wee have spoken more f elswhere f Mystagng PoeÌ„t Lib. 2. cap. 3. 4. MOy is a voice expressing water bises as much as drawn out thence Philo Josephus and Clemens Alexandrinus will have Moses to bee made up of {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} water and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} preserved but indeed hee was called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} becaus saith Pharaoh's daughter {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} I drew him out of the water so that the name of Moyses is made up of the Hebrew word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which is never used but for drawings out of waters as Exod. 16. 15. Psal. 18. 17. so Isa. 63. 11. Moscheh ammo hee drew out his people But though this word bee Hebrew and retained in the Scriptures yet it is not likely that this was the name which Pharaoh's daughter gave him but rather shee beeing an Egyptian would give him an Egyptian name whereof M shes is the interpretation which name it 's likely Moyses's parents gave him when hee was circumcised that hee might by this name bee put in remembrance of God's mercie towards him who drew him out of waters that hee might afterward draw his people out of afflictions which are called waters in Scripture and of this historie it seem's the Greeks were not ignorant for by them Moyses is call'd g {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} that is Aquigena or Water-childet and indeed what they write of Bacchus is meant of Moyses for they say that Bacchus was born in AEgypt inclosed in an Ask or Chest and exposed to the waters so that Orpheus call's him {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} for Moyses and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Law Law-giver and giv's to him {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} intimating the two tables of the Law hee is called also {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and is commended for his beautie and militarie valor hee is painted too as Moyses with two horns and a dog was said to bee his companion for Caleb Moyses companion in Hebrew signifie's a dog b Clemens Alexandrinus think's that Moyses was called by his parents Joachim and that now in heaven hee is called Melchi but on what ground this conjectore is built I know not They are also mistaken who think that Moyses was the same Mneves in c Diodorus for this Mneves is said by him to bee the first Law-giver amongst the Egyptians whereas hee saie's that Moyses receiv'd his Laws from Jao or God Lib. 2. cap. 3. 8. THe Greeks write the Sea Erythraeum from Erythras or Erythraeus a King I think rather that this King was so called from the Sea then the Sea from him for princes and people are called from the places where they dwell ordinarily as Mithridates was called King of Pontus not pontus the Sea or Countrie of Mithridates though I denie not but somtimes Princes call seas and lands by their own names as the mouth of the streits is called fretum Herculeum from Hercules Now this Sea is so called in Greek from its red color and this King was named Erythraeus from it and so perhaps might the Phenicians and Edomites bee thus called not becaus they were redder then other people but becaus they dwelt not far from the red sea for Edom signifi th red I know most derive this apellation from Esau's red pottage which he coveted so greedily and so the Phenicians are called from the red color saith Strabo becaus the sea is red {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Lib. 2. cap. 3. 8. FRom these apparences of redness by the shadows of those stones sands earth and clefts I suppose it first took the name of the red sea becaus in manie places it seemeth to bee such It is not called the red sea onely from the appearance or similitude of redness for so the whole Ocean sea is called red becaus it appear's so when the skie is red in the morning or evening hence the â—â—d sea is called mare purpureum and rubrum by the Poëts In mare purpureum violentior in sluit undis Jamque rube scebat radiis mare So Euripides call's the sea {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but the Persian Gulf is called the red sea becaus the water in manie places is indeed red when in a storm the water is troubled and mingled with that red earth sand slime which is in the bottom thereof and this is oftentimes becaus that sea is shallower then other seas are So I finde that not onelie the Arabian Gulf is called the red sea But also the Persian Gulf by e Seneca Et qui renatum prorsus excipiens diem Tepidum rubenti Tigrim immiscet freto Now wee know that Tigris and Euphrates run not into the Arabian but the Persian sea So Plin. lib 6. cap. 24. divide's the red sea into two baies the one called the Persian which is in the East the other the Arabâ—an and if the red sea was so called from King Erythras then the Persian should bear this name for Curtius and others place his tomb not on the Arabian but on the Persian gulf I finde also that the dead sea or Asphaltites is by Hesychius cal led the red sea {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} becaus of the red bitumen which is found in and about that Lake Lib. 2. cap. 4. 3. Eusebius thought Sinai or Horeb were distinct hills Hierom to bee but one They were but one in bulk but distinct in the tops and names the one beeing called Horeb that is Desert the other Sinai that is a Bush for it was not it seem's at that time frequented but a desert becaus full of Bushes and trees or becaus superstitious people held it formidable supposing som Dietie had dwelt there therefore durst not com near it this kinde of superstition was called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and it was ordinarie among the Gentiles to believ that their gods dwelt on mountains and in groves so Virgil Aen. 8 speaking of the Capitol Hinc ad Tarpeiam sedem Capitolia ducit Aurea nunc olim sylvestribus horrida dumis Jam tum religio pavidos terrebat agrestes Dira loci tum cùm sylvam saxumque tremebant Hoc nemus hunc inquit frondoso vertice collem Quis deus incertum est habitat deus c. And perhaps for this caus Horeb was called the mountain of God or els for the height thereof so tall Cedars are called the Cedars of God or rather by anticipation becaus God was to reveal his wil and glorie there to Moyses and it might wel bee called God's hill for this caus as the place where Jacob wrestled with God called Peniel and where hee saw the vision of the Ladder Bethel God's hous for not onely upon this hill did God appear to Moyses at this time when hee
kept sheep but also when hee gave the Law Here it was where was that rock which represented Christ which beeing struck by his fathers rod yielded fountains of living waters Here Moyses by holding up his hands overcame Amalek here Moyses conversed with God without food or drink fortie daies together here Moyses broke he two Tables of the Law and slew the Calf worshippers and here did Elias enjoie the sight of God Lib. 2. cap. 4. 2. WHen Moyses married the daughter of Jethro hee would not had hee found them Idolaters made her the mother of his children Hee might have found her an Idolater and afterwards convert her for doubtless Jethro could not have been Priest of Midian had hee not been an Idolater for they were such yet afterward by Moyses's means and miracles hee was converted to the true God as appear's by his own words Exod. 18. Now saith hee I know that the Lord is great above all gods gods c. Therefore Jethro offred sacrifices unto the Lord and therefore upon his conversion hee received a new name and was called Hobee that is loving becaus hee testified by his conversion how much hee loved God and his Law Now that Jethro was Priest of Midian is plain both by the 70 Interpreters and Latine Interpreters by * Philo also and Josephus though the Chaldee Paraphrase call him Prince of Midian indeed hee might bee both for Melchisedec was King and Priest and among the Gentiles it was usual for the same man to bee both Rex Anius rex idem hominum Phoebique saccrdos And so the Hebrew word Cohen signifie's both for David's sons were called a Cohavim that is Princes as the 70 interpret it for the Priests were not of the tribe of Juda but of the tribe of Levi Lib. 2. cap. 4. 4. THe other Etymologie à ligando is no less agreeable to the nature of a Law The Etymologie will not suffer that Lex should bee à ligando though metaphorically the Law binde's and Laws are called bands But Lex is rather à legendo which signifie's both to read and to choos for Laws were publickly read proclaimed and proposed for all men to bee read and becaus Law givers and people did choos what they would obeie what avoid they were called Leges à legendo Legis natura in delectu non jus whether it bee from jussum becaus comanded or from Jovis becaus all Laws are from God hence jusjurandum quasi Jovis jurandum I saie jus is the rigor of the Law which the Greeks call {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} hence Acribodicaei were the rigid exactors and interpreters of the Law but aequum is the moderation of that rigor or a correction called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and such moderators were called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} to moderate the Law As for Fas it was so call'd of fando from speaking whence come's the word fatum which indeed is whatsoëver God hath decreed and spoken concerning us Quid aliud est fa um quà m quod de naoquoque nostrûm deus fatus est Min. Faelix octav Lib. 2. cap. 5. 9. NO man knoweth of Moyses's Sepulere to this daie which hapned Anno mundi 2554 God would conceal Moyses's Sepulere least the Jews who were prone to Idolatrie might worship him for the true God for if they stuck not to worship a Calf they would have made no scruple to worship Moyses his bodie and this was the occasion of that Alrercation between Michaël and Satan mentioned by Saint Jude whether out of Tradition or out of that Apocryphal book called Asscensio Moysis is uncertain This is certain that the Gentiles did usually deisie their Law givers and such as had don anie memorable acts amoug them therefore doubtless the Jews would not have been backward to afford the same honor to him who had deserved it far better then they if wee consider the excellencie of the man and of his Laws his miracles and familiaritie with God his own gravitie to whom in this regard all the Heathen Law-givers com far short'n for hee lived before their first Divines Linus Orpheus and Musaeus about four hundred years before the Trojane Wars four hundred thirtie three years before Homer five hundred years before the Seven Wise-men of Greece who flourished about the Fiftieth Olympiad above a thousand years Pythagoras and his succeeding Philosophers were much later then the Grecian Wise-men The most antient Historians of the Gentiles do make honorable mention of Moyses as Berosus the Chaldaean Ptolomie and Manetho Egyptian writers and among the Greeks Artapanus Eupolemus Trogus Pompeius Diodorus Morbus Numenius Pythagoricus who called Plato the Affrick Moyses Lib. 2. cap. 6. 4. PRometheus was bound to the top of Caucasus whose entrails beeing devoured by an Eagle did signifie his inward care hee had to investigate the natures motions and influences of the heavenlie bodies Though this may bee true yet I think rather was meant by this fiction that hee and his children seated themselvs in the Countrie about Caucasus who were much troubled both with the barrenness of the soil and vexed with the multitudes and rapacitie of Eagles who commonly frequent such hillie and rockie Countries and it is more likely that Atlas who Eupolemus in b Eusebius think's to bee the same with Enoch was the Astronomer then Prometbeus whom som think to bee all one with Magog the son of Japhet for to steal fire from heaven and to animate stones and metals and claie hath no relation to Astonomie but rather to Mechanical trades manie of which are helpt effected by fire and metals are melted made into Statues his animating of claie may also signifie that hee infused knowledg and civilitie into men without which they are little better then dead claie but of Prometheus wee have c spoken elswhere Now Atlas in supporting the heavens in having daughters called by the names of constellations Hyades and Pleiades is more likely to bee the Astronomer Lib. 2. cap. 6. 6. MErcurius was called Trismegistus or ter maximus and of the Greeks Hermes Hee was called ter maximus as beeing the greatest King the greatest Priest and greatest Philosopher that ever was in Egypt Also becaus of all the Heathens if hee was a Heathen and not the same with Moyses hee had the greatest knowledg of the Trinitie for his excellencie hee was deified after his death and a Citie erected to his memorie called Hermopolis hee was called Hermes the interpreter or messenger of the gods becaus of his eloquence and excellent knowledg in divinitie It was hee that first divided the daie into twelv hours by observing a certain beast which made water so often in a daie Hee was said to have wings to shew the fame of his worth by which his name was carried everie where of his manie arts which hee found out e I
Cassius and Brutus were overthrown by Octavius and Ant nius But why the Poëts should call the Phaesalic field where Pompeie was overthrown by Cesar Philippici I could never yet understand seeing these fields are manie miles distant from each other except there were two towns of that name Here at this town Paul and Silas were imprisoned and whipt from hence hee wrote his second Epistle to the Corinthians and to the Philippians hee wroâ—e one of his Epistles This town was a Colonie of the Romans and was called of old Crenides from the manie springs of water or els veins of gold it had which much enriched Philip whose monie called Philippici was coined here It was called also Datus from the riches of which town came the Greek proverb {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} when they meant plentie of all good things Lib. 4. cap. 2. 7. ALl men that know Egypt and write thereof affirm that it never Rain's there All men do not write so Seneca indeed write's Nat. quaest. l. 3. that it never or seldom rain's in that part of Egypt which is near Ethiopia and that the rain which fall's there doth the ground but little good as beeing more accustomed to the waters of Nilus then to the rain water And whereas all write that Egypt is subject to clouds and that it thunder's oftentimes there it were miraculous if it should never rain being there are the same causses of rain that are in the countries round about it therefore to saie it never rain's in Egypt is as true as that of Plinie who affirm's that it never rain's in the court of Venu's temple in Paphos nor near the image of Minerva by Troas Lucan indeed write's that Egypt doth not need rain so much rain as other places becaus of Nilus non indiga mercis Aut Jovis in solo tanta est fiducia Nilo But Travellers who have been there finde that when it rain's there the people are subject to Catthars and other infirmities and likewise that the Northerlie winde which use to be drie in other places are alwaies moist there but Herodotus lib. 3. tell's us of a showre of rain which fell at Thebes in Egypt in the daies of Psammenitus which was held a wonder But I hold it no wonder for him to credit this fable whose whole book is full of such stuff for Pigafetta saith it raineth oftentimes in and about Alexandria It seem's most have been of opinion that it rain's not in Egypt becaus Nilus overflow's it and supplie's the defect of rain but then by the same reason they may conclude that it doth not rain in those countries of Africa through which the river Niger floweth nor in America where the rivers of Amazones and Guiena run which have their yearlie overflowings as Nilus hath and so hath Menan in Pegu and Sian in Asia and yet it raineth in all those places Lib. 4. cap. 2. 15. WEe may give credit to Writers making mention of such Amazons I see no ground why wee should give credit to those Autors who write of the Amazons seeing they never saw anie but only write upon hear-saie wee know how manie fictions and fabulous stories are communicated by tradition from one to another It is true there have been in all ages warlike women but that there should bee a particular race of women who domineer'd over their husbands commanding them to spin and card and look to houshold business whilst they did wage watts abroad that give themselvs but once a year to copulation that onely educated their daughters in militarie emploiements and either killed or maimed their ions that cut off their right brest and such like stuff is all ridiculous and no more to bee credited then the stories of the Gorgones Harpies and Sirenes for to what end should they cut off a pap or breast seeing the breast is no hindrance to shooting for wee read of women that have been excelient Archers and yet have had both their breasts neither do I think that they were called Amazones from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the pap but from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and this from the Hebrew Mazzah which is a cake or loaf made of meal and water or milk which the Amazones never used but contented themselvs with Snails Lisards and such kinde of food therefore poor people that could not reach to eat bread were called Amazones And the less credit wee are to give to them that write of those Amazons becaus they cannot agree where they dwelt for Diodorus placeth them in Lybia and in the Atlantic Ocean Trogus and Justin make them Scythians Ptolomie and Curtius place them near the Caspian sea others will have them to dwel near the river Thermodoon Goropius will have them to bee Cimbrians or Sarmatians Lopez will have them to bee in Congo and in America where the river of Amazons is so called from this fiction others again bestow upon them a great part of the Kingdom of Monomotapa but the truth is they were never anie where and of this minde is Strabo lib. 11. Diodorus Siculus lib. 2. cap. 11. and Palephatus lib. 1. of whose opinion I am That the Amazones were nothing els but Thiacian men close shaven and wearing long garments like women which gave the occasion to this Fiction Lib. 4. cap. 2. 21. THe Thunder and Lightning with which Bacchus and Hercules were beaten back from the assault of the Citie of the Oxydracae may well bee understood of the great Ordnance that those people had then in use for the Eastern people had the use of Canon long before Alexander's time This is a meer fancie without anie ground for what antient writer did ever understand by thunder and lightning our Ordnince which was not the invention as som think of the Eastern people but of the Western who have been ever more ingenious and have found out in a manner all Arts Sciences Laws and Religion For is it like lie that before Alexander's time yet before Baechus and Hercules the Indian should have Ordnance and neither the Persians their neighbors nor Alexander who went so far into the Indies and who was so curious and ambitious of all knowledg of arts should be ignorant of this art of Artillerie so useful for his victories and that the Romans who extended their Trophees so far Eastward should never mention this art or know the use of it who were so ingenious in all militarie engines For what is spoken of Claudiana tonitrua or Salmoneus his lightning and thundring is nothing els but brandishing of torches in the dark and rumbling with stones or iron upon brass which will make a hideous nois Therefore doubtless this invention which was never mentioned by anie antient writer is not yet 300 years old found out as som saie at Mentz in Germanie others in Phrisia but I rather think it was found out in Italie the land