eternall in blessednesse perpetuall Greg. in Homil Novem esse Ordines Angelorum testante sacro eloquio scimus c. i. We know by the witnesse of the holy Word That there are nine degrees of Angels namely Angels Arch-Angels Vertues Potestates Principates Dominations Thrones Cherubim and Seraphim And proceedeth thus The name of Angell is a word of Office not of Nature For these holy Spirits of the Coelestiall Countrey are euer termed Spirits but cannot be alwayes called Angels for they are then onely to be stiled Angels when any message is deliuered them to be published abroad According to that of the Psalmist Qui fecit Angelos suos Spiritus Those therefore that deliuer the least things haue the title of Angels but those that are imployed in the greatest Arch-Angels for Angeli in the Greeke tongue signifieth Messengers and Arch-Angeli Chiefe Messengers And therefore they are character'd by particular names as Michael Gabriel Raphael c. We likewise reade Nazianzen thus Orat. 38. Atque ita secundi Splendores procreati sunt primi splendoris Administri c. i. So the second Splendors were procreated as the Ministers of the first Light whether of Fire quite void of matter and incorporeall or whether of some other nature comming neere vnto that matter yet my minde prompteth me to say thus much That these spirits are no way to be impelled vnto any euill but they are stil apt and ready to do any good thing whatsoeuer as alwaies shining in that first splendor wherein they were created c. The same Nazianzen Carmine de Laude Virginitatis writeth thus At talis Triadis naturae est vndique purae Ex illo puro certissima lucis origo Coetibus Angelicis mortali lumine cerni Qui nequeunt c. Such is the nature of the purest Trine In whom th' originall Light began to shine From whence the Host of Angels we deriue Such Lights as can be seene by none aliue The Seat of God and his most blessed Throne They alwayes compasse and on him alone Th' attend meere Spirits If from the Most Hy Sent through the pure aire they like Lightning fly And vndisturb'd be the winde rough or still They in a moment act their Makers Will They marry not in them 's no care exprest No griefe no troubled motions of the brest Neither are they compos'd of limbes as wee Nor dwell in houses but they all agree In a miraculous concord Euery one Is to himselfe the same for there are none Of diffrent nature of like soule like minde And equally to Gods great loue inclin'd In daughters sonnes or wiues they take no pleasure Nor are their hearts bent vpon Gold or Treasure All earthy Glories they hold vile and vaine Nor furrow they the spatious Seas for gaine Nor for the bellies sake plow they or sow Or study when to reape the fruits that grow The care of which hath vnto Mankinde brought All the mortiferous Ills that can be thought Their best and onely food is to behold God in his Light and Graces manifold Hauing discoursed sufficiently of the Creation of Angels it followeth in the next place to speake something of the forming and fashioning of Man The sixt day God created the four-footed Beasts male and female wilde and tame The same day also he made Man which day some are of opinion was the tenth day of the Calends of Aprill For it was necessarie saith Adam arch-Bishop of Vienna in his Chronicle That the second Adam sleeping in a vivifying death onely for the saluation of Mankinde should sanctifie his Spouse the Church by those Sacraments which were deriued out of his side euen vpon the selfe same day not onely of the weeke but of the moneth also wherein hee created Adam our first Father and out of his side brought forth Evah his wife that by her helpe the whole race of Mankinde might be propagated God made Man after his owne Image to the end that knowing the dignitie of his Creation he might be the rather incited to loue