to be honour'd and worshipp'd with the same honour and worship which is due to the person whereof it is an Image Azor. Inst. Moral Tom. 1. lib. 9. ch 6. This made Ludovicus Viveâ— a learned Catholick confess that there could be found no other difference between Paganish and Popish worship before Images but only this that Names and Titles are changed Comment in Aug. Civit. Dei lib. 8. ch 27. for as the Italian Proverb hath it They are both one Broth only mutatis Nominibus so that when the Spaniards conquer'd the West-Indies they pull'd down one Idolatry to set up another and in my opinion the New was worse than the Old 2 Darius the Father of Cyrus and Artaxerxes this was Darius Nothus the 6 th King of the Persians and Son of Artaxerxes Longimanus as some say by a Concubine or as others say he was Longimaenus's Son-in-law by marrying of his Daughter Parysatis Philip Melancthon lib. 2. p. 137. and Sleidan believe that this Parysatis was the Sister of Longimanus and accordingly that Darius Nothus was by Marriage his Brother-in law But Plutarch in the Life of Artaxerxes writes that Parysatis was the Daughter of Longimanus and that she was incestuously married to her Brother Darius Nothus This Darius had two Brethren Xerxes and Sogdiaâ—us that reign'd before him but their Behaviour was so unworthy and their Reign so short ending within the compass of one year that there is little notice taken of them in History So that this third Brother who was at first call'd Ochus and afterwards Darius Nothus took possession of the Throne wherein he was no sooner seated but by the advice of his Wife Parysatis who was a Woman of great cunning and cruelty he endeavour'd to get into his possession another of his Brothers call'd Secundianus who was yet alive as thinking it his safest way to spend and destroy all such of the Blood Royal that might contend with him for Title Wherefore alluring Secundianus by fair promises and oaths he at last prevail'd with him to trust himself in his hands notwithstanding Mâ—nostanes the Eunuch had disswaded him from so doing Now Darius Nothus had no sooner gotten Secundianus into his power but he immediately put him to death This King had one policy beyond his Ancestors for seeing his Forces had been often routed he chose rather to bribe and conquer with the Purse than to fight upon an uncertainty with the Pike The old observation was that no Town is so strong but an Ass loaden with Gold might enter therein The corruption of mens Natures is so great that all honesty depends upon who bids most This will I fancy in time render all strong holds and fortifi'd places useless since if any one of the Officers within the same be dishonest and what principles can such men have who live upon Rapine Fire and Sword the place is lost Moreover if Princes consider'd the lives of their common Souldiers when lost in their service any more than dead Dogs or Crows they would all follow the example of this Darius and rather purchase a Fort with the Bribe of 10000 l. than with the loss of 10000 mens lives But of this more hereafter Now Darius by this means closed with the stout Lacedemonians and recover'd most of what his Predecessors lost in Asia In Scripture it is said that he promoted the building of the Temple which by his Father had been interrupted Ezra 6. His chief Favourites were three Eunuchs Artoxares Artibarxanes and Athous but his chiefest Counsellor was his Wife Parysatis by whom he had thirteen Children whereof only his Daughter Amistris and his three Sons Artaxerxes his first Cyrus his second and Oxendras his third outlived him Ctesias writes that Arsites the King 's own Brother together with Artyphius the Son of Megabyzus joyn'd with the Greeks in a revolt whereupon they were both taken by Darius's General Artasyras and immediately by Parysitis's advice put to death both being cast into ashes which manner of death Valerius Maximus saith was invented by Darius the Son of Hystaspes though others attribute it to this Darius Nothus Now soon after this Pâ—sathnes Governour of Lydia began another Rebellion which succeeded as the former for Darius's General Tissaphernes by corrupting with money some of Pisathnes's men took him Prisoner and cast him into ashes whereupon Darius bestow'd the Government of Lydia upon Tissaphernes Afterwards follow'd the Treason of Artoxares a great Favourite with Darius who conspired about killing him and transferring the Kingdom to himself for which purpose he being an Eunuch caus'd his Wife to disguise him with a counterfeit Beard but this Plot being detected Parysatis had him put to death At this time it was that Artaxerxes Darius's eldest Son married Statira the Daughter of Idarnes a man of great quality among the Persians and Terituchâ—es the Son of Idarnes married Amistris Darius's Daughter which cross Match proved very unhappy for Terituchmes falling in Love with his Sister Roxana a Woman of great Beauty and well skill'd in Shooting detested his Wife in so much as he resolv'd to murder her by the help of 300 men with whom he also practised to revolt In the mean while Vdiastes a man that had great power with him being promised a high reward if he could preserve Amistris from the danger of her Husband slew his Master Terituchmes but the Son of this Vdiastes who was Armour-bearer to Terituchmes and not present at his death after he had notice thereof cursed his Father and seizing upon the City Zaris deliver'd it up to Terituchmes's Son Thereupon Parysatis did bury alive the Mother Brethren and Sisters of Terituchmes also commanded Roxana to be cut in pieces alive Darius would have had her to have made away Statira his Daughter-in-law as well as all the rest but through the importunity of her Husband Artaxerxes she gave her her life of which Darius told her she would afterwards repent and it fell out accordingly Against this Darius Nothus the Medes rebell'd but were after some time reduced again into obedience At this time the States of Greece being embroyl'd in the Pâ—lâ—ponesian War he made great advantages by siding with the Lacedemonians against the Athenians who did him much hurt in Asia by their great skill in Navigation In the 17th year of his Reign he dispatch'd away his second Son Cyrus who was born since he came to the Government down to the Sea-side as Satrapa or Lievtenant-General over all his Forces which were used to muster at the Plains of Castolus with orders to assist the Lacedemonians in their War against the Athenians by whose assistance they recover'd all that they had formerly lost Cyrus had not continued in this Employ above a year or two before he grew so high that he kill'd his two Cosin-germans Autobaesaces and Mittraeus because they came not to him with their hands folded under their cloaths which Ceremony was only observ'd in the presence of a King Their
in so much that Appion the Grammarian invoked his Ghost to come forth from the dead and declare which was his Countrey that so the Controversie might be ended Concerning his Countrey and Age there is so great variation amongst Authors that no Question about Antiquity seems more difficult to be resolved Some make him a Native of Aeolia and say that he was born about 168 years after the Siege of Troy Aristotle in 3. de Poetic affirms he was born in the Isle of Io Michael Glycas places him under Solomon's Reign but Cedrenus saith that he lived under both Solomon and David as also that the Destruction of Troy happen'd under Saul Nevertheless that Book of Homer's Life which follows the ninth Muse of Herodotus and whether composed by him or no is very ancient makes the Labour of those men very ridiculous who even at this day pretend to so much certainty of Homer's Countrey which was not then known But of this Leo Allatius hath written a distinct Treatise Neither is there less uncertainty concerning his Parentage Aristotle affiâ—ms he was begot in the Isle of Io by a Genius on the Body of a Virgin of that Isle who being quick with Child for shame of the deed retired into a Place call'd Aegina and there being seiz'd on by Thieves was brought to Smyrna to Maeon King of the Lydians who for her Beauty married her after which she walking near the Floud Meletes being on that shoar overtaken with the Throws of her Delivery she brought forth Homer and instantly died the Infant was receiv'd by Maeon and brought up as his own tiâ—l he himself likewise died Alex. Paphius saith Eustathius makes Homer to be born of Egyptian Parents Dmasagoras being his Father and Aetbra his Mother also that his Nurse was a certain Prophetess and the Daughter of Oris one of Isis's Priests from whose Breasts Honey often flow'd in the Mouth of the Infant after which in the night he is reported to utter nine several Notes or Voices of Birds viz. of a Swallow a Peacock a Dove a Crow a Partridge a Wren a Stare a Blackbird and a Nightingale also that being a little Boy he was found playing in his Bed with nine Doves Others make him the Son of Maeona and Ornithus and others the Off-spring of some Nymph as Gyraldus writes Hist. Poet. Dial. 2. But the opinion of many is that he was born of Critheis Daughter of Melanopus and Omyris who after her Father and Mothers death was left to a Friend of her Fathers at Cuma who finding she was with Child sent her away in high displeasure to a Friends House near the River Meles where at a Feast among other young Women she was deliver'd of a Son whose Name she call'd Melesigenes from the Place where he was born That Critheis went with her Son to Ismenias and from thence to Smyrna where she dressed Wooll to get a Livelyhood for her self and her Son at which Place the Schoolmaster Phemius falling in Love with her married her and took her Son into the School who by his sharpness of Wit surpass'd all the other Scholars in Wisdom and Learning in so much that upon the death of his Master Homer succeeded him in teaching the same School whereby he acquired great Reputation for his Learning not only at Smyrna but all the Countreys round about for the Merchants that did frequent Smyrna with Corn spread abroad his Fame in all Parts where they came But above all one Mentes Master of â— Leucadian Ship took so great a kindness for him that he perswaded him to leave his School and travel with him which he did and was plentifully maintain'd by Mentes throughout their Travels Their first Voyage was to Spain from thence to Italy and from Italy through several Countreys till at last they arrived at Ithaca where a violent Rheum falling into Homer's Eyes prevented his farther progress so that Mentes was fain to leave him with a Friend of his called Mentor a person of great Honour and Riches in Ithaca where Homer learn'd the principal Matters relating to Vlysses's Life but Mentes the next year returning back the same way and finding Homer recover'd of his Eyes took him along with him in his Travels passing through many Countreys till they arrived at Colophon where relapsing into his old Distemper he quite lost the use of his Eyes after which he addicted himself to Poetry when being poor he return'd back again to Smyrna expecting to find better Entertainment there whereof being disappointed he removed from thence to Cuma in which passage he rested at a Town called New-wall where repeating some of his Veâ—ses one Tichiâ— a Leather-seller took such delight to hear them that he entertain'd him kindly a long time Afterwards he proceeded on his Journey to Cuma where he was so well receiv'd that some of his Friends in the Senate did propose to have a Maintenance settled on him for Life though others opposed the rewarding so great a man Some will have it that at this Place he first receiv'd the Name of Homer Now being denied Relief at Cuma he removed from thence to Phocaea where lived one Thestorides a Schoolmaster who invited him to live with him by which means Thestorides procured some of his Verses which he afterwards taught as his own at Chios Whereupon Homer hearing how Thestorides had abused him immediately followed him to Chios and by the way falling into discourse with a Shepherd who was keeping his Master's Sheep the Shepherd was so taken with Homer that he reliev'd him and carried him to his Master where he lived some time and taught his Children till being impatient to discover Thestorides his Cheat he went to Chios which Place Thestorides left when he heard of Homer's coming who tarried there some time taught a School grew rich married and had two Daughters whereof one died young and the other he married to the Shepherd's Master that entertain'd him at Bollisus When he grew old he left Chios and went to Samos where he remain'd some time singing of Verses at Feasts and at new-Moons at great mens Houses From Samos he was going to Athens but as some say fell sick at Ios where dying he was buried on the Sea-shoar And long after when his Poems had gotten â—n universal Applause the people of Ios built him a Sepulchre with this Epitaph upon it â—s saith Suidas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hac sacrum terra caput occultatâ—r Homeri Qui canere Heroum praestantia facta solebat Melancthon Or rather as Gyraldus renders it Sacrum hic terra caput divinum claudit Homerum Herâ—um atque virum cecinit qui fortia facta Hist. Poet. Dial. 2. This is the most rational account of his Death and not that he pined away upon the Riddle of the Fishermen as others would have it and so saith Herodotus or whoever it was that wrote that Book de Vita Homeri Ex hac aegritudine inquit extremum
the Wisdom of 7 Pythagoras the Samian who taught me in this manner to worship the Gods and to understand from them both the things that are seen and those that are not seen also to talk with the Gods and cloathe my self with this fleece of the Earth which was not shorn from the Sheep's back but springeth up purely from the pure being a gift of Water and Earth even made of linen Likewise the length of my Hair was taken up from Pythagoras as also my abstinence from living Creatures comes to me from his Wisdom Wherefore you must not expect that in Drinking and Revelling I should be a companion to you or any other As for doubtful and intricate matters I can resolve them for I do not only know but also foreknow the things that are to be done This is the Discourse that Damis said he had with the King and Apollonius himself hath written an Epistle of the same as he also digested many of his other Discourses into Epistles Illustrations on Chap. 20. 1 FOr they thought to gratifie the King by so doing c. This may justly give us occasion to reflect on the servile and obsequious Flatteries of Courtiers towards their Prince Titus Livy well observes that the speech of men educated in Courts is ever full of vain ostentation and flattery every man indifferently extolling the King beyond all the bounds of modesty and reason Quicquid calcaverit hic Rosa fiat If a Prince knows but the four corners of the Winds whereof no mean Subject is ignorant yet how greatly is this vertue extoll'd in him for being so Weather-wise If he understands but how to steer a small Barge or Cock-boat in a calm River wherein many thousand Tarpawlins exceed him yet how greatly do they magnifie his wonderful skill in Navigation If he knows but when a Fiddle is out of tune by its squeaking they presently cry him up for a Musician if he can ride a Horse but a foot pace for an expert Horseman and if he can distinguish between a Sign-post and some famous Italian piece drawn by an eminent Master for his great knowledge in Painting Thus are they abused by the servile Wretches about them and never suffer'd to come to the knowledge of truth What the King loves they love and what the King does they do be it never so mean and base All Alexander's Followers carried their Heads sideling as he did and those that flatter'd Dionysiâ—s run their Heads against Posts and tumbled over Chairs to be thought as purblind as their Master For the same Reason Montaign writes that he hath seen Deafness affected in the Court of France And because the King hated his Wife Plutarch saith the Courtiers in his time sued out a Divorce from theirs although they loved them never so well Mithridates pretending to skill in Physick his Flatterers came about him to have their Members incized and cauterized by him well knowing that when a Prince sets up for Doctor you cannot oblige him more than in becoming his Patient Favorinus the Philosopher being in a Dispute with the Emperor Adrian about the interpretation of some word yielded the victory to the Emperor and being ask'd why he did so reply'd Would you not have him who hath the absolute Command over thirty Legions to be wiser than I Asinius Pollio reâ—used to answer those Verses which Augustus had written against him because said he it is no wisdom to contend in writing with him who may prescribe And they had reason so to do for Dionysius not being able to equal Philoxâ—nus in Poetry or Platâ— in Discourse condemn'd the one to the Stone-quarry and sent the other to be sold as a Slave in the Isle of Aegina Nevertheless the good and the bad King are serv'd both alike he that is hated and he that is beloved are both equally courted by those about them they wait upon him as the Crows do upon a dying Horse not out of love to him but to themselves This made Iulian the Emperor when commended by his Courtiers for his justice say He should soon grow proud of those praises if they came from men that duâ—â—â— speak otherwise The Flatterers of Alexander the Great made him believe that he was the Son of Iupiter but being one day much hurt and seeing the bloud gush out at his wounds he ask'd them what they thought of that whether the bloud was not of a lively red colour and meerly humane Also Hermodorus the Poet calling Antigonus the Son of Phaebus in one of his Poems Antigonus very wisely reply'd My Friend He that emptieth my Close stool knoweth it to be otherwise Seneca makes this one of the greatest Blessings of Royalty that Subjects are forced to bear with and to commend even the very extravagancies of their Prince Maximum hoc regni bonum est Quod facta domini cogitur populus sui Quà m ferre tam laudare Thyest. Act 2. Scen. 1. If a Prince be as effeminate as Sardanapalus himself his Courtiers shall indulge him in his Lusts and be more ambitious of Cleopatra's favour more proud of a smile from her than of the greatest honour in the World This made an ingenious Author observe that a Courtier 's Face as well as his Cloaths must ever be in the fashion for that he amongst them who cannot upon all occasions shift his Countenance will not in time be able to shift his Linen When Sempronius so basely kill'd Pompey on the Egyptian shore it was only to curry favour with Caesar and had Caesar himself been in the like adversity they could have done the same for him There is nothing so treacherous and base which to gratifie their Prince they will not undertake even to the ruine both of King and Kingdom If he be inclin'd to Tyranny they shall promote it by advising to a standing Army to oppress the people with illegal Exactions and to govern without Law and if he be addicted to Women they presently turn his Pimps Now he that most eases the Prince of Care and Business or she that contributes most to his pleasures are always his chiefest Favourites and these though the greatest grievances of the Subject are idolized by the inferior hangers on for every young Courtier is like a Hop that must have a Pole to support him and therefore in the fall of one great Favourite several others perish Now as 't is said of the Whale that she is steer'd in her course through the guidance of a far smaller Fish so fares it with too too many Princes who hearing less truth than any one sort of men are in their weightiest affairs guided by no higher Dictates than those of a perfidious Mistress or Favourite 2 Pamphylia a Countrey in Asia the Less on the East-side of Cilicia by the Mountain Taurus Sit. Clim 5. 3 Sappho the famous Lesbian Poetess Concerning her Father Authors vary who he was some say Scammon Dronymus others Simon others Eunonimus or Eumenes others Eregius or Eucrytus
cupit hic Regi proximus ipsi Senec. in Herc. The Envious imploreth Revenge like that hot angry Prophet who cursed the poor little Children and made them be destroyed with Bears only for calling him Bald-pate 2 Kings 2.23 The Lover prays to satisfie his Lust and he that hath purchased Bishops-Lands or Crown-Lands prays for the ruine of Episcopacy and Monarchy He that is possess'd of Abby-Lands prays devoutly for the downfall of Antichrist as I do my self upon the same occasion The Thief the Pyrate the Murderer nay and the Traytor all call upon God all implore his aid and all solicite him to give them courage in their Attempts and constancy in their Resolutions to remove all obstructions and difficulties that in any sort withstand their wicked Executions and sometimes they give him thanks if they have met with good success the one if he have met with a good booty the other if he return home rich the third if no man see him kill his Enemy and the last if his Treason took effect without discovery The Souldier if he goes to Fire a Town batter a Castle force a Religious House storm a Fort or enter a City that would not surrender to put Man Woman and Child to the Sword or any such villanous act before he attempt it prayeth to God for his assistance though his intentions and hopes are full of nothing but Cruelty Murder Covetousness Luxury Sacrilege and the like according to that of the Poet Da mihi fallere da justum sanctumque videri Noctem peccatis fraudibus objice nubem Hor. lib. 1. Ep. 16 59 Paraphrased Grant me to play the Rogue and act the Saint Conceal my Vices with Grimass and Cant. Margaret Queen of Navarre maketh mention of a young Prince who going about an amorous Assignation to lye with an Advocates Wife of Paris and his way lying through a Church he never pass'd by that Holy place either going or coming without offering up his prayers to God to be his help and furtherance He that calleth upon God for his assistance in such a sin does like that Cutpurse who should summon a Justice of Peace to his help or like those who produce God in witness of a Lye tacito mala vota susurro Conâ—ipimus Lucan lib. 5.94 There are few men would dare to publish to the World those secret requests they make unto God wherefore the Pythagoreans very wisely ordain'd them to be made in publick that all might hear them and that no man should dishonourably invoke God or require any undecent or unjust thing of him Now such kind of Petitioners were not only unsuccessful but many times severely punished for their impious requests We see how severely the Gods dealt with Oedipus in granting him his request for his prayer was that his Children might between themselves decide his succession by force of Arms and he was taken at his word Dr. Brown is of opinion that it is not a ridiculous Devotion to say a prayer before a Game of Tables because saith he in Sortiligies and matters of greatest uncertainty there is a settled and pre-ordered course of effects and so there is in Murder but yet I should think it a presumption to implore the Divine assistance either in one or the other Again some there are who without any evil intent but merely out of their own ignorance pray for such things which if granted would certainly prove their ruine This foolish desire of men the Poets signifyed by the Fable of Phaeton who having by his importunity obtain'd oâ— his Father Phoebus the conduct of his Chariot set both the World and himself in a flame Also Cicero expresseth the same by another Fable of Theseus who craved of Neptune three wishes whereof one was the dâ—struction of his own Son Hippolitus The same Moral may be likewise drawn from the Fiction of Midas to whom God Bacchus for restoring to him his Foster-Father Silenus granted his wish which afterwards proved his punishment in having all things that he touch'd converted into Gold Hic Deus optanti gratum sed inutile fecit Muneris aâ—bitrium gaudens altore reeepto Ille male usurus doniâ— aâ—t effice quâ—cquid Corpore contigero fulvum vertatur in aurum Annuit optanti nocituraque munera solvit Liber indoluit quod non melâ—ora petisset c. Ovid. Met. lib. 11. Now to prevenâ— any of these misfortunes let us always follow God and never go before him for which purpose I think the best of Christians may herein follow this Divine advice of the Poet Juv. Sat. 10. Nil ergo optabunt homines si consilium vis Permittes ipsis expendere numinibus quid Conveniat nobis rebusque si utile nâ—stris Nam pro jucundis ap issima quaeque dabunt Dii Charior est illis homo quam sibi nos animorum Impulsu coeca magnaque cupidine ducti Coâ—jugium petimus partumque uxoris At illis Notum qui pueri qualisque futura sit uxor Shall men wish nothing be advis'd referre That choice unto the Gods who cannot erre For better then our selves our wants they know And will instead of Toys things fit bestow Man's dearer to the Gods than to himself Mov'd by the strong impulse of Love or Wealth We Wife and Sons desiâ—e But only Jove Knows what this Wife and how those Sons may prove We are taught by many of the Ancients what requests we ought to make at prayer Solomon begg'd for Wisdom That best of Poets Iuvenal advises Orandum est ut sit mens sana in corpore sano But that learned Emperor Antoninus says Whereas one prayeth that he may compass his desire to lye with such a Woman pray thou that thou mayst not lust to lye with her Another how he may be rid of such a one pray thou that thou mayst so patiently bear with him as that thou have no such need to be rid of him Another that he may not lose his Child but pray thou that thou mayst not fear to lose him To this end and purpose let all thy prayers be and then see what will be the event Some few of the Heathens used no prayers at all as we may gather from that old verse of Ennius Desine fat a Deum flecti sperare precando or at least no other then Thy will be done and that rather by way of Acquiescence than Petition But all other enlargement of request they declined partly because they thought not the Deity flxanimous to be won by entreaty or bribed by Sacrifice and partly because they held it a presumption in man to direct God what to do and what to forbear thinking that such a boldness would be but slenderly excused by an additional clause of submission to his Will From hence Cardan took his Notion when he writes Deum non flecti precibus esset quasi unus è nobis passionibus doloribus obnoxius Of this boldness in directing God I know not any amongst us so
adored by the Inhabitants of that Countrey as so many Gods And this saith Diodorus is the account which Fables give of Semiramis's Birth which as Sabellicus observes very much resembles the Fictions which Posterity invented of Cyrus and Romulus not to mention the true and sacred Narrative of Moses Now Semiramis surpassing all other Virgins in beauty and being then marriageable Menon the Governour of Syria who had been sent by the King to take an account of his Cattel and residing at Simma's House fell in Love with her and married her then carrying her back with him to the City of Niniveh he there had two Sons by her Iapetes and Idaspes Now her beauty did so totally influence Menon that wholly resigning up himself to Semiramis he would do nothing without her advice But Fortune who envies nothing so much as the happiness of Lovers would not permit them long to enjoy this mutual and calm satisfaction for the Prince is engaged in the Fields of Mars and the Subject must not lye sleeping at home in the Embraces of Venus King Ninus is storming the City Bactria and Menon his Officer must no longer absent himself from the Camp Therefore leaving Venus for Mars his Semiramis for the War Menon posts away to the King who was then besieging Bactria where he had not continued long but impatient of his Wifes absence he sends for Semiramis to accompany him in the Camp Thereupon she being a most prudent Woman and endued with more courage than is usually found in that Sex making use of this opportunity of shewing her extraordinary vertue undertakes the Journey in obedience to her Husband notwithstanding it was long and tedious But to render it the less difficult she attires her self in such a Garment as she might pass either for Man or Woman upon occasion and which would not only protect her from the heat of the Weather but was withall so light as it could no ways incommode her in case of any Action which Habit was so generally approved of that first the Medes and afterwards the Persians when they possest the Asiatick Empire did for a long time use no other than this Semirian Garment Now in this Dress she arrived incognito at the Assyrian Camp where having observ'd the posture of the Siege as also the situation of the City she discover'd that the Castle naturally strong and difficult of access was therefore neglected and unprovided of men for its Guard the Bactrians at that time being wholly imploy'd in defending the Outworks of the City which the Assyrians only assaulted as looking upon the Castle impregnable Whereupon Semiramis having privately made this observation selects out of the whole Army a Detachment of such men as were best skill'd in climbing up steep Rocks and Mountains who with much difficulty ascending up thorow the rough and narrow passages made themselves Masters of one part of the Castle when to amaze the Enemy she makes a dreadful noise withall giving notice to the Besiegers that the Castle was taken whereat the Besieged within were so terrified that evacuating themselves they abandoned the defence of the Town and attempted nothing more but the saving of their own Lives by flight The City thus taken and Semiramis discover'd all persons were in admiration of her heroick Vertue and Beauty in so much that King Ninus himself who is call'd in the Scripture Ashur falling desperately in Love with her did first by fair means require her Husband Menon to resign up his Wife to him which he refusing to do the King at length threatned him with the loss of both his Eyes to prevent which Torture Menon desiring of Evils to choose the least did with his own hands strangle himself Hereupon the King married his Widow Semiramis by whom he had one Son called Ninus the second or Ninyas and soon after died leaving the Government both of his Son and Kingdom to Semiramis There are various Reports concerning this Ninus's Death for some with Orosius and Reusnerus will have it that he died of a Wound receiv'd by a Dart in the Bactrian War but Diodorus tells us that the Athenians and other Historians affirm that Semiramis presuming upon the influence of her Beauty requested Ninus that she might be invested with the Royal Robes and rule absolutely but for five days whereunto he assenting she after having made experiment of the Fidelity and Obedience of some of her Guards commands them to imprison the King her Husband which immediately they perform'd and by this means she assumed the Government of the Empire Herewith likewise both Aelian and Plutarch agree differing only in these Circumstances that whereas Diodorus saith she imprison'd him they affirm that she kill'd him also whereas Diodorus and Aelian write that she requested to rule five days Plutarch says her petition was but for one day Now for Semiramis's Government after her Husband's Death Iustin gives us this Account of it That Ninus himself being slain and his Son Ninus but young Semiramis not daring to commit the Government of so great an Empire to a Boy nor openly to exercise the Command of it her self so many and so powerful Nations being scarcely obedient to a Man would be much less to a Woman did counterfeit her self to be the Son instead of the Wife of Ninus and a Boy instead of a Woman They were both of a middle Stature their Voice but soft their Complexion and Features of Face as likewise the Lineaments of their Bodies were alike both in Mother and Son she therefore with Rayment cover'd her Arms and Thighs putting a Tire on her Head and that she might not seem to conceal any thing by her new Habit she commanded the people all to be cloath'd in the same Attire which that whole Nation have ever since observ'd having thus counterfeited her Sex she was believ'd to be a young Man After this she made her self famous by great Atchievements by the magnificence whereof when she thought shâ— had overcome all Envy she confess'd who she was and whom she had counterfeited neither did this detract from the dignity of her Government but rather increas'd her admiration that a Woman not only surpass'd her own Sex but also the bravest of Men in Vertue She builded Babylon as I shew'd before and being not contented to defend the bounds of the Empire obtain'd by her Husband she not only made an addition to the same of all Aethiopia but also carried the War into India which besides her self and Alexander the Great never any invaded At last when she desired to lye with her own Son she was kill'd by him Thus far Iustin lib. 1. Arrianus and others allow her a more honourable death and say that marching against the Indians with an Army of 3000000 Infantry and 50000 Cavalry besides 100000 Chariots she was overthrown by Stanrobates upon the Banks of Indus and there slain or as some will have it turn'd into a Dove Venus's Bird whence the Babylonians ever after carried a
hunt in the Parks where Lions Bears and Panthers were enclosed for the Barbarians asked Apollonius whether he would go a hunting with him To whom Apollonius answer'd You have forgotten Oh King that I would not be present with you whilst you sacrificed and besides 't is no pleasing thing to look on while Beasts are tortured and brought into bondage contrary to their own Nature Then the King demanding of him by what means he might reign firmly and securely Apollonius answer'd If you honour many and trust few When a certain Prince of Syria had sent Envoys to him concerning two Towns that lay near the Confines of his Countrey saying that they had sometimes belong'd to Antiochus and Seleucus but now were under his jurisdiction as being part of the Roman Empire And though the Arabians and Armenians durst not make any attempt upon those Towns yet the King had invaded them that he might enjoy the Profits of so remote a Countrey as pertaining rather to him than to the Romans The King having caused the Ambassadors to withdraw a little said to Apollonius These Towns were by the aforesaid Kings granted to my Ancestors for the breeding of these wild Beasts which being taken by us do pass over Euphrates unto them but they forgetting these matters do seek after unjust Innovations What therefore think you Apollonius is the meaning of this Embassy Apollonius replied Their meaning seemeth very fair and reasonable if being able to retain the possession of those Towns situate in their Confines whether you will or no they had rather receive it of you of your own accord He further added that he ought not for the sake of certain Towns than which many private persons have possessed greater to enter into contention with the Romans or to undertake a War upon so small an occasion Illustrations on Chap. 23. 1 THey had begun the War upon us c. Man is nothing but Self-interest incarnate which consists totally in love of Life and fear of Death These are in effect to man as two Ears to a Pot whereof the one is to be held by Love the other by Fear Love is the fairer but Fear the surer and of greater operation wherefore Pallas the God of Wisdom is always pictured armed and the modern Inscription upon our great Ordnance is Ratio ultima Regum to shew that in perswading people to Submission and Obedience after all Arguments of Conscience and Law used in vain the Death-thundring Cannon is the last and surest Motive for Self-love is deaf to all Motives but that of Death the King of Terrors therefore Princes to express their Character by Herald Hieroglyphicks are usually observ'd to choose Birds or Beasts of prey as the Roman Eagles the English Lions c. only France to outshine the Glory of Solomon chose the Lillies The Ancients to decipher the best Education of a Prince report Achilles to have been bred up under Chyron the Centaur who was half a Man and the other half a Beast and that very fierce The Camel a great and strong Creature yet by reason of his meek and harmless Nature is led by Boys and heavy laden whereas the Leopard a small but mischievous Beast frees himself from that slavery by his own fierceness What makes the Subject of England enjoy that Liberty and Property which other neighbouring Subjects want but our own happy ill Natures And when others called the King of England Rex Diabolorum they did it only out of envy for that his Subjects were Men and not Cowards Leopards and not Camels In like manner if Princes are tame and unwarlike their Neighbours will invade them as well as their own Subjects rebel for if men continue long in peace it is metu non moribus War either publick or private is almost the only thing which commands and governs mankind the Thief on a sudden with his Pistol against your breast commands your Purse a poor man's Back and Belly lay siege against him and force him to hard labour vulgar Souls are often forced from their lewd Lives by the continual War which Preachers make against them with their spiritual Weapons of Fire and Brimstone The Life of all Creatures supports it self by a daily warfare upon one another some upon living Creatures some upon Plants and Plants upon the Water of the Earth Torva Leoena Lupum sequitur Lupus ipse Capellam Florentem Citysum sequitur lasciva Capella As for the Antiquity and Original of Waâ— Diodorus saith it was invented by Mars Tully saith by Pallas and 〈◊〉 writes that Tubulcain practised Chivalry before the Flood but Trogus will have it that Ninâ—â— the Husband of Semiramis was the first King that ever made War upon his Neighbours However he that studies the Nature of men will find that mankind hath ever continued in a state of War from its first Original and if to disobey be to offend and to offend is War then was Adam in a state of War before his Fall which made him have a desire to violate the Commands of God in eating the forbidden Fruit since his appetite to commit the sin preceded the sin it self and therefore not wholly innocent before For War as Mr. Hobbs well observes Leviath part 1. chap. 13. consisteth not only in Battel or the act of Fighting but in a tract of Time wherein the Will to contend by Battel is sufficiently known and therefore the notion of Time is to be consider'd in the nature of War as it is in the nature of Weather For as the nature of foul Weather lyeth not in a shower or two of Rain but in an inclination thereto of many days together so the nature of War consisteth not in actual Fighting but in the known disposition thereto during all the time that there is no assurance to the contrary Now that this War betwixt man and man proceeds originally from Nature is evident for Nature having made all men equal in the faculties of Body and Mind at least in their own conceit from this equality of Ability there ariseth equality of Hope in the attaining of our ends And therefore if any two men desire the same thing which nevertheless they cannot both enjoy they become Enemies and in the way to their end endeavour to destroy or subdue one another from whence arises a diffidence betwixt them and from that diffidence War Again Every man looketh his Companion should value him at the same rate he sets upon himself and upon all signs of contempt or undervaluing naturally endeavours even to their destruction if not prevented by some higher Power to extort a greater value from his contemners by Victory and from others by the Example Moreover To this War of every man against every man this also is consequent that nothing can be unjust The Notions of Right and Wrong Justice and Injustice have there no place Where there is no common Power there is no Law where no Law no Injustice Force and Fraud are in war the two
daily Experience inform us of the truth thereof When Sultan Achmet who lived but in the year of our Lord 1613. had 3000 Concubines and Virgins listed in his Venereal Service Purchase's Pilgrimage page 290. Nay in those Countreys the Wives are not all offended at the Rivals of their Bed for as custom hath taken off the shame so also hath it extinguish'd their anger Thus we read in holy Writ that Leah Rachel Sarah and Iacob's Wives brought their fairest Maiden-servants unto their Husbands Beds also Livia seconded the lustful Appetites of her Husband Augustus even to her own prejudice and Stratonica wife of King Deiotarus did not only accommodate the King with a handsom Maiden but also enroll'd the said Concubine for one of the Ladies of her Bed-chamber educating her Children and using all means possible to have them succeed in his Thronâ— of so base a Spirit was Queen Stratonica Again Princes have been as often ruined by their Wives as by their Concubines Thus Livia is infamous for the poysoning of her Husband Roxalana Solyman's Wife was the destruction of that renowned Prince Sultan Mustapha and otherwise troubled his House and Succession Edward the Second of England his Queen had the principal hand in the deposing and murther of her Husband Now this kind of danger is then chiefly to be fear'd when the Wives have Plots either for the raising of their own Children or for the promoting of their own new Religion or else when they be Advowtresses of all which her differing from her Husband in Religion whether she be Wife or Concubine renders her the most dangerous for then she looking upon him as out of the reach of God's mercy can think nothing an injury to his person or a loss to his Estate if her ghostly Fathers are pleas'd but to encourage her Lastly Upon another account Women have many times been the destruction of States Nam fuit ante Helenam Cunnus teterrima Belli Causa Horat. Lib. 1. Sat. 3. Paris his Robbery committed upon the Body of the fair Helena Wife to Menelaus was the original cause of that fierce War between the Greeks and Trojans the Rape of Lucreece lost the Tarquins their Government the Attempt upon Virginia was the ruine of the Decem-viri the same arm'd Pausanias against Philip of Macedon and many other Subjects against many other Princes in so much that Aristotle in his Politicks imputes the abomination of Tyranny to the injuries they do to people on the account of Women either by Debauchments Violences or Adulteries and this he delivers the rather for that no one Vice reigns more amongst Princes than this of Venery Semiramis is said to have had conjunction with a Horse and Pericles to have begun the Peleponesian War for the sake of Aspasia the Socratick Curtezan Iuda the Iewish Patriarch was a Fornicator and Sampson one of the Judges of the people of God married two Harlots Solomon the wisest King of the Iews kept whole Troops of Curtezans Sardanapalus that great Assyrian Monarch lost his Kingdom for a spinning-Wheel and a Whore Iulius Caesar the Dictator was called the Man of Women Mark Anthony was ruined by Cleopatra and Thalestris Queen of the Amazons march'd 35 days Journey through strange Countreys only to request Alexander the Great to lye with her which having obtain'd she returned home again well satisfied Much such another was Ioan Queen of Naples of fresher memory as also Pope Ioan which though denied by modern Papists I find confirm'd in some Books I have now by me that were both written and printed before the Reformation as for instance Polycronicon and another old great Chronicle entituled Chronicon Chronicorum Again Queen Pasiphae was another Example of Lasciviousness Heliogabalus much advanced the Art of Bawdery and Domitian is reported to have acted Sodomy with a Bull. And many other great persons were there whom History mentions that forsook their noble Enterprizes for the Snares of Love as did Mithridates in Pontus Hannibal at Capuâ— Caesar in Alexandria Demetrius â—n Greece and Anthony in Egypt Hercules ceas'd from his Labours for Iole's sake Achilles hid himself from the Battel for Love of Briseis Circe stays Vlysses Claudius dies in Prison for Love of a Virgin Caesar is detain'd by Cleopatra and the same Woman ruined Anthony For being false to their Beds Clytemnestra Olympia Laodicea Beronica and two Queens of France called Fregiogunda and Blanch as also Ioan Queen of Naples all slew their Husbands And for the very same reason Medea Progne Ariadne Althea and Heristilla changing their maternal Love into Hatred were every one the cause and plotters of their Sons Deaths 3 Nay if he be not a very Coward he will kill himself c. All things are importuned to kill themselves and that not only by Nature which perfects them but also by Art and Education which perfects her Plants quickned and inhabited by the most unworthy Soul which therefore neither will nor work affect an end a perfection a death this they spend their Spirits to attain this attain'd they languish and wither And by how much more they are by man's Industry warm'd cherish'd and pamper'd so much the more early they climb to this perfection and this death And if amongst men not to defend be to kill what a hainous self-murder is it not to defend it self This defence because Beasts neglect they kill themselves in as much as they exceed us in Number Strength and lawless Liberty yea of Horses and other Beasts they that inherit most courage by being bâ—ed of gallantest Parents and by artificial Nursing are better'd will run to their own Deaths neither solicited by Spurs which they need not nor by Honour which they apprehend not If then the Valiant kill himself who can excuse the Coward Or how shall man be free from this since the first man taught us this except we cannot kill our selves because he kill'd us all Yet lest something should repair this common Ruine we daily kill our Bodies with Surfets and our Minds with Anguishes Of our Powers Remembring kills our Memory of Affections Lusting our Lust of Vertues Giving kills Liberality And if these kill themselves they do it in their best and supream perfection for after perfection immediately follows excess which changing the Natures and the Names makes them not the same things If then the best things kill themselves soonest for no Affection endures and all things labour to this perfection all travel to their own death yea the frame of the whole World if it were possible for God to be idle yet because it began must die Then in this Idleness imagined in God what could kill the World but it self since out of it nothing is Donn's Paradoxes The two chief Objections against self-Homicide are the Law of God commanded in the Scriptures and the Law of Nature which obliges every man to self-Preservation As for the first of these I refer you to that excellent Treatise entituled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉