Fire next aboue the Heate to Liuely'hood turnes Fire super-eminent which to reueale No Frailtie can kindleth with Loue and Zeale The antient Cabalists and Rabbins say Who knew the old Law well for those were they Who tooke vpon them to explain't That He Whose high incomprehended Maiestie Is beyond all dimention when he gaue Moses direction In what forme hee 'd haue His Tabernacle fashion'd that the same Was a meere modell of the whole Worlds frame For instance 'T was into three parts diuided So the large Vniuerse Diuinely guided On three parts doth subsist answering to those God in the former Fabricke did dispose Now as that part which is sublunary Being lowest of the three doth alwaies vary As subiect to corruption and mutation By reason of the Elements alteration As seene in Life begun then Death pursuing Th' originall of things and then their ruin And these in a vicissitude Euen so The Arkes first part as suting this below Was without couerings open to the aire And subiect to all weathers foule as faire For in that Court there was no difference had The Iust and Vniust met the Good and Bad Prophane and Holy Creatures of all fashion Were to this place brought in whose Immolation And Sacrifice was then exprest the qualitie Of Life and Death the Type of our Mortalitie Now of the contrary two Regions be Or Temples which comparatiuely we As in the former references call Coelestiall and Super-coelestiall And these are plac'd in eminent degree Beyond the rage of force or iniury Of Alteration or the staine of Sinne Since the proud Lucifer first fell therein And was precipitate thence So that the two Parts of this earthly Tabernacle do Answer the former as alike extended 'Gainst shoures storms haile snow cold heat defended By a faire Roofe so that all sordid base And vncleane things in them can find no place Againe as both are Holy yet the one Is ' boue the other Sacred being the Throne Or place of the blest Angels seated higher In which they in a most harmonious Quire Sing Halleluia's so in this below There be two holy roomes as all men know The first of them we onely Holy call The other Holy Holiest of all Againe as this Terrestriall world doth yeeld As well to Men as brute Beasts of the field Both house and harbor and the next aboue In which the seuen bright errant Planets moue Shines with coelestiall splendor but the third Beyond these two blest Mansions doth afford Vnto the Angels Hierarchy The same Was visible in Moses curious Frame In the first Court thereof were frequent Men And Beasts together in the second then The Candlestickes with seuen Lights did shine cleare But in the third most Holy did appeare The Cherubims with wings far stretcht Againe As Moses so the Scripture tells vs plaine Ten Curtaines to his sacred Machine made So in the three parts of the world are said To be no lesse than ten distinct Degrees And first of the Super-Coelestiall these Th' Angels Arch-Angels and the Principates Thrones Dominations Vertues Potestates The Cherubims and Seraphims Then He Aboue all these the supreme Deity In the Coelestiall ten and thus they run Luna Mercury Venus and the Sun Mars Ioue and Saturne Then the Starry Heauen Crystalline and Empyriall make them euen In this below the Moone where we now liue Are likewise ten Degrees to whom we giue These Characters first the foure Elements Mystae Impressions Herbs Fruits Trees and Plants Beasts Reptile Creatures and the tenth and last Materia prima so their number 's cast Againe as in this Tabernacle were Iust fifty strings or taches which did beare So many Rings by which the Curtaines hung All vniformly and in order strung So this Worlds Fabricke subiect to fraile end Of fifty Rings or â—oinctures doth depend And of these twenty Vniuersall are Twenty and nine be styl'd Particular Generall the last The first twice ten amount Thus in their order and by iust account Vnitie in it selfe Parts with Parts knit Essence with Essence and the next to it Proprietie with Essence Forme not estrang'd From Subiect the Transforming with Transchang'd Art with the subiect Matter dealing sole Parts Separable annexed to the Whole Inseparable parts on th' Whole depending The Cause ioyn'd to th' Effect and that extending To the Intrinsicke then the Inward Cause Ioyn'd to the Effect but subiect to the Lawes Of a Beginning Cause Finall with respect Only vnto the Primarie Effect Then the Cause Finall which doth neuer vary From the Effect which is call'd Secondary The Primarie Effect with the Cause met The Secondary Effect in order set Euen with the Cause Forme likewise that 's ally'd To Forme the Middle with the Extremes comply'd The thing Corruptible on that to wait Which no Corruption can participate c. The rest particular Coniunctions be Still corresponding vnto each degree Of the Worlds triple Regions Ten Terrestriall Coelestiall Ten Supercoelestiall Nine onely That which thirty makes complete As the most Generall titled is the great Coniunction of the world with him that Made it Of the Foundation and the God that Laid it All these particular steps seeming perplext Thus you shall finde amongst themselues connext 'Twixt the first Matter and the Elements there A Chaos is twixt th' Elements appeare And what 's call'd Mixt Impressions Now betweene The stones and Earth a kinde of Chalke is seene 'Twixt Earth and Mettals that which th' Artist calls Margasites with other Mineralls 'Twixt Stones and Plants Male-Pimpernell hath place 'Twixt Plants and Anaimals Zophita's race Participating both being such as haue Both sence and growth and yet are forc't to craue Their nutriment with their encrease and chering From their owne roots but to the stones inhering Creatures that Water and of Earth partake Are Otters Beauers Tortoises who make Vse of two Elements 'Twixt Sea and Aire The Flying Fish that doth to both repaire Betwixt meere Animals and Man is set The Ape the Monkey and the Marmoset Betwixt the Bruits that onely haue quicke sence And those that haue a pure intelligence Man hath his place From the first propagation There is of things a tenfold generation The first composure hath a true descent From the first Matter and from Accident And Cinis call'd The next exsists of three Matter Forme Accident such th' Elements be From two sole Elements the third hath being Vapor and Exhalation one agreeing With Aire and Water th' other doth aspire To take his nature from the Aire and Fire The fourth his essence and existence shrouds Beneath three Elements such be the Clouds The fifth to their Creation haue accited The whole foure to their naturall formes vnited Such Mettalls be and Stones Plants they suruiue By vertue of a Body Vegetatiâ—e The seuenth hath Life and Sence and doth include Beasts of all kinde Irrationall and Rude The eighth Gods Image of far
mouth of Moses In principio creavit Deus coelum terram In the beginning God created the heauens and the earth c. Manifest it is then that there is but one world of which some haue striued to maintaine the permanencie as that it was without beginning and shall alwaies continue without end Amongst others we may reade Manilius thus Haec eterna manet divisque simillima forma Cui neque principium est vsquam neque finis in ipso c. It shall for euer last in feature clad Like to the gods which no beginning had Neither shall it haue end but shall remaine Like in the whole in all parts like againe In another place he speakes thus At manet incolumis Mundus c. The World abides safe and all things therein Revolving as it did but new begin Which length of Time shall not decrease nor Age Diminish ought Motion shall not asswage It 's speedy course nor shall it euer slacke Or tyre in the swift progresse but looke backe As it hath been so shall it euer be The same in all things we the World now see Our Fathers did behold it in times past So shall our Sonnes for it shall alwaies last But as the Poets differ in their censures so against that of Manilius before rehearsed I will oppose that of Lucan by which you shall easily perceiue what contrarietie there was in their opinions both of them being meere Ethnycke and naturall men sic cum compage soluta Secula tot mundi suprema coegerit hora c. So when the junctures of that goodly Frame Shall be dissolv'd and turne to whence they came And the last houre shall then contract in one So many former Ages past and gone To hide in the first Chaos Then shall all The Planets and the Stars aethereall Be mixt among themselues and from the top The fierie Lights into the Sea shall drop And when all things in this disorder stand The Land shall rob the Sea the Sea the Land Phoebe shall proue contrarious to her Brother And as he takes one course she chuse another Disdaine she shall to keepe her oblique way And claime from him the guidance of the Day And the discording Machine shall contend To bring the torne worlds couenants to end Now giue me leaue a little to insist vpon the opinion of some Philosophers concerning the beginning of the World Thales Milesius pronounced by the Oracle to be the wisest man of that Age that liued in Greece held opinion That Water was the first beginner and breeder of things and therefore the initiating of the whole Vniuerse for so both Aristotle and Plutarch report of him The weake foundation on which he built was because he saw and found by experience that there was a moisture in the seeds of all things as well the Elements as others yea euen the naturall and vitall heate to haue it's sustentation and nutriment from Humor and that being exhausted both to be extinguished together and so consequently the vnion and composition of the body to be instantly dissolued To this opinion the antient Poets seemed to adhere when they made Oceanus and Thetis the god and goddesse of the Sea the two Parents or Father and Mother of Generation and the infernall Styx the vnalterable Oath by which the gods themselues contested Anaximenes the auditor of Anaximander reasoned That all things were begot or procreated from Aire Induced thereunto by these reasons That Aire was capable of all impression action and qualitie and naturally apt to be transchanged from one form into another a propertie which the rest of the Elements cannot challenge Of the same minde with his Master was Diogines Apolloniates onely this added That of Aire condensed or rarified many works may be generated Hipparchus and Heraclitus Ephesius gaue the sole preheminence to Fire as the beginner of all things And with them assented in opinion Archelaus Atheniensis reasoning thus That Fire condenst or moistned is made Aire but a degree more thicke and grosse Water and at length made more constrict turnes to Earth So bring them retrograde Earth rarified conuerteth to Water by Evaporation into Aire and being purified transmigrateth into the nature of Fire And by reason of the perpetuall shifting of this one element the order of the birth and breeding of all things to consist and hence likewise new workes to arise Hipparchus Metapontinus ascribed the like primacie or prioritie of place with Anaximenes to Aire as of all the Elements the most noble and fullest of vivacitie and liuelyhood and of the smallest and most subtile parts consisting of its owne innate vigor all things penetrating all things producing all things augmenting all things conseruing and to their first perfection all things reducing Anaxagoras Clazemonius conferred the first generation vpon small and similarie particles Leucippus Diodorus Epicurus and Democritus into their Schooles obtruded Plenum Vacuum Full and Empty To the Plenum full they gaue the names of Atomes which are no other than those small Bodies perceiued and seene onely in the Sun where it pierceth through a shadow and these are neither to be disseuered cut or diuided neither are they apt to colour or change Of these Atomes though their natures be all one yet of them they make these distinctions The first is taken from the place of which some are called superior some inferior some of the right hand some of the left The next is taken from their order of which some are anterior others posterior The third and last from forme as some are round some square others triangle c. Hence it is that Cicero in his booke Dâ— natura deorum thus writeth That of Democritus his Atomes some are light some sharpe some crooked some cornered others adunct c. And of these Atomes diuersly ioined Leucippus and Epicurus were of beleefe diuers worlds were framed no otherwise than of three and twenty letters the Language and Scripture of all men and nations doth consist Others as Pythagoras would deduce the first beginning from Number and attributeth the greatest honour of all to Numerus Deâ—arius i. the number of Ten because it seemes he had obserued that all Nations proceeding in their account there pause breake off and begin anew It would aske too long a circumstance to dilate vpon the Monady or Vnitie the Dualitie the Ternarie Quaternary Quinary Senary Septenary Octary Monary and to shew either the strength and vertue or the deficiencie and weaknesse of them according to the first Deuiser Anaximander conferred the originall of things from Infinites Xenophanes put them vpon One and that to be without motion Parmenides vpon Two namely Calor Frigus i. Heate and Cold the Fire which giues the Motion and the Earth which supplieth it with Forme Empedocles and Agrigentinus held the elements to be eternall and that of their amitie or dis-union all things whatsoeuer had their
considerat qui sic interea despicit preterita non respicit presentia non inspicit futura non prospicit The Curious man walks abroad and considers all things according to their outward appearance inward things he looketh not after to past things he looketh not backe present things he looketh not into future things he lookes not towards Concerning the Elements of which I had occasion to speake in prouing that the World it selfe is of the World the best witnesse Aristotle saith That the beginnings of the Elements are Heate Cold Moisture and Drought likewise That they haue all a repugnancie among themselues and therefore they canot be euerlasting Of them the Poet Manilius thus speakes Ignis in AEthereas volucer se sustulit Aras Summaque complexus stellantis culmina Coeli c. The swift Fire lifts it selfe aboue the Aire And mounts aloft to embrace round the faire And bright roofes of the starry heav'ns it claimes Prime place and guirts them with a wall of flames Aire next with subtile breath it selfe extends Both through the middle part and spacious ends Of th' empty world with gentle breathings feeding The Fire next to the Stars The third succeeding Is that moist Element which fills the Ocean Ebbing and flowing with continuall motion The mouing waues a gentle steame do breed Which bee'ng exhal'd from them the Aire doth feed The Earth remotest from the former height Sits lowest as supprest with it's owne weight Procopius saith Drought or drynesse is proper to the Earth which challengeth it to it selfe Cold likewise is inherent to the Earth but not peculiarly because it hath that quality common with the Water and as Water challengeth Coldnesse so it hath humidity common with the Aire and as the Aire claimes humiditie so by a kinde of fellowship it draweth a kind of heat from the Fire And as the Fire doth vindicate heate as proper to it selfe so it participates of drinesse with the Earth which claimeth that qualitie to it selfe Thus it is manifest what is proper to eueric Elcment by it selfe and what is common among them which they borrow one from another by which they are commixt and knit one to another It was necessarie that they should be first distinct and separate that euery of them might preserue his own nature needfull it was also that they should be commixed that thence might grow the composition of Bodies so that one might adhere to another according to their common qualitie Therefore God the best Workman and who was able to giue to euery thing the most proper attribute called Dry the Earth but not the Earth Dry as you may reade in Genesis Of the Elements and likewise of their property Ovid thus speakes Quae quanquam spacio distant tamen omnia fiunt Ex ipsis in ipsa â—adunt c. These though they distant be in space yet all Are of them made and into them they fall The Earth resolv'd doth into moisture slide And Aire The Aire when it is rarify'de Turnes into Fire yet doth not so remaine For the same order is dissolv'd againe The spissed Fire turnes into thickned Aire The Aire condenst to Water makes repaire The Water grost by Natures secret gift Lookes backe and doth into th' Earths substance shift You haue heard of six Ages according to that computation of Time from the Creation to the present But the Poets haue included them within the number of foure Gold Siluer Brasse aud Iron AEtus commeth of AEvitas which is as much as AEteranitas contracted by the figure Syncope Plautus in Trinummo saith Sapientis aetas condimentum est sapiens aetati cibus est c. Age is the sauce of a wise man and a wise man is the meate of Age for not by Age but by trauell and industry Wisedome is obtained The first Age which was called AEtas Aurea was free from lust and excesse and full of pietie and justice in which all things needfull for the vse of man were enioyed in a communitie and was said to be most eminent in it's puritie vnder the reigne of Saturne Of which Iuvenal Sat. 6. thus speakes Credo pudicitiam Saturno rege moratam In terris visamque diu c. I do beleeue that Modesties chaste staine Was frequent on the earth in Saturnes raigne And then continued when an homely caue A narrow dwelling to the people gaue A little hearth small fire when beasts and men Slept in the shadow of one common den To the same purpose it is which Boethius alludeth Met. 5. li. 2. Foelix nimirum prior aetas Contenta fidelibus Arvis c. Happ'ly was the first Age spent Which was with faithfull fields content It was not lost in vaine excesse By eating little drinking lesse The Herbe gaue wholsome seeds at first And the cleare Fountaine quencht their thirst Beneath the shadow of the Pine Men slept then in the Oceans brine No Keele was washt no vnknowne guest On any forreigne shores did rest No bloud was shed through bitter hate No armes tooke vp to plucke on Fate For what should hostile fury do Or stirre vp mad mens spirits vnto When wounds were made and bloud was spilt Yet no reward propos'd for guilt We reade Tibullus thus Eclog 3. lib. 1. Quam benè Saturno viuebant rege priusquam Tellus in Longas est patefacta vias c. How well did men liue vnder Saturnes raigne When as the earth vnmeted did remaine And no long journies knowne the Sea not cut By any crooked stearne as yet vnput To such new burthens and the wandring winde To play withall no limber saile could finde Nor did the erring Mariner so far Trauell or yet finde out the constant star By which to steere nor as they now do rome From remote places to bring traffique home The seruile yoke did not the Bull disturbe The vnbackt Iennet knew no bit or curbeâ— The dwelling house no doore had but stood ope Nor was the stone prefixt that bounds the scope Of common fields the hollow Oke the Hiue That yeelded honey neither did they driue Their Cattell home but with their vdders swell'd They flockt vnto the milke pale vncompell'd No wrath no war no Armies to inuade For no Smith then knew how to cast a Blade After the death of Saturne the Siluer Age succeeded lesse good than the first and yet not altogether so bad as that which followed Of which Ovid Metam 1. maketh this short expression Postquam Saturno tenebrosa in Tartara misso Sub Iove Mundus erat c. Saturne into darke Tartarus being hurl'd Iove then assum'd the Scepter of the world Then came the Siluer Off-spring and that was Courser than Gold and yet more fine than Brasse Of which Tibull Eleg. 3. lib. 1. thus speakes Nunc Iove sub Domino caedes vulnera c. Now vnder Ioves dominion breakes forth strage And wounds with th'hasard of the Oceans rage And that which men do couet most to flie
make the meat disgest The good old man perceiuing by his looke And change of cheare he Gospell could not brooke Rose at the table and cry'd out amaine Auaunt thou Fiend with thy infernall traine Thou hast no pow'r howeuer thus disguis'd O're them who in Christs name haue beene baptis'd The roaring Lion shall not vs deuour That in his bloud are ransom'd from thy pow'r These words with such like were no sooner spoke But he with all his traine vanisht like smoke And of his people they no more could finde Sauing three ougly bodies left behinde With a foule stench and they were knowne to bee Felons before-time strangled on a tree Now of those Sp'rits whom Succubae we call I reade what in Sicilia did befall Rogero reigning there a yong man much Practis'd in swimming for his skill was such That few could equall him one night bee'ng late Sporting i' th sea and thinking then his Mate Had been before him catcht him by the haire To drag him to the shore when one most faire Appear'd to him of a most sweet aspect Such a censorious Cynicke might affect Though he had promis'd abstinence Her head Seem'd as in golden wires apparelled And lo quite naked shee 's before him found Saue that her modest haire doth cloath her round Astonisht first to see so rare a Creature Richly accomplisht both in face and feature He viewes her still and is surpris'd at last And ouer her his vpper garment cast So closely brought her home and then conueyd Her to his priuat chamber where she stayd So long with him that he with her had won Such grace she was deliuer'd of a Son Within some forty weekes But all this while Though she had lent him many a pleasant smile Not making anything betwixt them strange That wife might with her husband interchange She neuer spake nor one word could he heare Proceed from her which did â—o him appeare Something prodigious Besides it being knowne How this faire seaâ— borne Venus first was growne In his acquaintance Next how his strange sute Came first and that she still continu'd mute A friend of his that had a seeming care Both of his bodie and his soules welfare Told him in plaine termes he was much mis-led To entertaine a Spectar in his bed At which words both affrighted and inrag'd To thinke how desp'ratly he had ingag'd Both soule and body home he posts with speed And hauing something in himselfe decreed First mildely treats with her and after breakes Into loud termes yet still she nothing speakes At this more angry to haue no reply He takes his sword and sonne then standing by And vowes by all the oathes a man can sweare Vnlesse she instantly deliuer there Both what she is how bred and whence she came And vnto these particular answer frame His purpose is receiue it how she will The pretty Babe betwixt them got to kill After some pause the Succubus reply'd Thou onely seek'st to know what I would hide Neuer did Husband to himselfe more wrong Than thou in this to make me vse my tongue After which words she vanisht and no more Was thenceforth seene The childe threatned before Some few yeares after swimming in the place Where first the father saw the mothers face Was from his fellowes snatcht away and drown'd By the same Sp'rit his body no where found Besides these Marcus vpon Psellius findes To be of maligne Spirits sundry kindes That beare in the foure elements chiefe sway Some Fiery and AEtherial are and they Haue the first place Next Spectars of the Aire Water and Earth but none of them that dare Beyond their bounds Others that all light fly And call'd Subterren or Lucifugi Vnto the first those prodigies of Fire Falling from heav'n which men so much admire The Learn'd ascribe As when a burning stone Dropt from the Sky into swiâ—t AEgion A Floud in Persia in Darius dayes As when three Moones at once in splendant rayes With a huge bearded Comet did appeare To all mens wonder in the selfe same yeare Pope Iohn the two and twentieth by his pow'r Curst Lewis Bavarus then Emperour Because he cherishr in litigious hope Petrus Carbariensis Anti-Pope As when three Sunnes at once shoâ— in the Sky Of equall sise to all apparantly Neere to the Village cal'd Taurometane In Sicily a Merchant bred in Spaine Coasting that way sees where before him stand Ten Smiths and each a hammer in his hand About them leatherne aprons and before He can aduise well he espies ten more And one aboue them all like Vulcan lame So shapt that you would take him for the same Describ'd in Homer Him the Merchant asks To what place they were bound About out tasks Vulcan replies Is it to thee vnknowne How famous we are late in AEtna growne Which if it be lag but a while behinde And see what thou with thousands more shalt finde To whom the Merchant What worke can there bee For men of your profession where we see Nothing but drifts of snow the mountaines clad In Winters cold where no fire can be had That shall be try'd said Vulcan once againe And with that word he vanisht with his traine At which the Merchant with such feare was strooke That all his limbes and joints were Ague-shooke To the next house his faint steps he applies And had no sooner told this but he dies His life set with the Sun E're mid-night came The vast Sicilian Mount was all on flame Belching forth fire and cinders and withall Such horrid cracks as if the rocks would fall And tumble from their height into the Plaine Mixt with such tempests both of Haile and Raine Such bellowing shriekes and such a sulphur smell As had it been the locall place of Hell This dismall night so dreadfull did appeare Vnto all such as did inhabit neere They left their houses to seeke dens and caues Thinking no place so safe then as their graues And of this nature are those fires oft seene Neere Sepulchres by which many haue beene Deluded much in Church-yards and such places Where the faint-hearted scarce dare shew their faces Such are the Ignes Fatui that appeare To skip and dance before vs ev'ry where Some call them Ambulones for they walke Sometimes before vs and then after stalke Some call them leaping Goats and these we finde All to be most malicious in their kinde By leading Trauellers out of their way Else causing them mongst theeues or pit-falls stray And such are Sulphur-colour'd others white And these haunt ships and Sea-men in the night And that most frequent when a tempest 's past And then they cleaue and cling close to the mast They call it Helena if one appeare And then presage there 's some disaster neere If they spie two they iudge good shall befall them And these thus seene Castor and Pollux call them And from that kinde of Sp'rits the Diuination Held in fore-times
opinion of mans wit No certaine principle at all th' haue lent Grounded on firme and sollid argument Which Principles no sooner are deny'de But all their doctrine 's ruin'd in it's pride Therefore these Academicks did inact A Maxim held amongst themselues exact Let none dispute or into termes arise With any that the Principles denies Obserue but the Philosophers inuentions And amongst them the Fencer-like contentions Concerning the Creator of vs allâ— The Angels and the Worlds originall Some impiously and foolishly deny That there 's to gouerne vs â— Deity Others that say there is a God there are But he of humane actions takes no care And some remaine in doubt and will not know At least confesse there is a God or no. Who in his best conceptions doth not storme At their Idaea's Atoms Matter Forme Full Empty Infinite first Essence Beeing With thousands more and all these disagreeing Touching the Soule hath been more strange opinions Than now beneath the great Turke are dominions One That man hath no Soule at all will proue And that the Body of it selfe doth moue Some grant a Soule but curiously desire To haue th' essence thereof deriv'd from Fire Of Water some others of Aire compound it And some as brain-sicke as the rest would bound it In Earthly humor other Sectists dare Affirme the substance to be Fire and Aire One Heat or an hot constitution he Saith in 's great wisedome it of force must be Of the foure Elements the pure complexion Others will haue it Light or Lights reflexion One calls it restlesse Motion he a Number Mouing it selfe c. Thus one another cumber Warring with contradictions infinite As vainly too of the Soules seat they write To the braines ventricle some one confines it Come to anothers censure he assignes it Vnto the Epicranion 'Mongst the rest Epicurus makes her mansion in the brest In the Hearts arteries some say it dwells Another in the Heart and nowhere els Empedocles would haue it vnderstood The sole place she resides in is the Bloud In the whole Body others seeke to place it And with no seeming arguments out-face it Like diffrence hath amongst them been to know Whether the Soule immortall be or no. Democritus and Epicurus they Beleev'd the Soule was mortall Others say And it seemes better warranted incline To make the world beleeue it is Diuine The Stoicks held opinion with the breath All bad Soules are extinguisht ev'n in death But that the better are exalted hye To place sublime and neuer more to dye Some so ambiguous in their censures were Nothing saue doubt in all their Works appeare Then to conclude Studies that haue foundation Like these vpon mans meere imagination Than the Chamaelions are more variable Lighter than winde than the sea more vnstable Than th' Elements th' are at more deadly hate And than the Labyrinth more intricate Than th' Moon more changing Darknesse more obscure Than Women more inconstant and vnsure He then that in his best thoughts doth desire After the Truth ingeniously t' inquire And to the perfect path to be conducted May it please that man to be thus instructed Seeke not from Man but God that can dispose Who all things not from him that nothing knowes Of Truth the Scriptures plenally report Of which our weake and dull conceit comes short Note what our Sauior saith to end all strife I am the Way I am the Truth and Life Againe he saith Into the world I came To declare truth and testifie the same No wonder then if ev'n the Wisest dote Who from the Scriptures were so far remote And that the more they labour'd Truth to finde The more they were made stupid dull and blinde By muddy streames it is an easie thing To know a troubled and vnhealthfull Spring By bright and Chrystall rivelets we are sure By consequence the fountaines head is pure And in this water so refin'd and cleare Our blessed Sauior makes himselfe appeare When he thus saith as Iohn doth plainly tell To the Samaritan at Iacobs Well Who so shall of the Water drinke that I Will giue him shall no more thirst till he dye The water that I giue in him shall be A Well of water euerlastingly Springing to life eternall Now if any Of the great Doctors differ as th' are many Retire we to the Scriptures the true test To know of their opinions which sounds best Nor let their works further authoris'd bee Than punctually they with the Text agree Neither let any of his knowledge proud Dare further search than is by them allow'd From the wise men heav'ns secrets are conceal'd And vnto Infants and to Babes reveal'd Therefore let Arrogance no man delude Whilest humbly with Saint Austin I conclude Whoso shall reade this Worke where he shall finde Truth certaine let him ioyne with me in minde Where he shall doubt with me I next desire That he with me will labour to enquire If he haue err'd in iudgement and finde here To be resolv'd from hence his error cleare If he my error finde with some respect Of my good meaning let him mine correct Explicit Metrum Tractatus Noni Eatenus rationandum est donec veritas invenitur Cum inventa est Veritas ibi figendum est Iuditium in victoria Veritatis soli Veritatis inimici pereans S. Chrisost. Theologicall Philosophicall Poeticall Historicall Apothegmaticall Hierogâ—pâ—icall and Emblematicall Obseruations touching the further illustration of the former Tractat. THese Spirits of the earth or vnder the earth hauing charge of the Mines and Treasures below meethinkes should deterre men from the base sin of Auarice Aurelius calleth it the root of euill or a fountaine of euils whence as from an inundant streame flow injurie injustice Briberie Treason Murder depopulation strage ruine of Commonweales ouerthrowes of Armies Subuersion of estates wracke of Societies staine of conscience breach of amitie confusion of minde with a thousand other strange enormities The propertie of a couetous man saith Archimides is to liue all his life time like a Beggar that he may be said at his death to die rich who as he is good to no man so is hee the worst friend to himselfe and as hee passeth great trouble and trauell in gathering riches so hee purchaseth withall great danger in keeping them much law in defending but most torment in departing from them and in making his Will hee for the most part findeth more trouble to please all than hee tooke pleasure to possesse all In the purchasing of which as one ingeniously said he gets carefulnesse to himselfe enuy from his neighbour a prey for theeues perill for his person damnation to his soule curses for his children and Law for his heires Nay euen in his life time he wanteth as well what he hath as what hee hath not Moreouer all euil-gotten gaine bringeth with it contempt curses and infamy The Gluttons minde
together in a nine-fold Chaine 'Mongst whom there 's difference in Intelligence As there is in degrees of Excellence For the more Noble to the Lesser still Infuseth Knowledge by th' Almighties will The Second to the Third is like industrous And as degreed 't is more and more illustrous This Knowledge more perspicuous is and cleare In the first Chorus than it doth appeare i th' Second Third or Fourth so to the Last Of those that are o're things Terrestriall plac't This in the Prophet Zacharie's made plaine When God his People would redeeme againe From their Captiuitie in Babylon He in his Vision saw the Holy-One Reueale it vnto one of the Superiors Which he communicates to his Inferiors They to the Prophet Vnto this coheres What in Saint Austines Booke as plaine appeares As we perceiue the Moone the Stars t'out-shine And the Sunnes light more splendrous and Diuine Than the Moone 's shewes so'tis in the degrees Of those forenam'd Coelestiall Hierarchees Foure Angels as foure Vice-royes are exprest To sway the foure Windes plac'd aboue the rest All Princes and with mighty power endu'd Remarkable for that their Celsitude The East whence Eurus blowes swayes Michael The West whence Zephyre breathes guides Raphael The North whence Boreas blusters Gabriel The South whence Auster comes rules Vriel Which from th' Evangelist some Doctors ground Because 't is in th' Apocalips thus found On the foure Angles of the Earth I saw Standing foure Angels those that kept in awe The foure great Windes restraining them from blowing On Earth on Sea or any Tree then growing Some write That ouer euery Heauen or Sphere A seuerall Angell's plac'd and gouernes there The Sophists those Intelligences call The Hebrewes Cherubims whose lots thus fall Metraon doth the Primam Mobile guide Ophaniel in the Starry Heav'n reside The Sunnes Sphere Varcan the Moones lower rayes Arcan disposeth Mars his Lamach swayes Mercuries Madan Ioves Guth Venus Star Iurabatres and Saturne's seene from far Maion And all these in the height they'enioy Haue power Inferior Spirits to employ Seuen Angels as the Scriptures witnesse stand Before th' Almighty prest at his command And these by his Diuine infusion know How to dispose of all things here below As those Coelestiall who doth institute Those Seuen his Diuine Will to execute Yeares Dayes and Houres amongst them they diuide The Planets and the Stars they likewise guide The President of Sol is Raphael The Guardian of the Moone call'd Gabriel Chamuel the third Mars his bright Star protects Michael the Sphere of Mercury directs Adahiel o're Iove hath domination And Haniel of Venus gubernation Zaphiel is Saturnes Prince And of Spirits seuen Saint Iohn makes mention with their place in Heauen I saw seuen Angels stand before the Throne Of the Almighty and to euery one A seuerall Trumpet giuen c. The Rabbins they And Cabalists further proceed and say How warranted I know not That there be Twelue Potents of this Diuine Facultie Three Orientall and three Occidentall Three Septentrionall and three Meridionall Chaoz the first great Easterne Power they call Whose Prince Malthidielis and he swayes all That doth belong to Aries the next place Corona hath and Varchiel hath the grace Of that to be chiefe Regent Leo hee Hath subiect in his second Empyree Hermaus the third Adnachiel doth carry That potencie and rules the Sagittary The first Power Austral they Panthaeon stile Asmodes Prince in that doth reconcile The Signe call'd Taurus and the second Tim Hamabiel is the Prince that gouernes him In the Signe Virgo Haim is the third borne Hannuel the Prince and gouerns Capricorne The first Septentrionall Bethzan Manuel Prince And he the Signe of Cancer doth conuince The next Zonocharel by name they know Barchiel the chiefe and rules o're Scorpio Ouer the third Elisan Varchiel reignes He Pisces in his Principate containes The first of th' Occidentall Gelphor and Ambriel the Prince the Gemini they stand Beneath his sway Bleor the next his Lord Zaniel who guides the Scepter and the Sword Caphet the last Cabriel the President And o're Aquarius hath the gouernment Others there be that do not doubt to say That the foure Elements are forc'd t' obey Foure seuerall Angels Seraph reignes o're Fire Cherub the Aire and Tharsis doth aspire Ouer the Water and the Earths great Lord Ariel The Hebrew Rabbins thus accord But since of these the Scriptures make no mention Far be it that the least of mine intention Should be ro create Angels Hence it came That at a Roman Councell in the name Of Zachary then Pope one Aldebert Another Clement seeking to subuert The Church by Schismes were to the Consistorie Summon'd and there conuict of Heresie For thus they pray'd O Angell Vriel Angell Adimus Angell Raguel Angell Sabaothe Angell Michael Angell Tubuas Angell Semibel c. This in the Synod was no sooner read But they thus instantly were censured The very words of that Decree these are Of all those names most of them new and rare Of whom they invocate Michael alone An Angell we acknowledge the rest none By that and elsewhere it is manifest That other names than are to vs exprest In sacred Scriptures none ought to deuise Since from such Curiosities arise Schismes Heresies Opinions execrable Erring from Truth diuellish and damnable Nor are these darke words by these Rabbins vs'd Other than Phancies not to be excus'd Wherein some things signifi'cant are exprest Borrow'd from Naturall causes at the best For instance Seraph if we but retyre To the words force importeth nought saue Fire Cherub Aire Tharsus Water Ariel Earth And these at first had from those Doctors birth Ev'n by their owne confession If you please Thinke of the rest as hath been said of these Creaturae quaedam aeterna sunt à posteriore à priore solus Deus est aeternus Explicit Metrum Tractatus quarti Theologicall Philosphicall Poeticall Historicall Apothegmaticall Hierogriphicall and Emblematicall Obseruationsâ— touching the further illustration of the former Tractat. AS Fire cannot be long smothered but it will finde vent nor the Sunne be so eclipsed and cloudedâ— but it will soone worke it selfe into it's owne natiue glory and splendor so the Omnipotencie of the great Creator cannot be so darkened either by the stupidity of the Ignorant or the malicious obstinacie of the seeming-Wise but euen out of their voluntarie Blindnesse it will extract it 's owne Brightnesse Prophane Lucian who so generally taxed all the gods as that he was held scarcely to beleeue that there were any and therefore purchased to himselfe the Character of Blasphemus Maledicus c. yet he in one of his Coelestial Dialogues so stiled because they meerely consist of conference held amongst the vpper Deities in a discourse betwixt Maâ—s and Mercury introduceth Mars speaking of Iupiter to this purpose I will saith he If my inherent Power I'assume to me Ev'n when
doth deuise Touching the Angels First saith he the Deuill Was made of Fire pestiferous and euill The glorious Spirits Attendants on the Throne And faithfull Ministers to God alone For euer seated in that blessed Bowre Haue Wings some two some three and others foure Making of this as confident relation As had he present been at the Creation And of these Two attending on the Throne Of the great God Almighty Maroth one Haroth another were from Heav'n downe sent With full Commission to haue gouernment Or'e all Mankinde not onely to conduct them In their affaires but tutor and instruct them With these prouiso's neuer to incline Either to Kill Iudge rashly or Drinke Wine All which of long time hauing strictly kept In the plainerode and to no by-path stept It chanc'd in processe an offending Wife Did with her peruerse husband fall at strife A day of hearing bee'ng appointed she Inuites vnto a banquet cunningly These two impartiall Iudges ' sore them plac'd Right costly Cates made both for shew and taste But sauc'd with wine which was vnknowne to them And by this close and crafty stratagem Spurring them on with courteous welcome still Their pallats being pleas'd they bad her fill In plenteous cups to them till both in fine Were much distemper'd and or'come with Wine And in this heate lust breaking into fire They then to'adulterate her bed desire To which she yeelds vpon condition they Will teach her Characters by which she may Be lifted to those heav'ns aboue the Sun And without let behold what 's therein done And after that she may haue free transmission Downe to the earth and that with expedition They grant to her and she to them applies The words no sooner spoke but vp she flies Where seene and question'd how she thither came She opens the whole matter just the same As was before related but for feare She should disclose on earth the Glories there Shee soone was chang'd into a fulgent Star In light excelling others ev'n as far As when in life below she did remaine Her lustre did inferior Beauties staine Now after this the Angels were conuented Who waking from their drowsinesse repented Of their vaine folly and with terror great Were brought to answer at the Iudgement Seat The fault confest the processe and the ground With euery circumstance this grace they found To haue after discussion in the close What punishment they would themselues impose Betwixt this World and th' other to endure Who made choice in iron chaines to be bound sure And haue both heads and bodies drown'd in mudâ— In a most putrid Lake call'd Bebel floud One grosse thing more to these I 'le adde and than To his perdition leaue this brain-sicke Man Further he saithâ— In the last dreadfull day Th'Angell of Death that 's Adriel call'd shall slay All Soules then liuing And that slaughter past Fall on his owne sword and so die the last And when all liuing creatures are destroy'd The world shall forty yearesâ— stand after void Infinite are his most blasphemous Fictions And eachwhere interlac't with contradictions As in feign'd Miracles the generall Doome The dissolution that is yet to come Concerning these a question may arise Whether these sottish and most fabulous Lies More fondly by this Iugler were conceated Or by Mad-folke beleev'd and thereby cheated Now something touching the arch-Heresies Of the Priscillians and the Manechies Of whom thus briefely They nor blush nor feare To write and teach That two Beginnings were Of vniuersall Nature Good and Bad The one of cherefull Light the other sad Darkenesse the Author Of which they retaine Th' essence within themselues and from these faâ—gne A God and Diuell And that all things made From these Materials their condition had Of Good and Euill Both the Sects agreeing That from the better Good the World had Being Yet they say further That the mixture knit Of Good and Bad insep'rable in it From these two opposit Natures doth arise And therefore in their fancies they deuise Fiue Elements to either There 's assign'd Smoke Darkenesse Fire the Water and the Winde To the Bad Nature out of Smoke they bring All two leg'd Creatures and thence Man to spring They further fable and from Darkenesse breed Dragons and Serpents with all Reptile seed Foure-footed Beasts from Fire they procreate From Water Fish Fowles from Winde generate The number of the Elements are fiue Which from the Better Nature they deriue Oppos'd to these Aire from the Smoke they draw Light out of Darknesse by the selfe same law Fire needfull from Fire hurtfull Water thus Vsefull from what 's Disaduantagious From Windes contagious Windes of healthfull vse And betwixt these there can be made no Truce They likewise trifle That all difficultie To'attaine vnto the true Felicitie Consists in separating th' Ills contagion From the Goods purer nature Which persuasion Yet leads them further That since these two first Pow'rfull Beginnings term'd the Best and Worst Are at perpetuall discord hence should breed Of War that natiue and intestine seed Betwixt the Flesh and Spirit in which Strife None 's capable of euerlasting life But such as the Good Nature can diuide From that contagion which the Bad doth guide They say That to the Light pur'd and refin'd Two shapes from Gods pure nature are assign'd Namely the Sun and Moone and these conuey That perfect splendor which enlights for aye The heav'nly Kingdome and most glorious Seat Of High Iehovah who 's the onely Great And Pow'rfull hauing the sole domination His Mansion being their blest habitation They feigne Our Grandfire and great-Grandame Eve Which none of common Reading can beleeue Of Sacla Prince of Smoke were form'd and made That by the Serpent he who first betrayd Those our first Parents Christ himselfe was meant Who bad them taste the Apple to th' intent That they the Good from what was Ill might know And that his body meerely was in show Phantasticall not Reall That the Trine Sent him to saue the Soule that was Diuine But not the Flesh and Body because they Were made of impure stuffe Dust Earth and Clay Of which Absurds I 'le make no more narration Vnworthy mention much more confutation ¶ Tribus modis in veritate peccatur 1. Veritatem prae timore tacendo 2. Veritatem in mendatium comutando 3. Veritatem non defendendo Chrisost. Explicit Metrum Tractatus quinti. Theologicall Philosphicall Poeticall Historicall Apothegmaticall Hierogliphicall and Emblematicall Obseruations touching the further illustration of the former Tractat. TThe Consimilitudes and Concordances betweene the seuerall degrees of Angels and the Heauens and Planets I doubt not but is sufficiently manifested Whosoeuer desireth to be further more fully instructed in the Motions and courses of the Spheres I refer him to peruse Iun. Higinus Libertus his Poëticon Astronomicon where hee discourseth learnedly of the World the Spheres the Centre the Axis the Zodiacke Circle Earth Sea c. of Arâ—tos Maior
therefore the hundredth day following Caesar should die and be made a god which could not happen to any man whilest he was yet liuing Cardanus speaking of fiery Spectars amongst many others relateth this story A friend of mine saith hee of approued faith and honesty trauelling one night late from Mediola to Gallerata when the Sky was full of clouds and the weather inclining to raine being within some foure miles of his journies end he saw a light and heard rhe voice as he thought of certain Cow-herds vpon his left hand and presently a hedge onely being interposed he saw a fiery Chariot couered with flames and out of it he might heare a voice crying aloud Cave cave Beware beware Being much terrified with this strange prodegie he put spurres to his horse and whether he galloped or rid softly the Chariot was stil before him He then betooke him to his orisons and supplications vnto God at length after the space of a full houre hee came to a Temple dedicate to the memorie of Saint Lawrence standing iust without the gate and there the Chariot of fire herdsmen and all sunke into the earth and was seene no more Cardanus hauing disputed something of the nature of this fire addeth That the Gallaterans suffered the same yeare not only a great plague but diuers other afflictions and disasters To these Spirits of the fire is ascribed that diuination by Pyromancie which some call Puroscopan In which superstition old pitch was cast into the fire with the invocation of certain of these Spirits Sometimes a Tead or Torch dawbed ouer with pitch was lighted and marked with certaine characters If the flame of the Tead gathered it selfe into one it was prosperous if diuided disastrous if it arose tripartite it presaged some glorious euent if it were diuersly dispersed it diuined to a sicke man death to a sound man sicknesse if it made a sparkling noise it was infortunat if it was suddenly extinct it threatned great misfortune So likewise in their sacrificing fires if the flame went streight vpward like a Pyramis it was a signe of a good omen if it diuided and dispersed of a bad There were diuers coniectures also from the colour the brightnesse the dulnesse the ascent the sparkling c. and this kinde of Magicke was frequent amongst the Liâ—uanians c. From the fiery I proceed to the Spirits of the Aire We reade in the sacred Scriptures That Sathan caused fire to fall from heauen to deuour and consume Iobs seruants and his cattell As likewise hee raised a vehement Whirle-winde and tempest which oppressed his sonnes and daughters with the house where they were then feasting with a sudden ruin Remigius telleth a story which is likewise affirmed by Delrius That a countrey-man of the prouince of Triuere setting some Plants in his garden with a yong maid his daughter the father commended her for going so neatly and quickly about her businesse The Girle telleth him that she can do stranger things than these and more stupendious The father demands What Withdraw your selfe but a little saith she and name but in what place of the garden a showre of raine shall fall and water the earth and in what not The countrey-man curious of noueltie withdrew himselfe and bad her vse her skill Shee presently made an hole in the ground into which she poured her owne water and stirring it about with a sticke murmuring certaine magicke words to her selfe presently a showre fel watering only that part of the gronnd which he had named vnto her and in the other fell not one drop of raine Gasper Spitellus writeth That some Indians haue much familiaritie with these Spirits For when they want rain one of their Magicke Priests with a shrill voice makes an acclamation That all the people shall assemble to such a mountain hauing first obserued a Fast which is to abstaine from the eating of salt pepper or any thing that is boiled That done he lowdly calls vpon the Stars and with deuout Orisons entreats of them that they would afford them seasonable showres Then they turne their eyes towards the lower grounds vpon their fields and houses taking in their hands a bowle full of charmed liquour which they receiue from the hands of a young man of their most noble families which they haue no sooner drunke but they lie intranced without sence or motion After being come to themselues they commix honey water and Maiz together and with them sprinkle the aire The next day they chuse out one of the most eminent men of their Nation both for nobilitie and age and lay him in a bed with a soft fire vnder it and when he beginnes to sweat they wipe off the moisture and put in a bason which they mingle with the bloud of a Goose and sprinkling it again into the aire as if they meant it should touch the clouds they then solicit the Starres againe That by the vertue of the old mans sweat the bloud of the goose and the water before mixed they may haue seasonable and temperat showres Which if they haue according to their desires they giue great thanks to the Starres and Planets and the Priest from the people is rewarded with rich gifts and presents Hieronimus Mengius writeth That a certaine Magition in a field adjacent to the tower or citadell of Bonnonia shewed two famous Generals Iohannes Bentivolus and Robertus Sanseverinus a spectacle in the aire in which was heard such a noise of drummes clangor of trumpets clamor of men neighing of horses and clashing of arms that the Spectators were afraid lest the heauen and the earth would haue met at the instant but in all the inuironing grounds saue onely in that place the aire was vntroubled Diodorus Siculus reporteth also That in the Syrtes of Lybia the Spirits of the aire are oftentimes visible in the shape of diuers birds and beasts some mouing some without motion some running some flying others in other strange postures But which is most miraculous sometimes they will come behinde men as they are trauelling leape vp and sit vpon their shoulders who may feele them to be much colder than eitheâ— snow or ice Olaus Magnus in his Historie remembreth That these airy Spirits haue such a predominance in the Circium sea they continually do so exasperat shake and trouble it that scarfe any ship can saile that way without wracke and foundring In the Isle called Island vnder the dominion of the King of Denmarke there is a port called Vestrabor not far from which men are vsually taken and wrapt vp in whirl-winds by the power of these Spirits are hurried many furlongs off Likewise in the Westerne parts of Norway these spirits with their noxious and blasting touch cause that neither grasse nor trees burgeon or beare fruit Likewise vpon the Bothnian continent the roofes are vsually blowne off from
to euery sundry Planet 445. The vainnesse of these superstitions discovered 446 All Magicke condemned at Paris 447. Of wilfull ignorance 448. Salomon of wilfull Ignorance 449. The excellencie of Knowledge 450. Of the Knowledge of our selues 451. The Poets of Selfe-knowledge 452. The difference betwixt knowledge and wisdom 453. The etymologie of Wisedome ibid The excellencie of Wisedome 454. The wisedome of the Iust ibid. The Poets of Wisedome 455. Wise and witty sayings 457. Ianus Vitalis of antient Rome 459. Sundry Apothegmes of Orators Captaines and Emperors 460. Of things prodigious 462. Of Prodegies hapning before the death of Princes 463. God made not death 464. Adam Eve and the Serpent 465. Of Spirits that challenge to themselues Diuine worship 466. The Sarronides of Gaul 467. Humane Sacrifices performed at Rome 468. The antiquitie of Magicke as being before the Floud 469. The seuerall sorts of Magicke ibid. Of the Witch Hercyra and the Magition Artesius 470. All Magicke includes a compact with the diuell 471. A strange historie of one Theophilus ibid The manner of homage done to the Diuell 472 Of Pythagoras and the Magition Iamnes 473 A story of the Count of Vestravia 474. The Witch Oenoponte and others 475. Of Spirits called Paredrij inclosed in Rings and of such as vsed them 476. Of women that haue changed their sex 477. Histories to that purpose 478. The history of Machates and Philemium 479. Spirits that haue possessed dead bodies 480. A discourse of Astrologie 481. Philosophers concerning it 482. Against Iudicatorie Astrologie 483. Of Mathesis or Mathema 484. An Emblem 485. A Meditation 488. THE CONTENTS OF THE EIGHTH TRACTAT OF Daemons in generall 495 Homer Tresmegistus and others of Daemons 496 Their power and practise 497. Powers and Potestates of the aire 499. Spirits called Incubi and Succubae 500. A story of an Incubus and a Succubus 501. Spirits of the foure Elements 502. Spirits of fire and strange prodegies 503. Of Ignes fatui Ambulones c. 505. Spirits of the aire strange prodegies wrought by them 506. Spirits of the water 507. A strange historie of two Scottish noblemen 508 Of diuers great Magitions 509. Spirits of the earth Genij Lares Larvae Lemures c. 510. Discourse of Spectars 511. Further of Paredrij or Familiar Spirits 512. A pleasant story of Iohn Teutonicus ibid. A strange story of a familiar Spirit 514. Of Galeatius Sforza and others 515 c. Of Pride 519. The effects of Pride 520. Of Pambo and the pride of Domitian Caesar 522. Of Sapor King of Persia and others 523. Of Ingratitude 525 c. Of Michael Traulus and others 528. Scripture and the Poets of Ingratitude 529. Of Humilitie 530. The Fathers of Humilitie 531. The Poets of Humilitie 532. Of Gratitude 534. Histories of Gratitude 535. An Hierogliphycke 536. An Emblem 537. The Poets extolling Gratitude 538. The story of a Votaresse called Christian 539. Of the Mahumetan Neffesoglij 540. A strange accident hapning in the Diocesse of Cullein 541. A strange and miraculous Birth ibid. Diuers other strange relations ibid c. Spirits haue no power of the heauens nor starres 543. A strange tale of Spectars 544. Stories of the Spirits of the aire and of the Indian Magi 545. Strange prodigious things in the aire 546. Of Bruno Bishop of Herbipol 547. The manner how the Duke of Venice yearly marieth the Ocean ibid. A strange story of Hotherus king of Suetia and Daciae 548. Strange things of watry Spirits 549. Diuers sorts of Spirits of the earth 550. A strange disease as strangely cured 551. Of Spectra Meridiana or Noone-Diuels ibid. Discourse of Alastores 552. The Lamiae or Larvae and stories concerning them 553. A desperat aduenture of two Bohemian knights 554. An Emblem 555. A Meditation 558. THE CONTENTS OF THE NINTH TRACTAT THe power and strength of Wine 564. Of the King ibid. Of Women 565. Of Truth 566. Of Zijm Ohim Satyrs Ostriches c. 567. Of Subterren Spirits called Cobali 568 Spirits the cause of earth-quakes 569. Of treasure kept by Spirits 570. A strange attempt of a Botcher 571. A strange story of Cabades King of Persia 573. Of Spirits called Luci-fugi Hob-goblins Robin Good-fellowes Fairies c. 574. A strange story reported by Fincelius 575. Of Dacius Bishop of Mediolanum ibid. A strange story of one recouered to life 576. A pleasant story of a Spirit of the Buttry 577. Certaine marks to know good Spirits from bad 580. What shape Diuels may assume and what not ibid. How euill Spirits may be knowne 581 Of Musicke and the velocitie of the heauens and Planets 582. The ambition of man to search into hidden secrets 583. Seueral opinions of Philosophers touching God ibid. Their opinions of the Soule 585. And the immortalitie thereof 586. Of Couetousnesse 589. The Poets of Couetousnesse 590. The sordidnesse thereof 591. The power of Gold 592. The Fathers of Auarice 594. Historicall examples of Auarice 595. Couetous Emperors 596. An Hierogliphycke Emblem c. of Couetousnesse 597. The Witches of Warboys 598. Of seuerall kindes of Spirits 599. A strange story of a Nobleman of Silesia 600. Diuers stories of Sylvan Spirits 601 c. The seuen Sleepers 606. A strange story of a Spirit 607. Anton. Laverinus and the Diuell 609. Miserable ends of sundry Magitions 610. Empedocles Michael Sidecita and others 613 614. The miserable end of Cornel. Agrippa 615. An Emblem 616. A Meditation 619. FINIS Errata PAg. 9 Lin. 21. reade effect p 12 l. 4. r. one p. 14. l 13. r. Theognis p. 30. l. 4. r. summus p. 51 l. 18. adde puella p. 61 l. 20. a mistake in the star p. 148. l. 16. r. tenent p. 188. l. 1 r. Vrbem p. 190 l. 30. r. blessed p. 200 l. 7. for two r. three p. 203. l. 26 r. the other p. 212 l. 20 r. or p. 242 l. 1. then r when p. 263 l. 35. r globus p. 264 larco r. lurco nique r inque ni r. in p. 283 l. 28. r. symptoms p. 297 lâ— 31. r. flouds p. 349 l. 22 r. tye p. 382 l. 18. r. terram p. 400. l. 30. r. Acherontis p. 433 l. 10. alasâ—e r. a losse p. 439 l. 19. aine r. paine p. 485 l. vlt. r. cupessas p. 506 l. 11. r. tunnes p. 538 l. 17. r. rependere l. 24. r. medullis p. 557 l. 4. r. meus p. 574 l. 3 adde sends God in the Conscience In the Stars The Sun The Moon The Earth The Beasts Riuers Fields Seas The globe of the Earth Man Homo microcosmus Hermes Tresmâ—gist Cicer. de Nat. Deor. lib. 2. Arist. Metaph. The Poets concerning God Tit. Calphur. Eglog 4. Hor. lib. 3. Od. 4. Lucan lib 3. de Bel. Ciuil Metamor lib. 8 Petron. Arbit in Fragm Stat. Sylv. ti 5. Meaning the Angels Arist. ad Antip. AEneas Numa Pompil Virg. AEnead Epirus Brennus Sacriledge punished Religion from the beginning The multiplicitie of gods among the Gentiles * As twice borne Priap god of
all praise to him is due The sev'rall Classes that are held Amongst the Angels that rebel'd Of Lucifer the principall And his strange figure since his Fall Of such as most in pow'r excell And of their gouernment in hell Their Order Offices and Names With what prioritie each claimes The list of those that fell from blisse The knowledge that in Daemons is And how far stretcht Next of their wrath Tow'rds Mankinde and what bounds it hath Discov'ry of those ginnes and snares They lay t' entrap men vnawares Of Compacts common in all Ages And of the Astrologomages The Argument of the eighth Booke MICHAEL OF Sathans Wiles and Feats prestigious Appearing wondrous and prodigious Confirm'd by histories far sought Of Nouels by bad Daemons wrought And first of such is made expression That still with Mankinde seeke congression To whose fall they themselues apply Call'd Succubae and Incubi To finde those further we desire Of Water Earth the Aire and Fire And what their workings be to know As well aboue as here below How Authors 'mongst themselues agree What Genij and Spectars bee Faunes Sylvans and Alastores Satyrs and others like to these With stories mixt that grace may win From such as are not verst therein The Argument of the ninth Booke GABRIEL OF Spirits call'd Lucifugi From flying light I next apply My neere-tyr'd Pen of which be store In Mines where workmen dig for oare Of Robin Good-fellow and of Fairies With many other strange vagaries Done by Hob-goblins I next write Of a Noone-Diuell and a Buttry-Sp'rite Of graue Philosophers who treat Of the Soules essence and her seat The strange and horrid deaths related Of learn'd Magitions animated By Sathan the knowne Trutht ' abjure And study Arts blacke and impure Of Curious Science last the vanitie Grounded on nothing but incertaintie And that no Knowledge can abide the Test Like that in sacred Scripture is exprest The Seraphim Ex sumptib Tho Mainwaringe Armig THE ARGVMENT OF the first Booke A Ioue Principium the Creator Of all that liue sole Animator Atheisme and Sadducisme disputed Their Tenents argued and refuted A Deitie approv'd by all Gods Creatures in generall Into the world how false gods came And first began t' vsurpe that Name A Quaere made the world throughout To finde this God of whom some doubt 2 Argument The blessed Seraph doth imply The loue we owe to the most High INspire my Purpose fauour mine Intent O thou All-knowing and Omnipotent And giue me leaue that from the first of daies I Dust and Ashes may resound thy praise Able me in thy quarrell to oppose And lend me Armor-proofe t' encounter those Who striue t' eclipse thy glory all they can The Atheist Sadduce and Mahumetan That there 's a God who doubts who dares dispute Be'ng in it selfe a maxime absolute Which fundamentall Truth as it is seen In all things Light or Darke Wither'd or Green In Length Bredth Height Depth what is done or said Or hath existence in this Fabricke made By the word Fiat so amongst the rest In mans owne Conscience it is deep'st exprest Who 's he looks vp and sees a glorious Star Be 't fixt or wandering to appeare from far In bright refulgence can so stupid be Not to acknowledge this great Deity Who shall the Sun 's vnwearied progresse view As at the first creation fresh and new In lustre warmth and power still giuing chere To Plants to Beasts to Mankinde euery where Wh'obserues the Moon a lower course to range Inconstant and yet constant in her Change Ty'd to her monthly vicissitude And doth not thinke she also doth include A soueraigne power Looke downe the earth suruey The Floures Herbs Shrubs and Trees and see how they Yearely product The store of Herds and Flocks Grasing on pastures medowes hills and rocks Some wilde beasts others to mans vse made tame And then consider whence these creatures came Ponder the Wels Ponds Riuers Brooks Fountains The lofty Hils and super eminent Mountains The humble Valley with the spatious Plaine The faire cloath'd Medowes and full fields of graine The Gardens Desarts Forrests Shelues and Sands Fertilitie and Barrennesse of Lands Th' vnbounded Sea and vastitie of Shore All these expresse a Godhead to adore Be not in thy stupiditie deluded Thinke but how all these in one bulke included And rounded in a ball plac'd in the meane Or middle hauing nought whereon to leane So huge and pond'rous and yet with facilitie Remain immov'd in their first knowne stabilitie How can such weight that on no Base doth stand Be sway'd by lesse than an Almighty hand Obserue the Sea when it doth rage and rore As menacing to swallow vp the Shore For all the Ebbs and Tydes and Deeps profound Yet can it not encroch beyond his bound What brain conceiues this but the Power respects Which these things made moues gouerns and directs Do but ô man into thy selfe descend And thine owne building fully apprehend Comprise in one thy Body and thy Mind And thou thy selfe a little World shalt find Thou hast a nimble body to all motion Pliant and apt thou hast at thy deuotion A soule too in the which no motion 's seene But from all eyes hid as behind a skreene Th' effects we may behold from whose command The gestures come yet see we not the hand By which Th' are mov'd nor the chiefe Master He Who is prime Guide in our agilitie Is not so great of these things th'admiration So excellent a Worke of power to fashion Atheists anew and bring them to the way Let 's heare but what their owne Philosophers say One thus affirmes There 's no capacious place In Mans Intelligence able to embrace Th'incomprehensible Godhead and yet trace His steps we may his potencie still seeing In euery thing that hath on earth a being Saith Auicen He reason wants and sence That to a sole God doth not reuerence A third Who so to heav'n directs his eies And but beholds the splendor of the skies Almost incredible and doth not find There must of force be an Intelligent mind To guide and gouerne all things A fourth thus and the most learned of them doth discusse Seeming amongst the Heathen most to know There is a God from whom all good things flow To sing to the great God let 's neuer cease Who gouerns Cities People and gown'd Peace He the dull Earth doth quicken or make tame The Tempests and the windy Seas reclaime He hath the gouernment of States can quell Both gods and men his pow'r is seene in Hell Whose magnitude all visible things display He gouerns them with an impartial sway Where e're thou mov'st where so thou turnst thine eie Ev'n there is God there Ioue thou may'st espie His immense pow'r doth beyond limit run It hath no bound for what he wills is done What so thou seest throughout the world by day
world in euery Nation Feare first made gods with Diuine adoration Saith Martial If thy Barber then should dare When thou before him sit'st with thy throat bare And he his Rasor in his hand to say Giue me this thing or that Wilt thou say nay Or grant it him Take 't into thy beleefe He 's at that time a Ruffin and a Theefe And not thy Barber Neither can 't appeare Bounty that 's granted through imperious Feare Of the word Superstition the first ground Was To preserue to th' future whole and sound The memorie of Fathers Sons and Friends Before deceast and to these seeming ends Were Images deuis'd Which some would bring As their first author from th' Assyrian King Ninus whose father Belus being dead That after death he might be honored Set vp his statue which as most agree Was in his new built city Niniuee Whither all malefactors make repaire And such offenders whose liues forfeit are By the Lawes doom but kneeling to that Shrine Were sanctuar'd as by a thing diuine Hence came it that as gods they now abhor'd The Sun and Moone which they before ador'd With Stars and Planets they are now at strife And since by it they had recouered life Late forfeit hold it as a sov'raigne Deitie And therefore as it were in gratefull pietie They offred sacrifice burnt Incense gaue Oblations as to that had power to saue This which in Theeues and Murd'rers first began In time so generall grew that not a man But was of that beleefe and so withdrew That diuine worship which was solely due To the Creator and to him alone And gaue 't to Idols made of wood and stone And yet the Poet Sophocles euen then When the true God was scarsly knowne to men In honour of the supreme Deitie Much taunted the vain Greeks Idolatrie One God there is saith he and only one Who made the Earth his Footstoole Heav'n his Throne The swelling Seas and the impetuous Winds The first he calmeth and the last he binds In prison at his pleasure and yet wee Subiects vnto this fraile mortalitie Of diffident hearts determin and deuise To the Soules dammage many fantasies The Images of gods we may behold Carv'd both in stone and wood some left in gold Others in Iv'ry wrought and we vnwise By offring to them solemne Sacrifice Thinke we do God good seruice But the Deity Sole and supreme holds it as meere impiety Saint Austin neuer could himselfe persuade That such who mongst the antient Gentiles made Their Idoll gods beleev'd in them for he Saith confidently Though in Rome there be Ceres and Bacchus with a many more Whom they in low obeisance fall before They do it not as vnto absolute things That haue in them the innate seeds and springs Of being and subsistence but much rather As to the seruants of th' Almighty Father Yet these did worship something 't doth appeare As a Supreme whom they did loue or feare This Age breeds men so bruitsh naturall As to beleeue there is no God at all Such is the Atheist with whom can be had No competition one obtuse or mad Who cannot scape Heav'ns most implacable rod. The Psalmists Foole who saith There is no God Would such but spend a little vacant time To looke from what 's below to things sublime From terrene to coelestiall and confer The Vniuersall with what 's singuler They shall find nothing so immense and hye Beyond their stubborn dull capacity But figures vnto them his magnitude Again nothing so slight as to exclude It name amongst his creatures nought so small But proues to them his power majesticall Tell me ô thou of Mankind most accurst Whether to be or not to be was first Whether to vnderstand or not to know To reason or not reason well bee 't so I make that proposition all agree That our Not being was before To be For we that are now were not in Times past Our parents too ev'n when our moulds were cast Had their progenitors their fathers theirs So to the first By which it plaine appeares And by this demonstration 't is most cleare That all of vs were not before we were For in the Plants we see their set and ruin In Creatures first their growth then death pursuing In Men as well as Beasts since Adam's sinning The end is certaine signe of the beginning As granted then we boldly may proclaime it There was a Time if we a Time may name it When there was neither Time nor World nor Creature Before this Fabrick had such goodly feature But seeing these before our eyes haue being It is a consequence with Truth agreeing Of which we only can make this construction From some Diuine power all things had production And since of Nothing nothing can befall And betwixt that which is bee 't ne're so small And what is not there is an infinite space Needs must some Infinite supply the place It followes then The prime Cause and Effector Must be some potent Maker and Protector A preualent great and eternall God Who before all beginning had aboad Come to the Elements A war we see Twixt Heate and Cold Drought and Humiditie Now where 's Antipathy must be Annoy One laboring still the other to destroy And yet in one composure where these meet There 's Sympathie Attone and cons'nance sweet The Water doth not fight against the Fire Nor doth the Aire against the Earth conspire All these though opposites in vs haue peace Vniting in one growth and daily increase To make inueterate Opposites agree Needs must there be a God of Vnitie What is an Instrument exactly strung Vnlesse being plaid vpon it yeelds no tongue Or pleasant sound that may delight the eares So likewise of the musicke of the Spheres Which some haue said chym'd first by accident O false opinion'd Foole What 's the intent Of thy peruersenesse or thine ignorance Shall I designe what Fortune is or Chance Nothing they are saue a meere perturbation Of common Nature an exorbitation And bringing out of square these to controule Therefore must needs be an intelligent Soule For know you not you Empty of all notion That nothing in it selfe hath power of motion And that which by anothers force doth moue The cause of that effect must be aboue Th' originall of Mouing must be Rest Which in our common Dialls is exprest The Sun-beame pâ—ints the houre the shadow still From our shifts to another ev'n vntill Thou tel'st vnto the last yet 't is confest That all this while th' Artificer may rest The Earth in sundry colours deckt we know With all the Herbage and the Fruits below The Seas and Flouds Fish in aboundance store Fowles numberlesse within the Aire do soare And all these in their seuerall natures clad So fairely that her selfe can nothing add From whence haue these their motion Shall we say From th' Elements How comes it then that
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
quarrels are commenc't and Might Takes place ' boue Right Where Zeale and Conscience yeeld way to Sedition There can be made of God no inquisition VIII I sought the Court but smooth tongu'd Flatterie there Deceiu'd each eare In the throng'd City there was selling buying swearing and lying I' th Countrey Craft in Simplenesse array'd And then I said Vaine is my search although my paines be great Where my God is there can be no deceit IX All these Demands are the true consideration Answer and attestation Of Creatures touching God all which accited With voice vnited Either in Aire or Sea the Earth or Sky Make this reply To rob him of his worship none persuade vs Since it was He and not our owne hands made vs. X. A scrutiny within my selfe I than Euen thus began O Man what art thou What more could I say Than Dust and Clay Fraile mortall fading a meere puffe a blast That cannot last In'a Throne to day tomorrow in the Vrne Form'd from that Earth to which I must returne XI I askt my selfe Who this great God might be That fashion'd me I answer'd The All-Potent solely Immence surpassing Sence Vnspeakeable Inscrutable Eternall Lord ouer all The onely Terrible Strong Iust and True Who hath no End and no Beginning knew XII He is the Well of Life for He doth giue To all that liue Both breath and being He is the Creator Both of the Water Earth Aire and Fire Of all things that subsist He hath the listâ— Of all the Heauenly Host or what Earth claimes He keepes the scrole and calls them by their names XIII And now my God by thy illumining Grace Thy Glorious Face So far forth as thou wilt discouered be Me-thinks I see And though Inuisible and Infinite To humane sight Thou in thy Mercy Iustice Truth appearest In which to our fraile sences thou com'st nearest XIV O make vs apt to seeke and quicke to finde Thou God most kinde Giue vs Loue Hope and Faith in Thee to trust Thou God most iust Remit all our offences we entreat Most Good Most Great Grant That our willing though vnworthy quest May through thy Grace admits vs 'mongst the Blest Condiscendit nobis Deus vt nos consurgamus ei Augustine The Cherubim Ex sumptib Guilielm Toomes THE ARGVMENT of the second Tractate A God being found deny'd by none It followes there can be but one By the Philosophers confest And such as were of Poets best Him not the Oracle denies Nor those the antient world held wise Sage Sybel Mage Gymnosophist All in this Vnitie persist Next That this Power so far extended Can by no sence be comprehended Neither his Essence most Diuine Be sounded by weake Reasons line And last what names most properly Belong to this great Deitie ¶ The second Argument GOds Knowledge treats the Cherubim He nothing knowes that knowes not him A Deitie confest which All adore It followeth to be onely One no more The multiplicitie of gods accruing From Men their idle phantasies pursuing Some thinke From auatitious Priests they ' rose Vnto themselues fat Offrings to dispose Some from the Poets fictions who to grace Their Friends or Princes of more eminent place Gaue to them after death such adoration Which after grew common to euery Nation These I let passe as knowne But to proceed With what I purpose Many haue agreed In this sole Godhoods Vnitie to which vse Although I numerous Authors could produce Yet I 'le insist on few One doth thus treat Wisedome in man is onely then compleat When it vpon this singular point is staid There 's but one God that 's he who all things made He further argueth If of either sex You maintaine gods all such I shall perplex With this one reason Where a Male hath being And Female these betwixt themselues agreeing Must needs haue copulation they to expell Immodestie haue place wherein to dwell For 't is not probable That such in view And openly like Beasts their lusts pursue Or make their amorous meetings because they By their example teach all things that may Instruct in Vertue And if Houses then By consequence they Cities haue as Men. If Cities they haue Fields if Fields they till If plough and sow and reape then needs you will Allow them mortall for 't is vnderstood All must be such as liue not without food Begin where we now ended If not eat They neither reape nor sow not needing meat Therefore no Fields no Fields no Houses so No Houses then no Cities therefore know No chast commixtion can be Tell me now Where 's Iuno Pallas Venus I or you Sybel or Rhea Therefore I maintaine Gods are th' inuention of Mans idle braine Aske Proclus Tresmegistus or Simplicius Cicero Philolaus or Iamblicus Theophrastus Plato Or of Poets these Sophocles Orpheus and Phocilides In all their Workes and Learnings great varietie They still conclude There 's but one soueraigne Deitie Saith Zeno They 're like mad that trust in many As those è contra that beleeue not any Simplicius speaking of the Vnitie Of this Diuinest Essence thus saith he All things that be or beautifull or faire From Diuine Pulchritude deriued are All Truth from Diuine Truth all we can name T' haue Being from the first Beginning came Hee 's the sole God Beginning and the Spring In his owne Power of all and euery thing All things from Him proceed to come or past Those which were first the present and the last From His sole Goodnesse many goods arise His Vnitie brings many Vnities His one Beginning is the source and ground Of many more Beginnings after found In this Beginning Vnitie and Good I would haue one God onely vnderstood The reason Because Hee 's the Prime of All In whom consists the Off-spring generall Of each thing that hath being He besides Is of all Causes Cause and still abides The Goodnesse of all Goodnesses And so Of all gods the Great God None else we know When Cicero would distinguish betwixt those We Idols call and Him that doth dispose The Fabricke he hath built he doth debate Thus with himselfe They 're made He vncreate They weake and feeble in their proud'st oâ—tent But He All-able and Omnipotent They vnto Natures Lawes subiect and thrall But He the God of Nature Them and All. One God one Vnitie in it selfe agreeing Is the sole Root and Seed of all things being Without which nothing is nought hath been made Another thus ingeniously hath said There is one God whose Power is stretched far Immouable and alwaies Singularâ— Like onely to himselfe And in effect The chiefe of the Perepateticke Sect Affirmes to vs as much who doth apply His reasons grounded on Philosophy And Nature thus All motions saith he Ascend vp to the Primum Mobile And the first Mouer which he there doth name To be the Sole and Prime on which Heauens frame With vniuersall Nature doth depend And this he
elsewhere further striues t' extend Thus speaking The first Mouer's One and He Euer Eternall we conclude to be Of Diuine Plato 't is recorded thus Who writing to King Dionysius Onely saith he by this note shall you know Whether my purpose serious be or no You shall obserue how I my Letter frame If one sole God I inuocate and name What 's weighty I intend but if the rest I nominate thinke then I sport and jest Orpheus of Poets the most antient And in that noble Title eminent He that is said to giue each god his name And to deriue the off-spring whence he came Yet in his best and deepest Theory Left to the world as his last Legacie That there was one sole God Omnipotent Immortall and for euer Permanent Invisible common Parent vnto all Mankinde and other Creatures great and small Author of War or Peace whose Prouidence Gouerns the World and whose high Eminence Hath in th' Emperiall Heauens a golden Throne Whose Foot-stoole is the Earth to tread vpon Who stretcheth his right hand beyond the vast Vnlimited Oceans bounds The First and Last Before whom each high Mountaine and low Vale Mov'd at his presence tremble and looke pale The Worlds sixt Columes at his anger shake And the Seas bottomlesse Abysses quake And elsewhere thus We may from Reason gather Ioue is sole King the vniuersall Father And Parent of all things alwaies the same One Power one God o're all that we can name And ouer them great Lord hauing besides One Regall Bulke or Body which abides To all Eternitie In which what 's being Hath revolution no way disagreeing Yet maintaines Contraries In Him you may Finde Fire and Water Earth Aire Night and Day As much as this Phocilides confest There is one potent God sole Wise sole Blest Th' AEgyptians in their curious inquisition A Nation the most giuen to superstition And to Idolatrous worship and yet they In all their Hierogliphycks did pourtray But one sole Iupiter whose picture was Plac't o're their ports and gates in stone or brasse So likewise in their Temples in his hand A trisulâ— thunderbolt or fulminous brand And as the Writer of their story tels Him they as God acknowledge and none els Saith one The God of Nature I will sing Infus'd in Heauen Sea Earth and euery thing Who this great Masse by'impartial cov'nant swayes Whom in alternate peace the World obeyes By which it liues and moues since but one Spirit Dwells in each part and doth the whole inherit O'reflying all things with inuisible speed And giuing shape to all that therein breed Vnlesse this Frame of Members neere ally'de And well context were made and had one Guide And Lord thereof the Vast to mannage still But were to be dispos'd by humane skill The Stars could haue no motion th' Earth no ease Time would stand still and a cold stiffenesse seise On agitation Planets would retaine No influence but slothfully remaine In their tyr'd Spheres Night would not fly the Day Nor Light giue place to Darknesse at a stay All things should stand the soft shoures should not dare To cheare the Earth nor the coole Windes the Aire Racke should not chase the clouds flouds should not feed The Sea nor the Sea Riuers at their need Nor should the soueraigne Part o're all parts stand Order'd and sway'd by ' an equall Parents hand For now neither the Waters nor the Stars Be vnto vs deficient nothing bar's The Heav'ns in their dispose whereby to ghesse They alter in their Gyring more or lesse Motion doth cherish but not change for all We see the world containes in generall Are mannag'd and dispos'd by faire accord And still obedient to their Prince and Lord. He therefore is the God that all things guides Who in his Diuine wisedome so prouides That Creatures here below meerely terrestriall Haue pour'd into them by the Signes Coelestiall A strength infus'd to honour or disgrace Not hindred by the distance of the place Stars haue a power in Nature ministring Fate To Nations priuat persons and each State Which operation we do hold as sure As the Heav'ns giue the Fieldes a temperature By which they in their seasons spring and grow Or are the cause that the Seas ebbe and flow Hee 's only God that is vnchang'd by Time Nor yong nor old but euer in his prime Who suffers not the Sun backward t' inuade The transuerse Arctos or runne retrograde And steere a new course neither from the West Returne the same way to his last nights rest Nor shewes the same Aurora to stronds new Nor lets the Moone an erring course pursue Beyond her certaine Orbe but to retaine A constant change in her encrease and waine Nor lets the Stars aboue impending fall To circumvolve the Earth the Sea and all Thinke now you heare this God long silence breakâ— And to a meerly Ethnicke man thus speake Thou slighting me hast to thy selfe deuis'd A thousand gods and equally vs pris'd Thinking to minch me into parts and fleece Me of my right But know no part or peece Can be from me extracted no forme ta'ne That am a simple Substance Then in vaine Thou think'st to parcell me by thy decision Of compound things 't is eath to make diuision But I was made by none nor therefore can I piece-meal'd or dissected be by Man All things from nothing were first made by me Then part of mine owne worke how can I be Therefore to me alone thy Temples reare And worship me in honour and in feare As those of Marble so the Minde I praise Where stedfast Faith a rich Foundation layes On golden piles and when the Buildings rise In snowy Pietie to daze mens eyes With vnsway'd Iustice rooft to keepe o utraine And where the walls within chast Blushes staine In stead of Vermil and the whitenesse cleare Proceeds from palenesse bred by holy Feare The Oracles that from the Sybels came Who in the former world were of great fame Though 'mongst the Learn'd it be a question still Whence they inspir'd were with Prophetique skill The good or the bad Sprite er'd not to say There is but one sole God Him we obey These be their words In this we all agree There 's one true God aboue all Maiestie Omnipotent Inuisible alone Vnborne All-seeing and yet seene of none Apollo askt by one Theophilus How many gods there were made answer thus His Vnitie not daring to deny There 's only one true God Potent and High Begotten by Himselfe Sufficient Able Vntaught and without Mother solely Stable To speake whose Name no Language can aspire Or reach into whose dwelling is in Fire And such is God of whom I and the Rest Am a small portion as being profest His Ministers and Angels By which Name The Diuell exprest himselfe to haue an aime To Diuine worship which ' He that did create All things so
inest Thou art the Rocke draw'st all things all do'st guide Yet in deepe setled rest do'st still abide Vntoucht with care thou car'st for all that be Mov'st Heauen and Earth yet motion 's not in thee According with this is the saying of Seneca the Philosopher Necessitate non aliud effugium est quam velle quod ipsa cogit i. There is no other auoiding of necessity than to be willing to that which it compells thee to It is Catsius word vpon the foresaid Emblem Ad trahens abstrahor Vpon which I reade him thus Fata reluctantes rapiunt ducuntque sequentes Cedere qui non vult sponte coactus abit Fates the Rebellious force th' Obedient shield Who striue against them are compel'd to yeeld Seneca the Tragicke Poet in Oedip. we reade thus Fatis agimur cedite Fatis Non sollicitae possunt curae Mutare rati foedera Fusi Quicquid patimur mortale genus Quicquid facimus venit ex alto Yeeld to the Fates for they vs leade Not all our cares can change the thread Decreed vpon what euer wee Subiect to fraile mortalitie Suffer or act if rest or moue Euen all of it comes from aboue A Meditation vpon the former Tractate I ' Haue wandred like a Sheepe that 's lost To finde Thee out in euery Coast Without I haue long seeking him Whilest Thou the while abid'st Within Through euery broad Street and streit Lane Of this Worlds City but in vaine I haue enquir'd The reason why I sought thee ill for how could I Finde Thee Abroad when Thou meane space Hadst made Within thy dwelling place I sent my Messengers about To try if they could finde Thee out But all was to no purpose still Because indeed they sought Thee ill For how could they discouer Thee That saw not when thou entredst me Myne Eyes could tell me If He were Not Colour'd sure He came not there If not by Sound my Eares could say He doubtlesse did not passe my way My Nose could nothing of Him tell Because my God he did not Smell None such I Relisht said my Taste And therefore me He neuer past My Feeling told me That none such There entred for he none did Touch. Resolv'd by them how should I be Since none of all these are in Thee In Thee my God Thou hast no Hew That Mans fraile Opticke sence can view No Sound the Eare heares Odour none The Smell attracts all Taste is gone At thy Appearance where doth faile A Body how can Touch preuaile What euen the brute Beasts comprehend To thinke Thee such I should offend Yet when I seeke my God I'enquire For Light than Sunne and Moone much higher More cleare and splendrous ' boue all Light Which th' Eye receiues not 't is so bright I seeke a Voice beyond degree Of all melodious Harmony The Eare conceiues it not A Smell Which doth all other sents excell No Floure so sweet no Myrrh no Nard Or Aloes with it compar'd Of which the Braine not sensible is I seeke a Sweetnesse such a blesse As hath all other Sweets surpast And neuer Pallat yet could Taste I seeke That to containe and hold No Touch can Feele no Embrace Infold So far this Light the Raies extends As that no place◠It comprehends So deepe this Sound that though it speake It cannot by a Sence so weake Be entertain'd A Redolent Grace The Aire blowes not from place to place A pleasant Taste of that delight It doth confound all Appetite A strict Embrace not felt yet leaues That vertue where it takes it cleanes This Light this Sound this Sauouring Grace This Tastefull Sweet this Strict Embrace No Place containes no Eye can see My God Is and there 's none but Hee ¶ Fecisti nos Domine ad Te inquietum igitur est Cor nostrum done◠requiescat in Te. S. Augustine The Throne Ex muner Iokan o◠Math Christmas Artist THE ARGVMENT of the third Tractate OF th' Vniuerse the Regions three And how their part◠disposed be How gouerned and in what order In which no one exceeds his border That Moses Arke in all respects Vpon the Worlds rare Frame reflects Both how and when by Power Diuine The Sunne and Moone began to shine The Day of our blest Sauiours Passion Compar'd with that of the Creation How euery Star shines in his Sphere What place they in the Zodiacke beare And of the twelue Signes a Narration Their Influence Aspect and Station To proue no former Worlds haue bin And This must perish we liue in The vainnesse lastly doth appeare Of Plato's Great and Vertent Yeare ¶ The second Argument ALl Glory to the Holy-One Euen Him that sits vpon the Throne The Thrones WEe from the Workman to the Worke proceed The powerfull Doer to the glorious Deed. This Vniuerse Created first then guided Into three ample Regions is diuided The first is call'd Super-coelestiall The next Coelestiall or Ethereall Both constant in their kindes The third doth vary In which we liue as meerely Elementary The First of Angels is the blessed dwelling The later two many degrees excelling The Next of Starres and Planets keeps the features The Last of Man Beast and all Mortall Creatures The first doth with incredible Lustre shine The second vnto it as lesse Diuine Participating both lest Time should faile Darknesse and Light weighes out in equall Scale The third enioyes both these as who but knowes it But how So as the second doth dispose it The First doth Immortalitie containe A stable worke and euer to remaine There 's in the Second too a stable face But yet Mutation both in worke and place There 's in the Third all Change but no Stabilitie 'Twixt life and death A constant Mutabilitie Like the pure nature of his Diuine minde He made the First Then Bodies in their kinde Void of corruption He the Next created The Third full of all Frailties fabricated Foure Elements He placed in the Lower Foure in the Vpper in the Highest foure Terrestriall these Earth Water Aire and Fire Celestiall and Etheriall that aspire To place more eminent in this order runne Luna Mercury Venus and the Sunne Super-Coelestiall and of highest state The Angell the Arch-Angell Principate And Seraphim the last The Earth commixt Of all things to corruption apt he fixt In the Worlds lowest part but not to moue The selfe same Power ordain'd in Heauen aboue Continuall motion but to such we call Natures which are Super-Coelestiall He gaue Intelligent Force abiding still And not to suffer change So by his Will This our inferior Water is in great Discord with Fire and suffocates his heat Water Coelestiall feeds it without cease To which the supreme Region giues encrease Terrestriall Aire lends Breath Coelestiall Ioy And Solace free from trouble or annoy Super-coelestiall euery Good thing lends So by the Might that through this Worke extends This lower Fire consumes and all things burnes
goddesse which we Venus likewise name Who this their kindnesse bearing still in minde Sought some faire opportunitie to finde To shew her gratitudeâ— and then being great With Iupiter of him she did intreat He would be pleas'd their goodnesse to requite Bâ— whom her birth and being came to light He who the goddesse nothing could deny To send her pleas'd thence fixt them in the Sky Where with a radiant fulgence either shines Both making one of the Coelestiall Signes Since when these people rather than to tast That kind of Fish haue vow'd perpetuall Fast And with such reuerence they all Doues intreat To die themselues ere these Birds kill and eat But let me not ô Courteous Reader wrong Thy patience with insisting here too long I will not bring Philosophers to brall And quarrell 'bout the Worlds originall Of which their curious Ceâ—sures some haue past That this was euer and shall euer last Others That many worlds haue bin'tofore And this bee'ng ended wee shall still haue more Some Heretickes so impudently bold To draw their grounds from Scripture These of old Haue by Authentique Authors been confuted Therefore not needfull here to be disputed The World it selfe doth to all Tongues proclaime It 's owne first off spring and from whence it came i th' Elements first As thus The Earth doth shift Into the Water by th' Almighties Gift Aire into Fire doth passe as 't is exprest Aire into Water too So of the rest And yet this permutation cannot be But in the course of Time Now all agree Time of all Motion to be the true Measure And where is Motion cannot be the Treasure Of Durabilitie and alwaies lasting We either see the swelling Ocean hasting To fill his Tyde or to his Ebbe decline There 's no cessation in the mouing Brine Sometimes the gentle Aire blowes coole and soft Sometimes againe the Whirle-windes beat aloft As now the Moone doth in her Waine appeare And then some few nights after fills her Sphere The Sunne is in perpetuall trauell so The Stars nay euen the Herbs and Plants that grow Of what the Earth yeelds or from Heauen is leant Time is the sole producting Instrument This being prov'd now let vs if you please Examine Time whilest we consider these We reade how they which sacrificed first Religious Abel were and Cain th' Accurst The antient Writer Philo doth make mention That Letters had from Abraham their inuention Which he the Chaldaeans and Phoenicians tought These after Linus from Phoenicia brought And spread in Greece Cadmus some say deuis'd them And within Sixteene Characters compris'd them To which they say Palanâ—des added foure Simonides to them as many more Memnon spake Hierogliphycks thinking so To instruct men a neerer way to know Another Writing taught so by degrees First from Palme leaues them to the rindes of trees They grew to Paper and to Pens Some Rhyme Some writ in Prose All these produc't by Time At first th' Arcadians vpon Acomes fed And saue the Earth look'd for no softer bed Dainties and Downe were both as then vnknowne Whence then is our Effeminacie growne Now in such vse Those Surfets we desire Superfluous Fare and Pydenesse in Attyre When our first Parents were in skin coats clad For better Weeds then were not to be had No food saue Fruits no drinke saue Water small Time still in motion hath produc'd these all For grant that Man from euerlasting were Without beginning How may it appeare He spent his dayes Triptolemus we reade And Ceres were the first that deuis'd Bread What did they eat before An idle kinde Of Creatures sure they were that could not finde The vse of Garments nor of wholsome Food With infinite things since practis'd and held good They built no Cities for all such of Name Knowne Historie directs vs whence they came And both by whom and in whose reignes erected Rhemus and Romulus the place selected In which to plant great Rome Paris that is Of populous France the chiefe Metropolis Paris the Trojan built after the firing Of famous Troy thither himselfe retyring With Francon one of Hectors noble Sons For so the Chronicle with Carion runs Naples that we Parthenope haue read Was founded by the warlike Diomed. Parma by Trojan Chrysus Pallas friend Ancona likewise boasts her to descend From the Thessalian Dolopes Florence grew From Scilla 's souldiers who did first make new Those stately walls Caâ—thage Queene Dido rear'd If Virgil or Eusebius may be heard Troy from King Troös Thebes from Busiris came Of Genoa Genuinus layd the frame Yong Phaëtons companion Brixium Verona Patauia Aquilaea Barcelona Rhodes Malta Nicomedia Sarragosa Venetia Placentia and Tolosa These for the rest suffice the Ages tell them Of their vaine errors and withall refell them The first is by all Writers vnderstood From the Creation to the generall Floud The next from Noah to Abrahams birth accounted The third from him to Dauids time amounted The fourth from Dauids dayes fell iust vpon The Iewes Captiuitie in Babylon The fift from faire Ierusalems surprise By Nabuchadnezzar doth iust arise Vnto our Sauiors blessed Incarnation The sixt descends to this last Generation And though some Histriographers diuide These into Seuen by Eusebius 't is deny'de And diuers others all in this agreeing Though not in number That the World had being In Adam and our Grandam Eve created By Gods owne hand in Paradise instated That most of all those many yeares are past And That this Age we liue in is the last Grammer in Greece was by Prometheus sought And after was to Rome by Crates brought Before the time of the third Punicke warre Of Rhetoricke these the Deuisers are Tysias which Corax after did refine With Gorgias syrnamed Leontyne Cleanthes was the first Logicke profest Crisippus Daphila and 'mongst the rest Numbred Dionisodore and Euthidenius were The art of Memorie did first appeare In old Simonides Euclides found Geometry And Sapho layd the ground Of Musicke or as some Thersander will Others Pythoclides Physickes first skill Serapius claimes And Apis AEgypts King To be of Surgerie the source and spring Noah the Ship and Mercury the Lyre Pyseus was the ground of Musicke higher Namely the Trumpet Thales most haue said Was he the Horologe deuis'd and made Astrologie Anaximander taught Pictures and Statues first Cleanthes wrought Chiron of Herbs and Simples searcht the cause With their true vertue And the first made Lawes Was Rhadamant Bacchus did plant the Vine And Tharsus vnto Cities Walls assigne Which after the Cyclopians did adorne With sumptuous Turrets The first vse of Corne Queene Ceres Ninus War the art of Minting And vse of Coine did AEginata Printing Iohn-Gutenburgh But he that first did finde That Diuelish enemie to all
are farther remote are lesse able and preualent The Water is known to be of more swiftnesse and validity than the Earth the Aire than the Water and the Moone than either and of all the other Planets as they exceed in height so they excel in vertue euen vntill you come to the Primum Mobile whose strength and puissance is such that it circumrotes and turneth about all the Spheres below it and in it's incredible celeritie euery minute ouercomes more than a thousand miles as astronomers report Yet notwithstanding the incogitable force and dexteritie of Spirits the Theologists are of opinion That they are not of power to destroy any one Element or to peruert that constant order by which the fabricke of the World is guided and gouerned Yet of their incredible celeritie and strength histories are very frequent both in the sacred Scriptures and elsewhere We reade That the Diuell tooke our blessed Sauiour and by the permission of this Godhood placed him on the top of the pinacle of the Temple and in a moment tooke him from thence and bare him into an exceeding high mountaine from whence hee shewed him all the Kingdomes of the earth and the glory thereof Wee reade likewise That the Angell of the Lord tooke the Prophet Habbacuck as he was carrying meat vnto the Reapers by the haire of the head and in the strength of spirit in an instant transported him from Iudaea to Babylon And as soone as the Prophet Daniel had tooke his repast left him in the twinkling of an eye in the selfe same place where he first found him The like wee reade in the Gospell of Philip the Apostle who was snatched vp by the Angell and brought where the Eunuch of Candaces was reading in Esaias the Prophet which after he had expounded vnto him and then baptised him in the riuer hee was suddenly taken from his sight Other histories to this purpose there be many Pythagoras if we may beleeue Apollonius was seene in one day both in Croton and Metapontus And Apollonias Tyanaeus the notable Magitian being at Rome in the presence of the Emperor Domitian and commanded to be bound hand and foot before him yet he suddenly vanished out of his sight and was the selfe same houre hurried as farre as Puteoli to keepe a former appointment which he had made to make merry with some of his acquaintance and friends Iamblicus a notorious Inchanter hauing sacrificed vnto the Diuell was raised vp ten cubits from the earth seeming to the wonder and amasement of all there present to walke in the aire And as Evanippus testifieth of him his garments were strangely altered appearing as if they had been newly dipt in a thousand sundry glorious colours Iohannes Teutonicus a Cannon of Halbersted in Germanie hauing by art Magicke performed many strange prestigious feats almost incredible in one day which was the birth day of our Sauiour was transported by the Diuell in the shape of a blacke horse and seene and heard to say Masse the same day in Halbersted in Mentz and in Cullein Plutarch telleth vs That the Grecians hauing ouerthrowne the Persians in the great battell of Marathon they purposed a great and solemne sacrifice to the gods in thankefull remembrance of so miraculous and vnexpected a victory who for their better instruction how the more reuerendly to mannage it sent to aske counsell of the Oracle in Delphos Who returned them answer That they should first build a new Altar and consecrate it to Iupiter the Deliuerer and not to make their Offering till all the fire throughout whole Greece was quite extinguished and not one sparke remaining as being polluted by the Barbarians and therefore by the gods of Greece held execrable Which done they should with all speed send to Delphos and from thence fetch pure and vnpolluted fire to kindle the Sacrifice According to this imposition of the Oracle by a strict order made by the Princes and chiefe Magistrates all the fire was extinct and then one Euchides of Plataea a man of an vnbeleeuable swiftnesse after he had been first washed and after that crowned with Lawrel was sent to Delphos distant from that city more than a thousand furlongs who went and returned within the compasse of one day and hauing brought the sacred Fire he had no sooner deliuered it vp to the Priest who was then chiefe in the Sacrifice but hee instantly fell downe dead Yet the ceremonies went on and after by the command of the Princes his body was taken vp and by their appointment had the honour to be buried in the great and famous Temple of Diana with this inscription vpon his Tomb Euchides Delphos cucurrit Et die reversus est vna Euchides to Delphos sent Who in one day both came and went I haue read of a noble Centurion in the lower part of Germanie of great opinion and estimation with the people for his approued goodnesse and knowne honestie who reported this Discourse following That walking one euening through a Thicket or Groue not farre distant from the place in which he liued with onely one man and a boy in his company to attend him hee saw approching towards him a faire and goodly company of Knights and Gentlemen all seeming persons of great eminence for they were mounted on great and braue horses and well accommodated at all points all which without any salutation in great silence past by him In the lag of which troup he fixt his eye with some astonishment on one who to his present imagination had serued him and bin his Cook who was dead and buried some few dayes before this apparition This Fellow was as well mounted as the rest and lead an empty or spare horse by the bridle The Centurion being a man of an vndaunted spirit went vp close to him and demanded what he was and whether hee were the same Cooke who had lately serued him and whom hee had seene coffined and layd in the earth Who answered him againe That without any doubt or scruple he was the selfe same man His master then asked him what Gentlemen or rather Noblemen as appeared by their habit were those that rid before Whether he himself was then trauelling And to what purpose he led that empty horse in his hand To all which he replied in order That all those horsemen were men of note and qualitie naming to him diuers whom he knew were deceased and that they were now vpon a voiage to the Holy-land whether he himselfe was likewise bound and that spare horse was prouided of purpose to doe him seruice if it so pleased him and that hee had any desire to see Hierusalem The Centurion made answer That with great willingnesse hee could finde in his heart to see the City and visit the holy Sepulchre whether had meanes and leasure serued to his purpose hee had long since intended a pilgrimage The other told him Now was the time his horse ready no
another timerous and fearefull another proud and haughty Therefore that hee may the more secretly and cunningly intrap them he frameth his deceptions suitable with their conditions and because pleasure hath proximitie with mirth to him that is giuen to mirth hee proposeth ryot and luxurie and because sadnesse is prone to anger to such he offereth the cup of dissention and discord and because the Timerous are fearefull of paine and punishment to them he suggesteth terrors and horrors and because the haughty and ambitious loue to be magnified and extolled to them hee offers popular suffrage and vaine applause c. We also reade Saint Paul thus 2 Corinth 11.3 But I feare lest as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty so your mindes should be corrupt from the simplicitie which is in Christ. And 1 Pet. 5.8 Be sober and watch for the Diuell as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may deuoure The illustration of the Emblem followeth Pelliculam veterem retines fronte politus Abstraso rapidam gestas sub pectore vulpem Pers. Satyr 5. Fit globas insidias Muri dum tendit Echinus Et jacet immoto corpore fusus humi O◠late◠in media quod dum patet esse cavernam Musculus ad socios non rediturus init Cum vitium quod quisque colit Rex caelliat orci Illius objectis pectora nostra trahit Larco sibi capitur vinosus imagine Bacchi Virginis aspectu nota libido furit ¶ Thus paraphrased To'entrap the Mouse the Hedge-hog in a round Is cast and lies as senselesse on the ground His face drawne in the hole she thinkes a caue Where being frighted she her selfe may saue When Sathan knowes vnto what vice we' are bent To each mans sence that obiect hee 'l present Meat to the Glutton to the Drunkard Wine And to such beauty as to lust incline Livy saith Fraus in parvis fidem sibi praestruit vt cum opere praetium est cum mercede magna fallat Id est Deceit layes the snare in small things and of no moment that in greater things it may deceiue with profit Noble in his minde was Alexander the Great who when Parmenio counselled him to seeke the subuersion of his enemies by fraud and subtiltie made this answer That being Alexander his Majestie and Royaltie would not suffer him to doe so but if hee were a priuate man as Parmenio hee might perhaps be thereunto persuaded But contrarie vnto him the Emperour Pertinax was syrnamed Christologus which is as much to say as Well speaking and Euill doing It was the saying of Demosthenes the excellent Orator Wonder not that thou art deceiued by a wicked man but rather wonder that thou art not deceiued The fraudulent and deceitful are likened to a Chameleon apt to take all obiects capable of all colours cloaking Hate with Holinesse ambitious Gain with shew of good Gouernment Flatterie with Eloquence but whatsoeuer is pretended is meerely deceit and dishonestie Sic iterum sic caepe cadunt vbi vincere aperte Non datur insidias armaque tecta parant Fraude perit virtus Ovid. Fast. lib. 2. The Serpent hid in the grasse stingeth the foot and the deceitfull man vnder pretence of honestie beguileth the Simple Parva patitur vt Magnis potiatur From whence Catsius deriues this conceit Fit globus nique globi medio caput abdit echinus Et vafer ni parvum contrabit or aspecum Tegmina mas spinosa peti se nescius ambit Et vagus impunem fertque refertque gradum At coecas ineat latebras non sua lustra Tum demum in praedam promptus echinus erit Vt fallat tunc cum praetium putat esse laboris Praestruit in parvis fraus sibi magna fidem ¶ Thus paraphrased Like a round ball he lies of head or face Nought seene saue onely a streight entring place The Mouse doth neere his thorny couering graze And fearelesse of deceit about it playes But is no sooner entred the blinde caue Than catcht he hauing what he sought to haue Small traines at first are by the Crafty layd That the full Prize they better may invade A Meditation vpon the former Tractate I. TO Thee the Saints that in thee trust To Thee the Soules of all the Iust And wretched I To Thee new cry That am indeed no more than Earth and Dust. II. The Heav'nly Hierarchies aboue That are to Thee conjoyn'd in Loue In Hymnes and Layes To Thee giue praise And to the innocent Lambe and spotlesse Doue III. The Angels and Archangels all Vertues and Powers Coelestiall Who stand before Thee And still adore Thee As Messengers still ready at thy Call IV. All magnifie Thee without cease Not fainting rather with encrease Of Will and Voice Laud and reioyce In Thee that art the God of Power and Peace V. And I fraile Man that am not least Of thy Creation would thy Heast Far as I may Serue and obey And beg in thy great Mercies Interest VI. Light therefore in my Heart infuse Instruct my Tongue Thy Name to vse That I may finde Both Heart and Minde Hourely on Thee and onely Thee to muse VII Clense to that end and make me cleane That am polluted and obsceane My sinnefull Soule Spotted and foule Dares not for that cause on thy Mercies leane VIII From Outward things to what 's Interior To what 's Aboue from Things Inferior My Thoughts transcend To apprehend Thee solely that or'e all things art Superior IX O blessed Spirits bright and pure You that the Sacred Throne immure That Place Sublime In first of Time Was made for you alwayes therein to'endure X. Your Makers Face you there behold In numerous Bands and Hosts vntold You to Him solely Sing Holy Holy Holy Whose Brightnesse no Tongue can vnfold XI You in your sweet and musicall Quire See what to Loue and to Admire That Ioy and Blisse Which endlesse is And to attaine vnto we all desire XII For from that Place Coelestiall From henceforth there can be no Fall In that Congruity Is Perpetuity Which as Before it hath bin Euer shall XIII No refractorie Spirits there Since Lucifer dar'd to appeare In Battell fell By Michael All these rebellious Angels captiv'd were XIV He the old Dragon gyv'd and bound Who Mankinde labors to confound Still day by day Vs to betray And to that end the World doth compasse round XV. With Him the Sp'rites of Aire and Fire The Water and the Earth conspire Early and late To'insidiate All such as after Heav'nly things acquire XVI But Thou the blest Angels of Light Against them hast made opposite Both to direct vs And to protect vs From their knowne Malice both by day and night XVII Therefore to Thee ô God alone In Persons Three in Substance One The Trinity In Vnity To search in whose Identity there 's None XVIII So bold as dare so wise as can The Father God Sonne God and Man The Spirit Diuine Third in the Trine All Three
foure Fountaines the first is the fountaine of Mercy to wash away our sinnes by the waters of Remission the second is the fountaine of Wisedome to quench our thirst with the waters of Discretion the third is the fountaine of Grace to water the plants of good Works with the springs of Deuotion c. Twelue most grieuous and intolerable sufferings of Christ are obserued from the Euangelicall historie his Agonie sad and bloudy than which spectacle nothing since the Creation of the World hath beene more admirable Secondly That for so vile a price hee should be sold and deliuered vp to his wicked and bloud-thirsty enemies by one of his owne Disciples 3. That with his hands bound hee should be led like a captiue through the publique street 4. That like a slaue hee should be so inhumanely scourged 5. That his browes should be pierced with Thornes 6. That hee should be affronted with so many contumelies and injuries as his face spit vpon his cheekes buffetted his head strooke with a rod his party-coloured Vesture and hee brought to be arraigned at the Bar for a Malefactor 7. That he was held more vile and vnworthy than the murtherer Barabas 8. That vpon his wearie and bruised shoulders he should be forced to beare that Crosse on which he was to suffer 9. That hee was adiudged to suffer so long and lingering a death 10. That when he was nothing but sorrow and anguish and paine all ouer yet he should be so scornefully derided of his enemies 11. That he beheld his most innocent Mother present in all his torments 12. That when his most holy body hung in the Aire and Sunnes meridian heate bloudy all ouer the fountaines of his veines being emptied and his bowels dried vp demanding but a little water they offered him gall and Vineger Who euer heard such things Who euer suffered the like things Bonaventure in his sixtieth Sermon De Tempore obserueth his sufferings to be vnspeakeable from ten circumstances First the Nobilitie of the Sufferer 2. The sensibilitie of the patient Members 3. The atrocitie of the punishment 4. The crudelitie of the Afflicters 5. The iniquitie of the Iudges 6. The multiplicitie of the torments 7. The vilitie of the place 8. His societie forsaking him 9. The diuturnitie of the paine 10. The varietie of his contumelies The multiplicitie and vniuersality of his torments may appeare by that which is spoken He was afflicted in his whole body he was bound vnto a pillar and scourged all ouer he suffered in euerie member by it selfe in his head by being strook with a Reed and wearing a crowne of Thornes in his eyes by being blinded and bâ— his often weeping in his cares by the peoples acclamations and loud blasphemies in his face by buffets and spitting in his tast by drinking vineger and gall in his hands and feet by the nailes strook thorow them by which he was fastned to the Crosse. The meditation wherof ought to begin in compassion of his grief and sufferings to make vs the more inflamed with the loue of Him so mercifull a Redeemer At whose death wee reade in the Euangelist Saint Matthew That from the sixth houre there was darkenesse ouer all the land vnto the ninth houre And Verse 21. The Vaile of the Temple was rent in twaine from the top to the bottome and the earth did quake and the stones were clouen and the graues did open themselues and many bodies of the Saints which slept arose and came out of the graues after his resurrection and went into the holy City and appeared vnto many c. Now concerning this great Eclipse and Earthquake there be diuers testimonies out of Ethnyck writers Phleganius a Greek Author of whom Suidas maketh oft mention hath these words In the fourth yere of the two hundred and fourth Olympiad which was in the eighteenth yeare of the reigne of Tiberius Caesar in which our Sauiour suffered there was an eclipse of the Sun the greatest that had euer before been seene or found to be recorded in writing which continued from the sixt vnto the ninth houre and during this Eclipse the trembling of the earth was so great in Asia and Bithynia that infinite structures of great magnificence and strength were vtterly demolished Concerning this Eclipse you may reade Bellarmine lib. 2. De Septem verbis thus Saint Mathew saith there was darknesse ouer the face of the earth from the sixth houre to the ninth And Saint Luke cap. 23. And the Sunne was darkned Three difficulties saith he are here to be explained First that the Sun vseth to be deficient in his light by reason of the interposition of the new moon when she is directly interposed betwixt it and the earth which could not happen at the death and passion of our Sauior because it was not then conioyned with the Sunne which hapneth in the new Moone onely but was opposed to the Sunne as being in her plenitude or fulnesse for then was the feast of Easter among the Iewes which according to their Law beginneth the fourteenth day of the first moneth Againe If in the Passion of Christ the Moone were conioyned with the Sun yet the darkenesse could not continue the space of three houres that is from the sixt houre to the ninth for the totall Eclipse of the Sunne cannot endure long especially if it be obscured all ouer so that it shadoweth the whole body of the Sun and that his dimnesse cannot properly be called Darkenesse for the Moone is moued with more swiftnesse than the Sunne in it's owne proper motion and for â—hat cause cannot obumbrate the Sunne but for a short season for it quickely giueth place leauing the Sunne free to his owne proper lustre Lastly It can neuer happen that by reason of the conjunction with the Moone the Sunne can leaue the world in vniuersal darkenesse for the Moone is much lesse than the Sun nay not so great in compasse and quantitie as the earth and therefore by the interposition of it's body the Moone cannot so shadow the Sun to leaue the whole earth in darknesse Now if any shall obiect and say That the Euangelist spake onely of the vniuersal land of Palestine that likewise may be very easily refuted First By the testimonie of Dionisius Areopagita who in his Epistle to holy Polycarpus affirmeth That he himselfe beheld that defection of the Sun and the horrible darkenesse then spred ouer the earth being at the same time in the city of Heliopolis which is scituate in AEgypt Moreouer Phlegon a Greeke Historiographer and a Gentile saith That in the fourth yeare of the two hundred and fourth Olympiad a great and remarkable defect of the Sun was obserued the like neuer before seene for the day at the sixth houre was turned into tenebrous night insomuch as the Starres were visibly seene in the Firmament And this Historian liued in Greece and far remote from Iudaea Origines against Celsus
it's own nature made it selfe passable for his feet The Earth knew him which shooke and trembled at his Passion The Sun knew him who hid his face and withdrew his beames from beholding so execrable an obiect The Stones and Buildings knew him who split and rent themselues asunder The Graue and Hell knew him the one by yeelding vp the Dead the other by witnessing his descension Thus according to my weake Talent Crassa Minerva I haue spoke something generally of those three Religions still continued in the world As for the differences betwixt our Church and the Church of Rome I must needs confesse my weaknesse no way able to reconcile them or determin betwixt them and therefore I leaue that to those of greater knowledge and iudgement But as touching Iudaisme and Mahumetisme I conclude with an Epigram transferred out of the Greeke tongue into the Latine and by me thus paraphrased Pinxisti pulchrae super Phaâ—tonta tabella Altera Deucalion picta tabella tua est c. A Painter on one table figured had Yong Phaetâ—â— as he the guidance had Of the Sunnes Chariot In another stood Dencalion as hauing scap'd the Flood These hauing done he call'd an Artist forth And ask'd him what he thought these two were worth Who after he had both considered well Answer'd What they be worth I cannot tell But if what they be worthy you desire To know th' one Water the other 's worthy Fire The Emblem IT representeth a man amongst rockes and concaue mountains speaking softly vnto himselfe when the Woods and Groues are silent but when he eleuateth his voice into a loud clamor the Echo with a re-doubled sound resulteth vpon him According with that of Saint Bernard Quando fidelis humilis fervens oratio fuerit Coelum hand dubie penetrabit vnde certum est quod vacua redire non potest i. Where thy Prayer is humble faithfull and feruent it doubtlesse pierceth the heauen from whence most certaine it is that it cannot returne empty As also that in the Apostle Saint Iames vers 16. Acknowledge your faults one to another and pray one for another that you may be healed for the prayer of a righteous man availeth much if it be fervent And Luke 11.9 And I say vnto you Aske and it shall be giuen vnto you seeke and ye shall finde knocke and it shall be opened vnto youâ— for euery one that asketh receiueth and he that seeketh findeth and to him that knocketh it shall be opened According to the Psalmist Clâ—â—â—verunt Iusti Dominus exandivit eos The Motto to this Emblem is Ora dâ—bitur Vpon which the Composer thus writes Intensis opus est clamoribus vt sonet echo Dum strepâ—â— exigno murmure nympha silet Nympha tacet tacitis sed surgat ad athera clamor Mox responsa tibi vel geminata dabit Vota quid effundis summis innata labellis Ad tepidas Coeli non patet Aula preces Tende lat us clamore Deus responsa remittet Hic pia mens hic vox fervida pondus habent ¶ Thus paraphrased Onely loud clamors make the Echo speake Whisper to her and silence shee 'l not breake Shee 's to the Mute mute let thy voice sound hye And thou shalt heare her doubly make reply Why with close muttering lips then do'st thou pray Thy luke-warme words to heav'n can make no way But stretch thy lungs in clamor and God then Will answer and re-answer thee agen An excellent Morall from the same Emblem may be collected to this purpose Vbi percontator ibi est garrulus Agreeing with that of Seneca Alium silere cum volis prius sile i. When thou desirest that another man should be silent hold thou thy peace And Phocion saith Silence is a gift without perill and a treasure without enemies And Salust Silence is more safe than speech especially when our enemies are our auditors And of women it is said They are much more apt to conceiue children than conceale secrets But of men Archimides saith He beareth his misery best who hideth it most Non vnquam tacuisse nocet nocet esse loquitum i. Of silence it hath neuer repented me but of speech often And Lactantius informeth vs concerning the vertue of silence That as the Viper is torne asunder when shee produceth her yong so secrets proceeding from their mouthes which are not able to conceale them are for the most part the vtter ruin of those which reueale them According to that of the Poet Quaerit aquas in aquis poma fugantia captat Tantalus hoc illi garrula lingua dedit Tantalus his punishment in hell for his too much loquacity was To be thirsty in the midst of water and hungry where there was plenty of Fruits Nature hath afforded vs double eyes and eares to behold all objects and to listen vnto all voices and sounds but to warne vs that we should be sparing in our speech shee hath afforded man but one tongue and that portall'd with lips and percullis'd with teeth neere to which are placed all the fiue Sences to signifie vnto vs That we ought to speake nothing rashly without their connsell and aduice with the helpe of the faculties of the Soule which are Reason and Vnderstanding which haue their residence in the braine Vpon the like occasion you may reade Iacobus Catsius speaking thus Muta sub obscuris habitaret vallibus echo Ni foret alterius garrulitate loquax Illa silet quoties presso silet ore viator Discit à populo praetereunte loqui Ora loquax premeret nisi percontator adesset Hoc duce tentat opus livida lingua suum Probra creat qui multa rogat qui commodat aurem Turpia sinistris furta receptor alit ¶ Thus paraphrased Dumbe would the Echo in darke Vallies lye Did not the prating Traueller passe by Let him be silent and she talke forbeares For nothing she relates but what she heares Did no man aske no answer she would make And neuer spoke to any but that spake Who lists to bad things may be thought a Chiefe For Where is no Receiuer there 's no Theefe A Meditation vpon the former Tractate I. IF I into my Selfe turne not mine Eyes Not possible that I my Selfe should know Or if I looke within Me then I show So foule and monstrous I my Selfe despise II. Because I nothing can praise-worthy finde But rather subiect vnto reprehension There Vice with Vertue are at loud contention And hath the conquest both of Heart and Minde III. The more my Conscience I examine still The more corrupt it to my Sence appeares So stain'd so spotted that not all my Teares Can wash it cleane from the least thought of Ill. IV. From the first houre that I began to sin I haue gon on without the least cessation Neglecting all the meanes of my saluation Nor ending yet where I did first begin V. How horrid my Offenres be I know And how dis-tastefull in
a sufficient answer namely That the Substances of things were created together but not formed and fashioned together in their seuerall distinct kindes They were disgested together by substance of matter but appeared not together in substantiall forme for that was the worke of six dayes Moreouer when Moses in his first Chapter of Genesis saith That things were created in euery one of the six dayes seuerally in the second chapter of the same Booke he speaketh but of one day only by way of Catastrophe or Epilogue All which hee had before distinctly described saying These are the generations of the Heauen and the Earth when they were created in the day that the Lord God made the Earth and the Heauens Neither is this any contradiction for we must not take the dayes according to the distinction of Times for God had no need of Time as being first made by him but by reason of the works of Perfection which is signified and compleated by the number of Six which is a most perfect number Moreouer as the Psalmist saith A thousand yeares are vnto him but as one day Avenzor the Babylonian saith That he which knoweth to number well knoweth directly all things Neither was it spoken in vaine but to the great praise of Almighty God Omnia in mensura Numero Pondere disposuisti i. Thou hast disposed all things in Number in Measure and in Weight It is moreouer said in Eccles. 1 2. Who can number the sands of the Sea and the drops of the raine and the dayes of the world Who can measure the height of the Heauen the bredth of the Earth and the depth Who can finde the Wisedome of God which hath beene before all things c. It is worthy remarke which one ingeniously obserues Two wayes saith he we come to the apprehension and knowledge of God by his Workes and by his Word by his Works we know that there is a God and by his Word we come to know what that God is his Workes teach vs to spell his Word to reade The first are his backe-parts by which we behold him afarre off the later represent him vnto vs more visibly and as it were face to face For the Word is as a booke consisting of three leaues and euery leafe printed with many letters and euery letter containeth in it selfe a Lecture The Leaues are Heauen the Aire and the Earth with the Water the Letters ingrauen are euery Angell Starre and Planet the Letters in the Aire euery Meteor and Fowle those in the Earth and Waters euery Man Beast Plant Floure Minerall and Fish c. All these set together spell vnto vs That there is a God Moses in the very first verse of Genesis refuteth three Ethnycke opinions first Those that were of opinion the World was from eternitie and should continue for euer in these words when hee saith In the Beginning Secondly he stoppeth the mouth of stupid and prophane Atheists in this phrase Elohim created Thirdly and lastly hee opposeth all Idolaters such as held with many gods for the saith in the conclusion of the same Verse Elohim He created Heauen and Earth vsing the singular number It is the opinion of some antient Diuines That the Creation of the Angels was concealed by Moses lest any man should apprehend like those Heretiques spoken of by Epiphanius that they aided and assisted God in the Creation For if the day of their Creation which as the best approued Theologists confesse was the first day had beene named by Moses wicked and vngodly men might haue taken them to haue been Agents in that great and inscrutable Worke which indeed were no other than Spectators Therefore as God hid and concealed the Body of Moses after his death lest the Israelites so much addicted to Idolatry should adore and worship it so Moses hid and concealed the Creation of the Angels in the beginning lest by them they should be deified and the honour due to the Creator be by that meanes attributed and conferred on the Creature Rabbi Salom affirmeth them to be created the first day and some of our later Diuines the fourth day but their opinions are not held altogether authenticall It is likewise obserued That God in the creation of the world beginneth aboue and worketh downwards For in the first three dayes he layd the foundation of the world and in the other three dayes he furnished and adorned those parts The first day he made all the Heauens the matter of the earth and commeth downe so low as the Light The second day he descendeth lower and maketh the Firmament or Aire The third lowest of all making a distinction betwixt the Earth and Water Thus in three dayes the three parts or body of the World is laid and in three dayes more and in the same order they were furnished For on the fourth day the Heauens which were made the first day were decked and stucke with starres and lights The fift day the Firmament which was made the second day was filled with Birds and Fowles The sixt day the Earth which was before made fit and ready the third day was replenished with Beasts and lastly with Man And thus God Almighty in his great Power and Wisedome accomplished and finished the miraculous worke of the Creation Rabbi Iarchi vpon the second of Genesis obserueth That God made superior things one day and inferiour another His words being to this purpose In the first day God created Heauen aboue and Earth beneath on the second day the Firmament aboue on the third Let the dry land appeare beneath on the fourth Lights aboue and the fift Let the waters bring forth beneath c. On the sixt day he made things both superior and inferior lest there should be confusion without order in his Work Therefore he made Man consisting of both a Soule from aboue and a Body from beneath c. An Allegorie drawne from these is That God hath taught vs by the course he took in the framing and fashioning of the world how we must proceed to become a new Creation or a new Heauen and Earth renewed both in soule and body In the first day he made the Light therefore the first thing of the new man ought to be light of Knowledge for Saint Paul saith He that commeth to God must know that He Is. On the second day he made the Firmament so called because of it's stedfastnesse so the second step in Mans new Creation must be Firmamentum Fidei i. the sure foundation of Faith On the third day the Seas and Trees bearing Fruit so the third step in the New man is That he become Waters of relenting teares and that he bring forth fruit worthy of Repentance On the fourth day God created the Sunne that whereas on the first day there was light without heate now on the fourth day there is Light and Heate ioyned together So the fourth step in the new creation of the New man is That
Moone He likewise made in substance cleare According to the Season to appeare That it should be a future declaration Of Time and the Worlds Signe to ev'ry Nation Feasts are by it appointed the Moneths claime Proper denomination from her Name Waining or growing be she bright or dull In her continual Change shee 's wonderfull Shee 's a lampe plac'd aboue our heads and thence Sends downe her shining beames in excellence The beauty of the Heav'ns perceiv'd from far Is ev'ry great or lesse refulgent Star These lustre to the Firmament afford And shine in the high places of the Lord. From whose command they no way dare rebell But all night long keepe watch and sentinell Looke on the Rain-bow in it's mixed hew Obserue how beautifull it is in view What sev'rall colours with what cunning layd And praise Him who so great a Worke hath made He into such a spacious arch extends it It is the hand of the Most-High that bends it At his command the Snow makes haste from hye The Lightnings of his judgements swiftly flye When He vnlocks his Treasure Clouds repaire And like so many Fowles soare in the aire His Pow'r doth giue them strength When he but speaks The mighty Hail-stones into small he breaks At his dread sight the mountaines skip like Roes 'T is at his pleasure that the South winde blowes His Thunders sound the trembling Earth doth beat As doth the stormy North the fields entreat The Whirle windes like so many feather'd Fowle Scatter the Snow the white flakes downeward rowle As if so many Grashoppers together Should light-on th' earth brought in by stormy weather The Eye admires the whitenesse and the Braine Cannot conceiue the beauty of the Raine The Frost like Salt vpon the ground he powres Which hardned stickes vpon the Herbs and Floures When the bleake North winde from his Quarter blowes A congeal'd Ice vpon the Water growes Vpon the gath'ring of the waues it rests And with a chrystall couering armes their brests The Mountaines it deuours the Desaâ—ts burnes And like the Fire what 's greene to nothing turnes Yet by a melting Cloud and timely Raine These seeming dead are soone refresht againe He by his Word the blustring Windes doth still The Seas rough Surges All obey his Will He in the vnknowne Deepes foundations layes And in the midst thereof doth Islands raise They that the Ocean saile which hath no bound Tell of the wonders that are therein found Which so miraculous to vs appeare When they are told we stand amas'd to heare For there be his rare Works of Beasts and Whales Begetting terror from their sinnes and scales Through Him all things are aim'd as blessed ends And his establisht Word his Worke commends When we haue spoken most yet all ' â— but raine We neuer to their knowledge shall attaine This is the sum of all That He alone Must be the sole All and besides Him none Of his true Praise how can we giue account Since He we know doth all his Works surmount The Lord our God is terrible and great Who shall his Pow'r and marv'lous Acts repeat Praise laud and magnifie him all we can Yet doth He far exceed the thoughts of Man Exalt Him in our strength and be not tyr'd Yet shall not his â—east fully be admir'd Who is 't hath seene Him that his shape can tell Or who can praise him as He doth excell For greater things haue yet escapt our view And of his rare Works we haue seene but few The Lord hath made all things in Earth and Heav'n And vnto such as feare Him Wisdome's giv'n The Orders Names the Qualities and Charge Of the blest Angels we haue spoke at large It followes next to touch the true condition Of those malignant Sp'rits whose proud Ambition Cast themselues head-long both from the blest Place First made for them and from th' Almighties Grace Nor is it to be doubted but that those Who in their peruerse malice durst oppose Their glorious Maker and against Him war But that they likewise still intentiue ar ' And their peruersenesse totally enclin'd To Gods contempt and ruine of Mankind Now since those disobedient Sp'rites that fell With their grand Captaine downe from heav'n to hell Were out of all the Hierarchies extruded It therefore as a Maxime is concluded Not to be question'd That as th' Angels blest Who still inhabit their faire place of rest So likewise those by Lucifer mis-guided Are into sev'rall Ternions diuided And haue amongst them Orders and Degrees And though the benefit of Grace they leese Yet still that naturall pow'r and force retaine At first bequeath'd them bee'ng reduc'd againe To Order and their Offices still keepe As once in Heav'n so in th' infernall Deepe To this the Fathers with one voice agree For one writes thus In the great Hierarchie Of the blest Sp'rits some are employ'd to tell Things futurely to come others excell In working Miracles for no portent Is done on earth but by some Angell sent Some ouer others haue predominance Employing them Gods honor to aduance By executing Mysteries Diuine Others in greater pow'r and eminence shine Hauing vnnumber'd Armies in their sway Vnto whose Hests the lesse degreed obay Some are so plenteously endu'd with grace That God himselfe in them hath chus'd a place In which t' enhabit and these haue profest His secret judgements to make manifest Others are with so sacred links entir'd Vnto their Maker and withall inspir'd With such re-pur'd zeale there appeares not much Place intermediat betwixt Him and Such By what degrees they do precell the rest In ardent loue so much more interest They challenge with acutenesse to behold His Wisedome Iustice and Grace manifold Now as these sev'rall Functions are aboue With Those that still persever in their Loue So 'mongst the Disobedient is remaining Like order still their naturall pow'rs retaining For till the World be quite consum'd and gon It is a Maxim to be built vpon Angell o're Angell which none alter can Diuell o're Diuell Man shall rule o're Man Of the Rebellious Lucifer is prime Captaine and King who in the first of Time From out the seuerall Classes had selected Legions of Angels with like pride infected Against Iehovah and with expedition Hurld them with himselfe headlong to perdition And as in his Creation he was fram'd More glorious far than others before nam'd More goodly featur'd beautifull and bright And therefore had his name deriv'd from Light So since his Fall there 's nothing we can stile So ougly foule abominably vile The putred Fountaine and bitumenous Well From whence all Vice and malefactures swell Whose horrid shape and qualities infest Are by the Poet Dante 's thus exprest L' Imperador del Doloroso Regno Da mezo l petto vsciva Della Gliaccia Et pin eli ch'un Gigante iâ— ti conuegno
For diuers Authors are in this agreeing Mans generation hath been multiply'de Aboue all other Animals beside Saith Daniel Thousand thousands Him before Stand and 'bout him ten thousand thousands more Which Thousand he thus duplicates to show Their countlesse number which our dull and slow Nature wants facultie to aphrehend As likewise when he further would extend Their Legions Miriads he to Miriads layes Noting to vs of those that sound his praise The infinite Armies like a Circle round The number ending where it first was found In Iohn 't is read A mighty voice I heard Of many Angels and their Troupes appear'd To be of thousand thousands Iob said well The number of his Souldiers who can tell 'Mongst others one much daring his bold Pen Seem'd to out-strip his Vnderstanding when He would confine each Chorus to containe The meere Chimaera of an idle braine Saying To each belongs in these blest Regions Six thousand six hundred sixty and six Legions Each Legion too doth bee'ng exactly told Six thousand six hundred sixty six Angels hold But of their number let no man discusse Further than sacred Scripture warrants vs. It followes that I next make inquisition Into the Angels motion a Position Needfull to be examin'd Know then He Is not contain'd in place as Brutes and we But Place it selfe he in Himself containes Bee'ng said to be still where his Pow'r remaines And though it passe our weake ingeniositie Yet He is knowne to be of strange velocitie And without passing places can with ease Or go or come at all times when he please From heav'n to earth He can descend and bee Aboue and here in space vnmomentarie Hence thence He vndisturb'd hath passage faire Through both the elements of Fire and Aire Without incumbrance or the least molest And though it sinke not into th' Ethnycks brest Hee 's without circumscription vnconfin'd For if these Spirits Places had assign'd And so from one into another shifted How could they then so suddenly be lifted Into the vpper Heav'ns or thence apply Themselues to th' earth in twinkling of an eye It is agreed vpon the Good and Euill The blessed Angell as the cursed Diuell Haue all those faculties and without aine Or passing intermediat things can gaine To what they purpose in one instant round The spatious world and where they please be found Those that the Mathematicke Art prosesse Tell vs That 'twixt th' eight Heav'n and earth's no lesse Than one hundred and sev'nty millions 100 and three Of spacious miles mete by Geometrie By which account the mighty space extending Is from the watry and tenth Heav'n descending Ten times so much at least for if a stone Should from the starry and eight Heav'n be throwne And ev'ry houre passe without intermission One thousand miles in it's swift expedition In motion still without stay or re-calling It must be sixty fiue yeares in it's falling To amplifie what hath before been said Some Sectifts haue their ignorance betray'd Affirming Angels are not If they were They with the Soule of force must likewise beare Bodies about them too and so to bee Subiect vnto our visibilitie How vaine this is it may be eas'ly ghest When none that hath Philosophy profest But hold That there are Substances Diuine Intelligence call'd which neuer did incline Into commixtion or knowne to require Substance from th' Earth the Water Aire or Fire A second thing th' object That if so great Their number be as that the Aire 's repleat With infinit Armies 't must be needs confest That they should hourely whole Mankinde molest But these consider not He that created All things out of meere Nothing hath instated Them in such order distance and consent One to another's no impediment Neither is any of his great Works found That hath the pow'r to passe beyond his Bound As in the Waters element though far It'exceeds the Earth yet keepes within it's baâ— And though the proud waues with curl'd billowes rore Threatning as if to swallow vp the shore Yet by th' Almighties hand their pow'r is stay'd No Inundation or great Deluge made Vnlesse his Wrath some sudden vengeance brings Opening Heav'ns spouts and letting loose the Springs No maruell then that Spirits be in number So many that the very Aire they comber And they to vs and we to them so odious They neither hurtfull are nor discommodious Their Malice not bee'ng able to withstand Those bounds prefixt by the Almighties hand For so much in Iobs Historie is found When Sathan saith he hath compast the earth round He doth not say In his large progresse hee Hath done to Man least discommoditie Or harme at all not that he wanted Will But in himselfe the Pow'r to hurt or kill Nor durst he touching Ioâ— make inquisition Till he from God himselfe had free permission Who gaue him limit and his fury sâ—aid Vpon his outward Fortunes when he said Lo all he hath now at thy â—â—â—cy stand Onely against his person 〈◊〉 hand Againe when He 〈◊〉 Body to him gaue Captiue his Life he did command him saue Whence we may ground Though this rebellious Prince Great Lucifer with his Adherents since Their Fall retaine th' abilitie and pow'r To measure th' Earth in least part of an houre Yet without leaue they neither dare nor can Vse the least violence on Gods creature Man Next touching the rare knowledge which insists In them by nature Some Theologists Affirme them pregnant in Theologie Philosophie Mathematicks Astrologie In Musicke they are skill'd expert in Physicke In Grammer Logicke and Arithmeticke Nay he that is among them the most low Contemn'd and vile more than weake Man doth know Nor are their reasons vaine for in respect A Spirit is but a meere Intellect Not burden'd with a body of agilitie Nimble and quicke therefore with much facilitie In all materials he acquainted is From the Earths superficies to th' Abisse He knowes such vertues as in Stones abide Gems Minerals creeping Wormes and Beasts for hide From him you nothing can for he doth vant Still in the Marble Porphyre Adamant The Corall Pumice and the Chrysolit The Smarage Topaz and the Margarit The Onyx Carbuncle Gold Siluer Lead Brasse Iron and Sulphur He is likewise read In the proprieties of Creeping things Ants Toads Snakes Serpents all that the earth brings Of all the sev'rall Fishes he hath notion Bred in fresh waters or the briny Ocean Of Beasts the sundry qualities he findes Lions Beares Tygres Camels Horses Hindes The Elephant the Fox Ape Asse Mule Cat Sheepe Wolfe Hare Hedge-hog with each other that The Earth produceth So in Herbs and Trees Plants Leaues Fruits Roots Seeds juices Liquors these No Artist hath like skill in He can tell The sev'rall qualities of Fowles and well Distinguish them as such and such belong To the Earth Aire or Water He is strong In further knowledge of the Elements As in their pow'r their natures and extents
of victorie and such indeed was the euent of that War for of those three Captains two perished in the battell and the third grieuously wounded with the small remainder of his Army got with great difficultie into his Countrey Nicetas affirmeth That Euphrosine the wife of Alexius Angelus Emperor of Constantinople was much deuoted to this kind of Magicke The Count of Vestrauia by a Concubine of his whose companie before his lawfull Nuptials he had vsed was alike effascinated She by the aduise of an old Witch had cast an inchanted pot into a deepe Well which was in a backe yard belonging to the Pallace of the said Earle by which he was made incapable of all congresse and therefore out of all hope of any Issue to succeed him Which continued for the space of three whole yeares after which season meeting with this gentlewoman of his former acquaintance after a friendly salutation had past between them she asked him how he fared since his mariage how his wife and hee agreed together and how many children they had betweene them The Earle out of those words gathering some cause of suspition dissembling his discontent answered That he thanked Heauen all was well at home and that God had blest him with three sweet and hopefull children and that his wife at the present was as great as she could well goe with the fourth At which answer he perceiued a change of colour in her face when shee in a great rage said And may I beleeue this Then euill betide that cursed old Hag who persuaded me That she had so wrought with the Diuell that you should neuer haue child nor haue the abilitie to be the father of any The Count smiling at this desired to be satisfied from her what she intended by those words To whom she disclosed all the circumstances How being much grieued that he had so vnkindely forsaken her shee had dealt with a Witch who had promised vnto her c. telling him of the inchanted pot Which the Count vpon her words causing to be searcht found and after burnt his naturall vigor and vertue returned and he was after the father of a numerous Issue One neere to this but of greater malice Niderus reporteth to haue hapned in a towne called Boltingeu A famous Conjurer called Stradelin being conuicted of sundry malefactions among other confessed That for malice he bore to a man and his wife for seuen yeares together hee had strangled seuen children in her wombe insomuch that all hir births were abortiue In all which time all their Cattell in the same sort miscarried and not one of them brought forth a liuing and thriuing Issue And all this was done by burying a Lizard vnder the threshold of his doore which if it were remoued fruitfulnesse and fertilitie should come again both to her and to their herds of cattell Vpon this free confession the threshold was searched but no such Worme or Serpent found for it is probable that in that time it was rotten and turned to dust But they tooke the threshold and all the earth about it and caused them to be burned and then the Ligature ceased and they were all restored to their former increase of progenie The same Author speaketh of one Oeniponte a most notorious Witch who by making a picture of wax and pricking it with needles in diuers parts and then burying it vnder the threshold of her neighbours house whom she much hated she was tormented with such grieuous and insufferable prickings in her flesh as if so many needles had beene then sticking at once in her bodie But the Image being found and burned she was instantly restored to her former health and strength But to leaue these and come to other kindes of Sorceries and Witchcraft such as we finde recorded in Historie Grillandus is of opinion That euerie Magition and Witch after they haue done their homage to the Diuell haue a familiar Spirit giuen to attend them whom they call Magistellus Magister Martinettus or Martinellus and these are somtimes visible vnto them in the shape of a Dog a Rat an AEthiope c. So it is reported of one Magdalena Crucia That she had one of those Paredrij to attend her like a Blacke-More Glycas telleth vs That Simon Magus had a great blacke Dog tyed in a chaine who if any man came to speak with him whom he had no desire to see was ready to deuoure him His shadow likewise hee caused still to goe before him making the people beleeue that it was the soule of a dead man who stil attended him These kindes of familiar Spirits are such as they include or keepe in Rings hallowed in Viols Boxes and Caskets not that Spirits hauing no bodies can be imprisoned there against their wills but that they seeme to be so confined of their own free-wil and voluntarie motion Iohannes Leo writeth That such are frequent in Africke shut in caues and beare the figure of birds called Aves Hariolatrices by which the Magitions raise great summes of mony by predicting by them of things future For being demanded of any difficulty they bring an answer written in a small scroll of paper and deliuer it to the Magition in their bills Martinus Anthoniâ—s Delrius of the societie of Iesus a man of profound learning and iudgment writeth That in Burdegall there was an Aduocate who in a Viol kept one of these Paredrij inclosed Hee dying his heires knowing thereof were neither willing to keepe it neither durst they breake it and demanding counsell they were persuaded to go to the Iesuits Colledge and to be directed by them The Fathers commanded it to be brought before them and broken but the Executors humbly besought them that it might not be done in their presence being fearefull lest some great disaster might succeed thereof At which they smiling flung it against the walls and broke it in pieces at the breaking whereof there was nothing seene or heard saue a small noise as if the two elements of water and fire had newly met together and as soone parted Philostratus telleth vs That Apollonius Tyanâ—us was neuer without such Rings And Alexander Neapolitanus affirmeth That he receiued them of Iarcha the great Prince of the Gymnosophists which he tooke of him as a rich Present for by them he could be acquainted with any deepe secret whatsoeuer Such a Ring had Iohannes Iodocus Rosa a Citisen of Cortacensia who euery fift day had conference with the Spirit inclosed vsing it as a counsellor and director in all his affaires and enterprises whatsoeuer By it he was not onely acquainted with all newes as well forrein as domesticke but learned the cure and remedie for all griefs and diâ—eases insomuch that he had the reputation of a learned and expert Physition At length being accused of Sortelige or inchantment At Arnhem in Guelderland he was proscribed and in the
and to all such as put confidence in them deceitfull and their practise was altogether exploded in Rome Stobaeus Serm. 2. de Impudentia reporteth That Ariston was wont to say of all such as gaue themselues ouer to Encyclopaedia or Mathematicall discipline neglecting meane time the more necessarie study of Philosophie That they might fitly be compared with the sutors of Penelope who when they could not enioy mistres went about to vitiate and corrupt the maids Dion Cassius tels vs That the Emperour Hadrian by his skill in this Mathesis could predict things future by which he knew Varus not to be long liued from that verse of Virgil Ostendit terris hunc tantum Fata neque vltra Esse sinunt c. i. The Fates will only shew him to the Earth and then suffer him to be no more Clemens lib. 5. Recognit saith As it happeneth vnto men who haue dreams and vnderstand nothing of their certaintie yet when any euent shall happen they apt their nightly fancy to that which hath chanced euen such is this Mathesis before somthing come to passe they can pronounce nothing which is certaine or to be built vpon but when any thing is once past then they begin to gather the causes of that which already hath the euent By the creature Oryges painted or insculpt the AEgyptians did hierogliphycally figure a Mathematician for they with great adoration honor their Star Sothes which we cal Canicula and with great curiositie obserue the time when it riseth because they say the Oryges is sencible of the influence thereof by a certain sound which it yeeldeth and not onely giueth notice of it's comming but saluteth it when it appeareth rising Pier. Valer. Lib. 10. Pag. 90. The Emblem THe Emblem to conclude this Tractat I borrow from Iacobus Catsius Emblem lib. 3. which presenteth a hand out of a Cloud holding a Brand in the fire that part which handeth being free the other flaming The Motto Qua non vrit It seemeth to be deriued from Eccles. cap. 3.16 He hath set water and fire before thee stretch out thine hand to which thou wilt Before Man is life and death good and euill what him liketh shall be giuen him So also Ierem. 21.8 And vnto this People thou shalt say Thus saith the Lord Behold I set before thee the way of Life and the way of Death And Deutronom 30.19 I call Heauen and Earth to record this day against you that I haue set before you Life and Death Blessing and Cursing chuse therefore Life that c. Whoso is free and will willingly run into fetters what can we call him but a foole And he who becommeth a Captiue without constraint must be either thought to be wilfull or witlesse And as Theopompus affirmeth If the Eye be the chuser the Delight is short If the Will the end is Want But if Reason the effect is Wisedome For often it happeneth after the choice of a momentarie pleasure ensueth a lasting calamitie The Authors Conceit hereon is this Pars sudis igne caret rapidis calet altera flammis Hinc nocet illaesam calfacit inde manum Ecce Bonum Deus ecce Malum mortalibus affert Quisquis es en tibi Mors en tibi Vita patet Optio tot a tua ' est licet hinc licet inde capessus Elige sive invet vivere sive mori Quid tibi cum Sodoma nihil hic nisi Sulphur Ignis Quin potius placidum Loth duce Zoar adi ¶ Thus paraphrased Part of the Brand wants fire and part flames hot One burnes the hand the other harmes it not Behold ô mortall Man whoe're thou be Good Bad both Life and Death propos'd to thee God giues thee choice the one or other try By this thou liv'st and thou by that shalt die Leaue Sodom then where Sulphur raines in fire And with good Loth to Zoar safe retyre A morall interpretation may be gathered from the same with this Motto anexed Omnia in meliorem partem Bodinus saith Men vse to chuse a faire day by the gray morning and strong beasts by their sturdy limbes But in choice of pleasures there is no election to be made since they yeeld vs no profitable vse Others chuse Aduocates by the throng of their Clients Physitions by the fame of their Cures and Wiues by their rich Portions or Dowers And well they comply with the prouerbe He that maketh his choice without discretion is like one that soweth his Corne he wots not when and in the haruest expected reapeth hee knoweth not what Needfull it is therefore that wee be chary in our choice since there are so few brought within the compasse of Election According to that of the Poet. Pauci quos equus amavit Iupiter aut ardens evexit ad aethera virtus There are but few whom vpright Iove doth loue Or zealous Vertue gaines them place aboue In another place he saith Pauci laeta arva tenemus i. There are but few of vs who attaine to the blessed Fields If Morallists were so watchfull how much more ought wee Christians to be wary how in all things proposed vnto vs we still like Mary in the Gospell chuse the better part For Liber esse non potest cui affectus imperant cupiditates dominantur i. he is not said to be free whom his affections sway and ouer whom his own lusts and desires haue dominion Lipsius Cent. 1. ad Belg. Epist. 5. saith Vt torrem semiustum foco qui tollit non ea parte arripit tractat qua incanduit sed qua ignem nondum accepit sic nos docet c. i. As hee who snatcheth a Brand out of the fire taketh not hold thereof by that part which is flaming but rather that which hath not touched the fire so we ought not to meddle with the bitter and burning things of Chance but rather such as are more benign and comfortable The Authors inuention followeth Hinc rubet igne sudes nullis crepat inde favillis Hinc poterit tangi sauciat inde manum Res humana bifrons tu qua iuvat arripe quicquid Te super aetherea te regione fluit Damna suum lucrum suagandia luctus habebit Excipis incumbens si sapienter onus Morosum nec laeta iuvant rideat orbis Quod gemet ille tamen quodque quaeratur habet ¶ Thus paraphrased Fire here none there yet is it but one Brand One burnes the other end scarse heats thine hand Fate hath two foreheads what to hate or loue To leaue or like is offered from aboue Losse hath it's Gaine and Mourning a Reward Stoope willingly the burden is not hard Mirth doth not please the Sad and though Fate smile We shall finde some thing to lament the while A Meditation vpon the former Tractate I. AId me ô Lord my God for there be three Grand enemies the Flesh the World the Diuel Who with their Nets and Snares insidiat
without feare His study is to compasse and inuade We ought to watch there be no entry made XVII As oft as we resist we do subdue The great Seducer Then the Angels sing And Saints reioyce those that are still in view Of the Creator Heav'ns almighty King That GOD who to this Battell doth persuade vs And looks vpon vs when we enter list Still as he spurres vs on doth likewise aid vs Against that old and crafty Pannurgist Supports the Weake the Willing doth defend And crownes such as continue to the end XVIII O giue me courage then make strong my hand Thou that dost teach my fingers how to fight And lend me pow'r their fury to withstand Who would depriue me of thy glorious Light That I who all my life time haue oppos'd My selfe 〈…〉 my selfe and against Thee May by thy tender mercies he inclos'd And so be 〈◊〉 they shall not ruin mee That 〈…〉 â—is Body is confin'd to Dust My 〈…〉 yet finde place among the Iust. Vt Pila concussus resurgeâ— S. MICHAEL ARCHANGEL Ex Sumptib Harbottel Grimstone Armig Ia droesheâ—t sculpt THE ARGVMENT of the eighth Tractat. OF Sathans Wiles and Feats praestigious Appearing wondrous and prodigious Confirm'd by Histories far sought Of Novels by bad Daemons wrought And first of such is made expression That still with Mankinde seeke congression To whose Fall they themselues apply Call'd Succubae and Incubi To finde those further we desire Of Water Earth the Aire and Fire And what their workings be to know As well aboue as here below How Authors 'mongst themselues agree What Genij and Spectars bee Faunes Syluanes and Alastores Satyres with others like to these With Stories mixt that grace may win From such as are not verst therein The second Argument MIchael whom Sathan durst oppose Can guard vs from inferior Foes The Arch-Angell THose Sp'rits call'd Daemons some haue apprehended Are with mens iniuries oft times offended And when againe they humbly shall submit They are soone pleas'd all quarrels to forget They after Diuine worship are ambitious And when fond Men grow vainly superstitious As thereto by their ignorance accited In their idolatrous Rites th' are much delighted To them belongs the Augurs Diuination And such coniectures as by th' immolation Of Beasts are made whateuer did proceed From Pythia's raptures or hath been agreed To issue from vaine Dreames all Calculation By such like signes came first by th' instigation Of Daemons Homer therefore gaue them stile Of gods nor doubted in the selfe same file To number Iupiter But we whose faith On Gods knowne workes more firme assurance hath By sacred Scriptures title Daemons those Who by him first created dar'd t' oppose His Diuine Will and being ill affected Were for their Pride headlong from heav'n dejected Some in their fall still hanging in the aire And there imprison'd till they make repaire To the last dreadfull doome and such await Mans frailties hourely to insidiate Prone to his hurt with tympanous pride inflam'd Burning with Enuy not to be reclaim'd Deceitfull from bad purpose neuer chang'd Impious and from all justice quite estrang'd And with th' inueterat malice in them bred Inuading Bodies both aliue and dead But whatsoeuer war they shall commence Against vs whether vnder faire pretence Or hostile menace do well and not feare He that the Soule created will appeare In it's defence and if we boldly fight Put their strong forces and themselues to flight Plato acknowledged one God alone The rest whom others in the heav'ns inthrone He Daemons calls and Angels Thermegist Doth likewise on one Deitie insist And him he names Great beyond all extension Ineffable not within comprehension The other Sp'rits lye vnder Statues hid And Images whose worship is forbid And these the breasts of liuing Priests inspire And from the Intrals e're they touch the fire Pronounce strange Omens These the Birds flights guide And mannage such things as by Lots are try'de The doubtfull Oracles they lend a tongue Prounouncing Truths with Lies Lies Truths among Confounding them all things obvolved leaue Deceiv'd themselues they others would deceiue They waking trouble vs molest our sleepe And if vpon our selues no watch we keepe Our bodies enter then distract our braine They crampe ouâ— members make vs to complaine Of sickenesse or disease and in strange fashion They cause vs to exceed in Ioy or Passion And making vs one vniuersall wound Pretend to loose what they before had bound When as the wonder-seeming remedie Is onely their surcease from injurie For all their study practise and delight Is but to moue vs to proue opposite To the Creator as themselues haue bin That guilty of the same rebellious sin By their accitements being made impure We with them might like punishment endure Let 's heare how Apulcius doth define them Saith he these proper adjuncts we assigne them Of a thin Airy body they exist And therefore can shift places as they list Of rational apprehensionâ— passiue minde Eternall and no end can therefore finde Another writes These Spirits are much joy'd At Bloud-shed when man is by man destroy'd At riotous Feasts they 'bout the tables stalke Prouoking to vaine words and obseene talke Persuading Man in his owne strength to trust Deuise Confections that stirre vp to lust And when their pow'r on any Wretch hath seis'd Persuade That with the sin God 's not displeas'd Th' assume the shape of such as are deceast And couet to be counted gods at least Surcharg'd with joy these are not to behold When troubles and afflictions manifold Pursue the Saints of God and his Elect As hauing in themselues a cleare inspect By persecution such and tribulation Are lab'ring in the path to their saluation But when they finde our hearts obdure and hard To Pietie and Goodnesse vnprepar'd Or when they see vs deviat and erre And before Vertue Vanitie preferre Then are they merry they clap hands and shout As hauing then their purpose brought about The Hunter hauing caught vs in the Toile Seiseth his prey and triumphs in the spoile We do not reade That Sathan did once boast When patient Iob had all his substance lost Nor seeing by th' aduantage he had ta'ne His Sonnes and Daughters by a Whirle-winde slaine When hauing lost all he could lose no more And now from head to heele was but one fore Not all this mov'd him Had he made reply To her that bad him to curse God and dye By vtt'ring any syllable prophane Then he and his would haue rejoc'd amaine Nor in Pauls thirst or hunger was he pleas'd Nor when he was by cruell Lictors seis'd And hurry'd to the Gaole there gyv'd and bound Or shipwrackt in great perill to be drown'd The Barke beneath him bee'ng in pieces torne Nor when the bloudy Iewes his death had sworne Scourg'd buffetted and bandied vp and downe They knew this was the way to gaine a Crowne To them 't was rather torment
in such great adoration Okumanteia call'd seemes to haue sprung As likewise those by th' antient Magi sung Onichomanteia Libonomantia Capnomantia Piromantia And Thurifumia But I cannot dwell On circumstance their sev'rall Rites to tell Spirits of th' Aire are bold proud and ambitious Envious tow'rd Mankinde Spleenfull and malicious And these by Gods permission not alone Haue the cleare subtill aire to worke vpon By causing thunders and tempestuous showr's With harmefull windes 't is also in their pow'rs T' affright the earth with strange prodigious things And what 's our hurt to them great pleasure brings Of their so rare effects Stories are full Amongst the Attribates it rained wooll In good Saint Ambrose time two armies â—ought In the aires Region and great terror brought Vnto all France Hugh Capet making claime Vnto the Crowne if we may credit Fame And Histories which are not writ in vaine There fell from heav'n great store of Fish and Graine Philostratus in whom was found no flaw Writes Apollonius 'mongst the Brachmans saw Two Tombes which opened windes disturb'd the aire But shut the sky was calme the season faire Eunapius and Suidas both record How Sepater could with one Magicke word Command the Windes and was adiudg'd to dye Because he kept them fast when as supplye Of corne vnto Byzantium should be brought But to spare these had we no further sought Than sacred Historie In Iob we finde How Sathan did stir vp a mighty winde Which where his sonnes and daughters feasting were Did the whole house demolish rend and teare The Finnes and Laplands are acquainted well With such like Sp'rits and Windes to Merchants fell Making their cov'nant When and how they please They may with prosp'rous weather crosse the feas As thus They in an hand-kerchiefe fast ty Three knots vnloose the first and by and by You finde a gentle gale blow from the shore Open the second it encreaseth more Fo fill your sailes When you the third vntye Th' intemperat gusts grow vehement and hye Of Ericus the King of Goths 't is said That as he turn'd his hat the winde he stayd Nor did there euer any neere him know The piercing aire vpon his face to blow It is reported of learn'd Zoroaster Who of art Magicke was the first Art-master That by such Spirits in a stormy day And mighte whirle-winde he was borne away And from this kinde that diuination springs Call'd AEromantia by which thousand things Haue been conjectur'd from the conjur'd Aire When mustring Armies in the clouds repaire Chariots and such to iudge what shall befall From them they Terotoscopeia call A third there is I almost had forgot Ornithomanteia when by Birds they wot Spirits that haue o're Water gouernment Are to Mankinde alike maleuolent They trouble Seas Flouds Riuers Brookes and Wels Meeres Lakes and loue t' enhabit watry Cels Thence noisome and pestiferous vapors raise Besides they Man encounter diuers wayes At wrackes some present are another sort Ready to crampe their joints that swim for sport One kinde of these th' Italians Fatae name Feé the French We Sibils and the same Others White Nymphs and those that haue them seen Night-Ladies some of which Habundia Queene And of this sort are those of which discusse Plutarch and out of him Sabellicus Numa Pompilius who did oft inuite The best of Rome to feast with him by night Neuer made vse of market to afford Rich choice of dainties to his sumptuous bord Each tastefull Delicat that could be thought Without all cat'ring or prouiding ought Did of their owne accord themselues present To giue th' invited ghests their full content To all their admiration Which is said Was onely by the Nymph Egeria's aid With whom he had conuerse and she we finde Of force must be a Spirit of this kinde Scotus Parmensis but few yeares ago As some report his Magicke Art to show Practis'd the like inuited mighty States And feasted them with princely Delicates And yet these seeming viands were of all That tasted them merely phantasticall Though they rose sated yet no sooner thence Departed but they had no feeling sence Of feeding Hunger or of quenching thirst But found themselues more empty than at first And with such banquets as Philostratus Writes was Apollonius Tyanaeus Receiued by the Brachmans With like cheare Petrus Albanus and Pasaetis were Custom'd to feast their Ghests And of this sort Namely White Nymphs Boëthius makes report In his Scotch Historie Two Noblemen Mackbeth and Banco-Stuart passing then Vnto the Pallace where King Duncan lay Riding alone encountred on the way In a darke Groue three Virgins wondrous faire As well in habit as in feature rare The first of them did curtsie low her vaile Vnpinn'd and with obeisance said All haile Mackbeth Thane Glâ—vius The next said All haile Caldarius Thane The third Maid Not the least honor vnto thee I bring Mackbeth all haile that shortly must be King These spake no more When Banco thus reply'de Ill haue ye done faire Ladies to diuide Me from all honors How comes he thus growne In your great grace to promise him a Crowne And I his sole companion as you see Yet you in nothing daigne to guerdon mee To whom the first made answer Yes we bring To thee much happier Fate for though a King Mackbeth shall be yet shall he reigne alone And leaue no issue to succeed his Throne But thou ô Banco though thou dost not sway Thy selfe a Scepter yet thine Issue may And so it shall thine Issue do not feare Shall gouerne Scotland many an happy yeare This spoke all vanisht They at first amas'd At the strange Nouell each on other gas'd Then on they road accounting all meere fictions And they vaine Spectars false in their predictions And sporting by the way one jeasted thus Haile King of Scotland that must gouerne vs. To whom the other Like salutes to thee Who must of many Kings the Grandsire bee Yet thus it happen'd after Duncan slaine By Mackbeth he vsurpt and 'gan to raigne Though the dead King had left two sonnes behinde More seriously then pondring in his minde The former apparition casts about How Banco of the Scotch Peeres the most stout Might be cut off doth solemnely inuite Him and his sonne Fleanchus one sad night Vnto a banquet where the Father dies But shadow'd by the darknesse the Sonne flies Now the small sand of Mackbeths glasse bee'ng run For he was slaine by Malcolme Duncans son In processe the Crowne lineally descended To Banco's Issue and is yet extended In ample genealogie remaining In most renowned CHARLES amongst vs reigning My promis'd brevitie be mine excuse Else many stories I could here produce Of the like nature purport and condition For we may reade Ollarus the Magition Commanded like Familiars who 't is sed With his inchanted
the 11 or 12 day of Iune As Adam Bishop of Vienna in his Chronicle Exod. 12. The day of Christs Passion compared with the first day of the Creation According to the computation of the time of the yeare A second reason A probabilitie of the former reason Whether the Moon in her creation were in the full or waine The seuerall offices of the Sun Moon began at one instant Of the Starres and Planets as the Poets haue decipher'd theÌ„ Arcti * Calisto Arctus maior * Lycaon Archas of whom the kingdom of Arcadia took name Arctus minor Agliasthenes qui Naxica conscripsit Serpent Artophilaâ— Coronâ— Eugonasin Lyra. Olor Cepheus Cassiopeia Andromeda Perseus Heniochus Ophincus Anguiteneus Sagiâ—â—â— Aquila Dolphia Equusâ— Deltoton * δ. * For in these dais the fourth part called America was not knowne Cetus Pistrix Eridanus fluvius Lepusâ— Orion Lelaps or Canis maior Procion or Canus minor Argo Philiris vel Centaurus Ara. Hydra Piscis or Notius * A goddesse worshipped among the Egyptians Circulus lâ—cteus or the Galaxia * Mercury in his infancie Of the twelue Coelest Signes Aries Higin de Sign Coelest lib. 3. Hesiodus Pherecides The sea called Hellespont from Helles there drowned Nigidius Taurus Euripides Eratosthenes * As ashamed of the fact Pherecides Athinaeus Therefore called Pluviales These we call the seuen stars Gemini Higinus * The sons of Tindarus Father to Hellen. Cancer The Crab. Pamasis Stars called Asini from Asses Leo. Nigidius This is held by some to be the first of his 12 Labours Some hold Iuno made his skin invulnerable Periandrus Rhodius Virgo Higinus Aratus Pride The 7 Deadly Sinnes The story of Icarius and Erigone Who is also called Bacchus or Dionysius A common Prouerbe in our English tongue The fruits of Drunkennesse Icarius slaine * A prouerbe frequent among Drunkards A remarkable story of a dog InnoceÌ„t bloud spilt neuer goeth vnreuenged Arcturus Virgo Canicula Libra * Higinâ— Arat. Virg. li. Geor. 1. Scorpio Nigidius Sagittarius * The Galaxia which some hold to be the Path which leads to Olympus hall where the gods sit in Counsell Sosythaeus Traged Scriptor Nigidius de Crotone Capricornus * AEgipanes were Beasts like men hauing Goats feet Or wood-gods Epimenides in Ida. Aratus in Phaenom This Goat was called Amalthea Eratosthenes Ovid Met. * A Bird onely breeding in AEgypt Aquarius Aquarius and Hippocoön Quod eius ex oren plurimi Imbres fiunt Aratus Nigidius Hegesinax Aratus in Ihoenom * A mountain so called from her * Canicula into which Mera was translated These winds some call Ecâ—esiae Pisces Aratus Viz. one North the other South The birth of Venus according to most of the Greeke Poets before named Concerning the worlds originall These were the seuerall opinions of diuers Philosophers The World it selfe best Witnesse of the World Vbi motus est nulla Eternitas Time examined to proue a beginning of all things The inuention of letters Sim. Meliâ—us Of Writing Against Pride A needfull obseruation The first erectors of famous Cities Paris Al. Lutetia Carion Chronâ—l * As so first called All these builâ— by seueral men as their Chronicles yet record Of the Ages The first Age. II. III. IV. V. VI. In Hist. Eccl. Grammer The originall of Arts c. Rhetoricke Logâ—cke Art of Memorie Geometry Musicke Physicke Surgâ—rie The Ship The Lyre or Harpe Trumpet Horologie Astrologie Statues and Pictures Vertue of Heâ—bs Lawes Wine City walls Turrets Corne. War Minting Printing Ars tormentaria deuised by a Frier whose name is not knowne Arist. de Intell. Perf. Pbys 1.4.8 56 The argument followed Esse melius quaÌ„ non Esse De Coel 22. Coelâ—m Dei Sedes Procop. against Arist. Quoniam Aristot mare capere non potest Capiat mare Aristotelem Their Reasons confuted by Reason Against vaine Curiositie The Nobilitie of Mans Conceit August de Civ Dei li. 12. ca. 13. The opinion of the Platonists Annus magnus vertens auâ— Mundaâ—us Macr. in Somn. Scip. Ridiculous absurdities Catacl diluvium i. Delug The definition of the World Cap. 1. 4. What the opinions of diuerse Fathers were concerning the World Gregory Chrysostome Sup. Mat. 24. Hom. 4. Hom. 5. Hom. 5. de Poen Lactantius De praem Div. lib. 6. cap. 4. An excellent saying of saint Chrysostome The Poets of the World and the ruin thereof Lib. 1. Lib. 5. de Nat. deor Lib. 2. Of the creatioÌ„ of the World The Philosophers concerning the world Lib. de Coelo The multiplicity of worlds The opinion of Metrodor Met. lib. 1.49 Metaph. 12.28 Aristotles definition of the World Gen. 1. Astron. lib. 1. Ibid. Lib. de Bel. Civ Philosophers concerning the beginning of the World Thal. Milesius The World to haue beginning from Water Anaximenes From Airâ—â— From Fire Opinions contrarie to the â—ormer Atomes Of Atomes some superior others inferior anterior posterior c. Creation from Number Câ—eation from Infinites Lib. 1. Concerning seueâ—all opinions Ser. de Eclips Solâ—â— Euclides Maxâ— ser. 21. Idem serm 22. Epist. 45. Cap. 1. Mat 24. Mark 14. Lib. 2. de par cap. 2. Procop of the Elements Metam lib. 15. The Ages The Golden Age. The Siluer Age. The Brazen Age. The Iron Age. * i. Iustice. Of the Age of Man Met. lib. 1â— Ver Pueritia AEstas Iuvent Virilis AEtas Aâ—tumâ—â—s Hiâ—â—â— senectus Annus or the yeares The Nones Of the number of Nine An. ab Annulo An. Lunaris Solaris An. Annus Magn. Annus Climat Levia Lemâ— cap. 32. lib de occuli naturae miracul Ovid. lib. Met. Lib. Eâ—eg 1. A further illustration concerning the Signes Coelestiall The diuision of the heauen called Culum By reason that the Sun is furthest froÌ„ them Antipodes Stellarum ordo * The Goat and the Kid. * Hercules Or Libra Corona Cignus Pistriâ— Boâ—tes Cignus * Hercules Aquila The Australl Circle Ara. Sagittarius Chyron Virgo Lepus Taurus Trinus Aries Coetus Draco Artophilax Corona Lyra. Atlantiades The death of Orpheus Oâ—r or Cignus Cepheus Cassiopeia Coetus Andromeda Higinus Perseus Aurigâ— * Otherwise câ—lled Amalthea * Hedae Serpentarius Phorâ—â—tus de nat de or spec Aquila Sagitta The sonnes of Tytan Delphinus Pegasus or Equus demidius Deltoton Trigonum Pistrix or the Whale The Floud Eridanus or Padus The Sisters of Phaeton Stella Terrestr Lepus siue Dasippus Higinus The Citie called after the Island Why the Hare was translated into a Staâ—re Orion What Orion portendeth The history of Orion Canis Laelapâ— or Procion Syrius stella Caniculaâ— Palephalus Ovid. in Meâ— Naâ—is Argâ— or the ship These are the fancies of the Poets Aratus Of Danaus AEgiptus So called by sailing or rouing in the Argo Ara the Altar which is also called Thuribulum the Censer Centaurus The death of Chiron the Centaure Hydrâ— How the Crow came to be stellifi'deâ— Pleiadesâ— The Vergiliae Cometa The motion of the Sunne The Bisext or Leape-yeare The Eclipse
Philosophy In Magick Lucius Apul. de Deo sacrat ex Beat Thom. part 1. G. 41. Art 1. Homer Arnob. in Ps. 36 Hermes Thermegistus Cipr. de Idoler vanitat Div. Thom. 3. Met. lib. 12. Tex 10. Dr. Strozâ— l. de Spir. lucant Iob. cap. 1. Meaning his Wife whom some Rabbies thinkâ— to be Dinab the Daughter of Iacob rauished by Sychem c Acts. Apost Eustr â— 1. moral 1. Cor. c. 2. v. 7 8 Ambr. sup Cor. cap. 2. Meaning the Daemons or Potestats of the Aire Simplicis ergo viae Dux est Deus Ille per vnum Ire jubet mortale genus quam dirigit Ipse c. Lib. 2. Cont Symach Spirits called Incubi Succubae Scotus These were Henricus Iustitor Iacobus Sprangerus Rottemb a Towne in vpper Germanyâ— A History of an Incubus Vincent lib. 3. Hist. An History of a Succubus Of that kind of Spirits you shall read in the Sequell Seuerall kinds of Spirits according to Marc. sup Psel Spirits of Fire Three Moones seene at once with a bearded Comet This appeared Annâ— 1514. A strange History of fiery Spirits Anno 1536. Mar. 21. This hapned after the mouÌ„taine had lest burning Ignes Fatui or Ambulones Helena Castor and Pollux Okumantâ—ia Onichomanteia Libonomantia Capnomantia Pyromantia Thurifumia Of the Spirits of the Aire Wooll tained This hapned Anno 931. Fish Graine fel froÌ„ the aire Two straunge Tombes Of Sepater the Magitian Iob cap. 1. Of the Finnes and Laplands Ericus King of the Goathes Of the Archimage Zoâ—oaster AEromantia Terotoscopeia OrnithomaÌ„tea Of the Spirits of the Water Fatae Feé Sybils white Nymphs Night-Ladies The Feasts of Numa Pompil The Nymphe AEgaerea The Feasts of Scotus Parmensis The Feast of the Brackmana and of Pet Albanus Pasaetis two famous Magitians A strange hist. of two Scotch Noblemen Mackbeth and Banco Stuart These were Names of Honor which Mackbeth had afore receiued Banco Stuart slain by Makb Ollarus the Magitian Othim Magus Oddo Magus Spirits the cause of Deluges Alex. the 7 This hapned anno 1515. Of the Spirits of the Earth The Spirits called Genij Lares Familiars Larvae or Lemures The Hist. of an euill Genius Spirits called Spectars Origen apud Celsum The History of a Spectar Card. ex Boeth Spiritus familiores Macr. de satur Olaus Magu A pleasant History of Iohn Teutonicus A place in high Germany Iobus Reply This was done Anno 1612. A strange History of one of these familiar Spirits Barn Arlun sec. 1. Hist. Med. The Letter Gilbert Cogn lib. 8. Narrat Of Pride Isiod l. Etimolâ— Epist. ad Diosâ— Aug in Reg. Hug. lib. â— de Anim. Cass. supr Ps. 18. Philosophicall Sentences Artabanus to Xerxes Apothegmes Pambo The Pride of Domitian Caesar Of Sabor K. of Persia. Lib. 2. cap. 1. de devin Institut advers gentes Prov. 17. Psal. 102. Valer. lib. 5. de Iâ—gratis Of Humility Cap. 5. Math. 18.19 Aug. ad Diosc. Lib 3. Similitudines Of Gratitude Lib. 7. cap. 3. Apothegmes Lib. 12. cap. 24. De vâ—ria Hist. lib. 4. Sabell Exemp lib. 7. cap. 1. Hierogliphick Emblem D. Strozza In vitis Patr. A Woman of Constance Miraculous Stories A strange and miraculous Birth Alcippe Hist. Scotia l. 8. A strange History of a Scotch Lady Anno 1586. A straunge thing of a woman at Sea Of the Spirits call'd Succubi A strange thiÌ„g of a French Gentleman Bonfinâ—us Iordan Gothus Of the Spirits of Fire Aug. Cont. Manichees de Agon Christ. Deuination from Thunder Lightning Cardanus A strange tale of Spectars The maner of Deuination by Pyromancy Diuination by the sacrificing Fire Of the Spirits of the Aire Iob. 1. Remigius Delrius Of a countrey Maid Gasp. Spitellus The Indian Magi. Hier. Mengius A prodigious noise in the Aire Diod. Sicul. Olaus Magnus Their power in the CirciuÌ„ sea Vestrabor Norway Boâ—hnia Bonauentum and Narbon Vincentius Vincentius Auentinus Bruno Bishop of Herbipol Of the Spirits of the Water Villamont l. 1. Peregrin c. 34. Sabel Dec. â— l. 7. A strange History of Hotheruâ— K. of Suetia and Dacia The Emperor Pertinax Sâ—heâ— lib. â— Zonarus Isaaccius Comnenes A strange Water in Finland A Lake neere Cracouia Alex. ab Alex. Sabell lib. 7. Of the Spirits of the earth Man consisting of 3 parts The Genius of Constantine Emperor A strange History of a Melancholy man A strange Disease as straÌ„gely cured Noon-Diuâ—ls S. Bartholmew Simon Iude. Alastores Pet. Diac. lib. 9. rerum Romanarum Egob in Chronic. An Alaster like an old Woman Apparitions before Henry the 7. emperor Cassius Parm. The Lamiae or Laruae Dion of Syracusa Drusus Consul of Rome Iacobus Donatus Venetus Stephanus Hubnerus Nider lib. vltim Formic The desperat aduenture of two Knights of Bohemia Nature hath giuen to man no better thing than Death Pliny Degeneres Animos timor arguit Virg. AEnead lib. 4. Quantumquisque timet tantum fâ—git Petr. Arbit Satyr Tunc plurima versat Pessimus in dubijs Augur Timor Stat. lib. 3. Theban Miserimâ—m est timere cum Speres nihil Seneca in Troad * The Houres 1. Esdr. c. 3. v. 10. The Power Strength of Wine The Power and Strength of the King The Power and Strength of Women The Power Strength of Truth aboue all things Esay 13.21 Cap. 34.11 This is a Marginall note in the Geneua translation Zijm Iijm Okim c. Subterren Spirits Olaus Magnus lib. â— cap. 10. Cobali The diuel called Anneberg The Diuel Snebergius Spirits the cause of earthquakes Strange earthquakes In Constant. In DyrrachiuÌ„ In Rome Anno 361. In the Eastern parts In Antioch In Illiria Pannonia Dalmatia Morauia Bauaria Dacia Auentinus reports this of Bauaria superior Conrad Medenb Philos. Mathem Of Treasure hid in the Earth kept by Spirits As Psellius As Laureat Ananias This is the opinion of D. Vlatius Treuirensis A strange attempt of a Botcher This place is called Angusta Raura Cora. Peke-hils in Darby-shire Ouky hole in Summerset shire So reported by Luciginus and Philostratus And. Theuerus A strange History of Cabades King of Persia. D. Faustus and Cornel. Agrip. Of spirits called Lucifugi Iohn Milesius Pugs Hobgoblins Robin good-fellow Fairies Reported by Sueton. Tranq Plin. in Epist. A strange story reported by Fincelius Georg. Tauronensis of Datius Bishop of Mediolanum A strange History of one recouered to Life Enapius remembred by Plutarch A strange History of the Spirit of the Buttry Certain marks by which good Spirits are distinguished from the bad What shapes diuels may assume what they cannot Their actions A special mark to know euill Spirits by Athanasius Lactantius Of Musicke A Coelo Symphonia The velocitie of the heauens and planets The ambition of Man to search into hidden Arts. Plenâ—i vâ—cuâ—â— Iob cap. 38. Cor. cap. 3.16 Iob 5.13 Eccles. 8. The Academicks The Pyrhonicks Contra negantem principia non est disputandum c. Diag Milesius Theod. Cyrenus Epicurus Protagoras Opinions concerning the Soule Crâ—â—es Theban Hypocrates Lysippus Hippâ—as Anâ—xag Diâ—g Hâ—siodus Epic. Boethius Ant. Cleantâ—es Zeâ—â— Diarch Galenus Chrisip Archel Heraclitus Thales Xenocrates Of the Seat of the Soule Hippocrates Hierophilus Erasiâ—tratus Diogen Chrisip Cum Stoicis Emped Arist. Plato Concerning the Immortality of the Soule Pythagoras Plato The Stoicks Aristotle He that would find the truth let him search the Scriptures Aug. de Trinitat lib. 1. cap. 3. Aurel. Imperat. Against Couetousnes The Poets of Couetousnes Prov. cap. 11. Cap. 15. Cap. 28. Eccles cap. 5. Ibid. 14. The Fathers of Avarice Historicall Examples Brusonius lib. 1. c. 1. ex Plut. Stob. serm 10. Max. serm 12. Caligula Comnodus Hierogliphick Emblem 85. Apologus The Witches of Warboys in Huntington shire Macrob. lib. 1 satur cap. 18. A straÌ„ge story of a NoblemaÌ„ of Silesia A strange Vision of Syluane Spirits Sabell lib. 1. c. 4. A stranhe History of a Syluane Spectar Another recorded by Fincelius Gaspin Meng in CompeÌ„dio Mantuae A yong man beloued of a Spirit A yong Maid beloued of a Spirit Of another Maid of Bonnonia Onomonteia Arithmanteia Stoicheiomanteia This History I receiued from D. Strozza lib. de Incant These questioÌ„s haue been diuersly argued The names of the 7 sleepers Paulus Diac. Necessary obseruations D. Strozza Remedâ—es against the teÌ„ptations of the Diuell Anton. Lauer. Tobit c. 8. v. 3. The miserable ends of notorious Magitians Simon Magus Nicenus of Simon Magus Zito the Bohemian a cuÌ„ning Iugler A triall of skill betwixt two Magitians This story is reported by an ItaliaÌ„ Doctor Of Zedech a Iew a great Magitian Polidor Virgill The miserable end of Empedociss Mich. Sidesita a Sorcerer Of Eumus an English Magitian and his wretched end Scafius the Magition A Magition of Nuburch The miserable end of Cornel. Agrippa Levit. 20. v. 6. SERAPH Vriel CHERVE Iophiel THRONES Zaphkiâ—l DOMINAT Zadkiel VERTVES Haniel POWERS Raphael PRINCIP Chamael ARCHANGELL Michael ANGELL Gabriel